The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People : Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

Rating:
Summary: Newton's laws in human world
Review: The impact that this book gave me is unmatchable by any other books. Years ago I felt lost in the direction of life, so I searched for many books for guidance, but none could get me out of the gray. Then I found this book on a give-away library cart. What a wonderful give-away gift! I was struck by the story of the battleship, the analogy of the tennis player, and the discovery of Viktor Frankl. The words were so heavy that after I read a few lines, I had to pause and think. Often a couple of sentences were enough to keep me think for the whole day. It took me half a year to finish reading the Introduction ("Inside-Out"), and another year to finish the first three habits. It was during this period of time I started to see life from a totally new and healthy perspective. Thank you, Mr. Covey.

Natural world is governed by Newton's laws. Likewise, funcamental laws exist in human world. Mr. Covey's book is a textbook to explain such laws to all of us who don't understand ourselves, let alone the human world. The book teaches me how to deal with myself through analytical eyes, and how to live a successful life while still keep my soul. The reason most other books did not help me was because they are dealing with knowledge on everything but myself. The book is fundamental yet reachable. The fact that the book becomes a bestseller testifies that every reader knows what real gold is.

Some readers complain that the Habits are difficult to practice in daily life. I don't force myself to do something according to the agenda suggested by the Habits. Rather, I read a little bit of the book everyday for a long time, sometimes by page order and sometimes randomly, and let the thoughts find their places in my mind. Over time, I find myself subconciously practicing his teaching in daily life. The habits are becoming mine.

Five stars are not enough to assess this book's value. Let me quote Warren Bennis' comment about this book: "This remarkable book will be my gift to everyone I know."


Rating:
Summary: One of the best self-help books ever written
Review: This book is powerful because it builds character from a solid foundation. The illustrations explain the author's viewpoints and the examples are applicable to people in most situations. I thoroughly recommend this book. I also recommend the author's latest book "The 8th Habit" where he uses a quote from my favorite book, Optimal Thinking: How To be Your Best Self and says "The key question is "'What is the best thing I can do under these circumstances?'" This use of Optimal Thinking is a simple way to shine and rise above mediocrity!