10 Reasons Not to Read World Wide Rave

1. The author, David Meerman Scott, allows people to tell their own stories instead of lecturing readers about “new” marketing versus “old” marketing. He even lets them offer advice at the end of each chapter, explaining how they created their own World Wide Rave. Hello! Royalty checks.

2. I wanted a book that would help me fall asleep at night, but Scott’s book “World Wide Rave: Creating Triggers that Get Millions of People to Spread Your Ideas and Share Your Stories” was interesting and helpful. I stayed up late– more than once– reading this 186 page book. I even took notes.

3. The author is completely honest with his readers. No smoke. No mirrors. (See the chapter called “Nobody cares about your products– except you” on page 23.) But, what about all of us who need ego strokes?

4. He believes anyone can create a World Wide Rave. Non-profits, students, start-ups, self-published authors, the newly unemployed– you know, the folks who have somewhere around zero dollars in their marketing budget.  (See “Anyone can trigger a World Wide Rave” on page 103.) What am I going to tell all of the self-proclaimed SEO and social media experts who follow me on Twitter now?

5. All of the you-can-do-it challenges listed throughout the book are re-listed at the end, right after Scott re-listed the six “Rules of the Rave.”  (See pages 182-186.) That’s way too handy.

6. He expects people to give away valuable information– for free– then encourage those same people to share the information with their friends and family, making us seem like experts of some kind, without even asking potential clients (or “personas” has he calls them) to hand over their resalable personal information.  (See the section “No strings required” in the “Lose Control” chapter on page 68.) Pfft.

7. Not only does he expect us to think of clients as real-live people, he expects bosses to do the same. He even suggests giving your copy of this book to your boss. Giving! Like, for free. (See “We’re talking about people, not technology” on page 94.) And– get this– if they aren’t interested in listening to your ideas, he suggests you quit your job, saying, “Thousands of organizations would benefit from your enthusiasm.” (See page 178.) Humpft.

8. Speaking of jobs: Scott respects journalists* and finds value in their specialized skills. He even suggests hiring them. (See page 164.) Doesn’t he know everyone else is laying them off?

9. Not only that, he says we should stop making excuses writing, “… go out and create something.” (See page 173.) But, we’re really good at making excuses.

10. He follows his own advice. He even made a YouTube video to promote this book. I thought “experts” were more into the whole do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do philosophy.

Watch his video here:

*Um, actually– thank you, Mr. Scott, Sir. (I graduate with a Communication Studies/ Mass Media degree and Journalism minor in 65 days.)