Most Recent Articles
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Blog / ChangeThis
How Algorithmic Thinking Can Help You Think Smarter
By Ali Almossawi
"What's fascinating is that Babylonian tablets from the second millennium BCE reveal that ancient Babylonians wrote down their procedures for determining things like, say, compound interest or the width and length of a cistern given its height and volume using algorithms. And all throughout history, and in a variety of domains, one can see approaches to problems that resemble what we refer to today as algorithms. That realization is intriguing for a number of reasons. One, it shows that this way of thinking about problems is rooted in ancient history. Two, it shows that it is domain-agnostic. And so, if one were to consider how best to make algorithms compelling to the broadest audience, it seems only natural to strive to not sell the field short, by describing it in its narrowest form, but to rather frame it as a tool for thinking, and a general-purpose one at that. One that can be applied to everyday problems that may have nothing at all to do with computers."
Categories: changethis
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Blog / ChangeThis
The Downsides of the Urban Revival: The New Urban Crisis and How We Come to Grips With It
By Richard Florida
"In little more than a decade, the revitalization of our cities and our urban areas that I had predicted was giving rise to rampant gentrification and unaffordability, driving deep wedges between affluent newcomers and struggling longtime residents. What troubled me most of all was the decline of the great middle-class neighborhoods that had formed the backbones of our cities and broader society for most of my life. This was the kind of neighborhood I'd been born into, in Newark, and grown up in, in North Arlington. This was the kind of neighborhood I had hoped the new creative class was bringing back to our cities. But now, these once sturdy middle-class neighborhoods were disappearing right before my eyes. I entered into a period of rethinking and introspection, of personal and intellectual transformation, of which this book is the result. I began to see the back-to-the-city movement as something that conferred a disproportionate share of its benefits on a small group of places and people.
Categories: changethis
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Blog / ChangeThis
Conflict Isn't The Problem. It's The Solution.
By Nate Regier PhD
"It's not surprising that when I Google the word 'conflict,' the terms 'resolution,' 'mediation,' 'management,' and 'reduction' pop up. All of these words convey an important message about our association with conflict; that it needs to be managed, reduced, resolved and mediated. The problem with conflict mediation, conflict management, and conflict reduction is that each one positions conflict as the culprit. Whether intended or not, these labels and much of the methods used in the conflict and communication fields reinforce the misconception that if we can remove the conflict, things will be better. When we mediate, manage, or reduce the conflict, we necessarily reduce the energy available for productive problem-solving. When we respect the tension and use that energy to create instead of destroy, the results can be transformative."
Categories: changethis
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Blog / ChangeThis
Why NEVER to Give Another Elevator Speech: Surprising Ways to Connect with Anyone, Anytime
By Sam Horn
"Never again give an elevator SPEECH. Never again explain what you do and/or what you're trying to get a YES to. Never again 'Tell people what you're going to tell them.' Instead, ask instead of explain. Open with "Do you know ... ?" "Did you know ... ?" or "Have you ever... ?" questions that transform monologues into dialogues. Turn confusion into clarity and connection by creating relevant, two-way communications that add value for all involved."
Categories: changethis
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Blog / Excerpts
The Great Questions of Tomorrow: The Ideas that Will Remake the World
By 800-CEO-READ
David Rothkopf's new book confronts profound questions about the nature of disruption on human behavior, creativity, economic activity, and human understanding that our shaping our collective future.
Categories: excerpts
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Blog / Book Giveaways
The Diamond Process: How to Fix Your Organization and Effectively Lead People
By Porchlight
Mike Diamond and Chris Harding have written a book about the importance of developing and leading process as well as people.
Categories: giveaways
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Blog / Staff Picks
Redefining Resilience and Telling a New Life Story: Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant's Option B
Book Review by Sally Haldorson
This is what Option B offers: for the grieving, a guide to recovery and resilience; for the empathetic, a guide to responding and respecting others whose life stories we can’t pretend to know.
Categories: staff-picks
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Blog / Editor's Choice
The New Urban Crisis: How Our Cities Are Increasing Inequality, Deepening Segregation, and Failing the Middle Class—and What We Can Do About It
Book Review by Dylan Schleicher
Richard Florida's new book deepens his thoughts on the economic power of urbanism, detailing its negative consequences as well as its continued promise.
Categories: editors-choice
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Blog / Excerpts
All In: How Women Entrepreneurs Can Think Bigger, Build Sustainable Businesses, and Change the World
By 800-CEO-READ
Stephanie Breedlove's new book is written specifically for women entrepreneurs, but many of its lessons—like how to create a company of owners—are important for all leaders.
Categories: excerpts
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Blog / Book Giveaways
Extreme You : Step Up. Stand Out. Kick Ass. Repeat.
By Porchlight
Sarah Robb O'Hagan's new book is "a training program for becoming the best version of yourself."
Categories: giveaways
