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Bookshelf The conventional wisdom of marketing tells brand managers to determine a product's core values and market them relentlessly. But for a brand to develop truly iconic status, con- sumers must iden- tify it with a particu- lar myth—a place, a time, a story—and that story must be one that addresses some of the highest tensions and uncer- tainties of the cur- rent era. So says Douglas B. Holt in How Brands Become Icons. He traces the evolution of brands such as Coca-Cola, Corona, Volkswagen, and ESPN, which build profits and customer loyalty by capi- talizing on "identity myths" customers believe about their products. For instance, during World War II, Coke posi- tioned itself as the beverage of choice for those working toward the war effort; during the counterculture era of the late '60s, Coke was repre- sented by a multinational group of singers who wanted to "teach the world to sing in perfect harmony." During the racially charged '70s, a bottle of Coke helped cement a friendship between a black football player and a young white boy in a now-famous televi- sion ad. In each instance, the Coke brand "built powerful identity myths that spoke to American ideals," writes Holt. Such cultural branding, he believes, will have far more impact on a product's success than other models revolving around mind-share, emotional, and "viral" branding. The examples he cites are vivid enough to linger in the 56 BizEd MARCH/APRIL 2005 reader's mind long after the book is finished. (Harvard Business School Press, $29.95) Management education provides developing countries with desperately needed business expertise that can overhaul private and state-owned enterprises, jump-start national economies, and generally improve quality of life. In Business Education and Emerging Market Economies, edited by Ilan Alon and John R. McIntyre, a host of authors examine the "intersection of two streams of research—business education and emerging markets." The book examines four main top- ics: developing a knowledge-based economy, innovating curricula and course content, work- ing with online and hands-on educational models, and setting up strategic international alliances. Some chap- ters contain analyses of educational models and reforms in specific countries and regions, such as China, the Ukraine, and Latin America; others are case studies of successful programs launched by schools in emerging nations, or by such schools in partnership with institutions in developed countries. The book provides a wealth of infor- mation in a well-organized format; articles are complex and scholarly but full of important insights. (Kluwer Academic Publishers, $100) What does it take to succeed? A combination of the right friends, the right attitude, and a realistic set of goals—and any- body can make the right friends. So says Keith Ferrazzi inNever Eat Alone, a charming handbook about how to use network- ing to achieve your dreams. Ferrazzi doesn't have any patience with "the networking jerk," the soulless glad- hander who is always collecting busi- ness cards for his Rolodex. The true networker, he says, forges real friend- ships and exercises generosity, often giving before he expects to receive— and occasionally making the auda- cious request.Making friends is only part of the equation. Asking them to help you achieve specific goals is the other half, and Ferrazzi emphasizes the necessity of setting up a game plan. "No one becomes an astronaut by accident," he says, quoting his father. The book is filled with lots of other warm and catchy phrases, such as "A goal is a dream with a dead- line." But that's why the book is inspiring. Deep down, you know Ferrazzi is right when he says, "Business cycles ebb and flow; your friends and trusted associates remain." (Currency/Doubleday; $24.95) In The One Thing You Need to Know, Marcus Buckingham offers three pithy, boiled-down insights into the areas of management, leadership, and individual success. They are: Great managers discover what is unique about each person and capitalize on it. Great leaders discover what is univer- sal and capitalize on it. Individuals who achieve great success discover what they don't like doing and stop doing it. You could absorb those three insights and walk away having acquired the bottom-line wisdom of his book without taking the time to read it—but that would be a shame,