Business Books

It is a must read for business managers on how to improve communication within your teams and with co-workers. Very insightful for anyone who is looking for more out of life or their job. It is very cleverly written and Joel uses humor to bring key points home to the reader. Warning to people who will read this book in a public place, I laughed out loud.

this is not only a very helpful buisness book , but a very ,very entertaining book as well..I have actually read it twice!!!
get this book...for buisness or pleasure...

Reading Joel's book and taking his message to heart is exactly the right choice - for me, for you, and for everyone you care about. An awesome "ta-da" to Joel and a big thank you for your insight.

Zeff's conversational writing sytle is a powerful combination of a straight forward insights mixed with humor. Painting vivid pictures, Zeff engages the reader and draws them into the book. He provides a new perspective on corporate America along with concrete examples, suggestions, and methodologies that the reader can immediately use to leverage this insight and effect change. The writing is clear, crisp, and concise.

Joel Zeff wrote a great book. It was humorous, insightful, & an amazingly quick read. I'd almost take off one star for the book being too short but I found that each chapter was the perfect length as a Daily Insight or for a brief mental healthy snack in between meetings. I also found myself writing little notes in the margins as I was reading. I recommend that you do the same and apply the exercises inside to your own particular situation. It works nicely.

The main character in Dale Dauten's magnificent story, The Max Strategy, is Max Elmore, an old man with infectious enthusiasm, insatiable curiosity, and wisdom gained from a lifetime of management consulting to leaders across a spectrum of organizations. Max meets the book's fictional author during an extended delay at O'Hare Airport, and during their ensuing conversation, one of the topics Max discusses is 'becoming a flukologist':

"Burton Malkiel (A Random Walk Down Wall Street) dreamed up an imaginary coin-tossing contest. A thousand contestants in a line; heads was a winner, tails a loser. So the thousand people toss their coins and about five hundred get tails and lose. The five hundred with heads toss again. After seven tosses there are just eight coin tossers left. By this time crowds start to gather to witness the surprising ability of these expert coin tossers. The winners are overwhelmed with adulation. They are celebrated as geniuses in the art of coin tossing - their biographies are written and people urgently seek their advice. After all, there were a thousand contestants and only eight could consistently flip heads."

"Naturally, if you aren't smart and hardworking and all that, you're going to fail ten times out of ten. But if you do all the right things, guess what? You fail nine times out of ten. Think how many great novels you've read that never became best-sellers. Think how many actors you see in local or regional theaters who are as good as those on Broadway. Their problem isn't talent or work ethic; it's that they aren't expert coin tossers."

"Remember this: The coin tosser who gets the most 'heads' is the one who gets the most tosses. Given enough chances, chance is your friend."

"Yes, a fluke is a fluke. But you could use a fluke in your career, no? So maybe we should learn their secrets and become 'flukologists.'"

"If you innovate instead of imitate, and work every day to be different from yesterday, you'll improve your odds: You no longer will fail nine times out of ten. You'll fail eight times out of ten."

"Real achievement is a kind of lottery. You enter by being competent and hardworking. Most people get one shot in the lottery, playing at one-in-ten odds. I'm trying to show you how you can enter again and again, at two-in-ten odds. Here's the logic. Most people try to be like the successful people in their field. The result is that everyone does what everyone else is doing. If a great new idea comes along, sure, they adopt it. So does everyone else. You see what is happening to each of them? Each is trying to be exceptional, but ends up going about it by being just like everyone else. The upshot? They have, at best, a one-in-ten chance of producing results in the top ten percent of their profession."

"If you want to be extraordinary, the first and hardest step is to stop being ordinary."

"People try to conform to success, but to be successful is to be a non-conformist. Let's put it this way: You don't become a Picasso by taking a Picasso print and running it through a Xerox machine."

"You can't get to better without first getting to different. Every blessed day. Believe me, it'll wear you out. No, I'm not suggesting the easy way out: this is the exhausting way out. But it's also the exciting way out, the alive way out."

This week, I'm teaching at the Wow Institute in Henniker, New Hampshire. 75 fundraisers from across North America have come seeking ideas to make them better. If we're successful, participants will learn to become innovative flukologists and expert coin-flippers who reject 'ordinary' and are committed to pursuing 'different' every day. It's the risky path, but it's also the only path to 'better,' the only path to 'extraordinary.'

