Industry Specific Books

This book "flows" easily and it does a great job covering the meteoric rise of both Bill Gates and Microsoft. The narrative is never dull and both, the man and his company, are given a fair treatment. This book was published in 1993 and a lot of interesting stuff remains to be told. Wish the authors would team up for a sequel. This is a well written and authoritative account of Microsoft and its founder.

Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire

This book is a must-read for people who consider themselves ambitious and driven. It taught me the importance of single-minded drive and determination, coupled with a passion for the line of work one is in. IT is a tough line of work to be in - jobs could be outsourced anytime, skills become redundant quickly and there isn't the glamor or get-fabulously-rich possibility of finance or investment banking... but this book demonstrates that as long as you are passionate about what you do, there is always room at the top. Take heart from it!

This is the definitive Book about Bill Gates (and the history of Windows). It covers all the management aspects of how he drove Microsoft and how the work became his life. The man doesn't do business... He LIVES it. And this book describes it in very much detail.

The details includes how Bill "turned over" IBM... Promissing them the OS/2 under the "NT Technology" flag and how he realeased Windows 95 and killed IBM forever from the Desktop business. It also shows Gates apreciation for Older woman (and many that took him to bed). As part of this "private" package, it also explains the problems that He had with Steve Ballmer. How Ballmer was showing poor management and leadership under Gates perspective and how Ballmer got over it and made his loyalty to Gates forever.

I was more interested on the part that explains how Microsoft Windows 1.0 was developed. How disastrous the first Office was compared to the competition and how they managed to "work around" and fix it, by "coping" the competition and improving it "the Microsoft way".

Buy this if you want to know how business can be done... or be "copied".

Delightful book. Its one flaw is its addictiveness, I couldn't put it down which did cost me sleep (I'm an IT professional with an entrepreneur spirit- your results may vary).

The Microsoft/Gates biography is impeccable in its wealth of interesting details and engaging story-telling.

Bill Gates is a fantastic decision maker. He would be as successful selling water or space suits, he just happened to be at the right time in the right booming industry and pushed with his business-business mentality to the limit. Right decision after right decision, the Microsoft journey is a story that any entrepreneur should nitpick and absorb as much as possible.

Of course, his terrible capitalistic drive is a perfect subject for a discussion on morals, social responsibility and related matters, but without a doubt when it comes to maximizing outcome while playing by our economic rules, Hard Drive tells a tale of epic proportions featuring a superhero / villain that rivals the best of science fiction.

This is a decent book on how Bill Gates and his business team built the Microsoft empire. The good aspects of this book include the following:

* The emphasis on how Microsoft was not built in a day but with many, many long days and lots of innovative thinking. This book illustrates how hard Gates worked.

* The portrayal of how relentlessly competitive and ambitious Gates is, be it at efficient programming, dominating the various software markets, studying higher mathematics or playing poker with his buddies.

* The specific details of the growth of Microsoft, as a company, up until the time of the book's publication.

* The implicit theme of how Gates never stops thinking.

Unfortunately, there are several aspects of this book that I disliked. These include the following:

* The writing is repetitive and often very stream-of-conscious. This book reads like a 250-300 page book diluted into a 400 page book.

* There is a lot of negative commentary about Gates' personality. First, this negative illustration seems to be done without providing the proper context. Gates is often portrayed as very immature. In this book, Gates is described as frequently issuing direct attacks on the intelligence of his employees during meetings and in private communication. He is also portrayed as immature through negligence, such as when he, presumably inadvertently, left his dirty laundry thrown about on a hotel floor for a top executive of his company to collect.

Although these incidents may be true, the authors should have emphasized that Gates is an enormously successful executive who is *only* in his twenties. While this does not excuse the described behavior, it does provide context for it. Needless to say, these immature outbursts would be appalling if they were committed by a seasoned executive in his early sixties.

More generally, this image of Gates conflicts with the image I gathered of him through other means. A friend of mine who worked at Microsoft described Gates as routinely hosting interns in his mansion for dinner, magnanimously forgiving a new employee who accidentally dented his car and graciously answering a personal e-mail concerning the artwork in his home. The Gates I have heard of through my friend, and the one who runs the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, does not fit the mold of the Gates described in this book.

I am not challenging the veracity of the information contained within, I am just surmising that the negatives sound like a few bad habits that Gates may have grew out of.

I purchased the sandwich spreader and metal spatula. I paid twice what I would have paid anywhere else. They turned out to be junk. Both plastic handles separated from the metal parts within 9 months of the purchase.

I absolutely loved this book. Doris Christopher's ideas and humble beginnings are absolutely inspiring! She has built an amazing company and shares it for everyone to realize their own potential. Her basic no nonsense attitude towards life and her company are shared in this incredible story. I do not sell Pamperd Chef, but if I was not trying to build another direct sales business I know I would after reading this book!

