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Best Business Books: 2006

(originally published by Booz & Company)

Taken as a whole, the Best Business Books of 2006 reflect the political, social, technological, and economic churn that is reshaping the way business is done. In media, old and new forms of communication are both converging and coming into conflict. In governance, following Enron’s example (we’re still digesting it), the rules of the boardroom seem on the cusp of upheaval. In marketing, true accountability is replacing such fuzzy concepts as “mindshare.” In warfare, mercenaries play an increasingly prominent role. Everywhere, the players, dynamics, and rules of traditional systems are in flux.

How can a corporate leader make sense of all this? Our reviewers, all eminent authors and thinkers in their fields, have singled out those books that incisively portray the causes and implications of the gyrations roiling today’s business environment. As readers of our perennially popular “Best Business Books” feature already know, being able to see the patterns hidden behind events is one of the most useful powers for any leader. This year’s best books — and the 11 essays in this section — can help identify patterns in the seemingly unpredictable.

Contents:

s+b's Top Shelf

The Future
by Howard Rheingold

Economics
by Michael Schrage

Marketing
by Nick Wreden

Media
by Nell Minow

Negotiation
by Nikos Mourkogiannis

Strategy
by Chuck Lucier and Jan Dyer

Governance
by Michelle Leder

Management
by David K. Hurst

The Business of Defense
by Dov S. Zakheim

Fiction
by Jonathan Weber

Leadership
by James O’Toole

Index
Best Business Books 2006

 

Illustrations by Joyce Hesselberth

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