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NY Times Business Hardcover Best Sellers – March 2009

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New York Times – Hardcover Business Best Sellers – March 2009

 

The March 2009 New York Times Hardcover Business Best Sellers list looks a lot like what we saw in February. Just as last month began to (finally) reveal America’s concern over the economy, March continued this trend. While the March list contains no credible financial survival guides (sorry, Dave Ramsey, we’re not a fan), the The Great Depression Ahead, by Harry Dent vaulted to Number 2, while fellow gloom-and-doomer Paul Krugman, a former Nobel winner, saw his tome fall to Number 7.

 

It didn’t seem to matter that we warned you not to buy Dent’s book last month – we even pointed out that his previous book (The Next Great Bubble Boom: How to Profit from the Greatest Boom in History: 2006-2010) predicted the Dow would hit 40,000 in 2009 – you attacked Amazon and bricks-and-mortar retailers to push his latest prognostication-filled tome higher than it deserved. (Truthfully, his stuff doesn’t deserve to be anywhere on this list.)


 

Contrast Dent’s collection of more wild guesses with Number 1 on the NY Times’ list for the fourth consecutive month, Outliers. This is one great read and deserves a look by anyone interested in the psychology of success. (Outliers could very well be the best book released in 2008.) In Outliers, author Malcolm Gladwell poses the question: why do some people succeed, while those with more talent, brains and/or brawn never reach their full potential? We don’t want to give away the answer here, so like we do with the rest of Gladwell’s work, the editors of AskTheManager highly recommend you read it for yourself.

 

After Outliers, the next best read on this month’s list is probably Number 15’s The Snowball by Alice Schroeder. Schroeder delivers the most recent in a long line of Warren Buffett biographies; and although the list is long, her book easily made our list of the Ten Best Warren Buffett Books of all time.

 

The Top Five – NY Times Business Hardcover Best Sellers March 2009 (to view the entire list, follow this link):

 

This
Month

 

Last
Month

1

OUTLIERS, by Malcolm Gladwell. (Little, Brown, $27.99.) Why some people succeed — it has to do with luck and opportunities as well as talent — from the author of “Blink” and “The Tipping Point.”

1

2

THE GREAT DEPRESSION AHEAD, by Harry S. Dent Jr. (Free Press, $27.) A financial prognosticator anticipates further market crashes and an extended downturn, but sees a way for savvy investors to prosper.

6

3

THE BIG RICH, by Bryan Burrough. (Penguin Press, $29.95.) The four wealthiest Texas oil families across several generations.

 

4

THE TOTAL MONEY MAKEOVER, by Dave Ramsey (Thomas Nelson, $24.99.) Debt reduction and fiscal fitness for families, by the radio talk-show host. (†)

3

5

HOT, FLAT, AND CROWDED, by Thomas L. Friedman. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $27.95.) How a green revolution can renew America, by the New York Times columnist.

2

 

NY Times Hardcover Business Best Sellers – February 2009

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New York Times – Hardcover Business Best Sellers – February 2009

Unlike January’s NY Times list, the February 2009 New York Times Hardcover Business Best Sellers list begins to reveal America’s concern over the economy. While the February list is still void of credible financial survival guides, there are two “the end is near” tomes using the “D” word to (we assume) shock us into purchasing a copy.

 

Paul Krugman’s The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008 cracks the Top 5, with The Great Depression Ahead, by Harry Dent coming in at Number 6. These gloom and doom reads come to us from a Nobel Winner (Krugman) and a man whose last book (The Next Great Bubble Boom: How to Profit from the Greatest Boom in History: 2006-2010) predicted the Dow would hit 40,000 in this year. Our conclusion: while we will read neither book, if you plan to read one, we recommend Krugman’s. (Random thought, but if my name was Harry Dent, I’d probably change it.)

 

Number 1 on the Times’ list for the third consecutive month, Outliers could be one of the best books released last year. In this great read, author Malcolm Gladwell poses the question: why do some people succeed, while those with more talent, brains and/or brawn never reach their full potential? For those of us who still think we can grow up to be anything we want, Gladwell’s challenge of our belief in the self-made man is as uncomfortable as it is depressing. Like we do with the rest of Gladwell’s work, the editors of AskTheManager highly recommend this book.

 

After Outliers, the next best read on this month’s list is Number 14’s Panic: The Story of Modern Financial Insanity, by Michael Lewis. In this book, Lewis, author of the must-read Liar’s Poker, provides great insight into many of the economic speed bumps from the last twenty-plus years, from the ‘87 stock market crash and the bursting of the Internet stock bubble, to the recent implosion of the financial markets. This book is highly recommended for any Lewis fan and for those looking for an insider’s unedited perspective into market forces.




