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The Best Business Books of 2011
by Siobhan
Business & Careers / February 03, 2012
If you're looking for some good business reading, why not start with the best? Here are some business books that were highly praised in recent year-end review lists.
LeadershipNow.com Best Leadership Books of 2011 - See the full list
Lead with Purpose: Giving Your Organization a Reason to Believe in Itself, byJohn Baldoni (Amacom)
Consider: Harnessing the Power of Reflective Thinking In Your Organization, by Daniel Patrick Forrester (Palgrave Macmillan)
CEO Refresher.com Best Business Books of 2011 - See the full list
Make Your Own Rules: A Renegade Guide to Unconventional Success, by Wayne Rogers with Josh Young (Amacom)
Consider: Harnessing the Power of Reflective Thinking In Your Organization, by Daniel Patrick Forrester (Palgrave Macmillan)
Slow Down, Sell Faster!: Understand Your Customer's Buying Process and Maximize Your Sales, by Kevin Davis (Amacom)
The Elements of Power: Lessons on Leadership and Influence, by Terry R. Bacon (Amacom)
Full Engagement!: Inspire, Motivate, and Bring Out the Best in Your People, by Brian Tracy (Amacom)
Selling to Anyone Over the Phone: Connect With Every Customer; Generate Better Leads, Close More Sales, by Renee P. Walkup and Sandra McKee (Amacom)
CIO Insights10 Best IT-Business Books of 2011 - See the full list
The Power of Convergence: Linking Business Strategies and Technology Decisions to Create Sustainable Success, by Faisal Hoque, Lawrence M. Walsh and Diana L. Mirakaj (Amacom)
CIO Insights 11 Best Business Books for CIOs in 2011 - See the full list
The Elements of Power: Lessons on Leadership and Influence, by Terry R. Bacon (Amacom)
The Axiom Business Book Awards - See the full list
Winning Bronze in the Career (Job Search, Career Advancement) Category:
What's Next?: Follow Your Passion and Find Your Dream Job, by Kerry Hannon
Winning Silver in the Business Ethics Category:
Rebuilding Trust in the Workplace: Seven Steps to Renew Confidence, Commitment, and Energy, by Dennis Reina and Michelle Reina (Berrett-Koehler Publishers)
Winning Silver in the Advertising/Markting/PR/Event Planning Category:
The Experience Effect: Engage Your Customers with a Consistent and Memorable Brand Experience, by Jim Joseph (Amacom)
Winning Gold in the Women in Business Category:
Wander Woman: How High-Achieving Women Find Contentment and Direction, by Marcia Reynolds (Berrett-Koehler Publishers)
ALA Booklist Top Ten Business Books of 2011 - See the full list
Make Your Own Rules: A Renegade Guide to Unconventional Success, by Wayne Rogers with Josh Young (Amacom)
Poisoned Legacy: The Human Cost of BP's Rise to Power, by Mike Magner (St. Martin's Press)
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Lonely Planet releases free Christchurch download
by Natalia
Travel / January 26, 2012
One of the things I like about working in the publishing industry is the long lead times: in an age of 24-hour newscasts and instantaneous gratification, publishers are unique in producing reflective, sustained, intelligent coverage of hot button issues.
But the glacial pace of traditional publishing has its drawbacks—I remember working on a book once that took a decade to move from conception to printing—and of course this is particularly problematic in travel publishing.
Case in point: Lonely Planet's 16th edition of the New Zealand travel guide is due to be published in September, but because it was written before last February's earthquake, the current edition is of limited use on the ground.
So this week Lonely Planet is releasing a free download of the Christchurch chapter on its website. The chapter, researched by Brett Atkinson in December, is the first Christchurch guide to be released since the earthquake, and Lonely Planet is taking the unusual step of making it available eight months ahead of the guide's official release.
Kudos to Lonely Planet for being nimble enough to get the most up-to-date post-quake travel information out to travellers as quickly as possible!
Any Canadian travellers planning a trip to New Zealand can find out more about the book here.
Gung Hay Fat Choy
by Natalia
Events + Fiction + Science Fiction and Fantasy / January 23, 2012
Happy Chinese New Year! Festivities began for the new year yesterday: we are leaving the year of the rabbit and entering the year of the dragon, one of the mightiest and most auspicious symbols in the zodiac. I'm looking forward to Vancouver's Chinese New Year parade this Sunday — always a great event for families.
In honour of the new year, here are a few books featuring the finest, scaliest, most terrifying firebreathers around!
Dragonships of Vindras series by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman:
Dragon Age series by David Gaider:
Of course, the Wheel of Time series. Tor is giving away 50 copies of The Eye of the World in celebration of the new year!
And let's take a moment to acknowledge the very first (Western) dragon of them all — a thousand years later still unmatchable for its bloodcurling ferocity:
Then the baleful fiend its fire belched out,
and bright homes burned. The blaze stood high
all landsfolk frighting. No living thing
would that loathly one leave as aloft it flew.
