Books

Brief Summary Power, Inc.The Epic Rivalry between Big Business and Government- —and the Reckoning That Lies Ahead. The world's largest company, Wal-Mart Stores, has revenues higher than the GDP of all but twenty-five of the world's countries. Its employees outnumber the populations of almost a hundred nations. The world's largest asset manager, a secretive New York company called Black Rock, controls assets greater than the national reserves of any country on the planet. A private philanthropy, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, spends as much worldwide on health care as the World Health Organization. The rise of private power may be the most important and least understood trend of our time. David Rothkopf provides a fresh, timely look at how we have reached a point where thousands of companies have greater power than all but a handful of states. Beginning with the story of an inquisitive Swedish goat wandering off from his master and inadvertently triggering the birth of the oldest company still in existence, Power, Inc. follows the rise and fall of kings and empires, the making of great fortunes, and the chaos of bloody revolutions. A fast-paced tale in which champions of liberty are revealed to be paid pamphleteers of moneyed interests and greedy scoundrels trigger changes that lift billions from deprivation, Power, Inc.traces the bruising jockeying for influence right up to today's financial crises, growing inequality, broken international system, and battles over the proper role of government and markets. Rothkopf argues that these recent developments, coupled with the rise of powers like China and India, may not lead to the triumph of American capitalism that was celebrated just a few years ago. Instead, he considers an unexpected scenario, a contest among competing capitalisms offering different visions for how the world should work, a global ideological struggle in which European and Asian models may have advantages. An important look at the power struggle that is defining our times, Power, Inc. also offers critical insights into how to navigate the tumultuous years ahead. ISBN:9780374151287 Author:David Rothkopf

Brief Summary Seven business innovators and the empires they built. The pre-eminent business historian of our time, Richard S. Tedlow, examines seven great CEOs who successfully managed cutting-edge technology and formed enduring corporate empires. With the depth and clarity of a master, Tedlow illuminates the minds, lives and strategies behind the legendary successes of our times: • George Eastman and his invention of the Kodak camera; • Thomas Watson of IBM; • Henry Ford and his automobile; • Charles Revson and his use of television advertising to drive massive sales for Revlon; • Robert N. Noyce, co-inventor of the integrated circuit and founder of Intel; • Andrew Carnegie and his steel empire; • Sam Walton and his unprecedented retail machine, Wal-Mart. ISBN:9780066620367 Author:Richard S. Tedlow

Brief Summary The Effective Executive in Action: A Journal for Getting the Right Things Done. The Effective Executive in Action is a journal based on Peter F. Drucker's classic and preeminent work on management and effectiveness -- The Effective Executive. Here Drucker and Maciariello provide executives, managers, and knowledge workers with a guide to effective action -- the central theme of Drucker's work. The authors take more than one hundred readings from Drucker's classic work, update them, and provide provocative questions to ponder and actions to take in order to improve your own work. Also included in this journal is a space for you to record your thoughts for later review and reflection. The Effective Executive in Action will teach you how to be a better leader and how to lead according to the five main pillars of Drucker's leadership philosophy. ISBN:9780060832629 Author:Peter Drucker

Brief Summary Cold Steel: Lakshmi Mittal and the Multi-Billion-Dollar Battle for a Global Empire. 'Cold Steel' is the story of the biggest and most hard-fought industry takeover in recent years, bringing to life the cut and thrust of big businesses at war with each other. ISBN:9780349120973 Author:Tim Bouquet and Byron Ousey

Brief Summary The Encore Effect: How to Achieve Remarkable Performance in Anything You Do Whether you want to win that new account or inspire your family and friends, bestselling author and acclaimed speaker Mark Sanborn shows us how to make every performance count. Every day, we are called to perform— at work, at home, in our communities. But is it possible to make every performance outstanding, the kind that leaves people applauding for an encore? Mark Sanborn, leadership expert and bestselling author of The Fred Factor, says that anyone can achieve remarkable performance time after time—no matter what their personality, strengths, or weaknesses. In The Encore Effect Sanborn demonstrates, through his own experiences as well as those of the people he’s worked with in his career, how you can cultivate the traits shared by remarkable performers and achieve extraordinary results in all aspects of your life. The secrets lie in five steps: • Passion: The fuel for remarkable performance • Prepare: How remarkable performance begins • Practice: It won’t make you perfect, but it will make you better • Perform: How to engage your audience • Polish: Making your performance shine Whether your "stage” is an office, a sales floor, the boardroom, or your own home, Sanborn’s sound advice and rousing encouragement will help you shine in every situation where it matters most. ISBN:9780385519052 Author:Mark Sanborn