Book Description

Sage Advice on Going Global

Root's perspective is extremely insightful, and clearly the work of one who knows his topics from personal experience. It encapsulates what some of us have taken decades to learn through trial and error.
--Larry D. Bouts, president, International Division, Toys-R-Us, Inc.

The North American Free Trade Agreement, the new European common market, and the opening of Eastern Europe--among other recent geopolitical developments--have created unprecedented opportunities for American companies seeking to enter foreign markets. This guide offers executives practical advice, recently updated and expanded, on deciding which markets to enter, choosing a product for international distribution, designing an entry strategy, and developing an effective international marketing plan. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Good Read!
Don't be put off by this book's daunting terminology. Beneath the author's unrestrained use of labels like universalism, particularism, individualism, communitarianism, specificity and diffuseness, lies an insightful analysis of cultural differences. After defining various nationalities under a host of polysyllabic headings, authors Charles M. Hampden-Turner and Fons Trompenaars illustrate the differences between them using engaging and easy-to-understand scenarios and stories from popular culture. The end goal of each of these sections is to explain to international business managers how cultural dilemmas can be reconciled.

A must read for multicultural managers
I have read this book 3 times only to find that the book is rich of information on how we can do business internationally. I am impressed by the comprehensiveness of the writers' survey which covers more than 40 thousand respondents from 50 different countries. The book also gives me new insights on how people of different values, norms and belief can reconcile the inherent cultural differences to build a dynamic relationship whithin a culturally diversed organisation. I recommend this book for managers and everybody who work in multinational business. ... Read more

Book Description

A professional's guide to controlling risk when investing in the foreign exchange and money markets. Particular emphasis on the use of derivatives. The book offers a unique perspective combining coverage of all three areas. ... Read more

Book Description

Beamish, Morrison, Rosenweig and Inkpen’s, International Management, 5e is an “international”, international-management book.It looks at how firms become and remain international in scope. The first four editions were used in hundreds of universities and colleges in over 20 countries.The book focuses on issues of international management common and important to business people “everywhere”.It is about the experiences of firms of all sizes, from many countries and regions (North America, South America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Asia, Africa, etc.), as they come to grips with an increasingly competitive global environment.It is about the practice of management when a home-market perspective is no longer enough to achieve and sustain success.Through carefully selected comprehensive case studies and integrated text material, this book bridges both the internationalization process and multinational management.Beamish, Morrison, Rosenzweig and Inkpen , four highly-experienced international business teachers/researchers, offer an integrated text and casebook which has been constantly refined and updated for over a decade. ... Read more

Book Description

The underlying crisis facing the airline industry has been apparent since early 2000.But for the past 45 years, airlines have struggled to find financial success in the very competitive transportation industry.In the weeks that followed the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the airline industry became close to bankrupt, with flights being grounded in other parts of the world as well as in the United States. Flying Off Course has established itself over the years as the indispensable guide to the inner workings of the aviation industry.This third edition is fully updated to include case studies of Easyjet, Ryanair, Buzz, Go, Virgin and British Airways.It also includes new material on airline alliances, the rise of the low cost airlines, the impact of new technology on the business as well as how to deal with both eroding passenger confidence and the possible worsening of the global economic slowdown post-September 11th. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Great overview, at times too basic
Having worked in airports for the past 10 years, and now moving to the airline side, I wanted a broad overview of airline economics. The book did a first rate job.

The only criticism would be that if you have a few years of experience and know your way around the basics of financial analysis, some of the examples and explanations will be a bit of a waste of time.

The book is well structured and about as interesting as a book on this subject can be (be realistic, the subject has it's limits...). A great novice book, a good one for those already airside.

Nice introduction
If you need a quick insight into airline business - BUY THIS BOOK. Rigas did a great job in explaining the difficult world of airline business to a dummy like me. Now, having a quite deeper knowledge, I am missing some in-depth information about the commercial side and route planning. Overall: a best buy.

Good book but a bit out of date
I am an airline analyst and this book give me some background info on different aspcet. It gives you basic understanding on how the industry works and I personally learn a lot from this.

