10 Back-to-School Books
September 7, 2010 12:00 AM
10 Back-to-School Books for Insurers
School is now back in session, so you know what that means: cracking the spines of books that should provide new insights and help enhance your career. Following along with the spirit of the season, INN reached out to a number of industry experts to learn what's on their bookshelves that they think will benefit insurance professionals on both sides of the business/technology divide.INN also would like to extend a special thanks to the following contributors: Michael Boyle, Karlyn Carnahan, Ed Kruger, Joe McKendrick, Ara Trembly and Jeff Yates.
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't
Author Jim Collins believes it's possible for a good company to evolve into a great one, and to prove the point, profiles 11 companies that have taken that step. In these profiles, Collins examines the companies' shared traits that challenged conventional notions of corporate success. Click here to view the book on Amazon.
The Great Reset: How New Ways of Living and Working Drive Post-Crash Prosperity
Richard Florida takes a broad look at the past, present and future related to the current economic crisis, and ponders what opportunities, as a result, may present themselves to both businesses and society. It's in these times of great upheaval, or "great resets," he believes, that new technologies and systems arise, and economies and societies reshape themselves to suit new needs. Click here to view the book on Amazon.
The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains
Author Nicholas Carr's book examines a subject that has increasing relevance in today's technology-obsessed culturewhat are the mental and social transformations that have arisen from this new electronic environment. Click here to view the book on Amazon.
The New Polymath: Profiles in Compound-Technology Innovations
Vinnie Mirchandani details 11 "building blocks" for new polymathsthe Greek word for "renaissance man"to leverage. Included in his R-E-N-A-I-S-S-A-N-C-E framework are advanced analytics, cloud computing, sustainability and social networks. Additionally, he examines a number of innovators and explains how they use these building blocks to solve both minor issues and the "Grand Challenges" the world faces. Click here to view the book on Amazon.
Smart Enough Systems: How to Deliver Competitive Advantage by Automating Hidden Decisions
Authors James Taylor and Neil Raden delve into how organizations can deliver systems intelligent enough to cope with the modern world. Specifically, they focus on decision-making and the automation and management of those decisions. They say people do the hard work and computers are left to do what they do best, but believe it's possible to flip that dynamic around.Click here to view the book on Amazon.
The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google
The Big Switch takes wide view of how the computer revolution is reshaping not only the business world, but also our society and culture. Author Nicholas Carr asserts that we've evolved from the era of the personal computer to one of utility computing, and warns that the Internet may one day grow into one large "World Wide Computer." Click here to view the book on Amazon.
Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
In his book of the same name, author Seth Godin challenges readers to become a "linchpin" in their organization. He believes that the only way for people to truly get ahead in their careers is to do "emotional work," and put their hearts and souls into what they do on a daily basis. Only then can they become completely indispensable, and too unique and valuable to be let go. Click here to view the book on Amazon.
Enterprise Risk Management: From Incentives to Controls
Written in the wake of the Enron and WorldCom disasters, this volume remains a highly relevant préci