Understanding International Art Markets and Management

This groundbreaking text brings together experts in the field of visual art markets to answer some fundamental questions: Is art a good investment? Why is the art market dominated by America and Western Europe? Where are the key emerging markets and what are the next good buys in art? Providing readers with an understanding of the challenges facing art market "makers" (dealers, auctioneers, collectors and artists) and the decision making process experienced by market "players" and investors, this exciting text merges the key theories with examples of practice in a highly accessible style. Written by an international array of experts from the US, the UK and China, this book is essential reading for all those studying or interested in art markets and management.

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The Art of Pricing: How to Find the Hidden Profits to Grow Your Business

The art of pricing proved a worthy read for me. It is the first book I've read on pricing so I'm not really sure how it holds up against the other pricing books. Nevertheless I'm glad I read this book and I know you will be too. In essence, this book outlines the different pricing strategies that are available while providing examples of their usage. If it doesn't convince you of the impact pricing has on the bottom line, I don't know what will. Overall a very informative read. It would have been beneficial for Rafi to indicate when each pricing strategy worked best, however not to take anything away from the author, I give this book a two thumbs up.

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Scenarios: The Art of Strategic Conversation

"Kees van der Heijden has written the most comprehensive, detailed and insightful guide to understanding the business environment in a way most useful to business. No one has mastered the art of bringing that insight to bear in the real world of business with greater depth than Kees." Peter Schwartz, Chairman, Global Business Network; author of The Art of the Long View.

The only constants in the current business environment are turbulence and change. When initially developed at Royal Dutch/Shell, scenario planning helped companies understand external change — change in markets, the competitive arena, technology, demographics and so on. In this book, Kees van der Heijden takes the art of scenario planning one giant step further. After showing you how to understand how the world around you is changing, he then shows you how to move your organization to meet the future by linking scenario thinking and your Business Idea in an ongoing strategic conversation. The result is a learning organization with the finely honed ability to track the marketplace and business environment. How Scenarios will help you think through the way forward, and keep you thinking as you move.

* Understand the basis of an organizations success — articulate its central business idea
* Break out of the organizations restrictive "thinking box" — take a wider perspective, scenaric view
* Develop scenarios as alternative ways of interpreting the present — see beyond current range of vision
* Become clearer about the many apparently unrelated developments — build a systemic framework using a story line
* Be more secure with the future — understand uncertainty
* Do it by using a practical methodology
* Nurture and sustain an ongoing strategic conversation throughout the organization

"The span of this book is unusually wide: it goes from the philosophy of scenario thinking to the minute practicalities of how to do it. This book is, in my view, the best guide in a field where it is easy to go astray and where guidance is precious." Pierre Wack, Former Head of Scenario Planning, Royal Dutch/Shell

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