{"id":951,"date":"2018-02-01T12:55:03","date_gmt":"2018-02-01T12:55:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/iigl-wp\/?page_id=951"},"modified":"2020-01-01T18:41:00","modified_gmt":"2020-01-01T18:41:00","slug":"charles-kihia-mwangi-assessments","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/global-leadership.com\/index.php\/charles-kihia-mwangi-assessments\/","title":{"rendered":"Charles Kihia Mwangi – Assessments"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As a Man Thinketh<\/strong><\/span>
\n Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

James Allen the author of the As a Man Thinketh book wants to convey how power of thought consumes self-potential in discovering oneself. Man dictates and chooses what she or he desires to be and depicts effects of character, circumstances, soul, health and body and how they build one to realize their full discovery by nurturing human ideals and ethical principles. David Allen emphasize on the nature of the mindset and how to flex thinking to yield achievement, encouragement, happiness and success as we build on our visions and ideals. The book is quite inspirational- understanding the power to flex the thinking of a human being towards self-realization to uncover our skills, talents and potentials.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. Relationship of thought and character<\/span><\/p>\n

A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts. Man is made and unmade by himself and flexing the power of though is the utmost way to uncover and discover our own untapped talents and potentials and actualize them to realize our full potential. The book has inspired me in a different way and changed the mind-set of giving up to never give up-playing with our thinking is the utmost answer to discover ourselves. Man is his own master of his destiny and the only answer to all his predicaments. Man should direct his energies and fashion his thoughts to fruitful issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. Effect of thought on circumstances<\/span><\/p>\n

A man reveals within himself, the flaws of thoughts and understanding, with ever \u2013increasing accuracy how the thoughts forces and mind elements operate in the shaping of character, circumstances and destiny. This is power of human mind and how you dedicate efforts that shape you thinking in any circumstance to realize dreams in life or perfect skills, ability and potentials. David Allen believes the thoughts you hatch in a given circumstance affects your mind to beat the very odds. Mastering the game of the mind in a given circumstance is key to hatch tactics and strategy to employ in any given circumstance or environment.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Effect of thought on human and body<\/span><\/p>\n

The body is a delicate and plastic instrument, which responds readily to the thoughts by which it is impressed, and habits of thought will produce their own effects, good or bad upon it. Clean thoughts make clean habits; poisoned mind leads to self-destruction, unhealthy body and disgrace to one self. Thoughts of sorrowfulness, grief, selfishness will rob you the goodwill and send you to a self-made prison hole. Man has the power to flex his thoughts and cherish the beauty of his mind that dwells in us every day by exhibiting peace of mind that creates portals of heaven.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Relationship of thought and purpose<\/span><\/p>\n

Thought should be tied to the purpose to have an intelligence accomplishment; aimlessness is start of planning for catastrophe or destruction. There is a need to connect the thought and human mind to the purpose of an individual. Every individual should conceive a legitimate purpose in his mind that will drive his or her potentials. He who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure-the reasons to remain focused and always apply efforts and energize ideas toiled in realizing our untapped talents and potential. Human mind focused on an ideal purpose will eventually hatch beneficial outputs that drive an individual towards success. Thoughts in combination of fearlessness produce a creative force that becomes something higher and stronger.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. The thought-factor achievement<\/span><\/p>\n

The failure to achieve is as a result of our own thoughts, a man should flex his thinking of animal like and fix his mind on development of plans, tactics and strategy. Man should sacrifice as nothing good comes easy as the higher he lifts his thoughts the greater the success. All achievements whether in business, intellectual, spiritual etc. are as a result of deliberate consciousness of mind with a definite thought approach propelled with dedication, unselfishness, sacrifices, deliberate efforts and energy of thought.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Human Vision and Ideals<\/span><\/p>\n

He who cherishes a beautiful vision or a lofty idea shall one day see it.In all human affairs there are results. The strength of the effort is the measure of the result. Chance is not. Gifts, powers, Materials, intellectual and spiritual possessions are fruits of effort. They are thoughts, completed objectives accomplished, vision realized.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. The human Serenity<\/span><\/p>\n

This is tranquility that one needs to put in place to realize dreams in life as well as learn from others in-order to perfect our skills, ability and potentials. An individual should portray calmness in all his endeavors and encounters; mastering the game requires patience, calmness, tranquility and peace of mind. Patience in life is an important ingredient in re-discovering and uncovering our talents and potentials. Tolerance and endurance will always be part of serenity and everything is about calmness as nothing good comes easy. We should always remember patience pays.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHe who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure\u201d- fear and uncertainty is the start of failing; thought should be tied to the purpose to have an intelligence accomplishment; failure to plan is planning for catastrophe or destruction. There is a need to connect the thought and human mind to the purpose of an individual. Every individual should conceive a legitimate purpose in his mind that will drive his or her potentials. The reasons to remain focused and always apply efforts and energize ideas toiled in realizing our untapped talents and potential. Human mind focused on an ideal purpose will eventually hatch beneficial outputs that drive an individual towards success. Never fear the unknown-drive the purpose with the mind. Once an individual realizes himself then he will be ready to begin the most difficult journey in an easy way, he changes to be the most powerful minded and becomes fun of challenges and pose with a positive attitude<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA strong man cannot help a weaker unless that weaker is willing to be helped\u201d- an individual who is weak in life can only flex his mind and master the game which requires dedication, realize the purpose, conceive the factor of achievement in his mind and soul and employ tactics and strategy; the only way to uncover our talents and potentials requires going an extra mile.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAs a Man Thinketh in his heart, so is he, \u201cchallenges should be taken with positive attitude, love to learn for solutions and exhibit the iron spirit of not giving up by not looking at the past but by trying to forge ways to outdo each every day challenges.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In life we require to take challenges positively and device ways to solve them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMan is buffeted by circumstances so long as he believes himself to be the creature of outside conditions but when he realizes that he is a creative power and that he may command the hidden soil and seed of his being out of which circumstances grow; he then becomes the rightful master of himself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Once an individual realizes himself then he will be ready to begin the most difficult journey in an easy way, he changes to be the most powerful minded and becomes fun of challenges and pose with a positive attitude.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMan is manacled only by himself: thought and action are the jailors of fate they imprison, being base; they are also the angels of freedom they liberate, being noble.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Once an individual realizes himself then he will be ready to begin the most difficult journey in an easy way, he changes to be the most powerful minded and becomes fun of challenges and pose with a positive attitude.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow chance helps him every turn.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Other people will always fail to notice struggles, trials and failures that one has dedicated in uncovering the untapped talents and potential and always talk of luck being in your favor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCalmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mastering the game requires patience, calmness, tranquility and peace of mind. Patience in life is an important ingredient in re-discovering and uncovering our talents and potentials. Tolerance and endurance will always be part of serenity and everything is about calmness as nothing good comes easy. We should always remember patience pays.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMan is buffeted by circumstances so long as he believes himself to be the creature of outside conditions but when he realizes that he is a creative power and that he may command the hidden soil and seed of his being out of which circumstances grow; he then becomes the rightful master of himself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Once an individual realizes himself then he will be ready to begin the most difficult journey in an easy way, he changes to be the most powerful minded and becomes fun of challenges and pose with a positive attitude.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I did not understand this \u201cThe world is your kaleidoscope, and the varying combinations of colors which at every succeeding moment it presents to you are the exquisitely adjusted pictures of your moving thoughts\u201d. What\u2019s the meaning of these words and their practicability in real life situations?<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book didn\u2019t have exercises for the reader to complete but it required little mastering of understanding the author\u2019s language. The book is inspirational and recommendable for all classes of persons.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

As a Man Thinketh authored by James Allen is such an inspirational writing-a short story but with great themes to learn. This book has completely changed me, its worth of reading and has a lot of enjoyment. This is the start of the sense of self-discovery in me. This is the right time to beat the odds and realize my fullest potential.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read? 10<\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents? 10<\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand? 9<\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others? 10<\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jonathan Livingston Seagull<\/strong><\/span>
\n Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The author of the Jonathan Sea Gull book wants to convey importance of self-persistence in trying to perfect one self. He portrays challenges, criticisms and denial from one\u2019s own family that tries to engulf self-potential in rediscovering talents. The author depicts values of hard work, courage, patience, perseverance, leadership, legendary, kinship and desire for knowledge and how they build one to realize their full potential. The author also proof that \u201cnothing good comes easy\u201d it\u2019s just an art of knowing oneself to create one in a million. The book is quite inspirational- a first step in self-realization and ploy a plan to uncover our skills, talents and potentials.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. Self-perfection<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the art and science of improving oneself daily to ensure that one becomes unique in his own skills. Self-perfection is the utmost way to uncover our own talents and potentials and actualize them to realize the full potential. The book has inspired me in a different way and change the mind-set of giving up to never give up-there is no limit in life. Every day is a learning day and comes with persistence, challenges, criticisms, denial and discouragement in all manners by others. Self-perfection is the only art of mastering the game.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. Hard work<\/span><\/p>\n

This is dedication and efforts that one put in place to realize dreams in life or perfect skills, ability and potentials. Jonathan Sea Gull is practicing day and night to beat the very odds; he would wake early and sleep late. Mastering the game requires dedication, energy, spirit, skills, passion, knowledge, tactics and strategy; the only way to uncover our talents and potentials requires going an extra mile. Tolerance and self-spirit will always be part of hard-work and life is about hard work as nothing good comes easy. The difference in yield is dictated by the difference in hard work.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Courage<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the attribute or character of braveness that Jonathan Sea Gull portrays to beat the very odds of flying high, flying at terrific speed and trying all manners of aerobatics that no other sea gulls had ever tried. Jonathan Sea Gull has the braveness to face the council, parents and his kin with what is regarded as an outcast in their community. Jonathan also has no fear of the unknown, goes an extra mile to home he doesn\u2019t know; he learns more and still comes back to challenge his community and champion the art of self-discovery. In life we require champions who will deny themselves everything in achieving and making a better day for everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Patience<\/span><\/p>\n

This is tranquility that one needs to put in place to realize dreams in life as well as learn from others in-order to perfect our skills, ability and potentials. Jonathan Sea Gull portrays calmness in all his endeavors and encounters; mastering the game requires patience, calmness, tranquility and peace of mind. Patience in life is an important ingredient in re-discovering and uncovering our talents and potentials. Tolerance and endurance will always be part of patience and everything is about patience as nothing good comes easy. We should always remember patience pays.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. Perseverance<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the attribute or character of endurance that Jonathan Sea Gull portrays to beat the very odds of flying high, flying at terrific speed and trying all manners of aerobatics that no other sea gulls had ever tried. Jonathan Sea Gull tolerates and endures hunger, tiredness, family separation, sleeplessness, criticisms and discouragement from others. Jonathan also has the iron spirit of not giving up-he doesn\u2019t look at the past but he is forging ways to outdo each every day challenges. In life we require champions who will deny themselves everything in achieving and making a better day for everyone. Perseverance is part and puzzle of making good of ourselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Leadership<\/span><\/p>\n

This is art of inspiring others and creating followers that have trust, faith and belief in you. Jonathan Sea Gull portrays leadership by first beating the very odds of flying high, flying at terrific speed and also in aerobatics. Jonathan Sea Gull is again coming back to his community and lays a learning foundation to his members of kinship. Jonathan is also seen by his students as a leader in many different ways and aspects. Jonathan Sea Gull commands the convincing power and ability to change the thinking of other seagulls. Jonathan Sea Gull possesses the iron spirit of not giving up-he doesn\u2019t look at the past but he is forging ways to outdo each every day challenges. In life we require leaders who will deny themselves everything in championing and making a better day for everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. Legendary<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the popularity, pre-eminence and fame that comes with full most realization of one\u2019s potentials and talents. Uncovering the untapped talents and potential will help one understand why one is uncomfortable with his or her present state of accomplishment and dissatisfaction that comes with only resting on one past success. Jonathan Sea Gull uncovers her untapped potentials by persistently perfecting his flying skills-this leads him declared a master of aerobatics. The clear outcome of full most realization is creating a legendary.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. Kinship<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the affiliation, relationships, connections and ties to our families, communities and society. Kinship defines the origin of everyone and how it affects, influence and shape one\u2019s life. Jonathan Sea Gull portrays the influences and connections of kinship and how they discourage self-realization. Jonathan has no way to combat the kinship and he is declared an outcast and is separated from his kin. In life we always face discouragement from the very close and we should always strive not to fall in the trap but to inspire them and change mind set.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Every day is a learning day and comes with persistence, challenges, criticisms, denial and discouragement in all manners by others. Self-perfection is the only art of mastering the game. Mastering the game requires dedication, energy, spirit, skills, passion, knowledge, tactics and strategy; the only way to uncover our talents and potentials requires going an extra mile. The clear outcome of full most realization is creating a legendary. In life we always face discouragement from the very close and we should always strive not to fall in the trap but to inspire them and change mind set.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe only answer I can see, Jonathan, is that you are pretty well a one-in-a-million bird.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Uncovering the untapped talents and potential through persistent self-perfection delivers an outcome of full most potentials realization that creates a legend.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne day Jonathan Livingston Seagull, you shall learn that irresponsibility does not pay. Life is the unknown and the unknowable, except that we are put into this world to eat, to stay alive as long as we possibly can.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The iron spirit of not giving up-and not looking at the past but forging ways to outdo each every day challenges creates champions making a better day for everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s kind of fun.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Challenges should be taken with positive attitude, love to learn for solutions and exhibit the iron spirit of not giving up by not looking at the past but by trying to forge ways to outdo each every day challenges. In life we require to take challenges positively and device ways to solve them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTill you can fly the past and the future. And then you will be ready to begin the most difficult, the most powerful, the most fun of all. You will be ready to begin to fly up and know the meaning of kindness and of love.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Challenges should be taken with positive attitude, love to learn for solutions and exhibit the iron spirit of not giving up by not looking at the past but by trying to forge ways to outdo each every day challenges. In life we require to take challenges positively and device ways to solve them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd precision flying is a step toward expressing our real nature. Everything that limits us we have to put aside. That’s why all this high-speed practice, and low speed, and aerobatics.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Every day is a learning day and comes with persistence, challenges, criticisms, denial and discouragement in all manners by others. There is no limit in achievement and self-perfection is the only art of mastering the game.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I did not understand this \u201cthis doesn’t sound like a rule for a loop-it sounded scientific rule to me. Its practicability in real life connection on how it can help in self-discovery and self-realization was also not understood. There were also notable and deliberate spelling mistakes in the book by the author.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book didn\u2019t have exercises for the reader to complete but it required little mastering of understanding the author\u2019s language. The usage of figurative animals in creating a story full of great themes and lessons is just fabulous and well thought by the author. The book is inspirational and recommendable for all classes of persons.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Jonathan Sea Gull is such an inspirational writing-a short story but with great themes to learn. This is just the start and am already enjoying the reading, the sense of self-discovery has started, I going not stop-the push to learn more and more, inspire others and build a non-formidable life foundation. I believe the right time is now and I am ready to beat the odds to realize my fullest potential.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read? 10<\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents? 10<\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand? 10<\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others? 10<\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Keys to Success<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The author of the Keys to Success book wants to convey ways of developing inspirational satisfaction through learning and application of the seventeen principles of success. The principles and attitudes are acquired through deliberate exploration of persons who had previously made a lasting accomplishment. The author depicts values of their actions and deliberately inspires others to build them by application in their life\u2019s to realize their lasting goals. The book is quite inspirational as a vehicle in self-realization and unlocking our abilities, capabilities and potentials.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. How to develop definitiveness of purpose<\/span><\/p>\n

I now understand the formula to change the world by combining a positive mental attitude, definiteness of purpose, going extra mile, accurate thinking, self-discipline, the master mind, applied faith, a pleasing personality, personal initiative, enthusiasm, controlled attention, teamwork, learn from defeat, creative vision, budgeting time and money, maintaining sound physical and mental health and using cosmic habit force (universal law). Adopting and practicing these principles of success by a combination of positive mental attitude is the only method known to free men from negative mental attitude that have handicap their abilities and potentials. The book has inspired me in a different way and now I know that when you have a positive mental attitude, the problems of your world tend to bow before you.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. How to Establish Mastermind Alliance<\/span><\/p>\n

The book has wholesomely explained how certain mental cobwebs clutter up the thinking of almost everyone, even the most brilliant minds- negative feelings, emotions, passions- habits, beliefs and prejudices. Our thoughts become entangled in those webs. The only way out to be free is through accurate thinking with positive mental attitude by application and usage of logic-the art of straight thinking. Use of science of reasoning will shape our imagination and set us free from the undesired habits that enmesh our potentials and abilities. We should learn not to start our endeavors with the wrong premises-the false premises-words or expressions as always-only-never-nothing-every-everyone-no one-can\u2019t-impossible-either\u2026or-are almost frequently false premises.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. How to Assemble Attractive Personality.<\/span><\/p>\n

For one to assemble an attractive personality then he or she requires to apply an understanding of combination of the following attitudes and values-positive mental attitude, flexibility, sincerity of purpose, promptness of decision, courtesy, tact, tone of voice, habit of sincerity, facial expression, tolerance, frankness of manner and speech, a keen sense of humor, faith in infinite intelligence, a keen sense of justice, appropriate use of words, effective speech, emotional control, alertness of interest, versatility, fondness of people, humility, effective showmanship, clean sportsmanship, a good handshake and personal magnetism.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. How to use applied faith.<\/span><\/p>\n

We require to understand that faith is a state of mind and for it to be useful in achieving a lasting success it must be active and not passive. One then needs to understand the power of infinite intelligence, ways of overcoming disbelief, ways and means of overcoming fear and how to replace fear with hope as well as how to keep demonstrating the power of faith.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. How to go the extra mile.<\/span><\/p>\n

We should appreciate that one should render more and better service for which he or she is paid for and does it with a positive mental attitude. One should form the habit of going extra mile because of the pleasure one will get out of it and because of what it does to him or her deep down inside. It is surely inevitable that every seed of useful service one sow will multiply itself and come back to him or her in an overwhelming abundance.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. How to create personal initiative<\/span><\/p>\n

Personal initiative is the inner power that starts an action. It is the power that inspires the completion of that which one begins. It is the dynamo that starts the faculty of imagination into action. Personal initiative is indeed equal to self-motivation which induces action or lays the very basic to determine choice.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. How to build positive mental attitude<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the commonly referred to as the \u201cI can I will\u201d attitude applicable to all challenging circumstances facing anyone in life. It is the right, honest, constructive thought, action or reaction to any person, situation, or set of circumstance that does not violate laws of God or the right of one\u2019s fellowman. Positive mental attitude allows one to build on hope and overcome the negative attitudes of despair and discouragement. It gives one the mental power, the feeling, the confidence to do anything one makes up in his or her mind to do.<\/span><\/p>\n

viii. How to enforce Self-discipline<\/span><\/p>\n

One needs to understand that self-discipline calls one\u2019s emotions with one\u2019s reasoning. This means one has to consult his\/ her feelings and reason before reaching any decision. Sometimes one will need to set aside his \/ her emotions and follow the dictates of reason alone. Other times one will divide in favor of his \/ her emotions, modified by his \/ her reason. A happy medium is always important. PMA and self-discipline can remove any emotional harmful effective and make them for constructive purpose.<\/span><\/p>\n

ix. How to think accurately<\/span><\/p>\n

For one to be an accurate thinker there are two steps: – separate facts from opinions, fiction, unframed hypotheses and hearsay; and separate facts into two categories (important and unimportant). We should not accept opinions unless based on facts or sound hypotheses and also not give opinions unless founded on the same grounds. Accurate thinkers don\u2019t act on freely offered opinions without giving them the closest scrutiny. Accurate thinkers permit no one to do their thinking for them. For one to be an accurate thinker he\/ she needs to obtain facts, information and counsel from others but also retain the right to accept or reject the counsel in whole or in part.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I believe I have started understanding the keys to success and I am trying to apply them in my day to day life- the rest is to wait for the leap of success abundances. The book has laid foundations onto my personal life with thinking positively and thinking of possibilities free from memories of past failures which have affected my present performance, I will not dwell upon them and I believe I have taken my path to Success.<\/span><\/p>\n

The book Keys to Success have made me to learn the benefits of defeat:<\/span><\/p>\n

Defeat reveals and breaks bad habits, releasing one\u2019s energies for a fresh start with better habits.<\/span><\/p>\n

Defeat supplants vanity and arrogance with humility, paving the way for more harmonious relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n

Defeat causes one to take inventory of his or her assets and liabilities both physical and spiritual.<\/span><\/p>\n

Defeat strengthens one\u2019s will power by providing it with a challenge to greater effort.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIn all the history of the world there was never anyone else exactly like you, and in all the infinity of time to come, there will never be another.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

One is born to be a champion and no matter what obstacles and difficulties lie in one\u2019s way, they are not one tenth so great as the ones that have already been overcome at the moment of one conception. Victory is built into every living person.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are two types of people who never amount to anything. There are those who never do anything except when they are told to do. And there are those who cannot even do what they are told to do. The people who get ahead do the thing that should be done without being told and they don\u2019t stop there. They go the extra mile and do which more than is expected of them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Personal initiative is absolutely necessary if you are going to realize your goals. It will bring your advancement, attention and opportunity.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo battle of any importance can be won without enthusiasm\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne\u2019s strength grows out of our weakness, not until we are pricked and stung and sorely shot at, awakens the indignation which arms itself with secret forces. A great man is always willing to be little, while he sits on the cushion of advantages he goes to sleep. When he is pushed, tormented, defeated, he has a chance to learn something; he has been put on his wits; on his manhood; he has gained facts; learned from his ignorance; been cured of the insanity of conceit; has got moderation and real skill.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We all need to acknowledge that everyone faces defeat and defeat should be accepted merely as a test which permits and allows one to discover the nature of his or her thoughts and their relation to one\u2019s definite major purpose.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

There was nothing not understood in this book probably due to the earlier understanding of the book titled Success with a positive mental attitude by Napoleon Hill.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book didn\u2019t have exercises for the reader to complete but required more time for practicing the readers will of power. The usage of science, religious, leaders quotes and thoughts in creating a story full of great themes and lessons is just fabulous and well thought by the author. The book has also introduced well thought usage of charts that are quite easy to drive the message home. The book is inspirational and recommendable for all classes of persons.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Keys to Success is such an inspirational writing-a short story but with great themes to learn. I will surely apply the seventeen principles of success and I will not stop-the push to learn more and more, inspire others and build a non-formidable life foundation. I believe the right time is now and I am ready to beat the odds to realize my fullest potential<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read? \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 9<\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it?\u00a0 9<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Psycho-Cybernetics<\/strong><\/span>
\n Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The author of the Psycho-Cybernetics book wants to convey importance of self-discovery in trying to realize one self. The author portrays how denial of one\u2019s self-image engulfs self-potential in rediscovering success mechanism. The author depicts values of imagination, self-image, no to false beliefs, power of emotions, power of rational thinking, power of happiness, power of failure to success and how to unlock oneself and build one to realize our full potential. The author also indicates the ingredients of success and how to acquire these precious ingredients; how failure mechanism can work for one-self and not against one and how to turn a crisis into a creative opportunity. The book is quite inspirational- a first step in self-realization and how to unlock our skills, talents and potentials.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. Self-Image<\/span><\/p>\n

Self-image sets boundaries of an individual-it limit the success, individual undertakings and caps one\u2019s success. Change of an individual self-image by development and expansion in achieving an adequate and realistic personality is the utmost way to uncover our own talents and potentials and actualize them to realize the full potential. Understanding psychology of one-self ultimately means discovery of differences of one success and failure-the difference between freedom and compulsions of conformity. The book has inspired me in a different way and now I know that-strength of one\u2019s self-image is a golden key to living a better life.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. Power of Imagination<\/span><\/p>\n

This is how we mechanize our mind to take things according to the image the mind holds of what they are like and not what things are really like. Mental picturing is important as our minds naturally operate like that-understanding the power of imagination through mental picturing is the necessary condition to personality transformation. Power of imagination is an answer to change of a person as one realizes his or her dreams in life or perfect skills, ability and potentials. Mental motion pictures held by an individual limits ones\u2019 discovery-thus need for great imagination to beat the very odds. Great living starts with a picture, held in your imagination, of what you would like to do or be.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Power of False beliefs to Success<\/span><\/p>\n

This is how individuals set up their minds to accept and become convinced of something to be true-the manifestations of one self-conception and definition; it is probably equal to mind-hypnotizing- an idea accepted as true from many source, can be every bit as powerful as hypnosis. The belief of one inability to excel in life imprisons your capabilities. Knowing the truth will set one free of fear and restore one\u2019s confidence and transforms his or her personality. The negative ideas implanted in our minds by the environment limit our self-realization. Within you, whoever you may be, regardless of how big a failure you may think yourself to be, is the ability and the power to do whatever you need to do to be happy and successful. Within you right now is the power to do things you never dreamed possible. This power becomes available to you just as soon as you can change your beliefs. Just as quickly as you can dehypnotize yourself from the ideas of \u201cI can’t,\u201d \u201cI’ m not worthy,\u201d \u201cI don’t deserve it\u201d and other self-limiting ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Power of Rational Thinking<\/span><\/p>\n

This is positive thinking that we consciously manifest in our minds-a man should make up his mind with emphasis as to what he rationally believes, and should never allow contrary irrational beliefs to pass unchallenged or obtain a hold over him, however brief- learn to always think of possibilities. Individuals should learn that continually criticizing oneself for past mistakes and errors does not help matters, but on the other hand tends to perpetuate the very behavior you would change. Memories of past failures can adversely affect present performance, if we dwell upon them and foolishly conclude\u2014”I failed yesterday\u2014therefore it follows that I will fail again today. \u201cHowever, this does not “prove” that unconscious reaction patterns have any power in themselves to repeat and perpetuate themselves, or that all buried memories of failure must be “eradicated” before behavior can be changed. If we are victimized, it is by our conscious, thinking mind and not by the “unconscious.” For it is with the thinking part of our personality that we draw conclusions, and select the “goal images” that we shall concentrate upon. The minute that we change our minds, and stop giving power to the past, the past with its mistakes loses power over us.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. Power of Happiness<\/span><\/p>\n

We should appreciate that life is a series of problems and if you are to behappy at all, you must be happy\u2014period! Not happy “because of\u201d. In every situation when one problem is solved another appears to take its place. Man should know that we perform better when happy-learning the happiness habit makes you the master. Happiness will always free one from dominions of outward conditions. Every day is good and evil-we need to deliberately plant pleasant thoughts in our mind. We need to learn to be cheerful, feel and act friendly to other persons, be little critical and tolerant to other persons and learn to smile at least 3 times in a day.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Ingredients of Success and how to acquire these precious ingredients<\/span><\/p>\n

The successful personality is indeed contained in the letters of successi.e. sense of direction, understanding, courage, charity, esteem, self-confidence and self-acceptance. We need to propel our thinking with goals that we strive to achieve, learn to carefully listen and communicate, have the courage to act, have respect and regard to other people, believe in ourselves, build confidence in all our undertakings and gain some degree of self-acceptance.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. The failure mechanism<\/span><\/p>\n

The failure-type personality also has its symptoms. We need to be able to recognize these failure symptoms in ourselves so that we can do something about them. When we learn to recognize certain personality traits as sign posts to failure, these symptoms then act automatically as \u201cnegative feedback,\u201d and help guide us down the road to creative accomplishment. However, we not only need to become \u201caware\u201d of them. Everyone \u201cfeels\u201d them. We need to recognize them as \u201cundesirables,\u201d as things which we do not want, and most important to fall convince ourselves deeply and sincerely that these things do not bring happiness. No one is immune to these negative feelings and attitudes. Even the most successful personalities experience them at times. The important thing is to recognize them for what they are, and take positive action to correct course. The failure mechanism is associated with letters to mean frustration, aggressiveness, insecurity, loneliness, uncertainty, resentment and emptiness.<\/span><\/p>\n

viii. How to turn a crisis into a creative opportunity<\/span><\/p>\n

In order for us to turn crisis into a creative opportunity we need to practice without pressure, We need to learn to react to crisis with an aggressive, rather than a defensive attitude; to respond to the challenge in the situation, rather than to the menace; to keep our positive goal in mind and we need to learn to evaluate so called “crisis” situations in their true perspective; to not make mountains out of molehills, or react as if every small challenge were a matter of life or death.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I believe I have started understanding my psychology and I am trying to discover differences of my success and failure; and now I know that-strength of my self-image is the golden key to living a better life. I am completely excited by the power of imagination-I am building on it with great imagination. The writing is on the wall that great living starts with a picture, held in my imagination, of what I would like to do or be.<\/span><\/p>\n

The book has bounded me with thinking positively and thinking of possibilities free from memories of past failures which have affected my present performance, I will not dwell upon them and I believe I have taken my path to Success.<\/span><\/p>\n

I have learned that self-fulfilled persons have the following characteristics:<\/span><\/p>\n

They see themselves as liked, wanted, acceptable and able individuals.<\/span><\/p>\n

They have a high degree of acceptance of themselves as they are.<\/span><\/p>\n

They have a feeling of oneness with others.<\/span><\/p>\n

They have a rich store of information and knowledge.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe faculty of imagination is the great spring of human activity, and the principal sources of human improvement. Destroy this faculty, and the condition of man will become as stationary as that of the brutes,\u201dsaid Dugold Stewart, the famous Scottish philosopher.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can imagine your future,\u201dsays Henry J. Kaiser, who attributes much of his success in business to the constructive, positive use of creative imagination.<\/span><\/p>\n

