Business Books

I bought this book because I've read very good reviews. I found this book amazing. This books shows you how to make good designs and develop in J2EE, all the chapters with full of comments from Rod's experience. Many of the concepts of this book were later applied in Spring framework. I strongly recommend read this book for advanced Java developers.

This book is for all level developers who have interest on J2EE platform and development. In spite of the complicated technology, it can let readers digest the knowledge without difficulty. On the other hand, the main theme of author(J2EE without EJB) has become popular trends nowaday and the whole idea can be found in this book.

Frankly, this book has gotten a little long in the tooth. One might say that, from the products it mentions and evaluates, it is out of date. But never mind!

Rod applies principles that never go out of date - only the examples do - or seem to. A product is stuck with its basic design forever. Thus a critique of the 2002 version of Struts is as valid as a critique of the 2007 version.

Pros: Readable. Insightful. It will make you a better architect.

Cons: Typos (how do chapters get mis-numbered in the ToC?!?) It really should be in a high-quality hard binding (though the binding is quite good for paper).

Summary: 'J2EE Design...' is worth much more than its weight in gold. Buy it. READ IT!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, particularly well-thought out design guidelines for developing J2EE application with or without EJB. The author introduced several best practices particularly the concepts and usage of Spring and Hibernate based j2ee development is quite helpful. In addition to this book, I find patterns and bestpractices from "Core J2EE Patterns /Deepak Alur", "Core Security Patterns /Christopher Steel" and "Enterprise Integration Patterns /Gregor Hohpe" would be helpful - especially if you are building a enterprise-class j2ee applications.
Now the downside, the book needs a complete revision to include changes with J2EE 1.4. The CODE SAMPLES explained in this book does'nt work now - please update.

It is a great book. But I give it only 4 stars is because it is hard to read. English is my 2nd language. I cannot read this book quickly. I even need check dictionary at least 2 times per page. I do not have the same problem when read other tech books.
"What is WebSphere" is another book I like. Also help me to learn system level stuff. It is much easier to read. Though it does not have so many stuff like Johnson's book.
I would like to suggest the auther to consider many tech readers are not very good at English.

I found this book to be an interesting read for people considering becoming entrepreneurs. It is filled with data points that are not very well know. I would take some of conclusions with a grain of salt, as some of the data backing it is not all that solid. However, the author does mention when the data is not extensive.

It's not a guide to entrepreneurship and if you aren't sold on starting your own business, then it will probably seem rather gloomy. However, it's a good eye opener if you have a decent job and have considered starting a company just to not have to work for somebody else. Would defeinitely recommend it if you are thinking about starting your own business but are on the fence.

The conclusion set forth in the end seemed a bit rushed (it's all mentioned in the last 2 pages) but I think the previous chapters are worth it.

It also has a lot of references (almost half the book pages are filled with references), so depending on what kind of reader you are, that might be (or not) a good thing.

Why do people start businesses? Why doesn't the high failure rate dampen their enthusiasm? "The Illusions of Entrepreneurship: The Costly Myths That Entrepreneurs, Investors, and Policy Makers Live By" is an examination of modern entrepreneurship and what makes it all tick. Taking a good, long look at the reality of it all, "The Illusion of Entrepreneurship : The Costly Myths That Entrepreneurs, Investors, and Policy Makers Live By" takes into account the industries that are popular for start up, how they are financed, the characteristics of an entrepreneur, and strategies for new businesses to survive when they first start. Scholarly written and researched, "The Illusion of Entrepreneurship: The Costly Myths that Entrepreneurs, Investors, and Policy Makers Live By" is highly recommended for any community library collection with an interest in economics and business, and should be required reading for any aspiring entrepreneur.

I was drawn to this book when Dr. Shane gave us a quiz about the FACTS of entrepreneurship. Believe it or not, although many of us might have thought we were savvy in entrepreneurship, we got almost none of the questions correct. After that, I placed a pre-order for this book and waited for months before this book was first in print and available. It was quite a worthwhile.

What we got wrong? If you read the book you will understand why many of us got them wrong. His data (much of them from public sources) basically strikes you like this:
* Can you believe the most entrepreneurial state in the US is not California, nor Massachusetts, but Vermont?
* Can you believe U.S. is not the most entrepreneurial country in the word, but instead three times less entrepreneurial than the top country? (The book uses various measures of entrepreneurial activities)
...
This long list of debuted myths are summarized in the end of each chapter.

