The Power of Nice
How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness
Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval (2006)

"Nice is the toughest four letter word you'll ever hear."
Or so the authors tell us in this small volume. We reminded that nice does not mean Pollyanna, passive, or wimpy. Nice brings business success.
I acquired this book from the authors following an excellent presentation at the National Speakers Association National Conference. The book is short, easy to read in one sitting (or on a plane trip), and anecdotal. There are plenty of stories and examples to illustrate the author’s points. We are reminded to be respectful, empathetic, and upbeat to everyone, not simply to people who can immediately benefit us. Be nice to everybody, because you never know...is certainly not a bad strategy to go about life. There are plenty of other tips offered - “nice” is too narrow concept for the broad interpersonal best practices covered in this book.
Anyone reasonably well-read in business literature won’t find much unexpected or particularly new. That being said, it's a nice book, a pleasant read, providing reminders of things we need to hear no matter how sophisticated a leader or professional we may be. Jay Leno does the forward - how nice is that!