Marketing for Scientists: How to Shine in Tough Times, Marc J. Kuchner, Island Press, Washington, DC, 2012. $19.95 (236 pp.). ISBN 978-1-59726-994-0
I have a rule for movies and books: Movies must capture my attention within 15 minutes, and books must engage me within 50 pages. Because I made a commitment to review Marc Kuchner’s Marketing for Scientists: How to Shine in Tough Times, I laid aside my rule and I was pleasantly surprised; it did improve.
Aspects of Marketing for Scientists rubbed me the wrong way. Right away Kuchner tells us about his interests in country music and songwriting. Those topics were not my primary concern; for me, the references to them were a distraction. Moreover, the off-topic, wordy references are interspersed throughout the book, making it much longer than necessary. Of course, if you are an aspiring musician and scientist, the book is perfect for you. Kuchner also makes a lot of glib comments about people, and scientists in particular, that make them seem self-centered and shallow. I often disagreed with those comments and found them to be a real turnoff.
According to the book’s website, Marketing for Scientists is devoted to helping scientists use business and marketing techniques and tools “like branding, salesmanship, and social media . . . to win jobs and grants, improve the culture of science, and help shape the public debate.” A lot of Kuchner’s advice is useful, and because of the way the chapters are divided, it will be easy for readers to pick and choose the topics that most interest them.
Much of the advice is common-sense basic psychology. For example, on page 46, Kuchner describes how to greet someone: “The formula includes pausing to make eye contact before you smile.” On page 53, he explains how a scientist can be more effective when attending networking events: “I try to keep an eye out for the new people.” And on page 57, he reminds readers that it feels good to receive praise: ”I’ve found that giving my colleagues a little bit of well-timed, vigorous attention can go a long way.” Okay, it sounds a bit calculating, but in our busy lives, we sometimes forget that compliments and encouragement can really help others to feel acknowledged, accepted, and included. Besides, it is important to celebrate successes, even if they are not our own. Although the book contains an overwhelming set of marketing approaches and references, Kuchner provides a succinct table (on page 96) that illustrates ineffective versus effective marketing techniques. An astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Kuchner also demonstrates a good sense of the culture of the scientific community.
Some parts of the book are stellar. Kuchner reached out to obtain input and quotes from key people in the know, including Anne Kinney, a division director at NASA, and Nell Greenfieldboyce, a science correspondent for National Public Radio. I particularly enjoyed the section in chapter 9 that discusses the types of figures to use in grant proposals and presentations. According to Kuchner, the “beautiful butterfly figure” is just to grab the reader’s attention; the “family portrait figure” sums up the contributions of everyone else in the field; and the “Jenny Craig figure,” the before-and-after photo, is essential to illustrate “an example of what they can expect.” I also found his characterization of proposal blunders (on page 129) both hilarious and helpful. If you are only going to read one section of the book, read “Crowdsourcing and citizen science” in chapter 14, which is concerned about marketing science itself.
In terms of career-development generally, I would recommend A PhD Is Not Enough! A Guide to Survival in Science (2nd edition, Basic Books, 2011) by Peter Feibelman and Becoming Leaders: A Handbook for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (NSERC/Petro-Canada, 2002) by F. Mary Williams and Carolyn Emerson. The former is interesting for scientists at many levels, not just graduate students. The latter is, for the most part, equally applicable to men as it is to women and is packed with information covering a broader scope than Feibelman’s book. The book that’s next in line for me to read is The Black Academic’s Guide to Winning Tenure—Without Losing Your Soul (Lynne Rienner, 2008) by Kerry Ann Rockquemore and Tracey Laszloffy.
Readers of Marketing for Scientists have to keep things in perspective—if you did everything suggested in the book, no time would remain for research. And does anyone really need a logo? However, if you or your accomplishments are consistently overlooked, then maybe you need to heed some of its advice, not just to survive but to flourish.
