Rating: 
Summary: Just What the Doctor Ordered
Review: First Things First is just what the doctor ordered. It most definitely has something to offer. It answers questions, it shows why, and it explains how-to. It held my attention thoughout. I was surprised as I began reading that this book would be used as a textbook (especially for a business writing class). But the author makes it clear that these foundational principles are what gives any life its quality, rich substance and character no matter who you are, where you are or what you have chosen to do in life. And unles you build from here up, your structure is built in vain. In addition to its clarity, the book contains diagram explanations and illustrations that assist with comprehension, which makes for smooth reading. The author's collective knowledge and life-experiences have produced an excellent work that I highly recommend.
Rating: 
Summary: Enormously rewarding
Review: First things first offers a principle-centered approach that will transform the quality of everything you do by showing how it involves the need to live, to love, to learn, and to leave a legacy. With the wisdom and insight that made The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People a #1 bestseller, First Things First empowers readers to define what is truly important: to accomplish worthwhile goals: and to lead rich, rewarding, and balanced lives.I would recommend the following books as follow up reading to 7 Habits and First Things First: Principle-Centered Leadership
Connections-Quadrant II Time Management
Unlimited Power
Think and Grow Rich
and
The Master-Key to Riches All are excellent books that work well together to teach you have to achieve your goals. As Napoleon Hill says, "Anything the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve."
Rating:
Summary: REQUIRED READING AND THEN SOME
Review: First Things First started out as a required reading for my coursework at evening college. It soon became a book that I hope will change some aspects of my personal life. It provides information that helps you discover the truly important things in your life. No matter how simple this sounds, by reading this book you will realize how much more you could or should be doing. Use this book and find true north in your life.
Rating:
Summary: I JUST CAN SAY "WHAT A BOOK"
Review: First, let me say that i'm a mexican citizen so please do not be so hard about my english, any way i'll try to do my best.
i like to be an honest human being, so about "FIRST THINGS FIRST" it was a gift i got from a friend in San Antonio tx., and even knowing that i have not ended the book yet because my job, in the first chapters i had readed i have found many ideas to increase my succes as well as my productivity in the office, but the most important thing i have found is the real meaning
of the word "share" and this is because i'm starting to learn that i do have to have time for my family as well as for my profession
i do not know whats going to happen when i finish of read this "CLEVER WAY TO SHARE THE MEANING OF LIFE" but i'm sure that at the
end there is only going to be one word to "STEPHEN R. COVEY"............THANKS A LOT
ARTURO ARMENTA V.
Rating:
Summary: I JUST CAN SAY "WHAT A BOOK"
Review: First, let me say that i'm a mexican citizen so please do not be so hard about my english, any way i'll try to do my best.i like to be an honest human being, so about "FIRST THINGS FIRST" it was a gift i got from a friend in San Antonio tx., and even knowing that i have not ended the book yet because my job, in the first chapters i had readed i have found many ideas to increase my succes as well as my productivity in the office, but the most important thing i have found is the real meaning of the word "share" and this is because i'm starting to learn that i do have to have time for my family as well as for my profession i do not know whats going to happen when i finish of read this "CLEVER WAY TO SHARE THE MEANING OF LIFE" but i'm sure that at the end there is only going to be one word to "STEPHEN R. COVEY"............THANKS A LOT ARTURO ARMENTA V.
Rating:
Summary: First Tings First
Review: Great book from a great seller and writer.
