今秋必读的12本商业书籍
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你记忆中的9月是不是削尖的铅笔，还有一大堆新书？现在至少还有新书可以期待，本文将推荐一批颇受期待的非虚构类商业和新闻作品，今年秋天即将问世。 《超级兴奋：Uber之战》（Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber） 作者：迈克·艾萨克（Mike Isaac） 9月3日发售 已有人宣称《超级兴奋》一书堪称今年版的《坏血 : 一个硅谷巨头的秘密与谎言》，劳工节一结束科技圈粉丝就要立刻读起来。本书作者是科技记者迈克·艾萨克，他在《纽约时报》工作时曾负责报道网约车公司Uber，也深入探讨了Uber后来会突然崩溃（在某些方面崩溃仍在继续）。在硅谷，文化不正的公司、错位的信任、夸大的评价和不良行为向来不少。但作者深度挖掘，采访了100多名现任和前任员工后最新写下的本书显示，Uber无疑是其中的典型代表。从这方面来说，《超级兴奋》可能不仅是《坏血》续篇，也算得上《社交网络》续集。 《迈克尔·布隆伯格的多面生活》（The Many Lives of Michael Bloomberg） 作者：埃莉诺·兰道夫（Eleanor Randolph） 9月10日发售 如果猫有九条命，可以说迈克尔·布隆伯格的事业也有九条命。 本书当中，《纽约时报》资深记者埃莉诺·兰道夫前所未有地介绍了布隆伯格，这位美国最富有（相对而言）也最内敛的名人生活圈。兰道夫研究了这位大亨扮演的许多角色，包括（但不限于）商人、开拓者、政治家、慈善家和（最近的）活动家。至于他最伟大的成就，至少从金融和媒体的角度来看，仍然可以说是1982年推出彭博终端机。 但是，布隆伯格也创造了史无前例三次担任纽约市长的纪录，经历了纽约遭逢9/11事件，到之后的经济大衰退，还有房地产交易（无论好坏）惊人增长，哈德逊河和东河沿岸的土地上遍布数十座新的豪华高层建筑和摩天大楼。虽然布隆伯格可能不会挤进去参与民主党总统初选，但兰道夫的新书为《出版商周刊》描述“布隆伯格的富豪统治”提供了例证。 《理想主义者的教育：回忆录》（The Education of an Idealist: A Memoir） 作者：萨曼莎·鲍尔（Samantha Power） 9月10日发售 身处参选率“成功”的门槛仍然极低的时代，普利策奖得主萨曼莎·鲍尔在书中提醒我们，一个人仍然可以有所作为。 新回忆录中，鲍尔从都柏林的童年讲起，然后到饱受战争蹂躏的波斯尼亚的街道，一直到白宫战情室，中间夹杂着讲述了两个孩子的故事。现在人们总在反省当美国人的意义，鲍尔的职业生涯就展示了一段相当能代表美国人的历程：从移民到白宫官员，曾在前总统奥巴马政府担任人权顾问四年，2013年成为最年轻的美国驻联合国大使。 尽管对于美国许多移民来说，形势变得十分严峻，但鲍尔仍然很乐观、偶尔幽默，是的，甚至有点理想主义，她告诉读者要保持内心的善良，对政治形势保持批判性，或者说更明确的判断。 《全世界最壮观的餐厅：双子塔、世界之窗和纽约的重生》（The Most Spectacular Restaurant in the World: The Twin Towers, Windows on the World, and the Rebirth of New York） 作者：汤姆·罗斯顿（Tom Roston） 9月10日发售 2001年9月11日之前的世界之窗餐厅，无论是比喻意义还是字面上都身处美国高级餐饮之巅，收入和海拔在全美都是最高的饭店之一，位置在当年世贸中心北塔107层。本书不仅仅介绍了餐厅，更是150年来美食的进化史，这段历史包括20世纪后半叶纽约经历跌宕起伏之后，纽约餐厅文化如何出现。熟悉的人物当中包括作家詹姆斯·比尔德、大厨雅克·佩平和美食记者盖尔·格林，他们不仅是餐饮界的开拓者，也对离地近四分之一英里的高空中搭建精致餐饮设施发挥过关键作用。 虽然很多人都在努力恢复当年的世界之窗餐厅，其中有一位推动力格外强大：其实“餐厅老板”这个词出现之前，乔·鲍姆就已从事该行业，远在丹尼·迈耶、大卫·程和莉迪亚·巴斯蒂亚尼奇等人在曼哈特建立各自的帝国，跟着成为餐厅老板之前。鲍姆还经常对下属（和同事）大声发号施令，速度非常快，声音也很大，连戈登·拉姆齐都无法想象。然而，如果没有鲍姆对细节的极度关注，完美主义的要求，以及餐厅的体验跟食物一样重要的坚定信念，很难想象世界之窗能有机会成功。 《人生旅程：担任迪士尼首席执行官15年的经验教训》（The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned From 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company） 作者：鲍勃·艾格（Bob Iger） 9月23日发售 除了迪士尼，好莱坞还有赚钱的电影公司吗？答案很简单：没有。其中很大一部分要归功于迪斯尼现任首席执行官鲍勃·艾格任期内多笔收购和创造性决策。收购漫威、卢卡斯营业和皮克斯都大获成功，而且还将产品拓展到电影之外，进入主题公园、流媒体新节目，还有不断出售的商品，艾格的受欢迎程度与日俱升，甚至有谣言称他应该竞选总统。（不过他不会的，至少本轮竞选他不会参加。）迪士尼股东可能松了一口气，尤其是今年秋天迪士尼还打算推出对标竞争对手Netflix的平台Disney+。不用说，如果你希望向大师资讯商业建议，找艾格就对了，读这本准没错。 《如何掀起革命》（How to Start a Revolution） 作者：劳伦·杜卡（Lauren Duca） 9月24日发售 在前主编伊莱恩·韦尔特罗斯的包容性编辑指导方针下，2016年劳伦·杜卡在《青少年时尚》杂志上发表有关特朗普竞选的文章爆红，也将“装神弄鬼”及背后涵义推到了全国话题最前沿。 如今在《如何掀起革命》一书中，杜卡通过第一人称的调查，追溯了千禧一代和Z一代如何在短短两年内从疏远政治（或被描述为冷漠或懒惰）到积极参与其中。目标是：重新构想公平的民主制度同时，找出政治制度问题重重的根源。杜卡的意见，首先要确保年轻人参与。 《接受自己的怪异之处：直面恐惧并释放创造力》（Embrace Your Weird: Face Your Fears and Unleash Creativity） 作者：费利西亚·戴伊 10月1日发售 该书是畅销回忆录《你在互联网上（几乎）从不怪异》的后续，作者费利西亚·戴伊身为女演员、作家和社交媒体宠儿，用坦率但别具一格的（总是很好笑的）个性讲述个人轶事，为寻找和重新点燃创意激情提供了实践指南。戴伊并不回避消极的记忆和经历，在处理焦虑、面对失败的恐惧和建设性（或不那么建设性）批评方面让人感同身受。（企业家、创业者、年轻的专业人士和富有创造力的专业人士很适合读一读这本书。） 这本新书有些像日记体，有些部分又类似创作工作手册，戴鼓励读者探索自身的“英雄自我”，而且提醒读者怪异一点也没问题，不妨将问题抛诸脑后，还建议把怪异的个性“当成特异功能使用”。 《粗鲁的爱：我如何争取值得的机会》（Embrace Your Weird: Face Your Fears and Unleash Creativity） 作者：苏珊·赖斯（Susan Rice） 10月8日发售 鉴于当前两极分化的政治气候，人们对奥巴马政府前国家安全顾问苏珊·赖斯的了解或看法可能完全取决于自身所属的政党。 不过，这本美国驻联合国前大使赖斯的回忆录中，她也分享了小时候全家如何在华盛顿艰难生活，也分享了影响自己的遗产。