Study Task 01 - Researching books using analytical and critical methods.
The book that I was assigned is 'Whatever You Think Think The Opposite' by Paul Arden
Begin by researching your given book and read the preface.
This book explains the benefits of making bad decisions. It shows how the risk is your security in life, and why un-reason is better than reason. It’s about having the confidence to roll the dice. Whatever think, think the opposites a daring attack on the way we look at our work and our world. Instead of the usual boring advice, Paul Arden offers daring quips, aphorisms and paradoxes - all seeking to revise what we hold as our common sense. Whatever you sell, manage or buy, Arden will inspire you with his original thinking, startling anecdotes, brilliant photographs and offbeat quotes from artists, scientists and philosophers.
This book will force a rupture in whatever it is you used to think - even if you didn't know you thought it in the first place. It will give you the confidence to take bigger risks and enjoy your work more than you can imagine.
Analyse your book, consider the following questions:
Who is the Theorist/Author/Editor/Publisher?
Paul Arden is the author and theorist behind this book. Author of the international best seller ‘IT’S NOT HOW GOOD YOU ARE, ITS HOW GOOD YOU WANT TO BE’ is a former executive creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi, steering the advertising organization to the height of its success, Arden is regarded a legend of British Advertising. He now owns his own photographic gallery. The majority of his writing has the sole purpose of motivation. It is aimed at anyone who works or aspires to work in the arts and creative industries.
This book is published by Penguin, one of the worlds most famous publishers and has an extremely consistent high quality and feel to it. Penguin Books is a British publisher. It was founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V. K. Krishna Menon, as a line of publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large audiences existed for serious books. Penguin also had a significant impact on public debate in Britain, through its books on politics, the arts, and science. This book has a very nice overall finish, something you would expect from such a prolific publishing house. The stock is lovely and the content looks brilliant in the inks and the overall bound is neat. It almost feelings like a pocket book, but it is slightly too large for this, but it feels accessible, not something that is daunting and imposing to read.
What is the purpose/concept?
The defining purpose of this book is to motivate, put simply, the book exists as a sort of manuals guide to success, in the realms of the creative spheres.
The message behind this book encourages the reader to take more risks, and do so with self confidence in day to day practice. Arden’s trademark humour peppers the opener with “Let us start off on the right foot by making some wrong decisions.” In this day and age, we’re often afraid of being wrong, and this is especially so on the internet. At times, it feels like observers are standing by idly, waiting to jump on our mistakes but on the flip side, are slow to congratulate our triumphs. But we all make mistakes (and will continue to) because we’re human. And that’s how we learn. What mistakes have you made lately? In the end, did they actually benefit you in some way you hadn't expected? He celebrates mistakes, and highlights throughout this quirky book that mistakes must be made to progress in ones self.
This book is published by Penguin, one of the worlds most famous publishers and has an extremely consistent high quality and feel to it. Penguin Books is a British publisher. It was founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V. K. Krishna Menon, as a line of publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large audiences existed for serious books. Penguin also had a significant impact on public debate in Britain, through its books on politics, the arts, and science. This book has a very nice overall finish, something you would expect from such a prolific publishing house. The stock is lovely and the content looks brilliant in the inks and the overall bound is neat. It almost feelings like a pocket book, but it is slightly too large for this, but it feels accessible, not something that is daunting and imposing to read.
What is the purpose/concept?
The defining purpose of this book is to motivate, put simply, the book exists as a sort of manuals guide to success, in the realms of the creative spheres.
The message behind this book encourages the reader to take more risks, and do so with self confidence in day to day practice. Arden’s trademark humour peppers the opener with “Let us start off on the right foot by making some wrong decisions.” In this day and age, we’re often afraid of being wrong, and this is especially so on the internet. At times, it feels like observers are standing by idly, waiting to jump on our mistakes but on the flip side, are slow to congratulate our triumphs. But we all make mistakes (and will continue to) because we’re human. And that’s how we learn. What mistakes have you made lately? In the end, did they actually benefit you in some way you hadn't expected? He celebrates mistakes, and highlights throughout this quirky book that mistakes must be made to progress in ones self.
A lot of people comment that the most important point of the book is defining the difference between wishing and wanting. Whereas “I wish” equates to “Wouldn't it be nice if…” and leaves us wishing our lives were different, “I want” demonstrates leadership. It boils down to the assertion of “If I want it enough, I will get it.” Successful people don’t take no for an answer. They work towards finding a way to make the life they want a reality and Arden stresses the important steps that have to be taken to boost self confidence to allow you to achieve what you really want to achieve.
The book's tone of voice is not overly authoritative, which makes for an easy read. You don't feel as if you are being talked down to, in fact it feels as if a friendly voice is talking to you on a nice level, almost like a positive concious in your mind feeding you useful pieces of motivational information. I find that the layout, colour choice and use of typography also communicates this level of rapport nicely.
What is the context (established school of thought/paradigm)?
The established school of thought for this book is motivational speaking and helpful tips for being successful in what you do. It could fall under the category of inspirational fiction, which is a sub-category within "inspirational literature," or "inspirational writing," defined in various ways in the United States and other nations. More and more book stores (including online booksellers, such as Amazon) and libraries consider inspirational fiction to be a separate genre, classifying and shelving books accordingly.
The established school of thought for this book is motivational speaking and helpful tips for being successful in what you do. It could fall under the category of inspirational fiction, which is a sub-category within "inspirational literature," or "inspirational writing," defined in various ways in the United States and other nations. More and more book stores (including online booksellers, such as Amazon) and libraries consider inspirational fiction to be a separate genre, classifying and shelving books accordingly.
What is the classification?
A library classification, or a bibliographic classification, is a system according to which library materials (such as books, serials, audiovisual materials, computer files,maps, manuscripts, realia and documents) are arranged on library shelves, typically according to subject, and allocating a call number Library classification systems group related materials together, typically arranged in a hierarchical tree structure. In the Blenheim Walk library, this particular book was classified in the marketing section, and I can see why. Arden was of course a highly successful advertising art director and had extensive experience in this field, so it makes sense to classify this book in the marketing section as it speaks a lot about getting to the top in the advertising word. 
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