Merchants of Virtue is about a band of people who determined to make their company a good global citizen. Herman Miller has been looking at some of the critical questions of our time—for the past 35 years. Is sustainable business sustainable? In an age where sustainability is key to future success, businesses must incorporate new strategies towards sustainability in order to give them the competitive edge. But, can employees in global companies make great products, take care of the environment, benefit society, and make good money—all at the same time? The answer, as in so many stories of people working together, comes down to a principle of management. At Herman Miller, sustainability triumphs because people commit and recommit themselves to the guiding light of company values and in turn changed the world of business. Here author Bill Birchard goes deep inside the organization to find out how Herman Miller has been accomplishing this goal—from the individuals who have become passionate about this topic—to the designers who incorporate ideas of sustainability into every product they create. Birchard shares not only the stories—but the details of how every this remarkable effort has been accomplished.

Merchants of Virtue: Herman Miller and the Making of a Sustainable Company

Business & Money

Birchard, Bill

Economics

PALGRAVE~MACMILLAN

Who can deny the failures in corporate accountability? From questionable earnings reporting to outright fraud, businesses are coming under increasing scrutiny from shareholders and regulators alike. As Epstein and Birchard demonstrate in Counting What Counts, these practices prevent managers from successfully executing strategy and condemn companies to a purgatory of sub-par performance; by contrast, managers embracing the principles of accountable management can become responsive and responsible like never before. Drawing from the personal stories of dozens of managers, and from the collective experience of 25 years of research, writing, and teaching, the authors show that managers routinely tolerate shortfalls in four areas—governance, performance measurement, control systems, and reporting—and outline a practical approach to reforming and invigorating these essential drivers to improve decision making, clarify and communicate strategy, accelerate feedback and learning, and secure stakeholder loyalty—turning accountability into a competitive asset.

Counting What Counts: Turning Corporate Accountability To Competitive Advantage

Epstein, Marc J.

Management & Leadership

Basic Books

Soul Food retells with candor the singular stories of fifty-two real entrepreneurs and it presents the practical ideas and principles culled from each. These are wisdom-filled snapshots detailing the lessons and triumphs of African American business builders. Soul Food fills a gap in the small business literature and presents the challenges and solutions that are of immediate significance to this large community of entrepreneurs. Written by a nationally recognized business consultant and speaker, this book covers all of the pathways to business success, but from a uniquely African American perspective.

Counting What Counts: Turning Corporate Accountability to Competitive Advantage

Business Culture

On an average day, in an average minute, we can process over 240 billion bits of information per second. Such incredibly rapid brain activity can lead to confusion, fear, tension, stress, and anxiety. To stave off these pressures, our minds instinctively look for "one-minute escapes": exercise, drinking and drugs, smoking, sex, and entertainment. All efficient short-term distractions, none is a permanent salve.The One-Minute Meditator shows readers how to harness the innate drive for quick mental escapes and use that urge to quiet our thoughts from within. Proving that meditation is both physically and emotionally healthful, Nichol and Birchard show readers how to meditate whenever they have a solitary minute or more: on the walk from the parking lot to the office, while waiting in line, while on hold on the phone, or while trying to fall asleep. Both inspiring and instructive, The One-Minute Meditator gives readers the tools to incorporate the power of meditation into otherwise busy, harried lives.

The One-Minute Meditator: Relieving Stress and Finding Meaning in Everyday Life

Nichol, David A.

Da Capo

With more than $3.7 billion in assets and annual revenue of $800 million, the Nature Conservancy has generated staggering growth that would be the envy of any business. Incorporated in 1951 by a small circle of concerned ecologists, the Conservancy has grown financially into the world's largest environmental organization. It has one million members--up from 500,000 in 1990--and 3,500 employees operating in 50 states and 28 countries across the world. Nature's Keepers offers readers an inspirational leadership tale and management chronicle, as it goes behind the scenes and details the inner workings of the Nature Conservancy. Highlighting the efforts of nine extraordinary leaders, Nature's Keepers examines the organization's culture and management, strategy and decisions, and courageous and ingenious individuals who have dedicated their lives to conservation. Author Bill Birchard reveals how the Conservancy's sometimes controversial business practices--entrepreneurial approaches to preserving ecosystems while meeting human needs--have earned the praise of management gurus such as Peter Drucker. The Conservancy's way of operating, though not free of failings, is both widely emulated in the nonprofit community and greatly respected by business scholars and CEOs nationwide.

