By Craig Froehle and John Swain
With the rapid rise of the PalmPilot organizer as the newest sweetheart of the workplace, it seemed appropriate for the premier of this PalmPower column to examine electronic texts that are about or useful for the workplace experience. Here, then, are a few recommendations from the thousands of PalmPilot-ready resources that might help you navigate your next workday. You can download all of these to your Palm device and read them at your leisure.
Great works
Here are a few great works of literature to get you going. These books are fascinating and fun to read.
The Art of War
The 2400 year old work of Sun Tzu engages readers not only as the world's oldest military treatise, but because it is virtually de rigueur as a manual of business strategy. Its introduction to western readers began in 1782 when a Jesuit priest living in China acquired a copy of it and translated it into French. The first translation into English was published in 1905. Despite these translations, The Art of War went virtually unnoticed in the West. It was not until the start of the World War II, that interest was finally renewed in Sun Tzu's work
With the rise of the emergent Asian markets as global market forces in the late 1970's, the business world turned a hungry eye on the Pacific Rim and looked to embrace many of the management philosophies that drove their burgeoning economies. During this time, The Art of War found its most popular appeal. As business embraced the notion that economic markets held close parallels to battlefield confrontations, the tactics and strategies outlined in The Art of War became a primer on global business interaction.
The PalmPilot organizer edition of The Art of War will help insure that you'll have the tactical advantage in your pocket during your next boardroom conference, client meeting or portfolio planning session.
Two Years Before the Mast
American lawyer and writer Richard Henry Dana provided us with a unique glimpse into the world of a working sailor with the publication of his memoir. Published in 1840, Two Years Before the Mast recounts his voyage from Boston, Massachusetts to California and back. Dana later went on to become a leading authority in maritime law, and a member of the Massachusetts legislature in post Civil War America.
