Book Description

Winning Business Strategies for the 21st Century Is it possible for managers to improve your present organization while at the same time innovating building for the future? It is now with the new Mission Possible. Best-Selling author Ken Blanchard and Terry Waghorn take the latest growth strategies and organizational change theories out of the ivory tower think-tanks and put them right into your hands. Their groundbreaking Five Point Plan shows you exactly how to get maximum results from your employees each and every day... achieve short-term organizational objectives... effectively plan for the future without sacrificing current goals... identify and motivate doers and planners... organize teams with winning attitudes... and more. It's your blueprint for taking an active role in building your oraganization into a world class operation and ensuring continued success through the 21st century. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Insightful!
Ken Blanchard, one of the most successful business authors of all time, teams up with Terry Waghorn in this clear, concise guide to surviving and prospering in a time of great change. The authors show you how to guide your business through the present while simultaneously preparing for and implementing changes for the future. This well-balanced book, which focuses as much on vision, intuitive processes and thinking as it does on nuts-and-bolts strategy, is a valuable guide for working and leading in the twenty-first century. We [...] recommend this book for everyone in business, and find it particularly essential for leaders, managers, and business owners.

Attention Survivors!
Mission Possible... is a book about surviving today and recreating your organization for tomorrow. The authors use the analogy of a sand castle which faces the incoming tide. Does one leave it alone to face certain destruction and hope that it doesn't happen for a while; or does one take immediate action to build barriers along the beach for protection, which may or may not help; or does one plan for the future by redesigning the structure as well as relocate the castle? People are the key to an organization's success and the way a leader can best encourage them towards this goal is to allow them to become involved in improving the present or inventing the organization's tomorrow. It's all about the journey and the understanding of what is possible.

I used this for a reading assignment for a class and found it to be interesting. It certainly is easy to read and while others may find it's message too simple, I feel that it is the simple message that gets across easily and stays with you the longest.

Find some 21st Century spectacles - quick!
Buy the book because there is far too much useful information to take in at even two listenings. Although it starts as typical 'heard it all before' the last two sides are remarkable in their depth and panorama. There is advice and guidance for everyone here. We need to ask questions of our customers and competitors. How would our customers redesign our company? Three steps: vision - picture of what we need to become to better serve existing customers, prepare - what is the shortest path from where we are to where we need to be, deliver - change organisation to match vision. Customer facing people need to be empowered to solve problems on the spot, not refer to their managers. Your organisation is evaluated by how quickly it can respond to customer needs and problems. The person they care about is are the ones they talk to and they want top service from these people. Making all your people your business partners is a way of raising financial awareness and therefor cutting costs (story of 5c margin in restaurant). Divide into cost centres and profit centres. What is the strategic reason for performing the function of the cost centres? Should the work be outcourced? Should be spending more time managing profits not costs. Profit results from keeping needs of customers and employees paramount. 4 key managerial roles: producing - technical skills in field, make things happen, implementing - planners and administrators, maintain order and control, innovating - entrepreneurs, future looking and integrating - motivators, good at teamwork. Also 4 mismanagement styles: lone rangers - producers who cannot delegate, bureaucrats - implementers who focus on administration, process and rules, arsonists - innovators who never follow through or implement the ideas of others, super followers who cannot provide direction. In times of change are leaders willing to: relinquish 'parental control; look at both long and short term; supply resources and support; communicate and remove obstacles; help others overcome uncertainty and fear; admit that they do not have all the answers. Control kills learning, invention and commitment. Bossidy - burning platform principle, people 'jump' only when they see flames themselves. Leaders need to help people see the flames. Long term provides focus not on survival but the future. When in doubt communicate more, not less. Nelson Mandela - "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us." In order to help people manage change we need to keep everyone informed so they know what is in it for them. Change means that people feel awkward about needing to act differently, they focus on what they will lose, (what you resist, persists), they feel alone, they feel overwhelmed if there is too much change so they need to experience some successes before taking on more change. Readiness for change varies. Although people feel that they need more resources to do more - we have to do more with less. Need to keep everyone encouraged by catching people doing something right, but leaders need sufficient self-esteem to help others feel good about themselves. Discipline required managing perpetual churn (whitewater). Catch yourself doing something right - managing your self-talk. What do you want to be doing? Our problem is not what we see, but what we see with. At the brink of the 21st Century we cannot see the future with 20th Century spectacles.

Disppointing
I should have come to this site and read the reviews before purchasing the book. It was very disappointing. The chapter headings were interesting, and some were good insights. However, the author spent too much time around elaborating too many of the sub-points. There were also little case studies. Felt like the book could be condensed a lot more.

Disappointing. Should have been a lot better.
I've read several books by Blanchard. I like his approach on behavioral side of management. I bought this book, expecting to find just that. Since most of the "visionary" books deal with the organization or system perspectives, I always want to know about the "human" side. But I don't find the answer from this book. The contents are too light to provide any answer to the issue. Unlike some good books on the similar topic such as James Martin's Cybercorp which tells you in very details on how you should prepare for the future, Mission Possible does not give me anything comparable ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

Not as good as DeJong's other work
I am a fan of DeJongs's and feel like his work has dramatically influenced my life. His first tape, The Silva Method, was better and had cleaner, more usable exercises.

This work is more talky, the exercises are somewhat difficult to use, and I would recommend this work only after you have experienced his other, which has exercises so powerful you feel mentally and physically refreshed, stronger, different through practicing them.

In fairness, you've got to be committed to a daily routine of practise, and if you aren't willing to do this, you really won't immediately benefit from any Silva program. ... Read more

Book Description

Can a woman become more powerful without becoming a man?

