Customer Reviews: Read 16 more reviews...
 Great thinking from the ad industry May 4, 2008
This books is a great collection of many ideas, thoughts, ironies and creative thinking from the ad industry. Plus a few new thoughts. I've bought loads of these (and Purple Cow) and given them away to clients, desperate to get them to think a little more creatively. I use it with students as well. A must read (and the second book). Quick to read and easy, maybe that's why it's sold over 1/2 million. Paul was regarded as one of the great all time creatives within advertising but sadly he died recently - a great loss to the ad community.
 Snake oil April 12, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
I have no doubt that Arden was a genius in the field of advertising. However, this little volume is like some of Edward De Bono offcuts with random graphics,
fine if it fell out of a cereal packet or a xmas cracker, but 5 for this book is a joke.
Arden's big phrase was 'astonish me' - he was obviously too astonished to make any effort with the writing of this book. The only astonishing thing here is that 1500 words of meretricious garbling can cost a fiver.
Paaarp
 glib April 7, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
I read this book in a bookshop in about half an hour.
The advice is often utterly foolish.
For instance, anyone with half a brain knows that, irksome though it may be, a college qualification is an essential "gateway" into most firms, though perhaps it wasn`t when Arden himself was starting out, and the advertising industry was still in its infancy in the UK.
It`s also the case that, although the unusual routes to success aremore newsworthy, conventional methods exist for a reason, and following them is therefore advisable (dreary though that may be).
I`d add, as an artist, that this book suggests a glib attitude to creativity, as if one can simply begin a project utterly detached form tradtitions, a past, previous solutions etc.
The design of this book is enjoyable however.
 Inspirational March 21, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am always a huge sceptic when it comes to these kinds of books, but I thought I'd give this a go, based on the fact it's the "world's best-selling book". And therein lay lesson one - sell yourself as the best, and people will buy it. Of course it's not _really_ the world's best-selling book, but I fell for it!
The book itself can only be described as genuinely inspirational, witty, intelligent and (whisper it softly) life-changing. After following only a fraction of the advice, I feel more confident, am doing far, far better academically, and can now see the big gates of the future flung open (dramatic, I know, but really.) For anyone entering the media, PR or advertising, it is an absolute must.
So, in short, buy it. It costs pennies and might change your life for the better.
MUST HAVE August 15, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I found this book amazing seriously, at the beginning it took me time to grasp the meanings it had, the i realized its one of those books that you are not suppose to be reading it all at once, what i did was i read two or three things a day and grasp it very well and try to motivate my self on doing it and make sure imagining myself doing it so i could remember if i was in such situiation my reaction would fit. really you will understand once you get this book hope you will think of it the same way i did.
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