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readingtoimprove's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
This book is packed with practical advice for living your life in the best way possible. I think this is a must read for anyone wanting to be more purposeful in their lives!
xzahn's review
2.0
1.75 / 5
Initially, I thought this was a load of bullshit. And even now I think it's mostly bullshit.
The keyword here is mostly. It didn't start very well but I was listening to the audio version and it is quite short I decided to go with it. And indeed... there are some useful insights but what I found the most useful were a few common sense rules that we tend to forget. I needed the reminder myself and that's the reason why I gave it 2 stars instead of 1.
This is the type of book that gave 'self-help' books a bad name. I mean... being positive, confident and ambitious certainly is beneficial for success and overall happiness. But the reason is a lot more practical and logical. And simply wanting something really really bad won't cut it unless you persistently work towards achieving it. And I don't see how believing in a cosmic energy that helps you and pushes you towards success will help you with that. Especially considering success almost always follows a long array of failures.
And the examples were comical. Especially the acted ones in the audio version. It's like they purposely made them so ridiculous. Far fetched, scripted and unconvincing. And I also felt a certain 'enjoy being capitalistic slave' vibe. I should enjoy the rat race as an office clerk... Uhm yeah, no thanks!
After all that criticism, I was still able to find something useful from this book. However, I believe it takes some familiarity with the genre to be able to separate the useful bits from the piles of bullshit. Hence I wouldn't recommend it for beginners who are just entering the 'self-help/psychology' genre. I would say that one has to read a few scientifically sound psychology books before digging into this one.
Initially, I thought this was a load of bullshit. And even now I think it's mostly bullshit.
The keyword here is mostly. It didn't start very well but I was listening to the audio version and it is quite short I decided to go with it. And indeed... there are some useful insights but what I found the most useful were a few common sense rules that we tend to forget. I needed the reminder myself and that's the reason why I gave it 2 stars instead of 1.
This is the type of book that gave 'self-help' books a bad name. I mean... being positive, confident and ambitious certainly is beneficial for success and overall happiness. But the reason is a lot more practical and logical. And simply wanting something really really bad won't cut it unless you persistently work towards achieving it. And I don't see how believing in a cosmic energy that helps you and pushes you towards success will help you with that. Especially considering success almost always follows a long array of failures.
And the examples were comical. Especially the acted ones in the audio version. It's like they purposely made them so ridiculous. Far fetched, scripted and unconvincing. And I also felt a certain 'enjoy being capitalistic slave' vibe. I should enjoy the rat race as an office clerk... Uhm yeah, no thanks!
After all that criticism, I was still able to find something useful from this book. However, I believe it takes some familiarity with the genre to be able to separate the useful bits from the piles of bullshit. Hence I wouldn't recommend it for beginners who are just entering the 'self-help/psychology' genre. I would say that one has to read a few scientifically sound psychology books before digging into this one.
missyglee's review against another edition
4.0
It's not rocket science. But it's so good to hear and remind yourself not to get stuck in the world of status quo and "excusitis".
seantordecillas's review
5.0
pretty good business book. i have it five stars bc i started using some of the tips in it and even though they’re simple, they work! i saw some overlap with “how to win friends and influence people” but it’s okay (:
vaishu2993's review against another edition
5.0
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve their lives and who plan on working towards that goal. There are a number of topics which are eye opening to me in a way that shows how our own thinking can limit the way we see the world and the opportunities in front of us. I am planning on reading some chapters repeatedly to remind myself i can be better and follow the actionable steps mentioned for each chapter. great read, great self help book.
jack_reid's review
4.0
Thinking big is hard. Most people won't create their own companies, chase their dreams, or live their desired life. And there's nothing wrong with theoutcomes. But, Schwartz argues, people will achieve more (happiness, personally, professionally, socially, etc.) if they push themselves to dream beyond the status quo. He was a Silicon Valley guru before Silicon Valley existed.
This book was the right place, the right time to read for me. I've pushed myself to think bigger in my relationships and personal life. But I've felt the need for a boost in my professional career. I've followed a well-trod track so far and have needed to think bigger for my career enjoyment.
Schwart's book is a call to action. He has excellent, if dated, examples of individuals following his recommendations to inspire big thinking. And his prose is readable and organized. I'm sure there's many other books like this out there. But Schwart's book helped me think bigger, and that's enough for me.
This book was the right place, the right time to read for me. I've pushed myself to think bigger in my relationships and personal life. But I've felt the need for a boost in my professional career. I've followed a well-trod track so far and have needed to think bigger for my career enjoyment.
Schwart's book is a call to action. He has excellent, if dated, examples of individuals following his recommendations to inspire big thinking. And his prose is readable and organized. I'm sure there's many other books like this out there. But Schwart's book helped me think bigger, and that's enough for me.
karang's review
4.0
Most people you see and interact with are average (even though they should be called medians). With just a little bit different attitude, and small changes to your persona, you can beat the "averages". And guess what, these differences don't take a long time to nurture.
That's what this book is about. How to be different. How to be powerful. How to be confident. How to FEEL different. There's some easy tips that you can practice every day - walking a little faster for example. These don't require any new skill, money or trainers.
Schwartz gives detailed accounts of others who made some changes, and the results they got. But just like most self-help books, most of these details are unnecessary. They are fillers. The book could be half as many pages with the same content value.
Good real in my opinion. Obviously all of the content is not applicable after 50 years (on Snapchat or Facebook), there's still a lot you can learn from it. It will broaden your perspective on life, and help you succeed.
That's what this book is about. How to be different. How to be powerful. How to be confident. How to FEEL different. There's some easy tips that you can practice every day - walking a little faster for example. These don't require any new skill, money or trainers.
Schwartz gives detailed accounts of others who made some changes, and the results they got. But just like most self-help books, most of these details are unnecessary. They are fillers. The book could be half as many pages with the same content value.
Good real in my opinion. Obviously all of the content is not applicable after 50 years (on Snapchat or Facebook), there's still a lot you can learn from it. It will broaden your perspective on life, and help you succeed.