Personal Interest: Read cover to cover! "When talented innovators innovate, you don't listen to the specs they quote. You look at the models they've created". The book is divided into three parts: "Getting Real," "Model Behavior," and "Stimulating Innovation." In "Getting Real," Schrage hypothesizes that the only actionable idea is one that is represented by prototype. Prototypes engage an organization's thinking and spark conversation. Through human interaction, collaborative creativity is realized. The value of prototyping is in the behavior that it sparks.

For those interested in the process of innovation and how to improve that process in their company. Examines many aspects of prototyping and describes how they fit into the innovation process. The increasing availability of inexpensive, quick-to-create computer-based prototypes makes understanding this process important.

Michael was researching the psychology of collaboration at the MIT Media Lab when he realized that "...the notion that more or better communication was the essential ingredient in collaboration was false; what was needed was a fundamentally different kind of communication." This kind of communication was around a "shared space", and the shared space was the prototype. Describing the nature of this "shared space", and showing how necessary it is to innovation, is the task of the book. (pg. xvi)"...improvising with the unanticipated in ways that create new value. "prototypes ...can be more articulate than people..." (p.15)

Von Clausewitz, K., A. Rapoport. (1982). On War. Viking Press.

If you want peace, prepare for war. Paradoxical logic is the coming together of opposites or the reversal of opposites. In warfare, "the longest way round, is often the shortest way home." This is paradoxical because linear logic suggests that the shortest way home is a straight line. But in war, the short straight way might take you right into the enemy's strongest part, thus you will want to take the long way around and strike the enemy at his weakest point. This paradoxical because it is opposite of linear logic.

In the tradition of Carl von Clausewitz, Strategy goes beyond paradox to expose the dynamics of reversal at work in the crucible of conflict. As victory is turned into defeat by over-extension, as war brings peace by exhaustion, ordinary linear logic is overthrown. Citing examples from ancient Rome to our own days, from Barbarossa and Pearl Harbor down to minor combat affrays, from the strategy of peace to the latest operational methods of war, this book by one of the world's foremost authorities reveals the ultimate logic of military failure and success, of war and peace.

"Fools say that they learn by experience. I prefer to profit by others' experience." There are two forms of practical experience, direct and indirect--and that, of the two, indirect practical experience may be the more valuable because (it is) infinitely wider. Even in the most active career...the scope and possibilities of direct experience are extremely limited. ...the great advances in medicine and surgery have been due more to the scientific thinker and research worker than to the practitioner.

Direct experience is inherently too limited to form an adequate foundation either for theory or for application. At the best it produces an atmosphere that is of value in drying and hardening the structure of thought. The greater value of indirect experience lies in its greater variety and extent. 'History is universal experience' --the experience not of another, but of many others under maniforld conditions."

Personal interest. This book is misnamed. It should be called "How to build a great sales business." Joe Girard turns his abusive childhood identity into what drives him to be successful. He proves that it is not what has happened to you. It's what you do with what has been done to you. Joe answered so many questions that I had about cold calling; mailing lists; asking for the money; and getting the support of others in a way that benefits everyone.

Even though he made the Guinness Book of Records for selling cars, this is applicable to selling seminars, coaching sessions, and other non-tangible services.

Personal Interest: Not purchased & have not read.

Personal Interest: Slowly reading. Ray Kurzweil's vision is very similar to many of the MIT authors I so enjoy reading and culling insight from. Anything out of MIT in this arena is of GREAT interest to me. I love what these professors are doing, and I love what they are writing!

Barabasi, is a physics professor at the University of Notre Dame. What conditions have to be present for a scale-free network to be formed? First is growth. The network has to be expanding; in fact, there’s a critical point at which the network transforms from the relative order of a random network to the apparent chaos of a scale-free network. Second, “the probability that a [node] will choose [to link] to a given node is proportional to the number of links the chosen node [already] has.” This is called “preferential attachment.” Better-linked nodes get more links and therefore get still more links. As Barabási puts it, the rich get richer. The nodes that are best linked become “hubs.” These are the “mavens” that Gladwell talks about in his book, the key people who know everybody and influence everything.

