Book Description

Who Says Elephants Can't Dance? sums up Lou Gerstner's historic business achievement, bringing IBM back from the brink of insolvency to lead the computer business once again.Offering a unique case study drawn from decades of experience at some of America's top companies -- McKinsey, American Express, RJR Nabisco -- Gerstner's insights into management and leadership are applicable to any business, at any level. Ranging from strategy to public relations, from finance to organization, Gerstner reveals the lessons of a lifetime running highly successful companies. ... Read more

Reviews (96)

Win, Execute, Team - He did it, He Tells It
A previous reader review suggested that Mr. Gerstner's was out of touch and if readers want the real story they should read Soldier of Fortune 500. Who better than Mr. Gerstner, the man responsible for turning IBM around to write about it? Who Say's Elephants Can Dance is wonderfully candid and well written (and by Mr. Gerstner himself, without the assistance of a ghost writer). I particularly liked the passages on "inspect versus expect," managing by principles vs. process, focus on core competency and impact of culture and how to change it. These can be applied to any company.

I am author of Soldier of Fortune 500. In fact, my book is very positive about Mr. Gerstner and what he did for IBM. I think the Gerstner book is brilliant and would recommend it to all. Rather than contradicting, my book echoes similar themes, albeit the employee view vs. CEO.

Steve Romaine
Author, Soldier of Fortune 500

Must reading for IT professionals and business strategists
Lou Gerstner has succeeded in writing a book which both provides valuable insights into the computer industry and the situation and success of IBM, as well as providing a roadmap for leaders seeking to effect strategic change in any industry. He reveals that IBM was close to running out of cash in 1993 before he stepped in and kicked out the investment bankers (later pilloried as greedy suppliers of the "hooch for all of the wild speculative periods in our economic history") who were preparing to sell of IBM, a national treasure, in pieces.

The book is easy to read, non-technical, and laced with interesting anecdotes.

Turning around IBM was one of the greatest business achievements of our time. I have worked much of my career in companies that competed against IBM and have known many ex-IBMers. All continue to have great respect for the people and the organization. There is no question that IBM had, and has, some of the best people in the world. Yet, they became unable to execute appropriate strategies quickly, losing much of their market share in the process.

Lou Gerstner rejuvenated the company, a task which is rarely permanently successful in the high technology world. Today, IBM still sells mainframes (much less expensive now, but an extension of the basic architecture introduced in 1964). And, that technology is still at the center of the IT organizations of many of our largest companies. Introduced later, but now long gone, are the Digital VAX, the Intel 8080, the Zilog Z80 and various computer architectures from the likes of Prime, Wang, Data General, etc. Most have been replaced by Unix or Windows.

We have Lou Gerstner to thank for saving IBM. As the book describes, he did it by focusing on the customer, eliminating useless bureaucratic processes, and, as a non-engineer, understanding the business implications of technology change better than most within IBM. But, it was execution, focus on cash flow and profits over revenues, and constant attention to detail in strategic planning and monitoring, together with communications and leadership which saved the day for IBM.

The title is interesting. Elizabeth Moss Kanter, a Harvard Business School Professor, wrote Teaching Elephants to Dance in 1989. Gerstner refers to some of her other works late in the book, but not this one, which appears to have provided the inspiration for the title of his book.

Worth your time and then some...
Who Says Elephants Can't Dance? Inside IBM's Historic Turnaround by Louis V. Gerstner Jr. is insightful, entertaining, and full of valuable historical perspectives into the computer revolution. There are also many management approaches throughout the book that may seem like common sense to some of us, but clearly need to be re-evaluated by many mid and top-level executives. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style and light-hearted details of the first part of the book; and found the second part of the book that detailed the major steps taken in restructuring to be equally compelling.

I definetly recommend this to anyone in the computer industry, anyone at an executive level of any company, and to those who just enjoy reading!

A big case study on renovation
The first part of the book is full of satire and is amusing. The rest four parts lack this satire and are a little bit boring.

The book not presents a case study of a company innovation but describes the history of IBM in nineties. For example, the author explains in detail why OS/2 was cancelled and why did they buy Lotus and didn't buy other companies.

It's very exciting to read how the CEO has diagnosed the problems of the company and which solutions did he find.

I would also recommend "Leading the Revolution" by Gary Hamel. It is a very serious examination on how companies innovate and why should they do it, with lots of remarkable examples. Gary Hamel uses plain friendly language.

The books of Chris Argyris about organizational learning are also about innovation. Although the language style is "academical", the books are interesting and somewhat unique.

Overall, good, but had a few problems
`Now before getting turned off from the stars, let me just say this: the rating reflects, for the most part, my personal connection to the book. The book itself, as well as the author, is very nice. The writing, and style of, is also nicely done. However, the writing may set you off if youfre a gslowh individual such as myself. Most authors, when writing about business, generally use the expression grepetition, repetition, repetition.h Gerstner on the other hand is very straightforward and`` doesnft repeat as much as other authors. Again, this is not bad; I however, donft care for it.

The subject matter is very well organized and easy to pick up, even in cases where you need to look up a quote. The first part, entitles gGrabbing Holdh mainly talks about the background to IBMfs problems and the effects. Part two, gStrategyh is well, self-explanatory. Part three, gCultureh talks about corporate culture inside and outside of IBM. Part four, another self-explanatory piece,`` is gLessons Learnedh. Lastly, you have the Appendices.

While reading this, I found that this was not all about IBM. A lot of it wasnft about large corporations at that. What I did notice was that a lot of saying, quotes, teachings and the such, could also be applied to other fields of life, both in and out of business. I use the comparison to gPoor Richardfs Almanach a lot, but it seems to fit and describes it quite well.

