National Network for Equitable Library Service

"Become a more effective leader-cut the jargon and say what you mean Leveraging. Strategizing. Opening the kimono. Unlocking human capital. Trying to nail that BHAG. All on a go forward basis. These are only a few examples of the jargon-ridden language that is too often the mainstay of business communication. Jargon frustrates, confuses, and generally alienates listeners. Yet it's also everywhere, and using it can often seem like a mandatory requirement for anyone who wants to establish credibility in a professional workplace.

There are times in life when quitting makes sense. Maybe you need to abandon a bad investment, or ditch an old garden because you're going to move to the city. Maybe you need to rest up a bit at the end of a tough day's work so you aren't too sore tomorrow. But when it comes to the deepest dreams of your heart's desire -no, it doesn't make sense. Don't quit. There is only one true human superpower we possess. It's not the power of flight. It certainly isn't the power of invincibility - anyone who's ever failed can tell you that! It's determination.

If you're aiming to innovate, failure along the way is a given. But can you fail better? Whether you're rolling out a new product from a city-view office or rolling up your sleeves to deliver a social service in the field, learning why and how to embrace failure can help you do better, faster. Smart leaders, entrepreneurs, and change agents design their innovation projects with a key idea in mind: ensure that every failure is maximally useful.

The little-known story of how JFK pioneered supply-side economics Who invented supply-side economics-the idea that cutting tax rates can result in more growth, more prosperity at all income levels, and even more tax revenue flowing into the IRS' Most people would credit the economic team that advised Ronald Reagan in the late 1970s and early 1980s. But in fact, supply-side economics actually came of age two decades earlier. And the first president who embraced it was one of the biggest icons of the Democratic Party-John F. Kennedy.

Pulitzer Prize winner James B. Stewart's Den of Thieves is a #1 best-seller across the nation. It tells the full story of the insider-trading scandal of the late '80s that nearly brought down Wall Street. Stewart reveals how some of the biggest names on Wall Street-Michael Milken, Ivan Boesky, Martin Siegel, and Dennis Levine-crafted a scheme to grab billions before a band of downtrodden detectives brought them to justice.

With grace and wit, America's foremost economist examines the boom-and-bust that led to the stock market crash of 1929. Economic writings are rarely notable for their entertainment value, but this widely admired best-seller is the exception. Galbraith's light touch makes his expert analysis of America's greatest financial disaster a surprisingly engaging listen for anyone.

Supplies time-tested communication tips, big digital-era ideas, and real-life examples to help anyone deliver clear, persuasive messages that win hearts, minds, and budgets. By learning to grab attention and explain difficult ideas to nontechnical listeners, you'll master an important twenty-first century skill--one that drives funding, policy decisions, public awareness, customer adoption, and your own career prospects.

The years since the Great Crisis of 2008 have seen slow growth, high unemployment, falling home values, chronic deficits, a deepening disaster in Europe-and a stale argument between two false solutions, 'austerity' on one side and 'stimulus' on the other. Both sides and practically all analyses of the crisis so far take for granted that the economic growth from the early 1950s until 2000---interrupted only by the troubled 1970s---represented a normal performance.

Jeff Madrick, a former columnist for The New York Times, is an economics columnist for Harper's, a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books, and editor of Challenge Magazine. He is visiting professor of humanities at The Cooper Union, and director of the Bernard L. Schwartz Rediscovering Government Initiative at the Roosevelt Institute. His books include Age of Greed, The End of Affluence, and Taking America. He has also written for The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Institutional Investor, The Nation, American Prospect, The Boston Globe and Newsday.

It' s not the work that' s so hard-- it's the people. The micromanaging control freak. The boss who takes credit for everything. The coworker who regularly strolls in late and takes leisurely breaks. There' s no escaping problematic personalities. And there' s no point fighting or letting tensions simmer. Instead, learn to build positive, productive relationships with everyone in your workplace-- and put your career on an unstoppable upward trajectory.