Bestseller lists? Forget them. We want to highlight the books that really matter, and we want your help. Here's how to play Book Club, Fast Company style:
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Purchase and read the FC Readers' Choice Award picked by you, our readers.
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Discuss the book with other readers in our online discussions or at a Fast Company Book Club Meetup event -- or start your own face-to-face discussion group.
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Vote for next month's book. We'll give you 3 choices that align with our mission: to help you work smarter and lead better. Browse the excerpts and vote for your favorite.
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 AUGUST'S FC READERS' CHOICE AWARD
Buzzmarketing
by Mark Hughes
Each year, 23,000 new products hit U.S. shelves, trailing a spectacle of advertising and hype in their wake. Problem is, the more advertisers plug their products, the more consumers just plug their ears. Author Mark Hughes's solution: Quit shouting and get people talking. Hughes isn't the first to explore the power of word-of-mouth marketing. Hughes isn't likely to have the last word on buzz either, but here's what he adds to the canon: a historical perspective. Hughes dissects some of the best buzz coups of all time -- Apple's "1984" ad, Ford's original Mustang debut, Fox's American Idol, and even the story of Rit Dye powder in the late 1960s, which bested its rival Tintex by tapping into tie-dye-loving hippies. As good as the stories can be, is there really a recipe for buzz? Hughes does offer some solid ground rules for generating word-of-mouth attention. Best among these are the hands-on fixes where marketers really get involved in the production and design of the product. And that's what lets Buzzmarketing just barely escape being old whine in a new bottle.
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VOTE FOR OCTOBER'S BOOK OF THE MONTH
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Bait and Switch : The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream
by Barbara Ehrenreich
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2
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Social Intelligence : The New Science of Success
by Karl Albrecht
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3
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Integrity Service : Treat Your Customers Right-Watch Your Business Grow
by Ron Willingham
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