Category: 1 – Read ASAP! (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)

Comments: The 7 Habits is the best book I’ve read – judging by its impact on my life. It’s not a book to be ‘read’ – it’s a book to be ‘studied’. I liken it to a manual that gives you a new way of thinking about life. And your approach can make all the difference in the world. You can look at it as a book wherein you expect to find a cool concept or two to apply, and that’s what you’ll find. You can look at it as a book you’re reading JUST because a few others recommended it and expect to find nothing amazing, and hey, guess what – that’s what you’ll find.

Or you can read it expecting it to give you ideas that will change your life, and that’s exactly what you will find.

In this book, I found many a framework which has helped me think about life. The guiding framework of moving from being a kid -> being a “teenager” of sorts (independence) -> being an adult (interdependence) was powerful. Lots of very meaningful stories and tons and tons of wisdom.

These are 3 things that changed within me post reading the book –

1) Got me started on changing my mentality to one that believed in abundance and hence, gradually took me away from the ‘envy’ path to the ‘happiness’ one.
2) Got me to write my own set of principles to live life by and follow them.
3) Got me to start ‘responding’ to every situation rather than ‘reacting’ to it by drilling in the concept that I had full control over my response to any problem.

And lots more – but these are probably the 3 biggest areas of impact. Give the book a chance and I’m sure you’ll never regret it!

Add on Mar 16, 2016: Many years since I studied this book, all of what I’ve written here still holds true. An incredible book.