Business Books

I've only read this book once. I'm more of a copywriter
than a one-on-one salesperson, though I have to do that to
sell my services often enough.

The thing that stands out to me is this unoriginal thought:
Great salespeople get that way not by making huge breathroughs
in one area but by making small, incremental improvements
in dozens of areas.

Excellent book. It tries to cover nearly every aspect of what
makes a great salesperson and does an admirable job. It ends
up being long though and for that reason may be a better
reference book than a straight-through reader.

Advanced Selling Strategies: The Proven System of Sales Ideas, Methods, and Techniques Used by Top Salespeople is far and away the one book I would recommend to anyone involved in sales or interested in learning more about the sales profession. I always recommend this book to everyone who asks me how they can become better at sales and anyone who wants to make more money and to take control of their lives.

This hard cover book is available for what? $0.35 used here on Amazon. If you can't invest $0.35 in your life and career you are hopeless. Buy this book, study it and put it into practice. You career and your finances will take off.

What else can I say, I lOVE this book. Dog-eared and underlined it holds a prominent place in my professional library.

This is one of the most in-depth and well written books on the entire sales process I have ever read. Brian Tracy knows what he is talking about.

The chapters cover all aspects of sales,

1). The Psychology Of Selling
2). The Development Of Personal Power
3). Personal Strategic Planning For the Sales Professional
4). The Heart Of The Sale
5). The Profession Of Selling
6). Motivating People To Buy
7). Influencing The Buying Decision
8). Prospecting: Filling Your Sales Pipeline
9). How To Make Powerful Presentations
10). Closing The Sale: The Endgame Of Selling

If you read and understand this book and then use what Brian is teaching you, you will have a much better chance at being successful in the sales world.

two other sales book I highly recommend you also read are Zig Ziglar's Secrets of Closing the Sale and How to Master the Art of Selling

I recommend this book to any person who is interested on reaching difficult customers and closing important deals. Brian Tracy brings with simplicity and profound knowledge a path which facilitates the prospecting stage and brings more confidence to the closing stage.

If you are going to buy one book on sales, this ought to be it. Tracy manages to pack in an amazing amount of material with first rate practical suggestions and excellent, clear writing. Unlike many sales and marketing books, there is almost no self-serving fluff in here, and he covers all the bases.

I bought this book on a whim. What I found was a hidden treasure. I never heard of this book before but after reading the reviews and learning about Jack Canfield I figured I'd give it a try. The knowledge learned has helped me in a few different areas in my life. I definitely recommend reading.

Good read and a lot of wonderful stories and helpful hints to boot. Worth the purchase. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to find their way to see all their dreams and desires come true.

The authors are very specific in their advice on getting what you want in life, and their wisdom truly works. I have found that out by experience in using it to advance in my career. This is one of those books you can have complete confidence in: Not a bit of it is commercial psycho babble---this stuff is practical "take it to the bank" mentoring. One of the other customer reviewers called this a must-have book, and he is right. Don't miss out on this piece of gold.

The Aladdin Factor is a must have for anyone who has been unable to attain everything in which they desire. The book is analogous with the journey of Aladdin, his encounter with the genie and how Aladdin discovers what he really wants out of life. Jack Canfield does a great job of using real life cases to exemplify the Aladdin Factor. If you don't already know what is, you are missing out.

Many years ago I read a book that changed my life. The beauty about books is they are truly timeless. Recently I revisited this book because the continued buzz about "The Secret" made me think of it.

The Aladdin Factor is a simple fast-track to getting what you want. Originally released in 1995 (around the time Chicken Soup for The Soul series was really taking off), this book changed the way I approached business and personal interactions.

I believe that one of the greatest lessons you will ever learn is included in this book. The art of asking for what you really want.

Canfield and Hansen explore five barriers to asking for what we want:

(1) The first is ignorance. Often, we simply don't know what to ask for. This occurs for many reasons including lack of exposure, not knowing the resources available and not fully understanding our personal desires and yearnings.

2) Second, limiting and inaccurate beliefs keep us stuck in what we know to be true from past experiences. This includes programming from parents, teachers, churches, peers and the media.

3) Fear is the third barrier (and one I believe we can all relate to). It is fear, usually based on past disappointments and experiences, that hold many of us back from asking for what we truly desire. The fear of rejection is particularly debilitating. Fear of looking silly, being humiliated, feeling powerless, punishment, obligation and abandonment are all key players in keeping us stuck.

4) Fourth is low self-esteem. Often we can feel unworthy of love, happiness and our true desires. This is because of inferiority complexes and false beliefs that our needs and wants are worthy of pursuit.

5) Pride is the final barrier and, according to the authors, is especially difficult for men. Although I see this trait in many of my women friends. We tend to remain guarded and not admit that we need help and support. Asking for this sometimes makes us feel inadequate.

The key to getting what you want is simple. Recognize and correct the barriers that apply to you. Become comfortable with who you are and what you really want and need (this may take some time).

Finally, ask for what you want in a way that is mutually beneficial for all involved. The key point I took away from this book (and continue to hold near and dear) is having the courage to simply ask.

