Book ~ "QR Codes Kill Kittens: How to Alienate Customers, Dishearten Employees, and Drive Your Business Into the Ground" (2013) Scott Stratten

From Goodreads ~ Experts are constantly telling us what we need to be doing to improve our businesses. Hundreds of books in the market are filled with advice from these experts. But how can you filter out all of the bad advice, misinformation, and misuse of business tools that is out there? None of us needs another list of what we should be doing. "QR Codes Kill Kittens" tells you what not to do. Easy to digest, easy to avoid. The book is separated into several sections, and each will include a story related to the topic in addition to tips and explanations on what not to do.

Includes real-life examples along with tips and guidance on experts, human resources, marketing/branding, networking (in person and online), public relations, and customer service.

It doesn't do you any good to do a few things right and a lot of things wrong. Find out what not to do. If reading this book saves just one kitten's life, it's worth it. 

I've read a couple books by Scott Stratten and find them interesting.  This book is about QR (quick response) codes, which is a kind of bar code.  To read them, you download a QR code-reading app which will allow you to scan the code.  It is supposed to take you to a website, download a link or take you to a mobile-friendly destination.  I've never downloaded a QR code-reading app so I haven't had the experience of seeing what happens when one does ... so I thought I'd see if I was missing out on anything.  As it turns out, Scott's not a fan of them.

There are four chapters, which are reasons for not using QR codes:

1. They don't work
2. Nobody likes them
3. They are selfish
4. They take up valuable time better spent elsewhere

Within the chapters are lots of examples of why/how not to use QR codes, plus other faux pas and Scott's commentary on them.  There are occasional lists of what causes a kitten to die ... like any time someone asks to have an original faxed over, not a copy, or whenever a company promotes from within without basing it on merit.

I liked the writing style.  It is very conversational, casual and amusing.  He seems like he'd be a fun guy to sit down and talk with.  I look forward to reading his other books and hope sometime to see one of his keynotes.