Industry Books

Even though this book was written in 1969, the practical ideas and observations it offers are just as valid today as they were then. If you were marooned on a desert island and you had only one book to read, this would be the one I would pick. I enjoy reading this book and I highly recommend it.

Read this book before you make your PowerPoint presentation and you will not regret it. The irony is that PowerPoint hadn't been invented yet when this book was written.

"Moving Mountains" is about the real world of making presentations in business and academia. The author really knows what he is talking about. His insights into the psychology of presenters and audiences go way beyond the superficialities of many of these books, written by consultants who never really had to keep alive a crucial project. One of the best features is that Boettinger wrote before anyone was using personal computers with PowerPoint, so he concentrates on the real and permanent issues of presentations, not the unimportant features of a specific tool, and it's easy to use his insights with modern technology. It is worth buying this book even at the high prices charged in the used market, and it should be a prime candidate for a reprint edition.

This is a must-read book if you ever plan to make a presentation, even if it's just a presentation to yourself as it will help you clarify your thinking. The book is nearly 40 years old now, but don't be fooled. The language is a tiny bit archaic, but the ideas and suggestions are golden and timeless. It contains ideas for presentation of ideas, organization of projects and critical thinking. The last chapter on generating ideas alone is worth the price of admission.

I've read books on public speaking and making presentations for 40 years. I've been a priest, trainer, speech coach for Microsoft, speech writer for a Supreme Court Chief Justice in Washington State, and coach of people who appear on television. Moving Mountains is so insightful that I have passed on Boettinger's ideas for the past 20 some years. No one source has more insights into human nature, graphics, and persuasion and is written in lush, practical language. Simply the best book I have ever read. Period.

Seek this book. I've read books on presentations for 40 years and teach public speaking across America. This is the most insightful book, in fact the very best book I've ever read, period. The psychological savvy into groups, the chapter on graphics and visuals, the hundreds of little tips and techniques is unmatched. His emphasis on meeting the audience's needs is brilliant. I've been using Boettinger's ideas for more than 20 years they've helped me earn more than a million dollars and still no author has matched his fluent style, novel-like descriptions, and breath of knowledge. Search and purchase.

As one involved in this struggle over the last 25 years I agree this book is mandatory reading for anyone who wants to learn about the struggles related to accessibility. Congressman Edward J. Markey, Ranking Democrat, House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, stated, "Telecommunications technology can enable and ennoble the lives of millions, but only if our laws animate such technologies with human values to ensure universal access and inclusion. Karen Pelz Strauss, a tireless ally in expanding disability access to new technologies, presents a wonderful history about the inexorable march of innovation and the ongoing struggles to bring its wonders to all sectors of society." Former FCC Chairman William Kenard noted, "The lessons revealed in the pages of this book offer a compelling roadmap to those who are willing to take up this challenge in the decades to come." I am glad the author took the time to capture the struggle so others can learn.

This is a must read for anyone who is interested in access including regulators, advocates, educators, audiologists and parents. The book provides the fundamental underpinnings of a regulatory framework that drives regulation today. Ms. Peltz Strauss' insight into the battles and personalities that shaped FCC regulation make the book an incredible tool for those trying to adapt existing regulation to today's and future technological advances in access. These issues should not be forgotten or assumed to be resolved. This book provides a compelling picture of the challenges and the realization that FCC regulation is required for people with hearing loss to receive the functional equivalence of what everyone else takes for granted.

If you have ever considered the struggles of hearing-impaired people in securing access to basic telecommunications, you owe it to yourself to read this book. In fact, if you're just looking for a good story about the hard work of decent Americans who fought against all odds to improve the quality of life for millions of people, you will enjoy reading "A New Civil Right." Though it features a fast-paced narrative, it doubles as an instruction manual that begs to be studied by disability lawyers, activists and students alike. It contains principles for practical change and countless lessons in grassroots political activism that only a dynamic career in the field could confer.

As the hearing son of deaf parents, I am moved by the series of seemingly implausible victories that unfold in these pages on behalf of a population that was, for decades, shut out of American telecommunications. Were it not for the pioneering work of advocates --whose stories are capably told in this book-- my own parents would not be able to enjoy many of the benefits of modern technology that now enable them to communicate naturally with others from a distance. This is a work that every Deaf American, and every ally of Deaf America, should add to their bookshelf.

