The way we're working isn't working : the four forgotten needs that energize great performance

 by Tony Schwartz. Schwartz coauthored the bestseller The Power of Full Engagement (2003) and is the CEO of The Energy Project, bringing effective energy management coaching to organizations such as Google, Ford, Sony, Toyota, and the Los Angeles Police Department. His project and this book are shedding light on what most working folks know but don't like to talk about: that most of us are not fully engaged or satisfied in our work environment; that we are constantly running on an unsustainable schedule that does not allow for enough sleep; and in addition to being physically tired, we are not allowed the kind of emotional, creative, and spiritual outlets that we need to be fulfilled. Schwartz notes that people at work are expected to run continuously, like machines, but unlike machines or computers, people do not function well when forced to work and process information on a continual basis, but need a balance of activities that allow for both expending and recovering energy. He proposes solutions for business leaders to maximize human potential by embracing our need for both effort and renewal. --Booklist (Check Catalog)

The complete guide to writing effective and award winning business proposals : step-by-step instructions

 by Jean Wilson Murray. Murray has some 27 years of experience assisting small business owners, and has published several business start up books for professionals. Her latest text provides practical guidelines for business professionals in all types of organizations, from small single-owner businesses to large multinational firms, on how to write proposals for a number of purposes including obtaining loans from banks, lenders, and investors; selling products to customers; selling professional services to clients; and persuading bosses to approve new projects. The text covers the three key phases of a business proposal--preparation, writing, and presentation--and includes examples of different types and styles of business proposals, such as sales proposals to clients, letters and memos as business proposals, proposals to government entities, internal proposals to top management, and business plans as a special type of business proposal. --Summary. (Check Catalog)

The ascent of money : a financial history of the world

 by Niall Ferguson. This is a work of extraordinary breadth of scholarship and penetrating judgments, and there is nothing that equals it. Ferguson (Harvard Univ.; Oxford Univ., UK) provides expansive coverage of the birth of debt, banking, bankruptcies, and people's repeated indulgence in them. Written in a graceful, flowing style, this book is a judicious blend of elegantly simplified economic theory and history. This reviewer concurs with the author's verdict that the theory of economics and finance is consummate in mathematics but devoid of history and consequently lacks a touch with reality. Anyone who wants to understand financial history traversing through institutional mutation and natural selection will be enlightened by reading this work. Books are written to be read, but Ferguson's book is written to be read, reread, and savored. --Choice (Check Catalog)