The Business Shelf

A Marketer's Guide to Digital Advertising
Shailin Dhar, author
Scott Thomson, author
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398609693, $126.00, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Marketers-Guide-Digital-Advertising-Transparency/dp/= 1398609692

Synopsis: With contradictory rules surrounding data privacy, measurement co= nstraints, changes to supply chains and other complexities often too diffic= ult to approach, the world of marketing is more complex than ever before. W= ith the publication of "A Marketer's Guide to Digital Advertising: Transpar= ency, Metrics and Money", co-authors Shailin Dhar and Scott Thomson will he=
lp marketers navigate the complicated world of digital advertising by divin=
g into the metrics, money and technology fueling the marketing industry.

In "A Marketer's Guide to Digital Advertising", digital advertising consult= ants Shailin Dhar and Scott Thomson collaborate to outline the forces shapi=
ng the current digital landscape and the common responses from advertisers = trying to design their digital strategy. Walking readers through the common=
missteps made within digital advertising, they provide useful insight into=
measurement and thoughtful alternatives to practices often found lower on =
a company's priorities list.

"A Marketer's Guide to Digital Advertising" offers ways to minimize waste a=
nd improve outcomes for brands and their business partners. It also illumin= ates the gap between in-house marketing teams, agency professionals and tec=
h partners whilst helping readers make sense of the way money flows through=
the global ad industry.

Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of an ei= ght page Glossary, a listing of the authors and their credentials, and a te=
n page Index, "A Marketer's Guide to Digital Advertising: Transparency, Met= rics and Money" is an ideal textbook on the subject of digital marketing an=
d a well advised addition to personal, professional, community, corporate, = and academic library Direct Marketing and Web Marketing instructional refer= ence collections. It should be noted for MBA students, academia, corporate = executives, entrepreneurs, and non-specialist general readers with an inter= est in the subject that "A Marketer's Guide to Digital Advertising: Transpa= rency, Metrics and Money" is also available in a paperback edition (9781398= 609662, $39.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $37.99).

Editorial Note #1: Shailin Dhar (https://goldendrum.com/speakers/shailin-dh= ar) is the founding partner of Method Media Intelligence (MMI), a measureme=
nt consultancy and technology provider. A board member for the Programmatic=
& Data Center at IAB, he previously served as Chief Strategist for Adsiduo=
us Media, Director of Business Development at Darcher Media and Business De= velopment and Operations Manager at DOL Marketing. Dhar is a media, web-tec= hnology and ad-technology expert who is focused on helping companies confir=
m digital ad efficacy, secure validity, evaluate viewability and support br= and safety. He is based in New York City, NY.

Editorial Note #2: Scott Thomson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottrst) is =
a partner at Method Media Intelligence (MMI), a measurement consultancy and=
technology provider. After working with a Ministry of Defence contractor i=
n the UK, helping design user-friendly control systems, he has spent over t=
wo and a half decades with companies like Publicis, Nielsen, Media Audits, = Naked Communications and Dentsu. He helps brands devise, design and measure=
successful marketing strategies, and he has helped numerous global brands = take on the challenges currently plaguing the advertising industry today. H=
e is based in London, UK.

Strategy in the Digital Age: Mastering Digital Transformation
Michael Lenox
Stanford Business Books
c/o Stanford University Press
www.sup.org
9781503635197, $26.00, HC, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/Strategy-Digital-Age-Mastering-Transformation/dp/150= 3635198

Synopsis: In today's business environment, digital transformation is much m= ore than building a digital infrastructure to gather and process data. It's=
about understanding how digital technologies enable the creation of innova= tive services and products. It is also about identifying new competitive po= sitions and business models and thinking critically about how to both creat=
e and capture value.

With the publication of "Strategy in the Digital Age: Mastering Digital Tra= nsformation", by strategy expert Michael Lenox directly engages these conce= rns and provides a comprehensive roadmap for planning a successful digital = strategy and executing a digital transformation in organizations.

Covering major topics such as big tech, data analytics, artificial intellig= ence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, autonomy, cybersecurity, data privacy, an=
d antitrust, "Strategy in the Digital Age" outlines a set of novel, origina=
l frameworks to help those undertaking digital transformation at their orga= nization devise their strategy. Readers will also come away with a greater = understanding of how to navigate the human dimension of digital transformat= ion and tackle the numerous social and policy challenges raised by digital = technology.