Not since Harry Lang wrote "A Phone of Our Own" has such a pioneering, authoratative account of telecommunications access for the deaf been presented to the public. With passion, humility, and an abiding respect for the Deaf community, this extraordinary work draws on the historical insight of Lang's story --without duplicating it-- to present one of the most compelling portraits of progress ever told in American history.

This book has a chapter titled, "David and Goliath." But, in fact on every page of this exciting book amazing successes and improbable achievements are detailed. Strauss shares the struggles of deaf and hard of hearing people to gain telecommunications access with such drama and clarity, making
"A New Civil Right" a fascinating book to read.

This book provides a comprehensive account of how laws were created to provide better telecommunications access for people with hearing loss. The author played an active role in the efforts to achieve this access, so the reporting is both authoritative and enjoyable--it is interspersed with personal and other stories that took place along the way. The many battles that the deaf and hard of hearing communities had to fight in order to win these rights are quite amazing, and the ultimate success is encouraging and very relevant to other efforts to gain civil rights. I would think anyone involved in communications, civil or disability rights, or grass roots advocacy would find this both enjoyable and valuable.

"On Your Own" is a well written, very informative book. The authors are able to cover specific financial, legal and emotional issues without being too wordy or losing the average reader in technical jargon. The content is applicable to widows of all ages and financial situations.

I keep multiple copies in my office as gifts for any recently widowed individuals I meet.

As a financial planner specializing in Wealth Preservation Planning, one aspect of my practice is providing life insurance, when appropriate. As a result, part of my job involves the delivery of death claim checks to widows. Unfortunately, many of them have never had the opportunity to deal with family finances or budgeting - but are suddenly thrown into a situation where they must assume that responsibility. It comes at a time of great instability and disruption.

"On Your Own" by Alexandra Armstrong and Mary R. Donahue deals sensitively with both the emotional and financial issues of widowhood, and provides guidance for both - with compassion and authoritative wisdom. It provides comfort and knowledge in a clever structure which allows the reader to review applications of each chapter's information in one of several optional formats, based upon her individual set of circumstances (young with children, elderly, etc.)

I am so impressed with the book that I give it to each of the beneficiaries to whom I deliver a death claim check. The thank you notes I have received have provided a wonderful reward for sharing this valuable information.

I purchased this book five years ago from Ms. Armstrong at a NAIC Congress in Florida. At the time I purchased it as a reference for my investment club's library. With 21 women in the M & D Investment Club I figured someone would need it sometime. I have skimmed it occasionally through the years but when I recently become widowed it was the first book I brought out. Ms. Armstrong has literally saved me much time and grief in trying to figure out what to do next. There is no time of greater confusion and despair than at the sudden and unexpected loss of a beloved spouse. When I can read this book gives me something to do or think about. The suggestions for organization are excellent and will allow me to make informed descisions instead of emotional decisions. While I did not expect to be the recipient of her wisdom I am grateful for it. I highly recommend it for all women, married, single, divorced or involved in any relationship that has financial involvement. We can't afford to not know how to best proceed with our financial future.

For all who have ever asked "What do I do now?" or "Who can help me with...?" I recommend "On Your Own". Like earlier editions, this is a sensitive and insightful resource for those who have recently experienced (or are preparing to experience) the loss of a spouse. In a highly readable and usable style the authors lead the reader through important topics often thought to be too intimidating or too confusing for someone wrought with fear and sadness.

Even though this book was written with widows in mind I found it a thorougly useful and informative work about investing. I am in my late twenties and have a young child. I found that this book was written in a way that made it accessible to me, as I am new to investing and all things financial! The book really made me understand how I should be planning out my financial future. My understanding was helped by the fact that this book was written by two women; I was able to relate to it on a financial and emotional level.

For those of us coming from an MS world, it helps with any new software to have assistance to overcome the learning curve. OOoSwitch jumpstarts the "trial and error" learning curve methodology by showing the differences and similarities between MS Office and OpenOffice.org.

The PDF feature in OOo would be reason enough to endure the learning curve, but OOoSwitch makes the transition fairly painless. By pointing out tasks I've already mastered in MS Office, I'm becoming reasonbly proficent in OOo.

