The January 12, 2013 Economist included its quarterly business book reviews. Here is a listing.

For those interested in the articles, you can find them through some of our electronic resources (I recommend our Custom Newspapers database, available from home with a library card or on The Economist's website (if you're a subscriber). For those who are too impatient to read those, I've included for each book, based on the articles, a short squib.

Click on any of the titles below and place a hold to request the item. Remember to update your contact information (phone number or e-mail address), so you are notified when the book arrives for you at your local library. Don't have a library card yet? It's simple! Find out how to get one.

Pound Foolish: Exposing the Dark Side of the Personal Finance Industry, by Helaine Olen

"By the time clients have bought all the books, [and] attended the courses... someone has definitely become rich, though probably not the saver."

Market Sense and Nonsense: How the Markets Really Work (and How They Don't), by Jack Schwager (Should be available from NYPL soon.)

"Oddly, this curate's egg of a book [ ] veers off in... a lengthy description and defence of the hedge-fund industry."

Bend, Not Break: A Life in Two Worlds, by Ping Fu

After surviving the horrors of Mao's cultural revolution (and other perils) in China, Ms. Fu fled to America; ultimately became a successful entrepreneur and CEO in technology. This book offers some advice from her life experiences.

The Nature of the Future: Dispatches from the Socialstructed World, by Marina Gorbis (to be published in April)

Predictions rooted on current trends lead to the thought that "[i]f individuals can bypass government and the market to finance music videos and art projects, surely the same can be done in other fields."

Future Perfect: The Case for Progress in a Networked Age, by Steven Johnson

"[I]n an age of shrinking government budgets and disillusionment with free markets, creating platforms for people to solve things together may be the best way to fill any gaps."

Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works, by A.G Lafley and Roger Martin

Seen through the lens of Procter & Gamble (where Mr. Lafley was CEO until 2009), "[t]his is a fascinating tale, featuring a cast of familiar brands, including Pampers, Tide and Olay, each of which went through a transformation under Mr. Lafley's eye."