TRIBES: we need you to lead us

Life's a journey, isn't it? And on that journey it's good to meet and talk to women who can join you for part of the way - whether you're stuck in the mud or shooting the rapids. Push back the boundaries, join us and become a member of the Risk Collective. Make sure you don't miss out on the great benefits of being a member.

TRIBES: We Need You to Lead Us, by Seth Godin (Piatkus, £10.99).

I chanced across this book when researching an article for the London Library magazine about ‘wine tribes’. In the wine world, there are plenty of eccentrics and families who are passionate about their particular style and type of wine, from followers of the biodynamic method to those who are so mysterious about their wines that they are virtually a cult.

Seth Godin’s short, pithy book is designed to inspire all of us to take chances. Risk Collective members could all benefit from his enthusiasm and assertion that, thanks to the rapid pace of technological change, we all have the opportunity to ‘form our own tribe’. He’s not referring to families, but to the creation of a network of people who all care about, and follow, a cause, an idea, even a product, using the internet and other platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.

His argument is that we shouldn’t just join these groups, we should establish them. More than that, he says that in this age of individual talent, we could change our working lives just by having one good idea and rallying support for it. It’s quite a shout, and we can’t all be JK Rowling or Martha Lane Fox (of lastminute.com fame) but Tribes is a great read and leaves you feeling invigorated.

Unlike so many ’self help’ books, this volume tells you to forget about your ego and just follow your passion, sharing it with others. He talks about faith, too - not religious belief, but faith in what you happen to care about. Not a bad message in these troubled times and certainly a beacon of hope for anyone with a computer and a good idea.

Tags: RC Book Club