Leapsa'n carti

Dear Ana,

It took me so long to answer because actually what I have been reading is not all that exciting. Since what I read is mostly for school. But here goes:

- books on Fair Trade- which is the topic of my dissertation (licenta). Fair trade is a concept born some 20 years ago, that is now really being taken seriously- at least in the US and the UK. The idea started from poverty and the fact that producers in African or South American countries never really got a fair price for their products like bananas, coffee or cocoa. The reasons for this are varied: they were cheated at the scale- because they couldn't afford their own, they had no information on fluctuating prices these products were transacted in big commodities markets, the supply chains were too long- and each link added to the price, etc. So the main idea was to trade directly with the producers and to give them a fixed price/kilo and a bonus. The best part is that with that bonus, the producers can decide whether they want to buy new equipment, build a school, a hospital or a water pump. It's an interesting topic. I bought Fair Trade bananas today :)

- a book called"Discover your strengths now" that had a test attached. The test is made by Gallup organization...a world renowned organization that developed questionnaires for many years. My first 5 strengths were:

Achiever: People strong in achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and working hard.

Learner: People strong in learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning rather then the outcome appeals to them.

Maximizer: People strong maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.

Communicator: People strong in communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.

Woo: People strong in the woo theme love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person.

Other than that I read a book called: “Movers and Shakers. The people in Business Today”…including Peter Drucker, Michael Dell, Hugh Hefner, Henry Ford, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, etc. Basically, this book dedicates some pages to people that have had a contribution in management ideas, or have been innovative in business. It’s an inspirational piece of reading.

That’s about it…well that and a lot of employer directories for companies in the UK. :)

Well, next I give the floor to Luci Gramescu (www.manchesterfm.blogspot.com) because he always has interesting books to recommend.