Customer Reviews

Staying Street Smart in the Internet Age

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have enjoyed Mr. McCormack's earlier books very much. So I was surprised that I did not find this one very valuable. If you read many of my reviews, you know it is unusual for me to grade a book down to a 3 star rating. Let me explain why I did so in this case.

First, the title suggests that the book will provide lots of perspective on the Internet Age. Wrong! In fact, there is very little discussion of the Internet. And most of that discussion is in the introduction where Mr. McCormack points out that he doesn't even use a computer. He makes several self-revealing comments. "But let's say I'm a reluctant convert to the Internet gospel." "My only problem is that I don't understand what it <the Internet> will grow into." "I have the luxury of being in the sports business which, as far as I can tell, is one 'industry' that's immune to the Internet." In a few other cases he provides anecdotes from his business career about people overusing e-mail rather than talking to each other by telephone or face-to-face. As a result, he misses important questions. How can his agency develop more business by using the Internet in new ways? So, I think the title is very misleading. Anyone who wants to get practical advice for working with the Internet should avoid this book.

The second problem I saw was that I saw no important new material in the book. The principles are all covered in his earlier books. You get 90 principles described here in 2-4 pages. The examples are all from the author's business, so you get little sense of other businesses or perspectives that might be best practices. They also reflect a perspective that many may not share.

Here are some of the subjects:

Giving Yourself a Reality Check

Speed, the Defining Factor

Giving the Workplace a Reality Check

Office Politics

Acquiring a Power Base

Promotions, Demotions, and other Career Hiccups

Rules for Deal Makers

When You Are in Charge

Etiquette for the New Millennium

As you can see, this perspective focuses on the larger organization (the kind that fewer people work for these days) and someone who wants to climb up the organization (something that is less important than self-fulfillment and contribution to many).

The book is at its best when it argues for treating people well, being considerate as though one were dealing with one's neighbor in a small town. That advice is timeless. The book is also excellent in helping to unveil the sources of misconception that cause each of us to overestimate our performance and to misperceive what we need to be doing. I heartily approve of these messages.

If you have read Mark McCormack before, I recommend you skip this book. It will add almost nothing but occasional nuances to what you have learned from him already.

If you have not read him before, I suggest you read one of his earlier books instead. What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School is a classic.

In either case, I suggest you skip this one.

If you insist on reading this book, focus on parts one, three, six, seven and nine. They are the most helpful and appropriate for today.

Ask yourself after you read this book then "Who are the people who can provide relevant perspectives that are relevant for today?" Getting the right advice often means asking the right person.

The title just uses the buzzword "internet" to get your attention. It could have been called "career and business tips," which is basically what it is. McCormack's writing has gotten better since his earlier books, so I found this one good on that account. His tips have a bit more depth here, too. He mentions how his 2nd wife has helped him learn to "stop and smell the roses," and perhaps that's why this book seems less "combat"-like than some of his past books. Plus, his arrogance, that would bleed between the lines in past books was, thankfully, missing. (For example, in earlier books he said, "I made a lot of money at a young age, so I never resented others who did," not considering that perhaps some readers are young and broke, or old and broke, and might resent HIM. And also he said, "99% of people should work for someone else," which conveniently puts him in the elite 1%, and, never mind that through most of history, until the industrial revolution, most people were self-employed.) Anyway, this book is readable and helpful, with some tips I don't think I would have seen anywhere else. He does reuse anecdotes that he uses in other books, but I didnt' mind. If you want a general career-tips book, this is as good as any recent ones I've read recently.

This book is about career management and office politics. It contains a lot of straight-forward, down-to-earth tips for getting along with co-workers, bosses, and clients. This "Arli$$- agent's" clientele includes Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer and Venus and Serena Williams. What he offers is common sense as applied to a plethora of topics like goal setting, picking up the check, managing time, dealing with enemies, managing your work- just doing business in a "smart" way. Thinking of all those Olympic atheletes who will be returning to their respective countries to assimilate back into the work force, or pursue endorsements or dreams of gold in 2004, it seems to me another astute book about self-management is timely, especially coming from the chief executive of a sport and entertainment conglomerate like International Creative Management. It is a step up from his previous book, "What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School". Mr McCormack's book seeks to prepare readers for life in the fast lane, and for success. Interesting! A very interesting presentation.

To my knowledge, Staying Street Smart in the Internet Age (also published in other editions as What You'll Never Learn on the Internet, as well as Never Wrestle with a Pig) was the last book MMC wrote before dying. This may explain why - contrary to previous MMC books - the audio version of Staying Street Smart is read by David Ackroyd instead of the author. I enjoy MMC's reading style very much and would have preferred to hear MMC himself as usual, but David Ackroyd does quite a good job after all. As always, prefer the unabridged edition over any abridged one. The unabridged version is ISBN 1931056056 or ISBN 9781931056052

Mark McCormack's books generally blend considerations pertaining to individuals as well as business, and why not _ after all, one can't perform at work independently from what one's character and personality are. In fact, this blend is one of MMC's signatures, and emphasis on human nature's dynamics is one aspect which explains why MMC's books never get old.

MMC's books may seem deceptively simple because of the elegance of the writing style, but they are always much richer than what might appear at first glance. Staying Street Smart in the Internet Age is in fact one of MMC's best books. It shows depth, maturity and powerful common sense which one can use in many ways and environments. The myriad examples are clear, varied, but always elegant and concise. The author's mindset pervades all pages of the book, which is one of the best things one can get from reading MMC's works.

Having read this book several times over the years, I'm still amazed at the clearness of thought this guy so consistently displayed. Because of the thought provoking character of the book, I keep rediscovering it, always confronting its insights with what's happening in real life. It's a great help at understanding oneself and one's interactions with other people inside or outside the work environment.

In response to some critics I read in above reviews:

Life is complex and MMC never falls into the traps of oversimplification or dogmatism. That's why he suggests that first impressions should not be underrated, AND that subsequent clues should ALSO be considered which will then confirm, alter or negate the previous impressions.

Staying Street Smart in the Internet Age, and What You'll Never Learn on the Internet, are titles which don't suggest in any way that the book will provide much discussion about the Internet per se. The central ideas of the book are that important things are still to be considered at the office and in one's personal life which weren't rendered obsolete by the emergence of the Internet - ideas which won't get acquired by simply browsing the Net. After all, the title is NOT What you'll never learn ABOUT the Internet.

This book is written from the perspective of a CEO in major company who refuses to even use a computer.

The good parts were talking about reality checks for yourself and your business, and part nine, which talks about etiquette and refusing rudeness. Overall I found this book not very useful, and do not recommend a buy if you are searching for good small business book. It has old war stories from a large organization hierarchy, which while entertaining, ultimately doesn't help the book's thesis.

This book would serve a middle manager in a large hierarchy very well, but personally, I found little of use. An internet based company with less than ten people would not benefit from this book, and should look elsewhere in the business section.

This review is of the paperback edition re-published as 'Never Wrestle with a Pig').
It's not the first book by Mark McCormack I've read. Like the others, its very readable, and gives a collection of homespun philosophies, interspersed with personal ife experiences. There's a strong emphasis on Sales, but 'selling' is surely part of all of our business relationships.
Just don't believe in the gospel of everything McCormack has to say; there are contradictions, just as life is full of them, such as :
In Part 8 'When you are in Charge' there is the lesson "trust your 1st impression", whereas in Part 9 'Etiquette for the New Millenium' there is a "caveat about reading people too quickly" - so which is it to be?
Consider it light reading to just remind you of the good & bad things that you can do to others & they can do to you, and re-adjust & compensate accordingly.