The Best Business Books of 1999

By Harry C. Edwards
Business and Investing Editor, Amazon.com

It's always difficult trying to pick the best books in any
year, but when a genius such as Peter Drucker puts out a
book, the task gets considerably easier. And while I can't
predict where the stock market is going, reading Robert
Hagstrom, Terry Savage, and James Glassman and Kevin Hassett
(but probably not Edward Chancellor!) helps me sleep better
at night. And for those nights when I can't sleep, a Michael
Lewis or a Mark Pendergrast make for interesting companions.

1. "Management Challenges for the 21st Century"
by Peter Drucker
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0887309984/ref=ad_b_be_2
For decades people have looked to Peter Drucker for the best
thinking about professional management on the planet. In
"Management Challenges for the 21st Century," Drucker peers
into the next millennium and discovers a new management
paradigm--not just for business, but for any organization.

2. "The Warren Buffett Portfolio"
by Robert Hagstrom
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471247669/ref=ad_b_be_2
Robert Hagstrom has spent years studying the strategies of
the most successful investor of our time, Warren Buffett. In
"The Warren Buffett Portfolio," Hagstrom articulates the
concept of focus investing and shows how to manage a
portfolio to achieve the best results--just like Buffett.

3. "Devil Take the Hindmost"
by Edward Chancellor
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0374138583/ref=ad_b_be_2
Tulips in Amsterdam in the 1690s, the stock market in the
roaring '20s, and the Japanese real estate bubble of the
late 1980s--all booms that ended with a big bang. In "Devil
Take the Hindmost," Edward Chancellor leads us through an
entertaining history of speculation and examines why "the
four most expensive words in the English language are 'this
time it's different.'"

4. "Uncommon Grounds"
by Mark Pendergrast
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0465036317/ref=ad_b_be_2
Find out what Mark Pendergrast knows about the
second-most-valuable exported legal commodity on
earth--coffee. In "Uncommon Grounds," Pendergrast looks at
the social and business history of the coffee bean, from its
origins in Ethiopia to the polished counters at
Starbucks. Drink up!

5. "The New Pioneers"
by Thomas Petzinger Jr.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0684846365/ref=ad_b_be_2
In "The New Pioneers," Wall Street Journal columnist Thomas
Petzinger shows how a new breed of innovative leaders is
changing the way successful companies do business.

6. "In Praise of Hard Industries"
by Eamonn Fingleton
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0395899680/ref=ad_b_be_2
Thanks to the information age, America's future has never
looked so bright. Unless you happen to be Eamonn Fingleton.
His "In Praise of Hard Industries" considers the
shortcomings of the country's new digital economy and
wonders if things are as rosy as they seem.

7. "The New New Thing"
by Michael Lewis
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0393048136/ref=ad_b_be_2
In "The New New Thing," Michael Lewis follows SGI and
Netscape founder Jim Clark through yet another startup--this
time Healtheon. Find out what a high IPO and sailing the
Atlantic in the middle of winter have in common.

8. "Net Worth"
by John Hagel III and Marc Singer
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0875848893/ref=ad_b_be_2
Buying goods on the Internet is a lot different from walking
into your local bricks-and-mortar storefront. In "Net
Worth," John Hagel and Marc Singer examine this difference
in ways you might not expect. In a networked economy, it's
customers--not vendors--who make the rules, which changes
the playing field for everyone.

9. "Dow 36,000"
by James Glassman and Kevin Hassett
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0812931459/ref=ad_b_be_2
These guys think that the Dow should be at 36,000 today, not
10 years from now. In "Dow 36,000," James Glassman and Kevin
Hassett explain persuasively why stocks are undervalued.

10. "The Savage Truth on Money"
by Terry Savage
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471352292/ref=ad_b_be_2
Looking for a commonsense and comprehensive approach to
money? "The Savage Truth on Money" is a sensible sourcebook
for dealing with everything from personal debt to investing
in the stock market.