Sales Books

I use Karen's ACT! for Dummies (2005, 2006, 2007) books as course materials for most of the classes I teach. Her books are well written, easy to understand and contain soem real life examples. She certainly helps me look good to my students. Thanks Karen!

Great Seller - This is one of my favorite book's - Too, Too Cool!

I want to thank you karen for the remarkable book, it is very easy and at the same time have everything in it . I enjoyed reading the book and hope you can write more, so many people in the IT industry will enjoy reading Books again. Please keep on the good work. God Bless you.

Book is easy to follow, very helpful to a beginner. It would probably be helpful to an experienced user but I am so new to this that I have not even looked into advanced features. I highly recommend this book.

Don't be fooled by the "Dummies" title - Wiley Publishing has a very successful formula that they've developed for this series. As much as I'd like to think that you're going to read this book from cover to cover, alas, it's meant to be a reference book that you can pick up and instantly find the answer to your most pressing questions. I've covered the most commonly used of the ACT! features and included many of the "gotchas" that I've encountered over my many years of ACT! consulting. I've given you easy, step by step instructions that don't require you to work with "pretend" contacts. Most importantly, I've tried to infuse the book with a sense of humor because to me learning a software program should be fun and non-threatening.

Karen Fredricks
Author, ACT! 6 for Dummies
Author, ACT! 2005 for Dummies

This wonderful anthology contains some of the best short sci-fi tales of the pulp era. An excellent introduction to classic American speculative fiction. Not a klinker in the bunch.
2000x: The Proud Robot (Unabridged)2000x: The Marching Morons (Dramatized)2000x: By His Bootstraps (Dramatized)

Due to a combination of hard work, circumstance, and just plain old luck Raymond Healy was able to lock up the reprint rights to many of the best SF stories from the thirties and early forties. They range from what's considered to be the best SF story of all time (Isaac Asimov's "Nightfall") to my own favorite novella (John W. Campbell's "Who Goes There?"). Sure they're dated a bit but there's nevertheless a lot of reading pleasure to be found between it's two covers.

'Famous Science Fiction Stories' edited by Raymond J Healy and J Francis McComas was one of my very early hardcover book purchases. At the time, it was 'A Modern Library Giant' selling for $2.95 when this Random House series of inexpensive hardcover books was quite a bargain before the widespread publishing of trade and mass market paperbacks.

I must have read this book from cover to cover at least five times and I probably have read some of the better stories several more times. Other reviews recount all the many accolades the book and its stories have received. I will concentrate on my personal impressions.

I read this first when I would go through four or five similar collections of science fiction stories each summer from my local library. And yet, I would always come back to this volume as more satisfying than all the others.

These are all written before the days of Harlan Ellison, Phillip K. Dick, and Gene Wolfe when things were just a little more literal than they have become when we have become hemmed in by the limits of the speed of light, the Godel uncertainty principle and the unknowability of quantum physics.

I sense an urge to read these again and I envy you if you are coming to them for the first time.

Very highly recommended!

Dated? Of course -- this landmark collection came out in 1946. But "Adventures in Time and Space" defined Astounding magazine as the foundation of modern sci-fi and every single story in it has a twist, a sparkle and that elusive sense of wonder you just can't get any more because we, and science, and science-fiction, and maybe even dreams, have changed. Other good points: lots of humorous stories and passages; a nearly definitive selection of the now almost defunct genre of time-travel tales. If you think of these as uncommonly intelligent Saturday matinees on the page, there's nothing but hours of pleasure here. "Adventures in Time and Space" remains essential for anyone who wants to understand the full range of science fiction.

This is one of the best collections of science fiction short stories, novellas, and novelettes ever published. Originally released in August of 1946 as collection of 35 works from what are now considered the legends of science fiction. It was tied for 4th on the Arkham Survey in 1949 and the top rated book on the Astounding/Analog polls in 1952 and 1956. In 1966, 20 years after it was published, it was still rated as the 20th best science fiction book on the Astounding/Analog pole, and in 1999 it was ranked as the 3rd best SF anthology of all time.

