towards leadership and culture

Micro is Michael Chrichton’s sophomore publication postmortem. It is a fast paced novel based on the concept of shrinking people. We follow a troop of micro scientists who fight for survival in a tropical Hawaiian ecosystem. Every insect and invertebrate imaginable is a potential threat as our team of tiny scientists bravely- stop… I cant do it.

I love Chriton and have read every one of his books; all of them. Jurassic Park is the first novel I fell in love with and tore through it as a young reader. I was delighted to pick up a copy of Pirate Latitudes in 2009. It was a book that Chriton had been working on before passing away a year before. When I saw that Micro was hitting the shelves I became concerned. Richard Preston’s name made me feel a little better. I loved reading The Hot Zone and thought that he might tread the familiar waters of science fiction successfully… but he drowned.

It hurts me to continue so I will take this review in a different direction. Here is a list of my top five books published by Michael Chrichton. I would recommend you read any of them without hesitation.

Jurassic Park is an amazing book. I know that you have seen the movie and its unfortunate sequels. You will have no problem blocking them from your memories as you dive into the world in Isla Nebular. Great science fiction meets master story telling in this classic thriller.

The Andromeda Strain is my second favorite book by Michael Chrichton. Take every outbreak movie you have ever seen and credit them to this imaginative and too real biological thriller. Bring a dose of space travel and alien germs and you have yourself a contagious best seller.

There is no way that Hollywood was going to capture to mind bending science fiction that is Sphere. A startling discovery is made deep under the sea. Expert scientists are called in to explore this space craft that appears to be over three hundred years old.

The Great Train Robbery is one of Chrichton’s less famous works of fiction. We take a break from science fiction and dive into England’s industrial era. This tale of master thievery is another example of well paced and compelling story telling.

And finally we have Congo, Airframe, and  The Lost World. Sorry, I just couldnt choose. Click any of the book titles to learn more about them on amazon.

You like playing games? What if you could play games for a living? I am not talking about some sort of video game play-tester or board game designer; I am talking about an everyday working person making a game out of their life’s work. That is, in part, what Aaron Dignan proposes in his book Game Frame. The subtle reads, using games as a strategy for success and he delivers a clear formula for turning mind numbing work into play. Dignan walks us through the ten levels (chapters) as he paints a picture of behavioral play.The model is made up of ten building blocks that work together to create a game like experience.

The concept of behavioral play is fascinating. I tore my way through each chapter in one sitting and cant wait to design my own game. What is more interesting is the types of “games” I see around me in my every day life. The checkout page on a web site, the rewards program of my credit card and the gas efficiency meter on my care are just a few that have jumped out to me over these past few weeks. I was expecting a sort of soft pitch, “have fun in a job that you love” message from Dignan’s text but came away with something completely different. He delivers a detailed and highly structured vision of “gaming” that is worthy of looking into. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in sociology or game theory. I cant say that the take aways from this read were obvious. This is a specific read on a specific topic. It is well written and compels you to fly from chapter to chapter. If you are up for a brain bender then follow the links above and check it out!

What job would you like to turn into a game?

Woah, woah… dont let the title fool you. The Art of Manliness is much more than a collection of macho manisims. Brett and Kay McKay aim to paint a picture of the modern day gentleman. Subjects incude gutting a fish, changing a diaper, landing a plane and delivering a baby: everything you need to know to operate as a true man (see: gentleman).

I was surprised by the tone that Brett and Kay took towards the end of the book as they progressed through the superficial qualities of manliness and began to take a closer look at heart matters. I got the feeling that the authors suckered me in with fisticuffs and hit me with paternal advice. It was good! This book lacks any spiritual insight regarding masculinity but still offers a fun look into the life of a modern day gentleman. It was a fun read and I would recommend it for anyone interested in some casual, and sometimes challenging, fun.