In February 2008, for three hours every Starbucks in the country closed, so baristas could be retrained in the art of espresso making. Starbucks stores were growing at an expediential rate, but training had been limited for new baristas. While critics dismissed stores closing in 2008 as a stunt, this is just one step that Schultz took to get his company back on track. In July 2008, the economy took a turn for the worse and Starbucks closed 600 stores and 1,000 non-store positions were eliminated. While this story could be the tragic telling of a large corporation during the recession, this is the story of how a ceo (Starbucks uses lower-case letters for job titles) brought back his company stronger than ever. Schultz used this time of trial to bring the heart back into Starbucks by creating his new signature coffee, Pike Place Roast; creating MyStarbucksIdea.com where customers could make online suggestions; and rewards for frequent customers. An enjoyable read for the business managers and Starbucks fans!
Karen Armstrong uses her broad understanding of major world religions to explain the importance of compassion. The book includes practices from many traditions to become more aware of our own attitudes, treat ourselves with compassion and finally, extend that compassion to the world around us by increasing our knowledge and understanding of others’ cultures and beliefs. While it was Gandhi who said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” it is Armstrong who has written the how-to handbook. 