The beginning of a new school year brings with it the excitement of starting new courses, making new friends, and learning new skills. If this is your first year at York University, you might be somewhat anxious about how you will manage the competing demands of a full course load with other activities such as a part-time job, volunteering, or hanging out with family and friends. Well, the Bronfman Library is here to help you out with our newest display that features a selection of useful and practical books that can help you develop the skills you need to finish your business assignments quickly and efficiently!

Our selection of books covers useful topics such as case writing, collaborating with team members, managing meetings, and crafting the perfect presentation. Here is a sampling of just a few of the books in our handy display:

• The Case Study Handbook: How to Read, Discuss, and Write Persuasively about Cases by William Ellet
  • Business students end up doing A LOT of case analysis assignments, whether they’re in an undergrad or grad program. Our advice is - don’t fear the case analysis assignment - instead, embrace it by checking out this book and learning how to read and analyze business cases and craft the perfect case-based essay.
• HBR's 10 Must Reads on Teams by Harvard Business Review Press
  • Teamwork is a critical part of the business student’s life at York! While working in teams to complete an assignment is not always the easiest task, this great compilation of HBR articles will help you better understand how to create a collaborative team environment and move past major disagreements in groups.
• Team Writing: A Guide to Working in Groups by Joanna Wolfe
  • There’s nothing quite like being assigned a 12 page major research report that also needs to be researched and written with 6 other people! Check out Wolfe’s guide and learn tactics that will help you write, revise, and communicate successfully with your team members and produce the ultimate research report.
• How to Manage Meetings by Alan Barker
  • Meeting with your other team members is a crucial part of the process when you’re writing a group report or preparing a class presentation. While the Bronfman Library provides students with borrowable tech like projectors and bookable group study rooms, we also recommend checking out some of the tips in this book to make your group meetings a smooth and relatively painless experience! Learn why a meeting agenda and meeting chair are must-haves, while also discovering tips and tricks for keeping meetings on track.
• Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations by Nancy Duarte
  • It seems as if all group projects in business courses culminate with some kind of presentation. Learn how to stand out from your classmates by crafting a slide deck that will wow your audience. Duarte’s book discusses how to display data and create more effective diagrams, all while making sure you’re delivering an impactful message and not just an overwhelming stream of PowerPoint slides.

To check out any of these books and further develop your skills toolkit for September, stop by the Bronfman Library on the second floor of the Schulich Building. You can find our display by the fireplace lounge and newspaper shelves. Happy reading!