IN AN UNCERTAIN WORLD
by Robert E. Rubin (Random House)

Rubin's fundamental philosophy is that nothing is provably certain. Probabilistic thinking has guided his career and decisions in both business and government. We see Rubin apply it time and again while facing fi nancial crises in Asia, Russia, and Brazil; the federal government shutdown; the rise and fall of the stock market; the challenges of the post-September 11 world; the ongoing struggle over fiscal policy; and many other momentous economic and political events.

With a compelling and candid voice and a sharp eye for detail, Rubin portrays the daily life of the White House—confronting matters both mighty and mundane–as astutely as he examines the challenges that lie ahead for the nation. Part political memoir, part prescriptive economic analysis, and part personal look at business problems, his book is a deep examination of Washington and Wall Street by a fi gure who for three decades has been at the center of both worlds.

TRADING UP: THE NEW AMERICAN LUXURY
by Michael J. Silverstein and Neil Fiske (Portfolio Press)

A fascinating look at why millions of consumers are "trading up" to premium goods, and how companies can profi t from this phenomenon. Middle-market consumers have more discretionary income than ever before and are willing to pay extra for "new luxury" goods and services—items that deliver higher quality, technical advantages, and superior performance to conventional products. New luxury leaders–such as Callaway Golf, Victoria's Secret, Belvedere Vodka, Whirlpool Duet, and Williams-Sonoma– market their goods very differently than do conventional companies. Based on research conducted by Boston Consulting Group, Trading Up explores what's driving this move to premium goods, tells the inside stories of many new luxury companies and their leaders, and offers insights and methods that can help the reader take advantage of this remarkable phenomenon.

THE COMING GENERATIONAL STORM: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AMERICA'S ECONOMIC FUTURE
by Laurence J. Kotlikoff and Scott Burns (MIT Press)

In 2030, as 77 million baby boomers hobble into old age, walkers will outnumber strollers; there will be twice as many retirees as there are today but only 18 percent more workers. How will America handle this demographic overload? According to Laurence Kotlikoff and Scott Burns, we'll see skyrocketing tax rates, drastically lower retirement and health benefi ts, high infl ation, a rapidly depreciating dollar, unemployment, and political instability. The current administration is heading straight into the coming generational storm. But don't panic. To solve a problem you must fi rst understand it. Kotlikoff and Burns take us on a guided tour of our generational imbalance and propose bold new policies, including meaningful reforms of Social Security and Medicare. Their proposals are simple, straightforward, and geared to attract support from both political parties. But just in case politicians won't take the risk to chart a new direction, Kotlikoff and Burns also offer a "life jacket"—guidelines for individuals to protect their fi nancial health and retirement.

STRATEGIC BRAND MANAGEMENT: BUILDING, MEASURING, AND MANAGING BRAND EQUITY
by Kevin Lane Keller (Prentice Hall)

Written by one of the world's leading authorities on brand management, incorporating the latest thinking and developments from both academia and industry, this text is fi nely focused on "how to" and "why" throughout. It provides specifi c tactical guidelines for planning, building, measuring, and managing brand equity and includes numerous examples on virtually every topic, with more than 100 Branding Briefs that identify successful and unsuccessful brands and explain why they have been so. Keller's companion text, Best Practice Cases in Branding, is a casebook that focuses on brands such as Accenture, Intel, Levi-Strauss, Nike, MTV, Red Bull, Snapple, and Starbucks. It is an invaluable resource for developing brand-building skills.

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