Hugh MacLeodRezensionen

This was a short little book on creativity. An incredibly fast read, with anecdotes and advice sprinkled among many of MacLeod's business card cartoons, for which he's known.

I can't say I got much out of the book, unfortunately. A lot of the content seems stale, rehashed, and even preachy at times. MacLeod has a very black-and-white view of how to do creativity "right". For example, he's adamant you shouldn't quit your day job while you pursue your passion, and that sitting home alone creating art would be a nightmare. So his basic premise is that if you follow the creative path exactly as he did it, then good on you. If not, you'll likely end up a drug addict, an alcoholic, or broke and delusional on your death bed.

I wholeheartedly recommend taking MacLeod's book with a giant grain of salt. It's simply one person's experience of living a creative life, packaged as gospel. His biased preaching may resonate with you, but if it doesn't, rest assured, you're not alone.

' "Your book has thirteen chapters,” I say. “Voilà! That’s thirteen blog posts. One chapter per blog post. Put it online, and you’ll have a book offer within six months. Trust me.” '

That quote pretty much sums up this book, except it's 40 blog posts, instead of 13.

In theory, I'm not opposed to the blog-post-listicle book, this one just didn't do it for me. Too many "I-stories" (where the pronoun "I" is used far too often), combined with obvious observations phrased as wisdom, and it just felt bland. A few of the forty were OK, but not enough to make it hit with me.

Good and kind of harsh advices on finding your way into a successful art / business life.

Part of me wants to just write the guy off because he has some "evil" ideas that I criticize wouldn't work in the real world. But ya know, he did it. Somehow, he had an evil plan and executed it successfully.

This book can be motivational. It does create some friction .. but also just maybe enough friction to create a spark.

I was pretty disappointed with this book. MacLeod doesn't actually build an argument in this book, but instead seems to repeat the same points in each chapter. The observations he makes, while contradictory, seem a little obvious to me, but I may not be his intended audience, and there is something to be said for reminding people of the obvious truths that the daily grind has made them forget.

Don't get me wrong, MacLeod is not wrong, far from it. It's just the book does not do a very good job of supporting his argument in a compelling way. I hate to say this, but I wish I had taken a look at it in the bookstore before downloading it to my Kindle (the sample chapters for this book in the Kindle store was just the Table of Contents). Had I taken a closer look before hand, I probably wouldn't have spent the $10 on it.

There seems to be a trend of books that look like they are for children but written for adults. There are adult coloring books and picturebooks on writing or life. This picture book
from Seth Godin is on the abc’s of motivating to create art.

In some ways I felt this book, with it’s motivational words of wisdom, reminded me of another author’s speech about creating art and that author is Neil Gaiman. It’s a wonderful speech and if you haven’t heard or read look for it on the interwebs. This picture book is simple but prompt. Something to pump up a artist who, like me, wonders if their art matters.

The feeling the book gives is a wonderful pick me up even if the literal words do not stay with you. I have to keep reading over each letter trying to remember what the one before it said. I guess that makes it is a good thing it’s only a picture book.

V Is For Vulnerable is a book that can be read repeatedly especially when you need a push to keep creating.

Seth Godin, author and marketer, is kind of a big deal in the marketing world. He wrote a number of bestsellers and V is for Vulnerable is his first picture book for grownups.

He goes through the entire alphabet and imparts little pieces of wisdom like,

"Initiative is the privilege of picking yourself. You're not given initiative, you take it."

There were a couple that I frowned and scratched my head about but overall it was a rather enjoyable - and easy - read.

Interesting and cleverly useful bits of creative advise.

Interesting and cleverly useful bits of creative advise.

Unlike Jellyn, I got more from MacLeod's book than from 'Steal Like an Artist'. Just goes to show, each to his own. This small tome - easily read in a couple of hours, shares encourgaing thoughts that are obviously based on personal experience. Good humoured too, with a couple of the cartoons prompting out-loud belly laughs. Thoroughly enjoyable - and inspiring - read.

I didn't hate this book....but I didn't love it either.

Yes, he had some pretty good points. Heck, at times he had some really great points! But what was more difficult for me to get past was the fact that every other sentence was about how he drew on the back of business cards. I get it. Can we move on?

If you're looking for an easy sunday afternoon read, pick it up. It's decent and certainly easy to get through. If you're looking for life changing though, maybe try something else.

I received this book a few weeks ago and read it little by little as I usually do with "hard copy" books. *versus e-books*

This book went with me to my Dr. Appointments and on more than one occasion caused me to laugh out loud. Sometimes at what Hugh MacLeod said, and sometimes at the fun drawings he did in this book.

Evil Plans: Having Fun on the Road to World Domination" was not at all what I was expecting it to be, but it ended up being a very timely book for me. Mr. MacLeod teaches us that we can have fun doing what we love. For me, that is reading and writing. With "Evil Plans" I learned that sometimes we simply have to take that first step. Sometimes, as was the case for one woman, we go back to what we knew temporarily in order to better our lives and move forward as she did.

