Category: Books

Who?

Every marketer, product person, and manager.

When?

Now.

Why?

This is one of the best marketing books I have ever read.

Best Quote

Marketing by interrupting people isn’t cost-effective anymore. You can’t afford to seek out people and send them unwanted marketing messages, in large groups, and hope that some will send you money.

Instead, the future belongs to marketers who establish a foundation and process where interested people can market to each other. Ignite consumber networks and then tet out the way and let them talk.

Review

I first read Permission Marketing 2 years ago and was blown away. Recently, I revisited it in audiobook form and was still very impressed. Even though it was written in 1999, it is still one of the best books for marketers looking to build their foundation in permission marketing.

Since this book was published, forward thinking marketing has grown into inbound marketing, content marketing, and more – the value of all of which will be debated for years. Regardless though, Seth Godin helped to push marketing leaps and bounds ahead of where it had been as soon as Permission Marketing came out.

Last Word

A permission mindset is not the only thing I look for when hiring a marketer, but it is a huge qualifier. Paid media, PR, branding, and other aspects of marketing all have their place at the table, but if a young marketer does not have at least a basic grasp of permission, it tells me that either their education was poor or they’re more interested in short term, zero-sum games than long terms benefits.

If you haven’t read Permission Marketing, buy it today.

Who?

People managers and anyone interested in interpersonal communication.

When?

Put it in your queue.

Why?

Drive is a fascinating book.

Best Quote

The monkeys solved the puzzle simply because they found it gratifying to solve puzzles. They enjoyed it. The joy of the task was its own reward.

Review

I loved this book in part because it gave me such an interesting look into what motivates me, my colleagues, my family members, and even my clients and customers. Having worked in marketing in several different verticals, I found some of Daniel Pink’s analysis and stories matched perfectly with what I have experienced. For example, let’s say that my employee is doing something they enjoy, and I want to reward them for it, so I give them a little bonus. They’re super happy and start working even harder, and I see that, so I resolve to give them a bonus every time they do that one thing.

After a while, they come to expect the bonus and therefore think of they activity in terms the money it results in and not the pleasure that it previously produced. So, what happens? At some point, they get decreasing marginal returns and decide that it’s not worth doing that activity instead of other things unless they get paid more. In this case, paying someone for doing something they enjoyed actually results in worse performance because, as soon as you introduce money into the equation, they start to think of things only in terms of money.

Of course, this is a greatly oversimplified example of one aspect of Daniel Pink’s Drive, but it really stuck out to me, and as I do work in a business that frequently deals with rewards, I found it highly relevant.

Last Word

Drive is a great book about what really motivates and demotivates people. Buy it.

Who?

You should read this book if you’re interested in people, power, and politics.

When?

I would be interested to find out what a high schooler thinks of this book, but in reality, it’s probably best for someone early in their career.

Why?

Read this book if you want lots of historical examples of failed and successful power games.

Best Quote

Playing with appearances and mastering the arts of deception are among the aesthetic pleasures of life. They are also key components in the acquisition of power.

Review

The 48 Laws of Power sits best with readers that view life and relationships as more about power than about goodwill, karma, or doing what is right. That being said, the examples that Robert Greene gives are really interesting and educational for anyone looking to improve their standing in personal or professional relationships. You can easily take the stories from ancient China, or Italy, or other places and apply them to your every day life.

I caution readers of this book though that a lot of it comes across as heartless and honestly not a good fit for how I see the world. Nonetheless, there is a lot to learn…especially when you recognize that Robert Greene even states in the book that a leader is doing the best for himself and others when he uses all of his skills to his advantage because he can improve not only his own standing, but theirs as well.

Last Word

Read The 48 Laws of Power if you are interested in power games and how to improve your standing with power, attention, deception, and any other talents, but if you can’t handle a heartless read or an amoral examination of relationships, skip the book. It will be too hard to get through.

Who?

People that like economics, sociology, psychology, politics, or being brainy.

When?

Whenever you get to it. There’s no rush.

Why?

The Black Swan is at the very least interesting for purely intellectual reasons.

Best Quote

When you develop your opinions on the basis of weak evidence, you will have difficulty interpreting subsequent information that contradicts these opinions, even if this new information is obviously more accurate.

