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ã 2003 Hopkins and Company, LLC
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Thanks
Thanks to revenue from Executive Times subscriptions, buyers of
books through our amazon.com links, and clients of Hopkins & Company,
we’ve continued our annual practice of making a donation to a not-for-profit
organization as a special holiday thanks to our clients and friends. This
year’s donation was 33% higher than last year’s, and was made to the House
of the Good Shepherd, a program that helps women and children break the
cycle of domestic violence through participation in an intensive three-month
residential program. If you’d like to join us in supporting this fine
organization, we’ve enclosed an envelope for that purpose, or you can send
your contribution to:
House of the Good Shepherd
P.O. Box 13453
Chicago, IL 60613
You can also check out
this organization on www.guidestar.org,
under “Sisters of the Good Shepherd-Chicago.” Guidestar is a national
database of nonprofit organizations. The December 1 issue of Business Week
lists America’s top 100 philanthropists, as well as a new ranking of
corporate donors. You can view the cover story at http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/toc/03_48/B38600348giving.htm.
This month we present our
annual book issue, which many readers use to purchase holiday gifts through
our online links to amazon.com. (Another gift idea is a subscription to Executive Times.) Fifteen new books are rated
in this issue. We read, reviewed and listed a total of 180 books in Executive Times during 2003. We recap in
this issue the best and worst books we read this year. We also include a
section listing some of the books we look forward to reading in 2004.
This is also the time of
year when we update our Shelf of Reproach: the books we feel a little guilty
for not reading. A new addition for 2003 has been the Shelf of Ennui: those
books we touched, but never finished for various reasons and feel the slightest
bit guilty for taking a pass.
For space reasons,
pictures of book jackets are eliminated from the print version of Executive Times. To follow all links, and
see the version with jacket pictures, visit the web version located at: http://www.hopkinsandcompany.com/archive/archive1203.htm.
You can also visit our
2003 bookshelf at http://www.hopkinsandcompany.com/bookshelf.html
and see the rating table explained as well as explore links to all 2003 book
reviews. Happy Holidays!
Latest Books Read and Reviewed
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Review
Link
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Author
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Rating
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Review
Summary
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Purchase
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Every
Second Counts
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Armstrong, Lance
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•••
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Discomfort. How do you spend your time? Tour de France champion and
cancer survivor provides dozens of stories that reinforce the reality that
every second brings us closer to or further away from our goals.
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It
Was Today
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Codrescu, Andrei
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••
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Dreams. Poets use words and images to show us who we are and where
we are heading. This collection does that well, whether we like the images
or not.
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The
Big House: A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home
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Colt, George Howe
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••
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Twits. Fine writing about a Boston Brahmin family’s 100-year
attachment to a Cape Cod summer home that they almost sell outside the
family because of neglect and cluelessness.
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I
Am What I Ate … and I’m Frightened!! : And Other Digressions from the
Doctor of Comedy
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Cosby, Bill
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••
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Yummy. Savor a funny exploration of the joys and sorrows of eating,
especially everything that’s not good for you. Readers can almost hear
Cosby’s voice and pacing of the text.
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Cooking
at Home with the Culinary Institute of America
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Culinary Institute of America
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•
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Bland. Interesting photos and clear descriptions of basic cooking
methods that may be helpful for kitchen novices. Boring recipes lead
readers to want to eat out.
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A
Travel Guide to Heaven
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DeStefano, Anthony
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•••
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Cute. Upbeat and comforting view of life in heaven, especially for
those who have recently lost loved ones. Even included our image: “,,,
reading a really good book by the fireside with a hot cup of tea nearby…”
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Train
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Dexter, Pete
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••••
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Raw. Superb writing about dimensions of pain and the struggles of
relationships. Spare writing style keeps readers happily glued to every
page.
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Bleachers
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Grisham, John
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•
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Heroes. Success at high school football isn’t what life is all
about. The players and coaches who achieve that success don’t merit hero
status. If for some reason you’re interested in that or if you like
Grisham’s writing, this book’s for you.
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Our
Lady of the Forest
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Guterson, David
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•
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Dense. Lazy writer overplays guilt and scene, but fails to get
enough details right to allow a willing suspension of disbelief.
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The
Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That
Changed America
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Larson, Erik
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•••
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Monumental. Brings alive the creation of the 1893 World’s Columbian
Exposition (the White City) by the architects who made it happen, and
unravels how a grizzly serial killer (The Devil) preyed on vulnerable
fairgoers.
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Stone
Cold
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Parker, Robert B.
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•••
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Serial. Fourth installment in Jesse Stone mysteries brings serial
killers to Paradise, and allows Stone to match wits with smart criminals.
Great dialogue, as usual.
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Why
America Slept: The Failure to Prevent 9/11
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Posner, Gerald, L.
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•••
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Infighting. Exploration of twenty years of fumbled investigations
and misplaced priorities leads to one conclusion: 9/11 did not need to
happen.