With insights from major companies such as Spotify, Facebook, and Uber, Len=
ox delivers a compelling volume that offers both a foundational understandi=
ng of this dynamic environment and an action plan for those seeking a path =
to digital strategy implementation for their organization.

Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a num= ber of figures, a ten page Glossary, twelve pages of Notes, and a ten page = Index, "Strategy in the Digital Age: Mastering Digital Transformation" will=
have a special value for anyone with an interest in the evolving impact on=
corporate and business competition and management in the Digital Age of au= tomation and robotics. While also available for personal reading lists of M=
BA students, academia, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and non-special= ist general readers with an interest in the subject in a digital book forma=
t (Kindle, $21.99), "Strategy in the Digital Age: Mastering Digital Transfo= rmation" is unreservedly recommended as a core addition to community, corpo= rate, and academic library Contemporary Business Management collections and=
supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Michael Lenox (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Lenox)=
is the Tayloe Murphy Professor of Business Administration at the Universit=
y of Virginia's Darden School of Business. He is the coauthor of The Decarb= onization Imperative: Transforming the Global Economy by 2050 (Stanford, 20= 21) and Can Business Save the Earth: Innovating Our Way to Sustainability (= Stanford, 2018).

The Content Strategy Toolkit
Meghan Casey
New Riders
c/o Peachpit Press
https://www.peachpit.com
9780134105109, $34.99, PB, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/Content-Strategy-Toolkit-Guidelines-Templates/dp/013= 4105109

Synopsis: "The Content Strategy Toolkit, The: Methods, Guidelines, and Temp= lates for Getting Content Right" is an essential guide in which Meghan Case=
y outlines a step-by-step approach for doing content strategy, from plannin=
g and creating your content to delivering and managing it.

With "The Content Strategy Toolkit", as a DIY instructional guide and 'how-= to' manual, you can confidently tackle difficult activities like telling yo=
ur boss or client what's wrong with their content, getting the budget to do=
content work, and aligning stakeholders on a common vision.

Reading The Content Strategy Toolkit is like having your own personal consu= lting firm on retainer with a complete array of tools and tips for every ch= allenge you'll face, including:

Identifying problems with your content and persuade your bosses it's worth = the time and resources to do it right; Making sense of your business enviro= nment and understand your audience; Getting stakeholders aligned on busines=
s goals and user needs; Setting your content strategy and decide how to mea= sure success; Creating, maintaining, and governing on-strategy content. -- = You'll learn to control your content and not have that content control you.

Critique: A complete and comprehensive course of methodical DIY instruction=
, "The Content Strategy Toolkit, The: Methods, Guidelines, and Templates fo=
r Getting Content Right" is exceptionally 'user friendly' in organization a=
nd presentation. Highly recommended for professional, college and universit=
y library Computer Science & Technology collections, and while readily avai= lable for personal and professional reading lists in a digital book format = (Kindle, $15.39), "The Content Strategy Toolkit" will have a special value = for anyone with an interest in Content Management, Computer Graphics, and S= oftware Design.

Editorial Note: Meghan Casey (https://www.braintraffic.com/authors/meghan-c= asey) is the lead content strategist at Brain Traffic, the world's leading = agency devoted exclusively to content. She helps a wide variety of clients = (startups, nonprofits, colleges and universities, Fortune 50 companies, and=
everything in between) to solve the messy content problems most organizati= ons encounter every day. She has also helped The Nerdery, a software develo= pment shop, build content strategy into their User Experience practice. Meg= han is a regular trainer and speaker on content strategy topics and once in= spired workshop participants to do the wave.

Spark the Heart: Engineering Empathy in Your Organization
Dr. Nicole Price
Forbes Books
18 Broad Street, Suite 300, Charleston, SC 29401
https://books.forbes.com
9798887500966, $27.99, HC, 200pp

https://www.amazon.com/Spark-Heart-Engineering-Empathy-Organization/dp/B0BH= NZ4WST

Synopsis: One of the fundamental responsibilities of corporate managers is = how to leverage the benefits of empathy to get the results wanted for their=
company.

The idea that there was no place for empathy in business was a belief that = Dr. Nicole Price, (a logical, results-focused engineer) held onto tightly, = until a cascade of life-altering events provided her a new perspective. A p= erspective that recognized empathy as a critical skill that every leader mu=
st develop and employ to achieve success.

Dr. Price's empathetic leadership journey has been a multi-year process, on=
e that continues today, and one that she willingly shares with the publicat= ion of "Spark the Heart: Engineering Empathy in Your Organization".

