The 1% rule of my Longtail
August 01, 2006 |Reads
I've read my share of "pop-psych" business books in
the last few years.
Be it about effectiveness (Seven Habits), excellence (Good to Great), the or a new view of the paradigm shift (Tipping Point or Blink), or more recently, Chris Anderson's The Long Tail.
All of them are nice interesting reads, but they have about as much unique content as something scribbled on a bathroom stall.
On first impression it is easy to believe these titles are non-fiction. Surely the author set about in a scientific fashion to gather the data and then come to a conclusion, right? Well, the answer is obviously "No". Careers are made or lost on their books and the bigger more dynamic claim one can make, the better your book can sell. That is why many of the above default to literary masters to pull their best parts.
Let me summarize these five books in two sentences:
Being meek or humble is the ultimate business benefit. - Seven Habits, Good to Great
The actions of a few can ripple affect the many. - Tipping Point, Blink, The Longtail
There could also be a third line which encompasses another thread in both:
Trust your gut instincts.
Take a good look at the above and compare them to your experiences. Do they have the ring of truth to you?
When I realized that I'm being resold the same narrative tale I've always heard, now dressed up in a non-fiction trapping, it was disconcerning to say the least. I might as well get out Joseph Campbell's Hero with a Thousand Faces and start a comparative checklist.
Or maybe these are modern retellings of America's streets being paved with gold. Lies - yes, but as long as the masses are entertained we can continue.
The point here being that catch-phrases exist to distract the lazy into thinking that life can be won by simply repeating a simple password. Upon uttering its last syllables the pearly gates open and we all dance into the sunset. The truth is hard work, good ideas, and a spirit that never gives up will trump any other method hands down. Pop business titles are great to read if you understand you are being sold a pretty plastic truth.
Be it about effectiveness (Seven Habits), excellence (Good to Great), the or a new view of the paradigm shift (Tipping Point or Blink), or more recently, Chris Anderson's The Long Tail.
All of them are nice interesting reads, but they have about as much unique content as something scribbled on a bathroom stall.
On first impression it is easy to believe these titles are non-fiction. Surely the author set about in a scientific fashion to gather the data and then come to a conclusion, right? Well, the answer is obviously "No". Careers are made or lost on their books and the bigger more dynamic claim one can make, the better your book can sell. That is why many of the above default to literary masters to pull their best parts.
Let me summarize these five books in two sentences:
Being meek or humble is the ultimate business benefit. - Seven Habits, Good to Great
The actions of a few can ripple affect the many. - Tipping Point, Blink, The Longtail
There could also be a third line which encompasses another thread in both:
Trust your gut instincts.
Take a good look at the above and compare them to your experiences. Do they have the ring of truth to you?
When I realized that I'm being resold the same narrative tale I've always heard, now dressed up in a non-fiction trapping, it was disconcerning to say the least. I might as well get out Joseph Campbell's Hero with a Thousand Faces and start a comparative checklist.
Or maybe these are modern retellings of America's streets being paved with gold. Lies - yes, but as long as the masses are entertained we can continue.
The point here being that catch-phrases exist to distract the lazy into thinking that life can be won by simply repeating a simple password. Upon uttering its last syllables the pearly gates open and we all dance into the sunset. The truth is hard work, good ideas, and a spirit that never gives up will trump any other method hands down. Pop business titles are great to read if you understand you are being sold a pretty plastic truth.
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