The Navigator of Life [Hardcover]

Dr. Nathaniel J. Williams (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2008

The Navigator of Life is a tool to assist individuals in making balanced decisions by encouraging the consideration of the areas of family/friends, health,environment, personal development, recreation, financial, education, and spirituality in all decisions.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Williams spent 13 years in the New York City foster care system, from the age 5- 18, as did 9 of his 11 siblings. This experience has made an indelible mark on his life and professional work. He has worked continuously to develop options and opportunities that he and his family did not have when he was served by the human service system. Dr. Williams is very interested in the area of personal and professional development. He truly wants people to reach their fullest potential. He spends a great amount of time and energy in providing training and workshops for employees and community members in areas such as stress management, time management, ethics, conflict avoidance/resolution, and customer service/loyalty, Dr. Williams is proud to have earned his two graduate degrees from the nation s two oldest historically African American universities, a Masters in Human Services (MHS) from Lincoln University of Pennsylvania and a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from Cheyney State University. He earned his Doctorate in Education (Ed.D.) at Fielding Graduate University in August, 2007. His dissertation was titled: Exploring the Professional Development Experiences of Residential Child Care Workers as they relate to Effectiveness and Retention. Dr. Williams recently began pursuing an additional graduate degree - Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Strayer University. In May, 2007 he was awarded the 2007-2008 Frederick Douglass Scholar in Residence position at Kutztown University. This is Kutztown University s first year long scholar in residence. Dr. Williams is an Adjunct Professor at Caldwell College. He teaching courses on Cultural Diversity, Marriage and Family Counseling, and Group Dynamics. Nat and his wife, Tade, have six children.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 68 pages
• Publisher: Dr. Nathaniel J. Williams; 1st edition (March 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0981474209
• ISBN-13: 978-0981474205
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,878,622 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Williams lost his mother at the age of 5. With this event, he and 9 of his 11 brothers and sisters were placed within the NYC foster care system. At age 18, he graduated high school and moved on with his life. In 1993, ten years after leaving placement, Nat started an agency in Pennsylvania to support individuals with developmental disabilities. This idea was an outgrowth of his first afterschool job as a recreational aide at a school for children with developmental challenges in Westchester County. Nat has worked hard to meld his life experiences for the benefit of others.

Dr. Williams holds four graduate degrees: a doctorate in education, a master's in human services, a master's in public administration, and an MBA. He has published eight books, hosts a weekly primetime TV talk show, serves as an adjunct professor, manages eight corporations with 200+ employees and an annual budget of over $11 million, and delivers motivational speeches, in addition to being a husband and the father of 7 children aged 21 to 1 (including one 4-year-old twin child with Autism).

Dr. Williams strongly believes that adversity can be channeled into opportunity as long as one has courage, conviction, and confidence.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Powerpoint slide show masquarading as a book. Speaker notes just don't add up to good text for a book., May 18, 2008

By 

Jeff Lippincott "JLIPPIN" (Princeton, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Navigator of Life (Hardcover)

I did not particularly like this book. I did not find it well outlined. And I found it to be merely a Powerpoint slide show with some speaker notes instead of a book. It is very short and includes the following eight "chapters" and an appendix:

1. Introduction
2. The pledge: Be grateful, be aware, be appreciative, & be happy
3. Shame versus empowerment: Focus on positive emotions rather than negative ones
4. Life's absolutes: Change/transition, Accountability/reckoning, & endings/terminations
5. Avoiding problems and conflicts: Ignore, resolve, solve, or dissolve
6. Docking: Core beliefs
7. Charting the course: Considering 8 domains
8. Homecoming: Making a balanced decision and plan
A. Knowledge: How we know what we know

The diagram at page28 is a graphical illustration of the layout of the book's chapters. I think it belonged at page 0 which is located just before page 1 and the start of Chapter 1. Of course, this assumes that I thought the eight chapters of this book were worth going into depth about. I don't. I think the book should be totally reorganized and the new chapters written as in depth explanation and discussion.

