The Politics of Fortune: A New Agenda For Business Leaders

Book Description

In The Politics of Fortune, Jeffrey E. Garten poses two questions: What is the emerging shape of the world in the wake of both the September 11 terrorist attacks and the corporate scandals that began with Enron? What role should business leaders play in this new era? In this controversial book, Garten recommends a bold but feasible new agenda for CEOs-one that will not only require them to rebuild their tarnished reputations, but to partner with government in charting a new course that differs radically from what we've known in the 1980s and 1990s.

Garten calls for business leaders to engage in constructive public initiatives to an extent that we've not seen since the immediate aftermath of World War II. He shows how CEOs must change not just their corporate and public strategies but their way of thinking about their responsibilities-not only to their shareholders but to a broader society. He describes the challenges that they must confront and the concrete steps that they must take in a number of areas:

· Protecting homeland security
· Rebuilding trust in markets and corporate America
· Establishing a stronger foundation for free trade
· Devising better ways to reduce global poverty
· Expanding corporate citizenship abroad
· Charting a more effective foreign policy
· Reorienting business education for the new era

The Politics of Fortune contains critical insights for anyone who wants to understand better the context for the enormous changes sweeping over our country and our world, and the role that private enterprise must play in building a more secure and more prosperous future.

Jeffrey E. Garten is Dean of the Yale School of Management. Formerly a Managing Director for Lehman Brothers, Inc. and The Blackstone Group on Wall Street, he also held senior economic and foreign policy positions in the Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Clinton administrations. Now a columnist for Business Week, his articles have also appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, and the Harvard Business Review. He lives with his wife, Ina, in Connecticut and New York.

Customer Reviews:

The CEO, post 9/11, post Enron.......2003-05-19

National Security and Market Integrity are the two major areas of concern and focus in America today. This is a paradigm shift from the expectations of a post cold war economy, and the issues facing us are more alarming and dreadful. While the terror attacks can be blamed on the enemy operating from foreign lands, the collapse of Enron followed by several prominent bankruptcy filings are the creations of perpetrators from within corporate America. Never before in history have we faced the challenge on these two dimensions simultaneously. Prof Jeffrey Garten had brought out some of the points mentioned here in his earlier book " The Mind of the CEO". He had particularly warned of the dilution of long term interests of companies when CEOs chase quarterly figures. In this book he takes stock of the role of the CEOs in the present decade, at a time when their public image has taken a severe beating and the element of trust has severely eroded. Corporate America has a major role to play in shaping the destiny of the country and the pendulum of power now seems to be swinging towards regulation, thanks to the gross misuse and betrayal of freedom of free markets in the second half of the last decade. He looks at the situation both from a historical perspective, examining the foundations of the American economy and the current reality and threats faced by the country and its corporations. The dimension of globalization, the role of developed nations in acting as a catalyst of change, development and prosperity in the developing nations is analyzed well. The role of NGOs and the need for some new institutions to guide the policies and channel investments competing against compelling security considerations is another area of discussion. Ultimately one gets a clear "to do" list, as spelt out in the agenda points in each chapter. This applies to any CEO who cares for the well being of the nation, in addition to bothering about pleasing Wall Street and his wallet.

The author also admits that it would be extremely difficult for the already over worked CEO to find time to take up all these extended responsibilities. They may not have the skills either, to understand issues as diverse as foreign policy, security, global trade, economic development and social welfare. The responsibility then shifts to Business Schools and corporate in-house executive programs to expand their curriculum to meet these challenges. The terrain is uncharted and the challenge is unprecedented, warns the author.

The ever-expanding horizon of 21st century business leaders.......2003-01-26

Jeffrey E. Garten methodically helps interested business leaders better define their roles and responsibilities when they deal with such issues as national security, corporate integrity, free trade, community involvement, foreign policy and business education in the aftermath of 9/11 and corporate scandals. Garten concisely reflects on past and present partnerships between governments, businesses and other players to provide business leaders with a roadmap in areas where he perceives their lack of involvement. Garten rightly fears that 9/11 and corporate scandals can lead to over-regulation that is detrimental to economic liberalism and its underlying benefits. Some business leaders probably do not have the time and resources to go way beyond their core mission: i.e. focus on the competitiveness and profitability of their companies. Other business leaders can better optimize existing resources at their disposal within or outside their organizations to keep themselves apprised of these macro issues thoroughly.

Outstanding! Could Save the Business of America...........2002-12-14

The author, dean of the Yale business school, has rendered a most valuable service to the business leaders of America, and in the process opened the possibility that new forms of business education, new forms of business practice, and new forms of moral global governance might yet emerge in America.

