Book Review: Collapse of Distinction

Collapse of Distinction by Scott McKain is a helpful business strategy book with practical applications to ministry. McKain cites the recent trend in the business world to duplicate products between competitors, with only minor tweaks or price being the only difference between products. This “collapse of distinction” between products makes the consumer focus on only one difference: price.

McKain challenges the reader to revive the art of distinction between competing products. Distinction is the only way to get noticed these days, and true distinction helps promote innovation. Creating distinction is done by focusing on the four main qualities of distinction: Clarity, Creativity, Communication, and Customer-Experience Focus. Throughout the book, McKain challenges his audience to embrace these four qualities in order to create a truly innovative and distinct product.

As a part of Thomas Nelson’s Nelsonfree product line, this book provides readers with additional formats with which to experience the book. You simply go to the Nelsonfree website, enter in your contact info and the book’s info, and you are then able to download electronic and audio formats of the book. Three different ebook formats are available (PDF, mobiPocket, and epub), making the book available on Sony eReaders and Kindles, as well as your computer. The PDF version of the book is clear, easy to read, and fully searchable. The audio files are mp3s and are fully compatible with your computer and music player.

Overall, Collapse of Distinction was a good read. While geared mainly for the business community, this book does have some application for ministry. Churches and ministries should not view other ministries as competition, but rather as teammates serving in the Kingdom. But ministry leaders should always be looking for new ways of innovating and improving their ministry in order to better reach the unchurched. McKain’s Four Qualities of Distinction (Clarity, Creativity, Communication, and Customer-Experience Focus) are all traits that help make a ministry more effective. Rating: 3.5/5