Businessmen – DaneCobain.com

Title: The Long Tail

Author: Chris Anderson

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count: 244

Rating: 4/5

This book was a bit of a weird read because it was written far enough ago now that a bunch of its references and case studies are out of date. For example, it was talking about Blockbuster and Napster, which are hardly relevant in 2020.

But still, the ideas in this book are super important and have influenced a whole generation of businessmen and marketers, and so even though bits of it felt out of date, it was still very much worth reading. True, if you’re already familiar with the overall concept of the long tail then there’s nothing much here to learn about, but if you’re not then I’d suggest giving this a read to make sure that you are.

I mean, with that said, there’s also a whole heap of research and case studies here for you to learn from, although again, you should remember that some of them are out of date. Honestly, this is such a seminal book that the chances are that there’s an updated edition knocking around, so maybe have a look to check that out before buying a used copy, like I did.

But overall, I would of course recommend it if you’re the entrepreneurial type. If not, there’s not much point, although it could give you a greater insight into the way things actually work.

Learn more about The Long Tail.

Jon Ronson – The Psychopath Test | Review

Title: The Psychopath Test

Author: Jon Ronson

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 294

Rating: 9/10

Jon Ronson – The Psychopath Test

This book was an interesting read, and it actually led to a number of real-life conversations with other people about psychopaths, and some of the subjects that are covered in this book. You can even take a variation of the psychopath test online, and I discovered that two of the people that I work with could qualify. That said, the interesting thing about psychopathy is that if you’re worried that you might be a psychopath, you’re not a psychopath.

Here, Jon Ronson follows the cases of a number of well-known public figures – from criminals to CEOs and businessmen – as well as the teachings of several well-known psychiatrists. He even takes a little look at scientology, which teaches that psychiatry is a sham and which even funds an organisation that’s designed to work against the field.

This, then, is the kind of non-fiction book that I like to read. For me, a good non-fiction book contains a sort of underlying narrative, as well as a number of little triggers that make you think about things, and this book definitely makes the cut when it comes to that. In fact, it has the potential to change the way that you look at the world – in no time at all, you’ll start to spot psychopaths all over the place, and it’s true that they could actually be everywhere.

It took me a little while to get around to reading this, but once I started it, I was glad that I did. It definitely comes recommended from me, especially if you like learning stuff and watching documentaries. In fact, the book even comes recommended by Louis Theroux!