Library

Here’s a regularly updated list of books that I’ve read that are broadly on the Social in silico theme. Where there are blog posts here that refer to the books, I’ve linked to them.

You might also want to check out:

• My post reviewing some of the books I read in 2014 (when I was “on sabbatical”)
• A post reflecting on my 2017 reading experiment
• My recommendations of 5 books each on the topics of community management, leadership and team culture and online interactions
• Posts about individual books.

Community Management

• The Art of Community – Jono Bacon.
  • Recommended for anyone wanting to learn more about community management.
• Dealing with Disrespect – Jono Bacon
  • Suggestions about how to deal with criticism online
• Building Successful Online Communities – Kraut and Resnik
• Emergent Strategy – Adrienne Maree Brown
• Buzzing Communities – Rich Millington
  • Blog post discussing the 4 stage community lifecycle model
• The indispensable community – Rich Millington
• The Art of Gathering – Priya Parker
• Connecting to Change the World – Peter Plastrik, Madeline Taylor, John Cleveland
  • Blog posts discussing social-impact networks and the Connect-Align-Produce model
• Cultivating Communities of Practice – Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, William M. Snyder
  • Blog posts discussing CoPs for knowledge management and double-knit knowledge organisations
• Digital Habitats – Etienne Wenger, Nancy White and John D. Smith
  • Blog post discussing technical stewardship
  • Blog post discussing community orientations
• The Death and Life of Great American Cities – Jane Jacobs
  • It’s about urban planning…but also a fascinating read on how communities work (blog post).

Online behaviour

• Alone Together – Sherry Turkle
• Reclaiming Conversation – Sherry Turkle
• It’s complicated – the social lives of networked teens  – Danah Boyd.
  • Much recommended discussion of how teenagers use the internet including topics such as identity, privacy and literacy (blog post).
• Society and the Internet – edited by Mark Graham and William H Dutton
  • Collection of essays on the cultural, political and economic effects of the internet. Highlights include the need for forums for online deliberation in digital democracy and studies of how online petitions flourish or fail.
• Twitter and tear gas – the power and fragility of networked protest – Zeynep Tufekci
• Wikinomics – how mass collaboration changes everything – Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams

Culture change / leadership

• The Fifth Discipline – Peter Senge
  • Key text introducing systems thinking and the 4 other characteristics of “learning organizations”
• Humanize – Maddie Grant and Jamie Notter
• The First 90 days – Michael Watkins
  • A practical guide to change management
• The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership – Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, Kaley Warner Klemp
  • Practical guide to taking responsibility in the workplace and building relationships founded on integrity
• Systems Thinking for Social Change – Peter Stroh
• Whiplash – Joi Ito and Jeff Howe
  • 9 suggestions for a culture of innovation
• Awake at Work, Fearless at Work, and The Mindful Leader – Michael Carroll
  • Short reflections on intentional, compassionate leadership
• Finding the Space to Lead – Janice Marturano
  • Practical suggestions for reclaiming your schedule and engaging more meaningfully with your work
• The Leadership Challenge – James Kouzes and Barry Posner

Mentoring, Facilitation and Learning Together

• Every Other Thursday – Stories and strategies from successful women scientists – Ellen Daniell
• Culturally responsive teaching and the brain – Zaretta Hammond
• The surprising power of liberating structures – Henri Lipmaniwocz and Keith McCandless
• The five dysfunctions of a team – Patrick Lencioni

Team Science

• Enhancing the effectiveness of team science – 2015 report by the National Academies of Science
• Collaboration and Team Science – a field guide
• The strength in numbers – the new science of team science – Barry Bozeman and Jan Youtie

Behaviour and Communication

• Do they think you’re stupid? – Julian Baggini
  • A fascinating and funny discussion of the many logical fallacies presented in arguments. Useful for online discussions!
• Thinking Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman
  • Compelling read on the many ways our decision making is influenced. Implications for discussions, marketing, how data is presented and more.
• If I understood you, would I have this look on my face? – Alan Alda
  • Blog post about listening and how two-way communication results in change
• Quiet – the power of introverts – Susan Cain
• Daring Greatly, Braving the Wilderness and Dare to Lead – Brené Brown
• Stumbling on Happiness – Daniel Gilbert

Network effects

• Critical mass – how one thing leads to another – Philip Ball
• Network Science – a collaborative, free to download ebook project from the Barabasi lab
• Six degrees of Separation – Duncan J.Watts
• Everything is Obvious – Once you know the answer – Duncan J. Watts (blog posts)