Again, this is not a bad book, not at all. Personally,` however, I had a few problems with the writing and such, but I do recommend it as a good read. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Excellent
This book is an excellent collection of creative-thinking techniques that will make you more creative in your business and personal lives. This ranks close to the classic book on creative-thinking "Thinkertoys" by Michael Michalko.

Original and good
This book is both original and good. The part that is good is not original and the part that is original is not good.

Innovative Tools for Practical Problem Solving
James M. Higgins' packs every one of his 220 pages with solid content. He collected problem-solving techniques from organizations and individuals from all types of business and several countries. He wrote them up, summarized them, and presented them to us in easy-to-read, digestible, format. Most important, he explains them so that they can be taken and used.

Higgins spends two short chapters discussing problem solving and innovation, then he gets down to the techniques. He has techniques for recognizing and identifying problems, analyzing the environment, brainstorming problem-solving ideas, and choosing solutions. One of my favorite facts about this book is that he has 38 techniques for individuals to brainstorm ideas, yet also has another 32 group brainstorming techniques. He really includes something for everyone in this smorgasbord.

I have adapted and used a number of these successfully: the Lotus Blossom and Two Words Techniques have been excellent brainstorming processes for me. I have shown a large number of people the Why-why diagram for uncovering the root causes of problems. I have shared my copy of this book with five or six people, each of whom went out and bought their own copy.

If you're looking for an easily read book that gets you started on formal, process-oriented problem solving (as advocated by Quality Management philosophies), this is a great starting point.

Nice collection of simple and effective tools
This book in my opinion will enhance your thinking process in terms of exercising your own creativity to solve business problems. The tools in this book can be used to bring out your own originality and expressiveness in seeking solutions.

I liked the way the author James M. Higgins, gave real life examples of Giant Corporations that have used one or more of these problem-solving techniques.

The 101 techniques described in this book are broken down to by problem solving stages: environmental analysis, recognizing and identifying problems, making assumptions, generating alternatives, making choices and implementing solutions. Each one of these processes is described in detail with graphics and, some chapters will have exercises that are deemed helpful in understanding the technique.

The techniques are presented in alphabetical order and are numbered twice, the first number denotes the techniques position from 1 to 101, and the second number is the techniques position within that section of the problem-solving model.

Chapter 4 which focused on individual techniques is the one that I personally found to be most helpful. In my line of work as an IT Consultant I have exercised a few of these techniques such as mind mapping, but I also found other techniques that I can't wait to start using my next project.

There are many techniques to try in this book, some of these techniques you may not like, others won't fit, but overall this is a handy book to use for your problem-solving efforts.

Good book
This is a good book replete with many creative-thinking techniques. What's missing is the rationale for the techniques. The author would better serve the reader if he would give examples of why and how the techniques work. ... Read more

Book Description

In this groundbreaking book, Mary OHara-Devereaux -- an internationally renowned business forecaster -- shows how organizations can hone their competitive edge during these uncertain times. Using the metaphor of traveling through the badlands of the American West, Navigating the Badlands offers the principles, tools, transformative strategies, and essential understanding executives and business leaders need if they are to weather the rugged, global business landscape of the future. Throughout the book OHara-Devereaux reveals how business leaders can seize the opportunity to create new value from successful alliances, reach global markets, and find top talent. ... Read more

Book Description

Collaboration is an everyday practice that many people find to be a frustrating, even exhausting, experience. How to Make Collaboration Work provides a remedy: five principles of collaboration that have been tested and refined in organizations throughout the world. Author David Straus shows that these methods can help any group make better decisions and function more effectively. The five principles are: Involve the Relevant Stakeholders, Build Consensus Phase by Phase, Design a Process Map, Designate a Process Facilitator, and Harness the Power of Group Memory. Each principle addresses the specific challenges people face when trying to work collaboratively, and each can be applied to any problem-solving scenario. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Terrific Book from a National Leader in Group Empowerment
Just plain terrific. David Straus's second book is useful for anyone involved in groups, whether at work, at home, or in the community-- and isn't that all of us? He covers it all-- from very basic details such as how to arrange the furniture in your meeting room, to how to effect the most sophisticated interchanges between participants at the highest levels of authority. Whether you're in business, education, government,or consulting, you'll learn from Straus. He has worked with a wide range of clients, from Ford Motors and the E.P.A. to the City of Denver and the Boston public schools. Throughout the book, his warm personality, absolute candor, and wealth of anecdotes make his principles easy to understand and absorb. A really valuable book from a national leader in group empowerment. ... Read more

Book Description

Becoming skilled at doing more with others may be the single most important thing you can do to ensure that you remain employed in the emerging knowledge economy. Teamwork Is an Individual Skilloffers best practices, tips, and developmental activities for taking personal responsibility for the success of teams and other relationships at work. It equips you with a set of individual mental skills and behaviors that will help you create highly responsible and productive relationships. No longer will you find yourself complaining, "I got assigned to a bad team." Instead, you’ll know what to do to make teamwork work for you. This book aims to remove the ambiguity that exists around teambuilding by focusing on five abilities: (1) personal responsibility for productive relationships, (2) creating powerful partnerships, (3) aligning individuals around a shared purpose, (4) trusting just right, and (5) developing your collaborative mindset. Most importantly, Teamwork Is an Individual Skill shows that teamwork is an individual responsibility and skill set, not a group process, and shows how a person can be powerful when sharing responsibility to get things done. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

The first sentence floored me
The book entitled "Teamwork is an Individual Skill" is quite interesting. I work at a large semi-conductor manufacturer as a non-exempt fab technician on a self managed team on night shift.

