Adversity Quotient

Anyone who thinks this book is about a "having a good attitude" or "positive thinking" hasn't read the book. Stoltz states at the beginning, "It's more important to know how to deal with the negative than to be 'positive.'" This mirrors the I Ching, which says, "The event is not important, but the response to the event is everything." Stoltz says it's not only how we _respond_ to adversity, but how we _perceive_ adversity. Stoltz breaks down our response to adversity into five categories -- Control (how much control do we perceive over the adverse situation?), Origin (are we to blame for the adverse situation?), Ownership (are we responsible for fixing the adverse situation?), Reach (how far will this adverse situation reach into other areas of my life?), and Endurance (how long will this adverse situation last?). He provides abundant examples (everyday and historical), hypotheticals, and even a test where we can score how we tend to respond to adversity, and improve our response. He lists 22 helpful ways to _destroy_ the adversity of those around us (#4 -- Model victimhood. Act depressed -- it's contagious; #9 -- Frame success as a freak accident; #19 -- Uproot enthusiasm before it can grow). Problems with the book? Sure there are. It's a bit padded, especially in the beginning. Much of the book deals with overcoming adversity in business situations. He also criticizes those who decide to "camp" on the hillside instead of always "climbing" to the top of the mountain. I feel we can have success and happiness, not to mention a family life, by "camping," just as I suspect "climber" is another word for "workaholic." In all, it's a very worthwhile book.

As a coach/consultant in personal and organizational development for 20 years I read hundreds of 'self-help' books. Only a few have something new and useful to offer. Stolz's Adversity Quotient is one of the best of those. Its easy-to-use assesment of my habitual way of responding to adversity gave me critical feedback I needed to re-invent my own life/work strategies. And his CORE skills and LEAD sequence (based largely on Martin Seligman's work on learned helplessness and learned optimism which was deemed the 'landmark theory of the century' by the American Psychological Association) are powerful, pragmatic tools for dealing with adversity of any sort. AQ is simple, clear and easy to use, but it is definitely not a gimmick. As a professional in this field and as an individual who has used Stolz's insights and tools to produce more outstanding results than ever before--and with less effort and stress--I can attest to both its scientific solidness and its practical usefulness. It has my highest recommendation.

In today's environment of mega changes, it's easy to forget about the most important differentiators of success. Attitude and motivation still transcend knowledge, skill, and technology as the most important contributors to success.Dr. Stoltz makes tremendous sense, and breaks down what is obvious to some (think positive and positive things will happen) and provides the tools to understand and develop ownership and accountability for a much richer personal and professional life.I don't know how many times I've participated in rah rah training sessions where everyone went away positive, but without lasting impact. AQ provides practical tools to move foprward.While others tell us we need to be motivated and have a positive attitude, Dr. Stoltz shows us how to break it down, measure it and understand its impact on us and on organizations. But even more important he shows us how to develop the attitude and personal motivation required to pick yourself up and go at it again, with renewed if not relentless vigor, to learn, and fight again.In today's highly complex and competitive markets the only significant differentiators are an organization's people. AQ is the tool to develop within individuals and groups the power to make choices consistent with personal and organizational goals.Empowerment does not fail because people are not given power. It fails because people do not have the tools to exercise their power of choice. AQ gives individuals and organizations that power.

Too many people suffer from learned helplessness - they believe that nothing they do really matters and that they can't make a difference in their own lives nor in what happens to them. They give up and become quitters, or camp out and live lives of quiet desparation. By building up your Adversity Quotient, Stoltz shows that adversity doesn't have to intrude into all areas of your life; nor do you have to believe that your problems have to last forever. By increasing your AQ, you can rebound almost instantly. Everyone stumbles and falls, but now you can learn how to pick yourself up, renew your spirit, and face any problems by taking action that eliminate and prevent the same adverse situation from ever occurring again. This is a remarkably well written and useful book. It is helpful in improving the quality of every aspect of your life, including your private life, career, etc. Given today's challenges and stress levels, it should be required reading for everyone. Even big challenges and adversities - losing a job, getting a divorse, being reprimanded, etc. - will be reduced to little ones once you know how to deal with them effectively and easily. A great book!

I was very impressed with the helpful and easy-to-follow ideas in this book. It was very empowering to realize how much control we *do* have in our lives, even in situations that seem out of our control - because we *always* have control over our response. One of the key points is that despite whatever AQ you have, you can improve it! Even before I'd finished the book, I was able to start putting the ideas to work. If you are one of the people who says "it won't work for me!" or "books like that are all bunk!" then you especially could benefit from this one. Go into it with an open mind, and your life could be changed for the better.I intend to re-read this book several times, to help myself better absorb the important lessons.