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A
People Adrift: The Crisis of the Roman Catholic Church in America
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Steinfels, Peter
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•••
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Turbulence. A readable and insightful exploration of recent decades
of change for the Catholic Church, the impact of the sexual abuse scandals,
and what’s likely to happen next.
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Ultimate
Punishment: A Lawyer’s Reflections on Dealing with the Death Penalty
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Turow, Scott
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•••
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Evolution. Novelist and lawyer shares his real life struggle over
his position on the death penalty. Read and watch your thinking evolve with
his.
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Heavenly
Days
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Wilcox, James
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••
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Charm. Life in Tula Springs presents encounters with real characters
and some prolonged chuckling at their relationship foibles. Some serious
brushes with racial and religious tolerance.
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Best Books of 2003
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Review
Link
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Author
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Rating
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Issue
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Review
Summary
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Purchase
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Authentic
Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value
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George, Bill
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•••••
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Oct 03
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Journey. Outstanding book by former Medtronic CEO, who “gets it.”
There are five dimensions to being an authentic leader: understanding why
you want to lead, practicing solid values, leading with a heart,
establishing connected relationships, and showing self-discipline. Read
this book now.
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Oryx
and Crake
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Atwood, Margaret
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••••
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June 03
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Tomorrow. Finely crafted novel of what our world could become as we
experience the missteps of genetic experiments, corporate imperialism, the
values of games and media, and the ability of one person to make all the
difference.
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A
Short History of Nearly Everything
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Bryson, Bill
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••••
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Aug 03
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Connections. Bryson’s wit and basic questions grabs our attention
and holds it as the answers lead to more questions about astronomy,
geology, chemistry, biology, and physics.
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Revenge
of the Middle-Aged Woman
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Buchan, Elizabeth
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••••
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Apr 03
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Sweet. Rose’s assistant takes her husband and her job in the same
week. Through Buchan’s wit, grace, charm, poignancy, and very fine writing,
readers enjoy Rose’s gradual transformation through the stages of grief and
into a new life.
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The
5 Patterns of Extraordinary Careers: The Guide for Achieving Success and
Satisfaction
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Citrin, James M.
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••••
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Oct 03
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Provocative. No matter what degree of success or satisfaction you’ve
achieved in your career, you’ll find something to think about when you read
this insightful book based on analysis of successful executives.
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Train
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Dexter, Pete
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••••
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Dec 03
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Raw. Superb writing about dimensions of pain and the struggles of
relationships. Spare writing style keeps readers happily glued to every
page.
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Who
Says Elephants Can’t Dance? Inside IBM’s Historic Turnaround
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Gerstner, Louis V.
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••••
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May 03
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Fandango. Former head of IBM discloses why he took the job, how key
decisions were made, and what it took to transform the organization. Well
written, insightful, with some “aha” moments for long-time IBM watchers.
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Liars
and Saints
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Meloy, Maile
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••••
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July 03
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Family Ties and Lies. Rare for a debut novel to win four-stars. This
tale of four generations and the lies that unite them should win awards.
Meloy’s writing soars, and we come to know her characters for all their
human qualities and frailties.
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Leap of
Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life
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Noor, Queen
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••••
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Aug 03
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Personal. If there’s only one memoir you read this year, make it
this one. Noor describes her relationship with King Hussein, family life,
and politics with an articulate voice helping you learn more than you may
expect about the Middle East and about personal, loving relationships.
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Good
Faith
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Smiley, Jane
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••••
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June 03
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Real Estate. Smiley immerses readers into the real estate boom of
the 1980s and the S&L debacle through a tale of the faith we place in
others and where than can lead us.
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Reversible
Errors
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Turow, Scott
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••••
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Jan 03
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Paradise Lost and Regained. Turow’s best novel yet tackles death
penalty errors, love, loss, human nature and redemption. Lawyers, judges,
criminals, and other readers will love this book.
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Orchard
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Watson, Larry
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••••
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Oct 03
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Artistic Vision. Must one understand an enigma in order to portray
it to others? Well-crafted novel presents complicated relationship between
artist and model, and their respective spouses. Intimacy and alienation
co-exist.
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Worst Books of 2003
|
Review
Link
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Author
|
Rating
|
Issue
|
Review
Summary
|
Purchase
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Ready
For Anything
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Allen, David
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DNR
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Nov 03
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Oz. Wizard of productivity takes readers behind the curtain where
they find: not much. 160 pages of recycled, repetitive, rambling drivel.
Take a pass and do something productive instead.
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Golf
for Enlightenment
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Chopra, Deepak
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DNR
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June 03
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Lights Out. Our first exposure to a Chopra book left us wondering
what others find good about his writing. Take a pass, or just play through.
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Leading
Geeks
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Glen, Paul
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DNR
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Apr 03
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All Geek to Him. Geeks aren’t as different from the rest of us as
Glen proposes. There may be worse books on the business shelves this
season, but we haven’t read them (yet).
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Looking Ahead to Books for 2004
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Amazon.com
Link
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Author
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Comments
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Purchase
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The
Hornet’s Nest
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Carter, Jimmy
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Will a Revolutionary War novel by a former U.S. President be
entertaining?
