Book: Linchpin by Seth Godin
Rating: Great
Lesson Learned: It’s your job to make yourself indispensable.
Steven Pressfield wrote the War of Art which explained how the resistance holds us back from doing the things that we really need to be doing artistically. It is a pep rally book, it makes you think and then go and do something because you cannot read it and not be motivated.
Seth’s new book Linchpin is a response to Pressfield. It takes the war of art and transfers the battle to the workplace. The premise is that only artists will survive in the new economy because they are the most valued and the hardest for employers to replace. In typical Godin style you are left inspired and excited to go to work understanding that in the end you are your own boss because your actions decide whether you keep your job or get fired.
A lot of what Godin wrote about I too wrote about in Breaking Into the Creative Class so it excites me a big timer would agree (in that the premise of my ebook is the same) with me. He is writing to a generation of workers who are tired of work and I am writing to a generation entering into the workforce.
You need to buy this book.
Book: What the Dog Saw and other adventures by Malcom Gladwell
Rating: Great
Lesson Learned: How to think differently
This is a collection of Gladwell’s articles from the New Yorker. Therefore, you get to read great nuggets of truth without having to read the entire snarly magazine. This is way worth the money and is a great book to read over a couple of weeks since it is broken up into easily digestible articles. This is a must read for people who live in New York and go to those parties with the expensive wine.
Book: The Poor Will be Glad: Joining the Revolution to Lift the World Out of Poverty by Peter Greer and Phil Smith
Rating: Great
Lesson Learned: Tactics used to help bring sustainable development to developing countries and communities
This is the follow up book to A Billion Bootstraps by the same authors. It explores the different ways people are making an impact throughout poverty stricken areas. It is an exciting time to be involved with philanthropy since it is so results based and making sustainable differences.
They mention Global Art Inferno, my art import company, on page 231 so that was pretty exciting for me.
Book: Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith
Rating: okay
Lesson Learned: be authentic
If you are a big company and don’t get the whole ‘net youth culture’ this is a good book. I enjoyed reading it because the lessons seem so intrinsic to me since this is the time I grew up in. There isn’t anything here revolutionary unless you really don’t understand the power of blogs and the potential for your brand to spread online following simple rules.
Book: Free Agent Nation: The Future of Working for Yourself by Daniel H. Pink
Rating: Great
Lesson Learned: Mastering the New Economy
The name of the book sums it up. Daniel writes about the shift of people working for organizations to working for themselves as contractors and freelancers. I think it is great. However, I don’t think big companies or midsize companies will ever disappear. I would take his book and make it go a little further by saying that everyone is a Free Agent whether you are a contract graphic designer or you work for an enormous company. If you aren’t creating your own specialty and value you have no shelter when the storm comes.
Book: Survival Is Not Enough: Why Smart Companies Abandon Worry and Embrace Change by Seth Godin
Lesson Learned: Zoom
I love Godin. This is the most intense academic book he has ever written. I really enjoyed understanding the techniques he suggested in how to create a culture that zooms within an established workplace. He explains his entire thesis through evolution. Really worth reading.
Book: Survival is Not Enough: Why Smart Companies Abandon Worry and Embrace Change by Seth Godin
Rating: Stars
Lesson Learned: Change
If you cannot handle change you’re in big trouble. Seth guides the reader through different ways to facilitate change at your workplace. I liked it.
Book: Joy at Work: A Revolutionary Approach to Fun on the Job by Dennis W. Bakke
Rating: Good
Lesson learn: Having fun is a bunch of work
The book talks about how Bakke made fun a value at his energy company AES. He talks about the techniques he used to make work fun like letting everyone make important decisions and using a honeycomb leadership structure rather than a strict hierarchy. He interpreted fun as giving everyone from the janitor to the CEO real responsibility in his plants. He did more than have an annual picnic. I like the idea of shared responsibility to make work feel fulfilling.
Book: Rules for Revolutionaries: The Capitalist Manifesto for Creating and Marketing New Products and Services by Guy Kawasaki with Michele Moreno
Rating: It’s Guy, man, Guy!
Lesson Learned: Eat like a bird, poop like an elephant
The lesson learned is a chapter of the book. If you need some uplifting as you look at the daunting challenge of creating something new, this is it. I loved it and you will too. But, like I have said before, you need to read Guy’s Blog.
Book: First, Break all the Rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman
Rating: Great
Lesson Learned: how to lead effectively
To lead effectively you cannot just follow the same ol’ rules about fair play. You have to topple the preconceived conceptions, be who you are and lead with your strengths. Find your style and voice.