I am the most experienced and capable person on my team, yet with all of my background I have come to realize how relatively little influence I often have on team performance, and on my ability to push the team in the direction I think it should go. The very first sentence in your book on page 1, "Do you share responsibility with others to get work done but don't have authority over them (and they don't have authority over you)?" absolutely floored me, 'cause that is me to the tee.

I had only gotten to page 8 of your book when I was thoroughly blown away by the directness with which the differences between flat and hierarchical structures were addressed. At my company there is no mention of this approach; even once when I mentioned the term "semi-autonomous team" to the most qualified tech (who happened to be on day shift--arguably a more hierarchical environment due to the presence of many exempt employees) he did not know what the term meant. The company has this structure in place almost as an unwritten agenda.

Your comment on page 5, "Many individuals--especially smart, high achievers--can experience great angst if asked to serve in teams." is in retrospect a great source of comfort to help me understand my angst during my three years with this company. In all of the areas I have worked in during that time I am sure that I had (at least on paper) more qualifications than any one other person (B.S. deg, two A.A.S. degs, 12+ prior years of technical experience, and a whole host of other skills that my teammates do not exhibit.) Plus add to that, that my experience has almost exclusively come from a strongly tilted hierarchical background in retrospect is why I struggled with teams, as you describe them.

Every page of your book is quite thought-provoking, causing me to pause and reflect on how your observations compare to my situation.

Take Responsibility for Team Success
For years, I have resisted the popular notion of "there is no 'I' in "teamwork" because teams are a collection of individuals working toward a common goal. Each of us brings our own values and skill sets to the table. It is our choice to work together (or not) as a team.
Christopher M. Avery has captured this idea and more in his latest book, Teamwork is an Individual Skill: Getting Work Done When Sharing Responsibility. Chris suggests that individuals take responsibility for team success versus blame others He challenges the reader to be proactive and work through team issues rather than avoid or accommodate others.
This is a perfect book for team members who have been on teams before. It will validate good team behaviors and point out areas to upgrade...in a gentle and non-threatening way. The book is easy to read with lots of stories and examples to highlight the key points.

I use it in my MB A class
I have assigned this book as required reading for my MBA level course in managing individuals an teams. It has been a big hit. I have used other books in the past, but this is the first that really addresses the concerns that students have. I, and they, like the emphasis on the "individual" skills involved in
teamwork.

Teamwork is an Individual Skill
Exceptional book! This book will give you real life examples as well as opportunities to practice theories as an individual or with you team. Too many books and theories focus on the team as a whole. Mr. Avery makes people realize that it is an individual's choice that makes a team successful. Depending on your level of commitment and taking responsibility, everyone can be on a productive and inspiring team. I would highly recommend the book as well as Partnerwerks seminar, "Being Powerful in Any Team".

Whose fault is it when teams don¿t work?
Whose fault is it when teams don't work?

I was leery of the new book Teamwork Is an Individual Skill, by Christopher M. Avery, but got hooked halfway through the first chapter. If you work with people - as a manager, employee, business owner - even as a family member - you're likely to find valuable advice for building cooperative relationships and achieving common goals.

This is not a book about getting along with those you work with, or even about being nice to them. It's about helping them help you succeed. According to Avery, if you do your part (by taking responsibility for the team's performance), they'll do theirs. The team will achieve its goals, and everyone will be able to take the credit.

Following are a few of the book's suggestions:

· Realize that teams are defined not by the people on them but by what the team must do. To win individually, the members must win first as a team.

· Take responsibility for and act on troublesome situations, rather than waiting for those "in charge" to do so.

· Don't go along with something you are strongly opposed to. Without blaming, "push back," knowing that your silence would be equivalent to consent.

· Begin a team relationship with a contribution: evidence of your talents, special information to which you have access ... tools, contacts, whatever you have that supports the team's mission.

· Practice "servant leadership," Buckminster Fuller's concept of winning by helping others win.

The book continues with ideas for using conflict constructively, distinguishing criticism from feedback, building consensus, calling others on broken agreements, and much more. Avery has included individual and team exercises, so you can use Teamwork Is an Individual Skill as an employee-training manual. ... Read more

Book Description

In this groundbreaking work, famed social scientist and world-famous public opinion expert Daniel Yankelovich reinvents the ancient art of dialogue.

Successful managers have always known how to make decisions and mobilize coworkers. But as our businesses continue to expand, conversations and discussions just aren't enough to bring people and their different agendas together anymore. Dialogue, when properly practiced, will align people with a shared vision, and help them realize their full potential as individuals and as a team. Drawing on decades of research and using real life examples, The Magic of Dialogue outlines specific strategies for maneuvering in a wide range of situations and teaches managers, leaders, business people, and other professionals how to succeed in the new global economy, where more players participate in decision-making than ever before. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Diagnosis and prescription
In our brave new world of interdependent global economies and fragmenting societies, communicating effectively with one another has become indispensable to our success and even to our survival. In his new book, noted social scientist and observer of human nature Daniel Yankelovich provides a diagnosis of our main communication problems and then a prescription for their cure. Doing dialogue sounds like a simple task, but doing it well requires attention and skills that are not common in our culture. Yankelovich offers specific information on how to conduct successfully dialogue to today's managers, executives, and other leaders, so that they can improve their effectiveness on all fronts.

A practical and effective primer
Americans have always had faith in the idea that bringing people together to talk about their problems is the first step to solving them -- a belief we have actively exported to troubled nations and areas around the world. But not all talk leads to positive solutions or results. The Magic of Dialogue, by sociologist Daniel Yankelovich, is a practical and effective primer for anyone who needs to transform talk from discussion or debate to more productive dialogue.

More complex than discussion or debate, dialogue requires empathy, suspension of status differences, and surfacing closely held or hidden assumptions. This book provides a road map for doing just that, as well as dealing with strong emotions and a host of pot-holes that often derail the best intended efforts at dialogue. Written in straightforward and accessible language, The Magic of Dialogue is a simple, effective guide for developing the skills to generate dialogue and keep it on track.

