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How to Get a Grip Paperback – September 1, 2011

by Matthew Kimberley (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 482 ratings
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Do you want to get your life back on track? Are you treading water in your career? Does your relationship need a lift? Are you more fat than fit? Well, Get a Grip then! This is the self-help manual for people who hate self-help.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    264 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    AdLib
  4. Publication date
    September 1, 2011
  5. Dimensions
    5 x 0.7 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1843583283
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1843583288
  8. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"amusing debut instruction manual"—Kirkus Reviews

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

How to Get a Grip

Forget Namby-Pamby, Wishy-Washy, Self-Help Drivel. This is the Book You Need

By Matthew Kimberley

John Blake Publishing Ltd

Copyright © 2011 Matthew Kimberley
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-84358-328-8

Contents

Title Page,
Dedication,
Preface,
How To Use This Book,
Part One: Sort Yourself Out,
An Illustrative Introductory Parable,
The Moral and the Lesson,
Building Block #1: Assume Responsibility,
Building Block #2: Give Yourself Permission,
Building Block #3: Be Confident,
Building Block #4: Be Decisive,
Building Block #5: Stop Making It So Difficult,
Building Block #6: Eliminate Stress,
Building Block #7: Man The Fuck Up,
Part Two: Getting Stuff Done,
Getting Stuff Done Lesson 1: Prioritise,
Getting Stuff Done Lesson 2: Beat Analysis Paralysis,
Getting Stuff Done Lesson 3: Throw Out The TV,
Getting Stuff Done Lesson 4: Sever Your Computer Cable,
Getting Stuff Done Lesson 5: Get Your Sorry Arse Out Of Bed,
Getting Stuff Done Lesson 6: Get Help,
Getting Stuff Done Lesson 7: Outsource,
Getting Stuff Done Lesson 8: Apply The Eight Minute Rule,
Getting Stuff Done Lesson 9: The Bottom Line: Do Something NOW!,
Getting Stuff Done Lesson 10: Or Do Nothing,
Part Three: Dealing With Other People,
Dealing With Other People Lesson 1: Don't Be So Sensitive,
Dealing With Other People Lesson 2: Nobody Tells All The Truth, All The Time,
Dealing With Other People Lesson 3: Say What You Mean,
Dealing With Other People Lesson 4: The Grass Is Always Greener, Innit?,
Dealing With Other People Lesson 5: How To Communicate,
Dealing With Other People Lesson 6: How Not To Be A Doormat,
Dealing With Other People Lesson 7: How To Talk To Strangers,
Important Interlude: How To Take Yourself Less Seriously,
Day One: Dance Naked,
Day Two: Get Messy,
Day Three: Sing Loudly In Public,
Day Four: Send Some Fan Mail,
Day Five: Wear Fancy Dress,
Part Four: Relationships,
Relationships Lesson 1: It's Not Who You Know, It's How You Treat Them,
Relationships Lesson 2: How To Treat People,
Relationships Lesson 3: When To Couple Up,
Relationships Lesson 4: Why You Need A Partner,
Relationships Lesson 5: How To Find A Partner,
Relationships Lesson 6: How To Be Married,
Relationships Lesson 7: On Raising Kids,
Relationships Lesson 8: Emergency,
Part Five: Health,
Health Lesson 1: A Word On Diet,
Health Lesson 2: Your Body,
Health Lesson 3: Get Some Sleep!,
Health Lesson 4: Eat Breakfast,
Health Lesson 5: Drink More Water,
Health Lesson 6: In Defence of Booze,
Health Lesson 7: Try Homeopathic Drinking,
Health Lesson 8: Embrace Your Hangover,
Part Six: Work and Money,
Work and Money Lesson 1: Your Job Is What You Do, Not Who You Are,
Work and Money Lesson 2: Make Work Suck Less,
Work and Money Lesson 3: Go On Holiday,
Work and Money Lesson 4: Your Job Is Not Safe,
Work and Money Lesson 5: The Truth About Money,
Work and Money Lesson 6: How To Make Money,
Work and Money Lesson 7: Nothing Is Free,
Work and Money Lesson 8: How Much Money You Need,
Work and Money Lesson 9: How To Hang On To Your Money,
Work and Money Lesson 10: Take The Payment Plan,
Work and Money Lesson 11: Achtung! It's NOT About The Money,
Part Seven: Some Quick Wins For A Warm Fuzzy Feeling,
Quick Win Number 1: Stop Using These Words,
Quick Win Number 2: What You Wear Doesn't Matter,
Qu

