June 5, 2008
International Best Sellers for May
Here's what people have been reading across the globe:
# 1 - Rich Dad's Increase Your Financial I.Q. - by Robert T. Kiyosaki - Canada
# 2 - Hostage at the Table - by George Kohlrieser - Switzerland
# 3 - Authenticity: What Customers Really Want - by James Gilmore and B. Joseph Pine - Finland
# 4 - The Adventures of Johnny Bunko - by Daniel H. Pink - Australia
# 5 - Strengths Finder 2.0 - by Tom Rath - Australia
# 6 - Stumbling on Happiness - by Daniel Gilbert - France
# 7 - Its' Not a Glass Ceiling, It's a Sticky Floor: Free Yourself from the Hidden Behaviors Sabotaging Your Career Success - by Rebecca Shambaugh - Canada
# 8 - What the CEO Wants You to Know: The Little Book of Big Business - by Ram Charan - United Kingdom
# 9 - Creating Strategic Leverage: Matching Company Strengths with Market Opportunities - by Milind M. Lele - Denmark
# 10 - Performance Without Compromise: How Emerson Consistently Achieves Winning Results - by Charles F. Knight and Davis Dyer - Germany
June 4, 2008
Drucker Recommends Drucker Books
In Jeffrey Krames October 2008 Portfolio book called Inside Drucker's Brain--based on an all day one-on-one visit with the Drucker shortly before he died--he asked Drucker about his books, among other things.
Drucker told me what he felt were his most important books. The first one was no surprise, but one or two if the others were.
- Concept of the Corporation (1946)
- The Practice of Management (1954)
- Managing for Results (1964)
- The Effective Executive (1966)
- The Age of Discontinuity (1969)
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship (1985)
When you want to know, go the the master.
ChangeThis: Issue 47
We've just posted the 47th issue of ChangeThis. Rob Walker, from The New York Times Magazine, leads of the issue with a piece on the stories we tell about ourselves with our purchases and possessions, and who we're really telling them to. Russell Ackoff and Daniel Greenberg follow with a manifesto explaining how our current education system educates our children "for a world that no longer exists" and what we need to do to change it. Next up--if you are a career employee working for someone else, Milo and Thuy Sindell have written a bill of rights just for you, and if you're tired of working for others, Pamela Skillings tells you how to break free. Learn about the invaluable, yet untaught skill of business improvisation in Randy Sabourin's manifesto. And, wrapping up the issue, we have 7 marketing lessons from the show Seinfeld from Bill Gammell. Excerpts and links below.
The Invisible Badge: Moving Past Conspicuous Consumption by Rob Walker
"Thorstein Veblen introduced the idea of 'conspicuous consumption' in The Theory of the Leisure Class, in 1899. And it's still being recycled today. Veblen gave examples like the man who parades down Main Street in 'stainless' linen, with a superfluous walking stick. These objects supposedly told a story--'evidence of leisure'-- to an audience of strangers.
Today's consumer is supposed to be a little more sophisticated than that. So it's puzzling how many marketers still talk about how a certain beer or sneaker or handbag functions as a so-called 'badge.' Even hybrid cars are said to be eco-status markers that show 'conspicuous concern' about the environment. More scholarly observers call this 'signaling.' But in the end it's all repackaged Veblen: The idea is that we buy stuff mostly to impress other people.
Perhaps this was true in the past. But the time has come to retire the conspicuous consumption idea. Observers of consumer culture (marketers, to name an example) need to understand that as a concept, it's inadequate. The rest of us (consumers, that is) need to understand that even if we wanted it to work, it just doesn't anymore.
There is a better idea--the invisible badge."
http://changethis.com/47.01.InvisibleBadge
http://changethis.com/pdf/47.01.InvisibleBadge.pdf
Turning Learning Right Side Up: Putting Education Back on Track by Russell Ackoff and Daniel Greenberg
"Education should be a lifelong enterprise, a process enhanced by an environment that supports to the greatest extent possible the attempt of people to 'find themselves' throughout their lives.
