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by Mary Hunt (Get the Book)
According to a 2012 survey, 92 percent of women of all ages in the United States don't feel they know enough to reach their retirement savings goals. So states columnist Hunt in her different kind of book, which eliminates jargon while presenting facts and motivation for women of all ages to manage their future retirement planning. The best way to prepare for retirement is for a woman to take care of herself and her money every day. (Hunt refers to the reader as you but considers the reference to be plural, depending on marital status.) She presents six important strategies for her retirement savings plan, which include developing a money management system, building an emergency fund, getting out of debt, maximizing retirement accounts, owning your home outright, and building a personal investment portfolio. Hunt concludes there is more to retirement than just money and emphasizes good health, relationships, and meaningful activities. Important information for a wide range of library patrons, including a valuable glossary of financial terms. --Booklist
by Alan Greenspan (Get the Book)
Greenspan, Federal Reserve Bank chairman from 1987 to 2006, investigates the financial crisis of 2008 with a focus on economic forecasting, and he sets out to understand how we got it wrong and what we can learn from our mistakes. The author determines there is something more systematic about the way people behave irrationally, especially during economic crises, and this behavior can be measured and incorporated into economic forecasting and setting economic policy. Greenspan's considerations include behavioral imperatives (fear, optimism, etc.) and their role in rational economic behavior and market outcomes; bubbles and their differences; and the roots of the crisis in securitized U.S. subprime mortgages. He identifies too big to fail as the most problematic trend from the recent financial debacle and strongly supports modern industrial capitalism, although he notes its inherent creative destruction in a system of winners and losers that imposes hardship on workers who lose jobs and homes. This challenging, thought-provoking book sheds an important perspective on events that triggered possibly the greatest financial crisis ever. --Booklist
by Duff McDonald (Get the Book)
McDonald is a contributing editor at Fortune magazine and the New York Observer; he has also written for Vanity Fair, New York, Esquire, Business Week, GQ, WIRED, and other publications. His first book, Last Man Standing (2009), delved into the 2008 financial crisis through a profile of Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan Chase. In his new one, he examines one of the world's most influential companies that you probably never heard of, the consulting firm of McKinsey & Company. Ranked among the top-rated consulting organizations for decades, McKinsey & Company has been a top-brass advisor to most of the Fortune 500 corporations at one time or another, though its client list has always been a well-guarded secret. This is a company that has prided itself as having the highest standards in the industry yet has contributed behind the scenes to severe cost cutting and downsizing, acted as enablers to the Enron and General Motors bankruptcies, and seen a former CEO hauled off to jail for insider trading. McDonald's reporting reveals how and why this Teflon firm has continued to thrive through the years. --Booklist
by Sheri J. Saplan (Get the Book)
When Caplan (securities arbitrator, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority [FINRA], former VP, asst. general counsel, Goldman Sachs) couldn't find a book on the history of women in Wall Street and the financial world, she wrote one herself and presents the information here, chronologically from Colonial times to the present, through women's stories presented in a clear, readable format. Using humor and detail, the author offers up a glimpse of life when banks had "stocking rooms" and when Hetty Green (1834-1916) was nicknamed the Witch of Wall Street. While emphasizing the difficulties of women in a male-dominated business, the book is neither strident nor discordant. Caplan illustrates how repeatedly women in the financial world have stepped forward during the nation's time of need only to be marginalized when situations return to normal. The recent death of Muriel Siebert (1928-2013), the first woman to purchase a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, reminds us this is not ancient history but rather a contemporary narrative as women continue to search for equity in the world of finance. Verdict A great read for those interested in business, history, women's studies, and/or money. --Library Journal
S.H. Axilrod (Get the Book)
Axilrod (Federal Reserve staffer, 1952-86) takes on the task of explaining the system's intricacies. After an introduction covering central banking basics, he uses a question-and answer format to describe the organization, powers, objectives, and methods of the U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed). In the chapter covering instruments of monetary policy, he looks at how Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) decisions adapt to market uncertainties, how open market operations avoid creating inflation, and whether monetary policy influences spending. Where there are gray areas, Axilrod offers his interpretations. His explanations often run several pages and, while not overly technical, do require readers to have some financial background. The problem comes in fulfilling the book's conflicting goals of clarifying the Fed for a broad public audience while still being of interest to professionals. The level of detail here is more than general readers will want to wade through and too little for seasoned Fed watchers. Verdict The book's likely audience is among students of finance and economics. Readers wishing the ultimate insider's take on the Federal Reserve's reaction to the 2007 financial crisis would find Federal Reserve chair Ben Bernanke's 2013 The Federal Reserve and the Financial Crisis a lucid and accessible account. [On October 9, Janet Yellen was nominated by President Obama to be the Fed's new chief; if confirmed, she would be the first woman in the bank's 100-year-history to hold that position. --Library Journal
by Brian J. O'Connor (Get the Book)
O'Connor, a personal finance editor and syndicated "Funny Money" columnist at the Detroit News, bases this guide on a series he wrote for the paper on coping with the Great Recession, and here conducts a 10-week experiment to cut his family's monthly living expenses by $1,000. Each category (transportation, child care) is addressed in a chapter that offers budget-trimming suggestions. The author's agile wit elevates the book above similar titles. Though O'Connor may hope to join the likes of Suze Orman, the fact that he is struggling to support his family via his newspaper writing makes him more relatable. Suggestions range from the obvious (refinancing the mortgage), to the ingenious (finding a variety of sources of affordable child care for a special-needs child). O'Connor also writes, hilariously, of cost-cutting strategies gone awry-such as roasting four on-sale whole chickens at once using budget beer. The fact that O'Connor actually succeeded in his experiment lends credibility to this funny, pragmatic guide, which will have you laughing all the way to the bank. --Publishers Weekly
