Review of How To Be Successful

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Kaivalya Khisti
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Review of How To Be Successful

Post by Kaivalya Khisti »

[Following is a volunteer review of "How To Be Successful" by M. Curtis McCoy.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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By the time he was 27 years old, Curtis McCoy was already successful. He owned companies in industries like medical, fashion, manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals. Everything changed when McCoy was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2010. He soon lost everything he had ever owned due to his failing memory. In the uncertain days that followed the unfortunate diagnosis, McCoy decided that he wanted to make a difference in as many lives as possible. He began contacting influential leaders he admired and started interviewing them. How to be successful: Think like a leader by M. Curtis McCoy is a compilation of inspiring interviews that would help readers in their journey to success.

The book is a short read. There are 8 interviews, including those of the author himself and his mother. The author asks a set of questions to each leader he interviews. I wished that the author had customized questions separately for each interviewee. Every successful person has something different and unique to offer, unique circumstances that have built them, and varied challenges that they had to overcome. Asking the same questions to everyone limited the opportunity to extract unique bits of wisdom from the interviewees.

I observed that the author interviewed mostly his close friends or associates. It could be because of this fact that almost all of them had similar thoughts about faith. They were all devout Christians and many of them said that they prayed and asked God for guidance before making important decisions. While I respect those who are religiously inclined, as an atheist, I could not relate to this bit. This was my least favourite part of the book, especially when the interviewees spoke extensively about their faith. It came across to me that the message being given was that one must be a devout Christian to be highly successful.

The thing I liked the most was the content between the interviews. The author offers tips on topics ranging from keeping a positive mindset, dressing smartly, using language carefully, providing good customer services, etc. These tips would be useful for readers just starting their business or those who want to up their game. The section discussing the use of profanity by successful leaders was especially interesting.

The book is well-edited. I came across only one minor grammatical error. True to his section on profanity, the author has bleeped out major profanity. Given my consideration of the religious content in the book, I rate it 3 out of 4 stars. I recommend the book to readers looking to start their business or up their game in the existing business. I do not recommend the book to non-religious readers who do not enjoy books pivoted on faith.

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How To Be Successful
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