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March 29, 2010

110 books in 2010. #5: The AMA Handbook of Public Relations

What’s a “handbook”? According to Merriam-Webster, it’s a “book capable of being conveniently carried as a ready reference” or a “manual: a concise reference book covering a particular subject.”

The AMA Handbook of Public Relations by Robert L. Dilenschneider fits the definition in only one sense: It’s concise. Actually, the book is almost embarrassingly brief—it barely reaches 200 pages thanks to wide margins and an overabundance of divider pages.

As a reference, however, The AMA Handbook of Public Relations misses the mark. Mr. Dilenschneider’s book is long on bombastic opinion, short on how-to instruction. Even a careful reader couldn’t take action on any of the topics covered in the book. There’s simply not enough substance.

Take, for example, the chapter on “composing presentations” which promises to provide “the ingredients of effective presentations and the pitfalls that lead too many presenters to fail.” What follows doesn’t deliver: There are seven brief pages with platitudes about audience, message, unique positioning, integrity, mirroring, simplification and entertainment. But the advice is mundane. For example: “The focus in a presentation is on the audience.” Or: “Build trust before, during and after presentations.”

Yawn! Even worse are Mr. Dilenschneider’s annoying writing habits. Although the book jacket claims the book is “informed by hundreds of interviews,” Mr. Dilenschneider mostly quotes colleagues at his firm, The Dilenschneider Group. And his prose is clunky and awkward. For instance: “Like the internet itself, employee or organizational communications (OC) can be made to do whatever needs to get done. As tools, they are completely open-ended.” Huh?

This is Mr. Dilenschneider’s 12th book, and he’s been in the PR business for a very long time, so he’s old enough to know better. It would have been nice if he had worked a bit harder and given the reader information of value.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Save your $35 (that’s really the cover price!) and your time; The AMA Handbook of Public Relations is not worth wasting either.

Posted by Alison Davis at 05:44 PM | Comments (0)

March 10, 2010

Why I love The Economist

I've fallen way behind on my reading—when I'm writing a book I have trouble finding time to read books—but I always make time for The Economist.

Why? Because the publication (which immodestly calls itself the "authoritative weekly newspaper focusing on international politics and business news and opinion") gives you the world every week.

(My only complaint: The Economist strictly controls access to its site to subscribers only. So while I can tell you about some compelling content, I can't show it to you.)

That said, a recent issue featured these gems:

A special report on managing information. Did you know that in 2005, mankind created 150 exabytes (billion gigabytes) of data? This year, it will create 1,200 exabytes. "The data deluge is already starting to transform business, government, science and everyday life."

An article on how print-on-demand is changing book publishing. "About 6% of books in America are now printed on toner-based or inkjet machines. . . . Over the next five years, this figure will increase to 15%." The article predicts that print-on-demand will increasingly be a factor, in an industry where there are a few blockbusters and many titles that sell modestly.

A piece on how the recession has affected recruitment firms, and how they're preparing for the anticipated upturn in hiring. Firms like Manpower, Monster and Careerbuilder are increasingly becoming more sophisticated, to better match skilled candidates to available positions.

Finally, a report on a study that demonstrates that afternoon naps make people smarter by allowing the brain to process memories.

Which reminds me: It's siesta time.

Posted by Alison Davis at 10:10 AM | Comments (0)