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Summer Reading

Posted by Larry Prusak on August 9, 2007 12:27 PM

Even though I read that fewer and fewer workers, especially my fellow Americans, take much vacation, I am writing to those who are sane enough to do so. Here are some recent books I have read that would do well read on a beach or just in a chair in a cool place. In any case here are some recent novels I have read, enjoyed, and learned from. Enjoy!

The Pesthouse by Jim Crace is a harrowing novel about the United States after some apocalyptic event. It's nuanced and has much to say about what life would be like without much of our infrastructure and knowledge.

Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra is a wonderful detective novel set in Mumbai. It's huge and sprawling, about everything contemporary India is all about, as seen through a sort of Godfather lens.

The Emperor of Ocean Park and New England White, both by the Yale Law professor Stephen L. Carter, examine life, love, and crimes among the black aristocracy. And they offer biting and very funny portraits of Ivy League types. Professor Carter has written, to my mind, two of the best mystery novels published in English during the past ten years at least. Since one of the books has several scenes taking place on Martha's Vineyard, I actually read it there and it "got it" just right.

What are you reading?


RECOMMENDED READING:
The Pesthouse (Hardcover)
Sacred Games (Hardcover)
The Emperor of Ocean Park (Paperback)
New England White (Hardcover)

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Thanks for the reading tips. Your summaries piqued my interest in all the titles. Having the time to maintain progress and pace with my reading interests is a challenge, but you've offered subjects which hinge off of the focus of my work, and if they combine a story and enjoyment with expanding my core knowledge -all the better!

To share one with you, I've recently picked up David Warsh's Knowledge and the Wealth of Nations. In it, he writes in novel prose about the evolution of the science of economics in a way which brings a better understanding of changes brought about by technology and the internet. Enjoy!

- Posted by David Stirling
August 23, 2007 4:23 PM

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About This Author

Larry PrusakLarry Prusak is a researcher and consultant and was the founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Knowledge Management (IKM). He currently co-directs Working Knowledge , a knowledge research program at Babson College, where he is a Distinguished Scholar in Residence. A widely-published author, Prusak has written or edited nine books. His most recent, The Future of Knowledge, will be published next year by the Harvard Business School Press.

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