$20.95
Customize It
Hardcover
160 pages
ISBN 9781591840213 Published May 2003
Portfolio
See all formats
Tweet
Posted April 23, 2004 10:02 a.m. by maryke-800ceoread
In Lists - 800 CEO Read Blog
Now that the blog is officially up and running, lets have a look at 800-CEO-READs Top 15 for 2003:
1. Purple Cow by Seth Godin, Portfolio.
2. The Cycle of Leadership by Noel M. Tichy, HarperBusiness.
3. Attitude is Everything by Keith Harrell, HarperBusiness.
4. Less Is More by Jason Jennings, Portfolio.
5. Authentic Leadership by Bill George, Jossey-Bass.
6. Adventure Capitalist by Jim Rogers, Random House.
7. Execution by Larry Bossidy, Crown Business.
8. When Generations Collide by David Stillman and Lynne Lancaster, HarperBusiness.
9. Trading up by Michael Silverstein and Neil Fiske, Portfolio.
10. The Attitude of Leadership by Keith D. Harrell, John Wiley & Sons.
11. Customer Centered Selling by Robert L. Jolles, Fireside Books.
12. Ethical Challenge by Noel M. Tichy and Andrew McGill, Jossey-Bass.
13. The Five Patterns of Extraordinary Careers by Richard Smith and James M. Citrin, Crown Business.
14. Impending Crisis by Roger Herman, Tom Olivo and Joyce Gioia, Oakhill Press.
15. The Power of Losing Control by Joe Caruso, Gotham.
Jack Covert Selects - Purple Cow
Posted May 22, 2003 6:02 a.m. by katie
Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable by Seth Godin, Portfolio. 140 Pages, $19.95 Hardcover, May 2003, ISBN 159184021X
The one and only time I offered a money-back guarantee was with Lou Gerstners story of the IBM turnaround, Who Said Elephants Cant Dance? However, I just finished a book that is so powerful, it is compelling me to offer the same money-back guarantee again! The book is Seth Godins latest, Purple Cow. It is absolutely laser-focused on a subject that is near and dear to all of us: how to sell/market our products. The title comes from a story Seth tells about when his family was traveling in France and marveling at the pretty cows. After awhile, there were so many cows that they became boring. This brought to Seth this idea: A purple cow, though. Now that would be interesting. (For a while.) The essence of the Purple Cow is that it must be remarkable. To help you understand what he means by remarkable, he states that the opposite of remarkable is very good. Not bad or mediocre, but very good. He states that he doesnt think that there is a shortage of remarkable ideas; he thinks that what is missing is the will to execute the ideas. He says:
My goal in Purple Cow is to make it clear that its safer to be riskyto fortify your desire to do truly remarkable things. Once you see that the old ways have nowhere to go but down, it becomes imperative to create things worth talking about.
The case studies used in the book are perfectly selected. Although I had heard some of the stories before, many were new to me. At the end of each case study/story he has a takeaway which is a group of questions that should be used to stimulate discussion or idea generation. The case studies range in length from a couple of paragraphs to a few pages and are written in a breezy, casual style that draws you into the book and makes you want to keep turning the pages. I dont think I have ever used the term page-turner to describe a business book, but this book is special and deserves the designation.
