Average Customer Rating: (539 votes)

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change was a groundbreaker when it was first published in 1990, and it continues to be a business bestseller with more than 10 million copies sold. Stephen Covey, an internationally respected leadership authority, realizes that true success encompasses a balance of personal and professional effectiveness, so this book is a manual for performing better in both arenas. His anecdotes are as frequently from family situations as from business challenges. Before you can adopt the seven habits, you ll need to accomplish what Covey calls a paradigm shift--a change in perception and interpretation of how the world works. Covey takes you through this change, which affects how you perceive and act regarding productivity, time management, positive thinking, developing your proactive muscles (acting with initiative rather than reacting), and much more. This isn t a quick-tips-start-tomorrow kind of book. The concepts are sometimes intricate, and you ll want to study this book, not skim it. When you finish, you ll probably have Post-it notes or hand-written annotations in every chapter, and you ll feel like you ve taken a powerful seminar by Covey. --Joan Price

#Lots of info in here (2008-12-24) Wow. I picked up this book hoping to get some tips on how to effect some personal change. And while I realize personal change takes time, I was hoping for an easy to read how-to manual. This book certainly does not fall in to that category. This book is not an easy read. Yes, it is filled with recommendations on how to improve ones life. And yes, it does include examples on how to make use of those recommendations. But the writing style and temperament used to convey those ideas is not easy to read. Don t pick up this book and expect to breeze through it in a weekend. Pick it up, read it, then set it down and come back to it again. That s pretty much the only way anyone will be able to manage all of the suggestions Covey is writing about.

#Not a Recommended Gift (2008-11-28) This book is outdated with white tower language. I would not recommend it for our workforce that is starting out. There are too many analogies that are disconnected from the actual concepts and lessons that we need to teach our workforce. Time is precious and if I have to go back and try to get the point, then I see no point in reading it. I would not recommend this as a gift.

#filled with important information (2007-12-02) 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, and how to deal with stress. It s chock full of seemingly unique information, and interesting quotes and tidbits. For example, it states Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success, leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall. The book isn t boring or repetitive, and 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 (2007-11-03) 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 and breaking down a goal into bite size pieces so that a person isn t overwhelmed by the size of what needs to be done.

#Mandatory reading (2006-12-06) This book should be mandatory study for everyone above the teen years. I have spent 3 years reviewing the principles off and on, and it has significantly changed my behavior and outlook. Covey draws on innate human traits of character, and shows how to use them to enrich your life. I can often tell when I have met a Covey student: they have an indescribable peace and glow about them. Warning: Do not just read this book once. You have to practice the principles and revisit the book to get maximum benefit. Ideal for a study group format.