Business Books

I know this book might be a bit outdated but the principles always apply. This book is not only a Networking book but one of the best books I have read on how to setup a computer business. I am a programmer and this book helped me get my business going. Matthew gives very practical, easy-to-follow examples of how to run your networking or software business.

Matthew Strebe is a professional consultant so he knows what he's talking about. Book is full of practical, detailed advice about running your own business. He tells you about taxes, incorporation, deductions,etc. Also a very good section on marketing. He tells you about his experiences with mailers, ads, etc.

Smart. To the point.

Money well spent.

Wow! I wish I would have had this book 4 years ago. A must read for anyone thinking about taking on side-jobs or going out on their own. Not only is this book packed with invaluable information but Matt's sense of humor made reading this book an absolute pleasure. Two big thumbs up from this reader! :)

Book covers the business, legal, technical ends of consulting. I feel greatly enlightened after reading it. It was recommended on the Cisco Newsgroup, and I thank the person that told us about it. After reading it, the book will now stand as a reference for me, especially the fine examples of contracts included. A real book written by a real professional, and not stuffy like technical books from experienced people can be. I have nothing bad to say about the book, but everything good. If you have any inkling to become a consultant, or need to know more to help you make the decision, read and absorb this informative how-to manual. It accomplishes what it is supposed to in a somewhat enjoyable/light touch manner, and there isn't any more to say!

I was heading out on my own in 2001 and my younger brother (also a network engineer) had a copy of this book and gave it to me. He's a fan of Strebe's writing style from other books, and although the unfortunate cover art almost turned him (and I until he explained) away, he bought it.

The book is really pretty useful. For retainers, I use a version of his retainer agreement. However, there are some things that my experience has found are different than his experience.

For example, mailing DOES work. I bet he sent a letter. You don't send just a letter. You send a letter and YOUR BUSINESS CARD. Because out of 1000 businesses, almost nobody might need you right now, but if your card ends up in 20 rolodexes or 50 rolodexes from that mailing, over the course of a year you might get ten calls from that mailing. Calls are worth the $37.00, if that's the formula. Trust me. .... I don't do it every month or even every other month but it does work, and him dismissing it out of hand because he tried it once and didn't get any calls is a little irresponsible.

Another thing is, this book is I'm sure quite true for Matthew Strebe's experience, but if you're doing this in the post-Tech-bubble world, you're going to have to expect that it's going to be harder to find the relationships and big jobs than it was during the years Strebe was gaining his experience as an independent. I'm doing okay, my business is growing SLOWLY but steadily (which is what every entrepeneur I've met and talked to since I started doing this has told me is completely normal) and if you have solid skills like Strebe and I do, you'll prevail eventually and it is worth it.

One other thing I disagreed with is that while it is true you don't want to be buddy-buddy with your customers too much, to the point that you get exploited, the reality is that non-tech type people are a lot more touchy-feely and relationship-oriented and they need to like and trust you because you are carrying the keys to their kingdom and they know it. People can say anything they want about the sales process but the reality is I walk out of a business with a deal or a relationship 100% of the time if I connected as a person with the customer, so they saw me as someone who had the experience and character to be mucking around in their stuff, and about 0% if I didn't. You can't get that by putting up a 100% wall between yourself and your customers. Getting by in this business is less about making "big scores" and more about having successful, long-term relationships where they call you and don't resent your fee because they know you're the best they're going to find. In the 90's it was about "big scores." Not any more, and remember that when you're reading this book. I wouldn't be surprised if Strebe has changed his focus a bit since then, too.

....

There is no one better at spoofing the foolishness of how business is done than Scott Adams in his Dilbert strip. All quality spoofs are based on fundamental truths and Dilbert is no exception. That is of course why the Dilbert web site is one of the sites most frequently blocked by business managers.
While the truth often hurts, in the right hands it can be hilarious and Adams' hands are the right ones when it comes to business. Reading this book may not make your job better, but it certainly will make it more tolerable.

For some reason, I didn't find this book quite as funny as some of Adams' later stuff, but it still gave me some good laughs!

The funniest humor always has a root in reality. . . that's why Dilbert is so hilarious! Though sometimes outlandish, I can sometimes see similarities between the Dilbert characters and people I work with!

Fugitive From The Cubicle Police is a 224-page collection of Scott Adams' hilarious Dilbert cartoons. Dated from 1993 and 1994, these cartoons are from quite early in the Dilbert story. Most of the normal crew is here: Dilbert, Alice (her hair isn't pyramid-shaped yet), Wally, Dogbert, and so forth, but no Catbert. The cartoons themselves appear as they did in your favorite newspaper, with the big Sunday ones printed in bright color!

