Rating: 
Summary: Perfect
Review: It is absolutely laser-focused on a subject that is near and dear to all of us: how to sell/market our products. The title comes from a story Seth tells about when his family was traveling in France and marveling at the pretty cows. After awhile, there were so many cows that they became boring. This brought to Seth this idea: "A purple cow, though. Now that would be interesting. (For a while.) The essence of the Purple Cow is that it must be remarkable." To help you understand what he means by remarkable, he states that the opposite of remarkable is "very good." Not bad or mediocre, but very good. He states that he doesn't think that there is a shortage of remarkable ideas; he thinks that what is missing is the will to execute the ideas. He says:
"My goal in Purple Cow is to make it clear that it's safer to be risky-to fortify your desire to do truly remarkable things. Once you see that the old ways have nowhere to go but down, it becomes imperative to create things worth talking about."The case studies used in the book are perfectly selected. Although I had heard some of the stories before, many were new to me. At the end of each case study/story he has a "takeaway" which is a group of questions that should be used to stimulate discussion or idea generation. The case studies range in length from a couple of paragraphs to a few pages and are written in a breezy, casual style that draws you into the book and makes you want to keep turning the pages. I don't think I have ever used the term "page-turner" to describe a business book, but this book is special and deserves the designation.
Rating:
Summary: Read the cow, be the cow- purple that is
Review: I got an early copy of this book and have read it several times and get new ideas every time. In marketing we spend way to much time following and being safe- this book gives you the kick you need to be remarkable. And if your business isn't remarkable it gives you the wake up call needed to get out there and become remarkable and to keep finding new ways to be a "purple cow". Buy the book, read the book, be remarkable, and make sure everyone in the organization and those with whom you do business with read the book. This is a marketing book you can put to work today.
Rating:
Summary: I LOVE this book.
Review: Seth Godin did it again. "Purple Cow" explains that the way to be successful in business, and in life, is to stop trying to market a mediocre product well. Rather, build a remarkable product that people truly want. It's a simple idea, but a truly powerful one. If you're looking to generate more business, get a job, or just land a date, this book is a goldmine. Buy anything this man writes.
Rating:
Summary: Inspirational!
Review: I've read the pre-release copy and you can bet I'm going to get a hard cover! Very inspirational. Seth Godin has a way of simplifying complex business issues into a game plan that is as exciting as it is unique. It should be noted that Seth practices what he preaches: the limited (only 10,000 copies) pre-release issue actually came in a milk carton, with purple cow spotches. Read and change with this book before they put your business out to pasture.
Rating:
Summary: Re-defining my business
Review: I came across Seth Godin purely out of luck. Then I read Purple Cow and thought "I'm very VERY lucky." Mr. Godin outlines many ways in which a business, or even a product, can become remarkable and successful without spending millions on mass marketing. The author concentrates on niche areas, maximizing a marketing plan with significantly less funding that traditional marketing insists, and finding your Purple Cow. There is no magic formula for a purple cow but he presents avenues to look around at existing businesses/products/services and see where there is room for improvement. And sometimes the improvement comes in surprising ways. The book is an easy and exciting read. You'll never get bogged down in marketing terminology or be bored at what you are reading. The case studies also help explain each chapter. I finished the book and determined that if I move my business towards being a Purple Cow that my company can be seen as remarkable. Don't we all want that? Yes, I am excited about this book. I wish I had it years ago.
Rating: 
Summary: I think I'm really, really dumb
Review: There is nothing remarkable about Godin's book on being remarkable. All the info in this book is basic business sense. I am an artist.. how can I possibly sign my name to a painting that I do not feel is original or remarkable?? Anyone who starts a business knows the info in this book. If you didn't think your product was better than others why on earth would you have launched it? Unless you are like really, really dumb.
Rating:
Summary: An Essential Read for Marketers and Managers!
Review: From the book: "Cows, after you've seen one, or two, or ten, are boring. A Purple Cow, though...now that would be something. Purple Cow describes something phenomenal, something counterintuitive and exciting and flat out unbelievable. Every day, consumers come face to face with a lot of boring stuff-a lot of brown cows-but you can bet they won't forget a Purple Cow. And it's not a marketing function that you can slap on to your product or service. Purple Cow is inherent. It's built right in, or it's not there. Period." In short, if you're a Purple Cow, you're remarkable. Most products and businesses are not remarkable and that's why they are destined to lead lives of quiet desperation according to Godin. This book is not your typical marketing or business book and you should be thankful for that. Instead Purple Cow is the kind of thought-provoking, smash the old archetypes type of book that will have you thinking and rethinking your business plan and products or services. Yes, it's that good.
Godin takes you through examples of Purple Cows (extraordinary companies and products) that have managed to cut through the clutter and noise of the marketplace. In a page or two he digs into why Starbucks or JetBlue are able to win, while their competitors wither. The book is small and at only 150 pages it could be read during a short plane ride or an impassioned morning. Each chapter or section ends with a key takeaway point that will leave you wondering and thinking hard about how you can implement the ideas into your own business or life. As a marketer, the book was like a kick in my pants to get me going and rethinking the products I sell and the way we go to market. If you're an employee at a mega-company with a role in sales or marketing or R&D or management or you're a self-employed go-getter, then this book is a must read. Traditional media like TV, radio, and print advertising just doesn't cut it anymore because no one's listening or cares to listen to the messages from advertisers. We're left with a network of individuals who tell us what to buy and why we should buy it. Purple Cow is about creating the products and mechanisms to cut through the clutter and reach those "sneezers" who spread the word about products and services to friends. Again, a must read book for those in the marketing/sales field or those entrepreneurs looking to make it big.
Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your money
Review: I feel suckered. Godin must be a clever marketer to have swindled me out of $15. There is nothing in this book that is remarkable. It's common sense: in order to be successful, you need a remarkable product. Well, duh.
Rating: 
Summary: Creativity can not be obtained by words
Review: A very nice written book. Easy to read, short stories, most of them like the auther's random thoughts and notes from his professional life.
It can not emphasize more about having a unique product. However, most products in the market may not apply to this category, and their marketer can not really apply those theories in the book to help their business -- becasue their product is destined to be boring. However, it does point a direction for marketers, who is developing new products, or trying to market their product in a more unusually way.
A good read, a sitimulate for the business brain. Make you think. But if you are looking for "20 rules of successful marketing", it will disappoint you.
Rating:
Summary: Not your usual infomercial--worth the read
Review: Having attended many business improvement seminars I am a bit jaded when it comes to a new book or seminar that preaches the latest corporate mantra. However, Purple Cow is one book that really held my attention.
Most improvement books give you one or two very general tips and very little substance. Purple Cow was packed with information and concepts for getting a business noticed in a world where customers are already deluged with multimedia advertising from every direction.
I would have rated this book higher except that I had a string disagreement with one of the author's basic premises that massive advertising campaigns were a complete waste of time in the current market. Otherwise, I would highly endorse this book and recommend it to new companies just starting out.
| 
