https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/B2B product marketing specialist and writer. Articles on marketing, strategy, and internet culture, plus notes and reviews from 80+ books.Hugoen-GBSun, 07 Jun 2026 10:20:21 +0100https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/on-writing-stephen-king/Thu, 22 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/on-writing-stephen-king/Part autobiography, part instruction, part taste and opinion on how to write fiction well from one of the greatest writers of the 20th century.writinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/save-the-cat-writes-a-novel-jessica-brody/Thu, 02 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/save-the-cat-writes-a-novel-jessica-brody/Brilliant explanation of story and plot for fiction writers. Risks being read as formulaic, but many classics fit her interpretation of good story structure.writinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-first-90-days-michael-watkins/Thu, 10 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-first-90-days-michael-watkins/Tailored more to a VP/C-level global blue chip audience, but a useful read in advance of any promotion or new company transition.businesshttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-long-and-the-short-of-it-field-binet/Fri, 04 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-long-and-the-short-of-it-field-binet/Comprehensive evidence-based review of advertising effectiveness, recommending a 60/40 balance between long and short-term marketing. Mostly B2C focused.marketinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/how-brands-grow-part-2-romaniuk-sharp/Mon, 30 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/how-brands-grow-part-2-romaniuk-sharp/Excellent follow-up to the first book, answering many of the lingering questions I had. Another essential read for marketers.marketinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/how-brands-grow-byron-sharp/Mon, 09 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/how-brands-grow-byron-sharp/Evidence and research replace opinion and faith-based belief in marketing. Pretty shocking it took so long to get here. Extraordinarily valuable.marketinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/scientific-advertising-claude-hopkins/Fri, 30 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/scientific-advertising-claude-hopkins/A historical curiosity from 1923 and not scientific in any way. Has its charms as an artefact of early advertising thinking, but most can safely skip.marketinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/hey-whipple-squeeze-this-luke-sullivan-edward-boches/Sat, 10 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/hey-whipple-squeeze-this-luke-sullivan-edward-boches/The world is full of shitty ads, but Sullivan and Boches tell you how to make a good one. (And they do it with a sense of humour, too.)marketinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-innovators-dilemma-clayton-m-christensen/Sat, 27 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-innovators-dilemma-clayton-m-christensen/Many well-managed companies fail because they don’t adapt to disruptive change. This book explains why, and what to do about it.businesshttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/crossing-the-chasm-geoffrey-a-moore/Fri, 05 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/crossing-the-chasm-geoffrey-a-moore/A strategy and marketing classic, still as relevant as ever. Dissects the difficulty of moving from early interest to wide adoption for disruptive tech.marketinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/sales-pitch-april-dunford/Wed, 29 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/sales-pitch-april-dunford/Dunford's done it again with a clear and compelling approach to selling. If you're even remotely involved in software startups, it's worth reading.marketinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-shallows-nicholas-carr/Tue, 28 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-shallows-nicholas-carr/Detailed and thoroughly researched, but perhaps not forceful enough. An interesting exploration of how the internet is, to put it bluntly, bad for our brains.internethttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/amusing-ourselves-to-death-neil-postman/Thu, 23 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/amusing-ourselves-to-death-neil-postman/Should be read by anyone who uses the internet. Remarkably prescient and indispensable for understanding our current media landscape.culturehttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-medium-is-the-massage-marshall-mcluhan-quentin-fiore/Wed, 15 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-medium-is-the-massage-marshall-mcluhan-quentin-fiore/This cult classic from the sixties was talking about television, but it feels eerily accurate today with the rise of social media and life online.culturehttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/on-bullshit-harry-g-frankfurt/Tue, 14 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/on-bullshit-harry-g-frankfurt/A neat, concentrated exploration of what bullshit really is and a foray into why there's so much of it. Can be read in a single sitting. Beautiful stuff.philosophyhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/extremely-online-taylor-lorenz/Mon, 13 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/extremely-online-taylor-lorenz/A remarkable history of the social web, from early blogging to TikTok. Highlights the formative, often unrewarded roles of women and people of