Roger’s Book, Ferdinand, the Word Guy, and Me
As you know SplashPress and The Blog Herald are running the Independent Blogger Book Quest in which I’m reviewing a book published independently — without the backing of a major publisher. In keeping with our mission at the Blog Herald, the books will be about blogging, business, and the work of online professionals. Read this post for guidelines to submit your book for review.
Blogger Book Quest: Roger’s Book, Ferdinand, the Word Guy, and Me
Title: Maps for Modern Magellans: Charts for Captains of Commerce
Blogger/Author: Roger Anderson
URL: Modern Magellans
http://www.modernmagellans.com/
Get this Book: Maps for Modern Magellans: Charts for Captains of Commerce
A Business Book for Folks Crossing Uncharted Waters
Are you feeling that your blog or your business is lost at sea? You might pick up Roger Anderson’s book, Maps for Modern Magellans: Charts for Captains of Commerce. It’s a map for uncharted waters.
When Roger sent me this book, I couldn’t help but remember 4th grade social studies and the guy named Ferdinand Magellan who was the first to successfully circumnavigate the planet. Ferdinand was first to through the strait of Magellan (conveniently named after him), and the first western explorer to find the Phillipines. Needless to say the guy could find his way around places that no one had ever been.
This book is written for folks with that same spirit of adventure and exploration — blogger business folks sure seem to fit the bill from what I can see. We’re smart, out on our own, and sometimes we could use a map.
A Modern Magellan is anyone who owns, runs, or in some fashion controls a part of a business operation. This also includes those who want to. There are 25 million businesses in the US and possibly as many more worldwide. One of the key similarities in most of them is that the captain of the ship could use some navigation help.
Enter the word guy, Lewis Green. About the time Roger sent me the book,Lewis reviewed it. . . . I spoke to Lewis last week. We didn’t talk about Roger’s book, but I know him to be a kind, honest, and dedicated journalist.
On Maps for Modern Magellans, Lewis and I are on the same page. We both suggest that folks starting a new business or taking on a new management role would do well to read Roger’s book.
Lewis Green said this in his review.
. . . the text is written in a simple, easy-to-understand manner, and is full of good ideas, business strategies and tactics, definitions, case studies and questions that every entrepreneur needs to ask.
. . . this book best serves entrepreneurs who don’t have much business experience and newly promoted managers within any company. Those of us with lots of business experience in the corporate world and as entrepreneurs will find little new. However, those without experience will find lots to like about Maps for Modern Magellans. From the basic lesson that is often overlooked and causes more harm to business than one would believe to questions every business person must ask, to case studies that teach us both what and not to do.
I agree, Lewis. I agree.
On one point about Roger’s book, Lewis and I disagree. this is what Lewis thinks about Chapter 1, where the premise of the maps and charts is laid out.
To be honest, most of the visuals are useless to a word guy like me. I’m not sure I understood any of them. . . .
I recommend skipping Chapter 1, which seems a bit like filler, and start with Chapter 2, entitled Mind Your Own Business.
Lewis is the word guy. I’m the first-grade teacher who promotes metaphors. I found the first chapter one more way to analyze a business. I like to bend and stretch thoughts and ideas that way.
Which one are you? Get the book to find out.
Liz,
Thank you so much for your kind review. I have a very good friend and marketing expert named Liz who is also not a visual person. She and I went the rounds on the “maps” to try to make sure I was not overdoing it with visuals.
When I wrote my PhD thesis I had a similar problem. I think that the image should speak for itself and my adviser wanted detailed figure legends. Since he was holding my degree I wrote longer legends.
I hope I found a happy medium here and I’m sure that some will want more and others will wonder why I wrote so much.
Hi Roger!
Thanks for noticing! It’s always great to have someone outside the book respond, especially someone who is also outside the concept. It never hurts to over explain a bit. :)
In the end the book has to stand on its own and a few words that help a reader are a bonus. :)
Great meeting you and your book!
Nice post!