Most important, each chapter explains WHY the myths turn out to be wrong. Without these explanations, the book would become simply a stack of striking facts that you found hard to believe. What makes this book highly insightful and convincing is that the author not only points out what is the truth based on reliable data, but also tells us why the surprising truth makes sense.

Certainly, to buy in his points, you need to first buy in how the author defines entrepreneurship--starting a new (for-profit) organization, including self-employment, etc. This is a fair definition in the research on entrepreneurship.

If you teach entrepreneurship or related courses, the book will be a perfect tool for you to draw students' interest. Students become more involved and learn more when their stereotype mental model is challenged with a sound reason.

One more thing to note: The author has a notable merit across his writings: clear, and easy to follow. This book is of no exception. You can easily grab what he wants to say in this book even when you read it when traveling on a plane or before going to bed.

This is an OUTSTANDING book that should be very useful to entrepreneurs, researchers and policy makers.

The author is one of the most respected scholars in entrepreneurship. He uses a lot of research papers and industry reports to present the facts and bust the "myths" about entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs.

The book has ten chapters with a total of 67 busted myths. Chapters 2 and 7 should be very useful to entrepreneurs. Chapter 2 tells us that industry selection matters in starting a business. Unfortunately, entrepreneurs select industries that they know better and in which it is easy to start businesses. Further, most entrepreneurs don't select the most profitable industries but instead pick industries with the highest firm failure rates. Chapter 7 tells us that success depends on more important factors than entrepreneur personality or psychological traits.

The book raises some serious questions about conventional wisdoms. Here are two examples:

Concerning the typical entrepreneur, "The characteristics that make people more likely to start businesses aren't all desirable; people are more likely to go into business for themselves if they are unemployed, work part-time, have changed jobs often, and make less money. The typical entrepreneur earns less money than he would have earned had he worked for someone else and has worse job benefits."

Concerning government policy to promote entrepreneurship, "We have no evidence that in the absence of government intervention, people were creating too few businesses or that without government action the wrong firms would get started or financed. Moreover, we have no evidence that creating additional new companies is a good thing. ... there is ample evidence that when governments intervene to encourage the creation of new businesses, they stimulate people to start new companies disproportionately in competitive industries with lower barriers to entry and high rates of failure."

I find the book interesting and entertaining. It is well-written and easy-to-follow, without unnecessary academic jargons. I would highly recommend the book to anyone who is serious about entrepreneurship.

I took two major lessons, and provide a suggestion, from Scott Shane's "Illusions of Entrepreneurship":

First, "Start your business for the right reasons," is a key issue that Shane notes, and it's an issue that can help ground potential entrepreneurs in reality. This book provides a portrait of entrepreneurs that is refreshing to read, noting that the romanticized view of being an entrepreneur is something much different than the "as is" state. People who are good "craftsmen", even in an unglamorous field, will feel good about going it alone after reading his book.

Second, I suggest that this book comes at an important time in our nation's business history. With the concerns about how innovative and entrepreneurial we are as a nation, and what that may mean to our future economic development, this book helps de-bunk stultifying myths about pursuing an entrepreneurial career. That can only help us.

Third, my suggestion: Not only will people who want to be entrepreneurs benefit from the objective analysis in this book, but policy-makers would do well to be steeped in the reality of entrepreneurism presented here. Maybe they will think about how to clear a road for new enterprise formation versus bureaucratically impede business success.

Benjamin Orbach has turned his year in Amman and Cairo (with quick jaunts to Turkey and Syria) into an insightful and eye-opening narrative. All too often we only hear about the Middle East through video clips of angry anti-American protests. Orbach's knowledge of Arabic allowed him to dig much deeper and present a more complex and complete picture of the intricate nature of Middle Eastern culture and politics. This book is a must-read for anyone looking to get beyond the sound bites and find out what is really happening in this critical region of the world.

