Books

Most people know of the Exxon Valdez disaster. Far fewer are aware of the 1992 kidnapping and killing of Sidney Reso, a top Exxon exec. But those two events ignited a mania for safety and security at ExxonMobil that has shaped the company ever since.

Facebook's IPO has focused yet another spotlight on its founder, Mark Zuckerberg. But beyond the hoopla, there's another, quieter story to be found in the wunderkind CEO -- the lessons that can be gleaned from his life.

When Erin Duffy got her pink slip from Merrill Lynch back in August 2008, there was one silver lining. Unemployment gave her time to write a novel. The result was Bond Girl, a fun and highly autobiographical recounting of one young woman's adventures in love and bond sales on Wall Street.

After more than a decade in the Gambino crime family, Louis Ferrante went to prison and changed his life. Now, he's a motivational speaker and author. His most recent book: Mob Rules: What the Mafia Can Teach the Legitimate Businessman. Here are a few of his tips for getting ahead in business.

Wall Street trader Jared Dillian was an outsider whose hard work won him entry to the storied investment bank Lehman Brothers. But as his gripping and admirably candid memoir, Street Freak, shows, even when you walk among the financial giants, you hit the ground hard when you fall.

If lower prices haven't swayed you into buying an e-reader, how does a steady diet of free e-books sound? Amazon.com is introducing the Kindle Owners' Lending Library, a bonus for Amazon Prime members that lets them "borrow" an e-book from a list of hundreds once a month at no additional cost.

Financial planner Thomas Corey has a new book revealing the most affordable places to retire in 2012, highlighting cities and towns that also offer lifestyle benefits. He unveils the winners for DailyFinance's Laura Rowley.