Battle-Tested Lessons for Leaders and Entrepreneurs from History's Greatest Rivalries
David Brown
THE ART OF BUSINESS WARS, based on Wondery’s popular and chart-topping Business Wars podcast, uses Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu’s strategies as a lens to examine some of history’s greatest business rivalries and deliver memorable lessons about why some companies triumph and others crumble. More »
How to Harness the Power of Software Developers and Win in the 21st Century
Jeff LawsonForeword by Eric Ries
Jeff Lawson, developer turned CEO of Twilio (one of Bloomberg Businessweek’s Top 50 Companies to Watch in 2021), creates a new playbook for unleashing the full potential of software developers in any organization, showing how to help management utilize this coveted and valuable workforce to enable growth, solve a wide range of business problems, and drive digital transformation. More »
Corporate social responsibility, divestment, impact investing, and government intervention won’t fix capitalism. Michael O'Leary and Warren Valdmanis examine how we can change the way corporations work to make the world a better place. More »
How the Battle Between Trump and Xi Threatens a New Cold War
Bob Davis and Lingling Wei
Two Wall Street Journal reporters tell the inside story of the US-China trade war, examining how relations between China and the US, between Trump and Xi, have risen and fallen in the battle to become the world's sole economic and political superpower. More »
The world is entering a period of dangerous instability and conflict not seen since before World War I. A forward-thinking geopolitical guru explains who will win and who will lose in the coming global disorder, as a growing number of countries step back from the international system and embrace nationalism. More »
How the Mobility Revolution Is Transforming Our Lives
John Rossant and Stephen Baker
Mobility expert John Rossant and business journalist Stephen Baker look beyond the false promises of the past to examine the real future of transportation and the repercussions for the world's cities, the global economy, the environment, and our individual lives. More »
Ben Horowitz, a leading venture capitalist, modern management expert, and New York Times bestselling author, combines lessons both from history and from modern organizational practice with practical and often surprising advice to help executives build cultures that can weather both good and bad times. More »
The New York Times bestselling author of Bitter Brew chronicles the birth and rise to greatness of the American auto industry through the remarkable life of Harley Earl, an eccentric six-foot-five, stuttering visionary who dropped out of college and went on to invent the profession of automobile styling, thereby revolutionized the way cars were made, marketed, and even imagined.Harleys Earl’s story qualifies as a bona fide American… More »
Cautionary Tales of Business Pioneers Who Tried to Do Well by Doing Good
James O'Toole
An expert on ethical leadership analyzes the complicated history of business people who tried to marry the pursuit of profits with virtuous organizational practices—from British industrialist Robert Owen to American retailer John Cash Penney and jeans maker Levi Strauss to such modern-day entrepreneurs Anita Roddick and Tom Chappell.Today's business leaders are increasingly pressured by citizens, consumers, and government officials… More »
A riveting and timely intellectual history of one of our most important capitalist institutions, Harvard Business School, from the bestselling author of The Firm. With The Firm, financial journalist Duff McDonald pulled back the curtain on consulting giant McKinsey & Company. In The Golden Passport, he reveals the inner workings of… More »
Two Centuries of Booms, Busts, and Bailouts at Citi
James Freeman and Vern McKinley
The alarming, untold story of Citigroup—one of the largest financial institutions in the world—from its founding in 1812 to its role in the 2008 financial crisis, and the many near-death experiences in between. During the 2008 financial crisis, we were told that Citi was a victim of events beyond its control—the larger financial panic, unforeseen economic disruptions and a… More »
The Google Mapping Revolution That Sparked New Industries and Augmented Our Reality
Bill Kilday
As enlightening as The Facebook Effect, Elon Musk, and Chaos Monkeys—the compelling, behind-the-scenes story of the creation of one of the most essential applications ever devised, and the rag-tag team that built it and changed how we navigate the world Never Lost Again chronicles the evolution of mapping technology—the… More »
