The Mind of the Maker - Dorothy L. Sayers (1941)

One of the hardest books I have read to make meaning out of. The concepts and thoughts presented around trinity and comparison of that to a creative professional's mind is definitely interesting and thought provoking. But at places I find the book is way to complex to follow. I would read ten to fifteen pages at a time and rumage over it for sometime and then read the next couple of pages. When it comes to last two chapters I just could not keep my flow with the author and had to resort to my own interpretation. Definitely a great thought provoking book but needs real focus to make maximum out of this book. Unless you have a serious interest in Christianity and Theology, you will not make mcuh gains from this book.

inside the tornado: marketing strategies from silicon valley's cutting edge: Geoffrey A Moore (1995)

The biggest problem with management books are there are very small number of books that stand the test of time. I feel "Inside the Tornado" proves it all wrong. The examples are dated. At least from the time when I had stepped into the tech industry. Some companies who ruled when the books were written have ceased to exist in today's times but you can always make a good mapping which companies exist in the race and where in the technology adoption cycle. I personally liked the description of the Main Street. A phase most technology companies miss out while planning and always prefer to be on the staircase S-curves. Some succeed and most fail. But I think it will be of significant value if someone clearly carves out a main street strategy. I think that's where the maturity of management comes to play than technology value. The real customer focus. In some sense the book has done such a great job of that part of adoption cycle I will probably like the in the Main Street as the name of the book.

The Maruti Story - RC Bhargava and Seetha (2010)

Written as a simple story on how Maruti came into being as company and went to be a leader in the car business in India. There is definitely a lot to be learnt on Maruti in the book. How the car came into being as a public sector initiative and ended up being the largest car manufacturer in India as described in very simple and lucid manner in the book. The challenges are described nicely and how the team Maruti addressed the issues are nicely portrayed.

As with every person writing an autobiography the focus is around how great things have happened around Maruti. The negative points have been toned down a lot. Just like the Nano story it seems to feel more like reading a success story but too silent on the challenges.

I am sure no company has everything that hunky dory there definitely a shade of grey to everything.

Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw: Soldiering with Dignity - Lt. Gen. Depinder Singh (2002)

Very few books have been written on war heroes of India. In that sense, this book is a good addition to let Indians know about one of the greatest soldiers of India who was instrumental in the win of a war with authority.The 1971 India-Pakistan war brought India to a military super power in the south Asian region and in the long run has changed the way the world has been looking at the country.

However, the book looks like a representation of street smartness of the Field Marshal than a serious account of life of the Field Marshal. Personally, I will not recommend this book unless someone wants to read about the Field Marshal as Indian history texts seldom talk about this celebrated soldier and his life.

Overall an average book.

First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently - M. Buckingham and C. Cuffman (1999)

This book needs no introduction. This has been cited as one of the top 10 books in the management literature.

http://management.about.com/od/careerdevelopment/tp/TopMgtBooks.htm

Rather than writing a commentary on this book, I will suggest people to go through the reviews on Amazon. If you have not read this book, I will suggest you read it as soon as possible.

How the Mighty Fall - Jim Collins (2009)

One of my favorite authors of management literature. But this book seemed more like a forced attempt than concrete outcome of a thorough research. Writing on fallen heroes by own claims are always hard. The facts that made them heroes in wrong proportions bring to their fall as well. There is certainly good deal of research but the outcome looks more like philosophic. But the five stages of falling companies is well identified and examples of companies who have gone through the phases nicely identified.

1. Hubris born of success
2. Undisciplined pursuit of more
3. Denial of risk and peril
4. Grasping for salvation
5. Capitulation to irrelevance or death

 You can identify them very easily when you have faced them in anywhere you have been exposed to. I think over all a good coffee table read.

 

 

What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures - Malcolm Gladwell (2009)

The Wikipedia link summarizes the theme of the book very well. However, I could not really correlate one story with another. I think each of the articles in the book are great but together as a book they do not provide enough interest. Each article is nicely written. Characterstic of the master story teller in Malcolm Gladwell.

I will advice anyone trying to read the book to read it as 19 pieces of essays loosely interconnected without trying to make sense out of it as a compilation.

Overall a good book to read if serious reading is what you like.