Art Business

Do you really understand what business value is? Information technology can and should deliver business value. But the Agile literature has paid scant attention to what business value means - and how to know whether or not you are delivering it. This problem becomes ever more critical as you push value delivery toward autonomous teams and away from requirements "tossed over the wall" by business stakeholders. An empowered team needs to understand its goal!

This entertaining and sharply written guide - for both beginners breaking into comedy and professionals seeking to improve their sets and advance their careers - examines the work of great comedians such as Louis C. K., Jerry Seinfeld, Eddie Izzard, Moms Mabley, Hannibal Buress, Sarah Silverman, Richard Pryor, and more as a means of illustrating the most important techniques of performing and writing stand-up.

Great communication skills can make all the difference in your personal and professional life, but for those who tend to get a bit tongue-tied under pressure or just have a hard time asserting themselves, voicing thoughts coherently and confidently can be difficult. Author Elizabeth Kuhnke takes the intimidation out of communication by sharing her top tips for successful communication in any situation. Find out how to listen actively, establish rapport, communicate with credibility, manage communication in difficult situations, and converse with ease using modern technology - and lots more.

Traveling from New York to Los Angeles, Stockholm to Korea, John Seabrook visits specialized teams composing songs in digital labs with novel techniques, and he traces the growth of these contagious hits from their origins in early '90s Sweden to their ubiquity on today's charts. Featuring the stories of artists like Katy Perry, Britney Spears, and Rihanna as well as expert songsmiths like Max Martin, Ester Dean, and Dr. Luke, The Song Machine will change the way you listen to music.

All of us are faced countless times with the challenge of persuading others, whether we're trying to win a trivial argument with a friend or convince our coworkers about an important decision. Instead of relying on untrained instinct - and often failing as a result - we'd win more arguments if we learned the timeless art of verbal persuasion, or rhetoric.

Anthony Iannarino has a different approach to closing geared to the new technological and social realities of our time. In The Lost Art of Closing, he proves that the final commitment can actually be one of the easiest parts of the sales process - if you've set it up properly with other commitments that have to happen long before the close. The key is to lead customers through a series of necessary steps designed to prevent a purchase stall.

In the early 80s, Mark Fleischman reopened Studio 54, the world's most glamorous and notorious nightclub, after it was closed down by the State of New York. Ten thousand people showed up that night, ready to restart the party that abruptly ended after the raid in 1978 landed its former owners in jail. Inside Studio 54 invites you to revisit the happening scenes of the 1960s, '70s, and '80s, the post-Pill, pre-AIDS era of free love, consequence-free sex, and seemingly endless partying. Following Fleischman as he built connections that lead him to Studio 54.

By providing extremely detailed and accurate descriptions of nine recognizable personalities, The 9 Types of Leadership is an unmatched tool for business people to use to decode the mysteries involved in understanding why people do what they do, why we have conflicts with some people but not others, and how we can become aware of our blind spots. Most importantly, it can help leaders know themselves in a deeper way so they can more effectively lead others.

The Art of Leadership in the AI Era What if AI isn’t replacing leaders… but revealing them? You’ve read the books. Hired the coaches. Followed the frameworks. But deep down, you still feel it—that strange, silent friction that no system can fix. You’ve got strategy, but your team’s off rhythm. You’ve got data, but decisions feel foggy. You speak… but it doesn’t land. In the AI era, it’s no longer about what you say—it’s about what you transmit. This isn’t another leadership theory. It’s a revelation of what’s already happening underneath your performance: Why ...

When Hugh Hefner quit his job at Esquire to start a magazine called Playboy, he didn't just want to make money, he wanted to make dreams come true. In this wise and penetrating biography, intellectual historian Steven Watts looks at what Hugh Hefner went on to become and how he took America with him. Hefner became one of the most hated and envied celebrities in America, standing just barely on the wrong side of decency - with as many as seven million subscribers to his magazine.

Get the inside scoop on what it's like being a craft fair vendor. Every job has its advantages and disadvantages, but being a craft fair vendor is a little different. It is one job that you choose to start at a certain time in your life, and you control your work schedule. For many, this creative endeavor provides a supplemental income. Is being a vendor the right side hustle for you? This book may help you decide or may reinforce your decision and spark ideas if you are already selling your handicrafts. Like all entrepreneurs, you want to consistently improve your business. Craft Fair Life...

In February 2011 John Galliano, the lauded head of Christian Dior, imploded with a drunken, anti-Semitic public tirade. Exactly a year earlier, celebrated designer Alexander McQueen took his own life three weeks before his women's wear show. Both were casualties of the war between art and commerce that has raged within fashion for the last two decades.

Nationally recognized communication expert, keynote speaker and trainer and best-selling author Debra Fine reveals the techniques and strategies anyone can use to make small talk—in any situation. With practical advice and conversation cheat sheets, The Fine Art of Small Talk will help you learn to feel more comfortable in any type of social situation.

The man who created Bluefish, the internationally famous company that makes once-in-a-lifetime events happen for the rich and famous, reveals to the rest of us his trade secrets for making things happen. Steve Sims' day job is to make the impossible possible. With his help and expertise, his clients' fantasies and wildest dreams come true. Getting married by the Pope in the Vatican, being serenaded by Elton John, and connecting with powerful business moguls like Elon Musk are just a few of the many projects he has worked on.

Intriguing and entertaining, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark is a Freakonomics approach to the economics and psychology of the contemporary art world. Why were record prices achieved at auction for works by 131 contemporary artists in 2006 alone, with astonishing new heights reached in 2007? Don Thompson explores the money, lust, and self-aggrandizement of the art world in an attempt to determine what makes a particular work valuable while others are ignored.

Like many, you probably believe that only professionals with natural talent and decades of experience can be truly successful at business negotiations. While it’s true that you can only get better as you gain more experience, negotiation skills can be acquired and mastered by anyone.

Tired of the 9-to-5 grind? Unlock hidden profits in the booming world of online reselling with The Art of Bulk Buying: How to Source Thrift Items Wholesale and Create Passive Income Streams. This isn’t just another thrifting guide; it’s your blueprint for building a sustainable, passive income empire from the comfort of your own home. Discover the secrets to sourcing profitable items wholesale, even if you’re starting with a limited budget. Learn how to navigate the complex world of thrift stores, estate sales, and liquidation auctions like a seasoned pro. Inside, you’ll find: ...

Master Conversations, Connect Effortlessly, and Build Lasting Relationships Are you tired of awkward silences and superficial conversations? Do you struggle to make a memorable impression at networking events or social gatherings? The Art of Better Small Talk is your ultimate guide to mastering the art of conversation, helping you transform mundane interactions into meaningful connections. Unlock the Secrets of Engaging Conversation In this compelling book, you'll learn the skills and techniques necessary to become a confident, charming, and engaging conversationalist. Whether you're an ...

This revised and updated edition of the best-selling book A Leader's Guide to Storytelling shows how storytelling is one of the few ways to handle the most important and difficult challenges of leadership: sparking action, getting people to work together, and leading people into the future. Using myriad illustrative examples and filled with how-to techniques, this book clearly explains how you can learn to tell the right story at the right time.

Mr. Shmooze is the parable of a man who reveals the secret shared by all superstar salespeople. Selling, in its most exquisite form, is not about "taking", nor is it about "persuading". Selling, believe it or not, is about "giving". Mr. Shmooze gives for a living. He starts by listening and he quickly comes to understand what people really need. His customers love him because he gives more than he takes. They trust him because he is passionate about their interests.