WONDERFUL, EXCITING AND INSPIRATIONAL BOOK

It has been several years since I have traveled outside the USA. I have not felt safe after 9/11. Whenever I see the news including the Arab countries, whenever I hear the words, Arab, Jihad, Islam, Muslim, I find myself feeling anxious with some degree of fear and confusion. Reading Ben Orbach's book, Live From Jordan, has provided me with a tremendous breakthrough. I am now able to see the Arab people as just that - PEOPLE. That fear is gone. I continue to maintain guarded interest, but no more so than with anyone else. I live in the Seattle area where we have many cultures living here. It is so freeing to see them as fellow passengers on the wonderful planet earth.

I especially appreciated Ben's comments toward the end of his book, pages 296 and 297 where we all have the honor to be "unofficial ambassadors" wherever we go. Human kindness goes a long way whether it is with a neighbor near or far away. Being a grandmother and even a great-grandmother I am encouraged and pleased to say that I will be planning and saving for my next trip abroad. I will still be cautious, but no more so with the Arab people as with anyone else. Thank you Ben!

C. Arnott

"Live From Jordan" takes you to the Middle East and gives you an on-the-ground view. Yes, the perspective is American, but that is the point. What happens when an American Jew who speaks Arabic manages to pass as a Canadian in the lead-up to the Iraq war?

It's fascinating to see how generous and inviting the locals are to the author--how they invite him into their conversations, their homes, their families, and their conflicts. As a result, the author gains a private look into a world that most of us will never see, and he shares that world with us, with humor, grace, and insight.

Live from Jordan: Letters Home from My Journey through the Middle East is
thoughtful, illuminating, and highly entertaining. It is an elegantly written, and often hilarious, account of Orbach's prolonged stay in Jordan and Egypt, as well as his excursions to Israel, Morocco,
Oman, Syria, and Turkey. The book's scope is broad--the author details his
day-to-day experiences, from finding an apartment in Amman to providing
matchmaking services to ordinary Jordanians. The book also describes Orbach's personal encounter with Anti-Americanism, and concludes with a number of suggestions of how the United States might regain some of its lost credibility among Arab states.... to read the entire review, go to [...]

Benjamin Orbach did something just a few months after the events of 9-11 that few Americans dared to do. Just when most Americans were purposely avoiding travel to the Middle East (or had left the area for good), Orbach decided to move to Jordan on his own so that he could study Arabic as it is spoken on the street. He wanted to learn everyday Arabic slang and ways of expressing himself in the language that would allow him to communicate with Arabic speakers at the deepest level. Immersing himself into the culture of Amman, and living there without the usual security surrounding most Americans in that part of the world, he learned much more about himself and the people he met than he could have reasonably expected to come away with going into the experience.

Orbach's language skills and obvious respect for the culture and people he lived among made it possible for him to fit into his Amman neighborhood so well that he formed lasting friendships with the people he saw there everyday, his barber, his grocer, students at his university, his language teachers, restaurant owners and his landlady, among them. Unlike most Americans, and probably most Westerners, he came to see them as individuals with the same hopes and desires that we all have, rather than as interchangeable parts in a single Arab culture dominated by a religion bent on destroying the West and claiming the world for Islam. Anyone who reads Live from Jordan will be able to rid themselves of that stereotypical viewpoint forever and that makes it an important book.

When I started reading Live from Jordan I wondered whether or not Benjamin Orbach's personal experiences would be similar the ones I had while working in Algeria from late 1992 until early 2002. As it turns out, they definitely were. I am not an Arabic speaker but in Algeria French is the business language of choice and most Algerians are at least somewhat fluent in the language. That allowed me to have rather detailed and intimate discussions with my Algerian co-workers and friends about our differences and, more importantly, about our similarities. Much as I suspect that Orbach will always treasure his days in Jordan and Egypt, I will be forever grateful for the friendship and trust that was offered to me by those Algerians who welcomed me into their world as an individual rather than exclude me as an "American."

I mention my years in that part of the world only to emphasize how "true" this book read to me. I did not find a false note in it anywhere and would love to see its message spread as widely as possible.

This book reflects the life experience of a woman of color who has shattered many glass ceilings and has paved the way for others to follow. Bordas now beckons us to join her in building the inclusive and multicultural society. Her view of leadership is the missing link. For too long, leadership has been dominated by a white, male orientation. Hooray! Now women and people of color can embrace their ways of leading and understand the power of their community-centered and socially responsible styles.

