Peak Performers [Paperback]

Charles Garfield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1987

Ordinary People . . . Extraordinary Achievers

Fascinated by what makes some individuals strive to be the very best they can be, pyshchologist Charles A. Garfield has devoted 20 years to studying peak performers. He has found them everywhere -- from sports to science, from arts to entertainment. They are the people who run huge corproations and the people who make the corporations run. They are the prima ballerina and the dancing toll attendant on a California bridge who takes tolls without missing a beat in his dance routine. Here are some of Garfield's surprising findings about men and women who settle for no less than the best:

- Peak performers are not born -- they're made.

- They are not superhumans with special talents -- they are average people in every walk of life.

- Peak performers are not workaholics -- they are committed to success, not activity.

- Peak performer do share six common attributes, and Charles Garfield tells us what they are. They are skills anyone can cultivate, and knowing them is the first step toward personal growth and top achievement.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Garfield's informative and brightly written study could well become a manual for high achievement in any field. He examines here top performers of all types; drawing on interviews with high achievers in many areas, he delineates the essential characteristics of peak performers and argues that anyone can gain the skills needed to excel. He uncovers "peak" attributes (a sense of mission, need for results, ability to self-manage) in an array of men and women, from business leaders like Victor Kiam of Remington to a cabdriver, a toll-booth agent and a building's maintenance staff. Whether entrepreneurs or Fortune-500 managers, Garfield's achievers are all energetic people, eager to grow, open to change and purposeful in their actions. Throughout, he emphasizes that commitment to one's work is the key source of peak performance. 100,000 first printing; $125,000 ad/promo; first serial to Success! February 17
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This book joins a host of others published recently about excellence in business. Garfield has done extensive research in human potential. His earlier book, Peak Performance ( LJ 6/15/84), covered training techniques for athletes. Now he turns to ways of achieving maximum productivity in the workplace. He covers formulating missions, alignment of personal and organizational goals, self-management, team spirit and effective leadership, and managing change effectively. Garfield's approach is both educational and inspirational. Recommended for collections serving practicing managers and management students. Grace Klinefelter, Ft. Lauderdale Coll. Lib., Fla.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (May 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380703041
• ISBN-13: 978-0380703043
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #410,297 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Six Steps to being a Peak Performer, April 6, 2003

By 

Jake (Hamton VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Peak Performers (Paperback)

The book that outlines six aspects of peak performance: 1. A mission that motivates you 2. Real results in real time 3. Self management through self-mastery 4. Be a team builder and member 5. Course Correction and last, 6. Change management. He defines each one well and provides techniques such as visualization which aid in achieving each dimension of being a peak performer. The writing is very straightforward and logical, and avoids the hyperbole and slickness of many other self-improvement books, that are long on rah-rah advice but short on actual how-to steps for each critical dimension.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to become a Peak Performer, July 6, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Peak Performers (Paperback)

I bought this book along with Dr. Garfield's first book Peak Performance after I read him in the Wall Street Journal. Since I was just starting a sales career at the time, I was eager to learn any trick or techniques that would help me.

I found it fascinating to learn of the toll booth attendant who was high energy and classified by Garfield as a "Peak Performer." Here was a guy having a ball and preparing for a career and then tells Dr. Garfield that he will share his secrets if Dr. Garfield takes him out to dinner at a place called Ernies, one of the highest of the high class restaurants in the Bay area and $100 a plate (this was in 1985!)

Dr. Garfield offers many similiar examples of "Peak Performers" in various fields of endeavor; athletes, business people, science and more.

I highly recommend Peak Performers to anyone who wants to be the best they can be.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 8 steps to success, April 6, 2000

By 

Candice blair (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Peak Performers (Paperback)

I can not really articulate the logic and a reassurance this book gave me, with direction, honesty and fierce tactics, Peak Performers paves the road for success. If you are stuck in a job or career that is not right for you than this is the book for you.