Reviewed By Susan Schenck

In this riveting true story, the author takes us back and forth from his cruel and painful childhood to his life as a successful corporate leader. Some say that people basically don’t change. But this incredibly inspiring true story—which really should be made into a movie!—will make you realize anything is possible. As a young man, Kip Kreiling was arrested three times before he was 10 and 11 times before age 14. He left home at the age of 13 and made a living by selling drugs, living with a stripper, and hanging out with the “bad” crowd.

I spent 20 years as a teacher in inner city schools, and even I found myself incredulous that any kid could be so…well, so bad! Yet Kip, who never even finished high school, went on to receive an MBA at Indiana University and become a hugely successful business leader.

When I got to the part where Kip totally transformed himself, I was astounded to discover that Kip was alone for several of the catalytic events in his life. There were no mentors, no teachers, no parents with him during these events. This is a real testimony to the power of the inner guidance and strength in each one of us, if we just chose to listen. Kip believes that there are powers (assistance) at our fingertips, if we chose to use those powers.

Kip lived in a neighborhood where if he didn’t get revenge, people would abuse him even more. Nonetheless, he learned to forgive and let go…with no one teaching him but his own inner voice! (Not that we shouldn’t take advantage of help from outside voices; in fact, one of Kip’s lessons is to accept assistance when it is available.)

Throughout this story we get a clear picture of the author’s life in the streets, and even some of his journeys abroad. (He travelled to 22 countries.) My favorite is when he describes life behind the Berlin wall, right before it went down. And when you come to chapter six, your jaw will drop when you discover the opportunity of a lifetime that Kip turns down…a decision based solely on his still inner voice. Who among us would have rejected this “lottery ticket” based on a mere hunch?

Throughout the book, we are given deep insights Kip learned along life’s way. He sprinkles in psychology experiments or lessons and anecdotes of historical figures (such as Ben Franklin and President Lincoln). One of the lessons I especially liked was about how a rat study showed that isolation leads to addiction. The rats which were alone got addicted to drugs, whereas if they had companions, they were drug free. So if you have an addiction, you must change your environment to a more supportive one. The transformation principle here is “By transforming your environment, you can transform who you are.”

Kip teaches us: “This may be one of the greatest paradoxes associated with human nature: we have an almost unlimited capacity to change, but we cannot take advantage of that capacity until we choose to… If my life is a testimony to any principle, it is a testimony to the true principle that people can change, and they can change in very profound ways, and those changes are almost always caused by a change in their ideas."

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Review featured on http://winningreadings.blogspot.com on Junuary 23, 2010

A few days ago I wrote about a book that disappeared on me before I could really read it. I applauded the author for taking on some tough issues (drugs, gangs, abuse, etc.), but I also was a little disappointed that we readers were being graphically dragged down into those issues.

Now, that was a "Christian"-labeled fiction book. The book I'm dealing with in this review addresses the same tough issues, but it's real. And it's uplifting. It's all about the ability to change; to be transformed. And this is not a religious book, though the author acknowledges the role of God in his transformation.

The Imposter? How a Juvenile Criminal Succeeded in Business and Life, written by Kip Kreiling, is his personal story. This 312-page paperback has a list price of $17.77 and is available on the author's site or at Amazon.com.

When I first read the description of the book, I smiled. The author had a lot to deliver!

From the slums of Georgia to the castles of Europe, be ENTERTAINED and INSPIRED at the same time.

LEARN the secret to Benjamin Franklin's success
DISCOVER how Abraham Lincoln turned enemies into friends
SEE the evidence that proves human beings are not primarily driven by instincts - that we can change
LEARN how Hernan Cortez launched one of the most successful military conquests in history and how that insight can help you
DISCOVER the real reason why the Iron Curtain fell
SEE why rats weaned themselves off of heroine - on their own!
FIND out how a hardened, modern-day Juvenile Criminal found lasting happiness.
And interestingly enough, he did cover all that ground...

Here's the general outline of the book: The author uses his own life story to illustrate eight principles to transformation. While it is a memoir, it is organized so that the reader could use this as a guide to life changes, and it includes historical figures and history in making its points.

