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Lunch » Tags » Books » Reviews » The Skinny on Willpower: How to Develop Self Discipline » User review

Well-executed concept with great information...

  • Feb 21, 2010
  • by
Rating:
+5
I was recently contacted by the publisher of a new book series called "The Skinny On." The concept is that people are busy, so the authors take a topic and distill down the essential information into a book that allows you to get the core information quickly. Illustrated by stick figures, it made for an interesting concept in my mind. The first book I decided to look at was The Skinny on Willpower, How to Develop Self Discipline by Jim Randel. After seeing the concept in action in this title, I must say I rather like it. Randel does an excellent job in getting the core points on how willpower works across to the reader in a quick and amusing fashion. Even if you've read a dozen books on motivation and goal setting, The Skinny on Willpower will still help to remind you of the key elements.

At 144 pages, Willpower will not take you long to read. The story revolves around Billy and Beth, two stick figures ("skinny", get it?) who have a couple goals they want to reach. Billy wants to lose 10 pounds, while Beth wants to open a fashion boutique but needs to write a business plan to get a loan. The married couple interact with each other as they fail and falter in making progress. The author makes a few stick figure appearances to help them get back on track and teach them the skills they need to keep on moving forward towards their goals. Among the way, Randel gives the reader plenty of core information as to how willpower works in real life, as well as a 15 point plan at the end for improving your discipline and willpower in a realistic, honest fashion.

You might think that this is a gimmicky, "follow these steps" plan promised by many self-help authors, but that's not the case. Randel doesn't go off into esoteric mumbo-jumbo and promise magic results. He acknowledges that self-discipline is hard, you will fail along the way, and you have to get back up and keep trying to be successful. And if you're not one who's much for reading a 300 page book on the subject, The Skinny on Willpower will quickly and easily give you the framework you need to start moving in the right direction. I even found it personally motivating to be reminded of the key points, and to refocus on what's important.

I have one other Skinny book to read and review, as well as an open offer to read and review any other titles in the series. I have a feeling that I might be taking them up on that offer...

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Payment: Free

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More The Skinny on Willpower: How t... reviews
review by . March 01, 2011
Where there's a will there's a way. Few people have success fall into their laps. Most have to work hard and smart to reach their goals. They have to be clear about what they want, make a plan, and then be persistent (very persistent) until the end is reached. Willpower is key.    The Skinny on Willpower is another great resource from the Skinny On series. Short and straightforward, these books get to the heart of the matter. Goals without a plan will fail. Dreams without action …
review by . July 28, 2010
These "Skinny On" books are great for today's world. Concise, easy to understand, and not some lengthy self-help volume you have to wade through to find out what you could have found out in much fewer pages. This book provides 15 points for improving willpower and self-discipline, and it's not as hard as you might think. The married (stickpeople) couple is a great concept for getting the message across to the reader.
review by . June 28, 2010
Willpower is the second "the skinny on" book I have read, and I must say that I enjoyed it just as much as the first (Time Management). It was entertaining, yet informative - never managing to take itself TOO seriously, while still providing valuable information. It's not the endgame in information, but it's not billed as such either. There's a terrific bibliography in the back for those interested in reading further.     Self-discipline is such a key aspect to so much of life …
review by . April 01, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
This is a quirky little book, populated by stick figures who are struggling with self discipline (probably much like the rest of us!) At first glance this seems a rather odd gimmick, however, perserverence shows that the book, skinny as the name suggests, does ultimately give the reader some worthwhile tips of developing some self motivation and applying yourself to the task. As other reviewers have noted, the last 15 pages are an excellent summary of the text.    This would …
review by . May 30, 2010
I am what many would consider a classical cynic. I look at every event and consider and apply the worst possible outcome. I usually avoid doing things I've always wanted to do because I think it will be hard, or there will be a negative or undesirable outcome. One thing I will say from the offset is that, I realise how much I've been holding myself back. When I finished this book, I was literally overcome with goosebumps at how simple it all seems to turn things around for the better and to put …
review by . April 27, 2010
Talk about something that is appreciated and well worth the time it takes to read! The Skinny On Willpower is just the right size and has just the right content for people on the go. If you are looking for what it takes to move on to the next level inspite of the world telling you that you can't, then this book was designed with you in mind.
review by . April 19, 2010
Jim Randel has published eight books entitled The Skinny On. All are clever, humorous, and entertaining. All teach vital need-to-know lessons in an informal, non-pedantic, concise, and engaging fashion by generally using drawings of stick people engaged in dialogue. This volume shows how people can improve their will power by self discipline. As in other books in the series, Randel shows how to develop willpower by giving his readers more than a hundred examples and quotes from famous successful …
review by . March 27, 2010
"The Skinny On Willpower: How to Develop Self-Discipline" by Jim Randel is the first of "The Skinny On" series I've read. It won't be the last! What can you learn from a short book with stick figure characters trying to achieve goals that are getting help from another stick figure named Jim Randel? Quite a bit actually. For such a quick read, there is a lot of practical advice on utilizing your willpower to achieve your goals.    The stick figure part of the book is a story about …
review by . March 13, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
THE SKINNY ON WILLPOWER is part of "The Skinny On..." series from Rand Publishing. These books examine a particular topic, usually of the self-help nature (success, time management, credit cards, etc.) by condensing a bunch of information from scores of sources into an extremely easy-to-read format, usually including an entire storyline with stick figures, that can be read within ninety minutes.    The book opens with a one-page introduction followed by a one-page note from the …
review by . February 12, 2010
Randel, Jim. "The Skinny on Willpower", Rand Publishing, 2010.    Making "Won't Power" into Willpower    Amos Lassen    Self discipline seems to be the key to so much in life. Without it there is very little we can do. "The Skinny on Willpower" is a clever little book that can help us to find self-discipline and in order to develop good willpower; one must be totally committed to doing so. The steps necessary to do this are all here in …
see all The Skinny on Willpower: How t... reviews (11)
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Thomas Duff ()
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Thomas Duff, aka "Duffbert", is a long-time member of the Lotus community. He's primarily focused on the development side of the Notes/Domino environment, currently working for a large insurance … more
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About this book

Wiki

Don't let the stick figures fool you--The Skinny on Willpoweris a funny book that offers up some seriously good information on how to declutter your brain and discipline yourself to achieve your personal and professional goals. Jim Randel will have you laughing and thinking at the same time. A very enjoyable read! --Ken Blanchard, Co-author,The One Minute ManagerandThe One Minute Entrepreneur

Great Book. Quick read and easy to understand. All you will ever need to know about willpower and self-discipline. --Richard Harrington, Former CEO Thomson Reuters

I have known Jim for 25 years. He not only has amazing mental fortitude and lives the life he preaches, he also has an in-depth knowledge of these subjects and plenty of credibility to write this book. --Dwight Stones, 3-time Olympian, 10-time World Record Holder, Broadcaster
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Books, Self Help Books, Willpower
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Details

ISBN-10: 0981893538
ISBN-13: 978-0981893532
Author: Jim Randel
Publisher: Rand Media Co

First to Review

"Making "Won't Power" into Willpower"
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