Economic-Life Books

The book starts painfully slowly and drags on for several chapters, but don't give up. It eventually takes us through decades of American history seen from the eyes of workers, factory owners and, finally, globalizing financiers. One learns how the racist governor of Mississippi, Ross Barnett, inadvertently contributed to integration by attracting northern factories to his state in the Johnson era. We learn that the Mexicans started attracting US factories in the same era, the 1960s. And we get a picture of the rise and fall of the US labor movement, as well as examples of the crimes of the Teamsters. The transition from emphasis on product-quality to 'profits at any cost', the heart and soul of the philosophy of globalization via deregulation, in the age of leveraged buyouts and junk bonds is accurately and concisely described.

Lyndon Johnson gave us the Vietnam War, a terrible mistake in US foreign policy. But for those of us who grew up in the south or border states and can tell you what life was like under segregation, Lyndon was a real hero when it came to civil rights enforcement. In my Ky. town in the fifties, before the civil rights Act was passed, the only thing that was integrated was little league baseball. I still remember listening to the daily news from Alabama and Mississippi in the early sixties, beatings, murders, acts that were consistent with a fascist state government, but not a democratic one. Southern states like Mississippi used the same excuse for brutality against blacks, union organizers, and civil rights workers that Hitler and the Nazis used against the Jews and socialists: right wing violence and killing 'protected' society from 'the communist threat'.

Since about the time NAFTA passed Congress, we have heard endless paeans of praise for free trade, the mobility of capital, and the new competitive global economy. We have heard less about the costs of globalization. This book takes the free trade issue and brings it down to earth by showing how jobs that originated in Paterson, New Jersey were sent to Mississippi, and later on Mexico, by corporate conglomerates searching for higher profits and a pliable, docile (and above all cheaper) workforce. The book focusses in on one firm, Universal, which specializes in making electrical fixtures. At first, the firm offers good jobs at good wages to all comers in New Jersey. However, as the founder of the company sells his interest out to a large railroad conglomerate, the firm heads south for cheaper labor....and then south again into Mexico. The story of how these jobs migrate is also the story of how institutions that are supposed to protect the American worker fail that worker in the end. Labor unions become complacent and somnolent, spending more resources on jurisdictional disputes and factional feuding than on organizing the workers. And when they aren't lazy, they are corrupt, doing deals with the Mafia for added perks. Federal agencies pull back from their duties as the nation drifts to the right. Read the segment in this book on how the U.S. Commerce Department (funded in great part from employee taxes) cheered on American businesses relocating to Mexico and your blood will boil. Read the segment on the so-called transitional assistance offered to displaced American workers (pamphlets given to people in their 40s and 50s on how to join the army) and you will get apoplexy. The book ends on an especially bitter note, as the conglomerate prepares to move to an even more depressed area of Mexico, with a woman worker wailing "must I chase my job all over the world?" Indeed.

In a larger, balance sheet sense, globalization may be beneficial. But ultimately, as Mr. Adler makes it clear with this well-written, thoroughly documented book, somebody is footing the bill with a lost job, a defaulted mortgage, missing benefits, and dread of the future.

