Business Books

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

I am going to read it again. Maybe twice.

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

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

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

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

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

If you're looking for concise, simple dialogue on what it means to be effective and how to parlay that into your work life, here it is. If you are looking for a fashionable, faddy, flashy Seth-Godin-type mantra to chant, you will be vastly disappointed and fantastically bored.

To those who are serious students of business and it's execution and are willing to do what it takes to be leaders, this is one of probably 3-5 books on the required reading list. Read through it quickly at your own peril, for amazing gems are buried mid-paragraph in the most seemingly innocuous paragraphs.

Now for the love of effectiveness, please buy, read and apply this to yourself so I don't have to do business with you sloths anymore!

Very good book on the true management skills required by any and every manager. Drucker clearly points out that not all great managers were created the same....but most share certain traits. An excellent, must read for any and all managers everywhere!

Excellent advice from a incredible coach. From time management to management contribution this book offers what you need to achieve management positions. A must.

Peter Drucker was such a prolific and important writer, thinker, researcher, teacher, and philosopher! Although he is best known a the father of modern management theory, I find that his ideas are applicable to a wide variety of positions and enterprises.

The Effective Executive, like most of his works, is written with the assumption that the reader is part of an institution and needs to learn to function within the challenges of the corporate environment. I have never had a traditional job or position in a large institution, but can totally relate to the challenges of what Drucker refers to as executives and knowledge workers.

As a professional musician and holistic music teacher ([...]), I have worked to integrate the creative, intuitive sides of human nature with the organizational, rational aspects, both for myself and my clients.

Like many artists, I was never taught the principals of management and have had to adapt and educate myself along the way. I owe a lot to Peter Drucker for helping me make sense of the nature of effectiveness and management.

Drucker's wisdom transcends culture and industry. Just the acknowledgement that effectiveness is a skill in-and-of-itself, apart from intelligence, talent, charisma, or creativity, is a powerful distinction. His encouragement that it can be (and must be) learned is a relief!

His 5 basic practices for effective executives are invaluable insights. Here they are, paraphrased:

1) Be aware of and manage your time
2) Focus on results, not efforts
3) Play to and develop strengths, not weaknesses (yours and others')
4) Concentrate and align your actions and your purpose
5) Learn to make good decisions

The examples in the book are a bit old-school, but the principles still hold true. Thank you, Peter, for putting into words what so many of us were never taught at home or in school!

Peter Drucker wrote this book back in 1966 and it is as pertinent today as it was then. It concentrates on a small number of practices to help executives manage themselves - a precursor to managing others. Drucker makes the point that, "No one is born an effective executive. No one is a natural... It must be learned...In addition, it is not exceedingly difficult." That's welcome news for all of us. We simply need to follow the practices outlined in this book.

The book is meant for a wide audience as Drucker's definition of the executive is broad - "Anyone that is responsible for a contribution that materially affects the capacity of the organization to perform and to obtain results."

The first step on the journey is to "know thy time." Too many managers have no idea where they spend there time. Drucker recommends managers start by recording their time to discover where it is being spent. Once identified, they need to stop wasting time on things that are not important and then work to consolidate freed time into chunks. Significant blocks of time of 2 hours or so are needed to complete important things.

Next executives must ask of themselves, "What can I contribute that will significantly affect the performance and results of the organization." This helps the manager look outward and to identify and prioritize those tasks that are most important to complete.

Then the managers should do the first things first and do them one at a time. "The secret of those people who do so many things and apparently so many difficult things is that they do only one thing at a time. As a result, they need much less time in the end than the rest of us."

Finally, Drucker outlines how to make effective decisions. He craftily breaks down the elements of the decision process and explains how managers can improve in this discipline.

The book is filled with examples and supporting information. Drucker writes in a refreshingly honest and straightforward style. Many refer to this book as a classic. It is worthy of the designation. So much of what is written today is borrowed from Drucker. Managers can not go wrong adding this one to their arsenal of tools.