Handle employee problems effectively, without getting into legal trouble. Dealing With Problem Employees provides proven techniques that will help you get employees back on track. Every workplace has occasional problems with employees. This book is packed with the legal and practical information you need to handle those problems without getting into legal trouble. It provides proven techniques—and immediate solutions. (summary)
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by Jerry Covey (Get the Book)
In Board Basics: A Primer for Nonprofit Board Members author Jerry Covey brings a fresh, new voice to the world of governance how-to with this sleek, no-nonsense primer on board fundamentals. Board Basics is written in a concise format that provides a strong foundation for beginning and experienced nonprofit board members. Written in short, direct chapters the volume provides readers with essential information and arms them with the kinds of questions and insights that generate deeper understanding of their organization and their role in governing it. If new to the board experience, this book will get you up-to-speed quickly and help you orient to the tasks, limits, and risks of your new role, while giving you the tools and processes that are indispensable for sound decision making. Even seasoned board members will benefit from this primer, as it will revisit core governance principles and invite reflection on a board's growth and development. A central theme of Board Basics is that knowledge and appropriate action are the foundation of effective leadership. Each chapter builds on this theme by providing nuts-and-bolts advice that empowers board members to appreciate and maximize their governance role, while increasing knowledge and defining the actions required to grow in their new positions. (Summary)
by Dana Ardi (Get the Book)
The alpha model boss reigning from the corner office, issuing orders, and maintaining distance is slowly being replaced as the model for business success. What works better in the information age is the beta model management by collaboration, connection, and shared power. After years of advising Fortune 500 companies, Ardi has observed the evolution from hierarchic to horizontal management. Knowledge industry startups have provided the model that more traditional companies are beginning to adopt, and Ardi furnishes ample case studies of both. But she looks beyond the contemporary business world to provide history of the evolution of labor from hunter-gatherers to farmers, from the industrial to the information age, and the impact of globalization that makes the alpha model outdated. She also looks to anthropology, biology, genetics, psychology, sociology, and information technology for the social forces that have prompted a reexamination of alpha male-dominated organizational structure. Noting the potential of higher flexibility and creativity promised by the beta model, Ardi offers solid advice on how more companies can make the switch. An insightful look at a pivotal change in business management style. --Booklist
by Kevin O'Leary (Get the Book)
Books on investing usually require a thorough understanding of how the stock market works, and can frustrate or overwhelm the lay reader. Enter O'Leary (Cold Hard Truth: On Business, Money & Life), a tremendously successful entrepreneur who moonlights as an investor on TV's Shark Tank. In his latest book, O'Leary guides readers through financial decisions big and small, challenging them to understand their relationship with money, and focus on improving that relationship. These changes, according to O'Leary, will ultimately lead to greater financial stability. The beauty of O'Leary's approach is that it's straightforward and addresses the reader's changing financial needs at different life stages, from wedding planning and marriage, to buying a new home and having kids, to midlife and retirement. He lists numerous common money mistakes that people make and how to fix them, including: drowning in credit card debt; having no emergency savings; and not knowing where to invest. O'Leary pays particular attention to raising money-savvy kids and addresses the high cost of higher education and the lower costs of retirement. Full of valuable advice imparted in a no-nonsense manner, this book will have a profound effect on how people relate to and manage their money. --Publishers Weekly
by Sudhir Alladi Venkatesh (Get the Book)
Venkatesh, academic and ethnographer, lives within the underground economy in New York while studying it at the margins of the legal world. He states, The more I could penetrate the underground . . . if it was marginal, criminal or tinged with outsider status, count me in. He observes the essence of mobility, with people moving across physical space as well as reaching beyond their preordained lot in life. He finds extreme violence, which he describes as professional, nothing personal, and just business. And clearly, some of those he meets do not survive. At the same time, he observes kindness in the most unexpected places and people with so little reaching out to those with even less with remarkable loyalty and compassion. The people run businesses; they operate with a plan, seek profits and contain costs, hire, and fire while looking for new markets. Venkatesh brings to life the underground economy of New York, where rich and poor of varying ethnicities and backgrounds meet and function while they float. An enlightening book. --Booklist
by Vijay Govindarajan (Get the Book)
In this timely book, Tuck School of Business professor Govindarajan and consultant Trimble (coauthors of Reverse Innovation) show how innovation can be used in any business situation. Noting that most companies are built for day-to-day operations rather than for innovation, the authors present strategies for change, deftly detailing three business models that overcome these limitations: model S, for small initiatives; model R, for repeatable initiatives; and model C, for other initiatives. Illustrating their theories with business plans from BMW, Apple, and other companies, the authors point out the potential pitfalls of each approach. Next, they explain how to assemble targeted teams to execute these initiatives: dedicated teams, which are assigned to these ventures full time, or nearly full time; and shared staff, who contribute to these projects while also performing their regular jobs. Govindarajan and Trimble describe how to avoid conflict between the two teams while simultaneously maximizing their output and inspiring their dedication. A final chapter on lessons learned solidifies these action plans. Three appendices deal with strategy, change, and the role of the chief innovation officer (an increasingly popular job title), respectively. Written in an accessible style, this useful book will help companies of any size tackle the task of innovation with relatively little risk. --Publishers Weekly
