Summary Of Mark Sanborn's The Fred Factor

Mark Sanborn fills the pages of his book, The Fred Factor, with tips and stories for becoming a “Fred” You may be wondering, what is a “Fred”? The concept of being a “Fred” is based off a real person, Sanborn’s very own postman. Though the original Fred was a real person, anyone can be a “Fred”. A “Fred” is merely someone who goes above and beyond to do nice things for other people and to be the best they can be at school, work, and in everyday life (Sanborn, 1982).
Sanborn gives great advice throughout the entire book, but one of my favorite tips is found in chapter five, a chapter about building successful relationships. In the chapter Sanborn states, “Remember that the quality of a relationship is related directly to the amount of time invested
Sanborn states that one quality of a “Fred” is knowing that we are all capable of reinventing ourselves each and every day, and that every day is a new day that gives us new opportunities to change ourselves for the better. Each day gives us the chance to grow ourselves and to grow our value. Growing gives us the chance to meet new people, built new relationships, learn new things, and advance in the areas in our life that we would like to advance in. By choosing to reinvent yourself, you will also cause what Sanborn calls, “the ripple effect”. The ripple effect is the effect that your growth as an individual has on other people. When people see you growing as a person, they will want to do the same (Sanborn, 1982).
Overall, The Fred Factor is a truly great book, one that I would personally recommend for everyone. It is a book that people of all ages can learn from. Not only did the book teach me how to better myself, but more importantly it has inspired me to want to grow and become more Fred like. Now thanks to Mark Sanborn I have the tools and mindset I need to be a