Business Politics

In his previous book, The Elusive Quest for Growth, William Easterly criticized the utter ineffectiveness of Western organizations to mitigate global poverty, and he was promptly fired by his then-employer, the World Bank. The White Man's Burden is his widely anticipated counterpunch - a brilliant and blistering indictment of the West's economic policies for the world's poor.

Learn about lobbying with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. In a perfect world, elected officials in democratic countries would make decisions in the public interest after considering issues objectively and impartially. This is how parliaments and other representative bodies are supposed to work. In reality, however, politicians around the world are subject to a range of influences and pressures that can distort the political process.

‘Conflict diamonds’ are precious gems that have been sold on the black market to finance violent rebel groups, terrorists or oppressive governments. They almost always originate from poor, underdeveloped countries located on the African continent. It is estimated that conflict diamonds account for up to 15 percent of the world’s traded diamonds.

The question has always been asked, "Do business and politics mix?" It's a matter of opinion. Looking at the meaning of both, the answer can be yes, no or maybe! There's a grave difference between the two. Business is an entity that can be spoken to for one person or a group of people. Politics is a political entity using actions for a purpose. Politics is all about a collective group of people.

Warnings is the story of the future of national security, threatening technologies, the US economy, and possibly the fate of civilization. In Greek mythology Cassandra foresaw calamities, but was cursed by the gods to be ignored. Modern-day Cassandras clearly predicted the disasters of Katrina, Fukushima, the Great Recession, the rise of ISIS, and many more. Like the mythological Cassandra, they were ignored. There are others right now warning of impending disasters, but how do we know which warnings are likely to be right?

America has been through the biggest financial crisis since the great Depression, unemployment numbers are frightening, median wages have been flat since the 1970s, and it is common to expect that things will get worse before they get better. Certainly, the multidecade stagnation is not yet over. How will we get out of this mess?

Women have been making strides towards equality for decades, or so we’re often told. They’ve been increasingly entering male-dominated areas of the workforce and consistently surpassing their male peers in grades, university attendance, and degrees. They’ve recently stormed the political arena with a vengeance. But despite all of this, the payoff is—quite literally—not there: the gender pay gap has held steady at about 20% since 2000. And the number of female CEOs for Fortune 500 companies has actually been declining.

Purpose, Passion, and Pajamas is the story of Genevieve Piturro’s triumphant leap off the corporate ladder to find her life’s true calling. What started with a simple question from a little girl led Genevieve to conceive and build the nonprofit Pajama Program in 2001, resulting in a featured appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show and an awe-inspiring display of compassion throughout the US and beyond. Today, Pajama Program has distributed over seven million pairs of pajamas, opened 63 chapters across the US, and established reading centers for children.

Faith Popcorn has seen it coming - and now she tells you how to profit from the enormous transformation that will sweep mainstream America in the coming years. The founder of BrainReserve, the top-dollar trend-spotter for the nation's biggest blue-chip companies, Popcorn now shares her vision of the future for anyone who wants an early look at the products we'll buy (and sell), the careers we'll choose and the lives we'll lead in the coming years.

Averting Catastrophe explores how governments ought to make decisions in times of imminent disaster. Cass R. Sunstein argues that using the "maximin rule", which calls for choosing the approach that eliminates the worst of the worst-case scenarios, may be necessary when public officials lack important information and when the worst-case scenario is too disastrous to contemplate. He underscores this argument by emphasizing the reality of "Knightian uncertainty", found in circumstances in which it is not possible to assign probabilities to various outcomes.

We have entered an age of disruption. Financial collapse, climate change, resource depletion, and a growing gap between rich and poor are but a few of the signs. Otto Scharmer and Katrin Kaufer ask, why do we collectively create results nobody wants? Meeting the challenges of this century requires updating our economic logic and operating system from an obsolete “ego-system” focused entirely on the well-being of oneself to an eco-system awareness that emphasizes the well-being of the whole.

Marketing has an image problem. Media-savvy millennials, and their younger Gen Z counterparts, no longer trust advertising, and they demand increased social responsibility from their brands - while still insisting on cutting-edge products with on-trend design. As always, brands need to be cool - but now they need to be good, too.

Jenny Eclair, with her trademark humour, will share her experience of what can be a difficult time for many women, from the emotional side of life - missing the woman you were, the empty nest, mood swings - to the health aspects of the menopause, starring the hot flush and also periods (lack of), weight problems, insomnia and other issues. Upbeat and honest, Jenny shares her new-found hobbies, the joy of pets and how to make the best of the different but still-fabulous you.

What is enough? From cleaning out closets to avoiding the grocery store for weeks at a time, Jeff Shinabarger is on a journey to find out what is "enough" in every aspect of life. Follow his community as they ponder one question: What would happen if we created a culture in which we gave away whatever was more than enough for us? How would our habits change if we shed the excess of money, clutter, and food in our lives? In More or Less, Jeff invites us to create our own social experiments to answer the question "What is enough?"

I've discovered that skilled UX practitioners often find their best efforts thwarted by political obstacles. Either they haven't learned how to deal with a corporate culture that doesn't fully grok the value of UX, or they have yet to develop working relationships with other functional teams that are essential for UX initiatives to succeed. Navigating the Politics of UX: Strategies and Stories from 40 Years in the Trenches provides a playbook for managing and advancing your career as a UX professional. This series comprises three volumes.

From the former secretary of defense and author of the acclaimed #1 best-selling memoir Duty, a characteristically direct, informed, and urgent assessment of why big institutions are failing us and how smart, committed leadership can effect real improvement regardless of scale.

Of all the women you know, how many of them would you describe as "a lady"? Naturally, you know women who are kind and intelligent, witty and resourceful; but a lady is an altogether different variety of female. She's mindful of the effect she has on those around her, and she's careful not to let her words or appearance betray her true intentions. How to Be a Lady is a charming reminder of what it takes to be an exemplary woman - someone who knows how to breeze through an awkward conversation with poise, or delicately sidestep the beauty salon gossip.

As long as you are employed, workplace politics are inherent. Like the rules in a game, politics in the office are the rules. Now that you know the importance of the rules, can you afford to ignore office politics and expect your work environment to be smooth sailing?

Have you ever felt invisible? Taken advantage of? Reluctant (or unable) to articulate what you really want? If so, join the club. The Nice Girls Club. Nice girls - that's right, girls - are those who are more concerned with pleasing others than with addressing their own needs and who haven't yet learned how to overcome the childhood messages and cultural stereotypes that are keeping them from getting their voices heard, their needs met, and the lives they want.

Americans are generous with their pocketbooks, but trying to make a difference and actually making a difference are two different things. Where Am I Giving? by New York Times best-selling author Kelsey Timmerman takes you on a journey to meet people who will inspire you to live a purpose-filled, generous life and make the greatest impact you can through your career, time, consumer dollars, and donations.