by Luc de Brandebere (Get the Book)
Categorizing information is part of human nature, but in today's rapidly evolving business climate, "pre-wired ways of thinking" can threaten an enterprise's very survival. Boston Consulting Group executives Brabandare (The Forgotten Half of Change) and Iny suggest that thinking "outside the box" defies our natural tendencies and suggest that leaders, instead, should think "in the box," but with a new mindset. In this entertaining and transformative work, the authors provide a framework and structure for creative thinking that even traditionalists can embrace. Through five steps-doubt everything, probe the possible, diverge, converge, and reevaluate relentlessly-they propose a sustainable creative process that will serve an organization in the long-term. Using examples from their research, consulting projects, and from major companies, the concepts come to life. Readers see how Generali Insurance, a 200-year-old Italian firm, used off-sites, interactive exercises, and brainteasers to create an Internet strategy, and how Netflix used reevaluation to reenvision and reinvigorate its business model. The book is both academically rigorous and highly accessible, with call-out graphics, charts, and optical illusions adding visual interest and illustrating concepts. Informative and practical, this is a must-read for anyone in a leadership position who dares to look at the world in new ways. --Publishers Weekly
by Sendhil Millainathan (Get the Book)
The struggle for insufficient resources-time, money, food, companionship-concentrates the mind for better and, mostly, worse, according to this revelatory treatise on the psychology of scarcity. Harvard economist Mullainathan and Princeton psychologist Shafir examine how scarcity in many forms, from poverty and scheduling pressures to dieters' food cravings and loneliness-a kind of "social scarcity"-force the brain to focus on alleviating pressing shortages and thus reduce the mental "bandwidth" available to address other needs, plan ahead, exert self-control, and solve problems. The result of perpetual scarcity, they contend, is a life fixated on agonizing trade-offs, crises, and preoccupations that impose persistent cognitive deficits-in poor people they lower mental performance as much as going a night without sleep-and reinforce self-defeating actions. The authors support their lucid, accessible argument with a raft of intriguing research in psychology and behavioral economics (sample study: "We recruited Princeton undergraduates to play Family Feud in a controlled setting") and apply it to surprising nudges that remedy everything from hospital overcrowding to financial ignorance. Mullainaithan and Shafir present an insightful, humane alternative to character-based accounts of dysfunctional behavior, one that shifts the spotlight from personal failings to the involuntary psychic disabilities that chronic scarcity inflicts on everyone. --Publishers Weekly
by Jerry Oppenheimer (Get the Book)
Oppenheimer's eleventh biography chronicles five generations of the Johnson dynasty, from the three brothers who founded the world's largest health-care business in 1888 through the subsequent members of the Lucky Sperm Club, heirs and heiresses who benefited financially from the family name while having little or nothing to do with running the company. Known as The General, founding brother Robert Wood Johnson Jr. ruled the roost with an iron fist until his death in 1968, and his great-grandson and namesake Robert Wood Woody Johnson IV is the billionaire owner of the New York Jets. Woody's daughter, Casey Johnson, was a tabloid celebutante and friend of Paris Hilton who came to a tragic end in 2009 at the age of 31, and his once-troubled uncle is the famed sculptor, J. Seward Johnson Jr. Oppenheimer follows the clan of dysfunctional Band-Aid and baby-powder millionaires through the adulterous affairs, ugly divorces, drug and alcohol addictions, tragic accidents, suicide attempts, paternity disputes, will contests, and other turmoil as the family reaps the rewards of inheritance through privilege, opulence, and excess, for better and for worse. --Booklist
by Ori Brafman (Get the Book)
Brafman and Pollack, organizational and leadership experts, respectively, explain their thesis on the need for contained chaos in our personal and work lives so that new and creative ideas can emerge out of nowhere. Framing their argument within case studies, including the U.S. Army, Brafman and Pollack explain that while organizational structure and hierarchy are essential in both large corporations and small groups, they stifle creativity. A small amount of controlled chaos confined within certain borders can benefit an organization's overall well-being. Elements of chaos include white space, or time off from organized work to allow innovation and new ideas to take root; meetings without agendas; renegades, or those who don't fit into the group's traditional profile of participants; and planned serendipity, or engaging as many aspects of your organization as possible in problem solving. This small, excellent book offers thought-provoking insights for a wide range of library patrons as they face complicated challenges personally and within their businesses large and small. A must read. --Booklist
by Stanley Chao (Get the Book)
A consultant to foreign companies doing business in China, Chao sets his book apart by targeting smaller businesses and insisting on practicality. The son of Chinese immigrants to the United States, the author emphasizes what is necessary for operating successfully in China, as opposed to instructing readers about cultural details such as gift giving or dining etiquette. Topics include the fluid interpretation of contracts in China, the profit-seeking pragmatic nature of the generation that came of age under Mao, negotiation how-tos, and the importance of hiring a good translator and a Chinese lawyer. He discusses setting up foreign enterprises in China and warns against becoming involved in joint ventures. Using examples from his own experiences, Chao writes in a straightforward conversational style. -VERDICT A useful book aimed at serious entrepreneurs ready to enter the China market. --Library Journal
by Greg Holden (Get the Book)
Mind your business with this updated edition of the bestselling online business how-to guide Have a computer, an Internet connection, and a dream? Then, you′re already on your way to starting your very own online business. This fun and friendly guide can help you turn your big idea into big bucks whether you′re expanding your real-world storefront online or creating your own virtual startup. Starting an Online Business For Dummies, 7th Edition will show you how to identify a market need, choose a web hosting service, implement security and privacy measures, open up shop, and start promoting to the world. (Summary)
