Profit The Books

Schumpeter had an expression that intuitively sums up in a few choice words quite a few of the theoretical concepts of J M Keynes and the empirical/statistical breakthroughs of Benoit Mandelbrot.Unfortunately,Schumpeter lacked the technical training in mathematics,statistics and probability that he needed in order to give a rigorous exposition of his intellectual and intuitive discoveries.Those few choice words are"regular irregularity".Looking at the data available to him early in the 20th century,Schumpeter was able to categorically argue ,correctly ,that price movements over time in different markets and changes in investment over the business cycle could NOT be modeled by assuming that a normal probability distribution could be applied.Schumpeter was the first economist to make a clearcut distinction between risk(applying a normal probability distribution with a stable mean and variance(standard deviation))and uncertainty.Uncertainty would automatically arise over time due to the regular irregularity of constant(nonconstant)technological innovation,change and advance over time.It is quite easy to see that Mandelbrot's nonparametric two variable constructs, measuring discontinuity and short run/long run persistence/dependence(as opposed to the normal distributions assumptions of continuity and independence),are described by Schumpeter's"regular irregularity".Unfortunately,instead of breaking with the classical and neoclassical schools of economics,as both Keynes and Mandelbrot did,Schumpeter decided to remain a loyal soldier,downplaying his severe disagreements.This was Schumpeter's great error.He recognized the severe limitations of the standard price adjustment equilibrium demand and supply analysis,but went along anyway.The potential reader will find chapter 6 of Schumpeter's book alone to be worth the price of admission needed to obtain access to Schumpeter's brilliant breakthroughs.

In this important book Schumpeter explains the ECONOMIC origins of business cycles. In a convincing way Schumpeter argues that business cycles are inevitable in a developing economy.

This does not mean that there are no other causes of business fluctuations such as changes in commercial policy, wars, inflationary government finance or panics. But these constitute non-economic data and cannot be explained by economic theory.

Conventional macroeconomic theory tends to explain business cycles by some kind of error and focus on correcting this error either by active policy or by advocating a hands-off policy. In this view business cycles have no function.

In a stationary ,non-developing economy (i.e. absence of innovations) there would be very little uncertainty. If you and your competitors have been selling essentially the same product in the same market year in year out and if this were to apply to all products and services would there be any economic risk (fires, epidemics and tax increases are non-economic data) left ? Were there any true economic causes, i.e. causes that economics can explain, of business cycles in the Dark Ages ?

There is still something to be said for Keynesian theory (although not for policy) in that uncertainty does influence investment decisions and that because of uncertainty in a monetary economy some hoarding of purchasing power does occur. But these are mere symptoms of underlying endogenous business cycles caused by the inflationary investment booms - "animal spirits" if you like - invoked by the swarms of innovating firms, e.g. the internet bubble, and the deflationary busts that follow when the old firms die off and yesterday's innovators become part of the stationary cycle. Schumpeter explains the origins of economic uncertainty.

What Schumpeter teaches us is that booms and recessions are necessary phenomena in developing economies, that can't be removed or corrected if we are not to thwart the creation of new wealth by innovation. Recessions are the price we pay for long term economic growth. However, recessions can lead to unnecessary panics that cause unnecessary harm to the economy. Here governments or central banks are able to, and should in my view, correct.

I hope you enjoyed this review and welcome any comments.

The Theory of Economic Development represents a high point in the history of economic science. Schumpeter had a clear understanding of the difference between static and dynamic issues in economics, and an appropriate appreciation of the latter. This book also shows how advanced Schumpeter's thinking was. On page 10 Schumpeter appears to anticipate the modern definition of economics- 20 years before Robbins wrote his Nature and Significance of Economic Science (was this in the original edition, or just in my 1934 reprint?). Chapter one sorts out Say's Law of Markets in detail, and explains its static nature. Chapter two explains economic development in correct dynamic terms (unlike the pseudo-dynamics of Neoclassical growth theory). Schumpeter is able to explain dynamics because he examines entrepreneurship (and vice versa). Schumpeter also leaves room for real institutions, especially financial markets.