赖斯认为自己在“粗鲁的爱”中长大，反思了如此成长环境如何影响她作为非裔美国女性在政治和外交圈里竞争并且表现卓越，毕竟不管是政治还是外交领域里，有色人种特别是有色人种女性实在太少。 赖斯还从内部视角讲述了在克林顿和奥巴马政府任职期间，遇到的一些复杂重要的事件，其中包括（但不限于）：索马里的“黑鹰坠落”危机、卢旺达的种族灭绝、上世纪90年代末东非大使馆爆炸事件、埃博拉疫情，美国和古巴关系升温，爱德华·斯诺登泄密事件、2012年致命的利比亚（又名班加西）事件、美国对俄罗斯干预2016年大选的反应，以及过渡向特朗普政府的超现实主义感觉等。 《开拓者：商业作为变革最大平台的力量》（Trailblazer: The Power of Business as the Greatest Platform for Change） 作者：马克·贝尼奥夫（Marc Benioff） 10月15日发售 很少有科技公司现任领导能像Salesforce联合创始人兼联席首席执行官马克·贝尼奥夫一样坦率直言。当公众热烈讨论贫富差距，城市街道上的“排便危机”，以及技术中心（也是贝尼奥夫的家乡）旧金山有许多人生活水平下降，公司领袖们却缩在相对很小的圈子里。 最近贝尼奥夫建议，从家里开始改变，工作场所也要改。贝尼奥夫认为，根据这家云软件巨头的口头禅，应该从顶层开始建立企业文化，不仅要理解变革，也要接受并鼓励员工成为“变革践行者”。 《介意我取消吗？（让我恼火的事情）》（Do You Mind If I Cancel? 【Things That Still Annoy Me】） 作者：加里·詹内蒂（Gary Janetti） 10月22日发售 这本书可能是榜单上最容易读的一本，一些互联网用户，尤其是热爱娱乐新闻和王室消息的人们对加里·詹内蒂的Instagram帐户可能已经很熟悉。他曾在该帐户中冒充时髦版的英国乔治王子。作为好莱坞的编剧和制片人，他的日常工作要严肃一点（而且能赚不少钱）。他的作品包括担任《威尔与格蕾丝》执行制片人，以及为《恶搞之家》和英国情景喜剧《极品基老伴》撰写剧本，《极品基老伴》在美国也收获了一帮铁粉。说到底，詹内蒂确实很懂喜剧，书粉可以通过詹内蒂的幽默讲述了解他早期混迹娱乐圈的经历。作者表示：“都是些我童年和年轻时写的文章，主要写让我烦恼至今的事。” 《行为体现本性：如何打造商业文化》（What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture） 作者：本·霍洛维茨（Ben Horowitz），亨利·路易斯·盖茨（Henry Louis Gates）作序 10月29日发售 作者本·霍洛维茨的名字是硅谷沙山路上重要的风险投资公司安德森·霍洛维茨名称的一半，他确实可能有一些很棒的商业建议。但在《行为体现本性》一书中，这位风险资本家并没有教读者如何创办公司，而是提醒人们创业之后的行为对成功和今后的传承同样重要。 霍洛维茨结合了历史和现代公司的最佳实践，指导高管打造既能共富贵也能同患难的企业文化。相关案例包括研究海地唯一获得成功的奴隶起义领袖图桑·卢武图尔，建立世界最大帝国的成吉思汗，以及经营最强大监狱团伙且改变监狱文化的杀人犯沙卡·森戈尔。也有一些更接近现代（也没那么极端）的领导案例可以分析：麦当劳第一位非裔美国首席执行官唐·汤普森；前国务卿、民主党总统候选人希拉里·克林顿；以及Uber前首席执行官特拉维斯·卡兰尼克，不过卡兰尼克的案例可能更适合解释公司极盛时不该做什么。 《两位教皇：弗朗西斯、本尼迪克特，还有震撼世界的决定》（The Two Popes: Francis, Benedict, and the Decision That Shook the World） 作者：安东尼·麦卡顿（Anthony McCarten） 11月26日发售 2013年红衣主教团在西斯廷教堂投票后，梵蒂冈终于冒出白烟。新任教皇方济各创造了多项历史。他出生于阿根廷，原名豪尔赫·马里奥·贝尔格里奥，是1200年来第一位非欧洲籍的教皇，更不用说第一位来自南美的教皇。方济各在女性、有色人种和LGBTQ性少数人群的问题上更加激进，引发了一股浪潮，Twitter上很多全球各地的粉丝称他为第一位“酷”教皇。（与此同时，应对全球天主教会儿童性虐丑闻猖獗方面，他显然很保守，而且一直很保守。） 前任教皇本笃十六世主动退位后，方济各还担任天主教信仰领袖。本笃十六世也是700年第一位主动退位的教皇。 安东尼·麦卡顿正为下一部传记片做准备，此前他因《万物理论》和《至暗时刻》荣获奥斯卡奖最佳编剧奖提名。他打算将两个人的历史交织呈现：一位在纳粹德国长大，另一位曾坐公共汽车前往布宜诺斯艾利斯工作。麦卡顿想回答很多问题，比如登上教皇之位需要多年勤勉工作，还要经过复杂的政治运作，为什么有人愿意主动退位，以及明知继任者可能破坏遗产时要采取哪些措施。（财富中文网） 译者：冯丰 审校：夏林 |
If September brings back nostalgic memories of freshly sharpened pencils and plenty of new books, then you can still look forward to the latter with this list of some of the most anticipated nonfiction works on business and journalism being published this fall. Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber, by Mike Isaac Available Sept. 3 Already being heralded as this year’s Bad Blood, Super Pumped is a title techies will need to brace themselves for straight out of the gate after Labor Day. After covering ride-sharing company Uber as his beat assignment for the New York Times, technology correspondent Mike Isaac took an extended leave to dive deeper into just how and why Uber imploded the way it did (and continues to, in some areas). There is no shortage of stories of toxic workplaces, misplaced trust, inflated evaluations, and bad behavior in Silicon Valley these days. But Uber surely takes first place, according to this latest in-depth account, based on more than 100 interviews with current and past employees. In that regard, Super Pumped might not just be the next Bad Blood but also the treatment for the