One thing that Mr. Macleod recalled someone saying has resonated with me since I read it.

"Success is more complex than failure." I needed to hear that as I am a some major crossroads in my life. Some personal, some possibly business type related. I needed to know that Success is indeed more complex than failure. It would be easy for me to fail by simply not doing. With "Evil Plans" in hand, I know that I can move forward and have fun doing it.

I highly recommend this book to pretty much anyone.

Not a bad little book. I feel like I got more out of Steal Like an Artist, but I did take a page worth of notes, so there's some new things or new ways of phrasing things in here that I thought were noteworthy.

This is the book I needed, it reconnected me to the messages about creativity I've been receiving. And as I step out in my life as photographer, I need to be reminded what it's all about.

MacLeod does not sugar coat what it means to be a creative person and the prices we all pay for that, as well as the rewards. There's nothing surprising in MacLeod's lessons, and they are welcome reminders.

I have a confession to make… some of you may be surprised about what I’m about to say… some may say that they already knew… others may try to deny it! but I have to say this! I’M EVIL! I’m 100% evil! I spent my nights awake fantasizing about world domination! I imagine myself laughing while I unleash my army of shell-glued turtles! Shit! Some of you may not know about my evil master plan! Have you ever seen a turtle!? The only way to defeat em is to flip em over! Well! Imagine what will happen if you glue 2 turtles shell to shell!!!! THEY WILL BECOME AN UNSTOPABLE KILLING MACHINES!!!! THE WORLD WILL TREMBLE WHEN I REALESE THEIR FURY! UPON THIS EARTH!!! (Especially Canada and France) MUAHAHAHAHAH!!!


Well… that said! When I say this book in the giveaways I knew I must have it!!! and I knew I will win this cuz I sacrificed a frozen hen to the gods of giveaways! And it worked! What I didn’t know is that it was not about world domination! nor evil plans! They book actually says that! i felt cheated! This is self help! Or that stuff! And about blogging! Who the fuck blogs? Not me! I don’t think anybody cares of what I have to say! And I sure as hell don’t care about what most people have to say! and I don’t wanna do busyness! I hate money!!! What the fuck was I thinking!? Why didn’t I read the description in the book I before I entered!!!!!!!!? Is this going to happen if I win any of the other ones I entered? Like chutuluerotica?? Is it going to be about not Cuthulu??? I’m scare!!!! What of death in a box??? I better get something dead! In a box!!!! Or I will be highly disappointed!


Still! I did get a free book! And although I don’t understand the cartoons… maybe they to deep for me??? and I don’t think regular people should joke around with world domination (we world dominators wanna be take this really seriously!) it is an easy read! And the cover is funny! You can like buy it and put it on your shelve as one of those book you’ll never read but looks mad cool there! Like people will wonder if you into world domination when they see it!!! it worked for Mariel!! It won her a review book challenge!!!


Now I go read manga!


But before that here my list of things to do when I finally take over the world!*:

1. all Canadians and French people will be sent to my “focus” camps in Antarctica! (except maybe for Karen and Steven Erikson!)
2. All Jim Carry movies will be burn! And everything Jim Carry will be deleted from history!
3. Jamaica will have to apologize for atiba! Or they go to the Focus camps too!
4. Getting rid of the emo kids!
5. People who click on both up and down keys in the elevator and then have the balls to ask you if it’s going up or down when the door opens! Will be legal to shoot them in the face when that happens!
6. Movies that start with “based in a real story” will be burned!!!
7. Isabel Allende will have to write a 2000 book pages book with only one sentence! “I’m sorry I ever wrote books”
8. Karen will have to apologize for leaving me hanging and accept public defeat in public for our game of Boggle!
9. Free icecream for all of those who don’t oppose me!
10. Make a law about not making fun of people who wear capes! Capes are sexy god damn it!!!!

Think of this as a daily affirmation – Hugh MacLeod providing quick thoughts and insights to help drive you to be just a little bit more creative (and just a little bit scared about that creativity).

Back it up a second: Who is Hugh MacCleod? Well, he is an ad guy who found an interesting niche. Years ago he started writing little cartoons and sayings on the back of business cards. What started out as a bar trick has translated into his own business. Now, when I say cartoons, that really doesn't speak to what these little snippets of and thoughts about life really do. Many contain a wallop. And it is definitely in the category of "you have to see them to know what I'm talking about."

I have been a follower of Hugh's daily emails for a couple of years. I've never read any of his other books, so I can't speak to you about tribes or any of his other concepts. I can say that more than one of his cartoons have been important to me, and that is why I got this particular book.

Now, if you aren't a fan of Hugh's, I'm not sure this is the book that will convince you. (I'd suggest you go to the web site first and get to know him.) That being said, I don't think you go wrong with this book. As mentioned at the outset, these may well represent the little prods that get you thinking just a little differently about where you are at.

