Alexander the Great: The Macedonian Who Conquered the World

by Sean Patrick

If you want to learn about one of history's greatest military commanders and uncover some of his secrets of drive--drive that enabled him and his small army to first subdue all of Greece and then the mighty Persian Empire--then you want to read this book.

Some people like to think that geniuses are so inherently extraordinary that they navigate their journeys with clairvoyant ease.

This simply isn't true.

Greatness does not come lightly. It requires that you make sacrifices of time, interests, and--sometimes--possessions. The further you move toward greatness, the more greatness demands from you.

But all barriers yield to one mythical drive. The will to persist and overcome. To never give up. To never accept defeat.

Few stories better illustrate this better than the life of one of the most extraordinary warriors the world has even known; a man of legendary ambition, will, and Alexander the Great.

In this book, you'll be taken on a whirlwind journey through Alexander's life and conquests, and not only learn about the successes and mistakes of one of history's greatest conquerors, but also how to awaken a fire in your own life and adventures.

Read this book now and learn lessons from Alexander the Great on why drive is so vital to awakening your inner genius, and learn insights into the real power of purpose, how to defeat the insidious force of "Resistance" that holds us back, and more.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Self Help, Historical, Ebooks, Autobiography

52 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 13, 2013

About the author

Hi,

I'm Sean, and I believe that people have far more potential than they give themselves credit for. I believe that everyone can find their calling, achieve success and happiness, and feel in control of their fate.

Through my writing, I hope to educate and inspire, to convince people to look at themselves and the world a little differently, and to be able to use these insights to improve not only their lives, but the lives of everyone they touch as well.

If that floats your boat, I think you'll like my work, and I hope you find it helpful.

Sean

Reviews

[Barbara Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not a biography or carefully researched book about military history. Rather it is a book with a very specific point of view on how to set out to achieve your goals. In fact, the first quarter of the book deals with the theory that the simplest way to defeat obstacles that stand in your way and to systematically accomplish the goals you set for yourself is to be as determined in your drive as Alexander the Great. Patrick’s theory states that if you do this, you will show your bravery and tenacity to your opponents, who will then lose the will to keep fighting you.

The middle section of this book retells the events of Alexander’s campaigns. Patrick consistently presents Alexander in a favorable light, largely discounting other reasons for success or failure. Finally the last third of the book explains what the author calls The Power of Purpose. All of us should learn from Alexander’s journey to greatness that to be successful the reader needs to do the following: strengthen her will by having a clear purpose, put that purpose into motion, and then follow through to reach the goal by never relenting or giving up on it.

This is an interesting theory, if you are looking for inspiration and motivation. On the other hand, if you are expecting to find a book based on meticulous historical research or an accurate portrait of Alexander’s life, this one will not fill your expectations. At approximately fifty pages, it is a short motivational read for young adults and adult readers.

[Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light but good read, at first I was thrilled because my perception was that the book was about Alexander The Great raids and history. The book does focuses on that but in a different way than the mere historical/educational way; the author uses Alexander's example (Among the example of many remarkable names in history) to discuss about the importance of thrive, and purpose.

Sean Patrick is a new name for me in the genre of self-help and maybe there were parts I didn't like, maybe for his writing style, but the message was clear and I recommend this book for the ones looking to start a new project or just want a light educational read.

[Nicholas Maulucci · Rating 3 out of 5]

pleasantly surprised with this book. half historical - half philosophical, it contained a lot of information that was interesting. enjoyed reading about Alexander historically as many of his conquests were in our corner of the world - bulgaria. I enjoyed the philosophical side also, so much that I might get the author's book unlocking your inner genius. a short but deserving read.

[Young Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be very careful: This book is not like other be'/ bi'o-gr'aph-i'es, but more like an analysis of what drove a man and his desire to become real.

Guess the author's books all start with the same entr'/ intr'o-duct'ion and form'at: His introduction is all about the "process," and I do recommend this to all the readers in the world; I mean to those who can read in English, obviously.

Can't hate it no matter how many times I find and read these lines in different books. Yes, you can, yes, I can, and YES, WE CAN!