An entertainment and tech insider—YouTube's chief business officer—delivers the first detailed account of the rise of YouTube, the creative minds who have capitalized on it to become pop culture stars, and how streaming video is revolutionizing the media world. More »
In this bold history and manifesto, a former White House director of economic policy under President George H. W. Bush exposes the economic, political, and cultural cracks that wealthy nations face and makes the case for transforming those same vulnerabilities into sources of strength—and the foundation of a national renewal. More »
The Magnificent, Maddening, Mysterious World of Transportation
Edward Humes
The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of Garbology explores the hidden and costly wonders of our buy-it-now, get-it-today world of transportation, revealing the surprising truths, mounting challenges, and logistical magic behind every trip we take and every click we make. Transportation dominates our daily existence. Thousands, even millions, of miles are embedded in everything we do and touch. We live in a door-to-door… More »
Boardroom Battles and the Rise of Shareholder Activism
Jeff Gramm
A sharp and illuminating history of one of capitalism’s longest running tensions—the conflicts of interest among public company directors, managers, and shareholders—told through entertaining case studies and original letters from some of our most legendary and controversial investors and activists.Recent disputes between shareholders and major corporations, including Apple and DuPont, have made headlines. But the struggle between… More »
Former Wall Street Journal technology reporter Yukari Iwatani Kane delves deep inside Apple in the two years since Steve Jobs’s death, revealing the tensions and challenges CEO Tim Cook and his team face as they try to sustain Jobs’s vision and keep the company moving forward.Steve Jobs's death raised one of the most pressing questions in the tech and business worlds: Could Apple stay great without its iconic leader? Many inside the… More »
Based on unprecedented access to the corporation’s archives, The Intel Trinity is the first full history of Intel Corporation—the essential company of the digital age— told through the lives of the three most important figures in the company’s history: Robert Noyce, Gordon Moore, and Andy Grove.Often hailed the “most important company in the world,” Intel remains, more than four decades after its inception, a defining company… More »
"Bitter Brew deftly chronicles the contentious succession of kings in a uniquely American dynasty. You'll never crack open a six again without thinking of this book."—John Sayles, Director of Eight Men Out and author of A Moment in the SunMore »
The bestselling author of The Sellout tells the explosive story of the government’s crackdown on insider-trading networks—an investigation that has already racked up more than 60 convictions.In Circle of Friends, award-winning journalist Charles Gasparino—one of Wall Street's most knowledgeable observers—follows government investigators and prosecutors as they pursue one of the most aggressive and broad-reaching series of… More »
A Fast Food Nation for the airline industry, Attention All Passengers is a shocking and important exposé revealing the real state of the "friendly skies" in which we fly. Award-winning Consumer Reports travel journalist William McGee, a former editor of the Consumer Reports Travel Letter, spent nearly seven years in airline flight operations management, and what he learned was less… More »
Reverse-Engineering the Fastest Growing Company in the History of the World
Jeff Jarvis
“Eye-opening, thought-provoking, and enlightening.”—USA Today“An indispensable guide to the business logic of the networked era.”—Clay Shirky, author of Here Comes Everybody“A stimulating exercise in thinking really, really big.”—San Jose Mercury NewsWhat Would Google Do? is an indispensable manual for survival and success in today’s internet-driven marketplace. By “reverse engineering the fastest growing company in… More »
From Richard Florida, author of the bestselling books The Rise of the Creative Class and Who’s Your City?, comes a book that frames the economic meltdown of 2008–09 not as a crisis but as an opportunity to “reset.” In doing so, he paints a fascinating picture of what our economy, society, and geography will look like—of how we will work and live—in the future. More »
From Pawnshops to Poverty, Inc.—How the Working Poor Became Big Business
Gary Rivlin
From the author of the New York Times Notable Book of the Year Drive By comes a unique and riveting exploration of one of America’s largest and fastest-growing industries—the business of poverty. Broke, USA is a Fast Food Nation for the “poverty industry” that will also appeal to readers of Barbara Ehrenreich (Nickel and Dimed) and David Shipler (The Working Poor). More »
