This book is an extension of the author's blog (by the same name). It ties together all the concepts that he believes in, and presented in a coherent way. You will get more out of this book if you keep an open mind, and do some of the actions. As always, reading a book seldom change your life, it's what you do after reading that is life changing. ( )

There are thousands of books published in the personal development field.

So why should you read this one? Because it’s an…

Accessible. Practical. Integrative Framework.

Accessible: This book was not written from a Tibetan monastery or Princeton think-tank— it was written by a transparent, plain spoken guy who is sharing what he has learned from both extensive reading and analysis and the lab of his own life. You won’t need to haul out your dictionary or scratch your head and think, “Now what does he mean by that?”

Practical: This book gives more than just concepts– in each chapter there are practical exercises where you can put the concepts into direct doable action designed to kick-start growth and change in your life. I dare you to read this book and not find a dozen ideas that will REALLY WORK in your life immediately.

Integrative Framework: I’ve read other books that helped me with organization or work or approach to life or understanding myself. They were helpful, but they dealt with only one component of my life. One the other hand, Personal Development for Smart People gave me an overall framework that let me see a complete picture of my growth as a person, and allowed me to integrate those other good ideas and books into the framework. This allowed me to utilize all my resources more effectively and see where they fit into my life as a whole.

What’s inside…

In the introduction, Steve sets out the question,

What does it mean for us to grow as conscious human beings, and how do we intelligently guide that process?

He answers that there are three universal principles: truth, love & power. The goal of the book is, “to teach you how to bring all areas of your life into alignment with these universal principles.” He starts out with chapters on each principle, its components, common blocks to it, and ways to increase it in your life. Each chapter contains clearly written insights, engaging personal experiences, and practical exercises.

He next devotes chapters to principles he derives from the first three, which include oneness (truth+love), authority (truth+power), and courage (love+power). He caps it off with a chapter on intelligence, which he defines as the integration and mastery of all six principles.

After a discussion of the principles, he moves to application. There are chapters on how to apply each principle to the areas of habits, career, money, health, relationships, and spirituality.

What did I like about this book?

–I love that it is an integrative framework that I can fix in my head and use to structure my insights and actions about personal growth.

–The three basic principles are solid and I was immediately able to apply them to my own life. They echo the three principles that the Apostle Paul once wrote, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

–The book has given me insight and motivation to make some real, substantial changes in my life. I currently am in week 2 of getting up at 5am every morning (even weekends), exercising a half hour a day, and not eating dessert or red meat. I’ve lost 7 pounds, crafted an effective life purpose statement and feel greater clarity and productivity.

What came up short?

–Steve’s principle of “oneness” is not a universally accepted principle in the same category as truth, power, & love. For Steve, this belief serves him because he rejects the idea of a Judeo-Christian Creator God. For me, knowing that I am a loved child of an omnipotent Sovereign works better than thinking I am one with everything else in the world.

–Some of the application chapters were strong (money was especially helpful to me), but others such as relationships, health and spirituality again strayed more into aspects of Steve’s personal worldview than universally accepted principles.

Overall, Personal Development for Smart People is a great read and a fantastic resource. There are some parts you will likely not agree with, but there’s a lot of gold to be mined and effectively used in your life. I’ve read it twice in two weeks, and already given two copies to friends. ( )