Success Is Not An Accident by Tommy Newberry

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

This book’s title caught my eye at my recent library book sale. But its catchy title can't save this book. It has a generic green and red cover and features a very shady looking Tommy Newberry standing there with his arms stretched out. Reading the book, I immediately noticed the wasted pages. Lists, clip art, and bulleted boxes are all used as page fillers. Even with these flaws, I decided to purchase it. My $2.00 bag contained 14 books. Overall, I think this book was worth the 14 cents I paid for it.

To save you from buying or reading this book, here is Tommy Newberry’s guide to success:
1. Decide what success means to you.
2. Write a personal mission statement to get you on that path.
3. Write down your life goals.
4. Use your time efficiently.
5. Mentally prepare yourself to be successful through “self-talk.”
6. Use visualization techniques to imagine yourself completing your goals.
7. Eat healthy, exercise, and be well-rested.

In his afterword, Newberry rants about America’s hatred of successful people. He feels that we should live in an “every man for himself” society where the rich aren’t taxed as heavily and the poor are more reliant on themselves for their own needs. He explains how the United States has become more socialist and feels we have a “Gold Medal Tax” where the winner (successful people) of an event (life) must melt down his gold medal and share it with the losers (unsuccessful people). This entire section felt out of place and could have been omitted from the book.

Newberry makes it clear that you are responsible for your success. He divides the book into seven lessons and provides exercises to further your progress. There isn’t really anything new in this book, but it is worth a read. If you happen to choose this book to lead you toward success, it will not be a waste unless you have to pay more than 14 cents for it.