The problem is that it is a bit out of date and so I need to spend a lot of time verifing the data. Other than that, this is a very good one for beginners.

BEST BOOK IN AIRLINE ECONOMICS
This book is a must for anyone contemplating a study of the aviation industry. Being myself an avid aviation enthusiast and an Economics student at the London School Of Economics, I have relished every single chapter of the book and it proved instrumental in applying some concepts of core Microeconomic Theory to the Airline Business. The book is written in a clear and comprehensible way and the chapters are lightly intertwined in a way that will suscitate the general interest of the reader. In addition to the cogency and incisiveness of the chapters, Professor Doganis succeeds in stiking 2 birds with one stone's throw when it comes to dissociate the practical side from the empirical side.

In a synopsis, i would put this book in the top of list if i were to recommend to my students- should i myself become a Professor of Airline Economics and Finance later on

Get to know the problems of an international airline
The past few weeks I noticed some articles in the newspaper about all kinds of airline gettogethers, nice talks, interesting promises and large headlines. If only the authors of these articles had read this book, they would have avoided words as 'surprising', 'news of the day' and 'new policy?'. Doganis explains it all in his book, and in such a way that I liked it, remembered it and am still capable of reproducing. To me it was an excellent introduction to a field, far from my bed. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Practical & Balanced Book
This is a good & timely book that joins the recent debate on outsourcing. The book is a practical guide to understand the various aspects & nuances that a corporation has to consider while it is outsourcing its processes.

The authors makes a compelling reason to outsource... but while doing so, they continue to remain balanced in their approach. Of particular significance , is the chapter on Costs of Outsourcing. It is important to keep a count of all the costs mentioned there, (especially the costs of loss of goodwill), while determining the final benefits of outsourcing.

The best practices of GE, ABN AMRO, etc. are good examples to share.

Overall a good book to read..&, of course, ultimately you will have to decide whether outsourcing is appropriate for your business or not !!!

A wise book on Outsourcing Internationally
The book has some big names associated with it. This lends the book a great deal of credibility and offers a practical view to outsourcing.

Having lived through the journey of outsourcing, I almost felt that I was re-living the experience while reading the book.
Scott Bayman, President & CEO of GE's India Operations, has written the preface , which is particularly educative. It lends a good insight into how GE "persuaded" its managers to cut costs & enhance quality by outsourcing globally. The book clearly shows that Global Outsourcing cannot be done without a whole deal of planning, thought...& most important of all, leadership support. The thought of having a " champion" in the business to facilitate outsourcing & smoothen obstacles, is very appropriate. Case studies of Citibank, ABN Amro & Northwestern Mutual show how each business chose different paths for outsourcing based on their individual business goals & business situations. Read the Book. Outsourcing is here to stay & this book tells the reader how to outsource !!!

E-book
To buy the e-book, go to http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/
The e-book is really cheap.

Offshore outsourcing make sense!
I started reading the book early in the afternoon on Saturday on April 17th, but I only got up when I finished reading the book. The rich-in content, content-flow, and relevant content of the case studies are simply superb. I also amazed transparency and balance in the subject as well other alternate countries to India on outsourcing. The chapter 'Total cost of outsourcing' is another great attempt to educate the customers in pursuit of outsourcing. This is a definite resource book from project managers to CEO's who are in pursuit or practice of offshore outsourcing. The preface from Mr. Bayman is a good start to the book and the message is vital and clear to all the businesses - offshore outsourcing is a way to manage non-core (as well core) business processes to cut costs to compete head-head in the global markets.

Dr. Nandu's effort is worth spent on this book. I also congratulate George Albert who co-authored the book. I really enjoyed reading the book after all.