colour.internethttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/no-bullshit-strategy-alex-mh-smith/Thu, 05 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/no-bullshit-strategy-alex-mh-smith/Clear on fundamentals but thin on execution. A consumer goods marketer's perspective. For deeper grounding, read Rumelt's Good Strategy/Bad Strategy.businesshttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/wanting-luke-burgis/Sat, 30 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/wanting-luke-burgis/A walkthrough of René Girard's philosophy of mimetic desire. A truly interesting way of looking at the world, powerful at explaining modern phenomena.philosophyhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/good-strategy-bad-strategy-richard-rumelt/Sun, 10 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/good-strategy-bad-strategy-richard-rumelt/Rumelt knows exactly what strategy is, what it means, and has endless examples to back it up. The wisdom of decades, packed into a fascinating book.businesshttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/fermats-enigma-simon-singh/Fri, 25 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/fermats-enigma-simon-singh/The fascinating story of how one of maths' hardest problems was solved. A survey of mathematical history that doesn't demand much knowledge of maths.sciencehttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-brand-gap-marty-neumeier/Sat, 22 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-brand-gap-marty-neumeier/Packed with hard-won knowledge, devoid of the usual business book padding. If you want to know what 'brand' really is, there's no better place to start.marketinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/influential-internal-communication-jenni-field/Fri, 21 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/influential-internal-communication-jenni-field/Underwhelming and lacking pragmatism, but not bad as an introduction to the importance of internal communication.businesshttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/smart-brevity/Sun, 29 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/smart-brevity/I've read smarter and briefer. It's not entirely terrible, but it'd probably be better to read Strunk instead.writinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/play-bigger-ramadan-peterson-lochhead-maney/Sun, 08 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/play-bigger-ramadan-peterson-lochhead-maney/Too long-winded and full of waffle, but interesting. I'm still sceptical anyone can create a category, but if you want to try, this is the book to read.marketinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/category-creation-anthony-kennada/Mon, 21 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/category-creation-anthony-kennada/A practical, marketing-first guide to category creation. Not suited to broader strategic discussions — read Play Bigger for that — but enormously useful.marketinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-brand-positioning-workbook-ulli-appelbaum/Sun, 06 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-brand-positioning-workbook-ulli-appelbaum/A straightforward guide to positioning consumer brands (less suited for B2B). Stops short of defining deliverables, an important step to miss. Still useful.marketinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/positioning-al-ries-jack-trout/Mon, 31 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/positioning-al-ries-jack-trout/Not as strong as 22 Immutable Laws and dated in its examples, but still a fascinating read for marketers. Only covers how to position towards the end.marketinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-22-immutable-laws-of-marketing-al-ries-jack-trout/Sat, 22 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-22-immutable-laws-of-marketing-al-ries-jack-trout/The best marketing book I've read. Useful for understanding marketing strategically and worthy of a re-read. Makes 22 arguments with sparing words, no fluff.marketinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-body-keeps-the-score-bessel-van-der-kolk/Sun, 16 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-body-keeps-the-score-bessel-van-der-kolk/An extraordinary exploration of modern psychology through the lens of trauma and its impact on our lives. A life's work from an expert, beautifully written.psychologyhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/junior-writing-your-way-ahead-in-advertising/Sun, 30 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/junior-writing-your-way-ahead-in-advertising/Decent advice for someone in advertising or an adjacent role. Some interesting tips on creative writing techniques, but nothing too in-depth.writinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/powerful-b2b-content-gay-flashman/Wed, 12 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/powerful-b2b-content-gay-flashman/Possibly the highest-value-per-page specialist book I've read. Only worth it if B2B content is your thing, but if it is, you're in for a treat.marketinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/thinking-in-systems-donella-meadows/Mon, 31 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/thinking-in-systems-donella-meadows/Life isn't so simple, most everything has nuance, and it takes more than you think to make changes or corrections.ideashttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/what-money-cant-buy-the-moral-limits-of-markets-michael-j-sandel/Mon, 31 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/what-money-cant-buy-the-moral-limits-of-markets-michael-j-sandel/A thorough dive into market values at work in our lives. Poses interesting questions and