Thousands of business books are published each year, each with the potential to promote change and enlighten the way people think about business. 800-CEO-READ honors this practice by recognizing work from a number of categories: Sales, Leadership, Human Resources/Organizational Development, Entrepreneurship/Small Business, Finance/Economics, Advertising/Marketing, Globalization, Parables/Fables, Biographies/Memoirs, Personal Development, Innovation/Creativity, Industry Books, and New Perspectives.

There will be a winning title for each category, as well as an overall Best Business Book choice for 2008. Each book will be judged on the originality of its ideas and content.

A celebration for the winning titles in each category, as well as a launch party for Jack Covert and Todd Sattersten's new book The 100 Best Business Books of All Time will also take place in NYC on January 26, 2009.

The deadline for submissions is October 15, 2008. Publishers or authors can find more info and make submissions directly online by clicking here.

Be in touch with Jon (jon@800ceoread.com) if you have any questions. May the best books win!

I was a big fan of the book personally, and was pleasantly surprised to see her recently on NOW, a weekly program on PBS. NOW turned to Meredith for her perspective during the episode "India Rising"--their look at the meteoric rise of India (and China) on Friday evening. Some of her thoughts:

The last time we saw such a big transformation was really when the United States itself came onto the global stage.

and

All of us are going to have to share. There's only so much on the planet... there's only so much energy. We're either going to have to pay a lot more for the privilege of using it, or we're going to have to decrease our use, or both. We're now in a competition, not just for jobs, but also for resources. We've been lucky, but the game's over.

The resources she's talking about aren't just oil and steel and concrete. Now a part of a global supply chain, food availability (and its cost) is also being increasingly affected as people in India and China can afford to eat better, creating more demand for more food--particularly more meat.

Gurchuran Das, former CEO of Proctor & Gamble India and author of India Unbound, was also interviewed for the program. (I haven't read any of his work, but after seeing how insightful and well-spoken he is on these issues, I look forward to it.) Das estimates that 50% of the Indian population will earn enough to be considered middle class by 2020. That's around 580 million people, or roughly twice the size of the entire United States. That's roughly twice the size of the entire United States driving cars, buying microwaves, heating and cooling ever bigger homes, eating better, all the while consuming the resources that those activities entail. And... that's not including China.

Click here to get the video of the program, or here to download the audio.

If you're looking for more on India, check out In Spite of the Gods: The Rise of Modern India. It was also a winner in our book awards, getting the nod in the New Perspectives category.

If you'd like another (and alarming) look at the competition for resources, look no further than Richard Behar's epic, six part article for Fast Company on China's expanding influence in Africa.

So here is the deal! For $20.00 we are putting together a MYSTERY BOX of three business books. In this box you are guaranteed one title that either won, or made the shortlist for best book of 2007 in its category, and 2 other titles that were submitted for the awards. 100% of the purchace will go directly to Room to Read, and we'll cover the shipping on all orders. Get on board and help us make a difference!!!! To take part in this special offer you can call Aaron at 414-274-6406 x204, or visit The 800-CEO-READ Mystery Box product page to order.

8cr would like to congratulate all the winners for their hard work and say thank you to all who participated in our first awards program!

Best Business Book of 2007

Made to Stick
Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Category Winners

Advertising/Marketing:
Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, Random House

Biographies/Memoirs:
Bill & Dave by Michael S. Malone, Portfolio

Entrepreneurship/Small Business:
No Man's Land by Doug Tatum, Portfolio

Fables:
The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly, Hyperion

Finance/Economics:
A Demon of Our Own Design by Richard Bookstaber, Wiley

Globalization:
The Elephant and the Dragon by Robyn Meredith, W.W. Norton

HR/Organizational Development:
One Foot Out the Door by Judith M. Bardwick, PhD., AMACOM

Industry:
The Last Tycoons by William D. Cohan, Doubleday

Innovation/Creativity:
Group Genius by Keith Sawyer, Basic Books

Leadership:
The Secret Language of Leadership by Stephen Denning, Jossey-Bass

New Perspectives:
In Spite of the Gods by Edward Luce, Doubleday

Personal Development:
Responsibility at Work by Howard Gardner, Jossey-Bass

Sales:
The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes, Portfolio

: : : :

Congratulations! You can find the full list here.

The shortlist for the Best Business Book of 2007 was also announced which includes:

The Dream Manager
Matthew Kelly


The Last Tycoons
William D. Cohan


Made to Stick
Chip and Dan Heath


Strengths Finder 2.0
Tom Rath

Final winners for the will be announced on January 15, 2008. To view the complete list of semifinalists and shortlist please visit www.800ceoread.com/bookawards

Nevertheless, the site is still up and running so be sure to keep voting for your favorite book by November 30!

Part II of the 2007 Business Book Awards is now underway as voting for the Author's Choice and Reader's Choice begin today. Any author with a title published in 2007 as well as all readers are eligible to cast a vote for what they feel is the best book of the year.

Voting will last until November 30 and can be done at:

Author's Choice and Reader's Choice Vote

The 8cr staff is currently busy reading entries as nearly 300 books were entered for the awards this year. Be sure to stay tuned as the semifinalists will be announced December 17 and final winners on January 15.