My current reading list

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OK, so I admit that most of my recent posts have not been Speech Server related, but since most of my ideas cannot be posted my mind has had time to wander.

Yesterday I finished the very influential book - How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.  Most of you are probably already familiar with this book - but if you aren't I suggest you obtain a copy.  Most of the content of the book is common sense - but it is common sense that we rarely use.

The following books are on my current reading list.

How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (Personal Development) by Dale Carnegie

   I just started this one, so I have no opinions just yet.  If it is half the book that "How to Win Friends and Influence People" was it should be an interesting read.

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen

   Funny story about this one. I started reading this several years ago from the recommendation of my then manager.  I never managed to finish it, which didn't bode too well for the title!  I recently decided to start it from the beginning and I have found the system he proposes to be helpful, though I think the book would have more of an impact if it were shorter.

Branded Customer Service: The New Competitive Edge by Janelle Barlow and Paul Stewart

   See my previous posts for more info about this one.  Currently I am about half way through.  I do find the book to be very well worth it and I wish we had a better relationship with our marketing campaigns here.  My only gripe so far is the authors have the tendency to lash out at companies without stating how it is pertinent to the subject.  The authors can also be a bit too picky - for instance criticizing a swimming pool that refused to change the temperature of the pool to her liking.

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Stored Procedure Programming in T-SQL & .NET by Dejan Sunderic

   You may be surprised that most of my reading list is non-technical.  Generally I find that any technical knowledge is best learned on the job and that, like most techies, my non-technical skills need the most work.  Still, I have had some SQL work recently so I thought I'd brush up.