The Truth About You - Marcus Buckingham

A few weeks ago I signed up for the Thomas Nelson Publishers Book Review Blogger program. There was a little hiccup getting my first book, but when I emailed Michael Hyatt (CEO of Thomas Nelson) he and his staff solved the problem immediately. I selected The Truth About You by Marcus Buckingham as my first review. Here goes:

First of all, The Truth About You is more than a book. It's a package that includes the book plus an enhanced DVD and a job aid called the "ReMemo Pad". The DVD is exceptionally well produced and interesting in its structure. The primary content on the DVD is Marcus talking directly to the viewer. Throughout Marcus' presentation, the camera cuts away to tell a story of a young trombone player who seeks to play to his strengths. It's an effective mechanism.

Anyone who has ever seen Marcus in person knows he's a commanding presence and a remarkable presenter. That's true for his work on this DVD as well. However, I was disappointed the content of the DVD is essentially the same as the content in the book. The DVD does contain links to an internet site with additional content and this content is solid and helpful.

The Truth About You builds on Marcus' impressive body of work, including First, Break All the Rules and Now, Discover Your Strengths. Those previous books were "organizational" in nature – that is, they spoke primarily to the goals and objectives of business organizations. The Truth About You on the other hand, is more "personal" – it speaks to the goals and objectives of the individual. This book offers the counterintuitive idea that:

"Your strengths aren't what you're good at, and your weaknesses aren't what you're bad at."

I suspect Marcus' former associates at Gallup might quarrel with that statement and so do I, but the book puts forth a convincing and provocative case.

I like this book. But one thing is apparent to me: Marcus' work suffers because he no longer has access to the Gallup research that supported his earlier efforts. He seemed to be at his best when he was interpreting data and drawing conclusions. But that does not diminish the value this book can provide to anyone interested in building a better life and a better career.