Business Books

This book becomes more relevant every year! For organizations that want responsible employees, it challenges leadership to consider the assumptions that drive traditional HR performance appraisal processes - most importantly those arising from the common `parental' or `patriarchy' model of leadership and organizational development.

In this research-based analysis of the multiple purposes of performance appraisal, a labor attorney and an experienced HR professional team-up to explain why appraisals backfire - and they clearly accomplish that key goal of the book. In particular they explain why, in a world in which 98% of people see themselves as being in the top half of performers, the requirement to force-rank employees is a demoralizing and demotivating policy - if you then connect pay raises to this policy, it is a policy to pay money to demotivate the majority of staff! What responsible leader wants their name on such a policy?

So, is there a solution? Yes, but not a ready-made one. Because the authors recognize that the performance appraisal process is only a part of a highly integrated organization framework (the authors refer to this as `The System' - others ask you to think 7-S model) that drives organizational effectiveness, the book does not recommend a one-size-fits-all solution to replacing performance appraisals. Instead, it recommends that the reader make a paradigm shift away from the patriarchy model to a more adult to adult concept, think about what the organization really wants to accomplish (what problem is to be addressed), and provide choices for different individual situations. The book is not an easy read, nor does it provide a feel good solution - it is recommended for thoughtful practitioners who want to know what questions to ask for their situation, rather than what answers others have found for their own, perhaps very different, situation.

If you grapple with performance appraisal, then it might be worth thinking through the assumptions that you have built your performance appraisal system upon. And that's how Tom and Mary's book can help. They describe a series of assumptions that most performance appraisal systems are based on, and they offer up some more useful (and more reality-based) assumptions that provide the foundations for a more effective alternative (not an improvement - a completely different concept altogether).

Even if you aren't convinced to let go of traditional performance appraisal methods, you will still glean some valuable pearls from this book, that can help with problems you're currently having with appraisal.

Extensive research, good case studies, knowledgeble discussion of legal issues are strengths of this book. However, there are numerous weaknesses:
1 Linking enlightened management directly to ineffective appraisal systems. They are not nedessarily related.
2 Not acknowledging managers insight on employees performance.
3 Assuming apprasials are generally a high corporate priority compared with other management activities.
4 Not recommending one or two focused appraisal functions as an alternative to no appraisals.
5 Not providing an explaination of how to administer most pay raise systems (Hay for example).
6 Not clearly identifying how the rating drives pay, promotion and bonus. An alternative is required.
7 Not disussing how requirements may vary by industry job specifics or the impact of enviromental factors, such as, confidentiality and raises based on senioity. jrj

Get past the title, and the authors' "we are totally right" style, and you'll find good material in here. "This book is about ... choos[ing] ... the most effective ways of working with people, [and] refocusing on outstanding organizational performance."

It tells you why most formal appraisal systems have a lot of good goals, but the negative side-effects of trying to reach them through a regular, compulsory, recorded system prevent most people from reaching them. Suggests abolishing the single system, reviewing the goals, and setting up multiple voluntary systems to do the job better.

Read this book to remind yourself what real personal and group improvement communication is about, so that you can include it in your daily work.

I seached out this book when I was tasked to be part of creation of a review process for my smallish company. "Abolishing Performance Appraisals" operated as a great resource during the process.

Especially helpful were the case studies, which pointed out how real companies were creating alternatives to clunky performance appraisals.

This book is a must have for people starting a business. I haven't entered ANY business venture without first consulting with this book. I also had the wonderful opportunity to learn with Ed Rogoff himself, he is a very knowledgeable, straight-forward man, and his book is 100% reflective of his real life traits and experience. Great Job Ed!



Elkin

Ed Rogoff has written a must buy for those planning on starting or expanding their business. He takes you through a step-by-step plan from your initial idea to your grand opening. Examples, forms and common pitfalls are all covered in an easy to follow system. If you want to make your dream a reality, "Bankable Business Plans" will get you started.

Ed Rogoff gives an in depth but workable plan for developing a new business. "Bankable Business Plans" gives you what you need to go from your initial idea to your financial source. Examples, forms and step-by-step instructions are included in this comprehensive book. This book is a must for business owners of any size business.

Chapter 10 in this book opened my eyes to a publication produced each year by the Risk Management Association (RMA). It's called the "Annual Statement Studies - Financial Ratio Benchmarks" and is a compilation of information supplied by member banking institutions that get their information from small business loan applicants. The author of Bankable BPs says a sound business plan must favorably compare to the information in the RMA publication, or it probably will not help the loan applicant get her funds.

I recommend after reading Bankable BPs that anyone creating a business plan will do themselves a favor by examining the RMA publication to use as a guide for creating meticulous financial projections included in their business plan. Don't write the business plan first, and then compare it to the RMA publication figures. Instead start with the figures and then write the business plan.

