The author, Robin Sharma, is known the world over as the man behind the monk phenomenon, the No 1 bestselling series of inspirational books spun around the engaging fable of a jet-setting lawyer who gives it all up to search for his best life. Over a million copies of Sharma's books have been sold, inspiring people from all walks of life to reach for – and realise – their highest potential. Now, in another book that will appeal to his legion of fans, as well as introduce him to a whole new audience, Sharma has written a deeply personal guide that shares his own life journey, combined with ten high-impact lessons for success.

Like his other books, The Greatness Guide is also easy to read, inspirational and full of ideas on how everyone can become a great leader – in business and in life. The book demonstrates real life examples that we can all identify with at one time or another. The book is written in such a manner that you can read a chapter at a time, or, you can read the chapter that interests you the most when you want. To quote from the book, "one idea discovered in one book can change the way you see the world."

This is one of those rare books that instills the belief that achieving greatness is well within anyone's power, all one has to do is make the choice. Sharma does not offer a sense of false hope or any magical quick fix formulas.

He shares his belief that the only person that one can truly change is oneself, with the effect rippling outward to others. He tells of greatness that can only be affected by hard work carried out over a period of time with changes in both practice and attitude. The true inspiration lies not only in his techniques and philosophies, but also in the fact that he actually makes you want to implement all of them, investing both the time and energy, despite the hard work and level of commitment required.

The book is oddly reminiscent of other self-help books one has already read, yet it is a total departure. Many of the principles are familiar, yet it is good to have memory refreshed by reading them again from someone else's perspective.

The chapters are brief, self-contained stand-alone lessons in their own right. This allows the reader to tailor their own personal plan using what works for them. The first few chapters stresses the importance of a positive outlook balanced by a realistic, honest view of oneself and one's situation. All in all, this is a useful, engrossing book that would help anyone seeking a move towards more career success, starting over with a new chapter in life, or wanting to get more out of life.

3 quick lessons

1. The choice is always there
2. It’s easy to get more out of life
3. The only person one can change is oneself