tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81581850683274862952023-11-16T07:36:38.907-05:00Biz Books ClubReviews by you and meUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-7306819796444865562016-07-03T19:22:00.002-04:002016-07-06T18:35:24.003-04:00Club Reviews: NEVER SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0062407805/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank">NEVER SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It</a>. Chris Voss. HarperBusiness</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">Run, don’t walk, to get this book! It is a practical guide to always getting a better outcome if you follow his advice. His advice makes so much sense, along with examples and the explanation of ‘why’ something worked. I most loved his examples of ‘use your late night DJ voice’ – and we all know what that sounds like. His technique of mirroring is spot on. I’ve been doing it for years, trained as a Transformative Mediator, which works just as he describes it.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">I was one of the first to study Fisher and Ury’s Getting to Yes before I graduated law school in 1982. Just as Chris Voss describes, this approach is so limited compared to what Chris recommends. I’ve been a Mediator (Florida Supreme Court Certified in Circuit Civil and Family) for over 12 years. My success is based directly on the principles Voss espouses. These work.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">The good news is once you become aware of the labels he uses, you will find yourself recognizing and putting into practice his approach almost seamlessly. I found new techniques and an excellent refresher course in his information. Everybody negotiates every day. This is a great guide to doing it better. <b><a href="http://www.bloom-mediation.com/" target="_blank">Anne Bloom</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Unless you’ve been a lead international negotiator for the FBI, this book will open your mind to the how’s and why’s of high stakes negotiating.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">We live in a world of conflict and the biggest obstacle for overcoming it is fear. What could be a higher stake then when gambling on one man’s life? Chris Voss, takes the reader to the threshold and then walks the reader through it. The words are simply, empowering.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">The mindset of the author is clear, the value of being a skilled negotiator will improve your relationships and position you to get the things which will impact your life and others around you.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Grateful for having this. <b>Marc Cohen</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Voss draws you in with some requisite self back-patting and stories of famous negotiating failures in law enforcement. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Lesson 1: Understand why people want, not what people want, most notably, people want to be understood and accepted. "Listening is not a passive activity. It is the most active thing you can do." Voss quickly recounts a hostage situation where it takes an entire team to listen to one person. Who would have ever thought?</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Voss reminds us that we may never have to deal with negotiating with a kidnapper or terrorist, but "life is negotiation." However, he goes on to explain that most of our daily interactions at home and work are a series of negotiations based on the universal urge of "I want."</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">The title suggests rigidity most of us don't encounter in the workplace and Voss explains early that a hostage negotiator "has to win." He can't split the difference by agreeing to let the hostage taker hand over half their captives and dispatch the rest. But, for the rest of us his book reads with a combination of adventure and valuable lessons that we can adapt with a lot more flexibility than Voss ever could. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">He gets to the practical applications in everyday life, but his negotiating style and skill clearly were formed by a long career of never being able to compromise. Most of us will never shed the stresses and anxieties that often come with negotiation, but trying a few of the skills presented by Voss at least has the possibility of shaving off a few dollars the next car purchase. After all, car salesman don't tend to take hostages. <b>Patrick Whiteside</b> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">This book has a lot of valuable material about negotiation regardless of whether you are an experienced or novice negotiator.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">I graduated from business school over forty years ago, and negotiation skills were not part of the curriculum.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">This book is invaluable for any old or new dog that wants to learn new tricks.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">The author helps the reader understand the psychology that is embodied in a negotiation. Negotiation should not be a clash of wills or butting of heads. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">According to the author, you have to give your opponent “illusion of control.” Know the difference between “you’re right” and “that’s right” responses.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Ask “ calibrated questions.”</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">This is a book that needs to be read several times in order to be able to process and implement the strategies that the author provides.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Keep this book on your bookshelf and continually review and practice the skills outlined in the book. <b>Michael Geringer</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Great title that instantly made me want to read the book. I am a real estate agent as well as an investor, so negotiation is of utmost importance to me. I never want to split the difference as I want my price. Although negotiation is a part of life, I initially assumed this book would be about real estate investing so I was a little disappointed when the book opens with hostage negotiations. Although the stories about his hostage negotiations are interesting I got tired of them and wanted to get on with situations that would most effect my work.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">I have always been of the opinion that everything in life is negotiable and that attitude has served me well. I did pick up some pointers that I will put to use. I found the 7-38-55 percent rule very interesting, and for that very reason I hate trying to negotiate in an email or over the phone. Sadly so much of today’s real estate involves negotiation by fax, which albeit very convenient doesn’t give you the opportunity of rapport building and mirroring. <b>Emily Gilday</b> Miami, Florida</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">I was interested in reading this book because I use similar books in several of my classes. I wanted to see if there were any "new ideas" on an old and familiar topic - negotiating. The opening chapters grabbed my attention, since the author is very confident of his skills and tactics. He made a very interesting statement that the first step is getting over the common aversion to negotiating. I think most people are adverse to negotiating and feel that in order to be successful, you have to go in hard, in order to not appear to be weak. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">The author identifies several tactics, that on the surface, seem logical, such as using open ended, or calibrated, questions repetitively, as well as slowing the process down to buy time, shifting the frame of conversation from your counterpart's problem to solving your problem, the importance of listening, showing respect and the gathering of information. Other tactics highlighted include mirroring and labeling. I was intrigued by the concept, "The flip side of Getting to YES - the importance of getting to NO," since Voss feels that NO actually kick starts negotiations. and I agree that it has some merit. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">However, as the book went on, I started to get a bit bored with all the "success stories" the author discussed. I recognize that Voss uses these stories as successful examples of implementing his strategies and techniques, and did mention a couple of negotiating "failures.". However, I was left with a feeling of arrogance and superiority on the author's part. There are so many variables that affect the success or failure of negotiations; I think I would have found more value in the book if he had delved more deeply into "what ifs...." Although Voss implied that the strategies from Getting to YES (BATNA, etc.) were old school and not very effective, I saw many similarities with Yes and his strategies - he just posed them differently. The author emphasized that several of his techniques should be used in conjunction with other techniques of his. I don't think I would use his book solely for my classes, but I would incorporate several of his techniques with other negotiating styles (Fisher & Ury, etc.). <b>Claire Mostel</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">For a business book, surprisingly entertaining. This a great resource to prepare for, and then handle, negotiations for any type of matter. The techniques are well explained, and a prep-worksheet web link is included. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Chris Voss presents solid strategies and approaches to negotiations that, properly applied, will secure the best possible outcome for you the Negotiator. In addition to picking up solid negotiating tools, I really enjoyed seeing how top experts used these tools to resolve high stakes transactions where lives were in the balance. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Colorful real world scenarios bring the lessons home. If mastering the art of the business deal is not enough to intrigue you, certainly the excitement of facing kidnappers, bank robbers and international terrorists will. This book details interactions with all. <b>Doramary Russel</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">I loved this book. Author Chris Voss did a great job of illustrating his points with compelling real-life stories, as opposed to simply relying on his reputation as a top-notch hostage negotiator to carry the book. He built in credibility along the way with his analysis of what went right AND wrong and was never afraid to admit when he or his team members made mistakes. He seemed intent on helping the reader learn from his experiences and that generosity of spirit comes through.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Part of the reason this book works so well is that the strategies and techniques are based on human psychology, and as the description of the book points out, are "...field-tested tools for talking anyone into (or out of) just about anything." The examples used in the book directly illustrate HOW the tools and techniques work and in certain cases, explain why other approaches don't work. In the situations that went horribly wrong, Voss does a great job of conveying his utter sickness and horror at the lives lost and then is able to step back and explain how it happened like he did in the Burnham-Sobero case in Manila. His ability to debrief and provide lessons learned are invaluable to anyone in any career or in any relationship with other human beings. Voss does a great job of boiling every human interaction down to psychology.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">The review of each chapter with Key Lessons provides an excellent method for making sure the reader understands and can apply the concepts and techniques. Because of the density of the stories used to illustrate each point, it's helpful to have the key concepts (and the sub-headings within each chapter) to review later. I plan to review these Key Lessons from time to time and refer to this book as I navigate both my personal and professional life. <a href="http://www.wordrunner.net/" target="_blank"><b>Kathy D. Doran</b></a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Without a shadow of doubt, this is one of those books once you have started to read you just do not want to put it down. But even before I had started to read, I was quite impressed with Chris Voss and his background. After all if anyone should know about negotiation, I can't think of anyone better prepared than one who is skilled as a hostage negotiator. Right away Voss points out the use of open ended questions as a tool to better negotiation. Sometimes this is also called calibrated questions. Whatever we choose to call them, they are questions that must be responded to but do not have a fixed response. NO canned answers here! Voss also points out his use of passive-aggressive techniques. He just keeps asking questions until he gets the other side to give up and give him what he wants. I was quite intrigued by Voss account of negotiation in history. He says that over time we found out that brute force just does not work. He shares examples where he says the brute force approach simply pushes the aggressor into the "nuclear option" and people die.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Voss talks a lot about his negotiation training at Harvard. He says he discovered that we are not all "rational actors." So simply negotiating to maximize one's own value does not work. We find people are not fully rational or completely selfish and thus their actions are not stable or predictable. Over time negotiators found they had to be trained in quid pro quo bargaining and problem solving. Emotions and emotional intelligence were found to be keys to success. Voss introduced his concept of Tactical Empathy. Listening is key! Looking to influence behavior brings success when a negotiator can get into the mind of the other person. He says "Life Is Negotiation." I won't spoil it for you, GO READ IT! </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Trained negotiators know they can't stick with what they believe, they have to build several hypothesis and work hard to reveal the other persons surprises. Then comes another concept called Mirroring. It is called isoproxim and essentially is imitation. The language of negotiation is primarily a language of conversational rapport. Page 49 has a lot of Key Lessons worth checking out! Emotions will derail communications. We must be able to label the other person's pain, not feel it.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Then comes a whole section with lots more detail on his concept of Tactical Empathy. Let me share just a few points:</span><br />
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<li><span style="color: #222222;">Playing dumb is a valid negotiating technique</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222;">The key is not sympathy but empathy</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222;">Go toward negative dynamics in a fearless but differential manner</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222;">Empathy is a very powerful mood enhancer</span></li>
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<span style="color: #222222;">If you are like me you are besieged with telemarketers and you detest them. Chapter 4 Beware "Yes"-Master "No" reveals a great approach you can use on these folks who are using the "Win at any cost approach" on you. Here comes the Behavioral Change Stairway Model. This is about behavior change, sometimes in life or death situations. Another MUST READ! Voss emphatically says the win-win approach used by many negotiators is usually ineffective and often disastrous. He cautions "Do Not Compromise."</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">The section on being fair is very valuable. He says people are swayed by feeling they are respected. People comply with agreements if they feel they have been treated fairly and they lash out if they don't.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Let me stop here. I read the book cover to cover in just a few hours. Buy the book and read it! There are some great lessons that apply in all aspects of our lives. <b>Doug Newberry</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">A wonderful review of tactics to use in negotiation. These suggestions can be used in many contexts, eg buying a car, asking for a raise, or even in financial or legal arenas.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Any one can benefit from the insight and experience that Chris Voss brings to the table.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">I highly recommend reading and learning and from this primer in tactics and strategy. <b>Marvin Stein</b> Coral Springs</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Having written a book about negotiation, I was very interested to see what Chris Voss, a former FBI international hostage negotiator had to say. Even though negotiating with labor unions was not as exciting as negotiating with ruthless hostage takers who might kill a hostage at any misstep, I was surprised that many of his principles were similar to my forty-one rules. For example, we both know the value of 1) being willing to apologize; 2) not negotiating against ourselves; 3) asking open-ended questions like, “How am I supposed to do that?”; 4) the use of silence in a negotiation; and 5) knowing how to negotiate with a crazy person. </span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">I learned a few new techniques, too. He suggests using a very specific number when negotiating. $2143.72 sounds like an accountant who has done a lot of number crunching. He showed how to renegotiate a lease with lower monthly rent by pointing out that the landlord’s increased expenses if he gets a new tenant and the apartment is empty for a month or more.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">I grimaced when I saw that when he bought his new “salsa red pearl” car, a written offer was given that said “You win” with smiley faces on it. I also got the smiley faces and “you win” message for my new blue Ford Escape. Of course, Voss did not take the bait and got the deal he wanted. However, since this was the third round, I foolishly took the “I win” offer. I wonder how many other car buyers get those smiley faces.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">I give the book five stars. He tells many fascinating stories about hostages and then gives the principles learned in each case. At the end there is an Appendix called Prepare a Negotiation Sheet, which summarizes in a few pages the tools he uses in negotiations. <b>Mary Greenwood</b>, St. Augustine, Author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0595397336/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank">How to Negotiate Like a Pro</a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Enjoyed reading this book a lot. From the very literal sense involving police negotiations through just everyday personal situations. Everything from having a spouse talking down a potential suicide victim from a steep overhead ramp on the interstate to being involved in police work myself for 36 years, the incidents are very relatable. Also, over the years I have been able to (if need be) walk away from potential personal business transactions. These include things like buying a new car & being able to call the salesman's bluff and letting a real estate transaction simmer on the back burner until the other party comes around to your terms.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">I enjoyed the author's writing style & the contents of the book. Easy to read and didn't want to put it down till it was completed. <b>Terri Bryant</b> Davie, FL</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Never Split the Difference is a book that truly makes sense of the art of negotiating to the general person. It first grips the attention with anecdotes of negotiations and the styles used to acquire the desired outcomes. The author provides some helpful tips on voice inflection, use of Tactical empathy, and role playing. It builds anticipation in the beginning until the reader is transfixed and determined to master the art. This type of anticipation continues throughout the book.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">I found myself salivating at the prospect that this book would make me a world class negotiator and it certainly delivered. This should be required reading in every business class. Lots of information on negotiation styles and techniques and offers great insights into the human mind. Even provides negotiation dialogues for every day situations.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Easy read because of subtopics in each chapters and content rich with real life situations gives the reader a first row seat into the negotiating room. Working on my DJ voice after this for sure. A definite must in every home library. For those looking to negotiate their next salary, this is the book to teach you how. <b>Deidre Campbell</b> Miami</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">I found the key lessons from each chapter very useful in breaking down a book packed with real life experiences in mastering the art of negotiating.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Practice and preparation are key in how we use our time to process the information to get what we want.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">What I also found helpful from the book was the author’s breaking down three style type’s from the “methodical analyst”, “sociable accommodator” and the </span><span style="color: #222222;">“assertive- wanting to be heard”. Each puts their own value on what’s important and can determine success or failure.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Overall the content of the book delivers without being overly complex. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to relate better in negotiating. <b>Peter Kihn</b> Sterling Heights MI</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Engaging and focused. Voss does an incredible job of keeping a steady flow from the very beginning. It is a perfect layout for attention challenged readers. He tells an interesting story, then what to do, what not to do, why, and closes each chapter with the highlights.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Listening, the importance of listening, and the impact of interpreting what you are hearing as to create the appropriate response is the thread from beginning to end. The fundamentals of effective communication permeate through every chapter, scenario, and lesson given. Voss so clearly depicts the impact of communication (verbal and nonverbal), and how it can influence trust and the building of relationships as the negotiator. Verbatim questions to use, and cues to look for make this book a gem to keep handy as you “fake it till you make it.”</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">One of my favorites. How to position “No” differently within your repertoire, and how to use “No” to open up an entirely new direction of a conversation. More people would go into sales if they weren’t afraid of “No.” Finally, do your homework. Voss wants you to succeed. The Appendix is that perfect outline, setting you up to be a successful negotiator. A guided, fill in the blank, and practice what normally feels uncomfortable or unnatural. Voss is holding your hand and leading you through the process. </span><span style="color: #222222;"><b>Angie Stone</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Before reading this book I thought of negotiating as a given in all of our human interactions, and although it is, I now realize it is a set of skills that can be honed with practice, especially for those people to whom it doesn't come naturally. I am average at best. The ability to put oneself in another person's shoes and see the world through their eyes depends on one developing those skills that Voss sets forth: mirroring, calibrated "How" and "What" questions, using a label to build empathy, and/or to extract more information, smart anchors, saying "No" without using the word explicitly, face time with your counterpart, non-round numbers, listening which Voss emphasizes that, far from what we have been led to believe, it is not a passive activity.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">That what we're looking for is not problem-solving but a people mover took me by surprise because I am a high school teacher and it is what I instinctively do with my students. Since I am a lone figure in the classroom as their teacher, there is no room for good cop versus bad cop positions. I have to be the one the rely on inside those four walls as well as being a supportive friend off the clock as situations may dictate. It is the emotional climate this book emphasizes is key to negotiating, one the school system must realize is the true foundation for learning. We need authentic, *emotional*, sensitive schools.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">I love the book because it presents world scenarios, from the seemingly trivial buying real-estate to the more serious hostage-type situations and walks the reader step by step in order to shed light over the common roadblocks we are most likely to encounter. For example, jumping to volunteer a ringleader's full name as a way to let him/her know you're on to them. A premature move to say the least because what are the chances that the person in question would admit to it. I am enchanted by this book since it is practical and I will be reading it again over my Summer break , In Voss words: "Life is negotiation. Prepare, prepare, prepare."<b> <a href="http://www.cafeconlechefund.org/" target="_blank">Nadja Atkinson</a> </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Great book that details topics helpful for salespeople. This is different than the typical win-win type of negotiating. One strategy used well in this book is to ask open-ended questions to slow down the negotiation, and also to get more information from the other person. The other thing the books shows how to do is getting the other person to agree and believe “that’s right.”</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">You can find several items you can apply right away and start seeing results immediately. One good way to read this book would be to read one chapter at a time, then try and use some of the concepts before moving on to the next chapter.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Some of the best techniques are around mirroring people’s words. This is an easy concept to start with, by simply repeating back what the other person said. When this is done, the other person will slightly reword what they said, giving you the ability to tailor their words in a way that helps your side of the negotiation.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">The book is divided into sections that first start with a type of role playing exercise based on Chris Voss’ real life experiences, then uses that to explain the concept to apply to your negotiating role. About the only negative I had with the book is that Chris Voss spends more time writing about his experience than he does at actually explaining how to apply the concept to business negotiating. On the other hand, there is no filler in this book. The author uses every word purposefully.</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">I also like the way the author adds an appendix to the end of the book, and gives a summary of each section. This appendix also gives sample questions to ask and checklists to help you with the negotiation. Great overall read for anyone looking to enhance negotiation skills. <b>Frank Donn</b> Miami, FL</span><br />
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<span class="s1">Chris Voss is truly the expert in negotiating. If anyone knows the expertise in life and death situations as well as business decisions, Chris is the one to call upon.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Chris's personal stories about his negotiations through out the world in real life situations leave you speechless and wanting to read more. Chris has a way of transforming his knowledge and experiences into a manual of how to negotiate any type of situation in business and personal life with a new way of thinking. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">This book is a very interesting page turner, the complete opposite of a boring business book. There is nothing else quite like his or even close to Chris's situations and training. I highly recommend Chris Voss book as life is truly one negotiation after another and he helps you see a little more clear the different strategies needed to work towards coming to a positive resolution. <b>Trisha Molina </b>Miami</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-38089055509285090192016-04-15T17:01:00.000-04:002016-04-15T17:03:32.997-04:00Next Book: NEVER SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0062407805/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank">NEVER SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It</a> </b>by former FBI lead international kidnapping negotiator Chris Voss.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Voss makes the provocative argument that everything we’ve previously been taught about negotiation is wrong: humans are not rational; there is no such thing as ‘fair’; compromise is the worst thing you can do; the real art of negotiation lies in mastering the intricacies of <i>No</i>, not <i>Yes</i>. These surprising tactics — which radically diverge from conventional negotiating strategy — weren’t cooked up in a classroom, but are the field-tested tools FBI agents used to talk criminals and hostage-takers around the world into (or out of) just about any scenario you can imagine. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">In <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0062407805/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank">NEVER SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE</a></b>, Voss and co-author Tahl Raz break down these strategies so that anyone can use them in the workplace, in business, or at home. Voss draws on his experiences in truly life-or-death situations to illustrate these techniques, and offers scores of examples of how they translate into our working lives. He explains how simple these tools can be, such as your tone of voice, the types of questions you ask the other party, or even how you enter the conversation in the first place. Successfully asking for a raise, a new position, a client concession, or a change to the terms of a contract can all be influenced by the techniques outlined in the book. Voss was part of the generation that revolutionized and refined the FBI’s approach to the process of negotiation. And now he can help readers do the same in their own lives.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">We spend most of our days at work negotiating for something. Knowing the most successful, crisis-tested approaches to the process will ensure the conversation more frequently goes your way. What sets these strategies apart from other negotiation paradigms — i.e., the standard thinking in negotiations is to approach them as logical and sequential problems to be solved—is the injection of emotional intelligence and empathy into the negotiation process. This was the game-changer for the FBI, Voss writes, and these are the unique skills emphasized in <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0062407805/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank">NEVER SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE</a></b>.</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br />Chris Voss teaches negotiation at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business and at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. He has also taught at institutions such as Harvard University, the Sloan School of Management, and the Kellogg School of Management. Through his firm The <a href="http://blackswanltd.com/" target="_blank">Black Swan Group</a>, Voss works with Fortune 500 companies around the world. He is a frequent guest on <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/10/opinion/voss-negotiating-extremists/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">CNN</a> and <a href="http://video.foxnews.com/v/4076228525001/how-safe-are-americas-malls-after-al-shabaab-threat/?#sp=show-clips" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Fox News</a>, and has appeared on <a href="http://www.cc.com/video-clips/fghvkm/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-republican-hostage-negotiation" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><i>The Daily Show</i></a><i>, </i><a href="http://cnn.it/1kH0LMC" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><i>Anderson Cooper 360</i></a><i>,</i> and <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2012/12/28/168197017/what-a-former-fbi-hostage-negotiator-can-teach-us-about-the-fiscal-cliff" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">NPR</a>.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-34820845807120691332015-08-30T18:17:00.000-04:002015-09-03T15:46:10.907-04:00Club Reviews: Busy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Busy-How-thrive-world-much-ebook/dp/B00DI7HN3E/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/Busy-How-thrive-world-much-ebook/dp/B00DI7HN3E/?tag=wordsonwords-20" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzNGFu6UbCEYyUFrHk2C7TUNYiiVnIZGnR2CI4Skr2vDAWOh67asUPtR34Vr5ZO1XX49f34VzqDvNhGNw7XFcL1C8NgPqs-sxD9_YXU8Dhh0GHUSgQNHvECmMY2QG4YKBwXNE99zpMxk/s320/Busy-cover2.png" title="Busy by Tony Crabbe" width="206" /></a><span id="goog_328743004"></span><span id="goog_328743005"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Busy-How-thrive-world-much-ebook/dp/B00DI7HN3E/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank">Busy: How to thrive in a world of too much by Tony Crabbe</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I found this to be another of those books I could not put down once I started reading. I read the book from cover to cover in one sitting. I found this book to be an easy ready and it kept my attention throughout. The author makes some very practical suggestions on how to deal with "busy."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The author makes a very interesting point right up front that "things have changed but we have not." We still think and operate as if "busy" is the only way to be successful. We go day after day chasing e mails, phone calls, texts, and meetings. We never stop or slow down to allow ourselves any "brain rest." We are always on GO! But in the final analysis busy is an addiction that will not generate success. All too many of us are overwhelmed but we let </span>that<span style="font-family: inherit;"> stress push us to work harder not smarter. We hear lots about the ability to multitask. NOT if you want to be successful! It is a recipe to FAILURE! The author makes it clear he want to change the way we think about busy. He says rather than bragging about being busy, he wants us to feel at least slightly </span>embarrassed<span style="font-family: inherit;">. He suggests the opposite of busy-sustained, focused attention. The point is made that our brains are not made for constant business. In fact, a study out of the University of London reveals that busy lowers our IQ. Our brains have limited processing power at any given time. So we must choose to do what is more important and leave the rest of the stuff go. And Time Management is not helping! In fact, it is making things worse. The author shares and suggests we </span>learn<span style="font-family: inherit;"> how to divide things into inputs and outputs. Inputs are the things that come to us. Outputs are what we actually do. So the author says the key to success is MASTERY-what we choose to do or not do. We are cautioned about mindlessness. We just do things because they are in front of us but not the best things for us to do. I found it quite </span>interesting<span style="font-family: inherit;"> how the author </span>says<span style="font-family: inherit;"> "busyness is like a buffet table." We just keep, piling stuff on our plates, more than we can ever eat. We must come to the point where we say "enough is enough." We must recognize the relationship between the quality of the stuff we do and busyness. We must learn that it is not about rushing around and being impatient. It is about focusing our attention on the important and letting the other stuff go. I won't repeat it hear but the section on "Maintaining Attention," pages 52-56, is a MUST read for busy people. One of the things we find hard to do as busy people is to say NO! Read pages 70-76 for some practical helps. The authors says we have to stop being so productive and become more strategic. We have to stop, playing the "more game." While productivity does have advantages, it will not keep us ahead for the long run.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In conclusion, what do we do with busy? Crabbe offers some very practical suggestions:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Practice strategic focus.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Play to your strengths.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Learn that less is more.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Do the big stuff first.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Have a balanced scorecard.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Innovation is a MUST!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Solve the right problem.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-We must build our brand.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-We must walk our own path.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Stop procrastinating!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Learn to manage emotions and build confidence.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Get away from more and put values first.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Develop a few good friends. More is not better!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Build your support network.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Work towards affinity, not popularity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Learn that enjoyment is a performance enhancer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-We must develop and have the joy of commitment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Learn that boredom is OK!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Allow yourself to have some "Happy Attacks."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Finally, we must make our good intentions stick.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Clearly one of the top books I have read this year. And that is a real compliment from a guy who has read over 200 books a year for over 50 years. You MUST read this book if you feel the pressure of BUSY! <b>Doug Newberry</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This was a comfortable and relevant read because I hate being so busy! Life is going by too quickly to be constantly busy, and contrary to common thought Tony Crabbe says ‘time management’ is not the cure. I so welcomed his opinion of time management saying it may make us more efficient but less effective a feeling I have long embraced and now can proclaim!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In our present world where the number of friends on Facebook is an achievement I salute his idea of fewer friends, but cultivating true friendships. As a senior I look back on friendships of many years. I enjoy frequent contact with close friends far more than hours spent connecting on Facebook.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today Branding is so important, and I found this book to be helpful in finding a clear and simple brand. And then living up to it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> What I didn’t like about the book was the multitude of quotes. Crabbe lists 3 pages of authors from which he drew his arguments and developed his ideas, and 13 pages of notes for the many quotes. It seemed every thought or argument was supported by a quote, documented by one of these authors. It was so frequent that I found it distracting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After reading this book I find myself aware of how busy everyone claims to be, almost as though it were a badge of honor. I hope to refrain from this common response after reading this book. <b>Emily Gilday, Miami</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I deeply enjoy reading the book. Usually, when I read a business book, I think that may be the book can be summarized in a nice business magazine article without losing any content. With this book, I feel in the same way, but the difference was that the book is not about just one main topic, which you can condense in one article, you will need at least 3 or 4 articles to cover the interesting topics discussed in the books. And this exactly, what it makes the book word of reading.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The book is not a pure business book, I consider that it is more a business, plus self-help, psychology and new age book. It has like an holistic approach, which makes it especially relevant nowadays.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I think that you can read the book in no particular order and it will be nice too, actually, I will save your time and I will let you know the chapter that you should not miss because they are especially interesting and worth it of your time: Chapter 2, 3,4, 7, 8, 9, 10,11 out of a total of 12 chapters, which is a very good proportion. Think about years ago when you had to purchase a complete CD, just because you like it 1 or 2 songs. With this book, the several interesting chapters included in it make it a very good investment for the reader. <b>Alejandro Silvestre Miami</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This was a good one!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As opposed to other books where messages are sometimes lofty and ethereal, this book is very practical, with direct impact on the way to do things. It might not be as hands on as “getting things done” but to my taste is far more understandable and applicable to a wide range of human situations. I find it funny that being a physician making life and death decisions in matter of seconds, I find myself being “good busy” at work, but somehow out of the cocoon of the operating room, I find myself many times scattered, pulled and distracted. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We are busy because we want the spotlight, because we can’t disengage, because we are open 24/7.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We are busy busy because we don’t want to pay attention.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We are busy because we just can’t commit to what’s important.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We are busy because it’s easier to say yes than no.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The book explores the way busyness creeps into you, destroys the fallacy that we think we can keep up and do it well, and gives you clear pointers about how to reconnect and concentrate your time, your efforts, your real self. Real good book, highly recommend. <b>Miguel Cobas</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The author got me when he said if you're reading this book, you are probably too busy to read this book. He was right. It was difficult to fit in the time but I am glad I did. Although it was geared mostly toward professional life, there were areas in personal life that were also addressed. Crabbe's big ideas challenge the way we live today with constant access, or overload, of information. With too much, we need to forget the notion of "more" and do less, but do it well, more in depth, and make it something we love. The book is filled with anecdotes of notable characters in history to illustrate different points and also many psychological studies to back up the advice given. The best thing about the book is that it gives concrete suggestions and examples on how to get past the busyness to live better. Some I could use right away at work, like the brain dump, and turning off email notifications. The author doesn't claim every idea as his own, and even lists a large suggested reading section in the back of his book, which is appropriate since he references many other books in conjunction with the organization of ideas in his own. "Eat that frog" is a book and also an idea he presents, for example. My only complaint is that it is a lot of information in one book, and I felt it could have been either shorter, or more organized into do-able, actionable chapters so that a person could work through different steps or ideas more easily. Crabbe attempts to summarize each chapter with "go do" and "experiment" items, which I do appreciate, but as a busy (I guess I am going to try to stop using that word so much!!) working mom of two small girls I want to read a book once through and retain the main points or life changing advice without having to go back and review it again. I will give him the compliment though that I probably take the time to do exactly that! This subject is so important in this overwhelming culture and he does give very good advice that I will be taking. <b>Sarah Freudenberger</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The book was really good and gave great strategies for getting rid of the busy work that is getting in the way of being productive. This would really be good for people that can control some or most of the things that get in the way. Unfortunately, in the corporate world, you can’t really say you won’t do these things. Especially if those things are part of your job responsibilities. There are however some great strategies that everyone can use, regardless of what your job responsibilities are.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One thing I did like about the book was how it summarized each chapter in a way that allowed you to try some or all of the concepts. That way, you could try and implement a few things at a time and see what works best for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Most of the things in the book seemed to be recycled common sense idea. But the author does organize the ideas, and add ideas of his own, in such a way that makes this book easy to read and easy to apply to your day-to-day work life. <b>Frank Donn, Miami</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Anyone who follows this book club by definition multitasks and is wrapped up in "Busy" activities. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tony Crabbe has a message for us SLOW DOWN smell the roses, and dig deep into a limited selected topic or two. This will make you personally and professionally more efficient and knowledgeable and valuable to your work and family. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Focus , Specialize and differentiate yourself, develop new ideas and concepts by sharpening your attention at work and with your family and circle of friends and supporters.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Once you develop your new habits keep reinforcing the behavior and all the compulsive "busy" activities will be marginalized and only the more important aspects of life, family, business project development in depth will surface. <b>M Stein, Coral Springs</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I finally got out of Facebook, now I'm less busy, and more happy! How is that for a nod of approval for Tony Crabbe's How to Thrive in a World of Too Much. How to thrive? It's all in there: stop managing your time, stop being productive, stop justifying busy, stop having so many friends! Time management ruined it for us because what it taught us, unintentionally or not, was to multi-task. Everybody got on to this treadmill where they thought, "as long as I keep busy, everything will be OK." We turned "flow" into panic. And it wasn't long before all of us, including children started to "tune out" in order to cope. Or not.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This book instruct us, do not say time is money, say time is opportunity. The opportunity to make an impact, a must in this global economy, weighs more heavily than productivity as it does not take the place of differentiation. Consider it. It reminded me a little bit of Arianna Huffington's book Thrive where she introduces the concept of “Third Metric of Success." In the same vein as Crabbe's definition of success, she is aware about money and power being the two the traditional two metrics, but highlights well-being, wisdom, wonder and community giving as the components of a third metric essential for thriving. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When busyness is deliberately sought, sometimes expensively so, it feels more rewarding even as it becomes a slippery slope, a hard one to come back from. In a world of too much, it is better to let life go; if it comes back to you, it is yours; if it doesn't, it never was. The more you hold on to it, the faster it seems to go. Sit under a tree, throw your head back, savor you not-to-go cup of coffee, smile, read this book, earn your "being and nothingness." Get BUSY building your inner resources, tend to your emptiness and getting comfortable with your idleness. Learning to thrive is after all an adaptive challenge. You learn as you go. But don't run. Take your time. Run for what? <b>Nadja Atkinson</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you have ever wondered why the most popular time management techniques don't seem to work for you, Busy may be just the help you need. Rooted in psychological and change theory and grounded in scientific evidence, the information presented in this work can leave you both inspired and depressed. You will be given many explanations as to why you may have been unsuccessful in accomplishing your "want to's" in life and many suggestions on methodologies to improve both your professional accomplishments and your personal relationships. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Without sounding overly statistical, Busy supports its theories with examples of studies or people who demonstrate what it proposes. The reader is introduced to three essential elements to moving beyond busy: mastery, differentiation, and engagement. The author assists the readers in looking at themselves and making decisions that can impact them both professionally and personally. Each chapter includes a summary of the "Big Message" in case you didn't catch it and some "Go-Do" action steps and things to "Experiment." The concepts are practical and doable and really make a lot of sense. I was shocked to learn that I couldn't name my "15" key relationships. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As a former certified facilitator in one of the most widely used time management techniques, I was fascinated to learn the whys behind behaviors and motivated to do something about areas in which I have always had issues. Tony Crabbe personalized his theories with his own situation without promoting his work or his services. He even suggested the works of other authors that would be of benefit. It is not my practice to relate information to others while I am trying to digest it myself. With this book, I did it often. I was eager to finish and to implement. <b>Sara Jane Hope, Ridgeland, Mississippi</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tony Crabbe tells us how to avoid being too busy! The answer is to develop a plan to become more efficient with a positive attitude toward life. Efficiency is the answer for a less stressful, easier personal life and for a better business plan.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Crabbe presents a plan thoroughly explaining the best course of action using a positive attitude. He uses examples of both failures and successes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Some suggestions to become more efficient follow:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Put in writing on paper (yes, writing) the most important things to focus on for the day. Now choose 3 !</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Write down the 3 most important activities in priority order on a post - it note and stick it where you can see it all day long. Before turning on the computer or doing anything else, start working on # 1.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is about attention, not time. One thing at a time. Avoid distractions. Realize you can't do or have everything! Know it is all right to say no! Enough is enough!!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Optimize your time by taking advantage of time stuck in traffic to listen to language learning tapes for example.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Performance is what matters. Put your values first, have clear goals, think positive, remembering that less is more. Too much often results in failure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The lyrics to the song "Accentuate the Positive" by Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen summarize Tony Crabbe's book perfectly! "Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative and don't mess with mister in-between, along with the rest of the words make a perfect summary! Everything is perfectly clear and makes sense.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Enjoy the read!!!!<b> Margot Byrnes, Miami</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The book is filled with plenty of examples of methods of replacing productivity and use thinking, creativity, and attention to create a large picture.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Busy is constantly being defined as a work goal of achievement.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The book is divided into three sections Mastery, Differentiation and Engagement. Mastery defined as the present conditions of Busy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Differentiation defined as success. Engagement for defining happiness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The book makes an interesting read and has a wide variety of ideas and concepts to choose from and apply in our lives. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a great business psychology book.</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">William Murtada, Miami</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Overdosed on advice as to how I can cram more productivity into my hectic days, I was reluctant to take on another volume on the subject. I put my cynicism aside, plunged into “Busy,” and found a horse of an entirely different color. Here was an author spreading the gospel of doing less, not more. Within a few pages I was hooked. After a few chapters, I had done more highlighting, underlining and corner-folding than I have done in my last 10 business books combined. All this in an attempt to hold on to the message of less in a world that keeps asking for more.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As the owner of a creative business, and a resident of the 21st century, I flit from task to text to email to meeting, checking items off my to-do list with intensity and fervor. All this gear-shifting creates inefficiency. “Busy” suggests a different approach. Ignore those emails. Undo that to-do list. Make choices and focus on the things that are important, and get to the small stuff during designated bursts. Pursue depth and real relationships instead of the buzz of busyness.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If one could really apply its lessons, this book could be a life-changer. If we can make clear choices, employ strategy to rethink our priorities, and devalue busy-ness, maybe we can really succeed on another level. I, for one, am going to try. I’m also sharing it with my family and colleagues, to see if we are all up to the challenge of making ourselves more productive and happier, by making ourselves less busy. <b>Robert Kirkpatrick, Miami Beach</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This book presents an interesting thesis: improving time management will increase production, but ultimately reduces quality of life and the quality of your output! We are all having to deal with ever increasing streams of input, whether it is email, social media updates or excessive business meetings for those in middle management. We are so BUSY dealing with the torrents of information coming at us, that we struggle to find time to process all of the information, and have little or no time to get the most important things done.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Crabbe’s reasoning is supported by psychology principals (psychology majors will love this business book), and each section gives great practical tips that define the problem, and then offer practical real life ‘experiments’ to implement to help move from managing information to actually thinking about and engaging in solutions to problems. This is actually productive, and allows us to achieve a much more fulfilling existence.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I found the reading enjoyable, but really appreciate being able to jump to the helpful exercises in each section. In the information age, this book provides a helpful guide to navigating the raging stream and making sense out of the clutter<b>. Doramary Russell, </b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Coral Springs</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Interesting book that I thought was another Time Management book…surprise…it's a book that says its okay to manage your attention to what you are doing now and not how to manage your time. In other words, it is okay say no to projects and other tasks in order to concentrate on finishing your current project. It is okay to base your career not on productivity but by considering success on what matters, and how to put these changes into effect.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The four sections of BUSY - Mastery, Differentiation, Engagement and Momentum show readers how to manage attention not time. The author shows the reader how to develop a new approach to taking back their life. It does seem like we have all been overwhelmed by the disease of “busy-ness”, especially since the Internet came hugely popular. Our professional and social lives and are ever more and more consumed by a world of “too much”. This book guides us toward becoming healthier, happier and successful as human beings. It presents research and best practices along with interesting stories and strategies to help the reader truly thrive in today’s busy world.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“How are you doing?” is usually followed by the response “busy” at some point. All around the world people seem over-whelmed; exhausted; in the face of the machine. We keep up, our technology, but we keep falling behind.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What I took away from this book is the following:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Stop managing your time!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is no longer possible to do it all, or to get on top: there is too much to do. All time management does is is splinter time into smaller fragments; we cram and squeeze activity into every second of our day; we stay busy, but in doing so, we stop thinking and breathing. So, time management becomes the problem, not the solution!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Stop being so productive!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Having people “work hard” seemed to be the biggest management challenge! Now in some cases that problem is solved; almost everyone works hard. But we still play the “more game”. We assume if we produce more than others, if we respond more quickly, we will succeed or be more of a success. We probably will not since we cannot put our full effort to making “all” our projects excellent. In fact, all this “productivity” can be seen as a weak substitute for genuine impact and differentiation; the things that matter in the information age.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Stop justifying busy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Busy is self-defeating. We tell ourselves that we are busy so we can succeed, either for our loved ones or for our happiness. But as we get caught up in this “busyness”, we tend to disconnect from relationships and activities that probably matter more to us. As we disconnect we damage the very relationships and happiness we are trying to improve.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Stop having so many friends!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Social media is great! We can maintain all those distant relationships that otherwise wither; but there is a downside: it is another demand we have to manage. In simple terms, the greatest benefit from relationships does not come from the many but the few. In actual fact, aiming or being popular may be bad for you, from a health and happiness perspective! </span><b style="font-family: inherit;">Forrest Carper</b><br />
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Busy was an enjoyable read. It details that no matter how occupied we might be in our lives, there is always a way to simplify it. He talks about how it's not enough to just think it, you have to actually change your behavior. This can involve not just our work schedules but our home life, too.<br />
It is important to make wise choices to get the most out of our day. Confidence is a big plus in trying to accomplish this. The author breaks this down in simple tables.<br />
I would recommend this book no matter how busy you are or think you might be. Try to find the time to read it. <b>Terri Bryant, Davie</b><br />
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This book is written for busy people! At the end of each chapter there is an overview of the material covered "The Big Messages" as well as homework to put in practice what we just learned: "Go-Do", very useful for those that only browse through books.<br />
<br />
Tony Crabbe discusses the importance of focus, prioritization, problem solving and innovation. The "less is more" philosophy is the theme throughout the book. The target audience is career minded employees, but the chapter about branding (ch. 7) has excellent application for the self-employed and business owners as well.<br />
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The "What I have learned" chapter is excellent, because we can see that this book is not theoretical, but empirical. It gives us a glimpse of how the author practiced what he is trying to teach us.<br />
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And I also liked the "Other Books to Read" section. All in all great book and worthy of the readers' time regardless of how "busy" we are. <b>Liliana Delara</b><br />
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This book goes to the point and cuts the frosting of the wording. That's why I wasn't "too busy" to read it. Enjoyable, practical reminding us to go to organize priorities and balance your actions of tie consumption. <b>EJ "Henry"Ventura Jr. – Miami</b><br />
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As someone who is guilty of being busy all the time, I was forced to rethink my lifestyle when I read How to Thrive In A World of Too Much Busy. In his book, author Tony Crabbe wakes us up to the reality that many of us are pushing ourselves, driving ourselves to be always on when the body and brain aren't designed for it. Rather than just point out the problem, Crabbe offers solutions. Overall, his solutions are common sense. However, by using research to explain how and why we need to change our daily habits, Crabbe makes busting busy seem possible.<br />
<br />
Rather than fall into busy by default, Crabbe tells reader to make our primary driver for activity internal "what do I want to achieve?" He urges us to make tough choices with our time, set limits on too much, and to make time in our day for thinking. He also suggests we stop taking busyness so seriously and inject playfulness into our lives to feel less overwhelmed and more creative.<br />
<br />
At a time when distraction is rampant, managing attention has become a hot topic and Crabbe lays out an argument for changing our mindset by focusing on the moment or task at hand. When we get caught up in the relentless washing machine spin of fears and concerns, he wants us to immerse ourselves in a single task and allow ourselves to delay our worries for later. The goal is to maximize chunks of focused time, he asserts.<br />
<br />
Where other self-help books focus on time management, Crabbe goes deeper to urge us to think differently and examine our values as we navigate the endless quest for success by doing and acquiring more. Instead of striving for more, Crabbe tells us to focus on doing what we love and where we are strong. At the end of each section he gives readers a Go-Do box with steps to take to change our behavior. Making changes is hard work, especially when by being busy, we actually get to feel productive while procrastinating. Most of us need to figure out a better way to work and live and Crabbe gives us a new, well-thought-out approach to move us toward change.<br />
As someone who is guilty of being busy all the time, I was forced to rethink my lifestyle when I read How to Thrive In A World of Too Much Busy. In his book, author Tony Crabbe wakes us up to the reality that many of us are pushing ourselves, driving ourselves to be always on when the body and brain aren't designed for it. Rather than just point out the problem, Crabbe offers solutions. Overall, his solutions are common sense. However, by using research to explain how and why we need to change our daily habits, Crabbe makes busting busy seem possible.<br />
<br />
Rather than fall into busy by default, Crabbe tells reader to make our primary driver for activity internal "what do I want to achieve?" He urges us to make tough choices with our time, set limits on too much, and to make time in our day for thinking. He also suggests we stop taking busyness so seriously and inject playfulness into our lives to feel less overwhelmed and more creative.<br />
<br />
At a time when distraction is rampant, managing attention has become a hot topic and Crabbe lays out an argument for changing our mindset by focusing on the moment or task at hand. When we get caught up in the relentless washing machine spin of fears and concerns, he wants us to immerse ourselves in a single task and allow ourselves to delay our worries for later. The goal is to maximize chunks of focused time, he asserts.<br />
<br />
Where other self-help books focus on time management, Crabbe goes deeper to urge us to think differently and examine our values as we navigate the endless quest for success by doing and acquiring more. Instead of striving for more, Crabbe tells us to focus on doing what we love and where we are strong. At the end of each section he gives readers a Go-Do box with steps to take to change our behavior. Making changes is hard work, especially when by being busy, we actually get to feel productive while procrastinating. Most of us need to figure out a better way to work and live and Crabbe gives us a new, well-thought-out approach to move us toward change. <b><a href="http://www.worklifebalancingact.com/" target="_blank">Cindy Krischer Goodman</a></b><br />
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There is certainly a lot of books, articles, and videos on one or more aspects of time management. This book has taken a very unique approach while at the same time remaining true to some of the tactics and tools that have been around for decades. The best thing about this book from my perspective was the chapter on Managing Attention in the section of the book referred to as Mastery. The other sections were Differentiation and Engagement. The chapter on attention was one of the more unique approaches to self-help that I’ve read recently. I guess that I had just never thought about getting more done or juggling my time issues in that way. If you read that chapter carefully you will come away with a greater appreciation for managing your focus as a most helpful approach for getting things done. I have often felt myself working mentally with 2 or 3 things at the same time. I think that I enjoyed the intellectual challenge. However, I have found myself recently missing the right brain file or putting in a file and losing it. I do write things down on sticky notes and the author would say that I a good idea.<br />
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Today I had a couple of things going on in my brain (this review, writing my blog, reviewing an infograph). The ideas were swirling. I referred to the last couple of pages of my favorite chapter and came across an idea that straightened myself out…I needed to use intentional attention and meandering rather than meandering mind wandering attention. It paid off for me. That is the sign of a book worth reading and keeping as a helpful tool for the future. <b>Bob Preziosi, Davie</b><br />
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Tony Crabbe’s book, HOW TO THRIVE IN A WORLD OF TOO MUCH BUSY (or “BUSY” for short), was one of the best nonfiction books I’ve read in a long time. I’ve enjoyed participating in Richard Pachter’s Business Book Club, and reading some good, not-so-good, and great business and organizational effectiveness books over the years. This one was GREAT! It came at a time in my life where I’m retired, only teach at the university as an adjunct when *I* want to, and have time to share with family and friends here in North Carolina, as well as back in Florida. I love being a grandmother, and being able to help family and good friends out whenever I can…. And I’ve been able to handle “whenever I can” fine – until this past month (when, coincidentally, I was trying to get this book review on “BUSY” back to Mr. Pachter by the deadline!)<br />
<br />
I also belong to a wonderful national charitable organization, and our “Gala” was scheduled for this past month. We have a relatively small lodge – just about 50 members – and even smaller volunteer staff of workers. This year, for various reasons, we had even less than the small amount making preparations and following through with preparation, participation, and follow-up of the “Gala.” Well – things HAD to be done, and HAD to be done in a certain way, at a certain time… and, all of a sudden, I was thrust into what I had managed to avoid for the past two years – a world of Too Much Busy!<br />
<br />
“Busy” reaffirmed that we all can handle only so many things well before we start mishandling things – getting sloppy, getting irritated, getting sick (including “sick and tired”), and so on. I like the way Crabbe busted busy-ness. In his Preface (as with every chapter of his book), he presented a concept and then gave concrete examples of why he said what he said, backing it up with real-life instances and examples. I found myself agreeing with everything he had to say and loving the way he presented his concepts. I actually feel he helped me make it through some of our last-month crises by reminding me that it doesn’t have to be this way the next time – that there are actions to be taken to survive the world of too much busy.<br />
<br />
I want to teach this book! Crabbe covers well-known theories of psychology, education, and business while presenting his concepts, which gives the book even more validity. Chapters such as Stop Managing Your Time! (…and Go Surfing), and Stop Striving for “More”! (Put Your Values First) grab your attention…and would make great speeches with almost any group of people, because the core concepts are those we all face. He ends each chapter with “The Big Messages” or summaries of each chapter, and then has a final GO-DO section of things to do to satisfy the goal, and EXPERIMENT with the concept by trying it out. This is a wonderful way to teach a concept, and Tony Crabbe hits the nail on the head with practical advice on how to change what needs to be changed in your life, your family, and your organizations. <b>Betty G Hubschman – Whitsett, NC</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-25682316716906826072015-03-16T17:18:00.000-04:002015-03-16T17:18:38.346-04:00Club Reviews: What To Do When It's Your Turn<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1936719320/?tag=wordsonwords-2" target="_blank">What To Do When It's Your Turn (and it's always your turn) by Seth Godin</a></b><br />
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Let me say first of all that I love reading Seth. I have his first 17 books and I have read them all and they are now in my permanent personal library. And for sure it is no accident they are all best sellers and book 18 will be too.<br />
Before I ever got to really reading Seth's book, a statement on page 17 really grabbed me. It said, "If you're thirsty enough, the world is ready for you, more than ever before." Just reading this statement, I knew I was all in! We are very quickly reminded that it is all about opportunity. We all want to make a difference. But we have to recognize that it ain't always easy and there are no guarantees. All too often we miss seeing the solution to problems that are right in front of us. Seth calls this the Broken Escalator Theory. At issue is the fact that opportunity is all around us. The question is will we let the barriers and limits stop us? Yes there is risk and responsibility but at least we have freedom of choice. Seth makes a profound and scary statement when he says, "the majority of men have not yet acquired the maturity to be independent, to be rational, to be objective." We men need to refuse to surrender our freedom. We find that the cost of being wrong is less than the cost of doing nothing. Seth says we have to learn to dance with our own fears. And he says there is nothing wrong with stupid! But we must use stupid to learn. Not everything has to be OK. Failure is not fatal! Seth says the person who fails the most wins. Then we learn that we need dreams but they need to be "concrete dreams." Such dreams give us the what if with the maybe. We are told our world desperately needs truth tellers. We need to see the world as it is and we need to care enough to change things. <br />
Then there is the Marshmallow Test. BUT you are going to have to read about that yourself lest I spoil it by speaking to it. Go read it for yourself.<br />
I agree with Monica Handy who says, to be ready for opportunity we have to "notice, dream, connect, do." To make a real difference we have to grow up and be able to determine what really matters. Chuck Close says, "motivation is for amateurs." We all need motivation because we seek reassurance. Seth speaks to our moods and he challenges us to "do what you should do. Your mood will follow." High expectations and reality sometimes just do not match. We have to understand that tension is not a bad thing. Sometimes we just need to push forward. When opportunity comes we best not be unprepared. We must have done our homework so we are ready. Elon Musk says, "Destiny is in our own hands, if we don't succeed, it's our own fault." The message here is that to succeed, you must try! Seth reminds us that the fear of failure transfers effortlessly into the fear of freedom. If we are not willing to imagine failure then we are not able to be free. The author speaks to pains and he says that if we let the pain of not reaching our potential, WE WON'T. There is no pain free path. The key is to do something that matters! To seek certainty is to lose and fail. And we just must not let fear drive our decisions. Lest we forget, it is never the right time. We just have to step out and make a difference. Seth points out that there is a fundamental difference between being prepared and being ready. He says we are more prepared than we realize. But we are probably not ready, and we can't be ready, unless we are doing something worthwhile. To be successful, we have to show up with mindful effort. Seth says if we really want to suffer, all we have to do is see an impossible world that can't live up to our unreasonable expectations. Michael Shrage points out that both successful organizations and people make change. We have to accept the fact that this might work, this might not. Soren Kierkeguard points out that "not to dare, is to lose oneself." <br />
Seth spends some time talking about "the voice in our brain." He says that voice is describing what you are about to do after a different part of your brain has already initiated the action. Now here is another statement that really grabbed me-"The miracle is not that I finished, the miracle is that I had the courage to start." Rohan Rajiv points out that we create a lot of unhappiness for ourselves by our thoughts of what the world and others owe us. Obligation is not a two-way street! We must not tell ourselves that one day I will be ready. To make a real difference we must be ready and stay ready. Never forget, we are all students and the really good ones show up and say teach me! We must out live the illusion of safety and the mistake of fear. We must be able to distinguish between our needs and being needed. <br />
Page 127 speaks to "LUCK SCHOOL." Researcher Richard Wiseman writes, "My research revealed that lucky people generate good fortune via four basic principles. They are skilled at creating and noticing chance opportunities, make lucky decisions by listening to their intuition, create self-fulfilling prophesies via positive expectations, and adopt a resilient attitude that transforms bad luck into good."<br />
As Seth starts to close, he reminds us that:<br />
Failure is not fun but it is required.<br />
There is no shame in failure.<br />
We all need to adopt Nike's slogan "Just Do It!"<br />
We must not let the encroachment of mediocrity and the appeal of compromise drive us.<br />
We must change things quietly and we must avoid NO-people.<br />
This is a must read book! There is much to take away and apply right away. <b>Doug Newberry</b><br />
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Just Do It, the Nike commercial can easily be applied to Seth Godin's What To Do When it's Your Turn (and it's always your turn) set in and easy to read, almost hard cover book with simple phrases and andecdotes that is just common sense, making you feel that you already know what he has written and you are reading. Fear of stepping out and overcoming your fear is essential to doing it.<br />
Your motivation is thinking that it is always your turn, so don't wait on being asked, just do it. Don't wait for Godot. Grab the brass ring when it comes around to you. Don't procrastinate. All successful people have lived with failure.<br />
The book provides examples of how to overcome fear. Your destiny is in your own hands, As Elon Musk was quoted, "If you don't succeed, its your own fault". This is a practical how do book, that any would be entrepreneur needs to read and digest. The hard part is just starting to do something. The right time is NOW!<br />
You have the chance to change things. When was the last time you did something for the first time? Think about it. Nobody owes you anything. Learn the difference between needs and wants. When asked, its always better to say yes than no. Otherwise you wouldn’t know what you are missing out. Give credit and teach others. Then pass this book on to pay it forward. B<b>arry Epstein, Boca Raton</b> <a href="http://www.publicrelations.nu/">www.publicrelations.nu</a><br />
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Wow! I didn't know who the young woman on the cover was, but her steely look in her eyes clearly states "It's my turn whether you like it or not!". Glancing through the format of the book one thinks " what is this?", but after reading the first few pages one realizes that this book is no joke. It is pure, raw truth. How I wish this book was written when I was a youngster, but nonetheless, I will give the extra copy to my daughter who is a Freshman in College and I believe will be of great service to her. i will keep my copy close by to re-read many times over to not only inspire me but make sure that i take my turn.<br />
The author has added no fluff to try and stretch it out to 300 pages, but has managed to put together 158 pages of the most direct truth that I have ever read in one book. This book is about making the decision every day to "live" life with no excuses, and taking full responsibility for ones victories as well as one's failures.<br />
What I got from the book is to never settle, and that regardless of age, circumstances, ethnicity, etc, don't let fear of failure stop you from trying anything in this wonderful journey call life. <b>Esteban Serrano Hollywood, Fl</b><br />
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Making excuses instead of shipping something great? Seth Godin has a punch in the face for you, in book form. <br />
Some readers will dismiss this as yet another horse-apiece Seth Godin book about the importance of doing your own thing. These readers are idiots. If you're not already doing your own thing and shipping it regularly, you need *more*, not less, Seth Godin urging you on. It has never been easier for creative people to produce their own work and share it with the world. All that's standing between you and doing this is your own excuses. Why not break through these artificial barriers and do it? This book will get you started. <b>Scott Wilson Tampa Bay, Florida</b> <a href="http://www.thatsoftwareguy.com/">www.thatsoftwareguy.com</a><br />
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Forget about any ideas that you have regarding a self-improvement or marketing book. Seth Godin, partly because he's good, partly because he has a great track record and simply because he can, has published what I think is his best production to date. Let me tell you why:<br />
This a thick, heavy paper book that can be read in a couple of hours. At this point you can dismiss it as a series of Facebook posts telling you to be better and work hard. But the problem, you can't dismiss it like that. The book stays with you for days, because it has a remarkable arc, an arc which makes sense.<br />
There are no chapters, or sections, but there is a linear logic, starting from fear to be free to being able to transform your environment, to be uncomfortable, to take your turn. There are multiple snippets that are easy to remember and have immediate, that's-a-good-way-to-look-at-things applicability right off the bat. There are memorable quotes that are developed into coherent ideas, and a lot of personalities that are otherwise unknown gain relevance for small, transcendent acts, like the woman illustrating the cover.<br />
In summary, whether you think you've a stable position in your life (you have not) or are thirsty for pushing the boundaries, this is a great book. Is not deep as a professional thesis, but is a very good place to start. <b>Miguel Cobas, MD</b><br />
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As requested I passed along the second copy of Seth Godin's book to someone else...Doris, a new friend I've recently begun running with twice a week. Our discussions are what we've come to call "running commentary" and we talk about a lot of interesting topics mostly centered around entrepreneurship and business. We first discussed the chosen format for the book which is more like a series of seemingly unrelated blog posts by Seth Godin. He's published 5500 blog posts, so at first I was suspicious that this book was simply a mashup of various posts. However, after I read the book a second time and after more discussions with Doris, I've come to the conclusion that what I thought of as individual blogs are really part of one larger theme which is: to step out of your perceived comfort zone of safety...whether your version of safety is the illusion of a lifetime job or a single career on which you build your life. Godin points out what a false construct this idea of safety has turned out to be. His rallying cry is for people to listen to the inner voice, buckle down, do the work and fulfill your chosen mission...what he cleverly refers to as "shipping." The naysayers, the self-doubt, the constant disappointment no longer matter. What matters is that you do the work and bring something to fruition.<br />
Godin's book title ("What to do When it's Your Turn") and provocative subtitle ({"and it's always your turn"}) encapsulates his observation that this new world is divided into "program or be programmed." For those people who made the decision to program, this book will be further proof that they're on the right track, but for those who've somehow kept their head in the sand and who continue to seek salvation in security, this book will be a frightening revelation. Godin describes the security seeker's mindset: "We may mistakenly believe that the alternative to freedom, the path of merely doing what we're told and constantly seeking stability, is a better way to spend our lives. Of course, it's not. It's not because the people who are promised stability rarely receive it. The promises are broken, again and again, and we've learned not to believe them. The people who are told that everything will be okay are always disappointed when it's not," Godin says.<br />
In this same section he addresses how people make the mistake of waiting until they're sufficiently motivated to make a change or do the work and he claims that this is tied to the need for reassurance. He counters this belief in a short, but cutting quote by photographer and artist Chuck Close: "Motivation is for amateurs." Godin constantly reminds people to take action, but realizes that what causes inaction is fear. He addresses the fear of looking stupid, but says everyone is stupid until they master whatever it is they're trying to learn...he attributes being stupid as part of the learning process.<br />
Godin's book amplifies many of the themes that are being discussed by similar thought leaders such as Derek Sivers who wrote, "Passion and purpose are emotions that come after expertise and experience. The way to get them is to commit to the path of mastery, get great at something, and do great work." It's common for people to wait for a blinding flash of insight to discover their calling or to believe that they have to have an almost religious-like experience with a muse to be struck to work when really, it's just sitting down and committing to the task at hand, making incremental improvements along the way.<br />
In addition to his quotes and insights, Godin also includes interesting nuggets and stories about people who have taken "their turn" and made a difference. The cover photo is Annie Kenney, a British millworker and suffragette. Kenney went to jail for pushing back (taking her turn) when she asked a member of Parliament why women didn't have the right to vote. Intriguing snippets like this one are peppered throughout the book and make it a worthwhile and satisfying read that I'll refer back to again and again. My only criticism is that it lacks a table of contents and an index, so it's difficult to find and refer back to the MANY memorable passages.<b> Kathy D. Doran, M.S.Ed. </b><a href="http://www.wordrunner.net/">www.wordrunner.net</a><br />
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What To Do When It's Your Turn feels more like a magazine than a book. It is in full color and illustrated with a variety of pictures, art and graphic designs. Overall, it is a collection of short stories and essays. At times, it was somewhat weird and hard to follow and it almost felt like the author was just thinking at loud. Without a doubt, the writing style is unique. Seth Godin does an excellent job in sharing his values and life philosophy. He is inspirational and encouraging. The overall message is to embrace freedom and have the courage to be authentic and do what we feel passionate about while sharing and helping others. I would have liked to see a more business oriented book more like his usual work but I took it for what it was and inspirational book. I did not know what to make of the numerous typos throughout the book. I even asked myself if it was done on purpose to proof a point. <b>Pilar Somoza North Bay Village</b><br />
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I realize I am probably in the minority here, but I did not like this book. Let me say from the start, I really, really wanted to like it from the moment it (they) arrived. I loved the way it looked & even smelled, with that new book smell. The graphics were great as was the layout & the pictures. I especially loved seeing Shari Lewis' alter ego, Lamp Chop. But I digress.<br />
I almost found this book as kind of a diatribe. The author goes on & on about things of various nature & will comment on them with nonsensical answers. Or maybe it's just because I disagree with a lot of the things he writes. I realize it is his book & his opinions are all that matter here, but I just don't get it. Maybe it's me. Case in point, when he writes about "Scratching itches." He says you can't do anything about an itch. Well, sure you can. You can choose to leave it alone, scratch it or use an ointment on it. Maybe I am taking things too literal, but I found the whole book to be in that vain.<br />
I would not recommend this book. I feel there are better books to spend my time reading and/or to spend $34. on. Sorry. And to paraphrase Mr. Godin, "No, it's not personal." <b>Terri Bryant Davie</b><br />
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What To Do When Its Your Turn is insightful however the message gets lost in the presentation.<br />
The structure of the book gives one the impression that it belongs in a self help section of a school library.<br />
The format lends itself to slogans presented at a business meeting power point presentation rather than in a book.<br />
Would I recommend the content yes just not the book it its current format. <b>Ron Groce Miami Fl.</b><br />
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Prolific author Seth Godin never fails to deliver information designed to motivate, educate, and postulate. This latest offering also offers a variety of examples with which the reader can also commiserate! The varying challenges and situations described throughout the book are skillfully woven into the text to both extoll and cajole (Thanks Harry Belafonte!) to constantly keep the narrative and the reader moving forward.<br />
