Firstly, before I go through what I like about the book, I must mention something that the authors get very very wrong. The book is an American book which has been adapted for a UK audience. Adapted appallingly badly. I’m sorry guys, but changing $ to £ and check to cheque isn’t enough! Apart from just an overriding feeling that it was written for an American lifestyle, rather than British, the worst bit was the chapter on tax, which refers to April 15 right until the end when they suddenly seem to realise they’re supposed to be catering to a UK audience and remember to mention January 31. This clumsy editing makes it more obvious that the book was originally intended for an American audience. It would have worked a lot better for me if they hadn’t tried to pretend – I can handle the fact that a book is written in ‘American’ but still learn from it. What irritated me was that I had to work out whether something applied to the UK or not.

Right, now that I’ve got that off my chest, I still found it to be a very worthwhile read. I love the idea of getting more organised and this takes you through various aspects of your life with overall some pretty sound advice. The book is more geared towards personal use – personal finances, household matters etc., but it’s easy to pick out bits which you can apply to business. It starts with a section on time management (one of my all-time favourite subjects) and that can be universally applied.

This has inspired me to regain control over certain things which I think have slipped organisationally – the fact that I never carry a diary with me so I can’t make appointments when I’m out and about. I had intended to use the calendar on my phone for this, but it’s too fiddly to comfortably use. So I’m going to resurrect my personal organiser and make sure that I carry it around with me. But not in my bottomless pit of a handbag, which makes finding anything completely impossible. I’m going to take the advice of this book and find myself a new bag with compartments in it for different things so that I can easily lay my hands on what I need. Hmmm, sounds like an excuse for some shopping to me…

Overall, I’d definitely recommend the book for the good advice it contains, but maybe try to get hold of an American copy so that you don’t have to cringe at the terrible editing.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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So, I bought a copy of What You Need to Know About Project Management, and having just finished my first read-through I’m thinking I might have to get a couple of spare copies. You know, for when this one disintegrates from over-use. I’ve already had the spine go crunch on me when I flattened it out to type up one of the step-by-step processes, which I immediately applied to several of the projects I’m working on.

I’ve read a number of project management books over the last few years, and I don’t often find one that I feel was written for me. Most project management books seem to be aimed at managers of big projects – the ones that take months if not years to complete, have a large team working on them and have a budget of tens or hundreds of thousands. That’s definitely not me and I get a bit frustrated with the assumption that you only need help with project management if that’s the case. I tend to have a number of  projects on the go at any one time, and even though individually they’re very small, I still benefit from applying project management techniques to them. I found this book presents the information in such a way as to allow me to apply it to my own projects. And what’s more, it includes a section on running multiple projects, which had me jumping for joy – it’s all very well having a system for managing a single project, but if you’re juggling several this book also gives you pointers on that.

The style of the writing is very informal, making it very easy to understand. It doesn’t get bogged down with formal definitions of projects and over-complicated systems. Instead it sets out the facts in a very forthright manner so you know exactly what to do. And, after explaining each technique, includes a simple step-by-step so that you can apply it instantly.

This book has certainly made me think carefully about my approach to projects. I can see that I’m going to have to keep it close by me and refer to it again and again. If you are new to project management, or need a refresher, then pick up a copy – it will give you an excellent grounding and pointers to further reading if you’re so inclined.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Quite frankly it’s an interesting read whether you’re looking for a new job or not. From the seeking employment point of view it was a trip down memory lane for me. Even though I’m not job hunting now it made me look back on when I did apply for jobs and I can honestly say that I wish I had a book like this when I was – it would have completely changed my approach for the better. So, if you’re looking for a job I highly recommend that you get yourself a copy of the book.

However, even if you’re not, there’s still a lot of interest in the book. There are quite a few mentions of Dragons’ Den and those, together with the overall attitude of the book, got me thinking as a business owner. The attitude James Caan puts across is that you should strive to be the best you can, and that certainly applies whether you’re working for someone else or for yourself. I found this very inspiring and it got me thinking again about my professional development.