I just gotta say that it is one of the “deepest” and best entr'/ intr'o-duct'ions I've read:
(Kindle Ed., locations 119-140)
By the end of his research, Barrios had pieced together his “genius code”—a profound insight into what really spawns greatness. He also concluded that we could all indeed use his genius code as a roadmap to walk in the footsteps of history’s brightest and boldest, thereby learning to operate at a genius level. An attractive concept, no doubt, but is it true? In this book, we will delve into a single characteristic of Barrios’ code: drive. We will look at how it defined one of history’s greatest military geniuses, Alexander the Great, and how we can further develop it in ourselves...We rely on geniuses to entertain us, educate us, lead us, and show us all what our species is capable of. We rely on geniuses to give us smart phones, electric cars, cures for diseases, social networking sites, sublime art, world-class food, and, indeed, the very fabric of our culture. If you’ve ever dreamed of playing a hand in the development of humankind, or if you just have a burning desire to improve one small aspect of it, then you have an adventure waiting. Will you take it? This book is your invitation.

Reading this book serves its first purpose: It makes the readers think and ponder.

Hi-stor'y definitely tells a lot, and sometimes it makes wonder why we gotta be the masters of irony:
(Kindle Ed., locations 182-183)
...Those that surrendered were spared bloodshed. Those that resisted fell to the Macedonian sword.

These were the tactics that others like Mongols and Japanese also used as their “principle” during military camp'aigns, but what is the secret that some people are blamed for that and called barb'aric while some are brilliant and clever?

(Kindle Ed., locations 574-578)
...While many in his position would’ve been content with a life of kingly hedonism, Alexander was cut from a different cloth. He pawned off everything he owned to finance what he truly cared about: his vision of a glorious destiny and immortality. But perhaps more impressively, he conducted himself with extreme equilibrium, sanity, and benevolence startlingly uncharacteristic of a conqueror. He lived in a time where men of his ilk were expected to indulge in mindless slaughter and degradation of the people they subdued, but he not only discouraged it, he forbade it.

Hey, Genghis did the same. Was he any different? Their same principle was founded upon their saem'/ sim'ilar hardships in their childhoods where they both were born to the chief/ cap/ kan/ king, and they had to suffer hard from bloody fights over the supreme throne.

But once they possessed it, there they unleashed their desire for conquest of the world in attempts to make the world the place they wanted it to be: A better place in unity with no inner fight in peace and prosperity.

(Kindle Ed., locations 481-483)
...This was another stroke of Alexander’s genius, as it fostered allegiance and respect among the conquered, and reinforced his standing offer to the remaining peoples that lie ahead: accept me and live well, or oppose me and perish...

Something's so openly wrong with our mentality of double-standard.

I haven’t seen Mr. Patrick’s book on Genghis Khan or others like him, so I don’t know if the author’s got the western-centered point of view like many, many writers and scholars.

It is just sad to see so many writings that call the same action heroic leadership when done by the West while barbaric and unspeakable when done by the East. They just make me wonder what the problem is with all their brains.

In general Alexander has been considered a hero and great leader in our world history. Seriously, his actions were okay, pardoned and even considered the reason for greatness, while we do the same today we are inhumane barbarians with probable criminal charges.

No matter how great the reasons and motives are, in modern-day standard he was a horrible war criminal. Today the world has become a funny place where people can't accept the brutes of warfare happening before their eyes, while we are just fine with all the dark moves of the politics actually destroying more lives in the process.

It is all about our simple psychology in which images before our eyes are everything, and that’s because the people in our democratic world don’t “really” read anymore. In this heartbreaking reality, we are allowed to look at things, yet we are still to be blind.

(Kindle Ed., locations 262-268)
Thebes’ warriors fought bravely, but their defenses fell and the city was overrun. Boetians, Phoeians, and Plataeans—fighting within Alexander’s ranks–slaughtered thousands of Thebans, including women and children, out of revenge for years of Theban oppression. 30,000 survivors were captured and sold into slavery, and the city was razed to the ground. The force and cruelty with which Alexander smashed the Theban rebellion sent shock waves throughout all of Greece. Athens wouldn’t dare risk his wrath and immediately withdrew troops they had sent to fight with their now-vanquished allies. Sparta was amazed to see the powerful city, which had conquered them at Lenetra, shattered to pieces as if by the gods themselves. Athens and its allies again asked the king’s forgiveness, which Alexander again granted. What happened at Thebes served as a warning, while at the same time a call for peace...

Yet history doesn't really care about all this that much...about once the great city-state of Thebes. What makes some to be remembered after they perished in the same courageous last stands while others not? What is the secret?

Anyways, Alexander wouldn’t show his brutality out of whim; he was a man of "princ'iple.”

