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Rating: 
Summary: Very useful book on dealing with all types of adversity
Review: Anyone who thinks this book is about a "having a good attitude" or "positive thinking" hasn't read the book.
Stoltz states at the beginning, "It's more important to know how to deal with the negative than to be 'positive.'" This mirrors the I Ching, which says, "The event is not important, but the response to the event is everything." Stoltz says it's not only how we _respond_ to adversity, but how we _perceive_ adversity.
Stoltz breaks down our response to adversity into five categories -- Control (how much control do we perceive over the adverse situation?), Origin (are we to blame for the adverse situation?), Ownership (are we responsible for fixing the adverse situation?), Reach (how far will this adverse situation reach into other areas of my life?), and Endurance (how long will this adverse situation last?). He provides abundant examples (everyday and historical), hypotheticals, and even a test where we can score how we tend to respond to adversity, and improve our response.
He lists 22 helpful ways to _destroy_ the adversity of those around us (#4 -- Model victimhood. Act depressed -- it's contagious; #9 -- Frame success as a freak accident; #19 -- Uproot enthusiasm before it can grow).
Problems with the book? Sure there are. It's a bit padded, especially in the beginning. Much of the book deals with overcoming adversity in business situations. He also criticizes those who decide to "camp" on the hillside instead of always "climbing" to the top of the mountain. I feel we can have success and happiness, not to mention a family life, by "camping," just as I suspect "climber" is another word for "workaholic."
In all, it's a very worthwhile book.
Rating: 
Summary: a nice gimmick---not a very good book
Review: As a coach/consultant in personal and organizational development for 20 years I read hundreds of 'self-help' books. Only a few have something new and useful to offer. Stolz's Adversity Quotient is one of the best of those. Its easy-to-use assesment of my habitual way of responding to adversity gave me critical feedback I needed to re-invent my own life/work strategies. And his CORE skills and LEAD sequence (based largely on Martin Seligman's work on learned helplessness and learned optimism which was deemed the 'landmark theory of the century' by the American Psychological Association) are powerful, pragmatic tools for dealing with adversity of any sort. AQ is simple, clear and easy to use, but it is definitely not a gimmick. As a professional in this field and as an individual who has used Stolz's insights and tools to produce more outstanding results than ever before--and with less effort and stress--I can attest to both its scientific solidness and its practical usefulness. It has my highest recommendation.
Rating:
Summary: a stinker
Review: FIrst of all, Let's estimate ourselves more strictly to approach. You need to know you are such a hesitater, slow- actioner or risk-taking pal. If you became a hesitater to do something, your life should be encouraged to change. If you are a slow-actioner, throw away your convenience-originated attitude to all the way. Fortunately, if you think you are a risk-taker or would-be-risk-taker, you will have to play a key role to encourage and vigorous one another, right away. There is a good news for us. Adveristy Quotient can be able to improve depending on your efforts while IQ and EQ is more natural. That means if we continue to do our best to develop our AQ, then it allows us a enforced risk-taking attitude to cope all problems we face. Please fill out the AQ test as he directed and analyze your advantage versus disadvantage points. And Make a list what you do today to change your attitude more constructively. Estimate your outcome what points were improved while not, on a regular base. Then make sure that you find out you become a real challenger. Don't forget to share your marvelous experience with your close friends, neighbours, subordinates and senior citizens to help their difficulties.
Rating:
Summary: Insightful and helpful
Review: I was very impressed with the helpful and easy-to-follow ideas in this book. It was very empowering to realize how much control we *do* have in our lives, even in situations that seem out of our control - because we *always* have control over our response. One of the key points is that despite whatever AQ you have, you can improve it! Even before I'd finished the book, I was able to start putting the ideas to work. If you are one of the people who says "it won't work for me!" or "books like that are all bunk!" then you especially could benefit from this one. Go into it with an open mind, and your life could be changed for the better. I intend to re-read this book several times, to help myself better absorb the important lessons.
Rating:
Summary: Unseen Change
Review: Learn to face and grow through adversity is what this book is all about. Paul Stoltz explains why some people succeed while others stop short in their mission when exposed to adversity. This book provides essential scientifically-grounded principles needed to ascent in an era of growing adversity.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth a look
Review: Some of this book is very simplistic if you have taken any psychology. The writing can be repetitive. That said, the assessment test is good, and the explanations of the different components of AQ are useful. I particularly liked the author's explanation of what it means to take ownership in a situation. The LEAD sequence is well explained and easy to use. In short, there are some useful tips and techniques here, particularly for those who work in human services, but the book is overlong given the simplicity of the author's message.
Rating:
Summary: a stinker
Review: This book is a stinker. Here's the deal...think of some catchy metaphor (e.g., life is a climb, life is a portrait, life is a ladder...something like that). Come up with a "theory" around the metaphor (e.g., you can climb or camp when you have a problem, you can copy a picture or create your own, etc.) Do a chapter on each idea (Chapter #1: Climbing, Chapter #2; Camping, etc.). Get friends and family members to "review" the book (favorably of course). If you have success, consider spinoffs like climbing at work, climbing at home, etc. Voila! You're an author and an expert! Now, hit the trail as a motivational speaker.This pretty much explains this one! Save your money and come up with your own book.Heh, maybe YOU can be an author and a motivational speaker!
Rating:
Summary: The book teaches you how to succeed in your your own life.
Review: Too many people suffer from learned helplessness - they believe that nothing they do really matters and that they can't make a difference in their own lives nor in what happens to them. They give up and become quitters, or camp out and live lives of quiet desparation. By building up your Adversity Quotient, Stoltz shows that adversity doesn't have to intrude into all areas of your life; nor do you have to believe that your problems have to last forever. By increasing your AQ, you can rebound almost instantly. Everyone stumbles and falls, but now you can learn how to pick yourself up, renew your spirit, and face any problems by taking action that eliminate and prevent the same adverse situation from ever occurring again. This is a remarkably well written and useful book. It is helpful in improving the quality of every aspect of your life, including your private life, career, etc. Given today's challenges and stress levels, it should be required reading for everyone. Even big challenges and adversities - losing a job, getting a divorse, being reprimanded, etc. - will be reduced to little ones once you know how to deal with them effectively and easily. A great book!
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