Knowledge ManagementIn another review for Carl Frappaolo's "Knowledge Management" I read something along the lines of: it's short, it's sweet, and it's useful. I couldn't agree more!
For those new to the worlds of knowledge management Frappaolo's succinct introduction to the field really is an essential first step, whether you are interested in pursuing studies or work in knowledge management (KM) or if you are getting up to speed on this topic. Deceptively thin, "Knowledge Management" is packed with the critical concepts, helpful information, and useful references for novices to experts in a variety of fields ranging from information technology, education and training, or organizational management, and all this in under 142 pages!
Charting a logical progression from a perfunctory "Introduction to Knowledge Management" to "What is Knowledge Management," Frappaolo clearly maps out the terrain of what knowledge management is, how it is understood in a variety of contexts, and most importantly, he provides short cases studies integrating the intellectual underpinnings of knowledge management with the realities of the business world. He ends the book with three useful steps for readers looking to dive deeper in to knowledge management: "Key Concepts and Thinkers in Knowledge Management" provides a useful (although ever-changing) glossary of terms, and a micro-bibliography of eleven key figures in the evolution of knowledge management; a chapter dedicated to expanding the print and digital references; and finally, "Ten Steps to Making Knowledge Management Work," a truly elegant and simple plan for everyone to wrap their arms around making knowledge management an actionable concept and practice.
Aside from the brevity of the book, the structure of the book deserves comment. In a semi-academic (or B-School) format, each chapter offers a short introduction, a list of main points, the discussion of those points, and a summary or "Key Learning Points" tied back to the chapter's main points and highlights of the discussion topics, and intermittently the case study reviews of examples in sections titled "Best Practices in KM." Chapter 7, "Knowledge Management in Practice - Success Stories" provides more detailed case studies of examples woven throughout the book.
I would have liked more detailed references for further reading, and of course the bibliographies could be more robust; but that is not the purpose of this book. Using the references cited and the micro-bibliographies in the references section, readers will easily round out their interests in knowledge management from the technological end to the managerial end. Blending academic, intellectual, and working knowledge together under the rubric of knowledge management, Frappaolo brilliantly demonstrates the potential successes of KM in this book through this old-fashioned "portal" to capture, illuminate, share, and evolve - in this case, it just happens to be about knowledge management; but the applications are limitless.
