Strengthsquest

This book really helps those who are trying to figure out their strengths and what they want to do in life. Im using this for a college course and it has really come in handy. The only drawback is that each book comes with its own code so you can not buy the book used since the best parts of the book are the two assessments.

I bought this for a class and got it on time. So far it's been useful.

Note: The review that follows is of the Second Edition, published in 2006 after the deaths of Donald Clifton and Edward ("Chip") Anderson. The Gallup Organization has accumulated a wealth of research data from millions of respondents to identify their strengths. Some of the most recent books have examined this information, notably those written by Marcus Buckingham (e.g. Discover Your Strengths and then Go Put Your Strengths to Work) and Tom Rath (e.g. StrengthsFinder 2.0). What we have in this volume is another important contribution to our understanding of how to identify strengths and then leverage them to achieve success "in academics, career, and beyond." It was co-authored by Donald Clifton and Edward ("Chip") Anderson with Laurie Schreiner and offers a substantial value-added benefit, a self-assessment that they urge their reader to complete first. An access code is provided and is valid for one user only. In the Preface, Anderson acknowledges that prior to a presentation by Clifton, he had "always assumed that that top achievers set high goals and low achievers set low goals. But research indicates that top achievers tend to set goals slightly above their current level of performance, whereas low achievers often set very, very high goals." He goes on to point out that "top achievers build their academic and personal lives - and later their careers - on their talents. They use those talents as the foundation of strengths development, and they apply those strengths to produce excellence." This is the core concept of the book. So, what are your strengths? To answer that question, first complete the 30-minute online "StrengthsQuest" self-assessment and print a copy. I also recommend that you print a copy of the summary version. The information completes the first three aspects (i.e. discovery, development, and application) of what Clifton and Anderson characterize as a "lifelong adventure." Next, guided and informed by what the results indicate, focus on further development of your strengths. In this context, "focus" is a key word. Frankly, I shudder when recalling my efforts in years past to try to increase what seemed to be my strengths while struggling (at the same time) to eliminate my weaknesses. Without focus, the mixed results were inevitable, and disappointing. Worse yet, when entrusted with supervisory responsibilities, I made the same mistake with those for whom I was directly responsible. Of special interest to me is what Clifton and Anderson have to say about what they call "signature themes." That is, dominant areas of talent. They acknowledge five difficulties when accepting and then affirming one's themes (e.g. "many people are blind to their own greatest talents, and often the greatest talents of others"). In Chapter III, they identify 34 of these themes. For purposes of illustration, let's say that the results of your "StrengthsQuest" self-assessment reveal these five: Achiever helps to explain your drive, a constant

StrengthsQuest: Discover and Develop Your Strengths in Academics, Career, and Beyond Not as easy a read as strengthsfinder 2.0 but goes into more depth for those who really want to use their assessment to do more detailed planning for academics and career.

As a college educator, I found the strengths test fascinating. Like many others, I was surprised and, at first, skeptical about the results of the inventory. As I read the book, though, I learned more and appreciated how the qualities identified by Gallup had helped me throughout my career or impeded my progress when my strengths were not a good fit with institutional culture. I have recommended the book to many peers, and find myself bringing up the content frequently in conversations. As a resource for high school or college students, I am less apt to recommend the book without also recommending a guidance process. In early college development, many youth have not had enough life experience to understand their interests or environments enough to understand the broad recommendations of the author. With more personal guidance from a mentor or advisor who has also read the book, there is potential for more concrete applications.