| Title | Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? | |
| Author | Seth Godin | |
| Publisher | Random House | |
| Amazon Book Price | $17.13 | List $25.95 Link |
| Audible Audio Price | $17.15 | List $24.50 Link |
| Genre | Business, Career | |
| Web Page/Blog | http://sethgodin.typepad.com/ | |
| http://twitter.com/ThisIsSethsBlog |
| Review: I heard really good reviews of this book before I had a chance to listen to it. After downloading it, I started listening and I was quickly depressed. I found myself having to turn it off a few times, because it was almost all doom and gloom. Fortunately I had heard that it redeemed itself 2/3rds through so I kept going. The last part of the book was spectacular, and should be read by anyone in an unstable job or out looking for work. I had trouble following some of the ideas, but overall it’s one of Seth’s best. |
| Audio Quality | Good | 5.0 |
| Content | Inspirational | 4.5 |
| Narration | By the Author: Very Good w Pauses | 4.5 |
| Story Organization | Organized-Somewhat Hard to Follow | 4.0 |
| Stickiness | Parts are Memorable | 4.5 |
| Impression | Vignettes of Indispensable People | 4.5 |
| Recommendation | Buy it if You Fear Losing Your Job | 4.5 |
| Overall | One of Seth’s Best | 4.5 |
Quotation: “You don’t become indispensable merely because you are different. But the only way to become indispensable is to be different. That’s because if you’re the same, so are plenty of other people.”
Publisher’s Summary
There used to be two teams in every workplace: management and labor. Now there’s a third team, the linchpins. These people invent, lead (regardless of title), connect others, make things happen, and create order out of chaos. They figure out what to do when there’s no rule book. They delight and challenge their customers and peers. They love their work, pour their best selves into it, and turn each day into a kind of art.
Linchpins are the essential building blocks of great organizations. Like the small piece of hardware that keeps a wheel from falling off its axle, they may not be famous but they’re indispensable. And in today’s world, they get the best jobs and the most freedom. Have you ever found a shortcut that others missed? Seen a new way to resolve a conflict? Made a connection with someone others couldn’t reach? Even once? Then you have what it takes to become indispensable, by overcoming the resistance that holds people back.
As Godin writes, “Every day I meet people who have so much to give but have been bullied enough or frightened enough to hold it back. It’s time to stop complying with the system and draw your own map. You have brilliance in you, your contribution is essential, and the art you create is precious. Only you can do it, and you must.”
©2010 Seth Godin; (P)2010 Random House
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