Rating: 4 stars
Headline: This book will leave readers motivated and empowered to kick-start their own growth journey
Review:
Penned by Scottish writer Steve Nicol, Have At It: Why Truth Is the Most Practical Choice is a self-help guide tailored towards current or aspirational business leaders looking to level up and/or rediscover themselves and their motivators for driving success, both in the office and in life.
Coming in at just shy of 170 pages, Have At It is comprised of eighteen chapters, with headings including “Be Easy to Do Business With”, “Release the Handbrake”, and my personal favourite, “What Have You Got Against Dogs?” As these chapter titles suggest, readers should come into this book expecting an informal experience, as Nicol talks through his career to get him to where he is today. It does not prescribe to readers a silver bullet for success, in the same way it does not tell readers what to think and how to behave.
Have At It has a nice, professional cover which feeds through into the formatting inside, with chapters the perfect length to allow the book to be picked up and put down at any point. There is no doubt that this title would sit neatly on any bookshelf or coffee table. The tiny niggle for me is that several of the chapters on the contents page are not numbered. Given the unnumbered chapters still hold the prestige of starting on a new page, with their own enlarged titles, it feels that lack of chapter numbering is by mistake rather than by design.
The tone of voice for this book is also very approachable in nature. Nicol’s twenty years of experience in leadership coaching shines through in this book, to the point where Have At It feels more like a memoir, as opposed to a self-help guide. It reminds me somewhat of Stephen King’s On Writing, that is to say the book is a fascinating memoir but the reader must put a degree of effort in if they want to truly get the best from this self-help guide. In truth, it is probably the only thing that could be critiqued about this title. Nicol speaks like a true business coach, making the reader think for themselves, however people who are looking for a self-help guide to spoon feed them may be left a little wanting.
Have At It is a strong title in its own merits, and one that is perfect for those wanting to take the next step in their personal development. Nicol has a real knack for writing in a way that will have readers fascinated by the author’s own growth journey and from that, they too can learn a great deal. Have At It really does have it all.
AEB Reviews
Links:
Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – “Have At It: Why Truth Is the Most Practical Choice” by Steve Nicol
Purchase Link: “Have At It: Why Truth Is the Most Practical Choice” by Steve Nicol (Amazon)
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