Portfolio

Ken Segall put the 'i' in iPad. Now he explains why simplicity is the secret of Apple's success in "Insanely Simple". To Steve Jobs, Simplicity wasn't just a design principle. It was a religion and a weapon. The obsession with Simplicity is what separates Apple from other technology companies. It's what helped Apple recover from near death in 1997 to become the most valuable company on Earth in 2011, and guides the way Apple is organized, how it designs products, and how it connects with customers. It's by crushing the forces of Complexity that the company remains on its stellar trajectory. As creative director, Ken Segall played a key role in Apple's resurrection, helping to create such critical campaigns as 'Think Different' and naming the iMac. "Insanely Simple" is his insider's view of Jobs' world. It reveals the ten elements of Simplicity that have driven Apple's success - which you can use to propel your own organisation. Reading "Insanely Simple", you'll be a fly on the wall inside a conference room with Steve Jobs, and on the receiving end of his midnight phone calls. You'll understand how his obsession with Simplicity helped Apple perform better and faster. "A blueprint for running a company the Steve Jobs way ...should be required reading for anyone interested in management and marketing". ("The Times"). "Punchy...Segall gets inside Apple's branding and marketing to explain its directness and power". ("Financial Times"). Ken Segall worked closely with Steve Jobs as ad agency creative director for NeXT and Apple. He was a member of the team that created Apple's legendary 'Think Different' campaign, and he's responsible for that little "i" that's a part of Apple's most popular products. Segall has also served as creative director for IBM, Intel, Dell, and BMW. He blogs about technology and marketing at kensegall.com/blog, and has fun with it all at scoopertino.com. Follow Segall on Twitter: @ksegall.

From film stars to politicians, tycoons to writers, dissidents to lifestyle gurus, Lunch with the FT is a selection of classic interviews conducted in the unforgiving proximity of a restaurant table. The list of people who have had Lunch with the FT since 1994 reads like an international Who's Who of our times. Meet the rich and famous, the weird and the brilliant, the brave and the virtuous, brought to you by the Financial Times' global network of columnists and correspondents. The operative word is lunch: this book brings you right to the table to decide what you think of Angela Merkel or Martin Amis, George Soros or Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Angelina Jolie or Jimmy Carter. Meet not just oligarchs and royals, but the tycoon who will pay African presidents to quit, and one of the Arab world's most notorious sons. Lionel Barber, editor of the Financial Times, has steered the newspaper to three Newspaper of the Year awards. He has co-written several books, lectured widely, and appears regularly on international TV and radio. Barber graduated in 1978 from St Edmund Hall, Oxford University. In 2009 he was awarded the St George Society medal of honour. A long time FT foreign correspondent in Washington, Brussels and New York, he is also a member of the Board of Trustees at the Tate.

Following the acclaim for "The End of the Free Market", Ian Bremmer is back with "Every Nation for Itself", now in paperback, where he addresses the next big issue for the shifting world economy. "Smart and snappy ...provides the most cogent prediction of the how the politics of a post-America world will play out". ("New Statesman"). What happens when nobody's running the world? The United States is in financial crisis and can't hold onto the reins of the G-20. But China has no interest in international leadership, Europe is trying to save the euro, and emerging powers like Brazil and India are focused on domestic development. No government has the time, resources or political capital needed to take an international lead. The world power structure is about to have a vacancy...at the top. Welcome to the G-Zero world, in which no single country has the power to shape a truly global agenda. That means we are about to see 20 years of conflict over economics, finance and climate change. Bestselling author and strategist Ian Bremmer reveals how world powers are rapidly turning into gated communities, locked in competition. Who will prevail? "A prodigy in the US global commentariat. Mr Bremmer's rehearsal of the consequences should make us all wise up". ("Financial Times"). "An author who is always full of insights". (George Osborne). Ian Bremmer is the president of the world's leading global political risk research and consulting firm, Eurasia Group. He has written for the "Wall Street Journal", "Washington Post", "Newsweek", and "Harvard Business Review". His six books include "The J Curve" and "The End Of The Free Market".

In The Challenger Sale, Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson share the secret to sales success: don't just build relationships with customers. Challenge them What's the secret to sales success? If you're like most business leaders, you'd say it's fundamentally about relationships - and you'd be wrong. The best salespeople don't just build relationships with customers. They challenge them. Matthew Dixon, Brent Adamson, and their colleagues at CEB have studied the performance of thousands of sales reps worldwide. And what they discovered may be the biggest shock to conventional sales wisdom in decades. The Challenger Sale argues that classic relationship-building is the wrong approach. Every sales rep in the world falls into one of five distinct profiles, and while all of these types of reps can deliver average performance, only one - the Challenger - delivers consistently high performance. Instead of bludgeoning customers with facts and features, Challengers approach customers with insights about how they can save or make money. They tailor their message to the customer's specific needs. They are assertive, pushing back when necessary and taking control of the sale. Any sales rep, once equipped with the right tools, can drive higher levels of customer loyalty and, ultimately, greater growth. Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson are managing directors with CEB's Sales Executive Council in Washington, D.C.

