I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Self help books aren't my usual type of book but I was looking to make some life changes and the concept behind this intrigued me enough that I decided to give it a try. While I probably won't be incorporating much of the advice from the book (I don't think I actually want to be exceptional per se) I still really enjoyed hearing the different stories about "exceptional" people through history and it was fascinating to read what exactly led to them being so successful.

The writing in this book is excellent. Dr. Mehta writes clearly and it is very easy to understand the concepts he is trying to teach but without a condescending tone. I have no doubt that the author is much smarter than me but he doesn't make the reader feel dumb which is something I've noticed in other non-fiction books, even when discussing the more research heavy aspects of his theories. I also really enjoyed the narration on the audiobook and found it very easy to listen to.

One thing I really appreciated about the book is that it emphasised the fact that no matter how naturally talented a person may be they still need to work hard to be truly exceptional and they also need to have the right opportunities or they wouldn't have achieved the same success. I think this is really important to remember because as the author points out all humans are not created equal but even if we were not everyone is going to have the same opportunities available to them to help them succeed.

Overall, this is not the type of book I would normally pick up and I wouldn't say it was my favourite but I did enjoy it. I don't really know many people who read self-help books but I would definitely recommend this one to anyone who did want to read one.

This book was not what I thought it was, it has a very over complicated beginning. I did end up enjoying it and lost interest very quickly. I would not recommend this book.

The author examines the key factors that help people become exceptional. Exceptionals are people who are so extraordinary in their field and achieve things that are beyond any other. The author examines how those people become top 1% of the 1%, or in other words, how they become best of the best in their field.

The Exceptionals is a really good audiobook, but you should listen to it with caution. I would advise not to read or listen to it as a self-help or parenting tool, but to know some facts about how these people can become exceptional and why this is possible in some cases. Reading or listening to this, you will have a wish to become one yourself. You can improve some things in your life. But I wouldn't suggest that you start transforming yourself or your children into exceptional beings. It can be overwhelming and doesn't necessarily lead to a better life.

Otherwise, it is an excellent read. The narration was very good and engaging.

Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this! All opinions are my own.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of the opinions are my own and this did not affect my review in any way.

For my nonfiction book of the month I was looking for an inspirational self-improvement book and after reading this book´s description I was immediately drawn to it. I can’t wait for this book to come out because I will be buying myself a copy and for everyone who is interested. This book became one of my favorite non-fiction books of all time.

The Exceptionals is a non-fiction book discussing what makes exceptional people exceptional, what does it take to be the best, to become outstanding? In this book the author gives real life examples of people who are the best of the best in their field and what you can do to become exceptional as well.

I was blown away by this book, I have read a lot of non-fiction book that have good ideas but have trouble presenting them to the reader, this was definitely not the case. The author knew what he wanted to teach the reader and in my opinion he achieved it beautifully.

This book motivated me to want to be better, it made me want to work harder and set specific goals. This book has so many powerful teachings that each of us can apply to our day to day life in order to be on step closer to our dream. For me the best part of the book was that the author gave real life examples, he gave us tips and tricks but he went further and correlated it to real life examples to make the tip and trick much more impactful.

It is obvious throughout the book that the author did his research and for me that gave it a lot of validity because you knew that what you are reading is based on real life and it is not something that the author just made up. This book includes interviews, quotes and real things said by exceptional people that give it a higher validity in my eyes.

Overall, I was blown away by this book, it was impactful, concise and extremely motivated and I highly recommend it to everyone who is looking for that small push to make their dreams come true and excel at everything they do.

Thanks so much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me read and review this book.

This was an interesting listen. I'm still new to audiobooks and found I really enjoyed this genre. I liked hearing about all the different situations and how to better achieve excellence across different fields. It felt like listening to a favorite podcast.

I really like how the book was written and especially how it was narrated. It's easy to listen and to remember part of the information.

I found that the book was inspiring and motivational. Yes, it made me want to do better in some if not all areas in my life. Yes, it gave me great tools to improve myself and yes I'll definitely apply some of what I learned with it.

However, this is where things get a bit more complex and where I'll add my warning it encourages an unhealthy work-life balance. Statements as "If you want to be the 1% you can't think of days off, weekends or vacations" or "40 hours isn't enough" is dangerous and maybe too much of a fine line between a balance that leads you to success or burnout that may hinder your progress.

Although not typically the type of book I'm drawn to, I read the synopsis for The Exceptionals by Kumar Mehta and I was intrigued. Who doesn't want to learn more about what it takes to be the best at something or to excel in your field? I listened to the audio version of the title and the narration was engaging and the book was well written, informative, and easy to follow. I enjoyed the listening experience, though I was disappointed with some of the guidance in the book stressing the work life imbalance necessary to be truly exceptional I also had a hard time with the author's emphasis on not being well-rounded and instead having a singular focus on one area in order to be exceptional. I think the book was enjoyable and definitely made me think, despite the challenges I had in accepting the information. I would recommend it if you are curious about the author's ideas and to learn more about certain individuals that are in the 1%.

I received an ALC of this title from the publisher via NetGalley which did not affect the contents of my voluntary review. All opinions are honest and my own.

