Business Books

I am using this book as a textbook in a course that I facilitate for international engineers at the University of Manitoba. We're using the text to explore cultural parameters and the different ways they manifest themselves in different cultures, both generally and specifically in engineering business. I value the book for the work it does in framing the larger concepts behind specific cultural differences, but also for the practicality it offers through anecdotes and tips for working with other cultural styles.

While it's early in the academic term, this book has already been extremely useful in framing discussions in our class. Also, as I talk to employers in Manitoba, many have asked for the bibliographic reference to source the book for their corporate library.

We all know how much difference there is when a team functions well - the tricky part is getting it to happen. This new book tackles this topic in the context of Canadian engineering teams, which are almost all composed of people from many cultures. In this insightful book, Dr. Laroche includes lots of material to help get multicultural teams firing on all cylinders.

Written for both managers and technical contributors, the book uses a multicultural lens to look at management styles, teamwork, communication and career management. This new perspective drives home a central theme that cultural differences are key in how our teams work, and not widely recognized in their importance. In these kinds of abstract topics I find concrete examples very helpful, and the author includes numerous anecdotes drawn from his consulting background. These vivid examples show the profound impact of what sometimes seem like small issues, like the Mexican engineer who resigned the day after getting some negative feedback in front of his colleagues.

The book also includes a number of quantitative charts and tables showing how different cultures have quite different expectations of the importance of hierarchy, individualism, and risk tolerance. Having read this book, I now much better understand the experience I had in Canada managing an employee from another culture. What I experienced as a lack of assertiveness was actually the case of an employee expecting highly directive management, and their way of showing respect. Had I understood that well at the time, I would have approached the situation quite differently, even starting at the interview stage. On the flip side, the book would have helped me a lot during my two-year stay in France. In particular, it wasn't until I read this book that I realized that when my French colleagues were jumping in and finishing my sentences, they were demonstrating their agreement by showing they knew how my sentences were going to end!

The book closes with a number of interesting comparisons, like the different emphasis on theory and hands-on work that exist between engineering schools in Canada, the United States, France and Mexico. And to finish off, an entertaining appendix containing explanations of expressions which we take for granted from such diverse areas as baseball ("to be out in left field" - to make no sense at all) and warfare ("loose cannons" - ones which are not fixed down, and fire a different direction each time).

We all know how much difference there is when a team functions well - the tricky part is getting it to happen. This new book tackles this topic in the context of Canadian engineering teams, which are almost all composed of people from many cultures. In this insightful book, Dr. Laroche includes lots of material to help get multicultural teams firing on all cylinders.

Written for both managers and technical contributors, the book uses a multicultural lens to look at management styles, teamwork, communication and career management. This new perspective drives home a central theme that cultural differences are key in how our teams work, and not widely recognized in their importance. In these kinds of abstract topics I find concrete examples very helpful, and the author includes numerous anecdotes drawn from his consulting background. These vivid examples show the profound impact of what sometimes seem like small issues, like the Mexican engineer who resigned the day after getting some negative feedback in front of his colleagues.

The book also includes a number of quantitative charts and tables showing how different cultures have quite different expectations of the importance of hierarchy, individualism, and risk tolerance. Having read this book, I now much better understand the experience I had in Canada managing an employee from another culture. What I experienced as a lack of assertiveness was actually the case of an employee expecting highly directive management, and their way of showing respect. Had I understood that well at the time, I would have approached the situation quite differently, even starting at the interview stage. On the flip side, the book would have helped me a lot during my two-year stay in France. In particular, it wasn't until I read this book that I realized that when my French colleagues were jumping in and finishing my sentences, they were demonstrating their agreement by showing they knew how my sentences were going to end!

The book closes with a number of interesting comparisons, like the different emphasis on theory and hands-on work that exist between engineering schools in Canada, the United States, France and Mexico. And to finish off, an entertaining appendix containing explanations of expressions which we take for granted from such diverse areas as baseball ("to be out in left field" - to make no sense at all) and warfare ("loose cannons" - ones which are not fixed down, and fire a different direction each time).

This book is really helpful in a way to understand cultural difference. It focuses on new immigrants issues, multiculture team work and communication barrier. Also focuses on why this has happend and how to overcome it. Different countries have different working style and one really understands this when reading this book. It also emphasises all the ideas a technical person needs to overcome all barriers and get aquainted with
multiculteral system.

