Books that might spark innovation and imagination

In response to a social media request (I may share more later if the person requesting agrees), I had a think about books and articles which might spark innovation and imagination. This is very much ‘my contribution’, it doesn’t make any claim to be comprehensive, and I’d love to hear your suggestions…

• Why can’t we talk the same language, when it’s so important? https://chosen-path.org/2022/04/27/why-cant-we-talk-the-same-language-when-its-so-important/
• The only true wisdom is knowing you can’t draw a bicycle https://slimemoldtimemold.com/2022/03/23/the-only-true-wisdom-is-knowing-that-you-cant-draw-a-bicycle/
• A first lesson in meta-rationality – David Chapman https://meaningness.com/metablog/bongard-meta-rationality
• Seeing Like A State https://www.amazon.co.uk/Seeing-Like-State-Condition-Institution/dp/0300078153 (or some of the podcasts and articles drawn from it – Seeing Like A State pops up on nearly every list I share or make)
• The Little Book of Beyond Budgeting https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Book-Beyond-Budgeting-Organisations/dp/1785899287
• Total Quality Management – Breaking Down the Barriers – Develin (not at all what it sounds like – John Seddon without John Seddon) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Total-Quality-Management-Breaking-Accountancy/dp/1853553824/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1270EGDILA0DP&keywords=total+quality+management+develin&qid=1692256570&s=books&sprefix=total+quality+management+develin%2Cstripbooks%2C107&sr=1-1
• Strong Towns https://www.amazon.co.uk/Strong-Towns-Bottom-Up-Revolution-Prosperity-ebook/dp/B07YGC4K4V
• Images of Organization https://www.amazon.co.uk/Images-Organization-Gareth-Morgan/dp/1412939798
• Adaptiveness in human social organisation: some guiding principles – Michael Church (journal publication – ten pages) https://cmapspublic.ihmc.us/rid=1LLD90NQ0-N92GXZ-29CZ/ADAPTIVENESS%20IN%20HUMAN%20SOCIAL%20ORGANISATION.htm
• Bob Williams’ Wicked Solutions https://www.bobwilliams.co.nz/ewExternalFiles/Wicked.pdf
• Teaching smart people how to learn
• https://chosenpath.files.wordpress.com/2023/08/d18f3-teachingsmartpeoplebychrisargyris.pdf or just https://hbr.org/1991/05/teaching-smart-people-how-to-learn

Other books (drawn from the links below) – these are all intended to be ‘non-specific’ as to subject, eye-opening and creating possibilities…

• Legitimate Peripheral Participation
• Systems Convening
• Sorting Things Out: Classification and its Consequences
• Finding Our Sea Legs
• A Sand County Almanac
• Ways of Seeing
• Metaphors We Live By

In case interesting, a collection of reading lists I’ve shared in the past:

• RedQuadrant reading list https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xjkt4dosdnydwvc82s1vz/2022-12-12-RedQuadrant-reading-list-v2.3-LM.pdf?rlkey=c3bpdkutg3w2tzpzuedvijbu4&dl=0
• A few of my posts https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/z487rt3xljlmvx98vv89o/2022-06-23-RedQuadrant-radical-reading-list-v0.2BT.pdf?rlkey=2bg6aep9bt7qtyshs0wga69b4&dl=0
• A very rough and partial draft systems thinking reading list https://stream.syscoi.com/2020/05/06/a-very-rough-and-partial-draft-systems-thinking-reading-list/
• An emergence reading list https://stream.syscoi.com/2020/09/13/an-emergence-reading-list-axis-praxis/
• Books on the topic of complex adaptive systems https://stream.syscoi.com/2020/09/13/books-on-the-topic-of-complex-adaptive-systems/
• Postrat reading list https://stream.syscoi.com/2021/10/08/lisa-mcnulty-postrat-reading-list-zotero/
• cristóbal on Twitter: “What would you call this class of book? – Notes on the Synthesis of Form – Thinking in Systems – Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned – Cybernetics” / Twitter https://stream.syscoi.com/2022/11/06/cristobal-on-twitter-what-would-you-call-this-class-of-book-notes-on-the-synthesis-of-form-thinking-in-systems-why-greatness-cannot-be-planned-cybernetics-twitter/