I can honestly say that I learned some new and important things from reading this book, despite the facts that I have a PhD in economics and took my first economics class 21 years ago. Unfortunately, most economists would learn more from reading this book than I. This is a sad commentary on the current state of affairs in economics. Schumpeter was interested in matters of great consequence and thought about them deeply. There is simply no comparison between Schumpeter's insightful analysis and the tedious and purely imaginary intellectual constructs of Solow influenced math modelers. There is a clear difference between Schumpeter's analysis and the intellectual gymnastics of modern mathurbationists. Schumpeter was a true professional.

I was somewhat surprised by the extent to which Schumpeter's ideas fit with the ideas of Mises, Kirzner, and Lachmann. Schumpeter is often seen as an Austrian born Walrasian instead of as an Austrian economist in the Menger-Mises-Hayek tradition. There are clear Austrian influences on Schumpeter's thinking, though he was not a Mises clone. I was already impressed with Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy. Schumpeter was a true genius, and an economist on par with Ricardo and Hayek. Read this book to learn some development economics, and a little intellectual history too.

This book provides a useful corrective to some of the shortcomings of the so-called Austrian theory of Capital and the Business Cycle. Schumpeter, who studied under the great Austrian economists Bohm-Bawerk, was too much of an independent thinker to be part of an economic movement or school. The Theory of Economic Development is his declaration of independence from Austrian capital theory. In the book, he introduces a theory of development and the business cycle that shocked his more orthodox colleagues. Economic development, Schumpeter argues, involves transferring capital from old businesses using established methods of production to businesses using new, innovative methods. Schumpeter's special insight comes in trying to explain how the transfer of capital from the old to the new takes place. Schumpeter argued that it takes place through credit expansion. Through the fractional reserve system, banks are able to create credit, quite literally out of thin air. This money is lent to businesses specializing in new methods of production, who then bid up the price of production goods and consumer goods in their effort to pay for the production goods they require. Thus a form of inflationary spoliation takes place at the expense of established businesses and consumers. Although Schumpeter does not draw the spoliation inference from his theory, it is nonetheless there in the text for all who can see. Credit expansion is a form of spoliation, a form of robbery hardly distinguishable from counterfeiting. But what is unique about the capitalist engine of production is how it uses spoliation in the service of progress. And not merely spoliation through credit expansion, but spoliation through protectionism, stock manipulation, corporate welfare, cartels and monopolies, and outright fraud and manipulation. Schumpeter's book sheds light on just one aspect of this spoliation, and from this stems the book's vital importance to economic theory.

This is the book that I have been waiting for a long time. It addresses the major issues about the calculation of the resource drivers. Because it is based on linear regression model, it has a more scientific base than the previous ABC method. It can also be easily integrated into dynamic Activity-Based Costing Simulation model.

Product purchase acknowldgement was near immediate, billing timely, receipt of product within three days and the exact product ordered received. Excellent.

I finished reading this book by Bob Kaplan - TIME-DRIVEN ACTIVITY-BASED COSTING last week.

Its a great book for folks familiar with the basic concepts and applications of Activity-based Costing/ABC. In a way Kaplan makes an apology to readers of his earlier books and ardent fans of ABC, for making their lives difficult with the practical implementation approaches for ABC, and offers to make up for it by proposing a change to the new approach called Time-driven Activity-based Costing or TDABC. Personally I would have preferred the term "Capacity-driven Activity-based Costing".

Ofcourse one cannot help but be sympathetic to Bob Kaplan. Having interacted with him in the past, I had an opportunity to see at close range the genius of this man and the range of his knowledge. The book is certainly a big leap in our knowledge-base and tools for managing for managing companies better.

Kaplan aso originated another methodology "THE BALANCED SCORECARD" (BSC), several books on the subject, and co-founded another firm to offer servies around it. He is however, no longer associated with the firm in any management capacity, and the firm is financially troubled.

