Put Happiness to Work: 7 Strategies to Elevate Engagement for Optimal Performance
Eric Karpinski WG01
McGraw-Hill Education
In Put Happiness to Work, Eric Karpinski explains the connection between psychology and business, and offers tips for increasing satisfaction in the workplace. The book provides invaluable insights for managers, outlining the most effective strategies for enhancing happiness among workers and, consequently, improving engagement. Drawing on his own experience and research, Karpinski gives specific guidance to managers for interacting with employees, contributing to a positive corporate culture, and building high-performing teams for better results.
Finding Your Career Niche: Conversations About Women & Business
Anne S. Klein W64 ASC65
Business Expert Press
Finding Your Career Niche asks the big questions for women in business. How do you network as a woman in the corporate world? When is it time to start your own business? When is the best time to have children? Author Anne S. Klein draws upon her many years in the corporate and entrepreneurial spaces to open career conversations that pertain to women in the modern workplace. (For a conversation with Klein, see “Life Lessons: Perfectionism and Forging New Paths” from the Spring/Summer 2019 edition of Wharton Magazine.)
The Mercenary
Paul Vidich WG81
Pegasus Crime
Entertainment industry veteran and acclaimed writer Paul Vidich tells the story of KGB officer GAMBIT as he attempts to leave Moscow in exchange for vital intelligence. KGB defect and former CIA agent Alex Garin is responsible for the exfiltration of the mysterious mercenary, navigating the dangerous and secretive Soviet Union in the years of its decline. The Mercenary is a thriller operating at the tense intersection of Cold War politics, the USSR in the 1980s, and Vidich’s trademark spy work.
Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance
Erica Dhawan W07
St. Martin’s Press
With communications moving largely online last year, the importance of crafting easily decipherable messages became perhaps more apparent than ever. Digital Body Language is a one-stop guide for enhancing readers’ online communications, from simple text messages to important video calls. Using leading research and engaging storytelling, Erica Dhawan lays out new rules for improving and decoding the ways we convey meaning online. (For more from Dhawan, see “Master Your Digital Body Language” on the Wharton Magazine Blog Network.)
The Complete Guide to ETF Portfolio Management: The Essential Toolkit for Practitioners
Scott M. Weiner W94
McGraw-Hill Education
In The Complete Guide to ETF Portfolio Management, Scott Weiner offers expert guidance for breaking into exchange-traded funds, which are now among the fastest-growing investment vehicles in finance today. Touching on corporate actions, tax management, and cash management, this thorough resource gives a complete overview of potential problems, coupled with key management concepts. Weiner — Janus Capital’s first ETF portfolio manager — uses model ETFs, clear examples, and authoritative insights to provide a comprehensive “how-to” for building and managing an effective ETF portfolio.
The Tormenting Beauty of Empathy
Richard Robbins WG04
Evolved Publishing
In his third book, The Tormenting Beauty of Empathy, Richard Robbins tells the story of a mute Guatemalan woman seeking a better life in the U.S. It’s in a Mayan community in Indiantown, Florida, where Hana ultimately settles and raises a daughter with unique characteristics. Together, they challenge common beliefs and change the world forever. Robbins, who was named Louisiana Independent Author of the Year for 2020 by the Indie Author Project, is also the author of Panicles and Love, Loss, and Lagniappe.
Learning to Pray: A Guide for Everyone
James Martin W82
HarperOne
Spiritual leader James Martin discusses prayer: what it is, what to expect from it, how to do it, and its transformative nature. Prayer, according to Learning to Pray, is variable and can be tailored to each person’s unique relationship to God (regardless of faith or denomination). Martin presents guidance for the God-seeking reader, helping to shape and inform the practices of prayer that punctuate a religious life.
Smashers Synched
Shaz Kahng WG89
OLOM Press
The second book in the Ceiling Smashers series, Smashers Synched is the empowering story of four successful women leaders at their career crossroads. As each of them goes down their own path and confronts their own challenges — dealing with a new boss, hosting a new CNBC show, taking sabbatical from a leadership position, and managing a sports company in Oregon — all four women support each other in this tale of friendship. (For insights into author Shaz Kahng’s own career, see “Eyes on the Prize” from the Fall/Winter 2020 edition of Wharton Magazine.)
Dictatorship by Degrees: Xi Jinping in China
Steven P. Feldman GR82
Lexington Books
Steven P. Feldman’s Dictatorship by Degrees discusses Chinese politics and totalitarian traits such as increasing intolerance, propaganda, and indoctrination that are present in the country. From interviews with experts and observations of daily life, Feldman introduces the concept of pre-totalitarianism and explores it in relation to China’s current political culture.
Alternate Routes: Coming of Age in America’s Largest Generation
David Barudin W69
Seasoned writer David Barudin offers reflections upon travel and life off the grid in his novel Alternate Routes. Set in mid-1970s America, Barudin follows young couple James and Kyla as they traverse the country. Abandoning traditional conventions and prescribed career paths, the pair embark on a journey of self-discovery, one that is shaped by the restlessness of the social climate in the ’70s. (For more by Barudin, see “The Importance of Career Breaks” from the Fall/Winter 2019 edition of Wharton Magazine.)
Other Notable Books by Wharton Alumni
A Practical Guide to Buying a Business: Locating a Business, Performing Due Diligence, Valuing the Enterprise, Raising Funds, and Closing the Deal
—Robert J. Chalfin W78 WG78
Goliath Strikes Back: How Traditional Retailers Are Winning Back Customers from Ecommerce Startups
—Peter S. Cohan WG85 (Apress)
Sopris
—Roger Colley W60 (iUniverse)
Blockchain Success Stories: Case Studies from the Leading Edge of Business
—Sir John Hargrave & Evan Karnoupakis WG99 (O’Reilly Media)
Fire in the Straw: Notes on Inventing a Life
—Nick Lyons W53 (Arcade)
ForLikeMinds: Mental Illness Recovery Insights
—Katherine Ponte WG01 (Real MH Works)
Purposeful Retirement
—Dick Rappleye WG65
