Rating: 
Summary: Not Hocus-Pocus but Focus (Direction)
Review: Have you ever lamented; if only I would have taken advantage of that business opportunity, that fitness program, spent more time with my kids, taken that course. OR: If only I had more time. The Power of Focus will change all that for you. You will get more done and have more free time. The Power of Focus goes beyond motivation. You can read a book or go to a seminar and get all excited and motivated. Enthusiasm but no direction or focus. Focus and direction can turn the power of a light bulb into a laser beam. Lasers are nothing more but sharply focused light. Lasers have the ability to cut through steel and destroy missiles in space. Same light as the light bulb---just focused and directed. The strategies in The Power of Focus will turn the power of your mind into the laser beam it was meant to be. You will hit your business, personal and financial targets with absolute certaintly and sooner than you previously though possible. Use the Power of Focus to increase your effectiveness and your time off.
Rating: 
Summary: The Power of Bogus
Review: There is nothing in this book beyond the completely self evident. Just concentrate, develop good work ethic, give it your best, have a positive attitude. That is just about everything that is in between the cover of this book. You just read it. The rest is Bogus.
Rating: 
Summary: Build good habits!
Review: I like this book because the methods they show you are pragmatic and effective. It presents some very useful methods that most of us can readily use. Furthermore, these methods are summarized at the end of each chapter. So even if you forget what you have read, you can easily refresh your mind by reviewing those one-page chapter summaries. Like most self-development books, it is somewhat long winded. That's not necessary bad since repetition can help one retain more and longer. And for most of us, these books serve as reminders rather than new revelations. There aren't a lot of earth-shattering ideas in this book (and you won't find that in many other similar books for that matter) but good old ones being told in different ways. Two major themes from this book that I particularly like are 1) you need to develop good habits and 2) you need to plan, TAKE ACTION, and keep your body and mind in top shape. This will be of no surprise to most of us but the question is how many of us are practicing it and doing it to its fullest? If you feel that you are doing lots but don't seem to be getting anywhere, then read this. But most important of all, practice it. The concepts are simple but building the necessary habits will take time. Nothing good comes easy. Don't expect miracles from a simple read.
Rating:
Summary: Self-Help Meets Self-Wealth
Review: If you enjoyed books like The Power of Positive Thinking, The Millionaire Next Door, or The Four Agreements you are almost certain to like this book by the creators of Chicken Soup for the Soul. The authors use real-life examples, motivational tools, and tried-and-true business principles to make their points. I particularly liked the "flow charts" at the end of each chapter that helped to capture the overall message and encourage the reader's progress. Not having read any of the Chicken Soup books may have been to my advantage as I did not tire of the writers' style or lessons. An easy read full of good practical and business advice.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book to read
Review: It is really a great book to read. You will learn a lot about how to plan your life and set your goals. I read it once and I think I will read it again and again and again, because it is really full and worthy. I love it.
Rating:
Summary: Good
Review: This book is essentially great. There are some stuff that does not apply to me, but I just skip them and take those ideas that do. It's a matter of getting the concept of the book, and see how it applies to you.
Rating:
Summary: Out of Focus...Out of Reach
Review: Long ago when I was a child, I purchased a large box of Crackerjacks and the prize within was a small plastic magnifying glass. I recall using it to burn holes in leaves which demonstrated the power of focus. I thought about that as I read this book. Here is one of its core concepts: "Negative habits breed negative consequences. Successful habits create positive rewards." I agree. However, as the authors fully understand, replacing negative habits with successful habits is very difficult. A sincere and sustained commitment is imperative. However, as the authors of this volume correctly point out, something else is also needed: focus. "You must invest most of your time every week doing what you do best, and let others do what they do best....When you focus most of your time and energy doing the brilliant things you are truly brilliant at, you eventually reap big rewards." Within organizations, this is the essence of alignment: getting the right people in the right places, doing what they do best to achieve whatever the organization's goals may be. Canfield, Hansen, and Hewitt recommend and then explain ten different strategies to develop and sustain successful habits, focus on strengths, see "The Big Picture," balance career with personal life, build excellent relationships with others, eliminate (or at least significantly reduce) fear and anxiety, ask for what you want (the authors provide a seven-point system to achieve prosperity), sustain consistent persistence, take decisive and appropriate action, and finally, how to simplify one's life without compromising one's purposes. A set of specific "Action Steps" is provided at the end of each chapter. If implemented effectively, the ten strategies can enable almost anyone to "hit" their business, personal, and financial "targets" and in many (if not most) instances "with absolute certainty." First, however, each reader must determine what her or his "targets" are. My own experience suggests that, over time, people change their targets. Also, whatever they may be at any given time, the little rascals tend to be moving. In their Final Words, the authors note that "there are no shortcuts to building a life of substance. It's an ongoing process. It takes time, real effort and a desire to become more than you already are. It's a worthy challenge. However, your biggest challenge starts tomorrow. How will you apply what you have learned between the covers of this book?" As suggested earlier, reading this this book reminded me of a large box of Crackerjacks. The material it provides reminded me of that little plastic magnifying glass. Both the box and the book offer the same "gift": an understanding and appreciation of the power of focus. I join with the authors in wishing their readers "an abundance of health, joy, and prosperity in the years ahead." If at all possible, read this book in combination with Bossidy and Charan's Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done; Hammer's The Agenda: What Every Business Must Do to Dominate the Decade; Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People; and finally, Connors, Smith, and Hickman's The Oz Principle: Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability.
Rating:
Summary: Great advice, easy to read, easy to apply
Review: I found this book valuable. First it is easy to read, and second, the advice and techniques are easy to apply. I have just gone back and read it a second time and found yet more items of value. What I particularly liked about the book:
1) It summarizes and integrates the advice of other success writers into an easy to follow action guide.
2) There were lots of easy-to-apply techniques.
3) How to prioritize your goals.
4) The Goal Picture book.
5) The importance of scheduling private time. If you want to set and accomplish personal goals, this book is highly recommended. John Dunbar
Sugar Land, TX
Rating: 
Summary: The Focus is on separating you from your money
Review: This book has a some great ideas (hire assistants for everything mundane, so you have time to be brilliant) for brilliant and rich people. Unfortunately, like most of us, I have yet to find anything I'm brilliant at. And, I cant afford personal trainers, life coaches, tax specialists, and especially my own Personal Mastermind Group. If I could, I wouldnt need this book's advice. With one exception (thats how it earned 2 stars instead of one), the ideas in this book are kinda useless for normal people. In addition, I was disappointed by the lack of real life experiences that I saw in Canfields early works, and I think maybe he ran out of stories. Didnt find this book to be compelling or enjoyable. Conclusion: Title should read 'Sell Books on Focus and Get Rich!'
Rating:
Summary: A wealth of insights, anecdotes, and stories
Review: In The Power Of Focus, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Les Hewitt effectively collaborate and combine their seventy-nine years of business expertise to articulate ten powerful principles for setting and achieving personal, business, and financial objectives. A wealth of insights, anecdotes, and stories serve to enhanc their provision of fundamentals such as developing clarity, understanding habits, and learning how to focus on goals. The Power Of Focus is enthusiastically recommended for anyone charged with an entrepreneurial or managerial responsibility in today's highly competitive (and distractive) marketplace. The Power Of Focus is also available in paperback.
| 
