I spend at least half my work time learning—that is, expanding my knowledge and understanding of current trends. Most of my learning takes place online or in-person.
When I received Guy Kawasaki’s 2011 book, Enchantment, as I was wrapping up work on the second edition to The Official Guide to Miva Merchant (2011 – out of print). I was put on the list to receive a review copy, and when the release date passed me by I felt quite guilty. Fortunately I was heading to California for the annual Miva Merchant conference, and what better way to pass the time while at 35,000 feet?
I’ll admit, when Guy announced the title of his then latest book, I wasn’t impressed. The word enchantment, to me, had little to do with business in a hectic world. When he revealed the butterfly cover, my concerns grew—all I could wonder was, How is he going to push this book to the masses with a weak title and oh-so-pretty cover? Despite the fact he’d already explained the basic concept of enchantment, I wasn’t convinced.
Mid-way through Chapter One I was hooked, primarily because Guy’s writing style is exactly what I hoped mine would someday be… Direct, easy to understand, and sans sugar coating. Yes, Guy’s very blunt about key issues, going so far as to say the moral wrongdoers have no right to succeed in business.
A timeless read
Enchantment is a guide for advancement. From teaching us how to smile and give a proper handshake, to lessons on leveraging today’s technology, Guy’s directives are not only clear, they make sense.
Enchantment is not a guide for becoming an instant hit. It’s about building relationships atop strong foundations.
I was so impressed with Enchantment that I made a last minute change to my presentations, which focused on shopability. During my sessions I explained how small business ecommerce sites shouldn’t try to mimic Amazon.com’s layout and flow. I used the product page for Enchantment as my example (with a side-note suggesting that the audience buy his book).
This was when I realized Guy used more “pull” than “push” when it came to marketing and growing his readership (he explains both these methods in the book). My research confirmed that I really had seen more third-party tweets, facebook posts and blog posts about Guy’s book than I have any form of mass advertising. And that’s exactly what Enchantment is about—growing by means of relationships and support—something every business and person needs in order to succeed.
Steve Wozniak says, “Read this book to create a company as enchanting as Apple.”
I say, “Read Enchantment if you want to succeed in anything…”
Review originally published in March 2011. Updated in July 2020.
This is not a paid review. I was provided the book for consideration of review, with no agreements made. I do, however, use an affiliate link while linking the book title to Amazon.
