'Whatever You Think Think the Opposite' is full of refreshing, often irreverent but true insights about career and self management. Paul Arden wrote some notablel books on advertising and motivation including "Whatever You Think, Think The Opposite" and "It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be"Some gems from 'Whatever You Think Think the Opposite':

[From the Great Books  Series. Also see The Success Manual  - Encyclopedia of Advice, which contains summaries of 100+ Most useful books.]

Trapped:. It’s not because you are making the wrong decisions. It’s because you are making the right ones. We try to make sensible decisions based on the facts in front of us. The problem with making sensible decisions is that so is everybody else.
I want: Making the safe decision is dull, predictable and leads nowhere new. The unsafe decision causes you to think and respond in a way you hadn’t thought of. And that thought will lead to other thoughts which will help you achieve what you want. Start taking bad decisions and it will take you to a place where others only dream of being.
Are you being reasonable?:Most people are reasonable; that’s why they only do reasonably well.
The age of unreasons: Old golfers don’t win (it’s not an absolute, it’s a general rule). Why? The older golfer can hit the ball as far as the younger one. He chips and putts equally well. … So why does he take the extra stroke that denies him victory? Experience. He knows the downside, what happens if it goes wrong, which makes him more cautious. The younger player is either ignorant or reckless to caution. That is his edge. It is the same with all of us. Knowledge makes us play safe. The secret is to stay childish.
[If you are a brilliant listener who rarely interjects the speaker will think you are brilliant—because he will have been listening to himself.]
What is a good idea?: Tne that happens is. If it doesn’t, it isn’t.
Don't stay too long in a job: Fired? It is the best thing that could happen to you. You hated your situation anyway.) …
Don't go to university, go to work: Going to university usually means, ‘I don’t know what to do with my life, so I’ll go to university.’)
Don't be negative about the rejection: When I was Creative Director at Saatchi’s I gave a young man a grilling for producing an underwhelming piece of work. Later in the day, somebody told me he was in his office crying. I went along to console him. I said, ‘Don’t worry, I was useless at your age too.
Simply change your life: The world is what you think of it. So think of it differently and your life will change.

The best piece of advice ever given was by the art director of Harper’s Bazaar, Alexey Brodovitch, to the young Richard Avedon, destined to become one of the world’s great photographers. The advice was simple: ‘ASTONISH ME.’ Bear these words in mind, and whatever you do will be creative.