The Little Big Things added January 22, 2011

In a trend gaining significant traction, blogs are being turned into books. Though blogging offers wide reach at minimal cost, there remains an attraction to printed material, so some noteworthy blogs are being reformatted for books. The Little BIG Things is one such book.

The 163 short articles were originally blog posts, and this immediately sets the tone of the book; short and independent musings, rather than thorough arguments, are featured.

Mantras abound throughout the book, and much of the material is highly repetitive. It is repetitive because the author uses that technique to emphasize items he considers to be important. The book is visually interesting in that it incorporates an uncommon level of variety in the use of fonts.

Many interesting quotes are found throughout the book, adding an element of interest to the vignettes.

The basic message of the book is simple but incredibly important: pursue excellence at all times and obsess over even the smallest details. The difference between average and excellent performance is frequently simply a matter of attention to detail.

Clean restrooms in restaurants, tidy tables in dining areas, properly aligned text in brochures, clear labeling of product catalog items, friendliness at the reception area, and many other minute details determine success or failure.

Personal responsibility determines much of what a person accomplishes. It never was wise to rely on a company to provide for the future, but now that type of reasoning seems more inadvisable than ever. Those who are not growing will stagnate and diminish. Therefore, attention to personal development and personal initiative in the ventures with which one is involved is central to realizing progress.

Some books contain primarily reiterations of commonly accepted concepts, but they are helpful because they draw attention to things that might otherwise be ignored. Common sense sometimes requires defenders, and Tom Peters is one of them in this book.