Business thinking between the covers
How much is enough?
by Robert Edward Skidelsky
Penguin €22.75
“The love of money and the case for the good life” is the sub-title of this book by the Skidelskys, who ask why work and the need for constant acquisition dominate so many peoples lives. Robert is emeritus professor of political economy at the University of Warwick while his son Edward is a lecturer in philosophy at the University of Exeter.
Fittingly then, in this book they argue that wealth should not be an end in itself but rather a means to a good life. They look at John Maynard Keynes’s thesis in 1930 that over the following century, incomes would rise steadily, people’s basic needs would be met and nobody would have to work more than 15 hours a week. He was only half right. Incomes have risen but expectations have expanded along with working hours.
As Keynes predicted, there is a long-term decrease in the demand for labour caused by continuous improvements in productivity.
The authors suggest we can either turn this to our advantage by greatly expanding the domain of shared work and leisure, as some European countries have tried to do – or we can continue with the Anglo-American system of want- creation, powered by insatiability.
The shift to a good life is possible but only with help from a guiding force such as religion, they argue.
QuickWin presentations
by Elizabeth Tierney
Oak Tree Press €14.95
Tierney, a coach and lecturer in communications has compiled a practical guide to making professional presentations. The book aims to take the anxiety out of a task that many business people dread. Thereis certainly plenty of advice here and it’s laid out in bite- sized sections with meticulous cross-referencing by the publisher.
You can also search the book by themes or topics such as audience, feedback and props from a series of grids so it is perfect for getting a quick tip on a specific area.
She suggests that presenters should become aware of their verbal idiosyncrasies – phrases that may come from your upbringing, education or career specialisation, such as “right” or “you know like”, and should strive to remove these as they are likely to irritate an audience.
They should also get someone else to proof-read their slides for literals. Spelling and grammar mistakes undermine the credibility of the speaker and their message.
Mistakes happen, Tierney notes, and how you handle them says a lot about you. Never blame anyone else, know that everyone else in the room has been in the same situation and try a light-hearted approach if appropriate. If you handle the problem well, you will enchant the audience as they will see you as more human, she says.
The wrong answer faster
by Michael Goodkin
Wiley €24.99
In this rags-to-riches tale, Goodkin recounts the story of how he created a computerised trading system that revolutionised Wall Street in the late 1960s. It is an inspiring story of how a young man with no money or career assembles a group of smart economists and investors and creates a new business that transforms a whole industry. Here, bold ambition triumphs over mediocrity.
Goodkin isn’t just a smart innovator; he is also a gambler and a maverick. Advised by his high school guidance counsellor to become a plumber, he gets a college education instead and enjoys a series of lucky breaks, including meeting a multi-millionaire who backs him.
His audacious plan combines his love of gambling with convincing a group of future Nobel Prize-winning economists to collaborate with him to build a model for computerised trading.
Goodkin relates how he implements his plan, rides his luck and sells the business for millions on a day in 1972 when he has barely enough money to pay the legal fees for the transaction.
He then travels the world as a professional backgammon player before resettling in Chicago in the early 1990s and establishing another business in the derivatives market, making a second fortune.
