Comments on: Reviewing books I haven’t read as yet: Part 2

By: Darren Barrener

Darren Barrener — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 21:53:10 +0000

Thanks for this list JP. Being slightly behind my relaxing Christmas reading will consist of three other recommendations I picked up from you recently. These are Driven: How Human Nature Shapes Our Choices by Paul R. Lawrence & Nitin Nohria, The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century by Thomas L. Friedman and finally The Innovator’s Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book that Will Change the Way You Do Business by Clayton M. Christensen.

Will keep a note of this list for my next rest!

Thanks

By: JP

JP — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 10:14:31 +0000

:-) interesting observation. I never did like “reading lists”, whether at school or at university. I would cherry-pick what I wanted out of the list and play chicken with the examiners. While I love reading, I just could not be forced to read a book.

There are many things that are wrong with my approach, particularly as it has now infected every type of reading I do, including web-based, powerpoint and word. I am far too selective, I get put off by writing styles, I fail to achieve my goal of “filter on the way out, not the way in”.

But there is one good thing: I never think of reading as a chore.

By: Dominic Sayers

Dominic Sayers — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 09:54:31 +0000

Well, you’ve taken a more book-by-book approach to your reading list whereas I’ve attempted to group mine by major categories

I think your way conveys more of the pleasant anticipation of a book unread, whereas mine makes it look like a chore, a list to plough through.

There’s no overlap between our lists – maybe when I’ve got through all the books I should have read then I can turn to books I personally want to read and it will be a more meaningful comparison.

By: JP

JP — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 00:01:53 +0000

Thanks for the observations, Chris. I am fascinated by the issue, and, like you, believe that it is already getting more and more demanding.

By: Chris Messina

Chris Messina — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 23:56:48 +0000

I’ve made a bit of progress on Brin’s Transparent Society and highly recommend it. Some of the issues are blasÃ© now, but were obviously pretty forward looking during the time of writing.

This stuff is only going to get more urgent, and I really don’t think we have yet discovered the words or means of expressing what’s coming â€” and how to best prepare people for literal total information awareness….