Selecting 5 KM books
A posting at the knowledgeboard gives a list of 42 books that anyone starting in KM may find useful.
Well 42 is a little too many for starters, so here is my list of 5 and some rationale for the choices:
* Deep smarts
A new book (2005) from Dorothy Leonard and Walter Swap (remember Wellsprings of Knowledge?) that looks at the nature of practical wisdom. Experience-based competence takes time to acquire, is difficult to transfer and is related to intuition, beliefs, tacit models and awareness. This is very timely book as boomers leave the workforce in droves.
* Communities of practice
Etienne Wenger's classic that sets the ground for understanding social learning, reification, participation and domain. This book delivers new insights with every reading. Deep, basic and timeless.
* Working knowledge
Davenport and Prusak's 1998, primer for the KM practitioner. This covers the essential concepts of codification and personalization, the role of people vs. technology and the value of knowledge to business.
* Enabling knowledge creation
My favorite book on people related KM. The power of community, communication, conversation, content and context. Many savvy answers to eternal problems of cultural change and making KM happen within business. Do not pass this one by.
* Learning to fly
Collison & Parcell tell it like it is. A useful narrative of how to do KM within a large company. Learning before, while and after is a fundamental revisit of techniques for getting KM done.
Wonder what others have on that special spot in their bookshelf??
Been working in KM space for a couple of years now but only just 'finding my own way'. Found some of your '5' posts really good - and a better approach than complete lists with little or no personal attachment. I am currently reading 'Key Issues in The New Knowledge Management' McElroy and Firestone - it's not easy going but my application is paying off. Some heavy critisim of Cynefin and other approaches. Will be posting a review on my blog soon (will also put on Amazon). Has anyone read this book? Any comments?
Posted by: John Curran | January 28, 2005 at 11:02 AM