Associations Books

Leigh Branham has done an admirable job writing a practical manual for keeping good employees. I believe any employer will find scores of proven tactics they can apply at once. As Joe Bosch of Pizza Hut says: "If a company implemented just four or five of these practices, they would be significantly better at retaining talent." Gee. Making more money because your employees are motivated. What a concept.

Doni Tamblyn is author of Laugh and Learn: 95 Ways to Use Humor for More Effective Teaching and Training and The Big Book of Humorous Training Games (Big Book of Business Games Series)

I read the book as part of an MBA mid-term project and would recommend this to any line manager or human resource practitioner who wants real, proven ideas and thoughts about attracting, retaining and developing quality employees. The book is very well structured and easy to read, yet a no-nonsense approach and in depth look at retaining valuable people.

Finally an employee retention resource from an outstanding consultant that combines practical step by step instructions with theory AND excellent examples from top companies. Keeping outstanding employees should be a top priority for every business, but unfortunately retention often runs a distant second to recruitment. Leigh Branham takes the mystery out of keeping top employees by providing business owners, managers and consultants proven retention tips. After introducing each retention practice, Leigh provides a questionnaire to evaluate your company's effectiveness. Plus the appendix is filled with surveys, checklists and evaluations you can start using today! As a consultant and coach, I am using Leigh's material with companies and individual clients and getting excellent feedback.

Keeping the best employees is a goal that is not often met in today's changing and fluid new economy. Leigh Branham introduces four key strategies designed to help an organization keep the employees it wants. These solid practices are designed to have a positive impact on an organization's best workers by increasing motivation, performance and satisfaction. These four key points are organized in parallel with an employee's life cycle in an organization:

Key #1: Be a company people want to work for.
The leadership of the organization must create an environment where three essential elements are put into place: adopt a "give and get back" philosophy, measure what counts and pay for it, inspire commitment to a clear vision and definite objectives.
Key #2: Select the right person in the first place.
Poor recruiting decisions today result in the poor performers of tomorrow. An organization must claim responsibility for recruiting to ensure it not only chooses the right candidate, but also stays connected to the external business community, and thereby having access to the full diversity of the talent pool.
Key #3: Get them off to a great start.
Knowing that between 50 and 60 percent of employees change jobs within the first seven months, it is seasoned experienced manager and leaders that focus on this critical period to the organization keeps its best employees. The keys elements during this period: communicate how their work is vital to success, get commitment to a performance agreement, and give autonomy and reward initiative.
Key #4: Coach and Reward to maintain commitment.
To sustain an employee's commitment to the organization, his relationship with his manager is a critical element. It is said that 50 percent of satisfaction at work is determined by an employee's relationship with his or her manager. Managers should: proactively manage the performance agreement, recognize results, and give employees tools to take charge of his or her career.

If at all possible, this book should be read in combination with Branham's subsequently published book, The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave: How to Recognize the Subtle Signs and Act Before It's Too Late, and preferably read first. That is desirable but not imperative. Either book can firmly stand on its own merits and both are "must reading" as competition for talent becomes increasingly more aggressive. That said, the subtitle of this earlier book correctly indicates what it provides: "24 ways to hang on to your most valuable talent." Branham carefully organizes his material within eleven chapters and focuses on four "Keys," providing with each several "retention practices." Too many business books are bloated with theory but wholly impoverished in terms of practicality. For that reason, I commend Branham on the fact that he devotes most of his attention to explaining HOW to establish and then increase the appeal of an organization that people want to work for, how to hire the right people in the first place, how to get new hires off to a great start, and how to use effective coaching and appropriate rewards to sustain their commitment. Well done!

excellent product, to get me started. I appreciate having it as a permanent fixture in my arsenal of references.

I received this book 2 day shipping as requested. I have had it for about a month now. It is easy to ready and goes well with the Kaplan course. Most importantly I am sure I will get a lot of use out of it as a reference. Great book!!

