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Category Archives: Book Reviews

Book Review: It’s Our Ship

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

The U.S. Navy is perhaps the most technically-oriented service in the American military. Officers work their way up demonstrating comprehensive and immediate skills in the numerous individual systems that make ships responsive in combat. The focus here tends to be on technical competence – not necessarily on the sort of personal leadership ability that is emphasized more during an officer’s development in the other services, especially the Army and the Marines. This is a reflection of the circumstances of the varying units when in combat . . .

Also filed in Military Managers | | Comments (7)

Book Review: Liberal Fascism

Friday, May 16, 2008

Talk about a lighting rod – people instantly become alert and defensive when they hear it. The word, of course, is “fascism” – not “liberal,” although that raises hackles enough among many who suspect it is being directed at them. So, let’s begin by normalizing the word “fascism” a bit. . .

Also filed in Culture, Individual Leadership | | Comments (2)

Book Review: Sync

Friday, May 9, 2008

One of the most fascinating things about the rapid advances being made recently in communications technology is watching how they enable people of similar or complementing interests and ambitions not merely to interact rewardingly and productively – but even to find each other so that they can do so. Indeed, many of the endeavors they discover themselves collaborating on only sprung into being on their connection. It is an intriguing network of serendipitous nodes, each glowing more or less brilliantly as they draw in new members and connections. How does this happen?

Also filed in Management, The New Sciences | | Comments (4)

Book Review: Family Business - the essentials

Friday, April 4, 2008

Did you know that the vast majority of businesses in the United States are family-owned? Moreover, between three-fifths and three-quarters of employment and wages can be attributed directly to family businesses. And this type of structure isn’t restricted to small, local companies. . .

Also filed in Corporate Governance, Culture, Management | | Comments (2)

Bad books

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Perhaps my favorite book review of all time isn’t, properly speaking, a review of a book at all, but of the whole category of business books. It was called How 51 Gorillas Can Make You Seriously Rich, and it was by The Economist magazine. The most interesting thing about it, though, is that virtually every book cited as an archetype of what is wrong with the genre was a best seller. Why is that?

Also filed in Management Development, Personal Observations | | Comments (5)