If you want to know how the lighting industry has wound up where it is today, I suggest reading the following four books (in order as listed):
Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light by Brox, Jane
Want to know why it’s safe to go outside after the sun sets? Brilliant chronicles the evolution of human civilization from ancient fire to candle to gas to electric light.
Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World by Jonnes, Jill
Want to know how we wound up with a globally electrified world (all using AC power)? Empires of Light focuses in on the initial race for electrification of our cities and rural areas and the competition between two industry titans.
The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation by Gertner, Jon
Want to know why our lighting fixtures are now digitally controlled? The Idea Factory explains how modern electronics and communications developed, from analogue through to the digital world.
Dealers of Lightning: Xerox PARC and the Dawn of the Computer Age by Michael A. Hiltzik
Want to know why you’re now using an iPad to control your lights? No, don’t read the biography of Steve Jobs (although it is an excellent book, too); rather, read about the source for most of Apple’s technologies: Dealers of Lighting covers the amazing Xerox R+D facility that envisioned and developed little concepts such as graphical user interfaces, portable computing, and Ethernet communications.
L.E.D.: A History of the Future of Lighting by Bob Johnstone
A great book chronicling the history of the LED revolution, including some great glimpses into the future. And I especially love this book as Chapter 18: Play of Brilliants covers my work at both Color Kinetics and later Philips. My 15 minutes of fame, I suppose?
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I love reading books on entrepreneurship, managing the creative process, and historical recounts of R+D projects. Here is my list of books that I’ve read. Most of these books are great, but books highlighted in BOLD are my long-standing favorites. Enjoy!
{2021}
Three Years in Wonderland: The Disney Brothers, C. V. Wood, and the Making of the Great American Theme Park
Todd James Pierce
No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention
Reed Hastings, Erin Meyer
The HP Way: How Bill Hewlett and I Built Our Company (Collins Business Essentials)
David Packard
{2020}
Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture
David Kushner
Bubble in the Sun: The Florida Boom of the 1920s and How It Brought on the Great Depression
Christopher Knowlton
Chasing the Demon: A Secret History of the Quest for the Sound Barrier, and the Band of American Aces Who Conquered It
Dan Hampton
Howard Hughes: His Life and Madness
Donald L. Barlett, James B. Steele
Product Leadership: How Top Product Managers Launch Awesome Products and Build Successful Teams
Richard Banfield, Martin Eriksson, Nate Walkingshaw
American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company
Bryce G. Hoffman
Stealth: The Secret Contest to Invent Invisible Aircraft
Peter Westwick
Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries
Safi Bahcall
Copies in Seconds: How a Lone Inventor and an Unknown Company Created the Biggest Communication Breakthrough Since Gutenberg–Chester Carlson and the Birth of the Xerox Machine
David Owen
What’s Your Problem?: To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve
Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg
Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win
Jocko Willink, Leif Babin
The Unofficial Walt Disney World 1971 Companion: Stories of How the World Began
Jim Korkis, Bob McLain
The Innovator’s Spirit: Discover the Mindset to Pursue the Impossible
Chuck Swoboda
The Win Without Pitching Manifesto
Blair Enns
Magic Journey: My Fantastical Walt Disney Imagineering Career
Kevin Rafferty
Designing the Future: How Ford, Toyota, and other World-Class Organizations Use Lean Product Development to Drive Innovation and Transform Their Business
James M. Morgan, Jeffrey K. Liker
Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen
Dan Heath
2 Second Lean – 3rd Edition: How to Grow People and Build a Fun Lean Culture
Paul A. Akers
In Praise of Shadows
Junichiro Tanizak
This Is Marketing: You Can’t Be Seen Until You Learn to See
Seth Godin
Scramble: How agile strategy can build epic brands in record time
Marty Neumeier
Becoming Dr. Seuss: Theodor Geisel and the Making of an American Imagination
Brian Jay Jones
The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done
Peter F. Drucker, Jim Collins
{2019}
Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life
Rory Sutherland
Fins: Harley Earl, the Rise of General Motors, and the Glory Days of Detroit
William Knoedelseder
Me: Elton John Official Autobiography
Elton John
The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company
Robert Iger
Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley’s Bill Campbell
Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, Alan Eagle
Startup CEO: A Field Guide to Scaling Up Your Business
Matt Blumberg
Revolution in The Valley: The Insanely Great Story of How the Mac Was Made
Andy Hertzfeld
Mademoiselle: Coco Chanel and the Pulse of History
Rhonda K. Garelick
Leaders: Myth and Reality
Stanley McChrystal, Jeff Eggers, Jay Mangone
Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love