Should you outsource your IT requirements?
Dr Thondavadi's book is an important one for both executives and legislators who are confronted with strident voices fiercely advocating protectionist practices in regard to taking their information technologies offshore. This book brings a fresh rationality to the public debate regarding U.S. vis-a-vis offshoring practices and operations, especially as pertains to the use of IT systems. It is not intended to be an academic treatise on the subject; rather it is a practical playbook that can help decision-makers call the right plays from today's international scrimmage line. It's a quick read for busy people who need to learn the main issues of costs, quality and timing of "going off-shore" with their IT requirements. ... Read more

Book Description

Richard Lewis provides a truly global and practical guide to working and communicating across cultures, with penetrating insights into how different business cultures accord status, structure their organizations, and view their role of leaders. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Highly Recommended!
Richard D. Lewis, an expert on cross-cultural and language training who has tutored clients from Swedish corporate executives to the Japanese Imperial Family, discusses the need to consider cross-cultural differences in managing any company in today's global world. He suggests a broad model you can use to characterize different national characteristics as linear-active, multi-active, and reactive. These traits shape attitudes toward time, leadership, team building, and affect a range of organizational behaviors. Lewis includes brief national profiles you can refer to when doing business away from home. This in-depth book covers common patterns in different cultures, and offers many examples of how different groups act under different situations. We at getAbstract recommend this book to top executives, managers and anyone who works in a multicultural business environment, as well as to general readers with a yen for informed people watching.

The most helpful book I have seen on the subject!
Richard Lewis is a speaker of 12 languages and herein lie some clues to his understanding of intercultural communication.His book avoids the complex academic distinctions seen elsewhere and concentrates on practical understanding of each nation's "collective programming". It has helped me to understand how to deal and work with people of other nations with much increased effectiveness. Lewis explains why there are differences, and how we should approach them, using many simple diagrams and patterns. A must for anyone interacting internationally, or indeed with different ethnic groups within their own country. ... Read more

Book Description

Be IN THE KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Doing business across borders is very different from doing business across town–subtle and not-so-subtle differences in attitudes and etiquette play a big role.

Did you know?
• Flowers are so inexpensive and plentiful in Mexico & Central America that they’re considered to be too cheap to give as a gift.
• Be patient, and don’t rush into discussing business. You can ruin a business deal if you don’t spend time on small talk.
• A lot of Mexicans and Central Americans hate to deliver bad news; they are more likely to tell you what you want to hear

In the Know in Mexico & Central America helps you:
• Fit right in by understanding local manners, etiquette, and behaviors
• Navigate through everyday life with tips for the whole family
• Get an insider’s perspective on the social and business environment

The book includes a FREE 60-minute CD with the key phrases you need to make a great impression. ... Read more

Book Description

Global Management and Organizational Behavior By Konopaske and Ivancevich was written to provide a clear picture, analysis, and set of suggestions for managers and leaders to operate in international settings.Global Management and Organizational Behavioris a self-contained set of materials, which illustrates that globalization requires a different tack and course than the traditional treatment of management or organizational behavior. To support the content, models and examples provided in the book, each of the three parts of the text contains readings, exercises and cases. ... Read more

Book Description

A comprehensive, balanced text, International Trade: Theory and Evidence is the perfect book for International Trade courses at the undergraduate level. It is appropriate either as part of a two-term International sequence (trade and finance) or in advanced courses in Trade that follow a one-term International Economics course. It can also be used as a background text for beginning graduate courses.Intermediate Microeconomics is an assumed pre-requisite for students using this text. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

great text!
We used this as a textbook for a one semester course in international trade relations. The writing is clear and the book is well-organized, making it very readable. It has very few errors, perhaps that's why a new edition hasn't come out lately. Most of the analyses of the models are done graphically and using only algebra, so it is suited for beginners of international trade theory/international economics. The questions at the end of each chapter vary from very easy to difficult, but the difficult ones can be answered after reading the text about two or three times and digesting its contents. This book is aimed primarily for undergraduates but first year graduate students can use this book as a review for more advanced texts in international trade such as "Lectures in International Trade",(1998) by Bhagwati et al. This textbook is highly-recommended and could be a better alternative than Krugman and Obstfeld's popular text ("International Economics: Theory and Policy").

Clear exposition - a good text
This book can be used in the international trade component of a two-semester ug course in international trade and finance (as the editorial review points).

