The Power of No

By: James Altucher, Claudia Azula Altucher

Narrated by: James Altucher, Claudia Azula Altucher

Length: 4 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's Summary

"No" is sometimes the hardest word to say. It's also the most necessary. How many times have you heard yourself saying yes to the wrong things - overwhelming requests, bad relationships, time-consuming obligations? How often have you wished you could summon the power to turn them down? This program will help you take back your power by showing that a well-placed "No" can not only save you time and trouble, it can save your life.

Drawing on their own stories as well as feedback from their fans and students, James Altucher and Claudia Azula Altucher clearly show that you have the right to say no: To anything that is hurting you. To standards that no longer serve you. To people who drain you of your creativity and expression. To beliefs that are not true to the real you. It's one thing to say no, the authors explain. It's another thing to have the Power of No. When you do, you will have a stronger sense of what is good for you and the people around you, and you will have a deeper understanding of who you are. And, ultimately, you'll be freed to say a truly powerful "Yes" in your life - one that opens the door to opportunities, abundance, and love.

©2014 James Altucher and Claudia Azula Altucher (P)2014 Hay House

Bad narration, anecdotal ideas

A book that could have been a single article. The authors aren't good narrators. The ideas aren't backed by anything but opinions.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Authors who should not have narrated their book.

What disappointed you about The Power of No?

I could not listen past a couple of chapters because the authors' voices were so hard to listen to. The female author was very difficult to understand and the male was simply annoying. And, the overview that was given early in the book made me realize that this was not a good purchase. It wasn't what I expected at all. It sounded like a bunch of postmodern hocus-pocus and not practical advice on how to say no to the demands placed on us by others. I will be calling Audible to return this book.

Would you be willing to try another one of James Altucher and Claudia Azula Altucher ’s performances?

No way.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Irritation.

41 of 46 people found this review helpful

Some really bad advice...

James, Claudia and their audio technician chatter about some faux mixture of Oriental thought/meditation and daily life with little to no comprehension of theoretical foundations. Several times I stopped and thought, "WOW! That's a really bad suggestion!" Don't think of your life in thirty years...you might be dead. They allowed some of their headphone banter to get into the recording, I guess they felt that it enhanced the experience, but in reality it just exposes them as shot from the hip types who don't really know where they are going, but they will eventually get there.
If you are going to journey through this life with a philosophy that philosophy needs to take you from womb to tomb. If it can't look thirty years down the line then it can't look thirty minutes.
It was an interesting listen with some original perspectives, but the authors come across as just winging it which defeats the purpose of sharing it in audio/book format.

60 of 71 people found this review helpful

100% self-absorbed

This book is weird. And it's one of a kind. One of a kind in the sense that I couldn't listen to more than an hour or so, before giving up. In retrospect, I can't believe it took me that long to realise how useless this book would be to me.

The book is weird, in that the authors, who are a couple (as suggested by their last name Altucher) reads it themselves. Fine and fair enough, but they really stretch that format, by talking on top of each other. Suddenly having her voice interrupt, or vice versa, after one person talking solo for maybe 15 minutes; feels weird. As if you're in your friends living room, been there for a few hours, and suddenly you realise his partner was also home, sleeping under the sofa. Yes, weird example, but this book IS weird - and you get the idea.

This book is also mindlessly boring and full of anecdotes that few other people than the authors themselves can get excited about. I'm all for transparency and authenticity, but in this book, it's feels like being at a wedding, positioned between two guests, who also happen to be a couple ("The Altucher's" also know as "The MeMeMe's") that can't stop telling you about their life, in every little detail, and make much grandeur of each and every little event, as if it's the biggest since the birth of Christ.

Come on.

I do realise the book may be in a good format for some listeners, just not me. It feels like they just pressed record, started rambling, sent it to a foreign language virtual assistant for editing (meaning that this person couldn't editorially edit it) and pressed the "Publish to Audible" button;)

52 of 62 people found this review helpful

Great book

Very detailed and easy to listen to you. Gives many science based procedures to less stress and consistent performance without all the technical jargon bells & whistles. Put in terms for all to understand without having to cross reference to understand. Great book.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

A Must Read for All Ages and Personalities

Would you listen to The Power of No again? Why?

The structure of the audiobook was that of a daily. Lots of valuable life lessons to soak in over and over again. It inspired me to stay the course on current positive trends in day-to-day life and gave encouragement to develop and build on them further.

What did you like best about this story?

The content was very well thought out and flowed naturally from start to finish. In addition to the overall richness of the lessons and stories provided, James and Claudia were perfect narrators.They added a real warmth and layer of honesty that may not have existed with someone else.