-- Nick McCormick - Author, Lead Well and Prosper: 15 Successful Strategies for Becoming a Good Manager

How valuable is Bill White's famous "From Day One" book? And does it really help Top performing students?

I am finishing my master's degree at Stanford University in Management Science & Engineering. Having many doors open can sometimes turn into a nightmare: "Which opportunity to pick?", "Based on what criteria?", and all the "What if?" scenarios one can imagine, pile up one after the other.

If you are looking for a book that will give you accurate and precious advice on how to make the best start with your career, I think "From Day One" is definitely a must read. Here is why:

*It will help you avoid the "if I only knew" situations
*It will give you a good understanding on where you stand with your career
*It will teach you tips that will make you stand out

Not often does one feel more mature after reading a book.
Given that your coworkers are as smart as you; these are the 3 points on which you can count on that will make a genuine difference in your professional career!

Jack Ojalvo

As a former student of Bill White, one of the most respected professors at Northwestern University, I have experienced firsthand how his wisdom and insight can benefit others. As a result, I am happy to see that now even those outside his classroom can also gain from his experiences. From Day One gives practical advice, complete with real life examples from both himself and numerous other business leaders, which is bound to resonate with you for the rest of your career.

I highly recommend this book for everyone from a recent college graduate to a rising manager. Once you read it, From Day One will be one of your books with a coveted spot on your office bookshelf.

As a 30+ year-old career switcher and MBA graduate, From Day One resonated profoundly with me. While reading this book, I found myself nodding in agreement with much of his advice. I can only imagine how much better off I would be today if I had read this when I was 20.

Mr. White successfully articulates the key steps for building and maintaining a business career. Whether you are just starting a new career or are in the midst of improving your current one, this book provides invaluable advice on understanding where you should channel your efforts as well as the pitfalls to avoid. Using examples from his own personal experiences and those of others, Mr. White offers a sincere approach for the new general manager who aspires to know what skills are necessary to be both successful and happy.

From Day One is a great read for those who are looking to learn the ropes of corporate life from a seasoned professional. I was a student of Prof. White at Northwestern. The tone of the book reads very much as he teaches his class: instructive, personable and populated with fascinating antidotes from his experiences.

The most important thing I learned from the book is to do as much for others as you can and build out your personal network. In the beginning stages of your career you will have much to learn and not much to offer. However, by spending the extra time to make the lives of those around you easier, you will be noticed and appreciated. The hard work that you do up front will pay dividends down the road.

Highly recommended!

Outstanding advice for anyone building a career! Forget abstract leadership philosophy - Mr. White provides concrete, tangible means to assert yourself as a leader from day one. I recommend this book to people at any stage in their careers as its concepts are universal. Buy the book - your career will thank you!

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

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

- A must for every beginner in sales~

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you, Bernie.

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

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

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

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

This work is intented for those who, as the author (or as me), have been launched towards a profession that could earn your own money but could stress your nervous system. This guide helps you to focus on the right directive without being distracted by jaws-men or uneducated-chieves.
Really dealed just to understand how to move in this sea of difficulties

David has a wealth of corporate experience to draw from in the development of this book. Knowing how to find a job in today's world is like trying to hit a moving target. David has up to date proven tips on how to effectively find a job in the job market today. Reader's are advised to put their past behind them, look to the future, gain their focus and target their search. An accountability partner who is honest to the point of pain is also essential for your search to be most effective. I highly recommend David's book as a "must read!"

David's book is a comprehensive guide to each step in the job search process. He integrates the big picture of our spiritual journey with practical applications. The design concepts of the two-page resume, the development of your Two-Minute Drill, the use of pre-planned interview questions, and good networking techniques are invaluable. I've recommended this book to many people. It's simple and effective.

