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Summary: At the Heart of it all
Review: I have now owned this book for over a year and have read it twice. I think that Steven Covey touched on many important points that most people (including myself until I read this book) have overlooked. In an age where so many look for "quick fixes" this book advocates a higher standard. As Covey says, most people are reactive, that is, they react to the situation and circumstances around them. We must be proactive, i.e., choose our responses to the circumstances that arise. After reading this book, I have noticed how many of my friends, family and business associates are reactive. They are unaware that the choices they make (being reactive) make them as helpless to the whims of life, as a jellyfish is to the changing of the tides. After reading this book I have realized how far I am from being the leader that I would like to be, but with the knowledge contained in this book, I am light years ahead of where I was before I read it. I recommend this book to every person who wishes to develop into a more capable person. The principles contained within it can help anyone in any part of their life. Having nearly completed my Bachelor's degree, I am disappointed that through all of my schooling, I have not been directed to read a single book that contained the knowledge and wisdom that this one does.
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Summary: Best Self Help Book out there!
Review: I have read many of the popular self help books available on book shelves and have purchased a few other programs. Covey is the best.I have now read this book for the third time and have taken copious notes. It's great.I also suggest Principle Centered Leadershp also by Covey and Direct from Dell by Mike Dell.
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Summary: STOP STALLING: IMPROVE YOUR EFFECTIVENESS
Review: A must in every business and home library, I pick it up off the shelf every two months or so just to refresh and drive home the framework. Dr. Covey recommends that you "keep sharpening the saw" which is good advice for us all. His advice on communications is also excellent, "Seek first to understand, then to be understood." Another way to improve is to read complementary books. What Seven Habits does for the individual The 2000 Percent Solution does for business. Smart Choices is also good for making better personal decisions. All three books are a must for every library.
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Summary: A Band-Aid Solution
Review: I was tempted to rate this book with no stars before I thought of how many people have told me how beneficial this book has been to them. If you are a person who enjoys self-help books, this might be worthwhile. A few of the concepts were applicable to my life, but the basic ideas could have been summed up easily in 50 pages. The rest of the book is repetitive. The book is a constant contradiction to the concepts it preaches. Covey repeatedly condemns the band-aid solution to a problem while at the same time suggesting that by reading a book people can solve the problems of their lives, this in itself seems to be a band-aid solution. Preaching is an appropriate term to describe this book. If you enjoy others telling you how to live your life, not to center yourself around your family or to constantly visualize your own death, this is a must have book.
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Summary: 7 Habits - Read Them, Learn Them, Teach Them, Live Them!
Review: The information Dr. Covey presents in "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" are merely words, however the impact of the ideology may very well change your life forever. The concepts are basic yet ignored daily by billions of people. I have listened to the 90 minute abridged audio version and the 3 hour audio version repeatedly on my daily commute. It's painless and rewarding. There is even more detail in the written book version. I have thoroughly enjoyed studying "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" and I am confident that I too will become a highly effective person. Don't put it off. Learn to communicate and how to become an interdependent person. Learn to be HIGHLY EFFECTIVE!
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent except for one minor point!
Review: My name is Michael John Trohimczyk and I have recently read the paperback version of, "The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People." I felt this book touched on several exceptional points. THE ONE POINT THAT CONCERNS ME IS THAT WITHIN THE TEXT THERE IS AN 800 # TO CALL TO REQUEST INFORMATION THAT WILL HELP WITH YOUR READING OF THE TEXT. I CALLED ON TWO OCCASSIONS AND NEVER RECEIVED ANYTHING. I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD RECEIVE MY MATERIAL WITHIN A WEEK WHICH NEVER ARRIVED. Overall, the book is GREAT for reference. Remember, the glass is always 1/2 FULL!
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Summary: Right out of Church
Review: I am glad that someone put religion and business together. I am glad that all the religions in the world agree. Lets get real people. Business is business. You want sentiment, business and realism read Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads by Roy H. Williams. New Age is out reality is in.
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Summary: Like it Says on the Cover...Powerful
Review: Stephen Covey really tought me some important lessons about life and my relationships with other people. I cannot think of anyone I know that this book couldn't help in their everyday life. No matter where you are from, or where you are going, it is a MUST read!!!
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Summary: "Habits" is the Operative Word
Review: If you've ever truly mastered anything, you know there's a "zone" where your efforts start to produce disproportionate results. This is absolutely true for at least six of the seven habits (I haven't seen any quantum leaps with Sharpen the Saw, but that's not surprising). I, too, found the book obvious on first reading, so I ignored the contents for several months. Then, on a long road trip, I worked hard at perfecting "empathic listening" with my wife, almost as an escape from boredom. The results were unexpected, so I spent an entire vacation trying to strictly practice -- and perfect -- as many of the Seven Habits as applied. As we drove home, she mentioned how much our relationship had improved and how happy she felt. Years forward in our closeness in a single long weekend. Out of habit, I started using these habits at work, especially workign with my boss; within days, she couldn't wait for me to call her every day -- and I have since had to quietly put a time limit on our conversations, and she is constantly asking me to "delegate upward." Word spread, and pretty soon my boss' boss was calling to spend an hour at a time telling me all kinds of things that most VP's wouldn't share with a first-line manager. He also started giving me all sorts of opportunities, saying "I know you will be able to handle them." The real surprise came when the CEO of our company asked me to deal with a particularly difficult customer because she'd heard that I had a "knack" for getting along. This was a shock, because until 7 Habits, I was pretty much an antisocial loner who just happened to be good at what I did. BTW, that customer ended up doubling their order, but more important, ended up increasing their own effectiveness as a result of my sharing just bits and pieces of the Habits. Since then, I've worked hard at polishing my technique, and found that 1-6 all produce the same effect. After really working on them, I've found myself to be healthier, happier and ... oddly enough ... much richer, both in money and in relationships. Obvious is one thing; obvious results are something else altogether.
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Summary: "Never has any other book had more impact upon my life."
Review: I had been familiar with the title of this book, having seen the paradigm shift example in a leadership course for the military. A friend of mine educated me on the Win/Win principle. But other than that, I knew nothing of the book. As I made advancement up the ranks of the military, I searched for other leadership resource material, so I, myself, could improve my personal leadership habits. I purchased the book one month ago. Little did I know what was in store for me. As I began to read it, I couldn't put it down. It hit so true to home. I can't speak for everyone else, but for me this was the next best thing to revelation from God about how to live my life. I could see in my minds eye what I had been doing wrong all this time. I was so excited with what I found in this book that I had to share it with everyone I came in contact with. There is no doubt in my mind that this wonderful book will become my number one gift to everyone I know and love. I truly had been impacted by its contents. Its words have given me a deeper perspective on life. I now know the process I must follow to get to where it is I want to go with my life. I realize this book may not be for everyone. But for the earnest seeker of principles of living, it is a God-send.
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