This 2013 compilation of best business articles explores topics such as medical malpractice, unemployment, data mining, airlines, Walmart, foreclosures, corporate malfeasance, oil and gas, insurance scams, TED culture, and the fashion industry. A wide variety of publications are represented, from Mother Jones and the Wall Street Journal to Wired, the New York Times, and the National Review. Included is the well-publicized article by Greg Smith, Why I Am Leaving Goldman Sachs, describing his exit because of trading practices and ethics issues; Ken Auletta takes us inside India's newspaper industry, which still thrives while others worldwide decline; and Charles Duhigg and David Barboza document the troubling conditions in the Chinese factory producing Apple's products. This excellent collection is a valuable resource for library patrons seeking this year's best in business journalism. --Booklist (Get the Book)
by Gary A. Klein (Get the Book)
Experimental cognitive psychologist Klein (Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions) takes his experience in academia, the military, and private industry and offers seminars on improving employee performance, defining improvement as a combination of fewer mistakes and more insightful decisions. Here he examines stories of unusual discoveries and develops a model of "discovery triggers"-the actions innovators took as a result of their insight and the changes in understanding that they produced. He likewise investigates personal insight failures through "insight twin" stories, in which another person was presented with similar information but failed to reach the same conclusion. Decision support systems and organizational failures also come under fire for stifling creative thought and putting too much emphasis on reducing mistakes. Final chapters recommend changes to personal and organizational behavior to benefit all readers. VERDICT A valuable resource for business professionals to return to over again. --Library Journal
by Joe Studwell (Get the Book)
Why have some East Asian countries been more successful in their economic development than others? Studwell (Asian Godfathers, 2008) argues that the answer comes down to three key sets of policy choices: land-tenure policies that support smallholder farmers, manufacturing policies that subsidize domestic industries yet demand internationally competitive results, and financial policies that support the above by resisting deregulation until it can be done safely. Countries that have done these things (Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan), he notes, have developed more robustly and consistently than those that have not (Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia). And then there's China, the big work in progress at the center of it all. Drawing upon broad yet consistently engaging historical analysis, as well as some deep dives into World Bank and International Monetary Fund reports, Studwell ultimately wants to dispel some pervasive illusions about the region that geography is destiny, for example and to suggest that developing countries would do well to ignore much of the economic-development advice they currently receive from the West. --Booklist
by Catherine Fox (Get the Book)
Award-winning journalist Fox (deputy editor, AFR BOSS; Better Than Sex: How a Whole Generation Got Hooked on Work) systematically dispels seven myths about women and work: these state that workplaces are meritocracies, the gender gap is exaggerated, women don't want the top jobs, women with children don't want a career, quotas and targets are dangerous and unnecessary, women should act more like men (and are their own worst enemies), and time will heal all. Focusing on the stereotypes of women in the Australian workplace, Fox presents evidence from companies such as the not-for-profit U.S. firm Catalyst to prove that the notion that "women don't ask" for promotions is false. The author suggests different approaches to "myth busting" and maintains that "normalising women's participation as leaders, decision-makers, and workers in all walks of life has driven me to attack the myths." The chapters are complete with case studies and extensive bibliographical references for further reading. VERDICT A groundbreaking look at women in the workplace. The author's expertise and research will reach business professionals, students, and those researching women's studies or workplace-related issues. Informative, thought provoking, and highly recommended. --Library Journal
by Turney Duff (Get the Book)
With the twists and turns of a suspense novel, this autobiographical account of the rise and fall of a hedge fund trader exposes the risks and liabilities of a career on Wall Street during one of the most turbulent decades of the financial industry. Duff's 15-year career parallels the peaks and valleys of the stock market, from the boom of the 1990s to the tumultuous decline in the early 2000s. With unabashed honesty, he tells how he went from an entry-level position in Morgan Stanley in 1993 to successful trader on the buy side before his excessive partying and downward spiral into drugs ended his career and he had the courage to walk away for good. He exposes the occupational hazards of his high-pressure trading jobs, the lure of power and money when million-dollar trades were commonplace, insider alliances were useful, and collusion was a part of the business. Fast-paced and gritty, this is a fascinating and convincing portrayal of one trader's challenges in a tough environment and his ultimate redemption. --Booklist
by Drew Boyd (Get the Book)
Using a set of "systematic inventive thinking" (SIT) techniques, Boyd (marketing and innovation, Univ. of Cincinnati) and Goldenberg (marketing, Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem) demonstrate ways for corporations to enhance productivity and develop innovation creatively. SIT are taught in workshops or classes and involve ways of thinking about product design and concepts without restrictions caused by specific problems. Other techniques include unifying tasks for which components are asked to do double duty, or attribute dependency where results are varied depending on specific conditions. Examples of how to implement the techniques exist throughout the book and range from laparoscopic surgical innovations to Captcha characters and new ways to build skyscrapers. Many books are written on the topic of stimulating creativity, but the practical examples provided here make Boyd and Goldenberg's advice stand out from the crowd. VERDICT A captivating and fun read that adds insight to product design. --Library Journal
by R. Glenn Hubbard (Get the Book)
Political paralysis leading to fiscal collapse is the "existential threat" facing America, argues this stimulating, contentious economic history. Economists Hubbard (dean of Columbia University's Graduate School of Business) and Kane (chief economist of the Hudson Institute), both one-time advisers to the 2012 Romney-Ryan campaign, conduct a loose, engaging tour through history, pinpointing the economic failings of states from ancient Rome (debased currency, expensive bread and circuses, totalitarian labor controls) and Ming China (squabbling between court mandarins and eunuchs that scotched trade initiatives) to contemporary Europe and the United States (unsustainable government entitlements and debt). They frame the perennial debate over national decline in novel economic terms, ranking countries by a metric of "economic power"-GDP times productivity times the square root of growth-that puts America still uneasily on top. The authors' economics tilt conservative, extolling budget austerity, low taxes, and free trade, while deploring over-mighty public-sector workers-a latter-day Praetorian Guard of California's state government-and excessive welfare spending. They conclude by proposing a constitutional balanced-budget amendment, while acknowledging dysfunctional political institutions that block reform, like the "prisoners dilemma" in Congress that prevents Republicans and Democrats alike from compromising on deficits. Theirs is political economy with a grand historical sweep-and provocative implications for the present. --Publishers Weekly
