Edwin Black's THE PLAN Named in the Miami Herald's Top Ten Business Books of 2008 - VIDEO ENHANCED

Business Monday book critic Richard Pachter shares his impression of his favorites from 2008

MIAMI, FL - December 30, 2008: The Miami Herald published Richard Pachter's list of best business books yesterday and "The Plan," written by our good friend Edwin Black, was one of the top ten books cited.

About "The Plan," Pachter said, "Black's clear-eyed and sober take on the energy ''crisis'' that spans throughout the history of humanity should be mandatory reading for the incoming administration and the rest of us gas guzzlers."

Click PLAY to watch Edwin's appearance at the Western Automotive Journalists' Future Fuels Symposium

In presenting the full list Pachter wrote, "Of the books I did read and review this year, here, in chronological (and no other) order are the ones that I thought were best. If you think I missed the boat or the mark on any biz book, please drop an e-mail my way. And thanks for reading! (Links to the original review of each book are posted at www.richardpachter.com

The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need. Daniel H. Pink, Rob Ten Pas. Riverhead Books. 160 pages.

Every book Pink writes is the same -- brilliant -- and doing an illustrated career guide in the style of Japanese manga is an inspired way to communicate the basics of career development in a language best understood by those who need it most. (April 21)

Presentation Zen. Garr Reynolds. New Riders. 227 pages.

I've sat through -- and perpetrated -- too many bad PowerPoint demos and Reynolds' wise and clear explications may not be the antidote, but at least now there's no excuse for mediocrity and boredom. (April 28)

Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are: Rob Walker. Random House. 256 pages.

Why do we buy? Why are some brands cool and others corny? Walker doesn't have all the answers, but he asks the right questions. Following his curiosity leads to even more questions and a very provocative trip. (June 16)

Crunch: Why Do I Feel So Squeezed? (And Other Unsolved Economic Mysteries). Jared Bernstein. Berrett-Koehler. 225 pages.

Finance is boring and understanding how our economy functions may be soporific, but Bernstein never got that memo so he comes up with an enlightening and imaginative lesson in how the micro and macro interact with various constituencies -- including the American public. (June 30)

Crowdsourcing: Why the Power of the Crowd is Driving the Future of Business. Crown Business. Jeff Howe. 320 pages.

As new affinity groups form around different products, needs and purposes, Howe examines the implications for business in particular and society in general in his tour of the new frontier of aggregated intelligence. (Sept. 1)

The Age of Heretics: A History of the Radical Thinkers Who Reinvented Corporate Management (2nd Edition). Jossey-Bass. Art Kleiner. 432 pages.

We have a tendency to think that great ideas are really new ideas and Kleiner's fascinating history of outré business thinking puts ''outside the box'' within its proper perspective. (Sept. 29)

The Plan: How to Rescue Society the Day the Oil Stops -- or the Day Before. Edwin Black. Dialog Press. 192 pages.

Black's clear-eyed and sober take on the energy ''crisis'' that spans throughout the history of humanity should be mandatory reading for the incoming administration and the rest of us gas guzzlers. (Oct. 13)

Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us. Seth Godin, Portfolio. 160 pages.

Godin's marketing and attendant shtick get most of the attention, but his clear, elegant writing is the streamlined, super-powered conveyance that elevates his smart meditations to stratospheric heights. His latest book takes the market's current pulse with style, élan and street-smart wisdom, though his best is yet to come. (Oct. 20)

Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging and Outmarketing Your Competition. Guy Kawasaki. Portfolio. 496 pages.

As usual, Kawasaki makes it look easy as he conjures a contemporary compendium of essential business advice with contributions from a super group of experts -- including Guy Kawasaki. (Nov. 3)

Globalization: n. the irrational fear that someone in China will take your job. Bruce C. Greenwald and Judd Kahn. Wiley. 186 pages.

If you ever had a great teacher transform a subject you didn't like into something you enjoyed (and understood), you'll appreciate how Greenwald and Kahn deal with the sticky issue of international trade and finance. (Dec. 1)

For more information about Edwin Black and his many best-selling books visit www.edwinblack.com.