Fourteen of the original 35 stories have also been long remembered by science fiction fans, including such stories as `Requiem' (Robert Heinlein), `Forgetfulness' (Don A. Stuart, a.k.a. John W. Campbell, Jr.), Nerves (Lester Del Rey), Black Destroyer (A.E. van Vogt), Nightfall (Isaac Asimov), and many more. One must be careful in purchasing this book to be sure to get the full collection. The second edition omits five of the stories, and there are several derivative collections that were released using the same or similar names. The original 35 story collection was republished in 1957 under the title `Famous Science Fiction Stories: Adventures in Time and Space.'

The man was genius, and this collection of his work is one of the best I have seen yet. AMAZING!

This is a rich collection of the work of Tennyson, and those who care for his verse will derive great pleasure from it. For myself most of Tennyson's longer poems have been more skimmed and tasted by me than really chewed and digested. Tennyson lives as a poet to me primarily through one poem, 'Ulysses'. This poem to my mind perfectly embodies a certain heroic stance toward life. It does this in immortal lines. The poem tells the story of the great Ulysses returning home after having voyaged and become ' a part of all I have met' . He is now not the youth who set out in the beginning but an elderly veteran. He begins with , 'Though much is taken much abides' And so in mid-life or in late- life having come home he is not content to rest. But is an ' old man explorer' who sets out again to meet and make his destiny. ' Though much is taken much abides, and though we are not that strength, which in old days, moved earth and heaven, that which we are we are, one equal temper of heroic hearts, made weak by time and fate, but strong in will, to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.'
This kind of determination not only spoke to the Victorian world, and to Tennyson's own life- situation with its great losses and difficulties, but I believe will speak to mankind for so long as we are human.

This is an excellent collection of Tennyson's poems,
very representative, very inclusive. In order to make
room for so many poems with full texts, the editor has
chosen not to include an Introduction. This, of course,
for the non-Tennyson reader or person wishing to know
more about him presents something of an obstacle. However,
a bit of rambling to one's own library, or a municipal
one, can solve that.
There is included a Chronology of important dates and
events concerning Tennyson's life. From this, a few of
the important facts seem to be: 1809--born at Somersby,
fourth son of Revd George Clayton Tennyson, Rector of
Somersby; 1816-1820--pupil at Louth Grammar School,
subsequently educated at home by his father; 1827--
publishes _Poems by Two Brothers_ with his brother
Charles, also enters Trinity College, Cambridge University;
1829--meets Arthur Henry Hallam, also a student at Trinity,
who was to become Tennyson's close friend and the fiance
of Tennyson's sister Emily, also wins the Chancellor's
Gold Medal with his prize poem "Timbuctoo", and becomes
a member of the "Apostles," a Cambridge debating society;
1830--publication of _Poems, Chiefly Lyrical_; 1831--death
of Tennyson's father, he leaves Cambridge without a
degree; 1833 (September) death of Hallam, his close
friend, from a cerebral hemorrhage while on holiday in
Vienna; 1840--beginning of almost a decade of depression
and ill health for Tennyson; 1850--marries Emily
Sellwood, appointed Poet Laureate of England; 1852--birth
of first son whom he names "Hallam"; 1883--accepts offer
of title of Baron, taking his seat in the House of
Lords in March 1884; 1892--dies on 6 October.
The poems in this anthology come from the major
publishings of Tennyson's poems. The first two:
"Timbuctoo" was published in the _Cambridge Chronicle
and Journal_ (1829) --and "The Idealist" was not
published during Tennyson's lifetime [this information

