Business Books

Ms. Casserly's new book, The Emotion behind Money, delves into a relatively new and important idea about personal financial management--that our feelings about money play a profound and pivotal role in the financial reality that impacts our lives. At a time when many people presume that extrinsic financial conditions far beyond the control of any individual determine our personal financial realities, it is refreshing to see a book that reminds us that much of our success or failure in dealing with the money issues in our lives depends on us. The secret to avoiding poverty or creating wealth often lies within.

To some extent, Ms. Casserly's style of narration speaks more effectively to those who accept her premise than those who are skeptical of it. Casserly has an intimate one-on-one style of narrative that will appeal more to those who accept her premise than those who are convinced that their financial condition is based on facts, not feelings. Nevertheless, beneath this "warm and fuzzy" presentation there is a solid underpinning that even a cynical reader will have to acknowledge if they think about it. Much of our financial condition is based on behavior: what we do, and what we do not do. How we behave depends on who we are. Who we are depends on what we believe and the kinds of attitudes we have developed and inherited.

Casserly believes that the road to prosperity begins with the cultivation of inner wealth. "I've discovered that there are two huge factors that determine financial success," she explains. One is how you process your emotions. The second is how you create harmony or balance in your life." Ms. Casserly has been strongly influenced by a series of visits she and her husband take each year to The Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, California. She cites something co-founder David Simon, MD, told her: that over 90% of the toxins in the human body are not byproducts of bacteria or harmful chemicals--they develop from toxic emotions. Julie found herself wondering: Does poor economic health also spring from toxic emotions? At the very least, it is a fascinating premise. The book is slickly presented and well organized. The chapters have a logical sequence and well-labeled subsections. Each chapter has a WRAP UP section at the end, and the text includes over twenty special exercises to help you look at your own life and the financial environment in which you live, work and play. This may not be the penultimate text on this very complex and multi-faceted subject, but Casserly's book is clearly a pioneering tome in the literature of money and emotion.

This book, "The Emotion Behind Money" by Julie Murphy Casserly is fabulous. I bought it at a conference in Dallas and started reading it on the plane on the way home. I was so excited to start putting a plan into place. Julie offers great insight into money habits and helps you set a plan for changing your habits and creating the life you want to have.

This book provided me with insights that explained what I had always thought of as my irrational relationship with money. In so many cases I see my relationship with money explained through the real world examples Casserly provides. It's an enlightening and exciting journey through processing emotions to create the life that you really want. I highly recommend this read and have gifted it to many friends and family!

I absolutely could not put this book down! Who would have thought of getting so engrossed in reading a financial advisor's advice on money and emotions? ME!! It blew me away to think in such a logical way that it has changed me completely in my life now and the future. I wish I had this in my 20's, but it also is never too late! Julie Murphy-Casserly is a very down-to-earth kind of woman and that's why I purchased this in the first place. I hate budgets as much as I hate diets, and this was not at all like I thought. I learned an enormous amount from her and I did go through all of the exercises in the book (usually I skip that part:). I have changed my whole attitude in not only money and spending, but in re-grouping my whole future. She is just awesome and I cannot say enough about her. Please do not think you are too old for this; NOT TRUE AT ALL! Hope it helps as many people as it has helped me. Love this author....Susie-Q

Excellent, smart and useful info, Written in sensible everyday language. Time to get those little ducks in order. Right now!!!

Tony has created a book that brings the harsh reality of our employment morality to light. Unfortunate truths of our "career" paths, but a beautiful painting of an otherwise possible grim reality. His book brings not only the hurdles of what we must overcome to our attention, but reminds that once we have accepted our roles-as-is, we have unintentionally become defeated. I recommend to all people who think they are "set."

I had the amazing opportunity and pleasure to be one of the individuals who co-founded ProACTIVE Institute along with Tony. In those years, I saw Tony literally change lives with his hard-hitting and heartfelt philosophy. He's the real deal. A person who makes you feel proud to be a part of the human race.
Read the book - then read it again. It will change the way you perceive yourself and our workplace.
As usual, Tony, you've outdone yourself.

