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Marques Brownlee and Walt Mossberg on Trustworthy Tech Reviews

Marques-Brownlee-and-Walt-Mossberg-On-Trustworthy-Tech-Reviews-

How useful will tech reviews (or any other kind of online review) be in a future where they can increasingly be AI generated? This was a topic tech journalist Kara Swisher focused on in an interview with tech reviewers Walt Mossberg and Marques Brownlee. They are an interesting duo to discuss the topic side by side. … Read more

The Disturbing Truth About How Trader Joe’s Sources New Products

The truth about Trader Joe's

Trader Joe’s doesn’t seem like an evil brand. Their personality-driven backstory offers an irresistible underdog mentality that drives rabid brand fans who celebrate every new product arrival. Unfortunately, a story released this week reveals that many of their ethnic private label products may be blatantly stolen knock-offs of product ideas from small brands who had been negotiating with TJs before … Read more

The Truth About Paid Reviews Might Not Be What You Think

The Truth About Paid Reviews Might Not Be What You Think

I have paid for a book review. Most authors have too, in one way or another. If this fact shocks you, then you might enjoy a piece from Wired that digs into the misunderstood world of paid reviews and why it has become so prevalent across books, movies, hotels and just about any other experience that you can read … Read more

The Most Positive and Uplifting News From 2023 … in an Infographic

The Most Positive and Uplifting News From 2023 ... In An Infographic

Just in time for the end of the year, the team at Information is Beautiful has put together an infographic with all the “positive trends and admirable global breakthroughs of 2023.” On the list is everything from promising new medical treatments to city-wide pronouncements that are likely to make a major impact to improve local … Read more

Cultural Themes from Apple’s App of the Year Award Finalists

Cultural Themes from Apple's App of the Year Finalists

Apple announced all the finalists for their App of the Year awards and the majority are the sorts of apps you would expect. Image manipulation tools and productivity apps to help you create better images, videos, or content. Buried within the awards announcement, though, is a category that stood out: apps that deliver “Cultural Impact.” The eight … Read more

WSJ Just Killed Its Bestseller List. Do These Lists Even Matter Anymore?

WSJ-drops-bestseller-list

Books are an anomaly when it comes to how “bestsellers” are ranked. Movies are judged by their total box office numbers. Music is rated based on listens and album sales cumulatively. By contrast, a bestselling book generally earns that designation after a single great week of sales. Or in the case of an Amazon bestseller, maybe … Read more

Can Shaming Agencies Create a Talent Rebellion Against “Unworthy” Brands?

A environmental activist group that calls themselves Clean Creatives is “once again calling out ad agencies that have contracts with fossil fuel companies in a series of billboards across New York.” The strategy behind this makes sense: shame creative professionals to pressure them into not taking work with certain companies and create a talent drain. … Read more

How One-Star “Review Bombing” on GoodReads Is Tanking Books and Manipulating Public Opinion

Recently in a workshop I was leading, a gentleman mentioned he would often judge a book by its Amazon reviews. The problem with this strategy is that sometimes those reviews are unfair, biased or come from people who have never actually read the book. Author Cecilia Rabess is a case study in what happens when a book … Read more

The Most Popular Non-Obvious Stories of 2022 (Based On Reader Feedback)

Based on this combination of quantitative and qualitative data, here is a partial list of some of the most popular stories of the year, based on what my readers shared.

5 Non-Obvious Megatrends Changing Our World In 2020

For the past ten years I have gone through an annual ritual of publishing a book about trends that describe our shifting culture and business environment. Over the past decade, my team and I have identified and written about well over 100 trends covering everything from the rise of the #metoo movement (a trend we … Read more

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#1 WSJ & USA Today Bestselling Author

In addition to Non-Obvious Thinking, Rohit is the author of 10 books on trends, the future of business, building a more human brand with storytelling and how to create a more diverse and inclusive world.

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