I recommend Kaplan's BSC books wholeheartedly, but if you are looking to implement at your organizations, I would recommend inviting select independent consultants who have more experienced at this, than the one's available at this firm.

Professionals with a serious interest in TDABC could also do well to reach out directly to Bob Kaplan and his new firm (The Acorn Group), and his former students for consulting advise.

This book has given me a great insight in an easier way to allocate resources down to costumers and products using Time-driven cost driver rates.

However, I am a bit sceptical about the Capacity Cost rate, which seems to be the key element to this models success... especially the way the authors describes the way to calculate this rate.. But with some methodical procedure behing when implementing the model, it is possible to get good results.... that's my experience

All in all, it is a great book about the fundamentals when wanting to use TDABC in your business.

Newspaper columnist compilations are enjoyable enough--that is, if you like the columnist. A collection of columns by your favorite journalist looks great on your bookshelf (and makes for great bathroom reading!). But note the subtitle of Michael Heaton's book--this is not a collection of columns from The Plain Dealer's Minister of Culture, but a collection of reporting from a longtime Cleveland journalist. And what reporting! Heaton tells us of an undercover G-man and a goodfella turned snitch; the sad aftermath of the life of a man who crossed the Atlantic solo in a tiny boat; Cleveland's version of the drunken paisanos of Tortilla Flat; the surprisingly upbeat story of a popular sportscaster with terminal cancer. Some of these pieces are hilarious, like Heaton's attempts at boxing and demolition derby. Some are serious, like his reports on stalking, or at Ground Zero in the days after 911. The book also has some older pieces on some folks who we know better today: Cleveland mayor Frank Jackson, back when he was a new councilman; pre-movie star Harvey Pekar from American Splendor; and Chef Michael Symon before he was knighted with the title "Iron." There is something for everyone in here. In a time when newspaper subscription is in decline, Michael Heaton's book shows us the importance of that medium. Read this book and you'll be looking for a newsstand to plunk down your four bits.

And non-Clevelanders shouldn't be scared off. These stories are mainly "of" Cleveland, but they "transcend" Cleveland as well. More to the point, Heaton's writing captures the humor, the drama, and yes, the optimism that is Cleveland. Cleveland isn't about rivers burning and sports teams losing, but that's part of it. Cleveland is also about big hair in suburban malls, about forever trying to bridge the gap of east and west, and about restaurants where mobsters and celebrities once hung out. Cleveland is about celebrating its history and looking forward to its future, however uncertain. This book captures that optimism that is the essence of Cleveland.

Sure, the guy appears to be the winner of the Rip Taylor Look-alike Contest but don't let that fool ya. This is a serious book by a serious fellow. Most importantly, Michael Heaton is serious about being funny and if not funny then clever and if not clever, then well, he is as entertaining as all get out. That's because this compedium of tales goes from the land to sea, from Berea to El Salvador, from mobsters and FBI g-men to the Most Famous Unknown Artist in the World. He covers the waterfront and the landlocked too. Everything gets a piece of the action as Heaton goes from one exploit to the next with courage and flair. Finally all his best work has been collected in one place- the story of the guy in the rickety boat and the artist who made work that you could only get by mail because he never left his house. Joe Esterhaus does his best weriting since Dreamgirls in introducing Heaton and it is whirl of poignant tests of inner strength, fast-moving adventures and uncontrolled hilarity after that. Reading the Minister of Culture column in the Plain Dealer every week is always a highlight and his longer articles in the Sunday magazine give him a chance to stretch out, but having Michael Heaton's unique voice on call on the night table was a treat that kept on giving. So sit back and enjoy the show. If you like this book as much as i do, then we are probably in for another one soon- a full length story I would hope, because these things have a way of working out. This one will sell like hotcakes but wait- people don't buy hotcakes anymore so scratch the word "profit" from the title. But maybe a follow up book, Michael? And don't despair, there is certainly truth and fun here in abundance.

