Sales Books

Moles abound.


The last book in this trilogy is probably not quite as good as the other two, you could call it a 3.75 if you like, but there is some entertaining commentary on what goes on in the spook office with the whole clueless management versus the footslogging hardworking spy in the field.

MI6 is still a bit worried about Benard because of his traitorous spouse, so when he finds out about what he thinks is yet another mole, he isn't looked on too favourably, particularly as it might just be one of the higher-ups.

People who like the others should still enjoy this.

The best of the game, set and match trilogy. Exciting, lean and suspenseful.

This is the third of the Bernard Samson trilogy set in London, Berlin, Mexico and East Germany. I think that Mr. Deighton possibly felt that the first of the series was meant as a solo effort. Perhaps not. Both Berlin Game and Mexico Set stand on their own and could have been solo efforts; London Match is possibly the weaker of the three, but leaves us with that gritty taste in our mouths that recalls the anti-Bond stories of Harry Palmer, Bernard and the others.

The office wit characterized by working with management types unfamiliar with the "field" is not uncommon to many of us who spent time in the military or big corporations. We toil for those who have never experienced what they ask us to do. Hence Dickie Cruyer and Bret Rennselear. Of course for most all of us the result of the inequity of working for management is several antacid tablets; Bernard is quick to point out for him it may be death.

Len Deighton writes wonderful stories about the Cold War a long time ago. Or was it? 5 stars. Larry Scantlebury

This book can standalone as a good spy story, as can the others in this trilogy, but the storyline attains excellence when read in series - Berlin Game, Mexico Set, and London Match. The tension ebbs and flows throughout the trilogy, but it isn't until the climax of London Match that we see the full scope. I honestly think this is the best book of the three, but maybe that's just because all the threads finally come together. Highly recommended!

It's one of those hall-of-mirrors British spy stories in which the puzzle is to figure out who is working for whom, and who is double-crossing whom.
I was rereading my Len Deightons, partly to see how much impact they still have post-cold war, and I picked this one up out of order. After the first few pages I remembered that this was third in the Bernard Samson series, set in the 1970's and 80's, but it has close affinities to the Harry Palmer series of the 60's, especially Funeral in Berlin. (This has a 1985 publication date). If you're completely new to Len Deighton I'd start with those, and of course you should read Berlin Game and Mexico Set before this.
Some people think Deighton deteriorated in the later spy books. They contain fewer wisecracks and less descriptive scene- setting. In compensation there's a lot of subtle humor in the portrayal of the Dilbert-like atmosphere of office politics, and the plots are more sharply focussed and draw naturally to a climax. The earlier books tend to jump from episode to episode with a tidying up of plot in the last chapter.

Powerful stuff, excellent book. I highly recommend it without any reservations whatsoever. It contains 'pearls of wisdom' for marketers. I gained a great deal of knowledge reading it.

I'm not sure just how much thought went into this book. It's also very hard to figure out how many hours the authors Roy A. Young, Allen M. Weiss and David W. Stewart contributed to the over all preparation of the concepts put into this book.

But after countless hours reading the chapters of this book before the advance uncorrected proof, scrutinizing the first five chapters with heavy introspection and experimentation of the ideas I can tell you the following: It would take you countless personal hours, unmeasurable amounts of interviews, and the experience of CEO's from dozens of companies to amass the wealth of knowledge that you can easily pull out of this book.

So would you want to try to attempt what these authors have personally done for you in order to give you insight beyond the competition? If you wouldn't do you dream of failing in your endeavours as a marketing advisor, consultant or company? Well I'm very proud to say that some of the above endorsements from Phil Kotler and Seth Godin are more than advertising endorsements by some of the leading marketing experts. But they are geniune endorsements that really help you to recognize how rare this book is. More importantly how different the perspective of these three gentleman really are.

For example their input about what is a marketing compass?, How does a marketing compass work?, and what you can do to put your own marketing compass in order are sure to cause you to think more deeply about these concepts.

