Shoptimism:
Why the American Consumer Will
Keep On Buying No Matter What
by Lee Eisenberg
HF5415.33 .U6 E47 2009
New Book Island, 2nd floor

In these pressing economic times, common sense would tell us that we should save every penny possible, to become more frugal and to evaluate each expenditure with increased scrutiny. On the other hand, can one easily resist the urge to purchase ‘must needed’ items? For example, I couldn’t help myself when I went to the outlet mall last week and dropped more money than I care to admit (the deals were amazing!). Fortunately, this week’s featured title might just have an explanation.

Eisenberg, accomplished editor and visiting scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, explores the wonderful world of shopping, both from the selling angle – the marketers, advertisers and retailers – and the buying angle – the consumers. He explains the business forces that work for or against us (depending on your perspective) to buy and buy again. The author also delves into the debate about how and why we, as consumers, hand over the dollar bills or credit cards to willing cashiers – is it the act of buying, or what the new found purchases represent? If you have any interest in retail therapy (or need help with understanding it), this book is for you.

The Library has been actively involved in providing support the development and integration of entrepreneurship into the curriculum. The current showcase in the library’s lobby displays just a sampling of the book titles that have been purchased on the topic, with many more to be found using HAL CAT. Also, we have plenty of online resources to aid in the research of new business development in general, like ABI/Inform and Business Source Premier.

Furthermore, if you have that entrepreneurial spirit and want to research the prospect of launching your own business, make sure to come talk to us. The aforementioned resources (plus many more) also contain industry information and market research that can be used to make a sound business decision. Not sure where to start? Just contact me (Kyle) at naffk@uww.edu – I’d be happy to talk to you about doing new business research.

The Mom & Pop Store:
How the Unsung Heroes of the American
Economy Are Surviving & Thriving
By Robert Spector
HD62.27 .S64 2009
New Book Island, 2nd floor

The economic turbulence that our country is facing has put pressure on every corner of society, from the large corporations to the municipalities to the small businesses. Over the last several years, there has been a push to shop local, with organizations marketing to their fellow neighbors about the virtues of supporting communities. This week’s featured title puts the heart of the local economy in the spotlight in these difficult times.

Spector, business journalist and bestselling author, travels down America’s Main Streets to take the pulse of the nation’s economy and (surprisingly) finds it alive and beating quickly. The author provides snapshots of small business and localism movement around the country, from a bookstore on the West Coast to a deli on the East Coast and everywhere in between. While the present day is the main theme of the work, Spector brings in the history of independent merchants and their economic contributions to the growth of the colonial era. He also integrates his own stories of growing up with the family business.

Our Lot:
How Real Estate Came to Own Us
By Alyssa Katz
HD1375 .K348 2009
New Book Island, 2nd floor

The housing market these days has a lot of people worried and waiting for an economic recovery to make the next move. The real estate bubble and subsequent implosion put individuals and corporations in dire situations. This week’s featured title looks at the factors that contributed to the crash of the American dream of home ownership.

Katz, journalism instructor at New York University, examines the housing market and how we got to where we are now. The author focuses on all of the players involved, from the government to the bankers to community activists, that created the crisis that we’re currently experiencing. She writes about a somewhat complicated subject in a very accessible style and even includes a glossary of real estate terms just in case. Furthermore, she does provide notes and sources for further research.

Once you’ve gone to ABI/Inform, there are two ways in which you can search for articles from only the Wall Street Journal:

1. Use the advanced search: in one of the boxes, enter wall street journal and then select Publication Title from the drop-down menu to the right of the search box.
2. The Publications tab at the top allows you to view the list of newspaper, magazine and journal titles that are contained in ABI. Search for wall street journal – the resulting link will take you to a page in which you can exclusively search the WSJ.

The $12 Million Stuffed Shark:
The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art
By Don Thompson
N6490 .T525 2008
New Book Island, 2nd floor

Have you ever wondered how they came up with the price of a work of art? You see it in the news that this painting has gone for a record sum of money, but then you wonder, ‘They paid WHAT?! They must be out of their minds!’ What factors control the demand for art – the creator? the circumstances? the mood of the agent? This week’s featured title can probably provide a few answers for you concerning the mysterious art world.

