The Achiever Newsletter

Top 10 Books - Edition 17

Encouraging our clients to read books has always been an integral part of our business. As a result, we’d like to periodically share 10 books that we feel should be included in your business and/or personal library. These books are not listed in order of sales, popularity, or recommendation. The numbers are used only for reference purposes.

#1
Acres of Diamonds
by Russell H. Conwell

You may have to search a bit to find this classic, but the effort will certainly provide great dividends. While a new copy can easily be found online for as low as $5, it may very well be the greatest addition you'll ever find to both your business and personal libraries. In my opinion, it should be required reading for every high school student in the nation.

I was first exposed to this masterpiece very early in my business career. I found it in the form of a very small booklet and must admit that the package was certainly a disservice to the wonderful gift I found within the covers of this classic. "Acres of Diamonds" was originally written and delivered as a speech and was considered by many to be one of the finest lectures ever written.

I'm continually amazed by the large numbers of people I come into contact with who have read and been inspired by this book at some point in their career. My amazement may very well stem from the fact that this inspiring story was written by an author who was born in 1843 and died in 1925. Russell H. Conwell was a lawyer, a Baptist minister, a decorated Civil War officer, and founder and first president of Temple University, which opened as a college for working people in 1884. For more than 60 years Conwell was active as a lecturer. Conwell personally delivered his "Acres of Diamonds" lecture over 6,000 times and earned over $4,000,000 doing so (about $200 million in today's dollars).

I've re-read this captivating lecture, inspired by a true story with an ageless moral, many times over the years. This intriguing story reminds me very much of Dorothy in L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz. Only after a series of adventures far from Kansas did she realize that "there's no place like home." I also see correlations with the Disney Classic, Mary Poppins. Here we find a magic nanny who comes to work for a cold banker's unhappy family. Mary opens the eyes of the banker and his wife as she helps them recognize their own "Acres of Diamonds."

The story was about a farmer who lived in Africa and through a visitor became tremendously excited about looking for diamonds. Diamonds were already discovered in abundance on the African continent, and this farmer got so excited about the idea of millions of dollars worth of diamonds that he sold his farm to head out to the diamond mine. He wandered all over the continent, as the years slipped by, constantly searching for diamonds and wealth, which he never found. Eventually he went completely broke and threw himself into a river and drowned.

Meanwhile, the new owner of his farm picked up an unusual looking rock about the size of a country egg and put it on his mantle as a sort of curiosity. A visitor stopped by and in viewing the rock practically went into terminal convulsions. He told the new owner of the farm that the funny looking rock on his mantle was about the biggest diamond that had ever been found. The new owner of the farm said, "Heck, the whole farm is covered with them"―and sure enough it was. The farm turned out to be the Kimberly Diamond Mine ... the richest the world has ever known. The original farmer was literally standing on "Acres of Diamonds" until he sold his farm.

This book will not appeal to those who think that one's own surroundings offer no advantages. Acres of Diamonds offers a multitude of lessons about the rewards of work, education, and finding the riches of life in one's own back yard. There are a multitude of gems to mine from Russell Conwell's words, no matter what your walk of life. Acres of Diamonds remains a significant—and inspirational—lesson about where the true riches of life may be found.

#2
The Key: Celebrated People Unlock Their Secrets to Life
by Linda Solomon

The vast majority of the books I choose to review deal with some aspect of the business world for the most obvious of reasons. However, from time to time, I like to share a book I think you might find useful or simply enjoyable in the hopes that diverting your focus can certainly serve as an asset in refreshing your mind and spirit. Therefore, when you return to your business challenges, you're actually more productive than ever.

This is one of those books you don't necessarily have to read page by page or chapter to chapter. You can find comfort in knowing you can open the book to most any page, read as much or little as you like, and discover substance that provides a "recess" for your senses. After even a brief sampling of this invigorating content, you can return to your work refreshed, relaxed and satisfied that your time and energy was well spent.

