It's easy to discount Sandbox Wisdom as "cheesy" or "juvenile."

Well, Tom Hopkins taught me to look for the value in everything and so I did my best to approach this book with an open-mind.

As I read, I was reminded of an experience a few weeks ago playing with Tonka (my daughter) that gave me some additional perspective on how children not only keep us young, but can also be a competitive advantage in business.

It's not a "serious" or "complex" business/leadership/guru-esque, but it's not meant to be...deliberately.

Is it the greatest book I've ever read?

No.

Does it give you a breath of fresh air and a chance to take yourself out of the daily grind and perhaps alter the way that you look at things?

Yes.

3 out of 4 stars.

And a hat tip to my great financial advisor, Josh, for getting me a signed copy.

"Life conspires to beat the rebel out of you," says Alex Bogusky of the Crispin-Porter Bogusky ad agency in this month's Fast Company.

But it's in the little rebellions where each of us has the opportunity to "be remarkable."

The battle against mediocrity is fought on many fronts. PowerPoint is one where I choose to engage (other posts here).

Just finished Garr Reynolds' phenomenal book, Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery (Voices That Matter).

Reading it won't make you a great presenter, but if you don't follow his lead, it's going to be difficult to become one.

If you read the book and you still think that the best way to convey information (in a presentation you deliver) is through bullet points and "eye chart" graphs, you should probably just stop reading this blog. (I'm mostly serious about that.)

Garr makes a number of solid points about why those presentations are ineffective (if you  want to relay vast quantities of written info, use a word processor). He also lives in Japan, where I lived for 2 years, and relates a lot of his theories to Japanese ideas, which sits well with me.

After all, "Death by PowerPoint" as a phrase didn't come about because most people are great presenters, after all.

With each presentation, you have a chance to tell a great story.

• What is your point?
• How do they all fit together?

Want to back it up w/reams of data? Great, hand it out. And for God's sake, please don't read us the slides!

Seth Godin posted the other day on the changing nature of work and the fact that, odds are, you'll need to do even more presentations. Many of those will be where you don't have the in-person audience. Gaining attenion is even more challenging in this environment.

If Seth's right (and he usually is), and you want to be successful, you're going to need to figure out a way to get your points across in a memorable, engaging, and stimulating manner.

Standard templates, slides that don't require you (i.e.: if I can figure out the total story of the presentation just by reading the slides, what value do you add?)...these are things of the past.

I know it's far easier to just "take the template and fill out the slides." 

As a checkbox exercise, you'll be done. It is probably more efficient than spending A LOT of time upfront preparing a compelling and exciting presentation.

No question.

But, it won't be more effective

Which would you rather be?

.

An entire book about women's purses and their contents?

That's right. My newest client (announced shortly) sent me In Your Purse: Archaeology of the American Handbag as a backgrounder and, wow, was it interesting.

I just love where you take something that is seemingly so commonplace and mundane and put it under the microscope.

A quick read based on interviews and qualitative/quantitative analysis of the contents of 100 purses in Portland, OR and Plano, TX pulled back the layers of "the simple purse."

You get insight into what the outside of the purse tells you about the owner. What the contents tell you about their habits and their needs.

The author shows you the inherent value in going VERY deep into a subject, trying to make sense of it, and then using it to figure out the macro elements of the story.

And this take away...don't put your purse on your kitchen counter. It's got as many germs as the soles of your shoes.

Had a chance to hear Rohit Bhargava speak last night about his new book Personality Not Included: Why Companies Lose Their Authenticity And How Great Brands Get it Back at the Barnes and Noble in Clarendon, VA. Ok, so I'm not a photographer :-)

While I haven't read the book yet (so can't formally endorse or review), I do like the premise very much. Namely, that if a company insists on maintaining a 'sanitized' and 'distant' rapport with its customers, it will lose out in the long run. His example of an airline that charges $1000 to fly someone from DC to NYC was poignant.

Sure, that airline will make money..in the short term, but in the long-run, the customer will feel wronged and, there's a good chance, s/he will choose another airline. He called it "empty profits."

Right on.