by Jan Chipchase (Get the Book)
Chipchase, executive creative director of global insights at Frog Design (now known as frog), has been described as a global design anthropologist. In his first book, written with journalist Steinhardt, he uses this anthropologist's curiosity and research experience to examine both the mundane and extraordinary: "scratching beneath the surface to find reality in bits and pieces. to see the world in a richer, more textured way." And Chipchase does indeed scratch the surface on a wide variety of captivating yet random topics, examining such disparate subjects as mobile phones, fast food, pornography, hybrid corn adoption, and the Amish. While he recounts many fascinating anecdotes about consumer adoption of products and services, status, buying behaviors, and technologies, the disjointed organization is distracting and may leave the reader wondering what point the author is trying to make. In the conclusion, Chipchase admits he did not focus on making a point, but rather aimed "to offer new perspectives that can help you bring the world into focus," and to motivate us to ask smarter questions. For nonlinear thinkers or those who embrace the ambiguity inherent in design research, Chipchase's work will provide a lively, thought-provoking, and often humorous read. --Publishers Weekly
by Ben Hewitt (Get the Book)
Hewitt expands on previous writing about food (Making Supper Safe: One Man's Quest to Learn the Truth About Food Safety) to provide sustenance for the mind and soul in this energetic and challenging examination of how we live and what we live for. A self-employed writer in northern Vermont, Hewitt comes to see his self-reliant friend Erik Gillard as a foil to the destructive pursuit of monetary, hence illusory, riches. Crisp, vivid descriptions of the two mushroom gathering, visiting an old sugarhouse, and building cabin steps display the practical skills that Hewitt endorses, and evoke Thoreau's precise depictions of nature. Despite his doubts and misgivings, for Hewitt the ultimate significance of the individual example is to blaze a trail to communal changes. However the reader chooses to regard Hewitt's acquired insights, his presentation of a conscious alternative to the life of quiet desperation is inspiring. --Publishers Weekly
by Amy Porterfield (et al) (Get the Book)
Great new edition covers what you need to know for successful Facebook marketing Facebook keeps evolving, and so does the social mediasphere. Even if you have a Facebook marketing strategy, have you taken into consideration Pinterest? Spotify? Foursquare? Facebook Marketing All-in-One For Dummies, 2nd Edition does. This detailed resource not only reveals how to create successful Facebook marketing strategies, it also shows you how to incorporate and use the entire social network to its full potential. Covers the tools, techniques, and apps you need to know to create successful Facebook marketing campaigns Nine minibooks cover the essentials: Joining the Facebook Marketing Revolution; Claiming Your Presence On Facebook; Adding the Basics; Building, Engaging, Retaining, and Selling; Understanding Facebook Applications; Making Facebook Come Alive; Advanced Facebook Marketing Tactics; Facebook Advertising; Measuring, Monitoring, and Analyzing Explores the new Timeline design for Pages, changes to Facebook Insights, new apps to incorporate into your strategy, and more Facebook Marketing All-in-One For Dummies, 2nd Edition is the perfect resource for any marketer who wants to build or refine a social media marketing presence that includes Facebook. (Summary)
The single most important task for a prospective franchisee (or small businessperson) is to prepare a realistic cash flow statement that accurately reflects the economic potential of a franchise (business). How Much Can I Make? is an “insider’s guide” that provides historical sales, expense and/or profit data on actual franchise operations to establish a solid basis upon which to make these critical financial projections. Over 100 Financial Performance Representations, prepared by the franchisors themselves, are included for major industry categories. The roster of franchisors included runs from the McDonald’s and Burger Kings of the world to several newer, smaller franchises with significantly fewer operating units. Only about 35 percent of franchisors provide this information. Given that franchisors are not allowed to make, or even discuss, any financial projections other than those published in their Franchise Disclosure Documents, this hard-to-obtain data is especially useful. (Get the Book)
by Keith M. Eades (Get the Book)
The breakthrough process used by more than 500,000 sales professionals worldwide!. "The Solution Selling Fieldbook" helps you integrate the plan's nuts-and-bolts techniques into your own day-to-day practices, and immediately gain access to key decision makers, diagnose buyers' business issues, and increase top-line sales.. Building on the processes, principles, and management systems outlined in "The New Solution Selling," this practitioner's workbook features: . . A complete step-by-step blueprint for sales success. A trial copy of Solution Selling software. A valuable Solution Selling CD-ROM that includes tools, templates, and sales letters. . Includes Exclusive Solution Selling Software on CD-ROM. More than 120 work sheets on negotiating, opportunity assessments, implementation plans, and more. Letters/e-mail templates. Coaching on Solution Selling techniques. Import/export capabilities. Links to more Solution Selling content. (Summary)
by Henry Cloud (Get the Book)
Noting that a boundary is a structure that determines what will exist and what will not, Cloud, a consultant and author, shows how leaders set the boundaries that will determine whether their vision and people thrive or fail. Leaders determine what will exist and not exist. The author presents seven leadership boundaries that make everything else work and . . . they set the stage, tone and climate for people's brains to perform. These boundaries are helping people attend to what is important; building the emotional climate that fuels performance; facilitating connections that boost peoples' functioning; developing thinking patterns that drive results; focusing on what behaviors shape results; building high-performance teams that achieve desired results; and, for leaders, directing themselves in a manner that creates great performance in others. Cloud concludes with his advice to leaders: Take charge. . . . Create an environment and culture where people can be their best. Though clearly an infomercial for the author's consulting activities, the book offers valuable perspective and ideas. --Booklist
