Thanks to Shake Jebejian for calling our attention to the January 2005 special issue of the Harvard Business Review on Managing Yourself. There are several interesting articles here, but one of the best examples is Edward M. Hallowell's "Overloaded Circuits: Why Smart People Underperform." Hallowell, an expert on ADD, identifies an epidemic in organizations which he calls attention deficit trait. "Caused by brain overoad... the core symptons are distractability, inner frenzy, and impatience. People with ADT have difficulty staying organized, setting priorities, and managing time." (p.56) He explains the neurology behind the condition, and has recommendations for controlling it. The issue is available in the Vairo Library.
No, not a great old movie, Imitation of Life is a new book about how biology is inspring computing. The author is Nancy Forbes who has advanced degrees in physics and the humanities, and works as a sci/tech analyst for the federal government. There is lots of fascinating material here, which identifies metaphorical uses of biology for computing developments. However, the most intriguing is the chapter on biologically inspired hardware such as proteins replacing silicon to enable smaller, faster computing. This book will appeal to readers in a wide array of disciplines: ist, biology, computer science, philosophy, human development. (Vairo Library QH307.2.F64 2004)
Lovers of film will want to check out this new site Masters of Cinema at http://www.mastersofcinema.org/. The creators of this site live in three different countries, and include a geophysicist, a graphic artist, a mathematician, a film historian, and a musician, all of whom have a passion for world cinema. It is a great resource for information on the current film scene worldwide, and it offers links to information about the greats in film history.
The basic thesis of The Wisdom of Crowds is "under the right circumstances, groups are remarkably intelligent, and are often smarter than the smartest people in them." (p. xiii) The heart of the book is defining "the right circumstances," the kind of environment and problems that are best approached by a group, rather than an individual. Surowiecki also talks about the structural problems of groups that sometimes undermine their collective wisdom. It is a thought-provoking book for decision-makers and leaders in all kinds of organizations. (Vairo Library JC328.2.S87 2004)
This week gives us another occcasion to marvel at the treasures of the Library of Congress that are being made available to the entire nation via the web. The collections associated with presidential inaugurations are highlighted at: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/inaugural-home.html
The collection includes speeches, photographs, poems and even sheet music of songs played on the historic occasion. If you missed President Bush's second inaugural, you can catch a video replay at http://www.whitehouse.gov/.
The Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance has a web site on charities that solicit nationally within the United States, you can link to it at: http://www.give.org/reports/. They have added a special section on Tsunami Relief, so you can identify charities that do and do no meet their standards of performance. Those standards include how they govern their organization, the ways they spend their money, the truthfulness of their representations, and their transparency. If you want to make sure your generosity will benefit those in need, you may want to check out this site.
We should cut social security taxes for parents who reproduce future workers and taxpayers. Attendance records at gyms should be required to receive prescription drug benefits. These and other seldom heard arguments are the provocative content of The Empty Cradle: how falling birthrates threaten world prosperity (and what to do about it). "An economy that creates disincentives to have children, while undercompensating parents and other caregivers for the essential human capital they create, is living beyond its means." (p. 145) If you think the world is threatened by a population explosion, author Phillip Longman urges you to think again. (Vairo Library HB887.L66 2004)
Gary Marcus, Associate Professor of Psychology at NYU, has written this widely praised book on the nature vs. nurture argument as it impacts higher order thinking in humans. The Birth of the Mind: how a tiny number of genes creates the complexities of human thought offers a clear explanation of our early understanding of how genes and environment interact in brain development. It also offers some interesting questions to ponder for our future, e.g. do we want beta versions of children?
(Vairo Library BF701.M32 2004)