Ries, A., & Trout, J. (2001). Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education. Central Theme In the book Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind Jack Trout and Al Ries outline primary issues that can frequently occur in the sphere of communication, not only in business but in all aspects of life within the society. There is a pattern of the American Society that is based on the fact that yearly society sends more and more information but receives less and less. The concept of positioning is defined as an improved version of communication that performs well for all layers of everyday life: people, businesses, products, and services. Positioning is usually best achieved when a person creates a particular place in the mind for a particular prospect. A bright example of this is presented in the book. For instance, Al Ries and Jack Trout pose a question to their readers about the first pilot to fly over the Atlantic Ocean. The first person to fly over the Atlantic was Charles Lindbergh; however, there is very little information about the second person to do the same. Even if the skills of the second pilot exceeded the ones, Charles Lindbergh, he was remembered since the first person to fly over the Atlantic managed to make a permanent position in the mind of the society. The same principle is applied in the sphere of marketing. A company should choose a material that will be appropriate for capturing a primary spot in the mind of people. However, the business should not look for solutions to a particular product in the product itself it should put a primary focus on looking for solutions to a product in the mind of prospective clients. Thus, there should be a major emphasis put on the perceptions of potential clients. Furthermore, it is crucial to remember that the message should always be shorter since the rapid pace of modern lifeless is always more. The authors also discussed the importance of timing when it comes to positioning and communication. They outline the fact that there is rarely a second chance for a company to make a lasting first impression that will stay in the mind of a prospective client. Thus, in business or life in general, it should not occur if one party is not ready to make a lasting impression on another. In addition, the place and time for making a lasting impression also play a crucial part in the strategy of positioning. Lastly, it is also important to note that information is best perceived by different individuals if it corresponds to their point of vies. Trout and Ries provide an example of the Democrats and the Republicans reading the same material and using the same passages to support their opinions that vary significantly. Critical Analysis For a person that is a professional in the sphere of marketing Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind is not a necessary reading material since the examples provided are quite simple. However, what can be beneficial for marketers are the stories of how various companies deal with their business-related issues. On the other hand, the ideas and concepts presented in the book will be compelling for a general reader. In order to critically analyze the contents of the book, it is important to outline key lessons and analyze them. The primary points include:   * The brand is not what the company says it is but what a customer says it is.   * There is too much communication in modern society.   * Changing one’s mind is a complicated task.   * If there is no success in a particular category, ma