Plutocrats : the rise of the new global super-rich and the fall of everyone else

by Chrystia Freeland   (Get the Book)
Even Alan Greenspan is worried about the troubling trend of income inequality. International financial reporter Freeland looks beyond worries about the 1 percent to the even more troubling trend of the 0.1 percent of the world's most wealthy having more in common with each other than their countrymen and acting on those interests, guaranteeing even more inequality. Is the gap between the superrich and everybody else the product of impersonal market forces or political machinations? Freeland offers an engaging and deeply analytical look at the history, politics, and economics behind the rise of the plutocrats. She draws parallels between current inequality and the Gilded Age of the late 1800s, when the top 1 percent of the U.S. population held one-third of the national income. Globalization and the technology revolution are the major factors behind what she sees as new and overlapping gilded ages: the second for the U.S., the first for developing nations. Drawing on interviews with economists and the elite themselves, Freeland chronicles lavish parties, hubris, and hand-wringing over the direction of the global economy. As she laments, The feedback loop between money, politics, and ideas is both cause and consequence of the rise of the super-elite. Readers will appreciate the broader political and economic implications of Freeland's penetrating examination of growing global income inequality. --Booklist

J.K. Lasser's your income tax: 2013

There are two reasons to read this book. 1) You are preparing a paper return and wish to learn more that what is printed in the IRS "Forms and Instructions". 2) You want to read and learn more than what you get from a tax preparer or computer program. Since your economic activities have tax consequences you should read or browse the relevant sections of this book as it applies to you. Some ignore the tax consequences until its too late. Since most people don't have tax lawyers, and may not be able to get advice on a telephone, or even from the Internet, you need to reference this book as needed. Do not be afraid of the size of this book as most people will not need all chapters. Pages xxv to xxvii has "What's New for 2011". (Publisher)    
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The dawn of innovation : the first American industrial revolution

by Charles R. Morris     (Get the Book)
An unprecedented 3.9 percent average annual rate of economic growth sustained for more than a century propelled the U.S. to global economic leadership. Morris chronicles the remarkable story behind the remarkable number. To begin with, it is a story of American shipwrights frenetically attempting to match Great Britain in building warships during the War of 1812. Peace meant that American industrialists turned to making shoes, stoves, steam engines, and locomotives, yet they still strove to wrest world economic leadership from Britain. Readers soon realize that American capitalists who surmounted daunting technical challenges (through homegrown Yankee ingenuity and through industrial espionage) also solved a formidable social problem. Instead of building British-style Coketowns that enriched a few while immiserating the masses in the factories, America's economic pioneers spread the benefits of modern productivity throughout a mass-consumption society. Morris concludes with a provocative comparison of the nineteenth-century duel pitting the U.S. against Great Britain and today's rivalry between China and the U.S. Economic history freighted with social and political relevance. --Booklist

Automate this : how algorithms came to rule our world

by Christopher Steiner    (Get the Book)
The Arab Spring of 2011 did not surprise analyst Bueno de Mesquita, who in May 2010 predicted that Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak would fall within a year basing his prediction on the workings of an algorithm. As readers follow Steiner in his whirlwind tour of algorithm applications, they will marvel at the versatility of a mathematical tool understood only by a small circle of experts. Readers peer over the experts' shoulders long enough to trace the decision-tree logic of an individual algorithm and to follow the cascading dynamics of the linked algorithms that drive the bots now handling everything from putting astronauts into space to matching compatible personalities venturing into the dating scene. Steiner acknowledges that a world reliant on bots must cope with new challenges flash crashes on Wall Street, unemployment among accountants, dangerously powerful technocrats. Still, Steiner remains hopeful that resourceful computer whizzes will weave algorithms that will enrich and safeguard our future. An accessible foray into computer programming that has become a hidden but pervasive presence. --Booklist

The green to gold business playbook : how to implement sustainability practices for bottom-line results in every business function

by Daniel C. Esty    (Get the Book)
Rather then dwelling on the case for sustainability, as most current books seem to do, these authors, in this sequel to their bestselling book Green to Gold, (CH, Feb'07, 44-3366), present a unique, practical strategy for adding organizational value and contributing positively to global welfare. The book's 23 well-written chapters are divided into six parts that describe how to build an eco-strategy, assess environmental risks, incorporate the strategy into all business functions, implement an action plan, and evaluate and report success. From the most basic levels to boardroom leadership, the book is filled with excellent contemporary examples, real-world best practices, checklists, frameworks, action plans, and step-by-step guidance detailing the ways in which companies can achieve a strategic eco-advantage while also creating a sustainability culture and long-run growth in both revenues and profit margins. Those with a pragmatic interest in innovative strategies embracing sustainability concomitant with organizational competitiveness will find this book an important guide and reference. Familiarity with contemporary business practices, organizational leadership, and environmental issues would be helpful. --Choice

The global new deal : economic and social human rights in world politics

by William F. Felice    (Get the Book)
Felice's goal is to jar readers out of defeatism toward the daunting challenge of poverty in the developing world by presenting an optimistic roadmap for reforming the global economy. This roadmap takes the form of a "New Deal," a series of policy suggestions designed to alleviate poverty and balance economic, environmental, ethnic, gender, and other concerns. International institutions are central components of the major structural changes embodied in the Deal, with Felice (Eckerd College) suggesting both the enhancement of existing bodies and the creation of new ones. Some readers will welcome the author's impassioned calls for reform, while others will find them overly optimistic. For instance, the argument that states would serve themselves by placing more emphasis on fundamental economic and social human rights is easy to accept in the abstract but will be dismissed by political realists or students of collective action problems. The central value of the volume is its discussion of the variety of existing institutions and laws that potentially can be harnessed to address global poverty. --Choice

