Archive for the ‘Book’ Category
Friday, August 1st, 2008
The 4 Hour Workweek Escape 9 5 Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich
What do you do? Tim Ferriss has trouble answering the question. Depending on when you ask this
controversial Princeton University guest lecturer, he might answer:
“I race motorcycles in Europe.”
“I ski in the Andes.”
“I scuba dive in Panama.”
“I dance tango in Buenos Aires.”
He has spent more than five years learning the secrets of the New Rich, a fast-growing subculture who has abandoned the “deferred-life plan” and instead mastered the new currencies—time and mobility—to create luxury lifestyles in the here and now.
Whether you are an overworked employee or an entrepreneur trapped in your own business, this book is the compass for a new and revolutionary world. Join Tim Ferriss as he teaches you:
• How to outsource your life to overseas virtual assistants for $5 per hour and do whatever you want
• How blue-chip escape artists travel the world without quitting their jobs
• How to eliminate 50% of your work in 48 hours using the principles of a forgotten Italian economist
• How to trade a long-haul career for short work bursts and freuent “mini-retirements”
• What the crucial difference is between absolute and relative income
• How to train your boss to value performance over presence, or kill your job (or company) if it’s beyond repair
• What automated cash-flow “muses” are and how to create one in 2 to 4 weeks
• How to cultivate selective ignorance—and create time—with a low-information diet
• What the management secrets of Remote Control CEOs are
• How to get free housing worldwide and airfare at 50–80% off
• How to fill the void and create a meaningful life after removing work and the office
You can have it all—really.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Interesting
Interesting, but I think many of the concepts are difficult to apply in corporate America.
4 Stars Superb combination of outsourcing, time management and strategic thinking
Well-written and actionable, the “Four Hour Workweek” book delivers a step by step process combining a variety of techniques designed to help people make outstanding use of their time.
For fellow ’serial entrepreneurs’ like myself, the outsourcing and ‘boundary management’ tips were particularly useful, including must-read tips for avoiding outsourcing pitfalls (eg time caps on projects and how to select assistants), plus more.
His model is a sound one, on page 185, for developing an info-business plan; though there’s much more to it than is covered, it’s a great overview and outline of key productivity concepts. I found it impressive that the author was able to articulate many effective productivity-boosting strategies so clearly.
For more, be sure to study Brian Tracy and Dan Kennedy as well. I recommend Brian’s “Eat That Frog”, and Dan’s “No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs” books (along with all their other products, which are essential for success).
Overall, highly recommended; it got me thinking about outsourcing more effectively, plus other actionable ideas, so that alone is well worth reading this for.
-Ken Calhoun
4 Stars Profiting from globalism
I understand reservations about this book, but I think it makes a powerful case for applying the lessons of globalism to your personal life. There is no reason that only big multinationals and governments should profit from globalization - everyday normal Joes and Joannes can too. Globalization is one of the most powerful profit engines on the planet right now, and anyone who does not take advantage of it is a fool, in my opinion. Wealth will, as always, come to those with daring and initiative. The majority who lack the strength to come out from under their sedentary, suburban rocks will become an impoverished commodity class.
Whether or not you can in fact achieve a 4 hour work week, there is great value in hypermobility and global nomadism, for people with the imagination, intelligence and flexibility to make it happen. The author perhaps overestimates the imagination of his audience at points in the book. It has always been clear to me that nomads are special people, and it takes a renegade mentality to make much of this work. Whether or not the specific entrepreneurial wealth engine that he details will work for you is irrelevant. There are ways, and this book should be viewed as a crack in the ice of sedentary convention. It is up to you to come up with your own technique.
I strongly recommend a career in IT contracting for people who want to possess unique control over their time. Every contract typically lasts from three months to a year. Every time your contract ends, is a good opportunity to take a break and explore the world. If you have a home with a mortgage you might not be able to do it. But if you live without mortgage and a high fixed monthly cost of living, as I do, you could. Explore the ways that conventional ways of living might not be helping you.
5 Stars Don’t rush the exercises, enjoy in small doses
This is an excellent book which includes many, many details and suggested exercises. My suggestion is to read the book all the way through once, then start working on the exercises, slowly, otherwise it can be a bit too much to really get a handle on. Awesome, so worth the money spent to purchase it.
1 Star Musings of a 20something Slacker
That pretty much sums up what this book should have been called. I just can’t fathom how so many people have been duped into drinking the kool-aid that young Mr Ferriss expounds so carelessy in his book.
