Task #17: A business book

[Irene]

This is a tough one for me. While I'm a bit interested in this genre, of all the suggestions I cannot for the life of me find a book that interests me. Halp?

[Mya]

Irene, in addition to books about running and growing a business, or histories of businesses, lots of other things qualify. Books about how people think, and how they make choices, books on economics, books on management, and even books on communication, all would satisfy this task. Which of those is most interesting to you?

[Carolina]

I've found this book which looks interesting Beta: Quiet Girls Can Run the World: There is more than one way to be the boss

[Emerging]

I'm thinking of doing Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a Pilgrimage of Identity. Does this seem like a good fit for this task?

[Kathy]

I thought I’d dread this topic more than any other, but in https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8..., it’s fascinating to read about the brilliantly successful and innovative marketing of the The Grateful Dead long before those practices were implemented in the business world. There’s still plenty of yawn-inducing marketing speak, but vignettes of the band interwoven throughout the book make it interesting.

[Deb]

Dana wrote: "I read Bad Blood by John Carreyrou for this challenge. I thought it was excellent and definitely recommend it. He does an excellent job of describing the basic science behind what Theranos was tryi..."
Would that make this book also count towards the book about a nonviolent true crime?

[Sheri]

Deb, I used Bad Blood for my nonviolent true crime. I think it count for both, easily

[Bonnie G.]

I used it for nonviolent true crime, but Bad Blood is also a book by a journalist.

[Lenore]

Would Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper work? I just read it and it was the history of dictionaries, including the business history, and basically about the business of creating a dictionary.

[Shannon]

Catie wrote: "I read Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup this year and it was excellent—highly recommend for anyone who hasn't picked that up yet!

For this task, I think I mi..."
Thanks for the recommendation, Catie! I picked Bad Blood for this one. What an incredible story! Crazier than fiction...

[Alexis]

Got to be honest, I'm not really looking forward to this slot. I have the book sitting on my shelf and I keep putting it off for more interesting reads.

[Megan]

I just finished Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam M. Grant. One of my book clubs picked it for its August read, so I've been saving this prompt.

[Emerging]

Alexis wrote: "Got to be honest, I'm not really looking forward to this slot. I have the book sitting on my shelf and I keep putting it off for more interesting reads."
What did you decide on? :)

[Pam]

I wasn’t excited about this category, but enjoyed listening to Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike - by Phil Knight. It was a stretch for me, especially because I boycotted Nike for many years. A fascinating story of the American Dream.

[Emily]

I'm considering Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done for this prompt, unless anyone is familiar and thinks that it wouldn't fit?

[Tammy]

Tammy wrote: "I'm thinking of reading Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit, about the tomato industry / agribusiness."

I just finished this and wanted to update that it was a good read that covered a lot of aspects of the (mostly) Florida tomato industry, especially workers' rights. It's only 200 pages not counting the notes section. For non-fiction it was pretty engaging.

[Alexis]

Emerging wrote: "Alexis wrote: "Got to be honest, I'm not really looking forward to this slot. I have the book sitting on my shelf and I keep putting it off for more interesting reads."
What did you decide on? :)"

I read The Devil's Casino: Friendship, Betrayal, and the High Stakes Games Played Inside Lehman Brothers. Not bad for a book on investment banking, although some of the risky economic decisions and described cavalier attitude that contributed to the Lehman Brothers collapse basically just made you angry.

[Mandie]

To whomever suggested To Pixar and Beyond: My Unlikely Journey with Steve Jobs to Make Entertainment History, thank you. I've been dreading this prompt, but this book made me not dread it so much. Lawrence Levy broke everything down in a way that everyone can understand, and not in a way where you feel like you're being talked down to.

[Krista]

Sheri wrote: "I read The Beekeeper's Lament: How One Man and Half a Billion Honey Bees Help Feed America which is about the beekeeping industry and how it affects America's agricultural industry,..."

I decided to go with The Beekeeper's Lament: How One Man and Half a Billion Honey Bees Help Feed America as well. Discovered my library had it availalble as an audiobook, no waiting.

I must say, I'm about three quarters of the way through it and REALLY enjoying it. I am a biogeek/critter biologist, though I tried to avoid the insect classes in college.

But I find the symbiosis of bees and all the food crops just amazing, and I had no idea how vital they were for some of these crops. Also had no idea they were affected by so very many viruses, bacteria, mites, parasites, etc. It's an eye-opening read, and the narrator really makes it enjoyable.

[John]

I am reading "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman for this. It is about how we think and operate in all areas of life, including business. Very thought-provoking.

[John]

Emily wrote: "I'm considering Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done for this prompt, unless anyone is familiar and thinks that it wouldn't fit?"

That sounds like a great choice to my mind, Emily!

[Maddie]

Do... we think This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climateby Naomi Klein could possibly qualify?

[Elise]

I'm a university instructor, and this semester, I'm teaching an organizational communication course (basically, how communication happens within companies). Since I have to read a boring book and teach from it, I'm totally using Organizational Communication: Approaches and Processes .

[Mya]

Maddie - absolutely. Capitalism is the heart of how and why most businesses are founded and organized. Understanding criticism of it is business savvy.

[Heather]

Serendipity wrote: "I'm offering bonus points to whoever can come up with a really short suggestion for this one. Its not something that interests me at all. Although admittedly I have been thinking more along the lin..."
Pour Your Heart Into It by Howard Shultz (CEO of Starbucks). Audio book is just under three hours

[Heather]

I was browsing Scribd's Business Biography History section and stumbled on "Wolf of Wal street." The version of the audio book on scribd is 4 hours 58 minutes, but that's the abridged version.

[Clay]

I hadn't thought about it as a business book when I started, but I just read Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice and think it qualifies.

[Lesley]

Emily wrote: "oooo just saw Shonda's Year of Yes is on the goodreads list...thoughts?

also following the funny memoir suggestions!"

I recently read this for nonfiction november not at all related to this challenge but today when I was reflecting on it, I realized it was all about being confident in business and how stepping out of her comfort zone made her happier in life and business so if you still need a book for this, I would choose it!