Brown tends to jettison business norms in a surprising detour from similar titles that lends this debut a lively, dynamic feel. In a section baldly titled “Bullshit,” he cautions readers that “there’s a lot of it out there and it’s important that you detect it before you step in it,” urging the need for trust to shore up relationships and solid lie-detecting skills for business leaders. That candid, no-holds-barred attitude permeates Brown’s writing, sometimes leading to advice that may jolt contemporary readers, such as his belief that “having an HR department is the biggest waste of money a company can spend.” His reasoning—that HR can slow the process of letting under-performers go—makes sense, though his stark advice for handling workplace complaints and personnel problems somewhat limits the guide’s potential audience.
Punchy chapter titles, combined with Brown’s down-to-earth logic behind either embracing business standards or bucking them, make this an entertaining read, placing the responsibility for redefining success squarely on readers’ shoulders: “What matters is that you come up with your own definition of success,” he writes, “and then live up to it.” He closes with a reminder that fact-based decision making—along with old-fashioned hard work—is the key to true achievement.
Takeaway: No-holds-barred advice for getting ahead in the world.
Comparable Titles: Laura Fredricks’s Hard Asks Made Easy, Dave Wong’s Magnetic Millionaire.
Production grades
Cover: B-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
