Everyday Greatness: Inspiration for a Meaningful Life

"Since 1922, Reader's Digest has offered its readers uplifting stories and wise insights, spiced with gentle humor. In this anthology, David K. Hatch has collected some of the best of these stories and quotations, with added commentary from inspirational writer Stephen R. Covey. Their book provides numerous examples of ordinary people living principled lives. Without fanfare, quietly and nobly, these unrecognized heroes make the world a better place. They demonstrate what conviction, charity and goodness really mean. Although many of the anecdotes are saccharine and superficial, getAbstract believes that even the most exhausted workers and jaded managers will discover words of inspiration in this book."
~ Written on 2008-06-03

"Written along with very good Reader's Digest examples of stories about Courage, Attention, Meaning, Perserverance, and other virtuous qualities of man, Covey as well as a good collection of quotes from notable leaders, brings these virtues to you in a very compelling way.

Get the book, read the stories and use the examples in your own lives to make a difference in your own unique way.

Highly Recommended."
~ Written on 2007-08-19

"Everyday Greatness: Inspiration for a Meaningful Life by Stephen R. Covey and David K. Hatch is one of those books meant to be read in small doses so that the concepts can sink in. You may not find all the sections as applicable as others, but no one is together enough to not benefit from *some* part of it...

Contents:
Searching for Meaning: Contribution; Charity; Attention
Taking Charge: Responsibility; Courage; Discipline
Starting Within: Integrity; Humility; Gratitude
Creating the Dream: Vision; Innovation; Quality
Teaming with Others: Respect; Empathy; Unity
Overcoming Adversity: Adaptability; Magnanimity; Perseverance
Blending the Pieces: Balance; Simplicity; Renewal
Afterword; Acknowledgments; Notes

Even though the book has Covey's name on it, the material isn't written by him. The bulk of the material consists of compiled stories and quotes from existing sources and historical figures. Covey adds commentary to each section and chapter in order to tie them all together into a cohesive theme. Each chapter has around three stories that illustrate the particular trait being covered. There is then a Wrap Up and Reflections section that summarizes the stories and theme, as well as questions to ask yourself in order to more deeply examine how that trait would manifest in your life. Finally, the chapter concludes with a number of quotes that stick with the theme but show slightly different facets of it. All in all, there's a lot of inspiration to be had here...

For as good as this book is, I didn't find myself putting it at the top of my priority list to read. I've had it checked out from the library for quite awhile, but there always seemed to be another book that I'd pick up over this one, rather than come back to Everyday Greatness. I'm still not quite sure why I felt that way, but it is what it is. Regardless, I did find a number of valuable insights, and if I owned the book I'd likely revisit it a number of times."
~ Written on 2007-08-18

"The content of the book isn't what I expected from the description of the book I read before I bought. It was a little disappointment."
~ Written on 2007-08-05

"Be forewarned: EVERYDAY GREATNESS: INSPIRATION
FOR A MEANINGFUL LIFE by Steven R. Covey; compiled by Donald K. Hatch is not a "typical" Covey book along the lines of his classic THE SEVEN HABITSOF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE.

Rather, it is a collection of short pieces that originally appeared
in READER'S DIGEST that Covey effectively brings together
with running commentary. . . the "Reflections" section after
each chapter made me do just that; i.e., think about what
life is all about . . . I found the overall effect to be quite powerful.

I also liked the "Further Insights" that provided quotes on the
topic being discussed . . . among the ones that caused me to
pause were these:

* What do we live for if not to make the world less
difficult for each other?---George Eliot;

* It is more noble to give yourself completely to one
individual than to labor diligently for the salvation
of the masses.--Dag Hammarskjold; and

* Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human
face.--Victor Hugo.

EVERYDAY GREATNESS is the type book that
you'll often want to revisit . . . it would make a great
gift for just about anybody . . . furthermore, it can also
be a source for short read-aloud stories that can
be appreciated by all ages--such as this one [from
John Louis Feliciello]:

* As a boy I often tackled a task full of enthusiasm, only to become
discouraged quickly. One bright summer day my father showed me
an experiment with a magnifying glass and a newspaper. When he
moved the glass over the paper from one place to another, nothing
happened. But when he held it motionless in one spot for a while,
focusing the sun's rays, a hole appeared.

I was fascinated, but didn't grasp the significance of the procedure.
Father explained that the same principle applied in everything we do:
That to make a success of our lives we must learn to concentrate all
our efforts on the undertaking in hand until it is finished.

"
~ Written on 2007-07-05