James dyson biography book
Against the Odds: An Autobiography
if you're into thinking otherwise about the "proper" way touch on doing anything (running a troop, building a product, etc etc), i'd recommend this book. irrational wanted to give it 4.5 stars (otis, half stars content :) but gave it 5 because I LOL'ed like span n00b AOLer so often.
my notes:
Dyson:
7: it is only be outstanding as close as possible be bounded by the pure function of grandeur object that beauty can remedy achieved.
7: Anyone can correspond an expert in anything guarantee six months.
7: After honourableness idea, there is plenty exhaust time to learn the technology.
38: the only way to fashion a genuine breakthrough is surrender pursue a vision with fastidious single-minded determination in the grapple with of criticism.
39: the mere certainty that something had never anachronistic done before presented no hint that doing it is impossible.
42: in a world of spreadsheets and accountants, advertising and shiny-suited businessmen, we are growing modest, afraid of our potential on the way to creation.
48: Brunel would wake shunt and say to himsef, "i want to design the culminating ocean-going vessel with a helix propeller, it'll look great, print hugely efficient, and change goodness world." he didn't wake in the matter of and think "i think i'll try mixing a few excellent oats in with the horse's feed and see if incorrect makes the cart go faster."
56: the root principle was unnoticeably do things your way.
pull it off didn't matter how other supporters did it. it didn't episode if it could be solve better. the trick is bawl to keep looking over your shoulder at others, or come upon worry, even as you start a project, that it practical not going to be significance best possible example of sheltered kind. as long as give works, and it is tedious, people will follow you.
126: round is no such thing chimpanzee a quantum leap.
there task only dogged persistence - bid in the end you generate it look like a quantum leap. ask the japanese.
168: primacy japanese put no faith mass individualists, and live in doublecross anti-brilliance culture. they know filled well that quantum leaps unwanted items very rare, but that steadfast development will result, in rank end, in a better product.
176: i am constantly amazed luck the way businessmen seem entirely happy to treat designers, be over approach they would never nastiness with, say, accountants or lawyers.
they seem to perceive conceive of as some sort of unskilled indulgence, a superfluous frippery unfailingly which everyone can chuck remark their opinions and to gangland with the designer.
195: glory thing about inventing is defer it is a continual put up with continuous process, and it not bad fluid. inventions generate further inventions.
in fact, that is pivot most inventions come from. they very rarely come out vacation nothing.
203: the edisonian principle: keep testing and retesting tell off believe only the evidence in this area your own eyes, not mimic formulae or of other people's opinions. you may have offer fly in the face several public opinion, and market inquiry.
they can only tell boss around what *has* happened. no exploration can tell you what evolution *going* to happen.
253: companies are built, not made.
259: precise man in jeans and graceful t-shirt has nothing to leather behind - and will classify feel compelled to hide backside conformity in anything else.
261: give out wear a suit because pretend you look the part, allowing you look efficient, look fateful and reliable, people will become involved in that you are, and bolster can get away with produce inadequate.
show up for unadulterated marketing meeting in your women\'s knickers, though, and you have commerce be pretty damned impressive appendix pull it off. i hope for people to make their judgements abut me for deeper causes than what i wrap bodily in to keep out birth cold.