Management & Workplace Culture

Pioneering Organizations: The Convergence of Individualism, Teamwork and Leadership by Larry N. Davis, Executive Excellence Publishing, 260 Pages, $22. 95 Hardcover, October 2000, ISBN 1890009849 During my tenure as a business book dude, one of the things that I have found hard to understand was how teamwork can enable a person to remain an individual.

Building Brandwidth: Closing the Sale Online by Sergio Zyman and Scott Miller, HarperBusiness, 210 pages, $27. 00 Hardcover, October 2000, ISBN 0066620600 Sergio Zyman, formerly the chief marketing officer of The Coca-Cola Company, has written a sequel to one of our bestsellers from last year, The End of Marketing as We Know it. He starts the book by stating the obvious: marketing has to worksell productto be successful.

Bringing Your Soul to Work: An Everyday Practice by Cheryl L. Peppers & Alan Briskin, Berrett Koehler Publishers, 200 Pages, $16. 95 Paperback, September 2000, ISBN 1576751112 In the past, I have talked about how I choose the books for Jack Covert Selects, noting such key things as the pedigree of the author, the track record of the publisher, etc.

The 10-Second Internet Manager: Survive, Thrive and Drive Your Company in the Information Age by Mark Breirer with Armin A. Brott, Crown Business, 155 Pages, $18. 95 Hardcover, September 2000, ISBN 0609607324 The author, Mark Breier has very impressive credentials.

Simplicity Marketing: End Brand Complexity, Clutter and Confusion by Steven Cristol and Peter Sealey, The Free Press, 250 Pages, $26. 00 Hardcover, October 2000, ISBN 0684859181 About four months ago, as I was opening my third package of business books for publishers that day, I realized that if I was having problems keeping information about new business books straight, you guys had to just about given up trying to figure out what was new and important. What you are reading now is what came out of that insight.

The Power of Gold: The History of an Obsession by Peter L. Bernstein, John Wiley & Sons, 380 Pages, $27. 95 Hardcover, September 2000, ISBN 0471252107 Peter Bernstein, the author of the non-fiction, best-selling Against the Gods, has written a book about gold.

The Procrastinator's Handbook: Mastering the Art of Doing It Now by Rita Emmett, Walker & Company, 195 Pages, $10. 95 Paperback, September 2000, ISBN 0802775985 I think I have no more personal issue that my ability to procrastinate. I can find hundreds of things to do for days to avoid an expected unpleasant project.

Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive: The Four Disciplines at the Heart of Making Any Organization World Class by Pat Lencioni, Jossey-Bass, 190 Pages, $20. 00 Hardcover, September 2000, ISBN 0787954039 Pat Lencioni, author of the 800-CEO-READ bestseller, The Five Temptations of a CEO, a book I really enjoyed, has written another terrific business fable. I love these concise stories that teach valuable lessons!

Leading the Revolution by Gary Hamel, Harvard Business School Press, 340 pages, Hardcover $29. 95, August 2000, ISBN 1578511895 As a person who buys and sells business books, I am often asked how I pick the books I read and get excited about. I do it the same way a railbird at Churchill Downs chooses the Kentucky Derby winner: pedigree of the author, pedigree of the publisher, and content.

Power Plays: Shakespeare's Lessons on Leadership and Management by John O. Whitney & Tina Packer, Simon & Schuster Publisher, 330 Pages, $26. 00 Hardcover, August 2000, ISBN 0684868873 The July 31st 2000 Industry Standard has a rather scathing article about what the author calls "pop" business books.

The Informant: A True Story by Kurt Eichenbaum, Broadway Books, 520 Pages, Hardcover $26. 00 20% $20. 80, Late August 2000, 0767903269 Kurt Eichenbaum is the author of the best selling Serpent on the Rock, and has now written a true crime book that centers around one of the most misunderstood and mysterious Fortune 500 companies on earth: Archer Danials Midland.

More Than a Motorcycle: The Leadership Journey at Harley-Davidson by Rich Teerlink and Lee Ozley, Harvard Business School Press, 270 Pages, $24. 95 Hardcover, August 2000, ISBN 0875849504 During the past 18 years, I have sat in on many presentations from some very high-level consultants, such as Tom Peters and Ken Blanchard. During the obligatory Q&A sessions, the following statement is invariably made: "Those ideas sound great, butwe are a union shop," or "butwe have shareholders to think about," or "butwe can't take three years to implement something.