Josh

I found this book to be little more than a series of suggestions that I could have heard from any one of my peers. Very little seemed to be from hard research and much came across as common sense. If you only read one business book a year then you may find this broad approach of suggestions valuable. However if you, like me, listen to several business books a year then this one comes across as amateurish and does not drill deep enough into any one subject to provide the depth you are likely after.

The details are based on research. The research is then presented to give the listener an understanding why some activities are difficult, and then provides examples how to change the situation to make increase the liklihood of success by simple techniques to work the way your brain works best.

Great concept. Mediocre execution. The tie-in with Zombies could have made this an accessible, humorous book on economics, if you are looking for humor laced with facts then give Al Franken a listen. As it stands this Zombie tie-in was a stretch at best, adding little to no entertainment value, leaving the book to stand solely on the facts and research which are present in great depth.

The book very closely follows the Harvard Business School (HBS) case study method. At one point the author describes HBS' (you will hear this acronym countless times) case study method as filled with details that students need to sort through to find the essence of the case. This book felt just like that, a lot of unnecessary detail. There are other more succinct books that teach similar principles.

An excellent historical review of America's foreign policy. This should be required reading for every American, as this covers material that is not a part of the public conscience but most certainly should be.

The book is a great listen if you are an academic. For general interest readers I found "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell an easier and more insightful read.