Business: The Ultimate Resource. 2nd ed. New York: Basic Books, 2006. 1,973p. $59.95 (ISBN: 0-465-00830-5).
The second edition of Business: The Ultimate Resource merits inclusion in our list due to the extensive revisions and new material added since the first edition was published in 2002. Business theory and practice changes rapidly, and this hefty tome (weighing more than six pounds) covers a vast array of the latest business and management thinking. Daniel Goleman states in the introduction that “business advantage is gained by harnessing smart ideas–not just amorphous data, the latest technology, or a larger-than-life C.E.O.” This volume provides a unique format for students and practitioners to learn the basics of business so they can plan, execute, and launch the next Google or Netflicks.
Business is arranged into six sections. “Best Practice” presents essays on management issues by leading business writers and practitioners. Topics range from tackling sexual harassment to creating an entrepreneurial mindset. “Viewpoint,” with authors such as Paul Saffo and Warren Bennis, explores the future of management. “Management Checklists” offer two-page answers to everyday challenges, such as small business cash flow and setting up an energy management program. “Actionlists” give tips for completing tasks and solving problems. Marketing majors will love the “Planning an Advertising Campaign” and “Measuring Advertising Performance” sections. With more than one hundred entries (40 percent are new), including The Tipping Point, Getting to Yes, and Barbarians at the Gate, the “Management Library” section is an ideal resource for anyone, librarian or layperson, looking to start or expand a business collection. “Business Thinkers” and “Management Giants” profile more than one hundred business pioneers. Challenge your business colleagues to name the contributions of Mary Parker Follett and Frederick Herzberg!
The dictionary contains seven thousand international business terms. The final section has short lists of business information sources on more than one hundred topics. The list of contributors is stellar, but it would have been nice to have seen more from outside the United States and Europe.
Business is an ideal reference for librarians, students, and practitioners, and it belongs in every public and academic library, large or small.–Elizabeth Malafi, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, and Lee Pasackow, Emory University, Atlanta
Directory of American Firms Operating in Foreign Countries/Directory of Foreign Firms Operating in the United States. Beverly, Mass.: Uniworld Business Publ., www.uniworldbp.com (accessed July 20, 2007). Pricing available upon request.
Uniworld has released online database versions of two much-used print directories of companies that do business internationally; the databases allow users to identify companies within their geographies of interest.