Yes!

Women who triumph don't follow the rules; they flaunt them.

Harriet Rubin has studied the great female heroes in the wars of intimacy and public life, and distilled their behavior into a plan of action.Whether confronting lovers, mothers, bosses, or competitors, The Princessa is a guide for the woman who feels she deserves far more than she has gotten through compromise.While women have been socialized to avoid conflict, to be peacemakers, caretakers, and nurturers, Rubin shows how those very skills--sensitivity, emotional depth, and selflessness--can be codified into a new strategy of power.The Princessa imparts inspiration and wisdom from history's great divas, poets, saints, sinners, and artists, as well as from leaders of the most important social movements in our time--women who, with the Furies inside them, in a spirit of justice and outrageousness, established their own rules of power.

Just as Machiavelli showed the prince how to use conflict in order to establish control, Rubin shows why women must act more like women."Think of mothers risking everything to defend their young," writes Rubin."Think of women overcoming all odds for love."She shows how women, playing by men's rules, have only reinforced their own weakness.So long as the gender wars are waged on male turf, women will always be fighting a losing battle.It's time to win. Whatever your battlefield, The Princessa will incite you to act like a woman, fight like a woman, and live, at last, by your own rules. ... Read more

Reviews (42)

Yikes! Y'all either love it or hate it, don't you?
While reading The Princessa, I found certain ideas about power made me very uncomfortable, which is usually a sign that something is hitting a nerve. I absolutely adored this little book, and like another reader, keep picking it up to go over pieces of it. Obviously, you can't please all of the people all of the time, but I'm amazed at the vehemence with which certain reviews wrote. I thought Rubin's expression of ideas was fascinating, and I think she's a fine writer. I also liked the manner in which she presented these ideas about women and power; like a myth, like a story, like a fairy tale. Seductive but deadly.

I'd save my griping for the drivel John Gray writes; I mean, how many times is he going back to his word processor to "fix up" Mars and Venus?

You either love it or you hate it....
I loved it. Harriet Rubin is a visionary for those of us that still believe (or wish to believe) that the path of the heart (combined with the good sense of a skillful mind) has the potential to be the most winning combination in business, as in life. Not for the faint-hearted or those who cannot think outside the box.

Good Business Tips
I enjoyed this book. Although the author takes too long to get to most of her points, it is a very insightful book and has ideas about power tips to use in the jobplace such as how to act in meetings, where to sit to attract attention, and dealing with staff. I would recommend it to a reader interested in advancing her place in business with the warning that a lot of "skim reading" is needed.

This is not a how-to book
I, too, am amazed at the differences in the reviews. I go with the "read-4-times-a-year" group. This is not a how-to book with step-by-step instructions on how to get and keep power. Perhaps that is why people are so violently opposed to it: they think Rubin is telling women to cry to get their way. I read it more like: it is okay to cry, if you have tried everything else and that has failed.

I find it quite meditative and like to read a chapter here and there at night. I usually sets me off analyzing situations I have recently encountered. And I must say, many of her insights are quite helpful.

I recommend this book to every woman I encounter who had just taken a step up the power ladder!

Rx - Reread 4 Times Annually
An affirming little tome, Rubin continues to bolster those of us who just want to do good business - and are surprised when our best intentions don't speak for themselves. With wit, character studies and a bit of mystery, she continues in this writ to draw our best selves out of us - the ones that want to win at the boys' game but have a little girl's sense of play about the rules.

I find myself bringing this book out when I have been broadsided and need to regain my bearings in this mannish world of business-as-baseball ethics and practices. And I bring it out to add to the underlines already there, because with each re-read there are more messages, more thought-provoking phrases and more challenges to the greater good that I have missed in readings past.

It's a mysterious book; don't think you'll get all the illustrations and diatribes with the first read. But know that it was written just for you, wherever you find yourself having to 'best' instead of 'win' for the sake of good business. ... Read more

Book Description

Dealing with your ex-husband, who can't seem to show up reliably for weekends with the kids; navigating a workplace fraught with office politics or racial tensions; saying "I'm sorry" or "I love you".

We all have difficult conversations, no matter how confident or competent we are. And too often, no matter what we try, things don't go well. Should you say what you're thinking and risk starting a fight? Swallow your views and feel like a doormat? Or should you let them have it? But--what if you're wrong?

Difficult Conversations shows you a way out of this dilemma; it teaches you how to handle even the toughest conversations more effectively and with less anxiety. Based on fifteen years of work at Harvard Negotiation Project and consultations with thousands of people, the authors answer the question: When people confront the conversations they dread the most, what works?

Difficult Conversations walks you through a proven, concrete, step-by-step approach for understanding and conducting tough conversations. It shows you how to get ready, how to start the conversations in ways that reduce defensiveness, and how to keep the conversation on a constructive track regardless of how the other person responds.

Whether you're dealing with your baby-sitter or biggest client, your boss or your brother-in-law, Difficult Conversations can help.
... Read more

Reviews (73)

Difficult Conversions
Stone, Patton and Bruce have written a very useful and critical work on the dynamics of all conversations - the ones we've had and regret; the ones we don't have, because they seem too risky; and the ones we need to have to enhance our personal and professional relationships. They argue that there are three categories of conversations, which encompass every aspect of what transpires in our daily exchanges. They are: (1) The "what happened?" conversation (2) The feelings conversation and (3) The identity conversation. We can become more skilled and efficient in our conversations, if we begin to check our often flawed assumptions about what happened, how we're feeling and how our self-perceptions impact our understanding of what others say. Typically, we assume we are right and others are wrong, we assume the intentions of others, we don't treat feelings as facts, and we associate our identities too closely with the contexts of specific conflicts. To have productive difficult conversations, we need to change the way we talk to ourselves and how we approach our communications with others.