 

The Top Five – NY Times Business Hardcover Best Sellers February 2009 (to view the entire list, follow this link):

 

This
Month

 

Last
Month

1

OUTLIERS, by Malcolm Gladwell. (Little, Brown, $27.99.) Why some people succeed — it has to do with luck and opportunities as well as talent — from the author of “Blink” and “The Tipping Point.”

1

2

HOT, FLAT, AND CROWDED, by Thomas L. Friedman. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $27.95.) How a green revolution can renew America, by the New York Times columnist.

3

3

THE TOTAL MONEY MAKEOVER, by Dave Ramsey (Thomas Nelson, $24.99.) Debt reduction and fiscal fitness for families, by the radio talk-show host.

8

4

THE ASCENT OF MONEY, by Niall Ferguson. (Penguin Press, $29.95.) A financial history of the world, stressing the link between politics and economics.

4

5

THE RETURN OF DEPRESSION ECONOMICS AND THE CRISIS OF 2008, by Paul Krugman. (Norton, $24.95.) The recipient of the 2008 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics revises his earlier work from 1999 to reflect current economic crisis.

6

 

NY Times Hardcover Business Best Sellers – January 2009

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New York Times – Hardcover Business Best Sellers – January 2009

 

A quick review of the January 2009 New York Times Hardcover Business Best Sellers list and you wouldn’t know we were in a recession. Where are all the financial survival guides? Where are all the “end is near” and Nostradamus tomes?

 

Instead of the expected flight to junk journalism full of the “how to” books that actually apply to no one, this month’s list is surprisingly loaded with many decent biographies, smart historical perspectives and controversial statistical analyses that require a deeper level of thought than we need for, say, Dave Ramsey’s The Total Money Makeover (Number 8 this month).

 

Of the quality highlights on January’s list, Outliers at Number 1 could be one of the best books released in 2008. In this great read author Malcolm Gladwell poses the question: why do some people succeed, while those with more talent/brains/brawn never reach their potential? For those of us who still think we can grow up to be anything we want, Gladwell’s challenge of our belief in the self-made man is as uncomfortable as it is depressing. Like we do with the rest of Gladwell’s work, the editors of AskTheManager highly recommend this book.

 

Another January highlight can be found in a great Warren Buffet biography by Alice Schroeder at Number 2. In fact, The Snowball is not only in the Top 5 on the NY Times list, it was also named to our list of the Ten Best Warren Buffet Books of All Time. Why would we release a list of the Top 10 Buffet Books? At last count, there were forty-seven Warren Buffet biographies currently in print, so we felt you needed a guide to decide which ones are worthy of your time. (To see our list of the 10 Best Warren Buffet Biographies, follow this link.)


 

The overall best read on this month’s list (showing its staying power more than three years after its release) is Number 11’s Freakonomics. As loyal readers of this blog know, Freakonomics is expected be released as a feature-length documentary later this year. (To read our recent interview with Freakonomics producer Chad Troutwine, follow this link.)

 

The Top Five – NY Times Business Hardcover Best Sellers January 2009 (to view the entire list, follow this link):

 

This
Month

 

Last
Month

1

OUTLIERS, by Malcolm Gladwell. (Little, Brown, $27.99.) Why some people succeed — it has to do with luck and opportunities as well as talent — from the author of “Blink” and “The Tipping Point.”

1

2

THE SNOWBALL, by Alice Schroeder. (Bantam, $35.) The life of Warren Buffett.

2

3

HOT, FLAT, AND CROWDED, by Thomas L. Friedman. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $27.95.) How a green revolution can renew America, by the New York Times columnist.

3

4

THE ASCENT OF MONEY, by Niall Ferguson. (Penguin Press, $29.95.) A financial history of the world, stressing the link between politics and economics.

5

5

CALL ME TED, by Ted Turner with Bill Burke. (Grand Central, $30.) The entrepreneur’s personal story.

4

 

NY Times Business Hardcover Best Sellers – November 2008

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New York Times – Hardcover Business Best Sellers – November 2008

 

An historical election behind us and a bleak short-term future ahead, we find ourselves at a very interesting time. When will the market hit bottom? How high will unemployment ultimately reach? Will Chrysler and GM survive to see 2010? Can Barack Obama and a Democratic Congress do anything to solve the credit and housing crises?

 

With so many economic questions facing us, it seems natural that the NY Times list would have more than a few economic tomes in the mix. (We count nine.) Below you’ll find the Top 5 on the New York Times Hardcover Business Best Sellers list for November 2008 – to see the complete list (and to see an interesting economic read at number 14 this month) follow this link.

