The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Paperback)

~ (Author) "IN MORE THAN 25 YEARS of working with people in business, university, and marriage and family settings, I have come in contact with many individuals..." (more)
Key Phrases: abundance mentality, character ethic, scarcity mentality, Circle of Influence, Emotional Bank Account, Circle of Concern (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change was a groundbreaker when it was first published in 1990, and it continues to be a business bestseller with more than 10 million copies sold. Stephen Covey, an internationally respected leadership authority, realizes that true success encompasses a balance of personal and professional effectiveness, so this book is a manual for performing better in both arenas. His anecdotes are as frequently from family situations as from business challenges.

Before you can adopt the seven habits, you'll need to accomplish what Covey calls a "paradigm shift"--a change in perception and interpretation of how the world works. Covey takes you through this change, which affects how you perceive and act regarding productivity, time management, positive thinking, developing your "proactive muscles" (acting with initiative rather than reacting), and much more.

This isn't a quick-tips-start-tomorrow kind of book. The concepts are sometimes intricate, and you'll want to study this book, not skim it. When you finish, you'll probably have Post-it notes or hand-written annotations in every chapter, and you'll feel like you've taken a powerful seminar by Covey. --Joan Price

Review

John Pepper President, Procter and Gamble I've never known any teacher or mentor on improving personal effectiveness to generate such an overwhelmingly positive reaction....This book captures beautifully Stephen's philosophy of principles. I think anyone reading it will quickly understand the enormous reaction I and others have had to Dr. Covey's teachings. -- Review

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Product Details

• Paperback: 358 pages
• Publisher: Free Press; 1st edition (September 15, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671708635
• ISBN-13: 978-0671708634
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (925 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #20,858 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still fresh, helpful, and important, August 2, 2009

By	Catherine Curti - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Paperback)

Despite having sold many millions of copies, Stephen Covey's groundbreaking book remains as fresh, helpful, and important as when it was first published. Such longevity is a testament to the quality of the insights that Covey offers: Eschewing easy fixes and simple-minded formulas, his writings offers a comprehensive and highly detailed program for invigorating your career as well as other aspects of life. You won't be able to breeze through this book (the writing is sometimes complex and involved), and you won't be able to apply Covey's ideas half-heartedly (the vision outlined requires serious effort to realize), but if you're willing to do the work, you'll reap the enormous benefits that many other readers have discovered and put into action.

Covey's Seven Habits are a more than just a time-management or leadership strategy, they are an opportunity to review your life choices and make important changes that may help you lead a happier, more productive life. The first three habits (Be Proactive, Begin With the End in Mind, Put First Things First) are more about managing oneself and others in order to accomplish tasks and goals, but with Habits four through six (Think Win/Win, Seek First to Understand Then to Be Understood, Synergize) Covey provides 'Paradigms of Interdependence' which allow one to transform their relationship with others into a richer experience.

The Seventh Habit (Sharpen the Saw) is about personal renewal, and how to spend a small amount of time daily to work towards continual improvement. Covey wrote the book in the interest of helping people return to a principle-centered life, which was espoused by Ben Franklin and others centuries ago but has been set aside in recent years in favor of quick-fix strategies of dubious value. Seven Habits is easy to read and understand -- Covey explains each idea with plenty of examples from his own life. Covey is a member of the Mormon faith which he mentions occasionally, if you are bothered by that sort of thing, but his advice is non-denominational and is compatible with any belief-system. Seven Habits is the sort of book that can be read again and again, and can and should be saved on the shelf as a reference. Highly recommended.

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 is another must-read from the success genre. I recommend it because it's had a huge impact on me, and the book's 66 emotional intelligence strategies + test are powerful and cutting edge.

136 of 153 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a SUPER BOOK, June 19, 1999

By A Customer

Although I have read many personal development books, 7 Habits is by far the best. No hype, hoopla, pyscho-babble that is so prevalent today, however, I submit that 7 Habits will be around long after the hypsters are gone. I work in a 1,500 staff facility and 7 Habits is required reading for all management staff. I also recommend Superself, possibly one of the most underrated books out there and Financial Self Defense which in my opinion, is the financial book version of 7 Habits.

