David

David rated a book 4 of 5 stars

Rewire: Digital Cosmopolitans in the Age of Connection
by Ethan Zuckerman

read in May, 2013

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Ethan has crafted a beautiful, engaging book for all who seek to transcend the cultural, political, and linguistic barriers that history has placed between us. Unfortunately, I fear that those of us who aspire to global citizenship are a small and di...more

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The Origins of Political Order by Francis Fukuyama

The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution
by Francis Fukuyama

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Power from Experience by Paul Lawrence Haber

Power from Experience: Urban Popular Movements in Late Twentieth-Century Mexico
by Paul Lawrence Haber

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David is 45% done with Present Shock

Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now
by Douglas Rushkoff (Goodreads Author)

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Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
by Susan Cain (Goodreads Author)

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Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now
by Douglas Rushkoff (Goodreads Author)

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David rated a book 4 of 5 stars

Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty
by Daron Acemoğlu

read in April, 2013

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I first began to think seriously about economic development and political institutions as a student at UCSD in 2001. I had spent the previous year visiting over thirty different countries thanks to a ridiculously cheap round-the-world ticket. ($1,800...more

David rated a book 3 of 5 stars

The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen

The Innovator's Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book That Will Change the Way You Do Business
by Clayton M. Christensen

read in April, 2013

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This is one of the handful of business books that is regularly cited outside of business school. I have heard it referenced so many times -- most recently to explain the decline of print journalism and the rise of the Huffington Post -- that I decide...more This is one of the handful of business books that is regularly cited outside of business school. I have heard it referenced so many times -- most recently to explain the decline of print journalism and the rise of the Huffington Post -- that I decided it was time to finally read it myself.

That probably wasn't necessary. Christensen's framework for how innovation disrupts existing business models is pretty simple and can easily be summarized in a two-minute video. The only added value of reading the entire book is to delve deep into industry-specific case studies -- from the hard disk industry to a major change in big box discount retail stores -- to highlight how some companies adapt well to disruptive innovations (Apple is the best example) while others are caught unprepared, and die out (for example, Hewlett Packard).

In the news industry, the Atlantic is a great example of a print company that has adapted well; the Washington Post, not so much. (Last year Christensen co-authored a report titled Be The Disruptor, which applies his framework to the major changes taking place in the news industry.)

I also wanted to read this book because it is so closely related to Why Nations Fail, my next review. In The Innovator's Dillema, Christensen explains how single companies frequently kill off innovative products because powerful managers are fearful that new products will compete with their current best-selling products and services. In Robinson and Acemoglu's expansive thesis on why some nations are poor and others are rich, they apply the same model to lobbying and public policy. For example, the oil industry lobbies against electric cars, fearful that the innovation will reduce demand for oil. When wealthy lobbyists capture government agencies, a country becomes less equipped to adopt new innovations which drive new industries and create more jobs.

Like all business books, this one, too, suffers from the sort of bombastic prose that will cause students of literature to wince. Still, I'm glad that I read it, if only to ensure that the ideas stay with me.(less)

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David rated a book 4 of 5 stars Rewire: Digital Cosmopolitans in the Age of Connection by Ethan Zuckerman read in May, 2013	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Ethan has crafted a beautiful, engaging book for all who seek to transcend the cultural, political, and linguistic barriers that history has placed between us. Unfortunately, I fear that those of us who aspire to global citizenship are a small and di...more
May 19, 2013 10:50pm · see review
David wants to read The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution by Francis Fukuyama	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 19, 2013 10:47pm
David wants to read Power from Experience: Urban Popular Movements in Late Twentieth-Century Mexico by Paul Lawrence Haber	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 19, 2013 10:47pm
David is 45% done with Present Shock Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now by Douglas Rushkoff (Goodreads Author) progress:	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 19, 2013 10:47pm · like · see status
David is currently reading Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain (Goodreads Author)	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 11, 2013 10:06pm
David is currently reading Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now by Douglas Rushkoff (Goodreads Author)	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 11, 2013 10:05pm
David rated a book 4 of 5 stars Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by Daron Acemoğlu read in April, 2013	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I first began to think seriously about economic development and political institutions as a student at UCSD in 2001. I had spent the previous year visiting over thirty different countries thanks to a ridiculously cheap round-the-world ticket. ($1,800...more
May 06, 2013 02:42pm · see review
David rated a book 3 of 5 stars The Innovator's Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book That Will Change the Way You Do Business by Clayton M. Christensen read in April, 2013	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This is one of the handful of business books that is regularly cited outside of business school. I have heard it referenced so many times -- most recently to explain the decline of print journalism and the rise of the Huffington Post -- that I decide...more
Apr 28, 2013 11:25am · see review

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