An Experience to Revolutionize Your Life from Marcus Buckingham - the World's Leading Expert on Career Success!
Want to know what you are supposed to do with your life?The Truth About Youis an experience to unlock life's toughest questions. The process this revolutionary toolkit teaches will create higher satisfaction and performance in life and work. This cutting-edge product includes:
Enhanced DVD. A high-energy film reveals how and why you must discover and prioritize your strengths and includes access to a wealth of downloadable resources, including five bonus Strength Tip videos.
Interactive Book. With insightful exercises and tried-and-true life wisdom no one else will tell you, the book takes you to the location of your most powerful and unchanging talents.
ReMemo Pad. Designed for a life on-the-go, the ReMemo Pad becomes your companion to complete the task of revealing your strengths using your everyday experiences.
Perfect for high school and college students, young professionals, and people simply wanting to revitalize their career, The Truth About You helps you develop the kind of clarity and passion that drives a successful and satisfying future. Marcus Buckingham will help you discover the real truth, the truth about you . . . it will be your secret to success.
Not Much NewNovember 22, 2008 This kit contains several good ideas that are certain to aid people in analyzing their temperament, discovering their strengths, and working themselves into more satisfying jobs. Unfortunatley, there is probably not enough new content here to justify the $29.99 price tag.
The author's aim is to coach readers through a series of exercises that enable him or her to identify strengths (as opposed to skills or talents), the things that produce energy and satisfaction.
He also dispels several commonly held beliefs that may keep people trapped in boring or unfulfilling vocations. Most notable is the idea that you should work to improve your weaknesses--Buckingham contents that this is pointless and we're better of playing to our strengths.
However, several of Buckingham's points (such as the one regarding the futility of improving weaknesses) have been well made elsewhere, including in the author's previous work.
Also, Buckingham's central point--that only you can know yourself thoroughly enough to identify your strengths--directly contradicts his previous book "Now Discover Your Strengths," which includes access to an extensive online survey aimed precisely at diagnosing the reader's strengths.
The 20-minute DVD includes nearly all of the material contained within the scant 110 page booklet. This material has the feel of a workshop or half-day seminar that has been packaged as a consumer product.
Buckingham's thesis has merit, but anyone familiar with current business or self-improvement literature will have heard most of this before.
You've Got To Know "The Truth About You"November 21, 2008 This is the second Marcus Buckingham book I've read, the first being "Now, Discover Your Strengths". Which is a great primer (but not necessary) for "The Truth About You".
"The Truth About You" is a very unique experience for the learner (notice I didn't say reader). You start out by watching a short video of Marcus Buckingham introducing you to the ideas of "The Truth About You" and beginning to explain the why's you learn about in the book. While he is talking another video fades in and out: a story of a boy who's realized he's bored with the trombone and feel alive when he sneaks to play the timpani drum and the story that plays out till he gets to play them while not letting the team down to do it. You also get a Rememo pad that you use during you week as you do specific task to learn what strengths you and what weakens you.
I really loved "Now, Discover Your Strengths" and have a deep sense of understanding of who I am when it comes to strengths and weaknesses because of the short but packed brilliance of "The Truth About You". The five chapters of the book really hit home some of the best knowledge you'll find on how to leverage your strengths in the work place and find ways to make sure the things that weaken, drain or bore you are taken care of in ways your company and boss will notice in a positive way.
The Five Chapters: -Performance is always the point -Your strengths aren't what you good at, and your weaknesses aren't what your bad at -When it comes to your job, the "What" always trumps the "Why" and the "Who" -You'll never find the perfect job -You'll never turn your weaknesses into strengths
Some great nuggets I really dig out of the book: -There is an I in team. We've been told other wise but look at championship teams and you see guys and gals who play their position well and also help out in ways to make sure plays are executed well. -Strengths are things that strengthen and invigorate you and weaknesses are things that weaken and drain you. (That makes so much sense.) He says that you can be good at something but it still drain and bore you. -As you grow older you become more and more of who you already are. -There are no perfect jobs, you have to build it. -Everyone has weakness you just have to learn how to deal with them. (Chapter 5 does such a great job of explaining how and giving great examples from the likes of Shaquille O'Neal, Tiger Woods, David Beckham and Tom Brady).
I highly recommend "The Truth About You" as much as "Now, Discover Your Strengths" changed my thinking about the work I've been called to do and how that interacts with the way I was created, this book does a great job of honing down the ideas in firm and practical ways. Your never to old or to young to change your trajectory in the work force to work in a job that you love and cannot imagine doing anything else and this book can help you get there.
A short, but valuable, readNovember 20, 2008 What an awesome book, offering just the right message. Do his simple exercises and you'll really see things clearly. He teaches you that you can even do what you're good at and still not be satisfied--so find your strengths now for a more fulfilling career. What are your strengths, specifically? A great read and the perfect length for busy young professionals!! -[...]
Not bad - but not that goodNovember 20, 2008 It's been done before. This is every self-assess-and-fix-your-flaws book you've ever seen. The writing isn't bad, and the ideas are good, it just wasn't the new approach I was hoping to see.
Good tool for assessing yourself in troubled timesNovember 20, 2008 As others have mentioned, this book/dvd is essentially a toolkit, a shorter version of the excellent first discover your strengths.
The troubled economy we are now facing has caused a lot of people to reevaluate their careers, even their lives. I think this toolkit provides an excellent resource for stepping back and thinking about what is really important in your life and putting yourself down the right path.
I still like the books better but will say that if used properly, this toolset will be more more actionable and impactful for most people. Well done, and worth the invetment.
