Economics Books

Bill White provides timeless advice for anyone looking to succeed in the world. His words of wisdom apply not only for business managers, but for anyone wanting to get ahead in the world. Regardless of your job, regardless of your lifestyle, Bill breaks down some universal truths and helps you apply them to your life. You may have heard some of the advice before, but it will never mean as much, will never be as applicable to your life, as when you read it in Bill's words.

This book has great advice for beginning a new job, from what to focus on to how to get ahead. Mr. White offers great examples, including his personal CEO background and other CEOs he interviewed for the book. I highly recommend this book for anyone graduating from college or switching jobs.

How valuable is Bill White's famous "From Day One" book? And does it really help Top performing students?

I am finishing my master's degree at Stanford University in Management Science & Engineering. Having many doors open can sometimes turn into a nightmare: "Which opportunity to pick?", "Based on what criteria?", and all the "What if?" scenarios one can imagine, pile up one after the other.

If you are looking for a book that will give you accurate and precious advice on how to make the best start with your career, I think "From Day One" is definitely a must read. Here is why:

*It will help you avoid the "if I only knew" situations
*It will give you a good understanding on where you stand with your career
*It will teach you tips that will make you stand out

Not often does one feel more mature after reading a book.
Given that your coworkers are as smart as you; these are the 3 points on which you can count on that will make a genuine difference in your professional career!

Jack Ojalvo

As a former student of Bill White, one of the most respected professors at Northwestern University, I have experienced firsthand how his wisdom and insight can benefit others. As a result, I am happy to see that now even those outside his classroom can also gain from his experiences. From Day One gives practical advice, complete with real life examples from both himself and numerous other business leaders, which is bound to resonate with you for the rest of your career.

I highly recommend this book for everyone from a recent college graduate to a rising manager. Once you read it, From Day One will be one of your books with a coveted spot on your office bookshelf.

As a 30+ year-old career switcher and MBA graduate, From Day One resonated profoundly with me. While reading this book, I found myself nodding in agreement with much of his advice. I can only imagine how much better off I would be today if I had read this when I was 20.

Mr. White successfully articulates the key steps for building and maintaining a business career. Whether you are just starting a new career or are in the midst of improving your current one, this book provides invaluable advice on understanding where you should channel your efforts as well as the pitfalls to avoid. Using examples from his own personal experiences and those of others, Mr. White offers a sincere approach for the new general manager who aspires to know what skills are necessary to be both successful and happy.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to sell into large companies. It was very informative and gave great ideas!

Selling to Big Companies can even be applied to those of us who work with smaller companies

After seven-plus years as a freelance communications professional, I brought my skills in-house to begin a new career in sales. I began reading, researching, and soaking up the best sales practices I could uncover. As a result of my recent promotion, however, I am now responsible for reaching out to key decision makers at large enterprises, including many listed in the Fortune 1000 and Forbes Global 2000. So I eagerly sought a definitive guide for selling to these big companies...And I found it.

Jill Konrath's "Selling to Big Companies" provides proven techniques for sales professionals at all experience levels. With her special insights, such as finding key decision makers, properly researching companies, and identifying triggering events, Jill''s lessons have already paid off for me.

I purchased two copies (one for the office, one for home) of Jill's book, and I have enthusiastically recommended this book to our entire sales team.

Every decision maker is surrounded by a wall of voicemail, email, and gatekeepers. Not only has technology made decision makers tougher to reach, but downsizing has heaped more work on top of management, so they have very little time to consider new products and services. This book provides strategies for the salesperson trying to crack a new account,and it helps you refocus your sales process to get through to time-starved execs. Furthermore, the sample emails, letters, and voicemail messages help you revise your value statement in a perspective that decision makers want to hear.

