Economic-Life Books

This book gives anybody doing their Newfoundland family history an in-dept look into the life and times of the Seventeenth Century in the Fisheries Industry in Newfoundland. Well written and entertaining as well as informative.

Peter Pope writes an excellent account of the Newfoundland Plantation in the seventeenth century. Notably, he details the prominent position that the island held in the trans-Atlantic trade during the same period. It's a wonderful and thorough revisionist account that shifts some focus from the more traditional and well documented trading centres of North America. Overall, a stellar analysis of Early Modern Newfoundland!

Business which is based on profit maximization is usually considered to be in conflict with the goals of environmental protection. This contradiction can be even more severe when the business owned by private sectors in developed countries extend their activities in far-away underdeveloped areas. The book looks at the environmental protection from business perspectives, especially extractive industries' involvement in biodiversity conservation. It explores numerous cases ("best practices") showing how business interests reconcile with environmental protection goals. The dynamics of various stakeholders was investigated to illustrate how the business strategic calculation of benefit and cost has been shaped by other stakeholders. According to the authors, there are two major reasons of why business starts to voluntarily involve in environmental protection: corporate reputation (intangible value) and eco-efficiency (tangible value). The book is a big contribution to the empirical studies of how business operation has been shaped by environmental protection and vice versa. I recommend the book to environmental experts, project managers and corporate environmentalists.

Business which is based on profit maximization is usually considered to be in conflict with the goals of environmental protection. This contradiction can be even more severe when the business owned by private sectors in developed countries extend their activities in far-away underdeveloped areas. The book looks at the environmental protection from business perspectives, especially extractive industries' involvement in biodiversity conservation. It explores numerous cases ("best practices") showing how business interests reconcile with environmental protection goals. The dynamics of various stakeholders was investigated to illustrate how the business strategic calculation of benefit and cost has been shaped by other stakeholders. According to the authors, there are two major reasons of why business starts to voluntarily involve in environmental protection: corporate reputation (intangible value) and eco-efficiency (tangible value). The book is a big contribution to the empirical studies of how business operation has been shaped by environmental protection and vice versa. I recommend the book to environmental experts, project managers and corporate environmentalists.

What a riot. I LOVED this book. Maybe I should provide a very brief history of my first jobs: My first job was as a dishwasher. Later, I was promoted to busboy, then to cook, then finally to waiter, all over a span of many years. Even if you've only held one such job (Cabbie? Bartender?), you will relate to all of the stories, since really, how many jobs can you name that AREN'T service oriented?

This collection of stories is simultaneously irreverent, entertaining, insightful, a little nuts and even disturbing. Actually, it is more than a great collection of stories. This book is also a collection interviews, photographs, drawings and even a graphic short story (for lack of a better description), all relating to one of a myriad of different service industries that everyone seems to have worked for at one time, or another. After reading the entire book, I must admit I am glad I never worked some of the jobs referred to in a few of the stories... That is one thing I love about engaging books, however. I enjoy reading stories that create new experiences for me (vicariously, that is).

About 1/3 of the way through the collection of stories, I started turning to each of the chapters that had Ryan's name attached to them (interviews or as the author). After finishing the entire book, I am dying to find other things Ryan has written or edited.

Attention: Leah Ryan! Where are more books by you? I need another fix.

Attention: Everyone else. Buy this book, and enjoy. Thoroughly.

Read this book! It's full of delicious anectotes and wry observations about the workplace and the tendency forpeople to treat those in the service industry like servants.

Ryan is able to, in a light and humorous way, portray the desperation of wage slaves and their plight.

Free People will bring a fresh perspective to your view of global economics. While this perspective may be as old as the Bible, Tricia Gates Brown makes it fresh by thoughtfully weaving together the teachings of both the Old and New Testaments to raise our awareness of how we should live in an increasingly globalized world. While I'm not an Old Testament scholar, Brown's writing challenged many of my long held understandings and opened my eyes to the possibilities of a better and fairer world.

Peter Illyn, Executive Director of Restoring Eden:
In Free People: A Christian Response to Global Economics, Tricia Gates Brown weaves together such complex concepts as global economics, social justice and Christian theology in a way that is understandable and user-friendly. Contrary to the trend to separate politics from faith, the author shows they are interrelated and symbiotic.

Brown's theological descriptions of 'powers and principalities' as discussed in the Pauline writings, opened my eyes to the dangers of a global consumer society-hell-bent on economic growth without regard to justice, mercy and humility, and to the church's implicit acceptance of it as God's plan. Brown explains and reveals the history, relationships and functions of organizations which had previously been mere acronyms to me-WTO, WB, IMF and NAFTA, and shows how these institutions and agreements have created a world in which 'free markets' are prioritized above 'free people.'