(Kindle Ed., locations 312-322)
Several cities that had been granted exceptional privileges by Darius resisted Alexander, but one by one, they fell to his superior tactics. As he conquered each, he continued his strategy of befriending the Greeks, pardoning surviving citizens, and granting the cities autonomy and freedom. There was no plundering to help pay for the campaign, as was customary in wartimes, only the collection of reasonable taxes to fund his war chest. With the coast of Asia Minor now under his control, Alexander had effectively nullified Persia’s most powerful military asset: its world-renowned navy. He was now prepared to move into the interior of the Persian Empire. But winter was approaching, and Alexander’s men needed to rest and heal. So he granted a leave of absence to a considerable number of his newly married soldiers to be with their wives until spring, when they would move to bring down the entire Persian empire. Alexander himself, however, would not rest. His unremitting drive wouldn’t allow it. So he gathered a body of troops and set out to close any remaining ports on the mainland and further starve out the Persian navy. Over the next several months, he and his men marched through bitter weather and conquered all of western Asia minor—nearly 40 towns were subdued, with most surrendering without contest, knowing that they would be treated liberally by the conqueror. Those that rebuked his offer of a peaceful surrender, no matter how well fortified, fell.

That was the principle of all the conquerors who built such massive empires.

(Kindle Ed., locations 428-436)
...The first three raiding parties were driven back by fierce Gazan warriors. The fourth broke through, however, opening the gates of the city and bringing the destruction of the Gaza garrisons. Alexander continued through the region, setting up a strong government in Syria and Phoenicia, and headed for the country of the Nile. Egypt had no bond whatsoever with its Persian masters. They were a peaceful folk, and the arrival of a new conqueror mattered little to the population and rulers alike. The Egyptians, who had lived under the Persian yoke for two centuries, welcomed Alexander and his Macedonians with open arms. Alexander returned to the Egyptians the freedom to exercise their religions and ancient customs, gave them political autonomy, and arranged for the taxes to flow to his coffers. At the mouth of the Nile, Alexander founded the city of Alexandria-by-Egypt, which would later become a major economic and cultural center in the Mediterranean world. Month by month, Alexander was making good on his promise to use his sword and the swords of his brethren to not just kill, but lift the known world to a new echelon of economic, social, and academic prosperity.

And the words like "Egypt" and "Nile" were as a matter of fact Greek. It was just like "San Francisco" or "Los Angeles" which are commonly accepted among us today without a second thought.

So, Alexander was becoming to be the new rule-writer (author'ity), the new god-king while the old god kept running off abandoning his countrymen’s hope and faith.

When Darius III ran from the battlefield in Issus he was no longer the god of his empire, and the war was over there. Alexander did understand and so used that psychological advantage by accepting the Asian mind'/ ment'ality to call him the new god-king of Asia.

Therefore, the following e-vent/ -wind was not really necessary in my opinion:
(Kindle Ed., locations 414-417)
While Alexander was besieging Tyre, he received a second letter from Darius in which he offered a fantastic sum for the release of his family, his daughter’s hand in marriage, and all the Persian territory west of the Euphrates. “If I were Alexander, I would accept,” Parmenion told the king. “So would I, if I were Parmenion,” he replied.

I would have stopped the conquest and carefully worked on politics from that moment on if I had been him. He could have united with the Persian Empire without further campaign if he played his cards right. He definitely had upper cards. Later he would marry a daughter of Darius III anyway due to political reasons. And he wouldn't die young of overwork...neither would so many men in his military rank/ rang and his new empire.

Until this point, his principle was working, and he was still on the rise. His decline began when this principle started to falter.

(Kindle Ed., locations 521-528)
...The Persians chose to die with their swords in hand. Afterward, Alexander gathered his Companions and set out to Persepolis at once, traveling over 40 miles in one night, through the snow, and reached the magnificent capital before word had even arrived of what happened in the mountains. The city opened its gates and welcomed its new king. Great feasts were held in Persepolis, and against his usual habit of preserving whatever he conquered, Alexander gave in to his men’s demands of retaliation. Athens had been burned and desecrated by the Persian king in times past, and the Macedonians wanted to inflict the same wounds upon Persepolis. Thus, the great city was given up to plunder and the magnificent palace of the Persian kings was burned to the ground after a drunken celebration. Women and their jewels were to be left untouched, however, as ordered by Alexander. Alexander lavished his men as usual, who spent their days and nights in revelry. He was never one to rest for long...

