The Superman Complex: Achieving the Balance That Leads to True Success [Hardcover]

Max Carey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 25, 1998

A book to help overachievers halt the destructive cycle of perfectionism and the need for control that often leads to personal and professional disaster.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing (September 25, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156352516X
• ISBN-13: 978-1563525162
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,129,169 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Max has unmasked the myth of the mastery of supermen!, November 15, 1999

By 

Jim Horsley ([e-mail]) (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Superman Complex: Achieving the Balance That Leads to True Success (Hardcover)

The Superman Complex is a compelling expose on the universal reality that lies beneath the surface of our society's "Supermen". The author has transparently described the simple truth that for so many of us who have trumpeted through life celebrating our accomplishments and achievements, we have also often wreaked havoc in the lives of those in our path. Max has done a superb job of articulating a greater yardstick than success, that our legacy will in large measure be determined by how we come to terms with our unadorned selves, gain a measure of peace with the identity beneath our resumes, and find greater purpose by giving ourselves to the needs of others. As discomforting as it may be for us to come to grips with our self-focus and self-preservation, Max clearly lays the groundwork for a pathway to greater significance, found not in how we gain it for ourselves, but how we live it into those we work with, and live with. His challenge, to look into the mirror of our own reality and then build some accountability and responsibility into the process of personal change, is sobering...but he also adroitly underscores that life is indeed a process of growth, not a project to be completed. Many of the concepts that the author addresses are not new, but his willingness to translate his own failings and futility into a template for transformation is a sensational model for each of us who have been so reluctant to confront the similarities in our own experiences. The Superman Complex is a healthy dose of reality, and is highly recommended as required reading for the "Supermen" in our society who march on, and over, others.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you're open to help, this book will change your life, December 3, 1999

By 

Harvey Ardman (Rockport, ME USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Superman Complex: Achieving the Balance That Leads to True Success (Hardcover)

My wife bought me this book. She slipped it into my briefcase without telling me. I opened it strictly out of curiosity and got the surprise of my life. Someone had written a book about ME. And he knew things about me I'd never told anyone. The more I read, the more I realized that in some ways, the author understood me better than I understood myself. It wasn't that we'd lived similar lives. We hadn't. But we were driven in similar ways. I'd never put a name to my demons, but he had one for me that fit all too well:the superman complex.

I think I was lucky because, for some reason, I was ready to hear what Carey had to say. Some people aren't, I think. Some people never will be. Those people can't get to the deeper meaning of the book because they don't dare let themselves. But for people like me--which I suspect most people are--this book offers something I find unusual: profound insights into what makes us act the way we are. And unlike similar books, it doesn't leave you hanging. It offers truly practical suggestions for improving your life, suggestions anyone can immediately put into practice. They have already helped me.

I guess I understand why some people think Max Carey has an ego and why he's proud of what he's accomplished in his life. He's achieved a great deal. But it seems to me that the only reason he talks about it is that his experiences have led him to understand himself better. I doubt someone who's lived an ordinary life could have come up with this level of insight.

My wife believes this is one of the best gifts she's given me, mostly I think because she's benefited from the changes I've made in my approach to life. I was a little insulted by this idea at first, but she's probably right. When I think of the people I've worked with over the years, and how they deal with the world, I think a lot of other wives would do well to slip a copy of the book into their husband's briefcases. We'd all benefit.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Superman Complex hits the hot buttons of superachievers!, November 5, 1999

By 

Laurence J. Malone (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Superman Complex: Achieving the Balance That Leads to True Success (Hardcover)

You know the type - everybody does. They contribute immensely to our world, but they wreak havoc on the masses. They are usually talented, energetic, and resourceful. They are also often arrogant, uncaring and self-serving. They run things, and make things happen. The problem is ..., they don't just achieve, they worship achievement. Performance and success become the end goal; winning more important than the game being played. If you have this blessing / affliction, you can really benefit from taking a hard look at the price that you and those who are close to you are paying. You will find that "the answer" does not require that you reduce your performance. If you love or work with one of these folks, you can benefit personally from insights offered in the book. You can deal with a "success addicted" person in the same way that a person deals with an alcoholic through al-anon. You can also encourage that person to deal with the issue, and grow from it. It might be an oxy-moron to say that the book will improve your performance in life - but it will. Go for it - it's like a tall building, or a speeding locomotive ...