Economics, Finance, and Business Books

Book SynopsisNATIONAL BESTSELLER“The stories in this book make for a fascinating and remarkably complete pantheon of just about every common despair and every joy related to game development.” — Rami Ismail, cofounder of Vlambeer and developer of Nuclear ThroneDeveloping video games—hero''s journey or fool''s errand? The creative and technical logistics that go into building today''s hottest games can be more harrowing and complex than the games themselves, often seeming like an endless maze or a bottomless abyss. In Blood, Sweat, and Pixels, Jason Schreier takes readers on a fascinating odyssey behind the scenes of video game development, where the creator may be a team of 600 overworked underdogs or a solitary geek genius. Exploring the artistic challenges, technical impossibilities, marketplace demands, and Donkey Kong-sized monkey wrenches thrown into the works by corporate, Blood, Sweat, and Pixels reveals how bringing any game to completion is more than Sisyphean—it''s nothing short of miraculous.Taking some of the most popular, bestselling recent games, Schreier immerses readers in the hellfire of the development process, whether it''s RPG studio Bioware''s challenge to beat an impossible schedule and overcome countless technical nightmares to build Dragon Age: Inquisition; indie developer Eric Barone''s single-handed efforts to grow country-life RPG Stardew Valley from one man''s vision into a multi-million-dollar franchise; or Bungie spinning out from their corporate overlords at Microsoft to create Destiny, a brand new universe that they hoped would become as iconic as Star Wars and Lord of the Rings—even as it nearly ripped their studio apart.Documenting the round-the-clock crunches, buggy-eyed burnout, and last-minute saves, Blood, Sweat, and Pixels is a journey through development hell—and ultimately a tribute to the dedicated diehards and unsung heroes who scale mountains of obstacles in their quests to create the best games imaginable.Trade Review“Necessary to read… by the end, my only complaint about Blood, Sweat, and Pixels is that there wasn’t more to read.” — Forbes.com “Making video games is one of most transformative, exciting things I’ve done in my two decades as a freelance writer. Making video games is also an excruciating journey into Hellmouth itself. Jason Schreier’s wonderful book captures both the excitement and the hell. Here, at long last, is a gripping, intelligent glimpse behind a thick (and needlessly secretive) creative curtain.” — Tom Bissell, author of Extra Lives and Apostle, and writer on the Gears of War, Uncharted, and Battlefield franchises “A meticulously researched, well-written, and painful at times account of many developers’ and studios’ highs and lows. May need to make it required reading for the developers at my studio.” — Cliff Bleszinski, creator of Gears of War and founder of Boss Key Productions “The stories in this book make for a fascinating and remarkably complete pantheon of just about every common despair and every joy related to game development.” — Rami Ismail, cofounder of Vlambeer and developer of Nuclear Throne “Jason Schreier brilliantly exposes the truth about how video games are made. Brutal, honest, yet ultimately uplifting; I’ve been gaming for thirty years, yet I was surprised by every page. Turns out what I didn’t know about my favorite hobby could fill a book. This book! Can’t recommend it enough to any serious fan of this generation’s greatest new art form.” — Adam Conover, executive producer and host of truTV’s Adam Ruins Everything “...his enthusiasm is contagious; even if you’ve never played one of these games, you’ll be riveted by the account of how they came to be.” — Booklist “Schreier covers the notoriously secretive gaming industry… and he knows it well… He also clearly respects [the] developers and their achievements, and treats their rueful tales of selfless struggle with an admiring deference…a useful survey of the landscape of game production at this cultural moment.” — GQ “Schreier sets each scene with admirable prowess, giving the reader just enough information to feel the weight of each story. For anyone who has ever wondered how some of the most successful games are made, this book is a real eye-opener… At its heart, Blood, Sweat, and Pixels is an ode to the people who put every fiber of their being into making memorable experiences for gamers all over the world.” — Fiction Southeast “Lively writing… For fans of video games, Blood, Sweat, and Pixels is a must read, but anyone interested in stories about the hard process of making art is also sure to enjoy it.” — Shelf Awareness “One of the most insightful pieces of text I’ve ever read… It’s a well-written tale of real sacrifice, struggles, and more, it’s almost inspiring despite how sad it can be at times.” — GameZone “Blood, Sweat, and Pixels is the instruction manual to the game industry I never realized I needed.” — GameCritics.com “Schreier creates a compellingly warts-and-all portrait of a profession that so many who grew up playing games idolized.” — Wired

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Book SynopsisNavigate the complex decisions and critical relationships necessary to create and sustain a healthy family business—and business family.Though "family business" may sound like it refers only to mom-and-pop shops, businesses owned by families are among the most significant and numerous in the world. But surprisingly few resources exist to help navigate the unique challenges you face when you share the executive suite, financial statements, and holidays. How do you make the right decisions, critical to the long-term survival of any business, with the added challenge of having to do so within the context of a family?The HBR Family Business Handbook brings you sophisticated guidance and practical advice from family business experts Josh Baron and Rob Lachenauer. Drawing on their decades-long experience working closely with a wide range of family businesses of all sizes around the world, the authors present proven methods and approaches for communicating effectively, managing conflict, building the right governance structures, and more.In the HBR Family Business Handbook you'll find: A new perspective on what makes family businesses succeed and fail A framework to help you make good decisions together Step-by-step guidance on managing change within your business family Key questions about wealth, unique to family businesses, that you can't afford to ignore Assessments to help you determine where you are—and where you want to go Stories of real companies, from Marchesi Antinori to Radio Flyer Chapter summaries you can use to reinforce what you've learned Keep this comprehensive guide with you to help you build, grow, and position your family business to thrive across generations.HBR Handbooks provide ambitious professionals with the frameworks, advice, and tools they need to excel in their careers. With step-by-step guidance, time-honed best practices, and real-life stories, each comprehensive volume helps you to stand out from the pack—whatever your role.Trade Review"We endorse this book whole-heartedly for any family business and recommend it as a resource to keep on your shelf or to share at your next family business meeting with your shareholders." — Mercer Capital"for business owners looking for guidance, this book offers sound advice." — Financial Times"In my opinion, this is 'the handbook' for family business owners and an essential read, highlighting some of the pressures placed on families in business together, but with insights and suggestions as to how to start a conversation. Open and honest conversations are something that I refer to regularly and this book is a good place to start and will undoubtedly help many families in business realise the need to talk, to discuss the challenges and find a way forward that works for them. Definitely one for the reading list!" — Family Business United"This an invaluable and comprehensive guide with you to help you build, grow, and position your family business to thrive across generations." — Midwest Book Review"…helps business families learn to live and work together while creating both family harmony and a thriving business." — Forbes.comAdvance Praise for The Harvard Business Review Family Business Handbook:"Family businesses are not for the faint of heart. Even in the best of situations, the complex relationships between family and business are hard to navigate. The authors of The Harvard Business Review Family Business Handbook bring the experience, insight, and wisdom to help families wrestle through hard decisions and land in better places. I highly recommend this book." — Bill Haslam, Haslam Family Capital, formerly Governor of Tennessee and President of Pilot Flying J"Want your family business to endure, not just for years, but for generations? This is the book for you! Baron and Lachenauer fully understand the challenges and opportunities of family businesses and provide excellent and actionable guidance and advice. As a mother and daughter in a 5th generation family business, we know such guidance is invaluable. This Handbook is approachable and a great resource for every generation." — Pamela Mars Wright and Charlotte Rossetter, 4th and 5th generation Mars family"The Harvard Business Review Family Business Handbook is a must-read for family business owners, family members, advisors, and employees. Easy (and dare I say fun!) to read, the authors mix great storytelling with actionable guidance and advice. Highly recommend!" — Robert Pasin, CEO of 3rd generation family business Radio Flyer"Family Owned Businesses—the pride of generations of families and, for that matter, all Americans—are the backbone of so many communities. They create vast economic opportunity and value for their owners and employees. The Harvard Business Review Family Business Handbook lays out in proven fashion the frameworks, tools, and advice that should be instrumental to families to propel their businesses over many multiples of generations. A must read and invaluable resource." — Douglas R. Oberhelman, Retired Chairman and CEO of Caterpillar Inc"Our family's legacy has always been steeped in a foundation of core values and a heart of service. As described in The Harvard Business Review Family Business Handbook, Banyan's approach is genuine, thorough, balanced and wholistic, effectively ensuring our legacy is alive vs historical. The tools, tactics and strategies detailed in the Handbook meaningfully impacted our family's successful generational transition to the 4th generation and aligned strongly with our philosophy of Values Based Leadership." — Peter J. Holt and Corinna Holt Richter, 4th Gen Owners of HOLT CAT"WOW!!! This is a must read. Running a 4th generation family business, I have read A LOT of books on the subject. Hands down The Harvard Business Review Family Business Handbook is the most succinct, applicable and useful of them all. I read it cover to cover. This will be a dog-eared book on my bookshelf and referenced often. Easy to read, but full of substance, the handbook covers everything you need to help guide your family business across generations!" — Dr. Jodi Berg, 4th generation President & CEO, Vitamix"Purpose-driven, values-based, people-focused generational family businesses can and do change the world. They create and retain jobs, they enhance communities, and they provide all of their stakeholders with opportunities to pursue work that really matters. But all of this can only happen if they first run a great business. The Harvard Business Review Family Business Handbook shows you how!" — Steve Shifman, President & CEO of multi-generational family business Michelman

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Book SynopsisA New York Times bestseller In a remarkable career, Edward O. Thorp rose up from nothing to become a professor at MIT, invented card counting and the world’s first wearable computer, beat the casinos of Las Vegas at blackjack and roulette, then became a bestselling author and a hedge fund heavyweight, ushering in a revolution on Wall Street. Now he shares his incredible life story for the first time, revealing how he made his fortune and giving advice to the next generation of investors. An intellectual thrill ride, replete with practical wisdom, A Man for All Markets is a scarcely imaginable tale of ludicrous success.Trade Review‘Thorp secured prizes, scholarships a professorship and assassination attempt by the mob…[A] rattling read.’ * Business Life (British Airways magazine) *‘A lively read.’ * MoneyWeek *‘An amazing book by a true icon; Thorp launched revolutions in Vegas and on Wall Street by turning math into magic, and here he weaves his own life lessons into a page turner as hot as a deck full of aces. Loved it!’ -- Ben Mezrich, New York Times bestselling author of Bringing Down The House and The Accidental Billionaires‘An extraordinary autobiography which reads like a novel and contains insights into what has gone wrong with the financial system along the way.’ -- John Kay, author of Other People’s Money‘In A Man for All Markets, [Thorp] delightfully recounts his progress (if that is the word) from college teacher to gambler to hedge-fund manager. Along the way we learn important lessons about the functioning of markets and the logic of investment. ’ * Wall Street Journal *‘Ed Thorp takes us on an incredible journey as we learn how to beat blackjack, roulette, and then Wall Street, stop off to have dinner with a young Buffett, unmask Madoff before anyone else, and so much more. More important, it’s all fun, fascinating and filled with lessons we can all use to be more successful in business and life. Learn and enjoy, I did!’ -- Joel Greenblatt, author of the New York Times bestseller The Little Book that Beats the Market‘In A Man for All Markets, [Thorp] delightfully recounts his progress (if that is the word) from college teacher to gambler to hedge-fund manager. Along the way we learn important lessons about the functioning of markets and the logic of investment.’ * Wall Street Journal *‘The gripping story of how one man’s genius and dedication has solved so many problems in diverse fields…There is nothing more important than knowing how to think clearly. Read this book and learn from a master.’ -- Paul Wilmott, founder, Wilmott Magazine‘Whether you are an aspiring professional player, a casual gambler, or an occasional visitor to Las Vegas, you can feel the impact of Professor Ed Thorp’s intellect on that desert city. In 1962, Thorp published the classic book Beat the Dealer. The text was based on Thorp’s original research that stemmed from his curiosity about the game of 21, and was billed as a “how to book” for the lay person to beat the casinos at blackjack. And simply stated it changed everything…The book chronicles Thorp’s heroic-like arc from his humble beginnings growing up in a family that struggled to get by – first in the cold winters of Chicago and later in the sun soaked cities of southern California, where he excelled in a variety of high school science courses and ultimately earned a scholarship for his exceptional talents in physics – on through his professional career as a gaming guru, and ultimately to his amazing success in a stock market-centered career, where he would take his knowledge and understanding of games of chance and apply it to the biggest casino in the world, Wall Street…A Man for All Markets chronicles Thorp’s personal journey in navigating the unexpected and sometimes dangerous obstacles that come along with challenging the status quo of a wealthy corporate adversary.’ -- Nicholas G. Colon, Professional Advantage Gambler and Managing Director of Alea Consulting Group, a casino gaming consulting firm‘Illuminating for the mathematically inclined, and cautionary for would-be gamblers and day traders.’ * Library Journal *‘The kind of thing any would-be investor, to say nothing of casino cowboy, ought to read. Thorp’s in-the-trenches account of gaming the system(s) is a pleasure – and instructive, too.’ * Kirkus *