follows them up with convincing answers. Sandel at his best.philosophyhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-art-and-craft-of-feature-writing-william-e-blundell/Sat, 01 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-art-and-craft-of-feature-writing-william-e-blundell/Incredibly useful on writing feature-length articles, with full example pieces. Rooted in newspaper journalism, so consider how it applies to other media.writinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/crush-it-why-now-is-the-time-to-cash-in-on-your-passion/Mon, 19 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/crush-it-why-now-is-the-time-to-cash-in-on-your-passion/A thin volume of opinion & the epitome of 'Hustle Porn'. Also reasonably outdated and likely ineffective tactics by now.marketinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/ponzinomics-robert-fitzpatrick/Fri, 16 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/ponzinomics-robert-fitzpatrick/A thorough history of the MLM phenomenon that pulls no punches about how immoral, fraudulent and cult-like they are. Repetitive in parts, but worth it.businesshttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-pr-masterclass-alex-singleton/Mon, 12 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-pr-masterclass-alex-singleton/A straightforward guide to traditional press and media PR. Biased towards a British print media perspective, but provides solid generic advice nonetheless.marketinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/building-a-storybrand-donald-miller/Tue, 06 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/building-a-storybrand-donald-miller/A helpful and straightforward system for building a compelling 'story' as the basis for framing your brand. Helpful with regard to website content especially.marketinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/promise-land-jessica-lamb-shapiro/Fri, 02 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/promise-land-jessica-lamb-shapiro/A critical, insightful and often very funny look at the world of self-help. Worth reading if you've ever wondered why you own so many self-help books.culturehttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/obviously-awesome-april-dunford/Thu, 01 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/obviously-awesome-april-dunford/A coherent, straightforward guide to product positioning. No filler, useful stories, and first-principles thinking rather than a rigid system or steps.marketinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-four-agreements-don-miguel-ruiz/Fri, 19 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-four-agreements-don-miguel-ruiz/The agreements themselves are sound and the philosophy is a useful life model, but it's spoiled by generalisations and new-age drivel. Wisdom buried in waffle.philosophyhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/with-the-old-breed-eugene-sledge/Thu, 18 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/with-the-old-breed-eugene-sledge/Gruelling because of the horror of the Pacific theatre, compelling because of Sledge's fine prose. One of the two memoirs HBO's The Pacific is based on.biographieshttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-elements-of-style-illustrated/Sun, 14 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-elements-of-style-illustrated/Useful, straightforward rules for writing well. Some conventions skew North American and of their time. Won't transform you overnight, but it helps.writinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/sham-steve-salerno/Sat, 13 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/sham-steve-salerno/Useful criticism of the self-help industry. Starts with an interesting assessment but goes off the rails — the second half is opinion over substance.psychologyhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/health-wealth-and-happiness-jones-woodbridge/Tue, 09 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/health-wealth-and-happiness-jones-woodbridge/A history of the New Thought Movement and how it led to the start of the Prosperity Gospel. Beyond that, it was not so interesting.religionhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-psychology-of-money-morgan-housel/Thu, 04 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-psychology-of-money-morgan-housel/In the 'I wish I'd read this 20 years ago' ranks. Rather than bland money tactics, Housel uncovers the unusual psychology driving our financial behaviour.financehttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/band-of-brothers-stephen-ambrose/Wed, 03 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/band-of-brothers-stephen-ambrose/The story of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, whose story through WW2 is incredibly compelling.historyhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/dont-make-me-think-steve-krug/Sat, 13 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/dont-make-me-think-steve-krug/A practical, well-written introduction to web usability and testing. Some elements feel dated, but the core concepts remain just as valid today.marketinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-cathedral-and-the-bazaar-eric-raymond/Tue, 09 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-cathedral-and-the-bazaar-eric-raymond/Essays on the history of computing, hacking, and why open source is revelatory. Interesting insight the layman rarely sees, though dense with jargon at times.technologyhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/everybody-writes-ann-handley/Mon, 08 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/everybody-writes-ann-handley/An