Brains on Fire, a Great Read

The nice people at Wiley were kind enough to provide a review copy of the book Brains on Fire (click here to find it on Amazon), by Robbin Phillips, Greg Cordell, Geno Church and Spike Jones (no, not that Spike Jonze).

I get lots of requests to look at books, this one in particular intrigued me because of the title, and its subtitle/subject: "Igniting Powerful, Sustainable Word of Mouth Movements."

I have started to skim through it and it is very readable, and loaded with great information about ways to get people excited about products, ideas and brands.

Let me share an excerpt, the first paragraph, which sets the stage pretty well and made me want to read more:

Technology is a trap. A crutch.  The shiny new object in the room.  And while many people think it could be the answer to their prayers, we guarantee that it could also be your biggest detriment.  A lot of companies that concentrate all their efforts in the area of technology seem to take the human element out of the equation.  But the focus of business is not – and never should be – technology.  Rather, it always has been, and always will be, about people.  Living, breathing human beings with hopes and dreams, pet peeves, and a whole bunch of emotional baggage.

I read ahead a bit and found another great passage:

Movements Rely on Word of Mouth, where People are the Medium

Like it or not, your life is a marketing medium.  Sure, it's the clothes you wear.  The music you listen to.  The car you drive.  Your belief system.  Even the words that come out of your mouth.  But you yourself are a vessel.  A vehicle that carries your hopes, thoughts, dreams and especially your experiences.

This is where word of mouth comes into play…

I will be reading and sharing more on this important topic.