Books on Interpersonal Communication

This is a good subject heading: interpersonal communication. Contains books on people skills, negotiations, arguing, and group interaction.

Good for marketers, advertisers, or just being a businessperson.

Why MySpace Failed

Here's a good BusinessWeek article about why MySpace lost to Facebook. Lotsa of interesting rules that apply to social sites: perception that the wrong crowd had taken over, lack of crowd sourcing applications, and nervous advertisers.

Verified: Internet Articles Badly Written

This is a fascinating article about an AOL writer and his daily routine. Which involved writing unbelievable amounts of print over subjects unfamiliar to the writer.

It is, I suspect, largely how most internet content gets created. As information, it is worthless - it exists only to generate clicks and therefore ad content.

This is the stuff you are reading if you haven't put in the five minutes to learning the library website.

Might I suggest you also read the classic Lippman book Liberty and the News. The problem of low-paid non-expert writers working under deadline is a reason to learn to think for yourself.

Study Skills Books

A link to our books, e-books, videos (some streaming online) on study skills.

Conversation Analysis

Interpersonal skills are everything so read these books about conversation analysis.

You will learn how to draw people out, use humor in conversation, pick up hidden messages, and listen to people. And they will remember you.

Scholarly VS NonScholarly

What is the difference between scholarly and nonscholarly articles? Watch this video to find out.

The librarian also explains how to use scholarly articles more effectively.

Government not Happy with Competing Virtual Currency Bitcoin

A few days ago I posted about Bitcoin, the virtual currency, and wondered if it might catch on in an age of fiat currency instability and inflation.

And...just like that....Bitcoin has attracted the displeased attention of the government.

The government is concerned about Bitcoin being used by drug dealers. Whether or not that is only reason, I will leave for you to decide.

Interesting times.

Memory Training Books

Our books on improving your memory skills.

Not only good for studying, but also good for your business skills. Remembering people's names is very important.

The instant you meet someone, associate their name with a word starting with the same letter.

Bronco Brian. Laughing Laura. Etc. Be nice (!). It's OK to ask someone for their last name again, in my opinion.

Note: you don't tell the person the memory word in front of their name! Be positive though.

It works!

Book Review: Kitchen Confidential

Do not attempt to open a restaurant without reading Kitchen Confidential.

You know Anthony Bourdain as the host of No Reservations, but before that TV gig, he was a multidecade veteran of the restaurant biz.

This book focuses on his initiation into the restaurant industry - both as a worker and later as an owner. It is invaluable reading for anyone thinking - like some of my entrepreneur students - of opening a restaurant or bar.

This is how it goes down - the rhythm of work, your inevitably dysfunctional staff, how the kitchen is run, how to pay for food and secure supplies, etc...

A lot of hilarious and insightful information.

Avatars Explain Ups and Downs of Googling

Private Forms of Currency: The Bitcoin

One of the hallmarks of the future will be currency uncertainty. Whether that takes the form of inflation, deflation, devaluation, revaluation or a combination of these is unclear.

However, people are experimenting with new forms of currency (and they aren't state issued/fiat).

Take the example of Bitcoin.This is an e-commerce currency that is privately created and supposedly designed to guard against the shenanigans that befall fiat currency (inflation, etc...).

As this article points out, freeware Linux was thought to be unworkable as well.

Research Process Explained in Xtranormal

Been experimenting with Xtranormal. This program allows you to type in text for animated characters to say.

In this example, a librarian explains to a patron how to narrow a research focus.

Future Advertising Will Tilt Toward the Wealthy

In this AdAge white paper, the authors point out that almost half of consumer spending now comes from the upper echelon of American incomes. This contrasts with previous patterns of American consumption in which the middle class dominated consumer spending.

In other words, classic American advertising used to reflect the mentality of the the middle class.

Now get ready for ads that appeal to the upper class.