I was also enlightened by Brown's understanding of the indigenous worldview-the indigenous sense of connectedness to the land, their culture and their history. She was able to articulate cultural patterns I had seen in my work with tribes in Alaska and Papua New Guinea, but had not found a way to articulate.

Though revealing, from a Christian perspective, the dangerous path of global economics, Free People sounds a strong message of hope and redemption. Free People is one of those rare books that causes the reader to see the world differently.

I've read a lot of books on personal finance. All tell you you pretty much the same thing (save money, pay bills on time, develop a budget) . The difference between those books and this one is that From Paycheck to Power tells you exactly how to do those things. The authors do an excellent job of making things simple without assuming that the reader is. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to save more, budget better or just make the most out of their money. It's great!

Budgeting money is not my best quality - something I've had pointed out on numerous occasions by my husband. Knowing this shortcoming, I occasionally browse through books and magazines on finance at the local library. From Paycheck to Power is geared to simple basic control of one's own money, written in an easy to follow format. The authors don't expect you to be a CPA to understand their plans. I've been trying to obtain copies for myself and my children for a year now. Hopefully it will be reprinted soon. In my opinion it's a classic

The strength of this book is in its nuanced case studies, which show the real-life dilemmas of those who may be subject to bias -- minorities, women, the disabled, gay workers, etc. The case studies not only sketch out the situation but include follow-up analyses, labeled "what should "x" have done?", that model how to cope with difficult situations. Suppose you're a woman at an investment bank with a Ph.D in economics and a great record attracting clients, and your boss has you stereotyped as a research beetle? What if you're a secretary with a very popular boss, but his compliments about your dress and appearance make you uncomfortable? Or a Pakistani software engineer whose colleagues joke that you must be sympathetic to terrorists? Or a black sales manager whose subordinates go over your head to complain about your aggressive management style -- and your own boss passes on the complaints without checking into their validity or encouraging the complainers to confront you directly? The book shows how to educate colleagues and bosses in situations like these without alienating them. While some of the advice about corporate "get-ahead" behavior is a little generic, the case studies make the book as a whole practical, practical, practical. Those who feel like "outsiders" in their workplace and are looking for ways to form good relationships and have their skills recognized will find it truly useful.

Here is a brief excerpt from the Introduction: "A special caveat: In the book we describe group tendencies. But, as we all know, not all members of a group share the same beliefs, values, and behaviors. Moreover, this book is not intended to be a definitive study of every group discussed. Instead, it makes use of some distinctive tendencies in each group to demonstrate how these tendencies may affect personal interaction, teamwork, and promotional opportunities in the workplace." As the subtitle correctly suggests, the authors suggest seven strategies for success "when you're not a member of the dominant group in your workplace." That is, when you are outside and determined to get inside. Here are the strategies: 1. Check Your Baggage, 2. Call Out the Cavalry, 3. Accentuate the Positive, 4. Blow Your Horn, 5. Buy In, Don't Sell Out, 6. Know Your Rights, and 7. Have a Vision. Each of these seven strategies is carefully explained and then illustrated. The material is based on real-world experiences, strategies, and tactics recommended by real people. If you are (or feel that you are) excluded from the dominant group in your own workplace, I urge you to obtain a copy of this book and read it with appropriate care. Moreover, I presume to share a few personal caveats of my own. First, not all "in" groups are worthy of joining. Also, those who are "in" today may be "out" tomorrow and then "gone" soon thereafter. Finally, the strengths you now possess (ie what you have inside of yourself) such as intelligence, integrity, and passion are far more important than acceptance by a group whose members may lack them. Shakespeare's Polonius was right: "To thine ownself be true."

You will be surprised by this book. You will cry, you will laugh, you will be amazed, you will be touched. A young man overcomes incredible odds to reach far greater acheivements than people who have both arms. Everyone should read this book, but especially those who are struggling with problems in their lives or handicaps of any kind.

Fully Armed is one of the best motivational and inspirational stories that I have ever read. Ron "Gus" Gustafson shares his experiences and trials of dealing with his accident in such a way the reader does not feel sorry for him, in fact the reader will be inspired by Gus's faith in God. The love shared by Gus, his family and friends as they come together in their time of need is an example for us all to follow as we cope with the daily demands in our lives. After having the honor of meeting the author in person, I can honestly say that his upbeat spirit and love for God is not lost in the written words on the pages of his book. If you take the time to read this book, you will come away with a blessing, knowing that you have read of a man touched by God who is excited about passing God's love and strength on to others.