For too long, we have educated people for a world that no longer exists, extinguishing their creativity and instilling values antithetical to those of a free, 21st century democracy. The principal objective of education as currently provided is to ensure the maintenance and preservation of the status quo--to produce members of society who will not want to challenge any fundamental aspects of the way things are. Traditional education focuses on teaching, not learning. It incorrectly assumes that for every ounce of teaching, there is an ounce of learning by those who are taught. Being taught is, to a very large extent, boring and much of its content is seen as irrelevant. It is the teacher, not the student, who learns most in a traditional classroom."
http://changethis.com/47.02.TurningLearning
http://changethis.com/pdf/47.02.TurningLearning.pdf
The Career Employee Bill of Rights by Milo Sindell and Thuy Sindell, Ph.D.
"In the past, an employee's relationship with their job was about work life boundaries. Today and in the future, work is and will be an integral expression of who you are. More than ever before, people need resources that will give them a framework to organize their ideas, sources of motivation, skills, and tools and sources of motivation to take control of their job and discover what's in it for them.
Enter the Career Employee Bill of Rights. These are not the rights afforded to you by the law. These are your eight inalienable rights, and unfortunately, no one has made it clear that you have these rights. Now it's your time and turn to discover what each of these mean to you and take action to make these rights yours. Then, live them every day of your working life and professional career."
http://changethis.com/47.03.EmployeeRights
http://changethis.com/pdf/47.03.EmployeeRights.pdf
Escaping Corporate America: Changing Your Career Can Change Your Life by Pamela Skillings
"You can find meaningful work in corporations, but if the company values are too different from your own or if you are stuck in a job that doesn't tap into your talents, it's probably time to escape. Too often, corporate jobs revolve around meetings and bureaucracy and don't offer you enough opportunities to do work that you can truly feel good about. Over time, the stress of staying in a job you hate can lead to burnout, depression, anxiety, ulcers, chronic back pain, high blood pressure, and even serious heart conditions.
You may think that this is the price you have to pay for stability. But make no mistake, whatever job stability you think you enjoy is an illusion. Layoffs are standard operating procedure for corporations these days. No career choice is completely stable and risk free anymore. So if you're going to take a risk anyway, shouldn't you at least do it in pursuit of your passion?"
http://changethis.com/47.04.EscapeCorporate
http://changethis.com/pdf/47.04.EscapeCorporate.pdf
Business Improvisation: The Diving Catch of the Corporate World by Randy Sabourin
"Recall that moment when you where your most creative, aware, and tuned into the world around you. Imagine how valuable it would be to harness that state of mind and apply it at will to your most stressful and challenging business situations. To shine when others collapse or choke. To take a potentially disastrous circumstance and turn it into a diving catch worthy of any sports show highlight reel. Business Improvisation is the process of accessing and applying creativity to a situation in real time. It is the ability to converge composition, creativity and execution to achieve success. [...]
This manifesto is about applying the skill of improvisation to performance in the business world. The skills are taught in several other professions such as music, theater, medicine, military, and EMS. There is also a growing body of research to support the premise. This is your competitive advantage when comes to thinking quickly on their feet."
http://changethis.com/47.05.BusinessImprovisation
http://changethis.com/pdf/47.05.BusinessImprovisation.pdf
Seinfeld on Marketing: 7 Marketing Lessons from the Cast of the Show About Nothing by Bill Gammell
"All this time we thought Seinfeld was a show about 'nothing.' Little did we know that peppered in its nine seasons were hidden, real-world marketing lessons taught from the masters themselves. But, unlike the Soup Nazi's secret soup recipes, these marketing lessons are to be shared freely with everyone.
So why did I write this eBook? Anyone who knows me well knows that I watch way too much Seinfeld. So much so that many times during a conversation with someone I'll remark, 'Hey, that reminds me of a Seinfeld episode where Jerry and Kramer are…' Basically, it's a curse.
We'll that's all about to change with this eBook. I have decided to use my Seinfeld powers for the good of marketing-kind. Maybe this will help to quiet the voices in my head (doubtful, but one can hope).
Even if you have never watched an episode of Seinfeld in your life (shame on you!), you can still participate. I'll give you the background of each episode so that you can play along at home.
