All Catawba College students enrolled in upper level Business and Communication courses will be required to read a common reading in preparation for their Fall courses.

2012 selection

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  The first book by a Coca-Cola CEO tells the remarkable story of the company's revival. Neville Isdell was a key player at Coca-Cola for more than 30 years, retiring in 2009 as CEO after regilding the tarnished brand image of the world's leading soft-drink company.
  
  Isdell's book is a globe-hopping event - describing his activities from Northern Ireland to South Africa, with events in Australia, the Philippines, Russia, Germany, India, South Africa and Turkey. Isdell helped put out huge public relations fires (India and Turkey), opened markets (Russia, Eastern Europe, Philippines and Africa), championed Muhtar Kent, the current Turkish-American CEO, all while promoting the ideal of corporate responsibility. Isdell's, and Coke's, story is newsy without being gossipy; principled without being preachy. It is filled with stories and lessons appealing to anybody who has ever taken "the pause that refreshes." It's also a readable and important look at how companies can market and govern themselves more-ethically and to great success.
  
  Students can purchase this book online in paperback format or ebook for under $15 from either Amazon or Barnes and Noble. This book will be used in the classroom as well as in a discussion forum, September 5, 2012 at 7:00pm in Tom Smith Auditorium, with members of the Ketner School of Business Advisory Board participating as panel members. 

past selections

• 2011: "MoneyBall: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game" by Michael Lewis
  The central premise of this book is that the collected wisdom of baseball insiders (including players, managers, coaches, scouts, and the front office) over the past century is subjective and often flawed. Statistics such as stolen bases, runs batted in, and batting average, typically used to gauge players, are relics of a 19th century view of the game and the statistics that were available at the time. A movie based on the book was released in Fall 2011.
  Read More | About the Movie
  
  
• 2010: "1,000 Dollars & An Idea" by Sam Wyly
  "1,000 Dollars and & Idea" is the autobiographic account of self-made billionaire Sam Wyly's rise to fame. Wyly grew up in Louisiana and studied journalism at Louisiana Tech. 
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