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The following is a list of recently published business and technology-related
books that were written by Chicago authors or have been written
specifically for Chicago readers.
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Current Book Listing
Chicago Guide to Communicating Science
The Entrepreneur's Guide to Finance and Business
Leaders Talk Leadership
Fair Not Flat: How to Make the Tax System Better and Simpler
Franchising Dreams: The Lure of Entrepreneurship in America
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Montgomery explains communication of technical concepts and data
Whether you are a graduate student or a senior scientist, your reputation rests on the ability to communicate your ideas and data. In The Chicago Guide to Communicating Science, Scott L. Montgomery offers detailed, practical advice on crafting every sort of scientific communication, from research papers and conference talks, to grant proposals, professional reports, review articles, speeches for the general public, interviews with the media, e-mail messages, and more. Montgomery focuses not on rules and warnings but instead on how skilled writers and speakers actually learn their trade--by imitating and adapting good models of expression. Moving step-by-step through sample writings from a wide variety of scientific disciplines, he shows where different texts can be improved, how to critique and design visuals, what the role of "experiment" is with regard to writing, and more.
He also traces the evolution of scientific expression over time, providing a context for understanding the nature of technical communication today. Later chapters take up the topics of Internet science; writing creatively in science; how to design and use graphics; advice for researchers whose first language is not English; and how to deal with the mass media. Written with humor and eloquence, this book provides a unique and realistic guide for anyone in the sciences wishing to improve his or her communication skills.
This practical guidebook covers: * how to write scientific papers, abstracts, grant proposals, technical reports, and articles for the general public * using graphics effectively * surviving and profiting from the review process * oral presentations * dealing with the press and the public * writing and the Internet * help for writers whose first language is not English. PR
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Kellogg professor’s guide offers first-step tips for entrepreneurs
The Entrepreneur's Guide to Finance and Business shows you how to lay the foundation for a strong, successful business. From crafting a meaningful business plan to taking the necessary steps to raise your business to the next level.
Working for yourself remains a demanding and difficult career path. The Entrepreneur's Guide to Finance and Business strives to make it easier by outlining the fundamental matters you must control from the beginning—or risk having them control you.
The book discusses:
- The dual objectives of a business plan and how to ensure that both are fulfilled
- The differences between debt and equity financing and how and why to use each
- Real-world methods for structuring a deal to benefit both the financier and the entrepreneur
- Valuation techniques for understanding what your business is truly worth
- Essential resources for finding the detailed information you need
Drawing on solid research, up-to-the-minute case studies, and his own experiences as the founder of numerous businesses, successful entrepreneur and Northwestern University professor Steven Rogers reveals what must be done, how to do it, and what to do when things go wrong. PR
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Leaders Talk Leadership presents insights from world business leaders
Last month, Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc., an executive search and leadership consulting firm, announced that its new book, “Leaders Talk Leadership: Top Executives Speak Their Minds,” is now available in select bookstores and online.
“Leaders Talk Leadership” is a collection of interviews with some of the world’s foremost leaders in business and academia, including perspectives from corporate leaders, like chief executives from American Express, Bank of America, China Netcom, Dell Computer, IBM, FedEx, PepsiCo, PeopleSoft, Pfizer, Procter & Gamble, Research in Motion, Siemens and Unisys. Framing those insights are interviews with leadership scholars such as Jay Conger of London Business School, Mohan Sawhney of Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Jeffrey Pfeffer of Stanford University, and Henry Mintzberg of McGill University, as well as “Good to Great” author Jim Collins and “Leading Change” author John Kotter.
These leaders in world business reveal their philosophies and strategies for: attracting and developing top talent, managing in today’s age of intangible assets, transforming companies, effective governance practices, and establishing competitive advantage in today’s market environment.
“At Heidrick & Struggles, as human capital advisors, we know that effective leadership is timeless,” said John T. Gardner, Vice Chairman of Board Services at Heidrick & Struggles. “The well-respected executives and experts we assembled for ‘Leaders Talk Leadership’ offer strategies for attracting and developing key talent, for transforming companies, and for establishing competitive advantage in today’s marketplace environment.” PR
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Fair Not Flat: How to Make the Tax System Better and Simpler
Our current tax system is perceived by many to be unfair and unnecessarily complicated. Author Edward J. McCaffery is of the same opinion.
Suggesting that some of the richest people in America pay no tax, while a huge share of the tax burden falls on the rest of citizens, he states that a mere glance at the tax code confirms that it is far too complex, with volumes of rules that no ordinary person could possibly comprehend.
A conservative approach to the current system is a flat tax but, according to McCaffery, a flat tax is not necessarily a simple tax, and “flat” means “more” for most taxpayers: a rise in middle-class taxes and tax cuts for the rich.
In easy-to-understand language, McCaffery proposes another alternative to both tax situations. He writes that a “fair not flat” tax that is consistent and progressive would tax spending, not income and savings. He explains that if it is collected at lower levels through a national sales tax, most people would not have to file a return while a supplemental tax on spending for the wealthiest individuals would make the national sales tax progressive.
Under McCaffery’s system, a family of four would pay no tax on their first $20,000 in spending, and 15 percent on the next $60,000. Only the few families who spend more than $80,000 a year would be subject to the supplemental tax. Necessities would be taxed less than ordinary and luxury items. No one would be taxed directly on savings. The estate and gift or so-called death tax would be abolished, for the simple reason that dead people don’t spend. The “fair not flat” tax would fall on heirs when and as they spend their good fortune.
One advantage to his proposal is that most Americans would not have to fill out tax returns. He suggests that his system is simpler, more efficient, and more reflective of America’s current social values. Perhaps McCaffery’s “fair not flat” tax could help get us out of our current tax mess, improving the whole country in the process. PR
Table of Contents
List of Tables and Figures
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Time for a Change
1. Tax Basics
2. The Trouble with the Income Tax
3. The Case for a Spending Tax
4. Death to Death Taxes
5. Progressivity Can Live
6. The Fair Not Flat Tax
Conclusion
Questions about Fair Not Flat Tax
Glossary of Key Terms
Further Reading
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Franchising Dreams: The Lure of
Entrepreneurship in America
Franchising has become an ever-present feature of the American landscape. One-third of the U.S. gross domestic product flows through franchises, and they employ one out of every sixteen workers.
Author Peter M. Birkeland worked for years in the front-line operations of franchise units for three companies, met with CEOs and executives, and attended countless trade shows, seminars, and expositions. With this experience he wrote the book Franchising Dreams, a documentary-like look into the frustrations and uncertainties that entrepreneurs face in their pursuit of the American dream.
Through his firsthand experience, he discovered what makes franchisees succeed or fail and in the book explains the difficulties in running a business according to someone else’s system and values. Bearing witness to a market flooded with fierce competitors that is dependent on the inscrutable whims of consumers, the author uncovers the numerous challenges present in today’s business climate.
Peter M. Birkeland is a speaker, consultant, and president of the Birkeland Institute, a company focused on increasing individual and network performance. He is also adjunct professor of strategic management and organization in the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, and lecturer in the Graham School of General Studies at the University of Chicago. PR
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