comes from the very good notes supplied by the Editor
Aidan Day at the back of the volume].
The poems included in this volume which the scholar or
general reader might wish to know are here collected
in one edition [full texts], along with many more
than these mentioned, are: The Lady of Shalott; Oenone;
The Palace of Art; The Hesperides; The Lotos-Eaters;
Morte d'Arthur; Ulysses; Locksley Hall; short poems
from _The Princess_; IN MEMORIAM, A.H.H. (1850);
MAUD (1855); Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington;
The Charge of the Light Brigade; Tithonous; Lucretius;
To E. FitzGerald; Tiresias; The Ancient Sage; Locksley
Hall Sixty Years After (1886); Demeter and Persephone;
Crossing the Bar. These poems are presented in
chronological order in the text, and the very good
Table of Contents in the front of the book tells
the poetry collection and its date from which the
poems come.
Tennyson is one of those interesting poets that take
a bit of time (at least for me) to get used to -- to
want to read, to really listen to. Having had the
experience of being required to memorize some of
Tennyson for my early academic training in school
at least got me acquainted with the more accessible,
but somewhat less deep poems. But it has taken several
years, much experience, and depressed grief over the
loss of a beloved, to bring me into synch with
the deeper poetry...or at least, being able to hear
it with deeper understanding, deeper reading.
From these poems it is hard to pick "favorites," and
that almost seems too trite a word. Maybe "meaningful"
would be more appropriate as a term. The two I would
select out would be "The Palace of Art" (1832; rev.
1842) and IN MEMORIAM, A.H.H. (1833), on the death
of his dear, beloved friend Arthur Hallam.
From "The Palace of Art," these lines resonate:
* * * * * * * * *
And with choice paintings of wise men I hung
The royal dais round.

For there was Milton like a seraph strong,
Beside him Shakespeare bland and mild;
And there the world-worn Dante grasp'd his song,
And somewhat grimly smiled.

And there the Ionian father of the rest;
A million wrinkles carved his skin;
A hundred winters snow'd upon his breast,
From cheek and throat and chin.
......
And thro' the topmost Oriels' coloured flame
Two godlike faces gazed below;
Plato the wise, and large-brow'd Verulam,
The first of those who know.

-- Arthur Lord Tennyson.
* * * * * * * *

This little book is a good and inexpensive introduction to Tennyson, who was every Victorian lady's favorite. From a purely technical level, he was absolutely ingenious, perhaps the best poet of Victorian times. His poems were also easy to remember and recite aloud. For example, "The Lady of Shalott." Give this poem a try and you'll see what I mean.

David Rehak
author of "Poems From My Bleeding Heart"

By the way, this Penguin book has the COMPLETE text of "In Memoriam." The Everyman's edition does not.

This CD set is well executed and a must have for any sales professional looking to improve their skills, but it is also great for anyone just starting out in sales. The author delivers the program extremely well in an easy to follow format. It also makes a great gift for your sales team!

If you have something to sell (even yourself) William Fitzpatrick's program is for you. I highly recommend it. It gets results.

This is one of the best sales tools I have found on the market in recent years. The information contained within will not only help people new to the sales world, it will also help seasoned professionals. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is looking to improve their sales skills and help close the sale more often.

Great value. Brings out positive habits that are often missed. A must read for seasoned salesperson and great tool for new sales staff.

This cd set has excellent information and proven tips for increasing your sales. If you or your team is having trouble closing sales this is a must have for your business. Mr. Fitzpatrick brings his years of sales knowledge into a format that is not only practical but easy to implement.
Every time we listen to these cd's we find new ideas to implement. This cd is great for any industry including retail as well as services such as real estate, banking, even for restaurant owners!
Don't do business without it!

This was my favorite book from childhood. I still have it. I am 65 years old.

I first read this over 30 years ago when I was six. It made me want a siamese cat. I have lived with a succession of them from age 16 onwards. The illustrations are still with me now. hurry up and reprint it, I'm sure Im not the only onewaiting to buy it.

I first became familiar with Clare Newberry's books a couple of years ago when a lady came into the Barnes & Noble store where I work looking for 'Babette,' which was read to her as a little girl (at least some 40 years prior). At that time, the book was still out of print, but for some reason, this lady's request stuck in my mind.

I was very excited when I saw that 'Babette' and other Newberry titles had been reissued and were on display in our store. I love cats, and the charcoal illustrations in these books are simply precious (I have made my coworkers sick, gushing over them as I do!). I figure any book that someone will actively seek out after 40 or more years is a bona fide gem. I have since collected all of Newberry's cat books (Smudge, Mittens, April's Kittens...). Young cat & kitten lovers will especially prize these beautiful books!

