The Book Corner

The Book Corner offers reviews by Graziadio School faculty on a variety of books on business topics.

In this issue:

The Story of American Business: From the Pages of The New York Times
Edited by Nancy F. Koehn
Harvard Business Press, 2009
Reviewed by Sean D. Jasso, PhD, Practitioner Faculty of Economics

Koehn shows the reader not just what happened in history on a particular day according to The New York Times, but rather what happened in the story of American progress.

Bankruptcy for Small Business
By Wendell Schollander and Wes Schollander
Sphinx Legal, 2008
Reviewed by Michael D. Kinsman, PhD, CPA, Professor of Finance and Accounting

The book dispenses some excellent advice on processes you should go through if you find yourself considering bankruptcy, including resources that are available at low or no cost to help you solve your troubles.

Chaotics: The Business of Managing and Marketing in the Age of Turbulence
By Philip Kotler and John A. Caslione
AMACOM, 2009
Reviewed by Paul Gift, PhD, Assistant Professor of Economics

Kotler and Caslione argue for a “disciplined approach” to business decision making as opposed to relying on gut instinct or conventional wisdom.

Cultural Intelligence: Living and Working Globally (2nd ed.)
By David C. Thomas and Kerr Inkson
Berrett-Koehler, 2009
Reviewed by Kent Rhodes, EdD, Visiting Faculty of Education

Written for managers and leaders, the authors clearly ground their perspectives in solid research and include chapters on leading across cultures and working with multicultural groups and teams.

Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World
By Don Tapscott
McGraw-Hill, 2008
Reviewed by John Oppenheim, Adjunct Professor of Management Information Systems

Tapscott devotes a chapter to each segment of the population that interfaces with this now “grown up” generation, whose ages range from about 11 to 33.

In Extremis Leadership: Leading As If Your Life Depended On It
By Thomas A. Kolditz, PhD
Jossey-Bass, 2007
Reviewed by Michael Magasin, JD, Associate Professor of Business Law

Being a leader is about developing a character that is “inextricably linked to giving purpose, motivation, and direction to others,” according to the book.

Designing Care: Aligning the Nature and Management of Health Care
By Richard M. J. Bohmer
Harvard Business School Press, 2009
Reviewed by Sam Farry, MBA, Class Advisor, Executive Programs

Bohmer argues that healthcare organizations must be thoughtfully designed and properly aligned as an integrated system, not just thrown together as a pastiche of traditional practices and borrowed parts.

Foundations of Human Resource Development
By Richard A. Swanson and Elwood F. Holton
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2009
Reviewed by Charles P. Leo, PhD, Practitioner Faculty of Applied Behavioral Science

This book provides a contemporary overview of the state of the profession, which the authors define as “the process of developing and unleashing expertise for the purpose of improving performance.

Something Really New: Three Simple Steps to Creating Truly Innovative Products
By Denis J. Hauptly
AMACOM, 2007
Reviewed by Edward Rockey, PhD, Professor of Applied Behavioral Science

Much has been written about the value of appearance, design, and novelty; Hauptly transcends those in favor of utilitarianism.

Theory U: Leading from the Future as It Emerges
By C. Otto Scharmer
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2009
Reviewed by Leo A. Mallette, EdD, Supporting Faculty of Decision Sciences and Marketing

Theory U does not lend itself to being easily described except that it introduces the concept of presencing (presence + sensing), that is, operating from the future as it emerges.

The Power of Collective Wisdom and the Trap of Collective Folly
By Alan Briskin, Sheryl Erickson, John Ott, and Tom Callanan
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2009
Reviewed by Leo A. Mallette, EdD, Supporting Faculty of Decision Sciences and Marketing

The authors present six stances supporting the power of collective wisdom, including deep listening, suspension of certainty, seeing whole systems/seeking diverse perspectives, respect for other/group discernment, welcoming all that is arising, and trust in the transcendent.