Enterprise Books

Globalization is, obviously, a complicated, misunderstood, and nuanced process. And while THE CORPORATE PLANET is not the last word on that process, or on the dynamics by which corporations are emerging as key shapers of that process, it is also true that it tells stories far too often ignored by Quisslings, diplomats, and book reviewers. I write this because I stumbled across the Kirkus review printed on THE CORPORATE PLANET's page here, and it pissed me off. Particularly irritating is the use of the word "shrill," an adjective that seems reserved for books which contest the common optimism that tells us that radicalism is impractical and unnecessary, and that we need not attend too much to the really dangerous corners of the Big Picture. More statistics? Karliner already has LOTS of statistics here. And if his book is "unhelpful" when it comes to suggesting political alternatives, this may be in part because such alternatives are still unclear, and thus necessarily difficult to spell out in specific form. The corporation is the dominant political form of the modern age, and a principle engine of ecological destruction. In such circumstances, just what kind of an "alternative" does one appeal to? In fact, there are some good ideas here, and some good stories too, important stories well chosen. The emergence of the true transnational corporation is one of the most important development in recent human history. If you wish to know what all the shouting is about, you could do worse than start here.

Here are some excerpts from other reviews of The Corporate Planet

Thoughtful analysis of globalization's ecological and social impacts and of efforts by "corporate environmentalists" to control how problems and solutions are defined....With ecological sustainability, social justice, and democratic participation as his guiding principles, Karliner celebrates "grassroots globalization"--citizens demanding responsible environmental behavior from global corporations--becoming stronger and more articulate around the world.

-- Booklist

A fine effort....The book reads easily, without being breezy, moving from concrete illustrations of how giant global corporations are affecting the lives of ordinary people to more abstract discussion of underlying issues.

--The Ecologist

In The Corporate Planet, [Joshua Karliner] explains how transnational corporations like Dow clean up their image rather than their act.

--The Nation

A Magellan-like journey around the globe, giving readers a guided tour that identifies the protectors and poisoners of planet Earth.

--Monthly Review

A thoughtful examination of the new international balance of power in the global economy.

--San Francisco Bay Guardian

Joshua Karliner's "The Corporate Planet" was published prior to the Seattle WTO protests. The book's expert analysis of the relationship between private corporations and the plundering of the earth's resources successfully contextualized the protests as few other books written at that time were able.

Since then of course, many have written about globalization and its effects. But I think Karliner's work continues to stand out from the pack and has in fact gained strength as events continue to unfold. The ascendancy of the pro-oil industry Bush administration and its strident anti-environmentalist agenda seems to confirm his thesis: namely, that corporations and their elected cronies (or unelected cronies, in Bush's case) often proclaim themselves to be environmentally friendly on the one hand while simultaneously rolling back environmental protections on the other.

When push comes to shove, the quest to accumulate profits wins over the environment. Karliner does an excellent job of showing how corporate PR or "greenwash" and corporate sustainable development initiatives provide smokescreens for doing business as usual. But when given the opportunity, Karliner documents how companies such as Chevron lobby hard to roll back protections when given a favorable political situation like the one that existed when Republicans gained control of Congress in the mid-1990s.

The author supports his theory by effectively using case studies to illustrate how these dynamics play out in the real world. Large corporations such as Mitsubishi use their economic power to bend governments and citizens to their will, in the process impoverishing communities and environments as local resources are stripped away for the benefit of distant investors.

Karliner proposes a number of remedies that can help turn the situation around. He reasons that greater democratic input and corporate acocuntability is badly needed if we want people and the environment to be given primacy over the rights of the privileged few to reap the rewards of globalization for themselves. While Karliner may not have detailed a specified course of action -- no single person could be expected to do that -- it seems obvious that he has successfully defined the parameters of the struggle.

Intelligently written and supplemented with numerous footnotes and statistics, I believe it is not too much to say that "The Corporate Planet" is a classic work. I strongly recommended it for those who want to learn more about globalization and the central role corporations are playing in the destruction of the environment.

