Category: self improvement

Author:  Jim Randel
Publisher: Rand Media
Genre: Self-improvement
ISBN: 978-0-9818936-9-4
Pages: 204
Price: $14.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Why is it that some people are more successful than others? Is it possible that there is a formula for success? If there is, are you willing to read all the books written on the subject to find out what it is?

Jim Randel, author of The Skinny On series, has done the hard work for you. In The Skinny on Success, he brings us the best ideas on how to become successful, shown in stick-figure drawings. We meet Billy and Beth, who each have encountered a problem in finding success. Randel counsels them with wise advice pulled from some of the best success books written.

This Skinny may look like little more than a comic strip, but this powerful little book takes about an hour to read and is packed full of helpful information. Sure, you could read all the books listed in the bibliography if you want to be successful, but why not save some time and pick this one up instead?

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author: Larry Winget
Publisher: Gotham Books
Genre: Self-improvement
ISBN: 978-1-592-40437-7
Pages: 224
Price: $25.00

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Some people set goals in life with many being lofty, modest, or otherwise. It could mean embarking on a new career, improving a financial mess, or finally sticking to a renewed lifestyle of diet and exercise. While intentions may be good, excuses, bad decisions, lack of action, and other “idiotic” behavior sabotage their efforts.

Larry Winget’s book, PEOPLE ARE IDIOTS AND I CAN PROVE IT! can lead a person out of the doldrums and help them attain their goals. That is, if they’re tough enough for some honest criticism, and can take his “in your face” brand of truthfulness and assessment. Winget believes that a little kick in the pants never hurt anybody, and it could make you realize that what you really want out of life, you truly have to work to get.

A good number of folks never realize their dreams or aspirations and become frustrated in the process. Winget good-naturedly explains why people are idiots and flounder in a sea of frustration. The high point is that he provides clear and precise ways to reverse the idiocy with a series of “fixes.” His methods are motivational and honest, and folks are encouraged to take a clear assessment of themselves and their lives. A chapter of “action lists” can firmly place one on the path to success and a sense of achievement.

If you are ready to do some true and deliberate soul-searching, while being guided by an author who has been there and done that, then this book should help you immensely. It is not, however, for the sensitive or the proud. But the book will help those who wish to cleverly play their cards they’ve been given as they travel on the road to success and personal fulfillment.

Reviewer: Gene Berger

Author: Donald Van de Mark
Publisher: Columbia Island Press
Genre: Self-help
ISBN: 978-0-98460-612-2
Pages: 280
Price: $15.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Donald Van de Mark has spent more than twenty years interviewing and getting to know celebrities and news makers. But not all those featured in the spotlight live the kinds of lives we would want to emulate. There are few who embody the nineteen traits Van de Mark deems necessary to enjoy an admirable, creative and joyous life.

Within its own designated chapter, each of these nineteen traits is explored in detail. Then Van de Mark shows us someone or several people who have developed this trait and are living a life that shows how it works. Finally, he explores Abraham Maslow’s ideas on this trait, and gives us takeaway bullet points to focus on in our own lives. The nineteen traits may seem at times to contradict each other, but the fully developed personality could integrate all parts of the whole. In fact, Van de Mark has determined that one person actually demonstrates all of these traits.

The Good Among the Great is a thought-provoking look at the traits that lead to a quality life, but I would have preferred to see less of Maslow’s thoughts and more about the individuals profiled in each section. A more personal and less psychological approach would have deepened the connection for me, making these traits feel more real and achievable. Overall, though, this book provides some good ideas if you want to change your life for the better.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author: Jim Randel
Publisher: Rand Media
Genre: Self-improvement
ISBN: 978-0-9841393-9-2
Pages: 134
Price: $14.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

According to Jim Randel, “time management is the application of strategies and techniques to help you use your time as effectively as possible.” Randel doesn’t believe in wasting our time with this book, either, and presents it in a simple, streamlined format that should take only about an hour to read.

