Practice Management Books

It was fast
It was what I ordered
Im happy, they're happy
Win Win!

I used this book in my professional practice class and a co-worker of mine borrowed it to study for the NCIDQ - she said many of the ethical and business related questions that appeared on the test were covered in this book. It is really well written and easy to follow. The CD has good resources, like mock invoices and POs that you can open and edit.

thick book,man. I have to carry it to school for my class.
it has all need about Inerior Design profession

The reviewer prior to myself I feel summed it up best when describing this book. The author has written the book as if she's always been your trusted friend. She writes in a way as if she is actually talking to you.

Other books I've read often come across a bit too technical and slightly over my head. This one is more down-to-earth, packed with good advice, and one can sense her sincere concern for the reader to understand.

I really love the entire book, especially the chapter dealing with ethics. Since there are many "seasoned" designers who seem to lack ethical conduct, this book is great for beginners and veterans alike.

I have practiced interior design for over 20 years and still found this book to be invaluable. The information about legal ramifications and insurance coverage was enlightening but also sobering. It's a must read for any design firm principal or freelance designer.

Salmon Without Rivers is a great book of historical facts. It includes many issues like; original salmon locations/populations, "Economy over Environment" issues, and the ineffectiveness of large decision making commissions/agencies. However, with all his good background information the book does not propose any solutions nor investigates today's coastal human communities as they relate to the salmon and/or habitat.

This is a must read book for anyone interested in salmon, rivers and the ecology and history of the Pacific Northwest. Excellent information and a good read.

This is an excellent book that documents the history of salmon, how native Americans viewed them and how modern Americans view them. It focuses on why the pacific northwest is facing a salmon crisis, and our failed attempts to replace what we have lost. Great read for anyone who is concerned about environmental issues.

A thoroughly researched and impassioned presentation including the history of salmon, their decline, why billions of tax dollars in restoration efforts have had paltry returns, and insights into the where we should go from here. A complex issue is examined from many perspectives in an easy to read and compelling book. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in salmon.

As a freelance author writing a piece about salmon for a California-based magazine, this book was indispensible and eye-opening. It is unfailingly sensitive and intelligent about salmon, discussing the fish as fellow creatures in the "natural economy" in which we all live, rather than as mere commodities in the "industrial economy" that has transformed the West in the last 150 years. It is fascinating about the geology that shaped the salmon's environment, the evolutionary history of the fish, the relationship between Native Americans and salmon in the Northwest, and it provides a detailed history of the many factors that have led to the salmon's decline, including habitat destruction, misbegotten hatchery programs, overfishing, dams, mining, grazing, irrigation. If you like to read books about ecology, the creatures of the earth, fish, or the Northwest--you can't go wrong. This is a wonderful book.

Like any book in this genre this book will not actually help you unless your "motivated" to change your own behavior. It's simple, easy to read, and practical. It shows you the keys to changing your perspective on on how motivation actually works in yourself and others. I enjoyed it.

Being a cardiac rehab nurse and spending a lot of time each day trying to get people to change their lifestyles to create better health, this book caught my eye. After reading it, I found the principles instantly useful for me to use at work. They can help anyone get motivated to get past the barriers that keep them from making changes to improve their health. Additionally, the book is short and to the point which is good for a busy Mom like myself.

Along with helping to build my motivation, this little book was straight to the point and very easy to read. In this short story, the author combines his personal experience, and research to convey the importance of motivation through how ready the person is to change their daily habits for the better. The author tells about the patients he encountered during an internship opportunity and how change (no matter how big or small) helped them become motivated to do better. I would recommend this book to anyone who feels as if small change wouldn't be significant in their life. This book would dramatically change their opinion and make them want to strive for a better lifestyle. The Sixty-Second Motivator offers its readers simple steps (referred to as "secrets") to follow through with their improvement. It was enjoyable to read and very eye opening!

I read this short book within a space of an hour. It is straight to the point, and is written in the style of a story. The author is a Physical Therapist and tells the story of when he was a student and he visited a senior Physical Therapist in a hospital as part of his training. He learned how to motivate someone within 60 seconds to undertake therapy by increasing importance + confidence in the patient. Although this book was essentially about how someone was able to increase his patients' motivation, this can also be applied to other areas of your life - for any goal. It is an easily understandable read and if you are looking for a way to increase motivation quick then look no further than this book.

