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Watermark Works
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What We're Reading: Current Picks from the Watermark Staff
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September 11, 2007 In this issue: My favorite season. Book reviews: * "The Sushi Economy" by Sasha Issenberg * "Pop! Why Bubbles are Great for the Economy" by Daniel Gross * "Mavericks at Work" by William C. Taylor and Polly LaBarre * "The Unwritten Laws of Business" by W.J. King All shook up in the Café. Upcoming events. - MY FAVORITE SEASON. September is here, and it's the start of my favorite season. The heat is finally letting up, the kids are back at school (yea!) and the Halloween decorations are popping up in stores. And tons of fall catalogs are arriving at home... much to my husband's chagrin. (Why do there have to be so many cute shoes!) It's also an exciting time of year at the bookstore. The last few weeks we have been busy filling books orders for teachers and schools. Along with filling the orders, we are happy to suggest new titles to teachers and librarians. Putting books into the hands of children is one of the best parts of my job. You may know we offer teachers and schools discounts on their classroom books. But did you know we also offer discounts to other groups as well? Whether for your business or book club, we an offer discounts on your book orders too. Depending on the book and the size of your order, we have discounts that range from 10% to 20% or more. * If you are in a book club, order your books through us and we'll offer your members a 20% discount. In addition to ordering reading selections through Watermark, many book clubs like to gather in our meeting room or in the café. What a great way to discuss your book... over a cup of Seattle's Best Coffee and a fresh baked treat from Watermark Café! * We are also able to offer discounts to businesses for book orders. Order the latest business books for your employees or as client appreciation books. I would be happy to speak with you about titles that would work for you and our discount schedule. Ahh, smell the apple and pumpkin pies. Yep, fall is definitely my favorite season of eating, err, time of year. - BOOK REVIEWS. "The Sushi Economy" by Sasha Issenberg (Gotham Books, ISBN 9781592402946, $26.00) One generation ago, sushi's narrow reach ensured that sports fishermen who caught tuna in most of the world sold the meat for pennies as cat food. Today, the fatty cuts of tuna known as "toro" are among the planet's most coveted luxury foods, worth hundreds of dollars a pound and capable of losing value more quickly than any other product on earth. So how has one of the world's most popular foods gone from being practically unknown in the United States to being served in towns all across America and in such a short span of time? Sushi aficionados and newcomers alike will be surprised to learn the true history, intricate business, and international allure behind this fascinating food. A riveting combination of culinary biography, behind the scenes restaurant detail, and a unique exploration of globalization's dynamics, this book traces sushi's journey from a Japanese street snack to global delicacy. Few businesses reveal the complex dynamics of globalization as acutely as the tuna's journey from the sea to the sushi bar. After traversing the pages of the "The Sushi Economy," you'll never see the food on your plate or the world around you quite the same way again. "Pop! Why Bubbles are Great for the Economy" by Daniel Gross (Harper Collins, ISBN 9780061151545, $22.95) Bubbles--from hot stocks in the 1920s to hot stocks in the 1990s--are much lamented features of contemporary economic life. Time and again, American investors, seduced by the lures of quick money, new technologies, and excessive optimism, have shown a tendency to get carried away. But what if the I-told-you-so lectures about bubbles tell only half the story? What if bubbles accomplish something that can only be seen in retrospect? In this entertaining and fast-paced book--you'll laugh as much as you cry--Daniel Gross convincingly argues that every bubble has a golden lining. From the 19th century mania for the telegraph to the current craze in alternative energy, from railroads to real estate, Gross takes us on a whirlwind tour of reckless investors and pie in the sky promoters, detailing the mania they created but also the lasting good they left behind. In one of the great ironies of history, Gross shows how the bubbles once generally seen as disastrous have actually helped build the commercial infrastructures that have jumpstarted American growth. If there is a secret to the perennial resilience and exuberance of the American economy, Gross may just have found it in our peculiar capacity to blow financial bubbles and successfully clean up the mess. "Mavericks at Work" by William C. Taylor and Polly LaBarre (Morrow, ISBN 9780060779610, $26.95) Meet the innovators and upstarts who are inventing the future of business. Their unconventional ideas and groundbreaking strategies can become your business plan for the twenty-first century, a better way to lead, compete, and succeed. Business as usual is a bust. In industry after industry, the old guard is cutting back and losing ground. Meanwhile, organizations that were once dismissed as upstarts, as wildcards or mavericks are making waves and growing fast. There is a reason: in an age of hyper competition and nonstop