What I liked even more about his premise is that he didn't just jump on the social media bandwagon. Instead, it's more a play off of the Seth Godin concept of "Be Remarkable." Do something worthwhile to inspire people to talk about you...and part of that is to have a personality.

It's also a guidebook, kind of like Groundswell is for Social Media, in the sense that it goes beyond theory and offers case studies and practical advice.

I'm looking forward to reading it, but right now, I'm working my way through (well, it's not work, b/c it's a GREAT book),Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds [review soon]

And I owe a big thanks to Josef Katz (a great marketing blogger) since I won the contest to get a free copy of Rohit's book on his blog.

(Don't worry, as a transparent, authentic, and credible Web 2.0 blogger--how's that for cliche, I told Rohit straight up! His answer (right on the money): "no problem, the goal is to get the word out there!", which is of course what I am doing now.)

It seems that everybody is writing a book about the fundamental changes brought on by the "new marketing" and how "social media" are a key component of that.

So, when I heard about "Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies," I was a little skeptical. But, in an example of the power of Word-of-Mouth, enough of the bloggers I read and respect came out with some positive comments on it. (Sidebar: for a nice analysis, check out MGH's post on VALUING WORD OF MOUTH)

Most of the books I've read lately are big on theory and short on practice. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it IS a new discipline, but Groundswell was strong on both counts and I was impressed. And, for a bonus they were rigorous in their use of analysis and data, a critical component in this evolving area.

By my count, I had 12 dog-eared pages (out of 250), that's 5% right? A high number by my standard.

What did I take note of?

1. Had never heard of SplashCast, which seems like a nice widget/tool to add value to your site
2. The concept of the "Alpha Mom," which highlighted a great disciplinary practice within their book...the understanding that social media is not a "one size fits all" solution and you can't get away from understanding your customers. In other words, don't chase a fad b/c you think it's cool. It may be irrelevant to your audience.
3. How they segment the social media world using the "Social Technographics Profile"
1. Creators
2. Critics
3. Collectors
4. Joiners
5. Spectators
6. Inactives
4. A simple acronym POST (people, objectives, strategy, technology) to help guide the evolution of your thinking regarding a social media strategy
5. "Businesspeople are people, too. There is no such things as a social network for businesses for a business commenting on a blog. Businesses don't interact. People do." [I liked this one b/c it validates my post here]
6. How starting a conversation will change the way you think about marketing (from shouting to listening), again validating a post of mine. Hey, I need to feel good, right? (p.125)
7. Fred Reicheld's Net Promoter Score (NPS). I'd heard of it, but nice to be reminded of it again.
8. A nice quantification (p. 138) of the ROI of ratings and reviews (including allowing negative ones) for a site
9. Some good fundamental guidance such as:
1. "ask yourself 'what is my customer's problem?'
2. "pick a strategy that fits your customers social technographics profile and problems"
3. "don't start unless you can stick around for the long haul"
10. a nice case study of Bearing Point and their wiki (p. 168)
11. Del Monte's (p. 181) story of community co-creation that yielded Snausages Breakfast Bites
12. I'll leave one for you...got to have a reason to read the book right

I also liked how they touched on some of the challenges and opportunities that internal change agents face (for a good primer, see Sean O'Driscoll on Some things to do and not do )

All in all, a great book and as I launch my career as a WOM/Social Media Change Agent, this is going to be a trusted manual.

Now, the real question is...are Charlene and Josh (the authors) listening to my corner of the 'groundswell?" :-)

Any longtime reader of this blog knows one thing for sure. I am a huge fan of Seth Godin. And his newest, Meatball Sundae: Is Your Marketing out of Sync?, continues to inspire.

The concept in this one is that "meatballs" are a traditional business selling generic products. We know how to make them efficiently and for the masses.

The sundae part is the "web 2.0" sexy stuff that some companies attempt to sprinkle on top to get the feel of being hip, e.g. a blog, without changing the underlying product (namely trying to make it 'remarkable'-worth of a remark) to conform to the 'new marketing.'

It's really simple, if you want to understand how the fundamentals of the game have  changed in terms of company-customer/consumer relationship, Seth, as usual, is your man.