I received this product in a timely manner and in excellant condition. I have been very pleased with the sevice from Amazon and vendors.

this is a great essentials book for anyone interested in legal nurse consulting. i have read through some of it and will surely be using it even more as i am launching my new business. i got a used copy and it came to me in great shape!

This book is a great at home teaching tool on how to become knowledgeable in the field of LNC and how to start your business.

This book was first introduced to me by Lewis Meyer, a local bookseller in Tulsa, OK who was a local institution and a refreshing change from the lackluster corporate bookstores that are as commonplace as Wal-Marts. I still have my original hardcover edition Meyer sold to me back in the mid 1980's. It was a pleasant surprise to find a book filled with many gems of wisdom or words of encouragement that weren't tinged with a underlying message of condemnation. Though a bit heavy on religion, that is easily overlooked, even for an atheist like myself. I highly recommend this book as a gift for anyone looking for a book that makes attractive, light reading.

I have given approximately 50 of these books as gifts during the last 25 years. Everyone has expressed gratitude and reported that it had become one of their favorite books also. I am so excited that they are available again after not being able to purchase them for many years!

Sal Salyers

Touches your heatbeat,freshens your outlook on Life. This book is a friend by your side 24/7

I love the stories behind the inspirational poems in this book! For example, learning the story of William Ernest Henley author of the poem "Invictus" makes the poem so much more poignant. The author includes poems addressing courage, happiness, faith, confidence, fear, self-discipline, family, peace of mind and the future. This is a keeper and a wonderful gift.

This book has helped me during dark days and helped my mother face the challenges of Parkinson's.

I give this as a gift to anyone I think will be helped by spiritual positive messages found here.

The Story of Meena is a remarkable one of love and dedication to the women of Afhanistan. Meena gave her all for them by creating a human rights movement that continues to this day. They are the USA's best defense against terrorism, teaching democracy and human rights to the many orphans of Afghanistan. Her life is one to be remembered and honored, and this book will give you insight into the difficulities the Afghani people have gone through, and the strength of women we don't hear about on the news. A must read indeed.

I also feel it was beautifully written and it is a book you won't want to put down.

All the profits go to the many orphanages they have established to teach love compassion and democracy to the future people, the children.

I was interested in this story, and hopeful of learning about the struggle of women in Afghanistan........certainly the story is a remarkable one, but the writing is so stilted, awkward, often repetitive, and overly simplistic that it was a chore to slog through the book. Each paragraph tends to be a little vignette, which never leads smoothly into the next paragraph, so that one feels like one is jolting over a bumpy road, rather than reading a narrative story. I was particularly disappointed, given that Alice Walker wrote the forward, and based on this, I was expecting a more pleasurable read. I would have thought that the editors might have helped improve the readability.

So, while I would consider this an important story for both men and women to read, I think that this writer has not done Meena justice with this work. I wonder if another writer may at least be spurred to draft a more elegant biography, particularly given that Meena was a poet, she deserves a tribute with more poetic language.

In response o a review critizing the simplistic and "saccrinine" account of a martyer's life. ... Gandhi or Lincoln or ML King all had less than perfect lives, all the more human. But to stand UP, and be one to bear the hopes of, and the brunt of punishment of, an entire class of oppressed , demands that accounts be written to inspire, rather than demean. And further oppression those who do not have a voice ( as do professional reviewers ) is all the less to be tolerated.
because of these accounts.

Just an opinion

I don't think I have ever read a book as moving as the story of Meena and her life and formation of the feminist group RAWA, (Revolutionary Association for the women of Afghanistan.

This very young woman did so much, risking her life daily to change the face of war torn Afghanistan. Even after her young unexpected death, her mission of hope for a better future in Afghanistan lives on today. Her dream was that one day her beloved country would be in peace and that men and women could live equally. To this day, even after the destruction of the Taliban, Afghanistan and it's people suffer. When you read this book you will be amazed at how much this young woman accomplished in her life. It is unbelievable.

Many of us think of Afghanistan and muslims and we see the face of the enemy, Osama Bin Laden and the horrible Fundementalists that tore up their country. I think it should be required reading in the American schools and when we think of Afghanistan we should see the beautiful face of Meena, who believes in freedom, democracy and that everyone should be given a chance. I will never forget being touched by the life of Meena.

