I wasn‘t sure what to expect when I started reading this book but I must say that even if this book is not what I would usually read on Friday evening, I still enjoyed it. I learned quite some new things and will definitely try to implement into my daily routine.

I made a lot of notes while reading this book, and bookmarked a lot of pages to go back to. This author is a genius when it come to inspiring people to live better lives. I love the section on creativity., and in wooing and appreciating your creativity. That chapter alone was worth the book. I also love how the author shares his personal stories throughout the book. A must read. And a book to go back to when inspiration is needed.

This was a fascinating read on what makes a person extraordinary. Good mix of research and practical thoughts.

Was the book helpful? Yes. But did it feel like every other self-help book in the market? Yes.

The Genius Zone attempts to move positive thinking to the core of our intentions. The exercises (while useful, will be neglected by most users) don’t provide any provocative benefit that can motivate a reader. Overall it was a good read.

I've read Gay Hendricks books before, and always been very impressed. This one was no exception - fantastic book, which I highly recommend to anyone who wants to live their life to their full potential, think positively and change direction or advance themselves even more. I read a LOT of self-help/ motivation/ business books, and I think Gay's books are some of the best. My highest recommendation.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

From the very beginning, this book seemed like it was full of gimmick-speak from someone that had written too many self help books; with terms like your Genius Zone, Genius Spiral, Genius Move and Genius Moment all used within the first few pages. Before even finishing the first chapter, I felt like the author had cheapened the meaning of the word “genius” completely. There seemed to be a couple of potentially useful insights though, so I kept on reading.

Throughout the book we learn about the author's goals and their history, and actually there are quite a few personal stories from the author's past used as examples of life lessons. This can be a little distracting, but I can understand why they included some of these stories. At the end of each section there is a “Hands-On Activity” break, which usually involves instructions for you to write something down as you think about the ideas. From my recent study of learning patterns, I think there is usually benefit to writing things down in your own words to better commit things to long term memory; but in this case many of the activities seemed very basic and almost silly.

Overall, there were several pieces of advice that I would tend to agree with, even though I wasn't the biggest fan of Hickman's choice of delivery. I think the book could have been summarized by the following messages: 1)Try to recognize and put and end to negative thinking, 2) Recommit to your goals if you slip up, 3) Be aware of your breathing 4) Don't fixate on things you cant control, and 5) Create relationships with people that support your creativity. I would've enjoyed this book much more if it just focused on those concepts, and stopped trying to call everything a “Genius” something, or tell the author's life story.

I grew up with a Mother that is extremely negative. I'm pretty positive, but if I'm not careful, my thoughts can be negative about new experiences. I thought this book's hands on activities were really quite helpful. Someone can read about how to change negative thinking, but until you actively implement the activities is when real change happens. I thought this book was very informative and helpful! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

The Genius Zone by Guy Hendricks is a very helpful book. I enjoyed getting to know the author through the personal stories he shared throughout the book. I am using the tools presented with success. I am glad to know about the author and the other helpful tools that I found on his website. I would have gotten even more from the book if I had studied it with a group. Overall a great & worthwhile read.

Quick and interesting read.

I did enjoy overall the book. Some of the subjects and advice hit very squarely at home, and made me think for a bit. Did not like very much the Hands on Exercises though, and some parts I found he stretched a little to fit the concept he was trying to sell.

Would recommend for anyone looking for a quick self help book.

A thoughtful and concise understanding on how to wield your full creative power! This is my 3rd Hendricks book and he never disappoints!

I really enjoyed The Genius Zone. It offers, what I believed, to be a unique perspective on cultivating an overall feeling of happiness and well-being. I appreciated his clear explanations and use of his experiences to create a relatable, but educational message. He also included thought-provoking questions and exercises for the reader, which really enhances the learning experience. These questions allowed me to think critically about my own experiences in a structured way. I appreciate having been given the opportunity to read it early!

This book got so much better once I got through the bog of the beginning which is filled with catch phrases like “the genius zone.” That was all rather silly and almost made me give up on the book. I’m glad I didn’t. Because the rest of the pages are filled with solid tips about cultivating a positive outlook, creating the psychological space and conditions we need to live creatively, and getting clear about which aspects of our lives we don’t control. Hendricks’ recommendation to spend the majority of our time thinking about things we CAN control isn’t novel, but it hit me in a new way and I appreciated his take on it. All in all, a good book. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Human innovation and curiosity are especially vital for the current societal shift that's happening around the globe due to the pandemic, from big business down to each one of us. If you're looking to expand your creativity and impact, The Genius Zone goes in depth teaching two powerful concepts to help with that: the Genius Moment and the Genius Move.

I was happy this book built on personal development ideas that were mentioned in The Big Leap but it's not necessary to have read that beforehand.