Options math for traders : how to pick the best option strategies for your market outlook

by Scott Nations   (Get the Book)
A practical guide to the math behind options and how that knowledge can improve your trading performance No book on options can guarantee success, but if a trader understands and utilizes option math effectively, good things are going to happen. The idea behind Options Math for Traders + Website is to help retail option traders understand some of the basic tenants and enduring relationships of options, and option math, that professional and institutional traders rely on every day. This book skillfully highlights those strategies that are inherently superior from an option math point of view and explains what drives that superiority while also examining why some strategies are inherently inferior. The material is explained without complex equations or technical jargon. The goal is to give you a solid conceptual foundation of options behavior so you can make more informed decisions when choosing an option strategy for your market outlook. Topics covered include the volatility premium, because over time, options will cost more than they are ultimately worth; skew, wherein far out of the money put options may seem cheap from an absolute term, but are very expensive in relative terms; and the acceleration in option price erosion. (Summary)

The impact equation : are you making things happen or just making noise?

by Chris Brogan        (Get the Book)
"Anyone can write a blog post, but not everyone can get it liked thirty-five thousand times, and not everyone can get seventy-five thousand subscribers. But the reason we've done these things isn't because we're special. It's because we tried and failed, the same way you learn to ride a bike. We tried again and again, and now we have an idea how to get from point A to point B faster because of it." Three short years ago, when Chris Brogan and Julien Smith wrote their bestseller, Trust Agents , being interesting and human on the Web was enough to build a significant audience. But now, everybody has a platform. The problem is that most of them are just making noise. In The Impact Equation , Brogan and Smith show that to make people truly care about what you have to say, you need more than just a good idea, trust among your audience, or a certain number of fol­lowers. You need a potent mix of all of the above and more. (Publisher)

The founders and finance : how Hamilton, Gallatin, and other immigrants forged a new economy

by Thomas K. McCraw   (Get the Book)
Only two men are honored with statues outside the U.S. Treasury building: Alexander Hamilton and Albert Gallatin. McCraw (business history, emeritus, Harvard Business Sch.), who won a Pulitzer Prize for Prophets of Regulation, explores their qualities, foibles, achievements, and failures in order to show why both deserve credit for laying the foundations of American governmental finance. Hamilton, McCraw explains, as the first Treasury secretary, contained the crushing national debt, made the country creditworthy, established a national bank, and sowed the seeds of rapid economic growth. Gallatin was an ardent Republican, but McCraw says he was also pragmatic in accepting much of Hamilton's system and, as Treasury secretary in the Jefferson and Madison administrations, cut government spending, reduced the national debt, eliminated taxes, expedited the Louisiana Purchase, formulated land policy, and favored internal improvements. In his concluding chapters, McCraw draws parallels between his subjects' immigrant backgrounds, national visions, and understanding of capital and credit. VERDICT McCraw is a talented storyteller. His highly readable and fascinating work portrays the brilliance of Hamilton and Gallatin against the difficulty of their time and is strongly recommended to all readers interested in American and financial history. --Library Journal

The women's small business start-up kit : a step-by-step legal guide

by Peri Pakroo     (Get the Book)
Pakroo, an attorney and small-business expert, plumps up her earlier book, The Small Business Start-Up Kit: A Step-by-Step Legal Guide (6th ed., 2010), by adding material that focuses on the unique needs of women entrepreneurs. Both books offer solid advice on crafting a business plan, designing a marketing strategy, choosing the appropriate legal structure, handling employment issues, and working with legal and financial professionals. In this new volume, Pakroo adds an opening chapter on work/life balance that discusses working with spouses, mixing business and children, and designing a business structure compatible with career and family goals. She covers the challenges of home-based businesses; considers financial, tax, and health-care considerations for women; and provides a list of agencies that serve women in business. There are tips, anecdotes, and practical insights from a number of accomplished women entrepreneurs on such topics as business travel with children and creative ways to reduce child care costs. The accompanying CD includes extended interviews and a collection of financial forms and worksheets. VERDICT There is enough distinctive material here to justify owning this as well as Pakroo's other title, at least in larger public libraries. Newly entrepreneurial women will appreciate this source. --Library journal

It's your business : 183 essential tips that will transform your small business

by Jennifer J Ramberg    (Get the Book)
With a collection of 183 ideas, tips, and hard-earned insights, MSNBC host Ramberg offers a helpful book for small business owners culled from years of interviews and research. The tips are loosely arranged into chapters focusing around themes such as "Being the Leader," "Cultivating Customers," and "Building Relationships." Bite-size nuggets of insight are suitable for readers looking up a specific idea or simply leafing through the book for some inspiration. Neither difficult nor obfuscated, the advice is often simple yet powerful. For example, job hunters will welcome Tip #147 ("Be the first one at every event"). Much of Ramberg's advice goes beyond the purview of small businesses, such as advice on backing up data, managing your time, and prioritizing your energy. Bar codes are included for many of the tips, and these will take the reader directly to a Web page that includes videos from the show Your Business with JJ Ramberg, as well as tips and advice from people out there producing and achieving. --Publishers weekly

You can buy happiness (and it's cheap) : how one woman radically simplified her life and how you can too

by Tammy Strobel    (Get the Book)
 This cheerful handbook offers the emotional and practical lessons Strobel learned while radically downsizing her living space, disposing of most of her possessions, and simplifying her lifestyle. Through her RowdyKittens blog, Strobel and her husband have shared their transition from a generous two-bedroom apartment in 2004 to the TV-free, refrigerator-free, 128-square-foot house-on-wheels parked in a corner of a friend's Portland, Ore., yard. She makes a persuasive argument for simplification and is careful to offer advice not only to Small Living movement radicals but to anyone looking to "right-size" their life. Social relationships, she argues, should be both the core of personal satisfaction and a way to share resources. Additionally, Strobel urges budgeting for experiences rather than objects and finding ways to spend less time commuting and working just to pay for unnecessary goods. A list of "micro-actions" that anyone can do-like the "100 Thing Challenge" or the "one in, one out rule"-is offered to aid in re-evaluating one's relationship with space and ownership. Although her personal choices may seem extreme, the environmental politics and magnitude of change Strobel asks of her reader is distinctly moderate, making this a practical book even for those who only want to live a little bit lighter. --Publishers Weekly