Jim O'Neill, one of the most influential economists today, shares his insights on how and why he developed one of the most compelling economic concepts of our time in "The Growth Map". "O'Neill has redefined how investors and Western business leaders see the world. This book tells the unlikely story of how O'Neill developed this path-breaking idea ...lively, powerful and highly accessible". (Gillian Tett, "Financial Times"). Ten years ago, Jim O'Neill predicted that globalization would help Brazil, Russia, India and China (the BRICs) - busy, ambitious countries full of raw materials - overtake the largest Western economies. With all four BRIC nations set to do just that, no other idea has proved as significant for the new century. But these changes have provoked business and political uncertainty and in "The Growth Map" O'Neill examines what is coming next.

Award-winning business professor Keith Murnighan teaches us how doing less will get you more in "Do Nothing!" Would you like to go on holiday without having to check daily that your team is doing its job? Can you turn off your phone and your email, knowing that everything is under control? For most managers this is just a dream. But Do Nothing! reveals that such a 'hands off' approach is both achievable and highly effective. In this compelling and imaginative book, award-winning business professor Keith Murnighan shows how really successful leaders create a culture of independence and trust. Identify the team members who you can rely on - then step aside and let them do their jobs. With a raft of provocative suggestions ('ignore performance goals!', 'de-emphasize profits!'), "Do Nothing!" proves that behaving naturally can work against you. Doing less will get you more.

Encourages us to embrace vulnerability and imperfection, to live wholeheartedly and courageously. This title argues that vulnerability is in fact a strength, and when we shut ourselves off from revealing our true selves we grow distanced from the things that bring purpose and meaning to our lives.

Now in paperback, Philip Delves Broughton. bestselling business author of What They Teach You at Harvard Business School, takes a sideways look at the greatest salespeople in Life's a Pitch. What are the selling secrets of Majid, Tangier's greatest rug peddler? How does Mrs Shibata, Japan's top life insurance seller, seal the deal? Why does Belyamani, a seller of Boeing planes, believe trust is all? Few of us have the chance to meet let alone work with the best. But to get on, we need to learn their secrets of success. Here, Philip Delves Broughton, author of the bestselling What They Teach You At Harvard Business School, journeys around the world meeting business legends from all walks of life. Their stories are insightful, hilarious and compelling. Revealing their secrets and tips, Life's a Pitch also shows how mastering the art of selling will help you master the art of life. "Marvellous, dazzling". (Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence). "Thoroughly entertaining". (Toby Young, author of How To Lose Friends and Alienate People). "You can never look upon a sale in quite the same way again. Buy Life's A Pitch and be enlightened". (Economist). Philip Delves Broughton is the author of the international bestseller What They Teach You at Harvard Business School. He was born in Bangladesh and grew up in England. He served as the New York and Paris bureau chief for the Daily Telegraph, and he now writes for publications including the Financial Times, the Evening Standard, and the Wall Street Journal. In 2006 he received an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and two sons.

In The Launch Pad, Randall Stross, author of eBoys and Planet Google, takes a behind-the-scenes look at how tomorrow's hottest startups are being primed for greatness. Twice a year, in the heart of Silicon Valley, a small investment firm called Y Combinator selects an elite group of young entrepreneurs. Months of intense work culminates in Demo Day, when investors and venture capitalists flock to hear their pitches. Any one of them might turn out to be the next Dropbox (class of 2007), or Airbnb (class of 2009). Randall Stross was granted unprecedented access to Y Combinator, enabling a unique inside tour of the world of software startups. He tells the full story of this ultra-exclusive institution, how it chooses the aspiring Mark Zuckerbergs, and how it teaches them to go from concept to profitability in record time. This is the definitive story of a seismic shift in the business world, in which coding skill beats job experience, pairs of undergraduates take on Goliaths, and inves-tors fall in love. The Launch Pad is both a gripping narrative and a gold mine of useful insights. "A must-read for anyone interested in the realities of modern entrepreneurship".( Eric Ries, author ofThe Lean Startup). "Stross' account of the best new entrepreneurs and the exciting companies they're building at startup schools is a great read for founders and would-be founders alike". (Marc Andreessen, cofounder, Andreessen). Horowitz Randall Stross is the author of several acclaimed books, including eBoys, Planet Google, and The Wizard of Menlo Park. He has a Ph.D. in history from Stanford University.

