I have had the privilege of previewing a copy of the Skinny on Success, a great book by Jim Randel that will be launched on November 1^st.  The Publication series “The Skinny On” is a progression of drawings, dialogue and text, intended to provide busy people with an easy-to-read format, combining the delivery of essential information with entertainment value.

The Skinny on Success demystifies success and points out the fact that success is not about luck, smarts, good looks, or even talent.   Success, as we have explained on this site so many times, is usually the result of hard work, passion and persistence. 

You will enjoy the story of Billy, an accountant who hates his job and dreams of becoming a stand-up comic, and his girlfriend, Beth, a paralegal who is interested in politics. Billy has the right idea of wanting to pursue his passion, but he initially struggles with how to leverage his area of interest.  On the topic of pursuing your passion, here is a great quote from the book, just to give you a taste for the great content you will find:

“If Jay worked as hard at his school work as he did at trying to be funny, he would do just fine.”

Jay Leno’s Fifth Grade Report Card

Part of the initial challenge with Billy was that he couldn’t accept the fact that having talent is not sufficient to achieve success.  The book has some great examples of people who are very good at what they do and make it look so natural, but in reality they got to that point by working extremely hard, not because of natural talent.  Eventually Billy finds a way to channel his interest into an activity where he is happy and successful. 

His girlfriend Beth, on the other hand, was afraid of failure.  And it wasn’t until she took the plunge and failed miserable that she started to learn the important lessons that only failure can teach you.  On the subject of failure, here is another great quote from the book:

“Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.”

Winston Churchill

Like her boyfriend, Beth eventually finds the success she was seeking.

Well, this is the skinny on The Skinny on Success.   If I tell you more it won’t be as fun reading it.   I would highly encourage you to get a copy of this great little book which has a great story line filled with great facts, quotes, and success wisdom.  In fact, I would say that most of what you need to know about success you can learn in about 45 minutes reading The Skinny on Success.   Get your copy as soon as it is available on November 1^st.