The answer caused Barabási to add a third condition for scale-free networks: competitive fitness. He realized that previous studies had assumed that all nodes in a network had the same features and quality, except for the numbers of links they had. In complex systems, however, each node has unique characteristics. These characteristics vary among networks or even communities with a network, but as long as other nodes in the network have freedom of choice, they will choose to link to a node that is “more fit.” An observer can measure the rate at which a node is attracting more links. This rate of attraction can be quantified as a measure of fitness. This “fit-get-rich” behavior explains why latecomers can win.

Some might compare Six Degrees to another great book about networks, Albert-Laszlo Barabasi's Linked. The two books are complementary in several ways. First, Six Degrees is a lot more autobiographical and personal than Linked and is as much about how science is made as it is about networks. Second, the focus of Watts' books is by and large social networks--although he does talk about other networks--that is, networks made out of people: networks of friends, acquaintances, colleagues, co-authors, etc. Third, the main recurrent theme in Six Degrees, as its name indicates, is small world networks, whereas Linked is big on scale-free networks.

When the power goes out, when we find that a stranger knows someone we know, when dot-com stocks soar in price, networks are evident. In Six Degrees, sociologist Duncan Watts examines networks like these: what they are, how they're being studied, and what we can use them for. To illustrate the often complicated mathematics that describe such structures, Watts uses plenty of examples from life, without which this book would quickly move beyond a general science readership. Small chapters make each thought-provoking conclusion easy to swallow, though some are hard to digest.

2002: Personal Interest. The authors introduce the notion of communities of practice as a new strategy to leverage knowledge capital to create sustainable competitive advantage. By valuing communities of practice, by recognising the contribution of community members, and giving support for time and commitment) and providing an infrastructure (e.g. giving them a communication platform, active facilitation and information resources), the authors suggest that organizations can increase the speed of innovation and knowledge sharing.

In Nonaka and Takeuchi's "The Knowledge Creating Company," there was the suggestive diagram of the "hypertext organization." It showed three layers, the hierarchy, the project team community and a third space, the knowledge community. A few years later Nonaka understood that this third space was what the Japanese call "Ba," a shared mental space. Is this not what you two are talking about in your "Reflective and Strategic - Communities of Practice?"

An up-to-date explanation of the design of the current and next generation interactive technologies, such as the web, mobiles, wearables. These exciting new technologies bring additional challenges for designers and developers - challenges that require careful thought and a disciplined approach. Written for both students and practitioners from a broad range of backgrounds, this book addresses these challenges using a practical and refreshing approach. The text covers a wide range of issues, topics and paradigms that go beyond the traditional human-computer interaction (HCI).

"I've been waiting for this book for many years. I think it's been worth the wait. As the director of the HCI Bibliography project (www.hcibib.org), a free access HCI portal receiving a halfmillion hits per year, I receive many requests for suggestions for books, particularly from students and software development managers. To answer that question, I maintain a list of recommended readings in ten categories (with 20,000 hits per year). Until now, it's been hard to recommend just one book from that list. "

Personal Interest: Have not purchased or read yet. October 2002. http://www.rheingold.com/

The Brainstorms community includes a few hundred people around the world who communicate about technology, the future, life online, culture, society, family, creativity, history, books, music, media, health, home, mind, phun, work and academiaville. We try to maintain a high level of civility, raise the bar for the level of discourse online, and remember to have fun.

