I confess: I’m a double – sometimes treble – fisted reader ((more on that in a future post)), often going on “book binges” where I’ll be taking in two or three books at a time.

There’s a system to the way I read, and I’m zealous about books that make me think. ((Sorry, no real time for romance novels. I’m a practical, tactical girl, thanks.))

So I took Jim Collins’ “Good to Great” with me on my trip to NC. While I was in NC, I finished it, passed it on to a new client who really needed it, and went hunting at JR’s for more brain fodder. ((Anyone that lives near Statesville, NC, will know what I mean about finding great gems at JR. Wish I had one near me.)) At JR, I picked up 3 books (none of them “UnMarketing”. We’ll get there, keep your shirt on!) – most of which are hard to find anywhere but Amazon, all of which inspired me to give them a read.

One of the books, “Jesus Brand Spirituality” , was written by a pastor from Michigan (ironic, I know). I was also working on an ebook copy of “A New Christ” (Wallace Wattles of “The Science of Getting Rich” fame) before I picked these other books up.

Reading, for me is a full-contact sport. ((The way my hubby talks about the Lions? That’s the way I talk about books!)) I don’t just flip through pages, I have a “process” for getting the most out of every book I read. I have notebooks that I keep with me to outline my ideas – kind of like “Cliff’s Notes” - so I don’t have to flip through extra book pages to find what I want at a later date. See when I read a book, I keep a notebook with me to jot down thoughts, ideas and ruminations (that are sometimes cross-pollinated by other books I’m reading). The notes are the juiciest bits that I actually think will serve me (or my clients) best long after I’ve loaned out the book and never gotten it back.

My family thinks I’m a bit off my tam-o-shanter ((actually, I’m part Irish, so I guess I’m off my Eske)) because I have nearly as many notebooks as I do books in my library. The truth is I often pass my books on when I’ve “finished” with them – unless it’s a real keeper. That, and there’s something visceral about the tactile sensation and the mind-body connection of writing with an actual pen on actual paper. ((Yes, I said visceral and tactile in the same sentence. I like $2 words. Deal with it.)) It ingrains the lesson, the learning, and most of all the new ideas I get when I write down my “takeaways” from the work of others.

So I’m writing in my notebooks and about half-way into “Jesus Brand Spirituality”, I get this overwhelming sense of how Jesus had to be one of the best marketers in the world ((I’m already working on a book about it, so don’t go getting all plagaristic on me, okay?)). He was a freakin’ rock star – respected teacher, voice of authority, and tended to by people of privilege.

And I start thinking about how Jesus was all about relationships. I think you can see where I’m going now (was it worth the wait?).

Enter “UnMarketing: Stop Marketing. Stop Engaging.” by The Honorary Renaissance Mom of the Year, Scott Stratten (aka @unmarketing on twitter). ((Warning: That’s an affiliate link and a shameless plug all rolled into one. Caveat Emptor. Cogito ergo sum. Carpe Diem.))

Now save your religious isms for someplace else. This isn’t about religion, unless your religion is the First Church of Building a Legacy - which requires relationships – not totems, symbolism, other icons or gesticulation – to incite passion, create a following, and move you to take action.

Jesus had this figured out some 2000 years ago.

No, I’m not comparing Scott to Jesus. He’s a pretty good guy and all, but he hasn’t built the enduring fame of Jesus. Yet.

Although he’s got the chops, if his first book is any indication.

And yes, this book is a keeper. I’ve already talked with Scott about using it as a text book for a class I’m teaching later this year.

How did I come to this conclusion?

After all, if you’re reading this review, you probably don’t know me from Joe (few people do). ((Joe would be a male name. My name is Lisa, a decidedly female name where I come from.)) It would probably be helpful to share with you how I can confidently say this book is a keeper.

When I sit down to read a book, I usually wait for it to come to my local library. Frankly, I don’t want to waste time in a bookstore unless I know the book is worth the buy ((lead us not into temptation, shall we?)). Because I actually KNOW Scott ((not in the biblical sense. I mean in the “we’ve DM’d and talked on twitter and via email” sense)) and read his blog posts (which were excerpts from the book), I gladly drove across town to the only bookstore that had a copy in stock and paid FULL PRICE for the hardcover edition. ((Nope, don’t want a medal for it, just want to keep the FTC off my back with full disclosure on it.)) I did not wait. In the words of Inigo Montoya, “I hate waiting.”

