A delightful little book at 134 pages, it appears to be going to be an easy read though in fact although it is more work than you expect, your efforts will be rewarded.
An in-depth explanation of what is going on in your brain and mind when you see red (my italics).
The book comes from a series of lectures that Nicholas Humphrey gave at Harvard in 2004 when he projected a red screen on the wall and then promised to explain in the next 3 hours what students were actually experiencing.
Thursday, 1 March 2007
Tuesday, 9 January 2007
Darwin's Dangerous Idea
Daniel Dennett, explores how Darwinian evolutionary theory can be successfully applied to many fields beyond biology.
He looks at the evolution of language, culture, ethics and the origins of life itself.
As ever his books are very well written and a delight to read.
He looks at the evolution of language, culture, ethics and the origins of life itself.
As ever his books are very well written and a delight to read.
Mind the Gap
I heard Graeme Codrington speak at an MD2MD session and obtained a copy of his book that expanded on his ideas.
A really useful guide for any manager over 40 who want to understand why their younger recruits (and their children) sometime seem to be from a different planet!
Then the book packs loads of tips on how to get the various generations to interact more constructively.
I have implemented some of the ideas in this book and they really work and have improved our staff retention and morale.
Great quotes "we have many friends in life but only one set of parents, they are special - lets keep them that way" and "Half of all the people who have ever turned eighty are alive today"
A really useful guide for any manager over 40 who want to understand why their younger recruits (and their children) sometime seem to be from a different planet!
Then the book packs loads of tips on how to get the various generations to interact more constructively.
I have implemented some of the ideas in this book and they really work and have improved our staff retention and morale.
Great quotes "we have many friends in life but only one set of parents, they are special - lets keep them that way" and "Half of all the people who have ever turned eighty are alive today"
Monday, 1 January 2007
The God Delusion
Well this is one of those books that tends to polarise its audience into love it or hate it (probably depending on your personal position in the arguments)
I unashamedly admit I come out firmly on Richard Dawkins' side and this is a great book for pulling out bits of argument to support your point. ON the other hand this is one of his more extreeme works and some have described it a s a bit of a rant.
I unashamedly admit I come out firmly on Richard Dawkins' side and this is a great book for pulling out bits of argument to support your point. ON the other hand this is one of his more extreeme works and some have described it a s a bit of a rant.
Tuesday, 28 November 2006
It's a zoo around here
A great little book from Nigel (who is also a very entertainig speaker). I received this as part of a series of workshops whilst I worked for Wyko.
I have used the content myself in several workshops I have run and attendees really like it as it is easy to understand and start to recognise the traits in others.
The animal labels for teh 4 categories are also good fun (Lion, Monkey, Elephan, Dolphin).
The book itself is meant to be read in 4 ways (depending on your personal style).
I have used the content myself in several workshops I have run and attendees really like it as it is easy to understand and start to recognise the traits in others.
The animal labels for teh 4 categories are also good fun (Lion, Monkey, Elephan, Dolphin).
The book itself is meant to be read in 4 ways (depending on your personal style).
Wednesday, 1 November 2006
Shut Up, Move On
I heard Paul McGee speak as part of a development program whilst I worked for Wyko. He could only cover a couple of sections from this excellent book during that session.
The title comes from Shut Up Move On and is all about putting life's events into perspective.
My personal favorite is to ask yourself "how important is this going to seem in a year's time?". THere are 7 SUMO habits in all.
SUMO your relationships is pretty much a slight rewrite with a slant towards relationships - I can't say it is really worth it or as good as the original.
The title comes from Shut Up Move On and is all about putting life's events into perspective.
My personal favorite is to ask yourself "how important is this going to seem in a year's time?". THere are 7 SUMO habits in all.
SUMO your relationships is pretty much a slight rewrite with a slant towards relationships - I can't say it is really worth it or as good as the original.
Thursday, 1 June 2006
Freakonomics
A great book that isn't really about economics at all but rather looking at everyday issues through a thought provoking lens of statistical economics.
As an example a whole chapter on how you can tell a persons likely skin colour and income level from the names they give their children.
As an example a whole chapter on how you can tell a persons likely skin colour and income level from the names they give their children.
Breaking the Spell - Relidgion as a natural phenomenon
Daniel Dennett studies the roots of religion and belief and why it evolved within society.
Why are such ideas so common across societies and so powerful within them? He doesn't contest religious beliefs but rather argues that we need to understand why the phenomenon is so deeply rooted.
Why are such ideas so common across societies and so powerful within them? He doesn't contest religious beliefs but rather argues that we need to understand why the phenomenon is so deeply rooted.
The Paradox of Choice - Why More is Less
An insigtful book for anyone trying to sell. Schwartz explains why having more choice actually reduces the chances of a successful sale, or from th eother side why increased choice increases stress and decreases happiness.
