chrisbrogan.com» books

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter – Video Book Review

ceb — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:44:35 +0000

Hachette Audio is kind enough to send me audiobooks to check out every month. They sent me Seth Grahame-Smith’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (amazon affiliate link). I checked it out, but immediately thought it might be more appealing to my dad, Steve Brogan. So, here’s a video review I shot with my dad, seeing as he was more enthusiastic.

If you want to mix a little vampire hunting into your history, here’s the book for you.

People always ask which camera I used to shoot my video. I use the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 (that’s a review of the camera).

Universal Guide to Business Networking – Video Book Review

ceb — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 03:56:55 +0000

My friend, Terry Bean, sent me a copy of his new book, The Universal Guide To Business Networking (amazon affiliate link). I was eagerly awaiting this one, as Terry is renowned for his ideas on networking. It’s a slender volume packed full of information, and if business networking is important to you, I find this book particularly useful. (Quick note: I wrote the foreword, so if that biases me, you can take four points off for grace.)

It’s written with execution in mind, and thus, earns my respect. Here’s the video I shot of it:

Can’t see the video? Click here, or watch it on YouTube here.

People always ask which camera I used to shoot my video. I use the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 (that’s a review of the camera).

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years- Video Book Review

ceb — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 08:30:37 +0000

My friend, Jon Swanson sent me a copy of Donald Miller’s A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life (amazon affiliate link). Miller is the author of probably my favorite book on religion, BLUE LIKE JAZZ, which is more like, “A not-exactly-buying-it-all person’s guide to a perspective on religion.” This book, however, is about story.

Miller has a very simple premise threaded through this book (which covers the time in his life that people came and decided to make a movie about Blue Like Jazz), which is simply this: if your life is a story, why not make it a better story? It sounds simplistic, but there’s a lot to it. In Miller’s case, one of the first things he did was go from watching the Tour de France to getting off the couch and getting a bike, and from there, he took on a few bicycling challenges, including a cross-country ride.

That’s the point, that you can move from a dull story to writing your own life into something a bit more engaging and interesting.

The book is a total winner and I loved every bit of it. Here’s my quick video review:

This is the kind of book you buy a bunch of times in a row. But then again, Blue Like Jazz was like that for Jon. He “lent” me a copy months ago, maybe years ago. I can see that I’ll be loaning out my copy and buying new ones over and over. Maybe you will, too.

Rework – Video Book Review

ceb — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 08:30:01 +0000

As a kind of pep talk meets recipe book, Rework (amazon affiliate link) by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson is a pretty decent read. It’s a bunch of advice from their experience running 37Signals, a small software shop based in Chicago (I believe). I found a few ideas that will help my business, and I have a few notes from it that will keep me thinking in the right direction. That said, here’s a video of my thoughts:

Direct link to the video

The book’s worth a read, though you’ll likely pass it on to a friend when you’re done (that’s not a bad thing, but some books are keepers and others are interesting and share-worthy). Here’s more:

People always ask which camera I used to shoot my video. I use the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 (that’s a review of the camera).

Little BIG Things – Tom Peters – Video Book Review

ceb — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:30:43 +0000

I love Tom Peters. He’s gotten me in trouble for years. Well, his books have. I finally got to have lunch with him, and then see him keynote. The affair just grows and grows. And now, Tom’s done the whole “compile some good blog posts into a better book” thing. It’s awesome. His new book, The Little Big Things: 163 Ways to Pursue EXCELLENCE (amazon affiliate link), is just outright wonderfully STUFFED full of Tom Peters-ish things about pursuing excellence. Some of it is so simple you’ll kick yourself for not doing it already. The rest of it is thought-provoking and heart-felt. You’ll get something out of this book. And it’s HUGE. Almost 400 pages. Just a big giant helping of the man himself. Thanks, Tom.

Direct link to the video

People always ask which camera I used to shoot my video. I use the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 (that’s a review of the camera).

Publishers And Authors- Some Thoughts

ceb — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:35:26 +0000

I had the pleasure of speaking with Mac Slocum at O’Reilly’s Tools of Change event in NYC. Here’s what I told publishers and authors to consider:

What do you think?

Give Your Speech Change the World – Video Book Review

ceb — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 09:30:22 +0000

My friend, Tim Sanders sent me this book by Nick Morgan, Give Your Speech, Change the World: How to Move Your Audience to Action (amazon affiliate link). I admit that as a pro speaker, I wasn’t sure what I’d take from it. Well, I took tons from it, and you might, too, either as a beginner or someone with some speeches under your belt. Here’s a quick video review:

Direct link to the video

Anyhow, it’s a keeper. Thanks Nick, and thanks Tim.

People always ask which camera I used to shoot my video. I use the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 (that’s a review of the camera).

Linchpin by Seth Godin – Video Book Review

ceb — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:30:34 +0000

Are you indispensible? That’s what Seth Godin asks in Linchpin, his new book about the future of work, the break with our industrial past, and what we need to do, individually, to measure up. It’s a Seth Godin book, so of course it delivers. It’s much more meaty than Tribes and more actionable than Meatball Sundae, and every bit as eye opening as his other books.

Here’s a quick video:

Direct link to the video

Drive – Video Book Review

ceb — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 09:30:48 +0000

I really enjoyed Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us (amazon affiliate link), by Daniel Pink. Dan’s got a great style about him, and this book really shows off his storytelling-meets-research style very well. As you’ll see in the video, I took lots of notes while reading the book. It’s interesting that I wrote equally as many notes about the book’s points as I did ideas for New Marketing Labs. Anyhow, check out the video:

Direct link to the video

New Job New You – a Book Review

ceb — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:30:24 +0000

Here’s a review of Alexandra Levit’s new book, New Job, New You: A Guide to Reinventing Yourself in a Bright New Career (amazon affiliate link). I really enjoy Alexandra’s style. She’s published many good books in the career space, and this is a very timely one for the displacement era that we find ourselves in. In the video, I mention also Pam Slim’s Escape from Cubicle Nation, because I could see this book pairing well with that one. Levit’s is tightly written and focuses strongly on helping one think through a career change. It’s a great read.

Direct link to the video