Teams Books

First Business Start-Up by William L. Russell is a solid, "user friendly", how-to guide specifically and accessibly written for non-specialist general readers of all experience levels in the business world wanting to launch their own commercial enterprise. Solid information and coherent step-by-step worksheets help the reader to evaluate whether or not their business idea is solid, and offers guidance in selecting the best business team in order to increase the odds of success. Regardless of the product to be produced or the service to be offered, First Business Start-Up is a "must-read" for anyone seriously interested in becoming their own boss!

So you think you want to go into business for yourself; well, this is commendable, but have you the basic or rudimentary knowledge so necessary to make a go of it? Yes, you have spoken with your father-in-law and your Uncle Jess once or twice and maybe some other tycoons or captains of industry, but are you really sure that their paternal or avuncular advise will be enough? Could it be that they have left out some important considerations such as formulating a business plan or securing venture capital?

Hopeful entrepreneur, do not go into the dark woods alone! William L. Russell's First Business Start-Up is a down to earth, no-nonsense approach to help you create and develop your own business dream or venture. It is a valuable guidebook designed to help you succeed. Mr. Russell has had his fair share of bumps and burses over his fifty years of owning and managing a variety of businesses, and he is willing to show you his painful scars and provide you with invaluable information so that you will not experience his pain and make the same costly mistakes. In short, William L.Russell's First Business Start-Up is a must read if you are really serious about making your dreams a reality and becoming a successful business owner and operator.

First Business Start-Up is written in a very interesting and easily understandable style. The usual topics, such as evaluating your business ideas, market analysis, business plans, financial reporting, and so forth, are covered in both real life story form and descriptive detail - which both drives home the points and makes for enjoyable reading of normally dry subjects. However, the surprise bonus for the reader is the chapters on business failures and "Failure Hall of Famers." Drawing from his personal experiences, Mr. Russell adds in story fashion a dimension that will enable future entreprenuers to recognize paradighms and pitfalls that may result in severly shatterd income statements and wallets.

While the information is practical and informative, the real and insightful stories that highlight the applications are worth the price of the book.

A very good handbook when you live in a very uncertain world with no job tenure or job security. Anyone reading the book in the context of career management will find it useful as the sections are generally short and to the point. Also key points are 'bulleted' so it is easy to 'digest' them. The cycle of separating => redefining => positioning => sustaining is very lucidly explained and supported with short case stories. Many of us have to re-invent ourselves; this is a useful handy book to have for thriving in a world that will eventually be dominated by free agents. Even though the book is written for an American readership, it is equally applicable to anywhere on planet earth!

Whether you are a contract or temporary employee, a consultant or freelancer, or working internally in management or on the front-line, FREE AGENTS is a wonderful gamebook for understanding the new world of work. It clearly explains the new rules of the workplace, and what individuals need to do to succeed, adn what organizatitions need to do to attract the individuals that will enable them to succeed. FREE AGENTS presents a clear and accessible four step process for individuals to become FREE AGENTS. It provides strategies and tips for individuals to answer four critical questions: What is the market that I want to serve? What are the unmet needs of this market? What are the assets I bring that can meet these need? How can I continue to acquire new skills, experiences, and relationships that enable me to sustain my employability in that market? This book helped me understand how I need to change my attitudes and actions to create and sustain my own employability. It also helped me see what companies are doing to attract individuals with the skills they need to succeed.

A well-written and logical exploration of the new workplace for both the "employee" & "employer". Defines roles and scenarios for "Free Agents" who shape their careers within one company as well as those who move from company to company. It goes well below the surface (and platitudes) of most self-help books to give real concepts and tools for developing your career and marketability, independent of a specific job or title. It also gives usable guidelines to employers on how to maximize the strengths of "Free Agents" to help grow the company. Case studies highlight the key elements

Book was a little more used than described, but hey for the price it couldn't be beat. To bad my sylabus was wrong and the professor changed the edition. Anyhow, seller was excellent. Fast shipping and I would reccommend.

This text was VERY helpful. The illustrations and examples were enough to explain the topic without havung to read the entire book.. Also the problems given at the end of each section were very good. Some were tough; however, the author starts you out with easy problems and works up to the more difficult ones. This text definitely is a good learning aid.

I used this textbook for my first accounting class and it was by far the best. Examples are all spelled out step by step and the numerous exercies and problems contribute to a higher level of understanding. Buy the workbook offered. It will save you a lot of time normally spent setting up the problem. Much better then some of the higher level books I have used.