Juana Bordas provides a fresh perspective on leadership by weaving the traditions of Latino, African American and Native American's together in her book. Her progressive, forward thinking views offer tools for leading a new generation of young people with an appetite for integration and inclusion. This book provides guidance for the historic times we're living.

I have two children who are growing up in Denver, Colorado which is a multicultural city. We have been fortunate that our last 3 mayors have been White, Black and Latino. Our city council became a majority female in the nineties. Salsa, Soul and Spirit challenges us to not just invite women and people of color to the table- but to make sure we embrace diversity and utilize the gifts and assets they bring. The book provides the leadership tools we need to change the way we operate so that the values, experiences and history of all people are included in the way we operate everyday. Authentic diversity can't just be business as usual with different faces and races around the table! What a great example this helps to set for our children.

If only the wisdom in this book could be transferred to the minds of the leaders of our planet. Anyone who wishes to increase understanding and harmony should read this book and become inspired enough to start making some changes in the ways we relate to each other.

The story of a Latina finding her way and success in a non-diverse society coupled with insights into the "soul" of Latino, Black, and American Indian leaders. A must read for the leaders of tomorrow trying to bridge the gap between saying we are diverse and successfully reaching that goal.

what a fascinating book! unfortunately it is littered with typographical errors which are REALLY irritating. examples: "The stem brain or gator brain processes and teacts to sensory input(p. 21)"..."Nothing is perfect. The word is full of things we can do better(p.7)."..."As Nicholas Negoponte, the founder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab, has written...(p.43)"

such a shame. if there is ever a second printing, perhaps these and other unnecessary errors can be corrected.

I was introduced to the book recently, with the author presenting at the local public library. Over 100 people showed up from all walks of life, and all seemed to have benefited from the approach he takes on creativity.

The book is an excellent guide on how to change your critical thinking processes into creative thinking processes.

His work even helps deal with stressful issues- you shortly find new ways to tackle problems - and sometimes even find new opportunities. I recommend this book to anyone who is ready to realize the importance of creative action in their lives.

Think Better: An Innovator's Guide to Productive Thinking

This book is based on the outstanding premise that how we think is more important than what we know. Tim explains why thinking skills are likely to be even more important in the rapidly changing future. The book then expands on exactly what productive thinking is and why we need to do it! Although initially based on the proven concepts of the Osborne Parnes Creative Problem Solving Model, Productive Thinking takes the ideas of divergent and convergent thinking, and together with an excellent choice of thinking tools and techniques, weaves them together in the 6 step Productive Thinking Model. Elegant in design, thoroughly researched and proven in practice. An easy to read and very informative piece of work. Well done Tim.

Ken Wall - Australia

Thinking is intuitive. Thinking is common sense. Thinking is hard wired into humans. If all this is true, more people would put common sense into common action. It's not the case, though is it?.

When one understands, one can make decisions more easily, more quickly and more correctly. Tim Hurson's book whacks it out of the park so well, we purchased 150 copies for clients and will follow up with them to make sure they read it and, well "Think Better" to dramatically improve their business.

As Tim writes on page 10 of his must read book, "The ability to think better will soon become the most significant competitive advantage companies and individuals can claims. Thinking better is what it's all about."

Our company trains insurance agents (Throw the eggs now) to help their employer clients better understand what they pay so dearly for. The word insurance seems to connote the worst images...an intangible concept that is difficult to understand, costs too much and does not perform when one needs it.

Page 88-Perceive a problem. Pick a solution. Do something. Finding the real problem to create broader solutions takes training. Tim shows one how to analyze properly, find the solution and implement. Not only is one step difficult for too many business people, but putting all three into action, is almost impossible for most. Isn't the goal to at least beat Paretto's 80-20 principle?

The insurance business is replete with "This is how it's always been done. This is the way to do it now." If readers will follow Tim's Productive Thinking Model framework, it will help them think better, think more effectively, and think more powerfully. We'll finally hear no more "This is how it's always been done."

Makes sense to us. It will to you also.

Tim Hurson's "Think Better" is not a treatise for armchair philosophers but an action-packed thriller, an exciting travel guide from theory to practice.

