Needle, Meet Haystack

NOTE: If you don’t want to hear about a book, stop reading now and watch this instead.

You may not know who Mark Penn is, but you definitely know what he’s done.  You see, Mr. Penn is the fellow who coined the phrase, “Soccer Mom,”  and has defined scores of demographic groups that you will have heard of in conversations anywhere from the news to the office to at the bar.

Penn is an amazing demographic identifier, and in his book, Microtrends, he covers a wide range of emerging micro-demographics, from Cougars and people who met their spouses online to Vegan children and grown-ups who play video games.  Each of these groups makes up a microcosm of the overall population, but they are prevalent enough that you probably know, or know of, people in at least several of the groups in the book.

But Microtrends offers more than just insight into potential customer groups for a new business, a suggestion for a new tribe to join, or a good read; it shows insight into the changing flow of modern society.  As I’ve mentioned on this blog a number of times, the constant innovation and development within our culture – be it from economics, politics, technology, education, or any of a vast array of different sources – is changing a lot of the rules of society.  And Microtrends goes a long way towards explaining it.

So if you want to read about the present (and future) of what might end up being a terribly fractured society, check this book out.

Microtrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow’s Big Changes (via Amazon)

EDIT: I received no credit for working on this book anywhere in its contents, despite several chapters using my content exactly as I wrote it without changes in the final draft.  You can also see pictures of me demonstrating body language poses on pages 67 and 85.

I try my best to keep the specifics of my career out of the blog for legal reasons (aside from some stories and examples), but this is something that I want to share with you guys: Yesterday, my book was released in stores across the country.

Sort of.

Back when I was living in DC, I worked for a body language expert and helped research and develop content for her book.  I’ve been told by several people that “truth is the best defense to libel,” but out of respect for my former employer, I won’t disclose any more information.  I haven’t seen a copy of the book yet, so I don’t know what content made it in there, but I did contribute to a book that has now been published and is out for all the world to see.

It’s a weird feeling.

So if you enjoy the Body Language Basics series or are looking for an interesting read on lifestyle design (aka self-help and motivation), give it a read.

BIG BOLD LINK TO THE BOOK ON AMAZON*

*This is an unpaid endorsement. I don’t make anything off of the sale of this book

For all of those who check out the official NMH Twitter account, you may recall that earlier in the week, I posted that I had just started reading Gene Simmons‘ Sex Money Kiss.  Well, I finished it.

In the book, Simmons espouses his philosophies on life, relationships and business.  And while I may disagree with some of the points he makes (re: marriage), he still makes a lot of sense.  A master of branding, merchandising and marketing, Simmons lets the reader into his head to see how the relentless promoting machine he calls a brain really works.

There are some great tips on expanding business, personal branding, motivation and fiscal responsibility that should be required reading for anyone interested in going the entrepreneurial route.  But be warned: some of the ideas presented in the book may seem misogynistic or reprehensible.  Nonetheless, it’s a fascinating read, and it belongs on the bookshelf right next to Seth Godin and David Ogilvy.

Sex Money Kiss (on Amazon.com)

The unflappable, ineffable, completely awesome Thursday Bram has released a terrific ebook upon the denizens of the Internet, Discover Your New Job Online. I might be biased because I’ve known Thursday since college, but trust me when I say that this is essential to any job seeker.

She covers everything: the early planning stages, makin’ yourself all professional-like, utilizing social networks and job boards, and that tricky little thing called landing the job.  And she writes well, delivering the information very cleanly and concisely without it ever getting boring.  And at just over 50 pages, you won’t get bogged down by unnecessary content or long, boring, irrelevant language.

The ebook is only $8.99, and you get it right away!  So if you’re a job seeker or know someone who is (and in this economy, we all know someone who’s looking for a job), take a look!  it’s definitely worth it.

Discover Your New Job Online by Thursday Bram (via Stepcase Lifehack Books)

While wandering around the business/sales/finance/marketing section of my local big-chain bookstore yesterday, I came across the last copy that they had of Hugh MacLeod‘s incredibly great book, Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity, which I then proceeded to read four times in a row, practically missing the Mad Men premiere.  Yes, it’s that good.  I suggest you get it on Amazon.com right now (or go to the store and buy it), then come back and read the rest of this post.

One of the things that Mr. MacLeod mentioned that really stuck with me was what he calls the Sex & Cash theory, which is basically this: there are some things you do for fun because you’re passionate about them (sex), and some things that you do to make money to help supplement your fun (cash).  Sometimes, you’re lucky to have a job where you can do both (not prostitution – this is a metaphor, so don’t take it literally).

I know you might be thinking: Andrew, you already said that selling out is okay.  What the hell are you trying to pull here? Well, this isn’t about selling out.  This is about sex and cash.

