I have been trying to read this book for many months. I've taken it on a good few airline flights and read all of it one way or another. But it's been a struggle. Because of the title I know I should love it. However, despite the author's well-meaning efforts, it failed to excite me.



Maybe the stupid cover illustrations got our relationship off on the wrong foot. (The back cover is similar to the front but with the cans on strings coming out of computer screens.) I realise the author may have had no say in this, but surely someone associated with the publication has heard Bill Quirke's little ditty that "information travels over wires but communication happens between the ears". Anyhow, screaming the strategy into a one way channel is not the way to go.



It's not that there is anything particularly "wrong" about the book. New practitioners may well find it helpful. It wanders around a vast number of aspects of internal communication and discusses each reasonably thoroughly in a paperback of 10 chapters over 179 pages. Lots of it is common sense, much is interesting, and there is the odd gem. The best part by far is a detailed five page table covering the features, advantages and disadvantages of various channels.



In short, it's not the wonderful guidebook to communication strategy I had anticipated. My suggestion is to have a careful look at the contents before you buy. It is well set out with subheadings, lists, tables and diagrams though. If you are interested in learning all about communicating strategy the guru is Lester Potter. His "The Communication Plan: The Heart of Strategic Communication" (Third edition, USD159 from IABC) may be a better bet.