Investing Books

My show with author and entreprenuer, Mary E. Davis was great! Mary has over 15 years experience in being self-employed, and she brought incredible wisdom to the show for moms, and women in general, on how to balance the sometimes competing responsibilites of running a business and running a household. It was clear that Mary was fired up with passion on giving women business owners information that will help them plan, operate and succeed at business from a realistic point of view.

Every show, my guest speak with me about the challenges they walked through in order to realize their dreams. Mary's challenges were particular interesting to me, because they spoke of her persistence and belief in herself. Mary shared with us that when she first began her business in the flooring industry, she was pregnant. One particular order that she needed to complete required moving very heavy flooring. She had no one that could help her move the order, so you know what this woman did? She hoped her pregnant belly on a fork lift or tractor trailer truck and hauled that order to where it needed to be, herself! That says alot about her ethics, determination and belief in herself.

For the women business owners out there, Mary's words of wisdom were clear and simple: DON'T GIVE UP, and MAKE IT HAPPEN! Good planning, an accountability team and sheer guts can take you all the way to success!

Reviewed by Lori Plach for Reader Views (7/07)

Do you feel the need to expand your horizons? Do you desire to be more than "just a stay-at-home mom?" Do you want to combine the best profession of being a mother with being your own boss and earning an income? Do you want the flexibility of earning an income yet being available for your children? If you answered yes to any of these questions, perhaps you have just the right qualities for being an entrepreneurial mom.

Mary E. Davis has developed a book to help you every step of the way to becoming an entrepreneur using her own personal experience of owning her flooring business for 15 years. She gives you insights you wouldn't get if it weren't for the voice of experience. Oftentimes she adds humor to her display of experience in starting a business from an idea to a success.

"The Entrepreneurial Mom" gives you an opportunity to explore just how you can combine being your own boss with being the quality mother that your family needs. One particular chapter that I found to be very useful is not just for entrepreneurial moms, but for all moms, no matter if they are stay-at-home or working moms. It is entitled "101 Time Savers, Stress Reducers, and Inspirations for Moms."

"The Entrepreneurial Mom" is a sure-fire book for mothers who have the dream of opening their own business, either now or somewhere down the road!

A great read! Packed with personal stories and suggestions for today's over-worked moms who yearn to start their own business! Reading this book is like talking to a trusted friend and coming away with great advice on everything from how to start a business; promote it; deal with people; and still handle the responsibilities of your other 'job,' as 'Mom.'

This was a really nice book. I haven't seen another one on the market quite like it. The author says in her book that back in 1992 when she decided to own her own business that she looked for a book like the instant one, but couldn't find one. She swore that if she was successful at owning her own company, then she would plug the market with the book she was looking for. And here it is. What a gem!

The book has the following 11 chapters;

1. OK, I can do it
2. Childcare
3. Organization of your home and office
4. Juggling the roles of mom and business owner
5. Words of wisdom
6. The positives and negatives
7. Entrepreneurial moms speak
8. Setting up your business
9. Marketing
10. The choices and the children
11. What is success, anyway?

Clearly this book emphasizes the topics unique to a business owned by a woman with kids in their early years up to teenagers. The book is not sugar-coated. It is pretty up front with the things a mother must do to be a good mom and a good business owner.

This book goes into some of the issues that would exist if a business is created totally from scratch. The author chose not to go the franchise route in starting a business. She owns a floor covering (carpet laying) business in Florida. Also, her take on the subject at hand is from the perspective of a business owner offering a pretty cut and dry product coupled with a service. I think the book would have been a little different if she was running her own law office or consulting type business. Maybe another woman can write that book from her personal experiences?

I would have liked the book better if Chapter 7 regarding "Entrepreneurial Moms Speak" had been less superficial. There are 15 women quoted in the chapter and they said a few things to compliment the author's story. But it could have been much better. For example, why not have a few consultants go into some depth as to the real problems they face that are a little different from the author's but are real just the same? This could have been done, but wasn't.

I particularly enjoyed reading the "101 Time Savers" list at the end of the book. It added a nice touch to the book overall. 5 stars!

Whether you are a working mom, a stay at home mom, an entrepreneurial mom, or planning to be (any of those), this book is for you! I really enjoyed reading this book! It had humor, it had helpful tips, detailed instructions and suggestions, and was overall, just a great read! It was very informative, helpful, and inspiring.

I have spent 20 years researching and trading stocks and bonds, and was interested in currency trading. I purchased a number of books on foreign exchange. I read this book first, Essentials of Foreign Exchange Trading, and I found it an excellent choice. It has also been a good companion to my experimentation and trading on one of the major FX trading websites.