P. Anthony Burnham, Esq., prepares readers for the harsh reality that they may only be temporarily employed in today's "permanently changed workplace." Mr. Burnham stresses that successful leaders are self-managing and achieve results through an empowered workforce. Being a successful manager in this complex world requires innovative thinking combined with synthesis to shift employee paradigms. Learning is an ever-changing, continuous process. Mr. Burnham does a great job of identifying some of these paradigms through a case study of past, present, and future workplace changes. He emphasizes the importance of having the ability to create human value within a firm through identifying and communicating a workers worth on demand. He also stresses that creating a personal business plan for your future employment will help to achieve your goals. As a recent graduate from a masters program, this book has helped me prepare to become successfully "employed for life." Thank you Mr. Burnham!

Sincerely, Edwin Joseph Coulter, MBA, MA/HRM

THIS IS A MUST READ FOR ALL EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES ALIKE. THE "VALUE OF YOU" FORMULA IS RIGHT ON AND SHOULD BE THE MANTRA FOR ALL EMPLOYEES. THE BIG DOG IS OUT AND ITS ALL ABOUT STRENGHTS, ACTION AND RESULTS.

Tony Burnham captured the essence of today's corporate employment landscape and put it into a concise and easy to read handbook. He outlines what hiring managers are looking for and how to clearly define and state your value proposition to them. I used the book as a guide during the interview process for a new position at my current Fortune 100 company. Needless to say, it worked and I would highly recommend the book to anyone who wants to invest in their own future growth.

This is a compelling journey with a touch of history and wit through the global challenges facing every organization. For the sake of the future, I earnestly hope this eloquent read will be viewed by as many corporations as possible.

I am a college student at the University of Pittsburgh, so I have not had much exposure to the business world. Because of this, I have not directly benefited from this book, Epic Change, by Timothy Clark, but I feel some day that I will be able to successfully apply some of his ideas into my career. In a world that is constantly changing because of new technology advances, it is becoming increasingly harder for people to remain at the top of their fields without feeling threatened by younger people and their newer ideas. Timothy Clark does an exemplary job of explaining different, but useful ways to be able to stay at the top of your business field and also be able to be an effective leader. He highlights some very important ideas that even an inexperienced reader of such a book can easily identify with and also apply to their lives in a business setting. The book Epic Change details exactly what it takes for a leader to stay competent in his environment with so much change taking place in all aspects of management. Timothy Clark uses studies to support his ideas regarding change and leadership. Clark does not hesitate to make a point that there is change taking place all over the globe, and if leaders do not step up and adapt to the change they will definitely fail at their role as successful leaders and managers. He portrays an idea that is quite admirable, which is that a good leader is not one who only will stick to his or her own ideals, but is able to successfully adapt to change in a way that will make it benefit him or her. This is particularly a good message to send to college students my age because many young adults who will soon graduate college have the idea that what they know now is going to be the only type of knowledge that will be necessary for them to flourish in their career in the future. Many students my age do not think that the changes that are inevitable will affect their lives and careers years down the road, but they will. If a student my age reads such a book, they can acquire the same message that I did, and that is to expect change to come and learn to adapt to it. If you do that, you will be able to maybe one day become a respected, competent leader in the field that is of interest to you. The message of the book is that change is just aspect of being a good leader, and it is something that all good leaders have to deal with. If leaders fail to recognize the significance of change they will parish as effective leaders. Tom Donahoe

Businesses and organizations are faced with the challenge of change. Market globalization and technological advancement are just two of the many pressures forcing organizations to make timely adaptations or risk extinction. The vast majority of today's businesses cannot long maintain both status quo and market share. This book sets forth compelling arguments regarding the need for both large and small-scale organizational change to increase one's relevance and revenue.

This book walks the change leader step by step through the process of evaluating, preparing, implementing, and consolidating change based on a breathtaking array of real-life examples presented in a straightforward, easily accessible style. (See, for example, page 84).

The depth of the research is amazing, but it never gets in the way of the practical guidance. One of the best features of the book is the summary of key points at the end of each chapter, which greatly enhances the utility of the book for both teaching and training. (See pages 120-21).