This book is the one I'm going to give to all my co-workers for Christmas. It's fun to read and full of ideas for brightening up the work-day. There's everything in here from the cheap (fashion shows made up of office supplies) to the fun and pricey (fully-clothed massages for everyone!). Ms. Berger has a lot of ideas as to how to cheer up the boring old work day and break the ice (Collation Awareness Day, for one). Give it to the boss, because you're going to need permission to do some of this stuff!

I liked the second section, "52 Ways to have more fun at home" even better. It's a bonus section in the last half of the book. Berger is a wife and mother and there's lots to do for families, but she doesn't leave out the single people. There's enough for everyone-even a chicken soup recipe.

The book includes quotes from famous people about humor and fun, as well as stories from people I've never heard of about how they have fun at work (or home). And the author's e-mail address is at the back of the book so you can send in your ideas for ways to have fun. Looks like the start of a great series.

52 Ways To Have More Fun at Work is a wonderful resource. A friend told me about this and I've been able to institute several ideas at work...with NO cost! My management has seen the success and are now willing to provide some money/gifts to pursue other ideas in the book!
Enjoy...you'll look like a hero.

Explores a broad range of ideas about organization and management based on the premise that time, space, and mass are fundamental dimensions of all businesses. A few of the ideas introduced are: mass customization, real-time organization, any time / any place organization, distinguishing between a business and its organization, and the shift to producing intangible products. Discusses the changing nature of the economy. Captures today's key trends for strategic thinking and organizational change. Recommended.

Can you not be compelled by a visionary author who opens this edition of his book with a review of the first edition, written in 1987! The 20-page new introduction and review is one of the most fascinating parts of the book. In a fairly modest way, not self-serving, Davis shows how most of his ideas have come to pass. Some are in still in development, and a couple of previous case studies have since flopped eg Sears one-stop-shop. But overall I thought it was a remarkable performance, and a key source of credibility for the book and the author. How many other business writers have put themselves to this same public test - not many that I know of, with the exception of Peter Drucker.

In 1987 Davis introduced concepts such as competing on speed, and mass customization. Today we accept that time has become intrinsic to business logic, and mass customization is now developing its own mass following. In this new edition he sticks with the powerful thinking tool he proposed earlier, namely that time, space and mass are fundamental dimensions of business. It is through exploring the extremes of this framework that new services and business models have eventuated. Davis shows us how to use that rather esoteric framework to help re-think our business. And I think very successfully, although it seems hard to grasp at first glance.

For example, we all take for granted the shrinkage of mass - miniaturisation. The thesis is that all core products will shrink, and the intangible component must grow for a business to remain sustainable. So we must extend our minds to take on the challenge of defining the knowledge-value in a mortgage or a pair of socks. The redistribution of product "space" will dramatically alter industries such as health care and education. Witness the advent of on-line training programs for computer skills, which can now result in Microsoft certified staff. Employees do these programs at work while doing their current jobs. And Microsoft's Encarta Learning Centre is another redistribution of educational product space.

Of course there are other books that cover the same ground as above. But this one is the seminal work, from a fundamental mental model. It has stood the test of a decade and is still completely current. And it has more - "organisations run by marketplace economics", "the misconception of having internal customers", "the business is not the organisation", "successful strategy self-destructs" etc.

I must comment on the one glaring anomaly that stands out in reviewing progress over the ten years from the first edition. It is the lack of progress in developing and implementing new organisations, and new ways of working together. This lack of change is astounding to me in the context of the other change that is framed by the book. As Davis remarks in his new preface "the organisational precepts are yet to come". For that reason alone I would recommend this book to every business leader.

Sometimes it is difficult to understand the hows and whys of the workplace -- why we invariably expect and meet resistance from our bosses to certain initiatives, why some actions are met by praise, others by criticism or even indifference, why one boss wants you to critique his ideas, while another is offended by anything remotely challenging. When we view the rest of the world through our own self-created, self-biased lens and are unable to imagine the view from the eyes of another, we will always be limited in our ability to make sense of it all.

I've found the enneagram to be extremely useful in understanding myself, others, and interaction between people. The enneagram posits that folks fall into one of nine basic personality types (or styles or worldviews), each with its own natural gifts and limitations (ennea= nine in Greek). A person typically acts in a manner consistent with her personality type, interpreting information and dealing with obstacles in a manner consistent with the personality type. When you come to understand a person's enneagram type, you can better anticipate their actions and understand the why's behind their actions. Trying to make sense of others' behavior without understanding their worldview often leads to frustration and rarely leads to an accurate understanding. Realizing that others don't approach the world in the same way makes it easier to understand and ultimately work productively with others.

