Get the Job You Really Want
Quite frankly it’s an interesting read whether you’re looking for a new job or not. From the seeking employment point of view it was a trip down memory lane for me. Even though I’m not job hunting now it made me look back on when I did apply for jobs and I can honestly say that I wish I had a book like this when I was – it would have completely changed my approach for the better. So, if you’re looking for a job I highly recommend that you get yourself a copy of the book.
However, even if you’re not, there’s still a lot of interest in the book. There are quite a few mentions of Dragons’ Den and those, together with the overall attitude of the book, got me thinking as a business owner. The attitude James Caan puts across is that you should strive to be the best you can, and that certainly applies whether you’re working for someone else or for yourself. I found this very inspiring and it got me thinking again about my professional development.
And if that’s not enough to make you rush out and buy a copy (or just follow the Amazon link at the end of this review), I also found it interesting learning about James Caan himself – his experiences and his approach as an employer. The style of the book is very casual and as a result you almost feel like the author is talking directly to you, which makes it a very enjoyable read. I hope it really is James Caan’s voice … but if it isn’t please don’t disenchant me.
The book ticks one more box for me as well – at the end he includes a checklist which brings together all the advice in the book into a 30-step process. So that satisfies my list obsession.
Can I think of anything negative to say about the book? You know what, I don’t think I can. Brilliant!
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The Art and Science of Light Bulb Moments
The book is well structured and has an enjoyable style. Each chapter introduces a technique and gives you an excercise to complete, finishing with a recap of the main points. The result is an absolute joy to read and although I didn’t complete all the excercises along the way, I’m very much looking forward to working my way back through them.
The thing that most stands out for me is that the author made me believe that I really could generate that light bulb moment and made me feel excited about giving it a go. One of the things I look out for in a brilliant business book is inspiration and this one definitely offers that.
The techniques in the book very much draw on mind maps to help you tap into your creativity, which is something that interests me. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a very structured, list-loving person and so anything that can help me draw on my inner creativity is very welcome.
The only criticism I’d have for the book is that in some cases the directions for completing the exercises could be clearer – I found I had to read through a couple of times to fully grasp what I should do, but it’s worth taking the time to do so to get the most out of it.
In case I haven’t made it clear already, I’m a big fan of this book. It combined interesting theory with practical application, in a very easy-to-read style, resulting in a truly inspirational book.
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How to Win Any Argument
My main problem with the book is that it bombards you with anecdotes to the point that the I felt the message was lost. This meant that I found there was very little I could take away from it and ended up wondering what the point was.
Don’t get me wrong, examples are good. I remember reviewing a book a while ago that barely had any examples, and that was hard going. But … please, please, please don’t just give anecdote after anecdote and leave me to decipher the message myself. I never was any good at cryptic crosswords.
I like to balnace my book reviews with positive and negative. I’ve covered the negative, so let’s see what I can come up with for positive:
- The style of the book is easy going, making it a pretty easy read (something I’m always keen on!)
- The anecdotes are quite interesting, so if that’s something you feel you would enjoy then this could be the book for you
However, I’ll have to say that it’s not the book for me. Having read it I don’t feel that I’m any more equipt to win arguments.
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GRASP the Solution
Before I give my thoughts on the book itself, I would just like to say – what a beautifully put together book! It is clear that a lot of thought has been put into the presentation of the book and it really makes it a joy to read. It combines good quality white paper with a great use of colour and attractive images throughout. You can tell that it’s been produced by people who really understand how good use of colour and imagery can help fix the ideas in your mind. And the text is a comfortable size, which is something that is important to me.
Now, I am going to have to throw some negatives in here as well. I hate to say it but I did find this 290 page book a bit too long-winded. It took me far too long to read with the result that I don’t feel like I can fully implement the system without working through it again. In my opinion it spent too much time trying to convince you that the system works, to the point where I was thinking ‘yes, I believe you, now please tell me what to do!’. I would have been happier with a short introduction outlining the whys and then a succinct description of how to follow the system. Because the book is laid out so well I really feel like that shouldn’t be the case, but I think what it comes down to is that there is just too much of it. Maybe that makes me a lightweight, but I like my business books to be short and snappy with something that I can take away and use straight away – this really should have been the case with this book, but instead I find myself really wanting to implement the system but not having a clear idea of how to go about it.
However, that said, I do think that the system it outlines is brilliant. I keep using the word ‘system’ and that is what it is. I love the fact that it’s offering a systematic way of achieving creative thinking – some people might argue that systematic and creative don’t go together, but I think that it’s inspired to offer it in such a way. It definitely strikes a cord with me because I am a systematic person – I’m an obsessive list-writer and get stressed if things aren’t approached in an organised way. So, the idea that I can use a system to unleash my creativity (which I’m sure is lurking there somewhere) is incredibly appealing to me.
