Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation

Journal of Equipment Lease Financing


Sample Book Review Template

The Journal of Equipment Lease Financing is the signature publication for the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation. The Journal is published three times a year and is written by academics and industry professionals. All articles go through peer-review prior to publication.

The Journal's Editorial Review Board wishes to include "Book Reviews" in the Journal. The value of a Book Review is to help readers glean industry value from good corporate books that might otherwise have been overlooked. The review will help readers' identify how the book's concepts can be applied specifically to the lease financing industry. This unique, insightful review provides another reason for lease finance executives to read each issue of the Journal.

A well executed book review includes the reviewer's evaluation of the merits of the book and some comment on the accuracy, thoroughness and reliability of the information. The review should be a serious, in-depth analysis of the book.

For those interested in writing a review, we have provided the following example/ template. However, the review should be written as an article (not submitted as a chart). Please feel free to expand on the example making sure you do not neglect any of the topics in the example.

If you are interested in writing a review (generally 700-1000 words) please contact Katherine George, Editor with the name of the book before you begin writing your review.

Title The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century
Author Thomas L. Friedman
Publisher Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Copyright Date 2005 (with update - 2006?)
What is it about? It isn't just “globalization”
What made/is making the world “flat”
What “flat” means
Implications for:
  • America
  • Developing Countries
  • Companies
  • GeoPolitics
What is needed? (Imagination)
Who would be interested in this book? CEOs, Credit specialist, sales, legal, etc
What does it say?
  1. The world as we know it has changed forever because:
    1. a. Anything now can happen anywhere.
    2. b. Anyone can do anything
  2. This can be good and this can be bad
    1. a. If forces of 11/9 (Berlin Wall) win, there is great hope for everyone everywhere
    2. b. If forces of 9/11 (World Trade Center) win, there is death, destruction and constriction.
  3. Imagination wins.
How does it relate to the equipment finance industry? Examples:

pp. 130 - 136: Importance of WalMart investing in technology - role for Equipment Finance in changing the world? For Friedman, this is an example of a flattening factor. For equipment finance companies, this type of need might point in the direction of financing opportunities on a very large scale.

pp. 147 - 148: UPS Capital and financing the supply chain - role for Equipment Finance? Friedman uses this as an example of “insourcing,” one of his 10 flattening factors. For equipment finance companies, it is an example of innovation in business strategy.

What are the “take-aways” you can implement in your company?  

Submit your review to Katherine George at Catalina Communications, (540) 361-7778, catacomm@cox.net.