Saturday, October 03, 2009

THE POWER OF TED, by David Emerald


I have met David, the author, in person and this book was given to me by him. I would like to think this is someone that will transition from acquaintance to friend. So there is some potential for bias. That said, I liked the book. TED stands for The Empowerment Dynamic btw and the Empowerment piece of the dynamic is when we are able to shift form an orientation that is focused on problems and on those people or things that are causing said problems, to an orientation of creativity. There is an old expression that wrapped inside every problem or challenge is a gift. The book, uses a parable style narration to edge its readers towards the recognition of gifts embedded in our life's challenges. There are other goodies as well.

My first impression was that the book was simplistic and I am not a huge fan of the parable method of storytelling (a classic in this genre is the Celestine Prophesy), but, in the end, the short and readable book was surprisingly effective in achieving its aims. I found myself returning to its key points and insights for weeks after and gaining clarity on difficult situations. To conclude this review, I would say "if you have people or situations in your life that make you mad or sad or angry or what have you, The Power of TED can be a powerful catalyst in transforming your perception and allowing you to gain a more productive and peaceful way of getting through."

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