Everything I Know About Business I Learned from the Grateful Dead : The Ten Most Innovative Lessons from a Long, Strange Trip

The Grateful Dead is one of the most popular bands of all time but they were not exactly poster boys for corporate America. In this book, Deadhead and business scholar Barry Barnes proves that the Dead's influence on the business world will turn out to be a significant part of their legacy. Unknowingly the band pioneered ideas and practices subsequently embraced by American corporations and Barnes shares the ten most innovative business lessons from the Dead's illustrious career inc.: * Creating and delivering superior customer value * Incorporating and establishing a board of directors early on * Founding a merchandising division * Giving away your product for free to increase demand and above all, Barnes explains how the Dead were masters of what he calls 'strategic improvisation' - the ability to adapt to changing times and circumstances - and that their success lay precisely in their commitment to constant change and relentless variation. For 30 years, the Dead improvised a business plan and realized their vision - while making huge profits. This book will show you how they did it - and what your business can learn from their long, strange trip.

Barry Barnes is a professor at Nova Southeastern University in Florida