Part one and two are so full of marketing ideas, so architectually rich in sound marketing concpets that truly the authors could have clearly pulled their stop sign out and said "hey were going to stop right here" but thank God they didn't. They went on in part three to go deeper than a scuba diver in their exploration of how to manage east. Exploring ideas that show you how you can "Bust Silos and Build Bridges" giving you five techniques to apply some wonderful ideas.

And this is afer a wealth of information where they show you how to break down your Myths of Marketing. I'll admit first that my myths were trapped but what I discovered from Roy Young is quite an eye opening list of good marketing strategies that work. Their input on how to improve upon your Marketing language will make a huge difference in your marketing relationships. Whether they are in the company or outside of the company the language barriers with in your grasp are very limited.

Here's your chance to break the marketing code. This really is a great book with so many ideas I put it in the reference part of my library. Why? Because I'll be using it to reference for many years to come. Thanks for your time....................

Your Servant & Dr. of Marketing,

Deremiah, *CPE

Marketing Champions. Practical strategies for improving marketing's power, influence, and business impact. Young, Weiss, & Stewart. 2006. ISBN 9780471744955 This book is a distillation of hundreds of articles, case studies and research papers from MarketingProfs.com. If you have not checked it out, this website is home to some very valuable and pragmatic marketing ideas, info and research. In any other year this book would be my choice of marketing book of the year. I classify it as the getting things done in marketing book!It is a landmark book in that in one volume you have the best advice for marketing your value to clients, internal executives, internal groups and your own group. The section on how to talk in business terms is worth the price of the book. I recommend it to CEOs, CFOs, VPs R&D, Sales and Marketing as well as those just graduating from school. Its also a great read! A library keeper and re-reader.

I cannot tell you how big a difference the `speaking the language' strategies made. The silent pauses down the end of the phone when I took a particular marketing or strategic idea and translated it according to intangible assets, goodwill, when I talked about the inventory turnover and leverage, actually spoke volumes!!!

I was also able to connect the goals the CEO has for the new company we are launching and connect them directly to downstream and upstream marketing to drive profit growth and top-line profit.

The relief I could here in my CEO's voice was awesome... I know I've gained credibility and put in place the beginnings of a great marketing foundation.

THANK YOU!!! I knew I needed to be doing what you say in the book.... I just didn't know HOW. You make it clear and doable!!!

If you are tired of the label, "promotions guy or gal", then this book is for you because it expands on the true definition and role of a marketer. Many companies like to put marketing in the advertising, promotions, communications box, and this is where most marketing professionals reside in the organization. However, this is a recipe for marginalization.

A true marketing professional masters promotions, advertising and the like, but expands the marketing role to own the customer relationship and experience. For marketing professionals to be taken seriously and have a "seat" in executive circles they must be concerned with terms not usually associated with marketers like cash flow, earnings, shareholder value, and reputation. Even more important, marketing must contribute to corporate and business strategy with daily input and research from having a firm pulse on customer wants and future needs.

Roy Young, Allen Weiss and David Stewart show that marketing can and should focus on more than just the "Promotion" aspect of marketing. Chapters detail how to work closely with others in the organization from sales, operations, finance, R&D and even the executive office.

The book has very limited treatment of many of the technologies (CRM, data warehousing, analytics etc...) that help enable the measurement of marketing results. But overall, its message is too powerful to not give the book five stars.

As a marketer, if you like staying in the promotions box and limiting your career opportuniites then don't read this book. If, however, you have aspirations of the executive suite, or at least the invitation to executive level discussions, then pick up this book and dive in!

Our book study just completed Miracles Do Happen. It was incredible to see God open hearts and minds to Jesus' healing power. It's written in a simple style but it packs a punch in terms of presenting the Gospel. The son of a friend of our group was diagnosed with a recurrence of a brain tumor, and just like in the book, Sister Briege showed up in our town and was able to pray with him and his family. His prognosis is now quite favorable, praise God. If you want to hear the story of how Jesus still cares about His people, how Jesus is still in the healing business and you need a reason to have hope in Christ, this book is the best choice I've ever seen.

