What do you think?
Rate this book
Strengthsfinder 2.0 from Gallup and Tom Rath: Discover Your CliftonStrengths
Do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day? Chances are, you don't. All too often, our natural talents go untapped. From the cradle to the cubicle, we devote more time to fixing our shortcomings than to developing our strengths. To help people uncover their talents, Gallup introduced the first version of its online assessment, StrengthsFinder, in 2001 which ignited a global conversation and helped millions to discover their top five talents. In its latest national bestseller, StrengthsFinder 2.0, Gallup unveils the new and improved version of its popular assessment, language of 34 themes, and much more (see below for details). While you can read this book in one sitting, you'll use it as a reference for decades. Loaded with hundreds of strategies for applying your strengths, this new book and accompanying website will change the way you look at yourself--and the world around you--forever. Available exclusively in StrengthsFinder 2.0: (using the unique access code included with each book) * A new and upgraded edition of the StrengthsFinder assessment * A personalized Strengths Discovery and Action-Planning Guide for applying your strengths in the next week, month, and year * A more customized version of your top five theme report * 50 Ideas for Action (10 strategies for building on each of your top five themes)
Spiral-bound
Published January 1, 2017
62 people are currently reading
636 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
February 21, 2020
A real hoot and a holler.
It's always an intriguing sign when the first 8 or so entries of your goodreads search for this book are summaries from other presses of this 160 ish page book with large font.
This book is all about helping employers maximize their worker's potential by identifying 34 "strengths" through rigorous anecdotal evidence. I highly recommend reading the anecdotes associated with each strength. A woman displays empathy by understanding a basketball game ~despite~ not knowing the rules to basketball (wow!). A nun shows her power in "activation" by drilling for natural gas under her convent. One man was playfully called a dentist by Ross Perot. Another describes how the current Mona Lisa is a fake — his strength is "ideating." Absolutely riveting stories showcasing the full range of these strengths.
The prose is playful and unafraid to give words different definitions than they would otherwise have in the everyday English language. Watch out Merriam Webster but "individualization" has a new meaning on the street!
The fig leaf of "impartial" survey data allows you to quantitatively construct a narrative you know about yourself since well ... you fill out the survey yourself.
For the entrepreneur in all of us, this book is full of robust advice but the biggest lesson is the one that they don't write out in the book. With an additional payment of $40 you can fully gain the value of this technocratic astrology with an actual report of the answers you yourself put in a survey.
The VFAQ (Very Frequently Asked Question [sic] there's only one question) unfortunately undermines that sagely piece of advice by informing the reader that if they've taken the Strengthsfinder 1.0, they do not necessarily have to take 2.0. The missed out on the ideation to maximize their benefits and increase their individualization for us all!
For those without the means to purchase the base level strengthsfinder and the subsequent revelatory packages, I've found Tarot cards more affordable and very useful for these sorts of paths of self discovery.
It's always an intriguing sign when the first 8 or so entries of your goodreads search for this book are summaries from other presses of this 160 ish page book with large font.
This book is all about helping employers maximize their worker's potential by identifying 34 "strengths" through rigorous anecdotal evidence. I highly recommend reading the anecdotes associated with each strength. A woman displays empathy by understanding a basketball game ~despite~ not knowing the rules to basketball (wow!). A nun shows her power in "activation" by drilling for natural gas under her convent. One man was playfully called a dentist by Ross Perot. Another describes how the current Mona Lisa is a fake — his strength is "ideating." Absolutely riveting stories showcasing the full range of these strengths.
The prose is playful and unafraid to give words different definitions than they would otherwise have in the everyday English language. Watch out Merriam Webster but "individualization" has a new meaning on the street!
The fig leaf of "impartial" survey data allows you to quantitatively construct a narrative you know about yourself since well ... you fill out the survey yourself.
For the entrepreneur in all of us, this book is full of robust advice but the biggest lesson is the one that they don't write out in the book. With an additional payment of $40 you can fully gain the value of this technocratic astrology with an actual report of the answers you yourself put in a survey.
The VFAQ (Very Frequently Asked Question [sic] there's only one question) unfortunately undermines that sagely piece of advice by informing the reader that if they've taken the Strengthsfinder 1.0, they do not necessarily have to take 2.0. The missed out on the ideation to maximize their benefits and increase their individualization for us all!
For those without the means to purchase the base level strengthsfinder and the subsequent revelatory packages, I've found Tarot cards more affordable and very useful for these sorts of paths of self discovery.
February 13, 2019
What is the appropriate rating when your identified strengths are accurate, but not really what you want them to be? Is that a four? I'm saying it's a four.
