This I Know by Terry O'Reilly is one of the best marketing books I've read. Never dry, boring, condescending, or self-promoting. Not too long or too short. Not a rehashing of "find your USP." O'Reilly teaches marketing principles through numerous examples of good and bad marketing. He writes, 

"...many business owners and their staff feel lost when it comes to marketing. They have limited budgets and get no guidance on their advertising. They are usually wearing several hats in their companies, don't have dedicated marketing departments, aren't sure how to craft a real marketing strategy and feel they aren't getting a return on their advertising dollar. This is a book for all those business owners. It's for the entrepreneurs who can't afford a big downtown advertising agency to guide them. It is a collection of insights and marketing lessons from the many years of my radio show, gathered in one volume. It's a book that will challenge you, ask you interesting questions and help you formulate your own marketing." 

O'Reilly delivers on that promise. I have always been stumped by how to market my businesses, and so I've stumbled along putting minimal effort into it. This book has inspired me to really take the time to find out "what business I'm really in" and to remain true to why I started it. For example, Michelin isn't in the tire business; it's in the safety business. When Michelin changed their slogan from "Because so much is riding on your tires," to "A better way forward," O'Reilly writes, "The decision was completely lost on me. There is not a scintilla of emotion in the new line. It sounds like a slogan coined by Walter in accounting." 

Nike is another example. "The majority of people who wear Nike sneakers don't work out. That should tell you everything. 'Just Do It' is a line that ignites millions of dreams, only a small percentage of which are exercise-related. Nike knows what people are buying. It's not shoes. It's motivation."

O'Reilly must have an entire filing cabinet full of marketing wins and blunders. Every story he tells is interesting and pertinent to the point he's making. This book is appropriate for any size business, especially small business owners like me who are clueless about how to stand out in the crowd. Highly recommended.

DISCLOSURE: I received a review copy through NetGalley.