Teams Books

This is a truly moving, inspirational and heartrendering book. It reads like a Greek Tragedy, but is so real because the Authors were there. Written by Mickey's wife Merlyn, and his 3 surviving sons, it is by far the most honest work regarding Mickey. This book is so much more important that that trashy, tabloid like "Mickey Mantle: America's Prodigal Son" by Tony Castro, that I would suggest you never bother with that thing. Besides, Castro took most of his book directly from this one.

This story is also one of the finest studies of the dysfunction in an alcoholic family, with all the roles being lived out and understood by the participants. These are real, caring and heroic people, not because of baseball, but because they became winners in life by facing their problems together. A great, great book!

Mickey Mantle's wife, Merlyn, and their sons tell the unique and inspirational story of their very separate, often harrowing private lives with the husband and father that was there for them through their lives before cancer took him away. Merlyn and the boys discuss how the effects of alcohol and the spotlight of fame play a role on him and how they all came to be. Merlyn talks about Mickey Mantle the most because they were the closest, and she discusses what she went through as a wife and as a mother. The boys tell their vivid stories of what they can remember while the father was emotionally and physically absent. The dexterous Mickey, played ball everyday and is still a very well-known name in the histroy of baseball. This story explains his lief and career while alcohol impacted himself physically, hi gamily, and his life mentally. It also touches base on his career achievements and how he became the amazing Mickey Mantle.

I have read several books on Mickey Mantle and this one is one of the best. Mickey's story is one of the best in baseball and he remains one of the most popular players in history. This book is an excellent look at the effects of fame and alcohol on the family and how the family members came to grips with things. The stories presented here are told by his wife Merlyn and his sons. Through his family, Mickey's story lives on and he continues to inspire us.

I'm only 13, and Mickey Mantle is my favorite baseball player to live. I have read about 6 books on the "Commerce Comet" and this book is exceptional. In the first chapter the Mick talks about his alchohol abuse. Then Marilyn talks about her highschool sweetheart. This is a great book.

I have read most of the books written by Mickey and when I picked this one up I was not quite ready for it's contents. The first chapter, written by Mickey himself address his views on his alcoholism and subsequent recovery.

The following chapters by Merlyn and one by each of his surviving sons was indeed an eye openner into his private life. A lot of information I had not known before was given first hand by his family members.

It took a great deal of courage on their parts to put this book into print and although their lives were not what we might have imagined, it still showed Mick's heart felt side and the love he held for his family and the respect and love they hold for an American Icon.

A must reading for Mantle fans and a true story of courage.

I was already a huge fan of Rebecca Lobo before reading this book. 'The Home Team' gives you a look into the lives of Rebecca and Ruthann Lobo. It's such a real look at how their lives truly are and how much they love each other. After reading this book I was blown away by the courage both of these amazing women have shown in thier lives.

I had the opportunity to meet the Lobos at a seminar, and they are as congenial in person as they appear in this fantastic book. Each personal chapter of this narrative made me feel like I was almost a part of the Lobo family. I liked reading about how Rebecca and her brother and sister grew up, what it was like to be part of a team as tight as the Huskies, and how the family dealt with RuthAnn's cancer. I have read this book over and over, and my mother and grandmother both love it as well. It is definitely worth sharing!

Very well written and inspiring. Surviving with strength and heart to carry her family, Mrs. Lobo is amazing! Rebecca's tales of life and the heart ache of her moms struggle with breast cancer. They stuck together and beat it out! WAY TO GO MRS. & MS. LOBO!!!

I really love this book! I did not want to put it down. A couple of reasons I love the book is because now I know she was a normal child once and she did'nt always play basketball. I also liked it because her mom talked about her life. Now I know they had problems just like any other family does.