I have been purchasing Pampered Chef products for over 16 years and my husband and I have always been huge fans. After many years of buying from someone else, I decided to give it a try and then so did my husband. . . yes, we are both consultants because we believe so much in the products.

I signed up as a consultant a few days after the book was released and read it in one night! After reading the book I was more of a fan than ever. The story is very inspiring to anyone who wants to take the leap of faith in themselves and try to start their own business.

Doris' vision of having a business to earn extra money and still have time to raise her family is very much alive today as it was 25 years ago. The book takes you through the 25 years of her dream from where she started the business in her basement with $3,000 to being the founder a of multi-million dollar company with thousands of women and men who work with The Pampered Chef as hobbyist, part- and full-time consultants.

A must read for anyone who wants to be inspired to start their own business.

An interview with the author and her daughter, who grew up in the culinary business, supplements The Pampered Chef, a story of Doris Christopher, a former teacher and home economist who returns to the work world with a vision of making cooking more convenient for families. Selling high-quality kitchen tools through demo groups and growing her business, The Pampered Chef, from a basement enterprise to a successful franchise. A story of personal success comes alive in audio.

In 1980 author Doris Christopher, former home economist and teacher, wanted to return to the workforce after raising her children: she began selling high-quality kitchen tools through cooking demonstrations and began her company, The Pampered Chef, from her basement. Twenty-five years later it's a corporation specializing in kitchen shows - and The Pampered Chef: The Story Of One Of America's Most Beloved Companies tells of how she became a culinary industry success. Insights on how the company expanded and handled its challenges provide entrepreneurs and cooks alike with much inspiration.

Talk about a seven-course menu!

If you are even remotely considering starting any type of restaurant or food operation, this book isn't dessert, but an absolute necessity, especially when you consider that a recent Ohio study found that a failure rate of between 57 and 61 percent for restaurants in their first year of operation.

It's hard to imagine any topic this book doesn't cover in its 39 extensively researched chapters, whether it's on how to get a sign permit, obtain financing, execute a successful business plan or, my favorite, how to speak "the language of wine."

Don't even think about opening a food place without reading this first. As many doughy thumbs up as a book can get.

This book offers information on starting a restaurant from the ground up. If you have just the idea of starting a restaurant, this book will take you by the hand and guide you through every step of making your idea a reality. My family owned a restaurant and I can not imagine any knowledge I gained from that experience that was not covered in this handbook. The writer goes into great detail about how important it is to pick the right location for your restaurant and match your restaurant's theme to your target market. It covers the all important factor of cleanliness and how it could make or break the success of your business. There are several worksheets in the handbook that would serve as great templates to use in real life work situations, everything from budgeting to how to write an efficient business plan.

Advertising for a small business can be very expensive, but there many great tips in the reading that will help spread the word about your establishment that are absolutely free. There is a section that will give you great ideas on hiring and keeping the best staff available. There is also advice for those who want to open a franchise, instead of going it alone. The instructions on writing a menu should be very helpful in attracting customers into your establishment. There are strategies on forecasting expenses to insure you get the maximum benefit from your cash flow. The author provides great design guidelines to set up your dinning room in order to appeal to your customers. This book would be a great resource for any restaurant owner and would serve anyone in restaurant management well.

this is a solid, almost academic, handbook. it's points you toward the things you need to figure out but you'll still need to get additional information on your local regulations. personnaly, it discouraged me from opening a buisness at this time.

Want to open a restaurant? This is certainly THE book you need.
It covers every little detail - from the best skin protecting gloves your prep cooks should use to the type of silverware you should have based on your restaurant's style.
It's like a restaurant bible, I just got mine today when I was about to step out to the gym, and alas, this arrives.

Boy was I tempted to bring it with me and plop it on top of the treadmill while I exercised, but I didn't want to get strange stares hahaha.
Overall, it's an excellent excellent book. All of my questions are being answered. Highly recommended!

The title may be a bit of an understatement - The Restaurant Manager's Handbook goes well beyond the basics of restaurant management, ultimately encompassing the entire scope of owning and running a full-service restaurant. In an industry where, as this book points out, a large percentage of ventures fail, a comprehensive resource like this can prove an invaluable tool for restaurant owners and managers, one that you'll return to again and again.
The Restaurant Manager's Handbook runs a full 1,057 pages, making it a reference tome that covers all the bases - from "pre-owing" business planning and research to active operation and management practices . The guide offers hard-line business advice, but presents it in a way that's easy to read and eminently accessible to the novice restaurateur .
Never written a business plan? It's in there. Don't know the first thing about effective public relations? It's in there. Need the lowdown on menu planning? Yep, that's in there too. Linen service. Music licensing. Kitchen layout. Food preparation safety. Employee relations. Planning to open a bar, not a restaurant? Don't let the title fool you - it's covered.
The guide also includes numerous valuable resources - from reproducible forms (for everything from food facility compliance checklists to acquisition and inventory to cook's lists, and more) to detailed lists of suppliers for everything from flatware to point of sale systems. And if you still need a little encouragement, check out the case studies of successful restaurant ventures with practical advice from those who've been there . . .

