Book Reviews
 

The Breakthrough Company

Keith McFarland

Recently a very good friend of mine gave me The Breakthrough Company. You'll see it on the bookshelves at the airport or in good bookstores. The Breakthrough Company is like the next book after Built to Last and Good to Great. Written in the same premise, it details why the most innovative companies in the world succeed. He pinpoints how everyday companies are becoming extraordinary, showing that luck is a negligible factor. He identifies that breakthrough success turns out to be associated with a clearly identifiable set of strategies and skills that any person from any business can emulate.

McFarland spent five years building and analysing the world's largest growth company performance database, interviewing more than 1500 CEO's on 4 continents. Quite simply, he wanted to know what made them tick. This book is the result. It's a really good read and I can always tell a good book by the number of highlighting marks I have through it - this book is loaded! You'll take many good useable nuggets from this book to apply to your business, and whether you're a one off operator or running a multi million dollar organisation, there are some good learnings in this book. 

 

In Praise of Slow

Carl Honore

There is no question we live in a culture that teaches that faster is better. With the internet, iPods, BlackBerries, mobile phones and the like, our lives are moving at the speed of light. In the race to keep up, everything suffers. Our work, diet, health, relationships and sex lives are suffering as we quickly wiz from project to project. We're in such a hurry that anyone or anything that slows us down becomes the enemy. This book is about living better in the hectic modern world by striking a real balance between fast and slow.

From creativity, eating, cooking, social gatherings to sex and yoga, this is a very good read. I think anyone who is looking to capture the much spoken about ‘balance' in their life and wants some interesting angles and philosophies on doing this should have a read. This is one of the better books on life/balance that I've read. Take a minute, slow down and have a read.

 

The Power of Full Engagement

Jim Loehr

This is a terrific book by a sports psychologist that is guaranteed to produce high energy and top performance in today's high stress, high speed world. Jim Loehr has worked for over 25 years to help some of the world's greatest athletes perform at their best. In this book he presents a compelling case that the way we manage our energy has far more impact on our ability to achieve superior performance, than how we manage our time. By applying the same principals you can make great changes in your life and become more fully engaged in your relationships and day to day living. This book will help you be physically energised, emotionally connected and mentally focussed on your life. Although it sounds a bit airy-fairy, it is full of good, practical concepts, ideas, quotes and methods. Definitely worth a read.  

 

The Art of Possibility

Benjamin Zander

We all spend our lives surrounded by possibility, but how many of us know how to embrace it? How do we lift ourselves out of the world of everyday struggles and see what our next steps could be? This is a book that answers these questions. It will shift your perspective with uplifting stories and anecdotes from the author's personal experience as well as from famous and everyday heroes. I loved this book and read it in a day!

 

Grapevine - the New Art of Word of Mouth Marketing

David Balter & John Butman

This is a really interesting book. Although a lot of it is common sense, it's fascinating to look at the science behind true word of mouth. Most brand experts or marketing people don't truly understand word of mouth. These guys do. If you're in marketing, brand advertising, PR, communication or in small business, and you rely on people spreading your word of mouth, then this is a great book to read. Littered with true examples of where word of mouth has worked and conversely failed, this is a very easy to read and fascinating book by the guys who created a word of mouth agency called BZZ Agent. Due to their incredible hands on experience, these guys have filled the gap that was missing on this topic.

 

Often Wrong, Never in Doubt

Donny Deutsch

Why not me? Its not a question, it's a philosophy to live by, it's Donny Deutsch's motto, and it's the secret possessed by any person with the right stuff. The one in a hundred who get to the top of their team, their company, their business or their industry. Donny Deutsch is the leader of one of the biggest ad agencies in New York and in this common-sense, bottom line, no nonsense book, he shows you what it takes to be not only an inspiring leader, but to get the most out of your life, as well as some interesting background and secrets to the ad industry. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it did pose some interesting questions about advertising, marketing, business and leadership. If you find yourself saying ‘why not me?' then read this book.