Look at it this way. If you really, truly want something, the only way to get it is to take actionable steps, including asking. If you ask for something you want the worse thing that can happen is someone saying "no". Although this may seem devastating, in reality, you are left with nothing less than before you asked. And, if the answer happens to be yes, you have moved so much closer to your end goal.

So, go ahead, ask for what you want. The results may surprise you.

As someone who has been a writer and teacher in the personal development and spirituality realm for many years, I love this book. It is so direct and straightforward, and quite profound in its simplicity. Srikumar Rao offers a step-by-step exploration into who you are, what you believe, and how what you believe is impacting your success. He offers this deep personal work in a language that is accessible to anyone. And his writing style gives the reader complete confidence that they can do the work! Thank you, Srikumar, for this accessible and powerful book!

Excellent exercises to re-think one's current life and work situation. Carried through, these lessons can have a profound impact on those struggling with serenity and purpose.

For all of those people who bought Eat Pray and Love with the notion that it would change their lives, buy this book! Srikumar Rao's gentle introductions and guided exercises allow you to contemplate what you want to change in your life and actually work at doing it. I was amazed at the changes I noticed in my thinking and my life in the space of a few months. Do not rush through this book. Let it guide you to finding the real you.

"Life is short. And uncertain. It is like a drop of water skittering around on a lotus leaf. You never know when it will drop off and disappear. So each day is too precious to waste. And each day that you are not radiantly alive and brimming with cheer is a day wasted"

Who wouldn't be interested in what this man has to say, right? You'd have to lack a pulse not to want - better, profoundly yearn for - the life affirming perspective and deep joy in being alive he describes.

But have you or I got the vision, guts and discipline to commit to what it's going to take? That's the central question this book poses on every glorious and uplifting page.

Like Stephen Covey's "Seven Habits", Rao proposes that meaningful change happens from the inside out: You'll recall Covey's first 3 habits are about "Personal Victory".

This book is more powerful because it doesn't deal with practices - "habits" - for cognitive behavioural change, like Covey. No, Rao challenges the fundamental fabric of our life experience: our very consciousness.

In one sound bite, the rallying cry of this book is: "live a conscious life".

I'm excited by this. As someone who has lived in a coma - mindlessly propelled by the "conveyor belt of life" - and has jumped off, this resonates very deeply with me.

But this isn't a quick fix. Rao invites you on a very tough spiritual journey that will last a life time.

Brutally simplified, he invites you to become conscious of your self-limiting, self-defeating models of the world, your judgmental critical dialogue, and to develop insight to shift these, partly using the meditative practice of mindfulness.

The outcome: "Gradually, you get to the point where you can control what you are consciously comfortable with letting into your mind. And that is how you start straightening out of your life"

But that's not the tough part. What comes next is far more challenging. What if you believed the Universe wasn't "a dumb, insentient mass" but "a conscious entity that is intimately intertwined with you and not separate from you. It wants to give you what you desire and you can influence it"

Wow! If that was your operating principle, just imagine how different would life be? How much more time and energy would you spend focusing on and manifesting what you want in life instead of worrying and complaining about what you don't want?

Most of the rest of book is dedicated to building the "Benevolent Universe" model. Rao coaches us on how to let go of guilt, blame, destructive habits and anxiety about what we can't control. This all uses up valuable energy and makes us feel powerless: far better to channel energy into constructive and resourceful practices that serve us.

Specifically he shows us how to use the "Law of Increase", the reality that "Whatever you are truly grateful for and appreciate will increase in your life" and how to manifest our deepest desires simply by being resolutely and single-mindedly focused on them with a deep conviction that they are already ours.

Freedom and happiness? We already have them: they're inside, not outside us.

Thinking we have to "acquire" something to be free or happy is misguided, according to Rao: "The talons of our addiction shred our minds and wreck repose... There is nothing you have to get in order to be happy"

Why go on this journey at all?

Because fundamental to our purpose is contribution: the unique gifts we're on the road to discovering and manifesting in the world will contribute to the greater good: literally make the world a better place.

"When you stop explicitly focusing on yourself, on what you want and don't have, and start focusing on how you can be of service to a larger community, then you set loose some very powerful forces"

The reward of accepting the challenge in this book is enlightenment: a deep understanding of your purpose in life and the insight to manifest it.

It will make a leader of you, if you let it.

Before enlightenment, chop wood carry water.
After enlightenment, chop wood carry water.*

I read the book's title as meaning "You're successful, are you ready for that?" rather than "Do you want to succeed?" emphasizing the word "ready". And just as reaching enlightenment does not obviate the need to perform the more mundane chores of life, being ready to succeed does not obviate earning a living or making friends. You can do both but if you're not ready to see your success, you won't realize that you are successful and you won't be as happy as you could be.

Rao only indirectly writes about increasing the material and social markers of success, i.e. how wealthy you are or how many friends you have. He stresses that we need to give less importance to these markers and to appreciate what we already have. (And when adversity strikes, we should appreciate that it wasn't worse.) Success breeds success but only if you nurture it properly and that's what he writes about.