Good book for experienced MS Office users and noncomputer types.

Yes it does answer questions for those that are switching from MS Office. More to the point, in doing so fulfills the need for a very good "how to" for OOo.
Even though it's becoming a bit dated, there is much still relevant to todays Open Office program. We can sit around waiting for the software author's (Solveig Haugland) publisher (Prentice Hall) to see the necessity for the long anticipated OpenOffice.org 2.x Resource Kit. In the mean time this book as well as some of the other published books on the subject actually can help and do so well. The price is ridiculous even though Amazon has the best price. You might try one of the second-hand sellers with good reputations on Amazon Marketplace. READ DESCRIPTIONS, READ FEEDBACK. My free advice / open source contribution. Even with shipping you'll save.
John Row
in1ear

I've been a unapologetic Microsoft Word fanatic since 1991. But OpenOffice 2.x got good fast, and with its adoption of the universal and ISO-certified OASIS OpenDocument Format (ODF), suddenly it has the upper hand against Word 2007 -- in format, usability (yes, I said it), and power, having the ability to create documents twice the size of Word 2007. But "OOoSwitch: 501 Things You Want to Know..." demonstrates how OpenOffice can match Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and make switching a breeze. The price is steep, but surprisingly, it's worth every penny to this former Word fanboy.

Few of us have time to read a guide book cover-to-cover, so it's nice to find one that's well-organized. This one is! OpenOffice.org is a new product/project that's still ironing out problems and making improvements. If you can't find what you need within this book, it also gives the website for the reader/user to ask questions and even invites their input.

If you know how to do a task in Word, then you can quickly look up how to do it in Write. The language is simple and easy to use. My Mother liked it so much, that she took my copy.

This is must reading for the serious marketing strategist. It's a prescient look at how companies will have to interact with customers in order to break through communication clutter and sustain growth. I plan to use it as a regular reference for strategic planning. The section on customer care is an important addition to the current thinking about marketing communications. I like that it lays out a disciplined process for creating, implementing and measuring effective programs that provide lasting value, not just tactical applications. The last chapter of checklists alone is worth the price of the book.

There are things in this book that you can't get elsewhere...at least I've never been able to find them. At our company, we've tried for years to successfully integrate our direct marketing and sales teams. We also want to lengthen the lifetime of our customers. The authors have been doing this for years and it shows in their case studies. If you can learn what's in this book and pull it off in your organization, you'll join the less than 2% minority of companies who have achieved this level of marketing excellence.

Good to see individuals in the marketing/advertising field who truly understand the complexity of people and organizations. Consistent with the most up-to-date approaches in the field of psychology (specifically psychotherapy research), the authors of this new book are quite persuasive in showing readers the enormous value in tailoring marketing approaches to the individual needs of different organizations. Moreover, they use statistics in a quite user-friendly way and they also offer a great and quite readable variety of case material to support their views. An engaging, persuasive, and innovative look at contemporary marketing. Well worth a look; you'll find yourself hooked.

Roman nails it. He preaches the golden rule - as applied to marketing. He shows how to use permission and precision timing to win at marketing. Even better, while he has a fortune 500 client list, the strategies he recommends are not just for the big guys. In fact they are easier for small companies or even individual salesman to use.

There are 3 keys to your success: Execution, Execution, Execution. Roman and Hornstein deliver - with precision - on the who, what, where, when and how of each. A must read. John Wanamaker would give it 'two thumbs up'

This book is an optional reading assignment for my United States history class. It is hard to find in the bookstore because it was first published in the 1950's.

Whyte's book is a fascinating read, still, after so many years. It is wonderfully written, filled with anecdotes and telling examples -- and it is above all else to the point: large-scale bureauratic structures have evolved a functionalist climate that thrives on its own logic of operation. Organizations make for an environment that incessantly shapes the conformist functionary, and that drives the creative, intelligent, free-spirited, and self-conscious type of person 'out of business'. The very first pages reveal how salient Whyte's concerns are today, more than fifty years after the first publication of the book. My favorite chapters are 16-18 about the 'education' (read: stultification) of future functionaries and the dubious/odious role big corporations play in this context. A short glance at the role of nowadays educational institutions suffices to have this circumstance confirmed ...

