Business Books

Let me add my name to the list of adults who's lives were affected by this book - I must have checked it out of the library 12 times when I was a boy, and the author's strong narrative along with the early sci-fi robot images have never left me. I agree with the other reviewers, it's a pity it's not still in print. I suppose by today's technologically savvy kids' standards it's quite dated, but as with all good fiction, it was the story - Andy's intelligence and determination - that made this the inspirational book it was for me.

I read this when I was a youngster, and recently found this again. Its very nostalgic scifi story telling at its finest. About a young man (Andy) who builds a whole family of Robots from spare parts and old cans.

And then of course the SciFi plays in when all the robots are struck by lighting and come to life to help Andy and his friends survive a flood that also occurs at the same time.

Highly recommended for young and old!

A wonderful book that is full of adventure, intelligence, a wry sense of humor (almost reminiscent of the Henry Reed books) and fun! Not my number 1 favorite - that honor is held in a tie by "Bonnie's Boy" a wonderful (out of print) story of a young boy and his dog (still makes me cry!) and Kin Platt's "Sinbad and Me" another treasure that's out of print for some inexplicable reason. However, "Andy" is in my top five, and like others here, one that I could never get out of my head. Some of the language and technology is dated, of course, but the characters are wonderful and the story is extremely engaging.

Thank goodness that I saved my copy from childhood - who could imagine it would still be with me now? (You should have heard my shout of joy when I found it amongst some old belongings a couple of years ago!!)

My kids are going to read it soon, and I'm looking forward to talking it through with them as they read it.

I would LOVE a movie on this book - a great idea and easy to do now with "simple" FX.

Good luck to those searching for it, it's worth the wait.

It's funny, I've read hundreds of books over the years but this book has stayed on my mind since I was a kid. Andy Buckram's Tin Men was that wonderful mixture of fun, science, and luck. Andy was the kind of kid you always wanted to be. He was Boy's Life and Popular Science come to life. I'm sorry to see this terrific book is out of print. I still have my original copy, but I just can't find it anywhere. I'm afraid I lent it to some kid who never returned it. I can only hope it makes them appreciate reading as much as it did for me. Here's hoping for a reprint, and soon!

Like the rest of the reviews, this is the one book that stands out in my memory. I have been searching for this book for years. I got a copy the other day in auction at eBay. I paid about $15.00. I also found a place through Amazon called "Book Rescue" that sometimes has a copy. The price at Book Rescue is a bit higher ($80-$100) but I think any price is worth it for this wonderful book. I wonder if we start a chain letter, would we be able to get it back in print. I would love to see this in every school library in the USA. Books just arnt what they used to be!

If you want to challenge your mindset, then this book is for you! My book club read this book and the little fictional book gave us greater challenges to become better and more effective leaders. I thoroughly enjoyed the trials that had to be overcome to achieve the desired results. I believe every leader needs to read this book to understand the true value in collaborative leadership.

Absolutely love it! It's funny and has learning points. An easy read. Feels like I'm watching an animated movie. Perfectly suits the need for which I made the purchase. Would definitely recommend to others!

The Aunt and The Elephent really drew me in and surprised me with it's simple leadership lessons that have a powerful impact. I highly recommend this and all of Vince Poscente's books.

Author Vince Poscente's book is an interesting concept that works to bring the conscious (that of the ant) and subconscious (that of the elephant) minds together. This book is relatable in that it utilizes familiar accounts to help you discover your inner fears and redirect your efforts toward a more positive and worthwhile outlook. Because this book is in the form of a parable story, it is easy to follow as it does not contain a large amount of business jargon.

A simple but illuminating parable that takes the reader into a childlike state of wonderment that leads to learning some valuable lessons about creating and reaching worthwhile goals. Like Kandee G, Bud Bilanich, Laura Lewis, and Tony Beshara, this guy has a knack, in the realm of motivational books, for sensitizing the reader's mind before inserting real humor and practical advice that works.

One may be disarmed by the fantasy orientation of this book and its ability to stay out of "scenes from the boardroom." I found it refreshing and edifying. Open Your Mind!

Appreciative Inquiry Handbook offers a rich, navigational guide for industries across the spectrum. Appreciative Inquiry Handbook reflects a new paradigm in American and global industry; a must-read for industry leaders!

I think this book is an essential first book on the theory and practical application of the positve appreciative process.It defines the terms, provides the research and background of the process and gives first hand stories of its application in the real world.

Excellent, I was very satisfied with the theoretical explanation as well as the practical guides for solving the change management issues.

