Advice on business literature from Helen Edwards

We congratulate you on the first day of winter! We hope that in spite of frosty weather, you will get warm with a cup of hot tea reading some interesting books. It is books that we will tell you about today. A traditional column of advice on business literature guided by SKOLKOVO Library project manager Helen Edwards.

1. Anywhere: how global connectivity is revolutionizing the way we do business
Emily Nagle Green.
McGraw-Hill, 2010.
281 pages.
ISBN: 9780071635141

Imagine a world of total connectivity where people, ideas and products are instantly and seamlessly connected. President of the Yankee Group, Emily Nagle Green, explores the business opportunities offered by the wireless world. The book shows how to evaluate and then exploit business activities by their "anywhere" characteristics - from those like music which already live in the virtual space, to devices with intelligent components, to physical services rendered more efficient by the technology, to RFID tracking of assets- and points out the profit potential for those businesses able to "collapse time and space" by taking advantage of the anywhere technologies.

2. Brand society: how brands transform management and lifestyle
Martin Kornberger
Cambridge University Press, 2010
308 pages
ISBN:9780521726900

Kornberger uses evidence from sociology,anthropology, philosophy, aesthetics and mangement and his own experience in a branding agency to develop a theory of brands. He identifies brands as the organizational lifeline between the company and the external environment, the force which both links and reorganises the relationship between production and consumption The book is organised in three overlapping concentric circles: the concept of brands and how they are made: how brands are used by companies to manage and organize and indeed formulate the company identity and how brands transform consumption through the concept of lifestyle.

3. India, Inc.: how India's top 10 entrepreneurs are winning globally.
Vikas Pota
Nicholas Brealey, 2010.
232 pages..
ISBN: 9781857885248

Who are the most relevant role models in business today? This book identifies ten top Indian entrepreneurs from sectors as diverse as IT, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, banking, manufacturing, entertainment and green energy and describes their personal histories, vision and values and approach to business. The book also draws conclusions about factors within the Indian business environment - the approach to corporate social responsibility, the advantage of the fast growing domestic market at the time of global recession - and their contributions to these successes.

4. The dark side of valuation: valuing young, distressed and complex businesses
Aswath Damodaran
FT Press,2010
590 pages
ISBN: 9780137126897

The first edition of this book dealt with the company valuation issues painfully demonstrated by the dotcom bubble. The author now extends his scope to review traditional valuation methods and identify the many circumstances in which they may be problematic beyond high tech, to include emerging markets (chapter 16), and "the octopus" multi-business global companies. He exposes the dark practices and flawed methods in use and ends with ten "enlightening propositions" for more meaningful valuations.

5. The Global Innovation 1000: how the top innovators keep winning
Barry Jaruzelski and Kevin Dehoff
strategy+business, 61, Winter 2010

Booz and Company's annual study of the world's biggest R&D spenders show how the most innovative companies outperform their rivals. The findings show that it is not the amount of money spent but the firm's capabilities, a combination of talent, knowledge and processes, and the degree of alignment between innovation capabilities and the company as a whole which make the difference. Rankings show R&D spending by company, sector and region and the commentary describes the impact of the recession on R&D.