I'm heading to NYC this afternoon with a couple of copies of Seth Godin's new book, Tribes, tucked into my bag. This one is truly provocative. It's also the slimmest, smallest of his books so far which is convenient for carrying around. I typically skim business books forward and back and rarely read straight through. But the nut of this book is on the first page. It sounds simple. You have to read it a couple of times to understand why it's spot on:
"A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea... A group needs only two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to communicate."
- page 1 of Tribes by Seth Godin
The challenge of the book is what's so provocative. (Almost) any one can be a leader, Seth posits. And if not a leader, then certainly a micro-leader (someone who leads inside a tribe). With free online tools like Ning (for creating a community) and blogging, none of us has an excuse for not being a leader. Except fear of failing. Or fear of being wrong.
What's he's talking about is the essence of the revolution in marketing. It's about individuals. What each of us can do individually and how that can add up to move mountains, whether it's a cause or a company. I know I haven't risked enough yet. With Seth's gentle nudging (and there is a gentleness about the book), anything seems possible.
The inside of the jacket (see photo) is truly cool, BTW. It's a collage of teeny tiny photos that Seth fans sent to him.
My favorite quote from the book:
"I could write an entire book about the power of a blog to disseminate a leader's ideas."
- page 54 in Tribes by Seth Godin
Useful Link
Hugh Macleod's interview with Seth (Oct. 8, 2008)
Trackbacks
Book Review: Tribes May Be Seth Godin’s Best Book
Seth Godin has a new { marketing, leadership } book out: Tribes (which some think may be his best book yet, and that's saying somethin').A group needs only two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way...
Tracked on: The Winery Web Site Report (204.9.180.239) at 2008 10 21 12:37:21
Previous Comments
jon buscall said on October 21, 2008 at 01:09 PM
Thanks for the tip, Debbie. I’m adding it to my Christmas list!
I read the Ebook he was promoting along with the launch of “Tribes” and was fascinated.
Alongwith storytelling, this is another great metaphor to use when talking to the business community about how the web is changing the way we work.
Justin Thorp said on October 22, 2008 at 10:31 AM
Debbie, I completely agree. The book rocks. I’ve been enjoying the audio version which I downloaded off of iTunes for 99 cents and at that price I’ll be giving it as a gift to a lot of folks.
Feedback Secrets said on October 27, 2008 at 03:01 PM
I have already heard the term “Tribes” used in multiple places. Seth Godin has an incredible ability to coin phrases that get noticed almost instantly.
BTW thank you Justin for the info about the audio book, sounds like a steal.
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