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Simply Brilliant: The Competative Advantage Of Common Sense
The world is full of smart, experienced, skilled, brilliant people. However, many people - even smart ones - are lacking a set of essential skills that when pulled together can be termed "common sense." Simply Brilliant features a set of seven principles to make the bright better. Principles of common sense that can be adapted for attacking many of the problems that you encounter every day, be it in work or outside.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2004
About the author
Fergus O'Connell
72 books38 followersMy mum read Treasure Island to me when I was four and I think that was when I decided to become a writer.
I used to think I’d like to spend all my time writing, but spending all day alone in a room with your imaginary friends isn’t necessarily the healthiest way to pass the time. (It’s easy to see why so many great writers’ best friend has been the whisky bottle!) So I also write books and teach and speak on project management. I’ve written sixteen non-fiction books and had seven novels published. My most recent, The Paradise Ghetto is now in development based on my own screenplay.
I’ve been shortlisted for prizes – the Kerry Ingredients Irish Fiction Prize for my first novel, Call The Swallow; in non-fiction, for my book on common sense, Simply Brilliant which was runner-up in the W H Smith Book Awards. My books have been translated into twenty-five languages.
So far, all my novels have been set during wartime but I don’t think of myself as a war novelist. I write about people caught up in great events and how they try to find love in the most difficult of circumstances.
I’m widowed, have two grown-up children and have lived in lots of places. Currently I’m living in England but that could be about to change.
I used to think I’d like to spend all my time writing, but spending all day alone in a room with your imaginary friends isn’t necessarily the healthiest way to pass the time. (It’s easy to see why so many great writers’ best friend has been the whisky bottle!) So I also write books and teach and speak on project management. I’ve written sixteen non-fiction books and had seven novels published. My most recent, The Paradise Ghetto is now in development based on my own screenplay.
I’ve been shortlisted for prizes – the Kerry Ingredients Irish Fiction Prize for my first novel, Call The Swallow; in non-fiction, for my book on common sense, Simply Brilliant which was runner-up in the W H Smith Book Awards. My books have been translated into twenty-five languages.
So far, all my novels have been set during wartime but I don’t think of myself as a war novelist. I write about people caught up in great events and how they try to find love in the most difficult of circumstances.
I’m widowed, have two grown-up children and have lived in lots of places. Currently I’m living in England but that could be about to change.
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November 21, 2017
small book quick read ! I just copied someone's review to save..so i can move on to next book!
from: https://book.douban.com/review/7804663/
这本书的英文名是《Simply Brilliant – The common-sense guide to success at work》，从书名就可以看出，讲的是关于承担工作的一些常识性指南，要旨是简单。
全书共分七章。第一章《事情其实很简单》介绍了“避免复杂、追求简单”的理念，从我们需要解决的问题出发，致力于寻求最简单的解决办法。如果一个解决方案、一次会议越来越冗长复杂，我们不妨暂停讨论，回头审视我们最初需要解决的问题，看我们的方案是否足够简单、有效。追求“KISS” (Keep It Simple, Stupid)，让事情变得简单易懂。这章中的一个问题是“如果你觉得你的公司对客户的服务质量不够好，你应该怎么做”，最简单而又富有启发性的答案是“要求你的员工把每一位客户都当成自己的的朋友，也就是那个你不想让其失望的人”。
第二章到第六章介绍如何在追求简单的理念下，高效地完成一项工作。
第二章的弄明白自己要做什么需要解决两个问题：一是真正理解你努力想做的事情；二是搞清楚你想做的事情是否也是其他人希望做的。做任何工作，首先要确定该项工作的目标，目标的高低和方向在很大程度上决定了一项工作的投入重心、所需资源等，如果目标不清晰，有可能导致努力方向错，再努力也无济于事，甚至是南辕北辙。同时，每个项目都有一些利益相关者，可能你的领导，也可能是你的同事或客户。在制定计划前需要与利益相关者讨论并确认项目的目标，而不要假定自己很了解，不要到自己觉得已经完成时才发现只做了领导期望的一半。弄明白自己做什么，才能做到《高效能人士的七个好习惯》中的以终为始，为了既定的目标全力以赴。
