The Tipping Point has several strong examples of epidemics that Gladwell refers back to throughout his book, as he builds and elaborates on what make...moreThe Tipping Point has several strong examples of epidemics that Gladwell refers back to throughout his book, as he builds and elaborates on what make idea's 'tip' - this make the topics stick. The ideas presented challenge reasoning put forward by the media with factual and numerical data either for or against their reasoning. As ideas are presented we are offered not only the result (the "what") but ways to make our ideas follow suite and become trends or epidemics. This makes "The Tipping Point" not only a fascinating read & party talking point, but also a useful collection of information and supporting reasoning that may be used to better position whatever it is we're trying to pitch.(less)
I read Outliers after Gladwell's previously published 'The Tipping Point' and found many of the talking points & examples similar among the two bo...moreI read Outliers after Gladwell's previously published 'The Tipping Point' and found many of the talking points & examples similar among the two books. I can recommend either as a fascinating read that pushes us to look deeper into trends or reasoning behind abnormalities in data; however taking on both books may be redundant. Gladwell's masterful storytelling and capturing facts makes this difficult to put down, and sparks conversation among those whom have read it.(less)
"Old beliefs do not lead you to New Cheese" -- An excellent, easy read analogy which reinforces the concept of keeping your nose to the ground and to...more"Old beliefs do not lead you to New Cheese" -- An excellent, easy read analogy which reinforces the concept of keeping your nose to the ground and to anticipate change staying ahead of the game. We easily fall into a mindset of what we have will always be there; this is a good reminder to keep your eyes sharp and your mind open. A recommended, quick refresher story for anyone.(less)
I intentionally waited several months into my stay in India before reading this book & am very glad I did -- the smaller details or nuances that I...moreI intentionally waited several months into my stay in India before reading this book & am very glad I did -- the smaller details or nuances that I would have otherwise (and unknowingly) read over months before were far more prevalent once I better understood the culture hands on. The White Tiger's "no icing on the cake" method of presenting life in more rural communities, while keeping the tone humorous & true was a change and welcomed read in comparison to the many "Incredible India!" all-positives type of articles. Corruption, the (often misinterpreted) class system, unjust living or treatment conditions -- Adiga covers them all in an easy ready letter fashion story that you won't want to put down. Not-so Incredible India -- highly recommended.(less)
Moonwalking with Einstein walks us through our memory, how we store information and more importantly how we retrieve valuable, and in the case of mind...moreMoonwalking with Einstein walks us through our memory, how we store information and more importantly how we retrieve valuable, and in the case of mind competitions, often meaningless information. Joshua Foer raises intriguing touch points such as a how a typical mind works as compared to those with savant syndrome, and identifies that the storage ability is in all of us; however we�re not trained to recall them. I do however remember the 9 random things this book taught me how to store and retrieve � fascinating. Not necessarily a recommended book; however the topics have inspired me for some further reading.(less)
Although I do appreciate the occasional self development boost that Sharma often provides, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari came across as a low budget,...moreAlthough I do appreciate the occasional self development boost that Sharma often provides, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari came across as a low budget, quick book that attempts to hide a motivational speech behind a blatantly obvious & shallow story. The techniques & points being made weren't necessarily wrong -- don't let yourself sink into a world of negative thoughts, take time to plan ahead, eat healthy, etc. -- however the way in which these were presented came across as a cheap list of ToDo's opposed to an inspirational boost that I know he's able to provide.(less)
Forming, storming, norming & performing are team development groups that we should all be actively aware of. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team goes...moreForming, storming, norming & performing are team development groups that we should all be actively aware of. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team goes a step beyond this in identifying the vulnerabilities teams face in each of these phases & how to adjust leadership styles to accommodate and help achieve the ideal result of a highly effective team.
It's fast on delivering each point with examples being few, but overall context being well conveyed. This resulted in a quick, yet beneficial read.(less)
Success Built to Last takes a different approach on identifying 'success' and the characteristics of those that are deemed successful within their dom...moreSuccess Built to Last takes a different approach on identifying 'success' and the characteristics of those that are deemed successful within their domain or by there peers. This goes beyond money, fame or power and extends into overall impact, happiness and long term benefits of having a life that matters.
