BOOK REVIEW

Title: Stories of Greatness

Author: Victor Oyefeso

Year of publication: 2014

No of Pages: 118

Publisher: VICVID Signature Publishers Ltd, Lagos.

Stories of Greatness by Victor Oyefeso, the founder of Global impacters’ Network; an organisation that provides a LIFT for personal, cooperate and government institutions. The book contents are from his life experience, and have also taken into accountability the stories, and testimonies of both Africans, and non-Africans great men, that should be noted in the history of mankind.

The book content deals with 7 parts that deals with important things those men that are aspiring to be great needs to put into consideration.

It is an inspiring book that dwells so much of its effectiveness on the relevance of an easily decoding way to its readers; in the first part of this book, the author make vividly undemanding effort to deal with ‘desire’ in a greater depth. Considering the English dictionary definition of ‘’Desire’’, it was also noted in the chapter, that Desire can also be referred to as {di-sa-ya}, which has a synonymous meaning to desire but was been said in Yoruba language.

The author is yet to see anyone, who doesn’t want to be great. In this approach he make inclusion of the greatest man ever lived before the New Testament, which is John the Baptist, despite the fact we were not told he has many cattle, houses, or servants. This implies that God’s definition of greatness is when you are where you want to be, doing what you are created to do.

As someone aspiring to be great in any social circle, there is need to always rename everything man encounter in the course of life. Almost a whole part of the book, make into being much important things that individuals need to rename, and also why to rename them is to see all sort of problems as challenges that can be overcome. At the beginning of year 2013 as noted by the author, there is an inspiration he had from his spirit to rename certain situations in his life. Because as then, he was having much challenges almost in all facet of his life, and in a short-while everything started turning out for good. Apparently in the course of renaming your problems as challenges to greater height, one must make effective utilization of the potent instrument, which is tongue.

The author welcomes 3 parts of the book that reveals secretes of greatness by bringing diverse of some prominent individual stories. Pastor E.A Adeboye appears to be a beneficiary of God’s plan to one’s commitment, that will eventually fruitful one and a testimony to others. Among others is also Bishop Oyedepo’s history that has exploits the word of faith through God’s vision, which he has given much desire for effective manifestation. Different lessons was been accustomed to these parts; for an aspirant of greatness, there is every need to be faithful in little things, because it might be the only requirement of your future uplifting. Also persistency is also inevitably discussed in this prospect, with the likes of Olusegun Obasanjo and Nelson Mandela, it should be learnt that great people don’t have any intention of giving up on huddles, because God has never given up on anyone.

From page 69-94, Stories of Greatness of America and Americans were immensely discussed. The most intriguing aspect of this book is that, one should be aware that one is not a failure until he stops trying; the richest American Billionaire John Rockefeller ever lived was once a potato seller, but with his persistency he live above his trials.

The most inspiring stories of all the stories in this book as renowned by the author, is that of Thomas Edison, which he referred to as a man with a great sense of mission. Thomas Edison was more responsible than anyone else for creating the modern world, and also tried to actualize notable things that could probably shape the physical/cultural makeup of present day civilization.

The part 6 of this book, make biblical reference as regard Hallmarks of Greatness. The author made an exemplary gesture of saying that there is no food with natural composition or ingredients, the ingredients are what he referred to as Hallmarks of Greatness.

This part include biblical event that has contributed to greatness, and can also be associated with human race. There was reflection on David facing Goliath, which 1Samuel 17 attested to. Of course, there was a sudden miraculous turn around that no one has expected; this is a result of the fate he had, and courage that we all need to emulate as aspirants of greatness.

To the concluding part of the book, the author made mention of two categories of people that one might actually encounter in all facet of life; they include the Story Tellers, and the Testifiers. The story tellers are usually known for complaints, and that is why they don’t leave a changed life.

The author further explained that people that are regarded as the testifiers are those that normally end up with a good story. Although it is not as if they don’t face challenges, but because they don’t leave anyone responsible for whatever they encounter, rather they make a strive effort to make necessary amendment. The Story-Changer (God) is more interested in the testifiers, compared to the story tellers, because they see problems as challenges.