This is a great inspiration to me, though I am not catholic.
Her words are uplifting and healing.

"Miracles Do Happen" is an excellent testimony to the power of faith. Briege Mckenna developed sever arthritis as a young adult, which confined her to a wheel chair. When attending a Catholic Charismatic prayer services, she was miraculously healed. Allegedly, she received a private revelation, in which God asked her to be a healer to others. She debated whether the message was really from God, as she was a member of a contemplative community, but after a period of discernment and a series of signs, she lost all doubt.

"Miracles do Happen" is an autobiography of Sr. Briege's healing ministry. She prays for people and many have been healed of spiritual and physical pains and diseases. The book is full of stories and photos of people, whom she has encountered during her journey and many of whom were healed by prayers. It is easy to be skeptical of spiritual healers today, but unlike many charlatans in the field, Sr. Briege does not accept money or promote products or methodology for financial gains. The book is great for renewing faith in prayer, and offers much guidance and learning to discern God's voice in your life through prayer. Sr.Briege herself spends an estimated two-three hours in prayer each day, and write about the types of Christian spiritual practices which have been spiritually edifying for her.

This is a simple book about the role that prayer and faith has played in her life, and in the lives of others whom she has had the fortune to know, during her religious life and is not bogged down in theological explanations or issues related to debatable doctrines. It is written simply as an intimate conversation, as often is the case of works from saints, and when one reads it one has to wonder if they are living in a very special life time of a woman who might be recognized as a saint in the future.

This is a wonderful book. We often need to remind ourselves about the present of our Lord Jesus Christ in our daily lives, and Sr. McKenna has done a wonderful job of doing so. Buy, read and believe...

This is the story of how Sister Breige McKenna became a healer of human bodies and human souls. She herself had a instantaneous healing from Rhematoid Arthritis. Because of this book I sought out her phone number and upon hearing a healing prayer over the phone, I was healed spiritually. I have never been the same and I thank God for it! Buy this, you won't regret it!!!

This is a cult book because it is highly entertaining while being highly useful. I don't believe everything that is printed in this odd little book, but who cares -- whether true or embelished, this book is loaded with nuggets of brilliant information.

Wish I had read it when I was 18.

This is such a funny book!It totally cracked me up.
And it tells you stuff nobody else ever does. Like all the tricks famous people pulled to get to be so famous. Blair Witch, Ben Franklin, Mother Teresa,Steven Spielberg, George Washington , I can't remember all the rest, but you the picture right?... so many, from all walks of life. Ben and Jerry's, Home Depot! It's so cool. Anyways thats my opinion.

-H.

If you can only read one marketing book this year, read this one. Beyond marketing, beyond business, it's a book about how to make life more adventurous and surprising for yourself and others. A must read for anyone committed to serving others and making the most of themselves.

Ray Simon weaves various fields together, from psychology to astrology, in a humorous, enlightened "how-to" book that will help you greatly in getting your product or service into the life of those who can make it happen. Full of biographical snippets that will delight you, the book provides a really good blend of principles and examples. Another great benefit is that you've probably employed some of the tactics mentioned by Ray Simon at one point or another, so you'll be able to draw from your own life experience to tap into the spirit of mischief marketing.

All in all, this book is an invitation to be happier, more intelligent, more creative, more giving, more clever, and a lot more humorous than you already are. Buy it now and give it as a gift!

Martin

I have read so many marketing books that I can't keep up, I am writing a series of marketing books at the moment (Mosquito Marketing Series) because I have read so many books, tried so many marketing techniques and been very successful with my marketing for over 10 years now bringing myself and my businesses national publicity on many occasions. I picked up this book to see if I had missed anything and if you don't read this book, you are missing something! FULL of great ideas, motivational comments and examples of tried and true examples. I would highly recommend this book, it is full or helpful information, very well laid out, and with its little stories added in the side bar it is like a book within a book.

