The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People

by Stephen R. Covey

Bosley Coughlin can travel through time. And the future does not look good. Through a heady cocktail of drugs and the occult, Bosley slips through time and space and glimpses The End. Cities lay in ruins, and those who still cling to life hide in the rubble like frightened animals. Walking carcasses shamble through the debris exacting a horrible fate upon any living they find. This horrific future is the only world fourteen year old Ocean has ever known. Starving and alone, she struggles for even the most basic of food, water, shelter, love…. In the present, Bosley stumbles across Clarice Hudson and soon realizes that she is much more than a simple shop girl. One by one, she displays the seven symptoms of the contagion that will bring Bosley’s world to an end and create the nightmare Ocean calls home. Clarice may hold the key to stopping the coming apocalypse and sparing Ocean from the atrocities of mankind’s imminent future… but only if Coughlin is willing to push beyond every notion he’s ever held about right and wrong.

Genres: Horror, Zombies, Fiction, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Fantasy, Time Travel

Unknown Binding

First published August 27, 2010

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Stephen Richards Covey was an American educator, author, businessman, and speaker. His most popular book is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. His other books include First Things First, Principle-Centered Leadership, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, The 8th Habit, and The Leader In Me: How Schools and Parents Around the World Are Inspiring Greatness, One Child at a Time. In 1996, Time magazine named him one of the 25 most influential people. He was a professor at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University (USU) at the time of his death.

Reviews

[Wicked ♥ (Wickedly Bookish Reviews) aka Bat-Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wickedly Bookish Reviews
http://wickedlybookish.blogspot.com/

Seven Habits is definitely not your traditional zombie novel. It was so close to being an absolutely amazing read for me, but there was just one thing that irked me. The book begins with Bosley talking to detectives about the strange turn of events that lead him to their interrogation room. Bosley's chapters are written like a conversation, but we only ever get Bosley's side of the story. I was intrigued by the style, but initially felt a strong distaste towards the fact that this man got his time traveling powers through the heavy, and I mean HEAVY use of drugs. Drugs give you super powers!? Interesting concept, but not one I am entirely comfortable with. It very nearly put me off of the entire book. That is, until I read my first chapter about Ocean.

Ocean is a fourteen year old girl of the future who has never known a world other than the post-apocalyptic one she was born into. As the synopsis says, she suffers daily in her search for food, water, and comfort. I was irrevocably pulled into the story when Ocean was forced to kill her mother to survive. This is where my entire perspective on this book shifted and I realized there was a world of depth here that I had only begun to uncover. I looked forward to each of her chapters with increasing intensity as the story went on.

More often than not, I can make a fairly accurate guess at the final plot twist the author is hinting at throughout the book, but this time, I was caught completely by surprise. I can't really go into it without giving away any spoilers, but I can say that what actually was going on with the underground clan was much more horrific than anything I had guessed at. When it comes to Ocean's story and the final plot twist I have to give Rose a standing ovation. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

One other thing that I really loved about Seven Habits is that it had me questioning Bosley's sanity for half of the book. Taking in the fact that he had been under the influence of a massive amount of drugs and his attitude toward the events leading up to his arrest, I was very nearly convinced he was a psychotic serial killer who had created this fantasy to justify what he had done. I absolutely love a book that keeps me guessing, that keeps my mind racing trying to figure out what is really going on. If you do to, this is really the book for you.

The Final Verdict: I'm really not a fan of making druggies heroes, but honestly it works here in the end. Bosley becomes quite loveable throughout the course of the book and the final twist had me near to tears. The duel stories being told here are some of the most compelling and emotionally visceral I have read all year. The Seven Habits of Highly Infective People is on my zombie essentials reading list. If you love zombies, or just thrilling storytelling, than this should be your next read.

[Patrick D'Orazio · Rating 4 out of 5]

William Todd Rose is an author who has created several different zombie stories, some of which are available through his website and are intriguing tales of the apocalypse. I had the opportunity to acquire this book from the author at a horror convention last fall, before it was picked up by Permuted Press. For the purpose of full disclosure, the new, Permuted version of the book will have extensive additions compared to the original, which is what I read, as I have discovered through different online outlets. So keep that in mind with this review.