Karliner has a rare eye for absurdity that makes this more than a mere indictment of corporations. His description of how Chevron pacified an indigenous tribe in Papua New Guinea--by creating a Disneyland recreation of their own culture to impress them--is something so terrifying that no novelist could conceive it. He describes how, years later, the tribe had changed their traditional war paint to mimic the Chevron logo. This isn't just a dry treatise on the perils of globalization. It's a book filled with color, stories, and fascinating details about this bizarre time in the world. From the smell of gasoline seeping up through the richest homes in Playa Del Rey, California, to the history of Standard Oil, to the fight over the forests in the Northwest, to the structure of Japanese corporations--Karliner's book is an overlooked masterpiece that details so many unexpected facets of the global economy.

I liked the information given and how it was presented. IT gives examples of things that have actually happen and this one will really make you think.

It has always been the case that those with excess power are likely to overuse it, at the expense of those who have little power. In the corporate world, the hand of companies can get overbearing when there's a lot at stake. Unions have always experienced tough tactics. Legislatures are wooed with money, contributions, influence and political pressure. Whistle blowers often find themselves harassed, threatened, and intimidated. All of these excesses are documented with recent examples in this thoughtful book.

If you love your relationship with your HMO, the way your credit card company charges you, what your credit report has to say, and how your privacy is protected, then you have no need for this book. If, on the other hand, you are concerned about scandals like Enron, WorldCom, and have problems with corporate marketing to children at school, your HMO, credit card companies or credit reports, you need to read this book.

Mr. Court makes a persuasive case for corporations having gained too much power, and that the time has come to redress that balance in favor of individual citizens. He also provides lots of advice about what you can do to make matters better . . . both for yourself and others. The book's main flaw is that the section on how to fix matters is the briefest.

I hope that during the elections in 2004 that these issues will receive the attention they deserve.

After you finish this excellent book, find something to do to exercise your rights from the lists that begin in Part Three.

This book will shock you with how much information on you is floating around and more importantly, who has access to it. A must read in todays world.

I heard Mr. Court speak at a breakfast in San Francisco last week and purchased a copy of the book. Excellent expose of how corporations are curtailing our freedom and ending any idea of privacy. A lot of interesting things to think about.

Don McNay
President
McNay Settlement Group
Richmond, Ky. 40475

While the adventures aboard the Aluminaut are fiction, they represent the reality of what could be experienced when submariners, willing to take great risks, for the first time traveled the unknown Ocean superdepths. This is a must read for anyone with an adventurous spirit. Comments by Dr. Robert B. Abel, Senior Scientist, Stevens Institute of Technology and international oceonographic expert

While the adventures aboard the Aluminaut are fiction, they represent the reality of what could be experienced when submariners, willing to take great risks, for the first time traveled the unknown Ocean superdepths. This is a must read for anyone with an adventurous spirit. Comments by Dr. Robert B. Abel, Senior Scientist, Stevens Institute of Technology and international oceonographic expert

" Cleve Cussler couldn't have written a more action packed story. I'm envious of the Aluminaut's fictional crew. Other than the H-bomb salvage and recovery of the Alvin we didn't participate in anything as exciting as the adventure described in Bill Silverman's book (Crosscurrents) Great job!!"

This is the best adventure novel of the year, I think, and deals with the reality of the world after worlf war two. Excellent detail, accurate concerning the submarine Aluminaut.

I really do like this book. The clarity of thought demonstrated in this book to explain and convert a reader to drive to Customer Success is compelling. I now understand the vast differences between customer service and customer success. I thank you for giving me the opportunity to read it. I have a definite advantage over my competitors and I plan to have all of our office heads read this book and teach it to our staff!