One question this book brought up for me is how could anything ever get done if we should all be striving to get out of the excellence zone and living in our genius zone? So...editors of this book, printers, marketing managers... all people who are doing the work that's been delegated, are they all working in their excellence zone or their genius zone? The excellence zone is where we do things well but, as highlighted, it's also where we waste the most time. So, I wondered how things could ever get done if no one is in an excellence mode/zone.

Then, I realized maybe the whole point is to make us aware that the majority of people move through the zones and get to a decent level of life by doing work in the zone of excellence. Then, comfortable and stable, they never allow themselves to take the risk of making The Big Leap to the fulfilling work of The Genius Zone. That's where the Genius Move comes into play.

Overall, I enjoyed and recommend The Genius Zone especially if you could use some fuel for your creative fire. There were numerous exercises to do throughout the book and then the Appendix put them all together for a group setting. This would be a good book for facilitating a workshop, training, or seminar, or even a multi-day retreat.

This is an informative and thought-provoking book. The author has tried and tested methods mentioned in this book - most of them sound not only doable but also make you feel 'hey, this is easy, I can try it.'

Few authors can force self-reflection like Gay Hendricks. The Genius Zone is no exception to that rule. In this latest book, Hendricks offers some identifiers of negative thinking and how we can shift course to break this destructive pattern. Each chapter is full of techniques, both journaling and meditative, to combat the most common self-defeating behaviors that most of us are unaware we’re even presenting.

This is the kind of book you’ll find yourself highlighting every other paragraph. Some of the realizations are so obvious, you’ll want to kick yourself for not recognizing them sooner, but some are so ingrained into our existence, we never question if they really actually serve a useful purpose. In fact, they can be detrimental to our well being and mental health. One that really resonated with me is that humans are addicted to suffering.

My only complaint is the book is too short. The excitement driven by my personal reflections at Hendricks’ prompting caused me to tear through the pages in record time, only to want more. A large portion of the book is made up of exercises from Hendricks’ group counseling program, so they will need to be modified for personal use. This resulted in another self-reflection that I love having epiphanies about my behavior, but I cringe when expected to take action to heal or redirect that behavior. Apparently, I’m content just knowing my challenges and not fixing them.

The Genius Zone is a great read for identifying why you feel stuck or unhappy in relatable terms. Hendricks shares this insight he discovered through his own personal experiences, which offers a degree of validity in the vein of “I’m not only the owner, I’m also a client”. I imagine if you actually follow the exercises, you can transform your life. Maybe I’ll revisit the book soon and take that plunge.

What I found in this books was a delightful guide to letting go of negative thoughts and creating space for creative genius. This book is extremely accessible and can benefit readers no matter how committed they are to living a creative life.

What sets this book apart from other self-improvement books with similar topics is how effective the hands-on activities are. In every chapter, there are at least a few moments where the author asks you to write something out, or to become aware of your breathing as you contemplate some of the big ideas that he presents. I found the activities to be very useful as I went through them on my own. Listing things that I absolutely cannot control in life is proving to be such a time & energy saver--I no longer need to spend any time worrying about things I cannot control! I'm sure that I will continue to add to this list, as I am a ace worrier and transformation can take some time.

I also see potential for this book to be a great book club choice for any business organization that values creativity. This was a quick read, but it is filled with ideas that stick, and there are plenty of additional activities in the appendix for further exploration.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

First up, the technique in the Genius Zone is simple but not necessarily easy. It's subtle, and depending on your level of self-awareness will work straight away or require some introspection. I've used it multiple times since yesterday and definitely feel better for it.

So, if you have the cash I'd get the book for the technique alone.

But, after that and once you understand how it works the rest of this book is pleasant filler. There's a lot of books like this out there - they have a great technique but then they add additional chapters to justify it that don't really add much. Plus, despite the exciting sounding title I don't believe the author says enough about what the genius zone is according to his understanding. Yes, I said he wrote too much and not enough - life is complex.

I do like it that he talks so much about his wife. Probably because I'm a big old soppy about my wife too - but that feels like its more for him and her than us.

In conclusion, a great and possibly life-altering technique surrounded by a book that doesn't go into the promise of the title enough, and yet rambles too much (maybe like I am now!)

This was a book that exceeded my expectations of it, I was curious about the book, but blown away by the content of it. It involved a lifetime of self improvement and reflection, by a very intelligent author. Topics visited were particularly impressive, and included dividing things into things you can control and things that you can't control. I reflected upon this for some time, and found it particularly useful. Also stop negative thinking, and be prepared to recommit again to your goals. I loved the part that stated we are all addicted to something, so we may as well be addicted to things that make us happy, instead of things that cause us suffering.. These are some of the wise thoughts gained in a lifetime, but by no means all. This book is highly recommended by me.