Sales Books

This is a surprisingly cool book. It is more than a good title however. Stevens explains that in a world where men are inclined to disbelieve, to be skeptical, to need evidence prior to trusting others this is not true in only one area, religion. He draws parallels between religious and secular selling. E.g.. He shows how the ways people are drawn to any religion can be used as examples of how a good sales/marketing effort has "drawing vs pushing" power. God does not make cold calls, says Stevens and then he makes a very good case for stopping cold calls as well as losing a dial for dollars mentality. Intellectually the arguments are clear and well presented. A short book that you will enjoy (Stevens is the author of Your Marketing Sucks)

Mark Stevens in his 144 page book, God Is A Salesman,
gives one a plesant evening together, visiting as if
good friends. The business world needs the message
conveyed by one who has written more than twenty other
books. Having given this book to my son. I had to buy
another copy to keep.

Reviewed by Elizabeth E. Gibson-Evans for RebeccasReads (3/08)

"God Is a Salesman" is written by Mark Stevens, best-selling author and CEO of the marketing firm MSCO, and one of the most famous marketers in the world. His company's website, [...], takes you into a fascinating commercial of God as The Master Salesman, though not in a negative way as one may think of a salesman in today's world, but in a unique direction as he combines the "commercial with the spiritual to show and teach you how to achieve great success and a new dimension in life."

I cannot say anything better than what you will learn from this book; if applied in your life it will teach you how to be more positive and will be beneficial. I would have never thought of God in the way of a Salesman, however now I can see and understand a whole new way of thinking about Him and life. An extraordinary lesson in this book, well-written, understandable, filled with many experiences of the author that helps you to apply a real-life view and wonderful lesson in your own life. This presents an absolutely great lesson and new view on belief and faith in God--a true blessing to learn from "God is A Salesman" and the true experiences of Mark Stevens. Thank you, Mr. Stevens for a new outlook and lesson in a God-filled life.

I've read a lot of business books, but never one that incorporated God into the subject--I was intrigued! The author makes a lot of great points that gave me food for thought, including: "Religion never says, 'look folks, we really want you to attend church...so each time you do, we'll give you a free appliance." The author describes how to use religion as a divine example, because religion never demeans itself with cheap gimmicks (like the stereotypical used car salesman'). Instead, religion is founded on belief, faith, love, morality, etc. This and similar concepts made me say, "Wow, here is a business book that tells us we can be more successful by using an ethical, thoughtful approach. I believe I will use the lessons from this book everyday.

I was given this book by a "salesman" friend of mine. Even though I am not in the sales field, I identified with the message of this book and hope to use this philosophy in several areas of my life. It has fast become one of my favorite books...I am buying three today to share with friends!

Berg does a great job, and the subject is absolutely a fascinating one.

A. Scott Berg does an excellent job in capturing the life of one of the American cinema's first industry moguls. From his tough beginning as an immigrant to his phenomenal success as an independent producer, this entertaining and fascinating biography delves deeply into the man with the "Goldwyn touch." Berg also effectively captures the spirit of early cinema and its rapid rise in American culture. Along the way, we also learn about many of Hollywood's colorful personalites, including Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford. This book is a must for any fan of early American motion pictures.

What a story! A remarkably easy to read account of Sam Goldwyn's rags-to-riches life. Did you know "Goldwyn" was not his real name? Did you know he was thrown out of the MGM company after a few years?! Goldwyn worked at some stage or other with just about every famous name in the business, and also fell out with just about everybody he ever met. A cantankerous and perverse character who loved contradicting people. When people quit because he made their lives intolerable, he sometimes felt personally attacked and betrayed. The book is full of colourful characters, and Scott Berg has done a wonderful job of using quotations and dialogues to really bring these people alive: Gary Cooper, Marlon Brando, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Lillian Hellman, William Wyler, Billy Wilder, and the remarkable Hilda Berl. It reads like a movie! By tracing Goldwyn's history, the book also covers the story of many of the other famous movie companies that are still famous today: United Artists, Universal, Paramount, Warner Brothers, RKO and of course MGM. Goldwyn also came across many young actors and actresses before they were stars: Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier, David Niven, Marlon Brando, John Wayne, etc. And of course the famous Goldwyn malapropisms are here, though limited to the ones actually traceable (as far as possible) to Goldwyn himself: "Anyone who sees a psychiatrist should have their head examined! Include me out! A verbal agreement isn't worth the paper it's written on," to pick just a few.

