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The Dark Net, by Jamie Bartlett

November 22, 2016 by Pedro Mendes Leave a Comment

The Dark Net, by Jamie Bartlett

I got this book a while ago but just read it now. I'm not sure why, but now was when I felt like it. In it, Jamie Bartlett delves deep into the dark net and reveals some of its secrets. He goes into legal and illegal sites and forums, and explores and explains their existence. Child and adult pornography, transhumanism, trolling, bitcoin, and drugs online markets are some of … [Read more...]

Bold, by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler

June 26, 2015 by Pedro Mendes Leave a Comment

Bold, by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler

Bold is the follow up to "Abundance", that I haven't read, I must say. But it stands on its own, don't worry. The book is divided into three big sections. First, the authors talk about the promise and reality of the five exponential technologies: Networks and sensors, Artificial intelligence, Infinite computing, Robotics, and Genomics. In the second part of the book, … [Read more...]

Digital Branding, by Daniel Rowles

June 12, 2015 by Pedro Mendes Leave a Comment

Digital Branding, by Daniel Rowles

Branding... Subject of much discussion. In my opinion, branding is the sum total of what all the people around you (Company, Brand, Product) say about you. And the author seems to agree. You can sure do a lot to influence and affect what others think of you, otherwise this book would make no sense, but after that it's the public, audience, consumer, customer, who … [Read more...]

Business Model You, by Timothy Clark and Alexander Osterwalder

June 5, 2015 by Pedro Mendes Leave a Comment

Business Model You, by Timothy Clark and Alexander Osterwalder

After the big success of Business Model Generation, the authors decided to apply the business canvas to the person itself, in an effort to improve many different aspects: Work, personal, relationships, etc. The book goes through every sector of the canvas, explaining how it applies to oneself, giving many practical examples of people who used it successfully. One main … [Read more...]

Good Strategy/Bad Strategy, by Richard Rumelt

May 29, 2015 by Pedro Mendes Leave a Comment

Good Strategy/Bad Strategy, by Richard Rumelt

Strategy is a crucial part of leading and management, but it's often overlooked, undervalued, or misused. Richard Rumelt hopes to clear things up with his book "Good Strategy/Bad Strategy". He gives us the three elements of what he calls the Kernel of good strategy: a) a diagnose of the current situation, b) a guiding policy, and c) a set of actions to carry out the … [Read more...]

Anything you Want, by Derek Sivers

May 22, 2015 by Pedro Mendes Leave a Comment

Anything you Want, by Derek Sivers

In his short bio on his site, Derek Sivers describes himself as "Programmer, writer, entrepreneur, avid student of life". And that's exactly what he is. In his book "Anything you want" that I had read when it came out and just reread, he tells of the journey of founding CD Baby untill selling it for $22 million a few years later. He's an entrepreneur unlike any other. His … [Read more...]

Books read in 2014

January 2, 2015 by Pedro Mendes Leave a Comment

Books read in 2014

As you probably noticed already, I read a lot. It's one of my greatest pleasures. I take a book with me everywhere I go. It keeps me company, I learn immensely, and so I develop. Here's the full list of books I read in 2014. Some have to do with the topics of this site, some don't. But I thought I'd share it anyway. They range from fiction, to business and management, to … [Read more...]

Networks of Outrage and Hope, by Manuel Castells

December 30, 2014 by Pedro Mendes Leave a Comment

Networks of Outrage and Hope, by Manuel Castells

Manuel Castells is a mandatory author if you do any studies in the areas of Sociology, namely communication studies. He has several 500+ page books that some of you may find interesting. However, "Networks of Outrage and Hope" is a much smaller book, dealing with the social movements that have appeared a little all over the world. From the Arab uprisings, to the Ocupy … [Read more...]

The Lean Startup, by Eric Ries

October 10, 2014 by Pedro Mendes Leave a Comment

The Lean Startup, by Eric Ries

I'll start this post like I started my last book review: Most startups fail. That's a fact of life. The question is, how can we do it so that the chances of succeeding are higher? Eric Ries proposes a new approach that he tested in the companies he worked for, with good results. Terms like Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and Pivot became popular after this book. You … [Read more...]

The E-Myth Revisited, by Michael E. Gerber

October 2, 2014 by Pedro Mendes Leave a Comment

The E-Myth Revisited, by Michael E. Gerber

The sad truth is that a huge percentage of small businesses fail in the first few years. All those plans of making it big on your own crumble to the floor. Michael E. Gerber takes us on a journey of transformation, from what I'd call an "amateur" company to a "professional" one. He starts by defining and distinguishing the three roles present in a company: The Technician, … [Read more...]

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