(from www.crawdaddycove.com)

This is a good book, but I'd say it's a bit thin on detail and information. It is basically composed of many feel good success stories.
There's no knowledge here that I found to be of of the ordinary or particularly helpful, but's a good easy read.

A very very good book. The great thing about this book is that once you start reading is, you will not let go... The book tries to reinvent our thinking from the normal rut. Definately a good read. You might not agree with the author at certain junctures, but then he comes up with very good examples.

This book was my introduction to Dale Dauten and remains one of my favorite business books because of the novel way the author finds to make practical advice memorable.

The book is organized as a conversation between a successful entreprenuer and a stranded burned-out businessman at snowed-in O'Hare airport. Max Elmore,our hero, helps his new friend see the nature of innovation and the connection between innovation and business success.

For the person who wants the reputation as an innovator (and ain't that what makes life fun?) this is a little book that can be read and understood in a few short hours.

If you have the courage to devote the additional time to completing the exercises outlined in the book you can expect to uncover some interesting experiments that might lead you to some new methods and new thinking.

If you are interested in innovatation and experimentation as an employee or a business owner, the few hours reading this book will be richly rewarded.

Couldn't put it down. I would recommend this book to anyone that has DARES to dream... It puts success in "simple" terms and not anything like the corporate books I have read in the past- that advises mostly on the "rules" on how you "should" do things....I LOVED IT! I'll probably re-read in about 6 months...

After I read this I wanted to go out and start a business even though I am retired. ThenI discovered that these principles work just as well in my relationships and in my everyday life. wnat a gift John Adams has given us.

With this book, John Adams gives us principles and practices that can serve us not only in our professional lives but in our personal lives as well. In fact, Adams recognizes that there should indeed be no separation of values between life and work, and offers what amounts to a handbook of spiritual practice for our whole selves.

Loved MIRACLES AT WORK by John A. Adams, a self-taught entrepreneur who built
a $3.5 million cleaning company after being fired as an
air traffic controller with the Federal Aviation Administration.

He then sold this business in 1996 to follow his real passion
of helping others by writing this book and beginning Life Without
Limits, a Connecticut-based business development company . . . he
now travels throughout the country sharing his message that you
should "Remember . . . always expect miracles because . . .
something wonderful is about to happen!"

My only complaint with the book is its subtitle: BUILDING YOUR
BUSINESS FROM THE SOUL UP . . . it implies that this is
primarily to be read by those looking to begin a business, and
methinks that it is so much more than that . . . I see it is a self-help
book that will inspire anybody seeking to fulfill his or her potential.

While there are many useful business examples, I found there were
even more valuable tidbits taken from Adams' life . . . I was inspired
by how he was able to get past his bad times and not let them get
him down . . . also, I liked how he learned from virtually every
experience he has encountered.

Among the many insights that I gained from reading MIRACLES AT
WORK were the following:

* Ask yourself whether your "Crazymaker" [a term coined by Julia
Cameron in THE ARTIST'S WAY] have not helped you, in some way,
to become a better individual. Mine have. Think about those in your
life against whom you hold a grudge. Then release yourself from the
burden of resentment and anger you carry by forgiving them. Then
begin a process of self-forgiveness and start to enjoy a feeling of
liberation. "Not so easy?" Okay, don't forgive them--bless them,
as Pope John Paul did, as he faced his would-be assassin in his
prison cell. The Pontiff knows that the power of forgiveness lies in
releasing your heart to God by seeing the goodness in every human being.

* When Admiral Hyman Rickover was asked about his climb from
obscurity to Chief Naval Officer in charge of nuclear operations, he
simply pointed to those in great need, the imprisoned, the homeless,
the poor, and said, "There, but for the grace of God, go I." We are
blessed to be in a place where we are building our own business. That
is Grace. Grace also comes into our lives by helping others.

* Love is the most powerful energy in the universe--much greater than
all the destructive force our egos could hope to muster. All these
Principles and Practices depend upon love. It is the starting point,
the meaning and purpose for being and the solution to our most
pressing problems.

Am amazing thing occurs when you give love. Because it follows
the spiritual laws of the universe rather than the dictates of this
finite world, it increases. The more you give away, the more you
have to give.

