Book Review:-Total Competition

Book Review:-Total Competition

With many Formula One and motorsport fans looking forward to what has got to be one of the most highly anticipated books on motorsport this year, Total Competition, subtitled Lessons in Strategy from Formula One, is positioned in the marketplace as a guide to strategic thinking. It's even styled to resemble one of those management self-help books (the cover especially) in my opinion.

But I can honestly say that it is nothing like that and non-fiction books on subjects that I adore (in this case Formula One) have always sparked my interest as they can be read from multiple viewpoints and offer something fresh and exciting to their intended audience.

Having steered four Formula One teams to a dozen world championships, Ross Brawn's memoirs were always going to make a compelling read. But “Total Competition” is more than that. With co-author Adam Parr, who spent three years at the sharp end of F1 politics with Williams explains Brawn's approach to Formula One through the context of Sun Tzu's two-thousand year-old reference work on warcraft, The Art of War (he also used this title for his 2012 graphic novel).

With the book divided into three distinct and clear sections – Brawn's career, strategy in Formula One and concluding observations – it is also possible to utilise Total Competition as a reference manual on successful application in all professions.

The best parts of Total Competition for me personally are the details disclosed about Brawn's professional relationships which are fascinating, but the biggest selling point of this release of his own analysis of his own mistakes. The act in itself is for me in my opinion someone who is a strong character but to do it in a public yet private arena through a book takes a lot of strength, courage and also respect.

Since the book was released, several stories have emerged about the revealing new details contained within. These stories include Brawn being unaware of Ferrari's controversial veto power regarding rule changes in the sport and the breakdown and fracture of his relationships at Mercedes which led to him leaving the sport. I especially found the latter completely fascinating as myself being in a managerial role; the advice was so honest, refreshing yet completely simple which can transferred quite easily.

I also found during the book that Brawn touches on his work with prospective new owners Liberty Media and comments on the direction he feels the sport should be heading in the next few years. With Brawn's expertise within the sport and also his reputation for speaking logical sense at a time when the sport is uncertain of its future and direction, it would be silly not to at least take his perspective on board or even heed the advice he has given.

The least interesting parts of Total Competition are Parr's digressions into the history of warfare. I completely understand that Parr's interests as an historian, businessman and also fellow lover of the sport need to be shown in this book, but I simply found the tone Parr was using in this book coming across as arrogant and even maybe with a hidden agenda attached to it.

Even though these descriptions from Parr are brief, I was starting to get more and more frustrated with reading this and it was only the thought that I wanted to read more of what Brawn wanted to say got me through this period of the book.

Also, the lapses into question-and-answer format which made it feel like an extended magazine article and I wanted to read more about their opinions (more so Brawn's) more naturally and this felt more forced, even a bit like interrogation.

But these minor stylistic devices don't detract from the fascinating substance of the book which is hearing Brawn's fascinating opinions about the sport we all love. Parr appropriately rounds up his conclusions on how and why his co-author succeeded or failed in certain situations, therefore bringing the separate strands of the narrative together neatly.

But as a whole, Total Competition can be read both as a biography of one of F1's most successful off-track competitors and a reference manual for aspiring team bosses or people in management positions. I read this book in two days and I have learnt from Brawn some vital managerial skills that I can use within my employment effectively such as how to succeed in pressurised environments and forge working relationships with difficult colleagues.

In a few years' time when Formula One knows the direction that it wants to go, this book could be one of the most important on the sport in recent years. I would have given this book four stars if it was only Ross Brawn that contributed to it only as personally I find Parr's contribution being arrogant and forced which has contributed to my overall rating of this book.

Finally even if you have no prior knowledge of or interest in Formula One, Total Competition still offers something to everyone and well worth getting a copy for your shelves.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Author: Ross Brawn and Adam Parr
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: November 2016
Pages: 313
Price: £20
ISBN: 9781471162350

Buying links:-
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Total-Competition-Lessons-Strategy-Formula/dp/1471162354/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481550146&sr=8-1&keywords=total+competition+ross+brawn

Sarah Jones- @jonesy_laaa