The happiness advantage : the seven principles of positive psychology that fuel success and performance at work

by Shawn Achor     (Get the Book)
Achor (CEO of Aspirant, a research/consulting firm that applies positive psychology to the workplace) describes seven principles for achieving success and achievement. Gleaned from selected research in positive psychology, these principles spring from that area of scholarship. The author combines them with insights from personal experiences in consulting and training. The result is not a scholarly treatment of research but instead a self-improvement book much like Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (1989). That said, one can learn scientific lessons from Achor's analysis, and his concepts apply across a wide spectrum of human activity. Summing Up: Optional. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates, technical students, professionals, and general readers, particularly in psychology and business. --Choice

A nation of deadbeats : an uncommon history of America's financial disasters

by Scott Reynolds Nelson   (Get the Book)
The major strength of Nelson's (Leslie and Naomi Legum Professor of History, Coll. of William and Mary; Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, the Untold Story of an American Legend) latest work is in showing that the 2007-09 recession is not unique. Throughout U.S. history, murky monetary ties and unwarranted financial risks have periodically, almost predictably, incited panics and doomed investors. The recent Great Recession is only one of many crises Nelson documents, covering from 1792 to 1929. What seems to change each time is the underlying commodity appraised and (over)valued-land, cotton, even plantation and slave prices. What stays constant is the ensuing doubt over valuations, fear, sell-off, panic, and political and economic repercussions. The author explains the monetary links in sometimes painstaking detail, but this proves his point all the more: the very fact that links are numerous and opaque ultimately leads to the lender's inability to correctly assess risk, which in turn leads to speculative bubbles in various commodities. VERDICT Recommended as a resource to put financial crises in proper perspective. Nelson's broad historical knowledge allows him to contextualize policy developments, geopolitical movements, and personal stories. Readers will gain a deeper grasp of the ebbs and flows of the American economy, and may be more likely to recognize the patterns of the next panic before it is too late. --Library Journal

How much is enough? : money and the good life

by Roger Jacob Alexander Sidelski  (Get the Book)
In the wake of the financial crisis of 2008 and a continued period of global economic unrest, the Skidelskys, a father-son team composed of University of Warwick emeritus professor of political economy Robert (Keynes: The Return of the Master) and Exeter University lecturer Edward (Ernst Cassirer: The Last Philosopher of Culture), tackle age-old questions regarding the relationship between wealth, happiness, and satisfaction in this enlightening read. While the book's scholarly tone and laborious construction may not appeal to the casual reader, the questions posed and the research and conclusions presented are timely, relevant, and thought provoking. The authors begin by disputing economist John Maynard Keynes's 1930 prediction that as per capita income rose and basic needs were met, leisure and free time would increase. In fact, they point out, in modern times, though our income has risen, we work harder than ever, have less leisure than in previous eras, and have less happiness and satisfaction in our lives. The authors turn to historical fiction, philosophy, and political theory, drawing on Faust, Marx's critique of capitalism, and Aristotle's uses of wealth. Their conclusion that concepts like respect, friendship, and community are more likely to contribute to satisfaction and overall happiness than wealth makes for a fascinating, if cerebral, read. --Publishers Weekly

A people's guide to the federal budget : National Priorities Project

by Mattea Kramer      (Get the Book)
Kramer (senior research analyst, National Priorities Project) here provides an understandable explanation of federal spending and revenues. The text explains why readers should care about the federal budget and how it affects them. It also breaks down technical language, e.g., mandatory and discretionary spending and revenue sources; 13 spending categories; how Congress and presidential administrations prepare budgets; nominal versus real dollars; fiscal and calendar years; departments that influence the budget and their acronyms, e.g., OMB, GAO, CBO, and CRS; budget creation chronology, beginning with the president, House and Senate action, their subcommittees' proposed appropriations, House and Senate reconciliations, and final presidential signature. That "politics, economics, and lobbying add complications" seems an understatement. Also included is a how-to guide readers can use to lobby their representatives. VERDICT This book is worthwhile reading for all U.S. citizens, though it presents issues of spending and revenue rather uncritically given the current economic environment. Of particular value for high school and college teachers, the book contains several lesson plans, and many more can be accessed at nationalpriorities.org. With a foreword by Barbara Ehrenreich.-Joanne B. Conrad, SUNY at Geneseo. --Library Journal

The servant economy : where America's elite is sending the middle class

by Geoffrey P. Faux    (Get the Book)
Economist Faux (coauthor of The Global Class War) records the decline of the American middle class and the inability of either political party to arrest it. This pessimistic but insightful book reviews U.S. economic history and the recent flattening of incomes and expanding debt leading to the Great Recession of 2008 from a leftist perspective. Faux dissects the role of bankers, real estate lobbies, and government policies in creating the disaster, fingering both the Clinton and Bush administrations' loose oversight of Wall Street and responsibility in the housing debacle. As Faux sharply observes, employee evaluation is more subjective in a service economy, a fact that gives bosses increased power to control and subjugate workers, leading to a "servant economy." But Faux's guiding lights show their age. Barbara Tuchman's decades-old warnings on public folly are dated and mundane. Using Howard Zinn to frame American history, Faux concocts an oppressive but nebulous elite. Channeling Karl Marx, he suggests that business-oriented intellectuals and U.S. corporate leaders seek a permanent army of the unemployed to keep wages low and employees docile. Faux deplores the corrupting impact of big money on government and the gap between the governing class and the American middle class. His unpersuasive solution is a constitutional amendment prohibiting corporations the rights of persons and mandating "hard limits on campaign spending." --Publishers Weekly