This book is great, a must-have addition to the library of any Scott Adams fan. And, the finger-puppets make it that much better. This is perhaps the best Dilbert book of them all - buy it!

Scott Adams has talent. That is a fact. His comics, Dilbert, are basically about this engineer who works in a cubicle and has no social life. They're so funny, and have such original characters. Bob the Dinosaur, who basically goes around giving wedgies to people, is probably one of my favourites. I find it very amusing how a lot of characters are animals, like Dogbert, Catbert, Ratbert, etc. It seems so funny, somehow, to incorporate animals into work at an office building.
So, overall, any Dilbert books are incredibly hilarious. Go buy one.

Monkey: Evolution favors monkeys. Eventually humans will be kept in cages as pets...
Dilbert: Impossible! We humans will never allow ourselves to be treated like that! Now, get out of my cubicle!

Dilbert, the mainstay of office-life critical witticisms, is the concept of Scott Adams, who quit his job to write the column, using it primarily to exorcise the demons that haunted him (and, indeed, seem to haunt all in small-to-large corporate America) during his tenure as a mid-level office worker.

In his introduction, he says: 'I was doing some thinking today. But I didn't enjoy it very much, so I decided to write this introduction instead....'

Who can argue with this? This, perhaps in a brief statement, summarises much of the underlying philosophy of the corporate culture Adams presents in his Dilbert column. It certainly epitomises the prevailing attitude of the boss and management structure. And of course, being in charge of his own column, Adams has graduated (or, perhaps sunk) to the level of management.

This book consists of a generous sampling of Sunday columns (complete with colour -- OOOH! AAAH!) -- colour of course being a Dilbert-ian device to disguise the lack of information. Yet, the information here is timely and timeless (insofar as anything about corporate culture can be timeless).

Dogbert's entry into and rising through the hierarchy is a good case in point, where LOUD equals results. After securing a corner office with a window by being LOUD, a task force ripe for empire-building within the company, the budgetary control of his boss, he is invited, at the end of his first week on the job, to meet with the president of the company.

President: You've made quite a name for yourself in the week you've worked here.
Dogbert: It was easy to grab power, once I realised that other executives were just imbeciles with good hair.
President: I hope you don't think that of me.
Dogbert: No, that looks like a toupee from here...

Onward and upward...

Finally Dogbert becomes president, exercises stock options after a disastrous but stock-market-friendly series of initiative plans (of course, they only have to be plans for the stock market to react), and retires to devote himself to philanthropy, which is 'mostly about watching people beg, and having buildings named after me.'

We are introduced to Dilbert's co-workers, who are variously competent and stuck in their jobs, rejoicing the occasional tiny victories, or, more frequently, plotting grand schemes to gain the minor advantage (a few more inches of cubicle space, for instance). We are introduced to incompetent co-workers who get promotions and jobs in other firms with real offices and perks. We discover what kinds of women will date (and dump) Dilbert. Of course, that might have become a bit of a different problem had Dilbert's boss not been corrected in time...

Boss: My boss says we need some eunuchs programmers.
Dilbert: I think he means Unix, not eunuchs. And I already know Unix.
Boss: If the company nurse drops by, tell her I said "Never mind."

Dilbert does sometimes win after all.

Good book, if your looking for furniture deals. Some of the information is not as updated especially websites addresses but there is a lot of great sources in the book.

With this guide, we were able to save 40% over the price at a local Flexsteel dealer for some custom ordered furniture. We wouldn't have known where to order from without the guide. We saved several hundred dollars, offsetting the investment in the book many times over.

I've bought this book twice - it's a must have before you shop for furniture. You save so much money the book really doesn't cost you anything. It will make you an informed shopper when buying furniture. Kimberly tells you what brands are sold where, and the discount you can expect. Information on stores to visit, stores to just call in your order, or stores to avoid are given - saving both time and money. Four years ago I wanted a sofa from a not so well known manufacturer and this book gave the info on the one place that carried that brand. I saved so much time and money, and knew what to expect when buying.

She also has a website referenced in the book that provides the lastest updates to the book, as well as comparing some prices, and lots of other great information. There is also very helpful information regarding purchasing fabrics for decorating.

Don't shop without it!

The author details many stores, their policies, pricing, shipping and product selection.

Have not actually travelled to NC yet, but plan to in October. This book is very helpful in planning the trip and deciding where to go. It's exactly what the description is and I'm sure will be very useful.