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Book SynopsisYou are shrunk to the height of a penny and thrown in a blender. The blades start moving in sixty seconds. What do you do? If you want to work at Google, or any of the world’s top employers, you’ll need to have a convincing answer to this and countless other baffling puzzles. Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google? Reveals the new extreme interview questions in the postcrash, hypercompetitive job-market and uncovers the extraordinary lengths to which the best companies will go to find the right staff. Bestselling author William Poundstone guides readers through the surprising solutions to over a hundred of the most challenging conundrums used in interviews, as well as covering the importance of creative thinking, what your Facebook page says about you, and what really goes on inside the Googleplex. How will you fare?Trade Review"Serious ammunition to pack for your next job interview." * Kirkus Reviews *"Poundstone offers strategies for making the best of nerve-racking situations, decoding interviewer's hidden agendas, and salvaging a doomed interview, in a solid treatment peppered with mind-bending puzzles. Poundstone's energetic, compelling writing...makes the book fun even for nonjob seekers." * Publishers Weekly *Enjoyable. Editor's Pick. * The Bookseller *Subtle and sophisticated... you will love this book. * The Observer *A great book. * Business Life *

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Book SynopsisA revised and updated edition of the international bestsellerInspiring readers all over the globe to reimagine their future, this revised and updated edition of What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20 features new material to complement the classic text. Major life transitions such as leaving the protected environment of school or starting a new career can be daunting. It is scary to face a wall of choices, knowing that no one is going to tell us if we make the right decision. There is no clearly delineated path or recipe for success. Even figuring out how and where to start can be a challenge.As head of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, Tina Seelig’s job is to guide her students as they make the difficult transition from the academic environment to the professional world—providing tangible skills and insights that will last a lifetime. Seelig is a wildly popular and award-winning teacher and in What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20 she shares with us what she offers her students -provocative stories, inspiring advice, and a big dose of humility and humor.  These pages are filled with captivating examples, from the classroom to the boardroom, of individuals defying expectations, challenging assumptions, and achieving unprecedented success. Seelig throws out the old rules and provides a new model for reaching our potential.  We discover how to have a healthy disregard for the impossible; how to recover from failure; and how most problems are remarkable opportunities in disguise. What I Wish I Knew When I Was Twenty is a much-needed book for everyone looking to make their mark in the world.Trade Review“Tina Seelig is one of the most creative and inspiring teachers at Stanford. Her book ought to be required reading. I wish I had read it when I was 20... and again at 50.” — Robert Sutton, Stanford University Professor and author The No-Asshole Rule “Anybody who wants to live an entrepreneurial life filled with purpose and passion needs to read this book. It’s chockfull of practical tools and tips to bring out the best in each of us.” — Steve Case, Chairman of Revolution and The Case Foundation, and co-founder of AOL “Forget 20--This is the kind of stuff I wish I knew now... Tina is doing us all a big favor by giving us a roadmap to life!” — Guy Kawasaki, co-founder of Alltop and author of Reality Check “Tina is the most inspirational creativity voice I know. Her book is much better than a whack on the side of your head. It’s a whack on the side of your soul!” — Geoffrey Moore, Author, Crossing the Chasm, Dealing with Darwin “Few people have done as much to champion innovative thinking as Tina Seelig. The principles in her book will surely spark new ideas. It is a must-read for the next generation of entrepreneurs and seasoned veterans alike.” — David Kelley, Founder IDEO “Wise, witty and packed with stories of those who are making a difference and some who are making a fortune...The only trouble is that you will need two dozen copies to give to everyone.” — Patricia Ryan Madson, author of Improv Wisdom: Don't Prepare, Just Show Up “This is a great guide to moving in more exciting, creative, and fulfilling directions, written by a person who is an expert at doing so. But if Tina Seelig had known any more when she was 20, the world probably could not now contain her. “ — Jim Adams, Author, Conceptual Blockbusting “Seelig is a sharp observer and a gentle and thoughtful writer. Recollections of her own circuitous career path, along with observations of behavior of friends, family, students and colleagues are fertile ground for her. — Miami Herald “True, it’s written by a woman (a Stanford University professor, no less), but this ‘crash course in making your way in the world’ is full of realistic tips that help put things into perspective.” — Sacramento Bee “It’s almost impossible to read the first line of Tina Seelig’s book and not grab pen and paper to jot down a river of pent-up ideas and possibilities . . . A galvanizing document, [it] gives us -- more than anything else -- permission to develop our dreams.” — Santa Cruz Sentinel

