Satoru Iwata was the president of Nintendo, formerly president of HAL and beloved coder and innovator who oversaw the success of the Wii and DS. Upon his early death from cancer in 2015, the outpouring of respect and love for the man was immense. Many loved his human approach to leadership, exemplified by his taking a paycut himself to save staff when the Wii U underperformed, as well as his willingness to participate in fun promotional work, such as the memorable muppet show in the 2015 E3.

Ask Iwata is a collection of his thoughts and ideas about his approach to business and people; It not an autobiography with photos but rather is similar Nintendo of America’s Reggie Fils-Aime's book on business practices. This book has a more human touch and is thus more approachable for the layman not looking at business jargon and theories. What comes across is that Iwata was a humble man who worked his way through the ranks through sheer diligence and hard work - sprinkled with a little luck.

Here are some of the thoughts that really stuck with me:

As human beings, unless we have someone to compliment our work and enjoy what we've created, we're not apt to go out on a limb. Which is why meeting this friend in high school had such a positive effect on the course of my life.

... Decision-making means gathering and analysing information and managing priorities, and that as you discover your priorities, you should see where they take you as you work though your decisions.

... I never want to work under a leader who fails to understand that people can evolve... pays attention and acknowledges my growth.

.. Management depends on an ability to minimise your personal agenda...

The books end with thoughts from colleague and close friend Shigeru Miyamoto (creator of Mario and Zelda) and Shigesato Itoi (Earthbound) and these are tales of Iwata, the man, away from business. It is clear that he was a much loved and gentle man. The book is an interesting read and we get an insight into the great man who made sure that Nintendo continued to march to the beat of its jaunty own Wii Music drum.

LINK: Gamesmaster: The Oral History- Book Review

LINK: Heaven’s Vault- Book Review

LINK: Elden Ring- Videogames As Art

LINK- The Transportive Nature of Objects (And the Power of Mini Consoles)

LINK: Japan- My Journey to the East

LINK- On And On And Colston ( Or, How We Kinda Sort of Learned to Talk About the Legacy of Colonialism and the British Empire)

LINK- An English Geek in Saudi

LINK- Streets of Rage 2 on Vinyl Review