Books & Publications Archive - December 2023

Reading makes all other learning possible. Check back often for a selection of interesting and relevant books and publications, curated by the IEEE Life Members Committee (ILMC).

From 4 December 2023

The Innovation Stack: Building an Unbeatable Business One Crazy Idea at a Time

Jim McKelvey, co-Founder of Square

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The Innovation Stack: Building an Unbeatable Business One Crazy Idea at a Time

Jim McKelvey, co-Founder of Square

Square was taking off, Amazon launched a similar product, marketed it aggressively, and undercut Square on price. For most ordinary startups, this would have spelled the end. Instead, less than a year later, Amazon was in retreat and soon discontinued its service. How did Square beat the most dangerous company on the planet? Was it just luck? These questions motivated McKelvey to study what Square had done differently from all the other companies Amazon had killed. He eventually found the key: a strategy he calls the Innovation Stack.

McKelvey’s fascinating and humorous stories of Square’s early days are blended with historical examples of other world-changing companies built on the Innovation Stack to reveal a pattern of ground-breaking, competition-proof entrepreneurship that is rare but repeatable. The Innovation Stack is a thrilling business narrative that’s much bigger than the story of Square. It is an irreverent first-person look inside the world of entrepreneurship, and a call to action for all of us to find the entrepreneur within ourselves and identify and fix unsolved problems–one crazy idea at a time.

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She Thinks Like a Boss: Leadership: 9 Essential Skills for New Female Leaders in Business and the Workplace. How to Influence Teams Effectively and Combat Imposter Syndrome

Jemma Roedel

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She Thinks Like a Boss: Leadership: 9 Essential Skills for New Female Leaders in Business and the Workplace. How to Influence Teams Effectively and Combat Imposter Syndrome

Jemma Roedel

Even if you feel uncomfortable or scared to face the issues that being a great leader brings, the key is to dive straight in. In She Thinks Like a Boss, you will be given specific and practical techniques to help you gradually overcome the problems you’re facing.

You’re on a personal journey, but there are key steps you can take to set you on the path to live the life you dream of and be an inspiration to other women in business.

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Trust and Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others

Stephen M.R. Covey

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Trust and Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others

Stephen M.R. Covey

We have a leadership crisis today, where even though our world has changed drastically, our leadership style has not. Most organizations, teams, schools, and families today still operate from a model of “command and control,” focusing on hierarchies and compliance from people. But because of the changing nature of the world, the workforce, work itself, and the choices we have for where and how to work and live, this way of leading is drastically outdated.

Stephen M.R. Covey has made it his life’s work to understand trust in leadership and organizations. In his newest and most transformative book, Trust and Inspire, he offers a simple yet bold solution: to shift from this “command and control” model to a leadership style of “trust and inspire.” People don’t want to be managed; they want to be led. Trust and Inspire is a new way of leading that starts with the belief that people are creative, collaborative, and full of potential.

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Digital Twin Technology: Fundamentals and Applications

Manisha Vohra

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Digital Twin Technology: Fundamentals and Applications

Manisha Vohra

Digital twin basically means a replicated model of any object or product in digital form. A digital twin has many advantages as it remains connected with the original object or product it is replicating and receives real-time data. Therefore, the obstacles and issues that could be encountered in a product or object can be known before they actually occur, which helps to prevent errors and major losses that otherwise might have been incurred.

The various capabilities of digital twin technology make it a powerful tool that can be used to effectively boost various sectors of the healthcare, automotive, and construction industries, among others. Although this technology has been making its way into various sectors, it has not yet received the kind of exposure necessary to increase awareness of its potential in these industries. Therefore, it is critical that a better understanding of digital twin technology is acquired to facilitate growth and to have it implemented in the various sectors so that transformation can be ushered in. This book was designed to be a useful resource for those who want to become well acquainted with digital twin technology.

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Industry 4.0 User Guide Paperback

Nicola Accialini

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Industry 4.0 User Guide Paperback

Nicola Accialini

The concept of Industry 4.0 appeared for the first time in an article published in November 2011 by the German government that resulted from an initiative regarding a high-tech strategy for 2020. Since then, several cutting-edge technologies have evolved at a very fast pace, and they are promising to play a crucial role in the development of smart factories.

What are the reasons that are pushing us towards a 4th industrial revolution? What are the key technologies? How industrial countries are facing it? What are the main challenges? This book is designed to provide managers, engineers, and students with the full picture of the 4th Industrial Revolution, its implications for organizations, its technologies, and their applications.

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CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest

Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, Vikram Malhotra

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CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest

Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, Vikram Malhotra

Being a CEO at any of the world’s largest companies is among the most challenging roles in business. Billions, and even trillions, are at stake—and the fates of tens of thousands of employees often hang in the balance. Yet, even when “can’t miss” high-achievers win the top job, very few excel. Thirty percent of Fortune 500 CEOs last fewer than three years, and two out of five new CEOs are perceived to be failing within eighteen months.

To identify the 21st century’s best CEOs, the authors of CEO Excellence started with a pool of over 2400 public company CEOs. Extensive screening distilled that group into an elite corps, sixty-seven of whom agreed to in-depth, multi-hour interviews. What came out of those frank, no-holds-barred conversations is a rich array of mindsets and actions that deliver outsized performance. Compelling, practical, and unprecedented in scope, CEO Excellence is a treasure trove of wisdom from today’s most elite business leaders.

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Books & Publications Archive – December 2023