The most important representation for me in this book are pages 69, 91, 93,and 148, as well as the graphs on pages 188, 216, and 217.

This book is really helpful in a way to understand cultural difference. It focuses on new immigrants issues, multiculture team work and communication barrier. Also focuses on why this has happend and how to overcome it. Different country have different working style and one really understands this when reading this book. It covers all the ideas a technical person needs to overcome all barriers and get aquainted with multiculteral system.

The most important representation for me were page numbers 69, 91, 93, and 148. I found the graphs on pages 188, 216, and 217 really helpful.

If every business in America operated under the Mary Kay principles the country would be in a better place.

Mary Kay is a very inspiring woman and the book is a great book about the lady who made a mutimillion dollar company what it is today. With love and honesty and a great believe in God first family second and career third. The insight in this book will inspire and give women the gift of being beautiful and special. If you are an independant beauty consultant it will help you in so many ways. Great Book for anyone to read.

What a great tribute to the woman who changed business! This is a great book for anybody, not just sales force and employees of Mary Kay, Inc. I highly recommend this book!


The Mary Kay Way: Timeless Principles from America's Greatest Woman Entrepreneur

This book is excellent for helping one understand how to provide excellent customer service. It speaks to women who are starting their own businesses on how to help your business stand out in a saturated market.

The Mary Kay Way: Timeless Principles from America's Greatest Woman Entrepreneur This is great reading. Every Manager, Executive and all people should read this fantastic Management plan.

The quality of book is quite good. But the delivery is a little bit late.

Used this book in the core MBA course - excellent summary of class lectures & very helpful supplement.

I am currently attending an MBA program and we are using this book in one of our operations classes. Highly recommend this book to schools and students who would like to learn how to solve the supply and demand problem!

First, this book is very easy to read. Throughout the book, the authors used different examples to illustrate the various challenges in realistic settings such as the patient waiting and serving time at the interventional radiology unit. The readers can easily extend and relate the examples in real life.

Second, this book is good for the classroom setting as well as the self study setting. The book is organized in a way that each chapter is focused on one operations management problem and shows the systematic ways to solve the problem. For self learner, one can easily select the topics and chapters of his/her interest.

Also, I found the summary at the end of each chapter especially useful for me. To prepare my exams, I use the summary of key notions and equations in each chapter to make up my "cheat sheet".

Again, "Matching Supply with Demand" is a great book and I highly recommend it.

I found this text book to be extremely helpful in understand and applying operations management. It includes a comprehensive introduction into topics like process flow, estimating and reducing labor costs, batching, the impact of variability, projecting uncertain demand, reactive capacity, risk pooling and several others.

More importantly, the models and examples used are not only practical, but actually interesting. Class discussions were drastically improved due to an increased interest in the cases. I'm sure it took a monumental effort to develop models and cases that make Operations Management interesting to the common student.

I am an MBA student who has used this course book for our first year operations class. The book tackles difficult topics in a very easy to read way and is extremely well integrated with the associated case book and lecture notes. It provides the right level of detail, enabling students to pick up the tools or delve more deeply into the underlying mathematical constructs. The book does what it says on the label, teaching how to match supply with demand through analyzing process bottlenecks, queuing, lost customers, optimal inventory and yield management and supply chain management issues, such as the bull-whip effect and tackling double marginalization. This is a great introductory book to operations management.

The title is accurate - these ARE million dollar
mailings - direct mail pieces that are sent to very
broad markets. As such it is a useful study source
for the pro. For the person marketing his or her
own start-up or small business it may be of lesser
usefulness.

This book will probably be of most interest to
those interested in how highly-polished direct mail
offers are written and designed:

Omaha Steaks,
Gevalia Coffee,
Magazine subscriptions...

Primarily this book shows how the most successful direct
mail pieces get the reader to open the mail, comprehend
the offer, and make a decision. This is no small feat -
these pieces are by-and-large interuptive marketing.
For example: you get an Omaha Steaks mailing because
you are on a list as a buyer of low-end luxury goods.
The mailer makes a wild guess that you are likely to
be a meat eater and mails to you with no knowledge of
your dietary habits.

If you market online you will in general have to
interpret how to transfer direct mail concepts to
websites. The nearest online equivalent to most of
these mailings is marketing to big ezine lists or
outright spamming. These pieces are the most successful
pieces of junk mail in recent years.

