Maxwell Maltz (1899-1975) was an American cosmetic surgeon and the author of Psycho-Cybernetics, the 1960 book that introduced the concept of self-image psychology to a mass audience.
After noticing that many of his surgery patients reported no change in self-esteem even after physical transformation, Maltz began studying how the mind constructs identity. He concluded that we act in accordance with our self-image, and that changing the image changes the life.
Psycho-Cybernetics has sold more than 30 million copies and influenced generations of athletes, executives, and psychologists, including the modern visualization and mental rehearsal techniques used in sports performance.