Books

Dec 21 2025

What To Read

It’s Sunday, and I’m continuing the streak in my Month of Content…Here’s Day 21.

In yesterday’s edition of The Saturday List on my Substack — that’s where I share what I’m “Watching, Reading, Listening to, and Rediscovering” — the “Reading” section included my friend Megy Karydes‘s book, 50 Ways to More Calm, Less Stress.

As I said yesterday:

Not only is it a well-written and well-designed book, it’s a fun read that isn’t overwhelming. The subtitle: “Scientifically Proven Ways to Relieve Anxiety & Boost Your Mental Health Using Your Five Senses.” Chapters include things like “Mood and Food,” “Painting for Perspective,” and “When It’s Time to Try Tinkering.”

What About a Business-Meets-Work Tome?

I asked my friend Barbara Jacobs: “What book do you recommend everyone read, and why?”

Here’s her response:

“I did book reports in elementary school – and uniformly aced them. [Peter Rabbit, A plus-plus-plus-plus!]

“But that’s not what Dave asked for.

“Instead, it’s your most fave book.

“Which is hard. I’ve reviewed books for decades, professionally (note: a long-term side gig).

“And my beat, which runs the spectrum from crafty tomes and mysteries to hard-nosed biz tracts to fanciful fiction, doesn’t really lend itself to top ten, let alone THE ONE.

“YET: There is one small book that I do constantly refer to – in life and for work.

“It’s The Four Agreements (Don Miguel Ruiz). It gives me four tenets to remember, to live by, to refer to. Who could argue with

Be impeccable with your word
Don’t take anything personally
Don’t make assumptions and
Always do your best?

“To me (and to Oprah, The New York Times best-seller list et al.), these four comprise beliefs that guide actions and behaviors. [BTW: The hardest one for me is ‘don’t take anything personally.’] Some call it the works of a shaman. Others say it’s from the Mexican Toltec beliefs.

“Whatever the derivation, these four are prominent in my house and office, helping me lead my life to its fullest and bestest.

“What is your guidelight?”

How About Some General Advice?

I asked another friend, Barton Lorimor, for his “What to read?” advice. But my question to him was “What business book should people read, and why?”

Here’s his response:

“The best business book people need to read is any textbook that matches their current financial literacy and takes them to the next level. Forget for a moment the ‘”‘Get Rich, Retire Young!'”‘ and ‘”‘Best Business Management Strategies!’ books, as so many of those offerings have ulterior motives. Having a stronger understanding of accounting practices and terminology helps business managers better understand ‘the language of money.’ Being able to speak that language helps long-term business strategy development, operations management, and detecting how business authors might sneak a pitch into their work.”

In Case You Need Some Recommendations…

Between Megy, Barbara, and Barton, you still have time to grab a stocking stuffer or Hanukkah read.

Aug 01 2013

How to Find an Extra $10,000

So we wrote another book!

First, a little background for y’all. Earlier this year, we whipped up a site called “10KaYear,” with the goal of sharing money-saving and money-earning tips, big and small, that can help put an extra $10,000 in your pockets each year.

Well, thanks to gremlins, hackers, and whatnot, the site disappeared. But the content didn’t. So we decided to “bookify” it. (That’s a word.)

How to Find an Extra $10,000: A Stealth Guide to More Money, Better Health, and Living the Lifestyle You’ve Imagined

Okay, the title is a mouthful – but that’s what happens in this Google, Amazon, Keyword-friendly world we live in. And yes, we did just link to the book on Amazon.

We took our posts from10KaYear, refreshed some of the content, and broke it down into four categories:

Basics
Personal Finance
Saving & Investing
Unconventional Methods

It’s written in the snappy style you’ve come to expect from these “pages” on the Area 224 site, and it’s not just a little old e-book whipped up overnight – word count is in the five figures! Your investment is $7.00 (different price in places like the UK, Germany, and Brazil). I think it’s actually less in Canada.

We think you’ll enjoy it – and, if you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can borrow the book for free. Cool, eh?

Dec 06 2012

Sharpening Your Focus in the Final Month

NOW WHAT? It’s December…in addition to shopping and sending cards and all that…you have goals and you need to achieve them.

2013: Art? Travel? Something else? What’s on the list?

Less than a few weeks left in 2012 and, no matter what your goals are, staying focused is of the utmost importance.

How can you do that – especially in the wild, crazy social media world we’re in? Good question – and here are a few ways to stay sharp.

1. Visit the Right Kinds of Sites

Yeah, it’s easy to get pulled into discussions about things like the Fiscal Cliff. And then you start looking at the news coverage and believing that things are heading to heck in a handbasket…making it tough to, as CNBC says, “Rise Above.”

