From Publishers Weekly
Editors Leckey (a syndicated columnist) and Auletta (a writer for the New Yorker) are in a no-win situation with this second annual collection of the best in business journalism. If someone complains that reporting on small companies, foreign business and investing are underrepresented here which they are someone else would certainly have complained if coverage in those areas meant leaving out the offbeat profiles of postprison Michael Milken or kitchen gadget innovator and late-night infomercial pitchman Ron Popeil. And for every reader who wonders why a well-publicized Fortune cover story on Idea Lab's William Gross is reprinted here, someone else will say that they didn't get a chance to clip it the first time around. Given the inherent difficulties, the editors have done an admirable job of selecting engaging investigative pieces, essays and profiles on subjects as diverse as gene patenting and deadly falling items on discount store shelves. Perhaps their biggest contribution is revealing that some of the best business writing these days isn't found in the traditional business magazines, but in the New Yorker and the Atlantic. Some readers may quibble that the table of contents should list the magazines these pieces came from, or that the introductions to each article are clunky and unhelpful. Still, this is a fun read especially for those who don't always keep up with business news. (Jan. 15)Forecast: Given the events of the past year, this collection could do exceptionally well. These stories paint an accurate picture of our turbulent economy.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
This second edition of an annual series selects 27 outstanding articles on such wide-ranging topics as Michael Milken, baby formula, Yahoo, and Ron Popeil. All focus on the human aspect of business and were published between July 1, 2000, and June 30, 2001, although two stories were added to address the consequences of September 11. Guest editor Auletta, one of the best and best-known business writers around, chose articles from such sources as New York, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, Fast Company, Bloomberg Markets, Mother Jones, the New York Times, and the St. Petersburg (FL) Times. Stories vary in length from three to 32 pages but average 17 pages. Individually, many will be found on services like EbscoHost, Proquest, or Lexis-Nexis but not with any indication of their quality or influence. Good business writing is inherently interesting, and this is a fine purchase for public libraries where there is an active business readership. Two- and four-year academic libraries serving business writing or technical communications programs will also find this potentially useful. Libraries should consider making a long content note in their cataloging record; otherwise, many of these excellent articles will be lost to readers. Patrick J. Brunet, Western Wisconsin Technical Coll.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
