Wisdom, Inc.

Wisdom, Inc. is a handbook of 30 virtues that Seth Godin presents as the basis of good business. Qualities such as persistence, honesty, resourcefulness and creativity are among them, and Godin argues they are the fundamentals of a strategy that works, even though passing fads and career-advice trends often bury them.

To identify the virtues, Godin interviewed 1,500 top executives from a wide range of industries and isolated the 30 that respondents named most consistently. Each virtue gets its own treatment. It is illustrated with stories of historical business leaders who were known for it, and with accounts from the interviewed executives of how it contributed to their companies' success.

Every virtue also comes with a section called "To Do Today," which gives concrete suggestions for working that virtue into a daily routine right away. The book is written for people at any level, from assistant managers to CEOs, who want to build habits that support a lasting business career.