I have listened to this book several times. Zig Ziglar is just wonderful teacher. This is a short book for all intents and purpose but it will give you a solid starting point for why we need goals and how to get going with them.

Mr. Ziglar is simply amazing. He is consistently motivating, inspirational, and right on in all that he says and writes. Truly a national treasure. Every bit of his offerings help me to do, as he says, "what I ought to do when I ought to do it", so that I will be able to do "what I want to do when I want to do it."

I have purchased other Zig tapes and really enjoy them. I thought this was going to be something new. It's not. It is the same stories all over again. I also do not recommend the CD if you are going to be using it as a car audio. CDs can't just stop, be ejected so you can listen to something else, and put back in like a tape can.

Everyone in the world needs to read or listen to what Zig has to say on Goals. Everyone in the world needs to set goals, oh what a better world this would be.

A must read/listen.

This is truly an excellent audio which has been worth many times its price to me. I have listened to it literally hundreds if not thousands of times over the last twenty years and it has helped me in my life to be successful in a variety of positions, through career transitions, etc.

In this tape, Zig Ziglar uses stories, reasearch nuggets and powerful metaphors to drive home his points in an extremely powerful way. He is very present when he speaks and the tape is not only informative, it is funny and entertaining.

This is a perfect tape to listen to over and over again while you are commuting. This is how I used it for many years. As a personal growth coach who does a large amount of public speaking, workshops and one-on-one coaching -- I feel I am in a good position to judge the merit of what is out there.

Zig is a Christian and this might not go over well with some audiences. However, he doesn't push this agenda, but he does at different points use some illustrations that come from the bible. For example, in one section he quotes the bible about money saying, "he who seeks silver, will never be satisfied with silver" and goes on to explain how you can never have enough money, UNLESS the money has you. I think that's a very wise statement and it's not money itself that is bad, but how you use it. The point he seems to be making is that are you a good steward of your money, which I think it a relevant point that requires guts to make in the current business environment. In fact, I would suggest it's an essential point.

Cognitively, I probably knew most of what was in this audio. However, I know it differently now at a deeper level because of using it. This tape is done in such a way that the ideas sink in deeply and become a part of you. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Also, in addition to working in psychology, I was also a marketing person for Xerox when they were Fortune 25. I went through their International Center for Management Development and won their Team Xerox Spirt Award. The point of me sharing this is that I know what it takes to train sales and marketing people and I recognize a good and practical resource when I come across it. I don't think you can go wrong with this audio, especially at the price they are offering it at.

Compiles good examples of how several companies have changed their ways of doing business so as to survive and lead in an environment where the customers, shareholders and authorities have ever growing awareness of environmental issues.

Esty and Winston seem to be a perfect duo to write this book. Together they have a very strong and complementing background, ranging from experiences in academics and government to green and strategy consulting. The result is a book that has the right balance of theory and practice. While many books on green business only focus on the bright side, Esty & Winston are more realistic. They admit that not every business policy leads to win-win situations and describe the main fallacies, therewith making their book more "complete". The book is very easy to grasp through clear structures, concise business maps and numerous examples of S&P 100 firms. Furthermore, the latter ensures that you'll remind the book's message every time you'll order a cup of coffee at Starbucks or a meal at McDonald's.

The first 70% of the book is most interesting. After that, Esty and Winston start repeating concepts as well as business cases. Although the discussed cases are strong and helpful, Esty and Winston refer to the same companies over and over again, while forgetting about many other so called "WaveRiders". I'm wondering what the book would have been like if they had picked another set of front running firms to shed light on. They could probably fill a complete second book with it, so who knows..

I have revisited this book a number of times since I read it last year. It is a good resouce in understanding the benefits and dangers of going green.

Excellent breakdown of the drivers for companies to go green. Also excellent analyses of strategies used by the corporate world to achieve their goals with green programs. Many examples of what worked and what didn't work.
Great reading!

This is a great book! The information presented is very useful. I have also heard both authors speak at conferences. They have a great message and convey it clearly.

After spending a night in a 3,308 square foot model home, McGinn says, "...if I really lived here, my house wouldn't look as good. While I admire the decorating scheme, my family isn't likely to have $90,000 to spend on interior design, so we'd probably have the same furniture that's in our existing house. So in a way the model seems aimed at selling me a dream I couldn't possibly make true." (page 73, Currency Doubleday @2008 1st edition)

If you have used the internet to get the scoop on the housing values of everyone on your Christmas card list, are a serious HGTV watcher, or try to guess the selling price of every house with a "For Sale" sign out front - you may have "house lust", the termed coined by McGinn for America's obessions with everything about the home, interiors to time shares to property values. But do our dreams match the reality of what we are likely to attain?