Wide was the dragon’s warring seen,
its fiendish fury far and near,
as the grim destroyer those Geatish people
hated and hounded. To hidden lair,
to its hoard it hastened at hint of dawn.
Folk of the land it had lapped in flame,
with bale and brand. —Beowulf XXXI
Remember to clean your house from top to bottom for good luck in the coming year.
At the Movies…
by Siobhan
January 23, 2012
Can a movie adaptation ever be a good as the book? The debate rages on....
Meanwhile, we're quite pleased to see two of our books appearing on the big screen very soon. Sometimes it's nice to just sit back and enjoy a good story without your popcorn-buttery fingers staining the book pages... 
The book: One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
(Available with the movie tie-in cover in paperback and mass market, as well as with the original cover in paperback and mass market.)
Unemployed and newly-divorced Stephanie Plum lands a job at her cousin's bail-bond business, where her first assignment puts her on the trail of a wanted local cop from her romantic past.
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The movie: In theatres January 27, 2012. Starring Katherine Heigl.
The book: Big Miracle by Tom Rose
In small town Alaska, a news reporter recruits his ex-girlfriend - a Greenpeace volunteer - on a campaign to save a family of gray whales trapped by rapidly forming ice in the Arctic Circle.
The movie: In theatres February 3, 2012. Starring Drew Barrymore, Ted Danson, Kristen Bell, Tim Blake Nelson, John Krasinski, and Vinessa Shaw.
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Pity the Billionaire
by Natalia
Current Affairs + Politics / January 12, 2012
Thomas Frank burst onto the political scene back in 2004 with the publication of What's the Matter with Kansas? which, it's fair to say, became one of the iconic political books of the last few years, much discussed and widely reviewed. With the US Republican primaries in full swing and a new book just out on the shelves, Tom is back in the spotlight.
The presidential primaries matter in Canada: with the Liberals floating a proposal for US-style primaries at this week's upcoming convention, following the American primaries is both entertaining and a topical refresher on the politicals of our southern neighbour.
"Thomas Frank is the thinking person’s Michael Moore." -New York Times
"You ought to read this book" -The Huffington Post
"[T]he fact that the right could be furious with anyone but itself is an astonishing story and one that Thomas Frank was born to cover." -The Guardian
Check out Tom's recent appearance on Democracy Now!
Sisterhood of Dune Vancouver Launch
by Dan
Events + Fiction + Science Fiction and Fantasy / January 09, 2012
Join author Brian Herbert at the launch of his new novel The Sisterhood of Dune — the latest book in the international bestselling Dune series — at 2pm on Sunday January 15th (THIS SUNDAY!!) at Chapters Metrotown in Burnaby.
Brian Herbert, Sisterhood of Dune
January 15th at 2pm
Chapters Metrotown
Metropolis, Metrotown 4700 Kingsway
Burnaby, British Columbia
V5H 4M1
Tel: 604-431-0463
My Favourite Books of 2011: Nadia (Operations)
by Nadia
Fiction / December 22, 2011
This is my first year at Raincoast and already it’s hard to choose a favourite. There have been plenty of non-fiction recommendations from everyone, so I’m going to recommend some good fiction from this year.
For the mystery lovers, A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny is a pretty sure bet. Written by a Canadian author and set in Québec, this is the seventh and latest in the mystery series featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec. This mystery features two worlds: the world of art and the world of a small town. It makes for an interesting and engaging cast of characters and the central mystery itself is not an easy one to solve. Having grown-up in small town Québec myself, the setting of Three Pines was an added incentive to me to pick up this book.
I enjoyed it enough to pick up a copy of the previous novel in the series, Bury Your Dead, that I plan to read over Christmas.
This next one isn’t a new pub, but I haven’t managed to read much (read: none) of the new science fiction that was published in 2011. But if you like science fiction and you haven’t read Ender’s Game, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Winner of both the Hugo and Nebula Awards for best novel, it’s a classic and the first in the series about Andrew “Ender” Wiggin. It’s in the process of being adapted into a movie by Odd Lot and Summi that will feature Harrison Ford, Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld and Ben Kingsley. It was first published in 1985 and is still available from TOR.
And since Jamie’s already gone and recommended both an older book and one we don’t have here at Raincoast, I’m going to add my favourite science fiction book of them all: To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. This is part science fiction (time travel is central to the plot) and part comedy of manners (most of the novel takes place in Victorian England). It’s a very funny book, with plenty of literary references slipped in alongside the laws and physics of time travel.
My Favorite Books of 2011: Crystal (Children’s Book Publicist)
by Crystal
Kids + Vancouver + YA Fiction / December 22, 2011
Seriously? You want me to pick my favorite children's books from 2011? That's like a parent choosing which of their kids is their favorite! Impossible. Can't be done. There are just too many FABULOUS choices!
Ok if you really want to twist my arm. Here are a few of my MANY favorite books from 2011. I should also say that I love all of the kids books that my collegues chose, but decided not to have any repeats.