Well-researched, intuitively brilliant, and original. For many years I have been a performance improvement consultant for large organizations such as Stanford University Medical Center. I have been in the trenches helping organizations change their operations, culture, and management to improve financial performance. As most people know, transitions such as these are extremely hard to accomplish and are often met with heavy resistance. Finally, an author who provides enlightened understanding about the components of the change process and the principles that must be applied to successfully implement change.

Having been involved in small and large change efforts with startup and global organizations, and having read dozens of books and articles on the topic, this is the best I have seen. In fact, this is one of the few books I have on my "keeper" bookshelf - it has displaced a few of what I have called "keepers" before that I have had on my shelf for a very long time.

I enjoyed reading this and passed it on to my kids who are visiting the Loire Valley this summer and living with a family there. Proper etiquette is always noticed, and a general knowledge of fine wines can only add to their experience.

Highly recommended! The audio format is a great idea! It makes learning very easy and the information is all relevant. This is one lesson that is interesting and easily finished.

This was my first wine book, and it is still the best beginner's reference. It covers everything you need to get started. The real benefit, however, is the audio format. You actually get to hear the narrator (who is fantastic!) pronounce the names of the various grape varieties, wines and terms. This is a huge benefit and something that cannot be replicated in the written word.

A good etiquette book should sit on every professional's bookshelf alongside "how to win friends" and "7 habits." I purchased this book along with Essential Etiquette Fundamentals, Vol. 1: Dining Etiquette and The Etiquette Edge: The Unspoken Rules for Business Success to cover all the bases. These books do an excellent job covering the important etiquette skills often overlooked in today's environment. Although often underappreciated, exhibiting proper etiquette signals to others (especially your boss and clients) that you are well educated, care about detail, and have respect for others. I highly recommend these books for anyone new to the business world or for those of us who may need to brush up on the basics.

Although drinking good wine isn't difficult, learning about wine can be. Once on a winery tour a vintner explained that there are 15,000 different choices that can be made from grape to bottle. Sometimes picking out a wine can seem daunting. Food Scholar's Wine Selection & Etiquette does a superior job of teaching those of us who would like to learn more without the information being overkill.

While there are more comprehensive books out there on Wine, I really like this book because it excels at being written for the average person. The book is divided into logical sections. I also like that the effect of climates in a region on the grape are covered. This is an easy way to tell what kind of wine you are getting just by looking at where the grape was grown.

This book will enhance your knowledge as well as your ability to pick out wines that you and your guests may enjoy. I would highly recommend this book to those who want to learn about wine, as this book does an excellent job of giving a basic education about many of the wines of the world.

Seems like everyone agrees with me here...this is a great book! Gave it as a gift to 20 of my clients....all came back with positive feedback. Some of the chapters were better than others, but still the best business book I have read in awhile.

I really hate Canadiana books....but I sincerely liked this one. Brody and Raffa should be commended for not only writing a great book, but giving their proceeds to Charity as well. Kudos.

Was given this book as a gift....awesome stuff! Should be on all best-seller lists.

I found 'Moving an Elephant with a Mouse' by Rob McEwen one of the most compelling chapters. One of B.C.'s top wealth managers, Thane Stenner, speaks to the 'Entrepreneurial Blind Spot' that often restricts vision and focus on the end-result, let alone managing change.
Frankly, McEwen outlines 'slight edge thinking' that helps take the ordinary to the extra-ordinary. 'Reminds me of a simple equation that reflects this very tenet underlying the change process. If you multiply 3x3x3x3x3, you get 243. By employing the strategies that McEwen espouses, you start operating at the 4x4x4x4x4 level. The result? 1024! Look at the impact you can have in business by making small, slight adjustments to achieve exponential results!

I have a small business at home and found this book to be an excellent resource. I was also inspired by the Canadian focus of the book. Another excellent book that I find very useful is Stop Working by Rohan Hall which shows how to expose our products to the global marketplace. I recommend both books very highly.

This is the greatest book. It has answered all my questions and the ones I didn't know to ask. Highly recommended to anyone starting a business in flowers.

