Rating: 
Summary: Long, boring and short on insights
Review: I was really expecting something breakthrough given the buzz around this book, and was eager to dig in. Unfortunately, I found it to be page after page of uninteresting detail, with few "aha's" that I could apply in my work. I made it about halfway through and finally abandoned it.
Rating: 
Summary: Great insights, terrific read
Review: Lots of great charts and tables to back up the author's view on what makes certain people more influential. My favorite was the Word of Mouth table that compares the influence "friends" have way over what "advertising" does in product/service decisions.
Rating:
Summary: It's all about Word of Mouth
Review: Lots of great charts and tables to back up the author's view on what makes certain people more influential. My favorite was the Word of Mouth table that compares the influence "friends" have way over what "advertising" does in product/service decisions.
Rating:
Summary: Real World Examples -- Very Useful!!
Review: The detailed way in which the authors of "The Influentials" laid their premise and then went about illustrating it with "real world" examples -- backed up by tons of data -- really both impressed me and made an impact on the way I've started thinking about forming my marketing plans. Really considering a whole new approach now -- and although that sounds like a pain, I think it will save me many headaches down the road.
Rating:
Summary: The Influentials...They Live Among Us!
Review: The Influentials is a refreshing and insightful look at one of America's most important power bases (not the ones you may think of first)...and a group that directs U.S. opinions and action. The Influentials is a well written account of demographic patterns and socio/political trends. The effective use of interesting and persuasive statistics adds value to the narrative explanations rather than detract, always a welcome change. The authors' coverage includes logical and extensive reviews of who are the Influentials, how they develop those positions, and where the Influentials intersect society and markets.The book's use of a "Profiles in Influence" side bar component makes strong connections to their material and the readers own intuitive beliefs about power and influence by profiling actual Influentials...those that live among us. I found the material in the book a powerful perspective as I also was moving through similar marketing influence material in Lancaster/Stillman's "When Generations Collide", Paco Underhill's "Why We Buy", and "Changing U.S. Demographics" edited by Norris Smith.
Rating:
Summary: Good title, but the actual book part just muddles things
Review: The Influetials is either just a big statistical blob or I missed something. Keller et al start out by describing the influential as someone who other people in the community kind of look toward. They are very socially connected and respected. There is no doubt in my mind that the proposition that one in ten people has a huge influence on how the other nine think, however instead of exploring the social patterns Keller et al try to define that person whom they call an "Influential" They begin by saying in the first chapter that statistics can't pinpoint an influential and then spend most of the book tossing statistics on influentials at the reader - lots of tables that don't tell me anything.
One thing that I found interesting were the case studies scattered through the book. Basically these were mini-biographies of influentials slanted more towards what they were up to at the moment. Even these weren't all that helpful.
I recommend skipping The Influentials. The title is really good but the book doesn't focus or do much to back it up. Actually things just get muddled. The Tipping Point by Malcome Gladwell has a good bit of discussion about who influences opinions and how. Check that out instead.
Rating:
Summary: The Influentials
Review: The Roper organization has long been known for the quality and reliability of its data. Now it has given us a remarkable distillation of information in order to show how a select group of people carry more weight in the decision-making processes of the rest of us. In "The Influentials: One American in Ten Tells the Other Nine How to Vote, Where to Eat and What to Buy," Jon Berry and Ed Keller of Roper ASW tell us how certain people stay ahead of the curve and, essentially, create and maintain that most precious of marketing commodities: "word of mouth." Of course, the real trick is discover how channels of influence weave their way through the popular culture and subtly induce us to buy. The "Influentials" among us have mastered this because, according to Berry and Keller, they are more likely to accept new ideas, to ask questions, and to listen carefully. With its fact-based approach, "The Influentials" brings us into the lives of people whose habits, desires and innate characteristics enable them to create the "buzz" that will lead to product success. The book is extremely well documented, with lots of charts and graphs that go back through 30 years or Roper research. As a marketing professional, I was impressed with their arguments and their proven methods. Great book. I say, go for it !.
Rating: 
Summary: There *is* good information in here
Review: There really is good information in this book. And some of the findings are certainly useful for understanding this important segment of the population. However, the book reads like a 300+ page market research report. You are bombarded with statistic after statistic embedded in what seems to be every other sentence. If you manage or market consumer products professionally, you will probably find this book useful. If you're reading this for personal interest, be aware that it is a bit tedious to read.
Rating: 
Summary: Poorly written and not very insightful
Review: This is a truly awful book. I was initially excited to hear about this book and bought it the week it was released. But after having spent many painful hours drudging through the 300+ pages of endless tables and graphs, I can safely say that my excitement was displaced by great disappointment. Problems with this book:
1) The framework is misleading. The "Influentials" are in fact "activists," as they are defined by their propensity to be politically active. 2) The analysis is weak. The authors' ability in data analysis seems to be restricted to reporting percentages. This makes for an extremely dull read consisting of table after table of percentages. 3) The authors have utterly failed to convince me that these people are truly influential. Page 146 basically proves how "uninfluential" this group of people truly is. 4) The insights are thin. Quotes from the book include such penetrating statements as "Based on this Influential trendline, the online audience will likely continue to grow" and "we expect e-commerce to grow" (both quotes on page 166). Well, at least the authors have a firm grasp of the obvious. 5) Aside from being misleading and uninteresting, the material is simply poorly written. I often had the feeling that there was no editor involved in the creation of this book. Bottom line: don't waste your time with this book. There are simply far too many good alternative choices on the subject.
Rating:
Summary: Keller hits the mark.
Review: This is an important book for marketing professionals to understand the intellegence behind purchases. Many consider average consumers NOT to adequately shop around before making a large expensive purchase. But in fact, we generally ask others to help us. These are the influentials. So this book implies taking away the SEX in car advertizements, etc. For this I absolutely agree. A car is just a car. It has no feelings.
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