Unscaled: How AI and a New Generation of Upstarts Are Creating the Economy of the Future

Hemant Taneja

PublicAffairs, 240 pp., $28

The concept of economies of scale—the idea that the more of something you produce, the cheaper it is to make—has manifested itself in enormous organizations that own the entire life of mass-produced goods. After dominating industry for roughly 100 years, companies built on economies of scale are beginning to struggle. Unscaled explores the phenomena disrupting them: nimble organizations that rent scale instead of buying it. Readers will learn about what enables these upstarts, the technology supporting them. The book explores how unscaling will affect six industries—energy, healthcare, education, finance, media, and consumer products—and how to benefit from this revolution.

Do Good: Embracing Brand Citizenship to Fuel Both Purpose and Profit

Anne Bahr Thompson

AMACOM, 288 pp., $27.95

Today, few things matter more than purpose when it comes to how people perceive brands. When an organization can say and show it exists for a benevolent reason, customers value, identify, and ultimately purchase from it. The best brands earn a profit by fulfilling a purpose. According to Do Good, organizations can follow a specific framework to develop brands that customers see as positive for the world. Bahr Thompson describes this five-part framework in a clear and compelling voice, highlighting the nuance of each component. Backed by detailed examples and extensive proprietary research, she makes a world where everyone—organizations, shareholders, customers, and stakeholders—can find value more accessible than ever before.