That was the first indicator. ((Well played, Scott, for sharing preview content on your blog and hooking me months before the book was due!)) The second indicator is the highlighting, underlining, and general note taking I’ve made in this book. If a book is good, I’ll take notes. If it’s a keeper, I’ll tab it, highlight it (usually in multiple colors), underline and make notes in the margin. In college the first time, I was taught that books were meant to be written in and the wide bottom margin of Scott’s book was just enough for me to start brainstorming. ((Which is one thing I do incredibly well, imho.))

And well, once I’ve marked up a book that much, no one else can really get much use out of it, so I guess I have to keep it.

That’s my definition of a keeper. One I can’t/won’t share with someone else because I’ve gotten so much out of it, and put so much of myself into it. Amid the hundreds (maybe thousands now) of books I own, I only have a handful of books that are “keepers.”

Scott’s is not a perfect book. That in and of itself is both refreshing and perplexing. I was raised on “proper” writing and all that. Scott’s extensive use of “inappropriate” footnoting drove me to distraction. ((and yes, I installed a footnote plug-in on my blog just for this post!)) There were grammar issues only a mother of a third grader could love, and it was riddled with Scott’s, shall we say curmudgeonly ((as defined thus: “a crusty, irascible, cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas” – except for the “crusty” and “old” parts)) style.

But that’s where it gets endearing. Scott’s not known to tip-toe or badmouth. He calls ‘em as he sees ‘em, and isn’t afraid to use profanity when it’s warranted. ((I think he held back a little, actually.)) Somewhere between Mark Twain, Henry Ford, and John Wayne, you’ll find Scott, riding roughshod, taking no BS, and doing his best to put out a quality product – with honesty, integrity, and his own brand of personality.

That said, when I recommend a book to others, it’s got to meet a few criteria:

1. Readability. Any time you say 56 chapters, someone’s head will explode. I’m calling them sections, instead. They’re short. Maybe too short in places, but Scott said something about a sequel, so perhaps he’ll expound in a future revision. They’re easy to read. And Scott’s footnotes make it easy and FUN to read. A business book that’s fun to read. That’s scary good, when you think about it.
2. Entertaining. I readily admit that not everyone is as geeky as I am. They won’t sit through 10 minutes of reading an instruction manual to assemble a child’s toy ((are you listening dear husband of mine??)) let alone plow through 250+ pages of marketing education. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are an “edutainment” age, and Scott’s book – particularly the footnotes – scores big on entertainment factor.
3. Crave factor. I bought it and read it cover-to-cover in the same day. I was bummed there wasn’t more to read, and actually started re-reading sections to see if I missed anything really juicy the first time. If a book leaves me wanting more in a way where I don’t feel gypped, I know it’s good enough to share with others. If I feel ripped off, like the author left out the most important part or something, you can bet I won’t recommend it.
4. Learnability. That’s my word for the likelihood that you’ll actually walk away from this book having learned something you can implement right away. To quote Scott, “holy crapcakes!” UnMarketing is chocked with examples, stories and specifics that will make you take notice. Some of them you’ve probably experienced yourself as a customer, but the bigger lesson is how are you implementing those lessons in your own business? Learn from history or be doomed to repeat it.

A few people have suggested that Scott’s book is re-hash, or more of the same old lessons, or Social Media 101. I’m reminded of the story about an elderly minister that gives the same sermon four Sundays in a row. When asked if he realized he was doing it, he replied “Of course! And I’m going to keep giving it until it sinks in!” ((That’s what I meant by curmudgeon earlier.)) But here’s the thing you’re probably missing in Scott’s lessons: the sad reality that it hasn’t “sunk in” for most people in the business world.

Scott’s book isn’t about social media, viral videos, selling to women, coffee, shoes, or any of the stories he uses to illustrate the point. Scott takes a full 250 pages (and then some) to tell you that those stories illustrate an endemic condition in business (and the world) today: the failure to build enduring relationships that aren’t about selfish gain.

The 4 hour phone call for Zappos. Seminar organizers that virtually ravage their speakers. The $1,500 saw. All examples of how the relationship SHOULD be the most important point of contact – and the fact that you never know where it can end up if it is.

That’s a major learnability factor in my book.

So what’s this got to do with Jesus?

Jesus got this stuff. He wasn’t looking to be an Amazon best-seller. He had a mission, a message, and a passion for sharing it with the people that would listen. The people that believed. He built a following, not because he went on about his experience in delivering results for his clients, his MBA from NYIT, or the thousands of followers that touted his expert status. He took no prisoners, pulled no punches, and did his best to deliver the same quality message day after day to the people that mattered most. He listened to people that talked to him. He responded, not by telling them what they wanted to hear, but by sharing his truth. And in sharing that truth, he started a revolution that’s still the subject of fierce debates, wars, and riots to this day.