The Garden and the Knicks, a match made in heaven. This book delivers the best insight into the New York Knicks and its best players. From Clyde, to Willis, from Patrick to Houston, this book tells it all. Even has some great storys and pictures of the Old Garden a definent must read

this is a Must have Book for any Fan of the NBA.this Book talks about all of the Great Knicks&is truly Great to reflect on.those Great Knicks Days seems so long ago but they really weren't that long ago.Clyde the Glide,Earl The Pearl through the Present.

If you're a Knicks fan - or even just a basketball junkie - Garden Glory is for you. An easy read with great stories told by those who lived it. I could never have gone to the Old Garden, but the mental pictures the book creates is marvelous.

But the big unanswered question that I need to know is: What was Spree REALLY wearing when they came to his house in Milwaukee?

A must read...

very timely delivery, and cheaper than the bookstore! book was in great condition and overall great service

This book is outstanding! Full of great theories that can be bridged to real life experiences. Was the source of key information during our class on Work Groups & Teams in Organizations. I would recommend this book to anyone who is trying to form a cohesive team in their organization.

It covers a breadth of various topics in Group Dynamics. It doesn't go into too much depth though but it suffices in getting the reader's feet wet on the subject.

A tremendous discussion and reference of the nuts and bolts for all kinds of teaming in the IT world. It's loaded with nuances related to teaming that you won't easily find in one place. It's also a good review, thinker, and is exceptionally well researched and written. I definitely reccomend this book to anyone who is serious about adding to their skills in this often overlooked but necessary specialty.

This book is a comprehensive analysis of the points throughout development life cycles where team collaboration is appropriate for creating deliverables. Formats and methods for conducting team workshops are set out in great detail, based on the organizational environment, project type, end result desired, and particular phase of the life cycle. Jones proposes a "framework" for development which he calls Team Design and which he contrasts with Joint Application Development (JAD) and other group methods. Jones defines five Formats (Business Process Design, Requirements Definition, Application Design, Team Planning, Decision Making) under which almost any development project or part thereof can be placed. He devotes separate chapters to each Format, defining for each Format the life-cycle steps within the Format, the workshop agenda activities that apply to each phase of the life-cycle, and recommended workshop methods (e.g., brainstorming, scoping diagrams, scenario analysis) that can develop the deliverables for the phase. Team Design comprises a generic set of life-cycle Phases (Initiating, Scoping, Visualizing, Usage, Packaging, Validating) that can be mapped to each of the five Formats. For each Phase, Jones then recommends certain workshop methods that can be used regardless of the Format. This allows flexibility in analyzing all the factors facing a Project Manager and Facilitator (organization type, project type, end result, life-cycle phase) and adapting a workshop plan that will apply best. It also allows for bridging of experience with workshop methods across different Formats. Jones also deals in depth with a wide variety of topics related to team-based development, including: · JAD and Participatory Design: A survey of the history of these two group-based methods, and an assessment of their strengths and weaknesses in various environments · Facilitation: The scope of Facilitation; the technical competencies required of a Facilitator in a development environment; in-depth description of facilitation tools (e.g., conflict resolution, problem solving) and workshop methods (e.g., brainstorming, diagramming, Pareto charts), and their applicability · Requirements: Analysis of the major problems faced by organizations in creating and managing requirements, and how Team Design can address those problems · Team Dynamics: The phases of team development; team-building techniques; special issues involving workgroups comprising members with different functional backgrounds · Organizational Culture: The impact of organizational dynamics on a company's receptiveness to structured methods and team-based approaches to development

This book is a comprehensive analysis of the points throughout development life cycles where team collaboration is appropriate for creating deliverables. Formats and methods for conducting team workshops are set out in great detail, based on the organizational environment, project type, end result desired, and particular phase of the life cycle.

Jones proposes a "framework" for development which he calls Team Design and which he contrasts with Joint Application Development (JAD) and other group methods. Jones defines five Formats (Business Process Design, Requirements Definition, Application Design, Team Planning, Decision Making) under which almost any development project or part thereof can be placed. He devotes separate chapters to each Format, defining for each Format the life-cycle steps within the Format, the workshop agenda activities that apply to each phase of the life-cycle, and recommended workshop methods (e.g., brainstorming, scoping diagrams, scenario analysis) that can develop the deliverables for the phase.

