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ence and cognitive therapy, Calonius delves into the power of the imagina- tion and the ability of the subcon- scious to recognize and act on pat- terns. He uses anecdotes about Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, and Walt Disney to explain the ways that true visionaries rely on intuition, conviction, and emo- tional intelligence to bring their fantasies into reality. Above all, he relates "how visionaries awaken to ideas, and how they use their powers of visualiza- tion to move objects and ideas around in their mind's eye until they stumble on a perspective that cracks the opportunity wide open." (Portfo- lio, $25.95) Many managers work hard to learn their jobs, but never stretch or grow beyond a basic level of competence. Truly great managers, say Linda A. Hill and Kent Lineback in Being the Boss, understand they must constant- ly assess themselves and improve their abilities if they are to flour- ish in today's complex workplace. "Becoming a manager requires so much personal learning and change that it is truly a trans- formation, akin to the trans- formations required by such life events as leaving home, finishing school and begin- ning a career, getting married, or having a child," they write. There are three imperatives for effective managers, according to Hill, a Harvard business professor, and Lineback, a former manager and current writer: They must manage themselves, their networks, and their teams. Hill and Lineback break these imperatives into their component parts—discussing, for instance, how to develop warm relationships with direct reports without trying to be everyone's best friend. "The bottom line," they write, "is about knowing how to use yourself as an instrument to get work done and contribute to your organization." (Harvard Busi- ness Review Press, $25.95) It's hard to imagine a more colorful and comprehensive reference book than Doing Business in West Africa 2009- 2010, a staggeringly detailed compila- tion of data about developing coun- tries in this region. At more than 460 pages, filled with more charts and graphs than actual text, this volume considers African nations from almost every per- spective, from population density to Internet access to growth in imports and exports. Author Tony Okoromadu offers Post-it Note style commentary Business professors and budding entrepreneurs who don't have the shelf space to accommo- date more volumes might want to download a new book from Len Schlesing- er of Babson College and Charles Kiefer of Innovation Associates. In Action Trumps Everything—Creating What You Want In An Uncertain World, they show readers how to use the power of entrepreneurial thought and action to navigate a perilous world. Not only is the book available for free download, but readers are invited to post their own stories on the Web site's blog at www.ActionTrumpsEverything.com. on most of the tables, with occa- sional pauses for longer analysis. For instance, he says, there's "no appar- ent relationship between foreign aid and improvement in quality of life. … Still, there seems to be a trend towards improvement in mortality figures with the increase of foreign aid. Perhaps these specific aid tranch- es were aimed directly at health tar- gets." Clearly a massive undertaking, this book offers a trove of informa- tion to anyone with business interests in Africa. (Graffitti Media, $495) Most established companies fight a war for brand preference as they strive to be among the brands a consumer considers before making a purchase. What companies really need to fight for is Brand Relevance, says David Aaker, a marketing expert who was formerly a pro- fessor at UC Berkeley. A new product with brand relevance is spawned by disruptive innovation; it changes the entire cat- egory or creates a whole new subcategory where it reigns supreme. Aaker offers case studies of brands that generated game-changing relevance, like Apple and Healthy Choice, and those that have miserably failed, like Olestra. His whole goal is to "show the way toward winning the brand relevance battle by creating categories or subcategories for which competi- tors are less relevant or not relevant at all, managing the perceptions of the categories or subcategories, and creating barriers to protect them." Not simple tasks, perhaps, but Aaker breaks down the necessary actions and offers insights into how to win a new kind of marketing war. (Jossey- Bass, $32.95) ■ z BizEd MARCH/APRIL 2011 69