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ AdLib (September 1, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 264 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1843583283
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1843583288
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.1 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.7 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 482 ratings

About the author

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Matthew Kimberley

Matthew Kimberley

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Matthew Kimberley was born in the UK. He lived there until he left, aged 18, and moved around the world. After stints in Malaysia, Belgium and Italy, he settled in Malta.

Matthew can't discuss the most interesting thing that ever happened to him, on account of signing the British Official Secrets Act.

He writes a regular email which many of the best-looking business owners in the world receive. You'd fit right in.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
482 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars its easy for it to be scripted for a movie
Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2014
Verified Purchase
a no b s guide.... simple, practical, light yet effective advice.... the author may come across as 'in your face' a few times.... but its the stuff you don wanna hear but you need to... the very casual approach in the writing may lead one to think that the author takes it a little over the top, but to me it seems that there is a lot to read between the lines..... may not seem like it to some but the author seems very well read... and has churned out his creativity, experiences, etc into making complex things simple or finding simple, illustrative solutions to complicated stuff. that to me is not everyone's piece of cake and he has done that efficaciously, thats the best part about the advice..... i know some may call this a 'self help' book. but the way its written.. besides what its supposed to do, it triggers your imaginative side, very lucratively during the read..... usually when that happens in a book, its easy for it to be scripted for a movie..... cos you don have to be a nasa scientist to get the essence of what he's saying or the way he has put it.... i hope that a movie does happen but until then this is a great read.... you will enjoy and hopefully benefit from it as intended as long as your sporting for the language and the exercises within the book...
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Dean chevallerau
4.0 out of 5 stars Laugh at yourself once in a while
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2013
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Very funny and useful techniques on life, love and happiness.helpful to know your not the only one who makes the same mistakes over and over
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Cosmin
5.0 out of 5 stars It reminds you of all you read in your other 328 personal development books
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2013
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Excellent book! Recommended to anyone that has read so many personal development books and forgot to do anything with the information from them.

Best read in the morning on the toilet! Read 3-4 pages, put it down. Now begin your day doing the things you knew you have to do to make this day better.

This book is worth 25 personal development books because the information is compressed and short. You know how some books are 200 pages but you can figure out everything you need to know from their title? (eg "Quit eating so much if you want to be slim!"). How to get a grip is just the opposite - short - so now instead of spending 5 hours to read a book, you can use the 5 hours to improve your life.

