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Never Too Late To Be Great: The Power of Thinking Long
Never Too Late to be Great is about the power of thinking long. Exposing the myth of 'overnight' success, author and motivational speaker Tom Butler-Bowdon shows us that contrary to popular belief, people, companies, products and ideas invariably need a long time to realise their potential.
Highlighting the importance of the 'ten-year rule' as referred to in Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers, which suggests that significant achievements rarely happen without a decade of intense work and practice in any given area, Never Too Late to be Great offers inspiration for the impatient or disheartened to stay the course, and gives reassurance to us all that we have more time than we think to achieve our goals.
281 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 22, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 11, 2013
Successful people, writes Tom Butler-Bowden, persevere, but they combine perseverance with experimentation until they find what works for them.
Butler-Bowden makes two key points: 1) Things often take longer to achieve than you expect; and 2) You're living longer than your ancestors (indeed, if you can get through the next 20-25 years, your lifespan will increase another 50 years – perhaps indefinitely). These two things take the pressure off the need to succeed in your youth. Instead you take whatever time you need to master the craft in your niche - then wow the world.
This book brings a fresh, much-needed perspective to self-help literature. Butler-Bowden is up there with Stephen R. Covey and John F. Demartini with the extensive reading he's done of self-help literature. Because of this, he can see what's missing and with this book he fills this gap.
If you're older than 30 and feel like you've wasted your time on the planet, then read this book to regain hope that you can still make your unique contribution to the world.
Butler-Bowden makes two key points: 1) Things often take longer to achieve than you expect; and 2) You're living longer than your ancestors (indeed, if you can get through the next 20-25 years, your lifespan will increase another 50 years – perhaps indefinitely). These two things take the pressure off the need to succeed in your youth. Instead you take whatever time you need to master the craft in your niche - then wow the world.
This book brings a fresh, much-needed perspective to self-help literature. Butler-Bowden is up there with Stephen R. Covey and John F. Demartini with the extensive reading he's done of self-help literature. Because of this, he can see what's missing and with this book he fills this gap.
If you're older than 30 and feel like you've wasted your time on the planet, then read this book to regain hope that you can still make your unique contribution to the world.
April 24, 2019
Good self help or business help books are those with key points, that are also cross cultural
Meaning they are helpful no matter what walk of life you are from.This book does not do that, it is written from a Westernized privilege educated man's perspective. There are a million quotes and stories about European men , most I've never heard of or plants from a country side I've never seen. There is a entire chapter about how everyone is going to live to their 90' s because of modern technology. Although I treat men & women dying in their 50s and 60's daily. He praises the research of a man who feels blacks and the poor never move up because they never think of their future, never acknowledging oppresion.
Blah , blah, blah .
This is another book for white business men
Meaning they are helpful no matter what walk of life you are from.This book does not do that, it is written from a Westernized privilege educated man's perspective. There are a million quotes and stories about European men , most I've never heard of or plants from a country side I've never seen. There is a entire chapter about how everyone is going to live to their 90' s because of modern technology. Although I treat men & women dying in their 50s and 60's daily. He praises the research of a man who feels blacks and the poor never move up because they never think of their future, never acknowledging oppresion.
Blah , blah, blah .
This is another book for white business men
September 21, 2014
Never Too Late to Be Great presents a positive perspective on time (we have more of it than we think to fulfill our goals) along with many examples of people who achieved greatness through “slow cooked success.” Be sure to read each story; otherwise, you may miss the useful nuggets that pop up in between. While some of the highlighted late bloomers are well-known, Tom presents details about their paths to success that I hadn’t read before. An uplifting and potentially life-changing book for those willing to embrace its key messages.
October 19, 2016
This book changed my way of thinking. Not only was it interesting to learn about the small beginnings of successful individuals and corporations, it also was encouraging, as the key message was, to me, to use time to achieve something rather than fearing the passage of time and comparing yourself to others. Overall, a very useful and encouraging read.
March 20, 2017
Excellent book full of great examples that will the calm the anxious you down. You will not get frustrated when you don't finish your to do list. You won't make up impossible schedules. You will be patient and do one small thing at a time. The power of thinking long is insanely useful to lead a good life in these instant gratification world.
March 30, 2014
So as I've said in previous reviews, I'm currently making my way through books that I've found at the back of my bookshelf that I said I'd reviews years ago - literally years ago. I received Never Too Late To Be Great back in 2012 as part of the Goodreads First Reads programme but I've been putting it off because I was the greatest fan of non-fiction back then and I thought this book looked dull and uninteresting. How wrong was I! Never Too Late To Be Great has actually proved to be pretty inspirational so it's true - never judge a book by its cover.
Never Too Late To Be Great is, as you can imagine, a non-fiction book about how it's never too late to achieve your dreams and that despite what popular opinion is about numerous billionaires who were 'overnight successes', it takes years and years of work and effort, even if it's subconscious, to achieve one's goals. This book is made up of nine chapters, each one discussing either how important a certain decade in one's life or how one's potential in life progresses, through the use of numerous examples of celebrities and million, even billionaires. Each chapter begins with the thoughts of the author, followed by examples of others who exemplify what he has said, ending with a brief summary of many other achievers.
