Letter from the Publisher: On Berrett-Koehler's 25th Anniversary

Dear Reader,

This year we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the founding of Berrett-Koehler Publishers. It is only fitting that we are publishing an important and provocative new book by Margaret Wheatley, Who Do We Choose to Be? Meg’s classic, award-winning book, Leadership and the New Science , was one of the first three books BK published and our first bestseller—and it continues to inspire, provoke, and guide new generations of readers today.

As another example of the continuing relevance and usefulness of many BK books, we are excited to publish a new edition of one of the bestselling personal productivity and time management books of all time—Eat That Frog! —which has sold over 1.6 million copies and been translated into forty-two different languages. And we are also publishing a companion workbook, card deck, audio program, and video program to help people eat their frogs.

But while BK is known for books that have lasting value, many of our books are also incredibly timely. Witness, for example, the books announced in this catalog that help people deal with today’s great societal polarization, including Breaking through Gridlock , We Can’t Talk about That at Work , Conflict without Casualties , Collaborating with the Enemy , and the aforementioned Who Do We Choose to Be?

I am often asked how Berrett-Koehler manages to so consistently publish timely books. I respond that we make no attempt to predict trends or to chase trends identified by others. Instead, we focus on working with authors to publish books that meet real needs that already exist in our communities—and this guarantees that our publications will be timely and needed.

The timeliness of our books is also enhanced by the ongoing relevance of BK’s long-standing mission: Connecting People and Ideas to Create a World That Works for All. We are committed to creating a world that works for all, not just some—for all communities, countries, genders, ethnic groups, socio- economic classes, religious groups, and more. Our values are stewardship, inclusion, partnership, sustainability, and quality. These values and other distinctive BK dimensions are codified in the new Berrett-Koehler Constitution.

I believe that BK’s mission, values, and publishing program are more needed today than ever. All the issues that have come to the fore—such as inequality, injustice, economic struggle, bigotry, exclusion, violence, misinformation, deception, and class systems—are not new. They have long been deeply entrenched in our society. But their visibility and the urgency of dealing with them have increased, and many BK publications show ways to do so.

This is a time when BK communities of authors, readers, and publishing partners have a great deal to contribute to making positive differences in our communities and the world. We ask for your help in advancing this work and developing ways for Berrett-Koehler to make a broader and deeper impact.

All the best,


Steven Piersanti, President and Publisher