What it has brought home to me is that when trying to think up ways to move our business forward (which is something I do very regularly) I always come up with the same ideas, which in itself can be disheartening. But, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t the only ideas, it’s just that I haven’t tapped into my mind to bring out the creative alternatives. The GRASP the Solution system is absolutely ideal for this.
So, in conclusion, this is a book that I did like, but with some reservations. Do read it, but don’t expect it to be a quick read. I would suggest making notes as you go along so that you’ve got the important points to refer back to. I really should have done that myself so I could be implementing the system right now.
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Power of an Hour
But that’s my own interpretation before even reading the book. Power of an Hour is much more detailed than that – it’s all about using the power hour as a catalyst for change. The author takes you through various aspects of your life and business, with a view to you spending an initial hour on each and forming a plan for consistently moving in the right direction. Very inspiring.
I have to say that I haven’t methodically worked through the book yet – just had one quick read through. At the end I was very tempted to go straight back to the start and follow each hour. However, I’ve got a fear that if I do so I’ll come up with all sorts of ideas for improvement, with a detailed action plan for each, and end up with an even scarier to-do list than I’ve already got. What I don’t want to do is overcommit and end up not doing what I’d planned … yet again. Instead, I’m using the power hour concept to work through my current task and project list with a view to clearing the decks ready to throw myself into the process whole-heartedly.
If you are feeling like you need some help making improvements in your life and/or business then I would recommend reading this book (and perhaps even following it!). I’ve certainly taken quite a bit away from just one reading, even if I haven’t yet followed it to the letter.
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What’s Stopping You?
What an interesting book! And what a refreshing change to read a book that doesn’t say “follow these steps and it will change your life” but instead gives an overview of techniques from various sources.
The idea that Robert Kelsey puts forward is that self-help books are flawed because they offer a quick fix when there is no such thing as a quick fix. BUT that they are not worthless – the techniques they use can help you improve if used in the right way. What a refreshing concept and one that makes me thing that it’s ok that I haven’t turned into superwoman, despite all the self-help books I’ve read. There’s hope for me yet, but maybe setting a goal of becoming superwoman isn’t the right goal for me…
The premise of the book is that people are split between High AMs (achievement motivation) and High FFs (fear of failure). The author explains why he is a High FF and the book is aimed at other High FFs (because High AMs don’t need it). This is something that I struggle with as it means that I must have a high fear of failure – not sure that I’m willing to accept that label but let’s not dwell on that. Whether I want to put myself in that bracket or not, the book is extremely engaging and applicable to anyone who is interested in self-improvement.
What did I particularly like about this book?
- The personal detail – the author uses his own experiences to provide examples – it’s worth reading just for that
- The idea that no one self-help book will have all the answers (I can’t help it, I’m going to use the word ‘refreshing’ again)
- The intelligent commentary on self-help techniques – all with citations. What a comprehensive coverage. Some of the books cited I have read and some I now want to read (or read again)
What’s Stopping You? definitely provides food for thought. I haven’t put it down thinking “this is what I need to do to achieve my goals”, but it’s not as easy as that is it? However, I feel that with a more considered reading I will be able to form a solid plan. There is no doubt that this is a book I will come back to time and time again.
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How to Start a Business from Scratch – an insider’s guide
I’ve had my ups and downs with How to Start a Business from Scratch by Stewart Jacobs. I’ve had moments of “that’s a good point, must remember that” and moments of utter bewilderment. My verdict is that the book has definite value … but it could definitely do with work in certain areas.
Shall I start with the good stuff or the bad stuff? Let’s start with the negatives so that I can end on a positive note.
One of the things that I found astounding is that there are practically no examples used throughout the book. Lots of statements of fact but no scenarios to back them up. A simple example is that he mentions you should get a domain name but doesn’t give an example of what a domain name is. I say “practically none” because there are a couple of instances that I can think of where the author mentions a couple of example businesses. Examples, real life or otherwise, would have helped with my understanding of the points made and with engaging me with the content of the book. As it was the style was easy but unexciting.
One area which I felt was strong (which I’ll touch on below) was financial information – in this case some example calculations were given (yay for examples!) but the figures were given as percentages which I found difficult to get my head round. Some made-up figures would have been much easier to grasp I think.
To round up the negatives, I’d say the book is more theoretical than practical, and one of the things I particularly look for in a business book is practical application.
