I recommend this enlightening book on a number of counts. In an increasingly crowded (and sometimes superfluously smelly) elevator of social media and marketing how-tos, Rohit Bhargava sets himself apart: one of the most noticeable distinctions Personality Not Included has is its non-linear, self-referential structure, which makes it easy (and rewarding) to skip around if you're compelled. I didn't, but the option is there, which can't be said for less adventurous texts.
The book largely deals with personality (of course) and the looming ennui of "faceless" companies that don't connect with their customers, which benefits no one. It sounds obvious, but as staples like The Consumerist hammer home time and time again, even the glaring gets forgotten. I suspect this is due to "idealogical incest", the echo chamber of corporations copying each other on the WRONG things, compounding their screwups by being over-cautious and de-humanizing themselves!
Why did I pick this up?
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I’ve been blogging for a couple of months for Stepcase Lifehack, which is one of the top blogs on the Internet and has charted highly many times (e.g., #2 on CollegeDegree.com’s “Top 100 Productivity and Lifehack Blogs”). With nearing 68,000 subscribers, it’s widely-read and it’s a pleasure to contribute.
I first started blogging there after I asked myself as a thought-leader, “How can I benefit others with my insights more broadly?” No kidding, and soon enough, I was chatting with Dustin Wax, who project-manages the site and has contributed to a number of other leading sites.
Today, I’ve got 8 posts up on Lifehack, and you can see my contributions list:
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ChangeThis is a lovely site that spreads important ideas through well-designed, easy-to-read PDFs. A number of their manifestos (as in “positively life-changing”, not “written by the Unabomber”) have been circulated widely, such as Hugh MacLeod of gapingvoid fame’s “How To Be Creative”.
As a rising thought leader, I’ve entered the ring with “To Criticize Is to Publicize: Make the best of bad words”. Part of it is going to be about dealing with Internet trolls — using them as a tool to help you succeed (I’ve done it and so can you). Click through to learn more about what I’m proposing and if you like it, vote for me! If I get ranked highly enough, I get to inspire you by writing the full manifesto and posting it on the site.
Many thanx in advance. 
I are preased to declare that my first article for Stepcase Lifehack aka lifehack.org is up!
Titled “Achieve Unique Success by Emphasizing Unique Skills”, I’ve woven together some of my fave inspirations to illustrate why things that don’t seem closely connected actually are, and how they can benefit you.
Lifehack is one of the most popular blogs on the whole Internet, with almost 70,000 readers subscribed to their RSS feed and numerous notable rankings. Productivity masters like Leo of Zen Habits have been contributors — so I’m thrilled to add value alongside such usefun minds.
And among them has got to be Dustin Wax, editor & project manager, who’s astutely sharp at giving feedback. Sure, I get lots of feedback on stuff I do, but his exceptional suggestions on my first post and his warm welcome have already honed and sharpened my focus on my next columns.
If you enjoy making your life better, visit Lifehack!