What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast is a powerful book about high productivity from bestselling author Laura Vanderkam. We're all busy. But we all waste time. What are the secrets of using every hour productively? How do the most successful people spend their time? In this brilliant accessible book, Laura Vanderkam inspires you to rethink your morning routine and jump-start your day. If you use your mornings wisely, you can build habits that will lead to a happier, more productive life. She also helps you to rethink your weekends. She explains why doing nothing can be more exhausting than doing something, how to balance work and play, and why Sunday nights are crucial. Finally she challenges you to make the most of your time at the office. Focusing on matching your to-do list to your natural body clock, she shows you how to maximize your productivity so you can accomplish more in less time. By blending stories of fascinating people with cutting-edge scientific research, Vanderkam shows us how to maximize our valuable mornings, make the most of our working hours, and enjoy the results with deeply satisfying weekends. Laura Vanderkam is the author of 168 Hours and All the Money in the World. Her work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, CBS MoneyWatch, USA Today, and Fortune, among others.

Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, authors of Trust Agents, are back with The Impact Equation to show you how to make social media pay. What can the Impact Equation do for you? Impact = C (R+E+A+T+E) Contrast: Does your idea stand out? Reach: How many people do you connect to? Exposure: How often does your audience hear from you? Articulation: Is your idea clear enough? Trust: Do people believe you? Echo: Does your idea connect to your audience? When Chris Brogan and Julien Smith wrote their bestseller Trust Agents, being interesting on the Web was enough to build an audience. Now everybody has a platform. But most of them are just making noise. In The Impact Equation, Brogan and Smith show that to make people truly care about what you have to say, you need more than just a good idea, trust among your audience, or a certain number of followers. You need a potent mix of all of the above - and more. As traditional channels for marketing and selling disappear and more people interact mainly online, the very nature of attention is changing. Use the Impact Equation to figure out what you're doing right and wrong. Apply it to a blog, a tweet, a video, or a mainstream advertising campaign. Use it to explain why a feature in a national newspaper that reaches millions might have less impact than a blog post that reaches a thousand passionate subscribers. The Impact Equation will give you the tools to guarantee your message will be heard. "Their advice on the importance of being able to write to make a splash online is solid...when it comes to building a brand online Brogan and Smith have been there and done that". (The Financial Times). Chris Brogan and Julien Smith are consultants and speakers who have worked with Fortune 500 companies, including PepsiCo, General Motors, American Express, and Microsoft. They have been involved in online communities and blogging for more than fifteen years. Their first book, Trust Agents, was a New York Times bestseller.

Made for dipping into again and again, "Whatcha Gonna Do with That Duck?" brings together the very best of Seth Godin's acclaimed blog and is a classic for fans both old and new. 'Getting your ducks in a row is a fine thing to do. But deciding what you are going to do with that duck is a far more important issue'. Seth Godin is famous for bestselling books such as "Purple Cow" and cool entrepreneurial ventures such as Squidoo and the Domino Project. But to millions of loyal readers, he's best known for the daily burst of insight he provides every morning, rain or shine, via Seth's Blog. Since he started blogging in the early 1990s, he has written more than two million words and shaped the way we think about marketing, leadership, careers, inno-vation, creativity, and more. Much of his writing is inspirational and some is incendiary. Collected here are six years of his best, most entertaining, and most poignant blog posts, plus a few bonus ebooks. From thoughts on how to treat your customers to telling stories and spreading ideas, Godin pushes us to think smarter, dream bigger, write better, and speak more honestly. Highlights include: a marketing lesson from the Apocalypse; no, everything is not going to be okay; organized bravery; choose your customers, choose your future; paying attention to the attention economy; and bandits and philanthropists. Godin writes to get under our skin. He wants us to stand up and do something remarkable, outside the standards of the industrial system that raised us. Seth Godin is the author of thirteen international bestsellers that have changed the way people think about marketing, the ways ideas spread, leadership and change including "Permission Marketing", "Purple Cow", "All Marketers are Liars", "The Dip" and "Tribes". He is the CEO of Squidoo.com and a very popular lecturer. His blog is the most influential business blog in the world, and consistently one of the 100 most popular blogs on any subject.

"V is for Vulnerable" by Seth Godin is a full-color ABC book for grown-ups, with a powerful message about doing great work. "V is for Vulnerable" looks and feels like a classic picture book. But it's not for kids, it's for hardworking adults. It highlights twenty-six of Seth Godin's principles about treating your work as a form of art, with illustrations by acclaimed cartoonist Hugh MacLeod. A sample: A is for Anxiety, which is experiencing failure in advance. Tell yourself enough vivid stories about the worst possible outcome and you'll soon come to believe them. Worry is not preparation, and anxiety doesn't make you better. F is for Feedback, which can be either a crutch or a weapon. Use it to make your work smaller, safer, and more likely to please everyone (and fail in the long run). Or use it as a lever to further push you to embrace what you fear and what you're capable of. This is unlike any previous Godin book and makes a great gift, both for loyal fans and those who've never read him before. Seth Godin is the author of thirteen international bestsellers that have changed the way people think about marketing, the ways ideas spread, leadership and change including "Permission Marketing", "Purple Cow", "All Marketers are Liars", "The Dip" and "Tribes". He is the CEO of Squidoo.com and a very popular lecturer. His blog is the most influential business blog in the world, and consistently one of the 100 most popular blogs on any subject.

