The story of the men, ideas and organizations thatrevolutionized how we understand business. Imagine, if you can, theworld of business without corporate strategy. Remarkably, fiftyyears ago that's the way it was. Businesses made plans, certainly,but without understanding the underlying dynamics of competition,costs, and customers. It was like trying to design a large-scaleengineering project without knowing the laws of physics. But in the1960s, four mavericks and their posses created instigated aprofound shift in thinking that turbocharged business as neverbefore, with implications far beyond what even they imagined. InThe Lords of Strategy, renowned business journalist and editorWalter Kiechel tells, for the first time, the story of the four menwho invented corporate strategy as we know it and set in motion themodern, multibillion-dollar consulting industry: Bruce Henderson,founder of Boston Consulting Group Bill Bain, creator of Bain Company Fred Gluck, longtime Managing Director of McKinsey Compan

Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus were both fired in 1978 bycorporate raider Sandy Sigiloff. Blank, a CPA, and Marcus, anex-pharmacist, were devastated. Bernie, heartbroken and virtuallybroke, fell into a deep funk. Arthur considered becoming a privateCPA. Both thought a former associate was crazy when he told them:"You've just been hit in the ass by a golden horseshoe". They proved him right. Blank and Marcus both recovered from theirprofessional downturn to found The Home Depot, a phenomenallysuccessful business with 1,000 locations, 200,000 employees, and$30 billion in sales. The Home Depot story is one of the greatentrepreneurial tales of the last twenty years -- how incrediblydetermined and creative people built a business empire fromnothing. It's an inspirational tale of two people who had to begfor capital to begin and grow their business but never forgot theirprinciples. The Home Depot today is one of America's toughest, mostgrowth-oriented companies, but one with a huge sense ofrespon

Based on a five-year, 7,000-company study The vast majority of small businesses stay small–and not bychoice. Only the most savvy and persistent–a tiny one tenth of onepercent–break through to the very highest ranks. In TheBreakthrough Company, technology CEO and Fortune 500 consultantKeith McFarland draws upon an extensive empirical study to revealexactly how everyday companies become extraordinary, showing thatbreakthrough success is associated with a clearly identifiable setof strategies and skills that anyone in any business canemulate–from small startup to industry leader. With powerful and specific action steps concluding eachchapter–and invaluable advice on virtually every page from businessleaders who’ve taken their companies to extraordinary levels ofgrowth and profitability–The Breakthrough Company is stuffed withreal-world tools and myth-busting insights that can be used byanyone wanting his or her business to join this exclusivecircle. “Think Good to Great f

Practical ideas from the best brains in Business A sharp, jargon-free guide to the core curriculum of an MBAprogram, MBA in a Book shows how to master the big ideas ofbusiness and use them in a practical way to build and enhancecareer success. “In the world of business, ideas matter. . . . Some of the sharpestminds in the business world give perceptive looks into innovation,marketing, finance, strategy, and leadership, providingstimulating, useful perspectives on these core topics.” —Larry Bossidy, retired chairman and CEO of Honeywell Internationaland coauthor of Execution: The Discipline of Getting ThingsDone Great business thinkers such as Michael Porter, Rosabeth Kanter,and Bill George of Harvard Business School; Paul Argenti of theTuck School at Dartmouth; Jeffrey Sonnenfeld of Yale; Peter Sengeof MIT; the entrepreneur and inventor Dean Kamen; and the financialinnovator Michael Milken are just a few of the best brains inbusiness, providing the intellectual nourishment that will help youplay

The degree to which markets incorporate information is one ofthe most important questions facing economists today. This bookprovides a fascinating study of the existence and extent ofinformation efficiency in financial markets, with a special focuson betting markets. Betting markets are selected for study becausethey incorporate features highly appropriate to a study ofinformation efficiency, in particular the fact that each bet has awell-defined end point at which its value becomes certain. Usinginternational examples, this book reviews and analyses the issue ofinformation efficiency in both financial and betting markets. PartI is an extensive survey of the existing literature, while Part IIpresents a range of readings by leading academics. Insights gainedfrom the book will interest students of financial economics,financial market analysts, mathematicians and statisticians, andall those with a special interest in finance or gambling.

