I’m in new-year-resolution mode now, and have started compiling the list of books I want to read in 2010. There are a number of sequels from my favorite authors due out in the next couple of months that I’m excited about.

First up is Unfolding the Napkin, by Dan Roam, the follow-up to The Back of the Napkin. Using simple sketches to help articulate and solve complex problems is a simple yet powerful tool. I find the techniques presented very useful and use them regularly. This new book goes into more detail on the framework from the first one.

Here’s Dan’s blog.

I’m a huge fan of Seth Godin, and have read all his books. His next one is Linchpin, due out in January. His last couple of books were pretty short (but sweet). This one appears to be longer. I’ll probably get the audio version.

Here’s Seth’s blog.

Switch is a new book from sibling authors Chip and Dan Heath, who wrote Made to Stick. It’s due out in February. They also have a regular column in Fast Company.

Here’s their blog.

If you’re looking for an engaging and interesting way to learn new things, I highly recommend these authors.

Just found a great feature in Google Reader: Select “Translate into my language” to read blogs in any (supported) language.

This is the bees knees!

Picture by aussiegall

If the 80s is the decade of excess, and the 90s the decade of irrational exuberance, then this last decade (the 00s?) will surely be remembered as the decade of fear. Fear of terrorism, fear of economic collapse, fear of the future.

The important question is what will the next decade be known as? What will we make it be known for?

It’s easy to just extrapolate and think of extremes: i.e.  either there will be the second great depression, or a return to corporate excess, or a descent into spiraling conflict. These are all possibilities, but they have always been possibilities in every decade, and will always be possibilities that we must assiduously guard against.

It is also tempting to place our hopes on miraculous new breakthroughs that will usher in a new global golden age. Will green energy, biotechnology, and medical science save us in the nick of time? Certainly, there will be an increasing rate of advances and innovations that will disrupt the status quo. However, the past 15 years of the Internet provides a stark picture of how quickly certain things change, and yet how much many things remain the same.

The Internet and globalization promised to create a global village that would ensure world peace, and bring education and the means of self-sufficiency to millions. This, in large part, has actually happened – Indian call centers and Chinese manufacturing have literally helped lift millions of people out of poverty; the largest advance in human history by any stretch. Yet, these two symbols have ironically become either so mundane as to be ignored, or synonymous with evil corporatization.

The problem is that we have removed ourselves from the equation. We expect technology to solve the world’s problems and keep things stable so we can ignore them and get on with our own lives. We have created a global market, but are failing miserably at building global relationships, let alone a global village. When we buy made-in-China goods at Walmart or call our credit card company’s operators in Bangalore, we are practicing drive-through globalization. We have to start thinking more as citizens, not just as consumers.

We need to build meaningful and lasting relationships with people across the world. World peace must be stitched together one relationship at a time. Today, we have the means to instantly communicate with billions of people virtually anywhere, free-of-charge. Yet, we lack the motivation or the conventions to do so. While there is a huge opportunity to provide better contexts and conventions for a global community, it also comes down to our individual participation. Rather than hold back, we need to just jump in – start now, and learn along the way.

So, I humbly propose that we make the next decade the decade of participation. To dedicate ourselves to meaningful social and global participation, in whatever form we choose. Participation puts us in the driver’s seat. We have the means to create the world we want, we just need to realize that we do, and act upon it.

How do you plan to participate more in the world in 2010?

This is what I saw on CNN.com’s homepage this morning:

First, take a close look at the picture of the guy on a cell phone. It looks a little out of place right? Does that look like a citizen complaining about potholes? Looks more like a cell-phone ad to me. The tiny label in the top right says “Jupiter Images”. It’s a stock photo, on CNN? Somehow this just smacks me as plain wrong. When faceless corporate websites use stock images, they come across as inauthentic and soulless. When a top news channel uses them they come across the same way, and it looks amateurish. How is CNN different from a blog now?

Ok, so it was a slow news day, no big deal right? What really shocked me is when I took a closer look at the picture on the left: It looks like a really serious story about important geo-political issues. A protester throwing rocks at police. Iconic. But look at the upper right of that picture, and it says “Getty Images”. It’s a stock photo as well! Now, that throws the whole validity of the story into question. Did people actually clash with police? Is that picture even from Iran? Did protests actually happen? (Well, I’m sure they did, but showing a fake picture doesn’t inspire confidence).

This is a sad trend. I get it that news organizations need to find ways to save money, but I think they are getting close to the line. The foundation of good journalism is trust, and fake pictures erode that trust. They are better off not showing pictures at all.

Modern Warfare 2 by Flyinace2000

Like millions of others around the world, I’ve been spending way too much time playing Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2 over the past several weeks. Mostly multiplayer. After almost 48 hours of gameplay, I’ve attained the rank of Colonel II and have a score ranking of under 3 million! Woohoo!

Why is this game so addictive?

I think Infinity Ward has perfected the formula for attention engagement with their multiplayer ranking and unlocking system. For the first 30 or so levels, you get a constant stream of new weapon and abilities, a new one every hour or two of playing. Every new weapon has its own ladder of accessories to unlock, from silencers to (the essential) heart-beat monitors. Positive feedback galore. Even if you suck at playing, you still get the satisfactory feeling of advancement just by showing up.

At later levels, the rewards come more slowly, but you are fully motivated to learn to play better in order to get them. The kill-streak system is brilliant: For a continuous run of kills without dying you can deploy powerful game-changing elements, from map-revealing UAVs (after 3 kills) to fearsome player-controlled AC-130 attacks (after 11). This is a powerful motivator to make you learn to play better and refrain from just senseless charging.

The game is chock-full of other psychological motivators. You get medal-like emblems and titles for specific accomplishments (such as killing every member of the opposing team at least once). You can also customize your character’s weapons, “perks” (such as the ability to continuously run), and “deathstreaks” (special helpers when you die too many times in a row).

What can we learn from these motivating techniques to apply to the real world?

Anything worth doing is worth doing awesomely.

Halls of Learning by Josiah Mackenzie

One of my personal passions is to drastically improve our means of education. My initial focus is on college-level education, which represents the largest investment we make before we even enter the workforce. According to Forbes, the average public 4 year program costs $18,000 a year (for tuition, fees, and room and board), while private colleges average $37,000 a year, with elite schools costing $50,000 a year and up. This means you’ll need at least $70,000 for a 4 year program. That’s a lot of money.

So what do we get (or think we get) in return for becoming economic slaves? Let’s try to break-down the total received value from a typical 4-year college experience. Here’s my stab at a list:

1. Knowledge, information, and instruction (60%, ~$49K out of a $70K 4-year budget)

Not surprisingly, I'd expect that the main thing I'm paying for is education.

2. Certification (10%, ~$7K)

There's value in graduating from a known school vs. just reading a bunch of books. The school is saying "yes, we think this person is at a known ability level." By attending, you are in-effect buying lifetime membership in the school’s “brand”.

3. Living and social experiences (15%, ~$10K)

For most people, going to college is also learning to live by yourself for the first time, dealing with diverse people, and making important choices in a controlled environment.

4. Inspiration and motivation (5%, ~$3,500)

Having people who you can look up to, and who will motivate you is valuable. So is having a nice environment, the arts, and similarly motivated people around you.

Can any of these be cut or obtained much more cheaply? Could you obtain most of the knowledge for much less than $49K in much less than 4 years? I think the answer is yes, and we need revolutionary changes.

What do you think?