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  • Fortune Favors the Bold

    Author: Franco Arda

    Written by the founder of SmarterComics, this powerful little manual packs a punch. If you want to grab life by the horns but tend to drag your feet doing it, this comic is for you.

    Fortune Favors the Bold explains that rarely-thought-about element so essential to achieving anything: the act of actually stepping up to the plate. Boldness is key, but it’s something most self-help books forget to explore. Without boldness, a goal is only a pipedream, and ambition vegetates into regret.

    If you want insight that launches you into action, this is the guide book. Platitude-free, it genuinely examines the role of boldness in achieving anything worthwhile and lays out the roadmap for becoming an achiever.

    Filled with amusing illustrations but crammed with serious, rarely-seen quotes from some of the world’s most successful people, this comic makes a mark on the consciousness. You’ll think about it for days, and return to it to renew yourself.

    Boldness won’t guarantee success, but lack of boldness guarantees failure, says Franco. Boldness is the missing ingredient in most people’s lives.

    Life is not going to happen to you — you have to make life happen for you! Are you ready to boldly go where you’ve never gone before? Take the first step of the journey with these 10 quiz questions.

    Franco Arda

    Franco is the CEO & founder of SmarterComics. Born in Switzerland, he earned his MBA in the UK, then worked in derivatives sales for Deutsche Bank, an investment bank, in London, Zurich, and Hong Kong. In spring 2008, feeling the need for change, he left the banking industry. Fortune Favors the Bold was written to inspire his daughter’s success in life. Not being satisfied with a text-based book, he met with Anjin Anhut (an illustrator) and the idea of SmarterComics was born.

  • Reviews

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    • A Positive Twist on How To Boldly Approach Life
      from Carolyn F. Piner "NCcharmer"

      In "Fortune Favors The Bold", written by Franco Arda and illustrated by Anjin Anhut, we are offered the exciting opportunity to read a comic book such as we read as children. However, this comic book has a purpose. The author has dedicated "Fortune Favors The Bold" to his child of 4years old. The goal is to show both his daughter, Joelina and us how important it is to attack life with a vengeance instead of watching it slowly go by as we do nothing but exist from day to day. Using illustrations much as you would find in the comic books of our past, he attacks with boldness the everyday challenges that we might encounter such as tennis, skiing and others to show us how to be bold and shine with pride when we strive to achieve what life has to offer rather than settle for being just average. What a wonderful concept for a father to choose as a teaching tool for a daughter he obviously loves. One of the quotes from the book that had the most impact on me was, "Develop a sense of urgency, and nurture a mission throughout your life." Both Mr. Arda and Mr. Anhut deserve praise for how they put the thought to life. Anjin Anhut, did an equally marvelous job with the characters. He captured the spirit of Mr. Arda's concept completely. The prose and illustrations may have been in comic book form, but the book is intelligent, well thought out and timely.

    • Inspiring!
      from TRW

      Fortune Favors the Bold is a great way to encourage kids to follow their dreams - and it's a nice reminder for parents too. Information is bit-sized and features a wide-variety of wise and quotable people, from Marcus Aurilus to Oprah Winfrey. I particularly appreciate that the author offers encouragement through a number of mediums, e.g., entertaining pictures, stories, and hardcore facts (like, your chance of becoming a millionaire is 2%). It's just the thing to give kids the extra boost in confidence that they may need to follow their dreams.

    • Pure message
      from Nicole80

      Using a comic book to approach the topic of self help is an exciting and bold move and Franco Arda does it beautifully. Reaching your goals and achieving your dreams is an ever present theme in many books but Arda uses pictures and inspiring quotes to get his point across. Fortune Favors the Bold is a fun and motivational book that would make a great gift for a college student or middle aged person alike. Arda inspires us to be whatever we want to be as long as we are "bold" about it. The message is pure and the book is a welcomed change.

    • Bravo!
      from Jeannie

      In life, individuals are always faced with dilemmas. However, it is up to each individual to overcome every dilemma with dignity. In this specific book or shall I say comic book, Franco Arda express an imperative characteristic trait that should be embedded in every person since birth, which is the trait of boldness. Arda explains that in order to become successful in life, individuals must have a sense of confidence, which is a personal boldness. Although boldness isn't the answer to life, it the reason to take chances and risks. The format of this book is quite unique. As a writer, I'm quite inspired by the comic format and numerous of encouraging quotes. This comic book is a voice of motivation and an excellent "How-to" book. The illustrations worked along said every single word and it's quite obvious that Arda was speaking based on personal experiences. There is quite a personal aura from reading this comic book. Even from the dedication at the beginning, there's a sense of personal touch and ownership. Bravo!