This book is a must read for all WNBA fans. Rebecca Lobo's life is revealed in many aspects, that of her point of view and her mother. It talks about many issues such as Ruthanne's struggle with breast cancer and how the family dealt with it. As a 15 year old girl, reading is not one of my favorite pastimes. When I heard of a book about my idol Rebecca Lobo, I decided maybe I should give reading a try. I finished the story in a total of two days and found myself waking up in the middle of the night wanting to know what was going to happen next. It is an extremely moving book in which I fould that it was very easy to relate to. As a basketball player, some of Rebecca Lobo's theories such as playing basketball to relive stress and cope with problems I use also. It gave a new perspective to why I am two different people a hustler and leader on the court and a shy and proscinator off of it. Athlete or not, this book will get you moving. It will leave the message in your heard that anything is possible and it will help you to get out and reach that goal that you have been striving for.

This is a great book all fans of UNC basketball will enjoy. Jimmy does a great job of sharing an "inside" look of that championship team!

super insider information gives a real life perspective to players and team--great book for UNC and basketball enthusiasts

This is a great book for Tar Heel fans everywhere who are old enough to remember that magical year 1982 when the Tar Heels captured Dean Smith's first National Championship. Great stories and memories from a great player who many of us think was the driving force behind that Championship. If you are a Tar Heel fan and 1982 was one of those great years for you and you have not read this book, then buy it and read it right now!!

If you graduated from UNC in 1982, this is second only to the Bible as the best book you'll ever read. If you're a Tarheel, this is a MUST HAVE!
Scott Fowler's (of Charlotte Observer fame) writing is the best. Jimmy "Bossman" Black proves he can write as well as he can lead a championship team.

How 'bout dem Heels, they are the NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!

A pleasure to read. As a Tar Heel who knew Jimmy, I am not surprised by the candidness and honesty of his writings. The '81-'82 Tar Heels were an amazing team. Jimmy's book provides a personal perspective that brought back many memories. Any fan of college basketball should read this.

This is one of the best books one can find about John Elway. Sure, it misses much of the autobiographical details, but it gets down to business quite well, distilling John's football life into its essential components. Its strength arises from diversity of perspective. Not only do you hear Mike Shannahan's memories and opinions, but also Dan Reeve's and the words have a healing effect for us long term fans. Likewise, hearing not only from key Bronco team mates but also from his rivals gives one the complete story.

This book (Biography of John Elway) shows not only History of John Elway, but also of his Teamates and other Players around the NFL . This book is loaded with Players, Coaches, and the Owner of the Denver Broncos.

I got this book from my wife as a birthday present, and immediately sat down and read it cover to cover. I knew a lot of the info in the book already, having been a Bronco fan since 1972, but it did refresh a lot of old (and somewhat painful) memories. I feel this book is a "must have" for any Bronco/Elway fan.

This book offers commentary and descriptins of John Elway by other NFL teammates, players, and coaches. Included are chapters by Mike Shanahan, Terrell Davis, Brett Favre, Dan Reeves, and Clay Matthews (who played for the Cleveland Browns, against the Broncos in 3 AFC Championship games). Each individual's comments are very interesting, as they all offer a different perspective.

The only drawback is that the book appears to have been completed before Super Bowl 33; so Dan Reeves does not offer his views on coaching *against* Elway in a Super Bowl. A minor critique, though, as he still provides an interesting read.

The book is also filled with many excellent photos from Elway's NFL and college days.

Interesting comments from other players, but not a lot of new information for fans who have followed John's career. Nice book to have for a sports collection.

What a fun little book! The stories are enjoyable and put a new spin on doing the laundry! I found myself smiling as I read the account about shrinking things... Who knew that even in our laundry "mistakes" we could find something to laugh about and learn from?

What a fun book this is. I bought it for myself,but it was so much fun to read that I had to buy several other copies for my girlfriends. I'll never look at doing laundry the same way!

Wow! I had no idea the experience of doing laundry could teach us so much! This little book is filled with morsels of wisdom, wit, and encouragement. I recommend it for anyone who needs a little lift. Laundry is something we all have to do no matter what stage of life we are in and the stories in this book reflect all the varied experiences of being a woman, a mom, a wife. It's something you could buy for any woman on your list - something that brings us all together in one place - around the laundry basket!