Fantastic Book- He Should Be President!
This book gives practical, real-life examples of how to begin and continue a dialogue. This is NOT a book teaching you how to run a meeting. It is much more than that!
I wholeheartedly recommend it!

Too shallow
This book covers a lot of grounds and principles. However each principle is discussed only briefly making it very difficult for the readers to put those principle into practice, thus making the book not very useful.

Not a lot on practical implmentation
Thisis book gives a lot of stratgies but does not give many examples of how to implement those strategies, and thus rendering the materials given in this book not very useful. ... Read more

Book Description

This advanced text introduces the principles of noncooperative game theory in a direct and uncomplicated style that will acquaint students with the broad spectrum of the field while highlighting and explaining what they need to know at any given point. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

An Essential Book
If you are going to do Micro at more than an undergraduate level, you are going to have this book on your shelf. It is quite comprehensive, although the notation is not always what one might be used to. I do share some of the misgivings voiced in other reviews -- topics sometimes don't appear in the order one might expect and the flow often may not seem natural. Also, the format of the presentation is unlike a mathematics text in that defibnitions, etc. may not always appear in nice blocks, etc. But at some stage, if you do enogh game theory, you will find yourself looking at it and then buying it.

Drivel, truly drivel
This book is broad, but certainly not comprehensive; I'm passionate about game theory, but reading this book often feels like a poison pill. There is often a severe lack of intuition, and the presentation lacks flow; indeed, whereas Myerson or Osborne-Rubinstein make game theory seem to flow mathematically in a very continuous manner, Fudenberg-Tirole jump from idea to idea, very discontinuously. Any serious game theory student should buy the book for its references and some topics, but if you're looking to start with a book, look at Myerson instead.

Good book
It's a good book. But it needs some preminary work before read this book.

Comprehensive and very well written
The theory of games is now pervasive in the fields of economics, financial modeling, logistics, operations research, network engineering, and population biology. As such a background in game theory is an absolute necessity if one is to deal with problems in these areas. This book is an advanced treatment of game theory, and presupposes the reader already has had some exposure to the subject. There is an excellent set of exercises at the end of each chapter, and so the book can be used as a textbook or for self-study.

After an elementary example of a game in the introduction to motivate the subject, the authors begin in Part I of the book with the subject of static games with complete information. Strategic-form games are defined, along with dominated strategies, and the important concept of Nash equilibrium, the latter being introduced to deal with games that are not solvable by iterated strict dominance. For those with a background in elementary functional analysis, the authors prove that finite strategic-form game has a mixed-strategy equilibrium and prove that the Nash-Equilibrium has a closed graph. The concept of Nash equilibrium is extended to the concept of a correlated equilibrium, wherein each player can send another a private signal before they choose their strategy.

In Part II, the authors discuss dynamic games with complete information. Examples of these kinds of games include a sequential version of the battle of the sexes game, and a sequential version of matching pennies. The authors discuss subgame-perfect equilibria, wherein an n-tuple of strategies constitute Nash equilibria in every subgame. The Stackelberg model of duopoly is discussed along with the repeated Prisoner"s dilemna, the latter being an example of backward induction in finitely repeated games. A kind of generalization of the principle of optimality in dynamic programming is used to analyze perfect public equilibria via a tool called self-generation.

In Part III of the book, the authors discuss static games of incomplete information. Examples are discussed including Bayesian games, where at least one player is uncertain about another player"s payoff function, and first-price and second-price auctions. In first-price auctions, each player submits a sealed bid and the one with the highest bid obtains the item; in second-price auctions each player submits a sealed bid but the player submitting the highest bid gets to purchase the item for a cost given by the player with the second highest bid. The authors explain in detail the dominant strategies for these types of auctions. Bargaining with two-sided incomplete information is discussed and the optimal amount of trade is found from the linear equilibrium of the Chatterjee-Samuelson double action.

In Part IV, dynamic games of incomplete information are discussed by the authors. Examples that they discuss include signaling games such as the two-period reputation game, and Spence"s education game. Signaling is widely used by firms and organizations in spite of it being somewhat costly to do so. For example a public company may be trying to convince investors that it represents high returns. The authors show how to obtain sequential perfect Bayes equilibrium in these and other scenarios. The authors also discuss reputation effects in games, with an example being the chain-store game. The general case of single long-run players with reputation effects is treated in detail. Bargaining with sequential buyers is also discussed with examples given for one-sided asymmetric information and mechanism design.

The last part of the book discussed miscellaneous topics in game theory, including strategic stability, more discussion on signaling, finite strategic-form games, and supermodular games. The treatment is more complicated mathematically with emphasis on proving existence theorems for Nash equilibria and pure-strategy equilibria. The notion of a Markov perfect equilibrium is employed to discuss situations where the past has a direct influence on current opportunities. This brings in the fascinating subject of stochastic games, wherein current payoffs depend on the state of the game and on current actions, with the state evolving according to a Markov process. These are generalized to continuous time, leading to the famous differential games. Game theory under "common knowledge" is also discussed, with examples given of the "dirty face" games.

Some omissions in the book, which would have of course increased the size of the book substantially, include mathematical modeling of poker and other card games. These are complicated games in which to analyze, but they have taken on considerable importance in the casino industry in recent years.

Canonical game theory reference text
This is a definitive reference text. It is not a self-study course in game theory, nor even a useful introduction. It functions best as a brush-up source, or a reference on equilibrium refinements, for those who already know the basics, and can work with a fairly technical presentation. It's very good especially on screening games and Bayesian-type information games.