The power of imagination is an answer to change of a person as one realizes his or her dreams in life or perfect skills and ability to unlock potentials.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGreat living starts with a picture, held in your imagination, of what you would like to do or be.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mental picturing is important as our minds naturally operate like that-understanding the power of imagination through mental picturing is the necessary condition to personality transformation. Power of imagination is an answer to change of a person as one realizes his or her dreams in life or perfect skills, ability and potentials and creates champions making a better future for everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI should be like so-and-so\u201d or \u201cI should be like everybody else.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The fallacy of the second idea can be readily seen through, if analyzed, for in truth there are no fixe d standards common to \u201ceverybody else.\u201d \u201cEverybody else\u201d is composed of individuals, not two of whom are alike-Individuals should learn how to free their minds from false beliefs and never again allow erroneous ideas hypnotize our minds. Feeling yourself inferior would only form your foundation for failing in life. The truth is that you are not inferior and you are not a superior but simply you.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI failed yesterday\u2014therefore it follows that I will fail again today.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Individuals should learn that continually criticizing oneself for past mistakes and errors does not help matters, but on the other hand tends to perpetuate the very behavior you would change.In life we require to take challenges positively and device ways to solve them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMost people are brave only in the dangers to which they accustom themselves, either in imagination or practice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Every day is a learning day and comes with persistence, challenges, criticisms, denial and discouragement in all manners by others. There is no limit in achievement and self-perfection is the only art of mastering the game.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cForgiveness ought to be like a cancelled note torn in two, and burned up so that it never can be shown against one.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We should learn to forgive and forget.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have a foxhole in my mind.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He went on to say that just as a soldier retreated into his fox hole for protection, rest and recuperation, he periodically retired into his own mental foxhole, where he allowed nothing to bother him- we should learn to relax and let challenges wears us off.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I did not understand this \u201cI believe that there is one life, one ultimate source, but that this One Life has many channels of expression and manifests itself in many forms. If we are to \u201cGet More Living out of Life,\u201d we should not limit the channels through which Life may come to us. We must accept it, whether it comes in the form of science, religion, psychology, or what not.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book did have exercises for the reader to complete but required more time for practicing the readers will of power. The usage of science, religious, leaders quotes and thoughts in creating a story full of great themes and lessons is just fabulous and well thought by the author. The book is inspirational and recommendable for all classes of persons.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Pyscho-Cybernetics is such an inspirational writing-a short story but with great themes to learn. This is just the start and am already enjoying the reading, the sense of self-discovery has started, I going not stop-the push to learn more and more, inspire others and build a non-formidable life foundation. I believe the right time is now and I am ready to beat the odds to realize my fullest potential.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8<\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents? \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 9<\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 7<\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it?\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Success through a Positive Mental Attitude<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The author of the Success through a positive mental attitude book wants to convey ways of developing inspirational satisfaction through learning and application of the seventeen success principles through a deliberate exploration of the power of mind. The author depicts values of success through a positive mental attitude and how it creates power, riches, wealth and success through learning by seeing, motivating oneself and others, raising one energy levels and creating a usual power of happiness that drives one\u2019s imagination in realizing success. The author also explains how to clear cob-webs from one thinking, getting rid of one guilt and finally awakening the giant inherent in one possession. The book is quite inspirational as a vehicle in self-realization and unlocking our abilities, capabilities and potentials.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. Formula to help you change the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

I now understand the formula to change the world by combining a positive mental attitude, definiteness of purpose, going extra mile, accurate thinking, self-discipline, the master mind, applied faith, a pleasing personality, personal initiative, enthusiasm, controlled attention, teamwork, learn from defeat, creative vision, budgeting time and money, maintaining sound physical and mental health and using cosmic habit force (universal law). Adopting and practicing these principles of success by a combination of positive mental attitude is the only method known to free men from negative mental attitude that have handicap their abilities and potentials. The book has inspired me in a different way and now I know that when you have a positive mental attitude, the problems of your world tend to bow before you.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. How to clear cobwebs from your thinking<\/span><\/p>\n

The book has wholesomely explained how certain mental cobwebs clutter up the thinking of almost everyone, even the most brilliant minds- negative feelings, emotions, passions- habits, beliefs and prejudices. Our thoughts become entangled in those webs. The only way out to be free is through accurate thinking with positive mental attitude by application and usage of logic-the art of straight thinking. Use of science of reasoning will shape our imagination and set us free from the undesired habits that enmesh our potentials and abilities. We should learn not to start our endeavors with the wrong premises-the false premises-words or expressions as always-only-never-nothing-every-everyone-no one-can\u2019t-impossible-either\u2026or-are almost frequently false premises.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Powers of mind to Success<\/span><\/p>\n

Mind possess mystical powers known and unknown. When you make discoveries awaiting one they bring physical, mental and moral health, happiness and wealth-success in you chosen field of endeavor, a means to affect, use control, a harmonize with powers known and unknown. You can do it if you believe you can-what the mind of a man can conceive and believe, the mind of a man can achieve with Positive Mental Attitude. Success just requires one to turn the right knob or push the right button to get what he or she wants and this requires one to explore the powers of mind.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Learn to see<\/span><\/p>\n

Seeing is a learned process, nine-tenth of seeing takes place in brain. Learning to see will bring opportunities that one never dreamed existed. However, there is more to success through Positive Mental Attitude than learning mental perception. You must also learn to act on what you learn. Action is important because through action you get things done. Learn to see is the skill of interpreting what you see and applying that interpretation to your life and lives of others. I have learnt that one needs to be observant and also seeks answers to the observation. By exercising powers of observation and acting upon what is perceived will finally bring wealth and great happiness. Don\u2019t be near sighted \u2013look into future.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. Secrets of getting things done.<\/span><\/p>\n

One must always remember the self-starter of Do It Now which is the secret of getting things done. As long as you live, when the suggestion Do It Now! Flashes from one subconscious to conscious mind to do that which one ought to do, immediately follow through with desirable action. It\u2019s a habit that will make you an outstanding achiever.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. How to motivate yourself and others<\/span><\/p>\n

We should establish the habit motivating oneself and others with Positive Mental Attitude and this will direct one\u2019s thoughts to control emotions and ordain one destiny. Learn to remember that hope is the magic ingredient in motivating oneself and others. Learn to understand the ten basic motives i.e. the desire of Self-preservation, the emotion of love, the emotion of fear, the emotion of sex, the desire for life after death, the desire for freedom of body and mind, the emotion of anger, the emotion of hate, the desire for recognition and self-expression, and desire for the material gain. Motivate others by being an example and also motivate them by suggestion-motivate oneself by self-suggestion.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. How to use OPM<\/span><\/p>\n

OPM is other people\u2019s money which is the way to create and acquire wealth. When you want to make a deal with someone develop a plan that will give him what he wants and in doing so get what you want. A good deal is mutually advantageous. One should learn to attract and not to repel wealth by finding the missing number to unlock the door to riches.<\/span><\/p>\n

How to attract happiness- If one wants to be happy start making others happy. Happiness is all about how you make up your mind- if you to want be happy you will be happy definitely. The little difference is the attitude whether it is positive or negative.<\/span><\/p>\n

How to awaken the sleeping giant- Appreciate you are the most important living person and always know that anything in life worth having is worth working for.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I believe I have started understanding and applying the formula to help change the world by combining and adopting the following 17 principles of success:-<\/span><\/p>\n

I am completely excited by the power to transmute sex into a virtue which is a moral practice or action; moral excellence; rectitude; valor; chastity. The seven virtues are prudence, fortitude, temperance, justice, faith, hope and charity. I will now dwell upon then and take my path to success.<\/span><\/p>\n

Exemplification of true faith consists of acts of kindness and love for one\u2019s fellowmen, not mere formal prayers, uttered by rote.<\/span><\/p>\n

I have learnt on how to set my goal which is through:-<\/span><\/p>\n

I am completely enthusiastic by the words of the author-defeat may be a stepping stone or a stumbling block depending on whether your attitude is positive or negative.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

“In all the history of the world there was never anyone else exactly like you, and in all the infinity of time to come, there will never be another.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

One is born to be a champion and no matter what obstacles and difficulties lie in one\u2019s way, they are not one tenth so great as the ones that have already been overcome at the moment of one conception. Victory is built into every living person<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems to me there is something I have to do. I have to add something, No book will do it for me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The first thing I must do is develop a positive mental attitude regarding my abilities and my opportunities. I must certainly choose a definite goal. When I do, I must aim higher than I have in the past. But I must get started; I\u2019ll begin with the first job I can find.\u201d- Necessity motivates a man with Positive Mental Attitude to action without transgressing recognized inviolable standards.Positive Mental Attitude is an answer to change of a person as one realizes his or her dreams in life or perfect skills, ability and potentials and creates champions making a better future for one.<\/span><\/p>\n

“So you\u2019ve got a problem? That\u2019s good! Why! Why? Because repeated victories over your problem are the rungs on your ladder or success with each victory you grow in wisdom, stature and experience. You become better, bigger, more, successful person each time you meet a problem and tackle and conquer it with Positive Mental Attitude.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Success or Failure to meet challenges is dependent on one mental attitude.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSuccess must be continually practiced or it will take wings and fly away.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We should develop the art of the self-starter of Do It Now.Is money good? Many negative minded persons say, \u201cMoney is the root of all evil.\u201d But the Bible says: love of money is the root of all evil. And there is big difference between the two even though one little word makes the difference.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sow an act and you reap a habit, sow a habit and you reap a character, sow a character and you reap a destiny.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I did not understand this \u201cSix pounds a year is just a grout per day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book did have exercises for the reader to complete but required more time for practicing the readers will of power. The exercise on success quotient analysis was completed and managed to score 280 points. The book also packages end of every chapter with thoughts to steer. The usage of science, religious, leaders\u2019 quotes and thoughts in creating a story full of great themes and lessons is just fabulous and well thought by the author. The book is inspirational and recommendable for all classes of persons.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Success with a Positive Mental Attitude is such an inspirational writing with great themes to learn and apply in day to day life. I am really enjoying the reading, the sense of Positive Mental Attitude has been adopted, and I will not stop-the push to learn more and more, inspire others and build a non-formidable life foundation. I believe the right time is now and I am ready to beat the odds to realize my fullest potential.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 7<\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 7<\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others?\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How to Win Friends and Influence People<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Dale Carnegie in his book \u201cHow to win friends and influence people\u201d explains on how to get out of a mental rut, think new thoughts, acquire new visions as well as discover new ambitions. The book explains on how increase one\u2019s popularity by making friends quickly and easily. The author continues to explain on how to increase one\u2019s influence, prestige and ability to get things done as well as win people on to one\u2019s way of thinking. The author enriches one with ways and methods to handle complaints and avoid arguments in building smooth and pleasant human contacts.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. Fundamentals Techniques in Handling People<\/span><\/p>\n

The key principles in handling people is that we should learn not to criticize or condemn or complain against others, always remember to give honest and sincere appreciation of others as well as learn on how to arouse in the other person an eager want. Practicing these key principles will always influence and win people to one\u2019s way of thinking. People don\u2019t like to be criticized or condemned and admire appreciation or arousal of their feelings on their importance.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. Six Ways to Make People Like you<\/span><\/p>\n

I admire and concur with the author of \u201cHow to win friends and influence people\u201d on the following six ways to make people like you; I will apply all efforts to apply them in my day to day life:<\/span><\/p>\n

Becoming genuinely interested in other people builds one\u2019s trust with others and naturally people will like a person formidably interested in them.<\/span><\/p>\n

A person with a smiling face-Your smile is a messenger of your good will. Your smile brightens the lives of all who see it. To someone who has seen a dozen people frozen, scowl or turn their faces away, your smile is like the sun breaking through the clouds. Especially when that someone is under pressure from his bosses, his customers, his teachers or parents or children, a smile can help realize that all is not hopeless-that there is joy in world.<\/span><\/p>\n

Remember that a person\u2019s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language. Generally people love to be aroused through building an interest in recognizing them by their names.<\/span><\/p>\n

Be a good listener to encourage others to talk more about themselves. This will allow one to learn more about them as well as win their trust.<\/span><\/p>\n

Always remember to talk in terms of other person\u2019s interests. This will build trust with others and people will like you.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sincerely making other persons feel important will always tow them to your thinking.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Twelve Ways to Win People to Your Way of thinking<\/span><\/p>\n

I deeply concur with the author of \u201cHow to win friends and influence people\u201d on the following twelve ways to win people to my way of thinking; surely the following principles will become part and puzzle of my day to day life:-<\/span><\/p>\n

I believe that the only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it<\/span><\/p>\n

I will show respect for the other person\u2019s opinions and never say \u201cyou\u2019re wrong\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I will always admit quickly and emphatically when I am wrong<\/span><\/p>\n

I will always begin any conversation in a friendly way<\/span><\/p>\n

Making sure that the other person say \u201cyes, yes\u201d immediately<\/span><\/p>\n

Allowing the other person during a conversation to do a great deal of the talking<\/span><\/p>\n

Let the other person feel that the idea is wholesomely his or hers<\/span><\/p>\n

Honestly seeing things from the other person\u2019s point of view<\/span><\/p>\n

Being sympathetic with the other person\u2019s ideas and desires<\/span><\/p>\n

Appeal always to noble motives<\/span><\/p>\n

Always dramatize my ideas<\/span><\/p>\n

Love to throw down challenges<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Nine Ways to Change people without giving offence or Arousing Resentment<\/span><\/p>\n

These are nine positive ways that we need to consciously manifest in our minds and apply in all our daily situations for us to change other persons without necessarily giving offence or arousing their resentment:-<\/span><\/p>\n

Begin all conversation with praise and honest appreciation<\/span><\/p>\n

Call attention to people\u2019s motives indirectly<\/span><\/p>\n

First talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person<\/span><\/p>\n

Always ask questions instead of giving orders<\/span><\/p>\n

Let the other person to save his or her face<\/span><\/p>\n

Always remember to praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement<\/span><\/p>\n

Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to<\/span><\/p>\n

Encourage others and make the fault seem easy to correct<\/span><\/p>\n

Make the other person happy about doing the things you suggest<\/span><\/p>\n

v. Letters that produced Miraculous Results<\/span><\/p>\n

I admire and concur with the author of \u201cHow to Win Friends and Influence People\u201d on how simple letters can work miraculously; people become positive when appreciated and thanked. Words like \u201cSurely appreciated,\u201d \u201cthank you\u201d, \u201cYour Kindness,\u201d \u201cDo me a favor\u201d will always work positively in winning other people onto you way of thinking and having the work done.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Seven Rules for making your Home Life Happier<\/span><\/p>\n

I deeply concur with the author of \u201cHow to win friends and influence people\u201d on the following seven rules for making your home life happier; surely I will try my best to conform:<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t, don\u2019t nag<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t try to make your partner over<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t criticize<\/span><\/p>\n

Always give honest appreciation<\/span><\/p>\n

Pay little attentions<\/span><\/p>\n

Be courteous<\/span><\/p>\n

Reading a good book on the sexual side of marriage<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. Become a better speaker as well as more entertaining conversationalist<\/span><\/p>\n

I liked that the author included how to arouse enthusiasm among one\u2019s associates. The book is quite inspirational. A great step in self-realization on how to win friends and influence people.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I believe I have started understanding ways to win friends and influence other people.<\/span><\/p>\n

I am completely excited by the principles I have learnt and have already started practicing the will of the author<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAs much as we thirst for approval we dread for condemnation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The resentment that criticism engenders can demolish everyone including one\u2019s employees, family members and friends and still not correct the situation that has been condemned. We should learn not to criticize, condemn or complain against others, always remember to give honest and sincere appreciation of others as well as learn on how to arouse in the other person an eager want.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA man without a smiling face must not open a shop.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Your smile is a messenger of your good will. Your smile brightens the lives of all who see it. To someone who has seen a dozen people frozen, scowl or turn their faces away, your smile is like the sun breaking through the clouds. Especially when that someone is under pressure from his bosses, his customers, his teachers or parents or children, a smile can help realize that all is not hopeless-that there is joy in world.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am going to prove so-and-so to you.\u201d That\u2019s bad, that\u2019s tantamount to saying: \u201cI\u2019m smarter than you are, I\u2019m going to tell you a thing or two and make you change your mind\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s a challenge. It arouses opposition and makes the listener wants to battle with you before you even start, it is difficult, under even the most benign conditions to change people\u2019s mind. So why make it harder? Why handicap yourself? If you are going to prove anything, don\u2019t let anybody know it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFiring employees is not much fun, Getting fired is even less fun.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Individuals should learn that continually criticizing oneself for past mistakes and errors does not help matters and no one enjoys wielding the ax.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPraise is like sunlight to the warm human spirits; we cannot flower and grow without it. And yet, while most of us are only too ready to apply to others the cold wind of criticism, we are somehow reluctant to give our fellow the warm sunshine of praise.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We need to learn not to criticize or condemn or complain against others, always remember to give honest and sincere appreciation of others as well as learn on how to arouse in the other person an eager want<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYour first thing to learn in intercourse with others is noninterference with their peculiar ways of being happy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSuccess in marriage is much more than a matter of finding the right person; it is also a matter of being the right person.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Marriage is about both partners being right for each other.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCourtesy is just as important as oil is to your motor.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Courtesy drives marriage as oil will do to your auto-mobile.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I did not understand the meaning of \u201cA ragamuffin husband and rant poling wife\u201c.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also \u201cTis not love\u2019s going hurts why days, but that it went in little ways.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book did have exercises for the reader to complete but required more time for practicing on how to win friends and influence people. The usage of science, religious, leaders\u2019 quotes, letters, autobiographies and thoughts in creating a story full of great themes and lessons is just fabulous and well thought by the author. The book is inspirational and recommendable for all classes of persons.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

How to win friends and influence people is such an inspirational book with great themes to learn. I have truly enjoyed the reading and is surely a great step instilling the sense of change, I will not stop to learn more and more, inspire others and change other people life\u2019s. I believe the right time is now and I am ready to beat the odds to realize my fullest potential.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8<\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 7<\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others? \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it?\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Giant Steps<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Anthony Robbins in his book \u201cGiant Steps\u201d explains on how to achieve in life by application of innate tools, techniques, principles and strategies that are offered to inspire and funnel the energy in us into measurable results by getting us to consistently simple actions which are going to lead us to the kind of life we desire to achieve. The book also states that whether you are not or you are making a decision, still there is an effect on that, \u201cEven making no decision at all is a decision in its own\u201d The flood gate can be opened by one decision bringing us joy, or sorrow, prosperity or poverty companionship or solitude, long life or early death.<\/span><\/p>\n

The book attempts to define one\u2019s destiny and goal setting which in itself is virtual in human life, how we achieve our destiny? And how to realize our dreams-dreams that one decisively act upon shape his or her destiny-destiny is shaped through the decision we make in our lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. Each one of us is endowed with innate resources that enable us to achieve all we ever dreamed of and more; even making no decision at all is a decision in its own way.<\/span><\/p>\n

The author recognize the innate resources in every human that can change one destiny. Its\u2019 upon the commitment and action that one will take to shape his or her own destiny. Every individual has to make a decision and through this one will shape his or her destiny. Failure to make a decision in itself is a decision. The floodgates can be opened by one decision, bringing one joy or sorrow, prosperity or poverty, companionship or solitude, long life or early death. There are positive ways that we need to consciously manifest in our minds and apply in all our daily situations to make decisions that ultimately will dictate to our destiny.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. Muscles get stronger with use, and so it is with your decision-making muscle.<\/span><\/p>\n

I admire and concur with the author of \u201cGiant Steps\u201d on the phrase on usage of muscles; I will apply all efforts to apply the principle in my day to day life. Every individual possess the power to create and the power to destroy. Making a decision is like building a muscle that can change one entire life. This change is a positive change that comes with achieving life goals and dreams. The principle is to keep practicing until you reach your goal, making a decision that should shape an individual life positively or negatively. For one to excel in life he or she has to practice to be positive in life-the ultimate way to achieve positive results. It\u2019s not what we do once in a while that counts, but our consistent action. \u201cThe bee unknowingly gathers pollen on its legs, flies to the next flower and sets on motion a wondrous chain reaction that results in a hillside awash with color.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. The reason it\u2019s often difficult to change a pattern (emotional or behavioral) is that it is literally \u201cwired\u201d into you.<\/span><\/p>\n

The author depicts the reasons on why it is difficult to change a pattern and that to \u201clearn new knowledge, we must first unlearn the thing we have been taught all our lives. For us to succeed in life we must learn how to constantly question and recognize our untapped potentials.Equation and questions are supposed to yield answers, like one plus one in marriage equals one. It doesn’t matter what system of calculation one applies, whether one is using new math of Spike Abacus or the logarithm of Carey Francis. However, most society status quo questions have no answers. This is the greatest undoing in one’s determination to achieve in the African Society setup. Everyone is brought up with skewed notions of what’s expected of them, no questions asked. By the time one is mature to make decisions their destiny is already poisoned by society’s status quo.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. If you keep focus on what you fear, that\u2019s exactly where you will end up.<\/span><\/p>\n

The author of \u201cGiant Steps\u201d emphasis on the need not focus on what we fear; we need to consciously manifest our minds into shifting the focus around other paths that will allow one to achieve in life.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. But you don\u2019t need an excuse to allow yourself to feel good. You can just decide to feel to feel good right now simply because you are alive. You don\u2019t have to wait for anything or anyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

I admire and concur with the author of \u201cGiant Steps\u201don life a happy life always.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside them was superior to circumstance.<\/span><\/p>\n

I deeply concur with the author of \u201cGiant Steps\u201d on this statement that one has to believe in something in-order to achieve it in life. The first step in achieving in life is to believe, then manifest the imagination and work towards achieving it. Every great achievement results by building the confidence that you\u2019ve something superior and believing in dealing with every challenge that may arise.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. \u201cSuccess is the result of good judgment, good judgment is the result of experience and experience is often the result of bad judgment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What we have learned from the past mistake can be used to improve our life today, so not only good judgment makes us successful also bad judgment makes us successful, and it is also a learning process through experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I believe I have started taking the giant steps in fulfilling my personal life goals. The author of \u201cGiant steps\u201d has awaken my potential to make quicker Giant Steps in life as well as awaken other men and women whose innate resources are bound in captivity of poverty, broken relationship, health and cultural beliefs. I am completely excited by the principles I have learnt and have already started practicing the will of the author.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNothing happens unless first a dream,\u201d by Carl Sandburg sets the tone and tempo of the book in pointing out the importance of decision and goal setting. Perhaps to put it mildly, a dream is like a vision.<\/span><\/p>\n

The ability or instance of great perception especially of future development. To paraphrase McDougal in expressing similar sentiments, \u201cOne’s achievement is only limited by one’s dream.\u201d That’s is where it all begins, like the Chinese proverb.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step,\u201d that first step in this case is the dream.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cImagination is more powerful than knowledge,\u201d Einstein.<\/span><\/p>\n

I can only speak candidly of my own situation, it wasn’t for imagination, and I\u2019d be at a loss in creative writing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne can’t help but be in awe when one contemplated the mysteries of eternity of life, of the marvelous structure of reality,\u201d Albert Einstein.<\/span><\/p>\n

This quote by Einstein probes the mystery that’d called ‘life.’ One could devout page upon page by breaking this statement into segments and looking at the word contained therein to get more insight into the true meaning of this statement. A quick glance reveals two key sections ‘eternity of life (future) and ‘marvelous structure of reality’ present. But without the past, there would be no present, and without the present, the future would be non-existent. One thing comes across fairly strong, the existence of a supreme being (God) who spans the eternity of life, the one who put together the marvelous structure of reality.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWords have the power to start wars or create peace.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe must adopt the concept of continuous improvement as a daily principle rather than as a goal to be pursued only occasionally.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTo create a new pattern of thinking, feeling or behaving, you must first interrupt the old pattern.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe secret of achieving your goals is mental conditioning\u201d – Review them at least twice daily. Post your goals where you\u2019re sure to see them every day. Sometimes our goals are not visible to ourselves, and cause confusion in our life. So our goals should be placed in the windscreen not in the rear mirror, whereby they will be visible to keep us updated on our goals and destiny.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cQuestions set off a processional effect that has an impact beyond our imagining.<\/span><\/p>\n

Questioning our limitations is what tears down the walls.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLife is a balance between giving and receiving, between taking care of yourself and taking care of others\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I did not quite understand the meaning of \u201cOne of the miracles of being human is that we can decide what causes us pain and pleasure; each of us has this power of choice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book did have exercises for the reader to complete but required more time for practicing on how to make giant steps. The usage of science, religious, leaders\u2019 quotes, letters, autobiographies and thoughts in creating a story full of great themes and lessons is just fabulous and well thought by the author. The book is inspirational and recommendable for all classes of persons.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Giant Steps is such an inspirational book with great themes to learn. I have truly enjoyed the reading and is surely a great step instilling the sense of change, I will not stop to learn more and more, inspire others and change other people life\u2019s. I believe the right time is now and I am ready to beat the odds to realize my fullest potential.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 7<\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 7<\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others? \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 10<\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Empires of Mind<\/strong><\/span>
\n Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Denis Waitley the author of the \u201cEmpires of Mind\u201d book that offers answers to one self in realizing their inbound talents, skills and potentials. The book provides many ways for maximizing self- potential. The author explains various authentic self-leadership strategies destined to shape a person career thriving on risk and adversity as well inspire one-self to gain maximum performance and become a master through power surge. The book inspires one to stay afloat in the fast-paced universe where the only rule is change. The book is packed with many words full of inspirational; a first step in self-actualization and how to unlock our skills, talents and potentials in career world.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. You must welcome change as the rule but not as your ruler.<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains how an average common man works harder each day merely to stay even. The reality is we produce more and more with less profit, less time, less margin for error \u2014 because customers everywhere have come to expect instant quality. Global competition makes yesterday’s world-records entry-level standards. The book has inspired me in a different way and now I know that no one has enough time to do anything more.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. They way to cope in the global world<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Dennis Waitley, we must equip ourselves with strategies to lead when the only rule is change. The way to become a leader in the new empires of the mind means learning to learn. The leaders of today require to demonstrate a new attitude towards learning. Many leaders are pre-occupied with other things and have no time for learning, the bottom line is to teach ourselves by learning, enriching ourselves with new ideas and knowledge. Leaders assuming to be experts face challenges as well as leaders who lack a thorough understanding of their field-such leaders are no more than static. \u201cLeaders who continue learning throughout their whole lives,\u201d depicts Dennis Waitley, \u201cnever forget that they always have more to learn.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. Learn to accept responsibility for your actions, but not the credit for your achievements.<\/span><\/p>\n

We are living in an age of eroding responsibility. Blaming others – bosses, parents, companies, immigrants, the government or bad luck is the mark of a juvenile mind. The mature mind asks what is in Me that caused this to happen. What did I fail to consider? What can I do better next time? Making the best use we can of our minds, skills and talents will bring positive rewards in our outer lives. And assuming the personal responsibility to use these gifts in positive ways will result in a lasting inner happiness. This is true of everyone. Although many things in life are beyond anyone’s control, we do have a great deal of control more than most of us are willing to acknowledge over many circumstances and conditions. Here are a few of the most important:<\/span><\/p>\n

You can control what you do with most of your free time.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can control how much effort you give to each task you undertake.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can control your attitude.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can control who you choose as role models.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can control who you choose to spend your leisure time with.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can control your commitments and the promises you make.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can control your response to difficult times and people.<\/span><\/p>\n

The author encourages all of us to take the blame for our positions in life with openness and honesty, and to share the credit for our successes with those who deserve it.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Learn to fulfill your expectations, but they may not be what you want.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the most desirable attitudes of a prospective employee, leader or manager is an ability to see challenges as opportunities and setbacks as temporary inconveniences. The positive attitude also welcomes change as friendly and is not upset by surprises. \u201cHow we approach challenges and problems is a crucial aspect of our decision making process,\u201d depicts Dennis Waitley, \u201cwhether it be in business or in our personal lives.\u201d Fear of failure leads to avoiding failure at all costs. And the trouble with failure avoidance is that it’s simultaneously avoidance of success, which depends on taking risks. Genuine leaders focus on the benefits of success, while those chiefly motivated by fear concentrate on failure’s painful consequences. Remember to continually tell yourself what to do, not what Not to do.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. You must get money to chase you, but never let it catch you<\/span><\/p>\n

The book has shown that an unsuitable career is the chief cause of lost inner motivation. \u201cToo many people choose their work for convenience,\u201d argues Waitley, \u201cthen merely put in their hours before they can go home and do what they really enjoy.\u201d Leaders do it differently. First, they seek careers that are most rewarding and interesting in terms of their potential. Second, they accept that they may have to go through several job changes until they find the career in which they can develop their talents to the maximum.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. You must participate in person, but lead invisibly<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEffective leadership in the knowledge era,\u201d writes Waitley, \u201cmust promote initiative and responsibility, which simply can’t be done by wagging fingers and presuming you know what’s best for others.\u201d Especially in the hard work of adapting to momentous change \u2014 of pulling people from their comfortable patterns. Leaders must tap into basic human motivations.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. You must spend your time wisely, but never try to save it<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot Madonna or Queen Elizabeth or even Bill Gates,\u201d writes Waitley prophetically, \u201ccan buy another hour.\u201d What that means is, none of us seems to have enough time, yet we all have all there is or ever will be. It would take a hundred lifetimes to accomplish all we’re capable of, but we’re given just one for learning and giving as much as we can, for doing our best.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

In our journey into the empires of our mind, Denis Waitley reminds us that success is a process, not a destination. The only thing that counts is what you do now with what you have. Life, like the deepest ocean, is not so much to be admired for its external appearance and majesty, although these are attractive and noteworthy. Life, like an ocean, is more meaningful because of what goes on beneath the wave<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cToday’s America seems to have everything going for it,\u201d he says, \u201cyet too little coming together. We seem to have been shoved into a race we didn’t choose and whose finish line we can’t picture.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow we approach challenges and problems is a crucial aspect of our decision making process whether it be in business or in our personal lives.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cToo many people choose their work for convenience,\u201d argues Waitley, \u201cthen merely put in their hours before they can go home and do what they really enjoy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBe a person who accepts no limit in your mind.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Although people often face discouragement remember deep within your mind there must be no limit in achieving success.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEffective leadership in the knowledge era,\u201d writes Waitley, \u201cmust promote initiative and responsibility, which simply can’t be done by wagging fingers and presuming you know what’s best for others.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The words magic and miracle seems to have been used interchangeably; are there<\/span><\/p>\n

similarities in the context of this or is just another argument of the author.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book did have exercises for the reader to complete but required more time for practicing the readers will of power. The usage of science, religious, leaders quotes and thoughts in creating a story full of great themes and lessons is just fabulous and well thought by the author. The book has many Lessons to Lead and to Succeed in a Knowledge-Based World and is recommendable for all classes of persons.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Empires of Mind is such an inspirational writing-a short story but with great themes to learn. This is just the start and am already enjoying the reading, the sense of self-discovery has started, I going not stop-the push to learn more and more, inspire others and build a non-formidable life foundation. I believe the right time is now and I am ready to beat the odds to realize my fullest potential.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read? \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 8<\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 7<\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 10
\n<\/span>E. What is the overall rating you would give it?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Real Magic<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Wayne Dyer the author of the Real Magic book takes the impossibilities in one\u2019s life and help in building a goal oriented life with strong beliefs on who one is in endeavoring life challenges and purpose. The book conveys the message that anyone can be a miracle maker in his daily life- it is a matter of changing the way you define your existence. I would confidently say this book falls under the banner of the \u201cLaw of Attraction,\u201d which basically states that if you think it, it will manifest. In other words, whatever you think about, comes about, whether it is good or bad and that we are the makers of our own reality. The book is packed with many words full of inspirational- a first step in self-actualization and how to unlock our skills, talents and potentials.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. Enlightenment through purpose<\/span><\/p>\n

