I picked up this book because the title appealed me. I thought I would end up learning new ways to cultivate habits that would make me more productive at work. But after reading this book, it gave me a lot more to think about. Starting with word Genius in the title. Genius is not defined in traditional sense as someone with high IQ but rather your own problem solving and thinking process that is specific to you and you know you are good at it because it's yours and you have been using it forever so naturally you are good at it, you are Genius at it. Also the definition of work has changed with changing generations. Before work was something that you just do and that helps you pay bills but as we have evolved with technology and new platforms to work on, work need not be only something that we have to do but something that we should enjoy. After all if you are going to do it for long time you might as well enjoy it. Right?

The process starts with knowing if this work or that job is right for you. This books walks you through a process that helps you determine whether your current job is the right fit for you by using the concept of Genius Habit and Zone of Genius. May be the job does allow you to use your Genius Habit and lets you work in your Zone of Genius but you are still not happy due to other factors. Well, in that case the book recommends some strategies to make it better. There are some well thought out questions that helps you navigate through your “job situation” whatever that may be. Peppered though the book are case studies to demonstrate the process and some references to sociological and psychological research to scientifically back the process.

Overall I think this is a well written book with a non-traditional view of relationship between self and the work/job we do. If you are looking for a book that helps you evaluate whether a particular job is a good fit for you or whether you are looking to move on from your current job this book will provide some useful information to help you find your path.

One key piece that stood out about Laura book was that she believes and makes it easy to comprehend to a reader that your job career is not linear. You do not simply climb one ladder to the "top". I almost felt like she was using the old "Chutes and Ladders" game to describe what a career looks like, that you may go up, down and around in your career but that you still need a map, a plan and most of all love what you do! Laura does well to point out to the reader that your career is not to be such a struggle to enjoy and that if is currently you need to really self evaluate to harness your greatness.

I enjoyed the writing of this author and feel that I read this book at the right time as I am in the midst of making a career choice.

This review will appear in the March-April issue of the journal. I will probably do a preview of the cover with a blurb as it gets closer. I am currently writing the review, but cannot supply a copy until press time. Since the copy I have is not paginated, I will need page numbers for the quotes I use in the review (usually 2 or 3). If someone who can help with that contacts me via email, I can also send a copy of the review as a pdf when it is published. Thanks so much!

The Genius Habit – Laura Garnett

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Summary:
This is a self-help book, all about how the author tries to bring you along her motivational path, to harness the you inside, and give you a framework to develop the habits of a genius.

Broken into five main parts, the author first tells you the reader you are already a genius, you just haven’t tapped into it yet. Your genius is particular to you. The author provides certain tools, most notably her Performance Tracker, that aims to support the reader on the journey.

This is part 1, the Challenge. Essentially, it seems to be about breaking the bad habits of a lifetime, find your zone of genius, and using your new-found knowledge to avoid re-making the mistakes of the past e.g. leaving a job without really analysing why you were unhappy there.

Part 2 discusses Impact. This discusses not following your passion, but rather discovering your purpose and combining that with your genius (i.e. that method of work you are exceptional at).

Part 3 is about Joy, the ability to self-motivate as well as to focus on the process of work, not just be a slave to the ultimate goal i.e. avoid becoming an achievement junkie.

Part 4 considers Mindfulness. This stems from getting a detailed grasp on who you are, and knowing the kind of contribution you can make. This leads to greater confidence.

Part 5 finishes on the topic of Perseverance, remaining curious, and eliminating the fear of failure. The only constant is change, as the mantra goes, but the two qualities of grit (never giving up) and curiosity (openness to new ideas, etc.) should be core to your successes.

After some sections, the reader is given a series of closed, yes/no questionnaires, and depending on the number of each response, fall into a particular categorisation e.g. one or two yes’s in a particular section means that that particular issue is a problem for you. In all chapters, the reader is given open-ended questions, to reflect on and complete.

The reader is encouraged to use the Performance Tracker to help identify their Zone of Genius, and leveraging it to make better use of innate skills. This is turn creates and reinforces positive habits, and a virtuous circle is born.

Overall:
- The author is very liberal with her own life experiences, and also shares those of her family and clients, in order to illustrate a point, or to give greater context to a particular theory. The author also refers to numerous bodies of work and research.
- It is well-structured, and is positive and constructive in its approach. It will be useful for some people, but I think not all.
- I found it very simplistic in its approach. There was too much on the analytical, theoretical approach, whereas most people want actionable tasks. Chapters about perseverance and habit-breaking have been done ad nauseum, and readers need something more.
- The 329 pages could easily have been reduced, as I feel there is a lot of padding in there. Sometimes the point the author was making got lost in the plethora of examples and anecdotes. There was quite a lot of superfluous stories in there, which really added nothing.
- The open-ended questions were in a sense limiting, as not everyone can go deep into themselves, and for people new at this type of stuff, this would be daunting and off-putting.

Overall, it is an ok read, but over-long. For me, there was nothing really new in it, just essentially another list. That said, I have read widely in this area, and for someone new to it this could be a useful primer.

Acknowledgements:
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for sending me a free copy of the book, in return for an honest and objective review.

This is a fascinating book and a window into the world of the author. It is well written and holds some interesting concepts.

I don't think this book is aimed at me, it would be ideal for professionals starting out or someone trying to change career paths. That being said we could all benefit from a habit change whether in a professional or personal life.

I have a preference that my 'self-help' books tell me how to do it, what action to put in place rather than generally analysis techniques. Some anecdotes I can sink my teeth into and this book didn't satisfy my needs!

A good read, but you would need a little more to improve your business savvy - but maybe that's the point?

I am really enjoying this book. The author is “real”. She has a great story to tell and she tells it as if she is talking to you. Highly recommend

I think this book is probably best suited to those at a career crossroads or young people just starting out. It is brimming with buzzwords and is a little stretched out. It would have been better for me if it was more about action rather than analysis. It felt as though the focus was more on the authors own story and I was a bit uncomfortable with her criticism of her own family. Having said that I am sure that someone else will find this book perfect for them, and I think it just wasn't right for me. Having read a wide variety of management, business and self help books over the years I am looking for something new and original, and this book didn't really hook me in. Thank you

I am loving the Genius Habit. I've been a student of Genius states of mind since Michael Hall introduced me to them via the field of Neurosemantics in the early 2000's but this book capitalises on the foundations of multiple intelligences instead. Essentially, everyone can access a genius state at work (providing the work allows for even a glimpse of that). In some ways, the exercises for discovering your working genius are really no different to those in other books where you are invited to discover your values.

But the authors fill you with an almost childlike excitement that you can find your best working skills and then proactively work to do more of them thus serving you - and your workplace more effectively. I haven't read all the book (as I am currently doing the exercises) but in some ways this is a son or grandson to the work of Howard Gardner. However, it is more accessible.

If you are ready to find your something special then this book is for you. It is for those people willing to be proactive, however, if you discover your unsung genius then leave it unsung... well...