From: Martin Lukes
To: Pandora@CoachworX

Hi Pandora,
Actually you're spot on re my artwork. The only thing I'd say is that when I drew the white circle I meant it to be a golf ball, but you're right, it works just as well as a guiding star!!
        Here are my goals. I don't need to think too hard about these, they are, in no particular order:

1. I'd lke to be CEO of a-b global
2. I'd like to earn some serious money
3. I'd like to have a big villa in Tuscany and another one in Seychelles
4. I want an Aston Martin DB9
5. I'd like an indoor gym and a jacuzzi
6. I'd like Cindy to be found out for the featherweight she is
7. I want a handicap in single figures
8. I want to spend some quality time with Kylie Minogue
9. I'd like to lose 2 stone, develop a six pack and re-grow a full head of hair

22.5 per cent better than my bestest
Martin

Yes, That's right. The whole book is a stream of emails. This firstly I must say is not a book I would have bought. Do you remember about a year ago I did a post about Anonymous Lawyer which was in essence a blog and some emails? That was a good book. If I read a couple of pages of this I would have been put off & left it as an area I've already explored. However it was lent to me. I hadn't asked for it either. Funnily enough it was lent to me by someone that I had first lent Anonymous Lawyer to. He left it with me as a book I should read. Fine, I thought -- given time.

Months later, here we are. Comparing them both, well it's quite a similar pattern, actually the content on the outset too shows an uncanny resemblance. Big evil corporation person has no life and is 0wned to an extreme degree where he may as well just drop & die!. Some differences: Law becomes Marketing. Blog posts are no more, just e-mails (meaning he's less liable to get sacked over it becoming a public portal for information), but is there any originality?

Well, yes. Yes there is. Once you get past the initial similarities, it's about 2 totally different characters (+ here we have a 'Personal Coach'). The lawyer was smart. Martin is a dimwit. This is a gift and a curse to it's reader. It allows us to see the mistakes he makes & laugh at him. His misinterpretation of information & situations too adds some humour. I've tried to incorporate that in the snippets I have chosen, however in the grand scheme of things, it has to be said, the humour is in small doses & the rest just isn't all that entertaining.

The gift I spoke of .. was humour. The curse? This may just be because I know a 'lot' of people that I can put into the shoes of the main character Martin, but I had many many instances where I hated him. He's one stupid ignorant fool who is probably getting paid a good packet of money & just doesn't deserve it. Though you have some moments where you 'pity the fool', mostly you just want him to lose. This isn't spite, it's just the common sense that has failed, miserably. I don't know the guy personally but I think people would understand if I use the analogy of George Bush. It's not that people envy him & want to be President. It's just the thought process of how did we let this happen?

Back to the book, he makes a number of small wins & does progress over the year, but it's blatantly not the coaching that's helping. To think that there are idiots out there that by fluke have the riches of the world that they'll one day probably pour away into the ocean, is the depressing thought you'll be left with as you finally finish the book.

Spare yourselves the agony. Really, don't bother!