Who would suspect that so many famous people did such weird things to get started? I'm amazed that nobody has written a book like this before. It's almost unbelievable.

Wonderful reading. Oh yes. Oy! Such a book!

This is the Mother Goose of my children's generation. It was always a favorite. The illustrations are humorous and not too frightening (as in "A Real Mother Goose." This book is beloved by all three of my children, and was often their bedtime story pick well into elementary school. I would recommend this book to any parent looking for a comprehensive Mother Goose.

This book is in excellent condition and is exactly as I remember it as a child. It has brought fond memories back and I am sure my god children will enjoy it as much as myself and my brothers did growing up.

As a small child, I read Gyo Fujikawa's Mother Goose with my mom almost every night. As much as I loved the rhymes, I loved Ms. Fujikawa's drawings even more. Her little line drawings created a little world for each rhyme, and her full color illustrations--stretching across both pages--were gorgeous and mesmerizing. How wonderful that it is back in print so that my 2-yr old son can enjoy this book, too. (My own 40-yr old copy is lost somewhere in my mom's garage.) He loves it and clamors for "Goose! Goose!"

They don't make them like this anymore. A beautifully illustrated book. I had "Oh, What a Busy Day" as a child and we looked at the pictures over and over again- never got tired of it. Hoping my child will think the same of this one.

This is more than a kids's book to me: it is a treasured family heirloom.

The Volland Edition of Mother Goose Nursery rhymes is a well-worn book that sits on our lowest shelf for our kids to access freely. This has resulted in a bit of fraying on the edges of the pages and a binding that has started falling apart. But I have no regrets that my kids have returned to this book often and with anticipation when I announce that it is story time.

In this Mother Goose collection, you will find all the favorite rhymes in their original form; beautiful, sentimental, at times seemingly savage to our 21st century sensibilities - they were all written without regard to political correctness. For instance, the little old woman who lived in a shoe actually whipped all her children soundly before sending them to bed (not "kissed"), and Jack and Jill really do "break their crowns" instead of their hats or just bumping their heads. A few other selections mention the deaths of children and animals. Parents will have to prepare to explain some serious things to children after reading some of these rhymes.

The language back then was apparently more sophisticated than modern versions: consider "The Cat and the Fiddle" in which the little dog laughed to see such craft, which rhymes rather better than the later versions' (dumbed down) sport or play. In my opinion, that only adds to their color and charm. Hey, you can use it as an educational opportunity to teach new word usages to your kids.

But the real reason to choose this rhyme book is that the Volland Edition of Mother Goose is illustrated with an eye to beauty that you simply won't find in modern nursery rhyme books. That is what really sets the Volland Edition apart from all the modern collections; magical, perfect watercolors for each rhyme. No picture book since the Volland Edition has matched the quality here and I do believe that children enjoy good artwork and benefit from it greatly. In my case, this very book was inspirational in setting a high standard for my aspirations to become an artist someday.

As a great way to teach children poems and rhymes that will stay with them their whole lives, or as a valued heritage from another century, the Volland Mother Goose is one book every family should experience IMHO.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle

Books like these are used for reference and do there job well but this book is different. Its fun to read for somebody who is into business. Why? Well because it is so up-to date, features ad campaigns that are still in magazines, refers to interesting real life examples and case studies from large multinational businesses to small family firms.

Its written well, it highlights the main points on the sides of the page for quick reference but the only criticism is the index isn't very well laid out but you get used to it.

I honestly find my self reading the case studies when i'm bored, so this is like a fiction/ reference book.

On the reference front it contains pretty much everything you need to know for an introduction to undergraduate marketing but be warned it doesn't go that much further. If you are studying for a course which goes into great depth about marketing this isn't for you, it just covers all the basic aspects. Layout is great and the book itself is quite bulky, so its best not to carry around.

