Blog Blazers
January 12, 2009 in 3 out of 5 stars, A book, Blogging Stephane Geniere Grenier isn't the author so much as he is the editor - but he does ask an interesting set of questions (mostly common amongst all the interviews) and uncovers some insightful perspectives from bloggers who have found success in terms of readership, influence, revenue and opportunities. This book should appeal to two audiences: If you’re serious about blogging, this is a motivating snapshot of what can help you be successful. Packaging it into a book made it convenient, and it accomplishes what it wants to, but it's not a profound or terribly in-depth book. Some of the interviews are very concisely answered so if you’re buying it for the responses of just one or two of the bloggers, it might be disappointing. $16.95 Reviewed by Carson McComasWhat is it?
Blog Blazers: 40 Top Bloggers Share Their Secrets: A book of interviews with 40 bloggers, including some high profile ones like Seth Godin, Dan Lyons (A.K.A. The Fake Steve Jobs) and Steve Rubel of Micro Persuasion. The interview questions center around what has made their blogs successful.
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The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)
June 19, 2008 in 5 out of 5 stars, A bookThe Dip: A book dedicated to a simple, but powerful and inspiring idea. I'm struggling to decide if it's Seth's best or not. It's certainly a contender. Seth Godin First of all - it's short (80 pages). And as anyone who writes can tell you, shorter is harder. And in this case, it's also better. The writing is focused, the idea is well developed, and the impact, at least for me, was very, very powerful. A buddy of mine and I were whining the other day about how hard it was to invest significantly in creating something that should be great, but realize that creating it was not enough. Not nearly enough. We thought it would be hard to go from concept to reality, and it was. But how surprising it was to realize that the really hard part had just begun. Taking that reality, and becoming a market leader, taking that hard-won reality, and turning it into the success we dreamed about when we started, that was the hard part. The really hard part. And boy, those early dream-filled days were great. That dream motivated us to tear into our projects with vigor and excitement. It was novel, and fun, and a fresh start, and endless opportunity. And that dream pushed us on in that way only the entrepreneurially-minded can appreciate. Past hurdles, and challenges, and finally our hard work and investment bore fruit. And there we stood at the great unveiling, the shroud lifted from our creation, and the response? Awkward and empty silence. Because while creating the thing is required (you can't get anywhere without doing that) it's not enough. It's not nearly enough. Because many have done that. But only a few — a very successful few — have pushed through the next stage to actually realize The Dream. And then I remembered that Seth had named this period we were starting to push through, he called it "The Dip." And suddenly the genius of the premise of his book struck me. I hadn't read it yet, only read about it. So I started here, my appetite was whetted. The idea had taken root, and then I bought the book and read it carefully. Letting his persistent presentation of the idea seep into me deep enough to last. And then I closed the book, carefully inventoried my situation, and made some drastic changes. I don't want to oversell this, because your experience may be different from mine. But I can honestly say that this book, perhaps because of the timing of when I read it, has had a dramatic and positive impact on me. In it, Seth defines "The Dip." He discussed the value of pushing through it (because so few are willing to do it, the competition at the other end is thin, and the rewards are enormous), how to do it (over-invest, quit everything else taking your energies), why we don't do it (his list of excuses stung with familiarity!), how you can quit a tactic, but retain a strategy, and how to recognize when you're not actually in a dip, but just think you are. Oh, and inspiration. Did I mention it was inspiring? There were sections of this book that had me clenching my fist in determination to make it through. And he ends with some probing and
through-provoking questions. Like this gem: "If I'm going to quit
anyway, is there something dramatic I can do instead that might change
the game?" So I finished the book a few weeks ago, and now I have a new perspective. I see with new eyes those around me who have pushed through The Dip. Here are a couple examples: Ira Glass - world-class host of This American Life. Here he talks about pushing through the dip. He doesn't call it that, but that's exactly what he's talking about. And Dean Kamen. Is there any question that he pushed (and pushes) through The Dip? Sure the Segway was a joke, but you watch this and tell me he isn't one of the greatest examples in the world for pushing though the dip. When the Dept. of Defense needed the best in the world to tackle the most difficult of jobs, I suspect the list was pretty short, and now Dean is truly changing the world. (And don't forget this awesomeness too). And there are more. Just from this week's news: Tim Russert and Tiger Woods. And someday, maybe, you. And me. $10.15 Reviewed by Carson McComasWhat is it?
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The Bootstrapper's Bible
November 22, 2006 in 5 out of 5 stars, A book, FreeThe Bootstrapper's Bible: An ebook full of wisdom, ideas and inspiration for startups/bootstrappers/entrepreneurs.