Another similar (but not as good) publication you might want to look at is called "Financial Studies of Small Business" written by Financial Research Associates.

Besides the impressive information contained in Chapter 10 of Bankable BPs, I thought the book was a great read on the subject of putting together a business plan. The author is an associate professor at one of the CUNY schools in New York. I would have liked the book better if he had not emphasized that a business plan was a tool to help raise capital. But he does point out that a business plan is an important tool for running a small business, too.

The author listed 10 action steps necessary to create a business plan:

1. Define the business
2. Figure out initial needs
3. Outline how the business expects to make money (business model)
4. Perform market research (study industry, competitors, and potential customers)
5. Write a marketing plan
6. Describe sales effort as it relates to marketing
7. Systematize operations & team building
8. Decide on capital requirements
9. Put together pro forma financials
10. Write the business plan in an acceptable format

I'm pretty sure the author felt the action steps were meant to be done in the above order. I tend to agree with the list of action steps, but not the particular order. I think #8 and #2 should be sequenced just after #9. I find it hard to believe it is possible to decide on capital resources BEFORE you have figured out the pro forma financials. And, without knowing the capital resources needed, it seems to me it is hard to determine what the initial needs of the business will be.

All in all, this was a very informative books and I am sure it will be a very helpful book to anyone who has to put together a business plan. 5 stars!

This book is terrific because it directly addresses the issue that probably undermines more business plans than any other: unrealistic assumptions. After 20 years as a banker and financial advisor to growth companies, both large and small, I believe that professional equity investors judge entrepreneurs by their ideas, their ability, and the reasonableness of their assumptions. Aggressive business plan assumptions raise significant doubts in the minds of investors, who don't just want 25% IRRs but want 25% IRRs that are achievable. Rogoff wisely advises entrepreneurs to ground their plans in reality, using solid industry data and benchmarking techniques. He teaches you to think like an investor or banker before writing your plan. Very solid advice. A must-read before going to market with your plan.

It's hard to explain just how good this book is, but I'm going to try.

When I first ran across this book (late '90s), I had no prior call center analytic experience, but used this book to save my company over $4 million a year. It explains the basics of call center management, analytics & behavior so simply and effectively that you are likely to make huge value changes just by implementing those basics.

If you are already a call center whiz, and your company's call center are running smoothly with excellent customer service levels, there is still value here, but it's modest.

If your company is NOT doing its blocking and tackling, with repsect to its call centers, then this is a gold mine.

It literally is the highest ROI book I have ever purchased in terms of time and money.

The perfect book for the people that are managing the call centers. Especially when call center is just a part of your responsibility and you need a comprehensive and ehhaustive in-depth description of call center activities. Great book. Good for both excecutives to understand what the call center managers are doing (even in terms of languages they speak, very usefull, if you are not able to undestand sometimes the cc managers you need the book) and call centers managers in order to understand how to present their work to the executives.

We were in the process of re-organizing our call center and based on the excellent reviews that I read, I choose this book. Well, the reviews were right. This book is excellent. It is very well written and explains all aspects of organizing and analyzing a Call Center. We have ordered a total of 6 copies and they are being utilized by the V.P. of Operations, Operations Manager, IT dept, and the Customer Service Dept.

This is excellent book to get started on concepts, key metrics in call center. I really liked the writting style and the way author has explained different concepts. I had no background in call center and I could comprehend almost all the concepts in this book.

I would recommend this book to any one who wants to know concepts, metrics and KPI within a call center environment.

I've generally been an IT Director and Project Manager, so I read this book to get a better idea of my customers' needs. I was pretty excited to discover that there's at least one good summary of what call centers do and how they do it. For my own sake--and perhaps yours--here's my summary of Brad and Julia's summary:

1. Incoming call center management is the art of having the right number of skilled people and supporting resources in place at the right times to handle an accurately forecasted workload, at service level and with quality.

2. Though average call load may be predictable, calls arrive randomly--which means that they often bunch up.

3. A service level is defined as "X percent of calls answered in Y seconds", not as "X percent answered" or "Average Speed of Answer". (The ASA is skewed by the bad times when calls bunch up.) Abandonment rates matter, too, but fixing abandonment problems usually means fixing service levels.

4. Service level and quality don't conflict. If you try to fix service level with poor quality, it comes back to bite you with more calls and demoralized reps.

5. A good forecasted call load--including talk time, after-call work, and volume--is critical for budgeting people and circuits. Often, a good forecast should predict load by the half hour, using previous data, knowledge of upcoming plans, and good judgment.

6. To determine staffing needs, use a variation of the Erlang C formula. Its input is the number of reps, number of callers forecasted, and the time to serve each caller; its output is a prediction of waiting time. (Even better, add an input for response time, and you'll get the percentage who'll wait longer than that!) If agents have different skills, you'll need forecasts and calculations for each set of agents.

