Books for the altMBA

The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures by Dan Roam

A bold new way to tackle tough business problems-e more...3 points

A bold new way to tackle tough business problems-even if you draw like a second grader When Herb Kelleher was brainstorming about how to beat the traditional hub-and- spoke airlines, he grabbed a bar napkin and a pen. Three dots to represent Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. Three arrows to show direct flights. Problem solved, and the picture made it easy to sell Southwest Airlines to investors and customers. Used properly, a simple drawing on a humble napkin is more powerful than Excel o...3 points

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't by Jim Collins

The Challenge Built to Last, the defining manageme more...2 points

The Challenge Built to Last, the defining management study of the nineties, showed how great companies triumph over time and how long-term sustained performance can be engineered into the DNA of an enterprise from the verybeginning. But what about the company that is not born with great DNA? How can good companies, mediocre companies, even bad companies achieve enduring greatness? The Study For years, this question preyed on the mind of Jim Collins. Are there companies that defy gravity and conv...2 points

Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us by Seth Godin

A tribe is any group of people, large or small, wh more...2 points

A tribe is any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, and an idea. For millions of years, humans have been seeking out tribes, be they religious, ethnic, economic, political, or even musical (think of the Deadheads). It's our nature. Now the Internet has eliminated the barriers of geography, cost, and time. All those blogs and social networking sites are helping existing tribes get bigger. But more important, they're enabling countless new tribes t...2 points

Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies by Charlene Li, Josh Bernoff

Corporate executives are struggling with a new tre more...1 point

Corporate executives are struggling with a new trend: people using online social technologies (blogs, social networking sites, YouTube, podcasts) to discuss products and companies, write their own news, and find their own deals. This groundswell is global, it s unstoppable, it affects every industry and it s utterly foreign to the powerful companies running things now.When consumers you ve never met are rating your company s products in public forums with which you have no experience or influenc...1 point

Naked Conversations: How Blogs are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers by Robert Scoble, Shel Israel

From the creator of the number one business blog c more...1 point

From the creator of the number one business blog comes a powerful exploration of how, and why, businesses had better be blogging: Naked Conversations. According to experts Robert Scoble and Shel Israel, blogs offer businesses something that has long been lacking in their communication with customers -- meaningful dialogue. Devoid of corporate-speak and empty promises, business blogs can humanize communication, bringing companies and their constituencies together in a way that improves both imag...1 point

Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School (Book & DVD) by John Medina

Most of us have no idea what's really going on ins more...1 point

Most of us have no idea what's really going on inside our heads. Yet brain scientists have uncovered details every business leader, parent, and teacher should know--such as the brain's need for physical activity to work at its best. How do we learn? What exactly do sleep and stress do to our brains? Why is multi-tasking a myth? Why is it so easy to forget--and so important to repeat new information? Is it true that men and women have different brains? In Brain Rules, molecular biologist Dr. Jo...1 point

Making Things Happen: Mastering Project Management (Theory in Practice (O'Reilly)) by Scott Berkun

In the updated edition of this critically acclaime more...1 point

In the updated edition of this critically acclaimed and bestselling book, Microsoft project veteran Scott Berkun offers a collection of essays on field-tested philosophies and strategies for defining, leading, and managing projects. Each essay distills complex concepts and challenges into practical nuggets of useful advice, and the new edition now adds more value for leaders and managers of projects everywhere. Based on his nine years of experience as a program manager for Internet Explorer and....1 point

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick M. Lencioni

In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Patrick Lencion more...1 point

In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team Patrick Lencioni once again offers a leadership fable that is as enthralling and instructive as his first two best-selling books, The Five Temptations of a CEO and The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive. This time, he turns his keen intellect and storytelling power to the fascinating, complex world of teams. Kathryn Petersen, Decision Tech's CEO, faces the ultimate leadership crisis: Uniting a team in such disarray that it threatens to bring down t...1 point

First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham, Curt Coffman

The greatest managers in the world seem to have l more...1 point

The greatest managers in the world seem to have little in common. They differ in sex, age, and race. They employ vastly different styles and focus on different goals. Yet despite their differences, great managers share one common trait: They do not hesitate to break virtually every rule held sacred by conventional wisdom. They do not believe that, with enough training, a person can achieve anything he sets his mind to. They do not try to help people overcome their weaknesses. They consistently....1 point

The Circle of Innovation: You Can't Shrink Your Way to Greatness by Tom Peters

In 1982, business guru Tom Peters co-authored In S more...1 point

In 1982, business guru Tom Peters co-authored In Search of Excellence, one of the most influential business guides of all time. More recently, through 400 seminars in 47 states and 22 countries, Peters reexamined, refined and reinvented his views on innovation--the #1 survival strategy, he asserts, for businesses of the next millennium.The Circle of Innovation brings these seminars--and Peters' contagious passion--to the reader in a landmark book. Through bold graphics, astounding facts and figu...1 point