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Book Synopsis“The rarest of business books, one that provides genuinely actionable counsel delivered without empty cliches.” – KIRKUSHow many world-changing startups will fail because the founders and investors never figure out how to work together?  Founder Elizabeth Zalman and Investor Jerry Neumann square off in this one-of-a-kind book, exposing how startups are built, broken, and fought over. Every iconic tech company was once a startup. And while these companies like to paint an origin story full of surefooted confidence, the truth is usually something different: the early life of most startups is pure chaos.This chaos comes from the vastly different motivations and incentives between those with the vision and those with the money. From fundraising paranoia to boardroom coups, Zalman and Neumann train their inimitable voices on the gulf between what founders and investors promise to do and what they end up Trade Review'... No pulled punches, no half-truths, no politically correct weasel-words.' * Sandy Lerner, Co-Founder Cisco, Founder Urban Decay *'A fascinating, informative, and stellar study of tech company turmoil based on the differing perspectives and goals between creators and financial investors inside the tech companies that have come to so dramatically and fundamentally influence our lives, our economy, our politics, and our culture. Founder vs Investor: The Honest Truth About Venture Capital from Startup to IPO is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, corporate, college, and university library collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.' * Midwest Book Review *'Since I first began learning about startups--from the perspective of both founders and investors--I've relied on Jerry to explain how things really work. It's no surprise he and Liz have written the definitive guide to the trickiest parts of the relationships between founders and investors. Anyone in or around startups will emerge wiser having read this book.' * Patrick O'Shaughnessy, Founder of Positive Sum & Colossus, Host of Invest Like the Best *'True leaders make the hard decisions that oftentimes don't please founders or investors, but are ultimately in the best interests of the company. I wish Founder vs Investor had been around earlier in my career; it would have been required reading before the first board meeting.' * Michele Bettencourt, Investor, Advisor, Operator *'Zalman and Neumann's Founder vs Investor: The Honest Truth about Venture Capital from Startup to IPO, is an unvarnished, first-hand guide to their lessons learned about the complex relationship between startup founders and funders. This is a must-read for entrepreneurs and investors alike, demystifying everything from term sheets and valuations to the impact of identity and interests, aligned and conflicted, in fueling a venture-backed startup.' * Chris Wiggins, Columbia University Professor, Chief Data Scientist at the New York Times, and author of How Data Happened: A History from the Age of Reason to the Age of Algorithms *'This is an impressively candid work, and one of remarkable practical value to anyone who intends to be a founder or investor, or work with either. The rarest of business books, one that provides genuinely actionable counsel delivered without empty cliches.' * KIRKUS *

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Book SynopsisFrom the aggressive US rhetoric against China, to the escalating trade war with tit for tat responses, and China's 2025 initiative that threatens the US global leadership in advanced technologies, tensions between the US and China (the two dominant forces of today's world) have never been higher. This book provides a timely analysis of the US-China relationship. Each model is deeply rooted in their respective histories and cultures, with both models highly successful in achieving their main goals and highly resilient over time. It explores the core misconceptions on governance, economic, social and military issues, and the root causes of these misconceptions. If China and US could close the gap by each understanding those differences and their implications, the author argues, they could work together to overcome global issues to the benefit of all. This updated paperback edition includes a new introduction covering recent events in US-China relations.

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Book SynopsisThis isthe terrifying story of China's vampire economy.State capitalism. Socialism with Chinese characteristics. A socialist market economy. There have been numerous descriptions of the Chinese economy. However, none seems to capture the predatory, at times surreal, nature of the economy of the world's most populous nation nor the often bruising and mind-bending experience of doing business with the Middle Kingdom.Rules and agreements mean little. Markets are distorted, statistics fabricated, foreign industrial secrets and technology systematically stolen. Companies and entrepreneurs, at home and abroad, are bullied often with the collusion of the victims themselves. The Party is in every boardroom and lab, with businesses thriving or dying at its will.All this is part of realising President Xi Jinping's ambition of China becoming the world's pre-eminent economic, technological and military power.

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Book SynopsisCompletely revised and greatly expanded, the new edition of this text takes readers who have been exposed to only basic courses in analysis through the modern general theory of random processes and stochastic integrals as used by systems theorists, electronic engineers and, more recently, those working in quantitative and mathematical finance.Trade Review“As supplementary reading for a second course or as s comprehensive (!) resource for the general theory of processes aimed at Ph. D. students and scholars, this second edition will stay a valuable resource.” (René L. Schilling, Mathematical Reviews, October, 2016)“This is a fundamental book in modern stochastic calculus and its applications: rich contents, well structured material, comprehensive coverage of all significant results given with complete proofs and well illustrated by examples, carefully written text. Hence, there are more than enough reasons to strongly recommend the book to a wide audience. Among them, there are good and motivated graduate university students. … Also, the book is an excellent reference book.” (Jordan M. Stoyanov, zbMATH 1338.60001, 2016)Table of ContentsPart I: Measure Theoretic Probability.- Measure Integral.- Probabilities and Expectation.- Part II: Stochastic Processes.- Filtrations, Stopping Times and Stochastic Processes.- Martingales in Discrete Time.- Martingales in Continuous Time.- The Classification of Stopping Times.- The Progressive, Optional and Predicable -Algebras.- Part III: Stochastic Integration.- Processes of Finite Variation.- The Doob-Meyer Decomposition.- The Structure of Square Integrable Martingales.- Quadratic Variation and Semimartingales.- The Stochastic Integral.- Random Measures.- Part IV: Stochastic Differential Equations.- Ito's Differential Rule.- The Exponential Formula and Girsanov's Theorem.- Lipschitz Stochastic Differential Equations.- Markov Properties of SDEs.- Weak Solutions of SDEs.- Backward Stochastic Differential Equations.- Part V: Applications.- Control of a Single Jump.- Optimal Control of Drifts and Jump Rates.- Filtering. Part VI: Appendices.

