Rich Karlgaard

Karlgaard makes a persuasive case for an issue many may not have even known was a concern. (He even admits in the notes section that he could not find a conclusive definition of late bloomers by psychologists or social scientists.) He explains in detail the characteristics and challenges of late bloomers. He then suggests ways late bloomers may come into their own and not feel guilty for peaking later in life. This book will be an encouraging read for those who have not yet found their life direction and for parents of late bloomers.… (más)

I'm in a year-long management seminar and this was our assigned executive book summary reading. If I have time, I like to read the original source to compare, so... As with the last book, the summary was much better. And by design, shorter. Which is what these authors should have striven for. This book spends entirely too much time classifying types of teams. And the "science"? Tenuous connections to anecdotal stories, questionable deductions (the authors cite 2.3 million year old hominid remains of "what appears to be a hunting party [...] suggesting that teams existed even before the members were fully human" - rather a reach for go from "what appears to be" to "teams"), reliance on a suggested limit - Dunbar's number - as explicit evidence to support their specious conclusions...and citing Daniel Goleman as a "noted psychologist"? Okay, just because I think Goleman is a hack, shouldn't impact my reading. And it really didn't. That the authors mentioned Steely Dan, though???? Nah.

Nutshell: Teams should be diverse, but not too diverse. Big enough, but not too big. Creative, but not too creative. Experienced, but not too... You get the picture.

Overly long and self-important. There are much better books out there. Not recommended.… (más)

Team Genius takes a scientific approach to dissecting "teams" and finding out what types of teams are the most effective. Does your project really only need two outstanding people, or will a group of 7 be more effective? I never thought about the importance of teams and the size, personalities, and purposes and how they can positively impact the goals for that team. After reading Team Genius, I will never look at teams the same.

This book is great for businesses to be more effective and it can also be applied to your personal life.

I recommend this book to anyone who has to deal with teams in any manner... be it work, home, sports, etc. It will help you analyze what your needs are, what the goal is, and how to put together the right team to make it come to life.

***I received this book through GoodReads Member Giveaway. The opinion is solely my own.***… (más)

This is a breezy book trying to show things are changing in the United States, and how one geographic location is not as important as it used to be. Rich Karlgaard attempts to show how many smaller cities and towns, are not only more affordable, but overall more livable.

He flies his own small plane to discover what is going on. He starts by fining gloom in upstate New York and abundance in Minnesota. He manages to extol the more stolid mid-western character. He tosses little nuggets and stories throughout the book.

At the end of the book Karlgaard gives capsule reviews of 150 cheap cities in which to live divided up into these categories:
.Porch-Swing Communities (best family-friendly cities)
.Happy Hootervvilles (best small towns)
.IQ Campuses (emerging centers of biotech and infotech)
.Steroid cities (fast growing, business-friendly metro areas)
.Bohemian Bargains (lively inner cities)
Telecommuting Heavens (where to work in your underwear)… (más)