The book itself is relatively short, weighing in at less than 200 pages, but that size serves the story well. I would say the tale is more accurately described as two novellas rather than one novel, with it going back and forth, chapter by chapter, between the two tales. One story is of Bosley Coughlin, a trippy, psychedelic dude who is the narrator of his own tale. Bosley has seen the future...has actually seen quite a bit, because he has passed through the Eye of Aeons after becoming dimensionally unstable. He has seen our future of desolation and despair, where food wars have ripped humanity apart, along with a rise of the undead. He speaks of trying to stop this apocalypse and more specifically, stopping the spread of infection, which has seven telltale signs...
The other story is of Ocean, a fourteen year old girl living through the apocalypse. She is desperate, starving, and all alone as her story begins, but soon she is taken in by a group of survivors who seem to be the answer to all her prayers. Bosley is in this story as well, if only because he sees things through Ocean's eyes as he travels through the dimensions. Bosley wants to save Ocean, but what can he do as a dimensionally unstable being from the past?

Early on in the story I thought Bosley was a bit too trippy for his own good. A dude who was buying too deeply into his own BS, as it were. But as time went on and the two stories running parallel to each other synced up with one another, he seemed less and less trippy and more and more rational-the only rational person around. As a story that has something to do with zombies, there are really very little of them in this tale, but that is not a problem for this fan of zombie fiction, because the pre-apocalyptic world of Bosley and post-apocalyptic world of Ocean are intriguing places to be, and as with all the best zombie stories, the living characters are compelling, interesting, and keep you intrigued from start to finish.

I will be interested to see how Mr. Rose tweaks the final product he is handing off to Permuted Press. Clearly, they saw that this story was very unique and wild ride. I just wonder how much more wild it will get with the new text added.

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

After The Walking Dead defined and refined the genre, I feel zombie apocalypse is no longer necessary for fiction. Its pinnacle has been reached. However, this novel, ostensibly about zombie apocalypse, is actually not so much about zombies, but one character's struggle to change the impending future, and another's struggle with the aftermath. The coincidence of the two is where the real story lives and breathes. Beyond that, I won't reveal more of the plot. I will say that it was dark and gritty, and certainly not a feel good story, but well worth a read (at least on Audible, as the presentation was spectacular). The book's cover illustration is great as well. Nice job to both author and artist!

[Kitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed this book! I've read many zombie and apocalyptic books and this was completely unlike any of them. The story alternates between two story lines in two different times and come seamlessly together. Even though this is considered a "zombie" book, it only has 2 scenes which include any "rotters" and only one of them is detailed. This story is more a narrative following two primary characters. No spoilers. Just read the book.

[Todd Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bosley Coughlin can travel through time, or can he? Are his glimpses into the future just delusions from the drugs? Bosley sees the horrible end that is coming and it isn't pretty. He sees glimpses of a girl, Ocean, and he will do anything he can in the present to protect her in the future, even murder. Very creative story by William Todd Rose! I hope to see more of his books make it to Audible! Great narration by Nicholas Tecosky.

[TK · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent book. Not life changing or anything, but interesting enough as a "candy" read. A palate cleanser for other more serious books.

[Annette Vecellio · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was def worth reading.

[Lissette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life for Bosley Coughlin has never been easy. He's seen things that no one else has seen and has done things he's not always proud of. Yet there's something about him that sets him apart from everyone else. You see, he can travel through time. He's never sure as to where he'll end up whenever Time comes to claim him, but the things he experiences wherever he goes leave him scarred for life. Most especially since he's repeatedly given glimpses of how the world will end soon enough. Mind you, it's not pretty.

With every trip he takes, he becomes privy to the circumstances that lead to the Earth's demise. Chaos and destruction now reign supreme. Cold, callous beings, shells of those formerly living, now walk the streets, eager to prey on unsuspecting souls. Falling into their hands guarantees a quick, merciless death, a certainty survivors now do their best to avoid.

Bosley knows what caused the apocalypse. He was there from the beginning. Clarice Hudson has been an integral part in contributing to man's downfall, something he did his best to avoid. Beautiful and alluring, he knows she's unaware of the demons that now exist inside her. Everything about her calls out to him, yet that's a luxury he can never give in to.

