Capitalogix

Interesting TedTalk with Nicholas Christakis About Our Modern, Connected Lives

We're all embedded in vast social networks of friends, family, co-workers and more. Nicholas Christakis tracks how a wide variety of traits -- from happiness to obesity -- can spread from person to person, showing how your location in the network might impact your life in ways you don't even know.

His work shows how phenomena as diverse as obesity, smoking, emotions, ideas, germs, and altruism can spread through our social ties, and how genes can partially underlie our creation of social ties to begin with. His work also sheds light on how we might take advantage of an understanding of social networks to make the world a better place.

Christakis explains that he and James Fowler (co-author of Connected) have become obsessed with trying to figure out how and why we form networks and how and why they affect us.

Once you start mapping these networks -- they’re so intricate and so beautiful and so interesting -- you just can’t help but wonder why we humans make them. Why does a spider weave its web? Why does the web have a particular kind of shape? It’s not a coincidence. You look at these webs and you think, “My God, what purpose do they serve? And, how do they affect us?”

Watch his TedTalk presentation, "The Hidden Influence of Social Networks".

Here is the web site for their book Connected.  And here is a link to another interview.

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Here Is a Book I Got Great Value From Reading - Rework

I just read a business book worth sharing.  It is Rework, by 37 Signals partners, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson.

We started using 37signals' web-based applications: Basecamp (for project management), Campfire (for work-group chat), and Backpack (for knowledge management).  These are simple, focused tools designed to help you collaborate, get organized, and to get things done.

The software is terrific, and so is the philosophy behind it.  37signals got so much positive feedback from their blog … they parlayed it into a best-selling book.

Why Is the Book Relevant?

Rework is about the business, design, programming, and marketing philosophies of a developer that makes web-based software used by millions of people.

What's In It For Me?

It is easy to find value, fresh perspectives, and inspiration in this practical book. At less than 300 pages, it's a quick read too. Each chapter is only a page or two, so it's a great airplane or nightstand book.

Also, they proudly present ideas in bold strokes; clearly favoring provocative over wishy-washy.  For example, 37signals proclaims it builds software products with the least number of features necessary. In other words, their products intentionally do less than their competition.

Here is a Partial List of the Essays in the Book.

This list will give you a sense of the book and its tone.  Click the image for a more complete list.
 

I don't agree with some of what they preach.  Yet, it is easy to get lots of value quickly from the book.  Another way I know it is good, is that it is making its way around the office; and I often hear people referencing it and referring to it.  All-in-all, it is worth reading.

Here is a video of Jason Fried on Big Think.

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Delivering Happiness

I've been reading a pretty good new book that is an interesting mix of stories, life-lessons, and business content.  It combines a behind the scenes peek into the situations, emails, checklists, sample interview questions, and "Happiness Framework" that led to some surprising results.

For example, here are Zappos' Core Values from which they develop their culture, brand, and business strategies:

1. Deliver WOW Through Service
2. Embrace and Drive Change
3. Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
4. Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
5. Pursue Growth and Learning
6. Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
7. Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
8. Do More With Less
9. Be Passionate and Determined
10. Be Humble

Why Should You Care?

In 1999, Tony Hsieh (pronounced Shay) sold LinkExchange, the company he co-founded, to Microsoft for $265 million. He then joined Zappos as an adviser and investor, and eventually became CEO.

In 2009, Zappos was listed as one of Fortune magazine's top 25 companies to work for, and was acquired by Amazon later that year in a deal valued at over $1.2 billion on the day of closing.

So, you might guess that he learned a few things about what worked, and what didn't.

In his first book, Tony shares the different business lessons he learned in life, from a lemonade stand and pizza business through LinkExchange, Zappos, and more. Ultimately, he shows how using happiness as a framework can produce profits, passion, and purpose both in business and in life.

Here is a video of Tony Hsieh on Delivering Happiness.

Zappos is Famous For Their Culture.  Here's a Taste of It.

Here is Tony's BigThink video explaining his company's culture and belief that managers should "hang-out" with staff after work.

Other Resources.

• Here is a link to the book Delivering Happiness.
• Here is a link to the Delivering Happiness Blog site.
• Here is a link to other Delivering Happiness resources.

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A Father's Day Investment Guaranteed to Pay Dividends.

My kids are getting older.  So Father's Day looks a little different than it used to.

But as I look back, there is an investment I made that paid-off in a big way, and I want to share it with you.