Wiley GAAP 2013 contains complete coverage of all levels of GAAP, indexed to the ASC. Wiley GAAP renders GAAP more understandable and accessible for research, and has been designed to reduce the amount of time and effort needed to solve accounting research issues. Providing interpretive guidance and a wealth of real-world, content-rich examples and illustrations, this invaluable guide offers clear, user-friendly guidance on every pronouncement including FASB Technical Bulletins, AcSEC Practice Bulletins, FASB Implementation Guides, AICPA Statements of Position, and AICPA Accounting Interpretations. --Publisher (Get the Book)
by Jonathan Rowe (Get the Book)
When Rowe (former editor, Washington Monthly) died suddenly in March 2011, his work on the economic concept of "the commons" was left unfinished. Rowe's writings, composed over an 18-year period, were gathered by his associates and are presented in this slim volume edited by entrepreneur and journalist Barnes (Capitalism 3.0), with a foreword by Bill McKibben (The Global Warming Reader) and an afterword by David Bollier (cofounder, Commons Strategy Group). Rowe saw the commons as a collection of shared natural and social assets, including air, water, land, the Internet, parks, and other locations where people socially interact. The first challenge, he noted, is to acknowledge that the commons exist, given that their components are mostly invisible. Rowe discusses how a park is valued for the land it occupies, and how developing the land for the purpose of making money destroys the park and all its social and natural elements. He also explains how history has proven that communities can share common resources without destroying them. Here the case for common wealth is set forth, putting the onus on the reader. VERDICT Recommended for every tree hugger and park sitter and those who hope to gain more awareness of the world around them. --Library Journal
Bernard A Lietaer (Get the Book)
Among the many misconceptions people have about money is that a finite amount is circulating in economies, loan creation is always associated with debt creation, bank profit is dependent on interest payments, and saving money and accumulating wealth are beneficial goals. Here Dunne (founder, Danu Resources) and Lietaer (formerly international finance, Univ. of Louvain, Belgium) turn these assumptions upside down by presenting current and historic evidence of alternative monetary systems successfully implemented worldwide. The authors convincingly argue that the use of diverse currencies increases a society's economic efficiency and resilience, and that monetary systems are evolving to meet changing societal circumstances by taking advantage of human capital and new technologies. -VERDICT A must-read for community leaders, planners, policymakers, human resource, and other business professionals who are interested in learning about the creation and sustainability of innovative monetary systems. --Library Journal
by Rachel Emma Silverman (Get the Book)
Let's face it: you can't avoid death or taxes. But you can create an estate plan that will make both a whole lot easier for your loved ones and put you in control of how your assets will get passed to your heirs. Here, Wall Street Journal personal-finance reporter Rachel Emma Silverman walks you step-by-step through the process. Chock-full of clear and solid advice on how to get the most out of the main estate planning tools - including wills, trusts, life insurance, guardianship papers, and powers-of-attorney documents - the Wall Street Journal Complete Estate-Planning Guidebook will help make your estate-planning process as simple, smooth, and unintimidating as possible. (Summary)
by Hiroshi Mikatani (Get the Book)
By his own admission, the leader of the world's third largest e-commerce company is a rule breaker. In his first book, Mikitani, founder and chief executive of Rakuten, an international firm headquartered in Japan that owns Kobo and Buy.com, offers his philosophy of how to break rules and think differently to compete in the global marketplace. Called an "Internet evangelist," Mikitani shares the secrets, beliefs, and drive that fueled Rakuten's meteoric rise to success. Starting with the story of how he defied Japanese business tradition by making English mandatory for all workers at his company, Mikitani discusses how true empowerment of employees, vendors, and customers is key to building a healthy corporate culture; the mindset necessary to creating and sustaining a place in the global market, and how the element of joy is imperative in rewriting the rules of the Internet. While the book may seem self-congratulatory at times, and at others repetitive and in need of editing, overall Mikitani weaves an inspiring entrepreneurial story and presents a thought-provoking case for breaking rules. --Publishers Weekly
by Sheryl Sandberg (Get the Book)
Facebook COO Sandberg examines the dearth of women in major leadership positions, and what women can do to solve the problem, in this provocative tome. While acknowledging that women have made great strides in the business world, she posits that they still have a long way to go and lays out a plan for women to get there. "I have written this book to encourage women to dream big, forge a path through the obstacles, and achieve their full potential," she explains. The author's counsel-gleaned from her own experiences-includes suggestions for increasing self-confidence, particularly in the business world; understanding the role of mentors and how to identify them; building emotional relationships at work; not focusing on being liked; juggling marriage and children with a demanding job; and the importance of taking risks. "Hard work and results should be recognized by others, but when they aren't, advocating for oneself becomes necessary," Sandberg opines. A new generation of women will learn from Sandberg's experiences, and those of her own generation will be inspired by this thoughtful and practical book. --Publishers Weekly
by Bruce Nussbaum (Get the Book)
In an unstable job market, many of us struggle to keep our skills current and marketable. To that end, Nussbaum, professor at the Parsons School of Design and a former Businessweek editor, brings us both good and bad news. The bad news is that a survey of 1,500 CEOs revealed that the most valuable management skill was no longer marketing or operations but creativity, a new literacy that employees will need to stay competitive. The good news is that these skills can be learned. Nussbaum dedicates much of the book to five practices that help individuals nurture and develop prized creative skills: knowledge mining, framing, playing, making, and pivoting. Latter sections of the book explore the economic value of creativity. The author shows the faulty thinking behind, and consequences of, the triumph of finance over product creation. More importantly, he offers a viable economic model, which suggests that creativity is a source of economic value, entrepreneurs drive growth, capitalism is a social movement, and social networks are the basic building blocks of the economy. This is a refreshing, informative, and groundbreaking new work that has implications for every level of the business arena. --Publishers Weekly
