What We're Reading:

Current Picks from the Watermark Staff

August 14, 2007

In this issue:
Group sales.
Book reviews:
* "Thomas Paine's Rights of Man" by Christopher Hitchins.
* "The Hummer and the Mini" by Robyn Waters.
* "Our Iceberg is Melting, Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions" by John
Kotter.
* "The Culture Code" by Clotaire Rapaille.
* "The New American Workplace" by James O'Toole and Edward E. Lawler III.
Coffee flip.
Upcoming events.
You're in MySpace.

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GROUP SALES.

As head of Business and Group Sales, the business part is probably
self-explanatory. But what's a group? Wiktionary defines group as a noun (plural
groups), from the French groupe.

1. A number of things or persons being in some relation to one another.
2. (group theory) A set with an associative binary operation, under which there
exists an identity element and such that each element has an inverse.
3. A (usually small) group of people who perform music together.
4. (astronomy) A small number up to about fifty galaxies that are near each
other.

It goes on from there to give six more meanings. Ahh, the English language, so
many words, so many definitions.

If you're in book groups, schools groups, or a group of friends who would just
like to get together in our meeting room to have lunch, I would be glad to
assist you to set up a meeting in our basement, order from our menu, create a
menu, or find a book that would work for you. With advanced notice we can even
arrange for someone to give a book talk to your group.

We also offer discounts on books ordered for businesses or other groups (there's
that word again), such a book clubs.

So unless you are a group theory or a small number of galaxies, consider using
Watermark as a resource. I'd love to help you.

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BOOK REVIEWS.

These are some of the latest business books to arrive in the store:

"Thomas Paine's Rights of Man" by Christopher Hitchens (Atlantic Monthly Press, ISBN 9780871139559, $19.95)

Thomas Paine was one of the greatest advocates of freedom in history, and his
"Declaration of the Rights of Man," first published in 1791, is the key to his
reputation. Inspired by his outrage at Edmund Burke's attack on the French
Revolution, Paine's text is a passionate defense of man's inalienable rights.

Since its publication, "Rights of Man" has been celebrated, criticized,
maligned, suppressed, and co-opted, but in "Thomas Paine's Rights of Man," the
best-selling commentator and polemicist Christopher Hitchens marvels at its
forethought and revels in its contentiousness. Hitchens, who London's "The
Independent" has called "a Tom Paine for our troubled times" is a political
descendant of the great pamphleteer. In this vivid and engaging work he
demonstrates how Thomas Paine's book forms the philosophical cornerstone of the
United States of America, and how "in a time when both rights and reason are
under attack, the life and writing of Thomas Paine will always be part of the
arsenal on which we shall need to depend."

"Thomas Paine's Rights of Man" is from the Books That Changed the World series.

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"The Hummer and the Mini" by Robyn Waters (Portfolio, ISBN 9781591841364,
$24.95)

Robyn Waters is the former Vice President of Trend, Design and Product
Development at Target. When Robyn Waters began her career in the late 1970s, a
trend was defined as something that everyone wanted at the same time. Back then,
it was fairly easy for companies to determine the next big trend, and ride it
all the way to bank.

But today the "next big thing" has been replaced by a thousand next big things.
A cookie-cutter approach no longer works. Waters explains that for every trend,
there's an equally valid countertrend.

In her book, Waters urges companies to stop looking for the one right answer in
their industry. There are many good ways to design products, develop a line of
goods, merchandise a store or craft a marketing message. You can thrive by
selling huge cars (the Hummer) or tiny ones (the Mini). You can turn something
old into something new and desirable (the Vespa) or turn a commodity into a
luxury (In-and-Out burgers at the Oscars). You can even customize a product
designed for the masses (personalized postage stamps) or sell less as more
(Minute Clinics).

Waters will show you how to live with the contradictions, make the most of the
inconsistencies, and embrace the paradoxes of business as a source of fresh
ideas.

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"Our Iceberg is Melting, Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions" by John
Kotter (St. Martin's Press, ISBN 9780312361983, $19.95)

"Our Iceberg is Melting" is a simple fable about doing well in an ever-changing
world. Based on the award winning work of Harvard's John Kotter, it is a story
that has been used to help thousands of people and organizations. The fable is
about a penguin colony in Antarctica. A group of emperor penguins live as they
have for many years. Then one curious bird discovers a potentially devastating
problem threatening their home-and pretty much no one listens to him.

The characters in the story are like people we recognize--even ourselves. Their
tale is one of resistance to change and heroic action, seemingly intractable
obstacles and the cleverest tactics for dealing with those obstacles. 

This book is based on pioneering work that shows how Eight Steps produce needed
change in any sort of group. It's a story that can be enjoyed by anyone while at
the same time providing invaluable guidance for a world that just keeps moving
faster and faster.

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"The Culture Code" by Clotaire Rapaille (Broadway, ISBN 9780767920568, $24.95)

In "The Culture Code," internationally revered cultural anthropologist and
marketing expert Clotaire Rapaille reveals for the first time the techniques he
has used to improve profitability and practices for dozens of Fortune 100
companies. Rapaille's breakthrough notion is that we acquire a silent system of
Codes as we grow up within our culture. 

These Codes-the Culture Code-are what make us American, or German, or French,
and they invisibly shape how we behave in our personal lives, even when we are
completely unaware of our motives. What's more we can learn to crack the Codes
that guide our actions and achieve new understanding of why we do the things we
do.

Rapaille has used the Culture Code to help Chrysler build the PT Cruiser-the
most successful American car launch in recent memory. He has used it to help
companies as diverse as GE, AT&T, Boeing, Honda, Kellogg, and L'Oreal improve
their bottom line at home and overseas. 

Understanding the Codes gives us unprecedented freedom over our lives. It lets
us do business in dramatically new ways. And it finally explains why people
around the world really are different and reveals the hidden clues to
understanding us all.

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"The New American Workplace" by James O'Toole and Edward E. Lawler III (Palgrave MacMillan, ISBN 9781403969590, $27.95)

Thirty years have passed since the publication of "Work in America," the
landmark book that received national acclaim. Since then, the American workplace
has undergone dramatic changes, from the growth of globalization to the dramatic
decline in job security for the average worker. Based on decades of research by
hundreds of leading management scholars, The New American Workplace presents a
wide-ranging readable look at the hot-button issues that define work in America
today, including:

* the growing use of information technology
* off shoring, outsourcing, and downsizing
* the growth of contract and part-time work, and other forms of contingent
employment
* employee participation in decision making, profits, and stock ownership.

Here the authors give a comprehensive, authoritative picture of the state of the
workplace today.


To order any of these titles, or to inquire about others, please send me an
e-mail at lisa.johnson@watermarkbooks.com, or call me at (316) 833-0395. I look
forward to hearing from you.

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COFFEE FLIP.

Do you feel lucky?  Well, do ya punk? (Sorry, just having a Dirty Harry moment.)
Every morning between 7:00 and 9:00, stop in if you're feeling lucky.  We'll
flip you for your coffee drink. Heads or tails, you call it in the air for your
morning coffee. If you call it right, your drink is free. 

Even if you didn't call it, you still win with our Seattle's Best Coffee.  Along
with your coffee you can also pick up one of our pastries, an order of biscuits
& gravy, veggie strata, or homemade granola served with yogurt. Go ahead, make
your day.

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UPCOMING EVENTS.
 

Saturday, August 18th.  The Crowsons, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

The Crowsons will play their signature brand of acoustic bluegrassical music in
the Watermark Café.
 

Thursday, August 24th.  Laura Moriarty Reading & Signing.  7:00 p.m.

Kansas writer Laura Moriaty, author of the staff-favorite novel "The Center of
Everything," will return to Watermark to read and sign copies of her new novel
"The Rest of Her Life."  Visit Moriarty's web site: www.lauramoriarty.net.
 

Friday, September 7. KMUW Literary Feast. 7:00 p.m.
 

The September book will be "Crashing Through: A True Story of Risk, Adventure,
and the Man Who Dared to See" by Robert Kurson. Literary Feast participants will
enjoy dinner together, with a menu specially created by our Watermark chef, then
take part in a book discussion over dessert.
 

Tickets are available at the Watermark book counter or by calling (316)
682-1181. Places are limited, and we recommend purchasing your ticket well in
advance. Read more about the book and author on the KMUW Web site.
 

Saturday, September 8. Robert Collins. 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Robert Collins will be at Watermark to sign his new book, "Jim Lane: Scoundrel,
Statesman, Kansan." As the life of U.S. senator James Lane unfolded on the
Kansas frontier, so did his saintly and dastardly deeds. Some called him a
murderer while other affectionately called him a good politician. Through this
book, Collins tells the largely forgotten story of this controversial figure.
The lost story of Jim Lane will interest anyone seeking a historical perspective
of “Bleeding Kansas.”
 

Saturday, September 15. Watermark's Teacher Appreciation Day.

Watermark invites local teachers to come enjoy special discounts, free
giveaways, and book-centered programming--including a 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. book
signing by Bev Buller, author of "From Emporia: The Story of William Allen
White."

For more information on Watermark events, see our website:
http://www.watermarkbooks.com/events.html

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YOU'RE IN MYSPACE.

We have so many great authors come to Watermark. And too often we concentrate on spreading the word to you about who's coming, and we forget to tell you how the events were. No longer. This week we've launched our MySpace page, complete with event photos and whatnot. We've even accumulated a great number of literati who have subscribed to be our MySpace friends, including Paulo Coehlo, Matt Haig,
Elizabeth Gilbert, and David Levithan. We hope you do, too. Check out the site
at http://www.myspace.com/watermarkbooks.

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If you'd like to explore ways in which Watermark can assist your business,
please don't hesitate to contact me. I can be reached at Watermark Books and
Café: (316) 682-1181, on my cell phone: (316) 833-0395, or by e-mail to
lisa.johnson@watermarkbooks.com. I look forward to your call.

Best,
Lisa

Business & Group Sales
Watermark Books & Café
4701 E. Douglas
Wichita, KS 67218
(316) 682-1181
www.watermarkbooks.com