bookpagedev

by Allison Block

Looking for gift books that are quirky and clever, but won’t break the bank? This holiday season, table the coffee-table tomes and ponder the powers of mock and droll. From curious anecdotes to far-out-and-funky facts, these four irreverent reads offer plenty of yuk for your buck. The ideal book for the burned-out academic, The Ig Nobel Prizes: The Annals of Improbable Research (Dutton, $18.95, 240 pages, ISBN 0525947531), documents a dizzying array of dubious accomplishments. From research probing the blissful state of ignorance to a study proving toast does indeed fall more often with the buttered side down, author Marc Abrahams offers amusing anecdotes to make readers cackle and chortle, and perhaps even scratch their heads and think. Learn how Professor Andre Geim of the Netherlands and Sir Michael Berry of Bristol University in England employed magnets to levitate a frog, a reptilian rendering that earned them the Ig Nobel Physics Prize in 1997. Flare your nostrils over the awarding of the Ig Nobel Biology Prize to the inventor of airtight underwear complete with a replaceable charcoal filter to remove bad-smelling gases before they escape. (One hopes the demonstration for that one was at least ahem brief.) As editor and cofounder of the science humor magazine Annals of Improbable Research, Abrahams is clearly up to this brain-straining task. A resident of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and an applied mathematics graduate from Harvard, he is father and master of ceremonies of the Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony, the university’s annual honoring of the dishonorable.

You know that saying, “You had to be there?” Now you can be there without all the hassles. In What It Feels Like (Three Rivers, $12.95, 144 pages, ISBN 0609809768), the editors of Esquire have gathered gripping accounts from citizens who’ve swallowed swords, been attacked by swarms of killer bees, or walked on the moon. By turns “grizzly” (“What It Feels Like to Be Attacked by a Bear”), devilish (“What It Feels Like to Undergo an Exorcism”), and debauched (“What It Feels Like to Participate in an Orgy”), this slim volume of the vicarious renders the heights and depths of human experience, bringing readers up close and personal with a plethora of precarious states. Ever wonder how to detect counterfeit bills, make snowshoes from tree branches and strings, or put together a radio from scratch? Tap into those transformative powers with Cy Tymony’s Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things (Andrews McMeel, $10.95, 176 pages, ISBN 0740738593). Author of three books and a regular on ABC’s AM Chicago, Tymony has been creating high and low-tech inventions all his life. A cross between MacGyver and the professor from Gilligan’s Island, he’s penned a compelling collection of clues for getting out of a jam or just passing time on a dull winter day. From changing milk into plastic to constructing a compass without a magnet, this celebration of fascinating gadgets and gizmos is the perfect marriage of techno-geek and tongue-in-cheek. Everyone (well, almost everyone) knows that the chance of getting struck by lightning is 576,000 to 1, but what are the odds of achieving sainthood or dating a supermodel? From the likelihood of winning the lottery to achieving matrimonial bliss with a princess or prince, ponder the finer points of fate with Life: The Odds and How to Improve Them. In this compulsively readable gathering of fascinating stats, figures and facts, anything’s fair game: the glorious (Being Awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor), the gratuitous (Striking It Rich on Antiques Roadshow), and the fortuitous (Avoiding an IRS Audit). Harvard Law School graduate and finance expert Gregory Baer indulges his frivolous side in this breakdown of bona fide chances, from getting away with murder (about 2 to 1 odds) to garnering a Rhodes Scholarship (37,500 to 1).

Looking for gift books that are quirky and clever, but won't break the bank? This holiday season, table the coffee-table tomes and ponder the powers of mock and droll. From curious anecdotes to far-out-and-funky facts, these four irreverent reads offer plenty of yuk for your…

Inspirational Fiction

Inspirational Fiction

Let there be dark

Review by bookpagedev

by Mike Parker

It is easy to fantasize about a time before life got so complicated, the simpler days when you weren’t constantly bombarded by depressing news from the television, the crushing debt required to keep up with the Joneses and the impending threat of war and terrorist attacks. But what if you were forced to live it? Terri Blackstock’s latest thriller, Last Light, postulates what might happen if an unexplained atmospheric disturbance suddenly knocked out all power, worldwide. No electricity. No telecommunications. No computers. It is a brave new world, where everything is reduced to animal instinct, human cunning and divine intervention. Last Light is a thought-provoking thriller that will have you second-guessing your own ability to survive in a world without modern conveniences. Mike Parker is a former pastor who writes from Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

It is easy to fantasize about a time before life got so complicated, the simpler days when you weren't constantly bombarded by depressing news from the television, the crushing debt required to keep up with the Joneses and the impending threat of war and terrorist…

Nonfiction

Nonfiction

Offbeat books keep the season jolly

Review by bookpagedev

by Allison Block

You know that saying, “You had to be there?” Now you can be there without all the hassles. In What It Feels Like (Three Rivers, $12.95, 144 pages, ISBN 0609809768), the editors of Esquire have gathered gripping accounts from citizens who’ve swallowed swords, been attacked by swarms of killer bees, or walked on the moon. By turns “grizzly” (“What It Feels Like to Be Attacked by a Bear”), devilish (“What It Feels Like to Undergo an Exorcism”), and debauched (“What It Feels Like to Participate in an Orgy”), this slim volume of the vicarious renders the heights and depths of human experience, bringing readers up close and personal with a plethora of precarious states. Ever wonder how to detect counterfeit bills, make snowshoes from tree branches and strings, or put together a radio from scratch? Tap into those transformative powers with Cy Tymony’s Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things. Author of three books and a regular on ABC’s AM Chicago, Tymony has been creating high and low-tech inventions all his life. A cross between MacGyver and the professor from Gilligan’s Island, he’s penned a compelling collection of clues for getting out of a jam or just passing time on a dull winter day. From changing milk into plastic to constructing a compass without a magnet, this celebration of fascinating gadgets and gizmos is the perfect marriage of techno-geek and tongue-in-cheek. Everyone (well, almost everyone) knows that the chance of getting struck by lightning is 576,000 to 1, but what are the odds of achieving sainthood or dating a supermodel? From the likelihood of winning the lottery to achieving matrimonial bliss with a princess or prince, ponder the finer points of fate with Life: The Odds and How to Improve Them (Gotham, $20, 256 pages, ISBN 1592400337). In this compulsively readable gathering of fascinating stats, figures and facts, anything’s fair game: the glorious (Being Awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor), the gratuitous (Striking It Rich on Antiques Roadshow), and the fortuitous (Avoiding an IRS Audit). Harvard Law School graduate and finance expert Gregory Baer indulges his frivolous side in this breakdown of bona fide chances, from getting away with murder (about 2 to 1 odds) to garnering a Rhodes Scholarship (37,500 to 1).

Inspirational Fiction

Inspirational Fiction

Southern discomfort

Review by bookpagedev

by Mike Parker

The transition from blueblood to redneck may be devastating to the strongest man or woman. But when you are a 15-year-old debutante, there are only two options sink or swim. When DeVeaux DeLoach is faced with giving up Junior Cotillion, St. Mary’s Boarding School in Richmond and the family’s imposing Rose Hill Plantation home, she attempts to embrace her new reality rather than dwell on what might have been. Writing from the viewpoint of a girl on the verge of womanhood, Beth Webb Hart captures the heart and soul of the low country, just outside of Charleston’s genteel view in Grace at Low Tide. Hart refuses to sidestep the myriad landmines of adolescence, from peer pressure, emerging sexuality, drug and alcohol abuse and the strains of a family in transition. She has created characters that are full-bodied and resonant, and the story moves crisply, interrupted only when she pauses to quote scripture too perfectly.

Mike Parker is a former pastor who writes from Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Nonfiction

Nonfiction

Offbeat books keep the season jolly

Review by bookpagedev

by Allison Block

You know that saying, “You had to be there?” Now you can be there without all the hassles. In What It Feels Like, the editors of Esquire have gathered gripping accounts from citizens who’ve swallowed swords, been attacked by swarms of killer bees, or walked on the moon. By turns “grizzly” (“What It Feels Like to Be Attacked by a Bear”), devilish (“What It Feels Like to Undergo an Exorcism”), and debauched (“What It Feels Like to Participate in an Orgy”), this slim volume of the vicarious renders the heights and depths of human experience, bringing readers up close and personal with a plethora of precarious states. Ever wonder how to detect counterfeit bills, make snowshoes from tree branches and strings, or put together a radio from scratch? Tap into those transformative powers with Cy Tymony’s Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things (Andrews McMeel, $10.95, 176 pages, ISBN 0740738593). Author of three books and a regular on ABC’s AM Chicago, Tymony has been creating high and low-tech inventions all his life. A cross between MacGyver and the professor from Gilligan’s Island, he’s penned a compelling collection of clues for getting out of a jam or just passing time on a dull winter day. From changing milk into plastic to constructing a compass without a magnet, this celebration of fascinating gadgets and gizmos is the perfect marriage of techno-geek and tongue-in-cheek. Everyone (well, almost everyone) knows that the chance of getting struck by lightning is 576,000 to 1, but what are the odds of achieving sainthood or dating a supermodel? From the likelihood of winning the lottery to achieving matrimonial bliss with a princess or prince, ponder the finer points of fate with Life: The Odds and How to Improve Them (Gotham, $20, 256 pages, ISBN 1592400337). In this compulsively readable gathering of fascinating stats, figures and facts, anything’s fair game: the glorious (Being Awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor), the gratuitous (Striking It Rich on Antiques Roadshow), and the fortuitous (Avoiding an IRS Audit). Harvard Law School graduate and finance expert Gregory Baer indulges his frivolous side in this breakdown of bona fide chances, from getting away with murder (about 2 to 1 odds) to garnering a Rhodes Scholarship (37,500 to 1).

Inspirational Fiction

Inspirational Fiction

Ripped from the headlines

Review by bookpagedev

by Mike Parker

When famine, civil war, racial hatred, ethnic cleansing, the slave trade and religious intolerance combine forces as the backdrop for romance and redemption, you know you’ve got the makings of a page-turner. In the compelling When the Lion Roars, author DiAnn Mills uses the complex and under-reported Sudanese Civil War as a foil for the character journeys of three mule-headed revolutionaries a doctor from the American Midwest, an Arab Christian convert from the Sudanese royal family and a Southern Sudanese army colonel with independence on his mind. These three have little in common, other than a connection to the colonel’s 16-year-old sister, Rachel. When she is kidnapped, they must overcome their mistrust and prejudice and learn to depend on each other if they want to see Rachel alive again. Mike Parker is a former pastor who writes from Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

When famine, civil war, racial hatred, ethnic cleansing, the slave trade and religious intolerance combine forces as the backdrop for romance and redemption, you know you've got the makings of a page-turner. In the compelling When the Lion Roars, author DiAnn Mills uses the complex…

Humor, Nonfiction

Nonfiction Humor

Offbeat books keep the season jolly

Review by bookpagedev

by Allison Block

Looking for gift books that are quirky and clever, but won’t break the bank? This holiday season, table the coffee-table tomes and ponder the powers of mock and droll. From curious anecdotes to far-out-and-funky facts, these four irreverent reads offer plenty of yuk for your buck. The ideal book for the burned-out academic, The Ig Nobel Prizes: The Annals of Improbable Research, documents a dizzying array of dubious accomplishments. From research probing the blissful state of ignorance to a study proving toast does indeed fall more often with the buttered side down, author Marc Abrahams offers amusing anecdotes to make readers cackle and chortle, and perhaps even scratch their heads and think. Learn how Professor Andre Geim of the Netherlands and Sir Michael Berry of Bristol University in England employed magnets to levitate a frog, a reptilian rendering that earned them the Ig Nobel Physics Prize in 1997. Flare your nostrils over the awarding of the Ig Nobel Biology Prize to the inventor of airtight underwear complete with a replaceable charcoal filter to remove bad-smelling gases before they escape. (One hopes the demonstration for that one was at least ahem brief.) As editor and cofounder of the science humor magazine Annals of Improbable Research, Abrahams is clearly up to this brain-straining task. A resident of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and an applied mathematics graduate from Harvard, he is father and master of ceremonies of the Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony, the university’s annual honoring of the dishonorable.

You know that saying, “You had to be there?” Now you can be there without all the hassles. In What It Feels Like (Three Rivers, $12.95, 144 pages, ISBN 0609809768), the editors of Esquire have gathered gripping accounts from citizens who’ve swallowed swords, been attacked by swarms of killer bees, or walked on the moon. By turns “grizzly” (“What It Feels Like to Be Attacked by a Bear”), devilish (“What It Feels Like to Undergo an Exorcism”), and debauched (“What It Feels Like to Participate in an Orgy”), this slim volume of the vicarious renders the heights and depths of human experience, bringing readers up close and personal with a plethora of precarious states. Ever wonder how to detect counterfeit bills, make snowshoes from tree branches and strings, or put together a radio from scratch? Tap into those transformative powers with Cy Tymony’s Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things (Andrews McMeel, $10.95, 176 pages, ISBN 0740738593). Author of three books and a regular on ABC’s AM Chicago, Tymony has been creating high and low-tech inventions all his life. A cross between MacGyver and the professor from Gilligan’s Island, he’s penned a compelling collection of clues for getting out of a jam or just passing time on a dull winter day. From changing milk into plastic to constructing a compass without a magnet, this celebration of fascinating gadgets and gizmos is the perfect marriage of techno-geek and tongue-in-cheek. Everyone (well, almost everyone) knows that the chance of getting struck by lightning is 576,000 to 1, but what are the odds of achieving sainthood or dating a supermodel? From the likelihood of winning the lottery to achieving matrimonial bliss with a princess or prince, ponder the finer points of fate with Life: The Odds and How to Improve Them (Gotham, $20, 256 pages, ISBN 1592400337). In this compulsively readable gathering of fascinating stats, figures and facts, anything’s fair game: the glorious (Being Awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor), the gratuitous (Striking It Rich on Antiques Roadshow), and the fortuitous (Avoiding an IRS Audit). Harvard Law School graduate and finance expert Gregory Baer indulges his frivolous side in this breakdown of bona fide chances, from getting away with murder (about 2 to 1 odds) to garnering a Rhodes Scholarship (37,500 to 1).

Inspirational Fiction

Inspirational Fiction

No rules, just confused

Review by bookpagedev

by Mike Parker

Stockbroker-turned-missionary Jay Jarvis knows a balance sheet when he sees one and he truly believes in the equation, Woman + Australia + Ring with Big, Shiny Rock Attached = Good Plan. But as with many start-up companies and what is marriage if not a start-up? there are a lot of unexpected monkey wrenches that weren’t factored into Jarvis’ equation. Like a trip off the beaten path with no means of communication with the outside world. And a smashed oil pan that leaves Jay and Allie stranded with little water. And indigenous marsupials that seem happy to lead them on a wild ‘roo chase.

Lost in Rooville may not be as laugh-out-loud funny as its two predecessors (2003’s Flabbergasted and last year’s Delirious Summer), but it is consistently humorous, often poignant and ultimately a satisfying conclusion to Ray Blackston’s trilogy on the foibles of the Christian single life.

Mike Parker is a former pastor who writes from Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Arts & Culture, Music

Music Arts & Culture

The blues all over again

Review by bookpagedev

by Julie Hale

A salty little music sampler, Squeeze My Lemon: A Collection of Classic Blues Lyrics is a compilation of choice outtakes from some of the most soulful songs ever captured on wax. These sound bites, culled from tunes by the likes of Willie Dixon, Robert Johnson and Sonny Boy Williamson, have all the spirit and sass of the South. Full of lively metaphors, they’re brief and simple yet surprisingly profound, tackling timeless topics like death, religion, and love gone wrong. Squeeze My Lemon was edited by Randy Poe, a former executive director of the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame. He’s grouped the lyrics into revealing categories (“Women-The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” “Blues and Booze”) that reflect the tough lives and world-weary attitude behind the music. The rootsy anthology also features a discography of recommended albums and a selection of wonderful black-and-white photographs of major blues figures, including Ma Rainey, Muddy Waters, Big Joe Turner and Howlin’ Wolf. With a foreword by B.B. King, this bouncy book will spice up your holiday season.

History

History

Piece-able planet

Review by bookpagedev

by Lynn Hamilton

In A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906, Simon Winchester covers the same historic territory, but devotes considerable attention to the science of shifting tectonic plates which bring about earthquakes. Winchester puts the entire episode into the context of science’s relatively new Gaia theory, which proposes that the entire planet is a living entity.

Winchester parts company with Smith on a number of key controversies. Unlike Smith, who believes much of the fire’s destruction was avoidable, Winchester writes of an apocalyptic blaze that defied any human attempts to thwart it: “No fire department anywhere in America, or probably anywhere in the world, could have possibly dealt properly with this conflagration, had they all the water that they could use. The 1906 fire was essentially uncontrollable . . . ” he writes. Winchester thinks dynamite was well managed to create fire breaks thatdid slow the spread of fire. Winchester draws heavily on first-person narratives of the time, noting that many who lived through the earthquake and subsequent fire had the presence of mind to write down their observations. Alexander George McAdie is noteworthy in this regard. Awakened from his slumber by the giant quake, the first thing he did was to note the time on his fob-watch. From there, he proceeded to time the quake’s duration all of 40 seconds.

Arts & Culture, Music

Music Arts & Culture

It’s only rock ‘n’ roll

Review by bookpagedev

by Julie Hale

It’s only rock ‘n’ roll Revisit the mod, mad days of the British Invasion with According to the Rolling Stones, a comprehensive scrapbook of the band that’s filled with rare images, sensational stories and an invaluable reference section. Narrated by the Stones themselves, the volume represents the collective efforts of Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ron as they pull out all the stops to provide an uncensored history of their 40-year career. Candid and direct, the foursome share a fascinating array of personal and artistic anecdotes, shedding light on the music-making process and the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. Featuring 350 photographs many never seen until now and memorabilia from the band’s own archive, as well as a timeline and discography, the book is a must-have for fans of the brashest band in the music biz. Mixed in with the Stones’ own stories are remembrances contributed by major players in the group’s career, including Ahmet Ertegun, head of Atlantic Records, producer Don Was and photographer David Bailey. A provocative look at a timeless band, According to the Rolling Stones is a dynamic, vital and colorful portrait of a group that’s only improved with age.

It's only rock 'n' roll Revisit the mod, mad days of the British Invasion with According to the Rolling Stones, a comprehensive scrapbook of the band that's filled with rare images, sensational stories and an invaluable reference section. Narrated by the Stones themselves, the volume…

Nature

Nature

Feeding the flames

Review by bookpagedev

by Lynn Hamilton

Heralded as the worst conflagration to assail a city in peacetime, the 1906 San Francisco fire was responsible for the deaths of 3,000 people and the destruction of 522 city blocks, according to firefighter turned writer Dennis Smith in his new moment-by-moment chronicle of the fire, San Francisco Is Burning: The Untold Story of the 1906 Earthquake and Fires.

Smith’s book argues that bureaucratic bungling allowed the fire to spread much further and wreak more havoc than it had to. Even in an age when emergency water arrived by way of horse and wagon, the fire could have been contained, Smith believes, but for gross errors in municipal leadership. Dynamite, for instance, could have been used to create fire breaks. Instead, untrained personnel blew up burning buildings, disseminating embers that started new fires nearby. Smith blames the entire destruction of Chinatown on this practice. Perhaps the most unfortunate domino in the chain of destruction was the demise of Fire Chief Dennis Sullivan, who was fatally injured in the initial earthquake. For years, Sullivan had warned his superiors in government that the availability of water for firefighting was not up to par. With water pressure low and fire wagons traveling by hoof, his department’s hoses weren’t even capable of watering the top floors of the emerging skyscrapers. Smith challenges the popular mythology of a runaway fire unstoppable by merely human forces. In fact, the fire spread relatively slowly, he thinks, and could have been minimized in the presence of competent leadership. Unfortunately, with the death of Sullivan, such knowledge was absent.

Finding our leaders in America

Review by bookpagedev

by Sharon Secor

From army captains to bond traders, from fire marshals to police commanders, leaders come in many forms. And along with tragedy, the last three months have shown countless examples of leaders who have rallied a nation with their ability to guide and inspire. This month, we consider the art of leadership, from its conception in the heart to its implementation in the streets.

True Leaders: How Exceptional CEOs and Presidents Make a Difference by Building People and Profits by Bette Price and George Ritcheske begins with an excellent definition of leadership. Leaders, say the authors, demonstrate an inherent love for people and expect results, yet are not consumed by them. They are competitive yet exercise control judiciously and operate from a fundamental belief system that guides them in all decision – making. Far from developing these principles in a sterile classroom setting, Price and Ritcheske actually studied the leadership qualities of CEOs at the biggest and brightest companies in the U.S. Their findings define a new wave in leadership for the next century.

As an example, Malden Mills, the maker of PolarFleece and PolarTech, suffered a devastating plant fire that wiped out operations at its main base in Massachusetts. The CEO kept every employee on the payroll until the plant was rebuilt. Why? Because he valued people and held the fundamental belief that everyone has the right to work. Workers helped to clean up and rebuild the plant, a plan many of Malden’s advisors found foolish.

Price and Ritcheske say, however, that this is exactly what great leaders do – they ignore popular decisions. Not surprisingly, they found that popularity rarely has much to do with true leadership. Instead, true leaders can "stand firm on difficult decisions that may be unpopular at the time yet, in truth, are best for the organization in the long run." This excellent book looks leadership in the eye and speaks the truth. It offers an excellent look into the future and predicts trends in leadership for the next century. In the future, the most effective leaders will have strong social values, they will understand the role their companies play in our freedom and democracy and they will guide their companies with that understanding. The best American companies will continue to act in the best interest of our country.

A contrarian view

"Sometimes whole societies lose their ability to produce great leaders," says Steven B. Sample, the author of The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership. Sample, the president of the University of Southern California, writes, "As Americans, we tend to believe that the larger society of which we are a part is steadily improving with each passing decade. But the fact is, the twentieth century was far more barbaric than the preceding four centuries, and as such represented a severe backsliding in terms of man’s inhumanity to man. . . . Much of it was attributable to our inability to produce leaders who could persuasively articulate a humane moral philosophy in an age dominated by technological change." So begins this fascinating and philosophical look at the making of leaders and the paradoxical beliefs of a man who says great leaders are contrarians by nature.

Early in his career Sample got this piece of advice from a colleague: There are many men who want to be leaders, but there are not many men who want to do what leaders need to do. Sample finds the best leaders have much in common. For instance, they don’t form opinions when they don’t have to, preferring to keep an open mind. And they don’t force others to do their dirty work for them, but face problems and become the public face for adversity. Great leaders always maintain their intellectual independence, and they collect information like scientists.

Sample, a genuine realist, maintains that many men are known as great leaders because they led the country when it needed to be led, not because they set out to be great. He wisely reminds us that history marks those men and women who rose to the occasion when economic or military causes called, not those who sought the limelight to fill personal needs. His book truly defines a new way to think about leadership and to redefine it for CEOs, politicians and ourselves.

The mission of leadership

Quite often CEOs turn to orchestra conductors, football coaches and even nonprofit leaders to scrutinize the creative ways these leaders motivate their diverse and non – traditional teams. The Most Effective Organization in the U.S.: Leadership Secrets of The Salvation Army by Robert A. Watson and Ben Brown is a book that reflects the successful leadership styles of the Salvation Army, a non – traditional organization most people have contact with but very few understand. With 9,500 centers of operation, $2 billion in annual revenue and 32 million clients served by every zip code in America, the Salvation Army is a powerhouse of an organization. But its former National Commander says the Salvation Army is one of the most powerful and effective organizations because it has, at its core, a mission. And that mission creates a team cohesiveness and leadership strategy that few corporate CEOs can match.

Like Contrarian’s Guide and True Leaders, Leadership Secrets says doing business with a purpose is the best motivation a leader can give employees.

The Salvation Army is at heart a religiously motivated organization, but its success is bringing people of different religions and faiths together to do good work, to build community and educational facilities in ways that are different and innovative. Every organization can use that new brand of leadership.

Finding solutions

Leading for Innovation and Organizing for Results, edited by Frances Hesselbein, Marshall Goldsmith and Iain Somerville is the continuation of a series by the Drucker Foundation, a national foundation whose goal is to strengthen the social sector by providing intellectual resources to leaders in business, government and society. Based on Peter Drucker’s observation that one of the key tasks of an organization is innovation, this book collects the ideas and writings of practitioners and leaders in the innovation field. Each story or collected essay focuses on the important role of purposeful leadership to create innovative solutions for government, social policy or new products for the marketplace. Leading for Innovation touches on many wide – ranging topics, from innovation in police departments to the future of genomics to creating a company culture for innovation. It can truly be considered a primer in leadership techniques for innovation.

Briefly noted

The Jack Welch Lexicon of Leadership by Jeffrey A. Krames is a dictionary of former GE CEO Jack Welch’s favorite language, programs, strategies and initiatives bound together in an easy – to – read format that brings Welch’s key business ideas into a clear and approachable format. The collection brings together Welch’s key business ideas in one clear and approachable volume.

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bookpagedev

Offbeat books keep the season jolly

Let there be dark

Offbeat books keep the season jolly

Southern discomfort

Offbeat books keep the season jolly

Ripped from the headlines

Offbeat books keep the season jolly

No rules, just confused

The blues all over again

Piece-able planet

It’s only rock ‘n’ roll

Feeding the flames

Finding our leaders in America

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