Filed under: Books in General, Economics, Marketing | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Economics, Marketing
It would be odd if I let the week go by without mentioning the event that’s taking place this Sunday evening. We’ve all heard that you can’t call the event by it’s real name for fear of legal action. Most people throw out the generic term “the big game,” and I’ll take the same course of action in this post.
In the United States, this is one of the few remaining shared media experiences that we have each year. I’m sure sociologists have devoted many books to examining the impact of the big game on social interaction. There are plenty of people who view the big game as a holiday in the same vein as Thanksgiving, New Year’s Eve or Independence Day. The actual game is an excuse to get together and share food, beverages and friendship.
From a business perspective, we look at the big game as the single biggest “captive” audience for television advertising each year. The game’s reputation for outlandish or groundbreaking advertising led to as many people watching the game specifically for the advertising as for the action on the gridiron. Are you one of those who will tune in on Sunday “just for the ads”?
If so, I want you to do me a favor. The next day when you’re talking with friends or co-workers about the ads you watched the night before, think a little bit about which ones were your favorites. Then I want you to think about why these were your favorites and whether or not you’ll buy the product that appeared in the ad. At nearly $3 million for 30 seconds, the companies that bought the commercial time are certainly hoping for a return on their investment.
The ads you like and whether or not they translate into you purchasing a product may not be related at all. This was examined in detail by author Martin Lindstrom in his book Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy. I don’t need to spend $3 million to tell you that this summary could open you eyes about advertising and the actual brain functions that trigger our buying impulse.
Enjoy the big game, but after it’s over, check out what Lindstrom has to say. It might surprise you!
Filed under: Books in General, Environment, Green, Sustainability | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Daniel Goleman, Ecological Intelligence, Environment, Green, Sustainability
If you’re a visitor to the site that hosts my little blog, you’ve probably seen the “Freshly Pressed” page. This listing of six or eight attention-getting blog posts always offers something intriguing. I’ve made the list before, an accomplishment that I’m sure would hardly impress my children, but I digress.
This post from a nature blog caught my eye because of its message. Soundview headquarters is located in the Philadelphia area, and we’ve received an extra dash or two of snow this year. In fact, more fell last night, so the first three photographs in this post are quite similar to images I saw as I left home this morning. The blogger makes a brilliant point about leaving a city to build a home in the pastoral beauty of the country. The first step involved in building such a home is destroying the very environment we sought to enjoy when we left the city. The blogger’s plea for a more mutual coexistence between man and his surroundings echoes an important point from one of our current summaries.
Once we’ve finished knocking down trees to build a house, we stock the house with stuff. It’s the stuff with which we stock the house that has author Daniel Goleman concerned. In his book Ecological Intelligence, Goleman provides key insights for consumers and manufacturers alike about the need to reform our manufacturing and purchasing practices.
In a conversation with Soundview, Goleman said, “We’re using up fresh water. We’re using up forests. We’re using up non-renewable resources all because of, basically, our individual decisions when we go shopping because we are collectively the wheel that’s driving a gigantic industrial commercial machine that is harvesting the planet. People are seeing that we can’t do this in the same way. It’s not sustainable.”
The summary of his book is a great place to start with information about how to make the changes we need. In the meantime, maybe we could follow the blogger’s advice and let those hedges at the edge of the yard get a little ragged. After all, they look rather nice when covered in snow.
Filed under: Books in General, Conference/Event, From the Editor, Soundview Live, Strategic Management, career skills | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Conference/Event, Leadership, Personal Development, Soundview Live
I’ve got another sneak peek to share with you fine folks. Before we debut one of our Soundview Live events, we generally like to talk to the author ahead of time to increase our background information on the topic we’ll discuss on event day. Our next Soundview live event features Marshall Goldsmith, an author with whom we’ve had a great history, including previous live events.
The topic of our event will be Goldsmith’s new book Mojo. I was lucky enough to have one of my editorial associates send me his pre-interview with Goldsmith. I can’t share everything the pair discussed, but my colleague asked Goldsmith about which of the four building blocks of mojo he writes about proves most difficult to achieve. Goldsmith’s answer surprised me. Here is what he said:
Acceptance. It’s something that’s not easy for any person to come to grips with. The average American is spending 15 hours per month complaining about management or listening to other people complain about management. This is a huge amount of wasted time. It’s very important to learn to change what you can change and accept what you can’t change. If you can’t change it, make peace with it and get on with life, but don’t waste life whining about what we can’t change or impact.
It’s important to understand that Goldsmith’s first suggestion is to change a bad situation if you can. Change for the better should always be undertaken. However, if you reach an impasse that cannot be overcome, let it go. The longer we dwell on the things we cannot change, the more time we waste that could be spent on better things. How often do we all dwell on something about which we can do very little?