Originally inspired by the "double-whammy" of 9-11 and Enron on business--(the one costing America, by Fortune's estimate for businesses alone, $150B in additional security measures, or close to 1.5% of the Gross Domestic Product; while others suggest 9-11 has reduced profits by 5-6%), the author provides an easy to read, well-documented overview of why CEOs have to engage in rebuilding the integrity of business, protecting the homeland, preserving global economic security and free trade, taking on global poverty, and influencing foreign policy.

The author excells at pointing out, in the most gracious way possible, how all of the preconceptions of the current administration, and in particular its penchant for unilateralist military bullying, have proven both unworkable in achieving their intended results, while also unsuitable in being translated to economic gains. Military power does not translate into economic power or added prosperity.

This book is *loaded* with common sense and specific ideas for getting business leadership back into the global stabilization dialog. The author focused on two ideas that I consider to be especially important: the need to reexamine how the taxpayer dollar is being spent on national security, with a view to redirecting funds (I add: from military heavy metal to what Joe Nye calls soft power: diplomacy, assistance, intelligence); and on the urgency of restoring the independence and expanding the mandate of the U.S. Information Agency so as to overcome the acute misperceptions of the US fostered by Saudi-funded schools for youths being taught to hate, and little else.

The non-governmental organizations come in for special scrutiny, and the author has many good ideas, not only for promoting better business-NGO partnerships, but for auditing the NGOs and not ceding to them the moral high ground. As he points out, many organizations that oppose globalization or specific business practices do not have any standards or transparency with respect to who funds them, how decisions are made, and so on.

Finally, the author concludes with a focus on business education. While citing many improvements made by many schools, he notes that a comprehensive study and reengineering overall has not occurred since the late 1950's and early 1960's, and that the time is long past when graduate business education must be completely revamped. He is exceptionally astute and credible throughout the book as he explores the many things that CEOs need to know but do not receive training on, to include understanding and dealing with government, NGOs, citizen advocates, and the real world. As he notes, Master's in Business Administration tend to train students for the first years in the corporation, not the long-haul. He places some emphasis on the need to consider continuing education as an extension of the original program, and I immediately thought of an MBA as a limited-term license that must be renewed by recurring personal investments in education.

As someone whose opening lecture line to citizens and businessmen is "if the State fails, you fail," I found this book extraordinarily valuable and urgent. We get the government we deserve. If citizens do not vote, if businessmen do not think of the larger social goods and social contexts within which they operate, then the government will prove incapable and at some point the party will be over.

Yale has always had an extra helping of morality and humanity; in this book the dean of the business school ably makes the case that business leadership and engagement in national security and global stabilization is the sine qua non for continued prosperity. He's got my vote--if I were a mature student looking for a place to learn, he's put Yale right at the top of my list.

Book Description

Since shortly after the end of the Civil War, genuine Confederate paper money has been the subject of much research. While a number of publications are available today that describe and catalog the genuine currency, the availability of published information on its counterfeit counterpart is limited. What is available is somewhat incomplete, inaccurate and general in scope. This work is specifically concerned with the counterfeit currency that was produced and passed with genuine Confederate paper money during the Civil War years.

The first part of the book is an historical narrative that discusses the events and people involved in the production and passing of counterfeit currency, and the countermeasures of the Confederate Treasury Department to protect its already weak medium of exchange from losing even more value.

The second part of the book is an illustrated catalog that presents descriptions of all known examples of counterfeit Confederate currency. Over 180 illustrations are included and show most of the counterfeit notes. The appendix provides a brief, nontechnical explanation of the printing processes—relief printing, intaglio printing, and lithography—used in the mid-nineteenth century to manufacture counterfeit currency.

Customer Reviews:

Long Overdue.......2004-07-25

As a collector and student of Confederate currency, the availability of information on the contemporary counterfeit versions of the genuine currency was clearly lacking. This book provides a very helpful background and catalog. It fills in many of the blanks on the subject.

Book Description

Shifting work patterns, constant organizational change, and a continually increasing demand for new knowledge, challenges even the most experienced training professional. Under these conditions, proven, ready-to-use resources are immensely useful. None more so than The 2005 Pfeiffer Annual: Training, which provides instant access to a wealth of knowledge about training and development, and proven tools that can be put to use with a minimum of preparation. The book is divided into four sections: Experiential Learning Activities (ELAs); Editor’s Choice, Inventories, Questionnaires, and Surveys; and Articles and Discussion Resources. All the material can be freely reproduced for training purposes. ELAs are the mainstay of the Annual and cover a broad range of training topics. The activities are presented as complete and ready-to-use training designs; facilitator instructions and all necessary handouts and participant materials are included.

Book Description

Concise, friendly and up-to-the-minute book that covers regulations imposed on small businesses at the federal, state and local regulations imposed on small business.

