If you are a deep material reader then you will really enjoy Rumi & Self Psychology (Psychology of Tranquility) and Sara's Therapy: A Way to Purity. These books are unique, easy to read, full of information, and just amazing; and you can not put them down.

I highly recommend these two extraordinary books. They are very helpful for deep seekers of life and psychology. 1) RUMI & SELF PSYCHOLOGY (PSYCHOLOGY OF TRANQUILTIY) 2) SARA'S THERAPY: THE WAY TO PURITY

To all of those readers who are incredibly unsatisfied with this book: LIGHTEN UP!!!! This book is what it is and to hold such high expectations to the point of letting it ruin your day is absolutely missing the point of the author's message. Paul Arden is simply providing his insight in small passages and if that approach works for the reader all is well but if it does not: "stop, drop and roll"! Simply put this is a great and easy read that accomplishes it's goal: to make us think!

I was very disappointed in this book after reading the multiple reviews of it on Amazon.
Arden advocates that "it's wrong to be right" and "it's right to be wrong", arguing that being right contradicts creativity since you're "not open to new ideas." I heartily disagree with his stance here because people that are searching for the "right" answer MUST be open to considering multiple points of view and opportunities in order to find the right answer; therefore the very idea that a person has come to a right conclusion presupposes that they are (or at least have been) open to new ideas.
When he talks about being wrong, he presents it as if it were a worthy goal to achieve. This section starts out with "Start being wrong and suddenly anything is possible". Pretty erroneous in my opinion, but then again he would probably consider that to be a compliment.
I am sure you could get some benefit out of this book if you tried hard enough, but it would take some concentrated effort as the whole 126 pages contains similar low-content nonsense (like, "You don't have to be creative to be creative"). I wouldn't recommend spending actual money on this book, let alone taking the minimal amount of time required to read it.

The author starts off with the following:

"Firstly you need to aim beyond what you are capable of.
You must develope a complete disregard for where your abilities end...
Nothing is impossible."

The author provides some tips for sales and advertising profession. But most of the tips are of vague and general sort (Don't be Afraid to Work with the Best, Accentuate the Positive, If you can't solve a problem you are playing by the rules, Getting Fired Can be a Positive Career Move).

This book, which contains at least one picture (or a drawing) per each page, allows one to think out of the box. I have found the visual approach to inspiration to be quite refreshing.

Yes, the book is short. It probably contains less than 3000 words. But, somehow, I came away more satified and motiviated by its message than its wordier counterparts.

As a pro trader who read a lot of books on creativity, self improvement and contrarian thinking/trading, I found the author's ideas familiar, but not his interesting presentation through extensive and interesting use of graphs, pictures and page designs. I dare not recommend it to any serious self help book reader or creative professional. Nevertheless, it's a good choice for a 30 minute leisure reading.

p.s. Below please find some of my favorite passages for your reference.

Do not seek praise. Seek criticism. If, instead of seeking approval, you ask, "What's wrong with it? How can I make it better?", you are more likely to get a truthful, critical answer. pg 26

If you cant solve a problem, it's because you're playing by the rules. pg 49

There is nothing that is more certain sign of insanity than to do the same thing over and over and expect the results to be different. Einstein pg 51

Fail. Fail again. Fail better. - Samuel Beckett pg 53

It is very difficult for him to imagine anything else if what you show him has such detail. Show the client a scribble. Explain it to him, talk him through, let him use his imagination. Get him involved. pg 81

Different strokes for different folks. pg 82

All these lines (slogans) won the business because all of them made the chairman and staff proud to represent the company they worked for. pg 107

The first thing to decide before you walk into any negotiation is what to do if the other fellow says no. Ernest Bevin
Those who lack courage will always find a philosophy to justify it. Albert Camus
Some people take no mental exercise apart from jumping to conclusions. Harold Acton
What the mind can conceive, the mind can achieve. Clement Stone
We dont see things as they are. We see them as we are. Anais Nin
Going to church doesnt make you a christian anymore than going to a garage makes you a mechanic. Laurence J Peter pg 122-3

Typographically interesting, but corny graphics. Just when I started to think "oh, this is interesting, what gem will he have to say on this?" he pulled the rug out and moved on to a completely different thought on the next page. I am not happy this man got my money, but commend him on the cover advertising that tricked me into thinking this was worth reading.

This was a book that I stumbled upon quite by accident. I was looking for The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) when I found this. I flipped throught the pages and immediately bought it. I have read it cover to cover several time (Truly, something that can be accomplished in a matter of hours). It is a book, to my mind, more like the Dao De Jing in that it doesn't tell a story, but gives you a way to live a better (work) life. It also reminds me of Ready for Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Work and Life in that that book is very "Dao" like. If you work with or around creative people, I have to highly recommend this book.