The Power of a Positive No: Save The Deal Save The Relationship and Still Say No by William Ury

No is perhaps the most important and certainly the more...1 point

No is perhaps the most important and certainly the most powerful word in the language. Every day we find ourselves in situations where we need to say No-to people at work, at home, and in our communities-because No is the word we must use to protect ourselves and to stand up for everything and everyone that matters to us. But as we all know, the wrong No can also destroy what we most value by alienating and angering people. That's why saying No the right way is crucial. The secret...1 point

The Goal

by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox Amazon Price more...1 point

by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox Amazon Price (12/27/08) = $16.471 point

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

Alexander knew it was going to be a terrible day w more...1 point

Alexander knew it was going to be a terrible day when he woke up with gum in this hair. And it got worse... His best friend deserted him. There was no dessert in his lunch bag. And, on top of all that, there were lima beans for dinner and kissing on TV! This handsome new edition of Judith Viorst's classic picture book is sure to charm readers of all ages.1 point

Guerrilla Marketing, 4th edition: Easy and Inexpensive Strategies for Making Big Profits from Your SmallBusiness by Jay Conrad Levinson

When Guerrilla Marketing was first published in 19 more...0 points

When Guerrilla Marketing was first published in 1983, Jay Levinson revolutionized marketing strategies for the small-business owner with his take-no-prisoners approach to finding clients. Based on hundreds of solid ideas that really work, Levinson's philosophy has given birth to a new way of learning about market share and how to gain it. In this completely updated and expanded fourth edition, Levinson offers a new arsenal of weaponry for small-business success including* strategies for marketin...0 points

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen

In today's world, yesterday's methods just don't w more...0 points

In today's world, yesterday's methods just don't work. In Getting Things Done, veteran coach and management consultant David Allen shares the breakthrough methods for stress-free performance that he has introduced to tens of thousands of people across the country. Allen's premise is simple: our productivity is directly proportional to our ability to relax. Only when our minds are clear and our thoughts are organized can we achieve effective productivity and unleash our creative potential. In Get...0 points

The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life by Twyla Tharp

All it takes to make creativity a part of your lif more...0 points

All it takes to make creativity a part of your life is the willingness to make it a habit. It is the product of preparation and effort, and is within reach of everyone. Whether you are a painter, musician, businessperson, or simply an individual yearning to put your creativity to use, The Creative Habit provides you with thirty-two practical exercises based on the lessons Twyla Tharp has learned in her remarkable thirty-five-year career.In "Where's Your Pencil?" Tharp reminds you to observe the....0 points

When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times. by Pema. Chodron

Helpful in feeling the fear, but doing it anyway.0 points

Whack on the Side of the Head, How to be More Creative by Roger Von Oech

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Web Analytics: An Hour a Day by Avinash Kaushik

Written by an in-the-trenches practitioner, this s more...1 point

Written by an in-the-trenches practitioner, this step-by-step guide shows you how to implement a successful Web analytics strategy. Web analytics expert Avinash Kaushik, in his thought-provoking style, debunks leading myths and leads you on a path to gaining actionable insights from your analytics efforts. Discover how to move beyond clickstream analysis, why qualitative data should be your focus, and more insights and techniques that will help you develop a customer-centric mindset without sacr...1 point

Before and After Graphics for Business by John McWade

As the founder of the very first desktop publishin more...1 point

As the founder of the very first desktop publishing company (PageLab) and the publisher of Before and After magazine, John McWade knows graphics. He also knows business-and the depth of that knowledge comes through in every page of this handsome primer on creating effective business graphics! In these pages, a master of the medium shows you how to use today's tools to create business graphics that communicate your business's identity in a variety of forms. From creating charts, graphs, cale...1 point

Glengarry Glen Ross

An examination of the machinations behind the scen more...1 point

An examination of the machinations behind the scenes at a real estate office. Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 02/01/2005 Starring: Jack Lemmon Kevin Spacey Run time: 100 minutes Rating: R Director: James Foley1 point

Selling the Dream by Guy Kawasaki

Guy Kawasaki's phenomenal success at Apple Compute more...0 points

Guy Kawasaki's phenomenal success at Apple Computer and as a start-up entrepreneur was the result of an innovative approach to sales, marketing, and management called evangelism. Evangelism means convincing people to believe in your product or ideas as much as you do, by using fervor, zeal, guts, and cunning to mobilize your customers and staff into becoming as passionate about a cause as you are.Selling the Dream is a handbook and workbook for putting evangelism into action. Kawasaki charts a c...0 points

The Tom Peters Seminar by Tom Peters

or the first time ever, the acclaimed author of th more...0 points

or the first time ever, the acclaimed author of the phenomenal #1 bestsellingbusiness book In Search of Excellence presents the same provocative, challenging, and sometimes scary seminar that attendees pay $2000 to hear delivered in person. Peters shows how to understand and thrive in the face of the crazy demands the business world makes upon us.0 points

