Tag Archives: business

The Twelve Apostles by William J. Coughlin (2016) – BR00190 (2020) – 🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪

The PolyBlog
March 25 2020

Plot or Premise

An elite law firm in NYC has 12 full partners, nicknamed the Apostles, and various members wheel and deal with big business clients as an opening comes available.

What I Liked

The story has a very strong “Wall Street” feel to it, but the back and forth between two companies with their punches and counter-punches are fast-paced and real. Most stories in the genre have one or two “business” tricks, but this is much more complicated and relies less on a single tool to advance the plot. The story mixes experienced Apostles, with participating associates gunning for a promotion, and even associates and junior partners slogging in the trenches.

What I Didn’t Like

The romance side of the story detracts from the business manoeuvres, as does the one-dimensional side of one of the business clients and their opposing counsel. In addition, there is some seriously flawed treatment of a sexual assault that shouldn’t be anywhere in the story, it’s completely superfluous to the outcome.

The Bottom Line

Great business dealings, lousy everything else.

Articles I Like: Six Myths About Traditional Publishing

The PolyBlog
December 2 2018

As someone who is interested in writing, I naturally have an interest in the publishing world. I grew up as an insatiable reader, and always dreamed that perhaps one day I would be selling books as an author. Later, I realized it wasn’t my primary interest in life, or at least not my only interest, and that I was more interested in the steady-paycheque world of being a salaried employee of a government entity doing public administration and policy. You know, a public servant, without the snide view of their role. My writing has shifted over the years. Some email … Continue reading →

Big Box Reuse by Julia Christensen (2008) – BR00115 (2018) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪

The PolyBlog
March 14 2018

This textbook-sized book includes ten case studies across America where former big box stores – Walmarts and Kmarts – have been put to new use after the store left or closed.

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Articles I Like: 5 Ways Tipping Hurts Restaurant Servers and Customers

The PolyBlog
March 5 2018

Before I get to the article I like, I’ll talk a little about the context of why I like it. Economics and psychology together, i.e. behavioural economics, has long known that post-facto “rewards” for behaviour is usually only effective if the person knows in advance what the reward is going to be. So, if you set a goal, and the person values it, they will engage in the behaviour required to “win” or “earn” the reward. Gamification only works if the person knows the rules and has some say in the reward, i.e. it isn’t random chance. Yet around the … Continue reading →

Articles I Like: Figure Out the Leadership Style That Fits Who You Are

The PolyBlog
February 19 2017

I’m frequently on the look-out for articles or new ideas related to self-management and goal-setting. Sometimes it shows up in articles about management or leadership. One such article I found recently was Figure Out the Leadership Style That Fits Who You Are on the Harvard Business Review blog site. Written by William C. Taylor back in August, I was reading through it again this week and basically his argument is that there are a small set of leadership styles, and we should try to figure out what type we are. The Classic Entrepreneur. Sure, these leaders care about the values their … Continue reading →