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ISBN 9781591843856 Published Sept. 29, 2011
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Posted May 10, 2012 10:09 a.m. by jon
In - 800 CEO Read Blog
According to Shapiro, the main problems we have with being innovative, is how we think about things, the kind of questions we ask, and what we already know about the challenges we face. Here's a clip from his talk that gives examples of this:
Following this, Shapiro states that asking the right questions, looking at similar problems but that occurred in different situations from our own, and thinking calmly about those situations, can have a markedly successful effect. From Einstein to everyday people, his book offers great examples of how people have found solutions that were truly great, and how we can do the very same thing.
The Category Winners for the 2011 Business Book Awards
Posted Jan. 10, 2012 8:11 a.m. by sally-haldorson
In - 800 CEO Read Blog
The time has come! Drum roll, please...
General Business
In The Quest, Daniel Yergin expands his Pulitzer Prize winning history of oil, The Prize, to capture the entire energy picture. The story he tells captures the immediacy of the headlines while at the same time revealing a deeper, more dramatic narrative of behind-the-scenes personalities and maneuvering. Taking us from The Caspian Sea to Nigeria, Venezuela to the Persian Gulf, China and everywhere in between, The Quest is 700+ pages of fascinating stories and detail.
Leadership
Based on nine years of research, Great by Choice is a book that identifies and studies enterprises that have not only excelled statistically, but did so in a particularly turbulent environment. But beyond the vital research—and this book presents plenty of it, with almost 40 pages of research notes at the back of the book—a book has to be readable, the advice applicable, the examples memorable to really get you thinking and inspire change. Ten years after the release of Good to Great, Jim Collins and Morten Hansen have done all of that, given us the perfect book for our times and the understanding that it is the choices we make—not chance—that determines a company’s fate.
Management
Most managers probably don’t consider themselves designers—they manage people and processes. But consider this: Instead of just thinking about who does what, how and when, what if managers began to think about how these tasks interact with customers, how the space these activities are done in (both the real space and metaphorical space) create efficiency, buy-in, job fulfillment, and profitability? By treating management as a design process, managers can create systems that have quality built in rather than simply offering rules and guidelines for employees to follow. This book is the guide to making that shift, and is an important resource for those who lead people.
Marketing and Sales
Gary Vaynerchuck’s first book, Crush It, showed us how to use social media to turn our passions into a business. The Thank You Economy details how to use social media to maintain and improve that business, and allow the personalities of people at all levels of a company to create real, authentic conversations about the way business is conducted. Filled with practical stories and ideas on how to use customer service, strategy, innovation, and sales and marketing to create a strong and trustworthy company, The Thank You Economy is the essential guidebook for leveraging social media to improve your business.
Entrepreneurship & Small Business
Written by a serial entrepreneur, this book examines the innovations made by his successful startups, lessons learned by those that weren't and how the actions that paved their way can be replicated and lead to radically successful businesses, according to Ries. Based on the precepts of lean manufacturing, The Lean Startup illustrates how to get closer to customers, design products and services they really want and then streamline processes and procedures to help business startups become more successful. Heady, but immensely interesting, the book can help startups succeed at a time when they desperately need to.
Personal Development
At first glance, Uncertainty looks like one of those niche books that will appeal primarily to born risk-takers whose pursuit of a personal dream outruns any natural fear of failure. And, while it does offer many stories about uber-successful, seemingly fearless folks who look uncertainty in the eye and never blink, what is so good about Uncertainty is that it goes beyond the anecdotal. Author Jonathan Fields very clearly presents the tools, talents and traits that people such as Randy Komisar, Sebastian Junger, and Haruki Murakami have put into practice to navigate the unknown and find success. And practice is the key word here, for being able to tolerate uncertainty isn't the result of some innate DNA strand, but of the ability to make small changes and a commitment to doing the work that we are passionate about, despite the risk.
