Absolute Impact: The Drive for Personal Leadership

by Matthew May

Book Overview

This leadership fable penetrates the deeper issues involved in achieving maximum positive impact in work and life. Through an entertaining dramatic dialogue, a fading Prince and his three most trusted... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0972979409
• ISBN13: 9780972979405
• Release Date: October 2003
• Publisher: Peloton Publishing
• Length: 273 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Required Reading

I liked this book because it made me think about my work and my life. Several times I had to stop, rest the book on my lap, reread a passage, and reflect on the messages and how they applied to me. There is a central question which drives the discussion, and it's a very deep and personal one, one that has everything to do with making a difference in the world. I like the dialogue format, and the book reads almost like a screenplay. The exercises in the back of the book are helpful in getting your arms around the concepts and actually putting them into play in your life. Above all, the book is inspiring!

No Pills or Cheese Here!

My faith in the business writing profession is momentarily restored! I was getting pretty sick of the hundred page superficial big type fables getting churned out by the Blanchards and Johnsons of the world. Absolute Impact is a fable, but it has as much depth as anything I've picked up in the serious literature, history, or biography sections. I found myself agreeing with some of the characters, disagreeing with others. In other words, the book will engage you; it might make you think, or make you mad, but it will wake you up. So if you're an airplane reader, don't buy the book. If you need a one word review, try "inspiring." This book will get criticized for being too hard to read, but in all honesty, it's not. To be fair, May probably goes a little overboard on the vocabulary, but he offers a "strange words" section to help those who may not have done so well on their SAT verbal. In addition, all of the major points are called out in the margins. This is a beautifully laid out book, designed to be referred to again and again. My only real criticism is that I wish it was a hard cover.

Tough But A Keeper

This book is not for everyone. If you like short reads and silver bullets that don't work, spend your money elsewhere. But if you're looking for an intellectually rich blend of philosophy, self discovery, and application in the context of personal leadership and written as a robust debate, look no further. May's well-written fable starts with a simple enough premise that personal leadership is about being able to say you've made the most of your life, your time, your talents. Through the voices of a dying Prince and his three Courtiers, he progresses to offer three simple (but not simplistic) self-directed challenges that when pursued together provide a powerful pathway to achieving positive impact and achievement. From there, he dives ever deeper in pursuit of the "how," which is perhaps the best part of the book. Most books offer recipes, plenty of whats and whys, but fall short on the how. As you read further, the material gets tougher. But when all is said and done, this book belongs next to Plato's Republic and Machiavelli's Prince. Required reading for the leadership set!

An Intelligent Journey

Matthew May's Absolute Impact provides a thought-provoking, introspective journey on leadership -- and life itself. Through the parables and wisdom of a character taking his last breaths, May invites the reader to probe some of life's most fundamental questions while they still have a chance to do something about answers that may unsettle them. May's narrative style avoids the too-frequent, heavy-handed lecture trap, instead allowing readers to question themselves with personalized privacy and pace. For the willing reader, the excellent exercise tools can open the door to a better life and a better legacy. Done right, this is not a "quick read" -- but an important one.

Absolute Impact takes the GOLD!!!

THIS IS A WONDERFUL BOOK!! It is NOT one of those boring analytical self help books!! Absolute Impact is written from a very interesting point of view. It has characters that you will identify with and learn from throughout the story. I learned so much... Thru Mr. May's epic you can discover your stregnth and purpose and how to achieve your own personal absolute impact. The literary, mythological and philosophical references throughout the book make it so interesting and educational. It sheds light on things you read in school but never really understood..until now. It has impacted me and this is a book you will read again and again as you go through each station of your life. This would make a wonderful Christmas present for everyone..I haven't ever read a book like this and this one takes the gold!!