I do not hesitate to say that this book is - literally- life changing.This is no easy bedtime read. It's not a light book you breeze through. Well, at least I didn't. My brain hurt when I read this book as I grappled with and internalized the deep concepts it presented.
As the title suggests, the book discusses 7 habits that are characteristic of what Covey calls "highly effective people."
The first 3 habits Covey elaborates on, discuss work on an individual level, while the next 3 habits are about relationships and interaction with others and habit 7 (one of my favorites) is sharpening the saw by highlighting the need for a person to care for themselves physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually without neglecting any of these aspects, in order to function in an optimal fashion.
I see this book as a blueprint for life, utilizing what Covey refers to as "timeless principles." And that's exactly what they are.
For example, Habit 1: Be proactive, is something that will forever be a solid foundation of a truly responsible and competent person. There will never be a time when it is conceptually wrong to take responsibility for your actions. And Habit 4:Win-Win addresses the misconstrued notion that we should succeed at the expense of others and the further we push people down, the higher we get. In fact the opposite is actually true. No one can argue that a win-win is a bad result. Everyone wins!
In summary, this is an excellent, insightful and extremely deep book. I found every word of it useful and it has been a wonderful blueprint for evolving in character. To me, this book is an essential read. If everyone could read and comprehend this text, the world would undergo an amazing transformation.
When I heard Stephen Covey passed away in the summer of 2012, I cried. I think it would have been an amazing experience to hear this man speak in person. He is quoted saying "Live, love, laugh, leave a legacy." And he did leave a legacy, that we are fortunate to have.
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