Only here can the truth be so fantastic. The Midrust, those places part Midwest and part Rust Belt, holds thousands of stories waiting to be uncovered and documented.
Ephemera and travel are a magical combination. Along my journey I have come across innumerable letters, maps, and discarded documents.
These, along with unexpected buildings and quizzical landmarks, have led to stories worth sharing.
Postmarked Akron
Akron, Ohio is truly a Midrust town. For a thirty year period in the 1900s it was the fastest growing city in America, and during that time the number of postcards sent to and from Akron was staggering. Lost in all of these postcards are remarkable stories – the stories of presidents, actors, and athletes. More importantly, these postcards hold the stories of “common” people living “uncommon” lives.
The book includes over 200 postcards curated from my collection, and unlike other postcard books, I go beyond the picture on the front and explore the lives of the writers and senders.
You won’t believe what I’ve found.
Now available on Amazon.
The Lost Kingdom of Pittsburgh – A true Story of Art and Exile
Tucked in a quiet suburban neighborhood outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the end of a dead-end street lies the most remarkable structure – a Chinese paifang. This decaying, but still stunning arch, frames the driveway to a compound deep in the woods.
I discovered this paifang almost fifty years ago when I was a child. When I found that it was still standing a few years ago, I went looking for the story.
I never could have imagined that the tale would cover almost 150 years and nearly 8,000 miles and is formed at the intersection of the lives of a Chinese bishop on the run from Communist authorities, a Pittsburgh steel heiress, and a renowned artist.
The Midrust is never short of surprises.
Now available on Amazon.
Paper Legends and Lore – Stories From Scrapbooks
Long before the era of craft store-powered scrap books with color pages, fancy borders, and endless stencils and stamps, scrapbooks were simple volumes of black paper with pictures, clippings, and handwritten notations.
Sadly, as time went by, these scrapbooks were tucked away, and their authors passed away.
This is the true story of three remarkable scrapbooks: a family heirloom, an estate sale find, and a trash can rescue.
The stories are heartwarming, tragic, and strangely connected.
Coming in 2026
Before I headed into the Midrust, I tackled the world of
brand strategy, ecommerce, and emerging technology.
Friends with Features and Benefits
Social media is hot. It attracts lots of boardroom eyes, but not every company is doing it right.
Marketers must develop a fundamentally sound approach to social media and gain a grounded perspective on how social media relates to other marketing and business strategies. Readers will learn how to leverage social relationships, build teams, construct, plans and more.
Friends with Features and Benefits is the new social media handbook every marketer must own.
Slightware, The Next Great Threat to Brands
When businesses moved brands online in the ’90s the first step was simple brochureware. It didn’t work. Now, digital systems are becoming more pervasive, and a parallel epiphany has happened: Data, functionality, rules and models will not be enough to create, present, grow and preserve brands. Systems will need to be infused with the brand at their elemental level. Otherwise, they will simply exist as Slightware.
Slightware – The Next Great Threat to Brands is a must-read for branding practitioners, designers, marketers, technologists and user experience professionals.
Articles and Commentary
From cutting-edge e-commerce technology to pop culture to personal branding, I have written about it all. Every article is infused with expertise, insight, and humor. What sets my work apart is my ability to create interest and relevancy. Readers enjoy the history, anecdotes, and stories that is always woven into the subject matter.
What People Are Saying about Friends with Features and Benefits
“Down to earth, practical information that will help any marketer make much better use of the social media revolution. I highly recommend it.”
– Al Ries, best selling author of War in the Boardroom
“If marketing or business development is what you do, then reading Ken Weiss’ new book, Friends with Features and Benefits is a must! This book is one of the most insightful business books you’ll read. It’s thorough, interesting, easy to read, and clever. Spending time with Friends With Features and Benefits is the best investment you could make in your business this year. Ken’s done a great job!”
– Lon Safko, Author of The Social Media Bible & Fusion Marketing Bible
“A great look at the promises and pitfalls of social media. Real life examples, insightful concepts and easy-to-implement strategies give marketers the guidance they need to run successful social media programs.”
– Jim Kukral, Author of Attention, This Book Will Make You Money
“Ken shows that scoring with social is all about creating content that is worth spreading…that actually solves our customers pain points.”
– Joe Pulizzi, founder Content Marketing Institute and Author of Epic Content Marketing
What People Are Saying about Slightware, The Next Great Threat To Brands
“A thorough exploration of one of the most pressing problems in marketing: How to cope with the complexities of the digital world”
– Al Ries co-author, The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding and War in the Boardroom.
“Today, customers experience brands on their own terms and timetables. Perceptions are shaped by their experiences in the store, on the phone, or at the website. Brands must delight their customers through whatever interactive choices their customers make. Slightware is a user manual for the new age of electronic engagement. Read it and hope your competition doesn’t/”
– Paul Gillin author, The New Influences and Secrets of Social Media Marketing
Start a story together – ken@kennethjweiss.com
Follow me for daily postcards and stories from the Midrust Postcard Project.