Bad Science: Quacks, Hacks, and Big Pharma Flacks

Since 2003, Medical Doctor Ben Goldacre has written the Guardian Bad Science book in which he discover the sort of pseudoscience and sloppy science. It is a systematic collation of several of the stories. It demonstrates how big stories in health, medicine and education have been flagrant distortions of the reality. Most of Goldacre’s targets are in the health sector – from pharmaceutical companies to homeopaths and nutritionists. But the purpose is of this book not simply to lambaste the peddlers of error but rather to“teach good science by examining the bad ”(p165), adding that“the aim of this book is that you should be future-proofed against new variants of bullshit(p87). In particular, Bad Science focus on the fundamental importance of evidence in validating any experiment or treatment. However,the beautiful thing is that there is no need for readers to be a scientist or even a particularly scientifically literate person to understand.
Indeed,this book is an unique book,it encourages readers to develop for themselves the intellectual tools to uncover whether a supposedly scientific statement is true or just rubbish. A truly insightful read as well. This is also the reason why I like it.

Under modern capitalism, our lives are increasingly rely on scientific and technological advances, and bad science is everywhere. Newspapers and TV news are riddled with scare stories of cannabis being 25 times stronger, or miracle cures that will make everyone and everything fit and healthy immediately Ben Goldacre cuts through the bullshit and gives customers the tools to pinch such nonsense for themselves.Although it packs in much information, it is not heavy or boring at all. I think it is very accessible to everyone. His writing style definitely comes off as very British, and very humorous.Along the way as you read this entertaining book, you will learn what you need to know about scientific evidence, about the power and limitations of statistics, and about how to think critically.
Currently, I think this book should be a mandatory part of all high school science curricula or become a recommend book for 21st century professionals ,which can make readers on a journey of esquiring more deeply into the foundations of active learning.
Remember, this book was written to improve your intellectual capacity, help you ward off the bullshit news stories in the media, and become a smart, informed consumer of information. As a result,this book is also necessary for managers or professionals to read,which would help them to choose or strengths employees’ critical thinking style.

Now I would like to Briefly describe the three most impressed contents in this book. Firstly, the most impressed me in Bad Science is its introduction.It is an eye-opening introduction, written for the non-scientist, into the critical questions of what constitutes proof of cause and effect in the health sciences, what is required for valid research, and what to look for when you hear health claims.More specialized, he pointed out people used to get their information from the very people who have repeatedly demonstrated themselves to be incapable of reading ,interpreting and bearing reliable witness to the scientific evidence(p x). Indeed,this part impressed me a lot.
Secondly,the Placebo Effect, Chapter 5, is probably the most fascinating chapter in the book.How the mind can basically cure any ailment just by being optimistic is staggering. The placebo effect is the phenomenon when patients is treated (and actually achieves a significant improvement) with a placebo. A placebo is a substance that contains no medicinal drug at all. It may take the form of regular medicine – a white pill, a capsule, or a syrup – but it does not have anything that could possibly contribute to someone’s health significantly(p63).However, people still improve. But just as homeopathy has unexpected benefits,so it can also have unexpected side-effects.
Last but not least, chapter 13: Bad Stats.Honestly, there is so much statistics and methodologies in this chapter, more than I could talk about in this paragraph, but it talks about a case of a nurse who was put on trial for murdering patients.It seemed to be a pattern of deaths when the nurse was working, but it seems that the case can be considered in two ways: either she was the murderer, or the events that coincided were completely random. Just like the possibility that you can flip a coin. So,you see, is it very interesting?

Overall, Bad Science is an unique book. It would make our lives better, if people would read it with an open mind. It empowers ordinary people of reasonable intelligence to think like scientists and protect themselves from so much unscientific activities.This is not to say that Bad Science is without faults. I do have a number of minor gripes about the book. I think maybe there are occasions when the book has fallen foul of both of these traps.Whatever, if you haven’t read this book yet, read it, because it just opens your mind to new, more evidence-based horizons! And maybe the next time you pick up the newspaper, you will realize that all these articles can just be pure bad science.

Thinking, Fast and Slow

Thinking, Fast and Slow is a book written by Daniel Kahneman who is a Nobel Memorial Prize winner in Economics. In this book, Dr. Kahneman has summarized most of the research which he has conducted in last fifty years into the book in the field of economics and psychology.   He tries to challenge the view point of “Human beings are rational”, which was an assumption put forward by the past economists. By using plenty of simple experiments, Dr. Kahneman indicates that people are always feel overconfidence without conscious and this leads to a subjective bias very often when it comes to making a decision.

Dr. Kahneman generally divide thought into two different categories which are System 1 and System 2. System 1 stands for the fast thinking, thought without further thinking, which means intuition, including perception and memory. And system 2 stands for slower thinking, thought with more logical and more deliberate. Usually, system 2 comes after system 1, while people failed to figure out the answer with system 1, the main characteristic of system 2 is idleness which means it will not be used only if it is necessary. Also, he point out that these two systems generally works together and sometimes they will influence each other. And the purpose of the book is trying to teach people how to get rid of the blind spot and myth of thinking.

The book is like a key point of the Dr. Kahneman’s previous research which he has conducted in the past fifty tears.  By using simple and easy experiments, Dr. Kahneman tries to illustrate difficult theories to the readers who do not acquire any economics and psychology background. As a reader, it is really interesting to find out that the examples which Dr. Kahneman gave in the book has happened to ourselves before in our daily life. And the knowledge which mentioned in the book is quite suitable for the use of the various levels of decision-making in the life, work life or Investment. With the help from the author, it is easier for readers to avoid the trap of intuition and make the correct decision without subjective bias.

Dr. Kahneman has mentioned an interesting hypothesis in the book which assumes people will prefer an easier answer rather than a difficult answer even it is not the proper solution to the question. The reason of this is laziness, although sometimes the wrong decision will not cause a huge injury to your life, however sometimes it will. The systematic thinking which Dr. Kahneman want the reader to apply can prevent various of wrong decisions and help readers to choose the best solution.

Dr. Kahneman has given many examples in the book in order to illustrate his point of view, which includes some interesting experiments he and his colleague conducted in different groups of people. For example, the riddle of the bat and the baseball, in this riddle, professor indicated that more than fifty percent of the under gradated students from Harvard and MIT gave the wrong answer and the problem is because of overconfidence. Without further checking, most of the people choose to trust their intuition; therefore, they neglect the function of the system 2. Another significant concept was called the “Halo effect”, which shows that the decision making process will influence each other without notice. Superficial impression does affect people a lot while making decisions, and people have intuitions that are not necessarily true, and people are confident in judgments that are not necessarily true.

How the Best Connections in Business and Life Are the Ones You Least Expect

Book Summary of SuperConnect: How the Best Connections in Business and Life Are the Ones You Least Expect

 

This inspiring and influential book, written by Richard Koch and Greg Locwood, has been the best seller since its first publish in 2010 and raised a strong awareness of the huge significance of social network in business and life. It is widely renowned that the two authors have rich experiences and get successful in their businesses. Richard is an ambitious entrepreneur and investor, whose ventures include Filofax, Plymouth Gin, Belgo and Betfair, while Greg is a venture investor specializing in business that connects people, like Sunrise and Bullion Vault. No wonder that they can accomplish the book and express such a novel idea.

 

Interestingly, the birth of this book itself is a convincing evidence to say the dramatic power of network. In fact, the two authors did not know each other before this book because of different locations, but through various intermediates they heard that they were in similar businesses, becoming partners later, and even collaborate to write this book. In total, there are thirteen chapters, starting from revealing the source of success to the concept of network, and vividly visualize these through famous business people’s examples or specific plots in daily life.

 

According to Koch and Lockwood, network provides a powerful new perspective on social and career mobility when all the components such as friendly acquaintances and innovations put together, proving that network science is the science of the twenty-first century. They also believe that those superconnectors who are disproportionately connected are the bridges to distant and various parts of society, making our world smaller and connected intensively. This is the magic of network.

 

The most special and creative thinking about this book is that weak links and strong links are distinguished in terms of the origin and frequency of contacts. As a result, they have different emphasis and effects. Specifically, weak links like arising from personal meetings are most useful when we least expect them to be and can be incredibly strong or even change the direction of our lives. Furthermore, it claims that weak links find better things to do and create new value and market, while strong links exploit ways to do things better and capture and maximize the value. Therefore, both of them are essentially demanded in business to function different parts. Actually, it has been an inevitable trend to put more attention to weak links because free will and new creations are more likely to take place under such occasion.

 

This book provides valuable insights for everyone in practice and is really worth to reading. As is known, the twenty-first century is an information exchanging era, which forces individuals to gather and learn new things consistently. Thus effective network would contribute a lot at this point, as it allows collecting information fast and assembling resources available scientifically. From an individual perspective, network means knowing many people of different studies and these will help job hunting or other personal needs. For instance, a increasingly graduates use LinkdedIn to follow up the company or the managers they are particularly fond of, attempting to get a contact with others through this wide platform. They can know the position in more depth by communicating with other members and expressing what they think at the same time. Thus they can get to know new friends with common aim or dream, which enlarges the net work and fosters the startup career. It is an active network and also a kind of weak links at that time, which can enable people to open up their horizons, but strong links can be produced by long time effort, which supports the innovation to work well. Readers of different backgrounds can have divergent findings in this book.

 

Furthermore, from a business perspective, network can put a decisive and vital role in some occasions. To be more specific, when the entrepreneur attempts to launch a new venture, he/she has to make a holistic business plan, in which human resources and capital are the most significant factors to support the firm. That drives the funders to make full use of their social force, inviting capable talents to join in the new team and convincing investors to take out money. Sometimes several startup corporations are similar in terms of profitability in short term. In this case, network does matters, an acquaintance in such complex situation helping make the deal successful. Almost no one can accomplish achievements without effective network, so we do urgently need to run our social resources in work and life.

 

 

One-page Executive Summary

Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography – Walter Issaacson 2011

In the technology and innovation world, I am sure that everyone know Steve Jobs, who drive the world to the next phase of human life. The book “Steve Jobs: the Exclusive Biography” explain a lot how Jobs became who he was. It is contained the both his exclusive personal and professional life.  For instance, what drove him to do his business? Also, the way he built each successful apple product such as iPod, iPhone and iPad. This book is very interesting as Steve Jobs ask for no control over the books other than the pictures of the book cover, he said, “I won’t even read it” so that the book provide both side of the coin of his life. 

This book not only provide the biography of Steve Jobs but how he think and the way he do the business, for example, after the successfully of iPod, he realized that soon after the iPod will replace by mobile phone which will also include a function like iPod so that he start the iPhone project.  According to author, Jobs’ colleagues at Apple used to describe him as reality distortion, which is Jobs’ ability to persuade others to believe that every task is possible. To illustrate, in ‘The iPhone’ chapter of the book, Jobs use his reality distortion to Wendell Weeks to convince him that he could produce the Gorilla glass for iPhone within 6 months. It is undoubtedly that Jobs biography is very useful for the business lessons. This book is a better example than any textbooks as it content derive from the real experience of one of the most successful man of the world and even reflect the different way of looking for the marketing opportunity. According to the book when Apple Company was founded in 1970 s, it was all about the division of labour. The Apple Company’s co-founder, Steve Wozniak, state that he did not know how to marketing his computer ideas, it was always Steve Jobs who know how to talk and sell the ideas. Thus, together the can create successful Apple Company. 

There are three most interesting ideas that I have learned from the book. First, every deal needs a win-win situation, for example, iTunes not only profits Apple Company but also a huge profit to the music industry. Another idea is ‘Think different’, Steve Job believe that combining the creativity and technology is the best way to create value. The last idea is do the thing you love because it will drive you to do your best. The book is very useful for manager, leader, and business student as it give the perspective of the twenty-first century market, such as Steve Jobs mention about that his Apple product do not need the consumer research because the consumer does not yet know what they needed which is opposite to the core of marketing lessons. However, Steve Jobs concern about every element of the produce he made not only how the product work but also the way its looks, he care realize that most of customer do not know how to use the technical product so that he try to simplify his product as much as possible. His perspective of consumers’ need is very crucial for the twenty-first century professional in order to be success. Therefore, by reading this books I believe that there are many need of consumer that we are not yet discovered and satisfy them so that there is an opportunity for the new entrepreneur to be successful as Steve Job has done to the Apple company.

Executive summary of Four Hour WorkWeek

Executive summary of Four Hour WorkWeek

 

“The 4 – Hour Workweek” is talk about the personal positioning way, time used method. The most impressed thing in this book is that when you have enough time and energy you should to rich out of the time in the more wonderful things, do more passionate things, live a more wonderful and unique life rather than to earn more time.

The content of the book is divided into a lot of chapters and sections, each one is very short looks like a directory Introduction, but the contents of each section is very detailed. I doubt I’m not mistaken the book.

 

The book has some concepts I like. The concept of relative income and absolute income, is very interesting, and also solved my confusion. In fact, sometimes it is unnecessary to envy people have more money than us, but we may need to envy someone happier than us. If one person just has a lot of money but lost funny life, then this person can be considered a poor man.

 

We always like to make things constantly delay. We should look at this problem. If you try to analyze the serious consequences of these things, we will be able to find most important things to do before the things with not serious consequences.

 

In terms to time management, we should do two list, a to-do list and a not to-do list. We often only to do a to-do list, and then found out that my efficiency is very low. Because some time was wasted that I did not set on the to-do list. In addition, it is a day to their own arrangements of two things, personally think that these two things are very important things they have to do, such as work or homework, other things are very important to us but we easily overlooked, such as parent-child conversation, take a look at some useful books. The requirements of these two things are right now, if only to complete these two things in the evening before going to sleep, do not regret it. We usually used to arrange many things a day or too busy running around in circles, or to accomplish anything. According to the 80/20 rule, as well as Parkinson’s Law, we only need 20% of the time to complete 80% of the things, more busy actually did not get what effect.

 

To avoid the bombing of media information is another important thing. The author mentions, every day we have to accept the flood of information, but many of them are useless. people always read daily newspaper to know useful information to accompany their loved ones. If some really useful information, then ask the people around you can, they should understand. For the spread of information, the author refers to a number of ways to improve your reading speed, the tube does not work, how to use the reader.

 

Throughout the whole book, in my opinion, some parts do very innovative, such as the part I mentioned above; some parts are too subjective, such as his view of the last to go on holiday as well as for retirement, this personal living law.

In conclution, I impressed by:

1, I didn’t need to wait until after retirement to enjoy a better life.

2, When packing house, I found that I had collected 80% of the plastic bag is may be a lifetime will not, so I put them away.

3, when I do a job, I always ask myself whether this work is meaningful.

4,I have learned how to read fast, it is very useful in many other aspects.

After reading the book, in my opinion, in addition to thank the authors, but also thanks to the Internet, if not the Internet and information developed time, we also hard to do work week four hours, and enjoy the pleasure of travelling. In this book the middle school to some skills, lifelong benefit, the next step of my plan is to Tim blog to learn how he in 3-6 months time to learn so many languages. I believe that I am not stupid.

For this book, is not particularly good, but we should not say completely enlightening. Authors believe that we do not want to work hard, enjoy life more happy, which is true, but, sometimes we can love our work and love to rest

Talent force: a new manifesto for the human side of business

Book summary

Talent force: a new manifesto for the human side of business, on one hand, this book is about how to build more and more effective organization to attracting the high-quality talent who has been playing a significance role of provide a best value on making the organization to be more competition in the globe economy. In addition, the talent plan is not only making the organization to get maximum profit but also moving a nation in the 21st century. On the other hand, it discuss about how did the job seeker are using technology skill looking for opportunity and contact with different industry of organization, to further illustrate technology provide both challenges and opportunities for retaining excellent talent. Besides, it also talk about how develop and implement a high-quality talent plan in order to fit in the business goals. This book remind of most young people including me to think about a key question for our future career: am I a right talent, in the right place, at the right time? And what is most critical component to be an excellent talent. In this book, I can get a lot of information about that the knowledge of culture, political and economic influence with formation of market of talent, and it comes to realize that talent force represents a big opportunity for both individual and companies to be more competition in the business.
I believe that this book can help a CEO to further understand of a new model as the conceptual framework of human resource management to moving forward to improve hiring director’s and human resources leader’s capability and provides new theoretical insights to promote the economic growth of the company when viewed from the enterprise level.
As a hiring manager, this book will benefit you capture a portion of strategy and plan for the talent marketing, making talent team more power and it will help you build a concept of force talent and selecting the match talent for your company of strategic recruiting and operational level. It is also help you clear up the misunderstanding of recruiting, which that selecting a talent is not need to recruit the perfect person, but it must be match the job. Moreover, Roger Enrico, who was CEO Pepsi Co stated that “it will help you understand the pent-up demand for jobs that has been on hold during the economic slowdown and support you achieve a leg up in retaining your top performers when the climate improves.”(Roger, 2006)
I have faith in that this book is very helpful for job seeker for their career; this book shows you how to self-assessment properly to put yourself on your job’s currently position and performance so as to taking a good plan for your future career. Furthermore, this book also benefits you that getting the company’s strategy for recruiting principle and approach. In addition, this book delivers with breakthrough thoughts and method into inventing a globe human capital business strategy so as to let the job seeker knowing that different culture of talent, provides guidance for them to further thinking their opportunities and face to their challenged from theory of talent in order to give them management assistance and support in a mentally way and turn the behaviour of potential job seeker to be a competition talent.
Finally, I have strongly recommendation this book to type of people who want to be a competition talent.

Reference:
1. Offshoring, influence on acquiring quality talent,23-26 Open Doors, 19
2. Parable of the Talent, passive candidates ,61 personalization technology, 159-162
3. Web logs bringing media power to masses, 120-122
4. Wikipedia, 20 worldwide trends, influence on acquiring quality talent, 12 changes as a constant, 12-12.

Summarize of Strengthsfinder 2.0

Drucker(1986) said, “Most people think they know what they do best. In fact…However, a person who wants to make a difference can only rely on the play to their strengths.”

 

At the beginning, I thought this book maybe bored for me but definitely not. When you saw the result about your test that you would think “ I am such kind of person originally what I never think.” And it is why I bought another to my best friend for a gift.

 

Strengthsfinder 2.0 is a book to help people to find their own strengths or talents which can benefit their career and themselves developing. Meanwhile, this book is based on Clifton’s Strengthsfinder system and expanded the scope of application by Gallup’s organization. Otherwise, its author is Tom Rath.

 

Initially, when u read the book synopsis, it had a very interesting question to ask you. It was said, “Everyday you have the opportunity to do the things they are good at it, aren’t you? The answer is likely to be negative. Most people are exhausted their lifetime to improve their disadvantages, but pay little attention to their strengths.” Therefore, reader can keep this question to read this book at the same time.