William Whyte, who was an editor at Fortune magazine, argues in this 1956 bestseller that some people not only worked for an organization, but sold their psyches to them as well. These "organization men" willingly subordinated their personal goals and desires to conform to the demands of corporations and other organizations. This is different than modern-day workaholism -- the "organization men" of the 1950's hoped to gain loyalty, security and "belongingness" in exchange. In their view, the organization is a friend, not a foe; it's should be co-operated with, not questioned.

Whyte argues that the ideology behind the organization man is a "social ethic." Its core beliefs are that the group is superior to the individual, and individuals lack meaning and purpose outside of that group. "Belongingness" is assumed to be the ultimate emotional need of the individual, and to achieve it society should not hesitate to use a bit of social engineering. The result, however, is an ethos of over-conformity at any price.

As Whyte looked around the world in the mid-1950's, he saw the ethos of the Organization Man everywhere. He saw it in college graduates who joined big corporations, pledging their loyalty with visions of a safe stable life in exchange. He saw it in corporate executives who willingly pulled up their roots every time the company wanted to transfer him. He saw it when educators were asked to teach kids social skills so they could get along, rather than teaching academic subjects that forced kids to think for themselves. He saw it in engineering companies that said that there are "no geniuses here; just a bunch of average Americans working together" (although studies show that innovative engineers and scientists are fiercely independent, thus the direct antithesis of the company-oriented man).

So what to do? Whyte says we must realize that although we need the organization, we must know when and how to resist it. We must tread the fine line between self-interested cooperation and psychological surrender. We must realize that although the group can be a friend, it can also be a tyrant.

Even though this book was written about 50 years ago, many of Whyte's messages still ring true today. Yes, times have changed, and worker loyalty to corporations is passe'. Yet this book is worth reading, if only for its historical perspective on the mood in the 1950's. Also, it's well written - after all, Whyte was an editor at Fortune. Recommended.

The secondary title applied to this excellent work was " Moulding Team Players for Free Enterprise" The principal idea was how Big Business through the educational system and the prevailing culture indoctrinated a generation of aspiring corporate executives and middle managers into company men - similar to armed forces indoctrination of career officer cadets.
This excellent work is applicable today as it was 50 years ago, and is an invaluable work to all who wish to understand corporate culture. One only has to think of the many examples of Corporate interest over riding individual executives concience to see the relevance.

College students who are majoring in history, business, sociology, and industrial psychology should read this book. Also, anyone just interested in challenging the status quo will find inspiration within its pages.

Being involved with Programmable Logic Controllers and manufacturing, I found this book full of inspiring ideas and tips on the financing, personnel and operations of technology companies. Dick Morley invented the PLC. It is nice to be able to get it from the horse's mouth, as they say. It is an indispensable management tool. I keep this book on my desk just in case another management consulting firm comes here and tries to sell me yet another analysis and subsequent engagement. I would not need an analysis as long as I have this book as my reference.

I do have a slight problem with the prejudice that "We don't invest in a deal if the president has a Ph. D." That would have made companies like Apollo, Celeron, Cisco, Intel and Silicon Graphics non-financeable. People should be judged by their intelligence, not their degrees. Let's make a deal, Dick. If you don't hold my Princeton degrees against me, I won't hold your M.I.T. degree against you, OK?

Intriguing snapshots of the mind of Dick Morley. Each piece is a couple of pages, so they're great quick but deep reads (in the bathroom or otherwise) for the manufacturing (& innovation) professional. He packs a lot into each essay, and keeps 'em coming.

"Out of the Barn" is written by the "Harley-Guy" Dick Morley (Inventor, author, consultant, engineer and "Dad" to 37 children) he is also known as the as the inventor of the programmable controller, the floppy disk and other revolutionary and "world-changing" inventions. Dick is self-described "serial-entrepreneur" whose consistent successes in the founding of high technology companies have been demonstrated by over three decades of achievements.

Some of Dick's entrepreneurial success stories are used in the book "Winning Angels" a practical, hands-on guide to angel investing. Dick's inimitable style and character are easy to discern in this book about the fundamentals of early stage investing.

In his book "Out of the Barn" Dick gives us a collection of his published articles and candid thoughts in one easy to read compilation. He brings his unique way of thinking to discuss revolutionary concepts in his own style. His humor is entertaining and his prose is educational. He will definitely make you think. He challenges you to consider the possibilities and those things that may not (yet) be possible.