It's wonderful that Clare Turlay Newberry's books are being reissued for another generation to enjoy! Babette is a charming story for animal lovers of all ages.

Due to having a "one cat" apartment, after BABETTE had been completed, my mother took Babette to live with her own parents in Flint, MI. As Clare told the story, "At first, my rather taciturn father regarded Babette with skepticism and said','She looks like a weasel! Of course, my mother loved Babette. However, Babette had made up her mind to win Dad and followed him around,looking up at him as if to say 'You great big wonderful man!'

In a few days, I noticed Daddy edging over on his chair to make room for Babette. Before I'd left he'd get up in the middle of the night to make sure she was covered in her basket. I've just had a letter saying that he now takes her walking on a leash, and doesn't care a whoop what the neighbors think of that!"

Both Babette and Mittens spent their retirement years living with my grandparents in their cozy little house. I am glad BABETTE is newly printed--even if it is listed as "out of print," it is brand-new.

Just in time for the holidays, this book has great recipes for those you love with sweet tooths. My personal favorites are the luscious peppermint patties and the homemade Oreos! Plus, I love the anecdotes by each chef. It makes each recipe much more personal. I love this book and I think you will too.

A beautiful book. Not your average cook book - the contributors to this book share with you where their recipe comes from - most often a family recipe passed down over time. A great gift (especially when paired with Cooking from the Heart) and a great opportunity to support Share Our Strength.

I'm not sure what I enjoyed the most - the photos, the recipes or the stories. Like so many people, I've had a love of cooking and fear of baking... until Baking From The Heart. While thumbing through my new copy, I stopped at Mohn Kickle, a poppy seed cookie I grew up eating but hadn't heard of or thought about in 20 years. As I read the introductory story by chef Lora Brody, I couldn't stop laughing as she shares hilarious stories about her parent's culinary skills. I decided to bake something that my 2 1/2 year old would enjoy and settled on David Lebovitz's peppermint patties. We loved them - as did everyone in my office the next day. I felt like such a big shot, making candy at virtually my first baking attempt. I hit a few bumps along the way but in the end, they looked and tasted delicious. Now I want to try literally every recipe in the book starting with the Flan Almendrado.

I bought this book as a thank you gift for two friends who love to bake, but after reading through it, I decided I had to have one for myself. The Pumpkin Loaf Cake with Chocolate chips and the Chocolate Rasperry Chess Pie were both delicious and fairly easy to make. I have to say that I've never enjoyed reading a cookbook as much as this one. The stories are so much fun to read. If you like to bake, or want to start baking, you will really enjoy this collection - and knowing that proceeds will go to fight hunger makes it that much better.

I really enjoy this book. There is a cinnamon roll recipe in here that is to die for! The homemade oreos are wonderful and fun to make. The stories are interesting to read. There is many recipes in here that I would never make but when there is a book like this with such a variety of recipes, that is bound to happen. I collect baking cookbooks and one of the reasons that I purchased this one is because there is recipes in here that I have not seen in any other book. Very original.

You the man, and your review of this movie is right on!

Keep on keepin' on!

MC White

Tony Kornheiser tackles everything from politics to his daughter's softball and soccer games in this book, but with a hilarious sense of humor is involved with everything. This book is for everyone, it's for your 85 year old father and your high school junior son, like me. I can asure you that you'll be chuckling within a few of the first pages. Another great book by Kornheiser is Pumping Irony...I HIGHLY recommend both to any reader.

Like you, I've often felt like Torny was a good friend, who I never had the chance to meet. The kind of friend who knows-it-all, borrows money from you and never repays it and then hits on your sister. All the while, he thinks he's so much better than you just because he's a loudmouth.

Tony is about truth and finding the everyday humor in life.

Unfortunatley, I heard a rumor that Torny likes to ask attractive women if they'd like to go for a "mustache ride" when he first meets them. Now it's just a rumor so I would not believe it.

Overall, Tony is the best, just ask him.