And, for me, starting my own consulting business after 30 years in the real world, it was a nice reminder of the fun and sheer terror that awaits me.

In a way I really enjoyed this book - there is a certain freshness in the unapologetic way the author talks about things that are generally common sense but may not be popular subjects to discuss with the creative crowd, such as that there will be hard times, or that relying on being "discovered" is foolish, or even that you may never make it big at all. He calls out those who waste their lives in meaningless bill-pay jobs while waiting for the big break in whatever their creative outlet is, and those who he dubs Watercoolies: the chronic complainers with stagnant careers.
There are anecdotes from MacLeod's life that illustrate the point of every chapter and there are his business card cartoons that either drive that point home, entertain, or give more food for thought. These make the already short book a fast and easy read that avoids being stuffy or preachy or even overly serious while talking about a subject that's very serious for a lot of people.
With all that said by the time I got to the 40th tip I felt that the book was much too long, that some of the tips were essentially the same and could have been combined without doing the book any harm. I even went through the chapter titles trying to remember which stories went with them and found that a few were interchangeable.
This is a decent read, especially if you want a fresh shot of motivation or to switch gears. It is also a great reminder that not every creative endeavor needs to rival the work of Beethoven, Da Vinci, Rowling or Jobs, it simply has to be yours.

I found this book to be very freeing of my mind and spirit.

To see my review:http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/2011/02/07/evil-plans-having-fun-on-the-road-to-world-domination-by-hugh-macleod/

I read this book in one sitting and absolutely loved it and would recommend it to anyone that is working in the creative field, which I happen to think is everyone! Hugh MacLeod is a cartoonist that created the popular blog, the “Gaping void.” He tells his own story of working in the advertising world and being a copywriter and having his own creativity slowly suffocated by this environment. His writing in both witty and insightful and he asks the question: "Where does creativity come from?" and talks about how to your nurture your own ideas without having them destroyed by others or your own internal voice that starts comparing your work to the work of others.

Hugh shares how he took ownership of his own work and tells that the desire for success prevented him from just doing the work that he wanted to do. In the end he explains it is about sitting down and doing the work and taking risks and being authentic to yourself and ignoring to some extent, the world around you and those voices.

Hugh points out “The more original your idea is, the less good advice people will be able to give you.”

The book is full of Hugh’s cartoons. I found myself reading, laughing and nodding my head from the first page to the last. While the book will not teach you how to be creative, it has a good chance of inspiring you.

My recommendation is to read the book, then put it down and get back to creating something wonderful.

If you own a business, you need to read this book. If you're thinking about starting a business, you need to read this book. If you're thinking about starting something unique, you need to read it. This book is sort of like a marketing book, but doesn't have the BS of most marketing books. This book is sort of like a how to live your life book, but doesn't have the pretension of a how to live your life book. It also doesn't have many words. It's mostly cartoons. It's dense. Read a few pages, then stop and think about it.

Some interesting ideas, but more really obvious ones (e.g. "work hard"). A book is a whole package, design and layout, and the text layout was distracting too.

Hugh can you hear me? A lot more people will hate you after such a good work, I am too busy with my evil plans otherwise I would probably be one of those. Great book. I guess I'll read it again and again.½

liked it. I need an evil plan, I need to start thinking about what I can do to make a difference in life and in my life especially. What can I give-away and back. Wakers, I want to be one. Haters, I want to have some of those(I think I may already(how exciting).) Life is for the living and taking a risk has never been easy for me, but I need to do what I need to do. I've written four books and only me and a close friend have read them. My friend wants me to do more then just write them and maybe now I will. Nothing is ever going to be perfect, but that is where the fun lies. How boring it would be, who would want to touch it, read it, look at it, eat it, if it were absolutely perfect? No one. I'm not perfect and neither will anything I produce. My blog, my kids, my cooking, my writing, and me, all works in progress. Like the book, 'Think Like a Black-Belt' says, "I can just try to be better today then I was yesterday."

This is a fun book and educational at the same time. I hope my senior in HS will read it next, I think he's creative at heart and working 9-5 may kill him. He's a thinker and a performer but working for someone else will be a challenge. I'm easily bored(ADHD maybe?) and so being a substitute teacher keeps that at bay, but it also limits my exposure to the students(which I love.) I think I may be settling because it is comfortable right now, but I really don't want to look back and wonder why I didn't step out of my comfort zone when I had the chance. Change is going to happen whether I like it or not, I may as well get started now.

Read this book and think about what you can do. The world is a changin', can you keep up?

A small book with big ideas. Hugh MacLeod's life changed utterly when he followed his muse and merely began drawing pictures on the back of business cards. Now he is one of the most highly regarded creatives on the web. In Ignore Everybody, he explains his philosophy, Mr. Rogers style. [ full review ]