Everything in one\u2019s life has a purpose and understanding life in cherishing every single step of life according to one\u2019s true purpose will surely change the way you define your existence. The author states that when we stick to this path and have a mission to reaching the destination, life will magically create what we want. Defining one\u2019s purpose lays the plan, no matter how painful life might be, will eventually leads us to something of higher value. The book has inspired me in a different way and now I know there are no accidents in life.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. Enlightenment through suffering<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the paradox of \u201cwhy me?\u201d Incidents occur causing suffering and we learn great lessons from them; when suffering remains a source of lessons we surely close the doors of miracles. We require to look back and see everything that made sense and formed part of the unfolding life. Life is not about mourning events when they happen but rather looking forward positively and learning from them. It\u2019s all a waste of time to dwell much on such incidents as they hinder one from achieving the sole purpose of our life\u2019s. Just as Wayne Dyer puts it -that we need to ask the question \u201cwhy me?\u201d But don\u2019t dwell on it.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Enlightenment through outcome<\/span><\/p>\n

Every person should have goals and ambitions that would ultimately make the best sense out of his\/her life. We surely needs to be reactive and struggle in a positive manner in our life. Learn through experiences that benefit our purpose of living. Wayne Dyer states that once we learn there are no accidents in life- then we surely understand that everything in the universe has a purpose thus no need to dwell much on the event. Let\u2019s learn to focus our minds in learning from our experiences and keep away from the paradox of \u201cwhy me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Creating a miracle mindset<\/span><\/p>\n

This is positive thinking that we consciously manifest in our minds-a man should make up his mind with emphasis as to what he rationally believes, and should never allow contrary irrational beliefs to pass unchallenged or obtain a hold over him, however brief- learn to always think of possibilities. There is a need to separate what we do from any rewards it may bring. By all possibilities we should always have a relaxed purpose about the future, without letting it interfere with our present task. Wayne Dyer also explains how to create mindset by withholding judgment, developing intuition, knowing that intentions create reality and surrendering to the universe for it to provide our needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. Relations and Purpose<\/span><\/p>\n

Wayne Dyer says our relationships are part of a divine necessity; they were meant to be all you behold; though it appears without, it is within, in your imagination, of which this world of mortality ids just but a shadow. Indeed, boundaries disappear when you commit yourself to miracles. Every single event of your life is in some way related to the next event. Where there is great love, there is always miracles the great and glorious masterpiece of man is how to live with purpose. Behave in ways consistent with love and harmony and do not be attached in any way to the fruits of your labor. Live your life entirely on purpose and renounce any and all credit that my come your way from your actions. You show up with nothing. You leave with nothing. All you truly can do with this life in form is to give it away. Purpose is always about giving. Complete possession is prove only by giving. All you are unable to give possesses you. People who believe only what they can see or prove scientifically are limited by the current level of sophistication of our measuring devices. Your life has a purpose<\/span><\/p>\n

You overcome weaknesses by leaving it behind When you examine what you believe to impossible, you can then change your believes. You can go beyond logic. There are some who will never believe it unless they see it. Others will see it because they believe it.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Prosperity and Purpose<\/span><\/p>\n

Wayne Dyer is particularly valuable on prosperity. In many cases we worry ourselves whether we have money or do not have it, but his conception is that we must not try to \u201cget\u201d anything: there is no way to prosperity, prosperity is the way.\u201d Prosperity is chiefly a state of mind, just as scarcity is. It is not about getting but being. Circumstance do not make a man, they reveal him. You don\u2019t need anything else to experience prosperity. Prosperity is first and foremost a mind game. Authentic power does not come to you from the acquisition of money, because without money you would then be powerless. Authentic power comes from your soul, that place that is always within you. We need to propel our thinking with goals that we strive to achieve, learn to carefully listen and communicate, have the courage to act, have respect and regard to other people, believe in ourselves, build confidence in all our undertakings and gain some degree of self-acceptance.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. Personal Identity<\/span><\/p>\n

Talent is really a quality that is defined through comparison. You are a genius when you know that you have the intellectual capacity to create your own happiness, and when you know whom or what to consult. If you want to know what your thoughts were like yesterday, look at your body today. If you want to know what your body will be like tomorrow, look at your thoughts today. Stay focus on what you are for rather than what you are against. A few sentences that caught my attention were, \u201cEven if only one person has ever accomplished it, then it is indeed possible and on visualization. \u201cLearn to pre-play who it is you want to be in your mind before you put anything into action.\u201d I particularly like the last quote, which encourages you to visualize who and what you want to become before compulsively acting on it. I think the reason for this is and why it works is because people subconsciously act on what they think. When you visualize yourself doing something or being something, you feel almost naturally compelled to act towards that visualization. It is extremely powerful and I think more useful than simply writing out goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

What I like about this book is how it talks about spirituality without delving into the dogma of a particular religion and instead borrows from many. These books in general are good “feel good” books as they encourage you to just be yourself and follow your authentic self, especially when it comes to listening to your intuition. He spends a lot of time encouraging us to listen to those intuitive nudges that say hey, you should do this. Those little flashes of insight we all have that suggests maybe you should be doing something else with your life. He says we should not dismiss, but trust those intuitive voices. The book has bounded me with thinking positively and thinking of possibilities free from memories of past failures which have affected my present performance, I will not dwell upon them and I believe I have taken my path to success.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cEven if only one person has ever accomplished it, then it is indeed possible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Anything that has been accomplished by any other human being in the physical realm is within the field of possibility.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLearn to prepay who it is you want to be in your mind before you put anything into action.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn to decide what you want, take action to achieve your decision.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn you is the real magic.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The real magic is in me, to decide what I want, take action to achieve my stated decision, be observant not to waste precious time on worthless desires and lastly to change my approach until I achieve what I want.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBe a person who accepts no limit in your mind.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Although people often face discouragement remember deep within your mind there must be no limit in achieving success.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA note without spaces is one long sound..\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Music comes from the silence between the notes. This quote is inspiring and can mean a whole lot of thing depending on the viewer’s perception. Well, without challenges with would not discover our abilities.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGod works with us and not for us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

If God works for us how many people can pay His salary? It is boldly written in the Bible ask and it shall be given. So, anyone wants anything the person must first work towards achieving it then God will then crown his\/her effort.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The words magic and miracle seems to have been used interchangeably; are there similarities in the context of this or is just another argument of the author.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book did have exercises for the reader to complete but required more time for practicing the readers will of power. The usage of science, religious, leaders quotes and thoughts in creating a story full of great themes and lessons is just fabulous and well thought by the author. The book is packed with many words full of inspirational- a first step in self-actualization and how to unlock our skills, talents and potentials and is recommendable for all classes of persons.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Real Magic is such an inspirational writing-a short story but with great themes to learn. This is just the start and am already enjoying the reading, the sense of self-discovery has started, I going not stop-the push to learn more and more, inspire others and build a non-formidable life foundation. I believe the right time is now and I am ready to beat the odds to realize my fullest potential.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8<\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 7<\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Goals<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Brian Tracy the author of the \u201cGoals\u201d book emphasis on how to get everything you want; faster than you ever thought possible. Brian explains that the most important quality one can develop for lifelong success is the habit of taking action on one\u2019s plans, goals, ideas and insights. The more often one tries, the sooner one will triumph. There is a direct relationship between the numbers of things one\u2019s attempt and one\u2019s accomplishments in life. This book contains the distilled essence of all that I have learned in the areas of success, achievement and goal attainment. By following the steps explained in the book, one will move to the front of the line in life. The book is packed with many words full of inspirational- compelling read, both as a self-help book and as a leadership\/management book. The author of the book presents a wholesome solutions based approach to both personal and managerial problems.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

a. Unlock Your Potential<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains that it\u2019s all about remembering always that our true potential is unlimited. Whatever we have accomplished in life up to now has only been a preparation for the amazing things we can accomplish in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

b. Take Charge of Your Life<\/span><\/p>\n

he author explains that we are completely responsible for everything we are today, for everything we think, say and do, and for everything we become from this moment forward. We should refuse to make excuses or to blame others. Instead, we should make progress toward our goals every day.<\/span><\/p>\n

c. Create Your Own Future<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains that we should always imagine that we have no limitations on what we can do, be or have in the months and years ahead. It\u2019s all about thinking and planning our future as if we had all the resources we needed to create any life that we desire.<\/span><\/p>\n

d. Clarify Your Values<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains that our innermost values and convictions define us as a person. We need to take time to think through what we really believe in and care about in each area of our life and refuse to deviate from what we feel is right for us.<\/span><\/p>\n

e. Determine Your True Goals<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains that we should always decide for our self what we really want to accomplish in every area of our life. Clarity is essential for happiness and high performance living.<\/span><\/p>\n

f. Decide Upon Your Major Definite Purpose<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains the need to have a central purpose to build our life around. There must be a single goal that will help us to achieve our other goals more than any other. There is need to decide what it is for us and work on it all the time.<\/span><\/p>\n

g. Analyze Your Beliefs<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains that our beliefs are about our own abilities, and about the world around us, will have more of an impact on our feelings and actions than any other factor. We should always make sure that our beliefs are positive and consistent with achieving everything that is possible for us.<\/span><\/p>\n

h. Start At The Beginning<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains of always carrying out a careful analysis of our starting point before setting off towards the achievement of our goal. We should always determine our exact situation today and be both honest and realistic about what we want to accomplish in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

i. Measure Your Progress<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains on the importance of setting clear benchmarks, measures, metrics and scorecards for our self on the road to our goals. These measures will help one in assessing how well we are doing and enable one to make necessary adjustments and corrections as you go along.<\/span><\/p>\n

j. Remove The Roadblocks<\/span><\/p>\n

Success boils down to the ability to solve problems and remove obstacles on the path to your goal. Fortunately, problem solving is a skill you can master with practice, and thereby achieve your goals faster than you ever thought possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

k. Become An Expert In Your Field \u2013<\/span><\/p>\n

You have within you, right now, the ability to be one of the very best at what you do, to join the top 10% in your field. Set this as a goal, work on it every day, and never stop working at it until you get there.<\/span><\/p>\n

l. Associate With The Right People<\/span><\/p>\n

Your choices of people with whom to live, work and socialize will have more of an effect on your success than any other factor. Resolve today to associate only with people you like, respect and admire. Fly with the eagles if you want to be an eagle yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n

m. Make a Plan of Action<\/span><\/p>\n

An ordinary person with a well thought-out plan will run circles around a genius without one. Your ability to plan and organize in advance will enable you to accomplish even the biggest and most complex goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

n. Manage Your Time Well<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn how to double and triple your productivity, performance and output by practicing practical and proven time management principles. Always set priorities before you begin, and then concentrate on the most valuable use of your time.<\/span><\/p>\n

o. Review Your Goals Daily<\/span><\/p>\n

Take time every day, every week, every month to review and reevaluate your goals and objectives. Make sure that you are still on track and that you are still working toward things that are important to you. Be prepared to modify your goals and plans with new information.<\/span><\/p>\n

p. Visualize Your Goals Continually<\/span><\/p>\n

Direct the movies of your mind. Your imagination is your preview of your life\u2019s coming attractions. Repeatedly \u201csee\u201d your goals as if they already existed. Your clear, exciting mental images activate all your mental powers and attract your goals into your life.<\/span><\/p>\n

q. Activate Your Super conscious Mind<\/span><\/p>\n

You have within you and around you an incredible power that will bring you everything and anything you want or need. Take the time regularly to tap into this amazing source of ideas and insights for goal attainment.<\/span><\/p>\n

r. Remain Flexible At All Times<\/span><\/p>\n

Be clear about your goal but be flexible about the process of achieving it. Be constantly open to new, better, faster, cheaper ways to achieve the same result, and if something is not working, be willing to try a different approach.<\/span><\/p>\n

t. Unlock Your Inborn Creativity<\/span><\/p>\n

You have more creative ability to solve problems and come up with new and better ways for goal attainment than you have ever used. You are a potential genius. You can tap into your intelligence to overcome any obstacle and achieve any goal you can set for yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n

u. Do Something Every Day<\/span><\/p>\n

Use the \u201cMomentum Principle of Success\u201d by getting started toward your goal and then doing something every day that moves you closer to what you want to accomplish. Action orientation is essential to your success.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. Persist Until You Succeed<\/span><\/p>\n

In the final analysis, your ability to persist longer than anyone else is the one quality that will guarantee great success in life. Persistence is self-discipline in action, and is the true measure of your belief in yourself. Resolve in advance that you will never, never give up!<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The author of the book brings out the following twenty-one most important principles of goal setting and goal achieving ever discovered with emphasis that if they are regularly reviewed and practiced they will enable one to live an extraordinary life:<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe potential of the average person is like a huge ocean un-sailed, a new continent<\/span><\/p>\n

unexplored, a world of possibilities waiting to be released and channeled toward some great good.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The truth is that you probably have more natural potential than you could use if you lived one hundred lifetimes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA man, as a general rule, owes very little to what he is born with \u2013a man is what he makes of himself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains that we are completely responsible for everything we are today, for everything we think, say and do, and for everything we become from this moment forward. We should refuse to make excuses or to blame others. Instead, we should make progress toward our goals every day.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou will become large as your controlling desire; or as great as your dominant aspiration.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains that we should always imagine that we have no limitations on what we can do, be or have in the months and years ahead. It\u2019s all about thinking and planning our future as if we had all the resources we needed to create any life that we desire<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTime slips through our hands like grains of sand, never to return again. Those who use time wisely are rewarded with rich, productive and satisfying lives.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn how to double and triple your productivity, performance and output by practicing practical and proven time management principles. Always set priorities before you begin, and then concentrate on the most valuable use of your time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSome men give up their designs when they have almost reached the goal; while others, on the contrary, obtain a victory by exerting, at the last moment, more vigorous efforts than ever before.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

If you want to succeed then you need to be persistent.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I have finally decided that a result is worth getting, I go ahead on it and make trial after trial until it comes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We need to be flexible all the time.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t quite understand the essential qualities of success used by the author. The first is \u201cget-to-it-iveness,\u201d and the second is \u201cstick-to-it-iveness.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book did have exercises for the reader to complete but required more time for practicing the readers will of power. The usage of science, religious, leaders quotes and thoughts in creating a story full of great themes and lessons is just fabulous and well thought by the author. The author of the book presents a wholesome solutions based approach to both personal and managerial problems. The exercises has surely added a lot of value to my personal goal setting shedding different light and overall importance goal setting in our life.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The \u201cGoals\u201d book is such an inspirational writing-a short story but with great themes to learn. This is just the start and am already enjoying the reading, the sense of self-discovery has started, and I will not stop-the push to learn more and more, inspire others and build a non-formidable life foundation. I believe the right time is now and I am ready to beat the odds to realize my fullest potential.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Steven Covey the author of the \u201cThe Seven Habits of Highly Effective People\u201d book emphasis on habits as the basic units of change that once practiced on daily basis will build what you are. Covey saw that real greatness was the result of the slow development of character over time; it is our daily habits of thinking and acting that are the ground on which that greatness is built. The Seven Habits promises a life revolution, not as a big bang, but as the cumulative result of thousands of small, evolutionary changes. The book is packed with many words full of inspirational; compelling read, both as a self-help book and as a leadership\/management book. The seven habits are predicated on a willingness to see the world anew, to have the courage to take life seriously. The author of the book presents a wholesome solutions based approach to both personal and managerial problems. The author believes that we and we alone can open the door to change within ourselves<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. Be proactive<\/span><\/p>\n

The author brings out this as Principle of personal vision and talks about being proactive and not reactive. It\u2019s all about taking initiative and being responsible for our own lives. Proactive people are not influenced by their environment, reactive people just respond to stimuli. The principle of personal vision is all about being proactive. We always have the freedom to choose our reactions to stimuli, even if everything else is taken away. With that ability also comes the knowledge that we do not have to live by the scripts that family or society has given us. Instead of \u201cbeing lived,\u201d we accept full responsibility for our life the way conscience tells us that it was meant to be lived. We are no longer a reactive machine but a proactive person. We surely needs to be reactive and struggle in a positive manner in our life.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. Begin with the end in mind<\/span><\/p>\n

The author brings out this as Principle of personal leadership and explains by the question of \u201cWhat do I want people to say about me at my funeral?\u201d By writing our own eulogy or creating a personal mission statement, we create the ultimate objective or person first, and work backward from there. We have a self-guidance system that gives us the wisdom to make the right choice, so that whatever we do today is in line with the image created of ourselves at the end. The principle of personal leadership is all about leading our self. Begin with the end in mind stating with a clear understanding of your destination. We need to carefully set goals, plan, and have personal targets that we are persistently working to achieve. Drawing a personal mission statement which comprises of what we want to be, do, and have.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Put first things first<\/span><\/p>\n

The author brings out this as Principle of personal management and talks about effective time management by having that ultimate picture in our mind that helps us to plan our days for maximum effectiveness and enjoyment. Our time is spent with the people and the things that really matter. The principle exhibits our role in resource management. The resources are time and money. The aim is to do what has to be done, to be effective. To be result oriented, to have an increase in performance in both personal and professional life. Effective management is putting first things first and management is all about discipline; carrying it out.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Think Win\/Win<\/span><\/p>\n

The author brings out this as Principle of interpersonal relationship and explains that one person\u2019s success doesn\u2019t need to be achieved at the expense of the success of others. In seeking Win\/Win, we never endanger our own principles. The result is a better relationship \u201cnot your way or my way, a better way\u201d created by truly seeing from the other person\u2019s perspective.The principle entails working with others to achieve victory, cultivating a sustainable inter-personal relationship that brings about great effectiveness and productivity. The author teaches us the benefit of understanding other people as well as respecting their values and opinions and listening to them.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. Seek to understand, then to be understood<\/span><\/p>\n

The author brings out this as Principle of empathic communication and explains that without empathy, there is no influence. Without deposits in the emotional bank account of relationships, there is no trust. Genuine listening gives precious psychological air to the other person, and opens a window on to their soul.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Synergize<\/span><\/p>\n

The author brings out this as Principle of creative cooperation aimed at creating unity among persons in our daily life or members of an organization. It is about unity of purpose; Steven Covey explains that synergy results from the exercise of all the other habits. It brings forth \u201cthird alternatives\u201d or perfect outcomes that cannot be predicted from adding up the sum of the parts (One plus one is equal to three).<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. Sharpen the saw<\/span><\/p>\n

The author brings out this as Principle of balanced self-renewal and explains it is the singular habit upon which all the other habits depend on and that we need to balance the physical, spiritual, mental, and social dimensions of life. \u201cSharpening the saw\u201d to increase productivity involves taking the time to regularly renew ourselves in these areas.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

What I like about this book is how it talks about the business plan for personal life in terms of habits as the basic units of change. The seven habits are predicated on a willingness to see the world anew, to have the courage to take life seriously. The author of the book presents a wholesome solutions based approach to both personal and managerial bringing out the following Seven Habits of Highly Effective People:<\/span>
\n 1.Be proactive (Principle of personal vision)<\/span>
\n 2.Begin with the end in mind (Personal of personal leadership)<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Put first things first (Principle of personal management<\/span>
\n 4. Think win\/win (Principle of interpersonal relationship)<\/span>
\n 5. Seek to understand then to be understood (Principle of empathic communication)<\/span>
\n 6. Synergize (Principle of creative cooperation)<\/span>
\n 7. Sharpen the saw (Principle of balanced self-renewal)<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we are we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Excellence can be achieved by perfection of our daily habits. Excellence is a sum total of daily habits if the habit is right, excellence is certain.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnytime we think the problem is out there, that thought is the problem.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The statement reminds us that whenever we encounter problems-we should first seek answers from our own self, we need to realize that we have the capacity to control our life\u2019s and influence our habits. It\u2019s all in our character and the way we see the problem is the problem<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSuccessful people have the habit of doing things failures don\u2019t like to do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

If you want to succeed then you need to be disciplined.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBegin with the End in Mind.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the principle of personal leadership which is all about leading our self. Begin with the end in mind stating with a clear understanding of your destination. We need to carefully set goals, plan, and have personal targets that we are persistently working to achieve. Drawing a personal mission statement which comprises of what we want to be, do, and have.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAdmission of ignorance is often the first step in our education.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

If you want to succeed then you need to be disciplined.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is the weak who are cruel\/ gentleness can only be expected from the strong.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The words magic and miracle seems to have been used interchangeably; are there similarities in the context of this or is just another argument of the author.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book did have exercises for the reader to complete but required more time for practicing the readers will of power. The usage of science, religious, leaders quotes and thoughts in creating a story full of great themes and lessons is just fabulous and well thought by the author. The author of the book presents a wholesome solutions based approach to both personal and managerial problems. The author believes that we and we alone can open the door to change within ourselves<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People book is such an inspirational writing-a short story but with great themes to learn. This is just the start and am already enjoying the reading, the sense of self-discovery has started, I going to not stop; the push to learn more and more, inspire others and build a non-formidable life foundation. I believe the right time is now and I am ready to beat the odds to realize my fullest potential.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8<\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Law of Attraction<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Michael Losier the author of the \u201cThe Law of Attraction\u201d book explains on how the law of attraction responds to whatever vibration you are sending by giving you more of it, whether it’s a positive or negative. It simply responds to your vibration – am excited to know that as a person I release an energy\/vibration. I therefore understand that I receive what I think whether consciously or unconsciously. Have you heard about people who find themselves in bad relationships over and over again, and who are always complaining that they keep attracting the same kind of relationship? The Law of Attraction is at work for them too. The Law of Attraction may be defined as: \u201cI attract to my life whatever I give my attention, energy and focus to, whether positive or negative. Never expect a thing you do not want, and never desire a thing you do not expect. When you expect something you do not want, you attract the undesirable, and when you desire a thing that is not expected, you simply dissipate valuable mental force. On the other hand, when you constantly expect that which you persistently desire, your ability to attract becomes irresistible. The mind is a magnet and attracts whatever corresponds to its ruling state. The author of the book presents The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don’t.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. The Science of the Law of Attraction<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains that there is a physiological foundation for positive thinking and its effect in creating the Law of Attraction. There are many forms of energy: atomic, thermal, electromotive, kinetic and potential. Energy can never be destroyed. The Law of Attraction isn\u2019t a fancy term or new-age magic. It is a law of nature that every atom of your being is in constant response to, whether you know it or not.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. Positive and Negative Vibrations<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains that every single moment you have a mood or a feeling, the mood or feeling you are experiencing is causing you to emit or send out a negative or positive vibration. The Law of Attraction (universal energy around you that obeys the science of physics) is responding to the vibration you are offering. Right now, in this very moment, it is matching your vibration by giving you more of the same, whether positive or negative.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Non-deliberate Attraction<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains that as you observe what you are receiving in different areas of your life (money, work, health, relationships, etc.), your observations generate a feeling (vibration) that can be either positive or negative. The Law of Attraction is simply responding to your vibration and giving you more of the same. It doesn\u2019t know what action you are taking that is causing you to generate this negative vibration. You might be remembering, or pretending, or daydreaming, or in this case just merely observing.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Understanding the Significance of Your Words<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains that the law of attraction responds the same way your mind does: it hears what you Don\u2019t want. When you hear yourself make a statement containing the words don\u2019t, not or no, you are actually giving attention and energy to what you Don\u2019t want. When you go from what you don\u2019t want to what you do want, the words change. When the words change, the vibration changes, and you can only send out one vibration at a time.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. The 3-Step Formula for Deliberate Attraction<\/span><\/p>\n

Michael Losier the author of the \u201cThe Law of Attraction\u201d book explains the three steps formula of deliberate action as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Identify your Desire<\/span><\/p>\n

The first step in making the Law of Attraction work for you is to be clear about what you want. The challenge, however, is that most people are not good at knowing what they DO want but they are good at identifying what they DON\u2019T want. Knowing what you don\u2019t want is actually good news.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. Give my desire attention<\/span><\/p>\n

The Law of Attraction brings you more of whatever you give your attention, energy and focus to. If, however, you identify your desire and don\u2019t give it attention, energy and focus, then there is no manifestation. The key here is to identify your desire and continue to give it attention. As you\u2019re giving it attention, you are now including the vibration of your desire in your current vibration. Your current vibration is what the Law of Attraction responds to.<\/span><\/p>\n

viii. Allow it<\/span><\/p>\n

Allowing is simply the absence of negative vibration and doubt is a negative vibration. Allowing is the most important step in the Deliberate Attraction process. Telling yourself this doesn\u2019t help you to allow. If you doubt you can have something, you are sending a negative vibration. This negative vibration is diluting or cancelling the positive vibration of your desire. In other words, having strong desire (positive vibe), and having strong doubt (negative vibe), cancel each other out. Therefore, Allowing occurs in the absence of doubt.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The author of the book brings out the following 3-step formula for deliberate action that helps one to discover how to use the Law of Attraction more deliberately.<\/span><\/p>\n

Identify Your Desire<\/span><\/p>\n

In this step the author helps you to pinpoint your desire and clearly know that:-<\/span><\/p>\n

Your words generate a vibration that is either positive or negative.<\/span><\/p>\n

When you use the words don\u2019t, not and no you continue to give more attention, energy and focus to what you are referring to.<\/span><\/p>\n

When you hear yourself saying don\u2019t, not and no ask yourself \u201cSo, what do I want?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When you go from what you don\u2019t want to what you do want, the words change, and when the words change your vibration changes.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can only send out one vibration at a time.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can reset your vibration simply by changing your words, remembering that thoughts are made up of words.<\/span><\/p>\n

Contrast is anything that doesn\u2019t feel good.<\/span><\/p>\n

Observe contrast briefly knowing that the Law of Attraction is always responding to your vibration.<\/span><\/p>\n

Use contrast to help generate clarity.<\/span><\/p>\n

When building your contrast list find as many contrast items as possible. The more contrast you identify, the more clarity you\u2019ll have.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 2: Give Your Desire Attention<\/span><\/p>\n

In this step the author helps you to give your desire attention and learn that:-<\/span><\/p>\n

Your Vibrational Bubble contains all of your current vibrations.<\/span><\/p>\n

You must include the vibration of your new desire in your current Vibrational Bubble.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Desire Statement helps you include the vibration of your desire in your Vibrational Bubble.<\/span><\/p>\n

The purpose of Step 2 is to give your desire attention.<\/span><\/p>\n

You raise your vibration when you give your desire attention, energy and focus.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your affirmations may not feel good when the statements aren\u2019t true for you.<\/span><\/p>\n

Law of Attraction responds to how you feel about your affirmations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step 3: Allow It<\/span><\/p>\n

In this step the author helps you learn that:-<\/span><\/p>\n

Allowing \u2013 the 3rd step of the Deliberate Attraction process is the most important step<\/span><\/p>\n

Allowing is the absence of doubt<\/span><\/p>\n

Doubt is a negative vibration<\/span><\/p>\n

The negative vibration of doubt cancels the positive vibration of a desire<\/span><\/p>\n

A limiting belief is a repetitive thought<\/span><\/p>\n

When you say \u201cI can\u2019t because…,\u201d you\u2019ve just uncovered a limiting belief<\/span><\/p>\n

Finding proof helps you remove doubt<\/span><\/p>\n

Finding evidence that others are having or doing what you want to have or do helps remove your doubt.<\/span><\/p>\n