Among the various beliefs which make up the American civil religion surely the dogma of Free Enterprise is dominant. Business and enterprise have made us the best, richest, freest, and most just country in the world. Almost any action can be explained and excused as an economic necessity; whether downsizing, i.e. firing your workers, or moving the plant or polluting the environment. The company must remain competitive, and the firm profitable. Free Enterprise is good for you, ever and always. As Ivan Boesky put it, six months before he went to prison for three years: "Greed is alright. You can be greedy and still feel good about yourself." (P. 241) This story deals with the effects of American industrial progress over the past fifty years, not in abstract terms and numbers, but in the history of what happened to Mollie James' Job as it went south to more liberal climes, where wages are low, unions weak, environmental laws unenforced, and workplace safety nonexistent. The book reads very well, almost like a novel, but it deals with real people, names, and places. In fact, it is a good idea to keep a map handy to follow the action from Paterson, New Jersey, to Mendenhall and Gallman, Mississippi, to Blytheville, Arkansas, and Matamoros, Mexico. The action begins at the end of the War with an immigrant, go-getter, entrepreneur who builds an electrical components company from nothing. A classical, paternalistic workplace in which the boss works alongside his employees and knows everyone by name. He even welcomes organized labor for electricians will not install his product unless it bears a union label. Yet, neither he nor his workers can rid themselves of a crooked and corrupt teamster local. In the early sixties the company expands into rural Mississippi, a county without equal rights, without NAACP, much less CORE or SNCC. It is a place where the whites celebrated the assassination of President Kennedy. Yet, it is the company which in many ways escorted the region into the late twentieth century. In control of the only work and wages and backed by federal law the company could defy the Klan, the Sheriff, and the white newspapers, by insisting on an integrated workforce. Which, incidentally, helped to hold down wages as well. The founder's death in 1968 marked the passing of an era of management by men who thought as industrial manufacturers. While he venerated the bottom line as much as any capitalist, he achieved success by "a steely-eyed focus on high quality and customer service"(p. 220). The company was sold to a multi-branched electrical products company, which soon after was swallowed whole by another conglomerate. It thus fell into the hands of people who had no idea of the realities of production, nor did they have any interest in the nuts and bolts of the operation. In fact, the company, now a mere subsidiary, changed hands several times in the financial go-go years of the eighties. By now the personal relationships and life long job security of the early days were well forgotten. A cavalier attitude infected all aspects of the company. A director of human resources fired many of the old line leaders and executives. The company used their new maquiladora plant in Mexico to hold a loaded gun to the union local's negotiation committee. Reduce hourly pay or we close the plant. None the less, the reprieve was brief. Workers in Mexico earned as much in day as Americans in an hour, and by 1997 all manufacturing operations in the U.S. were shut down. Wages in Mexico were insufficient to raise a family. Workplace conditions are described as stiflingly hot, with air unbreathable from polluting chemicals, and without break, cafeteria, or adequate toilets. Living conditions were not one whit better. Yet, young women workers continued to stream in from the rural areas. At the end, ironically we may all "Thank God for NAFTA" the title of the epilogue.

Excelente libro que nos ayuda a descubrir que tal somos en el mundo de las finanzas y nos da consejos y herramientas para mejorar nuestra "conducta financiera". Su autora, Julie Stav es mi idolo del mundo del dinero. Su pagina personal es de lo mejor en Internet www.juliestav.com Gracias.

It is a good book if you want to accept the money personalities
she describes. It gives you ideas how to handle your finances
according to your personality.

Before reading Ms. Stav's first book --"Get Your Share"--, I did not have a very clear idea of my finances and what to do w. them. I had some savings & wanted to put them to work for me but did not have the slightest idea of how to do it. Also, money matters, investments, transactions, and all that stuff had always intimidated me--I'm proud to say, not anymore. When I first saw Ms. Stav PBS program I understood for the first time many money issues that had always seemed too difficult; she made me see that it was not so hard to approach them and work w. them. Her books were a revelation to me, really, and since then I have been following her advice, made some money thanks to that and, above all, felt more relieved regarding my future. In this new book I discovered that my personality is that of the Dependable Hoarder, and I'm not ashamed of that!! I laughed a lot, because the book is not only easy to read and informative but very funny as well. I only wish I could understand Spanish better (I'm originally from France) to listen to her radio program. This is a great buy for anybody wishing to understand his/her finances, how and why they spend the money the way they do, and how to find a solution to the financial problems caused by it. Also, if you are married and have a family, this book is very useful to help you deal w. issues regarding kids/spouses and money.

Commonsense, step-by-step how-to book, but with the essential WHY factor answered. WHY do I charge stuff when I know I won't be able to pay it off at the end of the month, when I have promised over and over again not to do just that??? Now I know why and I feel confident that this book has helped me to stop the bad financial habits forever.

The Money Trap sat on my bookshelf for years right next to the book I thought of as its idealogical twin - How to Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt & Live Prosperously by Jerrold Mundis. After finally reading it, I found that, though there are obvious similarities, it's subtle difference was the missing ingredient to understanding how we get into, and often stay in, financial difficulty.

Where Mundis' book scratches the surface when delving into how we develop money problems, The Money Trap goes deep into the underlying emotional causes of money disorders. This is the book's greatest contribution. Why? Because, understanding why you have a problem is key to counteracting that problem.

Gallen goes further by outlining a practical approach to healing the internal self, eliminating self-destructive financial behavior, and creating positive external results. It's work, no doubt, but work that may lead to the financial peace needed and deserved by those who truly seek it.

