My Bookshelf

Some of the books I've read recently that had an impact on my thinking, research and teaching:


		Social Capital: Theory and Research (2001) By: Nan Lin, Karen Cook and Ron Burt (editors) Aldine De Gruyter; ISBN: 0202306445 This edited book provides basics about social capital – how to build it, how to measure it, and what it means. Different chapters focus on particular applications of social capital – staffing practices, how it affects career entry, and some cross-cultural examples.

		The Analogical Mind (2001) By Dedre Gentner, Keith Holyoak, and Boicho Kokinov (editors) MIT Press; ISBN: 0262571390 This edited book provides cutting-edge theoretical treatments of analogical reasoning. Several treatments of analogies are included, such as emotional analogies, math word problems, and it is suggested that analogy is the core of all human cognition.

		Co-opetition (1996) by Adam M. Brandenburger, Barry J. Nalebuff, Ada Brandenberger Doubleday; ISBN: 0385479506 Provides a language, as well as set of strategies for dealing with situations, both inside and outside the firm, when people’s interests aren’t perfectly aligned. Shows the manager that he/she does not always have to choose between cooperation and competition.

		The Winner-Take-All Society (1996) by Robert H. Frank, Philip J. Cook Penguin USA (Paper); ISBN: 0140259953 Provides a compelling analysis for the increase in competition among many markets, and what this means for people, groups, companies, and industries.

		First, Break All the Rules (1999) by Marcus Buckingham, Curt Coffman Simon & Schuster; ISBN: 0684852861 This book has done the right research and has revealed, among other things, key reasons why people leave their jobs. This book makes the wonderful point that the thing most people care about is the relationships they have with people in their company. This book is about the art of being a great manager on a people-skills level.

		Winning the Talent Wars (2001) by Bruce Tulgan W.W. Norton & Company; ISBN: 0393019586 Also asks the fundamental question, of what does it take to keep people. The focus is on the job at hand, not the job title, the mission in question, and paying for performance.