This is a collection of Cleveland stories by a guy who has never been able to permanently escape Cleveland. This is bad news if you don't live in Cleveland, good news if you do. Michael Heaton, known locally as The Minister of Culture, covers politics and sports and people in Truth And Justice. The stories recapitulate the town and its people. They are a little rough around the edges, a little sad, a lot funny. They are always insightful. Heaton has an eye for detail and an ear for conversation and cadence. The stories ring true to those of us banished to the North Coast, but they go further than that. This is more than a bunch of "slice of life" Cleveland stories. Truth and Justice paints a rollicking canvas of America over three rather interesting decades, and is a rewarding read.

Read the very best of the "you are there" style of journalism. This is a fantastic collection of human interest stories about people anonymous and notorious and the amazing backstories of some high profile happenings.

From a reporter who's been around the block and around the globe, Michael Heaton has covered it all, and to say he writes with humour and pathos would be an understatement. This collection proves him to be one of the greatest story tellers of the baby boom generation, whose Minister of Culture savvy, has been honed by his own experiences living out the last half of the twentieth century. No matter who he writes about, he's able to empathize with them in such a way, that people really bare their souls. What we get is something hillarious, sorrowful, heart pounding and truly deep, about an amazing diversity of folks and their real life experiences.

A super fun and thrilling read.

Written by Michelle Howe, the president of Internet Word Magic, Turn Browsers Into Buyers: Secrets for Turning an Internet Profit is a guide to improving the effectiveness of one's website as a marketing tool. Chapters discuss how online copywriting is different from print copywriting and how to create online copy that captivates the reader (for example, avoid technical jargon unless one's entire intended market is expected to be fluent in it); which marketing strategies work on the Internet (in addition to being amoral and legally questionable, spam/bulk email is emphatically not effective!), and a wealth of other tips, tricks, and techniques. "Remember the three-click rule; don't make them click more than three times to make the sale." An easy-to-follow "must-have" of tips, tricks and techniques for anyone running a web site for business advertising or profit.

Anyone who has a website needs this book. I have never devoured a book as fast as this one. I ended up with 8 pages of notes after finishing the exercises. I've been online for 3 years and thought I understood internet marketing. After I finished Michelle's book I was embarrassed when I looked at my site. So I took the 8 pages of notes and completely rebuilt my site. The book paid for itself in the first hour of being back online. I will recommend this book to everyone online!

Plan to keep this book close at hand and reference it daily. Michelle Howe provides a simple, step by step method for attracting internet browsers and converting them into buyers. The author doesn't miss any detail on ensuring that your web viewers connect with your site - from font sizes to sentence length, everything counts. The book itself is interactive and prompts the reader to create their personal web strategy. I'm always attracted to books that make my life and my business easier. This is a crucial book for any business, large or small. If you don't get it right on the web, prepare to be left behind.

Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (4/07)

Michelle Howe, author of "Turn Browsers into Buyers," is no newcomer to the Internet world. She has been specializing in writing for web sites, as well as creating writing programs, and consulting with companies that want to successfully position their online advertising message for many years. Howe has now compiled all her expertise in a concise and extremely user-friendly book. Her writing style and presentation of information is easy to understand and implement.

Howe begins her book by reiterating that businesses need a website, however, she states that "yes, you need a Web site, but don't put one up until you know why you want to have a website." She further explains that the website should be part of the marketing plan and that you, as the holder of the website, must know its purpose. Some of the reasons that Howe feels we should have websites are: sell products and/or information, generate leads, get subscriptions, educate/entertain, and promote a cause.

This 270-page book is not to be taken lightly, nor will you go through it in one sitting. "Turn Browsers into Buyers" is a reference book as well as a how-to book. For example, before even attempting to set up a website, Howe helps you prepare the content for the site by addressing demographics and psychographics, using language that works, explaining various writing styles, as well as addressing issues such formatting, colors, and specific pages (homepage, about us page, services page).

