I just got back from Chapters, the main bookstore chain here in Toronto. I browsed through nine books and bought four. I'll go into more detail later, but I just wanted to share with you my joy in being able to give one of the books to someone who perfectly fits it. Sambhavi Chandrashekar doesn't need to read Love is the Killer App by Tim Sanders. She already lives it. It is my hope, however, that the book will give her even more words to describe her dreams, goals, and passions.

Thanks to Maoi Arroyo of Hybridigm Consulting for insisting that I read the book!

(Hey, I hadn't realized that Tim Sanders is the "director of Yahoo's in-house think tank". Coolness!)

On Technorati: book, friends, lovecat

Good to great and the social sectors: Why business thinking is not the answer
Jim Collins

It's a slim monograph and fairly expensive for its weight (or lack thereof - not that I buy books based on weight! <laugh>) ;) , but the main points are neatly summarized in four pages at the end, and its insights are backed by good stories.

A whole new mind: why right-brainers will rule the future
Daniel H. Pink

Title is a bit fluffy, but the book contains surprisingly practical advice aimed at helping people develop their senses of design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning.

Small giants: companies that choose to be great instead of big
Bo Burlingham

Bought it because I felt a strong urge to recommend it to a California-based entrepreneur who's been trying to think of how to help the Philippines get the entrepreneurial spirit when IPOs and other tech-startup exit strategies are almost non-existent in the local market.

Love is the Killer App
Tim Sanders

A friend of mine insisted that I read this book some time ago, and I find myself now infected with the urge to pass it on to others. See earlier blog entry. =)

I skimmed a number of other books, too.

• The Not-for-Profit CEO : How to Attain and Retain the Corner Office: Skim the survey answers and check out the detailed 6-month plan for any non-profit CEO settling into a new job. That part was way cool.
• random insights on life
• a few books on networking, mostly collections of people talking about networking

I know, I know, I should just get all my books off Amazon instead of buying them at Chapters, but I haven't gotten a Canada-based credit card yet and I can't pay for it out of my budget when I use my Philippine-based Visa. And then of course there's the way I like flipping through books... I suppose I could browse at Chapters and buy off Amazon, but sometimes there's no real price difference, and economy shipping takes a while.

Maybe I could use it as a delayed gift for myself, though. Something to look forward to. =) Besides, I still need hardcover copies of some of my absolute favorites...

On Technorati: book

Random Japanese sentence: 問題は誰が猫に鈴をつけるかだ。 The question is who will bell the cat.