Customer Reviews

Conquering Adversity

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Conquering Adversity is that rare how-to book that combines a compelling life story with well-written practical advice that will benefit almost anyone who reads and applies the book. I highly recommend it to those who have not yet suffered an unexpected loss. You need to be prepared in advance for having the ground pulled out from under your feet, and this book will serve that purpose very well.

Mr. Novak was at work one day when a telephone call alerted him that his young wife and unborn son had been in a terrible automobile accident. Shortly thereafter, both died. Grief-stricken, Mr. Novak still had to be a father for his nine-year-old son and move forward with their lives together in a way that his wife would have approved.

The focus of the book quickly shifts into six strategies that should be combined to help you refocus on what needs to be done, rather than wallowing perpetually in your grief. As such this book will be of particular value for those who have to be strong for those around them at such times.

The first strategy is affirmation: Identify your values that you will use to guide your next actions; appreciate what has and has not been lost; and follow a healthy selfishness to allow you to go on.

The second strategy is expectation: Realize that bad things happen to good people and move on; apply optimism to what needs to be done; and avoid spending time worrying about why you have had such a loss.

The third strategy is increasing communications: Lead with your heart, not your mind; communicate often; and invite others to help you.

The fourth strategy is locomotion: Move quickly away from where you have the most problems; look at life as a traveler rather than as a settler; and be persistent!

The fifth strategy is collaboration: Draw on those who can help you; welcome those who appreciate what you have gone through and want to help; and keep balance in your life.

The sixth strategy is celebration: Laugh; have unscheduled time; and look for the silver lining in any dark clouds.

The book is filled with examples and exercises to help you reinforce these new behaviors.

Although the book refers to situations where an organization has to deal with a setback, this book is primarily applicable at the individual and family level.

Most of the advice is good for ordinary living as well. I was interested in the idea of moving away from the situation which seems to be the biggest problem. In that way, you can get perspective on how else you can deal with the issue. I also thought that the idea of communicating more was a good one. Most people who are grieving do the opposite. I liked his exercises of using color stones to remind you if you have been doing enough positive communication.

The book is quite brief. You can easily read it in one sitting . . . and learn from it for a lifetime. Nice work, Mr. Novak!

Chris Novack has inspired me as a hired professional consultant and a friend. After working with Chris on several occasions, he has assisted my career's development and advancement each and every time.
My wonderful and valuable relationship with Chris was focused primarily, on a professional level - however, my strong desire to read his book became the impetus to learn what made him so extraordinary. Never in my life, could I imagine how I would benefit so greatly from Chris' story ...now on a personal level, I feel blessed to have been a part of his life...a part of "his story".
I have already applied Chris' teachings (realizing tremendous success) within both, my personal life and career.
No words can describe how powerful a message he delivers, but for those who embrace his teachings...will truly benefit!
Simply stated, Chris Novack is my hero.
I strongly encourage you and your organizations to not only ready this book, but practice it's fundamentals DAILY.

We all know folks (family, friends, neighbors, etc.) who have suffered tragedy. Novak, like many, many others, suffered tragedy; however his book doesn't focus on the event, but on the recovery.

Novak provides an incredibly powerful tool for everyone, especially those in leadership positions. Here is a handbook, a checklist, for helping people move successfully through personal tragedy, and organizational units through difficult times.

I found years of personal experience in Novak's written text, communicated more clearly than I would have been capable had I been witness rather than participant. This book will be top drawer reference material for anyone charged with leadership responsibilities.

Novak's insights and the guidance he offers will benefit everyone before personal tragedy. Personally, "Conquering Adversity" has immediate value for me as a handbook as I help people I care for facing difficulty. In the long term, Novak's work will undoubtedly help me prepare as well.

Chris Novak's personal life experience story is a heart-tugging peek into his own family tragedy. What makes this book GREAT is that Novak doesn't stop there. He uses his life experience--and the difficult lessons used--to outline a relevant plan for conquering the obstacles of life we all face, whether in the workplace or in our homes. While it is true that our own individual hurdles may not mirror Novak's, his perceptive insights into our humanness and resiliance offer a clear strategy for moving beyond the overwhelming mountains of life and onto flat,solid footing. Don't miss this life-changing read!

I can't get this book out of my mind. I read it over a month ago and its principles are with me still. Novak skillfully parallels his personal experience with a devastating tragedy to conquering any sort of "bump in the road" (enormous or minute) in business. He brings simple--but not oversimplified--concepts to a level that can be understood by a CEO, an administrative assistant, or a stay-at-home mom. It's no wonder Mr. Novak is such a successful motivational speaker.