The author, Linda Solomon, is an award-winning photo-journalist and the photographer whose unique work has been featured on Good Morning America, World News Tonight, NBC Nightly News and The Today Show, as well as in galleries around the country. She's also the photographer of the New York Times best-selling book People We Know, Horses They Love. Don't panic if you're not into horses. This woman focuses her talents in a variety of areas and, in this piece, she focuses on two aspects of keys.

To begin, she searched the entire country to unearth a rare collection of vintage keys, nowadays considered among the most collectible of antiques. Each key protected a precious belonging ... a private estate, a family's first car, an antique clock, a treasure chest, an heirloom locket, a secret hiding place, etc. In her strange pursuit, Solomon discovered that the keys we treasure the most are actually those that bring us peace of mind.

In this interesting book, the author marries beautiful black and white photographs of intricate, antique keys with words of wisdom from some of the world's best-known entertainers, politicians, athletes, CEOs and other luminaries. Each dignitary is allotted two pages ... the first is a distinguishing full-page close-up photo of a unique key, which lends credence to the words of wisdom shared on the adjoining page. Linda has always believed photography teaches us to not just look, but really see. The words engraved on keys communicate certain qualities. The key is a metaphor and, if matched with the right person, each key has a soul. It is the author's hope that the photographs of each key will provide a different way to see the real person by opening our eyes to their words.

You'll find more than fifty celebrities, some of whom rarely grant interviews, offering insights that have made a lasting impact on their lives. Among those you'll discover are:

These celebrities also share another quality—compassion—since their words will benefit the continuous research to cure breast cancer. This perfect little gift book also includes enlightening entries from famous women who have fought breast cancer and survived. Proceeds from The Key will be contributed to breast cancer research.

The Key will certainly be an excellent addition to any collection of coffee table selections.

#3
The Janitor: How an Unexpected Friendship Transformed a CEO and His Company
by Todd Hopkins and Ray Hilbert

It somewhat stands to reason that if you're in search of effective business strategies and insights, you're not going to find it in a book with the word "janitor" in the title, right? Ah, but we all know better than that by now, don't we? Over the decades I've learned some of life's best lessons in places and from people I would never have expected to find such wisdom. Such it is with this 160-page parable by two unlikely co-authors, who may very well have a motivational classic on their hands.

I've had the opportunity to meet a good number of CEOs who would easily identify with the CEO we meet in The Janitor. His business is out of control, his marriage obviously suffers as a result, he seldom gets to see his children, his clients are difficult to say the least, he's working ridiculous hours putting out fires, and he's not coping well with the many changes he must deal with while under increasing stress.

While working late as he so often does, CEO Roger Kimbrough has a chance encounter with an elderly janitor one evening. Roger spills his guts to janitor Bob Tidwell, a retired businessman, and the kind janitor promises to provide guidance that will turn the CEO's business and personal life around.

The janitor's counsel is based upon six basic principles, which are easy to overlook based on their simplicity alone. This fable follows not only their weekly meetings at Roger's office but also the application and challenge of each principle in the process.

I'll let you discover the principles on your own, but I can assure you that this narrative will hold your attention and provide you with well-defined, easy-to-remember steps to improving your life regardless of your career and personal challenges. If you find yourself experiencing any of the conditions mentioned earlier in your business or family life, check out this inspiring and compelling story of six keys that can and will lead to life-changing success.

Juggling Elephants: An Easier Way to Get Your Most Important Things Done―Now!
by Jones Loflin and Todd Musig

We seem to be in the midst of a rash of parables this year. Here's another popular title consisting of a mere 131 pages. This trend might reflect the fact that people simply don't have the time to read in today's chaotic business world. If so, this is a must read.

I should probably warn you though that you may not need this particular parable. If you are already in complete control of your life, if you're maintaining total "balance" in your life, if you have plenty of time, few priorities, and very little stress―don't bother with this particular yarn. However, if you're like the rest of us, you can definitely benefit from the simple but profound story about one man struggling to balance his many responsibilities without cracking under the pressure.

