Business Books: Best of 2008
LJ's picks for long-term value
By Sarah Statz Cords -- Library Journal, 3/15/2009
In 2008, as business increasingly became the news, business publishing showed a growing awareness of the big picture, putting out fewer personality-driven titles. In this list, you'll see that business histories embrace recent technological innovation as much as longevity. The best management/HR books look at the big picture through pushing teamwork, communication, and companywide methods over individual talent. Globalization titles consider the future, including Asia's growing influence and the move to more cautious and informed decision-making, while books covering the basics at home advocate taking entrepreneurial chances. Change was in the air in 2008. The forecast for 2009 is for titles offering survival tactics for making it through the downturn, as well as for faster publishing turnarounds to reflect better the volatile marketplace.
AUTOBIOGRAPHY/BIOGRAPHY
Dennis, Felix.How To Get Rich: One of the World's Greatest Entrepreneurs Shares His Secrets. Portfolio. 320p. ISBN 978-1-59184-205-7. $25.95.
All was not doom and gloom in the 2008 world of business publishing as this rollicking and over-the-top memoir by the founder of Maxim magazine proves.
Schroeder, Alice. The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life. Bantam. 960p. ISBN 978-0-553-80509-3. $35.
No detail of Buffett's life or investing philosophy is left unexplored in this readable biography that combines social and business history with direct quotes from Buffett himself. (Xpress Reviews, 11/4/08)
BUSINESS/CORPORATE HISTORY
Ellis, Charles D. The Partnership: The Making of Goldman Sachs. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). 604p. ISBN 978-1-59420-189-9. $37.50.
Ellis, a longtime strategy consultant to Goldman Sachs, provides both objective history and an insider's view of how the company grew from a small family partnership to one of the most successful investment banks in the world today. (LJ 8/08)
Foege, Alec. Right of the Dial: The Rise of Clear Channel and the Fall of Commercial Radio. Faber & Faber. 320p. ISBN 978-0-571-21106-7. $25.
A detailed history of Clear Channel Communications and an impassioned review of the role of commercial radio combine to make this one of the year's quickest reads in any category. (LJ 5/1/08)
Price, David A.The Pixar Touch: The Making of a Company. Knopf. 320p. ISBN 978-0-307-26575-3. $27.95.
This saga of Pixar Animation Studios is not lengthy but it is action-packed: from Steve Jobs's ownership and the drive to innovate animation processes to produce entertaining movies, from initial challenges to—and eventual purchase—by the Disney corporation, there's nary a dull moment here. (LJ 4/1/08)
Stross, Randall. Planet Google: One Company's Audacious Plan To Organize Everything We Know. Free Pr: S. & S. 288p. ISBN 978-1-4165-4691-7. $26.
Stross (“Digital Domain” columnist, New York Times) offers an outstanding history of this unique company, with its mantra of “don't be evil” combined with a somewhat unsettling single-mindedness to absorb or better its competitors and organize all human knowledge. (LJ 8/08)
ECONOMICS/U.S. ECONOMY
Ferguson, Niall. The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). 432p. ISBN 978-1-59420-192-9. $29.95.
Historian Ferguson surveys money from use of the first-known coins through last year's collapse at Bear Stearns, mixing impressive research and comprehensive information with a light storytelling touch. (LJ 11/1/08)
Jones, Van. The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems. HarperCollins. 237p. ISBN 978-0-06-165075-8. $25.95.
Jones (founder, Green for All) argues that developing a sustainable energy industry in America would lessen our dependency on nonrenewable and foreign energy sources, as well as provide local and well-paid employment. With a resource list to help individuals become involved. (LJ 10/15/08)
Karmin, Craig. Biography of the Dollar: How the Mighty Buck Conquered the World and Why It's Under Siege. Crown Business. 272p. ISBN 978-0-307-33986-7. $25.95.
The history of the U.S. dollar bill, from its lowly birth in the early 19th century through its ascendancy as the currency of globalization. In addition to telling a financial and social history (complete with digressions into the art of counterfeiting), Karmin details the challenges facing an embattled dollar today. (LJ 2/1/08)
Lewis, Michael. Panic: The Story of Modern Financial Insanity. Norton. 352p. ISBN 978-0-393-06514-5. $27.95.
Lewis (Liar's Poker) introduces over 50 articles by experts from the past 20 years covering the panics surrounding the 1987 stock market crash, the Russian default, the Asian currency crisis, the Internet bubble, and the subprime mortgage collapse. (LJ 12/08)
Lowenstein, Roger. While America Aged: How Pension Debts Ruined General Motors, Stopped the NYC Subways, Bankrupted San Diego, and Loom as the Next Financial Crisis. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). 288p. ISBN 978-1-59420-167-7. $25.95.
Lowenstein provides three case studies to illustrate how the failure to plan for future needs and a reliance on overly optimistic stock market predictions have led to the disappearance of American workers' pensions.
Morris, Charles. The Trillion Dollar Meltdown: Easy Money, High Rollers, and the Great Credit Crash. PublicAffairs: Perseus. 224p. ISBN 978-1-58648-563-4. $22.95.