I have also got the European edition which is very good, the case studies are different and its slightly smaller and much much cheaper. The cost of this book is astronomical, but it could be the difference between getting a good grade or a mediocre one.

Despite being nearly 1000 pages long, this is one book that I often travel with on business, due to the completeness and accessibility of the content.

This encyclopedic, incredible resource includes chapters and many case studies on:

* the marketing process: marketing in a changing world- satisfying human needs; marketing and society- social responsibility and ethics; strategic marketing planning.

* the marketing setting: the marketing environment; the global marketplace; market information and research.

* buyer behaviour- consumer markets; business markets; and buyer behaviour.

* core strategy- market segmentation and targeting; positioning; building customer satisfaction through quality, value and service; creating competitive advantage: competitor analysis; and marketing strategies.

* product- designing products- new product development and lifecycle strategies; designing products- products, brands, packaging and services; marketing services.

* price- pricing policies- considerations and approaches; pricing products- strategies.

*promotions- promoting products- communications & promotion strategy; promoting products- advertising, sales promotion and PR; promoting products- personal selling and sales management;

* place- placing products- distribution channels & logistics management; placing products- retailing and wholesaling,.

It's well written, well supported with references, attractively illustrated, and easy to read at chapter level down to sidebar level (I've never read from end to end in one sitting!). The only complaint, is that because of the broad and deep coverage beyond traditional marketing, newer breaking ideas are not covered.

Overall highly recommended, particularly with a slimmer latest "fad" business/ technology/ marketing book to confirm that you are not missing anything that may add value to your organisation or clients.

[Refers to European Edition ISBN 0131659030 by Kotler, Armstrong, Saunders, Wong 1996 ]

This book is one of the best marketing books. The content of book is very comprehensive and embellished with cases that help you better understand the marketing theory. Especially, the most fascinating aspect of the book is its chapters about INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY and its impacts on the marketing concepts.

You can buy this book even for its excellent cases. I strongly recommend this book to all MBA students whose interested field is marketing.

i borrowed it from a liberary to make my search but i lost it before i finish my search and i need it very much

A very detailed but not a confusing book. Suitable for a foreign student at a level of intermediate english. Especially the cases motivates you to the Marketing area.I offer you to study with the CD...

Product Strategy for High technology Companies by Robert Cooper. I purchased the book with the intention of getting my professional certification in product management. The is extremely helpful in the area of product planning and development. It links the technology strategy of a company to its product platform development strategy down to its product line planning strategy. I like the way the book is structured, building up from vision to techniques. His case studies / examples (though not in depth)are very good in illustrating what he was trying to say.

the Core Strategic Vision approach for determining strategy is interesting, and is a good framework to develop a realistic vision.
The boundaries test to determine whether your vision will deliver what you expect (it forces you to expect something!) is something companies can't forget.
And the vision of a set of product's as not only one offering, but as one containing a platform and its pre-planned offerings, with pricing strategy, is essential to get profits for a long time.
It is full with examples, specially from the software arena. Recommended.

This book offers a study of the strategic options for high tech firms. The coverage is wide and detailed. This is a great book.

A big number of business examples, and good explanation of concepts. A deeper vision could be found in another books about this subject, so in my oppinion this book could be a good starting point, not recomended for advanced IT product managers.

I love this book: the concept of a "vector" for product
development is a terrific way to think about competition.
IMHO, this book is a must-read for all product managers,
product marketers and people involved in strategic decisions,
i.e. all senior executives.