Review

I tried to read this book once, but gave up not because it wasn’t interesting. It was. But rather, because I could not see how I would apply it to my work, and honestly, my time comes at enough of a premium that I don’t choose to make time for things that I’m not going to make use of in my career. A month or two after giving it up, Kim Alfreds strongly recommended that I go back to it, which I did. I’m glad that I finished reading it because it was a good book, and I can definitely apply what I learned to things in my personal life, but strictly within my career, I’m at a loss for how I’m really going to use this information.

The Black Swan is all about the idea that some things, and increasingly more things, are simply unpredictable. The name itself stems from the fact that Europeans believed that a defining characteristic of a swan was that it is white until they saw a black swan in Australia. They had no way to predict that swans could be black because it simply wasn’t in their model that that could be a possibility. Similarly, Taleb argues that many things in life are unpredictable because we do not possess the faculties to take every potential event into account.

Last Word

I found Taleb’s argument fascinating, if at times a little over my head honestly, but in the time since I have read this book (now twice), I still have not encountered any situation in which I have used the information outside of a normal intellectual debate. As such, you should read The Black Swan is a worthwhile read if it sounds interesting to you and you don’t already have something that will more directly impact you to read.

Who?

Anyone that has ever worked for a business with more than 5 people.

When?

Anytime.

Why?

Because it’s hilarious and so cynical that anyone can relate to at least one part of the book, if not multiple parts.

Best Quote

If you are not a manager, put this book down right now.

Review

You will enjoy this book if you are a manager or work in a business that is in any way the least bit corporate. Yes, it’s cynical, and yes, not every aspect of the book will match your environment, but having worked for a 200 person company that I really enjoyed, I still found the book hilarious.

If you are a manager, you will especially enjoy Dogbert’s Top Secret Management Handbook because you can guarantee that one or more of your bosses has some of the negative management characteristics Dogbert describes, and despite your best intentions, you do too. This is as one Goodreads reviewer said, “A compendium of helpful management tips outlining strategies for doing little work, taking all the credit and inflicting mental anguish on employees.”

Last Word

Dogbert’s Top Secret Management Handbook is short and goes by fairly quickly especially if you get the audiobook, which I recommend. Take a break from your normal business books, and let your brain relax a little bit with some business-related humor and cynicism.

Who?

Anyone interested in how we make decisions.

When?

Put it in your queue.

Why?

It’s a fascinating book, and at something like 3,400 words, it is also a quick read.

Best Quote

We have, as human beings, a storytelling problem. We’re a bit too quick to come up with explanations for things we don’t really have an explanation for.

Review

In Blink, Malcolm Gladwell examines how we make decisions – with the major focus being on split second decisions. He uses military engagement, police shootings, soda taste tests, art forgeries, and many other examples to show how humans do a better job with split second decisions than they do with more data and more time to think in many cases, but he also demonstrates how we frequently use split second decision making skills at times when they are wholly ineffective. Examples of this are times when we are agitated and therefore do not have as much energy or attention to devote to a decision as well as times when we’re primed for a specific response.

Blink is a great taste test for anyone looking to learn a little about decision making, but it won’t give you so much that you feel you have to abandon the book if it’s note your cup of tea.

Last Word

I found Blink very intriguing and wish that Malcolm Gladwell had gone into further detail about nearly every point he touches on. Yes, I know that he’s really just referencing others’ works, and that’s fine by me. I’m not however the type of person that is going to sit down and read the latest from the annals of psychiatry or anything like that. It won’t happen, so having something like Malcolm Gladwell pull together all of these disparate and seemingly related stories is something I find valuable.

Who?

Anyone interested in leadership or growing a team or business.

When?

Put it in your queue.

Why?

This is a well-written book from a passionate and experienced entrepreneur/writer/speaker/trainer.

Best Quote

Zig Ziglar says, “People say motivation doesn’t last, well neither does bathing, that is why we recommend both daily.”

Review

I didn’t want to like this book. Dave Ramsey seems like a great guy, but for some reason, I want to find something to disagree with him about. Unfortunately, he has written a book that demonstrates passion, focus, dedication, and his own his ethics, and I find that difficult to question.

In EntreLeadership, Dave Ramsey talks through his trials and tribulations as a real estate agent and leadership and management trainer and speaker over 20 years in business. Whether you agree with his conservative, Christian values or not, they shine through bright and clear and help you to see that Dave Ramsey advocates that leaders build employees that are not clock punchers or seat fillers, but rather entrepreneurs and leaders in their own right. He conveys this through discussing management techniques that he has developed and problems that he has handled in the past.

