Why I gave this book a one star review
Hi ,
Last week on Instagram, I posted this post about how I pick what to read next. In short, it comes down to a few variables, including what I've just read, logistics, what I feel like I need and any new releases that I'm extra keen on.
However, all of this thought doesn't guarantee the book will be good. It's easy to fall into the trap of reading the latest hype book. But unlike a TV series or a film, a book requires (usually) a much greater investment of time and effort.
So I also posted this. A list of the books I didn't finish (DNF) in 2020. Most of these books were good, many I want to come back to this year, but they just weren't what I wanted/needed to read at that point in time. And that is ok.
It's easy to force ourselves to read something because we feel like we 'should', or because everyone else is reading it. But I think we should also give up on more books. Put them down when we feel we've got what we need from them (or when we're not sure if we'll ever get what we need from them). Or simply hit pause on them until we're in the right time or place to enjoy them.
Because life is definitely too short to force ourselves to read sub-par books.
In giving up on more books,
Steph
PS. To borrow from Austin Kleon (and everyone else who borrows this from Austin Kleon), this newsletter and the podcast are 'free but not cheap'. You can support their creation by purchasing your next book through my affiliate stores with Book Depository (global) or Bookshop (US), buying me a coffee or leaving a podcast review on the website. Thanks!
Review: Who Not How by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy
Overall rating: ⭐️
Late last year I read the new book, Who Not How, by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy. I liked what I'd heard about it before its release but sadly, I was disappointed. Keep reading to find out why...
Short synopsis
Benjamin Hardy goes to a workshop run by Dan Sullivan, likes Dan's message and offers to write Dan's book on the topic. The idea is based around the fact that when faced with a challenge, we often ask ourselves 'how do I do X?' rather than 'who can do X?'. It's essentially a book about delegation and surrounding yourself with people who are better at things than you are / who already know things it would take you a long time to learn.
What I liked
Overall, the idea is solid. Since reading the book, I've caught myself thinking 'how' when I should be thinking 'who'. A very useful mindset shift whether you're a manager in an organisation, running your own business or simply trying to avoid household chores taking over your life. And it's a punchy enough tag line to easily think about when you catch yourself trying to do everything yourself (again).
What I didn't
As the star rating suggests, there's a lot I didn't like about the book. Firstly, it's repetitive. I lost count of how many times 'who not how' appears in the book. There were plenty of different examples, but given the simplicity of the idea, it wasn't something that warranted that many 'case studies' of people delegating tasks.
Speaking of the examples, for the first ~50% of the book, the examples were almost exclusively of men finding women to take care of the life admin / domestic / organisation / logistical tasks that they didn't have time for amongst their busy schedules. Now, I'm sure the women were incredibly good at what they did and all of the examples were professional arrangements. But to have so many of these as the examples of delegation felt eye-rollingly outdated, with stereotypes of the men being 'the busy executive' and women being 'the help'.
The other thing that perturbed me on a regular basis was the dynamic of Benjamin writing Dan's ideas. I'm not against ghost writers, but the book felt self-indulgent from Benjamin's perspective at several points in the book. There's a balance to strike between ghost writing someone else's story or ideas, and forcing yourself into the story, and I didn't think this found it.
Overall, this was a good example of a good-enough idea that became a sub-par book but that would have been a great blog post or two. It didn't need to be a book.
PS. if you'd like to take better book notes this year, you can enjoy a 15% discount on your very own copy of the Archley's Book of Books book journal, here^.
Ear food
RedHanded - I like true crime but have never really fully immersed myself in it like other people do. Until I found RedHanded. I usually listen to podcasts when I'm out walking, but was so hooked on the Keli Lane double-episode that I got home from my walk on Saturday and sat on the sofa for an hour and a half, with my headphones on, so I could continue listening to it. (Spotify / Apple)
Note: It probably goes without saying, this pod is not for the feint of heart, but it's also not for anyone who's opposed to swearing. There's a lot.
Design Matters with Debbie Millman - I always appreciate Debbie's interview style, and this conversation between her and NPR presenter, Ira Glass, is such an enjoyable listen. Exploring his early life, journey into radio and his honesty about what it took for him to get really good at what he does is as interesting as it is comforting. (Spotify / Apple)
Meanwhile, on the bookshelf
Recent Steph's Business Bookshelf podcast episodes, in case you missed them...
Ikigai by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles
(Spotify / Apple)
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
(Spotify / Apple)