Rao's techniques are simple and effective. He first gives examples of what he calls mental models, or predetermined thinking patterns. For example when you are preparing for meetings you always assume that people will argue with you, this predetermined pattern in which you think is a negative mental model. Rao wants us to become conscious of our mental models, especially the negative ones. Next he wants us to detach ourselves from them. He has us create an imaginary friend, who's actually not a friend but an unbiased observer. We're to imagine this friend to describe what we're saying or thinking.

Rao offers many more exercises, with the later exercises building on the earlier ones. The best thing about "Are you Ready to Succeed?" is that the exercises are practical and not too New Age-ish.

Vincent Poirier, Dublin
*Thanks to Eric for the "Buddhist saying". VP

I'm not really one for writing reviews, but thought I would do for this book to show my appreciation for it.
'Alternative Photographic Processes' has so many ideas that you can pick and choose from, yet I enjoyed reading through the whole book start to finish, even though I don't intend trying out everything here....This would take a lifetime.
It's backed up by photo history which really brings alive the processes as you try them out and keeps the maths/science/techno info to a workable minimum.
Bascialy, for those who don't see photoshop as the be all and end all, this book brings photography alive and makes is seem...well, magical again.

This book does excactly that what it pretends: it gives an excellent overview of al kinds of alternative processes so you can pick the one(s) you like. It does not go into detail, for that you have specific books or web information.

Some of the process described are at this moment impossible to perform, simply because the chemicals are not available anymore; they are too dangerous. The books states that as well...

Very clear and detailed information, with excellent photo and graphics that illustrate the alternative processes.
All the processes are historically contextualized.
Congratulations Christopher James for this great book.

'Tis the most complete alternative processes manual of all times. More beautiful color photograph illustrations than you could think to shake a stick at. To get the most alternative use of this book, one might stitch the pages together to wear as clothes, and alternatively processize to one's heart's content.

You'd think that alternative photographic processes would be dead in this digital age, but there's still a lot of life in these fun, techniques, some of which date back 100 years or more. If you want to have fun, and rediscover some of the joy of photography, buy this book and try some of these processes for yourself.

This is the most revolutionary business book of the last twenty years! Not since Tom Peters masterpiece, "In Search of Excellance" has a book captured a message so profond, yet so simple. This book can change the course of American business and re-establish our country's confidance in corporate America. Timely, Powerful, Necessary!!!

During my 14 years as a business attorney I have seen clients rise and fall, succeed and fail - and one thing always stands out. The most successful clients are not threatened by the competition, have loyal employees and love what they do. I have read this book 3 times and it has helped me in reshaping my practice. Now, I give it to clients, especially those who have backed themselves into a corner and need the rest of the world to get out and succeed. Contact Sport lays it out clearly and the value system it presents works. As a business woman, I'm not crazy about the macho sports paradigm though. Not everyone does sports ball guys!

At first blush, Tom Richardson and Gus Viduarreta's book seems only to tell you things you already knew. I built a large computer-consulting firm (600+ employees) using many of the same principles described in the first chapters of the book. My first reaction was "Why do I need this book?" After reading it through to the end my feelings changed drastically: "Why didn't I have this book ten years ago?"
What Vidaurreta and Richardson do so well is provide an effective framework for organizing and harvesting a company's relationship management techniques - techniques that we all tend to use, but only in a haphazard and slipshod fashion. The book, in a practical "what to do on Monday morning" fashion, outlines how, with a little thinking and organization, you can vastly increase return on the relationship management techniques that you may already have in place. It then goes on to point out techniques you probably never thought of...
In my opinion a lotta bang for very little buck!!

I guess I'm one of the fortunate ones. I had the opportunity to work with Tom and Gus for a few years back when they first birthed Systems Consulting Group. I spent quite a bit of time with Gus and noticed from day one that he had an uncanny way with people. So I paid close attention and began to soak up all I could. I'm not wired like Gus is motivationally, nor am I gifted with his charismatic personality. I'm a software consultant, I'm still thrilled with the technical side of IT, and that's where I want to remain...but the competition is getting more and more fierce.

I recently discovered that Gus and Tom had written, "Business is a Contact Sport" so I rushed to Amazon[.com] and purchased it...more from curiosity than anything else. What I never would have realized had I not read the book was just how much I had gleaned from my time with them. I've actually been using many of their principles for more than a dozen years and greatly benefiting from them. I've had numerous long-termed engagements as I watched people with more expertise and more years of experience than myself being laid off. I've been able to cultivated relationships with key individuals at many of the clients I've worked at and have frequently been able to leverage these relationships into longer term or repeat engagements. Along the way I've always tried to help people in every way I could, even when I knew there would be no chance for reciprocation.

Maybe you're like me, you're not CEO material (or CRO for that matter) and you don't have the desire to IPO new companies, you're happy with your career but want a edge at being able to land the longer term or more lucrative job assignments. This new book is not just for the top executives, it's for the average person like myself who just wants a leg up in this new economy.

By the way, my wife and I attended the first Christmas party that SCG gave back in 1988, the one that cost 10% of that year's profits. They didn't have to invite me, they knew I'd never be a large source of income for the business, but they cultivated the relationship anyway. Relationships truly are circular aren't they...here I am fourteen years later giving a rave review on their book!

