Jolt!: Get the Jump on a World That's Constantly Changing

by Phil Cooke

In Jolt! television producer, social media guru, and cultural commentator Phil Cooke helps you discover how you can navigate today's culture of disruption and actually use it to your advantage. You'll learn that changing a company and changing your life are based on virtually the same key principles.
The world is changing at light speed, but mastering the power of change can revolutionize your business and your life. Stop feeling overwhelmed with changing technology, culture, business, trends, and values and regain the confidence that can give you a real advantage.
The book reveals twenty-five "jolts" that anyone can leverage to establish a new direction, maximize potential, overcome insecurity, and create an amazing future and legacy. Jolt! will revolutionize your thinking and shake up your life!

Genres: Nonfiction, Business

211 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2011

Reviews

[Kathy Nicholls · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jolt! is a self-help type of book written by Phil Cooke and is all about how we deal with change in life. The author's point is that sometimes we have to "jolt" ourselves out of our current way of thinking to move forward.

Some points to the book include:

1. Everything in the world is changing, so we need to change too. The key to change is being sure you are asking the right questions.

2. Start at the finish line. Begin with a dream. It's important to be creative, and come up with something you'll love. If this means you need further education, go for it.

3. Have moral courage and integrity, so you can set priorities which need to be done. Start your day with the highest priority, not the easiest one to get done. Making a lot of choices will make you a better decision maker. Find those you admire for their decisions and model yourself after them.

4. Know yourself. So much of life is about understanding our boundaries. Don't let others define who you are, and if that means making changes in life then do that.

5. Knowledge is an asset, but real asset is growth - be creative, an original thinker. This is much like what Seth Godin writes about when he talks about not waiting for someone to give you permission to do something. Be creative, break rules, and get things done.

6. Embrace ambiguity - life doesn't always make sense.

7. Be generous.

8. Spend time with those who believe in you, avoid those who don't

9. Push the limits of your thinking. Don't let emotions control you. Get over yourself - care about the project. Leave a legacy of change.

All in all, the book is a good read. I don't know that there's any real "new" material to it, but I did like that each chapter started with quotes and the information was solid.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <[...]> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 <[...]> : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

[Daenel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not a real big self~help book reader but this book truly resonated with me. You’ll find out exactly why in the next few weeks… Anyway, in my younger days, I craved change. I thrived on waking up and not knowing what I was going to do from one minute to the next. I know, not exactly conducive to my life in the Army but, believe it or not, I was able to make it work. In the last 13 years or so, I’ve become complacent ~ I go to the same grocery store, shop at the same clothing stores, speak to the same people, very little in my life changes. And I’ve become used to it. I find a great deal of comfort in the routine of it all. In fact, going to new places scares me.

This fear is a new emotion for me…

I miss the fearlessness. I miss that desire to experience new ~ new people, new surroundings, etc. And Jolt! has given me just the er, um,” jolt” I needed to reclaim the dreams that I once had. Cooke offers tips on how to make changes or adapt to changes that confront us by going back to our childhoods and recalling the dreams that we had when nothing was impossible. He asks us to think big and imagine there are no limits, then focus those dreams within the realm of the possible.

Cooke also stresses the need for us to stop looking backward and reliving past failures. Moving forward and changing one’s life requires forgiveness (of ourselves as well as others). My favorite quote from the book is “Some think it’s holding on that makes one strong; sometimes it’s letting go” by Sylvia Robinson, a vocalist. This book is chock full of inspirational quotes by everyone from Ronald Reagan to Fyodor Dostoevsky.

I would recommend this book to anyone who’s experiencing change in their lives or anyone who’s desiring to make significant life changes.

[Bill Stegemueller · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world is changing constantly at an alarming rate particularly with the technology and information segment. Jolt! by Phil Cooke is a book that helps a person maneuver in a ever changing environment.

I was blown away by some of the statistics sited in the book:

65% of North Americans spend more time with their computer than their spouse.

E-mail is addictive in the same way slot machines have been shown to be addictive.

