April 12, 2004
Maxwell (The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
) serves up his usual dose of uplifting advice. This book's message is broader than some of his earlier business tomes, in that he uses his marriage, work experience and anecdotes from people such as basketball coach John Wooden, businessman Armand Hammer and actor Christopher Reeve to explore his theme of the importance of making sound decisions on a daily basis. Too many people dwell on what happened yesterday, according to Maxwell, who believes that, instead, people can maximize what they accomplish every day by focusing on a dozen key areas including family, finances, faith, values and growth. By having clear priorities in each of these areas, Maxwell says that people will actually have fewer decisions to make because their vision will be so clear. Maxwell's tone is straightforward and his advice is sound, if obvious. For example, he offers a list of negative phrases ("Maybe, I'm afraid, I don't believe ) that he thinks should be eliminated from one's vocabulary. As expected from this pastor, he also stresses religious faith and the importance of families. Readers hoping for creative and original advice in solving their problems are likely to be disappointed, but others may still find the book's message uplifting, especially amid today's corporate scandal and concern with declining ethical values. Agent, Sealy Yates.
May 1, 2004
Maxwell has written more than 30 books and has had a long career in public speaking, first as a pastor and then as a conference and seminar leader, helping people maximize their potential. He says that most of us spend far too much time exaggerating our past successes and failures and overestimating tomorrow, assuming things will get better without creating a strategy for " making" it better. That's why he says that" today" is the only day that really matters, for today determines the successes of tomorrow. It all boils down to making good decisions, but determining what decisions to make is not always easy, so Maxwell has narrowed down the critical areas of success to 12 of what he calls the "Daily Dozen." They include such things as maintaining a positive attitude, sticking to priorities, following healthy guidelines, investing in good relationships, and managing finances. He has a chapter devoted to each discipline, with a short worksheet at the end to encourage you and assist you in your personal daily growth.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)