7. More staff, less waiting, fewer phone lines for people on hold. Less staff, more waiting, more phone lines. Formulas exist for phone lines, too.

8. Not everyone scheduled is always working on customer service. Schedule accordingly. Be clever about work schedules to get the right number working at the right time. Service level results tell you whether you got it right.

9. If you have too few reps on duty, queues get long (service level goes down), more circuits are needed, and customers get frustrated, sometimes abandoning the call. If you have too many reps on duty, you spend too much paying for them to wait.

10. Give senior managers good reports, but make sure they understand the points above.

11. Monitor the number of calls in the queue and the longest current wait. Service level and other metrics tell more about the past than the present. Be ready with plans for unexpected load (reassigning, rerouting, delay announcements, busy signals).

12. There are lots of tools and graphs to measure aspects of quality. Use them to identify root causes, not beat your employees. Reps should adhere to schedules, and do good work. Use monitoring capabilities to coach. Measuring based on "calls per hour" is unreliable, and invites cheating.

13. Customers are getting more demanding, automated systems are taking the easy calls, so reps have to be better trained and more skilled.

14. Create a good environment that uses technology well.

The book was written in 1997, and I don't know whether it's been updated. The authors have some commentary about email-based, web-based, and CTI-based systems, but the next edition might want to say more about the similarities and differences between those and the traditional call center.

Overall, I'm happy to understand more about the math and science behind this discipline. As another reviewer commented, it's clear that IT Help Desks have something to learn from the Call Center experience.

I've just finished reading the book from Muhammad Yunus - the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner, and I cannot give it less than 5 stars. It is an inspiring book that can touch your heart and motivate you to fight against poverty. At the same time, it did not quite match my expectations in terms of content, so I'd like to make clear in this review what you should and should not expect from this great book.

First of all, Muhammad Yunus presents his vision of the social business. It is a powerful idea based on challenging the assumption of one-dimensional human beings that aim at maximizing profit. This concept lies at the core of established economic theories, and supports the current notion of the business that should maximize value for its shareholders. The social business is totally dedicated to solving social or environmental problems. It is different from charities or NGO's as it does not generate losses, and it's different from profit-maximizing businesses as it does not pay dividend.

Furthermore, the author gives an account of real social businesses that he has created. It starts with Grameen Bank, the microcredit organization providing banking services to the poor people from Bangladesh, including beggars. Grameen Bank is a huge success story, and its model has been reapplied in numerous countries. Another example is Grameen-Danone yoghurt factory that aims at improving the diet of poor Bangladeshi children. It's been recently opened as a joint venture between the Danone corporation and Grameen Bank, and it follows the social business model as described by Yunus.

Finally, the reader is confronted with a vision of the world where poverty can only be seen in museums. I would compare this part of the book to a manifesto that describes the building blocks of a new world where social business can flourish, the environmental problems are resolved by mutual consensus between nations, and the information and communication technologies help the developing nations to participate in and benefit from the globalized market.

It is important to note what you should not expect from this book. It definitely isn't an instruction, or a how-to guide for creating a social business. It isn't a science book either - instead of presenting sound models and theories, the author focuses on his vision and experience, and the book is an account of real-life stories and examples.

The value of Creating a World Without Poverty lies in the inspiration it provides, in fascinating real-life examples of the author's journey to eliminate poverty in his country. It may sometimes sound like a science-fiction vision, but the example of Grameen Bank shows that nothing described in this book is impossible. It's a must-read.

The cover is the same you see in the picture. However it's removable paper cover, meaning it's not the original book. Someone got the original book, made thousands of cookies in a blue cover book, and added this beautiful removable paper cover to it.

The bootom line is I bought thinking it was the original book, but it wasn't. However, the text is the same, so I'm going to enjoy it anyway!

Yunus has written a frank and straightforward description of a vision of a different and better world. The best part is that his theory has experience and people to back it up--not just dreams. It challenges the American views of community and commerce but I found that to be a source of hope in our crumbling economy. I believe it's best read if you are interested and invested in seeing society grow up.

In "Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism," the follow up to "Banker To The Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty", Muhammad Yunus describes a new economic entity he calls the "social business." In short, this is an organization that has a specific social goal as opposed to regular business, for which profit is the only goal.

Yunus is most famous for receiving the Nobel Prize in 2006 along with his Grameen Bank, which is the world's largest maker of microloans. Since then, microlending has come into vogue, and the term has become very popular, though I venture that many people who use the term do not understand the implications. The idea is exciting enough that you don't need to understand; money is given like charity, but then gotten back like an investment. It's like the mystical quarter on a string that allows you unlimited candy from the vending machine. Except, now it's real.

