One of the good „for Dummies“ books. It gives an overview of the most relevant items concerning quality management. Complete integrated systems such as Total Quality Management and Six Sigma are included as well as more mundane methods such as Continuous Improvement, Quality Circles, Zero Defect Programs etc. An excellent introduction and a comprehensive summary to the wide field of Quality…
one of the fastest thrillers about the future of the Internet and a classic of the cyberpunk literature. A story full of virtual worlds, hackers and whatever you can imagine. Written in 1992, it is absolutely amazing how much Neal Stephenson was able to foresee the future development of the Internet and its virtual worlds … or did he create this future..? Quantum Mechanics all the way… Even though, we are not yet as far as he imagined. Immerse yourself and then have a look at Second Life or any other of the virtual worlds available now…
This is one of the books of the „Peaceful Warrior Saga”. At least the first books of the series belong to the better ones of this genre of literature. Especially the first book “Way of the Peaceful Warrior” was a major, valuable contribution to a whole flood of works of very mixed quality. In all of his books Dan Millman’s major concern is how to integrate spirituality into one’s daily life. It is about the meaning of life, written and explained in an easy way.
In Everyday Enlightenment, 12 gateways to human potential are described in 12 chapters. Certainly, when reading this book you will find the one or other idea interesting, perhaps helpful, maybe even enlightening.
written in 1991, this book has a few amazing insights and forecasts to the situation nowadays. The story is about a highly indebted United States, a resurging Russia and a space faring European Union. Russia is joining the European Union, imagine that and all the consequences. It is science fiction, high-tech thriller and political novel at the same time. Certainly a good read!
A thriller based in Northern Ireland, of course, has to contain all the ingredients of religious fanatics and other extremism. This time, however, alienation goes one step further than usual. Real aliens from outer space have been settled in Northern Ireland. Humans and aliens have to live together, somehow. Very rarely only, it is possible to find such an unsettling description of a real alien culture to such a detailed and profound degree. A fascinating story of interaction of really strange people is unfolded. Far out indeed.
Finally someone who asks dangerous, crazy, stupid… questions and gives profound answers based on scientific research and statistical data. These questions range from the simple to rather complex items such as: “why drug dealers live with their mothers?” “Are swimmingpools more dangerous than guns?” “Is Sumo a corrupt sport?” “Are teachers cheating?” And, and, and. Questions which for some border the outrageous and for others get beyond decency. And still they are worth looking at, especially for the sometimes unexpected and surprising answers. Certainly worth reading and thinking about!!!
A story in an alternative or parallel universe unfolding during the time of Babbage the designer of the first real digital computer (around 1850 our time) and Ada Byron the genius lady programmer. Here the world has gone in another direction using the inventions of Babbage and others in this area. So the ecological catastrophe is already happening there and then. Using the style of Ulysses by James Joice the authors describe a world of climate change in London which we may just be around the corner.
Although at the end less satisfactorily then it might have been, overall it was still an interesting glimpse into a past future or is it future past or …?
Almost 500 pages of analysis and comment on “Organization” ranging from organization as machine, via organization as organism/brain/culture/political system, psychic prison/flux and transformation to organization as instrument of domination. Normally, I would think: what a punishment having to read such a works, or at the least boring! And then all this stuff is suddenly highly readable, interesting, occasionally fascinating and revealing when personal experience is touched. In 8 chapters 8 grand theories are presented of how organizations work with their strengths and their weaknesses and conclusions for daily work.
This a book synthesizing new brain research with communication theory. It helps to understand how our brain works, specifically in relation to motivation (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the consequences are wrong is one of the conclusions), marketing and management. It emphasizes the importance of the limbic part of the brain, the reptile brain, for coming to decisions. There it is stated how the so-called intellectual process of making a decision functions. Or better, how we find an explanation and logical reasoning for a decision made by our gut feeling/intuition/limbic brain, whatever you may call it.
Then it goes on into showing how this knowledge can be applied to all kinds of management tasks and everyday life. Well worth readíng.
Gerry Spence was said to be America’s lawyer number one. In this bestseller, he shows how he was able not to lose a single lawsuit within 30 years, including probably the most high-profile case of Karen Silkwood against the nuclear energy company Kerr-McGee (filmed with Merryl Streep).
He is able to generalise his experience and his methods from court hearings to day-to-day negotiations. His respect of others is his main tool. To listen first is his priority.
What I found most convincing is that he doesn’t need “to defeat an opponent because a defeat for the other is also a defeat for oneself. It seems that this is a manager’s celebrated win-win philosophy, transplanted into court. Very readable.