I originally bought this book back in June of 2003 (it's free now). I was a struggling entrepreneur of just a few years and in my quest to read everything Seth had written, I purchased this ebook from Amazon. I devoured every word like a starving hyena on the fresh carcass of a Wildebeest. Seth Godin Bootstrapper's Bible might be an immodest title, but it's right on. This book is well written, well thought-out, and perfectly targeted at those of you who would read this blog. It includes sound principles for startups, pitfalls, case studies (including one of id software who was last decade's 37signals), and practical steps for getting it right. If you want to get re-energized, re-motivated and re-educated about your venture, this book is a must-read. Free! Reviewed by Carson McComasWhat is it?
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Marketing Playbook
February 9, 2006 in 3 out of 5 stars, A bookMarketing Playbook: A book of solid tips for anyone trying to start and/or run a business. It uses the "playbook" metaphor to bring 102 tips (on 102 pages) for doing anything you can imagine. Setting up a patent, buying a full page ad in a magazine, properly setting up a direct mail campaign, buying business cards, using Google AdWords, running banner ads, creating an infomercial, creating brochures, leveraging customer evangelists, making a good logo, etc. John M. Fox Most the pages in this could be a post here on WorkHappy.net. Each covers a resource*, the cost, and provides a cogent explanation for how to pull it off. It's quite helpful information. * the resources are really more like strategies or marketing approaches than, say, software or productivity tools that we also deal with here on WorkHappy. The book has endorsements from Guy Kawasaki, Seth Godin and Ben McConnell. Some of the tactics and strategies are a little more "traditional marketing" and less "agile entrepreneur" than my taste, but it's easy to skim over them. I also think the "playbook" metaphor really strains under the weight here (pointless score boards on each page for example) and makes the book a bit gaudy where it could have been more sleek. That doesn't diminish the content, just the composition. I would have more appropriately just called it a handbook. It's a bit expensive for a 102 page book. It's full color and popping with eye candy, but it's $50. $50 at Amazon Reviewed by Carson McComasWhat is it?
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The Big Moo
September 28, 2005 in 4 out of 5 stars, A bookThe Big Moo: A book of business parables and riffs written by an all-star cast of business authors and thinkers. Seth Godin and 32 other super star authors like my favorites Malcom Gladwell (of Tipping Point and Blink), Tom Peters (of Re-Imagine) and Jackie Huba (of Creating Customer Evangelists). I really did love this book. Like anything Seth touches, this book provides lots of inspiration for how you can make decisions with your company/life that will help take you to the next level and not only survive, but define the future.
Seth's original idea is to become remarkable (as outlined in Purple Cow, read my mini-review at right). Remarkable = people talk about you. For an entrepreneur, this is a very good thing if they're talking about how cool/new/fast/fun/creative/clever etc. you are.
This book is billed as the next level above Purple Cow. The Big Moo is about becoming super-remarkable. I'm not sure we can keep upping the ante like this without diminishing the original Purple Cow idea (which is so good) so I think it's probably more like a companion book to Purple Cow and not so much a big improvement on it.
But that's not a bad thing. I love how the book is literally a collection of disconnected, but thematically similar stories or riffs. 1-3 pages each, quick and easy to read. Like most books of this ilk I dog-eared some favorites, scribbled notes in the back, underlined, circled and starred the stuff I thought was particularly relevant and interesting to me and my businesses. (My book now looks kinda like I let my 2yr old play with it.)
I think I'd describe this book as a collection of the very best blog posts from the very best authors on business. Pithy, inspiring and fun.
Some of my favorites:
1. Explaining how the Berlin Wall fell because of the actions of a few that started something. Ends with this:
This was the biggest change any of us will probably ever see in our lifetime. It took a month, it cost nothing, and it started with a handful of people in a town no one would ever have pegged as the birthplace of a revolution.
Remember that the next time someone says, "It can't be done." 2. The story of Brian Comelio who, in the face of freely downloaded music started www.ArtistShare.com where fans can get much more than just the music from an artist. They can also get a snapshot of the rest of the creative process. For example, music scores, videos of rehearsal sessions, interviews, and tutorials. This story was awesome because instead of crying in his beer about the inevitable, he did something quite remarkable indeed. Rare in the music industry. 3. A riff on the bell curve applied to business that I didn't think would be interesting but turned out awesome. It starts with the thesis that companies occupy a spot on the bell curve regardless of where the industry goes, then it ends with this:
4. "Ten Things Smart Start-Ups Know" which riffs briefly on the following points, all of them great stuff (had to be written by the brilliant Guy Kawasaki):
And then there's one by Tom Peters, that is unmistakably him, and it rocks! And finally, another thing that's killer, all proceeds from this book sale go to charity. The riffs are not credited to their authors. Seth thought this would be remarkable and less distracting, and I guess I'm remarking about it, but for me it was actually more distracting and annoying. I kept trying to divine the author! (And I actually think I did pretty well). I think more info is almost always better but that might just be me.