Yunus is not the inventor of microlending, but the first person to effectively practice it on a large scale. He says, "it was appropriate that the Nobel committee in 2006 chose to award Grameen Bank, not the Nobel Prize for Economics, but the Nobel Prize for Peace. By lifting people out of poverty, microcredit is a long-term force for peace" (105). In Bangladesh, the only country in which Grameen Bank operates "80 percent of poor families have already been reached with microcredit" (66). The evidence shows that Bangladesh has undergone many improvements in quality of life for the poor that can specifically be attributed to microlending.

The reason that this book is almost 250 pages is because Yunus is serious about proposing Social Business as an idea, and he lays out strategies for social entrepreneurs and pre-emptively tackles the naysayers. Yunus is a man who knows his audience. I will leave you with this:

"Young people all around the world, particularly in rich countries, will find the concept of social business very appealing. Many young people today feel frustrated because they cannot recognize any worthy challenge that excites them within the present capitalist system. When you have grown up with ready access to the consumer goods of the world, earning a lot of money isn't a particularly inspiring goal. Social business can fill this void" (39).

Professor Yunus' book pales in comparison to his Banker to the Poor - this current book is light on action and heavy on rhetoric. It does tell a story about how he was able to create a social enterprise - using his connections as a Nobel Prize winner and book author.

It does not give any type of action plan on how the typical person could arrange a social business or even more their company more toward a social function. I was disappointed as it was more a book of opinions and far-flung ideas about how to create institutions like social stock markets, etc., and little about how to actionably help the poor.

In all, an interesting book, but mostly due to Yunus' writing style and easy of telling stories. It contains some short history but not enough action. I highly prefer C.K. Prahalad's Fortune at the Bottom of The Pyramid for more direct guidance on how this has been done.

Quisiera poder regalar este libro a tantas personas que no tienen idea de como su ego afecta su negocio y la relacion interpersonal. Me parece un excelente libro el cual analiza como el ego puede ser usado positivamente, pero sin control el ego se convierte en negativo. Muy claramente escrito y muy interesante. Ojala fuera mas facil de encontrar en espaniol.

egonomics is the kind of excellent, well-researched book that only comes along every few years. The content plays a vital role in our journey from good to great as part of a major service organization in a large, global company. Specifically, the principles, processes, and tools that apply humility, curiosity and veracity to our business issues, have allowed us to have candid and productive dialogue that were difficult, if not impossible, to have before we read this book and applied it.

egonomics goes beyond self-assessment and self-awareness. This book provides grounded, practical, insightful answers that drive behavior and performance improvement. Applying the principles and practices in egonomics has allowed us as a team to work through significant organizational changes by engaging in focused, candid discussions and subsequently acting on key issues tied directly to business results. Their material has had a direct and positive impact on our performance that I don't think we could have achieved in any other way.

'Egonomics' is a superb account of the effects of excessive and inadequate ego on business performance. Thankfully, the authors took a practical and applied approach to their work instead of the more typical complex, theoretical approach so often seen in other bodies of work. There is ample evidence for anyone who pays attention to human interaction, particularly in the business environment, of these qualities of humility, curiosity, and veracity either contributing to or detracting from productivity at every level of the organization. If `Level 5' leaders possess these qualities as well, that's about all I need to know to be sure we're on the right track, aside from good common sense. Few authors have laid it on the line and it's long overdue. Marcum and Smith have done the business world a huge favor.

Jerry Stigall- Director, Organization Development
Douglas County Government

This book is a huge advance over their prior tome and worthy of national attention. Almost every page sparked some thought for me which is more than I can say for most of the more than 300 volumes in my personal library on business and leadership.

I really liked their idea of duality. This insight excited me and made me say to myself, "I've never thought of that." When the "freshness" of an idea like duality can get me motivated to implement that concept NOW, the book has struck pay-dirt with me.

I likewise really liked humility as being the equilibrium and not the direct antithesis of ego and the concept of "unconditional positive regard (UPR)."

I could really put to use Smith and Marcum's list of practical non-defensive humility openers:

"You might be right...," "I haven't really considered that...," "Even though that's hard to hear, I appreciate your bringing it up...," "Even though I'm not happy about what you're saying, I'm glad I'm hearing it now rather than later. What are some...," "Would you mind saying more about that?"

I wish we all could impliment the concepts of this book--maybe some world politicians will also get their hands on a copy !

People with unbridled egos see themselves as the suns in their individual universes, and believe that all important activity and thought revolve around them. "We would rather speak ill of ourselves than not talk of ourselves at all," observed the worldly wise French nobleman François de La Rochefoucauld 300 years ago. His aphorism is still relevant. In business as in life, unchecked ego sabotages the achievement of important goals. Employees resent and oppose narcissistic executives, regardless of the value of their ideas or the quality of their leadership. However, the brutally competitive business world can also swallow timid, self-effacing souls alive. The best leaders have neither too much nor too little ego. David Marcum and Steven Smith explain how to find the right balance. They offer distressing examples of ego run amok while also providing practical demonstrations of how a healthy dose of ego can be your best ally. We recommend this book to managers who wonder why the rest of the world has so far failed to recognize their greatness, to high achievers who think they may need a reality check and to human-resource professionals, who often have to clean up the messes that egotistical executives leave behind them.

