Introduction
Seth Godin’s latest book is called Poke the Box. I’m still reading it, but I have these thoughts to share:
Initiate
The theme of the book is to start something. Initiate. Engage. Don’t wait to be picked – pick yourself. I so identify with this sentiment. It’s a driving tenet behind SQLPeople.
Seth points out the (dying) manufacturing mindset in the US has led many to wait for approval, wait to be picked, wait for someone else to initiate – and then dive in. It’s safer that way: the responsibility rests with others.
Workbook
There’s a free PDF workbook companion available here. There’s actionable information in the workbook, and I highly recommend it.
No Fear
Seth challenges fear and “the resistance” of the lizard brain. While this portion of our brains served us well on the sahara, it’s slowing us down in the modern economy.
Practicing What He Preaches
Poke the Box isn’t just a book about challenging the status quo; it’s part of the The Domino Project which is creating a new status quo in publishing. Seth has built a team and is working with Amazon.com to deliver quality to their community. They’re cutting out the desires of the middle-people – bookstores and the like – and answering directly to the community. (Does any of this sound familiar?) He’s preached about it for years, now Seth is demonstrating how it’s done.
Conclusion
I recommend Poke the Box to everyone interested in growing personally and professionally.
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I just ordered Poke the Box a couple days ago and can’t wait to read it. The book "Linchpin: Are You indispensable?" is also a great book by Godin.
I’ve got to finish "No Excuses" but this one is next on my self-improvement list. Glad to hear it sounds good & useful.
I finished reading Poke the Box a couple of weeks ago and I’d agree. Definitely worth the read. I’ve been meaning to write a short review of it but haven’t gotten around to it yet. Maybe I need to read it again!
Joe