Finally a book that does not chastise those who cling to bad money habits. Mr. Gallen does not tread lightly over the shredded credit card debris field of bad debt. You've got a problem. He knows. And he'll tell you how to fix it. Thank God. Spend some dimes on this book and put some dollars back in your pocket.

This fun, little book is packed full of great strategy. I am always searching for ways to better myself, my employees and my practice. Monkey Business has given me new insight and powerful ideas. I want to be like Leader!

Recieved the book today and couldn't put it down. I am amazed how the simple rules put forth in this book are not used by modern business.

Kudos to the Authors.

Monkey Business is an entertaining,enlightening and practical must-read for anyone wanting to build a better business with loyal and productive employees. Hager, Wight and Tynik have captured the essence of what it takes to be a successful and purposeful leader. This book prompts us to be passionate about our work, appreciate and reward our people and develop systems that make work easier, engaging and more profitable. Monkey Business is a powerful tale that provides both process and inspiration for creating the optimum customer service environment for a business.

Moral Sentiments and Material Interests: The Foundations of Cooperation in Economic Life (Economic Learning and Social Evolution) combinds the theory of cultural evolution ala Boyd and Richerson (and Henrich et al) and the behavioral economy by people like Gintis, Bowles and Fehr. The book works further based on the theory - develops e.g. models for a better social policy etc.

Book discusses an issue which is very central for "being a human being" - co-operation. Book is very informative, very well written even if there are many writers with heterogenous background. Also after the book you kind of get more optimistic about the prospects of humananity.

I am without any formal education in antropology, biology and economics but have read "everything" by Boyd and Richerson - my understanding on economics is based on Microeconomics by Samuel Bowles.

The book was to me a good further reading after the Bowles Microeconomics book. But the book can be read even by someone who does not know about economics even that much as me. The book is not too formal - easy to read actually.

For several years now, a group of social scientists has been studying the human tendency to be socially fair rather than narrowly selfish. The editors of this volume--Herbert Gintis, Samuel Bowles, Robert Boyd, and Ernst Fehr--are among the stalwarts; others are found among the authors of the book's chapters.
The core of this long-running effort is Fehr's experiments with the ultimatum game, in which two people must share a sum of money (say, $10); Person A gets to propose a split, Person B can only accept or decline. Economists and politicians would expect every game to wind up with a $9.99/$0.01 split (or actually a 9-1 split, since bills are used), but in fact typical splits are more like 5-5 or 6-4, and in one place (Lamalera, Indonesia) people actually split something like 4-6, few A's ever claiming even half the money. This long-running set of experiments around the world adds to a vast, rapidly accumulating set of data showing that people are sociable, not "rational" in the folk-economic sense (i.e., dedicated solely to narrow material self-interest). The present book discusses the implications for economics and politics. If people are naturally concerned with fairness, narrowly economistic policies can be counterproductive; we all know cases of "crowding out," in which a material incentive actually makes people act worse, by crowding out moral incentives. If you reward people for being good, they will think it's all a cynical game, and will act worse. Punitive legislation to make people do what they do anyway (for moral reasons) is also counterproductive. Imagine what these realizations would do to American social policy.
The problem with this book is that it is too optimistic and upbeat. The downside of human sociability is confined to one page, late in the book (p. 388), where racism, honor killing, and the like get a quick mention. Alas, the morning radio brings a stream of accounts not only of such things but also of religious butchery all over the world--Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and even Buddhists (theoretically prohibited from killing but busily genocidal). This brings us back to Adam Smith's suggestion that greed may not be lovable but may be better than the noble, virtuous alternatives. I hope Gintis et al work on how to decouple fairness and interpersonal concern from the desire to exterminate everybody who is not in one's immediate social set. Until this is done, the hope purveyed in this work will remain thin.
The authors note that humans seem genetically programmed to have at least some sense of fairness and of self-sacrifice for the common good, but they wisely refrain from trying to unpack "hereditary" and "environmental" or "cultural" aspects. Heredity makes us do this, and learn it easily, and heredity gives us the ability to learn and develop cultures. No way to unpack. Still, more needs to be done on just how flexible these inborn moralities are. The range from Lamalera to certain parts of South America is pretty great. So is the range of murderousness in religious and ethnic settings. We need to know how to modify human behavior in these regards, and how much we can hope for.
That being said, this book is the best yet in the long list of books that devastate the selfish-individualist model of human behavior. People desperately want to be sociable, and be good members of their society. This may lead them to fairness and generosity, or to body-piercing, or to suicide bombing. This book offers hope for building new societies through use of innate human decency. At this point in time, any book seriously offering such hope is desirable.