One of the most enlightening books I have ever read. It delivers, in spades, a strategy for gaining positive publicity. On the way, it provides extremely interesting and thought provoking insight into how the media (and media professionals) operates.

The book is logically structured, with each chapter building on the previous. The result is a memorable system, as opposed to a jumble of rules.

Each chapter provides valuable insights into the how's and why's of gaining access to media. The insight that had the most impact on me was that you have a client relationship with reporters. The only thing is, the reporter is the client. That insight alone was worth the price of the book.

This is a great read, and a must-have on your short list if you're interested in Media Relations. Mark breaks down his book into easy to digest chapters, with real world examples of how each media rule works. By the time you get done with this book, you'll have it highlighted, with notes and ideas written in the margins, eager to try them out for your cause. Then you'll read it again to see what you missed the first time!

I'm getting ready to return to college and get my degree in Communications/PR. After seeing Mark give a presentation at a luncheon, getting the chance to read his book and taking the opportunity to talk with him, I was convinced more than ever to stay on track. I'm hoping to use the ideas in his book to stun my professors. Thanks Mark!

I don't think anyone can read Feeding the Media Beast and not be entertained. Better yet they will learn valuable insights about dealing with the media. There has always been a mystique about the media, that somehow they are greater beings than mere mortals. Mathis easily puts that to rest through his personal stories and often humorous examples. Mathis knows the media and is generous in his willingness to share.

Once anyone with a product to sell or something to promote figures out that the media need US they will be halfway to meeting their goal. Knowing how the game is played, and how important we are to them, is what Mathis does an excellent job of teaching.

Prepare. That is the key principle that Mathis shares and that we need to remember over and over. The media can be intimidating and daunting if we allow it, but with the information in Feeding the Media Beast it doesn't have to be. The media should be our best friend and after reading this book you'll feel much more confident and remember that they need us.

If you have any interest in working with the media successfully, read this book. Before you write a press release, before you call a journalist, and definitely before you accept an interview, listen to what Mark Mathis has to say about the nature of the media industry. His experience and his insights are invaluable. Initially I had thought that the cartoon on the front and the constant reference to the media as a "Beast" seemed infantile, and then I realized that this is in keeping with the message. The media IS infantile. Modern media is hardly a mature form of communication--it's more like a three-year-old throwing a tantrum. Why it's that way is a subject for sociologists and philosophers. All I'm concerned with is how to work with this three-year-old, and this book shows me the way.

Mathis' book is *excellent*, but government communicators should also see a book written by a Washington pro, see Media Relations Handbook for Agencies, Associations, Nonprofits and Congress. The Handbook is written by Brad Fitch, who has more than a decade of Washington PR experience, with a Foreword by Mike McCurry.

What others have said about Fitch's book (about which you can see more at MediaRelationsHandbook.com ):

"Great advice for beginners and experienced media hands. If you are a media relations professional--either beginner or seasoned veteran--this is the book for you. Brad Fitch, who spent many years fielding reporters' tough questions on Capitol Hill, has written a timely, practical guide to handling media relations that is filled with solid professional advice. What goes into a press release? How do you develop a strategic message? You've got a digital camera and a fax machine, but what else does your office need to effectively handle the media? Before you start talking to a reporter, do you know the difference between 'on the record,' 'off the record,' and 'background'? When there's an immediate crisis in your organization, what are the eight mistakes that you absolutely must avoid? How do you handle your paranoid boss when he or she has to confront the press? You'll find the answers to these and many other everyday problems in this book. Fitch also gives valuable advice on how to set up an effective website and how to use e-mail for optimum communications. Excellent book for professionals who work in federal or state agencies, trade associations, non-profits, state legislatures or Congress. It's the only handbook you'll ever need."
-- Dennis W. Johnson, college professor and former Capitol Hill senior staffer

"Provides valuable advice for those who flack for a living."
-- Roll Call

"A superb blend of theory and practice, written by someone who uses words like Gallup uses polls."
-- Steve O'Keefe, author "Complete Guide to Internet Publicity" and Adjunct Faculty, Tulane University College

"Uncertain how to interest the press in your pressing issue? Having difficulty preparing your media-unfriendly boss for a tough interview? Worried about the next communications crisis and how to handle it? Brad Fitch answers those questions and many more in this crisp, clear and completely useful book."
-- Tucker Carlson, Co-Host CNN Crossfire, author

