The Art of Business: Make All Your Work a Work of Art [Hardcover]

David McIntosh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2005

For many, work is the ultimate four-letter word, the embodiment of all that is mundane. For respected business writers Stan Davis and David McIntosh, work is an opportunity to find beauty, meaning, enjoyment, balance, and longevity. How? By treating one's work or business as art. According to The Art of Business, people get more satisfaction from creating something than from doing something. Purpose, mastery, and permanence are hallmarks of good work, whether in the arts or in business. The book represents a powerful paradigm shift, empowering readers to harness their artistic energies not only in work, but also in all facets of their lives. Using real-world examples such as Apple's attention to art in the design and marketing of the iMac and iPod, The Art of Business shows how introducing the aesthetic into a business framework can inspire both achievement and satisfaction.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Full of fascinating ideas about the relationship between the arts and business, between artistic people and business people. -- John Humphrey, former Chairman of the Board, Boston Ballet, and former CEO, the Forum Group

Provides a new framework for thinking about creativity and excellence. Stan's and David's writing is compelling and thought-provoking. Bravo! -- Marc Scorca, President and CEO, Opera America, and Organizer of the first National Performing Arts Convention

Put artistry in everything you do!...The Art of Business articulates this strategy so beautifully that everybody can use it. -- Greg Joswiak, Vice President, iPod Product Marketing, Apple

The Art of Business has the mark of both great art and great business—it makes the profound look simple. -- Warren Bennis, author and world-renowned authority on leadership, University Professor and Distinguished Professor of Business Administration, University of Southern California

The Art of Business is a good antidote to all the business-as-war books out there. -- Lawrence H. Summers, President, Harvard University, and former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury

About the Author

Stan Davis (Brookline, MA) is a highly respected commentator on business in the future. He is the author of twelve books, including the bestsellers BLUR, 2020 Vision, and Future Perfect, as well as It's Alive and The Monster Under the Bed. David McIntosh (Newton, MA) is a business consultant focused on improving organizational adaptation to technological change. He is a Managing Director with Park Loop LLC, creating executive development programs for Fortune 500 companies.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 217 pages
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers (February 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576753026
• ISBN-13: 978-1576753026
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,052,034 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to use artistic flow patterns to use emotion, imagination and intuition to improve the outputs of a job, July 3, 2005

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Business: Make All Your Work a Work of Art (Hardcover)

Whether you're a student, a business executive or an aspiring artist, all can benefit from seeing the world through eyes blending aesthetic appreciation and strategy. Using the artist's eye, The Art Of Business: Make All Your Work A Work Of Art shows how to use artistic flow patterns to use emotion, imagination and intuition to improve the outputs of a job. Even a company can benefit from blending the two flows of aesthetic and emotional richness with strategic fine tuning, using The Art Of Business as a guide.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seeing, Hearing and Acting on the AND Rather Than the OR, March 19, 2005

By 

Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 109,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Art of Business: Make All Your Work a Work of Art (Hardcover)

Many authors exhort us to hold two seemingly opposed notions in our mind if we want to make business breakthroughs. That idea is an important principle in the business classic, Built to Last. It's common for business experts to also espouse the idea of balancing perspectives such as the quantitative with the qualitative, the financial with a customer focus, and vision with practicality.

More recently, some authors have started to see parallels between the worlds of the arts and business, such as in The Art of Possibility.

The Art of Business represents the culmination of these new views of leadership by encouraging us to "make all your work a work of art." Although on the surface, that sounds simply like taking an artful and business-like approach, at a deeper level the book is addressing a very old tradition . . . that of craftsmanship -- creating something that rewards the soul as well as the body. The example in the book that resonated most with me was the new business model and product thinking behind the Apple iPod.

If you are prepared to open your mind to more rewarding work and providing more rewards to those who employ your work in their lives, The Art of Business will help you expand your horizons in ways that will leave the world richer.

This book will be of most value to those who understand a lot about how to manage what is . . . but aren't sure how to create what is needed, but doesn't exist yet. People who are interested in business model innovation will find this book contains powerful perspectives and paradigms that will enable that important work which I describe in The Ultimate Competitive Advantage.

Bravo, Mssrs. David and McIntosh!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A life-affirming book, August 17, 2005

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C. Perlmutter (Pasadena, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Art of Business: Make All Your Work a Work of Art (Hardcover)

"Outside the box" can be a good thing, in books, in business and in art. How often does a business book affirm the things that are most important in life (besides money?) I found this book inspiring and relaxing, not to mention spiritual. Highly recommended!