Being a firm believer that the website is the store front and "curb appeal" is the most important factor, I am elated to have Howe's book. I must admit that I felt well-versed on website design and content, but after perusing "Turn Browsers into Buyers," I realize now how much I didn't know or didn't even entertain the possibility.

This is a MUST GET book for anyone that is contemplating setting up a website. It is a MUST READ before setting up the website, whether doing your own, or hiring a professional. Even more so, this book is a MUST HAVE to anyone that has a website already. I can assure you that if you have a website in place, after reading "Turn Browsers into Buyers" you will make some major changes. I can guarantee that! Howe brings up ideas that I'm sure you haven't even thought of. The money spent on this book will increase your buyers by 100-fold plus.

'Value' has grown up considerably from the time that merely announcing that the company was analyzing some backwards-facing measurement formula wowed the Value Setters. Such half measures never impressed those who determine your corporation's value, and don't now. Steve Neill and I developed this management guide for those CEOs (like some of our clients) with vision AND the guts to pursue those few key actions that make all the difference-- all the difference between merely taking about theorhetical value and tangible corporate value improvement: Managing for MAXIMUM value.

Clark and Neill got it right. Should be mandatory reading at all Business Schools.

This book really stands head and shoulders above other books on value creation.

The emphasis in The Value Mandate is on ACTIONS to improve shareholder value rather than merely a regurgitation of well known measurement techniques.

The book is a must read for anyone who wants to take practical measures to improve the performance of their company. I now not only understand the maths of value, I know how to do something about it!

Pete Clark and Steve Neill have written an excellent book on value creation, covering the subject from the viewpoint of each of the major sources of corporate value. My special interest is R&D and innovation, and I find their chapter on why internal development is both mandatory and unaffordable to be an extremely perceptive insight into a major value trap. Equally valuable is their fine psychological profile of CEO's who try to manage R&D by "managing the R&D manager". Clark and Neill know that "The corporation with a reasonably predictable innovation stream controls its destiny." This book is eminently readable, lively, and quite well-documented.

When you are thinking to change careers, or enter into the non-profit arena, this is a good starting point. There is not much out there to guide us--so this was very helpful to get going.

This is an excellent easy-to-read manual for anyone interested in the challenge of a non-profit career. The inclusion of government careers and agencies was also really helpful to me in expanding my job search. I was so focused on heart-work in the non-profit sector, that I had never even stopped to consider a career in government. But this guide showed how those career paths can be just as rewarding in terms of making a difference in the world. The lists of organizations saved me a lot of research and provided descriptions and contact information all in one place--a major time saver. Overall, it was as if someone had done all of my research for me in the form of this guide. I feel a step ahead in my career search.

Since i didn't really know how to get started in terms of figuring out what's out there in the non-profit/govt world, i was glad to get a book such as this one to get me going in the right direction. it's good to know i can use my economics degree in any number of ways. and the list of resources/organizations at the back is proving very helpful!

This guide proved to be just what it claimed: a source to guide the reader through the different agencies and career paths available in non-prof and gov. It was straightforward, no-nonsense and provided just what I needed, which was a source that listed career possibilities and workplaces, without any fluff or pomp about how wonderful it is that you want to work for the greater good. I already know that. Just tell me how to get hired! This guide did just that.

This is a great book. Spiegelman describes the ABC's for becoming a great company - from building the brand to become a premium provider while at the same time being a top place to work. The first-person, connect to purpose employee stories at the end of each chapter are powerful.

It was my good fortune to be in Dallas last week speaking to the management team at Sewell Automotive and to the Innovation Council. While in town, I met up with a friend who told me about this book. Once I began reading the story of The Beryl Companies, its founders and employees on my return flight to NYC, I couldn't put it down.


