50 Management Methods, written by Edward Russell-Walling and printed by Quercus Publishing is a very handy discussion of some of the top business management ideas and methods of our times. I picked up my copy at Borders in the "sale" bin for less than six dollars and it was an excellent investment in simplicity.
For nearly two decades I've been advocating the critical importance of becoming clear on the "basics" before jumping to advanced. 50 Management Methods is a good example of the concept in action.
Don't expect highly detailed or comprehensive explanations. Instead, the author provides a brief two or three page overview of each topic - just enough to get you off the ground. By the end of each "chapter" you'll know whether or not to pursue a more in-depth study. The true value of this easy read is in discovering what you may not know and determining whether you need to play catch up in terms of career development. Whatever your perspective, once you've read 50 Management Methods, you'll be able to at least keep up in conversations covering such fun topics as Theories X,Y, & Z; the Tipping Point; The Five Forces of Competition; Six Sigma; Lean; and more.
Or, you could just ignore the potential for expanding your horizons and stick with Einstein's Theory of Insanity...