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful primer on starting a business with contact information for locating startup funds if necessary........2006-12-17

This is a valuable book (resource) for budding entrepreneurs. It seems to try to cover all the bases for starting a small business, but it can't do them all well in the space available between its covers. The book is only 288 pages long. If you are in the planning stages of starting a small business, then I highly recommend you get a copy of this book. Read it, study it, and outline it. There are helpful checklists to help you grasp the subjects. You will come up with a plethora of keywords and terms that you will want to google to find Web pages giving more detailed (and maybe more current) information.

I am a SCORE counselor (Senior Corps of Retired Executives) who typically does face-to-face counseling sessions three nights a month. It would really be neat if my clients would read this book BEFORE they came to their session with me because they would pretty much be "educated customers" ready to ask educated questions. Our sessions would be so much more beneficial.

My favorite chapters were:

1. Initial business concerns
2. Your business' structure
3. Business start-up details
5. Sources of business assistance (SCORE is mentioned here)
7. Your smart business plan (and a good sample plan is included)
8. Obtaining the financing you need

The book is weak when it comes to how the Internet can be used in corresponding, hiring, and marketing. But this is just one example of how googling keywords and concepts found in the book will make the book more complete. Don't treat the book as authoritative on the law. It isn't. Nor was it ever intended to be. It is light on tax information as it relates to small business.

I was particularly impressed with the material presented in Chapter 2: Choice of Legal Entity. That subject is sorely ignored in most small business books, and it is critically important. It is a subject I regularly must spend a great deal of time discussing at my SCORE sessions. This book does a pretty good job on the topic.

Chapters 4 and 9 through 12 are easy to find fault with. The topic of each could fill a book. But having these topics covered definitely will help a budding entrepreneur know some of the issues they raise.

I would have liked the book more if Chapter 6 (marketing) had been less superficial. When I read it I got the impression that the author was more a public relations expert than a marketing expert. I generally categorize public relations as a subset of marketing. Marketing includes advertising, public relations, and a whole host of other promotion techniques. I did not get this message when I read the book. I also would have liked the book better if the Internet, email, and Web sites had been discussed more. But there are many books on those subjects. Therefore, I can't complain too much about the limited discussion of computers.

When you read this book it may feel a little like it was produced on an assembly line. Maybe it was? There are 51 versions of this book sold; one for each state and the District of Columbia. Content is king, and this book has it. 5 stars!

Book Description

An affordable, easily scannable one-day training guide designed for use in instructor-led training courses.

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Ilt Coaching
Course Technology ILT
Manufacturer: Course Technology Ptr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Communications | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Running Meetings & Presentations | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

High-Tech | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0619202785

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*IE Coaching CBT
Course Technology Ilt
Manufacturer: Course Technology
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM
ASIN: 1418845876

Book Description

Who is Heraclitus, and what is he whacking, you ask? Heraclitus was an ancient Greek philosopher, widely considered the world's first creativity teacher. The deck has 32 cards, each containing a "whack," or eye-opening exercise based on the epigrams of Heraclitus. They will spur creative thinking and allow you to look at a problem from a fresh perspective. Created by Roger von Oech, author of the best-selling book, A Whack on the Side of the Head and the Creative Whack Pack.

Customer Reviews:

If not a whack, at least a little thump.......2007-10-22

I found this book to be very entertaining and it certainly gave me some fresh and creative ways to look at situations/problems. I'm not sure yet how I will be able to put any of them to use, but that may be because I'm a bit overwhelmed after just reading the book. The exercises within the chapters did not always offer me the insight on how to use the topics they were supposed to be practicing. I am hopeful that the next time I run into a brick wall, some of the suggestions occur to me and that I can put them into practice.

I can see how this would make a very effective seminar or training, with groups working on the exercises, bouncing ideas off one another and spurring one another on to more creative thinking.

Ideas that linger.......2007-10-16

I bought this book several years ago and still find it helpful. It is worth rereading every year or so. The suggestions von Oech presents never go out of date. Getting stuck in a rut is a surefire way to squelch creative thinking. As a help to avoid getting in a rut, he suggests that men look for a new shaving pattern every day - look for a creative way to whack off those whiskers. Every morning when I see my face in the mirror, I get a daily challenge to look for a new way of doing routing tasks. That mental exercise helps keep my mind sharp.

A New Perspective.......2007-09-23

A delightful book that is easy to read. If you are stuck in your current way of thinking or perhaps don't even know you are stuck this book provides practical tools for opening up your mind to new ways of thinking. This book is loaded with 10 key concepts about how we get stuck in our current ways of thinking. With each concept are 2-3 practical solutions to getting unstuck. This allows the reader to explore the infinite potential that exists in the world of imagination, innovation, and creativity. What a treat.