Uprising : how Wisconsin renewed the politics of protest, from Madison to Wall Street

by John Nichols    (Get the Book)
As a native Wisconsinite and an editor of the Capital Times, Nichols was well placed to report on the rapid transformation of the Wisconsin state capitol from quiet statehouse to epicenter of national protest. Nichols details the progress of events during those cold months of early 2011 and shows how popular protest and solidarity flowed from Egypt, Greece, and other global flashpoints to Wisconsin and then to Wall Street and beyond. --Library Journal

Social security for dummies

by Jonathan Peterson     (Get the Book)
The easy way to get a handle on Social Security Are you or a loved one looking to understand how Social Security benefits work? Social Security For Dummies helps you better understand and navigate the U.S. Social Security Administration, covering important topics such as how benefits are funded and distributed, the various Social Security options and how to qualify, and deciding when to start accepting Social Security benefits. Additionally, it explains the history, regulations, and significant changes to U.S. Social Security, as well as considerations for the future of the program. Advice for ensuring you′re receiving your maximum benefits Gives you a thorough breakdown of how benefits are determined and what programs are sponsored by the Social Security Administration Covers challenges and considerations for those with special circumstances Whether you′re receiving Social Security benefits, helping someone who is, or thinking about beginning to accept benefits yourself, Social Security For Dummies is a must-have resource for navigating this complicated (and sometimes confusing) landscape. (Publisher)

The betrayal of the American dream

by Donald L. Barlett.   (Get the Book)
Billionaire Warren Buffet famously observed that class warfare has been going on for decades, and my class is winning. Pulitzer Prize and National Magazine Award winners Barlett and Steele scored a best-seller decrying such class warfare with America: What Went Wrong? (1992). Betrayal carries their powerful critique forward into the present. For Barlett and Steele, middle class working households earned $35,000-$85,000 in 2009; that's 34 million households, with 58 million earning less and 24 million more. The ruling class betraying middle Americans is a mix of politicians and special interests who've gamed the system on behalf of the richest Americans. The authors trace the process of that betrayal from early deregulation fever (airlines and trucking) in the 1970s through today's warnings of debt infernos, unaffordable entitlements, and the need for austerity. Working in collaboration with American University's Investigation Reporting Workshop, Barlett and Steele address key elements of this betrayal (globalization, outsourcing, taxes, pensions, financial-sector dominance), then offer suggestions for reversing it, including progressive tax reform, fair trade, infrastructure investment, focused retraining, and criminal prosecution of white-collar criminals. --Booklist

Necessary endings : the employees, businesses, and relationships that all of us have to give up in order to move forward

by Henry Cloud     (Get the Book)
Endings are not a tragedy to be first feared and later regretted but a necessary stage on the way to growth, says clinical psychologist and bestselling author of The One-Life Solution. Endings are a crucial way to get what we desire by shedding those things whose time has passed. The author addresses the benefits of concluding unsatisfying work or personal relationships, and he advises readers on diagnosing when the situation can be resuscitated or must be shut down. This "pruning" process can spark readers out of passivity or paralysis, getting them motivated and energized for change. With many examples of people moving on from untenable circumstances and through specific strategies for ending things well, Cloud advocates for powerful personal changes just in time for the New Year, and will give many readers the fresh start they crave. --Publishers Weekly

Exchange-traded funds for dummies

by Russell Wild      (Get the Book)

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have a strong foothold in the marketplace, because they are less volatile than individual stocks, cheaper than most mutual funds, and subject to minimal taxation. But how do you use this financial product to diversify your investments in today′s fast-growing and ever-changing market?Exchange-Traded Funds For Dummies shows you in plain English how to weigh your options and pick the exchange-traded fund that′s right for you. It tells you everything you need to know about building a lean, mean portfolio and optimizing your profits.  (Summary)

All the money in the world : what the happiest people know about getting and spending

by Laura Vanderkam       (Get the Book)
Money is a powerful, complicated thing, and our beliefs about it-and behavior around it-are muddled, says Vanderkam (168 Hours). To become more mindful about our choices, she writes, we should explore the link between money and happiness, and use money to optimize our well-being and the well-being of people we care about. We need to stop thinking about money as something evil or soulless, or as a point of competition with others. Vanderkam explores the ways in which thinking more cogently about money's role in our lives can bring us peace, and asks: if you had all the money in the world-not literally, but all you wanted-what would you change about your life? She walks readers through rethinking retirement, eschewing keeping up with the Joneses, filling time with favorite activities, giving to charities, and, overall, figuring out how to create the life they want. Vanderkam's gracious, levelheaded polemic will give readers some much-needed sanity around this difficult topic; as she observes: "If money can't buy happiness, perhaps we're not spending it right." --Publishers Weekly

A Link to Business Book Beach Reads

Keir Greff, writing for the Boooklist blog suggests 10 business books.
Is there such a thing as a business book for beach reading? If we define a beach read as a fast-moving narrative that allows us to lose ourselves in the story—and, for some of us, the kind of book we wouldn’t read during the rest of the year—then the answer is yes. These 10 titles from the last 10 years were chosen for their excellent narrative flow and widespread appeal.


http://www.booklistonline.com/Great-Reads-Business-Books-for-the-Beach-Keir-Graff/pid=5601697

Survival investing : how to prosper amid thieving banks and corrupt governments

by John R. Talbot        (Find the Book)
Talbott (Where America Went Wrong), a former investment banker for Goldman Sachs, was concerned about the financial crisis long before it happened. Currently running a small financial consulting company that advises individuals and families about their financial decisions and asset allocation, Talbott wants to warn readers about the perils of a corrupt, lobbyist-ridden system in which even economists don't understand what's going on. Stocks, bonds, and money markets won't cut it because of the danger of inflation. Instead, readers should invest in hard assets like gold and real estate. He doesn't trust Wall Street, has no hope for reform, and believes in regulation that doesn't seem to be coming. This slim but shrewd discussion of money and politics-and the deleterious effect the latter has on the former-is a provocative study of the dangers of impending runaway inflation. --Publishers Weekly