This book is a great way to add a little "me time" to your day, even if it's just for 2 minutes, which is the time it takes to read one of the lighthearted stories. The authors humourously recall laundry events, and then show how those instances can impact real life (physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally). Great for moms of any age. Highly recommend!

This refreshing book helped me view laundry not as a dirty, stinky load, but an aromatic, clean one after the wash. As a mom of four, I never imagined laundry could be humorous! Who would have thought?

Simlpy a great sports book

A First Hand Brooklyn Dodger history book, with a sense of humor, an informed point of view with a B/Q attitude...Bravo!!!

Unlike other books in this genre, does not romanticize the Brooklyn Dodgers nor mythologizes Jackie Robinson's contributions to baseball. This is an honest, well-written insider's account of baseball in the fifties and sixties.

This is a Gem, Funny First Hand history plus Harold Parrott knows how to write.

I am finally startung to understand why baseball has the "problems" it has. As Mr Parrott says these "Lords" truly are "little boys with big wallets"

Enjoy

This book was thouroughly enjoyable. I enjoyed the insights
and the annecdotes. Good sports reading-

"This book goes where other management books always seem to skimp.
Ron gives practical advise in critical areas of management, but most of all he
give managers good ideas, concepts and specific techniques that enable you to
foresee difficulties, and how to take appropriate action to prevent them
from becoming serious setbacks. To me that's a book of value and worth the read."
Paul Schween, Owner / PS Seminars

I LOVED THIS BOOK, IT SHARED THE EXPERIENCE FROM A LEADER TO A LEADER THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO LEAD A TEAM BY EXAMPLE NOT JUST IDEAS. THIS WILL WORK FOR YOU AS IT DOES FOR ME BY APPLYING THIS MATERIAL DAILY TO YOUR TEAM THAT YOU LEAD. RON MARKS IS A LEADER AND EXCEPTIONAL IN MY MIND IN THIS FIELD. READ IT SO YOU CAN GROW AS I HAVE. SETH AT MORTGAGE ADVANTAGE LENDING LLC.

Quoting Ron Marks, "To frustrate is to thwart, to foil, to circumvent, to interfere with, to check, to make an effort come to no avail, to nullify, to defeat ..."

I am in the throws of starting my own company and growing an effective sales team. This book was referred to me by a business associate. I can't even begin to tell you the many ways in which my own frustrations have been minimized since reading this wealth of information, let alone what it's done for my salespeople! I love the way he writes--it's easy to read and it makes a LOT of sense. I think this book would be a godsend to any size business, not just entrepreneurs like me! I was so thankful to my friend for the recommendation that I took her out to lunch!

There are two aspects that sales executives have some control over; that is, the way their salesforce sells and the way it's managed and motivated. Ron Marks' must-read of valuable messages and techniques is right on target for companies aiming to create a sales team that soars!

My only beef about this book is its title. It should be "Leading for Sales Results".

It is rare with all the "me too" books out there to see something that delivers. Mr. Marks does just that. It's a book I simply couldn't put down.

Leadership has become quite the buzz word lately. You can't pick up any business magazine without seeing a relevant article. But most of it just transposes the word leadership for management. While Mr Marks book is still a top down management style vs my training in Dynamic Governance--it brings some of the concepts to light.

I won't go through the book on a one by one line item--but a few ideas will entice you to purchase.

Ideas on where to find salespeople using "Guerrilla" tactics are not new but bear repeating. Prospecting is very important to me. I often cold call an office to receive not an inquiry for a product, but an interview. If cold calling is important to you, and you are cold called upon--there you go. Look for places where people use this skills but may be underpaid and opportunity challenged. The author suggests Nordstroms, where they probably not only have the skills but a professional wardrobe.

