Daily Reflections for Highly Effective People:

Living The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. I found this book at the Tuscaloosa Public Library bookstore where I am a frequent visitor. This handy, pocket-size book has short but very good, daily messages that can help put real life situations in a better and more inspiring perspective.

Read the Amazon reviews here.

Publish or Perish

Can the iPad topple the Kindle, and save the book business? by Ken Auletta

This interesting article from the New Yorker (April 26, 2010) provides an interesting look into the book publishing industry. Here are some snippets that I took from his insightful article:

• e-books (although increasing in popularity) account for 3-5% of the market
• "Amazon had been buying many e-books from publishers for about $13 and selling them for $9.99 to increase market share and encourage sales of the Kindle."
• Publishers didn't like the $9.99 price and was concerned about setting a price precedent in buyer's minds.
• "The decision to enter publishing was a reversal for [Steve] Jobs, who two years ago said the book publishing industry was unsalvageable."
• "Traditionally, publishers have sold books to stores, with the wholesale price for hardcovers set at fifty per cent of the cover price."
  
• "Authors are paid royalities at a rate of about fifteen per cent of the cover price."

If you're interested in reading more please see the full article here. (you must have an active myBama password and login).

Management, Plain and Simple

Check out this article from a recent Time magazine. This article provides some excellent insight into better ways to run small (and for that matter, any size) business. See the article for other references for more literature on the topic of the high success rate of Amish businesses. Maybe many small businesses can learn from their ways of doing business.

Mind vs. Money:

The War between Intellectuals and Capitalism by Alan S. Kahan.

This looks to be a great read. Kahan is an adjunct professor at the American Business School of Paris. Previously he was professor of history at Florida International University. This is a controversial book but it raises some very important and timely issues.

Please check the status in the Bruno Library.

Read more at Amazon.com and/or Google Books.

Happy April!

It's Easier to Succeed Than to Fail

by S. Truett Cathy. If you are looking for a great, short, inspirational business book then look no further. "The secret to success is no secret at all. It is very obvious, but we are too often blinded to the truth." - S. Truett Cathy, Chick-fil-A founder

From the book jacket, "Truett Cathy was not born into success or wealth. His mother ran a boarding house to help support the family. As a boy he showed no unusual talents - except in one area: a sharp business sense."

This fantastic read is filled with such wonderful sayings like:

If you plant for days- plant flowers.
If you plant for years - plant trees.
If you plant for eternity - plant ideas and ideals into the lives of others.

Read more here at Amazon.
Click here for status in Bruno Library.

The Wall Street Journal. Guide to Information Graphics

The Dos and Dont's of Presenting Data, Facts, and Figures by Dona M. Wong. This is a handy, informative book. Very concise. Great for business journalists and really anyone who wants to understand data presentation and how to convey difficult numbers in an easy to understand format.

Coming soon to Bruno Library.

Bromberg's : An Alabama Tradition for 150 Years

by J. Morgan Smith.

I recently came across this book in the Bruno Library collection and had to browse it. I have heard of the Bromberg's name for as far back as I can recall b/c of it's advertising associated with Alabama football. One of the unique things about Bromberg's (the family name is Prussian) is that it is one of the oldest family owned businesses in the USA and the oldest in Alabama. Bromberg's (est. 1836) is one year older than another famous jewelry store business, i.e. Tiffany & Co. of NY. This short (95 pg.) heavily illustrated book (index included) is an entertaining and informative book. The Brombergs first settlement in AL was in Mobile.

As a business librarian I am obviously interested in business stories and this one is sure to please others like me.

Click here to see if this book is available in the Bruno Library.

Happy reading,
Paul