That said, speaking as a five-time startup engineer, the advice
and examples in this book seem geared towards the core product
lines in larger companies, where you can credibly talk about
"two years from now" as opposed to wondering if you'll even be
in business, which is also the problem for new product lines at
large companies. The experience for the book comes from the
PRTM consulting firm, which was made famous for their work with
parallel product development at Intel. We hired them in the
early days at Inktomi, and found mixed success with their
process because we were terrified of immediate failure, and
they wanted to talk about version 3. Obviously, there's a
successful middle ground because Inktomi was a huge success in
the short term, but ultimately lost its strategic direction.

This book was great! I shared the stories with some of my students. It is so nice to hear the nice things people do.

Basically this is a wonderful idea for a book. The world does need more kindness. And Kindness , being kind to others not only makes us better people it also enriches our lives and gives them meaning. To give is often the greatest form of helping oneself possible.
Nonetheless I could have wished some of the stories here were more 'tough and complicated ' stories. I also could have wished that there was more deep thought about kindness. For kindness too has its qualification in the Jewish wisdom, " He who is kind to the cruel will end up being cruel to the kind"
Kindness is important.We should all be kind as we can. But there is a time and place for everything.

"Imagine what would happen if there were an outbreak of
kindness in the world," notes Daphne Rose Kingma in the foreword
to RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS by the editors of Conari
Press . . . you'd bring "delight and goodness
to yourself and others."

Methinks that could well be possible; i.e., if everybody took
the time to read this short but oh-so-powerful book . . . it is
packed with practical ideas that can be applied to work
situations, such as the following:

I had a client who owed me a good deal of money.
Eventually she stopped seeing me, but each month
I would send her a bill and receive no response.
Finally I wrote to her and said, "I don't know what
difficulty has befallen you that you are unable to pay
me, but whenever it is, I'm writing to tell you your debt
is forgiven in full. My only request is that at some point
in your life, when your circumstances have changed, you
will pass this favor on to someone else."

By the same token, there were perhaps an equal number
of things that could be utilized if you wanted to make
your home life more enjoyable, including this one:

There was a time in my life when everything was working
so smoothly, I found myself sitting at home one Saturday
with all my work done, all my household chores completed:
dishes washed, laundry folded and put away, house dusted,
grocery shopping completed, and that delicious feeling of
having nothing to do. Then I thought about a friend from
work who was a single mother of two small children and
never seemed to have the time for anything. I jumped into
my car, drove over to her house, walked in and said, "Put
me to work." At first she didn't really believe it, but we ended
up having a great time, cleaning like mad, taking time out to
feed and play with the kids, and then diving back into the
chores.

I also liked the quotes sprinkled throughout the book . . . what
caught my attention was the fact that many had not been
seen by me previously, including:

* Do every act of your life as if it were your last.--Marcus Aurelius;

* I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community,
and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever
I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the
harder I work, the more I live. Life is no "brief candle" to me.
It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for a
moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible
before handing it on to future generations.--George Bernard Shaw; and

The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live.--Joan
Borysenko.

Lastly, I appreciated the thought-provoking suggestions presented
throughout RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS . . . among the ones
that caught my attention were these:

* As you go about your day, why not pick up the trash you find on
your sidewalk?

* Buy a big box of donuts or chocolates for the office next to yours
Or the kids who hang out on the street corner. Or the UPS person
or the mail carrier.

* If you have an infirmed person living near you, offer to do the grocery
shopping for him or her.

This book does not need a long review. It is simply about the very best of what human beings are capable of doing. Random Acts of Kindness is simply the most important book I have ever read. -- Sam Yulish, author of WHERE HAVE ALL THE HIPPIES GONE? and THE HESITANT PSYCHIC.

In 1982, California peace activist Ann Herbert wrote on a placemat at a restuarant "Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty." A fellow diner was impressed by these words, and wrote them down. Gradually they spread and inspired conversation and thought. This international bestseller greatly accelerated the process. Today there is a World Kindness Movement and many organizations spreading the concept of kindness throughout our country.

Bestselling author Dapne Rose Kingma writes the forward, and there is an introduction by Dr. Dawna Markova. But about 63 others participated in stories and ideas for this book. It is a group project than transcends anyone author.

