Lexington, KY - The year 2009 was certainly one for the books-in many ways.
While some authors wrote to explain what happened, others focused on how to best to cope. The overriding theme of this year's business books can be summed up in a single word:
change.
The following 10 books were on my list of "must read."
I hope some of these will provide you with ideas for working with change and building success in the New Year.
Too Big to Fail:
The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System-and Themselves
By Andrew Ross Sorkin
Sorkin, a New York Times reporter gives the inside story behind last year's financial crisis.
Detailed to extremes, the book is by turns fascinating and frightening.
If you want to understand the bank bailout from a political as well as business perspective, this book is the place to begin.
How the Mighty Fall:
And Why Some Companies Never Give In
By Jim Collins
This year marked the decline and fall of many once-great companies.
Jim Collins sets out to determine whether such decline could be avoided and reversed.
He uncovers five stages that can be used to dramatically reduce the chances for failure.
Collins suggests that decline is largely self-inflicted and that recovery lies in the hands of the organization, not outside forces or government.
SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance
By Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
The book Freakonomics was a worldwide bestseller that changed the way many perceive the world and its economy. The authors returned with SuperFreakonomics, touching on an equally wide range of economic topics from education to global warming.
This is a fun read; don't look for heavy economic indicators here.
The Answer: Grow Any Business, Achieve Financial Freedom, and Live an Extraordinary Life
By John Assaraf and Murray Smith
There are numerous books on using the power of positive thinking and creative imagination to influence our lives.
There are an equal number of books on growing a business into a profitable enterprise. The authors offer a remarkable account of the relationship between mindset and success in business.
Small Town Sexy: The Allure of Living In Small Town America
By Kim Huston
Bardstown, Kentucky author Kim Huston wrote an engaging and informative book on the "sexiness" of living and doing business in small town America.
In addition to business insights, Huston includes stories about parades and celebrations like the Mosquito, Duct Tape, and Mike the Headless Chicken festivals.
For anyone who lives or works in a small town, this charming book is a must read.
Bicycle Diaries
By David Byrne
We need only to look at cities to understand "what we think and what we believe to be important, as well as how we structure those thoughts and beliefs," says David Byrne.
Our values, hopes, and ideals are manifested in office buildings, storefronts, museums and shops in the urban landscape. Byrne suggests that one of the best ways to decipher the unique language of a city is by riding a bike. His journey through major cities of the world provides keen insight into contemporary society.
Who's got your back
By Keith Ferrazzi
To follow up his national bestseller Never Eat Alone, Ferrazzi wrote a thought provoking and inspired book, one befitting the changing times.
While his first book promoted the power of relationships and networking, his new work takes these ideas to a deeper level.
While Never Eat Alone stressed a broad network of relationships, Ferrazzi's new book focuses on developing a critical few.
Nudge:
Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness
By Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein
The current economic recession created hyperinflation in at least one area: the number of business books suggesting reasons for the global meltdown. Perhaps this process needs a little "nudge" suggests these University of Chicago authors. Humans, they note, can be very poor decision-makers, which is why free markets can sometimes lead to disasters.
However, businesses can sometimes nudge us in the right direction. This is a guidebook as to how we can try to do better, for our own good.
Who Killed Change? Solving the Mystery of Leading People Through Change
By Ken Blanchard, John Britt, Judd Hoekstra and Pat Zigarmi
Louisville author John Britt teams with Ken Blanchard and others for this business parable that takes the form of a witty whodunit.
The central character is a cigar-smoking, trench coat-wearing detective who is investigating the death of a character named Change. The book does an insightful job of defining how each area of a company can kill change.
Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan
By Suze Orman
Suze Orman feels your pain:
"I bet you are scared. Angry, too.
And confused. These are absolutely rational and appropriate responses to the global credit crisis that erupted in 2008 and continues to send tremors through every household in America." That sense of 'I understand and here's what you need to do,' is exactly why this book hit the top 10 on most best-seller lists across the country.