December « 2008 « 800 CEO Read

December 23, 2008

First Alternate for Business Book of the Year

Filed under: Book Awards,Jack Covert Selects — Todd Sattersten @ 4:35 pm

We have been a big fan of Dan Roam and his book The Back of The Napkin. We wrote the Jack Covert Selects review in March. That same month, we published the lost chapter on ChangeThis. Dan Roam spoke at our LeaveSmarter series in Milwaukee. We also published an excerpt from the book with pictures and all.

In announcing the winners of the 800-CEO-READ Business Book Awards last week, The Back of the Napkin was absent from any of the lists and this omission has been on my mind.

In looking back at all of the selections, was BotN a sales book? Did the title improve the abilities of a leader? Did the book help you look at the world differently? The answer to all of these questions is ‘yes’. And that is the problem. Roam’s book didn’t fit squarely into any of our categories. I guess I am saying it was a victim of the system. We didn’t know where to put it and The Back of The Napkin fell through the cracks.

I think that is pretty lame though, blaming a glaring, problematic oversight on a arbitrary set of rules.

This left me with the problem of what to do about it.

Since we are not a company or awards program built on formalities, I decided to make something up.

So, I hereby declare The Back of The Napkin by Dan Roam the First Alternate for Business Book of The Year.

This title carries with it certain (just created) honors and responsibilities:

This is a very important book that should be read by everyone who participates in any form of commerce.
This title shares a similar level of importance to the 13 other category winners.
800-CEO-READ reserves the right to name or not name a First Alternate in the following years of the Business Book Awards
If at any point, should the Business Book of The Year not be able to perform its duties as titleholder, the First Alternate will take its place with all rights and responsibilities of the top title.

P.S. If you are wondering at all about the sincerity of this post, understand that we are poking fun at ourselves rather than the book and we totally want you to read The Back of the Napkin.

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InBubbleWrap – To Engineer is Human

Filed under: InBubbleWrap — dylan @ 9:29 am

We’re keeping it is real as we can over on InBubbleWrap, giving away books, sharing some stories, giving away books, trying to make you laugh and cry and fall in love with us… giving away books. This week we have 25 copies of To Engineer is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design.
Being an engineer, it is one of Todd’s personal favorites from The 100 Best Business Books of All Time. And, although it’s focus is on engineering, it’s lessons are directly applicable to business. Todd explains how in the video below. After you watch the video, head on over to InBubbleWrap and win yourself a copy.

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December 22, 2008

Excerpt from Boreout by Philippe Rothlin and Peter R. Werder

Filed under: Careers,Human Resources/Organizational Development — 800-CEO-READ @ 11:37 am

The following short excerpt is taken from Chapter 10 of Boreout: Overcoming Workplace Demotivation by Philippe Rothlin and Peter R. Werder. In Boreout, Rothlin and Werder describe the chronic boredom and demotivation that exists in an estimated 15% of office staff, employees who are “underchallenged, uninterested, and spend hours each day simulating work. These employees have given up and become resigned to their situation, suffering what is effectively the opposite of office burnout.”

Chapter 10 challenges readers to think about what is personally meaningful to them when it comes to their work lives.
CHAPTER 10
WE SEEK MEANING
Why exactly do we work? The off-the-cuff answer tends to be: because we have to, because we need money to live. It is primarily about purely ensuring one’s existence and basic material needs.
Because we have to live, and because our standard of living is directly connected with money, we often ascribe too much weight to it. If the money is right, the job is right. We will put up with a lot in exchange for a good salary. Hence we often take on jobs that we don’t in the least want to do. Not a very original conclusion, to be sure, but it is the truth nonetheless. Yet ask yourself: would the many employees in such situations stop working if they no longer had to because their basic needs were met — because they are simply rich? With respect, this is barely conceivable. In such a case, what would they do all day? Sit by the pool, go on a trip to the mountains or the Caribbean every so often and fill their stomachs like the lotus-eaters? Perhaps that would work for a short while, in the same way that a bit of boredom in the workplace for a short time has its attraction.
But, and this goes for the lotus-eaters too, you can have too much of a good thing. If we won the lottery, it would probably not be long before we were looking for something to do: maybe helping the couple next door to renovate their house, or maybe working for a charity or going back to college to develop our own ideas about some area of interest.
It is in cases of catastrophe that we see most starkly just how meaningful work can be: people help each other out in times of floods, landslides and earthquakes. Lives are saved, the sick cared for, emergency supplies shared out, money donated. Boreout is unthinkable in such situations. Or can you imagine people from the fire brigade or health workers turning their backs on the crisis and just lazing around?
So if we did not have to work because our material needs were covered, we would do so nonetheless. Our criteria for choosing what to do would, however, be different in this case: we could choose freely without having to consider the financial aspect. We would do what seems meaningful to us: what we like doing, what we find fun, something that we feel at ease with and identify with. The criteria would be the meanings we find in the work.
It is therefore not about having no work at all instead of an unloved job, but rather about meaningful work: something that provides us with satisfaction and recognition. It is through recognition that we find the meaning of what we do, because recognition gives us the feeling that we are real and that what we do is valued. When people praise us in our work, they recognize us. Whether in catastrophic situations or in everyday life, that gives us a meaning that is tangible and can be experienced.
The first element of qualitative pay is therefore meaning, for we must find it in our activities. If you do that you will find it easier to identify with your work, perhaps even find it fun. It is a question of looking for the meaning in what you do, or changing the basic conditions so that the meaning becomes clearer. This meaning is not simply present in the work; it exists in the relationship between work and worker. It must be discovered: by the bank clerk who develops strategies to make the business more profitable; by the police officer who wants to protect society from criminals; and by the doctor who helps the sick.
The point is this: what is meaningful for one person can be absolutely meaningless for another.
Think about whether your job at the moment is personally meaningful for you, about whether your work really interests you. First we must look at this idea we call ‘interest’. Interest enables us to recognize the meaning of our activity very quickly for ourselves. The question ‘Does my job really interest me?’ is often suppressed, wrongly. For if interest in work is not present, then in all probability working days will become torment. Qualitative pay turns out to be higher if you are working at something that really interests you. For then you will spend your working time in satisfying ways.

