Love Is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends [Hardcover]

Tim Sanders (Author)

Book Description

Release date: February 5, 2002

Are you wondering what the next killer app will be? Do you want to know how you can maintain and add to your value during these rapidly changing times? Are you wondering how the word love can even be used in the context of business?

Instead of wondering, read this book and find out how to become a lovecat—a nice, smart person who succeeds in business and in life.

How do you become a lovecat? By sharing your intangibles. By that I mean:
Your knowledge: everything that comes from all the books that I’ll encourage you to devour.
Your network: the collection of friends and contacts you now have, which I’ll teach you how to grow and nurture.
Your compassion: that human warmth you already possess—in these pages I’ll convince you that you can show it freely at the office.

What happens when you do all this?
* You become a rich source of information to all around you.
* You are seen as a person with valuable insight.
* You are perceived as generous to a fault, producing surprise and delight.
* You double your business intelligence in one year.
* You triple your network of personal relationships in two years.
* You quadruple the number of colleagues in your life who love you like family.

In short, you become one of those amazing, outstanding people to whom everyone turns, who leads rather than follows, who never runs out of ideas, contacts, or friendship.

Here’s the real scoop: Nice guys don’t finish last. They rule!

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Is love really all you need? Tim Sanders, director of Yahoo's in-house think tank, believes love is the crucial element in the search for personal and professional success. In Love Is the Killer App he explains why. Sander's advice is to be a "lovecat," which despite the cutesy moniker is his sincere and surprisingly practical prescription for advancement both inside and outside the office. It starts with amassing as much usable knowledge as possible, which he explains can be done by religiously carving out time to read and then poring through as many cutting-edge books in your field as possible. It follows with an emphasis on networking to the extreme. Sanders offers concrete suggestions, from compiling a super list of contacts to ensuring all are regularly stored in an always-accessible format. And he concludes by advocating a true mindset of compassion, which he says involves sharing this knowledge with those contacts and ultimately helping anyone who in one way or another may ultimately help you. Through identifiable anecdotes and specific recommendations, the book promotes an undeniably feasible yet decidedly offbeat program that has worked for the author and could prove equally favorable for others who apply it. --Howard Rothman

From Publishers Weekly

Remember when the online biz was the playground of the business world? Yahoo! exec Sanders does, and with a vengeful nostalgia. In his almost dementedly excited book on how to get ahead in business by being loveable and smart, Sanders beats the drum of the New Economy louder and more happily than just about anyone out there. The "Big Statement" here Sanders is a proponent of reading as much as possible and boiling it down to an essential Big Statement is that a kill-or-be-killed mentality won't get you far in today's business environment. Better to spread love, by connecting with people, giving out advice, using every available moment to increase your knowledge and being a "lovecat." It's hard not to get swept up by the rose-colored glow of this gleaming "bizlove" philosophy, where people are excited to come to work and where they give out hugs and encouragement to everyone they come across. But being a lovecat, Sanders emphasizes, does not mean being a sucker. Naturally, as with most hype, the relentlessly upbeat narrative leads to some ridiculous overgeneralizations, like "during the Depression people worried about survival. Today the affluent worry about whether or not they are going to have a good experience." Sanders also vastly overestimates the availability of choice in today's job market, saying that if your boss isn't reciprocating your love, just get a new job ("A fresh start is a mouse click away"). These lapses aside, he is convincing. Cynics will argue that a sheep in a pack of wolves will simply be eaten, but a sheep armed with Sanders's brand of intelligent enthusiasm will more likely charm the wolves into submission.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Crown Business; 1st edition (February 5, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 060960922X
• ISBN-13: 978-0609609224
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (176 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #444,130 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

92 of 98 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Add Value to Your Work Life March 18, 2002

By David E. Rogers

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Somewhere along the line, I decided I didn't want to be a big shot. I didn't want to bulldoze coworkers and employees. I didn't want to climb the corporate ladder at the expense of others. I didn't want to abuse people the way I'd been ill-treated by certain employers. Human values seemed more important. I wanted to treat my customers, employees, coworkers and bosses with respect and--dare I say it?--love.

I'll forever be grateful to whoever steered me in this direction--for I soon found that work was much more fulfilling and fruitful when I cared for those with whom I worked.

According to Tim Sanders, author of Love is the Kller App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends, that makes me a "lovecat." And you can be one too.

That's the thrust of this delightful little book by Sanders, Chief Solutions officer at Yahoo!. Pointing to the great social changes of our time, Sanders sees love as the killer way to add value to our business and personal lives.

Happily for his readers, Sanders sees "business love" in clear, behaviorial terms. No fuzzy-wuzzy, feel-good exhortations here. Sanders gets right down to business: Bizlove, he says, is "the act of intelligently and sensibly sharing your intangibles with your bizpartners."

And what are those intangibles? I'm glad you asked, my friend:

Our KNOWLEDGE, everything we've learned and everything we continue to learn. Sanders says we learn most from books--and he advocates reading as many as possible. (Amazon must love him!) But it's not just reading. We're encouraged to mark up our books in ways that help us grab their "Big Thoughts" so we can add value to our work and that of others. To Sanders, information is meant to be shared with as many people as possible.