The book uses - at least for me - an extremely useful approach to studying the rudiments of trade theory: after reviewing the standard concepts from consumer and producer theory, it provides a set of sufficient conditions that jointly determine the no-trade world. The core of the text then relaxes each of the mentioned conditions while keeping the others valid, showing why trade arises and at the same time providing a very clear overall picture. All models are discussed in a non-technical way but still with a fair amount of rigour, clearly stating the assumptions and proving the propositions.

The idea of using the revealed preference to show the existence of gains from trade in various settings is defenitely sth worth examining.

The trade policy part offers a chapter on strategic trade policy to shake the validity of the standard "trade barriers are harmful" belief from a perpective that is usually not presented by competitive texts.

Still, two elements could be improved: the part on the link between trade and economic growth is not very readable. Maybe the authors could do sth more about it by using algebra. Secondly, although the concept of intra-industry trade is discussed on many occasions, the authors could consider devoting an additional chapter to it just to summarise the already mentioned ideas.

To conclude: I consider the book as being better than, say, Krugman's or Salvatore's probably more popular texts. ... Read more

Book Description

The overriding objective of Eun and Resnick's International Financial Management, 3e is to teach students how to be effective global financial managers. The text covers the fundamentals of the macroeconomic environment of international financial management, discusses the financial environment in which the multinational firm and its managers must function, and covers foreign exchange management and financial management in a multinational firm. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Step-by-step guide from the master
This book set me up very nicely for a career in forex markets. Possibly the gentlest introduction to international finance, the book does not waste any time with implementation of the ideas, instead provides you with the requisite knowledge, and illustrative examples. I had the fortune of being taught the subject by the author (Dr. Eun), and so the book was fully utilized. However, other teachers would also find the book an ideal companion to course notes. In fact, the book is so well written, it seems like a tutorial. You cannot go wrong if you are using it for international finance courses. The book will also help you with preparation for the CFA charter examinations.

An excellent textbook on international finance
This book has three major strengths compared to other textbooks in this field. #1: It is soundly based on FINANCE theories. Most other textbooks on international finance have more of an "international BUSINESS" taste. #2: It is more analytical than most others. #3: It is comprehensive yet very concise. This is a must-read in the field of international finance. It is particularly suitable for senior-level finance undergraduate and MBA students as well as finance professionals with an interest in investments.

Dr. Eun is a genius.
As a student of Dr. Eun, the book not only gave me a deeper understanding of the world of international finance, but a deeper understanding of this very complex man. This book should revolutionize the international financial community.

Covering both fundamental theories and up-to-date topics
As an MBA student, I found that this book is helpful for me to gernerate overall understanding of Internatioal Finance and acquire deeper insight to specific topics. ... Read more

Book Description

Food and wine are vital components of the tourism experience, and are increasingly being seen as prime travel motivators in their own right. Food Tourism Around The World: Development, Management and Markets offers a unique insight into this phenomenon, looking at the interrelationship between food, the tourism product and the tourist experience.

Using international case studies and examples from Europe, North America, Australasia and Singapore, Food Tourism Around The World: Development, Management and Markets discusses the development, range and repurcussions of the food tourism phenomenon. The multi-national contributor team analyses such issues as:

* the food tourism product
* food tourism and consumer behaviour
* cookery schools - educational vacations
* food as an attraction in destination marketing

Ideal for both students and practioners, the book represents the most comprehensive and wide-ranging treatment yet of this recent development in tourism.

* International case studies and examples
* Comprehensive and systematic treatment of a comparatively new field
* Interlinking of theory and practice makes this useful for both students and industry players ... Read more

Book Description

A unique and one-of-a-kind anthology! This casebook was first published as Davidson/de la Torre, Managing the Global Corporation, in 1989.It was the first modern case anthology for a graduate audience. This edition contains the broadest case collection of companies and countries available in a single anthology. A full 60% of the cases are non-U.S.based firms. Companies in Australia, Hong Kong, China, Mexico, South American, India, South Africa and Europe are featured as case studies. Many of these cases were written in connection with the authors’ own work consulting with the organization, making the information in-depth and credible. ... Read more

