Richard Feynman (1998): The Meaning of it All: Thoughts of a Citizen-Scientist

What is it about?

The book is basically a published transcription of three lectures given by Feynman in 1963. The topics of the lectures are: (1) "The uncertainty of science", (2) "The uncertainty of value", and (3) "This unscientific age".

The text - lecture transcriptions - reads quite fluently and actually is, in my opinion, even more pleasant to read than your average non-fiction book.

Was it good?

Absolutely, no doubt about it. One contributor to this is the spoken nature of the text. However, the second and far more important contributor is the unique style of Feynman. Indeed, one just has to admire how clearly and humbly a great thinker can express his thoughts - and especially how straightforwardly one can just say "I don't know". Actually, for a non-Nobelist reader, it is truly enjoyable and liberating to read that even the best minds don't know or understand a great number of things.

The main take-away for me?

There were basically two main take-aways for me. First, clear and logical pattern of thinking produces quite easily articulable trains of thoughts and conclusions - easy to understand, but difficult to formulate in the first place. This, sadly, is quite rare to find today (or perhaps always). And second, one should more often say quite frankly that "I don't know", because most people don't understand most things, namely those outside their primary domain of expertise.

Who should read the book?

Everyone. Period. And even though the lectures were given more than 50 years ago, 95% of the contents is absolutely current.

The book on Amazon.com: The Meaning of It All

Heli Pietilä (2015): Participation in Strategy: Strategists and Strategy Survivors (Dissertation, in Finnish)

What is it about?

The dissertation reports a (doctoral) research about strategizing, with a public sector organization as a research context.

The study follows the Strategy-as-Practice research tradition whereby any organizational member can be a strategist. Accordingly, the research investigated the agency and experiences of diverse organizational members in a stategizing setting where major contextual and organizational changes had taken place and were still unfolding.

The major outcome of the study is that organizational members have differing degrees of strategic agency - which do not necessarily correspond to formal organizational hierarchy - and those with less or no such agency employ a number of coping mechanisms as a response to this perceived lack of agency.

Was it good?

Yes, it was. Well, doctoral dissertations usually do not read exceptionally fluently when compared to 'general interest' literature, but this particular dissertation was written in such a manner that its academic nature was not exceedingly elaborate. This, of course, is - considering the academic nature of the work - a mixed blessing.

Nonetheless, the qualitative reporting was particularly enjoyable to read because of its authentic reporting and citing practice.

The main take-away for me?

The main take-away for me was the typologization of different coping mechanisms. In other words, organizational members with less or no strategic agency are not just without such potential, but instead follow intentionally different behavioral patterns, or adopt such identity stances.

Who should read the book?

Well, of course any Strategy-as-Practice scholar would benefit form reading the book. However, also other people interested in strategic management and strategic management research would benefit from the section in which this strategy paradigm is reviewed. And finally, the key findings of the study would be good reading for practicing managers in that those provide nuanced understanding about how organizations and organizational strategizing actually work - like Strategy-as-Practice research in general.

The book (dissertation) in PDF format

Marc Levinson (2006): The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger

What is it about?

In the book, Levinson tells the story of the shipping container from its early beginnings (and, to be precise, its precursors), including the thinking behind its "father", Malcom McLean.

Moreover, in a book-long treatment, Levinson is able to discuss quite in depth, e.g., the standardization processes involved in specifying the dimensions of the containers as well as some of the key technical features in them, such as crane fittings.

Nonetheless, perhaps the best discussion in the book concerns the implications of the container, both locally (e.g. shore-side industry) and globally (global distribution of manufacturing and other economic activity).

Was it good?

I really enjoyed the book throughout. Levinson has been able to strike a nice balance between "telling a story" by following some key individuals - mostly Malcom McLean - and offering a more abstract or general discussion of key events and their effects. However, for me the key strength of the book was the "big picture" it painted - what were the mechanisms involved in making the standard shipping container an ubiquitous mode of transportation especially in international trade, and what, in turn, this brought about both on a local and global scale.

The main take-away for me?

There were basically two main take-aways for me. First, establishing a standard, especially one with a global reach, really needs a substantial work, acceptance and investments in multiple domains with which the standard interfaces (and some luck in addition). And second, such a standard can have equally multifaceted implications in equally numerous facets of economic activity. Thus, a standard succeeds or fails in a complex web of activity.

Who should read the book?

I think that the book is of general interest, and is told in such a manner that basically anyone can enjoy it. However, I think that readers with some standardization ambitions, or those involved in logistics, would derive most tangible benefit from reading the book.

The book on Amazon.com: The box

Jody Hoffer Gittell (2005): The Southwest Airlines Way

What is it about?

The book aims to describe the principles through which Southwest Airlines has gained and sustained competitive advantage in in the airline industry. The book begins (about the first 1/3) by outlining the core strategic principle, high asset utilisation (keeping the aircrafts flying, thereby generating revenue). This is followed (the rest of the book, about 2/3) by describing the organisational principles, one by one, which bring about this organisational capability.

Was it good?

Well, sort of. I enjoyed the first 1/3 or so where the core strategic posture of the company was outlined (high asset utilisation through quick plane turn-around), but the latter 2/3 was slightly too 'preaching' to my liking. I don't doubt the soundness of the organisational principles discussed (see those listed e.g. here), but the style with which those were discussed and argued for was ... well, I struggle to find words here. Perhaps it has to do with the 'do like this and these wonderful things will happen' kind of an argumentative style - or my perception of it being such. To the author's credit, the book closes with a discussion of the 10 principles having to constitute a consistent whole; no one principle carries one too far. 

The main take-away for me?