Like Sewell, Beryl is an excellent example of a Connection Culture that I write about in Fired Up or Burned Out: How to Reignite Your Team's Passion, Creativity, and Productivity. Vision (the stories that define an organization's mission and character), Value (beliefs and behaviors that value people) and Voice (encouraging employees to honestly share their opinions and ideas) are all here. The result is a culture that is similar to a sled dog team that pulls together rather than a dog-eat-dog team destined to eventually fail.

Let me add that I was impressed with Beryl CEO Paul Spiegelman's self awareness as a leader. The fact that he actively engages on an ongoing basis with a number of mentors shows a degree of humility and desire to learn and grow that is necessary for the long term success of every leader. If there was one aspect I would have liked more of in the book, it would have been the events in Paul Spiegelman's life that shaped his convictions and character. I hope he writes about them for the sake of his team. I suspect there are wonderful, inspiring stories about Paul Spiegelman's journey in life that would reinforce the values that shape the Beryl Companies' character.

Paul Spiegelman gets it. He knows that the secret to building a culture of excellence starts with a focus on people. In his book, Why is Everyone Smiling?, The Secret Behind Passion, Productivity and Profit, (2007, Brown Books Publishing),Spiegelman demonstrates that when the leader shares a passion for excellence and empowers his staff to do the right thing at the right time for the right reason; great things will happen. As the CEO and co-founder of Beryl, Spiegelman has first-hand experience building a successful company from the ground floor up. He's no stranger to the trials and tribulations of entrepreneurship but his steady, unwavering approach to focusing on the work environment and doing the right thing was a prescription for sure success.

In order to build a reputation as a service-centered company that goes above and beyond the expected to thrill its customers, Beryl went above and beyond to excite and thrill its employees. The results have been stellar.

This book is not written as a "how to" manual but rather as a story of one company's journey from a tiny start up to a nationally recognized brand. From the beginning, the founders understood that employees' loyalty leads to customer loyalty and ultimately a profitable business. These guys know that they need to be accessible, visible and approachable in order to gain their employees' respect and trust. I especially appreciated Spiegelman's candor about mistakes he made along the way and the important lessons learned in the process.

As an entrepreneur myself, I was equally enthralled with the Spiegelman brothers' business journey as I was with their culture-enhancing approach to leadership. Their story of the Beryl Corporation is one worth sharing. It reminds us to never lose sight of our vision and to remain true to our values in virtually every decision.

As I began to share Paul Spiegelman's thoughts about "the secret behind passion, productivity, and profit," I realized that there really isn't a "secret" to be revealed. Rather, the challenge is to assemble and then - key point - retain those people who are so excited about being part of a given organization that they eagerly and cheerfully go what Napoleon Hill once characterized as "the extra mile" to add value to their organization and to its customers. It is no coincidence that many (most?) of those on Fortune's annual list of the "most admired companies" are also #1 or #2 in their respective industries in terms of profitability and cap value. They also have the highest retention rate of valued employees and far more applicants for an open position than do any of their competitors. In fact, those who work for competitors are the most eager to work for them. The title of Spiegelman's book is apt: If an organization's employees (or if you prefer, as do Wal-Mart and JCPenney, associates) are not smiling, you can be certain that its customers aren't.

This is an especially personal book and it must be because Spiegelman is obviously a passionate as well as a thoughtful and sensitive person. However, what he shares is really not about him; rather, it is about others within and beyond the Beryl organization who have found joy for themselves and created joy for others in the modern workplace, one in which, regrettably, joy is seldom experienced. I especially appreciate his provision of "stories" shared by thoughtful and caring people such as Julia, John, Melanie, Michael, Lance, Jared, Lali, Juli, Maricela, and Rhonda. Throughout the narrative, Spiegelman also includes a number of communiqués between and among people who are struggling to understand important business issues, to solve problems, and to share (often with stark candor) their opinions about a given situation. However different high-performance organizations may be in every other respect, all of them are transparent in terms of communication, cooperation, and most importantly, collaboration.

