The author’s go through an examination of the different classes of bonds. You will learn that most bonds are NOT for you! They are made for institutional investors. Recommended.
Category Archives: Needs Review Date
SuperFreakonomics
The Goal
The Theory of Constraints is the creation of Eliyahu M. Goldratt first introduced in his book The Goal. TOC claims that within any system, there is a choke point (constraint) which determines the throughput of the system, whether that throughput is units of production, profits, etc. What sets TOC apart from other research is it provides a solution! TOC includes tools to identify constraints and manage those constraints to maximize throughput. Most of the current published works focus on production just as six-sigma, TQM, and similar methods do. The application is much broader, and newer books are expanding TOC into the other realms, like human resource management.
The Goal is actually written as a novel. Unfortunately, it doesn’t present enough of the solution.
Beyond the Goal
Not as ground breaking as The Goal. Still, some interesting ideas are presented. The one I remember the best is Eliyahu’s comment on metrics – that no person is able to achieve (optimize) more than five metrics at once. In other words, any system that requires the user to do so will be a sham! Why? Because you have to lie!
The Pentagon’s New Map
This book is an expanded version of an article written by T. Barnett a few years back. His basic thesis is that all the recent trouble spots our military has been involved in share one thing in common – they are not part of the economically integrated, functioning core. Put another way, economic integration with the free trading world creates economic co-dependency and an infusion of freedom (human rights) which are at odds with inter-nation war. Starting with that principal, he dissects US military policy since the end of the cold war. It is a very interesting analysis. Some of his ideas are clearly part of current U.S. foreign policy and the real reasons we are in Iraq. The book isn’t perfect – Barnett is long winded, self aggrandizing, and idealistic (especially his predictions and solutions) – but those issues don’t outweigh the novelty of his analysis and its relevance to the future.
Confronting reality: doing what matters to get things right
I listened to the CD version – it was well narrated. It succeeds Execution and extends the discussion on knowing the reality of your business. The emphasis is on the corporate business plan, the big picture. Thus, the target audience is the high-level corporate executives whom are responsible for shaping “the plan.” What I found useful at my low level is it gave me an idea what kind of questions our business leaders should be asking, and what kind of information they should be seeking in their business analysis, and thus what you should expect to hear if they are doing their jobs. Many of the examples are intriguing, and the author’s even give a counter example or two (companies that did it “wrong” yet still succeeded).
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
I listened to the (abridged) audio CD version which is narrated by the author. It is a good story, though somewhat long winded at times. The story is about the Oakland A’s and how they have used statistics to select a winning team for significantly less money than the rest of baseball. (An analogous situation for LM would be hiring of new employees – has anyone ever studied what characteristics identified during interviews correlate to success at MFC-Dallas?) The moral of the story is there is a great advantage when you can exploit market inefficiencies using the scientific method. You will have to read the book to find out more. It will really make you think about the value of conventional wisdom.
The innovator’s dilemma: when new technologies cause great firms to fail
A very interesting study of the role technological innovation has played in a couple of industries. The common misconception is that companies must constantly innovate to survive, and that innovation means making the ground breaking technical discoveries. First, the author defines innovation and notes that most innovations sustain business growth instead of reshaping industries. Second, the author’s analysis shows that companies that have failed were on the edge of technological innovation. So why do they fail? Read the book to find out!
Venus and Mars in the Workplace: A Practical Guide for Improving Communication and Getting Results at Work
After reading John Gray’s original work and this, I was left with the feeling that not everything he wrote can be accurately explained as gender differences. Many of his points sounded like differences in social styles and other personality dimensions not correlated with gender. I have since consulted with our social styles trainer and she agreed with me. Thus, I would not place this book high on your list. However, I would not scratch it from your list altogether; I have observed some of the behaviors / reactions he described, so I found it useful to study the cause and effect regardless if gender may play a role (or not).
The Ultimate Training Workshop Handbook
This book is available in two forms – paper back, and 3-ring binder. The 3-ring binder is out-of-print and over 600 pages. (I found my copy through abebooks in perfect condition.) Essentially an expanded version of Telling Ain’t Training, thought not written quite as well, and more verbose. Lots of examples with free license to use them in your own training classes. An important difference to Telling Ain’t Training is Bruce Klatt makes a distinction between teaching skills (training classes) and changing frames of mind (workshops). Examples of the latter would be management strategy sessions, (real, not what LM does) diversity training,