For starters, this book is short. I read the entire thing on my 40-minute train ride home from work. I like that. Long books leave me weary and reading hastily toward the end.

The core of the message behind this book is simply: Be ambitious. Success is significantly more a product of ambition than it is of skill, or talent, or even luck.

Arden instructs the reader to choose the level of success they desire, and then to do everything in their power to reach that goal, even if the goal seems unreasonable at first.

The advice is simple and memorable, and more importantly, it's good. Even though he obviously writes from the background of an advertiser, the majority of the things he says are universal.

This is a book that I will read again and again.

Perhaps most useful if you're dumb, silly & blind and a fresh-faced intern
in the marketing/PR biz.

The randomness of this collection made me wonder if he wrote it over the
course of two weeks worth of company wash room visits in a particularly
constipated period of his life... In the end, the joke was on me.
Waste of money. Someone pass the soap plz...

In case you're wondering, the title of this review references the rather
insulting example of how to 'accentuate the positive'. That was really
the best example this creative gOD could come up with? Wow!

This is the advertising bible. My blog has more specifics and will continue to feature more about the book, how it is utilized (at least from my planning perspective) and why it's just brilliant. I highly recommend. It's the no duhs that are sometimes the biggest a-has.

http://www.noduhbigaha.blogspot.com/

This is a highly creative book about becoming more creative. It is filled with provoking thoughts and exercises. I recommend this book very much to anyone seeking to expand, enrich, widen their personal creativity. It could easily be a supplementary textbook for many courses in high school and college.

It takes a really short time to read. Very easy and straight to the point. Will; keep it around to remind myself of how I'm going to become rich and famous:)

I love that most reviewers give this book either five stars or just one. That fits with the book's philosophy; Arden urges readers to take risks and produce works that some people will love and others will hate.

"It's not how good you are..." is small and short but brilliantly crafted. The ideas inside are simple but inspiring. Its insights apply to advertising and to life in general.

I love this book not just for what it says, but how it says it it.

I even love the way the paper smells.

This is a very concise book aimed at motivating designers. Very entertaining throughout. Well written and easy to read.

There are hundreds of books on business writen by corporate executives that are based on an idea or two that worked for them in their career. It takes the author a couple hundred pages to explain the concept and satisfy the publisher. A complete waste of paper. Paul Arden writes books that are easy to read, easy to use and make sense.

Gordon
NYC

I bought this book expecting to learn something. Instead, its a random collection of thoughts which just about anyone who had been in business for a few years could write.

Most distressing to me of all is most of the book is about how to be successful in advertising and this is not stated on the cover or back. The book didn't really inspire me, and the content seemed pretty disconnected from the actual content itself.

Not recommended to buy at all.

This book was recommended to me by a co-worker on the fast track. He loved it, and so did I. It makes you think and at the end, it makes you want to start over and read it again. I already recommended it to a friend who bought it for two other friends. For the money, it's a worthy investment!

This book was recommended to me by a co-worker on the fast track. He loved it, and so did I. It makes you think and at the end, it makes you want to start over and read it again. I already recommended it to a friend who bought it for two other friends. For the money, it's a worthy investment!

It's not really a book... it's a collcetion of words on thick paper. It'll take you one hour to plow through it!

That being said.. it is great for inspiration. I read it before I was writing a huge paper on semiotics (nay!) and I wan't happy with the outcome of the paper. The book gave me great comfort with it's fun and different look upon "failure"!!

I liked the story about Victoria Beckham as well. And the format!

It will take perhaps an hour. I read it about 6 times a year as a reminder of what to do and equally important, what NOT to do. Take control of your success in today's business world.

The title tells it all. It's not How Good You Are, Its How Good You Want to Be. Inspiration is very hard to get these days, I think it is a great motivational book for anyone who wants to be great. To some, the book may seem short and without much to say. I would say read deeper and you will see that wisdom is not in long words, it is in the right ones!

I would recommend this book especially to young creatives and to those who got lost along the way. It is a great and easy read in which you will come back again and again for the words to sink deeper. As a very wise man said, motivation is motive in action. If your motive is greatness, you should act on it!

I wouldn't buy a Phaidon book expecting some merely inspirational reading. This book is targetet on creative people and it is so beautifully edited that it is worth the price even if your not willing to read it - and reading it should take a day at most as the ideas are objectively presented and there is not much bla bla bla left.

for sure you'll have a pleasant time reading it.