The book is a very quick read, and I challenge you to put it down once you begin. I have shared this book with my entrepreneur friends and coworkers. What I found to be the most resonating lesson in the book: Be prepared for WHEN, not IF, adversity stikes. ...Because it will in both business and your life.

I can't imagine losing the love of my life in a senseless accident while performing a routine daily act. The details are shocking, but you will feel like you've emerged with Chris from the ashes of adversity to the light of a hope for the future, and a vision for the all of life's possibilities. This book was both inspiring and motivating, and I cannot recommend it highly enough!

This book is outstanding! It provides personal insights with an excellent articulation by story and experience that can significantly improve personal and professional development. Life is full of adversity - this book helps us to understand what opportunities truly exisit within these adversities. It's a fast read - holds your interest every step of the way and provides exercises for team building and self-motivation. I highly recommend it for all people travelling down life's pathways.

This book is for everyone. Let's face it; each day we face some type of adversity. Each of our days is filled with too many decisions, challenges and stress. Most of us cannot imagine the impact a life-changing tragedy would have on our lives.

Chris Novak shares his own devastating life experience and provides a plan that all of us can use to get through not only our own lifetime tragedies but also our day-to-day lives. The reader learns what is valuable in life and how to identify, develop, nurture and drawn upon important human resources.

This is a quick read - but don't be misled; it is not the "fast food" that too many self-help books seem to be - leaving you hungry for more insight or direction. Rather, it will nourish your inner being and allow you to deal with and truly appreciate life.

How Chris's personal adversity is entwined in the six strategies is incredible! I wish every HR Department would give this book to every employee. I'm going to order seven; one for my middle-school daughter, 3 brothers, 2 sisters, and an extra one to have to give to anyone who whines about something .. I'll hand it to him/her and say, "Take this and read it; tell me how you feel after you're finished". Personal, business, young, old ... it's an inspiration to all who read!

This book came as an unexpected addition to my request for Lead Like A Pirate (also by Christopher Novak)... Conquering Adversity. Although the title would indicate that it's more geared towards overcoming adversity in the workplace, I found it much more suited to overcoming adversity in your personal life. As such, I think the book is much more valuable than one might imagine on first glance...

Contents:
Forward; August 10th; Strategy #1 - Affirmation; Strategy #2 - Expectation; Strategy #3 - Communication; Strategy #4 - Locomotion; Strategy #5 - Collaboration; Strategy #6 - Celebration; Today; Nuggets of Wisdom; About the Author

The book starts out by relating a moment in time that completely altered Novak's life... the day his wife and unborn child were killed in a car accident by a drug-impaired driver (who walked away from the crash). He went from a happily married man with a nine year-old son and a second child on the way to a single parent who had to bear a burden that's a worst case scenario in so many ways. I don't think there's any question that Novak has seen and experienced more than his share of adversity.

Through that incident, he explains six strategies that can help you to get your feet back on solid ground and make it through the dark times. By using those strategies, you won't take away the pain and suffering, but you won't be paralyzed by the loss, unable to pick up the pieces and move on. Each strategy has three steps that help you to apply it to your situation. For instance, Affirmation has the three steps of identifying your bedrock values, acknowledging what is and isn't lost, and accepting a healthy "selfishness". Each chapter also has a number of exercises at the end that you should work through to solidify the strategy in your life. Those exercises are ones that you can (and should) do now while you (hopefully) are not in the midst of despair. If you can establish these habits and mindsets during the "normal" times, then it'll be much easier to keep a certain level of mental clarity during the bad times.

I mentioned that it seems to be targeted at the workplace, and that's true. There's an application portion in each chapter that relates the strategies to how they would work with your team. That makes sense, as Novak teaches this in corporate settings. But the story and the pain is so personal, that I was getting the most value when he was talking about how YOU need to do something to get through YOUR crisis. Others might see it exactly the opposite, and that's good. It's rare that an author can write something that speaks to two often separate parts of a person's life, and effectively delivers a message to both.

Again... it's a small volume (93 pages) that returns far more value than the time and dollars spent reading it. This is a book that instead of loaning to a friend, I'd just buy them their own copy. Otherwise, you may never see it again.

Christopher Novak writes an inspirational account about overcoming the loss of his wife and unborn son through six strategies: Affirmation, Expectation, Communication, Locomotion, Collaboration,and Celebration. Moreover, Mr. Novak neatly applies these strategies to the challenges faced in the workplace, and he provides an activity to reinforce the steps of each strategy. Conquering Adversity is about self-discovery, and its message is appropriate for teens to adults, individuals to team leaders. I have read this book several times since I heard Mr. Novak deliver a keynote address last month, and hearing his message was truly moving.