There is so much every-day useful knowledge packed into this quick read book. I just couldn't put it down. By applying Barry Farah's principles of business relationships now, I know that my business will survive when the economy isn't as prosperous. Since I read Customer Success I feel have an advantage over my competitors. I have seen immediate results by the positive comments I have received from my clients.

Is there a "six-star" category? To compare Farah's theories and apparent practice to the "customer service" I typically receive seems unfair to Mr. Farah and this landmark work. I am glad that Farah renamed the concept and hope that this term will catch on. This primer on serving customers with a constant eye toward helping them succeed is critical to anyone operating a business that has customers! After reading this book, I recently threw out most of my business books full of well-worn sermons on reacting to customers' needs. I have tried many of Farah's strategies, and found that they work! I heartily endorse this book for anyone in any business of any type.

It was two steps beyond the theories of customer service that I have seen or heard about before reading Mr. Farah's book. Customer Success is a very innovative book for today's business world. Its invaluable information is definitely a necessity for any entrepreneur who wants to succeed. Mr. Farah does a commendable job of explaining specifically the application of heightened awareness and reiterates the importance of delighting the customer. When times are not so plentiful the businesses practicing Mr. Farah's Customer Success principles will retain their clients and probably bring in the unsatisfied clients from 'customer service' businesses as well.

I bought this book because I am interested in all facets of the business world. To my great enjoyment, I found it to be an excellent glimpse into business from a new and unique angle. It is an indispensable text for women and men alike.

It is always nice to find a book which does what it sets out to do. It's even better to find one which not only accomplishes it's goal, but does it well. This book does it very well! In a clear, yet informative manner, this book provides the reader with insight into the issues faced by women in family businesses. Then, it helps the reader move from understanding to practice, in a way which is quite accessible. This book is particularly relevant to women in family owned businesses, but is also a useful text for anyone working in, or with people working in, family owned businesses. I highly recommend it.

This is a wonderful, helpful and insightful book for women in business. It's an essential read for women who want to rise in the workplace--and for those who would like to help women do just that!

This book, the first of its kind, is a no-nonsense compass for women in business and the consultants and therapists who work to help women succeed. Excellent!

I am a youth pastor and decided to use this book as the basis for the girls portion of a Disciple Now weekend. The results are fantastic! We now have ladies desiring to use this book for ongoing girls discipleship.

It seems that Ava Sturgeon has put into practical words what all ladies, young and old, want to know for themselves.

This Bible study is a wonderful gift for teenaged girls. I've given several to friends' daughters and to the babysitter of my children. I have a copy for my six-year-old daughter for when she becomes a teen. I've read the book and would highly recommend A Daughter's Worth.

I did this Bible study last year, my senior year in high school. This study has a lot of amazing things to say about what we go through as a teenage girl. It really helps that the author was a high school teacher so she really knows what is going on in current teenage lives. This book is very encouraging and it is not so overwhelming that you feel like you don't have time for it. I highly recommend this book!

I am currently leading a girl's Bible study using this book with girls aged 13-18. They are loving it and are providing me with 100% participation! The book is written in such a way that the girls are challenged to think about the relevant topics and are encouraged to write down their thoughts. It is a great tool to spur discussions and is helpful in pointing girls to scriptures for dealing with real life situations that are important in this generation. It is fabulous and I recommend it for any teenaged girl.

I loved this book from beginning to end. I am looking forward to reading to my grandson who is very curious about all things that fly. The author really hit home with the nature of a child and their questions about there part of God's universe and how we are all important in His eyes.

It can be a bit scary for kids when they get on an airplane for the first time. Author Dianna Brisco has done an incredible job of helping children embrace flying instead of fear it. Grab a copy of "The Day Marcus Flew" for any child you know who is going to be on an airplane for the first time...or if they just enjoy learning about flying and planes.

Dianna L. Brisco has put together a child-friendly book on flying in an airplane. It will help a child with the unknowns of airplane flight. It is simply child entertainment as well. Every page is illustrated. Being a former teacher, I can see the teacher influence in the book.

