Corporate Canaries: Avoid Business Disasters with a Coal Miner's Secrets

Using his grandfather's folksy coalmining lore, business turnaround expert Sutton shows how the basics of sound business practices apply to any successful enterprise, from coalmining to aerospace to cell phone service to retail. In five short chapters, the former CEO of several companies opens with one of his grandfather's stories, then mines it for nuggets of wisdom to apply to today's business environment. Sutton builds his book on the simple premise that ""ducking catastrophe is the key to success."" Claiming to be ""the first book showing managers how to detect potential disasters,"" like the canaries coalminers used to detect poisonous gases in their mines, Sutton warns against taking on too much debt, confusing sales with profits, being indecisive and neglecting to keep a close eye on your market. He offers practical steps to avoid hazards and backs them up with his or other businesses' experiences and solutions, making for a book that's both breezy and informative.