Rules of the Red Rubber Ball: Find and Sustain Your Life's Work

I loved this book which is cleverly illustrated. It put a big smile on my face! Certainly inspirational in a very light but profound way Kevin Carroll takes us through his journey with the Red Rubber Ball (pages have colorful drawings and excellent design) and how he has found inspiration to shine in his life while making a difference in the world and going for his dreams. With his seven simple rules he has accomplished a lot (along with well-being), Carroll is an athlete, one of the first afro-american NBA's trainers, speaker and has a leadership position at Nike. All because he followed his passion for the Red Rubber Ball... He talks about every day being a chance to look for something unexpected and about making life our playground to have fun in whatever we are passionate about. I say that is a pretty miraculous way to go through life and reminds me of the work of Ariel and Shya Kane. They are catalysts for having a brilliant life regardless of the circumstances, their books Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: A Book About Instantaneous Transformation, How To Create a Magical Relationship and Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment as well as their 3 Principles of Transformation are excellent guides to live a fun fresh life full of opportunities, right here right now no need to wait for the future. If you're interested in having your life be magical and fun, creating opportunities and living to the fullest, I highly recommend checking out both Carroll and the Kanes.

I read this book on the suggestion of someone I know and trust. I pre-ordered it and received it "hot off the press" and was able to take it with me on a recent trip outside of the country. I saved it for my return flight when I knew I would be tired and perhaps need some inspiration, and I am happy that I did. As is often said, don't judge a book by it's cover. I thought the book was going to be cute and perhaps contain a few nuggets of wisdom, but what I found instead was my new manifesto for life and living. Kevin does a great job providing background information (from whence he came) to frame his ideas and suggestions, but where many authors leave off, he takes it to the next level. If I had to encapsulate the entire book into a few words they would be "planning, passion, perseverance, play and perspective". It was obvious that he had a plan (not a rigid, fully-detailed roadmap, but rather a general idea of what he wanted to do and who he wanted to be, he was passionate in his pursuit of his goals, he persevered when the times got tough or circumstances changed, he made sure his life's work was fun and not just a job, and he always viewed what was happening as an opportunity to learn, grow and develop rather than an insurmountable challenge or roadblock. This book doesn't offer a new or wildly revolutionary plan for success, rather it keeps it simple and offers some common sense ideas on how anyone cna lead a richer and more fulfilling life. It is simple, well written, fun to read, and something that I will not only read again and again, but will offer to my friends and colleagues to help remind them why they are doing what they are. As someone who lives and works just outside of Philadelphia, his stories of growing up and working in the area added some additional relevance to the story for me. I think this book is destined to be a classic in subject area, it's simple elegance should allow it to stand the test of time.

I recently heard Kevin speak at the International Career Development Conference. I am a Career Counselor and work with clients all the time on finding and obtaining their dream/passion. This book is very powerful! I will add it to my list of best books for those seeking greater fulfillment in life.

Encounter here the story of a man challenged by vicissitudes and his rise to success. The same private school where the author sneeked into to play basketball as a kid hired him to be their coach as an adult. I'm telling you that you haven't seen graphics telling a story so beautifully as it is done here. Bruce Mau, DK books, move over. Even in the size of a paperback it's my candidate as favorite coffee table book. The attitude and delivery on the thought of perseverance makes this a book with a backbone of steel.

This is a surprisingly fun and simple read, but the message is oh so powerful. Kevin Carroll talks about finding your passion, whatever that is, and finding a way to turn that into your life. For many of us looking for our passion, this book serves as a reminder to never give up, no matter how silly it might seem to others. Don't take your ball and go home...Find it and play with it as much as you can!