Innovation Economics: The Race For Global Advantage by Robert D. Atkinson & Stephen J. Ezzell

Innovation Economics

The Race for Global Advantage

By: Robert D. Atkinson, Stephen J. Ezell

Published: September 4, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 440 pages
ISBN-10: 0300168993
ISBN-13: 978-0300168990
Publisher: Yale University Press















"This book examines how America is losing the race for global innovation advantage and what it needs to do to come from behind and lead once again", write internationally acclaimed thought leader on innovation economics, Robert D. Atkinson; and Senior Analyst with the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, Stephen J. Ezell, in their landmark and forward looking book Innovation Economics: The Race for Global Advantage. The authors describe how decades of neglect have caused American innovation to languish and fall behind key competing nations, and provide a positive blueprint for restoring American leadership in innovation and for laying the groundwork for a stronger domestic economy.

Robert D. Atkinson (photo left) and Stephen Ezell recognize the critical importance of innovation to building a strong economy. For America to regain its leadership in innovation, write the authors, there must be stronger commitment to domestic research and development. The authors point out that the manufacturing base in the United States has eroded severely as jobs have been offshored to competing countries,

At the same time, the capital remaining was invested in unproductive housing and market speculation. While American business and government have ignored innovation, such has not been the case in other countries around the world. The authors share the good news that it is not too late for a return to leadership in innovation for America. The key, according to the authors, is to make changes in priorities starting immediately.

Stephen J. Ezell (photo left) and Robert Atkinson understand that the current conventional wisdom of offshoring, speculative investments, and a lack of research and development will only push American innovation farther behind its competitors. As a result, the authors recommend a fresh approach that includes borrowing ideas from those same competing nations. The authors also suggest a complete reappraisal of innovation and funding in both the public and private sector.

The authors propose eight steps toward restoring innovation and rebuilding America's leadership in the global economy. Those eight steps, or "I's" as the authors call them, are as follows:

* Inspiration: Setting ambitious goals
* Intention: Make innovation-based competitiveness a national priority
* Insight: Improving understanding of innovative performance
* Incentives: Encouraging innovation, production, and jobs in the USA
* Investment: More public funding for innovation and productivity
* Institutional innovation: Doing new things in new ways
* Informational technology transformation
* International framework for innovation

For me, the power of the book is how Robert D. Atkinson and Stephen J. Ezell combine an incisive overview of how the United States has declined as an innovation leader, with an actionable road map to reestablishing American leadership. The authors present a powerful case in support of taking immediate action for increasing research and development efforts to support greatly enhanced innovation. The authors provide a wake up call that America is losing the innovation race, and must undertake new policies in both government and within private industry. The book is not all doom and gloom, however. The authors provide a powerful action plan for the restoration of America's innovation leadership, but it will require new ways of thinking and looking at the challenges. The barriers can be overcome, and this book provides a comprehensive plan for rebuilding that innovative dynamic in American industry and government.

I highly recommend the important and must read book Innovation Economics: The Race for Global Advantage by Robert D. Atkinson and Stephen J. Ezell, to any business leaders, politicians, public sector policy makers, academics, union leaders, and anyone who is seeking a comprehensive plan for restoring America's global innovation leadership. This book will change the way you think about investment, innovation, and the global economy.

Wonderful Life with the Elements by Bunpei Yorifuji - Book review

Wonderful Life with the Elements

The Periodic Table Personified

By: Bunpei Yorifuji

Published: September 14, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 208 pages
ISBN-10: 1593274238
ISBN-13: 978-1593274238
Publisher: No Starch Press
















"We're usually not aware of the elements in our daily lives", writes brilliant and creative Japanese artist, Bunpei Yorifuji in his highly innovative and very engaging book Wonderful Life with the Elements: The Periodic Table Personified. The author describes the lives of the 118 basic elements in terms of them as literal cartoon families, with histories and occupations, and many characteristics in common.

Bunpei Yorifuji recognizes that the study and understanding of the many chemical elements is often both time consuming and very confusing. The author also takes into consideration that the standard Periodic Table of the Elements, while brilliant and the result of many great minds creating an essential component for understanding chemistry, is also challenging for many students and adults. To counter this lack of instant intuitive understanding, Bunpei Yorifuji takes the radical and insightful approach of drawing each of the elements as a member of an actual family; each with its own unique familial hairstyle. Tracing the family history of the elements, their various properties and uses, and their interconnectedness becomes more transparent as a result.