A remarkably well-written and well-researched biography that brings this vigorous, infuriating, yet oddly attractive ugly duckling to vibrant life. This must rank amongst the best biographies, up there with Ron Chernow's book about the Morgans. Anyone at all interested in movies and movie history will enjoy this.

I picked this book up at the library not knowing what to expect and was amazed! Although it is indeed a biography of Sam Goldwyn, it is also a very well told piece about the studio system and Hollywood in the first half of the century (with an emphasis on the 20's) Not only insightful but entertaining; it makes for a read more gossipy than the trashiest celeb autobiography while maintaining class and style.

I recommend this book to anyone the least bit interested in the classic hollywood days. It is the best book I've read thus far on the era, and it will get you down to the video store hunting down old movies just to see the actors and actresses you've read about.

Great book! I enjoyed reading about a man who literally came from poverty to be on of Hollywood's pioneer filmmakers. He was a rough man to work with no doubt, but knew what worked and lasted in an industry that is hard to last in! A. Scott Berg did a wonderful job of writing a respectful book about this man!

This is a book that makes golf history a real pleasure to readabout. Lots of interesting stories from the games history, along withsome great photos of old golfing memorabilia, make this a must buy forany self respecting golfer. I loved it.

Bought this book as a present for a golfing buddy then decided to buy one for myself. Wonderful old pics, interesting read, enjoyed it very much.

Bought this golfing book a few days ago. Haven't put it down yet. Each time I pick it up I find something new. Excellent.

Really liked this book especially the old golf photos in the "Wide World of Golf" section. Have recommended this book to my golfing buddies.

Really liked this book by Dale Concannon. Cool photographs of old golfers with excellent captions helping with who, what, where and in some cases why! The book is also broken down into nice managable chapters which actually make golf history a real joy to read about. Should win some type of award.

I LOVE THIS COOKBOOK GREAT RECIPES EASY AND FUN TO MAKE EASY TO FOLLOW STEPS GREAT TASTEING TREATS IF U LOVE BAKING THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU GREAT COOKIES,PIES,CAKES MANY MORE.

This was the best cookbook. I dont like to cook that much my specialty is baking and this was by far the best cookbook for baking i have ever seen.

This was a a great cookbook. i love to bake, and my family loves to cook so we have a big collection of cookbooks, but this was by far the greatest cookbook for baking any of us had ever seen.

I received this cookbook for my 14th birthday. The first recipe I tried was the pinwheels. My family and friends loved them. All the recipes I have tried turned out great, but everyone's favorite was the fresh lemon bars.

The recipes are easy to follow and simple to make even for a first time baker like me, and, most importantly, they taste great. The book also has large, colorful pictures of the finished creations. Each recipe gives an approximate amount of calories for the weight watchers.

I would highly recommend this book.

I love this book with its detailed instructions. I've baked many recipes from this book and almost all of them have turned out good. The only problems I faced was with the chocolate bundt cake....it was too dry for my taste and the orange-cranberry bread wasn't too good either. Other than that, I've tried their stromboli recipe, sour cream tea bread, cranberry cake, marmalade cake, honey cake, pound cake, spice cake, shortbread crust, chocolate pie, yogurt lemon muffins, pear-cranberry pie and chocolate bread pudding...and all of them turned out good.

I have been working on opening a specialty food shop/cafe and got stuck on the logistics of planning. After using several guides and books I randomly found (and getting NOWHERE) I decided to buy Gourmet to Go on a recommendation. It is THE best thing I could have ever bought, hands down. It seems that all the questions I had were answered in the book, and the structure of the book leads readers down a logical path through the maze of planning for this type of business. If you are to buy any book on this topic, this is the one. The money spent on this book will save you thousands later on. Two thumbs up!

This is an excellent treatise of starting a specialty food store or, perhaps is even more beneficial to one who wishes to wholesale food products to place in food stores or delis..

People wanting to cash in on the current trend towards take-out convenience need this book, as well as From Kitchen To Market and How To Get Your Product Into Supermarkets.

The three books are invaluable for overlapping reasons. A prospective store operator needs to understand how to setup his or her store and, just as important, how their competition operates. Beginning store operators also need to understand their industry in detail not merely from the viewpoint of their competition and from their customers, but from their suppliers position.

