Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite: Paul Arden

I mistakenly thought this was going to be a book on lateral thinking or new ways of problem solving. It’s just a few pages of witty comments and cartoons which you used to see in Readers Digest and similar mags. Read the whole thing in about 10 minutes.

The book was slimmer than I thought it would be but actually, once you start using the book you understand why. I use the word 'use' here rather than 'read' purposefully. This isn't a long-read full of insight and methodologies but rather a light touch check-in for when you need to reframe your mind, perhaps between projects. In that respect, the book is very good as a 10-minute refresh to maybe think a little differently or a little bolder if you are stuck in one frame of mind. So it is very worth it for creatives or for anyone really who needs a tool to help switch focus when working on different things.

This book is Paul Ardens other main inspiration book and is very much like 'Its not how good you are...' infact several ideas are the exact same in both books.Paul Arden again presents us with a 'you are what you make yourselves' book aimed at raising peoples belief in their own potential and abilities. Arden uses a series of interesting case studies and quotes from significant people or personal acquaintances to illustrate his various ideas and perspectives on modern business ethics, behaviours and ideals.Again a very short bullet style book with point after point, if read right through it should take around an hour at most to read though longer to take in. As with 'Its not how good you are...' may not be suited to everyone but its worth the look for the cost and potential benefit you may get from it.

This book has been an guardian angel for me for the last 14 years. Inspired me to take the adventurous path when at crossroads, not the safer option out of fear. And am so grateful that I did.I’ve always wanted to live a life differently, not follow the crowd, be true to my soul and dreamt of being a creative. And this book supported me throughout my professional time, from when I was a bit of a lost soul in a min wage job to finding my life path to live life as a creative.

A quirky book with nice, short bits of advice. The main appeal is the design which is minimalistic and chaotic, works nicely and looks nice on a shelf. Something to pick up out of curiosity.

Like the ‘...Design without losing your soul’ book, this is a must have for designers.Challenge yourself to look at things from different angles, wearing different hats and someone else’s shoes.

This short book is quite good for inspirational one-liners or short paragraphs about things to remember. Its got some interesting points for creative industries and how to set yourself apart.Its a short collection of things to consider or be inspired by, but dont expect anything else. If you want to learn more about thinking creatively, I have found 'Edward De Bono' books to be particularly useful.

The guy who wrote this was in the advertising business, so it's always difficult to separate a honest advise from a promotional bias in the book. Nevertheless, there is plenty of common-sense hints, nothing which I didn't know before reading the book, but it was useful to have them all put together within the same handbook and being led through a certain mental path by the Author.