Dr. Price dispels common empathy myths including the notions that: Empathy =
is a trait that you're born with or not (everyone can develop the skill of = empathy); Empathy requires you to take on the other person's beliefs and va= lues (empathy is understanding why another person believes what they believ=
e and values what they value, even if it's different from your own); Empath=
y means you don't have accountability, high expectations, or stretch goals = (empathy can fuel expectations and aspirations in new ways).

Empathy and accountability can and should exist in tandem.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Spark the H= eart: Engineering Empathy in Your Organization" provides clear actionable s= teps for beginning a personal empathy journey or bolstering an existing emp= athy practice. For corporate leaders and ready to bridge the gap of misunde= rstanding between themselves and those they choose to lead and to leverage = that understanding for greater success, "Spark the Heart" is available for = personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and is a so= lid, practical, and highly recommended addition to professional, community,=
corporate, and academic library Business Management, Leadership, and Motiv= ational collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Trained as an engineer, Dr. Nicole Price (https://drnicolep= rice.com) later found her true calling: Leadership Development. As a highly=
sought-after keynote speaker, training leader, and as the CEO of Lively Pa= radox, Price believes that leadership is personal and requires a balance of=
empathy and accountability.

Decision Sprint
Atif Rafiq
McGraw Hill Professional
www.mhprofessional.com
9781264609598, $28.00, HC, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Decision-Sprint-Innovate-Strategy-Action/dp/12646095=
90

Synopsis: Managing a business has become dramatically more complex and unce= rtain in our modern era. Constant exploration of new territory by teams is = the name of the game. Yet most companies are stuck with yesterday's approac=
h to problem solving. Problem solving needs to be reinvented to meet today'=
s challenges. The future of business depends on it.

Having reached the highest levels of the Fortune 500, digital disrupter Ati=
f Rafiq has written "Decision Sprint: The New Way to Innovate into the Unkn= own and Move from Strategy to Action" in order to pull the curtain back on = the hidden management systems within your organization that impact how peop=
le think, collaborate, and make decisions.

Talent is vital to any company's advancement, but it's the collaboration an=
d problem solving systems that separate industry leaders from the rest. Sys= tems designed to embrace unknowns are the quickest, most enduring way to fo= ster growth, continuous innovation, and results. Learn how teams begin with=
upstream work (the phase of a promising idea or initiative where the unkno= wns predominate) to problem solve anything, thus unlocking downstream actio=
ns from alignment to decision making to execution.

With Rafiq's guidance, you will overtake your competitors by moving upstrea=
m, embracing workflows that convert unknowns to clear recommendations, alig= nment, and action. In addition, you'll receive direct advice from the CEOs/= presidents of H&R Block, Volvo, Peacock, Restaurant Brands, Orange Theory F= itness, among others and learn from in-depth case studies such as Amazon's = disruption of publishing, the massive digital transformation of McDonald's,=
the secret of launch of Apple Pay, Volvo's push for sustainability, and mo= re.

Critique: A complete and comprehensive course of DIY instruction, "Decision=
Sprint: The New Way to Innovate into the Unknown and Move from Strategy to=
Action" is essential reading for anyone in charge of corporate or entrepre= neurial decision making/problem solving. While also available for the perso= nal reading lists of MBA students, academia, corporate executives, business=
managers, entrepreneurs, and non-specialist general readers with an intere=
st in the subject in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.99), "Decision Spri= nt" is unreservedly recommended as a core addition to professional, communi= ty, corporate, and academic library Business Leadership & Management collec= tions and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Atif Rafiq has blazed trails in Silicon Valley and the Fort= une 500 for over 25 years. After rising through digital native companies li=
ke Amazon, Yahoo!, and AOL, Atif held C-suite roles at McDonald's, Volvo, a=
nd MGM Resorts. Rafiq was the first Chief Digital Officer in the history of=
the Fortune 500, a pioneering role he held at McDonalds, and he rose to th=
e president level in the Fortune 300.

Sparking Success
Adam Kingl
Kogan Page Inc.
www.koganpage.com
9781398609600, $56.00, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Sparking-Success-Develop-Creative-Mindset/dp/1398609= 609

Synopsis: Contemporary studies show that 80% of people feel an increasing p= ressure to be productive rather than creative at work. "Sparking Success: W=
hy Every Leader Needs to Develop a Creative Mindset" by Adam Kingl not only=
demonstrates how a creative mindset can be instilled in your business; it = also highlights how creativity is a hugely valuable tool for productivity a=
nd innovation.