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Book SynopsisOne of the greatest entrepreneurial success stories of the past twenty yearsWhen a friend told Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank that you've just been hit in the ass by a golden horseshoe, they thought he was crazy. After all, both had just been fired. What the friend, Ken Langone, meant was that they now had the opportunity to create the kind of wide-open warehouse store that would help spark a consumer revolution through low prices, excellent customer service, and wide availability of products.Built from Scratch is the story of how two incredibly determined and creative people--and their associates--built a business from nothing to 761 stores and $30 billion in sales in a mere twenty years. Built from Scratch tells many colorful stories associated with The Home Depot's founding and meteoric rise; shows that a company can be a tough, growth-oriented competitor and still maintain a high sense of responsibility to the community; and provides great lessons useful to

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Book SynopsisWhy attractive things work better and other crucial insights into human-centered designEmotions are inseparable from how we humans think, choose, and act. In Emotional Design, cognitive scientist Don Norman shows how the principles of human psychology apply to the invention and design of new technologies and products. In The Design of Everyday Things, Norman made the definitive case for human-centered design, showing that good design demanded that the user''s must take precedence over a designer''s aesthetic if anything, from light switches to airplanes, was going to work as the user needed. In this book, he takes his thinking several steps farther, showing that successful design must incorporate not just what users need, but must address our minds by attending to our visceral reactions, to our behavioral choices, and to the stories we want the things in our lives to tell others about ourselves. Good human-centered design isn''t just about making effective tools that are straightforward to use; it''s about making affective tools that mesh well with our emotions and help us express our identities and support our social lives. From roller coasters to robots, sports cars to smart phones, attractive things work better. Whether designer or consumer, user or inventor, this book is the definitive guide to making Norman''s insights work for you.

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Book SynopsisMoney is our global language. Yet so few of us can speak it. The language of the economic elite can be complex, jargon-filled and completely baffling. Above all, the language of money is the language of power - power in the hands of the same economic elite.Now John Lanchester, bestselling author of Capital and Whoops! sets out to decode the world of finance for all of us, explaining everything from high-frequency trading and the World Bank to the difference between bullshit and nonsense.As funny as it is devastating, How To Speak Money is a primer and a polemic. It''s a reference book you''ll find yourself reading in one sitting. And it gives you everything you need to demystify the world of high finance - the world that dominates how we all live now.

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Book SynopsisThis text offers a wealth of diverse, intriguing applications to show where game theory works, where it doesn''t, and why. Accessible to all university students, the book conveys the power, appeal, and beauty of game-theoretic logic, emphasizing problem solving over answers.

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Book SynopsisThe current industrial food system comes at a tremendous economic cost. Dealing with malnutrition, diseases, and environmental degradation costs trillions of dollars, but because that price tag does not show up at the grocery store, it is too often ignored by economists and policymakers. The Economics of Sustainable Food details the true cost of food and illustrates how to transform our broken system, alleviating its severe financial and human burden. The key is smart macroeconomic policy that moves us toward regenerative agriculture and sustainable, healthy diets. The book’s multidisciplinary team of authors lay out detailed fiscal and trade policies, as well as structural reforms, to achieve those goals. Chapters discuss strategies ranging from taxes and spending to education, labour market, health care, and pension reforms, alongside regulation in cases where market incentives are unlikely to work or to work fast enough. The authors carefully consider the different needs of more and less advanced economies, balancing economic development and sustainability goals. Case studies showcase successful strategies from around the world, such as distributing climate resilient grains through subsidised food programmes, taxing foods with a high carbon footprint, and providing schools with matching funds to purchase local produce. In the years ahead, few issues will be more important for individual prosperity and the global economy than the way we produce our food and what food we eat. This roadmap for reform is an invaluable resource to help global policymakers improve countless lives.Table of ContentsPreface, Nicoletta Batini Chapter 1. We Depend on Food, Food Depends on Nature, Nicoletta Batini Part I. Greening Food Supply Chapter 2. Greening Food Supply in Advanced Economies, Nicoletta Batini and Philippe Pointereau Chapter 3. Greening Food Supply in Less-Advanced Economies, Ruth De Fries Chapter 4. Sustainable Farming Trends a. Small and Polyfunctional Farming, John Ikerd, Patty Cantrell, Hanna Wernerson b. Urban and Vertical Farming (Controlled Environment Farming), Dickson Despommier and Charles Knirsch c. Restorative Ocean Farming, Nicoletta Batini, Ayana E. Johnson, Bren Smith d. Alternative Protein Farming, Bruce Friedrich and Stephen Kaufman Part II. Greening Food Demand Chapter 5. Greening Food Demand in Advanced Economies, Nicoletta Batini and Luigi Fontana Chapter 6. Greening Food Demand in Less-Advanced Economies, Divya Mehra, Saskia de Pee, Jessica C. Fanzo, Martin W. Bloem Part III. Greening Food Waste Chapter 7. Eliminating Food Waste, Emilie Cassou, Lucia Patricia Avila Bedregal, Catherine « Simmy » Jain, Dipti Thapa, Geeta Sethi, Xiaoyue Hou, Luis Constantino Part IV. Conserving Land and Sea to Support Food Security Chapter 8. Conserving Land and Forests, Nicoletta Batini Chapter 9. Conserving Oceans, Nicoletta Batini and Rodolfo Werner Chapter 10. Conserving Mammals, Ivon Cuadros and Carlo Rondinini Chapter 11. Conserving Insects, Michael J. Samways, Pedro Cardoso and Charl Deacon Chapter 12. Conclusions Acknowledgments Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisThe third edition of this e-commerce textbook covers concepts, strategies, and case studies, providing students with the latest information. It addresses legal and ethical issues, technology developments, and market models, making it a valuable resource for business students and professionals.

