Seth Godin continues his writings that encourage the disruption of the status quo in his latest book, The Icarus Deception. This book, like much of his writing is about ignoring the old rules.
In The Icarus Deception, Godin is talking about the old rules that told you to play it safe, and sticking to things in your comfort zone. These are the rules of compliance.
Godin challenges readers to avoid becoming cogs in the machine" and encourages them to be disruptive. He says there is a new truth: It’s better to be sorry than safe.
Godin preaches that the world we now live in is about art, not compliance. He explains why true innovators focus on trust, remarkability, leadership, and stories that spread. And he makes a passionate argument for why you should be treating your work as art. He argues that art is an attitude, available to anyone who has a vision that others don’t, and the guts to do something about it.
To work like an artist means investing in the things that scale: creativity, emotional labor, and grit. The path of the artist isn’t for the faint of heart—but Godin shows why it’s your only chance to stand up, stand out, and make a difference.
The book is now widely available (buy here) but was originally introduced with a Kickstarter campaign this past summer, part of his hybrid method of building and leveraging a tribe to publish and distribute books.