by Robert S. Kaplan (Get the Book)
In this guide to developing and honing leadership skills, Kaplan (management practice, Harvard Business School; cochairman, Draper Richards Kaplan Fdn.; former vice chairman, Goldman Sachs) explains, "the critical premise of this book is that by knowing how and when to ask critical questions, a young professional as well as a senior leader can take greater ownership of his or her organization and career." He focuses on seven basic areas for inquiry and self-evaluation: "Vision and Priorities," "Managing Your Time," "Giving and Getting Feedback," "Succession Planning and Delegation," "Evaluation and Alignment," "The Leader as Role Model," and "Reaching Your Potential." In a final chapter, he discusses ways to make inquiry and self-evaluation a regular part of leadership activities. In the chapter on time management, appropriate questions to ask include, "Do I know how I spend my time?" and "Does it match my key priorities?" Kaplan follows these questions by analyzing the importance of effective time-management strategies and the establishment of priorities. Each chapter includes case studies and a list of suggested follow-up steps. VERDICT This is a practical book for students and others who wish to develop their leadership skills. --Library Journal
by Dennis Bakke (Get the Book)
As the former CEO of AES, a Fortune 200 global power company, and cofounder of Imagine Schools, Bakke (Joy at Work) had a simple idea: "Treat people like people, not machines." The result was so successful that Bakke has penned a fable to help managers "unlock the full potential of the people around them." This charming parable draws on Bakke's leadership experience, tracing the journey of a fictitious company, MedTec, from a traditional top-down decision-making enterprise to a company at which leaders put control in the hands of their people. The story unfolds as MedTec's new owners begin to discover issues that threaten the company's health. As they embark on a plan to empower everyone from HR to line managers to administrative assistants to make decisions, they encounter many obstacles along the way. Anger, skepticism, fear, and resistance plague all parties-including the owners and their investors, at different times-but in the long run, allowing people closest to the action to make decisions proves transformational. Knowing that the entertaining, ultimately rosy story is grounded in Bakke's real-world experiences adds credibility to the narrative; the work's engaging style is sure to inspire and captivate leaders and managers who wish to transform not only their businesses but also their employees' lives. Publishers Weekly
by Ben Bernanke (Get the Book)
In March 2012, Federal Reserve chairman Bernanke gave four lectures to undergraduates on the origins and role of the Fed. His texts, charts, and answers to student questions are contained in this slim volume. Bernanke addresses the value of a central bank as an economic stabilizer through its powers as regulator, influencer of interest rates, and lender of last resort. After giving a brief history of the Fed, he describes the financial environment leading up to the 2008 crisis. He talks about how the Fed in concert with the U.S. Treasury and other central banks implemented policies first to dampen the panic, then to strengthen the financial system, and finally to support the economic recovery. He stresses the openness of Fed actions subsequent to 2008 and their consistency with longstanding practices. Bernanke is careful in his wording and presents no revelations; the lectures have been accessible over the Internet. VERDICT This important book deserves to be read widely both because Bernanke admirably explains the Fed and its actions and because his authorship provides a window into his thinking as one of the world's most powerful financial figures. Former Fed governor Alan S. Blinder (economics, Princeton Univ.) also examines the crisis but with sharper criticism in After the Music Stopped. --Library Journal
by Simon Mainwaring (Get the Book)
Mainwaring (founder, We First brand consulting firm) describes a new business model--"contributory consumption"--in which people's purchases help to make the world a better place. The goal is for businesses to combine sales profits with a social purpose, leading to a shift in thinking for both companies and consumers from "me first" to "we first.. Mainwaring believes that online social media are helping to bring about a positive change in the way business is done, giving customers more say in business decisions and making information available to all via networking sites. Henry Jenkins, an authority on communications who is quoted in the book, notes that the public, rather than the institutions themselves, now "controls the storytelling" about companies and products. In effect, there is a new transparency. Mainwaring identifies some issues that businesses need to examine more closely with respect to corporate social responsibility: executive salaries, dividend payouts, tax write-offs, government lobbying, quality controls, and global environmental factors. He cites Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who has pledged most of his fortune to world charities, as the role model for this new era. --Choice
by Alan G. Lafly (Get the Book)
Amid the profusion of strategy books, this new offering by former Procter & Gamble CEO Lafley (coauthor of The Game-Changer) and Martin (dean of the Rotman School of Management and author of Fixing the Game) is a clear standout, sure to take its place on business students' bookshelves next to Mike Porter's classic, Competitive Strategy. This engaging look at how strategy really works draws on academic theory, but is deeply grounded in real life corporate lessons (including mistakes) learned at P&G both before and throughout Lafley's tenure, during which time Martin served as an adviser to the firm. The authors ask basic, practical questions that separate true strategy from mission, vision, or planning, asserting that the essence of strategy is about winning and the tough choices leaders and organizations need to make to achieve that victory. Theoretical concepts about how to win in what space come to life through entertaining and engrossing stories of how P&G developed or positioned well-known brands as Bounty, Swiffer, Force Flex, and Oil of Olay. This collection of insights and captivating examples about strategy is a must-read for leaders at any level in the for-profit or not-for-profit world. --Publishers Weekly
by J. C. Carleson (Get the Book)