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Book SynopsisTips, stories, and strategies for the job that never ends.When it comes to being a working parent, there are no right answers to the tough questions you grapple with, from how to get your toddler out the door to supporting your teen through struggles with their peers to whether or not to accept that big promotion—and the extensive travel and long hours that come with it. But there are answers that are right for you and your family. The HBR Working Parents Series Collection assembles the ideas and strategies you need to help you get ahead—and get through the day. Included in this set are Managing Your Career, Getting It All Done, and Taking Care of Yourself. This compilation offers insights and practical advice from world-class experts on the topics that matter most to working parents including making decisions at home and at work that align with your priorities; navigating tradeoffs—and managing the feelings that come with them; developing strategies for managing both the details of your day and the long-term view of your career; finding time for personal development; and making career choices that work for you—and your family.The HBR Working Parents Series with Daisy Dowling, Series Editor, supports readers as you anticipate challenges, learn how to advocate for yourself more effectively, juggle your impossible schedule, and find fulfillment at home and at work. Whether you're up with a newborn or planning the future with your teen, you'll find the practical tips, strategies, and research you need to make working parenthood work for you.

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Book SynopsisSeven bestselling Harvard Business Review collections—in one convenient set.You want the most important ideas on management all in one place. Now you can have them—in a set of HBR’s 10 Must Reads, available as a 7-volume paperback boxed set or as an ebook set. We’ve combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles on change, leadership, strategy, managing people, and managing yourself and selected the most important ones to help you maximize your own and your organization''s performance. The HBR’s 10 Must Reads Boxed Set includes seven bestselling collections: HBR''s 10 Must Reads on Leadership (ways you can transform yourself from a good manager into an extraordinary leader); HBR''s 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself (the path to your own professional success starts with a critical look in the mirror and what you see there—your greatest strengths and deepest values—are the founda

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Book SynopsisDoes your organization support creativity—or squash it?If you read nothing else on cultivating creativity at work, read these 10 articles. We've combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles and selected the most important ones to help you ignite the creative spark across your organization.This book will inspire you to: Discover the elements of creativity and learn how to influence them Harness the creative potential of a diverse team Encourage curiosity and experimentation Avoid breakdowns in creative collaboration Overcome the fear that blocks your innate creativity Bring breakthrough ideas to life This collection of articles includes "Reclaim Your Creative Confidence" by Tom Kelley and David Kelley; "How to Kill Creativity" by Teresa Amabile; "How Pixar Fosters Collective Creativity" by Ed Catmull; "Putting Your Company's Whole Brain to Work" by Dorothy Leonard and Susaan Straus; "Find Innovation Where You Least Expect It" by Tony McCaffrey and Jim Pearson; "The Business Case for Curiosity" by Francesca Gino; "Bring Your Breakthrough Ideas to Life" by Cyril Bouquet, Jean-Louis Barsoux, and Michael Wade; "Collaborating with Creative Peers" by Kimberly D. Elsbach, Brooke Brown-Saracino, and Francis J. Flynn; "Creativity Under the Gun" by Teresa Amabile, Constance Noonan Hadley, and Steven J. Kramer; "Strategy Needs Creativity" by Adam Brandenburger; and "How to Build a Culture of Originality" by Adam Grant.HBR's 10 Must Reads paperback series is the definitive collection of books for new and experienced leaders alike. Leaders looking for the inspiration that big ideas provide, both to accelerate their own growth and that of their companies, should look no further. HBR's 10 Must Reads series focuses on the core topics that every ambitious manager needs to know: leadership, strategy, change, managing people, and managing yourself. Harvard Business Review has sorted through hundreds of articles and selected only the most essential reading on each topic. Each title includes timeless advice that will be relevant regardless of an ever‐changing business environment.

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Book SynopsisIdeas are the fuel of business, work and your career - it only takes one good one to make a difference. Distilled into this single, handy-sized volume are 60 of the most useful diagrams and visual techniques, many of which are used by consultants, academics, MBA students and the smartest managers and entrepreneurs globally to help them think of and create great ideas. Structured into five key parts (preparing to create ideas; generating ideas; generating more ideas; judging ideas; enacting ideas), the 60 methods are each visually presented and then explained in an accessible manner, including tips and advice on how you can apply them to your own situations.

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Book SynopsisRarely has one economy asserted itself as swiftly--and as aggressively--as the entity we now know as Silicon Valley. Built with a seemingly permanent culture of reinvention, Silicon Valley does not fight change; it embraces it, and now powers the American economy and global innovation.So how did this omnipotent and ever-morphing place come to be? It was not by planning. It was, like many an empire before it, part luck, part timing, and part ambition. And part pure, unbridled genius...Drawing on over two hundred in-depth interviews, VALLEY OF GENIUS takes readers from the dawn of the personal computer and the internet, through the heyday of the web, up to the very moment when our current technological reality was invented. The book interweaves stories of invention and betrayal, overnight success and underground exploits, to tell the story of Silicon Valley like it has never been told before. These are the stories that Valley insiders tell each other: the tall tales that are all, improbably, true.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the Silver Medal in Personal Finance / Retirement Planning / Investing, Axiom Business Book Awards""What if you could get inside the minds of some of the greatest investors in history? It would be nice if you had a window straight into their heads, but in reality it would take years of hard work to learn to think the way they do. . . . Or, you could simply read. . . . In Pursuit of the Perfect Portfolio. "---Mark Reeth, Business Insider"A good look at the development of portfolio theory, starting with Markowitz."---Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution"An accessible and heady chronicle of how we build portfolios, how that’s changed, and why we’ve done it the way we’ve done it over time. How did investors come to coalesce around the 60/40 portfolio allocation, and what role do alternatives play in asset allocation? This readable book takes on those questions and many more"---Jeff Ptak, Morningstar

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Book SynopsisThe Pro Retail Trader is a guide to help retail traders trade like professionals, from someone who has actually done it.

