Book Review: 'Transformation, Designed..'

'Transformation, Designed: [ ]evolution Within' by Juan Jose de la Torre

 This book identifies design as a challenge that confronts big corporations, who have to constantly compete with fast, lean companies and an emerging array of startups. Or, design is the one that can show and teach the need of transforming an enterprise.

 The book begins in 1999 with the institution of world wide web and the unlimited possibilities that followed, mostly ushering in a shift in approach towards the digital. And the impactful part, design did, and continues to play, is highlighted. What follows are case studies that tell how, such steps are transforming Apple, Starbucks, Disney, and others.

 The book concludes by equating design with intention. One should show a want for whatever one may hope to get or accomplish. Now, a set of self-examination questions are also there to guide one to a path of digital revolution.

 

Book Review: Code of Conduct for Health and Medicine

National Academy of Medicine - An Artificial Intelligence Code of Conduct for Health and Medicine says: "The necessity it is to harmonize the existing principles, and to address the identified gaps". This book elaborates the background of this issue, where it mentions that the recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have unlocked unprecedented opportunities in health, health care, and biomedical science, and that these breakthroughs hold the potential to fundamentally transform our approaches to all aspects of medicine and health. Hence, the objective of the AI Code of Conduct (AICC) project is to harmonize the existing principles, and address the identified gaps,

The book then lists the Code Principles and Code Commitments and elucidate guiding principles for responsible AI in the health care and biomedical science domains. It also identifies and describes activities that are amenable to collaboration, consolidation, and centralization, like Loose-Tight-Loose leadership model. In conclusion, it likens AI to another powerful tool, a hammer, which brings out the duality of utility and intent guiding its deployment.

Book Review: Own your own divorce

 Own your own divorce by Laurence Wilson, JD, introduces divorces as unique stories, each one being potentially different from every other one.

Part I of this book impresses upon us the need to be ready with a resolve to face the worst, right from the start itself. Next part looks at the mechanisms that make a couple. Like identifying each component of social life, like expressions, and mixing those in an appropriate ratio. Part III discusses different aspects of wealth and its impact on relationships. Next two parts trace the complex path, all this can cause to one's life. Now comes part VI, and the book starts.discussing ways to navigate breakups and patch-ups. And the last part, part VII, dwells on all those practical aspects of relevance, like litigation. 

Whether one's choice is, doing it yourself, mediation, collaboration, or litigation, this book can act as an eye-opener. It will advise them to channel, what worked well during their marriage to landing into an amicable divorce. With self-examination questions and navigation tips, this book can act as a guide for couples who are on a low, whether to part, or to re-unite with added gusto.

Book Review: Open Turns

 Open Turns by Hendrika de Vries

A touching prologue and the 35 chapters of this book narrate an eventful journey of a Dutch family to Australia, and their successful foray with the new surroundings, fresh opportunities, and the challenges, they had to face. The narrative begins with a vivid description of her life in Holland, and follows it up with many an adventure while they all acquire their status as New Australians. Rendezvous with kangaroos, struggles with English lessons, and the assorted issues of becoming an Australian are all there, garnished by their infrequent bouts of desire to visit Holland. ‘Henny’ charts a successful path, becoming a swimmer of repute and an asset to her society.

This is a real page-turner. Each chapter of this book narrates an event to relish and is more engaging than every other chapter. Support from loving parents, a strong will, and powerful resilience reverberate through these pages that brings out the best of experiences.

Book Review: From Founder to Future

 From Founder to Future: by John Abrams

This is a book about cooperative models that can show magical ways to do business. How to transition leadership, implement shared ownership, and preserve your organization's core values to thrive for generations to come. How  when employees are empowered to be active owners in the business of which they’re a part, both they and the business do better. And how, five transitions, namely, leadership, mission, management, and impact can make this happen.

The first part of the book explains the process of building a company that is mission-driven and demonstrate the meaning of the five transitions, taking examples from author's own experience. In part II, the book looks at the intricacies of the different forms of employee ownership, like the employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), or the employee ownership trust (EOT). The last part is about the nuts and bolts of all this, where practical issues of ownership conversion, next-generation leadership, and participatory democratic management practices are discussed. An insight-driven book.

Book Review: Transforming Healthcare Through Negotiation by Stacey B. Lee

Transforming Healthcare Through Negotiation

What connection is there between healthcare and negotiation? A lot, this book says, and proposes ways to circumvent it all. Traditional approaches to healthcare has certain shortcomings that ultimately affect patient well-being, ethical principles, resource constraints, and emotional undercurrents that render the system unhealthy. So, there is a need for a transformation approach developed for the healthcare space, if the competing interests of saving lives and patient safety with revenue and existing insurance are to be met satisfactorily.

Part I of the book introduces a novel idea in this regard, the HEAR Approach Framework (Healthcare-Specific Empowerment, Acknowledgment, and Recasting) developed by the author. Here, focus is on eliminating both the shortcomings and the flaws of traditional approaches to healthcare. Part II goes a  little more in depth. Practical strategies for negotiation are analyzed while familiarizing the reader with many tactics and planning tools that are there. Like advanced and specialized steps to address complex challenges and situations. Illustrative examples of real-life hospital scenes are placed imaginatively, making it easy to comprehend all of these.