Unfortunately, most of us have little sense of our talents and strengths, much less the ability to build our lives around them. Instead, guided by our parents, by our teachers, by our managers, and by psychology's fascination with pathology, we become experts in our weaknesses and spend our lives trying to repair these flaws, while our strengths lie dormant and neglected.

Marcus Buckingham, coauthor of the national bestseller First, Break All the Rules, and Donald O. Clifton, Chair of the Gallup International ResearchandEducation Center, have created a revolutionary program to help readers identify their talents, build them into strengths, and enjoy consistent, near-perfect performance. At the heart of the book is the Internet-based StrengthsFinder Profile, the product of a 25-year, multimillion-dollar effort to identify the most prevalent human strengths. The program introduces 34 dominant "themes" with thousands of possible combinations, and reveals how they can best be translated into personal and career success. In developing this program, Gallup has conducted psychological profiles with more than two million individuals to help readers learn how to focus and perfect these themes.

So how does it work? This book contains a unique identification number that allows you access to the StrengthsFinder Profile on the Internet. This Web-based interview analyzes your instinctive reactions and immediately presents you with your five most powerful signature themes. Once you know which of the 34 themes — such as Achiever, Activator, Empathy, Futuristic, or Strategic — you lead with, the book will show you how to leverage them for powerful results at three levels: for your own development, for your success as a manager, and for the success of your organization.

With accessible and profound insights on how to turn talents into strengths, and with the immediate on-line feedback of StrengthsFinder at its core, Now, Discover Your Strengths is one of the most groundbreaking and useful business books ever written.

"Now, Discover Your Strengths is the logical, pracitcal application of the theories uncovered in First, Break All The Rules. We have rewritten our management development curriculum as a result of this important and defining research in leadership." Mike Pucci, Vice President, Glaxo Wellcome

"The code for managing has been broken and the secrets for success are here in this book! We know this from first-hand experience — with over 2,000 Gallup 'strengths' program graduates (and growing) — we will never look at our jobs, or our lives for that matter, the same way again. To achieve our greatest potential, this is by far the most important investment an individual or organization can make!" Mike Morrison, Dean, University of Toyota

"The keystone of high achievement and happiness is exercising your strengths, not correcting your weaknesses. The first step is knowing which strengths you own, and this superb book gives you a powerful and accurate way to find out." Martin E.P. Seligman Fox — Professor of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Director, Positive Psychology Network, author of Learned Optimism

"Now, Discover Your Strengths, based on years of research by The Gallup Organization, is a refreshingly sensible and user-friendly way to assess your psychological assets and build on them a successful and satisfying life." Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi — C. S. and D. J. Davidson Professor of Psychology, Peter Drucker School of Management, Claremont Graduate University, Author of Flow

"This book is built around a unique vision of the high-performing individual and the high-performing organization — and that vision is built on a recognition of individual differences and the unique strengths of each person. A truly important book." Dr. Frank Schmidt, Ralph L. Sheets Professor of Human Resources, Department of Management and Organization, College of Business, University of Iowa

"A brilliant book that will help readers to discover and capitalize on their specific strengths, as well as assist managers in supervising people with varying strengths." Ed Diener, Ph.D., Alumni Distinguished Professor of Psychology, University of Illinois

Based on a Gallup study of over two million people who have excelled in their careers, Now, Discover Your Strengths uses a revolutionary program to help readers discover their distinct talents and strengths. The product of a 25 year, multimillion-dollar effort to identify the most prevalent human talents, the StrengthsFinder program introduces 34 talents or "themes" and reveals how they can best be translated into personal and career success.

Marcus Buckingham, senior vice president of The Gallup Organization, is coauthor of the bestselling book First, Break All the Rules. A featured speaker at the Washington Speakers Bureau, he has appeared on CNN International, CNBC's Power Lunch, and NPR's Morning Edition, among other programs. He and his wife, Jane, live in New York City.