The fundamental purpose of this blog is to highlight effective leadership. For me, this is a way to extend my classroom discussion into the larger world. Since I regularly offer reading suggestions to my class, I will do it here as well. I will place easily accessible book and movie reviews on this blog. Simply click on the category “Books” or “Movies” for specific reviews. Most posts will also have links generously sprinkled into them.
Why would you want to get book or movie reviews from me?
I am a nerd. I have been teaching since 1999. Since I began teaching at the collegiate level full time (2005) I have read a minimum of 100 books a year (I told you I was a nerd).
I am interested in both theory and practice. But as a teacher, I am particularly interested in presenting practices that illustrate theory. I like to connect the dots.
In some posts, I will highlight sections of books that are meaningful. Perhaps there was an interesting thought or particularly interesting illustration. In these posts, I have done the heavy lifting for you. You get the cliff-notes version of the important ideas for free.
At other times, I will recommend an entire book. When I do, if you are a serious student of leadership and management, you may want to consider adding it to your library.
Here are my ground rules for all of my posts:
1. I insert AMAZON.COM links into my posts for further reading (as I have done in this sentence). In class, I often highlight bits from other books or movie clips, so I also do it on my blog.
2. I try to link DIRECTLY to the Kindle edition of the book because personally, I do not like to wait to read a book that currently has my interest. You can read Kindle books on your PC or download a Kindle App to a tablet or a smart phone. You do not need Kindle hardware.
3. The links are affiliate links. I want to provide full disclosure here. That means that for the book you see linked here, that Amazon may pay me 4 cents for a referral. The bad news is that it would take 100 or more purchases for me to buy a decent cup of Starbucks. The good news is that there is NO additional cost to you.
4 My REPUTATION as a professor is worth far more than the 4 cents I might make on a book. If I am recommending it, it is because I personally found it valuable or it is related to the topic of discussion.
5. I will NEVER recommend or promote any item that I cannot stand by. Remember, I am telling you what I read. I am not working for any publishing company. I have sole discretion over what I decide to talk about.
6. EVERYTHING I say and do here has one broader purpose–to add value to you. I want others to become leaders who care about their followers and lead them with compassion. It is my little attempt to banish organizational tyranny wherever I find it.
Happy Reading!
Darin Gerdes, Ph.D.
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Dr. Gerdes is the Director of the MBA Program at Charleston Southern University. All ideas expressed on www.daringerdes.com are his own.