Funk Rating: 6 out of 10
A lot of folks liked this book, but I found it paper thin on insight and full of ra-rah pithiness that wasn't particularly profound. Perhaps in a world filled with Powerpoint, over-hyped phrases, and a general inclination to making the world more complicated instead of more simple, Fried hit some nerve with a lot of folks.
But I found his viewpoint overly simplified. He projects out from his little world of online software development and assumes the rest of the world can be just as simple and elegant. Make no mistake, I respect the absolute heck out of what he's done with his business. But unless you live in a parallel, highly digital world, much of his commentary and advice returns to general exhortation to KISS.
I'd like to see Fried apply his philosophy and framework to a world of consumer products, or making cars, or working with biotechnology. Or, for grins, to police work.
YMMV, but this isn't worth the price in my mind...