In 2009, it’s been estimated, the average corporate worker spent more than 40% of his/her day sending or receiving some 200 e-mail messages.

Information overload is a $650 billion drag on our economy each year.

In a world home to 6 billion people, roughly 600 million e-mails are sent every 10 minutes.

77% of workers report that e-mail downtime causes major stress at work, with 10 percent actually assaulting their computer.

In relation to social media the following statistics were cited:

In 2010, Generation Y outnumbered Baby Boomers… 96% of them have already joined a social network.

One out of eight couples married in the United States in the last year met via social media.

If Facebook were a country, it would be the world’s third largest.

A 2009 US Department of Education Study revealed that, on average online students outperformed those receiving face-to-face instruction.

One in six higher education students is enrolled in online curriculum.

The fastest-growing segment on Facebook is 55-to-65-year-old females.

There are more than 200,000,000 blogs –increasing daily and 54 percent of bloggers post content or tweet daily. Because of the speed in which social media enables communication, word of mouth becomes world of mouth.

25% of Americans in the past mouth said they watched a short video… on their phone.

In the near future we will no longer search for products and services, they will find us via social media.

JOLT, is a book that helps us deal with these radical changes in our culture and in our loves. Phil Cooke points out two different types of extreme people. (1) the person that doesn’t want anything to do with technology and (2) the person that goes overboard on technology. Cooke suggests a third option, “I believe it’s possible to navigate the cultural shift without losing your soul.”

I like the book because it’s divided up into easy to read chapters that deal with life management in general. The content wasn’t necessarily new, but it was written in such a way that was refreshing. The individual chapters deal with such things as vision and planning as well as how to live your life in such a way that you make the greatest impact. It wasn’t necessarily a hard read. I found that most of the chapters could be read in several minutes and found many illustrations that I filed away for later use in my ministry as a pastor.

I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

[Brenten Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

i’ve been reading a lot of books about innovation and leadership lately… the importance of creativity and ways to express it despite unsupportive conditions… mechanisms and disciplines neccessary to successfully navigate the powerful tides of change sweeping through your day-to-day business life… based on the description, Jolt! seemed to fit the bill and it certainly lived up to that billing… and though i didn’t know who Phil Cooke is, i was pleasantly surprised to learn that he also penned a book called Branding Faith which i haven’t read, but have been intrigued by since its realease…

Now, on to Jolt!… let me first say.. i found a typo on the first page… the FIRST PAGE… this isn’t uncommon – i find typos in books a lot, it’s kind of a knack… unfortunately, it’s also a huge distraction that often prevents me from concentrating solely on what i’m reading… i took it as a sign and bore down to focus on the book and not the typos (yes, i found more)… i’m glad i did…

the book breaks things down into different areas of life and a journey to success… the introduction offers many interesting facts and trends that set the stage for our need to adapt to the changing world around us… which leads into our need for direction, priorities, creativity, fanbase, and focus… these are not new topics but it was refreshing to have them discussed in new ways because these types of books can become repetitive…

Jolt! manages to avoid the stereotypes and offer real, personal advice to help motivate and navigate the twists and turns of life… it’s spiritual without being condescending, practical without being simplistic, and motivational without being trite… also of note, the quotes interspersed throughout the pages complement the message nicely and really add value to the book… all in all, a great read – one that’s hard to put down when you’re reading and harder to walk away from without changing…

-from trudatmusic.com/raw

[Andy Mitchell]

The author, Phil Cooke, may be a successful TV producer.

But I don’t find him a compelling author.

My impression is that Mr. Cooke was expecting to serve up a book full of nuggets of worldy wisdom, grounded in a Biblical perspective and seasoned with a career in Hollywood.

Unfortunately, on many occasions, the author’s vignettes and interpretations came across as a bit shallow and misguided.

For instance, in “Jolt #7,” we read about a TV soundman who caught a vision to advance in his career. However, this process put a strain on his marriage because of new responsibilities and opportunities for travel. Mr. Cooke criticizes the soundman’s wife for being upset about her husband’s new responsibilities and frames this interaction as manipulative and short-sighted.

