Category Archives: Books

Together

Posted on May 24, 2020 by

Together By Vivek H. Murthy, MD HarperCollinsPublishers, New York, 2020 You can die of loneliness.  It’s not just poetic sentiment, it’s a medical fact.  Research shows that lack of social connection is just as hazardous to life expectancy as smoking … Continue reading →

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The Storm Before the Calm

Posted on May 10, 2020 by

The Storm Before the Calm By George Friedman Penguin Random House, New York, 2020 I can’t decide whether George Friedman is a genius or a crackpot. Friedman has made a career of geopolitical forecasting.  He’s founded a couple of consulting … Continue reading →

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The Optimist’s Telescope

Posted on March 21, 2020 by

The Optimist’s Telescope: Thinking Ahead in a Reckless Age By Bina Venkataraman Riverhead Books, New York, 2019 As I write this in late March 2020 in Seattle, the world is gripped by the coronavirus epidemic.  It feels like everything everywhere … Continue reading →

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Doughnut Economics

Posted on February 23, 2020 by

How do we shift our economy from a focus on never-ending GDP growth to living within the “Doughnut?” Continue reading →

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20/20 Foresight

Posted on January 4, 2020 by

20/20 Foresight: Crafting Strategy in An Uncertain World By Hugh Courtney Harvard Business Review Press, Boston, 2001 What better way to start 2020 than a book called 20/20 Foresight? There’s an old Danish proverb that says, “It is difficult to … Continue reading →

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Range

Posted on December 26, 2019 by

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World By David Epstein Riverhead Books, New York, 2019 I didn’t finish Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World for the same reason I don’t eat chicken wings: too much effort for … Continue reading →

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High Output Management

Posted on December 14, 2019 by

High Output Management is one of the most disappointing books I’ve ever read, and in some places it flat out pissed me off.   The focus is always on output. Everyone and every team produces output. A manager’s job is … Continue reading →

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More From Less

Posted on December 2, 2019 by

More From LessBy Andrew McAfeeScribner, New York, 2019 More From Less is a book about dematerialization Demawhat?  No, it’s not some sort of Star Trek transporter technology. Dematerialization is the phenomenon of producing the same goods from less material and … Continue reading →

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Growth

Posted on November 10, 2019 by

Growth:  From Microorganisms to Megacities By Vaclav Smil The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2019 People used to think growth was a good thing.  Politicians, economists and business leaders brag about healthy or robust growth in jobs, GDP, and profits.  But … Continue reading →

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Talking to Strangers

Posted on September 30, 2019 by

Talking to Strangers:  What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know By Malcolm Gladwell Little, Brown and Company, New York, 2019 I’ve read most of Malcolm Gladwell’s books and quite a few of his New Yorker articles.  I … Continue reading →

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