One can't help wondering, however, if the only people reading this book are already self-actualized or so well on their way that they are, in fact, the best communicators among us. The authors' failed to address the lingering doubt left with the critical, reflective reader: that most difficult conversations are the fruits of difficult people, who, unless they read this book, have little capacity or motivation to be anything but difficult. In any case, Difficult Conversations is mostly devoted to explaining and analyzing the three conversations and how one can use these categories to have more productive exchanges. The book has many useful graphic organizers, including a checklist and a roadmap for engaging in difficult conversations.

In effect, Stone and his colleagues argue that we must shift from a perspective of "knowing" to "learning". Meaningful conversations can take place when we don't permit our assumptions to rule the moment, rather when we take control by being curious, open, and self-aware. To find out what happened, we need to explore each other's stories, separate intent from impact, abandon the blame framework, and to consider all conflicts as a system ("the contribution system"), to which every party has contributed in some way. They argue that the blame framework is a clue that feelings are playing a significant role in a conflict. Feelings often get translated into judgements, attributions, characterizations, or solutions. The key to managing feelings is to treat them as facts by acknowledging them, and considering how they are part of the problem and exploring them fully. All too often our feelings emerge from the sense that our identity is somehow at stake. Most of us frame our identities around one or all of three core themes: competence, virtue, or worthiness. When we feel any of these is questioned, we revert to fight or flight. We can best manage the identity issue by understanding ourselves as complex, by knowing we make mistakes, by acknowledging that our intentions are not simple, and by recognizing that all parties contribute to problems. The "learning" must begin within ourselves before we can understand issues or problems with others.

We can affect our own conversational "learning" by engaging in "the third story" conversation, which requires us to consider how a third party would describe and analyze the situation. This sets up a process of internal dialogue, which is necessary to check our own perceptions, feelings, and interests. Further, the authors encourage listening from the inside out, speaking for yourself, and taking the initiative. While the book combines theory, examples, and description, it is also a very handy guide to improving one's communication style in the workplace or at home.

very highly recommended
When I first picked up this book, I wasn't very optimistic about its content. I've got a rather solid background in conflict resolution and communication, have even taught courses in listening and small group communication. I assumed the book would be more of the same -- here's where you should nod, here's how you reflect, etc.

I was pleased to find that I had misjudged the authors. Reading this book and truly incorporating its advice and philosophies can be a life-changing experience. The content here goes beyond technique and finds firm ground (surprisingly) in speaking about inner issues that arise during difficult conversations -- and it manages to do so without coming off as didactic or flakey. In fact, I would have to say that this is the first "self-help" book that didn't make me a little squirmy and rebellious -- I soaked up the information and found myself relying on the content in real life on a daily basis, and right away.

I also have found myself evangelizing the book to a great extent, and have recommended it to friends I know who are having difficulty with family members, bosses, their children their neighbors -- as well as to a number of my clients who have expressed difficulty in managing up and/or down.

There's something of value for just about anyone here -- even if you are already well-versed in communication and negotiation skills.

Concepts and techniques that work
I find this book to be helpful because I have had a life-long struggle with difficult conversations. The section about understanding what is said and unsaid is a key piece of information which has given me greater awareness. The procedures require commitment and practice. Don't expect to get it right the first time or every time. I put an extra piece of information into practice every few days. I would also recommend another book, Crucial Conversations for another perspective on emotionally charged conversations, and Optimal Thinking: How To Be Your Best Self to learn how to make the most of any situation.

Too obvious...what we need is a difficult relationships book
The stuff in this book should be obvious to most reasonable people. If you're having problems at this level, you still have a long way to go in terms of dealing with truly difficult situations. Seeing so many people liking books like this gets me worried... (Is it just me who feels like I'm back in kindergarten when I take these corporate self improvement classes (come on, be honest now).)

If you can generally gather the gumption to talk with people through awkward issues, this book will not help.

My really difficult issues in life are with severely complexed people who are either defensive to the point of being anti-social or with those who never learned the skill to listen. You know people like this, right? Their bad behavior inevitably drives away their friends and they often have trouble with their other family members.

I'm not saying that I'm always in the right when having difficult conversations with people like this. What I struggle with is dealing with really hard headed people, and this book only belabors obvious points like "there are two sides to every story" and "you have to try to stay reasonable if you care to get through".

Everything in the book is good, if that's what you want to learn about. I just found it too obvious, and it assumes the case where the other person is a relatively well adjusted person.

"A Dangerous book in the hands of morons"! (NY, USA)
Well the reviewer has got a great sense of humour! I was laughing my a*se off!

It sems so many people do not practice what they preach. This guy's bosses whoever they are or were seem to have 'lost the plot'.

Isn't it strange that the 'Golden Rule' in business I was taught is not often used. It is as my Mum still says, "Do as you would be done by". Very simple but common sense is not usually common action!

