The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Reader Reviews
Despite having sold many millions of copies, Stephen Covey's groundbreaking book remains as fresh, helpful, and important as when it was first published. Such longevity is a testament to the quality of the insights that Covey offers: Eschewing easy fixes and simple-minded formulas, his writings offers a comprehensive and highly detailed program for invigorating your career as well as other aspects of life. You won't be able to breeze through this book (the writing is sometimes complex and involved), and you won't be able to apply Covey's ideas half-heartedly (the vision outlined requires serious effort to realize), but if you're willing to do the work, you'll reap the enormous benefits that many other readers have discovered and put into action. Covey's Seven Habits are a more than just a time-management or leadership strategy, they are an opportunity to review your life choices and make important changes that may help you lead a happier, more productive life. The first three habits (Be Proactive, Begin With the End in Mind, Put First Things First) are more about managing oneself and others in order to accomplish tasks and goals, but with Habits four through six (Think Win/Win, Seek First to Understand Then to Be Understood, Synergize) Covey provides 'Paradigms of Interdependence' which allow one to transform their relationship with others into a richer experience. The Seventh Habit (Sharpen the Saw) is about personal renewal, and how to spend a small amount of time daily to work towards continual improvement. Covey wrote the book in the interest of helping people return to a principle-centered life, which was espoused by Ben Franklin and others centuries ago but has been set aside in recent years in favor of quick-fix strategies of dubious value. Seven Habits is easy to read and understand -- Covey explains each idea with plenty of examples from his own life. Covey is a member of the Mormon faith which he mentions occasionally, if you are bothered by that sort of thing, but his advice is non-denominational and is compatible with any belief-system. Seven Habits is the sort of book that can be read again and again, and can and should be saved on the shelf as a reference. Highly recommended. Emotional Intelligence 2.0 is another must-read from the success genre. I recommend it because it's had a huge impact on me, and the book's 66 emotional intelligence strategies + test are powerful and cutting edge.