I loved the first book. It was quirky, funny and full of simple things that could make a real change to your life and attitude. It made a genuine difference to my outlook, helping me realise why I felt more positive sometimes and not others without making me feel like a fool or a failure. And once I understood where I was going right and where I was going wrong, I could do more of the right things and fewer of the wrong ones.
If 'The Art of Being Brilliant' was a lovely, light, fluffy sponge cake, 'Be Brilliant Everyday' was a dense, heavy, fruit cake that sits on the stomach and makes you realise you've literally bitten off more than you can chew.
I found it really heavy going and far too easy to put down. It felt as though there wasn't an overall structure, like the authors were just dashing off another chapter when they had enough ideas to fill it. While there were some great ideas in there, I found it hard to put them together into something cohesive and applicable. In fact, I feel that both Brilliant books are at their best when they're relating theories to ordinary lives and experiences. To me, the title just screams of something practical that helps readers find a way to attack each day, rather than letting each day attack them. I'm hoping that will be book three. Or better still a handy desk calendar!
You often hear about the 'difficult second album', forced out of the artists at the demand of the record label, and that's pretty much what this book feels like. So, sadly, I can't give 'Be Brilliant Everyday' a good review and feel that I owe Mr Cope the £10.99 RRP.
On the plus side, I would thoroughly recommend both the workshops and the first book - I've given copies to so many people already! Read it. Think about it. Do it. It will change your life.
Related Links
'The Art of Being Brilliant' by Andy Cope and Andy Whittaker
Andy Cope on Twitter
Andy Whittaker on Twitter
The Art of Brilliance website