First Randel asks the reader to evaluate how he’s currently spending his time. We all waste time in some way, and identifying where we can capture an hour or two can really help us accomplish more. Then we need to clearly define our goals, so we can be sure we reach them. The remaining sections offer insights on ways we can overcome procrastination and inertia, and work more effectively and efficiently.

Skinny On books are presented in a power point style with stick figures and captions, but they’re not comic books. Instead, Randel captures the most important points on a topic and presents them with a minimum of fluff. Further reading is encouraged, and an extensive list of recommended books is provided. If you’re looking to do more with your time, you’d be wise to pick up this book.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author: Jim Randel
Publisher: Rand Media
Genre: Self-Improvement
ISBN: 978-0-9818935-3-2
Pages: 144
Price: $14.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Everyone has made a New Year’s resolution at one time or another. But usually by the middle of January, our goal has been forgotten, as we run into problems maintaining our willpower. If we really want to achieve this goal, we will want to press on, but if it’s not that important to us, we may let it go until the new year rolls around again.

In this Skinny, Jim Randel explains how we can develop our willpower and learn to stay the course, even when the going gets rough. Using the fictional stick-couple, Billy and Beth, he shows us how these folks make a decision to do something, and then proceed to achieve it.

If we never ran into roadblocks, we wouldn’t need willpower. Both Billy and Beth have to overcome obstacles of fear, inertia, doing too much too quickly, and deciding how important their goals are to them. Randel provides a 15-point plan to improve willpower and self-discipline, as we work toward our own goals. And a helpful bibliography of additional works on this subject is also provided. Once again, Randel has presented a wealth of information in a quick and fun read that can guide us for a lifetime.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author: Jim Randel
Publisher: Rand Media
Genre: Personal growth
ISBN: 978-0-9844418-7-8
Pages: 288
Price: $19.95

Author’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Let’s face it – the diploma will get you off to a great start, but college most likely hasn’t provided you with all the information you’ll need to succeed in life. That’s why there have been so many good books written over the years on this subject. So if you don’t have the time to read them all, Jim Randel has summarized their main points in Street Smarts, a Skinny book on the rest of the important stuff they left out in college.

This unique summary provides snippets of information on the following topics: Seeing yourself as a marketable company, Communication skills, Career advancement and networking, Time management and productivity, Sales and persuasion techniques, Financial literacy, Savvy, Investing, and Personal development.

As with all the Skinny books, a comprehensive bibliography is provided on the topics covered. If a particular idea strikes you and you want to learn more, you’ll know exactly what books to check out. Old-school masters like Dale Carnegie, Napoleon Hill and Brian Tracy are featured, as well as new and hip author, Ramit Sethi.

You’ve spent four years mastering your subject matter and you’re ready to face the real world. Now you have the rest of your life to develop yourself. Read through these 125 suggestions and explore the bibliography. Your life is waiting for you, and you want to be prepared. Now go out there and be successful!

Reviewer: Alice Berger

Author: Jim Randel
Publisher: Rand Media
Genre: Self-improvement
ISBN: 978-0-9844418-8-4
Pages: 170
Price: $14.95

Publisher’s website
Buy it at Amazon

Would you like to be more creative? Don’t have time to read a dozen books on the subject, so you’re looking for a fast and easy read to get you quickly on your way? The Skinny On line of books was designed with your needs in mind.

In The Skinny on Creativity, author Jim Randel has distilled the wisdom from all the books he’s studied into an hour-long read. Designed to provide maximum information in a minimal number of words, he relies on stick-figure illustrations and photos to make his bullet-point items clear. A list of these twenty points at the end of the book provides a summary wrap-up.

Randel believes being creative is a skill that anyone can acquire. We just need to know how, but we often don’t have the time to do the research in order to learn. In reading this Skinny, we’re treated to a power-point style format with humor and illustrations. No information overload – just the simple facts presented in a fun way. We’re free to delve into certain topics in more depth if they strike a chord, and an extensive bibliography is provided.

Change your environment, learn to play like a child, or take better care of your body, and you may find yourself coming up with some new and great ideas. Whichever suggestion sparks your creative juices, give it a whirl and see where it leads. You’ll never know what works until you try.

Reviewer: Alice Berger