In interviewing, evaluate how the person thinks about his/her purchases. If you market a product with a one time close cycle and your candidate is a slow, think it over, take your time kind of sales buyer--they may have trouble pushing a prospect to purchase differently than their own style. The Japanese have a saying, "as above so below". Its amazingly basic but I never thought of it that way.

A recent blog entry on my website was a article on dread. Salespeople live their lives in dread because of prospecting, yet managers pick their battles and don't push it. As the author points out, prospecting is discussed during the interview and is given lip service by the candidate, but no follow through. As a manager if you allow that to happen, you are more at fault than the salesperson. Marks "call to action" is so simple and step by step, you don't have any more excuses.

Nothing here is hard to implement. One easy "take away" I will implement in my sales training and coaching is the C-Letter or commitment letter. It simply says as manager you agree to give the employee all the tools they need to succeed. The employee agrees to use those tools. This letter becomes a talking point in follow up evaluations.

Follow up evaluations are explained in wonderfully simple detail. This is a great read and one of the very few I'd heartedly recommend.

A well-written, thoroughly researched, clear and concise book that methodically goes through the nuts and bolts of a deal. Frankel does a great job of addressing the motivations of stakeholders involved in a deal. This book is written in a way that makes it useful for MBA students, as well lay persons who want to gain a better understanding of the inner workings of a deal. Frankel's years of deal-making experience provides a solid foundation for the book.

As a student, I found this book extremely helpful in understanding how deals come together and how to manage all the different players in an acquisition. It was insightful and easy to read. It is a super resource for students and professionals.

Coming from outside the field, I can honestly say that Mr. Frankel has produced a very valuable book. Written in clear and understandable language, the book offers an overview of who is involved in Strategic Transactions and what roles these groups of people play. This is a "must read" for students in business courses and MBA programs and for anyone who wants to understand what they hear and read in the business reports of the media.

As an economist who has worked on M&A issues from both product market and capital market perspectives, I have found that most books on these issues never get around to discussing the mission-critical human aspects. Michael Frankel's book fills this gap admirably.

Mr. Frankel's command over the facts is impeccable; but what I found even more impressive was the thought-provoking nature of his book. If you are looking for a light easy read, this is not your book...

If you are interested in M&A, whether as an investment banker, analyst or in any other capacity, I would strongly suggest that you read the book as soon as possible.

Full disclosure: I wrote one of the endorsements on the dust jacket. That having been said, I strongly recommend this book to anyone praticng M&A and, in particular, anyone new to the field. You can read as many books as you want regarding how to value a company, how a target fulfills some Porterian imperative, but you will still fundamentally not understand how a deal works. This book explains M&A. Period.

This is really as much a book about effective leadership and management as it is about group facilitation. Solidly grounded in the author's experience at Xerox, it teaches everything needed to make your group sessions far more effective than it currently is. It also includes guidesheets, tables and surveys that you will find useful in planning, facilitating and evaluating your sessions.

I read Tom Kayser's book in the early 1990's when it was originally written for Xerox. The new edition is a fine adaptation. The book has been immensely helpful to me as a facilitator. It gives great instructions to a new and experienced group leader.

Mr. Kayser understands group dynamics. By reading and more importantly, following his "recipes", you will find that meetings are both more efficient and effective.

Thomas A. Kayser has set forth a systematic means for gaining the maximum benefit from meetings.

Starting with John Kenneth Gailbraith's infamous attribilious amphigory: "Meetings are vital to those who want to make sure nothing happens" Kayser leads the reader through the labyrinth of traditional meeting quagmires and enables everyone to profit from combining their brain power optimally.

In practical, no-nonsense terms, nothing is left to chance. Those who practice the lessons will reap the immediate and continued rewards from the old axiom of time being money!

I have used what I learned by reading Mining Group Gold in a wide variety of consulting and operational settings over the past three years: with multi-functional teams in a medium sized data communications high technology company and a start-up software development company, with the board of directors of a subsidized housing agency, with teachers and administrators at a primary school, with groups of principals responsible for implementing new curriculum in their schools, and with senior administrators at a leading geriatric care facility.