 

A New Brand World

Scott Bedbury

When you hear brand names like Nike and Starbucks, you might assume that whoever was the strategist behind both of these remarkable marketing stories must know their stuff. Scott Bedbury was the guy behind the building of both of these benchmark brands.

This is a really interesting book filled with great nuggets for anybody who is into marketing, branding, promotions or advertising and it really does take you through the models required to build your brand to be one of the best in the world. I also found the real life stories and anecdotes fascinating as both of these brands have a special place in the world of marketing and brand creation. This book is well worth a read.

 

Beyond Buzz

Lois Kelly

In a consumer driven world where social networking, mySpace, Facebook, blogs and podcasts rule, the old marketing model no longer works. While much of the attention has been paid to the mechanics of creating buzz, only the savviest of marketers have learned how to craft the right kind of message - because without it even the loudest buzz will soon die. The bottom line is that marketing today involves engaging in conversation. It's not about cajoling, seducing or selling, it's about meaningful conversation. I like this book because I totally agree with the majority of the content written within in. I believe that marketing today is full of jargon or what's referred to as a white blizzard of meaningless messages. Beyond Buzz will give you the tools and the guidance to build the kind of understanding trust and excitement that keeps customers talking about you and buying from you. The author has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world and helped them to revolutionise their marketing and communications and how they approach their customers so that they can more quickly understand their message, believe their products and most importantly buy. Beyond Buzz will show you how to create an interesting conversational theme that will engage your customers and take your marketing to a remarkable new level. I agree with the direction this book takes and think that the marketer or communications person should read it and at least give it due consideration.

 

Differentiate or Die

Jack Trout

A lot of people will be familiar with Jack Trout. He co-authored Positioning and Marketing Warfare with his buddy Al Ries. In this book Jack Trout takes a simplistic view of marketing and raises the very important question ‘what differentiates you from your competitors?' If it's nothing, then more likely your business or brand will die. The power of this book is in its simplicity, logic and clarity and getting down to the essence of the real problem we see in today's marketing battlefield. Very few companies differentiate themselves from their competitors and this book is going to take you a long way towards getting a simplistic view of what needs to be done in order to do it. With a myriad of different stories and anecdotes from companies that Trout has worked with, it's a good read. The only downside for Australian readers is all the examples are American, so you'll need to use your imagination to put the dots together for the same sorts of examples, which are very prevalent in our own business environment.

 

NOW, Discover Your Strengths

Marcus Buckingham

Essentially this book talks about the fact that generally when we manage or work with people and/or ourselves, we tend to accept our strengths and try to improve our weaknesses. Unfortunately most of us have little sense of our talents and strengths, much less the ability to build our lives around them. Instead, guided by our parents, our teachers or our managers at work, we become experts in our weaknesses and spend our lives trying to repair these faults while our strengths lie dormant and neglected. I found this book and his approach to building people's strengths to be terrific. I love the premise of looking at where people's strengths are and using them to enable them to be more, achieve more and get more. As an organisation, when you highlight people's strengths and build upon them, you can add enormous power to the productivity, imagination, creativity and drive of your business. Its an interesting read and well worth your time, and it will really change the way you think.

 

What it Takes to be #1

Vince Lombardi Jnr

Legendary American football coach, Vince Lombardi, loved by some, feared by others, but respected by all, was first and foremost a winner. His unparalleled ability to inspire greatness and mould disparate groups of individuals into dominating championship teams made Lombardi an icon both on and off the playing field.

Written by his son, Vince Lombardi Jnr, this book explores the fundamental qualities that Lombardi considered essential to gain success. This is by far one of the best and most motivating books I have read for quite a while. It covers the philosophies, rules and motivation of an inspiring leader as covered by the person who knew him best, his son. This book makes great reading for anybody who aspires to be their best.

