At Harvard, social acceptance and success with the opposite sex had to be applied for. In the absence of family money or innate charisma, misfit and maths prodigy Eduardo Saverin dreamed of joining one of Harvard's elite Final clubs. His best friend, painfully shy computer genius Mark Zuckerberg, turned instead to his natural talents, hacking into the university's computer system to create a rateable database of every female student on campus. Narrowly escaping expulsion after 80% of Harvarda's population voted in just two hours, crashing the entire computer system, Mark and Eduardo together refocused the site into something less controversial - The Facebook - which spread like a wildfire across campuses around the country. Within months hundreds of thousands of college kids had signed up. Suddenly Eduardo and Mark were getting nods not just from the female population, but from venture capitalists too. It was then, amidst the dizzying levels of cash and the promise of unbelievable power, that the first cracks

For the typical American homeowner, Great Houses on a Budget presents case studies from across the country that achieve high style at an affordable cost. Most homeowners can only fantasize about owning and living in beautiful dream homes designed by top architects -- houses that are well beyond the reach of average consumers. This splendidly illustrated volume promises to provide a reality check by presenting beautifully designed houses by the same architects, but with one exception. The houses in this book were designed and built for clients with high standards, as well as modest budgets. Fifteen in-depth case studies display the work of some of today's finest architects in locations ranging from California and Connecticut, to Virginia and Oregon. Each project includes lavish photography accompanied by detailed discussion of the economical construction techniques implemented in each house. With an in-depth look at square footage costs, design techniques, and low-cost building materials, Great Hou

A collection of classic and cutting-edge articles, and case studies provides a broad range of perspectives on affirmative action, career development for minorities and women, and other HR-related policies.

Managers working in today's organizations often focus more on results than on the people who achieve those results. But regularly evaluating the performance of your employees is critical to improving the efficiency and output of your organization. Performance reviews have changed significantly in the past few years. Companies today are looking for the key characteristics, known as competencies, that help the most successful people in their field to be so successful. Managers and employees need to focus on those competencies, especially during performance review discussions.

How can companies perform so well that their industry counterparts are competitors in name only? Although they operate in the same industry, serve the same market, and even use the same suppliers, these “rabbits” lead the race and, more importantly, continually widen their lead. In Chasing the Rabbit, Steven J. Spear describes what sets high-velocity, market-leading organizations apart and explains how you can lead the pack in your industry. Spear examines the internal operations of dominant organizations, including Toyota, Alcoa, Pratt & Whitney, the US Navy's Nuclear Power Program, and top-tier teaching hospitals--organizations operating in vastly differing industries, but which share one thing in common: the skillful management of complex internal systems that generates constant, almost automatic self-improvement at rates faster, durations longer, and breadths wider than anyone else musters. As a result, each enjoys a level of profitability, quality, efficiency, reliability, and agility unmatched

As running a corporate?or government or not-for-profit?enterprise becomes increasingly complicated, more sophisticated approaches are needed to implement strategy and measure performance. Purely financial evaluations of performance, for example, no longer suffice in a world where intangible assets?relationships and capabilities?increasingly determine the prospects for success. Kaplan, a Harvard Business School professor of accounting, and Norton, president of Renaissance Solutions, make a key contribution by describing and illustrating the balanced scorecard, a multidimensional approach to measuring corporate performance that incorporates both financial and non-financial factors. The concept of a balanced scorecard originated in a study group of 12 companies that met throughout 1990; since then, the authors have worked with several companies, including FMC Corporation, Brown & Root Energy Services, Mobil and CIGNA, to create scorecards and use them as a systematic means to implement new organizational strateg

