Three Unusually Named Books To Check Out


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Working behind the scenes on the Small Business Book Awards, you get to discover a lot of books you might not have known about otherwise. Here are just three uniquely-named books that we found there.

The Cheese Mall

The Cheese MallIf the title of this book isn’t enough to make you read it, I don’t know what will. Written by Bernie Tracey (@theBeaconCoach), The Cheese Mall teaches lessons about marketing through the story of  Millie and Matthew (they’re mice), who decide to start a business.

Putting the customer first is the recurring theme and one we could all stand to have drilled into our heads. The theme of the Cheese Mall is connected through the book’s Twitter account, @theCheeseMall, its blog, and its Facebook Page. In fact, the theme  is so convincing (there are cheese recipes on the Facebook Page), I had to explore to determine it wasn’t really a store selling cheese (and yes, I was a tad bit disappointed!)

The author, Tracey, owns Beacon Coaching Consultancy in Ireland and mentors business owners through development and growth. This book is an easy read (you can consume it in an hour or so), and an intro to marketing. The book’s use of a story line makes it stand out from other more technical texts.

The book is for readers looking for simple beginner info on marketing. On the book’s website, reader Enda Brennan said:

“A great step by step guide for any entrepreneur, with each step being immediately convertible to action, and apart from that, a charming read.”

…and Death Came Third

and death came thirdAnother  unique book title  is  …and Death Came Third.  Andy Lopata (@AndyLopata) and Peter Roper (@NaturalSpeaker) reveal that in a survey of biggest fears, walking into a room of strangers and speaking in public ranked as larger fears than death (which came first. Get it?).

The book aims to help readers banish those first two fears by improving networking and public speaking skills.

Lopata has written several books on networking and is a featured columnist for The National Networker. Roper is a business consultant and speaker.

Dr. Stephen R. Covey, author, `The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ and ‘The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness’ says:

“What a marvellous mother lode of insight and practical wisdom on networking and speaking! The tools, tips and techniques are so clear, so compelling and so doable that you feel enlightened, affirmed, empowered and resolved.”

Shifting the Monkey: The Art of Protecting Good People From Liars, Criers, and Other Slackers 

shifting the monkeyAuthor Todd Whitaker (@ToddWhitaker) uses monkeys to illustrate his point in Shifting the Monkey. Often in corporate culture, leaders give too much attention to underperformers who take the monkeys off of their own backs and put them on others.

They should instead, he says, focus that attention on rising stars with potential. From Amazon:

“Too often when monkeys shift, leaders think it will be easier or faster to just reassign the work or worse, do it themselves.”

Whitaker encourages leaders to stop compensating for laggards and instead reward those that do a good job.  He is a professor of educational leadership at Indiana State University, and has written 24 books about staff motivation, teacher leadership, and principal effectiveness.  For leaders wasting their energy on problem employees, this is a fantastic read, says William C. McIlroy, President of the Community State Bank of Missouri on Amazon:

“A great book…gives good perspective for dealing with the difficult employee. I highly recommend this book for all people who direct and manage others.”

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10 Comments ▼

Susan Payton Susan Payton is the Communications Manager for the Small Business Trends Awards programs. She is the President of Egg Marketing & Communications, an Internet marketing firm specializing in content marketing, social media management and press releases. She is also the Founder of How to Create a Press Release, a free resource for business owners who want to generate their own PR.

10 Reactions
  1. Very interesting list, mainly the names! I will definitely add Shifting the Monkey to my list of must reads

    • Karl, I thought the names of all 3 books stood out. I mean, who would have guessed that The Cheese Mall is about running a business? It makes you remember the name.

      – Anita

  2. Susan: Thanks for pointing out these book. I definitively have to add them to my wishlist / reading list. I am getting hungry for cheese now…

  3. @Karl–
    Let me know how you like it!

    @Martin–
    They were totally convincing that they sold cheese!

    Susan

  4. Thanks guys for your comments. This was the whole idea to create characters that people could relate to and so demystify all that marketing jargon.

  5. Thanks for this list! I have to say, I’ve never heard of a business book with “cheese” in the title. It sounds like a good read, though. I also think Shifting the Monkey sounds great — that one’s added to my list for sure!

    One book that I’d recommend is “Finish What You Start” by Craig Copeland. It doesn’t have a quirky title, but it’s full of great advice. It’s one of my go-to books when I’m stuck in a rut at work.

  6. I think all 3 titles are really imaginative and I love the way the 2 mice in ‘The Cheese Mall’ are so convincing as personalities and this follows through to the facebook page and twitter accounts too.
    I read this book when it came out and think it is great for start ups but also as a quick refresher ‘dip into’ for those in business longer too. I have it on my shelf above my desk as a handy tool to consult.

  7. I meant to mention too that I reviewed The Cheese Mall in November for the bloggertone website. Here’s the link if anyone is interested http://bloggertone.com/marketing/2011/11/24/review-the-cheese-mall-key-marketing-skills/

  8. I really like all three titles. In a bookshop or library, the titles would make me more than glance at them. The one I’d DEFINITELY pick up without a doubt would be ‘…and death came third!’. The title would really intrigue me.