I enjoy opening my Daily Digests from Tech Republic — there’s always something that’s useful or interesting to read, even though I’m not a programmer or high-level IT guru, I just like working with technology and learning about what’s out there.
One of today’s links led to a short list of leadership books that will be published in 2015, as well as a short blurb for each as to why they’re a good read…which, as a Reader’s Advisory professional, I really appreciate (if someone is telling me to read a book, I want to know what it’s about).
I can’t personally vouch for every book since, well, only one has been published so far, but the list covers a variety of interests, and the blurbs have me looking forward to all of them. I love knowing about titles in advance!
The following titles* suggested by Tech Republic staff writer Erin Carson –thank you, Erin — are (in order of publication date):
Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo! by Nicholas Carlson; pub date Jan 6, 2015; ISBN 9781455556618
Reviewers say this book isn’t just about Marissa Mayer, but about the entire journey of Yahoo! from THE place to go to find things to a company whose future is still unknown.
How to Fly a Horse: The Secret History of Creation, Invention, and Discovery by Kevin Ashton; pub date Jan 20, 2015; ISBN 9780385538596
Explores creation/creative people: how did the “new” come to be?
Yes, And: How Improvisation Reverses “No, But” Thinking and Improves Creativity and Collaboration — Lessons from The Second City by Kelly Leonard and Tom Yorton; pub date Feb 3, 2014; ISBN 9780062248541
Yes, that Second City…the improv school that’s produced numerous comedic geniuses. I’ve already pre-ordered it. The authors claim that the book is “…aimed at increasing creativity, collaboration, and teamwork.” Since comedy troupes can’t be successful without any of these attributes, I believe them.
Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader by Herminia Ibarra; pub date Feb 10, 2015; ISBN 9781422184127
Lots of advance praise for this one…talks about how change yourself to positively effect your surroundings and promotes action over introspection. It’s now on my Amazon Wish List.
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance; pub date May 19, 2015; ISBN 9780062301239
No, I’ve never heard his name before, and I’m still deciding if I should be ashamed about that, although I now know that he’s CEO of SpaceX and a co-founder of paypal.
The Misfit Economy: Lessons in Creativity from Pirates, Hackers, Gangsters and Other Tales of Informal Ingenuity by Alexa Clay and Kyra Maya Phillips; pub date June 16, 2015; ISBN 9781451688825
Explores the world of underground innovators.
Leadership B.S.: Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth at a Time by Jeffrey Pfeffer; pub date Sept. 15, 2015; ISBN 9780062383167
This has gotten good [very] early editorial reviews…and it does seem like time for a re-haul of what it means to be a good leader. There is no title image available yet, but I imagine it will be better than a beige cover.
All cover photos courtesy goodreads.com — an excellent site for book lovers. All titles were available as Kindle books.
To subscribe to any of Tech Republic’s read-worthy newsletters: http://www.techrepublic.com/newsletters/?subscribes=e004
*While the original Tech Republic article listed eight items, I couldn’t find enough data on Amy Cuddy’s “Presence” (described as a book about how your body’s posture can impact your life, due to be published Fall 2015), to include it here.