 | The Good Among the Great: 19 Traits of the Most Admirable, Creative, and Joyous People |
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Product Description
The Good Among the Great: 19 Traits of the Most Admirable, Creative and Joyous People offers an in-depth look at the qualities that make a few high achievers also good people. Using lively stories drawn from his more than 25 years interviewing prominent leaders for CNN, CNBC, and other television news programs, author Donald Van de Mark illustrates the 19 personality traits of self-actualized people, as originally identified by psychologist Abraham Maslow.
Van de Mark shows how the traits are exhibited by wonderful, successful people in all walks of life, spanning the famous (Meryl Streep, Charles Schwab, and Andrew Weil) to the great but not well known (Poosie Orr, mother and housewife; Rachel Walton, pediatric hospice nurse; and Andrew Ferguson, teacher).
Practical, common-sense guidelines and Takeaways after every chapter show readers how they can identify and nurture the traits in themselves and others, creating the shortest route possible to personal and professional achievement and fulfillment.
- Amazon Sales Rank: #21611 in Books
- Published on: 2011-04-01
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Paperback
- 280 pages
Features
- ISBN13: 9780984606122
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.
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Review
The Good Among the Great posits that there is more to life than finding success in your career or racking up a myriad of achievements. There is a way to achieve all manner of successes while still being a truly good person. --Salem Weekly
For those who want to achieve a higher level of success in work, relationships, and inner growth, Van de Mark's well-written, straightforward guide will be valued as a strong catalyst for personal evolution. --Foreword Reviews
Van de Mark, in his 25 years of interviewing for CNN, discovered that some people were not just successful but exemplary. He studied modern high achievers who were also beloved characters, found 19 shared personality traits, and integrated his findings with the models of Abraham Maslow. In this distinctive book, he focuses on each particular trait and gives an example of someone who possesses it; in the Integrity chapter, Warren Buffett, and in Empathetic, Charles Schwab. Many of his examples are not household names but are as inspiring as the celebrities. An essential read for those wanting to improve themselves and the world. --Library Journal
A fascinating book revealing how most great leaders are alike primarily because of their choices. Van de Mark's personal experiences coupled with the wisdom of Maslow makes for one insightful read. --Stephen R. Covey, author, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
I've always wondered why we admire certain people and finally someone has explained why . . . And the best part is that Donald gives us practical ways to be more like them! --Joan Rivers
About the Author
Donald Van de Mark has spent over 25 years as a groundbreaking broadcast journalist. He was among the journalists who created the first business news show on television and was the first Washington correspondent for CNBC. After a stint as Director of Corporate Communications for Barry Diller, the Chairman and CEO of QVC, Inc., he returned to reporting and joined CNN where he edited and co-anchored Money Week, as well as four additional shows that ran daily on CNNfn. In 1999, he became the cofounder of MyPrimeTime, Inc., where he wrote and anchored two television series, Great Entrepreneurs and Great Leaders.
Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
By Kristen from CA
I'm not a big self-help or self-improvement reader, but I found Van de Mark's book to be a refreshing entry to the "happiness studies" field. What makes this book different from similar self-improvement books is that the author draws most of his case studies from the public sphere, vs. simply looking inward at his own thoughts, or taking a detached, intellectualized POV. (E.g. "The history of happiness" or "The history of self-actualization.")
Most of the author's "admirable, creative and joyous people" are well-known business, political, arts or sports leaders such as CEOs Steve Case (AOL), Charles Schwab and Warren Buffett (Berkshire Hathaway) and actors Robin Williams and Meryl Streep. For someone not well-versed in psychology, these real life examples made it easier for me to invest in the concepts being explored. When learning how to acquire the personality traits of successful, joyous, "admirable" people, it helps if you really do admire them. (And I seriously admire Meryl Streep.)
Van de Mark also draws upon stories from lesser known but extraordinarily centered individuals he has known for most of his life. Some have been through harrowing experiences and health challenges but have managed to hold onto a sense of self. I found it illuminating to learn how these people maintained their cool through uncommonly trying times. Given that uncommonly trying times are upon us now, I am glad these quiet, everyday, "behind the scenes" leaders will have an opportunity to lend their wisdom to others through the medium of this book.
There are Takeaways at the end of every chapter, so you can learn simple activities that will help you practice developing the various traits. I expect to be stuck on #1, Autonomous, for a while, but they're all worth studying, particularly if you're looking to be a better listener, a calmer person, and a better friend and support to others.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
By Norman Goldman
Author: Donald Van de Mark
Publisher: Columbia Island Press
ISBN: 978-0-98460-612-2
In The Good Among The Great: 19 Traits of the Most Admirable, Creative, and Joyous People, Donald Van de Mark relies heavily on the teachings of psychologist Abraham Maslow to illustrate how a small minority of the world's mega-achievers are exceedingly aware, egalitarian, empathic, descent, and happy. As he points out, they are loved by their associates, staff and competitors and they deeply care about others and often use their positions and influence to help the large community. What makes them tick and do they have distinct personality traits?
