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Pocket Books Search Pocket Books by Marcus Buckingham Donald O. Clifton Search Marcus Buckingham Donald O. Clifton
Amazon.co.uk Review
Marcus Buckingham and Donald O Clifton's Now, Discover Your Strengths proposes a unique approach to managing personnel: focus on enhancing people's strengths rather than eliminating their weaknesses. Effectively managing personnel--as well as one's own behaviour--is an extraordinarily complex task that, not surprisingly, has been the subject of countless books touting what each claims is the true path to success. Following up on the coauthors' popular previous book, First, Break All the Rules, it fully describes 34 positive personality themes the two have formulated (such as Achiever, Developer, Learner, and Maximiser) and explains how to build a "strengths-based organisation" by capitalising on the fact that such traits are already present among those within it.
Most original and potentially most revealing, however, is a Web-based interactive component that allows readers to complete a questionnaire developed by the Gallup Organisation and instantly discover their own top five inborn talents. This device provides a personalised window into the authors' management philosophy which, coupled with subsequent advice, places their suggestions into the kind of practical context that's missing from most similar tomes. "You can't lead a strengths revolution if you don't know how to find, name and develop your own," write Buckingham and Clifton. Their book encourages such introspection while providing knowledgeable guidance for applying its lessons. --Howard Rothman
Customer Reviews:
Don't buy this book - Superceded by Strengthsfinder 2.0
I was really enjoying this book until I got to the part where you take the Strengthsfinder test.
I went online only to discover that Strengthsfinder 2.0 is the new updated version of Now Discover your Strengths.
I felt cheated that this was not made clear when I was looking for the book on Amazon.co.uk - If you have bought Now Discover your Strengths, the Strengthsfinder.com website pushes you into taking the Strengthsfinder 1.0 test, leaving you forever wondering what you may have discovered about yourself if you had been able to take the "new and improved version of the assessment"
Strengthsfinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup's Now Discover Your Strengths
the book everyone should read 
How many of us, well into our careers, still live with the mistaken idea that the purpose of most of our activities is to work on those weaknesses and somehow turn them into strengths? I would venture to say, the majority of us, certainly those of us who grew up with post war parents who themselves believed that success in working life and achievement can be measured by the extent to which his has been accomplished.
In the meantime, strengths, natural aptitudes, and in most cases the activities that enhance our well being are almost ignored, simply because so much energy goes into working on those weaknesses.
When put this simply, none of us should be surprised at the level of unhappiness sustained by a lot of people in their jobs.
So, in the face of this general discontent, Marcus Buckingham comes along to shake us up and wake us up. With the help of his, dare I say it, easy to understand theory, we can turn our professional and personal lives around.
What you need to do, is rediscover the strengths that are an integral part of your own personality, and by strengths he means, not only the things you excel at but that also give a sense of satisfaction and contentment. Then to increase well being it is essential to take these discoveries seriously and ensure they can be put to use to either help you choose a new career path or to improve your situation in your current job.
Bosses, he says, must be aware of the natural strengths of employees and work on finding ways of utilising these instead of regularly planning training programmes to help them identify weaknesses that subsequently should be worked on to transform them into strengths because that just isn't about to happen. It takes much more energy and investment to work on weaknesses than it does to enhance strengths.
Simple, yet it took Marcus Buckingham to point it out. A definite eye opener. I recommend it to bosses and employees alike.
I keep buying this book! 
It would be great if I were on commission for every time I bought a copy of this book, as I must have purchased this book about 20 times. Why? In order to undertake the strengths analysis you need the unique code on the inside cover to be able to log on to the website and complete the test. Which means that whenever I get colleagues in my teams or those that I coach and mentor to understand what their strengths are I need to buy another copy. I have yet to find a better way of analysing one's strengths and use this book as the basis of my coaching. Having applied the recommendations in the book on how to use my own strengths, I have also found the most fullfilling role in 30 years of my career. I'd also recommend, Go, Put Your Strengths to Work as a necessary second purchase to make buying this book most effective.
discovering your strengths
Absolutely great book, helps you discover your strengths and how to appreciate and use them.
Now discover your strengths
a great read! It really does answer the questions on why we all behave in certain ways. I use it at work with my colleagues and my children at home. It really does pay to buy a copy!
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