The Business Shelf

Smarter Collaboration
Heidi K. Gardner, author
Ivan A. Matviak, author
Harvard Business Review Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
http://hbr.org/books
9781647822743, $30.00, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Smarter-Collaboration-Approach-Breaking-Transforming= /dp/1647822742

Synopsis: Market volatility. Sustainability demands. Hybrid working. Opport= unities and hazards of fast-changing technology and regulations. Companies = and nonprofits face more daunting challenges than ever. How can we collabor= ate in our organizations (and with outside partners) to solve problems, inn= ovate, and succeed?

With the publication of "Smarter Collaboration: A New Approach to Breaking = Down Barriers and Transforming Work", co- authors Heidi K. Gardner and Ivan=
A. Matviak offer truly groundbreaking solutions. "Smarter Collaboration" l= ays out a pragmatic action plan blending rich stories, new empirical resear= ch, and loads of practical advice to help companies thrive by collaborating=
more effectively.

As Harvard professor Heidi K. Gardner and senior executive Ivan A. Matviak = show, firms that collaborate smarter consistently generate higher revenues = and profits, boost innovation, strengthen client relationships, and attract=
and retain better talent. In this successor to Gardner's bestselling first=
book, "Smarter Collaboration", the co-authors expand their mandate, illust= rating the fundamental dynamics of collaborating well across industries lik=
e financial services, health care, biotech/pharma, consumer products, autom= otive, and technology.

Based on their research with thousands of executives from around the world,=
they share deep insights on how to implement smarter collaboration and avo=
id the potential pitfalls. They also help leaders troubleshoot thorny chall= enges like misaligned incentives, collaboration overload, and unintended co= nsequences on diversity and inclusion. Complete with illustrative how-tos a=
nd cases, "Smarter Collaboration" concludes with inspiring examples of grou=
ps harnessing smarter collaboration to tackle society's biggest challenges = such as saving the oceans, eradicating diseases, and tackling global warmin=
g.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Smarter Col= laboration: A New Approach to Breaking Down Barriers and Transforming Work"=
must be considers as an essential and 'real world practical' instructional=
guide and 'how to' manual for corporate leaders at all levels to improve t=
he way they work, and as a result, increase the impact and success of their=
corporate or non-profit organizations. Both Heidi K. Gardner and Ivan A. M= atviak can be connected with at www.gardnerandco.co. While especially recom= mended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Business=
Management & Leadership collections, it should be noted for personal readi=
ng lists that "Smarter Collaboration: A New Approach to Breaking Down Barri= ers and Transforming Work" is also available in a digital book format (Kind= le, $14.99).

Editorial Note #1: Heidi K. Gardner (https://hls.harvard.edu/heidi-k-gardne=
r) is a Distinguished Fellow at Harvard Law School and a former professor a=
t Harvard Business School. Previously a McKinsey consultant and Fulbright F= ellow, she is the author of "Smart Collaboration: How Professionals and The=
ir Firms Succeed by Breaking Down Silos", and was named by Thinkers50 as a = Next Generation Business Guru and is cofounder of both the research and adv= isory firm Gardner & Co and Smart Collaboration International.

Editorial Note #2: Ivan A. Matviak (https://clearwateranalytics.com/authors= /ivan-matviak) is a senior executive in the global financial services and f= intech sectors. Formerly chair of multiple software companies, adviser to p= rivate equity firms, and Bain consultant, Matviak is a cofounder of Smart C= ollaboration International.

Digital Talent
Matt Alder, author
Mervyn Dinnen, author
Kogan Page Inc.
8 W 38th Street, Ste 902, New York, NY 10018
www.koganpage.com
9781789660197, $80.00, HC, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Talent-recruit-business-transformation/dp/17= 8966019X

Synopsis: With the publication of "Digital Talent: Find, Recruit and Retain=
the People your Business Needs in a World of Digital Transformation", co-a= uthors Mat Alder and Mervyn Dinnen equip HR personnel with the tools they n= eed to assess what these critical skills are, how to attract the people who=
have them, keep these people engaged, productive and performing to the bes=
t of their abilities. It also provides crucial guidance on how to continuou= sly develop employees, including leaders, to ensure that the organization h=
as the skills it needs both for today and the future.

