Stephen King says that if you want to be a writer, there are two things you must do: read a lot and write a lot. This is about the “read a lot” part. I include reading lists and book reviews that will help you do business more effectively and write better for business.
In this post, I point you to reviews of Breathe To Succeed: Increase Workplace Productivity, Creativity, and Clarity through the Power of Mindfulness, Everyday Chaos: Technology, Complexity, and How We’re Thriving in a New World of Possibility, Connected Strategy: Building Continuous Customer Relationships for Competitive Advantage, The Art of Noticing: 131 Ways to Spark Creativity, Find Inspiration, and Discover Joy in the Everyday, and Think Like Amazon: 50 1/2 Ideas to Become a Digital Leader. Plus there are summer reading recommendations from Greg Satell.
From Skip Prichard: Breathe to Succeed
“In her new book, Breathe to Succeed, Sandy Abrams talks about how to utilize the power of breath & mindset tools in a simple, fast & effective way that helps us enhance clarity, creativity, productivity & success on many levels. I reached out to her to talk about her experiences and research.”
From Bob Morris: Everyday Chaos
“As David Weinberger suggests, ‘The aim of this book is to reveal a shift that explains many of the changes around us in business, our personal lives, and our institutions…to examine the before and after these changes in particular domains of our lives, even though in most instances we have not yet reached the full ‘after’…[while] we are living through a deep change in our understanding of ourselves and our world.'”
From Wharton: Using a Connected Strategy to Gain a Competitive Advantage
“In an increasingly competitive marketplace, it’s no longer good enough for company to sell a product through a simple, one-time transaction with shoppers they may never see again. Businesses can create more value for themselves and their customers if they learn to develop a connected strategy. That’s the message from Wharton professors Nicolaj Siggelkow and Christian Terwiesch in their new book, Connected Strategy: Building Continuous Customer Relationships for Competitive Advantage. By leveraging technology, firms can gain more intimate knowledge of their customers, even anticipating and fulfilling their purchasing needs before the customers themselves know what they are. Siggelkow, a management professor, and Terwiesch, a professor of operations, information and decisions, are co-directors of the Mack Institute for Innovation Management.”
From Bill Taylor: To Come Up with Better Ideas, Practice Paying Attention
“Rob Walker, a veteran columnist and design teacher with an eye for the creative side of life, has just published a delightfully instructive book called The Art of Noticing, meant to help people see the world differently. The most creative among us, he says, ‘notice what everybody else overlooks,’ which is why he challenges his students to ‘practice paying attention.’ He wants them to reflect on ‘what they notice, what they miss, why it matters, and how to become better, deeper, and more original observers of the world.’”
From Michael McKinney: 5 Leadership Lessons: Think Like Amazon
“Former Amazon executive, John Rossman provides 50½ ideas that have worked for Amazon and can help you succeed in the digital age in Think Like Amazon. He writes, ‘Jeff Bezos and Amazon have a remarkably consistent way to approaching and meeting challenges, operating their business and technology, and thinking about new ideas, markets, and growth.’ All 50 ideas are a great look behind the scenes. They all may not work for you off-the-shelf, but the principles can be applied anywhere.”
From Greg Satell: Summer Reading List: 17 Books That Will Inspire You To Change The World
“Summer is finally here! Time to break out the sunblock, beach towels and get some time to relax. If you’re anything like me, it’s also a time to get some serious reading done. There’s just something about laying out in the sun that makes the pages turn faster and helps information to sink in.”
Reading recommendations are a regular feature of this blog. Want more recommendations about what to read? Check out my Three Star Leadership blog, Michael McKinney’s LeadingBlog, and Skip Prichard’s Leadership Insights.