Productive thinking, Hurson argues, generates new things, as opposed to reproductive thinking, which refines what is known. It is the deliberate search for breakthrough rather than incremental change and it is powered by the alternation of creative and critical thinking.

The book presents a model which includes a rigorous method and superb practical tools and techniques that have been designed, developed and successfully tested in real life by the author. In the process, thinkers are urged to balance facts and feelings, information and imagination, aspirations and action and persevere through the "third third" of the brainstorm - that final stretch where the really great ideas emerge.

The clear writing style and the well-organized content are enhanced by quality story-telling that gives the book soul, with true stories (hospitals, insurance companies, furniture, space travel) as well as imaginary ones (how an airline might make its middle seats attractive).

Tim Hurson has clearly done a lot of productive thinking about productive thinking in this contemporary and comprehensive work, which constitutes a major contribution to the literature of creatively confronting challenges.

It's an easy read from someone with a short attention span. Plain english; a story that just takes you in. I am grateful to Larry for writing this book and sharing that this alternate lifestyle is possible.
It's encouraging me to save more.

I came across this book after thinking about retiring at age 51. It had good reviews so I thought why not. At that time there was none in stock and I had to wait at least 4 weeks to get a hold of a copy. It was definitely worth the wait! I found it to be very encouraging and sensible.
There is a lot to this book that will benefit anybody thinking about retirement now or in the future. Even if you never plan on retiring there is plenty of financial advice that makes it worthwhile. I've read many financial books and the author tells it as good or better than most. He definitely has a knack for writing and can hold your interest while teaching you what real financial planning should be.
I especially liked the window into the author's (Larry Ferstenou) and his wife Kris's life to show how they did it, what retirement is like for them, and what you should plan on in retirement both financially and psychologically.
Definitely worth getting, reading, and then keeping as a reference.

Larry Ferstenou does an excellent job of pulling together many of the things you need to look at when deciding if you can retire young, and what steps you can take to put yourself on that path.

This book was written by someone who practices what he preaches as he was able to retire in his early 40s. He touches on financial issues, social issues (the "work ethic"), and why people work.

Some of the figures he uses in his financial calculation may not apply to your situation, but the concepts likely will.

I would recommend this book to anyone, even if they are not thinking of retiring early.

This book contains a lot of good information, and is well written, so I would recommend it as a great starting point. My only concern is, why was this book written? Did the authors need the money? If that's the case, then you have to look at the title of the book and the advice given with the understanding that the authors needed to work to make their early retirement possible.

My wife and I are very thankful that Larry and his wife Kris took the time to write down the path they took to reach financial freedom in "You Can Retire Young!".

Unlike so many other books written by the so called "experts" (who are still working full-time), Larry and Kris write from their really life experience. This make this book all the more valuable.

I have not found many other books written by ordinary working people who have actually been able to successfully retire early. There are two books referenced in "You Can Retire Young!" written by actual early retirees, but in my opinion, "You Can Retire Young!" is by far the best.

I say this because "You Can Retire Young!" presents very practical steps that can be accomplished at any life stage on our way to retirement.

We purchased "You Can Retire Young!" and have read it twice. And we plan to keep re-reading it along with the notes we have taken plus reading the other books that are referenced until we also are successfully retired young.

We are a 38 years married couple, who by following the steps laid out in this book are much closer to successfully retiring early then before reading it and to us that's priceless.

We wish every reader of this book a successful and early retirement.

You know how you go through life meeting others and feeling their energy, and knowing how their energy effects you and others, but not being able to describe it without sounding foolish? Well, Energy Leadership is that description...that answer.

I do not think I have ever read a book so quickly. I really did not want to put it down. What I enjoyed most about it was feeling like I was in the room with with Bruce, feeling as if I was coaching these individuals. I had faces for them; I could see their reactions. And, best of all, I could see how transformational the process was...is.

I cannot wait to use this tool (I already am) and change my life and the lives of others with it.

Thanks, Bruce!

Energy leadership is an easy, page turning, read. Thank you for writing this book and providing me with a tool I can use to help move my organization out of its catabolic energy.

This one book will change your energy, change your life and unleash the abundance of creative energy in your life and in your business.