This is a novel and energetic book to have handy. It helps you look at your issues in different ways. It is also a good 'brain storm buddy' to find your way out of a mental jam. And the creative ways it gets its points across are just a delight.

Author of
THE TRUTH
ABOUT CAFFEINE

I am a mid-level director at a medium-sized entertainment company. I felt like this book was absolutely spot-on as to the challenges and issues that creative-types, at all levels, face.

If you are an admin/business/logical/finance/sales/boring/ -side laborer, this book will definitely NOT be for you. But if you work in a creative industry, or even consider yourself a creative-solution producer in a more conventional industry, this little, short book is fabulous.

And yes, I guess it is a little difficult to tell FROM THE COVER what the author's perspective will be. But I think that is what side & back jacket covers are for. And descriptions. Or, maybe even popping the book open for a little read. Weird, huh? (And by the way, it amazes me that some people are so small that they feel the need to drop a one star review, with absolutely no insight, on a book that they didn't even buy, but read for FREE at the store. I'm just sayin')

The divide in ratings for this book are more dynamic than almost any other that I've seen on Amazon. Notice all of the 4's & 5's right next to the 1's? I really think it kind of boils down to this: if you truly are creative, I think you will understand & appreciate this book, and if not, then you'll likely wind up wishing you had looked elsewhere. And that's okay, just know that you may not be as creative, or even open-minded, as you think. In fact, you are probably on the other side of the table (IE - the client) in the scenarios that Arden describes, driving someone like me (IE - the creative) absolutely insane with your vapid, inane ideas and executions.

But I still love you.

This book provides quick blips of info/motivation on a number of topics, including idea-creation, dealing with clients, and motivating your employees (as well as the rest of your company).

I discovered this read at just the right time, and am thankful for that discovery. Some of it may be 'common sense' (as one reviewer put it), and it probably won't change your whole world. But I believe that most good books of this type should create incremental shifts in thinking & perspective. If it shot your outlook off into a crazy spin, the effectiveness of it may end up a bit limited. I am always looking for those fine-tuning points on my personal perspective and outlook, and this read is full of bunches 'o little ones.

A short read (~40 min for me, and I was trying to soak it up), but easily worth the price of admission.

This book is simple and by far one of the best layouts I have seen in a book. If you are a creative or lean towards being a creative it will be a fun book and have useful ideas. I loved the narrative and the use of images.

If you are an avid "business motivation book reader" and wear a suit or blue shirt and khakis to work ninety percent of the time you will likely think its not worth the money.

The back cover clearly states that the book is "a concise guide.."

Makes a great gift for creative friends.

This is probably one of the best books in terms of style and ease of language used. I read the entire book in less than 2 hours, but I do not think it added any value.

The whole book is just re-iteration of common sense and it will not tell you anything you do not already know. It simply brings it all in a few pages written in simple plain English.

If you need some inspiration, get this book. If you need to learn something new, then don't because it can not offer you that.

Arden's succint read is a great book for stating the obvious things we all seem to forget! I found this little ditty on a browse of my local bookstore and was so charmed by it, I had to take it home.

Although it is more in step with those in the ad business, I think it is worthwhile for the rest of us as well.

Good book, easy to read. I finished this book in less than 2 hours. The other reviewers are exactly right, this book is targeted to advertising workers. Good, but not great.

If you're looking for quick hits on the creative process -- and/or advertising and brand communication techniques -- Arden has it down. His book (and the one by James Webb Young) greatly inspired the format for my two books -- "IdeaSpotting" and "Zing!" I prefer the out-in-the-open style of fast, punchy information versus nuggets buried in 500 pages of narrative -- especially since most creative folks tend to have rather short attention spans!

I picked it up because the title grabbed me but when I looked inside the pictures did too! Author Paul Arden has put together a highly illustrated book which integrates the words almost seemlessly with the images.

Definitely a book written with an advertising edge for anyone who is working in any field where creativity is needed (and that's in every job in any part of the world). Because it's small you can pick it up and drive through a few pages without any difficulty. Text is large enough to be read by anyone making it very easy on the eyes.

What is really moving is that the concepts are easy to grasp making it simple to apply the ideas Paul has shared. You'll appreciate this aspect if you're a busy person with hardly no time to read. And if you've read any of my other reviews you know how important and mind growing a book has to be for me to read. So yes, this book has all the right pieces in the construct for you to achieve great mental development and a few laughs along the way. You'll enjoy it if you like books with an upbeat and insightful nature.