I bought this book at the same time as I bought "Bag the Elephant" by Steve Kaplan. (Do not waste your money on that one!) "Elephant" is full of the old tired sales techniques that we have grown to detest, while "Selling to Big Companies" offers a refreshing approach to selling by not selling. Jill Konrath puts you in the mindset of being a peer and a consultant, not a salesperson. In my personal experience, this approach honors your own committment to your line of work and takes you out of the realm of "sales," and into the line of "service."

I have read dozens of marketing books over the years. I am a CPA and run a real estate team that produces well over 100 transactions per year.
This book brought be back to the basics of running a business of selling, yes I said selling, real estate.

I am going to read it again. Maybe twice.

Dirk has put together a great resource for ALL Real Estate agents. From the beginner to the seasoned vet, this book can help to focus your activities in the areas most important to you in your career and life.

Dirk has a laid back attitude that is icy to the point and right on with a no nonsense practical guide to being successful in the real estate business.

Dirk's books are always enlightening, follow the steps and you will be jetisoning your way to the top of the RE industry!

I personally found this book to be an outstanding review of what's required to be a top performing agent. I pass this book to all of my new recruits to help them get started.

I have been listing and selling real estate for 24 years and have read many books on real estate sales and this truly is one of the best. I've read it twice in the last month and highly recommend that every real estate salesperson read it.

Namaste John. Kasto Cha??

You have made all Nepalese indebted with your incomparable deeds. You are true hero in our hearts. Yes, we salute you from the core of our heart.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. John Wood does what all of us dreamers out there imagine we could do: quits his excellent job at Microsoft to do his part in saving the world. Wood's style of writing is so smooth and easy to read, he never bores you. If you're at all familiar with the inside workings of the Microsoft company (my boyfriend interned there, so I am), you'll get a good laugh here and there when he talks about someone like Steve Ballmer and some other inside jokes. I highly recommend you read this book if you have any interests at all in poverty alleviation and humanitarian aid.

There aren't too many people who can mock Steve Ballmer, and Bill Gates. John Wood certainly did that with humour and fairness. Besides gaining insights on life at Microsoft's top tier and life in China as an expat, you will gain the most important perspective ever. That is life as a child in a less fortunate country.

This is a gripping book about a Social Entrepreneur and his work. Share in Wood's experiences, triumphs and setbacks as you read through chapters worth its weight in gold. At the end, I took to heart his message. And that is testament to the content and writing.

Thank you John for your work, and your work at RoomToRead.org.

I read John Wood's "Leaving Microsoft to Change the World", shortly after reading "Three Cups of Tea" and hearing Greg Mortenson speak. I found each book fascinating in its own way, but John Wood's tale was so instructive. His expertise in setting goals and finding solutions and funding sources spoke to me. I head up a small charitable agency that works with refugees and Woods' insights and suggestions are invaluable.
What a way to go if you bring business skills like Woods, or if you are an amateur like me. Read, enjoy, learn and apply your new knowledge/
John McLevie

great read about taking chances, following your heart and making a difference. if this story doesn't inspire you to reach out and help your community, you probably are too self absorbed. better written than three cups of tea.

THE KEY TO ALL YOUR TROUBLES: How to Complain EFFECTIVELY
==========================================================

After reading the stories of many posters on this site, I can really feel the emotion and frustration and feeling of despair, like no one cares, coming through in your words. Many of you, I am sure, have asked yourself "Why won't the company help me? Aren't I the customer? Isn't the customer ALWAYS right? Isn't it against the company's best interest to deliver poor service to the consumer? Shouldn't these companies value their patrons, who make their continued existence possible?"

I bet many of you after asking those questions have been overcome by a resounding dead silience in which your mind seems to answer with a cold, heartless "NO". --No the company does not care about you, because they know, for the most part, that the small portion of people who actually do complain and try to contact the company, will eventually give up after running into un-navigable telephone menus, rude "service" and support people, and a barrage of deception and hostility that they know will take you more time to overcome,investigate, and pursue than the average busy person has available to them.

