McClatchy-Tribune News Service
800-CEO-READ, a leading direct supplier of book-based resources, compiles a monthly list of best-selling business books based on purchases by its corporate customers nationwide. Here are the best sellers for April 2012, plus descriptions of the Top 10.
1. “4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals” by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey and Jim Huling; Free Press, 352 pages ($28)
2. “Stewardship: Lessons Learned from the Lost Culture of Wall Street” by John Taft; John Wiley & Sons, 218 pages ($27.95)
3. “Different: Escaping the Competitive Herd” by Youngme Moon; Crown, 288 pages ($26)
4. “Fire Starter Sessions: A Soulful and Practical Guide to Creating Success on Your Own Terms” by Danielle Laporte, Crown Archetype, 368 pages ($24)
5. “Sales Growth: Five Proven Strategies from the World’s Sales Leaders” by Thomas Baumgartner, Homayoun Hatami and Jon Vander Ark; John Wiley & Sons, 256 pages ($40)
6. “Virtual Executive: How to Act Like a CEO Online and Offline” by D. A. Benton; McGraw-Hill, 256 pages ($25)
7. “Relationship Economics: Transform Your Most Valuable Business Contacts Into Personal and Professional Success” by David Nour; John Wiley & Sons, 303 pages ($19.95)
8. “Inside Apple: How America’s Most Admired — And Secretive — Company Really Works” by Adam Lashinsky; Business Plus, 240 pages ($26.99)
9. “Empowered: Unleash Your Employees, Energize Your Customers, and Transform Your Business” by Josh Bernoff and Ted Schadler; Harvard Business Press, 272 pages ($27.95)
10. “Maestro: A Surprising Story about Leading by Listening” by Roger Nierenberg; Portfolio, 128 pages ($19.95)
11. “Uncommon Service: How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business” by Frances Frei and Anne Morriss; Harvard Business Press, 272 pages ($29.95)
12. “The End of Business as Usual: Rewire the Way You Work to Succeed in the Consumer Revolution” by Brian Solis; John Wiley & Sons, 304 pages ($24.95)
13. “Conversations That Win the Complex Sale: Using Power Messaging to Create More Opportunities, Differentiate Your Solutions, and Close More Deals” by Erik Peterson and Timothy Riesterer; McGraw-Hill, 272 pages ($30)
14. “Snap Selling: Speed Up Sales and Win More Business with Today’s Frazzled Customers” by Jill Konrath; Portfolio, 320 pages ($16)
15. “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful” by Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter; Hyperion Books, 236 pages ($24.99)
16. “From Values to Action: The Four Principles of Values-Based Leadership” by Harry M. Jansen Kraemer; Jossey-Bass, 224 pages ($27.95)
17. “The Quest: Energy, Security and the Remaking of the Modern World” by Daniel Yergin; Penguin Press, 816 pages ($37.95)
18. “Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard” by Chip Heath and Dan Heath; Broadway Business, 305 pages ($26)
19. “Strengths Finder 2.0” by Tom Rath; Gallup Press, 175 pages ($22.95)
20. “How Remarkable Women Lead: The Breakthrough Model for Work and Life” by Joanna Barsh and Susie Cranston; Crown, 384 pages ($15)
21. “The Why of Work: How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations That Win” by Dave Ulrich and Wendy Ulrich; McGraw-Hill, 304 pages ($27.95)
22. “Innovator’s Manifesto: Deliberate Disruption for Transformational Growth” by Michael E. Raynor; Crown, 256 pages($23)
23. “Being Strategic: Plan for Success; Out-Think Your Competitors; Stay Ahead of Change” by Erika Andersen; St. Martins, 288 pages ($24.95)
24. “Stepping Up: How Taking Responsibility Changes Everything” by John B. Izzo; Berrett-Koehler, 192 pages ($16.95)
25. “Who’s Got Your Back: The Breakthrough Program to Build Deep, Trusting Relationships That Create Success — And Won’t Let You Fail” by Keith Ferrazzi; Broadway, 336 pages ($25)
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Descriptions of the Top Ten:
1. “4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals” by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey and Jim Huling; Free Press, 352 pages ($28). An insightful new book from the multimillion-copy bestselling author Sean Covey and the FranklinCovey organization based on their work with hundreds of thousands of employees and large companies to unveil the essential disciplines proven to help businesses and individuals realize their most important goals.