Psych yourself rich : get the mindset and discipline you need to build your financial life

by Farnoosh Torabi.   (Find the Book)
Although she doesn't have the name recognition of personal finance guru Dave Ramsey, money coach and former TheStreet.com business show host Torabi shares tips for clearly evaluating your personal finances, establishing money goals, getting and staying out of debt, and -investing. --Library journal

The hour between dog and wolf : risk-taking, gut feelings and the biology of boom and bust

by John Coates.               (Find the Book)
Coates' contribution to the high-interest topic of decision making the arena of popular titles by Jonah Lehrer (How We Decide, 2009) and Daniel Kahneman (Thinking, Fast and Slow, 2011) hails from the realm of investment banking. A former financial trader, Coates combines his real-world experience and his clinical study of human physiology into a story of Wall Street speculators in action. Setting them as fictional characters in a bull market that turns into a bear, Coates constructs a perspective on financial bubbles in which the human endocrine and nervous systems are the central although unconscious actors. As his traders scan their screens, Coates dramatizes surges of hormones and firings of neurons as the traders place bets, comparing the traders' bodily sensations to those of athletes in competition and soldiers in combat. When crashing securities crush irrational exuberance, Coates reaches back to evolutionary biology to describe the fight-or-flight stressors besetting his traders. A provocative challenger to rational-choice views of high finance, Coates makes an exceptionally clear, readable presentation that is bound to influence arguments about the regulation of Wall Street. --Booklist

The behavior gap : simple ways to stop doing dumb things with money

by Carl Richards.              (Find the Book)
In this accessible book, financial planner and Morningstar Advisor columnist Richards sits down to talk about money and the crazy choices we make. Through personal stories and simple ideas enlivened with a touch of imagery (often literally sketched on the back of a napkin), Richards explains why we keep making bad choices and shows us that we're often making decisions with our emotions rather than our intellect. However, Richards isn't saying that investors try to eradicate their emotions; rather, they should aim for an investment strategy that balances managing fear and greed in a way that "truly reflects your own emotional strengths and weaknesses." Once readers recognize what influences their decisions, they'll be much better able to act rationally. Richards then covers a vast array of topics, from investor emotions to information overload. He offers suggestions for combatting decisions that might be overly influenced by emotions, such as in periods of market turmoil, by taking "the overnight test," trying a media fast, or simply finding your focus. Whether relating a Zen story or talking about the Economist smirk, Richards succeeds in showing us how what we often think is right regarding investments rarely is . --Publishers weekly

All in : how the best managers create a culture of belief and drive big results

by Adrian Gostick.                 (Find the Book)
To have any hope of succeeding as a manager, you need to get your people all in . Whether you manage the smallest of teams or a multi-continent organization, you are the owner of a work culture--congratulations--and few things will have a bigger impact on your performance than getting your people to buy into your ideas and your cause and to believe what they do matters. Bestselling authors of The Carrot Principle and The Orange Revolution, Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton return to answer the most overlooked leadership questions of our day: Why are some managers able to get their employees to commit wholeheartedly to their culture and give that extra push that leads to outstanding results? And how can managers at any level build and sustain a profitable, vibrant work-group culture of their own? These leading workplace experts teamed up with research giant Towers Watson to analyze an unprecedented 300,000-person study, and they made a groundbreaking finding: managers of the highest-performing work groups create a "culture of belief. --Summary

Modern New York : the life and economics of a city

by Greg David.              (Find the Book)Financial journalist David traces the economic evolution of New York City from the 1960s, with Mayor John Lindsay and his belief that business should provide revenue for city government to right social imbalances. Mayor Ed Koch revived the city's health in the 1970s, and the Wall Street boom of the 1980s ended in the 1987 crash. Mayor David Dinkins' reign began in 1990 as he sought to stimulate the city's recovery from the financial crisis as the economy contracted and the city's crime rate soared. Four years later Mayor Rudy Giuliani focused on two issues putting the city's finances in order and reducing the appalling crime rate and Mayor Michael Bloomberg followed soon after 9/11, winning by 30,000 votes. The author concludes, Barring another meltdown or terrorist attack, the New York that Michael Bloomberg will turn over to his successor on January 1, 2014, will be prosperous, safe, sound, and a magnet for the rest of the nation, if not the world. A compelling account. --Booklist

Project management jumpstart -- 3ed edition

by Kim Heldman.           (Find the Book)
The role of the project manager continues to become more diverse and demanding, placing strong project management skills in high demand. This in-depth introductory guide offers aspiring project managers the essential fundamentals of project management. Fully revised since the previous version, this new edition includes updated project management methods and practices as well as new examples and study questions. Project management guru Kim Heldman presents you with a clear, concise, and enjoyable writing style so that you can approach project management from a practical rather than theoretical standpoint. --Summary

Private empire : ExxonMobil and American power

by Steve Coll.                   (Find the Book)
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Coll (Ghost Wars) combines a corporate history of the world's biggest energy company with a survey of energy geopolitics. He begins with the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, suggesting that the ongoing public criticism it generated fostered a corporate culture that is conservative, defensive, highly disciplined, and focused on cost and efficiency. While Coll covers corporate leadership and the Mobil and XTO mergers, he concentrates on the company's relentless pursuit of replacement oil reserves, its tactics to mitigate threats from environmentalism and alternative fuels, and its attempts to influence government policy. He follows the company's maneuvers in politically unstable parts of the world such as Africa and Indonesia and shows how it has coped with nationalism in Russia and Venezuela. He closes with BP's Deepwater Horizon debacle and a summary of where the United States stands today with regard to the environmental and economic costs of fossil fuel dependency. VERDICT In a very long work, Coll manages to keep his text clear, informative, and at times riveting. Highly recommended for students of the energy economy as well as for motivated general readers. --Library Journal