This would be a great book for teachers (public, private, or Sunday school teachers) to use for inspiration toward having students make their own drawings about flying in an airplane. This is also a good book for any grandparent to provide a grandchild.

As a plus-plus, the book character, Marcus, sees out the window how small humans (including himself) really are and is concerned. His mother assures him that God knows and sees all, a loving lesson learned by Marcus on "The Day Marcus Flew."

Adorable, high interest nonfiction children's book. This one will be a hit with children especially if they are trying to overcome a fear of their own. The scrapbook photographs at the end are the icing on the cake!

I've gotten more than 1,000 letters, phone calls and e-mails from readers about the book. Mostly people who want to share their own war stories about building a successful business (and some not feeling so successful just wanting to chat). Our business is doing very well and I love getting the feedback. So please continue to write!

The diary is simple to read as it flows easily. As well as her thoughts she includes some of the wisdom she gained from the experience. An honest account of the trials of running a small business.

This book is a solid 10 and it blew me away! I actually had to go back after finishing the first chapter, to start over, because I didn't want to "gloss over" anything. There is MUCH to be learned, from someone else's mistakes and successes. Anita is so candid. I felt like a "fly on the wall" and this "ain't no book on theory", but a personal account. I truly felt like she was talking directly to me. I stopped "highlighting" notes in the book after a while, realizing that just about everything she says in the book is so, so important to let "sink in" and learn from. She does a fantastic job of getting so much powerful information in such a small book. There's no "fluff" here. Just the facts as they unfolded and lessons learned. I appreciate and can relate to her fears and how she worked to overcome them, whether she wanted to/planned for or not. I went thru many emotions reading this book, from excitement to scared to dismay to hope to sheer determination to make this work. I plan to keep this book within arms reach because I know I will have to refer back time and time again, but that's ok. Thanks Anita.

This is THE book for anyone starting a business on a 2nd mortgage or credit cards, without angels and VCs. I reread it about every 6 months as we build our company. It is reassuring, because you are convinced you could never make the mistakes Anita makes. It is packed with gems of wisdom that you ponder long into the night. It will make you laugh and it will make you cry. And it will make you rejoice that Anita's company is still, in 2001, alive and thriving in Pittsburgh.

Well written book. It is indeed a journey for this family and we get to share how God took them through from the birth, illness, death, and beyond of this family's precious Anna. I would recommend it to everyone. Life is not easy nor fair, but this family shows you that no matter what happens to us, God is in control and is faithful to be with us in all of life's circumstances.

While I watched from afar as this precious family faced this trial of severe illness and the death of a beloved daughter, this book brings me close to everything that happened. I was (and continue to be) a prayer warrior for this family and have been so blessed to get a transparent look at all that transpired during the days of Anna's illness. You will laugh and you will cry; you will hold your breath and then exhale with relief! But, most of all, you cannot put it down without being deeply touched and transformed spiritually. Read it yourself and give one to someone you know who is going through something very similar!

Sherry's story of her journey through grief is so powerful.....may it inspire you to "Draw Near".

This is the recounting on one mother's journey where none of us wish to follow. I appreciate her honesty and openness if sharing her heart....the brokeness and the healing and the hope.

I enjoyed the book. Barreto's insights were fantastic and it gained a lot from the stories and experiences told.

The Engine of America: The Secrets to Small Business Success from Entrepreneurs Who Have Made It! was written by former Administrator of the US Small Business Administration, Hector V. Barreto. I found Barreto's book inspiring and full of useful information. With the stories of some of the most successful small-business entrepreneurs, he teaches the keys to successfully start up a company or grow an existing one.

The Engine of America gives a lot of the same advice that you hear all the time about running and starting a business. Therefore, it is a great book for someone just starting out. Additionally, the advice, although repetitive for those entrepreneurs who have been in business a while, is given in a way that keeps you entertained. Stories of successful entrepreneurs remind us that anything can be done, and help us keep an optimistic point of view.