Bunpei Yorifuji (photo left) understands that providing each element, and the other members of their families with friendly faces and unique clothing and hairstyles, gives each of them a personality. When the elements are no longer simply an often confusing and out of context collection of seemingly random numbers and letters, they become both readily identifiable and memorable for readers. By transforming the study of chemistry and the elements from a form of work to a more playful event, the reader is swept along with the sheer pleasure and joy of the book.

Bunpei Yurifuji divides his cartoon based guide to the element families into a series of entertaining, but information filled chapters. Each chapter examines a different property of the elements, and of its relatives. The chapters are as follows:

* Elements in the living room
* The super Periodic Table of the Elements
* Element cartoon characters
* How to eat the elements
* The elements crisis

For me, the power of the book is how Bunpei Yorifuji combines important information about the elements and the Periodic Table, with a playful and lighthearted approach to depicting the 118 elements. The author provides a consistent approach to the cartoon characterizations of the elements that integrates them into both immediate families, but into related uses, properties, and timelines. Indeed, every part of the element's cartoon appearance is significant, and conveys important information to the reader.

The cartoons are drawn to tell at a glance the atomic weights, elemental states, and uses. Along with a comprehensive examination of each element, the author also provides a bonus version of his own large, fold out Periodic Table of the Elements. It is like no other version of the Periodic Table, and very much more playful and fun.

I highly recommend the imaginative and readily understood book Wonderful Life with the Elements: The Periodic Table Personified by Bunpei Yorifuji, to any students, educators, business people working with any of the elements, and to any interested individuals seeking an enjoyable way to learn and comprehend the chemical elements and the Periodic Table. High school Chemistry would be more fun with this book as one of the textbooks.

The Tao Of Twitter by Mark W. Schaefer - Book review

The Tao of Twitter

Changing Your Life and Business 140 Characters at a Time

By: Mark W. Schaefer

Published: July 24, 2012
Format: Paperback, 169 pages
ISBN-10: 0071802193
ISBN-13: 978-0071802192
Publisher: McGraw Hill
















"People sharing, connecting, teaching, and entertaining each other in the moment - from every corner of the world. I had caught a glimpse of something profound and wonderful, writes blogger, internationally recognized educator, speaker, and business consultant Mark W. Schaefer, in his concise and action oriented book PeThe Tao of Twitter: Changing Your Life and Business 140 Characters at a Time. The author describes how to build influence on Twitter, how to create an engaged audience of followers, and how to utilize Twitter as a game changing competitive advantage.

Mark Schaefer recognizes that there is a deeper and richer undercurrent of events and connections taking place on Twitter than appears in the stream of tweets. The author points out that even within the seeming randomness of the Twitter postings, there is an enrichment and a powerful synergy. Mark Schaefer calls this potentially life and business transformational force the Tao of Twitter. For the author, any business or personal event that began with a single tweet, represents a success formula. Mark Schaefer presents the larger picture that surrounds these individual tweets, which turns them into a repeatable and effective formula. The author shares a systematic approach to utilizing the power and synergy of Twitter to move any business to ever greater success.

Mark W. Schaefer (photo left) understands that the power of Twitter is through connections, and the myriad of multiplications of those connections. Through the provision of useful and meaningful content, and the innate desire of people to help one another, the tweets are spread across the Twitterverse. For the author, the meaningful content is the catalyst that speeds the Twitter activity. The desire to help others authentically, and without a direct intention of selling, is part of the Tao of Twitter as well. Human interaction and sharing of meaningful content provides the foundation of the Tao of Twitter.

Along with the three basic aspects that form the Tao of Twitter, Mark Schaefer shares a series of chapters for using Twitter more effectively. Those chapters include:

* The business benefits of Twitter
* Lists - The key to Twitter sanity
* 20 ideas to toast your competition
* Twitter time savers
* Balancing the personal and professional
* Secrets of influence on Twitter
* Advanced Twitter concepts
* Becoming a top cat in Twitter chats
* Is Twitter for everyone
* Tao power: Putting it all together

For me, the power of the book is how Mark Schaefer combines a theoretical framework, a philosophical outlook, and a practical hands on guide to using Twitter effectively into a comprehensive whole. In a book that is concise and to the point, the author provides a complete approach to using Twitter the right way. Early in the book, the author emphasizes who the Tao of Twitter is most decidedly not about selling directly to followers. Instead, the reciprocity and authentic sharing of ideas and contents will lead to favorable results.

