Archive for the ‘Communications’ Category
Col. Littleton No. 9 Journal: The Near-Perfect Writing Companion
Late in 2010, I began writing a journal every day, having abandoned the practice several years ago. Going full-time on Chiefist prompted me to start again. As my friends know, I like, use and admire high quality products, preferring a nice fountain pen to a Bic any day. So I looked around for a nice journal, and found an outstanding one in the Col. Littleton No. 9 Journal. Read the rest of this entry »
Investing Illusions and Delusions
The latest issue of my company’s newsletter, Chiefist Positions, went out today. In it, we examine “investing illusions and delusions,” through the lens of two powerful and outstanding books:
- Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman
- The Halo Effect, by Phil Rosenzweig
You can find Kahneman’s book on Amazon or in most bookstores. You can find Rosenzweig’s book in used bookstores, Amazon marketplace, Alibris.com, Abebooks.com or Bookfinder.com. With shipping, it will cost you about $6, which will be the best $6 you spend all year. Get them both, and read them.
Review: Field Notes Brand Memo Books — They’re a Must Carry
Ever since I went full-time on Chiefist last year, I wanted to find a small, easy-to-carry notebook to record thoughts, jot down ideas, and keep my To-Do list in. Reading the Art of Manliness site, I ran across Field Notes Brand products and have used them ever since.
Review: Robert Morgan’s Boone
My uncle recommended Boone: A Biography by Robert Morgan to me. Morgan has crafted that rare biography in which the critical lessons of the subject do not become lost in the details of his life. Indeed, Morgan evokes those lessons in the best pieces of writing in the book; the lessons seem to haunt the pages. Read the rest of this entry »
On Human Reason and its Evolution
A new theory of cognitive and behavioral science, called the argumentative theory of reasoning, asserts that discourse and discursive reason evolved in human beings for no other purpose than to win debates. “It [reason] was a purely social phenomenon. It evolved to help us convince others and to be careful when others try to convince us.” The argumentative theory is the brainchild of French cognitive social scientists, stirring intriguing discussion and abhorred dissent among academics of all stripes—philosophers, political scientists, educators, and psychologists alike. Read the rest of this entry »
Review: The Back of the Napkin
Over my past several visits to bookstores and Amazon, I’d found two books of especial interest: The Back of the Napkin, by Dan Roam, and Visual Meetings, by David Sibbet. After reading a few reviews and taking a closer look at them, I decided to read The Back of the Napkin first, and hold off reading Visual Meetings.
Despite spending a good part of my career in consulting and executive education, I struggle with creating compelling visuals to convey key messages. Read the rest of this entry »
Plato’s Warnings to Modern Business Orators
Father Schall, a professor at Georgetown University, tells his classes, “If you’ve read Plato just once, you haven’t really read Plato.” Keeping that in mind, I decided to pick up Plato again, and re-read the Gorgias. Read the rest of this entry »
Obama Idolatry
My friend Jack Carlson wrote a provocative piece in American Thinker about President Obama and ‘the power of images.’ Definitely worth reading.
Brand Resurection
Tim Rutten writes a nice analysis of the brand challenges faced by Toyota and Tiger Woods in today’s Los Angeles Times. While I am not a brand expert, I have quite a bit of experience in a variety of communications. Both Toyota and Tiger Woods have mishandled almost every step in their public relations efforts. Tiger Woods’s press conference yesterday showed, yet again, that he has retained poor advisors. Jason Sobel of ESPN has a good review of his remarks.