Big Bang Disruption is an alarming look at how quick-to-market innovations are killing established industries It used to take years for new products and services to dethrone industry leaders. Now any business can be instantly devastated by something better and cheaper. How can you protect yourself, and harness the power of Big Bang Disruption? Take maps. Specialist map publishers were swept aside by GPS manufacturers, who in turn were decimated by smartphone apps. In industries from travel to health to energy, start-ups can unravel your strategy before you even begin to grasp what's happening. Worse, they may not even see you as competition: you could simply be collateral damage. The good news is that any business can mas¬ter the strategy of the start-ups. In this essential book, Larry Downes and Paul Nunes show how to spot the next big thing. Drawing on extensive research by the Accenture Institute for High Performance and inter¬views across 30 industries, they give you the tools to take control of your future. 'A stimulating read...carefully researched and accessibly written...the case studies on disruption alone are worth the cover price' -Financial Times 'Everything you need from business school in one very direct book' -Dick Costolo, CEO, Twitter Larry Downes is a consultant and author of Unleashing the Killer App. He is a columnist for both Forbesand CNET, and writes regularly for other publications including Slate, the Wall Street Journal, The Harvard Business Review and USA Today, among others. Paul Nunes is the Global Managing Director of Research at the Accenture Institute for High Performance. His research findings have been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal,USA Today, BusinessWeek.com, Forbes.com, Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune among other publications and media, and he is the Senior Contributing Editor atOutlook, Accenture's journal of thought leadership.

Tap Dancing to Work compiles six decades of writing on legendary investor Warren Buffett, from Carol Loomis, the reporter who knows him best. Warren Buffett built Berkshire Hathaway into something remarkable - and Fortune had a front-row seat When Fortune writer Carole Loomis first mentioned a little-known Omaha hedge fund manager in a 1966 article, she didn't dream that Warren Buffett would become the world's greatest investor. Nor did she imagine that she and Buffett would be close friends. As Buffett's fortune and reputation grew, Loomis used her unique insight into his thinking to chronicle his work, writing scores of stories that tracked his many accomplishments - and his occasional mistakes. Now Loomis has collected and updated the best Buffett articles from Fortune between 1966 and 2013, including cover stories and pieces by Buffett himself. Readers will gain fresh insights into Buffett's investment strategies and his thinking on management, philanthropy, public policy, and even parenting. Scores of Buffett books have been written, but none can claim this combination of trust, deep understanding of Buffett's world, and a long-term perspective. 'The clearest picture of life according to the world's fourth-richest man' Evening Standard 'Stuffed with nuggets and insights - a Christmas fruitcake for the investor' Financial Times Carol J. Loomis is a senior editor-at-large at Fortune, where she has worked since 1954. She has been the magazine's expert on Warren Buffett since 1966 and has edited his annual letter to shareholders since 1977. Her many honours include five lifetime achievement awards, including a Gerald Loeb Award for business journalism and Time Inc.'s first-ever Henry Luce Award. This is her first book. She lives in Westchester County.

Leaders Eat Last is the highly anticipated follow up to Simon Sinek's global bestseller Start With Why. Imagine a world where almost everyone wakes up inspired to go to work. This is not a crazy, idealised notion. In many successful organisations, great leaders are creating environments in which teams trust each other so deeply that they would put their lives on the line for each other. Yet other teams, no matter what incentives were offered, are doomed to infighting, fragmentation and failure. Why? Today's workplaces tend to be full of cynicism, paranoia and self-interest. But the best organisations foster trust and cooperation because their leaders build what Sinek calls a Circle of Safety. It separates the security inside the team from the challenges outside. Everyone feels they belong and all energies are devoted to facing the common enemy and seizing big opportunities. As in Start with Why, Sinek illustrates his ideas with fascinating true stories, from the military to manufacturing, from government to investment banking. He shows that leaders who are willing to eat last are rewarded with deeply loyal colleagues who will stop at nothing to advance their vision. It's amazing how well it works. Simon Sinek teaches leaders and organisations around the world how to inspire people. From members of Congress to foreign ambassadors, from small businesses to corporations like Disney and Intel, from Hollywood to the Pentagon, he has presented his ideas about the power of why. An adjunct staff member of the RAND Corporation, he also teaches graduate strategic communications at Columbia University. He is the bestselling author of Start with Why.