It starts off with a good introduction to the principles of currency trading and includes a discussion of a wide range of trading approaches to help understand which best fit your personality and style. The chapters that dive in on technical analysis (using candlesticks, moving averages, fibonacci/pivot point, elliott wave) are especially good; it is obviously the author's specialty. That was good for me since my background is in fundamental analysis and the author's treatment of technical analysis was comprehensive and helpful. The sections on fundamental analyses were good too, although I went through them quickly given my familiarity. My primary focus was to "expand the toolbox" with technical analyses and this book served that goal. Also, importantly, the book is written in an entertaining and fluid style. It was easy to read and absorb.

Overall, I found the book excellent and recommend it.

I traded forex a couple of years ago and I've just gotten back into it recently. Got this book right when it came out because I've been following the author's daily currencies analysis and attended a few of the webinars he gives. From the title of the book I was thinking that it might be a bit basic for me since I've traded forex pretty extensively before. But it's turning out to be extremely helpful because it has a lot of really useful strategies and techniques. The book pretty much goes all the way from beginner to advanced and explains everything really thoroughly and clearly. I have two other books on forex trading that I bought in the past, but this one is by far the most complete and useful one. For me, chapter 5 on forex trading methods and strategies was one of the most comprehensive descriptions of trading strategies that I've seen. Also really liked the technical analysis chapter. Definitely recommend this book.

Mr. Chen has done a superior job here concerning a Task that is certainly more than meets the proverbial Eye...

Transitioning my own Trading Work from Equities in the late 1990's, I, like most, found the Foreign Exchange Markets to have distinct advantages that were somewhat seamless to transition to... but how about the New Trader?

The early part of the Decade the Industry was lacking in qualitative Resources for the newer Trader looking to learn about these Markets.

James has presented a Resource that is full of Institutional Perspectives that are clearly those of an Institutionally-Seasoned Trader.

The Text and Cohesion of the Chapters are concise enough to be comfortable reading for the Novice, while at the same time providing comprehensive and useful information that can be applied in a progressive fashion.

Having known James for a while in a Professional Climate simply reinforced my View of the Quality of Work seen here, and my thoughts certainly will not detract from the Content in any manner whatsoever.

The Work speaks for Itself, and I recommend the Book to anyone interested in learning about the true Mechanics of Foreign Exchange Work
with the utmost Sincerity.

Do not take my Word for it... See for Yourself.

Tim Salem ( CVJ )

UltraMax Group

I got this book as a present and I love it. I had been thinking of changing careers from systems analyst and business unit manager at a top "global" bank to self-employed forex trader. This book has been a tremendous help in getting me going. Before this I felt I was dabbling, but this book helped put structure around how I trade. It is a fine introduction to the field, but what was best was the practical advice on how to think about forex strategies. Thanks in part to this book, I am up and running with a few trading programs, and it's early, but so far so good. I feel confident enough to add a few of my own ideas to some of the trading frameworks in the book. The book is a terrific shortcut to get going quickly trading forex.

I've either read or skimmed through pretty much all of the books available on forex and technical analysis. I rank this book among the best because it provides all of the most practical information on trading forex that someone needs without holding anything back. And it doesn't contain a bunch of hype like many other books on trading do. It's also very clearly written. I've already taken a bunch of ideas from this book that are helping me become a much better forex trader.

This book is full of entertaining stories that illustrate how to, not only be a great consultant, but also a great employee. I highly recommend this read to re-align yourself with your own business goals within your job, whatever that job may be. Why should anyone have to learn all the lessons through their own experiences? These writers will help you avoid some of the pitfalls as you reach your own greatness!

Any professional can tell you how drastically the corporate culture in America has changed over the past several years. In our current environment of lay-offs and outsourcing, the demand for consultants is experiencing a marked increase. "Consulting Stance: Everyday Practices of Extraordinary Consultants" is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking a future in this ever-expanding field. Whether you're fresh out of college or a tenured veteran, you will find advice and best practices for a variety of likely scenarios. The authors do a great job of sprinkling anecdotal tales throughout the text, providing a welcome reprieve from the stale, snooze-inducing discourse so often found in consulting handbooks. I highly recommend this book.

I purchased this book because I'm new to the consulting field and am still learning the ropes. What I needed were lessons in communication and strenghtening my credibility as a consultant. This book gave me that and so much more. Now those little self-doubts that were holding me back are gone and my services are more in demand than ever. I learned what I needed in order to project myself as a consultant with a lot more confidence than I previously had. The authors use practical experience to demonstrate what a consultant needs to do (and not do!) in order to be successful. This enlightening guide is told with humor which makes reading it seem less like homework. I can't recommend it enough to folks new to the consulting field. There are lessons in it that I believe would also greatly benefit those who consider themselves verterans to to the field. You won't be disappointed with this one!!!

Consulting Stance: Everyday Practices of Extraordinary Consultants captures the basics that consultants need to know to build their credibility, drive up their client satisfaction and minimize their professional risk. Not only are the techniques good business practices, but following their recommendations could also lower your company's consulting risk, lost fees or professional liability. The authors' recommendations are solid consulting techniques that cover situations you will surely face at some point in your consulting career. Their direct and sometimes humorous style makes this book a quick and easy read while using real-life examples to enhance your ability to remember their techniques.