In addition to the expected nuggets of insight expected from a Godin book, this book offers additional nuances that Godin has previously only allowed to “Peak Through” in his publications. From the moment the reader picks this book up their mind will be racing with a variety of questions. The most immediate aspect of this book that will catch the reader’s attention is the dramatic use of photographs and graphics. Each page utilizes bold and dramatic images and or/graphics to punctuate the specific point being made or to dramatize the story being shared. This is combined with an impressive use of color, splashed throughout the text. This use of colors serves the reader as a continued source of stimulation and at times even curiosity on “Why” a particular color may have been used. The last aspect of this latest entry on the Godin library also incorporates multiple font styles and sizes. Some pages may appear in standard format while the next page may use a completely differ font and size so that a single quote takes up the entire page. Each of these production aspects of this new book collectively challenge the reader to determine what type book is this? Is it a business advice book? A self-help book? A reference book? Or even a Coffee Table Book? For me the answer to this query is “All of the above!” With What To Do When It’s Your Turn, Godin has bridged the gap between each of these types of books and produced a product that could rightly be utilized (and displayed) in each of the settings described.<br />
As with the design and appearance of the book, the content is equally compelling. The major themes throughout the book are consistent 1) you have a choice, 2) the choice is yours alone 3) you may choose incorrectly 4) you learn from all choices and most importantly 5) MAKE A CHOICE! Godin informs readers that the majority of our hesitation in making choices is “all in our heads.” Seth encourages the reader to embrace the mantra “We might fail.” This will offer us the freedom to move ahead, learn to “live with the tension” that choices bring and make choices without fear. Rarely is there 1) a perfect time for a choice, 2) an answer for all of related questions and 3) a guarantee that this will work. Godin concisely states, “We are unprepared to do something for the first time, always.”<br />
Godin’s use of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY) to expand upon the story of Pythagoras and the Fifth Hammer resonated perfectly with me (pun intended!) As the sounds of CSNY flowed through my mind the point of combining different yet complimentary choices gained greater clarity. “There’s no pain-free path. But at least you can do something that matters.” This ability of Godin to weave historical information with current and pop culture event’s and icons is masterful.<br />
This is perhaps my favorite feature of this book over all of the others Godin has authored. The vivid imagery and stories generated truly serve as encouragement as well as sources of new knowledge. As much as I enjoyed reading the text, I equally enjoyed exploring and searching for the examples Godin used. I would encourage all readers to take the additional time to search, explore, read and Listen (CSNY - Déjà Vu) all of the examples mentioned. From Harry Belafonte (see if you can identify what song Godin is referencing!), to Kafka, to Yertle the Turtle (Dr. Suess), to Charles and Jackson Pollock this book is a treasure chest of remarkable information for the reader to explore. <br />
One of the closing remarks Godin offers in this remarkable publication is “Teaching rewards all of us.” Through this work Godin has certainly <b>Andy Gillentine – Columbia, SC</b><br />
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At first glance, this is a book I would never buy for myself. It is a book with 168 pages, if adjusted for spaces, large print, and pictures would amount to closer 50 pages- to me a waste of paper. It seems to be geared toward the internet generation with many one-liners and short essays- the kind of information that one reads in a blog, a facebook page, or a poster. It almost is a book that anyone could put together- just a collection of common expressions or what others might say.<br />
The book is a series of feel good expressions reminiscent of the kind of messages that at one time one use to send in a “hallmark” card to someone depressed to help cheer them up. There is little organization and is a book that one could open up on any page and read and not miss anything. Each page is essentially a comment about a thought- the kind of messages people email to each other.<br />
I personally prefer books that are well organized and have more substance. I buy books for information not fluff. I prefer books with well-developed thoughts. <b>Darlene Johnson, Coconut Grove</b><br />
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As I read Seth Godin’s newest book I was struck by how familiar its message is. Perhaps I could go back into my early life as a hippie and say that this book reminded me of a book I read many times, a book by Ram Das, called Be Here Now, published in 1971. At first it was the format and layout with lots of pictures. As I am visual in my learning and Ram Dass’s book was loaded with lots of pictures. Then as Seth’s message came through more clearly I had the feeling I have read about these same concepts before. Be Here Now was about being present and being filled with love and similarly Godin’s book was about being present, in our lives, as entrepreneurs, partners, parents and the larger goals we are striving for.<br />
Just as being present is about taking responsibility for our lives so is Seth’s book: What to Do Until It’s Your Turn. This book’s perspective and creativity come from someone who is living and writing fifty years after Ram Dass. The message is similar, take responsibility for our lives, contribute and if need be fail. Very often failing is what we are looking for; only at the time it seems to be just the opposite.<br />
Seth wrote in his book teaching others how to do something, doesn’t diminish what we are doing, as we still know how to do what we taught. In teaching others, what we have learned is the ultimate act of love, because now others can teach others. Seth says; take our turns, even if we don’t seem to be ready. Life is too short to live a life of safety, instead find others who are as excited about life as you are and help to inspire them, to take their turn.<br />
I believe anyone would benefit from reading this book. Again not everyone is ready now or they may never be. I found the book to be fun and after all if it isn’t fun then why read it? <b>Tom Hinz Blue Lake, CA</b> <a href="http://www.tomhinz.com/">www.tomhinz.com</a><br />
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Godin always delivers. Not because he's always right, but because he practices what he preaches: he simply does. He does without fear of failure - at least he seems like he doesn't fear failure. Failure, or not fearing it, rather is a constant theme in his latest book. The takeaway? Don't bother being afraid to fail, because you will. And it's required. (p 131)<br />
Sometimes, the book reads like a motivational or self-help book. However, Godin believes that "our need for motivation is due to our need for reassurance." (p43) No matter, his book is filled with what can be described as a series of pep talks and quotables. Not a bad thing at all.<br />
Sure enough, Godin reminds us of the perils of mediocrity — always a signpost worth heeding. "Once you start compromising, when do you stop?" (p141) But if it's a lesson on not being boring or mediocre, it's best to refer back to Purple Cow. This book is about taking your turn to create something. Take your turn, because nobody will ever give it you. <b>Patrick Whiteside Miami, Florida</b><br />
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I can't tell you how many times I picked up this, bound collection of thoughts, then put it down in frustration. I thought I was going to love the large print, but, I found the watermark background distracting and the graphics downright annoying. I tried to embrace the compartmentalization. But I just couldn't get past the presentation.<br />
A few positive, yet unoriginal messages were importance of taking action, the silver lining of failures, and benefits of rapport building to make that sale. Ra, ra, and all that great inspiration...<br />
As much as I want to be motivated by the hallway walk or to "Just Do It," I couldn't help but feel I was reading a children's book. So, forgive me for not getting past my objections. To me, this book is a random collection of recycled platitudes. Sorry. <b>Kelly Reid</b><br />
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I truly enjoyed reading this book and loved the writing style Seth applied. The combination of images and short easy-to-read paragraphs, helped me better understand and retain the information. I believe the way we consume information on the Internet has trained us to consume more image rich information tied to bite-size bits of text.<br />
Although each paragraph flows with the next, each one can stand on it's own and is fit to be quoted. I do see more people that are not into reading, potentially picking this book up because of the way it was designed and written. I also believe Seth was on to something when he chose to have people share this book with friends. This is one of those books that is easy to recommend to others.<br />
I see myself referring back to this book to review all the great messages highlighted. Seth hits on so many great life teachings and provided plenty of useful quotes. The one that hit it for me was: " The book that will most change you life is the book you write." Make sure you hit a home run when it's you turn. <b>David Mesas Miami, FL</b> <a href="https://twitter.com/DFMESAS">https://twitter.com/DFMESAS</a><br />
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At first glance, leafing through the book and seeing the photos, sketches, drawings, pictures, bold titles,<br />
print large and small, upside down writing colored boxes, shading, I thought to myself “What a fun and exciting book to read”.<br />
And, I loved reading it. But, make no mistake. While the terrific presentation grabs the readers’ attention, the message is a serious one,<br />
that is repeated in a multitude of fashions throughout the book including via stories, vignettes, biographies and quotations.<br />
Godin’s directive is: go out there; take risks, don’t settle, don’t be afraid of failure (but embrace it), be your own person,<br />
be a leader and not a follower, “TAKE YOUR TURN” as he phrases it.<br />
The book is not necessarily for the business world although relevant to it, the message conveyed is for the world–at-large over and over again,<br />
in a most delightful fashion. <b>LB Weinstein Miami Beach, FL</b><br />
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The book definitely delivers Seth Godin’s message (Always an invigorating one) with its call for: action, passion, freedom, challenges, risks and urgency.<br />
Seth Godin truly writes in order to effect people. To help them make a change. To push them into action.<br />
Do not get trapped by safety and/or fear but rather take the leap of change and opportunity into truly trying to make a difference.<br />
Open your eyes, choose, dare to take your turn (and it always is your turn).<br />
It is personal, urgent and in-your-face, leaving you no room to hide.<br />
“Just Do it”<br />
It is also inspiring, reminding you of your true authentic self, that is waiting to be unleashed.<br />
You can get over whatever it is that stopping you and do what you truly care about.<br />
Change can be painful but this book helps with the understanding that it is absolutely worthwhile.<br />
You can go ahead and do your better work. Be You!<br />
As Seth Godin puts in his own words “Making a ruckus is the path of love” and I absolutely agree.<br />
On top of that, I love the unusual design/format of the book and I believe it is a big part of the effective delivery of its message.<br />
The fonts, graphics, page layout, page size and even the quality of the paper are all fun and creative. Really yummy.<br />
This makes the book an easy and enjoyable read while you are internalizing its message. <b>Smadar Sasson Miami, FL</b><br />
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A 'collection' of social science based and anecdotal stories, quotes , photographs, and illustrations both graphic and verbal to essentially motivate you to "ship", "do it" and to know its your turn to "take".<br />
The book is written in a somewhat clipped prose style . No long streams of paragraphs however no enumerative series of points either . Mr . Godin is heralded and a prolific writer and this is his latest book to show and cajole one into a productive, fierce and creative life.<br />
The "elevator " parable opens the book, two executives " trapped" on a broken escalator , one screaming out for help the other frustrated and waiting for rescue . They do not see the simple option of merely walking up or down the now immobile escalator to safety. "This is a book about seeing the stuck, getting unstuck, and working within and swimming upstream in a system that often would prefer that you merely stand still. It"s about realizing that it's your turn, always your turn, and understanding that once you see the opportunity, it's yours".<br />
Interesting points about obligation. "Obligation is not a two -way street." "We do good work when we repay a debt. But the feeling of being owed destroys our ability to do good work." "The feeling of being owed is toxic".<br />
While we have to understand that , Mr Godin says this does not let us off the hook of our obligations. The "productive artist" is owed nothing from their audience ....yet the the productive audience "owes the audience, and in unlimited measure."<br />
Mr. Godin goes between just pushing ( "it's your turn") and answering the demon questions that may be holding the creative person back ("one day , I'll be ready" "Shame and Failure"....). While the emphasis is the "push"... He does emphasis responsibility and "thirst " ...of learning and doing. There are many observations and pointers that address what "creativity" means now , today. "What does better mean?". "Today , better means more connected. Something we would miss if it were gone. In the connection economy,better means more human, more vulnerable , the thing that embraces the tension of works/might not work." Brilliant and on the mark.<br />
The emphasis in the book is truly on motivating the individual . The push truly is "it"s your turn ." Not on what you need to acquire for it to be your turn . Through the different anecdotes and question posing he works in through the back door approach of showing the things a truly creative person has . This is important because many times in the work place today many people are not lacking the push of feeling it's always their turn yet do not have for example the knowledge and in many cases the heavy wait of what they are owed, the other persons obligation to them . Very smart advice in "My Boss Won't Let Me "section.... "Steal, give credit and ship..."<br />
He does close with creating with love and a book sharing log in the back of the book ( he is a clever marketer, creating the important buzz).<br />
And yes you will share without hesitation as the format allows for the full bell curve of readers. <b>Heather Lee, Miami Beach, Fl</b><br />
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Dr. Wayne Dyer had written a book, “You’ll See it When You Believe It,” and I think that this philosophy is repeated, and expanded upon, in Godin’s “What to Do When It’s Your Turn (and it’s always your turn).” Both books talk about being presented with Opportunities – and acting on them! Dyer’s book is more of a self-help “trust your instincts” and “go with your gut feelings” manual. Godin has decided to just take a page or two and make a statement – sometimes with an illustration, and sometimes not. Lots of statements there – so something should appeal to just about everyone.<br />
Remember those Positive Thinking posters that used to be all over company walls? Reading through Godin’s newest book, I could see so many of them plastered on the wall, ready to be read, thought about, and acted upon! And “acted upon” is what it’s all about. Godin hits the nail on the head when he talks about people talking about doing something special “when…….. (insert whatever barrier you want here…). “I’ll look for a new job when/after this happens” -- or “I’ll try out that new design or new music (or whatever else you’ve been procrastinating), when………”<br />
Do It Now! Accept the fact that there might be failure – but then again, there might also be success! Godin has stressed this concept in all his books, and this latest book states it again, in short parables and sentences.<br />
Seth Godin is sort of the grandparent I didn’t have…. My family was raised without having extended family around… there were no grandparents, or aunts, or uncles, to guide/mentor us on Life 101. So, with this book, we’re given the opportunity to read, reflect, act upon, and then SHARE these ideas with others, so they can do the same! Spread ideas horizontally – person to person to person – and maybe there can be some positive changes to our community.<br />
Here’s a link to more on Godin’s book: <a href="http://www.yourturn.link/">http://www.yourturn.link/</a> <b>Betty G Hubschman, Whitsett, NC</b><br />
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During and after my first reading of this book, I was confused. What was I supposed to get out of this confusing book. I am tired of being told that change happens and having to constantly attend training or read material designed to get me to accept change! I did not like the way it was written nor how the material was presented. But decided to give it another go and read it again!<br />
After this second reading I gradually began to like the book and understood what Seth was writing about. I was really bothered by this writing style because its not what I was expecting even after reading the author's website and Richard's warning. I also began to understand this was not another book about accepting change, but a book about how I have a choice!<br />
So I get it, this book is worth reading not just one time but perhaps three times before a person really starts to take the advice Seth is putting out there...Take charge of your life and live the way you want to. Not for any one else but for you.<br />
You almost feel compelled to consider what you supposed to be doing with your life, what you should be doing and what you are doing. Then after contemplating that, you are asked to think about what might be the next step to make your life your own. Love it!<br />
The author wants the reader to understand not only your own relevance, but also introduces ideas such as not relying on others and not falling into the trap of assuming the world owes you a not only a living but also your own happiness. You are responsible for both!<br />
You have a choice is drummed in to the reader every step of the way. Wonder if Seth Godin was influenced by Stephen Covey and his teachings. You have the choice to say yes or no, to go left or right.<br />
I really enjoyed the idea that we not fear failure or change, but embrace it and most importantly learn from these acts.<br />
Keep this book by your desk or where you put books to be read and read a few pages over and over again!<br />
I did pass one book to a co-worker, after I put my name in it of course. I asked her to pass it on to someone else or keep it...its her choice. I will encourage my daughter and son to read this book as well as their spouses...I want it back though. ;-) <b>Forrest Carper</b><br />
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The unique format of Seth Godin's latest book is an attention getter!<br />
While attracting attention with beautiful pictures, it intrigues the potential reader enough to pick up the book to discover what the book is actually about......opportunity and the freedom to use it. The book encourages and inspires someone to learn new things, create new ideas, or just do something you always wanted to do.<br />
Take the opportunity to make things happen and change for the better.<br />
Godin gives encouragement to "Go for it! Why wait to be ready? Your idea is important and it just might work. Think what you would have missed for not even trying!" There's no guarantee of success, but something will happen. If it's not what you are looking for, try another way.<br />
This is the kind of book that should be read more than once and the perfect book to discuss with others to share thoughts, ideas, and information gleaned from it. It is full of examples and reasons to go ahead with your ideas without fear of failure. Each time I read it, I found something I hadn't seen before or something that clicked that didn't before. It's too much to absorb all at once in one reading.<br />
Discussing Godin's book with others is the best way to get the most inspiration to seize the day, do more, and follow your dreams.<br />
In Parade Magazine on March 1 this year, there was an article "Anything is Possible"... Everyday people are changing the world. In my head I could hear Seth Godin say.......Now it's your turn to be one of those people! <b>Margot Byrnes Miami, Florida</b><br />
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I like how Seth Godin combines the book with historical tidbits about historical figures with an invitation to take our turn in the making of our ruckus: "Go, take your turn," he says. How apt that I started reading this book today, Women's International Day as the face that jumps out at me from the cover of the book is that of Annie Kenney, a 19th Century mill worker from England who upon asking a member of Parliament his position on the right to vote refused to answer prompting Annie to make her own ruckus. And the rest, as they say, is history. This is what all of us must learn to do because this is how maps get charted into totally unexpected new worlds. <br />
Whatever you do, don't just read the book for the sake of reading it even though it is that good. As Godin himself, points out "Books don't change people. People change people. As much as we're inclined to think that we're insignificant, the truth is that each one of us holds enough power to set the whole world on fire. This book is about that. About doing things without worrying if there is price tag attached to it. About bringing in ideas that will change the world taking it all the way to the beginning: your world. So that you are not timid about spilling those ideas into your community. Together, we make change possible. This book is about "making noise and letting "them" know, you're there!"<br />
If you are willing to give your all, that is. As the book reminds us, many of us doubt ourselves because we are torn between certainty and taking a risk, between circumstance and creative choice, between the familiar and the unknown. In short, it is the Fear of Freedom as displayed in one of the pages of the book, but then Godin reassures us by way of a "memo" and I quote: "Mostly, a memo to the struggling human who faces the abyss of taking a turn and is sure that this is the end of everything: it's not." Aaaah, beautiful ! It is a mistake to buy into the illusion that such opportunity is only available to a few chosen ones when in reality we are all chosen. Just as Annie had the courage to rise up to the occasion, this book is an invitation to stop giving up our turn at every turn. <b>Nadja Atkinson Miami, FL.</b> <a href="http://www.cafeconlechefund.org/">www.cafeconlechefund.org</a><br />
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When I first received the book I said, "What a weird book." Upon further review I said, "Wow this looks like a great , inspiring, positive, upbeat book." Then I opened it and to my surprise, there were pictures. Interested before even beginning to read it. Love the titles of the other books of the author. The reader gets a feel you're in for an exciting journey.<br />
I loved the idea of dancing with fear and doing what you love anyway. Gives the reader the courage to go past the fear and walk through the door of the unknown.<br />
By the time I was half way through with the book I felt this urging deep inside to remember my childhood dreams. I found myself on a journey into the depth of my inner imagination and started to feel my creative juices flowing.<br />
As the book took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions I found it refreshing to laugh at myself and my resistance to the words and the unspoken action that would widen my world and the world of those about me.<br />
The book not only gives the reader the courage to try but the knowledge that others have failed/feared and walked through to a new experience. The book is full of interesting facts that kept me interested and excited with every turn of the page. The anticipation of what's next was intriguing, <br />
This book makes you want to write a book so I'm going to stop now as I could go on and on about what a marvelous read this was. <b>Deborah Harris, Hallandale Beach, FL</b><br />
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Ok, so now it’s my turn, and after reading Seth Godin’s latest I find it hard to organize my thoughts and write. I like to write, and have never felt fearful, but this book makes one fearful. Or maybe it makes me wonder why I wasn’t fearful. <br />
I love to read, but I didn’t enjoy this book. The book is definitely different and interesting and perhaps would encourage people who do not normally like to read. I had no issue with the format, but rather with the cluttered ramblings that came across too negative for my taste. I felt as though I was being chastised for things I am not guilty of.<br />
Godin writes of everyone being afraid to take their turn, whereas I would be annoyed if I didn’t get my turn. Perhaps the book is a wake-up call for those afraid to start, afraid of failure, or just plain afraid, but this negative approach just irritated me. <b>Emily Gilday</b><br />
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Seth Godin has this way of reaching at once into your mind and your heart to make you revisit something you thought you understood, and asking you to look at it from a completely different standpoint. His latest work, WHAT TO DO WHEN IT'S YOUR TURN (and it's always your turn), is an enjoyable read about identifying and committing to your life's purpose and taking your turn instead of hiding behind fear, procrastination and self-seeking guarantees of certainty of security. This is what Seth calls the work of a grownup - "Embracing the fear of freedom, deciding to determine your own path, this is the work of a grownup, of someone who can identify what truly matters."<br />
WHAT TO DO WHEN IT'S YOUR TURN is a must-read for any intelligent life form who has been educated in American universities, where we are subtly taught to only take our turn when we are told to, where we are groomed for working in an industrial-age workplace where roles are defined from without, and compliance seems a necessary trade-off for promotions, raises, and climbing the ladder. Seth invites us to let go of these rigid roles, and he insists that we let go of the guarantees which seduce us into abdicating our potential and choosing mediocrity and compromise. He lets us know that making friends with fear, failure, and responsibility leads the way to living an authentic, creative life.<br />
This colorful, simple, entertaining, and stimulating treatise extends the most delicious invitation - to make our gift to society by rising up, overcoming fear, and becoming the fullness of ourselves. "People who are open to uncertainty are the pathfinders for the rest of us..." and as Ernest Hemingway reminds us, "You'll ache, and you're going to love it. It will crush you. And you're still going to love all of it. Doesn't it sound lovely beyond belief?" <b>Trish Caballero</b><br />
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People can identify their own fears, but this book takes it further into looking at what is behind the fear itself. We learn to allow ourselves the thought that “not everything has to be okay”.<br />
I admired the concept of the “fifth hammer” which shows that you don’t have to follow the rules to have a greater impact. Whether you fierce and need more motivation or merely curious about getting started and embrace the fear to gain more freedom — this book is very worthwhile. <b>Peter Kihn</b><br />
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Giving. This is one of the most genuine, thoughtful and giving books and I’d like to say thank you! Like the egg-white omelet, this book is remarkable. The level of visual appeal and detail from the front foldout cover to the back is exquisite. Advice, explanation, and a compelling story told by a caring teacher. Nothing left up to interpretation. Seth shares his concern by simplistic clarity in every message. His repetition to keep you engaged, and recall the last example is designed to ensure you don’t forget. Leading by example in the tone of selflessness and caring of sharing the message to take your turn.<br />
We live in a world of sound bites. Seth takes compelling, relatable stories told in such precision that each scenario can be clearly summarized in less than ten words. For many people, a voice of support, empowerment and direction is not present. This is the present from Seth for anyone to accept and embrace what is out there for you.<br />
Seth asks the tough questions. The tough questions we might hire a strategic life coach to push us past our limits. The fears, thoughts and feelings everyone is having, but no one will talk about are uncovered and exposed. This book is written for everybody. No boundaries of who you are, where you come from or where you want to go. This book is for you. This is really a guide for a healthy approach to take ownership, get out of your own way, recognize those that are encouraging the noises in your head and giving you permission to change course and take your turn. <b>Angie Stone</b><br />
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I was introduced to Seth Godin through this book review club. I have been fortunate to have been able to read and review interesting and thought-provoking works such as Free Prize Inside, All Marketers are Liars, and The Big Moo. All were great reads, with useful and wise theses on a wide-range of topics.<br />
While I enjoyed his latest book, What To Do When It's Your Turn, it didn't give me any of the "ah-ha" moments of his previous titles. What To Do felt, in a way, recycled. There were some interesting stories of how people embraced conflict and took risks. It turned into a written pep talk on getting out and trying to become the change you wish to see in the world.<br />
Deep down, it feels like this book is merely a vehicle for Godin's attempt to find a new way to distribute books (including providing the book club reviewers with two books - one to share). Its format (more a glossy magazine than a book) over function.<br />
I fought with it. In the end, however, I understood that Godin was practicing what the book preached - doing something different, trying to push the edges and make something new. Godin continues to do what he loves in new and interesting ways, and I look forward to reading his next book. Isn't that what this is all about? <b>Scott D. Rembold Coral Gables, FL</b><br />
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He has done it again; Set Godin talking a new spin on the presentation of content; in his new book entitled What to Do When It’s Your Turn he explored a series of business related concepts<br />
In a true act of marketing master, Seth engages the readers through series of eye catching photos, large fonts and typical devotes one topic per page. While interweaving anecdotes and stories Seth keeps the reader on the edge of their seat as the book unfolds the story one at a time.<br />
It is hard to ignore the hard work that went into the identification collection and integration of facts in this book. Mind (and also eye/…) catching phrases such as the Illusion of the safety are featured alongside topics such as Bravery and Courage are for other people.<br />
The artistic elements of this book are overwhelming the simple reader. This is not your run of the mill marketing book nor is it a text book for business people. Its beauty is in the subliminal messages that create a visual image of the concepts as one progress through the pages. The book’s unusual size and quality of the paper adding to the overall reading experience. <b>Doron Zilbershtein</b><br />
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I've read several marketing books by Seth Godin, all of them very creative and marketing oriented.<br />
However, "What to Do When Its Your Turn" is more a an overall life perspective book. Page after page of stories, pictures and wisdom--on how we need to prepare ourselves for greatness with accepting your freedom as a gift as a major them throughout.<br />
The book is for entrepreneurs, those considering entrepreneurship, and family dealing with the human condition and the fact that it is always our turn to be ready for the next turn in life. The pictures and layout of the book bring it to one continuous journey of life lessons. I am giving the second copy to one of my sons, as he is discovering the lessons of life just out of school and Seth Godin's essays are extremely thought provoking.<br />
I think it is best enjoyed a few pages at a time, stopping and meditating on the relevance to our own lives as reader, human being, and person committed to our own success.<br />
Great inspiring essays deal with subjects such as "The Person who Fails Most, Wins" (it means you are staying in the game), "Fear of Stupidity" (it isn't being stupid that is the problem, it is the feeling we often associate with it), "When is the right time" (never is, so we need to grab the moment--how much I could relate to this having brought up a family), "Free will and the play-by-play in your head (how self-talk affects us), "One day, I'll be ready" (some people are not thirsty enough or as Les Brown says, "You've got to be HUNGRY"), "Program or be programmed" ("Either you're the creator or you're the audience. Either you're waiting your turn or taking it), and so many more gems of wisdom by Seth Godin punctuated with wonderful relevant photography interspersed. <br />
This was a surprising book as it talked about the challenges of being human and being ready for the next experience around the corner. I highly recommend it. <b>Randy B. Lichtman, Miami, FL.</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-27645394586974870132015-01-26T14:21:00.002-05:002015-02-01T17:02:19.937-05:00Next Book: What To Do When It's Your Turn<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/111751479" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.yourturn.link/" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">What To Do When It's Your Turn by Seth Godin</span></b></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">From <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/" target="_blank">the author</a>...</span><br />
<b>I THINK WE'RE WASTING THE CHANCE OF A LIFETIME.</b><br />
This is an urgent call to do the work we're hiding from, a manifesto about living with things that might not work and embracing tension when doing your art.<br />
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Is in full color throughout. It feels more like a high-end magazine than a book, and I think even people who hesitate to buy and read books will be engaged by this one.<br />
<br />
The format is new for me and as far as I know, no author has written a book quite this way. My hope, if we are able to reach a lot of people, is that I'll be able to do other books like this, and even better, so will you and other people with ideas to share.<br />
<br />
Explores, as directly as I can, the dance we all have to do with our fears, the tension we all must embrace in order to do work that we care about. It pushes us to dig deep inside so we can do better work and impact the things we care about.<br />
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Is urgent, personal, in-your-face and as honest as I could make it.<br />
<br />
Some of the people featured in the book include:<br />
Mark Frauenfelder, Timothy Leary, Grace Hopper, Miles Davis, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Leonardo Davinci, Leonard Bernstein, Ai Wei Wei, Erich Fromm, Mike Ambassador Bruny, Allison Myers, Akira Kurosawa, Walter Mischel, Richard Nixon, Isaac Asimov, Ella Fitzgerald, Gutenberg, Shirley Chisolm, Heisenberg, Madame Curie, The Staypuft Marshmallow Man, and David Crosby.<br />
<br />
Want to read and review this book? Please click on the link at the top left of this page. (Supplies limited.)<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-25210089603697738522015-01-22T14:26:00.000-05:002015-01-26T14:12:58.494-05:00Club Reviews: A WORLD GONE SOCIAL<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/081443326X/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank"><img alt="A World Gone Social" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHNHtxpelGScm19ezmHFwIM_-A1maWvpSlZdHqV_5DknOyjqP4jihnGnLVqWf8JMgofdzOnVV2w0EiOVUNiE_gb-8V4F4Pe2It1ij64DFt-N07kMr4Iz0BwB2Huo-Y08-NIYYTMMgw2N8/s1600/A-World-Gone-Social-3D.png" height="320" title="A World Gone Social" width="216" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/081443326X/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank">A World Gone Social: How Companies Must Adapt to Survive by Ted Coine, Mark Babbitt. AMACOM. 256 Pages</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The very first statement in the Forward is dead on! After 38 years as COO of a 14,000 member organization in the "defense business" I can tell you mass advertising is almost useless, a relic of the past. Today it is all about customer contact and that means social. It is pointed out so very well that the key is engagement. It is very true today that business executives do not write the rules, customers do! Customers want to voice their opinions and be heard and they want their thoughts acted upon. Anything else brings inevitable death for a business. Customers today no longer tolerate being ignored. This being social today just has to be the "new normal" because it is also what our associates are demanding in the workplace. As it points out the big issue is not social media, FB, Twitter or some other platform, it is transparency with customers and associates. Trust is the new competitive advantage. Organizations must adapt or die! Peter Aceto gives the bottom line right up front "Less jargon, more sincerity...Less propaganda, more value...Less process, more humanity." The authors tell us that the 20th century attempts organizations used to fine tune the status quo, Six Sigma, Total Quality Management, the Lean Movement are not real change. Real change is human change. It ain't easy but it is essential! If you are leader of an organization or any part of it, YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK! Because my space is limited, I just want to share with you a few key points from the book:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today's organizations find themselves in a catch up mode trying to seize the moment before opportunity passes. Organizations are just getting into the social age so they can lead, not follow. Today way to many executives see "social media" as all hype and this must change! Executives must recognize that today the majority of the workforce are Millennials who think differently and they think social. The authors say so very well, "We as organizations and leaders must adopt social, collaboration, open environment or we simply won't survive. For many of us who are still entrenched in the old way, we must adapt and change! If not, we need to get out of the way. The authors make this critical point, "The powers that be-those previously able to hoard knowledge-are now impotent rulers and the powers that were." The article about Stan Phelps purple goldfish is insightful but you will have to read the book to learn more. Social is how business is done and it works because we are social creatures. Social media allows us to be more of us. And we must recognize that both good and bad are magnified in the social media. For sure as the authors share, "the customer holds all the cards." Businesses do business like the customer wants to do business or they decline and die in time. Social media provides the customer "a good and bad voice." Enough bad voices can kill you! Engagement is key today. It is no longer a top down issue.Everyone in a business must be engaged to be successful. In the online era, an online community is critical. Successful organizations have large online communities that are sharing and self-learning. And here is the bottom line-"Those unwilling to change will cease to exist." Key to remember in today's social world is that large is a relic of the past and even large organizations best find a way to be small to survive. "Flat" is the new normal. Organization associates from bottom to top must be empowered to make decisions. Hierarchy is DEAD! We must have ordinary people with an extraordinary network fully engaged and making decisions. Jim Claussen says, "My passion is the social organization-or rather bringing the social leader to organizations. Right now they are about as common as blue unicorn." So this tells us, we have a very long way to go. It is pointed out that successful CEO's today must be social and above all they must be sincere. There is a sense or urgency and there are no two-day courses. As John Carlzon so appropriately says, "If you are not serving the customer, you job is serving someone who is." Lest we forget, in today's world, the customer is KING! Chapter 12 does a wonderful job of sharing that customer service is a leadership issue and we must have leadership by example.Social media is marketing. John Wanamaker points out that "Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted, the trouble is I can't figure out which half." Open collaboration is our new normal. The authors conclude by saying, ours is a world gone wild and to survive you must be on the social bandwagon.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">READ this book!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Doug Newberry</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I felt A World Gone Social is definitely a timely book & one much needed at this time in our society. It gives good tips about what to do & what not to do to stay relevant in today's workplace. Whether doing business globally or locally, we all can learn some new ideas when going online. We are no longer in the Flintstones era but have progressed to the Jetsons. The authors break down the segments nicely & in an easy to read format. <b>Terri Bryant, Davie</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A World Gone Social can be summarized in 2 single words -personal interaction. The personalization of one human interacting with others and in groups sharing feelings,thoughts,ideas and philosophies via any form of internet forum, Twitter, Facebook , Linkedin etc. will be the glue that will cement relations with customers, clients, competitors, employees that will shape the corporate and business strategy of the future. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This well written and documented book can serve as a primer for the whys and how tos of implementing and using this approach in business, personal advancement, customer service, reputation maintenance and marketing for the 21 century.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The authors showed concrete examples and thorough knowledge of the subject and presented the concepts in an easy to understand and implement format. Highly recommended and hope to use this information in my own medical practice. <b>Marv Stein, Coral Springs</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Social Media" "Social World" how do I as a business leader/manager, employee, job seeker learn to use it to stay competitive in this new computer driven world. Co-authors Mark Babbitt and Ted Coiné provide you the guide on using this new world that not only betters you but makes you a success!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Do not fear the social world, embrace it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Society is undergoing revolutionary changes, in order to excel so must business. Personal engagement with employees and customers alike builds trust and loyalty. In this present shock world, a business cannot think that what was said years ago matters anymore. Coine and Babbitt outline and detail a step-by-step playbook on how to identify and fix a failing Industrial Age system and how to forecast a successful system. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Their "OPEN" concept – Ordinary People, Extraordinary Network - gives you the knowledge that you cannot afford to leave talent, skills, engagement and contribution of many on the table. Decision-making and taking action on the most important strategic issues are no the job of a few but of everyone. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Customer Service is the leadership issue in this Social Age, customer experience comes first. Businesses and those who want to succeed in bringing their business or message to the masses need to understand how people today are getting their information and what drives them to get involved. <b>Forrest Carper</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A World Gone Social serves as a slap of reality to managers who must either hop on the social media train or cower as it runs them over. The book, however, also provides a guide to addressing the issues surrounding companies' policies concerning and use of social media as a business tool.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My business and I have accounts on Twitter and LinkedIn. I keep up with old friends and new on Facebook and Instagram. A World Gone Social made my organization's social media presence feel stunningly inept and inactive. The book case studies had me running to the company manual to update our employee social media policy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A World Gone Social confirms that flat is the new black, and companies must develop strategies for social media that integrate multiple levels of organizational planning including marketing sales, and even production, and that allow for previously unimaginable creativity and interaction inside the company and with clients.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The chapters and sections were separated into manageable pieces, which allowed for reading a little or a lot. The subject matter and writing style kept me taking on just one more chunk before putting down the book.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Maybe after reading A World Gone Social, I will be able to evolve from a dinosaur into a blue unicorn. <b>Scott D. Rembold, Coral Gables</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What does this book have to do with dinosaurs? They are extinct because of something they didn't see coming or have control over. Social media is having the same effect for business owners who don’t embrace it. Am I a dinosaur? Maybe, just maybe I have had the layers of the onion peeled back for me by reading A World Gone Social by Ted Coine and Mark Babbitt.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As building relationships is the fundamental basis for any business relationship ultimately resulting in profits, now more so than ever this is true. Using “social” to create trust and “giving” to others rather than looking at “what’s in it for me” is the game changer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I owned a manufacturing business from the late 70’s through 2007. Just as social was coming of age I transitioned out of owning a “brick and mortar” business. Now I am working in my own network marketing business. Am I social? Good question. Reading this book is a game changer for me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So I am going social! I am updating my Facebook page, I am tweeting, participating in LinkedIn conversations, listening to Podcasts and learning to do Podcasts myself. All of this because of reading this book. I believe just as there are no coincidences, I was and am ready for these changes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A special thanks to you Richard and the connection that has been in place since your days at the Miami Herald doing business book reviews. <b>Tom Hinz, Blue Lake, CA</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A World Gone Social seems to have the overall theme of "meet your customers, clients, employers, employees where they are now"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I recommend this book for anyone looking at starting a business as it goes through the history of businesses and how they attracted clients and were managed to where we are today with 3D printers and flat organizations.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As you read and reread the chapters you discover ordinary people are now managers and when a job is done you move on to the next.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Great book and a text to study whether you are a college grad seeking employment or a company finding your customers.<b> Cynergy Egbert</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With computers taking over the world of business, it was inevitable that the social net work would follow.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Communication is easy and wide open to everyone. Ideas, thoughts, opinions, and an enormous amount of information is available to share and contribute to.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">All manner of opinions, either positive or negative, go viral on the internet,especially if there are visuals included, even if the information is from the past. The information can still be used to destroy a business or anyone working there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">People have many "so-called friends" on face book to share with. There are even lists to add your opinion to that have turned into actual money making businesses. This can be good or bad, depending on the action or reaction of those involved. Unfortunately, social networking can turn into digital bullying resulting in negative results for companys and people as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A World Gone Social written by Ted Coine and Mark Babbit is the perfect survival guide for those who wish to survive in this social driven world where more transparency and accountability are demanded from customers who are better informed. <b>Margot Byrnes, </b><b>Miami</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When leadership of a Business is more conscious of social media, employee’s care more due to a “feel to fail” mentality. I found the Authors gave clear examples of how to correct mistakes quickly and staying relevant in the growing social landscape are key’s to learning and thriving in the future. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to make a greater impact Socially. <b>Peter Kihn, Sterling Heights MI</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A World Gone Social is the book to bring you up to speed on the rising tide of social media. Not only will you learn social’s impact on how business is done, but also learn the importance of jumping in right away if you haven’t already! The good news is, it is not too late. Social platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Linked-In and others) are transforming how business is done and what it means to be OPEN (“Ordinary People Extraordinary Network”) for business. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The insightful analysis of business trends shows that businesses are already moving away from traditional management hierarchies (and so avoiding the ‘management tax’) and toward increasing use of crowdsourced information and expertise. The authors show that Social is a definite game changer and dynamic force, similar to the industrial revolution. It is clear that the information age has matured, and Social Media is disrupting the status quo. Great handling of this topic – entertaining and a smart lexicon on social media – a must read. <b>Doramary Russell, Coral Springs</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My first impression of the business practices this book supports, like to “take your business practices and organization online” was would it really work? Then I remembered the thesis of a recent book by Siva Vaidhyanathan, called The Googlization of Everything (and why we should worry) and I thought “be careful”, there might be a tradeoff in this philosophy. Do we really have to network our personal lives with our work associates, into the business product? And if we do this, despite the accolades Silicone Valley organizations get, does it necessarily improve organizations and create a successful business model?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I get the point of staying in touch with coworkers when much of our processes are becoming impersonal with no water cooler or lunch breaks, but going to this level with the competition and the customer base is dubious and taking risks. And what is the purpose of going there, if the primary result is messiness and a complicating waste of time because we’ve overstepped our boundaries. In large organizations where is a place for families? Really ...on the net?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Where does the chat and twitter become a real factor, or obfuscation?. In business there are standards and legal limits that must be maintained, as anybody whose been stung by an eBay deal can attest to. This hearsay model of business might be undependable at best. So why go there? If this is the new business climate, my question becomes “Does it meet the customer’s standards and their needs enough to be successful or is the result a throwback and longing for “face-to-face dependability”? <b>James Swaner, Miami Shores</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I devoured this book! It helped bring me up to date and is helping me transition from the dinosaur era into the Social Era. I understand what it’s talking about, it’s very easy to read and it makes so much sense. My favorite part was the example of 100 CIOs in an hour, when Ted set out to show the CEO of a company why he needed a social media strategist by using Twitter to identify and, as it turned out, converse with, 100 CIOs. He reached over 1000! In an hour.<br /><br />It delights me that the world is becoming more human again, and that the way to beat the bigger is better philosophy is occurring on-line. This book makes it clear that authenticity matters and that honesty really is a good policy. People respond to real. The best takeaway I took from this book is that I no longer view the time I spend on Facebook as a waste of time. Instead, I view it as a productive way of keeping in touch. We may not see each other face to face as much as in decades past, but we can still visit with each other and keep in touch in a meaningful way. We can all be helpful and participate in being part of the human race, from the comfort of our own devices. As a solopreneur, this is good to know. Welcome to the Social Age. Now go and engage. <b>Anne Bloom Ft. Lauderdale</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What an interesting and easy to read book; The World Gone Social is a collaboration between two known authors each in his domain; Ted Coine (leadership development) and Mark Babbitt (social media).<br />The book is written in a blended style with great emphasize on a flow that takes the reader step by step through the maze of individuals topics. The headings selected for each segment of each chapter inform the reader well ahead about what to anticipate.<br />As an industrial psychologist who help the occupiers of the “C” Suite maneuver the landscape of their daily emerging challenges, I see this book as a “Must Read” in every library of a leader of small to medium size organization.<br />While the average entrepreneur seem to consider social media is outward looking activity, the authors emphasize the like between the “ identity “ of the company which is developed internally and the “image” which is the reflection of the organization outward. By offering this unique perspective, the authors suggesting that the social media engagement should be look at from a broader perspective and everyone should be involve to their capacity with the input related to the content presented on social media. In summary the book is well written, offers a balanced set of ideas, easy to understand and follow. <b>Doron Zilbershtein, Miami</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There is a whole new world out there. As a social media neophyte, this book was eye opening and extremely informative. I really enjoyed the examples and comparison stories of how companies or individuals used the power of social media to impact their agenda. The best story of all is the United Airlines guitar incident. After growing his viral video to over 11 million viewers, he is now on the speaking circuit talking about the situation among other things. <br />From a business standpoint, a huge take-away is the difference between the companies that engage in social media and the ones who use it for self serving purposes. It's apparent the ones who engage will still be around in the future. However, there is a significant business opportunity for someone who can assist those "dinosaur" companies that don't understand the engagement factor. <br />Overall, a must read for someone who needs to understand the power of social media. <b><span style="font-family: inherit;">G</span>reg Alexander, Plymouth, MN</b><b><br /></b></span><br />
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The title of this book piqued my interest. Social Media, for example, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. (the writer is a member of these and other Popular Social Media sites) has become a major force in our world society along with the advancements of Smartphones, Pads and computers. These devices are used in communicating and searching for information. These devices are plentiful and are what makes Social Media so popular.<br />
The book is about reasons that businesses (including the top people) should use and be acquainted with Social Media. These reasons to use Social Media are primarily to be in personal contact with the customer and also to solve issues through your following in Social Media (Called in the book - OPEN, Ordinary People Extraordinary Network).<br />
I think all the major retailers such as Target, Home Depot, Walmart and others already use Social Media extensively for marketing purposes. This is called business to consumer selling.<br />
Some of the reasons presented for using Social Media are not valid examples and may not be justified. This is particularly true for Business to Business selling.<br />
There is an added cost in the use of Social Media. The book indicates that Social Media should be used instead of traditional marketing methods such as print, TV and other Media. This will keep the total marketing cost about the same. It does seem to be true that Social Media will give you more contact with the customer and help you solve problems or get information quickly, but at what cost? <br />
Social Media is hard to evaluate in its effectiveness, but the book does acknowledge that and gives arguments on why companies should do Social Media. <br />
The book is a good sales tool for the authors if you plan to be more involved in Social Media their consulting would be useful. The book states that they have been involved with Social Media almost from its birth.<br />
We do need to learn about Social Media and where it is going. The book is helpful in detecting what the trends are for Social Media. <b>Gordon Ettie Miami, FL</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-37320940766505357682014-11-16T14:33:00.003-05:002014-11-16T14:36:16.306-05:00Next Book: A WORLD GONE SOCIAL<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/081443326X/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank"><img alt="A World Gone Social" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHNHtxpelGScm19ezmHFwIM_-A1maWvpSlZdHqV_5DknOyjqP4jihnGnLVqWf8JMgofdzOnVV2w0EiOVUNiE_gb-8V4F4Pe2It1ij64DFt-N07kMr4Iz0BwB2Huo-Y08-NIYYTMMgw2N8/s1600/A-World-Gone-Social-3D.png" height="320" title="A World Gone Social" width="216" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/081443326X/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank">A World Gone Social: How Companies Must Adapt to Survive by Ted Coine, Mark Babbitt. AMACOM. 256 Pages</a></b><br /><br /><b>ABOUT THE BOOK</b><br />The business world has entered a new era—one in which social media has fundamentally changed the way companies innovate, market, scale, build teams, and serve customers. Welcome to the Social Age.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Containing stories, analysis of real-world scenarios, and indispensable guidance, A World Gone Social provides the tools you need to build a socially enabled team that puts the customer experience first. You’ll discover what it means to create an "OPEN" network of partners, collaborators—even competitors. And you’ll learn why nimble and collaborative organizations will ultimately outlive their Industrial Age competition.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />In this new business climate, companies unwilling to change are destined for extinction. A World Gone Social enables you to avoid this fate—and lead your organization confidently into the Social Age.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You can read a sample chapter (pdf link) <b><a href="http://www.aworldgonesocial.com/wp-content/thesis/skins/mobile-first/images/sample_chapter.pdf" target="_blank">here</a></b>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The book's website with more info is <b><a href="http://aworldgonesocial.com/" target="_blank">here</a></b>.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-49534878256206760762014-11-02T20:49:00.002-05:002014-11-03T10:05:43.284-05:00Club Reviews: BUSINESS WITHOUT THE BULLSH*T<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/business-without-the-bullsh-t-geoffrey-james/1116865308?ean=9781455574582" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/business-without-the-bullsh-t-geoffrey-james/1116865308?ean=9781455574582" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9nj_DlDT2pH6FUN0gK4OtW_3OMRyVpymd5mjojrLPShUfKSjWH9IYEQ_t1LtANu1w94Ho9fpjLFfJB-lYg_j1PGz8fp6H8T-66gN7jj0YKmVLyfckAvblfCDQV-1CFu2useOHOAV9c6g/s1600/Business+Without+the+Bullsh-t_cover.JPG" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/business-without-the-bullsh-t-geoffrey-james/1116865308?ean=9781455574582" target="_blank">BUSINESS WITHOUT THE BULLSH*T: 49 Secrets and Shortcuts You Need to Know. Geoffrey James. Business Plus.</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My first reaction to the book when I saw the "49 secrets and shortcuts" was oh no not another "to do or not to do" book. But, to be honest, I was not even through the Introduction when I saw this book to be very practical and a simple book with a concept that can be employed right now! Right away my intrigue began with the thought that today we are all freelancers, we are our own bosses, we have to sell ourselves, clarity creates power, people trump technology, courage is critical, belief drives results, and business is simple. All straightforward points that are very actionable. After reading the Introduction, I was already convinced after my 50 years in the business world myself, that Geoffrey was right on target!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I found Part I on "How to Manage Your Boss" (Secrets 1-7) to be very interesting. It is a great reminder to both boss and associate that relationships are symbiotic and that to achieve any kind of success both need the other. I found the 12 types of bosses both humorous but also very accurately describing what I have seen myself in the business world. James talks about 7 things you can do to keep your boss happy and I found them all to be very true. Most of us desire to advance and move up. "Getting your boss working for you" certainly shares ideas that will go a long, long way towards success. It is an absolute truth that not many of us like performance reviews, both boss and associate, but Secret 4 goes a long way in making the process of performance appraisal productive. Secret 6 on "handling unreasonable requests" is super! If in fact the boss and associate relationship is symbiotic then honesty is a must.<br />Part II "How to Manage Your Co-Workers" (Secrets 8-14) is timely because working with your peers and your boss is critical to success. I found all 7 Secrets to be right on target for anyone's personal success. We all need to earn respect, play clean office politics, recruit a mentor, deal with annoying co-workers, and yes we have to deal with those pesky organizational; lawyers, make effective use of social media and last but not least shine in meetings.<br />In Part III (Secrets 15-21) we see how James defines what really great leaders do to manage their people. I found Secret 15 to be very intriguing. James says that good leaders do not view businesses as battlefields and they do not make the competition the enemy. They take on their competitors through diversity, building great teams, and forming partnerships. Secret 16 reminds leaders of a very important point, we manage people not numbers. Secret 17 offers some great insights on how to make criticism effective and not defective. <br />Part IV (Secret 22-28) shares some great thoughts on managing ones self. I found Secret 23 to be very helpful. All of us look to create more time. We are busy and time is a valuable asset. James offers some great ideas on how to create time. Read Part IV!<br />Part V (Secrets 29-35) is very important because it shares some ideas on how to better communicate. I found James "5 Rules for Business Communications" in Secret 29 to be right on target and very helpful. Secret 33 is another nugget. All leaders speak to audiences and James speaks to how "to work the room" to be a more effective communicator.<br />Part VI (Secret 36-42) shares some very important ideas if you find yourself trying to manage an emergency.<br />Finally, in Part VII (Secret 43-49) we are exposed to "How to Cope with Evils." This is a MUST READ and covers everything from dealing with dirty office politics, coping with management fads, spotting lies, identifying bogus statistics, when its OK to lie to your boss and how to safely be a whistle blower. Secret 44 and the part on management by consensus really got my attention. After my 50 years in the business world, most leading large organizations, I would say from experience that managing by consensus is a huge mistake. Too often I found that management by consensus meant management by everyone and that never worked for me! At some point on some things, someone has to decide. As James tells us, consensus normally does not deal with tough issues so we wind up on soft issues and usually remaining at status quo. Secret 48 "The 7 Times It Is OK to Lie to Your Boss" is quite humorous. I would have said it is NEVER OK to lie to your boss but James offers some very interesting insights. But when all is said and done, I am only partially convinced.<br />In conclusion, this is a very good and interesting book. It grabs your attention and holds it. There are many great insights! But I would never have call these 49 Secrets. To me they are more management TIPS that are seldom and often poorly used. <b>Doug Newberry Antioch, Tn.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Now, I really enjoyed this book. Even though the title starts off with the word "Business" most of the content could apply to personal life, not just professionally. This book is something I would definitely share with my 2 young adult children as they are relatively new in the business world & hopefully would welcome the advice it contains. The author made it easy to read, yet didn't dumb it down. <b>Terri Bryant, Davie</b><br /><br />I'm a business book junkie and I believe they all have good and effective strategies to use in order to succeed in business. But this one, "Business without the Bullsh*t" is a treasure trove of "how to" address everyday challenges in the workplace. The "secrets" are presented in a very simple and easily understood manner. As a result, the reader can apply them right away in their work environment confident that he/she will succeed. I especially enjoyed the section on "The Twelve Types of Bosses". I constantly found myself identifying with one of the types of bosses that the author mentioned and wishing I had had this book to refer to. This is definitely a book you want to keep at arms length and make a point of reviewing every week if your goal is to genuinely succeed in business. <b>Alex R. Camacho, Miami</b><br /><br />Business without the bullshit. Does that exist? And can one get ahead in today’s work world without both perpetrating and learning to accept a healthy dose of bullshit? It’s a great name for a book and immediately sparked my interest. Finally, a guy that tells it like it is, no holds barred. <br />I tend to skip the introduction in most books. I usually find that the author talks a lot but doesn’t really say anything of value. This time, I did read the introduction and I’m glad I did, because I actually found it to contain the most insightful statements of the book. The premises of Everyone Is a Freelancer, You Are Your Boss and You Must Sell Yourself, pretty much encapsulate the thinking you must have and the actions you need to take in order to get ahead in today’s work climate. James nails it right from the beginning when he says you have to realize that the days of Company loyalty in return for all your hard work and an expectation of job security are long gone. We are all really just commodities now. If a Company can find someone to do it cheaper, that’s probably the way they are going to go, even if the quality of the work is lower. <br />According to James, the only way to make it through is to always consider yourself as a freelancer and to act accordingly. You have to constantly be selling and reselling yourself and your services to Management in order to reinforce your value in hopes of being deemed irreplaceable. At the same time, you need to always be on the lookout for new and better opportunities, keeping your options open and your resume updated so that you are ready to go at a moment’s notice. Much in the same way Management would drop you without a moment’s hesitation. He also says you must re-think how you see your boss. Don’t think of your boss as managing you. You need wake up and do your own managing. You have to be managing yourself, your boss, your coworkers and the direction of your own career all at the same time. You really are your own boss and there is not a moment to rest. You must be constantly taking action that will “serve your greater purpose”.<br />I think that pretty much sums up a lot of the book. Throughout the chapters, James presents scenarios, ideas, tips and tricks. To be honest, I found much of what he said to be common sense and it wasn’t anything I hadn’t heard before. It was easy enough reading and amiable in its way. But it also got me thinking something else. Isn’t putting forth whole sets of ideas that most people would just consider the common sense thing to do and a re-hashing of all the same things you’ve read and heard before over and over again its own form of bullshit? I think so. And that realization turned me off from the book for a bit.<br />That being said, I did find some of the ideas in the section about managing your boss area to be valuable. James got me thinking about a boss and the relationship to the employee in a much different way than I had before. He says that instead of thinking of the person in that role as a Boss, think of him as someone who is providing you with a service. Some examples he gives are that your Boss gets you resources you need to get the job done, help to solve interdepartmental issues and works to secure money to get you a raise. That makes me think of a boss in much more user friendly terms. It’s also nice to think of my boss as servicing me instead of my being the one to provide all the services while he reaps all the benefits. <br />James talks about the twelve types of bosses which are differentiated by the boss’s motivations in his own career. By correctly identifying your boss’s type and shaping your approach to him accordingly, you will make your relationship a much more effective and less contentious one. By helping your boss get to where he wants to go, you are paving the road that will help you get you where you want to go.<br />He also talks thinking about the Boss not only as someone who has the power to influence what happens to you but as a regular person who, like most people, cares about the opinions of others. He says that you should actively cultivate your boss’s peers into your own social network. These are the people who your boss listens to and whose opinions he values. Those are the people who affect his own opinions and ultimately, his opinion of you. If those people like you and see your value and want you around, that message will make its way back to your boss and he will be influenced to like and want you around too. <br />So, do I recommend the book? There were only a couple of sections that I thought were really great. But when I think about it, both of those areas were strong enough and insightful and valuable enough to cause me to re-shape my thinking. That in itself is the highest level of praise. <b>Rivka Kaminetzky</b><br /><br />This was an enjoyable book and an easy read. Geoffrey James lists 49 of what he calls ‘secrets and shortcuts’ you need to know in business, many of which are just plain common sense. The format makes it easy for you to search for an topic that might be troubling you, and at the end of each section he recaps his ideas, driving home the important points.<br />I particularly liked the section of how to communicate and more particularly ‘how to write a compelling email’. That little secret alone should be mandatory for all incoming employees. It’s almost like teaching a student how to write a thesis. In this day of instant communication an effective email is a must. <br />For anyone looking for a job, a must read is the section on not only how to get the job interview, but how to ace it. <br />All in all, these concise little common sense tips should make life a little bit easier in the world of business if not in your private life as well. <b>Emily Gilday</b><br /><br />This is a book I really enjoyed. It cuts to the chase in many areas that are useful for business and for human interactions in general. Dealing with your boss may not be very different than dealing with your wife, after all.<br />Another good thing about the book is that you can read every paragraph from the perspective of being a boss or being an employee and you extract slightly different perspectives, both useful. At the end of each chapter there is a bulleted key points list that is not very useful if you don't read the chapter first, but very much if you have done so.<br />I'd like to point out a couple of chapters that stand on their own for brevity and clarity: Chapter 34, how to negotiate an agreement, is a 5 page excellent summary on the topic, and if you don't have time to read entire books dedicated to the topic (getting to yes probably the best one) this little gem will start you on the right track. How to have enough time, (Ch. 23) is also very useful for its simplicity and content.<br />In summary, many good lines of solid advice can be found in this book. Entertaining, to the point and highly recommendable. No BS here. <b>Miguel Cobas, Miami</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /> What a fun, entertaining romp about the truth and lies about business as usual.<br />This little book had many pearls and pointers that should guide any office worker from the neophyte to the senior management.<br />Mandatory reading for new hires and survivalists in any office environment. <b>Marv Stein, Coral Springs</b><br /><br />I think the subtitle (49 Secrets and Shortcuts You Need to Know) says it all, and I only wish I had this book, or a good mentor, many years ago. As it is, I’ll definitely pass this copy on to family and friends, so maybe they’ll have less trials and tribulations at work.<br />The book is separated into 7 “parts” – how to manage your boss, your coworkers, your employees, and yourself; and how to communicate, handle emergencies, and cope with evil. (What?? EVIL in the office?? Boy, was I naïve back then…) The “secrets” are short, and are summarized at the end of the topic. Most of all, this is a commonsense book for surviving not only in the workplace, but in life. <b>Betty G Hubschman, Whitsett, North Carolina</b><br /><br /><br />I like that this book is written in seven parts and is designed to jump in right wherever you need advice most.<br />The parts are:<br />1) How to manage your boss<br />2) How to manage your coworkers<br />3) How to manage your employees<br />4) How to manage yourself<br />5) How to communicate<br />6) How to handle emergencies<br />7) How to cope with evil<br />In each section, James identifies secrets and shortcuts you may use to get ahead of whoever your competition happens to be or if you want to help others make it in the world of work.<br />I liked the twelve management styles in the first section and I think it set the tone for the easy read of the rest of the book.<br />I read each section as they were presented and found that I really did not need to. Did not have to remember what the previous sections stated before reading any of the other sections. I did keep in mind the first two parts on Managing your boss and coworkers though. This to me is a big part of who I deal with on a daily basis. I can keep the customer happy just by answering their questions, but, if I am not careful with my co-workers, my work life could be difficult.<br />The “Five Rules for Business Communication” part I liked. We are told why it is important to be clear about the specific reason for communication. Mr. James states it’s critical to know the preferred medium of the person to whom the communication is directed, whether that’s face-to-face, phone, or email. Messages must to be short and to the point, while being absent of buzzwords and jargon. How true!!<br />The entire work covers many points one can put to use on the spot: job interviews; office politics; layoffs; stress; rejection; failure; and what to do if you screw up are only a few.<br />This is a "Perfect" read for someone just out of college and perhaps should be a daily or weekly reader. <b>Forrest Carper</b><br /><br />While I might call bullsh*t on Geoffrey James designating the tactics and techniques in this book "secrets", Business Without the Bullsh*t is a practical business read full of useful thinking points for both managers and employees. <br />The seven parts of the book are divided into helpful categories that allow either a quick read cover to cover, or an engaging reference for particular circumstances. I actually printed the "How to Keep Your Boss Happy" Secret and gave it to two young employees to show them that what I kept telling them about how to advance their careers and keep me from going off the deep end was not complete balderdash. This information is, at times, full of buzzwords and banality. Regardless, as a manager, it is important to reflect on the topics presented on a constant basis, to ensure the business is running effectively, efficiently, and effortlessly. Clichés are clichés for a reason.<br />Whether it be handling an emergency, considering the next hire, or communicating with the younger generation of workers, the fact that Business Without the Bullsh*t made me think, gave me ideas, and assisted with potential solutions makes it a book that will stay on my shelf. <b>Scott Rembold, Coral Gables</b><br /><br />Business Without the Bullshit is simplistic approach to business with not much substance and relevance to today's approach to business. Low rating at best. <b>Ron Groce</b><br /><br />This is a wonderfully titled book of simple and mostly obvious concepts, some of which bear reminding. However this book is flawed. The good news is however you can search for what is relevant to you in a clear table of contents and read those portions and get something out of this book.<br />The book is organized in an efficient manner and chapters are called “secrets” and they are short. They are so short one has to wonder why a shortcut appears at the end of every secret because at a certain point I found myself just reading the shortcuts. And I can tell you exactly at what point in the book that happened.<br />Secret 12 is titled how to handle corporate lawyers and this is where I began to lose interest in the message and had to wonder exactly what provoked such a biased almost irrational diatribe from the author. The author clearly believes attorneys are deal breakers and it is almost always best to leave lawyers out of the process and if you must use an attorney then you must also minimize their “legal gibberish”. And you are warned to never rush an attorney’s work or you will be punished. I believe conversely a good lawyer can be a deal maker and add value as a creative and effective problem solver. That has been my experience.<br />The author became less credible to me as a source of helpful information. I may not have agreed with every point prior however I did think most of the secrets had merit and were worthy reminders to focus, prioritize, communicate effectively, do what you say you will do, be respectful and so on. However I discovered the simple approach is too simple and leaves out too much.<br />The author makes a point of the importance of making decisions and moving on. But nowhere does he share the insight that when you’ve made a mistake with a decision, own it and fix it. That has been my experience.<br />With regard to meetings the author suggests they are generally a waste of time and writes if you don't want to attend a meeting "create an excuse that's plausible but not insulting." I find meetings to be important as they provide the benefit of collaborating face to face with others to share, create, prioritize and improve upon singular ideas. That has been my experience.<br />Above are a few examples of what I did not like in this book. I did like the organization and some of the tactics and techniques presented. My favorite shortcut is “expect something wonderful to happen every day.” This book is full of some good secrets but in my opinion important secrets are missing, the shortcuts should be at the end as a recap and some secrets are simply flawed. Lynn Wiener<br />The book is full of great advice, here are some of my favorites :<br />You can catch stress from others! Called mirror neurons, so stay away from stressed people, who seem to be every where in today's business world.<br />Common Boss lies " We are one big happy family".<br />The book also offers some great tips, I found this one" the most difficult part of time management is not changing the things you do, it is having the courage and discipline to track what you are actually doing", knowledge is power.<br />Your resume according to the book is useful for 2 things, positioning for a new job or strengthening your ability to do your current job.<br />You must create yourself as a brand in today's world. Your photo is your brand logo, brand image is your literacy and your social networking is your media.<br />I found this to be a great book for all business levels from interns to CEO's and I recommend it for any one in business, no matter what type.<br />Get the job done and cut out the BS! <br />Thumbs up on this one! <b>Cynergy Egbert</b><br />What an eye opening read…<br />The book title and tag line led me to believe the book would focus on building a business. What I found inside was a well written guide to surviving the evolving changes in today's workplace.<br />Over the past 20-30 years business has changed. The employee/employer relationship is not expected to last for a decade, let alone a career. Continuous change is the norm. How has corporate management and the workforce adjusted? If you don't understand this, either as a manager or employee, you may become extinct.<br />In this book, author Geoffrey James guides you through today's changing workplace. Each chapter includes the key take always at the end to use as reference when needed.<br />Business without the bullshit is your guide to managing and surviving today's workplace environment. From intern to seasoned manager, everyone will find insights to building better interactions in their workplace.<br />I strongly recommend this book for anyone looking to elevate their careers. <b>John Phillips </b><br /><br />This book is not only well written but it is also full of insights and applicable suggestions. It is an excellent reference book to keep and review periodically. I enjoyed reading it and discussing some of the suggestions with coworkers and friends. The only disappointment when reading the book was that I wished the author would had included more about the actual research and interviews done preceding the publication of the book. As the author indicated that his book is the culmination of many years or research and interviews with “hundreds of executives”. However, I still consider this book one of the most valuable business books written in the last 10 years. <b>Pilar Somoza, North Bay Village</b><br /><br />Geoffrey James authors and shares business insights through one of the most popular blogs and widely followed Twitter feeds available. Through these outlets, James offers countless suggestions and recommendations on how to become more effective, efficient and successful in the business industry. Theses publications have served as the catalyst for the development of this book. In this book James offers 49 secrets divided into 7 general subject areas. Each of the subject areas as well as the secrets may be read in any order as determined by the reader. This format makes the book useful as a reference guide for managers when faced with specific situations as well as a primer for anyone working in a business environment.<br />The section on How To Communicate was of exceptional value as it provided 7 secrets that could be of value to managers of any level of experience. In general, this section, as well as the entire book, encourages and identifies ways for business managers to “streamline” (minimize Bullsh*t) in all facets of work. James feels the streamlining will improve the business environment by eliminating the things that “Bog Down” the process. While I can support the need to streamline all business practices and quite frankly to eliminate the BullSh*t, the book at times is too rigid in it positions. It can not be forgotten that successful management is an art and the skillful manager will know when to dramatically streamline a process or communication and when not too. A manager with limited experience may not be able to ascertain the appropriate times it is appropriate to implement these suggestions and when not to. If a newly named manager sends a too blunt or simplistic email (i.e. We need to Hire Richard as editor.), it may not be well received by upper management. It is also important for managers to recognize the preferred skills and methods of their boss and/or organization. As James suggests in section 1, Secret number 2, How to keep your Boss Happy – Communicate Clearly. Clearly should be by the boss’s definition!<br />Despite these concern, I found the book to be an enjoyable and informative read and would not have any reservation recommending it to other, although I would also offer my own warning regarding the blanket use of all of its secrets without first examining the current work environment. <b>Andy Gillentine</b><br /><br />This book was one of those books you pick up and before you know it it’s done!<br />It was a great book! It is perfect for anyone who is starting a new business, or role.<br />The insightful no nonsense secrets and shortcuts are easy reading and readily applicable to daily business. My favorite was #23 How to have enough time.<br />It seems there is no shortage of time management gurus but Mr. James does a nice job of keeping it simple and concise<br />A great read—Highly recommended. <b>Chip Moody Jr.</b><br /><br />I really enjoyed this book and will be rereading it again to ensure I retain all the teachings. The book certainly lives up to it's title. Geoffey James does a great job of providing the readers with proven techniques to accelerate your business success. He sheds light on how to best deal with bosses and manage employees while also giving you insights on how to effectively communicate ideas. There's over 40 different secrets and techniques, it's tough to pick my favorites. I found every chapter even more interesting than the previous one. james' humor and writing style kept me hooked from page one. Enjoy the read! <b>David Mesas</b><br /><br />I highly recommend Business Without the Bullsh*t to anyone in the working world or those that might join us one day (which means YOU unless you are one of the lucky few whose great great grandfather invented plastic or something). It is chock full of practical tips that can assist you with dealing with real world situations at working, regardless if you are a Chief or an Indian. The best part is that he cuts out all of the fluff that other books have and gets right to the point.<br />While the book is laid out in a manner that allows you to jump around and read the sections that look like they apply the most to your situation, and not every topic is going to apply to you on a regular basis, since it is a quick read, I would make a point of reading it cover to cover. I realize that every topic doesn't apply everyday (#5 "How to ask for a raise") but once you finish, I'd keep it handy open it up at least once a week and randomly select one of the 49 topics and read it again. I've done this for the last couple of weeks and you'd be amazed at the fresh outlook you'll get, not only with what you are dealing with today but also what pops up three days from now. <b>Mike Ewart, Miami Lakes</b><br /><br />The concepts presented in the book give the reader a better grasp of how to manage oneself and others in order to grow for the long term. Treating your current Boss more of a “client” is more relevant today as more challenges and opportunities give people more freedom to move in the corporate world. Constant learning and keeping your emotions in check are important as well. I found this book a useful tool in helping people get more from their own work and time spent in reaching individual goals. <b>Peter Kihn, Sterling Heights MI</b><br /><br />The book states it has 49 secrets and shortcuts you need to know. That is absolutely correct! This is a great book for high school and college students getting ready to find employment as well as any employee that wants to make a difference at their current and future job’s. The short chapters make each section easy to read and does not bullsh*t around getting right to the point without wasting any valuable time.<br />Geoffrey James discusses all the important areas that will help employees become successful in today’s business environment.<b>Trisha Molina</b><br /><br />Great concept for a book – loved the organization that allows you to zero in on various areas of specific interest! Not really a ‘how to run a business book’, but actually a valuable reference for employees who might not have access to a mentor for guidance on office politics or issues. Would be a nice gift for a high school or college graduate landing their first job. Nicely done Geoffrey James! <b>Doramary Russell, Coral Springs</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The book by author Geoffrey James is a handy reference guide to various business situations relating to communications, people, execution and strategy for advancement.<br />The book is easy to read and contains at a glance shortcuts of the discussion for each chapter. As with any book that attempts to provide advice on almost 50 situations some of the subjects are not very comprehensive such as dealing with a egotistical boss who believes that being a bully is an effective way to manage. On the other hand the chapter on writing effective e-mails was well done…as we all receive hundreds of emails a day those that show some thought in the subject line will stand out and in my experience also clarifies the content of the mail….too many people who are rushed put out stream of consciousness emails that fail to move the discussion to a decision making point.<br />A number of chapters provide advice that if you do not like the job for various reasons the exit strategy should be formulated. While this strategy works for younger employees who are in large enough cities where there are a number of job choices my experience is that people who do not work in large urban areas are often at very good company that limits the ability to move….more detail about surviving in these environments would be helpful. <br />Another helpful chapter deals with stress and there is some good advice about trying to avoid multitasking as a perpetual state of activity. Stated another way while deadlines are important the quality of the work is also important…balancing these two are an essential part of advancing within an organization.<br />Priced at $27.00 this book of 49 ideas is certainly worth the investment. <b>Walter Stanton</b> <br /><br />Now, I really enjoyed this book. Even though the title starts off with the word "Business" most of the content could apply to personal life, not just professionally. This book is something I would definitely share with my 2 young adult children as they are relatively new in the business world & hopefully would welcome the advice it contains. The author made it easy to read, yet didn't dumb it down. <b>Terri Bryant, Davie</b></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-20781815575457409902014-08-07T21:16:00.000-04:002014-08-09T08:41:32.223-04:00Next Book: BUSINESS WITHOUT THE BULLSH*T<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/business-without-the-bullsh-t-geoffrey-james/1116865308?ean=9781455574582" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/business-without-the-bullsh-t-geoffrey-james/1116865308?ean=9781455574582" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9nj_DlDT2pH6FUN0gK4OtW_3OMRyVpymd5mjojrLPShUfKSjWH9IYEQ_t1LtANu1w94Ho9fpjLFfJB-lYg_j1PGz8fp6H8T-66gN7jj0YKmVLyfckAvblfCDQV-1CFu2useOHOAV9c6g/s1600/Business+Without+the+Bullsh-t_cover.JPG" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/business-without-the-bullsh-t-geoffrey-james/1116865308?ean=9781455574582" target="_blank">BUSINESS WITHOUT THE BULLSH*T: 49 Secrets and Shortcuts You Need to Know. Geoffrey James. Business Plus.</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b>FROM THE PUBLISHER</b></i><br />As columnist for the award-winning <a href="http://www.inc.com/author/geoffrey-james" target="_blank">"Sales Source" blog on Inc.com</a>, James has distilled blunt secrets from the hundreds of successful executives