This book is a great resource if you want to grow flowers for a living. I have to warn you, if you love flowers as much as I do, you may have a problem cutting and selling them. Oh, well. I still do sell tomatoes.

When they think of farming, most folk conjure up images of grains, vegetables, and livestock. One very active and lucrative area of specialized farming is the growing and harvesting of flowers -- mostly for the ubiquitous flower shops that are to be found in very town and village. Now in a newly revised and significantly expanded edition, "The Flower Farmer: An Organic Grower's Guide To Raising And Selling Cut Flowers" by Lynn Byczynski (who draws upon her considerable experience and expertise as the publisher and editor of the monthly industry newsletter 'Growing for Market' and her operation of the Wild Onion Farm in Lawrence Kansas) is the ideal instruction manual and guide for novice and experienced gardeners and farmers alike who wish to take full advantage of new techniques for prolonging their harvests, utilizing greenhouses, selecting flower cultivars, and post-harvest handling for growers throughout North American supplying commercial markets with their flowers. Enhanced with a resource directory, complete with sources for seeds, plants, supplies, and expert information on organic production under the guidelines and standards of the National Organic Program, "The Flower Farmer" will prove to be as valuable as it is indispensable whether growing flowers for fun, family and friends in the back garden, or for commercial profit on the acres of a farm.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Lynn Byczynski's book is terrific! It has all the information that you need to pursue a career as a flower farmer. It has given me the information that I was seeking to make a career change and become a farmer's market flower grower. Especially appreciated the "Source and references" section.

The author spends a great deal of time telling you how to plant, transplant, fertilize, etc. She spends way too much space on basics of horticulture. Surely, anyone interested in selling flowers already knows how to grow them! The Ball RedBook would be a better reference for plant-specific growing advice. This book has extensive information about marketing and field yields, but I would take her advice with a grain of salt. I do not agree with some of her calculations and her other information is so far off the mark that I do not trust her opinions in this regard either.

The best info in this book is from her "case studies". The farmers she interviews give good information about their methods and mistakes, but very few specifics about the most important topic: preservation. Just as top chefs will alter recipes so that no one can duplicate their materpieces exactly, most flower growers are very tight-lipped about their secrets and will write pages and pages without giving specifics. This book is true to form. "Proper contitioning" tips go no farther than adding sugar or asprin, or buying commercial (and expensive!) potions.

My greatest complaint has to do with her guide to cut flowers at the end of the book. Some flowers that keep beautifully (after conditioning) are dismissed as having "no vase life". For example: Poppies and Cleome are dismissed as lasting a day or two, but using certain methods my Cleome lasted 2 WEEKS in the vase and won a blue ribbon at the county fair, and poppies can fetch $5 a stem and last 7-10 days if you do it right. "Flowers for Sale" by Lee Sturdivant has much better conditioning and plant selection information.

I couldn't put this book down until I finished it. Kerry does a great job of taking the reader behind the scenes at Fox.

It looks like I'm one of the few reviewers that didn't work for Fox Software. However, I have used and developed in FoxPro a lot over the last 15 years. It's still the best RAD tool that you can buy despite its treatment by Microsoft.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I think that anyone who has worked in software or worked for complete butthead would also like it and relate. It's so well written that I just wish it were longer.

Recently, I read Mr. Nietz's book while on vacation and found it to be very interesting and hard to put down. Within a couple of days I was finished with the book. This book is for all audiences and you don't need a degree in computers to enjoy it. I highly recommend this book and I look forward to reading other books by Kerry in the future.

Once I began this extraordinary book, I could not put it down. It's a page turner with a story that will appeal to all readers. I worked at Fox Software with Kerry for over 4 years. This story of Kerry's experience at Fox Software is a wonderful reminder that how you get to the top is more important than how high you get.

There have been many stories of what the inside of the high-tech business looks like from the most famous and successful business leaders. Most of these stories are attempts to write history and promote themselves. This story is about a hard working and honest guy who wants to work hard and make something of himself by joining a small software company. After reading this book you can tell that Kerry wrote this book to just share his experience. He is not trying to promote himself, and by doing so he tells a story that so many people can relate to, and he records for all of us a fascinating story of a small software company at a time when the industry was growing exponentially.