Of course you don't have to buy the book to benefit from their knowledge, you could begin your career under their tutelage like I did!

Kurt Sligh
Software Consultant

Tom Richardson and Augusto Vidaurreta, the founders of the Systems Consulting Group, have had tremendous success since the late 1980's using some of the obvious techniques necessary in business that we all know are important, but sometimes forget to practice. For the seasoned business professional BUSINESS IS A CONTACT SPORT easily defines and labels terms for the principals we know are important for us to succeed, but didn't know how to organize them to teach them to new entrants into the business world. Business leaders should read and develop a cheat sheet of the 12 principals and post it as a reminder of what we need to be doing each day. BUSINESS AS A CONTACT SPORT has been tested and passed with high grades from some of our best business schools. RAM, Relationship Asset Management and CRO, Chief Relationship Officer will become a standard in the evolving business world. Managers need to arms their sales staff with this book as well as department heads and HR personnel.

The practical and actionable moves from this book helped me to increase my output by a factor of 4 or higher! Now i have much more time just to go think. Or go have fun, and a life! With this book, you can stop being a human version of a 7-Eleven for your company.

The photo on the cover is a person *without* the author's methods!

Mr Merson deserves $1,000,000,000, a Nobel, or both.

When alternative methods fail, disappoint, or complicate and overwhelm into chaos, switch over to following *this* book.

This book makes working *fun*, if you can believe that...

Try using this book for managing work matters and personal matters, both.

You will gain a clean and uncluttered workspace. Matters--whether they come at you via a person's visit, a call, a meeting, a voicemail, an e-mail, a text message, your own thoughts, or however else--now come under a unified and flexibly prioritized means for being handled well and resolved so you can move on to what is next.

This method is fantastic for every leader. And a leader can use this method well in coordination with their assistant if need be.

You and others will be wowed by how on the ball you are. Your choices regarding each matter will be wiser because the method asks you to review your work matters daily, and lets you delay your decision re: each item until some good deadline that you choose. You get matters done bang on time. Less relevant or wrong items "wash out," which alone is excellent because you are not burning time and energy in dumb ways: For example, no longer will you have the crackberry killing you, 24/7. Nothing that is truly important will "fall between the cracks." Merson's system gives you the "freedom to forget."

Trust me. Start using this book. You will be amazed at how many big items you are getting done every day, and without stress.

Among other applications, Merson's system will help you personally to have the highest possible credit rating. Do what i do: When you receive a bill in the mail, open it, toss the junk elements into the trash, put a post-it note on the bill, then staple both to the bill's envelope. On the post-it note write down the date the bill must be paid and mailed out for your creditor to receive their payment from you on time. For example, if you get a phone bill, and it is due Dec 17, jot down "Dec 10" on the bill's post-it note. Then leave the bill on your "turtle" [Book's central concept: Read the book.], and go do what you like. On the day the bill should be paid and mailed out, do same. Do this for all your bills. Assuming you are avoiding other financial nitwittery, you can sit and watch your credit rating become and stay top quality.

Bonus idea: To perform at your very best, use this book along with Miller, Surviving Information Overload.

I am not the author or a friend of the author's. These views are without ulterior motive.

To say that Len Merson's book, "The Instant Productivity Toolkit" is a wonderful book, is an understatement. I am only one-third of the way through the book and already I have said "Goodbye" to the clutter on my desk, not to mention the huge levels of stress, and the chaos that had taken over my mind and my job.

I am so grateful for what Len Merson has done in writing this much needed, life changing book.

The Instant Productivity Toolkit should be mandatory reading, not just for the office worker or manager, but for everyone who wants to leave work at the end of the day to be free to pursue the rest of their lives.

If you've felt like you can't get a grip on the workload that's staring at you day-in, day-out, buy this book, use it, and you-will-reap-the-rewards.

Truly an indispensable guide.

I'm so thankful to have stumbled upon this book. It's the first one that truly addresses my work situation. Many similar books focus on managerial skills and delegating. If I could delegate all my work away, I wouldn't need a book! This book shows you strategies and gives you tools to get on top of huge amounts of work/information coming at you every day. The author obviously has a passion for his subject matter and his eagerness to impart it to those in need is apparent as the book is fun and inspiring. There are actually 21 points you can ponder and/or implement - my favorite is what the author has dubbed The Turtle, a prioritized pile of active tasks. I actually keep a turtle keychain on top of my pile! There are strategies to work with it, as there are for all the points covered (others include focusing, e-mail, voicemail, sorting, filing). If you follow the author's advice, you can trust the process as your job runs like a well-oiled machine!

If you want to become organized, read Len Merson's Instant Productivity Toolkit. As a student, I had taken organizational classes; as a Mayor and a business person, I spent countless hours asking others about their organizational systems, adopted some, discarded others, but all failed in the end. I needed a system for the vast number of e-mail, voicemail, letters, faxes, texts, meetings and other demands placed on me from multiple directions. I needed ways to communicate multi stepped processes to others without confusion. I always felt there was a system that met these demands, and became convinced there were elements of success that were eluding me.