2. “Stewardship: Lessons Learned from the Lost Culture of Wall Street” by John Taft; John Wiley & Sons, 218 pages ($27.95). “Stewardship” is the journey of financial insider John Taft towards understanding and affirming the importance of stewardship — which he has come to define as “serving others” — as a core principle for the financial services industry, the global financial system, and society at large.
3. “Different: Escaping the Competitive Herd” by Youngme Moon; Crown, 288 pages ($26). Moon identifies the outliers, mavericks, and iconoclasts who have thoughtfully rejected orthodoxy in favor of an approach that is more adventurous.
4. “Fire Starter Sessions: A Soulful and Practical Guide to Creating Success on Your Own Terms” by Danielle Laporte, Crown Archetype, 368 pages ($24). “Fire Starter Sessions” is an apathy-kicking, integrity-infusing guide to defining success on your own terms.
5. “Sales Growth: Five Proven Strategies from the World’s Sales Leaders” by Thomas Baumgartner, Homayoun Hatami and Jon Vander Ark; John Wiley & Sons, 256 pages ($40). Finding growth today can be an enormous challenge for companies in a complex and fast-changing business environment. There are no simple solutions, but in “Sales Growth,” experts from McKinsey & Co. provide a practical blue-print for achieving this goal by revealing what world-class sales executives are doing right now to find growth and capture it — as well as how they are creating the capabilities to keep growing in the future.
6. “Virtual Executive: How to Act Like a CEO Online and Offline” by D. A. Benton; McGraw-Hill, 256 pages ($25). In “Virtual Executive,” world-renowned CEO coach and bestselling author Debra Benton teaches you everything you need to know to navigate today’s seemingly endless choices of social media and virtual communication tools in order to stay relevant in a sea of competition.
7. “Relationship Economics: Transform Your Most Valuable Business Contacts Into Personal and Professional Success” by David Nour; John Wiley & Sons, 303 pages ($19.95). “Relationship Economics” isn’t about taking advantage of friends or co-workers to get ahead. It’s about prioritizing and maximizing a unique return on strategic relationships to fuel unprecedented growth. Based on the author’s global speaking and consulting engagements, “Relationship Economics” reveals that success comes from investing in people for extraordinary returns.
8. “Inside Apple: How America’s Most Admired — And Secretive — Company Really Works” by Adam Lashinsky; Business Plus, 240 pages ($26.99). “Inside Apple” reveals the secret systems, tactics, and leadership strategies that allowed Steve Jobs and his company to churn out hit after hit and inspire a cult-like following for its products.
9. “Empowered: Unleash Your Employees, Energize Your Customers, and Transform Your Business” by Josh Bernoff and Ted Schadler; Harvard Business Press, 272 pages ($27.95). In “Empowered,” Forrester’s Bernoff — co-author of the pioneering book “Groundswell” — and Schadler explain how to transform your company by unleashing the mighty force of empowered employees.
10. “Maestro: A Surprising Story about Leading by Listening” by Roger Nierenberg; Portfolio, 128 pages ($19.95) Nierenberg is the creator of a unique program that invites people to sit inside a professional symphony orchestra as the musicians and conductor solve problems together. He captures that experience in this parable about a rising executive facing tough challenges.
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(800-CEO-READ, a leading direct supplier of business books for businesses and organizations nationwide, is a division of Milwaukee-based Dickens Books. For complete descriptions of all books, visit http://800ceoread.com.)