Last Word

I was impressed by EntreLeadership mostly Dave Ramsey seems to have put so much of himself into it that you come away feeling like he’s been right there guiding you the whole time. Reading EntreLeadership is like having Dave Ramsey there giving a private training, so while I wouldn’t say that you should run out right now to get this book, I do recommend that you put EntreLeadership on your reading list and get to it soon.

Who?

Anyone that needs their ideas to affect others – teachers, managers, entrepreneurs, preachers, parents, activists, etc.

When?

Put it in your queue. If it takes you a long time to go through your reading list, move Made to Stick to the top.

Why?

Made to Stick is a great examination of why some ideas stick and others do not. This is immensely valuable for anyone that works in an idea or attention business.

Best Quote

The Curse of Knowledge: when we are given knowledge, it is impossible to imagine what it’s like to LACK that knowledge.

Review

The best thing that you can learn from this book is that less is more. As a person that lives and dies by their ability to effectively share an idea, taking the lessons of Made to Stick to heart will take you leaps and bounds ahead of those around you. When you need to make a sale, leave your audience wanting more. Need to raise money? Make your pitch as simple as possible. Lecturing your teen? Shorten your lecture. People don’t want to hear you talk. They want to hear themselves talk.

The worst thing you can do is ignore the curse of knowledge. Chip and Dan’s book gives example after example of why we have such a hard time believing that everyone will see it our way if we just give them enough information. Coming away from this book, you will hopefully be able to persuade your audience using an elevator pitch rather than a speech.

Last Word

Knowledge can be a curse when you’re in the idea business. You get blinded by what you know and take for granted that not everyone shares the same knowledge set or relates to it in the same way, and as a result, you do your best to give enough information to persuade your audience with facts and grand arguments and plenty of background. When in reality, shortening and narrowing your idea is often more effective.

Who?

Anyone interested in increasing self-confidence, meeting more people, and improving their personal or professional relationships.

When?

As soon as you realize that face-to-face communication is important for your life.

Why?

How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere is so short, written by a very experienced and confident conversationalist, and to the point that it’s a shame not to take the little bit of time you need to breeze through it.

Best Quote

You cannot talk to people successfully if they think you are not interested in what they have to say or you have no respect for them.

Review

Like How to Win Friends and Influence People, How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere really seems like feel-good self-help book that will tell you just to be nice, and if you do it well, good things will come to. It’s not. Yes, there are lessons in Larry King’s book that deal with being nice, smiling, and acting like you’re interested in others, but there is much more to it than that.

Larry King is one of the best interviewers around. He knows how to get information out of the most belligerent, reserved, or weird people you can find. How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere teaches you how to:

1. More effectively start conversations.
2. Listen for key points of pain, need, sympathies, wants, and more in others.
3. Give a speech that sticks with your audience.

Last Word

How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere is a short, fast read from one of the most seasoned and experienced people in the field of, well, talking. The lessons Larry King imparts are simple, but if you apply them to your life, I guarantee that you will find yourself getting ahead faster than ever.

Who?

Anyone that has the remotest interest in business, management, entrepreneurship, self-improvement, Apple, Steve Jobs, etc.

When?

Reasonably soon.

Why?

It was a very good book.

Best Quote

I hate it when people call themselves “entrepreneurs” when what they’re really trying to do is launch a startup and then sell or go public, so they can cash in and move on.

Review

My dad and I listened to this book on a cross country drive. My dad is a smart and curious guy, but he’s not a business man per se (despite being an entrepreneur) nor is he particularly interested in business. That being said, he found Steve Jobs to be very interesting as did I.

Isaacson has written a compelling, complete, and sometimes biting biography of one of recent history’s most influence businessmen. While many people wear their What Would Steve Do bracelets and seemingly bow at the Jobs alter, I have yet to meet a person that has read this book that says they would want to work with him, and that is one of the strongest aspects of Isaacson’s story. He seems to have been so true to the reality of Jobs and his life that readers really get a sense of what kind of person he was.

Last Word

On one hand, there is a lot to learn about business from this book, but on the other, Steve Jobs is purely a curiosity read. It’s so entertaining and engaging, and you might just come away from it with a few ideas for your business, so go out and get your copy soon.