 

At fourteen on the November list (second in October) is a good read by T. Boone Pickens. Part autobiography and part Boone’s plan for America’s energy independence, The First Billion is the Hardest is interesting if for nothing else than it provides a pretty solid plan for reducing our dependency on foreign oil. Obviously his views are less interesting to America now that gas is relatively cheap – though we believe it won’t take much for oil to top $140 a barrel again. (Last we checked Pickens was the only one putting forth a real plan.)

 

Number 1 this month brings a great Warren Buffet biography by Alice Schroeder. In fact, The Snowball is not only number 1 on the NY Times list, it was also named to our list of the 10 Best Warren Buffet Books of All Time last month. At last count, there are forty-seven Warren Buffet bios currently in print, so you need a guide to decide which ones are worth your time. To see our list of the 10 Best Warren Buffet Biographies, follow this link.

 

 




This
Month

 

Last
Month

1

THE SNOWBALL, by Alice Schroeder. (Bantam, $35.) The life of Warren Buffett.

 

2

HOT, FLAT, AND CROWDED, by Thomas L. Friedman. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $27.95.) How a green revolution can renew America, by the New York Times columnist.

1

3

WHO, by Geoff Smart and Randy Street. (Ballantine, $24.) How to attract and hire the right people for your business. (†)

 

4

THE TOTAL MONEY MAKEOVER, by Dave Ramsey (Thomas Nelson, $24.99.) Debt reduction and fiscal fitness for families, by the radio talk-show host. (†)

6

5

THE 4-HOUR WORKWEEK, by Timothy Ferriss. (Crown, $19.95.) Because life isn’t all about work. (†)

3

 

NY Times Business Best Sellers – Hardcover October 2008

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New York Times – Hardcover Business Best Sellers – October 2008

 

With the economic meltdown seemingly getting worse by the day, we’re not sure how many of our readers can scrape together enough cash to purchase a Business Best Seller. For those of you with an extra $10 to $30 in your wallet, you may want to consider one of the Top 5 on the NY Times Hardcover Business Best Sellers list for October 2008. To see the complete list (and to see a great choice at Number 7 this month) follow this link.

 

At seven on the October list (eighth last month) is a terrific read on the most perplexing problem in business today: execution. Specifically, Six Disciplines® Execution Revolution: Solving the One Business Problem That Makes Solving All Other Problems Easier by Gary Harpst deals with businesses’ inability to execute strategy – a decent deal this month at $10.15 on Amazon.com. To learn more about this book, follow this link.

 

While there are some great reads among the 15 on this month’s list, truly none of them are as valuable for Leadership Development as the ten books featured in the AskTheManager.com’s Top Ten Leadership Books of All Time. To see our list, follow this link. There is one book on this month’s list that came close to cracking our own Top 10. Now, Discover Your Strengths, by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton; number four this month and priced at a bargain $19.80 on Amazon. This book delivers great lessons in both leadership development (for you) and people development (for your team).

 




This
Month

 

Last
Month

1

HOT, FLAT, AND CROWDED, by Thomas L. Friedman. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $27.95.) How a green revolution can renew America, by the New York Times columnist.

 

2

THE FIRST BILLION IS THE HARDEST, by T. Boone Pickens. (Crown Business, $26.95.) An account of Pickens’s career and his views about energy policy.

 

3

THE 4-HOUR WORKWEEK, by Timothy Ferriss. (Crown, $19.95.) Because life isn’t all about work. (†)

1

4

NOW, DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS, by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton. (Free Press, $30.) How to identify and develop your talents and those of your employees. (†)

3

5

BAD MONEY, by Kevin Phillips. (Viking, $25.95.) How the financial sector has hijacked the American economy, aided by Washington’s ruinous faith in the efficiency of markets.

 

 

NY Times Business Best Sellers – Hardcover September 2008

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New York Times – Hardcover Business Best Sellers – September 2008

 

Here are the Top 5 on the NY Times Hardcover Business Best Sellers list for September 2008. To see the complete list (and to see a great choice at Number 8 this month) follow this link.

 

At eight on the September list (seventh last month) is a terrific read on the most perplexing problem in business today: execution. Specifically, Six Disciplines® Execution Revolution: Solving the One Business Problem That Makes Solving All Other Problems Easier by Gary Harpst deals with businesses’ inability to execute strategy. A real bargain at $7.12 on Amazon.com. To learn more about this book, follow this link.




 

While there are some great reads among the 15 on this month’s list, truly none of them are as valuable for Leadership Development as the ten books featured in the AskTheManager.com’s Top Ten Leadership Books of All Time. To see our list, follow this link.

 

Back in the top five this month is Freakonomics. Although it’s not a leadership development or management training book, Freakonomics is both a fun read and an eye-opener into real world economics. More social commentary than leadership, Freakonomics is being made into what will surely be a must-see documentary by independent producer, Chad Troutwine. To read more about the documentary, which is currently filming, follow this link.

