The Book For People Who Do Too Much [Hardcover]

Bradley Trevor Greive (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2004

New York Times best-selling author Bradley Trevor Greive, creator of the modern classic The Blue Day Book, is now a household name in more than 30 countries.

Hard work never killed anybody. This conviction built our great nation and made it the star-spangled superpower that it is. But Bradley Trevor Greive (BTG) wants us to know when enough's enough! Funny and perceptive, The Book for People Who Do Too Much reminds us that, in fact, hard work has killed a whole bunch of people. It has also caused premature aging, unsightly baldness, and explosive indigestion and is responsible for a lot of very questionable fashion statements.

Too many people drive themselves beyond reasonable limits to do more, have more, and be more. BTG points out that ironically, they actually end up with a lot less. "It's like climbing mountain after mountain and never taking the time to look at the view," he says.

With his trademark combination of engaging animal photos, gentle humor, and priceless insights, BTG urges us to have the courage to say No, and to learn to use this liberating two-letter word in a way that is amusing and empowering, but never offensive. Saying no can sound selfish, but by saving time to enjoy our lives and pursue our true passions, we'll ultimately have a lot more of ourselves to share with those who are most special to us.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

New York Times best-selling author Bradley Trevor Greive, author of the modern classic The Blue Day Book, is a household name in 35 countries. His seven prior books have won awards worldwide and sold more than 10 million copies. Born in Australia, Bradley spent most of his childhood living in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and Singapore. A graduate of Australia's Royal Military College, he served as a paratroop platoon commander before leaving the army to pursue more creative misadventures. Also an award-winning artist, cartoonist, poet, toy designer, screenwriter, inventor, and qualified cosmonaut, Bradley lives mostly in Sydney, Australia.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing; First Edition edition (April 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0740741837
• ISBN-13: 978-0740741838
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 6.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #60,970 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Health, Mind & Body > Self-Help > Time Management
  • #7 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Health, Mind & Body > Self-Help > Stress Management
  • #8 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Entertainment > Humor > Self-Help & Psychology

More About the Author

Since the debut of his international best-seller The Blue Day Book, Bradley Trevor Greive has become an international publishing sensation. A former Australian paratrooper, BTG left the army to pursue more creative misadventures. He has been bitten by wild monkeys and rabid bats and was accepted into the Russian cosmonaut program--though those incidents hopefully were unrelated. He spends most of his time in a tiny Tasmanian hamlet with his three very large dogs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Still a winning formula, December 14, 2004

By 

Robert C. Chesnavich (Pittsburgh, PA 15210) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Book For People Who Do Too Much (Hardcover)

At some point in reading Bradley Trevor Grieve's mini-sermons one can't help but get hit by a wave of "Why didn't I think of this?" The idea of taking a simple lecture on enjoying life for what it is and complimenting it with animal photographs that perfectly and often very humorously illustrate his point is so simple that it's genius. In "The Book For People Who Do Too Much" Grieve continues with this formula, and for the most part the results are successful.

Saying "for the most part" however separates this book from some of his classics. Grieve does stumble a bit here, and I think that might have to do with the subject matter. The concept of trying to do too much in a quickly complexifying society is something that is mostly unique to humans. Trying to find animal equivalents to this is difficult, and at times some of the attempts to link pictures and text seem a bit forced.

However the earnestness and thoughtfulness that Grieve always puts into his subject matter is no less on display here, and that easily overcomes such objections. In the introduction Grieve states that this book was born out of his own propensity for doing too much, and the book's story make it clear that he is speaking from experience. And despite the aforementioned misses Grieve includes a few howlers, though like most of his best pairings they are better seen than described.

So overall good, but not quite Grieve's best work, and so not the best starting point for those who are new to him. For those people I recommend "The Meaning Of Life". But for those who have other of his books and looking to get more this makes for a quality addition.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, June 29, 2010

By 

G. Young (Ohio) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Book For People Who Do Too Much (Hardcover)

I bought the Bradley Trevor Grieve books after reading one in a waiting room. I instantly loved it and the ideas it expressed. I bought them to read to my children (who love the pictures) but I also find myself reading them when ever I need a new outlook on my hectic life. Simple, yet thought provoking.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Pick-Me-Up, July 29, 2004

By 

K. Ong "kifo" (Singapore) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Book For People Who Do Too Much (Hardcover)

This is also another book of the same flavour from the same author. In that sense, there is really nothing new here, and the advices in the book can be found better expressed elsewhere. But Grieve sticks to his winning formula of attaching whimsical animal photos to his one-liners and the combination can only be charming.

I think the photos this time round are not up to the high standard in the Blue Day Book, but maybe I am just nitpicking.