My guess is that many, if not all of you, are up to your knees planning, entertaining…shopping.  You don’t have much time for reading or reflecting this time of year.  But when you do find a moment, take a look at some of these resources.  I’ve found them to be inspiring, energizing, thought provoking, and career changing.

And if you know of others please share them with us!

Thought Provoking Videos

TED.com is a fantastic resource.  It is filled with excellent free videos and audio clips you can view from your computer or download to your MP3 player.  This is the second year in a row I have asked for a trip to one of the TED conferences. Unfortunately, I don’t think Santa is listening.

Video 1: Standing Out in the Marketplace

Video 2: The Power of Community Building

Seth Godin is one of my favorite speakers.  He has a remarkable ability to offer fresh ideas that can be easily applied to any business.  The videos above are both worth a look.

Video 3: The Importance of Flow

Interesting talk on creativity and flow from psychology professor and author Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi.

Video 4: The Power of Social Media

Alexis Ohanian is the co-founder of Reddit, a social-voting news website.  He gives a humorous talk about the power and reach of social media.

Web Stuff

Hubspot

Hubspot.com is a great website if you’re looking for online marketing tips.  Here’s an interesting eBook on designing a website that will make a difference.

Web Redesign Kit: eBook Download

Copyblogger

If you’re thinking of starting a blog then Copyblogger is a must read.  Sign up to receive their weekly articles.

Copyblogger Website

Landmark Pieces

The Long Tail

Chris Anderson, the chief editor of wired magazine, wrote a piece in October 2004 on what he coined as “The Long Tail”.  It has important implications for all industries and has since been converted into a book.

Here is a link to the initial article: Long Tail Article

The Cluetrain Manifesto

The Cluetrain Manifesto began as a 95 point thesis written by a handful of technology whizzes in the year 1999 (Levine, Locke, Searls & Weinberg).  It’s considered to be the seminal work of the 21st century for the online world.  And even if technology will never be “your thing”, the insights it offers are important to understand as we find our footing in today’s new marketplace.  I highly recommend it, and you can download it for free at www.cluetrain.com.

Unleashing the Ideavirus

“Unleashing the Ideavirus” is said to be the most downloaded eBook of all time.  The book was written by marketing author Seth Godin and released for free on the internet in 2000.   It is a great book with interesting ideas about new marketing models that still hold true today.

Download “Unleashing the Ideavirus” Here

One Last eBook

“279 Days to Overnight Success” is a fun, easy and informative read by blogger Chris Guillebeau.  It gives great advice, especially if you are considering launching a new project or business.

Download “279 Days To Overnight Success” Here

That’s it for now!  I am traveling next week and will begin blogging again in the New Year.  Look for my first post of 2010 on January 5^th.  Have a happy and healthy holiday season!

David
david@davidpdiana.com
www.davidpdiana.com