I feel I am a smart person, but organization just seemed to escape me. Perhaps it was not possible to juggle so many things at once. Though I had the desire to learn and could imagine what it might be like to be more organized, I could not seem to achieve it.

One day, on a whim, I went to Borders to look at books on organization. I looked at the Idiots and Dummies books, and many others. I bought Len's book in the end because he promised a system that would make sense. It struck a chord and once I bought it I dug in. I have dog-eared it, book marked it, read it backwards and forwards, taken notes, and feel that it is an easy program to understand. It is simple. It centers on minimizing distractions and maximizing efficiency.

How many times do you move a paper, note or pile? Do you even know? When I first bought the book, I had no idea and tried counting one day to see how many times I moved different items on my desk before I actually dealt with them. Some items got moved 13 times prior to completion!

If you want to learn simple techniques - not tricks, not illusions, not gimmicks - read the Instant Productivity Toolkit. Len teaches you how to be organized. He shows you what to do with different pieces of information such as how to identify them and properly place them into a workflow system. The system in turn helps you identify next steps in advance of deadlines so that you look good at work, feel good about your work, and feel great leaving work.

If you want to reclaim your life, invest a few dollars in your technique and buy the Instant Productivity Toolkit. It is the best book on organization and fulfillment you will ever purchase.

I can't speak highly enough of this book, it is the answer to many of my problems around getting things done timely: lack of clarity, procrastination, endless mind chatter around tasks. Within one week, following the book's instruction and using its process flow, I finished several big personal tasks/projects that have been laying around for months in some of my many trays at home. I was so happy and proud looking at my clean/empty office room and the tasks I was able to accomplish efficiently with undivided attention.

I always had the motivation to get things done, read widely about the subject, tried different systems... with quite limited success at home. I constantly felt the deep pain of not being able to effectively get personal projects done, it wasn't until this weekend did I realize that how much energy those mental chatters have cost me: it literally deflates the spirit. I didn't have a good system; luckily I found this book -- it offers an excellent and simple system.

One key benefit I reap from reading this book is that, I was able to finish 4 evening/weekend sessions of self-study on my chosen subjects outside home this past week, guilt free and highly concentrated: because the other tasks had been/was being taken care of effectively so no worries. 20% of our activities produce 80% of the accomplishments according to the 80-20 principle, for me studying these subjects and applying them is one of my core value-producing activities; however before I was so bogged down by my unfinished tasks, therefore most if not all my time was spent on those 80% low-value producing activities. Now this is the start of freedom...

I know for a fact that the inability to create clarity and order in their lives has cost some people so much: inner peace, relationships, money (in terms of lost opportunities), time could be better spent in nature and/or with family. It's literally life losing touch with its unlimited nature. Worse, I think some people live in mild depression simply because the sight and feel of not processing their tasks timely hunts them day and night... this book could change life. I think productivity & being organized is one of the very few core skills that is mandated if we yearn for personal/inner freedom, and this book offers such a wonderful , brilliant solution.

It's time to create clarity within and externally, I wrote this to encourage myself and fellow travelers. Many thanks to the author!

This book is an easy read (2 to 3 hours) with deep insights about following your passion. The information is depicted like a story of a mentor and mentee.

Mr. Reid's message is very inspirational and it moved me to take action resulting in profound changes in my life. Mr. Reid "walks his talk" therefore the principals that he teaches automatically has an powerful impact to the reader in the most authentic way. A true masterpiece, pack full of solid teachings that will affect your life in an Incr-e-i-d-ible way!

This book is a quick and easy read that gets down to the basics of what it takes to be successful without the hype. Straight forward and fun to read, The Millionaire Mentor is a must for anyone who is looking for the foundation that all successful individuals have in common.

One of the Best books I have ever read! Teaching you the laws of success in a story format that hits home. A must read for anyone who wants to get to the next level of success.

Don Boyer
Creator of The Power of Mentorship series

I love the fact that the book is a combination of fiction and nonfiction, putting across a great message told as a story. To use a famous sales quote: "Facts tell, Stories sell", and the story in this book really makes sure that the message hits home.
If you love books like "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki and "The One Minute Millionaire" by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert Allen, make sure you get a copy of this great book as well.

In the midst of turmoil at work I happened across the Mobbing USA http://www.mobbing-usa.com/ website which has helped me immensely; there are so many people in the United States who are in the same shoes as mine and although that is sad, it tells me that what I'm experiencing is real for people like myself who are being mobbed; I'm looking forward to when all of the USA incorporates mobbing laws to support people like myself from going through this nightmare.

Although a little dry at times, MOBBING: EMOTIONAL ABUSE IN THE WORKPLACE is nonetheless an important book detailing a little-known phenomenon that has become rampant in companies and universities everywhere. The author explores the difference between mobbing and simply bullying, explaining that the former entails multiple coworkers ganging up on a single person in order to humiliate, discredit, and eventually dispel them from the workplace. Often the ringleader is a boss who finds the employee threatening. The author details the steps in the harassing process, and outlines the adverse effects on the workplace and the victim, explaining why the US needs to have legislation in place to prevent this common, but primarily unidentified, process. This is a very important book for HR professionals, as mobbing occurs in fifteen percent of all workplaces, yet is rarely recognized by the administrative employees called in to deal with the effects. Many times the situation is manipulated so that the victim appears emotionally unstable and paranoid. As someone who was herself the victim of a mobbing at a former job, I found this book a valuable tool in putting into perspective what had happened and why. If only I could get my ex HR director to read it!