They would even have the Scythians surrender if they showed new Human level of generosity beyond their Greek identity. I see that here the leader's doubts appeared out of fatigue. He was after all a Human. He started facing withdrawals and breach of his principles. At the end he died young of overwork as his personal ability as a Human Being alone wasn't to cover all the new lands to immediately govern without dissatisfaction or secession. His dream, plans and preparations to conquer Central Asia, China, Arabia, Rome and the Atlantic coast had to be canceled with his death. He didn't have time to raise or find his successor, which is a great lesson for anyone who wants to follow his case.

(Kindle Ed., locations 530-536)
...icy rain had to be endured and snow-clad hills traversed; steps had to be cut into frozen slopes; and roads had to be hewn through the woods. Every difficulty was overcome with the king leading the way. The mountain people were reached and agreements were struck, thus accomplishing Alexander’s great vision. In a mere four years, the Macedonians had vanquished the mighty Persian army and claimed its lavish empire, reversing the conquest accomplished by King Xerxes over a century before. By 324 BC, 11 years after his ascension to the Macedonian throne, Alexander had led his army 22,000 miles, was undefeated in battle, and founded some 70 cities in the lands he conquered, 22 of which he named after himself. These epic achievements pay homage to his simple philosophy on life. “I would rather live a short life of glory than a long one of obscurity,” he wrote...

The book skips the later part of his campaign into the Central Asia and India. So the Alexander Sag'a ends here in this book. When we think of the purpose of this writing, the later part should be skipped since it doesn't really inspire with the broken “principle of a man.”

(Kindle Ed., locations 546-548)
Geniuses don’t work long and hard from a begrudging sense of duty—they do it because they have a strong desire to give everything they’ve got to a project and see it through to the best of their abilities. Ambition shows you the path to success, but drive is what gets you through it.

Bingo! As a matter of fact those who failed thinking they tried what they wanted to do was actually doing what they thought would be cool in others' standards, not in their own. In fact they must not even have had their own standard yet.

(Kindle Ed., location 594)
Where the goal is the what, the purpose is the all-important why. Purpose gives goals meaning...

Let's find our "own" path that gives us real pleasure, not feeling of duty. We should find the "right" purpose, not to impress others, but to please and satisfy my own heart.

(Kindle Ed., locations 596-599)
How excited are you to get to work in the morning? How much do you enjoy what you do for its own sake rather than what it gets you? And how accountable do you hold yourself to a deeply held set of goals? These are the questions of purpose all adventurous souls must ask themselves...

(Kindle Ed., locations 588-591)
Finally, Alexander—a man who had defied death so regularly and against such odds that his enemies had declared him invincible—lost his life to an unexplainable fever that began after a night of heavy drinking. The morality of Alexander’s ambitious purpose notwithstanding, it’s very clear that once he had lost it, he rapidly lost everything. If we are to succeed in our endeavors toward greatness, we must learn and apply this final lesson of Alexander’s to our journeys. Simply put: If purpose dies, the entire adventure quickly follows suit.

It’s the core message of this read making the read a great reading worth the time and money for it.

(Kindle Ed., locations 598-607)
...If your answers to these questions are enthusiastic, then chances are you’re bringing a strong sense of purpose to your pursuits. If your answers to these questions are anything less, chances are you’re just going through the motions. The former path breeds persistence and grit, which lead to opportunities and successes thereafter. The latter breeds indifference and lethargy, which can’t handle even the pettiest of pressures. Imagine that you’re out at sea on a boat, voyaging to a far-off destination. Your boat springs a leak, which immediately becomes your priority. You jump down and start bailing water to prevent going under, but forget that nobody is left to navigate the ship. One day, after doing nothing but bailing water for who knows how long, you poke your head over the bow and wonder where the heck you are and how you got there. This is the purposeless life. People can become so preoccupied with just staying afloat that they fail to realize that nobody is at the helm. Unfortunately, clarifying purpose takes time—quiet, uninterrupted time—which is something many of us feel we don’t have. We rush from one obligation to another without a “50,000 foot” view of where we’re going. It may seem self-indulgent to stop and reflect on questions of meaning and purpose, but your journey will demand it.

(Kindle Ed., locations 607-610)
When Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen started DreamWorks, their purpose was to entertain and delight people. Profits were second to that. They went through some tough times, coming close to bankruptcy twice. But they persevered in large part due to their dedication to the studio’s vision and reason for being. Today, DreamWorks is one of the largest film studios in the world. Nobody can force a purpose on you—you must choose it of your own free will...