Gourmet To Go does a great job from a narrow viewpoint. Probably the only topic not suffriciently explored is the hands'-on advice. Perhaps the next edition will detail the possibilities for including rollergrills, microwaves and how to earn what the industry refers to as "Plus-sales." I'm speaking of the technique in all fast food chains and convenience stores to get customers to spend more money.

Other hands-on topics that should be discussed are controlling theft and the experience of many store operators who have lost significant chunks of money in providing lottery tickets. I know of a feww whose losses exceeded $10,000. Adding insult to injury, lottery only reimburses stores from one to three percent of gross sales and pay-outs for winning tickets. Despite such a poor return on investment, many stores consider it mandatory to provide lottery.

Further, computerizing the store could be considered, as well as installing UPC readers. It is not uncommon to see even the smallest store using such equipment. Yet, those installing such systems all seem to have to reinvent the wheel.

Again, buy this book but augment it with From Kitchen To Market and with How To Get Your Product Into Supermarkets so you can keep up with and, perhaps, improve upon your competition and keep customers, suppliers and yourself happy!

Although, as the name suggests, this book is geared mainly towards gourmet to go operations (specialty food stores with emphasis on catering and gourmet take-out) it is an invuluable resource for anyone thinking about entering the gourmet food industry.

I wasted all kinds of time and money on general business start-up books and learned little more that nothing about starting a gourmet food store (or any business for that matter). The business plan section alone is better than a whole book I purchased on the subject. I found every bit of Gourmet to Go to be extemely useful and after reading it couldn't believe I had even considered going into business without it.

Having some experience with new product projects for major corporations, this somewhat smaller scale, but nonetheless similar principled look at the operations and craft of specialty food store biz is well-done.

It is full of relevant and cogent thoughts for anyone interested in this market niche. What I found very well done is the sections of writing the biz plan and the steps therein critical to putting together and then implementing such.

Also included are fairly thorough lists of resources such as consultants, trade journals, suppliers, etc.

What could possibly have been additionaly useful was stress on two key areas: concentration on obstacles and their probability of happening (i.e. scenario plotting) and finding and use of two key players from the outset: attorney and accountant/tax specialist.

A friend recently opened a store and this book has acurately addressed some of the issues we are experiencing. The author has a knack for addressing both personal issues such as self doubt, fear, relations with partners as well as topics related to the business. He compels the entrepreneur to think hard about the objectives of his undertaking and then walks him through it step by step.

The sections on site location and templates for creating a business model, mission statement and feasability study are better than two other books that I had purchased.

Most of the book has little to do with specialty food and more about the decision and execution process of opening a new place. I would recomend it to both someone just toying with the idea and someone who is already established.

This is a must-have for any Grace Kelly fan, and as such it's a shame that it has gone out of print. Conant was a close friend of Grace, and his loyalty to her, as well as his appreciation of her beauty and grace, is evident in this collection of photos, many of which have never been published elsewhere. Conant provides glimpses into Grace's acting career, her personal life, and her life as Princess Grace of Monaco, all with a respectful, dignified, and talented eye. There is no sensationalism here, only pure Grace. I highly recommend tracking down a copy.

This stunning large full color picture book keeps Grace alive, by showing her early days as an actress, her wedding to Prince of Monaco, her role as wife and mother, her visit to an orphanage, her role as Princess of Monaco, her relationship with her children, as well as Hollywood friends she missed so much.
Howell Conant brings outstanding photography, along with intimate and respectfully detailed explanations for each picture that is portrayed.

Grace has always been one of my favorite role models. Through this beautiful book you will learn that: "Grace had a special sympathy for Monaco's aged, ordering changes in the décor of the principality's only old-age home to make it cheerier. But the plight of Monaco's orphans touched her the most. Each year, she would hold a Christmas party for the children of the orphanage and give them all presents."

I love this book and highly recommend it to anyone who admired her. Barbara Rose, author of, `Individual Power' and `If God Was Like Man'

This book is great because it has candid photos of Grace Kelly just doing what any normal person would do. Like fixing a sandwich. This book is a wonderful picture book of her life.

This book will be highly enjoyed by avid fans of Grace Kelly/Princess Grace. Filled with many journalisic and official portraits by her personal friend Howell Conant, this fine book captures the many facets of Grace: Grace, the star, Grace, the princess, Grace, the wife and mother. Readers will enjoy the many beautiful photographs that chronicle her glamorous life.