And, for your video in-flight, entertainment, here's Jackie (she of the Metamucil Assist) doing her video of a "Meatball Sundae."

Jackie and Ben over at Church of the Customer continue to feed my reading habit.

Just found out that I was one of the lucky winners of a contest held at the Society of Word of Mouth forum. I get a copy of Accidental Branding: How Ordinary People Build Extraordinary Brands (review pending).

This makes me 2 for 2. (pat on back!)

I also won a copy of their great book (you must read) Citizen Marketers after winning a contest last year to figure out what was missing from the picture.

If we're truly in the "attention economy," then a book like Hypnotic Writing could definitely be a competitive advantage for any of us.

I liked the concrete suggestions on how to improve your writing, the recognition that it's not a "quick fix" to do it, and that there are MANY complex parts to a well-written story.

What I didn't enjoy so much was that, well, to be honest, I didn't find the book all that hypnotic. I wanted to be enraptured the way I was with,say,Kite Runner, but that didn't happen. In fact, it's taken me about 3 months to finish it (ok, we had a baby-liveblogged birth here, but still).

At the end of the day, good writing, like anything else is a discipline. It requires practice, refinement, and hard work. That much, I got out of this book.

If you (or I) am not willing to make that investment, it's probably not worth the read.

Because she listens.

I posted a review of her book, Brazen Careerist, on my personal blog (as well as this one) and she wrote a comment.

You know what that says to me?

She's scanning the net for discussions about her. She's listening to what people are saying. She's participating in the conversation.

And when she does that...

She builds the relationship.

Which makes me like her more, which makes me more open to reading her next article, book, etc.

Which makes me want to tell people (as I am doing now) about the fact that she listens (because it is so unusual).

Look how many books I've read in the past year. Then, look how many authors have commented on the review.

That's why I love Penelope Trunk.

At first I thought, "another self-help book by a would-be know-it-all."

I'd read Penelope Trunk's columns over the years in a few different places and she struck me as someone with a big ego. Hey, just being honest here.

But, I'd heard some good things about the big and figured I'd give it a shot.

I'm glad I did.

It's easy to mistake candor and straight-shooting for ego (it happens to me, so I should know), but she's got some very good insights into the challenges of the modern workplace.

Perhaps it was difficult for me to stomach at some level because I feel like I've made so many of the mistakes against which she advises.

Had I read it sooner....

When it comes to self-development, I am of the mindset that you need to keep pushing yourself. So, reading a book like this (and combining it with I Didn't See It Coming, for example) would be a career enhancer.

If you read my review of SuperCrunchers and are as convinced as I am about the value of using smart data to help your customer acquisition efforts, then the next step is to figure out how to actually DO IT.

Short answer: not easy

Long answer: there's a book that can help.

Full disclosure: author is a friend of mine, so take the review for what it is worth.

I was impressed by the thoroughness of the approach and the recognition (however unsexy it is) that 70% of the work is done in the data prep/cleansing/planning/staging phase.

David's got a very solid understanding of what is involved in BI and if you (or your clients) are about to embark upon an initiative, it's worth taking a look at his thoughts so you don't kick yourself later.

Let's assume for a moment that corporations are like pyramids and, eventually, you need to move up or out.

At the bottom of the pyramid, where there is a large amount of people, those with greater talent will move up in rank.

Over time, however, the most talented people, in theory, remain and you are competing against those who are more naturally talented than you are.

At a certain point, it's not ONLY about your talent, but how you navigate the politics of the organization. How you understand the roles and motivations of those with whom you are dealing.

I Didn't See It Coming is a book about just that. It's a cold hard dose of reality that, you know, sometimes there are people who are out to eat your lunch and you need to protect yourself.  It's a rough side of business that we'd rather not think about, but the authors say, "ignore these at your own risk" and, by the way, "make sure you know what you're going to do if the day comes when your boss says, 'thanks for your service, now clean your desk."

I'm not arguing for paranoia, but I think the authors (including one former president of CBS radio) are on to something when they guide you through potential political/corporate minefields.

