Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/57707
"WE CAN USE THE SIMPLICITY AND IMMEDIACY OF PICTURES TO DISCOVER AND CLARIFY OUR OWN IDEAS." —The Back of the Napkin At some point, virtually everyone has grabbed a piece of scrap paper, sketched out an idea or a problem, and showed it to someone else. Dan Roam thinks this simple exercise is a way to solve even complex business problems. In The Back of the Napkin, he argues that the ben- efits of "visual thinking" are clear. He writes, "We can use the simplicity and immediacy of pictures to discover and clarify our own ideas, and use those same pictures to clarify our ideas for other people." Roam believes that even the most vexing problems can be broken down into easily graphed questions of who, what, when, where, why, how, and how much. He walks readers through the mechanics of vision, shows them how to illustrate simple or elaborate concepts, and solves a sample case study with the aid of graphics. Can't draw a recognizable image to save your life? You don't need to. Roam even includes a cheat sheet of symbols, boxes, and arrows that—rudimentary as they are—can represent the most compli- cated scenario. They're easy to absorb, just like the concepts of this book. (Portfolio, $24.95) ing fun, they're going to work harder, stay longer, maintain their composure in a crisis, and take bet- ter care of the organization." While "fun" isn't usually a word applied to the workplace, Gostick and Chris- topher offer not only anecdotal evi- dence, but an array of studies and sur- veys to prove that the light-hearted office is the productive office. For instance, they quote one piece of research that finds a "statistically significant correlation between your manager's sense of humor and your willingness to remain with an organi- zation." Of course, not all managers are funny, but they don't have to be, the authors insist. All that's required is for the boss to accept and encour- age laughter in the workplace. This might mean tying performance goals to enjoy- able rewards. It might merely mean lighten- ing the tone of the typical corporate memo, even when the topic is seri- ous. The point is that funny busi- ness is good business—and that's no laughing matter. (Wiley; $22.95) Whistleblower Cynthia Cooper offers a detailed, intimate, and fascinating account of the WorldCom debacle in Extraordinary Circumstances. Year by year, sometimes day by day, she takes the reader through Bernie Ebbers' accelerating journey from savvy small-business owner to one of the most reviled CEOs in the country. The fall of a business pow- erhouse is made all the more poi- gnant as it is juxtaposed against the personal lives of Cooper and many of the other top players. Through it all, Cooper comes across as a hard- working, ambitious MBA trying to balance her job and her family while remaining true to her values. The role of whistleblower took its toll on her. "The day before the fraud was announced, I was a private citizen. The day after, I became a public figure." While most readers already know the outcome of the story, Coo- per's book is an absorbing and even suspenseful read. (Wiley, $27.95) Ryan Allis's goal was to build a company to $1 million in sales before he turned 21 in 2005. When he was 12, he began hiring himself out to help senior citizens set up their com- puter systems, and he continued to run various tech-oriented companies over the next nine years. Eighteen days after his milestone birthday, he and a business partner hit the million-dollar goal. But Allis's quick rise to fortune forms only the first two chapters of Zero to One Mil- lion, a fast-paced, high-spirited, and inspiring treatise on how to become a successful entrepreneur. Allis combines the lessons he's learned in every venue—running his earli- est small companies, studying at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, and teaming up with like-minded souls to launch software company iContact—to offer what is practically a step-by-step guide to launching a profitable business. Older readers might find it a little disconcerting to take advice from someone so young, but college-age entrepreneurs itching to incorporate their first company will take Allis's recommendations to heart—and to the bank. (McGraw Hill, $16.95) ■ z BizEd MAY/JUNE 2008 67