Rating:
Summary: From Covey cynic to convert
Review: I admit it, I was a Covey cynic. I hadn't read him, but had heard him quoted ad nauseum. Now, I'm a convert. This thoughtful book transforms bland time management techniques into tools for re-examining your life in terms of personalized mission statements. In this rushed world, the idea of deeply knowing what you want out of life and making sure that your activities fit in with that knowledge is radically different. Balance is emphasized, with that balance organized around your roles in life and real human needs, "to learn, to live, to love and to leave a legacy." Covey divides all activities into four quadrants: 1.Important and Urgent (crises, deadline-driven projects) 2.Important, Not Urgent (preparation, prevention, planning, relationships) 3.Urgent, Not Important (interruptions, many pressing matters) 4.Not Urgent, Not Important (trivia, time wasters) The idea is to keep your activities primarily in the second category and to consciously choose activities because of what's important, not because of what's urgent. Covey et al also provide a list of the "Wisdom Literature" from around the world to help you ground your personal mission and life goals in the philosophies that have explored these ideas through the centuries. Don't try to read this book without allowing plenty of reflection time. After you've read the book, you'll allow plenty of reflection time for everything.
Rating:
Summary: DON'T GET STALLED ON THE URGENT, WORK ON THE IMPORTANT!
Review: I agree and embrace Dr. Covey's human needs: to live, love, learn and leave a legacy. The beauty of "First Things First" is that we learn how to live our lives to fulfill these needs. This time management book focuses on the person rather than the problem. The ideas are simple, but I find it necessary to remind myself every day to question the importance and urgency of what I am about to do. Too often we let things which are urgent prevent us from doing the important. And usually, the urgent isn't truly important. It "stalls" long term progress by diverting our attention. The examples of how to make these decisions are very helpful, stressing quality, working on what we are passionate about and what is important. There is a section in "The 2,000 Percent Solution", by Mitchell, Coles and Metz, that presents an Eight-Step Process to identify what is most important in business (a parallel to what is important personally). The steps include learning the importance of measurement, deciding what is important to measure, identifying future best practices and implementing actions to get there, identifying ideal best practices and approaching them, and matching the right people and right motivations with the task (so there is passion), and lastly, repeating the process for more new ways to improve. "First Things First" does for the individual what "The 2,000 Percent Solution" does for business. I recommend you read both books and read them again and again.
Rating: 
Summary: The dissenting opinion
Review: I enjoyed 7 Habits and thought it was a good book. But, I really didn't find "First Things First" to be too useful. It seemed kind of slow reading, and I felt there wasn't anything new from Seven Habits. (I did get a kick out of all the copyrighted drawings--it seemed the authors would draw a circle and put a word in it and then copyright their drawing. Oh, my! I'm all in favor of protecting intellectual capital, but that's just too silly. ) One demonstration that Covey likes to make is pouring sand into a jar. Then he holds up a few larger rocks and shows that there is no more room in the jar for the big rocks. First, you put the bigger, more important, rocks in the jar. Only then do you add whatever sand will fill in the space. (two drawings show the rocks and the jar, before and after. Both copywritten, of course.) Similarly, most people live their lives not doing what is really most important to them, but rather they do whatever is pressing them the most at present. Often, upon reflection we see that the issues that are so strongly consuming our time do not warrent the large mental energy and time we devote to them. They are like the sand preventing us from focusing upon what is important to us--the big rocks. So, there's "First Things First" in a nutshell. Do what's important to you. Don't let your time be taken by things that aren't important to you just because they seem to demand attention. Set priorities and hold to them. My feeling was that Covey just wanted to have something to sell to follow up 7 Habits. Reading this book wouldn't be on my "First things to do" list. This book is sand. Not big rocks. Peter Hupalo, Author of "Thinking Like An Entrepreneur"
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book, but lots of marketing type material
Review: I find this book well written. It has a clear way of making us thinking of putting the more important things first in our life. In particular, I remember the example of putting the big rocks in the jar first and packing the rest of the material (sand, smaller rocks) around them. It was a nice analogy. As for the cons, I think this book in particular has a lot of material that really doesnot have to be the way it is given. For example, "Win-Win", "Synergistic thinking", "Circle of influence", "Shared vision" etc etc etc., I like such phrases because they help me remember the points mentioned, but the book is so full of them I got a little put off. I mean, a phrase like this on every second page! Overall, a recommended buy for everyone. From students to CEO s.
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