To hear more insights such as this one, please join us this Friday, February 5th at Noon (Eastern) for Soundview Live! Your mojo will thank you!
Filed under: Books in General, From the Editor, Uncategorized | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Just Listen, Mark Goulston
Think about your average day. From the moment your alarm clock jars you from sleep, you’re about to plunge into hour after hour of constant activity. For many of us, coffee is gulped while commuting, e-mails are answered while walking and lunch is a concept more than an actual noontime meal. Thank goodness the function of breathing is automatic because many of us would forget to do it. Add an extra layer of stress to the mix and suddenly, the whole process of an average day can put some folks quite on edge.
Managers have to contend with people in an agitated state from time to time. Depending on your line of work, it can seem like the workplace is involved in a constant state of unease, while in other trades (say, retail for example) intense reactions are more cyclical. Author Mark Goulston discusses a terrific way to handle this problem in his book Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone.
He writes about the need to help people exhale both physically and emotionally. We read from time to time about the use of breathing techniques as a method of stress reduction. Goulston supports this argument by pointing out that allowing an agitated person to emotionally exhale his or her emotions before attempting to seek a solution is necessary to prevent a conflict from growing.
Just Listen is full of some of the more interesting views on communication that I’ve read in some time. You can check it out for yourself. It’s part of Soundview’s February edition. Take a breather and do a little reading.
Filed under: Books in General | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books
I enjoy reading other blogs when I’m not busy writing this one (or reviewing one of the dozens of books that flood our editorial offices on a daily basis). Recently I came across this post on ReadWrite Start, a blog for entrepreneurs. The blogger listed three books that make for good weekend reading for budding entrepreneurs. I was glad to see him mention Guy Kawasaki’s Reality Check. This book continues to be one of the best overall guides to the art of entrepreneurship. Kawasaki is also a straightforward writer with one of the best voices in business books today.
The blogger also mentions Chris Anderson’s FREE: The Future of a Radical Price. Those of you who were lucky enough to check out our recent Soundview Live event with Anderson know why his book’s popularity continues to climb. Some of the brightest entrepreneurs of tomorrow will have businesses based solely online. Understanding the zero price concept will be a key part of their ability to survive.
The blogger asserts that Kawasaki’s book, as well as Anderson’s, are a good way to spend some free time on a weekend. I agree, but between you and I, Soundview has summaries of both books available. We pack the essential information into eight pages, saving you time and maximizing your results. Click the links above to see where you can pick up our summaries of Reality Check and FREE. As for Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead, well … maybe someday.
Filed under: Books in General, Conference/Event, From the Editor, General Business, Personal Development, Success | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Collection, Conference/Event, Marshall Goldsmith, Mojo, Personal Development, Success
Be honest … how many times each day do you check up on the folks you follow on Twitter? I’ve admitted before in this blog that I’m a bit slow to adapt when it comes to any technology or social media trend. The other Soundview editors and I tease one another about walking down the hall to relay information. “Walking? Jeez, couldn’t you just tweet your question to me?” Still, even I find myself taking a few peeks during the day to see what some of @Soundview’s friends are up to on Twitter.
Lately, I’ve made it a point to check in with Marshall Goldsmith (@coachgoldsmith) at least twice per day. Here at Soundview, we’re very excited about the upcoming release of Goldsmith’s new book Mojo: How to Get It, How to Keep It, How to Get It Back if You Lose It. Goldsmith has been a consistent favorite of Soundview subscribers and we’ve covered many of his works over his very successful career.
We’re delighted to say that we’ll be working with Goldsmith again in our next edition of Soundview Live. In our interactive Web event, Goldsmith will delve into the drivers behind mojo. It’s the emotions and decision making that occurs when one feels as though everything is on a roll. It’s a vital component of business and life. As we continue to press forward into economic recovery, some of the best opportunities will be taken by those who have the mojo to know their moment and seize it.
Take a look at what Goldsmith himself tweeted about mojo yesterday, “Mojo is vital for happiness and meaning because it is about loving what you do and showing it.”
I can hardly wait for our event. Soundview Live featuring Marshall Goldsmith will go live on Friday, February 5th, 2010 at Noon (eastern). For more information, visit us by clicking this link. Remember, if you’re a Soundview subscriber, this event is FREE to attend.
Filed under: Books in General, Environment, Green | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Environment, Green
Despite my best efforts, I continue to worry my way through life. I suppose it’s something with which many of our readers struggle. The business world, particularly over the last few years, is a place where worry is washed down with the morning cup of coffee. Depending on the material that makes up your cup, you could be adding to your troubles, at least, that’s what this article is speculating. Researchers are continuing to study the effects of the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA), a substance that has been banned by several manufacturers of baby bottles and no-spill cups for children. Now researchers are examining a possible link between the consumption of BPA (through drinking from beverage cans and bottles) and the risk of heart disease.
