How good could a book about AT&T's communications activities over the last decade be? Fantastic!
It focuses on corporate communication that actually takes you inside both the organization and the minds of those with a seat at the table. Dick Martin is an entertaining writer who clearly takes copious notes at every meeting. The story he tells is compelling and the characters are fascinating. Moreover, Martin offers key lessons based on his communications experience with one of the most important corporations in history. These lessons apply to all and vary from tactical (how to deal with specific industry reporters) to strategic (what is the best way to communicate a merger to multiple constituencies) to philosophical ("companies go astray when their leaders become more concerned with perception rather than reality"). Buy this book for your boss this holiday season, both to entertain and educate. Title Tough Calls: AT&T and the Hard Lessons Learned from the Telecom Wars Author Dick Martin Publisher American Management Assoc. (Nov. 2004), 276 p. Reviewed by Professor Paul Argenti, The Tuck School at Dartmouth