Even though the CIA has been prominent in the not-so-great-news department of late, there are some intriguing takeaways from its operatives. Offering no tell-all story, former operative Carleson applies her learning from eight years at the CIA during the aftermath of 9/11 to corporate America and business success. Many of her easy-to-read lessons concern information how to get it and how to use it legitimately when applied to internal and external competition and to the improvement of performance and outcomes. For the first third of the book, she concentrates on boot-camp tactics and follow-up exercises, such as targeting, corroboration, and strategic elicitation. The rest of the book is concerned with how to use those tactics in a host of situations, from recruitment, ethics problems, and crisis management, to sales, compliance, and using competitive intelligence. It's certainly not a dry read, since Carleson inserts some harrowing (and declassified) accounts of her CIA adventures. Although a hard-to-categorize book, it nevertheless is a useful guide. There is information for the taking that can change the entire playing field for you and your organization. Getting this information is a matter of asking the right people the right questions in the right way. Learn it, use it. --Booklist
by Helaine Olen (Get the Book)
The personal finance and investment industry is a juggernaut, a part of both the ascendant financial services sector of our economy and the ever-booming self-help arena, states Olen, personal finance writer. Readers learn about Sylvia Porter, whom Olen describes as the mother of the personal financial industrial complex. Porter, by the 1960s, had a daily column in which she explained stocks, bonds, and budgeting to millions of Americans. From that beginning mushroomed financial therapy (psychotherapy, life coaching, and financial planning), which originated in the 1970s and caught substantial media attention after the 2008 financial debacle. Explaining the shortcomings of financial therapy, the author cites bias toward individual demons, errors in comparing financial problems of the rich to those of average and poor Americans, and a dysfunctional relationship with class, specifically the lack of class mobility in a country that prides itself on the American Dream. This thought-provoking book alerts us to important issues in today's postrecession economy and thus will enlighten many library patrons. --Booklist
by Alan S. Blinder (Get the Book)
As a former economics adviser in the Clinton administration and former Federal Reserve governor, Blinder (economics, Princeton Univ.) has a lot to say about the causes and consequences of the 2007-09 financial crisis. In a generally chronological account, the author runs through how poor lending practices, coupled with securitization and high degree of leverage, precipitated the crisis. He then covers the ameliorative emergency and long-term policies through late 2012, examining the consequential financial reform efforts with particular attention to the Dodd-Frank legislation. Blinder questions the failure to prevent more home foreclosures. He criticizes Republicans for obstructionism and the Obama administration for not better convincing the public of the necessity for stimulus, deficit spending, and radical Federal Reserve strategies. Looking forward, the text contemplates how the administration and the Federal Reserve will be able to unwind their stimulative policies, touching on the European crisis and concluding with a list of precepts to future crises. Blinder's explanations of complex topics simple, such as moral hazard and quantitative easing, are kept simple. VERDICT This work is highly recommended to all readers desiring a comprehensible postmortem of the economic and political ramifications of the financial crisis. --Library Journal
by David Gowel (Get the Book)
Make your LinkedIn account work for you and your business LinkedIn is not just another social media tool. It′s the world′s largest professional online network, with over 120 million users in over two hundred countries. The Power in a Link shows you how to employ this remarkable yet misunderstood resource to execute networking strategies and processes for your business, secure deals, and use (not abuse) your existing relationships. Author David Gowel, the man the Boston Globe has called the "LinkedIn Jedi," delivers the understanding necessary to map networks, stimulate word of mouth, and leverage unparalleled business intelligence to close deals. Arguing that LinkedIn is not social media at all, but instead belongs in a category all of its own, the book cuts through the noise in the crowded social media world with practical applications and explains why all professionals should embrace it in order to achieve success faster through relationships. (Summary)
by Robert G. Hagstrom (Get the Book)
In this updated second edition, well-known investment author Hagstrom explores basic and fundamental investing concepts in a range of fields outside of economics, including physics, biology, sociology, psychology, philosophy, and literature. (Summary)
by David S. Kidder (Get the Book)
Kidder, a serial entrepreneur and bestselling author of the Intellectual Devotional series, has assembled what can best be described as the perfect coffee-table book of collective entrepreneurial wisdom. He set out to collect key ideas that have inspired the world's greatest entrepreneurs and asked a number of wunderkinds to explain "key practices, behaviors, and ideas" that allowed them to succeed. Aggregated, the critical ideas expressed are know thyself; keep the focus on your big ideas; build a painkiller, not a vitamin; be 10 times better than the competition; and be a monopolist. The participants-including such luminaries as Steve Case of AOL, Robin Chase of Zipcar, Scott Harrison of Charity: Water, Jay Walker of Priceline, Sara Blakely of Spanx, and many others-provide their advice in the form of a playbook and offer pearls of wisdom such as running lean, firing people when they lose faith in your ideas, and staying ahead of the game. The sheer range of projects and ideas makes this an inspiring look at the process behind the successful startup plan. --Publishers Weekly
by Shari Harley (Get the Book)
Take charge of your career by taking charge of your business relationships. We all know how it feels when our colleagues talk about us but not to us. It is frustrating, and it creates tension. When candour is missing in the workplace, employees feel like they are working in the dark. Leaders don't know what employees really think; managers are frustrated when outcomes are not what they expect; and employees often don't know where they stand performance-wise. Many of us remain passive against broken, indirect communication habits, hoping that things will miraculously improve but they won't. Not without skills and effort. The people you work with can work with you, around you, or against you. How people work with you depends on the relationships you cultivate. Do your colleagues trust you? Can they speak openly to you when projects and tasks go awry? Take charge of your career by taking charge of your business relationships. Make your work environment less tense and more productive by practising direct communication. Set relationship expectations, work with people how they like to work, and give and receive regular feedback. Harley shares the real-life stories of people who have struggled to get what they want at work. With her clear and specific roadmap in hand, Harley enables you to create the career and business relationships you really want and keep them. (Summary)