We are nothing more that a total energy system of parts. The water you drink, the money you have, your cash flow, your shirt, shoes and socks, the lunch you ate, the things you think about, your feelings and emotions are nothing more than energy. Energy Leadership shows us how to take back control of our lives and business.

We all know that everything (including us) are made up of atoms and smaller sub-atomic particles of energy. What is between the nucleus and it's orbiting electrons is NOTHING or Empty space. There are countless atomic particles making up everything we see, touch, hear, taste. That table in front of you looks totally solid and is nothing but moving waves of potential and possibility, energy! Your employees, your bank account, your corporate logo, your way of being with your customers, your failures, successes, the things that happen to you, around you and through you is nothing more than energy, energy that you have a say in, energy that you can control, change and move up to an abundance of anabolic circumstances and conditions in and around your business and life. Galileo, Copernicus... now Dr. Bruce D. Schneider bring the magic of assessing, understanding and using our god given energy to increase our health, effectiveness, wealth, love and joy in everything we do.

This is a masterpeice of work and nothing compares with its brilliance and everyday language so the non-scientist can understand and benefit from Energy Leadership.

Understanding that energy has an impact in your world as do microwaves, xrays, MRI's and laser beams and now Dr. Schneider teaches us how to access that inherent energy within us to be Leaders energetically to be, have and do anything we want.

This is amazing work and the Energetic Self Preception Chart clearly show us and lead us up the ladder from Level 1 Victim Energy to Level 7 Creation and Wisdom Energy. Step by step we are lead into a world beyond our widlest dream where money, business success, unconditional love and joy reside.

Every CEO and World Leader needs to read this book!!

I have handed this book to all of my clients, prospects, family, friends and the people I care about. Give it away and together we will transform the workplace making work a more joyous and eventful experience for all.

I recommend Energy Leadership by Bruce D. Schneider. This is an excellent book about a business owner who brings his company from the brink of bankruptcy to transformative success. I really enjoyed this book because, for me, it is actually about spirituality. While you may not think of it this way, our spirituality is expressed mostly when we are engaged in the activities of our daily lives.

What can be more engaging than the mundane process of everyday business life? I invite you to broaden your perspective of business to include, for example, what a parent has to do to get their child off to school with lunch and motivate him or her to do homework and chores when they get home; or what it takes for a single person to open their eyes in the morning, get up, go out and face the day of work or school with all of the activities scheduled to be faced on that day.

In all cases, this represents leadership, and I am asserting that the task before us is to discover what is spiritual in every activity we face. Bruce shows us how to empower ourselves, to raise our level of consciousness and thereby discover that spiritual content in every moment. I hope you will take that journey and read Bruce D. Schneider's Energy Leadership!

Energy Leadership is a ground-breaking work. It takes the reader on a unique journey of transformation; one that every person can relate to on some fundamental level. What I love about this book is that it delivers important information on how our energy impacts the totality of our lives through the use of an allegorical story. This engages both our logical and creative mind in a highly effective way. If you loved Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth," you'll really love this book!

Anyone thinking of buying a house should read this book. It is thousands of dollars worth of advice from an experienced broker for only $13! Randy Johnson gives you all the essential tools and knowledge to make an educated decision about your home and your investment. I'm an MBA grad and a finance professional and found this book offered much info that I had never learned about. Invaluable for anyone - finance professionals or otherwise.

Randy Johnson is the best! He's a friend to you hoping to level the playing field so one gets the best mortgage for oneself - not for the banks or mortgage companies. A truly honest and sincere business man - however that might usually sound like an oxymoron.

I found this book (the first edition) to be informative when I bought my first house.

I have done a lot of research and actually took the training to become a real estate agent, so I had a lot of basic information to start with. But the book explained a number of things that I have not been privy to.

book good as far as it went. For my purposes the amortization tablez did not go far enough, The tables stopped at $200,.000.00

In this uniquely informative volume, Barletta answers three separate but related questions: What makes women a worthwhile market? Why market differently to women? and How do we get beyond gender generalities to actionable tactics? In her Introduction, she lists "Eight Myths of Marketing to Women" which, during the course of her book's narrative, she convincingly repudiates. For example, #5: With women, marketing is all about relationships. "While it's true that women put more emphasis on relationships -- personal and corporate -- than men do, their purchase decisions and response to communications are affected by far more than `relationships.' From word meaning to word-of-mouth referrals, product priorities to Internet usage patterns, women differ from men in many, many marketing dimensions. And, to overlook their complexities would be to undermine the effectiveness of your company's programs." According to Barletta, there are four components of the women's market: earning power ("What's in her wallet?"), high-net worth women ("the ultimate asset-holders"), consumer spending power (the "household chief purchasing officer"), and women in business ("controlling the company checkbook").

