personal finance

I did like the book. You can read it in an hour if you stay focused in The Present. (sorry, I couldn't resist)
The purpose of the book is to let the world know that focusing on the present moment, learning from the past and preparing for the future will improve your life tremendously. That is awesome message everyone should listen to! There is just one problem. The story which is set up to convey this message is overly simple and honestly boring. Having said that, this book can work for people. It is simple and a bit dull, but the most important thing about this book is not the story but the message.
The Present reminded me of that other book, FISH, that was popular a few years ago. It has the same boring, simple story but a powerful message.
I think this book can be useful to many people. Just don't buy it thinking you are going to read a great story.

I find it interesting that at this period in time, these types of books (I would lump "Fish" in with this) are so popular in the American workplace. I wonder if people who love what they do already follow the principles explained in "The Present." I hope so. I'm assuming that this book is for the rest of us.

The book was actually not bad but rather simplistic. I would've preferred more depth to the character. For one thing, it is unclear as to what time period this actually took place. The man is shown to be searching the internet at an early phase of his life. Most of us weren't surfing the web until the mid-1990s. That was a little off-putting because I'm assuming that the book does not take place way in the future but in the present day.

The subtle point of the story (or perhaps not so subtle) is the importance of a good mentor, like the Old Man.

I tend to like self-improvement titles, as picking up one or two good ideas you can implement in your life can make a world of difference. To that end, I picked up a copy of The Present by Spencer Johnson. Johnson, the author of another book I really liked, Who Moved My Cheese?, tells a parable about a young man who is mentored by an older gentleman. The gentleman tells the man about "the present", and he does all he can to figure out what exactly that means. He finally realizes the "present" is not a physical gift, but a concept involving being totally involved in whatever you are currently doing. By learning how to learn from the past and prepare from the future, you can be much happier and productive in the present.

Definitely some interesting concepts, and ones that I can easily see myself working to implement in my own life.