The purpose of Allowing tools is to help you remove doubt. 10 Allowing Tools:Celebrate the Evidence of Proof; Record Proof of the Law of Attraction; Appreciation and Gratitude; Use the Expression, \u201cI\u2019m in the Process of.\u201d Use the Expression, \u201cI\u2019ve Decided\u201d; Use the Expression, \u201cLots Can Happen\u201d; Ask for Information; Make Yourself an Attraction Box; Create a Void or Vacuum; Allow the Law of Attraction to Figure It Out.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHe gives off good vibes,\u201d or \u201cThis neighborhood gives me negative vibes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Each one of us sends out either a positive or negative vibration. In fact, we are always sending a vibration.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPositive and negative emotions cannot occupy the mind at the same time. One or the other must dominate. It is your responsibility to make sure that positive emotions constitute the dominating influence of your mind.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When you go from what you don\u2019t want to what you do want, the words change. When the words change, the vibration changes, and you can only send out one vibration at a time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cContrast, as it applies to the Law of Attraction, is anything you don\u2019t like, doesn\u2019t feel good, or causes you to be in a negative mood. The moment you identify something in your life that feels like contrast and you spend time complaining about it, talking about it, or declaring that you don\u2019t want it, you are offering a negative vibration. The Law of Attraction then responds to your negative vibration by giving you more of the same.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Law of Attraction brings you more of whatever you give your attention, energy and focus to. If, however, you identify your desire and don\u2019t give it attention, energy and focus, then there is no manifestation. The key here is to identify your desire and continue to give it attention. As you\u2019re giving it attention, you are now including the vibration of your desire in your current vibration. Your current vibration is what the Law of Attraction responds to.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRemember, the Law of Attraction does not care whether you are remembering, pretending, celebrating, playing, creating, complaining or worrying. It simply responds to what\u2019s in your Vibrational Bubble. So, find proof, rejoice and send out a positive vibration.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNegativity breeds negativity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Law of Attraction responds to your negative vibration by giving you more of the same.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou may not be aware of it but a very powerful force is present in your life. It\u2019s called the Law of Attraction and right now it\u2019s attracting people, jobs, situations and relationships to you. Learn how to use it deliberately and make it work for you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book Law of Attraction was well understood and nothing seemed unclear.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book did have exercises for the reader to complete but required more time for practicing the readers will of Law of Attraction. The usage of science, life related examples, leaders quotes and thoughts in creating a story full of great themes and lessons is just fabulous and well thought by the author. The author of the book presents The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don’t.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Law of Attraction book is such an inspirational writing-a short story but with great themes to learn. This is just the start and am already enjoying the reading and learnt how to use Law of Attraction deliberately and make it work for me. I will not stop-the push to learn more and more, inspire others and build a non-formidable life foundation. I believe the right time is now and I am ready to beat the odds to realize my fullest potential.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it? \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Leadership for Dummies<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Dr. John Marrin the author of the \u201cLeadership for Dummies\u201d book teaches us how to be an effective leader and develop effective leadership skills based on team work and consensus building. The book explains that leadership is a human-centered skill that has to do with the ability to put other humans\u2019 needs above your own needs and the ability to listen and elicit cooperation. The author carefully depicts essential qualities that make one a leader and how to avoid common mistakes in differing circumstances to become successful leaders. The book showcases how to become influential by combining leadership skills to our existing talents in complementing our abilities and further explains how it helps to achieve the desirable in real life situations. The book is packed with many words full of inspirational- compelling read, both as a self-help book and as a leadership book. It is we alone who can bring the desired change.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. Leadership is embracing responsibility<\/span><\/p>\n

Leadership is about embracing and accepting responsibility to put other humans\u2019 needs above our own needs and the ability to listen and elicit cooperation. For one to be a true leader needs to accept the responsibility that comes with being a leader. Leaders ascertain skills and experience of the team members and help them disseminate knowledge to the society. Leaders learn from others to inspire them through discovering what other members of society can benefit the society as a whole.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. You are often a leader in your everyday life, even though you don\u2019t realize it.<\/span><\/p>\n

We are all leaders in our life though importantly we never recognize this. We offer leadership in our homes, places of work and in the community but we have never realized. Personally this is an eye opener on how I have previously embraced leadership in family and societal set-ups without realizing.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Leadership and Delegation<\/span><\/p>\n

The author has made me to discover that delegation is one of the core concepts of leadership and involves assigning responsibility or authority to another person to carry out specific activities. However, the person who delegated the work remains accountable for the outcome of the delegated work. Delegation empowers a subordinate to make decisions, i.e. it is a shift of decision-making authority from one organizational level to a lower one. Delegation, if properly done, is not abdication. In general, delegation is good and can save money and time, help in building skills, and motivate people.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Leaders maybe unwanted until needed<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains that leaders are not born but come in guises, they rise in response to a situation and are unwanted until needed. Leaders conquer the context the volatile, turbulent, ambiguous surroundings that sometimes seem to conspire against us and will surely suffocate us if we let them while managers surrender to it. In today\u2019s dynamic workplace, we need leaders to challenge the status quo and to inspire and persuade organization members.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. Leadership and Volunteerism<\/span><\/p>\n

The mission of Leadership and Volunteerism is to empower people to become effective leaders and active community members through participation in varied experiences, programs and services. Leadership and Volunteerism provides educational leadership programming and opportunities for persons to \u201cmake a difference.\u201d Through numerous programs and activities, leadership and volunteerism helps young person further develop their leadership skills, assists with personal growth through learning and connects them to volunteer opportunities in the local community and beyond.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Leaders need to shut up and Listen<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains that while some may be impressed with how well you speak, the right people will be impressed with how well you listen. Great leaders are great listeners, and therefore learn to talk less and listen more. The best leaders are proactive, strategic, and intuitive listeners. They recognize knowledge and wisdom are not gained by talking, but by listening. Great leader are very adept at reading between the lines. The best leaders possess the uncanny ability to understand what is not said, witnessed, or heard. If you want to become a better leader? Stop talking and start listening.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. Leadership and Truth<\/span><\/p>\n

Leadership that is not deeply rooted in a foundation of truth is leadership destined to fail. One can change his future by beginning to tell the truth today. Truth is a habit well worth forming. The reality is that the best leaders are also absolutists when it comes to truth they view truth as a non-negotiable. However in the wake of some of the recent, and highly publicized business, financial, and political scandals, it\u2019s not too difficult to understand how some may actually question the existence of truth in business or government.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book has helped me to knowingly start embracing responsibility and have realized the concept of serving as fundamental to leadership. Good leadership involves serving the organization or group and the people within it. Ineffective leaders tend to invert this principle and consider merely that the leader must be served by the people. This faulty idea fosters the notion that leadership as an opportunity to take: to acquire personal status, advantage, gain, etc., at the expense of others, which is grossly wrong. Leadership is instead an opportunity to give; to serve the organization, and crucially the people too. Leadership is centrally concerned with people. Of course leadership involves decisions and actions relating to all sorts of other things, but leadership is special compared to any other role because of its unique responsibility for people – i.e., the followers of the leader in whatever context leadership is seen to operate. I\u2019m changed and ready to be an effective leader.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cLeaders are trained by experience, their success, and most often, their failures.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Not everyone who’s on top today got there with success after success. More often than not, those who history best remembers were faced with failures e.g. Abraham Lincoln: While today he is remembered as one of the greatest leaders, they had first to witness their fair share of rejection and failure before they made it big.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYour old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The most recognized placed where this phrase is used it in the book of Joel 2:28 and in Acts 2:17. In the Old Testament book of Joel it is important to look at the context so we understand what the phrase means in Joel 2:28. The main theme of the book of Joel is God\u2019s judgment on both the Jews, who were God\u2019s people, and on the other nations. But God gives an opportunity to repent, to turn our lives around and live the way He wants us to live. God will keep the promises that he has made, and He will dwell with His people.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEvery French Soldier carries a marshal\u2019s baton in his knapsack\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This means that everyone has a desire to show his abilities and values. If the leader decides the solution of a question without discussing with other team member, the solution may not be understood by the members. On the contrary, if all members are involved in the process, they can get the key points of the method. What’s more, they will feel respects, so they realize that they are important part of the task and they will endeavor to finish the task.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are going.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the secret of human growth while going through these life challenges? Firstly, man is not like a horse wearing blinders so it can see only what is in front of its nose, going forward without any idea of what is going on.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf things go wrong I\u2019m ultimately the reason why. The failure is mine and no one else\u2019s; the buck stops here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

You are saying to people, \u201cIf things go wrong, I\u2019m ultimately the reason why. The failure is mine and no one else\u2019s.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you have enough confidence in yourself to accept responsibility for failure? If not, you\u2019ll have a hard time becoming a leader. On the other hand, the leader gets most of the accolades and rewards when things go well. No matter how hard your followers worked, no matter how modest you are, no matter how much you attempt to deflect the credit to your entire team, yours is the name that people will remember.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book was well understood though requires the will of the reader.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book did have practical questions for the reader to complete but required more time for practicing the readers will of power. The usage of science, religious, leaders quotes and thoughts in creating a story full of great themes and lessons is just fabulous and well thought by the author. The author of the book presents a wholesome solutions based approach to leadership. The author believes that we and we alone can open the door to change within ourselves<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Leadership for Dummies book is such an inspirational writing-a short story but with great themes to learn. This is just the start and am already enjoying the reading, the sense of self-discovery has started and I will not stop-the push to learn more and more, inspire others and build a non-formidable life foundation. I believe the right time is now and I am ready to beat the odds to realize my fullest potential.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 7<\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents? \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 8<\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Maximum Achievement<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Brian Tracy the author of the \u201cMaximum Achievement\u201d book explains strategies and skills that will unlock your hidden powers to succeed. Principles and practices that have been tested and proven by millions of men and women, and all great success is based on them. By integrating these ideas and methods into your daily life, you will feel happier, healthier and more self-confident. You will experience a greater sense of power, purpose and self-direction. You will be more positive, more focused and more able to achieve your goals. You will get along better with the important people in your life. You’ll be more successful in your career and you will feel wonderful about yourself. You will learn how to unlock the great untapped reserves of potential that lie deep within you. By practicing the exercises that accompany each chapter, you’ll get results out of all proportion to the effort you put in. You will propel your whole life onto a high-road of success, achievement and greater happiness than perhaps you’ve ever known.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. How to Succeed<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains that success comes with thinking through the set goals. Having a clear picture of how ideal lives and accomplishments would look like. One needs to envision the kind of future they want to create for themselves. This becomes a powerful motivator that drives them onward. The realization of the goals seems to flow from the exercise of establishing them in the first place. You have to decide exactly what “success” means to you. You have to decide what your life would look like if you made it into a masterpiece. You can only be happy when you are working step by step toward something that is really important to you.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. Doing things the right way<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the most powerful things you can do for yourself and your world is doing what you feel deep down is the right thing. Character is doing the right thing when nobody\u2019s looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that\u2019s right is to get by, and the only thing that\u2019s wrong is to get caught. If you do the right things in the right way, you’ll get the results you desire. If you can determine exactly what it is you want, you can find out how others have achieved it before you. If you then do the same things they have done, you’ll achieve the same results they have. By doing what you feel is the right thing you focus on creating a better outside and inside while at the same time you cut out less relevant stuff from your inner and outer life. So you become more focused on doing that is most important to you. And as with anything you tend to get what you give. When you give value to people, when you help them then they will often want to help you and give you value in some form. Not everyone will do it but many will. Not always right away but somewhere down the line. Things tend to even out. But most people wait for the other person to do something positive first. Don\u2019t get stuck in that wait that just causes frustration. Be proactive, create a habit of taking the first step, put in the extra effort and you tend to get good stuff back. Don\u2019t do it and you tend to get less good stuff back from the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Goal Setting<\/span><\/p>\n

You can’t hit a target you can’t see. You can’t accomplish wonderful things with your life if you have no idea of what they are. The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts. New and stirring things are belittled because if they are not belittled, the choice is yours. You can achieve anything you want in life if you have the courage to dream it, the power is within yourself. As long as you have certain desires about how it ought to be you can’t see how it is. If you want to have a high quality personal life, plan a high quality personal life. Managing your time without setting priorities is like shooting randomly. You can’t catch one hog when you’re chasing two.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Constructive Criticism<\/span><\/p>\n

The author brings out the idea of using constructive criticism to motivate ourselves to achieve our goals. Effective criticism should be positively intended, specific, objective, and constructive in order to achieve results. Feedback is around us all the time, whether it is said or goes unsaid. Let\u2019s be honest: no one wants to sit down and coach or be coached on performance, but sometimes it\u2019s necessary. When giving and receiving constructive criticism, both parties should keep the \u201cbigger picture\u201d in mind. Sometimes we get so stressed in our daily work flow we miss out on seeing this bigger picture. This can lead to negative thinking and noticeably affect our performance.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. The Law of Emotion<\/span><\/p>\n

What I mean by laws of emotion is best illustrated by the \u201cConstitution\u201d of emotion, the law of situational meaning. Emotions arise in response to the meaning structures of given situations; different emotions arise in response to different meaning structures. Emotions are dictated by the meaning structure of events in a precisely determined fashion. On a global plane, this law refers to fairly obvious and almost trivial regularities. Emotions tend to be elicited by particular types of event. Grief is elicited by personal loss, anger by insults or frustrations, and so forth. This obviousness should not obscure the fact that regularity and mechanism are involved. Emotions, quite generally, arise in response to events that are important to the individual, and which importance he or she appraises in some way. Events that satisfy the individual’s goals, or promise to do so, yield positive emotions; events that harm or threaten the individual’s concerns lead to negative emotions; and emotions are elicited by novel or un- expected events<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. The Law of Reciprocity<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains Persuasion by reciprocation is based on the law of reciprocity. It\u2019s considered by many to be the most powerful law of human nature. Basically, it states that, \u201cIf you do something nice for me I\u2019ll do something nice for you. I feel obligated to reciprocate.\u201d For example, if we go out to lunch and I pick up the bill, you almost always offer to pay for it next time. Next time we go out to lunch, you insist on paying for the bill.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. Motivation and Change<\/span><\/p>\n

The author carefully explains that change within your organization is not necessarily a physical alteration of your business, a wholesale change in the way your company brings in money, or a shift in how your business manufactures products. Organizational change can apply to culture, business strategies and human resources management. These no corporeal changes occur both in the minds of your workers and within the philosophies of how you, as the owner, choose to do business. Motivating your employees through an organizational change rests on your ability to create an environment conducive to higher spirits and personal empowerment.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book \u201cMaximum Achievement\u201d is a straightforward success manual with ideas driving towards maximum achievement, it\u2019s quite inspiring and has what makes successful people successful. The book is full of strategies to unlock individual talents and potentials based on personal development, goals setting, relationship management and motivation amongst others. I have personally started to implement these great principles and they have already started contributing positively to my daily life. I believe I have begun to accomplish wonderful things in my life and surely I\u2019m already happy. I now know that achievement does not come by chance but through conscious effort to succeed<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNo one can make you feel inferior without your consent.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We allow ourselves to be de-motivated; continue to work hard and believe in yourself. Nobody can make me feel good or bad. The feelings I have springs forth from within me. I control the way I feel in every situation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFailure is just another opportunity to more intelligently begin again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We all learn from our failures; never give up.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRule number two is that you can never expect anyone else to like or love you more than you like, love or respect yourself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Love yourself and always believe in yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou will rise to the height of your dominant aspirations for yourself. You will become what you most admire.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe only real antidote for worry is purposeful action.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Successful people are those who continually think and talk about the things they want. Unsuccessful people are those who continually think and talk about the things they don\u2019t want. When you think and talk about the things you want, you are calm, positive, purposeful and self-directed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBeware the siren song of old habits, of the comfort zone, luring you to stay where you are, holding you back from all the great things that arc possible for you. You must consciously and deliberately counter the pull of the comfort zone as you move upward and onward toward ever higher levels of accomplishment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Continue working hard and pull yourself away from the status quo. Learn and work to change the status quo.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn every business deal or transaction, identify the worst thing that can possibly go wrong, and then make sure it doesn’t happen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn how to mitigate risks before they happen.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book was well understood though requires the will of the reader.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book did have practical questions for the reader to complete but required more time for practicing the readers will of power. The usage of science, religious, leaders quotes and thoughts in creating a story full of great themes and lessons is just fabulous and well thought by the author. The author of the book presents a wholesome solutions based approach to leadership. The author believes that we and we alone can open the door to change within ourselves<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Maximum Achievement book is such an inspirational writing-a short story but with great themes to learn. This is just the start and am already enjoying the reading, the sense of self-discovery has started and I will not stop. The push to learn more and more, inspire others and build a non-formidable life foundation. I believe the right time is now and I am ready to beat the odds to realize my fullest potential.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8<\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Unlimited Power<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Anthony Robbins the author of the \u201cUnlimited Power\u201d book emphasis on how we can achieve the quality of life we desire and deserve, and how to master our life. The author tells us that by harnessing the unlimited power within our mind, we can do, have, achieve, and create anything we want for our life. This book is directed toward providing our brain with the most effective signals to empower us to take successful action. It is about maximizing our personal power, learning how to be effective and successful in what we do. The author explains carefully how simple methods can be used to develop oneself in applying practical principles to achieve great results and ultimate power. The results we get in life are determined by how we communicate to ourselves. In the modern world, the quality of life is the quality of communication. What we picture and say to ourselves, how we move and use the muscles of our bodies and our facial expressions will determine how much of what we know we will use. The book is packed with many words full of inspirational; compelling read, both as a self-help book and as a leadership\/management book. It is we alone who can bring the desired change.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. The ultimate success formula<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains and teaches on the steps for the ultimate success formula as knowing your outcome and precisely defining what you want, taking action, developing sensory acuity to recognize the kinds of responses you’re getting and developing flexibility to change your approach if you’re not getting closer to your outcome. The ultimate success formula was personally most important to me because it teaches me on how to plan to succeed. This is the approach to go by laying down calculated steps in achieving personal goals. I believe that if I keep trying, I will sooner or later be rewarded by achieving my desires. The lesson that others have tried hundreds of times and eventually achieves their goals. For every disciplined effort, there is a multiple reward. This idea has taught me to take action instead of being stopped by fear. I believe that this will provide me with an opportunity for me to produce results I previously had thought as impossible.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. How to take charge of and run your own brain and body more effectively<\/span><\/p>\n

The author brings out this as principle of personal management and explains our beliefs about what we are and what we can be precisely determine to be. The idea is important to me because it teaches me that if we believe in magic, we will live a magical life. If we believe our life is defined by narrow limits, we\u2019ve made those limits real. What we believe to be true, what we believe to be possible, becomes true, becomes possible. I\u2019m changed and ready to begin with the end in mind by stating with a clear understanding of my destination. Personally I can now carefully set goals, plan, and have personal targets that I\u2019m persistently working to achieve. I have already developed a personal mission statement which comprises of what I want to be, do, and have. We all need to stop representing to ourselves that things aren\u2019t going to work, they won\u2019t. If we form a representation that things will work, then we will create the internal resources we need to produce the state that will support us in producing positive results.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Discover what you really want in your life and communicate more effectively with others.<\/span><\/p>\n

The author has made me to discover what I really want in life and I\u2019m communicating more effectively with others without blocking compassion and I\u2019m persistently practicing it in my daily life. The book has helped me learn that it is the nature of humans to enjoy giving and receiving compassionately. Many of us use life-alienating communication that lead us to speak and behave in ways that injure others and ourselves. I have learnt what matters most in life is not the action we take but the reaction. The reaction will define outcome for every challenge we face. If we decide to walk away when challenge faced us or sit back and begin to blame others, we will end defeated. It\u2019s time to face challenges as an opportunity to learn new things. \u201cRapport is the ultimate tool for producing results with other people. It keeps relationships with others healthy and make life and work easier and enjoyable. Human relations is an important value that makes life enjoyable and resourceful.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Discover what motivates us, what we can contribute on a larger, global scale<\/span><\/p>\n

The author brings out this as Principle of interpersonal relationship and explains that one person\u2019s success doesn\u2019t need to be achieved at the expense of the success of others. In seeking Win\/Win, we never endanger our own principles. The result is a better relationship; \u201cnot your way or my way, a better way\u201dcreated by truly seeing from the other person\u2019s perspective.The principle entails working with others to achieve victory, cultivating a sustainable inter-personal relationship that brings about great effectiveness and productivity. The author teaches us the benefit of understanding other people as well as respecting their values and opinions and listening to them.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. Power of role modeling<\/span><\/p>\n

The author has made me learn the power behind modeling and shape or strive to be as good as our role models. Role models have worked tirelessly to earn and deserve their reputation-we need to role model them in-order for us to achieve the same. The principle of role modeling is given prominence in the Unlimited Power book, how one can actually succeed in modeling other successful people. But first, one must be absolutely sure of what one wants in life. God has endowed every last one with a complete fabulous body, all one needs to be successful in life. This power will help to unlock our skills, talents and potentials.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Control your Resources<\/span><\/p>\n

We are all blessed with different talents but what we lack the power to control over these resources. Many times we attribute our failures to lack of resources, whereas we are misusing the talents we are blessed with. We need to propel our thinking with goals that we strive to achieve, learn to carefully listen and communicate, have the courage to act, have respect and regard to other people, believe in ourselves, build confidence in all our undertakings and gain some degree in the way we use our talents.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. The difference that makes a difference<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the difference that makes a difference? I’ve been obsessed by that question for my entire life. People who succeed do not have fewer problems than people who fail. It is not what happens to us that separates failures from successes. It is how we perceive what happens and what we do about what “happens” that makes the difference.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The road to success is always under perfection and is an on-going process of striving to become more. With the help of this book \u201cUnlimited Power\u201d, I\u2019m able to realize good results and transform my life. Personally I can now carefully set goals, plan, and have personal targets that I\u2019m persistently working to achieve. I have already developed a personal mission statement which comprises of what I want to be, do, and have in my life awaiting the achievement of my greatest dream. The author brings out this as principle of personal management and explains our beliefs about what we are and what we can be precisely determine to be. The idea is important to me because it teaches me that if we believe in magic, we will live a magical life. If we believe our life is defined by narrow limits, we\u2019ve made those limits real. What we believe to be true, what we believe to be possible, becomes true, becomes possible. I\u2019m changed and ready to begin with the end in mind by stating with a clear understanding of my destination<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHe who knows much about others may be learned, but he who understands himself is more intelligent. He who controls others may be powerful, but he who mastered himself is mightier still.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Excellence can be achieved by perfection of our daily habits. Excellence is a sum total of daily habits if the habit is right, excellence is certain.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, success is not an accident.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The statement reminds us that to succeed in life is just a matter of hard work; anybody can succeed. Successful people have the habit of doing things failures don\u2019t like to do. If you want to succeed then you need to be disciplined.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe world we live in is the world we choose to live in, whether consciously or unconsciously.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

No one can dictate where to be born but we can control circumstances in where we are born by use of the unlimited power we all possess.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne can stand still in a flowing stream, but not in the world of men.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We need to be flexible when reaching other people and be ready to listen. The man who never alters his opinions is like standing water and breeds reptiles of the mind.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a strategy to produce just anything in life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The statement reminds us that to succeed in life is just a matter of hard work; anybody can succeed. Successful people have the habit of doing things failures don\u2019t like to do. If you want to succeed then you need to be disciplined.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cConsistency of a stimulus is a powerful linkage or anchoring tool. If you hear something often enough (like advertising slogans), there is a good chance it will become anchored into your nervous system.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are ways to see our biggest problems as our greatest opportunities; if only we can step out of our trained patterns of perception.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book was well understood though requires the will of the reader.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book did have exercises for the reader to complete but required more time for practicing the readers will of power. The usage of science, religious, leaders quotes and thoughts in creating a story full of great themes and lessons is just fabulous and well thought by the author. The author of the book presents a wholesome solutions based approach to both personal and managerial problems. The author believes that we and we alone can open the door to change within ourselves<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Unlimited Power book is such an inspirational writing-a short story but with great themes to learn. This is just the start and am already enjoying the reading, the sense of self-discovery has started and I will not stop-the push to learn more and more, inspire others and build a non-formidable life foundation. I believe the right time is now and I am ready to beat the odds to realize my fullest potential.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8<\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand? \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Nonviolent Communication<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Marshall B. Rosenberg the author of the \u201cNonviolent Communication\u201d book emphasis on an extraordinary language of how parents relate to children, teachers to students, and how we all relate to each other and even to ourselves. The book is a creative tool for peace, interpersonal relationships and negotiation skills; we learn to listen to others emphatically and communicate our innermost feelings in a way that relates others with our heart, connecting us with ourselves and one another in compassionate manner. The book is packed with many words full of inspirational- compelling read, both as a self-help book and as a tool for conflict solution. The author conveys principles and techniques that can change the society literally, but more importantly, they can change the quality of your life with your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your coworkers and everyone else you interact with.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. Nonviolent Communication Process<\/span><\/p>\n

The author brings out the four components of nonviolent communication i.e. observation, feelings, needs and requests that enable us arrive at the desire to give from the heart. When we practice these components it helps us to give and\/or receive and it helps us to be in a natural state of compassion. The process involves expressing honesty through the four components and receiving empathically through the four components. When we use non-violent communications in our interactions with ourselves, with another person, or in a group, we become grounded in our natural state of compassion. This is the ultimate approach that I have learnt to effectively apply at all levels of communication.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. Communication that blocks compassion<\/span><\/p>\n

I have learned how to communicate without blocking compassion and I\u2019m persistently practicing it in my daily life. The book has helped me learn that it is the nature of humans to enjoy giving and receiving compassionately. Many of us use life-alienating communication that lead us to speak and behave in ways that injure others and ourselves e.g. the use of moralistic judgments that imply wrongness or badness on the part of those who don\u2019t act in harmony with our values, use of comparisons, which can block compassion both for others and ourselves and use demanding language. The book has taught me that life-alienating communication obscures our awareness that we are responsible for our own thoughts, feelings, and actions.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Observing without evaluating<\/span><\/p>\n

The author knocks it clearly that many humans combine observation and evaluating ending up with criticism and resistance. I have struggled with this and you will often hear me critiquing or resisting to completely losing touch with others. The book is a wakeup call for me and has resented consciousness in myself and I hope stay with the process of observing without evaluating in-order to keep close connections with other people. I can now distinguish observations and evaluations.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Identifying and expressing feelings<\/span><\/p>\n

I have learned how some verbal expressions fail to reveal feelings which are the second component necessary for expressing ourselves. I have learnt and developed a vocabulary of feelings that will allows myself to clearly and specifically name or identify emotions and connect more easily with one another. Allowing ourselves to be vulnerable by expressing our feelings can help resolve conflicts. It\u2019s true that nonviolent Communication distinguishes the expression of actual feelings from words and statements that describe thoughts, assessments, and interpretations. This new idea was important to me because it reminds me to reframe how I have been expressing myself and hearing others. Instead of my habitual, automatic reactions, I will use my words consciously based on awareness of what I am perceiving, feeling, and wanting.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. Taking Responsibility for our feelings<\/span><\/p>\n

Judgments, criticisms, diagnoses, and interpretations of others are all alienated expressions of our own needs and values. When others hear criticism, they tend to invest their energy in self-defense or counterattack. The more directly we can connect our feelings to our needs, the easier it is for others to respond compassionately. In a world where we are often harshly judged for identifying and revealing our needs, doing so can be very frightening, especially for women who are socialized to ignore their own needs while caring for others. In the course of developing emotional responsibility, most of us experience three stages: (1) \u201cEmotional slavery:\u201d believing ourselves responsible for the feelings of others, (2) \u201cThe obnoxious stage:\u201din which we refuse to admit to caring what anyone else feels or needs, and (3) \u201cEmotional liberation:\u201d in which we accept full responsibility for our own feelings but not the feelings of others, while being aware that we can never meet our own needs at the expense of others.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. The Blame Factor<\/span><\/p>\n

The more people hear blame and judgment, the more defensive and aggressive they become and the less they will care about our needs in the future. So even if our present need is met, in the sense that people do what we want, we will pay for it later. Unless we become the change we wish to see in the world, no change will ever take place .This lesson was very important to me because it reminds me to first change myself before I shift blame to others. I have to change so that I can set an example for others to follow. I do not need to wait for the other person to change first. This idea is true to me-when I started changing as I started taking this course, my positive change had also a positive impact on my family, friends and other acquaintances. If we change ourselves we can change the world, and changing ourselves begins with changing our language and methods of communication.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. Control Anger<\/span><\/p>\n

Anger has a great power of destruction but it\u2019s calmed by a gentle word just as fire is quenched by water. Anger is more hurtful than the injury that prompted it. It is through anger one loses self-control. One then justifies the action saying, it is done with reason, but it\u2019s seldom a very good reason. This is the reason nonviolent communication is so important in conflict resolution. Blaming and punishing others are superficial expressions of anger. If we wish to fully express anger, the first step is to divorce the other person from any responsibility for our anger. Instead we shine the light of consciousness on our own feelings and needs. By expressing our needs, we are far more likely to get them met than by our judging, blaming, or punishing others. The four steps to expressing anger are (1) stop and breathe, (2) identify our judgmental thoughts, (3) connect with our needs, and (4) express our feelings and unmet needs. Sometimes in between steps 3 and 4 we may choose to empathize with the other person so that he or she will be better able to hear us when we express ourselves in Step 4.We need to take our time in both learning and applying the process of NVC.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

These powerful ideas and lessons are going to help me especially in my communication as a leader and in all my interpersonal relationships. I have begun teaching others the principles of nonviolent communication using examples from my personal life. These ideas will not only help me to improve my communication techniques, but they will also teach me to transform the thinking, language and moralistic judgments that have been keeping me from enriching relationships that I dream of. The ideas of nonviolent communication moving forward will provide an easy to grasp, effective method to get to the root of violence and pain peacefully and help to reduce hostility, heal pain, and strengthen professional and personal relationships. I will continue to learn and develop a vocabulary of feelings and needs that helps me more clearly express what is going on in myself at any given moment. I believe by applying these ideas will help and guide me toward a more loving, compassionate, and nonviolent way of understanding and functioning with others, and foster more compassion in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cDo not judge, and you will not be judged, for as you judge others, so you will yourselves be judged.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This statement caught my attention and was very important to me because it reminds me of the danger of judging others and I will stop judging them because it is God who will bring judgment to his people. One form of life-alienating communication is the use of moralistic judgments that imply wrongness or badness on the part of those who don\u2019t act in harmony with our values.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t just do something, stand there, that thought is the problem.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The statement reminds us that whenever we encounter problems. We should first seek answers from our own self, we need to realize that we have the capacity to control our life\u2019s and influence our habits. It\u2019s all in our character and the way we see the problem is the problem<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBig boys don\u2019t get frightened.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We need to continue playing hard for us to achieve without being afraid.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re the most gorgeous creature God ever put on the face of the earth. We are most beautiful thing God created in the world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe need Empathy to give empathy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This statement was very important to me because it teaches me that that if we become skilled at giving ourselves empathy, we often experience in just a few seconds a natural release of energy that then enables us to be present with the other person. When we sense ourselves being defensive, or unable to empathize, we need to (1) stop, breath, give ourselves empathy; (2) scream nonviolently; or (3) take time out.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet us become the change we seek in the world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This statement attracted my attention and was important to me because it reminds me to always set good examples of the change I want to see in others. I will avoid the saying<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo as I say but do not do as I do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I will continue be setting good example especially to my family in order to make it behave properly. I believe that these good examples will be extended to my community and so on.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I would like to understand more of the following words; \u201cWhat bores the listener bores the speaker too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book did have exercises for the reader to complete but required more time for practicing the readers will of power. The exercise were key in ensuring our understanding of nonviolent communication, they are also very helpful in shedding more practical examples that we easily connect with in our day to day life. The book encompasses usage of science, religious, leader\u2019s quotes and thoughts in creating a story full of great themes and lessons.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Nonviolent communication book is such an inspirational writing-a short story but with great themes to learn. This is just the start and I am already enjoying the reading, the sense of self-discovery has started, and I will not stop the push to learn more and more, inspire others and build a non-formidable life foundation. I believe the right time is now and I am ready to beat the odds to realize my fullest potential.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read? \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8<\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others? \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it? \u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Road Less Traveled<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