I highly recommend this book for it's examples and explanations of successful individuals, the overall different thinking patterns & paradigms, and for suggestions on how to assess & possibly alter one's own living style for greater, personal, life success.(less)
Highly Recommended! From those in marketing, project management, product design, engineering, etc. The Lean Startup is a brilliantly written book whic...moreHighly Recommended! From those in marketing, project management, product design, engineering, etc. The Lean Startup is a brilliantly written book which reinforces how iterative Agile type development, from concept through to creation, deployment, user feedback & analysis may be achieved, potential downfalls to be aware of and avoid, and examples on many of the challenges businesses face. For both startup organizations to larger corporations looking to introduce or better improve the value their product changes can offer, Eric Ries walks us through examples, techniques, and continually reinforces the message & value that Agile thinking brings with it. The Lean Startup goes beyond explaining Agile (for which there's little or no new revolutions identified in this book), and instead brings strong value as it ventures into execution, introduction of methodologies, and moving from simple strategy into actual results.(less)
A brilliant book which challenges the notion of talent and allows us to re-look at the possibility that maybe, "we can do X". There are solid examples...moreA brilliant book which challenges the notion of talent and allows us to re-look at the possibility that maybe, "we can do X". There are solid examples to help demonstrate the point; although towards the end of the book you'll find it becomes repetitive, raising those same examples in slightly different context adding little incremental value. Overall - a recommended read for those who are looking to expand their skill-set (business, sports, arts, wine tasting ... anything), grow within their current domain, or even to simply shed light on a different way of looking at and perceiving talent.(less)
Captivating topic, perfect examples & study dives, and excellent delivery – The Invisible Gorilla had my attention on page one and maintained it w...moreCaptivating topic, perfect examples & study dives, and excellent delivery – The Invisible Gorilla had my attention on page one and maintained it while Chabris & Simpons challenged my perception on how our minds capture & recall memories.
Right at the onset of an event, it’s remarkable how some artifacts one would assume to be obvious may be completely oblivious & never recorded. How we fill in the blanks (such as assuming a bookshelf was full of books), or don’t capture elements that you wouldn’t expect to be there (such as a giant red gorilla beating it’s chest on a basketball court). The Invisible Gorilla highlights how our minds deceive us, and leaves me with the takeaway to recognize that, as must as we want to believe that our memories are sound, we all have illusions. Recommended.(less)
A retrospective on how we position and sell our thoughts, our passions � both in personal & in business life. Focused on the latter, �Start wi...moreA retrospective on how we position and sell our thoughts, our passions � both in personal & in business life. Focused on the latter, �Start with Why� strips apart well-known businesses in an attempt to exemplify what works and why in regards to gaining both employee and customer loyalty. Understanding the reasons on why some initiatives are successful and others are not, from tangible as well as intangible, emotional points of view are well explained in Sinek�s book. Although repetitive at times, the overall concept with actionable takeaways makes this a recommended read.(less)
Great by Choice was a difficult & long read where the authors felt that iterating through full lists opposed to summarizing their conclusions woul...moreGreat by Choice was a difficult & long read where the authors felt that iterating through full lists opposed to summarizing their conclusions would help emphasise points -- it does not. Although having facts to frame & support a statement does help, running through absolutely every redundant figure opposed to using an appendix quickly took away from valuable statements and watered it down with unnecessary filler. You can however tell that a lot of research went behind Collins book, analysis with comparison companies over decades, finding similar characteristics between the winners while also challenging those concepts with competing companies to vet why something works in once scenario but not when applied to another. I do support his findings & therefore recommend "Great by Choice" (although I'd prefer a summary book if it existed). Having a consistent pace through bad times while not overexerting your self through the good, keeping cash on hand for those unforeseen situations, and what I feel is of most value: productive paranoia -- making quick, but well educated decisions with many supporting "what if" scenarios already thought through. A long read, but there are a handful of gems in here.(less)
A capturing read that focuses on facts and the outcomes of scientific studies in regards to how people subcutaneously react to words, images, group vs...moreA capturing read that focuses on facts and the outcomes of scientific studies in regards to how people subcutaneously react to words, images, group vs. individual dynamics, etc. Differences in cultures, real world examples with other companies or governments, and small recommendations to common practices were appreciated to help exemplify the facts. Being persuasive in a leadership context, without the direct managerial role coming into play, is an important characteristic for day to day life. Recommended. (less)
