Looking For Some Books To Read?
from the what-would-you-read? dept
In the last couple of months, for some reason, I’ve had more than a few people ask about what books they should read about business, technology and entrepreneurship. I keep meaning to put together a list — though, I recently realized I rarely read any of those types of books. I try to, but it’s rare I can find one that’s worthwhile. So, the good news is that Andy Kessler has come up with his own set of books worth reading (and those not worth reading) that does a good job covering the basics. The ones I’d add to his list are The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton Christensen and High Stakes, No Prisoners by Charles Ferguson for anyone who has started, or wants to start, their own company. Christensen’s books highlight some very important ideas about innovation trends that make sense once you read them — but still seem so difficult to recognize in practice (until, of course, it’s too late). Ferguson’s book has always struck me as one of the more honest books about starting up a company. Also, since Andy seems too modest to mention it — all three of his books are absolutely worth reading: Wall Street Meat, Running Money and How We Got Here. All three get extra points for not only being informative and insightful, but funny and entertaining at the same time — something not necessarily true of all the other worthwhile books out there. Of course, it’s amazing just how differently people can view the same book — and there are books that have been recommended to me over and over again that I read and wonder what the fuss is about — and I’m sure the same is true for books I recommend to people as well. So, it might be interesting to hear what books people here like… and why they found them useful.
Comments on “Looking For Some Books To Read?”
“What Color is Your Parachute” & “The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century”
Look everybody, it’s book recommendation time! Just in time for April, AKA “Book Review Month”.
The Hole in the Parachute
That book has been “recommended” for like 20 years — though I don’t see what the fuss is about. It asks very crude, simplistic questions about your interests, e.g. “Are you an outgoing person? Yes/No”
As if crude questions like that could tell us what we are cut out for? The book does not provide any insight into the less-publicized, but very marketable occupations out there; everything is just centered around “business”.
Business people seem to live in a bubble world of assuming that everyone wants to become a businessman, or start their own business, but that view is not shared by the majority of the population.
Celestine prophecy Series.
It’s by James Redfield and ends with “The Secret of Shambhala.”
The vision
Don Norman’s “The Design of Everyday Things”. I first read it nearly 20 years ago when it came out and it is still very apropos.
Don't read Blink
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell (he of Tipping Point fame) is a single idea re-iterated a million times. I was ‘Blink’ing just to stay awake. Over-hyped and everywhere, it’s poo. And it just……ends, suddenly, left hanging in the air…..
Save your money, here’s an exec summary: Trust Your Instincts. Nature has honed them for you over the millenia.
Lots of recommendations from tech CEOs on the CEO Book Group on my blog.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/maney/3_thursday_book_group/index.html
Bah!
Presenting Technical Ideas by W.A. Mambert
is more useful than the lot of them on the list.
Of course YMMV.
Anyone who mentions Malcolm Gladwell or his “overly simplified pop science for idiots” series of books is a moron.