I first heard that Lonely Planet was planning a line of Children's Books at sales conference 4 years ago. I waited for 4 long years for a Lonely Planet Children's Book to chomp my Kids Publicity teeth into. This book did not disappoint. Like the adult version of The Travel Book it features a page for every country in the world. Fun facts will keep kids turning page after page, trying to find new, gross things to gross mom out, while not even realizing their learning. An example: When Queen Elizabeth II visited Belize in 1985, she was served a local rodent called a gibnut, which some people say looks a bit like a giant rat without a tail (picture below). It tastes like rabbit.
Yeah. Gross.
This beautiful picture book is all the lovelier because the author (Sara O'Leary) and illustrator (Julie Morstad) are both really fabulous Canadian women. I also love that the little girl looks an awful lot like my daughter, Bella, if she would only allow me to have her hair chopped off into a bob. The story is of a mother telling her son the story of what it was like when she was little, however she takes it one step further and tells a fantastical story about her not only being little (young) but also little (tiny). My favorite spread is the one below where she feasts upon raspberries.
I confess. I have a shelf in my sewing studio of children's picture books that inspire me creatively. I don't let me daughter play with these books (mostly because I know that she will steal them and bring them to her own room.) Zeal of Zebras is one of the books that graces my sewing studio bookshelf. Created by Woop Studios (the graphic designers for the Harry Potter movies) this book of collective nouns is visually stimulating, educational and just plain entertaining. Really who knew that a group of pandas is called an embarrassment of pandas? The page below is the one that I find myself turning to most often as it reminds me of my time snorkeling with the sea turtles on The Big Island.
I affectionately call this title "The Book That Almost Ruined My Summer Vacation". It was just so good that I couldn't put it down! My husband and daughter were pretty upset that my nose was buried in my book the entire time instead of playing with them in the sand. Like Hunger Games in space, this book is a must read. Here is a trailer to give you a sneak peek.
Last but definitely not least I'm going to cheat a little bit. One of my favorite things about being a Children's Book Publicist is that I get to read a lot of books well before they hit bookstores.
Embrace is a book coming in March but I read it a few months ago and just can't get it out of my head. Here is a link to a blog post that I wrote on the day that we did the Embrace Cover Reveal. Sourcebooks also created a Making The Cover video which I found to be really fascinating. So much goes into creating a book cover.
Embrace Cover Shoot from Sourcebooks Inc on Vimeo.
Wishing you happy reading this holiday season and into 2012!
Crystal
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My Favourite Books of 2011: Chelsea (Sales)
by Chelsea
December 22, 2011
Like most of the Raincoasters, I found it hard to pick just one favourite book for 2011. How lucky are we to work with such a variety of beautiful, funny, inspirational, and engrossing books day-in and day-out?
Favourite to share
Favourite book to give
Paola Opal's Simply Small board book series is too cute for words, so naturally I couldn't help but give it to babies who are too cute for words. In Saffy and Ollie, two characters finally meet and realize how much fun it is to share with friends! Simply adorable.
Favourite book to escape with
When I read Glow, the first book in Amy Kathleen Ryan's Sky Chaser series, I could not be pulled away (to the annoyance of my traveling partner). Excellent YA writing + spaceships + scientific/religious conspiracies + layered characters = a great read.
My favourite books of 2011: Danielle (Publicity)
by Danielle
Animals & Nature + Art & Photography + Food & Drink + Humour + Sports / December 22, 2011
When I was asked to list my top books for this season I was at a loss. Working at Raincoast for all these years the seasons seem to mesh together so I thought to let you in on some books that mirror who I am and what I'm about...
My Last Supper by Melanie Dunea. It's a truly awesome coffee table book filled with not only beautiful photographs of some 50 top chefs but includes their recipes as well. Truly, it's a gem. When I blogged about this book this season I had let readers know what my last supper would be.
"I'd like to eat steak, good steak. Ones we bought from the market. Baked potatoes with all .jpg)
the fixings and a yummy beet salad. And chicken wings from grain fed chicken too (hot of course)." You can see by the pic this is exactly what I love to eat when we're camping in the Okanagan so if I would have to choose this would be my 'last supper' as well.
I was lucky enough to attend quite a few hockey games this past year. We were able to go to the Western Conference 
finals where the Canucks beat ou
t the Sharks. We had a blast. When Portable Press decided to update their Uncle Johns Shoots and Scores, with 70 all new pages I might add, I was quick to take a flip. I'm a bit of a poser when it comes to the game so by reading up I can hang with the boys and show off with som fun hockey facts and stats. 
When the sun is shining and 
I'm in need of getting fresh air what better way to get out and about than riding around town. In my house we love to ride so Cyclepedia made my list. A book for any bike enthusiast.
If you know me, I'm a bit of a cat person. So this is why Meow made it on my list. This book's full of pictures of these adorable creatures with cute ca
ptions. Easy. Oh this is Dash -