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Xavier Ashe

xavier@books.infosec.exchange

Joined 2 years, 5 months ago

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Xavier Ashe's books

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2025 Reading Goal

50% complete! Xavier Ashe has read 25 of 50 books.

Peter Diamandis, Steven Kotler: Bold (2015)

Review of 'Bold' on 'Goodreads'

This book is anyone that that doesn't understand economies of scale, the effects of computerization, crowd-sourcing, and how to think big. That's not me.

Brant Cooper: The Lean Entrepreneur How Visionaries Create Products Innovate With New Ventures And Disrupt Markets (2012, John Wiley & Sons Inc)

Review of 'The Lean Entrepreneur How Visionaries Create Products Innovate With New Ventures And Disrupt Markets' on 'Goodreads'

I listened to this book as an audiobook, but there were so many things that I wanted to review and use in my startups, I also bought the book. This is the best startup book to have actionable advice. A must read for anyone that wants to create a lean business.

reviewed The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton Christensen (Harper Business Essentials)

Clayton Christensen: The Innovator's Dilemma (Paperback, 2003, Collins)

In his book, The Innovator's Dilemma [3], Professor Clayton Christensen of Harvard Business School describes …

Review of "The Innovator's Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book that Will Change the Way You Do Business" on 'Goodreads'

Even though this book is dated, it still is a good reminder of how big companies can't compete with disruptive technology. However, since I work in the tech sector, and this book being 20 years old, it seems like the content of this book is common knowledge.

Ori Brafman, Rom Brafman: Sway (Hardcover, 2008, Currency, Doubleday)

Why are we more likely to fall in love when we feel in danger? Why …

Review of 'Sway' on 'Goodreads'

Do you consider yourself a rational person? Do you get flummoxed when other seemingly rational people act irrationally? Then read this book. Now. It's constructed much like Freakinomonics, with scientific studies to back up their conclusions. This will be a book I will reread in the future.

Jack Trout: Differentiate or Die (2001, Wiley)

Review of 'Differentiate or Die' on 'Goodreads'

For starters this book is very dated. While author try to organize his thoughts, he meanders in and out of examples and doesn't always make his point. Instead of telling stories to support his point, he usually lists of bunch of simple examples. I had to struggle to finish this one.

Review of "Summary of Derek Sivers' Anything You Want" on 'Goodreads'

This book is not a manual about how to run your business. Its how you could run your business. It's how Derek Silvers ran CDBaby, a jewel of the internet back in the 90s and early 2000s. I listened to it on audiobook, which was read by Derek. You can feel the emotion as he tells you his story. While I will not be running my business like him, I will do it better because he shared his experiences.

Chris Guillebeau: The $100 Startup (2012)

Review of 'The $100 Startup' on 'Goodreads'

This a good book, but is more about micro-business. Since I am building a business for growth, it wasn't spot on for me. However, it's well written and had some good ideas I will use.

reviewed Sun Tzu's The art of war by Sun Tzu (The art of war plus.)

Sun Tzu: Sun Tzu's The art of war (2003, Clearbridge Pub.)

Review of "Sun Tzu's The art of war" on 'Goodreads'

The Art of War is so ingrained into popular culture, both directly and applied as a derivative to non-war topics like business, that by the time I actually read this cover to cover, I knew most of the content. I know that the book was not intended to be broken down into simple, abstract philosophies on conflict, but that's how most people read it. I gained no new insights, but recognize it's influence. 3 stars.

Daniel Keyes: Des fleurs pour Algernon [ Flowers For Algernon ] (Paperback, French and European Publications Inc)

Until he was thirty-two, Charlie Gordon --gentle, amiable, oddly engaging-- had lived in a kind …

Review of 'Des fleurs pour Algernon [ Flowers For Algernon ]' on 'Goodreads'

Yes, I just now, at the age of 37, just read Flowers of Algernon for the first time. I had dismissed it for so long, assuming it was a tear-jerker like Of Mice and Men. Having two special needs sons, I was honestly afraid of reading it. Luckily, as I read it, I saw very little parallels with Charlie and either of my boys. What I found instead was an interesting psychological exploration, some of which was a bit stereotypical and dated, but a great story nonetheless. Even knowing what would happen in the end, I still felt surprised and teary. This book is a must read for everyone.