In the final chapter, Spiegelman explains that he wrote this book to "share simple secrets that might help other leaders successfully advance their business. I wrote it as an appeal for old-fashioned values in the commercial arena, with special emphasis on treating coworkers well." The "stories" provided by others provide a human context for each of the "simple lessons." In this instance, I am reminded of what Oliver Wendell Holmes once observed: "I would not give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity." What Spiegelman and his Beryl associates share may seem "simple" and that's true, but only if viewed within the context of Holmes's observation.

There is a great deal of substantial value to be learned from this book. That said, the challenge to each reader is to apply lessons learned effectively and consistently. Awaiting them is what Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert I. Sutton have aptly characterized as "The Knowing-Doing Gap." I agree with former Texas football coach Darrell Royal: "potential" means "you ain't done it yet." Credit Spiegelman and his Beryl associates with sharing what they have learned about the "what" and "how" of establishing and then sustaining passion, productivity, and profit within any organization (regardless of size or nature) by putting a smile on everyone's face, by having fun, and thus sharing a sense of joy in what they do and how they do it...together. It remains for each reader to apply effectively what she or he has learned.

This is a nifty book. It givesa wide view of ways that a small business entrepreneur can use the Internet to market successfully. The dot.com craze may be over, but that doesn't mean that the Internet won't continue to be a long-term vital tool in marketing for small business. With this book, any budding or seasoned entrepreneur will gain a learn of get many wokrable strategies.

Get this book if you intend to use the Internet to market your business in
any way. It is loaded with marketing ideas and there are enough of them so
that any small business entrepreneur can benefit in some way. There are
lots of examples of people and businesses that have actually done what the
author recommends, and lots of web sites to visit as a follow up. I got
about 6 great ideas out of this book. Two or three would have made it
worthwhile.

I would love to read this book because I heard it was amazing, BUT Elephant Books sent me the wrong book. Now they will not return my phone calls or numerous emails, and they were done in good taste so I do not understand why they would not return my messages. Just wanted you all to know so you do not get shafted like I did. Have a great day!

I spent months researching information at a law library on IP before I purchased Advantage IP. The book is a practical, understandable and invaluable resource. If I had the book before I began my research, it would have saved me a lot of time learning about IP advantages.

Advantage "IP" is a must read for any business owner. Jean Sifleet does a phenominal job defining intellectual property and describing how to protect it. She also delves into other business issues like employee noncompete agreements. All this is done in an environment that is easy to read for anyone. The examples she cites are excellent. We will be recommending this to our clients.

Finally, a resource that tells you how, where, why, what, and when to protect that which you should hold most dear: the work of your mind and the assets your probably don't even realize are assets. This wonderful resource tells you all you need to know to ensure that you are not ripped-off and have no recourse.

Fail to read this book...don't complain when your stuff is no longer yours. Read it and profit... over and over again.

Enjoyed this book very much and found it quite helpful. Don't let the examples of high end events put you off the same principles can be used for any event. Don't try to reinvent the wheel use what others have learned.

If you are looking for a book to explain how to plan and implement a special event, this is the book for you. This book explains what to do and what not to do, so that your organization can get the most money out of your event. You can read it straight through or just go to certain chapters to get the information that you want. Also, don't let the celebrity/high society examples turn you off. What is in this book works even if you don't have access to a celebrity or society connections. I used what is in this book to raise money for my local Lions Club. Don't get any other book for special events--Black Tie Optional is the guide for special events.

At last! This book answers all the difficult "how to" questions for the fund-raiser for a non-profit organization. Every possible problem is anticipated and discussed, and reasons for doing and not doing are offered. Most organizations spend more money raising funds than they collect, and Harry Freedman explains where the hidden costs are and how to avoid them. Freedman seems to know what you are thinking and he will tell you why what someone else does may not be the right event for you. There is something in this book for the veteran fund-raiser or the eager new volunteer.
--Andrew Kevorkian
Public Relations Consultant