Book Review - Poke the Box by Seth Godin
Category Book Review Seth Godin Poke the Box
What is the difference between those individuals who have significant accomplishments to their name, and those who you don't know because you've never heard of them? One of the factors is simple... they started. They didn't wait for permission or spend inordinate amounts of time planning to launch their ideas. They just got started. Seth Godin talks about this valuable skill in his latest book Poke the Box. At 85 pages, it's not a long read nor is it stuffed with endless programs and processes to get started. It's simply an exhortation to go...
Godin points out that far too many of our institutions and much of our culture is based on waiting for permission. You follow the rules, you adhere to the accepted processes, and those who are in a position of power will let you know when and if it is OK to proceed. That's fine if you want to be just another replaceable cog in the wheel, but it sucks if you want to stand out and make a difference. Waiting for a road map on how to proceed means you will likely be waiting a very long time. Instead, make your own map. Try sometime new and different. There's a very good chance you'll fail. But that failure can be a stepping stone to adjust and learn and, most importantly, to try again. Godin's "poke the box" is a metaphor to look at your life and surroundings, and start poking things to see how they work. The more you poke, the more feedback you get, and the more you learn. Those who have accomplished things are those who have poked the box with abandon, and have learned how to make the box work to get where they want to be... to live the type of life they want to live.
I can see how some people can get a bit frustrated reading a Seth Godin book, as it often lacks the flow of what you'd consider a "normal" book. It's a mix of information, ideas, and exhortations to think differently about life and about what you do with it. In my opinion, Poke the Box was perfect for what he's trying to say here. It's short, so you don't end up with an imposed structure and filler to try and meet some pre-planned page count. It aims to motivate, and it certainly did that for me. I struggle with the actual "go" aspect of many of the things I want to do. After reading Poke, I have a better idea as to why I do that, and hopefully I'll correct that action.
Disclosure:
Obtained From: Amazon Vine Review Program
Payment: Free
What is the difference between those individuals who have significant accomplishments to their name, and those who you don't know because you've never heard of them? One of the factors is simple... they started. They didn't wait for permission or spend inordinate amounts of time planning to launch their ideas. They just got started. Seth Godin talks about this valuable skill in his latest book Poke the Box. At 85 pages, it's not a long read nor is it stuffed with endless programs and processes to get started. It's simply an exhortation to go...
Godin points out that far too many of our institutions and much of our culture is based on waiting for permission. You follow the rules, you adhere to the accepted processes, and those who are in a position of power will let you know when and if it is OK to proceed. That's fine if you want to be just another replaceable cog in the wheel, but it sucks if you want to stand out and make a difference. Waiting for a road map on how to proceed means you will likely be waiting a very long time. Instead, make your own map. Try sometime new and different. There's a very good chance you'll fail. But that failure can be a stepping stone to adjust and learn and, most importantly, to try again. Godin's "poke the box" is a metaphor to look at your life and surroundings, and start poking things to see how they work. The more you poke, the more feedback you get, and the more you learn. Those who have accomplished things are those who have poked the box with abandon, and have learned how to make the box work to get where they want to be... to live the type of life they want to live.
I can see how some people can get a bit frustrated reading a Seth Godin book, as it often lacks the flow of what you'd consider a "normal" book. It's a mix of information, ideas, and exhortations to think differently about life and about what you do with it. In my opinion, Poke the Box was perfect for what he's trying to say here. It's short, so you don't end up with an imposed structure and filler to try and meet some pre-planned page count. It aims to motivate, and it certainly did that for me. I struggle with the actual "go" aspect of many of the things I want to do. After reading Poke, I have a better idea as to why I do that, and hopefully I'll correct that action.
Disclosure:
Obtained From: Amazon Vine Review Program
Payment: Free
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Comments
I don't totally hold with the 'it's easier to seek forgiveness than ask permission' school of thought, but there is most definitely something about to be said for 'just f*cking do it and see what happens'
K
Posted by Kitty Elsmore At 08:12:22 On 07/03/2011 | - Website - |