Everyday Greatness is a collection of stories that prove a point. The editor, Stephen R. Covey, wants to show that every individual has the potential to live a full and admirable life. The stories come from a variety of sources – writers, cultural icons, athletes, common folk, and more – but they all highlight the fact that our choices make us who we are.

Covey believes that a core set of character traits allow people to achieve everyday greatness. He groups the stories according to these traits and concludes that it all comes down to a set of three choices:

1. The Choice to Act
2. The Choice of Purpose
3. The Choice for Principles

While this book is filled with great anecdotes and inspirational bits of wisdom, it’s hard for me to imagine someone sitting down and reading it cover-to-cover. Though Covey tries to interject with transitions and use overarching themes to link the stories together, the book is much too disjointed to be a compelling read. As a result, it’s unlikely that this work will ever reach the true heart of any reader.

That being said, this collection isn’t a complete bust. I could see it serving as a useful resource for speech illustrations or personal counseling. The end of each chapter consists of a list of quotations relating to the theme, so Everyday Greatness might still be a good reference book to keep on your shelf.

I am a Thomas Nelson book review blogger.