...on with the show."
http://changethis.com/47.06.SeinfeldMarketing
http://changethis.com/pdf/47.06.SeinfeldMarketing.pdf
Cubicle Warfare - office fun for the summer
No matter how fun or creative your job is, there's always the office space issue to deal with. Cubicles, frustrating fax machines, a copier that seems to run out of toner only for you, fluorescent lights and the scent of old coffee grounds. One of the best ways to cope with these conditions is humor--and sometimes pranks. My dad used to send his brother letters, to his office, in envelopes addressed to Our Preferred Preparation H Customer, complete with logo and official design. From time to time at 800-CEO-READ HQ, people have returned from vacation to find their belongings wrapped* in bubble wrap or aluminum foil, or suspended from the ceiling. Recently, Jon returned to find his entire desk area housed in a cardboard shanty**.
There's a new book out called Cubicle Warfare: 101 Office Traps and Pranks by John Austin. Just a few pranks suggested:
"Pickled Chair" - adding a food smell to someone's office chair
"Walkie-Talkie God" - planting a walkie talkie in the ceiling tiles above someone's desk, then transmitting music, the news, or the gospel from a secure location
"Industrial Velcro" - velcro everything to the desk
"Elevator Fun" - post warnings like "Warning- Cables Are Rusting, Please Do Not Jump"
"Paper Hole Door" - place chads from the 3-hole punch along the top of a door
"Decaf Espresso" - not funny
Now, I don't condone carrying out any of the pranks suggested in this "Tactical Manual," but you will certainly enjoy a chuckle or two reading it.
* Meg's desk
** Jon's shanty
Just an interesting tidbit: Jon worked in the shanty for an entire week.
at 10:02 AM
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Categories: Human Resources/Organizational Development, Misc., Safety, Health, and Wellness, The Company
May's Top Books on Audio
It's the time everyone's been waiting for! Which TOP 25 BOOKS from our Best Seller List in May are available on CD!! Well the wait is OVER here it 'tis:
Rich Dad's Increase Your Financial IQ by Donald J. Trump, Robert T. Kiyosaki and Dave Mallow - # 1 Spot
Earth: The Sequel by Dick Hill, Miriam Horn and Fred Krupp - # 3 Spot
Harmonic Wealth: The Secret of Attracting the Life You Want by James Arthur Ray - # 4 Spot
Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life, One Conversation at a Time by Susan Scott - # 11 Spot
The Middle-Class Millionaire: The Rise of the New Rich and How They are Changing America by Russ Alan Prince, Lewis Schiff and Lloyd James - # 12 Spot
It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy by D. Michael Abrashoff - # 14 Spot
What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful by Marshall Goldsmith - # 15 Spot
The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One that Isn't by Robert I. Sutton - # 21 Spot
Three Moves Ahead: What Chess Can Teach You about Business (Even if You've Never Played) by Bob Rice - # 22 Spot
The Starbucks Experience: 5 Principles for Turning Ordinary into Extraordinary by Joseph Michelli - # 24 Spot
With that said, like I always urge folks to do is: GET YOUR COPIES NOW WHILE SUPPLY LASTS (audio versions tend to go out of stock fast).
Have a GREAT Hump Day!
Oh, by the way - here's a link for one of my 'guilty pleasures' this Spring .... so, CLICK HERE
Enjoy this vid about audio books from the Daily Show:
June 3, 2008
PR Fairy Tales - Inc. magazine article
In the current issue of Inc. Magazine you'll find a short article on companies using children's books (or similar formats) to pitch their messages.
PR Fairy Tales: Pitches Disguised as Children's Books
Entrepreneurs have a habit of describing their companies in David-and-Goliath terms. Now, some are taking cues from Eloise and James and the Giant Peach. A mini trend in the world of public relations has companies replacing their run-of-the-mill press releases with promotional materials that look and feel like children's books.
We occasionally see corporations buying large quantities of children's books for their employees, and recently Roy wrote about the Conservation International and Random House re-release of Dr. Seuss' The Lorax for Earth Day.
In which children's books do you find inspiration? Would you consider pitching your employees or clients with this format?
"When it unveiled the Windows Home Server, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) released Mommy, Why Is There a Server in the House?"
at 1:53 PM
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Categories: Big Ideas, Marketing, Publishing Industry
New Excerpt - The Granularity of Growth
We have posted Chapter 1 of The Granularity of Growth on the excerpts blog. Written by two partners from McKinsey along with the coauthor of The Alchemy of Growth, the book looks at business growth in a "fine-grained" way, zooming in on its different "granularity levels"--from the overall world economy, down through industries and sub-industries, all the way to the individual.