 

Then, this book had two main parts. First of all, this book told reader how to find their own strengths and what was strength. Meanwhile, in order to coordinate the content of this book, when you bought this book that you would have a code to join Gallup’s Strengthsfinder test online for free which values 800 dollar and the result would tell you what your five major strengths was. Otherwise, the second main part of this book created 34 themes which associated with your test result. According to your five major strengths, this book would give reader 10 recommendations for action for each. In addition, compared to Strengthsfinder 1.0, this book had more advantage especially its highly customized. At the same time, compared to other books, Strengthsfinder 2.0 had systematic testing and rigorous theoretical foundation.

 

There was a striking case about the personnel director and their subordinate. The Gallup’s researches confirmed if the personnel director knew their subordinates well enough and assign them jobs commensurate with their abilities that will produce unexpected results. In 2005, Gallup conducted a research about three kinds manager who focused on employee’s strengths, employee’s shortcomings and disregard employees utterly at work. Then, Gallup got a interesting data. The probability of slack about 40% when managers disregard their employees, and over 20% when managers pay attention to their employee’s shortcomings, and only 1% when managers focus on employee’s strengths. Gallup found that the superiors who turn a blind eye to you would make you feel more pain than whom clutching your weakness all day from above data. Meanwhile, you were lucky when you could work with a superior who know your strengths. In this book, you will find a lot of similar cases above which can benefit leaders, managers or job seekers.

 

Because of Strengthsfinder 2.0 is a book about self-developing so that people will care about whether this benefits modern management or not.  Due to 21st century is an era which full of competitiveness and show self-value. Moreover, Strengthsfinder 2.0 is analyzing human behaviours and mental activities at the management level. For leaders/managers, this book will let them know more about their employee’s strengths that they can arrange employee work effectively and reasonably so that the employees can demonstrate their abilities fully. For job seekers, this book will help you to know what your own strengths are, and using their scientific recommendations to improve yourself so that you can achieve self-value easily than before. Just like Drucker(1986) said, “The effectiveness executive knows that to get strength one has to put up with weakness.”

 

Finally, we need to savor this book to get its full flavor, regardless of its practicability or collection value. Thus, the most important thing is that this is a book allows you to benefit your life. Because this book tells us, for children, we should discover their talents and help them improve their weakness. For young people, we should keep his balance and invest on his talents. For adults, we should make profit on one’s strengths and avoid weakness.

“The Start-up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career” Review

The main points of the book are about how to perfect ourselves, keep unbeaten and outgrow ourselves in social competition, which are described in the following five parts.
First, it is defined from the author’s view what is life, what are our personal assets, what are our advantages and disadvantages and the entrepreneurial mentality. Second, how to develop out competitive advantages and what our assets really meant. Third part is about how to adjust out plans or strategies flexibly to get adapted to the changing world. Fourth, social network is necessary for everyone, how to maintain it and make the most of it is quite an issue. Fifth, while seeking for the opportunities, what state should we have as they come is important.

The book let people know about the real social environment and the game rules in workplace, which can help people to build the confidence and be clear about their own advantages and disadvantages. With sufficient, it is easy to find our value and then increase it. It also listed in the book some useful methods which can help us find the importance of adjusting our plan. Besides, by reading the book, one can have deeper understanding of the significance and importance of social networks, given some effective behavior methods. Finally, it may lead one to find a way to create and grasp the opportunities.

The key points which impress me are the following three ones: competitive advantage triangle; method of constantly adjusting plans; Six Degrees of Separation in social theory.

Assets, ideals and market realities, constitute the competitive advantage Triangle. A frequent question the Euntrepanuer faced with is why the clients want to by your products or services rather than others. Similarly, for an individual employee, what makes you superior to others for the same position, why not the employers choose other people deserve thinking. It is obvious that your advantages cannot be better than any other one, and not all of your characteristics can be better than that of others as well. Trying to exceed in everything will finally lead to fail everything, with no particular strength at all. One should try the best in an vertical and detailed field and develop the skills.
The success of the online shoes king Zappos lies in that to provide the best service in the online sales of shoes. If not focus on particular field made of the key factors of online, shoes and service, Zoppos would never be as successful as now.
Competitive advantage triangle can lead us to the right direction, telling our own advantages. It will contribute to answering the following questions: what should we focus on? Which opportunities we should pursue? How should we invest in ourselves?
Adaption and constant adjustment is one of the life plans.
When to change the direction should be decided based on the actual data in hand while partially from our intuition. The most often case would be that the previous way has been totally blocked and adjustment becomes a must. As to selecting the next direction, similar niche areas should be considered first, which are different from but related of the previous one. It is possible to start with side project, establishing the project-related interpersonal relationships initiatively.
Companies as 3M/Google/Linkedin usually permit their employees spend 20% working time to do side project, in which environment, one should allocate time well to develop useful side project.
The theory call Plan ABZ can be able to give a good explanation. Plan A means the work plan which is currently taken. By the experience accumulated and data obtained from Plan A, some improvement should be made, denoted as Plan B. After the actual adjustment of current plan, Plan B becomes new Plan A. On the other hand, Plan Z means the lifeboat, which can save life in the most dangerous case. It is just like the insurance, which can give you time and money after failure to start Plan A once again.

Six Degrees of Separation proves that the distance between any both will no more than 6 people. But in the daily social life, people who have effect on your life usually stay within three degrees.
The first degree includes your close ally which can help each other, as well as some good friend in careers, who can help to widen the road in various fields. The second degree means the first degree friend of those in your first degree. By induction, the third degree means the first degree friend of those in your second degree.
One should get to know new friend from the first three degrees, with a clear objective when meeting new people. A sufficient social network should be both stable and contain diversity. The secret of keeping long relationship is giving. In fact, everyone has their own advantages, to be happy to help others can make people think of you regularly.

Executive book club summary ——The Rise of the Creative Class: And How it’s Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life

 

“The Rise of the Creative Class: And How it’s Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life” is a book written to examine how and why creativity is being used and let loose, which was written by Richard Florida. It starts off explaining how creative people have changed the world in the last 50 years and then goes on to breaking down what creativity is, who uses creativity, and where you can find people using creativity. If you are a scientist, an engineer, an architect, a designer, an author, a painter, a musician or your creative skills play an important role in where you are engaged in such as in commercial, education, law. Then you are one of the creative class’s members. People’s creativity is the key factor of the economic development. After the industrial society, with the coming of the era of creative economy, social and cultural values all around the world have been changed quickly. Unlike many other books, Richard promoted the idea that the creative class can be divided into two main components: the Super Creative Core and the Creative professionals. On the one side, people in the Super Creative Core represent who design products and then are widely made and sold. On the other side, people in the creative class have the values of individuality, meritocracy, and diverse & openness. To catch the readers’ eyes, Richard also raised a quite interesting discussion-the relationship between hi-tech and homosexual, which resulted from tolerance surroundings.

Moving along, creative is defined as mental process involving the discovery of new concepts and new ideas. The leaders/managers/organizations want to figure out what make people decide where they want to live and work, and what really matters in this decision making process. In this book, Richard pointed out the creative class does not like the other people, who want to get high-wage and live in low prices. In contrast, the creative class abundant high quality amenities and experiences, and openness to diversity. According to the point, it encourages leaders/managers/organizations to attract more and more creative class through business investments. No matter the leaders or the job seekers, they should know creativity and talent are the key sources of wealth. Whether the business will success depends on the creative class. A successful creative class in the business must posse 3T-techonology, talent and tolerance. Firstly, the business must have a strong technology base such as large-scale investment in technology. Secondly, with the respect of the choice in the lifestyles, the business can attract and retain more and more talents. Thirdly, the tolerance of diversity may offer many varied attractions such as immigrants and homosexual. To put it most simply, a city or a business needs to develop humanistic atmosphere, which is conducive for overall economy development. As a job seeker, the need to press for access to the creative class allows of no delay, which can makes them natural- indeed the only possible, leaders of the 21st century society.

There are three most interesting ideas I have learned from the book.

The creative class may not always consist of people with advanced education. Instead, so long as anyone with signs of original thought can continuously provide value to the society via brains work, they can be put into the creative class, such as a hairdresser in traditional service industries. For now the creative class will just continue to grow and define themselves by their differences.

Not just getting a higher wages than average wages in manufacturing and in services industries, the creative class also has some anonymous advantages, which makes work becomes more enjoyable. Still, there is no denying that, the creative class has a small market share, but it has made a great contribution to the rapid growth of whole economy. For example, with the success of “Harry Potter”, J. K. Rowling’s new-found wealth may go beyond the sum of all the authors’ wealth from the same region. In this new age of innovation and originality, compared with the traditional businesses in the past, the accumulation of wealth is unimaginable and inimitable.

Hi-tech and homosexual, they are not on the simple cause and effect relationship, but some common factors, which are tolerance surroundings. Why Silicon Valley always attract large numbers of talented people? As everyone knows, most of the talented people have eccentricity, which is different from the common people. Americans dubbed them as “Nerds”. Silicon Valley is the only place where they can be appreciated and admitted and have the opportunities to work together with like-minded partners. According to the fact above, tolerance has an irreplaceable position in the aspect of attraction to the talents.

jingliu’s bookreview

Jing Liu 100032406

Management Development Manual- Developing Management Skills for the 21^st Century

           Management is the key issue faces every business. Any manager of any business will constantly be faced with a number of issues with the potential to have an impact on their business, whether the issues are positive or negative. The book, “Management Development Manual- Developing Management Skills for the 21st Century” which concentrates on what an empowered manager is expected to do in an organization that is prepared to delegate real management skills, with the expectation of the manager being able to produce tangible and measurable results by performing four basic tasks – planning, leading, organizing and controlling. The book has lots of information about the management concepts as strategic management; people skills for 21st century and how new manager manage the business.  The key point for this book is telling people how to be a leader and new manager. For example,  the 21st century manager have to hire new employees by asking the right questions; delegating work efficiently; dealing with the stress that comes with a management position; communicating effectively with your employees; and how to master mentoring, leadership, and coaching styles. In general, most of us developed our management skills through trial and error or lack of theory. But Rodney Overton’s book will give anyone freshly promoted to the ranks of management a valuable head start by spelling out practical steps that new managers can take to be effective.

                Rodney Overton’s book also covers the critical skills managers rely on every day: speaking, listening, criticizing and disciplining. Moreover, the author highlighted the important points for being an effective manager. For example, having grace under pressure, Controlling and influencing actions of people and the organization, guiding people into alternate methods and directions and heading the team and being ultimately responsible for what happens. As a bonus chapter, the most this book is providing the readers some useful tools as the checklists, quizzes for 21^st century and business planning tools. For example, Rodney (2008) shows a clearly descriptive business plan format from the Sydney business Centre. a

                The most interesting concept I have learned from this book is how to be the most effective manager in 21st century. Overton (2008) state that the manager  should build effective and responsive interpersonal relationships; communicate effectively in person, print and email; build the team and enables other staff to collaborate more effectively with each other and understand the financial aspects of business. Other than that, develop different strategies in the business is essential to improve the performance.  In detail, management strategies should include four key elements: actions to be taken Responsibilities for those actions, timing, budget and a real-time guidance system.

              As a 21st century manager, there are four key areas of responsibility, planning, organizing, leading and controlling to ensure continual success in your business. In planning, good business management involves being proactive and setting a profit goal, which should not include your own wages, at least one year in advance, and preparing a budget taking into account the costs involved in achieving this target figure, particularly wages. People skills appear as the only difference between those who have failed and those who have succeeded lies in their business management. Retaining scarce talent is also important in people skills and it is to identify the top 10-20% of the key staff and development them to be the core staff for the organization. For example, organization uses the buddy system for the scarce talent. It means provides mentor for the talents and keep them happy from the beginning of the day. Rodney (2008) advise every efficient manager, your management skills and ability will be judged on your ability to, grow the business, introduce successful new products, expand the customer base, recruit, train and retain highly skilled and competent staff and critically make a profit for the company. You must constantly set goals, objectives and targets, measure those goals, objectives and targets and review them on a regular basis. Other than having all the merits by the manager, she/he has to select people based on talent; focus on strength when motivation people, and find the right job fit the person.

In conclusion, Rodney’s Management Development Manual (2008) is a useful book recommended for every manager. There are many practical examples made it easy to see how the author’s ideas might work in practice. It is my first strategic class in how to be a successful manager in business. Therefore, I highly recommend this book to every potential and current manager. It’s nice to read a book written by a true professional who understands social psychology and how businesses work, but who doesn’t need to elaborate or preach about either. It’s just full of good, plain, workable advice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reference

Rodney Overton, 2008, Management Development Manual- Developing Management Skills for the 21^st Century.  Sydney Business Center.

 

Forces for Good, Revised and Updated: The six practices of high-impact Nonprofits

The book named Forces for Good, revised and updated: The six practices of high-impact Nonprofits was written by Leslies R. Crutchefield and Heather McLeod Grant and published by Jossey-Bass/Wiley. The first edition of this book was published in 2007. The two authors spent four years surveying and interviewing many nonprofits managers to know how they work and operate their organizations successfully. In the original book, the authors determined “What makes great nonprofits great?”. Great nonprofits have to spend as much time working outside and communicating with many kinds of people, so they have to try their best to become greater forces for good. The two authors studied twelve successful nonprofits and extracted six practices that these organizations apply to change the world. This book illustrated these six powerful practices of twelve high-impact nonprofits and tells their great lessons which were learned from their stories.

The revised and updated edition of this book includes all of the original content as well as adds some new chapters that shows how the difficult economic times have impacted the twelve nonprofits. The authors revisited the twelve organizations to see how they were doing in the period of five years. Moreover, the two authors wanted to help leaders understand more clearly how to apply the six practices to their organizations, especially local and regional nonprofits. This book also gives significant examples of some small and local nonprofits which has applied the six practices successfully.

The world has changed and consequently, the global economy has to change. In order to keep up with these changes, societies and organizations as well as managers should broaden their minds and up to date the information. The new edition of this book may meet these demands. This book is really useful for anyone who is interested in creating social change or making the nonprofits become better. The reader can be a nonprofit professional, a donor, a business leader, a policy-maker or even a student. If the readers are nonprofit managers, they can get some experience through lessons, true stories which two authors illustrated in this book. They might also find it possible to apply the six practices at the local level to their organizations. If the readers are donors or business leaders, they can learn how to work with best nonprofits and improve their social skills and performance. It can be said that this book provides valuable knowledge and information which many managers and organizations are looking for. That is the reason why the first edition of this book received great reviews and awards and the revised and updated version is hoped to attract more readers.

There are many interesting things the readers can learn from this book. However, the most three interesting ideas may be three of the six practices applied locally. They are Share leadership, Make markets work and Master the art of adaptation. Firstly, the biggest breakthrough idea applied by local nonprofits is to share leadership. In big organizations, management teams play an important part to manage and control the operations. However, in many local and smaller nonprofits, shared leadership extended to groups and individuals. Shared leadership might make groups and individuals be aware of their tasks and they will have more responsibility and try harder in their work. Meet Each Need with Dignity (MEND), a holistic social service organization, is a significant example. MEND has only 24 paid staff and this organization has to serve more than 30 thousand people each month. In order to complete its work, MEND applied to the shared leadership method. MEND’s volunteers do not only provide services but also participate in management activities and in contributing to this organization’s strategy. By applying this practice, MEND is able to complete its work quickly and efficiently.

Secondly, the practice “Make markets work” provides readers some useful information about the ways local nonprofits make markets work. The two authors used the Live Local Alberta nonprofit example to illustrate this practice. It was started and run as a social enterprise. This nonprofit created and helped to build a new local food market and contributed to the local economy. Live Local has achieved certain success and now it helps Canadians in Edmonton eat, dine and shop locally.

Finally, the last practice “Master the art of adaptation” is one of the most helpful practices. This practice is considered to be helpful for local, national or even global organizations. The world has changed and it is necessary for organizations to adapt changes in the external environment and respond with solutions. Adaptability is an important element which decides whether an organization can survive and continue operating or not. This practice enables nonprofits to apply the other five practices.

linqi zhao

book review

Executive summary of The Power of Habit:

Executive summary of The Power of Habit:

Why we do and what we do in Life and Business

 

The book tells us that: the power of habit is quite strong than our imagination and there is a significant connection between our life and habit. Our habit no matter good or bad may impact our life deeply in the future, but it is not easy to realize it. The majority things we do everyday it due to our habit instead of our awareness or choice. This book also gives some examples to support the writer’s opinion, such as a man without memory, seven eleven chain store and Starbucks. This book also contains many helpful concepts we already know before. For example The Law of Attraction, I read some books about this law, like Secret. But in this book the writer is not only tell readers the principle of these concepts but also tell reader how to change their bad habit and to gain success. This book consists of three parts and several sections: the habits of individuals, the habits of successful organizations and the habit of societies.

 

According to the introduction of Amazon website, The Power of Habit: Why we do and what we do in Life and Business gained many recommendations by several journal and newspapers. Also was the top 10 bestseller books of Amazon website. The contribution of this book is telling us the important of out habit and our habit can change our life. The good habit can be developed and the bad habit can also be changed and also telling readers how to change their bad habit. This book is also significant for 21-century people and society. In the second part of this book: The Habit of successful organizations tells that the habit can impact a firm’s development. And through the book, it shows that many famous companies have already known how to take advantage of people’s habit to increase their income. The habit includes both staffs’ and customers’. For example, the toothpaste brand called Pepsodent . In the early 1900, only seven percent of American use toothpaste. After the Pepsodent try to develop and educate people’s habit to use toothpaste. In 1910, about 65 percent American began to use it. In this period, Pepsident become the largest toothpaste brand. Secondly, according to Edward, the founder of Starbuck, he said that a successful company need good attitude of staff. The method to get good attitude of staff is to train their good habit. Lastly, this book also gives an instance of Target, an American supermarket. Target use many statistics to analyze customers habit to increase its sales. Target can anticipate what kinds of people are their potential customers. Moreover, they also find out customers’ habit. For example, they find that most people go to supermarket would like to look at the products which are in the right hand first. So for organizers and leaders, to develop customer’s habit to use their products, to train good habit of their staff and to analyze customers habit and behavior are good ways to boost their achievement. For job seekers, this book also gives an example of a Starbucks’ staff named Travis. Due to the complex and mess children life of him, Travis cannot control his emotion in him working area. Then he trained by Starbucks and become a store manager of two café. The key method is to control the bad emotion during the work and to enhance the willpower of us. For Society, the golden rule of habit change may give cure their bad habit, like gambling.

