Steven Covey does not joke around when it comes to his 7 habits. Literally. In the 370+ pages of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People", I came across only a single joke (but if you didn't like the book, or his teachings, then there's a good chance you probably think the entire book is a joke). Granted, he did make fun of himself with that one joke, which made him not look like an absolute square. Because there are certain parts of the book that get a little too dry for my liking, I found myself calling him the Crypt-Keeper of Personal Change (one look at his pic and you'll see what I'm talking about), mostly to keep myself awake. Overall, though, I thought the book was pretty good, with enough helpful and easy enough advice (on paper) in it to actually improve people's lives (assuming they apply it in the same sense that Covey talks about in the book). Now if I could just my circle of influence to get my brother, who recommended it to me by constantly singing it's praises and saying it's the best self-help book he's ever read, to actually finish it, too.