Product Description

For over two decades, Spencer Johnson has been inspiring and entertaining millions with his simple, yet insightful stories of work and life that speak directly to the heart and soul. "The Present" is an engaging story of a young man's journey to adulthood, and his search for The Present, a mysterious and elusive gift he first hears about from a great old man. This Present, according to the old man, is 'the best present a person can receive.' Later, when the young boy becomes a young man, disillusioned with his work and his life, he returns to ask the old man, once again, to help him find The Present. The old man responds, 'Only you have the power to find The Present for yourself.' So the young man embarks on a tireless search for this magical gift that holds the secret to his personal happiness and business acumen. It is only after the young man has searched high and low and given up his relentless pursuit that he relaxes and discovers The Present - and all the promises it offers. "The Present" will help you focus on what will make you happy and successful in your work and in your personal life. Like the young man, you may find that it is the best gift you can ever give yourself.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21893 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 112 pages

From the Back Cover
A Timely Gift From the Author of
Who Moved My Cheese?
Spencer Johnson, M.D.

Dr. Spencer Johnson’s stories of timeless, simple truths have changed the work and lives of millions of readers around the world. Now comes an insightful new tale of inspiration and practical guidance for these turbulent times.

The Present (+ image)
The Present is the best gift you can receive because it makes you happy and successful!
Whether it means…
Having peace of mind and feeling more alive; orBeing more productive and more prosperous; orFinding whatever is important to you and tothose you work and live with.

‘Many of the people I have observed could have been even happier and more successful, in their careers and their lives, had they been given the gift of The Present’
Norman Augustine, Fmr. Chairman & CEO, Lockheed Martin Corp.,
Fmr. Chairman, American Red Cross, Fmr. Lecturer, Princeton University

‘Like many organizations, we need ways to help our people work better and enjoy their lives, so I’m giving The Present to everyone on our management team’
Carmen Policy, CEO Cleveland Browns NFL Team

About the Author
Spencer Johnson, MD, is one of the leading authors of inspirational writing in the world. He has written many New York Times bestsellers, including the worldwide bestseller WHO MOVED MY CHEESE? and, with Kenneth Blanchard, THE ONE MINUTE MANAGER. His works have become cultural touchstones and are available in forty languages.

Customer Reviews

A Less than Effective Rewrite of "The Precious Present"
The Precious Present by Dr. Johnson was a particularly effective book published in 1984 presenting a series of meditative thoughts to keep one appropriately focused on the moment. The only thing I didn't like about the book was the overuse of Capitals in the key meditations. That overuse made the meditations seem to scream at me rather than whisper ("Be In The Present" versus "Be in the present").

In The Present, Dr. Johnson has taken The Precious Present and packaged more of a story around the simple tale of an older man helping a younger one to recapture the joy of losing oneself in what one is doing . . . while keeping the choice of one's current perspective in focus. The gift wrapping around the earlier story is to see how one can tell this tale to someone else . . . and help them learn about how to share it with other people. I felt a little like I was reading instructions for how to create a network marketing company for Dr. Johnson's story.

Inexplicably, Dr. Johnson still uses CAPITALS too much for his meditations . . . and has added BOLDING to make the SHOUTING of his text even stronger. I graded the book down one star for moving away from its simple, quiet potential nature.

I recommend you read The Precious Present rather than The Present to learn these important lessons:

Be in the present; learn from the past to do things differently in the present; and envision a better future and act now to create it.

Like many of the fable books, this one has an enormous price per page. I suggest you read it at the library rather than purchasing the book. It won't take you long.

How can you do something you love now that will build a better future for you and those you love?

A clever play on words!
Yes - I was hooked by the title. "What is this about" I asked myself, "now", "a gift"...?

Well in a very clever way it's about both. The book is very short and written as a story within a story, the inner story being about the interactions between a young man (learning) and an old man (the teacher).

We find out in simple words about the potential of the present, the past and the future in a way that I found to be both helpful and enjoyable. I don't want to spoil the story by giving details here. If you feel the need to change the way you look at your life and respond to events around you, then I commend this to you.

(I have given only 4 stars because of the comparison between price and size - it's a bit pricy for 100 pages of rather large print! Nevertheless, a great read!)

Simple yet very effective
This is a must read for anyone who is finding life a little bit over whelming & wants to take control of their life again. A simple read that works on simple principles that just about everyone should be able to relate to and understand.

Read this book before you embark on anything else that's a bit heavier on the psychology side... you may save yourself a lot of time, energy & effort.