Fresh Perspectives

How Full is your Bucket?

Today, I received a complimentary copy (from Gallup Press, Cave Henricks Communications) of the book How Full is your Bucket by Tom Rath and Donald Clifton.  The original book was published in 2004, and this is the anniversary edition.

I read the entire book in about 45 minutes.  It uses the "Dipper and the Bucket" metaphor to illustrate the power of the positive, and it does so magnificently!  It is a deeper study of the words in the Dale Carnegie book How to Win Friends and Influence People, "Be hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise, but do so sincerely".  It seems our entire society is rooted in attempting to change behavior through negative means.  This book is a shining light of change.

I will be purchasing this book for my co-workers.  And, I would recommend it to everyone as well.

In Pursuit of Elegance

Matt May's book, In Pursuit of Elegance: Why the Best Ideas Have Something Missing, is being released tomorrow.  I read an advanced copy a few weeks ago, and could not put the book down!  Matt traveled the world to find cases where something was made to be elegant through subtractive means.  He strategically uses stories to drive home his ideas. 

This book is incredibly easy to read, even though it tackles some deep subject matter.  Check out his blog by the same name.  Mark Graban of Leanblog.org has posted a video podcast with Matt.  This work is entirely different than any business related book I've ever read.  It is a book about elegance written elegantly.

Change your Thinking.....Change the World

Dan Pink's book "A Whole New Mind" was revolutionary.  It provided insight into an emerging new world and showed the necessity of different ways of thinking that will drive this transition.

Matthew May, author of The Elegant Solution, has authored another book being released in May 2009.  In Pursuit of Elegance may be the next book that can help to change the world.  Matt has a new blog that includes a short book teaser.  I have a copy pre-ordered through Amazon.

To me, this book's timing is perfect.  As our economy sinks and things get more challenging, it's evident that new and different ways of thinking are necessary.  I'm looking forward to this book's release!

Johnny Bunko

I recently finished a new book by Dan Pink, the author of "A Whole New Mind".  "Johnny Bunko" is written in the Japanese comic format known as manga.  I really enjoyed this book because it explodes several misconceptions, and it is a quick, informative read.

This is one of the great ones!

Check out the Johnny Bunko blog.

Presentation Zen - Worth Waiting For!

My copy of Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds arrived on Friday.  By Saturday evening, I had finished reading it, and I took notes along the way too.  This book was worth waiting for to say the least.  If enough people read it, the world of business presentations might be revolutionized!

This is much more than a "how to do" book; it is more appropriately a "how to think" book.  The writing is excellent and the supporting visuals are elegant.  The foreword by Guy Kawasaki is unexpected and effective.

This book didn't just change the way I think about presentations, it changed the way I look at our world.  Definitely worth reading, and a great reference tool!

8 to be Great

I very much enjoyed Richard St. John’s book, “Stupid, Ugly, Unlucky and RICH”.  It was a best-seller in Canada, and now Richard has authored “8 to be Great”, a condensed version of his earlier work.  “8 to be Great” is a better fit to the U. S. market for that genre of books; less cost and a fairly short read.  It’s based on many interviews that Richard did with successful people from all walks of life.  The common thread among these successful people is that none of them do what they do just for the money.  They are all start with passion, and the money comes anyway.  That’s a refreshing message in our sometimes shallow, materialistic, media-driven society!

Check out his 8 to be Great blog and his short video introduction of the book.  Spike, the nice little character used before, remains in this new book.  I will be sharing “8 to be Great” with students at the career school where I work.  This is an outstanding book for everyone, but has an especially inspiring message for young people.  Richard’s style of writing is entertaining and enjoyable, and the message is significant and potentially life-changing!

The Happiness Project

I spend a good amount of time in the blogosphere through my RSS feeds.  I stumbled on a blog by Gretchen Ruben called The Happiness Project.  She also has her own website about her books, and has authored books about JFK and Winston Churchill that I will be checking out.

Gretchen is an attorney and writer who takes the time and effort to research happiness.  Her twelve commandments portray a true common-sense approach to leading a more fulfilling life.  I like her writing style, and her Saturday happiness quote is something I look forward to each week.  Gretchen is well read and down-to-earth in her approach.  Check her out!

Presentation Zen

Have you ever sat through a PowerPoint or Keynote presentation where a monotone presenter was reading the slides to you? Working in a bureaucracy (public school setting), most of the presentations I’ve seen were put together and delivered by bureaucrats. To me, even when the presentation is informational in nature, there is no need to be boring. Why attend a presentation about things you can just read for yourself?

In searching for some guideposts for good presentations, I found that some of the best work on the subject comes from Garr Reynolds. Garr is currently Associate Professor of Management at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka, Japan with an extensive background in design. I spent an evening reading most of his blog, and found some important general guidelines for presentation delivery on his personal website.

Garr emphasizes that the core presentation comes from the presenter, not the visual aids. He is working on a book called “Presentation Zen”. I will definitely be getting it when published. Check him out!

A Whole New Mind

A couple of weeks ago, I finished reading A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink. Not only does Dan give some fresh perspectives on left/right brain concepts, he tells us how people with right brain capabilities will stunningly impact future society. We can see part of this paradigm shift taking place today; more analytical, left-brained directed activities are either being moved to cheaper off-shore labor pools, or they are being replaced by technology.

Dan identifies six high concept, high touch aptitudes that will shape our future; Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play and Meaning. I for one was excited to share Dan's optimism, because this Whole New Mind will shape a Whole New World.

I have a special appreciation for Dan's work. Nobody was more L-Directed then I some 10 years ago. I've changed! The ongoing change has been dramatic and enjoyable. This book is high on my list.

Success?

I just finished reading “Stupid, Ugly, Unlucky and RICH” by Richard St. John. This book challenges the preconceived notions many people have about “successful” people. Richard gave a captivating 3-minute talk at the TED conference, and his website has a 5 minute excerpt from his full talk also. He has interviewed many successful people, and through his research, has put together some of the real reasons some people are successful. His delivery of the subject is refreshingly simple and quite entertaining!

This book easily hits my top 10. Good stuff!!