The 3rd Alternative: Solving Life's Most Difficult Problems

This is a great problem solving tool and would be a valuable asset to anyone. The timeless principles outlined are like a compass that shows a better way. If you are in management you also need to read the Eigth Habit and watch the short movies that come with the book. Congratulations to AB Coombes Elementary for taking the principals extolled by Mr. Covey and instilling them in the minds of the young ones, this is really inspiring and shows there are answers to the education crisis the USA is facing.

Dr. Covey inspires us again. This 3rd alternative thinking will be our guiding principle in the life. We are currently living in a difficult world. Environment, health, poverty and impartiality issues weigh heavily on us incessantly. Not only to solve the conflict but also to regain our soul, we need to change our paradigm. He points out we are too much swallowed up by the serious identity theft, which deprives the sense of who we are and what we can do in our life. We have to sneak away from the thinking of the industrial age, two alternative thinking. The key to a healthy society, he says, is to align the social will, the value system, with the principles of synergy.Every corporations, politicians, doctors, musicians, educators and governmental officers of famous and only known locally, he introduce as 3rd alternative thinkers, are unanimously impressive. Especially Pablo Casals's words knocked out me. Whoever can say I'm beginning to notice getting better at this at the age of ninety three. I gird up my loins again to live in crescendo.Dr. Covey's erudite knowledge covers the whole globe. We can deepen our cultural anthropology understandings, like ubuntu, talking stick communication, ashimsa, dharma and izzat, etc. In Japanese, the Chinese character of person comes from a scene two people stand on earth leaning against each other. We should know we live on an interdependent planet, and need to think in holistic to solve the difficulties we are facing, rather than consider the sum of the parts, by a broad and deep understanding reality.The 7 habits has been my guidance to date to lead a highly effective life. Now and then I stop and looked back myself to the light of these guidelines. From now on I'll add this 3rd alternative thinking to my mental attitude. I believe our capability in creating our own change and finding ways to create synergy within our circle of influence. I wish the consequences of our action expand with time. I would like to be a writer of my life, too.

Anyone familiar with The 7 Habit of Highly Effective People is familiar with each of the habits. Although the book and its related classes and workshops go into detail on all of the habits, the 6th Habit in particular, "Synergize", is one that is in essense its own topic. This book adds depth to that particular habit because it really is the culmination of the foundation laid by all the other habits. I enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone that has read the 7 Habits and/or taken its workshops. I do add one caveat in that if you're not familiar with the 7 Habits, don't start with this book. Read that one first, otherwise the concepts in this book would be very difficult to follow all the way through.

This is the very first book I have ever read from the author and it has been immensely helpful to me in putting "a" perspective on my life. The best part of the book for me was that within the first 50 pages, Dr Covey laid out the "See-Do-Get" framework in a very concise manner. That I was going through a personal turmoil and desperately looking for wisdom helped in grasping the essence (at least that's what I think) of the book quickly.The anatomy of "synergy" as suggested by Dr. Covey, lies in the true and meaningful understanding of self, others and then using those insights to reach out and co-create what may not have been possible before. Conflict is inevitable. It is not something that we can escape from. And as much as we can claim that differences are to be celebrated, Dr. Covey provides a very clear analysis that differences can be celebrated only when we take the time and effort to truly and deeply understand each other. He goes further to outline a prescription on how to reach out to each other and create possibilities, effectively giving the term "brainstorming" a new definition.I found a lot of similarity in the core concepts with those presented in the book "Debunking the Leadership Myth: The Story of Conscious Leadership". In both books, what comes across as a recommendation is NOT to start with our behaviors but our drivers - our belief systems, our attitudes, our very sense of being. It is only when we see ourselves deeply, candidly and acknowledge ourselves fully that we can do the same for others. And those insights are the right foundations for subsequent behaviors which in turn, lead to meaningful outcomes/results.After laying out the conceptual framework, Dr. Covey narrates multiple applications of the same extending both the theory for specific situations (dealings with business colleagues, dealings with children, spouse, relatives etc) and substantiating the situation specific context with anecdotes. While one can question the anecdotes, the simplicity and the appeal of the synergy framework is undoubted. If I can summarize - the book provides a fairly potent tool in one's journey of mindfulness.

Shipped very quick, in a v. good condition.. the book itself is a great read. Needed. Fresh way of thinking. Simple to apply & makes all the difference when applied, sometimes felt instantly.

Worth buying

Great book

Ich höre die CD immer im Auto auf der Fahrt in die Arbeit und fühle mich jedes Mal so beglückt. Die Inhalte werden so nachvollziehbar erklärt und aufeinander aufbauend vermittelt. Da ich das Buch bisher immer verschenkt habe und (noch) nicht für mich gekauft habe, fehlt mir bei der CD eindeutig der Überblick über die Kapitel und welche Themen besprochen werden. Das wäre wirklich hilfreich, da die CD über 20 Tracks umfasst. Trotzdem 5 Sterne, da Covey hier einfach wieder auf wunderbare Weise die Welt erklärt und durch das Wissen, das dann hoffentlich zum Einsatz kommt, wieder ein bisschen besser macht. Absolut empfehlenswert für alle Trainer, Coaches, Therapeuten und alle die selbst etwas ändern wollen!

This is a stunning book that takes your breath away.whilst it's in fact just a much more in depth analysis (with GREAT examples) of Habits 4,5, and 6 of the 7 Habits, it puts it into a simple, powerful, easy to understand and apply format, and breaks it up into different situations.If only we could get this taught in every school, workplace, and particularly to the unemployed and disempowered people in our society, our society would be a totally different place.Buy it, read it, keep reading it, but it for your friends and colleagues and encourage them to do the same.Looking forward to Sean Covey releasing a version for teenagers!