May 8, 2020
Decent read. Gets lost amongst the seemingly endless piles of personality assessments out there today. I do think I learned something about myself, so that’s good. And I fully agree that one should focus on strengthening their strengths rather than their weaknesses. Good principals, but nothing overly unique or ground-breaking.
November 4, 2022
Required reading for work, but a book nevertheless. Astrology for project managers, to the extent that I am concerned with it.
February 19, 2025
“Think of your strengths as your biggest financial asset. Think of your weaknesses as expenses you need to minimize. Then see how big you can grow the asset of You”
This book is about “what is right with people“. It helps to understand the value of people’s diversity.
I would recommend it to all leaders and people managers, and everyone can take the “gallup” assessment to better understand personal strengths, which form us the most.
This book is about “what is right with people“. It helps to understand the value of people’s diversity.
I would recommend it to all leaders and people managers, and everyone can take the “gallup” assessment to better understand personal strengths, which form us the most.
January 26, 2025
I read the portions of the book about my top 5 strengths and want to read the parts about my colleague’s strengths to learn how best to lead, manage, and collaborate with them. This book, and the concepts behind it, are so cool because it’s all about using your strengths rather than focusing on and trying to change your weaknesses.
August 13, 2022
Took the test in the back. What a great way to learn some of my strengths and not strengths!
June 4, 2025
A work read. It's fine, but my results are kinda wonky and inconsistent.
August 15, 2023
I was asked to undertake the CliftonStrengths test as part of a course at work. Did it, and then read up on the associated notes in the book.
Blurb:
Do you have an opportunity to use your strengths every day?
Chances are, you don't. All too often, our natural talents go untapped. From the cradle to the cubicle, we devote more time to fixing our shortcomings than to developing our strengths.
To help people uncover their talents, Gallup introduced the first version of its online assessment, StrengthsFinder, in the 2001 management book, Now, Discover Your Strengths. The book spent more than five years on the bestseller lists and ignited a global conversation, while the assessment helped millions discover their top five talents.
Gallup then unveiled a new and improved version of its popular assessment - StrengthsFinder 2.0 - language of 34 themes and much more. While you can read this book in one sitting, you'll use it as a reference for decades.
Loaded with hundreds of strategies for applying your strengths, this book will change the way you look at yourself - and the world around you - forever.
So, the blurb has so much hyperbole in it, it drives me nuts. The test itself was interesting (but you only get one link to the test per copy of the book, so you can't pass it around to your friends), and the results were not quite what I expected - but that's the point of these things, isn't it? However, I didn't like the wording and the way it was written - for example, one of my top five strengths kept harping on about faith, and that we are all part of something larger; apparently, my faith is strong and sustains me in the face of life's mysteries. Now, anyone who knows me knows that this is *exactly* how I don't see myself, and this sort of assumption is going to get my back up. Which it did.
Anyway, I consider this test done and read, and I'm looking forward to the next section of my course which will hopefully go into this in a bit more detail, with wording that I can relate to.
Blurb:
Do you have an opportunity to use your strengths every day?
Chances are, you don't. All too often, our natural talents go untapped. From the cradle to the cubicle, we devote more time to fixing our shortcomings than to developing our strengths.
To help people uncover their talents, Gallup introduced the first version of its online assessment, StrengthsFinder, in the 2001 management book, Now, Discover Your Strengths. The book spent more than five years on the bestseller lists and ignited a global conversation, while the assessment helped millions discover their top five talents.
Gallup then unveiled a new and improved version of its popular assessment - StrengthsFinder 2.0 - language of 34 themes and much more. While you can read this book in one sitting, you'll use it as a reference for decades.
Loaded with hundreds of strategies for applying your strengths, this book will change the way you look at yourself - and the world around you - forever.
So, the blurb has so much hyperbole in it, it drives me nuts. The test itself was interesting (but you only get one link to the test per copy of the book, so you can't pass it around to your friends), and the results were not quite what I expected - but that's the point of these things, isn't it? However, I didn't like the wording and the way it was written - for example, one of my top five strengths kept harping on about faith, and that we are all part of something larger; apparently, my faith is strong and sustains me in the face of life's mysteries. Now, anyone who knows me knows that this is *exactly* how I don't see myself, and this sort of assumption is going to get my back up. Which it did.
Anyway, I consider this test done and read, and I'm looking forward to the next section of my course which will hopefully go into this in a bit more detail, with wording that I can relate to.
July 26, 2025
recommend this book to someone getting into business or some kind of big organization. It teaches you how to be a leader. I also recommend it to people who want to better understand others who to follow and who not to follow. This book shows the probabilities of how to become successful and what things to do to build a healthy body, a healthy mind, and most importantly, become spiritually strong and open-minded. It talks about what to look for in yourself and others to grow not just spiritually, but also in a way that can help you make more money and become a better person overall.
