Hey, Santa! If you’re reading this, here’s what I want for Christmas. One of those wine club deals with a caseload of connoisseur selections each month. Then, a big old easy chair next to a roaring fire, a smoking jacket-style robe (in feminine colors, of course), and a nice assortment of books to keep me busy all winter. If you’re the Santa in your household, here are a duo of business titles to keep your book lover engaged – one to put under the tree, … [Read more...] about Business Reads for Beyond the Holidays
Quality Investment Portfolios for 2011
A semblance of sanity has crept back into world financial markets, according to Forbes 2011 Investment Guide. If this is true, many of us aren’t aware of it. Yet, what goes on in those markets and in the economy as a whole has an important impact on our personal bottom line. Financial welfare in 2011 -- and beyond -- will depend a great deal on our own individual efforts. The problem is that typical investors (you and I) don’t keep up with the intricacies of financial … [Read more...] about Quality Investment Portfolios for 2011
If Timothy Geithner Were a Poet
FBN Business Book Review "Do you think there’ll be another 7/11?” an elderly, dying woman asks her son. She means 9/11, but he doesn’t correct her. And while it doesn’t seem all that funny out of context, in Jess Walter’s novel, “The Financial Lives of Poets,” it’s a scream. Reviewing a fictional work in a business book column might seem odd, but a read like this one is too timely to pass up. It might just … [Read more...] about If Timothy Geithner Were a Poet
From Coffee to Construction: Are We Saving or Spending?
In turbulent times, what is our survival strategy? Are things getting better or worse? Should we save, spend, or chuck it all and run for the Peaks? Reading today’s economy is not easy. Perpetual ups and downs, sometimes in the same week, demonstrate that the roller coaster has not stopped, even if these days it is more of a kiddie ride than the White- Knuckle Gigacoaster. As recently as August, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported a 0.5 percent increase in personal income in the … [Read more...] about From Coffee to Construction: Are We Saving or Spending?
The Traits of Highly Emotional People
Business Book Review by Constance Devereaux What does life look like when you lead it the way you want? It’s not the kind of question you expect a management book to ask. But according to author Stan Slap, it may be a first step toward increased performance as a manager. The answer should describe your whole life, not just the hours you put in on the company’s behalf. In today’s world, the divide between work and home life is fluid. “This book is for anybody who wants … [Read more...] about The Traits of Highly Emotional People
Flagstaff Business News Goes to China
Flying into Beijing was like flying into a wet smokestack; the air was thick with gloom and rain. Breaking through layers of beige clouds, the ground below extended for miles – make that kilometers – in a brown expanse fragmented by drab buildings and rectangles of green water. Closer to the airport, and closer to ground, I saw high rises and enough landscaping to brighten my mood. I would be in Beijing for eight days on a lecture tour at Beijing Central Music Conservatory … [Read more...] about Flagstaff Business News Goes to China
Scrutinizing Ethics and Teaching Methods in B-Schools
American business schools did not always enjoy the reputation that they have today. The first business programs were founded in the late 1800s, but many people (including the self-taught Andrew Carnegie) scoffed at the idea of a university degree to train people in business. In creating the Harvard MBA, the revered B- School’s founders were not even sure what classes they should offer. In the end, the curriculum drew heavily on the work of the “father” of scientific … [Read more...] about Scrutinizing Ethics and Teaching Methods in B-Schools
Are Americans Slow Learners? Business Book Review
There is an old adage that we learn best from mistakes. A more poignantly popular saying is that if we don’t keep history alive, we are destined to repeat it. All evidence suggests, however, that human beings are slow learners and that we forget the past long before the ink in the history books is dry. We are particularly bad at things like probability, advanced math, and imagining that anything could go wrong since we’ve relied on science and the guarantees of corporate … [Read more...] about Are Americans Slow Learners? Business Book Review
Questioning the Experts- Business Book Review
David H. Freedman is a science and business journalist who has written for the Atlantic, Newsweek, The New York Times, Science, and Harvard Business Review. So what? It only means he is one of umpteen experts we consult everyday about stocks, diets, cancer treatment, raising our kids, who to vote for, best places to eat, and whether or not the economy is about to go bust. The only problem, according to Freedman, is that we shouldn’t trust any of them – not even him. Wrong: … [Read more...] about Questioning the Experts- Business Book Review
Multi-Tasking Women Take On Positions of Power
Here's the scenario. Supper’s cooking on the stove while you run a few loads through the washer. The youngest is howling over a scraped knee. The middle one needs help with math and the oldest “just wants to finish this level” on his video game before he takes the dog – who is clawing at the door – outside. Hubby just got home and is looking for the cocktail he hopes you had the foresight to mix. The phone is ringing. Oh, yes...and you still … [Read more...] about Multi-Tasking Women Take On Positions of Power
