What We’re Reading from the October 1 Issue of CIO Magazine

Lean Integration: An Integration Factory Approach to Business Agility

By John G. Schmidt and David Lyle

Book Billing itself as a system for implementing commonsense ideas, this book aims to resolve setbacks that arise when you tackle integration one project at a time. By taking a holistic approach, it promises, you can reduce inefficiencies and waste, create a system for continuous improvement, and do a lot more with less. The authors illustrate their argument with case studies and detailed charts and graphs. Addison-Wesley, $39.99

Perfectly Able: How to Attract and Hire Talented People With Disabilities

Edited By Jim Hasse

Book Thirteen percent of the working-age population have at least one disability, according to a 2006 study. That figure will increase as veterans re-enter the workforce and Baby Boomers remain in it well past what used to be considered retirement age. This book explains how to give your company an edge by tapping into this vast pool of overlooked talent and answers common questions about what exactly “reasonable accommodation” means under the Americans with Disabilities Act. IT will be vital to any such effort, because it may need to support new software and devices, such as screen readers, voice-mail transcribers and one-handed keyboards. Amacom Books, $27.95

Venture Capital Dispatch: An Inside Look from VentureWire at High-Tech Start-Ups and Their Investors

By Various Authors

Blog Tech startups are the incubators of tomorrow’s technology, so it pays to read this Wall Street Journal blog. In addition to letting you know about new tech companies before they’re even off the ground, it examines such topics as the dearth of women leading tech startups. According to a recent post by Shira Ovide, to balance the scales, women are banding together to start their own venture capital groups. blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/

The Big Lie: Spying, Scandal and Ethical Collapse at Hewlett-Packard

By Anthony Bianco

Book Mark Hurd’s resignation was big news, but it has nothing on the 2006 surveillance scandal that brought down HP’s board. Bianco, a smooth storyteller, dissects that debacle and its cover-up, which he says unfairly pinned everything on one person, Chairwoman Patricia Dunn. Throw in some outsize personalities, Congressional hearings and a terminal illness, and you have what the author calls “the boardroom equivalent of King Lear.” Bump it to the top of your to-read list. PublicAffairs, $26.95

The Wall Street Journal Essential Guide to Management: Lasting Lessons from the Best Leadership Minds of Our Time

By Alan Murray

Book Hundreds of articles and books have been written over the past decade or so about new research on the art of management. Murray distills some of the best ideas into a single, slim volume for quick perusal by busy executives. Covering topics as diverse as financial terms, ethics and, of course, difficult employees, this handy little reference will earn a place on your desk. HarperCollins, $16.99