2 out of 4 stars
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Paul Davies is a self-made business success story, and he wants to show you how to become one, too. Training Your Mind To Realize Its Potential is the second installment of a self-improvement trilogy by Paul Davies. The trilogy is based on the Zen 10 Ox Herding Story, and this book represents stages 5 and 6 of the allegory. The author writes of stage 5: "After regular meditation practice and holding onto the ox tightly, it becomes easier...we have gained some calmness and clarity in our lives". The significance of stage 6, Davies argues, is, "being in the moment and the body and mind being as one". I like how Davies compares the trilogy to Star Wars characters. He writes that Book One is Luke Skywalker, Book Two is Obi Wan Kenobi and Book Three is Yoda.
What begins as a self-help text on harnessing the mind's power becomes a monologue about how to improve the world as a whole. Davies argues that persistence, positive thinking and determination form the basis for progress toward the highest consciousness. The work starts out with chapters on Zen principles, spiritual development, the ego, meditation and the author's condensed autobiography. The latter part of the work discusses public figures Davies admires, philanthropy, global wealth redistribution, and worldwide conflicts. It is an educational read.
Davies cites historical as well as contemporary sources to support his arguments. He includes quotes from Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Carnegie, as well as references to videos on YouTube. The work reads like a dissertation at times. Davies has done extensive research on his subject. One drawback is that many of the quotes are listed one after another for pages on end, and this is overwhelming at times.
This is a dense book. Take your time reading it! There is lots of useful motivational information in this text, even for those who do not subscribe to Buddhist thought. Although the reader may not be familiar with Buddhist principles, the author does an excellent job of explaining each concept introduced. The reader is never left feeling alienated from the subject.
People needing motivation for succeeding in business will enjoy reading this book, as most of the illustrations are business-related ones. Readers with families who are struggling to find ways to reinvent themselves may find this read less helpful. The majority of examples, including the autobiographical information, relate to single people with no dependents and more freedom with their time.
I appreciate Training Your Mind To Realize Its Potential for the new information it presents, but there are lots of grammatical errors and run-on sentences throughout the work. The sheer number of quotes included tends to detract from a smooth read as well. I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars.
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Training your mind to realize it's potential
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