Somewhere in here is a book that could change your life…
Category: 3 – SHELF it (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)
Comments: One of those acclaimed management books that gives you a different perspective and shows you what can be done with a different approach. However, I found it idealistic and while easy to implement, not compelling.
What to expect: This is a story about a young man trying to learn management and his tryst with a manager who shows him the light..
Category: 3 – SHELF it (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)
Comments: A great read. Not a business book , just a book that will take you through the lives of 100 incredible businesses and the people who made them tick. These are short bites about 100 businesses and their founders and goes a LONG way in just increasing basic awareness of the world around us. Someone once described this as a – “If they could do it, why not you?” sort of book. I think that’s accurate. I really enjoyed it.
Category: 3 – SHELF it (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)
Comments: Lots of good nuggets in here. It probably requires a bit of background about Welch and his work at GE as he talks about his pet topics like differentiation in detail. Also, I didn’t find the section on mergers and acquisition clear or, in my case, relevant.
What to expect: Jack Welch’s attempt at synthesizing his learnings on management. Many learnings are presented in his direct no-nonsense style that makes the book easy to get through.
Category: 3 – SHELF it (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)
Comments: More like an academic look into businesses and profitability. Good in terms of the various profitability models discussed, decent in terms of linking it up into a story but I wouldn’t rate it very high on impact. The paperback could offer a better experience though as it was difficult to follow a few of the numbers and calculations on audio.
What to expect: A detailed look at about 20 (if I remember right) profit models weaved into a moderately engaging story. If you are looking to start your own business, this could be a good book to read to get you thinking about profitability.
Category: 3 – SHELF it (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)
Comments: Take this book with a pinch of salt. I tried reading the book as a 19 year old and found it a touch too dark. It has interesting insight on games of power.
Add on Mar 16, 2016: I read this book again a few years later and would stick to my original note – take it with a pinch of salt as you can start seeing power games everywhere. Robert Greene is an artful writer, though, and this book was understandably very popular when it came out.
Category: 3 – SHELF it (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)
Comments: I liked this book. It was full of stories about leaders from HP, Ben & Jerry’s, Microsoft, GE etc. – Bill Gates, Jack Welch and co. sharing stories and learnings from their times as leaders.
What to expect: Just life stories – for those interested in exploring topics of management and leadership, this is the kind of book that makes for very nice reading. Very low on theory and facts and high on experiences.
Category: 3 – SHELF it (All Categories are 1 – Read ASAP!, 2 – BUY it!, 3 – SHELF it, 4 – SOMEDAY it)
Comments: A negotiations classic. My rating is biased because I didn’t find the audio book great as the reader was rather monotonous. I think the paperback would definitely have more impact.
What to expect: A technical look into the conversion of the ‘art’ of negotiation into a science. It introduces the reader to very basic negotiation primers and I remember the book reinforcing many simple concepts like BATNA, looking for a creative win-win solution etc.
Marler's Observatory 