John Adams has not only written an important book -- he has written something inspiring which is also a lot of fun to read. As a magazine editor, I'm deluged with books and getting "important, inspiring and fun" in one volume is no easy undertaking.

John's book is a wonderful guide for anyone in business. Not only does it present a different way of doing business, but it also provides suggestions about living life on a higher plane. His book combines the wisdom of A Course in Miracles, The Artist's Way, 12 Steps, Wayne Dyer, The Four Agreements, and other spiritual guides, with his own experiences in the business world. The result is a blueprint for starting and running a values-based business. When I read it I felt inspired spiritually as well as grounded in strength and reality. I have recently left the "security" of teaching in public schools to start my own business. I am making new choices in my life based on this book. John's book is truly an inspiration and a book I will read more than once. Thank you, John!
Tricia Matthews, Vibe distributor

Rare it is to find a guide so well crafted by a writer successful in his own right. I found this the perfect abridged bible for anyone with a career or contemplating a career in the musical theater. David Spencer's frank tone tears down the dream and shows the true reality of the business. With diligent and witty writing, Spencer's guide is as fun as it is rigorous. The author includes bits of his own writing process mingled with very generous advice on what works and what does not. It's reading list alone would recommend it. This book will make many a musical theater writer conscious of the hidden pitfalls prevalent in the business and so will, with an increase of its readership, increase the quantity as well as quality of musical authorship on and off-Broadway, a deed most needed.

You get the feeling the author cares about the reader's survival through life as well as on the perilous if rewarding journey of musical theater writing. The book is surprisingly also a brilliant textbook for navigating professional and private relationships as Spencer is of the clever opinion that success in any field requires such skill. Theater-goers may benefit as well from its clear picture of the creative process behind the large shows. No one interested in musical theater should be without this book.

David Spencer's book is without question the most comprehensive, concise and informative book on writing contemporary musical theatre I've found on the market to date. An astonishingly quick (and entertaining) read, the book covers all of the bases of writing shows, from the creative process to dealing with the business end of getting an original musical produced. It is also jam-packed with useful information regarding the 'knit-picky' details of standard conventions (such as formatting scripts, creating and distributing demos, etc) that are worth the price of purchase alone.

The book is well-structured into concise, easy to read sections that are easy to refer to when necessary. Appropriately titled a "Survival Guide," Spencer makes no attempt to create an 'everything-you-need-to-know-to-write-a-musical' guide; instead, he provides brief (but considerably detailed) insight into each topic.

This is not a book for a beginner who is looking to learn how to write songs, but rather for ambitious young artists who are serious about creating new musical theatre. There are entire books that deal with the considerations posed by individual chapters (such as musical forms, rhyme, characterization, etc) that supplant the information in this book; his list of suggested readings is very helpful. Consider this book to be the 'study-guide' for the test; there is no other book on the market that covers so much terrain with such detail in such a small volume. It truly has become my survival guide - thank you David Spencer!

I have read some books on writing Broadway Musicals which were quite good but this one has a direct clarity that demystify's the process of creating a musical. Good advice is given in every important area from story to page layout and fonts to the politics involved in collaboration. An invaluable tool for a writer that's seasoned or just starting out.

I am an aspiring musical theatre writer with no real experience yet, but reading this makes me feel like I have twenty years of experience under my belt! It seems that Mr. Spencer has thoughtfully included, out of his own widespread experience in the biz, absolutely every thought, information, helpful tidbit or advice that I think EVERY new or seasoned musical theatre writer will find very, very helpful. He is very intentional about sharing stories and information to help young writers avoid pitfalls and mistakes he once made, or is familiar with. Every chapter flows well, is thorough, well-structured, & intriguing to read. I am sure I will continue looking back to this for frequent reference as I continue pursuing this career. Thank you, Mr. Spencer, for this invaluable resource!! It is worth more than every penny!

THE MUSICAL THEATRE WRITER'S SURVIVAL GUIDE is, one the whole, an excellent and much-needed resource. This is not so much a book about how to write a musical, but what to do with it once you have written it. The most valuable parts for me were the sections dealing with collaboration. Author David Spencer discusses not only how to deal with writing partners, but also with the other collaborators, like the director, the producer and the designer. He also gives practical advice about the most effective way of presenting the reading and making the demo recording. He goes into great detail about what any material that you send out should look like. These parts of the book alone make it worth owning.

