I have two clients in a shifting online space who've both bought this book for their entire teams. It's a fanciful parable about a colony of penguins living in happy denial on an iceberg. When a member of the colony discovers the berg is -- you guessed it -- melting, it becomes a discussion of organizational and individual response to change. Having listened to Harvard Business School professor John Kotter lecture (via acetate sheets on an overhead projector, no less!), it was a little jarring to see his message dressed up as a children's book. But it is effective nonetheless. What I haven't heard yet is how much momentum the book has created for effective change management in the organizations that embrace it. But who doesn't like penguins?

Don't hate Steven Johnson because he was the smartest, deepest guy at your college. Especially not when he brings such great story telling ability to such a fascinating and weighty topic. Anybody who is trying to get your organization to generate good ideas (or who is just on a personal quest for creativity and fresh thinking) will be immediately impacted by the accessible examples and sharp insights in this book. Concept like "The Adjacent Possible" help us understand big innovative new ideas like You Tube. And the story of the physicist who struggled for years in his lab over a thorny problem, only to have the answer dawn on him during a forced march once conscripted into the French army -- light bulbs indeed. This is one you should buy for your whole management team -- then send them to a coffee house to talk it over (You'll find out what that means when you read it.)

After having seen Mitch Joel speak at a local event, I really wanted to love this book. As it is, the book and I decided to settle for just being friends. The best things about the book are the tactical tips for how to get more engaged with social media. Some are concrete ("Make a list of ten top bloggers in your field to engage with") and others are a bit loopy ("Host a Geek Dinner!") But to get to the tips you have to slog through an overly long litany of social bromides. (I know, I know..."Be Genuine!") It's at its worst when Joel start quoting other smart, shaven headed hipsters (Seth Godin, Chris Anderson) and you realize you've gone down a rabbit hole of pop marketing wisdom. I would have loved "Six Pixels" at a third the size.

When you start to read this unassuming little fable, your own sense of fabulousness and swagger will try to convince you that it's too simplistic and corny to be worth your time. Fight through that urge and read on. This short read -- it will take all of two hours to finish -- brings a kind of zen quality to the sales career; it teaches you to embrace generosity and abundance. In the world of the Go-Giver, those who clutch and claw and protect ultimately lose. This one might not only make you a better seller, it may make you a better person.

This is a fast and very readable work about the currency and value of curation within the media and information universe. In a world of infinite choice, context is the ultimate luxury and Rosenbaum seems convinced that providing it will fall more and more often to the consumers themselves. Not exhaustive, somewhat repetitive, but worthwhile for a plane flight. Bring your highlighter and save a few quotes and memes for your next board discussion.