Morris's short but detailed (and sometimes complex, though necessarily so) primer on the subprime mortgage crisis and its ramifications for the entire economy is unpleasant but must reading. (Audio Reviews, LJ 9/1/08)
Phillips, Kevin. Bad Money: Reckless Finance, Failed Politics, and the Global Crisis of American Capitalism. Viking. 256p. ISBN 978-670-01907-6. $25.95.
Phillips's detail-heavy treatise may be slow going for the more casual business reader, but his astute summation of the housing bubble and the increasing complexities of our financial system, as well as dangerous political and financial policies, is a timely and important read. (LJ 6/1/08)
ETHICS
Yunus, Muhammad with Karl Weber. Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism. PublicAffairs: Perseus. 296p. ISBN 978-1-58648-493-4. $26.
“Banker to the poor” (through Grameen Bank) and Nobel Peace Prize winner Yunus explains how microcredit lending practices and more collaborative business strategies can be used to alleviate poverty worldwide. (Xpress Reviews, 1/22/08)
GLOBALIZATION
Choate, Pat.Dangerous Business: The Risks of Globalization for America. Knopf. 272p. ISBN 978-0-307-26684-2. $25.
Ross Perot's 1996 running mate expounds on the dangers of rampant globalization for America, including job loss and lowered food and environmental safety standards, and makes suggestions for reform in both government and economic policies. (LJ 7/08)
Steingart, Gabor. The War for Wealth: The Truth About Globalization. McGraw-Hill. 304p. ISBN 978-0-07-154596-9. $29.95.
Steingart follows chapters on the ascendancy of Asia in both the manufacturing and the research and development sectors with suggestions for the United States and other Western nations to even out the redistribution of wealth, keep jobs, and hold their own in the new global market. (LJ 5/15/08)
INVESTING/PERSONAL FINANCE
Katz, John & Frank Holmes.The Goldwatcher: Demystifying Gold Investing. Wiley. 352p. ISBN 978-0-470-72426-2. $34.95.
This comprehensive book introduces a timely subject. In concise segments and chapters organized into two main areas, the analyst authors “demystify the gold price” and its history as an investment and suggest gold investing strategies.
Reed, David. An Insider's Guide to Refinancing Your Mortgage. AMACOM: American Management Assn. 224p. ISBN 978-0-8144-0935-0. pap. $16.95.
Senior loan officer Reed offers an easy-to-understand but still admirably detailed guide to shopping for mortgages and refinancing the mortgage you have; helpful tips and commonsense strategies abound. (LJ 9/15/08)
MANAGEMENT/LEADERSHIP
Gurian, Michael & Barbara Annis. Leadership and the Sexes: Using Gender Science To Create Success in Business. Jossey-Bass. 233p. ISBN 978-0-7879-9703-8. $27.95.
Gurian and Annis partner to provide an overview of the science behind brain differences between the genders, as well as “GenderTools” for greater productivity, conflict resolution, negotiation, and teamwork among all workers.
Herold, David M. & Donald B. Fedor. Change the Way You Lead Change: Leadership Strategies That Really Work. Stanford Business: Stanford Univ. 176p. ISBN 978-0-8047-5875-8. $25.
Ten years of research—and accessible writing—make this in-depth study of how to lead an organization through change a success. The authors suggest planning for change methodically rather than implementing it heedlessly for its own sake.
Redman, Thomas C. Data Driven: Profiting from Your Most Important Business Asset. Harvard Business Pr. 257p. ISBN 978-1-4221-1912-9. $29.95.
Redman argues that organizations must make greater use of the asset that is their data, first, by considering it a true resource and, second, by using it to enhance their decision-making and management. Good writing makes what could be a dry subject come alive.
MARKETING AND BRANDING
Gerzema, John & Ed Lebar. The Brand Bubble: The Looming Crisis in Brand Value and How To Avoid It.Jossey-Bass. 272p. ISBN 978-0-470-18387-8. $27.95.
Young & Rubicam senior executives Gerzema and Lebar present research findings about brand knowledge and loyalty, raise questions about the cost and efficacy of branding, and share ideas for devising brand strategies that pay off for consumers and investors alike. (LJ 9/15/08)
SMALL BUSINESS
Kawasaki, Guy. Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging, and Outmarketing Your Competition. Portfolio. 496p. ISBN 978-1-59184-223-1. $29.95.
Marketing guru and Entrepeneur columnist Kawasaki provides a compilation of his blog posts on all aspects of starting and operating a business. What the book lacks in organization is made up for in the breadth of its helpful advice.
Shane, Scott A. The Illusions of Entrepreneurship: The Costly Myths That Entrepreneurs, Investors, and Policy Makers Live By. Yale Univ. 224p. ISBN 978-0-300-11331-0. $26.
Although Shane ostensibly starts out to debunk the myths and feel-good platitudes of small business creation, he ends by providing a useful guide to planning for, financing, and successfully following through on entrepreneurial plans. A bit scholarly at times, but the writing is clear and the research solid.
SUCCESS/PERSONAL PERFORMANCE
Bogle, John C. Enough: True Measures of Money, Business, and Life. Wiley. 288p. ISBN 978-0-470-39851-7. $24.95.