Written with the same author of, and with a same overall message to "Who Moved my Cheese," this is a short story to convey the lessons for how to deal...moreWritten with the same author of, and with a same overall message to "Who Moved my Cheese," this is a short story to convey the lessons for how to deal with change. Of the two, my recommendation is for Johnson's prior book (Who Moved my Cheese) as I felt it better conveyed the learnings - although both get their notes across.(less)
Patrick Lencioni does it again with his simple yet powerful messages. In storybook fashion he demonstrates four basic, uncomplicated & straight fo...morePatrick Lencioni does it again with his simple yet powerful messages. In storybook fashion he demonstrates four basic, uncomplicated & straight forward guidelines, directed in this book toward the executive team; however relevant for any person in a leadership (or desired leadership) role. The ideas, and more importantly, the significance behind them are reminders to what makes efficient, productive teams, and therefore companies. A highly recommended read.(less)
Written and based on Steve's life before his passing, this insiders, colleague written view of his morals, practices, and often stubborn-for-the-best-...moreWritten and based on Steve's life before his passing, this insiders, colleague written view of his morals, practices, and often stubborn-for-the-best-user-experience attitude is an excellent observational based reading on the work life of Steve Jobs. Given the explosion of since-released biographies, I'm interested in "Steve Jobs" (Walter Isaacson) as a comparison point for his life as reflected by many others. "The Steve Jobs Way" can be recommended as a glimpse into the man behind the Mac.(less)
We don't think how we think we think -- "Everything is Obvious" dives into how we interpret the world, make decisions, and how we are unknowingly infl...moreWe don't think how we think we think -- "Everything is Obvious" dives into how we interpret the world, make decisions, and how we are unknowingly influenced. Watts makes us reexamine simple decision making scenarios, and then with references to Gladwell's "The Tipping Point," add's additional layers of social or group of complexity. The controllable variables set out in lab tests often become irrelevant when we try to sell into our markets containing millions of other influences. Although some questions may be reproduced many times (batting hit averages for example), others simply cannot (such as invading a country). The information collected from our social networks adds new possibilities for understanding our target market which has been previously unavailable. A thought provoking & recommended read.(less)
Public parts is an excellent counter-argument to the strong privacy advocates surrounding the internet, social networks, facial recognition, and other...morePublic parts is an excellent counter-argument to the strong privacy advocates surrounding the internet, social networks, facial recognition, and other challenges within today's society. Jarvis presents his points of view in well written, non-emotional (often found in privacy articles) and factual manors, both challenging as well as complementing privacy concerns. He takes the perspectives from many cultures, looking at their history & diving into why different countries are pro or against various elements of the digital age.
As we're constantly bombarded with the negatives of these technologies, Javris' Public Parts is a recommended read to help broaden our understandings & talking points.(less)
The Book of Tells is an excellent introduction into behavioral patterns, identifying those 'tells' within office or personal situations, and explainin...moreThe Book of Tells is an excellent introduction into behavioral patterns, identifying those 'tells' within office or personal situations, and explaining potential root reasons for why those characteristics may have come to exist. It helps one assess others non-verbal thoughts (which are far greater than verbal communication alone) and react accordingly for greater overall collaboration, and ideally better 1:1 or 1:many team results.
Again, this is an introductory Book of Tells; however having some knowledge in the domain can certainly help build relationships and improve work, or non-work situations.(less)
I'm a strong supporter of challenging corporate procedures or rules to either better understand why they're there, or to "fix" things to suit the orga...moreI'm a strong supporter of challenging corporate procedures or rules to either better understand why they're there, or to "fix" things to suit the organizations true needs. However Jensen & Klein's book spent more time explaining that business hacks were okay with emphasis on trivial examples such as using Google Docs or digital receipt tracking opposed to sticking strongly to corporate tools. With an expectation for more enlightening, corporate sized, large value add mindshifts or more significant examples, the "Hacking Work - Breaking Stupid Rules for Smart Results" book was a disappointment. A quick read; however for those already questioning procedures in your organization, this book will be of little value add.(less)
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