Tony Kornheiser, Washington Post columnist, is one funny dude. He is just about the funniest dude I ever read. Burp! Is reading Tony Kornheiser like popping chocolate covered cheery bon-bons or stuffing your face with Lay's potato chips? No. Reading Tony Kornheiser is like eating a substantial tub of almond chocolate brownie fudge ice cream and feeling the better for it. Reading TK is like drinking scotch whiskey all night long and not dying behind the wheel.*

His title is a take off on cross-dressing former NBA basketballer and party animal Dennis Rodman's best-selling memoir "Bad As I Wanna Be." (And you were worried about the quality of the books on the best seller list.) Since Tony and Dennis are the epitome of what the other isn't, this seems fair.

Tony is funnier than his fellow beltway columnist, and my pal, Joel Achenbach, although not as travel ready. The only collections of funny writings that I have read recently that can compare in the sense of pure laugh out loud belly bouncing humor are those by the recusant Joe Queenan (my other pal), whom I'm sure you know is not entirely housebroken. (Joke, dude, JOKE!)

Kornheiser is the leader of a new breed of humor newspaper columnists replacing such old time stalwarts as Art Buchwald and I forget who else. The new style is to slyly lampoon the icons of the culture and to sweetly ridicule the mundane in our lives and to lovingly roast our loved ones and leave the pols and their wily ways to the cartoonists. Here's Tony visiting his dad in Florida:

"Dad, what's the purpose of all this string?"

He said, "You never know..."

You never know what? When a yo-yo tournament is coming to town?...

And coupons! ... My dad had twenty-three coupons for Taster's Choice; there's not enough water in the Everglades to brew that much coffee... The kicker is: My dad drinks Folger's! He kept the Taster's Choice coupons for company. Like who's coming over, Canada? (pp 85-86)

Or, when he's driving his dad to a store:

I'm driving in Florida traffic, which is to say I'm creeping along behind a row of cars driven by people whose heads don't extend over the steering wheels, and they're going five miles an hour. Everything is in slow motion. It's like I'm driving through cream of mushroom soup. (p. 113)

Kornheiser also writes about his kids, his neighbor's kids, his dog, his neighbor's turtle, yard and tomato growing wars--all the shtick of the suburban sun dance. One of my favorite pieces was his take on Michael Jordan cologne:

Michael Jordan is in the business of sweating. Putting him together with cologne is like having Christie Brinkley sell feminine mustache bleach, or Carl Sagan...[endorse] the Psychic Hot Line. (p. 13)**

The columns (all from the Washington Post) are organized under various headings, e.g., "It's a Jungle Out There" (been there); "Fear of Fogeyism" (done that); "Rich, Famous People Who Don't Know I Exist" (never happened to me); and "Capital Comment" (in which Kornheiser finally, but finally gets around to the usual subject matter in our nation's capital, our leaders and their cute and wondrous ways).

Bottom line: don't pick this up in a store and start reading the selections. You won't be able to read just one.

*Recalling (it just popped into my head) the Steely Dan lyric.

**Here I craftily correct Kornheiser's lack of strict parallel sentence structure. (He wrote "endorsing" and his addlebrained editor thought that was okay since it jived with "having" but WE know it needed to jive with "sell." Yes, I am as Mean As I Wanna Be.)

It can only be speculated why one of Tony Kornheiser's books is out of print, and another is currently a "special order" item. A sports/humor writer for the Washington Post, he is an underrated gem among humorous writers. I only enjoy Dave Barry more.

In this book (whose cover and title spoof a Dennis Rodman autobio, and whom he roundly flogs on the book's pages) Kornheiser contemplates male pattern baldness and whether the cure is worse than the affliction; Michael Jordan cologne ("if you give the average person a sheet of paper and instructions to list what he thinks of when he thinks of Michael Jordan, 'smells good' would end up No. 97, right after 'rabbinical student'"); dogs; different kinds of cars; foreign money; how to have a nice lawn; exhuming presidents and whether this is a new trend; Jose Lind, who was arrested without pants or underwear; politically correct food; and his crazy family, which includes a sociopath nephew, a newly single brother, an alcoholic uncle, and an eightysomething father who's dating "Tiffany," who doesn't know who "Kennedy" was and tells people about her past lives.