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Are Prisons Smarter Than Your Company?

Filed under: Leadership — Jon8cr @ 11:32 am

Last week, a very large Department of Corrections facility on the West coast purchased bulk copies of the book The Offsite by Robert Thompson. This parable addresses the leadership challenge, and what a challenge this must be at such an organization. However, sharing a vision, encouraging that in others, and enabling them to accomplish goals, is something we all share.
Each company has differing levels of workplace challenges, and I thought it was enlightening to find this particular customer focused on making a positive change in their organization. Though I’m partial to parables, this book is a great tool to engage any group.

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December 19, 2008

The tREADmill

Filed under: Information Technology — dylan @ 6:07 pm

Yesterday, Carolyn Kellogg of the LA Times book blog Jacket Copy introduced us to an eBook reader idea I can get behind.

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Galbraith v. Friedman

Filed under: Finance and Economics — dylan @ 3:30 pm

Barry Gewen of Paper Cuts (NYT book blog) had a very interesting post on the intellectual stock of John Kenneth Galbraith versus that of Milton Friedman on Wednesday. These two heavyweights of 20th century economics largely built the intellectual framework we hang our current discussions of macroeconomics on. Mr. Gewen’s advice on the two giants’ current stock? “Buy Galbraith.”
Judging by the number of folks I’ve recently seen recommending Galbraith’s book The Great Crash: 1929, I’d tend to agree. But, not all Paper Cuts readers do, and the conversation in the post’s comments section is quite lively. You can add to the discussion here.
Books by John Kenneth Galbraith: The New Industrial State | A Short History of Financial Euphoria | The Affluent Society
Milton Friedman wrote: Money Mischief: Episodes in Monetary History | Essays in Positive Economics | Capitalism and Freedom

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An Independent Bookseller Picks Five

Filed under: Uncategorized — dylan @ 9:00 am

R.J. Julia Booksellers Founder Roxanne J. Coady has noticed an increase of customers coming into the store looking for business books, most asking for books that explain the economic crisis and put it in context. She has picked four books from the year and one oldie but goody to do just that. They are:

The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder, Bantam

The Art of Strategy: A Game Theorist’s Guide to Success in Business and Life by Avinash K. Dixit & Barry J. Nalebuff, W.W. Norton
Panic!: The Story of Modern Financial Insanity edited By Michael Lewis, Portfolio
The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World by Niall Ferguson, Penguin Press
The Great Crash: 1929 by John Kenneth Galbraith, Mariner Books

If you’d like to see what she has to say for the books, head over to the original post. If you’re anywhere near Madison, Connecticut, head over to her store and buy one of these fine books. If you live near us here in Milwaukee, you can get them at the finest independent bookstore in town, our sister-company Harry W. Schwartz.

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December 18, 2008

Matt Mason Named Year's Best Pirate

Filed under: Uncategorized — dylan @ 3:17 pm

BusinessWeek‘s Best and Worst of Everything 2008 has named Pirate’s Dilemma author Matt Mason the best pirate of 2008, writing:

Journalist Matt Mason’s totemic book explores the issues faced by struggling musicians and chief executive officers alike. In a culture of pervasive sampling and remixing, how are notions of ownership and copyright evolving? Pirates, Mason argues persuasively, break old rules to establish new innovations.

