The Wisdom of Business Books

Black Friday An Important Part of the Celebration of Christ's Birth

The Purchasing of Mass Quantities at a Discount

Like the Red Cross after a disaster, each year AA visits the Mall after Black Friday to help clear up the damage and look for any shoppers trapped under the rubble. This year was no exception. A trip to the USA for Thanksgiving with family brought us back to familiar haunts.

This year with all the focus on-line sales the human tragedy and carnage were minimal save for the rise in carpal tunnel syndrome.

Charitable work done in record time, I nipped by the book store.

Whenever I need a “pick-me-up”, no need to head to the nearest pub. A visit to the bookstore’s Business Section allows me to reconnect with old friends and have some fun or a chuckle or two.

Look there’s Tom Peters with a new book with “excellence” in the title. That’s how many so far? I’ve “known” Tom for ages since I read “In Search of Excellence” some years back. He apparently found it and hasn’t stopped writing about it since then.

No purchase today. I’m holding out for “The Excellence of the Excellence”.

As I scanned the shelves, there he was Elon Musk arms folded with a determined look on his face. Gracing the cover of a breathless tome about how he, Bezos, and some business luminary whose name now escapes me were going to colonize space. Apparently, it’s true that the world is not enough.

It was clear that I was getting closer to the business celebrity section. My favorite section. Always good for a hearty chuckle or belly laugh.

Here was the accumulated wisdom of various captains of industry. Learn how to be an E Manager. Or if you’re a contrarian, learn that there are no E Managers..

Learn to Think Like a Billionaire. The alleged author of this tome’s fortunes seem to have risen with his foray into politics. From ship’s cook to ship’s captain thanks to a talented ghostwriter and a gullible public 

As they say, those who can, do. Those who can't, write books offering advice on how to do it.  Or perhaps hire someone to write the book for them.

Books of quotes from Peter Thiel, Jeff Bezos. Inspiring lives, inspiring quotes. Words to live by.

Authors channeling the thoughts of famous departed leaders. Sun Tzu with advice for women businessmen. Genghis Khan.

Apparently even Jesus had a business leadership style and has some timely pointers on "how to make a payroll".  Who knew besides Jerry Falwell?

Visionary insights to be scooped up. More knowledge per square inch of shelf space than the entire Library of Alexandria.

A veritable collection of wisdom to rival The Great Books. To which sadly Hutchins and Adler lacked access.

My attempts to suppress a chuckle crumbled. I was laughing out loud.

A clerk who had been keeping me under close surveillance given my increasingly raucous browsing came over to ask if she could help

Yes, indeed.

Any “works” by Adam Neumann or about him?

Sadly none. Has he missed his fleeting chance to tell us how he made it “big” and how if we emulate him, we can also? Will his wisdom like that of Ammonius Saccas be lost for all time? Say it isn't true!

As I began to walk to the exit, my eye fell on a book “The Five Habits of Highly Effective Companies”. Incontrovertible proof that corporations are indeed people, though I suppose none was really needed.

Later at home I heard that McKinsey or Bain were planning to expand their consulting business to offer psychological counselling to firms perhaps after reading the above tome. Treating addictions, resolving traumas. 

Perhaps even those from past lives.  Or as we business experts call them "pre-merger incarnations". 

Good business and good works combined.

I paused to gaze upon the history and foreign policy books just before exiting. 

To my surprise I learned that Bill Gates has an annual “best” book list. A list that includes more than business or technology tomes.

As I left the store, I wondered what Bill recommended I have for dinner. Sadly, a question that remains unanswered to this very day.

Thankfully Madame Arqala usually makes this decision. Or I might have starved to death in the absence of Bill’s reply.