Thank you! Prompt ship, item in perfect condition communication could be better but overall a terrific seller.

If you're looking to get into the copywriting business, this is one of the books you should read.

I had the good fortune to take a course given by Steve Slaunwhite, and he covers the B2B market quite well. His website is quire well organized, and I brought this book, not knowing he was the same author of the course I took. This book is very practical, and I recommend it, for its down-to-earth approach. Steve made a successful career transition
From being in sales to becoming a top B2B freelance copywriter. He inspired me go plunge into the freelance copywriting world, after being downsized by a major corporation.
Randy Kemp
http://www.randykempcopywriting.com

This is a very well written, entertaining, informative, and helpful account of what it takes to start a freelance copywriting business. Everything from suggestions on how to write different types of marketing copy to advice about how to manage money and run the business is included. This is probably the best single volume on the subject.

I've read quite a few books on writing over the years, but I have found this to be one of the best I've read yet for freelance copywriting. It's full of great information and he even gives you details on how to complete many different projects. The cd it comes with is also a great benefit. I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in freelance copywriting or writing. Well worth the money. I was not disappointed on this one, it's a keeper!

I had the hardcover version of "The Arms of Krupp" on my bookshelf for several years and finally got around to reading it in full over the past few months. I have to agree with all those who gave the book five stars. It is a masterful and well-written account of the Krupp dynasty over more than two centuries. In well over 800 pages, William Manchester has done a remarkable job in relating the important roles of Alfred, Gustav and Alfried Krupp in building a lucrative empire in the Ruhr based on steel and iron that gave Germany military dominance from the 1870's to the 1940's. This was accomplished by selling state-of-the-art weapons and other products through Machiavellian maneuvering with global powers and close political connections with two Kaisers and one Fuhrer. If you are interested in German history, military science or technology, you should read this book!

William Manchester's The Arms of Krupp is a great accomplishment. The book fluidly details the history of the Krupps, one of the world's greatest industrialist dynasties and its Firma. The history of the Krupps is interesting, because it is so closely connected to the history of the German state. The author skillfully weaves the histories of the Krupps and German state, while always remaining focused on the Krupps. A lesser author would need to diverge from his/her storytelling to relate surrounding historical events. Mr. Manchester is always able to avoid such divergences and distractions with his skillful writing.

I perceived only two shortcomings regarding this book. First, the book's evaluation of Alfried Krupp's war crimes was not as balanced as I would have hoped. Much of the book seems to be an indictment of Alfried Krupp for war crimes, e.g., enslavement of foreign workers. Although he is most assuredly inexcusably guilty of the crimes, I would have appreciated a more balanced, analytical evaluation of the Firma's decisions to commit the crimes. Instead, the author seems to simply dismiss the decisions as being evil and unexplainable.

My second perceived shortcoming in the book concerns its translation of German into English. I believe it is safe to assume that many or most of Mr. Manchester's sources were originally in German. I believe it is also safe to assume that translated sources in the book obtained extra scrutiny before publication. Unfortunately, the original German and English translations provided in the book were not always entirely consistent. In Chapter 28, the author discusses the Firma's business relationship with Egypt. The text quotes an internal Firma memorandum, which state in English, "The true goal of Krupp in Egypt is the multimillion-dollar Aswan Dam." The original German provided next to it in the book states that "Das naechste Ziel Krupps ist das Milliardenprojeckt des Assuan Damms." A correct translation of the Firma's memorandum reveals that it was the firm's "next goal", not its "true goal", to obtain the contract to build the Aswan Dam. Although the mistranslations I noted were typically insignificant in consequence, they leave me with a little doubt regarding any translated source.

Because of the above shortcomings, I wish I could give this book 4.5 stars. Unfortunately, I had to decide between four and five stars. I elected to give five stars, because Mr. Manchester's The Arms of Krupp is simply a great read.

It covers a lengthy span of time in Krupp saga. Its 900 pages have space for all kinds of detail, from the purely familiar and personal to the more general of German customs and idiosyncrasies, and finally -to me the most relevant and interesting- the historical. The historical from the ground perspective, is what I mean, not the ideological or political.

There's a lot of merit in this author to keep the interest along so many pages. Some of these pages are of great style, elsewhere the interest plummets a little, which is totally understandable.

One paradox in the book that can summarize the story of Krupp is the difference between the way the greatest Krupp (Alfred) treated a poor and foreign woman appealing for help, and the way his great-grandson, would treat people like her in his not-known-well-enough private concentration camps. For Alfred it was: "Necessity knows no law", a fitting motto. Exactly the opposite would be during the Nazi times. Here's a sample of great writing: "Yet there was a time when Alfred's great-grandson not only abandoned helpless women from abroad, but exploited them, and then left them to a doom far more unspeakable than the turbid gray waters of the Rhine. The bonfire of the Third Reich was rapidly being reduced to embers. No sources of manpower were left and so, necessity knowing no law, Krupp turned to girls, to mothers, and, in the end, to the construction of a private concentration camp for children."

