A Review of Tom Rath's StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup's Now, Discover Your Strengths

We have all heard the adage that, if you work hard enough, you can become anything you want to be. Rath challenges this. We all have different strengths, and very seldom is someone very successful in something that is not his/her strength. Don't follow the path of greatest resistance!

Rath criticizes the widespread societal practice on dwelling on failure instead of success. For instance, there is excessive attention paid to poor grades in school instead of to the good ones. He also believes that talents are innate, and change little through life. He even cites a study (p. 18) that indicates that the child's personality traits at age 3 are very similar to those at age 26.

After extensive research, the Gallup Organization developed a list consisting of 34 common talents, each of which is described in this book in a separate chapter. I will briefly describe a few of them. A person with the Analytical talent is good at picking apart ideas, projects, etc., not to destroy them but to make them work better. He/she would do well in marketing, database management, or medical research. A person with the Intellection talent likes mental activity. He or she would do well in studies of philosophy, literature, or psychology. The Learner constantly wants to learn something. He/she might learn best by teaching.

Evidently, this book has hit the chord. It has been a bestseller for many years, has been translated into several languages, and has been used by businesses, schools, community groups, etc.