This story has a happy ending, despite all of the obstacles presented in the book, Kerry and others continued to work hard and were rewarded years later at Microsoft. I am looking forward to more great books from Kerry.

FoxTales is an excellent read. Once I got started, I simply could not put it down. As an employee that actually worked in the offices of Fox Software, I always felt that Fox Software was a company that succeeded more in spite of its uppermost management, rather than because of it. At times Fox was an exciting and awesome place to work and at others, it was humiliating and torturous. Kerry does a great job of presenting the experience as a whole and of wrapping up a series of somewhat loosely related events into a very entertaining story. It's nice to see someone tell the outside world what it was like at Fox Software.

If nothing else, Dr. Fulton had an excellent eye for talented developers and he certainly did manage to assemble an incredible team. It's great to see how Keary and others were eventually rewarded by Microsoft for their efforts and perseverance.

'Get Content. Get Customers.' is a business book page-turner, which, in and of itself is a rarity these days. An easy to follow guide to content marketing that is invaluable for both the content marketing novice and expert alike.

'Get Content. Get Customers' is a must-read for custom content agencies and consumer marketers who already employ a content strategy - and those that aspire to do so. Any marketer today will gain terrific insight about the current, seismic shift in how media and content is created, delivered and absorbed in the early 21st century by reading this book.

Timely information throughout, well organized and very efficiently done.
Kudos to Pulizzi and Barrett.

This book is a must-have for traditional marketers looking to get more value from their marketing efforts, contemporary marketers in pursuit of successful execution of new mktg applications like Social Media Marketing, and the SMART marketers who are integrating both for their own organizations and/or clients. The concept is highly relevant, presented well and uses great case studies. I have yet to put my copy down.

Anyone who wants to take their company to the next level by gaining hightened exposure to their target market, Get Content.Get Marketing. is their newest, simplest tool! Bravo to Mr. Barrett and Mr. Pulizzi for tying opportunities together on the ever changing electronic highway. This book is fun, easy to read, easy to digest and best of all, easy to implement.

The way we reach our customers is evolving daily and whether you own a small business or a large corporation, there's no longer a reason to say, "I have a great product or service, but how do I let people know about it?" Read the book!

"Get Content. Get Customers." is well thought out, easy to read and highly relevant. While the title might lead one to believe that it's all about the web, the book effectively ties together all elements of modern-day marketing and links them to the spinal column of the internet.

I am amazed that in a field changing as quickly as modern marketing that the authors have been able to get much information into the book that is this timely. I found easy to follow-constructs, timely examples and dozens of items which will lead me to do additional research and continue learning.

Most contemporary business books should be in the humor genre as far as small business owners are concerned. Not Get Content Get Customers, this slim book deserves your roughest treatment. Mark it up, dog ear it, spill coffee on it, and tear through it. If there was one book you could keep out of your competitors' hands, this would be the one.
With traditional media becoming less effective, and almost all our new clients telling us they looked at our Website (HopeHealth.com) before calling us -- it was time to re-think our marketing from top to bottom. Get Content Get Customers is a step-by-step "get er done" guide to making your business visible to anyone who may be interested enough to search for your ilk.
Once the rules of the road are established, the case studies are invaluable. No theories here. It's all real world, tested advice. It's clear Pulizzi and Barrett, the authors, believe in Content Marketing because the subject matter is delivered with passion, and makes for an interesting and "relevant" read.
This advice is easy-to-follow, and easy to implement. Garden variety websites, enhanced with free downloadable software are all you need. Then only your creativity is the limit to how effective your content marketing will be. Highly recommended!

This book is a gem. Not only does it motivate you to market yourself effectively and put yourself "out there", it gives you all the pertinent tools needed to do just that! It has the ability to contextualise the entire job search process, whilst inspiring you to get on with it - assess your abilities, write your resume, write a supremely convincing cover letter, and nail the interview. It is an incredibly easy read that even has the ability to re-energize you when you get the feeling that it's all going nowhere. The advice and answers to tricky questions afforded in this excellent career book are by far the most practical and useful that I have found. Rob Sullivan makes the job search process seem alot less daunting and even fun! There is much to be gained from Getting Your Foot in the Door When You Don't Have a Leg to Stand On.

