The Japanese yen, the British pound and the euro don’t offer any appeal over the dollar because the currency market is a beauty contest where the least ugly wins and not only is the dollar the least ugly, but it offers refuge when fear and uncertainty grip the markets. Words: 1006
Read More »Monthly Archives: March 2010
"A Colossal Failure of Common Sense: The Inside Story of the Collapse of Lehman Brothers" – A Book by MacDonald/Robinson
Readers are introduced to a host of little-known Lehmanites, many of whom vilify the company's top management, among others. Lehman "was headed directly for the biggest subprime iceberg ever seen," but unlike the captain of the RMS Titanic, McDonald writes, CEO Dick Fuld and his No. 2, Joe Gregory, didn't try to swerve. Words: 560
Read More »"SuperCorp: How Vanguard Companies Create Innovation, Profits, Growth, and Social Good" – A Book by Rosabeth Moss Kanter (+2K Views)
Anecdotes and common practices of super successful companies are distilled into lessons ending each chapter plus a list the 10 best characteristics of leaders at trailblazing companies such as stressing innovation, creating networks, and treating employees as if they were volunteers. Words: 649
Read More »"Forces of Fortune: The Rise of the New Muslim Middle Class" – A Book by Vali Nasr (2K Views)
A sunny vision of that region's future that should interest anyone concerned with global business or politics. He argues that entrepreneurial, religiously conservative contingents in such countries as Turkey, Pakistan, and Iran can propel the Middle East into a democratic and prosperous 21st century. Words: 676
Read More »How Does the New Credit Card Act Affect the Cards in Your Wallet? (+2K Views)
The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act Of 2009, popularly known as the CARD act, will take effect on February 22nd 2010 and bring sweeping changes in the original credit card policies. What does it mean and how will it affect your credit card rating as well as the cards in your wallet? Words: 343
Read More »"The Design of Business" – A Book by Roger Martin (+2K Views)
This new book is a must-read for people who want to bake into their corporate cultures ingredients such as research, design and innovation. One of the greatest challenges in doing so, which the book deals with, is blending the two solitudes -- the "innovator" culture with the "bean-counter" culture. This is never easy, he writes, because they talk different languages and rely on different benchmarks. But winning companies have learned how to merge them, and then surgically select the best from each. Words: 451
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