What comes through in many of the letters is how
subtly cunning and targeted at their ideal customer
they are. Much online copy is more expansive, with
exhausting bullet-lists and what Stephen King calls
"literary elephantitis" - a luxury not permitted
by the weight restrictions of direct mail.

Much of the persuasive value of these direct mail offers
is hinged upon the safety of buying on approval, often
from a familiar brand. As such they are instructive
in how the massive marketing systems of corporate America
function.

This is not a basic copywriting text by any means - the
lessons herein will require diligent study and thought to
apply. I don't have any doubt owning this book will make
you a better copywriter. Compared to a lot of other "swipe
files" you can buy today it's diverse in terms of
mailing formats, product types, and copywriting styles.

If you're looking for a step by step how to guide on how you can create Million Dollar Mailings on a shoestring budget, then skip this book.

On the other hand, if you're an advertising professional charged with the task of effectively spending your client's money on marketing and advertising, then by all means, buy this book. This is your chance to look over the shoulder of a seasoned professional as he looks at some of the most successful direct mail pieces in history.

As for the cost of the book... a course on "marketing" at your local community college costs more and won't provide 1/10th of the information contained within this book!

Wow says it all. Read the prior reviews. Pound for pound this book is worth more than gold per pound to anyone who writes copy. A life time of learning for way less than $100. Have spent 10X as much for a fraction of what this book will give you. Thanks Mr. Hatch

Thousands and thousands of different direct mail packages are mailed every year.

A few are super successful. This book collects the cream of the crop. the "control" letters that made these companies fortunes over the years. And explains why they worked. Will cut decades off your learning curve.

You can use these time tested successes to duplicate. So that your own mailing will be a success. Shows all different types of formats for mailing. As well as different types of offers.

Two other recommended books to learn from are Herschell Gordon Lewis' "World's Greatest Direct Mail Sales Letters" and "The Greatest Direct Mail Sales Letters of all Time" by Richard S. Hodgson

But both of these are hard to find and expensive. Who knows how long Million Dollar Mailings will be available for?

However, there is a danger in that you'll see how stupid some of the marketing has been done, and is being done, by others in your company. You might get restless, run out the door and scream.

Worth it's weight in doubloons.

Caveat: Bean counters, and bean counters masquerading as marketers, will not understand this book. If all you send out are post cards and self mailers (ads with postage stamps), and you think they're effective, keep doing that. We true direct marketers will gleefully steal your lunch money with Mr. Hatch's assistance.

I'm turning 38 next year, and I humbly admit that the whole idea of saving and investing only sank in a couple of years ago (this was when I made my first mutual fund investment, out of impulse!). I've learned about the Beauty of Compounding a long time ago, but I guess my brain wasn't wired enough to see its real-life application. I've had good jobs, and have made good income on the side, but I have never thought of consciously putting at least a dollar away for my future.

Then this book came up from the bargain bin of a local bookstore, and priced at half its retail amount. To me, however, it's been a lifesaver. I am far from being a teenager, but "The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens" contained all the basic information I needed when it came to the nuts and bolts of investing. All the way from saving that first dollar to trying out the stock market--it's all in the book. And the Gardners' writing style is casual and careful enough so as not to overwhelm.

It's not really 8 steps as the book cover presents. The first 8 go from saving and earning extra money all the way up to investing in funds, plus encouraging readers to form their own little "investment education groups." (A great way to spend weekend afternoons with friends--learn about investing instead of huddling around the videogame console.)

The additional steps in the book tackle the stock market, for those who want greater risk and potentially greater returns. Steps 9 to 15 cover choosing the right companies, the basics of looking through financial reports, how to monitor the bourses, and managing the portfolio.

Thanks to this book, I can more confidently begin my journey to a comfortable retirement--at 55!

(Oh, and let the teens read it, too.)

This is an excellent first book to give a teen who is not sure about investing as a good place to put his or her money. It is written with teens in mind and has tons of real-world examples to which teens can relate. It is a good start to get teens exciting about making their money work for them. I got it for my 16-year-old nephew who was skeptical, but is on board with taking control of his own financial future.

This book will basically focus on the way the stock market works and how to invest in it. It also tells you how much you can save in the future. It is the meat of the book when it comes to the stock market, but the book will also teach you the cost of bad habits such as smoking and the upsides of credit cards if used right. The book teaches you how to get your money's worth in the bank, teaching you everything from how they make money to what a cd is. The worst thing about this book that annoyed me so much, I took off a point, was that they try to write the book in a type of slang format. Going from saying the word dawg and writing rock lyrics about the book. This is very annoying, but the tips this book gives are just too valuble to detour you alway.