An incredible story about an incredible woman who has led many woman since in a quest for equality, justice and human rights in a country that has been war torn for 30+ years. Please read this book and follow the story of a true angel. One that worked to promote justice, fairness and liberty for her people in Afghanistan. The book is excellent, a quick and easy read. Feminists will not be disappointed. Every woman (and her daughter) should read this to be inspiried that the world belongs to them and they should not be dismayed by the circumstances they see and experience around them.

Men And Speed is an informative survey of NASCAR racing history and is written by a journalist who had exclusive access to Roush Racing, a large motorsports operation. Miller spent a year on the NASCAR racing circuit with owner Roush and his drivers: the result is an epic of racing events.

This book is a must have for any and all Roush Racing/NASCAR Fans. Every page I read sent chills up my spine and tears down my eyes. G. Wayne Miller gets up-close and personal with the Roush Guys and tells all the stuff we want to hear and all the stuff some of us would never come close to knowing. He is a super writer and a great person as he keeps the Roush fans up-to-date with his continuing adventure with the Roush guys. I hope he would consider a Pt. 2 because I know it would be just as great! Thanks for this wonderful insight!

Interesting look into the workings of a NASCAR Winston Cup team.

This book gives the reader a wonderful glimpse inside the 2001 NASCAR season as seen from the eyes of the drivers of Roush Racing. This particular season can be seen as the breakout year in which NASCAR gained much prominence for the following reasons: 1) the death of Dale Earnhardt 2) the intense media scrutiny regarding safety 3) the heightened public awareness and growing fan base 4) the relative under-performance of many racing teams.

This book will give you the inside story on all of these events and more. Highly recommended for the NASCAR fan and casual observer alike!

This is an awesome book. Somehow, Miller manages to write a compelling review of a year in racing which is enjoyable by both NASCAR novices as well as diehard fans who don't make non-race related appointments on Sunday. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about NASCAR from the inside. The anecdotes are exciting and amusing. The overall view of the Rousch racing endeavor is fascinating. I couldn't put the book down. Great job Mr. Miller!

Author Norman R. Howes tackles project management in all its intricate bureaucratic glory, and brings the process up-to-date in what is essentially a book of instructions. Helpful in designing and tracking projects, this clear, crisp manual comes with Modern Project software, the program used to carry out the project management steps delineated in the book. The book, like any owner's manual, is very list-oriented. Howes does not teach you how to manage a project, either practically or theoretically, as much as he outlines the managerial process. His step-by-step guide focuses on detailed information telling readers how to take advantage of the software as they manage projects. While we from getAbstract recommend this guide specifically to project managers - who should keep it on hand, particularly if they use the related software package or want to learn more about it - the book is also designed to be used in corporate training programs and college classes.

Great book. Clear, well thought-out, and useful. I am using the method and tools to manage a series special event projects with 19 staff and 6 other vendors. Everyone has read the book so we all have a common understanding, and everyone is using the tool to generate reports - very cool.

Doesn't cover every aspect of PM but every aspect it covers is done very well. An easy read that can change how you do things. The enclosed software reinforces your knowledge.

I concur with other reviewers that this book is
extremely valuable, insightful, and comprehensive. It
provides clarification of several Project Management
concepts that are typically glossed over and sometimes
completely ignored in other texts. Perhaps the most
important contribution the author makes is in his
explanation of the subtleties of Earned Value - the
primary measurement for a project's performance. Many
Project Managers that I have worked with do not
understand how to measure Earned Value and end up with
incorrect measurements, or simply fail to use this
critical indicator altogether. I recommend this book to
all project managers who want clarification on this and
other topics that will help them improve their own
performance as managers.

This book focuses on modern project management concepts and techniques, but covers the standard stuff like what you will find in the PMI PMBOK. The project management system that comes on the CD with the book contains tools you won't find even in expensive PM systems. There are at least a couple dozen tools on the CD and an example project you can use to try the tools out on.

