Business Books

If you are looking to become more of an influential person, then this book is perfect for you. This is by far one of the best books I have read on persuasion (and I have read quite a few). If I were you I would buy this book right now. Also another quality book on persuasion is "The Art Of Woo." Get this one as well and then review both often, take notes, and underline the good stuff. This will ultimately allow you to achieve your goal of becoming more persuasive, which we all know is vital if you desire success in life.

Thus far it is a fairly good book. I am into the third chapter now, and I can say there are quite a few thoughts in the book which turn a light on. good read id say. i look foward to finishing it up.

I love this book and recommend it. It is an easy read, but more importantly the book touches on the basics of persuasion and gives the reader a better understanding of how, where, and what to focus on in order to be persuasive. Truly enjoyable book!

Dave Lakhani has done it again! Get this book today and it will immediately change your life-- your life does need changing, doesn't it?
It is loaded with practical, you-can-use-it-right-now tips for all situations where you want the other party to come to the correct conclusion which happens to be yours.
Also, see Dave's book Power of an Hour. A great book as well.
No, I'm not related to him.
Happy persuading!
Robert Mimm, Wesley Chapel, FL

I am actually reviewing the audiobook from audible.com, but I enjoyed this book so much that I am going to be ordering the physical book for quick reference purposes. Dave Lakhani really has a wealth of information and understanding of how to help people improve their ability to persuade others effectively. This is currently the first book I recommend to others looking for a way to improve their persuasion and selling skills and I expect it to remain my first recommendation for a long time.

There are many well known techniques for developing new ideas; however, producing high-quality and effective ideas is not always so straightforward. Jack Foster provides effective methods for producing valuable ideas in a very enjoyable book packed with examples, applicable stories, real world applications and a good deal of humor.

The advertising/marketing field is among the most idea intensive industries requiring a steady supply of inspiration for mere survival in the profession. Foster details his numerous experiences in advertisement agencies as well as his management roles in marketing firms providing significant insight on how ideas are formed for profit in the business world. Foster and his associates have often had to dig deep to continuously develop high-quality ideas and he shares the tactics and devices that proved most effective.

This book is not long and can be read in short order, but do not let this fool you; the content is packed with many useful tidbits on generating ideas that if put into practice will have your mind actively producing effective ideas at once. There is no doubt if you are just searching for a better way, are stuck in a rut, or looking for that life changing idea, then this book will be an asset.

This is a really good book. It was entertaining to read while also educational. The first edition came out in 1996 I think, and this edition just came out earlier this month. The new edition has two new chapters, 5 and 8, which were added because readers thought the information they contain was missing from the first edition.

The book is split into two parts. The first part covers 10 ways you can "search for ideas." And it is by the far the longer of the two parts. The second part explains the five steps of how to get ideas:

1. Define the problem
2. Gather the information
3. Search for the idea
4. Forget about it
5. Put the idea into action

Theoretically, I suppose, the book could have been set up so the second part was actually the first. And the first part could have been relegated to the end. I say this because the first part is really just an expansion of the "third step" of the five steps.

I enjoyed the humor, the quotes, and the stories included in the author's discussion regarding 10 ways to search for ideas. And thus it made perfect sense to me why he put that material at the front of the book. I read the book to see if it would have some practical use to my SCORE clients who are wanta-be entrepreneurs and small business owners. I think there is a practical use, and I recommend that my clients and similarly situated people read this book. It will help them create their business plans and revamp those plans as time passes. 5 stars!

This book is a great book to read, the best thing it includes are quotes of famous people, which are mainly funny. Personally I do not believe that this book provided me with any new ways or measures of thinking to get more ideas, it's more of a different theories of people on how to think!!!!

If you are interested in having a good read buy this book, but don't put your hopes up high......