 

The three concepts in this book I would like to introduce. First one is the when we working or studying we need to turn off the phone or anything may disrupt us. Because when the phone rings, the anticipating will force us to see. Then people cannot keep focusing. Second one is there are three elements to change a habit: cue, reward and anticipating. The book said if we want to become a rich person. We should learn both of their idea and habit. The third one is people should read some books about time management. It would increase the efficient of our life and study.

 

In summary, this book uses many examples and theories to tell us the power of habit and the words of this book are also interesting. I think it’s a good book. And we should control our bad habit and creating a new habit that can help us gain a successful life.

 

 

 

 

Book Summary: MOJO (Author: CHI TANG, STUDENT NO. 100013312)

1. Introduction

According to the book,Mojo is one spirit,one positive spirit which means never abandon.For instance,a sales man finally sells his goods to a customer after a very very long time promotion,or a student solve a difficult math problem after two hours’ hard thinking,and a sportsman rebuild confidence,change his strategy and win his game in the end.We can see Mojo is sense that we have,we take on to do things better,people around us feel it,and know it clearly that we will success.With Mojo,we will achieve our goal in our coming future.

2.How to create Mojo:

A. Identity

This element requires we to know what we really think who we are. It’ not mean the background where we born,the career of our study and work experience,or what the actor others think and tell we play in society life.Obviously,this is a easy question but with not easy answer.

B. Achievement

This component tells us”with motivation,ability,skill,knowledge,confidence and authenticity,all this mixed up to show us a way to success.

C. Reputation

Reputation is your identity and achievement what other people think about you.This element is what we can not create but can influence it.Most of the time we don’ know what we look like in other people’ s eyes,but we can do things once and once again to impressed them to show that we have talent in many other ways or change the former bad character to good in their brain.

D. Acceptance

Sometimes things will go on out of perspective,this element tells that under this occasion,only we can do is let it go.Things happens,we accept it and move on,then we can fix our steps and restart to achieve our goals.

 

 

3. How to capture Mojo:

A .”Making sense of who you are”(P116)

People always feel tired and don’t know why,they feel unhappy.If ask what can gives them cheers they might stay in silence.So maybe we can change the eyesight to ask what makes them unhappy.Find out and get away from these unhappy things ,people can realize what they want actually,can let go the past,change life style ,look for a new job and become happier in their lives.

B .”Making it easier to make things done”(P136)

As student,deadline maybe a terrible word.In order to hand in a excellent paper on time,they can’t sleep well,eat easier than usual,spend all day in the library to search information,and complete the essay finally.Maybe usual daily life is better for them.After one day’s hard work,do some exercises can relax their tired body and give their fresh inspiration.That is to say,”Just take it bird by bird”.(P136)

C .”Taking control of your story”(P146)

From the text we know that Mojo divide into two parts.They are professional Mojo and personal Mojo.Sometimes people get high in former one which means they have amazing talent but maybe low in later one.Boring things such as long time meeting and doubt about whether co-workers will do jobs well make people stressed.Till now,realize the boss is oneself and one only need to work for oneself will help people see the moonlight in the dark.

D .”Change what you can let go of what you can’t”(P163)

Matt’s case shows that boss is always boss,and employee is always employee.A employee can’t change or influence his boss’ idea easily.In a company,everyone has its authority to make choice,but only do one’s own duty can help the company stay in a harmony relationship.

4. Here are ways we kill Mojo:

A .”Looking for logic live in all the wrong places”(P84)

As human beings,we have no logic.That is to say,humans are profoundly illogical.In some companies employees have high education background and do well in work out project,however,bosses are maybe with no education experience or some situation like this,but do well in make decision.Clearly,truth is with no logic here.

B .refuse to change

As 21st century is coming,computer and science technology is going to change our life.Information flows frequently in amazing speed around us via Internet.People who ignore this will find they can’t catch the world’ s steps and suffer from old customs.So we need to accept and keep pace to the change,and then adapt to the new world.

C .over- committing(P84)

One day,a acquaintance come to require something,people want to say no,but this insist,keep asking,with no choice people say yes,and things become worse and worse.Sometimes we hesitate,and think more,maybe the easy way is the best choice.

5. Conclusion

With the point above, we know that Mojo plays a important role in our daily life.We have it,then our eye-sight has been broadcast.People around has been influenced and become happy and meaning.But Mojo will not live forever.So we should learn to store it.Otherwise,we have Mojo in one part but no in other part can’ be successful.So we have to create both inside and outside Mojo. Only in this way we can feel happy and meaning,only in this way we do better in our study and work,only in this way we can find the tiny beautiful screen in our daily life,and,only in this way we can reach our dream in the near future.

 

Summary Book: $100 Startup

Summary of the book: $100 Startup: Reinvent the way you make a living, Do what you love, and Create a new future

Name: Tran Thi Mai Phuong

 

“Reinvent the way you make a living, do what you love, and create a new future” (Guillebeau, 2012) is what I search for a long time ago and luckily the book “100 startup” written by Chris Guillebeau bestowed upon me opportunities to achieve those what I expect. Chris traveled through 63 cities from United States and Canada to gather the real stories of people who succeed in starting up their own business and summarize those stories in a specific way as a short guide for ambitious starters.

Basically, the book is divided into three parts:

Part 1: “Unexpected Entrepreneurs”: this chapter helps you to wake your implicit talent and passion up and from those talents to discover the idea for building your own business. It also brings the belief in yourself and never give up because “Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming” (Guillebeau, 2012).

Part 2: “Taking it to the street” is the most important part in the book which instructs you how to get your business from idea to a real machine making money for you. It is the most difficult core stage in your starting-up process but the book simplified it by the one-page business plan and indicates the way to advertise your business for free.

Part 3: “Leverage and Next Steps”: after achieving the foundation for your business, the book takes you to the next step of growing your business and making the necessary decisions to do business the most efficiently by searching for supporting outsource.

Apparently, through the content of three parts of the book, it is easy to find out that the book is regarded as a description of doing-business process from starting up the business until when executing and expanding that business. The key content which Guillebeau wants to convey through this book is that searching for your dream from now and step by step starting your own business as soon as possible even though how much money do you have or how many people oppose you.

“100 startup” is distinctive from other books because it emphasizes that you only need to start your dream with focusing on one-page business plan instead of 50 rambling pages. Furthermore, most other books only emphasize that following your passion, you can have strength to do everything. However, within one-page business plan, Guillebeau assured the two most important things need to be carried out spontaneously: Freedom to pursue your passion and figure out the value which you create from that passion for the rest of the world. If the starters lack any factors within these two, their success is hardly guaranteed. In other words, only when your passion coincides with something people are willing to pay for, will it put a solid brick for your future business.

This book opens the wider perspective for people to work for themselves, not for the others and step by step instructs them to succeed in doing their own business with restricted capital. Indisputably, in the century of 21 where competition in the market becomes more and more aggressive, building up a new business is not easy. This book can be regarded as the handbook of success of managers. In this book, the starters will find out the fundamental practical steps to innovate their products or services which match customer’s expectation, set up their business  and advertise through free websites with low cost. Besides, the managers also can discover the techniques to launch and expand their business in the contemporary competitive market. The lessons are extracted directly from real stories in diverse contexts from all over the world. Apparently, they are not trite and hollow words, but high-applicable suggestions with specific evidences.

One of things the book impresses me is the first chapter with the instruction of Karl Marx  “Catch a man a fish, and you can sell it to him. Teach a man to fish and you ruin a wonderful business opportunity”. Apparently, customers do not want to go to restaurant to learn to make a new dish, instead of that, if you are the person who serves the dishes they want, you will be successful. Another thing I feel excited when reading this book is three stories of John in the chapter “But what if I fail”. These three stories described how John can turn his failure and fear into resilience and success at the last minutes. This brings an optimistic view for businessman if they have to confront with the beginning failures. Finally, most importantly, the book stimulates me to rethink that whether or not money is more important than doing something you love. At the final chapter, Chris emphasizes that “You don’t need anyone to give you permission to pursue a dream. If you’ve been waiting to begin your own $100 startup, stop waiting and begin”. It becomes the strong motivation for starters to live their own life.

 

References:

Guillebeau, C, 2012. The $100 Startup. Crown Publishing Group.

 Marx, K. The $100 Startup. Crown Publishing Group.

Executive summary: Leading high impact teams: The coach approach to peak performance.

The world in present days has a large change in compare with the past one. In the past, it was pretty hard for people to move from place to place as transportations were not advanced as that of modern world. Advancement does not stop at easy moving between places but has reached to ability to allow people to connect with each other without travelling. Easy travelling and far connections seem to make the world smaller than before and push people to have to run faster in their lives. People in different countries can exchange capabilities and needs allowing them to enjoy more things and also force them to solve more problems. Larger quantity of problems and bigger problems force people to push their limitations and they realize that without combination of their ability to form teams or organizations then those big problems could not be solved. However, teamwork is far different than individual work and a significant problem of team working is how a member can understand their teammates. Without understanding, people could easily become obstacles to others ultimately leading to inferior results. To sit down and try to understand each other is not an easy task and even might not be a good method to have a good team.

According to Cynder Niemela and Rachael Lewis who are authors of “Leading high impact teams: the coach approach to peak performance” book, a good team is a high impact team that is an energetic group of people that can achieve high quality, desired results in a planned amount of time while overcoming all obstacles. They also suggest that these day, leadership should not only stop at conventional wisdom and servant attitude but also need to focus on developing practices, behaviors, attitudes and values that can enhance people’s energy to work. With this book, the authors want to tell readers about the importance of leadership in the current modern world where teamwork is essence of business victory. The book covers many basic guides that can help leaders to prepare for leading their team to a goal that the authors call as High Impact. The book is divided by the authors into 4 parts including 9 chapters revolving around an idea that teams is likely boats with leaders as captains and members as crews. Through the nine chapters, the book will tell how the leaders to lead their boats to the High Impact destination. From beginning where the leaders need to know clearly about their and other members’ roles to prepare for the journeys and what they will need to overcome during the travels. The book focus on discussion about the roles of leaders in teams and from that it suggests methods and practices following by explanations about how these methods and practices work in reality. On the other hand, the authors also put in real cases study to help readers to understand more about ideas of the book. Some of these cases might come from their own experiences as they are working as coaches now.

The way businesses are working these days are different from the past. Regardless people wish or do not wish for teamwork skills, they still need them to work better and to get greater consequences. This book taking teamwork skills as main subject is needed for people in this modern world. With an easy to follow structure that covers almost all basic knowledge of teamwork, readers can easily earn for themselves basic ideas of teamwork or even advance to learn teamwork practices suggested by the authors. The book aims for leaders of teams thus people who would become leaders might find more value in it. From studying the book, these people who would be leaders or are working as ones might become professional leaders that can lead their people to become high impact teams. From experiences and educations that have already earned, readers will study the book as if they are on a journey on “a boat” named “team”. They will learn what they need to prepare for the journey in both mental aspect including ideas, attitudes and knowledge and physical aspect including behaviors and habits. The leaders also need to learn to help and aid their members to fit in the teams so that the boats can face difficulties and obstacles during the journeys.

The most interesting thing of this book might be the idea to describe teams as boats that are travelling on journeys. As everyone sits on a same boat and goes to a same goal, they share a same destiny and they need to work together for a safe journey. The leaders turn into captains will need to learn how to guide their people who now turn into crews to work efficiently and effectively with a fine tune so that they can reach the destination. The idea gives readers the feeling that working is likely adventuring, they will need to face many difficulties and obstacles thus they need to be serious and learn teamwork skills. Leaders take very importance roles, they will need to coach themselves and their people to achieve peak performances and become high impact teams.

Simon Sinek Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

Simon Sinek

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

Video on ted.com was first time when I “heard” about Simon Sinek concept. It really inspired me, touched me. It was like the answer to all my questions. I bought the book “START WITH WHY” and excitedly read in few days. Complicated issues explained in this book with great ease, simple and accessible language. This is a business book, but the applications extend far beyond business.

There are moments in life when you are fully confident, when you feel that what are you doing is makes sense. The feeling ‘when the puzzle becomes a picture’. Such moments are not always easy to find, it takes time, efforts to find a state of meaningfulness. Simon’s book from scientific point of view explains what to do to find meaning to be sure that you’re in the right place at the right time. It is very simple often ask yourself Why? Not explain to yourself and others what you do, not how you’re doing it, but why.

Here’s an example Mr. Sinek gives in the book to illustrate the difference between ‘what’ and ‘why’.

Two bricklayers are working on a building site. You go to the first bricklayer and ask him what he’s doing. He responds that he’s laying bricks. You go to the second bricklayer and ask him the same question.

He responds “I’m building a cathedral”.

Laying bricks is the ‘what’ – routine – boring pointless shifting bricks. Building a cathedral is the ‘why; – the purpose, the vision and, in some perspectives, the values behind the action.

Additionally, the book can help to find inspiration needed to get started in the right direction. You can learn how to become a leader. The most important thing a leader should do is to figure out why your company or organization exists and why that should be meaningful to customers and other stakeholders. “Once the answer to this becomes clear and you believe it in your heart, the rest of the decisions about what to do and sell and how to do it become infinitely easier’.

Mr. Sinek explains that ‘while your product’s features may be replicated and commoditized, no one can copy the kinship and confidence that your customers feel when doing business with you’. This is because those feelings come from intangible values and beliefs that only you share with your customers.

“Why” is the essential question in everything you are doing in life. Mr. Sinek describes how leaders and companies should work as a series of circles, which he describes as “The Golden Circle” playing off the mathematical relationship of the “golden ratio” The first and central circle is “why,” surrounded by “how,” and the final encompassing circle is “what.” The “what” describes the products or services of a company; in other words, it is what they do. “How” explains how companies get to what they do. “Why” is the purpose or belief which underlies the how and what.

He moves out of business to show how this applies into social issues as well. He says if Martin Luther King, Jr. gave an “I Have a Plan” speech instead of “I Have a Dream,” we may have received more details on how to accomplish something, but without the why the civil rights movement could not succeed. Leaders need to inspire followers with their “why,” and if they succeed they’ll find that vision being translated into actions.

I strongly recommend the book to all people who want to find a meaning in life and want to be surrounded with people who understands and supports them.

 

The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything, Ken Robinson with Lou Aronica 2010

‘The Element’ by Ken Robinson shows how we all need to reach our element and achieve everything we are capable of. Through engaging stories of people like Matt Groening, Paul McCartney, Albert Einstein, Meg Ryan and a number of others who have recognized their unique talents, Robinson explains how every one of us can find ourselves in our Element. A common feature of all the people highlighted in the book is that few of them have had a straightforward life. Many struggled at school and did not know about their real talent nor about their ultimate achievement. Robinson emphasizes the important role mentors have in the search for the Element and he also talks about his own struggles and mentorship experience in life.

Robinson uses the term the Element to describe the place where the things we love to do and the things we are good at come together. He defines the Element as the meeting point between natural aptitude and personal passion. When people are in their Element, they connect with something fundamental to their sense of identity, purpose, and well-being. Being there provides a sense of self-revelation, of defining who they really are and what they are really meant to be doing with their lives (21). Robinson believes it is essential that each of us find his or her Element in order to embrace a richer conception of human capacity as the future of our communities and institutions will depend on it.

The Element is a philosophic book which inspires and opens for a greater perspective of thinking. It is highly significant for the 21st century as it stresses a number of key aspects which are of importance for development and success as well as of fundamental importance in our lives. Finding the Element is on one hand a personal issue as it is about you, what you can really do and who you really are. On the other hand, the Element goes beyond the individual and looks on the powerful implications in a broader conception of human growth and development. Robinson makes his point with a friendly tone and looks on how the school systems are undermining creativity. Even though Robinson uses a commonsense approach, there are much to inform teachers and legislative authorities in terms of transforming schools, businesses, communities, and institutions.

The book examines many interesting concepts. Although the book does not give a recipe for how to find the Element, it does inspire and broaden the way of thinking. What hooked me was the obvious truth that is said in the book in terms of how people think and act and how the society works, but nevertheless that we are not aware of. Furthermore, I found it interesting that Robinson passionately believe that we are all born with tremendous natural capacities, and that we lose touch with many of them as we spend time in the world, ironically due to education. He argues that we do not see the world directly, but perceive it through frameworks of ideas and beliefs. Consequently, our imagination and creativity is becoming too narrow and simplistic.

Furthermore, Robinson regards the diversity of intelligence as one of the fundamental underpinnings of the Element. He states that if we do not embrace the fact that we think about the world in a wide variety of ways, we severely limit our chances of finding the person that we were meant to be. In addition, our capacity for creativity allows us to rethink our lives and our circumstances – and to find our way to the Element.

Last but not least, I found it interesting that finding the Element does not necessarily mean that you have to be a professional in the area, which many people think. Robinson says when he is with his family and the one they love, that is when he is really in his Element.

 

Reference:
The Element: How Finding your Passion Changes Everything, Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica 2010.

