I've never met Gary Sutton. This is the story of why I'd like to...
Sutton started sending me notes months ago, sometime around October. He was promoting his new book, Corporate Canaries, a manual for identifying business disasters before they happen. First came the advance proof. At just 160 pages, it would have been easy to miss had it not been bright canary yellow. It got about 30 seconds of my time, after which I tossed it into the books pile and promptly forgot it.
When the hardcover version of Corporate Canaries hit the shelves a few weeks later, the little yellow books started nesting all over the cube farm. Fast Company must have gotten between 5-10 copies of the book. They were everywhere. Now, it's kind of a blur, but I think I got two or three nice hand-written notes from Sutton during this time (extra copies included). Accustomed to ambitious authors, I gave the book another look. The idea was original - business advice as seen through a coal-mining lens. Smart enough to step out of the cave, Sutton wove in real-world examples from companies like Mercedes and Merrill Lynch. And, yes, the man has cred; he's been turning around companies for more than two decades. Still, it wasn't for me. I opted not to review the book.
But Sutton wasn't going to give up. Bright yellow postcards started fluttering into my mailbox, each signed in Sutton's canary-scratch handwriting. Somewhere in there, I seem to remember getting a photocopy of Sutton's previous appearance in the magazine (maybe here) with a friendly, suggestive word or two about the book. When yet another copy of the book landed on my desk, I flipped through it again. This time, Sutton had inadvertently included a piece of notepaper which turned out to be a checklist of magazines he'd been courting. (In case you were wondering, that's where it went, Gary!) If my memory serves me, Business 2.0 was checked off, as were Forbes and Fortune. I think Newsweek was on there, too. Though I never saw it mentioned in any of those magazines, Jack Covert, over at 800-CEO-READ, highlighted the book on his blog.
At this point, there was no chance I was going to review the book - it had been on the shelves for a few months and I didn't see enough there to merit reviewing it. (I only review three books a month - so the bar is high.) But Sutton still didn't let up. When I came to work this morning, I found another postcard perched on my desk. Pictured on the front was Sutton, peeking out from behind a copy of his book. On the back, signed "over-eager author," the note said simply, "It could happen, Lucas." Indeed.
But it won't. Not in Fast Company, at least. Each month brings new titles to consider and more authors to turn down. But in honor of Sutton and his little yellow book, which managed to fly out of the slush pile again and again, I hereby establish the Persistent Canary Award. Created to recognize a book or author that just won't stop chirping, the Persistent Canary will be awarded only to those that manage to strike Sutton's tactful balance of relentless self-promotion and tongue-in-cheek humor. (Flacks with speed dial need not apply.)
So, while I still haven't read the book, here's to Mr. Gary Sutton - winner of the first Persistent Canary Award. Sure, it's a bit of a dubious honor, but something tells me he'll appreciate it. (And maybe he'll finally stop writing me.)
Related Stories: | Topics:, Gary Sutton, Media, Books and Literature, Fast Company Magazine, Jack Covert |
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Recent Comments | 12 Total
January 18, 2006 at 12:44pm by Gary Robinson
I say with all that you should review the book. Would you like me to do it for you.
January 18, 2006 at 1:21pm by Savannah Harper
Come on! Read the book!
January 18, 2006 at 1:28pm by Kim
I feel bad for Mr. Sutton and think you've treated him somewhat shabbily. If you honestly don't have time to review it, and you are blessed with the discretion to choose what you do and don't review, in my humble opinion it would have been better not to publicly note that his work didn't make your exclusive cut and better not to throw him a patronizing award for persistence. I don't know though, perhaps for Mr. Sutton "it's better to be talked about, than not to be talked about at all" and his sense of humor makes this as wildly funny to him as it seems to be to you.
January 18, 2006 at 2:01pm by Will Greer
Well, for my part, I wasn't aware of the book before reading your story, and now I am. It sounds interesting, and I wil probably buy it if I see it. So I think you did hm a favor.
January 18, 2006 at 3:49pm by Whitney Lang
This semester I am inroled in a Business class at Montana State University. The class is an upper division core requirement. Our professor urges the class to bring in outside readings related to the business world. After hearing about the Corporated Canaries which talks about business disasters before they start, I'm sure my prosefor along with the rest of the class will be extremely excited to see what I have found! At least thats a handful of us who will read his book!
January 19, 2006 at 3:01pm by Jacquee
Hey if you have all those copies . . . send me one! I'll review it for you!
January 19, 2006 at 7:35pm by David Libby
I'll read your blog again, but at quick glance I didn't see that you said "no" to his inquiry. You should've just sent Sutton back a silenced Canary if you didn't want to read the book. ;)
January 20, 2006 at 7:30pm by Gary Sutton
Lucas, you figured me right, I enjoyed this.
Here's the wierd thing: Fast Company interviewed me, did a cover feature and three pages of spread inside in March of 2000. The subject was Collin's book "Built to Last." Look it up.
So I got to review Collins but cannot get my own book covered. Go figure. Gary Sutton
January 20, 2006 at 9:10pm by Joe O'Connor
Mr. Conley...I respectfully urge you to obtain a
few canaries to stratigically place in your office in the likely event that you might pass some lethal gas during your apparently stressful and strenuous monthly challenge of reviewing three books per month. It could save your life.
How can you live without Corporate Canaries???
Joe O'Connor, Atlanta, GA
January 20, 2006 at 9:43pm by Rozanne
Lucas,
In the time it took you to write your piece and create the award, you could have almost read Sutton's book. Having read every business book from Drucker's tome to "In Search of Excellence," Sutton's book is a breath of fresh air not only in its brevity but its focus on exactly what makes businesses fail and how to spot the signs before it is too late. No jargon here. Corporate Canaries should be required reading for anyone who is or intends to be involved in any business venture. Reviewed by you or not, it will be a valuable tool for serious students of business.
January 21, 2006 at 4:25am by Vincent Gordon
Lucas:
If you have't read any of Gary's books, I highly recommend them - including the bright yellow book that you refuse to read. Gary is famous for his persistance but its his mid-west style that makes you want to meet him. Many years ago, Gary set his mind to hiring me for one of his business ventures - I couldn't refuse him becuase he recruited me through courting my family. Gary is charming, witty, silly and down to earth. Neither Gary or I stayed at that venture very long but our friednship continues - and I read all of his books. He makes me laugh...as do his books. There is something to be said for learning lessons with a smile.
January 21, 2006 at 8:01am by Bill Powley
Lucas,
Corporate Canaries is one of the very best books I have read. It is a book that is best considered a personal copy, and ongoing reference for anyone who reads it. I believe they will insist on it.
After reading, I was only sorry I couldn't have read Corporate Canaries at the very beginning of my working career. I have recommended Corporate Canaries to all of my family and friends. They will be better in any career by having the knowledge. Any corporate manager at any level that finds Corporate Canaries will most apt to wisely make it required reading for all of their subordinates.
As mentioned before in this blog, Corporate Canaries is a quick read and it is apparent more time has been spent with the author's persistence than it would have taken to read the book. I'd almost guarantee that once a person starts reading the book, they will never lay it down until finished, a few hours later. When you write your review, let us know. It will prove the convictions of so many of us.
Bill Powley, Fountain Hills, Arizona