Ultra-Solutions: How to Fail Most Successfully [Hardcover]

Paul Watzlawick (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Communication maven Watzlawick takes aim at muddled problem-solvers whose strategies only make matters worse. He warns readers to be wary of arguers who assume they know exactly what an adversary is thinking and to steer clear of utopian system-wreckers scornful of the small steps that make change possible. He targets zero-sum playersin the Pentagon and the corporate boardroommistakenly convinced that winning or losing are the only attainable outcomes. Other common pitfalls examined here by the author of The Situation Is Hopeless, But Not Serious are assuming that the opposite of bad must be good and asking rigid questions that demand either a "yes" or "no" answer. In this brief assemblage of fables and allegories, Watzlawick tends to pontificate, as when he diagnoses the numbing effects of television or the tensions between East and West. Macmillan Book Club selection.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Language Notes

Text: English, German (translation)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 118 pages
• Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc; 1st edition (January 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393025144
• ISBN-13: 978-0393025149
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 4.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,296,663 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun read., May 7, 2004

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Stephen Murrish (Metairie, LA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ultra-Solutions: How to Fail Most Successfully (Hardcover)

Paradox is always interesting. The myth of more is better informs this (American) culture so deeply that messages that this book delivers are very important.

Contrary to a previous reviewer, I found Watzlawick's style to be light and amusing. It does not read like an English paper, but rather a series of jokes, anecdotes, and explanations that I always found entertaining.

I'd put it right next to Waiting for Godot.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Humorous antipatterns, November 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Ultra-Solutions: How to Fail Most Successfully (Hardcover)

A very good humorous book about antipatterns of life. In opposite to the other books of P.W. it is written for the non-scientist. Unfortunately the translation might be not the best, thus if possible, read the German original

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting ideas, February 15, 2009

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T. Crum - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ultra-Solutions: How to Fail Most Successfully (Hardcover)

I bought this book because I had to do a paper on this author for my Psychology class. I learned a great deal from writing the paper and this book is by far my favorite one that I bought to do the paper. His ideas are interesting and humorous as well. I still remember certain parts of this book after having read it about 3 years ago so thats a plus. Sometimes in my conversations with others I bring up some of his points that really do make a lot of sense and are very enlightening. I really thought I would be bored reading a book such as this but it was not boring at all, I had a lot of fun doing this paper. Did I get a fabulous grade on the paper? No, but the fact that I learned a lot was enough of an advantage for me.