Is there half a star rating? I don't know why this is book is so popular. Maybe it comes in the last half but I'll never know because I gave up at page 150- which I rarely do with a book. My book group wanted to read it and I am certainly glad I found a used copy. It's basically 200++ pages of someone over-intellectualizing common sense ideas such as:
Be proactive, not reactive
Set goals with an end plan in mind
Set priorities and stick to them
Be nice to others

There are nice platitudes every few paragraphs: If you are scrambling up the ladder to success, make sure the ladder is leaning against the right wall. Or: Don't chase a poisonous snake that has bit you, it will only spread the poison.

There I saved you the trouble of reading it.

Starts out really interesting and inspiring, but I lost steam towards the end as he seemed to get more vague. The chapter on synergy really lost me.

good read

كتااب رائع .. من الكتب التي أخذت ورقه و قلم لاتذكر نقاطه المهمه .. ربما سأعود له مجددا .. كانت رحلة ممتعه

این کتاب یکی از جالب‌ترین و عمیق‌ترین کتاب‌های self-helpای هست که من خوانده‌ام. و پر از داستان‌ها و حکایت‌های آموزنده. یک داستان خیلی جالبش حکایت غازیست که از یک روزی شروع کرد به تخم طلا آوردن. صاحب غاز بعد از چند روز حریص شد و خواست خیلی پول دربیاورد. از این رو شکم غاز را پاره کرد تا همهٔ تخم‌های طلا را به یک باره به چنگ آورد. ولی وقتی این کار را کرد دید داخل شکل غاز هیچ تخم طلایی نیست بلکه فقط تخم‌های معمولی است.
طبق تفسیر نویسنده، این تخم‌های طلا «تولیدات» آدمی است و خود غاز «ابزار تولید»‌ است. اگر مانند صاحب غاز حریص بشوید و بخواهید یک‌هو خیلی زیاد تولید کنید بدون توجه به ظرفیت تولید، غاز یعنی ابزار تولید را از بین خواهید برد. بنابراین نویسنده معتقد است که موفقیت عبارتست از برقراری تعادل بین تولید کردن و مراقبت از ابزار تولید.

This book was written 30 years ago but has been re-released. I read this book about 22 years ago. To this day, I remember Stephen Covey's Circle of Influence. Covey's principles are timeless and still highly applicable today. Recommended for every walks of life. A must-read!

Very good read, I understand why it is highly recommended for decades.

Main point I got from it: When dealing with situations, try to make it win-win. You want both parties to feel as though they achieved something and are getting some benefit.

The book is a workbook for the original title of the same. It is not a book to read as clearly stated, it is a book to write not to read. The mistake that I made is not to work on it in the same time that I read the book so I had to read the book again to follow it up with the workbook and it was not a waste of time. The workshop enforces the information in the book, Highly recommended. Stephen Coven is clearly a great author.

Good principles but a little bit jargon.

This book takes you back to your daily routine and stimulates your thinking about your habits and how effective you are on a daily basis or under pressure. Very effective in changing my view. Change is not possible in one night but it is very encouraging.

Ada banyak hal yg dapat di ambil dari buku ini, buku ini mengajarkan kita untuk memiliki prinsip-prinsip hidup yang tepat dan memiliki perspektif yang tepat tentang bagaimana Kita menangani berbagai hal pada saat ini dan bagaimana Kita harus menghadapinya.

Nečítali sme knihu, len tento pracovný zošit, no mali sme dve víkendovky, v ktorých sme rozobrali všetky návyky a aj keď na jednej strane nie som fanúšik motivačnej literatúry, motivačných citátov a všetkých tých rečí o efektívnych ľuďoch, ale tak možno tomu treba dať potichu šancu a krok po kroku skúšať aplikovať jednotlivé kroky do svojho života. Nečakať od toho zázraky, ale byť vytrvalý a trpezlivý a ono to možno bude v pohode. Ak by niekoho zaujímali jednotlivé návyky, tak: 1. Buďte proaktívny, 2. Začínajte s myšlienkou na koniec, 3. To najdôležitejšie dávajte na prvé miesto (tieto tri sa zameriavajú hlavne na osobný rast), 4. Myslite spôsobom win-win, 5. Najprv sa snažte pochopiť, potom byť pochopený, 6. Vytvárajte synergiu (ako môžete vidieť, tu sa už zameriavame na vzťahy, od osobného víťazstva k spoločnému víťazstvu), 7. Ostrite pílu - najdôležitejší návyk, ktorý ak človek nerobí, tak žiaden z predchádzajúcich nemá zmysel. Lebo darmo budem píliť celý deň, keď mám tupú pílu. Asi toľko k tomu.