Here's an excerpt of the excerpt:
A company formulating its growth strategy needs to develop insights into trends, future growth rates, and market structures at much greater depth than the aggregate industry level. Insights into sub-industries, segments, categories, and micro-markets are the building blocks of portfolio choices. They are indispensable for companies seeking to make the right decisions about where to compete.All of which poses a practical question: when you make these decisions, what level should you be looking at to get the insights you need? How deep should you go? We'll now introduce a framework to help you find the answer.
And, a direct link to the excerpt:
http://800ceoread.com/excerpts/archives/008118.html
June 2, 2008
Guilty Pleasure: Miss Walters' New Book
OK, I know this is getting quite a bit of media attention already, but I'm going to add to it here and now regardless.
This past weekend, our sister company, Harry W. Schwartz Bookstores brought Barbara Walters in for a signing/interview session at Alverno College . So, I got to meet with and help Miss Walters during the event for her new book Audition and I found her to be quite a remarkable woman! In person she is quite small in stature, razor thin and very nice. It's hard to believe when I saw her that this was the woman that helped alter the way news was done. A pioneer in broadcasting, Miss Walters changed the 'old boys club' by not only doing what they did, but assured the places for women that would come after her, as well.
Well, that's the shameless plug.... I have a copy of the book and just think that everyone should too! That's about it - oh, and Happy June (finally)!!
Ram Charan and A.G. Lafley take on a $4 million business
This month Inc. magazine challenged A.G. Lafley, CEO of Procter & Gamble and Ram Charan to apply the lessons from their recent book The Game-Changer: How You Can Drive Revenue and Profit Growth with Innovation to a company with $4 million in revenue and 30 employees. Lafley and Charan took on the industry of nonelectronic playthings and came up with a seven-step routine for innovation.
And, for your reference, here's Jack's review of The Game-Changer.
Magazine Reviews and News
I spent a lot of time this weekend relaxing with business magazines and came across quite a few good book recommendations and reviews.
In the latest issue of Wired, Jeff Howe reviews Julia Keller's Mr Gatling's Terrible Marvel, while Jason Tanz reviews Buying In by Rob Walker.
Speaking of Buying In, the June issue of Fast Company has an excerpt from the book itself. Entitled "Sex Vs. Ethics," it is about American Apparel's Dov Charney and the changes in how the company sells itself and its products. We'll have more from Rob Walker on Wednesday (hint, hint), so come on back for that.
In June's issue of Conde Nast Portfolio, Roger Lowenstein has written a great review of 30: The Collapse of the Great American Newspaper. From the review:
The contributors to 30 are mostly traditionalists, though not rank sentimentalists. They argue that for newspapers to survive, they must offer something distinct from the synopses of the news found online; that something can only be added detail, richness, accuracy, and length. A winning journalistic product cannot be manufactured in a corporate suite.
Sheelah Kolhatkar looks at the business of publishing in that same issue of Portfolio, profiling HarperCollins' publisher John Burnham and why he is giving disgraced author James Frey (A Million Little Pieces, Oprah, remember?) a 1.5 million dollar advance for his new novel, Bright Shiny Morning.
And, If you're looking for additional book reviews from business magazines, you can find Rebecca's post on the latest from The Economist here.
May 30, 2008
Announcing a blog tour: Change the Way You See Yourself
Two years ago, Kathryn Cramer and Hank Wasiak wrote a book on asset-based thinking, Change the Way You See Everything. Here's the Jack Covert Selects review on the book. ABT means focusing on opportunities, strengths and what can be done (rather than the opposite).
This year, Hank and Kathryn went a step further with ABT and applied it to how people can change themselves. On Monday starts a blog tour for the book. The journey starts at Idea Sandbox; there you'll find the full schedule.