You learn a lot about organizations, which I think was the boring part. Some stories were boring, some were interesting. A few stories are outdated, but that’s fine the book is a little old. Still it’s a good read. It’s different.
You learn a lot about organizations, which I think was the boring part. Some stories were boring, some were interesting. A few stories are outdated, but that’s fine the book is a little old. Still it’s a good read. It’s different.
August 23, 2023
Truly an astrological chart of a book - I did enjoy reading about my individual strengths and found I closely related to them - however I challenge the usefulness and applicability of this information.
More importantly? This book is formatted like reading through a beginners guide to Tarot, walking you through all the individual "strengths" and formulaically creating narratives related to them. This was not exciting as it was not well formatted, well-written, or impartial.
Is this a scam? To me it is about as useful as your star chart - enjoyable to read but perhaps not as practically applicable to life as you'd like, or the author suggests.
More importantly? This book is formatted like reading through a beginners guide to Tarot, walking you through all the individual "strengths" and formulaically creating narratives related to them. This was not exciting as it was not well formatted, well-written, or impartial.
Is this a scam? To me it is about as useful as your star chart - enjoyable to read but perhaps not as practically applicable to life as you'd like, or the author suggests.
January 20, 2023
I'm not a fan of this test. I've taken a lot of these types of tests for work before but this one felt by far the worst. And it didn't help that the author mentions Elon musk as one of the people who is considered "successful". To be fair, the book was written years ago, but still, I wish the author had done his homework and researched about his inheritance before assuming he's a businessman. Also, the book felt a bit prejudiced for my taste. Definitely not a way to approach for all people, it felt more suited for old white men. Sorry but this one did not reach me. :(
January 30, 2023
It was interesting to learn about my strengths. I was aware of two of them, but never thought that the other three applied to me. I was hesitant at first to quickly go through the assessment on my gut feeling because I like to take my time and think about it. However, when it showed me my results and read the meaning of the attributed strengths, it enlightened me. I actually tried to read one of the other strengths I felt I had, just to see if maybe the assessment missed it, but quickly realized it was the opposite of my personality once I read the definition. lol
October 25, 2023
I was assigned to read this book for work and took the subsequent test.
Perhaps it's that I'm autistic, but I take exception to personality tests that have you rate things on a scale of one thing to another thing when those two things are not opposites. This happened quite a few times during the quiz and then other times, I felt I could describe myself as very much like both of them. What then? Neutral? I think not because I'm not neutral towards those things.
Also, the first chapter is basically just "THIS IS THE BEST PERSONALITY TEST EVER AND IT WILL TELL YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT YOURSELF" I loathe that entirely if I'm being 100% honest.
Two stars only because the results actually did sound like my personality.
Perhaps it's that I'm autistic, but I take exception to personality tests that have you rate things on a scale of one thing to another thing when those two things are not opposites. This happened quite a few times during the quiz and then other times, I felt I could describe myself as very much like both of them. What then? Neutral? I think not because I'm not neutral towards those things.
Also, the first chapter is basically just "THIS IS THE BEST PERSONALITY TEST EVER AND IT WILL TELL YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT YOURSELF" I loathe that entirely if I'm being 100% honest.
Two stars only because the results actually did sound like my personality.
March 20, 2024
This book was so good. The results of the quiz explained things about me in a way that I had never been able to figure out. It really gets to how you work as an individual. I read as part of a book club at work, and the discussion made it even better! This will be a refer back to book, I've learned more about others based on knowing their strengths, and it is great that everyone in my work organization has now taken the quiz! 'What are your strengths?', will be a great opening when I work with someone new.
August 22, 2024
This book was a gift. It comes with a code that you can use to redeem your own strengths assessment. It takes about 30 minutes and results in your 5 top natural talents. After taking the assessment, it further explains what they are and how you can further develop them. This book basically focuses on a glass half full mentality when it comes to self development since it challenges the idea of being more of "what you already are". Instead of trying to work on your weaknesses, it talks about working on your strengths.
January 30, 2020
This book is most useful as a teambuilding exercise. I would recommend reading as part of a larger program, rather than purchasing for an individual. In a group setting, many people found it useful as a tool for describing their needs and priorities clearly and concisely.
Could you acheive a similar result with something as famously wishy-washy as MBTI or enneagrams? Probably. Was it still useful? For my particular work team- yes, very much so.
Could you acheive a similar result with something as famously wishy-washy as MBTI or enneagrams? Probably. Was it still useful? For my particular work team- yes, very much so.
March 25, 2022
This is such an interesting book- and I'm glad I own a copy, because I'll probably need it for reference!
If you've taken the assessment, what are your top 5 strengths?