That being said it does (as I mentioned above) have value. The author gives an overview of all the areas you need to consider when setting up a business. It might not give you all the detail you need but it is a good overall guide. What’s more the author has the courage to cover the less exciting areas of setting up and running a business. Although one of my criticisms is that the book is unexciting, the flip side of this is that it isn’t afraid to mention the areas (such as cash flow forecasts) that are less sexy. This is something to look out for in other startup books I think – I do like a book that is inspirational but do some of them run the risk of sexing it up a bit too much and missing some important info?
In particular I was particularly keen on the coverage of financial management. I picked up on this because it’s an area that I need to do some more work on myself. When talking about finances for startups it’s easy to get caught up in the ins and outs of bookkeeping – important but what about monitoring your finances so that you know exactly where your business is at? That’s what this book does well – the advice is to use a bookkeeper for the day-to-day bookkeeping but to have a system in place to oversee and monitor the business finances. Some of the techniques mentioned are exactly what I’ve been looking for (and haven’t found recommended elsewhere in other general business books) so I’ll definitely be going back over them and seeing how I can adopt them … using real figures of course not just percentages.
How to Start a Business from Scratch is not an in depth guide to starting a business but it does cover a lot of ground. You may find yourself crying out for more detail to clarify what the author means in certain areas, but if you use the book as a guide to what you need to cover you can fill in the detail from elsewhere.
So, not a particularly inspiring book but one which is worth keeping on your shelf as a reference.
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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
A book like this should be a pleasure to read – you should be able to whizz through it and feel inspired to put it into practice. Unfortunately it’s having the opposite effect on me – I’m finding it too dense and have had to foce myself to pick it up each time. So, less than half way through I’m giving up.
I’m sure it must be me and not the book. I really do want to be a highly effective person but I suspect that there are ways of getting the message across that will suit me better. Might have to head back over to Michael Heppel, who I know applies some of Stephen Covey’s techniques – but in a more Emily-friendly way.
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In Praise of Slow
Whilst sorting through our books recently I came across it again and decided to give it another go. I have to admit I was slightly resistant to the concept at first – I’m running a business, so speed is important, right? But after a while I was completely hooked and the ideas really began to sink in.
So, what’s the book about? It’s all about the Slow movement – a movement to slow down on the basis that slower is better. It covers lots of angles – food, cities, exercise, medicine, sex, work, leisure and education. It’s an absolutely fascinating read, taking examples from all over the world to build up a picture of how many people are benefiting from a slower approach.
I am absolutely convinced that slowing down in my leisure time will benefit me. If I allow myself to take my time and not feel like I have to rush through everything in the evenings and at weekends, I should be a much more chilled out person able to take things in my stride and enjoying what I do more.
However, applying it to my work is another matter. I have a fear that if I slow down too much at work then that will have a negative affect on productivity. But, that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing I can take away from the book in terms of running a business – I don’t think I’m going to be taking catnaps at work but regular breaks to clear my mind will definitely be a good idea. It’s made me realise that I’m working flat out for most of the day, apart from a short pause for lunch. That can’t be good can it? In theory if I have regular breaks I should actually become more productive.
And, an important message from the book is that you don’t have to do absolutely everything slowly. There are occasions when speed is appropriate.
I highly recommend this book. It can help you slow down enough to think about how you do things and will definitely make you look at things differently.
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Web Design for ROI: Turning Browsers into Buyers and Prospects into Leads
Before I carry on I’ll just explain what ROI means (I’m sure you already know, but it doesn’t hurt to have a reminder). ROI stands for Return on Investment, which (quoting Wikipedia) is “the ratio of money gained or lost on an investment relative to the amount of money invested”. So this book is about making your website as effective as possible so that you make the best return on your investment in it. To use some more jargon, it’s all about improving your conversion rate – i.e. increasing the number of visitors to your site which take a desired action, whether that is buying something from your online shop, signing up for a newsletter or making an enquiry about your services.
This is a book that I’m going to come back to again and again. I’ve already picked up a lot from it and I’m sure that I’ll learn a bit more each time I read it. Can you tell that I enjoyed it? Seriously, it’s making me think very carefully about what makes a persuasive and successful website.
The book has a very informative and persuasive introduction to what ROI is all about in the context of a website, and the benefits of improving your site’s conversion rate over throwing more money at advertising. It then has a chapter for each of the important sections of a site:
- Landing Pages
- Home Pages
- Category Pages
- Detail Pages
- Forms
- Checkout Process
Finally, there is a chapter giving further resources (books and websites) for those who want to read more.
I thought this was an excellent book – I found the writing style very easy to get on with and feel inspired to put some of the concepts into practice.
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