Ruyi's World of Books & Stories

  The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People , first published in 1989, is a business and  self-help  book written by  Stephen Covey .  Covey presents an approach to being  effective  in attaining  goals  by aligning oneself to what he calls "true north" principles based on a  character ethic  that he presents as universal and timeless. Covey defines effectiveness as the balance of obtaining desirable results with caring for that, which produces those results. He illustrates this by referring to the fable of  the  goose that laid the golden eggs . He further claims that effectiveness can be expressed in terms of the P/PC ratio, where  P  refers to getting desired results and  PC  is caring for that which produces the results. Covey's best-known book has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide since its first publication. The audio version became the first non-fiction audio-book in U.S. publishing histor...

He secured the door. I followed him to the sitting room where he sank into his favourite seat. “You can make yourself comfortable,” he pointed at the sofa. Without a word, I placed my bag on the sofa and slowly settled down. My eyes travelled round the room. The atmosphere was refreshing. No foul smell, he was organized. Attracted to the books carefully arranged on the shelf. I got up and walked there. I picked one of them and flipped through the pages. It did not look bad. I glanced at him, our eyes met. I said, “I like books. I read a lot.” He nodded almost a million times, and noted, “It’s good to read. What can I offer you?” I placed the book back on the shelf and returned to my seat. I turned to him and our eyes met again. I understand why he is staring at me. He was expecting my response. I sighed deeply and answered, “I am not overly choosy. Give me what you have!” “What if I offer myself?” I chuckled, “That will be asking for too much. Do you have soft drink?” “Sure.”...

By Omoruyi Uwuigiaren I quickly gathered everything into the bag. Rose to my feet and walked to the door. Everyone had gone home. I needed to complete the task so that I would not have to start with it the next day. I was glad that I finally completed it. I put out the light, secured the door and gently went down the stairs. I had nothing to lose and nothing to growl over. My handbag carefully hung on my sagged shoulder as I walked to the gate. The guards on the night shift knew I was still around. The old administrative building faced the gate. The walls of the building had turned yellow with age. And was begging for renovation. It was easy to see my office. As I approached the guards, one of them had thrown the gate open. Masking my frustration with a smile, I waved them goodbye and made the best use of my legs out of the premises. The gate slammed behind me. “Good night, Madam Lizzy!” the guard bellowed from the other side. “It is late. Be careful.” “Okay sir. Good night,” I r...

“It is UNESCO’s concern that the present and future generation should be enlightened on the issues, problems and consequence associated with slavery to enable them fully understand the present and prepare them for a better future in the world free from all types of enslavement, injustices, discrimination and prejudice.” Robert V. Daniels once said of History in the following words, “History is the memory of human group experience. If it is forgotten or ignored, we cease in that measure to be human. Without history we have no knowledge of which we are and how we came to be, like a victim of collective amnesia groping in the dark for identity.”   It is events recorded in history either tangible or intangible that have generated all the emotions, the value, the ideals that have made life meaningful, that have given humans something to live for, struggle over and die for. What is the fate of a people who forget their past? What future awaits a race that keeps its history in garbage hea...

Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka  ( Yoruba :  Akínwándé Olúwo̩lé Babátúndé S̩óyíinká ; born 13 July 1934), known as  Wole Soyinka  is a  Nigerian   playwright ,  poet  and  essayist . He was awarded the 1986  Nobel Prize in Literature , the first sub-Saharan African to be honoured in that category. Soyinka was born into a  Yoruba  family in  Abeokuta . In 1954, he attended  Government College in Ibadan , and subsequently  University College Ibadan  and the  University of Leeds  in England. After studying in  Nigeria  and the  UK , he worked with the  Royal Court Theatre  in London. He went on to write plays that were produced in both countries, in theatres and on radio. He took an active role in  Nigeria 's political history and its struggle for independence from  Great Britain . In 1965, he seized the Western Nigeria Broadcasting Service studio ...