117 of 133 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Which audio version of "The 7 Habits" is best for me?, October 30, 2006

By	Cotton-Ayed Joan (Central Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Unabridged Audio Program) (Audio CD)

This review is for people who already know that the book is valuable and who are now trying to choose which audio version of the "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" would be most useful for themselves or for people they know. I recently bought three different audio CD versions (plus a few copies of the book) as gifts for people with different personalities and learning styles. I am also familiar with some older products.

The product on this page is an UNABRIDGED AUDIO CD VERSION of the 15th anniversary edition of the book.
It would be ideal for people who are ready for a personal plan to study and apply the principles in the book to their own lives, but who need a little extra "push". I would suggest listening to the CDs before or while studying corresponding segments of the book, either alone or with someone else. The encouraging, calm and authentic voice of the author gives an extra dimension to the text - keeps you focused. Regularly scheduled study or discussion sessions could be short, as each CD is divided into several tracks which basically follow the headings and sub-headings in the book. This CD product demonstrates how well the book was written, as the text flows so naturally when read by the author.

This could be a 5-star product for people who plan to use it along with the book or after having read the book. It is probably not the best "stand-alone" learning tool for most people - the book is. It may be good for those who have more time for listening (about 14 hours on 13 disks) than for reading and who are good at learning by hearing. The discs come with a little "study guide" booklet, which I think was created for an earlier audio product. The booklet is good for review, but seeing the diagrams in the printed book is more useful if you are reading along with the audio version. I find the occasional introductory music in the audio program a little distracting, but the author's reading is engaging.

The unabridged book is also available for audio download (suitable for iPod, etc) with a slightly shorter running time (less than 13 hours) listed. I don't know how it would compare in usefulness to the CDs discussed here.

Of the audio products I have listened to, the one I would consider to be "5 star" as a stand-alone learning tool (either for individual or small-group listening) is the 3-DISC "AUDIOBOOK ON CD" (circa 2001-2002) which says, "Taught by the Author" on the cover rather than "Unabridged, read by the author". However, it is not really an "Audiobook". This product presents information partly in a seminar or classroom lecture format, with comments by people on how they have applied some of the principles in their own lives. The importance of trust in interpersonal and business relationships seem to get extra emphasis in this audio product. Running time is about 3 hours, 20 minutes.

This is probably the most useful audio product for people who don't like to read much, but it also complements the book without following it too closely. It comes with a useful little study guide summarizing the "7 habits", which includes some of the diagrams found in the book. The booklet is handy as an overview, even if you have the book. I believe that this product is more suitable for non-optimal listening situations (in the car, etc.) than is the 13-disc unabridged audio book, which, like the printed book, seems to call for a quiet setting where you can devote your full attention.

Each CD in the 3-disc set is divided into short one or two minute tracks (sometimes with several tracks in a single topic segment) so you can pause easily for reflection or discussion. Divisions between the short tracks are not evident as you are listening. Some reviewers have noted troublesome differences in volume between the text and short musical "bumpers" between topics. This bothered me a little on one of the CD players I listened with. You might try turning down the treble or turning the volume up and moving further from the machine if the relative loudness of the music bothers you.

The SIMON & SCHUSTER CD version (copyright 1999) of the old, original Simon and Schuster audiocassette product also should not really be classified as an "audiobook". In its day, the audiocassette version was a very well-produced, lucid overview of the original book with introductory statements by a female narrator, then explanations and examples by Dr. Covey from his professional seminars. The tape version was more useful as motivation to read or think more deeply about the book than as an independent learning tool. It was a big seller when the book was making a big splash. Simon & Schuster dropped the ball when they put the CD version onto a single track of about 72 minutes. Since multiple tracks are lacking on this CD, the older cassette version may be more useful for people who want a short audio overview. Otherwise, be prepared to listen to the whole CD in one sitting. I now cannot find this product on Amazon, but I do see a new, more expensive 1-CD product called a "15th anniversary edition", publishing date 2005. The product information states that the publisher is Simon & Schuster, but the image says FranklinCovey. It may be a new release of the original audiocasette. I would check to see if multiple tracks have been added before buying it.

I notice that FranklinCovey is now coming out with a new "SIGNATURE SERIES" of CDs in which one CD is devoted to each of the "7 habits". I am not familiar with this product. The CDs are sold as a set or individually. Some other audio versions and "spin-off" products have been introduced over the years. I much prefer the products which present information in an organized manner to those which present seemingly random motivational thoughts (like "reflections" on the 7 habits, cards, calendars, etc.). Many of the "spin-off" products would be far less valuable than the original book for most people.