It'd be great if we "all just got along," but better to "hope for the best and prepare for the worst." 

I Didn't See It Coming is your "prepare for the worst" manual.

Thanks to Reed for the suggestion.

Was digging through some old files and found this list of (mostly) business books I read in the 2002-2004 timeframe.

I've divided up into books that have truly changed my thinking and the rest.

If you have questions or comments on any of them, let me know

Books that have changed the way I think and Act

• Purple Cow
• Good to Great
• Execution
• Why Not?
• Love is the Killer App
• Full Engagement
• Managing in a Time of Great Change
• Now, Discover Your Strengths
• Let's Get Real
• Strategy Focused Organization
• The Art of War
• Selling to the Very Important Top Officer
• Leading the Revolution
• Only the Paranoid Survive

The rest that just weren't that memorable

• Zapp
• How to Think Like a CEO
• Strategic Thinking
• The Rumsfeld Way
• Jack: Straight from the Gut
• The HP Way
• B2B: One to One
• The Visonary's Handbook
• Thinking Strategically
• Truth About Managing People
• Who Says Elephants Can't Dance

Michael Gerber's book The E-Myth Revisited offers up "an old Chinese proverb that says

When you hear something, you will forget it.

When you see something, you will remember it.

But not until you do something, will you understand it."

Which he uses to motivate people who want to become successful entrepreneurs.

But it's not a motivational book alone, it's an Operations Manual for how to create a business that will sustain you and not consume you.

For a business you work on, not in.

He aptly describes the challenges that many entrepreneurs face in beginning on their own (I can relate as I was part of a start-up for 2 years) and the mistakes they (I) make that ultimately lead to failure.

I've heard many people say, "my goal is to start my own business."

If that's you, a small investment in this book could go a long way to your becoming a true "craftsperson" of your business.

And another tidbit that I liked (and there were many) is that:

People-your people-do not want simply to work for exciting people. They want to work for people who have created a clearly defined structure for acting in the world.  A structure through which they can test themselves and be tested. Such a structure is called a game.

This is yet another book (actually the original E-Myth) which was recommended to me years ago (like Cluetrain) and I should have read then. Ugh.

We know a computer can beat a chess grandmaster.

Can a computer more accurately predict how the Supreme Court will rule on cases than a group of Law School Deans, former Supreme Court Clerks, and Federal Judges?

What about predicting better than a movie studio exec which movies will make money and which won't?

Turns out, they can. And in his new book, Super Crunchers, Ian Ayres, (who also co-authored  Why Not?: How to Use Everyday Ingenuity to Solve Problems Big And Small ) sets out to explain how this is possible.

And why it is happening.

For hard-core data junkies who believe in the power of statistics, you'll revel in some great anecdotes (like predicting wine values for a given year based on rainfall and summer temperatures before the wines are even made) to help bolster your cases.

For those new to the power of data, it'll open your eyes to what is going on all around you (and about you!)

I'm going to dust off those old Stats class notes and work on my regression modeling (and keep digging down into the data).

An excellent book.

I didn't get a whole lot from Bit Literacy, but after 20 pages, I quickly realized why.

It's not written for me. It's written for you.

How do I know?

When you shut down your computer at night, how many emails do you have in your inbox?

I have zero.

Mark Hurst is one of my favorite Internet thought leaders. He's the mind behind Creative Good and ThisIsBroken. He's been in the industry for the last 10 years and knows what he is talking about.

What Mark is writing about is how do you manage all of the electronic bits that fly at you each day. Are you effective in dealing with them? Are you productive?

• One of his key metrics is, have a completely empty inbox at the end of each day.
• Another is: how long does it take you to find a specific picture in your collection?
• do you have macros, one-touch command, keyboard shortcuts at your disposal?
• can you type using the Dvorak keyboard (ok, I can't do that one, but I can do about 85 wpm in touch-typing...another big beef of his..thanks mom, for making me take typing in 8th grade!)

I did walk away with a few ideas for improvement, which was great. And I will use them.

The challenge with Bit Literacy is the challenge of most self-help books, it requires you, when all is said and done, to actually implement the techniques you have learned.