My invitation to this person is please make contact with me as I have some questions I'd like the writer to answer before I buy the book! Dear Amazon.com, can you arrange that? Give the writer my e-mail address please. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Great before an interview!!!!
I purchased and read this book a couple of years ago, only a few days before interviewing for a promotion at work. It caught my attention from the beginning and I couldn't put it down. During the interviewing process I answered many of the questions from info. that I had read out of (Becoming a Person of Influence.) I feel it was a major part of my getting the promotion. There were two others being interviewed that already had titles above mine and later ended up working for me. I have since purchased a number of copies of this book. I give one out to every new employee I hire, in which I'm putting in a supervisory role. It is an inspirational book along with educatinal. I would recommend it to anyone in a leadership role, work or otherwise. It is also a good rescource to go back & review now and then. It helps you stay on track as a supervisor or manager in business.

Life time guidance on how to influence people effectively
I bought this book about 3 weeks ago. Once I started reading this book, I know I can't stop reading it until I reach the final page.

In this book, John taught me on how to relate myself to others effectively. It is like I am going through a self-discovery session on some very basic elemments in human relations.

In this book John has challenged us on how to achieve Pareto Optimality in forming human relationship with one another. He doesn't leave us just as that. He has underlined the principles for all of us to refer to as at when the situation requires us to do so.

John's principles must be put into practise as the benefits are enormous not only to the practitioners but the recipients as well. I am convinced regardless of what field a person is in, this book will be a useful guidance.

Look for his other books, don't buy this one
Please consider my suggestion before you decide to buy this book.
I recommend you consider buying his other two books instead of this one.
"The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership"
"The 21 Most Powerful Minutes In A Leader's Day"

|-POSITIVE-|
I can't say anything positive about this book, I was shocked to see this author repeat same information written in other Maxwell books.

|-NEGATIVE-|
I read 5 of his books on leadership, and they all share very similar information. If you read his other books, you will not find any new ideas here. This book badly repeats what's in his other books, and its written by some guy Jim. The writing style of his other books are much better as well. I advice that you don't buy it, just look into his other books I mentioned above.

Irresistibe Approach!
Maxwell's Book is a no doubt a unique approach towards creating an irresistible personality empowering impact on others through Influence. The author offers ready reckoner tips with simple ways to influence others through positive interaction and attitude to boost up the image. Worksheets at the end of the book are great insights to put theory into practice. It sure has leadership tactics of nurturing others and having faith in people who are on the roll. Understanding is the key towards healthy relations and developing leaders. Listenening method has a proven effect of influencing others. The author suggests serving sub-ordinates and impressing them with influence to get the better results and become a person of integrity. Influencing is an art and no wonder, this comes with a positive attitude and a positive approach, anyways. A good pick.

Good Read, Would Like to Have Seen More Biblical Examples
Maxwell's book is filled with many excellent suggestions, including how to:

1. Nurture others
2. Understand others
3. Reproduce leaders
4. Developing leaders
5. Become a person of integrity
6. Mentor others
7. Listen to others and actually increase your influence.

Maxwell clearly states that integrity is the key to leadership. He also spends time on how true leaders are to spend time positively impacting others instead of clamoring for attention and personal power over others (if you want to be a true leader, learn to serve others).

However, I must honestly say that I would have liked to have seen more examples of biblical characters in leadership roles mentioned. As a Christian, I like to see see how relevant the Bible is to everyday living (including leadership). Since Maxwell is a pastor, he is well qualified to share from the Bible and his own ministerial experiences on principles of leadership.

All in all, a good read with many good summaries of improving leadership qualities. However, if you are looking for a book with more mention of biblical examples (Moses, Noah, Abraham, David, etc.), I suggest Henry and Richard Blackaby's "Spiritual Leadership". ... Read more

Book Description

The 1990s were some of the most prosperous years the U.S. has ever seen. From the booming stock market, to falling mortgage rates, to the reemergence of America as the premier global economic superpower, it has been an unparalleled period of prosperity. Harry Dent was one of the few economics who saw it coming.

According Dent, The Roaring 2000s will be a period of unprecedented opportunity for investors and entrepreneurs. Based on rock-solid historical information and research, Dent offers detailed investment strategies to help you exploit the coming boom.

With The Roaring 2000s Wealth Builder, you'll learn about future trends in the job market, technology, demographics, and real estate. You'll learn about the next great population migration and how the Information Age is engendering radically different business and organizational structures. And you'll learn exactly what you can do to obtain financial security through these changes so that you can create the lifestyle for you and your family that will provide balance, luxury and peace of mind. ... Read more

Book Description

Access Your Genius Potential

The world's foremost producer of personal development and motivational audio programs now gives you the inside look at techniques to improve the way you learn.

Science has suggested that the human mind has an almost infinite potential for learning and processing information. The problem has always been in accessing this incredible power. Accelerated Learning Techniques tells you how. Based on Nobel Prize-winning research, the cutting-edge methods revealed here can make a dramatic difference to you and your family, virtually guaranteeing success at work and school. For this is the ideal learning program, enabling you to identify and use your own unique way of learning, unleashing the power of your whole brain.

In Accelerated Learning Techniques, best-selling author, Brian Tracy and internationally renowned learning expert Colin Rose reveal, step-by-step, how to:

• Make the most of your natural abilities

• Convert theoretical data into useful knowledge

• Improve your memory

• Turn speed reading into power reading

• Write and communicate on paper more effectively

Unleash the power of better learning within you -- listen to Accelerated Learning Techniques today. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Clear and persuasive
I own and have listened to the tape twice.

To me, the key benefits are:
* The learning system is comprehensive.
* Brian's voice is attractive, the approach is straightforward and easy to listen to.
* The materials are clear and persuasive.
* The music between each piece of recording is stimulating and entertaining (hence easy to absorb the materials).

By the way, I am wondering what Brian will do for young children to guide them towards success and happiness. I am a parent of two and would like to hear something from Brian. Thank you.