Through the short stories in the book you will appreciate his wide range of thinking and find yourself scrambling to catch up, as he moves on to ponder other great thoughts. His homespun vision is full of predictions and forecasts of the future and its possibilities. This book reads just like any one-on-one conversation with Dick. Anyone who has had the pleasure can attest that a chat with Dick can range from the ridiculous to the sublime. Sometimes deep and cogent and other time's light and airy, but never dull.

Dick speaks and writes with an earthy manner that is full of provocation and prevarication you can never be exactly sure, which is half the fun. You can read this book anywhere, at any time, and you will.

Once upon a time, before "Dot-Com" and "Dot-Bomb", there was Dick Morley. This gentleman and his book hearkens back to a time when value was measured by utility, and less by flash. Mr. Morley, the inventor of the staple of industrial automation, the PLC, has touched all of our lives with his practical and creative views of the chaos within which we live.

As a renewed sense of value reemerges in our post-Dot economy, Mr. Morley's insights are again proving to be most timeless.

Get this book.

The format of this book is a series of vignettes. And not to be dis-appointed there is plenty of wisdon to be had even in a fireside chat with Dick.

I have done it several times in person and find it VERY stimulating. For those not so luck try this as a premier.

Listen to Dick and LEARN.

This book is really about what America once was and could be again, perhaps. The author tipped his hand a few years ago when he wrote a genuine masterpiece of a coffee table book, THE MARTINI. Like that book, a delight to read (and as beautiful designed by Tom Morgan as PAN AM is), this book is about an aspect of American elegance that seems to have been replaced by a crude kind of arrogant upscale consumerism. But on a simpler level this book is just about the sheer joy of luxury travel in a time when the world was much bigger than today, and a white shirt, a bow tie, and leather shoes not considered the mark of the White Male Oppressor. Today we live in the age of tourism; this book celebrates the Age of Travel, which ended in the years after World War Two. Since when did a dozen airplanes -- production of the last clipper model B314 built by Boeing was a mere twelve -- inspire nostalgia like these? Like Elvis, Pan Am was purely American, and one of a kind.

Growing up in the Pan Am family, I have nothing but fond memories of this great era. This book has helped me relive those memories. 30 years later, this airline would be the reason I would become a professional pilot myself. Those were the days when flying was more of a luxury then a convience. Men dressed in suits and women in their best. It was an age of glamour that again can be enjoyed through this book. Thank you

A wonderful compilation of Pan Am history. A godsend for Pan Am fans like me.

Pan Am, An Aviation Legend is a must for anyone who considers herself or himself a romantic and a traveler by air, in the 20th century.

The book is loaded with vintage photos of early aircraft landing in the tropics, of founder Juan Trippe and longtime Pan Am advisor, Charles Lindberg, as well as art deco brochures and jet age memorabilia. The juxtaposition of fabulous pictures, creative and original advertising art and lucid prose makes this book stand out in its genre of coffee table books.

The author captures with great style the legend of Pan Am from the heroic pilots and their engineering feats (e.g. the first crossing of the Pacific Ocean) to the best flight attendants in the world. Anyone who traveled internationally after World War II will remember how wonderful it was to be served by the elite of the airline industry.

If you miss the romance of traveling to far away places, this is the book for you. Pan Am, An Aviation Legend faithfully salutes our memory of Pan American World Airways as the airline that with panache transported us abroad.

Whether you are American or European or Asian or South American or African my guess is that your experience with this book about Panamerican World Airways ("The World's Most Experienced Airline") will be one of nostalgia. Pan Am brought us together. It truly contributed to making the world a smaller place.

We the extended Pan Am family, employees and passengers will revere this book as a fitting tribute to Pan Am's pioneering spirit.

Pan Am, An Aviation Legend will be on most prominent display in the home of all of us.

Glad that Pan Am is coming back as a deserving legend in aviation as well as a legend in world history. As a daughter of a 38 year veteran Pan Am pilot, I melted when I saw this book on the shelf of a book store the other day. I immediately bought it just for the face value but then when I took it home and read though the book, I found a beautifully and respectfully assembled book of Pan Am history. This book gives Pan Am the due admiration of the "World's Most Experienced Airline"...Forever....

