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The Greatest Trade Ever: How John Paulson Bet Against the Markets and Made $20 Billion
by Gregory Zuckerman'The definitive account of a sensational trade' Michael Lewis, author of The Big ShortAutumn 2008. The world's finances collapse but one man makes a killing.John Paulson, a softly spoken hedge-fund manager who still took the bus to work, seemed unlikely to stake his career on one big gamble. But he did - and The Greatest Trade Ever is the story of how he realised that the sub-prime housing bubble was going to burst, making $15 Billion for his fund and more than $4 Billion for himself in a single year. It's a tale of folly and wizardry, individual brilliance versus institutional stupidity.John Paulson made the biggest winning bet in history. And this is how he did it.'Extraordinary, excellent' Observer'A must-read for anyone fascinated by financial madness' Mail on Sunday'A forensic, read-in-one-sitting book' Sunday Times'Simply terrific. Easily the best of the post-crash financial books' Malcolm Gladwell'A great page-turner and a great illuminator of the market's crash' John Helyar, author of Barbarians at the Gate
So Much To Tell
by Valerie GroveKaye Webb, a journalist with no publishing experience, burst into the world of children's books in 1961 and changed the face of children's publishing forever. Her child-like enthusiasm and shrewd business mind led her to become Puffin's most successful editor and the genius behind the Puffin Club, which opened up the exciting world of authors and books to children across Britain. But whilst Kaye's professional life had worked out beautifully, her private life had been the reverse. Kaye had two husbands before her marriage to the artist Ronald Searle, and the torment of his sudden and shocking departure never left her.Yet to the outside world Kaye Webb remained passionate and unstoppable. This is the unknown story of the woman who brought the joy of books to children everywhere whilst battling the emotional pain that plagued her private life.
The Wisdom of Bees: What the Hive Can Teach Business about Leadership, Efficiency, and Growth
by Michael O'Malley'It seemed to me that the bees were working on the very same kinds of problems we are trying to solve. How can large, diverse groups work together harmoniously and productively? Perhaps we could take what the bees do so well and apply it to our institutions.'When Michael O'Malley first took up beekeeping he thought it would be a nice hobby to share with his son. But he noticed that bees not only work together to achieve a common goal but, in the process, create a remarkably productive organization, like a miniature but incredibly successful business.O'Malley also realized that bees can teach managers a lot, identifying 25 powerful insights such as: * Distribute authority: the queen bee delegates relentlessly and worker bees make daily decisions * Keep it simple: bees exchange only relevant information* Protect the future: when a lucrative vein of nectar is discovered, the entire colony doesn't rush off to mine itBlending practical advice with interesting facts about the hive, The Wisdom of Bees is a useful and entertaining guide for any manager looking to get the most out of his or her organization.
Civil Society And Development: A Critical Exploration (PDF)
by Jude A. Howell Jenny PearceIncorporated into the discourse of academics, policymakers and grassroots activists, of multilateral development agencies and local NGOs alike, ""civil society"" has become a topic of widespread discussion, but is there any common understanding of the term? How useful is it when applied to the South, and what difference does it make to bring the concept into the debate on development? This text explores the complex relationships among civil society, the state and market in the context of democratic development. Drawing on case studies from Africa, Asia and Latin America, it also unravels what is meant by development agencies - bilaterals, multilaterals, NGOs and international financial institutions, with their diverse approaches and agendas - when they refer to the urgent need to strengthen civil society.
Mrs Moneypenny's Careers Advice for Ambitious Women
by Mrs Moneypenny Heather McGregorWelcome to the world of Mrs Moneypenny, where it's all about who you know and what you know. Where you can't have it all, but you have to do it all. And where women wanting to reach the top need to learn to say 'no'. The high-flying, uber-connected Financial Times columnist and star of Channel 4's 'Superscrimpers' is on a mission to help you get ahead at work.In this incisive, hilariously frank book, Mrs Moneypenny tells you everything you need to know about taking control of your career. From nurturing your personal network and getting noticed, to the art of outsourcing and understanding numbers, she distils a lifetime's experience of running businesses and shaping careers into original, practical advice.Whether you're just starting out or a rung from the top, whether you're a store manager or a CEO, let Mrs Moneypenny be your ultimate mentor - and guide you to success.