In many ways, the Tao is karmic. The more good and sharing a person provides for others, the more benefit flows back to the sharer. At the same time, the book is a valuable users manual for understanding the intricacies and features of the Twitter platform. The author also shares the refreshingly honest view that Twitter is not for everyone. That insight is important to understand as well, as the platform is not to everyone's taste or works toward their goals.

I highly recommend the clear and insightful book The Tao of Twitter: Changing Your Life and Business 140 Characters at a Time by Mark W. Schafer, to anyone seeking an open and honest appraisal and guide to using the Twitter social media platform effectively. This book will place your presence on Twitter on the right track to benefiting you and your followers.

Judging a Book bt Its Lover by Lauren Leto - Book review

Judging a Book by Its Lover

A Field Guide to the Hearts and Minds of Readers Everywhere

By Lauren Leto

Published: October 2, 2012
Format: Paperback, 288 pages
ISBN-10: 0062070142
ISBN-13: 978-0062070142
Publisher: Harper Perennial











"I am not a scholar of literature. All my commentary comes from my experiences and presumptions as a reader", writes humor blogger and self confessed reader and book lover Lauren Leto, in her hilarious and usually very accurate observational book Judging a Book by Its Lover: A Field Guide to the Hearts and Minds of Readers Everywhere. The author describes, in a delightfully snark inflected style, the types of people who love certain books, how to write as if you were a well known author, and how to fake having read both literary classics or the latest hot title.

Lauren Leto understands that book lovers have both a reverence by their books, as well as a pretension to being literary experts. This combination of elitism and anti-intellectualism forma a vulnerable and ready target for the author's barbs and most astute observations. The author shares candid commentary about such widely disparate topics as bookstore romances, the tell aspects of e-readers, and what people's bookshelves and book selections say about them. Lauren Leto provides a veritable field guide to the secret, and very public lives of books and the types of people who read them. Part literay cocktail party conversation survival guide, and part deflation of literary fueled egos, Lauren Leto has the cure for book induced ennui.

Lauren Leto (photo left) recognizes that readers and non-readers alike are drowned by so many books, both new and old, that simply keeping one's head above water is a daunting challenge. The author share survival tips for those brave and less than optimally lettered folks who may find themselves facing an inquisition on the latest best seller or some obscure classic. With both wit and helpful guidance, Lauren Leto presents a course to safe shores.

Lauren Leto offers advice and heaping helpings of humor in the following overall literary categories:

* For the love of print
* Fan fictions
* How to fake it
* Snark bait

For me, the power of the book is how Lauren Leto deflates the pretentiousness that so often surrounds the world of books and literature. While the critics and self proclaimed literati attempt to remove the life and joy from the written word, and transforming them into showcases for ego and partial learning, the author demonstrates how to avoid their games. While the snarky humor style may not be for everyone, it is appropriate in this context. A bit of ego deflation is a powerful remedy for the self important.

To counter the more sharp tongued humor, there are also some softer jabs and witty barbs tossed in the general direction of the book world. Lauren Leto loves books, and through this often laugh out loud treatise, that adoration shines through. Sharing the love of books and reading is the core value expressed in this enjoyable literature and social commentary.

I highly recommend the fun and passionate book Judging a Book by Its Lover: A Field Guide to the Hearts and Minds of Readers Everywhere by Lauren Leto, to anyone who loves books, reading, and discussing ideas regardless their official literati level of sanction. This book will have you smiling and laughing, as you see yourself and others of your acquaintance skewered in its pages.

Ric Dragon: Social Marketology - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio

Online marketer, software developer, Co-founder and CEO of DragonSearch, and author of the comprehensive and very practical book Social Marketology: Improve Your Social Media Processes and Get Customers to Stay Forever , Ric Dragon describes the best practices for creating the ideal social marketing strategy for your organization. Ric Dragon provides ideas for using the right tools and developing a strategy and process for your goals. Ric Dragon demonstrates how to create a social media strategy that is quantifiable, repeatable, and improvable. Ric teaches the basic steps needed to focus on the desirable outcomes, find the ideal micro-segments of your market, and how to locate the communities where those tiny segments are found. Ric shows how to identify the flexibility of the process to identify and capitalize on new social media tools and platforms as they appear. Learn how to create and utilize a fully integrated social media strategy for your company and your brands.

