In The Mamba Mentality, Kobe Bryant wants to take his readers on an "adventure in high-level basketball," as stated in the introduction of the book.
Indeed, the book is a collection of snippets from his career, in which he describes his physical and mental processes to develop a mindset of domination--the mamba mentality. Just like its author, the book is focused entirely on basketball, with short chapters that are cut down to the bare essentials.
The authors begin by describing Kobe's training routine when he starts in the NBA, with insights into his way of thinking. He spends a great deal of time preparing for a game, meticulously studying videos, photos, and books--he even describes reading a handbook for referees and using his newly acquired knowledge to his advantage when he memorizes their blind spots during their movements to get away with fouls.
Even when he is injured, he maintains his determination. For example, Kobe recollects spraining his ankle in the NBA finals in 2000, figuring out how he could still move his foot and then adjusting his game accordingly so he could continue dominating ("dominate" and "dictate" are some of his favorite words in the book).
The book is interspersed with stories of encounters with famous sportspeople, other basketball players, and coaches who contributed to Kobe's exceptional development as a player. Some of these encounters are illustrated with annotated pictures such as the one where young Kobe Bryant is defending against Michael Jordan. He objectively analyzes his stance and compares it to Jordan's superior technique, which he presents as a learning opportunity.
In fact, the word 'fail' is non-existent in the book, which is what Kobe Bryant's message is all about: You win, or you learn and win next time.
