Book briefs

THE On-Time, On-Target Manager: How a “Last-Minute Manager” Conquered Procrastination by Ken Blanchard and Steve Gottry is the story of Bob, a typical middle manager who puts things off to the last minute. As a result, he misses deadlines because his lack of focus causes him to accomplish meaningless tasks before getting to the important things.  

Like many professionals, Bob rationalises, justifies, and tries to explain. Luckily, Bob is sent to his company's CEO – which stands for “Chief Effectiveness Officer” – who helps him deal with the three negative side effects of procrastination: lateness, poor work quality, and stress to himself and others.  

Bob learns how to transform himself from a crisis-prone Last-Minute manager into a productive On-Time, On-Target manager.  

Security Analysis: The Classic 1940 Edition by Benjamin Graham and David Dodd have influenced and inspired investors for nearly 70 years. First published in 1934, his Security Analysis is still considered to be the value investing bible for investors of every ilk. Yet, it is the second edition of that book, published in 1940 and long since out-of-print, that many experts – including Graham protégé Warren Buffet – consider to be the definitive edition.  

This facsimile reproduction of that seminal work makes available to investors, once again, the original thinking of “this century's (and perhaps history's) most important thinker on applied portfolio investment.”  

14 Management Principles From The World's Greatest Manufacturer by Jeffrey K. Liker is about Toyota and how in factories around the world, it consistently makes the highest-quality cars with the fewest defects of any competing manufacturer, while using fewer man-hours, less on-hand inventory, and half the floor space of its competitors.  

This is the first book for a general audience that explains the management principles and business philosophy behind Toyota's worldwide reputation for quality and reliability. 

Complete with profiles of organisations that have successfully adopted Toyota's principles, this book shows managers in every industry how to improve business processes by eliminating wasted time and resources, building quality into workplace systems, finding low-cost but reliable alternatives to expensive new technology, producing in small quantities, turning every employee into a quality control inspector.  

The Pike Place fishmongers are almost as famous as the market they work at, lovingly profiled in the media and treasured by those who watch them go about their work each day with style and smiles.  

In Catch! A Fishmonger's Guide to Greatness, Cyndi Crother tells their story; or rather, lets them tell it, in this unusual combination of oral biography and business blueprint.  

Using the fishmongers' examples, letting them explain their work lives and their personal lives, the book explores the issues of goals; both financial and humanitarian; and intention, showing how the crew itself creates these goals in collaboration with management to everyone's satisfaction. – Amazon.com 

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Like many professionals, Bob rationalises, justifies, and tries to explain. Luckily, Bob is sent to his company's CEO – which stands for “Chief Effectiveness Officer” – who helps him deal with the three negative side effects of procrastination: lateness, poor work quality, and stress to himself and others.