Van de Mark looks to Maslow who believed that there is a group of "self-actualizing" individuals that make up just one percent of the general population that have in common nineteen dominant specific personality traits. In his interviews with many individuals such as U.S. Senator Bill Bradley, Professor Joseph Campbell, Rev. R. Maurice Boyd, Dr. Andrew Weil, Warren Buffet, Muriel Maffre of the San Francisco Ballet, and many others, Van de Mark proves in many ways Maslow's findings.
Organized into four parts, the book explores the development of a whole, true self and traits that pertain to being an autonomous, ethical, and loving being, assessing the world clearly, caring and interacting with others effectively, and earning your personal payoff.
The book concludes with Meryl Streep, someone who embodies all nineteen traits which basically can be summed up as someone that is autonomous, loving, ethical, unaffected, private, detached, experiential, realistic, laid back, performance and process oriented, egalitarian, jolly, empathic, dutiful, appreciative, creative, exuberant, joyous, and transcendent.
The stories in the book are factual, even if a name and details have been modified to protect someone's privacy. As a disclaimer, Van de Mark states that he is not a psychologist and the book is not meant to be a research paper nor a psychological tome. As there are nineteen traits to explore, the book comprises nineteen chapters each with a story about someone who embodies one or moe specific traits. For example, if we refer to Chapter Four, we read about Andrew Weil, the alternative-medicine pioneer. Van de Mark points out that just "as Maslow describes, Weil sometimes feels quite un-at-home on planet Earth." Van de Mark further goes onto state that "It's that people like Weil, who feel compelled to follow their own paths, are critical to self-governing democracies." And what is quite interesting, is that those who feel and stand apart from the rest of us are the ones who lead us. In Chapter Fourteen, readers learn about Andy Grove of Intel who had to deal with the Nazis, the Red Army and cancer. However, all of these experiences taught him how to be problem focused, taking responsibility, analyzing data, gathering more data if necessary, testing your convictions, acting with more confidence that you may feel, and recognizing that inaction is often riskier than action. The chapter goes onto illustrate how all of these elements come together and are related to Maslow's nineteen principles.
The information provided in this book is timeless, presented clearly and without frills, as it peels away common traits of individuals that are not only great but also good. Van de Mark has written an inspirational book that gives readers the key to finding those few individuals who possess these wonderful nineteen traits and as he concludes, "bring them into your orbit-your work, your play, and best of all, your family. They can't help but rub off on you!"
According to the back cover of the book, Donald Van de Mark spent more than twenty years interviewing the most successful people of our age. He a pithy storyteller, as well as an expert at distilling the more subtle attitudes, skills and virtues of the most revered individuals. A pioneer in televised business news, Donald was among the first employees at "Business Times" on ESPN; "Today's Business," which was syndicated; CNNfn; and CNBC. At CNBC, he was the first Washington correspondent, from 1988 to 1995. Reporting from China in the summer of 1993, Donald was nominated for a Cable Ace Award for his series "China: The Giant Awakens." In the late 1990s, he was a reporter for CNN and the New York-based anchor of CNN's "MoneyWeek." On August 31, 1998, after a weekend of carousing with hedge fund managers in East Hampton, New York, Donald broke the story of Long-Term Capital Management's near collapse-an event that shook global markets and led to a government rescue. Many experts now believe that that bailout set the precedent that encouraged Wall Street's excessive risk in the new century.
From 2000 to 2002, Donald was executive producer, editor, and host of two public broadcasting television series, "Great Entrepreneurs" and "Great Leaders," where he profiled giants of business, politics, and culture.
Donald has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Tufts University, where he studied political science, psychology, and economics. He also graduated from St. George's School in Newport, Rhode Island and attended Upper Canada College in Toronto.
Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor Bookpleasures
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
By Latife Hayson
As a lifelong lover of motivational and inspiration prose, I found Van de Mark's "the Good Among The Great" a surprising page turner. It's a no nonsense, to the point blueprint for those seeking to enjoy a more successful, joyous and admirable life.
From the stories of his youth in Canada to his enviable career as a Journalist with CNN & CNBC in DC, one can't help but think Van de Mark has been close to extraordinary people his entire life and was meant to share the considerable knowledge he has gained along the way.
I highly recommend the book as a keeper that you will refer back to often along your journey. I particularly liked the chapter on `Being Realistic'.
http://astore.amazon.com/amazon-book-books-20/detail/0984606122
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