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ISBN 9781592405077 Published Sept. 2009
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Posted Dec. 14, 2009 7:35 a.m. by dylan
In - 800 CEO Read Blog
Jack was asked—along with author and editor-at-large Bo Burlingham, Inc.'s Leigh Buchanan, columnist Joel Spolsky, and Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh—to recommend books for Inc. Magazine's list of The Best Books for Business Owners of 2009. Together, they a have put together a really stellar list of books. The are:
- Getting to Plan B: Breaking Through to a Better Business Model by John Mullins and Randy Komisar, Harvard Business Press
- Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust by Chris Brogan & Julien Smith, John Wiley & Sons
- Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell, Little Brown and Company
- Early Exits: Exit Strategies for Entrepreneurs and Angel Investors (But Maybe Not Venture Capitalists) by Basil Peters, self published
- Poorly Made in China: An Insider's Account of the Tactics Behind China's Production Game by Paul Midler, John Wiley & Sons
- Exploiting Chaos: 150 Ways to Spark Innovation During Times of Change by Jeremy Gutsche, Gotham Books
- How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In by Jim Collins, HarperCollins
- Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work by Matthew Crawford, Penguin Press
- Clever: Leading Your Smartest, Most Creative People by Rob Goffee & Gareth Jones, Harvard Business Press
- Crush It!: Why Now Is the Time to Cash in on Your Passion by Gary Vaynerchuk, HarperStudio
- Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation by Tim Brown, HarperBusiness
- Borrowing Brilliance: The Six Steps to Business Innovation by Building on the Ideas of Others by David Kord Murray, Gotham Books
- The Match King: Ivar Kreuger, the Financial Genius Behind a Century of Wall Street Scandals by Frank Partnoy, PublicAffairs
- I Love You More Than My Dog: Five Decisions That Drive Extreme Customer Loyalty in Good Times and Bad by Jeanne Bliss, Portfolio
Head on over to the Inc.'s slide-show to read more about these great books.
Show Chaos Who's Boss
Posted Oct. 7, 2009 2:51 a.m. by jon
In Leadership - 800 CEO Read Blog
Last month, Jeremy Gutsche's exciting book, Exploiting Chaos launched. I had a chance to pick it up after reading the Jack Covert Selects post on it, and was pretty blown away. And today it makes a stop at our blog as it travels on the Virtual Book Tour.
As Jack mentioned in his review, one of the first things you notice about the book is the design and layout. Indeed, it is different than most books. On one hand, I thought, "whoah, this is a business book?" but on the other, I felt myself starting to read it like a web site - scanning the headlines and grabbing bits of info and looking at pictures and humorous commentary. It's an interesting experience to have with a book, and thus a huge testimony to the message the author preaches: In times of chaos, do something remarkable. In this case, if digital is attracting eyes, make something that appeals to that audience without doing the same old thing. It works.
Recognizing this situation, I dug deeper into Gutsche's ideas, to see how the rest stood up, and like the book itself, the ideas not only ring true, they are shown in practice with successful results. From Apple to Sun, Gutsche points out how companies have begun and flourished in times of chaos. How did they pull this off? I've given some hints at that in my description so far, but check out the book. Trust me, you'll have an amazing time with this one, and learn some things to make a difference in your world despite all sorts of adversity.
Here's a TV clip of Gutsche talking more about the book and the ideas within:
Jack Covert Selects - Exploiting Chaos
Posted Sept. 14, 2009 7:26 a.m. by 800-ceo-read
Exploiting Chaos: 150 Ways to Spark Innovation During Times of Change by Jeremy Gutsche, Gotham Books, 271 Pages, $20.00, Paperback, September 2009, ISBN 9781592405077
Without a doubt, this is one of the best books on sparking ideas that I have ever read. Jeremy Gutsche has written and designed an excellent book for an uncertain time—a time when all of our instincts scream at us to retreat. Instead, Gutsche all but demands that we act, reminding us that companies such as Disney, CNN, HP, GE, Apple, Sun, Eli Lilly and many more were founded during periods of economic recession.
The great motivational stories are here, from the boiling frog story to a more obscure tale about Smith Corona. You’ll find great motivational quotes here as well, including Edison’s “I have not failed 1,000 times. I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to not make a light bulb.” and Michael Jordan’s “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” And, while we may have heard these before, Gutsche presents the gathered material in an energetic and fresh manner.
Beyond the motivational material, Exploiting Chaos doesn’t serve up the same old examples of innovation and success. Gutsche points out that “IBM, GE, Wal-Mart, Dell, and Southwest Airlines were referenced in 1,304 of the most recent 2,000 Harvard Business Review articles” and states what you’re probably thinking after reading that sentence—“Holy crap! That’s excessive.” Accordingly, Exploiting Chaos brings you more rare examples, applicable to both big businesses and new ventures.
Exploiting Chaos is a different type of business book in terms of design as well. The presentation is truly special. The author explains the reason for this:
Our reading habits have entirely changed in the last decade. Driven by media clutter and our shrinking attention spans, our world has become headline obsessed. Hence, this book is visual and action packed, offering two ways to read:
- Consume the content end-to-end.
- Just read the headlines on each page. They flow together and will help to spark your next big idea.
I read it from cover to cover, but believe that even good skim will have you reaching for a blank piece of paper and pen or a fresh Word document. Get yourself a copy of Exploiting Chaos. It could be the difference going forward.
A Sneak Peak of Exploiting Chaos
Posted Aug. 18, 2009 8:27 a.m. by dylan
In General Business - 800 CEO Read Blog
Jack has chosen the book to be one of his Jack Covert Selects for September, so we'll have more on the book when those reviews are posted. And it's not just Jack raving. Dan Pink has praised the book, saying "Exploiting Chaos is a rousing battle cry for the kind of creative, risky thinking that is most needed in times of change and disorder" and Guy Kawasaki has called the book "The quintessential roadmap for all those who seek opportunity ..." That's a lot of highly respected, intellectual weight being thrown around this book.
