Fascinating Authors

Book Review
By
John H. Manhold

Take the E Out of ego & Go by Jerry & Donna Govan

ISBN 9780981942919 Go Power Publishing, 178 Pages, Paperback, $14.95

A book by a born entrepreneur and his wife.

The narrative emphasizes the need to overcome the importance of self (the E in ego) in making decisions and formulating plans, to produce activity that allow you to GO. The authors claim that this action is mandatory to proceed to one’s most desired goals.

Associated with this eviction of the E, is the need to listen to “your inner voice”, which may be stifled by this E factor, because it represents much of your past learning. As such, it may lead you to follow stylized patterns, and perform acts not necessarily in your best interest. You may be afraid to follow ‘your gut feeling’ that, the authors claim, will more often provide the correct answer. “Keeping your options open” in this manner, “will allow   unexpected ripples to spread from the simple choice of using your intuition and allowing creativity”.

Also associated with loss of the E, they set forth numerous other suggestions, such as treating everyone as an equal, establishing mutual respect (because this permits agreements to be made), and negotiation, instead of engaging in conflicts that prove nothing and go nowhere. In these negotiations, they advocate establishing ground rules in a friendly manner, but with firmness, never letting go of your integrity. Being honest with yourself, and with others, in these negotiations, also is paramount to build trust.

The authors advocate application of these ideas to business, and an approach with the idea that “business is having fun while making money.” Thus, even a failure should be looked upon only as a challenge because a set-back of this nature can “open the door to undreamed of success”, if you “will walk through the door.”For emphasis, they even offer the amusing, and most thought-provoking old adage “If you wind up with a lemon, make lemonade.”

The book is replete with examples of how these, and many other of their ideas, have worked for the authors in life, in business, and even have been applied to the solution of health problems.  So, in summary, I should say that, although many of the examples cited are the result of beneficial serendipity, or just plain old good luck, the Govans have put together an interesting, up-beat, presentation that many individuals could find very helpful.