Ric Dragon is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, October 4, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Online marketer, software developer, Co-founder and CEO of DragonSearch, and author of the comprehensive and very practical book Social Marketology: Improve Your Social Media Processes and Get Customers to Stay Forever , Ric Dragon describes the best practices for creating the ideal social marketing strategy for your organization. You will learn:

* How an organization wide approach to social media works

* How to use best practices to establish a social media strategy

* How to create a strategy that is quantifiable, repeatable and improvable

* How to find micro-demographics in online communities

Ric Dragon (photo left) is CEO and co-founder of DragonSearch. Ric Dragon has more than 20 years of extensive experience in graphic design, information architecture, web development and digital marketing. He is a sought-after speaker, having spoken at numerous marketing and technology conferences. Ric is also a regular guest columnist for Marketing Land, and Social Media Monthly.

His new book, Social Marketology: Improve Your Social Media Processes and Get Customers to Stay Forever, was published by McGraw-Hill in June 2012 and has received positive reviews. His previous book, The DragonSearch Online Marketing Manual is also available.

My book review of Social Marketology Improve Your Social Media Processes and Get Customers to Stay Forever by Ric Dragon.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with online marketer, software developer, Co-founder and CEO of DragonSearch, and author of the comprehensive and very practical book Social Marketology: Improve Your Social Media Processes and Get Customers to Stay Forever , Ric Dragon, as he describes the best practices for creating the ideal social marketing strategy for your organization. Ric Dragon provides ideas for using the right tools and developing a strategy and process for your goals. Ric Dragon demonstrates how to create a social media strategy that is quantifiable, repeatable, and improvable. Ric teaches the basic steps needed to focus on the desirable outcomes, find the ideal micro-segments of your market, and how to locate the communities where those tiny segments are found. Ric shows how to identify the flexibility of the process to identify and capitalize on new social media tools and platforms as they appear. Learn how to create and utilize a fully integrated social media strategy for your company and your brands on Blog Business Success Radio.

Social Marketology by Ric Dragon - Book review

Social Marketology

Improve Your Social Media Processes and Get Customers to Stay Forever

By: Ric Dragon

Published: May 25, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 224 pages
ISBN-10: 0071790497
ISBN-13: 978-0071790499
Publisher McGraw Hill













"Marketing in the social media is fundamentally different from conventional marketing. The depth in which connections can be made with the 'audience' or 'customers' is far greater than it possibly can be with any other medium", writes internet marketer, software developer, and co-founder and CEO Of DragonSearch, Ric Dragon in his comprehensive and very practical book Social Marketology: Improve Your Social Media Processes and Get Customers to Stay Forever . The author describes how marketers are very likely aware of the power of social media, they lack the tools and best practices for making an effective social media strategy a reality.

Ric Dragon recognizes that a social media strategy, to be considered viable and effective on an organizational level, must be quantifiable, repeatable, and improvable. To achieve these levels of accountability, the social media marketer requires the tools and best practices that will achieve those criteria. For marketers, who continue to think in terms of traditional media, or even in standard internet marketing procedures, Ric Dragon provides clear evidence that social media marketing demands a fresh approach and a new way of thinking and behaving. To find success in the social media world, the author guides leaders through the basics of claiming their social media real estate, creating creating an organizational policy, and monitoring the results.

Ric Dragon (photo left) understands three basic premises. Social media behaviors follow patterns, which if deciphered will provide context and form to the seemingly unwieldy social media world. Social media, if brought into the form of a process, works even more effectively if applied on an organization wide format. Not all social media projects are the same,as evidenced by different platforms and communities.

Ric Dragon provides a complete overview of the process for creating, measuring, and improving a social media strategy. The author breaks the journey down into readily understood and applied segments:

* Patterns in social media
* Managing the social media team
* Focusing on desired outcomes
* Humanizing the brand with personality and voice
* identifying customer micro-segments
* Belonging to a community
* Going for the influencers
* Creating an action plan
* measuring your progress
* Avoiding the big mistakes
* Laboratory for innovative social media
* Measuring and improving the social media marketing process

For me, the power of the book is how Ric Dragon combines a strong theoretical framework with the practical tools and techniques for establishing, monitoring, and adjusting a complete social media strategy. The author takes a holistic approach to social media that involves all aspects of the social media world, and an overall organizational involvement in achieving social media success for the company and its brands.

