Over the past few days, I've found myself having an inordinate number of conversations about (brace yourself) books. Much to the surprise of at least one of my colleagues, I can read, and occasionally do. Though I don't like to let that out of the bag too often - it makes me look bad when people think I do anything other than play video games 24/7 ;-)
It started off with a book my Fiance was reading about buzz marketing - the aptly titled BuzzMarketing - which created a <makes Dr. Evil face> buzz... around the house. <Mad scientist laugh>. Then it was Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind - a fantastic book that I came to find out several other colleagues of mine were also reading. Then Cole turned me on to Everything is Miscellaneous, a relatively new book by David Weinberger - one of the authors of infamous Clutrain Manifesto. And now I'm onto to my newest literary conquest, Grand Theft Childhood.
As you could probably guess from the titles, these are all professionally themed books - books that follow ideas about the changing nature of our world and the way we interact, think, learn and succeed in it. They are the kind of books that have the potential to change the way, particularly those of us in education, do business. And as I'm slowly coming to realize, quite a few of us our reading them and having the moments of enlightenment that they bring. But we're all doing it alone.
So after talking to Cole, an idea emerged. In the spirit of community that we're always talking about, why not start a professional book club of sorts. The idea being that we can create a place where those of us who are reading these forward thinking books can come together and build a forward thinking future out of them - bounce ideas off each other, share ways that what we've read could impact what we do, and generally improve life on this planet by at least three fold. Not only that, but what with the group being more than the sum of its parts and all, we can also expose ourselves to books or ideas that we might never have thought about on our own. The only constraint? Books that don't make you think need not apply.
Does anyone else like this idea enough to want to participate if we got a group like this going? I most certainly welcome thoughts. And if a few folks are down, we can turn this into reality.
It started off with a book my Fiance was reading about buzz marketing - the aptly titled BuzzMarketing - which created a <makes Dr. Evil face> buzz... around the house. <Mad scientist laugh>. Then it was Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind - a fantastic book that I came to find out several other colleagues of mine were also reading. Then Cole turned me on to Everything is Miscellaneous, a relatively new book by David Weinberger - one of the authors of infamous Clutrain Manifesto. And now I'm onto to my newest literary conquest, Grand Theft Childhood.As you could probably guess from the titles, these are all professionally themed books - books that follow ideas about the changing nature of our world and the way we interact, think, learn and succeed in it. They are the kind of books that have the potential to change the way, particularly those of us in education, do business. And as I'm slowly coming to realize, quite a few of us our reading them and having the moments of enlightenment that they bring. But we're all doing it alone.
So after talking to Cole, an idea emerged. In the spirit of community that we're always talking about, why not start a professional book club of sorts. The idea being that we can create a place where those of us who are reading these forward thinking books can come together and build a forward thinking future out of them - bounce ideas off each other, share ways that what we've read could impact what we do, and generally improve life on this planet by at least three fold. Not only that, but what with the group being more than the sum of its parts and all, we can also expose ourselves to books or ideas that we might never have thought about on our own. The only constraint? Books that don't make you think need not apply.
Does anyone else like this idea enough to want to participate if we got a group like this going? I most certainly welcome thoughts. And if a few folks are down, we can turn this into reality.
Please, yes and thank you! =)
Chris, great idea. I'm very interested. Of course, I have this lingering feeling I have a stigma for being basically a non-techie in a techie department. So, I've always tried to keep the fact that I was a lit major and that I still read lots of books under the radar so people might still like me! Thank you so much for sharing that ultra-techies half my age also read books! You've restored my faith in humankind. :)
I did read The Cluetrain Manifesto a couple years ago, which has very interesting concepts about quote marketing unquote that are more akin to our community hubs and not the slick car salesman image that pops in my head every time I hear the word "marketing." (For example, I have to grit my teeth every time what I first joined in 2001 as the TLT "communications" group is increasingly called the "marketing" group.)
Sorry, straying off-topic as is my wont.
So, great, OK, no books that don't make you think. Guess that rules out that one Web user interface book I keep meaning to get to, Don't Make Me Think? Anyhow, all this rambling is to say: let me know what to read and where to show up.
Funny... I was posting on Twitter about a similar concept last week. I'm reading "The Tipping Point" by Gladwell right now, and would really like to discuss such topics with others.
Count. me. in.
Hi Chris,
I'd definitely be interested, and I know that lots of other library folks would be as well. In fact, maybe the library (home of books) could somehow be involved...at least making sure that we own the books that the group is reading! Let's chat about possibilities!
I'd love to get in on this action (says the librarian) :)
Hey Chris. I'm interested as well and would lean toward a book club, especially if it involves book swapping as well. Hey, we could work this into a segment at one of the BS Breakfasts as well (like book club is the focus of the first Friday of every month). Just a thought.
You have got to be kidding me. I posted about a similar book-related concept a week ago on my blog. I was thinking bookswap rather than book club, but I bet we could even incorporate the two. I have been having these same book-themed conversations with others, or reading about the books *they* happen to be reading, and I'd love to explore these ideas further. Soooo... rock on, amigo. Count me in!