THE WINNING DIFFERENCE

Hight presents a new kind of plan for achieving fulfillment in work and life in this nonfiction guide.

What makes the winning difference? Asking this question throughout her latest book, the author looks at famous examples of winners and attempts to break down the elements of success, with surprising results. “I discovered that winning is a learnable skill,” Hight reports. “You can learn to win at anything.” She examines the stories of athletes, CEOs, actors, musicians, and many others to provide her readers with a “step-by-step playbook for peak performance.” Unlike many other motivational books, Hight’s includes examples from the life stories of a truly eclectic variety of figures—everybody from Yogi Berra to the Beatles to nationally syndicated radio personality Bobby Bones, who “studied, tuned out people who degraded him, didn’t drink or use drugs, and determined to be a success with his heart set on being a radio broadcaster.” In each case, seeking to support her central contention that success is learnable, the author highlights the ways her subjects dealt with frustration and overcame defeat. She mentions how many times Margaret Mitchell and J.K. Rowling had their manuscripts rejected, and she quotes Richard Branson confessing that “I have failed so many times that I couldn’t list them all. But it is because of those failures that I have enjoyed success.” Hight is an energetic and optimistic champion of the potential of her readers, and in some cases her advice is pointed, as when she warns readers not to “aimlessly walk around” at business conferences and gives tips on the kinds of questions to ask. Too often, her precepts are cliched and self-evident, informing readers that “good things don’t come to those who wait. You have to go get what you want” and that “people by nature love power.” But, on balance, the upbeat spirit of this motivational guide is engaging.

An appealing, anecdote-supported plan for learning the habits of success.