A must read, for the fine style in which it describes important historical subjects that must be known, the day-to-day lives of the people who lived those turbulent -to say something- times. Let's not forget those horrors. And don't try to understand them, just beware how low the human race can fall.

William Manchester's "The Arms of Krupp" is an epic look at the company, personalities, dynasty, and the nation that formed one of the world's most infamous armaments manufacturers.

From the earliest records of a Krupp in the late 16th century, the Krupp family profited off the suffering an misery of others when Arndt Krupp bought land in Essen for a bargain following an outbreak of bubonic plague. It was a pattern that played out again and again up to the Second World War; but the later tragedies the family profited off was human conflict rather than disease.

Throughout the narrative, the reader is introduced to a long list of eccentric and sometimes brutal 'Cannon Kings': from manure-loving Alfred whose genius launched die Firma into its infamous glory, the scandalous Fritz, the robotic Gustav, to the WWII-era slaveholder Alfried. At times, readers will envy the early Krupps for their dedication to die Firma, while in other instances the audience will be appalled by the Krupps' cold-blooded arms dealings that led to the deaths of so many of their own countrymen.

Manchester is keen on casting the house of Krupp as a symbol of modern Germany; as their trials and boons both seemed to coincide in recent history. Furthermore, "The Arms of Krupp" is an excellent source for insight on the pre-WWI arms race and the post-Versailles rearmament that other histories of the period overlook. Over all, it is a highly recommended book for anyone interested in the history of Germany and the barons of modern warfare.

This book is excellent for all the reasons mentioned in the other reviews. What I found REALLY annoying was the author's use of German quotes. He provides quotes, in German, usually somewhat abbreviated as shown by the use of ellipses, and then provides the translation of the entire quote in English. Since most of his readers can't read German, and the entire quote is NOT in the German version, why include them? More frustrating are the German phrases that he quotes and doesn't translate, leaving us to guess at their meanings.

I purchased this book back when it first was published, and have recommended it to many people who used to consider themselves to be rightwing conservatives. This book helped convince them that the right was wrong, and supported stealing with both hands, whether it is Corporate Welfare that ADM has taken for buying influence, or altering trade barriers to block out legitimate competitors, or simple illegal price fixing on a global scale, the ADM Corp led the way. Now that ethanol has offerred up a new way to steal from the public trough, ADM is again leading the way with the biggest 'snout' in the Government Trough.

Jim Liebert gets to the truth. Dwayne Andreas and others at ADM are not kind folks. Their ties with murderer/dictator Fidel Castro are real. Their contemptuous involvement with the illegal extraction of Elian Gonzalez from freedom and his subsequent delivery to slavery in Castro's communist prison is also very real. All in the name of appeasment to Castro. These people are stench and deserve to be imprisoned, if not worse. Thank you Mr. Liebert for telling the truth.

Attorney Lieber deserves high praise for his objective, informative presentation of the antitrust criminal case vs. Archer Daniels Midland, the agribusiness giant, that ADM, its powerful lawyers and Clinton's Justice Department did not want published. To his credit, he continued to pursue this case after most reporters backed off and swallowed the dizzying spin and disinformation that ADM's CEO Dwayne Andreas and his aggressive lawyers gave the media, crying crocodile tears as the "victim" of an allegedly deranged ADM executive, Mark Whitacre, who became the FBI's mole, and made hundreds of tapes incriminating ADM executives fixing prices in world markets with their competitors. Lieber correctly smelled the stench of a cover-up and adroitly guides readers to make their own
conclusions after compiling evidence, omissions from court records, and other factors that allow readers to infer that the judicial process was compromised by ADM's widespread political
influence before the trial even began. Although Dwayne Andreas,
the infamous political fixer and king of corporate welfare, got immunity in a highly secretive plea bargain to Justice in 1996,
after ADM agreed to pay a record fine of $100 million, his son
Michael was convicted and imprisoned with Terry Wilson for a
mere 3 years, and Dwayne (thanks to outraged and courageous ADM
shareholders) finally resigned. Tragically, Whitacre was
convicted, fined and sentenced to a harsh term of 9 years
because of ADM's swift retaliation against him as whistleblower, for exposing to the FBI the ... corporate culture of
ADM...(anything goes-but don't get caught-and here's your big
bonus (not reported on books)to keep silent, the unspoken words
being that an employee would be fired and crucified if they
blew the whistle.
Lieber's chilling comment (p. 322)should concern every citizen
or future whistleblower who believes in due process and our rule of law: "It was expected that ADM's attorneys would savage the
snitch. What was highly bizarre in the world of criminal law was the way the Justice Department joined in the frenzy to destroy Whitacre. This was an aberration...the perpetrator was a
politically wired corporation whose law firm- the president's law firm- had unbridled entree and influence at Justice. The
mole's lawyer had none."
Lieber makes a strong case that this American corporate history- "one of the most important antitrust cases of the century"- should be closely examined. Rightly so. Why was the court record sealed, why were key witnesses (e.g., Wayne Brasser) not deposed, who could have validated Whitacre's claims that the hidden bonuses were a quid pro quo for engaging in illegal price-fixing? The author's appendices are very helpful. ADM and Dwayne Andreas not only have lobbied for years to emasculate our antitrust laws (the "Magna Carta" of free enterprise) but know that the massive soft money donations to key politicians can grease not only the wheels of justice, but also ensure that ADM continues to get huge subsidies for ethanol and other favors from Agriculture Dept. (high fructose corn syrup,peanuts) that have cost taxpayers billions of dollars.
Rats in the Grain is highly recommended, and was a difficult book to write because of the case's complexity. James Lieber should be considered for a Pulitzer Prize.

