Thinking for a Change

March 10, 2003
Basing his latest book on the theory that "successful people think differently than unsuccessful people," Maxwell (author of bestselling The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
and Running with the Giants) guides readers on the journey of mastering "good thinking" to achieve their personal and professional potential. Maintaining an encouraging tone and a down-to-earth writing style honed from his more than 30 previous titles, Maxwell details the impact and practical value of 11 kinds of thinking, including reflective, shared, creative, unselfish and big-picture. Useful tips, like how to discover your gifts through focused thinking, ways to break down complex issues with strategic thinking, and how to understand the value of examining the worst-case scenario through realistic thinking, characterize the author's surprisingly concrete lessons. The step-by-step format is bolstered by inspirational quotes, personal insights and high-profile anecdotal evidence about the likes of Priscilla Presley, George Lucas and George Washington Carver. Ending each chapter, emphasizing the discipline needed to think your way to the top, are exercises designed to evaluate and increase your personal progress in each area.

April 15, 2003
Maxwell, founder of the INJOY Group, has written 30 other books, including The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and Running with the Giants. He is one of the many well-known leadership coaches who have built a franchise around mass distribution of advice on how to succeed in business and life. A straightforward exploration of 11 thinking skills that can help a person change from a conventional thinker to a leader and visionary, his latest book calls for a willingness to expand one's horizons, ask questions, challenge popular opinion, and be open to creativity and collaboration. The book does not represent new scholarship so much as a different way of organizing information, quotes, anecdotes, and the author's own wisdom. Throughout, he cites other authors of leadership titles, including Annette Moser-Wellman (The Five Faces of Genius). Thinking for a Change would make a useful addition to extenstive business/leadership and career advice collections in public and secondary school libraries, to complement Moser-Wellman's and Peter Drucker's works. Recommended.-Stephen Turner, Turner & Assocs., San Francisco

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