So you think you know a lot about wine? Or have a friend who can quote chapter and vinous? You know, “vinous,” the word some Europeans use to criticize California wines that they think are too fruity. Well, unless that friend is Karen MacNeil, they probably don’t know as much about wine as you think [...]

You and I fret over how to balance our investment dollars in a SEP or an IRA. Meanwhile, Robert P. Smith has his bags packed for Damascus, Syria to measure that country’s investment potential. That’s why he is portrayed as the “Indiana Jones” of international finance. “Give me a country that is at war because the [...]

While pundits and experts are churning out a plethora of books analyzing the causes of the 2008 economic crisis, it’s refreshing to find a practical book that provides some good thinking on how to manage for success in crisis situations. In his new book, “7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis,” Harvard Business School Professor and former [...]

Two thoughts came to mind before I even got through the Forward and Introduction sections of The Surprising Solution: Creating Possibility in a Swift and Severe World by Bruce Piasecki. Is this book is going to be preaching to the choir about addressing environmental and social issues? Will it be a studied treatment of the issues [...]

Sam Wyly may be one of the biggest billionaires that most people have never heard of. But we’re familiar with many of the companies he’s established, grown and led like Michaels Stores, Green Mountain Energy and the Bonanza Steakhouse chain. With his track record, you can’t help wondering what he thinks about today’s economy.

After the economic world was turned on its axis last Fall, many companies went into a panic, circled the wagons or even headed for the hills. The smart ones regrouped, recalculated or even reorganized. Such was the case of general contractor Gerry Crawley. In fact, it could be said of his company, ARC General Contracting that they “rewound” back to the beginning.

So how do you capture an audience when you’re asked to speak? The first thing you might want to do is to read OWN THE ROOM: Business Presentations that Persuade, Engage, and Get Results. Skilled corporate communication experts David Booth and Deborah Shames give you the answers.

George Cloutier is a Harvard grad that Business Week dubbed a “Turnaround Ace” and his focus has always been on small business. Actually, you may not even need to hire him, just read his national best-selling book called Profits Aren’t Everything, They’re the Only Thing. The book includes “The 15 Rules” that George Cloutier’s consulting firm has used to turn small businesses on life support into profit-making machines.

SunCarrier, a division of a+f GmbH, a company in southern Germany, has been researching Kansas City and the region as sites for installation of their solar technology. Marc Reimer, Head of Project Development, explained that his company has been a leader in solar technology and efficiency for six years with a new fashion of solar installation that has shown great success in Germany and Spain. They now seek to try that same technology in what he terms as “less than optimal conditions,” namely the winters of Midwestern United States.