Skip to main content

The Success Principles - Revisited

Since I last posted on this book I have been through it quite a few times (dipping in and out).

My overall impression is pretty much the same as it was initially. This is a very good collection of ideas, techniques and exercises. Most of the material I have seen before in various guises so nothing earth shattering in itself but the sort of book that I would keep on my shelf and take down to get ideas about how to handle situations or when I wanted to set goals, visions etc.

It's not a book that has set my heart on fire but a very good collection of stuff and probably an excellent introduction to these ideas for those who, sensibly (!), haven't read the amount of self-help material that I have.

Rating : 8/10

Comments

Matthew Cornell said…
I had much the same reaction - a nice mixture of good ideas, in a volume that's useful as a reference. Unlike David Allen or Covey, the book doesn't seem to present a framework that ties it all together. Still, it came into the category of "too long to read in one sitting, worth buying."

Keep sharing the books! I'm an avid self-help reader as well.
3:29 AM
Matthew Cornell said…
This is exactly as I view it - a nice collection of ideas, but no Big Thought connecting everything together. Good enough to pass the "Amazon test," though.
2:26 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Life is not a dress rehearsal

One of the biggest challenges in our lives, in my opinion, is how remind ourselves, every day, that this is the only life we get (or for those who believe in the afterlife or reincarnation - that this is the only life we get to our knowledge!). Most of us act as if our lives will go on forever and concentrate on what's in front of us which is mostly irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. The challenge as I see it is to remind ourselves daily that our lives will one day end and that we should make the most of them while we still can. It's that sense of true perspective which we miss on a daily basis. I'm toying with the idea of designing a coloured wristband (similar to Lance Armstrong's Live Strong wristbands) which might act as a daily reminder of our own mortality. Imagine the things you would do, imagine the fear you'd lose and imagine the love you'd show if you kept that thought ever present in your mind.
5 comments
Read more

The Four Hour Work Week Is Ruining My Life...

It's rare that a book nags away at me.  Most self help books are instantly forgettable when you put them back on the shelf. Having now read Tim Ferriss' "Four Hour Work Week" at least 4 times in total (that's not including all the dipping  into read throughs) I can safely say that it won't be going back on  my shelf for quite some time. I'm not going to review it because others have done it better than I would hope to (I'll add some links to reviews and stuff shortly) but I wanted to point out that you need this book.  Whoever you are and whatever you want from your life - you need this book. So if it's that good why is it ruining my life? Here's the first bunch of reasons: 1.  Most of the ideas Tim presents are simple yet pretty profound and I find myself thinking "Damn, why didn't I think of that before!" 2.  I am constantly looking at my own life and wondering how I can get from where I am to where I could be with a little help
8 comments
Read more

Buyers' Remorse

I buy a lot of self help books. I spend lunchtimes browsing the self-help section of Borders and I get a tingle when I see a new one that looks promising. I pick them up knowing how I should examine them; read the index, read about the author to establish their credentials, look for chapter headings and diagrams, read the back cover for testimonials. And sometimes that's exactly what I do. But sometimes the title or the promise ("Transform Your Life", "Find Your Purpose")creates such a positive emotion that I am going to buy it no matter what my examination reveals. Sometimes the emotional reaction leads to a good purchase. Mostly it doesn't and I end up reading the same tired self-help cliches for a few chapters before I throw it aside. And it's then that I get buyer's remorse a horrible feeling for someone who prides himself on making rational choices. I don't want to feel that emotion very often in the future but I suspect I will. Most
4 comments
Read more