"Digital Talent" also provides advice on how to create new processes that a=
re fit for purpose in the age of digital transformation, build inclusion wh=
en digital culture is becoming more prominent and use digital abilities eff= ectively to maximise productivity while maintaining employee wellbeing. "Di= gital Talent" is the ideal instructional guide on the acquisition and reten= tion of talent that HR, talent acquisition professionals and business leade=
rs need to make sure that their people, and the business as a whole, stay a= head of the competition.

Critique: An ideal instructional guide and 'how to' manual, "Digital Talent=
: Find, Recruit and Retain the People your Business Needs in a World of Dig= ital Transformation" is especially recommended as a core addition to person= al, professional, corporate, community, college, and academic library Busin= ess/Corporate Management collections and supplemental curriculum Human Reso= urces, Business Education, and Economics studies lists. It should be noted = for the personal reading lists of MBA students, academia, corporate executi= ves, entrepreneurs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in = the subject that "Digital Talent" is also available in a paperback edition = (9780749490959, $25.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $24.65).

Editorial Note #1: Matt Alder (https://mattalder.net) is a strategic consul= tant focusing on innovation and technology in HR and Talent Acquisition. He=
is the host of Recruiting Future, one of the world's most popular talent a= cquisition podcasts and over the last 20 years has built a reputation as a = global thought leader, working with employers to optimize their digital str= ategies. He is based in Edinburgh, UK.

Editorial Note #1: Mervyn Dinnen (https://www.koganpage.com/author/mervyn-d= innen) is a researcher, writer, analyst and influencer on HR, Talent and Wo= rkTech trends. Based in London, UK, he partners with HR and Recruitment tec= hnology businesses to create thought leadership reports that document the e= merging trends impacting the hiring, retention, development and engagement =
of talent. He was recognized as a Top 100 Global Influencer in HR Technolog=
y in 2019, 2020 and 2021, and has also been identified as one of the Top 10=
0 Most Influential Talent & HR Professionals in the UK for 2022.

The Entrepreneurs
Derek Lidow
Columbia Business School Publishing
c/o Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023-7015
http://cup.columbia.edu
9780231199148, $35.00, HC, 440pp

https://www.amazon.com/Entrepreneurs-Relentless-Quest-Value/dp/0231199147

Synopsis: Entrepreneurs are among the primary shapers of our modern culture=
, yet their role in driving progress and influencing society has often been=
overlooked. As far back as we can trace human history, there have been ent= repreneurs.

Almost five millennia ago, copper tool manufacturers set up a factory in wh=
at today is southwest Spain, profiting for hundreds of years from trade aro= und the Mediterranean. Papyri document the diverse investments of an ancien=
t Egyptian businessperson, from grain-yielding land to flax for linen cloth=
..

What do these figures have in common with renowned modern entrepreneurs, an=
d how do their similarities help us achieve a deeper understanding of entre= preneurship as well as the potential for a healthier, wealthier, and more e= quitable and sustainable future?

With the publication of "The Entrepreneurs: The Relentless Quest for Value"=
, Professor Derek Lidow delves into the deep history of innovation to deliv=
er essential new insights into how entrepreneurs create value and bring abo=
ut change. Telling the captivating stories of people from many different cu= ltures over thousands of years, he shows how entrepreneurs transform the wo= rld through relentless innovation.

Professor Lidow also demonstrates that far from being heroic lone individua= ls, entrepreneurs copy and then add to the inventions of others. The cumula= tive innovations of swarms of entrepreneurs expand the scale, scope, and ra= nge of products and services. Lidow emphasizes how entrepreneurship can har=
m society as well as benefit it, and he underscores ways to mitigate its ha= rmful side and harness its positive effects.

By highlighting the fundamental qualities of innovation throughout history,=
"The Entrepreneurs: The Relentless Quest for Value" provides indispensable=
new perspective on how it is shaping our present and future.