When Hank Paulson, the former CEO of Goldman Sachs, was appointed in 2006 to become the nation's next Secretary of the Treasury, he knew that his move from Wall Street to Washington would be daunting and challenging. But Paulson had no idea that a year later, he would find himself at the very epicenter of the world's most cataclysmic financial crisis since the Great Depression. Major institutions including Bear Stearns, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers, AIG, Merrill Lynch, and Citigroup, among others-all steeped in rich, longstanding tradition-literally teetered at the edge of collapse. Panic ensnared international markets. Worst of all, the credit crisis spread to all parts of the U.S. economy and grew more ominous with each passing day, destroying jobs across America and undermining the financial security millions of families had spent their lifetimes building. This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime economic nightmare. Events no one had thought possible were happening in quick succession,

Occupying the broad middle ground between cutthroat competition and outright merger, a strategic alliance can be almost any collaborative arrangement by which companies share capital, technology, distribution networks, manufacturing facilities or a host of other resources. It's a vast and somewhat amorphous topic, but this wide-ranging collection of papers from the Harvard Business Review gives a coherent and useful introduction. The writers, academics and business executives, provide both conceptual clarity and practical insight into a variety of collaborative arrangements. Gary Hamel, Yves L. Doz and C.K. Prahalad explore the tension inherent in strategic alliances, with partners who are often competitors in the same industry trying to learn each other's secrets without revealing too many of their own. Ashish Nanda and Peter J.Williamson show how joint ventures can refurbish a troubled business unit and prepare it for a lucrative sale. Carlos Ghosn recounts the turnaround of ailing car maker Nissan thanks t

In today's fast-moving workplace, time has never had greater value--or been in shorter supply. Time Management provides you with the tools and techniques you need to make each minute count. Filled with workplace-tested strategies for either improving upon the systems you currently use or replacing them with methods that are proven to be more efficient and time-saving, this latest book in McGraw-Hill's renowned Briefcase Books series will provide you with: Strategies for matching the right time-saving tool to each situation Management techniques for recognizing and eliminating procrastination Methods for working toward team goals while still saying "NO!" to time wasting activities and ideas

This provocative book by a Japanese executive shows that the keys to business success in the West are the proven techniques of the Far East successful strategic planning and its conservative execution. Strategy in the classic military sense is deploying your forces to achieve a competitive advantage. Concentrating on the thought processes behind Japan's successful strategic thinking, this book describes what strategic thinking is and presents concepts and concrete examples for its application. Only by integrating the three C's in a strategic triangle Customer, Competitor, and Company can sustained competitive advantage exist. Business managers at all levels can benefit from this 'how to think about it' guide by developing profitable and creative strategies.

Book De*ion Here are money-making secets that can change your life. Inspiredby Andrew Carnegie's magic formula for success, this book willteach you the secrets that will bring you a fortune. It will showyou not only what to do but how to do it. Once you learn and applythe simple, basic techniques revealed here, you will have masteredthe secret of true and lasting success. And you may have whateveryou want in life.

Why are you doing what you're doing when you're doing it?” If you can account for one-hundred percent of time spent in the workplace, you're more organized than most people; if not, you need to rethink your day. Getting Organized at Work provides 24 proven tips, tools, and strategies that will help you analyze your use of time, root out inefficiencies, and change bad habits. Address the practical, realistic challenges inside and you'll soon see measurable differences in your productivity. This constructive, high-speed guide offers all the information you'll need to: Organize and prioritize the elements of your day Develop and use a master list to keep your mind clear and the work flowing Set realistic goals by anticipating unplanned, time-wasting obstacles Plan, schedule, and conduct meetings so you don't waste your-and everyone else's-precious time Convert your telephone and email inboxes from time-wasters into time-savers These simple tips will help you elimi

Discover how your net worth can be worth more "The Ten Roadsto Riches" takes an engaging and informative look at some ofAmerica's most famous (and infamous) modern-day millionaires (andbillionaires) and reveals how they found their fortunes.Surprisingly, the super-wealthy usually get there by taking justone of ten possible roads. And now, so can you Plenty of books tellyou how to be frugal and save, but "The Ten Roads to Riches" tellsyou how you can, realistically, get super-rich. Throughout thesepages, renowned investment expert and self-made billionaire KenFisher highlights amusing anecdotes of individuals who havetraveled (or tumbled) down each road, and tells you how to increaseyour chances of success. Whether it's starting a business, owningreal estate, investing wisely, or even marrying very, very well,Fisher will show how some got it right and others got it horriblywrong. Find out the right questions to ask when starting your ownbusiness-the richest road of all Learn what Mark Cuban, RupertMurdo

