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As Beijing bureau chief for The Times of London, Oliver August became entangled in the Chinese government’s hunt for Lai Chiangxing.  Lai was an uneducated farmer who somehow amassed a billion dollar empire. The story of how an illiterate farmer unable to even sign his own name could accomplish so much and then escape the grasp of China’s worldwide manhunt obsessed Mr. August and lead him on the spectacular journey of discovery into China’s inner workings.

You may never intend to end up on the shores of China, but the portrait and insight the book provides of life, business and politics will surely change the way you think about the United State’s second largest trade partner.

© 2010 Gay Executive.com. All Rights Reserved.

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George S. Clason was born in 1874. He made a career in publishing and was the first to publish a road atlas of the United States and Canada. In 1926 he began to publish pamphlets on financial success and saving money. These pamphlets were parables set in ancient Babylon.  Banks and insurance companies began to distribute the parables and the most famous stories were compiled into the book The Richest Man in Babylon.

Few books on finance remain relevant for more than a decade, so the fact that Clason’s work is still applicable nearly a century later affirms its genius.  This is a great gift for a graduate or anyone who seems baffled by the world of finance. A wonderful and refreshing read for even the most experienced investor.

© 2010 Gay Executive.com. All Rights Reserved.

Most books about career advancement are either lengthy examinations of moral dilemmas and personal fortitude or flippant, humorous takes on surviving the buzzword bingo of modern work life.  Jeffrey Fox’s book, How to Become CEO: The Rules for Rising to the Top of Any Organization is neither. Instead, Fox presents 75 commonsense rules about successfully conducting your career.

Rules like “Never Write a Nasty Memo” and “Know Everybody by Their First Name” may seem obvious; others, such as “Don’t Take Work Home from the Office” or “Don’t Have a Drink with the Gang” may not. Each is accompanied by page or two of succinct and thought-provoking explanation. For example, for rule 27, “Don’t Hide an Elephant,” Fox writes, “Big problems always surface. If they have been hidden, even unintentionally, the negative fallout is always worse. The ‘hiders’ always get burned, regardless of complicity. The ‘discoverers’ always are safe, regardless of complicity.” Wise and to the point, How to Become CEO will help just about anybody’s career, whether you want to become CEO or not.

© 2010 Gay Executive.com. All Rights Reserved.

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Dr. Greenspan calls The Age of Turbulence a “psychoanalysis of himself.”  It begins with his early life, describing the events that shaped his childhood, and then follows his career from the stock market crash of October 1987 though the terrorist attacks of September 11th.  The first half of the book is dedicated to the extraordinary amount of history he has experienced and shaped, while the second half is a series of ruminations on economic issues, like income inequality and the rise of China.

Dr. Greenspan never hesitates to take credit for predictions when correct, yet he portrays himself as a reluctant and unambitious participant on his fantastic ascent – something I struggle to believe.  While the portrait may be overly rosy it still provides the reader with a unique insight into economic history and as such is well worth a read.

© 2010 Gay Executive.com. All Rights Reserved.