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2004 Hopkins and Company, LLC
Note
re: links---certain hyperlinks assume that you are registered as a subscriber
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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 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, you can send your contribution to:
House of the Good Shepherd
P.O. Box 13453
Chicago, IL 60613
You can check
out this organization on www.guidestar.org,
under “Sisters of the Good Shepherd-Chicago.” Guidestar
is a national database of nonprofit organizations. The cover story (http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/toc/04_48/B39100448philanthropy.htm)
of the November 29 issue of Business Week lists America’s top philanthropists, as
well as a ranking of corporate donors. The cover story of the November 29
issue of Barrons
(http://online.barrons.com/article/SB110151630453084555.html)
describes how some nonprofits are changing as a result of the approach of new
philanthropists.
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 2004, including recent reviews beginning on page 5. 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 2005. This is also
the time of year when we update our Shelf of Reproach: the books we feel a
little guilty for not reading. We’ve also updated the Shelf of Ennui: those
books we touched, but never finished for various reasons and feel not the
slightest bit guilty for taking a pass. Selections from those lists are
highlighted in this issue. To follow all links in this issue, visit the web
version located at: http://www.hopkinsandcompany.com/archive/archive1204.htm.
You can also
visit our 2004 bookshelf at http://www.hopkinsandcompany.com/2004books.html
and see the rating table explained as well as explore links to all 2004 book
reviews. Happy Holidays!
Best
Books of 2004
|
Title (Link to
Review)
|
Author
|
Rating
|
Review Summary
|
Purchase
|
|
The
Innovator’s Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth
|
Christensen,
Clayton M. and Michael E. Raynor
|
•••••
|
Using Theory. Dozens of
tough questions about innovation explored, theory explained, success and
failure illustrated, conclusions drawn, and sources documented in footnotes
galore. Advice to think about and use in growing your organization.
|
|
|
The
Wisdom of Crowds
|
Surowiecki, James
|
•••••
|
Collective. Groups are smarter
than the smartest person in them, and you can create wise groups by
fostering diversity of opinion, independence, decentralization and
aggregation. Top rating for good writing, facts and examples, stimulation
of thinking, and opportunity to act on what reader learns.
|
|
|
The
Summer Guest
|
Cronin,
Justin
|
••••
|
Restoration. Finest novel
read so far this year. Six characters narrate current and past experiences
at a fishing camp in rural Maine.
Each character receives redemption or restoration from the caring love of
another.
|
|
|
Mountains
Beyond Mountains
|
Kidder,
Tracy
|
••••
|
Over the Top. Fine
writing by talented writer about the amazing life and work of Paul Farmer,
a medical doctor and anthropologist working in Haiti for the past two
decades, and how his methods for community-based treatment of communicable
disease have changed international medicine.
|
|
|
The
First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels
|
Watkins,
Michael
|
••••
|
Turbo. Great approach for
making transitions faster and more effective by moving beyond sink or swim
toward well-structured steps based on what’s worked for others. Get copies
for both manager and new hire.
|
|
|
Beyond
the Core: Expand Your Market Without Abandoning Your Roots
|
Zook, Chris
|
••••
|
Repeatability. Case
studies, data, advice, and CEO lessons learned in implementing growth
strategies, based on a decade of research about 2,000 companies.
|
|
Worst
Books of 2004
|
Title (Link to
Review)
|
Author
|
Rating
|
Review Summary
|
Purchase
|
|
The Present:
The Gift That Makes You Happy and Successful At Work and In Life
|
Johnson,
Spencer
|
DNR
|
Carpe Today. You have better ways to spend
your time than spending even an hour reading another simplistic message
from this popular writer. It’s mostly about “now,” except when about
“then,” or about a gift. Take a pass.
|
|
|
The
Dumbest Moments in Business History
|
Horowitz,
Adam
|
•
|
Dim. Some chuckles and a
few yuks, but not nearly as amusing as the 101
Dumbest Moments in Business listed in Business
2.0 that led to this book. Silent on the whole S&L debacle: how
dumb is that?
|
|
|
The
world's most powerful leadership principle : how to become a servant leader
|
Hunter,
James C.
|
•
|
Preachy. Hunter tries to
persuade readers to embrace the servant model of leadership by using
preachy persuasion rather than facts. Sounds good, but not convincing.
|
|
|
Autumn
of the Moguls
|
Wolff,
Michael
|
•
|
Vacuous.