For a more intuitive introduction to game theory, try a short little book by David Kreps called "Game Theory and Economic Modeling.". ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Gene therapy, electronic commerce, intelligent sensors, digital imaging, micromachines, superconductivity, and other emerging technologies have the potential to remake entire industries and obsolete established strategies," write George S. Day and Paul J.H. Schoemaker in the opening to Wharton on Managing Emerging Technologies. Their book is a comprehensive look at the high-tech future facing existing firms and the ways they must weigh and accommodate its impacts in order to compete in the future. Based on six years of research with Charles Schwab, Amazon.com, and other techno pioneers, Day and Schoemaker present "insights, tools, and frameworks" developed by Wharton's Emerging Technologies Management Research Program for managers who want guidance in this fluid, new arena.For example, in demonstrating how the upstart PalmPilot solidly captured its market despite established competition, they identify the traps that stymied rival products from Apple, IBM, Sony, and Microsoft as "delayed participation, sticking with the familiar, reluctance to fully commit, and lack of persistence." They then detail solutions that, in this case, are characterized as "widening peripheral vision, creating a learning culture, staying flexible in strategic ways, and providing organization autonomy." Other similarly specific yet universal sections address public policy, financing, and alliances. --Howard Rothman ... Read more

Reviews (3)

It's a tremendous book. Very much applied to real life.
It's a tremendous book about emerging technologies which many medium to large companies and executives have to tackle with in this new era. Although the book has been written by a group of academics it's very much applied to real life cases and companies. Even the first two chapters of the book can be sold seperate as an executive summary for the subject.Mr.Hakan Eminsoy hakan.eminsoy@fibabank.com.tr from Istanbul , Turkey

Great Stuff !
I bought this book on the advice from a friend and was pleasantly surprised. As a founder/CEO of a rapidly growing fiber optic business (where today's Intellectual Property can become tomorrow's dogfood) , I found the book to be a great combination of well-researched information and street-smart insights. A great companion for developing pre-emptive strategies in a technology driven economy.

A "Must Have" Handbook
This book covers all the bases including human resource planning, financing, managing markets and the all important role of assessing the technologies. A "Must Have" text for anyone chartered with the task of managing the chaotic and fast paced world of emerging technologies.

This book is extreemely well organized and carries the reader through the entire management process. It reinforced and validated many aspects of managing this type of technology that were I personally had to learn by trial and error. Likewise, it provided new alternatives and other key learnings that made reading the book a worthwhile experience. It provides an alternate and improved framework for evaluating this new type of technology, while exposing the pitfalls of applying traditional evaluation techniques. ... Read more

Book Description

An easy-to-follow, non-technical approach to using game theory in every business battle

Game theory has become entrenched in today's business world. It has also often required oppressive and incomprehensible mathematics. Game Theory at Work steers around math and pedagogy to make this innovative tool accessible to a larger audience and allow all levels of business to use it to both improve decision-making skills and eliminate potentially lethal uncertainty.

This proven tool requires everyone in an organization to look at the competition, guage his or her own responses to their actions, and then establish an appropriate strategy. Game Theory at Work will help business leaders at all levels improve their overall performance in:

• Negotiating
• Decision making
• Establishing strategic alliances
• Marketing
• Positioning
• Branding
• Pricing

Reviews (12)

An easily underststood and enjoable introduction
"Game Theory at Work" provides a good way to understand both the basics of the theory and how it works in the real world.

Although there can be a great deal of number crunching involved in game theory, Miller keeps this to a bare minimum and, thus, makes this book very accessible. At the same time, his interesting examples make the book enjoyable. Many of the examples are from how game theory can be used to explain what has occurred in history, such as why communism fails because of its ignorance of game theory (as well as ignorance of other parts of economics). Other examples are of how you can use game theory, such as in how to align your employees' interests with your own.

Miller also inserts humor on occasion, which, unfortunately, another reviewer completely misunderstood as arrogance.

One must remember that game theory, as well as many other economic theories, is in part based on assuming that people will always make rational decisions, which, of course, does not always occur. Nevertheless, if you are interested in learning about the basics of game theory and how it is at work in the world, then this easily understood book is for you.

Review after reading so many negative reviews
I bought this book before knowing these unfavorable comments of this book.

I have studied some game theory stuff at postgraduate level. I have read three chapters of this book: Ch.10 on price discrimination; Ch.14 on bargaining and Ch.15 on auctions. Frankly speaking, the materials and examples given in the book are not new. You can easily find them all in Thinking Strategically, Coopetition, Information Rules and some other game theory books. For a reader who has already read some other similar introductory books on game theory, you can save your money. However, if you are new to game theory, this book is worth reading. The writing style is entertaining and the examples are clearly explained.

Alternative to novels; nothing practical or useful
This is a vain attempt to take a technical topic and present it in easy language. The author runs out of things to convey after the first 3 chapters

Smart. Relevant. Entertaining.
Market situations are everywhere: when you look for a job, when you buy insurance, when you shop, when you date, when you negotiate. Miller shows you how to play markets to your advantage; how to make better choices. Also, Miller's Game Theory approach is like a mirror that makes it easier for you to see the assumptions that other people are making about you. You learn about yourself, about how other people perceive you. These are keys to success in work and in life.

I have to say I had high expectations when I picked up this book. Miller's Ph.D. advisors included a Nobel Laureate economist who helped invent Game Theory, and America's most prolific legal genius, Judge Posner.

What Professor Miller's astral credentials don't prepare you for is the fun. I had a blast reading Game Theory at Work. Miller had me cracking up page after page. And there's remarkably little fluff, it's so densely packed with ideas and concrete examples. You'll hesitate to put the book down before finishing it - especially if you are impatient - because you'll want to start putting the life-changing approach of Game Theory to work right away. I found it so relevant to so many things in my life. Miller's Game Theory at Work gives you an edge.