I tend to be skeptical of titles suggesting easy answers to broad problems, but darned if this one doesn't really deliver! Foster's guidelines often fall into the category of "That's pretty obvious, why didn't I think of it?". And therein lies its real beauty: his suggestions are practical, accessible, workable, and often downright ingenious. And not at all limited to his field of advertising.
Furthermore, the book is a delightfully entertaining read. That man can write!

"Albert Einstein said his best ideas came to him while he was shaving," Jack Foster writes in "How to Get Ideas" (2nd ed.). When I read that line, what could I do? I put the book down for a moment and went to shave.

That's about the only time I stopped reading though, and you won't be able to put it down either. For boosting creativity, this book is a lifesaver.

Foster's advice is simple -- have fun, think like a child again, open your mind to new possibilities -- but not necessarily obvious. Most of us do the same old things and think in the same old ways. Foster aims to help us spot these unhelpful patterns, then break out with easy-to-follow tips and stimulating exercises.

And anecdotes. Foster draws on decades of experience as a top creative hand in major advertising agencies, where he encountered guys and gals driven by curiosity -- people who found out how much a ten-gallon hat will hold (three-quarters of a gallon) and how many times per day an African elephant will defecate (16). Illustrating how to solve a problem by stepping around it, Foster tells the story of the woman who solved the slow-elevator problem in her building -- by mounting mirrors in the lobby. (How did she do it? See P. 134.)

You'll discover how to overcome the fears that keep you from thinking creatively ... easy ways to gather information ... combining unrelated facts for new ideas ... the five steps for getting great new ideas ... and how to put them to work for YOU.

You'll finish reading "How to Get Ideas" in an hour or two. But you'll benefit from its advice for the rest of your life.

This is a great book and it came in two days - way earlier than we anticipated! Good shape , great product!

This is a fascinating look at how people all over the world live. My children have enjoyed thumbing through it, & our realtor gives it out as gifts to his clients! A unique project indeed.

This book was created from pictures taken in the early 90's, so it is s bit dated, especially in the more developed nations. Things like computers and other tech is obviously missing. I know that many destitute Africans now even have cell phones, not shown here. Otherwise, this is a great book and is very educational. After reading it, I got to wondering what my possesions on the street would look like...

I thoroughly have enjoyed this book, looking at the people from around the world and their possessions and realizing how different I live from another. It was amazing to see each family so proud, of either how little they have or how much they have, and to have all that they own on display (from in the dead of winter to floating on a boat!).

This book is absolutely a wake-up call for many people out there who think they don't have enough! Beautifully put together. Outstanding.

I first saw this book at an airport bookstore. After reading the summary I instantly purchased this book to read on the plane. The moment I start reading it kept me moving to the next page, next page, next page.
The story is moving! Great book. Another suggestion is The Dream - a self-made entreprenur who made millions during his teenage life. Very inspiring! Refreshing to mind too.

Enjoy reading.

Sarala
email: sarala1jan@yahoo.com

As another reviewer said, this is one of the most inspiring books I have ever read. If you are in a job that is not that fulfilling, but you're afraid of making the leap, Wood's journey from Microsoft to the non-profit sector will be educational. If you are happy with your job, but just want to make your job inspiring, Wood's lessons from Microsoft that he applied to Room To Read will show you ways to do that, too. Thank you, John, for writing such a heartfelt memoir of your emotional journey.

This book is a must have, I have recommended to all my friends and family. Kudos to the Author for publishing such a wonderful book.

Namaste John. Kasto Cha??

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

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

This book establishes a set of basic principles for investing and, to a lesser degree, personal finance. The authors propose the principles, explain them, illustrate them and show you how to apply them.

The book glances on non-investment personal finance topics including adopting a net worth mindset, emergency funds, estate planning, and insurance. The insurance chapter was very valuable and exposed several fallacious rationalizations people apply to insurance purchase decisions.

The meat of the book is investing. Investing is covered in great detail, including in-depth descriptions of various investments, how they work, and how (or if) you should use them. The coverage of the effect of taxes on your investments is detailed and invaluable. The costs of investing are examined, and when you know where to look, you may find some nasty surprises in your current investments, especially your 401k plan!

