Accelerating out of the Great Recession: How to Win in a Slow-Growth Economy

by David Rhodes, Daniel Stelter

"What better opportunity than now to strengthen your business and come out of the recession even stronger? David Rhodes and Daniel Stelter provide an easy-to-understand perspective on the current economic environment, and some practical strategies to help readers come out ahead. A timely read for all who care about their business."
―Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever "This is the most comprehensive assessment of the global economy that I've seen and is a must-read for any business, economic, or governmental-related leader".
Jeff M. Fettig, Chairman & CEO, Whirlpool Corporation “A fascinating account of the causal factors of the meltdown and what we can do to avoid repetition.”
Sanjay Khosla, Executive Vice President and President, International for Kraft Foods "This book combines brilliant analysis and strategic insight with a clear Companies that want to play a role in tomorrow's markets must act immediately. There's no place for complacency. The opportunities in the post-crisis world are good--and better than many might think."
Dr. Jürgen Hambrecht, CEO, BASF "The lessons from companies that came out winners during past recessions are invaluable in the current context. Rhodes and Stelter strike a welcome note of optimism in today's tough times by showing that companies can do a lot to thrive when the global economy is struggling."
Dr. Dieter Zetsche, CEO, Daimler "There are great lessons for today's chief well-managed companies can prosper in the downturn and accelerate faster than their competitors in the upturn. Rhodes and Stelter have dug deep into history to vividly show how companies can do it."
Dr. Martin C. Halusa, CEO, Apax Partners Worldwide LLP From the world's leading business strategy consultancy comes this essential guide to prospering in the aftermath of what is being called the Great Recession Accelerating Out of the Great Recession , by The Boston Consulting Group's David Rhodes and Daniel Stelter, is a call to action for today's executives. It shows how companies can win in a slow-growth economy by seizing the initiative--differentiating themselves from less fleet-footed rivals and executing their strategies with single-minded determination. It combines comprehensive and big-picture analysis of the global economic meltdown with smart management advice on how to win in an era of greater competition. The book is underpinned by a historical review of great companies that survived and thrived in past downturns, along with two new surveys of top executives and insights drawn from discussions with corporate leaders around the world. As such, it offers the clearest, most authoritative assessment yet of some present-day trends and "new realities"--and what they mean for business. Accelerating Out of the Great Recession shows today's executives how

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 20, 2010

About the author

As a young man, David Rhodes worked in fields, hospitals, and factories across Iowa. After receiving an MFA in Writing from the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop in 1971, he published three acclaimed novels: The Last Fair Deal Going Down (1972), The Easter House (1974), and Rock Island Line (1975). In 1976, a motorcycle accident left him partially paralyzed. In 2008, Rhodes returned to the literary scene with Driftless, a novel that was hailed as "the best work of fiction to come out of the Midwest in many years" (Alan Cheuse). Following the publication of Driftless, Rhodes was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2010, to support the writing of Jewelweed, his newest novel. He lives with his wife, Edna, in Wisconsin.

“Rhodes proves that there is still vigorous life in the dark Gothic roots of great American novels.”

—Peter W. Jordan, The Tennessean

Reviews

[Akshay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must confess that dry economic topics make me switch off from a conversation. Yet, with China recently devaluing its economy, I inferred that this was the right time to read a book on economics. While the title ‘Accelerating Out of the Recession’ did not really catch my interest, it was the subtitle: ‘How to Win in a Slow Growth Economy’ which made a significant difference. Anchored firmly with exceptional research and outstanding advice, this book explains the magnitude and enduring nature of changes which have taken place in the global economy.

In a tone that provides both education and entertainment, the book is enhanced with engaging examples which are narrated in an appealing manner. Their research packages business and historical lessons from The Great Depression and how to apply them during the current Recession. It shows executives how to learn from the decisive actions taken by companies such as General Electric, IBM, P&G in order to accelerate out of past downturns. It also urges leaders to take the fight directly to their competitors by diversifying and expanding at a time when the markets are significantly affected by the economic turbulence. The book also spells out a vision which can help in shaking off conventional wisdom in order to protect and grow a company’s market share by developing a new managerial mindset for tough times.

In a concise manner, it is indeed commendable that the tone of the book is not dry. With occasional redundant examples, the writers seem to express their support for conservative fiscal politics. The writers highlight the shortfalls and downsides of administrative interventions championed by the Democrats in the United States and offer minimal criticism of deregulatory policies pursued by the Republicans. Despite trying to sound politically neutral, it is easy to infer that the political shades are present in undertones given that there is not much written about the role of Republicans in the securities crises, multi-level ponzi schemes and the mortgage market meltdown, three reasons which led to the economic meltdown in 2008.

This book, despite being placed in the economics section under the larger umbrella of non-fiction, is an enriching read. The authors diagnose economic problems by providing firm evidence based solutions for executives who are trying to generate profits in a rigorous fiscal environment. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in economics. Corporate leaders, strategists and managers who wish to provide an impetus to their sales and generate a wave of excitement in a period of slow business growth will also benefit from reading this book.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

First-rate overview of the economic fallout and solutions for companies


Boring history and economic lessons can drop some students into zonked-out slumber. Fortunately, this book will rouse them. International consultants David Rhodes and Daniel Stelter deliver a mix of entertainment and education that is enhanced by engaging examples and an appealing style. They solidly package business and historical lessons from the Depression era and apply them to the “Great Recession.” Their text is concise, albeit with occasional bouts of redundancy. Although the authors have attempted to create a politically neutral analysis, an astute reader might detect an apparent but not intrusive preference for conservative fiscal politics. That’s because the writers highlight the shortfalls and downsides of Democratic-administration interventions at some length and offer only minimal criticism of Republican deregulatory policies, without deeply analyzing their role in opening the door to securities crises, Ponzi schemes and the mortgage market meltdown. However, the text’s benefits outweigh any political oversights especially since modern literary evenhandedness often amounts to little more than a “plague on both your houses” anyway. The authors go beyond just diagnosing economic problems. They supply concrete, evidence-based solutions for executives who are trying to generate profits in a rigorous fiscal environment. getAbstract recommends this book to corporate leaders, strategists and managers who want to spur sales and excitement in a period of slow business growth.