For those of you looking for the ‘Cliff Note’ version, I’ll summarize in 3 points what this book is basically about:
1 - Look for ways to generate passive income (ie, make $$ with little or no work). In Mr. Ferriss’ case, it’s selling vitamin supplements online…yeah you heard it right.
2 - Make it your life’s goal to become a slacker by outsourcing everyday tasks(eg, checking email, paying bills, online shopping, etc). Yes, everyone is as busy and important as Mr Ferris that they need to manage a team of personal assistants in India to check their email, pay bills and shopping online.
3 - Once you become a slacker, look for activities that will give you meaning in life. Young Mr. Ferris has some real gems of wisdom for you 
The 4-Hour Work Week is complete utter waste of time and not worth the paper it’s printed on. Check out at the library if you must waste 2-3 hours of your life skimming through the drivel.
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Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
Web Analytics An Hour a Day
Written by an in-the-trenches practitioner, this step-by-step guide shows you how to implement a successful Web analytics strategy. Web analytics expert Avinash Kaushik, in his thought-provoking style, debunks leading myths and leads you on a path to gaining actionable insights from your analytics efforts. Discover how to move beyond clickstream analysis, why qualitative data should be your focus, and more insights and techniques that will help you develop a customer-centric mindset without sacrificing your company’s bottom line.
Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Analytics for the intermediate user….
I have used Web Side Story…moved to Omniture….also work with Google Analytics…..This book does a good job of getting away from the mountains of data, to provide a clear cut “THINK ABOUT WHAT THE ANALYTICS MEAN” on a business basis- definitely worth the time investment.
5 Stars Now this is what I call Web Analytics!
I can consider myself as pretty noobish in the field of web analytics. I know SEO and usability, but web analytics has always been just looking at the number of visitors and pageviews. Until I received this book, because this book is a real eye-opener for the new comers to web analytics. It totally change your way of thinking about what web analytics is and how you can pull the best out of it.
I can’t wait to finish it, which costs a lot of time by the way.
And students, you can consider this as a good step up to web analytics with theory plus hands on stuff. Like a real school book you learn everything you need from what to why. More than 400 pages long.
P.S. There is also a cd included with some nice stuff like a presentation from the writer, pdf and mp3 files with valuable information.
2 Stars Not analytics … more data collection
If you buy ‘Web Analytics …’ looking for some guidance, or even a few ideas, as to analysis of your internet marketing/sales endeavors, you will be disappointed. This book is about data collection … nothing more.
To Avinash Kaushik’s credit he appears thorough. I did appreciate his flagging the limitations of data collected by the various methods. On the downside the book is repetitive and could have been better ordered. The ‘… Hour a Day’ is appropriate, as that is about all a reader can risk in one sitting. The text makes an arduous read. If better structured, this book could have been half its length.
If I learned one thing, it is this. I’ll architect my approach to web analysis, define the data I need, and then recruit an IT type to build the process to collect the data. Having read the book, I now know what data there can be. For this I’m grateful to the author.
5 Stars A life changing experience
If you find yourself stumped with how to improve your website, or don’t know where to begin with looking at web statistics, this book has everything. It begins with going through the foundation of what web analysis really is and definitions and explanations of different metrics and how they can be useful. He then goes into detail with different metrics such as bounce rate, segmentation, and some things you probably never considered. It steps you through knowing what analytics tool to use and how to implement it. It has wonderful examples and sample reports that you can tailor to your own company.
This book is very actionable. I can only speak from a beginner’s perspective, but this book is easy to follow and has golden nuggets that even experienced web statisticians can take another look at. The highest recommendation possible from me. I will be waiting for another of Avinash’s books.
5 Stars If you want to learn about web analytics, start here
I have read several web analytics books and Avinash’s book is definitely the one I would recommend first.
What you can learn from the book:
- how to think about and how to approach web analytics — this is where this book excels
- how to deliver actionable results - the mantra of Avinash
- how to start with the basic metrics
What not to expect from this book:
- you will not learn how to use any analytics software
- you will not learn details about the technical aspects, frequent problems with data and measurement, what to avoid etc.
Check out Avinash’s blog to get a picture of what you can get from the book.
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Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
Marketing to the Social Web How Digital Customer Communities Build Your Business
Praise for Marketing to the Social Web
“Weber understands that the world is going digital and that competitive advantage will accrue to those who understand the transformation. CEOs should heed this transformation and learn from Weber’s insights how to navigate this new landscape to fully maximize their business opportunities.”