M. Scott Peck the author of the \u201cThe Road Less Traveled\u201d book covers such topics as the myth of romantic love, evil, mental illness, and the author\u2019s psychological and spiritual crises. The Road Less Traveled is a self-help book that inspires us in a unique manner and as well puts self \u2013discipline at the top of the list of values for a good life. For those who believe that there are no easy ways to enlightenment or even full mental health, that factors like commitment and responsibility are the seeds of fulfillment, then you belong to the world of psychotherapy. The author carefully explains on an analysis of a new psychology of love, traditional values and spiritual growth and how to solve many life\u2019s problems. The book showcases how discipline, love, growth and religion as well as grace influence our human values to achieve the desirables in real life situations. The book is packed with many words full of inspirational- compelling read, both as a self-help book.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. Discipline<\/span><\/p>\n

Discipline is the basic set of tools we require to solve life\u2019s problems. The author clearly puts it straight that without discipline we can solve nothing. With only some discipline we can solve only some problems. With total discipline we can solve all problems. Mastering the self-control is the answer to our problems. A person who has the ability to delay gratification has the key to psychological maturity, whereas impulsiveness is a mental habit that, in denying opportunities to experience pain, creates neuroses. Most large problems we have are the result of not facing up to earlier, smaller problems, of failing to be \u201cdedicated to the truth.\u201d The great mistake that most people make is believing that problems will go away of their own accord. This lack of responsibility will damage us in other ways. When it comes down to it, we shy away from real freedom and choice just as much as we avoid obviously negative things. Discipline is not only about \u201cgrowing up\u201d in terms of accepting reality, but in the appreciation of the tremendous range of choices before us.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. Neuroses and Character Disorders<\/span><\/p>\n

I never knew that these two conditions are disorders of responsibility, and as such they are opposite styles of relating to the world and its problems. The neurotic assumes too much responsibility; the person with a character disorder not enough. When neurotics are in conflict with the world they automatically assume that they are at fault. When those with character disorders are in conflict with the world they automatically assume that the world is at fault. Personally this is an eye opener on how I have previously experienced people surrounding me suffering from these conditions without realizing that they are disorders of responsibility.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Dedication to Reality<\/span><\/p>\n

The author has made me to discover that one of the technique of dealing with the pain of problem-solving, which must continually be employed if our lives are to be healthy and our spirits are to grow, is dedication to the truth. Superficially, this should be obvious. For truth is reality. That which is false is unreal. The more clearly we see the reality of the world, the better equipped we are to deal with the world. The less clearly we see the reality of the world-the more our minds are befuddled by false-hood, misperceptions and illusions-the less able we will be to determine correct courses of action and make wise decisions.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Discipline is a system of techniques<\/span><\/p>\n

The author defines discipline as a system of techniques of dealing constructively with the pain of problem solving- instead of avoiding that pain- in such a way that all of life’s problems can be solved. Four basic techniques have been distinguished and elaborated: delaying gratification, assumption of responsibility, dedication to the truth or reality, and balancing. In a single act, one may utilize two, three or even all of the techniques at the same time and in such a way that they may be distinguishable from each other.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. Love is a decision<\/span><\/p>\n

We tend to think of love as effortless, the free fall of \u201cfalling in love.\u201d While it may be mysterious, love is also effortful; love is a decision: \u201cThe desire to love is not itself love. Love is as love does.\u201d The ecstatic state of being in love is in part a regression to infancy, a time when we felt our mother and ourselves to be one; we are back in communion with the world and anything seems possible. Yet just as the baby comes to realize that he or she is an individual, so the lover eventually returns to his or her self. At this point, Peck says, the work of \u201creal\u201d love begins. Anyone can fall in love, but not everyone can decide to love. We may never control love\u2019s onset, but we may\u2014with discipline\u2014 remain in charge of our response. And once these \u201cmuscles\u201d of love have been used they tend to stay, increasing our power to channel love in the most life-giving and appropriate way.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Growth and Religion<\/span><\/p>\n

The book is inevitably about the other side of the same coin: the impediments to spiritual growth. Ultimately there is only the one impediment, and that is laziness. If we overcome laziness, all the other impediments will be overcome. If we do not overcome laziness, none of the others will be hurdled. So this is also a book about laziness. In examining discipline we were considering the laziness of attempting to avoid necessary suffering, or taking the easy way out. In examining love we were also examining the fact that non love is the unwillingness to extend one’s self. Laziness is love’s opposite. Spiritual growth is effortful, as we have been reminded again and again. We are now at a position from which we can examine the nature of laziness.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. Grace<\/span><\/p>\n

A surprise burst of peace, gratitude, and freedom, this is the highest point of human experience, fruit of a life of discipline and purpose.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book has helped me to knowingly start embracing self-discipline required to solve many personal life problems. The Road Less Traveled book is rich with the stories of real people. Some of the vignettes demonstrate the transformation of a life, but in other cases people merely refuse to change, or in the end can\u2019t be bothered. Does this ring true? It is in these less extreme cases that we are more likely to see our own quiet turning away from a bolder, richer life. Rather than the horror of a mental illness, the author says, most of us have to deal with the straightforward anguish of missed opportunities. Yet why is this so, when the rewards are so great? The road less traveled might be the spiritual path, but it is also much rockier and dimly lit next to the regular highway of life, on which other people seem happy enough. However, Peck says that to ask this question of \u201cWhy bother?\u201d we must know nothing about joy. The rewards of spiritual life are enormous: Peace of mind and freedom from real worry that most people never imagine is possible. Burdens are always ready to be lifted, since they are no longer solely ours.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot solve life\u2019s problems except by solving them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We must learn to accept responsibility for a problem before we can solve it. We cannot solve a problem by saying<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s not my problem.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We cannot solve a problem by hoping that someone else will solve it for us. I can solve a problem only when I say \u201cThis is my problem and it’s up to me to solve it.\u201d But many, so many, seek to avoid the pain of their problems by saying to themselves: \u201cThis problem was caused me by other people, or by social circumstances beyond my control, and therefore it is up to other people or society to solve this problem for me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It is not really my personal problem. The extent to which people will go psychologically to avoid assuming responsibility for personal problems, while always sad, is sometimes almost ludicrous.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNeurotics make them-selves miserable; those with character disorders make every-one else miserable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The author says that character disordered parents make miserable to their children. As in other areas of their lives, they fail to assume adequate responsibility for their parenting. They tend to brush off their children in thousands of little ways rather than provide them with needed attention. When their children are delinquent or are having difficulty in school, character-disordered parents will automatically lay the blame on the school system or on other children who, they insist, are a \u201cbad influence\u201d on their own children. This attitude, of course, ignores the problem.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe only way that we can be certain that our map of reality is valid is to expose it to the criticism and challenge of other mapmakers. Other-wise we live in a closed system.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This means that everyone should be open and responsive to life challenges and be ready to face criticism.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDilige et quod vis fac\u201d meaning \u201cIf you are loving and diligent, you may do whatever you want.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

If people progress far enough in psychotherapy they will.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book was well understood though requires the will of the reader.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book didn\u2019t have practical questions for the reader to complete but required more time for practicing the readers will of power. The usage of psychotherapeutic cases, science, religious, leaders quotes and thoughts in creating a story full of great themes and lessons is just fabulous and well thought by the author. The author of the book presents a wholesome solutions based approach to leadership. The author believes that we and we alone can open the door to change within ourselves<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Road Less Travelled book is such an inspirational writing-a short story but with great themes to learn. This is just the start and I am already enjoying the reading, the sense of self-discovery has started and I will not stop-the push to learn more and more, inspire others and build a non-formidable life foundation. I believe the right time is now and I am ready to beat the odds to realize my fullest potential.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8<\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8<\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others? \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it?\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Deepak Chopra the author of the \u201cThe Seven Spiritual Laws of Success\u201d explains the seven spiritual laws of success which form the essence of his writing. If the knowledge on the seven spiritual laws of success is incorporated in our consciousness, it will give us the ability to create unlimited wealth with effortless ease, and to experience success in every endeavor. We need a more spiritual approach to success and to affluence, which is the abundant flow of all good things to you. With the knowledge and practice of spiritual law, we put ourselves in harmony with nature and create with carefulness, joy, and love. When we understand these laws and apply them in our lives, anything we want can be created, because the same laws that nature uses to create a forest, or a galaxy, or a star, or a human body can also bring about the fulfillment of our deepest desires. The book is packed with many words full of inspirational- compelling read, both as a self-help book.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. The law of pure potentiality<\/span><\/p>\n

The author of the book explains that the field of pure potentiality is the silent realm from which all things flow, from which \u201cthe un-manifest is made manifest.\u201d In this state of pure consciousness, we have pure knowledge, perfect balance, invincibility and bliss. We can access the field of pure potentiality primarily through meditation and silence, but also through the practice of non-judgment and appreciation of nature. Once you know the field, you can always retreat to it and be independent of situations, feelings, people, and things. All affluence and creativity flow out of the field.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. The Law of Giving<\/span><\/p>\n

The author of this book explains that the best way to put the Law of Giving into operation is to make a decision that at any time you come into contact with anyone, you will give them something. It doesn\u2019t have to be in the form of material things; it could be a flower, a compliment, or a prayer. The gifts of caring, attention, affection, appreciation, and love are some of the most precious gifts you can give, and they don\u2019t cost you anything. If you give, give joyfully. If you want to be blessed, silently bless people by sending them a bundle of positive thoughts. If you have no money, provide a service.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. The law of karma or cause and effect<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains that the law of karma is about both action and the consequence of that action; it is cause and effect simultaneously, because every action generates a force of energy that returns to us in like kind. There is nothing unfamiliar about the Law of Karma. Everyone has heard the expression, \u201cWhat you sow is what you reap.\u201d Obviously, if we want to create happiness in our lives, we must learn to sow the seeds of happiness. Therefore, karma implies the action of conscious choice-making.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. The law of least effort<\/span><\/p>\n

The author defines this law based on the fact that nature\u2019s intelligence functions with effortless ease and abandoned carefreeness. This is the principle of least action, of no resistance. When we learn this lesson from nature, we easily fulfill our desires. The author suggests that when our actions are motivated by love, not by the desires of the ego, we generate excess energy that can be used to create anything we want. In contrast, seeking power over others or trying to get their approval consumes a great deal of energy. We are trying to prove something, whereas if we are acting from the higher self, we simply make choices about how and where we will affect evolution and bring abundance.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. The law of intention and desire<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the most complex law, and of course the most alluring. The author notes that while a tree is locked into a single purpose (to put down roots, grow, photosynthesize), the intelligence of the human nervous system allows us actually to shape the mind and the laws of nature to bring about the achievement of a freely imagined desire. This occurs through the process of attention and intention. While attention on something will energize it and make it expand, intention triggers energy and information and \u201corganizes its own fulfillment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. The law of detachment<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains that though you may have an intention, you must give up your attachment to its realization before it can manifest itself. We can have a one pointed focus on something, but if we are attached to a specific outcome it will produce fear and insecurity at the possibility of its not happening. A person who is attuned to their higher self will have intentions and desires, but their sense of self is not riding on the outcome; there is a part of them that cannot be affected.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. The law of dharma or purpose in life<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains that we have to take manifestation in physical form to fulfill a purpose. The field of pure potentiality is divinity in its essence, and the divine takes human form to fulfill a purpose. According to this law of dharma, you have a unique talent and a unique way of expressing it. There is something that you can do better than anyone else in the whole world and for every unique talent and unique expression of that talent, there are also unique needs. When these needs are matched with the creative expression of your talent that is the spark that creates affluence. Expressing your talents to fulfill needs creates unlimited wealth and abundance.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book has helped me to knowingly start embracing the seven laws of success that involves maintaining good karma in our actions and detaching ourselves from the fruits of success. When the nature of the universe itself is abundant, a life lived in poverty consciousness is a wasted life. The motive of the book is the unity of everything in the universe. Though it is overly concerned with \u201csuccess,\u201d perhaps the real theme is power. By becoming more open to that unity and perfection we assume more of its power, while the illusion of separateness pits us against the world, making us weaker in the process. The best personal development writing full of inspirational words.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cEvery action generates a force of energy that returns to us in like kind what we sow is what we reap. And when we choose actions that bring happiness and success to others, the fruit of our karma is happiness and success. Karma is the eternal assertion of human freedom.. Our thoughts, our words, and deeds are the threads of the net which we throw around ourselves.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe universe operates through dynamic exchange…giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow of energy in the universe. And in our willingness to give that which we seek, we keep the abundance of the universe circulating in our lives. This frail vessel thou emptiest again and again, and fullest it ever with fresh life. This little flute of a reed thou hast carried over hills and dales, and hast breathed through it melodies eternally new Thy infinite gifts come to me only on those very small hands of mine. Ages pass, and still thou poorest, and still there is room to fill.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOnly from detached involvement can one have joy and laughter. Then the symbols of wealth are created spontaneously and effortlessly. Without detachment we are prisoners of helplessness, hopelessness, mundane needs, trivial concerns, quiet desperation, and seriousness the distinctive features of everyday mediocre existence and poverty consciousness.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This may mean that without detachment we feel we must force solutions on problems; with detachment, we are free to witness the perfect solutions that spontaneously emerge from chaos.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone has a purpose in life a unique gift or special talent to give to others. And when we blend this unique talent with service to others, we experience the ecstasy and exultation of our own spirit, which is the ultimate goal of all goals. When you work you are a flute through whose heart the whispering of the hours turns to music. And what is it to work with love. It is to weave the cloth with threads drawn from your heart, even as if your beloved were to wear that cloth.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book was well understood though requires the will of the reader.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book did have practical questions for the reader to complete but required more time for practicing the readers will of power. The usage of laws or principles and thoughts in creating a story full of great themes and lessons is just fabulous and well thought by the author. The author of the book presents a wholesome solutions based approach to personal development. The author believes that we and we alone can open the door to change within ourselves<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success book is such an inspirational writing-a short story but with great themes to learn. This is just the start and am already enjoying the reading, the sense of self-discovery has started and I will not stop-the push to learn more and more, inspire others and build a non-formidable life foundation. I believe the right time is now and I am ready to beat the odds to realize my fullest potential.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand? \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 9<\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

John Gray the author of the \u201cMen Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus\u201d book explains that we all expect maximum fulfillment in our relationships at this time of history. However, our bodies and brains, and the roles we have played over and over many generations requires the understanding of our sex or gender differences for us to achieve greater success in our relationships. To wear the bright expectation of perfect relationships, unarmed with any knowledge of the basic differences between male and female thought patterns, is naive and unwittingly invites a saboteur aboard the relationship. The author doesn\u2019t focus on the nature or nurture debate. He just says that this is how men and women tend to act, and if we understand it there will be fewer relationship problems.The book showcases how sex differences influences our relationships. We are, after all, in the twenty-first century\u2014can\u2019t we see each other simply as people and not by sex? Or skin color or nationality or anything else? Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus reveals new strategies for reducing tension in relationships and creating more love by first recognizing in great detail how men and women are different. It then offers practical suggestions about how to reduce frustration and disappointment and to create increasing happiness and intimacy. Relationships do not have to be such a struggle. Only when we do not understand one another is there tension, resentment, or conflict. The book is packed with many words full of inspirational and is a must read self-help book.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. The golden key to better relationships is the acceptance of differences.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the old day everyone accepted that men and women were different, but the culture changed to the other extreme of there being no differences. It\u2019s time we see one another as people and learn to adjust our brains to these real life relationship issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. A woman aims to improve a man, but a man only wants acceptance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Her unsolicited advice is never welcomed, being interpreted as negative criticism. Rather than presenting a problem to a man, which is often taken to mean that he is the problem, a man should be approached as if he may embody the solution.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Men are focused on their competence and if they cannot solve problems they feel as if they are wasting their time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Women, on the other hand, actually like to discuss problems even without a solution in sight, because it gives them the all-important chance to express their feelings.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Women are like waves, rising to peaks, falling into troughs, then back up again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Men must know that the through time is when women need men most. If he is supportive and does not try to get the woman out of the trough immediately, she feels validated. In order to be motivated a man must feel needed but a woman must feel cherished.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. Men alternate between the need for intimacy and the need for distance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Men\u2019s going away into their \u201ccave\u201d is not a conscious decision but is instinctive. Women who don\u2019t know about the need for the cave and seek constant intimacy will see relationship turmoil. Like a rubber band, a man needs to stretch but will usually spring back.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Arguments quickly descend into hurt feelings about the way a point is being made, rather than it\u2019s content.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is the uncaring sound of the point being made that is upsetting. Men do not see how much their comments hurt and provoke, because they focus on \u201cthe point.\u201d Most arguments start because a woman expresses a worry over something and the man tells her that it is not worth worrying about. This invalidates her and she gets upset with him. He then gets mad because she seems to be getting angry at him for nothing. He will not say sorry for something he believes he has not done, so the initial argument goes into cruise control for hours or days.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. Arguments<\/span><\/p>\n

Men will argue because they do not feel trusted, admired, or encouraged and are not spoken to with a tone of trust and acceptance. Women will argue because they are not listened to or put high on a man\u2019s list of priorities.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus is a manual for loving. It reveals how men and women differ in all areas of their lives. Not only do men and women communicate differently but they think, feel, perceive, react, respond, love, need, and appreciate differently. They almost seem to be from different planets, speaking different languages and needing different nourishment. This expanded understanding of our differences helps resolve much of the frustration in dealing with and trying to understand the opposite sex. Misunderstandings can then be quickly dissipated or avoided. Incorrect expectations are easily corrected. When you remember that your partner is as different from you as someone from another planet, you can relax and cooperate with the differences instead of resisting or trying to change them. Most important, throughout this book you will learn practical techniques for solving the problems that arise from our differences. This book is not just a theoretical analysis of psychological differences but also a practical manual for how to succeed in creating loving relationships. The truth of these principles is self-evident and can be validated by your own experience as well as by common sense. Many examples will simply and concisely express what you have always intuitively known. This validation will assist you in being you and in not losing yourself in your relationships. Men and women are by nature very different, and that gender forms the core of a person\u2019s identity. In a nutshell before we can treat each other as individuals, we must take into account the behavior differences of the sexes.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cTo feel better, women talk about past problems, future problems, potential problems, even problems that have no solutions. The more talk and exploration, the better they feel. This is the way women operate. To expect otherwise is to deny a woman her sense of self.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJust as a glass of water can be viewed as half full or half empty, when a woman is on her way up she feels the fullness of her life. On the way down she sees the emptiness. Whatever emptiness she overlooks on the way up comes more into focus when she is on her way down into her well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When a woman is on the upswing she can be fulfilled with what she has. But on the downswing she then will become aware of what she is missing when she is feeling good she is capable of seeing and responding to the good things in her life<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn Chuck\u2019s mind, the more money he made at work, the lSess he needed to do at home to fulfill his wife. He thought his hefty pay check at the end of the month scored him at least thirty points. When he opened his own clinic and doubled his income, he assumed he was now scoring sixty points a month. He had no idea that his pay check earned him only one point each month with Pam no matter how big it was.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A man doesn’t realize that to a woman the little things are just as important as the big things.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book was well understood though requires the will of the reader.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book didn\u2019t have practical questions for the reader to complete but required more time for understanding the language of women and men. The usage of practical real life situations in creating a story full of great themes and lessons is just fabulous and well thought by the author. The author of the book presents a wholesome solutions based approach to relationships. The author also teaches on 101 ways of scoring with women.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The \u201cMen Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus\u201d book is such an inspirational writing-a short book but with great themes to learn. This is just the start and am already enjoying the reading, the sense of self-discovery has started and I will not stop-the push to learn more and more, inspire others and build a non-formidable life foundation. I believe the right time is now and I am ready to beat the odds to realize my fullest potential.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The 80\/20 Principle: The Secret of Achieving More with Less<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Richard Koch the author of the \u201cThe 80\/20 Principle: The Secret of Achieving More with Less\u201d book explains the alchemy of success in today\u2019s economic world, and is both a business book and exciting personal life guide. Koch refers to Joseph Ford\u2019s statement that while God may play dice with the universe, the dice are loaded. In showing us how the universe is \u201cpredictably unbalanced,\u201d the 80\/20 principle allows us to rig the odds naturally in our favor. Expressing and finessing our unique talents, rather than pursuing \u201cexcellence\u201d in something we do not love, is the key point. The great rewards never go to the merely excellent, but to the outstanding.The principle has been the mainstay of strategic management consultants and the secret of more successful companies. Its results may seem like magic for those not aware of it, because it defies conventional economic theory. Not surprisingly, it has also been termed the \u201cLaw of least effort.\u201dThe book is both a business book and a personal life guide.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. The twentieth century was about fitting in to large organizational structures by conforming well you became successful.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet Richard Koch shows us in The 80\/20 Principle that success now and in the future comes from being more yourself; if you are willing to express your uniqueness, you will inevitably contribute something of real value to the world. This has a moral dimension to it (Teilhard de Chardin referred to \u201cthe incommunicable singularity that each of us possess.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. Economic and scientific sense<\/span><\/p>\n

Evolution happens by differentiation, not by matching up to some general standard, and therefore the rewards of life will always go to those who are not simply excellent but outstanding.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. The 50:50 belief vs. the 80:20 rule-At an intellectual level, a ratio of 50:50 makes sense in relation to effort put in and results gained.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you put in a \u201cgood\u201d effort, you will get a \u201cgood\u201d result. If you \u201cwork hard,\u201d you can expect a certain level of reward. This is the mentality that has driven society for generations, and there is a certain merit in it in terms of maintaining societal coherence. A clear work\u2013reward equation creates a stable society, within which mediocrity is accepted and conformity rewarded.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. The new world<\/span><\/p>\n

The new world says that merely \u201ckeeping up\u201d will no longer be enough, that mere competence at something can no longer be rewarded with success. You must do something that comes easily to you and that you love, so that you have a tremendous advantage over others and can rise to the top of your field. Only this type of effort, which may not really seem like \u201cwork\u201d compared to what others do, will bring big rewards.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. In the 80\/20 world, unlike the old one, those who apply its logic can expect exponentially greater returns compared to input.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, that input must be of a uniquely high standard and reflect the uniqueness of the giver. According to the 80\/20 principle, it makes perfect sense that Michael Jordan could earn more than half a dozen basketball teams put together, because of the supreme skills displayed and the corresponding entertainment provided. Stars are earning much more now relative to the past (look at the top actors), but this is almost beside the point. Koch refers to them merely to demonstrate the applicability of his principle to all of us, that \u201conly by fulfilling oneself is anything of extraordinary value created.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. The 80\/20 Principle wants to improve on what it observes<\/span><\/p>\n

At its heart, therefore, the 80\/20 Principle is not just descriptive; and it doesnot glorify what it describes. It is prescriptive; it observes a failure to reachanything like an optimal<\/span><\/p>\n

state of affairs; and it points the way to greatimprovements in the status quo.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. The 80\/20 Principle<\/span><\/p>\n

For a very long time, the Pareto law – the 80\/20 Principle has lumbered the economic scene like an erratic block on the landscape; an empirical law which nobody can explain.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 80\/20 Principle can and should be used by every intelligent person in their daily life, by every organization, and by every social grouping and form of society. It can help individuals and groups achieve much more, with much less effort.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The 80\/20 Principle: The Secret of Achieving More with Less is both a business book and exciting personal life guide. The book explains that one has to put away skepticism and pessimism. These vices, like their opposites, are self-fulfilling. We need to have faith to progress. Realize that the future is already here and remember that progress always comes from a small minority of people and organized resources who demonstrate that previously accepted ceilings of performance can become floors for everyone. Progress requires \u00e9lites, but \u00e9lites who live for glory and service to society, who are willing to place their gifts at the disposal of us all. Progress depends on information about exceptional achievement and the diffusion of successful experiments, on breaking down the structures erected by the mass of vested interests, on demanding that the standards enjoyed by a privileged minority should be available to all. We must search out the 20 per cent of everything that produces the 80 per cent and use the facts we uncover to demand a multiplication of whatever it is that we value. If our reach must always exceed our grasp, progress requires that we grasp whatever a minority has reached and ensure that it becomes the minimum standard for all.<\/span><\/p>\n

The greatest thing about the 80\/20 Principle is that you do not need to wait for everyone else. You can start to practice it in your professional and personal life. You can take your own small fragments of greatest achievement, happiness and service to others and make them a much larger part of your life. You can multiply your highs and cut out most of your lows. You can identify the mass of irrelevant and low-value activity and begin to shed this worthless skin. You can isolate the parts of your character, work style, lifestyle and relationships that, measured against the time or energy involved, give you value many times greater than the daily grind; and, having isolated them, you can, with no little courage and determination, multiply them. You can become a better, more useful and happier human being. And you can help others to do the same.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe 80\/20 principle has helped to shape the modern world. Yet it has remained one of the great secrets of our time\u2014and even the select band of cognoscenti who know and use the 80\/20 principle only exploit a tiny proportion of its power.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cConventional wisdom is to not put all your eggs in one basket. 80\/20 wisdom is to choose a basket carefully, load all your eggs into it, and then watch it like a hawk.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe 80\/20 principle, like the truth, can make you free. You can work less. At the same time, you can earn and enjoy more.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book was well understood though requires the will of the reader.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book didn\u2019t have practical questions for the reader to complete but required more time for understanding the business aspects and numbers. The usage of practical business life situations in creating a story full of great themes and lessons is just fabulous and well thought by the author. The author of the book presents a wholesome solutions based approach to businesses, corporations and personal life.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201c80\/20 Principle: The Secret of Achieving More with Less\u201d is both a business book and exciting personal life guide with great lessons. This is just the start and am already enjoying the reading, the sense of self-discovery has started and I will not stop-the push to learn more and more, inspire others and build a non-formidable life foundation. I believe the right time is now and I am ready to beat the odds to realize my fullest potential.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8<\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8<\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 7<\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Gandhi-An Autobiography: My Experiments with Truth<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Gandhi’s autobiography, which he had titled \u201cMy experiments with Truth\u201d can be rated as one of the most popular and the most influential books in our history. It covers Gandhi’s life up to 1920. This bibliography covers his life, political campaigns, philosophy of nonviolence, and strategy of nonviolence, or Satyagraha. It also includes assessments of his historical significance and works on the Gandhian movement since 1948. The book sets Gandhi in his historical and political context, including material on his colleagues and contemporaries, the Indian National Congress, and how governments in South Africa, India, and Britain responded to his campaigns. Directed to English-speaking students, the work concentrates on English-language materials. It includes important works published in India, but stresses perceptions of Gandhi and his significance in the West<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. The need to belief in ourselves, we can all make it in life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mohandas Gandhi was not a great scholar, nor was he a great warrior. He was not born with exceptional faculties. Neither was he a good orator, nor a great writer. He did not claim anything exclusively divine in him. He considered himself an average man with average abilities. He was a mediocre student, shy and nervous. He could not muster courage to speak in public. His first attempt at legal practice miserably failed. The books inspires hope and demonstrates that we must do something that comes easily to us and that we love, so that we and can rise to the top<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. Realization of the Truth is the purpose of human life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gandhi was a humble seeker of Truth. He was a man with exceptional sincerity, honesty and truthfulness. For him, understanding meant action. Once any principle appealed to him, he immediately began to translate that in practice. He did not flinch from taking risks and did not mind confessing mistakes. No opposition, scorn or ridicule could affect him. Truth was his sole guiding star. He was ever-growing; hence he was often found inconsistent. He was not concerned with appearing to be consistent. He preferred to be consistent only with the light within. Gandhi’s autobiography is completely free from all this. It is marked with humility and truthfulness. He had not hidden anything. In fact, he is rather too harsh on himself. He did not want to show to the world how good he was. He only wanted to tell the people the story of his experiments with Truth, for Gandhi, was the supreme principle, which includes many other principles.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Transformation of the individual and transformation of the society<\/span><\/p>\n

They were not separate, unrelated things for Gandhi. Revolutionary social philosophies had concentrated on changing the society. On the other hand, spiritual seekers had concentrated on the inner change. Gandhi not only bridged the gap between these extremes, he fused them together. Gandhi was thus both a saint and a social revolutionary.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Unity of life was great truth.<\/span><\/p>\n

For Gandhi, his principle of non-violence stemmed from this conviction. Non-violence was not a matter of policy for him; it was a matter of faith. He applied the doctrine to all the departments of individual and social life and in so doing revolutionized the doctrine, made it dynamic and creative. He believed that a true civilization could be built on the basis of such non-violence only.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. Understanding the principle of Satyagraha.<\/span><\/p>\n

This means learning how to stick to the Truth and how to apply the knowledge of the Truth to everyday life. Gandhi tried to apply the spiritual principles to the practical situations. Gandhi did it in the scientific spirit. Sticking to the truth means Satyagraha. Gandhi therefore called his experiments as \u201cExperiments with Truth\u201d or \u201cExperiments in the science of Satyagraha.\u201d Gandhi also requested the readers to treat those experiments as illustrative and to carry out their own experiments in that light.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. The formula to help us change the world<\/span><\/p>\n

I now understand the formula to change the world by combining a positive mental attitude, definiteness of purpose, going extra mile, accurate thinking, self-discipline, the master mind, applied faith, a pleasing personality, personal initiative, enthusiasm, humility, truthfulness, controlled attention, teamwork, learn from defeat, creative vision, maintaining sound physical and Satyagraha which means learning how to stick to the Truth and how to apply the knowledge of the Truth to everyday life.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. Values of success<\/span><\/p>\n

