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Summary: Seven Habits book review
Review: This book is a great manual for interpersonal, business and any other kind of human relationships. In this best seller the author, Stephen Covey, describes some of the most common problems of attitude and communication, and also gives the way to solve those problems. He suggests in the book internal changes in our lives instead of trying to change everything around us. Stephen, being an expert in business relationships and group plans, divides the book in seven habits to improve our lives. These habits described in Seven Habits of the highly effective people can help every person from every age or culture to develop skills for having the ability to understand and help the people around us. Also have more justice in our deals, all this skills keeping the traditional moral values. As I said in the beginning these habits can be applied to our daily life, at the work at home or any place.
For those who like to read contemporary literature, this is a good book. Because in Seven Habits the author describes each one of the habits accompanied with a personal experience or with a real examples. In addition he makes up possible situations in the daily life.
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Summary: Do not read this book, study it
Review: I am not a person who reads the same book more than one time, but this book makes me read it over and over. I am changing for effective person now through this book. It has enough value to study and research several times to change our basic personal nature. I don't want to describe these 7 specific principles now in advance. However, I am sure that you can't change anything if you just skim these 7 habits. You must study this book. Strengths: First of all, it is easy to read it. It doesn't make us have a hard time figuring out difficult vocabulary and complicated sentences. The only thing we have to do is to read and feel in our deep mind and then try to apply the principles to our own situation. The second good point is that it encourages us a lot through using many simple examples. We can apply these principles in our all life and all situations such as home, company, school, and so on. We can be effective people, not just famous successful people.
Weaknesses: Somebody may think that this book uses too many examples to describe the 7 habits. Sometimes they help me understand these 7 principles more, but they can lose my interest about that principle by using too much time. This book emphasizes that our short term attempts can't help to change our solid nature which we have had for a long time. This book will show us the specific ways to change our nature in the long term. Therefore, you can be one of the effective people in your family, company and yourself if you read and apply these principles in your life.
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Summary: 7 habits comments
Review: 7 Habits Comments My first impression about reading 7 Habits was a little bit bad. In fact, I thought I had to read another boring book. I know, I was totally wrong. I really enjoyed reading this book.
May be the most interesting ensign that I learned about 7 habits is that you can apply the same principles as well in personal relationship as business matter. It is interesting to note, through simple principles you can be successful being a complete person. As you read below, you can find a brief summary about the 7 Habits according to my understanding. BE PROACTIVE means that you have to assume your responsibilities. You don't have to wait until somebody tells you what to do. Your have to move for your own. In others word, you have to influence your external circle and don't permit it to drive you.
BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND You have to follow you own personal statement. It means that finally you want to be known or remembered as the person who always followed their dream. On other words, it is like a projection, we create in our mind our whole life but sometimes we forget our dreams and we lose our perspective.
PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST .The main idea is to looking for the differences between urgent and important things. After you assume your responsibilities, decide to take control of your life, and desire to follow your own statement, and then you have to start. You have to do something about it. It is a kind of simple thing but many people waste important time trying to start, because they can't see the differences between these two things (important versus urgent).
WIN / WIN. It is interesting to note that you can apply to any deal this principle. In order to have a good deal both sides have to feel that they are winning something; both sides have to feel that they are receiving mutual benefits.
SEEK TO UNDERSTAND FIRST AND THEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD. In order to have a good relationship, you have to spent time first hearing and then maybe talking. Many times, we have the tendency to put our experience as the solution of many people problems. We hear with no real intention; we are hearing in order to convince, to put our ideas in first place. As a result, we have to suffer consequences.
SYNERGIZE. You can have incredible result working as a team. When you working as a real team, the results multiply. For example, if you put two seeds together, these two plants will grow stronger than if they were separated. In other words 1+1= 3,4,6.