Innovation & Creativity
Don’t think outside the box. Make a better box. Shapiro’s book looks at how to make improvements, find solutions to problems, and overcome a number of challenges by not following the usual methods. Through Shapiro’s research, case studies, and insights, this is a book readers can instantly put into action, and when it comes to change, new ideas, and new approaches, those on the path to innovation first will have a head start toward success.
Finance & Economics
This year’s Finance & Economics shortlist is full of books about economic and financial bad behavior, tricks, gimmick and wars. Martin’s book is about fixing the game. There are many fixes in the book, but the big one is to break shareholder value theory’s influence on the business world in the same way the NFL broke gambling’s influence on the game in its early days—by not letting those who play the game gamble on it or, put in business terms, by segregating the actual market from the expectations market. The best books of the past few years have focused of the economic challenges of the recent past; it seems we’re now finally beginning to see a transition to addressing the great many challenges we face in the future.
Cheers to all the winners! Which one of these excellent books will be awarded the top prize next week?
2011 Business Book Awards: The Short List
Posted Jan. 4, 2012 7:40 a.m. by 800-ceo-read
In - 800 CEO Read Blog
What was the Best Business Book written in 2011? Watch this 90 second video and find out more.
Ok, so we didn't tell you what the best book was. We didn't even tell you what the winners of each category were. But below, you'll see the books that made our short list of the best business books of 2011, ordered by category.
General Business
Demand: Creating What People Love Before They Know They Want It by Adrian J. Slywotsky with Karl Weber, published by Crown Business
Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge From Small Discoveries by Peter Sims, published by The Free Press
Once Upon a Car: The Fall and Resurrection of America’s Big Three Automakers—GM, Ford, and Chrysler by Bill Vlasic published by William Morrow
The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World by Daniel Yergin, published Penguin Press
The Responsible Business: Reimagining Sustainability & Success by Carol Sanford published by Jossey-Bass
Leadership
Being the Boss: The 3 Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader by Linda A Hill & Kent Lineback, published by Harvard Business Review Press
Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck—Why Some Thrive Despite Them All by Jim Collins & Morten T. Hansen, published by HarperBusiness
I Moved Your Cheese: For Those Who Refuse to Live as Mice in Someone Else’s Maze by Deepak Malhotra, published by Berrett-Koehler
We: How to Increase Performance and Profits Through Full Engagement by Rudy Karsen & Kevin Kruse published by John Wiley & Sons
You Need a Leader—Now What?: How to Choose the Best Person for Your Organization by James M. Citrin & Julie Hembrock Daum, published by Crown Business
Management
Breaking the Fear Barrier: How Fear Destroys Companies From the Inside Our and What to do About by Tom Rieger, published by Gallup Press
Designing for Growth: A Design Thinking Toolkit for Managers by Jeanne Liedtka & Tim Ogilvie, Columbia Business School Publishing
Escape Velocity: Free Your Company's Future from the Pull of the Past by Geoffrey A. Moore, published by HarperBusiness
Good Strategy/Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters by Richard P. Rumelt, published by Crown Business
Reputation Rules: Strategies for Building Your Company's Most Valuable Asset by Daniel Diermeier, Ph.D., published by McGraw-Hill