David's book has helped me through a very difficult time in my life, after 14 years with the same company, I found myself back in the job market without the tools to be able to initiate a proper job search. Through Davids book, I have learned the proper way to write a resume, proper interview techniques, and one of the most important, the follow-up after the interview.
With Davids help, I was able to find employment during a very slow job market within just a few months.
Thank you for a one of a kind approach to job hunting.
Mike Wywias

I am a social worker and I use this book as part a job development curriculum helping women gain employment. The author keeps your attention with applicable stories and humor. This book is full of practical advice no matter where you are in your job search. I have even recommended the book to my father and husband to read. "Finding a Job God's Way" is a great read for anyone trying to find not only employment, but the job that God has for them.

Notice all these 5-stars are from Texas? No surprise there; I imagine all these good-ole folks want a job so they can afford their gas-guzzling SUVs and keep up with the Joneses in their McMansions. I would add most of them haven't reviewed anything else on Amazon: friends of the author? Paid? Perhaps the author himself with various nom de plumes?

You don't need to pray for a job: with a little hard work, determination, and an unwavering tenacious attitude, you'll be able to fulfill your earthly needs. IT'S CALLED ENLIGHTMENT; HUMANISM: stop your ignorant blathering, people.

God's dead.

Don't waste time with this yahoo book . . . just go out there and apply yourself; fight for the poor and down-trodden. Fight for a clean environment and give peace a chance.

And remember . . . Jesus rode a donkey not a corporate jet. He understood that it takes a village . . . not self-help drivel from a con-artist.

"The House that Love Built" is a testament to what God can do through open and willing minds and hearts. Bettie B. Youngs takes Millard and Linda Fuller from their childhood years through college and huge financial success to a crisis that led eventually to a radical new way of living.

In 1968 the Fullers, working closely with Clarence Jordan, co-founder of the Christian community Koinonia outside Americus, GA, laid the foundations for what would become Habitat for Humanity. The world-wide success of Habitat for Humanity under the Fullers' leadership is legendary, but in 2005 the Fullers were fired by the Board of Habitat for Humanity International, who wanted the organization to look more like big business than a Christian ministry. Youngs is able to relate the facts behind this shameful ouster without bitterness or recrimination--and to tell of the Fullers' faithfulness to God's call to eliminate poverty housing throug the newly organized Fuller Center for Housing. An inspiring story of faith at work and of the power of God to transform lives.

Sweet story of the founders of Habitat for Humanity. I loved how he learned so much in business and was able to walk away from it all to become greater than the norm. They have drive and I'm happy they pulled so many behind to make the world better for everyone. More of this!

Millard and Linda Fuller's life story is an inspirational account of their lives and their calling. It is amazing to read how they gave up so much, created a truly ingenious way to help people help themselves, and overcome all of the obstacles thrown in their path. To be treated so poorly by the organization they created and then move on to start all over again shows what faith and the Holy Spirit can accomplish!
After reading their story I am challenged every day to live up to their example!
The book is well written and easy to read, and I highly recommend it.

From beginning to end this amazing story of unwavering love and faith speaks to anyone who has ever held a dream in their heart. The Fullers are truly fascinating and inspiring people. It was vicious what the Board did to them when they were ousted out of their own agency, but they simply rose from the ashes. As would be expected of these two. Thank you for telling the story, it is well worth the read.

A great read for anyone looking for guidance in the area of what to do with their lives that truly matters. The story of Millard and Linda Fuller and their journey that ultimately built Habitat for Humanity is a story worth telling anyone you can find. This is not just a "feel good" story but one that also points out that doing something good with our lives is not always easy. I appreciated most the willingness of the Fullers to share what really went on without any sugarcoating.

Faith in action is what this book is all about.

Clearly this book provides the basics on writing letters of complaint. Most of it is just common sense (not so common these days). If you treat business people the way you would want them to treat you, it usually works out in the end. I didn't find much new in it. The contact addresses are helpful, but then most of them can be found on the net.. and more current

Very insightful and useful. I have used some of her template letters for airline complaints. In the past, I used her writings for a labor complaint and got $18,000 from my former employer.

