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Business and Personal FinanceJune 2014
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"What makes Pixar special is that we acknowledge we will always have problems, many of them hidden from our view; that we work hard to uncover these problems, even if doing so means making ourselves uncomfortable; and that, when we come across a problem, we marshal all of our energies to solve it. This, more than any elaborate party or turreted workstation, is why I love coming to work in the morning." ~ from Ed Catmull's Creativity, Inc.
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New and Recently Released!
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| Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces that Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull with Amy WallaceIn this engaging book, co-founder and president of Pixar Animation Studios Ed Catmull presents the ideas and management principles he has used to develop the company's successful creative culture, which in turn supports a successful business. Incorporating the story of Pixar's evolution, Catmull also shows how Pixar's daily commitment to specific values -- such as the importance of building the right team or the necessity of challenging accepted ideas -- has led to their continued success. Published to positive reviews from The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and the Financial Times (among others), this is a must-read for those who want to increase or support creativity in the workplace. |
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| The Truth About Retirement Plans and IRAs: The Best Way to Manage Your IRA and Retirement Plan by Ric EdelmanBeginning with a brief history of pensions (they started in the U.S. as a way to persuade volunteers to fight in the American Revolution), personal finance guru Ric Edelman goes on to provide guidance in assuring long-term financial security. No matter what stage of your career, this easy-to-read, in-depth guide will offer information you can apply to your own situation. Topics include the differences between types of IRAs (and which one's best for you), how to avoid making decisions based on emotions, and investing in 401(k) plans. If you're concerned about your retirement, the sooner you start saving, the better off you'll be; this book will help you understand the concepts you need to know. |
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| Haunted Empire: Apple after Steve Jobs by Yukari Iwatani KaneBased on more than 200 interviews with current and former executives, business partners, Apple watchers and others interested in the company, former Wall Street Journal technology reporter Yukari Iwatani Kane takes a hard look at Apple two years after the death of visionary leader Steve Jobs. But in addition to the problems that Apple and its CEO, Tim Cook, have faced since then, she also discusses Apple under Jobs' leadership and how he might have handled certain problems differently. If you're curious about Apple's future, Haunted Empire is a great place to start; if you want an analysis of what has driven Apple's success, try Adam Lashinsky's Inside Apple. |
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| Pitch Perfect: How to Say It Right the First Time, Every Time by Bill McGowan and Alisa BowmanWhether you want to improve your ability to engage your listeners or gain control over a bad speaking habit, you might be interested in award-winning reporter and communication coach Bill McGowan's seven principles of communication. Memorable names (like The Pasta-Sauce Principle) will help you grasp -- and remember -- the keys to effective communication. And these tips can be used during presentations, while moderating panels, and in speaking up at meetings. While much of the book focuses on gaining confidence in your verbal abilities, the practical advice contained here can be applied to written communiqués -- as well as communications outside the workplace. |
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| Cubed: A Secret History of the Workplace by Nikil SavalFor a history of the work space -- at least that populated by white-collar workers -- you need look no further. Entertainingly drawing on popular books, movies, and comic strips (Dilbert comes to mind) as well as an abundance of management literature and business history, this "secret history" shows how the office of today came to be. Originating in the mid-19th century and perfected in the 20th, office spaces in the 21st century can include cafes and living rooms. This continuum and the inventions that popped up along the way (like file cabinets, elevators, and HR departments) are described in a manner that is both "ferociously lucid and witty" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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Focus on: The Business of Food (and Drink)
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| Stirring It Up: How to Make Money and Save the World by Gary HirshbergThree decades ago, after being horrified by the Kraft Foods vision of future farming at Disney World's Epcot Center, Gary Hirshberg, future CE-Yo of the Stonyfield Farm organic yogurt company, decided that he needed to prove that sustainable practices are not only environmentally conscious but profitable, too. He succeeded -- Stonyfield is now the 3rd largest yogurt maker in the U.S. In Stirring It Up, Hirshberg demonstrates the lessons he learned from farm life and profiles other companies that have had similar successes with sustainable practices (examples include Timberland and ZipCar). For another book on making money though sustainable practices, try Conscious Capitalism, by Whole Foods co-founder John Mackey and Raj Sisodia. |
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| Birdseye: The Adventures of a Curious Man by Mark KurlanskyShoppers may be accustomed to seeing the Birds Eye brand of frozen foods in their market, but they may not realize that the man it's named after -- Clarence Birdseye -- revolutionized the food storage and transport industry as well as perfecting the fast-freezing process. A hunter, fisherman, inventor, and generally curious guy, Birdseye discovered the advantages of freezing food while fishing in Labrador. In this biography, author Mark Kurlansky explores both the range of Birdseye's interests and talents and the history of the multibillion-dollar frozen food industry. For another biography of a giant in the food trade, try Rich Cohen's The Fish That Ate the Whale, about Samuel Zemurray, America's banana king. |
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| The Meat Racket: The Secret Takeover of America's Food Business by Christopher B. LeonardWho controls the U.S. meat supply? According to journalist Christopher Leonard, it's not the consumers, nor is it the farmers who actually raise the animals we eat. Rather, it's the factory farms and vertically integrated industry giants. Using Tyson as an example, Leonard shows how free market competition has virtually disappeared from the industry, how consumers have fewer choices than ever, and how rural America suffers from cost-cutting measures and restrictive contracts with employers. Eye-opening and well-researched, this book draws on Leonard's decade reporting on agribusiness. |
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| Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil by Tom MuellerExpanding on an article published in The New Yorker, olive oil expert Tom Mueller offers an in-depth look at the olive oil industry, uncovering corruption while providing a history of the oil itself. One of the world's oldest commodities, olive oil adorned the bodies of Greek athletes; Romans considered its consumption the essential test of a culture's civilization. But though we might be more concerned with the proliferation of adulterated oils on our shelves today, trouble goes way back, too: the first record of olive oil "tampering" dates back 5,000 years. Today, imbalances in regulation make the olive oil trade a slippery business, indeed. |
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| Bottlemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It by Elizabeth RoyteMost people in the U.S. have access to safe, clean drinking water piped directly into their kitchens. So why do consumers drink more bottled water than either beer or milk? Why is it a 60-billion-dollar industry, and at what cost to the environment? Blending research with personal anecdote, this investigation into the commercialization of drinking water traces the process through which companies acquire, bottle, and market water. Using a legal battle against Poland Spring's bottling practices in Maine as a central theme, author Elizabeth Royte also examines the legal, ethical, and environmental aspects of the bottled water industry. |
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