On Authentic Lies

159184100301_aa400_sclzzzzzzz__1I just finished reading Seth Godin’s All Marketers are Liars, an ode to the art of crafting, telling, and transmitting authentic stories (or lies).  Seth was kind enough to set me up with a galley of his new book, and if you have even one iota of interest in storytelling as a tool to create good stuff, put this one on your reading list. 

But, you may ask, is Liars really about design?  Yes.  Think of it as Purple Cow II: if Purple Cow was about mindfully applying visceral, behavioral, and reflective design to create remarkable offerings, then Liars is an extended riff upon the subtle art of reflective design alone.  Reflective design is about creating meaning, and in Liars Godin offers a design process to help make your stories sing.  As usual, you always know where Seth stands on an issue, and as a result the stories he tells, such as one about the genesis of Fox News, are engaging and instructive all at once.  The companion blog for the book is nifty, too.