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Summary: Seven Ways to Waste a Day
Review: This book has seven platitudes we have learned at our mother's knee. There is not a single new idea in the whole book. If you don't know already what is in this book, you are too stupid to understand it. The whole Covey program is an overpriced waste of time.
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Summary: Worth Repeating!
Review: This is about the cassette (abridged) edition. Stephen Covey lays out an outstanding, tell you how it is message that can change your life. I first read the book a few years ago, where I really explored the value of proactivity in my life. Just recently, I realized that I have some changes to make in my personal life, and wanted to revisit these concepts. Just as outstanding as I remember them!Stephen Covey has done numerous workshops to present his ideas directly to his audience. This audiocassette was actually a recording from one of these workshops. If you are looking for a reading of his book, this cassette may disappoint you. The message is still strong, although definitely abridged. Well worth the listen, and listen again! I checked this out from my local library, but will consider buying it to keep in my collection. Great material!
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Summary: Jazzing up the obvious...
Review: This book seems to be mostly a jazzed-up and unnecessarily over-complicated version of the obvious, presumably constructed by the author in order to make money. It mainly restates traditional philosophical ideas but tries, at least until page 319, to disguise the fact that the book is merely restating already well-known concepts. Stage 1 of that jazzing up process is to give your book a catchy title. Seven Habits of the Highly Effective! Who wouldn't want to know what the Highly Effective are up to? So the reader is hooked; the book is sold on the back of a catchy title. Stage 2 of the author's jazzing-up process is to look at the obvious components of how an individual, seen in isolation, needs to live and arrange his own life in order to make due progress in the world. The first thing he needs to sort out is to work out where he wants to get to in life: what he wants to achieve: so the author gives that aspect a jazzed-up 'habit': 'Begin with the end in mind': sort out what it is you want to get out of life. A second thing the individual then needs to decide is, to work out what tasks and activities, out of what confronts him, are the more important ones and what tasks and activities are less important or a waste of time, and then concentrate the bulk of his 24/7 on the more important ones: so the author gives that aspect a jazzed-up 'habit' too: 'Put First Things First'. A third thing the individual then needs to do is be positive and proactive in attacking his defined goals, rather than resting on his laurels, so the author gives that a jazzed-up habit too: 'Be proactive!'. Thus far, what has the author identified, really? Just the obvious. Nothing particularly special. The obvious is window-dressed to try to make the three stated 'habits' look more special than they really are. Stage 3 of the author's jazzing-up process is to look at the obvious components of how an individual, working in concert with others (as one inevitably has to in life), needs to present himself to those others in order to make due progress. In order to progress, he needs, obviously, to give attention to his people-relationships. So the author evolves three more supposed 'habits' - habits 4 to 6 - to encapsulate that 'getting-along-with-others' process. A first supposed 'habit' is to work hard to understand others: to try to see what it is they want to achieve - stated as a supposed 'habit' of 'Seek First to Understand, then be Understood'. A second supposed 'habit' is to rub the other people up the right way rather than the wrong way: to let them win a lot out of any encounters too, rather than always expecting to achieve what one, personally, wants to achieve at the expense of others - a supposed 'habit' stated by the author as 'Think Win/Win'. Then a third supposed 'habit' is to try to evolve a relationship of great mutual trust with others within which great things can start to happen - a supposed habit stated by the author as 'Synergise'. Again, there is nothing particularly special in any of these three supposed 'habits'. In order to get on with others at the best level, we have to try to win their trust, try to understand them and their needs, and let them satisfy many of their own needs as well as our own. Stage 4 of the author's jazzing-up process is then to get the individual to concentrate on all aspects of his own personal maintenance program, so the writer evolves a seventh supposed 'habit' which he trendily calls, 'Sharpen the Saw,' - meaning, give time to all relevant aspects of your own personal life maintenance rather than neglecting any of this. Again, this is somewhat obvious. Stage 5 of the author's jazzing-up process is then to attribute a good life to one's relationship with a god. How very American. God gets the credit. This is a book worth reading, but at the same time the reader will probably feel, once he has been through the material and broken the contents back down into their basic components, that it mainly restates the obvious in a rather over-complicated way in order to make money for the author by selling a book, and that the book has grand pretensions to deliver more than it actually does deliver. The book actually does little more than restate the obvious in a somewhat clumsy and over-involved style. Some people will find the way the material has been treated as highly enlightening, while others will find it simply annoying, frustrating and somewhat dishonest, so it is no surprise that different people have rated the book highly or dismissed it as fairly worthless in the reviews here, depending on their own personal point of view and how much they already know about life and the living of it. 4/5
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Summary: Highly successful book
Review: This book is great in regards to giving you a moral compass to guide you into a successful life, the right way. Doing the right thing is way better than stepping on toes or backs stabbing your neighbor. I am reminded by Ethan on Survivor Africa. The dude did it right, and won!!!! The others were slim bags, and almost lost due to the fact that they stepped on so many toes they pissed off their jury. At any rate, you get the Idea, being moral is win/win. I also recommend the book, The Little Guide To Happiness. Someone else mentioned it and I concure.