Another extraordinary business fable from the "New York Times"bestselling author Patrick LencioniWritten in the same dynamicstyle as his previous bestsellers including "The Five Dysfunctionsof a Team," Lencioni illustrates the principles of inspiring clientloyalty through a fascinating business fable. He explains thetheory of vulnerability in depth and presents concrete steps forputting it to work in any organization. The story follows a smallconsulting firm, Lighthouse Partners, which often beats outbig-name competitors for top clients. One such competitor buys outLighthouse and learns important lessons about what it means toprovide value to its clients. Offers a key resource for gainingcompetitive advantage in tough times Shows why the quality ofvulnerability is so important in business Includes ideas forinspiring customer and client loyalty Written by the highlysuccessful consultant and business writer Patrick LencioniThis newbook in the popular Lencioni series shows what it takes to gain areal and lastin

Trader Vic — Methods of a Wall Street Master Investmentstrategies from the man Barron’s calls "The Ultimate Wall StreetPro" "Victor Sperandeo is gifted with one of the finest minds Iknow. No wonder he’s compiled such an amazing record of success asa money manager. Every investor can benefit from the wisdom heoffers in his new book. Don’t miss it!" —Paul Tudor Jones TudorInvestment Corporation "Here’s a simple review in three steps: 1.Buy this book! 2. Read this book! 3. See step 2. For those whocan’t take a hint, Victor Sperandeo with T. Sullivan Brown haswritten a gem, a book of value for everyone in the markets, whetheregghead, novice or seasoned speculator." —John Sweeney TechnicalAnalysis of Stocks and Commodities "Get Trader Vic-Methods of aWall Street Master by Victor Sperandeo, read it over and over andyou’ll never have a losing year again." —Yale Hirsch Smart Money "Ihave followed Victor Sperandeo’s advice for ten years, and theresults have been outstanding. This book is a

“The stocks that generate the most spectacular return are small companies that become big companies. My objective is to identify and invest in what I call the stars of tomorrow—the fastest growing, most innovative companies in the world.” Michael Moe was one of the first research analysts to identify Starbucks as a huge opportunity following its IPO in 1992, when its market cap was $220 million. Today, its market cap is $23 billion. Lucky? Maybe a little. Art or science? Both. For more than fifteen years Moe has made great calls on many other stocks, earning a reputation as one of today’s most insightful market experts. Now, in his first book, Moe shows how winners like Dell, eBay, and Home Depot could have been spotted in their start-up phase and how you can find Wall Street’s future giants. He forecasts the areas with the greatest potential for growth, including peer-to- peer networking, nanotechnology, and alternative energy. And he explains his four Ps of future superstars: great pe

This book gathers together Peter Drucker's articles from Harvard Business Review and frames them with a thoughtful introduction from the Review's Editor Tom Stewart One of this century's most highly regarded students of management, Drucker has sought out, identified, and examined the most important issues confronting managers, from corporate strategy to management style to social change. Through his unique lens, this volume gives us the rare opportunity to trace the evolution of the great shifts in our workplaces, and to understand more clearly the role of managers. This book gathers together Drucker's articles from Harvard Business Review and frames them with a thoughtful introduction from the review's editor Thomas A. Stewart.