Critique: A fascinating, informative, impressively well written, exceptiona= lly well organized and impressively insightful history, "The Entrepreneurs:=
The Relentless Quest for Value" by Professor Derek Lidow will have a speci=
al appeal to readers with an interest in the history of entrepreneurship, e= conomic history, and environmental economics. While especially and unreserv= edly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic librar=
y Entrepreneurship, Economics, and Capitalism History collections and suppl= emental studies curriculum lists, it should be noted for students, academia=
, entrepreneurs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the=
subject that "The Entrepreneurs: The Relentless Quest for Value" is also a= vailable in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).

Editorial Note: Derek Lidow (https://dereklidow.com) is a Professor at the = Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education at Princeton Universi= ty. He is also the author of Startup Leadership: How Savvy Entrepreneurs Tu=
rn Their Ideas Into Successful Enterprises (2014) and Building on Bedrock: = What Sam Walton, Walt Disney, and Other Great Self-Made Entrepreneurs Can T= each Us About Building Valuable Companies (2018) as well as more than a hun= dred articles on innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Lidow also h=
as practical experience as the founder of a leading market-research firm an=
d CEO of a global semiconductor company, and was a Hertz Foundation Fellow.

Ideaflow
Jeremy Utley and Perry Klebahn
Portfolio
c/o Penguin Group USA
www.penguin.com
9780593420584, $29.00, HC, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Ideaflow-Only-Business-Metric-Matters/dp/0593420586

Synopsis: Ideaflow is the number of ideas you or your team can generate in =
a set amount of time We all want great ideas, but few of us actually unders= tand how they're born. Innovation doesn't come from a sprint or a hackathon=
-- it's a result of maximizing ideaflow.

With the publication of "Ideaflow: The Only Business Metric That Matters", = Jeremy Utley and Perry Klebahn (of Stanford's renowned Hasso Plattner Insti= tute of Design) offers a proven strategy for coming up with great ideas by = yourself or with your team, and quickly determining which are worthy. Drawi=
ng upon their combined decades of experience leading Stanford's premier Lau= nchpad accelerator and advising some of the world's most innovative organiz= ations, like Microsoft, Michelin, Keller Williams Realty, and Hyatt, they'l=
l teach you how to:

Overcome dangerous thinking traps
Find inspiration in unexpected places
Trick your own brain to be more creative
Design and deploy affordable experiments
Fill your innovation pipeline
Unleash your own creative potential, as well as the potential of others

Perhaps you have experienced low ideaflow. Have you been in that quiet conf= erence room, with a half-filled whiteboard, and an unmet business target?. = With the proven system laid out in "Ideaflow: The Only Business Metric That=
Matters", entrepreneurs, managers, and leaders will learn how to tap into = surprising and valuable ideas on demand and fill the creative pipeline with=
breakthrough ideas.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Ideaflow: T=
he Only Business Metric That Matters" combines inspiration and aspiration w= ith 'real world' practicality. The result is a study that is unreservedly r= ecommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Busi= ness Management/Decisions Making collections and supplemental curriculum st= udies lists. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of MBA stude= nts, academia, corporate executives, business managers, entrepreneurs, and = non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "Ideafl= ow: The Only Business Metric That Matters" is also available in a digital b= ook format (Kindle, $15.99).

Editorial Note #1: Jeremy Utley (https://www.jeremyutley.design) is the dir= ector of executive education at Stanford's d.school and an adjunct professo=
r at Stanford's School of Engineering. He is the host of the d.school's wid= ely popular program "Stanford's Masters of Creativity."

Editorial Note #2: Perry Klebahn (https://profiles.stanford.edu/perry-kleba= hn) is a cofounding member of Stanford's d.school faculty. He is an adjunct=
professor and director of executive education at Stanford's d.school. He h=
as served as COO for Patagonia and as CEO of Timbuk2.