Thompson, marketing & economics professor at York University, takes you into a world that most people can only dream of experiencing – the contemporary art scene. The author examines the artists that produce the extravagant pieces of art; the agents and auction houses responsible for convincing individuals to pony up the dough for their client’s creative endeavors; and the aforementioned souls forking over the money for the privilege of displaying the art in their personal galleries. It’s a convergence of art, economics and psychology that keeps you entertained with Thompson’s excellent knowledge of the subject matter. Anyone interested in contemporary art, from either the aesthetic or business perspective, should read this book.

Manage the Media:
(Don’t Let the Media Manage You)
By William Holstein
HD59.6 .U6 H653 2008
New Book Island, 2nd floor

A reputation, whether individual or group, is intangible and can pave the way to success or failure. Public perception of a company has become fragile with the proliferation of the media and technology. They’re not only competing with the reporters and newspapers in the traditional realm, they’re also defending their names against everyone from bloggers to Amazon product reviewers. One misstep could mean finding yourself in a very deep hole with no way out. So what is an organization to do? This week’s featured title details the challenges of today’s media and how to handle them.

Holstein, a veteran business writer for the New York Times, Fortune and Barron’s, among others, has written a short (just over one hundred pages), no-nonsense book about dealing with potential communications pitfalls. Directed at CEOs, the author explains the importance of communication and public relations, complete with examples of both good and bad PR management. The emergence of the Internet (as well as Web 2.0 and social networking tools) has enabled individual consumers to rally against the big, bad corporation. Holstein provides strategies for putting corporate communication first, shaping the message and ensuring that the company’s image stays intact.

Econoday allows you to plan ahead and find out what market indicators are being released. The information provider’s website includes an economic calendar that lists when the government and other organizations will announce the latest numbers. Furthermore, they also provide explanations as to why these numbers matter. Although they don’t also post the releases themselves, they do list the responsible agencies from which you can locate them on your own.

This resource is also useful if you’re looking historically at the market reactions. If you saw that the S&P 500 went down by a large margin, it may have been due to one of these indicators.

The Big Squeeze:
Tough Times for the American Worker
By Steven Greenhouse
HD8072.5 .G74 2008
New Book Island, 2nd floor

When it comes to today’s news, it seems like everyone is living and breathing the economy. Conservations center around downsizing and budget cuts. The media analysts discuss and argue the global economic [insert more negative synonym for recession here]. With Governor Doyle’s proposal for dealing with the crisis, it’s becoming more real than ever. This week’s featured title looks at the experience of the American worker, from a human perspective.

At first glance, Greenhouse’s book may seem like more propaganda about the present economic situation. However, the author actually focuses his attention on the actual employees and their working conditions (obviously not factoring in current events). He examines the impacts of political, business and social trends and the effects on the American workplace over the past several decades. He contends that the employers’ ability to offer stable incomes and peace of mind for its employees has been replaced over the years by corporate greed for higher profits at any cost. Greenhouse isn’t completely pessimistic: he does laud the employee-friendly companies and also offers solutions to alleviate the strain on the work force.

Appetite for Self-Destruction:
The Spectacular Crash of the Record
Industry in the Digital Age
By Steve Knopper
ML3790 .K57 2009
New Book Island, 2nd floor

I left the selection of this week’s New Stuff Tuesday up to one of our student assistants, Nate. You can be the judge of whether or not he picked a good one (I think that he did – especially since I was the one that ordered it). You better come check it out before he does.

Knopper, a contributing editor at Rolling Stone, blames the record industry for its own self-implosion and documents the music biz’s rise through the 1980s and 1990s and the subsequent meltdown. While many would point to Napster as the giant killer, the author names names and the exact mistakes made – eight in all – to create their own fight for survival. In case you’re wondering, the business committed five major mistakes before Shawn Fanning released his infamous file-sharing program. With extensive insider knowledge, Knopper does an excellent job of chronicling the industry, from Video Killed the Radio Star to the boy bands to the iPod.