excellent introduction, but if you already know the world of content publishing — especially with other books on the topic read — it may be too light.writinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/what-is-life-paul-nurse/Sat, 06 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/what-is-life-paul-nurse/A wonderful introduction to biology written by one of the most qualified biologists around today. Brief, beautiful and optimistic.sciencehttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/never-split-the-difference-chris-voss/Thu, 04 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/never-split-the-difference-chris-voss/Negotiation techniques that work in the real world, not the classroom. Also thrilling — chapters open with compelling hostage negotiations Voss was part of.psychologyhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/how-to-become-a-rainmaker-jeffrey-j-fox/Mon, 01 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/how-to-become-a-rainmaker-jeffrey-j-fox/Old-fashioned, cheesy sales advice that reads like Glengarry Glen Ross. Still a good reminder of what sales is really about and what salespeople should do.businesshttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/tao-te-ching-lao-tzu-derek-lin/Thu, 14 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/tao-te-ching-lao-tzu-derek-lin/I might have read this book, but I haven't really read the Tao. You can't; the Tao that is called Tao is not the Tao.philosophyhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-goal-eliyahu-goldratt-jeff-cox/Mon, 11 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-goal-eliyahu-goldratt-jeff-cox/Written like a thriller, but about manufacturing. Sounds bananas, but it's surprisingly effective at explaining Lean principles via the Socratic method.businesshttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/zen-mind-beginners-mind-shunryu-suzuki/Sat, 09 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/zen-mind-beginners-mind-shunryu-suzuki/All the time I spent reading and taking notes would probably have been better spent simply sitting in zazen. But here we are nonetheless.religionhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/content-strategy-for-the-web-halvorson-rach/Mon, 04 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/content-strategy-for-the-web-halvorson-rach/A straightforward guide to building content strategies. Pitched at the person in a business rather than the broader spectrum of content creators.marketinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/content-design-sarah-richards/Sat, 02 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/content-design-sarah-richards/Short, sweet and endlessly valuable. Written by the woman who transformed gov.uk from a messy tangle of websites into a resource millions rely on.marketinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-right-stuff-tom-wolfe/Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-right-stuff-tom-wolfe/The story of the seven Mercury astronauts, the first Americans in space. It's hard to describe how good this book is without you reading the whole thing.historyhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/ikigai-the-japanese-secret-to-a-long-and-happy-life/Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/ikigai-the-japanese-secret-to-a-long-and-happy-life/An underwhelming survey. The concept of Ikigai can be found in a succinct diagram on the back of the hardback, mostly voiding the point of the book.healthhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-tyranny-of-merit-michael-j-sandel/Tue, 08 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-tyranny-of-merit-michael-j-sandel/Made me reconsider assumptions I've carried my entire adult life, while reframing how I think about the last decade — Trump and Brexit in particular.philosophyhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-art-of-startup-fundraising-alejandro-cremades/Thu, 03 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-art-of-startup-fundraising-alejandro-cremades/For a layman like me, this was a helpful ready reckoner covering the ins and outs of how startups work from a financial point of view.businesshttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/obliquity-john-kay/Mon, 09 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/obliquity-john-kay/Probably had more value as the FT article it started as. I quit with 25% left — the same point repeated endlessly. Worth the first few chapters only.psychologyhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/finite-and-infinite-games-james-carse/Fri, 06 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/finite-and-infinite-games-james-carse/A philosophical out-of-body experience that will subvert the way you understand the world. Remarkably dense and abstract — go slow. Tapers off at the end.philosophyhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-lessons-of-history-will-ariel-durant/Thu, 05 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-lessons-of-history-will-ariel-durant/Extraordinarily enlightening for such a compact volume. A broad survey of history through government, war, religion and economics. Astonishing in its brevity.historyhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-tao-of-pooh-benjamin-hoff/Wed, 04 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-tao-of-pooh-benjamin-hoff/Explains Taoism through the lens of Winnie the Pooh — who is, according to Hoff, a Taoist. I think he's right. A wonderful warm-up to the Tao Te Ching.philosophyhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-autobiography-of-benjamin-franklin/Mon, 05 