 

 

jingliu’s book review

Jing’s Book review

book review of appreciative inquiry

Global Brain. The Evolution of Mass Mind from the Big Bang to the 21st Century

Executive Summary
Book: Global Brain. The Evolution of Mass Mind from the Big Bang to the 21st Century
2000 by Howard Bloom
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
Global Brain is the interesting book and plays an important role in demonstrate the development of networking and it also helps reader to understand about human behavior and ability. This book combines a discussion of group selection with a long tour from 4.55 Billion B.C to 2300 A.D. Global Brain is a new scientific theory which contains definition about hypothesis and in this book, Bloom talk about the development from organic history to advance the theory that each individual is simply a hypothesis.
There are five key elements: conformity enforcers, diversity generators, inner-judges, resource shifters, and intergroup tournaments which Bloom uses to define and develop his theory of group selection. According to Bloom, such elements were in place at least 120 million years ago and comprised “some of the secrets of the nascent global brain’’ and they have the simple meaning at the first time (Bloom, 2000). Conformity enforcers guarantee that groups sustain adequate similarities to actually function as a group. Enforcers are group members and balanced by another element – the diversity generators. Diversity generators have a large numbers of positive effects but they also require some amount of balance and also can make individuals lose their connection to the group. This leads to the falling to identify and protect the group. Thus group will be removed from the global brain.
While definition of enforcers and diversity generators often aim to individuals within the system, the remaining three elements: inner – judges, resource shifters, and intergroup tournaments, by contract, are instead personal and group mechanisms for development and manage. Inner-judges are, according to Bloom, the equivalent of cellular mechanisms that encourage apoptosis. Resource shifter is not essentially an individual and can range from social systems to mass emotions. In some situation, resource shifter acts based on the result of intergroup tournaments. In addition, Bloom introduces a comparison of Athens and Sparta – two archetypal historic groups as the good example to explain the five elements of group development discussed above. Bloom also mentions how vital and delicate the mind will always be and with the correct use of these five elements, the mass mind can develop into a greatness that people may have the overview for a long time ago.
Bloom also makes some important conclusion which people should fully understand. The first is that human are facing with some dangerous intergroup tournaments like war and politic and they can destroy human life in many ways. Hence, human should try to avoid mistakes and also try to find solutions to tackle such peoblems. Secondly, Bloom feels that people must take a lesson from the twentieth century like that if people do not encourage enough diversity of development and innovation, then human will lose the competition against bacteria. Finally, communication, intelligence, and especially technology can help people to overcome serious genetic weaknesses. Our communication, intelligence, and especially our technology can help us to overcome our serious genetic weaknesses, making up for our inability to quickly generate new genetic experiments. Eventually, if people know and follow the theory of Bloom and use bacteria for survival, can create an interwoven “brain” of humans and bacteria that can carry both networks into the future.
Bloom’s theory of group selection help people such as leaders and managers know that the success of a group is not the random result of individual selection, it depends on the individuals and their ability to work.
Furthermore, this book is helpful for looking at human behavior and social trends and evolution because it has a large number of evidence from evolution, sociology, ecology and psychology that supports humanity’s development into a macro-organism. This book also focuses on the individual’s role and the immaterial forces that govern the shifting of groups and formations and developments of societies. Another distinctive thought I picked up from reading this book is the capabilities of the human mind. Bloom combines historical trends with discovery from science and psychology to show that human beings may be the first individually intelligent beings on earth and with their ability, human will develop their life more in the future.
In conclusion, Global Brain The Evolution of Mass Mind from the Big Bang to the 21st Century is the interesting book which help reader fully understand about the ways human have networking as nowadays and also help reader know about networking and the capabilities of human mind.

«What colour is your parachute?» review by Vasilii Andreev 100035005

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«Whatcolourisyourparachute?»

 

review by Vasilii Andreev

 

100035005

 

 

 

At this time all the students of my age have finished their studies and the majority of them are concerned with one very important question: where do they want to work after their graduation? Is that an own business or work in a company? If they have decided to work in a company, which company do they want to work in and how do they get there? The amount of those who have decided to start their own enterprise from scratch is much lower than the number of those who want to work for a big company. And all these people have the main challenge about how to get a desired job in conditions of high competition in labour market and look for methods and ways of how to achieve their aims.

 

 

 

The book «What colour is your parachute?» written by Richard Nelson Bolles offers real acting methods, despite what people are looking for: simply searching for job’s, student internship’s or looking for entry-level position’s after graduation. That is why Bolles’s book is so popular in the world and has been reprinted every year since its first issue in 1970. The book was translated to fourteen different languages and more than ten million copies of this were sold worldwide.

 

 

 

The main idea of «What colour is your parachute?» is to help those people who are looking for a job. The book demonstrates how to do it in the right way and to get more chances in their attempts.

 

The book includes a blend of personal features, characteristics, methods of job searching and networking strategies and can be divided into two main parts.

 

The first part is about:

 

• defining the main capacities and skills that you need to obtain a job, how to get these capacities or to change your weaknesses to strengths;

• the variety of job-finding techniques;

• the importance of resume and how to create the best and the most effective way of writing it;

• the importance of network creation and related tools;

• types of interview and how to prepare for them;

• salary negotiation;

• job-hunting;

• how to start your own business.

 

The second part describes some exercises for those who are looking for a job. These exercises contain questions which help to understand and find out more about who you are and what you want.

 

The book is full of pictures, illustrations, diagrams and tables that permit readers to understand all the data which is contained in the book. Also, the book is based on information from a variety of statistical sources and recommendations by specialists in job placements.

 

 

 

The book contains a lot of different examples. It was written as a practical guide for job-seekers, that is why after each chapter there is a «discussion» part which displays a dialog between job-hunter and career-councelor where a new theme is revealed. Moreover, the book includes, for instance, web-sites about networking.

 

 

 

Undoubtedly, the book has left its mark on the 21st century employers, managers and community in general. The book is used by people involved in different business directions, working in different professions and positions. The material in the book is written in simple language, the tone of the book is not official which makes material adaptive to all readers, despite their educational background and work experience.

 

 

 

One of the most significant advantages of this book is its usefulness. In contrast with other books, «What colour is your parachute?» is not a theory book for one-time reading. After reading, the person who has read it can use it as a guidance and notebook. Due to applications with practice tables in the second part of the book, a person can monitor his skills, strengths and weaknesses. Watching it helps him to provide self-estimation and support in self-improvement.

 

 

 

In spite of full usefulness of the the book, it has to be noticed that I have found some interesting points which are new to me: in chapter five «The Best Ways and Worst Ways to look for job vacancies that are out there» different methods are described according to their effectiveness. So, it was new for me to realise that the internet is the most ineffective way of a job – searching  (4-10%). I was shocked by that fact, but after the author’s explanation I fully understand his point and agree. Also, I liked the part of the book linked to resumes. I’ve found a framework which helps in writing resumes.

 

 

 

To sum up all thats been mentioned above, I highly recommend this book. If you are a student of the last course of bachelor or masters degree or simply a person who is looking for a job — «What colour is your parachute?» has to be your favourite desk book. It is full of perfect exercieses and tables which assist you during your job-searching. But the most important thing — it allows people to discover themselves from another side, to find out new strengths and structure all this information to get a job of their dream. Defenitely, worth it.

 

Summary of Coaching for Performance

book review book review Coursework cover sheet(1)

Book Summary of “Power Questions, Build Relationships, Win New Business, and Influence Others”

“Power Questions, Build Relationships, Win New Business, and Influence Others” is a very interesting book about teaching people how to use “Power Questions” to solve the problems in your daily life. Using question to solve problems sounds quite bizarre, some people might think it increasing more problem. However, using Power questions to solve problem is working, it is solving problems from different and new angle. Most important, as the author Andrew Sobel (2012:14) says in the chapter one of book – “Good question trump easy answer, they are often more powerful than answers”, it is the core and essential message of this book.
This may subvert many people’s thoughts. But, yes, this book is helping you to think! Start to think about good questions. They make you challenge your thinking, help you to reframe and redefine the problem. Good questions also pour cold water on the assumptions we held, force us to break away the traditional thinking we held. Moreover, they give us the motivation of learning and discovering more, at same time, to remind us what is most important in our life.
There are no essential coverage and contents in this book, because the whole book is essential coverage and contents. Strongly recommend to read whole book, it is a very inspiring book and easy to read, you can not stop to read it once you start to read it, you will gain a lot after read this book.

In this book, the author (2012:14-15) selects many Power Questions to give new life to conversation in unexpected and delightful way. Each chapter provide one Power question, start by the personal experience and story in reality, cite the relevant quotation by great person, draw the situation and purpose to use the Power Question and give suggestions for how to use the question. This book is not only for 21st century professionals, leaders, societies and the world, it for everyone. Not only leaders, managers, organizations and job seekers can use this book, anyone can gain a lot by reading this book. Again, this book gives people significant implications and recommendations not only for managers or professionals. Power Questions are powerful tools to increase your professional and personal effectiveness, help you build and deepen relationships, sell your product, services and ideas, motivate and influencing clients, colleagues and friends effectively more.

After reading this book, I have learned three most interesting breakthrough ideas from this book by asking three Power Question.
The first one is “What do you think?”, the four words, so short but so powerful question. I am a talkative person, I love to share my thinks, concepts, ideas and almost everything with other people. But at same time, I am also willing to be a listener, I believe that changing thinks, concepts and ideas by conversation with other people can make me learn and see more things from different angle. That is why comparing to one-sided dialogue, I prefer interactive conversation more.
But I just notice recently that not every are willing to share their thinks with other people. Sometimes the conversation become one-sided when they do not share their thinks. It make me fell so bad, seems I am forcing someone to listen to me. In this kind of situation, actually I only have to say, “So, what do you think”, and they will tell me what they think. Same as the situation in this book, “That is all I want”. I only have to say the four words to get what I want, just so easy!
The second one is “Do you mind if we start over?”. Sometimes when people in a dilemma, they do not dare to ask the chance to start over. But if we keeping hold the assumption, the situation does not get better. In this situation, we only have to ask, “Do you mind if we start over?” to break the deadlock. This Power Question can rebuilding and deepening the relationships with people when you get off on the wrong foot. It applies on everyone in your life, your colleagues, family and friends.
The last one is “can you tell me about your plans?” I do not know from when, I start to ask people’s plan by assumption and expectation. I thought I could get the answer I want by narrowing the scope of the answer and make people answer my question, but not really. And when the answer different with the assumption I expected, I fell disappointed. After reading this book I adjust myself. Just ask “can you tell me about your plans?” without assumption and expectation to avoid the negative feeling such as disappointed.

This book make my life easier and simpler, it let me know that just asking Power Question can solve many problems in my life. It makes me to think, to motivate me to solve questions in my life. Strongly recommended to read this book again, it will change your life!

Summary: Jack Welch and the GE Way:management insights and leadership secrets of the legendary CEO

Jack Welch was Chairman and CEO of General Electric between 1981 and 2001. During his tenure at GE, he took a series of evolutionary steps to successfully save the lagging GE. GE recorded revenues rose from roughly $26.8 billion in 1980 to nearly $130 billion in 2000, and the company’s value grew 4000%.

 

The book was written by Robert Slater, a great American business writer. He wrote this book based on Welch’s present-day business strategies and his vision for the future . This fantastic book’s main discussion is what innovative strategies Jack Welch utilized to revive GE, and transformed it into a powerhouse. There are eight main parts and these parts compromise vital business strategies, such as leadership development strategy, market-orientated marketing strategy, competitive advantage development strategy and Welch’s vision for the millennium. All these strategies were proved to be practical and effective by a lot of companies, and are still necessary qualities that a manager needs to deal with outside competition, market needs and inside resources utilization in today’s society. Specifically, the book gives details about how Welch reduced payrolls, cut lackluster old-line units, destroyed the nine-layer management hierarchy and brought a sense of informality to the company.

 

This book portraits vital principles and standards to managers. Mostly because it clearly explains how and why Welch made GE a truly global company, so that managers could apply these practical strategies into their own organizations. Besides, it also gives details on Welch’s far-reaching Six Sigma quality initiatives, which demonstrated by Welch as the most important initiatives he brought to general electric in the 20 years he was at the helm. What is more, it helps readers discover how Welch’s principles and standards can save significant costs as well as realize the importance to learn more about the effect of globalization on the operation of business. The book itself was typical of its type. What makes it special is the ideas behind the words. These ideas are what managers are always expecting for. Some critics even demonstrated it as the blue print for any company to beat the rest as most principle despised by Welch is so typical of British management today.  
I haven’t had chance to completely read this book yet. However, There are many things which Jack did that I like, such as Six Sigma, workout, results, removal of bureaucracy.  The most impressive idea I have got is “act like a leader, not a manager”. This idea consists quite many respectives, all of which are simple principles, but difficult to put into practice. Jack Welch was really a good leader, who could successfully use the brains of every worker to persue one of his primary leadership directives of being No.1 or No.2 in the industries the company participates in. Communicating could help employees decide what to do for better results is the second important idea I have learned from this book. It is also one of Welch’s  effective ways of managing human capitals. He spent 90% of his time communicating with people about what they must do in order to take advantage of these ideas. Most management spend almost no time on this critical area. The third idea which I could improve from daily life is that “have global brains ”. As the increasing trend of globalization, companies’ competition as well as opportunities not only come from domestic markets, but more effected by overseas markets. People should pay more attention to global economic, political, environmental, and cultural changes to better improve companies’ competitive advantages and avoid threats. The easiest way for us students now is to do more reading: newspaper, financial journals and magazines.
However, there are also some his creation that I do not agree with. One is that his brutal candor in human resource management. Each year, Welch would fire the bottom 10% of his managers to cut costs. He fired them only based on one year’s performance, which could result in the loss of talented people. Besides, employees could see work results as the most important thing, ignoring the relationship among teams. I truly believe that part of the success of Toyota is their respect for people. In the book Welch recognizes that he did create a cautious workforce, but doesn’t seem to regret it.

 

Overall, this is really a good book for management thinking and suits every person.

Why games are the 21st century’s most serious business

 When it turns out that games are so important

 I had a luck to read the book “Fun Inc. Why games are the twenty-first century’s most serious business” by Tom Chatfield. Author tries to give reader idea that today games play crucial role in life of the majority of people in the world. This influence extends not only to people that are keen on playing; games are big business and tool for scientists to explore people behavior. Games make our life happier, more interesting and breathtaking.

 Firstly, author tries to answer the question why people play games. History of games starts in ancient times and today, with development of technology, games develop more rapidly than ever. Technology has opened to people endless opportunities for creation of computer games. Game industry has short but bright history and reader of this book can learn how games evolve. Even though computer games exist only during the half of the century, they have become a big business that develops in amazingly fast rate and generates billions of dollars annually. The popularity of games raised a great interest from scientists. They are trying to understand what makes people play, and how they feel doing it. Apart form positive effects, author pays attention to the topic of blaming games for creation of psychological and social problems, such as addiction, alienation and violence.

For many people games is an opportunity to develop wide range of skills, to use imagination and make social connections, they are way of getting new friends. On the example of most successful Massive Multiplayer Online game World of Warcraft  Chatfield  author shows why people spend hundred  of hours in front of the screens of computers.

 Uniqueness of the game industry lies in absence of scopes and rules according to which games are created. Author provides brilliant description of unusual games, that won hearts of millions of gamers and can be played by people of different ages.

Today games are used in other fields apart from entertainment industry; they have become new tools of education and research.  More and more games are used by business, they become a new marketing tool that attract additional audience and prolong product sales.

Finally author tries to familiarize reader with last technical achievements in game industry, to discuss the future of the video games and to predict how games will develop.

 

Book for everyone

To my mind, “Fun Inc.” made a significant contribution to general understanding what are the games, how they are developing and what we should expect in future. Today games are poplar among millions of people, that’s why it is unfair to underestimate the great potential of games and the impact they have on our life and habits. For investors games may be a industry, where money can be placed, for other managers this book may give an idea, how games may be potentially used to develop their business. “Fun Inc.” is  full of different examples of games, reader can try the game and form his own opinion about the ideas the author mentions. This book is a door to this beautiful world that reader may start to discover.

For gamers “Fun Inc.” can give an understanding of how big the game world is,  an idea about existence of new games. Young people may discover, that they can not only play games, but also devote their life  to this hobby by working in game industry. This book is not only a business book, it may be read by everyone, like a game that may be interesting to play for all generations.

 

Breaking  stereotypes

 My favorite chapter of the book is about World of Warcraft, where author describes how game became the second home for people. For me the most interesting discovery was that social interaction within the game tends to differ from the way people communicate in real life.  After reading this chapter I’ve changed my mind about people who spend hours of life by playing – they use a unique chance to build new life within the game world. There is no place for shy and lie – you are judged by your deeds and can always be yourself in the game.

 Another topic that I attracted my attention is a stereotype that games are the disease of young generation. Description of last research results about psychological problems in gaming and comparison of games with other entertainment industries proved me that fears about the harm of games are exaggerated, the positive contribution of games overweight the negative ones.

 After I’ve read “Fun Inc.” I started to play games. The book opened to me this unusual world that people created. I agree with very simple but strikingly smart idea of  this book – games make our life happier. That is why they are so important. 

 

An insider’s view of the 2008 financial crisis.

Executive Book Club Summary

Bull by the Horns: Fighting to Save Main Street from Wall Street and Wall Street from Itself
–Sheila Bair 2012

An insider’s view of the 2008 financial crisis.

The financial crisis in 2008 caused a recession in the United States, this crisis forced the US government to bail out several large banks and investment companies to the total of $125 billion and led to $1.9 million housing foreclosures between 2008 and 2009, as a result of lax and predatory subprime mortgages. One of the few industries that may have benefited from this debacle was happening, so that produced a lot of books discussing what went wrong in terms of the economic collapse. Sheila Bair, director of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) from 2006 to 2011, has published a new book as well. In Bull by the Horns: Fighting to Save Main Street from Wall Street and Wall Street from Itself, Sheila Bair provides an insider’s view of what caused the 2008 financial crisis and what could be done to prevent similar meltdowns in the future.

This book refers to several rare aspects in all of the many books written about the financial crisis, providing an accurate prediction at making the decision during the financial crisis and its aftermath. As many have understood, Sheila Bair constantly discussed that effective remedies to the financial crisis and financial regulatory reform had to be based on a simple principle: a free market demands transparency and exposure to risk and loss. Although bailing out the largest banks might be necessary measures to deal with the financial crisis, the absence of a realistic resolution process. Taking a good example is Bear Stearns, proved that investors could privatize the benefits while socializing the losses. Sheila Bair cautiously goes through the complicated argues at the core of the critical decisions during the financial crisis, from the original debates over subprime mortgages to Lehman and the financail crisis through the adoption of Dodd-Frank. In fact, the details in this book, Sheila Bair always attempt to ensure that homeowners had a fair chance and large banks and investors had to adopt losses in a free market.

Also, Sheila Bair describes a series of missed opportunities to return the principles of risk and reward to the markets that could have led to earlier responses to the real estate bubble. For instance, taking more seriously the subprime debacle that began to hit the markets in early 2007. Moreover, Sheila Bair explains how a constant concern by some other policy-makers over market disruptions if creditors had to absorb losses. This anxiety of exposing the largest banks and investors to loss brought about a series of more aggressive protections for the biggest banks. Actually, Sheila Bair pays more attention to make sure that the liquidation authority in Dodd-Frank had effectiveness and could not be used for future bail out of financial institutions, so they would have to be closed and creditors bear the losses. On the other hand, the fear that some other policy makers had about asking the banks and their creditors to suffer any losses led to public outrage over bail out and to continuing political issues that have precluded and hamstrung reform. The argues about the debates over new capital raises and the Treasury’s initial proposals to keep authority to do bail-outs in its first draft of reform legislation are particularly significant for an understanding of where we are today.

The book is good at describing complex financial discussions in a clear way while avoiding overly simplifying the key issues. And it is an excellent description of what it was like to pursue that fight from the inside. Obviously, her point is that financial institutions should welcome regulations that penalize unscrupulous risk takers because responsible citzens will pay the price. One of Sheila Bair’s most amazing chapters is about investors willing to ‘step over a dollar to pick up a nickel’. Overall, every profession has its unique aspects and words and I am neither an economist nor banker. However, I am attempting to know what caused the 2008 financial crisis and how recovering it is to have Sheila Bair shows concepts such as securitization, collateralized debt obligations, Basel III, etc. Finally, I can understand.

