Saturday, December 5, 2009

Uncommon by Tony Dungy with Nathan Whittaker

Do you have that courage to choose influence over image? Live your faith? Then you are on your way to living a life of significance! "Courage can be demonstrated by standing up to the school bully or intervening to prevent someone you don't know from being hurt. But more often than not, its the day-to-day moments of reaching down inside yourself to find the courage to stand alone that can be the toughest" Beautifully written and embroidered with such powerful quotes that will hold your interest, Tony Dungy, the former Colts' head coach, shares what it means to live a life of significance in his second book "Uncommon".

Punctuated by life teachings in the Chapters after the story of Brandon and Dallas, the author draws from his wealth of experience to explain the importance of developing the core- character; Honesty and Integrity; Humility and Stewardship; and Courage. Here, we are reminded that our gift, time and talents are entrusted to us, we don't own them. Thus, we must maximize them and be true to ourselves.

What else does it take to live a life of significance? Simply Love your family, says Dungy. Oh! Oh! This is deeper than you think. It covers the importance of honoring our parents to how to treat a woman, fatherhood, respect for authority etc. And then, he also explains the importance of lifting our friends and others.

One cannot live a life of significance without maximizing his full potential. But what happens when talent seems to conflict with Education? Choose wisely, says Dungy. Don't dump one over the other while establishing a mission that matters.

Although divided into seven parts, this thirty-one chapter book is worth diving into anytime of the day. The down-to-earth approach of the author(s) gives a personal touch that makes the pages come alive, thus, making the teaching practical and livable. Each chapter opens up a new topic that is equally relevant to everyone living under the sun. The Epilogue connects us back to Brandon and Dallas, with a new perspective on how they are redeeming their once neglected path- giving hope to readers who might think it is too late for them.

Some questions that popped into mind while reading the book were answered so satisfactorily in the question and answer section of the book. And this is definitely one of the reasons I call "Uncommon" a book written by an author that connects so well to his readers.

Uncommon, will make a good birthday or Christmas gift for your son, brother, protege, boyfriend, or male colleagues/acquaintances! Every man out there, in their formative years, should read this book. However, it is not restricted to male audience alone, I enjoyed reading it (even though I am a female) and found the lessons relevant to me as well. We all desire to live a life of significance, don't we? Then go order for/buy your copy now!