First let me say that normally non-fiction is not for me, so at first I was skeptical when this book was recommended to me. However, I learned that it's good to keep an open mind because a good story will always be just that.
Contrary to the title, this is not just a book on how to persuade people. It is a very real, and very intimate story of how persuasion can change your life. While it's true that persuasion is a very useful tool in business and in your career, it applies equally to all other areas of your life. Most importantly, we cannot forget that although it is helpful for us to persuade others, it is also important to be able to persuade yourself. If you need proof then you need only look at Arlene. At age 30, she was a single mother with joint custody of 4 children and no job. Within 10 years she became the CEO of Venture communications. The turning point in her life was when she persuaded herself that nothing is impossible.With persuasion Arlene was able to change her life for the better. Can you do the same?
Not only was this an inspirational story, but it was also very personal. Sometimes I find it hard to relate to someone who lives in the spotlight because it feels like they are on a whole other level from ourselves. But I found this story brought her down to earth and made her seem much more real. Most of you probably know Arlene from her role in Dragons Den, but very few people know about her back story and it was absolutely enthralling to hear of her journey to where she is now. It's not impossible to change your life. You just need the right perspective, and the right amount of persuasion. This was a great book with an important message. I strongly recommend this book to everyone.
"It's never too late to change your life. But the hardest person to sell on the idea of your potential is almost always yourself." - Arlene Dickinson
I had no idea of her back story - knowing she was 30 and nowhere near where she was meant to be make her seem a lot more real to me. Being 30 and starting life over myself, I think I should put this one on my list of books for inspiration!
ReplyDeleteA very honest book. Sometimes I read books and I forget what they are about a few weeks later ;(
ReplyDeleteBut this book captured my attention, she was able to take us on her journey, I felt her high moments and some of her low points.
She gave concrete examples of why you should conduct business with high ethics, that needs to be taught to start-ups very early on in my opinion.
Great book and a must Read.