Books & Reviews
[Review] The Lean Startup
If you have any interest in entrepreneurship at all, "The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries is an engrossing read, says Lee Shen Han.
[Review] Likeable Social Media
Likeable Social Media by Dave Kerpen provides truckloads of tips, hints and useful advice, and shares how companies should behave themselves on social networks and what they can do to build communities, strengthen their reputations, and increase sales.
[Review] The Three Commitments Of Leadership
In the book "Three Commitments of Leadership: How Clarity, Stability, and Rhythm Create Great Leaders", authors Tom Endersbe, Jon Wortmann, and Jay Therrien - all of whom are learning and development experts - attempt to distil individual experiences and learning to piece together a model of leadership that can be applied to any organization, big or small.
[Review] Zag: The Number One Strategy Of High-Performance Brands
"In a world of extreme clutter you need more than differentiation. You need RADICAL differentiation. The new rule: When everyone zigs, zag."
[Review] Say Yes, And!
The author of "Say "Yes, And!": 2 Little Words That Will Transform Your Career, Organization, and Life!", Avish Parashar, believes that just by saying two simple words - "Yes, And" - can have a profound impact on your life.
[Review] The Element
In "The Element", Robinson proposes that the element is "the point at which natural talent meets personal passion". Finding our element allows us to tap onto that proverbial "sweet spot" and to maximize the vast powers of imagination, intelligence, feeling, intuition, spirituality, physical and sensory awareness inbuilt in every one of us.
[Review] Poke The Box
Poke the Box is marketing guru's Seth Godin's first title under The Domino Project, and promises to be all provocative and punchy.
[Review] Corporate Entrepreneurship
How do companies like 3M, Apple, Google, Xerox, Siemens and Grameen Bank continually generate game changing products and services? What can large organizations do to retain talent while building innovative cultures? The answer may be in the book, "Corporate Entrepreneurship: How to Create a Thriving Entrepreneurial Spirit Throughout Your Company".
[Review] Marketing Greatest Hits
Kevin Duncan's "Marketing Greatest Hits: Mastering the Brightest Minds of Modern Marketing" is touted as a "definitive compendium of everything you need to know from the best minds in modern marketing".
[Review] The Power In A Link: Open Doors, Close Deals, And Change The Way...
In the book "The Power in a Link: Open Doors, Close Deals, and Change the Way You Do Business Using LinkedIn", author David Gowel argues that it's not about the number of connections that you have, but the true power of your LinkedIn network is the utility that you derive from it.
[Review] The Mesh: Why The Future Of Business Is Sharing
Every now and then, you pick up a book which offer such a compelling new idea that you simply cannot put down. "The Mesh: Why the Future of Business Is Sharing" by Lisa Gansky is one such title.
[Review] Startup Asia
if you are interested in the rise of Asia's startup scene and how trends are shaping entrepreneurship in those countries, there's no better book you can pick up than "Startup Asia: Top Strategies for Cashing in on Asia's Innovation Boom", authored by journalist and Forbes contributor Rebecca Fannin.
[Review] Disciplined Dreaming
According to Josh Linkner, CEO of ePrize, anybody in any profession can be creative and it doesn't just happen by accident. In his book "Disciplined Dreaming", the business innovator and jazz musician shows that creativity isn't born but made.
[Review] The Real Truth About Social Media
What do small businesses Brendan's Irish Pub and Butter Lane have in common with big brands Old Spice and Starbucks? According to Eric Harr, author of "The Real Truth About Social Media: Confessions of a Social Media CEO", these names "get it" when it comes to engaging their audiences when it comes to social media.
[Review] Celebritize Yourself
Have you wondered how seemingly ordinary folks - policemen, plumbers, teachers and housewives - have risen to become well-known household names? If you do, consider adopting the principles written by Marsha Friedman in "Celebritize Yourself: The 3-Step Method To Increase Your Visibility and Explode Your Business".
[Review] The Compound Effect
The book "The Compound Effect" is based around a very simple principle: that little, everyday decisions have, in the long run, very significant impact on your life.
