The Best Business Writing 2013
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- $17.99
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- $17.99
Publisher Description
An anthology Malcolm Gladwell has called "riveting and indispensable," The Best Business Writing is a far-ranging survey of business's dynamic relationship with politics, culture, and life. This year's selections include John Markoff (New York Times) on innovations in robot technology and the decline of the factory worker; Evgeny Morozov (New Republic) on the questionable value of the popular TED conference series and the idea industry behind it; Paul Kiel (ProPublica) on the ripple effects of the ongoing foreclosure crisis; and the infamous op-ed by Greg Smith, published in the New York Times, announcing his break with Goldman Sachs over its trading practices and corrupt corporate ethos.
Jessica Pressler (New York) delves into the personal and professional rivalry between Tory and Christopher Burch, former spouses now competing to dominate the fashion world. Peter Whoriskey (Washington Post) exposes the human cost of promoting pharmaceuticals off-label. Charles Duhigg and David Barboza (New York Times) investigate Apple's unethical labor practices in China. Max Abelson (Bloomberg) reports on Wall Street's amusing reaction to the diminishing annual bonus. Mina Kimes (Fortune) recounts the grisly story of a company's illegal testing—and misuse—of a medical device for profit, and Jeff Tietz (Rolling Stone) composes one of the most poignant and comprehensive portraits of the financial crisis's dissolution of the American middle class.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Last year, the Columbia Journalism Review, long recognized for tracking business journalism, released the first in an annual series of the most engaging or rigorous business writing. Like last year's, this edition showcases content from diverse sources, including newspapers, magazines, and blogs. Interestingly, fewer pieces this year focus directly on the financial meltdown, though several compelling articles do scrutinize the recent economic downturn, including Rolling Stone's Jeff Tietz's look at how homelessness has extended to the formerly middle class and ProPublica writer Paul Kiel's illuminating look at how one elderly victim of subprime fraud lost her home. The editors include meticulous investigations of the medical world, such as Fortune's Mila Kime's hard-hitting look at the medical industry's culpability in prescription drug abuse and Washington Post reporter Paul Whoriskey's exhaustive examination of fraudulent activity within a medical device company. While the majority of selections investigate the seamy or even criminal side of business, a few pieces captivate in a more positive way, such as a delightful feature from Drake Bennett's BusinessWeek article about airline mergers. Taken as a whole, the extensiveness and quality of coverage and writing make this an annual must-read for anyone interested in understanding the good, the bad, the ugly, and the future of today's business world.