Book Review: Living @ Installed Capacity – by Emmanuel Utomi

Posted by: The Coaching Academy In: Book Reviews

I was intrigued to learn, many months ago, that Emmanuel (a fellow “student” at The Coaching Academy) had written and published a book: Living @ Installed Capacity, and have recently been able to get my hands on a copy.

Now, the book contains some information that you may have read or heard about before – BUT – not presented in the way you may have expected, so I feel I must warn you that this book is rather like a “Tardis”; its diminutive size disguises the depth and “seriousness” of the challenges that the contents may present you.

If you are serious about personal growth; knowing yourself and identifying your “opportunities” to “live @ installed capacity” then this book is probably what you have been looking for. But beware – this workbook expects YOU to WORK through the tasks in the book. Why? Well as everyone knows (but not everyone applies) it is only YOU who is responsible (or response-able) for the path you take in life. This book is a tool to help you find your path.

Chapter One – Success? was a “show stopper” for me! You will be encouraged to identify YOUR true definition of what success is for YOU. Not what do others define as “success”? What do YOU define as success and therefore seek to achieve in your life? This is not an easy task (well it was not for me) and platitudes and generalisations are of no value; where do I WANT to get to? When will I be able to say “I am now successful”?

Seriously, one can set goals, one can evaluate (even change) values and beliefs…. But if you do not KNOW what is your OWN definition of success how can you set congruent goals? How can you evaluate your values or beliefs?

This question of success opens up a whole new “opportunity” for you to explore and discover yourself!!! And until I had (honestly) answered this seemingly “innocent” question I could not move forward (with the book – or my journey) – which is exactly as it should be!

Chapters two through five provide exercises and sets of learning tools that help you build on the “self-knowledge” and awareness that chapter one “awoke” in you. They are essential (and interesting) to complete – and again, honesty is essential.

I found the last two chapters of particular interest; dealing with “failure” as well as principles and their application.

The question “what is failure?” (Chapter five) and the subsequent discussion on the “positive” value of “failure” are very useful. As Emmanuel points out; societal pressures are driving us to shy away from any form of “failure” as a necessary part of learning (as in learning to walk, ride a bike etc.,), and demand that we only succeed if we want to be “rewarded”. Clearly (as Emmanuel states) the only “real” failures are; failing to learn from something that is not “working” for us, or “giving up” on trying.

The final chapter (Chapter seven – the Most Important Chapter) draws the whole of the “workbook” together and raises a final (forceful) question for you: Are You Worthy of Success? I won’t spoil your “fun” by commenting upon this chapter.

Well done Emmanuel – a stimulating and challenging experience for anyone with the courage to pick up and honestly work with this book. I believe that if you do rise to the challenge you will not regret the effort demanded of you for the lessons and outcomes will be worth it…

Reviewed by Malcolm Lugton