This is a great book for anyone to learn about how to motivate yourself or others. It's in a very simple story format without a lot of exercises like other self-help books. Very good book - I highly recommend it to anyone that needs to know more about motivation.

Not something you would want to read cover to cover, but this book provides a one-stop-reference for everything you need to know about starting a business in California. It's important to know that the information could change at any time, but much of the information is linked to websites and other resources that are likely up-to-date.

Nolo Small Business Start-up Kit for California provides excellent information for those starting your own business. I've highlighted sections throughout the book!

simple and clean, rather go through all of the sites to search what you actually need to register your company, this book guide you through that. also, book v.s. web sites, the book gives you more insight to cross comparison on all the legal structures that you need to choose, pros and cons, to make you select what fits you, instead of reading laws on the web only tell you what is LLC and etc. I will keep it although I formed my company after reading this book.

It is well written and easy to understand. Not a lot of legal jargon that you have to wade through, but legal nevertheless. I will continue to use it for a reference.
Thank you for such a easy to read and understand book!

If you are thinking of starting your own business in California, especially if you have never done it before, you will find that this book is worth its weight in gold.

This resource takes the complication out of starting a business, contacting the right agencies and doing things legally. It cuts through a lot of confusion, has an encouraging tone and presents what you need to know in a very logical and easy to understand format.

I often recommend this book to my small business clients and find it to be a useful general reference. It also points to many other good resources and is a good value for such a comprehensive book.

This is an excellent book for those of us who have been practicing therapists and have a desire to do what we actually intended when we chose this profession in the first place. The book is well written. It provides a comprehensive discussion of the differences between coaching and psychotherapy or counseling. After defining what this new and exciting field is all about, the authors have given us newcomers to the field a wonderful manual to assist us in establishing a coaching practice. You couldn't really ask for more... unless you want even more of a headstart; you might enroll in Pat's Life Coach Training course, a 30 hour course which supplements the book. A complimentary introductory session is available by going to the Institute web site,...Life coaching is a natural evolution from traditional therapy practices. Moving into this field has transformed my life. Thank you Pat and Deborah!

This book goes far beyond helping therapists transition into life coaching. It gives the reader a very clear and exciting introduction to this new and upcoming field. It was my first real introduction to coaching, yet after training in the field and went back and read it again and got even more out of it.
The book explains the difference between coaching and therapy, and also helps the reader decide which is best for her/him. Exercises are provided to help the reader's decision making. The way the book is put together the authors quite effectively coach the reader toward the possibilities and the joys of coaching. They also spend a good number of pages on how to start a coaching business. I loved it. As an aspiring life-coach I say "thank you."

There are 3 kinds of people who must read this book:
1. Therapists who are looking to add professional coaching to their list of services or who are making a transition away from traditional therapy into life coaching.
2. Professional Coaches who specialize or want to specialize in life coaching.
3. Established Life Coaches.

There is something for everyone in this book, but particularly for these 3 groups of people there is NO BETTER BOOK AVAILABLE to help you make this transition in the fastest and most efficient way possible.

Pat Williams is one of America's Top Professional Coaches. In addition to his nationally recognized coach training program (lifecoachtraining.com), he is also on the board of the International Coach Federation (coachfederation.org), one of the top speakers in the field, and on the cutting-edge of standardizing and professionalizing the field of coaching.

I can't recommend this book high enough. I firmly believe this book should be on the bookshelf of every professional life coach.

This is a truly extraordinary book that gives the reader a guide to the profession of life coaching.

It is an eyeopening source of information, not only for the business of coaching, but also for the development of their relationships with clients as well as themselves.

Chock full of resources and tools, this A MUST HAVE!

This a an extraordinary book that belongs on the shelves (and in the heart) of every therapist AND every coach. Frankly, I've heard Pat Williams speak, so I fully expected to like the book, but even so, I was surprised by just how good, how inspiring, practical and helpful it is. Williams and Davis do a great service for mental health workers, counselors, social workers and Psychologists by affirming the power of what "we" do, and by expanding the boundaries within which we operate. At the same time, they also provide a great reminder for coaches of what WE do, how we do it, and how powerful it is!

The book is elegantly laid-out, easy to follow and powerfully practical. The heart of the message is that caring for and WITH people truly matters. Whether we are labeled as "mental health practitioners" or "spiritual ministers" or coaches, we all use highly sophisticated skills, some that are ancient and timeless, and others that are new and scientifically "proven," to help people transform their lives.