But I see the wife’s point-of-view and think that it is questionable that her concerns were all inappropriate and manipulative.

The layout and structure of the book are very interesting. If you read the chapter titles, section headers, and quotes (found on nearly every page), then you may find this book worth an hour of your time.

Otherwise, I’d suggest you pass.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Television producer and social media guru, Phil Cooke shares in this book his methods to keep up with an ever changing world, while maintaining your integrity, and how to take control of your life, personally and in business.
In the introduction, the author gives us statistics and information on how the internet, social media and technology have changed our world and lives. The chapters are written on topics such as: change, setting priorities, personal growth, creativity, and confidence; just to name a few. Basically, 25 "points" to help those needing a change in direction in life.
The book does present Biblical principles to good living, somewhat discreetly written in "laymen" terms; in other words, not stressing religion.
Personally, I found nothing new here. I have read these topics written by many authors in many books. The most I learned, of new information, was just in the introduction section. Although recommended by many high profile people in many facets of industry, I expected much more from an author with such education and credentials. I found it to be average.
I have been provided with a copy on this book in exchange for my honest review from Booksneeze.com.

[Lenore Webb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jolt! is quite relevant for today's world. It seems to have a non-stop go switch on. Not much in pause these days. And it becomes very overwhelming for most of us. This year there was the “Disconnect to Reconnect,” the 24-hour challenge that asked dads to unplug on Father’s Day this last year. To turn off all cell phones, computers, video games and the such. Instead to connect with their families for the whole day. And to realize the difference in life when we are not 'plugged' in. I feel that some when I am doing this house/dog sitting. Why? Well our cell phones do not reach out there. And even with my lil pink net book I feel like not being on as much. It is small and takes more time. Instead I find that I sit back, read, unwind and take pleasure in the day. The way it should be at home!

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cooke’s Jolt provides an interesting approach to the common self-help themes of creating priorities, leading by helping others, and staying focused in today’s busy world. Cooke presents a list of 25 jolts, or action steps, that readers should take to lead a more purposeful life. The examples Cooke provides pull from his experiences as a successful producer in Hollywood, as a husband, and as a father of two grown daughters. Cooke’s tie-ins to the movie business are intriguing and provide a refreshing array of real world experiences to connect the ideas behind the 25 “jolts” and the promised desired outcomes.

The publisher sent me a complimentary copy of this book through BookSneeze®, but all opinions stated are honest and true.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best idea I got from this book was leveraging 15-minute time-frames:

"A few years ago, I started focusing my time on quick but positive goals. For instance, before, if I had fifteen minutes with nothing to do, I would assume it wasn't enough time to accomplish anything, so I would just chat with someone or get a soft drink from the kitchen. But once I began managing my time, I was amazed to learn just how much can be done in fifteen minutes. I could clean my desk, organize my files, edit a magazine article, make a phone call, back up my computer, jot down some creative new ideas, and more. With just little snippets of time, I can now harvest enormous productivity." - Phil Cooke

"Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least." -- Goethe

[Stephen]

Great read and easy to follow. I loved the revelations of truth. Phil has a great way of presenting the truth of Christ and allowing the reader to come to the same conclusions without foxing a faith in Christ.

A must read for all who want to influence this society of people. Life changes and is changing at a more rapid pace than ever. Many of the truths taught in this book will allow you to see trhoug the eyes of this generation. It never makes one generation better than another but allows the reader to understand, adapt and interact better!

[Bledar · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a very good book. I would have liked him to have less quotes from people and more Bible verses, but it makes sense when I remind myself of the target of his book. He made mention of books on self-help, yet his to me was like one of them. I have a lot of notes from the book, shared info on facebook and shared the book with a Christian who studies movie direction in university.

[Rick · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was more about personal growth than managing change. Nothing really new. I had an opportunity to hear him live. That medium worked, the book not so much.

[Peter]

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