• John Pepper, Procter & Gamble chairman:

        Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by James Collins (Harper Collins; $16).

        “It does the best job of any business book I've read in outlining principles that allow a company to succeed over time.”

        Self Renewal by Dennis Jaffe (Crisp Publishing; $15.95).

        “It's all about the development of individual character and capability over time.”

        • Ramon Layera, Miami University Latin American Studies program director:

        Endurance: Shakleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition by Caroline Alexander (Random House; $29.95).

        “I had dinner with the author when she spoke at a Miami convocation. Her book is gripping. It is taken from the diaries of sailors on a boat that was trapped in the Antarctic for two years at the beginning of the century.

        “Led by Captain Shakleton, the men showed an almost inhuman ability to overcome pain, suffering and loneliness without hope of survival. They endured, walked on the ice and dragged their boat.

        “Finally, they were saved by a tug from Chile. I am from Chile and heard about it as a child. That meant a lot to me.”

        — Maxine Berkman

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