Business revolves around making decisions, often riskydecisions, usually with incomplete information and too often inless time than we need. Executives at every level, in everyindustry, are confronted with information overload, less leeway formistakes, and a business environment that changes rapidly. In lightof this increased pressure and volatility, the old-fashioned waysof making decisions–depending on intuition, common sense, andspecialized expertise–are simply no longer sufficient. Distillingover thirty years of groundbreaking research, WinningDecisions , written by two seasoned business advisers and worldleaders in behavioral decision studies, is a comprehensive,one-of-a-kind guide to the proven methods of making criticalbusiness decisions confidently, quickly–and correctly. Decision-making is a business skill which managers often take forgranted in themselves and others–but it's not as easy as some mightthink. The authors, whose expertise has been sought out by over ahundred companies, includi

“I’ve got the name for our publishing operation. We just saidwe were going to publish a few books on the side at random. Let’scall it Random House.” So recounts Bennett Cerf in this wonderfullyamusing memoir of the making of a great publishing house. Anincomparable raconteur, possessed of an irrepressible wit and anabiding love of books and authors, Cerf brilliantly evokes theheady days of Random House’s first decades. Part of the vanguard of young New York publishers whorevolutionized the book business in the 1920s and ’30s, Cerf helpedusher in publishing’s golden age. Cerf was a true personality,whose other pursuits (columnist, anthologist, author, lecturer,radio host, collector of jokes and anecdotes, perennial judge ofthe Miss America pageant, and panelist on What’s My Line? )helped shape his reputation as a man of boundless energy andenthusiasm and brought unprecedented attention to his company andto his authors. At once a rare behind-the-scenes account of bookpublishing and a fascinat

In our lightning-fast digital age, a company can facehumiliation and possibly even ruin within seconds of a negativetweet or blog post. Over the last year companies such as BP,Goldman Sachs, and Toyota have experienced serious blows to theirimages that could have had reduced impact if their leaders hadimplemented reputation management into their business strategy andculture. There is no one in either the corporate or academic spherewith greater expertise in the area of corporate reputation than Dr.Daniel Diermeier. An award-winning professor at the Kellogg Schoolof Management, Northwestern University, Dr. Diermeier has blazed apath in understanding the significance of reputation management anddemonstrating how a company can create a program so powerful thatit can help turn a potential public disgrace into a public imagesuccess story.

The devaluation of the American dollar, with the subsequentinflation, iseerily similar to the chaotic markets of the 1970s.The factors that createdthe stagflation and the gold and silverbull markets of the late seventiesand early eighties are back. AsYogi Berra said, "It's deja vu all overagain." Only this time,they're even more exaggerated-offeringonce-in-a-lifetimeopportunities for middle-class Americans, if they lookbeyond theWall Street stock-market propaganda. This book can helpyoupanic-proof your life and your finances, and reap huge profitswithrelatively small investments in gold, silver, certain ETFs,mutual funds,and mining stocks.How to Prosper During the Coming BadYears in the 21st Century is amust-have survival and moneymakingguide for people who want to profit fromthe rough economic seasthat are upon us-and come through with their shareof treasure.--This text refers to the Kindle Edition.

A black swan is a highly improbable event with threeprincipal characteristics: It is unpredictable; it carries amassive impact; and, after the fact, we concoct an explanation thatmakes it appear less random, and more predictable, than it was. Theastonishing success of Google was a black swan; so was 9/11. ForNassim Nicholas Taleb, black swans underlie almost everything aboutour world, from the rise of religions to events in our own personallives. Why do we not acknowledge the phenomenon of black swans untilafter they occur? Part of the answer, according to Taleb, is thathumans are hardwired to learn specifics when they should be focusedon generalities. We concentrate on things we already know and timeand time again fail to take into consideration what we don’t know.We are, therefore, unable to truly estimate opportunities, toovulnerable to the impulse to simplify, narrate, and categorize, andnot open enough to rewarding those who can imagine the“impossible.” For years, Taleb has studie

