Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Book reports

So I have three books that I have finished... Here's a little blurb, and a rating out of 5. Five stars means life awesome, life changing inspirational. Three stars is worth reading. One star means I couldn't or could barely finish it.

The Dip (***) - Typical Seth Godin book... they tend to be short and good. This one was short, probably could've used a LITTLE more content. But the concept was interesting, talking about the concept of a "Dip" (a tough part that successful people work through) vs. a cul de sac (aka a dead end).

Mavericks at Work (***) - Audiobook - Had some good stories about the role of mavericks in the success of companies. It was more corporate and less rebellious than the title might indicate - talked a lot about Southwest Airlines (which book doesn't?) and even talked about the guy at P&G who developed Connect and Develop (maybe revolutionary amongst P&G, but hardly a new concept). It had its moments, but I did find my mind wandering while listening to it.

The Art of Innovation (****) - Story about IDEO, the company that corporations hire to provide innovation. Some products they've helped invent include the mouse and the palm pilot. Had some great stories about how they held company soap box races, used foam blocks instead of cubicle walls, and other fun anecdotes.

2 comments:

Tom said...

My fav part of The Art of Innovation is when the describe what NOT to do with office set-up to foster innovation, and they are basically describing what P&G does!

Dale said...

Yes! Especially the part about how a clean desk policy can completely stifle innovation.