You're making your list; you're checking it twice. And you're not alone – its time for everyone's year-end best-of lists. I just finished browsing strategy-business’ Best Business Books 2005, where coverage ranges from strategy to marketing to globalization. (Side note: which works are on your "best books" list – comment below). Of particular interest both are the strategy and globalization essays, where C.K. Prahalad's and Stuart Hart's recent books appear:

...a rare glimpse into the future — for those with eyes to see — of the extraordinary opportunities waiting in uncharted and seemingly impassable waters.

Operating successfully in the global economy, particularly in the poorly charted reaches of the developing world, requires optimism — optimism tempered by accurate, unbiased information.

Among the never-ending stream of news stories hyping the One Laptop Per Child project, there finally seems to be a few that strike a healthy note of caution. Both Slate and CNN ran articles this week that ask some very legitimate questions:

- "If you're willing to assume that MIT can somehow keep the cost at or near the century mark, there's still the question of who will support the computers (and who will pay for that support)."

- "The fact that each laptop comes with a built-in WiFi card won't be of much use if there isn't a WiFi access point nearby."

- "Do they think these machines will last forever. What will happen when they break down?"

I just heard Jim Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, speak about "Wikipedia and Global Development" at the Institute for International Economics - co-sponsored by the Center for Global Development. For the uninitiated, Wikipedia is an online, free, open-source encyclopedia that can be edited by anyone anytime. Jimmy "Jimbo" Wales (who looks a lot like Jean Reno) has a level-headed manner as he discusses impressive projects. After a few fumbles (malfunctioning projector, his ringing cell phone) he launched into the philosophy of Wikipedia and ran down a list of the current and upcoming Wiki- projects. Following his 40-minute presentation was a 45-minute Q&A session.