Just returned from CES and I've been reading Ninja Innovation written and autographed by Gary Shapiro who heads CEA which runs CES which is where I found out about the book. The book goes down like a good scotch. Which is to say it is well aged, taste great, and a little intoxicating.
Also, reading the book I found out about German strategist Carl von Clausewitz. Hehe, I couldn't help but giggle a little regarding the "dialectic thesis and antithesis of war"… Recalling times long ago, in a land far away, where I first heard of the words "dialectics", "thesis", "antithesis" and the "resolution".
UGH, on second thought, should I post about this? It will surely arouse suspicion of multiple agencies from who knows how many countries monitoring the online postings that mentions these terms. I probably just signed the United States "Wire-tap" Warrant to endlessly monitor and analyze my blog and email and all other personal things, and to retroactively obtain all records of all my private things since birth, by writing about this. Want to give a quick shout out to Jodi Foster(Congrats on being recognized for lifetime achievement at 2013 Golden Globe), I am your fan! I know I'm not a big star since age of three, but still Go Privacy!!! :-)
hehe, okay, but do let me say, I find that today I am not so attracted to this idea of Hegel's.
But Clausewitz's work seem much more interesting. The expression "fog of war" started there. These things that are so obvious today, but probably rarely fully understood, very difficult to clarify in author's own head, and much more difficult to write in language at that time: Obviously the leadership of military has personalities, and obviously those personalities greatly affect what battles are fought and who wins wars. Obviously war includes clearly distinguishable elements (in fact physically separate aspects) of "force" and "uncertainty" and that their "resolution" would rely on the "creative spirit" of those involved, (aka fascinating trinity, die wunderliche Dreifaltigkeit). It sounds so obvious and so right and needless to write--Obviously, now, that I read it's summary in Wikipedia after more than two centuries of people reading and summarizing it) But at that time, perhaps nobody has yet fully grasped all these insights and put them together--except for Clausewitz, of course.
But Clausewitz's work seem much more interesting. The expression "fog of war" started there. These things that are so obvious today, but probably rarely fully understood, very difficult to clarify in author's own head, and much more difficult to write in language at that time: Obviously the leadership of military has personalities, and obviously those personalities greatly affect what battles are fought and who wins wars. Obviously war includes clearly distinguishable elements (in fact physically separate aspects) of "force" and "uncertainty" and that their "resolution" would rely on the "creative spirit" of those involved, (aka fascinating trinity, die wunderliche Dreifaltigkeit). It sounds so obvious and so right and needless to write--Obviously, now, that I read it's summary in Wikipedia after more than two centuries of people reading and summarizing it) But at that time, perhaps nobody has yet fully grasped all these insights and put them together--except for Clausewitz, of course.
The same goes for Ninja Innovation, what's said seem completely obvious: Of course you need a team of highly specialized people who wants to, are able to, and are willing to work together to, and are willing to wait until the timing is right to accomplish a common goal. But the salience with which this is pointed out through personal experience of highly complex success stories is absolutely critical for the book to be of value to readers, and Shapiro accomplishes that.
Oh, I also want to plug my own blog having similar title called "The Good Business -- Ninja's approach." I must admit, in I originally used the word Ninja slightly derogatorily--This blog documents many of the business practices the "business ninjas" used successfully, or attempted without negative consequences, on me that are perhaps violate professional ethics. The good thing is that the blog did morph to include various devious ways for me to become a business Ninja. Great minds think alike, and we have both landed on Ninja.
I want to quote a line describing the Ninjas from Shapiro's book, that they excel at "the art of espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination" OMG, my heart stopped when I read this. This is the kind of people that the above fine print speak of. Those that spies and sabotages in complete secrecy! they infiltrate my work, hack my accounts, befriend my friends, family, and they kill. Powerful! very powerful, very insightful! exhilarating passage!
Link to the book on Amazon: Ninja Innovation: The Ten Killer Strategies of the World's Most Successful Businesses.
Additional links on Clauswitz's work:
- Gutenberg copy of English version of On War is here by incorporated by reference. ;-)
- Side-by-side translation English from original German.
- Also, apparently there are famous French Military Strategist despite popular jokes about their lack of military success by the name of Antoine Henri Jomini.
p.s. note for self: center-of-gravity in these context is center of target of attack.
p.p.s. Next time I visit Vegas for fun, I'd like it to be riding California's new high speed rails...
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