Thumbs Down
Though there are a few interesting tips, the tape is boring and useless. I would not buy it again.

Powerful and practical steps to help you learn
This book gives you practical steps to help you: really learn and master a topic, thoroughly memorize information, speed read while retaining the content, etc.

I had never heard of a some of the techniques such as mapping.

I am going to teach this to my wife and eventually to my children (when they start reading).

Solid entry level overview
I have listened to Brian Tracy's tapes and read his books many times over the past years and this tape set is a useful addition to his set.

It covers many of the topics touched on in some of his other works but this brings it all together in one spot with the addition of a number of new good practices.

A useful addition to my 4 wheeled university.

Excellent resource
The audiotape provides a good overview of accelrated learning techniques. Students and professionals alike will benefit. ... Read more

Book Description

Read by the author
Four Cass, 6 hrs.

Accessible, pragmatic, and comprehensive, THE ROAD TO WEALTH imparts information critical to every stage of listeners' financial lives. Whether one is a novice investor or a veteran of the market, whether laying the building blocks for a rich future or seeking comfort during the retirement years, THE ROAD TO WEALTH has the answers. With her unique grasp of the life of money and the role money plas in listeners' lives, Suze Orman has compiles an invaluable resource of practical financial information. ... Read more

Reviews (56)

Financial answers for the rest of us.
The book provides us with a wealth of practical financial answers in a very sound, straightforward, honest, and easy-to-understand language. The core emphasis of the book is to help you create a strong, debt-free foundation to amassing assets and protecting them in periods of economic downturn; from buying a home to providing for loved ones; from investing with confidence and navigating the markets in good times and bad to securing reliable income for our later years. If you are interested or have any of these financial needs you need this valuable book. This is a book designed to help you take action-wherever you are in your life and whatever your needs. If you think all the advice you need is from your local bank then you have obviously missed the boat.

FinanacialNeeds.com

The Road to Wealth
The Road to Wealth by Suze Orman was extremely informational. Being 18 and very new to the world of finance I learned a lot from reading it. The way the book is set up in a question and answer format makes it easy to read on specific subjects. It would be a good idea to keep a copy in your house. That way you could read the different chapters as they apply to your life. I liked the section about paying for college best because I have to pay my own way through college, so it gave me some helpful tips. The Road to Wealth covers a wide variety of finance subjects all of which could be helpful at many different points in one's life. It covers everything from how to prepare yourself financially for when you retire to making out a will. I would recommend this book especially for people who haven't experienced much financially. It is a great way to learn about many different aspects of the financial world.

Ten stars and her best book
I own a few of her books and this is the best in many ways. Ever wish that some financial advisor would answer your question? The question that either never gets asked or the writer runs out of space before the book is done and your question is missed?

Well, this almost 700 page gem not only answers in a Question and Answer mode literally thousands of questions but does so on subjects that cover managing debt, home ownership, insurance and paying for college. To retirement concerns and stock, mutual funds and annuities. And a topic many people put off discussing, wills and trusts.

You also get her newsletter FREE when you buy the book. I really appreciate her chapter on Money and Intimacy which basically covers the things that cause problems in a marriage when it comes to money. One person spends to much and one person is afraid to spend much at all. And she covers the subject of bankruptcy which is something that seems to be happening so much these days. She also discusses issues that are very 2002, like same sex unions and live in partners and how to protect ones assets.

This is a good book to have in ones library and I think it is one I will be giving to my local library because it is the best on the subject in my opinion. Sort of an encyclopedia of financial Q and A.

Follow Suze to YOUR Road to Wealth!
I have to admit that I didn't like this book all that much when it first came out. So I didn't buy it when it was originially released.

Several weeks back while browsing my favorite book store, I cam across this book now in paperback, noticed it was updated and revised from the original version and found some good info that I had missed earlier.

Anxiously I took the book home and placed post it notes throughout the book to areas that applied to me. I was able to make substantial savings especially in the areas of insurance and credit card debt. I also started investing in my company's 401 (k) plan and am taking advantage of Pres. Bush's generous IRA provisions contributing the maximum to both retirement plans. Thank you Pres. Bush!

Overall, this is one of the best financial books that I have ever read. It is very complete and also very well organized.

I also recommend Suze's newest book The Laws of Money, also now available in paperback.

Thank you Suze Orman!

A Wealth of Infomation
My father recommended that I read this book, as he is a director of property tax and works in the business and finance world every day. I was scared at first at the size of the book, but it is actually very easy to understand and a great reference book.
It has a convenient question-and-answer type format that allows the reader to peruse over various topics, or to narrow in on one in particular.
I was greatly surprised at the immense amount of information that this book contains. Everything from the emotions of divorce and how it affects to finances to how to pay for college is covered throughout the pages.
I would highly recommend that this book be found in every household, as it is would be an excellent source to turn to with many small questions- about wills, investing, and any other sort of monetary question.
On a final note- Suze Orman also has her own tv show that is quite interesting and information as well. Just like the book, it is also not boring, but rather takes tough subjects and make them seem easy! ... Read more

Book Description

"Most books make promises. This one delivers. These skills have not only helped us to change the culture of our company, but have also generated new techniques for working together in ways that enabled us to win the largest contract in our industry's history."--Dain M. Hancock, President, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics

A powerful, seven-step approach to handling difficult conversations with confidence and skill

"Crucial" conversations are interpersonal exchanges at work or at home that we dread having but know we cannot avoid. How do you say what needs to be said while avoiding an argument with a boss, child, or relationship partner? Crucial Conversations offers readers a proven seven-point strategy for achieving their goals in all those emotionally, psychologically, or legally charged situations that can arise in their professional and personal lives. Based on the authors' highly popular DialogueSmart training seminars, the techniques are geared toward getting people to lower their defenses, creating mutual respect and understanding, increasing emotional safety, and encouraging freedom of expression. Among other things, readers also learn about the four main factors that characterize crucial conversations, and they get a powerful six-minute mastery technique that prepares them to work through any highimpact situation with confidence.