This book is just really great. The literature on fairness and reciprocity in social science is growing fast, and this book is ideal to give you a flavour of why this is such a good thing. It is diverse, with entries ranging from biological models that attempt to explain the evolution of reciprocity, through the implications of reciprocity for the way legal sanctions work, to the political philosophy of the dark side of clan mentality.
Most readers will probably not want to read everything, and even less people will agree with everything. One needs to remember that a lot of the stuff in this book is still controversial, including the existence of (strong) reciprocity, but this is what makes it so very interesting. And if only half of what's in this book is right, it is still revolutionary.
In 10 years, this book will be terribly outdated. But for now, it is the best thing you can get if you are interested in the interplay between evolution, reciprocity and social order, and the fundamental questions of social science that it entails.

Susan Paddock's Mystic in the Marketplace is a joy to read. It should give hope to all who work, give second thoughts to CEOs who over-focus on the bottom line, and demonstrate that "spiritual" is also "practical". More than a pep talk, Mystic includes fascinating examples and analysis, and references to a wide variety of useful sources and resources.

Mystic in the Marketplace: Turning Work into Worship by Susan Star Paddock
Looks at
§ How we (people, corporations and cultures) grow up psychologically, socially and spiritually.
§ Why spirituality is essential to health, happiness and business success.
§ How current business realities are forcing organizations to use leadership styles that promote spiritual growth.
§ How to organize using totally positive and inclusive methods.
§ How business can become a benefit to the world.

[This book] reframes organizations as crucibles for dynamic unfolding, with "process" instead of "product" still leading to powerful profits. This resolution of traditionally opposing values for the spiritually minded revitalizes the wearied worker and invigorates our values-depleted and struggling institutions. Our only hope is that this book gets into the hands of the "top dogs" of our country's corporations.

Ms. Paddock's book also nicely reveals, through wisdom from the East and West, the parallel development of individuals and institutions. By examining the core values or the "gold" at the heart of every structure, great insight and strength emerge to transform the workplace into spiritual expression.

This book shows the reader how to literally practice goals that lead to success. Denis Waitley uses stories and charts to motivate and inspire success. It is easy to read and use. -- Samuel Oliver, author of, WHAT THE DYING TEACH US: LESSONS ON LIVING.

Everyone wants to become a champion. And now Dr. Waitley shares new technology that will turn average individuals into champions and win the gold medal.

Great book Dr. Waitley.

Having enjoyed better than average success as an athlete, in fact, competing in national and international competitions, I have always felt that it takes work and effort for even the naturally gifted to become winners.

In the New Dynamics of Winning, you will learn:

> 7 rules for winners
> 5 most prevalent self destructive beliefs
> The secret of mental toughness
> How to use stress to your advantage
> A 21 day program to develop the champions mindset
> And so much more

I also recommend Empires of the Mind, a book which came out about the same time as this one. Both are revolutionary.

I have been studying Dr. Denis Waitley for many years. In Empires of the Mind, he finds the difference between the winner and simply winning.

This book will empower you towards self leadership. Although written in the early 90's, his ideas are as fresh and applicable today as they were almost a decade ago. In fact, m any of the newer leadership books borrow tremendously from the ideas developed by Dr. Waitley and explained in Empires of the mind.Great book.

Harvard Business School professor John Kotter has followed the career paths of the members of the Harvard Business School Class of 1974 -- and what he has found will astonish you if you are like me -- an MBA hopeful working for a large corporation. Kotter observes that the Harvard MBA's have succeeded financially and personally because they have followed volatile and nontraditional career paths outside of large firms. He argues that the world economy is so globalized and the boundaries of corporations are so blurred that the best career opportunities abide in the virtual corporation. In this new career marketplace, great rewards accrue to competitive risk-takers who continually renew their skills. Read this, but be warned: You may decide to quit your job and never work for a large corporation again. -- Dan Green, Harvard Business School Class of 1999.

Similar to the advice offered by Darden finance professor Bob Bruner, himself a member of the HBS class profiled in this book, Kotter demonstrates that those who shunned the corporate world in favor of more impactful jobs with smaller companies have succeeded beyond the levels of their corporate ladder classmates.

Go to small companies and make a difference in the world. Push yourself. Don't accept a slow climb up a bureaucratic corporate ladder.