Dissapointing book
I have many concerns about this book. The author assumes that people are lazy, greedy and often try to cheat. He makes dangerous generalizations based on personal experience. A big part of the book has nothing to do with game theory. Instead the book contains uninteresting information with minimal intellectual and practical value. ... Read more

Book Description

Smart Questions offers an entirely new framework for creating solutions. Drawn from the authors' many years of research and field experience, the Smart Questions Approach reveals how the leading creators of solutions in almost every profession and walk of life—including business, government, education, and even in families—think and approach their assignments. The author’s holistic thinking approach shows how to use three “foundation” questions—focusing on uniqueness, purposeful information, and systems—which must be explored for every problem. These three questions, an essential starting point for exploring problems, in turn lead to other key questions that will ultimately create effective solutions. ... Read more

Book Description

A step-by-step guide to liquidating and reorganizing–in court and out

"The book will be an excellent road map for dealing with the intricacies of dealing with companies in restructuring and bankruptcy. It promises to be the one place to comprehensively evaluate the legal and practical problems facing both debtors and creditors."
–– Stephen B. Darr
Partner, Corporate Recovery
KPMG LLP

"I found Dr. Newton’s new book, Corporate Bankruptcy: Tools, Strategies, and Alternatives, to be authoritative, comprehensive, and as current as today’s newspaper.Grant brings simplicity and understandability to a very complex area. This book would be useful as an in-depth guide for the novice or as a valuable, must-have reference tool for the experienced practitioner."
–– John Tittle Jr., CPA, CIRA
Partner and Texas Practice Leader
Deloitte & Touche Reorganization Services

"Grant Newton’s Corporate Bankruptcy: Tools, Strategies, and Alternatives is a must-have reference for all bankruptcy practitioners. Useful to even the most seasoned professional, Professor Newton’s work is replete with practical real-life insights, problem identification, and topical case citations. His in-depth coverage of key issues makes this book appropriate for attorneys, bankers, financial advisors, and workout professionals."
–– Kenneth J. Malek, CPA, CIRA
Navigant Consulting, Inc.

"As a restructuring professional I have used Professor Grant Newton’s Bankruptcy and Insolvency Accounting as a definitive reference guide for many years. In Corporate Bankruptcy, Newton has written a useful and very usable guide for the executive looking for a working understanding of the bankruptcy process, its benefits, and its challenges for companies and their creditors."
–– James M. Lukenda, CIRA
Managing Director, Huron Consulting Group LLC
President, Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Very practical reference, "thin" on theory and case studies
Very useful and convenient reference guide for restructuring bankers / distressed debt investors. Probably too generic for experienced bankruptcy attorneys. The text and examples are efficiently presented and the author does a superb job of distilling the bankruptcy code into an easy-to-read format. The chapter on valuation is nothing more than the common stuff you read in any corporate finance book. A case study and a more extensive discussion on bankruptcy term sheets and negotiation tactics would have made this book more praiseworthy. ... Read more

Book Description

Many of the complex problems faced by decision makers involve multiple conflicting objectives.This book describes how a confused decision maker, who wishes to make a reasonable and responsible choice among alternatives, can systematically probe his true feelings in order to make those critically important, vexing tradeoffs between incommensurable objectives.The theory is illustrated by many real concrete examples taken from a host of disciplinary settings.The standard approach in decision theory or decision analysis specifies a simplified single objective like monetary return to maximize.By generalizing from the single objective case to the multiple objective case, this book considerably widens the range of applicability of decision analysis. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Methodology on preference retrieval implementation
This is a very good book grounded in solid microeconomic theory foundations. It starts with classical micro theory such as preferences and axioms, and it moves on to risky preferences and methods on how to retrieve them by constructing careful experiments. It also discusses the limitations on preference retrieval by such axiomatic methods due to the heuristics and biases that occur in decision making behaviour. However, this book is also useful for non-economists, as it describes decision making theories and applied methods on how to retrieve preferences in fields such as policy and medical sciences. The book's target market is mostly economics/ decision sciences graduate students or those who have achieved a comparable or higher level of their studies/work experience. It has also very instructive real world examples of PhD students running preference retrieval experiments and reporting their results. Good book for those keen on the subject. The 1976 version of the book has won a book prize, hence the assurance of quality. Furthermore, Raiffa is a well established Harvard academic, which further lends credence to the book. ... Read more

Book Description

Smart trainers know that games and activities can involve adults in learning like no other instructional method and no one knows more about games than Sivasailam "Thiagi" Thiagarajan. In this must-have resource, Thiagi shows you how to customize more than thirty different kinds of games — games that fit the circumstances perfectly and that can be designed in mere minutes. ... Read more

Book Description

Written for students with a background in algebra, this text provides a complete and modern treatment of basic management science methodology. The authors survey the variety and power of management science tools, working to alleviate students' apprehension about the subject and to enable students to recognize on-the-job situations in which management science methodology can be successfully employed. Emphasizing modeling skills for students of varying mathematical backgrounds, the authors explain how to use Microsoft Excel spreadsheets to build skills as they work through problems. In general, problems are broken into several parts to make difficult concepts easy for students to learn. This book's modular structure affords instructors maximum flexibility. This text contains a special student version of Palisade Corporation's DecisionTools Suite, containing @Risk, PrecisionTree, BestFit, TopRank and RiskView.This software is expressly provided for student use and requires student authorization to unlock the software for its full one year license.Professional customers may use the software for 30 days at which point they must contact Palisade Corporation for a professional version should they wish to continue using the software. ... Read more

Book Description

Management Decision Making is a spreadsheet-based introduction to the tools and techniques of modern managerial decision making. The author shows how to formulate models in Microsoft Excel that can be used to analyze complex problems taken from all the functional areas of management, including finance, marketing, operations, and human resources. Throughout, the goal is to understand how business decisions are reached, what tradeoffs are made, and how outcomes depend on the underlying data. A CD-ROM is included that contains the widely-used decision analysis software applications TreePlan and Crystal Ball. The book is aimed at students of business, economics and engineering, including those taking MBA courses. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

College text that is valuable to working professionals
This college-level text is also useful to business and IT professionals because it provides a refresher for decision techniques that are the foundation of a number of disciplines. The book is divided into two parts: (1) deterministic methods, mainly focused on linear programming and optimization, and (2) probability and queuing.