This book has a lot of photographs of princess Grace.They are candid and beautifull.this is the best book I know about princess Grace.

I have admired Grace Kelly all my life and this is by far the most beautiful book about her. The pictures are all stunning, and truly depict what a glamourous and classy woman she was. There is not a great deal of information - or pictures - of Grace, and this compilation is simply wonderful to look at. Definately recommended for any fan.

Jenny Curtis' "Grace Kelly: A Life in Pictures" is a must for Grace fans. Lovely reproductions of some of Kelly's most enchanting photos fill the book. It is a pleasant addition to any collection, and it is exactly what it is entitled, a life in pictures...nothing more and yet, nothing less.

Along with Ann-Margret, I firmly believe Grace Kelly is the most beautiful woman to ever grace the silver screen. As a kid, I had a huge crush on her, and was sad to learn she was dead (a scenario similar to The Who song "Pictures Of Lily", but that's a whole differnt story). YHowever, I was still transfixed at how beautiful she was, and I bought this book looking for great photos of her.
This book does not disappoint. The photos in this book paint a far more entetaining and accurate portrait of the life of this beautiful and talented woman who became a princess who devoted her life to charity. The photos in this book are breathtaking. It's sad to read this book, not only because you'll be reminded of her tragic death in 1982, but also because it you'll remember who elegant and classy Grace was, and then you'll remeber how trashy all the "beauties" of modern Hollywood are, and you'll be reminded of the steap decline the entertainment industry today. Even so, a defintite must have.

There are far too few books available about Grace Kelly, but this is the cream of the crop. Not only is it bargain priced, it has over 120 high quality photos covering all aspects of her life, from her childhood to her tragic death. Despite her rather short film career, she'll always be remembered for her great performances in classics like "High Noon", "High Society", "Dial M for Murder", "Rear Window", "To Catch a Thief", and especially her oscar-winning role in "The Country Girl". Just when she was America's leading lady she threw her career away for a marriage to Prince Rainer of Monaco. Her charm, elegance, and incredible beauty captured the hearts of people all over the world. This book is a definite must-have for all her fans whose hearts are still captured!

Lovely pictures and interesting text make this book well worth buying. It showcases Grace's life from early childhood to her untimely death.

I just found out this author is my cousin! Small world, isn't it?

This is a completely unassuming novel that starts off in recognizable First Novel Country (the overwriting, the portentousness, the effort) and winds up as one of the most insightful, charming, and lovely books about the Midwest I've ever read. It reminded me a bit of Room Temperature by Nicholson Baker and a little of Martin Amis and a little bit of David Foster Wallace. Sernovitz is terrifically funny (one of his more uptight characters "worships at the First Church of the Holy Necktie") and he handles character startlingly well for such a young guy, though I am only assuming he is young. This book is a real find in today's climate, and should be loved by everyone Midwestern or who feels Midwestern. Once you read this, you'll know what that means. Messrs Joel and Ethan Coen, please buy the rights to this--it's so clearly your next film.

In a time when most novels read like hard-bound screenplays, Sernovitz has written a masterpiece that stands out as original, hysterically funny, and insightful.

He studied everything he could find from the wisdom of long forgotten sales mogul Alfred Orditz in an attempt to make a living. However, twenty-four years old Ed Steinke fails to sell any Bracket 180-X piano organs at the State Fair in spite of his efforts to learn. Barry, his assistant and younger brother hates the gig and wonders how he stepped away from his music group The Hotels to land in this great void. He no longer expects an answer to his inquiry of "And Then?" because like Ed, he sees no future.

However, the gloom and doom of the present vanishes when store clerk Leila Genet wanders the floor of the Great Exhibition Hall. Leila is extremely shy and avoids anyone saying more than hello to her. Still Ed and Barry fall for her in different but big ways. Yet all three have entrenched demons devouring their individual souls so that any relationship seems slim and a triangle impossible.

GREAT AMERICAN PLAIN is an intriguing look at one day in the lives of three apparent losers whose inabilities to communicate costs them happiness and contentment. Overall the story line moves forward at a reasonable pace, but occasionally slows down for the audience to better understand the key players (through flashbacks and parallel interactions). Gary Sernovitz encourages the reader to ponder the fumbling of micro-miscommunication in the simplest social settings as opposed to the world stage in this well written thinking person's novel.

Harriet Klausner

This book is great! It brought back so many memories of growing up and the years right after college. It's incredibly well written -- the word choices are stunning and he paints such vivid pictures. Best of all, it's funny, funny funny.