I recommend it to anyone of any age.

This books gives the true value of savings: a life worth dreamings about and investments we make for it to see it happen. This is a sweet and funny little book that makes money look exciting as a tool and token. I see this book as the clues to playing a cool video game. (More, like the hint book.) It's so casual that you think your reading Reader's Digest. You never feel confused! Math teacher's, parents, middle schoolers, high school students, college students, retirees: you'll love this book.

This book has reinforced what I have been preaching to my 17 year old for years......1) save and invest your money early, 2)live within your means as you get started in life (used vs new car), 3) attend the local university (keep student loans to minimum) and 4) practice a healthy lifestyle and you will soon learn that by the time you are 30 you will have more financial freedom and less debt than 90% of Americans.

I wish I had been taught the discipline for the first two items as it wasn't until age 40 that I reached financial freedom. Fortunately for him, he is a believer after reading this book. Maybe along the way he will guide others in the right direction.

This product was shipped to me quickly and was in good shape when it arrived.

As a digital citizen and knowledge worker, I found this book valuable in explaining how, more than ever, corporations and their executives are being held more accountable by the public. And because information is instantaneous due to the internet, this book advises that corporations should have transparency plans built into their organizational strategies, lest they fall victim to bad press at some point. What is surprising, is unlike what companies want people to think, the average worker is now more empowered then ever to make companies have more integrity. The book also provides suggestions to planning around transparency and they site the companies who have come back after bad press. This book is complimentary to the books written by Peter Drucker and by John C. Bogle. Excellent!

This is from my blog (which is why it is written this way)

On the Flight to Fremont, I read "The Naked Corporation - How the age of transparency will revolutionize business". You likely think I must have issues since I always read about "naked" (Like "Naked Conversations") but don't worry - its not like that. In this age of Search Engine Optimization, I wonder if the authors thought they might get more hits but that is another topic.

The Naked Corporation talks about the transparency needed in todays post Enron, post Worldcom environment. The basic thesis of the book is that this transparency is good. I agree. It talks about the benefits to the company for being transparent and how it saves money and builds support for the company.

If I have a counter view, it is not to transparency it is to Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) which attempts to legislate ethics and in doing so imparts a huge cost and overhead which ironically might hurt the very shareholders they seek to protect. In some cases, SOX is like buying a safe for $1000 to protect $500 worth of valuables.

The book actually did make the point that often companies are not transparent because the law requires them to complicate things. Just look at the filings and annual reports of many companies. Warren Buffet says "you should be able to understand the financial statements of a company in a few minutes".

One part of the book I found interesting was the story of poor ethics and no transparency at Chiquita Bananas. Fortunately, they have moved to high transparency and appear to have mended their ways. (Fortunate because I like bananas).

One quote which I love (and will use) is by Warren Buffet "If you lose dollars for the firm by bad decisions, I will be very understanding. If you lose reputation for the firm, I will be ruthless." I have believed for a long time the reputation is far more important than money. I like many of Warren Buffets' philosophies and in a article some years ago, EMJ was cited as being a perfect Warren Buffet company. I am not sure when it comes to ethics though that selling sugar water (Coke - on of Warren Buffets' companies) would count as good ethics. So as with everything, I need to filter what I like about someone from what I do not. Learn from the good.

Authors Don Tapscott and David Ticoll examine the managerial implications of the age of transparency. Now that the Internet has enabled employees, suppliers, consumers, gadflies, critics and casual lookers to get and swap previously confidential information about companies, the business environment will never be its old self again. Companies have no confidentiality, no privacy and no way to dodge the truth. Those with nowhere to hide must to get accustomed to life in the open. It's not so bad. But to prosper in this wide-open world, managers need to understand that the new way of life has different demands than the old one. Although many of this book's recommendations have become fairly well known, we find plenty of insights that remain fresh and worth reading.