I have not read this book, but it seems that the publisher's statement here at Amazon should include some mention of what this book can tell us that Kurt Eichenwald's exhaustive, prizewinning book, _The Informant_, does not. Eichenwald's book covers exactly the same material, and Eichenwald (the _New York Times_ reporter who covered the case) had the same access to Whitacre and other sources that Lieber had.

For obvious reasons, I would prefer not to give a "number-of-stars" rating to a book I haven't read. But Amazon demands it, so I've chosen a neutral "three."

Lieber possesses a unique blend of talents to investigate the price fixing trial of the century.

The book chronicles ADM kingmaker Dwayne Andreas's rise to business and political power, charts the evolution of US antitrust law, and dissect's the testimony of key witnesses in the trial.

The chapters on the trial delve into ADM's chief defense: its executives were white-hatted American heroes intent on destroying an "Asian" cartel. You will find the race baiting and "we-are-heroes" defense surreal, especially since audio and video tape caught the conspirators red-handed and potty-mouthed.

Lieber presents shocking evidence to build a solid case that the US Justice Department often subjugated itself to ADM's political power and well-connected attorneys in the prosecution of informant Mark Whitacre for fraud and tax evasion. For example, Whitacre still maintains the nearly $10 million of ADM money he stashed in Switzerland and the Cayman Islands was "off-the-books" bonuses given to him by Michael Andreas with the approval of ADM president James Randall. Lieber provides multi-layered facts that endorse Whitacre's story.

The book's final chapters contain even more revelations: alleged document shredding by ADM chairman Andreas after the June 1995 FBI raid; ADM's hiring prostitutes to help steal competitors' technology; the never investigated role of ADM president James Randall--or Chairman Andreas--in price fixing conspiracies; the Justice Department's refusal to release public documents, and other sordid facts of sex, lies and videotape.

As you will discover in reading this book, justice was plea bargined away and the wishes of the Andreas crime family boss Dwayne were granted, one of which was sending Whitacre to jail for 10 years.

Lieber is to be commended for this historical document which will explain to generations to come how corporate crime destoyed our country.

I was going to give this book four stars, but I was going to be unfair with it. This is not a guide to create a lean enterprise, it was not meant to be one and I was going to judge it as if it was.

This is a great introduction to the Toyota Production System and lean philosophy, by nobody else but the architect of the system.

It had been a long time since I read such a dense book about any subject. If you are interested in getting started in the Lean methodologies then this book is a must read. If you work in a manufacturing plant or are in management then the insight on this book will be valuable for the rest of your life. I recommend it to my boss along with the Toyota Way because I think we need to start implementing all the techniques and management principles, specially when it comes to Human Resource management and policies, that made the Toyota the world leader it is.

A+.

The book is very good. But I am charged for an additional 10 euros by the mail delivery company for which I was not informed on the website.
So be careful when buying a book from here.

A "must read" for anyone in manufacturing. It is the basis for all modern manufacturing, and for any business process or flow. The author describes the two pillars of the Toyota production system as autonomation and just-in-time. He explaines the six rules associated with the kanban. He also describes the seven wastes and the value of asking "Why" five times. The book is very easy and quick reading, and provides a complete backgroung to the Toyota development and success.

Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production
Great tool for understanding basics and roots of TPS

"Toyota Production System" was published in 1979 in Japanese and, in English in 1988. It is the source material on the toyota production system and, in my view, it is often good to go back to the source. Sadly, I found this book disappointing. The writing style is clunky (perhaps a poor translation) and the book lacks structure; being more of a semi-random collection of points than a development of ideas. Nevertheless there is some interesting stuff in here. The honesty that this is a long slow process (taking Toyota 30+ years) is refreshing, and I hadn't realised that Mr Ohno ranked kanban (with quick changeovers) as the core of the system and essential to success. Often in lean kanban seems to be a bit of a side issue: here it is vital. Also there is an interesting analysis of some of Henry Ford's early writings compared to TPS. This would be good material for a student essay. However, for the philosophy of TPS you will get much more out of "The Toyota Way" or "The Toyota Way Fieldbook"; and for the tools of lean go to "Lean Production Simplified" or the many other books in this area. Overall this book is a bit of a let-down I am sad to say.

