It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be

The world's best-selling book by Paul Arden

by Paul Arden

Number of pages: 128

Publisher: Phaidon Press

BBB Library: Creativity and Innovation, Personal Success

ISBN: ‎ 978-0714843377



About the Author

Paul Arden (1940‐2008) spent a stormy 18 years in advertising and then founded his Alma Mater in Saatchi & Saatchi in 1977, where he worked for 15 years. During his tenure as Executive Creative Director he was responsible for some of Britain’s most successful advertising campaigns – including British Airways, Silk Cut, Intercity, and Fuji – and famous slogans, such as "The Car in front is a Toyota" and "The Independent – It is. Are you?".

Read More...

Editorial Review

It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be is a handbook of how to succeed in the world - a pocket 'bible' for the talented and timid to make the unthinkable thinkable and the impossible possible. The world's top advertising guru, Paul Arden, offers up his wisdom on issues as diverse as problem-solving, responding to a brief, communicating, playing your cards right, making mistakes, and creativity, all notions that can be applied to aspects of modern life.    

Book Reviews

“I was very shocked when I finally hadIt’s not how good you are, it’s how good you want to bein my hands. This best-selling book by Paul Arden is a lot smaller than I imagined. I thought how could a book so small be so influential? The reason I think so many people enjoy the book is that it is an easy read (therefore accessible) and it had lots of great quotes to take away.”

“I'm not in advertising, but I appreciate the ideas in this book. I believe any business owner can benefit from applying these concepts and strategies. This is a short, easy read. It's entertaining and clever. I read it in half a day, and that's while taking a page and a half of notes. I'm happy to add this one to my home library.”

Books on Related Topics

The bottom line is that some ideas are worth remembering; they stick to our minds and won't let loose. Some other ideas sink in the ocean of ideas. This is true, regardless of the authenticity of the idea itself. That is why we might hear an idea, follow it for years
Made to Stick

by Dan Heath , Chip Heath

The bottom line is that some ideas are worth remembering; they stick to our minds and won't let loose. Some other ideas sink in the ocean of ideas. This is true, regardless of the authenticity of the idea itself. That is why we might hear an idea, follow it for years

More...
Where Good Ideas Come From is about the space of innovation. Some environments squelch new ideas; some environments seem to breed them effortlessly. Our thought shapes the spaces we inhabit, and our spaces return the favor. We argue that a series of shared properties and patterns recur again and again in
Where Good Ideas Come From

by Steven Johnson

Where Good Ideas Come From is about the space of innovation. Some environments squelch new ideas; some environments seem to breed them effortlessly. Our thought shapes the spaces we inhabit, and our spaces return the favor. We argue that a series of shared properties and patterns recur again and again in

More...
Countless people around the world don’t feel confident crafting the lives they hope to lead. They don’t know where they’re headed or how to navigate around the obstacles in their path. They don’t see themselves as innovators, responsible for and capable of inventing their own future. It’s a crime not to
Insight Out

by Tina Seelig

Countless people around the world don’t feel confident crafting the lives they hope to lead. They don’t know where they’re headed or how to navigate around the obstacles in their path. They don’t see themselves as innovators, responsible for and capable of inventing their own future. It’s a crime not to

More...

Wisdom to Share

Without having a goal, it’s difficult to score.

Your vision of where or who you want to be is the greatest asset you have.

There is little demand in the commercial world for excellence. There is a much, much bigger demand for mediocrity.

All creative people need something to rebel against, it’s what gives their lives excitement, and it's creative people who make their clients’ lives exciting.

We tend to edit out the bad so that we hear only what we want to hear.

It is quite easy to get approval if we ask enough people, or if we ask those who are likely to tell us what we want to hear.

If you are involved in something that goes wrong, never blame others. Blame no one but yourself.

It is the same at work, people are secretive with ideas.

Ideas are open knowledge. Don't claim ownership.

We are always waiting for the perfect brief from the perfect client. But it never happens.