Like many parents, I wanted to teach my children that, to a large extent, they control what happens to them. One of the first ways I did that was to set up a "compensation system" for them to earn video games.

Some parents try to limit the amount of time their kids spend watching TV or playing video games. I tried something different.  Instead, my kids earned their games by reading books.  Here is a photo from way back then.

Paid With Play.

Here's how it worked. When they were younger, 10 books was enough to earn a small game. When they finished a book, it was their right, and my obligation, to take them to the bookstore for us to pick up the next book together. Likewise, when they finished the requisite number of books, it was their right, and my obligation, to take them to the computer store or game store for them to choose any game they wanted.

When they finished hundred books, they got a bonus of earning the next game system. That meant if they had a Nintendo, they could now also get a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360.

How Can You Encourage a Jump to the Next Level?

There came a point when I wanted one of my sons to start reading grown-up books. He was comfortable reading a certain type of book, and didn't want to read the kind of books that I read.  So, I created a bonus system that counted a particular book as three books.  I didn't force him; I just let the easier path to a reward "whisper" in his ear what to read. Once he finished that, he never went back to teen fiction.

It Is a Great Way to Learn About Your Kids.

I also used the bookstore visits to get a sense of how the boys were doing. For example, I might say "I notice that you read five books in that series, maybe you'd like this book".  Or, "That sure is a lot of science fiction; what was the last biography you read?"  For the most part, though, I didn't care what they read.  The key was to get them to want to choose certain books for their own reasons.  Ultimately, their preference meant they were learning to love reading.

It Puts Them In Control of Their Destiny and Rewards.

My younger son likes competition. He also broke or misplaced many things. So, in order to earn back the Game Boy unit that he lost, I challenged him to read five books in five days. These weren't easy books either. It was designed to stretch him, and also to teach him that he could read a book a night. The bet was that he either finished all the books in the allocated time, or none of them counted towards games or Game Boys. On the other hand, if he read a book a night for two weeks, not only would he get to have his Game Boy back, the books would count towards a game too. It worked like a charm, and we were both happy.

So, Who Got the Better Bargain?

As they started to get into their teenage years, I needed to up the ante a little. So, 500 books meant they got a laptop of their choice. Both boys cashed in, and probably felt like they were taking advantage of their dad.

I got what I wanted, though; both my boys love reading, and know that they can accomplish anything they put their minds to … one step at a time.

That's an investment that will pay dividends for a long time.

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I Played With an iPad, and I Liked it

The iPad is a revolutionary machine. I had a chance to spend time using one this weekend.

Overall, the experience was impressive and compelling.

The screen was beautiful. Looking at a website was better than expected. For example, reading the New York Times online (using their iPad App) was, in many ways, a better experience than with the actual paper. Likewise, the e-book interface was stunning, easy to use, and also more compelling than paper.

An Incredible "Consumption" Device.

At first glance, the iPad seems like an incredible tool to consume media.

• If you like to sit on your couch and read the paper or magazines, the iPad will clearly make that better.  Why?  Because you will have a much wider range of reading material available in one place, along with access to multimedia, streaming video and internet links.
• If you play Sudoku or crosswords, again, the iPad will clearly make that better. You will have access to extra games, more varieties of games, and the ability to play against other people.
• If you want to do research for something you're writing, it's the perfect platform to browse through websites, blogs, or to launch a news reader to scan RSS feeds.
• You can even use it to watch videos and browse through pictures.

Here is a video review.

So, will I buy one?  Not yet; and I do have some mixed feelings about this device.

So What Was "Wrong" With It?

To be sure, it is fast and powerful enough to do many of the things I do on a laptop. However, I don't think that it's a great "creation" device (at least for me). In other words, I don't believe that I would want to use it to do extensive writing, spreadsheet editing, or that type of "computer" work.

Also, its big beautiful screen makes the device "too big" for me to imagine carrying around.

One of the primary benefits of my iPhone is that I have it with me everywhere.  That means I use it at the grocery store, while I'm waiting for my car at the car-wash, and to look up something during a business meeting or lunch.  That wouldn't happen with the iPad. 

Instead, I'd want one in my briefcase, another one in the living room, and another in the bedroom.

Again, the iPad seems designed to be a "consumption" device for media.  As the price point comes down, I believe that consumers will buy several of them (much the way they have TVs in different rooms).

Even though it so impressive and compelling, I will probably wait for its next generation before buying. 