Insanely simple : the obsession that drives Apple's success

 by Ken Segall. Segall worked with Steve Jobs for 12 years, as creative director at Apple and NeXT Computer, and also spent time as agency global creative director at Dell, IBM, Intel, and BMW. As the man who came up with the iconic iMac name, which launched one of the most successful product lines in history, Segall played a pivotal role in reviving Apple from near death. His close working relationship with Jobs allows him to provide insight into how Jobs' obsession with simplicity became the driving force that informs every decision the company makes to this day, from product design to advertising, even down to the packing boxes. Segall contrasts this Apple mind-set with those of companies like Dell, Intel, and Microsoft, where complexity and a dizzying array of product choices only serve to confuse and distract customers. His recounting of high-level meetings, ad campaigns, and product-naming sessions reveals much about how Jobs' unyielding, brutally honest approach pushed aside rivals, teams of lawyers, and everyone else who said it couldn't be done to remake Apple into one of the most admired and valuable companies in the world. --Booklist (Check Catalog)

Breakout nations : in pursuit of the next economic miracles

 by Ruchir Sharma. Sharma, the head of Morgan Stanley's Emerging Markets division, takes readers on a lively tour across five continents as he explores the factors behind the next economic powerhouses. Analyzing a smorgasbord of indicators-from income levels, to the number of billionaires in a country, to the pronouncements of local politicians-Sharma stresses that the nations poised to be the next big thing in the global marketplace are not the just usual suspects like China, Russia, and India. Instead, they are smaller countries that are making quiet, unheralded progress before the rest of the world catches on. The Czech Republic and Poland benefit from low levels of debt, strong political systems, and conservative businesses communities, as does South Korea, a perennial innovator. Turkey gets a nod for its efforts to bring its poorer areas in line with wealthier urban enclaves, and others like Indonesia and Nigeria have notable potential. But Sharma also offers cautionary advice, courtesy of former Bank of England adviser Charles Goodhart's law: "once an economic indicator gets too popular, it loses its predictive value." Accessible to newbies and revelatory for veterans, Sharma's observations upend conventional wisdom regarding what it takes to succeed in the relentlessly competitive global marketplace. --Publishers weekly (Check Catalog)

Time to start thinking : America in the age of descent

 by Edward Luce.   Luce, Washington bureau chief of the Financial Times, joins a lengthening parade of pundits among them, Fareed Zakaria, Thomas L. Friedman, Tom Brokaw, and Bill Clinton describing, in painfully graphic detail, America's decline. Luce focuses on the seismic shift of money and talent from America's technology sector to those of China, India, and beyond, a shift that has reverberated throughout the U.S. economy, particularly for the middle class. He attributes the change to, among other things, Republican demagoguery against federal funding of research, red tape in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, a polarized and paralyzed electorate, and the influence of big money on national politics. Unlike his fellow pundits, Luce doesn't offer much in the way of solutions in this fine analysis, except maybe in this quote from one American entrepreneur, To overcome a problem, you must first recognize it exists. --Booklist (Check Catalog)

The advantage : why organizational health trumps everything else in business

 by Patrick Lencioni. It is best not to dismiss Lencioni's latest book (previous books include The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, 2002) as just another human-resources practicum. His focus is the CEO, in an honest and transparent manner, demonstrating how to rid a company of politics, confusion, low morale, and high turnover. In fact, before laying out the details of what he calls the four disciplines, Lencioni specifically addresses possible barriers to adoption of these disciplines, namely sophistication, adrenaline, and the need for quantification. The rest of the book zeroes in on the disciplines themselves: building a cohesive leadership team, creating clarity, overcommunicating clarity, and reinforcing clarity. Each section features disguised examples (good and bad) and recommended processes and systems. Summaries and extra proofs of concepts follow each discipline, a signal that he indeed practices his third discipline overcommunicating clarity. In a business world increasingly focused on numbers and metrics, this is one equation that resists calculation. But, says Lencioni, it's a nonformula that mirrors what the best of human institutions can offer their employees, customers, suppliers, investors, and other groups. --Booklist (Check Catalog)

Time to start thinking : America in the age of descent

Exile on Wall Street : one analyst's fight to save the big banks from themselves

 by Mike Mayo.  Mayo, a respected US bank stock analyst, has written an engrossing personal account of his Wall Street experiences. He amply highlights the perils of an analyst who is frequently out of step with his peers, often advising selling particular bank stocks while others are recommending "hold" or even "buy." Consequently, Mayo is often locked out of information channels deemed so critical to understanding current corporate policies. But Mayo seems to relish his position as a gadfly and, especially in the financial crisis of 2007-09, appears to have been mostly on target. (His "buy" prediction on Lehman Brothers is a glaring exception, but is openly admitted without excuses.) In many ways, this book is reminiscent of Dan Reingold's Confessions of a Wall Street Analyst (2007). Reingold's domain was the communications industry, but the thrust of the stories is the same: the analyst maintaining integrity in the light of pressures to sell out. Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose. Enjoyable and informative. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers; all levels of undergraduate students; professionals. --Choice (Check Catalog)

The end of growth : adapting to our new economic reality

 by Richard Heinberg. Heinberg (senior fellow-in-residence, Post Carbon Inst.; Blackout: Coal, Climate, and the Last Energy Crisis) contends that new economic growth, the ostensible solution to the current global recession, is impossible to achieve. He argues that high levels of public and private debt make new borrowing (necessary to fund growth) difficult and that any deleveraging of the current debt would also inhibit growth. Discounting possible ameliorating effects of efficiency and innovation, Heinberg warns that the increasing scarcity and cost of energy, water, food, and minerals as well as the environment's fragile condition will be a further constraint on future growth. While he admits that isolated growth has continued to occur, he believes that even fast-growing economies like China's will ultimately slow. He cautions that an end to growth portends heightened geopolitical and demographic competition but offers hope that the world can build a new economy based on sustainability and self--restraint. VERDICT Clearly written and argued with excellent graphs and taking account of recent events, Heinberg's contrarian view on growth is highly recommended to all readers interested in economics, sustainability, and future trends. --Library Journal (Check Catalog)