The number one guide to corporate valuation is back and betterthan ever Thoroughly revised and expanded to reflect business conditions intoday's volatile global economy, Valuation, Fifth Edition continuesthe tradition of its bestselling predecessors by providingup-to-date insights and practical advice on how to create, manage,and measure the value of an organization. Along with all new case studies that illustrate how valuationtechniques and principles are applied in real-world situations,this comprehensive guide has been updated to reflect newdevelopments in corporate finance, changes in accounting rules, andan enhanced global perspective. Valuation, Fifth Edition is filledwith expert guidance that managers at all levels, investors, andstudents can use to enhance their understanding of this importantdiscipline. * Contains strategies for multi-business valuation and valuationfor corporate restructuring, mergers, and acquisitions * Addresses how you can interpret the results of a

There’s never been a career guide like THE ADVENTURES OFJOHNNY BUNKO: THE LAST CAREER GUIDE YOU'LL EVER NEED . Told inmanga – the Japanese comic book format that’s an internationalsensation – it’s the fully illustrated story of a young Everymanjust out of college who lands his first job. Johnny Bunko is new to the Boggs Corp., and he stumbles through hisearly months as a working stiff until a crisis prompts him torethink his approach. Step by step he builds a career, illustratingas he does the six core lessons of finding, keeping, andflourishing in satisfying work. A groundbreaking guide to survivingand flourishing in any career, THE ADVENTURES OF JOHNNYBUNKO is smart, engaging and insightful, and offers practicaladvice for anyone looking for a life of rewarding work.

The financial crisis and ensuing recession permanently changedhow business is conducted. Executives and other decision makers,pressured to accomplish higher goals with lower budgets, aredemanding greater levels of accountability from their people. Andwhen it comes to investing in business processes, they wantquantifiable proof that any new initiative will contribute tosolving problems, serving customers, and improving thebusiness. The Real Value of Training gives you the tools not only to provethat your program will deliver solutions; it goes one step further,so you can explain exactly how much it will deliver. Presented bytraining ROI expert Ron Stone, The Real Value of Training offers an11-step process for qualitatively and quantitatively measuring thevalue of training. Stone's methodology brings ROI to a new level of scrutiny andcredibility by helping you successfully: Collect critical performance data Analyze results and adjust for causal influence and sustainedimpact Assign a monetary value to busin

Join forces to solve your toughest problems. If you need the best practices and ideas for putting headstogether··but don't have time to find them··this book is for you.Here are nine inspiring and useful perspectives, all in oneplace. This collection of HBR articles will help you: · Forge strong relationships up, down, and across the orgchart · Build collaborative teams · Know when not to collaborate · Pick the right type of collaboration for your business · Harness employees' informal knowledge sharing · Manage conflict wisely · Make smart trade·offs · Put social media technologies to work for your organization

With tips on eye contact, asserting oneself in uncomfortable situations, speaking directly, and giving constructive criticism, this is the essential guide to using the spoken word more effectively. Fast and actionable tools and strategies for improving critical management skills—culled from Harvard Business School Publishing’s respected newsletters Harvard Management Update and Harvard Management Communication Letter

Killing the Imposter God explores the complex religious and spiritual dimensions of the best-selling fantasy series. Donna Freitas and Jason King—scholars of religion and popular culture—reveal how humanity's moral and religious issues play out in Pullman’s literary phenomenon, showing that the trilogy—far from preaching atheism, as many have suggested—actually presents a vision of a universe permeated with divinity and rich with the Christian tradition Pullman himself so publicly rejects. Weaving together critical theory that spans the disciplines of theology, ethics, feminist studies, and philosophy, the authors examine the questions His Dark Materials raises about destruction and salvation, love and redemption, the abuse of power, and the divine—making the case that Pullman the self-professed atheist has created a Christian classic of our times.

With major financial scandals popping up in greaternumbers—and with more inevitably on the way—it has never been moreimportant for you to understand what dishonest companies do totrick investors. Since the early 1990s, FinancialShenanigans has been helping investors unearth deceptivefinancial reporting at the most critical time— before they suffermajor losses. Now, the third edition broadens its focus to include thenewest, most sophisticated techniques companies use to misleadinvestors.