Book Description

When arch-rivals IBM and Apple forged an unprecedented partnership to build and distribute a computer operating system for worldwide use, these two industrial giants stepped into the Connective Era. In this thought-provoking book, Jean Lipman-Blumen, world-renowned consultant and organizational sociologist, explores this challenging new environment, and sets forth an innovative style for future leadership.She offers a nine-step strategy for connective leaders in politics and government, business and industry, education and religion?with examples from Wall Street to the Warsaw Pact, from Gorbachev to Gandhi. She demonstrates how to move beyond competition to balance the two antithetical forces that will define our future success: interdepAndence and diversity.Based on extensive analysis of the leadership styles of more than 5,000 leaders and managers worldwide, Lipman-Blumen has developed a way for leaders to flourish under the new demands of interorganizational relationships, joint ventures, and partnerships. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

An Intuitive Vision of the Future of Leadership
Jean Lipman-Blumen shares over 25 years of leadership research intertwined with an introduction to her revolutionary thoughts on how to break apart the aspects of leadership into nine distinct categories.The author is none too shy to establish concrete groundwork for the history of leadership in the United States for the uneducated reader.After abruptly slapping her readers in the face with the latest era of leadership - the Connective Era - Blumen presents her leadership style cautiously by saying those who attempt to lead in the manner she presents will be scorned as non-traditional and poor leaders by factions such as the media.The meat of this work is filled with example after example of people displaying certain aspects of her Connective Leadership Model - but none who embodies The Connective Leader.As readers come to the third section of the book, Jean Lipman-Blumen explains the necessary research organizations must do in order to appoint the proper leaders; then, awkwardly wedges in a section about female leadership; and finishes strong tying together this brilliant manual on how each of us can work toward becoming the self-actualized connective leader.

A Post-modern vision of leadership
Lipman-Blumen presents a post-modern vision of leadership, evolving from the conflict in society and organizations today between interdependence and diversity. Connective leaders are able to select and apply from several achievement strategies depending on the needs of a particular situation.This flexibility gives them the ability to bridge these two conflict forces.

The book is conceptual very strong...the ideas are insightful and well researched, using a variety of data sources.The two main limitations are that the book is not well connected to other related patterns of thinking in the literature and that it is not the strongest in the direction of how to be a connective leader.In fact, much of the text is really a restatement about how different leaders exemplify a particular strategy rather than how a leader selects and uses a mixture of these situationally. I understand why these limitations exist, but I can certainly not suggest that this is the only book on leadership you should read.

One other comment...the book has a very strong feminist slant, proposing a shift from traditional patriarchical values to a more inclusive world view.I think, on the whole, that is a very good thing.However, the author's understanding of Machiavelli takes his writing and thinking out of context.This is only a minor quibble, but I find it interesting how the author can be so dismissive in her effort to claim a new vision of leadership.

Wisdom, Eloquence, and Circumspection
As those who have read Hot Groups already know, Lipman-Blumen is one of the most innovative thinkers now commenting on the contemporary business world. With this book, she makes a substantial and truly significant contribution to our understanding of several separate but interdependent issues: leadership, connectivity, human development, intellectual capital, strategic alliances (both internal and external), and organizational transformation. Yes, yes, I know. There are hundreds of other books already published which discuss several of the same subjects and many of them are first-rate, as Lipman-Blumen would be the first to acknowledge. All of them are listed in her superb "References" section and key ideas from several are woven into her crisp narrative. One of the several reasons why this book is different is the provision and explanation of what she calls "The Connective Leadership Model" which is the focus of Part II. Typical of Lipman-Blumen, she does not suggest that hers is the only model to consider; in fact, she strongly urges her reader to correlate her or his organizations needs and interests with the structure of the model, selecting whatever is most important. However, I presume to offer a caveat: Although by now an overworked buzz word, "integration" of any combination of components is absolutely essential. Whatever the model, its components must be cohesive, comprehensive, and cost-effective as are those which comprise "The Connective Leadership Model."