The worst Pirate of the year? Waaiiit for it… Real Pirates! Oh, BusinessWeek.

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Holiday Book Recommendations From Our Staff

Filed under: Book Reviews — dylan @ 9:30 am

Still doing some last minute shopping, scrambling to find the right gift for that special (or even not-so-special) someone? The staff of 8cr has your back. Here are some recommendations, without the usual business book filter, from the brilliant minds sitting around me here in the nerve center of 800-CEO-READ. There’s something here for everyone, even the illiterate (picture and pop-up books):
ART BOOKS

The Oxford Project by Peter Feldstein (Photographer) & Stephen G. Bloom, Welcome Books
In 1984, photographer Peter Feldstein set out to photograph every single resident of his town, Oxford, Iowa. In 2004, Feldstein decided to do it again and invited writer Stephen Bloom to join him. Together they went in search of the same Oxford residents Feldstein had originally shot two decades earlier.

American Farmer: The Heart of Our Country by Paul Mobley (Photographer) & Katrina Fried, Welcome Books
When photographer Paul Mobley set out to capture the soul of America’s farming communities, he discovered a culture defined by tradition, integrity, and hard work. The result is a stunning series of portraits and quotes that collectively chronicle the life of a quickly disappearing lifestyle.
Who We Were: A Snapshot History of America by Michael Williams, Richard Cahan & Nicholas Osborn, Cityfiles Press
Since the first snapshots were taken in 1888, Americans have used simple, inexpensive cameras to record their life stories. In the process, they have left behind millions of snapshots that document the story of America. Now, for the first time, these personal photographs have been gathered together to tell the nation’s history.
The Chicagoan: A Lost Magazine of the Jazz Age by Neil Harris, University Of Chicago Press
Uncovering a Chicago counterpart to The New Yorker, noted historian Harris presents the Second City’s magazine’s lavish full-color segments, from covers, cartoons, and editorials to reviews, features–and even one issue reprinted in its entirety.
Big Box Reuse by Julia Christensen, MIT Press
What happens to the landscape, to community, and to the population when vacated big box stores are turned into community centers, churches, schools, and libraries?

ANTHOLOGY

State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America edited by Sean Wilsey & Matt Weiland, Ecco
From the bestselling editors of The Thinking Fan’s Guide to the World Cup comes an American road trip in book form: original writing on all 50 states by 50 of America’s finest novelists, journalists, and essayists.

The Paris Review Interviews, Volume III edited by Philip Gourevitch, Picador
This critically acclaimed series continues with another eclectic lineup, including Raymond Carver, Norman Mailer, and Joyce Carol Oates.
(Volume II, Volume I)

COOKING

How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman, Wiley (10th Anniversary)
Ten years after the first edition, this complete revision features more than 50 new recipes, fully updated to reflect contemporary eating habits, and presented in a navigable, user-friendly layout.

Paley’s Place Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from the Pacific Northwest
by Robert Reynolds, Vitaly Paley & Kimberly Paley, Ten Speed Press
Vitaly Paley brings French training and international influences to bear on his unquenchable passion for the local foodstuffs of his adopted Oregon. Stories of the farmers, fishers, and foragers that supply Paley with ingredients showcase the region’s culinary riches.

HUMOR

The Book of Idle Pleasures by Dan Kieran & Tom Hodgkinson, Ebury Press
As an antidote to our non-stop culture, this book lists and reflects on 75 simple pastimes and proves that the best things in life are free: skimming stones, catching falling leaves, whittling, staring out of the window, dreaming, doodling or taking a nap.

More Information than You Require by John Hodgman, Dutton
The bestselling author of The Areas of My Expertise, who is also the Resident Expert on The Daily Show, compiles incredibly handy made-up facts into brief articles, overlong lists, frighteningly complex charts, and beguiling narratives on new and familiar themes.

Stuff White People Like: A Definitive Guide to the Unique Taste of Millions by Christian Lander, Random House
The Preppy Handbook meets PostSecret, in this cultural manifesto for a new generation. Lander and his blog stuffwhitepeoplelike.com have already been profiled by NPR and The Los Angeles Times, adding to the success of the Internet phenomenon.

CHILDREN

Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis, Scholastic Press
Its 1860, and 11-year-old Elijah is a first-generation freeborn child. His Canadian town of Buxton serves as a haven for runaway slaves. When the towns corrupt preacher steals money from a citizen whos been saving to buy his familys freedom, Elijah sets off for America in pursuit, in this powerful new novel by a Newbery Medalist.

