Best Business Books for 2008

The underlined title links will take you directly to our catalogue. Some featured items are linked via a book cover to enable you to read more reviews.

The back of the napkin : solving problems and selling ideas with pictures/ Dan Roam.
You don't need to be able to draw like an artist to communicate and capture great ideas. This book eases you into overcoming your fear of drawing and jump in with simple sketches and annotations. Unleash your creative right-brain and get to work immediately with the tools Roam provides. I liked the book and use it in my business practice to help people discover the power the ideas we develop together. When the communication on paper begins with drawings, clients engage with me, the concepts come together quickly and momentum is formed. (Amazon)

The brand bubble : the looming crisis in brand value and how to avoid it / John Gerzema.
During a time of so much uncertainty in the marketplace, this book delivers compelling brand insights and guidance- Insights driven by the consumer's perspective of today's dynamic environment. Anyone involved in the task of managing a brand in this climate needs to read this book in order to make the most effective strategic brand and business decisions. (Amazon)

Groundswell : winning in a world transformed by social technologies / Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff.
Li and Bernoff provide a framework for describing these fundamental changes, which they call "the groundswell," and they do so chiefly within the context of marketing rather than sociology or politics. While this is a book for businesses (brands) and the people who do their handiwork (marketers and consultants), anyone who's interested in better understanding the tsunami of social participation that is subsuming our institutions will find lots to absorb in these pages. Written in accessible, no-nonsense prose, "Groundswell" breaks its narrative its three parts: what the social changes are all about; strategies for taking advantage of these changes, and an assessment of how these changes are transforming businesses. (Amazon)

Presentation zen: simple ideas on presentation design and delivery / by Garr Reynolds .
Garr Reynolds has done what everyone else (at least among the presentation cognoscente) has been talking about for years. He has created what is truly THE book that is an absolute, positive must-read for everyone who is even thinking about presenting. I coach hundreds of entrepreneurs and CEOs each year for their fundraising road shows, and Garr has written and illustrated with stunning clarity the essence of what I and others have been preaching for years: visual clarity, simplicity, presence, planning and more. (Amazon)
If you are even thinking about buying a book on presentation skills, this is it.

Rain making : attract new clients no matter what your field / Ford Harding.
The book starts with a realistic discussion of the problem we face, then continues to outline an approach to the solution. It does not suggest any particular process, but chronicles what has actually worked for others; it is based on interviews with over 100 highly successful rainmakers. Harding tells how to think about the problem and how to develop a process that will work for you and your firm. He acknowledges that many successful rainmakers have an intuitive gift, but points out that those of us who do not have it, can learn from those who do. (Amazon)

Saving the world at work : what companies and individuals can do to go beyond making a profit to making a difference/ Tim Sanders.
In this book, he defines a business landscape where demographics, technology and world events converge into a perfect storm that is reshaping consumer values and behaviors. And, in this new order, a company's social consciousness - how they treat their employees, their communities and our planet - will play a major role in the company's success. Best of all, he shares the six laws of the Saver Soldier to help people with a passion for doing good to understand how to connect their dreams to business realities to create both social and economic value. This book is highly recommended for business leaders and anyone who wants to be one. (Amazon)

A sense of urgency / John Kotter.
A Sense of urgency is a book that is sorely needed in today's times as the difference between urgency and change will make the difference between survival and liquidation in today's economy. Executives need to recognize the difference between the two. Urgency creates a motivating force on results and teaming� Kotter reminds us that the root of success involves sense of Urgency. Urgency is the highly positive and focused forces that give people the determination to move and win now. It's a simple definition but one that is powerful and well executed throughout the book. (Amazon)

The snowball : Warren Buffett and the business of life / by Alice Schroeder.
Morning Star has nominated Warren Buffett as the 2008 most respectable CEO of the year. A Japanese organisation has just done the same. Indeed, Warren Buffett, known as "the Oracle of Omaha" is one of the most respected men in the world. Yet, he has never written a memoir. But now, he has allowed one writer, Alice Schroeder, a former Managing Director of Morgan Stanley a 5 year access to explore directly with him and with those closest to him, his work, follies, wisdom, triumphs, struggles and opinions. What transpires is what has never been done before. Ms Schroeder explores Warren Buffett's larger philosophy, which is bound up in a complex personality and the details of his life. (Amazon)

Tribes : we need you to lead us / by Seth Godin.
Guru Godin once again leads the pack examining and explaining how you too can lead a movement using freely available Internet social networking tools. Even if you don't think of yourself as a leader, if you are passionate enough about something and can spark similar interest from others who share your cause, then you need to read this book. Its a simple enough concept, but its driven home by example after example of how real-world leaders rose to the top of the heap using social networking. (Amazon)

True north: discover your authentic leadership / Bill George.
George and Sims discuss an unusually diverse group of men and women in terms of what is characterized as a three-phase "journey to authentic leadership" which begins with character formation and culminates (not concludes) with full development of authentic leadership within five separate but related dimensions: pursuing purpose with passion, practicing purpose with passion, practicing solid values, leading with heart, establishing connected relationships, and demonstrating self-discipline. (Amazon)