While the author states that this book is to be targeted to persons seeking to enter senior management or higher roles within non-profits, I think this reads more like a general job search book. It sounds like the author is writing from the standpoint of a headhunter. Here is the table of contents:

1. Defining the Nonprofit Sector
2. If You're New to the Nonprofit World
3. Organizing your search
4. Focusing your search
5. Finding openings
6. Establishing and Cultivating your Network
7. Creating a Great Resume
8. Writing Persuasive Cover Letters
9. Acing the Interview
10. Recruiting the Right references
11. Negotiating Salary & benefits
12. If you don't get the job
13. When the job search ends

Chapters 3-13 are what I consider topics you can find in any "job search" book. Though I should say that the author does *touch* upon how the Non-profit sector is unique in some of these respects. What I did find useful are all the website references that may provide more information.

It reads quickly- I think I finished it in about an hour. I appreciate the amount of information that it packs in its 100 pages, especially if you are looking for a resource book that is quick-and-dirty and to-the-point.

As an alternative (or as a supplementary), I think Transitioning to the Nonprofit Sector by Kaplan, published in 2007 (Laura Gassner Otting), might be more informative, depending on what your objectives are.

I read this book in the fall 2006 when I was in the midst of looking for a job in the DC area. It was a helpful resource. It reinforced information I already knew and then mentioned new information. It gives tips on creating a resume, informational interviews, interviews, the importance of a thank you card and what to include in it. I will definitely continue to refer to this resource again. I've mentioned it to other friends as well looking for a job in the nonprofit sector.

A must have resource for finding your dream job in the non-profit sector. What's great about this book is that it is comprehensive, but short. It contains all you need to know to find and get your job in one slim, easy-to-read, volume.

This book is small, but it's packed with useful information. It helped me put together a resume and strategy for successfully landing a leadership position in the nonprofit sector.

Slesinger's book is an excellent blueprint for beginning a search and following through, even when life gets in the way. The step-by-step game plan and practical advice alone are worth the cover price, and best of all Slesinger leaves you motivated and feeling like you want to immediately get started hunting for your next great job. I have to confess that I literally missed my bus stop while examining the section on resumes; I do a lot of hiring and I see a lot of resumes, and his advice is dead on.

If you want a new job or think you might, get this book now.

This book is filled with great information BUT as an executive recruiter Chapter 9 on cold calls is not just good but indispensible! It sure helped my cold calling routine.

What a great read! This is a great book that takes a refreshing new look at sales tactics. Not only do you learn new ways to sell, but also understanding the type of salesperson that you are. I've read many books on selling and found this one to be one of the best! An easy read that is packed with great information that is easily applicable to any salesperson.

"As executive editor of Incentive Magazine, I see a multitude of business books come across my desk and I have to review many of them. Selling Without Selling: 4 1/2 Steps to Success was a refreshing change. It was an easy read and I really got a lot out of your unique ideas on rapport building."
~ Jeanie Casison, Incentive Magazine

"Two days after I began using the Selling Without Selling system, my boss was told by my latest customers that I was the most professional sales person they had ever met. Thanks for making me look good!"

~Jim Smith, Jim Smith Chevrolet

Carol has really taken the time to write this book from both the brain and the heart. You learn to appreciate how selling can be an integration of who you are and what you aspire to be. Take that passion and apply it to selling. Her tricks of the trade are both personal and universal. At the end of the day you end up enjoying what you have ventured to do, having respect for yourself and the sellee. A timeless book, indeed.

I used this book to study for NRP, and reading through it and doing the tests definitely prepared me for the class. Others I know used the disc to study and liked it as well. It's nice that there are 2 different types of study tools for people since not everyone learns the same way.

Make sure you get this book, its the most updated and is very user friendly!

Helped me a lot in my neonatal resuscitation licensure. The CD was a good source by itself.

even though i bought it used, the condition of the book is wonderfully new. i was also glad to have received the book on time( indicated during purchase). i would gladly deal with the seller again.
faru, chicago

I'm a computer person moreso than a booky.......
So using the DVD that comes with the book was VERY helpful.. It has the exact information the book offers and MORE!