The point here is that there needs to be a balance between one’s passions and one’s necessities.  Many people will consider sticking with something that they know well, whether it’s because it’s what they went to school for, or because they like it.  Similarly, many people gave up on their dreams to pursue a secure, safe lifestyle, and constantly wonder, “what if.”  You need to be able to budget both.

MacLeod tels of a friend whose passion was collecting antique spoons.  He left his office job to work as an appraiser for such objects, but quickly became frustrated with the job.  What he did was kill his hobby, and in doing so, his passion (sex) died.

If you can find a balance, like MacLeod’s example of an art photographer who pays the bills by shooting photos for catalogs, then go ahead.  As long as you’re able to satisfy your personal wants (sex) and needs (cash), you’ll be doing just fine.

Like today’s images?  Find more at Hugh MacLeod’s website or pick up his book.

So way back when I had just started doing the Sunday Links, I suggested a book of funny cover letters that I thought would be a great bit of stress-relief (even though it was more of a book recommendation than a link, per se).  However, the article from the following week’s link kind of mucked that up.  But I’m willing to give you all the benefit of the doubt here.

Fired! by Annabelle Gurwitch is a collection of stories from barely to fairly famous people about getting fired from various jobs.  And if you enjoy schadenfreude, funny stories or just want something good to read, this one is highly recommended.  Also, there’s a documentary that works as a companion to the book, for those of you who really hate reading.

Did I mention that you can get the book on Amazon for only 1 cent?  One cent, for the love of Pete!  Even if you’re out of work, you can afford that!  Why not give it a try?

Fired! by Annabelle Gurwitch

Hey there!  I hope that the past few days have been relaxing for you.  I’ve successfully moved and now have Internet again.  But spending the past few days without real computer access (my trusty laptop broke just prior to the move) got me thinking: how dependent are we on using computers to search for work?

Now, I’m not referring to jobs that require a minimal amount of application time, like many retail and food service jobs, but more office-related positions.  Most jobs are posted on the web, not in the classifieds section of the newspaper.  Applications are sent through email, not the post office.  So how the hell was I going to look for work?

It was tricky.  There aren’t many jobs in any classifieds sections these days, and sending unsolicited letters is difficult when one does not have any means of confirming addresses.  So instead, I concentrated on doing some research.

If you have access to a library or bookstore (and I think most everyone does), you can find a diverse array of literature on employment-seeking tips.  If you are concerned that these books were published before the current market crunch, don’t worry!  There are plenty of good suggestions and tips that can help you regardless of the economic situation.  I won’t recommend anything specific here because I referred to books that were mostly about my field of work, but you should be able to find some stuff on anything from accounting to zoo keeping.

And with that, we resume the regularly scheduled posts.  See you tomorrow!

So last week, I was pleased to find a funny and enjoyable book that I thought many of you would enjoy (by the way, you can find out some more about the book here).  I was glad to give a little support to a new book, and figured that you, my hypothetical audience, would enjoy the opportunity to feel superior to others by knowing that the tome you read had been recommended, something that you could discuss at cocktail parties or high society luncheons or Mr. Potato Head conventions.

That is, until I read this article.

WHAT THE HELL, AMERICA?!  Look, I know this isn’t a fully accurate sample – we don’t know the standard deviations, sample size, representative group, questions asked, and so on, but still.  Less.  than.  half.

‘That means every time I see two people, chances are pretty good that one, if not both of them, has read a book at all recently.  While they might have read magazines, blogs, comics, or some other  type of thing with words on it, it’s still pretty depressing.  Books are good for more than evening out wobbly coffee tables and swatting bugs.

Remember when you were a kid, and you liked books?  Go to your local library and check them out.  I don’t care if it’s Tom Clancy, Joey Comeau, Harry Potter, Marcel Proust, John Steinbeck, Dr. Seuss, Pablo Neruda, Dan Brown – just read SOMETHING!  Change that statistic!

And if the conversation stalls during an interview, the line “You know, I was reading the most fascinating book…” might help get things back on track.  If you’re good with metaphors.  Or reading.

Cover letters are a necessary evil these days – it’s hard to know the right tone, and you can get really uncomfortable with it, feeling like you have more of a false personality than your actual self in there.  It’s easy to feel trapped and get bogged down by the monotony of corporate buzzwords.

Joey Comeau’s Overqualified is a great break from the norm: it’s a collection of hilarious cover letters (just check out the “look inside” contents!).  It’s a great way to relax, and might give you some insight on other approaches of letter writing.  Plus, it’s a book!  When was the last time you got one of those?  Buy it for some good readin’ in dead tree or Kindle form.