The book is directly aimed at "helping professionals." The message is that what mental health professionals do is IMPORTANT, even if insurance companies and (at times) our culture fails to appreciate it. Williams and Davis present practical, do-able paths that allow professionals to reclaim their independence and do the work they love and are trained to do well.

The exciting part of the book for me, as a Psychologist who has already transitioned into coaching, was the delightful, passionate reminder of what coaches actually DO! While this is an introduction or over-view of coaching, I found the reminders, the affirmations, and the passion extremely helpful. As "people experts" it is good to be reminded of how much we know, how skilled we are, how many "tools" we have in our toolbox!

I found the book easily readable, very well-thought-out, and helpful. I highly recommend it for (1) anyone considering entering the field of coaching, (2) mental health professionals who are tired or restless and looking for a new challenge, and (3) for coaches who want a helpful survey of the skills and strengths we bring to our work. All three groups will get a tremendous lift and find it a helpful read.

Are you looking for something a little different for your next customer service meeting? Then try reading CUSTOMER AT THE CROSSROADS: FROM PARABLE TO PRACTICE by Barbara Hateley and Eric Harvey. Or better yet, read it a few times to learn the story details and then simply tell the story. Either way, your meeting will be interesting and a great variation from the norm.

I recently used this book in a meeting of retail store managers. Each manager was assigned a character in the book and additional managers were the chorus. It was great fun and afterwards I received high praise for presenting them with a fun and unique learning tool.

At only 48 pages, this little parable can easily be read in less than an hour, but the lessons learned could last a lifetime. Short & sweet. A good training tool.

I just don't understand why I am not reading about this little book everywhere. Maybe because it doesn't look like a typical book it can't find a place in a bookstore. But frankly, it has more true business wisdom than I found in such "bestsellers" as Good to Great, Gung Ho, or even Customers for Life. I suggest you buy several copies, give them to your staff, and see if they don't make a difference in how your employees interact with your customers. The story - charming; the illustrations - perfect; the result - better business. Give it a shot and see if you don't agree. You'll never spend your training budget better.

Providing excellent customer service is like the weather -- everybody talks about it, but nobody seems to do anything about it. BJ Hately and Eric Harvey have! Here's a great little book that's perfect for kicking off, or re-invigorating, a customer service program at any kind of business. It's short and simple, but that's what makes it so effective for all levels.

BJ Hateley has certainly tagged the basics for what really counts in customer service. Having just returned from a tour of Italy where I experienced first hand the extraordinary professionalism and pride that constitutes "European service" I know exactly what Hateley is talking about and the difference it makes to the customer. The difference between real caring and "acting like you care" is all the difference in the world. This is a great funny little book with very well taken points.

Jeanne Segal PhD

Having just read "customer at the Crossroads I can attest that, despite its light hearted, comical approach and its lack of heft in terms of physical sixe it should become required reading for anyone in the customer service business.

Ms. Hately and Eric Harvey have put this whole business into a perspective very rarely achieved in books ten times the size. "Customer at the Crossroads" is fun to read and comes complete with the type of nuggets of information that B.J. Hately is best know for from her other publications.

We have all worked in organizations where people neglected to take ownership of their customers and consequently failed to "Walk the Talk". This book will help anyone who serves someone else for a living to gain new understanding on how to get, and keep, a customer for life.

I look forward to future publications from this duo.

My employer asked me to read this book, and being a dutiful employee, I did. Most of the advice Senske proffers is sound common sense: Do right by your customers, your employees, and your family, and doing good will result in your doing well. The book grows out of modern management literature rather than the Bible, and Senske virtually ignores Old Testament stories that might have been applied to management training. Nevertheless, the Scripture he does use is handled sensibly and without guile. I dropped the book one star for not including an index.

Dr. Senske has outlined very practical applications for leaders of any type of organization. He outlines what it takes to be an ethical and effective leader. He explains how to appropriately respond to challenges and dilemmas that await leaders at every turn. Having served on the board of directors of Lutheran Social Services of the South with Dr. Senske as CEO, I have witnessed first hand the effectiveness of what he outlines in the book. A must read for all leaders!

Kurt Senske offers a practical wide-ranging approach to balancing the critical issues for executives - the bottom line v. relationships, and family v. career. His ascertain that Christian faith is the point that makes this balance possible offers hope for executives and their organizations, and their families. Executive Values is well researched. Senske has brought together supporting evidence from a wide range of sources in the political, corportate, and non-profit arenas.