Mine are:
1) Restorative
2) Learner
3) Responsibility
4) Intellection
5) Consistency
It was fun to recognize friends and coworkers as I was reading through & learn ways to better interact with them- and to find some other strengths that resonated with me, even if they weren't in my top 5!
If you've taken the assessment, what are your top 5 strengths?
Mine are:
1) Restorative
2) Learner
3) Responsibility
4) Intellection
5) Consistency
It was fun to recognize friends and coworkers as I was reading through & learn ways to better interact with them- and to find some other strengths that resonated with me, even if they weren't in my top 5!
January 21, 2023
As another review mentioned, "Astrology, but for Corporate." The test code is great for figuring out what my strengths/weaknesses are, however the book itself is just a few quotes/anecdotes and other information you can find on the website that you'd take the test on. The test itself is nice, but I'm not shelling out another $50 to know what the rest of my traits are ranked.
Overall, it is insightful, but I'm glad I bought it on sale.
Overall, it is insightful, but I'm glad I bought it on sale.
September 14, 2024
The idea of focussing on your strengths (instead of weaknesses) is very appealing. This book helps identify your strengths and gives practical suggestions for action based on the strength.
The writing style is very simple, and spending only a page to explain a strength makes it lacking in depth. Like a lot of these self-help books, just reading it will likely not help you in any way, but might act as a starting point of further introspection.
The writing style is very simple, and spending only a page to explain a strength makes it lacking in depth. Like a lot of these self-help books, just reading it will likely not help you in any way, but might act as a starting point of further introspection.
June 15, 2020
Since I am quite the fan of personality traits, I enjoyed reading all the themes in this book. We had to take the Strengthfinders assessment through work and after reading all the synopses, I do not agree at all with one of my top 5 strengths. The other 4 strengths seemed pretty accurate. As I was reading I could pin-point other people in my life that matched up with the specific themes.
March 30, 2021
I have read this for work and found the results very accurate and insightful. There isn’t really anything I would disagree with. I also think it’s an excellent point that you should work on, focus and play to your strengths, rather than trying to force yourself to do or be good at something that just isn’t “you”. Hence what led me to my new work in the first place!
July 28, 2021
I read this book because I was taking a Strengthsfinder assessment as part of a Staff Team team building exercise. I had done one before and forgotten all about it. The book is thorough in detailing all the strength areas and this book gave me a code to link in online and take the assessment which took half an hour. The results were amazing and very accurately assessed my strengths etc.
August 30, 2021
I read the book but really I got the most out of my workplace strengths coach. It was enlightening. My strengths results where definitely me. It very much helped to go over this as a team. One of my strengths is 'maximizer'. Now my team knows I'm not saying hey your work sucks be better. No, I'm saying this looks great, now here's how we can make it even better. 😁
October 4, 2024
The CliftonStengths assessment that comes with the book is worthwhile. This book, not so much. Whereas the assessment explains how strengths interact to make a unique individual, the book focuses on each strength in isolation, which isn’t helpful in understanding how to work with others. It’s a quick read, so at least it won’t take too much of your time.
November 21, 2024
Definitely one of the best personality assessments I've done. I really like the concept of focusing on your strengths rather than on trying to improve your weaknesses. It's counterintuitive to how I usually operate, but it makes complete sense, especially when the author made the Rudy analogy to explain why. My results feel very accurate.
January 26, 2025
didn't realize you still are supposed to take the test online
however the book is easy to read and has some good advice bits. we do live in a deficits based society, and the underdog myth greatly hinders people from following their greatest strengths
the book contains a list of Strengths and description which was valuable to me. good find
however the book is easy to read and has some good advice bits. we do live in a deficits based society, and the underdog myth greatly hinders people from following their greatest strengths
the book contains a list of Strengths and description which was valuable to me. good find
May 31, 2025
الكتاب هو اختبار شخصي مدتة نص ساعه تقريبا يبين نقاط القوه عندك واللي المفروض تستثمرها وتطور نفسك فيها وتحرص على التواجد في اماكن او بيئات عمل تدعمها عشان تبدع اكثر، ويعتبر نقاط الضعف عندك كمصاريف تحاول انك ماتنميها وتقلل منها عشان تبدع اكثر بالحياه، الكتاب خلاني اعرف صفات القوه عندي وافهم نقاط كثير هن نفسي ، انصح بقراءته
November 18, 2019
The strengths survey included with the book is definitely very helpful. I pretty much agreed with all of my top five strengths. It’s useful to identify what we are predisposed to do well, as opposed to what we may actually be doing, especially if contemplating a career move of any sort.
February 6, 2021
I found this book to be eye-opening and it exceeded my expectations. I took the assessment and it was spot on! I was able to learn my strengths and also see how those could be utilized. This will provide some direction for my with my career path.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews