What lifted it above the mass of books that claim the secret to a better existence?

Firstly, it was timing. The 7 Habits came out just as we entered the 1990s. Suddenly, aspiring to be a 'Master of the Universe' in a shoulder-padded world did not seem to satisfy, and people were ready for a different prescription for getting what they really wanted out of life. Covey's message of 'restoring the character ethic' was so old-fashioned it seemed revolutionary. Having previously studied the success literature of the last 200 years for a doctoral dissertation, Covey was able to draw a distinction between what he termed the 'personality ethic' - the quick-fix solutions and human relations techniques which had pervaded much of the writing this century - and the character ethic, which revolved around unchanging personal principles. Covey believed that outward success was not success at all if it was not the manifestation of inner mastery; in his terminology, 'private victory' must precede 'public victory'.

The second, more practical reason for the book's success is that it is a compelling read both as a self-help book and a leadership/management manual. This crossover status effectively doubled its market. It also means that the reader interested only in personal development may not like the management terms, diagrams and business anecdotes that fill it. For a book that is so much about changing paradigms, it is remarkably representative of the paradigm of business thinking. But that should be a small price to pay for what is a brilliant life re-engineering guide, enlivened by Covey's personal and family experiences. Covey may be Dale Carnegie's heir in many ways, but his classic is more systematic, comprehensive and life-expanding than any of the modern self-help titles which came before it.

The 7 Habits puts effectiveness at a higher level than achievement. Achievement is hollow unless what you achieve is actually worthwhile, both in terms of your highest aims and service to others. Covey's view is that the personality ethic of 20th century self-help had helped to create a high-achieving society that also did not happen to know where it was going.

What are the seven habits? You will have to read the book to find out, but many have said they are just common sense. On their own, yes, but put together in the one package, in the sequence they are in, and with the philosophy of principle-centredness to support them, they can produce the synergy which Covey celebrates.

Through its use of the habit as the unit of action, The 7 Habits gives readers the momentum to incorporate its teachings into daily life. We are given the means for changing the little, in order to transform the big.