Guy Kawasaki's Enchantment: Will it Blend?

Recently, I was sent a review copy of Guy Kawasaki’s newest tome-for-the-masses, Enchantment (not an affiliate link; my ability to buy a pack of gum this month will not be influenced by your purchase).

And as I began to read, I wondered if it wasn’t a secret practical joke by the ever-cheerful GK. Was this book serious? Or was he pulling a fast one on us? Here’s my conclusion:

There’s a lot of the basics in this book – the bread and butter of business. You’re not going to read this book for blinding new insights. For the experienced, it’s a handy little summary of reminders. And also a great giveaway to hand out to those getting started.

A few favorite items extracted from the blender:

• Re-thinking the term “conflict of interest” for “alignment of interests” (p. 30) – cute, and a nice re-framing.
• The power of proximity in connecting with others (p. 16)
• The application Guy gives for each “think Japanese” term (p. 149)
• Prototyping your work (p. 167-8) – I do this all the time with clients, even at the proposal level.

If I had to put this somewhere as required curriculum, I’d place it (at latest) right between college graduation and your first career position. Then re-read 5 years later. And again 10 years later. These simple, foundational practices will provide far better ROI, I’d wager, than whatever you just sank into that diploma.

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