shurie's Full Review: Command Respect: Cultivate the Qualities That Insp...
Judging by the title and the ad promo I received for this book, I was expecting new perspectives and information that I could use to further my own quest to lead a respectable life. I was looking for insights into that unique mystique that surrounds men of honor, as well as ideas that I could apply to my own business and personal life. Instead I found a primer, which basically said be honest, keep yourself clean, and don’t be a jerk. DUH!
I won’t say that there was nothing at all to learn from the book, but as I read each chapter I found myself bored – wanting to skim over it to find the ‘good stuff’. But the ‘good stuff’ never materialized. I got to the end thinking it had been a waste of time.
Having said that though, I think back to earlier, less experienced times when the tenets expressed here would have been of great benefit to me. Having learned them the hard way over 20 or 30 years in life and business, I can see the value this book would have to someone just starting out in life – or someone looking for a new start after taking a different path in life.
So I am offering to give it away to someone who will make good use of it. Either leave a comment on this review or email me personally and tell my why you would like to receive it. One month from today I’ll pull a name from a hat and send it to the chosen recipient.
About the Book
Command Respect is part of the Men’s Health Life Improvement Guides Series published by Rodale Press. Drawing heavily on Men’s Health Magazine for writing, editorial, and production staff, the writing style will be very familiar to readers of that magazine. However, the layout of the book is much simpler than the magazine and less visual. It contains no color pictures, relying instead on black and white cartoon characters for illustration.
What’s in Here?
In the Introduction, managing Editor Jack Croft says “Respect, you see, isn’t about some larger than life hero taking a courageous stand on some grand principle. It’s about living every single day with integrity, honesty, confidence, and, yes, humor.” It is sage advice, and the rest of the book is intended to teach you how to do just that. If you don’t quite know where to start, you’ll find the book to be helpful! If you have a good start already and are looking to polish your skills, you’ll want to look elsewhere. As mentioned above, I would consider this a primer rather than an advanced guide.
In the book you will find:
Part 1: Find Out What it Means to You
This section is intended to help you discover the meaning of respect, and gain a perspective on the qualities people around you look for in a man. It covers money, power, fitness, esteem, sexual attitudes, respect for elders, losing gracefully, and other fundamentals of earning respect.
Part 2: The Ingredients of Respect
Here you’ll learn a little more about the fundamentals discussed in Part 1. You’ll learn why it is important to approach life with self-respect, confidence, daring, honesty, humility, integrity, and humor. Each chapter provides a simple explanation as well as tips intended to help you incorporate them into your day-to-day life.
Part 3, 4, and 5:
These sections present ideas about how to cultivate respect on the job, in public, your family life, and in various other life situations. For example, you’ll find chapters on being a loving husband, wise father, and loyal brother. You’ll also read about earning respect in a restaurant, business meeting, on an airplane, at a party, and so on.
Part 6: Real Life Scenarios
Here you’ll find several examples of real-life people who command respect in their particular profession or sphere of influence, and a few motivational stories to urge you to do the same. Unfortunately, the examples are somewhat non-compelling and the motivation lacks vigor.
Summary
All in all a good idea and a good primer, but the book never lives up to the promise of its ambitious title.
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