Archive for October, 2013

Book Review: Daring Greatly

Monday, October 28th, 2013

daring-greatlyBrown, Brené. Daring greatly : how the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent, and lead. Gotham Books, 2012. Also available as a Kindle eBook.

Last week the NYT best seller Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn landed on my desk.  At the time, I was reviewing a complicated and challenging book, Daring Greatly by Brené Brown, for this week’s post.  The novel was a distraction and after a quick reading, I realized that both main characters in the book would have benefited from Brown’s serious work.  For example, the female protagonist Amy turns herself into Cool Girl to attract the man she loves.  But over time Cool Girl is unsustainable, and two years later Amy dissolves into her true self, a disappointment to her husband.   If only these characters had the courage to put their true selves out there, daring greatly, from the beginning.

In Daring Greatly, sociologist Brené Brown reports on data collected over 12 years, interviews with men and women about their meaningful life experiences.   Her research uncovers a shift in social climate, which Brown names a culture of scarcity, a pervasive sense that there is never enough – money, time, opportunities, rewards, sleep…  People never feel  good enough, thin enough, smart enough, successful enough.  Our culture obsesses on celebrities, and normal people feel unexceptional, too inferior to be noticed, to be loved, or to belong.  People feel unworthy, and judge their personal value in comparison with others.  They hide behind a mask of perfection and perform to please other people, instead of themselves.

Opposing our culture of scarcity is Brown’s concept of Wholehearted Living, cultivating an authentic life, defined by compassion, connection and courage.  Wholehearted people nurture a personal sense of worthiness, accepting themselves just as they are – flawed, but worthy of love and belonging.  They resist perfectionism and comparisons with others.  They let go of anxiety and self-doubt.  They resist the pressures of our culture and “dare greatly” to risk creating something new or to struggle with something difficult, like overcoming adversity or standing up for themselves.  To live a wholehearted life is to be vulnerable to hurt, fear and failure.  Much of Brown’s book is about vulnerability, which she calls the core of human experience.

Daring Greatly presents many compelling ideas but understanding this book requires concentration. Concepts like scarcity, vulnerability, shame and wholeheartedness are defined clearly but the connections between them are not intuitive.  The last chapter of the book, Wholehearted Parenting, is the most engaging, showing how to apply Brown’s concepts in daily life with children.   Brené Brown also explains her concepts in her TED talk, which is consistently among the most popular with viewers.  Both the book and the TED talk are recommended.

© Reviewer: Meg Trauner & Ford Library – Fuqua School of Business.
All rights reserved.

Fall Break Database Registration

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2013

fall_leavesWe hope our Fuqua MBAs and MMS students are enjoying their Fall Break! Because classes for these programs are not in session; and don’t resume until Monday, October 28, you may experience a delay in receiving personal account credentials for the following resources if you register for access after 1:00 PM on Friday, October 25, 2013.

  • Frost & Sullivan
  • Capital IQ
  • EMT Database
  • WRDS (Masters Accounts)
  • Database Training Classes

Registrations received after 1:00PM on Friday, October 25, will be processed on Monday, October 28.

Good luck in Term 2!

 

New Movies for October: Part 2

Monday, October 21st, 2013

Here are the remainder of October’s new DVD titles:

After Earth
The Bling Ring
Disconnect
The East
The Kings of Summer
Much Ado about Nothing
Savannah
World War Z
Bless Me, Ultima

You may browse the entire DVD collection via the library catalog.

Book Reviews: Fall Break Reading

Monday, October 14th, 2013

Welcome to Fall Break at Fuqua! These 5 easy reads are perfect for downtime.

covey-coverThe Wisdom and Teachings of Stephen R. Covey by Steven R. Covey

The man who recommended this book to me later apologized because the book has more white space than text.  Yet Stephen Covey fans on fall break may enjoy reading his pithy quotes on principles from Accountability to Win-win. Also available as an audiobook.


talk-smartSmart Talk by Lisa B. Marshall
This warm and engaging book demonstrates how to introduce yourself, how to speak tactfully, how to have a difficult conversation and how to use language to influence coworkers, friends and family. Also available as an audiobook.


finerman-rulesFinerman’s Rules by Karen Finerman
Hedge fund CEO and CNBC Fast Money contributor uses her life and career story to dispense advice on getting ahead at work, on managing money and emotions, on taking risks and making decisions.


icarus-deceiveThe Icarus Deception by Seth Godin
Godin’s books are over 200 pages but they are fast reads.  The content gets thinner with every new publication.  This book explains how to follow your dream in the internet economy, about developing the attitude, courage and resilience of an artist. Also available as an audiobook.


blogger-bootBloggers Boot Camp by Charlie White and John Biggs
This beautifully illustrated book shows how to design a blog for millions of followers, providing information on equipment and accessories, what to write about, and how to keep the audience engaged.

© Reviewer: Meg Trauner & Ford Library – Fuqua School of Business.
All rights reserved.

New Movies for October: Part 1

Thursday, October 10th, 2013

Here are the first of the new DVDs for October:

Behind the Candelabra
In the Flesh, season 1
The We and the I
The Croods
Fill the Void
The Frozen Ground
Iron Man
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
Language of a Broken Heart
This is the End
Unfinished Song

You may browse the entire DVD collection via the library catalog.

Book Reviews: Term 1 Wrap-Up

Monday, October 7th, 2013

Fall term 1 ends next week! Congratulations, students.  You have almost made it through the pressure of the first fall term.  Soon you move beyond the lectures, textbooks, cases, readings, team meetings and exams.  Finally, you can relax.  Here are five new books that offer new ideas for anyone taking it easy.

all-inAll in by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton

Employees who believe in the company’s vision, values and goals and those who respect their leaders achieve outstanding results.  Companies that want to create a culture of belief will generate a sense of urgency; create a customer focus; foster agility to manage change; build trust though transparent communication; value high potential employees; and establish clear accountability. Also available as an audiobook.

athena-doctrineThe Athena doctrine by John Gerzema and Michael D’Antonio

Wise, courageous, humane and cooperative are traits that produce success with broad benefits, including profits and lasting relationships with customers and communities. Women and men who lead their organizations with these skills and values in our super-connected world share their stories. Also available in online e-book, and Kindle format.

challenger-saleThe challenger sale by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson

The classic sales technique of relationship building is no longer working, particularly in complex B2B situations.  This book describes a new collaborative sales technique that brings creativity and insight to customers, challenging their thinking and offering solutions to problems. Also available as an audiobook.

idiot-iconsIcons and idiots by Bob Lutz

An icon of the auto industry reveals the complexities of 11 leaders, many from the automobile industry, whom he knows personally.  He chronicles their successes and charisma, while exposing their idiosyncrasies and weaknesses, ultimately concluding that just as much can be learned from stupid and corrupt leaders as from inspiring champions.

worthlessWorthless, impossible and stupid by Daniel Isenberg

Entrepreneurs worldwide have created and captured extraordinary value by seeing opportunity where it was unnoticed or disparaged by others.  Successful entrepreneurs share a contrarian mind-set that allows them to perceive potential where others do not or to create opportunity by solving problems under adversity.

© Reviewer: Meg Trauner & Ford Library – Fuqua School of Business.
All rights reserved.