In my experience, that is where most people fall short, be it diet, exercise or Bit Literacy.

Regardless, if you feel overwhelmed by the amount of info coming your way daily, this is as good a place as any I have seen for you to start getting a handle on it.

But, remember, it's not about the technology or the tools, it is how you use them.

And for fun, check out his list of "good experience games"

And, if you want immediate gratification, check out the video here as a taste.

Originally, I thought Linked would be more thoughts along the lines of Never Eat Alone and the value of networking, but boy, was I wrong!

It was that and MUCH more. An in-depth investigation into network theory running the gamut of subjects from physics to cell biology to terrorism to the Internet.

A fascinating read that, if you really think about it, helps you uncover some of the hidden elements of our day to day interactions with each other and how we may be affected (or able to impact) by persons "six degrees" away.

For marketers, this gives you more ideas on how to change the way you identify and communicate with your best and most influential customers. The same is true for politicians, would-be revolutionaries, or any one who wants to get the message out.

I'm of the opinion that pretty much everyone in the "knowledge economy" is a consultant.

What Secrets of Consulting does -pretty well-is boil down a lot of the truths about working with people (his first rule is, "no matter what, it's ALWAYS a people problem") into simple little proverbs (hey, like the one I just cited!)

Some others

• Clients always know how to solve their problems, and always tell the solution in the first five minutes
• Study for understanding, not for criticism
• Once you eliminate your number one problem, number 2 gets a promotion
• You'll never accomplish anything if you care who gets the credit

My feelings on this book were roller-coaster like. I started off very excited, then got fatigued with it in the middle, and pressed on, found some reward at the end.

If I had one criticism, it would be length and flow (ok, that's two). I felt like the points could have come across a bit more succinctly and I just wish that the "story" had gripped me a bit more.

However, if listening skills and communication are areas of development for you (I know they are for me), this may be worth picking up.

Think that one person can't match the marketing firepower of a company with a billion dollar marketing budget?

Think again.

The fact is that the game has changed and it's critical that Microsoft-and every other company-understand this.

Why?

As Jackie Huba and Ben McConnell explain eloquently in their book Citizen Marketers, it comes down to a few key concepts.

• the "democratization of everything"
• People are the Message

Ben and Jackie help you understand the seismic shift that is occurring in how companies market and the power of the individual. There are a select group of people who are willing to invest the time (they call them the '1 percenters') who are willing to invest their time and energy (for free) to passionately advocate a product they believe in (or passionately dismiss a product they dislike).

Any you know what?

Whatever those people say (well, maybe not whatever!) is going to carry as much weight as the "co-ordinated campaign with message discipline" of a traditional marketing campaign...simply because it is authentic and real.

You NEED to understand this FUNDAMENTAL shift in the relationship between customers and companies and you have to embrace it, both as a service provider and a consumer.

Budgets don't matter. You can't "control" the message. It's a new era. Companies need to adapt and you can take advantage of it. Read the book and join us!

The question I've got about Never Eat Alone is whether someone who is not already committed to the concept of networking as a critical strategy would take the ideas and run with them.

For hardcore networkers, this book is a must read (My LinkedIn Profile and on Facebook).

Not so much because of the vision (you already buy into that), but some of the tactics that can help refine your approach and take you from Good to GREAT (with respect to Collins and Porras).

Author Keith Ferrazzi does have a bit of an ego, but sometimes people confuse confidence with arrogance (don't I know it).

Keith is right on in terms of what networking can do for you (and more importantly, for others) and how it is, arguably, the single most critical element to profitability in the knowledge economy.

If I was at Mach 1 in terms of my commitment to networking as a discipline, Keith has kicked in the afterburners for me and now, with greater clarity, I'm going to Mach 3 (or at least trying to).

Now, if you think you should do networking and want to know where to start, no better place than begin with a Jedi master and take it from there.

I stopped by the mailbox in my office on Wednesday and found Juggling Elephants in an envelope. No indication whatsoever from whom it was sent.

I don't know if it was a message that I need to get my act together or just that I might enjoy it, but a parable in the spirit of Who Moved My Cheese?, it was an easy read.

