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Rating: 
Summary: This is a book that has the power to change your life.
Review: Andrew: "Kathy Kolbe's penetrating insights into our instinctual inclinations are nothing less than revolutionary. Her passion for her remarkable system is clear on every page."Karen: "Kathy Kolbe's groundbreaking system for identifying instinctive drive is extraordinary. I can't think of a better investment to make in understanding yourself than to buy POWERED BY INSTINCT and to start putting its insights to work for you." --Andrew Dornenburg & Karen Page, James Beard Award-winning authors of BECOMING A CHEF and THE NEW AMERICAN CHEF
Rating:
Summary: Harness your hunches with this excellent book
Review: Capturing your Instincts How many times have you looked back over a decision you made and said, "I knew better than to do that! Something in my gut told me not to do it." Oh, I've been there plenty of times. How do we harness that instinct, that gut feel that can guide us on a better path through life? Author Kathy Kolbe has a set of five rules to harness the hunch and a set of "think-ercises" to retrain your behavior. This is brilliant. In fact, this is one of the best self-improvement books I have ever read. I am serious! The five rules are: 1.Act-before you think (scary!)
2.Self-provoke (stimulate your instincts)
3.Commit, but to very little
4.Be obstinate in overcoming obstacles
5.Do nothing when nothing works (stop beating that head against the wall.) I am especially impressed with Kolbe's visualization chart of the Creative Process. This is quite different than the creative exercises I learned in the past. Kolbe's process involves charting first motivation, then your inner talents, drives and energy, then your will and its commitment to the goal, followed by the reasoning and rationalization process to justify the action, and finally the behavior. This is not acting WITHOUT thinking; instead it is acting with a follow-through of self-examination that combines your subconscious hunches with rational thought and experiential data. I also like the question set about instinct when something "feels wrong":
1.Is it the way you are approaching a task?
2.Do you feel you've done something wrong?
3.Are you feeling sick or run-down?
4.Does the way another person responds to you make you uncomfortable?
5.Is there something physically unsafe about your situation?
6.Are you ill at east with the way things are happening? Look at the above list and look how that applies to so many situations in life. Let's take the decision to ride home with a friend after a party. If your feeling is you shouldn't get in the car, examine if you feel something is unsafe. Perhaps the friend had a few too many drinks. This list would be a good exercise to train teenagers to act on their inner voice of conscience, something to harness their good sense and channel it to better decisions. And of course, this list is essential for looking at your daily work life and perhaps deciding to move on to find other opportunities before you are forced by the situation to do so. This list alone would help you stay ahead of the wave of circumstance. I think nearly everyone could profit from "Powered by Instinct." If you know someone in the job market or going through a life-changing event, this would make a wonderful gift to him or her-or to yourself.
Rating: 
Summary: Powered by Impulse
Review: I did it again.
Forever scanning the universe for new theories on personality development and being in a stressed out state of mind(note to self, do not buy books on hunches in this state of mind...) I decided to buy this book at Borders. I think I paid way too much for it...$25.00. Especially when I got into it and found out to understand it, I needed to buy more testing on the internet. For $50.00! Just when I thought I was over my get rich quick, something new under the sun, 'get a life coach to solve my life' mentality....
Had again! I was mesmerized by the words conative, and "new research" and famous test pioneer family....Lou Dobbs even liked it. Lou Dobbs!
I should have paid more attention to the referenced companies, like Xerox, which have floundered in the past 10 years, or the blatant self-promotion that is cover to cover or that any book on intuition that doesn't reference Caroline Myss is suspect. Another reason to sharpen my gut.
I like the subject, I like that there is some good information. I did not like being conned into spending more money to understand the book...tsk tsk. It was cheesball-dropping it in subtley in the conversation like that...It reminds me of multi-level marketing. Took WAY away from her credibility. This approach is manipulative and old school.
Before I got pulled into a labyrinthine multi-level marketing run up my bill scheme(will I need to buy another test to understand this one, attend a seminar to get the real meat?) I decided to come here and read if others had a similar feeling....
It seems I am not alone.
Rating:
Summary: Everyone needs this book
Review: If you want to:
1) accomplish more in less time, and with less effort
2) learn to better prioritize your activities
3) reduce your stress, without reducing your productivity ...then this book is for you. I must admit I'm not a big fan of "self-help" books, but Powered By Instinct is far more substantial than the genre (and the title) suggest. If you're interesed in the subject of "instincts", you might already know that places like IBM, Stanford University, the US Army, etc. having been using Kolbe's research and applying it to solve problems and improve productivity for years (even professional sports teams have used her program). This book allows the "average person" to apply this research to daily life in areas such as finances, relationships, career, parenting, and education. Several (high powered professional) friends who have read this book say that it gave them a whole new perspective on their professional and personal lives, and led them to make key decisions with excellent results. Still, I was skeptical. Not being a big fan of "rules", I doubted that Kolbe's "5 Rules for Trusting Your Guts" would appeal to me. All I can say is that I was completely wrong. Powered by Instinct demonstrates (through Socratic dialogue and hands-on exercises) how to trust your instincts in an intelligent way. I've always believed that everyone already possesses what they need to succeed (not just financially, but emotionally)-- this book teaches you how to tap your own resources and maximize not only your output, but your sense of well-being. I highly recommend this one.
