The Four-Book Workweek

As we’re getting ready to speak at the next Big Seminar, and share the stage with none other than Jay Abraham, my wife Sylvie and I have been working furiously on our upcoming product, Success Chef, which we are launching at Big.

But as busy as I am these days, and with the added stress of writing copy, dealing with clients and raising three teenagers, I sometimes find myself dipping into a few books as a distraction for some solace and quietude — and to give me some fresh ideas.

Last week, I bought four books, and devoured them in a single week!

I’m nothing short of amazed at how great these books are. And I want to share them with you and encourage you to grab a copy. (Audio versions of the books are also available, too.) They are…

1. The 4-Hour Workweek

“The 4-Hour Workweek” by Tim Ferris is a pretty big phenomenon these days.

Ferris, who is also an Internet marketer selling supplements online, wrote a stunning look at ways to make your life easier, simpler and more effective, all the while working less.

From outsourcing to reducing your workload (while increasing your output), Ferris touches on a nerve that resonates with a lot of people.

Particularly Internet marketers who may have escaped their 9-to-5, soul-sucking corporate cubicles for a better life as an entrepreneur, but still find themselves working harder and longer hours than most employees.

It’s a refreshing, interesting and easy read. Not everything is applicable to everyone. But if you can pull at least one tip from this book, it would be worth 10 times the price of it.

Also, check out Tim Ferris’ blog.

2. The Tipping Point

I was amazed by this book.

Malcolm Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point” takes a hard look at why little, sometimes seemingly insignificant things, can spread like wildfire, and become massively popular.

For example, what makes an outdated fashion (like a shoe) come back in style without any prompting or advertising by the maker?

How can one person create hugely popular viral campaigns when the same campaign, launched by another, falls dead in the water along the way (and sometimes even before it starts)?

Those questions and more are explored in “Tipping Point.”

Gladwell covers a great deal of ground in this book. If you’re a fan of viral marketing or want to learn more about how it works (and why it works so well in some cases), get a copy of this book.

Just like Tim Ferris, you can also check out Malcolm Gladwell’s blog.

3. Blink

Another delightful surprise.

In his second tome, Gladwell explores why the way we think, make choices and take action, often unconsciously without any real thinking at all, can be more powerful than its converse.

For example, why are some snap judgments more informed, intelligent or appropriate than choices made after a great deal of research, information gathering and rationalization?

“Blink” offers an insightful and in-depth look at this process, which people often mistakenly attribute to “intuition” or “gut feeling.”

According to Gladwell, that “sixth sense” is not some metaphysical thing but, in actuality, a cerebral function called “rapid cognition.”

And rapid cognition, he surmises, can often be more potent than due diligence.

Grab a copy if you want to learn what makes people decide why they buy more from one piece of copy or website than another, when their choices seem to be illogical or wrong.

4. Made to Stick

This book seems to continue where Gladwell’s “Tipping Point” left off. (And it does a great job doing so, too.)

Chip and Dan Heath’s “Made to Stick” explores what makes some ideas or stories stick.

That is, what makes certain ideas more memorable, emotional, motivational and, above all, compelling than others — from newspaper stories to urban legends, and from political speeches to conspiracy theories.

For example, there’s an interesting chapter where the authors talk about a journalism assignment, where aspiring reporters were given a set of facts and the task of transforming them into a story.

Most were bland regurgitations or reordering of facts.

But one student’s story, in this particular example, stood out of like a sore thumb. It was far more interesting and easy to remember than the others.

This book discusses several key principles of “stickiness,” along with actual examples and strategies you can apply to your own communications.

If you’re a copywriter or marketer, the above books are highly recommended. But “Made to Stick” is a must-read, especially if you’re a copywriter.

You can also browse the Heath brothers’ blog.

A few final notes worthy of mention.

Blog desginer Cory Miller did something with my free WordPress theme that you might like. He converted the Clean Copy WordPress Theme into a blog with sales page templates. Three of them, in fact…

Go take a look and get them while they’re available.

Finally, I want to wish happy birthday to my copywriting friends Ray Edwards (whose birthday is tomorrow), and Dr. Harlan Kilstein, who turns 50 today.

Yup, the big 5-0.

(Harlan, I may be turning 40 next month. But with your recent achievements in fitness and weightloss, you look not only great but also younger than me! I feel like I’m the one who’s turning 50 and you’re the one who’s 40 30!)

Anyway, happy birthday to both!

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