Beach Reads for Business

Every summer publishers and book reviewers print their pics for best beach reads, usually novels.

So, seeing as how it's August and great getaway-to-the-beach time, here are my pics—for business. See what you think.

Orbiting the Giant Hairball (Gordon MacKenzie)
Got this one—my current favorite—as a gift from Marguerete Luter, president of Women in Technology (WIT), when I jointed the WIT Leadership Team this spring as Vice Chair of the Communications Committee. The book's subtitle is A Corporate Fool's Guide to Surviving with Grace and it's a joy. All about awakening and fostering creative genius.

The Art of the Start (Guy Kawasaki)
As the jacket says, "the time-tested, battle-hardened guide for anyone starting anything"—and that's most of us at any given time, whether we're entrepreneurs or intrapreneurs. Confession: haven't started it yet, but it's on my "read next" shelf.

A Woman's Guide to Successful Negotiating (Lee E. Miller and Jessica Miller)
A father and daughter team wrote this book. How can you resist this promise from the back cover? "Get what you want—in every aspect of your life—without having to compromise who you are."

Who Moved My Cheese? (Spencer Johnson, MD)
A classic, and I've re-read it at the suggestion of a dear friend and colleague. It's all about dealing with, anticipating, even embracing, change. Now that's a hard one! So I'm glad Johnson wrote this compassionate and humorous book. It makes his insights easier to accept.