One reason people hire The Lively Merchant is because we help them do things they need to do and want to do, but don’t have time to do. One way we do this is by providing insights and reviews of new research and resources so you can decide if they are useful tools to apply to your business:
“The X and Y of Buy” by Elizabeth Pace is entertaining. Her work is simple; it is easy to read and the research is easy to follow. Pace does a nice job showing the differences between men and women without copying from thousands of other titles on the subject. She attempts to dig into the science behind men and women and straddle the issues of right and wrong.
To me, the science Pace presents is a little soupy and weak. It is likely because of my personality type, but I didn’t care for her stab at connecting the science at some emotional level.
I was reminded of “The Soccer Mom Myth” by Michelle Miller and Holly Buchanan in the few hours it took me to read the book. Frankly, while I liked “The X and Y of Buy” just fine, I thought Soccer Mom brought more to the reader.
Overall, the book was a fun, easy read. If you’re looking for a book to help you communicate more effectively, “X and Y” is a good choice. But if you’re looking for a book to increase your sales, “X and Y” is marginal. For serious solutions to serious problems, this wasn’t the book for me. I’d give it two stars.