(FORTUNE Magazine) – -- Can a CEO really make a difference? That's what Robert Heller argues in his compelling new book The Super Chiefs (Dutton, $24). Through lively case studies of companies like Apple, Coca-Cola, and British Airways, Heller describes what it takes to be an effective leader in today's intensely competitive world. Hint: Having a normal-size ego helps. Some of Heller's examples sound familiar, but overall this is a convincing book that should help any manager make it through the treacherous 1990s.

-- In the tradition of Studs Terkel, Dennis Laurie in Yankee Samurai (Harper Business, $23) interviews 120 Americans who work in Japanese corporations and delves into their thoughts, feelings, and deepest fears. Some of what they say is unsurprising. Guess what? The Japanese care more about quality than we do and sing in karaoke bars. On balance, though, this book justifies its existence by richly detailing more significant differences between the two cultures. Don't miss the story about Mr. Takashi, who hadn't taken a vacation in 16 years.

-- Eager to read a grab bag of previously published articles on corporate restructuring? Then The Challenge of Organizational Change by Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Barry Stein, and Todd Jick (Free Press, $35) is for you. If not, the new chapters of theorizing interspersed between the recycled stuff in this 535-page management mammoth still won't justify its purchase price. -- B.D.