New rules for the new game: the ideas that every business needs to win in the customereconomy In The Agenda , Michael Hammer showscompanies how to prosper in today’s world of slow growth, fiercecompetition, and enormously powerful customers. The winners in thisextraordinarily difficult environment—companies like IBM, DukePower, Progressive Insurance, and GE—succeed through superioroperations. Their costs are lower and their quality higher thantheir competitors’; they get new products to market faster and theyprovide better customer service. How do they do it? Throughnear-fanatical attention to the basics of business, and by managingthese basics in new and creative ways. The Agenda teaches the ideas and techniques that anycompany—large or small, service ?rm or manufacturer—can use toout-execute and out-innovate its competitors. Businesses thatfollow these principles will grow by taking market share away fromthose that do not. While others decline, your company can thri

Now in a striking new hardcover edition, Fooled by Randomnessis the word-of-mouth sensation that will change the way you thinkabout business and the world. Nassim Nicholas Taleb–veteran trader,renowned risk expert, polymathic scholar, erudite raconteur, andNew York Times bestselling author of The Black Swan–has written amodern classic that turns on its head what we believe about luckand skill. This book is about luck–or more precisely, about how we perceiveand deal with luck in life and business. Set against the backdropof the most conspicuous forum in which luck is mistaken forskill–the world of trading–Fooled by Randomness providescaptivating insight into one of the least understood factors in allour lives. Writing in an entertaining narrative style, the authortackles major intellectual issues related to the underestimation ofthe influence of happenstance on our lives. The book is populated with an array of characters, some of whomhave grasped, in their own way, the significance

A compelling vision. Bold leadership. Decisive action.Unfortunately, these prerequisites of success are almost always theingredients of failure, too. In fact, most managers seeking tomaximize their chances for glory are often unwittingly settingthemselves up for ruin. The sad truth is that most companies haveleft their futures almost entirely to chance, and don’t evenrealize it. The reason? Managers feel they must make choices withfar-reaching consequences today, but must base those choices onassumptions about a future they cannot predict. It is thiscollision between commitment and uncertainty that creates THESTRATEGY PARADOX. This paradox sets up a ubiquitous but little-understood tradeoff.Because managers feel they must base their strategies onassumptions about an unknown future, the more ambitious of themhope their guesses will be right – or that they can somehow adaptto the turbulence that will arise. In fact, only a small number oflucky daredevils prosper, while many more unfortunate, bu

"A major contribution." Washington Post The authoritative single-volume biography of Thomas Jefferson,perhaps the most significant figure in American history. He was acomplex and compelling man: a fervent advocate of democracy whoenjoyed the life of a southern aristocrat and owned slaves, arevolutionary who became president, a believer in states' rightswho did much to further the power of the federal government.Drawing on the recent explosion of Jeffersonian scholarship andfresh readings of original sources, IN PURSUIT OF REASON is amonument to Jefferson that will endure for generations.

When a mysterious weather balloon crashes to earth in theSwiss Alps, the head of the NSA handpicks Robert Bellamy to trackdown and identify the ten known witnesses to the event. A man whoseobsession with his covert assignments has cost him the only womanhe can ever love, Bellamy now faces the impossible. But as hesearches for clues from Rome to Budapest to Texas, this missionblows up in his face -- and rips the lid off an incredibleconspiracy that stretches around the globe and even intospace... Alone and betrayed on every side, Bellamy must run for hislife -- holding an astonishing secret and the key to the planet'svery survival.

Mega-bestselling author Ken Blanchard and celebrated businessleaders Don Hutson and Ethan Willis present an inspiring story thatreveals the secrets to becoming a successful entrepreneur. In THE ONE MINUTE ENTREPRENEUR, Ken Blanchard (coauthor of the #1bestselling business classic The One Minute Manager), Don Hutson,CEO of U.S. Learning, and Ethan Willis, CEO of Prosper Learning,tell the inspiring story of one man’s challenges in creating hisown business. Through a powerful and engaging narrative, weconfront many of the typical problems all entrepreneurs face instarting up their business, from finding new sources of revenue tosecuring the commitment of their people and the loyalty of theircustomers. More important, we learn the secrets to becoming asuccessful entrepreneur, including how to build a firm foundation,how to ensure a steady cash flow, and how to create legendaryservice. In addition, the book offers invaluable advice, deliveredthrough One Minute Insights, from such entrepreneurs and t

