It seems to me that in any company, large or small, you can divide the people into three broad categories…. The “Changers”…. people who use their work as a platform to “Change The World”…. The “Contributors”…. people who want to do their jobs, do it well, and get handsomely rewarded for it…. [and] The “Coasters
Hugh McLeod
In today’s world, I’m guessing today’s addiction of choice- the Internet- means not even being able to go to the bathroom without bringing along your laptop. They call it “Crackberry” for a reason.
Hugh McLeod
I added the new site search feature to… my Tumblr…. I take it all back, Marco and David….Likewise, Coffeehouse Junkie now has search capability.
Not much psychological knowledge is needed to realize that emotive words can very easily be used to cause the unformed intellect to suspend independent judgment, if not forever, at least until there is some rude awakening. When judgment drops the reains, the harnessed instinct runs away with the cart.”
“The average man of small leisure parrots opinions continuously drilled into him by every possible power of persuasion.”
“The belief that what is evil becomes good if only enough people want it is one of the most terrifying abberations of our age.
Johan Huizinga
(via the constructive curmudgeon) Link
From Publishers Weekly:
“[Small Press Distribution]’s structure is very much about selling a lot of books relatively shallowly,” says [Brent] Cunningham, who notes that SPD sells about 100,000 books per year, with annual growth ranging between 5% and 15%.”
Most people don’t realize that when you have to look within yourself for answers, it is like seeing your reflection in a spoon; upside down and backwards. These are you truest moments. These are the moments in which you need to be the most receptive to your own voice.
found scribbled in my journal from about a year ago (via hrrrthrrr)
That is so true.
“I lost my rune stone…”
From The Penguin Blog:
Two of his arguments seem particularly relevant to me as I think about selling Classics:
1. Context is key.
(a) Give people too much choice and conversion from browsing to buying reduces…(b) People find it difficult to judge the value of something in isolation…. the story of the first bread-maker on the market. It didn’t sell until they introduced a second, bigger and more expensive model and positioned it in store next to it — then the cheaper model flew off the shelves as customers had a context and could put a value to that product.
2. Imprinting habits. Once we start to buy something (say, coffee from Starbucks, or Classics by Penguin), it becomes much easier to do it again and again. It becomes a habit.
You hear a lot of talk about “The Cloud” nowadays…. But nobody seems to be talking about Power Laws.
Hugh MacLeod
Link.
I don’t watch TV and I don’t go to meetings. You’d be amazed at the difference it makes…. I would imagine we’re going to see a rapid acceleration in the quality and meaning of things we manage to create with our new-found time. At least I hope so.
Seth Godin.
A stack of books arrived from a magazine. The editor asked me to write reviews. Can’t wait to start reading… and then writing.
(via gaping void) Link
Coffeehouse Junkie 