cover image You Can Make It Happen

You Can Make It Happen

Stedman Graham. Simon & Schuster, $23 (270pp) ISBN 978-0-684-81448-3

Best known as Oprah Winfrey's boyfriend, Graham here expresses his individual identity as a successful businessman and social activist. With a B.A. in social work, a master's in education and a varied background in the military and in sports (having played basketball for both the U.S. Army and a European professional team), as well as years spent working within the federal department of corrections, Graham turned his attention to sports marketing and management, founding his own company, SGA Inc. Living up to his theory that there must be achievement in each of three ""Circles of Success""--relationships, career and community--he also founded Athletes Against Drugs and serves on several community and charity boards. Here, Graham shares his nine-step plan for achieving success in the three circles. Discussing self-awareness, forming a vision, setting goals, taking risks and building a support network, he leads readers through his ""Success Plan."" Although he begins by promising that ""it's not complicated,"" he proceeds through a lengthy and complex explanation of each of the nine steps, plus numerous workbook-type assignments requiring substantial effort on the reader's part. While this book contains all the typical elements of motivational and inspirational material, including personal stories (his own and many others'), what's missing are those less easily transmitted sparks of excitement, enthusiasm, humor or charisma that allow the best of these books to actually motivate and inspire. BOMC and QPB alternate selections; Money Book Club main selection; first serial to McCall's. (Mar.)