New Excerpt - from Executive Stamina
There's a new excerpt up on our Excerpts blog, taken from Chapter 11 of Executive Stamina: How to Optimize Time, Energy, and Productivity to Achieve Peak Performance by Marty Seldman and Joshua Seldman. Here is the publisher's description of the book: "Executive Stamina combines the wisdom and methodology of the very best executive coaching with the cutting-edge training techniques of world-class endurance athletes. This holistic approach uses practical tips and tools to help executives maximize their career potential, maintain their physical health, and stay aligned with their personal values. Readers will better manage their productivity, time, and energy to achieve peak professional performance. Having personally coached more than 1,500 executives, Dr. Seldman reveals all the success factors, derailment factors, and tradeoffs on the fast-paced executive career track, helping today's executives achieve more and live better."
And here's a snippet from the excerpt:
What Is the Best Use of Your Time?Only you can answer that question, and it will be different for everyone, and will change with circumstances. Nevertheless, there are some guidelines you can follow to help you identify those activities that should be a priority in your current role. To begin, ask yourself:
- What is my unique position on the team?
- What are the factors necessary for me to succeed in this role?
- What are the current risks and priorities of my role?
Here's a direct link to the excerpt: http://800ceoread.com/excerpts/archives/008109.html
at 7:44 AM
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Categories: Careers, Leadership, Personal Development
May 29, 2008
Warren Buffett Picks
Ryan over at Business Pundit posted on 10 investing titles that Warren Buffett recommends. Details over here. The list of the 10:
Big IDEAS to Big RESULTS
Last week Mike Kanazawa, co-author of Big Ideas to Big Results, joined our 8cr family for two days and keynoted for two events in Wisconsin.
One of the stories Mike shared is that of touring an office building. The woman giving him the tour boasted having the longest group of cubicles west of the Pentagon! This city of cubicles was the breeding ground for Scott Adams' Dilbert comic strip. His former cube is memorialized by a serial number. 
That lead into the question of "Is your goal to get the most of people or to get the best out of people?"
My guess is you would agree that it's to get the best out of people. That takes an environment and a culture that supports that mission. Easier said than done. I'm paraphrasing Mike here, two suggestions:
Do More on Less. It's easy to keep pushing more on the plates of your best employees. Stop. Take projects off their plates so they can spend more time on fewer projects. They'll be able to dedicate the time necessary to grow and complete the project. You (the boss) will be more satisfied with the results, as will be the employee.
Delete "buy in." There's this corporate idea of getting people, employees, to "buy in." Buy into an idea, a strategy, whatever change needs to happen. Many times companies wait to implement top-down structures and don't engage employees until after the process is implemented. Instead, work up front on engagement. Involve everyone from the beginning of a new change. Then when you reach the back end, there's no need to sell the idea to anyone in the company and everyone can focus on executing the change.
I'm hoping to have some video footage from the event to post here soon. Todd interviewed Mike on the process of writing the book. I hear Mike's on board for a ChangeThis manifesto. Stay tuned! In the meantime, jump over to Mike's blog.
Mike, thanks for coming!
Cinderella or Cyberella
Two leading scholars in the gender and information technology field have put together essays that bridge women in age, culture and educational backgrounds. These writings are found within the book Cinderella or Cyberella? and they provide women with the information to be more empowered in finance, work and families.
One author, Nancy J. Hafkin, has worked in these fields for thirty-plus years and has been the Chief of Research and Publications at the African Training and Research Centre for Women of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Hafkin has also headed the Pan African Development Information System. She also has a degree in African history from Boston University.
The other author, Sophia Huyer, is the Executive Director of Women in Global Science and Technology and Senior Research Advisor with the Gender Advisory Board of the United States Commission on Science and Technolgy for Developement. She has a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies and International Development form York University.
The essays include case studies from Africa, Asia and Latin America to show different perspectives from all over the world of how women are participating in today's information society.
May 28, 2008
Book reviews in The Economist
The Economist regularly reviews history, business, and nonfiction books in its "Books and arts" section. This week, two reviews caught my eye. Here are brief excerpts from the reviews.
