by Marcus Buckingham (Author) Donald O. Clifton (Author)Now, Discover Your Strengths (Hardcover)

The followup book to "First, Break All the Rules", this book takes those theories and helps the reader discover what it is that they as an individual are talented in."Now, Discover Your Strengths" corrects the lie many of us were told as children that "anyone can be anything they want to be", and while that may be unsettling at first for some of us to hear, it's remarkably freeing. Rather than pursue vocations that we have no hope for being successful at or find joy in doing, this book teaches that if we pursue those things we're wired to do not only will we be happier, we'll be successful.When your child comes home with 4 A's, a B a D and an F, are you spending all of your time and energy all over them for the low grades, or praising them for what they excel in? Are you trying them to fix weaknesses they have no desire (and perhaps no ability) to fix? Or are you encouraging them to work on their strengths? To take those things for which they show interest and talent and desire and grow those?This book may very well change the way you've been thinking.Each copy comes with a code that will let you take the online quiz to find out what your top five themes, or strengths, are.Well written and thought provoking, make sure you get a new copy so you don't run the risk of getting one that has had the code for the online test already used.Stick with this original. Strengths Finder 2.0 lacks substance, IMHO.

This book is not useful if you buy it used. There is a code to take the quiz online, I paid full price for the book but the code had already been used, even though it was cleverly plastic wrapped. The quiz is sixty five bucks online. Content is awesome, highly recommend but it would be cheaper for me to repurchase the book to take the quiz.

This book is a follow up on the title, “Now, Break All the Rules.” It was a book about being a good manager, and the major purpose was to talk about strength focused management style. This was in contrast to the style of focusing on your weaknesses, and hoping for improvement. The strength based style helped to free you to do that which you do well. The follow up book gives a little less information on management, and helps with identifying those areas that you are gifted in that could be used for a company or organization. There are many areas of strengths like achiever, woo, competition, connectedness, developer. The book argues that if you are good at something it is mostly natural. You enjoy doing it, and it is productive for you. There is a section on questions concerning this model, and there is a good section on managing these areas well. One of the best parts of the book is the story about those who have certain strengths. The author talks about Tiger Woods, Phil Jackson, and Colin Powell. This book was good, but I did not see the big help for ministry areas. We have a lot of focus in this area anyway with a lot of matrix to help people see spiritual giftedness. The areas of strength is helpful to the individual, and the leadership, but often in churches you do not have the ability to place people perfectly. You also struggle with people in wrong areas, but are limited in dealing with this. People become pretty attached to ministry areas, and feel gifted, and might not have the best gifting in that role. Unlike a business who can move someone in or out easier, we face a few more dynamics. Overall, this is a good book, but the first one was better. The books came out in the early 2000′s and much of the wisdom is already out there in various ways.

Very informational.

I ordered this book- NEW- and received it in time for needing to take the assessment. This book is required for the Business class I am taking. I went to enter the code and it said it had already been used! I am very P-O'd because a great deal of my grade is resting on my assessment and how I enterpet it. I don't know if I can get a replacement- I emailed the seller- I doubt there is anything that can be done. I don't have money to go purchase this again... I am frustrated because it IS a good book- but I feel it's not worth it if you can't take the assessment. There could be a better way to distribute the code. Or maybe the book should be SEALED or something. Now, I will probably fail this course.

If you are wondering what strengths you have, listening to this audio book is a way to find out. Keep in mind the code included is only good for 1 use!I listened to the book on my way to work in the mornings (I have an hour's drive one way) and it was interesting. The author gives examples and it's easy to follow. After I took the exam and got my results it was nice to see there were no surprises. Yeah, I may not have articulated the results in the same way, but the exam really did the trick in "discovering my strengths". To me, the price of the book made it worth that exam result.

"We can gain greater productivity by building on our strengths than correcting our weaknesses" is the main thrust of the book. This book is the standard in the industry, and based on Gallup Organization's interviews with over 1 million people. Thus, this is not just some "pop" psychology, but reliable information. Buckingham and Clifton have more recent books, but this is the best starting point in your learning aboutStrengths-Based Organizations". I recommend others in the series as well, such as "First, Break All the Rules".We are using this book in a telecourse with other coaches in the Professional Coaches Association of Michigan because the message is consistent with the coaching philosophy, so this is not simply a business book.

Buckingham takes you away from the traditional HR approach of any performance review. Here are the things that you are weak at and you need to improve on them. His approach makes so much more sense. Here are my strengths now focus on them and find people to be on your team to support you in areas that you are weak.It is a game changer when working with teams.Dr. Jack Weller

Completely new way to look at how to classify/identify your innate abilities. Not only that, this version goes further and tells you how to capitalize on this knowledge if you are a manager or business owner.

Too many things to comment on in the book but looking at the bigger picture I think it's fabulous that the book is reducating people on how to view themselves and others - about their strengths rather than their weaknesses. I career changed recently for the better and this just affirms that I'm heading on the right track. This message alone really can change work forces remarkably. And this knowledge about yourself ripples out to your personal connections also. For that reason I give it five stars - any book that has an impact on your real life, for the better, should receive that - especially when so few do and fail to deliver what they promise. People want to buy self improvement books for self improvement and a lot give a long list of rules and steps to take but do not have the power in their words to actually change anything - there is no take away message. As this book quite clearly describes, it's very difficult to become good at something or change things drastically with just will power alone, so other self help books that force you to keep all kinds of diaries and change X,Y, Z are being unrealistic.I've read a fair few self-help style books and also done careers quizzes. I know the authors will be annoyed that I'm even lumping it in that category but all I want to say it that this book has a simple message really, though does expand with lots of detail. If you take away that simple message, that you should focus on your strengths and forget your weaknesses, and really grasp that concept then that is an incredible transformation mentally and then physically if you choose to live by it. Fewer books manage to give such a strong message that actually changes your life and for that reason it's worth the five stars.Side note: This books says that connections in your brain cannot be changed after childhood. I've read other books which say it's totally possible to create new ones with repetitive actions. Therefore my thinking is now somewhere in the middle!

El libro te hace consciente de lo poco acostumbrados que estamos a potenciar nuestras fortalezas. Lo normal es que nos fijemos en lo que hacemos mal e intentemos paliar nuestras deficiencies pero, según el libro, eso sólo nunca nos hará destacar en esos aspectos. Dónde mayor potencial de crecimiento tenemos es en desarrollar nuestras fortalezas. Si algo se te da bien de forma innata, y lo potencias, marcarás una diferencia respecto a los demás.El libro incluye un código para realizar un test online que identifica tus fortalezas.Muy interesante.

I have already bought this book 7-8 times for family & friends. Some companies buy thousands of them for their employees. The psychological approach is great as it focuses on your strength, not trying to develop your weaknesses. STRONGLY recommended for anyone between 15 and 45 years old. Also for your children !

This is a very important book to understand one's strength so that one may try to utilize them to achieve success in all endeavors, rather than wasting time on trying to fix one's weaknesses.