Reviews (48)

Outstanding tool that gets results!
As a coach to both individuals and groups, I see the very costly problems in the workplace that result from the important conversations that are not occurring because they are too hard or scary. The cost includes harm to relationships, careers and the bottom line. Both executives and high performance teams have been derailed by not addressing the dead elephants in the room. Crucial Conversations is absolutely the best book on the subject of difficult and critical communication. The book is very well organized, presenting clear steps to create an environment in which the hard conversation can happen. There are so many tools in this book that if it were not so well organized and presented in stages, the reader would be overwhelmed. The authors handle this very well - you can tell there was experience and expertise in adult learning informing the structure of the book. Why my clients and I become so excited about the book is its immediate results. You can start using the concepts and skills before you have finished the book! The foundations of making the environment safe - even for someone you may not like or respect is particularly effective. I have been very pleased with the results I have experienced - as well as my clients. Every leader should have this book on their bookshelf!

A bonus to readers is the continued support from the authors on their website described in the book. There is a wealth of additional information, interactive reviews, assessments and even video vignettes that illustrate the learning points with relevance and humor. For those truly smitten, there are training courses available to assist in obtaining personal mastery or even to teach the material if desired. I recommend this book and Primal Leadership to top-level executives in the federal government and private sector. I, and they, have never been disappointed at the difference it has made. Enjoy!

Crucial Conversations - Crucial Results
I have read Crucial Conversations cover to cover 4 times now. The results in my business and my marriage have been amazing. The book is well written and easy to understand. It teaches step by step skills to help you master the content. Before reading this book, I thought influential people possessed a natural ability to effectively handle conflict. After reading the book, I now realize that there are specific skill sets that anyone can learn (and master) to effectively deal with these "High Stake," "Strong Emotions," and "Opposing Opinion" conversations.

My confidence and productivity has increased in every area of my life (My business has increased by 30%-50% since I read the book the first time) and I am now effectively handling conversations with my wife that once caused constant upset.

I would recommend this book for anyone 1) wanting increased results and 2) willing to have a profound breakthrough in how they communicate. It has made a profound difference for me.

Packed With Knowledge!
Wanna argue? Nope. Then you need Kerry Patterson and his co-writers, who describe techniques for effective negotiation and conflict resolution in the context of important, potentially life-changing conversations. Examples include talking yourself into a promotion, bringing up important information at meetings and working out problems with your spouse. Some tips will sound familiar, such as knowing what you really want and being open to alternatives. However, the book also highlights some themes that are often forgotten in negotiations, such as making it safe for others to express their true feelings and desires. The authors explain how to avoid getting forced into false either-or choices and tell you how to remain alert for unstated alternatives or possibilities. This lively book includes many examples drawn from business and personal relationships. We recommend it in particular to those are new to negotiations and conflict resolution, though it teaches solid skills that any manager - or any marriage partner, for that matter - could benefit from mastering.

Excellent content, illustrated with clear diagrams
I bought this book after I heard Dr. Glickman, the author of Optimal Thinking-How To Be Your Best Self, recommend it during an Optimal Thinking seminar. When I read that Dr. Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, recommended this book too I knew that this was going to be a life-changing book for me. I was right. This book has given me a formula for handling myself and others correctly during tough interactions. I am embarrassed to admit that I sometimes yelled and degraded people when I did not get what I wanted from them. Now I use optimal thinking to put my best self in charge, start with heart, look for safety problems, make it safe, retrace my path, and take the other steps recommended in this book. The steps are simple and clear. I am not perfect at them yet, and might never be, but I have already come a long way. You can't go wrong with this book, so press the "Buy" button right now, and if you want to optimize your effectiveness in all areas of life, buy the other books I mentioned.

Very basic common sense!
I was lead to believe there would be some ground beaking information in this book but it's really just common sense. I think everyone knows, when they're thinking straight, that just being true to yourself, honest, and respectfull of other people while holding to your point of view is the only way to truly get things done. And this is basically all this book says. ... Read more

Amazon.com

What do you do after you've written the No. 1 bestseller The Millionaire Next Door? Survey 1,371 more millionaires and write The Millionaire Mind. Dr. Stanley's extremely timely tome is a mixture of entertaining elements. It resembles Regis Philbin's hit show (and CD-ROM game) Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, only you have to pose real-life questions, instead of quizzing about trivia. Are you a gambling, divorce-prone, conspicuously consuming "Income-Statement Affluent" Jacuzzi fool soon to be parted from his or her money, or a frugal, loyal, resole your shoes and buy your own groceries type like one of Stanley's "Balance-Sheet Affluent" millionaires? "Cheap dates," millionaires are 4.9 times likelier to play with their grandkids than shop at Brooks Brothers. "If you asked the average American what it takes to be a millionaire," he writes, "they'd probably cite a number of predictable factors: inheritance, luck, stock market investments.... Topping his list would be a high IQ, high SAT scores and gradepoint average, along with attendance at a top college." No way, says Stanley, backing it up with data he compiled with help from the University of Georgia and Harvard geodemographer Jon Robbin. Robbin may wish he'd majored in socializing at L.S.U., instead, because the numbers show the average millionaire had a lowly 2.92 GPA, SAT scores between 1100 and 1190, and teachers who told them they were mediocre students but personable people. "Discipline 101 and Tenacity 102" made them rich. Stanley got straight C's in English and writing, but he had money-minded drive. He urges you to pattern your life according to Yale professor Robert Sternberg's Successful Intelligence, because Stanley's statistics bear out Sternberg's theories on what makes minds succeed--and it ain't IQ.