第三章的标题“任何事情都有连续性”有些晦涩，实际主要讲的是分解目标和制定详细计划。这一条理解很容易，但往往也是不同的人差异比较大的一个工作习惯。能把计划做得比较详细周到的人，往往是那些对工作目标进行认真分析、详细分解所需要做的事情、考虑进资源的投入和可行性等问题的人，当计划出炉时，整个项目的未来进展已经在他们的大脑中运行多遍，自然更容易做到一切尽在掌握，项目的成功概率也很高。反之，没有很好计划性的人，一个很常见的表象就是对进度过于乐观，然后在实际开展过程中不断遇到意外情况，完成日期反复推迟。好的工作习惯是在接受任何一项超过一周的任务时，先计划再行动。
第二章和第三章合在一起，讲的是PDCA循环中的P（Plan），即确定目标和实施计划。
第四章的“如果不去做，永远都做不完”，强调行动力，涉及到时间管理中的要事第一、学会说不等方法。第五章的“事情的结果往往和预期不一样”，主要介绍风险管理的理念和基本方法，通过“风险管理”清单来列举主要风险、评估可能性和影响、确定避免风险的措施、监控风险出现的信号等。第六章的“明确界定事情的结果”，回到了PDCA循环的C，及时检查进展、衡量进度和纠偏。
全书的最后一章“学会从他人的角度看问题”，与《高效能人士的七个好习惯》中的双赢思维完全一致。无论是对内部同事还是外部客户，如果我们能试着穿上别人的鞋子，从“同理心”的角度去理解别人，就能跳出习惯性思维的框框，使问题迎刃而解。没有一个人是完美的，但每个人都是独一无二的，我们需要在了解差异、尊重差异的基础上善用差异和整合差异。
另外，从全书的内容看，翻译的中文名《极简主义 – 风靡欧美的工作与生活理念》有博眼球之嫌。极简主义（Minimalism）的理念是保持简单、自然的生活方式，断舍离过多的物品、大量的应酬、无止境的金钱欲等。
from: https://book.douban.com/review/7804663/
这本书的英文名是《Simply Brilliant – The common-sense guide to success at work》，从书名就可以看出，讲的是关于承担工作的一些常识性指南，要旨是简单。
全书共分七章。第一章《事情其实很简单》介绍了“避免复杂、追求简单”的理念，从我们需要解决的问题出发，致力于寻求最简单的解决办法。如果一个解决方案、一次会议越来越冗长复杂，我们不妨暂停讨论，回头审视我们最初需要解决的问题，看我们的方案是否足够简单、有效。追求“KISS” (Keep It Simple, Stupid)，让事情变得简单易懂。这章中的一个问题是“如果你觉得你的公司对客户的服务质量不够好，你应该怎么做”，最简单而又富有启发性的答案是“要求你的员工把每一位客户都当成自己的的朋友，也就是那个你不想让其失望的人”。
第二章到第六章介绍如何在追求简单的理念下，高效地完成一项工作。
第二章的弄明白自己要做什么需要解决两个问题：一是真正理解你努力想做的事情；二是搞清楚你想做的事情是否也是其他人希望做的。做任何工作，首先要确定该项工作的目标，目标的高低和方向在很大程度上决定了一项工作的投入重心、所需资源等，如果目标不清晰，有可能导致努力方向错，再努力也无济于事，甚至是南辕北辙。同时，每个项目都有一些利益相关者，可能你的领导，也可能是你的同事或客户。在制定计划前需要与利益相关者讨论并确认项目的目标，而不要假定自己很了解，不要到自己觉得已经完成时才发现只做了领导期望的一半。弄明白自己做什么，才能做到《高效能人士的七个好习惯》中的以终为始，为了既定的目标全力以赴。
第三章的标题“任何事情都有连续性”有些晦涩，实际主要讲的是分解目标和制定详细计划。这一条理解很容易，但往往也是不同的人差异比较大的一个工作习惯。能把计划做得比较详细周到的人，往往是那些对工作目标进行认真分析、详细分解所需要做的事情、考虑进资源的投入和可行性等问题的人，当计划出炉时，整个项目的未来进展已经在他们的大脑中运行多遍，自然更容易做到一切尽在掌握，项目的成功概率也很高。反之，没有很好计划性的人，一个很常见的表象就是对进度过于乐观，然后在实际开展过程中不断遇到意外情况，完成日期反复推迟。好的工作习惯是在接受任何一项超过一周的任务时，先计划再行动。
第二章和第三章合在一起，讲的是PDCA循环中的P（Plan），即确定目标和实施计划。
第四章的“如果不去做，永远都做不完”，强调行动力，涉及到时间管理中的要事第一、学会说不等方法。第五章的“事情的结果往往和预期不一样”，主要介绍风险管理的理念和基本方法，通过“风险管理”清单来列举主要风险、评估可能性和影响、确定避免风险的措施、监控风险出现的信号等。第六章的“明确界定事情的结果”，回到了PDCA循环的C，及时检查进展、衡量进度和纠偏。
全书的最后一章“学会从他人的角度看问题”，与《高效能人士的七个好习惯》中的双赢思维完全一致。无论是对内部同事还是外部客户，如果我们能试着穿上别人的鞋子，从“同理心”的角度去理解别人，就能跳出习惯性思维的框框，使问题迎刃而解。没有一个人是完美的，但每个人都是独一无二的，我们需要在了解差异、尊重差异的基础上善用差异和整合差异。
另外，从全书的内容看，翻译的中文名《极简主义 – 风靡欧美的工作与生活理念》有博眼球之嫌。极简主义（Minimalism）的理念是保持简单、自然的生活方式，断舍离过多的物品、大量的应酬、无止境的金钱欲等。
March 24, 2026
Gana paprasta ir banali knyga apie laiko planavimą. Nieko ypatingo. Tiesiog eilinė apie laiko ir darbų planavimą.
March 13, 2012
This book helped me understand what these important terms truly mean: Goal-setting, Time-management, Risk-management, and ultimately, Project Management.
There's lots of practical advice, along with quizzes to help you honestly rate yourself in daily tasks like clearing inboxes, calculating the number of hours one spends on e-mail, in meetings, and things that add to busyness. It deals with separating the urgent from the important, and dealing with difficult clients and superiors.
Some of it appears thereotical, for overwork can be a culture in many workplaces, to the detriment of self and lives lived outside the workplace.
This book provides food for thought on how we spend our time, and how setting visible goals, both long and short term, can help us not fritter our days away.
There's lots of practical advice, along with quizzes to help you honestly rate yourself in daily tasks like clearing inboxes, calculating the number of hours one spends on e-mail, in meetings, and things that add to busyness. It deals with separating the urgent from the important, and dealing with difficult clients and superiors.
Some of it appears thereotical, for overwork can be a culture in many workplaces, to the detriment of self and lives lived outside the workplace.
This book provides food for thought on how we spend our time, and how setting visible goals, both long and short term, can help us not fritter our days away.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews