Best of Recommended Reading 2010
By Ilya Leybovich
The following 10 books were the most popular Recommended Reading choices in 2010. From business know-how to historical analysis, these books will keep you entertained and informed in 2011.
Poorly Made in China: An Insider's Account of the Tactics Behind China's Production Game
Poorly Made in China is a dramatic and often witty travelogue of one man's journey through China's export manufacturing sector. Author Paul Midler reveals what really goes on behind the scenes of the Asian giant's export industries. The story follows the author from one project to the next, capturing why so many quality failures could come out of China at once and exploring what the consequences of the country's rapid economic rise mean for the world.
Hardcover, 256pp
Wiley, John & Sons, Inc., April 2009
Barnes & Noble online price: $16.63
The Most Powerful Idea in the World: A Story of Steam, Industry, and Invention
In tracing the development of the steam engine through a close examination of the creative processes of pioneering inventors, award-winning author William Rosen's The Most Powerful Idea in the World sheds light on how tremendous innovations come into being. Along the way, Rosen introduces readers to a huge cast of colorful historical figures and illustrates how the world sprang into a sustained period of rapid growth and development within a single generation.
Hardcover, 400pp
Random House Publishing Group, June 2010
B&N online price: $18.67
Awesomely Simple: Essential Business Strategies for Turning Ideas into Action
Running a business in today's world can mean dealing with all sorts of distractions, but in Awesomely Simple, author John Spence provides practical strategies for cutting through the day-to-day clutter of operating a company. Using case studies, easy-to-follow guidelines and tips for improving efficiency, this book shows how a streamlined approach to business may be better than an unnecessarily complex alternative.
Hardcover, 208pp
Wiley, John & Sons, Inc., September 2009
B&N online price: $15.83
The 4-Hour Workweek, Expanded and Updated: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich
Ever wished you could start living more and working less? Serial entrepreneur and "ultravagabond" Timothy Ferriss offers his strategies for escaping the rat race but without sacrificing your income. His bestselling, step-by-step guide shows you how to build a career on short work bursts, take mini-retirements, get rid of unnecessary work and find ways to make more money. The expanded version features over a hundred pages of new material. Hardcover, 396pp
Crown Publishing Group, December 2009
B&N online price: $11.58
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High
Communication is paramount in business, which means that staying calm and collected during important interactions can be the key to success. In Crucial Conversations, a team of corporate consultants breaks down the methods for handling conversations with expertise and finding ways to achieve the results you want. Learn how to persuade others through talk and how to keep your conversational cool in high-pressure situations. Paperback, 256pp
The McGraw-Hill Cos., June 2002
B&N online price: $10.19
Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
Learning to adapt can be difficult, even when it's the smartest possible option. In Switch, authors Chip and Dan Heath examine why people are reluctant to accept beneficial or necessary changes. Drawing on research in psychology, sociology and other fields, the Heaths show how everyday people (including managers and employees) can be motivated to accept new ideas.
Hardcover, 320pp
Broadway Books, February 2010
B&N online price: $14.22
Getting to Plan B: Breaking Through to a Better Business Model
Starting a new business can be fraught with uncertainty, even with a solid business plan. In Getting to Plan B, authors John Mullins and Randy Komisar explain that having a plan that changes as new challenges arise is the key to keeping a new business functional. They provide a rigorous "stress test" to see if your initial plan can keep up with your company's needs and determine whether you need a path to plan B.
Hardcover, 272pp
Harvard Business Press, September 2009
B&N online price: $19.97
Mass Career Customization: Aligning the Workplace with Today's Nontraditional Workforce
Offering a personalized experience to your customers is a great way to improve business, but employees may need a similar level of engagement if a company is to maintain its competitive advantage. In Mass Career Customization, Deloitte talent strategists Cathy Benko and Anne C. Weisberg explain how keeping employees engaged and connected will be increasingly important as the workforce shrinks, and they explore the four key factors in customizing a career.
Digital eBook
Harvard Business School Press
B&N online price: $10.78
Topgrading: How Leading Companies Win by Hiring, Coaching and Keeping the Best People
A company's success isn't only based on its business strategies — it also depends on its people. In a revised and updated version of the 1999 classic Topgrading, author Bradford D. Smart offers a practical approach to finding and managing the top talent. Drawing on case studies and interviews, the book provides helpful advice on how to harness a business's most valuable resources: its workers. Hardcover, 592pp
Penguin Group, April 2005
B&N online price: $19.97
Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
There are some people who are simply indispensable to an organization. In Linchpin, business expert and bestselling author Seth Godin explains how these essential people innovate, connect divergent parts of the company and lead others — regardless of their position. Godin also illustrates how you can become indispensable by overcoming the resistance that holds people back.
Hardcover, 244pp
Penguin Group, January 2010
B&N online price: $16.77
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