Issue
27(1)
Reaching
Your Potential. (2005).Robert K. Throop &Marion
B. Castellucci. Thomson Delmar Learning. 417 pp., $36.95, ISBN
# 1401881890.
Review
by: Teraya D. White
Academic
Intervention Specialist, School of Arts & Sciences
University
of Pittsburgh
Beginning
with the preface, Throop and Castellucci emphasize that the ultimate
key to success is the unfailing power of self-belief and self-belief
is the underlying theme within each chapter . Reaching
Your Potential shines best when the authors stick to emotional
development, e.g., values, goals, and of course, self-belief.
The connection of the power of self-belief to goal setting is
highlighted in the Whatever It Takes section. Based
upon the lives of Michele Hoskins, Doug Blevins, Elizabeth Vargas,
Oseola McCarthy, Mike Krzyzewski, and Rosario Marín (to name a
few), this section offers outstanding examples of success and
excellence that transcend race, age, cultural and educational
background. The entire book proposes that the reader evaluate
his/her definition of success to encompass more than a life of
accolades and financial gain. As Throop and Castellucci point
out, "fame and awards are not the only marks of a successful life"
(p.4).
This
book is dedicated to the lifelong learner. A satisfactory amount
of information relates to a student's ability to evaluate his/her
learning style, know how to read a textbook effectively, and become
a better communicator. Unfortunately for the college student,
much of the information conveyed is almost pointless and preposterous.
For example, in the chapter that deals with the improvement of
speaking skills, the reader is provided with minute detail on
how to master the telephone. The reader is advised to "talk directly
into the mouthpiece of the telephone and to apologize if you call
the wrong number" (p.205). In a chapter that gives credence to
the importance of developing verbal prowess, explicit information
on how to use the telephone (particularly in an age where many
students are technologically savvy) is a waste of time. With regard
to the topic of time, it is unclear why the chapter on time management
comes toward the end of the book. Time management is vital in
all facets of life yet Reaching Your Potential provides
no linkage to how time management relates to goal setting and
the improvement of study skills. Instead, this topic is sandwiched
at the end of the book between money management and career preparation
(which are two appropriate endings).
Reaching
Your Potential is a well-intentioned,
well-written, feel good book that is best for two audiences: high
school students and those who have been out of school for a considerable
number of years. Although there is a great deal of information
that would have benefited from closer editing, e.g., the fat and
cholesterol quiz, Reaching Your Potential can
provide direction to incoming students. The best features of Reaching
Your Potential are in each chapter where authors recognize
our multicultural society and urge readers to become more proactive
and proficient on the "information highway." Despite the book's
shortcomings, Throop and Castellucci provide a great snapshot
of the beauty that can occur when self-belief merges with an action
plan for success.