A majority of consumers in the U.S. are women. Research indicates that online spending will increase 26% this year to $96 billion. Consumer spending accounts for two-thirds of the economy and women influence 95% and make 85% of all consumer buying decisions; moreover, the majority of corporate purchasing agents and managers are women. Female entrepreneurs account for 70% of new business start-ups. If you are still unconvinced of the upside potential of marketing to women, consider these facts:

* Between 1970 and 1990, the number of women living alone doubled from 7.3 million to 15.3 million and this pattern has continued.

* At least 55% of those online each day are women.

* By the year 2010, women will control 60% of wealth in the U.S.

* College students were responsible for $210 billion in sales in 2002 and 58% of them were female.

* Women purchase more than 50% of the cars and own more than 46% of the homes in the U.S.

* More than half of all business travelers are women.

In Part II of her book, Barletta introduces and then explains what she calls the GenderTrends™Marketing Model, a systematic and simple tool to help her readers understand, reach, and increase their share of the world's largest market -- women. The model is designed to achieve three objectives:

1. "Structure the complexities of the gender differences into an organized view of female [in italics] gender culture."

2. "Show you how gender culture interacts with each of the 12 [in italics] marketing elements [end italics] in the marketing mix."

3. "Apply the resulting insights to the four stages of the consumer's [in italics] purchase path." FYI, the four are activation through market entry, nomination of purchase options to consider, investigation and decision with regard to nominees, and finally, succession (i.e. repeat business and, hopefully, evangelistic loyalty).

Few books fully deliver on the promises stated or implied in their subtitle. Barletta's book is the commendable exception. She offers a wealth of information and an abundance of wisdom which will help decision-makers in literally any organization (regardless of size or nature) to understand, reach, and increase their share of "the world's largest market segment." This book provides just about everything you need to do precisely that. What are you waiting for?

This book could change the way you think about marketing.For some reason when i think marketing i think men, not any more. This book has some valuable insights into who spends the cash and what on, and most importantly how to get your hands on some of that money.

The book was somewhat useful, but her unprofessional pinching, whenever she could fit it in, littering her otherwise helpful work with jabs against males, left me nauseated after every reading.

Following are just a few examples:

page 23 "You realize what this means--rather than women being "Adam's rib," men are actually the derivative model!"

page 26 "Men have no such luck (or no such constraint, depending on how you look at it)..."

page 63 "Married women have a chronic condition (if you'll excuse the analogy)"

page 122 "[Women] don't buy into the competitive "game" that prevails when men are expressing divergent opinions, and because women are less likely to interrupt, hold the floor, or insist on their opinions, they simply won't volunteer as much information."

page 135 "Although I'm sure it's not true in every category, I think it's safe to say that in most categories, women are more pragmatic than men. With less interest in the one-upsmanship of novelty, less interest in the inner workings of tech-mech products, and more time pressures than men, women just want products to work easily and reliably."

page 185 "After the meeting, she said to him, 'I was interested to note that you're meeting and greeting--just not with any of the women.' His response? 'Oh, were there women there?' She laughed and said, 'Sure there were. There were 15 or 20 of them.' Apparently, something in his internal software was registering the women in the room as 'background noise.'"

page 199 "Women are marksmen, not cowboys." (women are markspeople, if anything; not marksmen; but how is that a comparison anyway? marksmen and cowboys, marksmen and cowboys.)

page 193 "A guy will talk about how good he is as a way of proving he can do a great job: 'Half of my clients are worth over a million dollars,' he'll say. Or, 'I doubled his return in six months.' They talk about achievements, drop names, and let you know where they stand in the company hierarchy. I call these 'credibility displays,' because they remind me a little of a peacock who's very proud of his tail feathers. Don't get me wrong--this is the right thing to do in male gender culture." (please tell me I'm the only man who finds this patronizing)

Do read the book though, if you can stomach all the carp. It will prove enlightening every few dozen pages.