Who is the author? Here's a bio, which is in a large way what the book is about:

A product of our broken urban society, Kip Kreiling was arrested 3 times before he was 10 years old and 11 times before he was 14. When Kip was only 13 years old, he was taken out of 2 schools, a shopping mall, and a bank in handcuffs. Because of his criminal activity, and the resulting chaos he brought into his life, Kip moved 34 times from the young age of 11 to the age of 26. On average, he moved every 5 months for 15 years, in and out of jails, group homes, and street shelters, while his mother and father moved less than 4 times each.

Today, Kip is a Fortune 15 executive who has had the opportunity to work with several of the world’s most respected companies including Ford Motor, Hewlett Packard, Vodafone, and the UnitedHealth Group. As of 2009, Kip has provided transformation and business leadership services for over 40 companies in more than 20 industries. Between his corporate, consulting, educational, and speaking engagements, Kip has had the opportunity to travel to nearly 200 cities in 21 countries on 4 continents. Kip earned his Bachelor of Science degree at Brigham Young University and his MBA at Indiana University.

Kip Kreiling is also the founder of the nonprofit foundation TransformationHelp.org. The foundation is focused on improving the human condition through personal and organizational transformation, with a focus on teaching transformation classes in prisons.

Most important to him, Kip has been happily married for almost 20 years and has five happy and healthy children. Kip Kreiling and his family live in Draper, Utah.

So what do I think of this book? Wow!

First of all, this book would be a great source of hope to anyone who has family members who have hit rock bottom as Kip describes. Reading his acknowledgements section makes one realize how, even when things seem hopeless and with no effect, you should never give up on someone. Contrary to sometimes-popular belief, people have been endowed with the ability to change.

Secondly, this book can help someone who desperately wants to make a change. While admittedly some of the transformation steps need to happen before a person will even want to pick up the book, this can certainly be a useful aid in the journey. And it doesn't have to be what one might consider a drastic change! I found a lot of relevance to my own weight management issues. It could apply to cutting down on TV watching, or taking a more active role in parenting, or many similar issues.

And finally, this book is a great resource for friends along the way.

As a Christian, I wouldn't have minded more emphasis on God's role in transformation. However, I'd say the religious undertones in the book, while satisfying the Christian's need to see God get credit, are subtle enough that a nonreligious person won't feel preached at. Well done.

And overall, very well done, Kip Kreiling! No imposter are you... While the past is certainly part of who you are, my opinion is you're the genuine thing. I would love to see this book get into many more hands...

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Book review featured on  www.blog.christyscreations.com on December 14, 2009

I’m not the type of person to read a self help book, but I honestly could not put The Imposter down! It was such a pleasant surprise. Perhaps it was because it didn’t seem like a self help book, simply Kip writing an honest account of the awfulness that was his youth, and sharing how he turned his life around. He wrote about addiction recovery, personal growth and faith, and it’s the most inspiring book I’ve read in a very long time!

Colby hardly ever reads, rarely even a magazine or newspaper, but one morning I’d left the book laying on our bed when I got up to get Logan’s sippy from the refrigerator, and when I returned to our room he was reading The Imposter. That in itself says the book must be good!

Usually, after reading a book, I do one of two things:

Book review featured on  http://simplybeingmommy.com on January 11, 2010

I’m not one for self-help books. I simply don’t get them and consider them a waste of time. When I was contacted to review Kip Kreiling’s book, The Imposter, I seriously did not want to do it. I was swamped with Christmas stuff and didn’t feel I had time to do it. After emailing back and forth with Kip I sensed his passion and decided to do the review and I’m so glad I did!

The Imposter is a transformation memoir of Kip’s life. He opens up about his troubled childhood and how he transformed his life and became a high-paid executive. I’m not a big reader but I finished the book in 4 nights of reading. Once I started reading, I just couldn’t seem to close the book. When I would wake up with the book still in my hand after dozing off, I would put the book on the nightstand and anxiously wait for the next night.

Kip was a victim of child abuse, violence, drug abuse, etc. By the time he was 14, he had been arrested more times than you could count on both hands. He dropped out of school, ran away from home, became a drug dealer and he struggled to fill the emptiness left in his life by doing things many of us never would even think of. As I was reading, I felt sorry for Kip. I tried to put myself in his situation. Would I have done things differently. I just kept thinking to myself how alone and empty he must have felt during this time in his life.

The book contains 8 principals to help guide you to a positive transformation. What I really liked about it is that its more than a self-help book. Kip opens up and tells about the worst times of his life. He leaves himself vulnerable and his honesty is truly eye opening. I can’t imagine how difficult it was for Kip to open up and share his life story.