I feel obligated to offer another warning. Check your ego at the reading-room door. If you take yourself too seriously, you might have trouble getting past the large print, circus illustrations and a dialogue style that sounds as though it's directed to a middle school student rather than a business executive. Oddly enough, this style actually drives home the point that effective solutions to age-old challenges can actually be extremely simplistic in nature.

Using the extended metaphor of the three-ring circus, this short volume passes along several circus maxims that easily translate to balancing professional and personal relationships as well as one's personal pursuits.

The story begins as the married daughter of our protagonist burst into her father's office requesting advice in dealing with a life that seems to be collapsing all around her: in her career, personal relationships, and personal development. Mark, the dad, comes to the rescue by admitting that he once shared the same challenge and discovered his solution during a trip to the circus with his wife and daughter years earlier.

The extended metaphor of a three-ring circus is not only clever but memorable. Mark reveals a chance meeting with an off-duty ringmaster, Victor, from another circus who is on a benchmarking venture in search of new creative ideas. Victor guides him through the steps of becoming the ring master of his life with the three rings being Work, Family, and Self. Mark shares this wisdom with his daughter in an effort equip her with the strategies to deal with her challenges. This wisdom includes:

This parable passes along several circus maxims that easily translate to balancing professional and personal relationships and teaches us how to better coordinate the activities happening in each ring.

While the advice is not new by any means, the reframe is refreshing and memorable. Juggling Elephants is incredibly lighthearted and will be appreciated by anyone feeling overwhelmed by their current circumstances. It will help you better focus your time and energy so you'll be able to enjoy more of the things that are important to you. Above all, it will teach you how to run your circus instead of letting the circus run you.

Pour Your Heart into It : How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time
by Howard Schultz and Dori Jones Yang

I'm going to share very little about this book. Instead, I'd like to tell you WHY you should read it. It's all about a very unusual man and even more unusual company—both of which continue to defy conventional wisdom on what appears to be a daily basis!

I must admit that I, myself, have never been a coffee lover. In fact, I don't drink it at all. I began to pay attention to Howard Schultz and Starbucks about five years ago and did so quite by accident. I read a piece in a magazine about the unusual phenomenon of our country seemingly willing to accept the presence of an overpriced coffee shop on what seems to be every corner in the nation. For instance, in Manhattan alone, you can find 171 Starbucks! In Denver there are 45, in Boston there are 55, in Seattle there are 89 and in Chicago there are 97. How many companies offering any product and/or service continue to saturate our country at such an astonishing pace? Few, if any.

Let me tell you why you want to know more about this unconventional man and his distinctive organization.

Howard Schultz

He's an American businessman and entrepreneur most widely known as the Chairman and Chief Global Strategist of Starbucks and former owner of the Seattle Supersonics.

Howard was born in 1952 and grew up in a subsidized public housing project in Brooklyn, New York, as the eldest of three children. A football scholarship to faraway Northern Michigan University was his ticket out of the projects and he became the first in his family to earn a degree.

After graduating, Howard worked at a variety of jobs for six years before becoming the manager of U.S. operations for Hammarplast, a Swedish maker of stylish kitchen equipment and housewares.

At this point, I find a critical portion of Howard's career to somewhat shadow that of Ray Kroc inasmuch as they were drawn to their destinies in much the same way. Schultz was working for a Swiss company that sold kitchen items. He noticed this small little specialty coffee store in Seattle was buying more plastic filters than anybody, and he decided to see why. What started as curiosity quickly grew to a obsession that he had to leave his job as vice president, move from New York and start working for them. Ray Kroc did much the same thing in discovering McDonalds as a result of noting their constant need for the malted milk machines he sold for a living.

Schultz, like Kroc, had a keen business sense and a rare ability to create a vision much greater than anything existing leadership could hope to offer. Both icons took their respective companies to heights never imagined by the original leaders.

In sharing his vision with Starbucks decision makers, he was informed that they had no interest in getting into the restaurant business. He left Starbucks and started his own small, friendly café in Seattle, which soon became a gathering place for notable locals. Five years later, he bought out the Starbucks partners for $3.8 million and hasn't looked back since.