The entire book is highly opinionated, and I found that refreshing. The authors know what they're talking about, have a good idea of what the average person saving for retirement needs to do, and never fail to call it the way they see it. The writing style is fact-based advice, with humorous sayings sprinkled about, and is best described as "grandfatherly."

The chapter on behavioral economics was an eye-opener. I thought that I was smart enough not to fall for any of those traps. I smugly read through the first half of them, then recognized myself in "Paralysis by Analysis." Oh my. That gave me some food for thought, and a new outlook.

I did find the chapter on Asset Allocation to be lacking in practical advice. It only glanced on how to make an asset allocation for yourself, and didn't address the difficulties of balancing an asset allocation over multiple tax-advantaged accounts that have contribution limits and withdrawal penalties. (But there's a list of recommended reading in the back, and maybe one of those books will have more information on this topic.)

Having just finished the book, I'm going back through it and making a list of information I need and actions to take. I finally have a direction to go in, and not just more conflicting details!

I received the 3 copies of this book I ordered in a very timely manner. These are for the 3 children we have, who we feel will learn from reading the book or if they have questions can quickly look them up. Good for reference.

There is nothing like a Bear Market to get you to question a lot of things about the wonderful world of investing. Having said that, this book which focuses on the ideas of John Bogle is just the ticket to set you straight on a number of critically important investment concerns. Asset allocation, the importance of having the lowest costs, how the mutual fund businss really works, it's all here and it all makes perfect sense. I wish now that I had heard more of the wisdom that this man has been passing along for so many years while inventing index funds at Vanguard Investments. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to invest with greater confidence and success for the long term. It may well change the way you think about the world of Wall Street and investing. It did for me.

This is absolutely wonderful. Bogle goes through everything to do with mutual funds and index investing. He points out that its a no-brainer to invest in an index fund if you don't actively invest yourself. One of the best books on stock investing i have ever read.

This book gives excellent advice primarily about mutual fund investing and retiring. It is basically a primer on retirement planning and leans heavily toward Vanguard funds. It is easy to read and has lots of common sense advice and examples proving the authors' suggestions.

I would suggest it to anyone needing a basic primer on retirement plan investing.

The author's experience and insights are incredible, on-target, and invaluable. I've been is sales for over twenty years and I knew or sensed some of this but to find one person willing to share all of this skill and knowledge in one place is remarkable. As the Sales Manager for a relatively small company selling custom Retail merchandising solutions to large companies (Retail Chains & their Vendors) we will adopt all of Ms. Konrath's recommendations and strategies into our sales process immediately. Chapter 11 in particular is profound relative to getting one's foot in the door. We find that once we penetrate the corporate armor, the kinds of people and companies we work with usually love our value proposition and become large and long-term customers. You can go to the bank with this book. It is a masterpiece.
Amen!
AWS
Chicago, IL

This book brings together a lot of concepts and ideas that many people, if given the time, would say "yes, of course that's right I just forgot". Un-like generic "sales process/skills" books, Jill has done a good job of getting the context correct for people who are targeting big companies, just like the book says.

Whether you are new to selling, moving to a new sales environment or just looking to refresh your's or your team's approach this book will make it simple to get on track.

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

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

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

This is a well written comprehensive guide for almost any piano. It is written by some one that has spent years as a piano technician and literally knows pianos inside and out. You can find a reference to almost any piano produced over the last 100 years. It gives useful information regarding problem areas and attributes of the pianos mentioned. It is essential for any one considering buying a used piano.