The book has numerous student profiles to demonstrate the benefits of the road less traveled. Kotter fleshes out the backgrounds and experiences of the students as effectively as character development in a Stephen King novel. The characters come to life and you really feel the urge to break out and go with the start-up company of your own or others. Considering today's dot-com world this advice from the mid-90's appears ahead of its time.

Relative to his other books this one is average, but what's average for Kotter would be exceptional for most.

Also by Kotter: "Leading Change" and "What Leaders Really Do" are also outstanding works by Kotter. HBR article Managing Your Boss (incorporated into "WLRD") is a great reading for MBAs, managers, and workers of all levels.

Dr. John Kotter of Harvard Business School is one of the few scholarly business writers who consistently blends leading edge, visionary concepts with the tough-mindedness that most successful executives admire. I bought this book while looking for something else entirely, but it was well worth it.

I certainly discovered a real gem. Kotter gives us straight talk about the hard realities of today's executive business world. He disabuses us of the notion, if any of us still hold it, that there will be any safety or security in a career based on steady upward mobility in a traditional corporation. He wraps his stoic "new rules" around a twenty-year longitudinal study of the careers of Harvard Business School graduates of the Class of 1974. Showing the actual career paths of a plethora of genuine American success stories is not only fascinating reading, but highly educational.

Kotter bluntly states what it will take to be successful at work in the 21st century: "Settling for good, much less mediocrity is dangerous..Large numbers of people have been taught by big business, big labor and big government that fair-to-good is adequate...ten years from now fair-to-good will probably NEVER lead to success."

In order to get beyond the "fair-to good" range of performance, Professor Kotter makes a strong case for executive assessment, maintaining that a careful, realistic and candid self-examination is imperative, and he places special emphasis on the need for self-awareness regarding gaps in one's development. He couples this with counsel on the need for constant learning.

What does Kotter's study imply for our concept of Executive Community? He says that for those who aim to lead large organizations, their role should be that of the revolutionary, breaking down hierarchies and replacing then with a "flexible network organization" with many more people taking up the responsibilities for leadership. There is a need, he says, to create "self-confidence in competitive situations" through education in both schools and business organizations.

Kotter calls the new business environment "Phase III", marked by globalization of markets and competition. He urges readers who feel that they are working in a business environment "that is not helping prepare him or her for an even tougher Phase III future should move out of that environment as fast as possible. AS FAST AS POSSIBLE."

I love Kotter's sense of urgency. And he is right about so many things, that, if you have not done already, get this book AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. It may be the best business book you have read in a very long time, and one of the few that may stir you to self-improvement.

To the members of Generation X, success doesn't necessarily mean accumulating power or calling every shot. So-called "Xers" tend to seek a sensible balance between their work and personal lives. Companies interested in 21st century competitiveness must provide that balance, according to a survey of 1,200 Gen Xers. Baby Boomer Charlotte Shelton and her Xer daughter Laura Shelton examine the attitudes of Gen X professional women as they look to the future. getAbstract recommends this as a heads-up for Boomer-age leaders and their Gen X colleagues. Now is the time to think about the work environment you must create to recruit and retain young talent. And if you are an up-and-coming Xer, now is the time to decide what you want to up-and-come to.

Charlotte and Laura Shelton's The Next Revolution: What Gen X Women Want At Work And How Their Boomer Bosses Can Help Them Get It tells of the latest group of young female workers and why they feel disillusioned with the workplace, caught between a 'go for it' ideal and the realities of the modern corporate establishment. The Sheltons surveyed over a thousand of these women and interviewed others about their work experiences: these interviews blend with insights about the differing views of two generations to show how it affects the workplace - and what can be done to prevent the migration of talent.

The NeXt Revolution is an awesome book for any woman in the workplace. As a Gen Xer it really helped but my work situation into perspective. It's very insightful, and not just a book exclusively for women. My husband really related to the workplace narratives in the book. I recommend the book for anyone new to the workplace or frustrated with their job.

best investment for those who want and need to make MONEY AND BE SUCCESSFUL in today global business wolrd.

WELL ORGANIZED AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE BUSINESS GUIDE ITS A MUST HAVE FOR ANYONE WHO WANT DO WELL IN THE BUSINESS WORLD.

WELL ORGANIZED AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE BUSINESS GUIDE ITS A MUST HAVE FOR ANYONE WHO WANT DO WELL IN THE BUSINESS WORLD.