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A Reminder of Simple Truths

Here is a link to short video by Mac Anderson of Simple Truths.

It is a collection of quotes and simple truths set to music.  Hope you have a good week.

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Simon Sinek Says "Start with Why"

Inspiration is stronger than persuasion.  It gives people a sense of purpose and belonging that has little to do with external incentive or benefit.

Simon Sinek, who is quite charismatic and well-spoken, is delivering this message to a rapidly growing fan-base. 

My team thought Simon was inspiring, engaging and insightful.

You can watch a short video that introduces his material below. 

In addition, you can explore more of his ideas in his book,
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action.

An Example of Finding the Right Person for a Job.

Who do you believe will do a better job, someone who takes a job because of the salary and benefits ... or someone truly inspired to accomplish the job's purpose? 

Phrased that way, of course you know the answer.  Still, how can you leverage this to better select customers and employees?

For example, Simon uses the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton to illustrate this concept.  Shackleton was preparing to lead the first expedition across Antarctica in 1914. Legend has it that when seeking crew members for his journey, Shackleton placed the following ad in a newspaper:

"MEN WANTED FOR HAZARDOUS JOURNEY. SMALL WAGES, BITTER COLD, LONG MONTHS OF COMPLETE DARKNESS, CONSTANT DANGER, SAFE RETURN DOUBTFUL. HONOUR AND RECOGNITION IN CASE OF SUCCESS.
- SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON"

When the expedition became stuck in the ice and could not be rescued for 22 months, not a single man was lost. The reason Simon gave for their unlikely survival was that Shackleton hired survivors that could deal with the situation and were aligned with the mission and purpose.

Can you imagine writing an ad like that to attract the right people to your cause?

Watch This Video.

Here is a video of Simon speaking at a Ted Conference.  It is a great intro to his stuff. 

Other Resources:

• Here is a link to Simon's Blog.
• Here is a link to Videos of Simon.
• Here is a link to an article on why to know someone else's Why.
• Here is a link to Simon's Book: Start with Why.

Related Posts:

• Getting Ready for the New Year.
• Sometimes Simple is Better.
• Is Knowing How and Why Enough?
• The Flow of Planning.

Palin and Shatner's Strange Word War

Words alone, won't do this justice.  You should watch for yourself.

Sarah Palin and William Shatner channel something strangely reminiscent of beatnik poetry or Haiku.

Enjoy.

It is like a competitive poetry performance, except they are reading each other's words out of context.

Other Resources:

• This is generating some press.
• Here is a link to Palin's book, Going Rogue: An American Life.

 

A Matter of Perspective

What could turn this boy, who I happily go to Cowboys games with ...

... Into this boy?

When it happened, I posted this comment on Twitter: "My high-school age son came home today as a Platinum Blond. Hooray ... it makes guessing 'What's Next' so much more fun." 

The responses were clever.  One guy said: "Grounding is next, I expect."  Someone else thought providing a little contrast would help. They said: "Here's what could be next ... Well, hope not ... but you never know".  Click this link to see what they were referring to.

As it turns out, his blondness was something many football players did to celebrate their team making the play-offs and getting to play at the new Cowboys' Stadium.

Somehow (in this context) he looks better to me already ... But he doesn't have my burst of slowness, yet.

The point is that many things we initially perceive one way, may turn out to be something quite different all-together.

Here is a Story to Illustrate This Better ... And to Make it Stick.

This is another one of those stories I get, in different forms, from time-to-time.

It is called "Who Knows?" And sometimes it is told as an old story from China, while other times it is set during the American Civil War.

Nevertheless, "Who Knows?" is one of those  "sticky" stories that people like to re-shape and re-tell.  So, with no further ado, here it is for you to read for yourself.

Who Knows?

A farmer's horse ran away one day and all the villagers came to him saying, Oh what bad luck you've had! Your horse that you need to do your work is gone!

The farmer shrugged his shoulders and said, Good luck, bad luck. Who knows?

Several days later, the farmer's horse returned, followed by a herd of wild horses!

Oh what good luck you have, cried the same villagers! Not only has your horse returned, he has brought you many horses!

The farmer again shrugged his shoulders and said, Good luck, bad luck. Who knows?

One day not long after, the farmer's son was trying to break one of the wild horses. He was thrown off the horse and broke his leg.

Oh what bad luck you have! Cried the villagers. Now your son has a broken leg. Who will help you?

