Play Bigger. How pirates, dreamers, and innovators create and dominate markets. Alan Ramadan, Dave Peterson, Christopher Lochhead.   2016.  ISBN 9780062407610.   This book was referenced in Traversing the Traction Gap so I had to read it.  It is very good and specifically addresses category creation, which is something that wildly successful companies do over and over. The authors take you through a proven  methodology of becoming a category kind. ( For many types to organizations and individuals). You will appreciate the highly specific and recognizable examples used by the authors.  Unlike other books in this genre , it has the benefits of depth and thought coming from the experiences of four individuals.  It could be a life changing book for executives and individuals.  But you need to want to be more than better, you want to be recognized as different  ( Apple is not just better, it is different)

The Body. A Guide for Occupants. Bill Bryson. 2019. ISBN 9780385539319.  The latest from one of my favorite authors.  As ever Bryson’s breezy readable style makes for delightful times.  He goes from head to toe and  giving just that amount of detail to keep your interest but not to bore you.  I was very interested (who knew) in his description of infectious diseases and all the trials and tribulations of the pioneers in that field of medicine. He has interviewed many knowledgeable people in order to give you the most up to date info.  Highly recommend this one.

Better Selling Through Storytelling. The essential roadmap to becoming a revenue rockstar. John Livesay. 2019. ISBN 9781642793734.  Called the Pitch Whisper, the author does lay out a smart method for making pitches and presentations. This fits very neatly into ABM and Value Selling methodologies, by reminding the reader to focus on value (impact) to the audience. Its not we but you.  Good case studies and relevant quotes, plus a very readable text makes this a valuable adding to your sales tool-belt.  A read it in one go – its that concise and good.

Finite and Infinite Games. A vision of life as play and possibility. James P. Carse. 2012. ISBN 9780029059807.   A seminal book on the subject, (Game theory)  which has became quite topical in the technology world with speakers such as Simon Sinek.  This is a deceptively thin book that will warrant several rereads to tease out the ideas Carse puts forward.  I would very often find myself lost in the ideas and then the author would hit me with a particularly resonating section. This would be sufficient to push me into the next few sections.  I found the first few sections challenging and then it caught in the dialectal discussion. Like the Phenomena of Man by DeCardin, this can be a mind changing book, full of life lessons.

The Prosperity Paradox. How Innovations Can Life Nations Our of Poverty. Clayton M. Christensen. 2019.  ISBN 9780062851826.    Christensen is the most respected name in  any discussion of innovation with numerous relevant books to his name.  ( E.g. The Innovators Dilemma). He turns his attention to how can you turn around poverty . Using his theory of Jobs That Need to Be Done, he reverses our view from providing infrastructure first ( Banking, Ports, water systems  justice, anticorruption etc) to what inhibits the day to day life of the common man. He provides many case studies from American history and modern third world entrepreneurs who had to “do it all ” in order to build their companies, and put in place the infrastructure needed.  and examples of huge failed projects.   His point of view just makes so much sense, his chapter of corruption shining a fresh light on the subject.   Very readable with his detailed  footnotes that are as valuable as the text.

Letters to My Daughters. Business advice for entrepreneurs. Linda Hollyer. 2018. ISBN 9781775393207.  I was gifted this book and am so glad to have received it.  The lessons are familiar but they all bear repeating. For any business person the key insight is the woman to woman view, whether it is the questions or the clarity of the answers.  The book is inspiring (as the author intended) and a very easy read. But it is still powerful.

Dark Horse. Achieving success through the pursuit of fulfillment. Todd Rose & Ogi Ogas. 2018. ISBN 9780062683649.  These are stories of dark horses, people who found their happiness and calling through often convoluted and  non standard paths. As well it is an analysis of the failings of our society to accommodate/ give people real choices and paths to fulfillment vs having standardized one size fits all programming for success.  This is a very important book that will cause you to rethink much that you have accepted about pathways to success/fulfillment.  It also reflects the growing drive for self actualization among today’s young people.

Dollars and Sense. How we misthink money and how to spend smarter. Dan Ariely & Jeff Kreisler. 2017. ISBN 9780062651204. Ariely ( Predictably Irrational)  and Kreisler take a look at pricing, value and how we deal with it in several new ways.  Some of their definitions will seem novel, however everything makes sense and is back yup with psychological case studies and stories. With a concise and humorous style the authors make the topics quite delightful.  All of us will recognize our own thought processes in this book and yet I doubt we will not always take heed and change for the better.  Good book for sales managers, husbands and someone just starting out.

Robin. Dave Itzkoff. 2018. ISBN 9781627794244.  A detailed and fond look at the life of Robin Williams.   Reading this book feels like a page by page preview to tragedy. It is a heartfelt autobiography that allows us to revel in the many favorite Robin Williams moment.  The author has tried to be objective and truthful in all his work.   Clearly and concisely written it is worth the time to learn more about this wonderful comic.

When. The scientific secrets of perfect timing. Daniel Pink. 2018. ISBN 9781925498189. A concise but wide ranging book.  The author is applying his guru skills to the impact of time on our lives.   From when to make better analytical decisions ( Most of us in the am) through to test scores, how naps work, and more  Pink does a great job in enlightening us to this topic.  We all have better times to start things, needed times for recess , and expected times that we will slump.  He wraps it up by demonstrating how difficult it is to teach an Ai about time. Good read – useful for a short air flight.