The handbook is clearly written and introduces not only a new paradigm in thinking about orgaisational change work it also supports change agents in their endeavour to create sustainable and learning organisations. Great practical materials and tools across the spectrum of AI are designed with a lot of ideas how to apply any AI initiative.
This book is well organized and readable and a must for every OD practicioner and change agent.

This handbook guides you in applying appreciative inquiry methods in a variety of settings. We have had good results conducting two facilitation assignments with "Appreciative Intent".

In our most recent assignment, our client was impressed with the quality and quantity of the information gathered. Additionally, members of the client's leadership were also impressed with the level of participation from some of the more "quiet" people in the organization. The one-on-one questionnaire technique levels the playing field for people with a more introverted personality. Also, if you like applying a "Theory of Constraints" approach to operations you will observe that using the interview/questionnaire approach creates a multi-channel process when brain storming. (i.e. more conversations can be carried on simultaneously, thereby creating a larger stream of information or ideas in less time)

The CD alone is worth the investment!

I learned a lot about publicity, things I never even heard of. If you have a book to promote, this is your best investment.It more than pays for itself.

As an author, I'm always on the lookout for books that can help with publicity, marketing, and promoting. This book was a pure gem.

This book is worth the purchase price just for Chapter 11 (E-mail Blasts) alone. With tips for propelling your book to the top of the bestseller lists by e-mail marketing, this chapter takes you by the hand and leads you through the process step by step in a quick and painless way.

This book doesn't just tell you how to promote and publicize your book; it shows you with sample letters and action steps.

If you're ready to pump up your promotion and get your book noticed, then this book should be on your list of must-haves!

Author 101 Bestselling Book Publicity is what every author needs to promote themselves and their book. This is a very practical, easy to follow and affordable handbook. Get it now! You're missing sales!

While I own all four of the "Author 101" books by Rick Frishman and Robyn Spizman, I feel this one is the most valuable. In fact, I wish I had it BEFORE I started writing my first book. The information and helpful tips included from these industry insiders is worth a hundred-times the price of the book. I have met and spoken with both Rick and Robyn, and I will attest that what they tell you in this book is gospel truth.
After you read this book, you will gain insight into how best to plan the marketing and publicity of your book even before you write it. This is key information whether you are using a traditional publisher, or if you are self-publishing. In fact, if you are self-publishing, READ and MEMORIZE chapter 8 on Interviews -- this will be the primary source of your income.
I highly recommend this and the other three books in the "Author 101" series.

Happy reading and successful writing,

Stuart Gustafson, Author
www.stuartgustafson.com

As a fellow book publicist it's imperative for me to keep up with all of the great books and magazine articles being published about the book business. I've read dozens and dozens of such books and can recommend this book without hesitation.

One thing about the book marketing and book promotion business is that there are so many nice people in the business. I rank Rick Frishman as one of the top publicists in the U.S. not to mention he's a nice guy too!

His book, co-authored by Robyn Freedman Spizman and Mark Steisel, offers advice and insight about every stage of the publishing world. Using testimonials and commentary, this book lets authors, agents, and publishers alike show you the things you should and shouldn't do in promoting your book.

Scott Lorenz
President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that specializes in book marketing and author publicity.
[...]

I got this book to help me with my business - direct sales or not this book will help anyone starting a business. It's organizational, life planing and very straight forward. It's a quick read which is GREAT
Go for it.

This book if full of valuable information on how to run your own business. It gives you solid guildlines on how to succeed. It shows you how to stay focused on the goal of achieving financial independence through Network Marketing. Mary Christensen gives the encouragement needed to stick with your business even when quitting would be easy. She writes about overcoming negatives and how to win.

GREAT book and as a Founder and CEO of ChicBoutique At Home I include many of Mary's books with the Starter Kit. This is one of the best ones as it has detailed step by step for a Networker to work the business. It's great for novice and experienced Networkers. Highly recommended.

Este libro supera cualquier expectativa que su nombre pudiera implicar. De forma muy sencilla, practica y efectiva, la autora nos da lecciones basicas para truinfar en el mundo de la venta directa y multi nivel. Si estas involucrado en la venta directa, este libro es VITAL para ti y todo tu EQUIPO.

