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Category Archives: Book Reviews

Book Review: Family Business - the essentials

Friday, April 4, 2008

Did you know that the vast majority of businesses in the United States are family-owned? Moreover, between three-fifths and three-quarters of employment and wages can be attributed directly to family businesses. And this type of structure isn’t restricted to small, local companies. . .

Also filed in Corporate Governance, Culture, Management | | Comments (2)

Bad books

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Perhaps my favorite book review of all time isn’t, properly speaking, a review of a book at all, but of the whole category of business books. It was called How 51 Gorillas Can Make You Seriously Rich, and it was by The Economist magazine. The most interesting thing about it, though, is that virtually every book cited as an archetype of what is wrong with the genre was a best seller. Why is that?

Also filed in Management Development, Personal Observations | | Comments (5)

Book Review: The Definitive Drucker

Friday, March 14, 2008

The late Peter Drucker will likely be remembered as the most influential management thinker of the last 100 years - perhaps of all time. He was at once profound and prolific, writing widely on management and other topics. Certainly much has been written about him, as well. But the author of this book, Elizabeth Haas Edersheim, wrote it at the specific request of Drucker, and with the help of his close collaboration over the last sixteen months of his life. . .

Also filed in Management Development, Management Skills, Management Trends, Peter Drucker | | Comments (0)

Book Review: Managers Not MBAs

Friday, January 25, 2008

Mainstream notions about management and management training tend to be disingenuously affirmed by torrents of circular logic and self-referential affirmations. The effect is to constrain our ability to discern, much less examine, the assumptions upon which most of those shibboleths are based. Anyone who dares to try to damp this tide of sophism is labeled as an iconoclast and marginalized. So, the rest of us should be especially relieved when some are able to break through the static and get their voices heard. . .

Also filed in Management Development, Training and Education | | Comments (9)

Book Review: Game Theory: A Nontechnical Introduction

Friday, January 11, 2008

This is pretty intimidating stuff, game theory. All you have to do us use the expression and people start becoming concerned about competing with you. Mention that it was used to help analyze and develop options for various Cold War scenarios and you are approaching expert status. Finally, toss something into the mix like “this is a classic prisoner’s dilemma situation” and the game is over - people will start quietly folding their hands; you’ve won. . .

Also filed in Management Skills, Organizational Leadership | | Comments (2)