Books Recommended By Kelsey Ruger

Slide:ology

Saturday, August 29th, 2009

Most people will have to create a slide deck  at some point in their career. Odds are that when this happens they will start by opening Powerpoint and putting lots of bullets on the page.  This approach makes your slide deck more of a crutch than an aid to communicating your message. If this is [...]

Thinker Toys (2nd Edition)

Saturday, August 29th, 2009

I own a pretty large library of book related to creativity and creative thinking. Some of those books I end up going back to quite often because they contain really good practice material or make a great reference source for training classes and workshops. Thinker Toys by creativity expert Michael Michalko is definitely one because it is full of practical exercises intended to help the average person build their innate creative abilities.

Give Your Speech Change The World

Saturday, August 29th, 2009

How much do your remember about the last presentation you attended? Not much? Don’t feel bad because the majority of people are in the same boat. In fact most audiences remember only 10% to 30% of speech or presentation content. Lot’s of times when people get up to speak to an audience it becomes more [...]

The Experience Economy

Saturday, August 29th, 2009

What happens when people began to value the experience of receiving a service or product more than the tangible item that was delivered? In The Experience Economy Joseph Pine & James Gilmore explore how companies have begun to successfully  use goods and services as components for delivering experiences that engage customers in a personal way. [...]

What A Great Idea 2.0

Saturday, August 29th, 2009

Author Chic Thompson knows that everyone wants to be more creative—and he knows how to make it possible. That’s why the Harvard Business School released a case study on him. Thompson has had unparalleled success teaching readers how to harness their ingenuity to generate new product ideas, resolve difficulties in the workplace, and overcome bureaucratic language and “killer phrases” that stifle innovation.

The Story Factor

Saturday, August 29th, 2009

This is one of my favorite business books, period. It has been a foundational piece in how to teach, speak and explain complex issues. I would recommend the book for anyone who speaks on a regular basis, whether it be to an audience of 200 or an 1. I think most importantly the book illustrates that facts don’t always tdo the best job of winning people over or persuading them. In fact (no pun intended) emotionally based stories can have a much bigger impact than a traditional argument or plain facts.

A Whole New Mind

Saturday, August 22nd, 2009

In his latest book, bestselling author Daniel H. Pink offersa unique perspective on what it will take for individuals and organizations to move from the Information Age to what he calls the Conceptual Age. He believes that there are six essential aptitudes — Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play, and Meaning that will be meaning as [...]

Think And Grow Rich

Saturday, August 22nd, 2009

Think and Grow Rich is one of those classic books that I think everyone should read at least once, although most people end up referring to it often. Even though 70 years have passed since the book was originally written it is still a very practical guide to success and is probably the catalyst for [...]

Do You Matter?

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

Do You Matter is a different type of marketing book because it asks us to look at the role of design in a very different way. Many companies are beginning to see the competitive advantages that outstanding design can provide. The problem that many run into seriously roadblocks when figuring out exactly how to go [...]

Change the Way You See Everything

Sunday, March 15th, 2009

About two years ago my good friend Erica O’Grady called me while she was sitting on the floor at the bookstore and said “Kelsey you have to read a book I found“. Now, those of us who know Erica knows that when something really excites her it’s difficult to contain her passion for it. Now [...]