Non-Fiction Pick of the Week: Made to Stick

Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath 2007

Why do some ideas thrive and others die? This is the question posed by brothers Chip and Dan Heath. In researching this question, the authors have come up with 6 principles that are foundational for making ideas memorable. From education to business to non-profit, this book is a must-read for those hoping to make a big impact with their ideas and plans. Communication can involve anything from a simple memo to an advertising campaign – and we all want the ideas involved to remain with people afterward. This quick-paced, insightful read is guaranteed to give the reader something to think about and challenge them to make their ideas stick.

Read-Alike: The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Non-Fiction Pick of the Week: The Value of Nothing

The Value of Nothing by Raj Patel 2009

For the last 30 or 40 years, we have been given the message that the free market economy with constantly expanding consumption is the only way to go. Wealth will grow and the forces of the market will ensure equitable distribution of resources and income and any government interference only disrupts this natural process. This has guided politicians both in Canada and the United States, and, to a lesser extent, in Europe and Asia. The consequences of this philosophy are as follows: global warming, a vast gulf between the few rich and the many poor, and finally, the economic meltdown in the fall of 2008.

In his book The Value of Nothing, Raj Patel shows that the free market economy is not the only one. For one thing, the market does not reflect the true costs of goods. When social and ecological costs are taken into account, a $2.00 hamburger’s true cost is closer to $400.00! He traces economic thought from Adam Smith to present times, noting that some of the assumptions have been proven to be wrong by actual events. He speaks of some grassroots organizations such as the Via Campesina that use a different economic model with results that are kinder to Mother Earth and her inhabitants.

His message is summed up in the following quote:

“What needs to be plucked out of the markets is the perpetual and overriding hunger for expansion and profit that has brought us to the brink of ecological catastrophe ; what needs to plucked out of us is the belief that markets are the only way to value our world.”

Non-Fiction Pick of the Week: Networking for People who Hate Networking

Networking for People Who Hate Networking: A Field Guide for Introverts, the Overwhelmed, and the Underconnected by Devora Zack 2010

The author’s light, humorous and chatty style of writing makes reading this book a pleasure, but it in no way detracts from the wisdom and insights she offers. For example, “ You do not succeed by denying your natural temperament; you succeed by working with your strengths…” and “You can learn to work with, rather than fight against, your lovable introverted , overwhelmed, and / or underconnected self….liabilities are now your finest strengths.” Interested? If the phrase “working a room” makes you break out into a cold sweat, then this book is for you and the thousands of others whose work requires them to forge meaningful connections.

Non-Fiction Pick of the Week: The Mind Field

A Canadian work of non-fiction in honour of Canada Day!


The Mind Field: What’s Missing in Running our Organizations by Tom Tavares, Ph.D. 2009
Canadian author Dr. Tom Tavares is a consultant for organizations undergoing significant change and challenges. He has written for the Globe and Mail and the HR Reporter. In his book, The Mind Field, he distills information he has gathered for over three decades to show how traditional management approaches fail to deliver a fictional company, ACT Inc. from poor employee morale and declining organizational productivity. Written in an engaging, conversational style, Tom Tavares demonstrates the psychological dimension in organizations that is often overlooked or improperly relegated as a touchy feely Human Resource problem. In fact, poor morale and loss of management credibility pose just as serious business risks for companies as does outside competition and economic downturns. Acknowledging that it is the day-to-day behaviour and internal communication in organizations that needs to change is the first step toward improving good will and managing change.

Non-Fiction Pick of the Week: The Mind Field

The Mind Field: What’s Missing in Running our Organizations by Tom Tavares, Ph.D. 2009

Canadian author Dr. Tom Tavares is a consultant for organizations undergoing significant change and challenges. He has written for the Globe and Mail and the HR Reporter. In his book, The Mind Field, he distills information he has gathered for over three decades to show how traditional management approaches fail to deliver a fictional company, ACT Inc. from poor employee morale and declining organizational productivity. Written in an engaging, conversational style, Tom Tavares demonstrates the psychological dimension in organizations that is often overlooked or improperly relegated as a touchy feely Human Resource problem. In fact, poor morale and loss of management credibility pose just as serious business risks for companies as does outside competition and economic downturns. Acknowledging that it is the day-to-day behavior and internal communication in organizations that need to change is the first step toward improving good will and managing change.