This is a very good book which has opened my eyes into looking for companies that are honest and transparent with their customers, shareholders and employees. This book calls companies to stop hidding behind secrets that destroy corporations (Enron and others) and start being transparent, by providing informaiton to your customers, shareholders and employees. Companies need to show that they are responsible to the environment, to their stakeholders and other corporations. This book is calling companies to be ethical in their daily transactions and gives example after example of corporations who have fallen because they tried to hide the truth. This book shows that we need strong ethical people to run todays corporations and we as investors need to reward companies who are starting to become transparent. At the same time we need to punish companies who are not taking responsibility for their actions and wrong doings. This book also points out that most investors are blind with their investments and don't even realize what their largest investment is invested in (for most people their largest investment is their pension plan, and I admit I don't know what mine is invested in). This is a very good book and has opened my eyes to at least see what's going on out there and provided me with the tools to do some research and make sure I reward companies that are making an effort to save our environment and be honest with employee's, investors, stakeholders, and customers. The one question I have is are we raising a generation that will be able to have the
qualities needed to run the corporations of tomorrow... Great book...

Mr. Brookstein has written the the gold standard on small tech investing. Whether you are a novice investor or a 30-year pro, everyone will find great information with which to make smart decisions on nanotech investments. Excellent.

This is a great book for an introduction to nanotech companies and overall investing in small companies. It's very easy to read,not like a text book that you often find with technical books. Does not go into the details of the technology of nano but provides enough for you to get a surface level understanding to carry a sensible conversation about the subject.
I will highly recommend this book. It also has a nice touch by adding numerous contacts and websites in the appendix if you 'll want learn more about nanotech.

Book Review Nanotech Fortunes


This book:
1. Is strictly an investment book. There is no science presented.
2. Contains many insights into investing that make sense. This is 90% of the book.
3. Warns potential investors of the pitfalls in investing in nanotech companies. No hype here.
4. The Appendix is a great resource:
4.1 Famous people in the nanotech world: 36 are given brief introductions.
4.2 Interesting nanotech books for non-scientist investors: 8 are profiled.
4.3 Informative nanotech newsletters: 3 are profiled.
4.4 Nanotech websites: 10 are profiled.
4.5 Academic/Government labs: 12 are profiled.
4.6 Nano-conferences: 10 are profiled.
4.7 25 important "small tech" public companies are profiled.
4.8 5 smaller public companies are profiled.
4.9 33 private start-up companies are mentioned.
4.10 Several leading nanotech research universities are listed.
4.11 4 centers for nanotech are profiled.
4.12 4 books for non-scientists are profiled.
4.13 7 books are recommended for investors.
4.14 6 page glossary of nanotech terminology is provided.
4.15 6 page index is provided.

Darrell Brookstein's "Nanotech Fortunes" should be considered a "must read" for anyone interested in nanotechnology. General readers seeking to ascertain the staggering potential of nanotechnology will find this work useful, as will those who want to know how, when, and in what ways nanotechnology will affect large and small businesses. For those considering investing in nanotechnology, now or in the future, "Nanotechnology Fortunes" is simply invaluable.

Brookstein has a highly successful track record as a manager of brokerage hedge funds, venture capital ventures, and investment advisory firms. Since 1973, Brookstein has made a succession of shrewd, prudent, and insightful financial decisions that have immensely benefited those intelligent enough to follow his guidance. In particular, Brookstein oversaw a number of lucrative mining and natural gas investments for his clients, and correctly navigated the dot.com boom in the 1990's. His assertion that he tends to "read the tealeaves in advance of the crowd" is borne out by ample evidence. In "Nanotech Fortunes" Brookstein offers compelling evidence that the field of nanotechnology is poised for a boom in the near future. Unlike the dotcom bubble of the 1990's, the nanotech boom is based on a solid foundation of science, and a series of cascading nanotech booms will result in a staggeringly large net creation of wealth. When Brookstein claims that "the nanotechnology revolution will last decades and literally destroy untold businesses - disrupting and leapfrogging technologies that only a few years earlier, were considered cutting edge" he is not exaggerating. Indeed, Brookstein fastidiously avoids engaging in hyperbole or making unwarranted assumptions, and rigorously maintains a sober and lucid tone throughout the book.