Users Not Customers: Who Really Determines the Success of Your Business
by Aaron ShapiroBoardroom conversations are adapting to a new and brutal reality; there is no such thing as an offline business. And if you don't embrace digital, you'll be out of business altogether.Blockbuster, AOL, Yahoo and Borders were all unstoppable, but they didn't see the new economic order coming. Google, Facebook, Groupon, and Twitter barely existed at the turn of the millennium, but are now rocketing ahead.Aaron Shapiro is CEO of HUGE, the leading digital agency which builds and operates websites that handle 150 million users a month and bring in $1.2 billion annually for their clients. That's the GDP of a small country. He thinks constantly about the most pressing issue in business today: how can businesses can use digital to thrive?Shapiro has studied what the businesses succeeding today have in common, and in Users First, Customers Second, he teaches us to recognise that it's not just customers who interact with the digital version of our organisations.The businesses who are now roaring ahead put the interests and the digital experience of all of their users - employees, business partners, media and anyone else who interacts with you through digital channels - ahead of everything else, including their paying customers.In a world were we are all users you have a choice: you can be sure that people are using your digital ecosystem, or you can be irrelevant.
Every Nation for Itself: Winners and Losers in a G-Zero World
by Ian BremmerFollowing the acclaim for The End of the Free Market, Ian Bremmer is back with Every Nation for Itself, where he addresses the next big issue for the shifting world economy.'Smart and snappy ... provides the most cogent prediction of how the politics of a post-America world will play out' New StatesmanWhat happens when nobody's running the world?The United States is in financial crisis and can't hold onto the reins of the G-20. But China has no interest in international leadership, Europe is trying to save the euro, and emerging powers like Brazil and India are focused on domestic development. No government has the time, resources or political capital needed to take an international lead. The world power structure is about to have a vacancy...at the top.Welcome to the G-Zero world, in which no single country has the power to shape a truly global agenda. That means we are about to see 20 years of conflict over economics, finance and climate change.Bestselling author and strategist Ian Bremmer reveals how world powers are rapidly turning into gated communities, locked in competition. Who will prevail?'A prodigy in the US global commentariat. Mr Bremmer's rehearsal of the consequences should make us all wise up' Financial Times'An author who is always full of insights' George OsborneIan Bremmer is the president of the world's leading global political risk research and consulting firm, Eurasia Group. He has written for the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Newsweek, and Harvard Business Review. His six books include The J Curve and The End Of The Free Market.
Mastering JBoss Drools 6
by Mauricio Salatino Mariano De Maio Esteban AlivertiDiscover the power of Drools 6 and Business Rules for developing complex scenarios in your applicationsAbout This BookImplement and model different rules using the DRL full syntaxModel complex business decisions and domain models in order to automate and improve your operational decisions with the Drools frameworkA practical, fast-paced, hands-on guide to help you use the different components provided by the Drools Rule EngineWho This Book Is ForThis book is for Java developers and architects who need to have a deep understanding of how to create or integrate your applications with the Drools Rules Framework. The book assumes that you know the Java language well and also have experience with some widely used frameworks, such as Spring. You should also know the basics of Maven-based applications.What You Will LearnAutomate your application's decisions, such as promotion applying, discount policies, fraud detection, and more.Quickly get started with writing your first rules using the DRL full syntax.Discover the power of the new syntax components of the rule language.Define inferences in your business rules to simplify complex decisions.Write decision tables, templates,domain-specific languages, and scorecards, and learn how to map them to the Drools framework.Harness the full operational power of Drools through all of its configuration points.Use Drools configurations and architectures for different environments and scenarios.In DetailMastering JBoss Drools 6 will provide you with the knowledge to develop applications involving complex scenarios. You will learn how to use KIE modules to create and execute Business Rules, and how the PHREAK algorithm internally works to drive the Rule Engine decisions. This book will also cover the relationship between Drools and jBPM, which allows you to enrich your applications by using Business Processes. You will be briefly introduced to the concept of complex event processing (Drools CEP) where you will learn how to aggregate and correlate your data based on temporal conditions. You will also learn how to define rules using domain-specific languages, such as spreadsheets, database entries, PMML, and more. Towards the end, this book will take you through the integration of Drools with the Spring and Camel frameworks for more complex applications.Style and approachApproached from a developer's perspective, the book teaches you all the advanced concepts of Business Rules applicable examples with helpful screenshots, diagrams, tutorials, and examples.
Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success
by Ken Segall'Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end, because once you get there, you can move mountains'Steve Jobs, BusinessWeek, May 25, 1998To Steve Jobs, Simplicity wasn't just a design principle. It was a religion and a weapon. The obsession with Simplicity is what separates Apple from other technology companies. It's what helped Apple recover from near death in 1997 to become the most valuable company on Earth in 2011, and guides the way Apple is organized, how it designs products, and how it connects with customers. It's by crushing the forces of Complexity that the company remains on its stellar trajectory.As creative director, Ken Segall played a key role in Apple's resurrection, helping to create such critical campaigns as 'Think Different' and naming the iMac. Insanely Simple is his insider's view of Jobs' world. It reveals the ten elements of Simplicity that have driven Apple's success - which you can use to propel your own organisation. Reading Insanely Simple, you'll be a fly on the wall inside a conference room with Steve Jobs, and on the receiving end of his midnight phone calls. You'll understand how his obsession with Simplicity helped Apple perform better and faster.
How to be a Rogue Trader (Penguin Specials)
by John GapperPenguin Specials are designed to fill a gap. Written to be read over a long commute or a short journey, they are original and exclusively in digital form. This is John Gapper's foray into the world of rogue traders.Unlike most bankers, they are household names: Nick Leeson of Barings, Jerome Kerviel of Societe Generale, John Rusnak of Allied Irish Bank. And now the 31 year-old Kweku Adoboli, who allegedly ran up $2.3bn in losses at UBS. These are the men who have bought banks to their knees and global financial systems to a halt. Each time the banks declare themselves to be innocent victims of a fraud.But why do traders keep on committing apparently senseless crimes, with little benefit apart from higher bonuses and a risk of ending up in prison? And why do banks, which should have learned the tricks of the traders, keep being deceived?In this Penguin Special, the Financial Times' associate editor John Gapper unlocks the mystery by delving into the evolutionary risk-taking instincts of both humans and animals - from yellow-eyed junco sparrows in Arizona to honey-bees. He reveals how banks encourage their traders to evade risk limits, and shows how the rogue traders merely mimic the strategies used by their firms to seem more profitable than they really are.A rogue trader is often an outsider who starts in a lowly role and gambles with a bank's money in a bid to become a star. Gapper traces patterns of behaviour and personality that could be used to catch them before disaster strikes. But do the banks really want to? And are the rogue traders just the symptoms of a financial system gone rogue?
All That Glitters: The Fall of Barings
by John GapperThe definitive, classic account of the fall of the House of Baring and the ultimate rogue trader Nick Leeson.John Gapper, Associate Editor of the Financial Times, and his co-author Nicholas Denton, now founder of Gawker Media, interviewed all the major players involved in the collapse of one of England's oldest banks.All That Glitters reveals the faustian deal struck between the whizz-kid traders who seemed to be bringing in huge profits and the grandies who were happy to pocket them without asking too many questions. For the first time, the actions and motives of all the participants are explained, including the final days when politicians and bankers made a last-ditch attempt to save the bank, as well as Nick Leeson's actions and motives.
