BOOK REVIEW: “Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die” by Chip Heath & Dan Heath (2010)

Did you know that the Great Wall of China is the only man-made object visible from space? You did? It’s not true.  It’s what´s known as an urban myth.  These are so stories that are so popular that they have become ingrained in our culture, and become retold throughout the world.  In Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath explain why some of these stories ‘stick.’

Interview with Bertrand Guillotin of the Fuqua School of Management, Duke University

It was a great pleasure to welcome Bertrand Guillotin, International Programs Director at the Fuqua School of Management, Duke University to Grenoble EM in November. During his time at the school we were able to make a short video in which Bertrand talked about life at Duke. Having studied and worked in both France and the USA, he was also able to share his insights into and the differences between French and American styles of teaching and learning.

BOOK REVIEW: “SuperFreakonomics” by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner (2009)

Freakonomics was a wonderfully refreshing book that gave a clear insight into some of the idiosyncrasies of human behavior. As any film critic will know, writing a good sequel is a very difficult task indeed. Unfortunately, this seems to have been the case for the two authors of this book. 

New York after Sandy and Barack: Beware of what you see and what you hear

Last week I was fortunate enough to be in New York during the Presidential Elections and in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. It was an interesting reminder that being close to something may give you a totally different perspective on how events are unfolding. This doesn’t always mean you get a better one. 

Walking on the Moon.…Armstrong, Hero or Villain ?

It hasn’t been a good weekend if you are a household name with the surname Armstrong. On Friday, Lance Armstrong officially threw in the towel in his fight to maintain the seven Tour de France titles he had won by effectively pleading guilty to using drugs. He thus gained the status of villain or fallen hero. Then yesterday, Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon died in hospital.

Our reactions to the two Armstrongs underlines how ambiguous we are in conferring hero status to people or to organizations.