I felt that Spencer jumped the track toward the end with a lengthy discussion of setting up one's own recording studio, which would have been much better as an appendix, rather than in the main body of the book. My other quibbles with the book are the rather gag-inducing Sondheim worship and the author's frequent tooting of this own horn. (I found the section dealing with awards and grants depressing because it only pointed up the unlikelihood that material by a maverick like me would ever be considered.) There are a couple of minor errors (such as when he says that William Redfield played Rosencrantz in Burton's HAMLET, when in reality he played Guildenstern) and there is a glaring use of "principle" as an adjective, rather than "principal." But in general, I found this an invaluable book that absolutely needed to be written. Every serious musical theatre writer should have his own copy. This one is simply essential.

This book is excellently written by the late Dr. W. Edward Deming who was "heckled" out of America post-World War II by the American management leaders for his less-then-conventional managerial practices. After being heckled in America he was invited to Japan where that countries business leaders were re-building their nation. Dr. Deming's 14 Point Program was an instant success and he was soon heralded as the "Father" of modern Japanese Industrial Revolution. Japan honored him annually with the awarding of the Deming Award of Excellence. He was eventually called back to his native America where he continued to lecture until his untimely death in 1993. He was an icon of American management practices.

This book was very different from other author's quality books, and especially different from what I expected from other books that claimed to speak for Deming. There was no math (for better or worse), no goals of 6 sigma, or 8 sigma, or numerical goals at all. There was no treatment on how to rank employees, but there was a well-written section warning against this practice, and against pay-per-performance. This latter, I found veery believable. There was a good review of the diseases of companies and universities (mostly management diseases) and a clear view of how to deal with them. At the end there was also a treatment of non-management problems: product variation caused by equipment and the like. I found this last section hard to understand. Still, overall I thought I got my money's worth -- more of my money's worth from this book than from the 4 or 5 management books I'd read before.
After reading this book, I bought another Deming book, Out of the Crisis. It was similar though longer and more mathematical -- a plus for me.

"This book is for people who are living under the tyranny of the prevailing style of management," writes Deming in the preface. Deming has strong convictions, many of which are counter to conventional management thinking.

Deming does not believe in ratings and grades. He says performance is mostly attributable to the system in which that person works. "The forces of destruction that come from the present style of reward ... squeeze out from an individual, over his lifetime, his innate intrinsic motivation.... They build into him fear, self-defense, extrinsic motivation. We have been destroying our people from toddlers on through university and on the job. We must preserve the power of intrinsic motivation, dignity, cooperation, curiosity, joy in learning, that people are born with."

Nor does Deming think highly of goals. "Only the method is important, not the goal."

"It is wrong to suppose that if you can't measure it, you can't manage it - a costly myth."

"The customer is not in the pyramid. A pyramid, as an organization chart, thus destroys the system, if ever one was intended." Instead Deming uses flow diagrams.

"With shared responsibility, no one is responsible. Joint responsibility is totally different from divided responsibility... Learning under a teacher is a joint effort between teacher and pupil."

Deming makes the distinction between common causes of variation, and special causes. He quotes Brian Joiner who said, "One necessary qualification of anyone in management is to stop asking people to explain ups and downs ... that come from random variation."

Deming is a legendary name in quality management, especially in Japan through his consulting work with Japanese industry from 1950 onward. He died at age 93 before the second edition of this book went to press.

After reading the "New Economics" by W. Edwards Deming I was very surprised. Mr. Deming's made the book very easy to read and understand. In my case it was the examples that really put things in perspective. "The Red Bead Experiment" was an example that was very good at explaining exactly what it was that, we needed to take away from the example, the difference between common cause and special cause variation. Management should be solely responsible for the well being of the production line. Personally, Deming's did a really good job in describing typical work situations that I personally am aware of. I enjoyed the way he broke everything down into its simplest form. You do not have to be an industrial engineer to understand the message he is trying to convey. The message he is trying to convey is "Team Work" because it is only when every person in the group agrees with each other that everyone can come together for one common purpose. He was very specific in the situation that he believed everything and everyone could work together. In his eyes the hierarchy had to be done away with. There was no one person that was better than the next. This one belief that I have always believed in. I appreciate his train of thought and think that if it could be applied to the small stream businesses it would be extremely effective. It sounds like Deming's was a man of the people because he described every person's job just as important as the next. It sounded like he believed in the chain of command. I enjoyed this book thoroughly and would recommend it to those trying to get a more in-depth feel to what common cause variation and special cause variation really means.

Wow. After 25 years in the quality business I am still not ready to claim I completely 'understand' Deming. He was of course, a brilliant statistician and business optimization theorist . . . but he was also a physicist. His famous quip, "Water turns to ice . . . same molecules. . . what happened?" I finally realize, was his way of speaking to the state change that occurs in a phase transition, the same phenonmeon that occurs when organizations cross over to quality. Deming was the real Superman.

also read Superperformance

I wanted to write and thank Mr. Walker for writing this book. I worked in Healthcare IT and have a master's degree so I've taken lots of tests in my life .... the series 6 is the most difficult I've taken. However with Mr. Walker's material I passed the first time studying only 3 weeks and taking weekends off. He makes very boring material interesting and you will catch yourself laughing out loud sometimes as his humor. If you want to pass the first or next time you take the series 6 this is a must read.

I consider myself kind of a smart guy, but the Kaplan materials made my brain hurt. I was really suffering through my studying. Then along comes this book with tidbits such as this:
"a variable annuity is really just a mutual fund investment that grows tax deferred."

Oh yeah. Now that makes sense. Why couldn't the competitor products state this so clearly? I read page after page of competitor materials and didn't REALLY understand what an annuity was until I read that one simple sentence I quoted above.

This book is full of this sort of thing. Everything explained so you can actually understand it.

Bottom line: I got a 92 on my Series 6. I'm happy I got this guide.

I'm very happy with the book I received. The information is written in clear, understandable terms. The author discusses what is on the series 6 test and uses examples and humor to help with understanding the concepts, as well as, practice tests. I know I will be able to pass the test after reading this book.

I recently decided it was time to pursue a new career in financial services and in order to do so I needed to pass the Series Six. This is not very easy, in fact, I didn't think I could pass. I failed on the first try and figured I needed something that would help someone like me who has never done this stuff and doesn't speak this languge. In the past, I usually tuned out financial talk.
I got a copy of Pass the 6 because it looked like it was in the language I speak..."human." It was, and it was even funny at times too. Guess what? I passed with flying colors today!!!
The book also covers things that will really be on the test. The other book I used on my first try helped me with about 60 percent of the questions that are actually on the test.
The author acutally answered a few of my questions through e-mail. That's a first!!! I've never been able to chat with the author while I'm reading his book. I really got the sense he genuinely wanted me to pass.
Bottom line, this is the one that will get you the 70 or above you need to pass. The others may, but this one will. I knew none of this before and now I feel like Warren Buffett Jr.!!!

I just took the Series 6 yesterday for the first time, and walked out with a piece of paper that said "pass." This would not have been possible without Mr. Walker's book. I got caught in a situation where I had to take the test much earlier than anticipated, and only had about a week of study time. Using nothing else but this book, I studied for and passed the test. I am absolutely convinced my success is due to this book, which not only gives you practice tests, but presents the information in a non-jargon format so you can actually understand and absorb the knowledge.

I recently enjoyed BULLIES, TYRANTS & IMPOSSIBLE PEOPLE
by Ronald M. Shapiro and Mark A. Jankowski so much that I had
to seek out their first book: THE POWER OF NICE . . . and if I had to do it all over again, I'd
probably reverse the order of my reading and read this latter book first.

It gives the background for much of what is taught by the two
authors; i.e., that you should seek to make sure that everybody
wins in negotiations--but you win bigger . . . to do so, you need
to understand the "three Ps," which are described as "preparing better
than the other side; probing so you know what they want and why;
and proposing, ideally without going first and revealing too much."

If you're a sports fan, you'll like the many examples involving
such superstars as Eddie Murray, Kirby Puckett, Cal Ripken,
and Brooks Robinson . . . however, others will be able to relate
to discussions involving President Carter, home purchases
and salary negotiations.

I learned much from this book, including:
* A good negotiation is about dividing the pie so that both sides get a
satisfactory piece. A better negotiation is one that finds a way to grow
the pie (increase revenues, add market share, strengthen resources)
so both sides get a bigger piece. But baseball was playing out the worst
scenario possible. What had been a 2.5 billion dollar pie was actually
shrinking. It had taken decades for it to reach that size and, in a matter
of weeks, it was losing revenue by the millions.