Attempting to answer this question, McGinn tours the McMansions of the high end market, inquires into the appeal of time shares, speaks with renovators and real estate investors, attends a Carleton Sheets seminar, and even gets his own real estate license as he investigates the how the American Dream of home ownership has become elevated into a desire for the perfectly beautiful abode that is also an incredibly lucrative deal.

Statistics are buffered by Mcginn's neighborly tone as he wonders should the average person consider real estate a good investment, or are we all involved in some kind of mass delusion? While acknowledging real estate's hold on the imagination, even his own, he also researches the probable paybacks of real estate investments and how close the reality is to our dreams. This is a fun book and if you are a fellow "house lust" sufferer you will delight in the chance to peer unabashedly into other people houses with such an informed agent.

In House Lust, Newsweek's Daniel McGinn travels the country to explore the roots of American's Obsession with their homes. Even as the real estate boom has turned to bust, Americans remain obsessed with houses, and at least at the time that this book was written, many people were still trading up, adding on, or buying vacation property.

For others, this zeal for housing has carried a painful price, one that's evident in the soaring foreclosure rates and mounting despair as millions of homeowners (and their lenders) realize they've stretched too far to buy the home of their dreams.

This book is an entertaining look at the house lust of Americans. I like that the author reminds the readers that he is one of those Americans he writes about in this book. This is not just poking fun, it serious as well as the author explores the sociological and psychological relationship between Americans and their homes.

RECOMMENDED

Do any of the following describe you?

You TiVo design and "realty reality" shows on HGTV.

You sometimes scan the real estate listings in the newspaper or online even though you're not looking to buy a new house.

You pore over home renovation magazines on a regular basis.

You have ever Zillowed your neighbors, your friends, or yourself.

You use Zillow as a verb.

I'm afraid I'm five for five on this list. According to Newsweek journalist Daniel McGinn, that means I have succumbed to the neurasthenia of our age: house lust.

In this light, engaging book, McGinn treks across America to examine our fascination with real estate. People have always felt a certain attachment to their bricks and mortar, but McGinn says that Americans have taken house lust to a whole new level in the last decade. One especially interesting chapter explores the rise of HGTV, the improbable network that builds hit shows by capitalizing on people's determination to keep up with the Joneses. We learn the interesting fact in the book that the flagship show House Hunters saw its ratings soar several years ago when the network tweaked the formulaic format just a bit: now, viewers can see exactly how much each prospective home costs. Apparently voyeurism isn't nearly as much fun if we can't imagine ourselves in each of these houses, and that involves the comparisons that are made possible by knowing the price the Joneses are about to pay.

Another chapter explores Americans' drive to renovate and improve our homes--even now that values are tanking and it no longer makes as much financial sense. The book looks at the personal (and relational) cost of renovation, with new kinds of counselors practicing "renovation therapy" to help couples through the stress. (It's a little hard to weep for these folks.) And even in the age of Home Depot and the DIY ethic, the percentage of people who hire out the work has risen to 60%. Apparently we like watching DIY shows a whole lot more than we like actually doing to work of renovation.

What's nice about the book (in addition to the fact that McGinn is such a sharp writer) is that just when he gets critical and a little preachy, he confesses to his own house lust. While researching a chapter on rental properties, and hearing stories of how other middle-class people were receiving steady income from rental properties in other states, the Massachusetts-based McGinn plunked down about $60,000 to buy a run-down apartment building in Pocatello, Idaho, ignoring many red flags that the property had BAD IDEA written all over it. And in one of the book's most eye-opening sections, he takes a weekend realty class and emerges two days later a bona fide real estate agent. It seems that in most states, anyone who can drive through a neighborhood and talk on a cell phone at the same time can qualify to be a real estate agent. Whether they can actually make a living at it, however, is another story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to all fellow renovators, HGTV addicts, closet Zillowers, and house lusters everywhere. The first step is admitting that we have a problem.