This is a great book for those involved in consulting. My business is advising, not consulting. So why did I buy this book? I bought this book because I wanted to know how to do consulting right and here is why. As a business owner, I am a buyer of consulting services and a disgruntled customer.

When I finished reading this book, my view changed. It convinced me that consulting is part of advising. The connection is what it takes to sell a customer something. Strangely enough I loved the part about "Doing the easy stuff right." Customers appreciate the little things being done right and a lot of things that need to be done are easy to do. This book is just that simple and that clear. It builds on examples and stories that put you in the situation. My business hires a lot of consultants so you could say I am a buyer of consultants' time. Every now and then I find one who is really good at what they do but they are very irritating. From now on I am going to recommend they read the book and then come back and ask for my business. My advice to you is to consult with this book before you go seek any more business for your consulting business. There is nothing worse and more frustrating than a person with talent that irritates me so much that I go buy from another consultant that is easier to relate to and who listens to me. Buy this Book!! And buy a Kindle! I am a Kindle-aholic.
Customers love to recommend books to consultants. Then you can download and read the book that night and be more knowledgeable about what your customer is interested in.

'This book must be in the hands of every attorney who wants to grow their book of business. Whether you have been practicing for a few months or a few decades, you will learn practical advice in this book you can implement immeadiately. As a productivity expert I recommend this book to every attorney client I have because I know it will help them. Gina has a no-nonsense, easy to implement approach. You must buy and read this book.
Neen James Communications

As a former reporter, I can tell you that Gina is one of the few PR people who really gets it!!! While this book is written for lawyers, it's a must read for anyone who wants to improve their public image and understand how to make public relations work for them.

Gina has condensed her years of public relations experience into a systematic, step-by-step approach that would benefit any lawyer who interacts with the public, the media and other lawyers.

"Everyday Public Relations for Lawyers is filled with practical PR strategies, models, and success tips that will enhance your professional image and improve communications with the media, your community and your clients."
-Priscilla Y. Huff, Author of Make Your Business Survive and Thrive!: 100+ Proven Marketing Methods.

After reading her book, you realize that it's not that hard to publicize your practice. This is a must read for all attorney's!

Everything's An Offer: How to do more with less
Wow.
Ok, truth in lending. I know Rob Poyington. We met at Oxford about ten years ago. He showed up on a Sunday night wearing a quiet demeanor and a Gary Hirsh tee shirt. Two hours later we had a group of senior executives from all walks of life, from all over the world, in a very different place - open to possibility, engaged, curious, and more relaxed. As I went to sleep that night I said, "Wow." I could see that there was something here, but I did not quite understand it.
In the years since, I have tried to live it and to spread the gospel to my own leadership development clients; everything is an offer, attend, create flow, let go. Wow. Not a bad way to run your business or your life.
What Rob has done is make sense of all that. There was no bibliography for Improv. Now there is.
And this is it.
And it is well written, usable, thought-provoking, and life-changing.
Thanks, Rob.

I'm really appreciating the book and the insidious way it is all becoming a part of my working attitude towards life with all its surprises. The stories bring the author's concepts into view in a most delightful and instructive way. I've read up to and through the blocking chapter and looking forward to the rest. I think it will be a great resource for a long time to come. I'm a yoga teacher and this enhances what I can offer to my students.

To situate this review in context, I'm an executive coach and consultant in the middle of a PhD program trying to figure out how cultural change happens in organizations. Everything's an Offer has become my favourite book. It offers the best exploration so far of what happens at the intersection of improvisation, organizational life, and relationships.

Provocative and stimulating (with a delightful sense of playfulness) Rob and Gary welcome us and challenge us to reflect on the way we show up in day-to-day encounters with each other. Referencing (very accurately and respectfully I might add) great writers like Wheatley, Hillman, Jaworski, Capra, and Abrashoff -amongst others - as in "holy smokes Rob Poynton is well read and super smart" - and weaving in vivid stories of real life experiences, this book teaches, inspires, tickles and delights. I keep going back to it - and will continue to do so.

What I especially love is the delicious blend of ideas/concepts/theory with pragmatic "here's how you can actually start practicing this now" suggestions. I must say, my vacation at Christmas with my feisty and fabulous teenage kids was definitely more fun because of reading this book while the holiday unfolded - I was practicing noticing more, using everything, and letting go. It worked!

A few of my favourite excerpts:

"The plan should be a springboard, not a leash."
"Remember, everything you do is an offer."
"In relationships, giving too much priority to control, regularity, and predictability is counterproductive. You can't sustain the interest (let alone the affection) of a colleague, customer, audience, or lover through control."
Citing James Hillman, "Ideas we have and do not know we have, have us."

The book is brilliant. Buy it. Buy it for your friends and colleagues & anyone who cares about living a joyful, creative, connected and human life.