Tall tales
The Pixar Touch: The Making of a Company
A number of interesting things about Disney emerge in this excellent, readable account of Pixar's early years. David Price claims, for instance, that Disney's chief executive, Michael Eisner, considered shutting down the company's animation unit after he took over as chief executive in 1984, an astonishing fact given the subsequent success of cartoon films such as "The Lion King". Mr Price also makes clear just how much Pixar owes to Disney: it was the larger company's marketing for "Toy Story", for instance, that gave Mr Jobs the confidence to launch an initial public offering of shares in Pixar in 2005. Go to the review.
and
Marketing maestros
Alpha Dogs: The Americans Who Turned Political Spin into a Global Business
James Harding, who is now the editor of the London Times but used to report on American politics for the Financial Times, has written a punchy book about spin. Its title, "Alpha Dogs", refers to an American company, the Sawyer Miller Group, which for a while shaped and polished political campaigns all around the world. Go to the review.
at 10:08 AM
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Categories: Book Reviews, Current Events, History and Biographies
Finding new books to read.
Ben Casnocha (My Start-Up Life) blogged about and added to Tyler Cohen's (Discover Your Inner Economist) post on how to find new book recommendations. Both have good recommendations on where to start.
Ben mentioned us as the spot to find out about business books (thanks, Ben!). On that note, allow me to introduce you to what's available:
- Excerpts blog where you can read excerpts from the latest books.
- Podcasts. Clips from various audio books and our interviews with authors.
- ChangeThis. We call this the Harvard Business Review with a bit more color.
If there's ever a book you'd like to see, drop us a note: kate (at) 800ceoread.com. We'll see what we can do.
Another spot, there's a site called Goodreads; kind of the MySpace equivalent for readers. Where you can share what you're reading with friends, keep lists of what you have read and want to read, and find fellow readers to share book suggestions with.
Where else do you look?
May 27, 2008
New Spanish Titles
Welcome back from the holiday!! Hope everyone had a safe and fun-packed weekend!! I just got listings of books now available in Spanish!! So.....for those of you that taught yourself Spanish during your time off (can anyone be THAT productive??) or if you have bi-lingual friends.... here you are!
El Gerente de Suenos (The Dream Manager) by Matthew Kelly (Matthew Kelly is the author of numerous inspirational books, including the "New York Times" bestseller "The Rhythm of Life", "The Seven Levels of Intimacy", and "Perfectly Yourself". The founder of the Matthew Kelly Foundation, he has appeared before more than 3 million people through his talks, seminars, and retreats. Kelly lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.)
El Circo De Tres Pistas (Juggling Elephants) by Jones Loflin and Todd Musig (Jones Loflin is an internationally recognized speaker and corporate trainer. He also lectures widely about the bestselling book Who Moved My Cheese? Todd Musig has more than twenty years of experience in training, marketing, and consulting at organizations such as Franklin-Covey and AchieveGlobal. He is currently the CEO of Previdence Corporation.)
Emociones Destructivas (Destructive Emotions) by Daniel Goleman (Daniel Goleman, PH.D. is also the author of the worldwide bestseller Working with Emotional Intelligence and is co-author of "Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence," written with Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee.
Dr. Goleman received his Ph.D. from Harvard and reported on the brain and behavioral sciences for The New York Times for twelve years, where he was twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. He was awarded the American Psychological Association's Lifetime Achievement Award and is currently a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science His other books include Destructive Emotions," The Meditative Mind, The Creative Spirit, and Vital Lies, Simple Truths.")
La Era de las Turbulencias (The Age of Turbulence) by Alan Greenspan (Alan Greenspan was born in 1926 in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City. After studying the clarinet at Juilliard and working as a professional musician, he earned his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in Economics from New York University. In 1954, he co-founded the economic consulting firm Townsend-Greenspan & Co. From 1974 to 1977, he served as Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Gerald Ford. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan appointed him Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, a position he held until his retirement in 2006..)
Again, welcome back - oh, and enjoy the short work week!
The train wreck that was Bear Stearns
Caption: "An August conference call fails to calm investors."
On Tuesday May 27, The Wall Street Journal begins a three part analysis of the collapse of Bear Stearns.
Buffeted by the most treacherous market forces in a generation and hobbled by indecision, the firm's leaders missed opportunities that might have been able to save the 85-year-old brokerage.