    • Choose to follow the path that is right for you, not the one imposed by others
      from geneortiz

      Former investment banker, Franco Arda, along with talented illustrator, Anjin Anhut, has distilled the wisdom of dozens of top inspirational writers and historical figures from Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki to George Patton and Babe Ruth into 25 pithy chapters beautifully illustrated with exciting and entertaining drawings that make this an easy and fun read. Ten pages of annotated end notes and reference citations will aid the reader in learning even more about the subject of each two-page illustrated chapter. Written to inspire Arda's daughter's success in life, Fortune Favors the Bold from SmarterComics would make a great guide to have handy in your briefcase, top desk drawer, night stand or glove compartment. It would make a great gift for a tweenager or almost anyone interested in some basic rules to live by and succeed.

    • Fortune Favors Those Who Get This Book!
      from Jan Maxwell

      If you ever need a pat on the shoulder or an encouraging word to help you make it through your day, keep a copy of this marvelous little book close at hand. Author Franco Arda, with the help of illustrator Anjin Anhut, takes words of wisdom and creates tiny life lessons that can lead anyone to success. Arda reminds us to believe in our dreams and focus on what is important in life. He explains how our greatest limitations are self-imposed and how success will come if we develop a sense of urgency and act boldly. If you're ready to make a course correction in your life, this book will be your roadmap.

    • Great book
      from Marie L. Mortensen

      I really liked this comic. It was genuinely motivational. I liked that it used real quotes and illustrated the topics with stories from the real world. It's not just the author's opinion but the author's use of the comic medium to relate true principles of success. It's a great book. It would be a really good business gift.

    • Fun Media For Learning How To Be Bold
      from Jennifer Baker

      "Fortune Favors The Bold" by Franco Arda is a fun and enjoyable self-help book on how to go out in to the world and make your dreams come true. Instead of a boring, long winded narrative on how to be bold and go after what you want, Franco Arda used the medium of comics to make his point. The illustrations by Anjin Anhut were wonderful and the narrative was concise and informative. It is highly motivational and encourages the reader to use creative thinking to think outside of the box. Definitely a must read for teens to adults.

    • Eye Opening
      from Jack0731

      I truly enjoyed this comic book by Franco Arda. His ability to bring continuity to obstacles in everyday life that may seem overwhelming and bring it down to one simple adjective is very unique and somewhat clarifying of life itself. For many, the word "Bold" means courage and strength. This comic book shows the difference of brain and brawn and when to use them and when not too. It is a great depiction of challenges for all ages and all lifestyles, and the motivational quotes by some of our favorites is great evidence of the successes of his words.

    • Maximizing Your Potential Through Boldness
      from Mihir Shah

      A self-help book in the form of an entertaining comic, can it get any better than that? Smarter Comics founder Franco Arda strives to combine an enjoyable reading experience with serious information pertinent to all audiences, especially the younger generation (e.g. college graduates, high school, etc.) Using a serious of unique, yet profound quotes, Arda delivers one simple message: be bold and take risks. He acknowledges that being bold may not guarantee success, but the lack of boldness is almost certain failure. In a nutshell, boldness awakens the other attributes (e.g. passion)--it is like the final piece to the character puzzle. From discussions of seizing the moment, pursuing dreams, embracing fear, and believing in yourself, Franco Arda's Fortune Favors the Bold is a fantastic read and an endless reserve for motivational fuel.

    • It works!
      from JI

      This is such a motivating book. The illustrations show characters on a journey of their dreams, through fear and onto success. Instead of getting caught up in their stories, the graphic depictions accentuate the personal introspection that the reader willingly accepts. When I wasn't thinking of how this theme of boldness applied to my own current situation, I was thinking of those of my loved ones and how this motivational tool could help them. I would never have thought of using a graphic novel/self-help combination, but wow it works.

    • Powerful Comic
      from Marisol K.

      I'm not usually a fan of comics but I found this one incredibly enticing. There are two very distinct narratives in this work; the illustrated story and the written story. Both came together quite nicely, in fact, I don't believe I've ever been so excited/entertained by a self-help type book. I also loved the quotes scattered throughout the book, they were unique enough to be fresh and at the same time very rich in wisdom.

    • Awesome!
      from Anthony Walker

      This should be read by grade school kids of all ages,!

    • Fantastic
      from Andrew French

      This comic is fantastic and truly inspirational.