We are pleased to profile the many talented executives in the FountainBlue community, and support them in spreading the word about the wisdom and advice they have gained in their years in the Silicon Valley trenches. Each month, we will profile a book recently released by a member of the list, which would be of relevance to the decision-makers growing high-tech, life science and clean energy companies in the valley, with impact across the globe.
If you are a FountainBlue community member and would like to submit your book as a Featured Book to your fellow members, please e-mail us by the 15th of each month and the chair of our book evaluation committee will acknowledge receipt of your submission and send out monthly recommendations to the list.
We hope that you enjoy reading the recommended books and that you will support fellow FountainBlue members by promoting these books to others in your network who would also be interested in reading them.
Our January 2008 book is featured below.
Book Name, Author, Publisher, Date:Awakening Social Responsibility ? A Call to Action.(Paperback), by Derickson and Henley with Negash, Connors and Campbell, Happy About; 1st edition (October, 2007)
Who the Book Will Help: This book is a quick guidebook for global citizens that are interested in creating socially responsible programs but have little or no idea where to begin within their own companies. We make no effort to be comprehensive but instead offer a glimpse of what is possible because of our intention to help people get started on the pathway to corporate social responsibility (CSR). This book is for people who want to be Global Change Agents.
Key Learnings from the Book
Perspectives on CSR. In this section we present the observations of ?students? of CSR: what CSR means, the good and the bad, the trends, the possibilities.
Implementing CSR. This section introduces some of the issues companies need to consider as they move forward with a CSR program:leadership, clarity of purpose, ethical concerns, procedural steps, strategic integration.
Corporate CSR Initiatives. Our examples also show how CSR can be incorporated throughout an organization, and reveal issues that are posing special challenges.
Opportunities to Practice CSR. In this section we profile a diverse array of organizations that facilitate CSR.
Resources. List of organizations and periodicals, all readily accessible on the Internet, dedicated to advancing socially and environmentally responsible business practices.
Testimonials:
Derickson & Henley have really captured social responsibility in a global world. The use of multiple authors and giving each a voice in this book is masterful. In Chapter 5, Dinesh Chandra states, "If others do not feel safe, we are not safe. If others are struggling, we experience the consequence of the struggle.
Derickson and Henley have demonstrated by the very format what Awakening Social Responsibility is all about, promoting the dialogue of corporate and global citizenry to speak directly to the issues facing each of us as individuals. The timing could not be more awakened, joining other illustrious authors such as Bill Clinton's "Giving" in the national discussion.
This book was very inspiring! In this changing world, there is a huge need for each of us to be more involved personally and professionally in making improvements on a global basis. We often read about the problems of the world, and we do care. However, it is never clear what we can do to help specifically or how we can get our company to take these issues more seriously.
Price, Discount and Purchasing Link:
The book is available for $19.95 on and through Ingram and directly from the publisher:.
Our December 2007 featured book is profiled below.
Book Name, Author, Publisher, Date: Scrappy Project Management: The 12 Predictable and Avoidable Pitfalls Every Project Faces (Paperback), by Kimberly Wiefling, Happy About; 1st edition (September 2, 2007)
Who the Book Will Help: This book is for people who need to get things done . . . especially project managers, either those who are new to the field and want to learn about what REALLY works, or seasoned project managers who don't buy the rhetoric of the PMI "party line" about how projects ought to and do run. It will also appeal to people who are involved in projects that they are not running, but no one else is either! In fact, any manager can benefit from many of the insights contained in this book.
Key Learnings from the Book:
The top reasons that teams fail are completely avoidable, and due to leadership in absentia. Wake up before it's too late!
How to avoid the rip-tide model of teamwork, where everyone jumps in and drowns together.
Ignore the voice of the customer at your own peril. They are the ones with the money, after all!
Are you a wage slave? If you want to be a great project leader you'd better be able to put your job on the line.
Stop pretending that everything is top priority. Sometimes you've got to choose between your heart, lungs, and kidneys!
Testimonials:
"This is a terrific book and a wonderful resource for project management. In fact, it's a wonderful resource for any type of management, and every leader could benefit from Kimberly's insights."
I read the book through and found so many pithy gems that I read it again and highlighted the lines I wanted to remember, like, "Hope is Not a Strategy," and, "The person who can make a difference will be found in the mirror." I have 2 typed pages of notes and reminders, a combination of the practical and the philosophical.
I plan to give a copy of the book to each of my current and former clients, as a holiday gift of lasting value. I recommend it without reservation." Charles D. Brown, Founder and Partner, Brown Schroeder and Associates, Inc.
Price, Discount and Purchasing Link: $13.57 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details You Save: $6.38 (32%)
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