The nine enneagram types as labeled by the author are:
1. Perfectionist (rule-follower, goody two shoes, wants to get things right)
2. Helper (care-taker, derives great self-worth from helping others)
3. Producer (achiever, wants to be "successful" as traditionally defined)
4. Connoisseur (artist, romantic, free spirit, want to be authentic and express their true feelings)
5. Sage (professor, know-it-all, likes to hoard objective information)
6. Troubleshooter (skeptic, worry-wart)
7. Visionary (fun-seeker, adventurer, wants a range of possibilities, excitement)
8. Top Dog (dictator, general)
9. Mediator (peacemaker)

In a work environment, for example, a seven visionary boss may be big on brainstorming, tossing out many ideas without first thinking them through, will start many projects but not always follow through. As fast as the seven visionary can put ideas on the table and create possibilities, the six troubleshooter will counter with objections, detailing every possible problem that might arise. The one perfectionist will be focused on whether the ideas conform to the rules -- is this idea consistent with our SOP? Does this align with the company's mission statement? Can we run this by the proper channels before discussing further? The four connoisseur will reject the mundane, and will wonder how others will feel if the idea is implemented. The five won't care so much how others feel about implementation, but will want to collect as much objective data as possible about the idea. The two helper will be busy taking notes or getting coffee or making sure that everyone has had a turn to speak. The eight is grumbling because he's not the boss, and will support an idea as long as he gets to be project leader and run things his way.

Once you get a sense of a person's enneagram type, you can better understand their behaviors. Why does a certain person ALWAYS come up with a laundry list of reasons not to proceed with a new process, why are they rarely supportive of change in the beginning? Because they're a six, and their world view is to be a skeptic. Why is one boss visibly offended when you fail to acknowledge his superior ranking in the corporate pecking order (because he's an eight) while another boss is more concerned with helping you achieve your own career goals (because he's a two).

This book is chock-full of examples of how the enneagram plays out in the workplace. It also gives very specific rules for working with each of the types, as well as tips for performance with each of the types. For example, when working with an agenda-driven, achievement-focused three, you need to make an appointment, be prepared and organized, define success, outline target deadlines, and stay on course. Threes set goals and follow through to achieve those goals. When working with a four, on the other hand, focusing on setting rigid goals and marching along without reflection simply to achieve those goals is a recipe for disaster. For fours, the process is often more important than the specific goal. Fours are prone to take things personally and give up easily -- so bluntness and abrupt communication can cause fours to disengage. Eights, on the other hand, want things to be black & white. When you're dealing with an eight, be on time, get to the point, be direct, show respect. Eight bosses want you to follow their orders without question, without objection. They don't want to hear objections once a decision has been made. In contrast, a four boss wants to ensure that all of the ramifications of a decision have been well-vetted. A four boss is much more likely to appreciate creativity and curiosity; a four boss generally wonders what isn't being voiced when things are presented as clear-cut, black and white. Telling a two not to worry can be reassuring. In contrast, telling a six not to worry can quickly undermine your credibility. Much better to acknowledge a six's concern as legitimate and seek ways to address it.

The bottom line is that people are motivated differently, make decisions differently, and interact with others differently.

I trust that there are enneagram skeptics who think you can't just slap a label on a person and use that label to explain everything about the person. It is simplistic to say that everyone in the world can be pigeon-holed into one of nine categories and that explains all. That said, for the most part, most people are internally consistent with one of the enneagram types. A two will generally treat others in a certain way (helpful), be motivated in a certain way (recognition for helpfulness), learn in a certain way. A three will generally treat others in a certain way (goal-focused, how can this person help me achieve my goal) and be motivated by certain things (top sales award, best student award, anything the looks like a certificate or trophy). A one will obey the rules even if the rules don't make sense; a four will question whether the rules make sense and try to create rules that do make sense, and eight wants you to follow his rules. Period. And although the labels aren't the complete guide to understading everything about the workplace, they are a useful starting point.

If you are new to the enneagram, or have extensive knowledge of it, Mr. Goldberg's book is an excellent resource. Charts which give a quick & accurate overview; in-depth descriptions of each types work, decision making, and leadership styles; excellent distinctions on differentiating types which appear similar. Very practical and usefull, especially in the office setting.

For years this title of Goldberg's was the single most popular Enneagram title among professionals I spoke with. Very effectively organized and engagingly written, it's quite accessible to complete Enneagram newbies - and yet offers a lot of depth for those who want to keep referring back and mulling over the countless applications and implications of this fascinating study of human behavior.

Please note that the material is now available in substantially the same form in Goldberg's newer "The 9 Ways of Working" ( ISBN 1569246882). However, if you find a good used copy of this book (it's hardback), snatch it up -- you'll be returning to study it many times and the newer edition does not add that much.