Do business bloggers have a unique take on business and management? More Space editor Todd Sattersten believes the nine writers he has collected in this self-published volume have, if not new ideas, at least compelling and innovative ways of expressing them.
This collection is certainly not traditional: What business tome do you know of that opens up with “I only need to drink five more beers”? After reading this sentence you might dismiss this book as blog-o-babble, and turn to a dose of restorative Peter Drucker. But a few sentences later, author Rob May reveals that the beer consumption is over a period of months and part of a restaurant promotion; five more beers to get a T-shirt. Furthermore, he visits the restaurant weekly to attend a meeting of the Bizjunkie: “People who like to get together over dinner and a few beers and talk business.”
And that's what we like about this book. There is a passion for work and business that comes through in each essay. And the stories are often highly personal. The writers talk about such varied subjects as how to resolve conflicting personal and business values, retooling business meetings to be more productive, and the importance of breakthrough experiences in ratcheting up personal performance. Essay titles include “Why Business Matters,” “Work is Broken—Here's How to Fix It,” and “The Inevitability of Authenticity.”
Yes, some of the writing here is self-absorbed—the most used letter in the More Space alphabet is “I.” But the risk-taking with form and content ultimately pays off in a very readable, fresh, and insightful collection.
- Sean Silverthorne