The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything ... Fast
by Josh KaufmanJosh Kaufman, bestselling author of The Personal MBA, is back with his new book, The First Twenty Hours, to teach readers how to learn anything... fast!'Lots of books promise to change your life. This one actually will' -Seth GodinPick up any new skill in just 20 hours... Want to learn to paint, play the piano, launch a business, fly a plane? Then pick up this book and set aside twenty hours to go from knowing nothing to performing like a pro. That's it. Josh Kaufman, author of international bestseller The Personal MBA, has developed this brilliant approach to mastering anything fast. You'll learn how to: • Focus energy on acquiring key skill sets • Eliminate obstacles and discover critical tools • Create rapid feedback loops • Work against the clock to get better fast With examples ranging from writing a web program to learning an instrument to picking up windsurfing, Kaufman shows how to break complexity into simple tasks, make the very best of your limited time and solve unexpected problems. In The First 20 Hours you'll learn how to acquire any skill in record time - and have a lot of fun along the way. 'After reading this, you'll be ready to take on any number of skills and make progress on that big project you've been putting off for years' Chris Guillebeau, author of The $100 Startup
The Impact Equation: Are You Making Things Happen or Just Making Noise?
by Chris BroganChris Brogan and Julien Smith, authors of Trust Agents, are back with The Impact Equation to show you how to make social media pay.What can the IMPACT EQUATION do for you? IMPACT = C × (R+E+A+T+E) Contrast: Does your idea stand out? Reach: How many people do you connect to? Exposure: How often does your audience hear from you? Articulation: Is your idea clear enough? Trust: Do people believe you? Echo: Does your idea connect to your audience? When Chris Brogan and Julien Smith wrote their bestseller Trust Agents, being interesting on the Web was enough to build an audience. Now everybody has a platform. But most of them are just making noise.In The Impact Equation, Brogan and Smith show that to make people truly care about what you have to say, you need more than just a good idea, trust among your audience, or a certain number of followers. You need a potent mix of all of the above - and more.As traditional channels for marketing and selling disappear and more people interact mainly online, the very nature of attention is changing. Use the Impact Equation to figure out what you're doing right and wrong. Apply it to a blog, a tweet, a video, or a mainstream advertising campaign. Use it to explain why a feature in a national newspaper that reaches millions might have less impact than a blog post that reaches a thousand passionate subscribers.The Impact Equation will give you the tools to guarantee your message will be heard.'Their advice on the importance of being able to write to make a splash online is solid...when it comes to building a brand online Brogan and Smith have been there and done that' -The Financial TimesChris Brogan and Julien Smith are consultants and speakers who have worked with Fortune 500 companies, including PepsiCo, General Motors, American Express, and Microsoft. They have been involved in online communities and blogging for more than fifteen years. Their first book, Trust Agents, was a New York Times bestseller.
It's Not About You: A Little Story About What Matters Most In Business
by John David Mann Bob Burg'A manifesto for twenty-first-century leadership packaged in a fun and engaging story. Buy this book and get it in the hands of everyone in your company' Darren Hardy, publisher, Success magazineBen is a young manager who has been charged with persuading 500 employees to agree to a merger. Facing an impossible battle, he seeks the advice of an old friend, who introduces him to eccentric Aunt Elle.In the week leading up to the crucial employee vote, Aunt Elle teaches Ben about the power of influence and positive persuasion. Ben also meets with the company's top executives, coming back with a new leadership lesson each time. Ben finally learns the critical principle so many people in power fail to grasp: it's not about me, it's about you.Written with a light touch and filled with practical advice, this book will resonate with all who aspire to influential leadership.