The farmer shrugged his shoulders and said, Good luck, bad luck. Who knows?

Not long after, as the son was recuperating, an army came through the village and took all the young males to fight in a war in another region. They did not take the farmer's son because of his broken leg.

Oh what good luck you have! The villagers cried once again. Your son has been spared being taken off to war because of his broken leg!

The farmer shrugged his shoulders and said, Good luck, bad luck. Who knows?

We Don't Know ... Yet.

This is a great story to remember when you're projecting far beyond the present moment ... or even when you're just worrying about what will happen next?

The things we think are good fortune can often have bad endings; and vice-versa. How many times have you looked back on what seemed like bad luck, when it happened, but later realized that it was the start of something better?

Made to Stick: 

This story reminded me of the book by Chip and Dan Heath, called Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die.  It is a fascinating explanation about what makes an idea memorable or interesting.

The premise is that you should focus on the six things that make ideas stick – which they summed up in the mnemonic "SUCCES" (yes, I know that success has two "s"s at the end ... I didn't make up the acronym).  Here is what that represents:

• Simple — find the core of any idea;
• Unexpected — grab people's attention by surprising them;
• Concrete — make sure an idea can be grasped and remembered later;
• Credibility — give an idea believability;
• Emotion — help people see the importance of an idea;
• Stories — empower people to use an idea through narrative.

Other Resources:

• Link to the Book: Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
• Link to the Heath Brothers' Made to Stick Website
• Link to Videos about Made to Stick.

Review of Alphatrends' Book on Technical Analysis Using Multiple Time Frames

This is one of the few books that I recommend to traders regardless of their expertise. There's something valuable in here for novice traders, and perhaps even more for experienced traders.

The book was written by Brian Shannon. He is a professional trader; and he has developed quite a following on Twitter under the name "AlphaTrends".

Over the years, I've read many books about trading, the markets, and psychology. This book is a very nice combination of those topics, with some common sense thrown in for good measure.

What is in the Book?

The book starts by explaining some basic technical analysis concepts, like trends, moving averages, and support & resistance levels.  Next, Shannon explores some of the common volume and market patterns (dealing with what to expect, and why it happens that way).

He also talks about the four stages of a stock's economic cycle. Whether you call it expansion, peak, decline, and recovery ... or ... accumulation, mark-up, distribution, and decline ... these four stages show-up repeatedly, in different stocks and on different time frames. Recognizing these cycles, and what they mean, is a good step forward in understanding the markets and which techniques are most likely to work in a particular market condition.

The Disciplined Trader.

Along the way, he also does a nice job pointing out some of the nuances of trading, from risk management to exit strategies.  This is a book that balances opportunity with defense and discipline. 

I appreciate that the book focuses on the risk management side of trading, and doesn't pretend that there are magic indicators or trading systems. He stresses that risk management and position sizing are more important than what you choose to trade.

More Than Patterns: The Entry and Exit Matter Too.

Shannon states that his edge is based on observing the market clearly and objectively, then implementing trades based on what the market dictates. He teaches to initiate a trade only when you have a perceived edge and the price action confirms your theories.

He warns that the most difficult job on Wall Street is picking tops and bottoms.  There are lots of lower risk ways to trade.  For example, while trend following is one of the techniques he advocates, he explains how using multiple time frames helps you identify trend alignment, which you can then use to help place trades during situations where you have a better edge.

Common Sense Insights About the Markets Isn't as Common You Might Hope.

As Shannon describes the different patterns, he does a nice job of providing charts and narrative to explain what's happening, what some buyers might be thinking, and why he takes (or avoids) trades at different points in time.

He cautions that the market is not always rational and "reasons" are often revealed only after price has moved.

I like that reading this book feels like you're having a conversation with someone who really knows what they're talking about.  And as you get further through the conversation, you realize that you're making progress, learning new things, making new distinctions, and putting things together in a way you hadn't thought of before.

This book doesn't talk down to readers; yet, it doesn't try to dazzle them either. It's well-written, balanced, and full of practical ideas and insights.

Bottom Line, it's certainly worth reading.

In addition, click the picture below to watch a recent video he did about what's happening in the market.  It is a nice example of his trading style.

Other Resources:

• Here is a link to the website for his book.
• Here is a link to his StockTwits blog.
• Here is a link to a collection of charts he posts.
• Here is a link to a video he did for the CBOE this month.
• Here is a link to a video about his experience and techniques.