The basic premise. It's impossible to juggle elephants, so don't even try. Your life is like a circus and you are the ringmaster. There are three rings

1. Self ring
2. Relationship ring
3. Professional ring

Much like a ringmaster has to decide which ring to be in at a given time, so do you. And, you should never have a MAJOR act going on in each ring at the same time. What's more, you need to find the right acts to place in each ring so that the WHOLE circus is a success.

While I was reading it, I thought "cute, but hokey," but over the course of the next 2 days, I found myself asking the question of "what ring am I in now?" and "should I be putting this in a ring at all?"

So, I guess it had an impact on me. Any book that makes me think about how I think is worth it.

And a big thanks to whomever put it there!

You've heard of Wikipedia, no doubt.

What Wikinomics proposes to do is explain how the concept of mass (often, voluntary) collaboration (the wiki principle, as it were) among co-workers, peers, producers, consumers, partners, suppliers, etc. is going to change the way that products and ideas are developed for the marketplace.

And, I have to say, they do a pretty good job of building a case that the paradigm for development is shifting.

Well, they build a good case in terms of facts. The flow/storytelling of the book is a bit redundant and dry, but these guys are consultants, not storytellers (of course, they should be, but that's an argument for a different day).

What I did enjoy about this book is how it continued to expand my mind in terms of what the ongoing Net revolution may mean for industry (and you as consumer) going forward.

They have a neat website and a good blog where they, in the spirt of the Wikinomics book, invite you to share in the ongoing collaboration of the book's ideas.

I remember the day about 8 years ago or so when my colleague, Matt van Horn, told me to read Cluetrain Manifesto.

All I can say is that I made a mistake in not listening to him then.

The knowledge imparted by this book has been in my head for a while, but it gave me a great framework for the sea-change that is taking place in front of our eyes (and on our monitors).

If you REALLY want to understand the implications of the Web on a social/business/inter-personal level, this is a MUST read.

The candid, authentic style reinforces a lot of what I've been trying to do on this blog and others. For some, a cold dose of reality (get on the cluetrain, baby!). For others, the inspiration to tackle a whole new frontier.

If you are one who analyzes problems and enjoys it, read this book.

If you like baseball, read this book.

If you like statistics, economics, or understanding how the market isn't always "perfect," read this book.

In Moneyball, Michael Lewis explains how Billy Beane, the General Manager of the Oakland A's used statistics to realize that what was traditionally valued in baseball (a high batting average and speed) was actually not the correct traits to look for in winning games. His realization...it's On Base Percentage. How often does someone get on base (either by a hit or a walk-which are not counted in Batting Average.)

The book tells a GREAT story of Billy's career-that wasn't-and his ability to fashion a winning team with the 2nd lowest payroll in baseball.

Thanks to my family members taking care of my kids over the Passover holiday, I read it in 2 days.

I've just picked up Lewis' next book (about football) called The Blind Side

Other books of his that I've read include Liar's Poker (about Wall St.) and The New New Thing about Silicon Valley.

I love it when I find a book that I just can't put down. Moneyball was one of them.

Key Question:

What aspect of your business (or life) does "conventional wisdom" tell you is important? Can you prove it with data? If not, what is important? Figure that out and you have an edge on your conventionally thinking competitors.

Thanks to a free offer by Seth Godin and some quick typing by yours truly, I received a copy of Seth's soon-to-be published next book, The Dip.

The basic idea...it's ok (even great) to quit. You just have to know when it's strategic quitting and when it's not.

His argument, your time is your most valuable resource and you need to apply it to the area where you can be "the best in the world." Otherwise, you are wasting your time and burning cycles.

It was a quick read (under an hour) and my wife is now in the middle of it. Best off, I consciously applied "the dip" to a situation I faced over the weekend.

Comcast had sent me a free digital converter box (they want me on the platform-paranoid of Verizon FIOS). I'm fairly technical. Set it up, called the activation number, was told to wait 45 minutes and I'd be good.

Went to bed. Next morning...no picture.