There are a few more somber columns in this collection, such as the one about his aging uncle; there is also the occasional lapse into literal poetry, such as a rhymed eulogy to Dr. Seuss and a poem about Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan (that one is a real hoot!). But overall it has the flavor of a Jewish Dave Barry (who gives Kornheiser a highly entertaining back cover quote).

Fans of Barry will find the same sort of rational insanity in Kornheiser's work, and some of the same observations through a different lens. (Like being hit by the flu) It's a hilarious collection of funny columns by a funny writer. Someone bring it back into print, and fast.

gave this book to my great nephew for christmas and he was surprised and very pleased

My four-year-old son loves this book, and I don't mind reading it twice a night for months on end. The story is vivid and lyrical, and the illustrations are beautiful.

The beautifully written story manages to combine a ton of information about bats with a cute little story, and the illustrations are the best! My little GIRLS love this story and make me read it over and over. It reads like a story but offers information like an encyclopedia.

i agree with the fact that it is a story that reads like an encyclopedia...my boys really like it and it's not so dry that i enjoy reading it again and again to them! beautiful pictures too! just right for my 6 & 4 year olds even when they were 4 & 2!

Nicola writes in such a spare and poetic style that she must capture the imagination of each child who reads it, or has it read to her. She offers facts about this bat breed as she weaves her story, and topped with delicate artwork, it's just perfect.

This book gives you insight into the day-to-day challenges, obstacles and joys of being a pharm sales rep. I strongly encourage anyone considering this field as an occupation to read this book before beginning their interview process. Many of the things I learned from this book I was able to refer to during my job interview with a Fortune 25 company. It helped me land this job very quickly because I was aware of the day-to-day aspects of being successful as a Pharm Sales Rep.

The Author's style is a little like "What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School" By Mark H. McCormick and it is superbly layed out carefully just for Pharmaceutical Sales.

This text is an excellent easy read (read it in one day); in one word I describe it as a 'pleasant read'; not too involved but just enough; in other words this a well written and carefully balanced book IMHO.

I particulary enjoyed the explanation of industry buzzwords and acronyms. Mostly, I like how the author ties in the whole process of where the territory sales rep 'fits' into the Pharmacutical-MCO-PBM areas as a whole; this really puts everything in great perspective. I think its called "synergistic approach".

In addition, this work helped me appreciate all the hardwork that goes into becoming a pharm rep. It describes things as a process and what the positives/negatives are. It essentially takes you through a "day-in-the-life" so to speak of what its like to be a pharm rep.

This sucker should be in every college career center library for sure. If you are interested or even thinking about wanting to know what it is that Pharm reps do (and to see if you might have what it takes) then this book is for you.

;-)

Most books on this topic drone on about the perks of the business. While it's true, it often sugar-coats the fact that this job is a demanding one, and isn't really a cake-walk.

This is one of the few books that reviews the "downside" as well as what's great about being a drug rep. Having been in the industry for more than 11 years, I've heard a lot of recruiters try to tell people what it's like to be a rep. The problem is, the recruiter has never been a pharmaceutical sales rep, so it's hard for them to give coaching and advice to someone who wants to break into the industry.

Besides that, recruiters are not used as often as they were before due to cost constraints. As Currier points out, networking can be a key element in a job search.

This book reviews what to consider when making the decision to be a drug rep. It also does an excellent job of outlining what to do when you're first hired into a company -- from trunk organization to the "no-see" physician; from the hospital display to the pharmacy call -- it's all here.

If you don't read this book, you're missing out on a lot of outstanding information.

Over the past 20 years, I have had experience with the pharmaceutical industry as an employee, customer, and vendor. Of all the books out there, this book provides the best overview on a pharmaceutical sales career for someone considering this profession. This includes college students interested in pharmaceutical sales, anyone considering a career change, and job applicants or newly hired representatives.