Nature's Keepers: The Remarkable Story of How the Nature Conservancy Became the Largest Environmental Group in the World

Biography & History

Jossey-Bass

Stairway to Earth: How to Write a Serious Book is a book dedicated to helping authors write superb manuscripts.  Veteran book consultant Bill Birchard details his unique 14-step process to writing serious nonfiction. Among the topics covered:  • How to craft a crisp book message.  • How to structure an argument into a progression of logical chapters.  • How to organize a research program and manage a flood of reference documents.  • How to craft a book proposal that agents and publishers find irresistible.  • How to draft a superb first, second, and final draft without wasting countless hours in rewriting.  For both new and seasoned authors, Stairway to Earth provides the secret for mastering book development.   The book is packed with tips and secrets to make the job go easier and quicker. Birchard reveals story after story with insights from years of hands-on experience.   For would-be authors who know they are destined to write a book, Stairway is the indispensible guide.

Stairway to Earth: How to Writer a Serious Book

Self-Help

Birchard Books

Company Herman Miller and a band of people determined to make their company a good global citizen. They end up answering one of the critical questions of our time: Is sustainable business sustainable? Can employees in global companies make great products, take care of the environment, benefit society, and make good money good times and bad?

Science & Math

Learn the keys to energizing your writing, engaging readers, and breaking out with influence. What good will it do to skillfully craft a written argument if you lose your audience Simple emails, formal reports, blogs, presentations, articles--they need punch to gain influence. Clear structure and logic alone won't do. To engage readers, you need to make mentally stimulating choices in language--choices that electrify your readers' mental hotspots. Veteran journalist Bill Birchard reveals the secret of making that happen. He blends the findings from a global cadre of psychologists and neuroscientists with lessons from his long, successful career as a professional writer. In Writing for Impact, he details eight potent writing strategies, based on the latest scientific breakthroughs, to give you the power to write faster, win over more people, and earn influence as a thought leader. As a reader, you will: <ul> <li>Discover the story of recent scientific research that shows how the right language rewards readers mentally, engaging them with hits of dopamine and more.</li> <li>Learn the eight time-tested writing strategies--strategies you can apply immediately--to become a better, more impactful writer and communicator.</li> <li>Learn three dozen tactics to hook readers with each strategy, tactics proven to work based on how the brain processes language and meaning.</li> <li>Find engaging writing examples to illustrate each strategy and inspire you to write with punch that keeps your audience coming back for more.</li> <li>Master the eight-part strategic framework step by step, giving yourself a methodical means to develop yourself into a writer who communicates like a pro.</li> </ul>

Writing for Impact: 8 Secrets from Science That Will Fire Up Your Readers’ Brains

Industries

HarperCollins Leadership

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Birchard, Bill. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Birchard, Bill

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Birchard, Bill. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Merchants of Virtue: Herman Miller and the Making of a Sustainable Company

Counting What Counts: Turning Corporate Accountability To Competitive Advantage

Counting What Counts: Turning Corporate Accountability to Competitive Advantage

The One-Minute Meditator: Relieving Stress and Finding Meaning in Everyday Life

Nature's Keepers: The Remarkable Story of How the Nature Conservancy Became the Largest Environmental Group in the World

Stairway to Earth: How to Writer a Serious Book

Merchants of Virtue: Herman Miller and the Making of a Sustainable Company

Writing for Impact: 8 Secrets from Science That Will Fire Up Your Readers’ Brains