I was fortunate to have met Rob Sullivan, and in a forty-five minute seminar, he filled me with enough insight to transform my Monster.com resume from generating 1 call in 6 weeks to 5 calls in 4 days! The passion, enthusiasm, and insight I experienced with him personally, fill the pages of his book, which I found to be extremely valuable in my own job search.

Rob's book is interesting, fun, succinct, and filled with wisdom. I found his book much more relevant and useful to me than "What Color is Your Parachute." I highly recommend "Getting Your Foot in the Door" instead.

What I LOVE about this book is that it's like having your best friend give you a big hug and say, "Don't worry. It's going to be alright. Here's what you need to do."

The case studies are great and really make Rob's points come to life. That, by itself, makes this book different because you can see the difference this approach makes. But don't kid yourself. It takes work. It took me a few weeks just to work through the self-assessment.

If you're looking for a quick fix, magic pill, you aren't likely to find it anywhere. You hold the key to your future. It's up to you to uncover the gold in your background. Thanks to Rob, I'm well on my way.

While this book is particularly valuable for career-changers and entry-level job hunters, I'd recommend this book to anyone.

Every time I pick up this book I am mystified as to why it hasn't found a broader audience. Yet, perhaps it's because, as Sullivan says in the intro, "you won't find shortcuts or easy answers". Unlike the narrow, often-unsatisfactory assessments that abound on the web or in career centers (interest inventories, personality typings, etc.), Sullivan's approach requires a greater level of responsibility and engagement on the part of the reader. But those willing to put in the time will find a bonanza of sound guidance to help them identify and credibly market their strengths, and hold onto their saddles while riding the interview circuit.

Solid training in advertising plus real world experience (at ad-world giant, Leo Burnett, and as a VP and Senior consultant for an executive recruiting firm) equip Sullivan with the means to define and craft the job search in marketing terms, as well as plenty of insider knowledge of interviewing techniques. Moreover, these recommendations are market-tested: Sullivan suffered through more than 80 interviews before writing the book and leveraging its methods to attain career success.

Sullivan's comparison of the job hunt to a product launch, with potential employer as consumer, orients the job seeker early on toward a realistic and research-driven self-assessment. Subsequent chapters prod the reader through the process of harvesting and quantifying details and variously combining the elements into persuasive, job-specific resumes and covers.

With well-selected quotes, honest field reports and a long, quirky bibliography, Sullivan reveals his humanity-a creative counterbalance to the book's stolid core. Scattered with gems such as the recommendation to keep a work journal of your ideas and contributions, and advice on how to handle time gaps, lateral moves and backward steps, Getting Your Foot in the Door is well-worth its modest price.

Rob's book is an easy read, and has good insights into how companies approach the recruitment process. It helped me create a very focused resume. I also liked the interview tips. A very concise and useful book.

This is a great book about great sales people, but offered in a way that should be able to pick up on the traits and habits of these pioneers. A must read for anyone who is in sales or manages sales people.

This is one of the best books that I have read. I will venture out to say that it should be a must read book for any one who wants to sell anything, even if it is an idea to your boss.

I believe the title of the book gives the perception that it is a historical book of four great sales persons. People looking for sales improvement books may perceive this to be a book that is more historical in nature (because of the title) than a book that will lay out ideas of great sales person who saved their companies and themselves from going bankrupt.

Unlike other quick fix sales book the author is telling us how the great sales person of yesteryears improved their sales and how we can take those lessons and apply to our situation. Here too the author helps us in making it clear that the techniques espoused in the book are not one size fits all. He lays out the type of industries and type of services that could use one technique over the other.

The other benefit of this book is that it will be very easy for you to ask your boss to implement some of the ideas laid out in the book. The reason your boss would want to listen to you is because you are suggesting ideas that have been used by giants like John Patterson, Wheeler, Girad and Dale not some new sales guru.

This is a book all sales professional would enjoy reading. It contains enough information for a green peel to act as if an old dog.