Reading her book and listening to her advice is like being helped to brush away the confused worries about your future. Like cobwebs, the fears, doubts, insecurities and just plain junk slip away. You can think clearly. Excitement, motivation and a flood of ideas rush to replace the depressing and over-analytical thoughts that slow you down. If you are stuck in what Irena Chalmers calls a WOMBAT job (Waste Of Money Brains And Time), or just confused about where to start, then this book will help you figure out the next step. Food Jobs is not a self-help book or motivational career guide; instead, its purpose is to "match what people love to do with what they can do." Using her experiences and the stories of her friends and students at the Culinary Institute of America where she teaches, she tells of lifetimes of careers in food.

Chalmers' career tells of a woman who is not afraid to take risks and put herself out there - even if she has no idea what she's doing. Her career began as a nurse in England and brought her to America in 1962 to teach courses in neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. When her teaching visa ran out, she stayed and ended up in Maryland. At the annual Delmar Chicken festival in Delaware, she was picked to replace the girl who fries the chickens on stage because the festival wanted someone "ordinary looking" and the fried chicken girl was too beautiful. Perhaps they were worried she'd distract people from the chicken? Who knows. Chalmers lands on stage with absolutely no idea how to fry a chicken and then somehow ends up assisting a cook from Le Cordon Bleu for the rest of the weekend.

These things do not happen to everyone. Not many people are picked to be the chicken frying girl and then become a cook's assistant with absolutely no experience. But it does happen to people with the ability to take advantage of the situation. Perhaps she mentioned to someone earlier that she would like to go on stage and fry a chicken, thus making her a logical replacement. In her book, she says to have a speech prepared at all times because you never know who you are standing next to in an elevator. Try to summarize what it is you do and want to do - maybe the person can help you. "Networking is the most important thing because that is where you will find your next job." When you apply to a job online, you become depressed when you don't get it, "why didn't they like me?" But you don't become upset when you don't win the lottery, do you?"

Chalmers' career continued, after a brief stint at Le Cordon Bleu, in North Carolina where she opened a cooking school. Realizing that not many women knew how to cook, she watched Julia Childs and taught them. As a shrewd business woman, she saw that it was the pans and not the cooking that excited the women most about the class- so she began to sell them. Her eventual move into writing cookbooks came from having lots fondue pots to sell and no one knowing how to make fondue. Writing pamphlets with recipes and instructions, she connected with other fondue pot sellers and sold her pamphlets. Her career has taken many twists and turns but perhaps the most fascinating one was her time with restaurateur Joe Baum.

After meeting him at a party, he invited her for lunch and they began working together. She wrote menus, restaurants scripts and eventually became a speech writer with no training in any of it. She emphasized that this is why it's so important to have a speech prepared. She described Baum as a man who did what he wanted and became so successful because he could read the market. A story of a New Year's Eve dinner party that one of his restaurants hosted every year makes her case. She divulged that the restaurant basically committed grand larceny in the prices they charged because they needed to cover the slow month of January. Although usually sold out, one year it was only half-full. So someone draws up an elaborate ad for the Times describing all the fabulous food and events that will take place. Baum looks at it, takes a big black pen, and crosses it out writing SOLD OUT. "Print that." No one could argue with him and the ad ran. That day the phone was ringing off the hook with people trying to get in, "I've been coming to the Rainbow Room for 30 years" (they hadn't been open that long), or "I'm the wife of the former chef" and on and on. They were placed on a waitlist and told they would be called if there were an opening - the dinner was completely sold out. Joe knew the market: this was New York, and he couldn't have pulled it off anywhere else.

Chalmers regaled us with other stories of her time with Baum, a particularly hilarious one involving a Martha ____ in the food world. Visit Chalmers's blog at foodjobsbook.com and convince her to tell you - it is well worth it.

While on her website, look at the many different "food jobs" that she has experienced. She has done it all. Her advice? Follow your dreams and passions to get a job. Doing something conventional is going to be incredibly competitive. When looking for a job, you need to be creative and read the market. Find a niche that isn't filled yet. When the term locavore began, that was a niche someone could fill and write about. Now, it is redundant. Diverging to lighten the mood with some of her humor, she continues on - she admits that she will go on and on if not stopped - to talk about the recent vote in California concerning free-range poultry. She says it's a dangerous idea, "I don't know why you have to turn chickens into humans... it's like having a free-range boyfriend, you never where he's been."

Returning to career advice, her friend once advised her, "don't be an ant on an anthill." A mantra she repeated to us several times. If you have a specific love or talent, find a way to incorporate into your career. One of her students at the CIA told her that she loved making those little flowers on cakes and "could make them all day long." Chalmers suggested going to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens because a lot of weddings take place there. She said to coordinate with the events planner and perhaps offer her services so that the bride can have seasonal flowers on her cake. These are the connections and possibilities that Chalmers opens up for you in her book.

