Knock The Hustle.

Little late in getting some reviews done. Sue me. Knock The Hustle is the latest book I’ve been meaning to write up. Truth be told, my ADD kicks in and I end up starting a bunch of books and not finishing any. Apologies to Hadji, but it just takes me a long time to read books these days.

So of course, as I usually say: read this book. (Sorry, I’m pass-fail like that. I either like something or I don’t.) Billed as a way to save your job and your life from corporate America, Knock The Hustle offers another great POV on the advertising world. That’s what I like about the books I’ve reviewed on advertising, each has its own unique voice and perspective.

Knock has a couple of really nice themes in it. For me, the main one has to be the focus on ethics and morals. It’s the only book I’ve read that does so, especially to this degree, and it’s something schools need to teach, not just more of, but teach in the first place.

From the get, this book chronicles Hadji Williams rise to the advertising world from the streets of Chicago, another common theme throughout. He likes to say game recognizes game. Well, it does. We are in the business of selling, summed up nicely:

“This is how we do; this is how we breath; this is how we live. Birds fly; cheetahs run fast; we sell.”

And there are a lot of hustlers trying to sell us on things.

This is a solid book on the personalities you meet in advertising, ones who parallel those Hadji knew coming up on the streets. I would definitely recommend this book to all students for that reason alone. It’s almost like the National Audubon Field Guide to Spotting Assholes, because they are ALL here. And so are the good guys. The ones who work their ass off only to be passed over time after time.

The other thing you notice is how much God informs so much of Hadji’s approach to life. That’s not a knock, just sayin. It’s refreshing. Not many people reveal things like that in business. The small passages from the Bible that end each chapter serve to highlight the writing that preceded it. As do the rap lyrics at the beginning of each chapter. It’s clear Hadji knows both worlds, and both worlds greatly affect where he’s coming from.

You also can’t read this either without seeing how much of a problem race is in the advertising world and how much that affected his life as well. If diversity hearings and the other articles around now raising awareness about race issues aren’t enough, Hadji lays it down from his perspective.

All the meetings where he was brought in to make campaigns more ‘urban’ (read: more black). Don’t think this book is Hadji goin’ off on a militant revolution. If you think it doesn’t happen, you probably have no clue. Happens. All. The. Time. I’ve been in those meetings.

If it makes you happy, forget race. Forget issues of religion. This book stands on its own as a map through the minefield of office politics. Will you remain unscathed in that world? Probably not, none of use do. But you’ll have a far better chance of survival if you know what to look out for.

You can order the book through Amazon here and also reach Hadji at his site here.

Tags: advertising, Knock The Hustle, brands, Hadji Williams