The Dip

A simple little book by Seth Godin (author of the popular Purple Cow books). It's intentionally very short, and its primary message is that the only way to get really good at something is to stick with it during that time when it gets hard -- that's the pathway to being best in the world at something. One thing that I really liked here was his talk about how "best in the world" might involve a very small world, like "best gluten-free bakery in Tulsa, Oklahoma". Without a doubt, the "best in the world" approach, as discussed in the epic Good to Great is the key to this modern, long-tail economy.