-Mark Fuller, Chairman, Monitor Group
“Consumers are using technology to grab power from companies, the media, and the government. Marketing to the Social Web succinctly outlines how institutions can survive and win in this chaotic new world, and lays out the revised rules of engagement-ignore them at your peril.”
-George F. Colony, CEO, Forrester Research, Inc.
“Larry has brought pragmatic and useful recommendations to help brand builders manage the complexity of social interaction in a digital age. I was pleased to read a book that actually suggests how to do something with social networks, instead of just ponder them.”
-David Kenny, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Digitas Inc.
“Where’s the allure of social 2.0? Brands can talk . . . customers talk louder! Digital influence has arrived.”
-Jeff Taylor, CEO, Eons and Founder of Monster.com
“Larry Weber provides a simple and effective roadmap of the new customer information highway. Marketing to the Social Web is a valuable tool that will give everyone the confidence and know-how to compete in this fast-growing marketplace of ideas.”
-Steve Harris, Vice President, Global Communications, General Motors Corporation
“As all lines and boundaries are washed away by the Web, Weber describes how to become part of the sea versus the sand.”
-Nicholas Negroponte, Chairman, One Laptop per Child
User Ratings and Reviews
2 Stars General information for “dinosaurs” still not sold on Web 2.0…
I have read about a dozen books on marketing/advertising/community building on the web. Perhaps I didn’t realize the scope of this book. First, if you are reading a review for what this book is about, you are probably more technologically advanced than anything this book has to offer…(IE: The “Social Web” as he puts it, Or Web 2.0, can affect hearts and minds. For example, you are reading this review before purchasing this book for some insight.)
To me it seemed as if the book was written for very large company’s marketers who are 60+ years of age and are not familiar with the internet, or at best don’t think there has been any evolution of the internet in the past 14+ years since it has gone commercial. I don’t mean to be rude, but this book really seemed like something that would have had an impact and would have been interesting in about 2001. The fact that this book was written and released in the last year honestly amazed me, as I was certain that it was just re-released based on the material.
To be slightly more specific, the book concentrates heavily on not trying to hurt the ego’s of marketers who have not been keeping up with the Internet by saying “Some of your old marketing knowledge is still useful.” a bit too often. While true, it just seemed a bit overboard. Another quick example of the target market is that the book took about 4-5 pages in describing what a blog was. This is all well and good for an “Intro” book, but it is indicitive of the audience this book was meant for. I found this book too generic to be useful. It lacked specifics, strong case examples, adequate statistics, etc. If you are 60+ years of age and really aren’t aware of what social communities are, or message boards, or online reviews of products (Oh the irony), I would recommend this book. Also, if you don’t believe that having an online voice is relevant in today’s global market, and are looking for a strong case to show you why it is, I would recommend this book. If you have ever participated on a message board, read a blog, posted/read an online review, etc…this book won’t tell you anything that you don’t already know.
However, if you are looking for effective ways to market to the “Social Web” AKA Web 2.0 by the rest of the world, go elsewhere. This book is too generic to be useful IMHO. I gave this book two stars instead of one because it was well written, and unlike EVERY other marketing book I have ever read, it didn’t remind you to go to the author’s website every other page (In fact, I don’t even remember him naming his website in the book, which is to be applauded, as you can tell this info was legitimately designed to help the reader, not just another marketing tool by the author as many marketing books are). I just feel the group that could be best helped with a book like this are intelligent people who don’t keep up with technology, but know the basics. I found this more as an introduction to what Web 2.0 was than a “How to” book which is what I believed the book to be about based on the title.
5 Stars the best social media marketing book by far
i had to do this…i have read them all, and they keep comming…i am passionate about the future of media and this book tells you how to work with this enormous change….
5 Stars Great tool for marketers
I spend a great deal of time presenting social media concepts to marketing and agency professionals. This is a great book to help marketers build a solid understanding of key concepts and be prepared to make informed decisions. Marketing to the Social Web is an important tool for the arsenal.
4 Stars Latin american Social Web
I’ve just read this book and it left me a good taste of mouth. However it would be great that the book (or any book related to this topic) talk about the latin american Social Webs. I’m from Mexico and unfortunately I haven’t found any book and/or article that talk about blogging, forum, among other social web in latin america.
This book gave me a lot of tips and an excellent starting point to begin my research in latin american market.
4 Stars Best way to understand Social Media
As I work at a Social Media Company, I purchased this book as a reference to create powerpoint presentation to explain to Social Media my clients.
It is a great book with a perfect explanation about how to create a marketing strategy to this new media.
I strongly recomend to everyone who is looking for understand this new environment created by the internet.