At page 0 there is a rather complex diagram, and I liked it. I think a book built around explaining and discussing that diagram would have made a wonderful book that would have had the following seven chapters:

1. Introduction
2. The navigator's pledge
3. The core beliefs
>Positive impact
>Unconditional manners
>Language & behavior of upbuilding nature
>Higher power
>Respect
>Standards/rules
>Best appearance
>Continuous improvement
4. Docking core beliefs
>Education (I know)
>Spirituality (I believe)
>Personal Development (I am)
>Health (My fitness)
>Family & friends (I belong)
>Environment (I live)
>Financial (I have)
>Recreation (I play)
5. Chart the course (Make a balanced decision)
6. Homecoming (Keep making balanced decisions as you navigate life)
7. Conclusion

The appendix to this book starts at page 36 and continues to the end at page 52. It was just an article tacked on to the end of this book. I found it to be out of place, and not really related to the rest of the book. And Chapter 6 did not explain what "docking" is all about. In fact, it does not mention docking at all.

Our lives consist of choices. And this book provides us with a model to consider when making those choices. It is hoped that the reader will use this model so they can make decisions with greater confidence and effectiveness. And, of course, if good decisions are made, then the decision-maker will reach worthy personal and professional goals. And they will become the best they can at what they want to do. But this "book" or slide show just didn't lay it all out for me. It still needs to be made into a real book. 2 stars!

5.0 out of 5 stars A straightforward, plain-terms guide, September 6, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Navigator of Life (Hardcover)

Written by doctor of education and CEO Nathaniel J. Williams, The Navigator of Life is a self-help book for readers of all backgrounds, offering a three-step process for dealing with the complicated obstacles of life, using navigation at sea as a metaphor. The three helpful phases are Dock, in which readers re-examine their core beliefs in such things as continuous improvement, unconditional manners, respect, adopting language and behavior of an uplifting behavior, and more; Chart Course, in which readers divine their best path by asking themselves questions about eight key areas of their lives (ranging from spirituality to finances, education, health, family and friends); and Home Coming, in which the answers to the previous questions offer forth the best, individually tailored approach to dealing with current problems. A straightforward, plain-terms guide to dealing with difficult issues that have different solutions depending upon what type of person is confronted with the problem, The Navigator of Life is highly recommended for personal and public library self-help collections.

5.0 out of 5 stars Strategies to Help You Reach Your Personal and Professional Goals, May 19, 2008

By 

P. Lovitt (Southern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Navigator of Life (Hardcover)

In writing "The Navigator of Life," Dr. Williams used his extensive education and experience to define a plan that will help us to use his strategies to reach our personal and professional goals. He would like us to do this in a way that involves personal empowerment and happiness. Dr. Williams acknowledges that his plan is not a quick fix or that the answers will be easy, however, with some hard work, we can have the lives that we want. I love that he puts a tremendous amount of focus on the importance of being able to achieve personal fulfillment while maintaining our integrity. Through his steps, he teaches us that we are part of a much bigger plan and that it is important that we contribute to it for the good of all.
The navigation steps begin with a beautiful philosophy that makes us the Navigator's Pledge. I think that this pledge is something that we all can relate to, and should keep a copy on our desks. It includes: "Be Grateful, Be Aware, Be Appreciative, and Be Happy. This pledge is the first step because it teaches us to be committed to making the most of our goals and not hurting others as we do so. The second step involves realizing whether or not we are using shame or empowerment to form our decisions. The third is identifying and accepting the absolutes of life. These are things that we have to be aware of their existence, and that we might not be able to change them. The forth stage involves evaluating our motivations when we are decision making. Do we avoid problems and conflicts to escape? What are our motivations in decision-making? The fifth step is about identifying our core beliefs so that we can incorporate then into our decision making. The sixth step offers an extensive evaluation list to be used for charting the course. The final step is the homecoming. It resolves all of the pervious steps to enable us to be on the right course for making appropriate decisions and plans.
I found reading this book to be very beneficial. Dr. Williams provides thought provoking materials that really helped me to evaluate myself. I am so grateful to have had a chance to read this book. I realize that utilizing these steps will involve a lot of dedication, however, I feel that it will also put me on the right course for more personal fulfillment. The plan is so well organized, I think that this will help me to stay on course. I recommend this book to everybody who is on a personal journey to fulfillment. Enjoy the journey.