It wasn’t easy for Kip, but he has turned his life around by using these 8 principles. He went from a teenage drug dealer who was in and out of the juvenile system to a high-paid executive in corporate America!

I highly recommend this book! According the the 5-star ratings on Amazon, I’m not the only one who thinks this book is a must read!

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Book review featured on www.babesandkidsreview.com on December 15, 2009

Transformation Memoir

I’m always looking for a good read to take with me to work. Sometimes it gets slow in the middle of the night and it’s nice to have a good book to dive into. The Imposter is A Transformation Memoir by Kip Kreiling. It’s the story of how he survived the unimaginable as a child and teen. He actually did more than survive though – he became an inspiration.

My Take on the Book

Throughout the book, Kip shares 8 principles of human transformation that will help inspire and uplift. They help you realize that your goals and aspirations can become a reality.

I admit I’ve read very few self help books in the past. I usually force myself to read them and get bored about halfway through. I do consider this a self help book simply because of how I felt when I was done reading it and the 8 principles that are outlined.
However, it’s so much more than that. The author combines the right amount of story, his story, and then some application and examples towards the end of each chapter. It has such an honest and vulnerable feel; for him to expose the worst times in his life and how he overcame them.

I also love that this book made me reflect on my own life. Sometimes I feel like I am generally very sheltered because quite honestly I had it very good growing up. I’m not saying my childhood or teen years were perfect, but I thrived in a loving home with great parents. Not everyone has that chance, and this was a real eye openener for me.
The author shares his story of addictions and horrific circumstances and really lets you in on what happened to him – how he felt, what he experienced. Then he gives you hope to overcome, because he did what most people would deem to be impossible in his circumstance, he overcame.

One phrase from The Imposter really struck me, and I wonder if it’s because I fail to take action at times in my life, which in turn could change me for the better. It states: “Victory is achieved by taking action and allowing that action to change us.” It made me analyze where I should be taking action in different areas of my life.

I honestly could go on and on about things that I loved in this book. I mentioned above that I have a hard time reading books that aren’t in story format. There were a few points when I felt like the book was slow and I might be losing interest. I always noticed at those points that the chapter was wrapped up by a profound principle and the author moved onto the next story.

This book has taught me that no matter what you’ve been through, no matter what your circumstances may have been or are, you CAN change.

I would definitely recommend this book to others that I know. It’s a pick me up, it’s self help, it can be life changing if you let it.

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Book review featured on www.themorrisbunchblog.com on December 21, 2009

To make a change, you must do more than want the change. You must desire it and make it an imperative. Once that change is an imperative, anyone can change their lives. I used to believe that no one can change. I have seen people want to change and acknowledge this “want” to change. But over time, they remained the same. Then I personally witnessed members of my family change their lives and their behaviors in a drastic way. They were addicted to drugs and would do anything to feed their habits no matter who they hurt. It was clear they wanted to change but did they have the desire?

Kip Kreiling was arrested three times before he was 10 and eleven times before he was 14. He moved in and out of jail, group homes and street shelters before he was 26 numerous times. In The Imposter, Kip shares his amazing transformation from a drug addicted criminal into a successful executive. Through his faith he transforms his life into a completely different person. Kip shows that even when you have hit rock bottom and facing nothing but doom, you can still hold onto hope. Whether it is a personal, professional or group transformation, you can succeed.

Watching my own family, I knew I wanted a different life. I also watched over and over seeing how people never change. I didn’t believe in drug addiction recovery or any sort of transformation. Then I was shocked to see my loved ones change their lives. It happened and it was amazing to watch. They are people that I can look up to now. They didn’t have a book to tell them how to change. They relied on family and the Bible. Their faith is amazingly strong and such an inspiration. This has led me to believe that with the right tools, anyone can change.

After reading The Imposter by Kip Kreiling, this has just made my beliefs more concrete. When Kip first told me his story, it was unbelievable. How can a person really go from a juvenile criminal to a Fortune 15 executive? Is it possible to change that drastically? This story was inspiring. It is a story that doesn’t just tell you that it is possible to change, it shows you. It isn’t just another self help book on how to transform your life in so many steps. It details a story of a young man’s personal transformation as well as snippets of others. Kip shows his personal growth in depths. He shows real life situations that he has lived through and witnessed to help others transform their own lives.