Marty Cagan
Every Tool’s a Hammer: Life Is What You Make It
Adam Savage
The Sky Below: A True Story of Summits, Space, and Speed
Scott Parazynski, Susy Flory
Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry
Jacquie McNish, Sean Silcoff
From the Ground Up: A Journey to Reimagine the Promise of America
Howard Schultz
Netflixed: The Epic Battle for America’s Eyeballs
Gina Keating
Farsighted: How We Make the Decisions That Matter the Most
Steven Johnson
Creative Selection: Inside Apple’s Design Process During the Golden Age of Steve Jobs
Ken Kocienda
The Pentagon’s Brain: An Uncensored History of DARPA, America’s Top-Secret Military Research Agency
Annie Jacobsen
{2018}
The Flight: Charles Lindbergh’s Daring and Immortal 1927 Transatlantic Crossing
Dan Hampton
Bitter Brew: The Rise and Fall of Anheuser-Busch and America’s Kings of Beer
William Knoedelseder
Car Guys vs. Bean Counters: The Battle for the Soul of American Business
Bob Lutz
Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind
Scott Barry Kaufman, Carolyn Gregoire
Earning It: Hard-Won Lessons from Trailblazing Women at the Top of the Business World
Joann S. Lublin
Tuxedo Park: A Wall Street Tycoon and the Secret Palace of Science That Changed the Course of World War II
It’s Not All About “Me”: The Top Ten Techniques for Building Quick Rapport with Anyone
Robin Dreeke
Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon
Jeffrey Kluger
Restaurant Success by the Numbers, Second Edition: A Money-Guy’s Guide to Opening the Next New Hot Spot
Roger Fields
Grow to Greatness: How to build a world-class franchise system faster.
Steven Olson
{2017}
The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact
Chip Heath, Dan Heath
Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy
Tim Harford
L.E.D.: A History of the Future of Lighting
Bob Johnstone
Finding My Virginity: The New Autobiography
Richard Branson
Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade
Robert Cialdini
Psyched Up: How the Science of Mental Preparation Can Help You Succeed
Daniel McGinn
iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon
Steve Wozniak, Gina Smith
Time to Make the Donuts
William Rosenberg, Jessica Keener
Secret Formula: The Inside Story of How Coca-Cola Became the Best-Known Brand in the World
Frederick Allen
No Dream Is Too High: Life Lessons From a Man Who Walked on the Moon
Buzz Aldrin, Ken Abraham
The Right Kind of Crazy: A True Story of Teamwork, Leadership, and High-Stakes Innovation
Adam Steltzner, William Patrick
American Dreamer: My Life in Fashion & Business
Tommy Hilfiger, Peter Knobler, Quincy Jones
Competing Against Time: How Time-Based Competition is Reshaping Global Markets
George Stalk
Kelly: More Than My Share of It All
Clarence L. Johnson, Maggie Smith
Wonderland: How Play Made the Modern World
Steven Johnson
Hit Makers: How to Succeed in an Age of Distraction
Derek Thompson
Powerhouse: The Untold Story of Hollywood’s Creative Artists Agency
James Andrew Miller
From Silk to Silicon: The Story of Globalization Through Ten Extraordinary Lives
Jeffrey E. Garten
{2016}
Lean Product and Process Development, 2nd ed.
Allen Ward
A Beautiful Constraint: How To Transform Your Limitations Into Advantages, and Why It’s Everyone’s Business
Adam Morgan
How Jay Stein, MCA, & Universal Invented the Modern Theme Park and Beat Disney at Its Own Game
Sam Gennawey
How to Make a Spaceship: A Band of Renegades, an Epic Race, and the Birth of Private Spaceflight
Julian Guthrie
Father, Son & Co.: My Life at IBM and Beyond
Thomas J. Watson
What Makes a Leader: Why Emotional Intelligence Matters
Daniel Goleman
The Industries of the Future
Alec Ross
Dr. Space: The Life of Wernher von Braun
Bob Ward
TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking
Chris Anderson
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
Phil Knight
Quench Your Own Thirst: Business Lessons Learned Over a Beer or Two
Jim Koch
Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World
Adam Grant
Model Woman: Eileen Ford and the Business of Beauty
Robert Lacey
The Geography of Genius: A Search for the World’s Most Creative Places from Ancient Athens to Silicon Valley
Eric Weiner
Illuminate: Ignite Change Through Speeches, Stories, Ceremonies, and Symbols
Nancy Duarte
Blockbusters: Hit-making, Risk-taking, and the Big Business of Entertainment
Anita Elberse
How to Get People to Do Stuff: Master the art and science of persuasion and motivation
Susan Weinschenk
HBR Guide to Leading Teams
Mary Shapiro
The X-15 Rocket Plane: Flying the First Wings into Space
Michelle L. Evans
Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
Ron Chernow
My Journey
Donna Karan
Little Rice: Smartphones, Xiaomi, and the Chinese Dream
Clay Shirky
The Power of Myth
Joseph Campbell
The Martian: A Novel
Andy Weir
I, Steve: Steve Jobs In His Own Words (In Their Own Words)
Beahm
Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone
Mark Goulston
Being the Boss: The 3 Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader
Linda A. Hill
Start Something That Matters
Blake Mycoskie
Disney U: How Disney University Develops the World’s Most Engaged, Loyal, and Customer-Centric Employees
Doug Lipp
The Arsenal of Democracy: FDR, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to Arm an America at War
A. J. Baime
{approx. 2015 and earlier}
Birdmen: The Wright Brothers, Glenn Curtiss, and the Battle..
