On Thursday evening, June 4, we gathered at the Symmes Township Branch Library for the first book signing and author conversation for To Romania, with Love: Notes from a Country I Never Quite Left. The evening was held in the Community Room from 7:00 to 8:00 PM, with friends, readers, and members of the Romanian…
Why it Matters Discover why proper training can be a game-changer for completing the Grand Canyon’s 24-mile rim-to-rim hike. The Big Picture Ah, the Grand Canyon—a gaping wound in the Earth so profound that even poets would struggle to capture its essence. But nothing—no photograph, not even your grandma’s over-embellished stories—can prepare you for a…
Google, the tech giant and search engine powerhouse, has recently made a surprising admission. In a world where businesses fight tooth and nail to establish a competitive advantage, Google has conceded that it has no strategic “moat.” For those that did not read Michael’s porter strategy book,, in this context, a moat is a metaphorical…
Consumer behavior is a fascinating area of study that explores how people make decisions about purchasing products and services. Here are some of the best books on consumer behavior I have read, and recommend. “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman This book explores the two systems of thinking that people use when making decisions…
The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness is an excellent book that explores the key factors that contribute to happiness and fulfilling life. The five stars go more towards the study lengths and methodology than to the writing style. Waldinger’s writing is engaging and accessible, and he uses personal anecdotes…
The initial ideas always look rough. You need a lot of socializing of the initial pitches to find the market fit and initial traction. Innovation is hard. Customers may be hesitant to adopt new technologies or ways of doing things, and existing businesses may resist disruption to their established business models. Founders are always in…
Taking out my crystal ball….What will significantly increase, what will stay the same, what will decline? How will these be acted upon? My predictions…let me know your perspective, I can be wrong at times. 1. More platforms, fewer one-off projects. The quality and productivity transformation behind “the platform” for Concept and Copy testing is just…
I had a good conversation with a mentee looking to change roles. He was very comfortable in his current role, and clearly a high performer. His fear was that going into a new role will be disruptive to his career, and his well-being. This begs the question “how overwhelmed should you feel in your job?”….
Moneyball is my favorite book on the application of AI. It has a trifecta amongst all books: Baseball, Brad Pitt, and a story of the underdog. What can be more American and more appealing? But the real reason I love this book is the way it demonstrates how AI drives a strategy change in an…
“The Master Algorithm,” by Pedro Domingos, is my second most favorite book on Artificial Intelligence, and one of the most comprehensive and thought-provoking explorations of the field of machine learning and its potential to revolutionize a wide range of industries and disciplines. First of all, who is Pedro Domingos? Pedro Domingos is a leading AI…