0 items in cart
New York Times Book Review of Crunch by Jared Bernstein
New York Times
May 18, 2008
Off the Shelf
A Rock, a Hard Place and an Exit Strategy
By HARRY HURT III
DO you feel that you’re working harder and harder to get ahead financially, but can’t even seem to stay in the same place? Do you feel trapped by larger forces that are increasing your cost of living but lowering your income? Do you worry about losing your job or having to change your career, even as news reports say the overall economy is growing and you see a privileged few enjoying unparalleled prosperity?
Jared Bernstein offers an explanation for the causes of this economic disconnect in “Crunch: Why Do I Feel So Squeezed?” (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, $26.95). Mr. Bernstein, a senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, also outlines a “reconnection agenda” to cure the nation’s economic ills.
His basic thesis about the current state of the economics profession and the American economy is unapologetically left-leaning.“Economics has been hijacked by the rich and powerful, and it has been forged into a tool that is being used against the rest of us,” he declares. “Far too often, economists justify things many of us know to be wrong while claiming the things we believe are critically important can’t be done.”
Full article at New York Times.
04/23/08
Paul Polak's Interview on NPR's Fresh Air about Out of Poverty
On Wednesday, April 23, 2008, BK author Paul Polak was interviewed on National Public Radio's Fresh Program about his work to alleviate poverty through his innovation and affordable irrigation systems, as profiled in Out of Poverty (published in February 2008). Listen to the Fresh Air interview. Congratulations, Paul!
From NPR Fresh Air Introduction to Paul Polak
Paul Polak, founder of the nonprofit International Development Enterprises, has spent 25 years working to eradicate poverty in Bangladesh, India, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and other countries in the developing world.
His perhaps-surprising conclusion: Government subsidies for the rural poor often make things worse.
Instead, Polak teaches families and farmers — many of whom live on a dollar a day and own perhaps an acre of land — how to increase crop yields with simple technologies, such as cheap, foot-operated water pumps and inexpensive drip hoses for irrigation.
And Polak argues that his approach can make a difference in impoverished communities in the U.S., as well as in developing economies.
Last year Polak's organization received a $13.4 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support its ongoing work. His new book is Out of Poverty: What Works When Traditional Approaches Fail.
04/21/08
The She Spot Reviewed by Publishers Weekly
The She Spot: Why Women Are the Market for Changing the World—and How to Reach Them
Lisa Witter and Lisa Chen. Berrett-Koehler, $24.95 (288p) ISBN 978-1-57675-472-6
Marketers have always honed in on women, the primary household consumers, but charitable and political organizations have long been less savvy. Target women to garner donations or votes, urge Witter and Chen; female consumers and citizens are not a niche audience but the audience to reach and win over. Women’s economic clout grows larger every year, and though they tend to be distrustful of the political process, they vote in large numbers and can tip elections. They are also characteristically altruistic, volunteering more significantly than men and contributing to twice as many charities. Since word of mouth is strong among women, women who care about a particular cause will bring in more contributors. The authors present their material efficiently and engagingly, tackling the motivation—both social and neurological—behind women’s contributions and interest, and the methods to appeal to them, from news media to online. Bolstered with helpful “chapter takeaway” lists and concrete examples of companies that have successfully reached the female audience, Witter and Chen have crafted a thoughtful, helpful guide to nonprofit marketers. (June)
04/18/08
Berrett-Koehler Author Videos Live
Berrett-Koehler is pleased to announce the introduction of a BK Author Video series. Each 2-3 minute video shows the authors speaking about their Berrett-Koehler books, covering topics such as the inspiration behind he book, the “Big Idea,” and the intended reader takeaway. These videos will be placed on the authors’ book pages on author websites, bkconnection.com, Barnes&Noble.com, YouTube, and Amazon.
See BK Author Videos for the following books:
The Nonverbal Advantage, by Carol Kinsey-Goman
All Rise, by Robert W. Fuller
Putting Our Differences to Work, by Debbe Kennedy
Authentic Conversations, by Maren and Jamie Showkeir
Loyal to the Sky, by Marisa Handler
The Connect Effect, by Michael Dulworth
The World Café, co-authored by Juanita Brown
Courage Goes to Work, by Bill Treasurer
Right Risk, by Bill Treasurer
Change Your Questions, Change Your Life, by Marilee Adams
New Traditions in Business, by John Renesch
Visit the BK Author Video Library on YouTube to see all eleven videos, plus author-produced videos (see playlists) from BK authors such as Sharon Jordan-Evans, Brian Tracy, Paul Polak, and John Graham.
Watch for upcoming BK Author Videos on these books:
The Accidental American, by Rinku Sen & Mamdouh Fekkak
The She Spot, by Lisa Witter and Lisa Chen
Get There Early, by Bob Johansen
Just Good Business, by Kellie McElhaney
Getting to Resolution, by Stewart Levine
Lean and Green, by Pamela Gordon
More Than Money, by Mark Albion
Prescription for Survival, by Bernard Lown
Berrett-Koehler authors wishing to participate in the BK Author Video program, please contact David Marshall, Digital Community Builder, at dmarshall@bkpub.com.