Personal Development For Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth

Executive Summary

 

This is a book report of Personal Development For Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth, written by Steve Pavlina, 2009.

 

In the Modern world, to keep developing people personal skills is becoming a very important thing in social life. We read books in order to get the keys can easier to be successful. Our Management Skill & Personal Development teacher told us read at least 10 books about benefit for out career life and choose Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth write down the summary.

 

In the book, the author brings out a core message of the development of personalities. The author states seven principles to help people to pursue the personal growth actively. The book essentially covered two main sections, fundamental principles and practical application. The contents of the seven principles are truth, love, power, oneness, authority, courage, and intelligence. The practical application illustrates human being could practice the seven principles in different areas, such as habits, health, career, relationships, money management, and the spiritual life. According to the first section’s diagram, several striking cases and exact examples were exploited. The writer impressed some principles combination on himself. He is a left-handed person, after plenty of exercises in right-brained, he stretched his personal abilities to support his work. The main point of discussion of the book is the balance control of the principles’ association. This book is not talking about IQ improvement, but focusing on regulating personal growth with the nature. It is a significant difference with other books. Steve Pavlina proposed a new definition of human intelligence courageously: Intelligence= Truth + Love + Power.

 

This is a great book which is suitable for a business leader in 21^st century. First of all, the book highlights how to manage and control personalities in the analysis of the seven major elements. Those methods of dealing with emotions are the most essential features for a manager when he leads the team and staffs to operate the tasks. Secondly, the concept mentioned by the author, how to build relationships, how to expand the career, and how to make a decision in the financial sector, are specific to the enterpriser who requires to perfect their personalities in the process. The third point, the writer emphasizes that people normally put attention on the advantages of their own in one side, while neglecting the other characters’ development. In another words, a person is good at management and leadership, but does not have a good command to deal with problems. It is a common phenomenon in a leadership. The book consents that if the readers are able to apply the seven principles effectively, their personalities will be full extended and developed. The managers and leaders are supposed to read this book comprehensively to apply the seven personal factors in an outstanding leadership performance. Steve Pavlina implicates that if a leader would like to achieve a successful result in his administration, he has to learn the integrated use of the multiple personality. Further more, the book points out few recommendations for the professionals. If the personality growth is developed, the leaders will know how to face the financial abundance. The most effective way is to put the solutions aside and resolve the troubles via the practical application, the book introduced in part 2.

 

There are three breakthrough ideas in the book which are deserved to learn to all readers. Interestingly, these three aspects are encouraging to everyone not only for professionals. In the first idea, the author said that people could target a program with inspiration, and on the other hand, could set up some daily disciplines in their own habits. For example, to try to not only note down the next task in a dairy, but also memorize in mind to improve the memory is beneficial. The second idea shows empowering relationship with loving staffs and partners. It is a difficult conduct to some people, especially to a leader, because loving others means not bossy in a working relationship. To be enthusiastic, motivated, and energetic at work is the third mode the author suggested in the book. He initiates to wake up early in the morning to refresh the enthusiasm on jobs. A one hour earlier get-up will prompt a well prepared commence of work.

 

Steve Pavlina composed a remarkable article to analyze the development of personality growth. Personal Development For Smart People is an exceptional book highly recommended to be read.

Likeable social media book summary

Likeable Social Media

“In today’s world social media drives everything!” (Dave Kerpen, 2011)

 

This book is divided into 18 main chapters, which are all strategies for everyone to enhance their brand performance on social media. Dave starts every chapter by sharing his personal experience as well as experience fro people around him. His explanation is based on true stories, which very simple but influential, from clients and non-clients of likeable media.

 

The 18 core strategies: “Delight your Customers and Irresistible Brand”

 

1. Listen First, and Never Stop Listening: By listening of what customer thinks and needs as well as responding, greater feeling comes from customers whose loyalty grows. Then customers become well advocated for the product. The key is “Always listen to the conversations in real time”.
2. Way Beyond “Women 25-54”: Define Your Target Audience Better than Ever: Targeting the right people through social network. Find the advocated customer and bring them into the conversation.
3. Think-and Act-Like Your Consumer: “All you have to do is stop thinking like a marketer and start thinking like your consumer” (Kerpen D. 2011). As per Facebook’s news feed is a good example for the company to think like a consumer by sharing content that is truly enjoyed or valued by consumers.
4. Invite Your Customers to be Your First Fans: In Facebook, the “like” is more important that the “link” because when people use “like” function, it means they allowing the firm to have conversation with them and it introduces the firm to every one of the user’s friends.
5. Engage: Create True Dialogue with, and Between, Your Customer: The company have to strongly believe that being active in growing its social network will lead to stronger relationship with the customers.
6.  Respond Quickly to All Bad Comments: Accept that complains are unavoidable. Therefore, react quickly will make the customers feel better and accept the company.
7. Respond to the Good Comments, Too: Facebook is the most viral platform in marketing history so when the company receive a compliment; it is the perfect time to say “Thank you”. Keep spreading the good word is always providing benefit for the company.
8. Be Authentic: Be reliable and real in every interaction, customers will trust you and the most important, share the company with their friends.
9. Be Honest and Transparent: These two aspects are building trust and long-term commitment from the customers.
10. Should You Ask a Lot of Question: Asking the customers and fan questions will get people talking and creating actual dialogue which ideally in a positive way.
11. Provide Value (For Free!): Giving content away for free, there will invariably be people who do not become customers but who know if they would have become to be customer anyway.
12. Share Stories: Share interesting and enjoyable stories about the company so customers can share them with their friends.
13. Inspire Your Customer to Share Stories: If the companies can deeply connect to the customers, they should inspire the customers to share their stories about the company with their friends, family, and their own fans
14. Integrate Social Media into the Entire Customer Experience: Create as many advocates for social media at the company and integrate a social-media-friendly culture throughout the company.
15. Use Social Network Ads for Greater impact: These adverts establish lifetime connection with potential customers and their friends.
16. Admit When You Screw Up, Then Leverage Your Mistake: Accept the mistakes and show your care, apologize immediately, and then fix the problem.
17. Consistently Deliver Excitement, Surprise, and Delight: If the company can reward all of the fans and followers, it can energize a massive group of online advocates.
18. Don’t Sell! Just Make it Easy and Compelling for Customers to Buy: Develop simple, user-friendly opportunities for customer to buy products. The sales will come whenever the customers choose to.

 

The Benefits of This Book

This book can helps everyone who wants to control the power of word-of –mouth marketing as well as develop his or her own business. Moreover, this book focuses on the most crucial aspect, which is learning how to engage the customers and persuade them to spread the word. As well as guide the company “how to create an irresistible brand” by the case studies which are the key to learn.

 

The Most Three Interesting Concepts

1. Always Listen to Customer.
2. Be Honest and Transparent.
3. Respond to Every Customer.

These three concepts are the key for the success of the company using social media as a core strategy.

 

Likeable Social Media is the book that will teach you how to delight your customers and create an irresistible brand. There are so many books that concentrate on What you should do on Facebook or other social media, but not many goes deep into the point that How to actually do it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reference

 

Kerpen D., 2011, Likeable social media: How to delight your customers, create an irresistible brand, and Be Generally Amazing on Facebook (and other social networks), New York, The McGrew Hill Companies

Summary of “Qualitative Research: A Personal Skills Approach”

“Qualitative Research” & “Personal Skill” is the core theory of the book.
In my opinion, Qualitative Research: A Personal Skills Approach is a very useful practical book. Actually this book bases on psychology and introduces many useful methods about how to make research. Usually these books focused on methodology let readers feel boring, so Shank grasped the key word—“Qualitative Research” and “Person Skill” to organize the book, which help reader easy to understand it. Simply summarized, the essential content of the book is introducing different stages of research and how to reach qualitative level in every stage. Shank based on these stages to organized the book, which are observing, conversing, participating, interpreting, questioning, data gathering, analyzing, narrating and writing. Readers can find many interesting examples in the book, through which readers easy grasp the approach of research.

This book with many living examples is easy to understand.
Because this book introduces methodology about research and relates many psychology theories, which let readers feel difficult to understand, Shank used many living examples to help readers to understand it. For example, when he explained “why is qualitative research observation so difficult”, he used a case of driving. Shank told us if a driver was used to drive in the route, he would ignore the surrounding of the street, but someday there was a traffic problem, the driver would pay more attention on the road. By the example, Shank explained the different between the ordinary observation and qualitative research observation, which need more intense and very taxing. There are many useful and fitting cases liked below, which contribute interesting to the book.

Qualitative Research likes a popular science reading more.
Compared with others, the book is easy to understand and the structure is very clear. However, the book lack of relating to the business case. I read Business Research Methods too, wrote by Alan Bryman and Emma Bell. As well as to introduce the qualitative research, Business Research Method listed many business cases, e.g. when the book introduce the concept of qualitative research, it offers a case of “Emotional Labour” related the qualitative research to the human resource management, but Qualitative Research lack these kind of cases. Second Qualitative Research like a popular science reading, which fit to ordinary people. The author did not focus on the theory of research methods and did not cite other opinions to contribute the deep argument. While Shank used daily life case to introduce the qualitative research methods, which was the different part in the book.

In the 21st century, everyone needs to learn the research methods.
21st century is a knowledge explosion century, so everyone needs to learn some research methods. Actually I think the book is more useful to ordinary people than to scientists, but it is the advantage of this book. Maybe someone doesn’t agree common person need to learn research methods. Nevertheless employee need research in their work, students need research methods in their study, even if housewives need it to promote the life quality. For example, a worker working in a automobile factory need to improve his efficiency, so he must observe how the machine works, how others do it , and then he need to convince with others to know their experience and analyse these information fit him or not, at last he get his own experience. The process is research. If he uses the qualitative research approach, his achievement would be bigger.

Qualitative research will help leaders manage organization effective.
In 21st century a successful company needs scientific management. All of these base on the scientific research. Qualitative research help them to improve their manage strategy; strengthen the relationship between employer and employee.

Make a clever and qualitative observation—my interesting thing in the book.
In chapter 2, Shank introduced how to do qualitative observation. Maybe you think it unusable, because everyday we observe the world, observing just like breath for us. However, Shank told you that these actions maybe were not observing or not qualitative observing. Qualitative observation must have clear objection, strict organization, and reasonable stages. For me, the most interesting thing is he suggested choose a quiet place as observe place. Shank listed many related to religion case to explain the importance of quiet place. I have the same experience that at quiet place I am easy to concentrate. However, I think it is unnecessary if you need observe the real working in manufactory. Second interesting thing is we need to integrate all kinds of observational types into your own natural style. Most of time people tend to make the mistake that only focus on one part while ignore the whole. Third interesting thing is I find everything in our life that worth to observe, the only thing we need to do have a pair of smart eyes.

Ming Li
100030192

Six Thinking Hats: An Essential Approach to Business Management

Six Thinking Hats: An Essential Approach to Business Management
Section 1
‘Six thinking hats’ is a training mode of thinking developed by British scholar Edward De Bono, which is a comprehensive model of thinking about the problem. The unique of this book lies in it provides “parallel thinking” tools avoiding wasting time on the dispute and it emphasizes “what it is going to be”, rather than “what it is”, it is seeking a way to move forward, rather than arguing about who is right or wrong.
The main points of discussion in this book focus on how to define and allocate six color hats (red, white, green, yellow, black and blue) to people to maximize the each one’s function. White represents objective fact and the white hat should neutrally unveil information and data to all other people; Green symbolizes life and the green hat inspires people to make assumption ignoring whether it is logical or not, just encourages people to express what are they think about a problem; Yellow symbolizes sun and hope and the yellow hat seeks the profits and value and tries to figure out the possibility of potential solutions; Black stands for prudent and critical side and the function of the black hat is finding the disadvantages and making appraisal; Red symbolizes the flame and passion and the red hat allows people to think of issue based on perceptions and instinct; The blue is the color of sky, therefore the blue hat need arrange the procedure and control other five color hats avoiding them make confliction. Using Six Thinking Hats will make chaotic thinking become clearer, turn the group of meaningless arguments into brainstormed creation and try to make everyone become creative.
Section 2
Six-thinking-hats management provides a communication operation framework and allows us to think of one thing from different aspects separately so that we can give different sides enough attention and full consideration in turn, ultimately form a comprehensive understanding about a specific problem or issue. But readers should be advised the major misunderstanding about six thinking hats is that users only think of a specific issue based on six aspects, actually the key point of application of the six thinking hats method lies in what order users choose to follow to organize the thinking process. Only mastered how to organize the thinking process can we believe he or she really masters the six thinking hats method, otherwise it may often make people feel this tool is not practical. And the ideal effect is hard to be achieved just through reading and users must make exercise in the practices. When it comes to managers, the main application situation is meeting, especially refers to the discussion meeting, because this kind of meeting provides a platform where thoughts and ideas collide each other, in this case, the standard logical order of applying six thinking hats should follow this procedure: firstly, the white hat states what kind problem we have to face, secondly, the green hat puts forward some solutions, thirdly, the yellow hat analyzes advantage of solutions, fourthly, the black hat point up disadvantage of solutions, fifthly, the red hat makes adjustment instinctively, lastly, the blue hat makes a conclusion based on existing messages from five hats and make the final decision. the six thinking hats will be a particularly effective communication framework. All people put forward ideas under the charge of blue hats not only can effectively avoid conflicts, but can discuss a topic more fully and thoroughly. Therefore, the meeting adopted six thinking hats can compress the meeting time and deepen the discussion.
Section 3
The most interesting thing is that the author establishes a link between the color and the function of each hat and that can help readers easily understand and remember. The breakthrough is that using the “parallel” thinking skills replaces confrontational and vertical thinking method to improve the enterprises’ staff’s cooperation ability, optimizing the team’s potentials. Like a color printer that firstly breaks colors down into three basic colors and then each basic color print in the same paper presenting color printing effect. Lastly, the main reason why it is difficult to reach an agreement in discussion meetings, not due to some external skills shortage, but because some people do not agree with the others views at the beginning.
References
Edward D (1999). Six Thinking Hats: An Essential Approach to Business Management. 4th edition. New York: Oversea Publishing House

Summary:Karaoke Capitalism

The karaoke capitalism written by Jonas Ridderstrale and Kjell A. Nordsteöm. Jonas Ridderstrale and Dr. Kjell A Nordström are at the forefront of the new generation of business gurus. They cut through the madness and hyperbole surrounding the economy and their appeal is truly global. The creators will be thrived at the expense of the copycats and express yourself, write thought-provoking ,workout for wits in karaoke capitalism . This book is challenges individuals,business and nations to create originals ,is not cover versions in the internationally acclaimed Funky business which is rigorously researched, witty and intelligent, and overflows with provocative ideas.this is a very special book, is the different with the traditional capitalist book, like is a call to arms, the writers are rebels with cause,with their unorthodox combination of academic rigor, forceful logic and funky free-thinking they once again re-write the rules for revolutionaries,they are the rules of the makers .This is a true work-out for the wits.It is a book about people – management for mankind – the individuals prepared to grasp the microphone and express themselves. You have the rights. Now, you must learn to live them,and take you on a trip around the gutters of commerce and society as well as the galaxies of commercial inspiration.this book based on the realization that,whether we like it or not ,we are all citizens of a world dominated by markets.We are surrounded by the mania of markets and live in a society where money is meaning;where freedom does not always equal happiness;and where technological opportunity does not necessarily lead to profits.

The karaoke reality is a cosmopolitan club with endless individual choice but also a paltry place for institutionalized imitation. The dirty little secret of management theory values. Changes have now made abnormal the new normal. The bubble economy has given way to the double economy. Forget about appealing to the average. Success is a question of exploring the extremes.Individual person with endless choice has dominated the karaoke economy, and the trouble of business which is the karaoke club is include institutionalized imitation. Copy -cats in anywhere, but only imagination and innovation place societies, organizations and individuals.

 

Corporations are no longer in control. Modern companies are facing the prospects of a two-front war: held hostage by talent and under siege by consumers. The winners know that wealth is created with wisdom, but to remain competitive they are forced, Excellent companies re-invent innovation and re-energize the corporation.And This book teach us how to successfully compete on competencies,create capitalism with different character.To develop the character of capitalism we have to accept individual responsibility,and how to have a great life while also making a living .It is required do different with the other people, do yourself rather than a second-rate version of some one else,this book is a hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxies of business. and practice is that business schools, benchmarking and best practice have transformed the entire world of commerce into a super-group of karaoke copying companies. And imitating someone else will never get you to the top – merely to the middle.This book required us to create knowledge networks that pose new and fundamentally different demands on the organization.

 

This book has a lot of interesting ideas,For example, the author write “the time has come to place your bets-models or moods”in chapter 14 roulette time,this is interesting parables.this chapter describe intelligent enterprises realize that the scop of innovation has grown much larger .but in fact, the truly great ones have been responsible for expanding and cultivating this new innovation landscape.And the other interesting ideas,this idea has been written in Bowling Alone.The hypothesis of the book is that people are becoming more and more and more individualized in terms of how they live their lives. Divorce rates are up, there’s less community work done, less money given to charity,less solidarity, even in the U.S. This is really critical because Jonas and I don’t believe the United States is a country in the traditional sense of the word — it is an idea. We can all become Americans. If you’re lucky, it takes but a few months. In the best of all worlds, it takes 200 years to become Swedish … and 675 years to become French.

 

To conclude,back-to-basics and execution are refrains reverberating down corporate hallways. And yet there is still a sense of unease. Jonas Ridderstróale and Kjell Nordstróm, the outspoken authors of the international bestseller, Funky Business, present a provocative analysis of the social and cultural forces that are defining the business landscape—in particular, the fundamental relationships between employers and employees and between companies and customers.

 

Covering a huge terrain—from the impact of high tech to the ever-widening gaps between the haves and the have-nots, and with references from Adam Smith to Janis Joplin—the authors bring into focus the challenges of business leadership in a world increasingly defined by individualism. Karaoke capitalism refers to the philosophy of imitation, engrained into the corporate mindset by such popular concepts as benchmarking and best practice. Ultimately, the authors argue that armed with imagination it is possible to sustain profitable businesses while contributing to the well-being of customers, communities, and the society at large.

