Guest Blogger: Charles Decker

Next week, Fast Company Now's contributors will be joined by special guest Charles Decker, co-author of Beans: Four Principles for Running a Business in Good Times or Bad, a publishing consultant, and the host of Fast Company's new book club.

Beans, a "business fable taken from real life," is a quick read -- I read it in one day earlier this week (perfect for airplane reading!) -- and focuses on the lessons learned by an independent coffee company in Seattle. Concentrating on four principles -- passion, people, personal connections, and quality product -- the book is a breezy read written in the conversational style of other business fables such as Fish! and Who Moved My Cheese?

I find the form of the business fable or parable -- which might date back to Og Mandino's The Greatest Salesman in the World -- fascinating. And I look forward to Charles' contributions to FC Now.