Book picks similar to
Closing the Gap: The Fourth Industrial Revolution in Africa by Tshilidzi Marwala
africa
artificial-intelligence
business
next-up
Lifestyle Blogging Basics: A How-To for Investing in Yourself, Working With Brands, and Cultivating a Community Around Your Blog
Laura Demetrious - 2017
The book begins with Laura covering the essential groundwork of discovering your niché, defining your content categories, choosing a blog name, selecting a platform, and creating a healthy and attainable blogging routine. Then, she takes a deep dive into describing the the most effective ways to invest in yourself and your blog by explaining the importance of quality design, high resolution photos, email marketing services, and more. You’ll also learn how to partner and collaborate with brands by building an online media kit, how to promote your blog on social media, and how to create a thriving community around your blog that will stand the test of time.
The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values
Brian Christian - 2020
Today’s "machine-learning" systems, trained by data, are so effective that we’ve invited them to see and hear for us?and to make decisions on our behalf. But alarm bells are ringing. Recent years have seen an eruption of concern as the field of machine learning advances. When the systems we attempt to teach will not, in the end, do what we want or what we expect, ethical and potentially existential risks emerge. Researchers call this the alignment problem.Systems cull résumés until, years later, we discover that they have inherent gender biases. Algorithms decide bail and parole?and appear to assess Black and White defendants differently. We can no longer assume that our mortgage application, or even our medical tests, will be seen by human eyes. And as autonomous vehicles share our streets, we are increasingly putting our lives in their hands.The mathematical and computational models driving these changes range in complexity from something that can fit on a spreadsheet to a complex system that might credibly be called “artificial intelligence.” They are steadily replacing both human judgment and explicitly programmed software.In best-selling author Brian Christian’s riveting account, we meet the alignment problem’s “first-responders,” and learn their ambitious plan to solve it before our hands are completely off the wheel. In a masterful blend of history and on-the ground reporting, Christian traces the explosive growth in the field of machine learning and surveys its current, sprawling frontier. Readers encounter a discipline finding its legs amid exhilarating and sometimes terrifying progress. Whether they—and we—succeed or fail in solving the alignment problem will be a defining human story.The Alignment Problem offers an unflinching reckoning with humanity’s biases and blind spots, our own unstated assumptions and often contradictory goals. A dazzlingly interdisciplinary work, it takes a hard look not only at our technology but at our culture—and finds a story by turns harrowing and hopeful.
I'll Have What She's Having: The Ultimate Compliment for any Woman Daring to Change Her World
Bobbie Houston - 1998
Her book reflects her passionate belief that God is ready to equip a generation of awesome women. Women who live by conviction. Women who live with such resolve that nothing daunts them. Women who know how to partner for success, and women who are committed to painting their world with such color and dynamic that others just can't help but say... "I'll have what she's having!"
The Culture Solution: A Practical Guide to Building a Dynamic Culture
Matthew Kelly - 2019
. .Culture is not about bringing your dog to work, free lunches, unlimited vacation, or even casual Fridays. Culture is not a collection of personal preferences.Our thinking about culture has been kidnapped and polluted by the spectacular, attention-grabbing fads that 99 percent of organizations cannot implement. It is time to get beyond these "here today, gone tomorrow" illusions that foster entitlement, complacency, and mediocrity, so we can start implementing the timeless principles that are: The Culture Solution.The six foundational principles of a Dynamic Culture are universal and unchanging. In The Culture Solution, business consultant and New York Times bestselling author of The Dream Manager and Off Balance presents the six enduring principles of a Dynamic Culture in a way that is both intensely practical and inspiring. If you want to . . . grow your business; attract, grow, and retain top talent; learn the key to hiring in the 21st century; teach every person in your organization that they have a role to play in making the culture better today than it was yesterday . . . this book is for you and every person on your team.The thing is and it's quite simple, really everybody wants to belong to a Dynamic Culture. That's why today, more than ever before, organizations are searching for a Culture Solution. Too many books are written just for the leaders of an organization. Finally, we have a definitive and authoritative book about culture that everyone in your organization can and should read.Perhaps you don't believe it is possible to create a Dynamic Culture in your particular type of business. Prepare yourself to be convinced that the culture of any organization can be transformed using the six principles outlined in these pages.As an author, speaker, and consultant, Matthew Kelly has become a once-in-a-generation voice. He has an astounding ability to cut through the noise and deliver a message that is both timely and timeless and he does it in a way that will give you goosebumps, stop you dead in your tracks to reflect on ideas so profound that you simply cannot read on, and make you think he wrote this book just for you. This is what makes Kelly one of the most refreshing and authentic voices of our time. Once every twenty-five years or so a book comes along that completely redefines the way we think about work and the life of an organization. This is that book. Culture will be the most significant issue in business in the coming decades are you ready to create a Dynamic Culture?
