800-CEO-READ Blog

Jack Covert Selects - Love It, Don't Leave It

Love It, Don't Leave It: 26 Ways to Get What You Want at Work by Beverly L. Kaye, Sharon Jordan-Evans; Berrett-Koehler, 225 pages, $17.95, October 2003, ISBN 157675250X

Love It, Don’t Leave It, left me remembering how lucky I am to have my job. And that is exactly what authors Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evens set out to do: to show people how to appreciate where they are in life. This book isn’t just an asset for people with career issues, but for anyone who wants to get more out of any situation. By offering guidelines, scenarios, even scripted dialogue, this book convincingly demonstrates that you really can get what you want out of life. The authors say that:

“What you want could be found right where you are. Perhaps all you need to do is get clear about what’s missing and go after it. Look inside before you jump outside. Master the art and science of asking for what you want.”

The real message in Love It, Don’t Leave It, is that the desires you’ve been longing to fulfil might be right under your nose, and it offers the tools that will help you tailor-make your life to fit your passions.

Another advantage of this book is the A-Z format. Every letter of the alphabet is associated with a key point so that you will easily remember helpful tools. Also, many of the key points and terms are in color or bold, alongside quotes and insights that the authors call “T-shirt truths.” They are messages that have been found on shirts and other random places that would make you say, “Boy, ain’t that the truth?”

This book has the advice you want if you are looking to change your outlook. As the authors say, “this book is an excellent maintenance manual for anyone seeking to tune up a significant portion of their waking hours.” So, before you waste any more time, get this book and learn how to change your life by changing the way you think.. It will be the best gift you could give yourself.

Jack Covert Selects - Great Fortune

Great Fortune: The Epic of Rockefeller Center by Daniel Okrent, Viking, 505 Pages, $29.95, Hardcover, November 2003, ISBN 0670031690

Daniel Okrent wrote one of my favorite baseball books of all time called Nine Innings, about one game of baseball in the eighties. What set the book apart for me, besides it being about the Milwaukee Brewers, was his attention to detail and his style of campfire storytelling. I am also a sucker for really well-written historical tales and I loved Ron Chernow’s book called Titan about John D. Rockefeller, Sr. Great Fortune could be volume two of the Rockefeller family history.

The book is actually about the idea, creation and the development of Rockefeller Center in New York. The building of Rockefeller Center is said to be the most ambitious construction project since the Pyramids, remarkably built during the Great Depression. The book focuses on four key players: John D. Rockefeller, Jr.; his twenty-five year old son, Nelson; real estate developer, John R. Todd, also the grandfather of Christine Todd Whitman; and Raymond Hood, skyscraper designer. The book is obviously about much more than the logistics of the project.
It is about architecture, New York, and the proprieties of the social classes. It is about politics and greed. An interesting aspect of this story is the acquisition of the property from Columbia University and the reasoning behind the location. A constant theme throughout the book is the construction issues, which were certainly colossal. Also, the story of the fresco by Diego Rivera is seen truly from the inside. A clear picture of the rise of Rockefeller Center is painted.

I am absolutely amazed by this book’s maddening ability to keep me up at night. This is a captivating story that seamlessly incorporates the human experience with a grounded factual history. You can always tell a well-researched book when the notes and bibliography are 76 pages. This is a great American tale, a history book that you need to read.

Jack Covert Selects - Brands That Rock

Brands That Rock: How to Win Fans and Influence Profits by Roger Blackwell and Tina Stephan; John Wiley & Sons, 256 pages, $27.95, October 2003, ISBN 0471455172

I am a huge fan of the music scene and as a result, Brands That Rock really struck a chord with me. The authors touched on something special in this book by relating the emotional attachment between a band, their music, and their fans with the world of marketing. Authors Roger Blackwell and Tina Stephan describe this marketing strategy as:

“Analyzing the phenomenon of band loyalty…requires marketers and managers to abandon the corporate based thinking they engage in daily and escape into the wild, larger than life world of entertainment. Marketers must…open their minds to the ideas and creative processes used in the entertainment industry to cultivate die-hard fans.”

Creating an emotional connection with customers, and turning them into fans, is so important to anyone who plans on surviving in today’s global economy.

My favorite part of this book is the in-depth explanation of how some really great artists have gone from working common day jobs to becoming cultural icons. Musicians like Elton John, and members of the Rolling Stones and Aerosmith serve as examples of how good marketing allowed them to become household names. In addition, they describe how several well-known companies like Wendy’s, Victoria’s Secret, and Google have successfully implemented strategies from the music world.

This book is for anyone who is in marketing, or into music, or into marketing music. It’s the kind of book you will want to read because it so entertaining, the informative part is just the icing on the cake. How many books are fun and good for you?