A longer version of this review can be found at The Review Revolution:
http://janariess.typepad.com/reviews/2008/08/the-new-nationa.html

In his 2004 book "Boomer Nation: The Largest and Richest Generation Ever And How It Changed America" Steve Gillon refers to a rather surprising observation from Paul Begala, hardly a conservative Republican, who opined that "baby boomers are the most self-centered, self-seeking, self-interested, self-absorbed, self-indulgent, self aggrandizing generation in American history." You will get no argument from me there and I was born in 1951! You remember the boomers don't you? These were the disaffected young people who were marching in the streets in the late 1960's. Well, a funny thing happened on the way to retirement. Millions of baby boomers have developed a condition that author Daniel McGinn refers to as "House Lust". And the epidemic is spreading to younger generations as well.
What are the symptoms of "House Lust"? If you are spending more than a few hours each week watching HGTV you are likely coming down with this highly contagious affliction. I hear that shows like "House Hunters", Designer's Challenge", "Flip This House" and "What You Get For The Money" can be extremely addicting. Daniel McGinn points to the meteoric rise in the popularity of HGTV over the past decade as a major factor in the real estate craze we have all experienced. Suddenly you realize that you are living in the wrong neighborhood or that your house just doesn't cut it anymore. Another symptom of "House Lust" is an aversion to anything small, outdated or used. Many of those in the market for a house today are looking for a home at least 3 or 4 times the size of the houses they grew up in. They also want homes loaded with just about every amenity imaginable. Daniel McGinn goes on ad nauseum about the myriad of options available to buyers today. Have you heard those commercials on the radio explaining how much happier life will be if you install new Corian counter tops in your kitchen? And then there is the debate about buying a brand new home as opposed to purchasing an existing dwelling and renovating. You will learn the pros and cons of each of these options. Perhaps the most disturbing thing I read in "House Lust" is the story of Dr. Debi Warner, the "Renovation Psychologist" hailing from the great state of New Hampshire. Dr. Warner has evidently carved out a niche for herself assisting embattled couples as they navigate the difficult road of home renovation. Renovating can be s-o-o-o stressful! Apparently there is a TV show in the works as well! In the latter chapters of "House Lust" there is much practical information to he had about other issues surrounding the housing industry. You will learn why so many individuals take a shot at a career in real estate and why so many of these folks drop out of the business after just a short time. McGinn also explores the issues surrounding vacation homes and time-shares. Finally, Dan McGinn examines the pros and cons of investing in real estate. I was quite surprised to learn how many people purchase investment properties they have never seen in states that are hundreds or even thousands of miles away. Sounds awfully risky to me.
At the end of the day I found "House Lust: America's Obsession With Our Homes" to be a fairly well-written and pretty informative book. Yet much of the subject matter greatly disturbs me. More than once I found myself muttering "What the heck were these people thinking?" when reading about some of the obscene amounts of money that people are willing to spend on building and renovating their homes. I hate the conspicuous consumption that seems to be in evidence everywhere you turn these days. And as author Robert Putnam so aptly points out in his seminal book "Bowling Alone" we all pay a price for such self absorption. Clearly, civic participation is at an all-time low as people withdraw from the public square and retreat into their not so humble abodes. It would appear that a growing number of us seem perfectly willing to sit back and "let the other guy do it." As their numbers continue to dwindle, once vibrant civic and religious organizations like the Elks, Knights of Columbus and the American Legion to name but a few are struggling to survive. Our communities are the big losers because many of the volunteer services that once were provided by these organizations have either totally disappeared or have had to be assumed by the government. Another extremely disturbing trend is that political parties are finding it more and more difficult to attract talented people to run for political office.
In the final analysis the American constitution guarantees each one of us the "freedom to be foolish". People who choose to spend outlandish sums on their homes should do so at their own risk. If things go awry these people have no right to expect the government to bail them out. Perhaps the painful lessons we are learning today will help to us all to curb our appetites just a bit in the future. "House Lust" is a great way to get up to speed on these fascinating issues. Recommended.

I really enjoyed this book. It is extremely easy to read, has adequate footnotes for those who want to further explore any of the topics which the author covers, and in my opinion it incredibly accurately captures the fascination/interest/obsession (and yes, even lust) of many of us have for all aspects of activity regarding our homes (and those of our neighbors and even strangers). Whatever the reason (idle curiosity, planning a move, determination of the value of your own home, interest in renovations), if you often peruse the weekly real estate section of your local paper, visit open houses just for the heck of it, often mentally decide how you would renovate or redecorate a home that you are visiting, can't resist checking out the neighborhoods where you vacation with the thought that it might be nice to have your own getaway abode there, or have graduated from watching THIS OLD HOUSE on PBS to being able to recite from memory the most watched shows on HGTV, this book is definitely for you.