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Wednesday, July 30th, 2008
The New Rules of Marketing and PR How to Use News Releases Blogs Podcasting Viral Marketing and Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly
The Internet has profoundly changed the way people communicate and interact with each other. But it has also changed the way businesses communicate with their customers (and those who they want to be customers). In the old days, companies could only communicate through the filter of expensive advertising or media ink placed by a PR firm. Today the rules have changed entirely.
The New Rules of Marketing and PR shows you how to leverage the potential that Web-based communication offers your business. Finally, you can speak directly to customers and buyers, establishing a personal link with the those who make your business work. You can reach niche buyers with targeted messages that cost a fraction of your big-budget ad campaign. Rather than bombard them with advertising they’ll likely ignore, you can focus on getting the right message to the right people at the right time.
When people visit your company’s Web site, they aren’t there to hear your slogan or see your logo again. They want information, interaction, and choice—and you’d be a fool not to give it to them. This one-of-a-kind guide to the future of marketing includes a step-by-step action plan for harnessing the power of the Internet, showing you how to identify audiences, create compelling messages, get those messages to the right people, and lead those consumers into the buying process. Including a wealth of compelling case studies and real-world examples, this is a practical guide to the new reality of PR and marketing.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Exceptional Book
I’ve read probably 10,000 plus pages about marketing on the net. From articles, blog posts, eBooks, white papers, news releases and throw in a ton of video and audio.
I consider this book the most comprehensive and insightful of the lot.
The book is very “production-oriented.” What I mean by that is that every facet of marketing and PR that David Scott discusses is presented from the viewpoint of your presence on the net being PRODUCTIVE. Not pretty, not snazzy, not high tech…PRODUCTIVE.
If you’re selling a product or service, he gives solid advice on how to increase revenues. If you’re interested in recruiting volunteers for a cause, the advice fits to get ACTUAL RECRUITS. And so on for virtually any kind of activity on the net.
Having an orientation of this kind is refreshing.
4 Stars New Rules Requiring “Old” Skills
Traditional PR is dead, what is important is creating compelling online content that will both bring search engine traffic and inspire traditional media to cover you, your product, your service.
That is the basic premise of the The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing and Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly.”
The underlying belief is that the ability to speak directly to your “publics,” the people you want to reach, has dramatically changed the landscape. We’ve moved from a media-centric communication model to an online model. The process has changed from traditional media relations (working with reporters to get your story out, hoping that they will get the facts straight) to directly getting your story out on your website, blog, podcast or YouTube video.
And, perhaps more importantly, the model has changed from one-way controlled communication to a two-way conversation.
This model has definitely worked for the author, who has been writing a blog for years, and has been consistently covered by the media as a direct result of his writing.
Interestingly, both the “new” and “old” approaches require many of the same skills. The ability to listen to your market. To convey the news, craft a story, and write intelligently. To be creative, persistent and consistent.
In those ways, the “new” rules highly depend on some “old” (and unfortunately scarce) skills. This book reminds all PR and marketing people (myself included) of the importance of those skills, whether we are doing traditional or “new” marketing and PR.
4 Stars Making Marketing Accessible to the Masses
The New Rules of Marketing and PR is an in-depth exploration of the principles and philosophies behind marketing. It begins by examining the “rules” of the past, and exploring the mindset that went into the ways in which marketing was handled and why, and contrasts them with the new “rules”. The book then explores the various avenues open to today’s marketers: blogs, press releases, podcasts, forums, wikis, viral campaigns, and content-rich websites of your own.
Although I must admit that I found Parts I and II of the book a bit dry to read, they do an excellent job of providing insight into the ideas behind marketing, delves into the differences between the old and new rules, and providing a general understanding of each of the marketing avenues listed above.
But for me Part III, “Action Plan for Harnessing the Power of the New Rules,” is where the book comes alive for me. It’s there that we transition from the passiveness of discussing philosophy into actually putting the New Rules to work for you. At first we learn how to build a marketing plan, and then we transition into creating the content for our marketing materials, the kind of content that will distinguish you from the rest and earn your potential buyers’ respect and loyalty. From there we move on to each of the avenues previously mentioned, giving each a chapter of its own so that we learn how to utilize each of them to great effect, always keeping the customer’s needs and wants at the forefront of our thinking.