and entrepreneurs<span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span>he has interviewed over the years<span style="color: #1f497d;">. </span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/business-without-the-bullsh-t-geoffrey-james/1116865308?ean=9781455574582" target="_blank"><b>BUSINESS <span class="il">WITHOUT</span> THE BULLSH*T</b></a> provide<span style="color: #1f497d;">s</span> quick and dirty solutions that cut straight through all the BS of office policies, procedures, and politics.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's the author's <a href="http://geoffreyjames.com/" target="_blank">website</a>. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-6382296594679912792014-07-13T17:49:00.003-04:002014-07-13T17:55:01.026-04:00Review: THE CASE OF THE MISSING CUTLERY<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-00f0cbbb-87ed-4d9c-44ac-e62cc4abea39" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1629560243/?tag=wordsonwords-2" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1629560243/?tag=wordsonwords-2" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7VphJBp5AqXoeeavQOB7jo0rd8N7a0r3bp0pVUvE_Q7oreMRDRWHsNNk8tuBBz9_EPWxDEWe9RFr9jDpPr4C-RmHeR9xpM_GXQkkmAs4YO-sUYUZSI7BVL7XqbgsDH69lKjTO5PfIWg/s1600/ccut.jpg" height="320" title="Case of the missing cutlery" width="204" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1629560243/?tag=wordsonwords-2" target="_blank">The Case of the Missing Cutlery: A Leadership Course for the Rising Star. Kevin Allen.</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Short book, short review.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />When I wrote a weekly biz books column for the Miami Herald, I imposed <a href="http://www.richardpachter.com/2014/06/fas-without-qs.html" target="_blank">a few limitations</a>, which I communicated to publishers, publicists and authors. Among them, “No parables,” after I’d covered “Who Moved My Cheese,” a popular but obvious tale about the perils of resisting change.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Fables and parables seemed like lazy and contrived ways to teach a lesson. And they were multiplying like vermin. Far too many to take seriously, I decided. Surely there are plenty of real-world examples available.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Indeed! Kevin Allen provides a great one here. His account is a perfect illustration of the most important qualities and behaviors required for leadership, based on his own experience managing a diverse team at NYC's JFK Airport. The brief tale is clearly conveyed and a pleasure to read.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> That’s the first 14 pages of this 60-page book. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The rest of it is ok, but laden with less compelling nuggets, formulas, quotes and the like. With respect to Mr. Case, it’s not needed. Very little of it seems new, fresh or revelatory. It’s not, by any means, horrible, though a real letdown after that first great part.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />But if you want to read a terrific, telling and true tale that teaches, consider the lesson provided by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1629560243/?tag=wordsonwords-2" target="_blank">The Case of the Missing Cutlery</a>. The remainder of the book is entirely optional.</span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-44302718352098682512014-06-10T18:53:00.003-04:002014-06-12T20:00:07.363-04:00Club Reviews: THE CASE OF THE MISSING CUTLERY<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-00f0cbbb-87ed-4d9c-44ac-e62cc4abea39" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1629560243/?tag=wordsonwords-2" target="_blank">The Case of the Missing Cutlery: A Leadership Course for the Rising Star. Kevin Allen.</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Easy to read and understand! I really enjoyed this book, starting with the opening story of his early management trial. He presents very practical insight into group dynamics, group management and problem solving.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I attended many "Leadership Courses" while in the military and this book puts everything we spent months going over into a nice concise, straight to the point book. The real life examples Mr. Allen uses are great!! He gives us the leadership skills a person needs to be aware of intermingled with concrete examples and practical exercises. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">His writing style gives confidence and his identification of the "Gang of Four" is so right.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I feel this book is a good read for anyone interested in business management, sociology or psychology and would find this book enjoyable, practical and useful. This is especially true for those new graduates of our business schools and military leadership courses who have a lot of theory but little in the way of tools to lead. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If a person takes the time to ponder the relevance of their own experience and apply his insights that person will have a starting point in their own development as a leader. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Forrest Carper</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s a very short book that could be even shorter. I found it to be very repetitive as Allen continually reminds us of his successful “Priceless” ad campaign with Master Card, and how his likable personality made him a successful leader. As for solving …”the case of the missing cutlery”, it seems to me it didn’t take any genius to go to the commissary and observe what was going on to quickly solve that mystery. Then in lieu of a reprimand you enlist the guilty to trying to figure out a remedy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The so called 'leadership lessons’ are just basic common sense examples of how you can accomplish more with honey, etc. To take five chapters to deal with the cutlery case is an example of trying to stretch out a thesis lacking in actual worth. I didn’t like the book at all and felt as though I was reading a grade school primer.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Emily Gilday</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Great book, short and precise and buoyant!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I was lucky and started right from college into management, but reading this book I see so many mistakes I made, not realizing how to deal with people I managed, I only focused on getting the job done.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Using these techniques would have made my life a lot easier!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I hope all future managers read this book and respect those they manage as people, rather than just getting the job done.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I am hoping to get back into the workforce, although with the economy it is tough.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This book has also helped me revise my resume and I give it a "thumbs up"!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Cynergy</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I have read and found Kevin Allen's book, The Case of the Missing Cutlery very interesting. And since Kevin spent many of his professional career years at Marriott, my favorite hotel chain, I was into the book as soon as I received it. As you know it is a small book and a very easy quick read. I spent the first 38 years of a 50 year career in the business world being at the top of a very large organization. So I have experienced many time what Kevin presents in his "Case." All too often people who may be well intention just keep doing what seems right but is costly and wrong. They fail to come up with the right decision. I like this idea of going undercover. I know many times as I slipped into spots where I was not usually seen in my organizations I witnessed many things that may have felt right but were not. And as Kevin found, they are clearly not in the best interest of our customers/clients.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Since I traveled extensively for many years I spent lots of time in airports, on planes and in hotels so I started extensive reading and for over 45 years read more than 100 books a year. I have read extensively and am a student of leadership so much of my reading was on leadership. One thing novel about Kevin's book is the use of the term buoyancy. And Kevin uses it to remind us of the absolute need to adjust, sometimes start over and sometimes entirely scrap the way we do things in an effort to do what is both right and better.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I would recommend this book to all leaders. You just can't go wrong reading material that is right on target and can be read quickly.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Doug Newberry</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Case of the Missing Cutlery is a short simple book that pushes the doctrine that effective leadership and problem solving involves more than a scientific approach. The team leader or manager must relate to his members by listening, learning, trusting and most importantly empathizing in order to engender mutual respect and cooperation. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This message resonates the same in all industries and organizations. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Truly if people learned how to respect trust and be honest with each other what a better world we would live in. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Marvin Stein, Coral Springs</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Short. Easy to read. Informative. Great resource. A must read for all new and experienced leaders who want to lead others and succeed in today's global business environment. The principals Kevin introduces are easily relatable and can be successfully applied to any situation that involves people and goals. This is a book that you definitely want to keep at "arms length". </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Alex Camacho</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> I felt the book was short & sweet. It almost felt like I was reading the Cliff’s Notes version of the actual book, as the author managed to cut to the chase & get right down to the good stuff. Important reading for a novice in the business industry or anyone that wants to brush up on their leadership skills. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Terri Bryant Davie, FL</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I kind of liked the idea behind The Case of the Missing Cutlery. When a book promotes itself as a Leadership Course for the Rising Star as written by a successful tycoon, you expect you'll get an anecdotal review of situational learning which is how this little(60pages) work starts out. In this "case" however the old adage Good things come is Small Packages, applies.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Despite the glitch vocabulary like: we'll catalyse your organization to achieve balance through organizational analysis and reach flow; there are some good behavioral lessons being promoted by this interesting 'I learned from experience" guru.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">According to Allen, it is all about a way of thinking, and his application of the lessons which others have developed more fully(like Daniel Pink maybe) to mobilize intrinsic motivation in the practical situations, for the good of people rather the extrinsic, rapidly becoming archaic rules from business standards. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> The take-away from this story is not original though: when faced with a crisis - Take Action collectively</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Acknowledge a problem</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2. Consider possibilities</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">3. Target the cause</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">4. Inspire confidence</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">5. Organize the right team</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">6. Nominate a catalyst to drive through to a successful conclusion</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The people that you inspire, who believe in your shared values, create the conditions of buoyancy that sustain the solutions long enough to reach sustainability. This reaches beyond extrinsic motivators of the carrot and stick approach. Have we heard this before? its oft repeated. The presentation of this message is the same, despite a curious promotional twist, that seems like a add campaign, at http://www.buoyantleader.com/</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> But he saves the best for last. Don't miss the virtual connections that Kevin Allen creates to get the management lessons he's learned across. Yes, it saved the book; you can log into a game simulation to practice these applications - a Game Theory final for the course. Take a look, its an original that justifies the cost of the printing. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jim Swaner Miami Shores</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The book is more of an introduction since the topics are simple originate from complex hospitality business scenarios. Thebuoyantleader.com may provide the missing sections of this small, short, brief read which is similar to a text blog with a bit of artist description. The topics include the change from a dictatorship economy to demand economy. Also, qualities such as listening, learning, challenges and readiness fall under the new title of this book The Short Case of the Buoyant Leader.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> William Murtada</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This book is an effective leaders guide to leadership. A light and easy read will propel its reader from simply a person in leadership to a motivated and effective leader. This should be a mandatory read for all MBA students.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Deidre Campbell</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The case of the missing cutlery is a book written in a style of storytelling which is unique to most leadership books that are published. This style makes the book easy to read and enjoyable. The concept of leadership is expressed in the book in a clear and precise way, however I found it somewhat superficial. Human behavior is very complex and interactions between individuals and situations makes it almost impossible to make predictions of what works with certainty. Plenty has been said and written about effective leadership and just like diets, there is no one single good answer. The book shows the importance of making genuine connections with employees. It also exemplifies the value of establishing a trusting relationship between leaders and followers. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Pilar Somoza</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />Great book – fast read. Wish my previous bosses had read this lexicon on leadership! Love the clear demonstration of how to achieve buy-in and drive productivity, solve problems and improve job satisfaction, from executive suite down to the factory floor trenches. Pass this one along to everyone who works with others!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Doramary Russell Coral Springs </span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-33812047616352220512014-04-06T15:44:00.000-04:002014-04-06T16:01:44.420-04:00Next Book: THE CASE OF THE MISSING CUTLERY<b>
</b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1629560243/?tag=wordsonwords-2" target="_blank">The Case of the Missing Cutlery: A Leadership Course for the Rising Star. Kevin Allen.</a></b><br /><br /><b>From The Publisher</b><br />Kevin Allen, author of the Wall Street Journal best-selling The Hidden Agenda: A Proven Way to Win Business and Create a Following, is back, with a fabulously entertaining (and true) tale of a newly minted leader made buoyant during The Case of the Missing Cutlery: A Leadership Course for the Rising Star. As a young manager at an airline catering facility, Kevin had to find out why silverware was disappearing at a rapid clip. The route to solving this mystery of The Case of the Missing Cutlery results in Kevin learning to rise to the occasion, to become a leader who inspires followers and is able to rely on their hard work and support. For those who might find reading about leadership success at the Fortune 50 level inspiring but too far removed from their experience, the author offers up this down-to-earth story of an everyday employee turned rising star. The Case of the Missing Cutlery also provides exercises and further examples to bring the leadership messages home.<br /><br /><b>About the Author</b><br />Kevin Allen is Founder & Chairman of employee engagement company Planet Jockey, which specializes in gamified learning and collaborative mentorship platforms, and re:kap, a business transformation company which counts Burberry, Smythson, Swedbank and Verizon among its global clients. He is recognized as one of the world’s most accomplished growth professionals.<br /><br />With decades at the top of advertising giants McCann-WorldGroup, the Interpublic Group and Lowe and Partners Worldwide, Kevin worked with such brands as MasterCard — developing the globally famous “Priceless” campaign — Microsoft, Marriott, Smith Barney, Nestle, L’Oreal, Lufthansa and Johnson & Johnson, and was an early part of Rudy Giuliani’s team that prepared the way for the successful Mayoral election and turnaround strategies for the City of New York.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">An academy instructor at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and Eurobest Festival, and a visiting lecturer at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business and the European Business School at Regents College London, Kevin is a featured speaker at companies like Google, Microsoft and has appeared on BBC.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Read an excerpt <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/management/the-gang-of-four-that-can-make-or-break-a-manager/article17417235/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">His website is <a href="http://missingcutlery.com/" target="_blank">here</a></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>And an excerpt from the website follows below ...</b><br />OUR TAKE AWAY FROM THE CASE OF THE MISSING CUTLERY</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">To provide a proven treatise on the concepts of contemporary leadership you can apply right away.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">To outfit you with implementable practical methods and tools to use in your leadership journey.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">To structure a "course" with task and applications you and others can apply in context of your practical working environment.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">To equip you with a in the minute reference guide you can refer to when you confront new and challenging leadership situations.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Want to review this book? It's free! Please send your name and U.S. terrestrial mailing address<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><a href="mailto:rap@richardpachter.com" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">here</a>.</span> </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-91360795371561085242014-02-16T21:51:00.000-05:002014-02-16T21:55:57.232-05:00Review: Unlimited Sales Success<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Review by Richard Pachter</span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0814433243/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank">Unlimited Sales Success by Brian Tracy. Amacom Books. 272 pages.</a></b> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you wanted to learn how to ride a bicycle, could you do so by reading a book? How about watching a video or listening to an audio program?<br />Of course not, yet sales books always seem to be popular, with new ones appearing with startling regularity.<br />One of my longtime favorites is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0762404019/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank">Soft Selling In A Hard World by Jerry Vass</a>. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I read it upon my boss’ recommendation several lifetimes ago. </span></span>Its consultative approach immediately appealed to me. But as many times as I studied and performed the recommended exercises, it wasn’t until I started making actual sales calls that it became real for me.<br />Fortunately, this is implicit in most sales books; far from providing a rote formulas or recipes, the best of them offer a strong framework and rich toolbox of tactics to apply to a variety sales strategies. But until you’re actually trying to apply the lessons in a real and usually unpredictable setting, it’s just a lot of dreams and theory.</span><br />This book is no different in that respect. But it distinguishes itself from the pack by Tracy (abetted by his son). Their writing is sharp and clear, and very relatable. The style is personal and the persona is quite personable.<br />Brian Tracy’s written tons of books on sales, marketing, presentation and more. He occasionally recycles stories (like the one recalled herein about finding an effective sales close, and then refusing to do callbacks), but he’s an authoritative and experienced guy, and this book is a superb summary of his ideas and principles.<br />Is it a substitute for experience? Of course not. But before you get on your bicycle — or shortly after you begin peddling — it’s valuable to know how to navigate down this difficult path.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here’s an excerpt: <i>“When I began my sales career, I knew nothing of the skills and techniques you are about to learn. I did not graduate from high school. I worked at laboring jobs for several years. When I could no longer find a laboring job, in desperation, I got into straight commission sales, cold-calling one office after another in the daytime and houses and apartments in the evenings. <br />I got the three-part sales training program that is common worldwide: ‘Here are your cards, here are your brochures, there’s the door.’ <br />If I didn’t sell, I didn’t eat. I got up every morning at six and was waiting in the parking lot when people came to work at eight o’clock. My sales results were terrible. I was making just enough sales to eat and to pay for a small room in a boardinghouse. I had holes in my shoes, empty pockets, and no future. <br />A Life-Changing Event<br />Then I did something that changed my life. I went to the top salesman in our office, a man a few years older than me who was selling ten times as much as anyone else. And he wasn’t even working very hard! He always had a pocketful of money. He went to nice restaurants and nightclubs. He drove a new car and lived in a beautiful apartment. <br />I took a deep breath and went up to him and asked him outright, “What are you doing differently? How is it that you are making so many more sales than me, or anyone else?” He looked at me with surprise and then said, ‘Well, if you want some help, show me your sales presentation and I will critique it for you.’ <br />Now, I admitted that I had heard there was such a thing as a ‘sales presentation.’ But it was like the far side of the moon, something I had never actually seen in reality. I told the top salesman that when I called on customers, I simply said whatever fell out of my mouth. <br />He said, ‘No. No. No. Selling is a profession. It is both a science and an art. It follows a logical, orderly process from the first step through to the closing of the sale and the satisfied customer. Let me give you an example of a sales presentation.’ <br />He then sat me down and asked me questions, commenting as he went along, exactly as if I were a prospective customer for our product. Instead of talking continually, as I did when I got in front of a prospect, he asked questions in a logical sequence, leading from the general to the particular, from qualifying me as a prospect through to closing the sale. It was different from anything I had ever experienced. <br />From that day forward, instead of talking continually, I asked better questions of my potential customers and listened closely to their answers. And my customers reacted to me differently. And I started to make sales, and then more and more sales. I began reading books on selling and listening to audio programs. I began attending every sales seminar I could find. And each time I learned and applied something new, my sales went up, and up, and up. Within a year, I was earning ten times as much income. My whole life changed forever.“</i></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-67268431912726288242014-02-06T21:35:00.001-05:002014-02-06T21:35:47.927-05:00Club Reviews: PLANET ENTREPRENEUR<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1455523305/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank"></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1455523305/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank">Planet Entrepreneur: The World Entrepreneurship Forum's Guide to Business Success Around the World</a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1455523305/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank"> by Steven D. Strauss</a></span><br />
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Strauss makes the hypothesis that we are living in the age of entrepreneurial solutions and that we need those solutions not just to create the Next Big Thing, but to solve the Next Big Problem!<br />Strauss asserts that both old and new problems and challenges are being faced by the "global revolution of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship."<br />And Stauss makes it clear no matter what we may think, we are all living on Planet Entrepreneur.<br />Chapter 1 emphasizes the tremendous change going on. It is big change, transformational change. Humanity has to adopt, adapt, and adjust to move forward. The author says we have only two choices: utopia or oblivion. We must count on our entrepreneurs who will seize the opportunities and challenges to solve huge problems.<br />Chapter 2 tells us we are in a technological revolution and entrepreneurs are seizing on that opportunity. People are internet-driven and socially connected. This technology allows entrepreneurs to find ways to make us smarter, wealthier and more connected.<br />Chapter 3 defines entrepreneurs as truly global adventurers. And they come from anywhere, not just Silicon Valley. These entrepreneurs are loaded with vision and can see needs way before the rest of us know we have them.<br />Chapter 4 says business is an agent of change. And change we must because we cannot continue as we are. We must grasp and pursue the concept of sustainable development in all that we do.<br />Chapter 5 says that social entrepreneurs have come onto the scene and have a burning desire to make a positive social impact. What we need is radical change and our social entrepreneurs are all over it.<br />Chapter 6 strongly states that we must empower women and minorities in this adventure of social entrepreneurship. We are once again reminded that "all of us are smarter than any one of us."<br />Chapter 7 says we must find a way to tap the untapped potential that lies at the very base of our population pyramid. No doubt that propblems at the top and the bottom of the pyramid are different but they all need solutions and that takes every strata of society.<br />Chapter 8 today we live in an accelerated, interconnected, global e-economy with no street address. It is noted how China has made a radical turn toward capitalism. Today it is commonly believed that small business entrepreneus can can help create a better, more peaceful, more affluent world. We are now seeing "angel investors" pop up who have money to invest and are willing to do so to help grown business.<br />Chapter 9 in 2009 we had a deep recession and record unemployment but we also had a record number of business startups, highest in 14 years. We will continue to need sources of investment and what we see are reward-based crowdfunders surfacing.Chapter 10 crowdfunding has taken startup funding to a whole new level. People make their case, connect and get virtual strangers to invest in their dream. And the social media is the catalyst for all this.<br />Chapter 11 tells us that we see a huge paradigm shift and we must stress our educational systems to produce the needed entrepreneurs.<br />Chapter 12 it is noted that we no longer need to change our world through revolution, we must change our world through innovation. To do that we are now seeing "innovation hubs" pop up all over the world.<br />Chapter 13 says when you empower people to think and act entrepreneurially within your organization, it is called intraentrepreneurship. That simple means you allow people to think, dream, act and create.<br />Chapter 14 reminds us that the entrepreneurial revolution is here to stay. Our challenge as big and small business is to find out how to be involved.<br />Chapter 15 by way of conclusion, Strauss says that while there are 28m businesses in the US, 20m are solopreneurs, self-employed. We cannot face the challenges and opportunities without these entrepreneurs! <b>Doug Newberry-Antioch, TN</b><br /><br />I enjoyed reading this book. It was broken down nicely. Easy to read format while telling the reader everything they needed to know about business and ownership all over the globe. Also, reminds us that technology is our friend & we should embrace it. <b>Terri Bryant-Davie</b><br /><br />Wow. Great book by a think tank of entrepreneurs (well, not exactly but close enough).<br />It seems like this book covers it all from what is an entrepreneur, intrapeneurship, funding, and role of social media, environment and the list goes on. There is something to interest everyone in this book.<br />The book planet entrepreneur was relevant, current, interesting, well organized and crafted. It is FULL of REAL information to get you thinking and get you started.<br />some of the ideas make you want to jump right in however you can't; you need to determine first if you are suited to be an entrepreneur, what type of entrepreneur will you be, what motivates you and then you need to do your diligence. And this is putting it very simply.<br />This is hard work; there is no easy overnight solution for success as an entrepreneur. You need to focus and be patient and try, try again.<br />There are many examples of success and failures.<br />This book really sheds light on the topic; this book is a great resource and provides real world advice and information from a very impressive group of people, each successful in their own segment (and beyond). Each chapter tackles a different topic by different authors.<br />There are some recurring themes like the personality traits of a successful entrepreneur. But no world view is exactly the same. Really interesting. And leaves room for everyone to be unique and still be a success.<br />And throughout the book you see in many cases success is not just about financial gains.<br />Bottom line this book helps you determine do you have what it takes! Entrepreneurial spirit and desire is not enough. Success requires a real commitment, enthusiasm, fortitude and the proper personality and a sense of humor is always helpful!<br />One of the most interesting points (and there were many) was that today it is not whether you know how to find information, but whether you know what to do with all the information that is so readily available.<br />This book gives you lots of information...and now what?!<b> Lynn Wiener-Coconut Grove</b><br /><br />I found the approach and organization of this book to be extremely effective. First, the book is a compilation of individual entrepreneurs writing on separate subjects, surrounding global entrepreneurship. Many chapters, such as Chapter 5 on Social Entrepreneurship and the End of Charity not only explained the theoretical aspects but gave case studies of successful projects.<br />The organization showed different aspects of entrepreneurship: 1) The New World—how the global aspects have changed the nature of entrepreneurship—explores different types such as going green, social entrepreneurship, and empowering women; 3) The Toolkit—which gives examples of successful tools being used such as social media, alternative financing and education; and 4) Joining the Entrepreneurship Revolution—featuring intrapreneurship and self-employed businesses. <br />It is an excellent variety of topics that shows different aspects of entrepreneurship on a global basis.<br />A new world created through the expansion of technology is explored through distribution and borders (or lack of them), crowdfunding, and new views on subjects like charity (which can be served while developing revenues) brings us into a new view of entrepreneurship which explores different global strategies.<br />There are so many useful examples of ways the principles in the book have been used that it will broaden your perspective, even if you have an entrepreneurship background. Extremely valuable information and examples, it is worth reading more than once! <b>Randy B. Lichtman-Miami</b><br /><br />Excellent read! Valuable resource for entrepreneurs interested in global opportunities. I most enjoyed entrepreneurship presented through a social lens, not only with a focus on creating profits, but also as a tool to improve the lives and conditions of billions of less fortunate who are on the “bottom of the pyramid.” Such wonderful progress in improving lives thanks to Entrepreneurs. <b>Doramary Russell-Coral Springs</b><br /><br />
The book is a combination of many authors who form part of the World Entrepreneurship Forum. There are 14 entrepreneurs whose current and very enlightening strategies can make the reader into a successful entrepreneur. Topic include mobile phone, internet, poverty-rich and angel investors, emerging marks, youth, micro credit, 7 year cycle & Food Recovery. The chapter are short but well written and a pleasure to read. <b>William Murtada-Miami</b><br />