This book is HIGHLY recommended.Management really should pay attention to who is MOBBING who.The MOBBER S are UP TO SOMETHING and I am sure it is not in your companies best interest.People just trying to DO THEIR JOB and at first DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THIS TREATMENT GOES ON ?The Mobbers out to harm company. I think the companies have pretty much let them.You have let this go on for so many years.As a target I am telling you all TARGET"S WANT A SAFE WORKPLACE.People do not want to play games on the job.Go ruin your own reputation you gossiping liars.
NO TOXIC "OUT OF CONTROL "coworkers who mob.People just go to work to make a living, not a living hell.

One day soon workplace abuses like "mobbing" and "narcissistic abuse" will be as much within public awareness as sexual abuse/harassment/discrimination is today. I'm old enough to remember when sexual abuse in the workplace was "cutting edge." The questions during that time went something like this: is it really "abuse"? or is it just boys having fun and women just dressing too sexy? Why get all worked up about a little too much testosterone in the office? The problem is--it rarely had much to do with testosterone and more to do with abusing/using another human being.

I see that we are in a similar situation now with narcissistic abuse in the workplace. Not all organizational "mobbing" is caused by narcissism, but a whole lot of it is. In order to make a narcissistic organization "work" some people have to be designated as "second-rate." Ironically, the "second-rate" people most often have more on the ball than the "first-rate" people because they are too smart and emotionally healthy not to get involved in the narcissism of it all anyway. They just want to work.

One of these days, and I hope I live long enough to see it as much as Gloria Steinem ever wanted to live long enough to see laws against sexual abuse, I want to see laws against the emotional phenomenon of "mobbing" as other bellwether countries in the world have already done. What a great day that will be for the human race.

This is an excellent book. Well written. Well researched. As a recent victim of "mobbing" I can tell you that it does exist. Victims of sexual harassment/discrimination in the workplace years ago had to experience the phenomenon of either too few people believing them or too many people believing that it really wasn't that big of a deal. One great thing the authors do is to verify that "mobbing" is serious emotional abuse. That name it and call it for what it is: evil.

Why do we put up with "mobbing" today and why isn't it within the awareness of the average American yet? The author gives us some ideas why:
"One is that mobbing behaviors are ignored, tolerated, misinterpreted, or actually instigated by the company or the organizational management as a deliberate strategy." Been there, been a victim of that, got the T-shirt.
"The second reason is that this behavior has not yet been identified as workplace behavior clearly different from sexual harassment or discrimination"
"Thirdly, more often than not, the victims are worn down, feel destroyed and exhausted. They feel incapable of defending themselves, let alone initiating legal action." (page 20)

This is a super, comprehensive, competent book. I suppose that the only critique I would have of it is that the authors should have spent more than two modest pages on Narcissistic Personality Disorder. More often than not, this personality disorder is at work when "mobbing" is taking place. I really think a deeper discussion of this phenomenon could have added more psychological depth to the book. Furthermore, by doing so the authors could have helped "mobbing" victims by giving them definitive proof that the "mobbing" perpetrators, not the victim, are the ones who should be ashamed if anyone should be ashamed.

You know, now that I think about it, the authors should have focused more on "shame" as well. A huge part of the "mobbing" phenomenon is "shame dumping." The victim is supposed to be ashamed for not being "good enough" or whatever. The fact is that the "mobbing" perpetrators are probably highly motivated to avoid shame and thus dump their shame on a "not good enough" co-worker/employee. By spending more effort on unpacking the phenomenon of "shame", I believe the authors could have done a better job of helping "mobbing" victims put the shame that was dumped on them back on where it belongs--the perpetrators.

All in all, though, this is an excellent addition to the discussion of emotional abuse in the workplace. We're in denial as a country, in my opinion, to the severity of it in all areas of society. We need to follow the other European countries who call it for what it is and write laws against it.

But, one day...one day...we'll call it for what it is. I just pray I live that long and that my children won't have to fight that inevitable fight.

Let's win it soon.

Before my experience of becoming a victim of "mobbing", I had never heard of this word. I've had to deal with a bully or two in the past, and the usual work pressures caused by demanding bosses and strict deadlines. But nothing prepared me for the experience of being mobbed. It was passive aggressive style mobbing. This book was a great resource for myself, though it made me sad that some friends and relatives couldn't believe such a thing could occur, or didn't want to admit such a thing could occur in this country. This experience has really changed my view of people. Of course, I could tell some of the participants would have caused me grief whether or not the mobbing environment existed. And it was easy to see that others were less enthusiastic about the mobbing and just did it to "fit in". Since managers were involved in my situation, the only recourse I had was to quit for the sake of my health. This book is written very clearly and will help you understand your situation, and the best way to respond.