As well as the explanation, he gives practical advice on how to survive in a world where the mantra of ever increasing choice is alomost unavoidable - or how to lead a more contented life.
Those who manage to be grateful for what they have, who experience and express gratitude - lead longer healthier lives and are more optimistic about the future. Such individuals are more alert, enthusiastics, and energetic and are more likely to achieve personal goals.
As well as the explanation, he gives practical advice on how to survive in a world where the mantra of ever increasing choice is alomost unavoidable - or how to lead a more contented life.
Those who manage to be grateful for what they have, who experience and express gratitude - lead longer healthier lives and are more optimistic about the future. Such individuals are more alert, enthusiastics, and energetic and are more likely to achieve personal goals.
The Impact Code
Nigel Risner explaining his model for a more fullfilled life that I first picked up on the Wyko Management Development program.
I have seen Nigel present this material several times and although I can't immediately remember what all the letters of IMPACT stand for, I do remember the point about being 'in the room' (you will have to read the book to find out what it means).
In summary:
In the room
Model from the best
Passion & Purpose
Action
Comic Relief
Trust
I have seen Nigel present this material several times and although I can't immediately remember what all the letters of IMPACT stand for, I do remember the point about being 'in the room' (you will have to read the book to find out what it means).
In summary:
In the room
Model from the best
Passion & Purpose
Action
Comic Relief
Trust
Talk to the Hand
After reading Eats, Shoots & Leaves I picked up this book also by Lynne Truss.
A humourous rant on those things that would cause 'disgusted of Tunbridge Wells' to write into the telegraph.
A humourous rant on those things that would cause 'disgusted of Tunbridge Wells' to write into the telegraph.
Stumbling on Happiness
Every now and then you stumble across a wonderful book that you only picked up because of the strange title whilst browsing the bookshelves waiting for another delayed flight - well this is one of those little gems.
The essence of the book is that we try and do the things today that we think will make us happy tomorrow and when we get there we are often saddened to discover that we made the wrong choices and worse than that we are so ungrateful towards the idiot who made those choices.
How can this happen, shouldn't we be the best people to judge what the tastes, preferences, needs, and desires of the people we will become next year (or at least tomorrow)?
Well the book explains why we are typically so poor at it and it does give some tips on how to be a little better at enjoying life.
There are echoes in here of the truths about humans very poor ability to detect true correlations and causal relationships that also popped up in The Black Swan and Fooled by Randomness.
The essence of the book is that we try and do the things today that we think will make us happy tomorrow and when we get there we are often saddened to discover that we made the wrong choices and worse than that we are so ungrateful towards the idiot who made those choices.
How can this happen, shouldn't we be the best people to judge what the tastes, preferences, needs, and desires of the people we will become next year (or at least tomorrow)?
Well the book explains why we are typically so poor at it and it does give some tips on how to be a little better at enjoying life.
There are echoes in here of the truths about humans very poor ability to detect true correlations and causal relationships that also popped up in The Black Swan and Fooled by Randomness.
Friday, 1 July 2005
Working with Emotional Intelligence
Daniel Goleman - the originator of the Emotional Intelligence and author of teh book of teh same name, here applies his concepts specifically in the working arena.
Strongly rooted in empirical study of what makes successful leaders different, and even more important, what lessons we can all learn from them, the book is a good solid grounding in the techniques that can make you a better leader.
A reasonably dense book it certainly isn't a light read but worth it in the end.
Strongly rooted in empirical study of what makes successful leaders different, and even more important, what lessons we can all learn from them, the book is a good solid grounding in the techniques that can make you a better leader.
A reasonably dense book it certainly isn't a light read but worth it in the end.
Wednesday, 1 June 2005
The Millennium Problems
In May 2000, the Clay Mathematics Institute in Paris announced that $1m prizes were being offered for solutions to each of seven unresolved problems of mathematics.
This book doesn't explain the problems in detail but rather aims to give the background that a lay reader can understand and more important why the problems themselves are considered important.
The Riemann Hypothesis - about the pattern of primes
Yang-Mills Theory - quantum physics behaviour of particles
P vs NP problem - proof that certain equations are unsolvable by computation
Navier-Stokes equations - familiar to engineers of fluid dynamics but there is no formal solution to them
The Poincare conjecture - how do you tell the difference between an apple and a doughnut?
The Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer Conjecture that builds on Fermat's Last Theorem and points to possible solutions
The Hodge Conjecture - about an obscure issue deep within abstract topology.
This book doesn't explain the problems in detail but rather aims to give the background that a lay reader can understand and more important why the problems themselves are considered important.
The Riemann Hypothesis - about the pattern of primes
Yang-Mills Theory - quantum physics behaviour of particles
P vs NP problem - proof that certain equations are unsolvable by computation
Navier-Stokes equations - familiar to engineers of fluid dynamics but there is no formal solution to them
The Poincare conjecture - how do you tell the difference between an apple and a doughnut?
The Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer Conjecture that builds on Fermat's Last Theorem and points to possible solutions
The Hodge Conjecture - about an obscure issue deep within abstract topology.
The Agile Gene
Matt Ridley follows on from his earlier work 'Genome' to explore the nature vs nurture debate. In the end he describes it as a false dichotomy with nurture favouring certain individuals and hence the genes that will continue their lineage, in turn defining the personality of those who will nurture the next generation.
The Ancestors Tale - A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Life
Richard Dawkins travels back over the human family tree to the dawn of life and introduces us to the other life forms that branched out along the way (including who there descendants are today, or were in the fossil record)
I must admit I lost interest before the end of the book. Once you get the idea it is more of a review of the taxonomy of life than a deeply philosophical study that many of his other books are. I would recommend it to anyone interested in biology or taxonomy though.
I must admit I lost interest before the end of the book. Once you get the idea it is more of a review of the taxonomy of life than a deeply philosophical study that many of his other books are. I would recommend it to anyone interested in biology or taxonomy though.
The Gold Mine
An explanation of lean manufacturing written as a novel (similar to The Goal several years before). If you, or someone you know, wants to leanr about the subject but doesn't get on with conventional text books - then this could be the book for you.
Published by the Lean Enterprise Institute - who have many more conventional books on the subject if you are interested.
Published by the Lean Enterprise Institute - who have many more conventional books on the subject if you are interested.
The Definitive Book of Body Language
From Allan & Barbara Pease (grandmasters in the art) comes a truly definitive guide to reading other people and hence improving your depth and effectiveness of communications with them.
Much more than just a guide to body signals, the book also explores the underlying psychology and physiology behind the body language signals.
A very readable book whether you are a complete novice or an expert in the craft.
The book has been reprinted many times in slightly different versions but they all contain the same material.
Much more than just a guide to body signals, the book also explores the underlying psychology and physiology behind the body language signals.
A very readable book whether you are a complete novice or an expert in the craft.
The book has been reprinted many times in slightly different versions but they all contain the same material.
Friday, 8 April 2005
Creating a Learning Culture
A rather detailed, technical book that leaders of organisations that are trying to develop their staff for tomorrow's challenges should attempt to read (or at least get someone in their organisation to read).
A snippet from the book: Delphi found that 42% of corporate knowledge is in their employee's brains, 26 in paper documents and only 20% in electronic form.
A snippet from the book: Delphi found that 42% of corporate knowledge is in their employee's brains, 26 in paper documents and only 20% in electronic form.
Wednesday, 5 January 2005
On Intelligence
From the man who invented the PalmPilot, a book about how the brain works from the perspective of pattern recognition and heirarchical feedback loops.
As in several other books I have enjoyed on the same subject it captures the idea that brain functions such as what we call 'intelligence' are not coded to specific operations in the brain but are more akin to meta descriptions of such operations. I like the analogy that a water molecule isn't wet - but a collection of them do exhibit this property.
As in several other books I have enjoyed on the same subject it captures the idea that brain functions such as what we call 'intelligence' are not coded to specific operations in the brain but are more akin to meta descriptions of such operations. I like the analogy that a water molecule isn't wet - but a collection of them do exhibit this property.
Tuesday, 1 June 2004
Schrodinger's Kittens and the serach for Reality
John Cribbin explores the strange quantum world in a way that makes you feel you might just be able to understand it. At any rate you will enjoy the stories and explanations.
The kittens of the title are the metaphorical offspring of the famous though experimental cat who is both alive and dead at the same time. The book outlines some of the possibilities opened up by the consequences of the science - and how some of them have turned out to be true.
The kittens of the title are the metaphorical offspring of the famous though experimental cat who is both alive and dead at the same time. The book outlines some of the possibilities opened up by the consequences of the science - and how some of them have turned out to be true.
Sunday, 1 February 2004
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
Bought for me as a Christmas present and I couldn't put it down.
Many others have written far more eloquently than me on this book - but I will add that it really does shed light on why the little things in life do matter!
Many others have written far more eloquently than me on this book - but I will add that it really does shed light on why the little things in life do matter!
Sunday, 1 June 2003
In the blink of an eye: how vision kick-started the big bang of evolution
Andrew Parker gives a decryption of the Cambrian Explosion in evolutionary history and makes a very good argument that it was the evolution of vision that kick-started it.
How to dunk a Doughnut
A very entertaining book that looks at the science behind such things as how to boil the perfect egg, catch a ball, the physics of sex and why some vegetables absorb more gravy than others.
A Devil's Chaplain
A diverse collection of Dawkins essays from over 25 years covering a wide range of topics. A very good introduction to some of the underlyig themes that have enlightened hs work.
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