Most Helpful Customer Reviews
50 of 53 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A book with real advice on living a great life, January 6, 2006
This review is from: Goal-Free Living: How to Have the Life You Want NOW! (Hardcover)
There are tons of self help books that basically tell you to follow my plan and you will achieve your dreams. This is not one of them-- which is a very good thing. I am not a fan of self help books and this is not one of them. Shapiro has taken a different look at the issue of you and your success and turned it on its head. The idea is simple, while we may keep score based on our goals, our quality of life is not based on the score but rather how we play the game. If you think about it, that is important and something that is easy to lose sight of. Goal Free living helps you get that back into your sights and better your life. The book does provide eight tools for you really apply to your daily life. A plan is for a person, tools are things that everyone can use. Those tools include: > Use a compass, not a map > Trust that you are never lost > Remember that opportunity knocks often, but sometimes softly > Want what you have > Seek out adventure > Become a people magnet > Embrace your limits > Remain detached These eight secrets are presented in an actionable format and illustrated with stories about real and remarkable people. People that you can relate to, not a one in a million superstar who you can admire but not emulate. Those stories and Shapiro's unique conversational style make them accessible. I highly recommend this book as it will cause you to pause, evaluate what you are doing, and adopt the tools that can improve your life.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, fresh, and practical, January 28, 2006
This review is from: Goal-Free Living: How to Have the Life You Want NOW! (Hardcover)
***** This book, Goal-Free Living by Stephen Shapiro, offers just what it promises---practical ways to have the life you want WITHOUT setting goals. The material is fresh and very useful. Each concept has many concrete applications so that you can easily see how you personally can live your life and accomplish things without formal goals. As a high achiever with a Type-A personality, having strived for excellence my whole life, I now find myself middle-aged and very, very tired. I find the author's apporach VERY stress-relieving. I paradoxically find that I get more done, and the "right" things done as well, when I follow the concepts in the book. I am a big fan of Stephen Shapiro's blog at http://www.goalfree.com/blog/ and read it daily. It's full of useful articles. Browse it to "get a taste" of the book and to see what you think. The author also offers a free discussion guide there. As others have mentioned, it is full of information, but a fast and easy read (maybe 3-5 hours depending upon how quickly you read). Highly recommended! *****
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Need a confusion-free sequel, July 1, 2006
This review is from: Goal-Free Living: How to Have the Life You Want NOW! (Hardcover)
From a marketing perspective, the title works. As a career consultant, I meet many people who are terrified of goals and, at the same time, desire a new life that can be delivered as quickly as a cheese pizza. But in choosing a "goal-free" premise, author Shapiro finds himself doing just what he argues against. On page 61, Shapiro brings up the New Age slogan, "What you focus on, expands." Following through, he needs to heed the wisdom of the classic law of attraction authors. Instead of seeking to be debt-free, they tell us, we should see prosperity. The universe hears the word "debt" and gives us more. Whether you accept law of attraction or think it's hokey, I'd say it's important to demand consistency. Self-contradiction can be a credibility buster. That said, why write a book based on the premise of something you don't want? What replaces goals -- spontaneity? serendipity? seizing the moment? In attacking goals, Shapiro uses a very specific concept of goals. At one point he compares having goals to following a recipe. The best cooks, he says, eventually learn to create their own recipes. But, as he acknowledges, they know what they're not using. Shapiro also seems to attack goals that come from others. Most career consultants would agree. Those who become lawyers, doctors and salespersons to satisfy a parent's dream often become restless and dissatisfied. But some people dream of those very achievements, which call for considerable sacrifice along the way. Finally, Shapiro loses credibility for me when he relies on Myers-Briggs to differentiate goal-oriented vs goal-free individuals. Everyone should read Annie Paul's book, The Cult of Personality, before resorting to the controversial and unscientific MBTI. In the end, this book seems to be more about taking control of your life and getting an honest sense of what you want. Most of the content seems good, if not especially original. Why get hung up on whether you're following or not following goals? And what if we decide to follow some of the author's recommendations, such as, "Become a people magnet." Are we or are we not pursuing a goal? And who cares?
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