Rating: 
Summary: A different angle for bringing out your best
Review: In "Powered by Instinct" Kathy Kolbe brings together years of research into a cohesive test that examines "innate talents" instead of learned abilities. She takes the view that while there are many learned behaviors that change over time and the personality itself may change over time, there are basic innate abilities that do not change. The Kolbe system examines methods of problem solving that she considers instinctual and therefore unchanging. Each one of these methods is not better or worse than another but are just the ones that a particular person may use. Once you know the methods that various people use you can ensure that you have the right mix of people when pursuing creative problem solving. Group interaction and problem solving is not the only use for the Kolbe Index. Once you know your innate abilities and problem solving methods you can pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses. From this information you can determine the best profession for you to enter and other important life decisions. The Kolbe System is gaining momentum as an accurate method of forecasting how people will react under various circumstances and becoming more popular as a psychological evaluation tool. "Powered by Instinct" brings the basic tenets of this system to the average reader from the original developer of the system. "Powered by Instinct" is a recommended read.
Rating: 
Summary: not much more than an infomercial for website products
Review: Judging from the other reviews, this book contains some interesting information, but I couldn't get past page ten because the author keeps talking about instinct when it's quite obvious that she means intuition. You'd think that an author who is going to devote a book to one subject would know the proper definition of that subject, but apparently not.
If you want a good book on intuition, I'd suggest A STILL, SMALL VOICE by Echo Bodine.
I was thinking of donating this POWERED BY INSTINCT book to the local library, but that would mean that I'd be helping to mislead others, so I plan to throw it into a nearby river.
Rating: 
Summary: Rules for Being More Instinctive
Review: Powered by Instinct was designed by the author to help you: "Make better decisions in a crisis";
"Never have to worry about someone else controlling your mind";
"Reduce conflicts and improve communication in relationships";
"Increase your effectiveness at work and make better career choices";
"Improve awareness of your personal needs and health considerations";
"Focus on your own and others' natural strengths . . . ."; and
"Discover how to harness the power of your instincts to get more done . . . ." Five rules are proposed: 1. Act -- before you think.
2. Self-provoke (goad yourself to initiate the action you desire)
3. Commit -- but to very little (to stay focused on what's important)
4. Be obstinate -- in over coming obstacles (never, never give up)
5. Do nothing -- when nothing works (remove mental clutter to reenergize your instincts). Each rule is followed by extensive exercises to help you understand how to apply it. That's helpful because only the first rule seems to draw on instinct. The book is framed around the perspective of Ms. Kolbe's proprietary research into the patterns of instinctive thinking and action. Ever since I was a young consultant, I have run into people who told me that they wanted to do no analysis . . . just trust their gut instincts. I had always wondered how that approach, so strong in so many people, could be sharpened to achieve better results. Ms. Kolbe's book provides many ways that those who want to rely on gut instincts can consider their effectiveness. For example, in doing the exercises, I was struck that in making financial decisions I almost always make the wrong decision when I trust my instincts. I was aware of that before reading this book, but I'm really sure that I won't do that again. The book's format is developed around a Socratic dialogue with a hypothetical seat companion on an airplane. Having seen that was the format, I waited until my next airline flight to read the book. For me, though, the format didn't work very well. I couldn't understand most of the points the author was making because of language ambiguities without reading the notes in the back. The notes mostly referred to her own research so I got more of the same language issues. It also broke the spell of the Socratic dialogue. Then the book dived into a detailed discussion of the Kolbe Indexes. Naturally, I couldn't look that up on-line while on the airplane. When I landed, I immediately did . . . and found that it would cost about double the price of the book to have my instinct pattern profiled. I decided not to do it. The discussion of Ms. Kolbe's pattern and those of her seat companion left me unenlightened. Perhaps that is because I both prefer to both start with research and to launch off into uncharted territory . . . depending on the nature of the problem. Of the five rules, the last four seem consistent with most self-help books I have read. It was only the first rule that was new to me. My own work with the exercises made me realize that instinct has only worked reliably for me when I have been in crisis situations (such as a hotel fire). So I don't think I'll be following that rule for most situations. I will, however, listen to my instincts to think about what they are trying to tell me when time allows. Actually, I understood this book's premise better after reading another book, How Customers Think, which relates how the unconscious mind dominates decisions and actions . . . and functions much faster than the conscious, rational mind. If you want to understand the underpinnings of this book, I suggest that you read that one as well. Having not found the book to be very relevant personally, I graded it as a three star. I do think that people who like to always go with their gut instinct without reflection will think this is a five star book. I also think that people who operate that way will be helped by the exercises. Be sure to do them. As for the writing style, you will want to consider that you will be learning a lot of new terms. Conation is the most important one. Here's the definition: "Action derived from instinct; purposeful mode of striving, volition." I was immediately puzzled why it wasn't appropriate to just say "instinctive action" or "instinctive behavior." Conation and the many other terms introduced in the book just made the material less instinctive for me. After you finish this book, I suggest that you pick out an area where you are having trouble making decisions . . . and fast action is required. How can you get in touch with your instincts to help you clear away some of the bad choices . . . and make better ones?