(Kindle Ed., locations 626-629)
If you have a brilliant idea that will change the way some part of the world works, tweeting and blogging about it isn’t the work. Coding a proof of concept that you can use to raise funding with is, however. If you have a story stirring inside you that the world needs to read, spending another 50 hours searching for inspiration or bouncing your ideas off others isn’t the work. Finishing the outline and starting the first draft is. Alexander was renowned for his unequalled dedication to the work...

What would be any clearer direction and instruction than this? Want anything clearer than this? Then it's not yours anymore. You do the work and get through the hardships to make it "your" dream-come-true.

(Kindle Ed., locations 636-637)
If doing the work is the key to victory in our journeys to greatness, what has the power to stop us...?

Family. It is hard to find the balance once you start raising your family. Alexander's fall started with it too. Family makes you allow your e-motion grow bigger than reason.

There are many errors to be edited, but they don’t really bother the flow of the reading as they are mostly min’or [pro]gramm’atical mistakes.

You can read the full review here.

[Dr.Javed Rasheed · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has been written in 2013 by Sean Patrick. I got to read this now it’s a 62 page book that’s on Kindle for a free download.
“Thousands of geniuses live and die undiscovered - either by themselves or by others.”
- Mark Twain
It starts with this quote. As one starts reading and one starts wondering 🤔 is this book about Alexander the Great ? There are inspirational stories, incidents, anecdotes of various celebrities, sportsmen, authors, scientists, movie stars then finally after 24% of download then the word “ Alexander “ appears !! Then it’s all about his history, his conquests, his quest for power as he was one of the greatest commanders in the history of the world as we have studied in history while we all were in school. After 77% of download again the inspirational stories and examples start. It’s more of philosophy than about Alexander who has been cited as an example of what the author wants to convey. I Frankly I was in no mood for a philosophical trip as I was more interested in reading about Alexander the Great. I would be too generous in giving 3 stars !!
Dr. Javed Rasheed

[Venkata Srinivas · Rating 1 out of 5]

As multiple readers pointed out, this book is more of self help reading than a biography. The title of the book is misleading and makes one think that he is going to read about Alexander. While the latter section concisely depicts the conquests of Alexander, the book is half cooked at best. If the intention of author is to understand the quality traits of Alexander, the book should have been titled as "what can we learn from Alexander". This is a disappointment

[Mridu Bhattacharya · Rating 4 out of 5]

the book did its job.

[Iva · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not really Alexander's biography but the parts about his life are interesting (hence the 3 stars), the rest I didn't like very much. I was mislead into thinking the book is his biography but I'm not sorry I read it.

Da se razumijemo ovo nije biografija nego je "self help nesto maskirano u biografiju" da opet, ali nisam toliki naivac ovu knjigu sam skinula na Kindle zajedno s onom prijasnjom istog autora ne znajuci sta me ceka nisam citala komentare jer me razveselilo da se uopce netko bavi Aleksandrom jer obozavam sve vezano uz Makedoniju i bila sam van sebe od srece sto mogu nesto tako citati, a da je besplatno. Vec pogadjate moja sreca je trajala prvih 20-ak stranica knjige na kojima se stvarno pise o zivotu i djelu Aleksandra Makedonskog, self help kako postati genijalac dio je prepisan poprilicno iz prve knjige o Tesli i njega sam preletila samo. Ako Vam se cita i ova knjiga je na Amazonu besplatna, a meni molim Vas preporucite neku pravu knjigu koja se bavi Aleksandrom Makedonskim. Hvala unaprijed!
http://sisterdelightbookcaffe.blogspo...

[Georgia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let's take this from the beginning..

Firstly, the disappointing thing was that the book has a misleading title. I didn't bother reading a synopsis of the book, 'cause well the title states clearly enough its subject. Even though Alexander the Great is referred in the book, the author's purpose is not this great historical personality but how we can achieve..achievement. Alexander the Great is used here as an example, as he was a man just like the rest of us, with rich history and many decisions to make and many misfortunes to overcome. His answer concerns the "drive to success" by finding your purpose, by trying to overcome difficulties and by never-ever let yourself indulge in the sneaky ways of "resistance" that waits to thrive in us all, in order to make us lose, to make our purposes die, thus do nothing eventually.