[Review] Conversational Capital
What's the newest trick in the marketing bag? Enter "Conversational Capital", a book written by Bertrand Cesvet, Tony Babinski, and Eric Alper from experiential brand collective SID LEE.
[Review] Gamification By Design: Implementing Game Mechanics In Web And Mobile Apps
"Gamification by Design" by gamification expert and chair of the Gamification Summit Gabe Zimmerman, and entrepreneur and veteran technologist Christopher Cunningham, is targeted at more than just games or application designers. If you are a brand marketer, a user experience architect or even a client-facing suit from a creative agency, understanding the concepts within will make you that much better a professional in your own space.
[Review] The 51 Fatal Business Errors And How To Avoid Them
"The 51 Fatal Business Errors and How to Avoid Them" offers 51 key reasons why many businesses fall flat on their faces, and is chockful of rather harsh business lessons that will lead you, the business owner, to plenty of soul-searching.
[Review] Success By Design
If following tried-and-true processes and templates for your small business can lead to success, then perhaps Richard B. Sanford's "Success By Design: How to Create Ever-Increasing Income, Profit & Wealth in the World of Small Business" may be the answer.
[Review] The Everyday Entrepreneur
The advice in "The Everyday Entrepreneur" is appropriate, practical, and usable. If you are a new business owner or one that has found it challenging to grow your company, this book is for you.
[Review] Startup Weekend
co-directors of Startup Weekend - Marc Nager, Clint Nelsen and Franck Nouyrigat - has put together some of their experiences and best practices from Startup Weekend into the book, "Startup Weekend: How to Take a Company From Concept to Creation in 54 Hours".
[Review] Harry Potter: The Story Of A Global Business Phenomenon
Can Susan Gunelius' book "Harry Potter: The Story of a Global Business Phenomenon" offer some insight into how we can replicate some of the success experienced by Harry Potter, the world's most bankable fantasy brand with an estimated brand value of US$15 billion?
[Review] Small Business, Big Vision
For the new small business entrepreneur, "Small Business, Big Vision" by Adam and Matthew Toren is a handy, easy-to-read, and useful tome to start you off thinking how you can tweak your own business for the better.
[Review] Karen Okulicz’s Try!, Decide!, And Attitude!
Sometimes you just need some inspiration in your life. Perhaps you've recently lost your job, encountered some personal tragedy or are simply down on your luck. Karen Okulicz, with her three books "Try! A Survival Guide to Unemployment", "Decide! How to Make Any Decision" and "Attitude! (For Your Best Lived Life)", may just offer the right antidote to help you through these difficult times.
[Review] The Big Enough Company
"The Big Enough Company: Creating a Business That Works for You" by Adelaide Lancaster and Amy Abrams uses plenty of case studies, success stories and personal anecdotes to dispense advice on how you can find the best way forward for your company.
[Review] The Dragonfly Effect: Driving Social Change Through Social Media
Co-authored by Stanford University Marketing Professor Jennifer Aaker and her husband Andy Smith, a leading marketing consultant of Vonavona Ventures, "The Dragonfly Effect" offers a recipe for social change leveraging on the power of social media.
[Review] Go For It!: A Practical Guide To Success For Everyone
I'm usually very wary of any book that claims of being a guide to success. But "Go For It!" by John Tassone, a straight-talking, shoot-from-the-hip kind entrepreneur in the insurance industry, was seriously an enjoyable read.
[Book Review] Building A Winning Business: 70 Takeaways
Author of "Building a Winning Business: 70 Takeaways for Creating a Strong Company during Good and Bad Economic Times" Tom Salonek comes up with a priceless book on business management that is concise yet insightful.
[Review] Superfreakonomics
Creators of the highly popular book "Freakonomics", hosts of the Freakonomics radio podcasts, University of Chicago economist Steven D. Levitt and New York Times journalist Stephen J. Dubner join forces yet again in "SuperFreakonomics".