Business -- a nice concept that didn't work out too well for millions of Americans in 2009.
It is challenging to identify an American who was not affected by The Great Recession. Yet, how many of us saw it coming? How many of us made adjustments once the storm arrived? How many of us have made the necessary corrections to get back on course and strengthen our ships to survive the next storm which will inevitably batter our shores?
Business Book Resources
What is not difficult is to identify are resources that can help us navigate the world of business, regardless of our choice of occupation. What follows is a quasi-scientific analysis of the Best Business Books of 2009.
An online search revealed 14 "Best of" lists from the following sources:
- Amazon | Customers
- Amazon | Editors
- Booklist Online
- BusinessWeek
- BusinessWeek | Innovation & Design Books
- CEO Read
- Fast Company
- Financial Times
- Inc. Magazine
- Marketplace | American Public Media
- McCombs School of Business
- Miami Herald
- Reader's Choice Awards
- USA Today
Best Business Books | Runners Up
All told, 118 books were mentioned on at least one "Best of" list. Thirteen books were mentioned on at least two lists (the Honorable Mention). Here are the eight books identified on at least three lists (the Runners Up):
- Animal Spirits: How Human Psychology Drives the Economy, and Why It Matters for Global Capitalism
- Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation
- Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion
- House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess on Wall Street
- How The Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In
- In Fed We Trust: Ben Bernanke’s War on the Great Panic
- Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work
- The Match King: Ivar Kreuger, the Financial Genius Behind a Century of Wall Street Scandals
Best Business Books | Winners
Two books were were mentioned four times on the "Best of" lists. And the two best business books of 2009 were . . .
- Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System—And Themselves
- Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust
Too Big to Fail takes a look back and explores how we created the storm that crashed our economic ship. Trust Agents takes a look forward and explores how we can use social networks to build a stronger ship to weather the next storm.
Business Action
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