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The Truth About You, the latest offering from author Marcus Buckingham, is chock-full of cheesy self-help jargon (I hate cheesy self-help jargon). The book also includes a number of self-awareness exercises (I don't do self-awareness exercises). As if that weren't enough it has more than its fair share of what I refer to as "Thank you, Captain Obvious" statements (I really dislike those types of statements). And to top it off, I was asked to watch an accompanying DVD before reading the book (I have enough trouble carving out time to read without also having to watch a video).

So why did I love this book?

It's quite simple, actually. Despite it's faults, The Truth About You ultimately forced me to rethink a number of what I had always believed to be basic truths. Truths about what it means to succeed and what it takes to succeed. Truths about the most effective methods for personal growth and fulfillment. Truths about strengths and weaknesses. It will have the same effect on anyone who has come to accept any of the following as inherently true:

• Always treat people as you would like to be treated
• There is no "I" in team
• You should work on your weaknesses
• Push yourself beyond your comfort zone
• Your greatest strength is your greatest weakness

By the time I had finished this relatively short book I understood not only that those statements are wrong but also (and more importantly) why they are wrong. And that is the ultimate value of this book. Any book that forces me to examine my beliefs and causes me to change some or all of those beliefs has earned a place on my bookshelf.

And it deserves a place on yours as well.