A WHOLE NEW MIND: MOVING FROM THE INFORMATION AGE TO THE CONCEPTUAL AGE
by Daniel H. Pink (Portfolio)

In Free Agent Nation, Pink painted a compelling portrait of the successful 21st-century worker—one who puts down few roots and brings a unique perspective to the marketplace. With his latest book, he takes us (almost literally) inside the mind of the future-equipped worker—one ideally suited to a world upended by outsourcing and almost unrecognizable to our parents. Pink enumerates and explains six crucial "aptitudes"—from "story" to "play" to "meaning"—that we must embrace or risk obsolescence. He also takes us from a brain-imaging lab to a drawing workshop to show how the mind works—and could possibly work better.

ALL MARKETERS ARE LIARS: THE POWER OF TELLING AUTHENTIC STORIES IN A LOW-TRUST WORLD
by Seth Godin (Riverhead)

We are not sure Seth Godin's thesis in this memorable book will heighten anyone's trust in marketing. Per Godin, "authenticity" may be something different from "truth"; an authentic story is something that consumers want and need to hear—regardless of whether it is honest and accurate. It is the story that tells why your product is a direct hit to the consumer's "sweet spot"—and "believing it makes it true." Godin provocatively urges us to "live the lie," to make our brand stories so convincing that even we might believe them—even though we know they may be less than 50 percent true. The author of Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable, Godin may not be anyone's philosopher or moralist—or even a marketer to emulate in any fashion—but he is an engaging provocateur.

BRAND HIJACK: MARKETING WITHOUT MARKETING
by Alex Wipperfürth (Portfolio)

Who is in charge of your brand—you or your customers? Wipperfürth argues that a host of powerful brands—from Starbucks to Howard Dean—were not so much "built" as "hijacked" by consumers desperate to escape Madison Avenue manipulation. While such success stories may seem accidental—and some perhaps were—it is possible to encourage the co-opting process (and make yourself look like a marketing genius). Among Wipperfürth's suggested tactics: "Scrap the focus groups... and hire your audience"; "Respect your community"; and "Resist the paranoid urge for consistency." Wipperfürth argues that a host of powerful brands—from Starbucks to Howard Dean—were not so much "BUILT" as "HIJACKED" by consumers—brand hijack

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