The folks at CRA are heavy readers, and we're often asked what we're reading and what we've liked. I read 19 books in 2005, with a few others that I started but did not finish, and below are thumbnail reviews of those that qualify as business books. Note that I tend not to finish books I
don’t enjoy, so most of these reviews are favorable.
Blink: A compelling book that reviews the research related
to “rapid cognition,” or how we make decisions in an instant. The bottom
line: sometimes our snap decisions are spot on, and sometimes they’re not. It all
depends on the context and your expertise. Some find Blink dry; I thought it
was more dry than The Tipping Point, but still excellent.
Squirrel Inc.: A wonderful book on narratives and how they
work in organizations, structured as a narrative itself. I think Squirrel Inc.
is required reading for any communication professional, and for most leaders.
Blog: Radio pundit, Con-Law professor, and blogger Hugh
Hewitt’s treatise on weblogs. Disclosure: I met Hugh at the 2004 Democratic
National Convention in Boston, and between that
meeting, the RNC in New York,
and a panel we shared for Campaigns & Elections, we became familiar
acquaintances. At times it’s hard for some folks (including me) to divorce Hugh from his conservative
and evangelical opinions, but I think he gets blogs spot on in Blog, and it’s
worth reading … especially as a follow-up to The Cluetrain Manifesto, noted
below.
The Likeability Factor: Tim Sanders' follow-up to Love is the Killer
App, which I think is required reading for, well, about everyone.
Unfortunately, The Likeability Factor isn’t. You can scan this book in a single
sitting, and I passed over large sections. Review it in the bookstore and leave
it at that.
Getting Things Done: Looking back over 2005, which was without
a doubt my most productive and balanced year to date, I attribute nearly all of
my effectiveness to the ideas I took from Getting Things Done. Here David Allen
has written a very important book to those trying to manage life in our modern,
information-driven world, and I was so enamored I ended up striking up a
personal and professional relationship with David that’s been equally
fulfilling. Get this book, read it, and apply it’s principles. You’ll be glad
you did.
Management of the Absurd: Another must read. Richard Farson lays out a
set of contradictions in modern organizations and management that are spot-on.
I have a review here; read this book, especially if you’re in a leadership
role.
Never Eat Alone: Keith Ferrazzi wrote this book primarily around
personal stories, many of which I ended up skipping because they became
redundant, and in some cases, sounded self-aggrandizing. That said, the book is
likely of use to those thinking for the first time about how to build and
manage relationships (I think “manage” is the appropriate word for Ferrazzi’s
approach to relationship; I would prefer “cultivate”), and I took away a few
ideas that I’m glad to have.
House of Lies:
Wonderful reading for anyone who has worked
in or with large consulting firms. Martin Kihn--who wrote the book
while working in a large strategy firm--nails the large-firm culture
with a
compelling mix of wit, sarcasm, truth, and poignancy.
The Cluetrain Manifesto: The manifesto for the effect of the
Internet on organizations and society. Essential reading for anybody working
in, leading, or trying to understand modern organizations, else you, too, miss
the cluetrain. (You may also catch the cluetrain online.)
How Ronald Reagan Changed My Life: The first of several
books I read on Reagan this year. HRRCML presents the 10 lessons Peter Robinson drew from
working in the Reagan White House as a young speechwriter. If you’re not a fan
of Reagan’s, you’ll find the book fawning. If you are, you’ve probably already read
it. If you can be objective, you’ll read it as a set of sound principles for
living one’s life.
Freakonomics: I was late to read this blockbuster. Enjoyed
it, but didn’t find it as earth-shattering as have some. If you’ve not viewed
the world with an empirical eye in the past, and if you didn’t take any econ in
college, you’ll love it.
When Character Was King: Peggy Noonan’s account of her life
with Ronald Reagan. Fawning to some; spot on for others. Passages are
beautifully written, and it’s all very much in the Noonan style (for those who enjoy
her Wall Street Journal op-eds). This is more of a history (and in some ways, a goodbye) than an account of
lessons learned. I enjoyed it.
The Greatest Communicator: My final Regan book of the year,
written by his chief strategist, Dick Wirthlin. A fascinating account of
Reagan’s approach to politics, communication, and leadership, and not as
fawning as some other Reagan recollections. I think every communication
professional out there should read it, as should all senior leaders.
So there’s the list. I’ve started 2006 with Descartes’
Notebook, which I should finish shortly. One final book that we gave a lot of folks in 2005 but which I'd already seen was Rebecca Blood's Weblog Handbook, that we recommend to anyone interested in learning about or publishing blogs.
