From the 100-part Penguin Great Ideas series comes an excerpt from the famous Book of the Courtier. In his witty and perceptive discourses on the ideal virtues of a Renaissance courtier, Baldesar Castiglione sets out values that continue to offer illumination in questions of leadership and government—espousing such qualities as prudence, courage, loyalty, affability, and style, and even encouraging the playing of sport as one of the best ways to gain influence and power. Penguin Great Ideas: Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves—and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war, and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked, and comforted. They have enriched lives—and destroyed them. Now Penguin Great Ideas brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals, and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are. Other titles in the series include Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince, Thomas Paine's Common Sense, and Charles Darwin's On Natural Selection.

How do you measure greatness? Whereas “excellence” is about becoming the best you can be at one particular thing, greatness moves you past routine success and onto a new plateau where your achievements are more meaningful and satisfying. It is a deliberate act of finding the best in yourself and making choices from a different mindset. It’s a way of seeing a special kind of "more" in your life. And while achieving greatness inevitably leads to profit and phenomenal success in business, it's also—surprise!—a profoundly satisfying way to live. This revelatory book contains a powerful step-by-step process showing you how to: develop a clear idea of who you are and what you want • cultivate a positive new orientation from which better choices can be made • generate action in yourself and create unusual impact on others • overcome information overload • create a built-in mechanism to generate this sort of greatness consistently Filled with inspiring examples from sports and business, this book points the way to a life lived more deeply and filled with joy, passion, success, excitement, and peace.

You want only the best for your kids. And you want them to be successful. Sure, there's nothing wrong with that. But what if there was something more? Could your definition of success be leaving out the most important part? What about greatness? Where does it fit in? "If you aim your children at anything less than greatness, you'll set them up to miss the whole point of their lives," says author Tim Kimmel. In Raising Kids for True Greatness, Kimmel turns the definition of success on its head and guides you in preparing your child for a life that will easily eclipse the goals of those who are merely successful. Learn how to prepare your kids for rich lives of true greatness by helping them find answers to life's three most crucial, life-changing questions regarding their mission, mate, and master: What are they going to do with their potential? Who will they spend their lives with? Who will they live it for?

Pillars of Greatness is a piece that considers life pursuits from the perspective of purposefulness and sustainable fulfillment. It emphasizes the need to live life purposefully. While most of us are basically in constant pursuit of success, there is more to fulfillment than these discrete achievements that are called successes. Greatness is rather the ultimate- linking purpose and destiny to fulfillment. Greatness comes when successes are sustainable by principles and consistent with purpose. There are four pillars to greatness: vision, passion, actions and principles. The book illustrates the processes involved in quality envisioning, mechanisms of building burning and driving passion, strategies of effecting potent actions, and principles of sustaining greatness. It's a piece like no other on this subject. The uniqueness of the author's approach and the inspiring and compelling approach to teaching fundamental life principles becomes irresistibly impactful and inspiring. The reader is spontaneously ignited into motion towards greatness upon assimilating the content of this book! There is greatness in you, but you will choose whether to express it through your use of the pillars to build your tower of greatness. Will you be great? It's your choice!

GREATNESS is a motivational book whose target audience is found in business and self-help. It is a life book, aimed at inspiring others to achieve their personal and professional best. Opening with an in-depth discussion of the nature of Greatness-what it is, what it is not, and why it is worth pursing-each subsequent chapter of the book consists of a detailed story illustrating one aspect of Greatness with examples from the sports greats that Don has interviewed over the years. This will be followed by a discussion and other related examples. There are also practical tips and plans for assisting the reader in implementing new habits, routines, practices, and philosophies of Greatness into his or her daily life. As each characteristic is outlined, the reader is challenged to look for areas in his or her professional and personal lives that can be improved by embracing these lessons. As Don often says during his speeches, "Though these characteristics are culled from some of the greatest winners in sports, not a single one requires you to be able to touch your toes! These iconic figures in sports have provided a classroom for us to learn about their pursuit of Greatness. You don't have to be good at sports - heck, you don't even have to like sports - to benefit from their lessons." It is the strong belief of those who Don has talked to over the years that greatness is available to all of us. Not in the same way or on the same field, mind you. But we all have the capacity to achieve greatness if we'll give the same dedication to these characteristics as do the winners presented and interviewed in GREATNESS.

In today's hyper-transparent world, consumers have enormous power to decide which brands are worth their time and money—so how do you make sure they choose yours? Unfortunately, most leaders and organizations are stuck following archaic, detrimental business practices. Meanwhile, savvy consumers and employees across every generation are making their stance perfectly clear: They are not interested in supporting organizations that seem inauthentic, soulless, or untrustworthy. In this environment, only the honest will survive. In Honest to Greatness, serial Inc. 5000 entrepreneur Peter Kozodoy shows how today's greatest business leaders use honesty—not as a touchy-feely core value, but as a business strategy that produces game-changing, industry-dominating success. Through case studies and interviews with leaders at Bridgewater Associates, Sprint, Quicken Loans, Domino's, The Ritz-Carlton, and more, Kozodoy presents fresh business concepts that anyone in the workplace can implement in order to: • Reach, engage, and retain your best customers • Attract and inspire the best talent in any industry • Create an unbeatable culture of innovation that dominates your competitors • Earn your team's respect and loyalty • Unlock deep personal fulfillment by setting the "right" goals Filled with powerful lessons for current and future leaders, this timely book demonstrates how to use honesty at both the organizational and individual level to achieve true greatness in business and in life.

As a minister, counselor, and teacher, Mary Manin Morrissey has inspired tens of thousands of people to reach higher in life than they ever believed possible. Her message is revolutionary: God has designed each one of us for greatness. And her warmth, candor, and conviction bring this message alive in the heart and mind of everyone who hears her. As children we instinctively know that we are destined to live great lives. As adults we recognize that our true greatness is expressed in our relationships: in deep, fulfilling partnership, vibrant marriage, abiding closeness with children, parents, and friends. Yet fostering such bonds--even with those we cherish most--can be one of the greatest challenges we will ever face. In No Less Than Greatness Mary affirms that love is our birthright--and learning to love well is life’s greatest lesson. She shows that we are not alone in our search. When we learn to ask for and listen to divine guidance, we access a different kind of wisdom, a new kind of hope. Beginning with her own surprising story, Mary shows how ordinary, struggling, or even estranged relationships are a curriculum for learning love, and how our relationships--and we ourselves--can be transformed. Within these pages Mary provides a step-by-step guide to the spiritual principles that bring love into our lives. Her powerful affirmations, meditations, and exercises are designed to help you: • reveal your true self — your most precious gift to others • consciously design the relationships you most want • open yourself to partnering with God • discover the power of unreasonable giving • achieve intimacy by speaking from your heart • heal the hurt in difficult relationships • awaken your love through simple daily acts Let Mary Manin Morrissey show you that you already have what it takes to create what you desire most--and how, with God’s help, even imperfect relationships can lead to perfect love. From the Trade Paperback edition.