This collaborative effort bv Paul, a former strategic planner for CEO Jack Welch at General Electric, and business writer Cox (Zapp!) is described in the promotional copy as "a novel for managers," a fictional story that illustrates the business principle of the "boundaryless" company pioneered by Welch. It's a stodgy but effective effort in which an inefficient, disorganized widget-producing outfit ... Read morecalled Essential resolves a dire companywide communication problem just in time to avoid corporate disaster. Paul and Cox's approach is to create a series of high-level managerial characters with stereotypical business personalities. The huge cast includes Rick Riggins, the authoritarian "get it done now" company president; Frank Harlan, the egotistical, turf-protecting genius engineer; and Jake Foster, a slow-but-steady operations manager new to the company. Essential is about to lose its biggest client because the company can't deliver its widgets on time. The desperate Riggins hires a wise consultant named George Tracey, who guides the company through the revitalization process, starting with candid employee interviews followed by a weekend brainstorming session and a retreat. Paul and Cox do a solid job of creating believable business problems and interpersonal conflicts, though the story is broken up by having too many employees take a turn narrating in short, choppy sections. General readers will steer clear, but the novel does offer a pleasant spoonful of literary sugar for business types who want to absorb the latest management trends. (Feb.) (Publishers Weekly, February 10, 2003) ‘…contains much sound advice and, apart from being a good story, is very informative and instructive…’(Professional Manager, July 2003) Show Less