When you climb a mountain, your goal is clear. You can see the summit, you can picture yourself standing way up there on top--exhausted maybe, but exhilarated, proud and awestruck.

In business, the goal frequently isn't so clear. Owners, employees, bankers, advisers and investors can find themselves climbing toward what they assume is a business's summit... but instead end up scaling different peaks.

Now this insightful book by John McQuaig---CMC, CPA--entrepreneur, consultant, banker, organic farmer and veteran mountaineer----reveals secrets to building a successful business, secrets based on unique insights that came to the author while working his way upwards toward many of the world's loftiest natural summits.

Through hair-raising, inspirational, and sometimes humorous stories drawn from his own mountaineering adventures, John applies mountaineering principles to building a successful business or managing a successful department and staff. He explains, "I have come to appreciate the relevance of preparing for a major mountain climb to the preparations required to succeed in business. There are many parallels between climbing to the summit of both and tackling the peaks, chasms, glaciers and slippery slopes of figurative and literal mountaintops."

To get to the top in either field, you need that clear goal (envisioned summit) and a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis of your team members. And you need an experienced guide, too. Think Sir Edmund Hillary could have scaled Mount Everest without Tenzig Norgay? Unlikely.

Author John McQuaig has lived what he preaches, both on the world's highest peaks and as an entrepreneur since the day he began mowing lawns back in grade school. He followed that by starting and running a painting business as a high-schooler. At 23, he founded his own CPA and consulting firm, McQuaig & Welk, PLLC (www.mcqw.com), which still thrives.

"Owning a business has inherent dangers that most of the workforce prefers to avoid, but that just gets the adrenaline pumping in the true entrepreneur," he says.

The founder of North Cascades National Bank, a $300 million institution with more than 120 employees, and its Chairman of the Board, he's also an organic farmer who grows apples and nectarines on 25 acres in Washington state. This Certified Management Consultant also consults with companies on how to establish their "vision paths" and advance their strategic plans toward high peaks of achievement.

As for his actual mountaineering feats, John has made it to the summits of many mountains including Mount Rainier, Kala Pattar, Mount St. Helens, Orizaba and Kilimanjaro. Now his thoughts and lessons-learned during such formidable treks can be yours for the asking. Buy this book!

NOTE: This review also appears on my website www.thoughtleading.com

For anyone that has started a small business, a new venture or acted on a great idea knows that the process is an adventure. It can also be terrifying, humbling and risky. Thankfully we now have a book that helps us reconcile our desire for the adventure with the reality of the risk.

Parallel Peaks is a quick and entertaining read - perfect for that 2 1/2 hour plane ride. It's written in a clear, concise way that even an entrepreneur with little business savvy will be able to understand.

I have referred back to it many times during my first year in business and feel more educated and prepared with McQuaig's 8 keys to the summit. I highly recommend this book for anyone that is ready to start climbing toward their goal.

John McQuaig sat down for a well-deserved rest at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, "the roof of Africa," on the morning of January 31, 2005. After five days of climbing more than 19,000 feet, he had finally fulfilled one of his dreams. He celebrated his accomplishment with his fellow climbers, and then began to think about ... business. After all, running a business is a lot like climbing a mountain. McQuaig had found success in both venues. He could share his experience in both fields by outlining this analogy to others. Hence the inspiration for this book.

PARALLEL PEAKS is organized around eight keys, the common elements that McQuaig identifies as being crucial considerations for both endeavors. These include: creating a vision; doing a SWOT (strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats) analysis; assembling a supportive team; engaging the expertise of a knowledgeable guide; and making progress, one step at a time. Each chapter begins with inspirational quotes and b&w snow-capped photos, then launches into explanations and examples. The author could have taken a trite and flippant approach, using various metaphors and making endless analogies between launching a business and scaling a mountain. But thankfully, he doesn't choose that route. He bases his observations on his own solid achievements in various companies in the Northwest and in summiting various mountains around the world. To that advice he adds real-life examples as well as best practices and research done by other notable business authors (Jim Horan, Michael Gerber). The result is a volume that is slim but hardly superficial. Above all, the text is easy to read, and the process as a whole makes perfect sense.