I love this book. It's provided me with the motivation to be a better parent and consultant...funny how valuable I've found it to be with my 4-year-old, even though I bought it for tips on being better in my business.

As I dove into it, I was struck with what a nontraditional business read it is. It's dense material...and there's a lot of it. So, I'm using my time reading it as a chance to be present and really chew on the material. The format might not be for everyone, as it's not filled with bullet points. But if you give it the time and immerse yourself in the content, you will be greatly rewarded.

I just finished 'Everything's an Offer' -- read the whole thing cover to cover in one sitting -- an indication of how well written, easy to read and follow, and inspirational this book is. This book is an ABSOLUTE MUST READ on your list of books for Life -- it has valuable lessons, tools, lanugage and examples from the techniques of Improv that you can use immediately in anything you do for work or in life. This book will be the gift I 'offer' many people this year!

Brilliantly written, excellent in content. Having run a small IT business for 5 years between 2002 and 2007, it was amazing to see in part just why my business struggled. Currently I am in the process of reviewing the business and planning for the next phase of running the same business. This book has indeed opened my eyes. I am amazed at how much knowledge I have gained just by reading this book. The authors certainly mean it when they say, "What you really need to know about the numbers." I strongly recommend it for anyone who really wants to make their mark in the IT industry or career.

Like most IT professionals, I try not to get deeply involved in accounting stuff. While it's the scoreboard for how well the business is doing, all the terminology and techniques used to get the final score seem confusing and arcane. But with the book Financial Intelligence for IT Professionals: What You Really Need to Know About the Numbers by Karen Berman, Joe Knight, and John Case, it's now actually possible to me to understand much of what's going on in an annual report. If I had only had this when I was working at Enron...

Contents:
Part 1 - The Art of Finance (And Why It Matters To IT): You Can't Always Trust the Numbers; Spotting Assumptions, Estimates, and Biases; Why Increase Your Financial Intelligence?
Part 1 Toolbox: Getting what you want; The players and what they do
Part 2 - The (Many) Peculiarities of the Income Statement: Profit Is an Estimate; Cracking the Code of the Income Statement; Revenue - The Issue Is Recognition; Costs and Expenses - No Hard-and-Fast Rules; The Many Forms of Profit
Part 2 Toolbox: Variance; Percent calculations; Line of sight
Part 3 - The Balance Sheet Reveals The Most: Understanding Balance Sheet Basics; Assets - More Estimates and Assumptions (Except for Cash); On the Other Side - Liabilities and Equity; Why the Balance Sheet Matters; The Income Statement Affects the Balance Sheet
Part 3 Toolbox: Employees as assets; Expenses versus capital expenditures
Part 4 - Cash is King: Cash Is a Reality Check; Profit <> Cash (and You Need Both); The Language of Cash Flow; How Cash Connects with Everything; Why Cash Matters
Part 4 Toolbox - Free cash flow
Part 5 - Learning What The Numbers Are Really Telling You: The Power of Ratios; Profitability Ratios - The Higher the Better (Mostly); Leverage Ratios - The Balancing Act; Liquidity Ratios - Can We Pay Our Bills?; Efficiency Ratios - Making the Most of Your Assets
Part 5 Toolbox - Ratios for the business; Ratios for IT; Leading versus lagging indicators; Percent-of-sales analysis; Ratio relationships
Part 6 - How to Calculate (And Really Understand) Return On Investment: The Building Blocks of ROI; Figuring ROI - The Nitty-Gritty
Part 6 Toolbox: ROI of an IT Project
Part 7 - Applied Financial Intelligence - Working Capital Management: The Magic of Managing the Balance Sheet; Your Balance Sheet Levers; Homing In on Cash Conversion
Part 7 Toolbox: Understanding accounts-receiving aging
Part 8 - Creating a Financially Intelligent IT Department (and Organization): Financial Literacy, Transparency, and Corporate Performance; Financial Literacy Strategies
Part 8 Toolbox: Understanding Sarbanes-Oxley
Appendix A - Sample Financials; Appendix B - Exercises to Build Your Financial Intelligence - Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement, Ratios; Appendix C - Kimberly-Clark and FedEx Financial Statements; Notes; Acknowledgments; Index; About the Authors

I think what makes this book so successful is that it doesn't try to turn you (the IT person) into an accountant. The authors use down-to-earth language and explanations to allow you to get a handle on basic accounting concepts and how they play out on financial reports. For instance, it's a reasonable assumption to think that if you showed a million dollar profit, that you should be swimming in cash. Or at least that's how I used to think. But cash and profits are two entirely different things, and it's entirely possible to show a profit yet be financially strapped and unable to pay your employees. Also, accounting rules are not the cut-and-dried calculations you might think they are. I learned that simple decisions, like what to treat as a capital expenditure and how fast to depreciate something, have a fair amount of latitude built in. Depending on how the company chooses, a particular scenario could be seen as either a money-losing or profit-earning venture. All this proves that you really do need to know what's going on in order to get a true feeling for how the company's balance sheet is doing.