Why nations fail : the origins of power, prosperity and poverty

 by Daron Acemoglu Advancing a theory about why poor countries are poor, Acemoglu and Robinson, academics at MIT and Harvard, respectively, expound economic history an activity that repeatedly if surprisingly produces popular books, such as those by Jared Diamond, Niall Ferguson, Steve Levitt, and Charles Mann. Perhaps the reason for high interest in the dismal science lies in a desire for concise, credible explanations about the formidable complexities of economics. If so, Acemoglu and Robinson deliver. They hold that countries become impoverished by despotic government. Opponents of globalization, corporations, and finance find no support in their argument, which recounts economic events from the Roman Empire to Zimbabwe. For each polity under scrutiny, the authors categorize its political institutions as extractive or inclusive. Using Britain's Glorious Revolution of 1688 as an analytical touchstone, Acemoglu and Robinson maintain throughout that laws and customs that protect property pave the road to prosperity, while the caprices of autocracy put property at risk and ultimately stifle growth. With historical examples to keep the exposition moving, Acemoglu and Robinson should recruit general-interest readers curious about economic development. --Booklist (Check catalog)

Facebook marketing for dummies

 by John Haydon. Create a successful marketing campaign on Facebook with this updated guide With more than 600 million active users and more than 30 billion pieces of content shared each month, Facebook is an exciting platform with infinite marketing possibilities. This how-to guide breaks it all down for you and shows you ways to reach your customers with effective marketing strategies, tactics, and techniques on Facebook. Packed with new and updated content as well as real-world case studies that provide you with helpful frames of reference, Facebook Marketing For Dummies, 3rd Edition is an essential starting point for developing a successful marketing campaign on Facebook. Boasts new and updated content for developing a successful Facebook marketing campaign Addresses ways to use tools such as events, contests, and polls to promote your page Helps you understand the psychology of the Facebook user Explains how to integrate your Facebook marketing campaign with your other marketing campaigns using plug-ins and widgets Details ways to monitor, measure, and adjust your Facebook marketing campaigns Learn how to reach the Facebook audience you want for your campaign with Facebook Marketing For Dummies. --Summary (Check catalog)

For better or for work : a survival guide for entrepreneurs and their families

 by Meg Cadoux Hirschberg.  In a 2009 Kauffman Foundation survey of entrepreneurs, 69.9 percent of respondents said they were married when they started their first business and 59.7 percent had at least one child at launch time. All of them could have benefited from reading this book. Hirshberg (contributing editor & columnist, Inc.), wife of the president of the Stonyfield Farm yogurt company, reflects on her own experiences as spouse and parent, and gathers advice and key questions from entrepreneurial friends to guide a family through the many stages of a business's life. Her comparison to human development is apt: a new company is like a new child-another mouth to feed, and one with a large and worrisome appetite. And from divided attention to maintaining privacy (and even to illness and death), a family faces many of the same issues from both human and industrial offspring. VERDICT After gathering counsel from Hirshberg and her friends, entrepreneurs will have a better understanding of the effect of company ownership on their family. --Library Journal (Check catalog)

The AMA handbook of leadership

 by Marshall Goldsmith, John and Baldoni, and Sarah McArthur. The literature supporting the study of leadership is diverse and provides the conceptual framework required to understand this complex and critical field of knowledge. This literature often takes diverse paths, varying from the more applied to the more research-oriented presentations. Along with this diversity, the leadership literature ages quickly as new ideas, approaches, and insights emerge. The editors of this handbook have labored diligently to breathe new life into the literature on leadership, revitalizing it and providing an exciting new direction. Masterfully weaving the themes of 21st-century global leadership and strategies for developing and engaging people and facilitating change, the contributors, experts in the field of leadership, present an exciting discussion of the many facets of contemporary change and effective leadership, supported with case studies and up-to-date research. The currency of the literature presented is beyond striking. The value of the AMA Handbook is profound and far-reaching. For readers seeking new and exciting reading on leadership as well as for corporate executives charged with leading corporations to a positive and productive future, this volume is a must. It is seminal in content and a valuable addition to libraries everywhere. --Choice (Check Catalog)

How to start a home-based business

 by Herbert Holtje.  Everything you need to set yourself up as a home-based consultant, create a demand for your services, and make money. Learn how to develop a marketable idea, operate your home-based office, draft winning proposals, sell your services, get referrals, set fees, manage your finances and your time, and market yourself on the Internet. Introduction: 1,500 words Chapter 1: So You Want to Start a Consulting Business Chapter 2: Envisioning the business: possibilities, scope, size Chapter 3: What you need in your home office Chapter 4: Writing a business planChapter 5: Getting started Chapter 6: Financial planning Chapter 7: Financial managementChapter 8: Taxes and record keepingChapter 9: Legal and ethical issuesChapter 10: Marketing your businessChapter 11: The internet and e-commerceChapter 12: Business endgame: stay small, grow, or sellChapter 13: Training and certificationAppendix: Web Resources Organizations Trade Shows Educational Resources Other Useful Information. --Summary (Check Catalog)

The manager's legal handbook

 The quick reference to employment law for anyone who oversees workers. Whether you're managing workers or working in the HR department, The Manager's Legal Handbook is the perfect introduction to supervising employees and independent contractors safely and legally.Need some information about overtime? Want some useful ideas on workplace policies? Have a question about trade secrets and need the answer now? This one-of-a-kind book provides everything you need to stay within the bounds of the law ... --Publisher (Check catalog)