Taking great pride in his knack for "Thinking Outside the Cup," Schultz developed a series of practices that were unprecedented in retail. He insisted that all employees working at least 20 hours a week get comprehensive health coverage, including coverage for unmarried spouses.

Then he introduced an employee stock-option plan. These moves boosted employee loyalty and led to extremely low employee turnover, even though salaries were fairly low. To this day, leaders in every industry claim these benefits simply aren't feasible. Last year, Forbes Magazine ranked Schultz as the 354th richest person in the U.S., with a net worth of $1.1 billion!

Starbucks Corporation

Now you know about the Man and his Machine. I highly recommend that you read this book to gain a remarkable insight into this extraordinary journey by a very unique leader. The books contains dozens of revealing quotes by some of the world's greatest minds. This is a very rare and enthralling book about true passion, dealing with the challenges of rapid and significant growth, truly serving and caring about the customer, nurturing employees, helping people from the heart, and experiencing true success to its fullest extent. Upon completion, you'll see your neighborhood Starbucks in a new light.

#6
The Three Signs of a Miserable Job: A Fable for Managers (And Their Employees)
by Patrick Lencioni

Patrick Lencioni has done it again. He's provided still another of his celebrated fables that both entertain and educate with equal success. This author is the president of The Table Group, a management consulting firm specializing in executive team development and organizational health. As a consultant and keynote speaker, he's worked with thousands of senior executives ranging from Fortune 500s and high-tech start-ups to universities and nonprofits.

This priceless experience is personified in the subject matter Lencioni has focused on in each of his best-selling leadership fables. A quick review of his titles will reveal that he knows how to strike at the heart of the matter when guiding leaders to ultimate success in their chosen fields.

And now this gifted author adds to that impressive compilation with his latest offering, The Three Signs of a Miserable Job. As you can plainly see, Lencioni knows well the barriers, road blocks and speed bumps which hinder both individuals and organizations as they journey onward to obtain their objectives in an ever-growing chaotic business environment. Many executives, hampered by ego and/or denial, struggle to acknowledge the obvious truths and explicit strategies Lencioni shares via his vivid fables and targeted counsel. Those who check their ego at the door, overcome their denial, and heed his advice reap monumental benefits and move on to undertake other challenges.

In a mere 257 pages, his latest fable tells the inspiring tale of a high-flying, but deeply dissatisfied CEO who ditches the power and perks for career bliss as the manager of a pizzeria! In this unusual and inspiring story, Lencioni convincingly demonstrates how career happiness (or misery) is the direct result of the manager-employee relationship.

His years of consulting has lead him to a vivid realization—job misery is having a devastating impact on individuals and on society at large. In fact, the stories and anecdotal evidence confirming job misery are overwhelming. Misery spans all income levels, ages and geography. A recent Gallup poll found that 77% of people hate their jobs. Gallup also contends that this ailing workforce is costing employers more than $350 billion dollars in lost productivity.

The primary source of job misery and the potential cure for that misery resides in the hands of one individual―the direct manager. There are countless studies confirming this statement, including both Gallup and The Blanchard Companies. Both organizations have found that an employee's relationship with their direct manager is the most important factor in determining employee satisfaction ... more so than pay, benefits, perks, and work-life balance.

In this book, Lencioni reveals the three corners of the employee unhappiness pyramid. I won't divulge them here, but I can assure you that you'll immediately recognize and relate to each of the three "signs." The author shatters several myths about workplace satisfaction and offers some real advice on how to turn the daily grind into daily fulfillment.

When asked why managers don't address the three obvious "signs" of misery, Lencioni reveals a number of reasons:

As Lencioni shares his examples and insights, you might very well surmise that he's talking about your own workplace. The "signs" are that universal and obviously that prevalent.

The final appendix-like chapter provides a helpfully stripped-down version of the author's model and strategies. He also provides a web site where you can find job tools, downloads, and helpful products. Lencioni provides a powerful message to all who lead people, one that will produce exceptional loyalty and results.