"A seminar from TheCapitol.Net is one of the best ways to learn from the experts about how Washington really works. Now all that insight and information has been packed into this invaluable volume. I suggest you read it, and become your own expert."
-- Steven V. Roberts, syndicated columnist, TV and radio analyst, college professor

"Brad Fitch has performed an admirable public service by giving public relations students and professionals alike an indispensable tool. His book provides a road map on both the practicalities and principles of PR, and he shows that honest PR is not an oxymoron. Now it's up to all of us in the media and spin industries to keep our end of the bargain."
-- Ed Henry, Congressional Correspondent, CNN (formerly Senior Editor of Roll Call)

"This volume is an invaluable road map to the mean streets of a city where information is power and power is everything. Brad Fitch has written a rich 'how-to' lesson for pros and for novices who must negotiate the competitive landscape of America's new media."
-- Ann Compton, White House Correspondent, ABC News

"Media Relations Handbook is to political campaigns what The Art of War is to military campaigns: an essential strategic reference that winners should never be without."
-- James Carville, Co-Host CNN Crossfire, author

If you're a government communicator, you should get both Feeding the Media BeastAgain and Fitch's book, MediaRelationsHandbook.com , or search Amazon using the ISBN: 1587330032

The Financial Widsom of Ebenezer Scrooge merges two of my favorite topics - Charles Dickens (sort of) and personal finance. While I have mastered the Dickens part quite well, I am still in the "learning" process when it comes to money.

In this nifty little book (150 pages) the authors basically dissect the human relationship and money. That's right! this book is about figuring out and understanding that most of our issues with money is actually emotional - a pre-set condition that we experienced as young children. The key is to "reprogram" these conditions and to look at money in exactly the way we should be looking at it.

This book will teach you how to recognize the patterns or the money scripts that you have been living with and using for most of your life and will help you permanently change this and, in the process, give you a much healthier relationship towards money.

I liked this book for many reasons, one being that it uses alot of the Christmas Carol references as examples, so if you are a fan of Dickens, this is a big plus!

Also, this book is not too technical - I hate reading a personal finance books that reads like a company prospectus!

I also like that its short and to the point.

This is a great buy.

I suggest that my psychotherapy clients read this book. Many of my clients, who are mostly affluent professionals, have underlying issues which get played out in the financial arena.

I wish I could have written this book. It is very user friendly and motivates the reader to do the exercises at the end of each chapter. Many clients recognize that they identify with Ebenzer at times and Bob at other times. Thanks for writing this book!

I started reading "The Financial Wisdom of Ebeneezer Scrooge" expecting to see financial "ghosts" of past, present and future. I wasn't disappointed. What I didn't expect to see was financial failures of Bob Crachit. So I was pleasantly surprised to see that in spite of our perrenial wink and nod associated with the poor among us, The "Bob's" do bear some responsibility to be educated about their situation.

The book seems to be practical in its application of conservative financial wisdom. I say "seems to be" because it's up to me to apply the tools. I think I can, I think I can...

This is one of the most clever approaches to helping people find their way to financial freedom. I have read many many books on personal finance and it has always confounded me as to why more people don't take an interest in their financial future. This book shows how mind traps that were set in youth can keep people from making the right financial choices. The authors talk about "money scripts" that people carry with them and that influence their money behavior. The authors cleverly use the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and Bob Cratchit showing what their money scripts might have been and how those scripts influenced their behaviors in A Christmas Carol. The exercises are excellent. It took me a while but I eventually identified some of my own money scripts. Frankly, this method could be used to help identify life scripts that keep us from achieving our ultimate potential as well.

The authors come through as genuinely wanting to help their readers. I have read books that were promoted as self-help financial books but in the end were books to promote an author's seminars rather than providing sound advice and help.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to start today to shape a better financial future for themselves and their families.

Enlightening regarding the way you view money and how this affects so many other areas of your life. The impact of early script imprinting and its affect on your adult life is both fascinating and helpful.

As I read this book I kept coming back to one of my favorite phrases "brutal honesty." Dr Fleming doesnt let us off the hook as we face our inability to make real changes in our lives but he takes the next step and helps us look at what we need to do to really make change.

Candid and convincing, this book will challenge many of your assumptions but the rest is up to you. You can keep believing in the half-truths that have gotten you nowhere or you can tap into a new truth. "Your" truth and use it to make the changes that will make you a better person and give you a better life.

Give it a shot.

For those of you who haven't read this book, I strongly suggest you ad it to your reading list! As a practitioner in the addictions and psychology field, Dr. Fleming offers up a unique way of examing and explaining life.
The book is a page-turner and a wonderful breath of fresh air! Dr. Fleming's matter-of-fact humor is delightful and keeps you interested. If you are a practitioner, social worker or in business, I think this is a required reference book for every shelf!

