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Education Reading

Latest Read: The Effective Hiring Manager

The Effective Hiring Manager by Mark Horstman.

The Effective Hiring Manager by Mark Horstman

Mark is a graduate the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he studied mechanical engineering. He served as an Officer in the U.S. Army for five years, where he developed leadership skills and gained valuable experience in managing teams. Following his service, he worked at Proctor & Gamble and as a recruiter.

Mark is a co-founder of Manager Tools, a management consulting and training firm that provides resources and training for managers in Fortune 1000 companies globally for more than 30 years. He also hosts the popular Manager Tools podcast, which offers practical advice on management skills and techniques.

This is the second book by Mark that I have read in my current role. Mark is delivering the key essentials in hiring and team-building. Managers, new or seasoned will understand his step-by-step approach to make strategies easy to implement. Hiring effectively is without a doubt the most important and long-term contribution any manager will deliver to their organization. Mark is right on target with his message that “the only thing worse than having an open position is filling it with the wrong person.”

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Artificial Intelligence Education Innovation Reading

Latest Read: The New Dark Age

New Dark Age: Technology and the End of the Future by James Bridle.

The New Dark Age: Technology and the End of the Future by James Bridle

James holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science and Cognitive Science from University College London. He is a contributor to Wired, The Atlantic, and The Guardian. He remains an Adjunct Professor at New York University’s Interactive Telecommunications Program.

So, does the creation of massive data sets make the world better? Perhaps not according to James. It would appear the data models in use are not sufficient anymore. In some cases the algorithms are revealing bias and lack of transparency by vendors.

As a result, James takes a position that even with Big Data accessible to more and more people, we are living in a new dark age. Hence the title of his book.

In general James is acknowledging how recent technology has led to the concentration of wealth to a small group of individuals and key corporations. As a result our social inequalities continue. He position includes the idea that data is no longer about facts alone but is now embedded into our current social conditions.

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Artificial Intelligence Education Innovation Reading

Latest Read: HBR’s 10 Must Reads 2025

HBR’s 10 Must Reads 2025: The Definitive Management Ideas of the Year from Harvard Business Review.

HBR's 10 Must Reads 2025: The Definitive Management Ideas of the Year from Harvard Business Review

In the closing days of 2023 I was reading HBR’s 10 Must Reads for 2024. This was a good indicator of management ideas for the coming new year. A year later, closing 2024 seems perfect to begin 2025 with HBR’s annual refresh.

This book is for both new and experienced leaders seeking insights, inspiration, and advice to propel their organizations forward in the new year.

Perhaps no other topic is the continuing role of AI impacting organizations last year and the coming impact of AI Agents. Perhaps their 2026 Must Reads will expand upon the growth of agents we will engage this year.

Why? The chapter ‘Reskilling in the Age of AI’ acknowledged ChatGPT’s impact was not predicted. As a result computer automation was already set to displace and transform the global workforce. Now LLMs, Agents, and ML will perhaps drive those numbers even higher. The message: Reskilling will be a focal point for organizations to thrive in an AI-driven environment. Yet the advice includes the challenge that organizational ups killing simply will not be enough. Worth the read alone especially for colleges and training centers.

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Artificial Intelligence Education Innovation Reading

Latest Read: Algorithms and Data Structures for Massive Datasets

Algorithms and Data Structures for Massive Datasets by Dzejla Medjedovic and Emin Tahirovic.

Algorithms and Data Structures for Massive Datasets by Dzejla Medjedovic, and Emin Tahirovic

Dzejla holds a PhD in Computer Science from Stony Brook University and currently serves as a Vice President of Data at Social Explorer. Emin holds a MS in Theoretical Computer Science from Goethe University and a PhD in Biostatistics from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a faculty member at the International University of Sarajevo. Together, Dzejla and Emin are leveraging their expertise in algorithms, data structures, and statistics to provide insights into managing massive datasets.

We now live is a world beyond big data. Today data lakes at petabyte and exabyte scale are common. Zettabyte cannot be very far away. Unlike traditional data warehouses, data lakes in fact accommodate structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data from various sources.

Dzejla and Emin are certainly providing a complex topic in a friendly manner to make complex concepts easy to understand. Readers will learn about deploying the correct type of database solution for your organization’s applications. This was a very enjoyable book to read.

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Education Reading

Latest Read: Judgement Calls

Judgement Calls: Twelve stories of big decisions and the teams that got them right by Thomas H. Davenport.

Judgment Calls: Twelve Stories of Big Decisions and the Teams That Got Them Right by Thomas H. Davenport

Tom Davenport holds a Master’s degree in Sociology and a PhD in Sociology from Harvard. He is Chair in Information Technology and Management at Babson College.

He is a Research Fellow at the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy and a Senior Advisor to Deloitte’s Analytics and AI Practice. As a former visiting Professor at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and the Harvard Business School, Tom was well positioned as Co-founder of the International Institute for Analytics.

In exploring critical decision-making processes within organizations, Tom is presenting twelve case studies. Judgement Calls reveal how teams address complex decisions and how to improve those outcomes. Key components include collaboration, data-driven insights, and effective leadership. Readers will discover those frameworks and methodologies which can improve your organization’s decision-making by embracing a structured processes.