Team Design comprises a generic set of life-cycle Phases (Initiating, Scoping, Visualizing, Usage, Packaging, Validating) that can be mapped to each of the five Formats. For each Phase, Jones then recommends certain workshop methods that can be used regardless of the Format. This allows flexibility in analyzing all the factors facing a Project Manager and Facilitator (organization type, project type, end result, life-cycle phase) and adapting a workshop plan that will apply best. It also allows for bridging of experience with workshop methods across different Formats.

Jones also deals in depth with a wide variety of topics related to team-based development, including: (1) JAD and Participatory Design: A survey of the history of these two group-based methods, and an assessment of their strengths and weaknesses in various environments; (2) Facilitation: The scope of Facilitation; the technical competencies required of a Facilitator in a development environment; in-depth description of facilitation tools (e.g., conflict resolution, problem solving) and workshop methods (e.g., brainstorming, diagramming, Pareto charts), and their applicability; (3) Requirements: Analysis of the major problems faced by organizations in creating and managing requirements, and how Team Design can address those problems; (4) Team Dynamics: The phases of team development; team-building techniques; special issues involving workgroups comprising members with different functional backgrounds; and (5) Organizational Culture: The impact of organizational dynamics on a company's receptiveness to structured methods and team-based approaches to development.

The Greek-American community owe Dabilis and Tsiotis a great debt of gratitude for the service they have provided by publishing the stories of Agganis and Kyriakides.

Arguably New England's finest all-around athlete, Harry Agganis' life represents the ultimate greek tragedy. Blessed with unprecedented athletic talent, Agganis was struck down in the prime of his life. His love of sports was equalled only by his love of family. Nick Tsiotos and Andy Dabilis capture the true essence of Agganis. This is must read for all sports fans.

A great look at the life of an exceptional young man who's legacy should be passed on.

Honus Wagner On His Life And Baseball deftly edited by William R. Cobb is an intriguing tale of Honus Wagner's remarkable career in baseball where he was known as "The Flying Dutchman". Following Honus from the beginning of his career in 1897, Honus Wagner On His Life And Baseball informatively carries readers through an epic true life tale of how he became one of the greatest baseball players of his day, playing seventeen consecutive seasons, and retaining a .300 batting average the whole time. Honus Wagner On His Life And Baseball is very highly recommended for all baseball enthusiasts and those intrigued by the accomplished life of baseball legend Honus Wagner.

Honus Wagner On His Life And Baseball deftly edited by William R. Cobb is an intriguing tale of Honus Wagner's remarkable career in baseball where he was known as "The Flying Dutchman". Following Honus from the beginning of his career in 1897, Honus Wagner On His Life And Baseball informatively carries readers through an epic true life tale of how he became one of the greatest baseball players of his day, playing seventeen consecutive seasons, and retaining a .300 batting average the whole time. Honus Wagner On His Life And Baseball is very highly recommended for all baseball enthusiasts and those intrigued by the accomplished life of baseball legend Honus Wagner.

A member of the board of the Ty Cobb Museum in Royston, Georgia, and a "distant Georgia cousin" of the other early 20th Century player widely thought of at the time as being the game's greatest player, William R. "Ron" Cobb has just edited an invaluable work on the teller of tall tales and possessor of a career 150 OPS+... Honus Wagner. "Honus Wagner On His Life & Baseball" is the Flying Dutchman in his own words... as originally published as a newspaper serial in the Los Angeles Times from December 13, 1923 to January 23, 1924. In effect an oral history originally written and published less than seven years after Wagner retired, it gives us a first-person insight into the great Pirate star, an insight that has generally been missing from history, due to Wagner's own reticence while he was playing, and his tendency to gild the lily in his later years. This then, is Wagner on Wagner, at a time when he was most likely to give us a straight story.

Although the 1920s were the heyday of the ghostwritten column, Cobb states strongly his opinion that the serial's words are Wagner's own. "I based this [opinion] on the overall tone and use of folksy and `down to earth' words and phrases," he explains. "The tone and flow sounds much like the spoken word, which indicates to me that a professional writer likely did not write this - at least not on his own. At the worst, I feel that Wagner might have dictated this and let an editor transcribe in into printable text. Even in this case, the text would be Wagner's story in `his own words.'"

