The word epic in recent years has become synonymous
with big budget B picture. What you realize watching
Lawrence of Arabia is that the word epic refers not
to the cost or the elaborate production, but to the size
of the ideas and vision.
Roger Ebert, in his Great Movies article on Lawrence of Arabia
Source: Wikipedia

Just to add another dimension to Roger Ebert’s statement, any
epic movie is also about the arduous journey of a hero with
extraordinary talents. Some of the biggest period dramas like
‘Benhur’ or ‘Gladiator’ have a three stage story telling–the rise
of the hero, his fall from grace and the phoenix like rise.Though this isn’t an article on movies, it sure does serve as a
good opening for a book review on Steve Jobs, who commands almost
a hero worship in the software and business worlds.

“iCon Steve Jobs : The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business”
chronicles the life of an epic hero and his rise n’ falls and does a pretty
neat job of it.

The book is structured into three parts–Flowering and Withering,
New Beginnings, Defining the Future. Part One is about Steve Jobs
at Apple and his unceremenious exit. Part Two describes his biggest
failure. Part three accounts his rise in the media industry.

The book offers some inside stories, specially in the Part three, where
it recounts how Steve Jobs picked up Lucas’s animation division
for a throw-away price. Overall, authors Jeffrey S. Young, William L. Simon
have done a fine job in deconstructing the persona of the Steve Jobs.

And they stay true to it even when they take a
closer look at his troubled personal life. While his corporate story
gives Steve Jobs the clothing and the mind of a super hero,
it is his personal like that gives him the flesh and blood of a
mere mortal. It is this duality and the references like that of ‘Rosebud’
that endears the readers most to this book. It makes
us remember that while it is a lot of hardwork to be a hero, it is
even more to be a human being.

Here are the last lines from the book.

We expect our heroes to be flawed. Heroes without flaws would not be
successful. Yet in the end, it’s not the flaws we need to remember but
the achievements.

Amen!

Related Links
  Roger Ebert in Wikipedia

I think life is all about circles and not straight lines. You can
jump onto the circle anywhere you like. Number one, is having
vision–call it an objective, call it a goal, it is the idea of where
you want to go. The beginning of strategic thinking is where
you are working out the vision strategy, then it’s mapping out
the ways in which you could deliver that, like policies you put in
place. Overall a series of moves in chess is a strategy. Each move
is a tactic
Lord Thurso

In the book, ‘Gurus on Business Strategy’, Tony Grundy starts off with a
definition of Strategy and then goes on to give a brief introduction of
the most influential gurus and their contribution to the business world.

The book is a good start for any business-strategy enthusiast; it also
serves as a decent reference for a seasoned guy.

So, if you are in the rush for a meeting and you need a quick refresh of
some of the top-notch concepts, this book comes in quite handy.

This book by William Poundstone takes the title from a puzzle question, the likes of which are a common feature in job interviews in and around Silicon Valley.

The book traces the history of the interviews based on puzzles right from the days of William Shockley to the recent Bill Gates. While at it, the book touches topics such as intelligence tests for employment, the origins of Silicon Valley, the culture of Microsoft and Wall Street.

The book is essentially divided into three parts. First, deals with the history of puzzles in interviews and the efficacy of the same in silicon valley and Wall Street. Second, gives some tips and guidance for the interview process both for interviewees and interviewers. Third, solves the puzzles that feature in the first and second parts.

While the first part sure does make an interesting reading with several anecdotes throw in, it is the second part that offers something for the wannabes and seasoned managers.

Here are some points for the managers.

1. The value of puzzles is inverse proportion to the candidate’s experience; An interview puzzle is prevent bad hires
2. Have an interview plan
3. An interview is not an IQ test; Interview questions are only as fair as you make them; Choose questions so that it doesn’t matter much whether the candidate has heard them before
4. Challenge your first impression.
5. Don’t do a “stress interview.”
6. Avoid deception, even the common “white lies” about interviews