The concept of random of kindness is an antidote to the concept of random acts of violence. Random of kindess are far more common than random acts of violence, and the more they are encouraged, the more they should dominate.

Random acts of kindness can be both as simple as talking to strangers, as inconspicuous as allowing people in a hurry to get ahead of you in line, as generous as doing unsolicited chores for people in need, as philanthropic as paying for a stranger's dinner or sending books to a sick child.

Random acts of kindness can be as fulfilling as climbing a tree after a runaway child, and then leading the child down, or as planting a tree that others will enjoy decades letter. They can be forbearance in the case of a minor traffic accident or of a personal debt. They can be meaningful advice given, compassion and empathy shared. They can be tips given in appreciation of the server instead of the value of the service. They can be the willingness to let others act on misunderstandings despite some element of personal sacrifice by the actor.

The endless examples of the ways people can treat others with random kindness are well sampled in this book. So are inspirational quotes.

Pennsylvania founder William Penn says "If there is any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do, let me do it now, and not dter or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again." Martin Luther King describes the concept of agape as "understanding, create redemptive goodwill toward all men...and overflowing love which seeks nothing in return. When you rise to love on this level, you love all men not because you like them, not because their ways appeal to you, but you love them because God loves them."

The Dalai Lama says "My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness." Jesus says "If you bring forth what is inside of you, what you bring forth will save you. If you don't bring forth what is inside of you, what you don't bring forth will destroy you."

Herman Melville says "We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among these fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects." William James says "I am done with great things and big plans, great institutions and big success. I am for those tiny, invisible loving human forces that work from individual to individual, creeping through the crannies of the world like so many rootlets, or like the capillary oozing of water, which, if given time, will rend the hardest moments of pride."

M.C. Richards says "Compassion is an alternate perception." Albert Einstein says "A human being is part of the whole that we call the universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest--a kind of optical illusion of conscioiusness. The illusion is a prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for only the few people nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living beings and all of nature."

So having demonstrated the relevance and the vitality of the random acts of kindness philosophy to both everyday situations and to the thoughts of the world's greatest humanitarians, the authors praise part of the beauty of the concept of random acts of kindness as "the turnaround from the ugliest and most frightening of all phrases: random acts of violence....It's so easy to fear. It's so easy to create an almost palpable reality out of our imagined teerror. Random acts of kindness ring pure and true to that fear, as life-confirming revolutionary acts."

"Kindness," the authors say, "is soft and bubtle. It permeates everything it comes in contact with, remains as a permanent reminder of what could and should be."

At some level, this is a book of great idealism. At another level, it is a book of great pragmatism. A world of kind people is a world that values all people and gives all people the great gift of a friendly and supportive environment.

This reviewer can think of no one who would not beneift from reading this book. At a practical, everyday level it is an invaluable guide to building up communities of hope, trust, friendship, and love. It seeks not a Utopia on Earth, but communities around the globe worthy of the best aspirations of our most profound and visionary insprirational leaders and the day to day lives of our nicest and kindest people.

Great company stories are crafted. These two craftsmen tell you how to tell a compelling and honest story that will attract clients, employees, investors and other people you need to succeed. What I like most is the practical advice on how to make it so. As someone who teaches at a college and writes about marketing CLIENT SEDUCTION: A Step-by-Step Lead Generation System for Professional and Technology Service Firms and Pain Killer Marketing: How to Turn Customer Pain into Market Gain, this is a book I will recommend to my continuing education students who want to learn how to gain a marketing advantage.

Good communication is good story telling. But knowing how to convey your story so others will understand it and act on it requires good marketing and PR skills. As author of a PR book, "How Come No One Knows About Us?" I found their marketing "secrets" very useful and will incorporate them into the work I do with my own clients and the efforts I do to expand my own business. I recommend this books for its clear insights.