And if that’s not enough to make you rush out and buy a copy (or just follow the Amazon link at the end of this review), I also found it interesting learning about James Caan himself – his experiences and his approach as an employer. The style of the book is very casual and as a result you almost feel like the author is talking directly to you, which makes it a very enjoyable read. I hope it really is James Caan’s voice … but if it isn’t please don’t disenchant me.

The book ticks one more box for me as well – at the end he includes a checklist which brings together all the advice in the book into a 30-step process. So that satisfies my list obsession.

Can I think of anything negative to say about the book? You know what, I don’t think I can. Brilliant!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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The book is well structured and has an enjoyable style. Each chapter introduces a technique and gives you an excercise to complete, finishing with a recap of the main points. The result is an absolute joy to read and although I didn’t complete all the excercises along the way, I’m very much looking forward to working my way back through them.

The thing that most stands out for me is that the author made me believe that I really could generate that light bulb moment and made me feel excited about giving it a go. One of the things I look out for in a brilliant business book is inspiration and this one definitely offers that.

The techniques in the book very much draw on mind maps to help you tap into your creativity, which is something that interests me. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a very structured, list-loving person and so anything that can help me draw on my inner creativity is very welcome.

The only criticism I’d have for the book is that in some cases the directions for completing the exercises could be clearer – I found I had to read through a couple of times to fully grasp what I should do, but it’s worth taking the time to do so to get the most out of it.

In case I haven’t made it clear already, I’m a big fan of this book. It combined interesting theory with practical application, in a very easy-to-read style, resulting in a truly inspirational book.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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My main problem with the book is that it bombards you with anecdotes to the point that the I felt the message was lost. This meant that I found there was very little I could take away from it and ended up wondering what the point was.

Don’t get me wrong, examples are good. I remember reviewing a book a while ago that barely had any examples, and that was hard going. But … please, please, please don’t just give anecdote after anecdote and leave me to decipher the message myself. I never was any good at cryptic crosswords.

I like to balnace my book reviews with positive and negative. I’ve covered the negative, so let’s see what I can come up with for positive:

1. The style of the book is easy going, making it a pretty easy read (something I’m always keen on!)
2. The anecdotes are quite interesting, so if that’s something you feel you would enjoy then this could be the book for you

However, I’ll have to say that it’s not the book for me. Having read it I don’t feel that I’m any more equipt to win arguments.

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

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Before I give my thoughts on the book itself, I would just like to say – what a beautifully put together book! It is clear that a lot of thought has been put into the presentation of the book and it really makes it a joy to read. It combines good quality white paper with a great use of colour and attractive images throughout. You can tell that it’s been produced by people who really understand how good use of colour and imagery can help fix the ideas in your mind. And the text is a comfortable size, which is something that is important to me.

Now, I am going to have to throw some negatives in here as well. I hate to say it but I did find this 290 page book a bit too long-winded. It took me far too long to read with the result that I don’t feel like I can fully implement the system without working through it again. In my opinion it spent too much time trying to convince you that the system works, to the point where I was thinking ‘yes, I believe you, now please tell me what to do!’. I would have been happier with a short introduction outlining the whys and then a succinct description of how to follow the system. Because the book is laid out so well I really feel like that shouldn’t be the case, but I think what it comes down to is that there is just too much of it. Maybe that makes me a lightweight, but I like my business books to be short and snappy with something that I can take away and use straight away – this really should have been the case with this book, but instead I find myself really wanting to implement the system but not having a clear idea of how to go about it.

However, that said, I do think that the system it outlines is brilliant. I keep using the word ‘system’ and that is what it is. I love the fact that it’s offering a systematic way of achieving creative thinking – some people might argue that systematic and creative don’t go together, but I think that it’s inspired to offer it in such a way. It definitely strikes a cord with me because I am a systematic person – I’m an obsessive list-writer and get stressed if things aren’t approached in an organised way. So, the idea that I can use a system to unleash my creativity (which I’m sure is lurking there somewhere) is incredibly appealing to me.

