Fast Company, Ten Great Business Reads of of 2005

December 15, 2005

Buzzmarketing
Apple's "1984" ad, Ford's original Mustang debut, Fox's American Idol -- Mark Hughes dissects the best buzz coups of all time to set solid ground rules for effective word-of-mouth marketing.

Brand Sense
Like any good branding, Martin Lindstrom's account of product loyalty is sexy, smartly packaged, and offers great cocktail-party icebreakers (Coca-Cola bottles were designed like cocoa pods?).

The One Thing You Need To Know
Marcus Buckingham's single-principle guide is an engaging look at what successful Walgreens managers, fast-food VPs, and Kalahari bushmen have in common.

License to Deal
A zippy tale about a pair of former high-tech businessmen looking to turn a little talent and a lot of hope into a successful sports agency. Think Jerry Maguire meets Moneyball.

The Rise of the Rogue Executive
Beyond scrutinizing internal memos and receipts, Leonard Sayles and Cynthia Smith untangle the knot of motivations and systemic flaws underlying recent corporate scandals.

In the Bubble
A thinking man's take on how design and technology affect modern life, John Thackara's book goes beyond slick, high-tech gizmos to ask where any of this is getting us.

Bait and Switch
Barbara Ehrenheich goes undercover as a PR consultant in this journey into the shadowy world of white-collar unemployment -- meeting image-managers, resume coaches, and other transition accelerants.

Smartbomb
Video games have surpassed Hollywood box-office receipts in annual sales. Heather Chaplin and Aaron Ruby take a voyeuristic journey through this fast-paced industry.

Get Back in the Box
Douglas Rushkoff offers a fast-track paean to workplace basics that dissects corporate failures misstep by misstep -- naming the executives responsible.

Survival of the Savvy
Leave it to a couple of PhDs to bring the soap opera of workplace politics to the business textbook. Rick Brandon and Mary Seldman provide a detailed study of how average folks get screwed at work.

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