The Disruptive Bookshelf

Bottom Line Up Front:  I'm starting a sister blog to this one.  Disruptive Book Quotes.  Short, pithy sayings once a day that have shaped my interest in disruptive thinking.  If nothing else, at least I'll have a compendium, in the Cloud, of my favorite works. 

About six weeks ago, I wrote about developing a disruptive mindset.  One of the core tenants of such an endeavor is to be well read, on a variety of topics, especially from those you disagree with.  And it is more than that.  It is remembering those statements that resonated, with the hope of using them to develop your life's philosophy.

Heaven.  Via Bookshelf Porn

One of the things I wish I had done much earlier in my life was to create a book of quotes from works that I had read.  I have a terrible memory, and troves of information are forever lost to me.  Writing these nuggets down is my solution.  This was even something I recommended to a 15 year-old cousin of mine as she entered high school and I gave her a list of suggested readings. 

This started in a little black book in 2008.  It was given to me by a friend to journal about my deployment experiences, but I found it more useful as a record of knowledge gleaned from authors much smarter than I. 

Soon after, I got a Kindle, and I was able to create a book of my own by highlighting favorite passages in everything from science fiction and economics to Michael Lewis and Christopher Hitchens.  In fact, these passages are a clear path in my intellectual development -- and nearly all have themes of innovation, discovery and courage. 

I find it useful to read through the entirety of this compilation occasionally and discover where I have been and where I am going.  And as one of the first offshoots of Disruptive Thinkers, I thought it appropriate to start "Disruptive Book Quotes."

These quick bites will explore things like politics, fiction, love, war, foreign policy, innovation, negotiation, athletics and humor.   They are diverse, useful, and sometimes out of context.  But fun nonetheless. 

I will be posting one quote each day from the hundreds I've collected.  This will be an on-going project -- and one that will be presented in chronological order from when I discovered it.  As I continue to read, the list will grow.  Work smarter, not harder -- especially when the work is done by someone else.  Easiest. Blog. Ever.

I will do my best to leave commentary to a minimum, and simply focus on the author and his or her words.  The beauty of this is you can then apply them as you see fit.  Taken together, hopefully some conceptual blending will occur and a picture of new insights will develop.