Blink is about the adaptive unconscious. The moment where we can sum up all the data that is before us and make an informed instant decision. Our brain is like a giant computer which processes data instantly to give the first impression.

Blink demonstrates this by looking at a study that can break a marriage down into core elements which will determine whether it will be successful or not. However even those observations can be thin sliced even further to just one core element – the presence of contempt.

Gladwell goes on to demonstrate that even though we need experience and infromation to thin slice deciions, too much information actually hinders this ability. He uses several examples to prove this, the best being the War Games and Continue reading 'Blink The Power of Thinking Without Thinking Cliff Notes'»

For a little book, this is packed full of gold nuggets and at times it feels like Seth Godin is just downloading his brain, which is actually priceless.

Tribes looks at the development of groups, especially niche groups which forms tribes – with or without you – and the value that is apparent in taking a leadership role of these groups.

Godin contends that people are desperate to believe in the elusive ‘something’ whether it’s animal welfare, software, tattoos, or orchids. But with this desperation, the despair is the collective sigh of all going nowhere believing in the one thing. This is where leadership enters the Tribes equation.

Godin looks at what makes a leader as opposed to a follower, what core values are needed and why so many don’t take up the challenge and why, it is essential that someone step up to the plate. He challenges our core fears of failure, apathy, discontent, the status quo and why all these fears need to be challenged and conquered – immediately.

Some of the core ideas include Leadership is Not Management, and with this, managers are not necessarily leaders. He cites examples of a single memo that changed the course of a company, written by an employee who rose to lead the Continue reading 'Tribes Seth Godin Cliff Notes'»

Malcolm Gladwell sets out to prove two arguments in The Outliers:-

1. There is no such thing as an overnight success and
2. Stars are born AND made.

Throughout The Outliers, Gladwell looks at several case studies including The Beatles, Bill Gates, New York lawyer Joe Flom and others.

Gladwell argues that it is possible to take a successful person and predict their history in terms of where and when they were born, who their parents were in terms of cultural identity, and what type of school they attended.

While looking at successful Canadian hockey players, it was discovered that the best were born at a specific time of year. With other case studies, Gladwell succeeds in building the case that it definitely depends on when you were born as to whether you will be successful or not, in a range of endeavours.

He then goes on to examine the importance of cultural heritages including Jewish immigration and the ensuing rag trade boom, and the significance of rice fields on success in mathematics and other academic enterprises.

Gladwell’s signature and most coined argument from The Outliers is the 10,000 hour rule. Using a collection of studies he suggests and proves that one will only be an outstanding success at anything once they have achieved 10,000 hours of practice and execution of their speciality.

Gladwell builds compelling arguments and makes one stand back and think about the nature of success. The information he provides and the argument he makes allows us to understand success retrospectively and to some extent predictively.

Cliff notes really don’t do this work any justice and it is a highly recommended read for anyone interested in the pathology of success.

I’ve finished and I’m amazed.

Firstly I think Joel Comm has totally missed his calling and should just concentrate on writing.  He has a real gift and this book is an excellent story, intermingling facts with just enough story to create a rich text.

There is so much information jam packed within the stories of how famous internet marketers like John Reese, Rich Schefren, Rosalind Gardiner, Yanik Silver, Jay Abrahams and hundreds more, all got started and what they are most remembered for.

All of the marketer’s personal stories are overlayed upon the history of how the internet even came to be and what it actually began as and what it has evolved into, to date.

To date being the operative phrase and conclusion of the book as Joel Comm tries to look into the future to see where the next big thing will be.

He finishes off by profiling a story of an Iranian girl, Ladan Lashkari, borrowed from Eric Holmlund’s blog. The cliff note is she doesn’t have one advantage that we do but is still managing to earn $US6,300 a month.

The story from all of these marketers is that they laser focused on one thing or one niche or one topic that they knew and took it from there.  What they learned from their first experiences they took to their second and so on.

So even though what I know is not savory, I also know there’s a huge and growing market for it so I’m taking all the tips I learned and going forward with it.

History is important.  To know where something has come from, you can judge where it may lead.  Joel Comm has given an excellent, and relatively concise history of who, what, when and where and wrapped it in entertaining ditties about the personal struggles of the big guys.

Fantastic and highly recommended read for anyone, but EVERYONE who is even THINKING of starting an online business.

Joel, can we please have more books?  You are a fantastic writer. Well done mate.

Kath

ProBlogging by Darren Rowse of ProBlogger.net and Chris Garret of b5media.com join forces to give us newbies and hopefuls a guide to making money by blogging.

There are so many of these at the moment both in blogs and books, it’s really hard who to believe.

However I tend to believe these guys for two reasons.

Firstly, take a look at their sites and rankings – the proof is all there.

Secondly, they are brutally honest about how they did NOT succeed for ages online and then how they began to succeed.  It’s a long process. Something that is not often cited in blogging and blogging literature elsewhere.

Half way through there is not much actually new that they have added here.  They talk about niche blogging or demographic blogging as if that hasn’t already been done to death – except there is a catch in this book.  Exercises.  They give a summary of what you should have ‘got’ so far and then finish with some exercises to prove their point about what they’re saying about niche blogging.

There is a whole chapter on blog platforms which I’ll be honest I skimmed through but it had the obligatory wordpress versus blogger scenario.

At chapter four where I’ll leave this review we are back at writing and content which is the universal theme so far about actually making money out of blogging.  Reminds me of another webmaster I’ll talk about later, who has been saying the same thing for nearly 10 years now.  Content is king.  And even though the new bloggers on the block may be using different interfaces and platforms to deliver it, content is still the winner.  If you build it they might come.  If you write well enough about it, they’ll definitely be there – those who are interested anyway.

Get your copy here: Problogger

I’ll finish the rest of the book by tomorrow and give the rest of the review.