Contagious: Why Things Catch On
by Jonah Berger
Narrated by Keith Nobbs
Genre: Non-Fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Publish Date: March 5, 2013
Format: Audio, 6 hours | 54 minutes
Audio Listening Level: Easy
Rating: 4 of 5
Publisher’s Synopsis:
Why do certain products and ideas go viral? Dynamic young Wharton professor Jonah Berger draws on his research to explain the six steps that make products or ideas contagious.
My Thoughts:
That’s a good question, why do some things go viral and others are barely noticed? The answers are in some ways unexpected and in others, just common sense. For those embarking on a marketing project, the author lays out the six key STEPPS (Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, and Stories) to success. For the rest of us, the book is an interesting journey through social marketing.
In the introduction the author gives an example of how ‘word of mouth’ reaches people who are interested in the product as opposed to advertising, which is not targeted. In the example he told of a publisher that sent him two copies of a book and said the second copy was for a colleague that might be interested. The publisher knew that he would most likely send it to someone who would like the book and talk about it. I can definitely relate to that.
The book is well written, entertaining and easy to follow. No techno babble here. We get real life, interesting examples, ones we can relate to, like the YouTube phenomenon. The author talks about one of my favorite viral videos, United Breaks Guitars. You’ve probably heard about it, it even has its own entry in Wiki, and was a public relations disaster for United. How did that happen? The author explains in the chapter on ‘Emotion’.
The audio, narrated by Keith Nobbs, was read with an even pace and tone. I could have used a little more animated delivery, but the material itself was interesting enough to keep me listening. This is a perfect choice for those new to audio books or trying to adjust to the format. The book is so well laid out that it is easy to follow, plus it’s entertaining with an audio track that clear and easy to listen to. At only seven hours, it’s just the right length.
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Source: Review copy.
© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Almost wordless: The ponds are once again full and the turtles have returned. I wonder where they went during the drought last summer. This one was walking across a paved path towards the pond.
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More Wordless Wednesday. © 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
What is World Book Night?
World Book Night is an annual celebration designed to spread a love of reading and books. Held in the U.S., U.K., Ireland and Germany on April 23rd, thousands of people will go out into their communities to spread the joy and love of reading by giving out World Book Night free paperbacks.
Picking Up the Books
I am very lucky to live in an area teeming with bookstores and live in a community that supports them. I had two local choices to pick up my WBN books and one of them was located in my town five minutes away.
We met last Thursday for a kickoff party and were treated to a delicious World Book Night themed chocolate cake created by a local bakery. As we were admiring the cake, I realized I forgot my camera! Arrghhh! I took this picture with my phone, but honestly my phone is a razr from another era and I think it has the very first camera ever put in a phone. Through the magic of photo editing software I was able to make it somewhat viewable. It was a lovely cake and I wanted the world to see it.
A Wonderful Experience
This year I partnered with another WBN Giver to pass out our books together. We felt that with a choice of books and two people to explain them we would have a better chance with non-readers. I chose The Language of Flowers and her book was Playing for Pizza.
We selected The People’s Resource Center as our location to pass out the books. This is a wonderful facility that provides a wide array of services such as a food pantry, clothing, job assistance, and more to needy residents in my county. They were thrilled to have us there and told us to set up in the lobby and feel free to speak with people as they came in the door.
Having a choice of books worked out well. The men were going for the Grisham book and the women were more interested in Language of Flowers. I did get one guy to try Language of Flowers.
Most of the people we met were light readers and even a few non-readers accepted a book. One woman told us she had only read one book ever. One! But she loves flowers and wanted to try reading again. It was a heartwarming and wonderful experience. This was very different from last year’s attempt when I tried to pass out books at the train station and at a local cafe. There I was met with skepticism and a few people who just said ‘no’ and ran away. Today, as we were leaving the Resource Center, the workers invited us back next year.
Did you participate in World Book Night?
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© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Mailbox Monday was created by The Printed Page. It is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their home last week.
Mailbox Monday is currently on tour, hosted by a different blog each month. The April host is Mari @ MariReads
I still have my April Showers mailbox up but I hope we are done with the rain for a while. Way too much flooding in the Chicago area. The rivers are still rising and the water has no where to go. My house is on a bit of a hill so no water here but many in my neighborhood were not as fortunate. My town library is closed for a week for repairs after five feet of water flooded the basement.
In spite of all the rain and bad weather, the mailman still showed up and I found the following assortment of books at my door last week:
For review from Ballantine:
Letters From Skye
by Jessica Brockmole
A sweeping story told in letters, spanning two continents and two world wars, Jessica Brockmole’s atmospheric debut novel captures the indelible ways that people fall in love, and celebrates the power of the written word to stir the heart.
Sparkling with charm and full of captivating period detail, Letters from Skye is a testament to the power of love to overcome great adversity, and marks Jessica Brockmole as a stunning new literary voice.more
For review from Quirk Books:
Countdown City (Last Policeman #2)
by Ben Winters
There are just 74 days to go before a deadly asteroid collides with Earth, and Detective Hank Palace is out of a job. With the Concord police force operating under the auspices of the U.S. Justice Department, Hank’s days of solving crimes are over…until a woman from his past begs for help finding her missing husband.