Senske's Executive Values is an excellent resource for managers at any organization, profit or nonprofit, large or small, faith-based or secular. This well-researched, compact book lays out the steps one needs to take to ensure that a culture of "doing the right thing" occurs in an organization. He sets out examples of ethical dilemmas every manager is certain to encounter and walks the reader through the decisionmaking process.

Looking forward to his next book!

"Executive Values" clearly presents the pressures and seemingly conflicting responsibilities experienced by those in positions of management and leadership. A Christian approach to solving these dilemmas is presented in logical and humane ways. Kurt Senske gives much evidence that the "bottom line" is not the highest priority. Not only will CEOs and other executives be interested in this recommended application of the Golden Rule, but I also urge the church professionals - pastors, school administrators, youth leaders - to give it serious attention.

Initially picked this one up for my personal use. Was looking for ways to detour myself away from the stressful, negative routines I seemed to be following more and more frequently these days. Then, I brought it into my tobacco cessation program- and it really grabbed the attention of the participants.(I would use one of the exercises as a 'meditation' to end each session). Members soon began to recommend it to friends and relatives. Next, I brought it into another program for patients who have chronic conditions and who are trying to cope with the stress of the diagnosis, and overcome that crippling inner, negative, sabotaging voice.
What a treat this entire series of books is!
I absolutely recommend these to anyone wanting to jumpstart their efforts to de-stress, make major changes in their lives...or even, just get that elusive good night's sleep.

i use this all the time. Hard job so I need a wind down.

I love this book. It offers great ways to stay calm & focused in just five minutes.

I picked up this book thinking, "Ahhh, a small, fluffy, 'try this or try that' collection of tips in a book form. How.... splendid." I am always glad when I find out how wrong I was about a really valuable resource such as this one!

The book is broken into sections - an introduction which explains the premise of the book, the foundation - incredibly valuable section, and then four sections filled with exercises to try. The exercise sections include Leaving Work at Work, Enriching Your Home Life, Reconnecting with Yourself and Others, and Preparing for a Good Night's Rest.

The Foundation includes an explanation (and practice) of the basic Mindful breathing and Mindful listening techniques. This section alone is worth the investment of the book. You could read that over and over (and apply it, over and over) and change your life significantly.

The practices are icing on the cake, a wide menu of ideas to try out and see what works the best for you.

Highly recommended.

What a great resource to have on the bedside table - or keep it in your car and carve out 5 minutes before shifting from work to home.

This book has a thorough introduction for those new to the practice of mindfulness. It is full of brief meditations, visualizations and exercises to help you leave work at work, enrich your home life, reconnect with self and others and preparing for a good night's rest. As a performance coach, I work with many elite competitors and business people who have trouble winding down at night or getting a good night's sleep. There are some gems in this book to help work through these challenges.

I personally found that after using the book for a short while, just seeing the book was enough to create a mental shift back to being truly present at home in the evening and not letting my mind get pulled back to work when I wanted to be giving my family my full attention. I love my family and I love my work. One of the keys to balancing this equation is being fully present wherever I am at the moment.

Highly recommended for all. Special recommendation as tool for working mothers who are under such high demands to switch from super woman at work to super mom upon walking in the front door at night.

Give yourself the gift of this book and 5 minutes each evening to learn how to better unwind and create more for yourself so you can take better care of those you love. You really can create big changes in a short amount of time. Who does not have or is not worth this type of 5 minute daily investment? If you really don't think so and won't do it for yourself, then do it for your family.

Mollie Marti, Ph.D., J.D.
Author, Selling: Powerful New Strategies for Sales Success

Excellnt book for new comers. It really informs you of the proper procedures for starting a consulting business.

The first time I've read Tom Lambert's book, I did it because I was reading a book called "How to Read a Book", and needed a good piece of writing which would also justify my time spent reading it.

The initial objective was simply to see what the book was about, identify the main ideas and finally decide whether to buy the book or leave it where it was. I am glad that my choice was to take the book home and read it, and then apply what I'd learned from it to my personal business of being an employee, who's an internal consultant to my clients, in the various divisions of the business.

There is no doubt that Tom's work is making my life easier, the more I learn and apply the knowledge acquired from it. His work is easy to read, detailed and informative. It has been written by a Master in the art of consulting. If there were black belts awarded for this craft, Tom would be the one handing them out, so much has he know about the business of consulting.

