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New York Noir / Reading List

Don’t Think of an Elephant
In his highly political treatise, Lakoff examines the role that language plays in shaping our perceptions of the world, and our interpretations of the stories we hear. Using political discourse from recent campaigns, he identifies the guiding metaphors that determine how Republicans and Democrats communicate – and their implications for garnering voter support. The book is a useful guide for those seeking to understand how their own opinions are shaped, and for those seeking to shape the opinions of others.
Tagged: George Lakoff /

Designing and Conducting Ethnographic Research
Using straightforward language, Lecompte and Schensul introduce readers to the field of ethnography. The book offers practical how-tos as well as the theoretical foundation underlying ethnographic processes and techniques.
Tagged: Margaret D. Lecompte and Jean J. Schensul /

Serious Play
Michael Schrage argues that companies need “serious play” to help them visualize and prototype new ideas and innovations. He lays out rules for success for companies seeking to incorporate serious play into their business processes.
Tagged: Michael Schrage /

Analyzing Social Settings
A classic manual of qualitative research, Analyzing Social Settings provides how-to approaches for qualitative data collection and analysis. The authors introduce these techniques in a step-by-step manner, making it a useful guide for those seeking to conduct qualitative research studies.
Tagged: James Lofland and Lyn H. Lofland /

Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution
Natural Capitalism, written by members of environmental think tank the Rocky Mountain Institute, argues that business and environmental interests are not diametrically opposed. The authors present case studies and to demonstrate that environmentally friendly practices can actually help grow revenues, minimize costs, and increase available jobs.
Tagged: Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, and L. Hunter Lovins /

The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More
The Long Tail is a powerful new force in our economy: the rise of the niche. As the cost of reaching consumers drops dramatically, our markets are shifting from a one-size-fits-all model of mass appeal to one of unlimited variety for unique tastes. From supermarket shelves to advertising agencies, the ability to offer vast choice is changing everything, and causing us to rethink where our markets lie and how to get to them. Unlimited selection is revealing truths about what consumers want and how they want to get it, from DVDs at Netflix to songs on iTunes to advertising on Google.
Tagged: Chris Anderson /

Blink
Gladwell draws upon cutting edge neuroscience and psychology to explore the complexity of snap decisions. A master storyteller, he pieces apart our “adaptive conscious” by looking at social experiments in marriage, speed dating, selling cars, heart attack triage and military simulations.
Tagged: Malcolm Gladwell /

The Wealth of Networks [ Free PDF Download ]
In this book, Benkler establishes himself as the leading intellectual of the information age. Profoundly rich in its insight and truth, this work will be the central text for understanding how networks have changed how we understand the world. No work to date has more carefully or convincingly made the case for a fundamental change in how we understand the economy of society.
Tagged: internet innovation law information economy politics / Yale University Press (May 2006)

Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog
A very funny valentine...Marley & Me tenderly follows its subject from sunrise to sunset...with hilarity and affection.
Tagged: / William Morrow (November 2005)

The Little Book That Beats the Market
It's hard to overstate the simplicity of hedge fund manager Joel Greenblatt's stock-picking strategy -- or the wry, this-won't-hurt-a-bit style with which he explains it.
Tagged: / Wiley, John & Sons (December 2005)