She'll give you realistic and practical advice - it might not be what you want to hear - but it will motivate you to find something new. There is a world of food jobs available; in fact, she filled a rather large book with many of them. Her advice may seem obvious and simple yet it is contrary to what most of us do and aim for in our career goals. She'll give you advice that others won't. When I took a food writing course at the French Culinary Institute a few years ago with Alan Richman, he told us that every food writer must follow the New York Times dining section, the New York Post and other food sections. For keeping updated with the market, Chalmers recommends avoiding magazines such as Gourmet, Food & Wine, etc., and suggests reading Specialtyfoods.com or other trade publications. She personally reads the Economist, the Wall Street Journal and says that the New York Times is good for business and international sections, not as much for their dining.

After describing the career, ambitions and personality of this woman, do you have a picture in your mind of what she looks like? On the day we met, she walked inside with bright blue eyes, short, styled white hair, a slightly red nose and was unbuttoning her thick jacket. Standing before the class, she wore a loose ankle-length black cotton dress, a black cardigan and a thin scarf colored with blends of turquoise, green, navy and beaded ends that she wrapped once around her neck. She spoke softly in a British accent, almost like a whisper and seemed like the magical British aunt you always wanted as a kid. The one who would tell you the stories you weren't suppose to know but was also wise, warm and inspiring. Smart with a witty sense of humor, she was a treat. At 73, she said she has never been happier. Hopefully, we will all be that lucky.

Everyone's career has ebbs and flows, ups and downs. I, a dietitian, happened to have been in professional "trough" when this book came out. After reading just a few pages, I immediately felt inspired and energized to work toward another "peak." Food Jobs is full of practical tips and creative ideas on how to make my next dream come true - from people who've been there, done it, and done it well. The answers to all the pertinent questions (career outlooks, salaries, how to get started, etc) were presented in an exceptionally easy to read and fun format. Thank you, Irena Chalmers - your book came out just in the nick of time!

I tried to view this book objectively and not have a bias of knowing Irena affect how I saw this book. Even so, I found the book fun, interesting and having a wealth of knowledge. So much time and research went into this book and it shows.

Like many reviewers here, I also attended and graduated from the CIA. While it is a very good school to go to, they present only the most common food jobs in the industry. So if you love cooking but want to persue the lesser known careers, you have a very hard time finding your niche in life.
Unless you have this book. With this book you can combine love of all things food and eating with an interesting career you wouldn't normally hear about or even think to go after (like a Futurist, page 224, or food site blogger, page 195- which I happen like to dabble in)

No matter what you are or where you've come from, if you're looking for something in the food world, this is the absolutely best place to start.

As one of Prof. Chalmers students at the CIA, i thought i knew all the food industry jobs there were out there. Boy was i wrong. I now know that the food world is even bigger and i can do almost anything when it comes to food. Her passion and drive that i see every week show through this and her other books. She is inspiring not just her students but anyone who has the slightest interest in food. Thank you Professor Chalmers.

As I gazed (grazed?) through this compendium I, of course, noticed the Irena Chalmers touch. Having read many of her cookbooks over the years I immediately recognized her style; her knowledge of cookery and her delightful sense of humor. I also marveled at the sheer effort and energy it must have taken to amass this behind the scene' opus. I envision the many hours slaving over a hot computer; organizing, editing and checking the accuracy of all of the information. Her knowledge of cookery shines through every page and is a must read for anyone involved in any aspect of the culinary arts

This book is really good. however my main problem with is that it is mainly good for the American resort market, and not so useful in European circumstances speciall in smaller individual cityhotels.
I have to stress that it is very well written but not what i was looking for.
It is also abit dated. nevertheless I think everyone working this field shoud read it!

Great to read. very good book.

Just finished it. Had to write a review. In summary: The Best Marketing Book Ever!

Very interesting and helpful
From real pro!
Not a textbook, fun and easy to read

I normally don't take the time to write book reviews, but this book was so amazing that I felt obligated to comment. It is succinct, well-written, and extremely easy to read. The ideas in this book can be applied to any type of hospitality product. Mr. Raza supplements the text by giving links to websites the readers can visit to obtain more information.