In many ways, this would be a great book regardless of what profession you happen to be in. The authors tie it back to IT in this particular case, so that you can figure out how certain numbers might affect your success or determine your direction. Knowing that cash flow is tight in the first quarter means that you might not want to pitch that particular system upgrade in January. If the numbers show that your receivables are running at 45 days, a smart IT manager might want to focus on system enhancements that would improve that number. Even being able to use the correct financial terms when you're meeting with the CFO will do wonders for getting your needs considered in a more realistic fashion.

I'd recommend this book for just about any person who wants to better understand how the company they work for is performing financially. And if you're an IT person who has some budget responsibility, this should move into the "must read" category.

You get what you pay for is a commonly repeated proverb because it is so commonly true. Co-authored by Karen Berman and Joe Knight, "Financial Intelligence for IT Professionals: What You Really Need to Mow About the Numbers" is an informed and informative guide to understanding that Information Technology (IT) requires an infusion of capital to get the best use out of it. With basic information on understanding IT-related statements and balances, estimates and their effects, challenging data, investments, and so much more. Highly recommended reading and a welcome addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Business reference collections, "Financial Intelligence for IT Professionals" is essential reading for anyone wanting to get the most out of their IT dollar investment.

With all the talk of aligning IT with the business, financial intelligence is probably the most overlooked or avoided part of an IT manager's toolkit. This book is well written and actually fun to read. It should give you an advantage in your career. Buy it now.

Financial Intelligence for IT Professionals seeks the elusive sweet spot between being approachable on the one hand and substantive on the other. If you are looking for the bible of corporate finance or an alternative to an MBA, you'll probably be disappointed. If, on the other hand, you or your employees would benefit from a clearly written and well organized introduction into corporate finances, you really can't go wrong. Berman and Knight do an excellent job covering the basics, including income statements, balance sheets, cash flows, ratios, and measures of investment/project performance. The examples provided are simple enough to illustrate the concepts without feeling dumbed down. I was particularly impressed with the clear manner in which the concept of cash flow was presented, as, in my experience, the difference between income and cash is a topic often misunderstood by folks without financial training. In addition to the concepts listed above, the authors make it a point to highlight how financials can be influenced, intentionally or not, by the assumptions and actions of executives and accountants.

Here is where we run into my first (very small) criticism. While I appreciate the discussion of some of the `gray areas' that can be found in accounting and finance, I think the focus on fraudulent behavior is a little out of balance. Certainly there have been several great scandals over the last few years to provide fodder, but in my experience most financial executives make honest judgments to the best of their abilities, usually under tremendous pressure. My second tiny criticism is that the author's suggest a number of times that an IT leader equipped with financial knowledge can more intelligently challenge the assumptions of controllers, CFOs, etc. In my organization, this is encouraged and, frankly, expected of top level managers. In other organizations, however, questioning the CFO might get you a short trip to the unemployment office. Readers will need to use some judgment here...

The book concludes with a brief discussion of the value of employee financial knowledge to the performance of the company. The case is well stated, and the author's passion for the empowering impact of financial intelligence seems genuine. I am fortunate to work for an employee owned company that really emphasizes financial understanding for all employee-owners, but I also know from prior experience that my company is the exception, not the rule.

Bottom Line: This is a book whose impact on your organization will grow with the number of people who read it. So buy a few, and share them with anyone who in interested. That's what I'm going to do.

Richar Evans book provides very detailed guidelines for defining and buying depressed stocks. I rate it 5 stars because it provides actual strategies and methods that can be easily employed by the average investor. However, I want to clearly state at the beginning of this review that I do not recommend anyone actually use this book as an investment guide. Most people will lose money if they try to implement this book.

The first of three sections is an explanation of why this style of investing is profitable. The middle section is devoted to technical charting to identify the bottom of a falling stock. The third section is devoted to case studies.

I would not recommend this book to anybody I know personally, since there is a very real danger that a person will actually try to invest using this system, and will lose a great deal of money.

However, an investor with the desire to get above average returns, who has a proven ability to deal with stress of risky investments, can use the information in this book very profitably.

Who do I think can profit from this book? Anyone who has actually experienced losing over 30% of their portfolio, and were able to profit from the experience (either by buying more at the bottom when everybody else was trying to get out, or simply having the patience and character hold onto your stocks). So unless you have been invested during at least one major stock market crash, and profited (either financially, or learned a lesson about fear/greed/panic) I would definately not recommend this book. Ignore this warning at your own risk.

Very helpful in determining what, where, and when to buy stocks that have experience significant correction. Since the latest 2000 correction in the market, one would think that people will pay more attention to this type of thinking rather than simple momentum investing.