Robert E. Lee was a leader for the ages. The man heralded byWinston Churchill as "one of the noblest Americans who ever lived"inspired an out-manned, out-gunned army to achieve greatness on thebattlefield. He was a brilliant strategist and a man of unyieldingcourage who, in the face of insurmountable odds, nearly changedforever the course of history. "A masterpiece—the best work of its kind I have ever read.Crocker's Lee is a Lee for all leaders to study; and to work, quitedeliberatelya, to emulate." — Major General Josiah Bunting III,superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute In this remarkable book, you'll learn the keys to Lee's greatnessas a man and a leader. You'll find a general whose standards forpersonal excellence was second to none, whose leadership wasfounded on the highest moral principles, and whose character wasmade of steel. You'll see how he remade a rag-tag bunch of men intoone of the most impressive fighting forces history has ever known.You'll also discover oth

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

In the On-the-Fly Guide to Balancing Work and Life ,Bill Butterworth brings his trusted brand of motivation to an issuethat affects us all, no matter what our jobs or where we stand onthe corporate ladder. As this charming little book makes clear, it is possibleto have it all: success at work and a fulfilling life outside theoffice. Designed to be read in one short plane ride—or over a hotcup of coffee or two—this book is the “Cliff’s Notes” for ahappier, more well-rounded life. Filled with stories about howsuccessful people from all walks of life have integrated their workand home lives and packed with advice on how you can learn to dothe same, the On-the-Fly Guide to Balancing Work and Life will change the way you work—and, more importantly, the way youlive. There’s no telling what you’ll learn when you read on thefly.

From America’s most authoritative source: the quintessentialprimer on understanding and managing your money Money courses through just about every corner of our lives andhas an impact on the way we live today and how we’ll be able tolive in the future. Understanding your money, and getting it towork for you, has never been more important than it is today, asmore and more of us are called upon to manage every aspect of ourfinancial lives, from managing day-to-day living expenses toplanning a college savings fund and, ultimately, retirement. FromThe Wall Street Journal, the most trusted name in financial andmoney matters, this indispensable book takes the mystery out ofpersonal finance. Start with the basics, learn how they work, andyou’ll become a better steward of your own money, today and in thefuture. Consider The Wall Street Journal Complete Personal FinanceGuidebook your cheat sheet to the finances of your life. This bookwill help you: ? Understand the nuts and bolts

Leadership is the most crucial choice one can make—it is thedecision to step out of darkness into the light. Bestselling author and spiritual guide Deepak Chopra invites youto become the kind of leader most needed today: a leader withvision who can make that vision real. Chopra has been teachingleadership to CEOs and other top executives for eight years, andthe path outlined in The Soul of Leadership applies to anybusiness, but the same principles are relevant in every communityand area of life, from family and home to school, place of worship,and neighborhood. “At the deepest level,” Chopra writes, “a leaderis the symbolic soul of a group.” With clear, practical steps, you are led through the crucialskills outlined in the acronym L-E-A-D-E-R-S: L = Look and Listen E = Emotional Bonding A = Awareness D = Doing E = Empowerment R = Responsibility S = Synchronicity After identifying your own soul profile and the core values youwant to d

Seventy percent of all IT projects fail—and scores of bookshave attempted to help firms measure and manage IT systems andprocesses better in order to turn this figure around In this book,IT experts Peter D. Weill and Jeanne W. Ross argue that the realreason IT fails to deliver value is that companies have no formalsystem in place for guiding and monitoring IT decisions. Theirresearch shows that firms with explicit IT governance systems havetwice the profit of firms with poor governance, given the samestrategic objectives. Just as corporate governance systems aim toensure quality decisions about corporate assets, the authors show,companies need IT governance systems to ensure that IT investmentsare made wisely and effectively.

Over the last few years, books on strategic alliances havebeen in vogue -- especially ones that claim that the new economyhas overturned many old rules about self-sufficiency andcompetition. That's because the new economy rewards speed andspecialization. Yet a more narrow focus on so-called corecompetencies creates gaps in your operation -- gaps that need to befilled by other organizations. Some books, most notably Co-opetition, have gone so far as torecommend cooperative relationships between traditional businessrivals. No doubt, there are some who will appreciate the logicbehind the theory but still balk at the actual practice -- as wellas those who simply prefer the tried and true crush-the-enemyapproach. But no matter where you stand on the cooperate-conquer continuum,two new books show you how to forge cooperative relationships withparties that have no interest in stealing market share -- nonprofitorganizations. Corporations can simultaneously enhance theirreputations and their bottom

From two leaders in executive education at Harvard BusinessSchool, here are the mental habits and proven strategies you needto achieve outstanding results in any negotiation. Whether you’ve “seen it all” or are just starting out,Negotiation Genius will dramatically improve your negotiatingskills and confidence. Drawing on decades of behavioral researchplus the experience of thousands of business clients, the authorstake the mystery out of preparing for and executingnegotiations—whether they involve multimillion-dollar deals orimproving your next salary offer. What sets negotiation geniuses apart? They are the men andwomen who know how to: ?Identify negotiation opportunities where others see noroom for discussion ?Discover the truth even when the other side wants toconceal it ?Negotiate successfully from a position of weakness ?Defuse threats, ultimatums, lies, and other hardballtactics ?Overcome resistance and “sell” proposals using proveninfluence tactics

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

"This is not another 'how to start your own business' book,but rather one man's struggle to find meaning and fulfillment inwork, latching onto elephants when needed, but mostly flying solowithout a net." -Booklist Social philosopher and international business guru, CharlesHandy provides a firsthand account of how we got here and where weare headed. Handy takes us on his life's journey, looking back tosuch topics as his childhood and education and how they prepared(or, rather, did not prepare) him for a career in business; thechanging nature of organizational life within the context of theold economy and the new; the great variety of capitalism around theworld; and, through it all, his struggle to find meaning andfulfillment in work. This book is both a poignant personal memoirand a deep reflection on the past and future of world capitalism,with all its possibilities and pitfalls.