Personal interest, would like to read: A sociological approach that examines overarching relationships between the various components of the media process—the industry, its products, audiences, technology, and the broader social world
An integrated study of mass media that looks at media technologies, collective influences, and connections between mass media issues that are often treated as separate
An examination of how economic and political constraints affect the media and how audiences actively construct their own interpretations of media messages

Media/Society: Industries, Images and Audiences, Third Edition engages the reader with accessible analyses that are historically grounded but draw upon current media debates such as regulation of the Internet, concentration of media ownership, portrayals of gays in the media, and the growth of global media. Media/Society an outstanding text for courses in mass media and sociology.

Computer assisted learning.
McLuhan coins the term "the global village." On the internet, 33 years after this book was first published, McLuhan had the insight and perspicacity to see just how electronics will be changing us. He's more of an electronical anthropologist here.

ALSO to find: The debate between Clark's "Media will never influence learning", (1994) and Kosma's "Will Media Influence Learning? Reframing the Debate", (1994).

Maxwell, J. and Z. Ziglar. (1998). The 21 Irrefutable Laws of LeadershipFollow Them and People Will Follow You. Thomas Nelson.

Personal Interest: Read cover to cover. AWESOME another favorite!! We all possess an ability to do the work we were made for. Discover your unique calling by creating meaning in life and work from the inside out, grounding the common sense of soul work in the common practice of everyday life. What are you here to do and be in this life?

Purpose Quest
"Purpose is that deepest dimension within us?our central core or essence?where we have a profound sense of who we are, where we came from, and where we're going. "
The Essence of Purpose and a Deeper Call
"To understand the essence of purpose adequately, we must look to a deeper underlying belief."
Living With Purpose
"Slowly, we need to discover what part of busyness is just cultural consensus (i.e., norms we accept) and what part is an expression of our real purpose."
Questions of Purpose
"What we need is the right amount of the right kind of stress."
Working With Purpose
"A calling calls forth the deeper questions of work, such as how, why, and for whom we do our work."
Purposeful Work and Leadership
"Bringing meaning to our work starts with solitude and contemplation."
Paths to Purpose
"To discover our calling, we need to live from the inside out?see the potential issues that move us. "
Self-Discovery
"When you have a good idea of what your gifts are and what moves you, you have the power of purpose."

Peter Drucker calls Rick "the inventor of perpetual revival."
The book argues that discerning and living five God-ordained purposes-worship, community, discipleship, ministry and evangelism-is key to effective living. "David served God's purpose in his own generation."
It’s not about you.
The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose. The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years. That’s because we typically begin at the wrong starting point—ourselves. We ask self-centered questions like What do I want to be? What should I do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, my dreams for my future? But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life’s purpose. The Bible says, “It is God who directs the lives of his creatures; everyone’s life is in his power.”

Loehr, a performance psychologist, came upon these observations while he was studying professional tennis players to learn what separates the greatest players from the less successful players. Loehr discovered what separated the greatest players, such as Ivan Lendl, from the less successful players wasn't how they played tennis points. Rather, it was how they behaved between playing points.

The less successful players, on the other hand, didn't have rituals to help them recover between points. Their heart rates remained high between points, and they couldn't seem to calm their stress. Loehr and Schwartz write: "We hold ourselves accountable for the ways that we manage our time, and for that matter our money. We must learn to hold ourselves at least equally accountable for how we manage our energy physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually."

Creativity, business, and spirituality are all facets of the same jewel.
Creativity consultant William C. Miller argues that the most successful companies encourage inspiration and innovation and allow people to make a difference. "Our work is an expression of our souls, our deepest being, the creative spirit working through us," writes Miller, who is also author of The Creative Edge & Quality Improvement Through Innovation, Learning & Creativity. "We have to give what we do a context that is real and alive for each one of us, a context that serves mankind." Creative thinking tools: Innovation Styles assessment wheel:
1) Visioning Style - Vision Circle, Wish Lists, Future Annual Report (History of the future), Visualization
2) Exploring Style - Ego Alter, Guided Imagery, Analogy, Forced Association, Dreaming, Drawing, Natural Symbol
3) Experimenting Style- Matrix Analysis, Morphological Analysis, Nature of the Business, Alternative Scenarios, Random Connections
4) Modifying Style - Force-Field Analysis, Attribute Listing, SCAMPER, Fish Bone