First published by Cassell & Co. in 1949, Winston Churchill goes to the meat of the subject of World War II. It starts with Winston taking the helm in 1940 with a National Coalition government. The fall of France, the deliverance of Dunkirk all melds into an English National nightmare for Mr. Churchill.
The agony of an eminent invasion of Hitler's Teutonic forces leads Winston to declare "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat." Next came the Battle of Britain in which Churchill utters the classic statement of this great struggle, "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." Winston was in charge during this extraordinary historical event.
Winston describes his Naval relationship with FDR and with continued prodding convinces him into the remarkable program of Lend-Lease. It is here that Winston is both an excellent Salesman and a proper Statesman. He neither comes hat in hand nor does he come as a demanding potentate. He merely states the facts of the situation as they are. In the long run Roosevelt agreed.
Germany finally violates Russia. England is joined at the hip to the Russian Bear. What choice did England have? The long wait of fighting Germany alone was over. Pray tell what of a Grand Alliance with the giant of North America.
I found this book to be the highlight of Winston's writing of the Second World War. If you don't read it, shame on you!!

As a late boomer (47) one of my earliest memories was watching Churchill's funeral on TV. I remember feeling it was such a solemn occasion, I wasn't sure exactly why at three years old, but I felt it. Many years later I live on the other side of the planet. I met Winston's grandson, who was my local MP before I left England.
This is a fascinating insight into the situation, of decisions made and my first, first hand read from his own hand, there are many very important decisions made, on the hoof, with lives at stake, national identities at stake.
I intend to read more, from his WW1 books, to hopefully gain a clearer idea of what happened in the Dardinelles, an event which is used to create a pivot for the national identity here.

In the first half of Vol. 2, 'Their Finest Hour', Churchill covers the Battle of France. As new Prime Minister he sets up his Coalition Government to fight the 'common cause' and prepare for the War. Germany was already in France and the Western Front was under attack. The Belgian Government was striving to remain neutral and soon all was being lost in the 'deluge of disaster'. The Germans broke the Maginot line and soon the Battle of France was lost. There was the successful deliverance of the British Expeditionary Force at Dunkirk and the preparations to defend the home front.

The second half deals with the Battle of Britain with Hitler preparing for 'Operation Sea Lion'. In order for the invasion of England to be successful, Germany first had to control the air. London and various areas were shaken but neither the spirit nor the Country destroyed. Italy was on the move, in the Mediterranean, and invading the African coast. The Battle of Britain was won and the RAF had 'Their finest Hour', but the War was far from over. This volume covers the timeline of May 10, 1940 to Jan. 5, 1941.

It should be noted and remembered that England stands in a different position militarily than France. England is a small, ancient, insular island that has withstood many centuries of assaults and attempted invasions. So when Hitler and his forces sought to make the same attempt, not only the RAF and the Royal Navy but history was standing against them. Also it wasn't just England alone that was fighting. It was also their devoted Commonwealth, Dominions and Empirical Attachments that were involved in the war. England was pulling resources from all over their Empire. For instance, Australia and New Zealand were fighting on the African coast and in Greece.

America, under FDR, was moving closer to the war with the Lend-Lease Act and Japan was watching in the wings. Hilter was changing his war direction and moving into the Eastern Front. Stalin was changing his alliance with Hitler and moving closer to Britian and the United States. The impact and weight of the World's destiny was in the balance and starting to slowly shift. Nothing was yet certain and U-Boat packs still prowled the ocean.

This is another of those 'deserves to be read' books. Churchill fills in the volume with his correspondence and hindsight. It is good to read and become acquainted with Churchill's thoughts and this fateful time, in history, so that hopefully there will be no repeating of these terrible events. Well worth adding to the Library.

Americans have a warped view of history, and little understanding of the role of aristocracy and class in history--our own or Britain's. Churchill was a card carrying member of the aristocracy; one of the small group of men who ran England up to, and through, World War II. Their Finest Hour is an amazing documentation of the very height, and at the same time, end, of the all powerful aristocracy in England.