I am new to network marketing and was looking to learn strategies from an experienced and successful direct seller. I found that and much more in this book. Like most network marketers I had the motivation and excitement but after enrolling began asking myself "ok, now what?" I found the answers in this book as Christensen takes the guesswork and mystery out of direct selling. It is easy to relate to Christensen as she tells her story of how she began in this industry. If the steps are followed, the reader will not have to reinvent the wheel but rather will have a clear set of principles to follow allowing them to stay on course to financial freedom.
Christensen's honesty is presented throughout the book as she explains that direct selling is not a "get rich quick" scheme and work and rejection go along with the territory. This can all be overcome by following the steps outlined in the book as well as the interactive activities to help you grow your business and think like a winner.
With Christensen's impressive experience in direct selling as well as her amazing success anyone interested in direct selling should own this book.

An interesting, poignant history of Silicon Valley from the perspective of women who, against all odds, have broken the glass ceiling. The individual annecdotes will insspire us all.
Adele Langendorf, former affiliated scholar at The Institute for Reasearch on Women and Gender, Stanford;. author of the forthcoming book: HOW I ALMOST BETRAYED ROSIE THE RIVETER

Beyond Superwoman, is a gift of current wisdom for women and for men. It is an essential glimpse at personal life before, during and after success. It offers a rare and fascinating, explorative conversation with top female CEO's. If this advice had been available to me when I was 13 my life would have been much more productive; I am motivated. The impact of this book can truly improve the world as we are inspired by example to live our lives with focus and good decisions.
I had just finished reading Issacson's, Ben Franklin biography, so impressed with Franklin's networking and multi-dimensional life, when I started Beyond Superwoman. Beyond Superwoman would be in Franklin's library and fortunately it can be in ours. It chronicles some of the most important conversations going on today. Relevant current history to guide us all. I thank the authors for researching and sharing what has not been available before.

This book provides the reader with a great insight into Silicon Valley. A must-read not only for women but also for men.

As someone who provides professional leadership development, and motivational strategies, for women, I originally ordered "Beyond Superwoman" as a resource for my work. By the time I was through the first chapeter, I was calling my female colleagues and buying extra copies for my daughters. The wisdom and shared experience in this book speaks to women of all generations. You don't have to be a CEO to recognize the struggles and tough decisions these "superwomen" faced. I've come away with a renewed promise to myself to streamline my own life, prioritize my goals, and to convey that message with more vigor to my clients and audiences.

What a terrific primer for any woman who is looking at maximizing her life experience! Although this book focuses on the high-powered lives of 25 very successful women, the experiences of these woman and the basic tenets of the book apply to any woman who desires a balance in her life of family and career.
At Inspiritrix, we assist our clients to make choices that will lead them to living inspired lives; their career choices are a major part of the decision-making process. We are now recommending "Beyond Superwoman" as a "must-read"!!
Thanks, Karen and Peggy, for your insight and sense of timing!

This book is great. I actually rented it from the library first. But aftere reading the first 2 chapters I knew I had to own it. I am using a highlighter in the book. It's a great overview of everything you need to know to open up a business (or if you are thinking about it). Worth the money.

Tom Gegax has done it again with The Big Book of Small Business...an outstanding "how to" commentary on starting and running a small (or not-so-small) business. A "must read" for anyone looking for a ready resource and "kitchen helper" in owning, operating and otherwise "worrying" a closely-held business. As the previous head of the Private Company Practice Group in my law firm, I can see how this book would have been of great help to many of my clients. As a person who once taught a course in Business Planning, I wish that at the time I had had Tom's book in hand to help students learn many of the practical aspects of running a business: managing people, strategic planning, negotiating commercial relationships, compliance etc - the list goes on.
Again, congratulations to Tom Gegax.
William R. Hibbs, Retired Partner, Dorsey & Whitney, PLLP, Minneapolis

Absolutely a fabulous book. Anyone who has ever run a business or plans to in the future will find this book a great asset. Tom Gegax delivers another winner.
William Cabot

If you could take all the best practices of business today and consolidate them into one manual, you would have an invaluable book but it would be about the size of the average American house. I believe "The Big Book for Small Business" by Tom Gegax is the "Cliff Notes" version of these best practices, I found this guide to be extremely valuable as an entrepreneur who owns four businesses and have made it required reading for all my employees.

Since one of my businesses is in an emerging market, I have done the unthinkable. I have sent my competitors CEO's copies of the book as well because I also believe in what Tom so eloquently stated, "A rising tide raises all boats". If we as industry can all utilize the advice contained in this book, our industry will grow to its incredible potential.

This is the best business book I have ever read and find myself coming back to it time and time again for strategy and execution ideas. This is 100% meat and zero fluff. My sincere congratulations to the author for delivering a business book masterpiece.

