Aimed at middle and high school students, this book should have been about teenage development and how to be a better person; instead The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens is Mormon propaganda. ( )

Based on his father's bestselling The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Sean Covey applies the same principles to teens, using a vivacious, entertaining style. To keep it fun, Covey writes, he "stuffed it full of cartoons, clever ideas, great quotes, and incredible stories about real teens from all over the world... along with a few other surprises." Did he ever! Flip open to any page and become instantly absorbed in real-life stories of teens who have overcome obstacles to succeed, and step-by-step guides to shifting paradigms, building equity in "relationship bank accounts," creating action plans, and much more.
As a self-acknowledged guinea pig for many of his dad's theories, Sean Covey is a living example of someone who has taken each of the seven habits to heart: be proactive; begin with the end in mind; put first things first; think win-win; seek first to understand, then to be understood; synergize; and sharpen the saw. He includes a comical section titled "The 7 Habits of Highly Defective Teens," which includes some, shall we say, counterproductive practices: put first things last; don't cooperate; seek first to talk, then pretend to listen; wear yourself out... Covey's humorous and up-front style is just light enough to be acceptable to wary teenagers, and down-and-dirty enough to really make a difference. (Ages 13 and older) --Emilie Coulter

I read Stephen Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People several years back and as a teacher I always wanted to find a way to apply the seven habits to teens. Well, Sean Covey, Stephen Covey's son did just that and in a very engaging and kid-appropriate way. Sean Covey uses examples, anecdotes, and pictures to explain the seven habits of highly effective people in very easy-to-understand language that kids will immediately appreciate and comprehend. ( )

I put this book on my grade 5 classroom bookshelf and told my students not to read the book, too boring. The book disappeared and reappeared time and again. At the end of the school year, in 1999, the students let me know that the book opened their eyes. Those same few students also had changed how they approached learning and being responsible to the better. They were also selected more often by the principal and the guidance counselors as rold models for different special programs, without me recommending them. ZMaleki ( )

One of the books that changed my life. ( )