innovation, the only way to stand out from the crowd is to stand for something truly original. That's the lesson behind the companies, executives and entrepreneurs you'll meet in "Mavericks at Work." They are winning big in business by rethinking the logic of how business gets done. Who are these mavericks? They are breaking the mold business units inside giants such as IB and Procter & Gamble, as well as high profile innovators such as HBO and Pixar. Whether you're a young professional setting out on your career, a senior executive looking to make your organization grow or an entrepreneur building a company from scratch, "Mavericks at Work" will help you think bigger, aim higher, and win more decisively. "The Unwritten Laws of Business" by W.J. King, with revisions and additions by James G Skakoon (Doubleday, ISBN 9780385521260, $14.95) In the summer of 2005, Business 2.0 published a cover story on Raytheon CEO William H. Swanson's self-published pamphlet, Swanson's "Unwritten Rules of Management." Lauded by such chief executives as Jack Welch and Warren Buffett, the booklet became a quiet phenomenon. As it turned out, much of Swanson's booklet drew from a classic of business literature that has been in print for more than sixty years. Now, in a new edition revised and updated for business readers today, they are reissuing the 1944 classic that inspired a number of Swanson's "rules." Filled with sage advice and written in a spare, engaging style, "The Unwritten Laws of Business" offer insights on working with others, reporting to a boss, organizing a project, running a meeting, advancing your career, and more. Whether you're a corporate neophyte or seasoned manager, this charming book reveals everything you need to know about the "unwritten" laws of business. - ALL SHOOK UP IN THE CAFÉ. If you're a Watermark regular, you probably know our menu by heart. In fact, you probably only need to take a passing glance at the chalkboard to see if your favorite pastry item is featured. If this sounds familiar, you might be in a lunch rut. Well, we're here to shake you out of the same ol', same ol'. Peter Doucette, our new cafe manager, has been working with Watermark owner, Sarah Bagby, to whip up some tasty new items. A distinguished panel of taste-testers has generously given their time and taste buds to choosing new items for our menu. After a lot of comments like "yum", "oh yeah" and "may I have another slice of that?"--they have chosen several new items for our menu. Don't worry; we've kept most of our tried-and-true Watermark Café favorites. But starting in October, you may want to give the menu more than a cursory look. You may just find a shakin' new favorite to add to your old one. And that's nothing to get shook up about. - UPCOMING EVENTS. Watermark hosts dozens of author events each year. Here are some we have planned for September. Saturday, September 15. Watermarks's Teacher Appreciation Day. Watermark invites local teachers to come enjoy special discounts, free give-aways, and book-centered programming-including a book signing by Bev Buller, author of "From Emporia: The Story of William Allen White." Sunday, September 16. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. The Yarn Harlot is coming to Wichita! We're expecting a crowd larger than what Watermark can hold, so we're holding this event at Wichita East High School Auditorium, 2301 E. Douglas (enter the building at the Northeast corner entrance doors, off of the Circle Drive on Grove.) Free tickets are available at Watermark Books & Café by calling (316) 682-1181. Thursday, September 20. Dr. David Nichols will be at Watermark for a 7:00 p.m. reading and signing of his new book, "A Matter of Justice: Eisenhower and the Beginning of the Civil Rights Revolution." Published on the fiftieth anniversary of the Little Rock school desegregation crisis, this book by a leading authority on the Eisenhower presidency offers a dramatic reappraisal of Ike's record during the early years of the civil rights revolution. Thursday, September 27. Jon Scieszka event. 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. From the creators of "The Stinky Cheese Man", we now have "Cowboy and the Octopus!" Jon Sciezka's coming to Wichita to celebrate this new book which was illustrated by Lane Smith. This event will be held in The Great Room at Grace Presbyterian Church. It is open to the public and also to school field trips. Thursday, September 27. Nancy Horan will be at Watermark for a 7:00 p.m. talk and signing of her new book, "Loving Frank." Horan beautifully bends fact and fiction in this compelling debut novel about the relationship between Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Cheney, the wife of a couple whose home Wright built in 1904. Based on seven years of meticulous research, "Loving Frank," does a remarkable job of bringing to life Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Cheney, particularly the conflicts and sacrifices Mamah was forced to make as she grappled with her roles as mother, wife, lover, and intellectual. Saturday, September 29. Richard Uhlig will be at Watermark for a 3:00 p.m. for a talk and signing for his new book, "Last Dance at the Frosty Queen." This book for teens takes place entirely in Kansas! - 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 & Café (316) 682-1181, cell pone (316) 833-0395, or by e-mail to lisa.johnson@watermarkbooks.com. I look forward to your call. Best, Lisa
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