Brilliant! Jam-packed with inspiration. Epiphanies leaping off every page. Encouragement everywhere to help you stop the search for happiness and start following your joy!
Robert Holden Ph.D., Author of Happiness NOW and Shift Happens!
The world's greats, those who are truly brilliant, make the impossible appear possible and the complex, simple; Messi can dribble, Branson can dabble and Picasso could doodle. Cope and Whittaker distil the complexity of life like no other authors today; their charm, insight, wit and wisdom is touching, provoking and achingly funny. Read this and being brilliant every day will be a doddle!
Richard Gerver, Speaker, Author and Broadcaster
Do NOT read this book it's far too good and it's making me insanely jealous
David Taylor, Author of The Naked Leader
Happy
(By 9-year-old Aaron, who attended The Art of Being Brilliant at his school. He just happens to be dyslexic.)
Choose to be happy
Sadness never got you anything
When you start to feel sad
Just remember friends and family
And kind strangers too
All support you.
Look on the bright side
At least you have a family.
When I am sad
And need cheering up
I run around with my dog
And eat lovely food.
Back flips, front flips
Trampoline bouncing
These make me happy and glad
To always be me.
Andy Cope and Andy Whittaker
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ISBN 978-0-857-08500-9 (pbk) ISBN 978-0-857-08498-9 (ebk)
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For Lightning-Legs Whittaker, Scrump and Bwana
Andy and Andy's Big Day Out
Andy W's from Mansfield and I'm from Derby. So we're always excited to get an invite to London. And it's doubly exciting to be going to a meeting with our publishers.
Andy's not allowed on the underground on his own, not after the last time, so I held his hand on the Tube. We ascended the escalator, Andy standing in the middle, innocently blocking the rushy people. I got to the barrier, inserted my ticket and the gate opened. I was through. But Andy wasn't. And he was looking nervous. Sure, they have recently started having trains in Mansfield but not ones that live underground. And there aren't any moving staircases. And they certainly don't have electronic swishy gates.
He inserted his ticket. Nothing. I could see the panic in his eyes. A queue started building up so I summoned a guy in a London Underground hat. He opened the gate with his cool key fob and Andy fell through. The man in the hat examined Andy's ticket and looked my co-author in the eye. Thick cut, I think he said.
We emerged, mole-like, blinking in the brightness of the over-ground. The city was a blur.
We had an hour to kill so we made our way to Starbucks. Double espresso for me and a sparkling water for Andy. He's not allowed coffee. Not after last time. In fact, make it a still water.
And we made our way to the meeting. We'd rehearsed. I was going to do all the talking. (Andy W wasn't allowed, not after last time )
Our instructions were clear. Yes, Capstone wanted another book. Yippee! But do NOT write a book about happiness, said our publisher. Or, at least, if you do, don't say that it's a book about happiness. Hide it.
Our publisher explained that happiness has gone and got itself a bad name. Its wishy-washy pink fluffiness turns people off apparently. The happiness brand is tarnished. He reeled off some stats. People are more likely to buy books about how to be confident or optimistic or lucky and especially stinking rich. In fact, what a great idea. Why don't you and Andy write a book called The Art of Becoming Stinking Rich? Even if it's rubbish, you'll shift a million copies! He grinned at us as the irony sank in. Thereby becoming stinking rich!
Andy W gave me one of his looks. He started fidgeting and his eyes were gleaming. He's not very good at bottling things up and I thought it best to give him the nod, before he exploded with enthusiasm. It'll be a book about wealth,' he blurted, a broad smile spreading across his chops. In its widest sense.
Because Andy knows, like you and I know, that money is nice. And it's useful in smoothing the path to having a superb life. But wealth is what you have left over after all your money's run out. Wealth is a measure of life that involves more than your bank account. Because wealth is about true riches. It encompasses relationships, emotions, habits, health, happiness and all the lovely trappings that philosophers say money can't buy.
So, this book does contain some stuff about happiness and so much more. Read it. Apply the principles. Our aim is not to make you rich. It's much bolder than that.
Nine-year-old Aaron's poem nailed it. We want to make you wealthy beyond your wildest dreams.
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