SHARPEN THE SAW. In order to achieve your goal you have to be prepared at least in four aspects, physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. You have to set aside time for yourself. Through this preparation you will be ready to face any challenge in your life. Finally like any habit, you have to have a real desire to develop it. You can gain a new habit just by persuasion and being a hard worker. Mauricio
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Summary: Beware: Psycho-babbler at work
Review: There's really no point in writing a lengthy review about a book as naff as this. So here, instead, are two snippets which seem to me to sum up the whole spirit and content of this SERIOUSLY OVER-RATED book: On pages 86-88 we are told that we must all be proactive, because being proactive is better than anything. Particularly if your boss is an ignorant tyrant - in which case you should proactively start sucking up to him before anyone else gets in as No. 1 "yes" man. You should also learn to practise emotional blackmail wherever you can. Treat other people nicely, so that they always "owe you one", especially your friends and relations (Covey calls this creating an "emotional bank account"!) (pp.188-202). So, if that's your idea of how a "successful" person would behave, then this may be the book for you.
If you're aiming for something with rather more integrity, however, then I'd recommend that you avoid this book like the plague.
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Summary: What happened to the book I ordered?
Review: Couldn't believe it when I received a tiny little "mini-book" which I rate "0", when I had read an interesting excerpt on this book, ordered that book, and the book I received did not even include the "excerpt", much less anything else I expected to receive. Guess I'll have to take my loss, but I will not be so trusting anymore. I think I deserve some sort of credit for getting such a disappointing book, not as advertised.
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Summary: Insulting
Review: This book is an insult to people who do honest work in psychotherapy. This book is catered towards people who do not want to put the time and effort into changing their life. Life is difficult, yes but there are no easy answers. I would rate Dr. Covey as the second-worst author on the market (Next to Dr. Laura) for this reason - life is about the process, not about outcomes and by just focusing on what your want your life to be like wihout focusing on the work to get there, you'll never get there.
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Summary: BEWARE
Review: This is a MINI book. It only has EXCERPTS from the original Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. I was SO disappointed to receive a book 3 inches by 3 inches with a half dozen pages of prose. It wasn't worth the money. I sent it back. No where in the quick display is "MINI BOOK" indicated. I feel like I was tricked.
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Summary: Every life coach should read this
Review: I must have read this book at least 10 times over the years and every time I read it I find something new. Sometimes it's a piece of information that hadn't stood out before and sometimes it's a connection I hadn't made in the past. This really is a wonderful book. Not only from the perspective that it offers good advice but because the concept of the "Habits" is so well integrated. The 7 habits really do all fit together forming a " Unified Field Theory" of personal development. After you've read the book so many times and applied it in your life and in helping other people you really begin to appreciate it more. In my work as a personal coach it is a resource I use often. I can't imagine how anyone could buy this book and be disappointed.
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Summary: Influential and effective..
Review: I haven't read a great deal of 'self-help' books, but there is a reason why this one is so popular. Covey writes on a level that everyone can relate to yet he keeps the book both informative and interesting. One quote I found interesting is "sew a thought, reap an action, sew an action, reap a habit, sew a habit, reap a character, sew a character reap a destiny." Each chapter begins with similar qoutes and then goes on to focus on the habit at hand. This book has helped me both personnaly and prfessionally. One of the criticisms is that the book contains 'simple' ideas and overly drawn out schemes devised to invoke a well characterized individual. This criticism is ridiculous because we all know that things done well take time. And although Covey's ideas may sound simple, they are easier said than done. In short I found the book both helpful and interesting and I'm sure I'll refer to it from time to time. I will suggest the book to friends and family and I suggest it to who ever is reading this now!
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Summary: Recommended
Review: Given the reviews below which give detailed accounts of the book, I'll stick to my main thoughts: 1) The effectiveness principals described in the book have been helpful for me, and for others I know. If you are having trouble finding time to do the things you need to do (going to the gym, making time for your family, etc) this book will be helpful. It has been on the NY Times bestseller list for a very long time, so I guess it must be working for others, too. 2) The title is misleading. The book is not about time management in the traditional sense (i.e. how to get more work done); it's designed to improve your life by aligning your efforts with your governing principals, and improving the effectiveness with which you interact with others. The author spends a lot of time addressing morality, governing values, and other areas you might not expect from the book's title. If you are not interested in addressing these soft issues, don't bother reading the book. 3) While an easy read, the book is longer than it needs to be. The principals are fairly simple, and I found myself quickly scanning the chapters out of boredom. Like any personal changes, the tough part isn't learning what to do, it's actually doing it. Also, expect some soft-sell references to the corresponding day planner & other merchandise from the Franklin-Covey product line.
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