Damn Good Advice
DAMN GOOD ADVICE!
The book under review titled ‘Damn Good Advice’ written by the Ad Guru George Lois has been written based on his experience and hence worth reading.It is a well-known fact that Lois is a Supernova, the original Mr Big Idea.
Since 1950’s he has had a titanic influence on world culture.He has 120 valuable tips to lead a creative and successful life.Lois was born in New York in 1931.He is an advertising legend and the creator of Big Idea advertising.
Lois first wants the leader to identify himself choosing the type to which he belongs to.There are only four types of persons.
- Very bright, Industrious (You are perfect)
- Very bright, lazy (A damn shame)
- Stupid, lazy (You are a wash)
- Stupid, industrious (You are dangerous)
He cautions us, ‘If you are number 1 or a 2, you will get a lot out of this book. If your are a number 3 or 4, you need not read this book.’Very true.All the tools in the world are meaningless without an essential idea. Hence always go for a big idea. Whatever you want to communicate to the world it should be communicated in a nanosecond. He quotes Lincoln who did not have time to contemplate, correct and edit his letter wrote a very long letter to his friend and express his apology citing the above reasons!
Energy begets energy. Playing War games may help you. Sports and the intense intellectualism of the game of chess help drive and sustain the creative ethos. Lois quotes Thomas Huxley. “The chessboard is the world, the pieces are the phenomena of the universe, the rules of the game are what we call the laws of Nature.”Age is not a barrier. Charles Darwin was 50 when he wrote On The Origin of Species.At 52, Ray Kroc started MacDonald.
A.C.Bhakthivedanta Swami Prabhupada founded the Hare Krishna movement when he was 69, with $7 to his name.A little courage is needed. A great deal of talent is lost to the world for want of a little courage. The Webster dictionary zeroes in on the meaning of the word “courage”, marked by bold resolution in withstanding the dangerous, alarming or difficult .. a firmness of spirit that faces danger or extreme difficulty without flinching or retreating.
And in his 120th advice he recalls the sufferings of Nelson Mandela. While incarcerated at Robben Island and Pollsmoor prisons for 27 years, recited Invictus, the iconic poem written in 1875 by the English poet William Ernest Henley to his fellow prisoners, empowering all with its message of self mastery. The last four lines of the poem is worth remembering ever:
It matters not how strait the gate,How charged with punishments the scroll,I am the mater of my fate.I am the captain of my soul.The book is not only for the persons in advertisement field but for all.We may choose the tips applicable to us and customize some of the other tips.To lead a creative life we need exclusive tips to suit the modern world. This book will certainly help.
S.Nagarajan
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