 

The Juice Master

Jason Vale

In this highly motivational, hard hitting and extremely effective book, best selling author Jason Vale shatters all of the usual excuses we come up with to justify why we cannot get slim and healthy. When you read this book, you will find it impossible not to feel juiced and inspired to act on the information. You will reshape your body, your mind, your health, and your life forever. There is an enormous amount of text on health, fitness and food out there, and I must say I thought this book was one of the best. Get it, read it, live it and feel the difference. Highly recommended.

 

You Inc.

John McGrath

John McGrath started his business in his living room in 1989. His self taught business strategies have made McGrath Real Estate one of Australia's fastest growing private companies. John believes that living a fulfilling life is about maximising the potential of your life and business. This inspirational young business leader gives you his perspectives on having everything you want in your life. From questioning more, building new goals, dealing with obstacles, avoiding the most prevalent of business mistakes, to building a world-class culture, John McGrath has an easy-going writing style that I'm sure you'll enjoy. Whether you are a business and want to take your company higher, a sales person ready to go to the next level or you just want to get ahead in life, You Inc. is a great book to get you going.

 

Mind Gym

Gary Mack

Although this book is written by a sports psychologist, the lessons and techniques within it will help you regardless of what fields you work or play in. As golfing great Bobby Jones said ‘competition is won or lost in the six inch playing fields between the ears'. So how do the best gain an advantage on that playing field? In the mind gym, noted sports psychologist and consultant Gary Mack.

In this book he teaches the lessons he's learned about how the mind influences performance as much as the physical skill does. If not more so. Through 40 accessible lessons and inspirational anecdotes from prominent athletes and business people, many of whom have worked with Mack, he shares the same techniques and exercises he uses to keep elite athletes building mental muscle. If you're a sports person you'll love it, but even if you're not, you'll know the names, enjoy the stories and definitely gain something from this book.

 

NOW - No Opportunity Wasted

Phil Keoghan

At 19, tv adventurer (and host of The Amazing Race) Phil Keoghan nearly drowned during a dive to a ship wreck. He survived but the near miss got him thinking about all the things he wanted to do before he died - there were so many he began a list, checking off #1 straight away, when he returned to the scene of his diving emergency the very same day. Back on dry land Phil set about fulfilling his wish list, embarking on a series of adventures ranging from enjoying a gourmet meal on top of an erupting volcano, to renewing his marriage vows under water. Drawing on Phil's own amazing adventure as well as some stores of ordinary people who have taken up his challenge, this book is an urgent call to action that will inspire you to achieve all you want to achieve before you leave this planet. Phil takes you through an 8 step process to build the list. If you've ever thought you want more, and desire to do all you want to achieve before you finish, then grab this book, it's a terrific read.

 

Love is the Killer Ap

Tim Sanders

Love is the Killer App offers an easy to follow road map with new twists on how to use and share information, add power to networks and help people succeed by showing love. The end result is that we're shown how to build ourselves into an outstanding brand - marketing advice that will create winners in any business setting. This is a different approach to marketing but one that's worth adding to your arsenal of marketing literature. Although not a book for everybody, its easily digested and even more easily applied. If you follow Tim's basic principles you can't help but lift up those around you and your own career. Become a love cat and grab this book. It's a great read on how to win business, influence colleagues and make friends.

 

Why We Want You to be Rich

Donald Trump & Robert Kiyosaki

You either like these two guys or you hate them. I for one tend to lean towards the like side. If you're concerned about your future wealth and/or career, then pick up this book and have a read. Don't be put off by the large picture of the Don and his notorious hairline, this guy does have great philosophies and truly has been there and done that. Having read a lot of Robert Kiyosaki's books before, I found his part of the book quite repetitive. However, having said that, if you're new to his message (he wrote Rich Dad Poor Dad), then buy this book. A great book for anybody who is into money, wealth, growing a business, expanding a corporation or just being truly well off. In this modern era where money is getting tighter and expenses are going up, this book definitely should be on your reading list.