I looked for pianos for quite some time before reading this essential primer and then looked again after reading it. The difference is like looking through fog vs a very clear day. Larry Fine does a super job of explaining the workings of a piano and why a buyer or seller may want to be tuned into how they work (sorry for the pun). My once naive eye is much more critical in its piano search with Larry's info in hand. Many pianos that were of interest to me would have been serious mistakes after reading the book - thats the best perspective I can give. On the other hand, Larry aptly points out that there isn't a perfect brand name in piano's, voicing and tuning can bring many brands into a well heeled instruments for most purposes. My perspective on pianos has broadened greatly. Worth the read just for the great information and coverage of the subject.

Larry Fine's book is invaluable for those who plan to purchase a piano. This book has loads of information regarding the manufacturers, the quality of the brands and the history of the pianos. Save yourself some money by purchasing this book before you shop for a piano and you could save yourself a few thousand or more. Buying a piano is like buying a car, you have to "test drive" them first, and then negotiate. Read this book and walk into the showroom knowing you are getting the best deal and finest piano you can afford.

...which is pretty far. Fine's book is legendary and important, and if you are thinking of buying even a relatively expensive piano, you should read it. It should come as no surprise that the standard "grand old names" are rated at the top, and things stair-step down from there until you arrive at the bottom of the Asian barrel. No surprises there. And many feel that Fine is too hard on some very fine pianos, giving a skewed impression of the many very good Chinese pianos that are coming on the market. What is instructive is that you will learn what is made where, which can be a very hard thing to find out on your own. If you're walking into a store and don't know Young Chang from Hailun, and perhaps think that a Boston might have been made in Boston, and that a Steinlager is made in Germany, you really need to do your homework first. If you're seriously shopping for a Bosendorfer or Bechstein or Steinway new off the floor, then you don't need this book. But if you want to get a good piano for a fair price and need to learn your way around this odd landscape, start here. IMPORTANT - get the updated supplements! A lot has changed in even the last 5 years, and advice on certain models no longer holds true. Some names have dropped in quality, others have risen considerably. You won't learn this in the piano showroom!

Essential resource if you're buying a piano or just want to know more about this wonderful instrument

After reading this book, I realized that I was utilizing many of the authors techniques, however he gave me great ideas to continue to explore other ways to generate more business from my current clients, as well as new ones.

I am a big believer that sales courses or a Sales Major should be offered at colleges and Universities...and this would be required reading!

The book does give you methods on how to "take control" of YOUR sales career and not allow others to influence you in a negative way.

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

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

- A must for every beginner in sales~

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you, Bernie.

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

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

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

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

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

I am going to read it again. Maybe twice.

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

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

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

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

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

I am a keen and persistent complainer. I do not apologise for this trait. Complaining affords me a libidinal satisfaction. Most gratifying is when one's letters of disaffection appear in public so that others can appreciate one's polemical brio. This book recognises that there is a veritable art to complaint, that complaint has its own poetry, its singular joys. Moreover, this book will make your tirades and protestations all the more effective, all the more caustic and galling. I have attained much through the techniques outlined in this volume: refunds on defective products, statements retracted, apologies proferred and even defamatory articles removed. But, more than this, I have enjoyed the exercising of my democratic right without which I would feel unfree and powerless.

You may only need this book on occassion, but when you do you will be very glad you have it. It proved indespensible for me recently!

This book is great if you have no idea how to write a complaint letter. However, most of us have common sense, and know how to express that we are "shocked, appalled, and dismayed"! Also, this book discourages the use of certain words and phrases for no other reason than that the author doesn't like them, or thinks they are overused. This book does provide some useful information on how to contact people you may want to send a complaint letter to, but this information can easily be found on the web (for free).

I'm glad I went back and read Shocked, Appalled, and Dismayed. Planning for a long-awaited Caribbean vacation turned into a nightmare when sickness prevented us from making the trip. The airline refused to help, citing its new rule. Well, Phillips's advice helped me to do the trick. My husband and I fly out to Nassau for Christmas. Can't wait for the new book's publication this year.

If her new book is as good as this one, every consumer will be happy. Since Shocked Appalled and Dismayed was published, I've written 22 letters. All but one got results. Write on, Ellen, write on!