Secondly, I actually liked the book in other ways since it made me realise that I need to find purposes I had lost, try to reach my goals, and this thing about "resistance" was so well put that unfortunately, it made me realise that I 'm a bit of a "rebellion" towards life myself.

[Anil Swarup · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title of the book is trifle misleading as it is more about leadership than about Alexander, the Great. The historic figure has been taken as an example, perhaps epitome of what leadership is all about on account of his accomplishments in adverse set of circumstances. The author does not subscribe to the deterministic theory as he goes on to state that "the seed of greatness exists in every human being. Whether it sprouts or not is our choice". How true. He comes up with interesting statements like "Opportunities are whispers, not foghorn. If we can't hear their soft rhythms........waiting for thunderclaps......then we might as well be blind to them". He even goes on to quote Howard Thurman, "Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it". All great men have achieved greatness doing precisely this. The author focusses on "drive" as he rightly states that "ambition shows you the path to success, but drive is what gets you through".

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Através da leitura deste livro tive a oportunidade de recordar aspectos da biografia bélica de um dos maiores génios militares da história, Alexandre o Grande; contudo, e ao contrário do que estava à espera, este não é um livro sobre Alexandre o Grande, mas uma obra sobre o poder do ímpeto nas conquistas dos génios e como pode ser determinante na vida de qualquer pessoa. Alexandre funciona assim como um mero exemplo para demonstrar como o ímpeto é fundamental para se alcançar objectivos em maior ou menor escala. O título induziu-me em erro mas foi uma leitura satisfatória.

[imelda asares · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great awakening, and insiring

Great awakening, and insiring

I did not know much about Alexander's quest in life. What a brilliant leadership he posses and his purpose and drive!! I really enjoyed reading the book Mr. Patrick. Not only it was awakening our genius within, it is so inspiring to see that these great men and women rise to the occasion. Wish to inspire that genius in me and keeping it alive. Simply put, your book is amazing!

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting a biography but found a self help book. An interesting view on "drive", it certainly started off strong. while I agree that successful people share that unrelenting trait, I'm not willing to put that attribute alone as Alexander's sole reason for success. There's far more to history than that. Social, economic, weather, terrain, and many other factors come into play, as well as good ol dumb luck! Nice, but not the bio I was hoping for.

[Michael Joseph · Rating 1 out of 5]

Brief. I read this in a single afternoon. I prefer in-depth studies on the entire person, what makes them tick. I did not find that here. The author is using Alexander the Great as a case study to profile one of the qualities of successful people, which is fine. Its just not what I was looking for. I would recommend this to young teenage men.

[Rakendra Thapa · Rating 4 out of 5]

its a good motivation book by Sean Patrick where he tries to invoke the genius hidden in everyone. Quoting life example of Alexander, he has mentioned one single most important thing that distinguishes a man from genius, a king from the conqueror. Its the power of "Drive"

[bernard underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than you think

this book about Alexander the great covered the history life death and everything in between. the one thing I liked best was the first chapter and last chapter very motivating on how to the best you that you can be I will most likely get his other book as well

[Victoria Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read about what made Alexander so great and how one can apply that idea to their own life. It backed a lot of things I already thought and just gave a lovely little confidence boost!

[A. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reads like a mediocre 8th-grade essay.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 4 out of 5]

 3.5 stars & 4/10 hearts. This was a unique biography. While it documented Alexander’s life, it mostly focused on HOW he managed to do all he did. Why was he so successful? It’s basically a talk about genius and success and drive studying what we can learn about those things from Alexander. I don’t agree with everything, but I did agree with some and I enjoyed the book. I cannot remember any content, and it was well done. 

A Favourite Quote: “...if you practiced an activity four hours per day, seven days per week, it would take you about seven years to reach ten thousand hours. That kind of dedication can only come from the heart—a true love and passion for the activity.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “While Alexander was besieging Tyre, he received a second letter from Darius in which he offered a fantastic sum for the release of his family, his daughter’s hand in marriage, and all the Persian territory west of the Euphrates.... Alexander told Darius that the whole of Persia was his, that he would marry his daughter if he so wished, with or without Darius’ consent, and that he had no need for the money.”

[Antonio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently read a short biography of Alexander the Great as part of the Hourly history collection and I wasn't entirely satisfied.
However, this book is not only a biography of one of the greatest conquerors in history but also an example of how the drive of a man can push him to great achievements. At the same time author shows how the loss of the drive and sense of the mission can ruin our life.
Great introduction about the drive which we need in life, has attracted me from the first sentence.