What does James Altucher and Claudia Azula Altucher bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Their fabulous personalities.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

So many great quotes...one that really struck a chord with me was "you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." This book is full of wonderful quotes just like it.

Any additional comments?

I've recommended this book to family, friends and strangers alike. Congratulations to James and Claudia in their efforts to produce a beautiful and timeless story that will change lives for years to come.

13 of 17 people found this review helpful

They practice what they preach, and yet....

This is an interesting self-help book combining a practical, common sense set of tips to become a successful entrepreneur with eastern spiritual principles. Although entertaining and genuinely useful in its unusual mix of spiritual and practical suggestions, the book ultimately feels superficial and disjointed. The authors rely almost solely on their personal experiences to derive universal dictums about how to prosper; and while they suggest reading 500 books on a subject that you want to be an expert at, few external references for their own subject are made. Instead of turning to scientific evidence and research to defend their claims, a simple "Trust me, it works" is offered. Many of the long lists of exercises seem made up and their evidence for success comes from their own experiences and from those who have written to them - a far cry from a random sample. The references to yoga, meditation and 12 step recovery were excellent but they didn't fully gel with the rest of the book. It was like a soup with lots of ingredients that had yet to fully cook and combine.

Still, I was reminded of the importance of gratitude, the need to ask for help, and the option I have to start from scratch and reinvent myself. And I'll admit there was something endearing about a husband and wife reading their book together I'm a relaxed conversational manner.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Terrible

there may have been something useful here but it could have been covered in 10 minutes I think. I somehow got to chapter 4 before I could not stand it anymore.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Ugh, daily deal I wish I hadn't taken advantage of

I just couldn't take the author/narrator seriously. Glad he was able to reinvent himself a few times but it's just not for me. I just grinned and bore it and wish I hadn't.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Not for me

What disappointed you about The Power of No?

A lot of jabber, not much fruitful advice.
Truth be told - I only listended to half of it.

Has The Power of No turned you off from other books in this genre?

Sort off. I know that a lot of "self help" books are not very good.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of James Altucher and Claudia Azula Altucher ?

Luke Daniels

19 of 29 people found this review helpful

worth listening to more than once

What did you like most about The Power of No?

builds on 'choose yourself' I love the personal stories and the honesty when James and Claudia have made past mistakes

What did you like best about this story?

it had surprising results like helping my diet!!

What does James Altucher and Claudia Azula Altucher bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

to hear it in their own words makes it much more real

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes if you have the time, but better to listen in chunks to have time to digest the material

Any additional comments?

well I finished it and am now on the second time around as it's helping reinforce the things I wanted to do

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Average and disappointing. Nothing new. was expect

Average and disappointing. Nothing new. Was expecting to hear a proper and interesting guide with some lifehacks how to say "no" but instead had to listent to the authors not really motivating lifestories.

Poor mental emotional state

This book is for those currently in a poor mental emotional state who are close to suicide. I'm sure it has its place but should be better positioned. Had to stop listening after 20 mins or so.

Waste of my time...

I didn't know what to expect from the book as I picked it up by random. Maybe if I had done a little bit of research first into the authors and their writing I wouldn't have listened it on the first place. But that's on me...
So here's why this book is not for me:
- the book is dedicated for people who are at the very bottom of mental and emotional state, depressed and/or on the edge of committing suicide.
Not for aspiring entrepreneurs who are looking to understand how word "no" can improve their lives and businesses - or how they can excel in being more assertive etc.
- weak writing - 70% of the book has nothing to do with the main theme - "saying no" ... The plot is all over the place and appears more like a copy-paste of punch-lines from writings of Tolle, Covey and Greene ... And without the necessary context.
- lots of unnecessary fillers. Really. A lot....
- that said, nothing you couldn't find elsewhere on some random self-help blog summarised in one longer post...
I've finished over half of the book on 1.5 speed just to complete it (should have deleted it really but that's on me again ...)
Don't buy.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Simple, warm, honest and funny -

I have read this book twice since it came out.
The authors "co-host" in a very warm way and share their experiences without sounding like "guru's" - in the last year a lot of what has helped me in my own life came from this book.

Thanks guys!

Aye!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would absolutely recommend this book to friends.

For one thing, I've never slept better.

Have you listened to any of James Altucher and Claudia Azula Altucher ’s other performances? How does this one compare?

This was totally on par with the other book, Choose Yourself

Any additional comments?

Just read or listen to this book. Real people, real scenarios and real outcomes.