next Social Network. The Many Lives of Michael Bloomberg, by Eleanor Randolph Available Sept. 10 If cats have nine lives, then Michael Bloomberg is on his way there in terms of careers. Veteran New York Times reporter Eleanor Randolph demonstrates unprecedented access to the circle of one of the wealthiest and (relatively) most-private public figures in the country. Randolph studies the tycoon in a number of roles he has filled, including (but not limited to) businessman, trailblazer, politician, philanthropist, and (more recently) activist. His greatest achievement—at least from a financial and media perspective, is still arguably the 1982 introduction of his Bloomberg Terminals. But Bloomberg also made history for an unprecedented three terms as mayor of New York City, picking up the baton in an immediate–post 9/11 New York through the Great Recession and (for better or worse) an astronomic rise in real estate deals, dotting the land along the Hudson and East rivers with dozens of new luxury high-rises and skyscrapers. While Bloomberg may not have thrown his hat into the very crowded ring that is the Democratic presidential primary race, Randolph makes a case for what Publishers Weekly described as “Bloomberg’s brand of plutocracy.” The Education of an Idealist: A Memoir, by Samantha Power Available Sept. 10 In an age in which the bar for a “successful” voter turnout is still abysmally low, Pulitzer Prize winner Samantha Power is here to remind us that one person can still make a difference. In her new memoir, Power transports us from her childhood in Dublin to the streets of war-torn Bosnia to the White House Situation Room—all while juggling two young children somewhere along the way. And these days, as we are constantly reexamining what it means to be an American, Power’s career demonstrates what is arguably the most American journey: from immigrant to White House official, serving as former President Barack Obama’s human rights adviser for four years, later becoming the youngest American to ever serve as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations in 2013. And despite how dire the situation has become for many immigrants nationwide, Power maintains an optimistic, sometimes even humorous, outlook—yes, even an idealist one—telling readers to keep kindness in their hearts while maintaining a clearer—if not critical—eye on the political landscape. The Most Spectacular Restaurant in the World: The Twin Towers, Windows on the World, and the Rebirth of New York, by Tom Roston Available Sept. 10 Before Sept. 11, 2001, the Windows on the World restaurant was both figuratively and literally at the pinnacle of fine dining in America, both one of the highest-grossing restaurants nationwide and one of the loftiest, sitting on the 107th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. This isn’t an account of just the restaurant itself but a history of fine dining over the past 150 years, rooted in the emergence of New York’s restaurant culture, following the ebbs and flows of the city’s own tumultuous history over the second half of the 20th century. Among the familiar characters are author James Beard, chef Jacques Pepin, and food scribe Gael