Fang Zhou  100031385

 

The Executive Summary of “Career Anchors: Discovering Your Real Values”

The Executive Summary of “Career Anchors: Discovering Your Real Values”

The book “Career Anchors: Discovering Your Real Values” is meaningful and impressive to me.  The tests in this book which aim to analyze personality, motivation and values are meaningful and interesting.

By analyzing your past behaviors and future goal exploration, it would help the readers to find  real and clear themselves who are once puzzled and confused about themselves.

This book suggested that there are ten stages in life career while a lot of jobs would be experienced. During the life career, there is always something in a mind which pull you back to the real yourself, the job you insist, never give up and appreciate, that is your career anchors.

However, what interesting is that, different from career, career anchors is another theory. The differentiation just like what you want is different from what you already got. A job possible just is an approach to earn a living but the career anchors is a kind of things that you can achieve self value.

In this book, Schein divided career anchors into eight categories: technical/functional competence, general managerial competence, autonomy independence, security/stability, entrepreneurial creativity, sense of service/ dedication to a cause, pure challenge, lifestyle. Anchors can enable people to recognize the preference. In the view of author, career anchor have already cover the vast majority of pursuit of most people. From the view of the author, everyone just have one career anchor. However the desires in one’s inside possibly are diversity and various, there must be one order for the importance of capability and motivation and value, which career anchor is located at the best position of it. Once a person cannot distinguish his career anchor clearly, that is to say, he is lack of social experiences to judge what is he really wanted. What worthy to mention in addition is that, the jobs and the positions can be changed several times but career anchor would be stay same. It can be proved by Schein’s research. Because of the design of the job, a large amount of people cannot match their work to their really career anchor which lead to their potential ability cannot be realized at that time, their performance in their work would be unsatisfying, and the less pleasure they got from their work. However, it doesn’t mean that they did less than what they should do; they might pay greater efforts in their work. Only the one who enjoy their work can match their job to their career anchor.

In modern society, personal development has no conflicts with organizational development. As a person who in this area, should explore himself deeply inside to know himself more clearly to confirm their own career anchor and so that they can communicate with the organization more efficient and faster. Even though the organization have the obligation of matching the employees career anchor to their job,

But the company doesn’t know every detailed personal information, especially private information. What these organizations could do is to create flexible approaches to design their jobs, to have motivation systems and reward systems to satisfy the various requirements from different career anchors in the same work area. The managers ought to make it clear that, even though in the same position, there might be different career anchors located there. For example: in the position of product development, there could be four or more career anchors match the position, they are technical/functional competence, entrepreneurial creativity, general managerial competence, pure challenge separately. In every company, due to the business area ,company sizes, and technical limitation, it’s hardly to match every career anchors to every position, it still require government and public organization act as a pressure relief valve and buffer to offer more efficient approaches to achieve matching.

To sum up, this book is useful and helpful to me, it help me know myself more deeply and clearly. Another contribution of this book is that it teach me how to resolve conflicts between personal development and organizational development: combine my personal goal and organizational goal together and communicate with the organization.

 

Book review: A complaint free world

Book review: A complaint free world

A complaint free world, written by Will Bowen, became the best seller in the world in 2006. In this book, the author shared his experiences with readers and analysis the relationship between complaint and life, work and future.

“To be a happy person who has mastered your thoughts and has begun creating your life by design”. This means our attitude decides our words, our words affect our thought, and our thought create our future.  If we want to succeed, we should enhance our talent and intelligence, and possess some good characters, such as optimistic, patient, the ability to control their mind.  This is the core message of this book, aims to point out how to change our life through stopping complain.

People usually hold the view that complaint is a description of problems and all the procedures we has followed in order to resolve it before reaching the point where no longer know how to proceed. Over complain means someone lacking of self-control, it is a barrier on the path to success. Complain is a way to release pressure, because it’s nature to complain to families, friends and colleagues when we have some troubles, but actually it is a waste of time to involve them in these issues. Instead, we should focus on finding the way to solve problems and reduce the wait time.

Complain has negative influence on health ，people relationships, career, life quality and so on.

▪ For health, “There is a connection between mind and body, what the mind believes, the body manifests.”(Bowen, 2006) Researches show that what a people think about their health will leads to this belief becoming real for them. If patients convinced themselves they have serious disease and will die, then they will hard to recovery until dying.

▪ For individuals, when we stay with our friends, colleagues or families, it’s easy to feel upset and unsatisfied if the conversation begins to devolve into negativity, on the contrary, if we keep peaceful and optimistic attitude, our lives will fill with hopes and happiness.

▪ For organizations, leaders have the obligation to help employees to focus on opportunities rather than problems. Like Eckhart Tolle said, it is no meaning to yell at waiter to complain the cold soup, better to tell them this soup needs to be heat up. Complaining is epidemic in a company, if employees spend their time on complain the salary, work time, work missions, and their bosses,，then they will hard to concentrate on finishing the work with passions or providing best services for customers. Complains and negative emotions which are on everybody’s lips by oral communication, spreading quickly between colleagues like epidemic. Instead complaint, panel, chatting, and some activities are more effective in dealing with conflicts and dissatisfactions.

This book is different with other books because examples are come from people daily lives and then can be used by us. The book informs readers the importance of no complaint, in the same time, it gives them approach to erase complaining from their lives no matter they are now facing disease, job cuts, or misfortune. The most special is there is a purple bracelet in the book which is used to remind us stop complaint, instead with positive thinking. Put it on the wrist, if the reader realizing his/her complaint, move the bracelet to another wrist, twenty-one days a row, with no complaining or gossiping. After several months or years, life will be improved a lot. Living in new 21 century, we suffering so much pressures, work missions, complex people relationships, diseases, even nature disasters, but it we using our imagination, creativity and personal inspiration, we can learn to deal with troubles in a fantastic way and discover various ways of looking at the world, infusing it with unremitting efforts to make our lives like work of art.

 

 

The tipping point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

This is a book to introduce the rules of ‘being popular’, or it can be considered as why something or somebody is liked or pursued by most people. As the author wrote in the contemporary society, the cases are always being observed that something suddenly becomes the hottest topic in people’s daily life; even the news often broadcasts it as well. And he also indicated that the popular event or person always has a point which named ‘topping point’. This point is used to describe the event or the person is in a situation that is going to be popular and has an influence to the public. In his point of view, this situation is possible to observed and made by people. In this case, it is possible for us to control the popular thing or person. In such a society full of information, it is important to make product or person popular in order to make profit. In addition, the author concludes that there are three significant rules for ‘topping point’. They are ‘the law of the few’, ‘the stickiness factor’, and ‘the power of context’. For instance, the first one can be understood as that the significance to make the ‘topping point’ is to find the key persons. The persons can be divided into three types. The first one is maven, who is the professional deeply knowing the knowledge and newest information about a filed. The second one is connector, the people connecting the information with the public, and their jobs need them to contact many different people every day, including opportunity to spread information to the public. The last one is salesman, who is the last person deliver the information to the customer, with the ability to persuade them to accept the products or people.

This is a world which has various new events and persons every day. No matter a person who needs to sell the product in the intense competitive market or a person who needs to be a successful politician, it is necessary to understand and make use of popularity. The ‘topping point’ theories may help these people to consider some effective methods to promote themselves or the product. It is significant to make public know and accept. For these people, they need to focus on the right information and method. As the author indicated that for instance, the name of the product should be easily remembered by customers, the name of ‘Yahoo’ and ‘Google’ are great examples. Both of them are easily pronounced and short enough to be remembered. On the other hand, they need to think from the customers’ point of views. People need to collect the information from all the available accessible recourses. Next step is to find the people who can translate the new concept and thought to the public, to guide them. The idea may be to teach a few people who are interested in new things to use the product and they will introduce it to the people around them. For instance, the new social network app is initially used by a small group of people, then they start to ask their friends to use it as well. And their friends will ask their friends which will spread wildly.

In this book, the author told us that how things become popular, which is in very details. From the perspectives of philosophy and psychology, also connected with human behaviors, the book indicates the process of being popular and how to achieve by systematic method. There are many interesting examples given to support the theories, like the planting corn, fashion and smoking. Also the beginning of the book is attractive, which offers a new way to think about the world.

Reference

Malcolm, G., 2000. The tipping point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference Little Brown

Executive Summary of Managing Employee Involvement and Participation

 

 

 

Executive Summary of Managing Employee Involvement and 

Participation

 

 

 

 

 

Yi CHEN

 

Student Number: 100022025

Course: Management Skills and Personal Development

 Word Count: 732

 

 

                        Encouragement of employees’ voice in a work place has been a controversial issue in this modern age even though it would not be a new concept to mamy people. Instead of arguing about whether employees should have the right of voice in the working place, this book aims to explore differnet approaches for employees to articulate at work. These approaches may include radical way of expressions of employees control and management insistence on communicative issues.

Also this book demonstrates in-depth analysis and explanation on the emerging current issues in the relationship between employers and employees. Furthermore, it also conducts a study into several remarkable characteristics of the arena of working relationship as well as presents concern towards the parties whose interests are in distress. Not only elaborating the differences between concepts of  EI (Employee Involvement) and EP (Employee Participation) and rationales of EIP ( Employee Involvement and Participation), the book also covers more facets than others such as finance involvement and participation as well as the influence of the foreign inward investment. It attempts to tackle some crucial issues by undertaking a close examination of the development of the employee access and empowerment within the organization and its effect on the decision making. Besides, the final chapter of the book critically questions about the employee’s influence at work and inspires a deeper exploration which motivates readers to develop a desire of studying further.

This book unveils the significance of EIP management in modern organization and this significance can be discovered from the aspect of the current economic environment analysis. Since the global financial crisis has influenced on patterns of human resource management, it is likely that employee involvement and participation (EIP) may also be shaped.( Marchington and Kynighou, 2012) This may be a signal and revelation for the leaders and professionals to realize a new change in the current structure of management. Dundon et al (2004) found that EIP systems could impact positively in three ways. The first impact refers to valuing employee contributions which leads to improved employee attitudes, co-operative relations and loyalty. The second impact relates to improved performance, including productivity and personal performance while the final impact pertains to improved managerial system. (Cited in Marchington and Wilkinson, 2012) These three aspects are expected to influence organizational specific HR management codes and behaviour and exert positive effects on company’s overall performance in a long run.

As the modern society turns out to be an environment with intense competition, research of EIP(Employee Involvement and Participation) would manifestly have a positive effect on facilitating the high working efficiency and quality management. 

Marchington and Kynighou (2012) suggest that when EIP is more deeply embedded into the institutional structure of the country, employers are more likely to continue involving their staff in some way to deal with crisis. In fact, employers aiming to differentiate themselves from the competition are more likely to seek creative responses that are based around higher levels of employee engagement( Marchington and Kynighou, 2012) .Crisis and changing of the external environment can be challenging for both employers and employees. EIP management method turns out to be a significant way to create an effective juncture of employees’ effort and talent in order to support the organization to go through the crisis. 

Finally, several breakthrough and interesting ideas in the book seem to be worthy mentioned here. The statement of management initiative and conflict in pluralist management in the book appears to be comparatively appealing. It is illustrated in the book that management initiative usually comes along with the understanding of intrinsic harmonious relationship between employers and employees. Strict regulations target ensuring stability in the relationship through offering mechanism which identify and provide solutions towards conflict in pluralist management-employee relations. (Hyman and Mason, 1995) Besides, another visionary point of view in the book is that restructuring the socio-economicsystem may be the authentic way to liberate radical perspectives fighting for the employee interests which are unavoidably submitted to the needs of capital. (Hyman and Mason, 1995) Generally speaking, this book demonstrates advanced study in human resource management which appears to help forming the modern business culture.

 

 

 

 

 

Referrences:

 

Hyman, J. and Mason, B. (1995) Managing Employee Involvement and Participation, London: SAGE Pulication

 

Mick Marchington and Anastasia Kynighou (2012): ‘The dynamics of employee

involvement and participation during turbulent times’, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 23:16, 3336-3354

 

Marchington, M. and Wilkinson, A. (2012) Human Resource Management at Work(Fifth Edition), London:Charted Institute of Personnel and Development

 

Ramsay, H. (1977):‘Cycles of Control: Worker Participation in Sociological and Historical Perspective,’ Sociology, 11:3, 481–506.

 

 

Blue Ocean Strategy : How to Creat Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant

Blue Ocean is one of the international bestseller books that founded by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne in 2005. The information inside this book is based on research and study over hundred years period of 30 industries. The main message that is described in this book is how to create uncontested market space and make the competition irrelevant. There have a lot of examples inside this book about how successful company after they found their blue ocean, such as apple, southwest airlines and QB House. One of the famous examples of this method is Cirque’s du Soleil.

Cirque’s du Soleil is one of the newest types of industry that has never been there before. They made the whole new concept of cirque that many people cannot think of before. It was starting from an idea of two people, Still Walker and Guy Laliberte, who were an accordion player and a fire-eater. Different from the other circuses company that still try to compete each other in the traditional way, such as compete to get the start performers or to have different kind of animals. They tried to create a new market space with combining opera, musical, ballet, and circus together. Therefore, they can attract a whole new customer that used to not target as a circus customer, for example adults and corporate clients. The main point of this example is they does not try to compete with their competition, on the other hand they made their competitor irrelevant with creating their own blue ocean.

Moreover, this book is very different from other business books, because in this book the authors try to tell us to make our competitor irrelevant. On the other hand, in general business books, many of them just try to tell us how to operate better than your competitors or how to win from your competitors. There are many strategies inside the book that related with how to create the blue ocean, for instance the strategy canvas, the value innovation, the four actions framework and the eliminate-reduce-raise-create grid. The value innovation is the cornerstone of blue ocean strategy, because it is related with cost and the buyer values that come from the utility and price that company offers to their buyer. As a manager, we should understand how to reduce the cost and increase the buyer value so we can get our value innovation as shown in Figure.1.

Figure.1 the Value Innovation

            In addition, this book also provides a significant contribution to the world especially for this 21^st century. It is related with today’s globalisation environment, where overcrowded industries and competing head-on result and at the ends just will lead us to the rivalry fighting that impact on the shrinking of the profit, or we can name it Red Ocean. On the other hand, this book teaches us not to compete against the competitors, but try to make our own market (Blue Ocean) that will lead us to get more customers and more profit. Based on Kim and Mauborgne, the future leading company will succeed not by battling their competitors, but by creating their own blue ocean.

However, despite the success of the blue ocean strategy, as a manager, we should be aware of the imitators that would appear on the horizon. As said in this book, to find a blue ocean is a journey that has never ends. Because by the time your company has found the blue ocean, there will be a lot of competitors that will follow that blue ocean. Therefore, there have some points how to defend our blue ocean from the imitators, such as brand image, patents, high volume generate or the size of the company. However, as a manager, we also need to monitor our curve in the strategy canvas that can give us warning when we need to make another blue ocean.

Finally, there are three most interesting concepts that we can learn from this book. First is related with the blue ocean strategy concept itself. This book shows how we can win from our competitors without going through competition. Many people think that making better advertising, marketing strategy or better operational can lead to the better performance from their competitor. It is true, but at the end, it just will lead them to the pricing war that will lead to the shrinking of their profit. The second concept is about reconstructing market boundaries. This concept is one of the first principles of blue ocean strategy and this is the key for managers to take a decision. The most interesting of this concept is because the approach, which is six paths framework, can be applicable across industry sectors to lead them into the corridor of the blue ocean ideas. The last concept that I thought also very interesting from this book is related with the building the execution into strategy. This concept is related with the human resources inside the company itself. Based on this book, no matter how great the business strategy is, if the members of the company are not aligned and support that strategy, it will be nothing. Which mean, as a manager, we should always think about our employees, because without them, not a single business strategy will be successful.

Exective Summary of How Will You Measure You Life

Student No. 6492304

HOW WILL YOU MEASRUE YOUR LIFE   By  Clayton M. Christensen

• Section 1

There are three main ideas that are extrapolated in How Will You Measure Your Life by author Clayton M. Christensen, a professor of Harvard Business School, which includes life and business lessons, first thing is that business and life are often are neutralized to each other, following is how to define the resource of happiness which is underpinned by the relationship between love ones, the last is how to improve the measurement and avoid mistakes to stay out of the jail.

• Section 2

It is easy to measure tangible assets on the balance sheet in business, Somehow, the intangible asset in our life such as health, relationship and self-fulfilment…etc. cannot be measured through the same criterion. For example, making profit for business or getting promotion in office are required short period of time to achieve, on the other hand, raising children or  maintain relationship are required long period of time to capture the return.  Author Clayton M. Christensen points out that what people are capable of are our processes and priorities which reflect our core values: powerful and unique and people should not be confused purpose with priority.  Business is purpose and  life is priority, in most cases, the business and the life are seemed to be parallel; in particular for successful people to strike a balance between the personal and professional life, which means evaluating  which aspects  to pursue before acting for the long or short term period of life is an important issue to learn. Second in term is concerning the sense of achievement, every human being dreams; we’ve all had cases where the ordinary daily life happened in that way of those dreams about life and business. In this book Christensen explains how companies or individuals clarify the assumptions before making big decisions by identifying which job they have been “hired” to perform, whether for their customers or their families. Author indicates that people best resistance is to ensure that the daily occasion of life is what people really want to realize the dreams we’ve chosen, the blueprint we’re painting; especially for entrepreneurs who love planning, writing outlines setting aside time on the schedule and draw diagrams to make progress and achieve satisfaction or fulfilment; in the meanwhile he  discusses Frederick Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory (1967) to clarify that satisfaction and dissatisfaction are different measures instead of being on the opposite side owing to the reason that satisfaction cannot be created even dissatisfaction factors were removed, for instance, making live environment much safer may have little or no effect, whilst the it has been secured already, which just like pouring water into an already full bucket. As a result, acquire much more wealth won not make people feel more happiness if they’ve earned enough money for living; the true resource of happiness is the interaction and relationship with friends and family.  It is interesting that all problems in book are addressed through business case studies which provides concrete examples with experiences occurred for big brand name corporations such as Dell, Honda, IKEA to guide readers about weighing a deliberate plan against emerging issues and provide incredible insights into these challenging questions by deriving from business research to indicate how the past success lead to future path. Last but not least, there are too many scapegoats and short-cuts in modern society, that’s what How Will You Measure Your Life is trying to stop to warn people not be  involved in illegal actions and stay out of jail.

• Section 3

How Will You Measure Your Life is not a typical “You can do it, too” book but a simple book by asking readers simple questions like “who, not what, did they want to be” to trigger readers inspiration to think the lives ahead of them. This book is dominated by morality and conscious in the meanwhile it avoids earnest idealism; Christensen and his co-authors, James Allworth and Karen Dillon, hope that goal for readers is a worthy and fulfilling life. During the week I spent on reading it, I started to rethink about the my daily life form different aspects and enjoy the things that I am doing at present, as a result I realized that I need to decide what kind of person I want to be and what I stand for; I have made some changes and I believe there will be more in the foreseeable future.

