The Power of Character: Lessons from the frontline

Book excerpt: In this personal, thought-provoking and timely book, Dr Andrew Reay offers a clarion call to parents, educators and business leaders who are seeking to unlock the true potential of our next generation - their character - and ensure they really do flourish as human beings. For too long, government initiatives have turned our schools into cost-centred and target-driven organisations. The Power of Character offers the tools by which we can buck the trends of this old, outdated system, introducing new ideas to the classroom and new structures to the schooling system that can revolutionise the way we prepare our children for their future: a mandate for Education 2.0. Distilling vast amounts of scientific information into engrossing narratives, Reay's Six Elements of Character are translated through the work of behavioural scientists in the fields of human motivation, decision making, optimism, grit and mind-set to show how a new wave of educators are using these tools of science to peel back the mysteries of our very character.At its heart, this book challenges the reader to evaluate how we raise and educate our children, how we run our schools, how we lead our businesses and how we construct our social networks for the betterment of themselves and everyone around them.