Classics Regain Popularity

I was at Borders tonight, and checked out their top-100 bestselling books. Interestingly, at least eight out of the top-40 books were classic literature books. They included The Little Prince, Wuthering Heights, A Tale of Two Cities, Catcher In the Rye, Lolita, Animal Farm, War & Peace, and The Great Gatsby. I surmise also that these are still standard text for secondary school students, since some of these still bore the Penguin Publishing label.

I bought a new running book ‘Barefoot Running Step By Step’ by Barefoot Ken, whom I got to ‘know’ via Christopher McDougall’s book ‘Born To Run’. Apparently, running in Vibram Five Fingers minimalist shoes is still not exactly, anatomically correct as nature intended us to. That is, running forefoot is not exact to running unshod, with your bare feet. I will post a review shortly.

The other book by David Linden is called ‘Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning, and Gambling Feel So Good’ and it focuses on the neurology of the human brain, and how it develops addictions and preferences for food, exercise, sensations and chemicals.

Perhaps, old is not new but classical. We love traditional Coca-Cola, but rename it Classic Coke; we expressed how we hated the New Coke by not purchasing it. We are indulging in back- to-nature holidays, so that we can return to our roots. We are strongly immersed in Tradition, and this was what Faith Popcorn predicted as one of the future trends in consumerism. From cooked to raw, from processed to the least processed, and from complex to simplicity.

Would you consider a full body workout in less than six minutes? Combine two classical compound exercises together within a short timeframe. Doing more with less is the way to go these days.

Leadership Lessons: How much of tradition do you carry with you in your business? How often do you review the way you do things, from mundane tasks to complex processes? Do you reference the classical texts for ideas to lead people and run your business? Here are the downsides of traditions.

Clanning or Tribes

Marketing guru, Seth Godin wrote a bestseller called 'Tribes'. Interestingly, in 1997 trendspotter and futurist, Faith Popcorn wrote about 'Clanning' as one of 17 future trends for clicking with consumers. In effect, the community spirit is what moves people to achieve a sense of identity, common cause, unity in numbers, and a sense of belonging.

Triathletes belong to a tribe of everyday people, who lead extreme lives in their pastimes. Lard man from New Zealand writes about his adventures in triathlons. He is an interesting person with a wicked sense of humour. Read his blog if you dare!

Many tribes exists, and universally, tourists are a strong and predominant group. Camera-ready, ever eager, and abundantly curious and pedestrian, tourists will crowd around anything and anyone. You see them cordon off streets watching buskers perform. You also meet them at fast-food convenience outlets. Book-lovers will scour bookstores like a library. Coffee connoisseurs will make a beeline for the next caffeine-infused shot. Foodies will search websites by food bloggers to seek that next gastronomic or epicurean indulgence. Such is the magnetic appeal of like-minded individuals in endurance sports in exotic locations doing the unthinkable. Some groups hold annual runs while in underwear or even naked (Naked Pumpkin Dot Org).


Here are some snapshots that clicked with my sense of adventure (to be upload soon, as working with an iPad has it's challenges, when traveling).

John doing the famous plank at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona; my version is modified

Photo-credits by Mel Chan