 

This
Month

 

Last
Month

1

THE 4-HOUR WORKWEEK, by Timothy Ferriss. (Crown, $19.95.) Because life isn’t all about work.

2

2

THE TOTAL MONEY MAKEOVER, by Dave Ramsey (Thomas Nelson, $24.99.) Debt reduction and fiscal fitness for families, by the radio talk-show host.

4

3

NOW, DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS, by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton. (Free Press, $30.) How to identify and develop your talents and those of your employees.

6

4

DEBT CURES “THEY” DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT, by Kevin Trudeau. (Equity, $25.95.) How the credit industry is rigged against you, and how to fight back by changing your financial habits.

5

5

FREAKONOMICS, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. (Morrow, $27.95.) A scholar uses economics to explore the incentives that drive such disparate groups, including crack gangs, sumo wrestlers, school teachers, campaign fund-raisers and real estate agents.

8

 

NY Times Business Best Sellers – Hardcover August 2008

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Here are the Top 5 on the NY Times Business Hardcover Best Sellers list for August 2008. To see the complete list (and to see a great choice at Number 7 this month) follow this link.

 

At number 7 this month is a terrific read on the most perplexing problem in business today: execution. Specifically, Six Disciplines® Execution Revolution: Solving the One Business Problem That Makes Solving All Other Problems Easier by Gary Harpst deals with businesses’ inability to execute strategy. A real bargain at $7.12 on Amazon.com this week. To learn more about this book, follow this link.




 

Interested in reading a business book that the editors of AskTheManager.com feel should be included in the list of the Top Ten Leadership Books of All Time? To see our list, follow this link.

 

Freakonomics. is still on this list this month, though it’s dropped to Number 8 (from Number 3). Although it’s not a leadership development or management training book, Freakonomics is both a fun read and an eye-opener into real world economics. More social commentary than leadership, Freakonomics is the now being made into what will surely be a must-see documentary by independent producer, Chad Troutwine. To read more about the documentary, which is currently filming, follow this link.

 

This
Month

 

Last
Month

1

WHEN MARKETS COLLIDE, by Mohamed El-Erian. (McGraw-Hill, $27.95.) Investing advice for a time of global economic change.

2

2

THE 4-HOUR WORKWEEK, by Timothy Ferris. (Crown, $19.95.) Because life isn’t all about work. (†)

1

3

WOMEN & MONEY, by Suze Orman (Spiegel & Grau, $24.95.) How women can achieve financial security. (†)

10

4

THE TOTAL MONEY MAKEOVER, by Dave Ramsey (Thomas Nelson, $24.99.) Debt reduction and fiscal fitness for families, by the radio talk-show host. (†)

6

5

DEBT CURES “THEY” DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT, by Kevin Trudeau. (Equity, $25.95.) How the credit industry is rigged against you, and how to fight back by changing your financial habits. (†)

8

 

NY Times Business Best Sellers – Hardcover July 2008

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Here are the Top 5 on the NY Times Business Hardcover list for July 2008. To see the complete list (and to see a great choice that’s been at #15 for two months in a row) follow this link.

 

At number 15 again this month is the great read from Marshall Goldsmith called What Got You Here Won’t Get You There – How Successful People Become Even More Successful! TheManager highly recommends it. This book will show you twenty workplace habits that you need to break in order to reach the highest rungs on the ladder. It’s an especially great read for anyone who is already successful and thinks they have all the answers. (Sound like anyone you know?) What Got You Here also ranks #6 on AskTheManager.com’s list of the Top Ten Leadership Books of All Time. To see the complete list, follow this link.

 

A real surprise on this month’s list is one of the five best business books ever written, Freakonomics. Although not a leadership development or management training book, Freakonomics is both a fun read and an eye-opener into real world economics. More social commentary than leadership, Freakonomics is the now being made into what will surely be a must-see documentary by independent producer, Chad Troutwine. To read more about the film, follow this link.

 

This
Month

 

Last
Month

1

THE 4-HOUR WORKWEEK, by Timothy Ferris. (Crown, $19.95.) Because life isn’t all about work. (†)

2

2

WHEN MARKETS COLLIDE, by Mohamed El-Erian. (McGraw-Hill, $27.95.) Investing advice for a time of global economic change.

 

3

FREAKONOMICS, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. (Morrow, $27.95.) A scholar uses economics to explore the incentives that drive such disparate groups, including crack gangs, sumo wrestlers, school teachers, campaign fund-raisers and real estate agents.

 

4

THE DRUNKARD’S WALK, by Leonard Mlodinow. (Pantheon, $24.95.) How we misunderstand the significance of chance in our daily lives.

 

5

NOW, DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS, by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton. (Free Press, $30.) How to identify and develop your talents and those of your employees. (†)

6