“Eamon Javers has produced a remarkable book about the secret world of business warfare—a world filled with corporate spies and covert ops and skullduggery… An important book that has the added pleasure of reading like a spy novel.” —David Grann, author of The Lost City of Z Award-winning reporter Eamon Javers’s Broker, Trader, Lawyer, Spy is a penetrating work of investigative and historical journalism about the evolution of… More »
"The first important book of the 21st century. It may well revolutionize the relationship between business and the environment."—Don Falk, Executive Director, Society for Ecological Restoration The Ecology of Commerce is the provocative national bestseller that addresses the necessity of merging good business… More »
In the spirit of Barbarians at the Gate and Liar's Poker comes The Sellout, the definitive book on the recent collapse of Wall Street, one of the most dramatic and anxiety-ridden era in national socioeconomic history. In this powerful business narrative, Charles Gasparino, the author of Blood on the Floor and King of the Club, captures… More »
A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules
Stacy Perman
"This book grills up an enjoyable read for both avid foodies and novice diners alike! Perman's sneak peek into the fascinating history of In-N-Out is as good as the delicious burgers themselves." —Mario Batali, celebrity chef and author of Molto Italiano A behind-the-counter look at the fast-food chain that breaks… More »
“If you are interested in how Asia became an economic tiger, read The Miracle.”—New York TimesAn international bestseller, The Miracle by business journalist Michael Schuman offers a fascinating exploration of the most meaningful and far-reaching global event since World War II: the economic ascent of the Asian continent. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer calls The Miracle, “An amazing story and it’s all true,” while the New York Times…More »
In Asian Juggernaut, the revelatory and important International Bestseller by Brahma Chellaney, a renowned authority on Asia’s political and economic development offers an incisive and insightful analysis of the region’s pivotal role on the world stage. Examining the rise of China, India, and Japan as preeminent powers and their key position in the global future, Asian Juggernaut is a book that must be read by anyone interested in…More »
A #1 New York Times bestseller and arguably the best business narrative ever written, Barbarians at the Gate is the classic account of the fall of RJR Nabisco. An enduring masterpiece of investigative journalism by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar, it includes a new afterword by the authors that brings this remarkable story of greed and double-dealings up to date twenty years after the famed deal. More »
Who Turned Out the Lights? is an entertaining and nonpartisan guide to the current U.S. energy crisis from Scott Bittle and Jean Johnson, coauthors of the breakout bestseller Where Does the Money Go? At once light-hearted and fun—like Jon Stewart’s America: The Book and Stephen Colbert’s I am America (and So Can You!)—and deadly serious, Who Turned Out the Lights? helps readers understand what’s really at stake in the energy…More »
In this fascinating history, Jeffrey Rothfeder tells how, from a simple idea—the outgrowth of a handful of peppers planted on an isolated island on the Gulf of Mexico—a secretive family business emerged that would produce one of the best-known products in the world.A delectable and satisfying read for both Tabasco fans and business buffs, McIlhenny's Gold is the untold story of the continuing success of an eccentric, private company;… More »
During a two-year urban adventure through the world of commerce, journalist Alex Frankel proudly wore the brown uniform of the UPS driver, folded endless stacks of T-shirts at Gap, brewed espressos for the hordes at Starbucks, interviewed (but failed to get hired) at Whole Foods, enrolled in management training at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and sold iPods at the Apple Store.In this lively and entertaining narrative, Frankel takes readers on… More »
Newly revised with the latest market trends and growth opportunitiesIn The Clean Tech Revolution, authors Ron Pernick and Clint Wilder identify the major forces that have pushed clean tech from back-to-the-earth utopian dream to its current revolution among the inner circles of corporate boardrooms, on Wall Street trading floors, and in government offices around the globe. By highlighting eight major clean-tech sectors—solar energy… More »
