Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

There are times we spend months on a decision that could have been made instantly intuitively. When taking an exam chances are that your gut instinct is right. Often when we second-guess ourselves we are wrong. Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink explores various situations in which the gut instinct takes over. Although he stresses that a majority of the time our first reaction is right, he also gives examples of how our instincts can be the product of media. Blink is a compelling novel that tells you the reasons behind your gut reaction, and suggests that you should listen to it once in a while. 

The Perfect Thing by Steven Levy

The Perfect Thing by Steven Levy is a wonderful piece of information; it describes what was involved in the creation and later transformation of the iPod into one of the most wanted devices of our times. It is the perfect timeline description of the identity and the origin of the iPod. The book describes why it became the coolest possession in the world and how it later on transformed into a personal device. Levy talks about the iPod features such as downloads, podcasting, shuffle and how they innovated/changed the way music was being sold, the way podcasting allows regular people to broadcast over the web and to the world. But at the end The Perfect Thing is more of a recollection of events and challenges that contributed to the iPod success and the Apple resurgent in the late 90’s. The Perfect Thing is a must read not only for those who are not yet familiar with iTunes, Podcast, and all the different generation/transformations of the iPod but also for any one who want to understand the history behind one of the most successful devices of the twenty first century.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Have you ever wondered why some people are extremely successful and others are not? Is there something that has always set successful people apart? How can you be successful like them? In Malcolm Gladwell’s third book, Outliers: The Story of Success, he reveals and decodes the secrets about success. His book reveals secrets to extraordinary success with stories of real people told from an unbiased perspective. He explains what Bill Gates, the Beatles and other world-class successes have in common. Successful people need to be understood by their background, where they’re from, their culture, their family, and their generation. Throughout the book Gladwell overturns many ideas about what makes a person successful and he suggests ways to give people the best opportunities to succeed. This is a must read book for anyone who is interested in why people are successful and obtain a better understanding of society. Outliers is inspirational and anyone can benefit from reading this book.
“Extraordinary achievement is less about talent than it is about opportunity.”

How Well Can You Make it Tip?

Disease, crime and politics explain it all in Malcom Gladwell’s The Tipping Point. This moderately quick read connects common sense examples with complex theories of the mob mentality through the metaphor of “tipping.” This book will be a hit among history buffs that love explanation through example and stories. Recommended for those who want more insight of how little things can make a big difference, Gladwell's The Tipping Point serves as an effective educational tool.

Entreprenuership: A Process Perspective: An insightful look into new ventures

Although it is a textbook, Entrepreneurship: A Process Perspective by Robert Baron and Scott Shane, was a very informative read about starting and running a company. The topic of management is brought up constantly throughout the book, which is full of great tips and important things to be aware of as a manager or executive. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is serious about elevating their management career or starting and running their own small company.

The Big Moo is a Big Success!

What did the purple cow say when he walked into a remarkable idea?

“Where’s the next remarkable idea?”

What did the purple cow say when he walked into the next remarkable idea?

“Big moo….!!!!!”

In the preface of The Big Moo, editor Seth Godin explains how the term “purple cow” came from a story about how boring cows are and how remarkable a purple cow would be. He goes on to explain how a “big moo,” however, is “the extreme purple cow, the remarkable innovation that completely changes the game” (Godin, xiii); it’s the ability to continually churn out revolutionary products and ideas. Think FedEx. Think NetFlix. Think iPod.

The Big Moo is a compilation of 33 of the world’s top business leaders; guiding the reader through numerous anecdotes about being remarkable and creating something remarkable. This book is successful at shedding some light on a pretty intangible topic: How to continue creating products that sell? From stories about unveiling your secret genius to the “three rules of life ”, The Big Moo is an easy read. Because it is broken up into little stories, this book is perfect for reading on the go. I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to find success in any industry.

'IN Control' book review

'IN Control : No More Snapping at Your Family, Sulking at Work, Steaming in the Grocery Line, Seething in Meetings, Stuffing Your Frustration' written by Redford and Virginia Williams may work on readers as long as they put a lot of work in to it. 'IN Control' has the reader follow an eight week program to gain control over life and emotions, particularly anxiety and anger. Each week gives tasks for the reader to practice such as communication, learning to say 'no!' effectively, reaction control, and how to be optimistic. In starting the program, the reader is instructed to take a self-assessment test, and once again at the end. Even though I found several of the eight steps to be common sense practices, I would not recommend this book for a first time reader of the 'motivation' book genre; there is simply too much information to keep this an easy read in an already stressful life. 'IN Control' is great for picking up helpful tips on managing stress and overwhelming emotions, but could be even more effective if cut down to the point, and not involving an eight week commitment.

By: Amanda Langdell