I am not much of a reader when it comes to books that tell a person how to change. I personally get bored with those kinds of books. I get lost. When I am looking to change my life, I want to read something that gives examples and gives me hope! Kip does that in The Imposter. In detail, he describes his drug addiction, his criminal behaviors, his addiction recovery and the situations that helped him change his life. He didn’t just change his life overnight and he did have set backs. But he knew that he could overcome them and that is exactly what he did! The steps that are in this book are not just for someone who is suffering from an addiction. They can be used in any necessary change that a person must take in their lives. I look forward to sharing this book with others and recommend it to all.

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Book review featured on www.mommyshangout.com on December 22, 2009

I have come across many great books in my lifetime that have allowed me to gain curiosity in a new subject, or were so interesting that I had to recommend it to everyone that I knew. There is also the case every once in awhile we come across a book that inspires us to make fundamental, and sometimes transformative changes in our own lives. The Imposter, By Kip Kreiling is one of those books. The Imposter is an inspirational and at times harrowing memoir of how a young man battled through a sobering childhood and adolescence which almost destroyed him, to rise to the top of corporate America. It is a survival story rooted in the fabric of what it means to be an American. At a time when many of us are dealing with the effects or an economic downturn, and our wills are being tested, this book serves as a persuasive reminder that no matter what we are going through at the current time we can pull through. It also helps keep things in perspective as we realize that there are many people who are going through worse situations then us.

This book isn’t a fluff piece filled with empty rhetoric and lofty dialogue that has no substance. It is a ground level journal on the personal struggles of a man written in visceral detail. He might be describing in detail the drug addiction he thought was going to kill him, his numerous run ins with the law, or in similar fashion explaining how the horrible trials and tribulations that he experienced earlier in his life actually prepared him for the rigors of corporate America and adulthood better than any classroom could have. The book is not labeled as a self help book but Kip outlines 8 principles I think we all can relate to when we are trying to fight through the problems we encounter. It does not matter if it is Drug Addiction, Depression, Thoughts of suicide, or run INS with the law, Kip has run the gamut and walked out of the fire with life changing principles that we all should apply. Today Kip is an executive leader for one of the most successful companies in the world., as well as an engaging public speaker, but with all of the great things he accomplishes in life, this book might be the most important because it transcends his own personal struggle and speaks to so many who are going through similar situations.

If you know someone this holiday season that is struggling with the situations that life has given them or is trying to make a fundamental change in their life, I would recommend this book as a gift that they will truly never forget. 

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Book review featured on www.goodgollymissblondie.com on December 22, 2009

I always hear people say, “People don’t change.” And we, as humans, are creatures of habit. But do you really think that people can’t change? Take a look at your own self for a moment. Are you really the same person you were ten years ago? I know I’m not. If you make the change an imperative, you can change. This book, The Imposter by Kip Kreiling, has taught me this among other things.

The Imposter is a transformation memoir. Kip Kreiling was arrested 3 times before the age of 10 and 11 times before he was 14. For 15 years, he moved 34 times in and out of jails, group homes, and street shelters. In The Imposter, Kip Kreiling shares his transformation from a drug addicted juvenile criminal to a Fortune 15 executive. He has also founded the nonprofit foundation Transformationhelp.org that focuses on improving personal and organizational transformation, with a focus on teaching transformation classes in prisons.

When I first picked up this book, I was really unsure of what to expect. But what I found was an inability to put it down. I was mesmerized by Kip’s honesty and openness about his life as a juvenile criminal. It intrigued me. I think the way the book is written is also what makes it so compelling. He starts the book off with where he is today….at the Minneapolis Club and he is questioning whether or not people think he really belongs there. He tells stories of his past and then relates each story to a transformation principle. There are a total of 8 principles of transformation in this book. This book gave me hope and the ability to know that I can change in personal growth and in business. I truly believe now that by making the change an imperative one, you can change.

I know so many people who could truly benefit from this book. I can honestly say that this book has affected me. I really want people to read this. I want people to understand how this book can help. I want people to believe in the power of change and transformation. If you know anyone who is clearly not reaching their full potential or who is being held back by barriers they have created in their own mind, give them this book. You can also read all the 5-star Amazon reviews this book has received on his website.