Aug. 18--STAYING ALIVE

Commercial lender CIT Group Inc. said Monday that its offer to buy back outstanding debt at a discount -- a crucial step to help stave off bankruptcy -- was successful. The embattled New York-based lender offered to buy $1 billion in debt that was set to mature Monday, and holders of nearly 60 percent of that debt took the offer. CIT said that if not enough bondholders had been willing to sell the debt back to the company, it probably would have had to file for bankruptcy protection.

THE BOOKSHELF

"Common Sense Management," Roger Fulton (Ten Speed Press)

This unassuming book lives up to its title, and in the end its seemingly simple, clearly written advice is probably worth more than a dozen longer, densely written business books. The book also grows on you, because any one tip might seem obvious, but the cumulative depth and breadth of the advice are impressive.

WHAT'S HOT

Here are top-selling business books for July, based on sales by national supplier 800-CEO-READ:

1. "Cutting Edge Sales," John Berghoff; Morgan James

2. "How," Dov Seidman; John Wiley & Sons

3. "Inspire," James Champy; FT Press

4. "Inside Every Woman," Vicki Milazzo; Wiley & Sons

5. "Reading Minds and Markets," Jack Ablin; FT Press

6. "Our Iceberg Is Melting," John Kotter; St. Martin's Press

7. "Strengths Finder 2.0," Tom Rath; Gallup Press

8. "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," Robert T. Kiyosaki; Warner Books

9. "Made to Stick," Chip Heath, Dan Heath; Crown

10. "High Performance With High Integrity," Ben W Heineman; Harvard Business Press

LOOKING BACK

Ten years ago in Business, the week of Aug. 18:

--The long-stalled Glover Plan to redevelop midtown gets a boost when city leaders confirm that Home Depot and Costco are its probable anchor tenants.

--Kansas City planning officials urge developer Copaken White & Blitt and Dillard's Inc. to negotiate the purchase of the former Jones Store downtown.

--A proposed $42.9 million office building and underground parking garage a block west of Bartle Hall is approved by a Kansas City Council committee.

| Greg Hack, ghack@kcstar.com

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