Covey, S.R. (1990), The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Restoring the Character Ethic, New York: Fireside
This is a seminal "how to improve" book that has sold several million copies. This is due to its simple writing style and the sharpness of Covey's observations. The seven habits are described and defined only after the book discusses the need for a "paradigm shift"--which is what he sees as a change in the way you perceive that the world works. This is a serious consideration of the book, and his seven habits are related to this paradigm shift.
The Seven Habits form the remainder of the book.
Habit 1: Be proactive, in other words, don't let the tail wag the dog.
Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind, which cautions awareness at all times.
Habit 3: Put first things first, or proceed in an orderly way.
III. Critical Evaluation of Covey's ideas
A. Relationship of data to conclusions
Covey does not argue rhetorically. Instead, his thinking could be called a "mind map" or even "hyperlinked" (to use an Internet concept). That is, he does not state "Habit 1 is to be proactive. Here is how you are proactive. These are other people whom I consider to be proactive."
Rather, his arguments tend to circumlocute. When discussing shifting paradigms -- surely a challenge -- he gives us situations, like a train passing in the night. In fact, he uses a subway train incident to clarify the concept. While traveling in a subway, a man gets in with his two sons, who are screaming monsters. He finally gets irritated and asks the father why he doesn't do something to control his kids. The father replies, "We just got back from the hospital where their mother died. I don't know how to handle it and I guess they don't either." That is a paradigm shift, and
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