Wisely, following a precise and eloquent Preface, Lipman-Blumen focuses in Part One on "The Changing Dynamics of Leadership" which, inevitably, have changed at least to some extent since she wrote this book, first published in 1996. Nonetheless, her rationale remains rock-solid. Then and now, organizations need (and will continue to need) leadership which is "more politically savvy and instrumental, yet more ethical, authentic, accountable, and particularly, more ennobling." She calls this new approach "connective leadership" and suggests that it can "potentially transform the destructive tensions of diversity and interdependence into constructive leadership action." I hasten to add that, in most organizations where leaders tend to be identified by title, political and economic leverage, degree of authority, the "connective leadership" to which she refers can -- and should -- include everyone involved in a given organization. Stated another way, what she seems to be advocating is what I call "collaborative initiative" which can (and should) function at all levels. Those organizations which achieve and then sustain such initiatives (e.g. Southwest Airliners) have a "connective edge" over their competition.Lipman- Blumen provides an excellent discussion of this point in Chapter 10 and Noel Tichy also has much of value to say about this in his own book,The Leadership Engine.

Lipman-Blumen organizes her material within three Parts: The Changing Dynamics of Leadership (a review and examination of "the origins and evolution of the human need for leadership"), The Connective Leadership Model (more about that in a moment), and Bridging to the Stage 3 World (an exploration of the "empirical organizational results and the philosophical implications of the Connective Leadership Model"). The nature of leadership which she advocates is "both provocative and savvy, yet pragmatic and honorable." I wish it were possible to reproduce in this brief commentary the model she presents in Part Two. Essentially, it consists of three separate but interdependent components:

DIRECT : The intrinsic, competitive, and power styles of leadership

RELATIONAL: The collaborative, contributory, and vicarious styles of leadership

INSTRUMENTAL: The personal, social, and entrusting styles of leadership

Lipman-Blumen correctly points out that the most effective leaders are those who possess an appropriate combination of all three. As I read Part Two, I thought about the striking differences between the leadership styles of Gandhi and Patton. Relying entirely on active (not passive) strategies and tactics of non-violence, Gandhi helped India to achieve independence. Patton was required to use entirely different strategies and tactics to rescue the American troops at Bastogne. For me, one of this book's most insightful chapters is Chapter 11, "Women Leaders: An Oxymoron? Or Does Gender Make a Difference?" Lipman-Blumen poses and then addresses a number of gender-specific issues. Once again, as I read this chapter, I thought about leaders such as Joan of Arc, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Elizabeth I, and Catherine the Great...each of whom possessed a combination of direct, relational, and instrumental leadership styles in appropriate balance. That was their "connective edge."

Within the context of explaining the need for what she calls "connective" leadership, Lipman-Blumen examines the theme of the contradictory pulls oftwo global tensions, interdependence and diversity. The former demands collaboration and mutuality while often seeming tothreaten the independence and individualism required by the latter. "Connective" leadership is needed to integrate or at least coordinate these two sometimes adversarial forces. The leader with a "connective eye" can help groups or parties who must work or live interdependently (through geography, industry, etc.) with those who often have quite different agendas and goals, to focus together on problems that the enlightened leader recognizes they share even when, especially when others don't "get it." Lipman-Blumen believes that these two global tensions will be with us for some time to come. Leaders who don't develop the understanding and skills to deal with them effectively are almost certain to fail. I am reminded of what Edison once said about innovation: It is the ability to make connections. That is as true of the Gaza Strip as it is of an incandescent light.

I highly recommend this book to senior-level executives, of course, who seek that "edge" for themselves as well as for their organizations. But I also highly recommend this book to others whom Lipman-Blumen may not have had primarily in mind when she wrote the book: Clergy, teachers, coaches, and (especially) parents. Youth ages (let's say) 6-16 also have a great need for the "connective" leadership which Lipman-Blumen advocates. The impact of their leadership on young people may well have much greater impact than that of anyone else, especially now when the world is more interdependent than at any prior time in human history.

If you read just one book on leadership, this is it!
The Connective Edge is a remarkable book, one of my very favorites. In it, Jean Lipman-Blumen presents the the Connective Leadership model, consisting of nine "Achieving Styles." She advocates developing all of the styles and merging them into a balanced leadership approach that can address any challenge in our increasingly complex world.

