Joel Orr's World

I can't think of anyone who doesn't need to read this book. Everyone needs to communicate their ideas in a way that will be retained by the hearers, and that will move the hearers to action. This book is fun, fact-backed, and powerful. Just get it!

David Weinberger is a brilliant researcher and an engaging writer. If you have ever confronted the issues of organizing stuff - things, thoughts, whatever - you will resonate with his observations and benefit from his insights.

Innovation is the theme of the year (and also of the Cyon Research COFES2005 event). Evan Schwartz, whose easy-to-read journalistic style belies the solidity of his research, profiles nine inventors.

Powerful!

This is a novel about manufacturing and people. It is also a text about the Theory of Constraints. But it is really about systems and life. Oh, just get it; you won't be able to put it down!

A collection of essays by Daniel Boorstin, former Librarian of Congress. Full of little-known facts, and blessedly well-written.

The relationship between innovation and business success is made clearer in this wonderfully readable book than anywhere else. For anyone involved in high-tech business, this is a must-read. And go ahead and order the sequel, "The Innovator's Solution," with it.

Not just a Harvard B-school case study, this enlightening tome is a down-to-earth guide to understanding customers and market behavior. Read "Dilemma" first; neither one will take long - the first time. You'll want to re-read them both.

The most lucid exposition of economics and the role of government can be found in this brief treatise. Written more than a century ago, it still holds up.

A few years ago, Collins wrote Built to Last--still a powerful read. But this book is the summary of five years of research into companies who were "good"--had above-market performance--for at least 15 years, then "took off" and performed much better than the market for at least 15 years. The book looks at the qualities of the leaders and the organizations, and is full of fascinating surprises--for example, that Walgreen made it onto the list of eleven out of 1100+ companies who met the criteria, but GE did not.

Nominally, this Pulitzer-prize winning tour de force addresses the question, "Can a machine think?" But it is so much more than is implied by that characterization. I think it is one of the best-written non-fiction books of all time - astonishingly crafted, delightfully structured, carrying the reader to wonderful new vistas, demanding just enough effort to fully engage the mind. Two of my grandsons read it when they were teenagers.

Using allegory, metaphor, and gifted pedagogy, Hofstadter introduces the reader to the beauty of symbolic logic (don't give up now - it's worth reading) and its implications. The odd dimensionality of the drawings of M. C. Escher and the music of Bach are gently revealed to be conceptually related to the monumental discovery of Godel. Oh, phooey; anything I say about it makes it sound dry and boring. It isn't! You will enjoy it.

This fabulous book can truly help you change your life. It's no "spoiler" to tell you that "The 8th Habit" is finding your voice and helping others to find theirs. The first seven are described in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, a book with a tremendous impact on the business community and the world at large. If you haven't read it, get it too.

"The 8th Habit" comes with a DVD chock-full of award-winning movies that illustrate points in the book. The whole package is an incredible bargain.

This book tells you how to overcome your resistance to doing what you want.

Measurement is at the heart of engineering. This book tells the story of how the meter became the meter.

It's not about losing weight. It's about avoiding the dangers of diabetes - and perhaps even cancer. I've been on this diet for years. It brought my wife back from the dead. We both lost a lot of weight on it. I recommend - especially if you, like me, are a "baby boomer" - that you try it for a month. If it does good things, you've found your eating style!

This book saves marriages! Yet it is applicable to all parts of life, including your relationships with your boss, your subordinates, your colleagues, and your clients. It is based on a profoundly powerful observation that is easy to absorb. You can put it into practice immediately, and reap the benefits!

If you're married, you need this book! Check it out to find out why.

I wrote this book because my heart was moved by all the unhappy couples I encountered. It describes a simple model that has worked for me, so that my 33-year marriage with N'omi - who died in 2006 - and my new marriage to Dalia have filled my days and nights with love, joy, and growth.

This book is a must for every writer and would-be writer. The author has an unusual understanding of writing and a wonderful way of conveying it to the reader.