We love to read. When we find something special, we love to share it with others. Here you'll find quite a few of the most recent favorites we've decided to share.
The Sustainability Champion's Guidebook
by Bob Willard
The subtitle of the book is what it's all about: How to Transform Your Company. This short, 128-page book captures the essence of modern business thought: Peter M. Senge, Stephen R. Covey, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, George Ainsworth, John P Kotter, and Everett M. Rogers. Wow! It shows how applicable all those thought leaders are to moving sustainability forward.
In the author's words, here's what you get: ". . . practices that have always worked for effective leaders championing any kind of organizational change. These are the lesson learned–without the backup theory, stories, case studies, and anecdotes." This is powerful stuff – so much information in such a small space.
Another insightful paragraph: "Sustainability initiatives thrive on meaning. When corporate values align with person values, employee energy, creativity and commitment are unleashed, accelerating sustainability changes and adding passion capital to the financial, natural, and social capitals of sustainability."
Make no doubt about it, the author wants to advance sustainability. But, truly this book will help any executive move change through an organization. And, this is the kind of book you'll read more than once. I'm going to start my second read right now!
All Marketers Are Liars
by Seth Godin
(The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World) With a title like that and Godin’s usual penchant for provocative writing, this book made for a great read. Early on he says that stories make it easier to understand the world. So what makes a great story? Truth and trust are key elements – you’ll find the rest on pages 9-11. Here’s the essence of Godin’s book: “Marketers aren’t liars. They’re just storytellers. It’s the consumers who are liars . . . Successful marketers are just the providers of stories that consumers choose to believe.” He’s clear this isn’t a book about lying; it’s a “book about telling (and living) the truth.” Here are some products that tell the truth, according to Godin: Fiji water, Riedel wine glasses, Avalon Organic Botanicals, Trek bicycles, Cold Stone ice cream, Toyota Prius. If you’re ready to challenge yourself, this is the book for you.
As the Future Catches You
by Juan Enriquez
Are you ready to have your world shake a little? Unconventional, thought provoking, futuristic, realistic, wonderful! You've got to read this book. If you think you know the alphabet you have a lot to learn. And it's not just about 1s and 0s. It's about these 1s and 0s getting together with the genetic code. Wow! Written in an unconventional manner. No paragraphs for Juan Enriquez. If you only read one book to help your business this year make it this book.
BANG!
by Linda Kaplan Thaler & Robin Koval
(Getting your message heard in a noisy world) Stop thinking, forget the rules, take risks, and you will find that Big Bang idea. BANG! shows the creative process behind some of the industry’s best advertising campaigns. These seemingly unconventional, unrealistic, and impractical ideas have led to the AFLAC duck, Kodak moments, and the Herbal Essence’s sensual commercials. Let this book inspire you to create your own Big Bang idea.
Blink
by Malcolm Gladwell
(The Power of Thinking Without Thinking) This prolific New Yorker writer has done it again –created a provocative book with breakthrough insights. You’ll be intrigued by his assertion that “the best decisions are often those that are impossible to explain to others.” And learn about thin-slicing – the ability to make decisions by focusing on just a few factors rather than all variables. How we make decisions in the blink of the eye is unveiled in this easy to read, informative book.
Blue Ocean Strategy
by Chan Kim & Renee Mauborgne
Learn how to avoid the red oceans that result from battles between competitors. the authors show you how to make the competition irrelevant. No, it's not blue sky thinking! In fact, this book is based on years of study of successful businesses, as old as the Ford Model T. Other more recent examples include Cirque du Soleil, yellow tail wine, and Dell Computers. All three - and the other companies cited in the book - shared three complementary qualifies: focus, divergence and a compelling tagline. This systematic approach will change how you think about your business and help you create blue oceans - and profits!
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