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Amazing Heights: How Short Guys Stand Tall

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What is height bias? Why do taller people tend to obtain leadership positions? What can individuals do to maximize their appearance? What can we learn from shorter guys who've achieved greatness? Books and other self-help resources tend to be one-size-fits-all. You will be hard-pressed to find anything addressing the unique challenges of one particular group: short guys. With this in mind, Amazing Heights is the first personal development book dedicated to the short guy fraternity.

"Amazing Heights takes an honest look at the data behind height and success - in careers, sports and romance. It also offers lots of encouragement and tangible tactics men can use to reach great heights." ~ Brock McGoff, Founder, The Modest Man

191 pages, Paperback

Published November 2, 2018

6 people are currently reading
26 people want to read

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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Profile Image for Chris.
12 reviews3 followers
July 29, 2018
Written in an approachable & easily digestible style. I found it to be relevant, informative, & inspirational. & though tailored to a specific audience, much is universally applicable to all men.
Profile Image for Jonas Salzgeber.
Author 2 books156 followers
May 1, 2019
As the author states, "height isn’t exactly a key topic in history or business classes."
And generally, it's not a topic people seem to talk about often. Maybe because height isn't really important and what matters much more is the person behind the height? Or is it?

Through the book, I've become more aware of the height bias in our society - tall people seem to have advantages not only in sports but also in business.

In his book, Ulinski synthesizes "height data across different professions
and compile stories of vertically challenged fraternity members who’ve
achieved amazing heights in life."

What I enjoyed about this book was the authors mindset to focus on what he controls and accept what he can't, such as his height. Also, I enjoyed the numerous examples and facts like,
"The net result: If you’re six feet tall, you probably earn about $4,000 more than the equally
qualified guy who’s in the five-seven club."

I believe this is an interesting book for people of any height. The psychological ideas and strategies laid out can help anyone, short or tall, male or female.
Profile Image for Gregory Eakins.
1,055 reviews25 followers
June 13, 2025
Height bias is one of those marginalized things in society that badly needs to be brought to the forefront of our collective attention. Legally you can't be discriminated against based on race, color, religion, sex, country of origin, or age - but height is still on the table. Try adding, "I won't date Mexicans" on your Tinder bio, then try adding, "If you're under 6 foot tall, swipe left." See which one enrages more people.

Seth Ulinski takes a stab at the problem here, and offers some helpful advice for fellow height challenged people.

A solid portion of the book is spent telling you about all of the short people who have become rich, famous, and successful. People like Kevin Hart, various astronauts, Martin Luther King Jr, various athletes, and many others. I think the weight applied to this section was too much - and it left little room for other beneficial discussion.

He gives a passing discussion about overcoming issues with dating and careers, but never really makes a strong case.

Even so - this book is a good start to approaching a real issue in modern society, and might be a helpful and uplifting read to other short people.
Profile Image for Rob.
31 reviews
November 10, 2018
A great read. This book tackles the subject of height from many angles, being informative, uplifting, funny, and brutally honest in one feel swoop.
Profile Image for Shelby.
Author 1 book44 followers
January 14, 2019
This interesting book by Seth Ulinski is a mixture of personal experience, research, and advice about being smaller than the average male. Calling smallness a “vertical challenge,” the author describes the following pitfalls of having a smaller stature: being bullied, lower self-esteem, being perceived as less desirable to the opposite sex, and having fewer opportunities in the world of athletics and finance.

Ulinski disproves this cognitive bias, both biological and culturally-oriented, that people have about shorter males by revealing people in sports who were shorter and excelled at what they did. While the author admits people may unconsciously equate height with power, he names three of the world’s most powerful and richest men in existence, all of whom are considered to be vertically challenged. He cites the success of charismatic movie stars who are shorter than average and the great writers and musicians who have won outstanding awards for their distinctive accomplishments.

After the author tears up the myth that male shortness indicates less power, he develops a reassuring tone as he advises ways to compensate for smaller stature: actions to take, clothes to wear and attitudes to adapt. This is a compelling look at the way societal bias hurts others, yet there is no tone of self-pity in the book. The author writes with a witty jab at his self-portrayal and takes a bird’s eye view of what everyone is capable of at all times, no matter what their height is.
Profile Image for Stacey.
Author 25 books36 followers
January 21, 2019
As a female, would have never considered an issue for males.
From start to finish, I thoroughly enjoyed the authors ability to convey the issues "short" men have to face as well as his ability to keep the reader interested. Amazing Heights was not a woe is me portrayal of vertically challenged men, but an inspirational read for those men who despite their size, are able to achieve great feats. I highly recommend this book for anyone, as the topic and writing were phenomenal throughout the book.
Profile Image for Stacey.
Author 25 books36 followers
January 21, 2019
As a female, would have never considered an issue for males.
From start to finish, I thoroughly enjoyed the authors ability to convey the issues "short" men have to face as well as his ability to keep the reader interested. Amazing Heights was not a woe is me portrayal of vertically challenged men, but an inspirational read for those men who despite their size, are able to achieve great feats. I highly recommend this book for anyone, as the topic and writing were phenomenal throughout the book.
6 reviews
April 10, 2019
Fun Read

This book talks about the success in different industries of guys in our fraternity. The author’s writing style keeps you engaged all the time.
4 reviews
August 12, 2023
This book change my life and perspective of height and boost my self confidence, worth reading
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews