Filed under: Books in General, Innovation, Internet, Leadership, Strategic Management, Technology | Tags: Business, Leadership, Strategic Management, books, business books, Technology, business book, Innovation
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, 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, Conference/Event, From the Editor, General Business, Technology | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, career skills, Conference/Event, Technology
You may or may not know, but we offer a free e-newsletter entitled Soundview Executive Book Alert. The writer of this monthly look into the hot and the hidden in the world of books is a good colleague of mine. When he reviewed Grown Up Digital, by Wikinomics author Don Tapscott, my friend wrote, “What else are you doing while reading this review?” The implication is that no one can simply sit and read anything anymore. Looking at one screen isn’t enough, so the average reader is probably texting or checking e-mail while reading any article or blog post (this one included, I’m sure).
Apparently, this prevailing trend is starting to irk more than a few people, particularly in today’s sensitive business environment. Here’s one story that gives a perspective on this new era of digital rudeness. In the first five to seven years after e-mail became the standard of communication for the modern office, we were treated to dozens of business books that included a chapter on “e-mail etiquette.” In fact, it became so prevalent that my editorial colleagues and I would groan if we saw a top-ten list that started with “Don’t use all caps. This gives the appearance of shouting.” WE KNOW!
In contrast to e-mail etiquette, the digital distraction debate brings up some questions of genuine merit. Is there such a thing as being too plugged-in? As noted in the article above, the inability to focus on one task for a concentrated period of time may lead to more careless errors. Additionally, the evaporation of our attention spans creates changes in how we present and receive content. It’s possible that we’re reaching a point where even the shortest message isn’t safe from being knocked aside by distraction. How do we differentiate in a world where everything is labeled “urgent?” How people answer this last question, combined with the evolving world of PDA etiquette will make for interesting analysis over the next few years.
If you can look away from your iPhone long enough, catch Soundview at the annual conference of the Special Libraries Association. The show takes place from Sunday, June 14 through Wednesday, June 17 in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Soundview will be located in BOOTH #1142. Stop by and inquire about our corporate site license program. We’re looking forward to seeing you!
Filed under: Books in General, Hands-On Management, Strategic Management, Technology, health care | Tags: books, Business, business book, business books, health care, Innovation, Leadership, Strategic Management
Health care is on everyone’s mind right now. A quick scan of today’s headlines tells you all you need to know. The American system of health care draws its share of bullets, both domestically and (especially) internationally. Yet there are hundreds of individuals who have made it their goal to help the public become aware of ways to fix what’s wrong. An informed populous can in turn influence its leaders, but with so many lives and so many dollars at stake, the right moves must be made. Maybe this is why so little has been done.
Fortunately, into this breach steps author Clayton Christensen and physician Jason Hwang. They collaborated, along with the late Jerome Grossman, MD on The Innovator’s Prescription: A Disruptive Solution for Health Care. This book is a comprehensive solution plan to enact needed change in the health care industry. The authors leave no stone unturned when addressing a variety of targets: hospitals, prescription plans, medical schools, even patients. Each subject area is given careful analysis and the solutions provided should probably line any Congressional legislation relating to health care. It’s a unique book from a set of authors whose passion for the subject matter is matched by their intensity in providing answers while others only offer complaints.
The best part? This summary is on its way to subscribers in the June edition of Soundview Executive Book Summaries. And now if you’ll indulge my secret dream to appear in an infomercial, “But wait, there’s more!” In the month of June, we’ll be featuring audio of an exclusive interview with Dr. Jason Hwang on Summary.com. I got the chance to listen to a preview and I came away with a new appreciation for how great an impact The Innovator’s Prescription could have on health care. Dr. Hwang is fascinating! While you’re counting the days until it debuts, take a moment to check out his blog.
If any of the authors’ suggestions come to fruition, it should certainly take some of the sting out of your next check-up … that is, unless it’s time for an injection of some sort.
Filed under: Books in General, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Hands-On Management, Innovation, Technology | Tags: books, Business, business books, career skills, Economics, Innovation, Internet, iPhone app, Leadership, management
There’s so much concern anymore about the state of the average company that executives can’t help but wonder if they’ll be in their current jobs by the end of the quarter. However, there is some good to come out of an era of turbulence.
Let’s face it, people like to take notice of problems at their companies. You probably have a small list yourself. Who hasn’t said to him- or herself, “If I was the president of this outfit, I’d make this change”? Fortunately, times of economic hardship are often the moments when people decide to strike out on their own. This can be the result of a dismissal from their current position or the desire to leave the firing range before the crosshairs fall on them. Either way, I have a sneaking suspicion that a couple of the next great success stories will get their start during this era of difficulty.
With that in mind, we’ve got something special for you iPhone fans. We’ve got a new application that includes three stellar summaries about the business of being in business for oneself. Soundview’s Entrepreneurship Vol. I app includes three excellent titles:
NEVER BET THE FARM by Anthony L. Iaquinto and Stephen Spinelli Jr. This book celebrates entrepreneurship in its entirety, presenting a framework that can help entrepreneurs reduce risks and simplify decision-making. It is at once both encouraging and cautionary, but neither a textbook how-to nor an inspirational tome lacking substance. “We’re living in a world with unimaginable adversity and invisible threats,” writes Iaquinto. “Why should entrepreneurs be any different from a sailor who stows a well-stocked emergency pack or a mill worker who puts a little bit aside each month for a rainy day or a Boy Scout following his motto, ‘Be prepared?’”
THE ART OF THE START by Guy Kawasaki. In The Art of the Start, Guy Kawasaki writes that his goal is to help you use your knowledge, love and determination to create something great without getting bogged down in theory and unnecessary details. At Apple in the 1980s, Kawasaki turned ordinary consumers into evangelists. As founder and CEO of Garage Technology Ventures, he has field-tested his ideas with dozens of newly hatched companies. In The Art of the Start, Kawasaki takes you through every phase of creating a business, from the very basics of raising money and designing a business model through the many stages that will eventually lead your company to doing the right thing and giving back to society.
HOOVER’S VISION by Gary Hoover. Gary Hoover, the founder of BOOKSTOP, Inc. and Hoover’s Inc., lays out a plan that can turn an enterprise into a success by showing entrepreneurs how to address inputs with an open mind, and see more than what others envision. Demonstrating how leaders can recognize the importance of history and trends, Hoover drives business owners to create and feed a clear and consistent vision, and helps them find the essential qualities of entrepreneurial leadership.
Take at peek at these three titles and let your iPhone help you open your mind to the idea that you can be the next big entrepreneur. We believe! So should you.