There is one thing in Scott’s book that really perplexes me. It’s not enough to keep me from calling this book a keeper, and in fact, may be part of why I’m calling it a keeper. On the one hand, Scott calls out work at home moms for hurting themselves by embracing that moniker ((the chapter “Why Being A Work At Home Mom Is Bad For Business”)) (“I want to hire you… because you will get the job done”), and yet, his own slip is showing in the editorial issues that don’t detract from the content, but leave me feeling like there’s something not quite right about my coffee. ((A reference to Scott’s chapter “Stirring Coffee”)) Scott himself acknowledges that part of his “branding” is his lazy nature and the typographical errors that abound in his writing. To me, that’s a cop-out for writing that’s “good enough” when he could have been more diligent in the writing, research and review of his book.

Jim Collins reminds us that “good enough never is.”  And yes, I know I’ve opened the door to having the red pen hurled at me when I finally release a book. I do hope that people will be merciful with me. Still, Scott threw he gauntlet down, not me. And frankly, if that’s the only major fault I can find with the book, then that’s pretty dang good. ((I was going to make that sentence a footnote, but I’ve already got a crap ton, and I thought it would be a nice way to cushion my previous criticism.))

And lastly, one of the biggest reasons for recommending this book is because Scott’s a Renaissance Mom in so many ways. There’s a reason he won that award, and his book only justifies it more. The book begins with “For UnJunior” and ends with “To Aiden and Owen…” – proof that the guy understands that the most important relationships are the ones we build at home.

Well played, Mr. Stratten. Well played, indeed.

But today, I’m sharing pictures from a recent birthday party.

What makes this party so unique is that the attendees were, for the most part, cast member from a local production of the musical, Chicago.

One cast member, Aaron, celebrated his 20th birthday and invited all of us cast folk to join in the soiree. He’s the Blonde in that first picture, standing next to Anthony.

It was such a blast to see the cast reunite for something like this. We spent a few months together working our BUTTS off for this production. Choreography was tough – at least for locals that haven’t had a dance class in eons. Music was challenging, but we were blessed with some very talented cast members that could out-sing some of the greats on the karaoke stage – and some of us really tried, believe me.

So we ate, drank and had pickles – it’s a tradition, the pickles. You’ll have to ask me about it sometime.

But why is this in a Marketing Blog, you ask? Well, a couple of reasons. This blog also doubles as an occasionally personal blog (deal with it), and because it emphasizes what a good story (Chicago), a loyal customer base (the cast and crew), and a powerful product (Vertigo Theatrics) can bring about.

Ted, the guy that runs the show over there, is really a humble giant of a guy. In our many conversations, one of the things that he’s touched on is the fear that he’s not making a difference in the lives of people in our area. Now I’ve worked with Ted on several other productions where the cast and crew become close in an almost magical way, but he always wrote it off as a fluke. Well, I think the third time’s not a coincidence: it’s what makes a good theater company GREAT:

Jen and Steve, to my knowledge, have never done a show together before. This show stretched Steve in a leading role. Jen had to dig deep for some amazing choreography. This show really brought them together and gave them a new “thing to do” as husband and wife.

New friendships were forged – some of which transformed lives. People came to this show with broken pieces, and somehow, through the power of theater, shared trials and a good belly laugh, they found themselves on the mend.

Super HEROES came to the rescue. Anthony’s folks gave us an amazing set, and raised the bar for all of Ted’s future productions. And don’t get me started on the amazing job Barb did on the costumes. Selfless giving. Yeah, they’ll say it was because they wanted Anthony’s first production to be spectacular, but few people give of themselves that way for total strangers – even if their kid is involved. And the tireless day-in, day-out work of Ted’s “better half”, Jacque is a testament to the passion they both have for this community.

And me? I just took it all in. Making notes so that Ted couldn’t backpedal on this one. There was so much joy in a room that never would have been there if it weren’t for companies like this, productions like this, and people like Ted and Jacque who found a passion and nurtured it with “Class”.

There were others in this cast of characters that didn’t hang around long enough to pose, and others still that couldn’t make it to this seemingly simple birthday party.
But this was a party unlike most. This was a cast of strangers that became friends for a time, who reunited for one of their own to celebrate, remember, and be grateful. These people have their own paths in life and will take new directions now that the show is over.

But I think it’s safe to say we were ALL transformed by what a little passion can do.
THANKS, TED! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY AARON!