Book Review: Purple Cow by Seth Godin
Fast Facts:
224 Pages
First Published 2002 Updated in 2009
Read Level: Easy
Read time: Around 4 hours (as a guess)
Should you read it: 100% Yes!
What you will learn in one sentence: Seth explains in amazing easy-to-read detail that have a ‘safe’ business is risky and how only the bold stand out, make an impact and ultimately last, Hence the name; Purple Cow. It’s a fun read with many details, examples and easily actionable ideas.
…I’ve read a lot of books lately..
A Lot.
Mostly in business or marketing. And almost all of them let me down..
Some were terrible to a point that I would even like to ask the author for a refund of both my time and money, and these are relatively ‘famous’ books..
Purple Cow was the breath of fresh air. And I needed one! My reading addiction needed some fuel to feel like I wasn’t just wasting away hours of my life! Finally a book with no filler, half-baked ideas or generic hyperbole about the point the author is trying to make. (which is often nothing of value anyway!) *Comment below your recommendations of books which aren’t crap too!! I’m always open to suggestions.
To put in perspective just how well-written, on-topic and timeless the principles of this book are; it wasn’t until about 100 pages into the book when I realised it wasn’t written in the last few years! Then I looked at the print date.. 2002! Imagine writing something about current business and marketing topics which would still be so relevant 14 years in the future! Impossible! But how did I suddenly realise it wasn’t written recently? There’s a few pages about mobile phones and how no one has done anything ‘ground-breaking’ in recent years. So obviously I knew it must be written pre-Apple-iPhone!
In my opinion this book is a non-negotiable must read for all business owners and entrepreneurs. Consider it on the required reading list.
But why did I enjoy it so much?
Firstly, it’s easy to read and understand. There is a well known quote by Albert Einstein which is as follows:
“If you can’t explain it simply, then you don’t understand it well enough”
I think this is both profound and wildly understated in itself as a quote, but that’s a story for another post! Onward!
Another reason I enjoyed it is because it contains flare’s of humour. I believe if someone can’t find humour in a topic then they can’t be objective about it. Plus it just makes for a more fun read, and if something is fun you’re more likely to do it.
Finally one more reason it appeals to me because it champions what I preach. That in order to be safe, you need to take risks. That blending in is bad. That doing what everyone else does, gets you what everyone else has, which is often nothing. It shows case after case of how making a conscious choice to take a risk, stand out and shatter the paradigms and illusions of ‘how things should be done’ often earns the best results. As an Aussie I’m well aware of our world-famous saying, which I think everyone should try and apply to their own situations;
“STEP OUTSIDE THE BOX”
That’s what marketing is really all about. Well at least to me.
In fact, it’s often what happiness, passion, enthusiasm, discovery and many other great things are about at their core.
In summary; READ THIS BOOK, be a Purple Cow, take some risks and enjoy your new perspective as an innovator instead of a follower.
-Aaron
Captain @Recal Media
My Ratings:
Readability: 5/5
Content: 4/5
Business Helpfulness: 4.5/5
My Overall Score: 91%
