Why Read Rules of Thumb?
Leaders today live in a world of dramatic, tumultuous, and unpredictable change—change that is wiping out time-honored businesses and long-standing institutions and ushering in unprecedented opportunities for creative individuals and entrepreneurial organizations. So pervasive is change today it has redefined the first task of leaders everywhere: the job is no longer figuring out how to win at the game of work and life; the job is figuring out the new rules of the game.
That’s the context for Alan M. Webber’s Rules of Thumb, a guide for leaders, entrepreneurs, and thoughtful individuals in every walk of life who want to make sense for themselves out these confusing, challenging, and compelling times. Drawing from his own experiences as co-founding editor of Fast Company magazine, editorial director of the Harvard Business Review, and chief of policy for the mayor of Portland, Oregon, Webber has produced 52 “rules of thumb”—a collection that is as wise as it is useful, and as honest as it is helpful. The rules come from real-life lessons learned and recorded on three-by-five cards, a trick borrowed from one of the many mentors whose teachings Webber has captured and catalogued in this book.
If you’re looking for practical advice on how to win at work without losing yourself, if you want to meet and learn from a fascinating collection of some of the world’s most interesting people, if you want to travel along with Alan M. Webber on his own journey of exploration and education, this remarkably human book is for you. Part memoir, part how-to—a unique hybrid “mem-to”—Rules of Thumb is bound to kick-start your own learning journey toward greater personal understanding and, ultimately, greater personal success.
What Others say about Rules of Thumb:
"Alan Webber has a genius for sparking the right conversation at the right time. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in business or politics, employed or entrepreneur, social leader or wealth creator, Alan Webber’s wise words give
guidance and hope in a world gone upside down. Incisive and practical, timely and timeless—he is a mentor of the highest order.”
–
Jim Collins, author of
Good to Great
"If you liked Stephen Covey's
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, you'll love
Rules of Thumb. Each chapter is like the perfect double espresso --
a delicious jolt that will fire your brain, stir your soul, and get you moving."
–
Daniel H. Pink, author of
A Whole New Mind
"I wish to hell I'd had this book 40 years ago. Things may or may not have turned out better, but I'd surely have enjoyed the trip more.
You've got to read this--every word."
–
Tom Peters, co-author of
In Search of Excellence
“Alan Webber’s
Rules of Thumb
is
pithy, informative and entertaining. I loved it.”
–
Scott Turow, author of
Presumed Innocent
"Alan Webber is a giant among pygmies, a big thinker at a time when we desperately need one. This book will
change the color of your glasses and give you an itch that needs scratching.
Stop reading this blurb and buy this book!"
–
Seth Godin, author of
Purple Cow
"Rules of Thumb
transcends categories, offering
deep insights into what it means to live life to the fullest,
whether you're 25 or 55 years old, planning your future or reflecting on your past."
–
Paolo Coelho, author of
The Alchemist
“Rules of Thumb is
full of heart, wisdom and insight. Its vision affirms that leaders must have the courage, confidence and character to make their business – and the world – a better place.”
–
Kathy Cloninger, CEO, Girl Scouts of USA
– Curtis Sittenfeld, author of Prep