I speak from experience, then, in stating that Mining Group Gold is straight-forward, intuitively sound technology which can have profound effect on the style of facilitators in carrying out their difficult roles, and on ALL members of a team, a work group, (or even a board of directors!) to increase their sense of ownership, and their commitment to outcomes.

It's an easy read, and I recommend it as the best available resource in my experience for creating and continually improving meeting effectiveness.

One of the most valuable lessons I learned in my brief time as a researcher at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center was that meetings need not be unending wastes of times. When I first noticed this and asked how it was possible that so much always seemed to get done, no mater who was involved, I was given a copy of the Tom Kayser book "Mining Group Gold".

What a wonderful and unexpected surprise reading it was! Although concrete steps are given to guide people into getting the most out of working together and, more important, thinking together, its basic value comes from the way it enables folks to remain themselves - only do a better job of it.

Since leaving Xerox three years ago to be a consultant for Microsoft, General Electric and Sun Microsystems, I've given numerous copies to new cohorts so as to make life easier and the flow of work more efficient for all.

The author takes a very direct, unvarnished approach to addressing the issues that derail so many team meetings. I am not a facilitator by trade, but have led large teams, and been part of many meetings led by outside facilitators. I have first hand experience and know the difference between a productive meeting that leads to sustainable results, and disasterous meetings that produce make-work exercises that leave all participants feeling undervalued. The big take aways for me in this book surrounded the discussion regarding who the client really is, and how to engage participants. As a side bar, chapter 4 is alone worth the price of the book. The examples that Rahaim sites are excellent. His experience is rich and diverse. This is a good read for anyone interested in leading productive meetings. I wish I had this book 15 years ago!

I have been leading meetings for a number of years. Jack's insights into creating great,productive meetings are spot on.
He takes the fundamentals, breaks them down into steps, and creates a path to success which brings proven results.

Having worked at Jack's feet over a period of almost 20 years, I am delighted to find in "No More Meetings from Hell" the genius behind the genius. The book demonstrates that his approach is most paradoxical in that he is extremely well prepared, yet flexible enough to exploit (in its most positive sense) every opportunity to elicit, yes, the genius, out of a very diverse group of differently-motivated attendees. One thing is clear from Jack's book: not everyone is a facilitator and that truth is best learned before trying it. I was particularly impressed by his characteristically candid statements on ego and courage. Both are critical to successful facilitation. Jack's "product" is not a pre-packaged one-size-fits-all approach. If one can be as nimble as Jack, the "answer" can be playfully seduced out of those who best know the business.

I hate wasting time in meetings, and I hate leading meetings that go nowhere. Before reading Rahaim's book, I figured that facilitating efficient meetings was just a gift that some people had and some people didn't, or that it had to do with something like charisma or confidence. But Rahaim shows how anybody can become a good facilitator by using their individual strengths to their best advantage. He balances sound principles of organizational behavior with instructive anecdotes from his own consulting practice.

His step-by-step guides to gearing a meeting towards the needs of the participants (p. 24) and logistical preparation (p. 64) are particularly valuable. Those alone have saved me hours of preparation time in the last month!

I did have some minor quibbles with formatting style (the footnotes are arranged strangely in the text, and the editor has used British-style single quotes throughout.) But these do not detract from the readability of the book. All in all, Rahaim's book manages to be both precise and readable, both theoretically nuanced and immediately practical.

As someone who is called upon to facilitate client groups, I've been looking for a text which deals with more than surface training issues. This book delves into groups, how to work with where they are and how to guide them through a process to success. The section on identifying the 'real client' and crafting a methodology are worth the price by themselves. I have often wondered how the 'pros' approach this work. The author does an excellent job of letting us into his head as he plans a couple of client efforts. I highly recommend this book to anyone who facilitates or is considering facilitation either as part of their job or as a full time career.