Naomi Klein is a Canadian author and social activist known for her political analyses and criticism of corporate globalization and branding.

Social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter are fundamentally changing the way businesses and consumers behave. In Socialnomics, Erik Qualman offers a look at the impact of social media on business to reveal what the future holds and how businesses can best take advantage of it.

David Brooks has written an absolutely fascinating book about how we form our emotions and character. In The Social Animal, he makes the recent revolution in neuroscience understandable, and he applies it to those things we have the most trouble knowing how to teach.

Many claim that the 22 Immutable Laws of Branding is the definitive text on branding, pairing anecdotes about some of the best brands with the signature savvy of marketing gurus Al and "media darling" Laura Ries.

Blue Ocean Strategy by Chan Kim & Renee Mauborgne Listen to the podcast now: Book Summary: Kim and Mauborgne’s blue ocean metaphor elegantly summarizes their vision of the kind of expanding, competitor-free markets that innovative companies can navigate. Unlike “red oceans,” which are well explored and crowded with competitors, “blue oceans” represent “untapped market space” and the “opportunity for highly profitable growth.”. They present the tools and frameworks they’ve developed specifically for the task of analyzing blue oceans. Our Cocktail Party Statements: Aaron: True strategy is not about engaging in a bloody competition but creating a new customer in uncharted territory Karin: Be different Phil: Avoid conflict at all costs Our Cocktail Party Index: What’s this? Explanation of the CPI. Share and Enjoy:

Empowered by Josh Bernoff Listen to the podcast now: Book Summary: Empowered – explains how to transform your company by unleashing the mighty force of these HEROes. Like John Bernier and Ben Hedrington at Best Buy, who built an army of 2,500 tweeting employees to reach out to customers online. Or Ross Inglis, who tapped into Internet computing resources to open an entirely new customer channel for Thomson Reuters. Or John Stadick, who equipped 600 sales staff with iPhones and boosted profits at his construction rental company. Key Points/Chapters: Our Cocktail Party Statements: Aaron: Karin: Unleash your employees to empower your fans Phil: Opinions, like assholes, everybody’s got one Our Cocktail Party Index: What’s this? Explanation of the CPI. Share and Enjoy: