Pink's idea is that selling is not limited to call centers, shops or garage forecourts. It is something we all do every day exactly the same way as we might persuade someone to purchase some artisan bread. But this rather broad definition of "sales" yielded a shallow depth and a fun-oriented piece of writing that recycles older researches as if they were his own. As his logic goes, virtually every occupation ranging from teacher to nurse becomes part of "sales," a conclusion somewhat unconvincing at first sight.

 

In particular the middle part that deals with themes like "How to strike a conversation?" or "Send yourself a rejection letter" sounds way too hackneyed, and makes the entire story something like a stale second version of How to Win Friends—a kind of book that reminds us of all trivial skills for dealing with people, something that we all know in brain but rarely translates into real action. To someone who expects a golden recipe for successful sales techniques, this book is certainly not the answer.

With questionnaires occasionally popping up at the end of each chapter, this book is less of a traditional I-say-you-listen-style book in speaking format. This feature may have made this book successful in that it invites reader participation, which seemed to have played a key role in elevating it to a bestselling status.

 

The contents, nonetheless, were not of creative ideas. It was in contradiction to its bestseller status, is close to the scrapbook that picks up several familiar, well-known people skills and draws a rather unsurprising, if not lame, conclusion—that is, we are all in a sales now. Though Pink is a pioneer in applying the concept of sales to daily human life, his book is a motley of several branches of social sciences. He simply took several concepts from different fields and collectively termed them "sales," which anyone can do if provided with enough knowledge.

 

Due in large part to its well-organized structure and miscellaneous contents, this book is somehow reminiscent of a workbook for an introductory marketing course. Overall, if you prowl for an informative book to work on for a few hours before bed, then this book—more informative than the average novel and less headaching than a marketing textbook—will be your safest choice.