No matter your goals – new clients, a new job, or just finishing the year on a positive note – it’s important to avoid the time suck that can be the wrong kinds of websites.

We love using a 10-minute rule on surfing. Set a timer, surf with specific reading in mind, then move on.

Sites we recommend for this sort of thing:

Danny Brown is one of our favorites, and he has launched something cool called “Help Me Be Inspired.”

If you are studying the Social Media and Digital space, check out V3IM and the inimitable Shelly Kramer.

Communications and PR professionals just starting out can learn from industry veterans like the team at SpinSucks or Culpwrit (where they have a great post on your Personal Brand).

There’s a theme to these: they’re all tremendously positive sites – they’re not starting fights, rather helping to lift everyone up through real-world advice.

2. Don’t Be Afraid of Something New…

This isn’t about signing up for clients that will drive you crazy, or taking the job that you HAVE to take because, well, you HAVE to take it.

It IS about broadening your horizons just a bit.

Is there a project you can sign up for – even if that means you have to spend an extra hour a day learning Excel, or Photoshop?

Is there a side gig you should consider – because your downtime isn’t productive?

And, should you learn a new language – not because you have to, but because…you want to see if you can?

NOTE TO SELF: You have that Pimsleur Russian thing sitting over there. Fire it up.

3. 2013 Planning AND 2012 Finishing

Time to level-set, too. Some things won’t happen this year – but that doesn’t mean that they cannot happen next year.

Maybe the plan was to write a book – but there’s no way you can finish it now. That’s okay…just get it slotted in for 2013. BUT make sure you revisit the plan for this book-writing.

If the plan was to focus on money, you can visit sites like New Frugality and get tips.

Whatever you’ll miss the goal on for this year, do ask yourself if it’s important for next year. If it is, plan it.

Stay positive and sharpen your focus for the balance of the year. You’ll be glad you did!

By the Way…

If you’re up to learning something new – and that something is Digital Marketing – take a look at this top-notch class from 312 Digital. Use the code “Area224” and you’ll save $100.

Jun 07 2012

I’m on a Break…from Marketing Books

Decide to embrace your inner polymath? That’s okay.

Business Model Generation — Not a Marketing Book

With summer rapidly upon us, maybe it’s time to start talking about books that AREN’T about marketing. Or social media.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t check out some of the higher profile marketing books out there – but, to be honest, they are starting to all blend together. Unless you’ve got some unique spin to add to the marketing campaign of the future, at some point it’s time to broaden your horizons.

So, Dave, What DO You Recommend?

Funny – if there’s one thing this site has been known for, it’s a healthy dose of counter-intuitive thinking. Zig when other zag. Things like that. Alas, some tips for your summer reading:

1. Rediscover the Magazine

In the early part of the 90s, I was a subscriber to The Economist. I let my subscription expire…then felt something missing and re-upped. But, to be direct, to understand the workings of modern business AND get a healthy dose of counter-intuitive thinking, there’s no magazine right now that does the trick better than…Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

When Bloomberg bought the property in 2010 and rescued it from the precipice of bankruptcy, they refreshed the design (it’s slick) and the editorial went up a couple notches, IMHO. The writing is rock solid. You’ll learn something new every week.

Oh, and even though I’m a “flip through the pages” kinda guy – the website is great and there’s an iPad version of the magazine.

A tip from a wise person I worked with ages ago: score inexpensive trial subscriptions to something you’re sorta interested in – this will broaden your horizons. So if you KINDA think you want to be a Surfer someday, there’s a magazine for that. (It’s called…Surfer.)

2. Anything Michael Lewis

Moneyball? It was a book before it was a movie. I have a copy sitting here, and I’ve re-read it a couple times.

I’m a baseball guy – sorta, not one of those “Sabermetricians” that Lewis talks about in the book, but a fan from way back when. But this isn’t a baseball book – it’s about thinking differently about how you approach business, decision making, and life. Really. Even if you don’t care to watch the movie, read the book.

Or Boomerang – that’s a great read, too, and will put the whole Euro Mess into perspective.

Lewis is really cool because, well, he’s a polymath. And he has a great writing style.

3. Ask People Who Run Businesses What THEY Read

This is one of my favorite tricks – and I’m not talking about asking bloggers to recommend other bloggers’ blogs.

Smart people have suggested books to me such as Business Model Generation (photo above, worth checking out, thank me later) and Aftershock (which will scare the crap out of you). Neither are marketing books.

4. Pick Up an Almanac or an Atlas

I dig reference books. But, in this “look it up on Wikipedia” world we live in, the need for an Almanac isn’t there. Or is it?

Ditto the Atlas – why would you look through an actual book when you can just go to Google Maps?