Excellent details, charts, graphs and explanations of how to chart the beginning of a turnaround for stocks that have been corrected or depressed.

I was not sure what to expect when I picked up the book, but for [the price] why not check it out. It was much better than anything I expected or have read in similar titles. The author gives the reader a solid foundation for entering and exiting low priced stocks. The book is filled with lots of good examples of the right time to buy beaten up stocks. The primary focus of his selection technique is technical analysis, although there is a fundamental bent thrown in. If you are thinking that there are bargins to be had after the past 2 years in the market, this is a title well worth checking out.

If you are interested in buying stocks in the low price range, $20 all the way down to penny stock range, this is the book for you. Evan's methods add a bit safety to this volatile price range by sticking with larger companies or depressed and distressed blue chips.

You will appreciate all his research, some from noted financial journals, as well as his numerous charts and examples. The first chapter goes through his rational and many studies on why low price stocks outperform. Chapter 1 alone is well worth the price of this book. Very well written, a definite classic.

This is a very informative book. Evans' thesis is that low-priced and depressed stocks account for the major stock gains. In the first chapter he outlines the risks in buying these stocks and some precautions to take. The second chapter covers technical analysis, and the third chapter covers using the technicals to evaluate the charts of companies that have gone through major pullbacks, built bases, and seem ready to go up again. Chapters two and three are excellent, and really seem to be the book's center of gravity. However, later chapters go into numerous case studies which are very good teaching stories. The writing is accessible and clear, and should appeal to beginners as well as more advanced investors and traders.

This is a must read for the new or experienced salesperson. Jim has the unique ability to simplify the complex. It is a great getting started guide for those that have little or no salestraining. The expert salesperson will find themselves reminded of things they have learned in the past as well as discovering a world of new sales gems!! This book is destined to be the all time classic salestraining book. It will be the one most quoted when sales people discuss their sales accomplishments.
Great job Jim, when can we expect a follow up?

It doesn't matter if this is your first 100 days or you've been selling for years, Jim's lessons are a must for anyone who makes a living selling. After reading the First 100 Days of Selling myself, I ordered a copy for each member of my team. Great stuff.

Jim's guide to selling makes me feel like I could close any deal I pursue. No matter what your product is, I suspect each reader will take much away from Jim's lessons.

Easy to read, yet filled with many valuable strategies, this is the perfect tome for the beginner sales rep or veteran business executive.

I liked this book. It brought back memories of the two years that I worked as a sales rep. Basically what I did for a living for those two years was written in this book. And I thought it was well written, too. If you are going to be a sales rep and be responsible for finding prospects, developing rapport with prospects, converting them into sales, and then repeating the process over and over, then I recommend you give this book a read. It has the following 10 chapters:

1. Knowing yourself and influencing others
2. Knowing what you have and have to do
3. Networking
4. Prospecting
5. Appointments
6. The psychology of selling face-to-face and over the phone
7. Proposals
8. Closing
9. Referrals
10. Next steps to success

There is no rocket science involved in being a traditional HARD WORKING sales rep. I don't particularly recommend anyone earn a living doing that kind of work. It's generally not good for the wasteline nor particularly fulfulling, but it is a living.

I think the chapter titles above tell you what the book actually covers. So I won't go into the specifics of the book. 4 stars!

First 100 Days of Selling is a day by day guide to help new salespeople build their sales career. The book is structured as five work day lesson with 2 weekends "Mantra". The first two weeks begins by asking salespeople to "Know Yourself", and then "Know What You Have and Have to DO". The following 10 weeks teaches sales techniques from networking, prospecting, appointment and the psychology of selling. The last two weeks talk about proposal, closing, and referral.
Although this book is written for salespeople to jump start their sales career, I think employers will benefit more by using this books to guide their new salespeople. Most day is a simple 1 to 2 page read and teach one single concept or technique of selling. I can see this book will help the employers/managers life a bit easier when they hire a new salespeople.

This book is chock full of insightful truths every executive must learn, particularly those without formal management training. The book truly reveals mistakes that are unknowingly committed by even the most experienced executives.

"Five Hidden Mistakes" is concise, elegantly presented, insightful and instructional, yet practical. Profound examples abound:
* Successful people understand that the cost of failure is very modest compared to the cost of inaction.
* High performers create an organization that is in resonance.
* Personal competencies provide the basic groundwork, but social competencies set the effective leader apart.
* The book is a quick read, easy to comprehend, but so very insightful.

Tom Northup's mantra of "Easy to say. Hard to do", equates to practice, practice, practice! Can't have too much. Most authors don't bother caring about the reader's outcomes. Tom clearly does care. Poor execution will sabotage strategy every time. He treats the complex subject of Strategic Development with a practical approach, one that makes it realistic for the reader to implement. He has broken it down into bite-size chunks, executable initiatives that ordinary folks can handle.