Your Servant, Deremiah, *CPE

I knew I had to buy the book when I looked through it at the store. It's pretty and designed well. It's dimensions are pleasing, and the size perfect for one sitting. Since Arden has experience in the advertising industry, he knows how to keep my attention. And that means it's not some how-to book with lots of text. The book is meant to stimulate you, not cram you full of advice. So, it's not "fluff."

Though my copy was taken from me, I still remember many parts of the book and plan to buy another. This book is indeed for everyone, not just those in advertising. Arden merely uses his own experience in his field to make a universal point.

This is like a snapshot of the ad industry that is enlightening to outsiders and humorous (and relevant) to insiders. Paul Arden is an industry legend and this mini-book reads like a memoir the author's been writing on napkins and scrap paper for the last 30 years. There's a little bit of everything in here: jokes, observations, actual guidance, tips, lessons learned. As with the ad industry itself - which typically functions as a sarcastic, slightly macabre mirror of reality - take in this work with a sense of humor and an eye out for the real message. There's some good stuff in here.

Before you get confused by the "World's best selling book" tagline, read the title of the book again. "It's not how good you are, it's how good you want to be." Obviously, Arden aspires to have this be the world's best selling book.

All of the advice in this book comes out of Arden's experience in the advertising industry, but it has value for everyone doing work in creative fields. (And as many have said, business as a whole is a creative pursuit.) Even the advice that seems to be advertising-centric has wider relevance, if you open your mind a bit.

There's a lot of very good advice in this book, presented in a very easy to digest format. I come back to this book again and again whenever I need a pep talk, and every time it works. How are being unafraid of failure, having ambition, and being open to new ideas not relevant to your life?

The bold typeface and tongue-in-cheek title caught my eye when I was in a bookstore, and my curiosity was piqued. I've had this book for over a year, and it's traveled all over with me. This book is meant to jumpstart your creativity by getting you to think outside of the box, no matter your field. Even though I've no footing in the world of advertising, I still find Paul Arden's ideas creative, irrelevant enough so that they just might work, and witty at the same time. Honestly, I think the fact that his thoughts are set within the world of advertising help in and of themselves; there is already that existing context by which one can compare his or her own personal situation. Furthermore, I enjoyed the British humor embibed within: self-deprecating and fun, but also serious. The images are what sold me; they really drive home the point he's trying to make in each of the sections. I've browsed many inspirational-type books before, and among the things that have always irritated me (as a potential reader) have been their general vagueness and their superfluous religious references (and this is secular literature!). This book has inspired me to be more assertive with my thoughts and actions, and to consider the positive in every situation.

I read the whole book while standing at the shelf in a bookshop. Absolute fluff. Don't waste your time or money.

It's a book about life for anyone, if you get it. I was going to go to the book store and read it, but after reading the first few pages, I bought it so my wife and kids can read it as well.

This isn't a book, but a collection of vague ideas, in huge font, aimed towards those in the advertising/marketing field. Of course, this isn't evident from the blurb or the title, misleading one into thinking that it is a motivational book for all.

The ideas are few, haphazardly linked, and the message simple and obvious. You may find use in this if you are in the above line of work, but even then, I think there are much better books on the subject than this.

I have no knowledge of the advertising business and no interest in learning how to get ahead in that world. You wouldn't know from the book's cover that the author's experience and advice are narrowly limited to that field. As an outsider, I could not understand some of the terminology and concepts. That is in part because of the industry niche, and also because of the British vocabulary (Persil Automatic?).

There's certainly value in motivational books like this, to get you all fired up when you need inspiration. It's just that this one will only be helpful to those in advertising, and specifically folks who work in small ad agencies and understand that language and culture. Outside of that narrow culture, many of the recommendations would prove disastrous indeed to one's career.

"The world's best-selling book" (the tongue-in-cheek subtitle), is a great little collection of ideas, suggestions and practical advice from a man responsible for many successful British advertising campaigns over the last 25 years. Although there is a practical bias towards the business world of advertising and media, this book is likely to appeal to any individual who is interested in creativity and thinking for themselves. It is beautifully designed and very entertaining.

In the first few pages, Paul Arden encourages you to set your goals high and aim beyond what you believe you are capable of. Then there are "The Fundamentals" such as "Do not seek praise. Seek criticism", "Give away everything you know, and more will come back to you", "Don't promise what you can't deliver". My favourite is "It's right to be wrong", where Arden points out how anything is possible when you're not trying to be right. The risk is greater, you are in the unknown, but "there's more chance of it being amazing".

A combination of "common sense", awareness, business advice, communication skills, positive thinking, a few presentation tricks and some quirky strokes of genius. Great stuff.