Never Too Late To Be Great gets off to a great start. I was completely sucked in by the opening pages as it seemed to be a really good, but most importantly, different, look at success. I've never read anything of the sort before but I am aware that there are hundreds and thousands of books out there targeted at people trying to 'get rich quick' or find easy routes to success. Butler-Bowdon's book does the complete opposite. The saying "slow and steady wins the race" couldn't be more appropriate for this title. The author dismisses the myths that people like Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg were overnight successes and explains that every single successful person has dedicated years and years to their craft, whether they're aware of it or not. The beginning chapters are the best in my opinion because all the advice given is directly from the author, who writes in a very persuasive and understanding manner.
Whilst the book got off to a flying start, I was slightly disappointed by the rest of the book as it became more and more about listing examples of people to back up the author's point. At first this was inspiring, but as the book progressed this became repetitive and I have to admit that I skim read through several passages, especially if they were referring to successful people that I had never heard of. The majority of the chapters followed the format I stated above: a short introduction by the author, followed by a detailed look into the lives of several successful people and ending with pages and pages of short summaries of other successful 'celebrities'. I actually quite liked this general format, it was just that it was repeated again and again with each chapter and it started to feel like I was reading a condensed biography of every successful person of the last century.
That said, the examples provided were (mostly) of people that are still relevant in today's society or are people that are very well known for what they created, though perhaps not known at all for how they got there. Butler-Bowdon stresses time and time again that one should look at how successful people got to where they are and not what they did after their initial success. All these stories were fascinating, but as I said, there were just a few too many of them which meant that reading about that became a little tedious after a while.
Despite the negatives, overall my impression of this book is very positive. It achieved it's goal of inspiring me and giving me fresh hope that success may still come in the future. At only 18 years old, this book is definitely not aimed my age group as the author's measure for potential only begins at 20 years old though I still found it to be a thoroughly encouraging read. I would say that this book would suit those in their 40s the best or anyone else who's going through a bit of a slump and ready to give up on their dreams. Don't give up! This book will show you that you've still got years of potential left in you, even if you and those around you feel 'old'. A lot of successful people actually didn't find their true success until they were well into the second half of their life and there really is no such thing as 'too old'. Reading these stories should help anyone kick start their ambitions and get themselves back on track.
All in all, Never Too Late To Be Great is a refreshing read that is suitable for those of all ages, though clearly targeted at those who have already lived a great portion of their lives. I found this book to be really uplifting so if you or somebody that you know are in need of a life then this is what you should be reading! As I said, I haven't read any other non-fiction books about how to be successful, though I'd say that this is a pretty good guide and is probably one of the forerunners in this genre. So, if you're in need of inspiration, pick up a copy of Never Too Late To Be Great and change your attitude today!
Never Too Late To Be Great is, as you can imagine, a non-fiction book about how it's never too late to achieve your dreams and that despite what popular opinion is about numerous billionaires who were 'overnight successes', it takes years and years of work and effort, even if it's subconscious, to achieve one's goals. This book is made up of nine chapters, each one discussing either how important a certain decade in one's life or how one's potential in life progresses, through the use of numerous examples of celebrities and million, even billionaires. Each chapter begins with the thoughts of the author, followed by examples of others who exemplify what he has said, ending with a brief summary of many other achievers.
Never Too Late To Be Great gets off to a great start. I was completely sucked in by the opening pages as it seemed to be a really good, but most importantly, different, look at success. I've never read anything of the sort before but I am aware that there are hundreds and thousands of books out there targeted at people trying to 'get rich quick' or find easy routes to success. Butler-Bowdon's book does the complete opposite. The saying "slow and steady wins the race" couldn't be more appropriate for this title. The author dismisses the myths that people like Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg were overnight successes and explains that every single successful person has dedicated years and years to their craft, whether they're aware of it or not. The beginning chapters are the best in my opinion because all the advice given is directly from the author, who writes in a very persuasive and understanding manner.
Whilst the book got off to a flying start, I was slightly disappointed by the rest of the book as it became more and more about listing examples of people to back up the author's point. At first this was inspiring, but as the book progressed this became repetitive and I have to admit that I skim read through several passages, especially if they were referring to successful people that I had never heard of. The majority of the chapters followed the format I stated above: a short introduction by the author, followed by a detailed look into the lives of several successful people and ending with pages and pages of short summaries of other successful 'celebrities'. I actually quite liked this general format, it was just that it was repeated again and again with each chapter and it started to feel like I was reading a condensed biography of every successful person of the last century.
That said, the examples provided were (mostly) of people that are still relevant in today's society or are people that are very well known for what they created, though perhaps not known at all for how they got there. Butler-Bowdon stresses time and time again that one should look at how successful people got to where they are and not what they did after their initial success. All these stories were fascinating, but as I said, there were just a few too many of them which meant that reading about that became a little tedious after a while.
