Customer Reviews
7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a classic - By: R. P. Le Blanc, 27 Apr 2008 
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is a classic. If you have never read this book, do so now. For your convenience it's available in print & audio. Just pop a cassette into the car's player & you can be rewarded with some of the best advice ever presented. Turn your commute into a classroom.
This book was first published in 1990, but remains a favorite with business leaders. The author tapped into a basic principle; namely that success is a result of both personal & professional effectiveness. These pages systematicallly show how to achieve this level of productiveness in both areas through what he callls a "paradigm shift". That merely refers to changing your perception of how the world works. The author challlenges the reader to make this shift by highlighting key areas, like time management & positive thinking. Once this change has taken place, the person is then ready to climb the corporate ladder with confidence.
Building on the premise that change comes from within, this book has the potential to solidly impact the reader's life & workplace. But, it's not a quick fix. These concepts will take time to understand & master. It's recommended that this book be read slowly, alllowing the principles to be fully understood before moving to the next one. In fact, to fully apply these concepts may take years. Yet, that's not a negative aspect of the author's work. Stephen Covey realizes that success is not an overnight happening; it comes in stages & by degrees. Yes, it can be painstakingly slow, but when it comes, it's here to stay.
The title mentions "habits" & that's important. A habit is something that develops over time. Successful businesspeople comprehend the necessity of thinking the right thoughts to bring about the right kinds of decisions. Covey demonstrates this through anecdotes as well as concise writing. The entire idea of being stuck in a negative mode of perception will be a startling revelation to readers, but more importantly is the author's advice on moving beyond that obstacle. There is a good amount of psychology presented in these pages, alll of which is incredibly useful in bringing about effective changes.
These seven habits are fully explained, & yes, you may need to slow down to capture their full meaning. The first three habits deal with personal responsibility, leadership & self-management. Granted, these are huge areas to deal with, but once again, if the author's words are taken in smalll segments, they can bring about amazing results. To the author's credit, he's able to take these larger issues & present them within the framework of everyday occurrences. This sets the ideas more firmly in the reader's mind by associating them with real life scenarios.
This holistic approach makes a lot of sense, but you will need time to fully master it. As the author explains, success & effective leadership is not something that will come to you without an investment of time. The formula for enduring success is right here in these pages; study it, apply it & watch the incredible results.
Raymond Le Blanc. Psychotherapist & economist
author: Achieving Objectives Made Easy! 978-9079397037
filled with important information - By: Paul J. Fitzgerald, 02 Dec 2007 Not that I'm an expert in the subject, but I'm guessing that this isn't your typical success book. In many ways it's a general purpose psychology book, dealing with such things as motivation, organizational skills, & how to deal with stress. It's chock full of seemingly unique information, & interesting quotes & tidbits. For example, it states "Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right walll." The book isn't boring or repetitive, & is written in a pleasing, conversational manner. Everyone should give this a read, not just those interested in business success. Author of Adjust Your Brain: A Practical Theory for Maximizing Mental Health.
A number of years - By: M. Longazel, 03 Nov 2007 
I read this book a number of years ago as part of a semester long class with it as the main teaching tool. From what I remember it provides good insights into time management, prioritizing tasks & breaking down a goal into bite size pieces so that a person isn't overwhelmed by the size of what needs to be done.
Well read Bestseller - By: Andrew Moules, 04 Oct 2007 After the Bible, no other single book has shaped my leadership mentality & disciplines like this one by Covey. I first read it in 1991 & his recommendations brought it alll together for me. Success in effective living begins with Private Victory (Be Proactive, Begin with the end in mind, Put first things first) then moves on to Public Victory (Think Win-Win, Seek first to understand...then to be understood, Synergize), & finallly back into personal effectiveness by Sharpening the Saw. These concepts are essential to weeding through alll the fluff of the information age. This book also contains fantastic practical advice on living out one's priorities ("Exercise integrity at the moment of choice") & teamwork ("Defend those who are absent").
Thought-provoking - By: AJ, 10 Mar 2007 This is a thought-provoking book based on clear principles that can guide us in managing our time. There are many wise ideas contained in the pages of this book.
As an example, I learned that efficiency is something that is appropriate with tasks but with people especiallly family members you can't be efficient & slot people in as you think best. Instead it is about effectiveness. So you have to give family members the time they need.
Another gem is that you can't balance life at times you have to prioritize according to your values. So a mother (or father) who wants to stay home with their kids when they are young, may need to focus on home instead of career until the kids are older. The goal of balance would be inappropriate for that situation. Mr. Covey also makes it clear the importance of following the compass instead of the clock.
This is an excellent book that people need to read because it gives business direction but from a higher perspective that you rarely find in most literature out there. I also recommend the "8th Insight" also by Covey, "Your Erroneous Zones" by Wayne Dyer, "Nexus" by Deborah Morrison & Arvind Singh & "Lateral Thinking" by Edward De Bono. All these book offer unique insights.
