The Human Brand

In a world in which it often seems that price dictates almost all of our economic decisions, Malone, a marketing executive, and Fiske, a psychologist, provide compelling evidence that what really matters is our perception of a company's warmth and competence. Sean Runnette is a wise choice as narrator of this work. His voice has the warmth and gentleness of a compassionate counselor or therapist. The work is a tad repetitive despite its brevity, but the many anecdotes recounted by Runnette bring out the subtleties of the authors' important ideas. Overall, the work is insightful not only for those who create and market products and services but also for all of us who consume them. D.B. (c) AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine