Title: Little Bets
Author: Peter Sims
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: March 28, 2013
When was the book published: 2011
Main Characters: My daughter Jenny pointed me toward this book. It is a great presentation of how taking lots of small steps is much better than trying to plan a giant perfect step. You have to learn how to accept failure. You have to learn how to be playful to be creative. You have to look for Problems, and recognize that Questions are the new answers. You have to learn from a lot, be inquisitive, get lots of viewpoints, take in all kinds of opinions. You have to learn to listen to the experts (the early adopters, the evangelists) as well. You have to look for small wins. People who view setbacks as learning can succeed with this approach. Praise people not for their intelligence but for their hard work, and they will be much more open to grow and explore.
What happens? Most writers are used to writing a really bad first draft. Just write it and get it out of the way. Constraints are necessary for creativity (i.e. the architect.)
How long was this? 150 pages plus resources
Did I like this? Top notch, the stories did not always match or were a bit too obvious. Really recommended for my college student kids.
Overall grade: A-
Further Readings and Resources
Daniel Coyle - The Talent Code
Carol Dweck - Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
Leander Kahney - Inside Steve's Brain
Daniel Pink - A Whole New Mind
David Price - The Pixar Touch
TED - Ken Robinson Says Schools Kill Creativity
TED - Elizabeth Gilbert - creative process
Henry Chesborough - Open Innovation
Clayton Christensen - The Innovator's Dilemna
Jim Collins - How the Mighty Fall
Jim Collins and Jerry Porras - Built to Last
Peter Drucker - Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Jeffry Liker - The Toyota Way
Everett ROgers - Diffusion of Innovation
Keith Sawyer - Group Genius
Robert Sternberg - Handbook of Creativity
Eric von Hippel - The Sources of Innovation
David Bayles and Ted Orland - Art + Fear
Mihaly Csikzentmilhalyi - Creativity
Edward de Bono - Lateral Thinking
John Maeda - The Laws of Simplicity
Patricia Stokes - Creativity from Constraint
James Webb Young - A Technique for Producing Ideas
Tim Brown - Change by Design
Tom Kelley - The Art of Innovation (IDEO)
Roger Martin - The Design of Business
Bill Moggridge - Designing Interactions
Adam Richardson - Innovation X
Scott Belsky - Making Ideas Happen
Jason Fried and David Heinemeir Hansson - Rework
Greg Gianforte and Marcus Gibson - Bosstrappping your Business
Muhammad Yunas and Alan Jolis - Banker to the Poor
Frans Johansson - The Medici Effect
A.G. Lafley and Ram Charam - The Game-Changer
Riat McGrath and Ian MacMillan - Discovery-Driven Growth
Joshua Cooper - The Age of the Unthinkable
Peter Senge - The Fifth Element
Nassim Taleb - The Black Swan
Stefan Thomke - Experimentation Matters
Michael Tushman and Charles O'Reilly - Winning Through Innovation
Carl von Clausewitz - On War
Twitter feeds
@brainpicker, @conanobrien,@frogdesign,gruber,harvardbiz
ideo,nntale, orenjacob
techcrunch,sirkenrobinson,stanfordschool,the99percent,ycombinator
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
The Rage by Gene Kerrigan
Title: The Rage
Author: Gene Kerrigan
Did I listen or read?: softcover, donated by Sabine
When did I finish?: March 20, 2013
When was the book published: 1998 (2011 edition)
Main Characters: Sergeant Bob Tidey, good samaritan Maura Coady, bad guy Vincent Naylor, his brother, Noel, partners-in-crime Kevin Broe and Liam Delayney, his partner Rose Cheney, criminal boss Mickey Kavanagh
What happens? Maura notices a car being left as a getaway car, and Vincent's brother gets nailed in the cross fire, and Vincent goes into The Rage to avenge him. The crime is pretty well planned - Vincent gets all the security detail from an armored car guy, kidnaps a different guy, and they steal 3 or 4 drops before they quit.
How long was this? 293 pages
Did I like this? OK, interesting look at Ireland, characters were interesting, plot was not great
Overall grade: B
Author: Gene Kerrigan
Did I listen or read?: softcover, donated by Sabine
When did I finish?: March 20, 2013
When was the book published: 1998 (2011 edition)
Main Characters: Sergeant Bob Tidey, good samaritan Maura Coady, bad guy Vincent Naylor, his brother, Noel, partners-in-crime Kevin Broe and Liam Delayney, his partner Rose Cheney, criminal boss Mickey Kavanagh
What happens? Maura notices a car being left as a getaway car, and Vincent's brother gets nailed in the cross fire, and Vincent goes into The Rage to avenge him. The crime is pretty well planned - Vincent gets all the security detail from an armored car guy, kidnaps a different guy, and they steal 3 or 4 drops before they quit.
How long was this? 293 pages
Did I like this? OK, interesting look at Ireland, characters were interesting, plot was not great
Overall grade: B
Running the Books by Avi Steinberg
Title: Running the Books
Author: Avi Steinberg
Did I listen or read?: softcover, purchased by Mom from Amazon, first read by Paul
When did I finish?: March 10, 2013 ??
When was the book published: 2010
Main Characters: Avi Steinberg, prison librarian
What happens? young harvard grad (formerly orthodox jew) has no direction to his life, so he takes a job as the prison librarian. He tells the tale of his many adventures there, where both men and women are housed, where "kites" are letters stored inside the library for others to read. He has trouble with the guards, and with the prisoners, and tells his story.
How long was this? 398 pages
Did I like this? Pretty good, rambles a bit, but a fascinating look at a place where a book (or a floppy disk) can be made into a weapon.
Overall grade: B+
Author: Avi Steinberg
Did I listen or read?: softcover, purchased by Mom from Amazon, first read by Paul
When did I finish?: March 10, 2013 ??
When was the book published: 2010
Main Characters: Avi Steinberg, prison librarian
What happens? young harvard grad (formerly orthodox jew) has no direction to his life, so he takes a job as the prison librarian. He tells the tale of his many adventures there, where both men and women are housed, where "kites" are letters stored inside the library for others to read. He has trouble with the guards, and with the prisoners, and tells his story.
How long was this? 398 pages
Did I like this? Pretty good, rambles a bit, but a fascinating look at a place where a book (or a floppy disk) can be made into a weapon.
Overall grade: B+
Friday, March 22, 2013
This Body of Death by Elizabeth George
Title: This Body of Death
Author: Elizabeth George
Did I listen or read?: audible book
When did I finish?: March 19, 2013
When was the book published: 2012 I think
Main Characters: Gordon Josey, Gina Dickens. Isabelle Audry the drinking acting superintendent, Barbara Havers, Jemima Hastings, brother Rob, friend Merideth, twisted cop Whiting, Frazier Chaplain, the psychic lady, Winston Nkata, the three boys who took the little boy, psychotic Japanese brother of the famous cellist
What happens? Jemimah leaves Gordon without explanation. She is murdered. Audry takes over the acting super role, recruits Lynley to return to after his wife's death.
How long was this? 24 hours of audio
Did I like this? Great story, well done, great characters, intense plot, and I didn't have a guess about the secret mystery. Just really long...
Overall grade: A-
Author: Elizabeth George
Did I listen or read?: audible book
When did I finish?: March 19, 2013
When was the book published: 2012 I think
Main Characters: Gordon Josey, Gina Dickens. Isabelle Audry the drinking acting superintendent, Barbara Havers, Jemima Hastings, brother Rob, friend Merideth, twisted cop Whiting, Frazier Chaplain, the psychic lady, Winston Nkata, the three boys who took the little boy, psychotic Japanese brother of the famous cellist
What happens? Jemimah leaves Gordon without explanation. She is murdered. Audry takes over the acting super role, recruits Lynley to return to after his wife's death.
How long was this? 24 hours of audio
Did I like this? Great story, well done, great characters, intense plot, and I didn't have a guess about the secret mystery. Just really long...
Overall grade: A-
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Strong Vengeance by Jon Land
Title: Strong Vengeance
Author: Jon Land
Did I listen or read?: Library Book
When did I finish?: March 13, 2013
When was the book published: 2012
Main Characters: Caitlin Strong, D.W. Tepper, Cort Wesley Masters, Teofilo Brago, Mr. Jones (CIA)
What happens? Caitlin saves a bunch of schoolkids by killing a sniper, gets benched, and while benched, stumbles on an oil rig with 24 dead workers. Terrorists and hazardous waste form a threat to the U.S. Cort Wesley starts off stuck in a Mexican prisoner fighting for his life. D.W. relives a case in Galveston from 30 years ago that Caitlin's father and grandfather could not solve.
How long was this? 346 pages
Did I like this? Pretty good story, the Texas Ranger self righteous thing gets a little bit old, but a good plot that weaves the past and the present works well.
Overall grade: B
Author: Jon Land
Did I listen or read?: Library Book
When did I finish?: March 13, 2013
When was the book published: 2012
Main Characters: Caitlin Strong, D.W. Tepper, Cort Wesley Masters, Teofilo Brago, Mr. Jones (CIA)
What happens? Caitlin saves a bunch of schoolkids by killing a sniper, gets benched, and while benched, stumbles on an oil rig with 24 dead workers. Terrorists and hazardous waste form a threat to the U.S. Cort Wesley starts off stuck in a Mexican prisoner fighting for his life. D.W. relives a case in Galveston from 30 years ago that Caitlin's father and grandfather could not solve.
How long was this? 346 pages
Did I like this? Pretty good story, the Texas Ranger self righteous thing gets a little bit old, but a good plot that weaves the past and the present works well.
Overall grade: B
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Killer Weekend by Ridley Pearson
Title: Killer Weekend
Author: Ridley Pearson
Did I listen or read?: audio book from Richard D.
When did I finish?: Jan 31
When was the book published:
Main Characters: Walt the sheriff
What happens? A woman running for president (current attorney general) is going to be assassinated by a clever professional killer posing as a blind iconoclast attending the conference where she is to announce her candidacy.
How long was this? 8 hours?
Did I like this? Yeah this was a good story, good plot, believable.
Overall grade: B or B+
Author: Ridley Pearson
Did I listen or read?: audio book from Richard D.
When did I finish?: Jan 31
When was the book published:
Main Characters: Walt the sheriff
What happens? A woman running for president (current attorney general) is going to be assassinated by a clever professional killer posing as a blind iconoclast attending the conference where she is to announce her candidacy.
How long was this? 8 hours?
Did I like this? Yeah this was a good story, good plot, believable.
Overall grade: B or B+
The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler
Title: The Hypnotist
Author: Lars Kepler
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: March 3, 2012
When was the book published: 2009
Main Characters: Loona Linna, detective, Erik Maria Bark, hypnotist,
What happens? A swedish drama where a family of 4 is brutally murdered, except for the boy who barely survives. Then, somehow, the hypnotist's family comes under attack after he hypnotizes the boy to help him remember what happened, breaking his 10 year old vow to stop.
How long was this? 504 pages
Did I like this? Not at all. Not sure why I finished it. The main character's idiotic and irrational behavior prolongs the agony, and I can't even remember who those two plots came together, if they even did.
Overall grade: D+
Author: Lars Kepler
Did I listen or read?: library book
When did I finish?: March 3, 2012
When was the book published: 2009
Main Characters: Loona Linna, detective, Erik Maria Bark, hypnotist,
What happens? A swedish drama where a family of 4 is brutally murdered, except for the boy who barely survives. Then, somehow, the hypnotist's family comes under attack after he hypnotizes the boy to help him remember what happened, breaking his 10 year old vow to stop.
How long was this? 504 pages
Did I like this? Not at all. Not sure why I finished it. The main character's idiotic and irrational behavior prolongs the agony, and I can't even remember who those two plots came together, if they even did.
Overall grade: D+
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