The Soul of Enterprise: Business in the Transformation Economy by THRESHOLD

Continuing our discussion on the Richard and Daniel Susskind book, The Future of the Professions, Ron and Ed will be interviewing three Australian lawyers, two in practice, and one consultant to the profession. David Wells, Managing Principal of Moores in Melbourne, and Matthew Burgess of View Legal in Brisbane. John Chisholm is a consultant to the legal profession, and a Senior Fellow at VeraSage Institute. What should firms be doing in response to the future changes posited in the book? How should they be thinking about these changes in terms of recruitment, customer service, strategy, positioning, technology, and pricing? This promises to be a lively discussion with three of the most innovative lawyers we know.

The stability of any project is found in the initiation of that project. Like the foundation of a building it is often barely seen, but without it even the most well-built structure above it would be weak. Initiation launches a project by the establishment of authority and responsibility for the project. Unfortunately, in many organizations initiation is done on an informal basis if at all. This then leads to poor project results. In this episode, we will explore the possibility that making project initiation more formal might have a dramatic impact on the positive results of most projects.

Why do tall people make more money? Why do dry cleaners charge less for men's shirts than for women's? Do companies really plan for obsolescence? Why is the population of the USA getting fat? Why do men spend less on health care than women? Join Ed and Ron for a fascinating look at these and other everyday economic questions in this new series: Economic Puzzles and Paradoxes. We will strive to follow the wisdom of the great economist Frederic Bastiat: "There is only one difference between a bad economist and a good one: the bad economist confines himself to the visible effect; the good economist takes into account both the effect that can be seen and those effects that must be foreseen."

The last Friday of every month Ed and Ron will do "Free-Rider Friday." Most of our shows are "topic" driven, where we dive deep into one subject. Free-Rider Fridays are designed to be "event" driven, whatever issues are in the news that we (or you) find worthy of commentary. In economics, free riding means reaping the benefits from the actions of others and consequently refusing to bear the full costs of those actions. This means Ed and Ron will free ride off of the news, and each other, with no advanced knowledge of the events either will bring up. If you'd like to call-in during the live show, the listener line is: 866-472-5790. You can also participate on Twitter at #ASKTSOE, or email us at asktsoe@verasage.com.

Join Ed and Ron as they explain the Trading Game, where participants learn the subjective nature of value, how increasing the availability of goods and services your company offers leads to prosperity, happiness, and a higher standard of living for all; and why the trade deficit doesn't matter. The real wealth of nations is in the availability of goods and services, and by trading with the world there's more abundance to choose from. You'll come away with a deeper understanding of how business is a serious moral enterprise, not the simplistic idea it is based on greed, and that cooperation is far more prevalent than competition.

We will interview Mark Koziel, Vice President – Firm Services and Global Alliances at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He oversees the development, ongoing improvement and delivery of services to members in PCPS/Firm Practice Management as well as International relations with various CPA related groups. Mark will give us his take on the future of the accounting profession, as well as the Richard and Daniel Susskind book, The Future of the Professions (see our show from January 8, 2016, interview with Daniel Susskind).

Are the professions going to be dismantled in the next two decades? In "The Future of the Professions" Richard and Daniel Susskind argue that they will. This was the best book Ron read in 2015, as we discussed on our December 4th show. On this episode, we are honored to interview Daniel Susskind, one of the authors. If you are a professional of any kind, you will not want to miss this thought-provoking, evocative, and challenging discussion on the future of the professions.

Are there any business lessons embedded Charles Dicken's famous Christmas classic? Tune in to our show on Friday, December 18 as Ed and Ron explore the economics of Ebenezer Scrooge.

The last Friday of every month Ed and Ron will do "Free-Rider Friday." Most of our shows are "topic" driven, where we dive deep into one subject. Free-Rider Fridays are designed to be "event" driven, whatever issues are in the news that we (or you) find worthy of commentary. In economics, free riding means reaping the benefits from the actions of others and consequently refusing to bear the full costs of those actions. This means Ed and Ron will free ride off of the news, and each other, with no advanced knowledge of the events either will bring up. If you'd like to call-in during the live show, the listener line is: 866-472-5790. You can also participate on Twitter at #ASKTSOE, or email us at asktsoe@verasage.com.

Best Business Books of 2015