Derek Sivers Book Reviews
I love book reviews and books, which is why I will be adding mine here on my web-site soon.
I’m inspired by the book reviews of Derek Sivers. My only complaint is many of his reviews are actually too long. For now here are some short summaries of Derek Sivers book reviews (most recent first):
The Culting of Brands : Turn Your Customers into True Believers - Douglas Atkin
- A person joins a cult because they feel cut off from the outside world
- Identify something outside the status quo related to your company
- Properly use symbols, rules, ritual, doctrine and language
- Exaggerate threats and problems with the “enemy”
- (Reading this might help your mental defense against marketing)
The Obsolete Employee: How Businesses Succeed Without Employees - And Love It! - by Michael Russer
- How to run a business using free-lancers
- Several web-sites are listed for free-lance work
- Lists of questions to ask in a phone interview.
- Treat the free-lancer with respect.
- Communicate all the details of the work to be done; don’t micromanage.
Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability - by Steve Krug
A book for web developers especially. Summary:
- Always use conventions when possible
- Answer the questions: where am I? How do get to x? What are my options?
- Reduce clutter and noise. Shortcuts to popular things.
- What is click-able should be obvious.
- Search is important and should always be visible.
The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less - by Barry Schwartz
- Some choice is good. Tons of choices is a bad thing
- We’re better off if we: make decisions irreversible, embrace constraints, ignore others, lower our expectations, seek “good enough” not best.
Stumbling on Happiness - by Daniel Gilbert
- We value things only by comparison.
- Almost everything seems better after it happens than before it happens.
- People think they will regret action more than inaction, but most people regret not doing things more than actions.
- The best way to make a decision that will effect your future happiness is to look at other people in similar situations and how they feel.
- You’re unique, just like everyone else.
