Friday, August 06, 2010

New Business Titles to Check Out

The Upside of Irrationality: The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Work and at Home - by Dan Ariely
153.4ARIE
In his bestselling debut, Predictably Irrational, Duke professor Dan Ariely addressed the negative effect of irrational decision-making; here, he changes tack completely to concentrate on the desirable outcomes that can sometimes result from irrational decisions. Divided into two sections that address decision-making at home and at work, The Upside of Irrationality features many behavioral experiments that back up Ariely's argument, including one that studies the effect of taking breaks while accomplishing a boring task (it's a bad idea). In addition, Ariely shares more of his own personal experiences, making his second book "enriching and eye-opening" (Publishers Weekly).

The Referral Engine: Teaching Your Business How to Market Itself - by John Jantsch
658.872JANT
When it comes to advertising your business, author John Jantsch argues that word-of-mouth recommendations are more effective than traditional marketing campaigns. Why? Because talking about our experiences (whether they are good or bad) is a very common, human activity, and one that Jantsch suggests you take advantage of by implementing a consistent approach to developing personal connections with customers, employees, and business partners. In case you're mystified by the process, Jantsch breaks it down into simple steps and provides examples from successful and innovative companies like Carhartt, Southwest Airlines, and TerraCycle.

The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work - by Alain De Botton
306.36DEBO
Pondering the meaning and significance of what we do for a living and the elements of a job that make it pleasurable, onerous, or downright awful, The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work portrays the work done in several different settings, from the office to the factory and on into creative or just out-of-the-ordinary spheres (think painting, or the Maldives' Minister of fish). More than just descriptions of career options, this combination of solid reporting and philosophy "expands beyond the workplace to investigate the broader meaning of life" (Publishers Weekly). Pair it with Matthew Crawford's Shop Class as Soulcraft for a closer look at the value of skilled labor.


Visit your local library today and check out one of these business books. See more information about the Lake County (IN) Public Library & its services to business at http://www.lcplin.org/research/businesslines.htm