The girl is tainted and it's up to him to fix the situation before it can get out of hand. It's the only way he can ensure that his beloved Ocean can lead a normal life within the dark and murky world she now lives in. Her very existence depends on him taking matters into his own hands. For her, he will do anything. For her, he will make things right, if only to give her that fighting chance she so very much deserves.

This book hooked me in from the very beginning. William's style of writing is so engrossing that it catches the reader off the bat. I had a hard time putting the book down once I got started. He's painted such vivid picture of a world spiraling into madness. A world where the undead are everywhere and those left remaining must do everything they can to survive. I totally recommend the story - a gripping tale that will leave you wanting to read more!

[Brian Manville · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bosley Coughlin is a stoner. If it's an illegal drug; he's tried it. One day he gets hooked up with some premium grade weed and combined with his previous drug use, he becomes a time traveler. Thing is, the pharmacological titan can only time travel mentally, not physically. So while he can use the Aeons to move about through time, it's basically as an observer. It's like being Ebenezer Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol", only without actually being there.

The problem our resident Stoner Claus has is two-fold: He can see the future to the fall of civilization and the Hell on earth that results, plus he can see one of its causes in the present. His present situation, observing Clarice Bleeping Hudson, revolves around the seven signs that mark one's transition from human to zombie.

The story switches between Bosley in the present and Ocean, a 14-year old girl in future who lives in what remains of the human race. Both story lines advance at a steady rate, though the story in the present is marked by Bosley's asides to whomever he is telling the story. Bosley's storytelling brings you along and gives you hope that Ocean's life can be changed for the better.

Overall, the book has good pacing and is a decent read. Some readers may have an objection to someone with a drug habit as a hero. In an attempt to bring something fresh to the genre, I have no objections to the use of the anti-hero trope. Many of the heroes of the genre have their own flaws, but while Bosley has a drug habit, he manages to hold down a job and otherwise comports himself as a law-abiding citizen.

Surprisingly, there are very few actual zombies (in fact, I don't even recall the word zombie being used in the book). But, the slow transformation of Clarice Hudson from attractive woman to savage beast is interesting to watch.

BOTTOM LINE: If you're looking for a zombie gore-fest, you won't find it here. These seven habits involve more drama and horror.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bosley Coughlin can see the future, man. No really. By taking drugs - lots and lots of drugs - he discovered what he calls the Eye of Aeons, which allows him to see the future through the eyes of its inhabitants. On one of his, ahem, trips, he sees what life is like for Ocean, a 14-year old girl living in a brutally harsh post-apocalyptic America that's overrun by zombies. He also learns how to identify carriers of the virus, so when he gets back to his reality, he decides to do all he can to prevent Ocean's bleak future from coming true.

As you can see, William Todd Rose's The Seven Habits of Highly Infective People is not your typical zombie book, and that's a good thing. It reads more like a pair of interconnected novellas. You get Bosley's story, which revolves mainly around stalking a woman who is progressively showing the seven signs that she'll soon become a zombie, and Ocean's, which is a tale of survival and a look at the horrors of everyday life in the not so distant future.

Zombie 411: Rose's zombies are more or less the Romero-style undead. They're quicker, but the basic rules seem to apply.

Rose takes an unconventional approach to the genre here, and it really pays off. He bypasses most of the zombie novel tropes entirely, focusing largely on character development. Sure, Ocean's story is more familiar in terms of post-apocalyptic themes, but it's offset by the quirkiness of Bosley's story. Despite the evidence the author presents, it's hard not to dismiss his "visions" as the ravings of a paranoid junkie with an unusually vivid imagination. Rose keeps you guessing right up to the end, which was very satisfying.

Between the unique story, offbeat style, and just plain effective storytelling, there's a lot to like about The Seven Habits of Highly Infective People. It's a fun read, and a real breath of fresh air from the same old zombie novel.

[Mark · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was excessively vulgar and cliche. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't simply hate on the use of expletives in a book, nor any other thing, I just ask that it's use appropriately. The main character drops an f-bomb in between the infected woman's first and last name every single time he says it. Why? Unnecessary. Themes of rape and misogyny are not necessarily out of place in a post-apocalyptic world, rather, I think they would likely be fairly commonplace in a world without law and the power to enforce it. But here it seemed ridiculous. 9+ months to get <10 lbs of meat? That's just a stupid plan and evidence of a writer trying to get some shock value.

