cover image Everything I Know About Business I Learned from the Grateful Dead

Everything I Know About Business I Learned from the Grateful Dead

Barry Barnes, foreword by John Perry Barlow. Hachette/Business Plus, $24.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-446-58379-4

Quite possibly the first love letter to a band-cum-business book, Barnes’s energetic series of lessons for business success tout the Grateful Dead as unconventional business mavens. Taking a cue from the superfans who quit their jobs to follow the Dead for their entire tour, 20-year corporate man Barnes quit his job to start a serious study of the business legacy of the Dead, using them as a case study in organizational change. He claims they are “accidental capitalists,” who got their business right by chance and implemented crucial strategic improvisation, planning, alertness, and flexibility—all strategies espoused by mainstream corporate America. The communal nature of their enterprise and their genuine respect for their fans led them to build a values culture, be kind to their customers, create a business tribe of Deadheads, make sure fans have the ability to carry out viral marketing (they allowed fans to tape live shows and share the recordings). Jerry Garcia, with his innovative, charismatic, communal leadership style, created an image that CEOs follow now. The information and advice are valuable but hardly new; this is ultimately a fascinating twist on a familiar idea. (Nov.)