Newsweek

November 14, 2005

Often Wrong, Never in Doubt

Often Wrong, Never in Doubt by Donny Deutsch

By Jennifer Barrett

Deutsch wrote this 260-page success manual with Peter Knobler, but his voice comes through loud and clear. Like the ads produced by his eponymous $2.7 billion agency (for clients like Monster.com and Mitsu- bishi), Deutsch's writing is bold, funny and often irrev-erent. His trademark candor can be cringe-inducingly un-P.C.--as when he admits to fantasizing about female colleagues. But it's refreshing when he applies it to his agency's and his own successes and failures, and draws lessons from each. Among them: zig when others zag, embrace your sense of entitlement (why not me?) and define your universe. The tenets have certainly worked for Deutsch.

In Their Time: The Greatest Business Leaders of the Twentieth Century by Anthony J. Mayo and Nitin Nohria

Who are the greatest business visionaries of the 20th century? With help from a survey of 7,000 executives, Mayo and Nohria narrowed the list to 100, ranging from Ray Kroc to Russell Simmons. The visionaries are divided by decade and category (entrepreneur, leader, manager), but there's a common thread:"contextual intelligence." What set these men and women apart, the authors write, was more than industry experience or intellect--it was their ability to understand the period in which they lived and to exploit opportunities presented to create a business or turn around a failing venture. This well-researched 444-page book offers an examination of both the movements and the movers that shaped the modern world.

The Power Years by Ken Dychtwald and Daniel J. Kadlec

Forget retirement. Dychtwald and Kadlec argue that as the estimated 84 million baby boomers start turning 60 next year, they'll redefine this period as the "Power Years"-- a time to find new love, go back to school or start a new career. The pair's 260-page book outlines advice to get the most out of your "repowerment" age and lists such resources as adult adventure tours, "third age" universities and senior dating services. They're part of what the authors call the "new youthful engaged model of aging." Fortunately, the authors also devote a chapter to financing these later-life activities.