This book has enabled me to better understand myself, my colleagues, and the organizations with which I interact. The Achieving Styles are presented in a way that allows the reader to understand the components of leadership and to identify his or her preferred styles. Dr. Lipman-Blumen also shows how to strengthen one's less preferred styles and how to apply the concepts of Connective Leadership to effective relationships with people, organizations, and society.

The Connective Edge, nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, works on every level. The model it presents is balanced, flexible, and practical. Professionals or students in any field will learn a great deal from it.
A brief review can't do this book justice -- a rating of 5 stars is not high enough! I have given or recommended it to friends, family, and colleagues, and the feedback has been 100% positive. This is a winner!

Far Reaching, Insightful
There is no shortage of books out there that try to categorize leaders into different leadership styles. Often, the leadership styles delineated seem arbitrary. That is the difference between Lipman's book and other books: Lipman has outlined some really useful categories for leaders. These styles are: instrumental, relational, and direct. These styles are further divided into three categories each. Lipman also makes it clear that the most successful leaders use a range of these styles and do not overuse the one style they are best at. Lipman uses dozens of examples to make her ideas easily understood. And many of the leaders (like the Brazilian activist Chico Mendes) she mentions are ones I haven't found in other leadership books.
The chief prediction of the book (that leaders who do not foresee the consequences of a connective world will not succeed in tomorrow's world) is brilliant and far-reaching... ... Read more

Amazon.com

Over 150 years ago, Scottish essayist Thomas Carlyle dubbed economics the "dismal science." But it certainly doesn't seem that way in the skillful hands of Todd G. Buchholz, author of New Ideas from Dead Economists. In this revised edition of a book first published in 1989, economics is accessible, relevant, and fascinating. It's even fun--for example, when he uses the cast of Gilligan's Island and Henny Youngman jokes to explain complex economic theories. "Why not have the last laugh on Carlyle by using the dead economists themselves to reverse their bad reputations and to teach the lessons they left to us?"

Buchholz surveys and critiques economic thought from Adam Smith's invisible hand of the 18th century to the depression-fighting ideas of the Keynesians and money-supply concepts of the 20th-century monetarists. He also relates classic economic principles to such modern-day events as the fall of communism, the Asian financial meltdown, and global warming. Buchholz includes plenty of anecdotes about the lives of the great economists: Karl Marx, for instance, was an unkempt slob; David Ricardo, the early-19th-century English politician and economist, was among the rare economists to get rich trading stocks; and Maynard Keynes was so homely his friends called him "Snout." Here's a lively and authoritative read for those interested in the past, present, and future of economics. --Dan Ring ... Read more

Reviews (18)

The economists are not all dead, and the ideas are not new
This is a very good book, but I was somewhat disappointed with it. The problem is the title, which is misleading. It should have been called "A Modern Interpretations of Some Great Economists". There are no new ideas, nor really any new interpretations of old ideas. Another possibility, to apply these ideas to contemporary situations, is done very superficially and with none of the wit and imagination the author uses in their exposition. As a professional economist, I did not find the book very useful. What the book is, is a very good introduction to the history of economic thought. If some day I give an economics course, in particular to non-economists, this book will provide its basis. The witty and light way in which some of the greatest ideas in economics are presented is very appealing. With a book such as this, the countless students who hate the subject of economics will see that it is a living and human endeavor. My congratulations to the author although I suggest he change the title.

Introductory Economics Text Par Excellence
The first time I read this distinguished work by Buchholz, I began the book having half forgotten the economics which I took at college level, and ended the book self-congratulating myself for picking up most of what I had forgotten. When I re-read the book, this time the economic theories that I was taught in a post-graduate course still fresh in my mind, I was in awe with the brilliance and clarity with which Buchholz explains the insights of economic theories without compromising the insight and depth of difficult concepts. As economics comes increasingly under the grips of ever more esoteric mathematics, Buchholz shows the path toward a refreshing style of describing economic behaviors, sans mathematica, without compromising the dazzling insights elucidated by gurus from Adam Smith through Alfred Marshall, John Maynard Keynes to present day giants in the field (e.g. Coase, Friedman, Buchanan). While Buchholz clearly intended the book for the layman, it is actually an introductory economics text par excellence.

