How many managers run to the bookstore or log on to Amazon when the newest, hottest management book is published seeking ways to miraculously improve business performance?  As companies continue to struggle, management theorists work to concoct the next remedy often by recycling and repackaging fundamental ideas.  So, are the contemporary authors really on to something new or have the classical authors provided a viable foundation that requires a more concerted effort on the part of management and staff to implement?  This paper seeks to examine selected contemporary works and compare them to selected classical works to determine if some common themes for success emerge.