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I've been meaning to post a short review on "The Power of Pull" -- one of the most interesting new books in the growing "enterprise 2.0" library -- but I had been debating what exactly to write.  For authors John Hagel, John Seely Brown, and Lang Davison have published a volume that on its face looks like one book, but in reality is actually two.

The first is aimed at the known world of business-book buyers who largely are interested in understanding the latest thinking in business theory or the businesses that exhibit best practices (e.g., "In Search of Excellence"). "Pull" -- which makes an elegant case for why businesses in the post digital/social need to rethink their entire approach to people (their staff, their partners, their customers) -- does not disappoint. The thesis, stated simply -- then rigorously illustrated -- is that "rather than individuals serving the needs of the institutions, our institutions will be recasted to serve the needs of individuals." And rather than continuing to spend massive amounts of energy and capital "pushing" toward individuals, businesses would be better off learning how to enable individuals to "pull."

With so much focus on the power of ever emerging power of the individual -- for which there is probably an historical, economic imperative (the more powerful the individual, the more powerful the business and economy) -- it's no surprise then that "Pull" also wants to fit the mold of an even older type of business book -- the self-help book ambitious business people. The most interesting sections of the book profile some of the tech world's most digitally and socially savvy players, and offer the readers tips on how they can be more like them. At times, "Pull" feels less like a book written by John Hagel and more like one written by Dale Carnegie ("How to Win Friends and Influence People"), but for a hipper, smarter, Web 2.0 crowd.

No matter -- "Pull" is worth the read, and the tendency to veer from big-business tome to self-help book simply belies the tension in this book that makes it so interesting. In a world where the individual is the thing, the individual becomes a worthy object in our search of excellence.  In fact, I see the potential for a post-2.0 book that exclusively focuses on that search.  We can thank the authors of "Pull" for that.  They very convincely make the case that now more than ever, business is personal.