Book review: The 7 Habits of highly effective people by Stephen Covey

The 7 Habits of highly effective people – Stephen Covey

Synopsis:
This book focuses on principles (or habits) that can help you build more effective relationships, learn to trust and be trusted, communicate better and become more efficient is your life. It is a self-help book that takes a look at your principles and values and whether they are effective or not.
The book opens by discussing paradigms and how we view the world. This leads on to the first habits that deal with ‘private victories’ or in other words, rising from a dependent person to an independent person. The later habits deal with ‘public victories’ or in other words, rising from an independent person to an interdependent person.
From time management skills to analysing paradigms of human interaction, the book looks at many different aspects of life and how you can improve those situations. The appendixes contain highly detailed information so the flow of the book isn’t disrupted.

What I gained from reading this book:
This is an incredibly detailed book that is full of useful tips and suggestions. The way the seven habits are described and how they connect are explained so well. I really enjoyed this book because it has no ‘quick fixes’ or gimmicks. The book follows a very logical flow: starting from analysing paradigms before moving on to the habits. The step by step flow of the chapters and the habits makes it very easy to understand. The main gain I received from this book would be the increased understanding I have on my own paradigms and what habits I need to improve.
When I first picked up the book and read the titles of each habit, I thought they sounded too obvious and the book would contain very general advice. I was surprised that this was not the case and the simple headings are very misleading for the quality of the information given. I realise now that the simple headings such as ‘Think Win/Win’ or ‘Be Proactive’ are simple to help you remember them.
I know that I will not become a perfect person and I am sure that I will fail many of these habits, but this book does give me a guide on what I should focus on and how to become more effective.

Positives:
Very useful information that is based on solid principles: no quick fixes, fads or gimmicks. Very detailed discussion that clearly explains our perceptions and how we can change them. The examples and scenarios are extremely helpful in explaining points.

Negatives:
Some people may feel this book is too ‘idealistic’ or may even think it is all ‘psycho-babble’. The detailed explanations and discussion may be too ‘thick’ for some people.

Recommended for: Everybody
The principles in this book deal with all aspects of life whether it is personal or business. Nobody is perfect and we can all improve ourselves if we choose to and this book can help. People wanting to improve relationships or find out how they can communicate more effectively will benefit from this book.

Genre: Self-help

Overall rating: 7 out of 10 stars

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Where to from here:

I recommend the following book as it teaches sound principles in dealing with people:

How to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie

Book review: Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner

Freakonomics: A rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything – Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner

Synopsis:
Freakonomics sees an economist looking at some unusual questions and attempting to find answers. The focus is on ‘conventional wisdom’ and how people assume such wisdom to be correct without any proof. The author explains why conventional wisdom is often wrong and how the experts will bend the facts to support their own interests. Topics include cheating schoolteachers and sumo-wrestlers, self serving real estate agents, poor drug dealers and criminals and obsessive parents. The author uses economic analysis to give light to why conventional wisdom often lacks any wisdom at all.

What I gained from reading this book:
Being an economics graduate, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My economics lecturer always tried to explain why economics could be used to explain questions like the ones in this book but most students couldn’t understand what he meant. After reading this book I now wonder how much of the ‘conventional wisdom’ we come across actually have any truth in them. I really enjoyed reading why real estate agents don’t have the incentive to ‘get every last dollar for your house’ like they claim to do or why school teachers would cheat on students’ tests. I feel I really gained by learning to question what most people assume to be right.
I really wish that this book was on the ‘reading list’ during my university study because it would have helped so many students understand the value of economics and its way of thinking.

Positives:
Looks at very interesting and bizarre situations and questions. Can help you open your mind to thinking outside of the conventional wisdom that so many people assume is fact.
This book can help out economics students by showing them the side of economics they probably haven’t been learning in lecturers. There are no formulas here, only explanations.

Negatives:
Some of the statements in this book may offend or shock some people. Some topics are very close to many peoples’ hearts such as abortion, racial discrimination or parenting. If you read this book with an open mind you can at least understand the points the author is making. If on the other hand you shun everything the author says on those controversial topics, you will finish the book with no gain.
For those who know little or nothing about economics, you may dislike the author’s reasoning. As the author says ‘if morality represents an ideal world, then economics represents the actual world’. Sometimes the ‘actual world’ answers are not what we want to hear.


Recommended for: Those interested in economics
I highly recommend this book for all economics students. I have noticed that many of the students I talked to that failed or had low marks didn’t understand the way of thinking that this book uses. If you find economics hard, it may be because you have trouble understanding the mindset required. This book can help you in that regard.
For those not studying economics, it may still be interesting because of the unusual topics.

Genre: Economics

Overall rating: 8 of 10 stars

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below: