Speaker - December 2007

Thoughtful observations on titles worth a look
Getting past the dip, storytelling and dog tails

The Dip

(Penguin Group 2007)

By Seth Godin

This really quick read by the author of Small Is the New Big is subtitled A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit and When to Stick.

It’s so quick that asking $13 for it almost seems audacious. Yet I suspect if it was much longer, few would buy it. How much time do you want to spend contemplating whether your latest venture is a doomed failure?

But Godin offers value here. He helps us see the difference between an enterprise going somewhere, but needing more time or energy, and one going nowhere whose plug you should yank. He reminds us that people often pull out just when the project is about to take off. He observes that hitting rough spots—the dip—is usually part of the game.

Sometimes it is smarter to quit. Sometimes it’s dumb. Godin helps us decide. That’s worth 13 bucks and an hour’s worth of your time.

Ned Steele Media Impact New York, N.Y.

Storycatcher

(New World Library 2005) By Christina Baldwin

When it comes to stories, what speaker does not rely on one or two stories to make the point? Who among us doesn’t use the story to illustrate, bring home and bring to life the point we want to leave with our audience?

I bought Baldwin’s Storycatcher: Making Sense of Our Lives through the Power and Practice of Story expecting it to help me tell stories better. It did, but not in the way I expected. Baldwin’s integrated premises are that our own stories determine how we live and what we believe is possible. She weaves the power of stories and sharing those stories through beautiful explanation and demonstration of their impact.

Her guidance, rather than instruction, flows through the significance of stories to our personal lives, generational identity, sense of self, family heritage, organizational values and spirituality.

How did Storycatcher make me a better story sharer? I realized that stories are not the true “point makers” in our presentations. Instead, they are the flint that sparks the audience’s recollection and appreciation of their own stories.

Tim Wright, MBA Wright Results Austin, Texas

Why Dogs Wag
Their Tails
(W Business Books
2007)
By Sherri McArdle
and Jim Ramerman

Before you scratch your ear and start barking that Why

Dogs Wag Their Tails is just another puppy love story, keep reading. Yes, the book is tinged with metaphorical pet therapy, but the canine-human comparisons are worth examining in this dog-eat-dog world.

Why Dogs Wag Their Tail is a light read for leaders at all levels who are searching for ways to become more effective—and joyous—in all aspects of life. Twenty dog stories help illustrate how readers can make behavioral changes to enhance clarity, achieve goals, manage emotions, earn credibility and become an encouraging presence that lead to openness, celebration and responsiveness. Some of the techniques are simple and achievable now; others may take time to incorporate into your life—much like training a new pet.

The authors stay true to their coaching methods by offering “high-gain insights” at the end of each chapter to sum up the learning and opportunities for high-gain results.

Sit, stay, down. No matter how you choose to use this book, it will help you experience more time for joy in your work and life—and a whole lot of tail wagging.