David Niven (2)

I could not have chosen this book at a better time. I am aging not so gracefully, bummed out about the latest job fail, and wondering how I could bring more joy into my life. This book provided so many tips. Many I do. Others I had forgotten, and some I had never considered. I am in the process of making many life changes, and plan to incorporate as many of these secrets as possible. In fact, I read most of this book while waiting for an unexpected tire change. I was not happy, as I am show more between jobs, and this tire had been fixed several times already. But as I read this book online via my library's website through my Ipad and compliments of free wireless from NTB Tire, I felt myself relax, and really get into this book. When I finished, I felt differently, and realized that I could not control situations, but how I handled them. Plus, getting back into reading real books versus clips of fast food Internet information has felt really good. I plan to keep up the habit of reading books more often. This book is a good read, whether you are searching for ways to be happy, or just want to tweak the wonderful life you already have. Be warned; you will not want to put down the book before the end. show less

And that’s what this book is about: it’s not about the shark. Focusing on the problem never leads to a solution; it leads to obsession with the problem, worrying about the problem, desperate ways to blunt the problem or reroute the problem or circumvent the problem, but it never solves the problem.

Takeaways: “Thinking about problems first makes us seventeen times more likely to fail.” Fear of the problem is in us all. “Letting fear guide our lives...is safer...but only if you show more don’t actually want to accomplish anything.” We chase problems to make ourselves seem bigger. “We are twice as likely to stick to a challenge without an incentive.” More people do not produce better answers. Once we make a decision, our confidence in the validity of the decision soars. The first draft is the most obvious response to the problem; go past the first draft and you can see past the problem. Look away from the problem. Turn things upside down and see things no one else can see.

Fascinating read. show less

Cleverly written pseudo-scientific rehashed self help. The target audience is quite obviously people that still think that thinking outside the box is mind - blowing. While a couple of phrases resonate, the stories (aka case studies) are a mishmash that even the author sometimes struggles to pull together into coherent themes.
I admit that I was hoping for a much stronger scientific bent, not pop-self-help, when I was directed to this book.

Most of the stuff in here seems pretty obvious, but I think a lot of people lose focus on the things they find important. In my opinion, this book helps us reprioritize. Certainly a book that can be reread when you feel a lack of direction in your life.