Do Nothing!: How to Stop Overmanaging and Become a Great Leader
by Keith MurninghamAward-winning business professor Keith Murnighan teaches us how doing less will get you more in Do Nothing!Would you like to go on holiday without having to check daily that your team is doing its job? Can you turn off your phone and your email, knowing that everything is under control?For most managers this is just a dream. But Do Nothing! reveals that such a 'hands off' approach is both achievable and highly effective.In this compelling and imaginative book, award-winning business professor Keith Murnighan shows how really successful leaders create a culture of independence and trust. Identify the team members who you can rely on - then step aside and let them do their jobs. With a raft of provocative suggestions ('ignore performance goals!', 'de-emphasize profits!'), Do Nothing! proves that behaving naturally can work against you. Doing less will get you more.'A compelling analysis...Allows leaders to both work less and be better at their craft' Robert Cialdini, author of Influence'This rare book provides a refreshing perspective and tangible advice on leadership that isn't available anyplace else' Bob Sutton, author of The No Asshole RuleJ. Keith Murnighan is an award-winning professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and an active consultant and trainer for a host of companies around the world. His research has been cited in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Economist, and Forbes. He lives in Evanston, Illinois.
Tap Dancing to Work: Warren Buffett on Practically Everything, 1966-2012
by Carol LoomisTap Dancing to Work compiles six decades of writing on legendary investor Warren Buffett, from Carol Loomis, the reporter who knows him best.Warren Buffett built Berkshire Hathaway into something remarkable - and Fortune journalist Carol Loomis had a front-row seat.When Carol Loomis first mentioned a little known Omaha hedge fund manager in a 1966 Fortune article, she didn't dream that Warren Buffett would one day be considered the world's greatest investor - nor that she and Buffett would quickly become close personal friends.As Buffett's fortune and reputation grew, Loomis used her unique insight into Buffett's thinking to chronicle his work for Fortune, writing and proposing scores of stories that tracked his many accomplishments - and his occasional mistakes.Now Loomis has collected and updated the best Buffett articles Fortune published between 1966 and 2012, including thirteen cover stories and a dozen pieces authored by Buffett himself. Readers will gain fresh insights into Buffett's investment strategies and his thinking on management, philanthropy, public policy, and even parenting.Scores of Buffett books have been written, but none can claim this combination of trust between two friends, the writer's deep understanding of Buffett's world, and a long-term perspective.Carol Loomis, 82, is at Editor-At-Large at Fortune magazine, where she has worked since 1954. She has written extensively on Warren Buffett since 1966 and is well known as the business journalist on closest terms with him. For the past 35 years she has edited Buffett's famous and eagerly-awaited annual letter to the shareholders of Berkshire-Hathaway. Loomis' many honours include the Gerald Loeb Lifetime Achievment Award for business journalism and the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers.
The Secret Club That Runs the World: Inside the Fraternity of Commodity Traders
by Kate KellyKate Kelly, acclaimed journalist and author of Street Fighters, investigates the world of commodities tradersWhen most of us think of the drama of global finance, we think of stocks and bonds. But commodities? Crude oil and soya beans? Copper and wheat? What could be more boring?That's exactly what the elite commodity traders want us to think. They don't seek the spotlight. They don't want to be as famous as Warren Buffett. Their astonishing wealth was created in obscurity, because they dwell in private companies or deep within large banks and corporations.But if the individuals in the commodities boom have gone unnoticed, their impact has not. Prices of raw materials have exploded. Are the big traders jacking up the cost of petrol, food, and essentials bought by people around the world? How did such immense power end up in the hands of a few?In this riveting book, Kate Kelly takes us inside the inner circle that affects so many things we all depend on. Following a trail from New York to London to Dubai, from hedgefunds and banks to brokers and regulators, she reveals the fullest ever picture of the men who gamble with our future every day.Kate Kelly, author of the New York Times bestseller Street Fighters, covers Wall Street for CNBC. She spent ten years at the Wall Street Journal, where she won a Livingston Award and two Gerald Loeb awards. She lives in Brooklyn with her family.