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-autobiography-of-benjamin-franklin/A portrait of a fascinating life well-lived, and it's comforting to know that 'life hacks' are not just the preserve of the internet age.biographieshttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/show-your-work-austin-kleon/Fri, 02 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/show-your-work-austin-kleon/Worth reading by anyone with an interest in doing creative work, especially online. An instruction manual presented in an approachable, relatable way.creativityhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/atomic-habits-james-clear/Thu, 10 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/atomic-habits-james-clear/Boring and repetitive. It feels like it should be practical and useful, but it isn't. Trite productivity advice trotted out as wisdom.psychologyhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/on-writing-well-william-zinsser/Mon, 10 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/on-writing-well-william-zinsser/Zinsser lays down the law. A reassuring starting point for the fundamentals of writing quality non-fiction, even if the finer points are debatable.writinghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/consider-the-lobster-david-foster-wallace/Thu, 06 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/consider-the-lobster-david-foster-wallace/Articles, essays, speeches and miscellany by the singular David Foster Wallace. A collection suffused with deep sadness and humour at the same time.essayshttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/siddhartha-hermann-hesse/Mon, 03 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/siddhartha-hermann-hesse/An exploration of life's meaning through a boy who becomes a man and reaches enlightenment. Told as dialogues with those who pass through his life.fictionhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/mans-search-for-meaning-viktor-e-frankl/Sat, 01 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/mans-search-for-meaning-viktor-e-frankl/Part autobiography, part philosophy, part psychology, part prayer — an incredibly human exploration of how meaning and salvation can be found in suffering.psychologyhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-effective-executive-peter-drucker/Fri, 19 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-effective-executive-peter-drucker/Dated but contains some of the best writing on productivity, time management and decision-making I've come across. Can be dry in places.businesshttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/this-is-water-david-foster-wallace/Wed, 17 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/this-is-water-david-foster-wallace/On the ethics of how we choose to think and what that means for our daily lives. Originally delivered as a commencement address at Kenyon College.essayshttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/surely-youre-joking-mr-feynman/Fri, 12 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/surely-youre-joking-mr-feynman/Dated and clearly a misogynist, yet a brilliant collection of anecdotes showing an extraordinary mind — unafraid of opinion, obsessed with scientific truth.biographieshttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/a-technique-for-producing-ideas-james-webb-young/Tue, 09 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/a-technique-for-producing-ideas-james-webb-young/There is a replicable process for coming up with ideas. A brief, 80-year-old volume that enjoys a special place in the history of writing about ideas.ideashttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-war-of-art-by-steven-pressfield/Sat, 02 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/the-war-of-art-by-steven-pressfield/A resounding rallying cry. Names the enemy of creative work — 'The Resistance' — and shows how to defeat it. Pick it up in the morning, done by the afternoon.creativityhttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/anything-you-want-derek-sivers/Fri, 01 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/anything-you-want-derek-sivers/A short, powerful read from one of the web's original entrepreneurs about how to do business. An enormous amount of insight in a tiny volume.businesshttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/born-standing-up-steve-martin/Fri, 01 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/born-standing-up-steve-martin/A fascinating insight into Steve Martin's early career, with lessons on the creative process, originality, and consistently working at your craft.biographieshttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/where-good-ideas-come-from-steven-johnson/Thu, 02 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/where-good-ideas-come-from-steven-johnson/An eye-opening exploration of how ideas form and innovation actually works. Busts a lot of myths and misconceptions along the way. Strong recommend.ideashttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/how-to-take-smart-notes-sonke-ahrens/Sat, 07 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/how-to-take-smart-notes-sonke-ahrens/The number one book I wish I'd read before university. A plain-English system for managing your own thoughts and ideas. Changed how I think about learning.learninghttps://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/all-marketers-are-liars-seth-godin/Mon, 02 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.willpatrick.co.uk/notes/all-marketers-are-liars-seth-godin/One of my favourite marketing authors explains the realities of brand-driven marketing in the 21st century. Repetitive but mercifully short.marketing