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Book SynopsisCan we solve big public problems anymore? Yes, we can. This provocative and inspiring book points the way.The huge challenges we face are daunting indeed: climate change, crumbling infrastructure, declining public education and social services. At the same time, we've come to accept the sad notion that government can't do new things or solve tough problems—it's too big, too slow, and mired in bureaucracy.Not so, says former public official, now Harvard Business School professor, Mitchell Weiss. The truth is, entrepreneurial spirit and savvy in government are growing, transforming the public sector's response to big problems at all levels. The key, Weiss argues, is a shift from a mindset of Probability Government—overly focused on safe solutions and mimicking so-called best practices—to Possibility Government. This means public leadership and management that's willing to boldly imagine new possibilities and to experiment.Weiss shares the three basic tenets of this new way of governing: Government that can imagine: Seeing problems as opportunities and involving citizens in designing solutions Government that can try new things: Testing and experimentation as a regular part of solving public problems Government that can scale: Harnessing platform techniques for innovation and growth The lessons unfold in the timely episodes Weiss has seen and studied: the US Special Operations Command prototyping of a hoverboard for chasing pirates; a heroin hackathon in opioid-ravaged Cincinnati; a series of experiments in Singapore to rein in Covid-19; among many others.At a crucial moment in the evolution of government's role in our society, We the Possibility provides inspiration and a positive model, along with crucial guardrails, to help shape progress for generations to come.Trade Review"The impact of COVID-19 has raised public expectations on the government's role in problem-solving and innovation, making them more significant than ever and providing an opportunity to redefine what's possible. We the Possibility offers an actionable framework to inspire and equip public-sector leaders ready to begin this journey." — Porchlight BooksAdvance Praise for We the Possibility:"We need government to be more innovative and inventive, and in We the Possibility, Mitchell Weiss shows that achieving it isn't a pipe dream. It's within our reach." — Michael R. Bloomberg, 108th Mayor of New York City; founder, Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies"In We the Possibility, Mitchell Weiss offers a myriad of examples that show how to make our government operate better at a time when we most need it. This compelling book is well worth a read." — Penny Pritzker, entrepreneur; former US Secretary of Commerce"In a sector crying out for innovation but where politics punishes failure, Mitch Weiss shows us how and why thoughtful risk-taking in public policy and government is the path to a hopeful future." — Deval Patrick, former Governor of Massachusetts"We the Possibility is an important book for bending the arc of progress toward public good. A must-read for public-sector leaders looking to build bridges between government and top innovators in science and technology." — Ash Carter, Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School; former US Secretary of Defense"Innovation is hard. Innovation in government is a lot harder. Mitch Weiss, one of the leading experts on civic innovation, has written an inspiring and practical guide to the art of the possible, of actually getting new things done in government." — Dan Doctoroff, founder and CEO, Sidewalk Labs"This extraordinary book vanquishes the idea that government innovation is an oxymoron. Through deft combinations of public-sector adventure stories and thoughtful analysis, Weiss leads readers out of the dead ends of binary thinking and into a world in which government is as flexible, imaginative, and hopeful as the people it serves." — Jennifer Bradley, founding Director, Center for Urban Innovation, Aspen Institute

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Book SynopsisHelp your company adapt to the new rules of competition.If you read nothing else on creating value with business platforms and ecosystems, read these 10 articles. We've combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles and selected the most important ones to help you reap the rewards of multisided platforms (MSPs)—or defend your company against these formidable opponents.This book will inspire you to: Assess the threat of disruption from platforms in your industry Decide whether and how to play with increasingly powerful platform businesses Choose the right strategy for transforming your product into a platform Harness network effects to maximize value for the partners in your ecosystem Shift from managing products to managing interactions Learn when moving first and growing fast will work—and when it won’t Manage winner-take-all dynamics This collection of articles includes "Pipelines, Platforms, and the New Rules of Strategy," by Marshall W. Van Alstyne, Geoffrey G. Parker, and Sangeet Paul Choudary; "Strategies for Two-Sided Markets," Thomas R. Eisenmann, Geoffrey Parker, and Marshall W. Van Alstyne; "Finding the Platform in Your Product," by Andrei Hagiu and Elizabeth Altman; "What's Your Google Strategy?," by Andrei Hagiu and David B. Yoffie; "In the Ecosystem Economy, What’s Your Strategy?," by Michael G. Jacobides; "Right Tech, Wrong Time," by Ron Adner and Rahul Kapoor; "Managing Our Hub Economy," by Marco Iansiti and Karim R. Lakhani; "Why Some Platforms Thrive and Others Don't," by Feng Zhu and Marco Iansiti; "Spontaneous Deregulation," by Benjamin Edelman and Damien Geradin; "Alibaba and the Future of Business," by Ming Zeng; and "Fixing Discrimination in Online Marketplaces," by Ray Fisman and Michael Luca.HBR's 10 Must Reads paperback series is the definitive collection of books for new and experienced leaders alike. Leaders looking for the inspiration that big ideas provide, both to accelerate their own growth and that of their companies, should look no further. HBR's 10 Must Reads series focuses on the core topics that every ambitious manager needs to know: leadership, strategy, change, managing people, and managing yourself. Harvard Business Review has sorted through hundreds of articles and selected only the most essential reading on each topic. Each title includes timeless advice that will be relevant regardless of an ever‐changing business environment.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"[Gerstner] entertains as he educates." -- New York Times Book Review "A well-rendered self-portrait of a CEO who made spectacular change on the strength of personal leadership." -- Publishers Weekly "Effective, to the point...Louis V. Gerstner Jr deserves his place in the management hall of fame." -- Financial Times "The best business book I've ever read." -- Imus in the Morning "[Lou Gerstner] has the substance of a genuine and ... interesting story." -- Wall Street Journal

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Book SynopsisIntroduces a series of practical strategies designed to help business managers improve their performance by overcoming the problem of procrastination.