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Summary: One of the best business/success books out there
Review: Unfortunately, during my experience with corporate America I've had several business/success books thrust upon me. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is the only one that was worth reading. This book, coupled with the First Things First training I received at work has had an enormous impact on me. Five years later, I still organize my life based on my mission statement, roles, and goals. I plan weekly and take time out to Sharpen the Saw. I don't always live up to the seven habits, but at least I'm going in the right direction. Periodically I pull this book out of my bookshelf and flip through it to reinforce the lessons it contains. It's also one of the few books I've ever bought someone as a gift. My biggest criticism is that Covey has a tendency to beat you over the head with examples. Numerous times as I read the book I thought to myself, I get it, move on. My other big complaint is that this book coined the word "proactive," which is believed to mean the opposite of reactive, but actually means that the person using it is an idiot and needs to resort to using made-up words to appear highly effective.
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Summary: Great book - more people should read
Review: This is a great book for nearly ANYONE at any age. I highly recommend people read and practice the concepts expounded by Dr. Covey. My only criticism of this book is on the title. I'd say these are "7 habits of effective people" - but NOT "the" 7 habits; that implies there are only 7 habits to being effective, which is foolish. To be sure, the 7 habits discussed have merit. If more people practiced them I've no doubt the world would be a better place.
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Summary: Excellent "throwback" empowerment book
Review: One aspect of current "self-help" books on the market is that they tend to focus on manipulating the other person. The Seven Habits is nothing like this in that it turns the attention onto the reader: it is his/her job to motivate him/herself, to figure out what needs to be done, and to actually go about doing it. The classic, and masterfully illustrated principles for becoming a "more effective" person refuse to let the reader accept excuses for non-action and for poor results. It is a classic example of Teddy Roosevelt-style Rugged Individualism, but always reminds the reader to truly care about other people and build relationships with them (everybody always SAYS that family is the most important thing in their lives, but rarely act this way). I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.
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Summary: A highly effective book
Review: Our book club is an eclectic bunch if nothing else. We read everything from self-helps (such as this) to the latest fiction (McCrae's "Bark of the Dogwood" and Martel's "The Life of Pi") so you know we're open to new ideas. That said, "Seven Habits" was voted on by us and proclaimed to be the best thing we've come across in months. There's actually some practical "hands on" advice in this remarkable little book--unlike others that give you abstract concepts and no way to put them into practice. No, I don't agree with every word in this book, but it's miles ahead of any other self-help (God, I hate that term) book out there. Very, very, very highly recommended for anyone wanting to improve not only themselves, but the world. But then, the way to improve the world is to work on ourselves, no?
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Summary: A push in the right direction. One of the best ever!
Review: I have read this book twice already and I am sure I will continue to read it every now and then. For people who don't believe in his/her own strengh the book won't mean a thing. Seven Habits is a book for those who want to grow inside out, and learn how to became more effective not only in business but on every-day life. It's concept are very psycological and, although not specified anywhere, related to our "Emotional Intelligence." I recomend this book to those who want to become more organized, more effective and to find the strengh to do what they want, to accomplish the end they seek.
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Summary: Fabulous book that explains how to take control of life
Review: Most books that broach aspects of the 7-habits roadmap are written in psychological gibberish and are not practical. This easy to read book explains and illustrates what you need to do to make your life successful, helps you to let go of hoping things will happen, and shows you how to become highly effective at MAKING them happen. The 7 habits deal with your own private victory first and then your victory in getting along with others. The information is sensible and is helpful for anyone who is open to personal growth. I totally recommend this book. Another book recommended by Dr. Covey I wholeheartedly recommend is Optimal Thinking-How To Be Your Best Self to learn how to become emotionally self-reliant, supremely competent and make the MOST of any situation.
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