But immediately after quitting, I then became a victim of "gang stalking", which has many similarities to mobbing, but takes place in the "community". I first encountered the word "gang stalking" during my research on "mobbing", and it sounded quite preposterous to be honest. However, now that it is happening to me, I'm finding that it isn't such a new phenomenon either. An example is the FBI's COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Program). I keep asking myself "Why Me?. Its not like I'm a radical trying to bring down the government.

Could this have happened if it weren't for the so called "Patriot Act", creating opportunity for abuse of power and high technology? See "Opening Pandora's Box: How Technologies of Communication & Cognition May Be Shifting Towards a Psycho-Civilized Society" by Kingsley Dennis of Lancaster University. Another good paper is "The Mind Has No Firewall" by Timothy Thomas of the US Army War College.

I'm sure the number of people that experience "mobbing" is going to far outnumber the number of people who ever experience "gang stalking", but please believe that this is a reality in modern day America. So much for the 8th amendment about "cruel & unusual" punishments, not to mention all the other laws against this type of activity. With mobbing, I was afraid of losing a source of income & diminished health. With gang stalking, I'm afraid for my safety. I've received threats of bodily harm, threats of being framed for crimes, persecuted by the government and its extra legal "vigilantes" leaves no hope for justice, and imprisonment. Most interactions don't involve a major threat, but are just acts of harassment to let the victim know they are under surveillance. Anything to maintain a climate of fear and uncertainty. Hearing "directed conversations" (which repeat certain threatening themes, or relate to something personal in your life) at a restaurant or while walking, street theater, being tailgated or crossing paths with vehicles of various companies or government units (for instance, they all happen to appear at the intersections you stop at to condition the victim to start interpreting that type of vehicle as a threatening symbol), ect... after a while leave the victim realizing there are too many occurrences for all of them to be isolated random events, but are being coordinated by a government agency. Why would the government go to all of this trouble with our tax dollars? To quell dissent? Unify people by finding scapegoats for the vigilantes to persecute? Persecution on behalf of corporations?

This has been going on for quite a few months and I feel mobbing victims would be the most likely to understand or at least listen since the goals and methods are similar in many way. To Discredit & Destroy people in a way that leaves little evidence of the crime, and to provoke and blame the victim. And both mobbing and gang stalking are repetitive types of abuse that occur over a long period of time, so that the victim is always worried about "what will happen next?".

Its depressing when so many people gang up on you, but I think the bright spot to remember is that these liars and cowards are forced to carry out their activities covertly, since most Americans would be outraged if the true facts were ever revealed. If you are in a mobbing situation, this book is well worth the money.

P.S. The following quote from the book "Stalking the Soul: Emotional Abuse & the Erosion of Identity" is interesting. Marie-France Hirigoyen's research helped establish the anti-mobbing laws in France.

by Marie-France Hirigoyen, Helen Marx (Afterword), Thomas Moore (Translator)
"Often, emotional abuse builds over a long period of time until it becomes so unbearable that victims lash out in frustration and anger, only to appear unstable and aggressive themselves. This, according to Hirigoyen, is the intent of many abusers: to systematically "destabilize" and confuse their victims (with irrational, threatening behavior that preys on the victim's fears and self-doubts), to isolate and control them and ultimately to destroy their identity."

Great title but worthless book. Do not be sucked in by the title and excellent cover. There is little in the book except sophomoric drivel. Any other basic book on the subject of the financial ramifications of retirement subsume any thoughts put forward in this book and go way beyond them. Don't waste your money, unless you like pretty covers.

All of us have a picture of what we hope our future retirement (i.e. destination) will look like. In "On Golden Pond...or up a creek?", the author, in a humorous, non-judgmental or condescending tone, shows us not only how to take that picture out of our mind, and transfer onto paper, but also helps us design a "roadmap" to getting there. A roadmap that is as individualized as we are, as each is based on our unique past experience, current situation and responsibilities, and our future hopes and dreams. Should we choose to follow the roadmap we develop based on the principles outlined in this book, our hopes and dreams become the journey. We can be confident about reaching our destination, because we know exactly where we're headed, how we'll get there, and when we'll arrive. Thank you Bill, for unselfishly giving of your time in writing this book; hopefully "Golden Pond" will be very crowded!

Kudos to Bill Billimoria for this very readable and entertaining primer on the blocking and tackling fundamentals of retirement planning. This deceptively simple text should be required reading for every early career person trying to decide about signing up for their employer's 401(k) or an entrepreneur vaguely considering creating an IRA. The concepts outlined in the book should motivate them to action. It's never too soon to start planning for retirement. Once the habit is formed it will stand you in good stead all your life. The alternative to taking Bill's advice is to marry rich.....something most of us have failed to do!
Alice Magos, MSA, CFP, CFE

Financial Planning books are usually eyes glazed over boring, but On Golden Pond or Up The Creek kept my interest the whole time. I found all of the concepts easy to understand and, more importantly, easy to apply to my life. What's best is that it's humorous. I don't know how you turn a book about things financial into a page turner, but Bill pulled it off. Thanks Bill...finally a book about financial planning I can use.

