Become Who You Were Born to Be: We All Have a Gift... Have You Discovered Yours? (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "As Americans, we live in the wealthiest society in the history of the planet..." (more)
Key Phrases: burning discontent, unsuccessful people, United States, New York, Costa Rica (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Americans are going through a crisis of identity these days, writes Souza, founder of Paragon Holdings LLC, which teaches personal and organizational success worldwide. Clinical depression rates are skyrocketing, he says. And while our living standards have improved in the past century, we have lost our sense of purpose. Souza has his finger on the discontentment epidemic facing many working professionals, since he used to be in the same boat—by age 27 he was a high-powered executive with a six-figure salary, but he finally realized he hated his job and wasn't satisfied with the external trappings of wealth. By finding his own sense of purpose in helping people discover theirs, he found his path. In each chapter, Souza draws lessons from the lives of successful people, some famous, who found their passion early, such as Lance Armstrong, Richard Branson and Oprah Winfrey. But it's the psychological astuteness with which he analyzes the fearful life patterns many Americans fall into that makes this book most valuable. In his view, so-called identity crises are natural and ongoing: we are supposed to change, try new experiences and evolve at every stage of our lives. "There are no shortcuts to success," Souza says, arguing for persistence, hard work and the ability to deal with failure. Not in the least preachy, Souza pushes readers to commit to a goal and follow through. Happiness, he says, is the goal, "but it never comes directly. It comes only as a by-product of living in truth and committing ourselves with everything we've got to discovering our gift and sharing it with the world." Readers looking for inspiration and moral support in following their dreams will find it here. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Review

"...Brian Souza has cracked the code with BECOME WHO YOU WERE BORN TO BE." -- REV. THEODORE M. HESBURGH, President Emeritus, University of Notre Dame

"...I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't be helped by applying its wisdom to their private life or business." -- DR. ROBERT H. SCHULLER, Founding Pastor, Crystal Cathedral Ministries

"...It is not only a blueprint for succeeding at work; it's a blueprint for succeeding at life." -- DR. STEPHEN R. COVEY, Author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and The 8th Habit

"BECOME WHO YOU WERE BORN TO BE by Brian Souza is a beautiful book... Don't miss it!" -- DR. KEN BLANCHARD, Author of The One-Minute Manager and The Secret

"OUTSTANDING! If there is one book every man, woman, and child should read (this) is definitely it!" -- JACKIE JOYNER KERSEE, Olympic Gold Medalist

"This is a surprisingly well done book that has helped me tremendously, and could help you too." -- Jack Covert, CEO of 800-CEO-READ

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 392 pages
• Publisher: Paragon Holdings (April 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0975352202
• ISBN-13: 978-0975352205
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #298,575 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not good. Read why, April 10, 2007

By	Gaetan Lion - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Become Who You Were Born to Be: We All Have a Gift. . . . Have You Discovered Yours? (Hardcover)

There are hundreds of Self-Help books out there. Some are useful. This is not one of them. The book is structured around five supposedly sequential parts: Part I Discover it [your gift], Part II Develop it, etc... But, there is little substance to it. The book is nearly 300 pages long, but each page tells the same thing: find out what you want to do, and do it. It shares tens of biographical examples that have the same pattern: An individual overcame the odds of a miserable childhood to become most successful in life through determination. The profiled characters include Lance Armstrong, Abraham Lincoln, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mother Theresa, and Mahatma Gandhi. That's inspirational but not informational.

I judge a self-help book by its usefulness. Does the author convey practical insights beyond the self-evident? Is the advice original? (Or, has it been stated many times before). Has this book changed my perspective, attitude, and knowledge? The response is no.

Let me recommend other books instead. Unlike Souza who keeps you guessing, Marcus Buckingham allows you to readily identify your talents in "Now Discover Your Strength." While Souza keeps you dreaming, Stephen Covey tells you concretely how to give your life purpose in "The Seven Habits of Effective People."

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lame Title...GREAT Book!, May 17, 2005

By	T. Parker (Huntington Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Okay, give the one dissenter below some credit for his book bash. I can kind of see his point, especially with the title being what it is. The title is a little lofty, but hey, the author can't share his knowledge unless he sells books. And his knowledge - the stuff after the cheesy cover - is really, really good. David Ogilvy once said, "Great ideas tend to be simple ideas." And this book is not rocket science. It's a lot of insightful common sense, gleaned from many many interviews with a lot of really really successful people, then laid out for the reader in a digestible, useful way. Like the best self-help books (I think Rich Dad, Poor Dad is a good example), Brian simply provides you with a different and yet totally logical way to approach something that we're all so close to - in this case, what we do for a living. He helps you step back, clear your mind a bit, examine what it is you're doing, what you happen to enjoy doing, what you happen to be good at, and then approach it with a fresh perspective. The examples he gives and the people who illustrate his ideas are dead-on. Hell, listening to Lance Armstrong talk about all the sports he SUCKED at (and how badly he sucked at them) before he got into cycling, is reason enough to re-evaluate what you do for a living. This book is good, sound, fundamental advice that a person can actually read and then ACT ON. Granted, the world still needs ditch diggers and cornea-removers, but there's more than enough room for most of us to figure out what our ideal role in life is, and then do it. Give it to a college kid. Give it to a high school kid. Hell, give it to your uncle who's 45 and has been schlepping HP toner cartridges for 20 years. Buy it, read it, then give it away.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Motivation at its highest level, April 15, 2005

By	Jason (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

Unlike any book in its class, Become Who You Where Born To Be does something all the other books fail to do....it gives you a step-by-step process that guides you to finding your personal passion. The inspirational stories throughout the book reinforce the notion you can do anything you put your mind to. Sometimes our society forgets just how fortunate we are. After reading this book, you too may unlock a passion you never knew existed.