Dr Kevin Fleming declares what most people avoid. To find meaning in Life we must ask ourselves strong, clear genuine questions and more importantly accept the answers.
He points to easy solutions offered in psychology, business and religion that do not take us closer to truth. Importantly he reminds us that just to accept the status quo usually does not lead us to a more creative or fulfilling way to resolve life's challenges.
He calls us to become 'real' about the life we live and share with others.
This book provokes deeper thinking bout areas in life we so often do not take full responsibility for.

The Half Truth High was not only inspirational for me but life changing. It showed me how to live life without avoiding life. Stop picking and choosing so as to avoid pain. Live through the "tough stuff" and become a better person, one able to achieve so much more! There is so much more to life than just our "comfort zones" and Dr. Fleming delves into that beyond, giving substance to what is achievable if you work for it.
I am no longer comfortable with what is. Half Truths shows you there is so much more to life if you just question? So much more happiness and inner peace as well as the successes that can result from having those. The transformations I have seen in myself and those I have shared the book with are huge and the spiritual and mental highs I have achieved are phenomenal. Dr. Fleming has truly nailed this one!!! Great work. Any person wanting and searching for more in life as well as business will appreciate this fine work.

The whole truth about "The Half-Truth High" is that it is somewhat less than half of the whole. Knowing Kevin Fleming personally and having been witness to his really unusual talents as an observer of people and a healer of people's distresses and shortcomings, I fully expect the rest of the whole to show up. When it does, I also fully expect most of us who pay attention to who's speaking what truths to which audiences to become aware of him. The reason is that he's fully capable of being the next Dr. Phil or Judge Judy, but with a depth of wisdom and a spiritual clarity that it would be unfair to expect of either of those entertaining personalities.

But about this book. The first six pages of the prologue are among the most gripping paragraphs of non-fiction prose I've read in a long time. As a very young clinical psychologist, Dr. Fleming found himself on call in Laramie, Wyoming, not long after Matthew Shepherd's brutal murder for being gay. At the University of Wyoming, a student is perched on a windowsill several stories up, threatening to jump. What Dr. Fleming did to bring back to reality and take him away from danger is boggling. And what his superiors did to him because of his unorthodox method for dealing with the student dangling his feet in death's face is indicative of much that is wrong with leadership everywhere. Wow! What a beginning. But then Dr. Fleming got in a hurry and jumped himself without thinking it completely through. There was a hell of a book in vogue here, and still is. I fully expect Kevin to write it before long.

Meanwhile, here's the skinny about "The Half-Truth High." Yes, it's self-published. Yes, it's a little over the top in self-aggrandizement. Yes, Dr. Fleming drops too many names and engages in far more cheek-kissing (front and back) than he needed to to let people boosting his highly promising career as an executive coach and a family therapist know he appreciated their helping hands. But the amazing thing is, despite all this, the author delivers more wisdom in 72 pages of often butt-kissing dilatory asides that most self-help books do in 225 pages of carefully simmered, seined and seasoned psychospeak. I'm a little uncomfortable urging anyone to buy it. Money is money, these days. But I'm even more uncomfortable with the possibility that anyone reading my words here may invite a train wreck in their lives by not knowing the truths, half-baked or not, that the Inc. Shrink (there's his P.T. Barnum side again!) tosses off in these short pages. You make the call. Or maybe just call or e-mail him and ask for a free three-minute introduction to the ideas in his book. Bet you he'll make the time.

Mr. Lane:

I am at page 180 of your book, Killer Brands. I had to write to let you know how the book has affected me. The Prostestant reformer, Martin Luther, described himself as finding a "gateway to Heaven" after he finally understood the phrase "righteousness from God" in Romans 1:16-17.

He said the whole of Scripture took on a new meaning for him from that point on.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not preaching the Bible here. What I am saying is Killer Brands has opened up to me a "gateway to category leadership."

I have been reading the book for a few months now, and just yesterday finally "got it".

Your five principles of choice, expectation, focus, alignment and linkage have given the discipline of branding a whole new meaning to me.

In fact, I will be taking, per the instructions of your book, these principles to heart and using them to create Killer Brands in my area.

Thank you for sharing such an incredible amount of practical advice, knowledge, and experience.

James Dominguez

"Killer Brands" provides very interesting case studies, but more importantly, great advice. Rather than overwhelm the reader, the book empowers you to take control of your brand. After reading this book, you will be far more prepared to move your product to the next level and will be excited about the work required. There is potential for big return for a minimal investment of money and time.

Few have the ability to panoramically explain and teach with clear focus expert brand marketing techniques like Frank Lane. Filled with keen insight this valuable work concentrates on examples of proven techniques from the past and present. I commend this work to all business leaders who want to increase their understanding, while simultaneously gleaning deep truths, that will challenge you to brand marketing greatness. This practical guide is filled with many years of wisdom and understanding and with focused application will deliver extraordinary, "Killer Brand," results in this vast and changing world we call the marketplace. You will truly do yourself and your business a favor by reading this book! I am so impressed with this book that I am on the third reading of it! I have purchased five copies to give to my Marketing Director, General Manager and friends.