* When people are under pressure, they revert to habits. In order to create
new habits, you need a simple, systematic approach that you can practice
and master. I learned that lesson through skydiving, and I learned it again
and again in negotiation. We do not teach people the 45 best opening
lines or the 75 greatest closing tactics. If you learn it-that is, practice
and master what we preach-when the pressure hits, you'll revert to your
new, learned habit and you'll be a more effective negotiator.

* And this particularly valuable tidbit that I have to put into practice more:
Shh! (That's another secret to negotiation.) People like to talk. Resist
the urge. The other side is human, so they want to talk, too. Encourage
them. Then listen. They're trying to tell you how to make the deal.
Did you ever notice how often the party opposite you thinks what he or she
has to say is more important than what you have to say? That's okay.
Give them a chance and they'll tell you everything you need to know:
What they hope for, what they can move and where they can't. They may
tell you directly or subtly. Ask questions. Listen more. Every moment
you're not talking is an opportunity to learn what it takes to make the
deal. The best negotiators aren't smooth talkers; they're smooth
listeners.

The less you say, the more others will remember. It's simple math.
Say a lot and they're bombarded and overwhelmed. Say a little
and they can retain every word. And, or course, the less you say,
the more you can focus on what they say.

THE POWER OF NICE also presented quotes in each chapter
that pertained to the subject of negotiations, including this
one from Thomas Jefferson that has very quickly become one
of my favorites:

When I'm angry, I count to ten before I speak. When I'm very angry,
I count to one hundred.

That said, I won't even bother doing any counting before recommending
this very informative book to my fellow members of the Negotiations Team
at the college where I teach . . . they'll greatly benefit from it, as will
anybody else seeking insight into what makes others tick when
they want something.

I would imagine that since each of us has different personalities and different likes and dislikes that some would be more inclined toward this book than others. Some like Antigues and some modern furniture. Some love good carb snacks and others a great chocolate bar. Our taste vary, but this book is most probably for everyone.

Becuase while we may differ on what color car we want, or or what type of work we do, we all want to win our negotiations, we all want respect first and we all want appreciation. This book teaches the skill of negotiating in a fair way. Fair like it or not means taking a look at the others prespective as much as we hate to do this. (when you are at a ballgame and the umpire makes a call against the home team 50,000 are booing. Can it be that all of the people on the field saw it one way and the home team and home fans another?

Its human nature to want to be right. And human nature to want to be treated fairly. This is a great read. And will produce better results in your negotiations, withhout burning a bridge, becuase that is not a wise way to live.

First of alll, this isn't the usual kind of book I read. I have not read any of the other "self help" authors, but did pick up on a lot of use from the magazines I read. And there are parts that reminded me of Richard Simmons or Oprah. But it didn't bother me so much to get in a little "niceness". It was refreshing to read about how "nice" can work instead of "mean". I have certainly not know anyone to focus on such before. I picked this up since a friend mentioned how much this book helped them be a better person in their professional life. After reading it I think there's a lot to be said about the power of nice. Nice guys can win... ...and you can be a nice guy and be a winner too.

During my training as a physician, contract negotiations discussions were not part of the curriculum. Such discussions with our staff were, in fact, discouraged, since our only focus should be to learn medicine and take care of patients. Unfortunately, the art and science of negotiations does have a substantial impact in the ability of a professional to maximize benefit in his/her carreer.

This book was my first introduction to this subject. It was easy and fun to read.

During my job search as an anesthesiologist, this book armed me with the tools I needed to confidently negotiate the right position and compensation package.

Becoming a better negotiator is in everyone's best interest so when one of my students recommended Power of Nice, I was pretty excited about ordering it from Amazon and put it in the queue to read. I really enjoyed the stories in this book. Shapiro has been there, done that in some of the biggest and toughest negotiations in the sports world. If you are a baseball fan, it will bring back memories. And I learned more from the stories than anything else.

I have read this book twice, the first time it didn't quite click and I have a theory why. The book's content is pretty good, but the layout is terrible. I just finished reading a book by Addison Wesley press that had at least 4 times the number of facts per page and power of nice and as always the information was laid out professionally; it helps me to absorb the material. There is another thing that is off putting is how the author keeps saying if you follow the principles in this book you'll get better results and more of what you want and similar. Hey, I already bought the book, quite selling. It reminded me of Richard with his Refuse to Lose's 9 principles in Little Miss Sunshine.

