Covey, Stephen R.; The 8th Habit — From Effectiveness to Greatness, 2004.

“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” is a classic guide to improving productivity. In fairly simple terms it describes techniques that over the years may have helped millions of people to become a bit more productive. Although the tone is sometimes preachy, the book is clearly written and has become a “how-to” classic.

“The 8th Habit” tries to go much further than the earlier book, and in taking on deeper issues it loses some of its accessibility. The 8th “habit” is really more a sweeping challenge: “to find our voice and inspire our others to find theirs.”

The book is not a handy “how-to” guide and sometimes becomes tangled in its own rhetoric. And readers may be annoyed by frequent references to an accompanying CD of 16 inspirational films.

Despite its flaws, for Covey fans the book is an important new look at the original seven habits, and a rich exploration of issues related to excellence and leadership.