Besides offering insights into millionaires' pinchpenny ways, pleasing quips ("big brain, no bucks"), and 46 statistical charts with catchy titles, Stanley's book booms with human-potential pep talk and bristles with anecdotes--for example, about a bus driver who made $3 million, a doctor (reporting that his training gave him zero people skills) who lost $1.5 million, and a loser scholar in the bottom 10 percent on six GRE tests who grew up to be Martin Luther King Jr. Read it and you'll feel like a million bucks. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Reviews (153)

Profound
This work is a Charter Member of my Self-Help Collection.
If you haven't read or heard it yet, then you are probably
still in the process of getting to where you want to be, rather than
WHERE you actually want to be.

The wisdom is profound, not just as it relates to money, but
in the way it clues you into the lifestyle choices that help
people get ahead instead of getting tied down or held down.
In my personal life, I considered the information in these CD's
very carefully while making my decision of who to marry -- and it's working out just great!

There are a number of KEY books that helped me to develop
the best aspects of myself as a man and as a person. This
book is a classic member of that collection. It is timeless,
universal, and very entertaining.

Other books and self-help products which are on par with this book are:

NEW SEX NOW: Life's Ultimate Pleasure DVD
Giant Steps
RICH DAD, POOR DAD
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Self Matters
7 Spiritual Laws of Success
Ageless Mind, Timeless Body
THE 4 AGREEMENTS
The Power of Concentration
GODDESS WORSHIP dvd

I believe that anyone who wants to be a great person would do well to study all of the above very sincerely.

The really rich are different from us
They work hard, they save, they find chances to earn more money, and they are frugal.This is a great book to figure out what they know that we don't know and to correct that problem.

The Millionaire Mind by Thomas J. Stanley.

The author of The Millionaire Mind, Thomas J. Stanley, provides the reader with a well researched study of wealthy people in the USA.He interviewed many millionaires who told him how they achieved their millionaire status in one generation. Their stories are enlightening and inspired me as I increase my economic productivity to become a millionaire in the next few years.

The book teaches about the key success factors for achieving millionaire status, that includes hard work, integrity and focus. The lack of a sound academic background should not be a barrier to economic success. Readers are urged to have the courage to take some financial risk and learn to overcome setbacks in their career or business. Having a vocation that one loves and is unique and profitable is a key to economic success. The author advises readers to be careful when choosing their spouses. Most millionaires have honest, responsible, loving, capable and supportive spouses. Millionaires operate economically productive households where there is, for example, preference for repairing or refurbishing rather than buying new items. When selecting a home, millionaires study, research and negotiate aggressively. Millionaires have a balanced lifestyle and are "cheap dates".

I aspire to join the elite club of millionaires. The book provided me with the information I needed to learn how some people become millionaires whilst others, with excellent academic qualifications and high paying jobs, fail to achieve economic and financial success. I have always felt that I was unique and that I am on the right track to become a millionaire in the future. The course confirms some positive things I do on my way to becoming a millionaire. The book also enlightened me on areas I need to improve to achieve my goal of becoming an economic and financial success.

Fantastic book, a little repetitive
"The Millionaire Mind" is a great book about the lives of actually millionaires, not the people who look like millionaires but have nothing in the bank account.The questionnaires that are returned from these millionaires reveal that they in fact did not do fantastic in school, they don't spend excessively, they spend their time shopping for investments and getting investment advice, and they work excessively hard at a job that they love to do.

"The Millionaire Mind" takes a very mathematical approach, just like "The Millionaire Next Door".However I found "The Millionaire Mind" to be much more readable as Thomas Stanley does a better job of writing up the correlations and summaries.The amount of data included with the book is quite impressive and very useful.

I really enjoyed learning about how millionaires overcome their fears lead frugal lifestyles.I was equally impressed by the spouse chapter which talked about what factors are important in spouses.Plus the overall theme of the book was that millionaires work very hard at their job, but they absolutely love their job.

Despite being a great book, I found Stanley to be very repetitive.I really thought this 400 page book could have easily been 300 pages if you cut out of the repetition.Additionally I would have liked a glossary of definitions in the back of the book as some of the statistical jargon can be confusing at times.

Overall, the book is fantastic.The summaries that come out of the book are incredibly useful and anyone wanting to learn how to build wealth should pick up this book.4 out of 5 stars.

