Summer Reading List 2007
By Mark Fallon

I recently started working with a client in Kansas, which means even more time in airplanes, airports and hotels rooms. Long ago, I accepted that travel was a necessary part of my life. And although I have to be away from home, I don’t have to travel alone. On every trip, I always bring my favorite companions – books.

The shortest book on this year’s reading list may also be the most powerful book – The Dip, by Seth Godin. Godin is well-known in marketing circles for his insights on trends, brands and consumers. His books will catch your attention by their titles and packaging: The Purple Cow (originally released in a milk carton), Free Prize Inside (packaged in a cereal box) and All Marketers Are Liars (complete with Seth sporting a “Pinocchio” nose on the cover). Of course, the real important stuff is between the covers.

While only 80 pages, The Dip contains an important message for anyone who wants to be extraordinary. When setting out on a new path, a person may be tempted to quit at certain rough spots. Often this rough spot is a “Dip”, a barrier that prevents most people from continuing. It’s the willingness to work through the Dip that separates the remarkable from everyone else.

As Godin points out, what you may encounter is not a Dip, but a Cul-de-Sac or a Cliff. A Cul-de-Sac is a dead end, and no amount of effort will get you past it. A dead end could be a terrible job, a poor product or a bad marketing strategy. A Cliff is a curve that seems good, but has a terrible ending, like smoking cigarettes. A remarkable person will realize when they’re on a Cul-de-Sac or a Cliff, and quit. But if they’re in a Dip, they’ll work through it.

After you make it through your personal dip; you’ll need to market yourself to the world. To help you is another Harry Beckwith book, You, Inc.: The Art of Selling Yourself, written with his wife, Christine Clifford Beckwith. I’ve recommended Harry’s books before, and happily recommend this one as well.

This book is a treasure trove of short lessons – for life and for business. Some are stories of successes that Harry and Christine have accomplished. Other stories are about mistakes, and what was learned in the process. All the stories are genuine, and that’s why they will impact you.

Despite having two authors, the book is able to speak with one voice. And that voice can help you build your career.

To understand the changing economy in which you’ll build that career, pick up a copy of The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More, by Chris Anderson. In this book, Anderson explains how the Internet has drastically changed the business of commerce.

With the ability to reach millions of potential customers at little to no cost, retailers no longer have to sell a lot of a few items. Instead, they can sell just a few items to a lot more people. Add to this mix the shrinking need to stock large inventory, and many of the basic rules of supply and demand aren’t just “broken”, they become irrelevant.

Anderson does an excellent job of using real-world examples (e.g., Amazon.com, Netflix and Google) to explain his concepts. He also reveals how small vendors can take advantage of the new economy as well. The opportunities for entrepreneurs appear endless – like the Long Tail itself.

Of course, navigating through this new economy is not going to be easy. Leading Change, by John Kotter is an excellent primer for guiding your team through any challenge. Kotter explains why many firms fail at implementing change, as well as the steps needed to be successful.

This book and its methods are based on leaders who desire to create a positive culture where their employees can thrive. People must be viewed as an integral part of the transformation process, not barriers or impediments to achieving goals. Empowerment, rewards and communication are tools to help your people.

Kotter’s chapter on “Communicating the Change Vision” should be mandatory reading for all project managers. It’s easy to fall into the trap that “everyone understands” certain aspects of a project and key points don’t need to be repeated. Exactly the opposite is true. Key points must be repeated and reinforced to the team. And then, the key points must be repeated and reinforced to the team again. And again.

For a break from the business world, and a different take on the history of civilization, pick up a copy of A History of the World in 6 Glasses, by Tom Standage. According to Standage, the principal catalysts of change weren’t just writing, art or technology, but beverages. Specifically: beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea and Coca-Cola.

This book combined my love for history with my love of the beverages Standage has singled out. Staring with the dawn of civilization over 5,000 years ago, to the globalization we experience today, the author shows how the dominant brew of the day impacted the world. From beer in the Iron Age, to coffee in the Age of Reason, to Coke in the Age of America, what people drank and how they drank it, influenced other events as well. So get a glass of your favorite potion, and sip it along with this book.

On Monday morning, I’ll be back in the security line at the airport. I better get to the bookstore to pack before my next flight.