I wish this book was available in downloadable electronic form which will make it more useful in practice by cutting and pasting.

I have the book for several years and its contents have saved me time and money over and over again. It is rich in samples of real letters and complaints, with real cases.
I recommend to anyone that ever needs to write a complaint letter and/or need to reach government agencies.

Anyone who has made enough transactions with Amazon.com can tell you, Amazon.com has its share of foul-ups. And when mistakes (that are bound to happen from time-to-time) do happen, the biggest errors occur in their customer service department. For me, I know that I have written e-mail after e-mail complaining about RUDE, ERRONEOUS and downright FRAUDULENT communication emanating from the unskilled and unsupervised excuse for a customer service department only to have other unskilled, unsupervised hacks respond. I kept explaining that I was not seeking compensation, I was trying to complain about Amazon.com's customer service, but Amazon.com either doesn't care or doesn't have a mechanism to care. My e-mails which always started, please forward this to so-and-so's supervisor never were. I can't wait for the follow-up to this book. "How To Write Letters Of Complaint to OUTSOURCED INDIANS WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE AMERICAN CONSUMER WANTS TO BE TREATED!!"

This book breaks down the audition process and helps to give you something, a formula to work with and depend on to prepare your best performance. A great tool for any actor or performer.

This is a fantastic book with extremely helpful information to any young actor aspiring to become a professional actor. Every actor needs this book so they can improve their auditioning skills and get the part they want! Break a leg!

This book deals with theatre, and I was going into it thinking it would help me audition for movies. I did not learn anything from it. But...if you are into the theatre, you will find it very helpful.

This is a really great acting book- definitely one of the best i've read. Not only for auditions but for rehearsal as well, (as it states in the book.)

Considering the low price, I can't imagine a more valuable book for the actor. Michael Shurtleff is a luminary of theatre, and this book reads like a private class with him. Remember, this is a guy who basically launched the careers of DeNiro, Streisand, Redford, Vereen, Tomlin, Midler, and Hoffman. His wonderful career included both Broadway and film casting. He knows a lot, and in this book, he shares it with you.

This book may be called "Audition", but the discussions go way beyond the audition. Granted, the opening chapter (Practical Aspects of the Audition) contains sage advice applicable only to the audition. What follows in the book are the "12 Guideposts", the bible of scene study and character development. Following the very readable discussion of the "Guideposts", Shurtleff writes essays on topics such as musical theatre, comedy, pace, and monologues. I know that my copy will become well-worn as I refer back to it again and again.

I am currently in two shows, and I'm putting the "Guideposts" to work for me. I've not had an audition since buying the book, but I am looking forward to using Shurtleff's advice the next time I read for a part.

This is a must-read for actors and directors. Highly recommended.

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

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

If you are going to read one investment book, I hope you are lucky enough to read this one. Its the only investment book that you need. One of the thing I like about the book is the authors give actual advise and tell you a great approach to investing. They don't claim to be #1 but give time tested strategies to make smart investment descions and spend the rest of your time where you need to.

Also trying to beat there strategy may only work for a small lucky percentage. So read this book and you really do not need to read any further.

This book is a gem and eye opener for novice investors or people planning begin investing. Inherently it is biased as the title suggests for making a case about Vanguard and its product offerings though a bias that is useful, credible and most of all truthful. The essence of the investment advice is that you have an 80% chance of loosing your investment in the market if you are looking for a short-term bullish miracle and you have a 80% chance of growing your investment if you are looking for a long-term investment strategy and willing to stay immune from bad advice and impulse investing or as the books puts it Ivestment Pornography. It explains the different investment products offered on the market with the Pro's and Con's of each. Most advice is based on research studies of the market. Patterns that prove one investment strategy against another. If you are a novice investor you should feel confident about making your first investment after swimming through this book. Naturally you will make the conservative yet lucrative choice but thats exactly what the book teaches. If you cannot find enough detail about any one product, the book definitely leaves trails for further study and learning. It also discussed briefly about insurance and investment planning in the case of your death, absolutely read this information as it is just as important to know besides your investments because you could loose a great portion of your investments if not handled properly. It provided some very useful insight and left the ground open for more research. The book also covers tax implications of your investments, though a little more research to supplement what the book says should fill in gaps in understanding it.

