Customer Reviews

ConZentrate: Get Focused and Pay Attention--When Life Is Filled with Pressures, Distractions, and Multiple Priorities

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

If you expect to read *about* Zen wisdom that will enlighten and help manage your life, you will be disappointed. " ConZentrate" doesn't talk about Zen; it does it. It does it through the lens of cognitive psychology. Ms. Horn shows how to become more effective through a sharper focus and clearer concentration using the techniques of replacing, removing, and reframing thoughts. Twelve blocks to increased attention and awareness are presented, and in one way or another, much of the book addresses most of those blocks with Action Plans, mnemonic devices, and a side-by-side comparison of negative or confused concepts and self-talk with positive, ConZentrated concepts and self-talk. All this is directed at increasing the focus and quality of one's T.I.M.E (Thoughts-Interests-Moments-Emotions).

Written in an engaging, conversational style, this book is a quick read. And a repeat read. The layout is well ordered; specific topics and techniques are highly accessible. Humor and wisdom abound throughout in quotes that range from the Bhagavad Gita to Erma Bombeck to Proust. If you want to read about Zen, try some other book, but if you want to improve your ability to focus and concentrate on what matters to you, then get this book and do it!

Many gems in this book. Most immediate and powerful for me was the five-more rule which urges me to do five of anything past my usual point of giving up. Keep hanging in a little longer. I use this idea daily in exercise routines and it works beautifully to move me just past the comfort/collapse zone. I'm also starting to use it more consciously in work before I let things frustrate me. It keeps me more open to options and to finding solutions. The book is full of this kind of practical, everyday advice written in a conversational and memorable style.

Before you fall asleep tonight, please say over and over to yourself silently "I'm good at ConZentration", "I'm good at ConZentration"...For 5 minutes. Every night. This is the crux of Horn's program. But in order to do it right, you will simply have to buy the book. Although psychonalysts from Eric Fromm to Fritz Pearls have mentioned "concentration" as a way to health and success, the subject has been more or less avoided it seems. This book will read in a way that seems "trite". She seems to quote everybody from Ronald Reagan to Donald Duck! And there does seem to be a lot of Charles Atlas "hype". But don't put it down yet. Sogyal Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist master, recommends meditating a few minutes and then integrating that period into your life. As does Tarthang Tulku who created the first Tibetan monestary outside of Tibet. In fact, he states that concentration is most beneficial when it is being applied in everyday life! Horn helps you to do so. The 5 minutes is just the beginning. PRACTICE. But the 5 minutes will be necessary to put you in tune with what you are going to do the next day. Don't think of it as a "gimmick". It's not. If Horn just left it at 5 minutes a night, I would be giving this review only one star. As a "gimmick" book. But Horn doesn't do this. She applies what she calls ConZentration to daily activities and situations that can be highly beneficial. It is very nice to see how Eastern Religion is meeting the West. Give it a try. I'll do it right now. As I finish this review, I am gathering my thoughts and focusing on my writing. I also did it in a tunnel while walking. Give it a try if you find the Eastern Path a little "yucky". Did I say that? Good luck.

This is a wonderful book for anyone who has read about Zen, or is up on the theories of paying positive attention to NOW. It provides the practical advice on how to pay attention, even in the middle of a modern western life. It's done wonders for my peace of mind (2 small children can divide anyone's attention). There's not a lot of discussion of theory, or why Zen and attention are good or important, simply a lot of ways to achieve them. Highly recommended.

Recently I read the book Conzentrate and had to tell you how wonderful it is!

As an entrepreneur, business consultant, trainer, writer, and Mom, I am often-times pulled in a thousand different directions simultaneously.

Conzentrate gave me a framework to focus and get the most out of each situation and relationship. It is packed with practical techniques for increased effectiveness. I'm looking forward to juggling many projects with greater clarity. You can too!

Heavily influenced by the idea of zen mindfulness, Horn believes that by learning to concentrate, one will be able to stop procrastinating and start prioritizing in a chaotic and frenzied world. Conzentrate is aimed towards sharpening the cognitive abilities of its readers and it works.

I coach sportspeople young and old in concentration, and the underlying focus of my programmes is all about getting mentally organised in dealing with the information the senses are taking in and asking the brain to process.
So it is with Sam's wide-ranging, far seeking and totally practical book. It is almost a bible of mental organisation on a totally everyday level.
I'm just on the point of finishing it on a cover-to-cover read, but there is no way this one is going onto the bookshelf once I've finished. Its also ideal for dipping in and out of for those specific things we all need a bit of guidance on from time to time. Having walked and talked sports psychology, NLP and hypnotherapy I'm well aware of how easily listeners and readers can be "lost en route" as their brain glazes over in the face of superb vocabulary and matchless argument. If this is what you are seeking then your quest must go on. If not - invest in this book and you'll flourish at some level by following the practical tips.
Modern coaches are taught how to teach - isn't it time modern people are taught how to live? This is Recommended Reading for the University of Life!

ConZentrate is the most complete resource of information I've seen yet about the important topic of concentration. Whether you want to know how to keep your mind on what you're doing in a busy office with many distractions, or how to stay focused when you're playing a sport, and how to evaluate what's valuable in your life and what deserves your attention, this is the book to turn to. Thanks, Sam - another book I'll keep handy and refer to colleagues and friends!

From the cover, almost, you can tell there's a very strong influence of Stephen Covey (7 Habits, First Things First) in this book by Sam Horn. Being a follower of Covey's work this called my attention, but I have to admit the book did not live up to my original expectations. It simply starts to go around giving SO MANY pieces of advice that you end up not quite knowing which one(s) to being following. The idea is good, and the principles of ConZentration are very good, but the book as a whole could have been put together in a much focused way, ironically!

This book has made it much easier for me to concentrate when my mind is going a million miles an hour. Also, when my workplace is crazy with noise and distractions, this book has helped me focus.