The book draws out values of success through a positive mental attitude and how it creates power, riches, wealth and success through learning by seeing, motivating oneself and others, raising one energy levels and creating a usual power of happiness that drives one\u2019s imagination in realizing success.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The lessons drawn from Gandhi’s autobiography is that we need no self-praise, we need not criticize our opponents and boost our own image in other people’s eyes. We only need to live a life marked with humility and truthfulness. Realization of the Truth is the purpose of human life. We have to always strive to realize the Truth and to apply the knowledge of the Truth to everyday life. Transformation of the individual and transformation of the society need to be tied upon each other. Each one of us needs to belief in himself or herself and have hope to demonstrate that he can suffice from nothing to something. The so called modern civilization has led us to violence, conflicts, corruption, injustices, exploitation, oppression, mistrust and a process of dehumanization and it has led the world to a deep crisis. The earth’s resources are being cornered by a handful of people without any concern for others and for the coming generations. The conventional energy sources are getting depleted. Forests are being destroyed. Air, water, soil-everything has been polluted.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cExperiments with Truth or ‘Experiments in the science of Satyagraha. Gandhi also requested the readers to treat those experiments as illustrative and to carry out their own experiments in that light.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This means learning how to stick to the Truth and how to apply the knowledge of the Truth to everyday life.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book was well understood though requires the will of the reader.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book didn\u2019t have practical questions for the reader to complete but required more time for understanding the on the principle of Satyagraha which means learning how to stick to the Truth and how to apply the knowledge of the Truth to everyday life. Gandhi also requested the readers to treat those experiments as illustrative and to carry out their own experiments in that light.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book is more of historical and political context in the life of Mahatma Gandhi, including material on his colleagues and contemporaries, the Indian National Congress, and how governments in South Africa, India, and Britain responded to his campaigns.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8<\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8<\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 7<\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Assessment by: Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cFeel the Fear and Do It Anyway\u201d book by Dr. Susan Jeffers is a dynamic and inspirational write-up filled with concrete techniques to turn passivity into assertiveness. The book explains and teaches on how to stop negative thinking patterns and re-educate your mind to think more positively. One will learn: what we are afraid of, and why, the vital 10-Step Positive Thinking Process; how to risk a little every day; how to turn every decision into a \u201cNo-Lose\u201d situation, the negative chatterbox in your brain and how to create more meaning in our life.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. The fear will never go away as long as you continue to grow.<\/span><\/p>\n

Every time you take a step into the unknown, you experience fear. There is no point in saying, \u201cWhen I am no longer afraid, then I will do it.\u201d You’ll be waiting for a long time. The fear is part of the package.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. The only way to get rid of the fear of doing something is to go out and do it<\/span><\/p>\n

When you do it often enough, you will no longer be afraid in that particular situation. You will have faced the unknown and you will have handled it. Then new challenges await you, which certainly add to the excitement in living. The only way to feel better about yourself is to go out and do it. With each little step you take into unknown territory, a pattern of strength develops. You begin feeling stronger and stronger and stronger.<\/span><\/p>\n

Not only are you afraid when facing the unknown, so is everyone else-This should be a relief. You are not the only one out there feeling fear. Everyone feels fear when taking a step into the unknown. Yes, all those people who have succeeded in doing what they have<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Pushing through fear is less frightening than living with the bigger underlying fear that comes from a feeling of helplessness<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the one truth that some people have difficulty understanding. When you push through the fear, you will feel such a sense of relief as your feeling of helplessness subsides. You will wonder why you did not take action sooner. You will become more and more aware that you can truly handle anything that life hands you.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Change is one of the most exciting things that exists in our world.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rather than fear change, let\u2019s start to embrace it. Even revel in it. Let\u2019s start to look at all of the things that aren\u2019t working in our lives, one by one, and consider the changes that would transform them. And then, one by one, start to make those changes.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. Now is the time really, right now to dive into change, into the sea of possibility it creates.<\/span><\/p>\n

Trust that all the hard work will bring you some deeply-wonderful realities, like a greater sense of calm and happiness and a truer taste of freedom. If you can\u2019t dive in, that\u2019s okay. Tip toe, baby step, crawl if you have to. Just keep moving forward, no matter what, into what is already becoming your new and beautiful world. It\u2019s in your power to ignite this process. You just have to begin.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Feel the fear and do it anyway<\/span><\/p>\n

We surmount fears all the time. Many of us are scared to fly but do it because the joy of arriving at the desired destination is worth the struggle through the flight. Isn\u2019t that usually the case with fear, and with those things we\u2019re afraid to change? The outcome is worth the fight to get there.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. The need to acquire positive thinking\/Pollyanna Attitude<\/span><\/p>\n

We typically process pleasant items more accurately and efficiently than unpleasant or neutral items, and we tend to make positive judgments about a wide variety of people, events, situations, and objects.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve learned over and over again that when I resist making necessary changes in my life, life itself usually makes them for me. It gnaws and pushes and drags me out of my resistance, as I groan and claw and struggle to hold onto a reality I know needs transforming. This usually hurts a lot more than it needs to.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve found that it\u2019s so much more exciting (albeit still scary) to be the one initiating the changes in my life, than the one reacting to them as they\u2019re forced upon me. Whether or not we believe we are in control of our destinies, we are certainly in control of our choices, and therefore in control of the power to transform our lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Change is scary and hard but rarely as difficult as not doing anything. And much more rewarding. Let\u2019s make better lives for ourselves. One change at a time<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cFeel the fear and do it anyway!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We surmount fears all the time. Many of us are scared to fly but do it because the joy of arriving at the desired destination is worth the struggle through the flight. Isn\u2019t that usually the case with fear, and with those things we\u2019re afraid to change? The outcome is worth the fight to get there.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe less you need someone’s approval, the more you are able to love them..\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTaking responsibility means never blaming anyone else for anything you are being, doing, having, or feeling.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI will handle it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSecurity is not having things; it\u2019s handling things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time you encounter something that forces you to handle it, your self-esteem is raised considerably. You learn to trust that you will survive, no matter what happens. And in this way your fears are diminished immeasurably.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA self-assured woman who is in control of her life draws like a magnet. She is so filled with positive energy that people want to be around her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll my life I have never heard a mother call out to her child as he or she goes off to school, Take a lot of risks today, darling. She is more likely to convey to her child, \u201cBe careful, darling. This Be careful carries with it a double message: The world is really dangerous out there and you won\u2019t be able to handle it. What Mom is really saying, of course, is, If something happens to you, I won\u2019t be able to handle it? You see, she is only passing on her lack of trust in her ability to handle what comes her way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book was well understood though requires determination of the reader.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book did have practical sessions for the reader to complete which require more time.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book shares self-help ideas that expand our ideas of what is possible. The ideas learnt from the book make us believe in our dreams and think big\u2026 They get us all pumped up and excited, and so we start to think, \u201cI’m going to do this!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read? \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents? \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 9<\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it?\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Walden: \u201cOr, Life in the Woods\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Assessment by: Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book Walden: \u201cOr Life in the Woods\u201d talks on personal freedom; the emancipation from mental slavery as well the awareness of the nature. It\u2019s more of an actual experience of two years by Thoreau\u2019s Walden and illustrates the comparative of the life in the log cabin in the woods with Concord, Massachusetts, where he had lived most of his life. The author depicts the beauty of the nature and the idyllic life ensued, of walks, reading, watching birds, writing, and simply being that translates to soul searching, the solitude and individualism.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. The power in environment<\/span><\/p>\n

Walden was also ahead of its time in environmental sensibility. It roughly follows the sequence of the seasons. Thoreau enjoyed the winter (having built himself a fireplace and chimney) but particularly looked forward to the power and grace of spring\u2019s renewal. Nature was worth saving for its own sake, but few things were more instructive to the examined life than the trees, the water, and the creatures. In one classic confession he remarked, \u201cA match has been found for me at last: I have fallen in love with a shrub oak.\u201d In some of the more poetic lines, Thoreau conveyed a feeling of oneness with his environment.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. Happiness<\/span><\/p>\n

I think Thoreau’s primary lesson is that the truth in our lives and the things we feel we need to be happy can only be found through nature, both in environment and our own natures. He also proposes that much of modern society functions contrary to the nature of man, and thus mankind is becoming increasingly disillusioned and miserable. Thoreau teaches you to be independent of this, and simply to only follow nature to live a happy life. Instead of composing complex intellectual philosophies to muddy your otherwise simple life, be intuitive, trust your judgement, and march to the beat of your own drum.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Personal Freedom and Individuality<\/span><\/p>\n

Another lesson learnt from Walden is the power of Personal Freedom and Individuality. While many find it less stressful to mold themselves in accordance to what seems most acceptable and follow in other people’s footsteps, true visionaries stray from the beaten path and embrace their individuality.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Be Yourself<\/span><\/p>\n

In order to be yourself, you must grow a backbone and have thick skin. No one knows what makes you truly need to be happy other than yourself.When you are being yourself, it is easier to see what you want out of life and what is truly important to you. Think about how when you fall in love, whether it is in your work, your hobbies or that special person, the whole universe seems to be in tune to your feelings.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. Be one with nature<\/span><\/p>\n

The lessons drawn from Walden: \u201cLife in the Woods\u201d teaches us the need to be one with nature- a good and positive feeling of oneness with the earth and its life forces.\u201d It arises when \u201cthe human-nature relationship is spontaneous and mutually enriching. When it occurs, your perception of the boundaries between yourself and all else the thoughts and feelings setting you off from the rest of the cosmos seem to evaporate.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. The need not to be materialistic<\/span><\/p>\n

The number one problem with leading a materialistic life is that, however wealthy you get and whatever level of material comfort you achieve, you can always make a step up to even more grandiose products. This happens because the human mind is incredibly adaptable and any new possessions get quickly assimilated into normality. They essentially fade into the background soon after you get them. This is known as the treadmill of consumption \u2013 no purchase will ever bring you closer to happiness, it will simply speed up the treadmill to force to buy ever more expensive things.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why it is important to be yourself<\/span><\/p>\n

The most important goals in life are personal tranquillity and peace of mind, yet these objectives are very hard to attain so if you are trying to live by someone else’s rules. This is why you must be yourself and do exactly what you love in order to have a fulfilling and liberating life.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The distinction between you and nature breaks down. You become one with the universe. A reassuring sense of harmony and connection with the world infuses your consciousness. It\u2019s an experience that matches up with the knowledge of your own dependence on and connection to the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

The fact that people continue to conform each and every day just makes it more special to see someone stand out and ignore the standards of the masses. A true sense of ingenuity comes through that shows that this person is a leader and is dedicated to an elite lifestyle.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe commonly do not remember that it is, after all, always the first person that is speaking. I should not talk so much about myself if there were anybody else whom I knew as well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI see young men, my townsmen, whose misfortune it is to have inherited farms, houses, barns, cattle, and farming tools; for these are more easily acquired than got rid of. Better if they had been born in the open pasture and suckled by a wolf, that they might have seen with clearer eyes what field they were called to labor in.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMost men, even in this comparatively free country, through mere ignorance and mistake, are so occupied with the factitious cares and superfluously coarse labors of life that its finer fruits cannot be plucked by them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe finest qualities of our nature, like the bloom on fruits, can be preserved only by the most delicate handling. Yet we do not treat ourselves nor one another thus tenderly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Near the end of Walden there is the story of a beetle that emerged from an old table, resurrected after a 60-year hibernation, thanks to the heat of an urn placed on it. The story sums up Thoreau\u2019s philosophy, in that he felt that all of us have the potential to emerge from the \u201cwell-seasoned tomb\u201d of society, like the beetle, to enjoy the summer of life.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book was well understood though requires determination of the reader.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book didn\u2019t have practical questions for the reader to complete but required more time for understanding.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book is shares the reflections of a free spirit, deeply knowledgeable about philosophy and nature itself, sketched out against a background of great physical beauty and stillness. What better vacation for the reader\u2019s mind? The book invites you to become Thoreau\u2019s companion, enjoying the woods and Walden Pond as he does, and delighting in his commentary on people and society<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 7<\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand? \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 8<\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10<\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it? \u00a0\u00a0 8<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Don\u2019t Sweat the Small Stuff… and it’s all Small Stuff<\/strong><\/span>
\n Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff… and it’s all small stuff is a book that shows you how to keep from letting the little things in life drive you crazy. In thoughtful and insightful language, author Richard Carlson reveals ways to calm down in the midst of your incredibly hurried, stress-filled life. You can learn to put things in perspective by making the small daily changes he suggests, including advice such as \u201cThink of your problems as potential teachers;\u201d \u201cRemember that when you die, your In box won’t be empty;\u201d and \u201cDo one thing at a time.\u201d You should also try to live in the present moment, let others have the glory at times, and lower your tolerance to stress. You can write down your most stubborn positions and see if you can soften them, learn to trust your intuitions, and live each day as if it might be your last. With gentle, supportive suggestions, Dr. Carlson reveals ways to make your actions more peaceful and caring, with the added benefit of making your life more calm and stress-free.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. The way of perspective<\/span><\/p>\n

This book\u2019s real value is in its awareness of the crushing demands of modern life and the culture in which we live. We might feel good about the meditation camp we went to or our weekend walk along the beach, but its effects soon wear off and by Tuesday morning we are again driving fast, getting angry and hating our lack of time.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. How do we bring peace and perspective into the moment by moment of real life?<\/span><\/p>\n

This is Carlson\u2019s compelling question, and one of the refreshing things about his book is it tells you not to worry about having bad feelings. Don\u2019t try to get rid of them, it says, but do try to put them into a larger context.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Become an early riser<\/span><\/p>\n

Getting up long before his wife and children gives Carlson a \u2018golden hour\u2019 in which to read, meditate or think about the day in peace and solitude. Many people have told him this single act of becoming an early riser has revolutionized their life.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Relaxed people can be achievers too<\/span><\/p>\n

A frantic life of constant emergencies somehow seems to fit our idea of forceful, achieving individuals. Our idea of becoming more peaceful and loving seems to equate with a dreamy apathy. However, frantic thinking and constant movement leach motivation and real success from our lives. Carlson notes his good fortune at being surrounded by people who are gentle and relaxed, but who are outward success stories by any measure. If inner peace becomes your habit, there is ease in the way you achieve your goals and serve others.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. Don\u2019t interrupt others<\/span><\/p>\n

This is a surprisingly easy way to become a more relaxed, loving person.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Learn to live in the present moment<\/span><\/p>\n

Life is what happens when we are busy making other plans. With attention to the present moment, fear, being associated mostly with an imaginary future, tends not to exist.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. Allow yourself to be bored<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be afraid of the vacant moment. You are a human being not a \u2018human doing\u2019 so just be and consider if you are bored. You may be surprised at how it clears the mind (after getting over the initial discomfort) and provides new thoughts.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Our life is a reflection of our thoughts: Let’s ask us: Is there any way we can become even more loving than we already are? Can we fill our heart with more loving kindness? Can we, despite the fact that there are less than perfect people in our world, think loving thoughts about ourselves and about others? Staying calm, even in the most challenging situations, think positively and take the time to appreciate the important people in our lives and let go of our animosities. Live in each moment: When we learn not sweat the small stuff, we will find real happiness and peace of mind. Redefine a meaningful accomplishment: Instead of always thinking of an accomplishment as an external thing, ask yourself about the achievements you have made in terms of yourself. This could include, for instance, staying centered in the face of adversity. Be open to \u201cwhat is.\u201d The world is frequently not how you would like it to be. When someone disapproves of you, acknowledge to yourself that this is the case rather than automatically becoming emotional about it. After some time, things that once bothered you so much slip by without damage. In many ways, you are free of them.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBecome extremely patient: nothing can bother me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ask myself: \u201cwill this make a difference a year from now?\u201d (perspective)<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLife isn\u2019t fair: Accept It.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Do my Best with what I have and try to improve.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAllow myself to be bored (few minutes per day), to do nothing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ll relax.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWrite a heartfelt letter to someone once a week: express love and gratitude.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cChoose my battles wisely and accept imperfections.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t have everything perfect, don\u2019t fight\/argue on small stuff.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis too shall pass. Everything changes, it\u2019s just a matter of when!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Be grateful for what you have before it\u2019ll go away: maintain my perspective!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBe kind more than insisting on being right.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn doubt, it\u2019s my turn to take out the garbage.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I won\u2019t be taken advantage of.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSay something nice to someone (praise) at least once a day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFind the Beauty in every situation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t criticize and if I do, do it with style.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBe grateful when I feel good. And when I feel bad: accept it because those bad feelings too shall pass!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cConcentrate on what we have, not only on what we want: think positive, be grateful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll become what you practice\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Become aware and pay attention to what you practice!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s ok not to be perfect: you make mistakes and it\u2019s ok. You\u2019ll do better next time. Have no regrets: stay calm!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHave my time with no one to bother me, every day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn a 100 yrs, all new people Nurture a plan: love unconditionally.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo small things, without wanting anything in return.\u201d<\/span>
\n \u201cDon\u2019t always try to solve others\u2019 problems.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGive love more than wanting to receive it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAsk yourself what\u2019s really important?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMind my own business (don\u2019t judge).\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLook for the extraordinary in the ordinary. We see what we want to see in reality. Be Grateful!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLive this day as if it was my last, it might be. My to-do list will never be empty.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLife is precious. Life is too important to take too seriously.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t sweat the small stuff\u2026 And it\u2019s all small stuff!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

In summary, I found the book to be very well written, a thought provoking and all together a great motivational book.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This book was great. Fast and simple philosophies. Quick easy read without big words that make you feel like an idiot and have to Google the meaning of. Definitely helped me a lot and would recommend this read to anyone! This book really puts things into perspective and makes you realize your bad habits that make your life harder when you didn’t even realize you were doing those things to begin with. The life tips it gives you are all totally doable in any kind of busy person\u2019s life. I found myself implementing these ideas one by one day by day and found that I was definitely starting to improve my life and reduce the unnecessary stress in my life on a daily basis. Great read!!<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Although it looks quite folksy and simplistic, this book is grounded in cognitive therapy, which shows how closely feelings are the product of thoughts. By becoming more conscious of what you are thinking, you are in a position to change your thoughts and therefore your feelings. The layout of the book is such that it can be grabbed when you have a moment and opened up at any random page for the perspective or inspiration you need. If only one or two of the strategies stays in your mind, it will have been worth reading.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read? 9<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Art of Being Unreasonable<\/strong><\/span>
\n Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span>
\n 1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Art of Being Unreasonable\u201d by Eli Broad shares the unreasonable principles from negotiating to risk-taking, from investing to hiring that have made Eli Broad a success. From understanding \u201cthe value of being second\u201d to embracing the thrill of taking a risk, Broad shares the insights and practices that have propelled him to the top. Learn how to ask unreasonable questions, pursue the untried, relentlessly revise expectations upward, be restless, and most important, seek out the best in everything the best values, the best investments, the best people and the best in yourself. If you\u2019re stuck doing what reasonable people do and not getting anywhere it\u2019s time to get unreasonable, and see how far your next endeavor can go<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. \u201cHow applying unreasonable thinking can help you achieve goals others may tell you are out of reach, just as it has for me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Indeed, it is precisely that ability to reframe facts and ideas in novel ways that enabled Broad to buy his first car, a 1941 Chevy, with $200 he earned selling stamps purchased in bulk from Chrysler International. A New Yorker whose parents moved to Detroit “without my consent,” he subsequently graduated from Michigan State University in three years and immediately jumped into the world of business, becoming, at age 20, the youngest certified public accountant in the state.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. \u201cThe Value of Being Second.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot of value around being first in your business. The first person to come up with a hot product or service tends to reap a huge amount of rewards in the process. However, being first isn\u2019t always all that and a bag of chips. In fact, there are times when being second to the party puts you in a better position than being first. You have the opportunity to put your unique spin on whatever is \u201cfirst\u201d which could make it first.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. \u201cDo Your Homework No Matter How Much Time It Takes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Waste Time on Shortcuts they\u2019re Usually Dead Ends. On the other hand, when homework is done effectively, the end product will be better grades. If a student neglects to do homework, whether interesting or boring, it will show in their grades. Students who do apply their strongest efforts into their homework will ultimately contribute to better grades.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. How to work 24\/7 and still get 8 hours of sleep<\/span><\/p>\n

Sleep will enhance your memory performance and creative problem solving skills. You know, those things that make you smart. Sleep can boost your performance. And we all know appearance is a consequence of fitness. Eli Broad admits he was not great at the so-called work-life balance. But he helped himself with a simple rule: he never spent more than 3 hours at parties, museums, or meetings. He also never plays golf because it takes too long, preferring to make the same business connections at an early breakfast.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. The importance of negotiation<\/span><\/p>\n

It is far better to be a somewhat intimidating character due to your negotiating skills than it is to be looked at as a pushover at the negotiating table. Far from being a roadblock in future deals, the ability to negotiate will make people want to work with you.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. The Logic of Being Logical<\/span><\/p>\n

Through critical thinking, as I understand it, we acquire a means of assessing and upgrading our ability to judge well. It enables us to go into virtually any situation and to figure out the logic of whatever is happening in that situation. It provides a way for us to learn from new experiences through the process of continual self-assessment. Critical thinking, then, enables us to form sound beliefs and judgments, and in doing so, provides us with a basis for a ‘rational and reasonable’ emotional life.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. It\u2019s better to be respected than loved.<\/span><\/p>\n

Both are required but one should definitely be focused on more than the other. Effective leaders have the ability to make decisions that are right for the business, and for themselves, without worrying about what people may think of them.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

How to stand out Instead of how to act out. The idea of an author addressing how to act confident but not arrogant and how to act gracefully instead of graceless caught my attention. Broad\u2019s example may catch your attention, too, such as his retelling of his first job and how he got fired. The expressions are helpful for business owners running relatively young companies that are still feeling their oats. Broad offers his comments on applying judgment when you should be \u201cunreasonable\u201d and when you\u2019ve crossed a line:<\/span>
\n I also appreciated his approach to work-life balance. Broad has none in mind \u2013 he writes that his wife reminds him of it. But with that classic all-in work ethic comes a healthy awareness that his happiness is the merging of both lives. The best way to take control of your time is to know what you must do. Thinking that everything is important, that every request from other people has to be answered with a yes, will make 24 hours seem inadequate?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI passed the CPA exam at age 20 on the first try a test that took my boss and other higher-ups several tries to ace. As the youngest CPA in Michigan\u2019s history, I started demanding a raise. My boss didn\u2019t like that or my refusal to drop the subject and I was fired.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI also learned that confidence may get you one side, but overconfidence can lead to forget to ask yourself: What do customers want and need? That\u2019s the key to marketing. The answer we came up with and this is always the answer is value. No matter how much money your customer has, they still want value.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of them have also called me crazy or nut. But they\u2019ve all told me at some point that I was being unreasonable because my goals were unrealistic, my deadlines couldn\u2019t be met, my ideas were far-fetched, or my approach trampled on the conventional wisdom. But I believe that being unreasonable has been the key to my success.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m happiest when my work and my life feel like one and the same, not like two opposites to be balanced. I am a workaholic because I consider everything I do as part of my work. It\u2019s one reason I put our family name on buildings. I\u2019m proud of what I do in the office and outside of it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the past six decades I have had four careers: accounting, homebuilding, retirement savings, and philanthropy. I became the first person to build two Fortune 500 companies from the ground up in two different industries. The $6 billion I earned in business is now being used to help reform public education in America, assemble two world-class art collections and make them widely accessible, and provide critical start-up funding for cutting-edge biomedical research.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cVictory, as the old saying goes, has many fathers. People will flock to support you when you do well, but in the crucial early moments, and whenever you try to create something out of nothing, you will be on a solitary path blocked by obstacles and doubt.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Through my careers there has been one constant: a paperweight on my desk, a gift my wife, Edye, gave me some time after we were married in 1954 its inscription, a quote from George Bernard Shaw: \u2018The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends upon the unreasonable man.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

If there\u2019s an obvious criticism of the book, it\u2019s the title is a bit misleading. The book is not about being \u201cunreasonable\u201d but rather of being \u201cextremely reasonable, to the point of annoying less reasonable people.\u201d But of course, that would make for a cumbersome title.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book didn\u2019t have practical questions for the reader to complete but required more time for understanding.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Picking up The Art of Being Unreasonable is a pretty reasonable decision if you need inspiration in leadership. You\u2019ll find plenty of golden nuggets that suggest how a business owner can be tough yet fair in decisions and in life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read? 8<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents? 9<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThe Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations\u201d<\/strong><\/span>
\n Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span>
\n 1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Art of Being Unreasonable\u201d by Eli Broad shares the unreasonable principles\u2014from negotiating to risk-taking, from investing to hiring that have made Eli Broad a success. From understanding \u201cthe value of being second\u201d to embracing the thrill of taking a risk, Broad shares the insights and practices that have propelled him to the top. Learn how to ask unreasonable questions, pursue the untried, relentlessly revise expectations upward, be restless, and most important, seek out the best in everything\u2014the best values, the best investments, the best people and the best in yourself. If you\u2019re stuck doing what reasonable people do and not getting anywhere it\u2019s time to get unreasonable, and see how far your next endeavor can go.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. \u201cHow applying unreasonable thinking can help you achieve goals others may tell you are out of reach, just as it has for me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Indeed, it is precisely that ability to reframe facts and ideas in novel ways that enabled Broad to buy his first car, a 1941 Chevy, with $200 he earned selling stamps purchased in bulk from Chrysler International. A New Yorker whose parents moved to Detroit “without my consent,” he subsequently graduated from Michigan State University in three years and immediately jumped into the world of business, becoming, at age 20, the youngest certified public accountant in the state.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. The Value of Being Second<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot of value around being first in your business. The first person to come up with a hot product or service tends to reap a huge amount of rewards in the process. However, being first isn\u2019t always all that and a bag of chips. In fact, there are times when being second to the party puts you in a better position than being first. You have the opportunity to put your unique spin on whatever is \u201cfirst\u201d which could make it \u201cfirst.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Do Your Homework No Matter How Much Time It Takes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Waste Time on Shortcuts they\u2019re Usually Dead Ends. On the other hand, when homework is done effectively, the end product will be better grades. If a student neglects to do homework, whether interesting or boring, it will show in their grades. Students who do apply their strongest efforts into their homework will ultimately contribute to better grades.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. How to work 24\/7 and still get 8 hours of sleep<\/span>
\n Sleep will enhance your memory performance and creative problem solving skills. You know, those things that make you smart. Sleep can boost your performance. And we all know appearance is a consequence of fitness. Eli Broad admits he was not great at the so-called work-life balance. But he helped himself with a simple rule: he never spent more than 3 hours at parties, museums, or meetings. He also never plays golf because it takes too long, preferring to make the same business connections at an early breakfast.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. The importance of negotiation<\/span><\/p>\n

It is far better to be a somewhat intimidating character due to your negotiating skills than it is to be looked at as a pushover at the negotiating table. Far from being a roadblock in future deals, the ability to negotiate will make people want to work with you.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. The Logic of Being Logical<\/span><\/p>\n

Through critical thinking, as I understand it, we acquire a means of assessing and upgrading our ability to judge well. It enables us to go into virtually any situation and to figure out the logic of whatever is happening in that situation. It provides a way for us to learn from new experiences through the process of continual self-assessment. Critical thinking, then, enables us to form sound beliefs and judgments, and in doing so, provides us with a basis for a ‘rational and reasonable’ emotional life.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. It\u2019s better to be respected than loved<\/span><\/p>\n

Both are required but one should definitely be focused on more than the other. Effective leaders have the ability to make decisions that are right for the business, and for themselves, without worrying about what people may think of them.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

How to stand out Instead of how to act out. The idea of an author addressing how to act confident but not arrogant and how to act gracefully instead of graceless caught my attention. Broad\u2019s example may catch your attention, too, such as his retelling of his first job and how he got fired. The expressions are helpful for business owners running relatively young companies that are still feeling their oats. Broad offers his comments on applying judgment when you should be \u201cunreasonable\u201d and when you\u2019ve crossed a line:<\/span>
\n I also appreciated his approach to work-life balance. Broad has none in mind \u2013 he writes that his wife reminds him of it. But with that classic all-in work ethic comes a healthy awareness that his happiness is the merging of both lives. The best way to take control of your time is to know what you must do. Thinking that everything is important, that every request from other people has to be answered with a yes, will make 24 hours seem inadequate?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em>
\n \u201cI passed the CPA exam at age 20 on the first try. A test that took my boss and other higher-ups several tries to ace. As the youngest CPA in Michigan\u2019s history, I started demanding a raise. My boss didn\u2019t like that or my refusal to drop the subject and I was fired.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI also learned that confidence may get you one side, but overconfidence can lead to forget to ask yourself: What do customers want and need? That\u2019s the key to marketing. The answer we came up with \u2013 and this is always the answer \u2013 is value. No matter how much money your customer has, they still want value.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of them have also called me crazy or nut. But they\u2019ve all told me at some point that I was being unreasonable because my goals were unrealistic, my deadlines couldn\u2019t be met, my ideas were far-fetched, or my approach trampled on the conventional wisdom. But I believe that being unreasonable has been the key to my success.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m happiest when my work and my life feel like one and the same, not like two opposites to be balanced. I am a workaholic because I consider everything I do as part of my work. It\u2019s one reason I put our family name on buildings. I\u2019m proud of what I do in the office and outside of it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the past six decades I have had four careers: accounting, homebuilding, retirement savings, and philanthropy. I became the first person to build two Fortune 500 companies from the ground up in two different industries. The $6 billion I earned in business is now being used to help reform public education in America, assemble two world-class art collections and make them widely accessible, and provide critical start-up funding for cutting-edge biomedical research.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cVictory, as the old saying goes, has many fathers. People will flock to support you when you do well, but in the crucial early moments, and whenever you try to create something out of nothing, you will be on a solitary path blocked by obstacles and doubt.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThrough my careers there has been one constant: a paperweight on my desk, a gift my wife, Edye, gave me some time after we were married in 1954 its inscription, a quote from George Bernard Shaw: \u2018The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends upon the unreasonable man.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