I chose the book in the first place because one of my current work projects is heavily built upon boosting systemic value creation through significantly increasing the utilisation of the key assets in the system. The book certainly reinforced my thinking about this strategic posture and what can be achieved with it. Moreover, the book also provided some insights into how to bring about such change.

Who should read the book?

I believe that this book belongs first and foremost to a CEO's bedside table, and the book clearly is intended as being such. And better yet, the book should also be found on his/her HR manager's table. However, the narrative style of the book perhaps is most appealing to readers from certain cultural traditions, and Scandinavian readers may fall somewhat outside the most receptive audience.

David Price (2008): The Pixar Touch

What is it about?

The book basically tells the story of Pixar animation studio (or what eventually became the animation studio) up to the point when the book was published. What is more, the book nicely describes the early development of the underlying computer and software technology.

Was it good?

The book is good, and written quite appealingly around the main characters (human, not animated) of the story. While the narrative is therefore enjoyable to read, I particularly appreciated the discussion concerning how computer animation came into existence in late 1970s and early 1980s, to a significant degree as a result of quite innovative academic research.

The main take-away for me?

One of the central eye-openers for me was the (of course, expected) amount of devoted round-the-clock work of some early pioneers of the 'industry', who had a tremendous belief in computer animation in the era (1980s) when the results were a far cry from the current quality of animated feature films such as Monsters Inc. Moreover, the hilarious and eye-pleasing animated films of today don't really hint at the amount of boardroom politics (e.g. Pixar vs. Disney, or Steve Jobs vs. Disney top brass) and even court cases behind the production and distribution of the end products. As a bottom line, according to the book, there is significantly less magic behind the films as in the films themselves.

Who should read the book?

I think that the book can be enjoyed by nearly everyone, especially those who, like me, appreciate contemporary animated films. Indeed, when one learns about the amount of work and even scientific research that goes into modelling the movement of hairs of a furry creature, one is bound to enjoy the films even more. I, at least, plan to watch the Pixar animations once again after having read the book.

The book on Amazon.com: The Pixar Touch

Leander Kahney (2013): Jony Ive - The Genius Behind Apple's Greatest Products

What is it about?

The book is a biography of Jony Ive, who eventually became the head designer at Apple. While the book traces the life of Ive, especially (and towards the end, quite exclusively) his professional life, the latter part of the book discusses the industrial and product design at Apple more generally. For this reason, it is a fascinating description of what kinds of choices and innovations go into seemingly simple and elegant products.

Was it good?

Yes, it was good. To be honest, I slightly disliked the overly praising tone of the first half in the style of "...already at this early age, he showed unmistakable signs of the eventual superlative success..." (not an actual quote), though the life events being described in British design education are highly interesting. However, the latter part pertaining to Ive's career at Apple and associated product design and development was, for a contemporary reader, illuminating 'behind the scenes' reading.

The main take-away for me?

As with so many books, the main take-away perhaps is the amount of work - blood, sweat and tears - that take place before a seemingly simple and elegant (outwardly, that is) product hits the shelves. Indeed, the new product announcement events convey a false impression of ease and inevitability when compared to, e.g., several hundreds of early casing mock-ups and alternative ways to manufacture a hinge. However, what perhaps struck me most is that Apple's success is equally attributable to highly tuned manufacturing apparatus and operations management (e.g. at one time purchasing a substantial portion of world's total supply of certain CNC milling machines) as it is to product design - and that these are intimately connected to each other.

Who should read the book?

I think that there are two or three primary audiences that would enjoy the book. First, any Apple product user (or better yet, aficionado) would probably appreciate the products even more after learning all the painstaking effort that go into making them - including the care over the aesthetics of the internals concealed by the casing. Second, industrial design students probably appreciate reading about the career, especially the early career, of a highly successful designer. And third, without a doubt, business executives (and teachers) can derive quite valuable lessons from the book - how uncompromising commitment to excellence, elegance and consistency can create brand identity, customer loyalty and strategic direction.

The book on Amazon.com: Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple's Greatest Products

Adam Minter (2013): Junkyard Planet - Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Trade

What is it about?

This book provides a description and a historical account of the global waste/scrap recycling  and reuse business. It mainly covers the metals recycling business, but also to a degree electronics and plastics. It exceptionally nicely describes the complex mechanics that drive the business at a global scale, based on case study-like personal observations at recycling sites, both legitimate and illegitimate, around the world.

Was it good?

Yes, absolutely! The author is an undisputed expert on the topic (and has a family history in the business), and really masters an engaging style of writing, based on small vignettes from his personal travels across the world covering the trade as an industry journalist. As a result, one gets a vivid and, I would hazard to suggest, deep understanding of why and how the industry works.

The main take-away for me?

A major eye-opener for me was that here one finds a truly global industry - or perhaps better an ecosystem - where everything influences everything: consumer preferences, labor costs, raw material prices, shipping costs, patterns in global trade, macroeconomic cycles, national and international policies and treaties - you name it. Of course, every industry most conceivably constitutes a similar ecosystem, but in the case of this book and the focal industry, this observation really sank in forcefully. Before reading the book, I certainly recognised that recycling, especially metals recycling, is serious business, but I hadn't consciously been aware that it's that serious business with exchange-traded prices driving activities in remote Asian villages and fortunes being made and lost in high-frequency futures trading.

Who should read the book?

Basically everyone - the book really makes an average consumer, regardless of living standards, think about what happens before, after and as a consequence of his/her purchasing and discarding decisions. Moreover, for business scholars with an (eco)systemic bent, here's a case study par excellence.

The book on Amazon.com: Junkyard Planet