Vanguard Group founder Bogle expounds on the hidden costs of our current financial system (primarily driven by speculation and complexity) and suggests that a deeper understanding of what is truly “enough” will help foster more sustainable investing and better living.
Roam, Dan. The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas. Portfolio. 288p. ISBN 978-1-59184-199-9. $24.95.
Business readers looking for a new and useful take on problem-solving would do well to check out this enjoyable and heavily illustrated introduction to visual thinking. Even those who think they can't draw or aren't spatial thinkers are invited to apply!
Web Addendum
AUTOBIOGRAPHY/BIOGRAPHY
Turner, Ted. Call Me Ted. Grand Central. 448p. ISBN 978-0-446-58189-9. $30.
Media mogul Turner seems to have packed several lifetimes into one, making this nearly 500-page biography a quick read full of personal and business details from his careers in advertising and broadcasting, as well as from his marriages and sailing escapades.
BUSINESS/CORPORATE HISTORY
Kuhlmann, Arkadi & Bruce Philp. The Orange Code: How ING Direct Succeeded by Being a Rebel with a Cause. Wiley. 272p. ISBN 978-0-470-28723-1. $27.95.
The founding CEO of online bank ING Direct and the branding expert he consulted before moving into the American market take turns telling the story of the company’s business history and its founder’s desire to help people take charge of their finances.
ECONOMICS/U.S. ECONOMY
Alperovitz, Gar & Lew Daly. Unjust Deserts: How the Rich Are Taking Our Common Inheritance. New Pr. 230p. ISBN 978-1-59558-402-1. $24.95.
Although a bit scholarly in tone and outlook, both political progressives and conservatives will find much either to agree with or dispute in this examination of how cultural knowledge makes possible scientific and business advances, and how all of society should have more of a share in the common wealth.
Thaler, Richard H. & Cass R. Sunstein. Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness. Yale Univ. 304p. ISBN 978-0-300-12223-7. $25.
Fascinating chapters on saving, investing, and credit markets make this psychology-based books about how systems can be designed to help nudge people to make wiser decisions (while preserving free will) a must-read. (LJ 5/1/08)
GLOBALIZATION
Harney, Alexandra. The China Price: The True Cost of Chinese Competitive Advantage. Penguin Pr.: Penguin Group (USA). 352p. ISBN 978-1-59420-157-8. $25.95.
Harney’s no-nonsense work of investigative journalism examines the factors that contribute to the unbeatably low “China price,” including a lack of environmental regulations, labor abuses, Western consumption and willful ignorance.
HUMAN RESOURCES
Smith, Diana McLain. Divide or Conquer: How Great Teams Turn Conflict Into Strength. Portfolio. 304p. ISBN 978-1-59184-204-0. $25.95.
Smith addresses team dynamics from a relationships point of view, and offers concrete suggestions for individuals to turn inevitable instances of conflict into better communication and collaboration.
INVESTING/PERSONAL FINANCE
Arnold, Curtis E. How You Can Profit from Credit Cards. FT Pr.: Pearson. 352p. ISBN 978-0-13-235377-9. $19.99.
Although credit may not be as easy to obtain in 2009, this remains a valuable primer for learning how to use credit card reward programs and other services to their fullest, as well as a good introduction to all things credit (including personal credit reports).
Willis, Gerri. Home Rich: Increasing the Value of the Biggest Investment of Your Life. Ballantine. 270p. ISBN 978-0-345-49044-5. $25.
All homeowners and those planning to become homeowners should peruse this introductory primer on buying a house, obtaining financing, home maintenance that will increase your property value, and selling your house for the maximum return; the author is the host of CNN’s real estate program Open House.
MANAGEMENT/LEADERSHIP
Lafley, A. G. & Ram Charan. The Game-Changer: How Every Leader Can Drive Everyday Innovation. Crown Business. 320p. ISBN 978-0-307-38173-6. $27.50.
Management guru Charan and Proctor & Gamble CEO Lafley provide lessons to encourage innovation at all levels, including how to hire for and encourage an environment of communication and tangible work processes.
SALES
Koser, Jeff, and Chad Koser. Selling to Zebras: How to Close 90% of the Business You Pursue Faster, More Easily, and More Profitably. Greenleaf Book Group. 224p. ISBN 978-1-929774-57-9. $19.95.
The authors argue that the key to closing more sales is to spend more time researching and meeting with “zebras” (i.e., the particular prey you are after), those clients who are good fits for your products or services, and who have the authority to commit the necessary resources.
Yarrow, Andrew L. Forgive Us Our Debts: The Intergenerational Dangers of Fiscal Irresponsibility. Yale Univ. 184p. ISBN 978-0-300-12353-1. $25.
Yarrow offers a short and accessible look at how the national debt is created (and is currently rising) through reckless spending and insufficient government revenues.
| Author Information |
| Sarah Statz Cords, formerly a public librarian, is an Associate Editor for The Reader's Advisor Online (www.readersadvisoronline.com/blog), published by Libraries Unlimited, and a regular book reviewer for LJ |