Marketing & Sales
Brand Relevance: Making Competitors Irrelevant by David A. Aaker, published by Jossey-Bass
Brandwashed: Tricks Companies Use to Manipulate Our Minds and Persuade Us to Buy by Martin Lindstrom, published by Crown Business
The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk, published by HarperBusiness
Users, Not Customers: Who Really Determines the Success of Your Business by Aaron Shapiro published by Portfolio
We First: How Brands and Consumers Use Social Media to Build a Better World by Simon Mainwaring published by Palgrave Macmillan
Entrepreneurship & Small Business
Eat People: And Other Unapologetic Rules for Game-Changing Entrepreneurs by Andy Kessler published by Portfolio
The Entrepreneur Equation: Evaluating the Realities, Risks, and Rewards of Having Your Own Business by Carol Roth published by BenBella
The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries, published by Crown Business
Making It Happen: Turning Good Ideas Into Great Results by Peter Sheahan, published by BenBella
The Method Method: Seven Obsessions That Helped Our Scrappy Start-Up Turn an Industry Upside Down by Eric Ryan & Adam Lowry, published by Portfolio
Personal Development
Break Your Own Rules: How to Change the Patterns of Thinking That Block Women's Paths to Power by Jill Flynn, Kathryn Heath, & Mary Davis Holt, published by Jossey-Bass
Harper's Rules: A Recruiter's Guide to Finding a Dream Job and the Right Relationship by Danny Cahill, published by Greenleaf
It's Not About You: A Little Story about What Matters Most in Business by Bob Burg & John David Mann, published by Portfolio
Tell To Win: Connect, Persuade, and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story by Peter Guber, published by Crown Business
Uncertainty: Turning Fear and Doubt Into Fuel for Brilliance by Jonathan Fields, published by Portfolio
Innovation & Creativity
The Accidental Creative: How to Be Brilliant at a Moment’s Notice by Todd Henry, published by Portfolio
Best Practices Are Stupid: 40 Ways to Out-Innovate the Competition, by Stephen M. Shapiro, published by Portfolio
Brainsteering: A Better Approach to Breakthrough Ideas by Kevin P. Coyne & Shawn T. Coyne, published by Harper Business
Disciplined Dreaming: A Proven System to Drive Breakthrough Creativity by Josh Linkner, published by Jossey-Bass
The Innovator’s DNA: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators by Jeff Dyer, Hal Gregersen, & Clayton M. Christensen, published by Harvard Business Review
Finance & Economics
The Coming Jobs War by James Clifton, published by Gallup Press
Currency Wars: The Making of the Next Global Crisis by James Rickards, published by Portfolio
Fixing the Game: Bubbles, Crashes, and What Capitalism Can Learn from the NFL by Roger Martin, published by Harvard Business Review Press
The Price of Everything: Solving the Mystery of Why We Pay What We Do by Eduardo Porter, published by Portfolio
Retirement Heist How Companies Plunder and Profit from the Nest Eggs of American Workers by Ellen Schultz, published by Portfolio
Stay tuned next week when we announce the winners from each of these categories, and the following week we'll announce The Best Business Book of 2011! The suspense!!!
Introducing the Candidates: Creativity/Innovation, Marketing/Sales
Posted Dec. 22, 2011 3:22 a.m. by sally-haldorson
In - 800 CEO Read Blog
Over the course of this week, we will be introducing, by category, the candidates for the 2011 800-CEO-READ Business Book Awards. Even though only one of the candidates can win the big prize, good business books deserve an audience, and perhaps one on this list will be the winning book..to you.
Today, we take a look at the candidates in the Creativity/Innovation & Marketing/Sales category.
