Reading List
-
Master Handbook of Acoustics
Master Handbook of Acoustics by F. Alton Everest
When I started at Bose, I figured I should learn the basics. What better way than to read the book? This is one of the most popular text books on acoustics, and I have to admit I found it fascinating. It does delve into the math occasionally, but the vast majority of the book is actually quite readable. If you’re going into the acoustics field as a designer, or even if you’ve just got a passing interest in the way sound works, this is a great way to learn.
06/21/2008
Posted in Reading List.
-
Tough Choices
Tough Choices: A Memoir by Carly Fiorina
I remember seeing Carly speak in one of her annual big-screen global conference meetings when I interned at HP in Houston. I was impressed with her. When the HP scandals erupted that resulted in her ousting, I was both disappointed and very curious about the circumstances of the firing. This book recalls her climb to fame and fortune as the “world’s most powerful woman,” and while self-glorifying in a somewhat overt way, it’s also candid and honest. It is an excellent–and likely accurate–representation of the upper-eschelons of the business world, and I highly recommend it. She is sharp, witty, and interesting, if a bit self-absorbed. I learned a lot about real leadership from this book.
06/21/2008
Posted in Reading List.
-
Strength to Love
Strength to Love by Martin Luther, Jr. King
A collection of sermons by the late MLK Jr., and an excellent window into the atmosphere during the civil rights movement in the south. Insightful, subtle, eloquent, and powerful.
06/21/2008
Posted in Reading List.
-
God, Freedom, and Evil
God, Freedom, and Evil by Alvin Plantinga
This book will put your logical faculties to the test. If you’ve ever wondered if it’s logically possible for a “good” God to exist in the midst of a world containing “evil”–and you’ve got a penchant for the mathematical and a good logical workout–this book is for you. It’s short, but it will take weeks to read it with any comprehension whatsoever. Slow and hard as the slog is, it’s well worth the work if you are the kind of person who likes to dig deep.
06/21/2008
Posted in Reading List.
-
Leadership On The Line
Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive Through the Dangers of Leading by Martin Linsky and Ronald A. Heifet
My wife took a class at Harvard with one of the authors of this book, and subsequently had me read it. It’s full of wisdom for leaders and would-be leaders. It gets a bit frilly toward the end, but a useful read none-the-less.
06/21/2008
Posted in Reading List.
-
The Evolution of Useful Things
The Evolution of Useful Things: How Everyday Artifacts-From Forks and Pins to Paper Clips and Zippers-Came to be as They are; by Henry Petroski
A very fun collection of historical novelties. A fast read, with lots of interesting tid-bits. What it lacks in depth it makes up for in the sheer number of “aha!” factoids. I don’t get the impression that it’s very well researched, but worth a quick read.
06/21/2008
Posted in Reading List.