CFO Bookshelf

As of the release date of this episode, the prime interest rate in the U.S. had surpassed six percent, nearly double the rate a few months earlier.

Are higher rates good or bad for the economy? What about lower rates? The answers may seem self-evident, but should we be over-confident with our opinions? What about the law of unintended consequences when rates are universally low for an extended period of time?

Additionally, how are rates determined? Why do they go up or down? What is the history of interest?

We learn the answers to all of these questions and more as we hear from Edward Chancellor, the author of The Price of Time.

Sophie Theen is the author of The Soul of Startups. Sophie states that there is a misconception that a company's people make its culture. Instead, that culture starts at the top and works its way down into other teams which is consistently changing. And that can lead to unplanned and unforeseen consequences for the staff working in these startups.

In this conversation, we learn about the three audiences this book is intended for. We learn that people do indeed leave bad companies, not necessarily bad bosses or managers. And we get some great advice for any person thinking about a role in a startup.

Dr. Sam Savage is the gifted teacher all of us would have loved having as our professor in stats classes.

Sam is the author of The Flaw of Averages and Chancification. During this conversation, we talk about the arithmetic of uncertainty, probability management,  and the limitations of risk matrixes. And we do it on a fifth-grade level.

Thomas Erikson is the author of Surrounded by Idiots, a book that simplifies four basic personality types using a coloring system and a two-by-two matrix.

In this conversation, we address:

• the difference between the four letters in DISC and the colors
• the purpose and role of personality assessments in the workplace
• the validity and reliability of such assessments
• the three parts of the human mind

Some people believe personality assessments are bogus. Others live and swear by them. Regardless of where you are on this spectrum, we address the questions you have about any type of personality assessment.

Can you think of a top business book exclusively for professional services firms? If so, your list is probably short and presumably headed by any title from David Maister. In this episode, a new book for this industry is introduced, The Boutique: How to Start, Scale, and Sell a Professional Services Firm by Greg Alexander.

In this conversation, we talk about elephant and rabbit hunters, the one-thirds of billings, the only three types of firms in existence, and two critical metrics that buyers of professional services firms are examining closely.

If we think the reasons for the fall of BlackBerry are an open and shut case, we need to think again. Sean Silcoff is the co-author of Losing the Signal. The book covers the rise of BlackBerry, how its foundation started cracking before Apple's iPhone came on the scene and the breakup of two iconic founders of a company that once topped $20 billion in revenues.

This interview explores some of the highs and lows in this story, a very readable narrative that also serves as a great business case study. Finally, we ask if there could have been a different ending. The ideas you hear might surprise you.

When I read a biography, I want the words to jump out by telling me something I never knew about the person that's both memorable and interesting. I want to read about the subject's impact they had on others. And, I want to be inspired.

Before reading Dirk Smillie's very readable and accessible biography on Harry Guggenheim entitled, The Business of Tomorrow, I knew nothing about this iconic family name.

While one business publication heralded Harry as the godfather of flight during his day, there is so much more about this larger-than-life historical figure of the 20th century warranting a closer look at what made him special. 

Should professionals like you and I be reading fiction and if so, why?

Dr. Christine Seifert is the author of a 2020 HBR article, The Case for Reading Fiction. While professionals typically read for knowledge, Christy provides numerous reasons and studies on how reading fiction can expand our analytical abilities along with understanding others better.

We explore terms such as cognitive agility and acuity, design fiction, openness to experience, and other big ideas revealing the power of reading fiction.

Who is Bill Gross?

Who is the guy who learned to take risks in college while scalping basketball tickets at Duke? Or who was the risk-taker who counted cards in Las Vegas?

Who exactly is the man once named the Morningstar Investment Manager of the Decade? And how was this lifelong investment professional able to see around corners during one of the country's greatest financial meltdowns during a time of bailouts and bank failures?

You may already know Mary Childs as a co-host at NPR's Planet Money, and she's also the author of The Bond King, the person answers each of these questions.

One of my favorite CFOs is Bob Lung. For the past 33 years, he's been chauffeuring players and dignitaries at the NFL's annual Hall of Fame weekend activities in Canton, Ohio.

In this fast-paced interview, we talk about Bob's favorite moments at the Hall of Fame ceremony, what it means to be a driver during this event, and a couple of special stories.

Should every business consider having its own hall of fame? We address that question along with the role of mentoring relationships in becoming a star in any field.