Filed under: Books in General, Innovation, Internet, Leadership, Strategic Management, Technology | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Innovation, Leadership, Strategic Management, Technology
Receiving an inside look at one of the most powerful companies on the planet is something for which business book readers clamor. What if the deal were sweetened and the book were to be authored not by a third-party observer or a mid-level manager but instead by one of the top executives for the company?
In a matter of months, we’ll get the opportunity described above! This post from a blog on CNET confirms rumors that we’ve heard for some time. Steven Sinofsky, president of Microsoft’s Windows Division, is collaborating with the Harvard Business School to craft a book on creating and implementing innovative strategies. As the article indicates, Sinofsky has been contributing posts to Microsoft’s Engineering Windows 7 blog, many of which offer insights into the inner workings of the intensely private software giant.
I for one was intrigued by the suggestion that Sinofsky’s book will delve into the strategic changes made by Microsoft after its Windows Vista release. I’m curious to know the level of detail to which he will discuss this subject. As fascinating as the creation of a new product will be to readers, it may be more helpful to executives to gain insight on how to recover when a product that took millions of dollars and an equal amount of man hours to produce is underwhelming upon its release. It takes a certain amount of bravery on the part of any executive to publicly acknowledge and address a product that has received its fair share of criticism.
Part of what makes Microsoft an object of admiration to many observers is its ability to stay ahead of fluctuations in its industry. Innovation is at the heart of what has separated Microsoft from its competitors. Sinofsky’s revelations could prove to be quite useful, particularly when combined with co-author Marco Iansiti’s research at Harvard. A collaboration between Microsoft and Harvard sounds like a winner. I’ll keep you posted when we get a sneak peek at the book as it nears publication.
Filed under: Books in General, From the Editor, Internet | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Don Tapscott, Net Generation, Wikinomics
I came across this post on PR Newswire that promotes author Don Tapscott’s appearance on the District Leaders Podcast. This podcast is intended for leaders in the education industry, however, Tapscott is interesting in any setting. On the podcast, Tapscott discusses the influence of the Internet on education in the United States.
The reason this story caught my eye is because we featured Tapscott’s recent book Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World as part of our free e-newsletter Soundview Executive Book Alert. Grown Up Digital offers some great insight into the current generation of young people, many of whom are on the cusp of entering the work force. The book is a great primer for executives in human resources who may start to see resumes appear in an e-mail with “sent from my iPhone” at the bottom. There’s also lessons to be learned for marketing professionals, considering that Tapscott’s “Net Generation” can be quite particular about how products are presented to them.
Tapscott is no stranger to striking new ground in Internet-related business writing. He is the co-author of Wikinomics, one of the first books to bring the message to the masses about social networking technology and its effects.
Visit Summary.com for more info on Don Tapscott and to sign up for our FREE e-newsletter Soundview Executive Book Alert.
Filed under: Books in General, From the Editor, Human Resources, Internet | Tags: Book Review, books, Business, business book, business books, Generation Y, Human Resources, Internet, Review
I was tempted to write a clever introduction concerning whether or not members of Generation Y (those born between 1980 and 1999) are in your midst. Then I realized something vital: this is a blog … on the Internet. There is no other generation who has lived the double-life of virtual and physical existence more than this group. Something tells me that of the numerous readers I have, a good portion of you probably count your birthday somewhere between the years listed above. So, let me start over …
This article came up from the folks at the Guardian in the United Kingdom. While I think the first sentence in the article does more than its share of negative stereotyping, it’s interesting to see that the subject of Gen Y in the workplace continues to get press. We’ve covered it ourselves, both in summaries and in reviews. We’re at a critical juncture in the history of the American work force, and it seems to me that everyone is a touch anxious over where we will go. Suffice to say, Gen Y is currently experiencing one of the roughest job markets in which to enter a work force.
One also has to appreciate the fact that Baby Boomers, the generation that in its youth shifted the focus of everyone from advertisers to political campaigners to the young, are now scratching their greying heads trying to figure out what’s going on with ”these kids.” My years may be showing here, but I seem to recall coming of age in an era of economic uncertainty where foreign war made headlines and the environment, social issues and the generation gap were on the minds of many. Throw in a reference to Facebook and an e-mail address, and we’d be looking at Gen Y, wouldn’t we?
The more things change …
P.S.: I mentioned that we reviewed a book on Gen Y. To read it, and dozens of others for FREE, simply sign up at Summary.com.
Filed under: Books in General, From the Editor, Internet, Strategic Management, Technology, iPhone app | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, Internet, iPhone app, Strategic Management, Technology
OK, raise your hand if the highlight of your week will be the release of the next version of the iPhone? I have to admit, for all of my forays into blogging, mp3s and online commerce, I’m a little behind the times when it comes to phones. My kids love nothing more than to poke fun at my heavy-handed attempts at text messaging. Feel free to raise your hand if this has happened to you as well. I’m just looking for a little sympathy.
The point is that Apple is on the verge of vaulting yet again to the front pages of news Web sites everywhere. This will no doubt have ramifications for us at Soundview. How? As you can imagine, to arrive at the 30 best business books each year, we look at thousands of submissions. I do not exaggerate. The post office and various private couriers know our address by heart. From these piles of books, we whittle our way down to the top 30. When it comes to books that deal with marketing , leadership and change management, Apple is frequently the top case study mentioned in these volumes. The company’s ability to reinvent itself from what many considered a secondary computer producer to a cutting-edge purveyor of revolutionary technology is nothing short of astonishing. So, I fully anticipate that Apple launching yet another version of the product that many felt would never fly (“Apple? In the phone business?”) will lead to more books landing on our desks. The more success Apple generates for itself, the more business authors and analysts try to dissect its methods for purposes of reproduction.
Oh, and for those of you who originally raised your hands about the iPhone release, did I mention that Soundview is offering a FREE iPhone app right now? Click on this link and take advantage of this limited-time offer while you can!
Filed under: Books in General, Economics, From the Editor, General Business, Green, Internet, Leadership | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, career skills, college, Economics, graduation, Green, Leadership, special offer
Despite the calendar telling us otherwise, the month of May signals the start of summer for people in many parts of the U.S. It also marks the start of a different season, one that involves caps, gowns and the emptying of dormitories and apartments everywhere. For students, this is a time of farewells coupled with new beginnings. For parents, it can be a time of new anxieties as children enter another new phase of their lives. This year, though, don’t be surprised if you find claw marks on the walls of the dorms as students try to avoid marching headlong into a less-than-friendly job market.
The amazing thing is that this group of future leaders and executives are probably more prepared, at least, from a technological standpoint, for working than any previous generation. They’ve been plugged in and over-scheduled since birth. What’s amusing are the things they don’t know. Every year since 1997, Beloit College in Wisconsin produces its “Mindset List.” This list helps to remind college professors that their incoming students may be unaware of facts that our generation (and previous ones) takes for granted. Here are a few of my favorites for the Class of 2009 (born, on average, in 1987):
- Voice mail has always been available.
- Bill Gates has always been worth at least $1 billion.
- Halogen lights have always been available (with a warning)
The complete list is located here. There are a few other items that I felt should have been included in the list. For example, the Class of 2009 has virtually no memory of a Soviet Union or a divided Germany. The Macintosh computer is older than this group. To these folks, a bank teller is the person they are forced to speak with if the ATM is broken.
After reading this list, I sincerely hope I haven’t depressed anyone with these revelations. But then again, you and I aren’t the ones staring down the most cutthroat job market in decades, are we? To help them along, why not give your graduates a gift subscription to Soundview Executive Book Summaries? At a price of only $79, you can save 34%! This offer is for the online subscription, something this green-conscious and tech-savvy generation will appreciate.
Plus, as a special bonus gift, they’ll receive the Cutter & Buck American classic leather coffee tumbler for their morning coffee. Considering that a certain coffee retailer began overrunning cities with its green awnings the year they were born, these kids have grown up caffeinated. Your graduates will receive an email announcing your gift along with your personal message, and the coffee mug will be sent to them by mail.
Click here to give your grad an extra boost of concentrated knowledge!
Filed under: General Business, Internet, Technology | Tags: Business, business books, Innovation, Internet, Technology
In times like these, or really, during any time, the most important thing a company can be for its customers is relevant. Otherwise, I fear that without relevancy, speed, and value, companies go the way of the dinosaur. It’s just a fact of life.
So, I am proud to tell you that Soundview has kept all of this in mind, and to increase our share in your time-portfolios (forgive me for the personal finance pun), we have re-launched our Web site.
With the re-launch of the site, we focused on not only upgrading the site with all kinds of valuable resources, but investing in a redesign as well to update the look and feel of the product. I invite you to visit, and find for yourselves:
Faster navigation and downloading: Ramped-up servers save you time when shopping or accessing your online library.
Free content: More than a thousand book reviews, biographical and contact listings on top business authors, and soon-to-come additional audio and video features.
Convenience: A relocated and enhanced log-in, account and cart information, along with site-wide simplified navigation.
Additional Summaries: on top of selecting the 30 best business books of the year and publishing their summaries, Soundview will also be adding more titles from our backlist and exclusive titles from our custom products and services.
Please let us know your thoughts about the new site, and enjoy the enhanced features. I think you will find that the site adds time and value to your work day.
According to a Gallup poll conducted in early December 2008, the use of the Internet in the U.S. has nearly doubled over the last 5 years; in 2008 48 percent of Americans polled indicated that they use the Internet more than one hour a day. Gallup conducted the survey through telephone interviews; the results are based on the interviews of 1,009 adults, age 18 and older, conducted Dec. 4-7, 2008
By demographic breakdown, post-graduates make up the largest group of Internet users at 68 percent, closely tailed by people who stated they make more than $75,000 a year (63 percent), and Americans age 18-29 (62 percent). Americans age 65-plus were at the opposite end of the spectrum of daily Internet usage, at 23 percent.
In comparison to 2007, several of these groups saw increases in usage:
- People with an annual income under $30,000—up 10 percent from 2007, to 32 percent
- Non-working—up 13 percent from 2007, to 41 percent
- Unmarried—up 10 percent from 2007, to 48 percent
- Ages 18-29—up 12 percent from 2007, to 62 percent
- Post-graduates—up 8 percent from 2007, to 68 percent
College graduates posted a 5 percent decline in daily Internet usage from 2007, down to 51 percent; however, according to Gallup, Americans are using the Internet now more than ever. According to Gallup, “With the Internet still in its infancy according to most technology experts, it is reasonable to anticipate continued growth in use among all … sectors in the years to come.”
So, how often are you using the Internet? Are you using it for entertainment, networking, research, etc? What about your company? What about your clients and customers?