Every landlord's tax deduction guide

 by Marcia Stewart.  This popular book gives every landlord and property manager the legal and practical information they need. Residential landlords will find the answers they need to: screen and choose tenants, write a legal rental agreement or lease,hire a property manager, understand repair,maintenance and security responsibilities,avoid injuries and lawsuits.Every Landlord's Legal Guide also covers how to comply with laws concerning:tenancy termination, security deposits, privacy discrimination and much more. --Summary (Check Catalog)

The social media management handbook : everything you need to know to get social media working in your business

 by Nick Smith. A proven system for creating a compelling growth plan. There are 15 million businesses in the United States, and 13 million of them don't utilize a planning process, thus inhibiting their chance to grow. Having a planning process is the most reliable predictor of whether a business will grow. Yet, most planning books and most planning processes are not accessible or usable for the small to medium-sized business owners. The One Hour Plan for Growth provides a proven system for any business to create a clear and compelling business growth plan that fits on a page in about one hour. This book is a quick read and easy to comprehend, and results in a plan that fits on a page and is used to keep people focused and productive. • Covers the six essential elements of the dynamic business growth plan: Vision, Mission, Values, Objectives, Strategies, Priorities • Previously the top-rated speaker for Stephen Covey's organization, the author is now a successful speaker and consultant with some of the world's finest small and mid-sized companies The book delivers a proven planning process that engages employees, develops leadership capacity, improves performance, and accelerates growth. --Publisher (Check Catalog)

Taking people with you : the only way to make big things happen

 by David Novak. In what first appears to be an over-the-top self-help book for leaders turns out to be a grounded guide drawing on the tools and thoughts of "two of the most notable thinkers on culture and breakthrough thinking in business": John O'Keeffe (Business Beyond the Box) and Larry Senn (coauthor of Winning Teams-Winning Cultures). Novak, chairman and CEO of YUM! Brands, offers powerful and sincere directives for creating a cohesive, success-oriented corporate culture. Fourteen lessons are divided into three sections with clever exercises, tools, worksheets, and charts throughout. Much of it could have felt familiar, but it's presented with clarity, contagious enthusiasm, organization, and accessibility. Added to that are numerous quotes, lessons, and stories from Warren Buffett, Jamie Dimon, and Jack Welsh, Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and even Colonel Sanders. Business people at all levels will find something of value. --Publishers Weekly. (Check Catalog)

The synergist : how to lead your team to predictable success

 by Les McKeown. We've all worked on teams with smart, hard-working people who, oddly enough, were never able to coalesce and work together seamlessly. Consultant McKeown thinks he has the answer: the addition of the "Synergist," the key role that exists in every successful group to tie the three other natural roles to which all of us default when we are in a group or team situation (visionary, processor, and operator). The Visionary-Operator-Processor triangle is unstable and requires a Synergist to help the group by transcending personal agendas and releasing the group's cohesion and flow. Using case studies, McKeown discusses each role's strengths and weaknesses, and provides tools for working with or for each personality type, explaining how a Synergist may help. His analysis of the choreography of group dynamics is insightful and easy to grasp, and though geared toward business teams, is equally applicable to any group of people working together to achieve any common goal. A thoughtful and incisive strategy for effective teamwork. --Publishers Weekly (Check Catalog)

The behavior gap : simple ways to stop doing dumb things with money

 by Carl Richards. In this accessible book, financial planner and Morningstar Advisor columnist Richards sits down to talk about money and the crazy choices we make. Through personal stories and simple ideas enlivened with a touch of imagery (often literally sketched on the back of a napkin), Richards explains why we keep making bad choices and shows us that we're often making decisions with our emotions rather than our intellect. However, Richards isn't saying that investors try to eradicate their emotions; rather, they should aim for an investment strategy that balances managing fear and greed in a way that "truly reflects your own emotional strengths and weaknesses." Once readers recognize what influences their decisions, they'll be much better able to act rationally. Richards then covers a vast array of topics, from investor emotions to information overload. He offers suggestions for combatting decisions that might be overly influenced by emotions, such as in periods of market turmoil, by taking "the overnight test," trying a media fast, or simply finding your focus. Whether relating a Zen story or talking about the Economist smirk, Richards succeeds in showing us how what we often think is right regarding investments rarely is. --Publishers Weekly (Check Catalog)

7 money rules for life : how to take control of your financial future

 by Mary Hunt.  Americans young and old are flunking their finances. A shocking 77 percent live paycheck to paycheck with no savings. And 43 percent of Americans have less than $10,000 saved for retirement, while 49 percent could cover less than one month's expenses if they lost their income. In the face of this bleak financial picture, bestselling author and finance expert Mary Hunt offers 7 Money Rules for Life ®. This no-nonsense and encouraging book gives readers the keys to get their money under control and get prepared financially for the rest of their lives. In her warm and engaging style, Hunt takes everything that she's learned over the past twenty years and boils it all down. Presented in a conversational style and readable in a weekend, this book offers applications for each of the seven rules as well as practical advice for how to recover from past financial mistakes. These simple, unchanging, basic rules work in every financial situation, for every income level, and for every stage of life. Money mastery isn't really that hard. 7 Money Rules for Life ® can help readers change their futures from uncertain to rock-solid with principles they can apply right away. --Summary (Check catalog)

Crossing the chasm : marketing and selling disruptive products to mainstream customers

 by Geoffrey A. Moore.  Moore provides an invaluable service to high-tech entrepreneurs and investors: he has identified the weak link in the marketing chain which makes the success of such ventures so unpredictable, and he outlines proven, specific techniques to address this challenge. At a time when the high-tech community in the U.S. cedes much of its once-held manufacturing advantage to the Far East and elsewhere, it is critical that these U.S. enterprises must retain superior marketing as a competitive advantage. Crossing the Chasm provides critical information for achieving this end. --Scientific American for first edition (Check Catalog)