Your company faces a lot of challenges within a highly competitive industry. Keeping on top of the latest best practices in managing business and leading people is a challenge in itself. There are literally thousands of business books published every year. Who has the time to decipher which will be the most insightful read? We’re providing comments on books that will educate you on business concepts and new skills. This year, we will whittle thousands down to about 50 titles worthy of inclusion in your management library. Visit our Web site for the entire list of reviews.

The Basics of Performance Measurement, Second Edition
By Jerry L. Harbour
(Productivity Press $14.95)
Order the book at www.productivitypress.com

This month, Productivity Press releases a revised edition of this groundbreaking book on performance measurement. If you missed the first version, order this version and learn from Harbour as he:

• Offers advice garnered from 30 years of direct work with companies from diverse fields.
• Shows how, what, and when to measure.
• Explains how to build hierarchies tailored to different levels within an organization.
• Gives you the confidence and the skill to go beyond the numbers, influence decisions, and make a difference.

In addition to the solid performance-measurement basics in the first edition, Harbour adds two new chapters to this second edition. One of these chapters discusses units of measurement. The other introduces ways to better interpret what has been measured and then translate those measurement-related interpretations into actionable knowledge.

All You Need is a Good Idea! How to Create Marketing Messages that Actually Get Results
By Jay H. Heyman
(Wiley, $24.95)
Available through major bookstores and online at www.amazon.com.

In All You Need Is a Good Idea, Jay Heyman tells how to create powerful marketing and advertising ideas for dramatically increasing sales. Perfect for entrepreneurs and small business owners, this valuable marketing resource can help any business stand out in the marketplace, build bigger market share, gain publicity, and scare the pants off thecompetition.