What makes this book valuable to the practicing professional is that it uses one of the most common business tools, Microsoft Excel, and shows how to apply this tool to real world problems. The accompanying CD ROM comes with TreePlan for developing decision trees and CrystalBall for Monte Carlo simulation, as well as workbooks that are used to support the plethora of realistic examples used throughout the book.

Although the book is business-oriented and better suited for operations analysis and MBA students and practitioners, I've used it as a reference for project planning, computer system capacity planning and performance analysis, and IT security risk management - these practical uses of the material show the value of the book in the real world. The supporting web site that the author maintains has materials for lesson plans, errata and additional resources that make this book particularly valuable for the academic and business environments. ... Read more

Book Description

Family businesses epitomize the best of the American Dream: you work hard, you're your own boss, you leave a lasting legacy to your children -- or do you? Statistics show that only 30% of family businesses survive to the second generation, and a paltry 10% survive to the third generation. Family businesses are in trouble, and their survival is crucial to us all. Their success ensures our country's success -- and their failure can drastically affect our economic health.

In Keep the Family Baggage Out of the Family Business, family business expert Quentin Fleming has identified the Seven Deadly Sins that are invariably responsible for a family business's demise. Keep the Family Baggage Out of the Family Business presents practical and accessible advice geared toward the average family business owner or employee and is an invaluable tool for helping family businesses not only survive but thrive. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

More Truth Than Many of Us Want to Admit
As a family business counselor and consumate reader, I continually look for new materials that can help clients--family members and non-family managers--better understand the family business enterprises in which they are employed...or enmeshed.

The title of this book turned me off. I know of no family business that can avoid the "socalled 7 deadly sins." Family baggage is part of family business.

Nonetheless, I recommend the book. My usual use of the book is education of non-family managers who work for family business. My favorite reading references for professional managers are by John L. Ward: Keeping the Family Business Healthy, and his revised, expanded update, Strategic Planning for the Family Business.

Family members may be willing to read the book, although I have limited experience with that. I would refer them to books like Working With The Ones You Love by Dennis Jaffe.

okay, although I understand that it's the best of it's type
Depending upon the health of your family (and family business) most of this book does not really apply. The author also openly states that. However, he does say that it only takes one of the "7 sins" to take down a family business and it does allow for some forewarning of things that should be avoided.

He does cover a lot of ground, including immigrant businesses, a good section on succession of the business, and touches on both small and large family businesses.

I found quite a bit of it to also be his sales pitch, implying that every family business should hire, in the foreground or background, a consultant, a lawyer, an accountant, and possibly a therapist =D

Overall, it's an okay book covering topics which hopefully most people are aware of and warning you about things you may not be. If you are facing problems, this book may help you either diagnose it yourself or he suggests things to look for in an outsider to help you diagnose it.

Good luck!

Family Baggage/Deadly Business Sins
I have been the owner of a family business for over twenty five years and found Mr. Flemings book to be very accurate and insightful. My wife and I both read his book and agreed that we had committed all of the "deadly sins" to some degree over the years. The book was enjoyable to read, humorously presented and it generated a great deal of discussion among our family and friends. Highly recommended!

A "Must Read" for Anyone dealing with Family Businesses
This book really captures the dynamics of family business. The author's style blends complex theory and real life examples and communicates the results with clarity, empathy and humor. I read this book in an evening and came away with the feeling of "getting it", that I don't get from a lot of other business books. Oh yes, and in several places I laughed out loud!

Buy it as a gift for all family members.
This is the book that I wish I had written! It covers the REAL relationship issues of family business in the easiest-to-read style of any family business book I've seen (and I've read lots). Be warned. This author has the audacity to call it like it is -- about owners, family, and even about lawyers and other consultants. A lot of the book has a more negative focus, looking at the problems caused by family baggage. Use this part to open serious discussions. But, be sure to stick with it until Part V. Pages 41-43 are a must. In paperback, this is bargain priced. We're using it as prizes for our Family Business 2000 Conference in May. ... Read more

Book Description

The Appreciative Inquiry Summit bring all parties together not to analyze what's wrong with an organization but to discover its strengths; seek opportunities for change; design the changes into the organization's structure; and implement and sustain these changes. Written by four pioneers in the field, this book documents the tremendous successes of this approach as a proven program for organizational change, illustrated with real-life examples from companies and community groups. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Cutting Edge Approach
I found this book to be compelling. The authors offer the "Evolution of Thought on Managing Change" in the first chapter that suggests that today "Everyone innovates for extraordinary performance." Those companies/organizations and leaders that choose to accept this to be fact, should familiarize themselves with Appreciative Inquiry. And, for those looking for the "how-to" book to accomplish AI within their organizations on a grand scale, this is the textbook that fills that need.

A good and detailed guide to AI
Appreciative Inquiry is an increasingly popular technique within the wider family of interventions designed to bring about change through cooperation across a whole system, working with a large group of people. Its distinguishing feature is the emphasis on the positive - what is good about the present and offers potential for the future, what aspirations there are for the future, how do we design such a future and what are the concrete steps to start bringing it about.