And what a story it is. An historical bonanza, not just about the National League's greatest player, and some of his contemporaries, but also about the game as it was played during the first 50 or so years of his life. In 40 installments Wagner tells of everything from his early, minor league years in baseball, to his extensive thoughts on the skills and strategies of the early 20th Century game, to his admiration for Barney Dreyfuss, to the "good old days," to his thoughts on some of the greats he played with and against. And, of course, like practically every other old timer, he picks his All-Star teams. As with every oral history, Wagner's story is colored by his prejudices, especially when he talks about how the game had changed from when he broke in until 1924, but that hardly makes him unique among baseball storytellers. Indeed, much of Wagner's copy reads like it could well have come out of "The Glory of Their Times," except this is a total of 185 pages (with some marvelous photos) all from one exceptional player.

To cherry pick just a few of Honus' more interesting stories... Fred Lieb told the sad tale of the Philadelphia National League club sending a sore-armed pitcher named Con Lucid to scout the Paterson, New Jersey club in 1897, specifically to scout shortstop Honus Wagner. According to Lieb, Lucid thought the big Honus was too clumsy, and recommended they sign Kid Elberfeld instead, thus blowing the Phillies' chance to have a Wagner/Lajoie double play combination. A good story, but, according to Wagner, not exactly true. Honus' version is even better... no less a figure than Phillies' manager George Stallings was scouting him, and it was Stallings who was unimpressed. Seems as if Wagner was playing the outfield that day, and threw a couple of balls into the stands behind the plate. "I wouldn't give that big bum his carfare from here to Philadelphia," is how Honus quotes Stallings' reply to Patterson's Ed Barrow asking what the Phillies would give for Wagner.

Wagner's contract was sold later in 1897 to Louisville, enabling Honus to be present when the one and only Rube Waddell broke into the majors. In an installment entitled "The Bug Enters Baseball - at 2 a.m.," Wagner tells how Waddell insisted on meeting his new manager, Fred Clarke, when he arrived at the Colonels' hotel in Washington at 2 a.m. He pestered the night man enough to find out Clarke's room number, and proceeded to wake up the manager, who then suggested that Waddell needed to meet the rest of the team. The Rube went around to everyone else's room, pounding on doors and waking the entire team, with one exception. Waddell came back to Clarke's room at 4 a.m., not because the rest of the team wanted to lynch him (a possibility) but because the guy in room 128 wouldn't get up, and the Rube thought something was wrong. What was wrong was that William Hoy was in 128, and since he was deaf, he couldn't hear Waddell pounding on the door. (Actually, Waddell expert Dan O'Brien says that this story IS fiction.)

Although there is a tendency to think that Wagner could hit any pitcher who ever lived, he tells of one hurler, Jack Taylor, who gave him more trouble than any other. So much trouble, that Wagner once turned around and batted left-handed against the right-handed Taylor. Although Wagner says he "swung like a woman" he also punched the ball over the first base bag for a double. Other anecdotes include the time Jack Murray of the Giants made a game-saving catch by a flash of lightning, a bit on the game (and the box score) that clinched the 1901 pennant, Bill Klem tossing Clarke from a game for saying he was "a model umpire," and much more.

Wagner's anecdotes, both about himself and other players, are enlightening and amusing. No, he doesn't tell all, like exactly what he was up to in his 1908 holdout, but this is still a find that also includes a vast amount of what was called in those days "inside baseball." That is, how to play the game. Seems as if Honus coached baseball at Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon University) after he retired, and he still had all of his old class notes around. Presenting a much different side than his standard, somewhat shallow though pleasant public persona, Wagner shares considerable insight, as he had done with his players, on everything from how to play shortstop to defensive signals to nine very specific points on the hit and run. This was no dumb jock and storyteller, but a deep thinker about the intricacies of the game.

While Wagner's story is rightfully deserving of kudos, so is Cobb's work to bring it forth. A SABR member, a Deadball Era expert, and a graduate of Georgia Tech (he really should be called "Dr. Cobb," since he has a doctorate in Engineering), Cobb is no rookie at enlightening the reading public on stars of that era. He has previously published two autobiographical works on The Georgia Peach, "Busting `Em" and "Memoirs of Twenty Years in Baseball." When asked about the nature of his relation to old Tyrus, he says, "I was raised in Atlanta with the family story that we were related to the `great one.' But, no one ever told me exactly how. Some in my family believe we descend from the half brother of Ty Cobb's great grandfather in North Carolina."

