As a young man, Ed Catmull had a dream: to make the world's first computer-animated movie. He nurtured that dream first as a Ph.D. student at the University of Utah, where many computer science pioneers got their start, and then forged an early partnership with George Lucas that led, indirectly, to his founding Pixar with Steve Jobs and John Lasseter in 1986. Nine years later and against all odds, Toy Story was released, changing animation forever.
Since then, Pixar has dominated the world of animation, producing such beloved films as Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Up, and WALL-E, which have gone on to set box-office records and garner twenty-seven Academy Awards. The joyousness of the storytelling, the inventive plots, the emotional authenticity: In some ways, Pixar movies are an object lesson in what creativity really is. Now, in this book, Catmull reveals the ideals and techniques, honed over years, that have made Pixar so widely admired-and so profitable.
Creativity, Inc. is a book for managers who want to lead their employees to new heights, a manual for anyone who strives for originality, and the first-ever, all-access trip into the nerve center of Pixar Animation Studios-into the story meetings, the postmortems, and the 'Braintrust' sessions where art is born. It is, at heart, a book about how to build and sustain a creative culture-but it is also, as Pixar co-founder and president Ed Catmull writes, 'an expression of the ideas that I believe make the best in us possible.'
Catalogues the births, the deaths, the drunken brawls, the sexual antics, and the debauchery behind the scenes of the ultimate service industry - where the world is divided into those who wear the uniform and those who don't.
Shows how to find success and gain a better understanding of one's self and goals by applying Sun Tzu's strategies for gaining victory with the least amount of conflict.
Explores the ongoing psychological forces that sabotage rational behavior in our personal and business lives, revealing how such factors as loss aversion, commitment, and the diagnosis bias distort logical thought.
Wall Street investment banks move trillions of dollars a year, make billions in fees, pay their executives in the tens of millions of dollars. But even among the most powerful firms, Lazard Fráeres & Co. stood apart. Discretion, secrecy, and subtle strategy were its weapons of choice. For more than a century, the mystique and reputation of the "Great Men" who worked there allowed the firm to garner unimaginable profits, social cachet, and outsized influence in the halls of power. But in the mid-1980s, their titanic egos started getting in the way, and the Great Men of Lazard jeopardized all they had built. Author Cohan, himself a former high-level Wall Street banker, takes the reader into the mysterious and secretive world of Lazard and presents a compelling portrait of Wall Street in this tale of vaulting ambitions, whispered advice, worldly mistresses, fabulous art collections, and enormous wealth.--From publisher description.Journeys into the secret world of the storied Wall Street bank, Lazard Fráeres & Co., revealing how inside feuds and power struggles turned the financial world upside down.
Four pioneers in the field of organizational learning--Peter Senge, C. Otto Scharmer, Joseph Jaworski, and Betty Sue Flowers--explore the concept of transformational change, from how it comes about to its influence on people and their institutions, as it relates to collective change and its implications. Reprint. 12,500 first printing.
An expert on management ethics and a former Arthur Andersen partner sheds new light on the questionable practices and attitudes that led to the financial scandals at Enron and other corporations, the accounting fiascos at Global Crossing and WorldCom, and the collapse of the legendary accounting firm.
In what has become a bible for the business world, the successful former CEO of Herman Miller, Inc., explores how executives and managers can learn the leadership skills that build a better, more profitable organization. Leadership Is an Art has long been a must-read not only within the business community but also in professions ranging from academia to medical practices, to the political arena. First published in 1989, the book has sold more than 800,000 copies in hardcover and paperback. This revised edition brings Max De Prees timeless words and practical philosophy to a new generation of readers. De Pree looks at leadership as a kind of stewardship, stressing the importance of building relationships, initiating ideas, and creating a lasting value system within an organization. Rather than focusing on the hows of corporate life, he explains the whys. He shows that the first responsibility of a leader is to define reality and the last is to say thank you. Along the way, the artful leader must: Stimulate effectiveness by enabling others to reach both their personal potential and their institutional potential Take a role in developing, expressing, and defending civility and values Nurture new leaders and ensure the continuation of the corporate culture Leadership Is an Art offers a proven design for achieving success by developing the generous spirit within all of us. Now more than ever, it provides the insights and guidelines leaders in every field need.