Throughout the 20th century, American corporations were governed by autocratic, almost unaccountable chief executives. Their word was law, and the only check on their power was a board of directors composed of their friends and allies. Then, in a stunning reversal, a momentous series of firings deposed the heads of some of the world's best-known companies.In Revolt in the Boardroom, Alan Murray examines the new world of corporate power.… More »
Until the 1950s, the struggle to feed, clothe, and employ the nation drove most of American political life. From slavery to the New Deal, political parties organized around economic interests and engaged in fervent debate over the best allocation of agonizingly scarce resources. But with the explosion of the nation's economy in the years after World War II, a new set of needs began to emerge—a search for meaning and self-expression on… More »
How Abraham Lincoln Used the Telegraph to Win the Civil War
Tom Wheeler
Abraham Lincoln's two great legacies to history—his extraordinary power as a writer and his leadership during the Civil War—come together in this close study of the President's use of the telegraph. Invented less than two decades before he entered office, the telegraph came into its own during the Civil War. In a jewel–box of historical writing, Wheeler captures Lincoln as he adapted his folksy rhetorical style to the telegraph… More »
A True Story of Inside Information and Corruption in the Stock Market
Daniel Reingold and Jennifer Reingold
Here is the true story of a top Wall Street player's transformation from a straight-arrow believer to a jaded cynic, who reveals how Wall Street's insider game is really played. Dan Reingold was a top Wall Street analyst for fourteen years and Salomon Smith Barney analyst Jack Grubman's chief competitor in the red-hot sector of telecom. Reingold was part of the "Street" and believed in it.But in this action-packed, highly personal memoir… More »
Mr. China tells the rollicking story of a young man who goes to China with the misguided notion that he will help bring the Chinese into the modern world, only to be schooled by the most resourceful and creative operators he would ever meet. Part memoir, part parable, Mr. China is one man's coming-of-age story where he learns to respect and admire the nation he sought to conquer. More »
Much more personal than standard corporate histories, David Packard's The HP Way provides insights into managing and motivating people and inspiration for would–be entrepreneurs. This bestselling classic joins the Collins Business Essentials line–up with a new Note from Steve Jobs.From a one–car–garage company to a multibillion–dollar industry, the rise of Hewlett–Packard is an extraordinary tale of vision, innovation and… More »
As a governor of the Federal Reserve Board from 1996 to 2002, Laurence H. Meyer helped make the economic policies that steered the United States through some of the wildest and most tumultuous times in its recent history. Now, in A Term at the Fed, Governor Meyer provides an insider's view of the Fed, the decisions that affected both the U.S. and world economies, and the challenges inherent in using monetary policy to guide the… More »
How the Multicultural Consumer Is Transforming American Business
Guy Garcia and Tom (TH) Haushalter
An economic revolution is transforming America: the New Mainstream. In this groundbreaking book, Guy Garcia explains how Americans will eat, work, play, learn, and spend money in the twenty-first century—and why any organization that ignores the lessons of the New Mainstream is doomed to fail.Led by the growing statistical and buying power of blacks, Latinos, and Asians, the New Mainstream is a loose coalition of minorities who have… More »
Why are some countries rich and others poor? Why does a farmer in Sweden have a higher standard of living than a farmer in South Africa? Why does a schoolteacher in Switzerland earn more than one in Chicago?According to leading economic theorist John Kay, economic markets are key to the wealth or poverty of the world's nations. In Culture and Prosperity, Kay explores why market economies outperform socialist or centrally directed… More »
Reinventing the Wheel is the riveting, behind-the-scenes story of the enigmatic and cocksure inventor Dean Kamen and the Segway Human Transporter.When Kamen invented the two-wheeled vehicle known to many by its code name, Ginger, he promised it would transform the face of personal transportation forever. But when this brilliant and driven inventor attempted to become an entrepreneur, a colossal power struggle ensued. Here, Steve Kemper… More »
