Michael T. Starks

Category: Books

  • Scaling Organizations

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    Bigger organizations are not always better. Making more money is a goal of most businesses. This usually means hiring more employees and acquiring other companies. Unrestrained growth seems to be the goal. However, there are several issues with unrestrained growth. I also want different organizations to do a better job getting along together, but that’s…

  • Poetry

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    I stumbled across this article about 20 Classic Poems Every Man Should Read. I’m guessing that women may also want to read some of these! At any rate, I took the time to read them, and here are my favorites. Enjoy!

  • Incentives Matter

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    Over the years, we’ve learned a lot about how humans are motivated. Sometimes humans are encouraged to do bad things. More often, we are encouraged to do things that make other people a lot of money. Often, we are not encouraged to act in our own best interest. Money is a good incentive. Many people…

  • Focus

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    We live in a distracting age, with countless forces vying for our attention. The rise of cell phones and social media has only exacerbated the situation. I struggle to deal with distractions now more than ever. This is partly due to a fairly recent change in my daily job responsibilities. It’s also due to factors…

  • Mira Nair

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    Mira Nair is another one of my heroes. As a director, she’s made several great movies, unlike any that I’ve seen previously. Here are my favorites. She’s worked with many impressive actors. Denzel Washington gave a rich and tender performance in Mississippi Masala. Marisa Tomei gave a delightful performance in The Perez Family. I look…

  • Edith Wharton

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    Edith Wharton has been one of my heroes since high school. She is an extraordinary writer who captures what it means to be human, especially for women in the society of her time. I read Ethan Frome for a class, and it haunts me still. “…and the way they are now, I don’t see’s there’s…

  • Simon Sinek

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    Simon Sinek is one of my heroes because he has given solid TED talks, written more than one influential book, and helped many people find more meaning in their lives. Part of me aspires to do something similar. Part of me wants to make more movies. And part of me wants to continue putting the…

  • Robert Reich

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    Regarding politics, I value Robert Reich’s perspective more than most. His deep experience includes being a professor and serving as Secretary of Labor under President Clinton. He became one of my heroes as I read these books. He’s written other books that I look forward to reading. He’s also the face of Inequality Media, a…

  • Ayn Rand

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    The reason Ayn Rand is one of my heroes has nothing to do with her personal philosophy, Objectivism. While I agree that an objective reality exists, I do not think this implies that we should selfishly act exclusively in our self-interest. My life has taught me otherwise. I like Ayn Rand’s novels because she is…

  • Adam Grant

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    Adam Grant is a fairly recent addition to my list of heroes. He’s written the following excellent books. I like that his books include ideas backed by research. I also like that he presents his ideas using fascinating stories written in a conversational tone. He makes the ideas approachable without stripping them of their significance.…