If there\u2019s an obvious criticism of the book, it\u2019s the title is a bit misleading. The book is not about being \u201cunreasonable\u201d but rather of being \u201cextremely reasonable, to the point of annoying less reasonable people.\u201d But of course, that would make for a cumbersome title.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book didn\u2019t have practical questions for the reader to complete but required more time for understanding.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Picking up The Art of Being Unreasonable is a pretty reasonable decision if you need inspiration in leadership. You\u2019ll find plenty of golden nuggets that suggest how a business owner can be tough yet fair in decisions and in life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read? 8<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents? 9<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This Child will be Great<\/strong><\/span>
\n Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span>
\n 1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The first thing to be said about Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s book \u201cThis Child Will be Great\u201d is that it is exceptionally well written, a true story that seems as much a thriller as it does the remembrances of an ambitious and brave woman. The narrative begins in the late 1930s and early 1940s, in the ramshackle town of Monrovia, Liberia, with young Ellen and her family living in a \u201ctwo-story concrete structure with coconut trees growing in the yard.\u201d It ends with Johnson Sirleaf’s inauguration on January 16, 2006, as Africa’s first elected woman president in that same city, now, \u201cthe bruised and battered capital of a bruised and battered land.\u201d This book is the memoir of a remarkable life. Sirleaf tells the story of her rise to power; the struggles she encountered, the sacrifices she made and also chronicles Liberia\u2019s history. She explains the origin of the alienation between the Americo-Liberians (or the settlers) and the indigenous people that set stage for the disasters that befell the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. Resilience<\/span><\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t matter whether you are man or woman, determination, courage and resilience is all we need to be great as illustrated by the life of Sirleaf, the 23rd president of Liberia and the first elected female president on the African continent, among the 100 Most Powerful Women in 2008. In and out of government, in and out of exile, but consistent in her commitment to Liberia, Sirleaf in her memoir reveals herself to be among the most resilient, determined and courageous as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. Never give up<\/span><\/p>\n

Sirleaf explains that even though on her birth, an old man had prophesied she would be great, her life seemed to have been set up to be anything but great. It always seemed to be one disaster after another. If she wasn\u2019t struggling to get out of an abusive marriage, she was leaving her four sons behind to pursue an education in America, trying to get out of jail after being incarcerated by her president or living in exile. Through it all though, she refused to give up, encouraging people around her especially women to never settle for less.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Write your own eulogy with no sugar coat when alive<\/span><\/p>\n

Sirleaf does not at all mince her words, telling near embarrassing personal stories that I imagined she would otherwise not have shared. In retrospect, I see this was her method of drawing the reader\u2019s attention to her struggles and their role in her eventual successes. This also explains why she often got into trouble with the government of Liberia. She was never one to see injustice and keep quiet. Once, while she worked at the Treasury Department, she was invited to speak at a conference on Liberia\u2019s economic future and a part of her speech went something like this: \u201cLiberia will never move forward unless the government stops stealing the country\u2019s resources.\u201d I imagined a young divorced African woman making these audacious remarks and I knew then that Ellen Johnson Sirleaf truly is a force to be reckoned with.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. The strength of a woman<\/span><\/p>\n

The book tells us about the early beginnings of a young woman in a city of Monrovia that looked more like a village with dusty and rocky roads, with few cars and closely-knit neighborhoods under a political system run by an iron-fist godfather-like dictator called William V. S. Tubman. The book unravels the many aspects of the family life of the young woman who describes herself as a tomboy, kicking tennis balls in streets soccer matches with boys or leading her school volleyball teams. Like every young person, she faces personal complexes, hers is about physical identity: she prayed every night before going to bed that God would somehow darken her skin in her sleep so that her friends would stop taunting her about her fair complexion that made her look European in a country that invented Afro-centrism before its time.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. Courage<\/span><\/p>\n

Without courage, leaders do not stand up for what is right in the face of opposition and personal risk or threat to themselves. They do not oppose or they tolerate wrongdoing or dishonesty when they know in their hearts that they should.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Compassion<\/span><\/p>\n

Without compassion, leaders forget that it is people that make up a country. Citizens have feelings and psychological needs that are frequently ignored or disregarded in many Africa countries today and, as a result, we set lower expectations for ourselves and become de-motivated when we do not feel respected or valued as human beings.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. Mama Sirleaf<\/span><\/p>\n

This timely book, essential for anyone who hopes to understand West Africa in general and Liberia in particular, is a lesson in courage and perseverance. This reader finished it hoping that the rest of Africa’s troubled nations will find their own versions of Mama Sirleaf. The quote is important as it points out that women can make it to be president in Africa, Ellen Sirleaf is just the first example.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Without resilience, leaders are more likely to disconnect from their humanity and succumb to stress and negative behaviors that put unreasonable pressure and stress on others and on themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

Moreover, giving up on life is literally the most illogical thing a person could ever do. If you\u2019re giving up on your life then I\u2019m afraid you\u2019re one of the dumbest people on the planet. Sure, life will throw you curveballs almost religiously, but whether you choose to swing the bat or walk back to the bench is entirely up to you. Life isn\u2019t supposed to be entirely pleasant \u2013 it never will be, for anyone ever. You will always find yourself pushing ahead against resistance and that will never change. If it feels like things get easier as you get older, it\u2019s only because you aren\u2019t pushing as hard as you used to.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

One could be tempted to quote from the book in reviewing it, but in this case, that could lead to quoting the entire story, because there are so many strong moments, exhilarating, chilling or simply plunging us into deep reflection. The narrative sometimes takes the allures of a novel and it is hard to put it down once started. But to mention a few.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDoe got greedy and the people around him got greedy too, and collectively they began to feed off the state’s largess like a pack of hyenas.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The quote is important as it demonstrates the state of corruption in many African countries is prime and killing our nations day by day.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cProdding me with their fingers, the soldiers ordered me from the Jeep,” she writes. “I turned and looked at [one soldier], straight into his eyes. I was trying to connect with him — as a person, as a human being, as a woman old enough to be his mother or his aunt. I wanted him to really see me; for soldiers in a war, it is so easy not to see.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The quote is important as it demonstrates the strength of a woman that all men fear.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPresident Ronald Reagan, seeing Liberia as an important cold War ally, propped up the murderous Doe for years, going so far as to invite him to the White House in 1982, where he was “warmly greeted by the president as Chairman Moe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The quote is important as it demonstrates the influence of the west and the power play that has supported corrupt regimes in Africa.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

In summary, I found the book to be very well written, a thought provoking and all together a great motivational book. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf\u2019s story is truly inspiring.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book didn\u2019t have practical questions for the reader to complete but required more time for understanding.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The story functions at many levels, sometimes as an intimate biography, at times as historical document and\/or socio-economic analysis. As if to set the stage, the prologue is about Liberia as a nation and the final chapter is the inaugural speech of the president when she ascended to the high office in 2006. In between, the author leaves no dark corner of her life, writing about herself and the nation with the frankness that got her in trouble so many times. A page-turner, this book is a must read for every Liberian who wants to know and understand what made the nation what it is today; how its various government functioned and a great entertainment for anyone who wants to read a powerful story.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\n B. How helpful were the contents? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\n C. How easy was it to understand? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\n D. Would you recommend it to others? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\n E. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Long Walk to Freedom: An Autobiography of Nelson Mandela<\/strong><\/span>
\nAssessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Long Walk to Freedom\u201d, the autobiography of Nelson Mandela, describes the South African antiapartheid struggle. Nelson Mandela was not a South African freedom \ufb01ghter; he was a fighter for justice, not just for South Africa. The book carefully details the life and experiences of Nelson Mandela and how he removed those apartheid chains that killed the African community.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. Peaceful Transition<\/span><\/p>\n

This book teaches us that we don\u2019t have to use weapons and violence to bring about a peaceful transition to democracy. Nelson Mandela picked up a different one. Mandela is credited with having said: \u201cEducation is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.\u201d Mandela\u2019s life is a lesson in Ubuntu. He taught that: \u201cNo one is born hating another person for the color of his skin or his background or religion. People must learn to hate and if they can learn to hate they can be taught to love for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. Separation is an enemy of humanity<\/span><\/p>\n

The lesson I draw from Mandela\u2019s life is that separation remains the true common enemy of humanity. I have been contemplating Mandela\u2019s capacity for creating unity and I cannot help but reflect on how divided the world\u2019s leaders seem to be when it comes to resolving the important issues of our time. Precisely at a time when collective action and unifying leadership is more essential than ever to address climate change and the other pressing problems facing the world we remain too far apart. Mandela stepped down from his Presidency after only one term. His leadership was not about possessing power rather it was about empowering people. He stepped down perhaps because he expected all of us to step up.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. To be a leader requires courage<\/span><\/p>\n

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Education holds the key to freedom<\/span><\/p>\n

As I was reading through these blinks, the theme of violence vs. non-violence kept coming up. It probably feels natural to focus on the violent protests and Nelson Mandela\u2019s attitude towards violence as a justified means in desperate times, but if you look beyond those, you\u2019ll see that Nelson Mandela was as committed to education as very few people are. He studied so hard that he finished his junior certificate at Healdtown College within two years, instead of the usual three. At 19 years old, he then attended Fort Hare College, where he studied English, politics, anthropology, native administration and law.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. The only way to be remembered is to learn to challenge authority<\/span><\/p>\n

We don\u2019t remember the yes-men and the quiet followers, we remember the rebels, the ruckus-causers, the troublemakers. If you want to be remembered after your gone, you\u2019ll have to learn to challenge what\u2019s the norm.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Celebrate the small victories<\/span><\/p>\n

As an entrepreneur, daily life can be pretty exhausting, with small setbacks seemingly amplified by our minds. It is pretty important to celebrate the small milestones \u2013 a big client sign up, certain number of users reached, or even a colleague\u2019s birthday. This can boost the morale and set you up for the next few days.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. Learn to let go<\/span><\/p>\n

Mandela watched helplessly as life passes him by in his 27 years imprisonment. His mother, who he looked up to, passed away. His first-born son, who he was very attached to was killed in a road accident and despite his requests to attend the funeral, was not allowed to do so. There are things you can control, and then there are things that are out of your control. You can\u2019t change the mind of a customer who canceled the contract at the invoicing stage; you can\u2019t change the mind of an employee who decides to quit your startup and take up a cushy job at a corporate; let it go. Look at the things you can control; they need your attention desperately.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Let your experiences make you better, not bitter- Winnie became bitter, angry and hostile against the Afrikaners, inciting the party members to extreme violence, putting the social fabric at risk. Nelson sought lasting solutions, not just revenge. They finally parted ways, with Nelson taking control of the ANC and saying that he still loved the Winnie he fell in love with, not the person she had become. Who would want to trade that away for anything? Get better, not bitter \u2013 no matter the outcome of your life. Our life is a reflection of our thoughts. Let’s ask us: Is there any way we can become even more loving than we already are? Can we fill our heart with more loving kindness? Can we, despite the fact that there are less than perfect people in our world, think loving thoughts about ourselves and about others?<\/span><\/p>\n

Staying calm, even in the most challenging situations, think positively and take the time to appreciate the important people in our lives and let go of our animosities. Live in each moment; when we learn not sweat the small stuff, we will find real happiness and peace of mind. Redefine a meaningful accomplishment. Instead of always thinking of an accomplishment as an external thing, ask yourself about the achievements you have made in terms of yourself. This could include, for instance, staying centered in the face of adversity. Be open to \u201cwhat is.\u201d The world is frequently not how you would like it to be. When someone disapproves of you, acknowledge to yourself that this is the case rather than automatically becoming emotional about it. After some time, things that once bothered you so much slip by without damage. In many ways, you are free of them.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cA man who takes away another man\u2019s freedom is a prisoner of hatred, he is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. I am not truly free if I am taking away someone else\u2019s freedom, just as surely as I am not free when my freedom is taken from me. The oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity. For to be free is not merely to cast off one\u2019s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

In summary, I found the book to be very well written with the lesson on fundamental understanding of the equal worth of all humanity and the need for compassion in equal measures.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This book was great. Fast and simple philosophies. Quick easy read without big words that make you feel like an idiot and have to Google the meaning of. Definitely helped me a lot and would recommend this book a must read to everyone!<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book comes with a greater a lesson of commitment as Nelson Mandela put it \u201cI have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can rest only for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not yet ended.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nB. How helpful were the contents? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nC. How easy was it to understand? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nD. Would you recommend it to others? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nE. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Naked and the Dead<\/strong><\/span>
\nAssessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Author of Naked and the Dead focuses on both war and peace as its narrative moves back and forth between the battle on Anopopei and the lives of many of the men prior to the war. The author is able to discern how the war has changed the lives of these men and the ones that they have left behind in the United States. The book captures more on victim and victimization on the island, General Cummings and Sergeant Croft are victimizers; they are so insecure and power-hungry that they will risk the lives of their men to insure their absolute power. This results in the victimization of their men and ultimately causes the death of some. The brilliant and ruthless General Cummings exercises a tyrannical control over his men.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. War and Peace<\/span><\/p>\n

The Naked and the Dead focuses on both war and peace as its narrative moves back and forth between the battle on Anopopei and the lives of many of the men prior to the war. The reader is able to discern how the war has changed the lives of these men and the ones that they have left behind in the United States.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. Loneliness and Friendship<\/span><\/p>\n

The theme of loneliness also reoccurs within the novel. Away from their family and friends at home, the soldiers are constantly lonely. The men in their ranks are of different social classes, races, and religions. Often, the men struggle finding commonalities between them. They long for women and deeper friendships.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Victim and Victimization<\/span><\/p>\n

In a war novel, it makes sense that the theme of victimization would be a recurring one throughout the story. On the island, General Cummings and Sergeant Croft are victimizers; they are so insecure and power-hungry that they will risk the lives of their men to insure their absolute power. This results in the victimization of their men and ultimately causes the death of some. The brilliant and ruthless General Cummings exercises a tyrannical control over his men.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Courage and Cowardice<\/span><\/p>\n

Valsen and Hearn exhibit courage when they struggle to preserve their personal dignity and the lives of the men around them; even when faced with personal vendettas and impossible circumstances. Valsen does not back down from his challenge to Croft on Mount Anaka until the Sergeant threatens to shoot him. Hearn accepts the challenge of leading the men into dangerous territory. The other soldiers in the platoon must also struggle with feelings of courage and cowardice. Some, like Goldstein and Ridges, successfully combat their overwhelming fatigue and sense of insecurity as they continue the arduous task of returning the wounded Wilson to the beach. Others find any way they can to avoid the terrors of war and preserve their sanity in such a chaotic situation.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. Nakedness<\/span><\/p>\n

Mailer, in his distinctive realist style, undresses the characters and reveals the material conditions behind their motivations and fears. Mailer shows how the soldiers elected to join the Army: not out of patriotism, but because of the lack of opportunities at home.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Death is near<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNobody could sleep. When morning came, assault craft would be lowered and a first wave of troops would ride through the surf and charge ashore on the beach at Anopopei. All over the ship, all through the convoy, there was a knowing that in a few hours some of them were going to be dead.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. Material objects<\/span><\/p>\n

I learned, \u201cThe more things you own, the more things you need to keep you comfortable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book exposes more of what goes along in many wars probably the 2nd World war. The novel deals with the difficulties of the campaign, the danger posed by the Japanese, the conflict between officers and regulars, each man’s own internal conflicts and fears, and the aggression between squad members. The men suffer physical hardship and even casualties, but there is little mourning or kindness. There is no mercy shown to the Japanese.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can indulge your righteous rage but the things it comes out of are pretty cheap. The trick is to make yourself an instrument of your own policy. Whether you like it or not, that’s the highest effectiveness man has achieved.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve seen too many movies. If you\u2019re holding a gun and you shoot a defenseless man, then you\u2019re a poor creature, a dastardly person. That\u2019s a perfectly ridiculous idea, you realize. The fact that you\u2019re holding the gun and the other man is not is no accident. It\u2019s a product of everything you\u2019ve achieved, it assumes that if you\u2019re; you\u2019re aware enough, you have the gun when you need it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEverything was damp and rife and hot as though the jungle were an immense collection of oily rags growing hotter and hotter under the dark stifling vaults of a huge warehouse. Heat licked at everything, and the foliage, responding, grew to prodigious sizes. In the depths, in the heat and the moisture, it was never silent. The birds cawed, the small animals and occasional snakes rustled and squealed, and beneath it all was a hush, almost palpable, in which could be heard the rapt absorbed sounds of vegetation growing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The novel is split between alternating chapters depicting ongoing action on the island and retrospective chapters focusing on a particular character’s personality and past. The Naked and the Dead contains several combat scenes and a great deal of description of Army protocol, as well as detailed descriptions of the many trials and agonies of the enlisted man<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book didn\u2019t have exercises for the reader to complete.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book is full of soldier slang and provocative language.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read? 7<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nB. How helpful were the contents? 7<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nC. How easy was it to understand? 8<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nD. Would you recommend it to others? 8<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nE. What is the overall rating you would give it? 7<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation<\/strong><\/span>
\nAssessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The author studies the differences in the way people talk and how that impacts their relationships and work. The author further explains that the differences between men and women are as vast as the differences between cultures across the world. The book widely features analyses of transcripts of children speaking to each other, and I enjoyed this type of evidence.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. Men don’t ask for directions<\/span><\/p>\n

Men prefer to learn by doing, not by being told what to do. This is why boys generally don\u2019t do as well as girls in school. They don\u2019t want to sit still and listen. They want to experiment with stuff, move stuff around, find solutions for themselves. Grown men don\u2019t readily give up this part of themselves. Hence, if a man is lost, asking for directions is like admitting defeat. He had to ask for assistance. He couldn\u2019t figure it out for himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. Women try to be equal to each other; men try to one-up each other<\/span><\/p>\n

Tannen asserts that most men and women speak in different ways, according to conversational rituals practiced since childhood. When women learn to speak, they are taught to consider the effect of their words on the other person, to make all participants feel they have an equal say, to play down their authority and to give suggestions rather than orders. Men, on the other hand, are taught to be confrontational and commanding, to argue, to engage in banter and teasing and to maintain a “one-up” position.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Women judge how something impacts relationship symmetry; men judge how something impacts relationship asymmetry and hierarchy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Men are said to focus on hierarchy, competition and independence. In contrast women focus on building intimacy and connection through conversation. These patterns seem to be built into our makeup, though they’re only patterns. Men and women both freedom to be who they are, but for successful communication, we must realize men and women have different patterns.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Women favor rapport talk, which is about sharing personal information to create connection; Men favor report talk, which is about sharing impersonal information to create connection.<\/span><\/p>\n

This idea will assist me in relating with men\u2019s and women\u2019s group in discussions. Knowing that women seek to establish rapport in their talks, I will adapt my style to accommodate theirs in my dealings with them. Also, when I am talking with men I will be as natural as possible in order for my style to blend with theirs. And when I am in a mixed group, I will strive to hold the attention of everyone by blending my styles occasionally to suit everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. By understanding certain differences in how we speak, we can learn to better understand the other person’s gender.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes ways of speaking can create unintentional conflict. Men will sometimes feel they are being told what to do and resent it when a woman is trying to make a suggestion but uses word choice that is misinterpreted. Women may feel they are being ordered by a man when he feels he is just offering a suggestion. An understanding and appreciation for variance in communication styles can help these feelings be less personal and focus on the content of the messages rather than a hierarchy implied but not meant.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Women ask questions<\/span><\/p>\n

Women ask questions before they act and most time men feels they should have done it without their answer and sometimes they only asked for asking sake because they would still do what they have at heart. When women try to initiate a freewheeling discussion by asking, \u201cWhat do you think?\u201d Men often think they are to decide but in the real sense they are not.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. Independence vs. Intimacy<\/span><\/p>\n

Since women often think in terms of closeness and support, they struggle to preserve intimacy. Men, concerned with status, tend to focus more on independence. These traits can lead women and men to starkly different views of the same situation.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The importance of understanding the communication patterns between men and their paradoxical effects will avert the discord between genders, if the genders would keep this in mind and adjust accordingly. Men use the language of conflict to create connections, and conversely women can use the language of connection to create conflict. “Women and men are inclined to understand each other in terms of their own styles because we assume we all live in the same world.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cOne man commented that he and I seemed to have different definitions of gossip. He said, ‘To you it seems to be discussion of personal details about people known to the conversationalists. To me, it’s a discussion of the weaknesses, character flaws, and failures of third persons, so that the participants in the conversation can feel superior to them. This seems unworthy, hence gossip is bad.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAt every age, the girls and women sit closer to each other and look at each other directly. At every age, the boys and men sit at angles to each other; in one case, almost parallel and never look directly into each other’s faces.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf women resent men’s tendency to offer solutions to problems, men complain about women’s refusal to take action to solve the problems.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor girls, talk is the glue that holds relationships together. Boys’ relationships are held together primarily by activities: doing things together, or talking about activities such as sports or, later, politics.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf I wrote, ‘After delivering the acceptance speech, the candidate fainted,’ you would know I was talking about a woman. Men do not faint; they pass out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe most important point is that gender distinctions are built into language. The words available to us to describe women and men are not the same words. And, most damaging of all, through language, our images and attitudes are buttressed and shaped. Simply by understanding and using the words of our language, we all absorb and pass on different, asymmetrical assumptions about men and women.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This book is a wonderful tool for couples to use for help in understanding each other. The two things it stresses most is to listen, and to make yourself heard. This book has opened my eyes to the relationship I am in now, with a wonderful person, for about ten years. It has made me realize that most of our little squabble-like fights could have been avoided, if one or the other of us could sit down and listen to one another.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

After reading this book, it\u2019s easy to see that a major source of fuel for the battle between the sexes is this vastly different way of communicating. Perhaps if men stopped expecting women to communicate like men, and women stopped trying to get men to communicate like women, we would have enough energy left to appreciate how each sex compliments the other in a wonderful way.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I did feel that the book got more convincing as it went along, although it never did give me the science background I wanted. The more it went into depth about the different things men and women try to get from a conversation, the more it resonated with my own experience and the more it seemed helpful when I think about my own interactions with men and women.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read? 9<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nB. How helpful were the contents? 8<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nC. How easy was it to understand? 8<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nD. Would you recommend it to others? 9<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nE. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9<\/strong><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr.<\/strong><\/span>
\nAssessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Author of \u201cThe Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr\u201d book is a recollection of the works, articles, video footage, speeches, sermons, meeting transcripts, essays, memoirs, letters and audio public statements of the Late Martin Luther King, Jr. is a revolutionary leader who faced many odds during the struggle to liberate blacks in America. The book is educative on the civil rights and resistance to racism that were persuaded in history of America.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. Religious Development<\/span><\/p>\n

The book carefully narrates how King joined church in the early days, his sermons and preaches within the church. How the church was advancing the civil rights for the black people, fight against racialism. King attended theological college in devotion to know the truth and joined the pastoral and ministry to shepherd the God\u2019s people.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. Civil Rights Birth<\/span><\/p>\n

Would the slower of legislation and law enforcement ultimately have accomplished greater results more painlessly? Demonstrations, experience have shown, are part of the process of stimulating legislation and law enforcement. Governments react to events more quickly when a situation of conflict cries out for its intervention. Beyond this, demonstrations have a creative effect on the social and psychological climate that is not matched by the legislative process. Those who have had lived under the corrosive humiliation of daily intimidation are imbued by demonstrations with a sense of courage and dignity that strengthen their personalities.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Racialism<\/span><\/p>\n

The book explains on the achievement of the legislative of rare quality that \u201call men are created equal\u201d. It came as a bright interlude in the long and sometimes turbulent struggle for civil rights; the beginning of a second emancipation proclamation providing a comprehensive legal basis for equality for opportunity.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Black People Struggle for Freedom<\/span><\/p>\n

The words compromise and retreat were profane and pernicious. Black people revolution was genuine because it was born from the same womb that always gives birth to massive social upheavals-the womb of intolerable situations. The Negro was determined to liberate himself. His cry for justice had hardened into a palpable, irresistible force. He was even unwilling to retrogress or even mark time. The legislature had joined the judiciary\u2019s long line of decisions invalidating state compelled segregation, and the office of the President with its great tradition of executive actions, including Lincoln\u2019s Emancipation Proclamation, Roosevelt\u2019s war decree banning employment discrimination, Truman\u2019s mandate ending segregated Armed Forces units, and Kennedy\u2019s order banning discrimination in federal aided housing.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. Nonviolence: The road to freedom<\/span><\/p>\n

King discovered the non-violence principle after joining the doctoral studies at Boston University. King received formal trainings with divergent intellectual forces converging into a positive social philosophy. One of the main tenets of philosophy was the conviction that non-violent resistance was one of the most potent weapons available to oppressed people in their quest for social justice. This non-violence principle was an inspiration learnt from Mahatma Gadhi of India.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Hate<\/span><\/p>\n

Hate is just injurious to the hater as it is to the hated. Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Many of our inner conflicts are rooted in hate. This is why the psychiatrists say, Love or Perish. Hate is too great a burden to bear.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. Humanity<\/span><\/p>\n

Humanity is waiting for something other than blind imitation of the past. If we want truly to advance a step further, if we want to turn over a new leaf and really set a new man afoot, we must begin to turn mankind away from the long and desolate night of violence. May it not be that the new man the world needs is the nonviolent man? In this world a man must either be an anvil or a hammer?<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book is largely a religious and political autobiography of the Late Martin Luther King, Jr. A great civil rights crusader in the history of America.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe word of God is in my heart like burning fire shut up in my bones. I have felt with Amos that when God speaks who can but prophesy? I have felt with Jesus Christ that the spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and to set at liberty those that are bruised.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI hope you can find some consolation from Christianity\u2019s affirmation that death is not the end. Death is not the period that ends the great sentence of life, but a comma that punctuates it to more lofty significance. Death is not a blind alley that leads the human race into a state of nothingness, but an open door which leads man into life eternal. Let this daring faith, this great invincible surmise, by your sustaining power during these trying days\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book was well understood and is full of encouragement and guidance to the reader.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book did not have exercises.<\/span>
\n.<\/span>
\n7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book portrays very valuable, worthy collection of the America liberation journey revealing comprehensive letters, speeches and memoirs of the great revolutionary leader in the history of America.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read? 8<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nB. How helpful were the contents? 7<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nC. How easy was it to understand? 8<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nD. Would you recommend it to others? 7<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nE. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Great Game of Business<\/strong><\/span>
\nAssessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Author of \u201cThe Great Game of Business\u201d book has introduced a new way to business management that is based on open book management, a new way of managing businesses or companies and creates record profit and worker engagement. The great game of business gives associates in a company the chance to grab the brass ring and not just settle for arm wrestling over wages. The people who invest their time are given similar opportunities to reap rewards as the people who invested their money.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. The goal of any business should improve business results and the lives of the people who drive those results.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Great Game of Business gives associates in a company the chance to grab the brass ring and not just settle for arm wrestling over wages. The people who invest their time are given similar opportunities to reap rewards as the people who invested their money.<\/span>
\nThe great game of business strategy creates a business of businesspeople who think, act and feel like owners. They know and teach the rules, they follow the Action and keep score, and they provide a stake in the outcome.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. Financial Transparency and Education<\/span><\/p>\n

Financial Transparency and Education: Employees must learn the language of the business-the financials. This will bring all associates together if it is done transparently with a focus to the gains.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. High Involvement planning<\/span><\/p>\n

When the Game is created with broad participation-specifically the people who are closest to the action and who understand the realities-it creates a level of commitment and alignment that can\u2019t be matched. High involvement planning helps companies transform their planning process from an annual, time consuming ritual to a highly informative, educational journey that involves everybody at every level of the company in understanding the big picture and the importance of looking forward into the marketplace.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. The Critical Number<\/span><\/p>\n

Focusing on the Critical Number is an essential step to getting everybody focused and accountable for results. The Critical Number defines winning. It rallies people around a common goal and a focus on what\u2019s most important and critical to the company\u2019s success. When the critical number is correctly identified, targeted and tied to a reward-the rules of the Game have been set. The Critical Number becomes the focus of the Game.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. Follow the action and keep score<\/span><\/p>\n

Winners are fanatics about keeping score. The primary objective of keeping the score is to simply and consistently inform the players if they are winning or losing and who is accountable. Following the action keeps everybody informed, involved and engaged in moving the business forward.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Provide a stake in the outcome<\/span><\/p>\n

This involves rewards and recognition.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. \u201cMost people who work in companies don\u2019t understand business at all. They have all kinds of misconceptions. They think profit is a dirty word.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the ignorance that is required to be eliminated in order for people to work as a team.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This book offers an alternative strategy for managing businesses to realize more profits and expansion.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople always make excuses for the situations they get into. Its human nature. We blames the company. We blame other people. We blame external factors. We don\u2019t look ourselves. If you want to be an effective manager, you have to take the excuses away. You have to create an environment where people can\u2019t blame anyone else for the situation they\u2019re in-where they see they make real difference, where there\u2019s no gray area\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor people to feel like winners, they must have pride in themselves and what they do. There is no winning without pride, just as there is no ownership without pride. Pride is all about caring. It the sense of pleasure or satisfaction you take inn what you do, or what you have. If you don\u2019t care, you\u2019re not going to do what is necessary to be a winner or an owner. So pride has to come first.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cImprovements come in fractions; only surprises come in whole percentages.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe pay \u2013me-now I\u2019ll perform later mentality\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book was well understood and is full of many business tips and tactics. It offers a new way of managing businesses or companies and creates record profit and worker engagement. The great game of business gives associates in a company the chance to grab the brass ring and not just settle for arm wrestling over wages. The people who invest their time are given similar opportunities to reap rewards as the people who invested their money.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book did have practical topics for discussions which are very interesting and a must do. The book also had an online link for further resources and guides from the author.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Great Game of Business\u201d book has introduced a new way to business management that is based on open book management, a new way of managing businesses or companies and creates record profit and worker engagement.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read? 8<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nB. How helpful were the contents? 7<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nC. How easy was it to understand? 7<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nD. Would you recommend it to others? 8<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nE. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8<\/strong><\/span><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Leader who had No Title<\/strong><\/span>
\nAssessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi Kenya<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Author of \u201cThe Leader Who Had No Title\u201d book gives anecdote on real success in business and in life. The book awakens the inner individual leadership abilities and explains leadership in many aspects of business and life which further maximize our potential. The book offers practical principles, tools and tactics on leadership that can turn around your life or business. Quite inspirational and contains many inspiring real-life examples and practical strategies that one can put to use immediately to fulfill your goals. We all have that capability within us. Few of us have the awareness and then the discipline to exercise it. And so we coast through our lives mired in mediocrity.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. Leadership and Success are your Birthright<\/span><\/p>\n

