Review: THE HIDDEN BRAIN by Shankar Vedantam is a fun read. It’s filled with stories about how our unconscious minds control much of what we do.
It’s similar to THINKING, FAST AND SLOW by Daniel Kahneman but less academic and more readable.
It’s filled with stories on how our subconscious can lead us to mistakes, when electing presidents, investing in stock markets, identifying criminals, and waging wars.
Review: I just read “The Sentient Machine” by Amir Husain. It’s an insightful and well-constructed overview of AI in today’s world. There’s no big idea, but it will give you a solid foundation for where things are headed. Husain is a computer scientist, but his writing is very readable, without a lot of jargon or technical terms.
Rating: ★★★★
Review: I finally got around to watching Black Mirror on Netflix. After all the hype, I had high expectations. The first two episodes shattered them.
I was so disappointed in Season 1, Episode 1: THE NATIONAL ANTHEM. The decisions the characters made were inane. No one would do that. Episode 2 was just plain boring.
Then I watched Episode 3: THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF YOU, and I was converted. It was clever and well done.
Review: The book Principles by Ray Dalio is packed with ideas. Clearly, Ray Dalio is a brilliant guy who has accomplished an enormous amount. He’s a pioneer in management and investment.
The problem is that, except for the beginning, the book reads like an automobile instruction manual. Dalio thinks of companies as giant machines, and his book is a list of principles that he has developed over the years.
Review: Extreme Ownership: How the US Navy Seals Lead and Win is a business book by Leif Babin and Jocko Willink. It’s a fun read.
It’s thrilling to hear the lessons learned from two amazing Navy Seals who fought in Iraq. The business lessons are less exciting. They are mostly common sense, like own the job, prioritize what’s important, simple is better than complex, etc. Very basic stuff.
Review: Just finished reading START WITH WHY by Simin Sinek. He’s a talented writer, but this book is too repetitive. He keeps articulating the same, simple message over and over.
The gist of the book is that leaders should not explain what they’re doing. If they want to inspire and motivate, they need to explain why they are doing it.
Review: Does our intuitive judgment work? What is intuition? How can we best solve problems? These are some of the questions answered in THINKING FAST & SLOW. It’s an interesting but not exciting read. Lots of information to digest. Would have been perfect at half the length.
Rating: ★★★★
Review: If you like Make Elephants Fly, we think you might also like another book that sheds light on how Silicon Valley works, Valley Speak: Deciphering the Jargon of Silicon Valley by Rochelle Kopp and Steven Ganz. Where Steve Hoffman’s book shows you how you can innovate like the best of those who came before you, Valley Speak gives you a grasp of the ‘lay of the land’: the techniques, assumptions, and jargon that you will need to navigate.
Within this book, you’ll find concise descriptions of concepts and terms related to innovation, agile development, venture funding, startup marketing, and more. You’ll also find a diversity of strongly held opinions, including from Silicon Valley luminaries, around how companies here get off the ground. Choose which to take to heart and which to set aside, but by all means understand them. With this background, you’ll appreciate even more clearly why Captain Hoff’s ideas on innovation are right on the money!
Valley Speak has recently become available at several Hudson Booksellers airport locations, so if you are visiting Silicon Valley or Seattle and wanting to quickly get up to speed on many of the terms and perspectives you are likely to encounter when interacting with startups and investors, look for it in the airport bookstores. It’s also available on Amazon.
Review: Black Edge is a shocking book about the excesses and corruption that pervade Wall Street’s largest hedge funds and investment banks. It’s a meticulously researched and well told story of greed and power.
Rating: ★★★★★
Review: My friend, Skip Prichard, just launched his new book called: The Book of Mistakes. You’ll love it and learn a lot.
Maybe you’ve heard one of these:
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