This book is something to provide to younger people in our society who are entering the workforce or a career. Many of them have absolutely no idea about the dynamics of money as a means of achieving wealth to lead an independent life upon retirement. Retirement itself is a foreign concept to many of these younger people who are more intent on consuming than investing. But what is important is that they have the element of time to allow their investment to grow if only they could see that benefit and take advantage of it. This book does exactly that. For those of us who have recognized the principles of time and compounding of interest, dividents, and capital gains in our own investments strategy, there is nothing here that is either revolutionary or adds to the already existing literature on that topic. In one chapter, the author discusses in general terms the impact of estate planning, but there are no details or real explanations about the intricacies of it. There is no discussion of gifting or renunciation of bequests as a means of passing wealth irrespective of ordinary testamentary devices such as outright bequests or through trusts. While I am not suggesting that the author needs to provide legal advice, I would have appreciated seeing a discussion of some other estate planning concepts as those just mentioned. This would have provided some ideas. Instead, he advises people to seek legal counsel after a brief discussion of the complexity of estate planning. There are other books out there providing more detailed information about the concepts of estate planning for retirees. Also there are no details on how to take minimum distributions from tax deferred investments, whether to take early Social Security retirement benefits, advantages or disadvantages in converting from tax deferred IRAs to Roth IRAs, and types of long-term care insurance policies and advantages on how they can be structured. These details can be found in other books but are not included here. Since there is no index to this short volume, it can be said that its chief advantage is really that of a primer rather than an exhaustive discussion. Perhaps it is most useful as a springboard for further reading, especially for younger people. Most of us saving for retirement have already mastered the lessons set forth in this book. It is time to go on. Let me suggest Evensky and Katz's Retirement Income Redesigned and Slott's Your Complete Retirement Planning Road Map. While neither of these books deals with all aspects of retirement, they do provide an excellent and detailed discussion of dealing with retirement plans already in effect.

Competition is fierce and having the best marketing department or newest product is not good enough. All successful Sales professionals possess skills that set them apart from their competitors and effective writing should be at the top of their skill set. In her new book, Power Sales Writing, Sue provides the tools that will inspire the reader to develop or enhance their writing effectiveness and ultimately set them apart from the competition. Power Sales Writing has a prominent position on my bookshelf - a must read!

I must say I am little disappointed. I would not tell someone not to buy this book but I would not tell someone to buy it. The book does deliver what it says on the cover. I am not so sure how powerful it is. It is about writing style and how to make it better, easier and faster. I am still trying to decide if I learned anything from this book that is of great value. I am sure I will reference this book in the future and for $10.00; hay what the hell. I have bought computer books for ten times that amount that I hated. If you have difficulty writing and getting your ideas on to paper maybe this book is for you. It is short and it is very readable. I would classify this as an average book. And sorry Sue since my name is not on this I just pounded it out on the keyboard and let the letters fall where they may.

Share this book with everyone in your organization that has any sales contact and increase their their effectiveness. Sue cuts to the heart of good writting skills. Her book is easy to read and offers countless tips on letter writting, e-mails and better communication.

Sue is a nationally recognized speaker who captivates her audience with pithy observations, high energy and charm. She has successfully translated that into a terrific guide that will be helpful to new salespeople as well as pros. My favorite part is how she points out the pompous phrases that are often used instead of everyday common sense language.

With all of the advances the age of technology has brought us, there have also been a few setbacks. One of those setbacks comes in the form of a lack of professionalism in writing. The email era has all but eliminated professionalism in business communications. POWER SALES WRITING by Sue Hershkowitz-Coore seeks to restore some of that lost professionalism. What we have here, however, is not just about improving the level of professionalism in email, but is applicable to all realms of business writing.

The author begins by introducing four questions that are basic components of all business writing. The professional writer should always begin their prewriting with these four basic questions. Doing so will insure the writer always achieves the desired result. There is an incredible amount of information on such a wide variety of writing tips, such as proofing, when and how to use buffers, and legal culpability in business communications.

The book seems to be aimed at a general audience (anyone who conducts business communication) as well as a specific audience, (copywriters). The content here is beneficial for both audiences and, I believe, meets reader expectations of either group. The last half of the book does slant more towards the professional copywriter, but can still be applied to general business communications.

In the last half of the book we find direction on sales letters. Here, the focus is on such things as sales letter characteristics, the power of testimony and using stimuli words (visual, auditory and kinesthetic) to appeal to various learning styles.

The final section really helps the reader to challenge him or herself from writing habits found less than admirable. This is somewhat of a melding together and condensed version of Richard Bayan's "Words That Sell" and Strunk's "Elements of Style". Of particular note, I found on the final page of text, a technique I have used for years. That is making a list of the ten most important things learned from the book, picking a couple to focus on for a month, then moving to the next two. The problem here is, for me, it was difficult holding my list down to ten items.

This is a critical edition for professional copywriters. It is beneficial for all professionals who must use written communication. I found the book exceptionally well written. Hershkowitz-Coore's obvious skill as a writer makes the book very easy to comprehend.