Has this happened to you more than once in your life? If so, you may be karmically reaping the fruit of your failure to address the matter the first time it happened, because you felt it was too HARD and TIME-CONSUMING. But, if you really think about it, aren't the things that take the most effort, usually the most satisfying when you finally triumph in the end? Would it be worth all the money, time, and potential for happiness you could lose in the future, to invest a little bit of time now to defend your right to be treated fairly as a consumer and an individual?

If you are already at the point where you are willing to invest a little time actively pursuing effective resolution, you may be asking yourself "But how?" Ahh, that is the rub, isn't it! Well, guess what: I think I may have the answer you are looking for. While doing an AMAZON search for books on complaint writing, I came across the title: "Shocked, Appalled, and Dismayed! How to Write Letters of Complaint That Get Results", by Ellen Phillips. I ordered this book from Barnes & Noble, along with others, and did my comparisons. Ms. Phillips' book won HANDS DOWN. I encourage you to do your own research, but if you feel you don't want to spend the time, I will give you a headstart. It is as if Ms. Phillips recognizes the labrynthian maze before us, and having travelled the maze before, she knows where the trapdoors are, how to avoid pitfalls, and she offers us the keys to the doors of opportunity and effective complaining.


Here are a few of the important keys Ms. Phillips provides:

===============

1) Try to talk to a representative on the phone. This is always the first step. If they agree to and follow-through on a solution you approve of, then you are good to go! You should even consider writing a commendation for them.
But, in case they are uncooperative, uncaring, ineffective
, and/or deceptive,

2) ALWAYS document EVERYTHING! This includes (for each person you speak with):

* Name of the person you talk to and their REPRESENTATIVE ID NUMBER
* Time you called
* Amount of time on hold
* What you called about
* The resolution you sought
* Level of cooperativeness of the representative
* Did the representative seem competent?
* What promises did they make? (dates, times, dollar amounts, when someone would call back, etc.)
* Did they refer you to someone else (a supervisor, or another department)?

3) The most effective route to satisfaction is ALMOST ALWAYS to write to the TOP person first. Don't bother with low-level, call-center representives, or counter clerks who likely have very little ability to take the action you would require (reimbursement, replacement, repair, apology, etc.). Instead, write to the CEO, President, Board Chair, etc., to ensure the best possibility of getting your concerns addressed in a timely and effecive manner.

4) Always send copies of your letters to regulatory agencies, and anyone else who is an interested party. In her book, Ms. Phillips lists the names of hundreds(?) of agencies for your convenience. In fact, the only real thing that is antiquated about this tome, are the SPECIFIC names for the officers of the listed organizations and regulatory bodies (eg: Attorney General - Janet Reno). It takes relatively little effort in this day and age to do a Google search for the current names.

5) Better Business Bureaus are useless. They have no real mandate or requirement to help you in your dispute with their member companies. From my own personal experience, I have known this to be disappointingly true. In my opinion, though you might find some informative articles and publications on their BBB sites, as a source of relief and satisfaction they really seem to miss the mark by a mile.

6) Ms. Philips concienciously makes us aware of special laws which apply in various scenarios, that the general public is mostly oblivious of.

These are only a few of the marvelous insights offered by "Shocked, Appalled, and Dismayed"!

===============


You may notice that the copyright on the book is 1998 (revised in 1999)--10 years ago (I am writing this 08/26/08). Never fear! This book is not antiquated in content. Ninety-Eight percent of the content in this book is still relevant today.

For those of you like me who prefer books that list various examples, scenarios, and case studies, this book does not disappoint! I highly recommend "Shocked, Appalled, and Dismayed" to anyone who wants to know how to complain effectively to resturants, airlines, hotels, car rental places, auto mechanics, dead-beat parents, etc. For a balanced view, there is even a small section, including multiple examples, on writing THANK YOU notes and letters.

