Kramer as a US Open ball man. Elaine accusing Barney’s of having skinny mirrors. George wearing a toupee on a date… with a bald woman. You may credit Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David with these hilarious moments etched in television history and you’re not wrong if you do. The co-creators of Seinfeld are known to have shaped every episode…
Musings – Banned Words
Perhaps you’re aware that General Motors has been having issues with defective ignition switches in some of its older-model small cars. Apparently, these problems have festered long enough for the automaker’s employees to develop rather creative vocabulary to describe how the cars operated, revealed in the discovery of a 2008 training document that identifies some 68 words you shouldn’t use…
Book Review – A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink
Daniel Pink rocks. All of his books are insightful and A Whole New Mind is certainly no exception. As with Drive and To Sell is Human (reviews of which can both be found in these here archives), he takes rather mundane topics – in this case, the human brain – and, withthe perfect balance of art and science, spins an entertaining read. Given how radically our…
Book Review – Give and Take by Adam Grant
There are three types of folks in this world, says Wharton professor/rock star Adam Grant: givers, matchers, and takers. Those who enjoy the most success in their given fields tend to be givers. Makes sense, no? These are the people who are helpful and generous with their time, boosting the performance and success rate of those around them, later realizing…
Book Review – Who’s Got Your Back by Keith Ferrazzi
Remember Frankie Valli? Surely you do, especially if late December back in ’63 was a very special time for you to, um, lose certain things. Less memorable than the Four Seasons’ #1 hits is Valli’s writing partner, the almost famous Bob Gaudio. The two of them made a handshake pact decades ago through which they promised to always split their income 50/50. Valli made…