Competitions Books

Play To Win: The Nonprofit Guide To Competitive Strategy describes the value of using competition in furthering the mission of a nonprofit organization. While not denigrating the advantages of collaborative strategies, Play to Win gives the reader useful tools for mining the benefits of a competitive stance, including means to assess a nonprofit's position in the marketplace, how to develop winning competitive strategies, step-by-step directions for leaders to effectively compete for limited resources, and much more. Written by the founder and senior manager La Piana Associates, a consulting firm specializing in problems and strategies unique to nonprofit organizations, Play To Win is highly recommended reading for the leadership of any nonprofit determined to stand out from the crowd.

Batra explains clearly why free trade has not been as beneficial as advertised. Though tariff cuts are generally seen as a tonic for the economy, Batra reviews statistics which show that real wages have fallen during the same era in which tariffs have been cut. In fact, Dr. Batra makes it clear that free trade can make the real GDP rise -- while simultaneously leading to the impverishment of the working class. Like a good economist, Dr. Batra realizes that tariffs are not a cure all. He intelligently points out that domestic competition behind tariff walls has historically been more important than international competition in spurring innmovation and productivity increases. In this light, he combines recommendations for tariffs with recommendations for an aggressive anti-trust and anti-merger policy. Even more interesting is Batra's focus on trade's negative environmental effects. By making necessary the extensive use of transport and shipping, trade encourages oil use and resource waste. Thus, encouraging consumers to buy things near their production site is both sound economics and sound ecology. A great book. I just graduated with honors as an undergrad with degrees in economics and history. Reading Dr. Batra got me started in economics. Now I want to get a master's in econ. Batra is truly an inspiring, intelligent vioce for an economy that is both humane and efficient. Its been five years since i read this book, and i still regard it as a vital source of heretical wisdom on the trade issue.

Expertly compiled and deftly co-edited by Carol Wise (Associate Professor, University of Souther California School of International Relations) and Riordan Roett (Sarity and Don Johnston Professor and Director of the Western Hemisphere Program at the School for Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University), Post-Stabilization Politics In Latin America: Competition, Transition, Collapse examines the overall trend toward civilian rule in the last twenty years of Latin American history, including what modern market reforms of liberalization, privatization, and deregulation have yielded, both in positive and negative results, as well as the three main patterns of political economic adjustment. Scholarly essays by a diverse authority of learned authors informingly and challengingly explore the complex interworkings of economy and government in an astute and insightful manner. Post-Stabilization Politics In Latin America is a core addition to professional and academic library Latin American Studies reference collections.

I am terrified of statistics. It's a deep-routed fear that, prior to this book, I had not been able to overcome. This book, though, and I say this quite seriously, has helped me learn to appreciate the stats aspect of Psychology. The book is written in easy to understand language, and it even offers step-by-step guides from some of the more common statistical procedures. Whether you have a knack for statistics or not, this book should be useful. It may be out of print, but every Psych student, undergrad or grad, should try and get a copy of this book.

"Private Label; turning The Retail Brand Threat Into Your Biggest Opportunity" is the collaborative work of Keith Lincoln (one of the world's leading authorities and corporate consultants on brands and global trends) and Lars Thomassen (whose 30 year career in advertising includes involvement with developing many major global brands). The focus on the advertising concept of a 'Private Label' that is the basis of a one trillion dollar industry world wide. Readers will learn about the facts and the myths associated with the concept of Private Labels, issues that are directly relevant to the establishing, maintenance, and exploitation of Private Labels, opportunities for brand owners, opportunities for retailers, and the commercial future of Private Labels in a highly competitive and increasingly global marketplace. Informed and informative, "Private Label" is especially recommended reading for entrepreneurs and corporate executives seeking to develop and expand their products as distinctive, premiere, and high-end.

I really enjoyed this book and the real life business improvement pointers it discusses. A very common sense approach to tackling business challenges. I would recommend it to any manager, specifically related to manufacturing. Anyone except my competitors.

This book de-bunks the advertising rule book. It challenges marketers to go beyond just branding and awareness, and deliver meaningful results that drive shareholder value. For every marketer or person that approves marketing budgets, this is a refreshing read because it cuts through the usual marketing jargon and clichés. The case studies are insightful as are the author's viewpoints on how marketing directors need to re-think their practices.

The O2, BA and Samsung examples provide a valuable inside perspective of their marketing strategies. One of the most remarkable brand marketing stories over the last five years was the O2 campaigns which rebuilt a tired BT Cellnet brand. Every marketing student should read this book.

Return on investment is such a hot issue in the business. The problem is that many marketers bar some exceptional companies like P&G and Toyota, avoid the hard commercial needs of marketing. Using numerous case studies, Young provides some very practical steps that companies can employ to deliver results.

Thanks, in part, to the growth of the web and other digital channels, ROI is no longer the preserve of the direct marketing industry. Antony Young and Lucy Aitken's book shows why evaluating and proving ROI is a challenge the advertising and marketing sectors are finally ready to accept. And consequently, why businesses can use it to both demand and expect more from their marketing.

First, Want to know the arguments against the statements that follow? Then read this book.
1. USPS should be granted greater flexibility to compete against UPS, FedEx, and the like.
2. A monopoly is necessary to preserve universal service.
3. USPS should subsidize mail delivery costs by using revenues from additional product lines.
4. USPS should become a profit center for the federal government.
Second, it's interesting to note how much USPS's approach has changed, probably in response to concerns such as expressed in this book, since just 1995, when the research for this book was performed. For example, this book keeps alluding to "postal losses,'" which is a reminder of just how recently it has been since USPS started making money.
Third, Chapter 2 includes the best description of the Private Express Statutes (the Statutes say that only USPS can deliver mail) that I've ever read (although I haven't read much about them). Succinctly put, Chapter 2 says: the Statutes apply to letters, but, what is a "letter," and who defines it?
I am a USPS employee, and I read Postal Link (An In-house publication that includes letters on any subject from readers).

Best example of the fantastic history of this form of racing...I was too young to attend most of these events but can get the sense of the history that was made by these incredible machines.

This is not just an exploration of Japan's antimonopoly policy, it is an exploration of life. We are exposed to a society's search for it's own conscience. Dr Beeman presents the Fair Trade Commission as a fully developed character who's trial and tribulations truley engross the reader. I was left with not just a greater knowledge of antimonopoly policy in Japan, but with a renewed zest for life. The world is a better place with this publication of Dr. Beeman's life work - we can only hope that more people will adhere to the principles presented here.