Reality Sells is an interactive tool in which the authors found a unique way to engage their audience and to instill upon them the values of old school integrity. This in fact is what most impressed me about this book. The authors not only outline the importance of authenticity but what makes any business distinctive in nature. Elements of individuality are emphasized, as well as how to incorporate these elements into the mechanism that separates you from the pack. Reading this book brings you "back to the basics" of selling and marketing. You learn, or relearn, how to increase performance and improve your alignment with your market, as well as several helpful tips that would bring any small business owner or manager, or even employee, full circle in their business approach. Bottom line, this book is formatted in such a way that it enhances your comprehension and understanding. It's more than just another "self-help," it's a roadmap to success!

This book is outstanding. The principles and strategies introduced and discussed are right on point. It is a great read, and easy to understand concepts that would create a significant impact upon any business. As the creator of a world famous brand and company, i know what is important to a businessman , and this is a must read. Reality does sell !

Corbus & Guertin have written not just a book about successful selling strategies, but a way to run your business and your life! My dad always told me, "Tell the truth, it's the easiest story to defend!" In this book, the authors make that point a hundred times over, with compelling examples. Sales is about trust and commitment. Being commited to reality is the right way to sell. Buy this book and read it if you hire, manage or perform as sales people.

I inhaled this book in one seating. It is a much-needed look at reality.

It very clearly puts into words the feelings I've been struggling with as I make the transition from adman to sponsored-content creator. I only wish I'd had pages 255 and 256 all those years that I tried to persuade my clients that the way to reach out to Hispanic (or any other) consumers was through relevance, respect and relationship.

I wish I'd had the perspective in "Relevance" years ago. And I wish I'd had some of the contributors as clients!

This is an excellent and insightful book. Anyone in business should read this as it provides useful insight from the prospective of many well know and respected members of the business community. It's the simple things that can make a business more successful.

I was fortunate to be awarded a copy of the book for sharing my thoughts about the brand most relevant to me. As I started reading, I found myself nodding in acknowledgment of these basic nuggets of wisdom as to why traditional advertising just "ain't what it used to be." At last, the idea that it is time to let go of demographics is upon us! What an insightful book. I so appreciated the fact that the book itself was relevant in its clarity and simplicity regarding what sound marketing today is all about. I've got shelves of business tomes that are overwritten with so many parenthetical expressions I can't go back and find the actual beginning of the sentence. I especially appreciated the story on radio since my son also began his aspired career in radio. Happily he wound up in health care public relations earning far more than the "four and out the door" salary of a small station radio. But back to Relevance; the one-on-one discussions with brand leaders were great sound bites that made sense and provided meaningful information.
As an avid Cool News fan I had a feeling the tenor of the book would have the same crispness and punch. Tim Manners did not disappoint.
As a writer and marketing consultant, the actually proved beneficial since I used it to recommend a nontraditional, consumer relevant marketing strategy to a new client. Lastly, thought it was great that Tim acknowledged his Dad for teaching him to cook, sew and iron. I look forward more Relevance. Keep up the great work.
Joan Mansbach

Organizations entering a new era which is calling for changes in how they approach their branding. Many of the trivial ideas about marketing and branding are being tossed to the wayside and a more focused and relevant approach to branding is emerging.

Bottom-line: You're Nothing If You're Not Relevant. Look at the Segway. Over 5 years later and the company MAY have finally reached their predicted 10,000 units sold mark, which was expected to come in just months.

Tim looks at what relevance is and how brands are finding it. Some of his stories and examples surprise you.

Albright & O'Malley Consults country music radio stations around the world, and after reading "Relevance," I bought a copy for each of our clients. Today, radio reaches almost 95% of the population in an average week. Yet, as new media emerge, there's only one way to keep that listening level and that's by understanding the power of "Relevance." The book is a great teaching tool, for example, for radio personalities to be sure that their personal brand story, as well as that of their radio station, remains relevant to an increasingly-values-driven audience.