A Nice Complement to Other Creativity Books.......2007-08-10

A Whack on the Side of the Head does just that. If you need something of a jolt to get the creative juices flowing again, this is the perfect book to get you going. It's not going to give you detailed explanations of every brainstorming technique that's ever been devised by humans, but it will give you a lot to think about -- and that's half the battle. Kudos to Mr. Oech for putting out a fun, stimulating book.

Inspiring.......2007-08-06

It's an excellent way to improve your creative thinking capability. Packed with exciting concepts. If you are looking for brainstorming techniques to improve your corporate thinking, Eightstorm: 8-Step Brainstorming, will also be useful.

A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative

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A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative
Roger von Oech
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Creativity | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0446386359

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A Whack On The Side Of The Head - How You Can Be More Creative
Roger; Bushnell, Nolan - Foreword Von Oech
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IYG9YE

Book Description

Fair Share Divorce for Women is a powerful remedy to the financial obstacles facing the more than 1.1 million women experiencing divorce each year. Certified Financial Planner Kathleen Millers book is an authoritative resource designed to give women the support, guidance and information they need to safeguard their marital assets.

Customer Reviews:

Great Resource for an Awful Time.......2007-08-22

Kathleen Miller, a practical financial planner, has compiled one of the best and most comprehensive financial resource for women facing divorce. She likens divorce to riding an escalator "once you're on you are going to get off--whether under your own power or by being thrown off by the unrelenting process of the legal system (p. 2)."

Miller takes a tough, no-nonsense, eyes-open approach while holding your hand every step of the way. She divides the process into 5 predictable stages 1) Pre-divorce, 2) Decision, 3) Acceptance, 4) Mourning, 5) Re-Equilibrium. She addresses the various kinds of wives for example the starter wife, the corporate wife, and the alpha earner wife and how each one differs and faces different problems in divorce.

She helps you decide what to do first, shows you how to make an organized plan, what to anticipate and how to navigate through various obtacles. She aims to empower you to take control (to the degree possible) of what can be an overwhelming and unwieldy process. She shows you how to stay focused on moving forward, how to assemble a team to help you through the grueling process, how to choose the type of divorce vehicle that is best for your circumstances, how to cope with change, and most of all--how to avoid poverty. A glossary and appendixes are provided help you understand the not only the basics of finances but also some of its obscurities.

It's a pretty great book for a pretty awful time.

Best divorce book I have read.......2007-04-10

This is the 4th book I've read on divorce. It is very well-written and highly accessible. The author approaches the process in a logical, humane fashion that left me feeling empowered, rather than burdened with list of to-dos.

The author's superb table delineating the phases of a divorce with a timeline makes it relatively easy to form the big picture of what divorce constitutes. She then deconstructs each phase with clear explanations.

After reading the entire book in 2 days, I feel confident in my understanding of what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, and the emotional and legal pitfalls that I need to be aware of.

The flow from chapter to chapter makes for pleasurable reading, an comforting experience when undertaking dissolution of a marriage. Throughout the book, I felt both supported and validated by what I read.

A Must Read for Divorcing Women.......2004-06-02

This book provides detailed information on helping women to understand their financial state. It prompts you to think about all of the essential areas that comprise the development of a financial plan for now and later. It addresses budgets, insurance, QDRO's, retirement planning and so much more. Information is power in divorce and this book helps you to think through and document financial information which will be difficult for someone less prepared to dispute!

Book Description

Most Americans take for granted that they live in an open society with a free market of ideas. But as Herbert Schiller reveals in Culture, Inc., the corporate arm has reached into every corner of daily life, and from the shopping mall to the art gallery, big-business influence has brought about some frightening changes in American culture. Examining the effects of fifty years worth of corporate growth on American culture, Schiller argues that corporate control over such arenas of culture as museums, theaters, performing arts centers, and public broadcasting stations has resulted in a broad manipulation of consciousness as well as an insidious form of censorship. A disturbing but enlightening picture of corporate America, Culture, Inc. exposes the agenda and methods of the corporate cultural takeover, reveals the growing threat to free access to information at home and abroad, shows how independent channels of expression have been greatly restricted, and explains how the few keep managing to benefit from the many.

Customer Reviews:

outstanding.......2000-04-22

oustanding and concise account of how america and amercian corporations are peeling away freedom and free expression creating "an illusion of freedom". i re-read parts of this book on a weekly basis.

CULTURE INC. - THE CORPORATE TAKEOVER OF PUBLIC EXPRESSION

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CULTURE INC. - THE CORPORATE TAKEOVER OF PUBLIC EXPRESSION
SCHILLER HERBERT I.
Manufacturer: OXFORD U. PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PGWR5A

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Culture, Inc.: The Corporate Takeover of Public Expression
Herbert I. Schiller
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OK2A86

Average customer rating:

Culture, Inc: The Corporate Takeover of Public Expression
Herbert I. Schiller
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKL2DA

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