Three new "must read" Business Books ...

I want to recommend three recent business books which we are purchasing.

The Originals by Adam Grant (Viking, Feb. 2) first came to my attention when I was reviewing the list of upcoming FAN (Family Awareness Network) presenters.  Grant will be speaking about

The Originals: How Non-conformists Move the World on Tuesday, April 5 at 7:00pm at New Trier High School’s Gaffney Auditorium. He is the best-selling author of Give and Take and Sheryl Sandberg provides the foreword in this latest work which deals with finding a new idea and developing it.  Grant begins with a chapter on Creative Destruction, moving on to others with titles “Fools Rush In” and “Rethinking Groupthink” while sharing numerous anecdotes and case studies. One of the most valuable sections is an almost ten page list of “Actions for Impact” where Grant summarizes his advice on topics like managing emotions and sparking original ideas, along with suggestions for parents and educators. Our cataloguer will add multiple local notes since students in both Psych and Senior Writers Seminar often research topics (like “birth order”) discussed by Grant. Grab his book and plan to see him speak.

Added September 11 - a New York Times article by Adam Grant: "Why We Should Stop Grading Students on a Curve."

Small Data by Martin Lindstrom (St. Martin’s, Feb. 23) is a fascinating look at cultures around the world.  Lindstrom describes several of his consultancy projects and the “small data” from observations which eventually form patterns and drive his recommendations.  For example, he talks about refrigerator magnets in eastern Russia, about the color choice for cereal boxes in India and about LEGO’s turnaround in the face of videogame popularity.  Our geography students – and those interested in marketing – will find much to entertain and surprise them in Small Data as Lindstrom reviews traditions, consumer behavior, and family relationships on several continents. He is constantly interspersing interesting tidbits (e.g., “with 79 percent precision, software can determine a user’s credit rating based on the degree to which they write in ALL CAPS”).  Though a bit rambling and disjointed at times, Small Data is one of my favorite non-fiction titles so far this year; it features a foreword from Chip Heath and received starred reviews from both Booklist and Kirkus.

Smarter, Faster, Better by Charles Duhigg (Random House, Mar. 8) is the newest book from the Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter and author of The Power of Habit. Part of this book was adapted in a recent – and very popular – New York Times article "What Google Learned from Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team." Duhigg focuses on motivation, decision-making, problem-solving, and other “secrets of being productive in life and business.” He, too, offers numerous examples ranging from the FBI working to solve a kidnapping case to GM/Toyota adopting "lean manufacturing" to tech firm hiring and much more.  I am working with a Psych research class this week and know they and their teacher will value Duhigg’s insights. Smarter, Faster, Better received a starred review from Kirkus.

All three of these titles should definitely appear on next year’s list of recommended reading for our business classes as well as on lists for other classes mentioned above.