Churchill's second volume of his Six Volume history of the Second World War begins with May, 1940, as the German army is rolling through Luxembourg and Belgium (both clinging to their neutrality right up to the minute the German tanks crossed the border), toward a woefully unprepared France (still reliant upon the Maginot Line, which in turn depended on Luxembourg and Belgium neutrality.

Churchill has just assumed the post of Prime Minister, after having spent the prior year (and several before that) as an outsider bemoaning the refusal of Britain (and France) to prepare to meet the rising German threat. Those years of exile are the subject of volume one.

The present volume focuses on the extraordinary difficulties Churchill and others in the British government faced once the war actually began. Once France was forced to surrender, Germany was left in what most of us think of as continental Europe without any enemies. It had allied itself with fascist Italy, made peace with Stalin, conquered Poland and France, neutralized Spain, and occupied Austria, Luxembourg, Belgium, Norway, and the Netherlands.

In this sense, Britain stood alone. There was a very real risk that Germany could invade and conquer Britain in the Summer and early Fall of 1940. The German bombing of London was increasingly effective, and the British army was in total disarray, having just been forced to abandon France, leaving most of its equipment behind. Just how worried Churchill was comes through clearly and terrifyingly in this volume. Had Germany succeeded, the world might look very different today--the Second World War would have been transformed into a truly intercontinental war, with Asia and Europe allied against North America.

Of course, Britain was not really "Alone." Greece and Turkey were firm allies; Bulgaria and Yugoslavia stood against Hitler and Italy; and Britain controlled most of what we today think of as the third world--from Gibraltar at the southern tip of Europe, to Egypt, to South Africa, India, Malaysia and Burma, and Australia. Only by adopting a firmly eurocentric view of the world (which Churchill clearly had) can he title this volume "Alone."

Churchill and the rest of his government were able to move seamlessly into power, and immediately take control of this world wide empire precisely because of the peculiarly insular class system that ruled Britain. Even as an outsider, Churchill clearly had full access to all of the centers of power. He could not bend and shape them, but he was fully in the loop. Personal relationships and lifelong associations meant that he regularly met with leaders at all levels of the power structure--including most importantly (but by no means exclusively) top politicians and naval personnel. This sort of access by "losing" politicians in the United States today is unimaginable. Can anyone seriously envision Bush allowing the head of the CIA to meet regularly with Howard Dean to review the intelligence about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq?

The only weakness in this volume is Churchill's over reliance on his own contemporaneous telegrams and memos. he was absolutely prolific, apparently having dictated dozens of multi-page memos daily--yet still finding time to run the government. While fascinating historically, they really are bureaucratic memos. The first volume, by relying more on narration and less on historical documents, allowed Churchill greater reign to his incredible skill with the English language. Here, long sections read like just what they are--official documents written in haste, for the historical record.

That said, his brilliant use of words shines through. The most stirring passage is toward the end--his eulogy in November, 1940, for Neville Chamberlain, who more than anyone was responsible for "appeasing" Hitler. Rather than lapse into "I told you so", he marshals some of the most stirring words ever written to praise Chamberlain; urging history to judge him on the strength of his character rather than the results of his actions, which are subject to the fickleness of history.

In sum, this is a remarkable book, chronicling a remarkable time in history, written by a remarkable man who played a central roll in events. I can think of no other book by anyone at anytime which brings together all three of these elements--and is well written!

After reading this book, you truly begin to see how narrow minded the average American perception of World War II really is. Not to discount the magnificant American battles such as the landing at Normandy or the Battle for Midway, but the Battle for Britain was absolutely the finest display of honor and courage throughout the entire war. This tiny island and it's courageous people stood alone and stood tall against not only the behemoth Nazi-German menace, but at the same time fought the Mussolini in northern Africa and awaited the Japanese onslaught in their Australasian colonies. It's an absolutely inspiring work, and it's an absolute sin that American schools don't teach the story of how the British people shined so brightly during their darkest hour.