Much Better Than Heilbroner's Worldly Philosophers
I've read both Worldly Philosophers by Robert Heilbroner and New Ideas From Dead Economists, by Todd Buchholz. I wanted to get a good rounded layperson introduction to great economists in the past.

First let me examine Heilbroner's book first since that's more widely known, has sold more, and more Economics 101 classes use it as a supplemental text. I'll then compare Heilbroner's book to Bucholz's and explain why I think Bucholz's book is far superior in every way.

I found Heilbroner's book to be neither useful to the layperson nor to people who have a good background in Economics. Let me explain.

Heilbroner spends a LOT of time in awe of these economists and spends a great deal of time explaining how great they were, how revolutionary, how brilliant, how much of a genius, how wonderful these men were, ad nauseum. Ok, I get the point. Unfortunately, all this fawning and fan worship clouds what should've been the more interesting and more important part of the book, which are the central economic ideas put forward by these thinkers. In fact, there's a lot of emphasis on putting their economic ideas in perspective to the prevailing moral philosophical thought at the time.

It's almost as if this books is written for people who have already taken Economics 101, and know all the basic economic principles and can nod, "yes, uh huh, I didn't know those personality quirks or their moral philosophical outlook about these economists - good to know. By the way, it's great that he didn't go over his economic ideas since I already know them."

For example, the entire chapter devoted to David Ricardo fails to mention the theory of Comparative Advantage anywhere in the chapter. Isn't that a MAJOR omission? That's just one example. Omissions such as this are everywhere.

So the layperson is stuck getting a vague feeling that these people were wonderful people, but that a little less fuzzy on their ecnomic ideas. It also leaves a person with economics background feeling like this is less a book about economics and more a book about Heilbroner's fan worship.

Neither audience is served. I can't recommend the Heilbroner book.

Right after I read this book, I read Todd Buchholz's New Ideas From Dead Economists.

Where Heilbroner failed, Buccholz succeeds in so many ways. He puts the central ideas of these economists as the main focus of each chapter. When talking about David Rircardo, the theory of Comparative Advantage is front-and-center. When talking about Marx, Heilbroner meanders and throws a lot of Marx's ideas around and you don't get a sense of how they all fit together in Marx's mind or why modern economists find fundamental flaws in his reasoning. In Buccholz's book, the central point is Marx's ideas, how they fit together and it's very clear why most economists (and the reader) will find Marx's basic premise wrong in light of emperical evidence. This goes on and on.

I initially thought Heilbroner would be a good read, since it was recommended by econ majors when I was in college and they'd never heard of Buccholz's book. I'm glad I read both.

Do yourself a favor - read the better book.

New Ideas from Dead Economists: An Introduction to Modern Ec
In an introduction explaining the plight of the economist--having to convey to popular political and social forces that in a world of scarcity one must choose--Buchholz implicitly illustrates his own dilemma. He improves upon Heilbroner's classic nonponderous history of economic thought, The Worldly Philosophers (6th ed., 1986), albeit at some sacrifice of breadth and depth. Nevertheless, his highly entertaining look at 200 years of economic thought via contemporary issues has far more hits than misses. His treatment of the giants--Smith, Marx, Keynes, is good, and the coverage of Marx, even before the political upheavals of the last 12 months, is devastating; the other standard names--Ricardo, Malthus, Mill, Marshall, Friedman, are all included; and, taken together, chapters 9 through 12 offer an excellent review of contemporary macroeconomic theories and issues. In a few instances, Buchholz's use of numerical examples seems awkward; some of his facts and formulations are wrong; and, despite the muted, somewhat flip apology with respect to the title (i.e., many of the economists he cites are living not dead), it's still a poor choice. But, everything being equal, as economists are wont to say, it does not get any better than this, and Buchholz deserves, and will certainly get, much credit for this solid contribution to our understanding of both the economists and the issues. Academic and public library collections.

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STERN'S MANAGEMENT REVIEW FINDS THIS BOOK TOP-NOTCH!
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