Read cover to cover:

Reading cover to cover. Dialog in our world is happening all the time: the free flow of substance from one level of being to the next. For whatever reason, human beings have an ability to step out of this flow, at least in their own awareness. A significant part of each one's journey of maturation seems to entail recovering a feeling for this experience of intimate participation in the flow of one's own life. Robert Bly once said that your first innocence is given, but that your second innocence is earned. To earn it means to let go of the impediments that lead us to believe we are in some ways flawed or incomplete, bad, and therefore we do not deserve to experience life as one continuous, coherent flow.

Since it was first published in the late 1980s, Doing Your Research Project has become something of a 'bible' for first-time researchers in social science. This third edition reflects advances in technology and methodology and positions the book to support researchers in the twenty-first century. However, the book's formula remains essentially the same because of its unmatched ability to deliver two key benefits: it will enable you to get through your first research projects successfully and without wasting lots of time in trial and error; in the process, it will help you to develop sound techniques and good practice which will serve you well in future research projects.

Topics covered include the selection of a research subject, collecting data and keeping records, reviewing the literature, designing questionnaires, interpreting evidence, and presenting the findings. Each chapter has a summary checklist and its own suggestions for further reading. How to identify a proposal from amongst the materials you have assembled; how to keep track of your notes; how to actually produce such a long piece of work; and what to do with the results you finally assemble.

This is an excellent guide to research methods and writing which well deserves the success it has found as the more-or-less standard work in this area. It's suitable for anyone producing an undergraduate project, an MA or MEd dissertation, or even a PhD thesis.

Beyond its theories, Understanding by Design offers practical design tools, including criteria for selecting "big ideas" worthy of deep understanding, strategies for framing units of study around essential questions, a continuum of assessment methods for determining the degree to which students understand, and the WHERE framework, which enhances student engagement and "rethinking." The book concludes with a unit design template and standards to support quality control at the local level.

Charles Reigeluth has taken a very different approach to instructional theory. He has gathered together many of the best minds in instruction and assembled their writings into a second volume of instructional theory and practice. In this volume, he allows the various authors to present twenty-one different instructional theories. As editor, Dr. Reigeluth and others cross-reference these various theories and practices to create a discussion of similarities. Rather than take a position that one camp or another is right or wrong, each is allowed to make a case for the work they are doing. Each is given space to offer examples of process and results.

Why is it that today’s superefficient organizations are ailing? Tom DeMarco, a leading management consultant to both Fortune 500 and up-and-coming companies, reveals a counterintuitive principle that explains why efficiency efforts can slow a company down. That principle is the value of slack, the degree of freedom in a company that allows it to change. Implementing slack could be as simple as adding an assistant to a department and letting high-priced talent spend less time at the photocopier and more time making key decisions, or it could mean designing workloads that allow people room to think, innovate, and reinvent themselves. It means embracing risk, eliminating fear, and knowing when to go slow. Slack allows for change, fosters creativity, promotes quality, and, above all, produces growth.

Sharing his thoughts about the future of education, Sarason discusses his thinking on: charter schools, productive learning, motivation, high-stakes testing, the need for teachers to relate differently to each other and to parents, the importance of working through change, and the mistaken idea that we can clone reforms. Although written before the September 11th World Trade Center tragedy, the last chapter of this book is extraordinarily relevant to the subsequent national importance of societal values and responsible citizenship.

Kawasaki, G. (1992). Selling the Dream: How to Promote Your Product, Company, or Ideas-And Make a Difference-Using Everyday Evangelism. HarperBusiness.

Cashman, K. (1998). Leadership from the Inside Out. Executive Excellence

Shneiderman, B. (2002). Leonardo's Laptop: Human Needs and the New Computing Technologies. Boston: MIT Press.