I said the book was cliche. Yeah. How many horror novels are going to exploit the trick of 'happy, welcoming, safe place/people' that turns into a nightmare situation? The minute there was a door that Ocean shouldn't open I knew that there was some sort of torture-porn palace or cannibalism factory back there.

The stoner turned hyper-aware spiritual savant felt forced too. All the various drug references seemed to be a wanna-be-stoner-writer trying to impress some non-existent dealer with how chill he was.

That's not to say the book was all bad. The mix of first person and third person limited omniscience was fun. The alternating chapters was interesting (although after a while I got sick and tired of the first person story, she's sick, we get it). The little bit at the end that ties everything together was good. Overall though, I would recommend that people not waste their time reading the book and I will be doing what I can to delete it from my Kindle library.

[T.L. Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hold onto your sanity and get ready for a zomberific, drug-induced and time-travelling good time! 7 Habits of Highly Infective People is a solid zombie apocalypse tale which has many things that sets it far beyond the rest of the pack. We are invited into the first person ramblings of one Bosley Coughlin, who has endeavored to shed himself of ego by using mystically enhanced drugs and instead manages to throw his consciousness into a girl in a dreadful future where zombies flourish and the remaining humans fight for scarce food. Upon returning to his own body and time, Bosley struggles to stop the infection as it begins, while we continue to follow the struggles of young Ocean in the future. The plot is engaging and twisty, the horror is immediate and tense, the characters are fully realized; but what really sets this trippy tale above all others of the like (Are there other stories of the like?) is the beautiful writing of one Mr. William Todd Rose. The writing is so evocative, descriptive, and powerful that I am sure I would read just about anything this man chose to write. He doesn’t, however, bog the narrative down with his talent, and masterly resorts to a quicker pace toward the center of the volume to keep things moving. Without giving anything away, the narrative wraps itself up with a shining continuum bow, which also sets it above many of the time travel stories I have read. I agree that William Todd Rose is a talent to watch, and what better vantage point to begin doing so as the trippy perspective of one (very dude-like) Bosley Coughlin. Check it out!

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the out of this world number of zombie novels out there, it takes something unique, fresh, or just darn right different. Seven signs show's a little of each. Now some of the ideas you can see were inspired by many futuristic sci-fi flicks or books, but this time throw in a future virus and the end of civilization and you get something fresh and different.

Now the narrator does have a couple of characteristics that take a while to grow accustomed to, but I love the dialogue and where he leads us through this tale. Each chapter shifts focus between two central characters and b the end of each chapter your left thinking, holy crap, wtf?, wow!, or I possible could have seen that coming. Bottom line, what I thought was going to happen, never did and I wasn't disappointed either.

Does this inspire me to read more by him? Sure does. But he o my problem is there are so many other zombie books out there ahead of them, unless he has something new and original to grant a cut in the huge line in from of him.

[Chris Devlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Free Kindle download, which is the type of book I've been indulging in lately whilst waiting for some of my favourite authors to hurry the hell up and make my days a little brighter ( thanks Joe Abercrombie). I'm not sure wether or not this got four stars from me because i approached it without much expectation or because it really deserved it. I liked the acid trip quality of Bosleys chapters which played out like a movie with Tarentino-esque qualities in my head due to the sharp, snappy monologue writing style...Oceans parts didn't have the same effect on me though they held their own and kept me interested, I just wish I could of felt more for her character and that o didn't see how it was going to pan out for her pretty much as soon as Gauge introduced the locked door. On Oceans parts alone this book would maybe get a 2.5 from me but I enjoyed Bosley so much that 4 stars were easily and gladly awarded,

[Ahimsa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well-told tale. Light but chock-full of narrative voice, dig? It's a refreshing take on the outbreak theme, wonderfully filled with dark humor and the tying of the two stories together is done quite well.