Best Regards,
Brian Brasch, President
Branick Industries Inc.

As a new small business owner, I've devoured several books written on the topic of starting a business. Most have a few good kernels of knowledge in them somewhere, but none are as consistently helpful as this book.

The author, Tom Gegax, has a great deal of personal experience starting and growing companies, most of which seem to be in the tire industry. If you're business is not merchandise-based, but service-based, this book is still very pertinent. Topics like vision and values are discussed, as well as some interesting marketing ideas. Adapting the information into a business plan for a Web company was easy and enjoyable.

Be prepared for Mr. Gegax's very zealous approach to business. It borders on fanatical at times. If you shy away from corporate structures due to their "you must believe" mindset, you'll flinch a few times while reading, but it's still excellent counsel.

From a tactile standpoint, this book is great. The binding is well constructed, and the print is slightly large and easy to read.

I cannot recommend this book enough if you're starting your own business. Double that recommendation if you own your own business and need a shot of inspiration.

I also recommend Joe Kennedy's Small Business Owner's Manual available on Amazon.

You can find an abundance of books about doing business in China. This one, however, takes a rare approach. Ad expert Tom Doctoroff confines his commentary (for the most part) to a subject he has the expertise to address - advertising - although he tends to generalize a bit about Chinese history and philosophy. He offers evidence and examples from both successful and unsuccessful ad campaigns to support his assertions about what will work if you want to build your brand in China. We find that this short book offers interesting perspectives on the Chinese consumer market, while it also provides a refresher course on the main principles of advertising and brand building in any market, whether it be East or West.

Confucius, Daoism, Communism, Industrialization, Urbanization, One-Child Families, Great Leap Forward, Education and Profit Is Good: What do these themes mean for those who wish to sell in China? They are all important influences which you need to understand. Each Chinese consumer is uniquely influenced by the combination. The result includes some pretty interesting apparent contradictions such as prudishness about sex in advertising in a country where sexual trade is wide open at the street level.

In this insightful book, JWT Greater China CEO, Tom Doctoroff explains those influences and how they operate today. That's just the beginning.

From there, he shows you case history after case history of how global and Chinese companies have done well and poorly in acknowledging those influences. I found seeing the actual advertisements to be extremely helpful in understanding the book's points.

If that weren't enough, Mr. Doctoroff goes on to provide excellent perspectives into management challenges of properly serving 1.3 billion consumers in China.

Most books about China are filled with glittering generalities that leave you just as uninformed as you were when you started. Through careful description, segmentation and exposition of specific marketing challenges, Billions makes you feel as at home in China as you would feel in marketing a new video game to American teens.

As an example of how focused the book is, Billions provides:

-- Ten basic tips for effective Chinese advertising
-- Five mistakes most often made by multinational companies in China
-- Five structural barriers within Chinese corporations that harm the development of strong local brands
-- Three areas of Chinese domestic brand stagnation
-- Three areas of Chinese domestic brand progress
-- Six effective MNC-counterattack strategies to offset the domestic Chinese brands
-- Ten ways to shape international brands into global icons with Chinese characteristics to serve the Chinese community world-wide.

I thought that the description of how the Beijing Olympics should be pursued as a branding opportunity was worth the price of the book alone.

Usually, companies send second-raters to markets like China. JWT obviously sent its best when Mr. Doctoroff took over. Read and learn to profit!

Great book if you would like to obtain an indepth view of the Chinese Consumer. A MUST read!!

BILLIONS: SELLING TO THE NEW CHINESE CONSUMER comes from a CEO with direct experience selling into the Chinese market, and discusses the code of marketing as it relates to modern China. Many companies come to China with ideas on how to apply Western thinking to their very different marketplace: thus BILLIONS' tips are a necessary set of instructions for any who would break into the Chinese marketplace. From cultural influences in buying patterns to investment challenges and multinational lessons on winning and losing in China, BILLIONS is a recommended pick for any company who would consider entering this new, large market.

Love this book. Focus group, quantitative analysis, qualitative research, or any else you learned in the Marketing Research course at the MBA curriculum, may not work in China. WIth 1.3 billion customers, this is the dream market for any multinational corporations: Unilever, Ford, Nokia, Motorola, Sony, Samsung, Protor Gamble, DeBeers(DTC), VW, Shell, Pepsi, Coke, Nestle, Avon, Nike, Siemens, IBM, Dell.... While they are compeitng, the locals are copying quickly: Haier, TCL, Konda, China Mobile, China Unicom, Lenovo, CNOOC, Yili Diary, Sedrin beer, 999 Pharmaceutical..... hundreds of them doing shampoo, shoes, ....every thing under the sun. How can you win? That is the beauty of this book. It got many strategies laid out in the step-by-step fashion. It is a must read for any one who is doing business in China. The book will be better if more comparison can made on the effectiveness of the ad such as Motoroal vs a Chinese brand.

