Business Books

The Art of Woo

By G. Richard Shell and

Mario Moussa

Portfolio; 312 pages

Alas, you won't find Charlie Levine's legend repeated to generations of schoolchildren. That's because this rival of aviator Charles Lindbergh set his crew members against one another and allowed egotism and erratic behavior to delay the transatlantic flight that he had financed. Lucky Lindy, on the other hand, was blessed with woo, which allowed him to skillfully develop relationships with his backers, who made sure he took off on time.

What, you ask, is woo? The authors, who both teach at the Wharton School, extol the virtues of this relationship art, which they define as the ability to win over colleagues, clients and customers without coercion, using emotionally intelligent persuasion. The authors draw on the experiences of political figures like Napoléon and Abraham Lincoln, as well as famous businesspeople.

Many motivational books exhort readers to "sell yourself" to bosses and colleagues. This one counsels you to do so with self-awareness, finding a style that suits your strengths and weaknesses. The authors describe five models for would-be persuaders: driver (Intel ceo Andy Grove), commander (J.P. Morgan), promoter (Andrew Carnegie), chess player (John D. Rockefeller) and advocate (Sam Walton).

Woo matters not just in business. Rock icon Bono gets high marks for his woomanship in promoting social causes. A surprisingly genial visit in 2000 to the archconservative Senator Jesse Helms, during which Bono communed with the septuagenarian politician, yielded an appropriation of $435 million for debt relief for Africa. It wouldn't have happened, say the authors, had it not been for Bono's on-the-spot ability to switch "to a completely different language," abandoning his fact-laden pitch to talk religion with Helms.

But don't forget to woo with integrity. The authors tell the story of John Bennett Jr., who "found and embraced his own personal persuasion style--an affable mix of other-oriented Promoter and Advocate." His relationship skills helped him perpetrate a $500 million pyramid scheme but couldn't save him from the consequences: a 12-year sentence in federal prison. The bottom line: woo wisely.

The 4-Hour Workweek

By Timothy Ferriss

Crown; 308 pages

If they gave out Pulitzers for book titles, Ferriss would win easily. His promise of lucrative slackerdom has kept this nonsense near the top of the best-seller lists since May, thanks in part to an eager community of online fans. They apparently have too much time on their hands. The author cites his own improbable résumé--Guinness world-record holder in tango, actor on hit TV series in China and Hong Kong, glycemic-index researcher and shark diver, among other things--to convince readers that luxury and excitement are within anyone's reach. The upshot of his advice? Outsource all your menial work to someone else and think up a clever Web-based business to bankroll the fun stuff. Snake-oil salesman or guru? Try working just four hours a week, and you'll soon find out.

Stick to Drawing Comics, Monkey Brain!

By Scott Adams

Portfolio; 356 pages

Adams, the creator of the Dilbert comic strip, is the patron saint of cubicle dwellers. With his cartoons in 2,000 newspapers and 23 books under his belt, Adams' stature in America's workplaces is indisputable. Here he ventures slightly beyond his cube to write "a diary of my thoughts as I transmogrified from a bachelor to a husband," with more than 150 short essays on everything from aging brains to real estate on the moon, all of them delivered with his usual sardonic verve. This offbeat pundit is welcome news on or off the comics page.