Introducing the Boagworld Book Club
Posted in Random on: Thursday, July 22, 2010 by Relly Annett-Baker
Relly introduces the Boagworld Book Club. A chance to broaden your horizons and make friends too.
Designers and developers, it’s time to show your mental mettle.
Paul recently had something of a rant, thinly veiled as a post and a presentation on new skills, that basically stated you people spend too much time on pretty galleries of inspirational CSS jiggerypokery and jQuery magick and not enough time learning transferable skills that support your ability to do good work.
I wouldn’t stand for that if I were you, so come and show him up at the new shiny Boagworld Book Club.
By infowidget on flickr.
Boagworld Book Club? What’s that?
Excellent question, my interrogatively-minded friend, you will do well here.
The Boagworld Book Club is a terribly exciting project for us here at Boagworld Towers. I, Relly, will be your librarian, curator and guide to some of the most interesting books on topics that are often not strictly web design related but all of which have the power to influence our work.
Each month I will choose a topic – such as psychology, copywriting, influencing people, productivity – and a book or two addressing that skill area. I’ll make a post here introducing you to the topic and the book and we will open up a thread on the Boagworld forum for us to discuss our ideas during the month.
At the end of the month, we shall have a jolly podcast recording where I will invite in some smart people (and occasionally Paul, if he asks nicely) to discuss the book, we will read out some of your comments from the forum and blog posts and then we can make further recommendations for resources on that topic.
Book-color-histogram by Patrick Gage on flickr
Sounds great! Any rules?
Well, of course. What did you think this was, an Ultimate Fighting Championship?
The first rule of Boagworld Book Club is we tell everyone about Boagworld Book Club, so tweet, mouth off on the forum, blog, post to library thing, Amazon or other book review places of your choice about your thoughts on the book each month, or others you have read that you feel might be of interest to other members. You should totally start by following us on Twitter: BWbookclub
The second rule of Boagworld Book Club is we tell everyone about Boagworld Book Club so please spread the news that the theme for August is ‘Decisions, Decisions’ and we have two books: a modern classic Malcom Gladwell’s Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
The third rule of Boagworld Book Club is that you read these books with an open mind and a bit of curiosity as to how they could affect your everyday work. This is an experiment for us too – and forcing Paul to eat his own dog food a little, as a bonus – but one we really want to make into a riproaring success with the help of our community. The immediate benefit for you is that by taking twenty minutes a day to read something (or to listen to the audiobook) outside of your usual line of work will give you a chance to unwind just a little. Especially good if a rather demanding email just dropped into your inbox.
So, are you in?
My post introducing Blink and Neuro Web Design will follow on the 1st but watch out for a post on the forum later today to give you a chance to meet your fellow bookworms. And feel free to post a comment below, suggesting other topics and books we should add to the list.
Also available: Blink in ePub format, Blink (Unabridged) audiobook
and Kindle Edition (US Amazon only),
Neuro Web Design, the eBook from Peachpit.
Yours, with dewey-decimal organised adoration,
Relly
25 Comments
Comments are for the discussion of this post. If you have other questions / comments then post them to the forum or send me an email
I’m game. Might I make a suggestion though Reilly. A doubt all of us will have a number of these books and will be purchasing them. It might be quite nice if someone sets up an Amazon affilate store to keep all the books in one place (they still do those right?). Any profits could also go to a charity of Paul’s choice.
Great suggestion!
Ah, we are one step ahead of you :)
Some of these links above are affiliate links already and others will be set up as we are accepted as members of the relevant schemes.
I was going to have a post suggesting we donate proceeds to a reading charity, or something similar? Any suggestions for good literacy related charities gratefully received.
That’s a really cool idea, especially because it’s not just about the web (which can get repetitive)
PS: the UFC has more rules than this book club. You are all barbarians!
I’m well up for this! Such a top idea, Relly :)
@Lee that’s a really good idea. Maybe someone could find reading-relevant charities?
Brilliant idea – it really is.
Will be fun to bounce around thoughts on books with the great minds who will undoubtedly take part. Can’t wait.
Just remembered a great charity that supplies audiobooks for my brother: http://www.listening-books.org.uk/
I’ll add it to the list. I suggest we select a few and take a vote.
The Inmates are Running the Asylum by Alan Cooper
The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman
Emotional Design also by Donald Norman
Can you tell where I specialize? ;-)
Excellent suggestions.
The Inmates are Running the Asylum by Alan Cooper is Solid Gold.
Looks like an awesome idea. A good 20 minute break from daily work routine and getting to read an interesting book. I am all in for this!
Great way to get inspired to read new books outside ones field.
Genius! I’ve been on the look out for recommendations of no web specific books. I’m in!
Excellent idea!
I’ve already read both the books you’re about to review, would recommend them both!
wow! Great idea! Already ordering my copies.
It all depends how much $$ for the books. Sounds like a brilliant idea.
Blink is pretty cheap now as it has been out for a while and that will be our ‘main’ book this month.
I like this idea, will be ordering my books as soon as pay-day comes.
I am in as well…
great idea!
I like this idea. It gives you a nice and guided tour through the sea of books!
I love this idea!
For charities, how about funding books for those in poverty who can’t normally access books? Education is so empowering :O) http://www.bookaid.org and http://www.booksforafrica.org could be worth investigating.
Great charities. I’ll add them to the list.
Great idea – but why is the Blink audio book twice as expensive as the paperback?!
Traditionally audiobooks sell less than their paper counterparts so, when they were physical things such as CDs or tapes, they were priced accordingly. Now, one can assume that they expect us to roll over and accept the price.
I have a subscription to audible which makes it significantly more cost effective to buy digital audiobooks.
Both books = bought
Looking forward to the discussions on the forum.