Ric Dragon presents the best practices that are so often missing from social media books and discussions. He adds this critical element to the basic premises that are so crucial to understanding the value and fresh thinking involved with social media marketing. The author provides the important aspect of measuring social media results, and adds the additional crucial element of changing, modifying, and improving the strategy and process based on those measurement.

I highly recommend the insightful and holistic approach based book Social Marketology: Improve Your Social Media Processes and Get Customers to Stay Forever by Ric Dragon, to any internet marketers, marketing executives, brand managers, non-profit executives, and entrepreneurs seeking a very complete examination of the strategy and processes involved in a successful social media marketing program. This book will boost your social media success for any organization or brand.

Stand Up For Yourself Without Getting Fired By Donna Ballman - Book review

Stand Up For Yourself Without Getting Fired

Resolve Workplace Crises Before You Quit, Get Axed or Sue the Bastards

By: Donna Ballman

Published: September 21, 2012
Format: Paperback, 256 pages
ISBN-10: 1601632355
ISBN-13: 978-1601632357
Publisher: Career Press
















"This guide is a quick reference to some of the most important questions that come up about employee rights", writes practicing employment law attorney Donna Ballman, in her clear and concise book Stand Up For Yourself Without Getting Fired: Resolve Workplace Crises Before You Quit, Get Axed or Sue the Bastards. The author describes solutions to the most frequently encountered issues in employment law, how to avoid being fired should an employer break the law, and how to gather evidence when necessary on problem bosses.

Donna Ballman recognizes that much information exists regarding the rights of employees in the workplace. The author points out that many employees believe, mistakenly, that they have rights that do not exist under employment law. On the other hand, employees are not aware of the legal rights they do possess. Mistakes and misinformation result in serious costs for employees who act rashly, foolishly, or even against their own best interests. Danna Ballman offers the important advice that everything an employee puts in writing can and will be used against that individual. Donna Ballman sets the record straight as to what rights exist, how to use them effectively to buttress a case against a problem employer, and how to stand up for yourself without being fired as a result of your actions.

Donna Ballman (photo left) understands that employment law is complex, and very often myths and misunderstandings are believed to be true. Instead of basing a claim against an employer based on those false assumptions, the author presents a
straightforward and readily grasped series of chapters, covering every aspect and time frame of an employee's tenure with the company.

Donna Ballman provides a methodical examination of the laws governing the various stages of any employee's career. The stages of the career, and the appropriate law are as follows:

* In the beginning: Applications, interviews, Accepting the job, contracts
* The first few weeks: Starting your new job
* Basics while you are working: Wages, hours, breaks, benefits, sick time, e-mail, social networking, at-will, right to work
* Bad stuff happens: Discipline, bullies, coworkers, harassment
* Good stuff happens: Promotions, new contracts
* Evidence gathering: What you need to prove discrimination, harassment, whistle-blowing
* The end: Layoffs, terminations, references, severance
* Post-employment blues: Unemployment, defamation, non-competes, confidentiality, interference with new employment

For me, the power of the book is how Donna Ballman presents the relevant employment law, for the various phases of an employee's career, in an clear and no nonsense format. The author guides the reader through the myriad of employment law situations, and includes crucial tips in each chapter to prevent the employee from making costly mistakes. Donna Ballman clears up the many misconceptions, and some long held ideas about law that are not true.

The author also provides some essential advice for handling delicate employment issues including discrimination, harassment, and hostile work environments. Through this often conusing maze of scenarios, the author shines the light of law on the situation, and guides the employee toward a successful resolution. Donna Ballman, very importantly, advises the employee to consider the book's advice to be a basic employment law primer. The book is not to be taken as the last word, and the author recommends seeking professional legal assistance where needed.

I highly recommend the valuable employment law primer Stand Up For Yourself Without Getting Fired: Resolve Workplace Crises Before You Quit, Get Axed or Sue the Bastards by Donna Ballman, to job seekers, employees at any stage of their careers and working life, entrepreneurs, and employers of all types, who are seeking a very hands on and easy to understand reference book on employment law. This book could prevent a costly mistake by an employee, and help prevent problems developing on the part of the employer as well.