Lawrence Goldstone
#GIRLBOSS
Sophia Amoruso
Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading..
Linda A. Hill
Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future
Peter Thiel
The Nordstrom Way to Customer Service Excellence: The..
Robert Spector
Disciplined Entrepreneurship: 24 Steps to a Successful..
Bill Aulet
The Glitter Plan: How We Started Juicy Couture for $200 and..
Pamela Skaist-Levy
The Woman I Wanted to Be
Diane von Furstenberg
How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern..
Steven Johnson
The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks..
Walter Isaacson
The First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded: Proven Strategies..
Michael D. Watkins
Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a..
Lee Cockerell
Tesla: Inventor of the Electrical Age
W. Bernard Carlson
Jim Henson: The Biography
Brian Jay Jones
Wealth and Power: China’s Long March to the Twenty-first..
Orville Schell
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in..
Ed Catmull
The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When..
Ben Horowitz
Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple’s Greatest Products
Leander Kahney
Moon Lander: How We Developed the Apollo Lunar Module..
Thomas J. Kelly
Building Tall: My Life and the Invention of Construction..
John L. Tishman
In Pursuit of the Common Good: Twenty-Five Years of..
Paul Newman
The Wizard of Menlo Park: How Thomas Alva Edison Invented..
Randall E. Stross
The Last Man on the Moon: Astronaut Eugene Cernan and..
Eugene Cernan
Embedded Sustainability: The Next Big Competitive Advantage
Chris Laszlo
Finding the Next Steve Jobs: How to Find, Keep, and Nurture..
Nolan Bushnell
The Responsible Company: What We’ve Learned From Patagonia’s..
Vincent Stanley
Without Reservations: How a Family Root Beer Stand Grew Into..
Bill Marriott Jr.
Brick by Brick: How LEGO Rewrote the Rules of Innovation and..
David Robertson
Contagious: Why Things Catch On
Jonah Berger
The Upcycle: Beyond Sustainability–Designing for Abundance
William McDonough
Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work
Chip Heath
By Invitation Only: How We Built Gilt and Changed the Way..
Alexis Maybank
Wild Company: The Untold Story of Banana Republic
Mel Ziegler
Four Seasons: The Story of a Business Philosophy
Isadore Sharp
The Method Method: Seven Obsessions That Helped Our Scrappy..
Eric Ryan
Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works
A.G. Lafley
To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others
Daniel H. Pink
The Lean Turnaround: How Business Leaders Use Lean..
Art Byrne
{approx 2012 and earlier}
Seizing the White Space: Business Model Innovation for Growth and Renewal
Johnson, Mark W.
The People’s Tycoon: Henry Ford and the American Century
Watts, Steven
Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator
Holiday, Ryan
Make Your Idea Matter
Jiwa, Bernadette
Makers: The New Industrial Revolution
Anderson, Chris
Scrum: a Breathtakingly Brief and Agile Introduction
Johnson, Hillary Louise, Sims, Chris
Instant: The Story of Polaroid
Bonanos, Christopher
The Principles of Product Development Flow: Second Generation Lean Product Development
Reinertsen, Donald G.
The Knockoff Economy:How Imitation Sparks Innovation
Raustiala, Kal, Sprigman, Christopher
The Founder’s Dilemmas: Anticipating and Avoiding the Pitfalls That Can Sink a Startup
Wasserman, Noam
The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism
Cabane, Olivia Fox
The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses
Ries, Eric
Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company
Grove, Andrew S.