I don't see, however, why the protagonist liked Ocean much at all. Ocean is a product of her environment, which is great. But to the modern reader she is kind of a dummy. Coughlin's instant attachment to her is not evident, not to me anyway. Furthermore, both his assumption that Clarice Hudson is patient zero and his hesitation in acting on that knowledge do not ring true. Not individually, and especially not in concert. I get the unreliable narrator, and remember college well enough to know that stoners aren't the most clear thinking of people. It still feels wonky though, like the plot doesn't quite fit.

Overall, this is a great idea done well--a perfect plane read!

[That70sheidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little disappointing and predictable in the plot twists, the audiobook would benefit from a new narrator. It's possible the dialogue and dialect would read better via text, but unfortunately the narrator maintains a slightly moist monotone throughout the book, creating a silly hackneyed tone for the protagonist (the comparison to The Dude was unnecessary, as were the other current pop culture references). I believed the narrator was Wil Wheaton, who should never be hired for audiobooks, but I can't find confirmation of that anywhere.

Nevertheless, there were nuggets of sharp pacing and suspense hidden here and there throughout the story, and while most of the turns were expected the telling of them wasn't as stale as anticipated. The book was "just OK" in my opinion, but I'm sure others will find it quite good, especially the text version.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the time you can guess at the final plat but this one caught me totally offguard. The author bypasses the normal zombie stereotypes and focuses on the character developments. The story is set in two timelines. Bosley Coughlin, a druggy, who is able to cross the plains of existence and see into the past and future. And Ocean who is a young girl trying to survive in the future where zombies roam the streams. I found the book to combine all the elements..horror, science fiction and suspense, but just a bit slow in the beginning to grasp. Once you got passed the first chapter and understand the character was interacting with you, it rounds out nicely.

[Philip McClimon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is easily one of the best books I have read this year. I would say it is 12 Monkeys meets Frailty. It is part zombie story, part post apocalypse, part mind trip. It is full of misdirection and one is never sure that what one is being told is in fact the way things are. It has sadness and horror and humor. The three main characters are well drawn and I was fully engaged and cared about them. The world is well drawn and the story immersive. The ending is satisfying and I read this in just a couple of days. I would say it reminded me a bit of WOOL. Just a really good read.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Review contains SPOILERS.


I had only had about 90 minutes of this book left to listen to. I kept at it because it started with a lot of action, and some gruesome/thrilling events. But when it got to the point where Ocean was thinking to herself about how she didn't even care if she was raped if it meant she could be with some middle aged man, I gave up. I think the book took a turn for the worse, and couldn't bear to listen to the writing any longer. I didn't like any of the characters.

[Katya · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a little while to start enjoying this as the author takes his time in weaving the two plots together, but I loved the strong finish to the story! Also cool- at the end of the book, the author includes the playlist that inspired him while writing this : ) The songs fit perfectly to the dark tune of the story.

[Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solider Zombieroman, der in zwei verschiedenen Zeitebenen spielt, wobei die Ebene des dauerbekifften Erzählers vor der Zombieapokalypse die in meinen Augen deutlich bessere als die normal erzählten Geschehnisse nach dem Ausbruch der Zombieepidemie ist. Trotzdem so gerade noch vier Sterne für genregerechte Unterhaltung.

[Matt McRoberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average book, it went back and forth between two main characters, Bosley and Ocean. I liked reading the Ocean parts much better then the Bosley parts. The end was interesting tho in how the two characters come together sort of. Good ending to this book.

[Kateri Limmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

After I got past the offensive quality of the writing (holy cow, it's raw) I kinda liked this book. I confess, I couldn't put it down between chapters since it alternated between Bosley and Ocean. I also found it to be a refreshing book because it's a zombie book without very many zombies.

[Al Gaito · Rating 4 out of 5]

So there are a few things here and there that I could nit-pick about the book...such as it's length...but I can't say that this had MUCH of a negative effect on my rating. Personally I really enjoyed it.

[Faye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this zombie apocalypse book. Each alternate chapter follows the two main protagonists... At the start of the outbreak and 15 years or so into the future PA. can highly recommend this

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic book. Quirky, creative, gruesome: the perfect pleasurable read. Anyone who wants a zombie story with a twist should pick this up.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good take on a zombie story. The main character was interesting and the story had some twists in it I didn't expect.

[Pankaj]

na

[Jay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nope.

[George Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome! It's very rare a book can surprise me, this did