The book is clearly written and fast-paced and does a great job of capturing the ups and downs of pharmaceutical selling, how to get a job, and the everyday tasks of the rep. It has some good suggestions for how to generate sales, including a Top Ten Tips list in the last chapter. I also liked the attention to the customer's (doctor's) wants and needs, as this is really
what selling is all about.

Easy reading and informative. However it seems to be better geared to those who have just entered the industry. There are better sources for those looking to crack the competitive field of Pharmaceutical Sales.

Everyone knows that word of mouth is the most persuasive selling asset a product can have. But how many marketers are aware of how word of mouth is generated and sustained? What makes it effective and how can you find out what will work for your product?

Windsor details a research methodology, "anthro-journalism" designed to elicit stories from customers about where they find value in your products. Such research can be used to fuel innovation as well as sales. What is important here is to find common ground with your customers on their own turf. The value of this approach is that often, your customers are more savvy about your products than your marketing staff. Capturing that value from customers, however, is not as easy as sending out a survey.

Storytelling is a powerful and evocative tool for marketers. But like journalists, if marketers want to get the best stories, they'll need to go to the customer. Even a focus group is too artificial an environment and too removed from the lived reality in which your customers use your products. You need to know, not just how your customers behave, but to understand why they behave as they do. To this end, you'll need to get as close to the context in which they use your products as possible.

Beyond the Brand is a fascinating read, with an equally fascinating methodology.

Most marketing books discuss how marketers should relate to their customers. Some use a formal, objective approach to penetrate the wall that separates the service or product provider from the consumer. This book promotes a very different, softer "anthro-journalistic" tactic: learning consumers' desires by hearing their stories and reflecting those wishes in the product's design. This leads to giving the product its own stories to "tell" potential customers, in a mutual social network based on shared meaning. The idea borrows the power of the oral tradition from anthropology and applies it to word-of-mouth product promotion. Author John Winsor stresses listening and storytelling as ways for trained marketers to understand customers and sell to them. Although his treatise dips occasionally into slightly airy New Age sensibilities, Winsor's information on the flaws of focus groups and the importance of heartfelt, meaningful customer feedback tells a story of its own. Of course, applying a cultural anthropologist's perspective to marketing will work better for some businesses than others. We think this book will intrigue and possibly challenge marketers who want to break out of branding buzz and explore new ideas.

As a brand management and marketing consultant, I try to read as many of the newly published marketing books as possible. Most of them rehash old material, are not very useful and are quite uninspiring. Not so with John Winsor's "Beyond the Brand." It is well written and easy to read with many useful examples and case studies. But, more importantly, it focuses on what really matters in developing compelling brands -- authenticity, customer intimacy, standing for something, listening, crafting your story, using your intuition, etc. And his "Bottom Up" strategy model uniquely organizes these concepts in a simple to understand fashion. It is clear that John Winsor knows of what he writes. If you want to gain a fresh perspective on brand building, buy John's book. I highly recommend it.

Some of the ideas in this book are not new, but they are still largely unpracticed. This book is a must-read, and , more importantly a "must-do" if you take your job as a marketer seriously. The concept of "listening" to your customer is taken to a higher level through the concept of finding "key voices". This isn't easy, but is worthwhile- critical even. Read this book; your company and career will both benefit.

Smart and accessible, Beyond the Brand is the definitive text on reaching consumers in today's hyper-competitive and brand-inundated marketplace. Marketing guru and founder of Radar Communications, John Winsor guides the reader through an evolutionary field trip from a time when brands acted as cultural creators (the Volkswagon Beetle) through a time when they attempted to align with cultural epicenters in effort to be seen as credible and authentic. He emphasizes the need in today's world for companies to really listen to consumers - engaging in a journey of learning, rather than a mission to find "right" answers.

Using anecdotes about some of the best consumer brands out there, like Nike, Oakley and Burton Snowboards, Winsor proclaims that the only way to stand out in today's marketplace is for a company to find inspiration and hone its intuition, by finding key voices and truly listening to those voices tell their stories. If I had to choose one book to help me connect with customers, this would be it. Beyond the Brand will become one of those rare, classic points of reference.