Designing for Growth: A Design Thinking Toolkit for Managers
Liedtka, Jeanne, Ogilvie, Tim
Make Space: How to Set the Stage for Creative Collaboration
Doorley, Scott, Witthoft, Scott
Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World
Jonnes, Jill
The Start-up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career
Hoffman, Reid, Casnocha, Ben
The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation
Gertner, Jon
The Great Creators: Profiles of America’s Remarkable Inventors and Innovators Volume 1
Daniel, Alef
Mindfire: Big Ideas for Curious Minds
Berkun, Scott
Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation
Johnson, Steven
Guitar Lessons: A Life’s Journey Turning Passion into Business
Taylor, Bob February 7, 2012
Unleashing Innovation: How Whirlpool Transformed an Industry
Snyder, Nancy Tennant, Duarte, Deborah L. December 26, 2011
The Innovator’s DNA: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators
Christensen, Clayton M., Jeff Dyer, Hal Gregersen
One Click: Jeff Bezos and the Rise of Amazon.com
Brandt, Richard L.
Innovate the Pixar Way
Capodagli, Bill
Steve Jobs
Isaacson, Walter
Business Model Generation
Osterwalder, Alexander, Yves Pigneur
Fascinate: Your 7 Triggers to Persuasion and Captivation
Hogshead, Sally
Life
Richards, Keith
Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul
Schultz, Howard
Winning Body Language
Bowden, Mark
Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light
Brox, Jane
Setting the Table
Meyer, Danny
Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier
Glaeser, Edward
Poke the Box
Godin, Seth
Eating the Big Fish: How Challenger Brands Can Compete Against Brand Leaders
Morgan, Adam
Raising the Bar: Integrity and Passion in Life and Business: The Story of Clif Bar Inc.
Erickson, Gary
Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit: The Secrets of Building a Five-Star Customer Service Organization
Inghilleri, Leonardo, Solomon, Micah
What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There: HOW SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE BECOME EVEN MORE SUCCESSFUL
Goldsmith, Marshall, Mark Reiter
Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy
Lindstrom, Martin
Beer School: Bottling Success at the Brooklyn Brewery
Hindy, Steve, Potter, Tom
Chief Culture Officer: How to Create a Living, Breathing Corporation
McCracken, Grant
Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman
Chouinard, Yvon
Making Things Happen: Mastering Project Management
Berkun, Scott
Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work
Crawford, Matthew B.
Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose
Hsieh, Tony
{approx. 2010 and earlier)
Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
Chip Heath, Dan Heath
Rework
Jason Fried, David Heinemeier Hansson
Making Ideas Happen: Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision and Reality
Scott Belsky
The Lean Machine: How Harley-Davidson Drove Top-Line Growth and Profitability with Revolutionary Lean Product Development
Dantar P. Oosterwal
Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive
Noah J. Goldstein, et al
Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature
Janine M. Benyus
The Brand Gap
Marty Neumeier
The Ride of a Lifetime: Doing Business the Orange County Choppers Way
Paul Teutul
Do You Matter? How Great Design Will Make People Love Your Company
Robert Brunner, et al
Founders at Work: Stories of Startups’ Early Days
Jessica Livingston
The Complete Making of Indiana Jones: The Definitive Story Behind All Four Films
J.W. Rinzler
The Myths of Innovation
Scott Berkun
The Game-Changer: How You Can Drive Revenue and Profit Growth with Innovation
A.G. Lafley, Ram Charan
Stumbling on Happiness
Daniel Gilbert
Apollo
Charles Murray
Droidmaker: George Lucas and the Digital Revolution
Michael Rubin
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
Malcolm Gladwel
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
Steven D. Levitt
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
Chip Heath, Dan Heath
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Malcolm Gladwell
The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film (Star Wars)
J.W. Rinzler
Dealers of Lightning: Xerox PARC and the Dawn of the Computer Age
Michael A. Hiltzik
{approx. 2006 and earlier}
Questions of Character: Illuminating the Heart of Leadership Through Literature
Joseph L., Jr. Badaracco
The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More
Chris Anderson
Higher: A Historic Race to the Sky and the Making of a City
Neal Bascomb
Direct from Dell : Strategies that Revolutionized an Industry
Michael Dell, Catherine Fredman
The Bear Necessities of Business : Building a Company with Heart
Maxine Clark, Amy Joyne
Screw It, Let’s Do It : Lessons In Life
Richard Branson
The Design of Things to Come : How Ordinary People Create Extraordinary Products
Craig M. Vogel, et a
How to Win Friends & Influence People
Dale Carnegie
The Ten Faces of Innovation : IDEO’s Strategies for Defeating the Devil’s Advocate and Driving Creativity Throughout Your Organization
Thomas Kelley, Jonathan Littman
Hershey : Milton S. Hershey’s Extraordinary Life of Wealth, Empire, and Utopian Dreams
Michael D’Antonio
{2005 or earlier}
Failure is Not an Option: The Story of Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond
Kranz, Gene
What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School
McCormack, Mark
Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service
Disney Institute, Eisner, Michael D.
Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years of Lockheed
Rich, Ben E., Janos, Leo
