It’s a well-written, inspiring book on how to be the best.

‘Fish: A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results’

By Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul and John Christensen

Fish Philosophy was created and designed by fishmongers at Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle. This book tells in story format what those philosophies are and how they put them to use every day.

The first philosophy is “Choose Your Attitude.” You may not be able to control how people interact with you or what your job duties entail, but you can choose how you interact with people and how you approach your job. Those who come with a positive attitude are more productive, more accountable and happier in their day-to-day activities.

“Play” is the second philosophy. You can have a good time and play a little, without derailing deadlines and tasks. Have fun at work. You spend too much time there not to be enjoying what you do.

Third, “Make Their Day.” What do you do to make a customer’s experience in your business or in your department a memorable one? Do you go out of your way to get an answer or to help solve a problem, or do you pass the issue off to someone else? All customers are not external. We all work with others, our internal customers. Are your co-workers and those you do business with treated the same?

And finally, “Be Present,” meaning pay attention to whom you are interacting with. Don’t be e-mailing while you’re talking on the phone. Is your cell phone interrupting a conversation with someone you’re talking with in person? “Be Present” means to really engage and interact with the person you’re working with, not trying to multitask.

Pair this book and the Starbuck’s book together for an excellent look at customer service.

‘The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness’

By Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval

What do you think of when someone refers to you, another person or a situation as “Nice?” Do you automatically assume that whomever or whatever is truly nice or do you question it, thinking that person is just being polite?

In today’s world, being called “nice” or saying something is “nice” isn’t always a good thing. The authors take a close look at the word, its meaning and how businesses can accomplish a lot more if they took the word seriously.