Bonus: book is filled with British humor, it's the most fun personal development book I ever read!
4 people found this helpful
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Dimitris Bronowski
5.0 out of 5 stars A book designed to make you take action, get a grip and have fun while doing it. A page-turner
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2019
Verified Purchase
If you are like me and you have been reading self development books since you were 15 years old, you'll find this book refreshingly deep, light and to the point; a no bs guide to take control of your life.
If you are NOT like me and you have NOT been reading self development books since you were 15 years old, you'll find this book refreshingly deep, light and to the point; a no bs guide to take control of your life (yes, that was "copy-pasted" because if something is worth being told, is worth being told twice AND if something is worth being told is worth being told twice). It can save you a few thousand dollars on books trying to help you take action but ending up simply making you feel all powerful for a few days, till you go back to your old life (think Jim Carrey in Bruce Almighty, but without the happy meaningful ending and the hot wife).
Matthew didn't only create a page-turner, he created a personal reading experience full of "huh?" moments followed by "Aha!" moments, and quite often accompanied by "haha!" moments.
Don't take my word for it though, get a grip now and take a couple of minutes to read the first chapter and make up your mind.
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Poppy
4.0 out of 5 stars Very Helpful
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2012
Verified Purchase
Ever felt like the day, the week and even the month is gone and you have almost nothing to show for it? That's what I was feeling when I bought this book. I found it to be very direct, plain speaking, motivating and helpful, even if the language used is more colorful than I'm comfortable with.
4 people found this helpful
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Patrick
5.0 out of 5 stars It contains the truth you already know
Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2013
Verified Purchase
Easy reading, and as the book tries to explain you, you already know how to get a grip, you just have to DO it.
It helped me realising things and opened my eyes.
I guess this book is not for everyone, but it won't hurt anyone as well.
2 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Common sense advice with a wicked sense of humor!
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2016
Verified Purchase
Matthew Kimberley has to be the most entertaining self-help author there is. Plain spoken advice with humor, but it gets the message across: you know what to do, get a grip and do it! I'm glad I read it, because the humor just brings the message home!
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R C Bialostocki
2.0 out of 5 stars What’s He Trying to Do?
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2020
Verified Purchase
OK, there are authors like Mark Manson & Co. who use F this and F that, but in Mark’s case he is believable and smart. By contrast, I found Matthew Kimberley’s writing was pretty cocky and was like receiving a constant telling-off. After half the book I just got tried of the tone.

I like mich of the content. His advice is very helpful and clear. And funny. But he just seems to try too hard.

Given his advice included not giving a stuff about what other people think, I’m guessing he won’t care about this. But if you’re looking for a no-bs guide to life, there are better options.
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Top reviews from other countries

ryan
5.0 out of 5 stars Very nice
Reviewed in Canada on August 3, 2022
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The media could not be loaded.
 Great book, even the cat likes it
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John A. Doorbar
5.0 out of 5 stars Matthew Kimberley‘s super book
Reviewed in Germany on July 29, 2020
Verified Purchase
Really great book
To the Point
Extremely practical
Requires commitment to get the most out of the
Great tools Matthew explains

Good for people who want results quickly
Business people can use it to boost sales
At home privately there are great tips too

As you notice Like this book a lot and warmly recommend it
Thanks Matthew best wishes John
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Grant Herbert
5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect balance of irreverence and respect!
Reviewed in Australia on June 4, 2020
Verified Purchase
The most relevant and to the point book I have read in years, Matthew Kimberley. A must-read for everyone! Thank you for sharing your life’s journey with the world my friend 🙏
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DullButCorrect
5.0 out of 5 stars I wish I could swear here but I can't
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 7, 2011
Verified Purchase
This is the funniest book I have read in a long time. It's about time that someone slammed together the self-help and comedy genres. The book certainly takes its own advice and doesn't take itself too seriously.

I too have grown tired of self-help books that take 200 pages to explain a simple concept. They might give you a short-term mood boost, but it's soon over and you're back to square one. Part of the problem is that it's hard to hold lots of complicated advice in your head at the same time during your day to day life. But HTGAG's advice is nice and simple, and the humour helped it to stick inside my brain rather nicely. Sometimes the simplicity is a problem because some of the issues are handled a little *too* lightly for my liking. But combine this book with a few others (I have 4 favourite self-help books that together I think are a perfect package) and I think anyone can be turned into a superhero.

Before reading, I was a bit worried that if this book's advice is all common sense, won't I just find it obvious and boring? Not at all. While reading the book, I had multiple, "Aha!" moments, even though I've read somewhere between 10-20 books in this genre. It hasn't been hard work at all - it's just like someone telling you the answer to a maths problem you've been struggling over for a while.

I preferred the first half of the book. The second half is still good, but I found the humour to be a little less engaging and the advice a little more obvious (therefore less useful).

Summary: I loved this book, it made me cry with laughter several times. I bought several copies for my friends and have been recommending it to many more. So you should buy it too.
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MoGazza
4.0 out of 5 stars The only life tool you'll ever need
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 5, 2023
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I liked the pitch of the book written in a punchy humorous style. At times. I felt I was a tad old for it. But was fun and informative
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