Management & Workplace Culture

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.

Managing the Dream: Reflections on Leadership and Change by Warren G. Bennis, Perseus Books, 320 Pages, Paperback $16. 00, August 2000, ISBN 0738203327 Warren Bennis has been around for 75 years and is one of the top ten futurists and leadership thinkers of the Twentieth Century.

Achieving Success Through Social Capital: Tapping Hidden Resources in Your Personal and Business Networks by Wayne E. Baker, Jossey Bass, 200 Pages, $25. 00 Hardcover, August 2000, ISBN 0787953091 Wayne Baker, the author of the very popular Networking Smart, has written another fascinating book about networking.

Sandbox Wisdom: Revolutionize Your Brand with the Genius of Childhood by Tom Asacker, Eastside Publishing, 116 Pages, Hardcover $19. 95, March 2000, ISBN 0967752809 I got a copy of this book a couple of months ago, but can't remember who gave it to me. I wish I could remember, though, because this was an absolutely delightful fable, and I would love to tell he/she how much a enjoyed this book.

eBoys: The First Inside Account of Venture Capitalists at Work Randall E. Stross, Crown Business, 315 pages, $25. 95 Hardcover ISBN 0812930959 How can I lead off my inaugural list of important new books with anything but the book that saw fit to feature my comments on the jacket of the finished book?

Taken For a Ride: How Daimler-Benz Drove off with Chrysler by Bill Vlasic, Bradley A. Stertz, William Morrow & Company, 372 pages, $26. 00, Hardcover, July 2000, ISBN 0688173055 One of the fun things about reading business bios are when you have authors who know the inside people and tell inside stories.

The Value Effect: A Murder Mystery about the Compulsive Pursuit of 'The Next Big Thing' by John Guaspari, Berrett-Koehler, May 2000, 177 pages, $22. 00, Hardcover, ISBN 9781576750926 A mystery novel/business book? It actually works and works nicely.

How to Become a Rainmaker by Jeffrey J. Fox, Hyperion, 169 pages, $16. 95, Hardcover, July 2000 ISBN 9780786865956 I really appreciate a book with lessons one can apply quickly and easily-such as this one.