Thrive! Stop wishing your life away Hardcover – December 21, 2009

You are either going to love or hate Alan Weiss book THRIVE! The manuscript could have used one more round of editing. The contents could easily rub you the wrong way depending on how you interpret his intentions and style. My perspective, and opinion, is Mr. Weiss was just being brutally honest and transparent on his view of the world. Since Mr. Weiss did not grow up with a silver spoon in his mouth his experience and insight of the world of business appears to be an accurate assessment. The result is Mr. Weiss has the reputation of being the #1 Entrepreneurial Coach in the world. This is according to Marshall Goldsmith the #1 Coaches Coach in the world. If you haven't read any of Mr. Goldsmith's books I highly encourage you to do so. The bottomline is Mr. Weiss gives you a simple, but certainly not easy, blueprint to step out of your own shadow to succeed in life and in business. It is not another self-help book to make you feel good. Actually, it was for me, more like a 2x4 across the forehead. Like it, love it, hate it. It doesn't matter. If you're not where you want to be in life and in business then you need to read and internalize THRIVE!

THRIVE by Alan Weiss is perhaps one of the best, no-nonsense books on life, and a great resource for a busy professional. His style is highly personal, and Alan pulls no punches. I plan to provide copies of THRIVE to my college-aged children and a couple of client/colleagues. Thanks, Alan!

Having read several of Alan Weiss's publications, I looked forward to devouring his latest book, Thrive! I was sorely disappointed. Weiss's prose has become verbose and repetitive. The text lacked structure. The editing was sloppy, including more than a few typos. Most of all, Weiss adopted a superior, know-it-all tone. If he professes not to like whiners, why does he whine so much? Lastly, I can't overlook his claim to have read Jean-Paul Sartre's L'Etranger in French. Albert Camus wrote L'Etranger, not Sartre. Encore un petit effort Monsieur Weiss.

Reading it is like having a condescending old man in your head. He makes good points but needs to hire an editor that can tone done his jerktitude.

Thoughtful read that outlines steps to be a better version of myself. It synthesized many lessons from my experiences, with his stories and checklists. His gift for clarity is outstanding. While Alan is known as a longstanding business consultant and coach, he makes a case that overall change will depend on the state of and my comittment to personal growth..

I am a fan of many of Mr. Weiss books. While I rarely agree on most things , reading then consideration provide a wonderful opportunity to expand and expose my thought processes. Enjoyed it so much that it is on my Christmas gift giving list for three niece/nephews just starting their professional lives.

My review is the first not to give Dr. Weiss 5 stars for this remarkable book. And I don't take pride in that. While I find "Thrive!" outstanding, it is yet flawed and will not suffice as a comprehensive guide on how to Thrive.My suspicion is that the vast majority of those whom have written in with their reviews are sycophants and idolators for whom Alan Weiss represents the epitomy of success as an independent consultant. He is no doubt the most prolific and arguably the most successful publicly accessible figure to occupy this role. But this book is not how to Thrive as an independent consultant. It's a book for anyone who would like to "Thrive" and THAT audience is far wider a cross section of people.Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful for this book. It is one of the most inspiring works that I have ever read when it comes to Personal Development. I won't go into the contents of the book, as it would be unfair to Dr. Weiss to do that here. But I will indicate what I think makes this work unique and outstanding amongst other like materials that compete for your attention.1. Although I don't know Alan Weiss, I believe that he is being honest in this book and that counts for ALOT2. The style of writing is very accessible in terms of being both entertaining and empathetic (Much like all successful Consultants, he draws on Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt to engage his audience)3. Thrive is practical book and written for someone who is serious about getting ahead4. This book is not about how to get motivated (I hate that nonesense, do you really need someone to do that for you?)5. Dr. Weiss is bold in telling us that we need to look out for number one, and this is not something to be ashamed of; how refreshing!6. The advice on how to deal with people that hold us back is priceless7. Understanding true time management, and the psychology associated with it are again, pricelessI could go on, but suffices to say, that this book is really worth reading. So why do I take one star off from the potential honor roll status? There is a section of the book that will quiz you on how well informed you are according to Dr. Weiss' criteria. According to this test, it turns out, I am not especially well informed. However, at the end of the book he makes a glaring error of citing a certain book from which he has never recovered after reading. The name of the author cited is incorrect. If I'm going to be gauged for my intelligence based on an arbitrary test, the author should at the very least verify his facts before being judgmental using his own standards!Why do I say that this is a capstone Course in Success? It really helped me round out my education in success following the deep internalization of many other works that I believe are foundational: The Stranger, Think and Grow Rich, Heart of Darkness, The Art of Exceptional Living, The Book of 5 Rings, and Mastery. I could go on, but these alongside Thrive would perhaps be a Masters Course in Success.Nevertheless, I am grateful for the knowledge and unique perspective provided in this work. There is a wealth of experience available to those of us who dare to Thrive.

Loved this book by Alan Weiss! Within one day of finishing "Thrive" I set forth to deploy some of the material. I'm here to say what I have implemented has already returned wonderful results. Thank you Alan Weiss for practical thoughts and advice!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Alan and his works, Alan Weiss is a hugely successful business consultant, author and speaker. Using a no nonsense approach, Alan is one of the most articulate and thought provoking writers you may ever find today. And Thrive! is no exception to this. In this book, Alan addresses the many reasons why people fail to achieve their potential and puts these reasons into a perspective that will leave you nodding your head and accepting that the true solution to your problems reside within you. There is no escaping the brutal (and sometime comical) accuracy that Alan will force you to face, yet the perspectives you encounter may help to change your view and in turn develop that self belief and honesty one needs in order to truly Thrive! You don't have to be in business to read this book. Anyone who suffers from low self esteem or feels that they must be able to do more with their lives will benefit from this book as they learn to throw their baggage off the train and Thrive! I took a great deal from this book and I believe that you will too. At £16 it may seem expensive, but if you read it and accept your own accountability for the results in your life, then you will see it as a tiny investment for an improvement that may last you a lifetime. And if you have read Alan's works before you know EXACTLY what you're going to get and don't need this review anyway.