ABC3D by Marion Bataille, Roaring Brook Press
A work of art as much as it is a pop-up book, this boldly conceived and brilliantly executed pop-up book features a striking black, red, and white palette.

TRUE STORIES

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter, Grand Central Publishing
The charming story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of Spencer, Iowa, starts in the worst possible way. Only a few weeks old, on the coldest night of the year, he was stuffed into the returned book slot at the library. For the next 19 years, he never stopped charming the people of Spencer with his enthusiasm, warmth, humility, and, above all, his sixth sense about who needed him most.
Riding the Hulahula to the Arctic Ocean by Don Mankin & Shannon Stowell, National Geographic
This work offers dozens of travel options with the mature traveler in mind. Both an inspiring collection of experiences and a practical how-to guide, “Riding the Hulahula to the Arctic Ocean” details 50 of the world’s best adventures for the over-40 crowd.

Anything Goes by John Barrowman, Michael O’Mara Books
From his Glaswegian childhood and American adolescence to his starring role in the” Doctor Who” spinoff “Torchwood,” this memoir traces the life and career of actor John Barrowman.
Inside Inside by James Lipton, New American Library, $15.00, Paperback
An intimate portrait of the award-winning TV show “Inside the Actor’s Studio” as well as the show’s founder and host, this book offers a unique glimpse into a star-bedecked world.

NOVELS

Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
At the heart of this vibrant saga is a vast ship, the “Ibis,” whose destiny is a tumultuous voyage across the Indian Ocean, and whose purpose is to fight China’s vicious 19th-century Opium Wars. This adventure spans landscapes from the lush poppy fields of the Ganges to the exotic backstreets of Canton.

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri, Knopf
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Lahiri delivers eight dazzling stories that take readers from Cambridge and Seattle to India and Thailand as they explore the secrets at the heart of family life.
2666 by Roberto Bolano, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Composed in the last years of Roberto Bolano’s life, “2666 “was greeted across Europe and Latin America as his highest achievement, surpassing even his previous work in its strangeness, beauty, and scope. Its throng of unforgettable characters includes academics and convicts, an American sportswriter, an elusive German novelist, and a teenage student and her widowed, mentally unstable father. Their lives intersect in the urban sprawl of SantaTeresa–a fictional Juarez–on the U.S.-Mexico border, where hundreds of young factory workers, in the novel as in life, have disappeared.
Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier, Grove Press
Did you know that less than 3% of books published in other languages are ever translated into English? Think of how much we miss out on! Night Train to Lisbon is one of those break-through books. A Swiss professor of dead languages living a largely sheltered life experiences a startling encounter with a Portuguese woman, which sets off a series of events that take him to Lisbon. Along the way, an amazing little book captures his attention and leads his journey into one of mystery and self-reflection.

City of Refuge by Tom Piazza, Harper
From the award-winning novelist and author of Why New Orleans Matters comes a breathtaking novel of two families, one white and one black, whose lives are torn apart by Hurricane Katrina, and then pieced back together again in ways they couldn’t have imagined.

City of Thieves by David Benioff, Viking
During the siege of Leningrad, two Russian soldiers are sent on a seemingly impossible mission to find a dozen eggs for a high-ranking officer. This suspenseful story explores the brightest and darkest corners of the human spirit while taking readers on a bitter-cold, dangerous walk through the landscape of war-torn Russia.

Arctic Drift: A Dirk Pitt Novel by Clive Cussler & Dirk Cussler, Putnam
Cussler’s dazzling Dirk Pitt novels keep the action zipping along until a final powerhouse showdown (“Entertainment Weekly”), and this 20th work in the series doesn’t disappoint. Filled with breathtaking suspense and audacious imagination, “Arctic Drift” is a tour de force of adventure writing.
Breaking Dawn by Stepanie Miller, Book Four of The Twilight Collection
Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Stephenie Meyers novels Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse capture the struggle between defying instincts and satisfying desires. This gorgeous hardcover boxed set makes the perfect gift for fans of this “New York Times” bestselling series of vampire love.

The Outlander by Gil Adamson, Ecco
“Adamson’s debut work is simply enough, a superb novel. . . . The frayed material of the North American west is rendered in an astoundingly fresh light. . . . a condition only occasioned by first rate fiction.” –Jim Harrison

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December 17, 2008

Feeling Down?

Filed under: Uncategorized — dylan @ 4:48 pm

Let Charlie Rose and Competitive Advantage author Michael Porter cheer you up some. As Charlie notes at the beginning of the interview, The Times of London has called Porter the “Most important business thinker in the world.” Also mentioned in the interview is his feature article for BusinessWeek last month, Why America Needs an Economic Strategy. (Video runs 25 minutes.)

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