Another small problem and then I will start praising the book again. They use a lot of initials, for instance, the three Ps. Everyone who has ever read a business book knows the three Ps are product, price and positioning, but not here. The three Ps in power of nice are prepare, probe and propose.

However, I just came out of a fairly intense negotiation, I had read the entire book once and spent the days before the negotiation preparing. I let the other side propose first, I probed and I proposed. It all worked. So the book was certainly worth the $20.00 I paid for it and much, much more. And I did get better results and more of what I wanted so Shapiro has every write to claim that. I have not read a better book on negotiation, pick it up and deal with the layout already.

This is a very useful book for will be speaker.
The book is very easy to read.
I'll recommend the book.

This is an informative and creative handbook aimed at the occasional to frequent presenter who may be nervous, unpolished, or just looking to improve. Kevin and Cyndi write colorfully, keeping your attention by using stories and short chapters devoted only to a narrow topic, intentionally making it easy to flip to what you need to know right now. The simple fact that they make the best of what could be dry material is enough to convince me that their suggestions have merit.

If your job includes speaking to audiences for the purpose of departing meaningful information, then you must add this book to your list. Every once in a while it is a great idea to polish your skills with the latest and greatest information. "Present like a Pro" is a well structured book that departs from clichés and goes into detail around the art of public speaking - from conquering the butterflies, to really impacting messages that stick!

I had the pleasure to meet Kevin a corporate training day a few week sbefore purchasing the book. I found him to be one of the most relevant, grounded and effective speakers I had ever attended. Once I found he had co-authored this book, I bought it within days.

This book is one of the finer books on public speaking I've ever reviewed. The beauty of it is in it's ability to be used in many ways. For instance, if you just want to hit key chapters relevent to your particular engagement it even offers which ones to read. It also offers a end-to-end approach which I think flows well for those who need a complete point of view in their speaking.

I would take issue with a previous review noting the lack of A\V embesshiments to speaking such as powerpoint... This is a book on building successfull tactics to speaking. It offers key strategies to prepare, connect and flow with your audience.

I have always dreaded speaking myself, not out of phobia, but out of a lack of confidance to think on my feet. This book really identifies why a good presenter has made themselves good and how we can use those same techniques.

I have attended a few "be a better speaker" workshops which focus on a few of the ideas presented here. The difference in this book is in it's completeness and relevence. I will bring it with me to every speach I make from now on.

I bought this book last year based on the reputation of one of the authors. I present about 25 times a year and I found the book very useful. I used a number of tips and techniques immediately with good results. The authors practice what they preach in their writing structure and style, proving the effectiveness of some of their techniques/points.

This book does a great job in analyzing the traits of the great wealth creators. I've read several books on this topic and most of them are very unfocused and biographical instead of focusing on the traits (not the person) and making an argument on why they are important. The book is very well-written and focused and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in what makes these successful people tick.

"Look past the range of the moment, you who cry that you fear to compete with men of superior intelligence, that their mind is a threat to your livelihood, that the strong leave no chance to the weak in a market of voluntary trade. . . . When you live in a rational society, where men are free to trade, you receive an incalculable bonus: the material value of your work is determined not only by your effort, but by the effort of the best productive minds who exist in the world around you. . . ."
(Atlas Shrugged)

If that quotation, by Ayn Rand, hits home with you, you'll love this book by Edwin Locke.

How does one make money morally?

This book is far and away better than books by or about a single CEO because it looks at many leaders and clearly shows what is fundamental, discarding the rest. The same principles needed to run a successful company and build wealth apply whether one runs a modest store or a gigantic enterprise (or even a modest department in a large company). In today's culture most people would rather cut down and sling dirt at those at the top. It is therefore very refreshing to read why they should be admired and how to follow in their footsteps.

The Prime Movers shows us what it takes to be successful in business and in life. This is not a comprehensive study of everything that applies to the topic of becoming a wealth-creator, but the author does a really good job of showing examples of what virtues are possessed by prime movers past and present. He also draws some insightful conclusions about why volition is a key to any success.