Part one was sad yet fascinating...I look forward to the next installment.
at 8:41 AM
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Categories: Current Events, Finance and Economics
May 23, 2008
Powerlines Bonus
Being placed at the crux of an industry as we are means we're sometimes privy to material you may not see elsewhere. Authors sometimes send us reviews and articles to post, for example, and we were able to post "the lost chapter" of Dan Roam's book on ChangeThis. I've just posted something new from Steve Cone, author of Powerlines: Words That Sell Brands, Grip Fans, and Sometimes Change History, over on our excerpts blog. It was finished just after deadline and didn't make it into the book itself, so it's not officially an excerpt, but we thought you'd enjoy it anyway. It doesn't have much to do with business, but oddly enough on Memorial Day weekend, it does have a lot to do with death. More specifically, it is a list of epitaphs and famous last lines. There is even one, from the tomb of the unknown soldier, that fits the purpose of Memorial Day itself.
Unknown U. S. Solder: A reminder that the ultimate sacrifice is the price of enduring freedom."Here rests
In honored glory
An American Soldier
Known but to God"
Most of the rest are substantially lighter in spirit.
Here is the link to the post: 800ceoread.com/excerpts/archives/008101.html
Thoughts on Seth Godin's "How To Read a Business Book"
Seth Godin wrote a great post on Wednesday titled How to read a business book. I encourage everyone to go read it in its entirety. The main points are that business books are essentially recipes for action, but that the majority of a book's words are spent convincing and motivating the reader to action. "Cookbooks don't spend a lot of time trying to sell you on why making a roast chicken isn't as risky as you might think," Godin writes. He continues saying that readers don't get enough from the experience if they are just reading for the recipe.
Here are my extensions to what Seth started with his post:
- I think business books are self-help, in the most positive sense of the word. And you'll pay $30 for a business book in hardcover because the potential payoff is huge.
- I am not sure cookbooks are the right metaphor for business books. Business in all its components lacks the certainty of the physics and chemistry. There is a repeatability problem. Following a business book recipe does not guarantee the same results for different cooks.
- Having said that, the biggest contributor to failure is most don't follow the recommended recipe to start with. People like picking and choosing the easiest pieces and are surprised when they don't get the roasted chicken like the one in the picture.
- Book summaries are the distilled recipes. I know they are popular with a certain segment, but I don't get it. You don't remember the five important points from a book by reading them in a list. You do it by understanding the context and internalizing the stories the author uses. Whenever we write a Jack Covert Select or publish a manifesto on ChangeThis, our intention is tell you about the book and convince you it is worth your time to read it in its 225 page form.
- I surprised by the number of people who tell me they skip the introductions to business books. I will admit before I started reading "professionally", I did the same. DON'T SKIP THE INTRODUCTION. It often does the same thing as the opening credits to a good movie. You get an idea of what you are getting into, the sort of language the author will be using, and what the compelling points are going to be. If the introduction doesn't grab you, put the book down and find another.
- Take notes and I am going to strongly suggest you do this electronically. Open a text file. Name it with the title and author. And just start writing what you think as you are reading or right after you are done. Writing about what you learned and ability to go back to find it later will pay back in spades. If you want to keep things in the meatspace, get some of these. They were invaluable as we were doing research for our book.
- Finally, reading books is an act of meditation. It is a mental refuge for you to explore your thoughts and feelings about work, but also life as a whole. Take some time to help yourself.
Roam on Television
Back of the Napkin author Dan Roam has made the rounds of cable television lately, appearing on Fox Business, CNN Money and MSNBC's Consultant's Corner. In both the CNN and FOX interviews, Dan breaks down Microsoft's bid for Yahoo on his whiteboard, and implements the same approach on MSNBC to explain how small businesses can be heard in the marketplace. If you're going to watch only one, I would suggest the one from FOX (I've placed it at the bottom of this post. In it, Dan was able to get in a few points about why his approach works that were absent from the others. In the other two interviews, he shows that drawing pictures can help solve problems or explain ideas, but not why. One of the great things about Dan's book is that it gives you an understanding of the science behind how we process information visually, establishing right away why visual thinking is hugely beneficial in the process of selling ideas and solving problem--and not just some gimmick. He gets that point across very well in the FOX interview. We get a bit of his biography at the end of the interview as well, which is nice.
The Philadelphia Inquirer recently reviewed the book as well. You can find that here.
Also, If you missed it the first time around, it was one of March's Jack Covert Selects, and we posted the book's "missing chapter" over at ChangeThis. If you'd like to read an excerpt from the book, we have that too.
