Small Is the New Big: and 183 Other Riffs, Rants, and Remarkable Business Ideas

Many say you shouldn't give away your work for free if you wish to sell it. Nonsense. Seth Godin has got a big idea with his new book Small is the New Big. This entire book of riffs already exists for free in places such as on Seth's blog or via his Squidoo lens. I've read most of the stories in the book already. Yet I pre-ordered the book on Amazon for overnight delivery because I wanted the content, again, in the new package. I want to take it to the beach. I want to have it on my desk and pick it up now and then."you're smarter than they think"Yes, I'm a Seth Godin fan. Reading his stuff contributed to a life change for me. Back in the late 1990s, I had ideas about how content drives action on Web sites. As the VP Marketing of several reasonably large public companies, I realized that I had "power" and "a good job." In most people's eyes, I was successful. But I just didn't have the right platform to tell the world about my ideas. And I was not fulfilled.Seth Godin's writing always focuses on getting people like me, those with a fire in the belly to take action. "I've been betting on the intelligence of my readers for almost a decade," Godin writes on the back cover of Small is the new Big, "and that bet keeps paying off. They just don't get it. Now you, you get it... And I'm, betting that once you're inspired you'll actually make something happen."For me, the big moment was when my company was acquired by a huge organization and I was shown the door. I chose not to take the "safe" route and find another VP Marketing job, but instead to strike out on my own. The "I dare you" messages from Godin were an important part of my life changing decision.Wow.I work much harder than before, but fewer hours. I attend very few meetings. I choose the terrific companies I want to work with and tell the idiots to take a hike. I've never missed one of my daughter's swim meets because of work. I have dinner with my family most evenings. I'm helping people make a difference because of my ideas rather than saying "I wish I had..." or "I could, but...".Read Small is the New Big.It is an important book. And no matter what you want to do to make a difference, listen to Seth's advice. Just get out there and make it happen.

From the remarkable book structuring (the "chapters" are organized in alphabetical order) to the intriguingly insightful commentary, Seth Godin has once again created a work of excellence. The book is an easy read, but at the same time leaves the mind reeling with thoughts of "Oh my, I need to fix that, or do that, or change that." I found the chapter on "Clean Fire Trucks" particularly interesting, as I had just 2 months earlier finished an innovation article on "Retiring the Fire Trucks" -- which deals with the same concept of preventing fires and not letting them start in the first place! (As such, you can then have time to clean the fire trucks, or as I put it, to retire them altogether!). His rants are compelling yet at the same time hilarious (hilarious in the sense of all the silly things we do as a people that we really shouldn't be doing). Take for example his rant on "Wrappers" and how the method of packaging both the tangible and intangible create an aura around the product that determines how the product is perceived, received, and applied. One might say, "It's the WRAPPER, stupid."Once again, Mr. Godin has helped to "validate my existence" (despite my intense self-certainty!) by showing that the crazy, "outside the box" (hey, can we just shred the box, then burn it in effigy of the outdated strategies and the consultants who promote them?), simplifying, forward-looking, remarkable, visionary adventures we can lead our clients and companies on are really worth the effort. In short, less is more, small is big, and remarkable is just that: REMARKABLE.This book is REMARKABLE. I strongly encourage adding it to your shelf, then spreading the virus of its contents to others.P.S. The entire ending "Bonus Section" on blogs and other resources is something not to be missed, and single-handedly justifies the purchase.

I hadn't read Seth's blog, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It turned out to be one of the best experiences I've had reading a business book.First of all, there are some great ideas in the book. Most have to do with marketing and product development. Even better, however, is that many essays teach you how to think up your own ideas.Second, Seth is an extremely talented and funny writer. I found myself laughing out loud several times as I was reading. Like all great humor, it was never gratuitous and served to support the point he was making.Third, the individual essays are short enough so that you can pick it up and start reading without making a huge time commitment. Each essay is self contained, so you can stop just about anywhere without interrupting a long chain of logic. (This is manna to an "agile project manager" like me.)Finally, I find it truly inspiring. After I read some of it I feel renewed and excited about working.Don't miss out on this informative, inspiring and entertaining book.

This book was hyped as being so significant. However, my impression is that it is a bunch of ramblings by someone who put there best punchlines from public speaking together. I am 1/4 of the way through and still try to find one golden nugget of wisdom. Seems like most of what the author is sharing is common sense, intuitive business reasoning in the 21st century.

Usé este libro para mi clase de estrategia, la verdad no me gustó mucho, no es como cualquier libro, sino es una colección de publicaciones de su blog y está ordenado en orden alfabético. No es para leer desde inicio hasta al final porque es una pérdida de tiempo ¡casi 400 páginas! Hay muchos ejemplos que no me sirven y también están muy desactualizado. Este libro no es para todos, sólo a los quien conocen el autor, Seth Godin, sus libros y su blog, así es más fácil entender. Doy calificación 2.