cover image Never Give Up Never Give in

Never Give Up Never Give in

Bryan Drysdale, Julie Blan. S M D Publishing, $14.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-9639506-7-3

Self-help aficionados will find little concrete guidance in this single-minded paean to perseverance, which asserts that ``The pursuit of your goals is the pinnacle of living.'' The authors deliver their message--that perseverance is the key to success in every field of endeavor--with increasing stridency throughout this repetitive, simplistic tome. Whether you're trying to increase the distance of your daily jog or lose ten pounds, you can achieve the goal if you will just persevere, they argue. The bromides they offer are familiar: decide what it is you desire; articulate the desire as a specific goal; choose a realistic goal; and then proceed one step at a time. It's not too difficult to postulate the obvious: if you stick to your diet, you'll lose weight. However, the authors, like many of us, apparently don't have a clue to just exactly how anyone comes by self-discipline. Throughout the book they offer confusing, contradictory advice. One one hand, high achievers work through fatigue, no matter how tired they may feel. Three pages later, the importance of resting when fatigued is emphasized. Given its lack of insight and limited scope, this unconvincing volume is not likely to help readers reach their goals. (June)