It took me 3 hours to craft this recommendation. After the enormous satisfaction and cornucopia of information I received from Ms. Phillips' book, I would be karmically remiss were I not to write this recommendation. My goal is to help you help yourself by giving you a "map", if you will, to the small dirt path, that leads through a dense jungle, to a heavily guarded, forbidden city where you will FINALLY find all the answers you have been seeking. Again, don't take my word for it: do your own research and find out for yourself!

I hope you find this review helpful. Now, go out into the world and make it a better place by standing up for yourself and showing those who would hold you down that your are not going to take it ANYMORE!

Good Luck!

Peace and blessings,

Kristobal



**** [DISCLAIMER: This document is a collection of opions, not a statement of fact. Neither the author of this book (Ellen Phillips), nor the author of this review (Me) is responsible for actions you may or may not take based on your readings, understandings, and interpretations of this review.]

Clearly this book provides the basics on writing letters of complaint. Most of it is just common sense (not so common these days). If you treat business people the way you would want them to treat you, it usually works out in the end. I didn't find much new in it. The contact addresses are helpful, but then most of them can be found on the net.. and more current

Very insightful and useful. I have used some of her template letters for airline complaints. In the past, I used her writings for a labor complaint and got $18,000 from my former employer.

I wish this book was available in downloadable electronic form which will make it more useful in practice by cutting and pasting.

I have the book for several years and its contents have saved me time and money over and over again. It is rich in samples of real letters and complaints, with real cases.
I recommend to anyone that ever needs to write a complaint letter and/or need to reach government agencies.

This book presents a great overall picture of what you need to do in sales. Told in anecdotal format, with references to popular movies, it clearly points out the attitude and steps you need to take to succeed in sales.

Mastering sales is tremendously hard work-equal or greater than in any profession. The prestige may or may not be there (unless you are counting money), but it is a trade off type of thing- lots of rejection but limited politics on the job, variations in income but no income ceiling. The author refreshes a sale person's memories of all that's good in the profession, while giving specific tips on organization and taking steps to reach your goals.

- A must for every beginner in sales~

I read books, participate in webinars and am constantly looking for "gems" that will provide new insights and/or remind me of the right things to do in the sales process.

This book cut through all the BS (pardon my French), and provided concrete steps in the sales process to enhance and expedite the sale of profitable business.

I would highly recommend this to anyone in sales ... no matter what your level of expertise or tenure.

This book gave me some insights into a few ways to think differently about sales. As a recent "Accidental Salesperson," I found this book to be truly insightful and very relevant for people willing to think a bit about how these ideas may or may not apply to their line of work.

It's an easy read, filled with pop culture references for easy application, and several interesting gimmicks and tactics about how to improve your sales process, but more importantly it's about truth in sales making it easier to sell a worthwhile product. It's about being a consultant, rather than a salesperson. The charts and scripts are certianly helpful and articulate, but you have to go beyond that in order to really make it work. It has started a continuing conversation with my colleagues and friends who found themselves in sales "accidentally," and that's all I can ask for in a book.

Anyone who claims there is a one-stop shop (or book) to the secret of success in sales, is also likely to think that there's a magic diet pill to solve our problems of obesity in America. For the rest of us, I highly recommend this book.

Thank you, Bernie.

I read this book and can attest that this book is NOT what it seems to be. The reviews claim this to be the best sales book of all time, but these reviews lack capacity in what is acutally contianed in this book.

The book shows you gimmicks and silly methods used for prospecting. The real world deals with professionals. I am a stock broker and would not want to be associated with these type of methods or have them by any means reflect my line of business.

I would recommend two books: 1. "How to Master the Art of Selling" by Tom Hopkins 2. "Advanced Selling Strategies: The Proven System of Sales Ideas, Methods, and Techniques Used by Top Salespeople Everywhere" by Brian Tracy. These are real books with so much information to be absorbed under one read.

I won't lie to you and tell you that one single book outhere is the best. But these two books combined is the best sales modus you will develop.

