The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey (1990)

Few books, in my opinion, have the power to change people's lives like this book can.

I've bought and given away more than 20 of these books to family, friends and associates who were struggling with one part of their life or another. To begin with, I instruct them to read then, RE-read the first 90 pages. This first section is HUGELY powerful and puts "accountability" where it belongs (with us individually). There is enough samples, logic and support for the simple fact that WE are RESPONSE-ABLE for ourselves! This is all part of Habit #1 - Be Proactive.

Socrates once stated: "The unexamined life is not worth living". Reading & studying The 7-habits book(s) (tapes, cd's, etc.) is one of the best ways of examining your life in my humble opinion.

Within the introducton and the first habit alone, I was able to look under my own preverbial "hood" and examing my own engine/programing. Taking a look at the WAY WE LOOK at the world is a huge and powerful thing. Realizing that reality and our PRECEPTION of reality are two different things is a huge eye-opener.

The first three habits in the book are geared toward INDIVIDUAL accomplishment or SELF-mastery. Becoming INDEPENDENT and not DEpendent on others. The second three habits are geard toward INTER-Dependence and working with others. Readers of this book; I encourage you to read, discuss with friends then RE-read (yes, stop there then RE-read) the first three habits of this book during your individual struggle. Continue to re-read until you get a sense of SELF-Mastery. Once your on the right path to SELF mastery, then continue on to the second three habits and then the final habit #7.

The Self-Mastery Habits:
#1 - Be Proactive
#2 - Begin with the END in mind
#3 - First things first

The INTER-Dependence Habits:
#4 - Think Win-Win
#5 - Seek first to understand, THEN to be understood
#6 - Synergy

The constant RENEWAL Habit:
#7 - Sharpen the saw

As I stated earlier, this book has the POWER to change lives. I encourage you to read it while sipping a large cup of humility. This will allow the lessons to sink in better, in my opinion. At no time, however, should humility give way to logic and reason. Use your own humility, logic and reason to analyize the lessons within the 7 Habits and to put it simply - "Live a better life!"

I bought this book for a class I am taking, I have yet to read any of it yet - but it is highly reccomended and required for the course.