#7
Broken Windows, Broken Business : How the Smallest Remedies Reap the Biggest Rewards
by Michael Levine

This is one of those books promoting a theory that appears to be extremely obvious, easy to support, and somewhat difficult to argue with. Common sense, if you will. Or maybe uncommon sense better describes this theory. I say that because we see resounding evidence every day in every industry across the country that would suggest that a large number of organizations either don't believe or choose not to practice this philosophy.

The theory itself was first published in 1982 but is probably more relevant 26 years later than ever before. The message is very clear and, indeed, simplistic. The author's premise is one that we have espoused many times as a result of our research, consulting and training experience. Sweat the small stuff!

Levine's premise suggests that what you pay attention to determines what you miss as well. If you only "focus" on the major issues in your business, you neglect the minor issues, and the neglect of the "small stuff" is a path to organizational demise.

Essentially, Levine is "challenging" the 80/20 MBA B.S., and invoking a new mantra, which probably should be called the "100/0" rule ... EVERYTHING MATTERS!

In all honesty, every organization has "broken windows" in one form or another. They are inevitable. Think about those you yourself have witnessed in a typical day.

Levine's key point is that organizations whose culture demands perfection in all operations and cordiality in all relationships will (a) minimize the number of their "broken windows" and (b) immediately repair those few which occur.

Too many managers are trained, like dogs, to robotically look at spreadsheets, improve metrics, and number crunch regularly. Of course, numbers do matter.

Levine's emphasis is to get beyond just the numbers, open your eyes, and LOOK, really NOTICE the details, because it doesn't matter what your current numbers show, if you are missing the big picture which is CUSTOMER PERCEPTION!

There is compelling evidence that problems in business, large and small, typically stem from inattention to tiny details! And you can be certain that customers spot those details every time!

In March 1982, criminologists James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling introduced the "broken windows" theory. Social psychologists and criminologists who agreed that if a window in a building is broken and left unrepaired, soon thereafter the rest of the windows will be broken—and the perception will build that crime in that neighborhood is out of control. The same principle applies to business. Constant attention to detail not only demonstrates corporate competence, but also shows that the company cares about what the consumer wants. A company's metaphorical "broken windows," whatever they may be, send the opposite signal: that the business doesn't care and this obviously repels customers!

So what does the author recommend to remedy this very serious situation? His advice is fairly routine:

Almost everything Levine recommends should require little (if any) expenditure of hours or dollars.

I read of a man and wife who would patronize only one local car wash. The pricing was competitive. What differentiated it from its competition? Those who work there were friendly, the interior and exterior waiting areas were always impeccably clean as well as well-lit, and most important of all, every car was always thoroughly cleaned inside and out. One final point, just before the attendant waved his or her towel, the side windows were rolled down an inch or two so that no water line is left. An insignificant detail? Not to this couple and obviously many others. No broken windows here! And the employees played an intricate part of supporting this theory.

Using dozens of corporate "broken window" case studies, including McDonalds, K-Mart, Google, JetBlue, and more, the author argues that by integrating the solutions to small problems into a much larger plan, the resulting combined solution can stimulate overall business growth and keep customers coming back for more.

Again this theory is obviously true. It is indeed simple. Experience proves it to be advantageous for everyone involved. Then why don't we see more organizations practicing this theory? Could there possibly be a Knowing-Doing Gap here? More than likely.

If so, indifference may well be the largest "broken window" in need of repair.

#8
Apples Are Square: Thinking Differently About Leadership
by Dr. Susan Smith Kuczmarski and Thomas Kuczmarski

This is one of those publications that grab you at the cover. Come on, the title Apples Are Square tickles your intrigue just a bit now, doesn't it? And who doesn't want to think differently about leadership? If the book is as good as the title, the Kuczmarskis, the husband and wife team of business consultants, trainers and authors, have another winner on their hands.

The inspiration behind this attention grabbing title comes from a professional football player, Christopher Zorich, who played for both the Chicago Bears and the Washington Redskins. He shares his memories of how his mother took rotten apples and literally reshaped them into something edible and appealing. The authors use that analogy to suggest that we, as a society, need to take bruised work environments and reshape them into dynamic, inclusive, and collaborative organizations.