Dan McGInn is a national correspondent for Newsweek. He has spent several years covering many aspects of the real estate boom that eventually assumed bubble type characteristics and is now undergoing the inevitable hangover of a correction, which will hopefully not morph into a crash. The tone and style of the book is illustrated by his examination of the traditional competition and envy (not confined to real estate), which he describes in his opening chapter about the Toll Brothers' subdivision in Potomac Maryland, aptly titled "Mine's Bigger than Yours". Other randomly selected chapters include commentary on such topics as "Fix-up Fever", the seemingly favorite neighborhood pasttime in some communities of remodeling cum expansion, and the whole mystique of often little used vacation homes that are usually very uneconomic investments despite their frequent justification on that basis. Included in that discussion is a very interesting overview of the operation of the timeshare industry for the uninformed such as myself, as well as the recently introduced luxury vacation option known as destination clubs (as epitomized by Exclusive Resorts, the largest).

McGinn has a keen eye and an engaging style; as the title of my review states, I not only found a lot of educational material (admittedly much anecdotal, but a lot of hard facts as well), but I also really had fun reading this book (as it appeared that he did writing it). So if you are a chronic addict with HOUSE LUST that cannot be cured, you will probably relate to much of the material in this book. But even for the more casual hobbyist (who can change the dial and for whom HOUSE HUNTERS is not "appointment television"), the new terminology alone to which you are introduced is worth the time and price of the book. One example - in Las Vegas a new home is as much a status symbol as a new car, and what is in other parts of the country simply considered an existing home being sold is for many individuals in that area a "used home" which carries as much of a second hand stigma as a used car. Other interesting topics include the monogamous vs. polygamist vacationers (as well as "staycationers"), renovation hell, home location "splitters", the risqué practice of "house humping' (I had no clue), as well as lots of insider lingo and shorthand.

He also touches on the topic of how technological innovations are changing both our lifestyles and our homes, and has a fascinating compilation of statistics regarding the growth in size of our residences over the past few decades. Finally, to complete his research he takes the local exam to obtain his real estate license and provides some insights into the profession of realtor as well.

My goal in writing this review has been to provide an intriguing overview of how successful McGinn has been in capturing in an extremely entertaining manner the quest surrounding what for many Americans is a (and perhaps the) central element of their pursuit of the American Dream, a home of their own (and then- the renovations and subsequent additions, and later a vacation home, etc., etc.) I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.

Thank you, Catherine Seda for providing us with simple yet powerful SEO Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing Tips that WORK!

My copy of Seda's "How to Win Sales & Influence Spiders" looks like a college text book after 3 semesters: it is heavily bookmarked, with a bounty of scribbling and highlighting! Almost every page has a practical tip worth the nothing and applying. A full 10 chapters and 186 pages of SEO and Internet marketing content for about the price of 5 Caramel Macchiatos - what a deal!

I appreciate the author's successful attempt at creating a fluid "flow" from topic to topic, and chapter to chapter. It makes for easy reading, although I DO admit that I find myself stopping SO often to re-read and highlight the MANY useful and practical tips that are so generously littered all over this book!

Case studies and interviews with real clients and tech gurus make for interesting and captivating reading. Very authentic - and very effective! I ALWAYS want to know whether OTHERS have found the tips effective. These case studies/interviews are great testimonials!

I recommend Catherine Seda's "How to Win Sales & Influence Spiders"! It's a five-thumbs-up read and has ALREADY helped me gain traction in my own SEO and internet marketing efforts!

I liked this book. It covers Internet marketing in a pretty thorough manner. There's material about online public relations or reputation and credibility building. And there's coverage of online advertising. The book is split into two parts and ten chapters as follows:

I. Using public relations for longterm success (Chapters 1-5)
II. Making online advertising profitable for your business (Chapters 6-10)

1. Winning the SEO battle
2. Leveraging articles for the Web
3. Blogging for business
4. Networking in social media
5. Broadcasting your message
6. Connecting through email
7. Unleashing an affiliate force
8. Maximizing pay-per-click
9. Reaching out through contextual advertising
10. Targeting shopping communities

The book is well written and outlined pretty well. I'm not sure chapters 6 and 10 belonged in Part II, but who knows? And I'm not sure it is possible to UNLEASH an affiliate force (Chapter 7). But who knows? I would have liked the book better if chapters 1-6 and 10 had been included in the main body of the book. And the advertising and referral fee stuff were included in a short appendix section or saved for another book.

I think chapters 2, 3, and 5 were intimately related. And I would have kept them together instead of breaking them up by inserting Chapter 4 as the author did. And Chapter 5 (podcasting) could have been split into two chapters with one being about streaming audio and the other being about streaming video. 4 stars!

Catherine Seda's presentation of information is enjoyable and most of all understandable. Whether you have been in the website development space for 15 years or 15 months she delivers the information in a manner which enables you to grasp and then implement it. I found that she confirmed what I knew and then gave me some new tactics and strategies that I am employing now for the first time. I highly recommend this book to both web savvy individuals and those just beginning.

