Alpine Business Titles: October 2007

Welcome to the first post for the business collection development blog. Below are some potential selections for the library but we hope to solicit your input on these materials.

Surowiecki, James. The Wisdom of Crowds
Surowiecki first developed his ideas for Wisdom of Crowds in his “Financial Page” column of The New Yorker. Many critics found his premise to be an interesting twist on the long held notion that Americans generally question the masses and eschew groupthink. “A socialist might draw some optimistic conclusions from all of this,” wrote The New York Times. “But Surowiecki’s framework is decidedly capitalist.” Bookmarks Magazine


Kaplan, Steve. Be the Elephant: Build a Bigger, Better Business
Written in a friendly, no-nonsense style, Be the Elephant takes the mystery and the fear out of growing bigger. It shows you how to address potential downsides, point by point, and provides a 25-question quiz to gauge your buisness's current health. There are lessons in strengthening sales, a business's front line. Vertical and horizontal growth. Risk versus reward. How to avoid the twin dilemmas inherent in growth—grow too slowly and wither, or grow too fast and lose control. And finally, how to chart it and start it, from developing an all-important USP—unique selling proposition—to avoiding the Five Killer Mistakes that can ruin a company.


Feel free to comment through this blog or send an e-mail to Kevin Williams with your thoughts on these items.