The Book of Business UnAwesome/The Book of Business Awesome by Scott Stratten

Scott Stratten of  @unmarketing, has released a  remarkably witty and informative guide to help readers become better withing the realm of social media. The book is titled The Book of Business UnAwesome/The Book of Business Awesome.  I had a blissful and uninterrupted weekend in December to read this book cover to cover. During this weekend, I broke a personal time record for a Half Marathon race –  maybe the book inspired my run? Anything is possible.

It is a two sided book – literally.  One side is titled The Book of Business UnAwesome which looks at the cost of not using and engaging in social media properly. Or as Scott observes, by simply not being great at what you do. I read this side of the book first.  Personally, I like to know what I’m doing wrong before I discover what I am doing right – but that’s just me. You can pick your own side 🙂

Book Review – The Impact Equation

Finished reading a review copy of “The Impact Equation”  authored by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith. Both are considered gurus in the social media marketplace and New York Times bestselling authors of Trust Agents.

Quitter – A Book Review

Rarely does a book grab me with the first sentence, but that is exactly what happened when I began reading Jon Acuff’s book ‘Quitter‘.

The opening paragraph describes his reverse superman routine – something I practice three times a week. Although I do have access to a private bathroom, his advice for changing clothes is spot on along with his advice on making your dream job a reality.

Quitter is a personal reflection and how to guide on how to make dreams become your day job. Amazon book description is as follows:

Have you ever felt caught between the tension of a day job and a dream job? That gap between what you have to do and what you’d love to do?
I have.

At first I thought I was the only one who felt that way, but then I started to talk to people and realized we’re becoming the I’m, but generation. When we talk about what we do for a living we inevitably say, I’m a teacher, but I want to be an artist. I’m a CPA, but I’d love to start my own business.

I’m a _____, but I want to be a ______.

All too often, we hear that dreaming big means you quit your day job, sell everything you own, and move to Guam. But what if there were a different way?

What if you could blow up your dream without blowing up your life?

What if you could go for broke without going broke?

What if you could start today?

What if you already have everything you need to begin?

From figuring out what your dream is to quitting in a way that exponentially increases your chance of success, Quitter is full of inspiring stories and actionable advice. This book is based on 12 years of cubicle living and my true story of cultivating a dream job that changed my life and the world in the process.

It’s time to close the gap between your day job and your dream job.

It’s time to be a Quitter.

Jon delivers on the back of the book description. His writing paints a realistic portrait of how to make smart decisions on the path to your dream job and more importantly, why these decisions are important.  From the first sentence, I connected with the point of view of the author.  It took only two days to read the book, yet several weeks later I’m flipping through the book re-reading selected sections. I love, love, love his conversational style of writing.  Every time I read chapters or paragraphs, I come away with the impression of a best friend sharing serious, no nonsense advice – it is always best to pay attention.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is on a journey seeking to be better. It is a great tool to have and to use during your journey.

 

I was fortunate to be present during his opening keynote speech at the 2012 Blissdom conference in Nashville where he gave out a copy of his book, Quitter, my opinion of this book is completely my own.