Books : The Brand You 50 : Or : Fifty Ways to Transform Yourself from an 'Employee' into a Brand That Shouts Distinction, Commitment, and Passion!
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Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 650.1
EAN num: 9780375407727
ISBN number: 0375407723
Label: Knopf
Manufacturer: Knopf
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 224
Printing Date: September 21, 1999
Publishing house: Knopf
Release Date: September 21, 1999
Sale Popularity Level: 176997
Studio: Knopf
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Product Description:
Michael Goldhaber, writing in Wired, said, 'If there is nothing very special about your work, no matter how hard you apply yourself you won't get noticed and that increasingly means you won't get paid much either. In times past you could be obscure yet secure -- now that's much harder.'
Again: the white collar job as now configured is doomed. Soon. ('Downsizing' in the nineties will look like small change.) So what's the trick? There's only one: distinction. Or as we call it, turning yourself into a brand . . . Brand You.
A brand is nothing more than a sign of distinction. Right? Nike. Starbucks. Martha Stewart. The point (again): that's not the way we've thought about white collar workers--ourselves--over the past century. The 'bureaucrat' on the finance staff is de facto faceless, plugging away, passing papers.
But now, in our view, she is born again, transformed from bureaucrat to the new star. She works in a professional service firm and works on projects that she'll be able to brag about years from now.
I call her/him the New American Professional, CEO of Me Ltd. (even if Me Ltd. is currently on someone's payroll) and, of course, of Brand You.
Step #1 in the model was the organization . . .a department turned into PSF 1.0. Step #2 is the individual . . .reborn as Brand You.
In 50 essential points, Tom Peters shows how to be committed to your craft, choose the right projects, how to improve networking, why you need to think fun is cool, and why it's important to piss some people off. He will enable you to turn yourself into an important and distinctive commodity. In short, he will show you how to turn yourself into . . . Brand You.
See also the other 50List titles in the Reinventing Work series by Tom Peters -- The Project50 and The Professional Service Firm50 -- for additional information on how to make an impact in the professional world.
Amazon.com Review:
If Dilbert and Tom Peters ever attended the same party, they'd probably find themselves in opposite corners. The cynical cartoon character would have a hard time in Peters's upbeat, high-energy world of 'Cool-Beyond-Belief.' The Brand You50 is Peters's manifesto for today's knowledge workers. It joins his Reinventing Work series, which includes The Projects50 and The Professional Service Firm50.
In The Brand You50, Peters sees a new kind of corporate citizen who believes that surviving means not blending in but standing out. He believes that '90+ percent of White Collar Jobs will be totally reinvented/reconceived in the subsequent decade' and that job security means developing marketable skills, making yourself distinct and memorable, and developing your network ability. His list-filled prescriptions cover everything; for example, 'You are Your Rolodex I: BRAND YOU IS A TEAM' (no. 22), 'Consider your 'product line'' (no. 25), 'Work on your Optimism' (no. 35), 'Sell. SELL. SELL!!!' (no. 47). While the book is overwhelming at times--its hyperactive typography pretty much shouts at you--any baby boomer thinking about his or her career will find much to consider. --Harry C. Edwards
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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The point of this book is that you are a brand. The possibility of having a very long term job with one company that defines you career is very small. For this reason you need to evaluate what your skils and interests are and market them, network, and promote yourself as the brand behind the 'WOW' projects you've worked on.
This strikes me as resonable though it's pretty generic.
Reading the book seems like it'd be a lot like seeing Peters in person on stage. It's got an evangelist style, catchphrases like 'WOW' project, BRAND YOU!, etc.
Here's a representative quote, 'Set up a Freak Collection section in your Rolodex. Add to it. Consciously. Constantly. Nurture it. Concsiously. Constantly.' The book is about 200 pages of that. (IMHO: BRAND YOU 50 = CAPITALIZATION + REPETITION + GENERIC OBSERVATION.) If you need a shot of enthusiasm about branding yourself, this book might be for you. If you are looking for more substantive reading, look elsewhere.
Rated by buyers 
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"Take control of your career by standing out as your unique self" is the point of this book.
If you're going to read anything on personal branding, start with this book as Tom was the very first to ever use the term "Personal Branding." His books are always worth reading despite his annoying endless upbeat optimism, foo!ish use on end!ess !!!!!!, TOO MANY CAPS, and font mania.
A short book, but not a short read, at least not if you think about what you're reading.
In Tom's words, "Everyone has a chance to stand out" -- in my and many other's words, if you don't stand out you're a commodity, and receive commodity pay and treatment.
"What is it that my product or service does that makes it different? Give yourself the traditional 15-words-or-less contest challenge. Take the time to write down your answer. And then take the time to read it. Several times."
Gee Tom, that's tough. YOU try it! But the bottom line is, ya gotta lead with something.
Tom suggests "Go back to the comparison between brand You and brand X -- the approach the corporate biggies take to creating a brand."
Now Tom also mentions that "you still have to market the bejesus out of your brand."
Now I'm in 100% agreement with Tom, as what he says applies to me, but I think he may misunderstand how most of the corporate world wants people that just "fit in" and most people just want to "fit in" and be left alone." If you just want to be left alone at work, Dilbert style, this book isn't for you -- go crawl back into your cubicle!
Rated by buyers -
I love this book (and the other two Reinventing Work Series books: The Project 50 and The Professional Service Firm50).
The Brand You 50 is a tiny little book that's a very quick read. It's chunked up into really short chapters. EVERY chapter has a wealth of information.
Tom Peters brings his passion and wisdom to the concept of your own personal brand. Each of us really should have our own brand. None of his ideas are hard to understand. Many require courage. Most take a real investment of your self. Isn't this what we want though? Don't we want to be / deserve to be / the very best we can be?!?
Best of the Book: Chapter 4 which includes four very practical Brand You assessment tools. I personally love the practical stuff. Give me a theory and I'm happy. Help me understand how to apply it and I'm thrilled. Let me help someone else apply it and I'm ecstastic!
Pick up a copy of The Brand You 50 today! Order it and have it sent right to you or go to your local bookseller and buy a copy. I'm a big fan of the library but you're going to want to have a copy of this one on your own bookshelf.
I hope you use The Brand You 50 to start your own Brand You. I did.
Rated by buyers -
"Talent" by T.P. is better. This book consist of 50 main bullet points and possibly 6-700 sub bullets - all together a long list of nice things to think about but this is not a "how to" book as expected.
Rated by buyers 
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A lot of the advice within this book is sound: Be proactive. Sell yourself. Define yourself. Network. Take responsibility for your career success. As a junior professional, it's very important for someone like me to realise how these elements support and leverage one's actual capabilities in the workplace.
However the author seems hard pressed to develop these into 50 distinct points. It becomes repetitive, which is why I would recommend dipping into the book as opposed to reading it cover to cover.
The written style and tone becomes irritating. As other reviewers have noted, it's full of PHRASING like THIS!!!! HYPERBOLE!! INSPIRATIONAL CLICHES!! I wish instead of 5 word sentences the author had also offered more explanation and insight into the issues he raises.
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