So, I’m finally back in Cape Town and after this trip, I realised that this year has been most productive for me with regard to consumption of printed matter! I have a very select group of books that I’m currently reading and have read over the past 12-18 months, so I’m going to share this list with you. I will post reviews from time to time, but this is a nice consolidated view, with links to the books on Amazon:
The Long Tail - Chris Anderson
The long tail covers the impact of the Internet on the costs of production and distribution and what the future might hold for niche products vs mass consumerism. I’ll be posting a full review of this book over the next weekend - I found it fascinating, and a must read, although certain portions of the book are slow, as the point is reiterated.
Blink & The Tipping Point - Malcom Gladwell
These two are a must read, two totally different pieces of work, however they do correlate. Blink discusses the ability of experts to instinctively deduce conclusions by thin slicing data (a skill that many of us would cherish) and the Tipping Point discusses how when society begins to embrace a product/servce/website, it needs to achieve a certain critical mass in order to go mainstream.
The World is Flat - Thomas Friedman
incuBeta is a South African based company which delivers world class software solutions and services, and where we earn all of our revenues in foreign markets and create jobs locally using the world as our playground. This book discusses how companies like ours is now able to participate in the global economy, regardless of our geographic location and slant. We obviously do have smaller offices in other countries, however the bulk of work is done in Cape Town.
The Widsom of Crowds - James Surowiecki
I have only just begun reading this book, however it’s quite apparent that the insights provided so far are very advanced. The sub title says it all: Why the Many Are Smarter Than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Economies, Societies and Nations.
This is the quintessential “State of the Search Nation” book which, if you’re a newcomer, is a must read. It basically explains how we got to where we are today, and what a hypothetical path forward is. Well researched, although, John has come under criticism lately for admitting to never having even used Google Adwords until recently, after the book was published. Nevertheless, still a great book.
Freakonomics - Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
This was a seriously open view of the world! Examining things like, why drug dealers live with their Moms and the social ramifications of Roe vs Wade – this is a highly recommended and easy read.
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Lee | Cape Town Office
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Conversely I think Good to Great is a fantastic book for our industry. A hell of a lot of web companies make the step to being a good company think slashdot, stumbleupon, del.icio.us and similar companies that have been around a fairly long time become quite big but haven't quite cracked the step to hit great and are at risk from new competitors (esp. digg in the case of the first two). Studying this book and applying the suggestions within it to your web company is actually something quite important in our industry, and I would add it to your list.
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I have read all these apart from The Search -- though I have read the Google Story that hits on similar subjects needless to say, and likewise, is a great read. Thanks for your views.
Lisa
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I hope you continue to add to and update this page, 'cos this is now my source of "what's to read" online..
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