Named one of the Best Business Books of 1997 by BusinessWeek , Inside Intel is the gripping business saga of acompany that rose to dominance through technological innovation,and maintained its leadership against competitors throughaggressive marketing, tough business tactics, and liberal use oflegal firepower. In his in-depth portrait of Intel, the firsthistory/expose of the company, Financial Times columnist Tim Jackson reveals that: * Intel's corporate culture isdeterminedly secretive and authoritarian. * The company retains itsown force of private investigators to prevent its employees fromgoing astray. * Intel routinely uses the threat of lawsuits againstworkers and rivals. At the center of this story is AndyGrove , Intel's high-profile CEO and chairman, once a pennilessimmigrant who waited tables to put himself through college. It isGrove who has made the unpopular decisions which have kept Intel atthe top of the chip market. Exhaustively researched from courtrecords, unpublished documents,

Great decisions depend on judgment calls, but in a complicatedand fast-changing situation (like a modern business), no oneleader's knowledge and perspective is sufficient to make themwisely. Some decision-makers have found ways to tap the collectivejudgment of their people - and leaders of other groups can profitfrom them. What's the story behind great decisions? Isdecision-making the responsibility of one leader or should it reston the shoulders of the collective team? In "Judgment Calls",authors Tom Davenport and Brooke Manville share twelve stories oforganizations that have successfully tapped the diverseperspectives and deep knowledge of their people to build anorganizational decision-making capability - a competence they saycan make the difference between success and failure. We know greatdecisions depend on judgment calls; and in today's fast-movingworld, there's more pressure than ever to make quicker decisions tokeep the organization moving at the speed of business. But theknowledge of one pers

In 1984, The LittleKingdom told the story of Apple's first decade alongside thehistories of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Now Moritz revisits hisclassic biography in light of what Apple has become, offering forthe first time in paperback the only from the ground up account ofApple's early years.

Joyce Meyer is probably better equipped than anyone when itcomes to never giving up. She overcame an abused childhood, a badmarriage and extremely limited opportunities to become one of themost popular author/speakers in the world. Joyce Meyer Ministrieswas the first ministry in America to be headed by a woman, and it'sone of the largest in the world. If anyone knows how to hold on toa dream and realize it, it's her. Packed with examples of peoplewho pursued their goals relentlessly, the book profiles nearlyfifty individuals who prevailed against all odds. From the builderof the Brooklyn Bridge to the chemists who invented Post-It noteswe meet people like Bessie Coleman, an African-American who had togo to flight school in Paris in order to learn how to fly. But shedid, becoming the first woman in America to earn her pilot'slicense in 1920.

Michael Goldhaber, writing in Wired, said, "If there isnothing very special about your work, no matter how hard you applyyourself you won't get noticed and that increasingly means youwon't get paid much either. In times past you could be obscure yetsecure -- now that's much harder." Again: the white collar job as now configured is doomed. Soon.("Downsizing" in the nineties will look like small change.) Sowhat's the trick? There's only one: distinction. Or as we call it,turning yourself into a brand . . . Brand You. A brand is nothing more than a sign of distinction. Right? Nike.Starbucks. Martha Stewart. The point (again): that's not the waywe've thought about white collar workers--ourselves--over the pastcentury. The "bureaucrat" on the finance staff is de factofaceless, plugging away, passing papers. But now, in our view, she is born again, transformed frombureaucrat to the new star. She works in a professional servicefirm and works on projects that she'll be able to brag about yearsfrom now. I call

"[A]...breakthrough for the genre....Peters is not onlythe father of the postmodern corporation...he may well haveproduced the first piece of postmodern management literature."--LosAngeles Times "No matter where you are in your career, this book is a mustread. The younger your thinking the more you'll get out ofit." --The Cleveland Plain Dealer "A manual for businesses that want to survive and thrive in aworld continually undergoing change." --St. PetersburgTimes "Tom Peters has done it again."--J.W. Marriot, Jr., CEO, MarriotInternational, Inc. "[Peters] yields potent insights...his keen attention to thehuman element in organizational growth and change shinesthrough...No cutting-edge manager can afford to ignoreit."--Publishers Weekly -- Review