Great Business

When the athletic shoe graduated from the beaches and croquet courts of the wealthy elite to streetwear ubiquity, its journey through the heart of American life was just getting started. In this rollicking narrative, Nicholas K. Smith carries us through the long 20th century as sneakers became the totem of subcultures from California skateboarders to New York rappers, the cause of gang violence and riots, the heart of a global economic controversy, the lynchpin in a quest to turn big sports into big business, and the muse of high fashion.

Nietzsche is a major figure in Western philosophy. His work is radical, sometimes violent, often ironic; it fascinates anyone bold enough to delve into it, exerted a profound influence on modern intellectual history, and covers a wide range of subjects. Nietzsche's writings border on the poetic; his aphorisms are particularly well-known for conveying all the radicality of his thinking in a intense but light, sometimes amusing manner.

From 1914 to 1916, Ernest Shackleton and his men survived the wreck of their ship Endurance, crushed in the Antarctic ice, stranded 1,200 miles from civilization with no means of communication and no hope for rescue. When the ice began to break up, Shackleton set out to save them all on his heroic 800-mile-trip across the frigid South Atlantic, in little more than a rowboat.

Great business leaders understand that acceptance of greater personal accountability and responsibility leads individuals, teams, and organizations back on the path to success. But with the evolving nature of 21st century business, the practical steps that go into creating a high performance culture of accountability have become more muddled than ever.

Managing a call center presents numerous challenges for leaders, including meeting stringent KPIs, maintaining employee motivation, and handling high call volumes. Achieving performance metrics such as average handle time, first call resolution, and customer satisfaction requires meticulous planning and constant monitoring. Simultaneously, leaders must keep their teams motivated in a high-pressure environment, often characterized by repetitive tasks and demanding customers.

Peak is the popular, transformative guide to doing business better, written by a seasoned entrepreneur/CEO who has disrupted his favorite industry not once but twice. Author Chip Conley, founder and former CEO of one of the world's largest boutique hotel companies, turned to psychologist Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs at a time when his company was in dire need.

Scott Page, a leading thinker, writer, and speaker whose ideas and advice are sought after by corporations, nonprofits, universities, and governments around the world, makes a clear and compellingly pragmatic case for diversity and inclusion. He presents overwhelming evidence that teams that include different kinds of thinkers outperform homogenous groups on complex tasks, producing what he calls "diversity bonuses".

The founder of Menlo Innovations and author of the business culture cult classic Joy, Inc. offers an inspirational guide to leaders seeking joy in the challenge of leading others. Filled with colorful anecdotes from Sheridan's personal journey and wisdom from many leadership mentors, Chief Joy Officer offers an approachable, down-to-earth philosophy and practice that will help even the most disillusioned of middle managers bring a renewed sense of purpose to their work building others.

In The Miracle Manager, Kevin G. Armstrong argues that placing true leaders in management positions has become an epidemic that is destroying businesses. Armstrong, a successful speaker, business owner, advisor, disruptor, and best-selling author, knows first-hand the consequences of mistaking great leadership for effective management. With knowledge gained from 20-plus years of exclusively advising CEOs, business owners, and their management teams, the author presents a revolutionary approach to organizational management.

Rise above your greatest trials and discover the power of God's greatness with five simple strategies -- and step into the blessings of your life. We were not created to live average, unrewarding, or unfulfilling lives. God created us to leave our marks on our generations. Every person has seeds...

In How to Have Tough Conversations, we cut straight to the chase—because, let's face it, you don't have time for fluff. This book is your ultimate resource for transforming the dreaded tough talks into opportunities for growth and success. Whether it’s a conversation you’ve been avoiding or truths you’ve hesitated to address, here you'll find the keys to elevating those discussions and achieving the outcomes you need. With a blend of humor and down-to-earth practicality, we make it easier than ever to navigate those tricky talks.

In Hot Seat, Immelt offers a rigorous and raw interrogation of himself and his tenure, detailing for the first time his proudest moments and his biggest mistakes. The most crucial component of leadership, he writes, is the willingness to make decisions. But knowing what to do is a thousand times easier than knowing when to do it. Perseverance, combined with clear communication, can ensure progress, if not perfection, he says.

From terror attacks to the War on Terror, bursting real-estate bubbles to crystal meth epidemics, sexual predators to poisonous toys from China, our list of fears seems to be exploding. And yet, we are the safest and healthiest humans in history. Irrational fear is running amok, and often with tragic results. In the months after 9/11, when people decided to drive instead of fly - believing they were avoiding risk - road deaths rose by 1,595. Those lives were lost to fear.

The CrossFit superstar and author of the bestselling The Badass Body Diet is back with a day-by-day guide designed to encourage habit change through fun, dynamic daily tasks challenging your mind, body, and spirit. Christmas Abbott knows the importance of a badass lifestyle; physically, mentally...

Faced with a software project of epic proportions? Tired of over-committing and under-delivering? Enter the dojo of the agile samurai, where agile expert Jonathan Rasmusson shows you how to kick-start, execute, and deliver your agile projects. Combining cutting-edge tools with classic agile practices, The Agile Samurai gives you everything you need to deliver something of value every week and make rolling your software into production a non-event.

Alexander the Great endures as one of the most admired and emulated leaders in world history. In our time, his example of unprecedented and unparalleled success has inspired leaders of business and government, from media mogul Ted Turner (who keeps a bronze bust of Alexander in his office) to Desert Storm commander General Norman Schwarzkopf (who credits Alexander's tactical innovations for his dramatic flanking maneuver against the Iraqi army in the liberation of Kuwait).

“Scale” has become a favored buzzword in the startup world. But scale isn't just about accumulating more users or capturing more market share. It's about whether an idea that takes hold in a small group can do the same in a much larger one. Translating an idea into widespread impact, says University of Chicago economist John A. List, depends on one thing only: whether it can achieve “high voltage”—the ability to be replicated at scale. In The Voltage Effect, List explains that scalable ideas share a common set of attributes, while any number of attributes can doom an unscalable idea.

How do you grow a truly sustainable business in the hypercompetitive 21st century? By using the practical, psychology-based strategies in this book to dive into the mind of your customer and enhance your business's customer experience by creating "buying loops" that keep your customers coming back for more. The Customer Loyalty Loop includes proven, science-backed secrets for building legions of loyal customers who will become evangelists for your business, buy from you repeatedly, and actually enjoy doing business with you.

Fired Up & Feeling Great will hand you the keys to 10 strategies to activate your body’s healing power and be pain-free. If you are feeling confused or overwhelmed, unsure of where to start, you are not alone.

The world of leadership has changed dramatically since 100 Ways to Motivate Others was written, and now Chandler and Richardson have revised and refreshed their organizational classic to meet the times. They have crafted a vital, user-friendly, inspirational guide for executives, managers, and professionals - and those aspiring to reach their level.