Books about Overachievement from Amazon.com

"You can't just be the smartest You have to be the most athletic, you have to be able to have the most fun, you have to be the prettiest, the best dressed, the nicest, the most wanted. You have to constantly be out on the town partying, and then you have to get straight As. And most of all, you have to appear to be happy." -- CJ, age seventeen High school isnt what it used to be. With record numbers of students competing fiercely to get into college, schools are no longer primarily places of learning. Theyre dog-eat-dog battlegrounds in which kids must set aside interests and passions in order to strategize over how to game the system. In this increasingly stressful environment, kids arent defined by their character or hunger for knowledge, but by often arbitrary scores and statistics. In The Overachievers, journalist Alexandra Robbins delivers a poignant, funny, riveting narrative that explores how our high-stakes educational culture has spiraled out of control. During the year of her ten-year reunion, Robbins returns to her high school, where she follows students including CJ and others: -- Julie, a track and academic star who is terrified she's making the wrong choices -- "AP" Frank, who grapples with horrifying parental pressure to succeed -- Taylor, a soccer and lacrosse captain whose ambition threatens her popular girl status -- Sam, who worries his years of overachieving will be wasted if he doesnt attend a name-brand college -- Audrey, who struggles with perfectionism, and -- The Stealth Overachiever, a mystery junior who flies under the radar. Robbins tackles hard-hitting issues such as the student and teacher cheating epidemic, over-testing, sports rage, the black market for study drugs, and a college admissions process so cutthroat that some students are driven to depression and suicide because of a B. Even the earliest years of schooling have become insanely competitive, as Robbins learned when she gained unprecedented access into the inner workings of a prestigious Manhattan kindergarten admissions office. A compelling mix of fast-paced storytelling and engrossing investigative journalism, The Overachievers aims both to calm the admissions frenzy and to expose its escalating dangers..
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Lower the bar. Turn it down a notch. Get off the Stairmaster The Underachiever's Manifesto is the playfully persuasive pocket guide to living life to the least and loving it. With sharp humor and genuine wisdom, this welcome little book extols the fabulous benefits of underachievement in our overextended society. A witty introduction makes the case for the right amount of effort -- a lot less than we've been led to believe. Ten principles of underachievement establish the basics (#8: The tallest blade of grass is the surest to be cut); and practical applications show how mediocrity is the key to happiness at work, in relationships, dieting, exercise, investment, and more. Devilishly enlisting examples from philosophy, economics, science, and good common sense, The Underachiever's Manifesto is a lighthearted, life-changing rallying call for those who dare to do less and enjoy more..
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Were you ever advised to “just relax” before making a big speech? Or to focus on learning from your mistakes at work? In Overachievement, John Eliot, a rising star in the field of perfor-mance enhancement, says that these and many other traditional strategies are not only ineffective, but may actually hurt your ability to excel. Much of the conventional wisdom about performance enhancement—including visualization and trying to achieve “flow”—is simply wrong.

Eliot explains the latest research into why goal setting, relaxation, visualization, stress management, and flow just don’t work for most people. And he offers his own counterintuitive and unconventional concepts—“Definitely Put All Your Eggs in One Basket,” “Think Like a Squirrel,” and “Butterflies Are a Good Thing”—that will not only make you better at what you do but will also teach you to thrive on pressure, not just endure it.

Overachievement is based on Eliot’s cutting-edge work with clients such as Merrill Lynch, Olympic athletes, top surgeons at the Texas Medical Center, and musicians like Dave Matthews. Mixing scientific insights with real-world stories of people who achieved more than they ever thought possible, this powerful book will help readers achieve consistent success on the job, on the playing field, or in any stressful situation..
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Indispensable support for men caught up in the daily cycle of work, achieve, acquire .
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For some women, success is a relative term. One in six women is an overachiever, constantly striving to do more, better, faster, and look fabulous at all times--so if you are looking around the room at your five closest friends thinking they're all slackers, it's you! You know who you are: the successful woman who feels competitive with her own friends and family members; the stick-thin athlete who won't stop working out; the guilt-ridden executive who always feels she has to do more than others to stay ahead; the grown-up "Little Miss Perfect" who can't stop being the Stepford wife and mother. No matter how hard you try, no matter how much you achieve, your life remains totally out of balance. Achievements should not be the total measure of how a woman feels about herself.

Syndicated radio talk-show host Cooper Lawrence has been there. With humor and compassion, she helps readers assess the overachiever's goals, their states of mind, the pressure from their families . . . and lets them know it's not a bad thing to be an overachiever--some people are just born that way! Cooper's book defines the physical and emotional effects of someone who suffers from the big "O," explains why she does it, and offers a reality check and advice on creating balance. With common sense and "Tales from the Treadmill" case studies, this book explores the best ways to do it all and still achieve real success--self-acceptance.

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As competitive parenting has been on the rise since the 1980s, so have rates of teen suicide, eating disorders, depression, and drug use. Yet the cycle of "push parenting" doesn’t show signs of slowing down. Our children today are competing with classmates who began listening to Mozart in utero and were enrolled in educational classes at ages two and three. Under these circumstances, parents feel that they cannot afford to opt out, or let their children opt out. What might become of them if they did?

Alarmed by the high numbers of unmotivated, burned-out youngsters seeking her psychiatric treatment, Dr. Elisabeth Guthrie set out to uncover not just the sources of their distress but also the factors that drive parents to pressure their children. Dr. Guthrie explores our confounding culture of overachievement and takes a sympathetic look at the pervasive guilt that accompanies raising children today.
Drawing on more than fifteen years of clinical experience, Dr. Guthrie outlines why the very intentions behind competitive parenting actually produce the opposite of the desired effect. For the parent who expects a barely potty-trained toddler to begin learning a second language or a first grader to excel at a nightly battery of extracurricular activities, The Trouble with Perfect presents evidence that placing unreasonable expectations on children can actually deter their chances for success later in life. Such pressure can snuff out crucial qualities such as curiosity, spontaneity, and resourcefulness. When children are pushed, the message parents send to them on a daily basis is that they are not capable of making responsible choices by themselves, that appearances are more important than authenticity, that it is less important for them to own their experiences than to hold a significant title. Helping parents discover the fine line between good parenting and pressure parenting, Dr. Guthrie also cites clear ways to address the guilt and societal issues that define the average child (by definition the majority!) as "less-than-perfect" or a “loser.” With tips for enhancing the development of every child’s unique set of talents, the book is a vital reality check for anyone concerned about what’s really best for kids..
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