But too often, even the most innovative organization quickly becomes a "giant hairball"--a tangled, impenetrable mass of rules, traditions, and systems, all based on what worked in the past--that exercises an inexorable pull into mediocrity. Gordon McKenzie worked at Hallmark Cards for thirty years, many of which he spent inspiring his colleagues to slip the bonds of Corporate Normalcy and rise to orbit--to a mode of dreaming, daring and doing above and beyond the rubber-stamp confines of the administrative mind-set. In his deeply funny book, exuberantly illustrated in full color, he shares the story of his own professional evolution, together with lessons on awakening and fostering creative genius.Originally self-published and already a business "cult classic", this personally empowering and entertaining look at the intersection between human creativity and the bottom line is now widely available to bookstores. It will be a must-read for any manager looking for new ways to invigorate employees, and any professional who wants to achieve his or her best, most self-expressive, most creative and fulfilling work.

    It's Tuesday morning and on his drive into the office, Bill gets a call from the CEO. The company's new IT initiative, code named Phoenix Project, is critical to the future of Parts Unlimited, but the project is massively over budget and very late. The CEO wants Bill to report directly to him and fix the mess in ninety days or else Bill's entire department will be outsourced. With the help of a prospective board member and his mysterious philosophy of The Three Ways, Bill starts to see that IT work has more in common with manufacturing plant work than he ever imagined. With the clock ticking, Bill must organize work flow streamline interdepartmental communications, and effectively serve the other business functions at Parts Unlimited. In a fast-paced and entertaining style, three luminaries of the DevOps movement deliver a story that anyone who works in IT will recognize. Readers will not only learn how to improve their own IT organizations, they'll never view IT the same way again.

    By asking questions, we can analyze, learn, and move forward in the face of uncertainty. But "questionologist" Warren Berger says that the questions must be the right ones; the ones that cut to the heart of complexity or enable us to see an old problem in a fresh way.In The Book of Beautiful Questions, Berger shares illuminating stories and compelling research on the power of inquiry. Drawn from the insights and expertise of psychologists, innovators, effective leaders, and some of the world's foremost creative thinkers, he presents the essential questions readers need to make the best choices when it truly counts, with a particular focus in four key areas: decision-making, creativity, leadership, and relationships.The powerful questions in this book can help you:- Identify opportunities in your career or industry- Generate fresh ideas in business or in your own creative pursuits- Check your biases so you can make better judgments and decisions- Do a better job of communicating and connecting with the people around youThoughtful, provocative, and actionable, these beautiful questions can be applied immediately to bring about change in your work or your everyday life.

    Lead pencils can give you lead poisoning.... Newton discovered gravity when an apple fell on his head....One dog year equals seven human years....Marie Antoinette said "Let them eat cake ..".Spelling Christmas "Xmas" is disrespectful....Fact or fiction? The Pedant's Revolt: Know What Know-It-Alls Know sets the record straight on everything from the truth about starving a fever to why you shouldn't "go for the burn." In chapters literary, medical, grammatical, historical, scientific, and biblical, you'll discover the facts behind the fallacies that have somehow become accepted wisdom. From insects to food, grooming to Greeks, bumblebees to whales...from the animal kingdom to assassinations, Harpo Marx to Shakespeare, and questionable quotes such as "It's all Greek to me," this remarkable book reveals the often surprising origins of the legends and folklore we mistake for the gospel truth--and teaches you to think twice before repeating them.

    Known as Mr. Spreadsheet, Walkenbach shows you how to maximize the power of Excel 2013 while bringing you up to speed on the latest features. This perennial bestseller is fully updated to cover all the new features of Excel 2013, including how to navigate the user interface, take advantage of various file formats, master formulas, analyze data with PivotTables, and more.Whether you're an Excel beginner who is looking to get more savvy or an advanced user looking to become a power user, this latest edition provides you with comprehensive coverage as well as helpful tips, tricks, and techniques that you won't find anywhere else.Shares the invaluable insight of Excel guru and bestselling author Mr. Spreadsheet John Walkenbach as he guides you through every aspect of Excel 2013 Provides essential coverage of all the newest features of Excel 2013 Presents material in a clear, concise, logical format that is ideal for all levels of Excel experience Features a website that includes downloadable templates and worksheets from the book Chart your path to fantastic formulas and stellar spreadsheets with Excel 2013 Bible!

    This text helps develop in readers the skills, knowledge and strategies needed to read and interpret research reports and to evaluate the quality of such reports.