The strategies involved to do so are derived from people other than those which seem to appear in every leadership book. The authors interviewed 25 leadership pioneers from many walks of life: Susan Anton (Broadway star and actress), Chris Zorich (NFL star), Craig Newmark (founder of Craigslist, the Internet classified ad service), Mary Ellen Weber (former NASA astronaut), Dean Kamen (inventor of the Segway scooter), Charles Lewis (founder of the Center for Public Integrity), and others from many different work settings―media, the arts, government, sports, education, and business.

Here's a snapshot of what you'll find to help you move toward a new definition of leadership at a time when it is obviously sorely needed:

"Peopleship"... cultivating multiple leaders in an organization by invoking six critical values which will strengthen individuals and connecting employees and managers in building strong relationships.

"7 Step Approach"... for creating a compassionate work culture.

For far too long, leaders have been operating with a "command, control and compete" mindset. Many organizations have proven that this strategy no longer works. We're seeing a totally different leader emerge as a collaborator rather than a controller. These successful leaders are "square apples" who are daring to reshape the workplace in unexpected ways. The authors share with you the secrets of how to become a "square apple" in your organization.

Examine today's business environment, and you'll quickly discover that leadership, or the lack thereof, is one of the most pressing issues facing organizations today. Reshaping a bad apple is not easy, but in the end you will hold in your hand the fruits of a more dynamic, inclusive, and collaborative organization.

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Here's another book that walks the talk by grabbing you at the book shelf before you even view a single page. The bright orange/gold cover catches your eye and directs you to five key elements on the cover alone.

1. Bold color
2. Catchy title
3. Intriguing subtitle that peaks your curiosity
4. Authored by brothers which is rare
5. At first glance you would swear there was an authentic piece of wrinkled duct tape slapped across the cover of the book. It's not a photo, you can feel the ridges.

Why are these things so important? They tell you that the authors have accomplished more on their book cover alone than many others can claim within hundreds of pages. It tells you that they know what they're talking about and they practice what they preach. Of course, you'll continue to explore further. And I can promise you that you're going to discover even greater value within the text.

This book has taken a few shots from critics as being nothing more than "Advertising 101." While the content may very well prove those critics to be correct, I can assure you that the tips, tools, strategies, research, case studies, and principles have been expertly repackaged in such a way as they will "stick" with readers and prove extremely beneficial in the future.

In what will certainly become a classic, the brothers Heath—Chip, a professor at Stanford's business school, and Dan, a teacher and textbook publisher—offer an entertaining, practical guide to effective communication. Drawing extensively on psychosocial studies on memory, emotion and motivation, their study is couched in terms of "stickiness"—that is, the art of making ideas unforgettable.

At one time or another, we all have a message we hope will "stick" with our targeted audience. It doesn't matter if we're selling products, services, ideas, organizations, locations, change, theories, or any one of dozens of other possibilities. It all boils down to how well we communicate our message. The authors prove this point at they share so many examples that will immediately trigger your memory and result in a mental "ah-ha!"

The authors credit six key principles and illustrate each with a host of stories:

simplicity
unexpectedness
concreteness
credibility
emotions
stories.

(Please note that the initial letters spell out "success"—well, almost.)

Although these six elements seem like common sense, they are woefully under-applied in today's business communication. We see daily examples of this fact in most every industry.

Throughout the book, sidebars show how bland messages can be made intriguing. The book is a fast-read peppered with exercises to test the techniques proposed. Some examples act as pop quizzes and engage readers in moments of self-reflection.

It's not often that a business book is well-written, well-organized, and drives home a critical message. Made to Stick should be required reading for executives who need to get their message across. If you are someone who needs to persuade, lead, or just communicate, you owe it to yourself to buy this book. It's well researched, easy to read and hard to forget.

#10
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Let me begin by stating right up front that this book isn't for everyone. Check the following list to see if you should even bother reading on.