Barreto gives sound advice about studying to learn what you need to know and planning your business venture to increase likelihood of success. Then he addresses the need to take risks, but to take calculated risks rather than just a shot in the dark. One aspect of business I don't think of a lot is employees. I am far from that point, but Barreto addresses how to share your vision with your employees and how the people around you are a critical key to your success.

A large portion of The Engine of America is dedicated to specific tools for success that every entrepreneur can benefit from. From how to contact SCORE for free advice from successful businesspeople to how the Small Business Administration (SBA) can help you obtain financing to what government programs are available to small businesses. From his insider's point of view, Barreto helps unlock the mysterious process of dealing with government organizations and programs.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's an easy read, but it contains a wealth of useful information. I especially enjoyed the quoted advice from successful entrepreneurs such as Earl Graves, founder and publisher of Black Enterprise magazine, and Tom Stemberg, founder of Staples.

--
Cat Cromar
www.astartuplife.com/category/book-reviews

There are two kinds of books to read if you're thinking about starting a small business. There are the books that tell you, step-by-step, how to proceed. And there are the books that offer you insight, wisdom and ideas.

The Engine of America is in the latter group and it's an excellent example of the genre. The author is Hector Barreto who grew up in small businesses, ran some of his own and wound up as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration.

There's lots of good advice here. Some of it comes from entrepreneurs you've heard of. Fred Smith of FedEx and Tom Stemberg of Staples are two examples. A lot of it is embedded in the stories of entrepreneurs you've probably never heard of.

One example is Linda Alvarado who was one of the few women to found a construction company and make a success of it. She's now part owner of the Colorado Rockies. There's Thanh Quoc Lam and Earl Graves and Mitchell Rubinson, all people I'd never heard of until picking up this book.

And there were Steve and Lori Leveen. I'd never heard of them either, though I've bought things from their company, Levenger, for years.

Barreto mixes the entrepreneurs' stories with his own story and the story of his family's various businesses. He blends in advice from others, a financial planner here, an academic there.

The result is a well-written book that's loaded with excellent advice and helpful examples. It's also structured sensibly.

In section one, you're introduced to the author and his family and his reasons for writing the book. Section two is about the principles of success, things like "Plan, don't just wing it" and advice on finding a niche and surviving the inevitable mistakes and nasty surprises.

In section three, the author offers up "Tools for Success." For me this was the weakest part of the book. There's a bit too much about how the government and big business want to help you and not enough about how they often seem to hide it well.

As is usual for books written by Small Business Administration people, the SBA sources of information and help are described and hyped far out of proportion to their usefulness to small business owners I know. But even so, there's a good list of available government programs here that will be helpful to many small business owners.

The Tools section has several good chapters. One is on overcoming intimidation. And, there's some good, clear advice in the chapter on "Demystifying Capital."

The Summing Up section has a wonderful chapter on the "ABC's of Success." It's a little hokey, but it's good. You may be tempted to skip right there. Resist that temptation. There are too many good stories and too much you can learn from reading the book through.

In E-Myth Mastery, Michael Gerber cites some chilling statistics: "Of the 1 million U.S. small businesses started this year [2005], more than 80% of them will be out of business within 5 years and 96% will have closed their doors before their 10th birthday." Most of these business failures will receive little (if any) media attention which tends to be limited to much larger corporations. It is also worth noting that in 2001, 257 public companies (with a total of $258 billion in assets) declared bankruptcy. In 2002, another 67 did so. Go back even further to the 43 companies which Peters and Waterman quite properly praised in In Search of Excellence (1982). Most no longer qualify according to the criteria by which they were selected...and several do not exist at all.