The way I see the book is like a detailed map you would take, prior to going exploring a new and exciting land, a type of adventure that would be very rewarding, but would present a certain degree of risk if approached without appropriate preparation and with the right attitude. It has significant details in each of the 16 chapters, and caters to all consultants, from beginners to advanced.

The book opens your eyes for the perils and tribulations that are likely to lurk around the corners, and it helps you decide what to do. Personally, I liked the parts where Mr. Lambert helps one to decide whether becoming a consultant is a good idea or not; having decided to take on the profession, should you be a specialist or generalist and the pros and cons of each, and what to do to avoid trouble.

I wish I was more fluent in writing reviews. Since I am not, the best thing from my point of view is keeping it simple: If you are interested in consulting - either as someone about to begin in the profession or a seasoned professional, buy the book. Regardless of where you may be in the profession, it will be of benefit to you. Chances are that you will be entertained and educated at the same time. It is a book that is very likely to save you money in many ways, by teaching you how to market your services the right way, and what works and what doesn't when marketing your practice.

For the price you would pay for the book, there probably is not a more cost effective piece of reading, if your objective is to start well, or keep yourself on track or improve if already an old pro in the game of consulting. I believe that Tom Lambert's book is a present, a gift to be taken and used. I for one am grateful to have come across this book and refer to it often, to my great benefit.

This book is not only a valuable tool for a consultant but also it is a useful book for everyone that involves in business. Tom Lambert is a wellknown consultant with great experience in business. Thus, his book is an excellent resource about everything related to consulting. It is absolutely comprehensive and practicable book, with many useful examples from his experience and inside its pages you can find the solution for everything that you meet as a consultant. Great book!

High Income Consulting offers a comprehensive practical guidance on how to become a successful consultant. Consulting is multibillion-dollar business that is growing at a good rate. There is however a great different between good consultants and successful ones. This book put emphasize on becoming a successful consultant by teaching on how to build your practice from writing winning proposals, setting up your fees professionally and working to a contract. It further narrates low-cost yet effective techniques of marketing your practice.
It is a book for both beginners and experienced consultants as it offers advanced skills on consulting roles, strategies for each stage of consultancy assignment and how to avoid problems while maintaining good relation with the client. Thanks to the Consultant's Toolkit part, which is the action-based summary of the skills taught in the book and it can be used as a quick reference guide to both beginners and gurus.

The author of High Income Consulting, Tom Lambert, is a renowned international consultant and writer with several years experience in consulting. His book provides a practical guide to newcomers and experienced professionals on how to build and sustain very profitable, high quality professional practices that consistently provide high and secure income, irrespective of the state of the economy. The book is based on exhaustive research on what is actually done by top earners in Europe and America.

The author explains about how to develop and sustain a high income consultancy practice. He explains the tools and techniques of the profession as well as its ethics. The book teaches about being a good and successful consultant. It is an important reference book that will help the reader to develop an effective business strategy to attract and retain clients.

I have done some part-time consultancy services in the past. I was a good consultant but not a successful one as I tended to charge low fees. I had no guidance on how to price my services properly.

Having read the book, I learnt how successful consultants build their reputation, status, practice and income. I now know how to maximise my income and avoid giving my valuable services away with little or no payment.

My organisation sometimes hires consultants when the knowledge pool in the organisation has run dry. By understanding how good consultants work, I now maximise the chances of a successful relationship.

I bought this book to teach a class about design firms management. It was really useful, specially the way all subjects were arranged.

Although I am not an Architect but I enjoyed reading this book. It tells you exactly what you want to know about running a design firm. I also liked the simple, clear language that was used. If you are planning to start up your own business then I really recommend you to read this book.

How Firms Succeed should be on every Design Firm's must read list. It is the closest thing to a how-to manual in running a design firm. Anyone who follows the principles of the text will reap the rewards as their business grows.

How Firms Succeed transforms the poetry of architecture into the prose of practical management advice. This book offers solutions to the questions and problems that distract firms from their quest to provide excellent design. It should rapidly become an indispensable part of every architect's working library.

I was very pleased to find this book. It is a clear, concise resource for people who need to better understand design firms. It provides an insight into the nature of the design business - and it unique culture - that is invaluable to both practitioners and managers who want to create a successful and healthy organization.