Brookstein lays out a comprehensive course for navigating the perilous waters of nanotech investing. By combining experience, knowledge, and acumen honed over four decades of investing with the technical wisdom of a diverse group of highly regarded scientific experts, Brookstein has crafted a focused strategy that will avoid the pitfalls of more novice investors. Discerning which startup corporations are worthy of investment is a difficult task, and it is here that "Nanotech Fortunes" truly shines. Brookstein thoroughly yet concisely describes the myriad mistakes - ranging from miscalculating customer acquisition costs to funding researchers pet science projects - that beset nanotech startups. The author has compiled a series of metrics to judge which startups should thrive and outmaneuver their competition. Although no investing approach will result in a sustained 100% success rate, Brookstein's methods have consistently yielded substantial profits, and returns on his initial nanotech investments are already beginning to trickle in. Those wishing to understand, participate in, and benefit from the coming boom will want to carefully read "Nanotech Fortunes" sooner rather than later.

Darrell Brookstein is a managing director of The Nanotech Company, and runs [...] a website to which I have contributed articles and interviews.

Nanotech Fortunes: Make Yours In The Boom offers winning strategies by Darrell Brookstein in capitalizing on the business and investment opportunities in the new nanotech sciences. Individual chapters address all the diverse issues involved with this new and rapidly developing technology, including "Science Fiction vs. Science Fact", "How to Analyze Nanotech Companies like a Pro", "The Most Lucrative Nanotech Investments", "Trading Nanotech Stocks for Short- Term Profits", and "Six Steps to a Nanotech Fortune" and more. Of special note is the Appendix article "Tools Resources for Your Nanotech Fortune". If you are thinking about how to take advantage and participate in this newly emerging industry, then give a careful reading to the information, insights and advice that comprise Darrell Brookstein's Nanotech Fortunes!

There are already many lengthy reviews, so I'll keep this one short. The most valuable concept in this book is the idea that negotiation is not a zero-sum game; you can create value if you keep your mind open. Must read: analysis about JFK's handling of the Cuban crisis. One could only wish current heads of states read that chapter.

This is a great book, and very helpful if you are interested in the art of Negotiation. This is a book to read, put down, digest, apply and then pick back up for more learning. I've enjoyed all that this book has to offer. I would recommend this to all management and business leaders.

Having read many negotiation books, this one does an excellent job of discussing the more important yet often missed aspects of negotiation. Like most modern work on negotiation, this one goes beyond the "door to door/used car" tactics of deception and intimidation and recognizes that the best outcome of a negotiation is the next deal. A recommended read for business executives.

I always thought of myself as a pretty good negotiator, but after reading this book, I realized I was leaving a lot on the table. This is one of those books you should absolutely have on your shelf. The advice spans decades, centuries, and beyond and will be good at any point in your life. I have already put the authors' advice into practice in my business AND personal life with positive results.

The only negative thing is your spouse may get annoyed with you as you walk around the house asking "what's the ZOPA?" ;)

This strong book on negotiation offers a lot that is new and valuable. Authors Deepak Malhotra and Max Bazerman are realistic. They know how often people run on automatic pilot when negotiating, how they can miss opportunities due to bias and narrow vision, and how many common beliefs about negotiation are wrong. They provide tools and strategies that let readers address these failings. They illustrate their insights and advice with many real world examples, large and small. Many of their suggestions are not easy to follow. It takes humility and rigorous honesty to admit your biases, and lots of effort to correct them. But if you're willing to do that kind of work this book will fundamentally improve how well you negotiate. getAbstract recommends it to anyone who is serious about negotiation.

Easy to read and is a great supplement to understanding concepts in your training manuals. Definately buy this book.

Wow, what a great book. I had always heard how dry all the industry standard books were so I bought this one. It is a good value. I have a financial background and was able to read this entire book pretty fast. It is an easy read and borderline enjoyable believe it or not. Robert adds in plenty of humor and keeps the really dry stuff as "light" as possible. He also decodes a lot of the legal and sometimes cryptic wording of laws/regulations. This book would be particularly valuable to anyone new to the industry but I also highly recommend this book for people in the industry. Once I finished the book I immediately took a practice test and scored a 71%. Not bad for my first time and having only used this book. I plan to buy his book for the 66 once I pass the 7 of course... good luck!!

I have bought dozens of books from Amazon over the years, but never before took the time to actually do a review. I believe I owe it to the author and all the Series 7 hopefuls out there to do one this time.

Well, I walked out of the exam with 91% this morning. To put things in perspective:

1. Had I read ONLY this book, I don't believe I would have scored so well. I would have passed, but not with 91%.

2. Had I read only the "reference manual" that was loaned to me by my boss-to-be, I would have had a very, very difficult time assimilating the material.

