This Is Marketing: You Can't Be Seen Until You Learn to See Hardcover – Illustrated, November 13, 2018

The media could not be loaded. In a word, genius. "This is Marketing" is a must-have book for fans of Seth Godin, practitioners of marketing and leaders who seek to make change. If you have read his other works, many of the concepts will be nostalgic. However, this book binds them all into one place for easy reference and builds upon them to set a foundation for the future of marketing. The chapters are indexed and the concepts easy to digest yet profound. I found myself re-reading sections over and over again to grasp the concepts. Seth is a guru and by that I mean an influential teacher. He teaches us true marketing in this work of genius. This book should serve as a reference for the next generation of marketers and veteran marketers alike. If you are reading this review, you owe it to yourself to try the concepts and share them with your peers, your colleagues and your organization. As Seth has proven with “Ideavirus", ideas that spread win, so we need to share these ideas so they win. I find the timing of the book impeccable especially given today’s political and informational landscape where it is hard to discern fact from fiction and truth from lies. All true marketers are storytellers not liars. The concept of his breakthrough best-seller, “Permission Marketing”, is just as relevant today as it was 20 years ago especially with the advent of GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). What makes “This is Marketing” different than other marketing books is that Seth espouses marketing that creates value for the marketer and the “marketee” while doing it together with generosity. The most effective marketing is marketing that creates enduring change, change that lasts. In order for change to last, it needs to create bi-directional value, it needs to be a two-way street not a one-way street. Seth is generous in the change that he seeks to make with this book and it has the potential to create a marketing Renaissance movement. I am incredibly humbled to be a recipient of an early-bird copy of the book, honored to participate in the seminar by the same name and proud to be an AltMBA alum. Thank you, Seth, for your generosity in writing another essential book for the marketer’s bookshelf.

When I first started reading this book, it was pretty good. I've read and enjoyed many of Godin's other books, so I knew what to expect, and I wasn't disappointed by the first few chapters. In fact, I jotted about a page-and-a-half of notes for my creative career.By the middle of the book, Godin was sharing advice I wish I'd had 10 years ago. Great, vital info.But, around the 3/4 point of the book, I was getting bored. Until I completed the book, I didn't want to start working with my notes (around six pages, at that point), but... well, it was kind of a "dip" (a Godin term) to keep reading.And then, all of a sudden, Godin started fitting all the pieces together. The synergy was breathtaking. I was actually sorry when the book ended, almost abruptly. (The "what will you do?" section at the end seemed a little too cutesy for my taste, but that's okay.)So, my advice is to get this book. (In fact, I'd put that in flashing neon lights, if you're kind of struggling with your job/business.)Some parts of this book are better for self-employed people, like me. Others are written for employees of larger companies, whether you're at the bottom rung of the management ladder, or working your way up. Also, teams will find helpful insights in this book, too.But the very best advice I can give you is to keep reading to the end, even if/when you just want to put the book down and find something more interesting to read. Or a TV show to watch, instead.There are days when I give everything I like a five-star review, because I'm in a really upbeat mood. This isn't one of those days. (I couldn't delve into work requiring extended focus, because the termite inspection guys were due here at some point - unspecified - between 9 AM & 5 PM.)But, even feeling a little grumpy today, I still need to give this book five stars. The opening is good, but not dazzling. The middle goes from engaging to I-think-I-need-a-nap. But the spectacular final few chapters of the book - wow! - they're worth trudging through (not skimming!) everything that leads up to it. THAT's where all the puzzle pieces start fitting together, even the ones you may find boring. And it's absolutely, 100% worth the ah-HA! cascade as the entire book becomes a work of art.