Make Me Even, and I’ll Never Gamble Again (release date: August 14)
Jerrold Fine W64
Rosetta Books
Inspired by the life experience of Fine—the hedge fund pioneer and co-founder of Steinhardt, Fine, Berkowitz & Co.—Wharton is featured prominently in this novel. Protagonist Rogers Stout ends up at the School in the 1970s before taking his career to Wall Street, where his propensity for risk-taking leads him to rewrite the rules of investing, for better or worse. Simultaneously caught up in work struggles and a love triangle, Stout is forced to come of age quickly as part of a generation that changed investing forever.
On the Cusp: The Women of Penn ‘64
Anne Sceia Klein W64 and Vilma Barr
Pine Road Press
“These women dared to be different,” Penn President Amy Gutmann writes in the foreword. “Not because they set out to be pioneers, but because they asked questions that societal and cultural norms dictated they should not.” On the Cusp chronicles the lives of 19 women who graduated from the University in 1964, all of whom had success in various professional fields, ranging from medicine to architecture to computer programming and more. Klein and her co-author successfully illustrate how these alumnae helped set the stage for traditional gender roles to change on Penn’s campus and for the feminist movement to explode across America.
Startup Cities
Peter S. Cohan WG85
Apress
For every startup like Uber, Airbnb, and Snapchat that is now a household name, there’s a long list of ventures that never make it off the ground. Much of that has to do with the goals of these companies and the skills of their employees, but, as Cohan writes, an important factor is the cities they originate in. Startup Cities explains what determines local startup success in some places and dooms companies’ chances from the jump in others, using case studies to break down what the rest of the country should do to catch up to the most entrepreneur-friendly cities.
Bless this Mess: A Picture Story of Healthcare in America
Steve Klasko WG96
Lulu Press
Despite their appearances, the cartoons in this book are not meant for children: as the cover warns with a wink, “It’s scary. Do not read at bedtime.” Klasko—the president and CEO of Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health—dissects the future of American health care. In tackling issues like the need to transform how we select and educate doctors, the socio-economic disparity gap in relation to long-term health, and the importance of empathy in physicians in this increasingly tech-driven age, Klasko doesn’t sugarcoat the changes he wants to see.
Mastering Catastrophic Risk
Howard Kunreuther HOM74, Erwann Michel-Kerjan, and Michael Useem HOM91
Oxford University Press
U.S. General George Patton was referring to the battlefield when he said, “Take calculated risks.That is quite different from being rash.” But Mastering Catastrophic Riskapplies his wisdom to global business—how managers choose which risks to take, which ones to avoid, and what companies can do if disaster does strike. Business leaders face more pressure than ever when making their final calls, and Wharton professors Kunreuther, Michel-Kerjan, and Useem take us behind the scenes with case studies such as Deutsche Bank’s crisis management after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck its Japan division.
Switchers
Dawn Marie Graham
AMACOM
Want to pull off the most daring—and fulfilling—career move of your life? Switchers, by Wharton’s Executive MBA Program Director of Career Management, speaks to those who feel stuck in an unsatisfying job, or in the wrong profession altogether. Graham motivates her readers to find the careers they’ve always wanted, with tips on topics ranging from interacting with hiring managers to résumé writing to shedding assumptions from employers.
The Culture Book: When Culture Clicks
Published by Kimberly Gorsuch-Bradbury WG96
Weeva
Culture is the operating system of all of our organizations; what motivates our people to connect despite their differences and work together. The Culture Book takes that melting pot concept to a new level, with 32 different writers each contributing a chapter with their perspective on the matter. Weeva founder and CEO Gorsuch-Bradbury gathered thought-provoking and practical advice from organizational leaders at Netflix, Southwest Airlines, the Navy SEALs, and more, on how to create and maintain a winning organization. Gorsuch-Bradley is already planning volume two and is looking for Wharton alumni to contribute; reach out to her at Kim@Weeva.com.
The Lonely Little Mesa
Brian Renshaw W65
Page Publishing
Inspired by his family’s recent trip to southern California, Renshaw was “haunted” by the beautiful images of the southwestern United States, which led to this illustrated and educational children’s book. The short story personifies a mesa (an isolated, flat-topped hill) named Mesita, and the lovable character helps teach lessons about America’s deserts.
Not So Fast
Tim Hollister and Pam Shadel Fischer WAM05
Chicago Review Press
Every parent with a teenager has gone through the stress of worrying about that child’s safety behind the wheel of a car, yet not much literature examines the full scope of why teen driving can be so dangerous. Hollister—who lost his teenage son to a car crash in 2006—and Fischer take a close look at texting, distracted driving, fatigue, curfews, and other factors that parents should consider to keep their beloved kids safe on the road.
U Can Save Our World (release date: August 1)
Julian Hyman W42
Self-published
All Julian Hyman wants for his 98th birthday is to save the world—and this book might start the conversation that gets the ball rolling. Hyman, a WWII veteran and former CFO of worldwide shipping company Global Messenger Corporation, is motivated to protect the Earth for future generations to come. This proposal for change touches on topics ranging from pollution to famine to wealth inequality to governmental conflict and more.