Despite the negatives, overall my impression of this book is very positive. It achieved it's goal of inspiring me and giving me fresh hope that success may still come in the future. At only 18 years old, this book is definitely not aimed my age group as the author's measure for potential only begins at 20 years old though I still found it to be a thoroughly encouraging read. I would say that this book would suit those in their 40s the best or anyone else who's going through a bit of a slump and ready to give up on their dreams. Don't give up! This book will show you that you've still got years of potential left in you, even if you and those around you feel 'old'. A lot of successful people actually didn't find their true success until they were well into the second half of their life and there really is no such thing as 'too old'. Reading these stories should help anyone kick start their ambitions and get themselves back on track.
All in all, Never Too Late To Be Great is a refreshing read that is suitable for those of all ages, though clearly targeted at those who have already lived a great portion of their lives. I found this book to be really uplifting so if you or somebody that you know are in need of a life then this is what you should be reading! As I said, I haven't read any other non-fiction books about how to be successful, though I'd say that this is a pretty good guide and is probably one of the forerunners in this genre. So, if you're in need of inspiration, pick up a copy of Never Too Late To Be Great and change your attitude today!
Read
March 1, 2021I want to read now.
February 11, 2026
I think this book is for the people above 30 to 40 years people.
But some points & some chapters are useful for every one like "Long View", Etc.
But some points & some chapters are useful for every one like "Long View", Etc.
November 14, 2018
It's truly inspirational and I'd highly recommend this book to person in their mid 30's and still struggling in life and folks in their 50's or above as well. This book teaches you that things often take longer than we expect to achieve but thanks to the medical advancement we are living longer, healthier lives and today we really do have the time. So start out, keep doing what you are doing but never give up just because you are too old cause it's never too late to be great.
Some lines from this book:
"Don't despair if you feel like a lone voice the wilderness, or if people see what you do as being out of step with the times. Consider this radical idea: you do not have to depend on THE TIMES for your success. Rather, by sticking to your guns, by being faithful to who you are and what you do, the times can be shaped."
"To be able to be something, yet not be able to express it, is a creul place."
"Comparisons with the people waving from the summit will only discourage. Instead, be reminded that they were once where you are. It is easy to be blinded by the light reflecting off a great person, product or enterprise. But get closer and you will discover tiny, inauspicious origins."
Some lines from this book:
"Don't despair if you feel like a lone voice the wilderness, or if people see what you do as being out of step with the times. Consider this radical idea: you do not have to depend on THE TIMES for your success. Rather, by sticking to your guns, by being faithful to who you are and what you do, the times can be shaped."
"To be able to be something, yet not be able to express it, is a creul place."
"Comparisons with the people waving from the summit will only discourage. Instead, be reminded that they were once where you are. It is easy to be blinded by the light reflecting off a great person, product or enterprise. But get closer and you will discover tiny, inauspicious origins."
March 26, 2014
An instant pick-me-up (and I needed it!) this book inspired me, and I'll tattoo its message into my brain. Rome wasn't built in a day, and it wasn't meant to be. Packed with stories of people slowly "ripening" over time to achieve their life's purpose, the message of the book is especially valuable when most of the stories we see celebrate what seem to be overnight successes. Some of these people change track(s), others plug away for years at thankless tasks - to slowly reach fruitition. All of them exemplify the Italian proverb 'who goes slowly, goes long and far.' It's a reminder that good things take time, and nature is never in a rush. We are never too old to start something new no matter what our age.
September 20, 2014
This book was such a refreshing read from many other motivational/self-help books that don't factor time into the success equation at all. I think I will read this book many times over so the messages sink in.
Highly recommended for those of us who fear it is too late to make our mark or become great.
Highly recommended for those of us who fear it is too late to make our mark or become great.
January 2, 2015
A nice book if you want to be inspired by people who started to be noticed late in life. Some of the stories are actually quite amazing. But since the book is almost all stories and no reflection it gets boring after a while.
June 3, 2023
The most interesting section was the '40' factor chapter. Interesting examples of people who have taken time to be a success. However, I found aspects of the book somewhat repetitive and the final chapters a bit of a slog. That being said, it was an interesting perspective of success.
July 6, 2013
Nice book with a different perspective of looking at life and its progress. Will surely recommend for a single read :)
May 4, 2014
Very good book! The stories included are all inspiring and helpful, showing that we do really have more time than we think. I would recommend it to anyone, finding themselves in a 'hole' right now.
November 28, 2014
It's a good one time read.
There are some good stories and examples but I was a bit disappointed by the way author went after Gladwell.
But overall message of the book is a nice one.
There are some good stories and examples but I was a bit disappointed by the way author went after Gladwell.
But overall message of the book is a nice one.
January 19, 2015
I love this book!
March 28, 2017
Very positive and inspiring.
Read
August 19, 2018Starting you must, and be consistently focused will yield. No matter the starting age. Even at seventy, still young enough.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews