Book Review: The Year Without Pants - Wordpress and the Future of Work

This 2013 book by Scott Berkun explores his journey into the unique workplace culture behind WordPress, which powers a huge amount of the blogs and sites on the internet. Coming from his previous experience at Microsoft, Berkun comes in with an outsider's perspective on how a bunch of people all over the world can work together remotely to help power twenty percent of the web (comes out to be millions of websites).

To put it simply, I really enjoyed this book. It has some great insights into what makes teams and companies work. Everything from workflow, culture, to relationships is covered here through stories and a sort of journal of Berkun's year at WordPress. I highlighted so many things from this book. While Berkun is certainly relative about why the workplace culture behind Wordpress works and its limitations, he has a lot of great general thoughts about management, teamwork, and getting things done. These can be taken by anyone to help them do better with whatever they do. Not every company can have everyone work remotely, not every company can simply mash together their business with how WordPress works, but there are plenty of solid insights here.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:

"Trust is expensive to build and easy to destroy, which is why it's rare."

"The fundamental mistake companies that talk about innovation make is keeping barriers to entry high. They make it hard to even try out ideas, blind to how much experimentation you need to sort the good ideas from the bad."

"This is the advice paradox: no matter how much advice you have, you must still decide intuitively what to use and what to avoid. Just as there is an advice paradox, there is a data paradox: no matter how much data you have, you still depend on your intuition for deciding how to interpret and then apply the data."

"Your model of the universe can be a perfect model of the past, but the past is not a reliable predictor of the future because there is no such thing."

"The culture in any organization is shaped every day by the behavior of the most powerful person in the room."

"It's a great bullshit test of any boss who says, 'X is important.' If she doesn't match that statement with resources, she's incompetent, insincere, or both. If it's important, prove it."

Also, I will accept the irony that I writing this review about a guy working at WordPress on my SquareSpace blog (I used to use WordPress). I really enjoyed the platform and still use it on other sites I write for. I would use it again since the blogging part of it was great, but I wanted some more functionality out of the rest of my site, so I left. Nevertheless, Berkun's experience working at WordPress really captured some of my frustrations that I've had working as a full-time professional and some of the aspirations I'd have for organizations I'd be a part of.

I highly recommend you check out this book! You can find it at any of your favorite book retailers.

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Book Review: Likeable Social Media

I finishing reading this book over weekend after it was sitting in my Amazon Wish List for the longest time. Likeable Social Media (I read the new, revised edition) is a book by Dave Kerpen, who works with Likeable Media and Likeable Local to help companies of all kinds maximize word-of-mouth marketing as well as inbound marketing via social media (as the title would imply). Kerpen covers an array of tips and stories on this broad topic, and the end result is a pretty easy read with some great actionable ideas.

I read another one of Kerpen's books, Likeable Leadership, which was a collection of his personal and professional blog posts. I liked that book, which turned me onto this other work of his. Some of the stories are the same but their helpful impact was only furthered through their inclusion here where they are put into a more thoughtful context. The body of the book focuses on 18 tips to help utilize social media in a "likeable" fashion. Kerpen includes advice on how to use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and more. The advice can be summed up as being authentic, friendly, responsive, and relevant to your audience. Provide content they enjoy, can get value from, and want to share. This will help them have a positive impression of your business and want to be a paying customer. A lot of this stuff was familiar to me from the education I've gotten recently about inbound marketing from places like Hubspot.

I'd recommend this book to anyone looking to brush up on some baseline tips for social media use. Whether you're a nonprofit, small business, or higher ed institution; you can find something useful here. While to me, it started to get redundant at the end, it served to further emphasize the solid points made earlier.

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5 Classic Books That Are Actually Great Fun

If you're a literature nerd like me, you've probably read buckets full of classics and found something to love about most of them. But objectively speaking, it's fair to say that a lot of books that have made their way to the "classic" distinction over the years can be a little long, dense, or dry. On the other hand, a lot of them are a lot more fun (and quicker to read) than some people might expect! So for anyone who's ever wondered what the fuss was about with some of these titles, I'd start a reading list like this:

1. "For Whom The Bell Tolls" by Ernest Hemingway

Hemingway's name is often included in a long list of early-20th century authors with lasting impact. But he might just be the most unique one of the bunch, largely because of his typically abbreviated prose. Hemingway approached his work armed with a so-called "Iceberg Theory," which basically means that he found the true beauty in writing to be in what's left unsaid. As the theory goes, the "dignity" of the movement of an iceberg is due to only one eighth of it being above water. So goes his writing: compared to many of the other authors of his time, Hemingway explicitly says very little but achieves great power with the words he does choose to write.

The result is that his novels are pretty easy to consume, lacking clutter but profoundly impactful nonetheless. That, plus the subject matter— "For Whom The Bell Tolls" is about the Spanish Civil War and among the most realistic war novels ever written—makes this a perfect book for a classic lit skeptic.

2. "Sula" by Toni Morrison

Considered one of a number of modern classics by Toni Morrison, "Sula" might blend in on a first glance, appearing to be one of a great many novels about race relations in the South. But to dismiss it as such is a mistake on multiple levels. For one thing, Morrison is pretty much the queen of black feminist literature, so even if it feels like this book is part of a crowded genre taught in schools, consider it the best of the best. Moreover, "Sula" isn't so serious or so focused on message that it isn't fun to read. In fact, it almost reads at times like a fable, with vivid characters and events that simultaneously border on fantasy and horrify you with their realness. It's a quick, astonishing read.

3. "Around The World In 80 Days" by Jules Verne

Jules Verne will always be recognized as one of the more fun or entertaining classic literary figures, and that's actually been evidenced in recent years by the fact that this particular novel has become a source of inspiration for video games. An "Around The World" title is featured among the games at Gala Casino, and it's enjoyably rooted in themes from the novel. It's basically a guessing game with betting components, but it also simulates a trip around the world in a hot air balloon. Similarly, there's also an "80 Days" app by Inkle that turns the bulk of the novel into a playable mobile experience.

The point is, they don't just go making video games about dry, boring old literature! "Around The World In 80 Days" is simply a blast to read. It's an adventurous and wildly inventive tale about a wealthy man and his valet as they attempt to circumnavigate the globe (in the 1800s) to win a bet.

4. "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee

"To Kill A Mockingbird" is a vital read for a number of reasons you may remember hearing about in a classroom. To me, it's the preeminent novel in depicting everything from racial injustice in the deep South to the loss of innocence that inevitably exists as one grows up. Those are some heavy themes, but as with "Sula" (though in an entirely different voice), this novel is oozing with the near-mystical elements that seem to come to the surface when a writer captures the deep South.

It's a quick and easy read and it remains extraordinarily thought-provoking over 50 years after its release. It's also become newly relevant thanks to the surprise release of a lost manuscript called "Go Set A Watchmen" in 2015. It doesn't directly follow the narrative of "To Kill A Mockingbird", but the new book is viewed as something of a distant and slightly disconnected sequel.

5. "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville

I suspect that "Moby Dick" will be the most daunting title on this list to those who don't habitually read classics. It's a massive book, commonly mentioned as a cumbersome classroom requirement. It also may be the most surprising book to read among popular classics, because once you get into it you realize that it's an extremely colorful adventure. "Moby Dick" is undeniably long, but it seems to have been written as much to entertain as to preach, which is something a lot of us want a little bit more of in classic literature. There are themes of race, perception, conquest, morality, and much more, but there are also deeply unique and fascinating characters that keep this novel interesting from cover to cover.

These are just a few to start with if you've ever wondered where the fun is in the classics. If you have any more to suggest, share them in the comments!

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John Bergman is a New York City-residing freelance writer. When he isn't obsessing over his book collection (and trying to trim it down), John enjoys playing The Witcher 3 and watching Daredevil.

Book Review: Show Your Work!

This recent work from author Austin Kleon aims to address the issue of getting your work discovered in our modern, busy, noisy world.

Much like his previous book, Steal Like an Artist (which I also reviewed here), it is an unconventionally written book, with a very brief, casual voice that focuses on some simple, but actionable tips. Kleon delves into things like being authentic, utilizing social media and other platforms to share content (your own and others), as well as just sharing your story and having fun with the process of creating. I don't think any of these tips are revolutionary, but seeing them here as well as other books and articles I've read further reinforces the advice. I do my best to embody many of them already, and it has been effective, so it deepened my commitment to keep it up after reading this book.

I will say that Kleon's work is probably not for everyone. I appreciate the candid, casual feel to these books and others like it, but it I have started to think that many will see them as too simplistic and too cavalier. It assumes a lot I think to just lay out the advice these sort of books do (essentially, just do it and the success will come) since I think life is a lot more complicated than the way these sorts of books convey things. They also seem to convey a bit of privilege at times that makes the advice less accessible to most people. From my point of view, not everyone can just drop everything and go for their "passion". People need to be able to pay their bills and live their lives while not having to worry about if their art is going to make them enough money. Thankfully, Kleon does acknowledge this a bit by seeing a lot of people as working a full-time day job to fund and supplement their creative "side hustles", and if you can make money off of this effort, that's great but it isn't necessary. This is refreshing and far more realistic from my point of view. Not everyone is going to have the time or the money to devote to creating a living for writing from nothing, and it is important to acknowledge that with a book like this. I'm glad this one does.

With all that being said (just had to get that out) I think this book, and Kleon's other work, Steal Like an Artist, are great starters for someone looking to nourish a creative hobby and looking to get it noticed too. I know I write for myself, but I'd also love for my writing to help and positively impact other people. I write from the heart and it's awesome to connect with other people through it.

Check out Show Your Work! and purchase it at any of your favorite book retailers.

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Book Review: The War of Art

I just recently blew through The War of Art, an interesting and unique self help book from author Steven Pressfield about the creative process. I'd had it recommend by some people as well as seeing it come up based on my Amazon history, so since it was available for very cheap through the Kindle store, I figured I'd give it a try.

This was a very quick read with some good takeaways in it but the most intriguing part of the book is how it is written. It has several short points to make instead of drawn out chapters and takes a very deep, meta, philosophical view on being creative and committing to creating. It personifies things like "Resistance" and the "Muse" and preaches for a strong devotion to working to create each and every day. This strong devotion that he elaborates on in the book sort of takes on a viewpoint similar to how theories are explained, in a context of all other things being constant, which is hardly realistic but still allows for some helpful advice.

I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who struggles with creative blocks. While it sometimes lacks practical tips, it makes up for it by going into the psychological and philosophical elements of how we create, and why it can be such a struggle sometimes. The first big step in dealing with a problem can be awareness of it and understanding it. This book is a great place to start in terms of getting towards a more natural creative flow and acknowledging that we're all creative, no matter what we may think, we just need to focus, commit, and get to work refining our craft.

You can check out some more info about Steven Pressfield and The War of Art (as well as his other books) at his website.

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Book Review: The Devil in the White City

The Devil in the White City is a historical narrative written by Erik Larson and published in 2004 that explores the true events surrounding the 1893 Chicago World's Fair (otherwise known as the World's Columbian Exposition, in honor of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's discovery of the "New World"). The narrative delves into the planning and creation of the fair, as well as the evil deeds carried out by one man in the shadows of this magical global event.

I have to admit first off that I have been sitting on this book for a little while now. My partner gave it to me to read so we could share in the story together. I just took my time with it since there were some sort of slow parts to the narrative (more on that later).

The most compelling parts of this book (to me) are the parts that follow the dark realities of Chicago in the late 19th century, focusing mostly on the criminal behavior of one "Dr. H. H. Holmes", the alias of Herman Mudgett, one of the first documented serial killers in modern times. He was a counterfeiter, committed insurance fraud, theft, and murder. He also created a "castle" of sorts in Chicago to be able to commit many of his crimes and destroy any evidence. He was an awful human being but as is often the case, he is the most compelling and interesting part of the book since his character is just so fascinating.

The parts of the book that were far less interesting to me (even as a history major) were the long passages about the tedious planning of the fair. I found myself reading these parts just waiting to get to the next section involving Holmes. The fair planning parts definitely made the book hard to get through at times, but it really picks up towards the end, so I strongly encourage folks who pick up the book to keep with it.

With all that being said, there are a lot of fun little details that add context to the narrative. Both things that were of the time (the cereal Shredded Wheat was debuted at the fair) and the future (Walt Disney was said to be inspired by accounts of the fair). There are sad details and interesting ones as well that make it worthwhile to pay attention all the way through to all of the story arcs and vignettes that are told.

It is said truth is stranger than fiction, and this book supports that theory. Every detail packs so much more of an emotional punch since it all actually happened. While it wasn't strong all the way through, and I would have liked it to be a little bit more concise, it is a full story of the fair and what happened all around it, good and bad.

I recommend this book especially because a movie is in development now which I am very curious about.

You can pick up The Devil in the White City at any of your favorite book retailers.

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Book Review: A Year of Nothing New

I was really excited to check out the book, A Year of Nothing New, when the author, Kristin Skarie, sent me a copy recently. I interviewed her recently for The Student Affairs Collective podcast and we talked about the book and sustainability in higher education.

The book, as the title implies, follows Kristin's journey as she ventured on a year of nothing new. This took different shapes throughout the year, such as minimizing plastic, electricity usage, buying local goods and food, and trying to grow her own food. She shares the ups and downs of this endeavor, which was really refreshing that she was so candid about it. She acknowledged her privilege and authentically shared her failures.

I got some great insights from this book and even got some tips for things to buy to be more sustainable (like this set of "To-Go Ware" reusable utensils). The insights that were especially useful were how it is okay to not be perfect, how important it is to live your values, as well as that we can all have an impact on ourselves and the world around us.

With sustainability stuff, many people don't see the point since they themselves won't make much of a difference. The thing is, if we all did our part to waste and use less, we'd save money, be healthier, and save the planet all at the same time. While some of the things we all should be doing are a little less convenient, it's worth it in the end to do the right thing.

I'm a big fan of this book and I definitely think everyone should read it. You can check out more of Kristin continuing efforts as well as everything as she does at her blog and her site respectively.

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Book Review: The Niche Movement

This past weekend I finished reading my digital copy of the new book from Kevin O'Connell, The Niche Movement: The New Rules to Finding the Career You Love. I'm really excited for this book to finally be out into the world, since I've been a long supporter of Kevin's and also proudly donated to his crowdfunding campaign last year to help publish the book.

Simply stated, this book is great. It excellently captures the frustrations many (myself included) feel with the status quo of job searching and workplace culture and gives some fantastic insights as to how to control your own destiny and do work that is fulfilling, whatever that may mean for you. Kevin weaves his career advice with unique stories of people from all over the country working in all sorts of fields that help send home and support his points. To top it off, he sets you up for success by giving out contact info for everyone mentioned in the book, so if you want to keep the discussion going with someone who really intrigued you, you have the means to do so and are even encouraged to reach out.

While I supported the effort to get this book published, I had no creative input in the production of it, but I trusted Kevin to create a superb product and he delivered tremendously, and that is my objective opinion. Many of the points he mentions I've heard before, which only further provides credibility to his work here. It has helped inspire and motivate me to get some things ramped up for my life, and I know it will do the same for you.

Check out The Niche Movement site for more awesome stuff, and reach out to Kevin to connect about the book. He's a pretty cool dude!

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Book Review: Start Something That Matters

"A leader can create a company, but a community creates a movement."

My latest review is for the 2012 book by Blake Mycoskie, Start Something That Matters, which chronicles the beginnings of his company, TOMS, and the lessons he has learned from the journey.

I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read with some great takeaways, good stories, and a positive message. It's a message I can certainly get behind and have believed in for a while now. I always try to vote with my dollars and make globally conscious purchases. Every company should incorporate such tenets into their organization, seeking to make the greatest positive social impact they can with their efforts, whatever it is. They can donate money, time, or resources to help others, and we'll all benefit in the end. It just seems that it is far easier for a lot of people and groups to be selfish and not empathize with the struggles of others (especially if they cannot relate, and never went through such struggles). The good part about all this is that it is never too late to start making a difference in people's lives.

Some of the other quotes I took away from this book were:

"...To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded. [Often attributed to Elisabeth-Anne Anderson Stanley]"

"In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity. —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow"

"Today’s successful leaders are those willing to share credit as much as possible, who give away as much as they can, and who promote an environment of creative cooperation instead of rabid competition."

What I like about TOMS is that it is a for-profit, social good company. They can exist, and they can do just as much good in the world (if not more) by working to make a profit. Their shoes and other items are desirable and valuable, and by working to make money, they can use those profits to make a positive social impact. A lot of other companies have followed in the footsteps of TOMS in recent years, and I think that's a beautiful thing. I love my TOMS shoes and my Warby Parker glasses, and my Krochet Kids hat. They all have the added benefit of helping others in need around the whole world. What's not to love?

Check out Start Something That Matters at any of your favorite book retailers!

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Book Review: Think Like a Freak

"The modern world demands that we all think a bit more productively, more creatively, more rationally; that we think from a different angle, with a different set of muscles, with a different set of expectations; that we think with neither fear nor favor, with neither blind optimism nor sour skepticism. That we think like—ahem—a Freak."

Think Like a Freak is the 2014 book from Freakonomics bloggers and podcasters Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. This time around, they focus on capitalizing on their previous works and showing us all how to think a little differently.

I'm a big fan of the Freakonomics podcast, and I wanted to check out some of their writing so this recent work seemed like a great placed to jump in. I appreciated the idea of taking their perspective into action, since a lot of articles and books will simple present a viewpoint and then not give examples of how to put it into action, so I'm glad they took it the next step here.

Topics in the book include incentives, problem solving, metrics, and knowing when to step back when you don't know something. The authors showcase very different perspectives on conventional wisdom, which I think we can all use more of in our lives.

"Solving a problem is hard enough; it gets that much harder if you’ve decided beforehand it can’t be done."

The advice I gleamed after reading the book is be more curious, be less stubborn, and measure success. All of these can be easier said than done but it is crucial to simplifying our complicated world to do our best to do our best to live these values. We can't assume success, assume we know all the answers, and stop asking questions. We'll become stagnant in a world that will quickly leave us behind.

"...the stakes get higher when we routinely pretend to know more than we do."

I encourage you to check out all of the Freakonomics stuff out there. It is great stuff to get outside of the normal framework of how we look at our world. I know you'll get some valuable advice from their work.

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