Small Giants: Companies That Choose To Be Great Instead Of Big

It's an axiom of business that great companies grow their revenues and profits year after year. Yet, quietly, a small number of companies have rejected the pressure of endless growth to focus on more satisfying business goals: like being great at what they do, creating a great place to work, providing great customer service and finding great ways for employees to lead their lives. Burlingham shows how the leaders of these small giants recognise the range of choices to be had about the type of company they could create and how we can all benefit from questioning the norm.

About the Author :
Bo Burlingham is editor at large at Inc. magazine. He has also written for Esquire, Harper s, Mother Jones, and The Boston Globe, among other publications, and is the coauthor, with Jack Stack, of The Great Game of Business and A Stake in the Outcome."

Review :
For all you harried entrepreneurs out there, Bo Burlingham has a reassuring message: Relax. Bigger isn?t necessarily better. The wonderful stories in "Small Giants" show you how to prosper by retaining the vision of excellence that got you into business in the first place. (Rosabeth Moss Kanter, author of "Confidence") The fourteen companies that Bo Burlingham... features in his new book "Small Giants" demonstrate conclusively that a company can resist the temptation to keep getting bigger and bigger?and wind up better for it. (Cecil Johnson, "The Fort Worth Star- Telegram") With new management books arriving by the boatload, Bo Burlingham has somehow managed the near impossible?he's given us a true original. Moreover, in the process he may have ?discovered? the most interesting and under-reported corner of the U.S. economy. In short, "Small Giants" is a Large Masterpiece. Bo's reporting is stupendous, and his writing and storytelling skills make the book equal parts fun and profound. (Tom Peters, author of "In Search of Excellence") Bo Burlinghamas done for private companies what Jim Collins did for public companies in "Good to Great." (Steve Pearlstein, "The Washington Post") Bo Burlinghams done for private companies what Jim Collins did for public companies in "Good to Great." (Steve Pearlstein, "The Washington Post") "Small Giants" is one of the most relevant and articulate arguments for staying bold and creative, intimate and manageable as I have ever read. I guarantee that expression and the arguments for staying small will cause a collective sigh of relief from thousands of entrepreneurs. (Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop) Bo Burlingham's done for private companies what Jim Collins did for public companies in "Good to Great." (Steve Pearlstein, "The Washington Post") It aims to do for small private companies what "In Search of Excellence" did two decades ago for big public companies: shine a light on a handful of business practices the author admires, and which he believes are the reason some companies consistently do better than others. (Joseph Nocera, "The New York Times") "Burlingham crafts a beautiful collage and analysis of companies that focus on being the best instead of growing like cancer into huge corporations...Bigger is not better, and this book proves it." Tim Ferriss, in The 4-Hour Workweek "In short, Small Giants is a Large Masterpiece. Bo's reporting is stupendous, and his writing and storytelling skills make the book equal parts fun and profound." Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence "Small Giants is one of the most relevant and articulate argumetns for staying bold and creative, intimate and manageable as I have ever read." Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop "Small is the new big. If that feels like an offbeat idea to you, you need this book!" Seth Godin, author of Purple Cow" This well-written book should inspire thousands of entrepreneurs to reject a mantra of growth for growth's sake in favor of a passionate dedication to becoming the absolute best. Bo Burlingham reminds us of a vital truth: big does not equal great, and great does not equal big. (Jim Collins, author of "Good to Great") It aims to do for small private companies what "In Search of Excellence" did two decades ago for big public companies: shine a light on a handful of business practices the author admires, and which he believes are the reason some companies consistently do better than others. (Joseph Nocera, "The New York Times") "Small Giants" is one of the most relevant and articulate arguments for staying bold and creative, intimate and manageable as I have ever read. I guarantee that expression and the arguments for staying small will cause a collective sigh of relief from thousands of entrepreneurs. (Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop) With new management books arriving by the boatload, Bo Burlingham has somehow managed the near impossiblehe's given us a true original. Moreover, in the process he may have discovered' the most interesting and under-reported corner of the U.S. economy. In short, "Small Giants" is a Large Masterpiece. Bo's reporting is stupendous, and his writing and storytelling skills make the book equal parts fun and profound. (Tom Peters, author of "In Search of Excellence") The fourteen companies that Bo Burlingham... features in his new book "Small Giants" demonstrate conclusively that a company can resist the temptation to keep getting bigger and biggerand wind up better for it. (Cecil Johnson, "The Fort Worth Star- Telegram") For all you harried entrepreneurs out there, Bo Burlingham has a reassuring message: Relax. Bigger isn't necessarily better. The wonderful stories in "Small Giants" show you how to prosper by retaining the vision of excellence that got you into business in the first place. (Rosabeth Moss Kanter, author of "Confidence") Bo Burlingham's done for private companies what Jim Collins did for public companies in "Good to Great." (Steve Pearlstein, "The Washington Post")"