Wildchicken: Lists

Book List: Select Reading 2007

Mon, 07 May 2007 01:29:23 GMT

Select Reading 2007

Rodd Wagner, James K. Harter: 12: The Elements of Great Managing
A follow up to First, Break All the Rules. I found myself avoiding sleep on the plane to keep on reading this. Great insights based on exhaustive amounts of data gathered by the Gallup organization. Worth reading for managers or those who want to be.
George Orwell: 1984
OK, I admit it, I never finished this book when I was a kid. However I don't know if I would have appreciated it as much 20 years ago. It's awesome, scary, and downright bone-chilling, especially when I think of North Korea these days...
Steven Pressfield: Gates of Fire
I'm a sucker for well-told history and historical fiction, and this one doesn't disappoint. The battle of Thermopylae, the Hot Gates, as told by a surviving Greek to the Persians. Yeah, it's 300 all over again, but it's a great read.
Mary Roach: Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife
Light reading, and likely enjoyable for those interested in aspects of the human condition, in this case the fascination with life after death, told with a humorous, conversational style of writing. Not a lot of hard science, but thought-provoking anyway.
Robert Greene: The 48 Laws of Power
I feel almost dirty even admitting to reading this book, but if you've ever been compelled to read Machiavelli's classic, this is right up your alley. Some "laws" can be downright evil while some provide great insights illustrated with historical examples.
John Maeda: The Laws of Simplicity (Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life)
The pursuit of simplicity is one of the hardest in product development and design, and this book gamely tackles the subject. The author is an accomplished designer and makes some great points/observations, but it may be a little too simplistic for some.
Cormac McCarthy: The Road
So I found out about this book from Oprah. And you know what? I'm glad I did. An amazing and powerful story about a father and a son and their complex relationship in a bleak, post-apocalyptic world. Pick it up - you'll be glad you did.
Charles Fishman: The Wal-Mart Effect: How the World's Most Powerful Company Really Works--and How It's Transforming the American Economy
Great insight into the most amazing corporate retail entity ever to do business and how it affects us all, regardless of whether we shop there or how we feel about it.
J. Edward Russo, Paul J.H. Shoemaker: Winning Decision
A great juxtaposition of Malcolm Gladwell's Blink, as it talks about the process of decision making as opposed to the intuitive aspects of it. Great way to understand the process so we can learn to make better decisions in our own lives.

Blog list: Links

Sun, 18 Feb 2007 02:29:54 GMT

Links

Custom List: Blogmarks

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 10:06:43 GMT

Blogmarks

Book List: Selected Reading 2006

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 09:59:12 GMT

Selected Reading 2006

George R. R. Martin: A Feast for Crows
Book four of A Song of Fire and Ice. The first three were among the best fantasy novels I've read. If you're invested in the characters you would enjoy the read, but only half of the characters get their story told here. A great series - try the first one.
Dan Brown: Angels & Demons
Fun read - blasted through it over a camping weekend. Reads like a movie. Reminded me of Grisham or Crichton. Especially enjoyed the interweaving of real art and architecture into the fiction. I'm just a couple years behind everyone else, apparently.
Malcolm Gladwell: Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
Picked this up in the airport on the way out, and finished it at 30k feet a few hours later. Fascinating read on how the conscious and subsconscious mind perceives the world and how we make decisions based on those perceptions.
William McDonough: Cradle to Cradle
Amazing book. From the second you pick it up, it challenges your ideas of responsible design. They make a strong case for going beyond sustainability and putting eco-effectiveness into practice. If you are at all interested in the subject, read this book.
Steven Johnson: Emergence
If you've got an interest in video games, computing, media, or how ants and people think and behave, pick this book up.
Steven Johnson: Everything Bad is Good For You
Really enjoyed this one. He did a great job of articulating the arguments surrounding the demonizing of video games. Solid discussion about media consumption, its history, and the psychology behind it.
R. J. Boland: Managing as Designing
(In progress) A collection of essays about the growing relevance of design in the management and leadership of organizations. Interesting but not the easiest to read - don't do it when sleepy. Misplaced this when I moved, and just recently found it again.
Marjane Satrapi: Persepolis
Started off kind of funny, but gradually became more tragic as you got to the end. Great insight into the changes that happened in Iran from someone on the inside as it turned from a secular to a fundamentalist state.
Bob Woodward: State of Denial: Bush at War, Part III
This is from a respected journalist not known for partisanship. I think that it will be maddening and infuriating no matter what your political leanings are.
Henry Petroski: Success Through Failure
(In progress) The first title in the new MS UI designers' book club reading list. It's not bad, but it could do better in terms of connecting its arguments with more direct examples.
Doris Kearns Goodwin: Team of Rivals
Fascinating look at Lincoln's life, his character, and his rivals for the presidency (who later became his cabinet and closest friends). Truly amazing and inspiring. The contrast with our current president is alarming.
Bill Watterson: The Complete Calvin and Hobbes
(In progress) Bought this for myself last year, and I simply have to read it from time to time. Perfect coffee table book. Really interesting to see the evolution of the strip over time. I miss seeing this in the paper on a daily basis.
Dan Brown: The Da Vinci Code
Picked this up after Angels & Demons. Exactly the same vein as that one, but a little more polished writing. Fun read again, but I haven't seen the movie.
Bill Stumpf: The Ice Palace that Melted Away
Very refreshing read about one designer's thoughts on design's role and responsibility. A very optimistic view of the world, and challenges us all to consider civility and respect more in our daily lives.
Steven Pinker: The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language
(In progress) I'm only about 40 pages in and I'm already fascinated. If you have any curiosity or interest in how language and the human brain develops, read this.
Dietrich Dorner: The Logic of Failure
Entertaining analysis of human failure and the psychological process and reasons why people are prone to committing them. The game-like computer simulations are fascinating.
Thomas Kelley: The Ten Faces of Innovation
Very inspiring and challenging for anyone involved in designing user experiences. IDEO is well-respected for both what they design and how they design. Interesting descriptions of different innovator archetypes with some great specific examples.

Custom List: Xbox 360 Tips

Wed, 23 Aug 2006 21:47:34 GMT

Xbox 360 Tips

Navigating the Virtual Keyboard
Use the button shortcuts to use the Virtual Keyboard quickly and efficiently. For example, Y button = Spacebar, Start button = Done. The keyboard interface shows all possible shortcuts.
Quick Scrolling Through Long Lists
In long lists like your Friends or music, you can use the triggers to scroll quickly through them. Left Trigger (LT) is page up, Right Trigger (RT) is page down.
Console Ring of Light (ROL)
The ROL on the front of the console maps to the controllers currently connected. Controller 1 will always be top-left light on the console ROL even if you change the orientation from horizontal to vertical. Don't do this with a disc in the tray!
Flip Quickly Through Blades or Tabs
While you're in the top-level of the Dashboard, you can use the Left and Right Bumpers (LB & RB) to flip left and right through the Xbox Live, Games, Media, and System blades. You can also do this to flip between Messages, Friends, and Players.
Turn Off Your Console or Controller
While doing anything with your Xbox 360, press and hold the Guide button (the big round silver button in the center of the controller) for over 3 seconds. A message will appear giving you options to turn off your console or wireless controller.
Use a USB Keyboard
For processes that require text entry, you can plug in a USB keyboard to the console and type with that whenever the Virtual Keyboard pops up. The entire Xbox Live sign-up process can be done completely with a connected keyboard.