What if I told you that an ad agency linked to the mob scammed McDonalds and the good American people out of millions of dollars via the McDonald’s Monopoly game? HBO’s McMillions (2020) is a juicy documentary mini-series about how the iconic fast food contest was completely rigged. This show has everything - the vengeful mob wife, an eager beaver fed agent, multiple guys named Jerry, Florida, Big Macs, potential murder, a son who misses his father, 9/11, and Ronald McDonald. Have you ever wanted to watch The Sopranos but with much lower stakes? Say no more.
nonfiction
An intellectual roasting of the word "creativity"
in books, nonfiction, culture
If you are looking for a fun page turner this one is not for you. Against Creativity (2018) by Oli Mould is what I’d file under “books that are fascinating but maybe too intellectual for me.” Mould makes a compelling case against creative capitalism, where the use of “creative” or “creativity” is really just. a sexy way to say “do more with less.” Wonder why the “creative” skillset is on every job description? Come for the gentrification beat down, stay for the realization that your creative title is masking corporate abuse. Great reading for the holidays! Buy for your loved ones.
Why philanthropy is bad
in books, nonfiction, culture, business, politics, eat the rich
Is Winners Take All (2018) by Anand Giridharadas depressing? Yes. Will it make you angry at the world’s billionaires, thought leaders, and corporate do-Gooders? Yes. Is it socialist propaganda? My boss seems to think so. But it will make you think about government differently and who should actually be considered the “little guys” (hint: it’s not Silicon Valley), and why we need accountability and critical thinking and not TED Talks. Nobody is safe from this book. Simon Sinek? Roasted. Brene Brown? Roasted. Bill Clinton? Roasted. Airbnb? Roasted. Power posing? Roasted. Oh and all of us marketers who are helping our client’s build a better world? We should discuss. I have thoughts.
You're judging people incorrectly
in books, culture, nonfiction
Apparently we’ve been judging people all wrong. Malcolm Gladwell’s Talking To Strangers (2019) somehow manages to interconnect interrogating terrorists, Jerry Sandusky, Sandra Bland, Brock Turner and Amanda Knox into one big you can’t judge a book by its cover! Lots of hot takes that are sometimes a little too spicy. Also lots of good lessons here, like how reading body language is ineffective or torture tactics/stress can lead to memory loss. Sorry, water boarding!
Quick read, good conversation fodder. Stay for the new perspective, and somehow try to get past the fact that racism was often just relegated to the footnotes… :/
Uber: The underbelly of a celebrated hustle culture
in nonfiction, business, books
September 2019
Super Pumped (2019), written by NY Times’ writer Mike Isaac, chronicles Travis Kalanick’s rise and fall as Uber’s “always-be-hustlin” CEO. If you’re following the dumpster fire that is Silicon Valley’s “unicorns” and get a bit of glee from watching a bro get dethroned, this book is for you. If you’re a founder of a company and want to know how to avoid bro culture, this book is for you. If you’re at all skeptical of Arianna Huffington, this book is for you. If you had any part in Uber’s marketing (aka me) and want to realize how little importance it had on the bottom line, this book is for you. Read while drinking a White Claw.
A necessary read for serial "yes" men
in nonfiction, business, books
If you’re feeling like you do everything but aren’t really good at any of it it’s time to start saying no. Essentialism (2014) by Greg McKeown is like Marie Kondo but for projects. Time to start declining meeting invites!
This is a quick read.