This book goes into great detail on the rationale for the approach and the step by step activities required to move through the process. It is a well set-out and thorough guide for practitioners.

For a guide to the range of techniques available and a comparison between them, refer to Napuk and Palmer: The Large Group Facilitator's Manual or Bunker and Alban: Large Group Interventions.

AI Summit Practitioner's Guide
This is an inspiring work at the confluence of idealism and practicality. It is a reference source relevant to the experienced practitioner and a great learning resource for one who wants to learn more about appreciative inquiry. Interweaving compelling stories, the authors provide an informative set of tools and guides. I was able to use information in the sample participant guide the same day the book arrived.

Amazing practical how-to guide on AI Summits
This book is a very practical step-by-step guide to conducting an AI summit. What I especially appreciated was how the book combines the great experiences and expertise of the authors and will be useful for the AI novice practitioner as well as for the very experienced AI OD consultant. It provides great examples of summit materials. It is a well written book that can be read and reread and used as the Summit bible for years to come. ... Read more

Book Description

"I've been looking for this book for years.... Anyone who needs to understand the philosophy, steps, and processes of evaluation will find this the perfect book."

--Carroll A. Londoner, professor and core-coordinator, The Adult Education and HRD Program, School of Education, Virginia Commonwealth University

"Written in a clear and engaging style that will connect with every audience, The ABCs of Evaluation will surely become each reader's foremost resource for instruction, guidance, and assurance during any foray into the intriguing and vital process of evaluation."

--Beverly McMurtry Grissom, president, North Florida Community College, and past president, American Association for Adult and Continuing Education

"Anyone who needs to understand the component parts of an evaluation design will benefit from this book. The ABCs of Evaluation provided me with my own personal evaluation professor, illustrating how to design, conduct, demystify, and understand the evaluation process."

--Marc Potish, senior coordinator for professional development, CREC Division of Staff Development, Technical Assistance and Brokering Services

Too often, managers who face downsizing or reorganization must conduct program evaluations without having any background or formal training. This comprehensive resource is a straightforward guide to the concepts and methods of evaluation. It explains each component of the evaluation design--first detailing principles and theories and then showing how to apply them in real-life situations.

Written for any program type or setting, The ABCs of Evaluation shows how to select the evaluation team and how to deal with multiple goals and objectives--including those of the organization, the staff, and the client. Authors John Boulmetis and Phyllis Dutwin describe different evaluation models, illustrate the circumstances under which each model can be used, and offer tips on identifying data sources and collecting the data itself. They also provide a sample report that focuses on the needs of program stakeholders. Throughout the book, there are charts, graphs, models, and lists to help organize, extend, and facilitate the understanding of each evaluation concept. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good, not perfect
The book has many, many good ideas, and the implemetations are easy enough,even though i am new at all this stuff. I would definitely recommend it, and i have only one axe to grind: The writing is kind of overwhelming (i am not a native english speaker) so beware. otherwise, get it. ... Read more

Book Description

Here is an experience-rich book on how companies can createvalue by becoming smart organizations.Based on research andconsulting engagements with the world's largest R&D-intensivecompanies, it reveals how senior managers can dramatically improve thereturn on their companies' investment in R&D and technology.

TheSmart Organization brings new perspective to management decision makingthroughout the organization.It identifies the key practices thatenable successful organizations to deliver a stream of winning productsand services.Smart organizations, say the Mathesons, haveinternalized nine interlocking principles essential in creatingcorporate cultures that emphasize making the right strategic decisionsat the right time. They use best practices to support these decisionsand sustain their success.These principles--among them, embracinguncertainty, disciplined decision making, and value creationculture--enable companies to make appropriate choices about their R&Dplanning, portfolio management, and product strategies.

Drawing onthe experiences of R&D-intensive organizations all over the globe, theauthors illustrate the book with best practice examples from companieslike Hewlett- Packard, 3M, Merck, Proctor & Gamble, DuPont, Monsanto,and AT&T.They stress the importance of evaluating trade-offs,investigating alternatives, and getting buy-in across functions toensure that decisions will be viable from both the technological andmanagerial perspectives.They show how managers can apply thesemethods more broadly to create a smart organization.The Mathesonsclearly demonstrate that changing the decision-making process is anefficient means of reforming culture and improving not just R&D butoverall company performance. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Great book. If you liked the HBR article, you'll love this!
Frequently organizations face the challange of what not to do. They tend to believe in the person presenting the idea, rather then creating a rigorous process for evaluating the options before them. Companies adopting best practices in managing their investment options realize substantial gains in their long term bottem line. This book quantifies this performance difference, and what the best practices are across a range of industries.

Why aren't organizations more rigorous in selecting projects? The book outlines several barriers which are extremely relevent:

· It will make a popular champion look bad,

· Organizational resistance to change, or cannibalization of an existing business for a new opportunity,

· We confuse the urgent with the important,

· Its hard to agree on measures and success criteria

· People are afraid of making the wrong prediction, so they don't make any,

· Its hard to normalize results from different contributors,

· Business plans are not integrated with new project activity,

· Power and politics, a methodical evaluation leaves no room for interpretation and "behind the scenes" trade offs between groups and individuals,

· Lack of strategy.

The best practices outlined in this book are backed by substantial research. I would have like to have seen a few additional chapters on application of best practices in real companies ... a case study of a turn around.

Ideas in the book come to life!
Thank you very much for sending me a copy of The Smart Organization. I have completed only two chapters, but find the book to be thoroughly engaging. Especially, the six dimensions of decision quality.

My current job is proving to be a daily "case study." The ideas contained in the book have come to life, helping me to better understand my environment at work and make better decisions along the journey.