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Business and Personal FinanceOctober 2015
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"A small business lives or dies on cash." ~ from Paul Downs' Boss Life
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| Boss Life: Surviving My Own Small Business by Paul DownsPaul Downs started his custom furniture business right out of college, and hired his first employee a year later. That was just the beginning of his education -- on hiring and firing, motivating employees, managing cash flow, and everything else that goes along with running a small business. In Boss Life, Downs (who also created the recently ended "You're the Boss" blog at NYTimes.com) shares the sleepless nights and tense conversations that being a boss demands. Plain-spoken and self-aware, Downs offers a useful and candid look at what being a small business owner really entails. |
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| The Type B Manager: Leading Successfully in a Type A World by Victor LipmanNot all managers are hard-charging Type personalities, competitive and demanding. And in fact this book argues that Type B traits -- analytical, communicative, calm, risk averse -- can make for more effective managers. Based on psychological research and filled with anecdotes and case studies, The Type B Manager explains how these types of managers can better motivate and inspire employees. If you enjoyed Susan Cain's Quiet and want to try something similar that's directly applicable to the working world, this is a logical next step. |
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Absolute Value: What Really Influences Customers in the Age of (Nearly) Perfect Information
by Itamar Simonson and Emanuel Rosen
Now that so much information is available at the click of a mouse, how have consumers changed the way they make purchases? Focusing on shifts in purchasing patterns over the last few years, this "accessible, data-rich study" (Publishers Weekly) aims to help businesses adjust their marketing methods to support a climate in which brand loyalty and positioning mean less than they used to...and review sites hold a lot more power.
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After the Music Stopped: The Financial Crisis, the Response, and the Work Ahead
by Alan S. Blinder
Though there were plenty of great books on the U.S. financial crisis as it was ending, a few years have passed since then, allowing for a broader perspective from former vice chairman of the Federal Reserve Alan Blinder. Not only does he explain what happened and why, he also explains the consequences that still affect the U.S. and global economies today and will continue to do so in the future; he finishes up with recommendations for avoiding financial catastrophes in the future. Knowledgeable but still accessible, Blinder has created "one of the best books yet about the financial crisis" (Wall Street Journal).
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Focus on: Recent Books on Personal Finance
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| Smart Money Smart Kids: Raising the Next Generation to Win with Money by Dave Ramsey and Rachel CruzeAs his fans know, Dave Ramsey went bankrupt in his 20s and raised his children to avoid the mistakes he made. Here, he teams up with his daughter Rachel to help other families raise financially savvy kids, including through creating an emergency fund, paying cash for big-ticket items like cars (or college), and using the envelope system he supports for spending, saving, and giving. Much of the text is written by Rachel, who explains exactly how she absorbed his lessons. Like Ramsey's other books, this one contains Biblical references; this shouldn't prevent parents of all faiths (or none) from benefiting from their advice. |
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Bargain Fever: The New Shopping Rules of Getting More and Paying Less
by Mark Ellwood
Has bargain shopping (that is, buying mostly sale items) become a permanent way of life for the consumer -- and the seller? What's the science behind the "thrill of the deal"? If you've ever wondered about the history of coupons or the theory behind airline ticket pricing, you'll want to check out Bargain Fever. Not only will it give you insight into today's shopping experience from a seller's point of view, you'll better understand your own shopping behavior -- which may help you evaluate if you're really getting a good deal.
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Bold: How to Go Big, Achieve Success, and Impact the World
by Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler
Written for entrepreneurs who want to take advantage of the fast-paced world of tech innovation, this guide to "exponential" growth industries profiles some of today's boldest leaders (like Richard Branson and Elon Musk) and companies (like Virgin, PayPal, and Google), and covers the crowd-powered tools they utilize. From 3-D printing to robotics, the authors share their own experiences with innovative tech; their optimistic and encouraging outlook make this an empowering manual for "today's big thinkers to become tomorrow's bold leaders" (Booklist).
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Big Data: A Revolution that Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think
by Viktor Mayer-Schönberger and Kenneth Cukier
"Big data" refers to our ability to crunch vast amounts of information, analyze it instantly, draw conclusions from that analysis, and take action; Big Data examines the impact of big data, the concerns surrounding its use, and how it will change our lives for the better (or worse). This is a popular topic these days, so if you're interested in learning more, you can also try Uncharted, by Erez Aiden, which looks at how a web-based tool called the Ngram Viewer uses big data to identify cultural trends.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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512-218-5400, 221 E. Main Street Round Rock, Texas 78664
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