It was an absolutely gorgeous day in Hakuba, and luckily I was able to get out for a nice run and listen to talks for my #AcademicRunPlaylist!

First was a great discussion on the latest in US labor news with Seth Harris, Anne Lofaso, Michael Sainato, and Bill Samuel at Power At Work https://youtu.be/YfG2aVV0Z8o?si=ay73V3obIDBO61Ai

Next was “Citizen Coke” by Bart Elmore. This is a prime example of the best kind of corporate history - one that examines every facet of a business over the decades and the external forces it shapes and is shaped by. With extremely engaging prose, Elmore reviews the origin and growth of Coke to the global behemoth it is today, systematically working through its supply chain and stakeholders to provide a holistic view of its business practices and how its business model (specifically the outsourcing of all but the very core of their business) came to be replicated across the economy. If you're at all interested in management or economic history, this is a must read. Highly recommend https://www.bartelmore.com/books/citizencoke

Last was “Storied Independent Automakers” by Charles Hyde. This book fills a hole in business history, focusing on the different companies which would eventually merge to become the American Motors Corporation. The chapters on Nash were the most interesting for me, given his amazing personal story and the period of automotive history that his career represented. There's more hagiography here than I'd like, and more macro perspective would've been helpful in contextualizing the performance of different companies. Still, this is a good chronology on a topic with few other entrants, so if you're interested in the automotive industry this is pretty much required reading https://wsupress.wayne.edu/9780814334461/