<br />This book is more a how-to and review of what you can do to start a business.<br />The term entrepreneur is wildly used but really means a person who brings value to some operation. I really would like to see how entrepreneurship is taught. My take is that it's more knowing thyself, being self-confident and also being a good leader. This is what and might be taught in a class of entrepreneurship.<br />This book is a compilation of several articles by different people some by the compiler, Stephen D Strauss. This makes the book a little bit uneven.<br />However this book is very useful as a source for how to start a business and how to use the Internet particularly for an international setting.<br />The one thing this book does not do is discuss about what would be the product. Product has to be one that is in high demand and can be sold over the Internet.<br />A good example is what Steve Jobs did with Apple. He made sure that the product was the hardware and the software, where others went different directions, splitting the hardware and the software. Jobs was proven right only after about 20 years. Of course on his return to Apple he did have the computer stores that everybody thought would be unsuccessful he also developed the iPhone and others devices. He made sure they could all be interconnected and were very use full as smart phones which really are mini- computers. This is what the competition are working towards today. Jobs and Apple did have failures - remember the Newton?<br />There is a chapter on how a government can get involved with encouraging people to start a business, called entrepreneurship, this was Start-Up Chile. I had a friend in this program and I think that overall he had a good experience. However since doing this he has moved to the California area. This program does sound better then what our Government is doing. It seems that our Government is placing bets on products that might succeed in the marketplace. So far there seems to be a great deal of failure.<br />In summary it is very important to be an entrepreneur to be self-assured of yourself, have patience, be prepared to not succeed and have a product that people will want. I am not sure how you can teach this as this book tries to do. Knowledge and perseverance is key along with being a risk taker. <b>Gordon E. Ettie-Miami</b><br /><br />This book was very timely for me, as I am in the process of launching my first entrepreneurial business and in every business you have be a salesperson as well as wearing many other hats. The information provided in the book is very straightforward and for a logical person it is a great way to understand all the necessary steps for unlimited selling. We all have many tools in our toolbox but usually fall back on our go to tools. While this is okay, each new tool that we employ in our daily routine becomes a new go to tool and increases our ability to be the best we can at what we do. Learning gives us confidence and increase our energy around different parts of the sales process that may have us stuck. <br />Building trust with a potential customer, Understanding our potential customer's needs, and Understanding what we have to offer will either make you a perfect fit or put you in the position to make a recommendation to your potential customer that may not result in your sale but will increase your customer's trust that you are honest and looking out for them. Understanding who your customer is and how you serve them, is what differentiates you from others.<br />If you want to learn simple steps, that are given from the beginning to the end of the book, that will help you in your goals, read this book now! It is easy to follow and will help you understand how to consciously identify and assist your potential or existing customers. <b>Bari Schanerman-Miami</b><br /><br />I LOVED this book!! It takes everything I've long suspected as going on in the world and gives tangible examples in essays written by the members of the World Entrepreneurship Forum, "the first ever entrepreneur think tank." I've always been fascinated by people who can make something out of nothing and have studied entrepreneurs for as long as I can remember. The essays in this book illustrate how the lack of full time employment, underemployment and the decision of corporations to get by on as few employees as possible has made entrepreneurship a viable alternative.<br />"Planet Entrepreneur" author Steven Strauss makes readers believe that they, too, can start and successfully run a business:<br />"Not long ago, and for eons before that, a small business was confined to its local micro geography and economy. But no longer. Today any small business can be a glocal business. This is a fact has not been true for the history of the world, except for the past decade or so. If your business is not taking advantage if it, you are missing out on the biggest change in business, ever. That’s not hyperbole, it's fact."<br />Not since reading Tim Ferriss' "Four Hour Workweek" have I felt this empowered. <b>Kathy Doran-Miami Beach</b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-38505238841094362462014-02-06T21:00:00.000-05:002014-02-07T13:25:44.093-05:00Club Reviews: UNLIMITED SALES SUCCESS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0814433243/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank">Unlimited Sales Success by Brian Tracy.</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have read all of Brian Tracey's books and like his writing very much. But I am not a sales professional so I had some apprehension about reading this book and its application to me. But yesterday as soon as the book arrived in the mail, I picked it up and started reading. And to my surprise, I quickly learned that many of the principles Tracey shares are applicable to any profession, not just sales. At that point, I could not put the book down. I will say right up front, that the book was useful to me up to about page 150 and after that Tracey spends time on the "nuts and bolts" of successful selling. But again the first 150 pages were worth the time and the read.<br />Let me share, by way of review some of the points I picked out that apply to any and all professions:<br />We are reminded that the Law of Cause and Effect says that for every effect there is a cause or a series of causes (in every profession).<br />The Law of Cause and Effect shows us that success is not a matter of luck.<br />Tracey constantly, throughout the book, reminds us that if we find out what successful people do and do those things we too can be successful.<br />We learn that as our world changes, we too must change to be successful.<br />In all professions, it is a reality, that there are more sellers than buyers. Competition is fierce!<br />To be, or remain, successful we must be prepared. We must always do our homework.<br />Credibility has never been more important. Credibility comes from trust.<br />Self-confidence is a vital psychological tool of success.<br />Tracey quotes a Marine saying, "Adapt! Adjust! Respond! Good advice for any profession.<br />We are reminded that no matter how successful one becomes in any profession, they started at the back of the line. We have to work our way to the front of the line!<br />We can learn any skill we need to learn in order to achieve any goal we set for ourselves.<br />Self-esteem is the "reactor core" of your personality that determines your levels of optimism, self-respect and personal pride.<br />Les Brown says, "if you want to be successful, you've got to be hungry."<br />Ambition is the fuel in the furnace of achievement.<br />Anything less than a commitment to excellence is the acceptance of mediocrity.<br />Your level of ambition and your determination to be the best in your field is the nitroglycerin that causes your potential to explode over time.<br />Success requires that we overcome the fear of failure which is the single biggest obstacle to success.<br />Successful people are continuous learners.<br />The quality of your thinking largely determines the quality of your life.<br />We make a huge mistake when we think we work for someone else rather than ourselves!<br />Tracey talks about personal strategic planning as a way to increase our ROE. ROE is return on energy.<br />Tracey encourages the use of the GOSPA (goals, objectivies, strategies, plans and activities) method of strategic thinking and planning.<br />In any profession, we need focus and concentration. Focus means we are clear about what we are trying to accomplish. Concentration means we have a single-minded focus on doing the things that lead to success.<br />Successful people choose to be around positive people. They know that negative people can bring you down emotionally.<br />Tracey quotes Abraham Lincoln, who said, "Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other factor."<br />Top sales people (and I would submit to any profession), are referred to by their clients as friends, adviser, teachers.<br />Everyone in every profession must have a good reputation. Without that, NO success! Your reputation is your key business asset.<br />Over and over throughout the books, Tracy reminds us of the importance of the skill of asking good questions.<br />William James has said, "The greatest discovery of my generation is that people can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind."<br />With that I close by saying again, this is a GREAT book for any professional! <b>Doug Newberry-Antioch, Tennessee</b><br /><br />I enjoyed reading this book. It was broken down nicely. Easy to read format while telling the reader everything they needed to know about business and ownership all over the globe. Also, reminds us that technology is our friend & we should embrace it. <b>Terri Bryant-Davie</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have had the pleasure of reading, listening to and seeing Brian Tracy in his seminars on sales, personal development and other areas of growth for many years. His work is well researched, practical and has shown proven success in his stories and my own use of his principles.<br />In some ways, it is a highlights version of his many sales programs including “The Psychology of Selling” (which is summarized in Chapter 1), Advanced Selling Techniques (which is included in several chapters) and others as well. He sums up the principles well in bullet point form, making it easy to comprehend. <br />The book, “Unlimited Sales Success”, is a practical primer in successful sales techniques, one that focuses on the “12 Simple Steps for Selling More than You Ever Thought Possible”. The consultative selling approach is well explained and they explain the principles in a very easy to understand manner colored with stories from real sales. The many questions they put in our hands are also very valuable tools. <br />In sales, going back to the fundamentals from time to time can be very valuable, and this is such a book to help do that. Overall, I found the book to be excellent in achieving its purpose—educating both experienced and new salespeople in how to be very effective in a very structured manner. I highly recommend it! <b>Randy B. Lichtman-Miami</b><br /><br />What an excellent primer for serious sales persons. Every chapter has learning pearls that any one selling products to ideas can benefit from. All throughout "The Wolf of Wall Street" I kept on seeing Brian Tracy's concepts in actual practice. <b>Marvin Stein MD-Coral Springs</b><br /><br />I'm a sales professional and also a reader of most of Brian Tracy's books. With that said, I was fairly impressed by the information Brian and Michael put together in this book. Truly gives you a realistic view of what sales readily is today. Many of the old school thinking just doesn't apply anymore. Not only does Tracy tell you what doesn't work, he gives you ideas on what does work and how to go about executing these ideas. We're all in sales whether we like to admit it or not. This book is a must read for those of us who take selling seriously and are looking to take our profession to the next level. <b>David Mesas-Miami</b><br /><br />“Unlimited Sales Success” might be a good book for those just starting out on their own, but for those of us who have done some research already on sales and entrepreneurship, this book is really pretty elementary. I can see its usage as an undergraduate textbook in a course on marketing and sales. There are “Action Exercises” at the end of the chapter, that reinforce and review what was covered in the chapter.<br />Probably the most relevant chapters for me would be “Time Management for Sales Professionals” and the epilogue, “Seven Secrets to Success in Selling.” Good tips for sales, and for life management in general!<b> Betty Hubschman-Whitsett, North Carolina</b><br /><br />I have been in real estate sales for more than thirty year and have found the new Brian Tracey book to be by far the best book ever on the market, not only for sales but for approaching and dealing with others in every walk of life. Everyone is in sales from a child first swapping a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in kindergarten to those working at the highest corporate levels.You give and get. Every page of this book has some useful idea for helping you to move ahead in your career. Those in public service and employees working in stores and businesses should find that they will have an easier time of assisting those who want to buy or purchase their products if thy follow even a tenth of the messages here..<br />I especially liked the chapter where Mr. Tracy discusses treating your customer/or client as a doctor would see a patient.... discuss the issue first and determine what the patient feels they need or how they feel, then examine the options, and develop a trusting relationship while determining the plan to accomplish what is needed.<br />This book is so good and so full of hundreds of positive ideas that I am going to pass it on to my co-workers. This book is so great that I feel it is worth reading twice to absorb the details which is exactly what I am going to do. <b>Jeannett Slesnick-Coral Gables</b><br /><br />Unlimited Sales Success by Brian and Michael Tracy seems to be the perfect manual<br />for anyone currently in a sales career, just beginning one, or just thinking about starting one.<br />It is a well thought out organized masterpiece that treats sales as an art and science<br />rather than just another job.<br />The book is written from the experiences of the authors. It focuses on the law of cause and<br />effect, therefore it makes sense to emulate their examples.<br />Their tips give logical, inspiring and motivating steps for success.<br />Unlimited Sales Success is well worth the investment of money and time spent reading it. <b>Margot Byrnes-Miami</b><br /><br />Everyone is a salesman.<br />I am a small business owner. While my company provides services, not products (in the "widget" sense), I am constantly cajoling my employees that "everyone is a potential client" and that sales and marketing, while not normally considered a high priority is truly a "24/7 job".<br />Many people in my line of work don't consider themselves as a seller, don't work on their elevator pitch, don't spend time developing prospects. I think that is a mistake. While the Brian and Michael Tracy don't open any revolutionary doors in Unlimited Sales Success, the book provides a very nice outline or overview of some of the fundamental principles of selling. Even if one sells all day for years, a refresher on what is the goal and how you can work to achieve it is always beneficial.<br />What the book did for me was help me to refocus on some of the simple, yet important elements of selling, presenting, and closing. Sellers can get lazy off of success, or discouraged by consistent failure. Regardless, the "12 Simple Steps" allow the reader to reflect on their selling technique by focusing on steps that, while important, are easily overlooked.<br />Again, Unlimited Sales Success is not bleeding edge sales theory. It proves, however, that a simple, well-written presentation can often be just the thing to close the deal. <b>Scott D. Rembold-Coral Gables</b><br /><br />Brian & Michael Tracy have hit a home run with Unlimited Sales Success. They make it simple to understand and outline all the basic secrets of great sales professionals. They start with simple tips on how to just go out and sell, keys on building relationships and the most important step of all, which is asking for the sale.<br />The book is fun to read, easy to absorb and a great tool for anyone who wants to be a winner in the world of sales. <b>Trisha Molina-Miami Springs</b><br /><br />I follow Brian Tracy on Social Media, and was a bit disappointed that he did not discuss more on this aspect of sales and relationship development. Great basic information guide that is sure to help you develop the key skills required to succeed as a professional consultant (aka salesperson). Highly recommend. <b>Doramary Russell-Coral Springs</b><br /><br />I enjoyed Brian Tracy’s Unlimited Sales Success, 12 Simple Steps for Selling More than you Ever Thought Possible. While much of what Brian provides in the book is somewhat basic material, the fact is so many salespeople are not following the fundamentals. This book would clearly re-energize a sales team and assist in refocusing people who are in the sales profession. While I understand much of what is in this book is taken from his previous books, I have not read them myself and enjoyed the book. I would recommend it for anyone who is currently in or is about to enter the sales profession.<br /><b>John Lyon-Barre, Vermont</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This book was very timely for me, as I am in the process of launching my first entrepreneurial business and in every business you have be a salesperson as well as wearing many other hats. The information provided in the book is very straightforward and for a logical person it is a great way to understand all the necessary steps for unlimited selling. We all have many tools in our toolbox but usually fall back on our go to tools. While this is okay, each new tool that we employ in our daily routine becomes a new go to tool and increases our ability to be the best we can at what we do. Learning gives us confidence and increase our energy around different parts of the sales process that may have us stuck. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Building trust with a potential customer, Understanding our potential customer's needs, and Understanding what we have to offer will either make you a perfect fit or put you in the position to make a recommendation to your potential customer that may not result in your sale but will increase your customer's trust that you are honest and looking out for them. Understanding who your customer is and how you serve them, is what differentiates you from others.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you want to learn simple steps, that are given from the beginning to the end of the book, that will help you in your goals, read this book now! It is easy to follow and will help you understand how to consciously identify and assist your potential or existing customers. <b>Bari Schanerman-Miami</b></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-6121716440934766852013-12-04T18:25:00.001-05:002013-12-04T18:25:49.699-05:00NEXT BOOKS: Planet Entrepreneur AND Unlimited Sales SuccessTwo books to read and review this time! If you're interested, click the link to sign up on the upper left of this page.<br />
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First up is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1455523305/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank">Planet Entrepreneur: The World Entrepreneurship Forum's Guide to Business Success Around the World</a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1455523305/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank"> by Steven D. Strauss</a>, USA Today’s small business columnist and more.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1118789520/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1118789520/?tag=wordsonwords-20" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4aLPPMpFcOLEcJeo8Xez-KBEtQS9pugPYjtOCtM8GRo-DbUnVr0IGRipxOZ-RW1CiYu3JrxyU7kEzunSz-GKFPRisPtwrqF4mFiGe9updLbE2qprBxdt-RHuOVbiuJZDhsXXhAj32oJ0/s320/PlanetEntrepreneurCOVER2013.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
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Here’s what he says about the book: “I wrote it with several co-authors from the World Entrepreneurship Forum. I am more excited about this book than almost any other I have written in a while, for a few reasons:<br />
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First, I think (hope!) it is very interesting. It looks at the explosive growth of entrepreneurship around the globe ('regular' entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs, green entrepreneurs, etc.), and how they are changing the world, right now, radically, and for the better.<br />
Second, at a time when the world is so divided, it is nice to share a book that is positive, hopeful, and looks at ways and ideas that link us together.<br />
We are living in a world of incredible challenge and changes, and for both the entrepreneur and potential entrepreneur alike, this also means it is a world of ample opportunities. From the fall of the Berlin Wall to the rise of e-commerce and social media, there are now, today, more markets, tools, and opportunities for entrepreneurs than ever before. Even better: we are now also living in a world more predisposed to entrepreneurial solutions than ever, and we need those solutions—not just to create the Next Big Thing, but to solve the Next Big Problem. Every issue that individuals, communities, and nations face offers the entrepreneur the chance to make a difference. For anyone ready to embark on a mission to solve problems, create communities, build businesses, tap technology, and think entrepreneurially, this new world is teeming with opportunities for success.”<br />
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<b>You can read an excerpt and find out more about the book <a href="http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1118789520.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </b><br />
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Next is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0814433243/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank">Unlimited Sales Success by Brian Tracy.</a> Tracy is a longtime sales trainer and guru, and this is a very solid primer on sales basics and more.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0814433243/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0814433243/?tag=wordsonwords-20" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqUBkRj3pOCVomBZ5yq22pjpe5yXhIIcGik5xo_x38WJSKeJPD9RS7r8534WJrKEdM2_wSA0H1Fw4nSMeqxwZwHQNvZANCmZ-PM5OJ1mnZhQqGM52Ikr4RTM_MU9cNzK_43HOq8HMjAc/s1600/UnlimitedSalesSuccess-198x300.jpg" /></a></div>
Here’s a brief description:<br />
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“If there were a single great "secret" to being an elite sales professional, surely one of the millions of attendees of Brian Tracy's sales seminars would have spilled the beans by now. There isn't a secret. But there is a set of consistently successful selling techniques that most companies don't teach their salespeople, and which most entrepreneurs and independent sales pros think they don't have time to learn. Based on more than 40 years of selling experience - in virtually all product categories and market conditions, Unlimited Sales Success shows that these proven sales skills are learnable - by anyone. Highlighting practical, time-tested principles including: the psychology of selling: your own mindset is just as important as your customer's; personal sales planning and time management: whether you work for yourself or someone else, great planning equals great success; prospecting power: get more and better appointments; consultative and relationship selling: position yourself as a partner with the account; identifying needs accurately: you'll know how to arouse their interest and overcome objections; influencing customer behavior: learn what triggers quick buying decisions; closing the sale: the five best methods ever discovered; and more. Unlimited Sales Success is loaded with eye-opening facts and exercises, peppered with stories of great selling techniques in action, and organized into a use-it-now approach that will help you become a top sales professional-starting today.”<br />
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<a href="http://www.briantracy.com/blog/sales-success/achieve-unlimited-sales-success-and-set-long-term-goals-strategic-analysis-critical-thinking-career-goals/?lid=title" target="_blank">You can read more about it here. </a><br />
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You can review both books or choose one. The deadline will be generous, so no worries.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-30779839208377019452013-09-26T18:47:00.003-04:002013-10-22T08:54:28.104-04:00CLUB REVIEWS: CONTROL ALT DELETE <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1455523305/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank">Ctrl Alt Delete: Reboot Your Business. Reboot Your Life. Your Future Depends on It. Mitch Joel. Business Plus. 288 pages.</a></b><br /><b><br /></b>Mitch Joel makes a clear case for what he calls the seismic shift in the way we do business. I liked the book because he not only drives home the point that we must make this change, or get left behind, but he then goes on to tell us in an upbeat manor how to make these changes not only in our business, but in our whole way of thinking. <b>Emily Gilday, Miami</b><br />The world is changing and at a more rapid pace than ever before. What I read was eye opening, scary and invigorating all at once. However, the area that stuck out the most was the rapid proliferation of data driven mobile devices. With 2.1 Billion data devices purchased and over 2 million iPhone's sold in 24 hours, the access to information is truly at everyone's fingertips. Add in the love affair we have with these devices and a cultural phenomenon is not in the near future, it's happening now. In my business, we have created opportunities to be where are consumers are and the mobile device is a key component. Now, the question becomes how to monetize it. We haven't mastered that aspect of the business plan nor have our competitors. But our usage on the mobile device was 6% three years ago compared to 94% via the desktop. Now, it's 57% mobile and 43% desktop. <br />Switching gears, one area Mitch focused on was the new office. I found that interesting especially where he mentioned a company that doesn't have specific office space for their employees. Everyday, you can sit where you want. It made me think about how it eliminates the class system. By doing so, would it create more collaboration or would people start creating their own space and then protecting it. I think in a smaller work environment, it would be a great test to determine the impact. I am honestly to scared to do a similar tact with 36 sellers. However, one take away was developing a creative space for people to collaborate, think or work in a more free flowing environment. <br />Overall, I recommend this book because it provides useful insight on how the business environment is truly changing. Mitch provides useful links, mentions several books or provides some great websites.<br />Thanks for the opportunity, I really enjoyed this book based primarily on the takeaways I received. <b>Greg Alexander Plymouth, MN</b><br /><br />Joel serves up a thorough evaluation of the new landscape of marketing, and takes a solid stab at where we’re heading. He stresses the importance of building and nurturing direct relationships with consumers through social media and beyond. He makes a case for delivering real value by making your business and marketing truly useful to your customers.<br />The main goal of the book seems to be to shake up the reader to let go of old models of marketing and customer relationships. In this respect, it succeeds. I found myself questioning and reevaluating my own strategies. Real answers, though, are hard to come by.<br />As a business owner, I tried to extract lessons that I can apply to my own company, but I’m not convinced that smaller businesses will gain as much as larger consumer brands will from Ctrl Alt Delete.<br />The writing style is so rambling and awkward that I really didn’t enjoy reading this book. Here’s a typical sentence:<br />“In my first book, Six Pixels of Separation, I engaged in the argument that it’s not about how many people your brand connects to (which is the main metric that traditional advertising looks at), it’s that now we can better understand who these people are and what they’re really about (wants, desires, level of care).”<br />Seriously, how many sets of parentheses can one sentence handle? This seemingly lazy writing is found from beginning to end, complete with questionable grammar, and far too many references to the author himself.<br />I will keep Joel’s lessons in mind as I move my business forward, but I wish he could have presented them in a more digestible form. He needs a good editor to make this material truly engaging. <b>Robert Kirkpatrick, Miami Beach</b><br /><br />I'll start of my review by saying, I certainly recommend this book to anyone in business. Mitch touches on many current and interesting topics in the fast changing data and advertising industries that are truly impacting all businesses. I appreciate how he first gives the reader the business implications and then uses the second half of the book to tie that back to how the reader should embrace these changes from a personal and professional perspective. I found myself highlighting many lines in this book, which only means it was packed with good material. <b>David Mesas, Miami</b><br /><br />This was painful. I tried my best but couldn't get through more than<br />half. I get that lots of people are going to lose their jobs, but<br />repeating words like "purgatory" and giving Gary Vaynerchuk style<br />advice ("post on blogs!") actually isn't that useful.<br />A book on the same topic which is actually both interesting and useful<br />is James Altucher's "Choose Yourself." <b>Scott Wilson (Tampa?)</b><br /><br />Ctrl Alt Del is a wakeup call for older entrepreneurs and business men on how to rethink revitalize and reinvent their traditional brands using the technology and social interaction of the 21 century. Mitch joel stresses creativity, communication, the personal touch that has been lost in our fast paced world.<br />While he appears overly enamored or awed by technology, he makes a good case on how to effectively use mobility, openness, and social networking for marketing, sales, support, and just idea gathering and promotion. The old adage of reinventing oneself by examining one's own processes rings true just as teaching an old dog of a business owner new tricks to survive.<br />I loved his concrete examples and "rules" that even work for the young adventurer or the old business salt. <b>Marvin Stein, Coral Springs</b><br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I would definitely recommend this book. It is concise, precise and right on the mark when it comes to showing how to outline the basics for technology's sake. It is written in a step by step format that even the less than savvy computer users, like myself, can grasp. Two thumbs up. <b>Terri Bryant, Davie</b><br /><br />I received CtrlAltDelete on 15 Aug 13 and have read it twice. I have been reading well over a hundred books a year for at least the past 35 years, and I must honestly say this in one of the few books I could just not put down. Having spent 50 years in the business world, after twice reading Joel's book I have said to myself more than once where was Joel when I really needed him. I have now retired for the third time and have no plans for active employment again but I could have used much of Joel's insight over the years of my career. When I retired the first time at the end of Sep 2001, after a 38 year career, I was second in command (COO) of a 14,000 member organization scattered all over the world. I would have been both a better professional and leader had I had the opportunity to seize on Joel's insights those many years ago.<br />But I am where I am and as I read, twice, I could not put my notepad and pen down. I wrote lots of notes to share with friends and younger professionals that I have the honor of mentoring. There is so much I want to share so let me just lung right in.<br />For those who do not acquire this book and read it, shame on you, you have lost a very helpful book and lots of valuable insights that can be put to use immediately.<br />I found it quite interesting and right on point that Joel refers to the time in which we are living as PURGATORY. I think he is right on target! He says if you go to a conference, look around you because 1/3 of those you see will not be around in 5 years. This is a time of great upheaval in business and Joel says the DNA of business has changed forevermore. Consumers are smart and getting smarter. Consumers are ahead of their brands that serve them. The business challenge of how to adapt technology has put business in what Joel calls "a rapid state of genetic mutation" and we are in the middle of this evaluation. Joel calls this moment PURGATORY because many businesses are scared and don't know what to do. A tweaking of the organization will not do. Businesses have to understand this state of purgatory or the business dies and jobs disappear. We find ourselves in a world described by co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, as "If you don't cannabalize yourself, someone else will." CtrlAltDelete is all about rebooting your business and yourself.<br /><br />Now for me at least, I share a few of Joel's more salient points:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">. Many things we see are changing the way business is done.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> -Digital only brands</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> -Cradle to grave business models like Apple</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> -Manufacturers who have direct relationships with consumers</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> -Everything is customer focused; business must look at things like customers</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> -Businesses asking customers to LIKE them on Facebook</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> -Customers are not linear, they are what Joel calls squiggly. They are connected to each other but also to the world</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> -To be successful businesses must have a positive relationship with their customers</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> -Relationships are at the core of every successful business</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> -As Apple co-founder Jobs said, "It is not the customers job to figure out what they want," that is what successful businesses do</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Joel is right when he says business must: (1) deliver value first, (2) be open, (3) be clear and consistent, (4) create a mutually beneficial world, and (5) build true fans.<br />Well I could go on writing and writing but let me stop here. To Richard's readers DO NO MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY TO read Joels CtrlAltDelete. <b>Doug Newberry, Antioch, Tn.</b><br /><br /> WOW! What a book! This is a must read book for the entrepreneur and would be entrepreneur called Ctrl Alt Delete by Mitch Joel. Be sure to get a copy of it. It is fascinating and provides an insight into how companies should be doing business and how you relate to it. anyone who is thinking about starting a business, or anyone who has a business and needs to kick start it, will not put this down until they devour every page of it. It is the holy grail for businesses and would be businesses. Not only does it provide insight into what is going on now in the world of marketing, it provides a step by step blueprint of how you can adopt to it. This is the bible for learning what is wrong with your business, how you can fix it and what you can do as an individual to find your passion and become an entrepreneur yourself. <a href="http://www.publicrelations.nu/" target="_blank">Barry Epstein, Boca Raton</a><br /><br />A couple of specific ideas discussed really struck me. First is the notion of the "one screen world", meaning that businesses need to change their thinking from research and marketing to sales and service with regard to how resources will be budgeted and consumed as we move to the "mobile" screen replacing desktops, and even brick and mortar! Another idea Joel discusses is the coming evolution of DNA marketing. Scary realistic idea that we are being watched and tested for what we may be willing to buy in the future! <b>John Moorehead, Weston</b><br /><br />I really enjoyed Joel’s book. He stressed how important technology is in all areas of business (as seller, marketer, consumer), and in personal life. We can’t ignore how quickly technology is changing the ways we interface. He also stresses the importance of building direct relationships, and the “touchy-feely” part of me really identified with this! His five lessons about building direct relationships stress the necessity of delivering something of real value and using technology to build upon relationships and something that is mutually beneficial. Hmmm. That works for personal relationships as well as business relationships, doesn’t it?<br />And finally, with so many people losing their jobs, his chapter on Startup Mode was beneficial… well worth anyone who is disgruntled at all with his/her present work to align with the right people, embrace mistakes, and move ahead.<br />His motto of “embrace the squiggle” repeats Apple’s “Here’s to the Crazy Ones” advertising, ending with “… the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” <b>Betty G Hubschman, Whitsett, North Carolina</b><br /><br />What an energizing book!<br />I love marketing and it has been my life since high school.<br />I am amazed at the changes and what lies ahead.<br />This book opens your eyes to the many opportunities and also their side effects.<br />Do you want to give up all your privacy to take a chance on making money through a Facebook site for your company and is that the media platform for your business analytics?<br />All these questions and more are discussed by the author Mitch Joel.<br />I am looking for the sequel as I have so many questions from reading this book!<br />I also like his references, it is like a social media course in college.<br />In today's world everyday is a new technology, a new market tool and you must study what fits in your field.<br />Mine is Real Estate and which app, twitter or Facebook do I spend my time with to capture the next listing or buyer, besides combing the MLS?<br />Possibly in the future a listing on the MLS will automatically generate a tweet, show up on Facebook and generate a sale from China!<br />The possibilities are yet to be explored and this book opens your world to look for new marketing tools every second.<br />Of course, it also points out you need a life and when do you separate from your Iphone? Last kiss at night and first in the morning!<br />Excellent book I highly recommend for all professionals to read. <b>Cynergy</b><br /><br />The author is very current on the most popular app and provides examples for the digital strategies in marketing a business. The writing is broken into small sections mostly not more than one page which makes the book difficult to follow. The content has good examples of new technology but the writing can have more explanations. The book has an index and is divided into two. The first half is on the company and the second half on the individual marketing. The orange cover makes it a light and amusing read. <b>William Murtada, Miami</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><b> </b><br />In CONTROL ALT DELETE , Mitch Joel states from the time he wrote his book to it's actual publication, the contents may be outdated.<br />However, he covers so much useful material while sighting many creative methods, ideas and examples of both successful and unsuccessful endeavors, the outdated suggestion is highly unlikely.<br />His book points out the importance of the digital world of the internet and it's components in every aspect<br />of life in today's ever changing world of technology.<br />He points out the importance of the social media (Face Book etc.), the mobile devices and active and passive media. The internet is an amazing source of information! Even clean bathrooms,"sit or squat" can be found there.<br />Not only can various kinds of information be found but purchases can be made as well.<br />I have recently discovered that a book published in the UK can be purchased before it is made available in the U.S. That is helpful if you don't want to wait for it to arrive here.<br />In order to keep up with world of almost daily changes, businesses as well as their employees need to<br />"reboot" in order to remain a part of it. To be indispensible is to do something others can not do.<br />Trying to be like everyone else is risky business in the forseeable future. An entrepeneur needs to have<br />the desire to create the future.<br />Joel also points out there may be consequences for using the i-phone and other devices as a companion<br />rather than another human being. It is important to ask yourself if what is happening on your i-phone or other devices is more important than the here and now. Remember that thought when you are with your children or<br />other people and don't forget to set your priorities.<br />If longevity is your goal in business and relationships with others, Mitch Joel's book should be made an<br />important part of your life. It's a necessary read! <b>Margot Byrnes, Miami</b><br /><br />I did not enjoy this book as I did the others. Iwould get to a part that started off interesting but by the time I got to the end of the section or example I had to reread the beginning of that part to remember the subject.<br />There were some parts I liked, e.g. the squiggly - the idea not his examples. The five dynamics were good, I do not think he brought the idea home for the rebooting your personal life though.<br />To me this was a very confusing book which did not hold my attention. I may read it again, but after I read the previous three books I reviewed first. <b>Forrest Carper</b><br /><br />Mitch Joel writes a useful book on how businesses must adapt to the virtual digital world in which we now operate. As a small business owner, I daily wrestle with the shifting tides of marketing in the twitter/Facebook/website environment. My business does not naturally lend itself to any form of traditional marketing. This continues to be true as a digital presence becomes "traditional." Personally, I am afflicted with the need to constantly check my twitter feed, so I understand the necessity to adapt to the "One-Screen World." While Joel's suggestions on meeting goals for delivering appropriate content to millions of potential clients don't always align with what my business can or should be doing, it provides a fresh view to the reality of the need for a digital presence.<br />I found it interesting that Joel readily cites other authors and thinkers, and recommends numerous books, blogs and websites when explaining a premise or position. For what its worth, that gave me a positive feeling about the ideas and the author, and also led to additional "research" and other great business ideas.<br />Overall, the content was sharp and thought-provoking, and the presentation in multi-heading "bites" made it an easy read. I felt like I could always pick it up even if I could only read four or five pages during a brief sitting. This kept me coming back for more, and led me beyond the pages to bonus ideas. <b>S D Rembold</b><br /><br />It's hard to keep the subject of how technology influences your marketing, your relationships and your life fresh, and this book is no breakthrough.<br />Divided in two sections, the first dealing in how rebooting can impact your business and the second about rebooting your life, the book, like every marketing book in this day and age, showcases many successful enterprises and the strategy they used to get there. It's a tried and true strategy, and judging by the amount of similar books proliferating, a winning one.<br />The problem with this particular one is that a found limited applicability to the advice doled out. Perhaps because I'm not in the service community trying to reach thousands of distant eyes, but even when the book turns to "personal life" advice I found its logic unnecessarily stretched just to prove a point, and even then I didn't find it that useful. Maybe I need rebooting, but this book never pushed the right keystrokes in my brain. 5 out of 10. <b>Miguel Cobas, MD </b><br /><br /> Every time I opened "Ctrl Alt Delete" to read a few more pages, I hoped it would get better. It never did. With so much energy and enthusiasm about the opportunities presented by the Internet, Mitch Joel seems perfectly positioned to make sense of it all. Instead, he delivers a shabby quilt of ill-stitched memes, reverent of the entrepreneurial spirit and fail-fast startup culture that has so radically transformed business since the Internet's inception.<br />The book's string of bite-sized sections, each carrying a short but catchy subhead, is enjoyable at first. But while the style gives author Mitch Joel a chance to punctuate his transitions with wit, the transitions eventually fall flat. The quick-pivots between case studies, admonitions, and advice intended to help the reader understand how to keep pace with modern consumers quickly turn into little speed-bumps in overly-long stories that should have been trimmed by a good editor.<br />Remarkably, this book does deliver a little value along the way. For the unaware, it creates a clear and compelling view of the convergence of media platforms that Joel casts as "The One-Screen World." It points to the wholly under-appreciated imperative of building direct connections with customers in a world where social media is taking on added importance to marketers every day. And for people who missed out on the revolutionary Tom Peter's book, "The Brand You 50," it makes clear the many reasons for resetting one's priorities in a business world that has so firmly placed us at the helm of our own careers. <b>Michael Fitzhugh</b><br /><br />Everyone knows we are in the “Information Age,” but Mitch Joel warns that only few today are poised to succeed as the digitization of our interactions continues at warp speed. Great discussion of how digitalization of consumer interaction, through smart phone, tablet and/or wearable computer technologies, is drastically re-shaping our business and personal lives. Adapt and embrace the new realities of communication, and everyman smart-technology, or be left behind. Clever and worthwhile reading. <b>Doramary</b><br /><br />This book goes into detail about how our world is changing at a phenomenal pace. In order to be successful, it is important to be like one of the customers, walk in their shoes and step outside the box, get away from sitting behind the desk. In order to gain a customers attention, one needs to be up to date in all areas of technology and digital media in regards to advertising and marketing. It may seem fairly basic, but today’s fast paced world waits for no one. We cannot sit idly by as the competitors are always a step ahead to get the business. This book embraces today’s technological world in an easy to follow format. <b>Trisha Molina, Miami Springs</b><br /><br /> A very thought-provoking book is this Control, Alt, Delete. As the title implies this is an information-age book that addresses the dilemma of computer improvements, applications to personal devices and their impacts on business. It goes without saying that since days of Marshal McLuhan the impact of technology has radically altered the economics and decision making processes of business. And in the current economic sphere that writer Mitch Joel addresses, where sole practitioners take on the corporate giants, the challenge becomes how to re-invent ourselves and our businesses to address the influences of 24x7 access, big data’s impact on consumers, and the associated real problems of finding a job via cyber mode, where we can apply our unique talents.<br /> When so much of the employment picture is run digitally, our digital presence has to resist becoming digitally stereotyped, such that individual expression is limited by your tech presence for good or bad. As one makes your digital self known, it might be said that you survive only by what you write, and the digital impact you make for your product saves your identity and defines your worth.<br /> Besides mastering the technological innovations and hardware the Futurists dilemma (and sometimes the consumer person’s nightmare) becomes; Do we function well by allowing the media mode of social network and web presence, to be the place where we strive to retain our unique identity? Or sorry to say, do we just let media filtering translate our message in bulk with an archetypal message?<br /> Seth Godin might say “Weird” is alright, “just be you”; but this book goes to the next level and favors a new approach to media presence where people market themselves by striving to get to app status, so to speak. This book says there might be some new thinking required too, about how we create our private space and then take it to big data to draw attention to ourselves and thereby justify other people’s time for a message.<br /> But McLuhan’s message and admonition are still valid here. Your message depends somewhat on the media transmission method. <br /> Yes, we’re all going to be increasingly connected to the technology to connect to our customers. But the valuable message to new workers, from the characteristics Control Alt, Delete supports, is worth reading. Be careful of throwing out the baby (our special message) with the bath of continual static virtual evaluation. A New You might encounter a Reality Check when the final impression gets transmitted.. Is there a danger of being co-opted? <b>Jim Swaner</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Mitch Joel makes a clear case for what he calls the seismic shift in the way we do business. I liked the book because he not only drives home the point that we must make this change, or get left behind, but he then goes on to tell us in an upbeat manor how to make these changes not only in our business, but in our whole way of thinking. <b>Emily Gilday, Miami </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">I did not enjoy this book as I did the others. Iwould get to a part that started off interesting but by the time I got to the end of the section or example I had to reread the beginning of that part to remember the subject.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">There were some parts I liked, e.g. the squiggly - the idea not his examples. The five dynamics were good, I do not think he brought the idea home for the rebooting your personal life though.