Six Books I Like for October 2012

Which book should we RAP for October 2012? Here’s six books to select from. Last month we rapped Richard Rumelt’s Good Strategy, Bad Strategy. Here’s our six new contenders for October… Which one would you like us to RAP?

Situations Matter

Understanding how context transforms your world
Sam Summers
(Self Leadership)

Do you want more control over your life? Had enough of the world pulling your strings? In this book, Summers explores the underlying contexts and frames we live in and how they shape our responses, actions and behaviours. It’s an insight into human nature and social influence.

Sam Summers is a researcher and teacher at Tufts University outside Boston in the field of social psychology.

[easyazon-link asin=”1594488185″ locale=”us”]Buy Situations Matter on Amazon[/easyazon-link]

App Empire

Make Money, Have a Life and Let Technology Work For You
Chad Mureta
(Plan)

Following from our earlier issue on Mobile Computing, Apps for your iPad, iPhone or Android phone are booming. And, more importantly, we’re no longer visiting the web. Instead, we’re acting through apps. This book is an intro to thinking about what your business app could be. It provides checklists and a formula for success based on the author’s experience.

Chad Mureta has been part of the development and marketing of 46 apps which have been downloaded over 35 million times worldwide.

[easyazon-link asin=”111810787X” locale=”us”]Buy App Empire on Amazon[/easyazon-link]

Leading Outside the Lines

How to mobilise the informal organisation, energise your team and get better results.
Jon Katzenbach and Zia Khan
(Engage Others)

The rise of social media has been a major stimulant for creating informal networks and informal organisations. This book, written in 2010, is still considered to be the definitive guide to work in the culture, social networks and ad hoc communities that naturally flourish in organisations. It presents a new framework for leading in our digital world.

Jon Katzenbach is the author of the business classic The Wisdom of Teams.
Dr Zia Khan is the Vice President for Strategy and Evaluation at the Rockefeller Foundation.

[easyazon-link asin=”0470589027″ locale=”us”]Buy Leading Outside the Lines on Amazon[/easyazon-link]
[easyazon-link asin=”0060522003″ locale=”us”]Buy The Wisdom of Teams on Amazon[/easyazon-link]

Change By Design

How design thinking transforms organisations and inspires innovation
Tim Brown
(Innovate)

Gone are the days of the innovative genius. And, in their place is the rise of collaboration and group innovation. This book, published in 2009, remains the classic text on design thinking – the approach that designers take to match what people need with the technical and a viable business strategy. An important read for all in business wanting to bring innovative ideas to life.

Tim Brown is the CEO and president of IDEO – regarded as one of the most innovative companies in the world.

[easyazon-link asin=”0061766089″ locale=”us”]Buy Change by Design on Amazon[/easyazon-link]

Infinite Possibilities

Creating customer value on the digital frontier
Joseph Pine and Kim Korn
(Market)

Joseph Pine and Jim Gilmore’s classic book The Experience Economy pointed to a significant shift in business – products and services aren’t enough. Today, you need to create experiences for your customers. They followed this with their book Authenticity. And, in a third related piece, Pine and Korn explore eight digital realms to help you design relevant experiences for your customers.

Joseph Pine is a highly regarded advisor to Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurial start ups.
Kim Korn is a management theorist and educator in the US.

[easyazon-link asin=”160509563X” locale=”us”]Buy Infinite Possibility on Amazon[/easyazon-link]
[easyazon-link asin=”1591391458″ locale=”us”]Buy Authenticity on Amazon[/easyazon-link]
[easyazon-link asin=”1422161978″ locale=”us”]Buy The Experience Economy on Amazon[/easyazon-link]

Makers

The New Industrial Revolution
Chris Anderson
(Big Ideas)

An industrial revolution is taking place that brings manufacturing to your desktop. With the use of open source design and 3D printing we are entering into an age of custom fabrication, DIY product design and creation that will fuel an innovation and design boom. This is the next big wave of the global economy, the ‘long tail of things’.

Chris Anderson is the editor of Wired Magazine and author of The Long Tail and Free which we have previously rapped.

[easyazon-link asin=”0307720950″ locale=”us”]Buy Makers on Amazon[/easyazon-link]