News & Opinion
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Blog / News & Opinion
A Book in a Briefcase?
By Porchlight
You might expect a business book to come in its own briefcase, but yesterday this landed at my desk: It's not a business book, but a book about the history of Magic (1400s-1950s), and it's a whopper. Weighing almost 20 lbs. , this Taschen deluxe edition could be about pretty much anything, and you'd be drawn into it.
Categories: news-opinion
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Blog / News & Opinion
The Quants
By Porchlight
I've not yet finished reading Scott Patterson's The Quants: How a New Breed of Math Whizzes Conquered Wall Street and Nearly Destroyed It, but I'd like to go on record now in disagreement with The Economist's review of the book. I do agree that Patterson's prose can get a bit "purple" in places, but I think his focus on the quantitative models developed and used on Wall Street over the last three decades is an important one. And the way he explores the topic—through the stories of the individuals who created those models—keeps the reader engaged in a tale that might otherwise turn too academic for most.
Categories: news-opinion
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Blog / News & Opinion
2009 - In the Books
By Porchlight
Due to a few minor—yet incredibly frustrating—errors at the printer, our annual review of business books, In the Books, had to be reprinted. (For those of you who received a copy at our awards event in New York City, please avert your eyes from page 48. We will be mailing out new copies to you soon.
Categories: news-opinion
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Blog / News & Opinion
Want to go on a Shelfari?
By Sally Haldorson
This morning we received an email from Noah Fleming (self-described as a "linchpin in training"--which we love), letting us know that he had started a Shelfari for the books in The 100 Best Business Books of All Time. Noah's goal is to read all 100 books by December 31, 2010, and by creating a group on Shelfari, he is encourages others to take up the same challenge. Shelfari is "the premier social network for people who love books" where you can create a virtual bookshelf to feature the books you are reading and create reading groups to discuss those books.
Categories: news-opinion
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Blog / News & Opinion
How do I Fascinate?
By Sally Haldorson
As I mentioned in our most recent The Keen Thinker newsletter, I highly recommend reading Sally Hogshead's new book, Fascinate. (Admittedly I feel a strange attachment to Sally because there aren't many of us in the world named Sally, let alone Sally H. And although I did not change my last name when I got married, I've never had much affection Haldorson.
Categories: news-opinion
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Blog / News & Opinion
Social Media 101
By Porchlight
We are big fans of Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, as evidenced by us naming their book Trust Agents the best Advertising & Marketing book of 2009 in the 800-CEO-READ Business Book Awards. We're also huge fans of all things analogue here at 8cr—we love us some books and records. Sure, everybody has mp3 files on their computers, and we all read our blogs and follow the Twitter, but how many of us really bookmark our favorite posts and go back to them for inspiration, affirmation, or to remind ourselves of a valuable lesson?
Categories: news-opinion
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Blog / News & Opinion
Treat Who Like a Customer?
By Porchlight
Jack asked me to take a look at a book recently that, I must admit, I was a bit skeptical about at first. For a number of different reasons, a book of marriage advice (geared mostly toward successful men) entitled Treat Me Like a Customer seems like a dicey proposition, especially so if it's being released by a Christian publisher. Zondervan seems to have pulled it off, though, with Louis Upkins' book of sage advice on building and, when need be, repairing the relationships with those closest to us.
Categories: news-opinion
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Blog / News & Opinion
The Keen Thinker Vol.2
By Sally Haldorson
Volume 2 of The Keen Thinker is now available for your reading pleasure. Find out the answers to the following persistent questions: What exactly is a Pecha Kucha? What is this "freemium" thing everyone is talking about?
Categories: news-opinion, the-company
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Blog / News & Opinion
Your Brain at Work and inBubbleWrap
By Porchlight
Our resident wordsmith Sally, who in her own words "probably think[s] about life in sports metaphors more often than your average nerdy female bookworm," has posted her second offer over on inBubbleWrap. She asks whether, as is the case with olympic athletes, "every high level of success must be accompanied by an equal amount of sacrifice. " And, by giving away David Rock's Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter all Day Long, she hopes to put a book in your hands that will help you work smarter and find a better work/life balance so you don't have to make Olympian sacrifices to succeed.
Categories: news-opinion
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Blog / News & Opinion
PechaKucha Night: Milwaukee
By Porchlight
One week from tonight will be the sixth PechaKucha Night in Milwaukee, and it's going to be pretty special. Tuesday, February 23 8PM Sugar Maple 441 E. Lincoln Ave in Bay View PechaKucha Night was started in Tokyo as a non-profit.
Categories: news-opinion
