The Book For People Who Do Too Much

by Bradley Trevor Greive

New York Times best-selling author Bradley Trevor Greive, creator of the modern classic The Blue Day Book , is now a household name in more than 30 countries.

Hard work never killed anybody. This conviction built our great nation and made it the star-spangled superpower that it is. But Bradley Trevor Greive (BTG) wants us to know when enough's enough! Funny and perceptive, The Book for People Who Do Too Much reminds us that, in fact, hard work has killed a whole bunch of people. It has also caused premature aging, unsightly baldness, and explosive indigestion and is responsible for a lot of very questionable fashion statements.

Too many people drive themselves beyond reasonable limits to do more, have more, and be more. BTG points out that ironically, they actually end up with a lot less. "It's like climbing mountain after mountain and never taking the time to look at the view," he says.

With his trademark combination of engaging animal photos, gentle humor, and priceless insights, BTG urges us to have the courage to say No , and to learn to use this liberating two-letter word in a way that is amusing and empowering, but never offensive. Saying no can sound selfish, but by saving time to enjoy our lives and pursue our true passions, we'll ultimately have a lot more of ourselves to share with those who are most special to us.

Genres: Humor, Nonfiction, Animals, Inspirational, Self Help, Philosophy, Picture Books

120 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Bradley Trevor Greive (BTG) is one of Australia's most prolific and successful authors. He has written 20 books which have been translated into 27 different languages, and have been sold in 115 different countries. Several of which have appeared in the New York Times bestseller list. Greive's work has won multiple awards worldwide and has sold more than 20 million copies. He lives mostly in Tasmania, Australia.

Greive rose to prominence as an author in 2000 with the release of his hugely successful Blue Day Book, a collection of amusing animal photos and inspirational text designed to "lift the spirits of anyone who has got the blues." Since then he has published in excess of 20 books and has won numerous awards for his work, including the ABA Book of the Year Award (2000), the APA Best Designed Children’s Non-fiction Book Award (2003) and numerous #1 placings in bestseller lists across the world. Greive's work has been published on 6 continents and has sold in excess of 20 million copies to date.

Reviews

[Elizabeth]

When I was an undergrad, this book was making the rounds on campus, being passed from student to student as a much-needed relief from the general chaos of college life.

I never read it. I was too busy. :P

Well, adult-me has finally caught up with college-me, and I can say that this book was definitely worth the wait. Well-crafted, whimsical, and above all, cute, this book provides a quiet space to pause and take a deep breath. A gentle reminder that while working hard is good, resting every now and then is imperative.

[Hollis Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this whilst I was doing a five-hour stint of volunteer work behing the till in an Oxfam book shop. One of those rainy days when you wish you could relieve the spine-crushing boredom by chatting to a pretty girl about Neil Gaiman and Jane Austen. But no, not a single one. And you can guarantee at some point the shop will be entirely empty except for a middle-aged guy who will not go away and keeps going on and on about Solzhenitsyn and Dostoevsky and the Contemporary American Novel and the ghastly poetry group he runs with Daphne and Fey until you want to lean over the counter and say right into his face ''Here's an idea for you, pal: I don't remotely give a shit''.

Where was I? The book: I grabbed from behind me and found it a fun read with a good message as well. Worth flicking through if you have a moment.

[jenkamichiko Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Den här boken har jag läst ett antal gånger och jag får ett stort leende på läpparna och ett lugn i kroppen varje gång jag läser den. En må bra-bok som jag ställer i personalrummet för lite avkoppling och underhållning. Underbara foton som är matchade till kloka råd.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book as a child but at the time I probably appreciated the cute animal pictures rather than the word-content

[Wayward Child · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny and charming.

[sticky fruit · Rating 5 out of 5]

such an important reminder, need to read this once a month

[Janelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! If you're busy, read it before you burn out, or as this book puts it, your head explodes.

[SHR · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy these cute little books – this one has a lot more text than the others I have read in the series; as always the photos are gorgeous.

The wisdom is fairly predictable – hard work isn’t always good for you and sometimes you should enjoy the journey rather than the destination. Stuff we all (?) know but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded.

My favourite quotes:
“A world without hugs is not a place you want to be.”
“The bottom line is that people who do too much end up doing too little of what really matters.”

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I'm overly sensitive but there was a part of this book that really, really upset me. The page that mentions heart attacks from working too hard occurring on a Monday. It just hit too close to home and therefore lowered my enjoyment of the book. That aside, I didn't enjoy it as much as I did his other books.