Great book for anyone interested in succeeding in becoming an independant thinker and creator.

Ed Locke's _The Prime Movers_ is a fairly detailed and empirical analysis of the traits common to great business leaders. Using businessmen (and women) of the past and present as both positive and negative examples throughout, Locke makes an excellent case that traits such as independent vision, a relentlessly active mind, egoistic passion for work, and love of ability in others are essential for great success in business. (Locke then breaks down each of these traits into subcomponent traits, discussing each in turn.) Despite some painfully Objectivist bits, this book was an inspiring and informative look into what makes the movers and shakers of the economy so successful.

If it didn't say "Harvey Mackay" on the cover, we wouldn't even mention this book, but ol' Swim with the Sharks Harvey is a brand unto himself. Pushing the Envelope is pure Mackay: breezy style, predictable advice, management insights as deep as a puddle. Still, expect it to sell. Mackay, like Zig Ziglar, can move books on name recognition alone.

This latest tome offers 90 chapters of advice on how to improve yourself, outdo the competition, raise expectations, manage effectively, and do it all with flair. When you pack that much living into one slim volume, you can expect each chapter to have maybe a shade more meaning than a fortune cookie. That's not to say that some of the advice isn't sound. It's just that so much of it is insight into the obvious. Take this pearl, for example: "Always let the other side talk first" in a negotiation. OK, fair enough, but what if both of you have read the book?

If nothing else, Mackay is a master of self-promotion. He tells you that to save time you should listen to books on tape and then gives you the phone number for Nightingale Conant, which he calls "the biggest and best" source of them. Well, he doesn't mention it, but Mackay's taped books are a Nightingale Conant staple. Then again, learning to self-promote, network, and connect at every turn is central to his whole rap. He's merely practicing what he preaches about pursuing every opportunity--indeed, running it into the ground.

Mackay does point readers to some really good titles with the oomph his book doesn't have, suggesting The Real Heroes of Business...and Not a CEO Among Them, by Bill Fromm and Len Schlesinger (Currency/Doubleday, 1994), which chronicles 14 employees across the country who provide exemplary service; and Leadership Without Easy Answers, by Ronald A. Heifetz (Belknap Press, 1994), which is indeed one of the best books on leadership written in many years.

To be fair, Mackay can be a hoot, and sometimes that's all you want one of his books for. He can even laugh at his own breed, as he does in a wonderful send-up in chapter 9. Laid out as a screenplay idea that was rejected by his real-life moviedirector son, the chapter describes a befuddled, aging CEO who spouts management wisdom--when he can remember it--to young whippersnappers seeking advice. "Dig your well before you stub your toe...wait a minute, that's not it...," he fumbles. Hilariously accurate.

One of my favorite things to do besides learn about the stock market is read books on starting/running businesses and self help/motivational/inspirational books I find these books to be a relaxing brain stimulant that helps me better myself. I am sure others receive the similar feelings and thoughts from reading material like this.

Pushing the envelope is another great book by Harvey Mackay (he owns an envelope company incase you were wondering.) Like his other books "Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive" and "Beware the naked man who offers you his shirt" Pushing the envelope is choke full of real life tips on how to be better at work, at home and with friends. Hands off to Harvey for he has created another wonderful book.

If you would like to invest in your future I recommend purchasing this book: Pushing the envelope all the way to the top

Reed Floren

I have been a fan of Harvey Mackay since reading Swim with the Sharks. Pushing the Envelope is even better.If you are in business or want to be, read this book and learn from a master..

From Author of "Script Magic: Subconscious Techniques to Conquer Writer's Block: Want to get motivated? Want to do the impossible! You can, with Harvey MacKay as your guide! There are many poignant messages in this book, but the two that touched me the most was the fact that MacKay aimed for and achieved his desires, despite the "odds." And secondly, the subtle message I get from him and his book is that generosity is really the best policy. Tuck it under your pillow at night and read it for inspiration!

Did I read the same book as the rest of these reviews? I like Harvey Mackay and enjoyed Swim With the Sharks, but I thought this book was a fairly simplistic brain dump of cliches and unoriginal thoughts. I do believe Mackay's geniunely decent nature come through and most of the concepts were fairly well presented, but I found very little here I hadn't already heard. I kept thinking to myself that this was Harvey's publisher squeezing out another book under contract. Sorry.