The second novel in the critically acclaimed Last Policeman trilogy, Countdown City presents a fascinating mystery set on brink of an apocalypse–and once again, Hank Palace confronts questions way beyond “whodunit.” more
For review from Random House:
Sisterland: A Novel
by Curtis Sittenfeld
From an early age, Kate and her identical twin sister, Violet, knew that they were unlike everyone else. Kate and Vi were born with peculiar “senses”—innate psychic abilities concerning future events and other people’s secrets. Though Vi embraced her visions, Kate did her best to hide them.
Now, years later, their different paths have led them both back to their hometown of St. Louis. Vi has pursued an eccentric career as a psychic medium, while Kate, a devoted wife and mother, has settled down … more
For review from Doubleday:
The People In The Trees
by Hanya Yanagihara
In 1950, a young doctor called Norton Perina signs on with the anthropologist Paul Tallent for an expedition to the remote Micronesian island of Ivu’ivu in search of a rumored lost tribe. They succeed, finding not only that tribe but also a group of forest dwellers they dub “The Dreamers,” who turn out to be fantastically long-lived but progressively more senile. Perina suspects the source of their longevity is a hard-to-find turtle; unable to resist the possibility of eternal life, he kills one and smuggles some meat back to the States. more
For review from William Morrow:
Big Girl Panties
by Stephanie Evanovich
Holly Brennan didn’t expect to be a widow at thirty-two. She also didn’t expect to be so big. Through her husband Bruce’s diagnosis and death, food was the one thing she could always count on. Now, those extra pounds make flying coach more than a little mortifying-especially since she’s sitting next to Adonis himself, aka Logan Montgomery, a personal trainer to the country’s most famous pro athletes. more
For review from Penguin Audio:
Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, A Revolution
by Nathaniel Philbrick
Boston in 1775 is an island city occupied by British troops after a series of incendiary incidents by patriots who range from sober citizens to thuggish vigilantes. After the Boston Tea Party, British and American soldiers and Massachusetts residents have warily maneuvered around each other until April 19, when violence finally erupts at Lexington and Concord. In June, however, with the city cut off from supplies … more
What are you reading?
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© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
A pair of Great-horned Owls are nesting on a golf course adjacent to one of the parks where I frequently go on bird walks. Last Saturday the group received permission to venture out on the golf course to see the nest.
We were able to observe the mother and two owlets high up in the tree. In the zoomed-in shot above you can clearly see the mom and the older owlet and just make out the younger owlet to the right.
Interesting Facts
- The Great Horned Owl does not make its own nest and typically takes over nests in trees made by other bird species. This nest looks like it previously belonged to a hawk. (click for larger view)
- This is one of the most common owls and is found across most of North America and parts of Central America.
- They can often be heard in suburban backyards calling a territorial “hoo-hoo-hoooooo” that will carry for miles.
- They are not migratory and most individuals are permanent residents although they may move when food is scarce.
- They are primarily nocturnal hunters and will eat whatever food is available including mammals and other birds.
An Owl Pellet
Owls usually swallow their prey whole and it is dissolved by their digestive system. Parts that can’t be digested such as fur, bones, teeth and claws are compacted into a pellet which the owl will eject by coughing it back up.
We found several pellets in the area but this one was the largest. It was composed of a lot of fur and fairly large bones. A few of the more experienced birders in my group speculated it was a skunk. The Great Horned Owl is one of the few animals that are known to eat skunks.
Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Snapper
by Brian Kimberling
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Pantheon
Publish Date: April 23, 2013
Format: Hardcover | 224 pages
Rating: 4½ of 5
Nathan Lochmueller studies birds. He is in love with a free-spirited, mysterious woman named Lola, has some oddball friends, and has a love-hate relationship with his home state of Indiana. Those are the constants in this series of vignettes that are loosely woven into a novel.
Nathan is an underpaid field researcher studying songbirds in south central Indiana, a job he enjoys. In a first person narrative he relates a series of tales about his life: Growing up in Indiana, his friends, his adventures, his relationship with Lola, his job, and the birds. It is written in the form of a memoir. The author grew up in southern Indiana and worked as a professional birdwatcher for two years and I often got the feeling it may even be semi-autobiographical.
I enjoyed this book a lot. The stories were humorous and often quirky in an almost believable slice-of-life manner. Each of the chapters is a story, or vignette, that could be read separately. It’s the type of book at could easily be put down and picked up again days later with ease. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it is ‘hilarious’, as the publisher’s blurb describes, but definitely fun and filled with humor.
The cover with all the beautiful birds is a bit misleading as this is not a novel about birds. I was hoping it would be, but it’s not. Frequent visitors here know how much I love all things birds and it will be no surprise I choose to read this based on the cover. Non-bird lovers, don’t worry, you can read and enjoy this and not be overwhelmed with statistics and information about birds. What you will find are interesting, factual anecdotes about birds scattered throughout the stories. One of my favorites is Nathan’s comments about the scream of an Eagle, which I, too, often mention… they don’t scream. In movies, Hollywood dubs the sound of a Red-tail Hawk and most people have never ,heard an Eagle’s call. It’s rather squeaky.
Even the title of the book, Snapper, has nothing to do with birds. It’s the title of one of the stories and one of the funnier ones at that, and really sets the tone for the book and Nathan’s relationship with his friends in his younger days. Hint: think turtle.
Although I was hoping for more bird stories, I did enjoy the bird references and found the book a light fun read and a nice break from novels with a complex plot.
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Source: Review copy.
© 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Almost wordless: Watching the Herons build their nests. From my visit to their rookery a few weeks ago.
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More Wordless Wednesday. © 2013 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
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