The Power of Influence

I gave this book 4 stars because, while it was refreshing to read and I definitely learned quite a bit, it wasn't a paradigm-shifting book, which is what I am increasingly moving towards for my 5 star books.I love these small books full of great little inspiration and motivational quotes. I believe John Maxwell's book, The Power of Leadership, is an even better read for those looking to better themselves and get a peak at how the world's greatest businessmen and politicians think. The key to ranking this book depends on what you are seeking to get out of the book. They key to getting long-term value out of a book like this is to highlight the quotes you love and integrate them into your daily life. Practice what you read essentially. Hope this helps everyone.

This is a good book of brief quotes and sayings about human relationships. Since I found it listed as a management book, I thought that's what it would be about. Actually, it begins in that vein and goes on to include marriage, parenting, and friendship. The overall theme is that you have to improve if you want your relationships to improve. As Mother Teresa said (and is quoted in the book), "It is by forgiving that one is forgiven." The authors of the sayings include John C. Maxwell (the author), the Bible, outstanding people, philosophers, business people, and politicians. In some cases, it wasn't clear who was the source of the quote. That was the only drawback I saw here. Unlike some books of quotations, this one had a consistent theme that was intelligently developed through the many quotes in the book. I especially liked the lead-in on page 4 which is a list of 10 commandments of human relations (best practices for copyright law suggest that lists like this not be quoted in reviews or I would give it to you in total). Here are some of my favorites from other parts of the book: "Ninety percent of the friction of daily life is caused by the wrong tone of voice." -- John C. Maxwell"Ninety percent of the art of living consists of getting along with people you cannot stand." -- Samuel Goldwyn"People aren't sales resistant -- they are salespeople resistant." -- Mark Hebenstreit"I will pay more for the ability to deal with people than for any other ability under the sun." -- John D. Rockefeller"We cannot forgive another for not being ourselves." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson"The only way to have a friend is to be one." -- EmersonThese are good reminders of things we all know, and forget to do. So overcome your procrastination stall by reading and applying a few of these bits of good advice daily! You'll certainly like yourself better if you do. It's not a bad idea to have a valid reason for thinking better of yourself.