While the article acknowledges the tenuous nature of the current research results, it raises further question about the materials used to make everyday products and their long-term effects on humans and the planet. These questions are addressed at length in a book featured in our latest edition of Soundview Executive Book Summaries. Daniel Goleman’s Ecological Intelligence is an excellent look into the knowledge gap between what we buy and what it does to us and our surroundings.
Goleman discusses a problem he describes as, “a fundamental disconnect between what we do and how it matters.” In reflecting on his work and how it relates to the BPA debate, I can’t help but notice that BPA gained widespread use in the 1950s. One change we’ve encountered as science and business have progressed over the past 60 years is a more determined effort on the part of companies and regulatory agencies to gain a better understanding (if only in the short term) of a product’s effects on individuals. This type of responsible manufacturing is a practice that continues to grow. Goleman notes that consumers play a key role in shaping the way companies treat the Earth.
One hopes that Goleman’s efforts to increase the number of informed consumers and producers will lead to the changes we need. Maybe then I can stop worrying about the cup in which my coffee comes and get back to something else on my list of concerns.
Filed under: Books in General, Environment, Green, Leadership, career skills | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, career skills, Environment, Green, Leadership, Personal Development, Self-help
As we continue to contemplate the ways in which we can improve the world, many experts speculate that the secret may lie in first improving ourselves. Business books often support this logic. An organization is strengthened by having its components, from senior management to ground-floor staff, working on ways to improve their performance. With each individual raising his or her game, the company’s performance should climb, as well.
Scanning the titles that are part of our February edition of Soundview Executive Book Summaries, I see that this progression from personal to global is represented.
Productive communication is a key part of personal development. Psychiatrist and business coach Mark Goulston provides executives with new, powerful communication techniques in his book Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone. So much of a manager’s job is finding the right communication methods to achieve results from a variety of audiences. This book is a great asset to help make the job a little easier.
Our special bonus summary this month is James Kouzes and Barry Posner’s rewarding leadership must-read The Leadership Challenge. This summary takes the best from the updated edition and reflects the new and changing ways in which leaders address their jobs in a global marketplace.
The global marketplace and the environmentally troubled globe on which it operates is the subject of our third summary Ecological Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. In a world that is driven by manufacturing and consumerism, what goes into all the “stuff” that fills our lives? More importantly, what happens to the “stuff” that is used to produce, package and ship all the stuff we buy? Goleman’s book attempts to answer these questions and provoke a new line of thinking on the part of both manufacturer and consumer. It’s an unsettling read but one that is filled with hope. It contains important arguments to aid the continued efforts to rescue the planet from ecological destruction.
We’ve got quite a trio of titles this month. Visit us at Summary.com to learn more!
Filed under: Books in General, Collection, Personal Development, career skills | Tags: books, Business, business books, career skills, Collection, Economics, Personal Development, Self-help
One of the more interesting stories to result from the financial fallout of the last several years is the way in which the American work force has experienced the downturn. Traditionally, times of recession bring about an inverted pyramid of impact in relation to the structure of any company. The workers who constitute the broad base of the pyramid are generally the hardest hit. Their jobs are first to disappear, as roles that were important during times of boom are deemed to have too much weight on the bottom line to be retained. Mid-level managers constitute the middle of the pyramid and experience layoffs in the areas that commonly get hit hard during times of economic uncertainty.
This leaves executives at the top of the pyramid. This is a group that forms a key component of our audience here at Soundview, one that usually is tasked with returning a company to its previous highs. However, in the same way that so little of this economic climate is predictable, executives have been facing the challenges that traditionally applies to the ground-level: layoffs and the search for comparable employment.
This article from a recent edition of USA Today discusses the difficulty facing executives whose once solid positions have given way beneath the weight of the economic crisis (and its subsequent recovery process). As companies try to recover lost profits and restore shareholder confidence, the large salaries commanded by many executives are viewed as an expense may firms are as yet unable to handle. Executives are also hurting from the struggling housing market, since many unemployed executives are unable to adequately downsize due to their current homes losing value. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the crisis discussed in the article is the unspoken hiring bias for “overqualified” executives. The impression is that once the economy rights itself, the top execs will leave lower-paying jobs to return to their formerly verdant pastures. Some companies aren’t willing to take the risk and hire someone who is on the clock to depart.
Any executives looking for an extra lifeline during these difficult times may want to consult Soundview’s Survive and Thrive Collection. This set of 15 summaries contains some great information from leading authors on how to navigate the unpredictable nature of our current economy.
