In pursuance of excellence

“Worth a read?” is not your ordinary book review; it is a meta-review. In other words, it provides an overview of the opinions contained in a variety of book reviews published in the media at large. This week we take a look at  “The Little Big Things: 163 Ways to Pursue Excellence”, written by Tom Peters and released in South Africa in March 2010.

What is it all about?

Since the publication of his 1982 book “In Search of Excellence”, American business consultant Tom Peters has skyrocketed to international fame. Considered by many to be a modern management guru as influential as Peter Drucker, Tom Peters’ energy and enthusiasm set his books apart from other dry and boring business books on the shelves.

In his latest book, “The Little Big Things”, Peters turns his attention to the people side of business – the little things that make a huge difference to personal development and relationships. He touches on customer service, leadership, innovation, excellence, communication, organisational strategy and a host of other topics.

This 500-page hardback is classic Peters, with crazy acronyms, big and bold fonts, and a plethora of exclamation marks.

His main message is that excellence is the result of a number of small tasks, each of which can be practised and mastered. Some of his tips are obvious (such as "Cut red tape") while others are wildly counterintuitive ("Is your product 'lickable'?").

The content in “The Little Big Things” originates from the several years that  Peters spent blogging, and distils many of the ideas he developed through his consulting practice. The result is a combination of short entries that are intended to be sampled a bit at a time. Peters himself admits: "My colleagues and I mostly expect you to read the book while sitting on the toilet."

Who is the author?

Tom Peters has been called the "uber-guru of business" (“Fortune” and “The Economist”) and "the father of the post-modern corporation" (“Los Angeles Times”). He is an accomplished consultant, writer, columnist and seminar lecturer. His website, www.tompeters.com, receives more than 32 000 unique visitors per month.

What do others say?

Tom Peters’ usual compelling and in-your-face style is evident in “The Little Big Things”, so if you are looking for a subdued and formal presentation, this book will not work for you.

However, the book is applicable as much to small business owners as heads of large corporations, and praise for the book has been forthcoming from almost every quarter – from newspapers and magazines through to business executives and bloggers.

John Spence: “As Tom readily admits, a great deal of what is in this book is just plain common sense… but common sense is not always 'common practice' in many businesses and this book is jam-packed with incredibly powerful ideas and suggestions that far too many of us simply forget to do.”

Financial Times: “Peters-lovers will enjoy this book and its characteristic humour and tone… Peters-haters will be irritated by the at-times Dr Seuss-style language… But in the end, this 'wizard of wow!', this 'emperor of excellence' wins you over with his irrepressible energy and verve.”

Risk Management Magazine: “The overall presentation and feel are less that of a tome and more that of a blog on paper… This may all sound like a chaotic jumble of knowledge. It is. But it is also a refreshing approach to a management genre that is all-too-often professing to be the be-all, end-all authority on the subject."

How do I get hold of it?

“The Little Big Things: 163 Ways to Pursue Excellence” is published in South Africa by HarperCollins. It is available at Exclusive Books at a price of approximately R215.00.