 

The Ten Rules of Sam Walton

Michael Bergdahl

The Ten Rules of Sam Walton shows you how a simple farmer created probably the biggest and best retail organisation in the world. In this book, former Walmart employee, Michael Bergdahl, reveals the secrets behind the incredible character of Sam Walton. Straightforward and to the point, this book offers valuable lessons that Walton himself followed and taught throughout his lifetime. It gives you a rare insight into the real Sam Walton and shows you what he did and how he did it. It also really gives you an idea of the true personality, beliefs and disciplines that drove Sam Walton to not want to be the biggest in the world, but rather - be the best. This is great reading for anybody in business or a leadership role, but also anyone who loves a good autobiograhpy/biography.

 

Playing with Fire

Gordon Ramsay

Unashamedly I am a Ramsay fan, having eaten in several of his restaurants, enjoying his television shows and reading his books. I must say when I first bought this book I thought it would be more of the same, but after only a number of chapters I was pleasantly surprised. If you are a person who is into food, restaurants, business, marketing, communication or setting high standards, you'll enjoy this book. It's a book that tells you how he's gone about setting up the Gordon Ramsay brand and empire. From how he runs his kitchens, chooses his chefs, the standards he sets at the front of house, his presentation of food and insights into his own life, family, successes and disasters, this is a very engaging read. It would make a great present for anybody as it hits so many different points with its content. It talks of his rubbish decisions in opening restaurants that failed through to being a 3 star Michelin Chef and having restaurants, television programs and books to match. Its honest, its up front and in some places quite confronting, but it takes you from the very beginning of Ramsay through to his success this year. It doesn't labour like most books on his childhood, but more-so picks up from when he started in restaurants, at his first gig at Aubergine in London through to where he is today. He gives you great insight but also will have you understanding and fully appreciating what its like to run the best restaurants in the world. As a diner it will give you a new appreciation of what its like to be in a really first rate restaurant, and what's happening out back in the kitchen. It's a story of the lessons learned by one of the great restaurant brands in the world.

 

Icon

Steve Jobs

Icon takes a look at the most astounding figure in the business era known for its mavericks, odd-balls and iconoclasts. Drawing on a wide range of sources in Silicone Valley and Hollywood, this book provides a new angle on the legendary creation of Apple, and details Jobs' meteoric rise as the pro-typical digital wonder kid.

Although not yet authorised, this is a pretty interesting book to give you an inside look into one of today's modern icons. Most people would know Jobs for his enormous success with the iPod, but his success started way before the iPod and has extended from not only computers, but into the world of animation where he has restructured the business in Hollywood. This is an excellent read.

 

Heart Soul Fire

Paul Briggs

There are few sportsmen with the magnetic focus, strength, determination and charisma of Paul Briggs. He is one of those people you just can't resist. Although being a champion kick boxer and boxer, he speaks in an articulate manner and is somebody you gravitate towards.

After being a champion kick boxer, his life went terribly off the rails. This book is pretty hard core but it is an incredibly true and honest account of Paul's transformation from small minded thug, to mindful inspiring warrior, in one of the most breathtaking, moving autobiographies you'll ever read. This is a really honest, no holes barred story about how this guy dragged himself literally from the gutter to now becoming one of the top WBC light weight, heavy weight boxing champions in the world. It's a great book which I could not put down, although be warned, it is hard core, brutally frank, and something you need to accept before you pick it up.

 

Ranulph Fiennes - Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know

Ranulph Fiennes

Sir Ranulph Fiennes is described as the world's greatest living explorer by the Guinness Book of World Records and his life story is just incredible. I had the privilege of working at a conference with Ran in October last year and was the speaker on stage prior to him. At the conclusion of the event he kindly gave me an autographed copy of his book. It is one of the most riveting reads you'll find if you're in to adventure, exploration, the arctic and antarctic poles, mountain climbing or just an incredible story of one man's push and determination to explore not only the world's most remote points but also the depth of the human heart.

