Book Review: We Are All Weird

We Are All Weird: The Myth of Mass and the End of Compliance by Seth Godin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Weird is a word in need of a new brand, and Seth Godin is endeavoring to make one for it.  Weird means "not normal" in Godin's world, but that does not connote bad or defective.  Unusual. Different. Not run of the mill.  You get the picture.  Godin's thesis is that on nearly every indicator, more and more of us are farther from the center than we used to be. Further, we are increasing our ability to express that uniqueness.  That, in turn, is influencing more people to leave the center. And so on.

Imagine the bell curve your high school science teacher drew to explain how the grades were distributed.  There were a few A's, a few more B's, a large bump of C's, then down the other side.  The same curve could be drawn for political leanings, eagerness to buy an iPhone, preference in wine, interest in gardening, and the likelihood of following instructions from the doctor.  Now imagine that a giant pregnant elephant from Antwerp (yes, that's how he writes) has just stepped on the center of the curve, squishing all the normal individuals out to the edges.  That is what Godin contends has happened to our society in recent decades. 

His main purpose in pointing this out to us is to focus our attention on some important implications for marketing and other forms of persuasion efforts. Marketers and other business people whose bread and butter has always been in appealing to the mass in the center are increasingly wasting their time and money.  Persuasion efforts must now be targeted to specific audiences. He says, "humanity and connection are trumping the desire for corporate scale." That's a pretty big shift in how we've been doing business.

I combined my short summary of this one with a 2008 book by Godin called Tribes: We Need You To Lead Us. It's about how people with shared interests find each other, collect together, and make change happen. We Are All Weird expands on some of the same themes.  My two-page summary of both books is available for free download by clicking here, but neither bok takes much time to read and I recommend them both.

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Book Review: The Dip

The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit by Seth Godin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Here's one that lives up to its billing: a little book with a simple - but powerful - message. Quitting things is a thing unto itself.  Whether to quit or to stick with a task, effort, project, job, relationship, etc. is a strategic decision that requires some thought.  Godin provides structure to the process of thinking through whether to stay or go, hang with it or cut it loose.  He provides comfort for those who walked away from a dead end position and suffered the judgment of loved ones who say that "winners never quit."  He provides encouragement for those who are choosing to stick with something that seems hard or impossible because they believe the payoff will be worth it in the end. I had twenty different things in mind while reading these 75 pages.  Looking back over the years, I can see that I have sometimes quit projects too soon, and I have stayed too long in jobs I should not have.  After reading this little book, I quit two volunteer commitments that were not fulfilling to me. Now I focus on the projects I am passionate about, where I can make a difference.  Books that make me think make me happy.  Books that cause me to take action make my life better.  Thanks, Mr. Godin. I am pretty sure my life just got better.  That's why you get the five stars for this one!  Downloadable two page summary here!



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Book Review: Linchpin

Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Reading a Seth Godin book is like hanging out with a reliable friend.  He stands in my corner, cheers me on, and boosts my confidence.  Along the way, he also provides some learning and perspective, helpful advice that helps me connect the dots for myself.  Since I want to be productively self-employed - since I want to be a linchpin - I soak up that advice like a sponge and enjoy myself along the way. 

One of the best bits comes in the form of a picture (on page 43) showing how those of us who seek to stand out and contribute have to combine talent with perseverance and charm. Looking at it I realized why I am so often frustrated in my endeavors: I have no charm.  Perseverance is a strong suit for me, and I certainly have followed my passion and developed talent in my field, but without charisma I struggle to convince others to follow my lead.  I will work on that.  Godin's chart is now on the wall above my desk.

I will spend more time outside my comfort zone. I will finish original projects, use my cerebral cortex to override my natural fears, and hit "send."  I will also stop apologizing for offering free consulting to people who ask me questions in my field. No more worries about "free milk and a cow."  I can't get paid for what I keep bottled up inside so from now on my ideas will flow more freely. Godin says people who have need of my services will still seek me out and offer contracts and I think he's right.   

Some will no doubt find that Linchpin would have made better reading as an article than as a full-length book.  Some of the points do seem to be a bit stretched out or redundant.  That's probably good for me as it gave me more time with the material, more opportunities for the key learning to infiltrate my skull.  Plus, it's fun.  Still, those who prefer a more condensed version can download my free two-page summary here.

I will recommend this one to anyone I encounter who expresses a sense of stuckness in their work or who appears stressed from spending too much time in other people's boxes.  Good beach reading.





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Book Review: Tribes

Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us by Seth Godin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Now, isn't this interesting?  I gave this book four stars right after I finished reading it a few months ago but just now as I bring it up to write a review, I can't remember a thing about it. 

I'll have to crack it open... and refresh my memory...

Oh yes!  This is a call to leadership.  To Seth Godin our "tribes" - the groups we belong to and therefore have an opportunity to influence - are morphing and expanding and shifting in the internet age.  Instead of just a tribe like "people who live in the same town" or "members of the same church", a tribe could be 25 people from all around the world who dearly love mustard, or women in their fifties who always remember to wear purple socks on December 9 in honor of Donny Osmond's birthday.  (There's probably hundreds of us....)

So, with so many horizontal and vertical groups waiting for leadership, the opportunities to fill the void are infinite.  What's more, according to Godin, who is a marketing expert, embracing such leadership opportunity can be profitable.  The trick he said, is to facilitate the tribe's discussion, connect them with each other, and catalyze forward motion toward some exciting goal.  It's about engaging the group. Do that, and you can write your own ticket. 

A good quote:  "In a battle between two ideas, the best one doesn't necessarily win. No, the idea that wins is the one with the most fearless heretic behind it."  Ain't that the truth?  The best leaders are the people who have conquered their fear of being out front.

Godin's writing style is quick and tight and visual.  We can all recognize ourselves and the bureaucrats in our lives in the fun stories he tells about stuckness and mediocrity.  He's probably earning a decent living turning out these simple, hip little books and I am OK with that.  I see now why I gave it four stars.  I enjoyed my time reading it, and there's huge value in that.  I'm glad Seth Godin thinks there's a leader in me... now, it's up to me to remember where to find it.

Click here to download a summary of Tribes written by me. This one has a bonus summary of Godin's book called We are All Weird which has to do with embracing what is unique in each of us.  Two thumbs up.



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