Recent Reads Max Effgen, March 5, 2009 Three recent business books that I have read, enjoyed and recommend. The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google by Nicholas Carr Summary: Carr argues that computing, no longer personal, is going the way of a power utility. Why I liked it: The historical perspective matches the current cloud computing trend. Nice parallels, but later chapters are lacking in determine what is next. Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool’s Guide to Surviving with Grace by Gordon MacKenzie Summary: Useful anecdotes about creativity and the creative process in a corporate setting. Why I liked it: Great stories and vignettes. Enjoyed the pyramids and plum tree organizational structure idea. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t by Jim Collins Summary: Offers a well-reasoned road map to excellence through examples of 11 companies that made the transition. Why I liked it: Preaches simplicity and discipline for a corporate vision (or hedgehog concept). Read on. thoughts Add new tagbooksreadsrecommendthoughts