Mrs Moneypenny: Survival In The City
by Mrs MoneypennyHave you ever wondered what investment bankers, stockbrokers or fund managers actually do? This a book for everyone who works in the City as well as evryone who wonders how it works and what really goes on. In her original, outrageous and informative way, Mrs Moneypenny, financial journalist and City whiz extraordinaire, provides an insight into the City's workings and blows apart any preconceptions you may have.Along the way you'll discover how and why stocks and shares are traded, why everyone makes so much money, the real reasons women seem to do badly in the City, and much, much more.
Small Message, Big Impact: Put the Elevator Speech Effect to Work for You
by Terri SjodinIn Small Message, Big Impact, Terri Sjodin teaches you how to make a lasting impression on absolutely anyone - fast.You're at the airport, burning time by checking your email. Then you spot the CEO of a company you've wanted to connect with for ages. He's waiting for his flight. Your flight! Should you walk over? What will you say?We've all been there. An opportunity presents itself and you have one chance to share your message. The clock is ticking. And in this age of information overload, no skill is more essential than being able to connect with others quickly, whether in a meeting or in front of thousands of people.Acclaimed speaker and consultant Terri Sjodin defines an 'elevator speech' as a brief presentation that introduces a product, service, or idea. Its purpose isn't to say everything about your topic - just to intrigue and inspire the listener to want to hear more.Sjodin offers her time-tested strategies and advice, including worksheets, sample elevator speeches, evaluation forms, and much more. This internationally bestselling book is an entertaining, practical guide to making your message concise, compelling, and effective.Whatever your goal, you will learn to craft a fresh, brief, convincing message that generates tangible results. 'I'm always thinking about how to make the message smaller so the impact will be bigger. Terri Sjodin has codified the science of getting this right' Linda Kaplan Thaler, best-selling coauthor of The Power of Small and Bang! Terri L. Sjodin is the principal and founder of Sjodin Communications, a public speaking, sales training, and consulting firm. For more than twenty years she has served as a speaker and consultant for Fortune 500 companies, industry associations, academic conferences, CEOs, and members of Congress. She lives in Newport Beach, California.
The Three Rules: How Exceptional Companies Think
by Michael Raynor Mumtaz AhmedIn The Three Rules, Michael E Raynor and Mumtaz Ahmed provide the answer to the ultimate business question: how do some companies manage to keep excelling, year after year after year?'The objective is to deliver the best possible performance and sustain it for as long as possible'In every sector there's an outlier. An exceptional company that faces the same difficulties as competitors, but constantly delivers superior results. What are they doing differently? And what can they teach us?Michael E. Raynor and Mumtaz Ahmed analysed 25,000 companies spanning forty-five years to find the answers. What they discovered were three clear rules that the most exceptional companies follow when faced with the most difficult decisions. With a powerful combination of detailed case studies and rigorous data analysis, reading, learning and applying The Three Rules will help your organization become truly exceptional.Michael E. Raynor is a director at Deloitte Services LP, where he explores corporate strategy, innovation, and growth with clients in a variety of industries. He is the coauthor, with Clayton Christensen, of The Innovator's Solution, and the author of the bestselling and critically acclaimed The Strategy Paradox and The Innovator's Manifesto.Mumtaz Ahmed is a principal in Deloitte Consulting LLP and the chief strategy officer of Deloitte LLP, responsible for the U.S. firm's strategy, corporate development, innovation, eminence, and brand.
