It’s hard to miss the recommendation of Seth Godin, internet marketing sensation, printed in large text on the front cover of REWORK: “Ignore this book at your own peril.” I follow the blogs of both 37Signals and Seth Godin, so I heard the considerable buzz when the book was released. I even downloaded and read the PDF excerpt. However, it took a $20 gift card to Borders to get me to actually purchase and read the book.
If you’re looking for a quick read, this one fits the bill: about 40% of the pages are pictures. REWORK is written from the slightly unconventional start-up perspective of the folks over at 37Signals. They never raised venture capital, they don’t work past 5 PM, and their team is spread out across the globe. Yet their feature product, Basecamp, is being used by millions.
REWORK is their philosophical statement applied to their operations. The book contains no academic studies, has no statistical rigor and could be most appropriately filed in the “business advice” category. But here’s the catch – their philosophy really resonated with me. I found myself constantly folding down page corners and unconsciously nodding my head.
Yet although I enjoyed reading the book, the moment I set it down I felt dissatisfied. It was a similar sensation to that of eating Corn Pops – you eat and eat and eat, but you’re never filled up. Five minutes after I put REWORK down, I had pulled out The Innovator’s Solution for a more substantive feast.
I would include my customary excerpt, but the highly visual layout of the book makes that impossible. Please read the PDF excerpt instead.
