Blink!

I have been reading a lot lately, so here is another book review for you! “Blink – The Power of Thinking without Thinking” by Malcolm Gladwell focuses on the first 2 seconds of thinking about a topic. Using research studies and a wide variety of stories and examples, he explains why thinking long and hard about a problem isn’t always the right approach.

While the first half of the book is mainly dedicated to proving his thoughts on the topic, using examples from everyday life, he does address marketing applications of this phenomenon in later chapters. The New Coke debacle, why ice cream comes in round containers, and why customer surveys aren’t always a good indication of product success are just a few of the issues he suggests a solution to.

When I picked up the book for the first time, I didn’t expect it to be such an entertaining read. Gladwell manages to convey his ideas in such a diverse fashion that you can’t wait for the next example he conjures up.

Now go buy this book!

Reviewing The Age of Conversation

I just finished reading the Age of Conversation, a collaborative work by 103 authors, dispersed around the globe. Each author was given one page to write about the very broad topic. As far as I know, it is the first of its kind. Anyways, the unusual and remarkable back story aside, here is my review of the book:

My first thought after finishing the text was that it seemed like all the blogs in my reader had conspired to all cover the same topic. The easiest way to grasp the book would be to think of a collection of the best blog post on the topic of conversation.

My favorite part about the whole concept was that the final product turned out so diverse. The spectrum ranged from specific guidelines on how to make your corporate video more engaging to more philosophical thoughts on the nature of conversation itself. It was quite an experience. Since each “chapter” is only one page, it was a very quick read. I actually plan on reading the book again, just to make sure I’m not missing out on anything.

As a last thought, the existence of the book itself proves in a way the validity of its content. In this Age of Conversation, it is possible for more than 100 authors to work on one project, without coming face to face.
I recommend this book to anyone, looking for some insightful thoughts on this very relevant topic.

The Age of Conversation

If you follow any marketing blog on a regular basis, you have undoubtedly heard/read about the Age of Conversation. It’s a collective effort by 103 authors, most of which never met face to face. I just downloaded my ebook version of it and can’t wait to start reading. You can look forward to (or dread) a review as soon as I am done with it.