Each of us is born to succeed in life but we happen to die amid mediocrity. Leadership and success can be passed from one to the other person through a set of principles and tools. Leadership has nothing to do with what you get or where you sit. Leadership\u2019s a lot more about how brilliantly you work and how masterfully you behave. Like I suggested, it\u2019s all about doing great work right where you now stand. And about lifting up every single one of the people you work with and get to serve. Leadership is for everyone. And in this period of dazzling change in business and society, it really is the single most important discipline required to win.\u201d \u201cAnd the only thing I really need to become a leader is to be a breathing human being, right?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. You Need No Title to Be a Leader<\/span><\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to have a title to be a leader. You just need to be a living human being. That\u2019s enough. That\u2019s all it takes. Because every single one of us alive in the world today has unrecognized powers and disowned potential that are far superior to the power conferred by a title. Once you learn how to awaken and then apply those powers, every element of your life will explode into success. Leadership then becomes automatic the default at which you work and play. You\u2019ll know of no other way to be.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. The 10 Human Regrets<\/span><\/p>\n

You reach your last day with the brilliant song that your life was meant to sing still silent within you.<\/span>
\nYou reach your last day without ever having experienced the natural power that inhabits you to do great work and achieve great things.<\/span>
\nYou reach your last day realizing that you never inspired anyone else by the example that you set.<\/span>
\nYou reach your last day full of pain at the realization that you never took any bold risks and so you never received any bright rewards.<\/span>
\nYou reach your last day understanding that you missed the opportunity to catch a glimpse of mastery because you bought into the lie that you had to be resigned to mediocrity.<\/span>
\nYou reach your last day and feel heartbroken that you never learned the skill of transforming adversity into victory and lead into gold.<\/span>
\nYou reach your last day regretting that you forgot that work is about being radically helpful to others rather than being helpful only to yourself.<\/span>
\nYou reach your last day with the awareness that you ended up living the life that society trained you to want versus leading the life you truly wanted to have.<\/span>
\nYou reach your last day and awaken to the fact that you never realized your absolute best nor touched the special genius that you were built to become.<\/span>
\nYou reach your last day and discover you could have been a leader and left this world so much better than you found it. But you refused to accept that mission because you were just too scared. And so you failed. And wasted a life.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. The 4 Natural Powers<\/span><\/p>\n

Every one of us alive in this moment has the power to go to work each day and express the Absolute Best within us. And you need no title to do that.<\/span>
\nEvery one of us alive today has the power to inspire, influence, and elevate each person we meet by the gift of a great example. And you need no title to do that.<\/span>
\nEvery one of us alive with life can passionately drive positive change in the face of negative conditions. And you need no title to do that.<\/span>
\nEvery one of us alive to the truth about leadership can treat all stakeholders with respect, appreciation, and kindness and in so doing raise the organization\u2019s culture to best of breed. And you need no title to do that.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. The Five Rules of Leadership<\/span><\/p>\n

Innovation; Mastery; Authenticity; Guts; Ethics<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Turbulent Times Build Great Leaders<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJust keep in mind that difficult days never last, but strong people always do. Those hard conditions are nothing more than chances to become heroic. And that challenging times in both business and in life are incredible opportunities to transform mess into success,\u201d Welcome the danger. Take some intelligent risks and have the courage to concentrate your greatest abilities on your largest opportunities, even if that thought frightens you. The more you lean into your fears and move toward your challenges, the more staggering the rewards that will come your way. The more you do the things you\u2019re scared to do, the more you\u2019ll be showing real leadership. And the more you give to your work and to life itself amid deep change, the more you\u2019ll receive.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. The Deeper Your Relationships, the Stronger Your Leadership<\/span><\/p>\n

Give away that which you most wish to receive. That\u2019s one of the most valuable learning points I can give to you. If you want more support, give more support. If you want more appreciation, give away more appreciation. If you want more respect, you need to be giving respect first. And then it will all come back to you in a river. Giving starts the receiving process.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

viii. To Be a Great Leader, First Become a Great Person<\/span><\/p>\n

Blood, sweat, and tears are necessary to reach dreams, hopes, and joys. Lead yourself first. Only then will you get to a place as a person where you can lead other people. Devote yourself to becoming so incredibly strong on the inside that you appear to be failure-proof from the outside. Work really hard on yourself so that all the buried treasure slumbering deep within you begins to reveal itself to every element of the world around you. Start to clean up your negative beliefs and your false assumptions about the kind of leader you can become as well as about the profound achievements you can create. Develop the self-awareness to arrive at a deep relationship with your once dormant potential, your largest ambitions, and your highest aims.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This is the best book I have read so far. It has really awakened my inner leadership inspiration. I\u2019m not looking back and I want to be the leader with no title. I want to clean up on all the negative beliefs and false theories that have blinded me and start working harder to realize my life goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cLeadership is for everyone. And in this period of dazzling change in business and society, it really is the single most important discipline required to win.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the only thing I really need to become a leader is to be a breathing human being, right?\u201d \u201cYes. If you can breathe, you can lead.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSuccessful people all perform the same few leadership disciplines. They consistently practice the same few fundamentals. But their seemingly small, insignificant daily acts of excellence stack up over time to a best-in-class career and a world-class personal life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Which brings us to failure? Failure, on the other hand, is just as easy to slip into. Failure\u2019s is nothing more than the inevitable outcome of a few small acts of daily neglect performed consistently over time so that they take you past the point of no return.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s because sustained change only happens when we shift at an emotional rather than at a logical level. I wanted to get under your skin and touch your heart rather than just speak to your head. You can hear a good idea one hundred times and fail to make it a piece of who you are until you actually experience it viscerally in your body. Only then does it rise from being just some idea to a truth to you. That\u2019s why so many training seminars don\u2019t work to create lasting results. They fail to get into us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if you stumble a bit along the way, well, that\u2019s all part of the game. You learn to walk by falling. You learn to lead by trying. But every misstep brings you closer to the perfect step. And if people don\u2019t quite understand what you\u2019re up to, why let them bring you down? Great people construct monuments with the stones their critics throw at them, you know. And critics generally criticize you only because, at some level, they care. When they stop saying anything, it\u2019s because you no longer matter to them. It\u2019s when no one criticizes you that you should really be worried.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo excellent leader ever got to the lofty platform they reached by feebly clinging to fear-filled excuses. Victims live by excuses and ultimately die by them. And generally speaking, people who are superb at making excuses are usually not superb at doing much else.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWork offers you a daily platform to discover the leader within. It\u2019s a chance, every day, to reclaim more of the potential you\u2019ve buried and to awaken the dormant relationship between the current you and your absolute best. It\u2019s an opportunity to express more of your latent creativity and a whole lot more of your precious humanity. And presenting more of the genius and brilliance you truly are to those around you so that, in your own special way, you help more people, is pretty much the main purpose of life. And that\u2019s why I suggest that doing world-class work is also part of the central purpose of life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ideas are ultimately worthless unless you activate them with focused and consistent action. The best leaders never leave the site of a good idea without doing something no matter how small to breathe some life into it. Lots of people have good ideas. But the masters become masters because they had the courage and conviction to act on ideas. \u2018A powerful idea is absolutely fascinating and utterly useless until we choose to use it,\u2019 wrote Richard Bach. What really makes greatness is white-hot action around red-hot ideas. A genius idea alone has zero value. What makes it priceless is the quality of follow-through and the speed of execution around the genius idea. Actually, even a mediocre idea excellently acted on is more valuable than a genius idea poorly performed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMoney, influence, and position are nothing compared with brains, principles, energy, and perseverance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book was well understood and is full of encouragement and guidance to the reader. This is the best book I have read so far. It has really awakened my inner leadership inspiration. I\u2019m not looking back and I want to be the leader with no title.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book did have exercises and practical topics for discussions which are very interesting and a must do. The book also had an online link for further resources and guides from the author.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Once you complete reading the book you feel beautifully prepared to completely unchain your inner leader and allow it to see the light of day. You feel perfectly ready to express your absolute best in each thing that you do during any challenge you meet. And you are undoubtedly in the ideal position to serve as an extraordinary example of possibility and excellence to every person fortunate enough to cross your path.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nB. How helpful were the contents? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nC. How easy was it to understand? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nD. Would you recommend it to others? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nE. What is the overall rating you would give it? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Outliers: The Story of Success<\/strong><\/span>
\nAssessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Author of the Outliers book gives a new way on how we should look at the world that surrounds the successful people, their culture, their family and their upbringing experiences. These successful people live or lived the lives of outliers with their achievements falling outside normal experience. They certainly have many things in common that we should embrace for us to be successful.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. Outliers defined by Gladwell as people who do not fit into our normal understanding of achievement deals with exceptional people, especially those who are smart, rich, and successful, and those who operate at the extreme outer edge of what is statistically plausible.<\/span><\/p>\n

The book offers examples that include the musical ensemble the Beatles, Microsoft’s co-founder Bill Gates, and the theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer. In the introduction, Gladwell lays out the purpose of Outliers: \u201cIt’s not enough to ask what successful people are like. […] It is only by asking where they are from that we can unravel the logic behind who succeeds and who doesn’t.\u201d Throughout the publication, he discusses how family, culture, and friendship each play a role in an individual’s success, and he constantly asks whether successful people deserve the praise that we give them.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. The Matthew Effect<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor unto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance, But from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.\u201d It is those who are successful, in other words, who are most likely to be given the kinds of special opportunities that lead to further success. Success is as a result of the \u201caccumulative advantage.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. The 10000 Hour Rule<\/span><\/p>\n

The idea that excellence at performing a complex task requires a critical minimum level of practice. Researchers have settled on 10000 hours which they believe is the magic number for true expertise. Ten thousands hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with a world class expert.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. The Trouble with Geniuses<\/span><\/p>\n

Geniuses may have high IQ and intellect but this doesn\u2019t always translate to success in life or achievement. Intellect and achievement are far from perfectly correlated. The author reminds the reader that genius is not the only or even the most important thing when determining a person’s success.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes<\/span><\/p>\n

Gladwell discusses one extreme way in which different \u201ccultural languages\u201d manifest themselves. How good a pilot is has a lot to do with where the pilot comes from-that is the culture he or she was raised in. There is a big connection between culture and crashes.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Rice Paddies and Math Tests<\/span><\/p>\n

Gladwell explains the fact that Asians are good at mathematics by correlating it to rice agriculture, particularly the fact that rice cultivation requires more work ethic than Western wheat agriculture.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP)<\/span><\/p>\n

This helps students from about 50 inner-city schools across the United States achieve much better results than other inner-city schools’ students and explains that their success stems from the fact that they simply spent more hours at school during the school year and the summer. Gladwell also analyzes a five-year study done by Karl Alexander of Johns Hopkins University, demonstrating that summer holidays have a detrimental effect on students of disadvantaged backgrounds, who paradoxically progress more during the school year than students from the highest socioeconomic group.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book exposes more of Gladwell notes that success \u201cis not exceptional or mysterious. It is grounded in a web of advantages and inheritances, some deserved, some not, some earned, some just plain lucky.\u201d The book further gives a new way on how we should look at the world that surrounds the successful people, their culture, their family and their upbringing experiences. These successful people live or lived the lives of outliers with their achievements falling outside normal experience. They certainly have many things in common that we should embrace for us to be successful.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Matthew Effect which was borrowed from the New Testament verse in the Gospel of Matthew was coined by a sociologist named Robert Merton. For unto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance, But from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.\u201d It is those who are successful, in other words, who are most likely to be given the kinds of special opportunities that lead to further success. Success is as a result of the accumulative advantage.\u201d<\/span>
\n\u201cThe best time during the history of the United States for the poor ambitious for high business to have been born was around the year 1835. It was the only time in American history when those born in modest circumstances had a realistic shot at real riches.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s not enough to ask what successful people are like. […] It is only by asking where they are from that we can unravel the logic behind who succeeds and who doesn’t.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Throughout the publication, he discusses how family, culture, and friendship each play a role in an individual’s success, and he constantly asks whether successful people deserve the praise that we give them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo one not rock stars, not professional athletes, not software billionaires, and not even geniuses ever makes it alone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Gadwell argues that one’s culture of origin and some of the completely random circumstances that it presents can determine success or failure. The discussion that takes place in \u201cLegacy\u201d addresses the cultural, social, and psychological roots of family feuds, airplane crashes, and mathematical aptitude. For Gladwell, the society of one’s ancestors–whether those ancestors herded sheep in rural England or worked a rice paddy in rural China can determine one’s practices and preferences even in the present day.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book did have questions and topics for discussions which are very interesting and must do kind.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book, in addition has writing on an interview conversation with the Author which actually addresses many questions to be asked by the readers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read? 8<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nB. How helpful were the contents? 8<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nC. How easy was it to understand? 8<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nD. Would you recommend it to others? 9<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nE. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8<\/strong><\/span><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Power of Failure<\/strong><\/span>
\nAssessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Author of The Power of Failure book offers both encouragement and guidance on how failure can provide us with the root for long-term success. The authors admit it is easy to give up when things don\u2019t work out. The author also acknowledges that if everything was easy to achieve in life, we would fail to notice its value. The author further recognizes that failure doesn\u2019t mean that one hasn\u2019t tried hard, but simply offers another approach to accomplish our goals. This book contains many inspiring real-life examples and practical strategies that one can put to use immediately to fulfill your goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. Failure Strengthens You<\/span><\/p>\n

Failure is known to tear one down but also build one to be a stronger person. All great personalities like Steve Jobs, Walt Disney and Albert Einstein are amongst the most successful people even today and even they had to battle great failures. If you have been knocked to the ground by failure, get back on your feet and push harder to show that nothing can break you down. Without a doubt one of the most powerful pillars of long \u2013 term success is learning from mistakes. Certainly, a challenging, well \u2013 lived, and successful life will be filled with both ups and downs. Growing as a person and addressing significant real\u2013world problems means we will surely fail some of the time, but if we learn lessons from these failures and stay the course, we will eventually succeed.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. Redefine Failure<\/span><\/p>\n

The author explains the old definition of failure as a negative, fatal, and final result indicating:<\/span>
\nAn inability to perform and a lack of success<\/span>
\nA falling short because of ineptness, deficiency, or negligence<\/span>
\nA bad, bad thing that should be avoided, mourned, and punished<\/span>
\nAnd he gives the new definition of failure as a short \u2013 term unexpected result that reflects a challenge in progress and that provides:<\/span>
\nA stepping \u2013 stone to success<\/span>
\nAn opportunity for learning and development<\/span>
\nAn opportunity for creative change and innovation<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Failure Gives You a Sense of Direction<\/span><\/p>\n

Most of us keep second guessing all the decisions that we take. It\u2019s not wrong, it happens because we don\u2019t realize if the decisions we take are right for the moment. Failure gives you a path for redirection. You get a sense of clarity on everywhere you have gone wrong and how to take a better path to reach where you want to be.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Failure Teaches You Value<\/span><\/p>\n

Our values keep changing over time. With every small or big change in our lives, our values are reshaped. Value is one of the greatest lessons that failure could teach us in our lives. While success could easily get to our heads, failure keeps us grounded. Failure teaches us to value all the right things in order to succeed.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. Failure Gets Rid Of Fear<\/span><\/p>\n

Somehow most of the things that we fear in our lives are interlinked with failure. It is the fear of failing that holds us back from exploring our options and getting out of our comfort zones. Once you are accustomed to failing you have nothing left to fear anymore. You become unafraid to take risks and get out of your comfort zone to achieve everything you want.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Failure is an Opportunity<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead of focusing on the negative things that come with failure, focus your energy on all the positives. It teaches you to be resilient and face all odds. Achieving success after failures shows you how mentally strong and capable you are. Failure shows us everywhere we might have gone wrong and gives us the opportunity to correct it. You become a confident and a compassionate person overall.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. Failure is an Experience<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s true that everything that we go through in life is an experience and so is failure. Success is not everything. Having an understanding of life is what counts. And nothing apart from failure could give us a deeper understanding of life and alter the way we look at everything that happens around us. It changes us to be better humans and teaches us the importance of our lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book teaches that one has to be resilient to face all odds. Failure shows us everywhere we might have gone wrong and gives us the opportunity to remedy it. The journey from failure to success is not an easy one, but it is totally worth all our efforts. So, even if one fails, often gets up and look failure in the eye and never stop trying. Hiding away from failure will also keep one away from success.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cFailure is not something to be feared. It contains a positive challenge for successful living.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFailure is not something to be feared. It contains a positive challenge for successful living. Today\u2019s failures contain the seeds of tomorrow\u2019s greatest successes. The \ufb01rst step to mastering the art of failing successfully is to come to see failure and success in a whole new light.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe more you try to grow your knowledge and experience in new and challenging areas, the more mistakes you will have to make. Much of this potential for growth boils down to being willing to take risks.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Author Carole Hyatt wrote that aggressive CEOs will tell their direct reports: \u201cIf you haven\u2019t failed at least three times today you haven\u2019t tried anything new. And she adds that avoiding failure leads to avoiding risks a type of behavior not well suited to most businesses in today\u2019s economy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo if you want to succeed more quickly, heed the surprisingly sage advice\u2014double your failure rate.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A wise speaker said that \u201cif you haven\u2019t failed at least three times today you haven\u2019t tried anything new. Avoiding failure leads to avoiding risks needs to be discouraged.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs you master this process you can purposely choose new and greater challenges to learn from throughout your life that stretch you more and more. Fail at greater and greater worthwhile challenges, and you can learn on your way to ultimate long-term success.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book was well understood and is full of encouragement and guidance to the reader.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Though the book didn\u2019t have paper work exercises for the reader to complete; it was full of great ideas, experiences and guides to make one overcome failures and excel in real life.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Most inspiring message from the book to everyone is that virtually nothing comes out right the first time. Failures, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement. The only time you don\u2019t want to fail is the last time you try something; one fails forward toward success. Failure begets innovation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read? 9<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nB. How helpful were the contents? 9<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nC. How easy was it to understand? 8<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nD. Would you recommend it to others? 10<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nE. What is the overall rating you would give it? 9<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Road to Character<\/strong><\/span>
\nAssessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Author of \u201cThe Road to Character\u201d book explores the deeper values that inform our lives. How to rebalance ideals of \u201cresume virtues;\u201d acquiring wealth, fame and status against the \u201ceulogy virtues\u201d those that exist at the core of the being:-kindness, bravery, honesty, and faithfulness. The book explores show how through internal struggles and sense of their own limitations, they have built a strong inner character.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. We need a shift (the U-curve) to the road to character.<\/span><\/p>\n

The road to character often involves moments of moral crisis, confrontation, and recovery. When they were in a crucible moment, they suddenly had a greater ability to see their own nature. The everyday self-deception and illusions of self-mastery were shattered. They had to humble themselves in self-awareness if they had any hope of rising up transformed. This process can happen in daily gradual ways. Every day it\u2019s possible to recognize small flaws, to reach out to others, to try to correct errors. Character is built both through drama and through the everyday.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. We need to summon ourselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore we are saved by love. No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the stand point of our friend or foe as it is from our standpoint. Therefore we must be saved by the final form of love, which is forgiveness.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. We need self-conquest<\/span><\/p>\n

We really do have dappled souls. The same ambition that drives us to build a new company also drives us to be materialistic and to exploit. The same lust that leads to children leads to adultery. The same confidence that can lead to daring and creativity can lead to self-worship and arrogance. People become solid, stable, and worthy of self-respect because they have defeated or at-least struggled with own demons.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Struggle is part of the road to character<\/span><\/p>\n

Suffering, oddly, also teaches gratitude. In normal times we treat the love we receive as a reason for self-satisfaction (I deserve to be loved), but in seasons of suffering we realize how undeserved this love is and how it should in fact be a cause of thanks. In proud moments we refuse to feel indebted, but in humble moments, people know they don\u2019t deserve the affection and concern they receive.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. We need self-mastery<\/span><\/p>\n

We require having a sense of reverence, the imaginative ability to hold up and copy in all appropriate ways. The excellent can lift the ambitions of the living. Moral education is impossible without the habitual vision of greatness. We require self-discipline, courage, persistence which leads to self-mastery.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. No person can achieve self-mastery on his or her own.<\/span><\/p>\n

Individual will, reason, compassion, and character are not strong enough to consistently defeat selfishness, pride, greed, and self deception. Everybody needs redemptive assistance from outside-from God, family, friends, ancestors, rules, traditions, institutions, and exemplars. If you have to prosper in the confrontation with yourself, you have to put yourself in a state of affection. You have to draw on something outside yourself to cope with the forces inside yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. We need Self-Examination<\/span><\/p>\n

It begins with an awareness of the constant presence of egotism, self-centeredness, and self-deception fuelled by the rebel spirit. Turning the rebellious spirit against one\u2019s own nature and turn it against evil, interior and exterior. Then using it to propel you into self-combat. Character is built in the course of your inner confrontation. Character is set of dispositions, desires, and habits that are slowly engraved during the struggle against your own weakness. You become more disciplines, considerate, and loving through a thousand small acts of self-control, sharing, service, friendship, and refined enjoyment. If you make disciplined, caring choices, you are slowly engraving certain tendencies into your mind.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Road to Character Book provides an opportunity for us to rethink our priorities, and strive to build rich inner lives marked by humility and moral depth. It shows how many are struggling against their weakness and limitations which they turn into strengths and humility to succeed in their lives. The book contains very powerful stories written with such enthusiasm and motivation.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe final reason sin is a necessary part of our mental furniture is that without it, the whole method of character building dissolves. From time immemorial, people have achieved glory by achieving great external things, but they have built character by struggling against their internal sins. People become solid, stable, and worthy of self-respect because they have defeated or at least struggled with their own demons. If you take away the concept of sin, then you take away the thing the good person struggles against.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cConfessions are meant to reveal universal truths through specific examples. Through introspection and engagement with the priest, the person uses her experiences to transcend her own life. Confession is thus a private moral act with a public moral purpose. For in reflecting on private decisions, we better understand the problems and struggles of humanity-itself composed of billions of individuals struggling with their own decisions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur inner lives are not partitioned like day and night, with pure light on one side of us and total darkness on the other. Mostly, our souls are shadowed places; we live at the border where our dark sides block our light and throw a shadow over our interior places. We cannot always tell where our light ends and our shadow begins or where our shadow ends and our darkness begins.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book was well understood and is full of encouragement and guidance to the reader.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book did have exercises and practical topics for discussions which are very interesting and a must do.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book itself gives the process of self-discovery, with a lot of encouraging real life examples. Although we are flawed creatures, we are splendidly endowed. We are divided within ourselves, both fearfully and wonderfully made. We do sin, but we also have the capacity to recognize sin, to feel ashamed of sin, and to overcome sin. We are weak and strong, bound and free, blind and far-seeing. We thus have the capacity to struggle with ourselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read? 7<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nB. How helpful were the contents? 7<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nC. How easy was it to understand? 7<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nD. Would you recommend it to others? 7<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nE. What is the overall rating you would give it? 7<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Where Good Ideas Come From<\/strong><\/span>
\nAssessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Author of \u201cWhere Good Ideas Come From\u201d book points out the areas on natural science, history, technology that one can use to identify environments conducive to innovation. Good Ideas that lay foundation to innovative solutions come from the adjacent possible, liquid networks, slow hunch, Error, Expatiation, Platforms and Serendipity. It is an entertaining book full of classical examples and thoughtful content.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. What were the seven ideas which were personally most important to you and why? List these seven ideas followed by an explanation after each one as to why it was important to you. Use personal examples from your own life.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

i. Good Ideas come from the Adjacent Possible<\/span><\/p>\n

Good Ideas are inevitably, constrained by the parts and skills that surround them. We have a natural tendency to romanticize breakthrough innovations, imagining momentous ideas transcending their surroundings, a gifted mind somehow seeing over the detritus of old ideas and ossified tradition. But Ideas are works of bricolage; they\u2019re built out of that detritus. We take the ideas we\u2019ve inherited or that we\u2019ve stumbled across, and we jigger them together into some new shape.<\/span><\/p>\n

ii. Good Ideas come from the Liquid networks<\/span><\/p>\n

The question is how to push your brain toward those more creative networks. The answer, as it happens, is delightfully fractal: to make your mind more innovative, you have to place it inside environments that share that same network signature: networks of ideas or people that mimic the neural networks of a mind exploring the boundaries of the adjacent possible. Certain environments enhance the brain\u2019s natural capacity to make new links of association.<\/span><\/p>\n

iii. Good Ideas come from the slow hunch<\/span><\/p>\n

Keeping a slow hunch alive poses challenges on multiple scales. For starters, you have to preserve the hunch in your memory, in the dense network of your neurons. Most slow hunches never last long enough to turn into something useful, because they pass in and out of the memory too quickly, precisely because they possess a certain murkiness. You get feeling that there\u2019s an interesting avenue to explore, a problem that might someday lead you to a solution, but then you get distracted by more pressing matters and the hunch disappears. So part of the secret of hunch cultivation is simple: write everything down.<\/span><\/p>\n

iv. Good Ideas Come From Error<\/span><\/p>\n

The error is needed to set off the truth, much as dark background is required for exhibiting the brightness of a picture. When we\u2019re wrong, we have to challenge our assumptions, adopt new strategies. Being wrong on its own doesn\u2019t unlock new doors in the adjacent possible, but it does force us to look for them.<\/span><\/p>\n

v. Good Ideas come from Expatiation<\/span><\/p>\n

Expatiation can be described as like when organism develops a trait optimized for a specific use, but then the trait gets hijacked for a completely different function. The initial transformation is almost accidental; a tool sculpted by evolutionary pressures for one purpose turns out to have an un-expected property that helps the organism survive in a new way. A match you light to illuminate a darkened room turn out to have a completely different use when you open a doorway and discover a room with a pile of logs and a fireplace in it. A tool that helps you see in one context ends up helping you keep warm in another. That\u2019s the essence of Expatiation.<\/span><\/p>\n

vi. Good Ideas Comes from Platforms<\/span><\/p>\n

The most generative platforms come in stacks, most conspicuously in the layered platform of the Web. Platforms have a natural appetite for trash, waste and abandoned goods. Innovation thrives in discarded spaces. Emergent platforms derive much of their creativity from the inventive and economical reuse of existing resources and as any urbanite will tell you, the most expensive resource in a big city is real estate.<\/span><\/p>\n

vii. Good Ideas comes from Serendipity<\/span><\/p>\n

I happen to believe that the Web, as a medium has pushed the culture toward more serendipitous encounters. The simple fact that information \u201cbrowsing\u201d and \u201cSurfing\u201d are now mainstream pursuits makes a strong case for a rise in serendipity, compared to cultures dominated by books or mass media. Generative platforms require all the patterns of innovation to create a space where hunches and serendipitous collisions and expatiations and recycling can thrive.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. How will these ideas or lessons help you in a practical way, both in your daily personal life and in helping you to create a better world? If so, how?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book cultivates great thinking and ways to become innovative. The book outlines with many practical examples how to hatch good ideas. Good Ideas that lay foundation to innovative solutions come from the adjacent possible, liquid networks, slow hunch, Error, Expatiation, Platforms and Serendipity.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Quotes: Are there any statements which the author made that particularly got your attention? If so, please quote them and comment as to why they were important to you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBut the truth is when one looks at innovation in nature and in culture, environments that build walls around good ideas tend to be less innovative in the long run than more open-ended environments. Good Ideas may not want to be free, but they do want to connect, fuse, and recombine. They want to reinvent themselves by crossing conceptual borders. They want to complete each other as much as they want to compete.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA good idea is a network. A specific constellation of neurons-thousands of them-fire in sync with each other for the first time in your brain and an idea pops into your consciousness. A new idea is a network of cells exploring the adjacent possible of connections that they can make in your mind.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThink is not enough to furnish this sore-house of the Mind with good Thoughts, but lay them up there in order, digested or ranged under proper subjects or classes. That whatever subject you have to occasion to think or talk upon you may have recourse immediately to a good thought, which you heretofore laid up there under that Subject. So that the very Mention of the Subject may bring the Thought to hand; which means you will carry a regular Common Place-Book in your Memory\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps the history of the errors of mankind, all things considered, is more valuable and interesting than that of their discoveries. Truth is uniform and narrow; it constantly exists, and does not seem to require so much an active energy, as a passive aptitude of soul in order to encounter it. But error is endlessly diversified.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs for really new ideas of any kind-no matter how ultimately profitable or otherwise successful some of them might prove to be-there is no leeway for such chancy trial, error and experimentation in the high-overhead economy of new construction. Old ideas can sometimes use new buildings. New Ideas must use old buildings.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Is there anything in the book that you do not understand or are unclear about, or are there ideas which you disagree with and, if so, why?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book was well understood and is full of many scientific theories and jargon that required a lot of re-reading to understand.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Did the book contain exercises for the reader to complete? If so, did you complete all of the exercises and did you find them helpful?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book did have practical areas to apply in real life as we advance the walk of hatching innovative solutions to our many challenges in Africa.<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Was there anything you read in the book that you would like to comment on that was not covered in the previous questions? If so, please comment.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The book was well understood and is full of many scientific theories and jargon that required a lot of re-reading to understand.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please rate the following questions on a scale from 1 to 10. Ten is good and one is poor.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

A. How interesting was it to read? 7<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nB. How helpful were the contents? 8<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nC. How easy was it to understand? 7<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nD. Would you recommend it to others? 8<\/strong><\/span><\/span>
\nE. What is the overall rating you would give it? 8<\/strong><\/span><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As a Man Thinketh Assessment by Charles Kihia Mwangi (Kenya) 1. What is the main idea that the author is trying to convey in the book? James Allen the author of the As a Man Thinketh book wants to convey Read More …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-951","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/global-leadership.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/951","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/global-leadership.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/global-leadership.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/global-leadership.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/global-leadership.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=951"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"http:\/\/global-leadership.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/951\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3586,"href":"http:\/\/global-leadership.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/951\/revisions\/3586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/global-leadership.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}