This childrens book of the classic Beatrix Potter stories is hardbound in a large attractive cover. The illustrations are all wonderfull, and average three pictures per page next to the text which goes along with the scene. My now three year old loves this book.

My mother bought this for my kids, and this is an excellent gift for bedtime, or anytime stories for children. Classics like these are wonderfull to read to children so they can be passed on from generation to generation.

I had several of the small Beatrix Potter books as a child. The drawings and stories enchanted me, and the books were just the right size for my hands. This book is much bigger. It also includes more stories than my original collection--nineteen. It is easy to find the Peter Rabbit stories and some of the others in the small books--but some of the stories in this book (such as the wonderful "The Story Of A Fierce Bad Rabbit") I've never seen for sale in individual form. So, if you loved these stories as a child or if you want to introduce them to a child in your life, this large and beautiful book is a good choice. However, when I have children of my own I'll probably also buy a set of the small books, because I enjoyed them so much in that form myself.

I got this book when i was seven from my grandmother i'm 19 now and still love to read it from time to time. I have loved this book most of my life and i'm buying it today for my sisters kids.

As a father, I'm looking for what's best for my little girl. Other than The Bible, a book of tales filled with mischief and fun such as this is always something you can go back to. I remember my parents reading me "The Tale of Peter Rabbit", yet picking this up, I flipped through it with my daughter like a pirate who discovered a hidden treasure.

I knew all about Benjamin Bunny, Squirrel Nutkin, even the Two Bad Mice! Getting the treasury of Beatrix Potter was like WOW! This is a lot of good stuff, and while a little advanced, kids normally get the meaning and lesson through every story. I loved reading stuff like "The Floppsy Bunnies" and going to Tom Kitten, while wondering about stuff I don't remember reading like Jemima Puddle-Duck. Also remembering the hilarity of "The tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan", to the somberness of "The Tailor of Gloucester.

Do your kids a favor and get them this Potter, the one we grew up with! This is what I've been looking for, and hopefully parents who actually give a care will do the same. Awesome stuff!

It is wonderful to find all of these stories in one volume, and the illustrations are as beautiful as ever. Beatrix Potter was truly a great artist and storyteller. The lessons young ones learn from these tales are priceless, like many of the greatest fables. Over the years, I have acquired many Beatrix Potter books and collectibles. This volume stands out as one of the most prized items in my collection.

Scarface Claw is the toughest tom in town, but even he can meet his match. After chasing a few small animals, he sets out after a blackbird high in a tree and gets stuck. So begins the caterwauling.

Hairy Maclary (from Donaldson's Dairy) and his friends (Hercules Morse, Bottomley Potts, Schnitzel Vonn Krumm, etc.) are each disturbed by the strange sound. Each goes to investigate what could be making the terrible noise. Together they find out. But what happens when the toughest tom in town is finally rescued? Does he chase the dogs like usual, hide in shame, pretend he meant to do that? Read and find out.

Lynley Dodd's verse and pacing proves as fresh as ever in this adventure of New Zealand's favorite scruffy little dog. Fans of his friends will be pleased that the rest of the dogs in town are also present. Check out all of the Hairy Maclary books.

I'm very sad that the Hairy Maclary books are no longer available in paperback. Our family has 3 Hairy Maclary paperbacks and would like to purchase more. We LOVE the books. The stories are great and the pictures are beautiful.

I'm so sad that this book hasn't gotten more press! My daughter is 4 now, and we've been reading it since she was about 2. The animal noises are fun to make and hear, and the pictures fit the descriptions perfectly! We particularly like the fact that you can see the dog's tail on the right hand page as it is going to investigate the horrible cacaphony. Give it a chance!

Our 3 children have loved this book with all the different dogs and the sounds they make. One child makes the yowling cat sound and I do the dogs. They occasionally join in and it can become very entertaining. It just depends on how mellow or raucous you want to be. The story is simple but cute and the rhyming is creative and catchy.

Before even thinking about reading this one aloud, grab a really big glass of water. All the dogs from the first Hairy Macleary are back and making all sorts of barks, and then there's the sound that echoes around...

If you haven't read any Hairy Macleary yet (and why not!!?), they are great read-aloud stories with plenty of tumpity rhythm and rhymes. (Not to say that you can't secretly grab one and read it quietly, too.)