One of the best capital gains you will come out with by having started your investment journey with this book is the Bogleheads forum.

What this book doesn't do is promote too many investment styles. For those people who buy this book, surely read all of it.

I considered myself somewhere between beginner and intermediate in terms of investing knowledge before reading this book. I feel it does a good job of highlighting most of the major investment principles and vehicles available and manages to get detailed without being too drawn out. It goes well beyond the typical cliches of 'max out your employer matched 401K' or 'fund a Roth IRA'. I found the areas of portfolio allocation and portfolio tax efficiency most beneficial to me. This book isn't going to help you get rich quick, but I feel it will help you increase your wealth and investing knowledge for the long haul.

The Bogleheads' Guide To Investing is a easy reading book on investing with no-load mutual funds. Whether saving for retirement,college or handling money in general, this book would be a good place to start learning the fundamentals on how to keep more money in your pocket and out of your advisor's or broker's. While some may need some financial help through a pro, if one has the desire to read and learn about investments and how they work, one can save themselves thousands of dollars in fees and other costs associated with investing. Learn about index funds,diversification,asset allocation and rebalancing. The authors show you how to tune out the noise of the media and stay the course! Been with Vanguard since the early 90's and have not regretted since.If you want to be a winner in investing,Vanguard is the place to be!!

I haven't read past the fourth chapter and I have talked about this book to my clients, friends, and family. I initially intended to give this book to my 22 year old sister after reading it, but now, I plan on buying a copy for her and about 15 other people. While some people might think that the only thing making the book successful is the target market - obviously it's a smart route to take. If that one negative reviewer had done any research they would know that women are not only the most uneducated in making financial decisions, but they are also the sex that has been proven to live longer and need that education. Basically this is an awesome book and I plan on celebrating it as essential part of making women feel comfortable when dealing with financial situations.

Although I am still unwilling to give up my expensive haircuts, On My Own Two Feet really made me take a step back and look at my spending and saving situation. It inspired me to make some changes and think about my spending differently.
This book is perfect for all of those ladies out there with little interest and/or time to study the nuts and bolts of personal finance. It gives you straightforward advice and explains the bare essentials of what you need to know - no more and no less. Want to know exactly what portion of your salary you should be saving? What type of fund to put your retirement money into? This book tells you flat out. I highly recommend it!

I read one review that said this book didn't say anything new and I would have to say that I completely disagree with that. Perhaps it did not bring up anything new for that person because maybe they have a better handle on their finances, but for someone who doesn't and who has not received any financial advice this is a fantastic book! I have my finances pretty under control and grew up in a house where i was made pretty financially responsible from a young age, but being young and dumb in college I forgot a few things that this book reminded me of. The section on investing is great and will be new material for most people who read it. It is a very clean and easy read and everything is explained in plain english. Come on ladies, get your financial act together and stand on your OWN TWO FEET!

Every female college student should read this book to find the motivation to take financial control! There is so much information about personal finance on the web that it's overwhelming. This book is clear, concise, and effective in giving readers the basic tools they need to succeed financially. This is a must-read and a great gift for others. Being given the key to financial autonomy and freedom is the best thing you can get.

I really didn't have any expectations when I read this book. I expected a boring book about finances, which I would probably only read half of-- and with stuff I could not understand.

Boy, was I wrong.

This book changed my life-- for the better! I owe this book everything... it explained to me what my PARENTS couldn't explain... and that's because no one ever told them!

I FINALLY understand money. And I'm giving it as a gift to everyone I know-- regardless of gender.

This is the most life-altering book I've ever read! There's not a better one on Amazon.