This work is intented for those who, as the author (or as me), have been launched towards a profession that could earn your own money but could stress your nervous system. This guide helps you to focus on the right directive without being distracted by jaws-men or uneducated-chieves.
Really dealed just to understand how to move in this sea of difficulties

David has a wealth of corporate experience to draw from in the development of this book. Knowing how to find a job in today's world is like trying to hit a moving target. David has up to date proven tips on how to effectively find a job in the job market today. Reader's are advised to put their past behind them, look to the future, gain their focus and target their search. An accountability partner who is honest to the point of pain is also essential for your search to be most effective. I highly recommend David's book as a "must read!"

David's book is a comprehensive guide to each step in the job search process. He integrates the big picture of our spiritual journey with practical applications. The design concepts of the two-page resume, the development of your Two-Minute Drill, the use of pre-planned interview questions, and good networking techniques are invaluable. I've recommended this book to many people. It's simple and effective.

David's book has helped me through a very difficult time in my life, after 14 years with the same company, I found myself back in the job market without the tools to be able to initiate a proper job search. Through Davids book, I have learned the proper way to write a resume, proper interview techniques, and one of the most important, the follow-up after the interview.
With Davids help, I was able to find employment during a very slow job market within just a few months.
Thank you for a one of a kind approach to job hunting.
Mike Wywias

I am a social worker and I use this book as part a job development curriculum helping women gain employment. The author keeps your attention with applicable stories and humor. This book is full of practical advice no matter where you are in your job search. I have even recommended the book to my father and husband to read. "Finding a Job God's Way" is a great read for anyone trying to find not only employment, but the job that God has for them.

Notice all these 5-stars are from Texas? No surprise there; I imagine all these good-ole folks want a job so they can afford their gas-guzzling SUVs and keep up with the Joneses in their McMansions. I would add most of them haven't reviewed anything else on Amazon: friends of the author? Paid? Perhaps the author himself with various nom de plumes?

You don't need to pray for a job: with a little hard work, determination, and an unwavering tenacious attitude, you'll be able to fulfill your earthly needs. IT'S CALLED ENLIGHTMENT; HUMANISM: stop your ignorant blathering, people.

God's dead.

Don't waste time with this yahoo book . . . just go out there and apply yourself; fight for the poor and down-trodden. Fight for a clean environment and give peace a chance.

And remember . . . Jesus rode a donkey not a corporate jet. He understood that it takes a village . . . not self-help drivel from a con-artist.

I purchased this book after skimming a lot of others in the same category. It's a really quick read with some fun side stories that take you from airline choices to interview prep to what to expect at training (a.k.a. the "charm farm") I felt so much more confident about my interview and ended up being offered a position!

I bought this book for a friend of mine. She read it and got all the hints to be a flight attendant, well really to get the job after difficult interview processes. She wasn't a FA but now she have worked for 2 airlines (AIR NOSTRUM and CLICKAIR). Fascinating, explicit and encouraging. 2-thumbs-up.

This book recently helped me get a job offer to attend Continental Airlines training. The book is actuate about the types of questions that they will ask you. Defiantly prepared me for an interview that I was really nervous for. I highly recommend this book for any person who wants to become or is thinking of becoming a flight attendant.
Good Luck with your interview!!

The book was very helpful. I have tried interviewing for a flight attendant position with various airlines off and on over a period of several years. I was never able to get past the first part of the group interviews. I was doing a lot of things right, but Kiki's book mentioned several things to do/not do which were different for what I had been doing. I followed her advice and the first interview I had following the purchase of the book, I not only made it to the one on one interview, I was offered a job!
Kiki is extremely helpful answering any additional questions via email and is very prompt in responding. Her resume service is also excellent.

I found this book to be jampacked with little tid bits of information & very easy to read. Purchasing this book would be an inexpensive begining however i am still on the lookout for more information regarding this career.

Before you bother to build or "scale" a professional services firm, you must read this book. One of my mentors recommended this book to me in 1995 and it was a "must read" then. David's experience and "real talk" about the basics and then the art of building a services firm saved me many nights of lost sleep.