When Ron changed his historical focus from Tyrus to Honus, he undertook a big project, having to re-type the manuscript from 80 year-old printed microfilm images of the Los Angeles Times. As anyone who has ever done microfilm research knows, 80 year-old images are not the easiest medium to work with. The image that comes from this is of Cobb hunched over a microfilm reader, trying to decipher smudged and almost illegible newsprint from the Roaring Twenties - a feat that only an historian of Cobb's knowledge could accomplish with success. As hard to read as the old Times were, Cobb had to use his own, independent understanding on the context to make sense out of some of the more obtuse parts.

Ron Cobb's hard work should not go unrewarded. In a very real sense, "Honus Wagner On His Life & Baseball" is as valuable and entertaining to the baseball historian, and the average baseball fan, as "The Glory of Their Times."

If read carefully! Will change your leadership style!

Rarely does a revolutionary write the history of his own revolt. However, that's exactly what John Adair does in this book. Adair is respected internationally in the field of leadership. His 1968 classic, `Training for Leadership', was a pioneering volume on leadership development. Although his work initially received relatively little attention in the U.S., it contributed to the current "leadership revolution," which has had a powerful impact on how companies train leaders. Today, in part thanks to Adair and others like him, companies no longer assume that "you either have it or you don't" when it comes to leadership potential. They are more willing to accept the idea that managers can be leaders, too, and should be trained for that role. Adair's book doesn't just peer in the rearview mirror of history - it casts a steady, discerning gaze at the road ahead as well. Using elegant, thoughtful prose enhanced with apt anecdotes and quotations, Adair establishes seven key principles of leadership development. His intriguing conclusion: while companies may mold the raw material of leadership, only societies and families can actually provide it. If "lead, follow or get out of the way" is your motto, we say have confidence - John Adair is marching to his rightful place at the head of the leadership pack. A must read.

This is a thoughtful and thought-provoking book on leadership development by a world renowned leadership guru. In "How to Grow Leaders: The Seven Key Principles of Effective Leadership Development", John Adair outlines the various theories, approaches and concepts of leadership development and training and distils them into seven key principles of leadership development. Using his wide and deep knowledge and expertise in the leadership field, he explains how organisations can recruit, select, train, and develop leaders who are capable of formulating and articulating a shared vision for their organisations or units, motivate people and facilitate the achievement of organisational, team and individual goals.

I was particularly impressed by the gracious and thorough acknowledgments in the book of the thinking and research of others. Even when the authors point out the weaknesses and limitations of a particular piece of work, they praise the positive aspects of that work in kind and thoughtful ways. This is one of the few academic books I have read that took such a considerate approach.

The book beautifully elaborates on the thinking processes that companies use to grow leaders so as to achieve competitive advantage I use the book as a quick reference guide and I find it very useful and helpful. This book carries pertinent information, but it is organised and written in such a way that is easily digestible. The book is recommended as a resource kit for the leadership trainer or aspiring leaders.

The old saw that "there is no 'I' in teams" is poppycock. Of COURSE there are individuals on teams; every member is an individual and the idea that he or she should somehow abandon individuality to conform to some construct called a 'team player' does a huge disservice to great teams everywhere.

What's one of the secrets of great teams? Diversity! If we all thought alike, there wouldn't be much of a need for teams at all, except to have groups of people doing work together.

Gerke's and Berens' book is the first that I know that tackles this issue straight-on, with great insight and highly practical models and approaches. While it's written for remote and co-located teams, I think the appeal will be much broader than that. Every team leader should get this book and get versed in the principles it offers. The stuff is real, it's true, and it works.

We can only wonder how much productivity is lost when employees worry that to be a member of a team, they have to sacrifice being themselves. There IS an I in teams, and Gerke and Berens have written a useful guidebook for team leaders, consultants, and coaches everywhere.

"The I in TEAM" by Susan Gerke never loses its focus on real teams. Instead of theoretical models, Susan uses real team situations and sets forward practical steps in forming and maintaining a team... including special sections on stresses within a team, and remote teams.

It is refreshing to have someone say that it is essential to maintain one's individuality upon becoming a team member, rather than what is often taught. The chapters on clarifying the reader's personal temperament are invaluable, whether a member of a team or not.

I highly recommend this book.

I've personally worked with Susan Gerke on a number of business projects and can't recommend her highly enough. Her insight on interpersonal dynamics within teams is right on target. I highly recommend her books!