New managers must learn how to lead others rather than do thework themselves, to win trust and respect, to motivate, and tostrike the right balance between delegation and control. It is atransition many fail to make. This book traces the experiences ofnineteen new managers over the course of their first year in amanagerial capacity. Reveals the complexity of the transition andanalyzes the expectations of the managers, their subordinates, andtheir superiors. New managers describe how they reframed theirunderstanding of their roles and responsibilities, how they learnedto build effective work relationships, how and when they usedindividual and organizational resources, and how they learned tocope with the inevitable stresses of the transformation. Theydescribe what it was like to take on a new identity. Two themesemerge: first the transition from individual contributor to manageris a profound psychological adjustment--a transformation; second,the process of becoming a manager is primarily one of learning

YaYa CEO Ferrazzi works with "Inc." writer Raz to explain theguiding principles he has mastered over a lifetime of reaching outto explain what it takes to build the kind of lasting, mutuallybeneficial relationships that lead to professional and personalsuccess.

One of the most popular and respected style guides ever written,this handbook by a seasoned writer with more than forty years ofexperience offers ten principles and seven axioms that professionalwriters use to express their thoughts clearly and effectively. Thislatest edition is expanded to include an extensive glossary ofAmerican idiomatic expressions, developed to assist users fromother backgrounds and cultures; new chapters with tips onlittle-known facts of usage, such as compound words, hyphenation,numeration, and capitalization; and explanations of technicalproblems encountered in writing and editing with tips and exercisesto help solve them. For anyone faced with the challenges of writtenEnglish, Writing with Precision can help readers write moreclearly, more effectively, and more precisely than they everhave. Previous editions of Writing with Precision have beenselected by the Writer's Digest , McMillan , Fortune , and Reader's Digest book clubs.

There are approximately 35 million business to business salesreps in the country selling everything from books and computers tofurniture and floor-ing. They know as well as anyone that sellingto other businesses is not the same as selling to consumers.Businesses have different budgets, needs, de-mands, andexpectations from those of general consumers. That means anentirely different skill set is required of business to businesssales reps.〕 How to Say It: Business to Business Selling is the only book ofits kind that caters exclusively to business to business salesprofessionals. Its short chapters pro-vide tips and strategiestailored especially for the unique business to business sellingprocess.

The New Manager’s Guide and Mentor The Harvard BusinessEssentials series is designed to provide comprehensive advice,personal coaching, background information, and guidance on the mostrelevant topics in business. Whether you are a new manager seekingto expand your skills or a seasoned professional looking to broadenyour knowledge base, these solution-oriented books put reliableanswers at your fingertips. Today’s competitive workplace demandsthat managers evaluate employee performance, and provide coaching.This book will help managers prepare for a formal performancemeeting with a direct report, and create a development plan toincrease employee productivity.

“I’ve got the name for our publishing operation. We justsaid we were going to publish a few books on the side at random.Let’s call it Random House.” So recounts Bennett Cerf in thiswonderfully amusing memoir of the making of a great publishinghouse. An incomparable raconteur, possessed of an irrepressible witand an abiding love of books and authors, Cerf brilliantly evokesthe heady 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

From Publishers Weekly Rather than write a book strictly about the rise of Google as abusiness, technology journalist Battelle targets his research onthe concept of Internet search, beginning the book with adiscussion of an abstract idea he terms the "Database ofIntentions," defined as the sum total of all queries that pour intosearch engines daily, revealing the intricacies and idiosyncrasiesof our culture. Though most of the book is devoted to the searchengine giant (which Battelle reports corners 51 percent of thesearch engine market), the author also includes chapters on"Search, Before Google" and the "Who, What, Where, Why, When. AndHow (much)" of search. Battelle is at his best when describing thecreation of Google, especially through the yin-yang personalitiesof its founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and in describing thecompany's culture. Though Battelle's de*ions of Internetsearch technology can get too technical for readers without acomputer science background, the book is a deeply r

In this dot.com age, more and more people are striking out on their own to create the businesses they always dreamed of having. But starting a company can feel like an overwhelming amount of work: juggling multiple tasks, keeping track of expenditures, finding customers and keeping them happy. Now Ronni Eisenberg, a nationally recognized time management and organization expert and author of the enormously successful Organize! series, can help with an easy-to-follow plan that makes starting a business seem less like a venture, and more like an adventure. Organize Your Start-UP!will show you ·How to take an organized approach to financing and struturing a business ·The whys and wherefores of location ·What to do about money ·How to promote your business