Einstein: His Life and Universe

Einstein: His Life and Universe

In his book, Walter Isaacson describes Albert Einsteinas a scientist, politician, thinker, pacifist, philosopherssand man. This book delves into the many different phases of Einstein’s life. Einstein: His Life and Universe” is an inspiring account of the life and times of one of the most important minds in modern history.

Einstein dedicated almost all his life to physical science. He was born in 1879 in Swabia, southwestern Germany. When he was a child, he had difficulty learning language but he could remember things through mental imaging.  At age 12 he was introduced to Pythagorean theorem and he was fascinated by the equation. Around the same period of time, his curiosity about the wonders of science began to spark.  This curiosity ultimately led to the world’s most famousequation: Energy equal mass times the square of the speed of light (E=MC2). The equation was created when he was 26 years old. Also he presented four papers of the idea of the quantum theory of light; this theory was very difficult for other scientists for very long time to figure out.

Once he began his life as a scientist, he stopped adhering to any orthodox religious practices that were common during his time. He always referred peace and beauty as the mind of god. As a politician, Einsteinadvocated world peace to every politician he knew.  It is therefore quite ironic that his quantum theory was used to make atomic bomb and was used in the war. Amonth after the bomb had been dropped, a distressed Einstein urged politicians around the world to create a unified world government without violence.  

Isaacson presents Einstein not only as a brilliant scientist and politician but also as a simple yet often quirky human being.  For example, it was noted that hehad a number of extramarital affairs as well as hadstrange rules set for his first wife. She was not toexpect any intimacy from Einstein, nor could she speak unless spoken to.  

This is a fascinating book that describes details of Albert Einstein’s unique pattern of thinking. It is very interesting to learn about Einstein’s curiosity. He has a question for everything as his thirst for knowledge is unyielding.

Because of his intelligence his name and appearance are now synonymous with genius starting from a long time ago.  From this book I understand that in order to master anything in life, you must first have the curiosity and desire to learn everything you want.  One thing that really intrigues me is that even Einstein the smartest guy in the world is far from perfect. This book sheds light on his flaws and humanity, leading the reader to see his or her own self in Einstein.

Nowadays, people who are contemplating leadershippositions that require decision making in a big company, should learn from Einstein’s spirit of thinkingand learning in order to achieve high standards and far reaching goals.  A leader or a decision maker must have a strong passion for the future development of a company or the employee they own.  As for, freshman they need to keep doing what they feel strongly about just as Einstein did. And for all the human being living on this planet no matter who you are or what you are doing, you should always remember that to be successful is not that easy, being successful is like riding on a bicycle; once you feel you are going to besuccessful you may fall off easily, because you might no longer feel the need to pedal as hard as it used to be.

Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonalds by Ray Krock

“Grinding it out: the making of McDonald’s” is not just a book describing the history of the corporation, how and then it was established and developed, no. It is something more.  It is an exiting and colorful autobiography of one of the greatest man in the world, Ray Krock, who has affected the culinary preferences of several generations of people all around the world. This book tells of the difficult path, which this legendary man managed to overcome to make the “golden arches” the most recognizable brand in the world. The history of Ray Krock shows what height can reach the person who can dominate even the most adversecircumstances

Much of the book is devoted to describing in detail the life of Krock at “pre-McDonald’s” phase and this not surprisingly as he founded the company being already a 52-years old. Being a teenager he used to work as a driver of Red Cross Ambulance (where he met Walt Disney), paper cup salesman, pianist, radio DJ and some other activities which he didn’t like but was need to do to earn a leaving. The only work that generated the revenues and was close to heart was the multi-mixers sales, which has brought him to McDonald brothers.

Actually, in the book the character of McDonald brothers is shown from the negativeside. Krock often mentions that, despite the fact that brothers were very clever and designed an excellent production process of hamburgers that required the minimum of time, they were not “business-based”, often violated the terms of the contract, and took hasty decisions. Therefore, in 1961 Krock made the most important decision in his life – he decided to buyout the company from the McDonald brothers for 2.7 million dollar, a huge amount of money at that time. Since then he started to “grow” McDonald’s company as his own child. Until the last days of his life Krock was a part of McDonald’s, always took part in decision-making process, in developing new product by personal testing.

This book impress first of all because of the style it is written. It is very open, as it contains a lot of Krock’s personal information and his thoughts. The reader can easily understand what he was thinking about at the moment, which opportunities, risks he saw, whom he loved, appreciated. The second interesting moment in the book refers to the detailed description of standardized process of making and controlling the quality of the hamburgers, and the ideas of creating new products itself. The best example of the letter one can be the fish burger that was created due to the practice of not eating the meat on Fridays by Catholic customers. Therefore, not to lose the profit and beat the competitor company decided to introduce the fish burger. Actually, every act that was made by McDonald’s, from creating to advertising new products, entering new markets, financing is very exiting to read, therefore, it is very hard to allocate the particular one and named it “interesting”.

Not only can the “hamburger lovers” find this book interesting, but also the potential entrepreneurs, for whom it is very useful and relevant to read. The main purpose of the book is to show its readers that there is nothing impossible in this world and the only thing you need to do to achieve your dream is to put a little more effort on it.

However, most of these types of books had been criticized that you do not get much benefit from reading this book but only some positive emotions. And this is also the case of this book. It can be very useful to read to broaden your horizon and way of thinking but the context of it is very narrow as it does not give the precise description of business model that had been used and etc. Furthermore, even if this book tells some secrets of McDonald’s and Ray Krock’s, it is still does not reveal all of them, therefore, it does not make that specific practical benefits. 

“Hot Spots: why some companies buzz with energy and innovation – and others don’t” by LYNDA GRATTON

We all have been, at least once in our life, in a situation in which everything seems us to be simpler than usual; our ideas are brilliant, cooperation is successful and taking risks is painless because we are highly confident in our motivations and our capabilities. Hot Spots; this is how bestselling business strategist, Lynda Gratton, defines such situations.

The whole book is a journey inside real cases of word leading organizations, such as Nokia, British Petroleum, Unilever, Linux and Reuters, buzzing with innovative ideas, dictating trends and creating new working standards. These are the companies where Hot Spots have emerged as a result of a combination of multiple favorable factors which have fed creativity in such an extent that innovation and growth have become part of the daily agenda of anyone coming in contact with these environments.
The emergence of extraordinary energy permits individuals and teams, inside and outside an organization, to generate flourishing collaborations that could have rarely been created hitherto. People start sharing, not only ideas and thoughts, but mainly joy and excitement. Hot Spots fuel organizational success ensuring that additional value is incorporated in any productive activity in order to guarantee the constant vanguard positioning of the firm.

Yet life is not always about being in a Hot Spot. Most of the times careers are filled with that “I could do better!” sensation and projects are characterized by unachieved target performances. These are the cases where Hot Spots fail to emerge, and the Big Freeze takes over. One of the main sources of stress on workplaces is represented by excessively competitive environments, where friendships among collaborators are neglected and the outflow of talented employees becomes routine.

So, how can we try to ensure that Hot Spots emerge? How can we mold an electrifying atmosphere that can transform the organization in a source of creativity and innovation? How to avoid the Big Freeze?

The answer is given by the author in a clear formula that brings to light the composition of Hot Spots:

HOT SPOTS = (Cooperative Mindsets x Boundary Spanning x Igniting Purpose) x Productive Capacity

By Cooperative Mindset is meant the intelligence, insight and wisdom generated through collaboration of people willing to share their knowledge in favor of innovation. However, no matter how creative a team or group of people might be, most of the times innovative ideas come from the cross-boundary knowledge exchange. This is why Boundary Spanning is essential for the emergence of Hot Spots.
The combination of these first two factors generates a deep potential within the organization, but to transform such potential in consistent act, a point of ignition is necessary. A question, a vision, an intriguing task; anything that can push people to action and to unbind the latent energy hidden in potential Hot Spots, might be considered an Igniting Purpose.

The cited first three elements have a multiplicative effect on each other, and the lack of any of them reduces significantly the potential energy of a Hot Spot. The facility of this potential energy to be translated in effective innovation and value creation, though, relies directly on the Productive Capacity of the people within the Hot Spot, who should be prone to meaningful conversation, conflict resolution and rhythm setting.

Despite the identification of the components, and their understanding, the emergence of Hot Spots cannot be commanded. It remains a spontaneous process that reveals itself when a specific combination of favorable situations occurs.

Lynda Gratton’s book represents an interesting reading for modern managerial community because, not only describes how to identify and incentive the appearance of Hot Spots, but deeply analyses the leader’s role in such scenario. The image of the leader as Socrates, the ancient Athenian philosopher who used questioning and falsification to identify the real essence of every existing assumption, is promoted through the chapters. Every leader should stimulate vigorous and disciplined questioning in order to ignite the emergence of Hot Spots.
Most organizations have cultivated an atmosphere in which every form of doubt is recognized as ignorance or fragility, reducing conversations to procedural, sterile talks. The leader has to institutionalize questioning as a fundamental part of the way that the firm operates in order to avoid the rigidity and the dearth brought by the Big Freeze.

All the cited aspects, combined to the need of an original and innovative way to break through the stagnant atmosphere in which our economy has recently fallen, make “Hot Spots: Why some companies buzz with energy and innovation – and others don’t” a must-read for every practicing or affirmed manager.

Startup Communities: Building an entrepreneurial ecosystem in your city

Book Reviews

Startup Communities: Building an entrepreneurial ecosystem in your city

 

This is the latest research in innovation and entrepreneurship with special focus on building a community with this type of environment to nest and grow business. With over twenty years of field experiences, Brad Feld, the author of this book, is an entrepreneur and investor who have keen eyes on ventures. Brad not only articulate in the book regarding how does startup community work, but also provide the principles on how to set up and operate it in other places which makes the book also plays an important and meaningful role of guidelines.

 

Chapter 1 sets the stage, beginning with a brief explanation on startups and the background of a model entrepreneurial ecosystem-Boulder. Comparing to a lot of other startup communities and the methods according to which they have been built, Brad is trying to introduce a new approach which he called the Boulder Method. And it is believed that this can be broadly applied. Finally, it provides a general skeleton and content of the book. Chapter 2 introduces what he saw and what have happened in Boulder Startup Community at different historical stages. Before that, Brad gives clear definitions on entrepreneurial density. Competitions between companies are everywhere; but in Boulder, it is characterised by strong collaboration and philosophy of contributing before you get rewarded. Chapter 3 depicts what do vibrant startup communities like. There are historical frameworks for some cities where later become famous startup communities. These provide a background for introducing what principles are driving the Boulder. Chapter 4, 5 & 6 are focus on the entrepreneurs since human is considered the most critical element in the community. It gives many ideas on what kind of traits a successful entrepreneur should have, which can be viewed as tips to us.  Chapter 7 provides specific examples in Boulder to elaborate the fundamental components of the community. It reveals with us what events and activities happened there. Chapter 8, 9&10 are mainly focus on involvement from three different aspects which is also believed as critical principles in building up sustainable startup communities.

 

Chapter 11 is regarding with how leaders should like in order to develop a long-term commitment to the community. Here, the principle of ‘contribute before you get’ is reemphasized. It provides with ‘sticky force’ to tie each side together which is a base for collaboration. Other principles are: be able to learn from each other; be tolerant to weirdness as it is sometimes ‘a key attribute of innovative communities’; be honest; have an open mind; and go for walks to talk with others. Chapter 12&13 contain the tactics on the how to grow the startup communities in both directions of deeper and wider. Chapter 14 introduces same vivid case studies. It is believed that great entrepreneurs just start doing things. And the author here is encouraging people to try to start doing something.

 

To sum up, this book is very readable. The three most interesting points are: First, it provides us with insight knowledge of startup environment in the U.S. Second, it explains theories with examples which are very clear to be understood and easy to be remembered. Third, it is from the author’s field experience. The principles he presented in the book are very helpful in practice field, which I believed to be of great contribution and importance.

How Do We Fix This Mess? The Economic Price of Having it all, and the Route to Lasting Prosperity. By Robert Peston

The author of this book is an awarded business journalist working for the BBC. He has also worked for the Financial Times and the Telegraph. He is famous for presenting reports about the causes and consequences of the global financial crisis. He got to know the world of banking and trading during his stay in Brussels and has experienced hands on what he believe are some of reasons for the banks collapsing in 2007-2008.

This is a book trying to highlight what went wrong when we experienced the global banking crises some five years ago. It is mainly focusing on the UK market, but also explains the situation in the US, Europe and China. The aim is then to suggest how the world can get out of this financial crisis by giving the readers a profound understanding of the mechanisms that lead to the collapse. We are also to follow his famous “Pesto bank” which is the ideal bank were the bank keeps enough equity, and enormous bonuses are not being handed out to its employees.

The basic idea is that the banks did not have enough capital to cover for the sudden extreme demand from people wanting to secure their savings. This leaded to a situation where the biggest banks in the world was on the edge of becoming bankrupt. What is interesting to learn is that during the crisis in 1930 the “big five” banks in the UK did not need any government help, while five years ago the UK taxpayers took the bill. The reason for this is that in 2008 the today’s “big five” held an amount of capital equivalent to approximately 2% of their total loans and investments, while they in the 1930’s made sure to have the same ratio at about 20%+. In other words, they did not have enough money to handle a situation where their biggest creditors wanted its money back.

The author then introduce us to the world of “CDOs” (Collateralised Debt Obligations), which are tradable debt fabricated out of lots of other bits of tradable debt (Peston, 2012). He explains that bankers are betting on these obligations, predicting that the market will remain stabile. This is looked upon as one of the reasons how we in 2011 have a worldwide credit debt of around ten times the current GDP (which is the estimated market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time (Peston, 2012)). The book also touches in on globalisation and how this has an effect on the economy. He explains why the momentum in China’s economy is preventing the global economy from stagnating, but he also opens a discussion on the concern that this economy might be built on shaky financial foundations. The Eurozone is also taken in to a heavy discussion on whether it will bankrupt the world or not.

The great thing about this book is that it actually attacks modern banking at its heart, and does well in explaining the facts unknown to most people. It is a very important book for everyone wanting to understand the credit crunch in 07-08, and more important how to avoid it in the future. The solution is not an attractive route for bankers wanting to make quick money, because it is a very slow process. The suggestion is that in order to regain trust, the banks must stop running operations so complex that some of its senior executives can’t explain in depth what some of their units are doing. It also emphasise the importance of having enough capital to handle unforeseen events. Keeping “money in the bank” instead of investing them. This of course is not a profitable solution because money in the bank equals “dead money”, just sitting there without giving any interest rates. The book sends a message of “ patience” to the world of finance. It is the only way to get back on track without risking to screw it up again as soon as we think we are safe.

The most important lessons to be learned reading this book is firstly the clever way of explaining to outsiders what went wrong in in the years before the recession. Secondly the explanation of why breaking up the Eurozone is not the way to go (using a scenario example). The last lesson is to live within our means. It will defiantly take time, but it will be well worth it.

Personally I think this is a book that should be read by everyone working/studying in the 21^st century of finance. It is key to shred light on the past, so that we can prevent it from happening in the future.

Book Review Developing happiness: A path to profits, passion, and purpose.

Seeing the title, it seems that this is a psychology book which talk about happiness. In my opinion, this book combined business and happiness appropriately. Tony Hsieh, the writer of the book is the CEO of Zappos, which is a online retailer that’s doing over $1 billion in gross merchandise sales annually and then was acquired by Amazon in a deal valued at over $1.2 billion. In Developing Happiness, Tony shares the different lessons he has learned in business and life. In fact, I am a relatively illusionist . I hope one day I can have a team like this: we can be very happy to get together, not only work easy but also very efficient. Paying more attention on teamwork and positive and harmonious working environment. However I did not know how can we apply the career of happiness to commercial activities. After reading this book, I realized that this team is real exist.

 

What is the encouraging about the book is that it certainly has value as a substantial text for a graduate course to 21^st centry students on public management or management innovation. From my point of view, there are three main points in this book. Firstly, people should have the ideas, dare to make and constantly tossing. I am aware of the person who like business most are seem to embodies with certain characteristics in their childhood, such as had a habit of doing business. The career of business on Tony from starting a worm farm to manufacturing photo buttons and then running a pizza business. Seeing the process of Tony from primary school to university, it seems no different with us , for example, play truant, cheat teachers and lazily stay at dormitory. But the biggest difference lies in the fact that he can see profitable point from things around him and put into action. Accumulating considerable experiences in this process and finally get a lot of profit.

 

Furthermore, take the customer as the center. To give our customers best service, establish a brand and a good reputation and a good corporate culture are all helpful to improve the core competitive advantages of company. The significant impetus of Zappos’ s growth is returned customers and reputation spread in order to enhance users’ experiences. After Tony talk about his funny and true story of himself, he use the majority of the chapters to introduce his enterprise Zappos and confirm why it successful. For instance, usually, after payment and if the customer choose standard free delivery, Zappos will help users upgrade to overnight delivery which make users to exclaim WOW! Moreover, customers can order three pairs of shoes at the same time, then try at home and delivery others they don’t like with free delivery. In addition, Zappos has ten core values, such as willingness to take risks, dare to innovation, developing ideas; proactive and continuous learning; establish an open and honest relationship through communication; full of passion and determination, etc. 

 

Finally, brought the happiness values, happiness will not reduce because of share. In this book, I realized that share happiness is an attitude to life. As Buddha said in the book ” Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”

 

After read this book, I think there are some main aspects for introduce to other readers to read. The writer has subversive view and reshaped corporate values. This is a work which impact enterprise values and has long-term impact of the entrepreneur, internet practitioners, scholars, professors and the value of the majority of college students. It is a unique irreplaceable originality wonderful experience, so become to the bestseller in the world.

 

In conclusion, this is a very encouraging and stimulating book, meanwhile, the content is also funny, true and useful. By reading this book, it developed some potential ideas and changed my concepts. I should create a whole career planning and make life much more colorful and meaningful.

Book summary-Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Other Die

 

At a part, what will you said make people remember? At a speech, how to let audiences impressiveness? The ideas have to be special or unbelievable. When you want to present your ideas, you might struggle with form of presenting or words that you use to present. But the reaction after presentation might unexpected. Moreover, if you don’t have much time, how the topic that you had said can let be remarkable? This book has six principles called SUCCESs- Simple, Unexpectedness, Concreteness, Credibility, Emotional, Stories. It could help you spread out the idea that could like tape stick on people mind.

