It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be (Paperback)--by Paul Arden [2003 Edition] Paperback

This book (I use the word "book" liberally - this reads more like a ransom note) is odious. It reads like the fanatical platitudes of a priest of Capitalism. Maybe it has some value, if you buy into the American cultural notion that rich people are better than poor people, that your wealth reflects your worth. But regardless of your ideological leanings, this book has nothing to offer anyone with two brain cells to rub together. It is a cynical bit of trash that capitalizes on the genre of self help/wealth help without contributing anything to it. Also, there is a lot of borderline (perhaps outright) racist imagery used to make the author's point that rich, successful people are better and deserve better that poor people.

Sometimes you need to read a book that is short, sweet, and although it may seem simple... there is so much hidden meaning. This book is so cool and came to be at the right time in life. Yes, it's not long and it's got a lot of white space in the pages BUT a book should be about how it changes you, not how stressful it is on your eyes. Get this jewel and treasure it.

This book has a couple of good life quotes, and some short positive affirmations to either make yourself feel better or inspire you, but I’m not sure I would call it “The world’s bestselling book.” If you are looking for short-read material you may find in a restroom or lobby table of a doctor’s office, this would be the book for you. Otherwise, I would give this one a pass.

We know what we are getting when we pick up a Paul Arden book, it is going to be shorter than your normal book but packed with helpful quotes and stories. This one didn’t disappoint but I did feel some of it was a bit more rehashed content. I know there are some lower star reviews because you can find the quotes anywhere on the internet, true but the way Paul presents these in his form and delivery is key. Pick the book up and thumb to any page and you will get a bit of motivation. Good one but not his best though.

Book cover came really gross - like super dirty, sticky hands. I was able rise a Lysol wipe to clean it, thank god. I kept seeing this book come up everywhere, so I HAD to order it. Really, really quick read and perfect if you lived back in the 90’s, early 2000’s - not so much for today’s world.

Subpar at best ...

This book has an outstanding amount of information, perspectives, and common sense directed at helping you find your motivation, all within a ~120 page book that's easy to knock out in an afternoon! Absolutely worth every penny, and a book that is quick to get through, and pass along to your friends!

We are all in marketing and business of promotion...This author is a genius !!>>>most people can not figure him out...A simple read..yet How do you apply the knowledge and wisdom in today's world... Answer>>>> By realizing nothing has changed we still have call clients, buyers and sellers...The old fashioned basics of creative thinking still apply and always will...Its like....can you see the pony in the haystack ?....Can you understand..what his message is ?....I have read book over 11 times...and always ..get inspired..To look at things business a new way..best to you..gerald cunningham'..

The font size of letters are so big my review will be approximately equivalent of two pages in this book. I'm not sure what audience this book is aimed at because it talks a lot about creativity, business, advertisement and nonsense like this. It almost feels like the writer was writing from the top of his head and didn't bother to proofread his work, I found myself re-reading short sentences because apparently, we need to feel the writer and read his mind for what he tries to get across in this book. I finished the entire book in about 2 hours. I would've given one star to this book, however, I have learned one thing from it, therefore, it wasn't completely useless but still, I don't recommend it.

This book is a short one, at around 100 pages. But every page or two is a new chapter containing a new quote / paragraphs about different aspects of rating success. There are sections on business, work and many more. It is a good book to reference, when you are in a situation where you could utilise this book it can be seen as helpful. For example, if have just been given a new project to work on, you could open up the few chapters that are targeted towards gathering requirements, working in teams etc. to give you good advice towards the task you are about to undergo.Overall, it is a good book and it is a good gift to give to someone as a motivational read.

This book was recommended to me by the legend that is Casey Neistat, I think at least.I ordered the book because the title is exactly how I think about success and I'm pleased to say that it arrived earlier than expected. The book is smaller than the average book, it has a really nice sheen cover to it and the layout is very nice. The book itself is excellent, the layout inside is very different to a normal book and that's why it works for me, it's not page after page of text, but rather it;s laid out into short chapters that usually last the length of the two pages you're viewing at the time.It has different fonts, different images on each page and some pages are different colours. Overall, visually, the book is amazing to look at.I would say that this type of book is designed for the casual on-the-go readers, if you're ordering this book expecting a 600-page dissection of the world's most successful people, you should look at another book.I love it.

Paul Arden was a character of the advertising industry. As an executive creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi during its heyday, he was responsible for some iconic British advertising campaigns, including British Airways. Billed as `a pocket bible for the talented and timid to make the unthinkable thinkable and the impossible possible', this book was written for advertisers, designers and marketeers; but in reality the wisdom in the book is applicable to anyone who wants to succeed.Although the book is small (you could almost say unassuming), it's got plenty of tips. The book is organized into 8 sections, including the introduction and covers topics such as having ideas, solving problems, presenting, making a difference, and winning new business. The advice and ideas in the book are very widely known - there's nothing revolutionary here, and there is a lot of repetition, but it's not brainwashing; merely coming back to the main point the author wants to make (that you should be unconventional if you want to succeed). Tips are either a simple statement or a few paragraphs of text. You're not going to get any in-depth analysis or facts to back anything up. Everything in this book has come from the author's experiences in life.This is not one of those tedious self-help books that claim to make you rich, and it won't tell you the secrets of the world. But what it will do is to make you think about what you want from your life and/or career and provide tips that could possibly help you to attain your goals and succeed in your endeavors. It's an easy read - lots of big text and pictures. I went through it in less than an hour. The reason for three stars is because although I may re-read the book again if I feel I need a quick fix of 'how to succeed', it's not a classic and it's probably not a book I'm going to keep coming back to.If you know anyone who works in an advertising agency, this would make a great gift.

I started reading this book being a bit sceptic about the usefulness about the advice in this book (I read a lot of self development materials). Everything in here might be common sense and you may have heard it or dead about it before. But it's a good summary in a small format.It's very easy to read and the font is large even though the book is the size of a small notebook. The average reader would go through it in one or two hours.I would definitely recommend reading this and coming back to it over and over. It's nothing new but I did find it empowering and motivating. Once you are done reading it you get the feeling you have been putting off important stuff for too long and it's time to take action.