If you're not comfortable with the above questions or feel you must honestly answer "no" to any of them ... do yourself a favor, save yourself some time and money, and find another book. This one won't interest you.

If you can honestly answer yes to the above questions, you'll find this book interesting and useful in advancing your career and successfully dealing with anything life may hold for you in the future.

Now, let's begin by learning more about a "Black Swan" as defined by the author Nassim Nicholas Taleb:

A Black Swan is a highly improbable event with three principal characteristics:

1. It is unpredictable;
2. It carries a massive impact;
3. and, after the fact, we concoct an explanation that makes it appear less random, and more predictable, than it was.

Why the term "Black Swan"? Relatively simple. People in the Old World were convinced that all swans were white. Pretty hard to argue that point as no one had ever seen a swan of any other color. The sighting of the first black swan was obviously quite a shock to everyone.

However, that is not where the significance of the story lies. It illustrates a severe limitation to our learning from observations or experience and the fragility of our current knowledge. One simple observation can invalidate a general statement derived from a thousand years of confirmed sightings of millions of white swans. All you need is one single black swan. Need examples? No problem.

All follow these Black Swan dynamics. Literally, just about everything of significance around you might qualify. Take just a minute to look closely at your own existence. Count the significant events, the technological changes, and the inventions that have taken place in our environment since you were born and compare them to what was expected before their advent. How many of them came on a schedule?

Now look into your own personal life, to your choice of profession or meeting your mate, your exile from your company of origin, the betrayals you faced, any sudden enrichment or impoverishment. How often did these things occur according to plan?

For the author, black swans underlie almost everything about our world, from the rise of religions to events in our own personal lives. Why do we not acknowledge the phenomenon of black swans until after they occur? Part of the answer, according to the author, is that humans are hardwired to learn specifics when they should be focused on generalities. We concentrate on things we already know and time and time again fail to take into consideration what we don't know. We are, therefore, unable to truly estimate opportunities, too vulnerable to the impulse to simplify, narrate, and categorize, and not open enough to rewarding those who can imagine the "impossible."

See the critical importance to our society of creative entrepreneurs, daring dreamers, and those who thrive on thinking out of the box? Let's go back to 9/11—an event that has impacted millions of people world wide. Had the enormous risk been deemed conceivable prior to that historic date, it never would have happened! Fighter planes would have been in the air above New York City, all commercial airliners would have had locked bulletproof doors as they do today, no one would have been able to board a plane with box cutters, no one could have requested flight lessons less the take off and landing instructions without raising suspicions. In short, the attack would not have take place, period!

Now dare to relate that Black Swan to our business environment. It's mind boggling when you consider the present state of the economy, trade balance, immigration, the energy crisis, the stock market, health care, education, social security, Afghanistan / Iran / Russia / China, home mortgages, an election year, and the list goes on. Is anyone in any organization considering the possible Black Swans awaiting us and how we should deal with them with they appear? Few, if any!

I can think of a number of corporate Presidents, CEOs, board members, and leaders at every level that should read this book in hopes of creating a "Black Swan" mind-set and encouraging their employees to do the same. Instead they will continue to concentrate on things they already know and time and time again fail to take into consideration what they don't know, what they might do, what potential new approach might entirely change their operation. They continue to play it safe. They will suffer the consequences later.

And yet, we envy and respect those that have and do contemplate the potential Black Swans of our past, present and future. We call them creative entrepreneurs, daring dreamers, out of the box thinkers, and yes, even nuts. We should certainly be thankful that these characters keep emerging to aid our evolution.

This is an entertaining and enlightening book, and fairly easy to read. It has an important message regarding how the world works; that the world is governed not by the predictable and the average, but by the random, the unknowable, the unpredictable―big events or discoveries or unusual people that have big consequences. Change comes not uniformly but in unpredictable spurts. These are the Black Swans of the title: completely unexpected and rare events or novel ideas or technologies that have a huge impact on the world. Indeed, the author argues that history itself is primarily driven by these Black Swans.