Rating:
Summary: Surpasses the "self-help" genre
Review: Powered by Instinct was designed by the author to help you: "Make better decisions in a crisis";
"Never have to worry about someone else controlling your mind";
"Reduce conflicts and improve communication in relationships";
"Increase your effectiveness at work and make better career choices";
"Improve awareness of your personal needs and health considerations";
"Focus on your own and others' natural strengths . . . ."; and
"Discover how to harness the power of your instincts to get more done . . . ." Five rules are proposed: 1. Act -- before you think.
2. Self-provoke (goad yourself to initiate the action you desire)
3. Commit -- but to very little (to stay focused on what's important)
4. Be obstinate -- in over coming obstacles (never, never give up)
5. Do nothing -- when nothing works (remove mental clutter to reenergize your instincts). Each rule is followed by extensive exercises to help you understand how to apply it. That's helpful because only the first rule seems to draw on instinct. The book is framed around the perspective of Ms. Kolbe's proprietary research into the patterns of instinctive thinking and action. Ever since I was a young consultant, I have run into people who told me that they wanted to do no analysis . . . just trust their gut instincts. I had always wondered how that approach, so strong in so many people, could be sharpened to achieve better results. Ms. Kolbe's book provides many ways that those who want to rely on gut instincts can consider their effectiveness. For example, in doing the exercises, I was struck that in making financial decisions I almost always make the wrong decision when I trust my instincts. I was aware of that before reading this book, but I'm really sure that I won't do that again. The book's format is developed around a Socratic dialogue with a hypothetical seat companion on an airplane. Having seen that was the format, I waited until my next airline flight to read the book. For me, though, the format didn't work very well. I couldn't understand most of the points the author was making because of language ambiguities without reading the notes in the back. The notes mostly referred to her own research so I got more of the same language issues. It also broke the spell of the Socratic dialogue. Then the book dived into a detailed discussion of the Kolbe Indexes. Naturally, I couldn't look that up on-line while on the airplane. When I landed, I immediately did . . . and found that it would cost about double the price of the book to have my instinct pattern profiled. I decided not to do it. The discussion of Ms. Kolbe's pattern and those of her seat companion left me unenlightened. Perhaps that is because I both prefer to both start with research and to launch off into uncharted territory . . . depending on the nature of the problem. Of the five rules, the last four seem consistent with most self-help books I have read. It was only the first rule that was new to me. My own work with the exercises made me realize that instinct has only worked reliably for me when I have been in crisis situations (such as a hotel fire). So I don't think I'll be following that rule for most situations. I will, however, listen to my instincts to think about what they are trying to tell me when time allows. Actually, I understood this book's premise better after reading another book, How Customers Think, which relates how the unconscious mind dominates decisions and actions . . . and functions much faster than the conscious, rational mind. If you want to understand the underpinnings of this book, I suggest that you read that one as well. Having not found the book to be very relevant personally, I graded it as a three star. I do think that people who like to always go with their gut instinct without reflection will think this is a five star book. I also think that people who operate that way will be helped by the exercises. Be sure to do them. As for the writing style, you will want to consider that you will be learning a lot of new terms. Conation is the most important one. Here's the definition: "Action derived from instinct; purposeful mode of striving, volition." I was immediately puzzled why it wasn't appropriate to just say "instinctive action" or "instinctive behavior." Conation and the many other terms introduced in the book just made the material less instinctive for me. After you finish this book, I suggest that you pick out an area where you are having trouble making decisions . . . and fast action is required. How can you get in touch with your instincts to help you clear away some of the bad choices . . . and make better ones?
Rating:
Summary: not much more than an infomercial for website products
Review: Though a few tidbits of encouragement may be picked from this book, I found the oversimplified and unlikely dialogue between two strangers a mind-numbing format. The "meat" behind Kathy Kolbe's philolosphy is condensed into a few pages of academic style writing at the end of the book. Most frustrating though was the contstant reference to the results of a personality test that was NOT included in the book, but could be found on-line......for $49.95. Your instinct should tell you to not waste your time on this book.
Rating:
Summary: Surpasses the "self-help" genre
Review: Would you like to reduce your stress, get more accomplished in less time, and with less effort, and learn to better prioritize your activities? If so, you need this book.
I've never been a fan of the'self-help'genre. I assumed that stress was a necessary by-product of modern life, and that those who claimed to be "stress-free" were probably on medication. Powered By Instinct gave me a whole new perspective. With easy-to-follow dialogue and simple hands-on excercises, Kolbe demonstrates how to tap into what may be our best untapped resource -- our own instincts. Major companies like IBM, universities such as Stanford, and even professional sports teams have been using Kolbe's wisdom for years to solve problems and improve performance. This book makes her research available to the 'average person' and shows how it can be applied to daily life in areas like finance, relationships, career, education, and parenting. I honestly can't think of anyone who wouldn't benefit from this book -- I only wish I'd read it sooner.
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