ReadOasis Step 1 The United Way is a group that helps people. The United Way might call you. And they might ask you for a donation of money. Your donation might help build a school in the Philippines. It might help train people for work in the United States.... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 In 1966, Richard was 16 years old. He was a student, but he didn't like the way he was taught in school. He wanted to change his world, and he was going to do something about it. He decided to create a magazine that was for... Read more
Playing Global Business on a Level Field
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ReadOasis Step 3 A Review of The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century By Thomas L. Friedman. We are entering a new era where the world is one massive marketplace. Old powers had the advantage, but the playing field is leveling now. New powers are... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 Black liquid exploded out of the ground and towards the sky. It was oil—black gold—and it had the power to light up homes. It had the power to run the engine of the American economy. It had the power to make a man very rich. John... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 "I told you that you could do it! You worked hard and got into a great university. And now you have landed an excellent job at a big company! Congratulations on your success! You did it!" "Thank you, father," said Kenya, standing tall in his dark... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3(Part 1) “It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit The floor, wall, and windows began to shake violently. “What in the world?” said John as he looked out the second floor... Read more
Making Work Fun: The Levity Effect (Step 2)
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ReadOasis Step 2 A manager at a company was interviewing a job candidate. The manager said, “We need a very responsible person for this job. We need someone who can take charge.” The candidate’s eyes lit up, and he answered with great confidence. “Sir, your search ends here! I’m... Read more
Bill Gates: A Model for Business?
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By Tek SmithReadOasis Step 2 As a young man, Bill Gates had the idea to make a company. In 1975, he left Harvard University, and he started Microsoft with his friend Paul Allen. By 2007, Microsoft employed 78,000 people in 105 countries. Today about 90% of the world’s computers... Read more
A Musical Money-Making Machine
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ReadOasis Step 3 Carrie Underwood by Eva Rinaldi (Creative Commons) Carrie was a country girl from Checotah, Oklahoma. She lived on a farm, and in the mornings, she would help her father feed the cows. Carrie loved to sing. She started singing at church when she was 3 years... Read more
Get Down to Business in English
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ReadOasis Step 2(Part 1) A Big Decision As usual, the boss spoke clearly and in short sentences. “Okay, it’s decided. This meeting is over. You all know what to do.” One by one, the managers closed their notebooks and stood up. There were no jokes and no laughter. Everyone... Read more
A Wee (Wii) Gaming Machine
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ReadOasis Step 2 Nintendo makes video games and gaming machines. It is one of the largest gaming companies in the world. Nintendo's popularity took off in 2006 with the release of the Nintendo Wii. The portable Nintendo DS is also extremely popular. In 2007, the company had an income... Read more
The Birth of Levi’s Jeans
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ReadOasis Step 2 Rivets By Rohit Gowaikar (Creative Commons) Levi Strauss was born in Germany in 1829. At 18, he joined his brothers in America. They had a dry goods business in New York City. At that time, many people were moving to California in search of gold. Levi... Read more
By Guy KawasakiReadOasis Step 5 The seventh thing is you need to follow what I call the 10-20-30 rule. I have this thing called Meniere's disease. Meniere's disease has three symptoms: hearing loss, tinnitus, which is a constant ringing in my ear, and sometimes I get dizzy or vertigo... Read more
Book Trailer by Daniel PinkReadOasis Step 5 What if everything we knew about sales turned out to be wrong? For instance, we think the only people in sales are the folks who try to get us to buy stuff. That's sales as we know it, and it’s huge. It's... Read more
A Giant of Business (Step 2)
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By Tek SmithReadOasis Step 2 Black liquid flew out of the ground and towards the sky. It was oil, black gold. And it had the power to light up homes. It had the power to run the engine of the American economy. It had the power to make a... Read more
Big Time Car Trouble
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ReadOasis Step 2 US car makers are in serious trouble. Their sales fell about 35% in January compared with last year. Ford Motor Company sales dropped 42%. General Motors reported a 49% drop. But Chrysler was hardest hit. Their sales went down 55%. This decline in sales is not... Read more
By Tek SmithReadOasis Step 3 The world was waiting in anticipation. It had been three years since the death of Steve Jobs. Jobs was the head of Apple Computer. Under his leadership, Apple released many innovative products, including the iPod, the iPhone, iTunes, and the iPad. These products were... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3(Part 2) Business expert Seth Godin suggests five key words for a strong business plan: truth, assertions, alternatives, people, and money. Know the truth about the market, customers, and technology. Regarding truth, as you plan, you describe the reality of the world where you want to do... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3(Part 3) Have alternatives and options. You can make many assertions like this, but Godin reminds us that many assertions will be wrong. In doing business, people often go over budget. They miss deadlines, and they fail to make sales. This brings up the next important section... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 In 1966, Richard was 16 years old. He was a student, but he was annoyed with the way he was taught in school. He wanted to change his world, and he was going to do something about it. He resolved to publish a magazine that was... Read more