 

Simple- Core + Compact = Simple. When you describe a thing just keep it simple. For example, like Southwest Airline. They find the core that could stick their brand on customer. Herb Kelleher is the CEO of Southwest. He uses “THE low-fare airline” to be their main idea. It is simple but it is sufficiently useful that compete others airline companies. Let’s take other example of a political campaign. Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign, he said the message”It’s the economy, stupid” on impromptu, because in 1992 the U.S. economy was mired in recession. So it is core of problem that needs to be solved by president. Therefore, it is easy to stick idea if it is a simple idea.

 

Unexpectedness- Surprise. People get attention by surprising. When we talk to people, we can’t make people pay attention. So how can we get others people attention, the basic way is this: Break a pattern. Humans adapt incredibly quickly to consistent pattern. Consistent sensory stimulation makes us tune out, such as we get used to traffic noise. So if the noise suddenly disappears we might be surprise. Karen Wood a flight attendant announced the safety announcement in her clever idea which let all of customers pay attention on her announcement. Also our brain is designed to be keenly aware of changes, so she just change the normal way of announcement. Moreover, catch people interest is also important. People are curiosity about their interest, for this reason it could attract people when you said something interesting.

 

Concreteness- It helps people to understand and remember. For example, when scientist teachers explain a physical change, they usually use experiment to help student understand. Or like In nursery, teacher use the image or real material to teach children. Abstraction makes it harder to understand an idea and to remember it. It also makes it harder to coordinate our activities with others, who may interpret the abstraction in very different ways. Concreteness helps us avoid these problems.

 

Credibility- Help people believe. We trust our family, friends, religious faith or our experiences. So we couldn’t force people to believe thing that you also doubt. It would seem that there’s nothing much we can do to affect belief, we merely have to look at naturally sticky ideas, because some of them persuade us to believe some incredible things. For example, some of medical company will hire doctor to prove their medicine is no health risk, so let people trust them. However, we are not always trust them, some of people will trust other customers who had used it. It might also be reliable. Consequently, some of company will give trial let you try it and believe it.

 

Emotional- Make people care. Humans have feeling. If the ideas can touch their heart, unaffectedly they will feel empathy. Take McDonald’s as an example. Restaurants where parents take their children have meal. So they have Ronald McDonald House Charities which build the house near hospital where let parent can take care their sick children more convenient. A lot parents will resonate with them. Therefore, it’s not about pushing people’s emotional buttons, like some kind of movie tearjerker. Rather, the goal of making message” emotional” is to make people care. Feeling inspire people to act.

 

Stories- Get people to act. We always heard others people stories of their life. It let us to think about our life. Or when we have same situation happen on us how can we fix it. Mental simulation is not good as actually doing something, but it’s the next best thing.

 

The reason why you should read this book is you can use theses six principles when you have few minute job interviews that could help you attract manager to hire you. Only said one of your merit which is most unique. Moreover, if you are marketing student, it can help you to create an amazing advertisement. Because the key point is the one or two minute advertising need to fascinate customers. In this you will read a lot of real stories that prove what the six principles are. Each one is connect together. Stick the idea was not so difficult if you use it probably. Let your ideas survive.

References

Heath, C. and Heath, D. (2008) Made to Stick: Why Some Idea Survive and Others Die. New York: Random House.

The Pathfinder How to Choose or Change your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success By Nicholas Lore

A brilliant work of a talented master – that is the first thought that might occur in reader’s mind. This book can impress by its singularity and deep understanding of people’s needs and even fears. It is undeniable that, many people do not get satisfaction and fulfillment from their job and this book would be a great opportunity to understand what they need to change in their lives and how, in order to realize their whole potential in their jobs. This book cannot be compared with other similar works on a related topic, because it is written in an extremely different way. It is full of questions, where the author allows and induces the reader to ask these questions to himself. ‘Who am I?’ ‘How can I be useful, of what service can I be? There is something inside me, what can it be?’

This book is considered to be a significant for the modern environment of managers, leaders or even designers because it will help the reader to find a perfect profession and fulfill his needs and expectations. The Pathfinder will be a guide through people’s career choices. It will made you to look into your childhood reminiscences and realize who you really are, who you wanted to be when you were a small kid and how can you make your wishes come true.

Moreover, the author inclines you to self-analysis that will help to find a career suitable for you, but it is very important to follow all the instructions, make sure that you use this book as a guide to find your passion and fulfill your needs.   

Managers, leaders, professionals – all these people are faced with making decisions every day. Sometimes, we stuck and we cannot make a decision fast, but leaders and managers are required to be in decision-making. The Pathfinder includes some methods used by men in making their decisions.  This is considered to be an extremely useful for managers, leaders and organisations.   

The author of the book puts forward quite an interesting model of designing your future career. At the center of this model is the concept of your personality type. Matching your personality with your career is the essential part of the model. The author provides 16 basic human personality types using Myers-Briggs personality type indicator to define the type of temperament. Other personality traits should also be evaluated after defining the type of temperament.  All the specifications that you got from the evaluation of temperament and personal traits are then can be complemented by the evaluation of your innate talents that is the next stage of career designing. The whole process of evaluation is based on the special frameworks developed by the author. Defining meaning of your work and the purpose you want to achieve is the third stage of the model of designing your future career. The final stage of the model for designing your future career is the concept of evaluating the value that you have and rewards that you can get from these values. The author provides values checklist that can help the reader to identify a particular set of values that he has. The reader should match the values and the rewards he gets from these values. The next stage is to determine the functions that best suit you on the basis of the list of functional groupings provided by the author and think about your workplace environments and ecosystem. After going through all these stages of this sophisticated and complex model you are able to outline your personal specifications. These specifications will help you to define your type of career on the basis of the list of eight great careers provided by the author. The best thing is that the author provides a clear description of each stage of the process and encourages the reader not to stop, but follow all the frameworks carefully in order to help the reader to make a proper final decision.

Thus, this book can be quite useful both for people who are in the beginning of their career and for those who has already achieved something in the career, but do not want to stop to develop themselves. 

Student Number: 100031175

Book Review: Wikinomics – How Mass Collaboration Changes Everthing.

Wikinomics is a bestselling book about collaborative innovation. Based on a nine million dollars research, Don Tapscott and Anthony William illustrate for us that people connected through the Internet now could exert a remarkable effect on a wide range of aspects of social and economic developments. In order to become successful in contemporary society, companies have to think about not only the strategies to win their competitors, but also the approaches how to take full advantages of the collective intelligence.
In the book, the authors comment both the emerging rapid growing corporations, like MySpace, InnoCentive, Flickr, Second Life, YouTube and others, and the old established enterprises, for example Boeing, BMW and Procter & Gamble. They all become thriving or more profitable as a result of grasping the core competitive advantages nowadays – mass collaboration.
The author also emphasises that Wikinomics is more than ‘user-generated media’ like Wikipedia, or ‘social networking’ like Facebook. Rather, it is even related with more deeply rooted entrepreneur thinking and organisational structure. There are four significant principles of Wikinomics as summarised by writers, that is ‘Being Open’, ‘Peering’, ‘Sharing’ and ‘Acting Globally’ (Tapscott and Williams, 2007).
So, Wikinomics generally, as far as I can concerned , can be understood as creating social and economic values through cooperating with the mass. For instance, Procter & Gamble builds an innovation network with massive external experts. It has helped Procter & Gamble develop more new products than before, and moreover cut the fixed costs (Tapscott and Williams, 2007).
Another concept attracting me is Peer Production. Unlike before that company is restricted by the boundary, the more completed Information Technology make it possible that regular people can share resources and knowledge rapidly. A firm can accelerate their speed of innovation through sharing, collaborating and peering. This brand new business model is called Peer Production. Canadian gold mining group ‘Goldcorp’ is a good example who utilise peer production to earn huge amount of profits (Tapscott and Williams, 2007). They posted the holistic geographic information online and collected the suggestions about locations of gold mines, whoever provides the correct information will be give a certain amount of cash prize. Afterwards, Goldcorp received hundreds of effective location information and help them find billion-worth gold mines.
Prosumer is another interesting thoughts manifested in this book. Prosumers, or also called ‘Lead Users’, is crucial for a firm since they always have the capability of modifying the drawbacks, and recreating more customised products (Tapscott and Williams, 2007).  There are two main approaches making prosumers take part in the process of innovating. One is that customers themselves build prosumer community and another is companies are trying to search for those lead users to absorb them in the development of new products. In terms of making full use of the value of prosumers, authors believes Lego might be the best example. Lego regards their young consumers as their best design team and renders their products meet customers’ needs exactly. It also become the main reason why Lego could sustain its competitive advantage for so long time.
Besides, there are more other attractive concepts mentioned by authors, such as Ideagoras,  the New Alexandrians and the Global Plant Floor. What the common characteristic they possess is thinking out of the box in a new vibrant century, ushering the crowd wisdom to create wealth for ourselves and others.
However, there is no doubt that you have to tackle barriers and dilemmas whatever and however you desire to create something. Those stubborn and conservative people might discriminate against your new creation because of their limitation of vision; those firms with vested interest would prevent you from being successful for your success may become their threat. Whilst, all of this difficulties are just temporary, and the historic tendency will eliminate those lagger and leave those visionary.
To sum up, this book exhibits for us the increasing number of collaborative minds is changing the original paradigms of the world. Furthermore, it also creates more opportunities for those prepared entrepreneurs to establish their own empire. Wikinomics brings us a vibrant, exciting and collaborated new world with infinite possibilities.

Reference:
Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams (2007). Wikinomics – How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything. London: Atlantic Books.

summary – the unthorised guide to doing business the Jamie Oliver

Summary:

 

Jamie Oliver was born in May 1975 in Clavering, Essex. He is a British chef, restaurateur and media personality. And also, he is one of the best known faces on British television for his food – focused television shows, cookbooks and passionate food campaign.

In terms of structure the first part of book covers the life and times of Jamie Oliver. In the early life, Oliver had talent in cooking. At age of eight he worked in the pub’s kitchen and graduated from chopping vegetables to serving table and cooking. His first job after leaving school was in the kitchen of Neal street restaurant as a pastry chef. And then he joined the River Cafe in West London where he worked as a sous chef. Before became famous, he got many experience from his jobs. Almost of British has watched episodes of Oliver series. For example, many households have one or more his best – selling cookery books, many people depend on his TV shows to represent a handy Christmas present for their wife, husband, and girlfriend. Oliver built his reputation by passion and sense mission. He operated a restaurant to train unemployed teenagers. Cabinet ministers invested more in school meals after be persuaded by him. It is not only that, Oliver is proved himself as a businessman. He established a brand that could be used to sell products and service on the back of his name and reputation. He also employs a lot of people across his TV production Company, holding company, restaurants and stores. The success of his brand based on his communication skills, his passion and giving for audiences trusted TV shows.

The second strand in the story is focused on how Jamie Oliver achieved the success. This part covers across ten chapters, each of which is a good experience from success of Oliver. the first learning is be yourself, but more so. The success of Oliver business was based on his own personality. He is confident, and good at communication that can help him created a marketable brand. Firstly, he got a lucky break when he was an appearance on a TV documentary. Secondly, Oliver got the formula right. He created a TV series with himself style. Furthermore, he played him strengths which is his lifestyle – that of a young ambitious Londoner. And also, Oliver’s personality and brand have changes over time but it has been evolution rather than revolution. Moreover, he gave substance to the brand by playing the real and he stay in the public eye broadened his appeal.

This book also gives the learning about how Oliver extended his brand. The public like and trust the character they watch on TV. Oliver built his brand based on his reputation. The lessons are taking control of your affairs, build business around the values people associate, stick to your knitting, partner with others, plan for the future, and ride the lifestyle wave. Oliver indicated that he was a man who sought to control his own destination. His expertise is focused on food and cooking. And also he hired talented people to run and work for his company.

In addition, this book outlined other lessons about the success of Jamie Oliver to create his own brand. They are building a brand on what you are good at. Oliver has succeeded in creating a multi faceted business while continuing to focus on the subject that he knows best that is food and cooking. Remembering the social dimension is a good lesson from this book about Jamie Oliver. His campaigns and socially aware business ventures while also keeping him well and truly in the public eye.

Following the building a brand are lessons about become the face of a supermarket, deal with adversity, go international, protect brand, be controversial, and be bold. For example, in the lesson about ‘deal with adversity’, Oliver has had to deal with his fair share of criticism and setbacks. It is important that he has done with energy, imagination and a willingness to try out new idea.

Finally, this book gives audience the tips which sum up to help do business as the same Jamie way.

Comment:

 This book is a real story with a real person – Jamie Oliver. It is one of the few books on celebrity personal brands. It is especially relevant for the small business owner, certainly more so than for those who in a corporate career, although they would still get plenty of insight and enjoy the read.

This book is really open my eyes to the fact that defining, developing and continuing to work on personal brand. I would have to disagree with the author when he talks about Oliver’s brand being born at some point – what was really happening was that he had finally defined what it was and started to realise what he could do with it.

Executive Book Club Summary-si chen

Change Your Life! A Little Book of Big Ideas was written by Allen Klein, who provided us his favorite and most inspiring and encouraging sayings selected from the world.
This book was strongly recommended by Jack Canfield, co-creator of the best-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Jack said in the foreword of the book that not until after reading this book, did he realize that the simplest words can make a major difference in how people interpret and interact with their world. Different with other similar books, the author managed to organize these sayings into chapters that cover our all stages of life. Specifically, it started with telling us that actions speak louder than words, followed by some circumstances that you may confront in your actions. For example, when processing, you should have confidence in what you have chosen to do, holding a dream and stick to it. And you should be equipped with hope and patience in order to deal with the change and even failures. There have some examples in the introduction part present us how this book changed people`s attitude and life.
As the author had said in his book, somewhere in this book there are probably some wise words that call out to you. It doesn`t matter how you read this book, by sequent or skim, it is ok as long as you use it. Take myself as an example, reading through the book orderly, I picked up some useful sayings for business and self-development and shared them below.
“It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness”, said by Christopher Society. There are situations when the environment is not that good as you wish in doing work or business, the only solution is to act and do what you can doto improve this situation. According to Charles Hummel, “the past cannot be regained, although we can learn from it; the future is not yet ours even though we must plan for it….Time is now. We have only today.” Furthermore, it is said that the tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it. So why don`t we act now? In addition to this, we have to enrich ourselves all the time by learning, experiencing and self-examining. I am agree with Bumper Sticker`s point that growing old is mandatory while growing up is optional. You can never gains wisdom if you don`t act and experience, even though the results may turn out to be a failure. It is said by Confucius that our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. “We are the choices we make”, said by Meryl Streep. You can either choose to receive the challenges and opportunities and then become stronger or just be frustrated by the poor outcome. Peter Marshall reminds us that we should not be content to wait and see what will happen, but have the determination to make the right things happen. “Success consists of getting up just one more time than you fall”, said Oliver Goldsmith. So every step will finally leads to success, as long as you keep going, and the potential wrong action will just be temporary. As we doing business or work, it is helpful to always have a hope. Some people believe that hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible. Robert H. Goddard hold the idea that it is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow. Finally, I also learned from the book that for everything you have missed, you have gained something else; and for everything you gain, you lose something, which is said by Ralph Waldo Emerson. So let`s enjoy now and appreciate what you have.

Book summary: Review of the Dream Society

Introduction
The human society has developed for nearly thousands of years. During these periods, the human society met four stages which were the Hunter-Gatherer society, Agricultural society, Industrial society and Information society. In the modern society, information plays a significant role in our lives, for example the invention of internet. However, the human society is developing. Our lives would be leap to another environment that people can meet their need there. This essay will expound the opinions of Rolf Jensen in his book which call “The Dream Society” and state my viewpoints of it.
The core messages of the book
In Rolf Jensen’s book, it predict that the information society we are living will not last for a long time and it would be replaced by a society relate all our lives to the driver of dream, adventure, spirituality and feeling. All our behaviors included leisure lives, companies’ behaviors, products are given a story that connects to personal emotion and meanwhile technology is prevalently applied to our daily lives instead of human resource. It is the way that storytelling can hit people’s hearts. A striking example, Nike, has already become this kind of business. It sell products by tell customers the special experience, not just focus on selling the products. The kinds of businesses will create their values sharply as “storytellers”. Another experience was listed in the book that you would see an unbelievable characteristic that all the services are provided by robots in restaurants. Robots cooking in the kitchen, promoting in front of the door, serving customers at the table will be popular and common. So in the dream society, all the behaviors would be focused on people’s emotion and the outstanding technologies.
Rolf Jensen described that two key trends will exist in the future dream society. The first one is “the automation of information task”. Automation will exist everywhere and use for most of tasks. Individual simple jobs such as typing letters, entering data will be allocated to the machines like computers. Machines can hear and read. A wide range of traditional tasks are operated by machines while human resource only plays the core job which is supervising the machines. The second trend is “the commercialization of emotion”. Customers like the products exceed their needs. They tend to buy the products not only meet their material needs but also the spiritual needs. They prefer the products which can provide them special experience and the condition which can release their feeling and emotion inside and move them. Emotion becomes a key value of businesses. For example, they buy free-range eggs is not because of the quality of the eggs, but the free lifestyle of the hens. Felling is regarded as addition value and it shows the people’s attitude of life.
The value of the book
Based on the core trends forecasted in the book, humanity can be guided to the correct direction. Human behaviors, include companies, managers, leaders, professionals and so on, might be encouraged to change gradually in the future. Take organization as an example, it is no doubt that organizations will transfer themselves from traditional businesses to innovative trading that is attracting clients to enjoy the experiences of their products. An amazing character of human thought is that they will imitate and follow the information they have ever met. As a result, by following the trends illustrated in the book, all the roles in the modern society will be unconsciously influenced because there have already a dream society in their mind. Actually, it is significant important and helpful for the development of our society.

Individual viewpoints
As far as I am concern, Rolf Jensen’s dream society is a trend in the future and it will appear at last. It is the common dream of human being. In this situation, the world will harmonious and there will be no war and beneficial conflicts in the world. The world will operate like a country that is united. Everything humanity like is emotional more than material and they enjoy themselves in the dream society because that is the faith of humanity. However, time would be the key problem. Rolf Jensen noted that the dream will come in the next several decades while it is a kind of visional situation in my mind. It is no doubt that it is the common dream of humanity. Nevertheless, lots of problems are appearing in the existing society. Our world is separating into a set of parts and different beneficial conflicts around them. This should be the most serious problem of the dream society. Anyhow, it will be our dream and faith all the time.