Participant-observer’s account of players and action in big media by author
of New York Magazine column, This
Media Life. Read only if your interest in media companies and characters is
high, or if your curiosity about mega-mergers hasn’t been sated.
|
|
Selected
Books for 2005
The
Shelf of Reproach 2004
Selected
books we should have read, but didn’t, and feel a little guilty about, from http://www.hopkinsandcompany.com/2004
Shelf of Reproach.html
The Shelf of Ennui 2004
Selected books we
didn’t read because we got bored, and don’t care, from
http://www.hopkinsandcompany.com/2004
Shelf of Ennui.html
|
Title: Click to
Purchase
|
Author
|
|
Lust
|
Blackburn,
Simon
|
|
Lucrezia Borgia : life, love,
and death in Renaissance Italy
|
Bradford,
Sarah
|
|
The
Soul of Capitalism: Opening Paths to a Moral Economy
|
Greider, William
|
|
The (mis)behavior of markets : a fractal view of risk, ruin,
and reward
|
Mandelbrot,
Benoit B. and Richard L. Hudson
|
|
Castles
of Steel: Britain, Germany and the Winning of the Great War at Sea
|
Massie,
Robert K.
|
|
Tragic
Indifference: One Man’s Battle with the Auto Industry Over the Dangers of
SUVs
|
Penenberg, Adam L.
|
|
The
White House Tapes: Eavesdropping on the President
|
Prados, John
|
|
The
Stranger at the Palazzo d’Oro and Other Stories
|
Theroux,
Paul
|
|
Branded
Nation
|
Twitchell, James B.
|
Latest
Books Read and Reviewed:
(Note: readers of the web version of Executive Times
can click on the book covers to order copies directly from amazon.com. When you order through these links, Hopkins
& Company receives a small payment from amazon.com. Click on the title to read the review or
visit our 2004 bookshelf at http://www.hopkinsandcompany.com/2004books.html).
|
Title (Link to
Review)
|
Author
|
Rating
|
Review Summary
|
Purchase
|
|
The
Inner Circle
|
Boyle,
T.C.
|
•••
|
Loveless. Novel presents
obsessed professor Kinsey and the workers and spouses who formed the inner
circle of the pioneering sex studies of the 1950’s. Loyalty, idealism,
intertwined relationships and fine writing.
|
|
|
Florence
of Arabia
|
Buckley,
Christopher
|
•••
|
Amat. Plenty of laughs as few targets
remain unscathed in this politically incorrect novel of the clash of
American and Middle Eastern politics, culture, and values.
|
|
|
Losing
America : Confronting a Reckless and Arrogant Presidency
|
Byrd,
Robert C.
|
•••
|
Power. Senator Byrd
preaches eloquently about the importance of the balance of power and how
the Executive branch is becoming dominant with the cooperation of a
compliant Congress.
|
|
|
Washington’s
Crossing
|
Fischer,
David Hackett
|
•••
|
Reversals. Revolutionary
War history buffs will revel in this finely written work, especially the
author’s description of a distinctly American way of war.
|
|
|
Father Joe:
The Man Who Saved My Soul
|
Hendra, Tony
|
•••
|
Stability. Finely written
memoir by former National Lampoon
writer as a tribute to Benedictine monk Joseph Warrilow,
who provided stability and support for Hendra
through four decades.
|
|
|
The
Last Duel
|
Jager, Eric
|
•••
|
Engrossing. Realistic,
sometimes gory, details of the last legally sanctioned duel in 1386 makes
medieval France
come alive for readers.
|
|
|
Flying
Crows
|
Lehrer,
Jim
|
••
|
Birdie. Novel spans 20th
century to reveal the past of two mental asylum inmates. Rich in
description and drama, but plot plods.
|
|
|
Eragon
|
Paolini, Christopher
|
•••
|
Debut. 544 entertaining
pages from teenage author. Familiar themes, but creative characters,
suspenseful plot and descriptive language.
|
|
|
The
Naked Olympics: The True Story of the Ancient Games
|
Perrottet, Tony
|
•••
|
Mettle. Witty and
informative description of the original games when the mettle of the
athletes was more important than medals. Good description of Greek life at
the time and all aspects of the festivities.
|
|
|
Eating crow
: a novel
|
Rayner, Jay
|
••
|
Sorry. Light and unusual
novel of restaurant critic who turns professional apologizer following his
apology for the suicide of a chef after a biting review.
|
|
|
The
Plot Against America
|
Roth,
Philip
|
•••
|
Sensational. Engaging
novel of what life might have been like, especially for Jews, had Lindbergh
been elected President in 1940 instead of Roosevelt.
Fine writing and parallels to today’s homeland security anxiety.
|
|
|
Bergdorf
Blondes
|
Sykes, Plum
|
•••
|
Bouncy. Light laughs and
perfect escapist entertainment, full of tales of love, shopping, and the
struggles of the uber-wealthy.
|
|
|
City Boy
|
Thompson,
Jean
|
••
|
Yup. Well-crafted novel
of the deteriorating relationship between two unappealing urban Chicago yuppies.
|
|
|
Villages
|
Updike,
John
|
•••
|
Caring. Well-written
novel of seven decades of Owen Mackenzie’s New England
life, from a slow coming of age to a gentle and caring maturity.
|
|
|
George
Herbert Walker Bush
|
Wicker,
Tom
|
••
|
Friend. From the Penguin
Lives series, a biography that captures the 41st U.S. President
as a friend who made friends.
|
|
|
|
ã
2004 Hopkins and Company, LLC. Executive
Times is published monthly by Hopkins and Company, LLC at the
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