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The
Innovator’s Solution
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Christensen, Clayton M.
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Author of The Innovator’s Dilemma presents the sequel.
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The
Boy’s Crusade: The American Infantry in Northwestern Europe 1944-1945
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Fussell, Paul
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Is it time for a fresh World War II book?
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A Look
Over My Shoulder
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Helms, Richard
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Inside view of the Central Intelligence Agency from late former
director.
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The
Complete Far Side 1980-1994
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Larson, Gary
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For those of us who miss the master cartoonist, here’s the first
complete collection to savor.
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Remembering
Jack: Intimate and Unseen Photographs of the Kennedys
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Lowe, Jacques
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Many negatives of master photographer were destroyed on 9/11. This
collection survived.
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Eragon
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Paolini, Christopher
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Teenage novelist’s debut sounds promising.
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Re-Imagine
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Peters, Tom
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Are we ready for more shouting from Tom Peters?
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Dealing
with An Uncertain World
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Rubin, Robert E.
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Will the former Treasury Secretary tell all?
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There
Must be a Pony in Here Somewhere: the AOL Time Warner Debacle
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Swisher, Kara
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The story of how a company without assets acquired a company without
a clue.
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The Shelf of Reproach 2003
Lowlights
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Amazon.com
Link
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Author
|
Comments
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Purchase
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A
Whistling Woman
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Byatt, A.S.
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Last of a tetralogy, we kept procrastinating about whether to start
here or read the three earlier ones. Memories of Possession kept up
the attraction, but didn’t lead to reading this one.
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An
Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy 1917-1963
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Dallek, Robert
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40th anniversary of JFK’s death would have been a good
time to read this new biography. Instead, we let it gather dust, unopened.
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The
Life You Save May Be Your Own: An American Pilgrimage
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Elie, Paul
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Does not reading this book make me not want to save my life? Somehow
the prospect of reading about Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, Walker Percy and
Flannery O’Connor left us a little bit intimidated about the prospect of
how our lives measure up to theirs.
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The
Hedgehog, the Fox and the Magister’s Pox: Mending the Gap Between Science and
the Humanities
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Gould, Stephen Jay
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We’ve liked reading books by the late author, but we’ve walked by
and around this one for months, feeling a little guilty at the avoidance.
Maybe we don’t really care about the gap (but should we?).
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American
Ground: Unbuilding the World Trade Center
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Langewiesche, William
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Read parts of this in The Atlantic, then picked up the book,
but never slugged through this story of 9/11.
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Tearing
Down the Walls: How Sandy Weill Fought His Way to the Top of the Financial
World … and Then Nearly Lost it All
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Langley, Monica
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Despite admiring Sandy, and being interested in reading this book,
never quite gor around to it in 2003.
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Wild
Bill: The Legend and Life of William O. Douglas America’s Most
Controversial Supreme Court Justice
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Murphy, Bruce Allen
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The recollection of reading Douglas’ autobiography, Go East Young
Man, over thirty years ago, led me to stop reading this new bio on page
12, when I realized that Douglas told tall tales.
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Being
America: Liberty, Commerce and Violence in an American World
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Purdy, Jedediah
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Enjoyment of earlier book, For Common Things, allowed the passage of
246 pages into this book, when we exercised liberty, and skipped the
remaining hundred pages.
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DNA:
The Secret of Life
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Watson, James D.
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Readable and interesting presentation of the genetic revolution from
Nobel winner on 50th anniversary of double helix discovery but
dropped off at page 87 out of 450.
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The Shelf of Ennui 2003
Highlights
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Amazon.com
Link
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Author
|
Comments
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Purchase
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The
Mercury 13: The Untold Story of Thirteen American Women and the Dream of Space
Flight
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Ackmann, Martha
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The story remains untold, as we stopped reading at page 51.
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False
Prophets: The Gurus Who Created Modern Management and Why Their Ideas Are
Bad for Business Today
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Hoopes, James
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We loved the title and were interested in the debunking anticipated.
Out of boredom, we dropped out on page 65.
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Something
for Nothing: Luck in America
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Lears, Jackson
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Got as far as page 25 and reached this decision: you have to care a
whole lot about gambling to read this book.
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Off
With Their Heads: Traitors, Crooks & Obstructionists in American
Politics, Media & Business
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Morris, Dick
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Loved the title, but never bothered cracking open the book. Who
cares what Morris has to say?
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Mortals
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Rush, Norman
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The tea scene on pages 114-15 kept up interest and momentum, but not
enough to avoid a dead stop on page 142.
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Dark
Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Cape Town
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Theroux, Paul
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Too gloomy to bother reading, despite some pleasure from earlier
Theroux books.
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John
Paul Jones: Sailor, Hero, Father of the American Navy
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Thomas, Evan
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Read a few good reviews of this book, then let it drift away.
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The
Songs of the Kings
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Unsworth, Barry
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Despite some pleasure at earlier Unsworth novels, dropped this one
at page 51.
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ã 2003
Hopkins and Company, LLC. Executive
Times is published monthly by Hopkins and Company, LLC at the
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