My strategy was to begin with a very easy, relaxed, humorous, but very educational read of "Pass The 7". This gave me a very solid based with which to tackle the more comprehensive (and very unfriendly, if one can attribute such a trait to a book) "manual".

Solid buy.

I scored an 88 on the first attempt using this book and "Series 7 for Dummies" - the two most popular Series 7 books on Amazon. I have a month of work experience out of college and self-studied for 2 weeks.

Pass the 7 should have all the info that you need for the test. If you only want to use one book, this is a good choice, though I would recommend supplementing it with practice exams.

The language is laid back and easy to read. The author puts in humor and casual talk to lighten the mood. I found this to be annoying, as it served to make the book much longer than it needs to be. Just ignore the jokes and write down the details.

Using Pass The 7 and Series 7 For Dummies as my primary study material
I recieved an 88 on the exam. They say the average passing score is
73 so these books should help you get better than that. Good luck!

Keith Wheelock, Skillman, NJ

Mr. Nielsen has written a marvelous book on the nitty-gritty of how to devise a job search strategy, then, step-by-step, how to customize your search to maximize your opportunities. Though aimed principally at the seasoned professional who is seeking a new job, it is also valuable for the neophyte who can benefit from Mr. Nielsen's uncommonly practical advice.
Perhaps most helpful were over 40 sample cover letters and 50 resumes of diverse thrusts and flavors. Anyone would benefit from this Dutch uncle 'getting started' advice together with the detailed 'what to do' and 'how to customize it to your personal situation' that Mr. Nielsen shares from his decades of experience as a human resources manager and human resources consultant. Buy it, get your job offers, then turn to Chapter 7 to negotiate your best compensation package.

Niels Nielson covers some job search ideas that are very good and not commonly understood or talked about. Anyone who is in job search mode would certainly gain more than one good practical tip from this book.

Niels hits the nail right on the head when he says there is no one right way to get that job. But some of his ideas will surely help everyone.

Samples: 1) your search is a marketing effort. This is little understood by many job seekers and a very useful concept. 2) I had breakfast the other day with a job seeker & I mentioned he might want to get to the local chamber of commerce and other fixed networking functions - a very good idea that Niels covers in this book too - I've never heard anyone else mention chambers of commerce 3) having your 30 second statement prepared in advance 4) approach your job search like a job and work at it. 5) saving job search receipts for taxes

Lots of good model resumes, cover letters, other snippits too. A definite good read - join this with the book "60 seconds & You're Hired" (Robin Ryan); you'll surely have a better handle on getting the right job.

This is an excellent book on how to find the ideal job and career. It takes a unique view of the process, showing how a job search is like a start up business. The book is in fact a business plan for an "interim entrepreneur" that can be followed until that one ideal customer is landed, the employer. It even has a last chapter on "Customer Relations Management" about how to thrive in your new job.

It also has a full chapter on that most crucial part of the job hunt, compensation. It tell you how to "price" your services, and how to consider and negotiate salary plans, incentives, stock ownership programs, employee benefits, human resources policies, and perks. The book shows you how to wade through all the different compensation plans and to negotiate the best deal.

Besides that, there are 40 cover letters and 50 resumes that the author prepared for clients in a wide variety of occupations. They are so good, they are worth the price of the book alone.

Princeton Management Consultant's Guide to Your New Job is an important book to add to your library if you're out of work. The author provides concrete advice on how to find a job, using the effective analogy of the job hunting process as an entrepreneurial venture. He guides you through each step of the process, providing concrete details and practical advice. His many years of consulting experience are also apparent because of his obvious compassion for those who have lost their jobs. He is also able to use examples of real-life experiences to illustrate important points. Finally, the abundant examples of resumes and cover letters are very helpful.

I have read a lot of job search, resume-writing and networking books in my time. I have given seminars on all these topics; and I think this approach gets to the heart of the matter! Why didn't anyone write this before? Well, most of us don't want to think about "selling" ourselves. The job search must be strategic as well as tactical. Considering the stress of looking for a job, thank goodness Niels Nielsen gives the reader a step-by-step plan. The approach is unique, focused, and immediately useful. There are many parts of "Guide to Your New Job" I thought were powerful. Niels includes a large variety of cover letters and resumes that model creativity and assertiveness. Well-written by jobseekers, these examples are excellent guideposts for the reader. I really like the way questions were used in the cover letters. And what a great idea, "the 15-second elevator speech". All I can say is, this book should be in the hands and heart of every jobseeker.