The Exceptionals, is a highly motivating audiobook! It speaks to the commonalities of achievers in a variety of fields and how they harness individual hutzpah to overcome any hurdle standing between them and mastering the highest accomplishments and achievements in their fields.

Great insight on exceptional people and their mindset, drivers, and blueprint. Highly recommend, five stars!

You could be Exceptional. What are Exceptionals? If you are an average Joe, can you become an Exceptional? If you are good at something can you become great at it? Are you more intelligent than you know?

What happens to us is that we compare ourselves to those we name as exceptional people. Certainly, someone we could most definitely never match, like the athlete Michael Phelps, or Nobel Laureate, Richard Feynman. Or could we? Kumar states that 50% of what makes you special is what you are born with. Twenty-five percent is the effort you put in, and 25% come from enablers, the environment, your commitment, your abilities to learn and gain knowledge from.

If you can determine what your own strengths are and work hard at whatever your natural strength is, anything is possible. Work at your possible best not just your personal best. Do it now. You are Exceptional.

Thank you to NetGalley for this audiobook in exchange for my honest review. This is an audiobook that's easy to listen to, well read and very motivational. I love hearing inspirational, yet attainable stories. Very well done.

This book was encouraging, but not mind-blowing. I've heard all of these strategies from other self-help books. It was a great reminder to set high goals, hang out with other exceptional people, expound upon skills that you are clearly already good at, and set yourself up for success by setting boundaries with your distractors.

Thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy for an honest review.

The Exceptionals by Kumar Mehta ... I read a lot of self help books and books about goal setting. I highly recommend The Exceptionals. It’s a great resource with lots of practical advice and examples for those who want to be the most elite in their field/ discipline / area of interest. I recommend to anyone who wants a little more motivation to reach their goals, work toward a stretch goal or to be the most exceptional in their field!

This is an excerpt from the book. I held my attention and left me wanting to learn more. I enjoyed the reading and look forward to reading the book.

I gave this well-written book 5 stars because it clearly and concisely described exactly what it promised on the cover--How the Best Become the Best and How You Can Too. The book gave just enough examples and scientific references for each of the major points (to convince me the points were valid) without getting bogged down in minutiae or technicalities. I came away from reading this book with ideas for several changes I'm going to make today and for several changes I'm going to investigate further. I think anyone will gain some, if not many, things from reading this interesting book. The narrator was excellent.

I really enjoyed the notion of this book, but I didn't inspire me to try to be exceptional as I wanted it to. Per the description "The Exceptionals is their story, and it provides you with the blueprint to advance yourself from good to great—and from outstanding to elite." As I listened to the audiobook, I learnied a lot about many very successful individuals, but rather than learning how those individuals became exceptional, it was hounded into the reader that those exceptional indivduals were born exceptional which is what gave them the greatest advantage. The author shares over and over and over again that 50% of what it takes to become exceptional is your genetics, 25% is how you are raised/your environment, and the remaining 25% is based on your work ethic. From reading this book, I've gathered that really and truly, the only thing that we have an impact on as individuals to become "exceptional" is the 25% that we put into it. The author also discussed that although it is important to become well rounded individuals, being well rounded won't provide the framework to becoming exceptional.

All in all, what I gathered from this book, was that if I am not already exceptional at something by the age of 27, I probably won't ever be and no matter how much effort I put into certain skill, I probably won't ever be exceptional.

The narrator did a great job and I enjoyed the writing, but the book didn't uplift me or teach me how to try to be exceptional as I wanted it to. It instead, taught me why I am not exceptional and why I won't ever be.

I can't think of a subject or area that I care to work to try to be the very best in the world, but I was curious about this book anyway, and it still gave me value on the subject of improvement. The topic is well researched and packs a lot of information into a small book. It was quite interesting, and kind of motivating as well. It definitely made me feel like high goals really *can* be achieved (with lots of advice on how to go about it). I think a great many people could benefit from reading this in a general sense, but it would, of course, be most useful to the ones already determined to become the best of the best in their field.

The Exceptionals is short but meaningful, a great instructional book about what it takes to become truly exceptional, the 1% of the 1% in any field. It has clear step by step instructions and real life examples of exceptional people in a wide variety of fields. The audiobook narration by Mike Lenz is a great way to take in the information and ponder it while doing other things. This is a book I will return to many times to continue learning from it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Greenleaf Audiobooks and River Grove Books for allowing me to listen to an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for my hones review.

The concept behind this book is fantastic. It is a short text which is very to the point, fitting given the topic. I enjoyed the narration of the audiobook and found that the way the narrative was delivered, both by the author and the narrator was effective and in keeping with the style. However, I had high hopes for this book as I love a businessminded non-fiction self help style book. I find them so motivating and I usually make a thousand notes. But this was not for me. I want this kind of book to give me pointers and anecdotes that I can see in myself and my field so that I can move myself forward. I basically want someone to say ‘you can be amazing if you do X Y Z’.
This is why I was left perplexed by the messages in this book.:

If you want to be successful, don’t have a break. No weekends.

You shouldn’t do something you enjoy. That will never make you successful.

And finally... you can’t learn to be better at something. You’re born with it. You either can or you can’t.

I think the theory behind this book is amazing, but I can’t help but the think author is doing themself a disservice by telling the reader that, essentially, reading this book is futile because success is genetic in the first section.