Thus begins the story of St. Luke's, an "ad agency to end all ad agencies" (a phrase that Law borrowed from a December 1996 Fast Company article about the then-fledgling agency). Exhilarated and terrified, Law and his friends gathered a few clients (including Midland Bank, Nickelodeon, and Boots Co. PLC) and leapt into the abyss. Their charter: Dream up the ultimate organization to help rectify what Law considered to be a crime against humanity -- the all-to0-wide disparity between what people need and what work demands of them.

"Humans are creative, fun and inquiring; yet work for so many is monotonous, complex and dreary. Humans are individual and versatile; yet at work we discover we are all expendable and carefully placed in a well-manicured organogram," Law writes. Not only would the new agency produce highly innovative work, but it would also reinvent the role of the ad agency in society.

The shape of Law's organization grew out of the wild ideas and creative energy of people who had been unshackled from all restraint. Every aspect of the organization was reinvented. Among the key features of St. Luke's are its symbolically unconventional name; an office environment that is devoid of personal space, in which employees share workstations, and in which private spaces are custom-built for each client; and, most important, an innovative ownership scheme that puts the organization in the hands of its employees. St. Luke's is owned by a trust, its business affairs are governed by a six-member, owner-elected council, and shares are awarded equally to all employees every year. The unusual result? A recently hired creative superstar might have fewer shares than a receptionist who has been with the agency since its inception. "We have . . . constitutionally removed greed from the business," writes Law. "That, I can tell you, is our most liberating force."

St. Luke's is held together by values -- by freedom of expression, a lack of coercion and fear, and a determination to make work fun. The organization also has certain rhythms (which are marked by an annual series of playful gatherings). After running full-out for three years, St. Luke's declared a "Summer of Love," during which pitching for new business was suspended, and during which the company declined the chance to take on a £50 million Cable & Wireless account. Innovation is continuous. The company is an "experiment at work," writes Law. "It is a creative idea that we constantly test as much as we test the creative ideas we produce."

Sidebar: Big Blue, Big Change

Unlike the other leaders whose books are reviewed here, Lou Gerstner did not create the company that he is most famous for running -- IBM. Nor did he write the book that tells his tale. But "IBM Redux: Lou Gerstner and the Business Turnaround of the Decade" (HarperBusiness, $27.50), by Doug Garr, nonetheless offers intriguing lessons. The author, a former IBM speechwriter, insightfully addresses how "big" and "change" go together.

What makes Gerstner the most accomplished big-company change agent today? First, he demonstrates an unwavering customer focus and brand sensitivity. "Gerstner is just a brand guy in the information age, a conventional, conservative, button-down CEO who wants people to know that he does not understand how computers work. Just that they do work," writes Garr.

Second, Gerstner -- who has held top jobs at McKinsey & Co., American Express, and RJR Nabisco -- has a keen strategic mind, phenomenal powers of simplification, and immense self-confidence. Just as important, he's a scavenger, always on the lookout for great ideas and great people.

Third, Gerstner has moved forward on a "vertical vision of reality," treating the McKinsey "up or out" mantra as a strategic practice. One colleague described Gerstner as an "omnivore moving forward."

"IBM Redux" does not provide a very likable portrait of Gerstner, but it does offer a fascinating, detail-rich story of change. Garr conveys the "bigness" of IBM -- and a sense of how things actually click at the individual level.

Sidebar: Cheatsheet

Are you too busy creating your own company to read a bunch of books by company founders? Then allow us to provide a small dose of business philosophy, all of it distilled from decades of hands-on experience.

Work Is Personal: "The power business has over our lives is awesome. It can promote us or dump us. It can offer self-esteem or lack of dignity. It can frighten and coerce us. It can stretch our imaginations. It can destroy families and it can sponsor and build marriages" (Andy Law).

Time Is Money: "Time is your most important resource. You can do so much in ten minutes. Ten minutes, once gone, are gone for good. . . . Ten minutes are not just one-sixth of your hourly pay. Ten minutes are a piece of yourself. Divide your life into ten-minute units and sacrifice as few of them as possible in meaningless activity" (Ingvar Kamprad).