The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place. Alan Alda uses this epigraph, usually attributed to George Bernard Shaw, to orient the reader. If I understood you, would I have this look on my face? My adventures in the art and science of relating and communicating by Alan Alda… Continue reading If I understood you…
business book reviews
Payoff
Payoff: The hidden logic that shapes our motivations by Dan Ariely is a short book about meaning and motivation. The central thesis is that intrinsic motivators shape long-term beneficial results, whereas extrinsic rewards don’t. This small-format TED book is a companion to Dan Ariely’s TED Talks online. At 103 pages, it’s a quick read, something you… Continue reading Payoff
Pre-Suasion by Robert Cialdini
A dangerous book Which messages cause people to comply? Robert Cialdini’s new book addresses this question. Pre-Suasion is a revolutionary way to influence and persuade. Pre-suasion operates by creating favorable conditions a few moments before trying to influence. This is a powerful book, and not without its ethical concerns.
The Master Communicator’s Handbook
Your message won’t speak for itself Whether you’re speaking to a child about putting on her shoes, or you’re head of an organization trying to solve a global problem, you need to understand and be understood.
Negotiating the Impossible
If you’ve ever tried to convince someone of your point of view (and who hasn’t?), then Negotiating the Impossible: How to Break Deadlocks and Resolve Ugly Conflicts (without money or muscle) by Deepak Malhotra is a must-read. Negotiating the Impossible is a high-value book that offers its readers accessible and practical lessons in the art… Continue reading Negotiating the Impossible
Online Marketing for Busy Authors
Abraham Lincoln said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four hours sharpening the ax.” Fauzia Burke’s book, Online Marketing for Busy Authors: A Step-by-Step Guide, is about preparing to generate readership for your book.
Style Guide
Style Guide by The Economist offers sound advice for business writers, particularly for people writing articles.
The Lean Product Playbook
The Lean Product Playbook: How to innovate with Minimum Viable Products and Rapid Customer Feedback, by Dan Olsen, is aimed at software developer teams. But it has much to say to anyone building and marketing a product or service. Mr. Olsen brings engineering precision and thoroughness to this step-by-step guide to building innovative products. He… Continue reading The Lean Product Playbook
The End of Average
The End of Average by Todd Rose is about a widespread institutional perception of how individuality doesn’t matter and why it should. Mr. Rose’s book could have been called, How We Came to Have Screwed-up Ideas and What to Do About Them.
Decisive
Everyone needs to decide, yet deciding is no simple matter. In Decisive: How to make better choices in life and work, Chip and Dan Heath explain why the process of decision making is more effective than analysis. They then go on to show what a nuanced process looks like. In this short and popular book,… Continue reading Decisive