The 8th Habit : From Effectiveness to Greatness

Rating:
Summary: Dare to Dream of Greatness
Review:
This book is in an exalted category of self-help works:
the collection of materials which focus on bringing people up to
tremendous heights of excellence and success.

It is on par with seminal works which focus on the same goal in their respective
categories such as the dvd NEW SEX NOW
Tony Robbins' AWAKEN THE GIANT WITHIN
Laura Day's THE CIRCLE
and THE ARTIST's WAY...
all of which enable one to accomplish HUGE transformations towards outstanding
living in one's personal life.

I am indebted to all of these authors for their dedication to awesomeness.

Rating:
Summary: Too Wordy
Review:
I think that this book is high on bestseller list just because of the author's name. Many have probably bought the book just because they had already read "The 7 Habits..." The other thing that comes to my mind is that Mr. Covey has decided that it is time to publish another book and as a result he produced "The 8th Habit" which cannot be compared with his passed performance at all. My advice? -- Do not buy The 8th Habit. Get instead the original "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" (if you do not have it yet), and add to it "Can We Live 150 Years?" by M. Tombak.



Rating:
Summary: Not evolved enough
Review: Covey takes way too long to get to the point of the 8th Habit, mostly repeating material covered in his earlier books. Practical examples were always his weak point, and while he tells a lot of stories, there are really no demonstrations of how this "8th habit" is applied in real life. The DVD has a couple nice bits, but mostly it's just distracting. Check this out from the library if you can, before you spend any money on it.

Rating:
Summary: Long-winded, scattered, unoriginal, lack of application
Review: Given the high-expectations most people have for Covey, this book disappoints.

Long-winded: Covey takes way too long to explain what he is trying to say. I found myself saying 'OK!, lets get to the point already'. This book should be a quater of its size.

Scattered: The material and thoughts in the book are scattered.

Unoriginal: Alot of material from other authors were used. Alot of time spent reviewing his ideas from the 7 Habits. Alot of pages wasted mapping his ideas to other authors.

Lack of application: No substantial application for readers to apply.

Overall disappointing. Book has good intentions but message delivered poorly and uneffectively.

Rating:
Summary: The 7 Habits: Evolved
Review: In prior reviews I see the word tedious used to describe Dr. Covey's most recent work but could not disagree more. Few "sequels" are as profound as the original, in large part because the original is just that...original. It stands is stark contrast to the norm or accepted. That was the case with the 7 Habits. The 7 Habits was and is significant because of the void that stood between what was understood and what Covey expressed as being possible. The 8th Habit is the evolution of the first 7. The 8th Habit is the missing link; it is the "why". The 7 Habits outlined how to be effective the 8th Habit helps us understand the critical "why" that must be at each person's core if they are to make a difference, if they are to grow from Good to Great.

Rating:
Summary: " Hey, Try This".
Review: It is understandable to me, why so many readers might find "The 8th Habit": tedious, long, too complicated to follow, having no continuity, too many pages of disjointed concepts, charts, graphs, and quotes. When I started reading the book, "The 8th Habit" , I too found myself in a similar disheartened predicament.

In the past with other books and even during continuing education pursuits , I have had the disappointing experience of not being able to get myself into reading an allegedly really good book that was purported by others to be great and meaningful. Recalling way back in my school days, it always seemed that I would understand concepts better and remembered them better when they were spoken about in class rather than if I just sat down and tried to initiate myself by reading text in a book. Now as adult, I acknowledge to myself that I consider myself a visual / auditory learner rather than a book text reader learner. Upon the recommendation of a colleague early in January 2005, I set out to read the book: "The 8th Habit" As I usually do with books of this sort, I got stuck with all the seemingly complex, disjointed text after reading just a chapter or too. Frustrated, I listened to a voice in my head that told me to stop reading and just put the book down. Then another voice in my "head", a "voice of self-awareness" reminded me of my auditory learning style and the challenges of previous predicaments when faced with books of similar nature. This voice of self awareness repeatedly asked me to look for a way to listen to "The 8th Habit" rather than struggling with just a read of the book.

Quickly, I ran out to see if there was an audio version of the "The 8th Habit". To my amazement there existed an unabridged audio version (no shortcuts) with thirteen audio CD's. It was a reading of the entire book plus a bonus DVD (videos making the material appeal to both sides of my brain!). I found myself listening to the book in my car on the way home from the bookstore! What's more, I could hear the voice of author himself, Stephen Covey, reading aloud to me his own book, with all the commitment, investment, devotion and personal momentum innuendos that lay beneath any writing. It gives me goose bumps to ponder the synergistic effects of me, an adult, experiencing the outstanding "reading aloud" phenomenon as advocated by Jim Trelease and touted in his book: " Hey! Listen to This".

