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.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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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:

1. The style of the book is easy going, making it a pretty easy read (something I’m always keen on!)
2. 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.

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

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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.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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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.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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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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Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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.

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

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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.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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There’s no doubt that the author knows her stuff. However, maybe because I wasn’t following along with the activities, I didn’t find it to be the inspiring book that I hoped. As I say, I wasn’t following along so maybe if I was I would have been drawn into it more, but I didn’t get much of a buzz from it.

Even though each chapter included practical steps to help you look at things differently or discover something about yourself, I did feel like it was a bit disjointed. It felt like 52 completely individual steps rather than working through a process that built up throughout. But, as I said, I may not be the best person to judge as I was just reading it.

Not a complete no-no but if I was to start a program of changing my life I can think of books that I would turn to more readily.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

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You know what it’s like when you go to a networking event and there are one or two there who seem to just breeze around the room, being greeted by loads of people they already know and talking to new people with ease? Wouldn’t you love to be just like that? I know I would, but instead I’m the one nervously standing in the door desperately looking around for a friendly face. Actually, I’m not as bad as I used to be, I’ve definitely got more confident but I would like to feel more comfortable with striking up a conversation with someone I’ve never met before.

One of my fears when it comes to networking is not knowing what to say when I meet someone for the first time. This book provides you with techniques for overcoming that – not just things to say, but the whole thing from how to enter a room and choose who to talk to, to how not to answer certain questions that might leave the other person at a loss as to how to respond. Great stuff! I can certainly see how I can do things differently. A lot of it is being more aware of how you are reacting to the situation.

I’ve got this one down as a book to dip into every now and then. I don’t think I’m going to be able to go out there and put all 92 tips into practice straight away, I’d never remember them all. So, I think the thing to do would be to try out one or two at a time and see how they help, gradually improving my networking and conversational skills.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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In theory this should have been just the book for me at the moment, with my goal to become more confident. There is undoubtedly a lot of good stuff in there and some techniques that I’ve read elsewhere and taken onboard.

However, for some reason I just couldn’t enjoy reading it. Over the last few years I’ve become much more open to ‘personal development’ but in my mind there is a distinction between personal development and self-help. I would say that this book definitely falls into the category of self-help. It put me off because it seemed to be for someone with very low self esteem who needed help in all aspects of their life, rather than for a reasonably confident businesswoman who needs a bit of help with confidence in certain situations (which is how I see myself). Maybe I need to open my mind a bit more and not cringe away from ‘self-help’.

If you really do feel that you have a self-esteem/confidence problem then you may well find this helps you, but if you’re looking for something to help you feel more confident at meeting new people when networking then I would look elsewhere.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

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