04/03/08
Berrett-Koehler Goes Public with Author Publishing Agreement
A lot of people are keen to see what a book contract looks like. Even more people are eager to warn you about how ruthless publishers can be and how vigilant you must be at all times lest you get taken for a ride.
In the spirit of accountability (after all, we're the same people who gave you the Ten Awful Truths About Publishing), here's our publication agreement. And here's the handy memo that accompanies it. Yes, it's the real thing. We think our agreement is pretty fair, and we hope that others will use it as a model for their agreements. The ultimate goal is to create a partnership based on shared commitment and stewardship, not an adversarial who-gets-what relationship.
Share these documents with anyone you like, or post them anywhere you like. You don't need our permission -- you already have it. Download the PDF version of the contract here and the memo here. Then go wave them in the faces of naysayers. You can also find these on our del.icio.us page, along with several articles of interest about publishing.
(This annoucement first appeared in the 4-3-08 issue of the BK Communique, Berrett-Koehler Publishers' bi-weekly e-newsletter. To subscribe, click on BK Comminuque symbol on upper right hand corner of our home page.)
04/02/08
Berrett-Koehler Launches 52 Digital Books
Berrett-Koehler Publishers announced today the release of 52 e-books in the Adobe PDF format for immediate download on its BK community website: bkconnection.com.
Berrett-Koehler Publishers announced today the release of 52 e-books in the Adobe PDF format for immediate download on its BK community website: bkconnection.com.
Available titles include bestsellers such as Confessions of an Economic Hit (700,000 sold), Eat That Frog! (600,000 sold), and Love 'Em or Lose 'Em (475,000 copies sold).
“This is an exciting step in our digital evolution. We plan to release 150 e-books before the end of 2008,” said David Marshall, Senior Manager for Digital Communities at Berrett-Koehler.
View a complete list of the BK E-books.
03/14/08
PRISONERS OF OUR THOUGHTS, by Alex Pattakos
Alex's book has been included on the Top-10 bestseller list of EL PERIÓDICO, a national newspaper
of Spain.
03/10/08
OUT OF POVERTY, by Paul Polak
Media:
Fresh Air NPR interview with Paul Polak to air the week of April 21st.
Out of Poverty is #3 on the Denver Post Non-Fiction List on 3-8-08
Paul Polak in BusinessWeek on 2-22-08
Out of Poverty Book Review in The Economist on 2-21-08
McClatchy Newspapers featured Paul on 2-13-0
Events:
March 19, 2008 - NCIIA Meetings
May 1-4, 2008 - Fetzer Conference, Kalamazoo, Michigan
Communications:
Paul Talks About Poverty on YouTube
03/07/08
EconoCorner and New BK Book CRUNCH, by Jared Bernstein
Subscribe to Jared Bernstein's new EconoCorner podcast on iTunes. Go to iTunes and click Podcasts on the left hand bar. Then type in 'EconoCorner' in the search box (see magnifying glass) on the upper right hand corner. EconoCorner broadcasts every two weeks in four acts:
1. What’s Up, What’s Down, What’s Moving Around – summary of economic events of last two weeks
2. Interview with Famous Economist – Jared talks to the experts
3. Facts Matter – unraveling and debunking economic myths circulating in the media
4. What’s Out There – new articles, books, blogs, videos with fingers on the economic pulse
Or listen to Jared's EconoCorner.
02/03/08
Pioneering a World that Works for All: The Berrett-Koehler Story
with Steve Piersanti
President and Publisher, Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Berrett-Koehler is an independent publisher dedicated to an ambitious mission: 'Creating a World that Works for All'
Friday, March 14, 2008 in Menlo Park, California
Steve Piersanti has a big vision to change the world—engaging people through powerful ideas and conversations. B-K publishes for Meg Wheatley, Peter Block, Michael Ray and many other TLG conversation starters. They are an independent book publisher dedicated to creating a better world at all levels... individual, organizational and societal.
The folks at B-K believe that to truly create a better world, action is needed at all levels. At the individual level, their books help people align their lives with their values and with their aspirations for a better world. At the organizational level, their books promote progressive leadership and management practices, socially responsible approaches to business, and humane and effective organizations. At the societal level, their books advance social and economic justice, shared prosperity, sustainability, and new solutions to national and global issues.
A major theme of B-K books is 'Opening Up New Space.' They challenge conventional thinking, introduce new ideas, and foster positive change. Their common quest is changing the underlying beliefs, mindsets, institutions, and structures that keep generating the same cycles of problems, no matter who our leaders are or what improvement programs we adopt.
We strive to practice what we preach--to operate our publishing company in line with the ideas in our books.
At the core of the B-K approach is stewardship, which we define as a deep sense of responsibility to administer the company for the benefit of all of our 'stakeholder' groups: authors, customers, employees, investors, service providers, and the communities and environment around us.
It's a perfect conversation for the TLG community. Please join us!
For more information and registration, visit The Heartand Circle.