The book has very helpful, up to date tips for website optimization and traffic generation for the beginner and intermediate audience. I would recommend it.

Just when I was ready to wipe the dust off of my Internet Marketing Books to "brush up" from just a year ago, out comes this book.

After reading this book, I realize now that my "other" books seem antiquated. I have no need for them now as "Win Spiders" has introduced me to the next generation of Web Buzz and Marketing.

Catherine Seda really has her finger on the pulse as this book opens your eyes to what is working now and what is not working.

If your not using these techniques this book teaches, your behind the eight ball. I would like to see a full blown "course" from the author as I will be the first in line to own it. Great Job !!

This book does an excellent job in teaching the keys of IT sales. The author has worked for Novell and other big technology companies, and he reflects that with good examples of several sales situations during the negotiation phase. You should have this if you want to achieve million dollar quotas.

There's also another book out there called "How To Sell Technology" by a guy called DiModico. It's ok for people with no experience in sales that want explanations of the basic sales processes, people types and all that stuff. Best wishes for your sales careers.

This book does an excellent job in teaching the keys of IT sales. The author has worked for Novell and other big technology companies, and he reflects that with good examples of several sales situations during the negotiation phase. You should have this if you want to achieve million dollar quotas.

There's also another book out there called "How To Sell Technology" by a guy called DiModico. It's ok for people with no experience in sales that want explanations of the basic sales processes, people types and all that stuff. Best wishes for your sales careers.

I've been in sales for 15 years. I'm a learner and I've read many of the books and been to the popular seminars on sales (Strategic Selling, Selling Solutions etc.). I just got into the IT sales field last year and highly recommend this book. This book is a solid, no-hype approach to complex selling. It gives me a blueprint to follow, it's very accurate for today's technology challanges and I found it easy to read as well! I usually don't recommend stuff but this book is a real "secret" weapon.

Recently I had the opportunity to interview for a sale position with a much respected software company. A few days before the interview I had just finished reading I.T. Sales Boot Camp. The concept and fundamental ideals of selling in an I.T. arena that were taught and express in the book enabled me to land the job. I believe that the knowledge that I gain from I.T.Sales Boot Camp made the different in my interview.

As opposed to most "hot new" sales approaches which focus on changing your personal style, this book does a great job of providing a strategic step-by-step plan from A-Z. It's void of fluff and gets right to the point of outlining the nuts and bolts of the process including pre-sales planning, performance tracking, maintaining growth, and writing proposals. It's worth reading in general and especially for those migrating into tech sales.

As someone in the business of helping others and teaching how to survive life and business, after reading the book I realize maybe I do not follow directions as well as I should. I consider this an instruction book for other consultants and coaches to help balance their life and business. This book was packed with excellent information and was a "one plane trip read". Those that travel know what I mean.
Highly recommended read for anyone that has the energy, passion and commitment to reach their own level of success. Also a must for storing on your desk for easy reference..

Dr. Joel Freeman has granted unprecedented access to some of the best kept entrepreneurial secrets. His candor, honesty and humility are woven into the fabric of each page. Dr. Freeman's genuine love for people shines through, as he opens his own archive of personal experiences to assist those that are brave enough to start their own enterprise. I encourage every budding business owner to utilize this book as an instrument of change for business and for life.

Damon Denson
Former Professional Athlete
DamonDenson.com

Wow!! What a tremendous resource. An entrepreneur's bible: the greatest investment you could make in yourself.

Roy E. Chitwood, CSP, CSE
President
Max Sacks International
[...]

I am a professional life and business coach for young adults in life transitions. I also operate the Young Adult Crisis Hotline for young adults transitioning in various stages of life. I have used this book to coach young adults through the mountain passes of life's difficult transitions. I also have been using this book in various ways to teach practical entrepreneurship to individuals who want to start their own businesses or who are self-employed as a professional life Coach. It is practical and has easy to follow steps that empower people to know how to work not only hard but smart.

Personally, this book has radically revolutionized the non-profit I founded and operate daily. I took the book apart section by section. Practically applied numerous chapters to the non-profit's marketing and promotional department. We have grown in one year from a local crisis hotline to a national crisis hotline for young adult in difficult life transitions who have life controlling problems. Before using If Nobody Loves You Create the Demand we averaged only six calls a month, now we have sometimes a thousand calls a month nationally, write daily articles on our blog, and still applying learned principles from this book. We operate our non-profit on a shoestring budget and the steps that this book suggested we applied vigorously in promoting our purpose. It was and continues to be a of jolt great wisdom for our organization and the clients that we recommend weekly to read the book for personal growth and development. We are looking forward to the upcoming workbook that will be released soon.

