Missive #272

33. THE WISDOM OF CAMELS

Nasruddin was in the coffeehouse with his friends, and the subject of camels came up. Specifically, they started arguing about whether camels were intelligent or not.

“Camels are very intelligent!” exclaimed Nasruddin. “In fact, I would say that camels are more intelligent than people are.”

“What makes you say so?” asked one of Nasruddin’s friends.

“A camel carries heavy loads, but he never asks for another load in addition to what he carries,” replied Nasruddin. “Most people, on the other hand, no matter how heavily burdened they might be already, are always eager to take on new obligations and responsibilities.”

This Tale is from “Tiny Tales of Nasruddin” by Laura Gibbs. The book is licensed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. © 2019-2022 Laura Gibbs.

Future economic growth lies in the value of experiences and transformations—goods and services are no longer enough. We are on the threshold, say authors Pine and Gilmore, of the Experience Economy, a new economic era in which all businesses must orchestrate memorable events for their customers. The Experience Economy offers a creative, highly original, and yet eminently practical strategy for companies to script and stage the experiences that will transform the value of what they produce.This is an interesting book that opened my mind to the possible future. It could be read as science fiction although the authors did not write it with that in mind. They are serious that this is the direction the economy will take. I have doubts. From America Online to Walt Disney, the authors draw from a rich and varied mix of examples that showcase businesses in the midst of creating personal experiences for both consumers and businesses. The authors urge managers to look beyond traditional pricing factors like time and cost, and consider charging for the value of the transformation that an experience offers. Goods and services, say Pine and Gilmore, are no longer enough. Experiences and transformations are the basis for future economic growth, and The Experience Economy is the script from which managers can begin to direct their own transformations. — Book promo @ goodreads.com

The temporary dental bridge is still uncomfortable but I hope that will go away in another day or two.

Have got back in the routine of walking the same route that I walked last May when I was here. Doing them at a little slower pace I think. Not feeling quite as energetic as I would like but not at the lethargic level. The temperatures are moving up with the mornings very pleasant but becoming ‘warm’ by the mid afternoon. I’m doing our second walk around 10:00 or 11:00 which is still relatively cool.