American Library Association. ALA Guide to Economics & Business Reference.

ALA Guide to Reference series. American Library Association. 2011. c528p. index. ISBN 9780838910245. $65.00.

Focusing on print and electronic information resources that are fundamental to library services in economics and business, the content of this classified annotated bibliography is drawn from the American Library Association’s online Guide to Reference. Eight topical chapters showcase all types of economics and business information resources, covering Basic Industry Information, Company Information, Economic Conditions and World Trade, Functional Areas of Business, General Works, Occupations and Careers, Regional Economic Sources, and Specialized Industry Information. Each chapter is subdivided into multiple, alphabetically-arranged subcategories under which more than 690 print and electronic information resources alphabetically are presented. Entries feature abstracting services, atlases, bibliographies, databases, dictionaries, directories, encyclopedias, guides, handbooks, journals, indexes, internet websites, periodicals, and other types of library reference materials. Each entry describes the resource’s contents as well as sets forth its pertinent bibliographic information, such as its author(s), title, publisher, date of publication, Library of Congress and/or Dewey Decimal Classification number(s), International Standard Book or Serial Number, and Internet website. Unfortunately, the resources’ prices or costs are not noted. Compiled in North America, for use primarily in North American libraries, this reference guide will be of considerable interest to librarians, independent researchers, publishers, book dealers, business organizations, and other entities, searching for information on accounting, advertising, banking, business law, companies, economic conditions, electronic commerce, corporate officials, entrepreneurship, finance, investments, management, management information systems, marketing, occupations, specific industries, statistics, taxation, world trade, and other topics. Useful and valuable to readers, who may read it from cover-to-cover and/or peruse it by chapter, subcategory, and/or title, this publication could be improved if its topical classification scheme were modified and/or condensed to eliminate duplicate entries. With over 690 information resources featured in 1380 entries, resource entries are duplicated on average at least twice with the median being seven times. In addition to providing a title index, this guide should include a subject index and appendices of vendors and publishers with their ordering addresses. Part of the ALA Guide to Reference series, this “usably comprehensive” but “not exhaustive” (Preface, pp. xiii-xiv), authoritative repertory of mostly, recently-published, English-language, reference works is highly recommended for large public, academic, and special libraries in North America and elsewhere. Review copy. Availability: Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com

Burnett, John and Carroll, Becky. How Marketing Can Help Lawyers Make More Money: Targeted at Solo and Mid-sized Practices. (Book Review)

Outskirts Press, Inc.. 2010. c.235p. illus. ISBN 978-1-4327-4579-0. $35.95. ISBN 1432745794 (e-Book). $5.00.

Strategic marketing may not be highly regarded by many law firms. Yet, in today’s brutally competitive marketplace, strategic marketing may be crucial to survival and prosperity. This reality may be particularly true for solo and mid- sized law firms that neither have the resources nor the motivation to learn and implement strategic marketing. In this noteworthy publication, Burnett (President, John Burnett Marketing; Professor Emeritus, Marketing, University of Denver; author of twenty books on marketing- related topics and sixty- five journal articles; Doctor of Business Administration, Marketing, University of Kentucky, 1976), a consultant specializing in strategic marketing for small to medium- sized, businesses, non- profit organizations, and law firms, and Carroll (Community Manager, Verizon, San Diego, California; Founder and President, Petra Consulting Group/Customers Rock!; author of the business blog Customers Rock!; Instructor, “Marketing via New Media,” University of California, San Diego; M.B.A., California State University), a long- time customer advocate, consultant, speaker, and more, provide a comprehensive examination of strategic marketing for solo and mid- sized law practices. In twelve chapters, they cover all topics relating to strategic marketing, including but not limited to, marketing planning and research, situational analysis, S.W.O.T., target market(s), clients and their decision- making processes, legal products, pricing in the legal sector, distribution channels, integrated marketing communications, personal selling for lawyers, social media marketing, budgeting for legal marketing, and evaluation of strategic marketing and marketing initiatives. Written by experts, this book is authoritative, intelligently- conceived, and reasonably well- presented, even though it lacks a selected bibliography, footnotes or endnotes, a back-of-the book index, and a glossary, all of which should have been included as necessary aids for readers. It features many diagrams that help to illustrate and augment the text. Of interest to mostly lawyers, legal marketers, and some business professionals, this informative, go- to resource belongs in some public and special library book collections serving the needs of the aforementioned groups. Highly recommended. Review copy. Availability: Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, Outskirts Press (eBook)

Lowe, Janet. Google Speaks: Secrets of the World’s Greatest Billionaire Entrepreneurs, Sergey Brin and Larry Page.

John Wiley & Sons. 2009. c315p. ISBN 978-0-470-39854-8. $19.95.

In fewer than 15 years, Google built the largest index of Web pages, dominated the Internet search industry, grew into a giant with a 1.5 million square foot headquarters in Mountain View, California plus two dozen other U.S. offices and technical centers in more than 30 countries, and became a global household name. Here the bestselling author of numerous popular business books, Lowe (Ben Graham on Value Investing, Bill Gates Speaks, Dividends Don’t Lie, with Geraldine Weiss, Jack Welch Speaks, The Man Who Beats the S&P, The Rediscovered Benjamin Graham, Ted Turner Speaks, Warren Buffett Speaks; articles appeared in more than 100 publications; frequent guest on CNBC, CNN, FOX Business Network, and PBS; former financial editor of the San Diego Tribune) retells the amazing story behind the revolutionary, public corporate colossus (more than 20,000 employees) with a market capitalization of around $123 billion and about $16 billion in annual advertising revenues. With access to family, friends, employees, and company records, the author unofficially examines the founders’ personalities and values as well as Google’s vision, culture, business strategies, new business models, philanthropic projects, future, and more. Presenting more than a mere company profile, Lowe also addresses the criticisms and controversies surrounding Google as the primary portal to the World Wide Web, including copyright infringement, antitrust issues, personal privacy, and intellectual property concerns. Nicely-written and organized, this well-presented book provides a concise overview. Lacking a bibliography and a back-of-the book index but including a historical timeline, glossary, and footnotes, it belongs on the shelves of many public libraries where general readers can read about the secretive company that has become the prototype for a successful, twenty-first century business entity. Recommended as a good introduction but not as a definitive publication. Availability: Barnes & Noble.com, Amazon.com