Seth Godin wrote a post where he asked people to spread the word about a new, free to download ebook organized by him, with the title: What matters most? – Things to think about (and do) this year.

Here are more than seventy big thinkers, each sharing an idea for you to think about as we head into the new year. From bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert to brilliant tech thinker Kevin Kelly , from publisher Tim O’Reilly to radio host Dave Ramsey, there are some important people riffing about important ideas here. The ebook includes Tom Peters, Jackie Huba and Jason Fried, along with Gina Trapani, Bill Taylor and Alan Webber.

I usually like the books of Seth Godin, and sharing is caring, so I downloaded, started to read it and decided to put it up here. The book has over 71 thought provoking chapters, with some photos spread around – focusing on children, education and Room to Read – and beside the having a great content, it shows a very useful initiative, which I think deserves the “eyeballs”.

Below are my favourite chapters, with some samples – in case I have to persuade you to check out a free ebook.

Elizabeth Gilber – EASE

The world will still need saving tomorrow. In the meantime, you’re going to have a stroke soon (or cause a stroke in somebody else) if you don’t calm the hell down.

I don’t know who and where said it, some reformed movie hero probably – “All my life I was chasing everything and I missed everything”. We dictate a speed which is needless and useless most of the time. Where are we running?

Howard Mann – CONNECTED

We walk the streets with our heads down staring into 3-inch screens while the world whisks by doing the same. And yet we’re convinced we are more connected to each other than ever before.

We have friends all over the globe, yet we don’t know our neighbours. So immersed in global events we have no idea what happens in our streets.

John Wood – EDUCATION

The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago.
The second best time is now.

Education is a ripple. And there are too many still waters in the world.

Mitch Joel – COMPASSION

“It’s nothing personal, it’s just business.”
We spend more than 50% of our lives at work. Why would anyone want to wake up in the morning and go to work with that attitude? If you don’t make it personal, and if you don’t make it count, what’s the point?

Should we really leave ourselves at home when we go to work?

Jeff Jonas – CONTEXT

When information is evaluated without context—regardless of highly sophisticated analytics, an infinite amount of compute, energy or time, little if any relevance can be established with certainty.

When information is evaluated without context – it’s not information. It’s just meaningless data. I have 500 HUF in my pocket. That’s no information to you unless you know current prices in Budapest. Without context, it is not information.

Chip and Dan Heath – CHANGE

We’re wired to focus on what’s not working. But Murphy asked, “What IS working, today, and how can we do more of it?”

Indeed, talking about what does not work solves nothing. Concentrating only on the symptoms won’t give you a solution. And CHANGE links so nicely to CONTEXT. Without CONTEXT there is no information. Without information, we can’t find a solution.

And more. 82 pages with short, thought provoking chapters. The book is free, and freely distributable – through Twitter, Plurk, website, whatever, write your review, your thoughts, your comments.

And after you have read it, share what you liked.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Tom Peters Says It’s the Best Damn Marketing Tool (biztipsblog.com)
• Seth Godin and Tom Peters (autopilotonlinesuccess.com)
• What Matters Now: Download the Free E-Book (smarterware.org)
• Best Marketing Book Ever; Beating Major Competitors; Must Read for Parents; Crowdsourcing (myventurepad.com)
• Bob Waterman and Having Fun (laf.ee)
• What matters now? (danpink.com)
• Google Year-End Countdown Easter Egg [Easter Eggs] (lifehacker.com)
• The New Rules Still Apply (snarkmarket.com)