I don’t feel that The New Rules of Marketing and PR alone will teach you all that you need to know to be a successful marketer. One of the book’s “flaws”, such as it is, is that it has more of a corporate business-minded slant, making some of the ideals it presents not as accessible to those of us who run smaller businesses. Nor will it teach you all you need to know to write effective ad copy or press releases, although you will come away understanding the goals to strive for when writing them. But what the book does very well is introduce you to the world of marketing, and give you an understanding of the “old rules” as a foundation to teach you about the “new rules,” and if you are a small business owner like myself with little to no knowledge of the ins and outs of marketing, it will provide you with the mindset necessary to become a better, more savvy marketer.
As a primer to begin your study of marketing, this is an excellent resource.
- Gregory Bernard Banks, author, reader, reviewer
5 Stars Must Read for Anyone in Marketing
In “the New Rules”, David hits on this key point - to survive and grow as a company today, you must learn to create relevant content in new and compelling ways. There is an opportunity to communicate directly with customers now that the “middleman” of media is going away.
My copy is completely marked up, and I refer back to it religiously in regards to news release best practices, blogging and application stories. I strongly recommend.
5 Stars You can skip around the chapters and still get to the bottom line(s)
This book gives great details on new media. It was a great guide for quick references especially if you’re looking for key words/summaries when describing new marking and pr opportunities in recommendation memos or presentations.
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Tuesday, July 29th, 2008
Word of Mouth Marketing How Smart Companies Get People Talking
Who Is Talking About You?
Master the art of word of mouth marketing with this fun, practical, hands-on guide.
With straightforward advice and humor, marketing expert Andy Sernovitz will show you how the world’s most respected and profitable companies get their best customers for free through the power of word of mouth.
Learn the five essential steps that make word of mouth work and everything you need to get started using them. Understand the real purpose of blogs, communities, viral email, evangelists, and buzz—when to use them and how simple it is to make them work.
Learn what sparks the irrepressible enthusiasm of Apple and TiVo fans. Understand why everyone is talking about a certain restaurant, car, band, or dry cleaner—and why other businesses and products are ignored. Discover why some products become huge successes without a penny of promotion—and why some multi-million-dollar advertising campaigns fail to get noticed.
Open your eyes to a new way of doing business—that honest marketing makes more money, because customers who trust you will talk about you. Learn how to be the remarkable company that people want to share with their friends.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars A “Must Read” for all business and non-profit organization people
Technology is rapidly changing how we communicate. Andy Sernovitz tells how to use it effectively. Companies that use his approach stand a better chance of succeeding and thriving. He uses a simple, straight-forward style with concrete examples. Ironically this multi-billion dollar industry cannot be measured of itself, but individual results can be seen and/or conjectured. His insights are crucial in today’s economy not only for companies, but for individuals. Please see the additional web site tools he and others have created to put Word of Mouth Marketing into action. An easy read, brilliantly written, with superb follow-up tools.
5 Stars This review is word of mouth
Your customers are talking about you. You can choose to listen, facilitate, and participate - or ignore them.
I like how the author described word of mouth as BtoCtoC (business to consumer to consumer). I also like the emphasis on honesty and disclosure. “Nobody talks positively about a company that they don’t trust or like.”
Aside from the obvious promotional value, word of mouth offers customer service opportunities, and unfiltered market research insights.
5 Stars Get started with WOM today
Andy Sernovitz’s book is a great way to get started with word of mouth marketing today. it’s a nice balance between WOM theory/background, and practical how-to steps. Unless you’re already an expert on word of mouth marketing, I expect you’ll find this book encouraging, intriguing and motivating to get out there and join the WOM movement right away.
5 Stars It Works. Honestly.
I have a bookshelf brimming with business books, but Andy’s is one that’s dogeared, highlighted, post-ited(???) and a continual go-to reference for me. The Five T’s are clear, insightful, and compelling (because they work - how’s that for a new concept?).
Andy’s writing is witty, concise, and you can breeze through this book in a day or two. But the ideas and concepts are workable for the long haul and they’re a staple in my marketing arsenal (in fact, quite the cornerstone in many ways). A practical, common sense guide for bringing the best in marketing back to its very essence.
4 Stars Read this book!
People talk. When they’re happy, they chat. When they’re unhappy, they yell and scream and kick and rant, inciting angry mobs. Social networks have shone a searchlight on the darkest corners in business - there is literally nowhere to hide. We ignore this new exposure at our peril: revenues and reputations can be rapidly destroyed by it. But there is a big upside if we learn how to participate fully.
Andy shows us how to embrace the transparency inherent in social networks, use it to engage honestly, enjoy the process, and reap real benefits. He reminds us that the fate of our business will be decided by others unless we open communications on all channels. Best of all, he reminds us that doing what’s right is not only more pleasant, it’s more profitable.
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