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335 pages
ISBN 9781591842408 Published Feb. 2009
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Posted May 5, 2009 4:25 a.m. by 800-ceo-read
In 100 Best - 800 CEO Read Blog
Despite the economy, despite swine flu, despite any evil that seems to be looming, you can either give in or do something remarkable. Creativity is critical now, and it's important to start applying yours in order to help your business survive and grow.
Watch this interesting video below (from blip.tv) about small organizations leveraging their creativity, and then check out this book, and maybe also this book. After all, creativity is even more powerful when supported by knowledge and passion.
Our Busy Wednesday
Posted May 2009 8:28 a.m. by todd-sattersten
In 100 Best - 800 CEO Read Blog
Wednesday was a busy day for us and The 100 Best Business Books of All Time.
We started the morning at the BizTimes's BizTechExpo at Wisconsin State Fair Park. I gave a talk to a great crowd about the themes that show up over and over in business books. This is a five clip about change:
That afternoon, Jack and I were on Ben Merens' At Issue program on Wisconsin Public Radio. We have done a lot of interviews for the book, but this was the first call-in show we have done. It was fun, but if you listen close "the experts," we had to think a bit to answer the questions of a couple of callers. You can listen to a Real Audio streaming version of the show here:
http://clipcast.wpr.org:8080/ramgen/wpr/bme/bme090429m.rm
100 Best Podcasts
Posted April 22, 2009 10:58 a.m. by jon8cr
In 100 Best - 800 CEO Read Blog
Jack and Todd have been busy interviewing as many authors as possible from The 100 Best Business Books of All Time. We took a break from posting these interviews for awhile, but a batch of them have gone up recently, with more to come each week. The site currently features interviews with Henry Petroski, David Dorsey, David Allen, Charles Wheelan, Bo Peabody, Al Ries, Leonard Berry, Karen Berman and Joe Knight, Strat Sherman, and Jack Stack.
Stay posted to the podcast site for interviews with Jeff Fox, Jim Champy, Kevin Kelly, and many more.
The 100 Best in Brookfield, WI
Posted April 16, 2009 5:05 a.m. by jon8cr
In 100 Best - 800 CEO Read Blog
For those of you in the Milwaukee area, head to the Barnes and Noble in Brookfield tonight at 7pm to hear Jack and Todd talk about the five business metathemes they discovered in writing The 100 Best Business Books of All Time. After the talk, they'll be signing copies of the book and answering any questions.
Stay posted on their future events at the 100 Best site.
Jack Covert Selects - Inspire!
Posted April 14, 2009 4:34 a.m. by 800-ceo-read
Inspire!: Why Customers Come Back by Jim Champy, FT Press, 192 Pages, $22.99 Hardcover, April 2009, ISBN 9780131361881
Some of the most successful business books use the research method to find the standouts in business, and then dig into those organizations to see what makes them so successful. Jim Collin's brilliant Good to Great comes to mind.
Jim Champy, author of Reengineering the Corporation—which is one of the titles featured in our book, The 100 Best Business Books of All Time—also uses the research method. This is his second book in a new series of compact volumes that he describes as follows: "Taken together, these volumes deliver practical advice on how to succeed in today's brave new world of business. That's because they are rooted in the actual experiences and insights of a select group of companies that have found new and better ways to innovate and grow in spite of our challenging economic environment."
The chapter "What Could Be More Inspiring Than Convenience with Economy?" uses the story of car-sharing company Zipcar as an example. Every time Clark Waterfall—the co-founder of high tech headhunter Boston Search Group—had a meeting in town, he had to drive in and deal with the ridiculous Boston traffic, instead of having the convenience of the train he was used to. Parking and the huge commutes were a royal pain. Zipcar has solved his problem, and found a very sweet spot in major metropolitan areas. You pay ZipCar $10 per hour to use their cars. They are parked in convenient places, and you simply wave your Zipcar card to get into a car, drive it for as long as you want, and then return it to that spot and replace the gas. For a commuter like Clark, this is a perfect deal.
In the chapter titled "What Could Be More Inspiring Than a Crusade?" Champy tells the story of Stoneyfield Farm and how they found a need, and created a brand around it, using simple, yet dramatic marketing ideas—like giving their product away for free to create buzz. Champy smartly summarizes each chapter with practical and valuable "Rules of Engagement." This chapter's are "Make sure your customers are true believers," "Don't hesitate to break the rules," "Use every available technique to tell your story," and "Be completely true to your cause," among many, many more.
In closing, I must congratulate either Jim Champy or FT Press for the design of this book. They use different font sizes to highlight and summarize ideas not only very effectively, but attractively as well. I'm looking forward to the future releases in this series. This one is a small treasure that will help you inspire and grow your business.