Thank you for contributing to the many young adults who comment "If Nobody Loves You Create the Demand: is amazing road map of entrepreneurship."

[...]

Thanks,
Teddy Awad
Certified Mental Health Professional
Young Adult Crisis Hotline
[...]

This is not just another mediocre motivational book with grandiose theories, but this is one of the most practical books I have ever read for entrepreneurs. Although I have been in business for years, this book is still very helpful to me. Many of the ideas in this book can be put to use immediately, and I have already started applying some of the things I have read. From a business and marketing standpoint, this book is a great tool for the new entrepreneur or for the more experienced person in business. In the book, Joel Freeman is very generous in sharing many of the practical secrets to success he has learned over the years, so the reader gets a wealth of knowledge.

In a nutshell, this book provided ideas, strategies, and mechanisms to take the next big step beyond what others are doing. This book differentiates KM software applications to categorize information from the very human activities needed to create the innovative enterprise. When everyone has implemented KM..how do we create an ability to outperform competition? Some key thoughts and ideas are presented in this book. Always worth going back to for some inspiration.

I am truly mystyfied how this book could get 5 stars from almost all readers. There is no method to it. It is just a collection of random statements praising the importance of knowledge management (frequently also author's company). While most of the opinions cited in this book are undoubtedly true, almost nothing of practical significance follows.

An extraordinary book, with a comprehensive knowledge management review and fresh topics. Ideal for advanced readers in KM topics and the Innovation Process. Don't lose this reading.

Subsequent to the massive investments in such consulting fads, tools and initiatives as 'right sizing', 'process re-engineering', IT infrastructure, 'so called' knowledge-management, etc., etc... many enterprises around the globe are reeling from the unrealized gains and often harmuful effects stemming from these activities... and as being painfully exposed by the so called 'New Economy'. In this regard, many of these same people and entities responsible for such 'Tayloristic', fragmented and myopic activities are scrambling to find the most recently espoused solutions, tools and gimmicks to prop-up lackluster results, and in many cases, just to survive. In response, a plethora of authors, consultants and media-sellers are happy to fill the market with products and services that are, once again, proclaimed to be the "real truth".

If you are adamant in your belief that the ability to create a successful life, career, enterprise, or even nation, is contingent upon one's ability to manage and control those persons, entities and resources within their 'shpere of influence' in the spirit of head-to-head competition... please do not bother to purchase this book for yourself. Simply forward a copy to a dear friend, loved one or colleague who is in search of true enlightenment and is worthy of the timeless truths and wisdom inherent in this great work.

To her merit, Ms. Amidon has effectively researched, synthesized and articulated both the 'hows' and 'whys' anyone truly desiring a prosperous and sustainable future for themselves, their families and enterprises, and yes, even their country and the world at large, can accomplish such worthy endeavors. To this end, Ms. Amidon's work does not serve up a conjured 'solution', but simply sheds light on the simulatneously complex and yet simple truth.... that to successfully and conscientiously seek sustainable success in a dynamic and choatic environment.... one must nurture, lead and inspire others to collaboratively and holistically allign themselves to seek the continuous identification/measurement, synthesis and application/diffusion of all their combined tangible and intangible assets e.g., intellectual, social and financial capital. In a curt phrase with no intended disrespect... "It's innovation stupid."

When I first read Innovation Strategy for the Knowledge Economy in 1998, I was amassing a large library of KM books. I had accomplished a similar effort in the mid-80's on the subject of innovation. Because of the relatedness of these two efforts, I grasped rather quickly the importance Debra Amidon was placing on innovation--my ken was clear. I believed she was and is, more than figuratively speaking, on the money.

From the beginnings of the focus on KM, there has consistently been the challenging people/technology dichotomy. Amidon's perspective on innovation provides an extremely insightful focus on a third dimension in the core KM picture--process. Debra Amidon obviously had enough grounding in both the people and technology domains of knowledge activities that she intuitively values the innovation issue.

The American culture and economy has always been fueled by high capacity for innovation. While we have kept the pace, other nations are increasing their innovation quotient. Now, in a new knowledge era, Debra Amidon is offering advanced ways to leverage innovation. Much of what she presents seems familiar, nevertheless, the way she weaves it all together and the new elements she presents takes innovation to a new level in the enterprise. For me, this book becomes more valuable each year, particularly as we find that the nature of innovation in our enterprises becomes more complex with higher stakes than ever.