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Hardcover
257 pages
ISBN 9781591397649 Published Jan. 2006
Harvard Business School Press
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Posted Jan. 23, 2009 5:38 a.m. by todd-sattersten
In 100 Best - 800 CEO Read Blog
There was a post in Twitter last week with someone asking what five business books should be recommended to someone entering the workforce. I wasn't able to go back and find the post, but the question has been lingering with me as we approach the launch of The 100 Best Business Books of All Time.
Where to start? It depends on so many things. What newcomers to the world of business lack is not knowledge, but experience. That can makes books a problematic choice for green, just out of the gate graduates, brimming with academic theory.
As I think about it though, the best business books relate stories and through those stories the experiences of others. The good ones also provide context, putting the pieces together in a different way or providing narrative that helps us see the things we already know in a new light.
The five books below provide wisdom for those starting their careers in business. They may also be a good reminder for the rest of us:
- Financial Intelligence - The authors describe financial information as the nervous system of any business and newly minted grads understand debits and credits, while missing the broader point of the matching principle. Financial Intelligence is the book to help anyone understand accounting and its implications on business, much needed context for anyone who wants to be successful.
- What The CEO Wants You To Know by Ram Charan - This books covers some of the same ground but at a much higher level. You may even want to read it before Financial Intelligence for its 50,000 foot view of the really big ideas in business. The book is also small and short, making for a quick accessible read. Jack recommends two handouts for new employees: the company manual and What The CEO Wants You To Know.
- StrengthFinder 2.0 - Focus on what you are good at, says the folks at Gallup. The book comes with a code for the online test that assesses you and provides your top five strengths with descriptions of what you can further do to improve and embrace them. I think this is a great step toward finding your personal purpose.
- Influence and Made To Stick - You are always trying to convince someone of something in business, whether its the hiring manager or customer who just isn't sure. Both of these books are required reading. I will say no more.
- Six Thinking Hats - Have you ever been in a conversation and realize that the other person is not have the same conversation you are? The both of you arrive at that point with different concerns. Edward De Bono is good at showing us new ways to look at things and he says there are six ways of thinking. And if you are in a team meeting, you need to all be in the same mode. The basis of everything is communication and if it is not happening, nothing is happening.
InBubbleWrap - Financial Intelligence
Posted Jan. 12, 2009 10:37 a.m. by dylan
In 100 Best - 800 CEO Read Blog
I'm forever popping bubbles,
Pretty bubblewrap in the mail.
Books fly so high,
Nearly reach the sky,
Then like from my dreams,
I wake up and try.
Fortune's always hiding,
to be discovered on life's trail,
I'm forever popping bubbles,
Pretty bubblewrap in the mail.
-Adapted from "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" (and inspired by the version Ring Lardner sings in Eight Men Out, "I'm Forever Blowing Ballgames")
We continue in our ceaseless efforts to provide you with copies of the books that Jack and Todd, with their combined quarter-century of business book experience, have chosen as The 100 Best Business Books of All Time. This week, we are offering up 25 copies of Financial Intelligence, written by Karen Berman and Joe Knight with John Case. Listen to Todd's take on the book below, and then head on over to InBubbleWrap to win a copy.
Additional Recommended Finance Reading
Posted Jan. 12, 2006 8:36 a.m. by karen-berman-and-joe-knight
In Finance and Economics - 800 CEO Read Blog
We believe, of course, that every manager should read Financial Intelligence. However, as we said in the book, a good manager shouldn't just look at the numbers to understand his or her business. So, here are a few books we recommend to round out your reading list:
- A Stake in the Outcome -- What can go right and what can wrong in small, closely held businesses when equity is shared broadly.
- First, Break All the Rules -- One perspective on what people really look for in a workplace and what makes a company great to work for.
- Good to Great -- What it takes to be successful in the long term. We especially love the hedge hog concept.
- Small Giants -- A look at successful entrepreneurs who care more about success and lifestyle than revenue and growth.
- The Discipline of Market Leaders -- An understanding of the strategy behind some of the biggest and most successful companies in the last 30 years.
- The Goal -- Introduces revolutionary concepts related to managing a manufacturing company. Goldratts project management finance philosophy mirrors our own.
If you want to read more about finance, then try the books listed below. We've included a few about a concept called open book management, an approach to managing a company that has to do with the numbers, as well as with communication and education, and is in alignment with our philosophy.
- Great Game of Business -- The philosophy and elements of teaching everyone about the numbers, sharing them on a regular basis, and sharing equity. Some would say this is true financial transparency.
- Maverick -- An even more radical approach to opening the books, including salary information and performance reviews. Not for everyone, but the employee manual at the end of the book is worth the read.
- Open Book Management -- Great insights and stories about successful companies that opened the books.
- Relevance Lost -- An explanation of why managerial accounting has gone in the wrong direction in the last 50 years.
- The Interpretation of Financial Statements -- A look at how great investment thinkers of our time looked at financials. Buffett looked to Graham as his financial mentor.
- The Warrant Buffett Portfolio -- Lots of financial analysis, so it isnt for everyone. But great insight into how Buffett thinks and invests.
Finally, if you want a good financial analysis text (if you really want to get in depth into the subject of finance), we recommend the book below. However, there are many more good ones out there.
Corporate Finance by Ross and Westerfield
Thanks
It has been great sharing our thoughts with you today. Feel free to contact either one of us through our websites, either www.financialintelligencebook.com or www.business-literacy.com.
Financial Intelligence -- Good Morning
Posted Jan. 12, 2006 2:50 a.m. by karen-berman-and-joe-knight
In Finance and Economics - 800 CEO Read Blog
Good morning to everyone. First, wed like to say thank you to Jack and Todd at 800-CEO-READ for asking us to host the blog today. As the authors of Financial Intelligence, A Managers Guide to Knowing What the Numbers Really Mean, we are excited to share with you more information about financial intelligence and about creating a financially transparent organization.
To start, wed like to share with you our paths to our philosophy, that everyone in organizations should understand how financial success is measured and how they make an impact. Karen took the academic path. It all started when she noticed that CEOs and others would always say that everyone in the organization was important to success, but they rarely told employees how they impacted success or even how success was defined. So her Ph.D. dissertation focused on that issue. And from there, she founded the Business Literacy Institute, a firm dedicated to teaching employees, managers and leaders about the financial side of the business.
Joes path was on the practical side. After earning an MBA from UC Berkeley, he worked at Ford Motor Company and a few others before joining a start-up business, Setpoint Inc. The two other owners of Setpoint had some bad experiences as engineers being asked to do things that just didnt make sense to them. When the two engineers founded this company, they decided everyone would understand the whys of decisions, and even include employees in the process of managing the financial side of the business. Joe became the person who taught everyone about the numbers, and created the system that they use to this day to share the numbers and talk about the business every week with all employees.
Throughout the day well be posting information about finance that we hope will help you lead, manage and work better.
This Week - 1/9/06
Posted Jan. 9, 2006 5:08 a.m. by todd-sattersten
In Finance and Economics - 800 CEO Read Blog
Good morning and welcome to a new week. There has been a plague moving through the office and I have become the latest victim. Ugh.
This week our only big event is author Karen Berman joining us. She has co-authored a book with Joe Knight and John Case called Financial Intelligence: A Manager's Guide to Knowing What the Numbers really mean. Karen will be hosting the blog on Thursday.
Have a great week!
