The World's Best Book Summaries
Why did the Ford Edsel fail? What can we learn from this adventure in business? In the 1950s, Ford Motor Company wasted millions of dollars on the Edsel, a car that is considered one of the biggest product launch failures of all time. In Business Adventures, John Brooks shares his analysis, offering three reasons for the failure. Continue reading to learn why the Edsel was a flop.
Do you suffer from public speaking anxiety? How can you make your nerves work for you, and not against you? When it comes to public speaking, anxiety comes with the territory—it’s normal to feel anxious when the stakes are high. Moreover, a little anxiety can provide an energy boost, which can be great for your speech. So, you shouldn’t try to eliminate your anxiety, but instead, make it work for you. Here are some tips for public speaking anxiety and an adrenaline-powered confidence boost.
Are you considering managing your own rental properties? What are the pros and cons of being a self-manager? If you’re looking into renting your properties, you’ll need to decide if you want to manage them yourself or hire someone else to do it. In Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat, real estate agent David M. Greene states the pros and cons of each option, plus the responsibilities you’ll face if you decide to manage rental properties yourself. Continue reading to get a better sense of what it’s like managing rental properties.
What can you learn from Business Adventures by John Brooks? Is the book still relevant, after all these years? Business Adventures is a collection of essays about the unpredictability of corporations and Wall Street—and the people behind them. Through 12 in-depth essays, longtime New Yorker contributor John Brooks examines how businesses and economies can rise and fall based on people’s behavior, which is often driven by emotions, habits of thinking, and human tendencies. Read more for an overview of this business classic.
What makes a winning business strategy? What factors should you take into account when designing a big-picture strategy for your business? It’s one thing to set goals for your company, but it’s another thing to know how to reach those goals. The path towards your goals is your strategy. An effective business strategy is one that is built from the ground up. Here’s a seven-step process for creating a strategy for success.
What’s a short squeeze? Who profits? Who loses? Making the case that people are the stock market’s most volatile component, John Brooks recaps how a man from Memphis named Clarence Saunders “cornered” his own company’s stock, meaning he obtained enough shares to give him the power to manipulate its price. It wasn’t a calculated move on his part; it was a reaction to Wall Street speculators who had planned an attack on his company, a chain of supermarkets called Piggly Wiggly. The affair serves as an interesting illustration of a short squeeze. Continue reading to learn about the Piggly Wiggly
Is Lafley and Martin’s Playing to Win worth reading? Are the tips in the book still relevant today? In their book Playing to Win, former CEO A.G. Lafley and consultant Roger Martin explain the steps for developing a successful business strategy. When the two worked together at Procter & Gamble, they used this approach to double the company’s sales and market capitalization. Here’s our Playing to Win book review, including background and critical reception by the readers.
What are the biggest factors affecting motivation? How can you identify them? According to the book Crucial Accountability, the three main factors affecting motivation are: personal, social, and structural. The authors present three questions you should ask yourself before making assumptions as to why somebody lacks motivation. Keep reading for a more detailed explanation of factors affecting motivation.
What are the connections you can make out of real estate networking? How can meeting other real estate professionals improve your business? In his book, Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat, real estate agent David M. Greene says that in order to build your investment “Dream Team,” you need to start by doing some real estate networking. By putting your name out there, you’ll make connections with real estate agents, lenders, contractors, property managers, and vendors. Keep reading to learn how to start real estate networking and how you can build a team from it.
What is the Strategic Choice Cascade strategy from Playing to Win? Why do companies struggle to employ this strategy in practice? In Playing to Win, the cascade strategy involves answering five questions, each leading to the next like a cascading waterfall. If used properly, the cascade strategy can help your business succeed. However, there are many misconceptions about this strategy that prevent businesses from adopting it. Keep reading to learn about Lafley and Martin’s Cascade Strategy, how it works, and some common misconceptions around it.