Review of How To Be Successful
Posted: 27 Aug 2021, 01:02
[Following is a volunteer review of "How To Be Successful" by M. Curtis McCoy.]
Self-help books often fall into the trap of being glib and patronizing. In my personal experience, I often find them to fall short of providing holistic advice, or contribute further towards hindrance over help. However, How To Be Successful breaks my preconceptions of self-help books by having a healthy mix of anecdotes, interviews, as well as concise, well-articulated advice. The structure of the book contains a preface, then content that alternates between interviews of people that inspire the author, and tips on a range of topics such as maintaining friendships or taking pride in your appearance. M. Curtis McCoy, the author, is surprisingly candid about what successful entrepreneurship brings to the table, and talks about his personal struggle when he was dealing with medical issues and a brain cancer diagnosis. By having a diverse set of inputs, from musicians, Navy SEALS, to hustlers who find success after prison sentences, the advice provided in the chapters interspersed between the interviews have a sense of weight. However, even though it seems to stand above the usual glut of self-help books, some common pitfalls of the genre still come through.
My favorite aspect of How To Be Successful is the small snippets of advice that is provided in the book. Provided in clear lists, and being written in a friendly conversational tone, the lists are clear and easy to remember, with the bold headlines provided for each topic remaining memorable. For example, the chapter on building quality friendships has concise subsections about investing time, gaining trust, and more. These have stuck with me, and influence my behavior as a conscious choice.
However, I feel like the interviews with various personalities fall short of their potential. By following a set template of questions, I often felt like I was missing out on the unique experiences of each interviewee. However, even within this blinkered context, the answers provided are insightful and retain the unique personality of each individual, be it a US sniper or a Managing Partner at a business. But, by repeating questions like 'What keeps you up at night?' or 'What books have you read more than once?', I feel like it loses some of its overall charm.
Overall I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed reading through it, and found it to be a perfect length, not being too long-winded and giving each topic their due diligence. For anyone considering starting their own business or being an entrepreneur, this book is definitely worth your time. It also contains no profane content and is well-written, thus leading to a recommendation from me.
******
How To Be Successful
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Self-help books often fall into the trap of being glib and patronizing. In my personal experience, I often find them to fall short of providing holistic advice, or contribute further towards hindrance over help. However, How To Be Successful breaks my preconceptions of self-help books by having a healthy mix of anecdotes, interviews, as well as concise, well-articulated advice. The structure of the book contains a preface, then content that alternates between interviews of people that inspire the author, and tips on a range of topics such as maintaining friendships or taking pride in your appearance. M. Curtis McCoy, the author, is surprisingly candid about what successful entrepreneurship brings to the table, and talks about his personal struggle when he was dealing with medical issues and a brain cancer diagnosis. By having a diverse set of inputs, from musicians, Navy SEALS, to hustlers who find success after prison sentences, the advice provided in the chapters interspersed between the interviews have a sense of weight. However, even though it seems to stand above the usual glut of self-help books, some common pitfalls of the genre still come through.
My favorite aspect of How To Be Successful is the small snippets of advice that is provided in the book. Provided in clear lists, and being written in a friendly conversational tone, the lists are clear and easy to remember, with the bold headlines provided for each topic remaining memorable. For example, the chapter on building quality friendships has concise subsections about investing time, gaining trust, and more. These have stuck with me, and influence my behavior as a conscious choice.
However, I feel like the interviews with various personalities fall short of their potential. By following a set template of questions, I often felt like I was missing out on the unique experiences of each interviewee. However, even within this blinkered context, the answers provided are insightful and retain the unique personality of each individual, be it a US sniper or a Managing Partner at a business. But, by repeating questions like 'What keeps you up at night?' or 'What books have you read more than once?', I feel like it loses some of its overall charm.
Overall I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed reading through it, and found it to be a perfect length, not being too long-winded and giving each topic their due diligence. For anyone considering starting their own business or being an entrepreneur, this book is definitely worth your time. It also contains no profane content and is well-written, thus leading to a recommendation from me.
******
How To Be Successful
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon