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eCustomerServiceWorld.com recommended reads
(NB Check out our Top Ten and our New Books as well!)Browse through and click on a title for a review. 
 | | What Customers Want
Author: Anthony Ulwick
UK Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional
ISBN: 0071408673
Phil Dourado writes: There’s a growing awareness that what customers say they want is no sound basis for product and service innovation; not because they lie, but because they can’t articulate what they really want. Ulwick suggests a new approach – outcome-driven rather than customer-driven research to drive new product and service development. He has got a lot of fans, including Clayton Christensen, author of The Innovator’s Dilemma, who touched on the need to be outcome-driven rather than customer-driven. The secret is to gain insight into what the customer needs to achieve. Ulwick offers techniques for achieving this. buy UK() buy US($)
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| | What Leaders Really Do
Author: John P. Kotter
UK Publisher: Harvard Business School Press
ISBN: 0875848974
Most of this book is a primer on the thinking of possibly the world’s greatest leadership guru, in the form of past papers published in the Harvard Business Review. The new material comes in chapter 1 where Kotter gives 10 key observations on leadership at the turn of the century. Amazon reviewer: “His observations are accurate, insightful and absolutely key for leadership as it emerges into the 21st century from the traditional approach now rendered defunct by re-engineering; downsizing, and delayering; to the emergence of a new leadership 'substance' which does not depend upon power but upon networking and influence.” buy UK() buy US($)
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| | What Price the Moral High Ground?: Ethical Dilemmas in Competitive Environments
Author: Robert H. Frank
UK Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691006725
Quick Review: Many observers interpret the wave of corporate scandals as support for the cynical view that self-interest trumps concerns for the greater good. Indeed, this interpretation finds comfort in the intellectual traditions of fields from mainstream economics to evolutionary biology. But is it valid? Robert Frank challenges the notion that doing well is accomplished only at the expense of doing good. Frank explores exciting contemporary work in economics, psychology and biology to argue that honest individuals often succeed, even in highly competitive environments, because their commitment to principle makes them more attractive as trading partners. buy UK() buy US($)
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| | Who Says Elephants Can't Dance?: How I Turned Around IBM
Author: Louis V. Gerstner Jr.
UK Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0007153538
US Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060523794
Quick Review: When Gerstner became CEO of IBM in 1993, shares were in freefall and the company was on the verge of collapse. Hired for his successful management of RJR Nabisco and American Express, Gerstner had no background in technology, but during his seven-year chairmanship, he transformed the company into the leading force of the computer age. In his frank, direct voice, Gerstner recalls the obstacles he faced: the plans to fragment the company; the inconsistent global policies; the stodgy white-shirt hierarchy and inter-departmental competitiveness; and the rapidly declining sales. Within months of joining IBM, Gerstner presented his bold and controversial business strategy. Revealing his tactics step by step, Gerstner spins a narrative that takes the reader behind the curtain into the unbelievable mess he inherited and into the office and mind of a CEO facing a challenge of a lifetime. buy UK() buy US($)
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| | Why CEOs Fail: The 11 Deadly Sins and How Not to Commit Them
Author: David Dotlich and Peter Cairo
UK Publisher: Jossey Bass Wiley
ISBN: 0787967637
Quick Review: Leaders (and those that aspire to lead) often fail because they succumb to certain derailing behaviours: the 11 deadly sins. The authors (both psychologists and executive coaches) name and illustrate the 11 sins with real stories taken from behind their closed-door practice. These short chapters offer insight and inspiration for all leaders who may struggle with their dark side and be both a useful and fascinating read that should leave many recognizing themselves and the traps they can avoid to their own success. buy UK() buy US($)
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| | Why CRM Doesn’t Work (How to win by letting customers manage the relationship)
Author: Frederick Newell
UK Publisher: Bloomberg Press
ISBN: 1576601323
Fred Newell is the source of one of our fave quotes here at eCSW.com on the transfer of power from suppliers to customers: “We have put the rifle in the hands of the deer.” In this book, according to the publishers, Fred shows by lesson and example why the current CRM isn’t working, what needs to change, and how to put the CMR philosophy to work at your company—without additional expense. It includes case studies of good and bad relationship marketing from companies as diverse as Kraft Foods, Procter & Gamble, Budweiser, Charles Schwab, Dell, IBM, Lands’ End, Radio Shack, and Staples.
buy UK() buy US($)
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| | Why the Bottom Line ISN'T! - How to Build Value Through People and Organization
Author: David Ulrich and Norman Smallwood
UK Publisher: Jossey-Bass Wiley
ISBN: 047144510X
Quick Review: New and faster technology, redefined values, and shifting customer demands are changing the way businesses operate in the twenty-first century. Human resources and business leaders are faced with the challenge of redefining their strategies on leadership, talent, and diversity, while evaluating their operational effectiveness. This book presents the compelling contributions of thought leaders and renowned HR executives who offer a road map for what leaders can expect. buy UK() buy US($)
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| | Why the Bottom Line ISN'T!: How to Build Value Through People and Organization
Author: Ulrich Smallwood
UK Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 047144510X
Quick review: The authors of this book argue that shareholder value comes increasingly from assets not accounted for on an organization's balance sheet, including its reputation and its ability to attract talent and move quickly on opportunities in the marketplace. The book harnesses research from a number of disciplines including human resources, finance, and leadership to establish a hierarchy of such intangibles. The book then offers specific leadership tools and directives that translate into sustainable shareholder value. buy UK() buy US($)
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| | Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping
Author: Paco Underhill
UK Publisher: Texere Publishing
ISBN: 158799044X
US Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 0684849143
Amazon review: In an effort to determine why people buy, Paco Underhill and his detailed- orientated band of retail researchers have camped out in stores for over 20 years, dedicating their efforts to the "science of shopping." Armed with an array of video equipment, store maps, and customer profile sheets, Underhill and his consulting firm Envirosell have observed over 900 aspects of shopper/store interaction. buy UK() buy US($)
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| | Wide-Angle Vision
Author: Wayne Burkan
UK Publisher: John Wiley & Sons inc.
ISBN: 0471134163
According to Wayne Burkan, companies suffer when they fail to see the big picture. And they can't, he says, if they are too narrowly focused on consumers already happy with their products or services. In Wide-Angle Vision, he shows how to shift attention to "fringe competitors, lost customers, and rogue employees." They provide insights that satisfied constituents never will, Burkan writes, and help businesses avoid mistakes. Tom Peters is a fan of this book. That’s good enough for us. buy UK() buy US($)
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