AWS Administration – The Definitive Guide
by Yohan WadiaLearn to design, build, and manage your infrastructure on the most popular of all the Cloud platforms—Amazon Web ServicesAbout This BookLearn how to leverage various Amazon Web Services (AWS) components and services to build a secure, reliable, and robust environment to host your applications onDeep dive into the core AWS service offerings with hands-on tutorials, real-world use case scenarios, and best practicesA self-paced, systematic, and step-by-step guide to learning and implementing AWS in your own environmentWho This Book Is ForThis book is for those who want to learn and leverage AWS. Although no prior experience with AWS is required, it is recommended that you have some hands-on experienceofLinux, Web Services, and basic networkingWhat You Will LearnA brief introduction to Cloud Computing and AWS accompanied by steps to sign up for your first AWS accountCreate and manage users, groups, and permissions using AWSS Identity and Access Management servicesGet started with deploying and accessing EC2 instances, working with EBS Volumes and SnapshotsCustomize and create your very own Amazon Machine ImageDesign and deploy your instances on a highly secured, network isolated environment using Amazon VPCEffectively monitor your AWS environment using specialized alarms, custom monitoring metrics, and much moreExplore the various benefits of Database-as-a-Service offerings and leverage them using Amazon RDS and Amazon DynamoDBTake an in-depth look at what's new with AWS, including EC2 Container Service and Elastic File SystemIn DetailAWS is at the forefront of Cloud Computing today. Many businesses are moving away from traditional datacenters and toward AWS because of its reliability, vast service offerings, lower costs, and high rate of innovation. Because of its versatility and flexible design, AWS can be used to accomplish a variety of simple and complicated tasks such as hosting multitier websites, running large scale parallel processing, content delivery, petabyte storage and archival, and lots more.Whether you are a seasoned sysadmin or a rookie, this book will provide you with all the necessary skills to design, deploy, and manage your applications on the AWS cloud platform. The book guides you through the core AWS services such as IAM, EC2, VPC, RDS, and S3 using a simple real world application hosting example that you can relate to. Each chapter is designed to provide you with the most information possible about a particular AWS service coupled with easy to follow hands-on steps, best practices, tips, and recommendations.By the end of the book, you will be able to create a highly secure, fault tolerant, and scalable environment for your applications to run on.Style and approach This in-depth and insightful guide is filled with easy-to-follow examples, real-world use cases, best practices, and recommendations that will help you design and leverage AWS.
Whatcha Gonna Do With That Duck?: And Other Provocations, 2006-2012
by Seth GodinMade for dipping into again and again, Whatcha Gonna Do with That Duck? brings together the very best of Seth Godin's acclaimed blog and is a classic for fans both old and new.'Getting your ducks in a row is a fine thing to do. But deciding what you are going to do with that duck is a far more important issue'Seth Godin is famous for bestselling books such as Purple Cow and cool entrepreneurial ventures such as Squidoo and the Domino Project. But to millions of loyal readers, he's best known for the daily burst of insight he provides every morning, rain or shine, via Seth's Blog. Since he started blogging in the early 1990s, he has written more than two million words and shaped the way we think about marketing, leadership, careers, innovation, creativity, and more. Much of his writing is inspirational and some is incendiary.Collected here are six years of his best, most entertaining, and most poignant blog posts, plus a few bonus ebooks. From thoughts on how to treat your customers to telling stories and spreading ideas, Godin pushes us to think smarter, dream bigger, write better, and speak more honestly. Highlights include:-A marketing lesson from the Apocalypse -No, everything is not going to be okay -Organized bravery -Choose your customers, choose your future-Paying attention to the attention economy -Bandits and philanthropistsGodin writes to get under our skin. He wants us to stand up and do something remarkable, outside the standards of the industrial system that raised us.Seth Godin is the author of thirteen international bestsellers that have changed the way people think about marketing, the ways ideas spread, leadership and change including Permission Marketing, Purple Cow, All Marketers are Liars, The Dip and Tribes. He is the CEO of Squidoo.com and a very popular lecturer. His blog, www.sethgodin.typepad.com, is the most influential business blog in the world, and consistently one of the 100 most popular blogs on any subject.