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Book SynopsisHow do executives and managers set the right price? Underpinned by research and real-life anecdotes, this title addresses this question, offering guidelines any company - whether a multi-national conglomerate, a small business, or even a non-profit can follow to create a comprehensive pricing strategy for any product and service.Trade Review"The Art of Pricing is an entertaining primer on how to unlock 'hidden profits' and growth by aligning your product's price with the value customers place on it." -- BusinessWeek SmallBiz "A valuable insight into the strategic importance of pricing." -- Peter W. Olson, Senior Lecturer - Harvard Business School and former Chairman and CEO of Random House "This breakthrough "how to" book offers a practical and comprehensive framework that shows companies how to use price to drive profits from diverse customer segments in offensive and defensive (recession, inflation, and new competitor) situations." -- Richard Spaulding, Member of the Board of Directors, Scholastic Corporation "Pricing volatility will likely be the greatest challenge management will face in the next decade. Rafi Mohammed provides pricing guidance that equips readers to successfully navigate and profit in these uncertain times." -- George Stalk, Senior Advisor and Fellow, The Boston Consulting Group "Rafi Mohammed uses insightful real-world examples to show how small changes in a company's pricing tactics can lead to big profits. You will profit from this book - and enjoy every minute reading it!" -- Michael R. Baye, Bert Elwert Professor of Business Economics at Indiana University & former Director of the Bureau of Economics at the FTC "This is a rich resource for not-for-profits. Rafi Mohammed shows how smart pricing tactics can distribute educational and cultural benefits as widely as possible, yet still balance the books. It will change the way you think about pricing." -- Joseph C. Thompson, Director, MASS MoCA "Pricing consultant Mohammed highlights ideas and tactics that build a foundation to create a pricing strategy for every global company, answering the question, 'How would a 1% increase in price affect operating profits?' This is an excellent book." -- Booklist "The book offers practical guidelines that any sized company can follow to create a comprehensive pricing plan and increase profits without sacrificing customer loyalty. It's a tricky equation, but Mohammed offers a strategic solution." -- Consulting Magazine

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Book Synopsis“Diary of a Very Bad Year is a rarity: a book on modern finance that’s both extraordinarily thoughtful and enormously entertaining.”— James Surowiecki, author of The Wisdom of Crowds  “A great read. . . . HFM offers a brilliant financial professional’s view of the economic situation in real time, from September 2007, when problems in financial markets began to surface, until late summer 2009.”— Booklist  “n+1 is the rightful heir to Partisan Review and the New York Review of Books. It is rigorous, curious and provocative.” — Malcolm Gladwell  A profoundly candid and captivating account of the economic crisis and subprime mortgage collapse, from an anonymous hedge fund manager, as told to the editors of New York literary magazine n+

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“I love, love, love this book! You will not only read but mark up and send to your friends.” — Alan Mulally, retired CEO of The Ford Motor Company “Leading with Gratitude is a wonderful gift for leaders, those who aspire to lead, and anyone who wants to bring more joy and meaning into their lives.” — Dr. Jim Yong Kim, 17th President of Dartmouth College & 12th President of the World Bank Group “Seeing and appreciating excellence is foundational in running a great team, and yet so few leaders have mastered this seemingly simple skill. A powerful, poignant roadmap that can lead you and your team to extraordinary results.” — Amy Edmondson, Harvard Business School Professor & author of The Fearless Organization and Teaming “Amazing! Ideas that will have a remarkable and immediate impact on your ability to lead other people.” — Marshall Goldsmith, author of What Got You Here Won’t Get You There “Carefully researched, witty, and packed with a hundred practical tips, Leading with Gratitude is a blueprint to developing your soft skills (from) Gostick and Elton, the undisputed thought leaders in building All In cultures.” — Whitney Johnson, CEO of WLJ Advisors & author of Disrupt Yourself and Build an A Team “In this timely book, Gostick and Elton show how the power of gratitude can supercharge results and transform organizations.” — Henry Timms, President of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and co-author New Power “Another instant classic by Gostick and Elton. Learning how to Lead with Gratitude is a core business competency and should be required reading for all people leaders. An exceptionally inspired workforce will respond in kind.” — David Kasiarz, Executive Vice President, Global Total Rewards and Medical American Express “This is THE book people will be talking about this year. A powerful and profound method to inspire people to rally to your cause and achieve outstanding long-term results. Jam-packed with ideas and tips to engage the people in your care, this book should be in every leader’s library.” — Lance Trenary, President & CEO, Golden Corral Corporation “Rooted in profound theory; nurtured by rigorous research; and illustrated by moving stories, Gostick and Elton turn the ideal of gratitude into a vibrant, flourishing, and renewing lifestyle. Their remarkable work will inspire and improve anyone from senior leader to front line employee in any setting where we work, live, play, and worship.” — Dave Ulrich, Rensis Likert Professor, School of Business, University of Michigan Partner, The RBL Group “I love how this book uses hard-data to explain that the soft-stuff that makes all the difference for great leaders. Then, through benchmarking great leaders, provides relevant and actionable ideas for how to make gratitude a sustainable force for good. As you’ll see, authentic gratitude can change lives and change companies.” — Mark A. Beck, CEO, B-Square Precision Group “Research has clearly shown that the best leaders positively engage with their people consistently. Leading with Gratitude hits at the essence and continued rebirth of what it is to be a leader. If you want sustained performance, hire leaders who possess ‘power skills’ like gratitude. The research in this book shows that people drive performance ... leaders who understand this—and routinely show appreciation and gratitude for work and effort—will drive even more business!” — Todd Billingsley, Director of Business & Leadership Development, Boehringer Ingelheim “Gostick and Elton have captured the extraordinary essence of a driving life force to grow every sustainable organization. This book inspires, provokes, encourages and serves as a launching pad for that next level of performance of your team, your company and your community!” — Mark C. Thompson, New York Times bestselling leadership author and #1 ranked CEO coach

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Book SynopsisTo be valued as an employee and respected as a manager, understanding workplace dynamics is crucial. "101 Myths and Realities @ the Office" delves into common workplace situations, debunking myths and offering practical advice for both managers and employees to optimize their potential.

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