One of the best books on sales that I have ever read. Very well researched and a fine examination of of each of these sales giants' contributions to modern day selling. I would definitely rate it as a cornerstone book on sales and should be in every salesperson's library.

Sir Isaac Newton reputedly explained that if he could see further than others, it was because he "stood on the shoulders of giants." (Actually, centuries before him, Bernard of Chartres observed that "We are like dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants.") When John Wooden began to coach basketball at Dayton High School in Kentucky, he began to formulate principles for a "pyramid of success" for himself and the players he coached. Throughout Wooden's career, these principles focused much more on development of character and quality of life than they did on victories on the court, although his U.C.L.A. teams won 10 NCAA titles during his last 12 seasons, including 7 in a row from 1967 to 1973. His UCLA teams also had a record winning streak of 88 games, four perfect 30-0 seasons, and won 38 straight games in NCAA Tournaments.

I mention all this by way of introducing the remarks that follow. Thanks to the author of this book, Tom Sant, his readers are able to stand on the shoulders of four "giants" in salesmanship: John Henry Patterson, Dale Carnegie, Elmer Wheeler, and Joe Girard. As did John Wooden, each thought of success in terms of a pyramid that has a broad base of participation and (yes) opportunity at the point of entry but a severely limited area at the summit. In fact, the favorite greeting of Zig Ziglar, another giant of sales, is "See you at the top!"(In fact, he likes the expression so much that he used it as a new title for one of his books, Biscuits, Fleas, and Pump Handles.) Sant examines the career of each of the four men, then explains what he thinks can be learned from their quite different approaches to sales...and to life.

For example, Sant credits Patterson (1867-1947) with being the first -- or at least among the first -- to institutionalize the process of selling as a standardized system. As a result, by all of them following his brother Crane's four step process, CEO Patterson and his sales force enabled their company, National Cash Register, to continue to growth profitably throughout the Great Depression in the 1930s. Sant characterizes Carnegie (1888-1955) as "the apostle of influence" because Carnegie's original "six ways to make people like you" continue to guide and inform sales planning and initiatives more than 50 years after his death. According to Sant, Elmer Wheeler claimed there were no magic words but understood "the magic of words" which he formulated in his original five "Wheelerpoints" (e.g. "Don't sell the steak, sell the sizzle!"). As for Joe Girard (1928-present), he used various strategies and tactics for "priming the pump" to become (according to the Guinness Book of World Records) "the world's greatest salesman. Sant devotes considerable attention to how Girard developed his "Law of 250" (i.e. "Most people have about 250 other people in their lives who are important enough to invite to a wedding or to a funeral") which serves as the basis of his continuous cultivation of past, current, and prospective customers.

Had Sant limited his attention entirely to the four "giants," I would still rate this book Five Stars but hasten to point out that that there is a substantial value-added benefit which I did not anticipate when I began to read this book: Sant correlates all of the "lessons" to be learned from Patterson, Carnegie, Wheeler, and Girard and then suggests to his reader how to select the most relevant material from among the abundance he provides. Here are key points he stresses:

"1. The sales method matches the customer's preferred mode of buying.

2. The sales method is flexible enough to be self-correcting, incorporating lessons."

3. The sales process itself creates value, usually in the form of intellectual capital, for both the customer and the vendor.

4. The methodology followed increases the efficiency of the sales process, making the sales cycle shorter or enabling the salesperson to handle a larger volume of accounts successfully.

5. The methodology should be transferable across all skill levels.

6. The methodology is based on objectively measured events or tasks."

Also in the final chapter, "Looking Back to Look Ahead," Gant observes that "all of the sales methods we have looked at have one thing in common: They work...But they work only if you work them." Therefore, "Chose one. Use one. Do it every day. Keep at it steadily persistently, consistently. The bottom line is that you just need to do it." Of course, the methodology selected could be a "hybrid," one which combines some of Patterson's ideas about process with Carnegie's insights about influencing others, Wheeler's focus on "the magic of words" (as opposed to "magical words"), and Girard's "Law of 250." It remains for each reader to decide what is most relevant to her or his own circumstances. Whatever they may be, "you just need to do it."