book review

Murray Newlands presents this excellent guide for novices and experts alike.  Newlands is a full-time digital marketing professional, and from my limited knowledge he appears to know what he's talking about.

The book came out in May, but it's still completely up to date; the sections in each chapter on "future" still haven't fully happened so I'm confident that this is a book I'll refer to again and again over the next year or so, as I build my online brand and win business

Anyone planning or running a social enterprise or charity (or even commercial organisation with intent for social good) should read this book - it has so much useful information that I read it twice before I wrote this review.

Curtis grew up in the Hood (South Queens), and quickly learnt that taking the short term view and trying to avoid the thing you fear, gets you that very thing. As a kid he feared violence, but if you show fear in the Hood you get beat up, so he learnt to confront violence, even to invite it (“the first time someone confronts you with a gun, you are very frightened. The second, you learn to cope. By the third, if you haven’t learned to be bold you’re dead, man”.)

We’re introduced to the world of Brazilian politics and industrial relations, conglomerate in the middle of a recession, and in a working environment where employees are suspicious of being exploited by employers, and employers can’t make an income because of Byzantine laws and checks which can only be passed by crossing many palms with silver. It’s half a world away, and nothing like our own dear public services.
In walks Semler Jnr, with his USA M.B.A. degree and lofty ideals, and inherits his father’s industrial conglomerate.