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Small is the new big

and 193 other riffs, rants and remarkable business ideas by Seth Godin

Reviewed by Jane Sunley

We're Seth fans anyway at learnpurple though how can you resist a book that comes the following warning from the author: 'If you want a narrative and lots of research, you're in the wrong place. But I'm betting you don't need another dense business book. What you need is a small prod or perhaps a friendly whack. And maybe a few ideas you can really run with. Have fun.'

Seth writes one of the most widely read daily blogs in the world and this book is a collection of his very best posts, magazine columns and e-books. So it's the sort of book you can dip in and out of and come away with the odd pearl of wisdom. Some of the stories and references are 'very American' but take the meaning behind them and there are some useful lessons to be learned.

For example 'Soy Luck Club' - this is the tale of a cafe in New York that started a breakfast club. Not just 'doing breakfast' but a club whereby customers pay a set monthly fee eg $40 (nice guaranteed income). If they sell 100 memberships that's $4000 with which to buy lots of grapefruits and muffins and in the process create a cadre of super loyal customers. Best of all they start finding products for their customers rather than customers for their products. Imagine a chain of cafes that offers a coffee club. For a flat fee you get all the WiFi and lattes you can handle. The owner does well and the members would feel bad every time they strayed. People like to belong. Loyalty is good. Maybe you're doing this already?

Godin writes 'I dare you to read any ten of these essays and still be comfortable with what you've got. You don't have to settle for the status quo, for being good enough, for getting by, for working all night'. It's refreshing, thought provoking stuff with good entertainment value and very easy to read - well worth dipping into.

25 July 2008