In this wide-ranging and perceptive work of cultural criticism, Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter shatter the most important myth that dominates much of radical political, economic, and cultural thinking. The idea of a counterculture—a world outside of the consumer-dominated world that encompasses us—pervades everything from the antiglobalization movement to feminism and environmentalism. And the idea that mocking or simply hoping the… More »
How Two Wall Street Journal Reporters Uncovered the Lies that Destroyed Faith in Corporate America
Rebecca Smith and John R. Emshwiller
This is the story of Rebecca Smith and John R. Emshwiller, the two reporters who led the Wall Street Journal's reporting on Enron and uncovered the unorthodox partnerships at the heart of the scandal through skill, luck, and relentless determination. More »
Wall Street is a funny business. All you have is your reputation. Taint it and someone else will fill your shoes. Longevity comes from maintaining that reputation.Ask Jack Grubman, the All-Star telecom analyst from Salomon Smith Barney; uber-banker Frank Quattrone at CS First Boston; Morgan Stanley's Mary "Queen of the Net" Meeker; or Merrill Lynch's Henry Blodget.Well, they probably won't tell you anything. But have I got some great… More »
Of the world's 100 largest economies, 51 are now corporations, only 49 are nation-states. The sales of General Motors and Ford are greater than the gross domestic product of the whole of sub-Saharan Africa, and Wal-Mart now has a turnover higher than the revenues of most of the states of Eastern Europe. Yet few of us understand fully the growing dominance of big business.Widely acclaimed economist Noreena Hertz brilliantly reveals how… More »
Once upon a time Linus Torvalds was a skinny unknown, just another nerdy Helsinki techie who had been fooling around with computers since childhood. Then he wrote a groundbreaking operating system and distributed it via the Internet—for free. Today Torvalds is an international folk hero. And his creation LINUX is used by over 12 million people as well as by companies such as IBM.Now, in a narrative that zips along with the speed of… More »
In Amazon.com Jeff Bezos built something the world had never seen. He created the most recognized brand name on the Internet, became for a time one of the richest men in the world, and was crowned "the king of cyber-commerce. "Yet for all the media exposure, the inside story of Amazon.com has never really been told. In this revealing, unauthorized account, Robert Spector, journalist and best-selling author, gives us this up-to-date… More »
The Original Design and Ultimate Destiny of the World Wide Web
Tim Berners-Lee
Named one of the greatest minds of the 20th century by Time, Tim Berners-Lee is responsible for one of that century's most important advancements: the world wide web. Now, this low-profile genius-who never personally profitted from his invention -offers a compelling protrait of his invention. He reveals the Web's origins and the creation of the now ubiquitous http and www acronyms and shares his views on such critical issues as… More »
In the bestselling tradition of The Soul of a New Machine, Dealers of Lightning is a fascinating journey of intellectual creation. In the 1970s and '80s, Xerox Corporation brought together a brain-trust of engineering geniuses, a group of computer eccentrics dubbed PARC. This brilliant group created several monumental innovations that triggered a technological revolution, including the first personal computer, the laser printer, and the… More »
From Harvard to Harley, Lessons from Ten That Broke the Rules and Made It Big
Sam Hill and Glenn Rifkin
How did the Grateful Dead use its fanatical following to build a $100 millionbrand that still thrives today? How did upstart Boston Beer Company—makers of Sam Adams—prevail over rival Anheuser-Busch without an advertising budget? And how did lams create the premium pet food market and leap from $16 million to $600 million in sales in just fifteen years, while charging twice the price of competitor Ralston-Purina? The answer: radical… More »
Computer manufacturing is—after cars, energy production and illegal drugs—the largest industry in the world, and it's one of the last great success stories in American business. Accidental Empires is the trenchant, vastly readable history of that industry, focusing as much on the astoundingly odd personalities at its core—Steve Jobs… More »
Business guru Peter Drucker provides an incisive analysis of the major world transformation taking place, from the Age of Capitalism to the Knowledge Society, and examines the radical affects it will have on society, politics, and business now and in the coming years. This searching and incisive analysis of the major world transformation now taking place shows how it will affect society,economics, business, and politics and explains how… More »