Greene—figures who were not only trailblazers in the culinary world, but were also consequential to the establishment of a fine-dining fixture nearly a quarter of a mile in the sky. And while it took many people to make Windows on the World the restaurant that it was, one person stands out as the driving force: Joe Baum was a restaurateur before the term was ever coined—well before the likes of Danny Meyer, David Cheng, and Lidia Bastianich built their own empires in Manhattan (and beyond) and took the title for themselves. Baum was also barking orders at subordinates (and colleagues) faster and louder than you could imagine even Gordon Ramsay doing. And yet it’s difficult to imagine Windows on the World ever being possible without Baum’s overly acute attention to detail, perfectionist demands, and firm belief that the experience of a restaurant was just as important as the food it serves. The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned From 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company, by Bob Iger Available Sept. 23 Is there any studio in Hollywood making money besides Disney? The easy answer is simple: No. And a large part of that is thanks to many of the acquisitions and creative decisions made during the tenure of current Disney CEO Bob Iger. Between the successes of buying Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Pixar—not to mention growing those entities beyond movies but out to the theme parks, new streaming shows, and a never-ending flow of merchandizing—Iger has grown so popular that there were even murmurs he should run for President. (He’s not—at least not this election cycle.) That’s probably a relief for Disney shareholders, especially as the Mouse House prepares to roll out its Netflix rival, Disney+, this fall. Needless to say, if you’re an apprentice looking toward a master for business advice, Iger is your guy, and this is your book. How to Start a Revolution, by Lauren Duca Available Sept. 24 Under the inclusive editorial direction of former editor-in-chief Elaine Welteroth, Lauren Duca brought the term “gaslighting” and everything it entails to the forefront of the national conversation when her Teen Vogue article about the Trump campaign went viral in 2016. Now, in How to Start a Revolution, Duca traces through a first-person examination as to how millennials and Generation Z went from being considered politically alienated (or described as apathetic or lazy) to engaged in just two years. The goal: to identify the root of our ailing political system while reimagining what an equitable democracy would look like. According to Duca, that begins by ensuring young people are involved. Embrace Your Weird: Face Your Fears and Unleash Creativity, by Felicia Day Available Oct. 1 In the follow-up to her bestselling memoir, You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost), actress, writer, and social media darling Felicia Day doles out personal anecdotes with frank but refreshing (and always droll) personality, resulting in a hands-on guide to finding and rekindling creative passions. Day doesn’t shy away from the negative memories and experiencing, making for an empathetic read in dealing with anxiety, fear of failure, and constructive (or not so constructive) criticism. (Entrepreneurs, startup founders, young professionals, and creative professionals would be wise to pick this book up.) In her part guided journal, part imaginative workbook, Day encourages readers to discover their “hero selves,” reminding readers that yes, it’s okay to be weird, flipping that on its head and proposing that weirdness can be “wielded as a superpower.” Tough Love: My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For, by Susan Rice Available Oct. 8 Given our polarizing political climate, one’s knowledge or opinion of Susan Rice—the former national security adviser to President Barack Obama—could very well rely on one’s political party. But in this memoir from the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Rice shares the family struggles that shaped her early life in Washington, D.C., simultaneously with the ancestral legacies that influenced her. Positing she was raised with “tough love,” Rice reflects on how that influenced her to compete and excel as an African-American woman in political and diplomatic circles—settings where people of color, especially women of color, are so few. Rice also provides an insider’s account of some of the most complex and notable events faced during her tenure in both the Clinton and Obama administrations, including (but not limited to): the “Black Hawk Down” crisis in Somalia, the genocide in Rwanda, the East Africa embassy bombings in the late 1990s, the Ebola epidemic, the warming of relations between the U.S. and Cuba, the fallout from Edward Snowden’s leaks, the deadly 2012 terrorist attacks in Libya (a.k.a. Benghazi), the U.S. response to Russian interference in the 2016 election, and the surreal transition to the Trump administration. Trailblazer: The Power of Business as the Greatest Platform for Change, by Marc Benioff Available Oct. 15 Few current tech CEOs have been as outspoken as Salesforce cofounder and co-CEO Marc Benioff. That group drops to a relative circle of one when it comes to vehemently publicly addressing the wealth gap, the “defecation crisis” on city streets, and the deterioration of the standard of living for many in the epicenter of the tech industry (and his hometown): San Francisco. In his latest work, Benioff suggests change starts at home—or even in the workplace. Based on the mantras of the cloud-software giant, Benioff argues it also starts at the top by building a corporate culture that not only understands change but also embraces and encourages its employees to be “agents of change” themselves. Do You Mind If I Cancel? (Things That Still Annoy Me), by Gary Janetti Available Oct. 22 Perhaps the lightest entry on this list, a certain subset of Internet users—notably entertainment news and Royals enthusiasts—are probably most familiar with Gary Janetti’s Instagram account in which he impersonates a sassy version of Britain’s Prince George. His day job is a bit more serious (and lucrative) as a Hollywood writer and producer. Credits include serving as the executive producer of Will and Grace along with writing for Family Guy and British sitcom Vicious, which has developed a cult following of its own in the United States. All of that said, Janetti knows comedy, and now book lovers will reap the rewards with wickedly hilarious accounts of Janetti’s early years in the entertainment industry. According to the writer: “These are essays from my childhood and young adulthood about things that still annoy me.” What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture, by Ben Horowitz, with a foreword from Henry Louis Gates Available Oct. 29 As one-half of the eponym to Sand Hill Road’s cornerstone venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, Ben Horowitz probably has some good business advice. But in What You Do Is Who You Are, the venture capitalist isn’t here just to dole out how to start a company but rather to remind you that what you do with it later is just as important to both your success and your legacy. Horowitz combines lessons from history and from modern organizations’ best practices to guide executives as to how they should build company cultures that can weather both good and bad times. These case studies range from studying Haiti’s Toussaint Louverture, the leader of the only successful slave revolt; Genghis Khan, who built the world’s largest empire; and Shaka Senghor, a convicted murderer who ran the most formidable prison gang, transforming prison culture. As for more recent (and less extreme) leadership examples to dissect: Don Thompson, the first African-American CEO of McDonald’s; former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton; and former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick—perhaps in a lesson what not to do after your company shoots to the top. The Two Popes: Francis, Benedict, and the Decision That Shook the World, by Anthony McCarten Available Nov. 26 Pope Francis made history in more ways than one when the white smoke rose from the Vatican after the College of Cardinals cast their most recent vote in the Sistine Chapel in 2013. The Argentine-born cleric formerly known as Jorge Mario Bergoglio was the first non-European Pope in 1,200 years—not to mention the first from South America. Francis has made waves for being more progressive on issues regarding women, people of color, and the LGBTQ community, prompting many Twitter followers worldwide to dub him the first “cool” Pope. (Simultaneously, he has been noticeably conservative and more of the same when it comes to responding to sexual abuse of children rampant throughout the Catholic Church worldwide.) Francis is also serving as the leader of Catholic faith after his predecessor—Pope Benedict XVI—willingly vacated his post—the first by a sitting Pope in 700 years. Setting up the treatment for his next biopic, Anthony McCarten, the Academy Award–nominated screenwriter of The Theory of Everything and The Darkest Hour, weaves together the histories of both men: one growing up in Nazi Germany and the other who used to ride the bus to work in Buenos Aires. McCarten sets out to address many questions, including why anyone would walk away from the seat of St. Peter, considering the ambitious career and political machinations it takes to get there—and what it must take to do that knowing your successor will most likely undo your legacy. |
