Romance for Business in Full Bloom.
There are few books like this one. It is both a very common and exceeding rare text. It’s common in that Tim Leberecht writes about a lot of things that have been covered extensively elsewhere like Apple’s design approach, the innovations in many leading design firms (including his former employer, Frog design), and others. What is rare is the way he speaks about the way these companies exist in a romantic way. The book can wander a little off the path it sets, but as I reflect upon the message of the book and the spirit behind it, I can’t think it would be truly romantic if we were just given the facts and left alone. This book inspires a way of being, seeing, creating, and doing that is a slight, but powerful, shift from the usual. It’s romantic. It’s practical in its embrace of aesthetics, whimsy, joy, and pleasure without getting goofy or ‘fluffy’. It’s a serious book that doesn’t take itself seriously. It’s focused, while also allowing for playful wandering about the ways we can work differently, with heart and soul, and still produce great things that are needed. It’s about good business without losing your soul. Not everyone will embrace the romance of business, but those who do are in for something special (and so are those affected by their businesses).