No Excuse! Incorporating Core Values, Accountability, and Balance into Your Life and Career [Paperback]

Jay Rifenbary (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0938716220 | ISBN-13: 978-0938716228 | Publication Date: October 1, 2008 | Edition: 3rd Rev

Jay gives you a treasury of ideas to help you overcome obstacles and achieve excellence. You'll learn how to live the "No Excuse" lifestyle built on a solid foundation of self-responsibility, purpose, and integrity. Then you'll discover the secrets of the THESAURUS Factor-twelve key principles for personal and professional success. This book is jam-packed with anecdotes to clarify key points, while its inspirational messages will touch your soul and lift your spirits. Every chapter wraps-up with an Action Plan for easy reference and application. Jay's knowledge, energy, and sincerity "flow" from the pages and into your mind and heart.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

No Excuse! says all the right things (i.e., you are responsible for your own choices and happiness, it is important to forgive) yet remains a curiously uninteresting book. This may be due to gender bias. Rifenbary, founder of the Rifenbary Training and Development Center, uses his West Point training to illustrate his ideas. His approach may appeal to men who can identify with his no-nonsense style. Even so, readers of both genders would do better with works such as Napoleon Hill's Keys to Success (LJ 8/94) or Peter McWilliams's Love 101 (LJ 4/15/95). Purchase where Rifenbary is in demand.
January Adams, ODSI Research Lib., Raritan, N.J.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Tremendous! This book has it all...success begins and ends with 'No Excuse!'...a living classic...a life-changing experience." --Charlie "Tremendous" Jones

"Tremendous! This book has it all...success begins and ends with 'No Excuse!'...a living classic...a life-changing experience." --Charlie "Tremendous" Jones

"Tremendous! This book has it all...success begins and ends with 'No Excuse!'...a living classic...a life-changing experience." --Charlie "Tremendous" Jones

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Possibility Press; 3rd Rev edition (October 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0938716220
• ISBN-13: 978-0938716228
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #302,820 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > Business & Investing > Business Life > Health & Stress

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars weLEAD Book Review by the Editor of leadingtoday.org, October 18, 2006

By 

Greg L. Thomas (Litchfield, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: No Excuse! Incorporating Core Values, Accountability, and Balance into Your Life and Career (Paperback)

Author Jay Rifenbary is a former West Point cadet, sales professional and corporate manager. As a professional speaker, consultant and president of a training and development center, he has a powerful message for readers of this book. Stop making excuses and begin to accept responsibility for everything you do. No Excuse! is enjoyable to read because of the raw energy and enthusiasm that it imparts. Rifenbary writes well and provides his personal philosophies to help the reader discover their ability to achieve success and fulfillment. His philosophy is a variant of servant leadership principles including the deep desire to serve others, accountability and valuing people more than wealth or power.

No Excuse! begins with one of the most dramatic prologues I have ever read. It not only introduces the book extremely well, but the author returns to his "special experience" in the epilogue also. The underpinning of his philosophy is borrowed from his days at West Point when "No Excuse, Sir" was one of the few answers a plebe was allowed to utter as a response to an upperclassman. Rifenbary exclaims, "We may get down on ourselves and use certain excuses to relinquish responsibility. That's exactly what excuses are used for; to avoid doing something or to "pass-the-buck". I dare you to make a list. Then when you hear yourself or others making an excuse, simply say, "No Excuse!''"

The book is divided into 2 parts comprised of 14 chapters. Part 1 lays the foundation of the author's no excuse philosophy with a discussion of the principles of self-responsibility, purpose and integrity. He considers this an important preparation for what he coins the Staircase-of-Success or THESAURUS factor presented in Part 2 of the book. Rifenbary takes each letter in the word THESAURUS and uses it as a step to teach an important point or principle. A total of 9 steps take the reader up the Staircase-of-Success. For example, the first step is "Totally Forgive" (Chapter 5) and it ponders the liberating influence that complete forgiveness allows when we forgive others and ourselves of faults and transgressions. When someone embraces total forgiveness there is no longer room for complaining or blaming because the person takes charge, and gains greater control over their life. No Excuse! is not simply a book to read, but it employs many tools to stimulate thought and action from the reader. Rifenbary uses many parables or stories to highlight his points. He also provides an Action Plan at the end of most chapters along with some charts and his own personality indicator.

No Excuse! is an enjoyable book to read. It may not break new ground or provide a radical new leadership philosophy, but it is certainly encouraging to read. As a result of Rifenbary's gift of clarity and printed energy, you will believe and know that change is possible in your life. If you are interested in discovering servant leadership principles presented in a dynamic and motivational book, you have no excuse... you will want to read this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Heavy on the military references but a good book, March 20, 2003

By 

Douglas Billingsly "rbillingsly" (Springfield, va United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: No Excuse! I'm Doing It (Paperback)

nevertheless. I found myself unable to relate to a lot of the military examples but the lessons taught are powerful. Good book but I think my husband would enjoy it more then I.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ FOR FAMILIES AND PROFESSIONALS, July 25, 2000

By 

bev hamilton (Huntington Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Excuse! Incorporating Core Values, Accountability, and Balance into Your Life and Career (Paperback)

After seeing Jay Rifenbary at a recent conference in Newport Beach, and crying through the entire speech, I purchased the book. This is the most exceptional man and he will change your life by the words in this book. I no longer will live my life with excuses for every bad moment and blame everyone else for what I alone created. This is a must read for professionals and families. No Excuse! Buy this book!