That evening, I tried again. Called tech support 3 times. No good.

Finally, I said, I've spent 59 minutes too long on this. I'm quitting. The tech is coming by to pick it up tomorrow.

Bottom line...I'm not that big of a TV watcher, a few extra channels won't do much for me. It wasn't as easy as it should be (nice to see that Microsoft isn't the only one with this problem), so I quit. My time is better spent on other pursuits (like blogging!) then messing around with TV.

The concept that Seth describes is not rocket science, but as usual, he frames it in a digestible way...and my favorite part, get his most rabid fans (those who read his blog) to be his evangelists to encourage others to buy.

It's rare that I will review a book before I've finished reading it. It's also rare that I will decide to read a book again immediately after I finish reading it.

Made to Stick is that type of book.

The authors tackle the idea of what "sticks" in our minds and what doesn't. They argue that there is a process you can use to help craft ideas that will stay with your intended audience. This has huge implications not only in business, but in politics, non-profits...and beyond.

It's more than a business book, it's truly a how-to guide for securing a place in someone's memory.

They break down the criteria into 6 components using the acronym SUCCESs

S- Simple-what is the core of your idea?

U- Unexpected-people pay attention when something defies their expectations

C- Concrete-solid images and real data make your idea more believable

C- Credible-who is telling the story is important.

E- Emotional-let's not kid ourselves. We are emotional beings at our core

S- Story-People love stories and pay more attention when they want to find out "what happens at the end."

I am so excited about this book that, as I said, I am going to read it again...I have to, because I want to make sure I get all of the ideas in it so I can USE them!

Or perhaps Blog ROI might be better.

Had an intro call with Chris Chodnicki of Bi4ce and he made my day by telling me that he'd read my blog. Then he said  it wasn't the "usual PR junk you would expect from Microsoft."

To paraphrase, he found it "entertaining" and he could see that there was a real person at Microsoft who was going to work for his success.

Doubly pleasing because this is the point of the book that Dave Sobel at Evolve sent me called Naked Conversationswritten by famous (for some and former) Microsoft blogger, Robert Scoble with Shel Israel, arguing for the power of blogging and the ability to change the ways that companies interact with their customers and partners.

I've gotten some value out of the book (about 40% of the way done) but arguably it's more for the newbie. I'm a believer, so Scoble is preaching to the choir. However, if you're interested in the power of blogs, this is a good read for you.

In sports, it is obvious. If a guy can throw, make him a quarterback. If he can shoot, don't force him to rebound. If he can pitch for only 1 inning, make him a reliever.

Yet, somehow businesses miss this lesson and look to "round out" individuals by addressing their weaknesses. In First, Break All The Rules the authors set out to prove that better performance comes from a few key steps.

1. Selecting for Talent (as opposed to knowledge or skills)
2. Defining the Right Outcomes
3. Focusing on Strengths
4. Finding the Right Fit

And they do a very good job of it.

This book is the other side of the story which one of the authors told in Now, Discover Your Strengths, a phenomenal book which I definitely recommend. It helps you figure out what you do well (in terms of talent). Here's mine (text version)

Bottom line: take advantage of what people naturally do well and let them do MORE of it. Find others who complement them. Set clear goals and let people achieve them w/o telling them HOW to do it. Invest in your best and it will pay off.

If you are a manager or want to be one, definitely read First, Break All The Rules. Any serious professional should read Now, Discover Your Strengths

Any long time reader of this blog will know that I am a huge fan of the marketer, Seth Godin. I have read pretty much all of his books and I love the way he thinks.
I just finished his new book Small Is the New Big which I liked, but didn't love. It's a collection of a few years worth of his Blog postings in what we would now call a "Blook". Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of good stuff in there, but I felt like something was missing compared to his previous works like All Marketers Are Liars you know, the "Big Idea."

It was sitting on my desk when I got an email from a friend asking me to review his website. I looked at it and my mind was transported to a section in Godin's book about websites. Did a search, found the PDF (here) and sent it to him. It's exactly what he needs.

Made me do a double take and reconsider the value of the book. Wanted to be a jaded cynic, I guess, but failed at it.