And now it is a few weeks later, after several hours in my car, of listening to chapter after chapter, sometimes over and over again. Once I arrived home or even a few hours later on in the day concepts I had heard were fragmented or incomplete in my memory. I was compelled to pick up the book and search for those meaningful sections which allow pieces to put together. Accessing the book as a reference empowered me to "digest" the vast array of "meat & potato" concepts at my own pace. Concepts such as the "jack-ass" paradigm of worker & employee relationships. The realization that the common sense notion of leadership does not enable the common practice and a useful definition that I could both hear and read was put forth: "leadership is communicating to people their worth and potential so clearly that they come to see it in themselves". Soon I began to even write down passages that are timely to share and teach with family and the in work place. For example, a continuum regarding our levels of commitment to our activities whether they be family or workplace is spelled out for our awareness: 1) Rebel or Quit 2) Malicious Obedience 3) Willing Compliance 4) Cheerful Cooperation 5) Heartfelt Commitment 6) Creative Excitement. Furthermore, my writings have been transformed into written weekly newsletters/ bulletins.

Yet, with all of this listening, reading, writing, sharing teaching, and learning the book, I am only about one third the way through. I am content to go at a pace that is appropriate to the balance of those in the circle of influence in my life. It may take a year! This duo media of audio and book etc.... has endowed one of the most profound experiences of my life, ultimately to those around me and perhaps to future generations. My deepest gratitude to Stephen Covey, his team and his spirit!



Rating:
Summary: You Get Out What You Put Into It!
Review: Much like Harold Stolovitch and Erica Keeps in their great little book, TELLING AIN'T TRAINING, Steven Covey has adopted a unique format for his message. The quotes, the reference to the movies on the enclosed DVD, the mapping to other thought leaders, all point you to make reading this book a very personal experience. It IS about you!

It is a big message Covey shares with us and one that takes some noodling through. The fact that it requires thinking, reflection, and ultimately action may make this a book that everyone has but not everyone is ready for. Timing is everything. You may not need/accept this message at this time, but a some point in time, you will be sitting there reading saying to yourself, "Ah, Hah!" instead of what other reviewers have referred to as, "Duh."

This book is the step beyond just "Sharpening the Saw (effective habit #7). This is about taking your accumulated wisdom/bliss/passion and passing it on to others as well as helping them do the same. It is about legacy, learning, and living. It is a book that requires some maturity to appreciate.

If you are looking for a quick fix, the next big thing, some checklist you can race through, this book is not for you. IF, however, you are looking for something to help you make a significant difference in your life and the lives of others, PLEASE...read, re-read, and - most of all - DO what Stephen suggests.

Rating:
Summary: GREAT because it's TRUE
Review: My name is Mark Corliss. I work for a large Public Utility in Seattle, Wa. When I read this book, I thought it had been written about my company. Then I talked to someone who works for our Public Library System. They had read the book, and told me that it was written about THEIR company! While the book may be long and even tedious for people who have read Covey's previous works, I think it's an excellent introduction to EVERYTHING Covey has said over the last 40 years. I would also like to say that unlike a few other self-help books I've read, my retention of the information in this book continues to amaze me. Covey has a way of communicating that truly is COMMUNICATION. That is the problem; he has a legitimate answer. If you want to have a great life, read this book. It will show you how to address the four most important needs every human being has, and, it will show you how to help others meet those needs for themselves. As Covey says, (we must) find our VOICE, and help OTHERS FIND THEIRS. That has become my moto. It is a legacy I would like others to discover as well. I bought this book at COSTCO for $19. I suggest you buy 2, and give one as a gift. You'll make a friend by doing that. I also think everyone should send GEORGE BUSH a copy of this book. Maybe Dick will read it to him! LOL! Take care.

Mark


Rating:
Summary: The 8th Habit: Make it Your Own!
Review: The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness is a masterful work. It encompasses the way forward - for individuals and organizations - to most effectively produce the fruits of the predecessor 7 Habits. For any leader of experience, Covey's insight will resonate with wisdom. Buy this book, read it as the author suggests, and you will find yourself meditating on its richness in every relationship, and at every point of decision. A must read for any leader in business, government and the nonprofit community. One caution: Greatness requires work. Finding your voice requires effort. The principles and ideas described in this book - which is worth its weight in gold - require work. There is no quick fix. Read and think, because this book is a great gift for those who are willing to pay the price of living as wide-awake and effective human beings. TMB, La Crescent, MN

Rating:
Summary: An explosive book
Review: This book is well written. Do not wait to finish reading this review. Go out and buy this book.

Ishmael