Each time I read one of the presented concepts, a picture of a client popped into my head. Readers that have a similar reaction, vis a vis their own organization, will be the winners! Mr. Northup knows what he's talking about, having been there and done that himself. His enthusiasm for effective leadership jumps from every chapter. Tom makes it clear that the evolution of the organization is dependent on the personal growth and evolution of the Leader.

"The Five Hidden Mistakes CEOs Make" is a readable, understandable guide for every leader and manager.

Needless to say, I liked Tom Northup's, The Five Hidden Mistakes CEOs Make. I found it to be a great primer and Desk Reference for every CEO and Manager. It is straight forward and full of wisdom. Like a good first aid guide, is something to take in hand and read again when there is a hemorrhage or blockage in your business. Tom will quickly guide you though what needs done to create growth and improve performance. There is nothing but sound advice and great process improvements waiting to be gleaned from this guide to success in business. I have been a successful small business leader for many years and even managed my way though a surprise turnaround. Tom's book would have been a gift back then. I am convinced Tom truly embraces and understands being a Servant Leader. All of us who come from the age of Command and Control need his wisdom in working with Gen X, Gen Y, and the Millennium generations.

I am an avid reader of books with a special interest in books written to help CEO's and business owners. The title of this book immediately caught my attention. Being a business owner and an have led organizations for years I was intrigued as I looked through Mr. Northup's table of contents. Seeing his 5 Mistakes listed and given ample pages to cover the subject matter made me feel he understood the challenges I face growing my business.

After I began reading the book, I found his writing style to be natural and easy to follow. The layout of the chapters are well designed and I especially appreciated the BEST IDEAS section at the end of each chapter. These gave me the space to jot down notes and ideas that I have since referred back to in order to actually take action based on what I read. This is a very practical idea and one I wish other authors would include in their books.

It is clear having finished the book and finding myself referring to the BEST IDEAS section of each chapter that this book has real world application for the CEO's who read and want to apply what they have learned. I appreciate Mr. Northup's sharing his years of experience with us and have recommended this book to other business owners I know.

Mr. Northup has taken decades of experience in leadership positions, and now in leadership development, to provide us with an excellent guide through the leadership forest. He artfully provides the reader with the tools to discover the hidden mistakes and to avoid or correct them.

Each chapter leads us along the path of discovery and ends with a summary and the "Best Ideas" from the chapter as well as an invitation for us to note our own "Best Ideas" along with the action items needed to put them to use - accountability.

Mr. Northup points out that people development is what leadership is all about. He stresses that we each must be on our own continuous learning path, thus demonstrating to the leadership team and employees what is expected in the organization. He firmly advocates the use of the mastermind approach to problem solving and provides a framework for developing that practice.

Each of the five hidden mistakes (lack of clarity and focus, lack of development, lack of practice, lack of planning and lack of accountability) is afforded a chapter or more, and then other key leadership attributes are discussed as well. The last three chapters tie it all together by taking us up to see the leadership forest after discussing some of the day-to-day trees of tactical leadership skills. In the end, this well written book provides a whole bunch of information and insight into a packed 140 pages. A must read for anyone in a business leadership position.

With one announcement of layoffs and cuts by global companies coming after another, Brett Clay's book is more relevant than ever. To survive, companies large and small must figure out how to work smarter not harder. Salespeople who study the principles in Forceful Selling and learn to help their customers harness the forces of change will be in a much better position to turn bad news into opportunity as they lead their customers through the uncertainites of today's market place.
Clay shares his wisdom in a way that is both engaging and immediately applicable. This book is one not to be missed!

This is one of the best, if not the best books on selling I've ever read. Over the last decade or so, "solution selling" has been touted as the end all be all of selling. Brett demonstrates that in this era of global competition and instant access to information, the customer already understands the variety of possible solutions that might be useful to them. What customers really want today are people who can help them affect the kind of change that they need to achieve their business goals. This simple, but powerful concept has caused me to rethink a lot of what I've been taught over the last several years. Brett goes on to do a thorough explanation of how we can transform ourselves into change agents, overcome opposition, create value for our customers, and win in the market. I highly recommend this book to anyone in business.

Recently, before reading Brett Clay's work, I was privileged to have Brett present his design and the concepts for his work in a seminar of several strong and competent writers. What should be appreciated about this robust and seminal work is not only the skill with which he crafts his ideas, but the novel way that he reframes and recasts those principles that we've long accepted as determining in how "sales" are achieved. Brett has given solid thought to just how we fashion the ideas that predicate our thinking in this arena. He remodels those conceptions in a manner that is more appropriate not only to our understanding of the past dynamics of the "sales" process but to the fashioning of an enhanced sense of what that "morphing" arena will look like in the future. To be forewarned is to be forearmed and Brett Clay's efforts in this vein are foundational to the next generation of business dynamics interpretation and appreciation.