A CEO Only Does Three Things: Finding Your Focus in the C-Suite
Trey Taylor - 2020
Many owners and CEOs think they have to be involved in every aspect of their business. They spend valuable brainpower on low-priority decisions. Before long, they're overworked and burned out.Instead of doing everything, it's time to focus on the right things.A CEO Only Does Three Things zeroes in on the three pillars of business: culture, people, and numbers. Steeped in twenty-plus years of practical knowledge, training, and consulting with some of the world's largest companies, this indispensable guide shows how to articulate the right culture for your business, hire people with the right mindsets, and inspire your teams to produce optimal results.Hundreds of CEOs have used Taylor's methods to create fulfilled, efficient, professional lives, and you can join them. Learn how to focus on the work you love-and avoid CEO burnout.
The Model Thinker: What You Need to Know to Make Data Work for You
Scott E. Page - 2018
But as anyone who has ever opened up a spreadsheet packed with seemingly infinite lines of data knows, numbers aren't enough: we need to know how to make those numbers talk. In The Model Thinker, social scientist Scott E. Page shows us the mathematical, statistical, and computational models—from linear regression to random walks and far beyond—that can turn anyone into a genius. At the core of the book is Page's "many-model paradigm," which shows the reader how to apply multiple models to organize the data, leading to wiser choices, more accurate predictions, and more robust designs. The Model Thinker provides a toolkit for business people, students, scientists, pollsters, and bloggers to make them better, clearer thinkers, able to leverage data and information to their advantage.
Killing Fairfax: Packer, Murdoch and the Ultimate Revenge
Pamela Williams - 2013
Mad Men & Bad Men: What Happened When British Politics Met Advertising
Sam Delaney - 2015
Suddenly, every aspiring PM wanted a fast-talking, sharp-thinking ad man on their team to help dazzle voters. But what were the consequences of their fixation with the snappy and simplistic? Sam Delaney embarks on a journey to expose the shocking truth behind the general election campaigns of the last four decades. Everything is here - from the man who snorted coke in Number 10 to the politician who fell in love with her own ad exec, from the fist-fights in Downing Street to the all-day champagne binges in Whitehall offices. Sam Delaney talks to the men at the heart of the battles - Alistair Campbell, Peter Mandelson, Tim Bell, Maurice Saatchi, Norman Tebbit, Neil Kinnock - and many more. Dark, revealing and frequently hilarious, Mad Men and Bad Men tells the story of how unelected, unaccountable men ended up informing policy - and how the British public paid the price.
Automatic Income: How to Use the Power of Dividend Investing to Beat the Market and Generate Passive Income for Life (Wealth Building Series)
Matthew Paulson - 2016
Written by the founder and editor of MarketBeat, a daily investment newsletter with more than 425,000 subscribers, this invaluable resource will show you how to identify investments that offer lower volatility, higher returns and an automatic income stream of dividends that you can live off of during retirement. This strategy is easy to implement and will set you off on a path toward true financial independence. Here's what you'll learn: How you can create an automatic income stream you can actually live on during retirement. How to build an investment portfolio of rock-solid companies that outperform the S&P 500. What criteria can identify dividend stocks that consistently return 10% or more per year. Which newsletters, websites and other resources you should use to research dividend stocks. Why you won't be tempted to cash out your dividend stock portfolio during the next recession. How to reduce your tax bill by choosing the right dividend investments and the right accounts. Why dividend-growth investing is superior to traditional income investing strategies. Market risk is near an all-time high and interest rates are at a historic low. There has never been a better time to switch to a more sensible wealth-generation strategy. If you want to improve your market returns, spend less time worrying about money and achieve true financial independence, this book is for you.
The 6-Figure Speaker: The Ultimate Blueprint to Build a Business as a Highly-Paid Professional Speaker
Brian Tracy - 2016
After giving over 5,000 talks in 70 countries Brian has become one of highest paid and most sought after public speakers in the world. And in this new book he reveals everything he’s learned over his 30 year career. It’s a must-read for anyone who wants to create a successful speaking career. Inside the 6-Figure Speaker, you’ll get all the tips, tricks, strategies and secrets Brian has used to build a speaking empire.With the lessons in this book, you’ll be able to build your own business as a 6-Figure Speaker.This book will show you: The 7 habits all 6-figure speakers use to stay fully booked, charge higher fees, and deliver the types of speeches that get them re-booked again and again The 4 point bullet plan for a 20 minute speech and how to easily expand it for 40, 60 and even 90 minute speeches. How to craft an electrifying title to your speech that has people saying “I’ve got to hear that” even if they’ve never heard of you! A step-by-step action plan to take everything you’ve learned and start building your business as a 6-figure speaker today. Readers should consider The 6-Figure Speaker their action guide to a successful and lucrative career as a speaker. It will become YOUR PLAY BOOK for finding and securing high-quality speaking engagements, charging higher fees so you can easily scale your business, and crafting unforgettable speeches that have your audience talking about you long after you’ve left the stage.It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting out, or if you’re someone with experience as a speaker. The 6 Figure Speaker has everything you need to get started, scale up and shortcut your journey to success as a speaker. Get Brian's latest book today!
Crack the Case System: Complete Case Interview Prep
David Ohrvall - 2005
David Ohrvall's step-by-step approach combines practical instruction on structuring, analytics and communication, as well as insider tips and insights gained from training thousands of candidates. CTCS includes over 150 bonus videos on mbacase.com, 42 practice cases, homework and drills. About the author: David Ohrvall is the global expert on the topic of case interviews. A dynamic and sought-after speaker, he trains several thousand MBAs and undergraduates each year at premiere business schools around the world, including Wharton, Stanford, Harvard Business School, Chicago Booth, Duke's Fuqua School of Business, INSEAD, Oxford and Cambridge. David also has an extensive private coaching practice that has helped launch hundreds of candidates into consulting, venture capital, and a variety of industries. David is a former management consultant (Bain & Company), and a graduate of the Wharton School (MBA & undergrad). Learn more about David at www.mbacase.com.
Netflixed: The Epic Battle for America's Eyeballs
Gina Keating - 2012
They were surprised and elated when launch-day traffic in April 1998 crashed their server and resulted in 150 sales. Today, Netflix has more than 25 million subscribers and annual revenues above $3 billion. Yet long- term success-or even survival-is still far from guaranteed. Journalist Gina Keating recounts the absorbing, fast-paced drama of the company's turbulent rise to the top and its attempt to invent two new kinds of business. First it engaged in a grueling war against video-store behemoth Blockbuster, transforming movie rental forever. Then it jumped into an even bigger battle for online video streaming against Google, Hulu, Amazon, and the big cable companies. Netflix ushered in such innovations as DVD rental by mail, a patented online queue of upcoming rentals, and a recommendation algorithm called Cinematch that proved crucial in its struggle against bigger rivals. Yet for all its success, Netflix is still a polarizing company. Hastings is often heralded as a visionary-he was named Business Person of the Year in 2010 by Fortune-even as he has been called the nation's worst CEO. Netflix also faces disgruntled customers after price increases and other stumbles that could tarnish the brand forever. The quest to become the world's portal for premium video on demand will determine nothing less than the future of entertainment and the Internet. Drawing on extensive new interviews and her years covering Netflix as a financial and entertainment reporter, Keating makes this tale as absorbing as it is important.
Invent and Wander: The Collected Writings of Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos - 2020
Spanning a range of topics across business and public policy, from innovation and customer obsession to climate change and outer space, this book provides a rare glimpse into how Bezos thinks about the world and where the future might take us.Written in a direct, down-to-earth style, Invent and Wander offers readers a master class in business values, strategy, and execution:● The importance of a Day 1 mindset● Why “it’s all about the long term”● What it really means to be customer obsessed● How to start new businesses and create significant organic growth in an already successful company● Why culture is an imperative● How a willingness to fail is closely connected to innovation● What the Covid-19 pandemic has taught usEach insight offers new ways of thinking through today’s challenges—and more importantly, tomorrow’s—and the never-ending urgency of striving ahead, never resting on one’s laurels. Everyone from CEOs to entrepreneurs just setting up shop to the millions who use Amazon’s products and services in their homes or businesses will come to understand the principles that have driven the success of one of the most important innovators of our time.
The Kill Chain: How Emerging Technologies Threaten America's Military Dominance
Christian Brose - 2020
We think in terms of buying single military systems, such as fighter jets or aircraft carriers. And when we think about modernizing those systems, we think about buying better versions of the same things. But what really matters is not the single system but "the battle network"--the collection of sensors and shooters that enables a military to find an enemy system, target it, and attack it. This process is what the military calls "the kill chain"--how you get from detection to action, and do it as quickly as possible. The future of war is not about buying better versions of the same systems we have always had; it is about buying faster, better kill chains.As former Staff Director for the Senate Armed Services Committee and senior policy advisor to Senator John McCain, Christian Brose saw this reality up close. In The Kill Chain, he elaborates on one of the greatest strategic predicaments facing America now: that we are playing a losing game. Our military's technological superiority and traditional approach to projecting power have served us well for decades, when we faced lesser opponents. But now we face highly capable and motivated competitors that are using advanced technologies to erode our military edge, and with it, our ability to prevent war, deter aggression, and maintain peace. We must adapt or fail, Brose writes, and the biggest obstacle to doing so is the sheer inertial force of the status quo.
Badass: Making Users Awesome
Kathy Sierra - 2015
The rules? No marketing budget, no PR stunts, and it must be sustainably successful. No short-term fads.This is not a game of chance. It is a game of skill and strategy.And it begins with a single question: given competing products of equal pricing, promotion, and perceived quality, why does one outsell the others?The answer doesn’t live in the sustainably successful products or services. The answer lives in those who use them.Our goal is to craft a strategy for creating successful users. And that strategy is full of surprising, counter-intuitive, and astonishingly simple techniques that don’t depend on a massive marketing or development budget. Techniques typically overlooked by even the most well-funded, well-staffed product teams.Every role is a key player in this game. Product development, engineering, marketing, user experience, support—everyone on the team. Even if that team is a start-up of one. Armed with a surprisingly overlooked science and a unique POV, we can can reduce the role of luck. We can build sustainably successful products and services that rely not on unethical persuasive marketing tricks but on helping our users have deeper, richer experiences. Not just in the moments while they’re using our product but, more importantly, in the moments when they aren’t.