The following review was contributed by: PASCHAL EZE

Is success the preserve of college grads?

Success is a real attention grabber, not only as a human condition but also as a subject for discourse, and the reason is not unconnected with the fact that it is everybody's desire. Everybody wants to be successful in life, but not everybody thinks, speaks and acts towards success, which explains why some people are successful and others are not.

In Success Without A College Degree, John T. Murphy posits that success is within everybody's reach and provides enough buttressing evidence. Reading it reminded me of Peter J. Daniels, a rags-to-riches, and college degree-devoid multimillionaire whom I met in his native Australia in early 2003. Peter had a penury-stricken background, and his school teacher, Miss Phillips, had told him he would amount to nothing in life. Today, out of sheer confidence, vision, creativity, hard work, problem- solving forte and faith in God, he is ranked among the world's richest men and the late Dr Norman Vincent Peale had described him as the world's best speaker. Peter would tell you success is nobody's property. As he states in his bestselling book, Miss Phillips You Were Wrong, which advises its readers not to carry others' opinions as scars, ""There are no secrets.success is created, life is choice, not chance.""

Success Without A College Degree concurs, expressing faith in the ability of every human being to rise and be counted among the world's great achievers. The 288-page book really drives home the power of self-esteem and draws a clear line between perception and reality, head-knowledge and practical know-how in the sorting room of human accomplishments.

Written for those who are in despair and despondency because of lack of a college degree as well as those ""aimless and miserable"" college grads that need a jump-start in life, Success Without A College Degree challenges its target readers to recognize and apply their talents and to have the desire and ambition to make great achievements.

Though a college grad himself, the author demythologizes college degree, stressing that it is only one of the many roads to success but cautioning his readers in college not to abandon their studies. College degree, he points out, has broadened the horizon of many. It is imperative for some professions like Law, Medicine and Accountancy but the popular grab a college degree or be damned chorus is a sugar-coated lie because many have succeeded without it.

In my days in the high school, I had viewed success through the monist lens of a college degree. I had seen a college degree as a get or perish affair, and had gone all out to get it. Interestingly, much of what I do today owe little to my university education. In fact, those who have hired me in the last ten years did so because of what they believed I could do, not on the basis of what my credentials said I could do. I have worked as a daily newspaper and monthly business magazine editor-in-chief and as editor-at-large of a society magazine without my employers setting their eyes on my certificates. They never even asked for them! And that explains why the author argues that although degrees provide credentials, guts, talent and perseverance can make-up for lack of credentials and can take a degree holder where a degree alone cannot take him. In his words, ""Act like a blithering idiot and it won't matter where your degree is from. Act like an intelligent, creative and considerate individual and few people will care that you didn't have a degree.""

So, I can relate to what John is discussing in his well-structured, factual and enlightening book. That he touched on his personal experiences makes the book a matter of conviction, not just of conjecture as some authors do.

I believe many will find their feet by reading this book. Many will have the courage to discover where their fortunes lie and mine it with zeal. ===== Paschal Eze , Author/Preacher/Book Editor/Reviewer www.eze.ezc.info