Tony Pittarese

Recommend this one. There is a lot of content in this book that I would be tempted to classify as “basic,” but upon reflection I think a better term would be “foundational.” I feel that if someone can determine how to apply these principles in their work that they will find themselves in a position of responsibility and leadership in short order. A very worthwhile read.

I should begin by saying that I am not a coffee drinker, so I feel like I related less to the content of this book in light of that. Overall the book was interesting, but not very fulfilling or a book I would recommend widely for others. Much of the book read like something you would see in a company's annual report. There was a lot of self-congratulatory talk. Whenever anything problematic was discussed, it was always presented in the context of ‘what we learned from this minor misstep.' The book did not come across as a candid discussion, and I felt like I learned very little about the true environment of the company or its leader. Seemed like a typical ‘knight rides in on a horse and solves everyone's problems” kind of book, and I didn't find that fulfilling at all.

Really enjoyed this book. The conclusion felt a bit rushed, but it provided an interesting perspective on the two authors profiled. Highly recommend.

This book is obviously very old, having been published in 1963. Nonetheless, there are several sections of the book that are highly relevant in contemporary business. The discussion of centralized vs. decentralized operations and how Alfred Sloan established used various committees to guide corporate decision making is interesting. Even the sections that dealt with unions, collective bargaining, and incentive programs are interesting to explore GM's philosophy of dealing with workers at this point in their organization. I wouldn't recommend this go to the top of anyone's reading list, but for someone who wants to get a sense of big business in the U.S. in mid-1990's this book is a must read.

Highly recommend this book. It is a collection of Jeff Bezos' writings and speeches. No new content was created just for this book. One reading this book gets a clear sense of key Bezos (and therefore Amazon) strategies and philosophies. Great, interesting presentation.

This is a very worthwhile book to read for those working in higher education. I did feel as if the author took a big detour midway through the book when he talked extensively about technology. While he eventually circles back and situated this in the overall discussion, it did not seem to merit the extensive discussion in this presentation. What was a bit prescient was Alexander's discussion of the potential impact of a pandemic on higher education prior to COVID-19 being on anyone's radar. The last one-third of the book was more of what I expected the overall presentation, so all's well that ends well.

Finished this book today. Great read. Worth returning to in the future for another visit. Many new ideas on mentoring explored for both mentors and mentees.

A solid presentation. Not much here that is new or unique, but it does package things into a useful narrative about personal impact and leadership. A good, quick read.

Interesting thesis and exploration of current workflow in modern organizations.

Very interesting book. Enjoyable read with some interesting ideas presented.

A worthwhile read to learn more about the life and business dealings of M.S. Hershey. Nothing especially riveting in the narrative.

One of the best books I've read in a long time. Highly recommend.

Lots of practical ideas on leadership. A worthwhile read that I definitely recommend.

Some interesting content. Some sections resonated more than others with me, but definitely worth a read.

Like the new character. Interesting book overall.

Interesting read. The discussion of how some CS algorithms mirror behaviors seen in nature and how some CS algorithms have influenced solutions in a non-CS context was interested. In some cases material seemed to be there as filler (a general discussion of an algorithm without really explaining how it had anything to do with non-CS things), and in a few cases things were stated in a way that was oversimplified (given the context). All in all, a good, light read.

Did not enjoy this one at all. Given that the characters are predominantly writers, it seems that Grisham might be trying to show readers a bit of that world. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen. Or a plot twist. Or any kind of drama at all. There was none. Simple story with little of note that happens. I enjoy Grisham, but this one seemed like it was written to fulfill a contract. (Something one of the characters in the book joked about–which seemed like it might have been a bit of hidden messaging by Grisham.)

Interesting book with a worthwhile thesis. Recommend this one.

Makes some good points but the crude language was not pleasant to read.

Interesting book, but not enjoyable to read in a few sections.

My impression of this book is likely tainted by “reading” it as an audio book. It is an interesting premise for a book, but I didn't find the content compelling.

Every educator, K through graduate school, should read this book. It is a fascinating description of how life is being changed, not in a positive way, by electronic devices.

There are parts of this book that I did not prefer (some of the language), but I expect that it would be fairly realistic dialog for these characters in the era in which this was set. The character study here is fascinating. It was not a light read, but was very worthwhile.

The foundational premise of this book is great, but in the end I wish there were more details. A fascinating story of an incredible place and an irrepressible people.

I don't know what to make of this book. I suspect over time and with a second reading my perspective will change. There's a good book, a very good book, hiding in this one. As it stands, though, the book is a bit odd and unformed in places. My favorite part is the character development of Scout, from the Mockingbird days to the Scout of Watchman. That alone makes this book worth a read. The portrayal of Atticus, which is undoubtedly a bit controversial, works, but more is needed here. Atticus is a bit too flat in his portrayal. Assuming Harper Lee wrote this book, a fact I am dubious of, suspecting that editors took a heavy hand in the draft, I can see why she withheld it from publication. The characters of Mockingbird are iconic America. Whatever feet of clay they had (casting them as real people) were well hidden. Not so in Watchman. One will likely never see the Mockingbird characters in the same light after reading this book.