The Not To Do List: The Surprisingly Simple Art of Success

by Rolf Dobelli

'We systematically overestimate the role of success factors; but at the same time, we systematically disregard the role of failure factors. Why? Because successful companies, projects and people make it into the media. Flops, on the other hand - no one wants to hear about them. Deadbeats don't usually write autobiographies. And in the rare event that they do, they fail to find a publisher or at the very least an audience.

So, we study these shining examples and delude ourselves that success is the result of a series of carefully orchestrated success factors, when it's really about avoiding the things that kill success. Why not visit the graveyards of failed companies, projects, people, marriages and families instead? That's where you'll learn the most - namely, what to avoid.'

Just as some people collect vinyl, video game consoles or vintage clothes, for years Rolf Dobelli has been accumulating stories of failure - botched attempts at work, family life, marriage and life in general. Using information gleaned from some of the world's most innovative and curious minds, as well as from his own experience as a writer, businessman, entrepreneur and philosopher, Dobelli skilfully distils the 52 most important habits to avoid if you want to live a successful, and ultimately happy, life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Productivity, Psychology

300 pages, Hardcover

Published July 22, 2025

About the author

Rolf Dobelli is a Swiss author and businessman. He began his writing career as a novelist in 2002, but he is best known internationally for his bestselling non-fiction The Art of Thinking Clearly (2011, English 2013), for which The Times has called him "the self-help guru the Germans love".

Reviews

[Haniye_Mirkamali · Rating 1 out of 5]

خوانش: ۴ تیر ۱۴۰۴

این کتاب با عنوان فهرست کارهای انجام ندادنی از نشر مون منتشر شده..
کتاب سطحی و پیش پا افتاده با مطالب تکراری..
مثلا همه میدونن که نباید با ادم های منفی باف تو زندگیشون بگردن
یا همه میدونن باید مدیریت مالی داشته باشن و ولخرجی نکنن
یا هممون میدونیم باید تمرین کنیم که هر چیزی رو قبول نکنیم و بلد باشیم نه بگیم
و حالا ۵۲ قانون اینجوری در ۳۰۰ صفحه نوشته شده که نه تنها نکات جدیدی رو نمیگه بلکه فقط تکرار نکات قدیمی و سطحیه..

[Nikhil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish this book didn't have the sarcastic or ironic sections at the beginning of each chapter, each of which is consumable enough. The author applies the law of inversion to state various points on how to lead a good life. All of which are earnest enough but as a reader I really could have done without the sections at the beginning of each chapter. Would have made for a thinner and more consumable book. I picked up this book because I have read the author's earlier work which was great. This is a basic but good enough read you can consume quickly.

[milena · Rating 3 out of 5]

die ratschläge hätten konkreter sein können aber an sich sehr spannend!

[Popescu Constantin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good parts, some less good parts. I feel like the author tries to gloss over a lot of complex topics, providing oversimplified solutions (and for some chapters I just flat out disagree with him).

[Sambasivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ralf Dobelli is one of my favorite authors. The art of thinking clearly is one of the best books that I have read on the subject of thinking.

In this book he adopts an inversion method to call out the negative practices and then tells us why one should stay away from it.

If you keep away from the 52 practices life can be good.

Go for it.

[Sushil Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've ever found yourself making the same life mistakes over and over, Dobelli's "The Not To Do List", instead of telling you what to do (like most self-help books), this one flips the script and focuses on 52 things you should avoid.

The book's central philosophy borrows from Charlie Munger's wisdom: "All I want to know is where I'm going to die, so that I'll never go there." Each short chapter identifies a common pitfall, explains why it's problematic, and then offers "the quiet voice of reason" - practical advice for steering clear.

For newcomers to self-help literature, this is an accessible, quick read with straightforward language and a unique negative-to-positive approach that makes lessons stick. Experienced readers will find majority of chapters familiar territory, despite that they will find it as a good read.

Overall, it's a good addition to your reading list if you're looking for practical life advice presented in a novel way - just don't expect mind-blowing revelations if you're already well-versed in self-improvement literature.

[Deotima Sarkar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Subtraction, not self-improvement.
This is not a book that tells you to work harder. It's the gentle friend who leans in and whispers, "You don't have to do that." And somehow, your shoulders relax.
.
Rolf Dobelli does not give out mantras. He gives you a scalpel. Every idea in The Not-To-Do List challenges you to cut—habits, distractions, mental rubbish posing as ambition. There is a relief in the way he writes: exact, limited, and pleasantly unsentimental. It is not intended to make you feel better. It is intended to make you think more acutely, live more simply.

Some of it stung—because it was true. The cult of remaining perpetually in high expectations, the urge to multitask, the fantasy that saying yes always counts—Dobelli takes these down with a measured, matter-of-fact voice that admits no performance. You get the message or continue to overpack.

For me it was a gentle course correction. The best part being this isn't a guide to do more. It's permission to do less—and do it well..

[Liong · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is totally different from other self-help books. 🧐

It tells you what to avoid, rather than what you should do.

It includes many historical examples of mistakes to steer clear of.

It offers 52 practical Not-To-Do Lists you can learn from.

The goal is not to do more, but to do less, better. 👍

It’s about gaining clarity, focus, and peace by consciously removing the unnecessary.

The Not-To-Do List is a powerful reminder that what you choose not to do is just as important as what you do.

[Khadija]

No for rating for this book - as I don’t know how to rate it.

This book motivated me to go see a dermatologist (weird I know) and motivated me to rethink the way I save. However, there some points I disagree with (Cult chapter, I’m looking at you!). At the same time, the author says in the end of the book that he is entitled to change his opinions and might change them, I hope he does. (No, I’m not trying to change people.)

To sum up, give this book a read.

[Sathish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good pieces of wisdom, some of them obvious but the book serves as a great reminder for them.
Some chapters I resonated a lot with like the chapter on maintenance of things (Chapter 1) and the chapter on Emotions Defining you (Chapter 39)

[Nischaya Jain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book on self development. Nothing new called out but the way of writing is unique and engaging. Writing is based on inversion method suggested by Charlie Munger. It keeps you hooked till last page.

Must read

[Carolyn Ong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Straight to the point as the title suggests and 3-4 pages per topic, in Dobelli’s style. Every chapter got you thinking - have I made this mistakes before? Or, did it remind you of someone?

Though I’d think some topics needs much more depth to the solutions, not a simplified one size fits all approach.

Overall an easy to read book, a bit underwhelming compared to his previous bestsellers. ‘the art of thinking clearly’ and ‘the art of good life’ knock better sense.

[Jack Horton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Patronising. Mentions warren buffet so many times. Not practical. An example, don’t kill yourself, take anti depressants. Such a general view and out of touch

[Danielle Hong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good bite sized lessons. Worth rereading.

[Erica]

Heard about it on a podcast and gulped this book down in an hour, no less aided by the author’s ability to be succinct!

[Victoria K · Rating 1 out of 5]

For the first time ever , actually threw a book in the bin .
Disappointing, pointless and boring

[Brenda Lucena · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was in a hurry when I bought this book. I thought the housemaid (by Freida) would be the worst book of the year, but this one won. By far

[Ayushi Mathur · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s okay, I think if you slow pace it then its good but if you go back to back into all chapters - then it gets a bit too much.