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">To me this was a very confusing book which did not hold my attention. I may read it again, but after I read the previous three books I reviewed first. </span><span class="il" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ffffcc; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #222222;">Forrest</span> Carper</span></b></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-5199508393464226542013-07-20T18:23:00.001-04:002013-07-20T18:23:32.957-04:00NEXT BOOK: CTRL ALT DELETE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1455523305/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank">Ctrl Alt Delete: Reboot Your Business. Reboot Your Life. Your Future Depends on It. Mitch Joel. Business Plus. 288 pages.</a></b><br /><b><br />From the Publisher</b><br />The DNA of business has changed. Forever. You can blame technology, smartphones, social media, online shopping and everything else, but nothing changes this reality: we are in a moment of business purgatory.<br /><br />So, what are you going to do about it?<br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mitch Joel, one of the world's leading experts in new media, warns that the time has come to CTRL ALT DELETE. To reboot and to start re-building your business model. If you don't, Joel warns, not only will your company begin to slide backwards, but you may find yourself unemployable within five years.<br /><br />That's a very strong warning, but in his new book, CTRL ALT DELETE, Joel explains the convergence of five key movements that have changed business forever. The movements have already taken place, but few businesses have acted on them. He outlines what you need to know to adapt right now. He also points to the seven triggers that will help you take advantage of these game-changing factors to keep you employable as this new world of business unfolds.<br /><br />Along the way, Joel introduces his novel concept of "squiggle" which explains how you can learn to adapt your personal approach to your career, as new technology becomes the norm.<br /><br />In short, this is not a book about "change management" but rather a book about "changing both you AND your business model."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Read about the book on the author's blog <a href="http://www.twistimage.com/blog/archives/ctrl-alt-del-is-my-next-book/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>About the Author</b><br />Mitch Joel is President of Twist Image, an award-winning Digital Marketing and Communications company.<br /><br />Marketing Magazine dubbed him the "Rock Star of Digital Marketing" and called him, "one of North America's leading digital visionaries." In 2006 he was named one of the most influential authorities on Blog Marketing in the world. In 2008, Mitch was named Canada's Most Influential Male in Social Media, one of the top 100 online marketers in the world, and was awarded the highly prestigious Canada's Top 40 Under 40. Most recently, Mitch was named one of iMedia's 25 Internet Marketing Leaders and Innovators in the world.<br /><br />His newspaper business column, <a href="http://www.montrealgazette.com/search/search.html?q=Six+Pixels+of+Separation" target="_blank">New Business - Six Pixels of Separation</a>, runs bi-monthly in both The Montreal Gazette and Vancouver Sun and he also has a regular column, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/tag/media-hacker" target="_blank">Media Hacker,</a> on The Huffington Post. His first book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Six-Pixels-Separation-Connected-Everyone/dp/0446548235?ie=UTF8&tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank">Six Pixels of Separation</a>, named after his successful blog and podcast is a business and marketing bestseller.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Oh, and I reviewed Mitch Joel's previous book, </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Six-Pixels-Separation-Connected-Everyone/dp/0446548235?ie=UTF8&tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Six Pixels of Separation</span></span></a> right <a href="http://www.richardpachter.com/2009/12/connecting-through-six-pixels-of.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-73743434564613113482013-07-09T21:54:00.001-04:002013-07-11T14:25:18.503-04:00Club Reviews: PRESENT SHOCK<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI3AkEdo3MbyAZoZrIceH48S_hDrQ0Hek3Pz10TZ-_K0JzK-WDf3ZecSuLLKoTRKtkKVhd2HwsGB0Q5e818y-Y2MijqOYl6QnQhPe8XDNXWOqHSKGhXdpvR2LfqiqOSCJHYcbYHGFphTA/s1600/present-shock-douglas-rushkoff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI3AkEdo3MbyAZoZrIceH48S_hDrQ0Hek3Pz10TZ-_K0JzK-WDf3ZecSuLLKoTRKtkKVhd2HwsGB0Q5e818y-Y2MijqOYl6QnQhPe8XDNXWOqHSKGhXdpvR2LfqiqOSCJHYcbYHGFphTA/s320/present-shock-douglas-rushkoff.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591844762/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank">Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now. Douglas Rushkoff. 256 pages</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I enjoyed reading this book. Even at 266 pages, it was a quick & easy read. What I liked most about the book is the fact that while it related to the business world, its content can be applied to anyone in general. It shows how being multi-media savvy is the wave of the future, but it is already here now. We have to embrace it, but still be able to relish good old fashioned face to face time. <b>Terri Bryant, Davie</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">There’s no question that just about everything moves faster these days that it used to. The sheer volume of information that we have access to (and that has access to us) is not just enormous, but is growing daily. There’s also no doubt that attention spans are, in general, shorter than they used to be. It often appears that we need to be in constant contact and we must react instantly to whatever input we experience.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I think that Rushkoff has made a basically sound observation of current society: that we are beginning to experience life as one long continual moment rather than maintaining a view of life as a narrative. I think, though, that he’s expanded this idea far beyond what is really going on in the world. He has cherry-picked valid examples that do support his ideas (tv shows that break the third wall and disrupt linear storytelling, and games that exist for the moment-to-moment experience and appear to have no end), but he has a tendency to ignore the far more frequent and far more popular tv shows and games that do have a linear way of thinking.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Overall I’d say that this book does have a lot to say that is worth reading, and would recommend it, but I think that he is seeing (and trying to persuade us) of a worst case scenario. The changes that he sees and reports are there, but they are not as overwhelming as he believes. <b>Bill Purtee, Missouri City, Texas</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">So.... here's the deal: this is a very interesting book but you have to get past the first chapter to believe it. It is contrived and lengthy. Once you do, the book actually flows quite well and is full of interesting insight about the plight of the modern man in the modern era where everything flies in your face at hyper speed.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">As interesting as it is, I have no real use for the narrative of the book. I felt like watching a good movie that left me satisfied but will be forgotten in a couple of weeks. Nonetheless, the book brings an interesting point of view about how the future has "escaped our control" and overall I would recommended as an interesting, but not indispensable read. It took me 10 days of night reading to finish it. <b>Miguel Cobas, MD</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">When I was in high school I corresponded with pen pals all over the world. Actually, they were tape pals. Instead of exchanging letters, we would exchange 3-inch reels of audio tape which allowed us to record our messages but also to include records or radio shows we were listening to. That's how I first heard The Beatles, a full six months before they appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">It took a long time for those tapes to travel though the mail system from the UK or New Zealand. I was reminded of that process recently when I heard from one of those tape pals from all those decades ago. He found my name on the Internet, sent me an e-mail, and now thanks to Skype we can carry on our conversations (complete with music) in real time.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's technological progress like that that has brought us to where we are now…a state of Present Shock. Because of smartphones, Facebook updates, tweets, Instant Messaging and all that, information comes at us continuously and it is making us crazy! There's an app for that… I mean, a word for that: digiphrenia. It's the disordered condition of mental activity. Are brains are always active, but are we really thinking, learning, growing?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Anyone having difficulty processing the overload ought to take some time to read this book. Not only does Rushkoff explain how we got to this point, he provides something that is lacking as we jump from e-mail to blog post to tweet: context. He helps to explain why politicians can no longer talk about, let alone solve, the major problems we are faced with and why economists totally missed the worldwide economic crisis of a few years ago.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Every time our phones beep or our laptops ping we are faced with a choice. Do we answer it, or do we continue with whatever it is we are supposed to be doing? Like having a conversation with the person who is sitting across the table from us. Rushkoff reminds us that "the first experience most of us had of this sort of forced choice was call waiting." Yes! I can still remember the day, 25 years ago, the first time someone called me from his car on one of those newfangled cellular phones… and then put me on hold to take another call. Call waiting on a cell phone. What a stupid idea.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I hated it just like I grew to hate instant messaging and that annoying ping every time a new e-mail message arrives and those people who look at their phones while they're supposed to be listening to me. "In the digital realm we are either the programmers or the programmed — the drivers or the passengers."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Some of the most fascinating findings in the book concern the way this "always on" activity has disrupted the cycles that have governed human behavior for centuries — the seasons, the cycles of the moon, sleep patterns etc. I'm looking forward to studying more about Rushkoff's experiments in scheduling his activities to synchronize with the cycles of the moon.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">As long as we are reaching for the stars, since everything is connected to everything else in this digital world, I couldn't help jotting down my horoscope for the day I finished the book. "Full throttle, and it gets chaotic. Take it slower, for a sustainable pace." </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">A good first step might be to shut off the smartphone, power down the computer and spend some quality time reading this book. <b>Tom Teuber, Madison, WI</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">This book reminds me a lot of Toffler's Future Shock except today there is no future. Everything is focused on the immediate. There is no thought of the future, everything is NOW! We have found ourselves moving from e mail to texting and from Blogs to Twitter. If the end of the 20th century was about "futureism," then the 21st century is about "presentism." The current generation has no memory burden because there is no past to remember. People today use institutional thinking not rational, considered thinking. Today the moment something is realized, it is over, and one moves to another NOW moment. Indeed, we have moved from Toffler's Future Shock to Rushkoff's Present Shock. We have lots the narrative, the story of how we got here. People are only interested in the NOW! President Obama has encouraged people to be the change not to wait for it. No more linear stories; the NOW is in! We have reality TV all focused on NOW. The NBA is the only sport on the rise because it focuses on individual over team performance. And then there is CNN where we have instant everything. But there is a problem with the present. It disconnects us from reality. We don't get the big picture, just the NOW! And of course the internet brings everyone into the conversation. People have grown skeptical of professional journalism. One study says, people only have a 25% confidence level. Video games have long passes other forms of entertainment. Our games focus on winners and losers and they are infinite, the just keep going. Many of our games are known as RPG (role play games) and unfortunately much is devoid of value. We live in a "better hurry" society. We have come to let technology rule our lives and thus given up all control. We have forfeited the power of choice. With our e mail, Twitter and Smart phones, we are constantly being vibrated. We are constantly in the "on" mode. Used properly our technology can help us with lots of things. But is seems today we are doing everything humanly possible to compress time. Everything is now; no past and no future, just this instant, NOW! And of course we have discovered that living in a global world, everything is connected.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the final analysis, I did find the book a bit hard to read in spots and it got a bit tedious before it ended. <b>Doug Newberry</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Interesting topic and an interesting book!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Although sometimes I did have a difficult time following where the author was going with his examples and did re read some of the chapters again just to ensure I caught the gist of the reading. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The more I read the book the more I understood why people seem to have a hard time concentrating on one topic nor have no interest in reading a newspaper. The American Public wants information now, they do not want to wait. There really is no time to soak in information and provide feedback or even contemplate a decision. We are constantly in the loop for what is going on in the world.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Overwinding Chapter and especially the Time is Money section really brought home to me why investment ideas from the past may not hold true in the future. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I will re-read this book and not let it sit on a shelf. I also need to find my copy of Future Shock and read it again. <b>Forrest Carper, Bossier City, La</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Present Shock is a complex book about how the world has changed with digital technology.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">It compares the past to the new present which has become complicated and distracting with so much information coming at us at once through the new technology which can do more harm than good.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The information received sometimes discards and disregards the truth and historical reality.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The author does a substantial job of clarifying the progression of the transition from before technology, (even including the TV remote control) to the here and now of instant information along with the reasoning</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">behind such changes. He points out the changes and why they occur and continue to do so.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Much of the past has been lost with the new technology. Creativity seems to have disappeared from skilled craftsman to story telling to simple mathematical thinking skills.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Perhaps that is why there are reruns of old movies, books, and Broadway Shows.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">No one seems to have many new ideas.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">That may also be the reason that The Antique Road Show and American Pickers are so popular.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">We are still seeking the quality and sentimental things that were produced by skilled craftsman and writers.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Shock in Present Shock seems to be more for the generations of the past before digital technology than of the present. We are the ones have experienced all of the changes! <b>Margot Byrnes, Miami</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">When is the last time you saw or heard the words Alvin Toffler? This well written volume will reintroduce (or introduce) you.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">This book tackles head on the issue of the century in a completely transparent way that is very stimulating. The hard hitting philosophical, economic, political, and educational issues are addressed with a totally realistic analytical framework. Oh yes, the issue of the century is the question “who’s in charge here, the people or the computers?” We need to tell “Hal” (the computer in the Sci-fi movie “2001; A Space Odyssey”) that the people will rule. The author makes a good point in saying that this should be the case without getting preachy. Even if singularity becomes a reality in the next 2 or 3 decades which the author and many scientists believe will be the case, human beings will still drive the planet. Whoops! I’m sounding preachy.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The author uses excellent elements in building a paradigm for the readers to use in reaching their own conclusions about technology and people. For example, his use of the concept of fractals (repeating patterns) will be very mind expanding. Though I first read about the concept over 20 years ago, the reader will share in the feeling that fractals have an element of newness every time you see one. Whichever side of the issue you are on, concepts like fractal will keep you in the analytical for fun and profit mode. <b>Dr. Robert C. Preziosi, Ft. Lauderdale</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Present Shock is a very detailed overview of today's ever changing world of technology. Reading it made sense for a baby boomer progressing through the changes of today's society throughout the decades. Rushkoff writes exactly the way today is moving; fast paced, short paragraphs, and jumping around. I needed to focus fast to get a clear understanding of his message and felt like I was taking a college course. <b>Trisha Molina</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">In his book, Present Shock, Douglas Rushkoff, successfully held my attention while making his point about our disconnect and dissonance between our digital selves and our analog bodies. Not only could I recognize myself, my co-workers, my friends and my family in much of his writing, I can understand and relate to the examples he uses because they come from popular tv shows, movies and novels. Present Shock is an easy and enjoyable read. Rushkoff doesn't pass judgment or criticize. He simply takes a magnifying glass to what is already evident in our text-induced, social media-enriched, tech-run, digital world. We are so engaged in "presentism" we just don't notice.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><b>Susan Taslimi Litten, Parkland</b> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> It was a light interesting read with a lot of anecdotes to tie the point home. The author discusses how there is a conflict between " our digital selves and our analog bodies" putting us in a state of "present shock." The advice is nothing we have not hear before: live more in the present (i.e.: eye contact over texting, quality over speed, etc). Recommended if you are still struggling to find that balance of technology no completely ruling your life, however, pretty common knowledge if you have already achieved this.<b> Isadora Cipolletta, Miami</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">As a senior citizen struggling to not get left behind in this digital world my head was spinning in reading this book. Understanding the vocabulary with which Rushkoff describes this new millennium was enough to make me nuts. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The book reminds me of how much I loathe the "narrative collapse", and long for eye contact and a phone call over a text. I'm retired, so why then am I always struggling to catch up? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Perhaps Rushkoff is truly in step with the now, but this book left me behind. And quite frankly, I don't care. <b>Emily Gilday</b> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">This book makes you think. The author's thesis is that so much is happening in the present that it is shocking us. He does this with examples of the popular TV programs and small personal examples. The cyclical nature of things is discussed but my opinion is that cycles both in the universe, the solar system and the relationship of the earth to the moon and sun is more important then this book portrays. The portrayal is like explaining what the Romans made popular in their entertainment and extrapolating what the Roman society will evolve too. Their downfall was mostly through corruption and a slave economy!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">My take is the human society and body do go through cycles. This is explained much better by the author Og Madino, particularly in his book, The Greatest Salesman on Earth. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Because there is an error in the area of my expertise, sailing, I question all the examples used to support the author's argument about present shock. This error occurs in the part about feedback. A navigator does not read feedback on a compass but on a GPS (Global Positioning System), a recent system put in place that helps all of us to navigate more accurately with this feedback.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The issue is why everyone is concerned is the pessimism of the future not the present. This is part of the cycle. The author did have a short blurb in the book about the philosopher and paleontologist, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. Teilhard describes where the human race is going in his books, much better then this book does. <b>Gordon Ettie</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The book is really outstanding at covering the way(s) our culture is changing.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Most noticeably the effects of technology on work, time, multitasking and the “NOW” effect.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">It also presents some insights or reminders into digital distraction, work and life interruptions and downtime.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lastly with all the IRS NSA and State dept scandals---the insight to conspiracy theories was timely.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Great Book! <b>Chip Moody Jr.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The topic and the concept is intriguing. I have often wondered what it is like living in a fishbowl (live CNN reporting for everything) a new reality tv show, and that is what Present Shock describes. The author is compelling and convincing and provocative. The question seems to be will we have time to reflect on issues that surround us and allow us to think and weigh options and to reflect before succumbing to the knee jerk response that is being required of us in the future. <b>M. Stein. Coral Springs</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I found the book to be interesting, but more a lot more ‘heavy reading’ then I expected. Timely topic, good insights on social media and its impact on our lives. <b>Doramary Russell, Coral Springs</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">It takes a particular blend of interests to appreciate Douglass Rushkoff's map of the world. He dives deeply into the realms of corporatism, technological innovation, media theory, and pop culture all with equal enthusiasm and often in rapid succession. The reward for anyone sharing this mélange of interests rich. Few writers are capable of distilling developments in these areas in as organized or remarkably clear a manner as Rushkoff. His enthusiasm and talent for synthesizing connections between these fields and a litany of observations by other are clear in his latest book, "Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rushkoff's three most recent books, "Present Shock," and before it "Life Inc," "Program or Be Programmed," together build a picture of a developed world run amok, so throughly awash in material wealth and information that both have ceased to have meaning. The continuity of his arguments is remarkable, especially considering they span five years of relatively radical change. In "Present Shock" he easily picks up the thread.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">In one anecdote after another, he builds cringe-worthy pictures of people lured into parting with growing amounts of attention, wealth, and humanity by promises of ever faster and intense gratification only to be left disappointed, impoverished, and degraded.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rushkoff surveys a world in which the traditional arcs of big stories that once sustained and transmitted culture from one generation to another fall under the weight of self-referential TV programs, stranding us with dead-end entertainments. The artificial urgency created by efforts to achieve maximum productivity pushes us into what he calls "a short forever," in which all activity is directed ultimately toward ceaseless consumption. The disorienting freedom from time created by the digital technologies enabling that consumption, for with 2 a.m. and 2 p.m. are qualitatively the same, leave us drained and disoriented.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The chaos of present shock—being trapped in an ever-lasting now—leaves us confused, he suggests. Worse, we're made susceptible to constant misinterpretation of disconnected events because of our inability to step back to take in the big picture, to "pull back to see the pattern." In the end, we long for closure, completion, for apocalypse.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yet reading "Present Shock" is a surprising pleasure. Rushkoff is an almost unexpected optimist. His predictable turn at the end of every chapter toward positive applications for the very same technologies he disparages elsewhere offers a welcome respite from the cynicism and hopelessness the reader might otherwise endure. He rejects binary judgements in favor of more nuanced assessments of the radical changes that have brought about the shock-induced paralysis he chronicles in the book.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rushkoff argues in the end for a mindfulness in which we "give each moment the value it deserves." That he takes the time to convey his arguments so completely at book-length, writing what he light-heartedly calls "an opera" in a literary world shifting toward shorter and more shallow cultural appraisals is evidence the author taking his own advice. After reading "Present Shock," you're likely to want to do the same. <b>Michael Fitzhugh</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Love the author's perspective on how we've gotten what we asked for-everything faster, more information, immediate results, paranoia and "digiphrenia". We can't enjoy being one place because we're busy socially networking to find a better party, better job, better life. Meanwhile we lose eye contact and other social skills because we "live" online. Sounds like a sci-fi movie script from 1980, but he makes us realize how much civilization has changed post 9/11. <b>John Moorehead, Weston</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-58460200923892446152013-04-30T00:30:00.000-04:002013-05-04T23:29:34.535-04:00Next Book: PRESENT SHOCK<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI3AkEdo3MbyAZoZrIceH48S_hDrQ0Hek3Pz10TZ-_K0JzK-WDf3ZecSuLLKoTRKtkKVhd2HwsGB0Q5e818y-Y2MijqOYl6QnQhPe8XDNXWOqHSKGhXdpvR2LfqiqOSCJHYcbYHGFphTA/s1600/present-shock-douglas-rushkoff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI3AkEdo3MbyAZoZrIceH48S_hDrQ0Hek3Pz10TZ-_K0JzK-WDf3ZecSuLLKoTRKtkKVhd2HwsGB0Q5e818y-Y2MijqOYl6QnQhPe8XDNXWOqHSKGhXdpvR2LfqiqOSCJHYcbYHGFphTA/s320/present-shock-douglas-rushkoff.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591844762/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank"><b>Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now. Douglas Rushkoff. 256 pages</b></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u><i>From The Publisher</i></u></b><br />
People spent the twentieth century obsessed with the future. We created technologies that would help connect us faster, gather news, map the planet, compile knowledge, and connect with anyone, at anytime. We strove for an instantaneous network where time and space could be compressed.<br />
<br />
Well, the future's arrived. We live in a continuous now enabled by Twitter, email, and a so-called real-time technological shift. Yet this now is an elusive goal that we can never quite reach. And the dissonance between our digital selves and our analog bodies has thrown us into a new state of anxiety: present shock.<br />
<br />
Rushkoff weaves together seemingly disparate events and trends into a rich, nuanced portrait of how life in the eternal present has affected our biology, behaviour, politics, and culture. He explains how the rise of zombie apocalypse fiction signals our intense desire for an ending; how the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street form two sides of the same post-narrative coin; how corporate investing in the future has been replaced by futile efforts to game the stock market in real time; why social networks make people anxious and email can feel like an assault. He examines how the tragedy of 9/11 disconnected an entire generation from a sense of history, and delves into why conspiracy theories actually comfort us.<br />
<br />
As both individuals and communities, we have a choice. We can struggle through the onslaught of information and play an eternal game of catch-up. Or we can choose to live in the present: favor eye contact over texting; quality over speed; and human quirks over digital perfection. Rushkoff offers hope for anyone seeking to transcend the false now.<br />
<br />
Absorbing and thought-provoking, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591844762/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank">PRESENT SHOCK</a> is a wide-ranging, deeply thought meditation on what it means to be human in real time.<br />
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<span id="goog_1687865606"></span><span id="goog_1687865607"></span><br />
Here's a recent presentation by Rushkoff on Present Shock:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cdawqlu0_JU" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Here's a link to <a href="http://www.rushkoff.com/present-shock/" target="_blank">the author's website</a>; an interview with <a href="http://boingboing.net/2013/04/02/douglas-rushkoff-present-shoc.html" target="_blank">BoingBoing.net;</a> an <a href="http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/douglas-rushkoff-5-ways-to-fight-present-shock" target="_blank">interview with VICE</a>; and <a href="http://www.twistimage.com/podcast/archives/spos-354---pushing-beyond-present-shock-with-douglas-rushkoff/" target="_blank">a podcast interview</a> with author and margeting guru Mitch Joel.<br />
<br />
<b>Interested in reviewing this book? Please click the link on the top left side of this page</b>.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-73083963033311292542013-04-29T12:58:00.001-04:002013-04-29T12:58:53.990-04:00Review: WORK LIKE A SPY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591843537/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591843537/?tag=wordsonwords-20" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8QU3ftVdr1QL8rcBmNtXOM0dvvTM9M5mQDbT1d4B6whDSNHOKa9OweUxE6CB24CW_7WHQWpPuOo7CNYFi4WNJD0Ry8ga1lpOkhQ4ZlbupkD6wpVpE5vt7iFM0FDU_lGb4G7r4nygE8M/s320/worklikeaspy.jpg" height="320" title="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591843537/?tag=wordsonwords-20" width="211" /></a><span id="goog_400260607"></span><span id="goog_400260608"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591843537/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank"><b>Work Like a Spy: Business Tips from a Former CIA Officer. J. C. Carleson. Porfolio. 208 pages.</b></a><br />
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<div style="text-align: right;">
<b><i>Review by Richard Pachter</i></b></div>
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You need an angle, an opening, a hook — maybe even a gimmick — to get published and be remembered. In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591843537/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank">Work Like a Spy</a>, author Carlson leverages the most interesting part of her resume and the result is an clever and enjoyable book.<br />
<br />
Will you learn how to work like a spy? Yes and no.<br />
<br />
Carlson uses her espionage background to provide various examples of scenarios from the world of cloak and dagger, then explains how an operative would proceed, and provides a parallel situation, with recommended actions in the more mundane world of business.<br />
<br />
It's an entertaining and colorful formula, resulting in some breezy and pleasant lessons, especially the parts where Ms. Carlson shares her personal experiences (which were reviewed and approved for publication by her former employer prior to publication).<br />
<br />
The question, of course, is whether or not the result adds up to something new and original, or at least a fresh view of the familiar from a different angle.<br />
<br />
Not really. Most of what Carlson concludes and recommends involves common sense. If you can't figure out, for example, that you must be extremely careful not to hire a competitor's relative for an important position in your company, you're in big trouble.<br />
<br />
And gathering competitive intelligence by listening carefully to disgruntled or harried employees, possibly while consuming an adult beverage or two, is a time-honored tradition, well known to most savvy managers.<br />
<br />
Still, if you'd like some clues about intelligence gathering in business — and doing it legally, as Carlson repeatedly admonishes — it's here, undercover.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-2286011181378878662013-04-21T20:17:00.007-04:002013-04-25T20:31:33.320-04:00Club Reviews: WORK LIKE A SPY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591843537/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank"><b>Work Like a Spy: Business Tips from a Former CIA Officer. J. C. Carleson. Porfolio. 208 pages.</b></a></span><br />
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</style><span style="font-family: inherit;"> The book's title piqued my interest and gave me hope for new and exciting insights to forge ahead in the business world. Unfortunately there was absolutely nothing new whatsoever--just a 'cloak and dagger' approach telling the reader what they already know. Anyone who has worked in the corporate world should already be aware of the pitfalls to avoid as described in the book, as well as how to establish trust and be truly ethical and 'make it." I was truly disappointed, as Ms. Carleson's approach was smoke and mirrors — resulting in "mission not accomplished". Tobi Dienstag; Pembroke Pines<br /><br />I enjoyed reading the book. It was a quick read, too. Gave a lot of useful information in an easy to decipher format. While some of the text may have been "common knowledge", it was still useful as a refresher course. I would recommend it to others. Terri Bryant, Davie</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />What a great book! Really enjoyed it from beginning to end. Actually, I'm not sure if I liked it more because of the possible translation of skills form the CIA to the corporate world or simply because her writing about the CIA is so candid yet so beguiling that you wish you'd know more from the inner workings of the organization.<br />Written like a song, easy on your eyes and fast on your brain, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anybody who wants to learn a little more about improving people's skills, emotional intelligence and how becoming "an intelligence officer" can help you in many walks of life. Miguel Cobas, MD; Miami<br /><br />Some books you cannot put down. I had no problem putting this book down and out of its misery. No new or classified information here, just tips likely used for capricious means. I prefer teamwork instead. One good point is recognizing when you are being pumped for information. David Shapiro; Ft Lauderdale<br /><br />Pretty cool premise to get "inside info" approach from mysterious source (CIA). However, fairly predictable as far as the layout and knowledge provided. I liked the third Chapter on Business Counterintelligence because the author describes both legal and illegal ways to obtain sensitive data from a competitor. This helps a business owner understand areas in which to enhance security, as well as engage in "turning the tables" on an aggressive rival. Altogether an entertaining and valuable read, thanks for the opportunity to participate! John Moorehead; Weston<br /><br />I did not like the book very much. It was not useful or inspirational. Most of the information had to do with being a CIA officer and what she did or did not do. Finding a niche is already known in the business world. I could continue but I would have to mention parts of the book and that is not what I am supposed to do. Patricia Garcia; Miami<br /><br />This book was interesting! It has something that those looking for work, those already in the workplace and those who are the senior leaders of business can use and/or pass on to those they mentor.<br />At first I was bored with the way she was writing but found she had a flow to her style that although hard to follow at times, I soon came to understand that the ideas she puts forth are very useful. Going from the basics of networking and learning what to listen and look for from an interviewer to how to put together a team and maintain loyalty from those you meet along the way. You may meet those people on the way down too, and it is ever so nice to have friends when you are down on your luck.<br />The introduction of terms such as "Strategic Elicitation" which introduce the basics of how to get information without seeming to really want it, bring the whole book together for me. <br />I liked the book but I did not find the book exciting. It was not boring to me either. I think I can put some of the ideas and exercises together for a nice how to job search lesson to some of those getting ready to leave the active duty military for the civilian sector in the next few months. Forrest Carper; Bossier City, Louisiana<br /><br />The book is interesting and easy to read, but I don't share the author's belief that the information contained in it can help the reader with such things as getting hired or promoted or closing a sale. Where I think these things have an application is in deciding whom to hire if you're a business owner or the person in charge of hiring at a corporation. Liliana Delara<br /><br />The author has a creative idea to tie her CIA agent experience and how it relates to having a job in the private sector. Even going as far as explaining how some CIA principles (ie: targeting, solicitation, counterintelligence, screening), translates in the corporate world. The author does a well translating the principles with brief examples and lighthearted approach. Although the author doesn't reveal any new "secrets" for success in the workplace, I believe this book could aid people exiting public service or law enforcement jobs and trying to get into the private sector or vice versa. The book can help them translate their experience into something those potential employers are looking for. Isadora Cipolletta<br /><br />The principles of working like a spy do translate to the everyday workplace, such as crisis management, ethical challenges and employee investigations. Some of the tips are common sense, but I enjoyed reading her experiences and I got some good ideas for the workplace. Mary Greenwood, St. Augustine<br /><br />Being involved in the Surveillance industry and helping management get a clearer vision of their OPs, this book had extraordinary appeal to my interest.<br />I was not disappointed! I cannot recall nodding in agreement this many times while reading a book.<br />Nicely structured, J.C. Carleson pulls back the curtain and allows us to see inside the mind of an intelligence agent and then goes on with a "how to" on setting up this culture in within an organization. Well worth reading, again! This was great. Marc Cohen; Pembroke Pines<br /><br />This book gives the strategies that one has to adopt to maneuver and advance in a razor edge cut throat business environment. May be a good primer for covert talent acquisitions and take-overs. Compels the reader to think at what extent does one have to reach or breach to get ahead? Lily Orticio; Aventura<br /><br />Easy to read and understand. J.C.Carleson shows us how simple paranoia, diligence, and adherence to detail can be successful in our "real world" as in her "real world". Practical applications that are useful for sales techniques, and ways to monitor your organization from internal and external threats and challenges are suggested and can be used by any manager. Definitely recommended as a management tool. Marvin Stein, MD; Coral Springs<br /><br />J. C. Carleson (yes, she’s a woman, but conveniently neglected to put that on the front flap) has written a book that is easy to read, and yet that does have some good ideas for succeeding in the business world. She wrote about some practices of the CIA, and how they could be applied to working in your present organization. I like the way she created a scenario of what might have happened with the CIA, and then converted some of the actions to activities that would work in any field of business. Chapter 7, Making a Sale the CIA Way, described eight ways to attract a customer, or a new job, such as aiming high, identifying the decision maker, meeting on neutral ground, following through, and keeping it positive. Wish I’d used more of these techniques long before I retired! Betty G Hubschman; Whitsett, North Carolina<br /><br />I was prepared to hate this book. Let's just say I was prejudiced against it even before reading the flap. My first thought was, "Great, here's a person who's trading on her 'glamorous' insider job title and she'll try and impress us with all her shoptalk and war stories." I was anticipating a shallow read, long on pithy personal observations and short on substance. I've spent three out of the last five years as an analyst in an intel center. I switched to a writing position with the same organization and work with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, so I thought "Work Like a Spy" would be a flimsy excuse of a book used to shine the light on the author. I expected a book of "look how clever I am" stories disguised as an advice book for worker bees. I decided to be fair and drop my preconceived notions. I opened my mind and after I read the first 25 pages, I began to see value in the book. Author Carleson has written a thoughtful, well-documented book that would help anyone in any stage of life because it's based on psychology and proven tactics for "motivating" other people to provide you with what you want. The section on elicitation ("Strategic Elicitation" in the second chapter called "Secret Agent Boot Camp") was especially helpful. The use of a very realistic job interview as an example of how to get details about the interviewer so the interviewee could craft an effective response was realistic and informative.