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decode that mystery. Their approach is wildly unconventional, as they consider extraordinary products in the context of art, complete with the trappings of plot, trajectory, and resonance. While they understand that any successful commercial product must ���nd a market, they begin with the notion that special offeroffer ings can���t be compared to anything else; they must be created and judged by their own standards. To businessbusiness people trying to imagine the next great unexpected hit, they offer this advice: ���You must be able to clear your mind of limitations caused by your desire that the thing be a suc- Don���t Miss WARREN BUFFETT FANS will enjoy Tap Dancing to Work, a collection of articles by and about the legendary investor. Fortune editor Carol Loomis edited the book and wrote some of the original articles, which appeared between 1966 and 2012. There are a few places where hindsight shows Buffett misread a market���but plenty of other places where his business savvy shines through. For instance, in a 1982 letter, he decries the practice of trading in stock index futures. ���We do not need more people gambling in nonessential instruments identi���ed with the stock market in this country, nor brokers who encourage them to do so.��� Right again. (Portfolio/Penguin, US$27.95) ���LEADERSHIP IS OFTEN a struggle,��� writes Steven Snyder in Leader- ship and the Art of Struggle. ���Yet societal taboos often prevent leaders from talking openly and honestly about their struggles for fear of being perceived as ineffective and inadequate.��� Snyder, a former Microsoft executive who is now executive-in-residence at the University of St. Thomas, pro���les top of���cers who fought their way through a variety of crises, from failing business models to ���oundering worldwide economies. His conclusion is that ���ailing CEOs must become more grounded, explore new pathways, and deepen their ability to adapt if they want to survive the bad times���and join the ranks of exemplary leaders. (BerrettKoehler Publishers, US$19.95) ���TODAY, ALL OF US live in a world of management���s making,��� write Joan Magretta of Harvard and Nan Stone of HBR. Thus, they believe everyone needs to understand the basics of management, from value creation to succession planning, and they lay out those basics in What Management Is. Using concise prose and plenty of examples, they trace the evolution of management and its place in the world today. As they note, ���Management���s business is building organizations that work. Underneath all the theory and the tools, underneath all the specialized knowledge, lies a commitment to performance that has powerfully altered our economy and our lives.��� (Free Press, US$26) cess in the market.��� It���s the latest in a series of books about design thinking in business, but it brings in a fresh perspective. FOCUS AUTHORS: Heidi Grant Halvorson and E. Tory Higgins PUBLISHER: Hudson Street Press, US$25.95 PROMOTION-MINDED people are motivated by hope of gain; they���re energetic and enthused when they���re pursuing a prize. Prevention-minded individuals are motivated by fear of loss; they make plans and backup plans to ensure they don���t fail. The diametrically opposed approaches to life that these two groups embrace can cause tension in the of���ce and dissention at home, but each perspective is invaluable in the right circumstances. The authors, both of Columbia Business School, describe how each personality responds differently to work situations, advertising campaigns, and life challenges���and how to use those differences in positive ways. ���The most effective teams or organizations will solicit (and respect) input from people with both kinds of dominant motivation when it���s time to innovate, while recognizing that their respective inputs will be most valuable at different stages of the process,��� they write. Both entertaining and insightful, this book will help executives understand the sometimes mysterious behavior of their customers, their employees, their bosses���and themselves. BizEd March/April 2013 69