Mason F. Pacini/President
Rain Clan, L. L. C.

Killer Brands is a great read. It is well written. The principles are applicaple to a broad range of personal and professional objectives. I am using the book to lead my team at work through re-branding. I am so impressed with the book that I have purchased ten copies to give away to friends and key business contacts.

- John Greaves, CPP
Georgia Power

I waited for years for Frank to write this book. I first met him in 1982 when I left my position of Senior VP and Creative Director of a major international ad agency to pursue a new product idea I had developed. I was recommended to Frank who had just formed Peachtree Creek Consulting Group. But instead of launching my idea, we became partners in Peachtree Creek and worked together on a multitude of projects for Fortune 500 companies, large financial institutions and technology companies.

I left the group in 1988 to start my own advertising creative service with clients that included GMC, Gold Bond, Ban Antiperspirant, Icy Hot, Dexatrim, Wells Fargo Bank, Thomson Electronics, HammerMill, No Nonsense and BullFrog, the sunblock that Frank had co-created.

I have used and worked successfully with every principle that Frank outlines in this wonderful, easily read, marketing "bible". In addition to being one of the most instinctively brilliant marketing gurus I have ever known, he unselfishly shares his thinking in a clear, easy to understand fashion.

This book is a must read for anyone who markets a product, large or small.

This is a great book by a well respected and knowledgeable member of many communities across the web! Patrick is also my friend, and we are both Advisors on SitePoint Forums.

Patrick breaks down every aspect of community management including developing community guidelines, promoting your community, managing forum staff, dealing with bad members and chaos, and how to make money from your community.

My favorite chapter of the book is one of the more sensitive subjects, Banning Users and Dealing with Chaos. One of the quickest ways to lose control of a community is to handle chaos incorrectly. Patrick does a great job of giving real world community examples and solid solutions on how to handle each.

Another great chapter is Developing Guidelines. I've started more than a few communities, and not once have I stopped to think about my communities guidelines before launching. Not only does Patrick go into great detail on what type of guidelines you should have, but he also provides a blank guideline template section demonstrating exactly how he lays out his guidelines for reference.

I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to anyone, beginner and expert alike, that is interested in increasing their knowledge on community management.

Nice job Patrick!

Why do Yankee fans flock to their favorite online community, YanksBlog? Perhaps, it's because they feel welcomed and supported, as you would want to be at the site for your passionate interest. Patrick O'Keefe is a gracious and savvy host for this avid baseball fans. He manages several communities including PhotoshopForums, KarateForums and BadBoyForums.

Like Augie Ray, he can help you decide whether to join or build a community.Now, would you like to launch and manage a lively online forum for people who share your favorite interest? And perhaps make money? Or become more adept at most any type of social interaction online? Then listen in as O'Keefe, the author of Managing Online Forums, describes how to jumpstart and care for a lively, growing community online.

*Work from anywhere.

* Host a popular place for people who share your interest to gather.

From mothering to scuba diving, managers of some of the largest online forums rave about O'Keefe's advice. Hear how powerful a community can become, ways to set up a community and a content site, mediate squabbling members, develop guidelines and promote your community.

As you can tell I am a fan of this generous community-building expert and his book. As both O'Keefe and Peter Block suggest, what makes communities work online is the same as in face-to-face time - -it is the sense of belonging.

This book is a must read for anyone interested in forums. From seasoned veterans to forum noobs this book is a great resource. I have yet to find a comparable resource of the same quality on this subject. I highly recommend it.

Patrick pours years of community management experience and firsthand real-world examples into what could be called the manual for online community managers or owners.

I especially like how he outlines best practices while also giving personal advice just as he would if he were talking to you face-to-face. His candid, personal writing style makes you feel like you're reading advice from a friend more than a typical management book.

Managing Online Forums also has numerous examples of forms, guidelines, notifications and more and they are all downloadable from the book's website.

If you run or are thinking of running an online community, you owe it to yourself to buy Patrick's book.

As many online forums as there are, sadly there are only very few titles out there that deal with the topic. Until now, the best one (now out of print) was Design for Community. But Patrick O'Keefe has changed this for good with this amazingly comprehensive title that is packed with great (and fairly timeless) advice about how to start, develop, promote and manage your online community. Two chapters at the end deal with tips on how to keep your online forum interesting and how to monetize it.

Personally, the only downside I found in the book is that it has a very heavy emphasis on forums (phpBB, more specifically), leaving outside some of the aspects specific to social media. However, the knowledge that the author has included in here can be relatively easily ported to help folk wanting to manage social networks or other social applications.

As for me, I am getting a copy of the book for each of the Administrators in my communities.