4 out of 4 stars
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"When you focus on what you do want to achieve rather than entertaining any negative aspects of what you do not want, then you stay truer to your own decisions and goals."
Despite being born in a poor African village and not learning to read and write until the age of fifteen, Al Kamara is now a college graduate, successful entrepreneur, and professional speaker. In The Drive to Aim High: Seven Powerful Mindsets Proven to Guarantee Your Success, Kamara shares his journey and explains the significance of mindset. He addresses the mindsets of observation, possibility, resilience, passion, courage, persistence, and legacy, which can be applied to both lifestyle and business. Each chapter covers a different mindset; Kamara discusses how to apply it, provides examples from his experiences, and concludes with steps for integrating it on a daily basis.
What sets this book apart from many self-help books is Kamara's focused writing style paired with his presentation of practical mindsets applicable to most any reader. Kamara's ideas are not mystical or pie-in-the-sky thinking; in fact, readers will find his engaging story as thought-provoking as the specific mindsets. I particularly like that he isn't merely promoting positive thinking. "Success, without the hard work, isn't going to come simply by believing." In the fourth chapter, "The Passion Mindset," Kamara discusses his first job as an editor at an English newspaper in Romania. He remembers feeling slightly underqualified and expounds on the fact that his passion drove him to work harder to fulfill the job requirements. In a subsequent job description, Kamara draws from a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. and states, "Sweeping the hallways of heaven was what my love and passion for a sales job felt like to me." In the same chapter, he mentions that Walt Disney was once fired from a newspaper job due to a "lack of imagination." These are just a few examples of famous people in history Kamara references to illustrate the different mindsets.
The only thing I dislike about the book is the last several words of the subtitle, "... Proven to Guarantee Your Success." I realize this type of promise sells books, but it sounds gimmicky to me and doesn't accurately reflect the overall tone of the book. To clarify, I don't feel Kamara is making a false promise; it's evident that applying these mindsets has brought him from very humble beginnings to the successful life he now enjoys. However, I wonder if the sensationalized wording may turn some readers away.
Overall, I rate the book 4 out of 4 stars. The editing, cover art, and formatting are professionally presented, and despite my concern regarding the subtitle, it didn't detract from my reading enjoyment. Kamara's engaging writing style and easy-to-integrate mindsets may appeal to a wider audience than most self-help books. I recommend it to entrepreneurs, mentors, and fans of self-help; it may also appeal to readers who usually avoid the genre.
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The Drive To Aim High: Seven Powerful Mindsets Proven to Guarantee Your Success
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