As a consumer group, women represent an enormous opportunity, but chances are your company is missing out on them. Author Martha Barletta says most marketers fail to capitalize on this lucrative market. They don't realize its potential or understand fundamental gender differences. As a result, their marketing fails to communicate with women, let alone persuade them. Barletta, a consultant specializing in marketing to women consumers, offers a book heavy on theory and long on detail. Except for a few examples of how ads are executed, the book lacks case studies that would bring these theories to life. Still, Barletta provides good advice on practical applications of these ideas about gender culture. She sheds light on the myths and realities of marketing to women, and provides essays by female experts in the field. What a pity that it all reads like a textbook. Given that, we target this rather educational tome as more appropriate for people who study marketing than for people who do marketing, although thoughtful marketers might still want to take a look

First off, I'm a guy. I found this book had a lot of information that I never knew before. I asked a few women I knew and was suprised that their responses were identical to the information in the book. For example what they liked to see in advertisements and what they said their aspirations were, were identical to what was said in the book. Some of it made no sense to me but it made perfect sense to the women I asked.

I have to say I'm disappointed with the minor male bashing in the book. Some of her male point of views are a bit extreme, for example: "Men, on the other hand, are more likely to hold the view that people are important, but no more important or interesting than current events or new ideas in computer animation, or something more material like cars or cameras." I value my relationships and found this a bit extreme. Do all women think this?

I took off one star for her point of view on men, but other than that this is a good book. If you are marketing to women, this book will give you insight on the subject.

One of the best business books I've ever read. Danny really "gets it" as far as treating his employees and customers like family and VERY important people. THIS is why he is so successful with the top restaurants in NYC. A MUST read for anyone in sales or who deals with customers and employees on a daily basis

A great book that describes how to create customers for life, with "enlightened hospitality", creating an outstanding customer experience, based on a dialog with the customer. As he puts it "picking up the rocks" (to find the info) and "connecting the dots", a process that could and should be copied for every business.

His passion for food comes across the written page, its contagious.
I'm not a wine drinker but his passion made me want to give it a try.

I never been to one of his restaurants but I now see a trip to New York to visit his restaurants.

Highly recommended not only for restaurateurs, but for every business that has contact with customers.

This is one of the best books I have ever read on the hospitality business. Given that it is the industry that I am in, I probably found it more entertaining and insightful than many may who are NOT in the industry. Either way, a great read.

I was about to leave for vacation, and was looking for a beach read. Danny Meyer had been generous enough to supply an endorsement for my book, The Art of Client Service, so the least I could do was buy his book.

I am very glad I did.

Setting the Table certainly is a book on how to provide superior hospitality to customers, but it's more than that: it's the best book I've read on what it means to provide service to clients in ANY business. Its candor, humility, and generosity of spirit are reflected in all the lessons Danny learned, applied, and now recounts as he grew to be a leader.

My only quibble, and it is a small one, is that the book lacks an index. I assume this was a conscious decision on Danny's part, possibly because he does not view Setting the Table as a "how to" guide. But the reality is, the book is loaded with practical advice on how to build and sustain enduring client relationships. An index would help readers refer to lessons that inspired or motivated them.

My one regret is that I failed to include Setting the Table in my book's annotated bibliography of the 20 titles advertising people should read. I will, however, add it to the Art of Client Service website. And most important of all, I will recommend the book to all my advertising industry colleagues.

Love it, love it, love it. Finally an empowering business book for those of us who don't believe you have to be a soulless, emotionally retarded cheeseball prick to succeed in the business world. Danny Meyer's financial results give ample validity to his approach, so while you can still get rich the "traditional" way, his experience supports the fact that you can also get rich AND make the world a better place. Gets a little blah towards the end, but all of my stars, underlines and dogears throughout the beginning and middle parts more than make up for that. Others will do a better job of dissecting and analyzing the book in detail, so that's it for me. If you're tired of getting the beat-down for having the gall to have "feelings" at work, you'll love this book.