Readings

I've been reading more, lately, and have been particularly interested in the science of business and how to improve my leadership skills. I've already noticed an improvement in my understanding of business and it's more interesting than I might have originally guessed. Here are the books I'm enjoying:


Sun Tzu: Art of War (History and Warfare), by Tzu Sun, Ralph D Sawyer
-Good for understanding Chinese history, also, a good book in general in dealing with business. The lessons can further be applied to game mechanics (and not only those that pertain to war).


Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, by Malcolm Gladwell
-Deals with how people make assumptions and the subconscious mind. This book is great for level designers, since a lot of the time the level designer is trying to gently "push" the player in the right direction, without actually telling them what to do.


Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't, by Jim Collins
-Interesting book comparing similar start-up companies and analyzing how the successful counterparts were able to achieve their success. This book is inspiring in that it seems that the most successful businesses are the honest and hard working ones.


The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Steven R. Covey
-A Life-changing book (if used correctly) that provokes the reader to become a more active and how to work well with others. My personal favorite.

I didn't used to be much of a reader, but enjoy learning, and I will continue to read more books that will help contribute to my overall understanding of how the world works. Also, a lot of this information can be indirectly applied to video games. As Sun-tzu said: "One who speaks deferentially but increases his preparations will advance. One who speaks belligerently and advances hastily will retreat."