Coming to the end of the year, I I thought I would share a list of the best books I have read in 2014 that I think other market researchers might like to read. Now not all of these are new books by any means so forgive me if you have yourself read half of them.
This will make you smarter
This book is a compendium of scientific and philosophical ideas in one of two page essays on quite a remarkable cross section of topics. There are some really exciting thought packed into this book that I think market researcher could make good use of. I think reading it really did make me a little smarter!
Expert Political Judgment: How Good Is It? How Can We Know?
Philip E. Tetlock
Philip Tetlock's thinking has had more influence on how I think about conducting market research than any one person this year. I was introduced to this book by Walker Smith from the Futures Company and I would recommend that anyone who has an interest in the science of prediction should read this book. Learn that political experts are not quite as good as chimps tossing coins at predicting things!
I realise this book is a few years old now, and I wish I had read it sooner. There are so many really important ideas stuffed into this book that market researcher can use in their every day research. Its both inspiring and useful.
This small thumbnail belies a bloody thick book which I have to admit to not to have read every page of. It looks at strategy from all sorts of angles from war through to politics and summarizes the thinking of every major strategist in history including the likes of Sun Tzu, Napoleon and Machiavelli. There is loads of great thinking for market researchers to digest. And probably even more valuable incites for anyone running a business. It contains a detailed look game theory and the trials and issues with trying to apply strategy in real life. There is some sage advice in this book
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This book is a really helps explain the basics of shopping decision making and is a compendium of behavioral economic theory, an important topic for nearly all market researchers to understand - I really like the way it uses visual examples to explain some of the theory making it an effortless read. This book should be on every market researchers shelf.
This book should really be titled, 100 things market researchers designing surveys and presentations should know about people! ...And everyone involved in either of these task encouraged to read this. Loads and loads of really clear, sensible advice.
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I rather immersed myself in reading sports stats books this year. The way that data is transforming sporting strategy, there are lessons to be learnt by the whole of the market research industry. As an English person with a love of football, I feel rather a bounden duty to promote the Numbers game which looks at how statistical data has changed how the game is played. I loved this book and I am afraid I bored senseless everyone I knew who had any interest in football quoting incites from it. I also read Money Ball this year too which is the classic opus on how a proper understanding of stats transformed the fortunes of a major league baseball team, it is a great story and lovely read.
Jaron Lanier
Andy Nyman
This is a lovely little book, you can read in one short sitting. Why though do I recommend market researchers read it? Well not because it teaches you anything about acting more about life and humanity and dealing with failure and the right approach to challenges. There is not much difference in my mind to going for an audition and going and doing a pitch presentation. I took some heart from reading this book.
Want to see some other book recommendations? Try this site:
http://inspirationalshit.com/booklist#
Love to hear your recommendations for books I might read in 2015 tweet me @jonpuleston
Philip Tetlock's thinking has had more influence on how I think about conducting market research than any one person this year. I was introduced to this book by Walker Smith from the Futures Company and I would recommend that anyone who has an interest in the science of prediction should read this book. Learn that political experts are not quite as good as chimps tossing coins at predicting things!
The Signal and the Noise: The Art and Science of Prediction
I realise this book is a few years old now, and I wish I had read it sooner. There are so many really important ideas stuffed into this book that market researcher can use in their every day research. Its both inspiring and useful.
Strategy: A History
This small thumbnail belies a bloody thick book which I have to admit to not to have read every page of. It looks at strategy from all sorts of angles from war through to politics and summarizes the thinking of every major strategist in history including the likes of Sun Tzu, Napoleon and Machiavelli. There is loads of great thinking for market researchers to digest. And probably even more valuable incites for anyone running a business. It contains a detailed look game theory and the trials and issues with trying to apply strategy in real life. There is some sage advice in this book
Decoded: The Science Behind Why We Buy
This book is a really helps explain the basics of shopping decision making and is a compendium of behavioral economic theory, an important topic for nearly all market researchers to understand - I really like the way it uses visual examples to explain some of the theory making it an effortless read. This book should be on every market researchers shelf.
This book should really be titled, 100 things market researchers designing surveys and presentations should know about people! ...And everyone involved in either of these task encouraged to read this. Loads and loads of really clear, sensible advice.
The Curve: Turning Followers into Superfans
I read this after reading a very enthusastic linkedin review by Ray Poynter, thank you! It persuaded me to buy it. There are some nice radical ideas in here about how to market things by giving things away and at the same at the other end of the scale offering premium high price solutions for the those willing to pay for them.
The Numbers Game: Why Everything You Know About Football is Wrong
Chris Anderson (Author), David Sally (Author)
I rather immersed myself in reading sports stats books this year. The way that data is transforming sporting strategy, there are lessons to be learnt by the whole of the market research industry. As an English person with a love of football, I feel rather a bounden duty to promote the Numbers game which looks at how statistical data has changed how the game is played. I loved this book and I am afraid I bored senseless everyone I knew who had any interest in football quoting incites from it. I also read Money Ball this year too which is the classic opus on how a proper understanding of stats transformed the fortunes of a major league baseball team, it is a great story and lovely read.
Who owns the future?
This book has an important message about the impact of the digital economy on our future I cite from the book directly as it best explains "In the past, a revolution in production, such as the industrial revolution, generally increased the wealth and freedom of people. The digital revolution we are living through is different. Instead of leaving a greater number of us in excellent financial health, the effect of digital" Worth a read!
The golden rules of Acting
This is a lovely little book, you can read in one short sitting. Why though do I recommend market researchers read it? Well not because it teaches you anything about acting more about life and humanity and dealing with failure and the right approach to challenges. There is not much difference in my mind to going for an audition and going and doing a pitch presentation. I took some heart from reading this book.
Want to see some other book recommendations? Try this site:
http://inspirationalshit.com/booklist#
Your 2015 recommendations?
Love to hear your recommendations for books I might read in 2015 tweet me @jonpuleston