What it has brought home to me is that when trying to think up ways to move our business forward (which is something I do very regularly) I always come up with the same ideas, which in itself can be disheartening. But, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t the only ideas, it’s just that I haven’t tapped into my mind to bring out the creative alternatives. The GRASP the Solution system is absolutely ideal for this.

So, in conclusion, this is a book that I did like, but with some reservations. Do read it, but don’t expect it to be a quick read. I would suggest making notes as you go along so that you’ve got the important points to refer back to. I really should have done that myself so I could be implementing the system right now.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Every now and then I try categorising my tasks as:

• Urgent & Important
• Urgent & Not Important
• Not Urgent But Important
• Not Urgent & Not Imporant

but end up with everything being ‘Urgent & Imporant’ or ‘Not Urgent But Important’. I guess everything seems important to me! Is that because I only do important things (probably not) or just that I have difficulty seeing anything as not important?

For example:

• making that update to a client’s website is obviously important and needs to be done as soon as possible (though isn’t necessarily urgent)
• however putting an invoice I’ve just paid through our bookkeeping software can wait indefinitely, but is still important – after all we need to keep our accounts up-to-date so we know where are financially

Both of those I would put in the ‘Not Urgent But Important’ box, but it’s clear which one needs to get done first. Problem is I end up with 50+ tasks in the ‘Not Urgent But Important’ box and then I start struggling with how categorising them in that way helps me. Oh dear, time for some time management angst…

Actually, the important thing is that I know what needs doing. I’ve got a system that I trust to record all my tasks, and, yes there’s a lot of them, but they’re not going to get forgotten. I just need to review the list regularly and make sure that the most important things get done first.

Think I need to find a different recording…

But that’s my own interpretation before even reading the book. Power of an Hour is much more detailed than that – it’s all about using the power hour as a catalyst for change. The author takes you through various aspects of your life and business, with a view to you spending an initial hour on each and forming a plan for consistently moving in the right direction. Very inspiring.

I have to say that I haven’t methodically worked through the book yet – just had one quick read through. At the end I was very tempted to go straight back to the start and follow each hour. However, I’ve got a fear that if I do so I’ll come up with all sorts of ideas for improvement, with a detailed action plan for each, and end up with an even scarier to-do list than I’ve already got. What I don’t want to do is overcommit and end up not doing what I’d planned … yet again. Instead, I’m using the power hour concept to work through my current task and project list with a view to clearing the decks ready to throw myself into the process whole-heartedly.

If you are feeling like you need some help making improvements in your life and/or business then I would recommend reading this book (and perhaps even following it!). I’ve certainly taken quite a bit away from just one reading, even if I haven’t yet followed it to the letter.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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The idea that Robert Kelsey puts forward is that self-help books are flawed because they offer a quick fix when there is no such thing as a quick fix. BUT that they are not worthless – the techniques they use can help you improve if used in the right way. What a refreshing concept and one that makes me thing that it’s ok that I haven’t turned into superwoman, despite all the self-help books I’ve read. There’s hope for me yet, but maybe setting a goal of becoming superwoman isn’t the right goal for me…

The premise of the book is that people are split between High AMs (achievement motivation) and High FFs (fear of failure). The author explains why he is a High FF and the book is aimed at other High FFs (because High AMs don’t need it). This is something that I struggle with as it means that I must have a high fear of failure – not sure that I’m willing to accept that label but let’s not dwell on that. Whether I want to put myself in that bracket or not, the book is extremely engaging and applicable to anyone who is interested in self-improvement.

What did I particularly like about this book?

• The personal detail – the author uses his own experiences to provide examples – it’s worth reading just for that
• The idea that no one self-help book will have all the answers (I can’t help it, I’m going to use the word ‘refreshing’ again)
• The intelligent commentary on self-help techniques – all with citations. What a comprehensive coverage. Some of the books cited I have read and some I now want to read (or read again)

What’s Stopping You? definitely provides food for thought. I haven’t put it down thinking “this is what I need to do to achieve my goals”, but it’s not as easy as that is it? However, I feel that with a more considered reading I will be able to form a solid plan. There is no doubt that this is a book I will come back to time and time again.

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Rating: 4 out of 5 stars