Our NETWORK, our incredible web of relationships, biz and personal.... It's not just what we know that adds value to our lives and the lives of others, it's who we know. And, like information, relationships bring value to everyone when they are shared. Sanders boldly advocates being something like a flesh-and-blood "home page" with links to all kinds of value-adding relationships.

Our COMPASSION, the ability to reach out to others with warmth and regard--to go beyond the safety of biz-as-usual interactions.

By sharing these three things with our bizpartners, says Sanders we not only add value to the lives of others but to our own.

What's best about Love is the Killer App? First, it's Sanders' unabashed enthusiasm and energy. His excitement at learning how love can transform biz life is infectious and genuine. The text bubbles with his desire for us to experience its power for ourselves. I found it endearing and sincere when taken in small doses. This is not a book to rush through! It's exercise more for the heart than the head.

Second, Sanders is eminently practical throughout the book. He doesn't leave us with "teddy bear" admonitions to love. Nope--his focus is on application. Here's HOW you share your knowledge, here's HOW you build and share your network, here's HOW you show compassion to others. You'll find yourself nodding in agreement every time--"Yep, I can do that." Or something like that, for Sanders readily admits that, say, the way he "cliffs-and-tags" books may not work for everyone.

In the interest of full-disclosure, I must admit that I was primed for this book because of my own experience and perspective. And Sanders and I have conversed by e-mail a few times. (The guy practices what he preaches!) So this may not be the most objective review you'll find!

If you're interested in more on the subject of love in the bizworld, I can suggest these outstanding books, all available here at Amazon: Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness by Robert Greenleaf (a classic), Leadership Is an Art, movingly written by the legendary Max Depree of Herman Miller and Love and Profit: The Art of Caring Leadership by James Autry. Read more ›

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Changed My Approach to Business November 10, 2002

By John Porcaro

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Like the author, I feel that having meaningful relationships built on trust and respect are critical to business today. But I've found that widening my circle at work was difficult.

I picked this book up on a business trip, and finished it in one sitting. Immediately, I had a strategy for a new approach to building my own skills, and using those new skills to build my influence at work.

This book changed how I look at gathering knowledge, and more importantly, sharing it. Since purchasing the book several months ago, I've bought 15 copies of the book and given it to family, friends, and co-workers. And for a few of them, it's had the same impact.

Shortly stated, Sanders explains a strategy of becoming a "lovecat" thorough studying books like you're still in college, finding ways to share what you know with co-workers and partners, and expanding your networks by being open and sharing your contacts with those that could benefit.

While the title attracted me to the book, it doesn't do it justice. It's not a touchy-feely book, extoling the virtues of open communication or emotional attachment. Instead, it gives a solid strategy for "how" to get started, and goes from there.

Highly recommended. If you read one business book on how to build your personal networks, this is the one!

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars There is something in here that strikes a chord April 26, 2005

By Michael Erisman

Format:Paperback

A great book full of practical wisdom, and a strange title. So, what is a "killer app" anyway? According to Tim, it is defined as "an excellent new idea that either supersedes an existing idea or establishes a new category in its field". (Page 11). This is an important definition, because taken in the context above, Tim is saying that "love" applied in a business setting can essentially transform your work, your success, and most importantly you, and in that way supersedes the current ego-centric world of business.

Tim uses countless examples to show that tomorrow's value in the business world will be about "fuzzy intangibles" that add value to your customers and company. In fact, when reading this book there are so many examples about "how to" do things that will increase your success, it would be easy to think it's just another self help book. For example, he discusses the importance of Knowledge, Network, and Compassion in our relationships, as his main themes. As good these ideas are, they miss the point if taken as self help guidelines.

The main point here is that love is not selfish. The thread he weaves throughout the book is a message about caring for others, not with the expectation of getting something in return, but because it is the right thing to do and will make a difference to them. It is the "pay it forward" philosophy in action. Now, there is no doubt that often the impact comes back in a positive way through a network contact or returned favor, and he cites many examples of how his own success was based on these. But even when there is nothing in it for you, care for others anyway. When others are in no position to do anything for you, care for them and give to them anyway.

That is how radical this book is.... It flies against the corporate gravity which pulls us into a place of self focus and measuring everything in terms of its personal ROI. In that way, love is truly a killer app. I recommend this book. Read it, and then go make a difference for someone. Read more ›

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Showing a Little Love Can Go a Long Way in Business April 19, 2003

By J. Straub

Format:Hardcover

Yahoo's Tim Sanders describes in Love is the Killer App how he stumbled on a very successful philosophy. Sanders advocates taking a true interest in someone's career or business and trying to help them through introductions and advice with no specific expectation of remuneration. He says that first, you will be perceived as an expert of sorts (for knowing what or who you know) and second that the person will feel somewhat endeared to you for thinking of them. The benefits, he suggests, in the long run will reward you.

Sanders also suggests that you read as much as possible, so that you have a little bit of knowledge about any subject that could come up. He stresses that books are far more useful than newspapers/magazines/etc. as they extrapolate on their subject and are able to provide an abundant source of additional information should the need arise (though he does point out that magazines do have particular value in some instances).

All-in-all the book does have some valuable suggestions and is definitely worth reading. Some of his suggestions are very specific to sales people for service industries and may be difficult to implement if you work for a product-centric company or are not in sales. Most suggestions, though, are universal. If you want a way to be happier, have more professional acquaintances, and go further in life, this book should be a definite addition to your reading list.