Simply Brilliant: The Competative Advantage Of Common Sense (Hardcover)

~ Fergus O'Connell (Author)
Key Phrases: win conditions, strip board, dance card, Examples Example, Project Charlie, Project Dog (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Reviews of first edition Shortlisted in the business book category of WHSmith's Book Awards 2002. "For a change this guide tears down management as a complex science, reducing it to life saving basics. This book does a good job - it may just help to simplify your working life." Evening Standard, London "Simply Brilliant is brilliantly simple... offers salvation" Financial Times "This gem of a book is the perfect antidote to the endless tomes about how to leverage your core competencies and think "outside the box"...This is simple stuff, simply written. But don't underestimate Simply Brilliant's value" Amazon.co.uk official review

Product Description

Life is complicated enough. Yet many people go out of their way to create hoops to jump through, wrestling with tough problems and calling on the latest management fad to find that elusive solution to a problem. But it doesn't have to be that way. The best ideas aren't always complicated. The world is full of smart, experienced, skilled, brilliant people. However, many people -- even smart ones -- are lacking a set of essential skills that when pulled together can be termed "common sense". Simply Brilliant features a set of seven principles to make the bright better. Principles of common sense that can be adapted for attacking many of the problems that you encounter every day, be it in work or outside. And for this all new revised second edition, the bestselling Simply Brilliant delivers a whole new section on getting things done in the minimum amount of time. So that you can produce outstanding results without having to work all night. Sometimes the smart need the simple to be truly brilliant

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 171 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall Business Publishing; 2 edition (July 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0273694456
• ISBN-13: 978-0273694458
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,167,641 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The joy of common sense revisited, May 12, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Simply Brilliant: The Competitive Advantage of Common Sense (Paperback)

Sometimes you pick up a book and the timing is right for the messages or wisdom it contains. I recently read Simply Brilliant and did something I have never done before...I emailed the author to say why I found it useful. Key outputs for me were:
Renewed confidence that seeing things simply which I had always felt a bit apologetic for is ok...in fact it's much better than ok
A timely reminder that my sole career crisis ( to date!) came because I didn't ask myself and others enough questions and thus didn't plot or predict a key sequence of events (otherwise known as learning about change management the hard way)
And conversely that my career successes came because I did the opposite and was much more in control
Shown me in big letters the link between poor time management and being constantly reactive
The book is not a heavy treatise, it's a speedy, peppy read that has practical advice and is filled with 'Can do' attitude.
Change my life..well only I can do that. A useful tool in the process...absolutely!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Simply Brilliant - but this book isn't, October 31, 2003

By	Keith Appleyard "kapple999" (Brighton, UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Simply Brilliant: The Competitive Advantage of Common Sense (Paperback)

Was there ever a book whose title didn't reflect its contents & promise?
Yes you can read it in an hour or 2, enjoy doing the little quizzes with as much pleasure as doing the 'quick' crossword, and the book has just about as much staying power.
If you've never thought about Project/Time Management, then sure read this book once, and get some basic ideas, but it won't transform your life.
With chapter titles like "Know what it is you're trying to do" and "Things don't get done if people don't do them", it's all very simple.