27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worth reading on the exploration of success principles!, September 19, 2006
This book has been written more than twenty years ago. The principal theme of the book is the exploration of success principles.
The only unusual aspect of this book is that it has been written by Edward de Bono, the man who introduced 'Lateral Thinking' to the world. Unlike most of his earlier books, about twenty of them prior to this particular one, which often put forward his thoughts, provocations, insights & suggestions for the betterment of human thinking, this one explores the valuable lessons that might be learned from some unusually successful people.
A ragtag group of successful people across diverse spheres of activity has been interviewed for his book. They include, to name a few: Malcolm Forbes, Herman Kahn (the man who created 'Thinking the Unthinkable'); Paul MacCready (the man who created the man-powered flying machine, Goassamer Albatross); Mark McCormack; Sir Clive Sinclair (the maverick multi-millionaire inventor); Jackie Stewart (former Grand Prix driver); Sting; Werner Erhard (what a surprise, as he has been a controversial figure from the human potential movement in the 70's); Rafer Johnson (Olympic decathlon medalist in the 60's);
At the end analysis, the author does not narrow down 'success' to a single definition. He more or less summarises 'success principles' as complex constellations of factors & characteristics. He leaves them to the reader to assemble in any way he/she wants. Nevertheless, in spite of the huge differences in styles & approaches, there do seem to be some strong underlying agreements on success principles;
- a positive attitude;
- knowing what you want to do;
- make the most of your own talent;
- energy, persistence, determination & singlemindedness seem important in all cases;
- there is always action i.e take a step & then the next step;
- a sense of integrity toward oneshelf & others;
- an expectation of success & the ability to think big;
- ability to set goals & targets, & also to have dreams;
- creativity & the ability to see things differently & to think new thoughts;
- both a seizing of opportunities & also a creation of opportunities;
- eagerness & enthusiasm & the willingness to make things happen;
Although he says that one should make the most of one's talent in the pursuit of success, he cautions one should not expect it to be enough by itself. He cautions further: Do not be trapped into one field by some talent for that field. This is very true in today's fast changing world.
There are a lot of interesting observations & insightful nuggets as the author weaves through the following key chapters:
- Styles & Characteristics of Success;
- What stimulates success?;
- How far is success within our control?;
- Focus;
- Thinking & Doing;
- Strategy;
- Decision Making;
- Opportunity Building & Seeking (my favourite chapter!);
- Risk;
- Strategy for People as Resources;
- Tactical play;
Each chapter is logged with a crisp & concise 'Tactics' summary.
As usual, de Bono loves to share his beautiful word graphs & line drawings to illustrate complex or even simple issues. They are really gems to help you in your (visual) thinking!
This book is definitely worth reading on the exploration of success principles!
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26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An unforgettable book... perfect for a gift to a colleague, August 20, 2000
Edward de Bono has contributed a lot to our understanding of the human thinking process. He has written prolifically, thus diluting the quality of his writing. Some of his books have been very good -- others have been forgettable. This one is unforgettable.
de Bono intereviewed 50 successful persons across the world, in different areas of human endeavor (sports, business, arts...). Basically this book is a compilation of those interviews -- but, oh, what a compilation! de Bono weaves in and out of the interviews, adding his insights, isolating strands of thought, and putting them together. The result is rewarding, refreshing and thought-provoking.
de Bono's conclusion? You can not become successful by copying others. Identify your own interests and strengths. Work on those. Enjoy your work. Life will reward you.
His unique word-graphs and line drawings add more oomph to an already powerful delivery.
I bought this book about 15 years ago - and started a small book-buying spree in the office. It was a paperback, so I had it bound in leather. I have returned to it again and again, whenever I got stuck in a groove or was up against a dead-end. Each time this book provoked me into a new insight and helped me (magically?) find a new way out...
If there is one book about work that you must read, let it be this one. And if there is a colleague you like, give it as a gift.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Success is a matter of how you define it., November 29, 1999
As with all of Dr de Bono's books this one is very thought provoking - in fact I have read it a number of times and each time am able to come away with another insight.
Success, Dr de Bono shows, has more than one interpretation but at the heart it is how you define it. The average middle-class father who raises his children in a stable and secure environment yet does not stand out amongst his peers can be viewed as much a success as Bill Gates is.
Dr de Bono analyses the source of success to try and establish if there are certain traits and/or pre-requisites for success. Fortunately he shows that there are not but rather that success is a combination of many factors that combine to open a window of opportunity to each of us, but if we hesitate or insulate ourselves from being open to this opportunity, then it will be forever lost.
A thoroughly enjoyable book that is written in a very readable style. I would recommend this as compulsary reading for anyone that is a teenager or older.
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