From his early military career and his time in the special forces, to his many expeditions and his life of amazing achievement, this book will highlight the courage, determination and desire he possessed, against all odds. He is an incredible character and has travelled to the most dangerous and inaccessible places on earth, almost died many times and lost nearly all his fingers to frost bite. At the same time he has raised millions of pounds for charity, and been awarded a Polar Medial and an OBE.  This really is a fantastic story of an elite soldier, an athlete, a mountaineer, an explorer, a best selling author and a guy who's nearly replaced Sean Connery as a true to life James Bond. This would be a wonderful present for anybody and also a great read. 

 

Brand Sense - Build Powerful Brands through Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight and Sound

Martin Lindstrom

I had bought this book because I enjoy Martin Lindstrom's website and he is seen as being at the forefront of marketing and brand. Its a good book, without being great. Although it does stimulate your thinking around the five senses and how they can relate to your own brand. There is no doubt that he raises very pertinent and strong points in this book and elements that I totally agree with. It's an interesting read for anybody in marketing and brand, and probably a good book to add to your reading list, although it won't blow you away. Good reading, but not outstanding.

 

Reclaiming Childhood

William Crane

I personally thought this was a very valuable book for every parent to read to understand the value of play and curiosity when raising our children. Today we push our kids harder than ever to perform so that one day they will make the grade in the so called adults world. In this book, child development expert William Crane argues that this intense preparation for their future has really gotten out of hand. He believes we need to give children unpressured time and plenty of opportunities to develop the special qualities of the childhood years. He shows you how children, when given a chance, naturally develop remarkable artistic, dramatic and linguistic capacities and form deep bonds with the natural world. This book is a good wake up call for mums and dads and should definitely be amongst your reading list this month.

 

Under Pressure

Carl Honore

I first came across Carl Honore when I read his book In Praise of Slow. The premise of that book was that if you want to get more done, then slow down. He talked about the slow movement that was taking course across the world. I thoroughly enjoyed that book and consequently put faith in this book around children. The premise is the same. In Under Pressure he shows you the ways that mums and dads tend to rescue our children from the culture of what he called Hyper Parenting. In this book Carl Honoure looks into the changing world of parenting and childhood and asks whether we're going in the wrong direction in many fundamental ways. With so much anxiety, he believes we're in danger of losing something precious from family life and from the process of growing up. He takes you on a journey around the world in search of new formulas that will work in this new 21^st Century. He's gone through bucket loads of research to give an easy to read manual for mums and dads to understand, on how you can avoid the frenzy of hyper parenting and create happier children and calmer parents. He'll teach you how to trust your instincts and find a natural balance between doing too much and doing too little. Great book and another one to add to your library.

 

What's Going On In There?

Elise Elliot

Now this book is written by a doctor so it is a bit science based, however its an fascinating account of what science knows about how a baby's brain grows. This book isn't for everyone but if you are fascinated by the mind of babies and toddlers then it's a must read. The doctor takes you through all sorts of brilliant, cutting edge science combined with her own motherly instincts to give you valuable insights and wisdom to help you raise your baby to be the best they can be. This book will show you how to raise your children to help them grow better brains. This is a great book but remember its written by a doctor so it does go into a fair bit of the science behind the development of children's brain in the first 5 years of life.

 

Einstein Never Used Flash Cards

Kathy Hirsh-Pasek

This probably was one of the best books I've read as a wake up call for parents as to what we need to do to enable our children to grow up with creativity, Mojo and to be the best they can be. I've actually gone back and read this book a number of times just to keep reminding myself of the easy to read and factual thoughts on how we can be better parents. The key take out from this book is that its ok to play. In fact its more than just ok, its better than drilling academics. After decades of research, scientists and child development experts have come to a clear conclusion, that is, play is the best way for our children to learn. You're probably not convinced but by reading this book you will have the necessary understanding as to why the greatest gift that parents can give to their children is the opportunity to play and develop a curious mind. For every area of a child's development, from speech, reading, maths, social skills, self awareness and social skills, you'll finally understand how your child's mind actually grows and learns. Very good read and very highly recommended. 