<br />Other chapters were equally helpful and practical. For example, chapter four ("Creating Your Team") provides five strategies that the CIA uses developing individuals and teams. This section is extremely valuable and easy for the lay person to apply to personal and professional goals. I especially liked the author's example used in the fifth strategy: "Make Room for Lone Wolves." Carleson used the example of the gruff senior officer with bad interpersonal skills, but who was extremely good at his job by, "...getting taciturn, tough, and grizzled officials from target nations to spill their secrets, because he was just like them. I suspect that, on average, his conversations with this recruited assets consisted of a small fraction of the number of words used in parallel conversations between other officers and assets. Yet in his gruff, taciturn way he got the job done when no one else could." This book is well written and practical. Readers should look past the title, the gimmicky cover art and give this book a chance. Kathy Dolbow Doran; Miami Beach<br /><br />I immediately sensed upon reading the book, the refreshing and not boring, analytic, no nonsense approach of the author. It makes a lot of sense having a background in business and additionally being a CIA analyst, to genially write a business book that will help you make better business decisions. It is general enough, applicable to many circumstances, but specific in its analytic approach. Well written and understandable, one of the better and most enjoyable business books I have read. Highly recommend it. EJ "Henry" Ventura, Jr.; Coral Gables<br /><br />If you've always wanted to know how you can sniff out top-secret insights in the corporate world, don't expect to find out how by reading Work Like a Spy. You'll be no closer to an answer. You will, however, be inundated with first hand accounts of J. C. Carleson's work experience at the C.I.A and various examples of how she was a pro at getting what she wanted from other people while she worked for the C.I.A. What I wanted from this book was something more than the basic common sense the author offered. Susan Taslimi Litten; Parkland<br /><br />I found the premise of using CIA techniques as procedures to assist a less-intriguing business a very engrossing read. The thought of using clandestine, covert activities to make my own business more effective and efficient has broad appeal.<br /><br />Throughout the book I realized something. I don't want to work like a spy. <br /><br />The use of most of the applicable or transferable suggestions is tenuous at best. The author provides an extensive back story to make a relatively small point in the world of those of us who don't have the business model of a spy agency. Applying the procedures Carleson outlines, I would spend all day performing counterintelligence instead of doing my job. It just is not practicable or suitable for small business. For Fortune 500 or 1000, companies, many of the techniques could be entirely applicable, but for me, with ten employees, it does not provide much to help me day-to-day.<br /><br />Despite that, I found the section on recruitment to be the most interesting, informative, and directly usable to my business. Focusing on getting the right people for the job,not the right resume, is something to which I have to pay close attention.<br /><br />In the end, it was a well-written, interesting book. But as for my job, I have to shelve it under fiction. Scott D. Rembold; Coral Gables<br /><br />The book is interesting as it had a twist ... it was like a little about an organization CIA which has always been intriguing for many of us and then that she was able to incorporate her teachings and also some insights as to what takes to be a CIA make the book more interesting and of course the title was catching. I think that the book could be made into a movie ... and as world is more on intellectual sphere at this time ... there are more spies in the business world than anywhere else and the stakes are high.<br /><br />I definitely place it for as recommending reading for those starting a business, already owning a business which they are contemplating taking to a higher level. And of course the Internet business of the new start … as talents is very important thing when one is starting a venture. Magda S. Saltzman<br /><br />The examples provided by the author show how even the best in the business can be mislead by intelligence gathered. I found it easy to navigate and an individual's "self awareness" is a valuable tool in business or any relationship. I recommend this book for the "spy" in all of us. Peter Kihn; Sterling Heights MI<br /><br />After a slow start when reading J.C. Carleson's book, I was rewarded with worthwhile suggestions to help in various areas of business organization situations in all areas of a company.<br /><br />Elicitation, screening, recruitment, and counter intelligence strategies are the important valuable strategies given. Positive values and integrity are a necessity.<br /><br />It amazing how many of the CIA strategies can be used in most areas of your business and your life.<br /><br />Some you may all ready be using!<br /><br />The most intriguing parts of the book were the descriptive anecdotes that actually happened<br /><br />in the CIA. They added that extra zing to the book! Margot Byrnes; Miami<br /><br />I enjoyed this book! It was entertaining and carries a great message. Indeed, there are a lot of ways to emulate “the spy business” in the world of business. I wanted to read this book to see if I knew a lot of what it contains. I do. But I still found many nuggets worth remembering and reading. There is a lot of valuable information contained in this book, framed in a way that makes it almost irresistible! Who doesn’t want to feel like a spy as they research and prepare for a meeting? I have always looked at someone’s web site before meeting with them. Little did I know that I was engaging in leadership analysis, a CIA technique! It will make things a whole lot more fun from now on to couch them in spy terminology, but this is not a put-on. There really is a lot of relevant information to be gleaned from her words. And after all, as she says, we leave in a world where information has value. So does this book. Anne Bloom; Davie<br /><br />This is not a boring, standard business book. This book starts off exciting and delivers right to the end. Carleson provides an interesting perspective on getting ahead in the business world through the eyes of a former agent. While the strategies make sense that are introduced and the stories around them are fascinating to absorb, they both tie in together making each chapter very interesting and wanting to learn more. Trisha Molina; Miami<br /><br />I loved learning how to “Work Like A Spy.” A practical lexicon, yet still engaging, I have been recommending this book to everyone. And the cover art is awesome! Doramary Russell; Coral Springs<br /><br />I jumped at the chance to review Work Like a Spy by J. C. Carleson because I like to see authors use analogies to relate one type of work practices to the work practices of types of work. And when I read any business book, I look for those platinum nuggets of wisdom rather than a comprehensive unifying theory of how to run my operations.<br />In Work Like a Spy, there are some real stretches to equate the skills taught and used as a CIA clandestine service officer with the skills needed in today’s corporate world. Most notably, Chapter 7, Making a Sale the CIA Way, starts with “persuading a target to conduct espionage is much like making a sale.” While there are undeniably some similarities, the analogy was more entertaining than it was insightful.<br />But chapters 5 and 6 are replete with those true nuggets of wisdom that can be directly applied. Chapter 5, Staying Clean in a Dirty World, makes a wonderful case for hard and fast ethical rules that cannot be violated in either the do-or-die world of spying or in the high-stress-high-stakes world of corporate business. Some takeaways:<br />· Treat and protect your reputation and integrity as you would cold, hard cash.<br />· Understand that sharks are cannibals.<br />· Own the solution, not the mistake.<br />· Act urgently when things are urgent.<br />And they don’t come off as flat platitudes. Ms. Carleson gives real-world examples from both corporate life and clandestine life that illustrate and bolster her best advice.<br />Chapter 6, Crisis Management Strategies from an Organization that Truly Knows the Meaning of Crisis, is the best chapter in the book. She lists some of the “many ways that the CIA responded more effectively to a crisis than what [she] had witnessed in the corporate world,” such as:<br />· Focus attention outward<br />· Continue to acknowledge and reward performance<br />· Make senior management more accessible than ever<br />· Articulate crystal-clear directives<br />· Hand out extraordinary empowerment to your employees<br />· Redirect and refocus<br />· Protect the employees on the ground<br />· Create loyalty by inspiring it and trust by earning it<br />Each of these is backed up by pages and pages of explanation and examples. This one chapter alone is reason enough to read the book in its entirety. Chris Ros</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I liked the book although I am not sure about her premise that business should follow CIA standards. It gives an interesting perspective on values and thinking of the CIA subculture. The author seems to glorify this subculture that she once was a member portraying them as idealistic, having high standards, and representative of a higher caliber of society. Reminds me a little of the television series MI-5. Darlene Johnson</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I enjoyed the book. While the beginning was a slow start and a bit much to get through, pressing on provided some interesting ideas on intelligence gathering. In today's world, business leaders are inundated with a great deal of data. Sifting through the data for useable information was what I took from this. The analogies in the book are really the exciting part. The drawback for the book for me was that it appeared to be more focused on larger businesses rather than small operations. With that said, there is still ample techniques and ideas that make it worth reading and implementing some of the strategies. This book also made me think of the book "Only the Paranoid Survive." John Lyon, Barre, Vermont </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-8805541062532955442013-03-01T16:05:00.001-05:002013-03-02T13:57:32.719-05:00NEXT BOOK: Work Like A Spy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591843537/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591843537/?tag=wordsonwords-20" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8QU3ftVdr1QL8rcBmNtXOM0dvvTM9M5mQDbT1d4B6whDSNHOKa9OweUxE6CB24CW_7WHQWpPuOo7CNYFi4WNJD0Ry8ga1lpOkhQ4ZlbupkD6wpVpE5vt7iFM0FDU_lGb4G7r4nygE8M/s320/worklikeaspy.jpg" title="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591843537/?tag=wordsonwords-20" width="211" /></a><span id="goog_400260607"></span><span id="goog_400260608"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591843537/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank"><b>Work Like a Spy: Business Tips from a Former CIA Officer. J. C. Carleson. Porfolio. 208 pages.</b></a><br />
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In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591843537/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank">Work Like a Spy</a>, author <a href="http://www.jccarleson.com/bio.html" target="_blank">J.C. Carleson</a> applies lessons learned from her years as an undercover CIA officer to the business world. Quite simply, the techniques used in the clandestine world are broadly applicable, universal methods for getting what you want from other people.<br />
In the business setting, you may be seeking a new job, a promotion, a big sale, or a regulatory ruling in your company's favor. Whatever it is that you seek, someone has the power to give, and this book will teach you new strategies to get it. Broken into three parts, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591843537/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank">Work Like a Sp</a>y includes an introduction to the basic skill sets used by CIA officers, clandestine methods that can be applied at the organizational level, and techniques that can be applied to specific business situations.<br />
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When J. C. Carleson left the corporate world to join the CIA, she expected an adventure, and she found it. Her assignments included work in Iraq as part of a weapons of mass destruction search team, travels throughout Afghanistan, and clandestine encounters with foreign agents around the globe. What she didn’t expect was that the skills she acquired from the CIA would be directly applicable to the private sector.<br />
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It turns out that corporate America can learn a lot from spies—not only how to respond to crises but also how to achieve operational excellence. Carleson found that the CIA gave her an increased understanding of human nature, new techniques for eliciting information, and improved awareness of potential security problems, adding up to a powerful edge in business.<br />
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Using real examples from her experiences, Carleson explains how working like a spy can teach you the principles of:<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Targeting—figuring out who you need to know and how to get to them<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Elicitation—a subtle way to get the answers you need without even asking a question<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Counterintelligence—how to determine if your organization is unwittingly leaking information<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Screening—CIA recruiters’ methods for finding and hiring the right people<br />
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The methods developed by the CIA are all about getting what you want from other people. In a business context, these techniques apply to seeking a new job, a promotion, a big sale, an advantageous regulatory ruling, and countless other situations.<br />
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As Carleson writes, “In a world where information has a price, it pays to be vigilant.” Her book will show you how.<br />
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Here's <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/14/opinion/work-like-a-spy-route-to-the-top" target="_blank">a column Carlson wrote for CNN</a>.<br />
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Want to participate? It's free! Please send your name and U.S. terrestrial mailing address<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><a href="mailto:rap@richardpachter.com" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">here</a>. - See more at: http://www.bizbooksclub.com/2013/03/next-book-work-like-spy.html#sthash.96SRWOO9.dpuf</div>
<i><b> Want to review this book? Email your U.S.-based terrestrial mailing address <a href="mailto:reviewrap@gmail.com" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></i><br />
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Want to participate? It's free! Please send your name and U.S. terrestrial mailing address<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><a href="mailto:rap@richardpachter.com" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">here</a>. - See more at: http://www.bizbooksclub.com/2013/03/next-book-work-like-spy.html#sthash.96SRWOO9.dpuf</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-91176160757794128032012-11-26T14:15:00.002-05:002012-11-28T09:39:22.447-05:00Club Reviews: A Slice of the Pie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591844584/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Nick Sarillo" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivey6JWjagZDqiQf_Eh2TbCYIx6pdXkPxZOQ6vhQTRf9OtW7f1d8Uqwl7Kl0b8w4Em2YdsFVgiopH314clkFNJA8v9sLtlHGvR1wAYNOtTncAAjvzxO536k-28vDex93Z6WiJ1eN5MeAY/s320/A+Slice+of+the+Pie+Jacket.jpg" title="A Slice of the Pie" width="211" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591844584/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank"><b>A SLICE OF THE PIE: How to Build a Big Little Business by Nick Sarillo</b></a>.</span><br />
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the book, A Slice of the Pie, the author Nick Sarillo provides a clearly explicit picture of how he created a culture in his pizza restaurant by using positive behaviors, attitudes, teamwork and honest open communication to create a culture of trust with his employees by treating others with respect and dignity.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It reminds me of the song with the lyrics "accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative"</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Employees are motivated to ensure good behavior by being acknowledged when it is happening. Mistakes and deficits are reframed in a positive way as a learning opportunity. Employees are asked how they can enhance their behavior rather than how they can do better when something is wrong, The "Nick Experience", as it is referred to, creates a positive environment for both employees and customers who are called guests.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Employees are encouraged to learn all aspects of the workplace in the restaurant creating a true learning community and the opportunity to move up in the company. The focus is to encourage self-development serving a higher purpose making it look more like a school masquerading as a restaurant.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nick is always reaching out to the community and giving back to it and he encourages his employees to do the same. The business has fundraisers and other activities that involve the community.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is no need for advertising.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nick is so transparent and the environment in his restaurant is so positive and enjoyable to be in, it is no surprise that the community freely reached out to him in order to help him work out and overcome his financial problems.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What a joy it would be to have the opportunity to work in such a positive atmosphere and learn at the same time!</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Being a guest experiencing "The Nick Experience" must be delightful!</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The purpose of the book is to share his ideas and experience with other business people and encourage them to use his methods. How magnificent it would be if more businesses followed his positive environment model! Mr Sarillo"s book is well written and easy to comprehend for any one who is interested in enhancing their business. </span><span style="background-color: #ffffcc; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Margot</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Byrnes, Miami</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a general comment, I found this book easy to read with lots of good information that is helpful. I think after 50 years in my business, Nick is right saying if you practice the right management/leadership skills you can "Build a Big Little Business."</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Specific comments:</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Without a doubt the days of "command and control" cultures are gone. As Nick says, today it is "Trust and Track" to be successful.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today it is also true that being honest about the "health" of your business (any organization) with staff, investors, customers, is essential to the needed transparency in order to be successful.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I loved the discussion of being nice and being kind. All too often we see them as the same. They are not! Good leaders can be kind without being nice.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As Nick points out the key to organizational success today is CULTURE! We must nurture, our staff and our customers so they will have great experiences. That is true success!</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Great leaders take no credit for success, it is the culture and the people that make great things happen.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of course, the "Track" part means we must have the right metrics.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We reap the benefits of a world-class culture by making culture part of every decision you make and action you take.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To achieve really high performance, the culture must be shaped. The culture must be our focus and our guide in every business decision made.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A key point that Nick repeats is that we have to manage from the inside out. Top down management died sometime ago!</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A strong culture is built around a purpose. Why are we here is the key question?</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Managing by fear is no longer successful. Success come from "Trusting and tracking."</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">People have to have a purpose they can subscribe to in order to do their best. Purpose is what we are all about.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To create a successful organization we start by identifying what we are doing right and then we focus on deficiencies and solutions.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Purpose is the why and values are the how.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To build a high-performance culture, you mjust have single-mindedness and your teammates must adopt your purpose as their own.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As we communicate our purpose to our team members, we must remember that actions speak louder than words. Our teammates will be watching to see if our actions are in sync with our purpose.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nick provides us 8 useful tools we can use in everyday life.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Trusting our people is really key if we want our purpose to be lived out from the heart.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Good leaders find they have to let go of some control and employ the trust part of "Trust and Track."</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">KEY point-it is team members, not managers, who drive the business. Top down does not work anymore!</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In a purpose driven culture, people advance by skills mastery and training. This puts people in charge of their own advancement and allows them to determine how much they make.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In our purpose driven culture, we need coaches, not managers.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We have to work hard to teach managers that their greatest contribution does not come from some whiz bang idea but rather in helping their team members perform at their very best.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nick uses his Dad many times as an illustration of how Top Down and Command and Control do not work. It is very insightful to see how when Nick started his business, he was determined to do everything completely different than he had seen his Dad do it. Command and control, top down do not build high-performance cultures.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is lots of discussion about mindfulness. But this simply means being fully aware of all that is going on around you.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bottom line is that we find that in a purpose-driven, high-performance culture, the smallest behaviors send messages about the organizations purpose and values and whether they support the culture.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I highly recommend this book for all leaders and managers. It speaks to both the new and old organizations and and had some very important ideas to offer. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Doug Newberry, Cane Ridge, TN</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The story of A Slice of the Pie is an excellent example of how relationship building, through a solid team of employees and customer loyalty is beneficial to the whole community surrounding the business. Sarillo's emphasis on communication, accountability, and trust — both management’s and employees’ — is key to delivering the unique and meaningful experience for the employees, customers and the community at large. His goal of integrating the company's culture of dedicated service to families and community into every decision made, and every action taken, is clearly demonstrated throughout the book. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When pursuing the purpose, the employees subject anything they do or say to the Grandma Test (would your grandmother approve of it?) when mastering the disciplines necessary to share the Nick's experience with the guests. The realization that " the company is really a school disguised as a business" becomes apparent as the team members are trained by their peers. The book gives examples throughout that would help any leader see how they can build purpose into their own companies. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The restaurant helps the community in numerous ways that aligns with their purpose. Some examples of this are a Library Incentive Program that rewards kids for reading, sponsorship program for local youth sports teams, and programs that allow nonprofits to hold fundraising events in the restaurants and receive 15% of the net profits during the event. These events and programs allow Nick's to communicate their purpose to the community in a very authentic way. Throughout the book there are many examples and stories to support the process utilized for bringing the purpose of this restaurant to life. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I would recommend this book to any entrepreneur or leader who would like to see an example of how a foundation of trust along with excellent communication of purpose and values can create a great business where the entire community benefits. I personally found this story very motivating and hope to visit the restaurant and meet the CEO, Nick very soon. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bari Schanerman, Miami</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just finished reading it. Nick is a Master at creating and building his restaurants. I knew Tom Monaghan and observed how he grew Domino's Pizza before finally selling out. Another friend is Tom Feltenstein, who is top consultant to restaurants too. Neither of them have gone to the extent that Nick has in empowering his employees to think for themselves, express their individual behavior, while adhering to the philosophies he has established, which resulted in the high grosses and volumes at his locations. This is a must read for not only any restaurant operator, but can be applied to a number of other industries too. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Barry Epstein, Boca Raton</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nick Sarillo has found a very practical approach to convert his command and control operation to a “Carefully Select, Trust, Track, Respect and Share” philosophy. Apparently this works in a relatively small operation with limited numbers of employees and one in which the owner has the time and money to screen, train and supervise them. The restaurant business has a huge turn over rate and if Nick can cultivate and inculcate followers that maintain high moral and cultural standards, retain them as team players, and give community charity and make a profit. Welcome a new religion in Illinois. God Bless him. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Marvin Stein, Coral Springs</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I enjoyed this read. I agree wholeheartedly with Nick about establishing a statement that sums up the organization's mission (or current purpose, as he insists is more meaningful) by which decisions can be best made. I also commend his philosophy of empowering employees through "Track and Trust" rather than "command and control." </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a frequent restaurant diner, I too appreciate interactions with staff who "get it." Too often, those charged with customer service just don't. It can break a business. I would recommend this book to owners and managers of businesses who depend on their staff creating an experience that keeps customers happy and returning for more. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Kelly Reid</b></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> </b></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hungry to develop a unique corporate culture within your own small business? Craving a higher purpose that can become the engine that drives your company onward and upward? Consume “A Slice of the Pie,” and you may find nourishment. But, you’ll also get some extra cheese.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nick Sarillo rolls out a compelling case for defining a clear company culture that governs policy and behavior. His book begins as a “How To” guide to articulating company culture and uniting employees around a common purpose. I found this valuable, and expect to apply some of his advice to my own business, organizing it better around passion and conviction. But, once the author has laid out his thesis, “A Slice of the Pie” rapidly becomes far too specific to his own small pizza chain. His advice on hiring and management may not apply unless you employ an army of low wage hourly workers. While the lessons of respect, openness, and community resonated, they were delivered with an air of corny self-promotion verging on smugness. Sarillo is all too willing to illustrate his own superior system by throwing his competitors, his ex-wife, and his poor, foolish father under the delivery truck. I came away from the book not entirely convinced that I, or anyone else, could ever be as excited about Nick Sarillo’s business philosophy as he is. But it did make me hungry. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Robert Kirkpatrick, Miami Beach</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I found the book to be very good. This was not a typical "how to" business book, this book was more like a novel of Nick Sarillo's journey to save his business. He went with the unconventional principles of treating his employees with respect and making them feel like they were part of a long term team. This is unconventional in this type of industry. The restaurant business is typically a revolving door for employees that are told what to do and used until they quit. One of the most important messages I took away from the book is the concept that Nick first tells the "why", rather than just tell employees what to do. The why is the part that really makes it personal to the employee and makes them feel valuable and important to the overall experience for the customer. Nick also provides advise on how to motivate employees, which is especially hard to do in a typical pizza place. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nick give many examples of how to deal with conflict and solve problems. He mostly uses open communication, listening, and transparency into what he is doing. These simple and basic concepts make others want to work through things with Nick. He does this both with his employees and his customers. This message really stands out when he asked his customers to help, and they all came to the restaurant to dine and brought as many people with them as they could find. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Even though this book is written with the small business entrepreneur in mind, I would say the concepts work equally well even with the largest company. Looking at the cover of the book, one might think it only applies to small businesses. But I would encourage anyone from any sized business to read this book. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Frank Donn, Miami</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br />
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I would not recommend this book. A person would get the same information watching a Tony Robbins video or by attending an Amway meeting. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ron Groce, Miami</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">I find the book a joy to read. It has a more “connectedness” approach to the reader. As compared to the more established TQM gurus such as Deming or Juran, or established TQM business models such as Disney or Six Sigma, this book brings a special “freshness” to the subject due to the focus on human connection rather on the process which most often TQM books give a clinical presentation.</span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">The human approach to management is highlighted by “culture warriors” instead of “black belts”. The purpose to give a “mi casa, su casa” family atmosphere in a pizza place, is perfect for a staple that ranks high on children’s list. Management also features embedded intrinsic values of respect, recognition, and transparency as presented by narratives and actual illustrations of implements. These values are not new and actually basic, but most often implementation is forgotten by leaders due to their focus on ROI and drive to reach the top too soon without a solid culture base to support it. Human resource is the most expensive part of business cost but, when handled right, it is the driving force of success. Mr. Sarillo got it right. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Lily P. Orticio</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">Nick Sarillo says that he never got a college degree, but his book shows that he has read a lot on entrepreneurship, adult motivation (including Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, including intrinsic motivation), and readings of popular books by Malcolm Gladwell (Blink), Daniel Pink (Drive), and Stephen Covey (Speed of Trust). He also has shown himself to be motivated to attend workshops on any subjects that might affect the operations of his business, including Tough Love, Zen classes, and common sense techniques such as the Grandma Test (would Grandma approve?)</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">It seems to be working. Nick is able to hire young people and groom them for better jobs within the company (and in other companies). I do wonder how many older people he has in the organization, or how this will play out as the present employees grow older… I peered through my bifocals to see if I could find anyone over 45 on the group photo on the back flap of the book – guess I’ll have to get the old magnifying glass out to check again! </span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Betty G Hubschman, Burlington, NC</b></span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span></span></b><br />
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">This book was a pleasant surprise. My first impression of just another entrepreneur saga, was soon revised when I found a much more personable approach. It was not just about marketing, advertising techniques, or mobilizing modern tech methods to reach people. </span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">No, this book was worth reading for the personal elements found at its core. Yes, they wanted a successful business plan but with character, that set it apart from others. The best part though, was about how to base your organization on the concept of a "meaningful purpose" statement, which for this restaurant company could be favorably described as "a foundation of community values" with respect for the individual employee.</span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">This was a welcome change from the corporate messaging that gets carried away with pricing, image and strict budget values, in standard business books. Before I knew it, I'm reading a "feel good" book about co-operation, grown-ups learning through affirmative training, to manage with love, leadership, and "good behavior". The empowerment of employees, and supporting teamwork, for the common good and self-development, made me think I'd like to develop this cultural vision of mutual support. Unfortunately, it came off a little lacking from the reality check standpoint when he finished the book calling for employees to be "coached" The company purpose if altruistic, would speak for itself, I think. </span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>A few better examples of community building for the common good might have supported the case for unity of purpose; rather than the disappointing last chapter on becoming a "cultural warrior". </span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Jim Swaner, Miami Shores</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">Good story reading. Some useful tips, but the subtitle "How To Build a Big Little Business" should be changed to "The Nick Sarillo Restaurant Success Story". There are some useful tips, but they are certainly not enough to make it into a how to book for building "any" big little business. It still was enjoyable to read. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>EJ "Henry" Ventura Jr., Coral Gables</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span></span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">T</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">his book was interesting and informative howto-book for making it in</span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">todays business environment. </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">Mr. Sarillo shares with you his formula of creating a successful</span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">business even in tough times. </span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">Though slow at first, it picks up with interesting personal stories.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">I will read over sections of book as it also reads like a text book.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">Being a small business owner also I can appreciate and learn from</span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">having read this book. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Greg Silvera, Miami</b></span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">Before speaking about the book, I must say that the level of training and the extent of developing corporate culture for a company which primarily operates in two restaurants is truly remarkable. The focus on purpose, coaching, leadership, transparency, and training/development is amazing for a company that size and should be considered for not only small businesses but large ones as well.</span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"> In regards to the book, “A Slice of the Pie”, I felt it was written by more than one author, or had a style which went from real world to leadership theory. Nick has had success by developing this amazing corporate culture and the real life stories are truly his to write about and share. However, I felt there were many training models illustrated--such as: the materials on purpose statement, four stages of competence, synergy model, certification feedback, Karpman Drama Triangle—some of which were well explained and some not, that appeared to be written in a more academic fashion than the CEO explaining about the practical issues of running a restaurant. More practical situations and how they were dealt with, rather than spending more time on training and development methodology, would have been more valuable than focusing on the training methods. I wondered also if there was a training consultant who co-authored the book as a ghost-writer as it doesn’t seem like one person writing and organizing this book based on Nick’s description of his background.</span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">Aside from the inconsistency in writing style, I do agree that “A Slice of the Pie” is an excellent book to read and see how small businesses can promote leadership and effective relationships with their staff. I do recommend it for the many ideas and the effective principles on which the book is based. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Randy Lichtman, Miami</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">I own a small business and was hoping to find that "Magic" formula to take it to the next level. In "A Slice of the Pie" there were many ideas and worthwhile tidbits but I feel that we are already practicing what Nick is preaching. We are a team and just want to get even better. We are active...we are definitive...and we do have fun. However, I appreciated reading about Nick's struggles and his successes and I was inspired. There are so many businesses, especially restaurants and similar direct contact service type groups, that really need to read this book and see what they are missing. The last five years have not been easy for owners/operators of small businesses and some are now closed when they might have had a somewhat easier time if they had read "A Slice of the Pie". Thanks for the opportunity of reviewing this book. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Jeannett Slesnick, Coral Gables</b></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">Nick Sarillo created a place where people go to feel good, similar to the show Cheers. Nick thought outside the box and did not listen to those who told him he would fail, he went on to pursue his dreams, similar to the story of Walt Disney. Nick finds the right team members, he trains them his way using core values and not only teaches them, but inspires them and gives them opportunities and future hope, then puts them in place in his restaurants where they become one with "Nick's experience". A good pizza is not that hard to find, but a great dining experience is priceless, and that is what Nick's strategies are about. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Trisha Molina, Miami</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">A Slice of Pie introduces readers to the inner workings of a pizza shop yet the basic priciples taught in this book is applicable to every level of business and management. There are many books that inform us of the need for clear visions and missions yet very few actually provides the instructions and strategies of how to make that possible. This is what distinguishes this book from many others in its class. It gives anyone the tools to get their own slice of the pie and that is why I give this book an A. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Deidre Campbell, Miami</b></span></span></span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><b> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">It seems that Nick </span></span></span></span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">S</span></span></span></span></span><b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8002541910391301"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;">arillo didn't spare money or time to make sure that his clients experienced a family dinning experience bar none. And he created a culture that nurtures individuality and leadership, that is also unparalleled in corporate America. His book goes into such detail that it could be used as a manual for company owners and HR directors that prefer a cookie cutter approach to employee management rather than going through the time and expense of reinventing the wheel themselves. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Liliana Delara, Miami</b></span></span></span></span></b></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158185068327486295.post-42803404242420072552012-10-07T17:14:00.000-04:002012-10-07T17:15:57.219-04:00NEXT BOOK: A Slice of the Pie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591844584/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank"><img alt="Nick Sarillo" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivey6JWjagZDqiQf_Eh2TbCYIx6pdXkPxZOQ6vhQTRf9OtW7f1d8Uqwl7Kl0b8w4Em2YdsFVgiopH314clkFNJA8v9sLtlHGvR1wAYNOtTncAAjvzxO536k-28vDex93Z6WiJ1eN5MeAY/s320/A+Slice+of+the+Pie+Jacket.jpg" title="A Slice of the Pie" width="211" /></a></div>
Next book:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591844584/?tag=wordsonwords-20" target="_blank"><b>A SLICE OF THE PIE: How to Build a Big Little Business by Nick Sarillo</b></a>.<br />
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<b>From The Publisher</b><br />
While countless books have been written about culture, with Apple, Southwest, and Zappos as the oft-referenced poster children, there remains a gap in the literature – particularly for small and everyday businesses, where replicating Zappos’ playbook feels anything but realistic. In A SLICE OF THE PIE, Sarillo fills that gap, offering insight into how to create a culture that will support any business through good times and bad – even in an industry where turnover is high, expectations are low, and a college degree is not required.<br />
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Sarillo's website: <a href="http://www.nicksarillo.com./">www.nicksarillo.com.</a> A TV news story about his restaurants: <b><a href="http://dailynightly.nbcnews.com/_news/2011/10/10/8211503-for-one-pizza-man-its-a-wonderful-life?lite" target="_blank">here</a></b>. <br />
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And a video here:<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Yvd9WMTaF_w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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If you're interested in reading and reviewing this book, please send your U.S. terrestrial mailing address <a href="mailto:rap@richardpachter.com" target="_blank">here</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0