I mention all this by way of suggesting how difficult it is, especially for small businesses, to succeed. Hence the importance of sources of assistance provided by the Small Business Administration that Hector Barreto headed for five years while leading the SBA's $60-billion support system for entrepreneurs. The subtitle of his book correctly indicates that he shares in it "secrets to small business success from entrepreneurs who have made it!" Barreto points out that, at the time he wrote his book, there were 25 million small businesses in the United States and they produced 52% of the gross domestic product of the U.S. economy. "Small businesses represent over 50 percent of the employee payrolls in the economy, and somewhere between 60 percent and 70 percent of the new jobs our economy produces annually. We are simply losing too many of the newly started businesses each year. It is damaging to the economy and to its long-term growth." That is why no many governmental agencies (at the federal, state, and local levels) and so many large corporations are committing substantial resources to help more small businesses succeed.

After reviewing his life "in and around small businesses" in the first chapter, Barrett shifts his attention to a series of seven "Principles of Success" in Part II (Chapters 2-8) and then discusses various "tools for success" in Part III (Chapters 9-12). The final part offers a summation of what he calls the "ABCs of Success," followed by his heartfelt reassurance to entrepreneurs that they can, indeed will succeed. Alas, a high percentage of them do not (especially starting a business for the first time) and the reasons vary from one situation to the next, of course, but the most common include:

Not knowing what they do not know (but think they know)
Not knowing how to use technology effectively
Often unaware of the regulations or potential restrictions they will face
Failing to comply with the restrictions and/or accommodate the restrictions

As Barreto explains his book, the SBA attempts to "arm" small business owners with the tools to address these and other problem areas by providing various programs that address "(1) access to capital, (2) technical assistance/entrepreneurial development, [and] (3) procurement/contracting. Small businesses are usually challenged in all of these areas: They don't have enough money; they don't have enough customers; and they don't know what they don't know. These deficiencies sum up why so many small business start-ups fail." I especially appreciate his personal accounts of real-world situations in which he and his SBA associates worked with specific entrepreneurs and their companies. He identifies them by name and examines the challenges that each one faced. Those who are planning to start a new business for the first time or have only recently done so, as well as those who now head a small business beyond the start-up phase, will especially appreciate the wealth of information available to them concerning sources of support in various forms. (For example, Barreto explains where to get help at 73 Web sites from organizations such as SCORE and the Small Business Development Centers.) They will also learn a great deal about errors in judgment to avoid, and, how to recover from such errors, once made.

Each of the "oak trees" on Fortune magazine's annual list of the largest companies was once an "acorn" and all of them are now challenged to contend with much smaller competitors. This is precisely what Jack Welch had in mind when, during a GE annual meeting, he explained why he admires entrepreneurial companies: "For one, they communicate better. Without the din and prattle of bureaucracy, people listen as well as talk; and since there are fewer of them they generally know and understand each other. Second, small companies move faster. They know the penalties for hesitation in the marketplace. Third, in small companies, with fewer layers and less camouflage, the leaders show up very clearly on the screen. Their performance and its impact are clear to everyone. And, finally, smaller companies waste less. They spend less time in endless reviews and approvals and politics and paper drills. They have fewer people; therefore they can only do the important things. Their people are free to direct their energy and attention toward the marketplace rather than fighting bureaucracy."

Barreto reveals himself to be a relentless optimist even as he knows better than most others do that the mortality rate of start-ups remains high, and, that those small businesses that do succeed face more severe competition now than ever before, not only between and among themselves but also, as Welch's comments suggest, from the largest corporations that develop many of the same strengths (e.g. speed, flexibility, and resilience) that had been competitive advantages for small businesses in the past. I share Barreto's hope that his book will help to increase the "horsepower" and "fuel efficiency" of an "engine" so essential to the American economy.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Bo Burlingham's Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big, any of Jason Jennings' books (notably Less Is More and Think Big, Act Small), Founders at Work which consists of Jessica Livingston's interviews of 30 men and women who share their "stories" about the early days of the start-ups they founded, and Steven Feinberg's The Advantage-Makers: How Exceptional Leaders Win by Creating Opportunities Others Don't.