Bookshelf

Looking for a new book to read? Take one from our a collection of books on everything from leadership to psychology recommended by Fellows, Faculty Champions and UIF team members.

About Our Program

Designing for Change
by Beverly & Etienne Wenger-Trayner
Recommended by the UIF team!

Creativity & Art

Drawing on the right side of the brain
by Betty Edwards
Recommended by Leticia Britos Cavagnaro

Creative Confidence 
by Tom Kelley, David Kelley
Recommended by Katie Heitkemper, University of Portland

Creative Workshop
by David Sherwin
“It’s great for exercising your creativity and what you can do when you stop to think about a challenge.” – Recommended by Alexandra Seda, Ohio Northern University

Steal Like an Artist
by Austin Kleon
Recommended by Ryan Phillips, University of Oklahoma

Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques
by Michael Michalko 
Recommended by Teerth Brahmbhatt, University of North Carolina

Business & Marketing

Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling Disruptive Products to Mainstream Customers
by Geoffrey A. Moore
Recommended by Ryan Phillips, University of Oklahoma

Blue Ocean Strategy
by W. Chan Kim, Renée Mauborgne 
Recommended by Iskas Alexander Nassief, Skidmore College

Running Lean: Iterate from Plan A to a Plan That Works
by Ash Maurya
Recommended by Justin Javorek, Dalhousie University

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t
by Jim Collins
Recommended by Jhonatan Nagasako, Western New England University

Smart People Should Build Things
by Andrew Yang
Recommended by Greg Wilson, University of Georgia


Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth and Impact the World
by Peter H. Diamandis, Steven Kotler
Recommended by Will Papper, Washington University in St. Louis, Stanford University

Growth Hacker Marketing 
by Ryan Holiday
“Think marketing with the engineers touch!” – Recommended by Kyle Pitocchelli, UMass Lowell

The Right It: Why So Many Ideas Fail and How to Make Sure Yours Succeed
by Alberto Savoia
“Pretotyping is a great concept!” – Recommended by Peter Rogers, Faculty Champion, The Ohio State University

Business Model Generation
by Alexander Osterwalder
Recommended by Peter Rogers, OSU

Motivation & Leadership

Achievement Habit
by Bernie Roth
“It’s a great book about life, relationships, and ‘getting unstuck.’” – Recommended by Alexandra Seda, Ohio Northern University

Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us 
by Seth Godin
Recommended by Nahom Fissaha, James Madison University



Triggers: Creating Behavior That Lasts–Becoming the Person You Want to Be
by Marshall Goldsmith, Mark Reiter
Recommended by Kenneth Brewer, La Salle University

Originals
by Adam Grant
“Being original doesn’t require being first. It just means being different and better.” – Recommended by Humera Fasihuddin, University Innovation Fellows


Talent is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else
by Geoff Colvin
Recommended by Tyler Higgins, Furman University

Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization
by Dave Logan, John King, Halee Fischer-Wright
Recommended by Elliot Roth, VCU

Riding the Creative Rollercoaster: How Leaders Evoke Creativity, Productivity and Innovation
by Nick Udall
Recommended by Gabriel Conners, Illinois Institute of Technology

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
by Charles Duhigg
Recommended by Nahom Fissaha, James Madison University

The Soulful Leader: Success with Authenticity, Integrity and Empathy
by Arthur P. Ciaramicoli, Jim Crystal
Recommended by Lupe Makasyuk, University Innovation Fellows

Psychology

Nonsense: The Power of Not Knowing
by Jamie Holmes
Recommended by Leticia Britos Cavagnaro, University Innovation Fellows

A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future
by Daniel H. Pink
Recommended by Garrett Goehring, Northwestern University

This Will Make You Smarter: New Scientific Concepts to Improve Your Thinking
by John Brockman
Recommended by Matt Snow, Elon University

Empathy: Why It Matters and How to Get it 
by Roman Krznaric
Recommended by Lupe Makasyuk, University Innovation Fellows

Innovation & Invention

Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation
by Steven Johnson
Recommended by Keaton Wadzinski, University of Virginia

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things
by Michael Braungart 
Recommended by Alex Breakstone, Bucknell University

The Ten Faces of Innovation
by Tom Kelley, Jonathan Littman
Recommended by Jhonatan Nagasako, Western New England University

Biographies & Company Insights

Steve Jobs
by Walter Isaacson
“Fantastically motivating” – Recommended by Christopher Atkinson, University of Minnesota

How Google Works
by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg
Recommended by Isaac Griswold-Steiner, Texas Tech University

The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation
by Jon Gertner
Recommended by Teerth Brahmbhatt, University of North Carolina

Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination
by Neal Gabler
Recommended by Greg Wilson, University of Georgia

Books for Kids (and everyone else)

What Do You Do With an Idea?
by Kobi Yamada 
Recommended by Meenu Singh, University of Maryland

The Essential Calvin and Hobbes
by Bill Watterson
“Calvin is a true innovator, always challenging the status quo, and Hobbes is the perfect moral guidance.” – Recommended by Laurie Moore, University Innovation Fellows