Creativity and Innovation:
- Nanovation: How a Little Car Can Teach the World to Think Big and Act Boldby Kevin & Jackie Freiberg and Dain Dunston | Thomas Nelson
- StandOut: The Groundbreaking New Strengths Assessment from the Leader of the Strengthsby Marcus Buckingham | Thomas Nelson
- Blah Blah Blah: What to Do When Words Don't Workby Dan Roam | Portfolio/Penguin US
- Best Practices Are Stupid: 40 Ways to Out-Innovate the Competitionby Stephen M. Shapiro | Portfolio/Penguin US
- The Accidental Creative: How to Be Brilliant at a Moment's Noticeby Todd Henry | Portfolio/Penguin US
- The Innovator's DNA: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovatorsby Jeff Dyer, Hal Gregersen, Clayton M. Christensen | Harvard Business Review Press
- Disciplined Dreaming: A Proven System to Drive Breakthrough Creativityby Josh Linkner | Jossey-Bass, An Imprint of Wiley
- Open Services Innovation: Rethinking Your Business to Grow and Compete in a New Eraby Henry Chesbrough | Jossey-Bass, An Imprint of Wiley
- The Idea Hunter: How to Find the Best Ideas and Make Them Happenby Andy Boynton, Bill Fischer | Jossey-Bass, An Imprint of Wiley
- The Two-Second Advantage: How We Succeed by Anticipating the Future‚ Just Enoughby Vivek Ranadive, Kevin Maney | Crown Publishing Group, Crown Business
- Big Wave Surfing: Extreme Technology Development, Management, Marketing and Investing by Kenneth J. Thurber, PhD | Beavers Pond Press
Marketing and Sales:
- The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversationby Matthew Dixon, Brent Adamson | Portfolio/Penguin US
- The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real Worldby Harvey Mackay | Portfolio/Penguin US
- Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actionsby Guy Kawasaki | Portfolio/Penguin US
- Users, Not Customers: Who Really Determines the Success of Your Businessby Aaron Shapiro | Portfolio/Penguin US
- The Ultimate Question 2.0: How Net Promoter Companies Thrive in a Customer-Driven Worldby Fred Reichheld with Rob Markey | Harvard Business Review Press
- The Power of Foursquare: 7 Innovative Ways to Get Your Customers to Check In Wherever They Areby Carmine Gallo | McGraw-Hill Professional
- Likeable: How to Delight Your Customers, Create an Irresistible Brand, and Be Generally Amazingby Dave Kerpen | McGraw-Hill Professional
- Brand Relevance: Making Competitors Irrelevantby David A. Aaker | Jossey-Bass, An Imprint of Wiley
- The Third Screen: Marketing to Your Customers in a World Gone Mobileby Chuck Martin | Nicholas Brealey Publishing
- Brandwashed: Tricks Companies Use to Manipulate Our Minds and Persuade Us to Buyby Martin Lindstrom, Morgan Spurlock (Foreword) | Crown Publishing Group, Crown Business
- Brand Resilience: Managing Risk and Recovery in a High-Speed Worldby Jonathan R. Copulsky | Palgrave Macmillan
- We First: How Brands and Consumers Use Social Media to Build a Better World by Simon Mainwaring | Palgrave Macmillan
Jack Covert Selects - Best Practices Are Stupid
Posted Oct. 14, 2011 3:38 a.m. by 800-ceo-read
Imagine a company that has zeroed in on an opportunity to solve a problem or fulfill a need. They hire a bunch of their friends and start brainstorming on how to create something innovative that will not only serve the opportunity, but will set them apart from the competition in big ways. Then, slowly but surely, things go nowhere. The project isn’t a total failure, but the disappointment over what could have been is discouraging, even painful.
According to Stephen Shapiro’s new book, this kind of result occurs because companies rely on following the predictable route: hire a bunch of people you like, and try to get them to think outside the box, when all you have presented them with is the box. Best Practices are Stupid offers alternative practices.
“Hire people you don’t like.” According to Shapiro, different perspectives fuel innovation. Right brainers need left brainers and vice versa. “Recognize people for challenging the status quo,” implying that honoring people for doing their jobs simply asks for, “more of the same, please!” And finally, “give employees a better box,” meaning, instead of asking them to think outside of the box (a clean, empty slate), leaders should provide employees interesting new boxes to work within, be inspired by, and develop into totally new ideas, products, and services.
From process to strategy to measures to people to creativity, Shapiro covers the entire equation. Using great case studies and his intelligent and logical insight, this book is filled with ideas that can create a sustainable, innovative culture and personal philosophy that can be relied upon repeatedly.
His previous book, Personality Poker, made clear that Shapiro understands how people work, both personally, and together. Best Practices Are Stupid now focuses on how leadership can develop teams of highly innovative people, and how employees can find ways to stand out from the herd and achieve greatness within their organization.