Also, I think pithy is good, but if you're looking for a well developed, hard hitting, in depth business tome, this isn't it. You can pre-order now on Amazon for $13.57 Reviewed by Carson McComas The Little Red Book of Selling : 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness Jeffrey Gitomer I go to the bookstore as someone going to church, in search of some revelation that will save me. In search of a miracle I stroll around my local B&N and from time to time a book from the corner of my eye just seems to jump out at me and say "pick me up and read a page, this is what you need." Sometimes what happens next is a bit amazing, I flip the pages to get the gist of the contents and stop for a read. Almost always it speaks directly to me at that moment in my life.
Today was the day, I was in a slump, I had exhausted my personal contacts and needed to expand my horizons and hone my sales skills.
Mr. Jeffery Gitomer is my new hero. His book was what my slump needed. In his words, I need to "kick my own ass" to succeed. No excuses, you make the destiny and that "to make a sale is to make a commission, to make a relationship is to make fortune."
The book makes great use of humor, and layout to convey all the lessons and content in a memorable way. The book makes great use of typography and design.
I loved the book so much that I bought 5 to give to my clients in order to further my "relationship" building. I changed my voicemail to a more creative source of sales opportunities and found that my perspective in sales was completely off.
I have read many books 10x bigger, but it truly is refreshing to pick up a concise fun read in which each sentence has deep and meaningful impact. Why don't more authors cut out all the crap and give us a book that just works, in this regard. Size really did not matter.
Some repetition in concepts but seemed to be used in order to reinforce. $12.57 at Amazon. Reviewed by Gianni D'Alerta Creating Customer Evangelists: A book that teaches you how to take your company's best customers and build them into influential, loyal, and enthusiastic evangelists. Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba In my own experience as an entrepreneur--doing business is a process of trial and error, learn-as-you-go, practice-makes-perfect work. Most of us burn piles of money, effort, time and
energy just trying to figure out what works. If we manage to have some
success before we run out of any of those things, then we pay very
close attention to what worked, and we try to do it again, and again,
and again. Learning what those things are is tough, especially when
it's done by trial and error (which is what most of us do, which is why
most companies don’t survive). The most critical component to a successful business is having
something people will buy. The second most critical component to a
successful business is getting people to buy it. This is also known as
sales and marketing; marketing in particular (because a good
product will sell itself). And we all know that the most powerful and
least expensive marketing is word-of-mouth marketing. And we all want as much of it as we can get. Take Krispy Kreme (KK) donuts for example. Aside from a few
billboards helping folks know where the store is located, KK does
virtually no advertising. Their stock price has hit a few snags of late thanks to the anti-carb craze, yet, they are a house-hold name, they are
adored by anyone lucky enough to have one in their city, they always
have insanely long lines, and everyone I know is an absurdly loyal
word-of-mouth marketer for them. Or more precisely, everyone I know is
an absurdly loyal customer evangelist for them. Remember this story?
About the Krispy Kreme opening in Mishawaka Indiana where a customer
sat in line for 17 (yes, SEVENTEEN) days awaiting the opening of the
store? Fierce customer loyalty. The press went nuts. Oodles of free
marketing. Every business wants to know how to tap into that. Or better yet, create
that. And for those that don't have the resources (or luck) to run
through piles of money in trial-and-error mode to figure out exactly how to
hit the word-of-mouth marketing target, authors Ben McConnell and Jackie
Huba have saved us the hassle. Creating Customer Evangelists is an extraordinary book. The authors studied several companies (including Krispy Kreme) that have created customer evangelists. The authors then identified exactly what those companies did to make that magic happen. The presentation is clear, brilliant, enlightening, and extremely exciting. As a business person you likely find yourself trying to determine
exactly what works, trying lots of new ideas, straining to recognize
what works. Well, I loved this book because the authors identify those elements
that work. They outline the elements needed to create the kind of
word-of-mouth marketing success every business needs, and then explain
how to incorporate those elements in your business. Here, in a nutshell, are the key tenets covered in the book: Just reading them again gives me warm fuzzies. This is a book I read
and found myself clinching my fist--YES! I get it! That makes sense! I love good business books; I've always got one I'm nursing along.
But this one really stood out. I left the book with solid ideas that I implement today. I've started to incorporate them into my own
business, and advise clients how to incorporate them into theirs. And
I've begun to see the fruits. Better customer loyalty, increased
connection with customers, increased spread by word-of-mouth. Plus, I
have a whole basket full of great ideas, inspired by the book, which I
can't wait to pursue. The book is growing slightly dated in the companies, they profiled, but absolutely not in the principles they teach. This book is 100% relevant today.
Note: The authors also have an excellent blog, and a free ebook to freshen up the case studies with more current examples. $16.50 at Amazon Reviewed by Carson McComasWhat is it?
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The trick, is not to wait for your industry to change before changing where you are on the curve. The trick is to change your organization's instinctual location on the curve. If you get used to being exceptional, you'll probably stay there.
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The Little Red Book of Selling : 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness
August 25, 2005 in 4 out of 5 stars, A book
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Creating Customer Evangelists
July 1, 2005 in 5 out of 5 stars, A book
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