Specifically, I used the "brains, grey hair, and masses" model to help me understand and commit to the right business model and level of service delivery for my line of business. Other key concepts include how to market and develop business, develop and leverage talent within your organization, and consulting protocols that dictate your perception of value to your clients. Now, my firm, Performance Change Initiatives, Inc., is steadily growing and expanding because of the solid foundation beneath it. We practice in the evolving Change Implementation Consulting field, and, we have used many of David's concepts to define and differentiate ourselves in our market. By bringing the art of the "process for organizational change" together with the science of hard core business process redesign and integration, we have found the recipe for delivering tangible business results that last. I have read David's book 3-4 times over the 9 year evolution of our firm and each time, I have "caught" a potential error and taken advantage of other perspectives and practice. You cannot substitute for experience and I am positive that I will read it again.

Additionally, I recommend David's famous book, The Trusted Advisor, for all constituents of the firm. It is imperative that everyone understands the power of building authentic relationships with your clients and the negative impact of the hard sell. People work with you because they trust you and have confidence in your work. This book lays out many of the components and practices of this "art".

I purchased this book out of sheer luck, by reading a review to law firm start up book that recommended professional services firm management books.

I am a East European Lawyer and feel empowered and enlighted when reading this book. Its style is user-friendly. In particular, I liked and appreciated the chapter on what clients expect from professional servicepersons.

I have not yet read all its chapters, but those I did, I read several times and each time new helpfull skills come to my attention.

As a lawyer, new tothis type of source of information, I was not expecting I could find such a book, of such a high quality.

I have 10 years experience in managing consulting company. When I red just first chapters of this book I immediatelly have started to implement some ideas described there and it gave greate results!
No matter if you plan to start new business or you are mature partner with many years of experiane in professional services business - this book is a must and greate reading. Enjoy!

I have used this book to implement many new processes into my business. This sits in my bag or on my desk all the time. It's a great resource.

This book is worth its weight in gold. Well written, great ideas, very helpful for anyone involved in or starting a consulting firm.

I read this book in two days. The more I got into it, the more I was excited and motivated to get to restoring and repairing my credit. I had several complicated questions in my head before reading the book, and the book answered them all. Such as...my company credit card reports on my credit, is this good or bad? Read the book carefully, and take notes and you will learn a lot! I plan to read the book a second time so that I can really, really understand what I am doing before I start the process. And the best part yet. This evening I emailed the author with two questions I had regarding things he mentioned in his book, and he emailed me back within an hour. How great is that! He is clearly knowledgeable, and you will be confident you can repair and restore your credit after reading this book.

Tons of information Packed into a Manageable size (finished in 4 days - comfortably) All the answers were there, much more efficient than other reading I have done on the subject - Thanks!

I bought this book because of all the other excellent reviews... But it is more for BUILDING good credit than repairing it. If you really want to repair your credit, spend some money and get a good attorney to help you.

If you are trying to get a handle on your credit issues and don't know where to start, I strongly suggest you purchase this book. Best Credit is a great read - and, in my opinion, the best of all of the credit repair books available. The author, Dana Neal, provides a super clear road map to great credit, while at the same time offering a fascinating and even entertaining journey into the twisted world of credit reporting and the collection industry.

This book is really well structured and easy to read, a relief considering the complex and legal nature of the issues. Mr. Neal starts with the basics and eases into the more difficult subjects in an understandable way that really brings them to life. If you have had any type of credit issues, as I have, this book will really open your eyes. You will also find that the author offers extremely clear and practical instructions on resolving your problems. And if you have ever had to deal with a collector, this book will leave you feeling absolutely empowered. I recommend it highly.

I have been in the mortgage business for 20 years and this is the most informative book I have ever read on how the credit scoring system works. I am incorporating his strategies for my mortgage clients to help them qualify for lower interest rates.....Gerry