PARALLEL PEAKS is highly recommended for anyone who has entrepreneurial or high altitude aspirations. Even a small-business owner, a middle manager, or someone embarking on a large project will find helpful and logical suggestions here. McQuaig makes it even easier by including several summary pages at the end, complete with simple questions to answer. The only ingredients missing are you and your dreams / goals.

Over the years I have probably read a couple of dozen "how to" management books by a wide range of authors, and thisis one of the best I have read.
Two reasons why it is good: first of all, it is short...which means it is not verbose, but in fact is quite tight and well edited (and well written). Second, it is based on the author's personal "been there, done that" experience. A lot better than some academic theorizing.

John D. McQuaig, business consultant and mountaineer, draws for the reader a set of parallels between his two pursuits. He tells us that all the vision, planning and focus that go into a successful climb are likewise the keys to building a successful business.

While there are many books on business ownership, I have never read one that so happily blended business with action and adventure. Parallel Peaks: Business Insights While Climbing the World's Highest Mountains is short (116 pages) and highly readable, and makes a good starting point for anyone planning a business venture--or wanting to reclaim the joy and enthusiasm of a pursuit gone stale.

McQuaig's eight keys to success are enumerated elsewhere so I won't list them here. All of them, however, are well within the control of a committed entrepreneur. Even his eighth key, luck, can be managed to a certain extent: prepare to capitalize on good luck and mitigate the bad effects when circumstances go awry.

The linkage between climbing and business came to McQuaig at the summit of Africa's Mt. Kilimanjaro. Throughout the book he entertains with stories from this and other climbs, and there are numerous highly apt examples and anecdotes. It may be "business lite," but on the other hand "fourteeners" (mountains exceeding 14,000 feet in elevation) are risky to life and limb, so a climber's technique has to be sound if he's going to come back to his desk and write about it.

John D McQuaig, like Douglas Adams, delightfully exploits "the fundamental interconnectedness of all things." (Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency)

Thanks to J. Kaye Oldner, on whose Book Blog I won this book. I recommend it to you as a quick and inspiring read.

Linda Bulger, 2008

As a veteran business communications professional, I consider Partnering Intelligence an insightful and useful read.

Dent's book effectively blends theory and practice in a way that elevates the concept of partnership to a repeatable formula for success. While we all intuitively understand that partnering skills are a vital part of any successful business relationship, Dent has provided a system by which to measure and develop such skills. You'll have to read his book to see how his Partnering Quotient and Partnership Continuum combine to form a pathway to effective partnership that anyone can follow.

I'll also add that Dent's book is especially pertinent in today's fluid business environment, where companies are merging and building alliances at an unprecedented rate. As we know, virtually every aspect of business is transforming in accordance with computer networking technology, rapidly rising global population growth and increasing diversity in markets and the workplace.

All this adds up to more change in shorter periods of time and more business interaction - trends that demand better partnering skills. What an important time for corporations to instill a strong partnering capability in their people!

This book is an amazing guide to assessing your partnering intelligence and then, as the title indicates, using your abilities to create smart business alliances. Partnerships are the basic building block of human relationships of every kind. The ideas in this book are applicable to a business setting but are just as satisfying in any personal interaction. Successful relationships is what this book is about. Isn't that the point of living?

I liked Partnering Intelligence for three main reasons: 1. I believe the principles Steve Dent espouses. I think they are true and I know they can work. 2. I appreciate the clear examples used throughout the book to show how the ideas are translated into the workplace. 3. The many tools and assessments that Steve includes are a great model of his own desire to partner with the reader by offering practical ways that the ideas can be put into practice by others.

I know that I will be using the materials in this book to good effect in my consulting work over the next few years. Thanks to Steve for his hard work in putting together this excellent field-guide to building effective partnerships.

As a psychologist and organizational consultant, I found Dent's work to be quite comprehensive and in a way that is easy to read, understand, and apply. He appropriately touches on everything from the JoHari Window to group stage development in his effort to educate his reader and to facilitate better partnering. I look foward to using this work as I train and consult with businesses, non-profit organizations, and student groups alike!

Creating and maintaining strong partnerships is critical in today's economy. This book gives solid advice on how to develop successful partnerships. Whether you work for a business, non profit organization or in government, learning how to find and develop potential partners has become essential. This book provides the road map to developing and maintaining successful relationships and has helped me do my job better.