[Gerald Thomson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mostly a picture book, Grieve gives various reasons for why we should slow down and not be on the achievement treadmill. This is done with short sentences that are accented by some amazing animal photographs. From tender to hilarious, the photos are certainly worth your time. If you come in not expecting too much this book should bring a few smiles to your face.

[Istvan Kis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 21. század emberének “soha nem érek rá semmire” attitűdjével próbál dolgozni, de ezt nem helyezi semmilyen nagyobb kontextusba. Jól elkapott, állatvilágból származó pillanatokkal, szép, színes fotókkal dolgozik, alatta egy-egy mondat, gondolatébresztő. Sokat nem ad, de ha kicsit segít lelassulni, megmosolyogtat itt-ott, akkor már megérte.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really LOVED this small book. Even if you couldn't read a word of text you will laugh your head off at the wonderful animal photos. I don't know how the author was able to match his inspiring words to the MOST APPROPRIATE photos. I can't wait to pass this along to my adult daughter who could be a poster child for this book. I'll read more from this author, that's for sure.

[Ramona Cantaragiu · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not funny in the laugh-out-loud kind of way, but it is good for a chuckle or two. It also contains some good advice for people who are incapable of saying "no". I would have kept it if the pictures were not black and white and If I did not feel that I have managed to move past my younger self who was into doing too many things at once for no good reason.

[Cathryn Wellner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny and sweet, the book follows Greive's successful formula for inspirational gift books. The animal photos are endearing and often funny. The advice is reasonable. If you or a friend is having trouble exercising the word "NO", this could be a gentle nudge.

[Sonja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slow down and enjoy your life!

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful book with amazing photos and a very important message!

[Geo Hendrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover says it all! A picture is worth 1,000 words. It is wonderful!

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better ones from Greive, though not his best. The intro on this one is great too. His photography and how he matches it with the text is pretty great!

[Andrew Pritchard · Rating 4 out of 5]

lots of good advice with a positive and inspiring message, also amazing animal photos.

[Slavomir Ogurcak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very comfortable little book with a good message

[Darryl Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute

[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book at a hair salon, it was very enjoyable!

[SBC · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up at a book sale as I am one of those people (who do too much), and I enjoyed The Blue Day Book when I read it years ago. Not only did this book for people who do too much have a powerful message about the need to rest and prioritise, delivered in a fun (if a little bit verbose) way, but the cute pictures made me smile.

He starts out by describing the slow decline into overwork and exhaustion, explores why we do it (to keep up, to make the most of our lives, to help others, because it may be hard to say no to others), what will happen if we don't slow down and rest (burnout), and what will happen if we do (happiness, mindfulness).

Some lines I liked:

We admire heroic individual endeavour, as pushing through fatigue in extreme situations saves lives. But this is not necessary in daily life.

"Life priorities are as basic as understanding that if you use all your precious time and creative energy doing one thing, you won't have much left for anything else. Obviously, then, it makes sense to focus your time and energy on those things that really make you feel ecstatic, or at least happy, to be alive."

"Follow your heart to the source of that which refreshes your soul and drink deeply from it. If you do this, your world will become a lot bigger, and your problems will seem significantly smaller."

[Sarahanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

The stars are for the photos. They made me laugh.

The text was... I dunno... 1970's motivational posters? 1994 forwarded emails from that one friend of your mothers?

Just...glurg.

[Nancye · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this today because I needed to feel close to the friend who gave me this book as a gift years ago. And as she said, we both do this all the time... a little reminder.

[Sarah Goode · Rating 1 out of 5]

What an awful book! Really made me stressed out. The particular phrase which pushed my over the edge was

“personal lives may appear fine to onlookers but they suffer badly/ What once were fulfilling relationships become artificial routines. real Passion fled the scene long ag. It’s such a shame”

Urgh.

It wasn’t bookcrossing book, I’d be tempted to burn it.

[Sonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly insightful (and blunt) for what seems a silly little picture book. A 5 or 10-minute read -- and that's about right for "people who do too much." Take-home message: Doing too much *can* hurt you.

[Debbie Robson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, I try and do too much a lot of the time but I seriously hope I don't look like some of the animals in the book! You can only pause in awe and wonder, Where does he get all the incredible photos? Another fun read from Greive.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book a few years ago, but remember, as with all Bradley Trevor Greive's little books, loving the photos! How does he manage to get so many gorgeous, cute (of course) photos!! Very inspirational, and worth checking out if you've not read any of these cute little books before.

[Gerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title could apply to many of us and Bradley Trevor Grieve's amusing photographic book demonstrates, in animal terms, what could happen if this is the case.

Many great images of animals in unusual situations with perceptive captions that strike a cord for those who do do too much.