Well, think what you want about these beauts – they’re dinosaurs and people don’t need them – they can spark creativity.

Maybe I’ll return to marketing books one of these days, but my plan is to read lots of other stuff this summer. What about you?

May 29 2012

Social Media Real Estate

Does your Real Estate Agent use Social Media? Should you care?

Real Estate Yelp Sign — Image is modified based on original, Creative Commons work of ThinkPanama

An article in the Sunday Chicago Tribune made me want to throw up on my shoes.

Here’s a link to to the article, which was entitled “Home Tweet Home: Agents turn to social media“.

It’s not a bad article – IF you’re someone who is in the business of selling the real estate industry on having more agents and brokers using social media tools – and using their mobile phone, too.

But it’s not a great article – because the takeaway is all wrong. From the headline, you’re going to guess that you should be using Twitter if you’re a real estate agent who wants to sell more houses. NO. That shouldn’t be the takeaway…

So, we’re first going to talk about some of the things we disagree with if you’re using social media for real estate. THEN we’re going to give you a brand new takeaway. Here goes:

1. It’s Not All About the Numbers

Here’s a quote from the article:

“Gregg Slapak, a real estate broker with Exit Realty Redefined in Wheaton, has close to 5,000 Facebook friends — the maximum for the social networking site. On his recent birthday, more than 1,100 well-wishers from all over the world sent him greetings.”

Awesome. Gregg is popular and he’s so busy on his birthday that he can’t possibly respond to every well-wisher.

And does this make you want to buy a house from this guy?

Gregg goes on to say that “70 percent of his clients find him today using their computers.”

I’m not picking on Gregg here – have never met him, and maybe he is darn good at his job. But let’s continue…

2. The misnomer is that it’s a “tech-only” business

The article went on to say that the new generation of buyers want to text message with their real estate agent. They want instantaneous communication. They’re using social platforms first and foremost – a fact I won’t argue with. But here’s where the article’s premise – that you have to be “social” first – goes off the rails:

“Terri McAuley, a broker with Koenig & Strey Real Living in Chicago, estimates that 75 percent of her new clients have never met her in person.”

Maybe I’m missing something here – buy those shopping for a home haven’t met their broker in person?

I’m left with a very shallow opinion of both sides of this equation: the agent will take any business they can find without so much as a handshake – and the buyer would rather see that there’s a Facebook presence or that the broker can use a mobile phone to send a text message. ACK.

3. Google and Yelp. Google and Yelp.

I can’t stress these two things enough – but they are afterthoughts in this article:

Remember our example above, Ms McAuley:

“…Instead, they rely on Yelp reviews or Google searches to find her.”

As well they should. As well they should.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that, if you are a real estate agent or broker, focus on Google and Yelp FIRST.

These should not be afterthoughts in your “social media strategy” – actually, they are the table stakes in your marketing – which is on- and off-line these days. You could spend hours learning how to do this right – and you SHOULD.

Because if someone finds you on Google or Yelp and reads up on you and decides that they don’t want to work with you because you DON’T HAVE 5000 FACEBOOK FRIENDS…you didn’t want to work with them anyway.

4. When Your Agent Has a Social Media Consulting Business – BEWARE!

This is a serious pet peeve of mine: the agent or broker should be working for you – and real estate should be their one and only profession.

You’ll find some dynamite speakers out there in real estate land – but the second someone crosses over from “agent” to “social media consultant” – you are no longer their focus. That sucks for you if you’re their client.

Real Estate Professionals: What Are You Leading With?

When we “wrote the book” on Social Media for Real Estate a couple years ago (and then rewrote the book again), we knew that a lot of this stuff would change. That’s why we focused on things like “knowing your target market” and “going where the buyers are.”

This doesn’t change; but the overarching theme of our work – then and now – is that you need to “be the kind of agent you would want to work with.”

Information is everywhere: and maybe you can find out more than enough about Gregg and Terri to decide that they’re the person you want to work with for your next real estate transaction.

AND, maybe it IS important to you to create a kicking Twitter presence and a dynamite list of Facebook friends.

AND…leading with the real you – Hey, Authenticity!!! – is never a bad thing to do. But here’s the thing, and here’s your takeaway from this article:

Location, Location, Location – Where is it?

This is the thing you should be leading with, real estate professional. We said it in the book, we’ll say it again, and here’s where you should build your online strategy:

Take a Look at Your Last 10 Transactions

There’s a theme there. Right?

If you found all ten people you sold homes to from Facebook, that’s great. Keep at it.

If all ten people found YOU through a Google search, maybe that’s where you should be spending your time.

Better yet – if all ten found you through a common thread, like a work or school group, or a club, or your referral network – isn’t that the thing to cultivate even more?