The Prepared Leader
Erika H. James, author
Lynn Perry Wooten, author
Wharton School Press
https://wsp.wharton.upenn.edu
9781613631652, $28.99, HC, 170pp

https://www.amazon.com/Prepared-Leader-Emerge-Crisis-Resilient/dp/161363165=
0

Synopsis: The next economic crisis might be here now, or it might be around=
the corner. With the publication of "The Prepared Leader: Emerge from Any = Crisis More Resilient Than Before", two history-making experts in crisis le= adership (James, dean of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvan= ia, and Wooten, president of Simmons University) forcefully argue that the = time to prepare is always.

In no other time in recent history have leaders in every industry and on ev= ery continent grappled with so many changes that have independently and sim= ultaneously undermined their ability to lead. "The Prepared Leader" encapsu= lates more than two decades of the co-authors' research to convey how it ha=
s positioned them to navigate through the distinct challenges of today and = tomorrow. Their insights have implications for every leader in every indust=
ry and every worker at every level.

In their fast-reading and actionable study, James and Wooten provide tools = and frameworks for addressing and learning from crises, and they provide in= sight into what you need to know to become a Prepared Leader, including:

The five phases of crisis management and the skills you need for each phase=
.. They examine how the National Basketball Association and its commissioner=
, Adam Silver, responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Making the right decisions under pressure and how to avoid common mistakes.=
They reveal how Burger King CEO Jose Cil began planning for the aftermath =
of a crisis right in the middle of one.
Building a crisis leadership team and how to lead one that you've inherited=
.. They detail how Wonya Lucas, CEO and President of the Crown Media Family = Networks, aligned and mobilized an executive team during a time of crisis.

In "The Prepared Leader, both James and Wooten argue that in addition to pe= ople, profit, and the planet, prepared leadership should be the fourth "P" =
in a company's bottom line. They bring decades of world-renowned research o=
n crisis leadership, diversity and inclusion, management strategy, and posi= tive leadership to the table to help leaders better prepare themselves to l= ead through crises - and for whatever lies around the corner.

Critique: The only certainty in a capitalist economy is that there are no e= nduring certainties. There are inevitable cycles of boom and bust, of Bull =
& Bear markets, of technology driven changes to social, cultural, and polit= ical forces that will have impact (for good or ill) on market driven busine= sses and corporate affairs. "The Prepared Leader: Emerge from Any Crisis Mo=
re Resilient Than Before" is an ideal instruction guide and manual for corp= orate leaders at all levels to prepare to deal successfully with the unanti= cipated but inevitable fluctuations of the market place. While highly recom= mended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Business=
Leadership & Management collections, it should be noted for the personal r= eading lists of MBA studies, academia, corporate executives, business manag= ers, entrepreneurs, and non-specialist general readers that "The Prepared L= eader: Emerge from Any Crisis More Resilient Than Before" is also available=
in a paperback edition (9781613631638, $18.99), and in a digital book form=
at (Kindle, $9.50).

Editorial Note #1: Erika H. James (https://mgmt.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/e= hjames) became the dean of the Wharton School on July 1, 2020. Trained as a=
n organizational psychologist, James is an expert on crisis leadership, wor= kplace diversity and management strategy. Prior to her appointment at Whart= on, James was the John H. Harland Dean at Emory University's Goizueta Busin= ess School from 2014 to 2020. An award-winning educator, accomplished consu= ltant, and researcher, she is the first woman and first person of color to =
be appointed dean in Wharton's 141-year history. As such she has paved the = way for women in leadership both in education and corporate America.

Editorial Note #2: Lynn Perry Wooten, a seasoned academic and an expert on = organizational development and transformation, is the ninth president of Si= mmons University and the first African American to lead the institution. Be= fore coming to Simmons, she served as the David J. Nolan Dean and Professor=
of Management and Organizations at the Dyson School of Applied Economics a=
nd Management. Prior to that, she served on the faculty of the University o=
f Michigan Ross School of Business for nearly 20 years.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promo= ting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no fund=
s from authors or publishers. Full permission is given to post any of these=
reviews on thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups, listserves, inte= rnet discussion groups, organizational newsletters, or to interested indivi= duals. Please give the Midwest Book Review a credit line when doing so.

The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "Califo= rnia Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwat= ch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available=
for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview=
(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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