All Blog Posts (151)

I always wonder if leaders become the victims of their own perfect creations. What if a leader's nightmare occurs when the organization he worked so hard to build actually flourishes exactly as wished? Normally, that would be cause for celebration, but I think it also may provoke a great…

Many people have the sense that our political leaders aren’t leading us anywhere.  They feel that while, perhaps, they are solving short-term problems, there’s no sense of destination – that the same old issues keep recurring.  Like boom and bust.  Or getting into wars we don’t agree with.  Or pre-election promises that weren’t thought through or even genuine.

Perhaps this is why – or at least partly why – voter turnout in the UK is on the decline.  I heard on the radio that 60% of…

Good news!  The BK community of authors and readers is growing.  Open Book Editions, BK's self-publishing partnership with iUniverse, has published its first six titles:

"The Road from Empire to Eco-Democracy," written by Gene Marshall (and friends), who also happens to be…

Hello readers, and happy new year!

I was all set to pen something about new beginnings but, as often happens, something else got in the way. Today, we held the BK Author Lunch for Soren Kaplan, who is working on the upcoming BK book Leapfrogging: Harness the Power of Surprise…

  This past Tuesday, BK staff members and some lucky guests were treated to a wonderful Author Day presentation by Chuck Collins, co-founder of both United For a Fair Economy and Wealth For The Common Good. Collins is working on the forthcoming BK book 99 to 1: How Wealth Inequality Is Wrecking The…

Anybody feeling spread too thin, with messages coming in via phone and email 24/7, with creative projects tending to stack up, and, not enough time to celebrate big and little wins?

I've been reflecting on this modern-day situation.

Many question whether this movement can really make a difference. The truth is that it is already changing everything. Here’s how:

1.  It names the source of the crisis. The…

Debating with my friend Chuck today, I finally realized what I wanted to say about the current debates around taxation and the apparent encroachment of socialism (credit to Chuck, he did raise some good arguments against this, but I stand by it): 

"At the end of it all, Chuck, we're never going to agree, because I honestly do want my tax dollars to go to help others -- and those others include the f*ck-ups, the lazy @ss***es who don't want jobs, the impoverished that refuse to…

Berrett-Koehler has been partnering with the iBookstore team at Apple since the iPad was announced in January 1984.  My relationship with Apple goes back to 1980, when I started selling VisiCalc (the original Excel spreadsheet) on Apple II computers in the financial district of San Francisco to flabbergasted investment bankers and Lawrence Livermore scientists.  They couldn't believe such a scrappy little plastic…

Twelve Steps to Fun



1.

Start with Yourself



2.

Inspire Fun in Others



3.

Create an Environment That Encourages Fun



4.

Celebrate the Benefits of Fun



5.…

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September 20, 2011

 7:00 pm Eastern Time

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As the summer comes to an end so does my internship at Berrett-Koehler.  By this time next week I will be back in Michigan and finishing my last semester at Eastern Michigan University.  As excited as I am to see family and friends and sleep in my own bed I know I am going to miss San Francisco. In particular, I'm going to miss interning at Berret-Koehler.

At my farewell lunch I was asked why I chose Berrett-Koehler Publishers to have my internship. Two other publishing…

301 Ways to Have Fun at Work (Leslie's fan page)



The 12 Steps - Step 12



Put…

This Charlie Rose interview of Warren Buffettwas the best 51-minute investment of time I spent this week. I wish every Democrat, Independent, and Republican would watch this interview. I consider Warren Buffet to be one of our national treasurers.…

Hello Readers,

Remember me? It's been awhile since I've written one of these things, I know. You see, I've just returned from a 10-day vacation -- and I'm not the only one. Sure, summer is a time for travel, but never has it seemed so prevalent. While I was out of the office, so were several other BK staff members, and our numbers are dropping even further in the days to come. Friends of mine are on trips near and far, and my lucky sister is on a plane to Mexico as I type. What a…

301 Ways to Have Fun at Work



The 12 Steps - Step 11



Become Known as "Fun Loving"



Cultivate light heartedness. Here's a wild way to think of this: how might you put your 'mood' in the service of others, in the service of…

I am a huge fan of cop shows, but I do get a little tired of the formulaic approach used on most network shows (one of the reasons "The Wire" was so good was because it dared to add some authenticity to its depictions of law enforcement).

The following formulas have been done to death and must…

I notice that many new members of this community are failing to upload photos of themselves which, in my view, jeopardizes the spirit of collaboration and community many of us would like to see nurtured and developed.

David, as administrator, you might consider making it a requirement for membership as other networks have done.

Creators of the first social network, the Well, acknowledge that much of the success in their many collaborations came from having total access to one…

I notice that many new members of this community are failing to upload photos of themselves which, in my view, jeopardizes the spirit of collaboration and community many of us would like to see nurtured and developed.

David, as administrator, you might consider making it a requirement for membership as other networks have done.

Creators of the first social network, the Well, acknowledge that much of the success in their many collaborations came from having total access to one…