The Icarus Deception: How High Will You Fly?
by Seth GodinIn The Icarus Deception, Seth Godin's most inspiring book, he challenges readers to find the courage to treat their work as a form of artEveryone knows that Icarus's father made him wings and told him not to fly too close to the sun; he ignored the warning and plunged to his doom. The lesson: Play it safe. Listen to the experts. It was the perfect propaganda for the industrial economy. What boss wouldn't want employees to believe that obedience and conformity are the keys to success?But we tend to forget that Icarus was also warned not to fly too low, because seawater would ruin the lift in his wings. Flying too low is even more dangerous than flying too high, because it feels deceptively safe.The safety zone has moved. Conformity no longer leads to comfort. But the good news is that creativity is scarce and more valuable than ever. So is choosing to do something unpredictable and brave: Make art. Being an artist isn't a genetic disposition or a specific talent. It's an attitude we can all adopt. It's a hunger to seize new ground, make connections, and work without a map. If you do those things you're an artist, no matter what it says on your business card.Godin shows us how it's possible and convinces us why it's essential.'If Seth Godin didn't exist, we'd need to invent him' Fast Company 'Seth Godin is a demigod on the web, a bestselling author, highly sought-after lecturer, successful entrepreneur, respected pundit and high-profile blogger' Forbes Seth Godin is the author of thirteen international bestsellers that have changed the way people think about marketing, the ways ideas spread, leadership and change including Permission Marketing, Purple Cow, All Marketers are Liars, The Dip and Tribes. He is the CEO of Squidoo.com and a very popular lecturer. His blog, www.sethgodin.typepad.com, is the most influential business blog in the world, and consistently one of the 100 most popular blogs on any subject..
V is for Vulnerable: Life Outside the Comfort Zone: An ABC for Grownups
by Seth GodinV is for Vulnerable by Seth Godin is a full-color ABC book for grown-ups, with a powerful message about doing great work.V is for Vulnerable looks and feels like a classic picture book. But it's not for kids, it's for hardworking adults. It highlights twenty-six of Seth Godin's principles about treating your work as a form of art, with illustrations by acclaimed cartoonist Hugh MacLeod. A sample: A is for Anxiety, which is experiencing failure in advance. Tell yourself enough vivid stories about the worst possible outcome and you'll soon come to believe them. Worry is not preparation, and anxiety doesn't make you better. F is for Feedback, which can be either a crutch or a weapon. Use it to make your work smaller, safer, and more likely to please everyone (and fail in the long run). Or use it as a lever to further push you to embrace what you fear and what you're capable of. This is unlike any previous Godin book and makes a great gift, both for loyal fans and those who've never read him before.Seth Godin is the author of thirteen international bestsellers that have changed the way people think about marketing, the ways ideas spread, leadership and change including Permission Marketing, Purple Cow, All Marketers are Liars, The Dip and Tribes. He is the CEO of Squidoo.com and a very popular lecturer. His blog, www.sethgodin.typepad.com, is the most influential business blog in the world, and consistently one of the 100 most popular blogs on any subject.
Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple’s Greatest Products
by Leander KahneyAn intimate look at the legendary British designer behind Apple's most iconic products - including the Apple WatchWith the death of Steve Jobs in 2011, JONY IVE has become the most important person at Apple. Some would argue he always was.Steve Jobs discovered Ive in 1997, when he found the scruffy British designer toiling away in a studio surrounded by hundreds of sketches and prototypes. Jobs instantly realised he had found a talent who could reverse Apple's decline, and become his 'spiritual partner'.Their collaboration produced iconic products including the iMac, iPod, iPad and iPhone. Designs that overturned entire industries and created the world's most powerful brand.Little has been known about this shy, softly-spoken designer. Until now. This riveting book tells the story of a creative genius, from his early interest in industrial design to his meteoric rise, as well as the principles and practices that led Ive to become the designer of his generation.'Sheds new light on technology's most-watched design team' Observer'A real pleasure' GQLeander Kahney has covered Apple for more than a dozen years and has written three popular books about Apple and the culture of its followers, including Inside Steve's Brain and Cult of Mac. The former news editor for Wired.com, he is currently the editor and publisher of CultofMac.com. He lives in San Francisco.