Blindedsided helped me think about the many "What Ifs" for emergencies. It helped me during the planning process for our Emergency Plan for my college. All emergency managers should read this book at least once and keep it on their shelf.

This book is invalualble in any business continuity professional's library. It is an excellennt, and detailed reference on how to plan and execute crisis communications that show "Control, Confidence, Care, and Concern". For anybody studying for the CBCP or other certifications, this book is a must read. This book is a very practical tool to use and includes examples of what to do and say, and what not to do and say.

I am a PMP, a CISSP, and am preparing for my CBCP. I feel that this book has given me an edge in the "Crisis Communications" professional practice area for the exam. I highly recommend this book.

This is a terrific book that will help anyone in a management position better prepare for a crisis. I believe it is the best book I have read on the subject - most tend to be dry and technical, but this was actually hard to put down. The combination of advice from actual crisis Mr. Blythe has responded to along with a systematic approach to preparing for a crisis before it happens is both practical and insightful.

This is a very unique and practical book with a singular purpose - to help you answer the question from a workplace preparedness perspective: `What should your company do when something highly unexpected happens - like the September 11 attacks or a Hurricane?'

This book is full of practical advice that is split into two parts. The first part deals with Response and the second part deals with Preparedness. None of us imagines that something bad could happen at our workplace but everyday it happens in somebody's workplace. So why can't it happen in yours? And the answer is that it can happen anywhere so it really helps to be prepared.

As you read the book, you will encounter lists after lists of a step by step approach to a particular issue associated with disasters at your workplace. For example - pages 30 to 33 address how to immediately respond to such a disastrous event with a checklist of descriptions followed by a giant checklist of all the actions you need to take.

I was at first hesitant to read this book as I didn't really see it as something requiring my immediate attention but if I waited till I needed this book, it would be too late. So I decided to finally pick up this book and started skimming it. That's when I realized that one can't afford to wait to read a book of this nature. You are better off reading it right away so you don't have to scramble to find it when you really need it!

This book is about being prepared so if you own a business or manage a workplace this book is necessary reading. The author is an experienced Crisis Management professional that has helped businesses handle many high profile disasters like the World Trade Center bombing in 1993 and Hurricane Andrew. So the information is coming from a highly credible source who now has over a 1,000 clients that utilize his services.

Disaster recovery planning is traditionally focused on finding an alternative worksite, getting the necessary computer systems back up and running and giving employees the equipment they need to get back to work. Unfortunately, the employees themselves have often been overlooked or treated like any other resource necessary to get the job done. It generally takes an actual crisis to expose this falicy and point out to management and disaster recovery planners how very different the human element really is. This book is by far the best "How To Do It" book to come out in years on this most important of issues in disaster recovery planning and crisis management. It is laid out in a logical and progressive manner and leaves no stone unturned in addressing the most important issues of how do we get the people back to work. No tricks here, no management prospective, just genuine concern for the physical, mental, and emotional well- being of our fellow human beings. This is a must-read if you're serious about doing a complete job in the area of disaster recovery planning and crisis management.

I find that self-help books typically come off somewhat preachy and gimmicky. That's not the case with this one. Bell uses interesting life experiences to demonstrate that solutions are generally found in the middle ground, not in the extremes which are the domain of fanatics. It's a useful book you can enjoy and learn from without the sense you're joining a cult following.

Randall Bell has written a very readable, helpful and inspiring book. His range of experiences is incredible, and he has translated the lessons learned from them into suggestions and directions that will be valuable to anyone who will read and apply them. He assures us that bottom line results come about by the same process, whether in leading a business, a community or charitable organization or being a homemaker. He is right on.

The book was clearly instructional as well as engagingly entertaining. I particularly enjoyed the way the author presented the wide array of models and tools. The lessons are practical and easy to apply. It is a book for every professional's library.

Bottom Line Results provides an insightful and comprehensive methodology for strategic planning in any situation. Bell relies on real world experiences to successfully integrate and explain the factors essential to effective decision making. Highly recommended.

Interesting and unique stories that have a lot of lessons from which we can all learn from. Bell teaches us how to apply them in our lives. Highly recommended!