Whether you're running a small team or a multinational corporation, the art=
of leadership has transformed dramatically. The traditional approaches to = corporate leadership lack the innovation and fluidity required for success =
in modern-day disruptive markets. In order to succeed, you need to spark a = creative outlook that will allow you to adapt to fast-moving trends and inn= ovations.

"Sparking Success" investigates the leaders and businesses across a range o=
f industries who are effectively adopting a creative mindset. From media po= werhouses such as Netflix and Disney to major manufacturers such as Bosch a=
nd Panasonic, "Sparking Success" clarifies the importance of creativity and=
innovation for business leaders across all sectors.

Each of the core chapters comprising "Sparking Success" poses a challenge o=
r opportunity that will trigger an innovative mindset, before providing ins= ights from notable leaders who have overcome creative challenges. "Sparking=
Success" is a groundbreaking leadership guide which highlights an innovati=
ve approach that will build you into a dynamic, creative and empathetic lea= der.

Critique: Expertly written, organized and presented, "Sparking Success: Why=
Every Leader Needs to Develop a Creative Mindset" in an invaluable source =
of 'real world' relevant information, insight, and instruction for maximizi=
ng employee productivity and success that is unreservedly recommended as es= sential reading for corporate executives and business managers. While highl=
y recommended for professional, community, corporate, and academic library = Business Leadership/Motivation collections, it should be noted for the pers= onal reading lists of MBA students, academia, management leadership, entrep= reneurs, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject=
that "Sparking Success" is also available in a paperback edition (97813986= 09587, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.39).

Editorial Note: Adam Kingl (https://adamkingl.com) is an author, speaker, e= ducator and adviser. He specializes in the areas of leadership creativity, = innovation and adaptability. His previous book, Next Generation Leadership = (HarperCollins, 2020) was focused on the work and leadership paradigms of m= illennials. Adam also holds the position of adjunct faculty member at the U= niversity College London School of Management and at Hult Ashridge Business=
School. He is also an instructor at Imperial College London, Sauder Busine=
ss School, the Irish Management Institute at University College Cork, and a=
t Headspring Executive Development (a joint venture between the IE Business=
School and the Financial Times). He is an Associate of the Moller Leadersh=
ip Institute at Churchill College, the University of Cambridge.

WINX
Irma Parone
WINX Publishing
https://paronegroup.com
9798986196923, $24.99, HC, 182pp

https://www.amazon.com/WINX-Problem-Solving-Exponentially-Customers-Employe= es/dp/B0B6XJJRM7

Synopsis: With the publication of "WINX: The Problem-Solving Model to Win E= xponentially with Customers, Employees and Your Bottom Line", author and le= adership consultant Irma Parone presents an ultimate 4-X award-winning busi= ness guide and reveals a proven action plan for leveling up your organizati=
on and applying WINX to your business challenges.

With a practical and down-to-earth approach, this book helps aspiring and e= stablished business owners develop a thriving WINX-based culture and maximi=
ze their bottom line through easy-to-implement strategies.

"WINX" offers: The revolutionary 8-Step WINX process to transform your orga= nization; Illuminates new ways to look at problem-solving (and how to tackl=
e challenges big and small);
Presents: 'The Art of Evaluation' (How to know if your solution will just m= ake things worse.); and showcases tips and tricks for managing your team an=
d surrounding yourself with those who want you to succeed -- and so much mo= re!

Critique: Exceptionally well written, and informatively organized and prese= nted, "WINX: The Problem-Solving Model to Win Exponentially with Customers,=
Employees, & Your Bottom Line" is a compendium pertinent real-life stories=
and as well as tried-and-tested strategies, offering a framework that is p= articularly ideal for both small and medium sized businesses, as well as na= tional and international companies. Simply stated, "WINX" is essential read= ing for entrepreneurs, managers, business leaders, CEOs. While highly recom= mended for personal, professional, community, corporate, and academic libra=
ry Business/Personnel Management collections, it should be noted for MBA st= udents, academia, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and non-specialist g= eneral readers with an interest in the subject that "WINX" is also availabl=
e in a paperback edition ($18.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.= 99).

Editorial Note: Irma Parone (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DnOLNHsuHYzw)=
is the CEO of the Parone Group and a seasoned businesswoman with over 20 y= ears of experience, Irma knows first-hand how challenging it can be to buil=
d and maintain a successful business. She aims to provide actionable advice=
that will radically reshape the way you tackle problems within your organi= zation, so you can win more customers, empower happy employees, and scale y= our income.

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=
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(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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