I do a few book reviews here. Mostly, books about innovation, creativity, or entrepreneurship. 
A press release landed on my desk yesterday related to a new book titled “Swimming From Under My Father” by Michael O’Keefe.
Michael O’Keefe is an actor. And bad news/good news, is probably best known for playing the role of Danny Noonan in Caddyshack (and well done, I’ve always had a perverse love for that film). He’s done other interesting roles in various TV shows and films, including Michael Clayton with George Clooney and The Great Santini with Robert Duvall. For more about Michael’s career, and interesting life, click through to Wikipedia.
So, I’d heard about his new book on Facebook before seeing the press release — and assumed it would be a celebrity autobiography.
Watch those assumptions, it’s not a bio at all. It’s, gasp, poetry! I am shocked and delighted.
I’ve ordered the book and will review it here in the near future.
Today’s innovation lesson is a simple one, do the unexpected. Take a cue from Michael O’Keefe when it comes to product introductions, announcements, or actual products — surprise people. Surprise arouses interest, re-casts your public image, enhances your message, and maybe even generates trials and purchases.
Hats off to Mr. O’Keefe for expanding his talent and writing what advanced reviewers are calling an excellent book of poems, complete with “goofball zen koans.” I’m a huge fan of the zen koans Kerouac wrote years ago, so, I’m intrigued, can’t wait to read Michael’s book of poetry. Apparently, O’Keefe is also an actual Zen priest. I never knew this side of O’Keefe. Beyond acting — he’s written songs, published in literary magazines and directed films — who knew.
I predict this book will expose a lot more people to his various talents, and, replace that image we have of him carrying golf clubs for Chevy Chase. What it gets replaced with is the image of an artist and intellectual — book em Charlie Rose! And wouldn’t it be wonderful if a book of poetry became a best-seller?
To order Swimming From Under My Father, click through to Amazon.
2 responses to “When All Else Fails, Surprise People”
Good recommendation “When All Else Fails, Surprise People”. Understand where idea comes from and how, where and what could be done. Important consideration: make sure that those people know that they’ve been surprised or else the challenge (to combat perceived failure) will not have been met. Action must be superceded either by follow up or feed back – leading to accomplishment. And be brave. Risk being taken as a fool and then prove that the opposite is true. Innovation loves foolish thinking. It usually heads the search before the discovery.
Quite right Mark, surprise is just the start. If you don’t have something interesting, really, you’ve maybe even just annoyed people.
O’Keefe has done his first job well, getting us interested enough to read the book. Let’s hope his poetry is as interesting as his marketing approach.