Written by leading creativity coach Eric Maisel, this book offers many ways to manage, train and maintain the ‘artist within’. Coaching the Artist Within provides ample examples and lessons of building and maintaining a creative lifestyle – one that is bound to create the inspiration you need, and provide meaning in your work. Eric Maisel writes well and makes this self education book into a useful program to nourish your right brain. Must read material for any aspiring artist or creative.

Loved it because:

• Practical tips and lessons that are meant to actively train and improve your creativity
• Eric Maisel is a well-recognized creativity coach, and brings the necessary experience to ensure these lessons deliver on their promise
• The book offers many insights into alternative forms of art such as dancing, acting, creating music, or any other creative field you may not be familiar with

You might not like it because:

• The book demands more than just reading, and when followed to the letter, will make an impact by doing minor daily exercises to build and maintain a creative lifestyle

“The best way to think of radical cultural changes in society is to think of them as viruses. Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread just like they do.” is the big message of The Tipping Point by best-selling author and anthropologist Malcolm Gladwell. Gladwell colorfully describes the factors involved in turning an idea into a cultural phenomena, defining clear roles for each part of the adoption curve, and the thing those small ideas with big impact have in common.

Malcolm Gladwell is also one of the best storytellers of our time. He sometimes he seems to research amusing anecdotes and stories even more than the presented theory itself, making the tales come alive and present his thoughts in nearly wrapped bits of entertainment.

Loved it because:

• Written by one of the best storytellers of the 21st century
• Defining the events that turn small ideas into big cultural changes
• Creating a mindset of being aware of the phenomena of ‘The Tipping Point’ and observing ideas in that fashion

You might not like it because:

• If you’re just looking to read about the theory of ‘Tipping Points’ (how and when small ideas become big cultural phenomena) you might find the sometimes long and abudance of stories and anecdotes a bit much.

Both the book and the author have surpassed the Guru status. In many ways, The Purple Cow was the book that started it all for marketing man of the century Seth Godin. A pruple cow has been adopted by marketeers as a remarkable idea, something that truly stands out from the crowd, and is therefor work ‘making a remark about’. The leightwieght bible for the new era of marketing contains loads of stories, anecdotes and inspirational insights in how to incorporate risk and remarkability into your ideas, as a designer, as a marketer, as a CEO, or anyone with a message.

Loved it because:

• Highly entertaining down-to-earth style of writing
• Quick but inspirational read (one-flight-book)
• One simple message packed in an inspirational book of examples and best practises
• A message that shook up the marketing world

You might not like it because:

• Critics of Seth Godin claim his ‘marketing for the masses’ is the hollywood for corporate strategy and marketing. Godin offers no real, practical advice on how to manage ‘remarkability’ or really transform your business into being remarkable other than to ‘go out and do it – be risky!’.