 

The Power of Story

Dr Jim Loehr

Those of you who know me or have heard me speak will know that I make reference to Dr Jim Loehr's work in many of my speeches. His first book 'The Power of Full Engagement' was excellent!  I was given his new book 'The Power of Story' recently and read it with great anticipation. This book examines the way we tell stories about ourselves to ourselves, and most importantly the way we can change these stories to transform our business and personal lives. I'm coming to believe that The Power of Story is going to be a more and more prevalent trend in business to do with brands, marketing, and consumer's attachment to why they purchase a product or service. As human beings we're constantly telling ourselves stories of our success and/or failure - stories that can endure for a day or some that may endure for a lifetime. We create stories in our minds about work, family, business, relationships, health, what we're capable of achieving and why we're capable of failing. By changing these stories you can have a dramatic impact on what you get out of life. This book talks about the stories, how to change the structure of your story and to give yourself more direction in every aspect of your life. Whether its as a mum or dad, a son, a business leader or a person who's part of a community group, this book will help you get clarity on your own story and give you a full understanding of how powerful this can be. I highly recommend it. Its easy to read and got loads of great examples, and if you take heed of what Jim talks about it could quite well change your destiny.

 

Zag

Marty Newmeier

In an age of 'need to' products and instant communications, keeping up with the competition is no longer a winning strategy. Today you have to out-position, out-manoeuvre and out-design the competition. The new rule, according to Newmeier, is to Zag when everybody else is Zigging. Its more of a handbook than anything. Anybody who has sat through my brand strategy/marketing warfare sessions will know that I talk a lot about the fact that today's brands are winning through category, not so much just brand name anymore. As illustrated in Australia by Pure Blonde and Lo Carb beer, this book is a step by step handbook as to how you go about creating a new category and Zagging while everybody else Zigs. Its a very easy read and quite informative. I'm sure that any brand, marketing or communications person will find some nuggets in it and I think its an excellent handbook for small to medium sized enterprises who are looking to find a point of difference to their competition. A worthy read and perfect size for a short haul business flight. 

 

 

Meatball Sunday

Seth Godin

I'm a self confessed Seth Godin fan. I love the fact that he writes short, succinct books on topics that are of importance to marketers, brands and business owners now. This book talks about the 14 trends that can't be ignored. The thing I like about the book and something I totally agree with is that he talks about businesses who are trying to get into new age marketing techniques through blogs, emails, You Tube, videos and so on, when in actual fact the product itself needs to get into the new age. Putting all the new forms of media and communication on top of a standard product is like putting cream and cherries and ice cream on top of a meatball. That is the essence of Meatball Sunday. I highly recommend this book. Seth Godin uses great examples and a succinct definitive guide as to how you can apply the 14 trends to today's business. Old marketing won't work anymore, you have to get with the program and develop new marketing thinking. This is the next book to get you started to fire up your creative juices as to how you can apply this trend to your own brand. A good read, a small book but packed with great stuff.

 

The Star Principle

Richard Koch

Richard Koch has made over $1 hundred million pounds from spotting star businesses. In this book he shares the secrets of his success and how you too can identify and enrich yourself creating stars. This is a very good book for anybody starting a business, entering into a new venture or wanting to promote new products for your own organisation. If you're a budding entrepreneur or investor or you are given the task of inventing new categories for your company, then this is a good step by step handbook as to how to do it. Whoever you are, if you can identify and invest in stars you'll make your life much sweeter and richer in every way. Its an easy read and once again builds on the principle of creating new categories. However, this is also a checklist to ensure you're going in the right direction. Its not the first book I would buy but certainly worthy of a week's reading.