The Pursuit of Wow! Every Person's Guide to Topsy-Turvy Times by Tom Peters

dozen years ago, Peters and coauthor Robert Waterm more...0 points

dozen years ago, Peters and coauthor Robert Waterman woke up corporate America with In Search of Excellence. Once more the "unconventional" Peters stimulates corporate thought processes. Along with the best of his columns, Peters includes questions and rebuttals that come from readers and listeners, as well as his own candid responses. A "must" read for every business person.0 points

Don't Bite the Hook: Finding Freedom from Anger, Resentment, and Other Destructive Emotions by Pema Chodron

Life has a way of provoking us with traffic jams a more...0 points

Life has a way of provoking us with traffic jams and computer malfunctions, with emotionally distant partners and crying children-and before we know it, we're upset. We feel terrible, and then we end up saying and doing things that only make matters worse. But it doesn't have to be that way, says Pema Chödrön. It is possible to relate constructively to the inevitable shocks, losses, and frustrations of life so that we can find true happiness. The key, Pema explains, is not biting the "hook"...0 points

Spreadsheet Modeling and Decision Analysis (with CD-ROM and Microsoft Project 2003 120 day version) by Cliff Ragsdale

No need to buy this book, but you need to understa more...0 points

No need to buy this book, but you need to understand that it is here and know what it teaches.0 points

The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times by Pema Chodron

We always have a choice, Pema Chödrön teaches: W more...0 points

We always have a choice, Pema Chödrön teaches: We can let the circumstances of our lives harden us and make us increasingly resentful and afraid-or we can let them soften us and make us kinder. Here Pema provides the tools to deal with the difficulties that life throws our way so we can:wholeheartedly accept ourselves and others, complete with imperfectionsstay in the present moment by seeing through strategies that cause us to resist life as it istap into our natural reservoirs of humor, f...0 points

The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering, Anniversary Edition (2nd Edition) by Frederick P. Brooks

No book on software project management has been so more...0 points

No book on software project management has been so influential and so timeless as The Mythical Man-Month. Now 20 years after the publication of his book, Frederick P. Brooks, Jr. (best known as the "father of the IBM System 360") revisits his original ideas and develops new thoughts and advice both for readers familiar with his work and for readers discovering it for the first time.0 points

Slack: Getting Past Burnout, Busywork, and the Myth of Total Efficiency by Tom DeMarco

If your company's goal is to become fast, responsi more...0 points

If your company's goal is to become fast, responsive, and agile, more efficiency is not the answer--you need more slack.Why is it that today's superefficient organizations are ailing? Tom DeMarco, a leading management consultant to both Fortune 500 and up-and-coming companies, reveals a counterintuitive principle that explains why efficiency efforts can slow a company down. That principle is the value of slack, the degree of freedom in a company that allows it to change. Implementing s...0 points

Before and After Page Design, Volume 2 by John McWade

Before and After magazine's focus on clarity, simp more...0 points

Before and After magazine's focus on clarity, simplicity, and elegance has won it legions of fans--fans who will welcome this second volume of the definitive Before and After Page Design by John McWade. Truly an icon of the graphic design community, his insistence on approaching design not as mere decoration but as an essential form of communication is vividly apparent in this cohesive primer on page design and layout. And you could not hope for a better, more qualified teacher. McWade shows rea...0 points

Before & After Page Design by John McWade

Before and After magazine's focus on clarity and s more...0 points

Before and After magazine's focus on clarity and simplicity and its insistence on approaching design not as mere decoration but as an essential form of communication have won it legions of fans. If you're among them, you'll welcome the first book from B and A's founder and publisher. John McWade walks his own talk, bringing you a beautifully clear, cohesive, and elegant primer on page design. You'll learn by example how to design single-page and multi-page publications, brochures, and advertisem...0 points

Before & After by John McWade

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Stop Stealing Sheep & Find Out How Type Works (2nd Edition) by Erik Spiekermann, E.M Ginger

This classic typography book, first published in 1 more...0 points

This classic typography book, first published in 1993, is now updated with brand-new typefaces, fonts, and illustrations. Internationally renowned graphic designer Erik Spiekermann explains in everyday terms what typography is and offers design guidance in choosing type for legibility, meaning, and aesthetic appeal. Stop Stealing Sheep and Find Out How Type Works, 2nd Edition guides the reader through all aspects of typography, from the history and mechanics of type, to training the eye to recog...0 points

Chip Kidd: Book One: Work: 1986-2006 (Bk. 1) by Chip Kidd

Described as "the closest thing to a rock sta more...0 points

Described as "the closest thing to a rock star" in graphic design today (USA Today), Chip Kidd is universally recognized as an American master of contemporary book design. At the forefront of a revolution in publishing, Kidd's iconic covers, with their inventive marriage of type and found images, have influenced an entire generation of design practitioners in many fields.Chip Kidd: Book One collects all of his book covers and designs for the first time, as well as hundreds of developmental sketc...0 points

The Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder

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