Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. Chip Heath & Dan Heath, Random House, 2007. New York Times Bestseller.

The brother-authors, Chip and Dan Heath, have combined findings from the worlds of marketing, psychology, urban legends and Aesop's fables, to argue very convincingly that there are 6 key principles that make your ideas "sticky" -- whether you're teaching in a classroom, managing a team, writing a viewbook or an alumni case for support. You want Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional Stories for SUCCES in communication.
Read Ken's review here.

What's Wrong with University and How to Make it Work for You Anyway. Jeff Rybak, ECW Press, 2007.

In many ways, What's Wrong with University is a perfect companion piece to Jim Côté and Anton Allahar's Ivory Tower Blues. Both published in 2007, Rybak's book describes the crisis in modern Canadian universities from the student point of view, while Côté's book outlines What's Wrong with University from the perspective of faculty. Reading the two books together provides a nuanced understanding of those different perspectives - but what is most striking is just how much consensus there is between the two.
Read Ken's review here.

Ivory Tower Blues: A University System in Crisis. James E. Côté & Anton L. Allahar, uToronto Press, 2007.

This book has garnered a good deal of media attention, perhaps because the media always loves a good "crisis." The authors believe that systemic problems are undermining Canada's universities, arising over the past few decades from a complex interplay of government funding cuts, tuition increases, increasing PSE participation rates, growing class sizes, high school grade inflation, and a labour market glut. Also in for some harsh criticism: the millennial generation and their helicopter parents, professor teaching evaluations, and political correctness.
Read Ken's review here.

Gamers go to College. Craig Westman & Penny Bouman. AACRAO, 2006.

Gamers Go to College is written by three administrators at Michigan's Ferris State University, and published by AACRAO, the world's leading association of strategic enrolment management professionals. The book promises to explain to universities and colleges the changes in student services, recruitment, and pedagogy required to reach "a remarkably different generation" that "stands at their portals." The authors insist, "from a simple fiscal point of view, to overlook Gamers and the technical skills they bring is to commit enrollment suicide." Wow. Read Ken's review here.

Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies. Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff. Harvard UP, 2008.

Groundswell is perhaps the single best and most authoritative primer on Web 2.0 or social media. Although not specifically written with higher education in mind, the social media revolution is more important to colleges and universities than any other sector, because more than 80% of its target market are online, using Facebook or MySpace. Read Melissa's review here.

Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything. Don Tapscott & Anthony D. Williams, Penguin, 2006.

A vital book on the implications of Web 2.0 collaboration for websites, business models, and society. Important for anyone responsible for an institutional website, but also major implications for the future of education delivery.

Millenials Rising: The Next Great Generation. Neil Howe & William Strauss, Vintage Books, 2000.

A compelling description of the new cohort of students arriving in PSE today, their surprising attitudes toward family and authority, career and technology.

Boom, Bust & Echo: How to Profit from the Coming Demographic Shift. David K. Foot, McFarlane Walter & Ross, 1996.

The definitive (and Canadian!) book predicting the impact of the baby boom on politics, the economy, athletics, community structure, and more.

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't. Jim Collins, HarperCollins and HarperAudio.

The #1 bestseller, perhaps the most important business book in recent times, and very applicable to institutional strategy. Based on an exhaustive study of publicly-traded companies that achieved significantly better results than their sectors, Collins and his research team conclude that keys are not charismatic leadership, or even cutting-edge technology, but some very simple concepts they name Hedgehog, Flywheel, and the Right People on the Bus.

Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind. Al Ries & Jack Trout, 1980.

Perhaps the quintessential book on brand positioning, "owning" a word in the customer's mind, and being first in your category or defining a new category in which you can be first.

The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding. Al Ries & Laura Ries, Harper Business, 2002.

Great examples and elaboration on the laws of brand expansion, contraction, category, consistency, subbrands and siblings.

Do you have other suggestions for must-read books?
Please email ken@academicagroup.com