The chapters:
1) Hospitality and Marketing
2) The Market
3) Products
4) Branding
5) Advertising
6) How to Create Better Brochures and Collateral Materials
7) Public Relations
8) Promotions
9) 25 Proven Ways to Reach Travel Agents
10) Coop Marketing: How to Get the Best Results from Marketing Through Wholesalers and Tour Operators
11) Internet Marketing
12) Loyalty Marketing
13) Marketing Operations
14) Behind the Budget
Appendix: The Marketing Plan

I came across the paperback edition of this book a couple of years ago and snapped it up at once. Major kudos to Ms. Plunkett-Powell for what is obviously a labor of love, painstakingly researched and exhaustively documented, full of great stories, equally great photos and reminiscences from loyal Woolworth's customers. Today's variety store chains, including Dollar General, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree, owe their very existence to the groundbreaking Woolworth's five-and-dime store chain and its contemporary competitors, such as Ben Franklin, McCrory's and S. S. Kresge (the precursor of Kmart). This book makes it abundantly clear why, as well as bringing back tons of wonderful memories of Woolworth's sheer variety of merchandise, its friendly and helpful sales staff and its dearly-missed lunch counters full of delicious meals, snacks and treats, all of which I enjoyed as a boy in my hometown of Lafayette, LA, with my late maternal grandmother, and later as an adult in New Orleans, which had not one but two Woolworth stores on its main shopping drag, downtown Canal Street. That its later owners allowed it to be so mismanaged and finally killed is a scandal to the jaybirds...but at least we have Karen's book to help us remember it.

Working class Americans once had a place to shop with their families where they were made to feel important, even rich. They could dine inexpensively at the lunch counter and spend a morning or afternoon just browsing through the most fabulous Five-and-Dime store in the world. The rich had Tiffany's and Macy's. Everyone else had Woolworth's.

Some Sunday mornings I still walk through the aisles of that familiar building with the Red-Font which bears the Woolworth's name. It is no longer Woolworth's, of course, but this only adds to the nostalgia while looking for Coke items or other bits of Americana to take home. The building is a nostalgic downtown landmark here in Bakersfield and has been converted into an antique's store. It still feels like a Woolworth's inside, however, even the famous lunch counter remaining to add to our sense of stepping into the past.

This marvelous book by Karen Plunkett-Powell will bring back fond memories for those not fortunate enough to still have that connection to America's past to enjoy. It is filled with sentimental remembrances from children who shopped with their parents or grandparents, or had an ice cream soda with the girl they later married. It is a book filled with recollections from those who bought all their Christmas presents for friends and family at America's Christmas store, and even some who worked at Woolworth's, personalizing a great success story.

It is that mix of personal nostalgia and historical narrative about this most wonderful of stores which separate this book from others of its ilk. The book is augmented by color and black and white pictures of stores in America and abroad, and Woolworth's products and collectibles. Even photos of Hollywood fan magazines showing the retailer's connection to early silent films are included in a book both fun and informative. While dealing with the business transitions and social and economic changes which finally saw the last store of this greatest of companies fade into the sunset, it is the nostalgia most people will find irresistible.

Not just the story of Frank Woolworth and how he built a retail empire by offering customers quality merchandise at low prices while making them feel special, it is very much a story of America's nostalgic past. Woolworth's was everyone's store. It belongs to our past and is imbedded into our memories. Any girl who ever bought a bottle of Evening in Paris and any young man who ever enjoyed its fragrance while sitting next to her in a movie house is connected to that icon of retailers, Woolworth's. I highly recommend this fabulous trip down memory lane. And if you're ever in Bakersfield you might want to stop at the Red-Font once again and remember how America once was.

Without question, the best written book on the nostalgic craze I have read. The book is superb with photos of all kinds.My favorite is the lunch counter chapter. Thumbs up to the author who cuts Woolworth's no slack in the poor wages paid to the counter girls and the refusal to serve blacks food in the white only lunch counter sections, which caused the well known sit-ins in 1960. This book would also make a nice gift to anyone. Hope author comes out with another nostalgic book.

Beautifully written. Well researched. Excellent sequence. Marvelous layout. Well presented. Not at all like the history books of yore, or the dull stuff by corporate hacks. "Remembering Woolworth's" brought back memories of the Bayonne, NJ, store where I got caught shoplifting. Only books, of course, because I was a literate young hoodlum. I think they called them "Big Little Books." Very bulky under a 10 yr. old's jacket.That's why I got caught, and learned my lesson. No police; just shocked and disappointed immigrant parents. Still, I went on to a brilliant career in crime.

This book brought back so many memories - and I'm only 41! It's
fun to read, with a layout that mixes photos, anecdotes, drawings, and personal reminscences - almost like a magazine. Reading this book makes you realize that Woolworth's was everything Kmart and Wal-Mart are not - charming, inviting, and much more than a place to get a bargain. Author Karen Plunkett-Powell captures the Americana, the nostalgia, and the details that make us all smile when we remember Woolworth's. For me, it was about recalling the malted milks my aunt used to buy me at the counter when I was small, and the quick gifts I used to pick up for friends and my children from the Woolworth's that used to be located downstairs from an office building where I worked for many years. So many of our everyday experiences nowadays are empty -- do yourself a favor and travel back to a simpler yet more meaningful time by reading this book or buying it for a friend. It's not a typical boring history book -- and it makes a GREAT gift for the senior citizen in your life who you never know what to get for a present -grandma, a relative in a nursing home, a neighbor who signs for your packages or whatever - even if that person is not the type to sit down and read a book, they'll have so much fun leafing through it.