This is my assessment of this book Alexander the Great by Sean Patrick according to my 8 criteria:
1. Related to practice - 5 stars
2. It prevails important - 4 stars
3. I agree with the read - 5 stars
4. not difficult to read (as for non-English native) - 4 stars
5. Too long (more than 500 pages) - concise (150-200 pages) - 5 stars
6. Boring - every sentence is interesting - 5 stars
7. Learning opportunity - 4 stars
8. Dry and uninspired style of writing - Smooth style with humouristic and fun parts - 4 stars



Total 4.5 stars

[Diwakar Grandhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the way how the author has explored two different topics at the same time and how he took a real life example to drive his point. The major learning from this book for me was how having an inner drive can help you defeat your inner resistance to join the ranks of geniuses. This example for this was how Alexander's drive helped him stay away from mediocrity (which is heavily advocated by our inner resistance) and achieve the unthinkable. However, as soon as he lost his drive, in the fag end of his military campaign, he lost himself completely.
To summarize, it shows that, it is essential to have a dream as well as build and sustain an inner drive to move us towards our goal/dream.

[Philmore Olazo · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are few people you can call outstanding, gifted and worthy of being remembered by history.

Alexander the Great was all of this and was even considered to be a demigod by his people. Amazing strategist and outstanding leader. He was one of the greatest military minds that have ever walked the earth.

Now going to this book. The historical facts about Alexander are fascinating and are really well exposed. However, and it is a really BIG however, its introduction to the topic and the conclusion goes from weird, to unnecessary.

[Ruchika Pahwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not only about the adventures of Alexander the Great as one of the finest warriors, but it is also about teaching the reader to learn from the master's war art, and from his personality, especially his inner drive invested in his feats. Plus, there is much more to motivate you towards setting goals, achieving your life's purpose, and fulfilling your dreams. I liked the way it's written, though I had not expected it to turn out to be an inspirational read. I had thought that it'd just be the story of Alexander.

[Edward Lenz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad book, but it definitely left some things out. I remember learning about Alexander in my history class last year and there were even general things left out, like how Alexander had an admiration of the Persian life. Plus, the book was more of a general encouragement or self-motivation for people rather than a biography. Which, give or take, is nice once in a while but the first part and last part seemed to be a tad bit too dragged out. I give it four out five stars.

[Shamsher Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterpiece.

I initially thought it is a plain book of ancient Greek history, but was thoroughly impressed by the way the author has linked the conquests of Alexander the great to our own lives and its trails and tribulations.It instills in us a sense of bravery and the unflinching courage to face our intrinsic resistances with optimism and grit so as to finally emerge as the conqueror of modern times !

[Daniel Staats · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book but a very generic overview of one of the greatest leaders ever. He rose reputedly and died too soon. One has to wonder how the world as we know it would be different if he had lived into his fifties.
Even though the author gives an overview of the battles, he is more concerned in the traits that define great men. This is more of a motivational book than a history book or even a biography.

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title might lead one to expect this to be a biography. One would be mistaken. It's, shall we say, a tiny bit misleading?
This short book is more self-help than biography, which is unfortunate given that while I have a lot of interest in the life and person of Alexander the Great, I have precisely none in self-help books. In addition, the brief biographical sketch of Alexander it offers contains quite a few inaccuracies.

[Kenneth Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn't call this book a biography. While it does discuss some of the early aspects of Alexander's life, I would call this book a philosophical lesson on drive and ambition. The book does relay reasoning behind the drive and ambitions of Alexander the Great. Overall, a good book if you realize what it is actually about. There are some really good correlations / elements to add to everyone's life. Overall, it is a good read.

[Jestora (muaad) the poet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read most of the book at the start of the year. Today morning I picked it up to complete it as I was curious about Alexander the Great. This book is insightful in that it teaches you what made Alexander (from a psychological level) such a powerful force in the world. It’s worth contemplating about yourself and considering how you can develop yourself from a psychological perspective. This book will help you do that.

[Robin Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sean Patrick is a cool author with several non-fiction titles out including one on understanding the Constitution and another on unleashing your mind power. He's a fun writer, you can feel HIM in what he writes, his own stories and experiences yet still seriously researched and intelligent.

Cool guy. Good Author. Fun one to keep up with.