I've recently heard Brett Clay speak about "Forceful Selling" at his latest seminar. As a psychology and religion professor, I have to admit that I have never learned so much science, philosophy and math so quickly! I came away with a wealth of ideas: Western and Eastern mythologies, mind-body-space technology, as well as social-psychologies and all from a corporate-trained MBA! Clay makes plain his ideas about the "force(s)" to which one must to be attuned for lasting relational skillfulness. His authority goes beyond the rigorous research he's clearly given this work; it draws from years of experience as a colleague, spouse, friend, student, father, son, and an inventor among inventors. I cannot wait to give this book to my colleagues and clients for holiday gifts.

Brett Clay has written a forceful book about selling named what else? Forceful Selling. And if anyone knows how to sell himself or his product, it's Brett Clay, M.B.A. With a resume that includes twenty years of experience as a sales trainer, consultant and vice president of sales, marketing and business development at numerous high-technology companies, including Microsoft, Clay is more than qualified to teach others how to sell. He has studied what works and what doesn't, and he knows what mistakes and misconceptions a salesperson must overcome to be successful. With many practical and personal examples, and numerous activity worksheets to analyze one's customers and one's personal sales technique, Forceful Selling is certain to change any salesperson into a force to be reckoned with.

Becoming a force, however, does not mean embodying the myth of the pushy salesperson who makes cold calls to manipulate people into buying a product they do not want and will later regret. As Clay demonstrates, the biggest mistake a salesperson can make is to believe the customer needs his product. Clay makes it clear that no one needs a product. The product is a solution to the customer's problem, but to sell the product as a solution is insufficient. The salesperson's job is not only to understand what the client's problems and needs are but to explore the changes the organization must incorporate and then sell the client on how the product can transform the organization for the better. A salesperson must focus on becoming the agent of change for his clients and their business.

Change is the real focus of Forceful Selling. Clay has created his Change Leadership Framework to make change happen in an organization, with the salesperson as the guiding force. This Change Leadership model is vital in an age when people prefer to go online to gather information and make their purchases, thus devaluing the assistance of salespeople. To adapt to this Internet marketplace, salespeople cannot simply sell a product; they must know their clients inside and out and be extraordinary at helping clients achieve their goals. Change leadership then progresses from learning the customer's goals to finding out what change must take place within the organization so the product may be introduced as a means to achieve the goals.

Beyond bringing his years of experience to Forceful Selling, Brett Clay has thoroughly studied the psychology and theory of selling. Throughout the book, he discusses a wide range of theories from Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations to Maslow's theories of what motivates human behavior. At the book's foundation are the German psychologist Kurt Lewin's psychological theories about how change happens in groups. Clay applies these theories to show that all companies have goals, and the salesperson must remember, "a goal is a change you try to reach through satisfying certain needs." The successful salesperson will understand the client's goals, and he will find the key players within the company to work with to become the guiding force to affect the change. To sell to the key players, including both the proponents and opponents of change, the salesperson must understand the personalities of the key members of the client's organization. Clay recommends that salespeople study the Meyer-Briggs theory of behavioral tendencies so they can predict client reactions, understand their viewpoints, and be prepared to answer their objections.

While Clay displays his experience, intelligence, and insightfulness throughout his examples, he also makes Forceful Selling an extremely readable and enjoyable book. He loves to use metaphors to express his points. For example, Clay compares sales to the California Gold Rush. The prospectors are the salespeople who make cold calls, just prospecting on the surface, and unlikely to find much gold. Clay encourages salespeople instead to be miners--those who dig for the real gold--the gold being inside the client's organization. The salesperson must find the gold nuggets in the organization, those who will cheer on the change that the salesperson's product can bring about. Furthermore, the salesperson must be prepared not only to deliver the product, but to sell the service and to help the customer incorporate the change, providing support, a timeline and a plan to implement the change. In this manner, the salesperson becomes a strategic resource to the customer.

Many humorous yet educational cartoons also fill the pages of Forceful Selling. The primary cartoon character is a bulldog salesperson learning to transform himself into a forceful selling agent of change. A picture is worth a thousand words, so while the theoretical details of Forceful Selling may eventually be forgotten, the salesperson can open the book at any time, look at a couple cartoons and quickly be reminded of the main points of Forceful Selling.

While managers, marketers, and salespeople will most benefit from Forceful Selling, many of Clay's ideas and activities will also enhance change in people's personal lives and relationships. Brett Clay illustrates the personal application of Forceful Selling with stories from his own life, focusing on his children, wife, and even his housepainter. In fact, Clay plans that his next book will be Forceful Living to demonstrate how just as companies set goals such as doubling their revenue in five years, people must set personal goals to achieve their dreams. After seeing how beneficial Forceful Selling is to the salesperson, I look forward to Clay's next book.

For more information about Brett Clay, Forceful Selling, and how Clay's Change Leadership Group can help you in your personal or business goals, visit www.forcefulselling.com.

-- Tyler R. Tichelaar, Ph.D., author of The Marquette Trilogy