Big Hat No Cattle Part II
Basically more of the millionaire next door with more statistics and better stories.Stanley breaks down the millionaires along racial groups, occupations, types of businesses, the vehicles they drive, how most married well, and their stablility, etc.There is also a forumula for determining if you are on your way to being a millionaire...basically you don't have to have a lot of expensive looking assets to be considered rich.The formula can determine if you're well on your way to making the most of what you got.No hype here, just practical research on the small few, who are easy to spot and easy to emulate once you know what to look for.... ... Read more

Book Description

IBM and the Holocaust is the stunning story of IBM's strategic alliance with Nazi Germany — beginning in 1933 in the first weeks that Hitler came to power and continuing well into World War II. As the Third Reich embarked upon its plan of conquest and genocide, IBM and its subsidiaries helped create enabling technologies, step-by-step, from the identification and cataloging programs of the 1930s to the selections of the 1940s. ... Read more

Reviews (54)

A Detailed But Imperfect Examination of Organizing Genocide
Other reviewers have already pointed out that, contrary to the book's title, in the 1930s and 40s IBM was not "America's most powerful corporation." Edwin Black admits that "the dynamics and context of IBM's alliance with Nazi Germany changed throughout the 12-year Reich"; indeed, the book shows that the firm's German subsidiary Dehomag was trying to break free from its parent early in World War II, that the Nazis were trying to build their own automation center of excellence based on the French firm Bull and others, and that IBM executives likely knew little of Dehomag's involvement in the Nazi concentration camp system.

However, the most interesting part of the book for many readers is not the relations between IBM, Dehomag, and the Nazi regime, but how punch-card automation technology, the precursor to modern computing, supported the Nazi policies of persecution and extermination and the German war effort. Dehomag's IBM-designed Hollerith machines were found in government ministries throughout Nazi-occupied Europe and in the Labor Service Office in each concentration camp.

Black shows how the Holleriths were used to support Nazi policies from the initial census to identify the German Jewish population to supporting the Final Solution. As he states, "People and asset registration was only one of the many uses Nazi Germany found for high-speed data sorters. Food allocation was organized around databases, allowing Germany to starve the Jews. Slave labor was identified, tracked and managed largely through punch cards. Punch cards even made the trains run on time and cataloged their human cargo." One of Dehomag's directors, Edmund Veesenmayer, acted as a Nazi troubleshooter in southeastern Europe and participated in the deportation of Serbian, Slovakian and Hungarian Jews.

Black states up front that genocide would have taken place without IBM technology. However, automation played a crucial role in murdering so many millions of Jews, members of other ethnic groups, political prisoners, Christians, and homosexuals. Black compares the highly automated Netherlands, where 73% of the Jewish population was killed, with France, which was poorly automated and whose census head was working secretly for the Resistance, resulting in the deaths of 25% of French Jews.

Holleriths also scheduled movements of troops and war materiel throughout Europe, organized military manpower, and tracked aircraft sorties, ammunition useage, and other vital statistics.

While Dehomag was meeting the automation needs of the Axis, IBM's own Holleriths were supporting the Allied war effort. This included the detailed US Strategic Bombing Survey conducted at the end of the war, at the same time as IBM officials returned to Europe to reclaim Dehomag's machines and the profits made from Nazism.

Canadian philosopher Mark Kingwell notes that Nazism, with its "mass manipulation, armored Panzer divisions and systematic racial murder", marks an apotheosis of the "peculiar logic of techno-modernity". IBM and the Holocaust contributes to our understanding of totalitarianism and technology, although this topic awaits a definitive treatment.

THINK about it!
An exceptional book!!! Hidden profits, endless patent infringement litigation, inappropriate dealings with government officials, and ultimate re-assimilation of subsidiaries and their blood-tainted earnings from blocked accounts all combine to portray a company that not only destroyed its competition, but actively assisted the Nazis in automating their establishments (census bureaus, railroads, SS offices, and concentration camps, to name a few) which colluded in the extermination of millions of Jews, gypsies, and social undesirables. Moreover, unlike such companies as Ford and Standard Oil that simply sold a product, IBM leased its Holleriths and had a vested interest in keeping the equipment functioning and the royalties flowing, providing the Nazis with on-site service and maintenance visits as well as specially-tailored punch card supplies throughout much of the war. A must read for anyone who is interested in the tragic consequences that occur when corporate and national self-interest collide.

First Rate Research--Even a Widget has its Evil Side
Who would have anticipated that a speedy card-sorter, the Hollerith machine, would evolve into a tool of one of the most evil schemes of all time? Yet, this patented machine, devised by a little-known man of German descent, made it possible to conduct a census in a short time period, and turned counting into a tool useful on a mass scale. Black's book is a page-burner, containing information that will surprise the reader paragraph by paragraph. In my generation, the "Do Not Spindle, Fold, or Mutilate" written on each IBM punchcard was the introduction to the computer and information age (and often the butt of jokes). A scant 25 to 30 years earlier, similar punch cards became the currency on which the Holocaust was based. A truly groundbreaking piece of research that, fortunately, has already appeared in German translation. In the days where vast amounts of personal information are being reduced to a series of ones and zeros carried electronically and stored digitally, this saga may be the harbinger of horrors much worse than were conceived by the progenitors of the 1000-year Reich. We should pay close attention to the uses of such personal information, lest humans lose complete control of their humanity. Here we find a true fable (that's an oxymoron) with much more to teach than Aesop could have imagined.

A Sober, Courageous Look at IBM's Sordid WW II Past
To what end should profit be more important than morality? This is the main question readers should ask after reading Edwin Black's thoughtful, thorough look at IBM's economic history with Nazi Germany before - and especially, during - World War II. Although Black is not the most lyrical of writers, he does make a very persuasive case for IBM's primary role in mechanizing Hitler's Holocaust agains the Jews, Gypsies and other racial, religious and sexual minorities in Nazi-occupied Europe. One important unanswered question from World War II has been the extent of IBM's involvement in Nazi genocide; judging from Black's evidence that involvement was substantial, to say the least. Indeed, it is Black's premise that IBM's counting machines made it possible for Germany to perfect the crime of genocide as a mere matter of industrial mechanization. Black shows how IBM's Hollerith counting machines were used to identify, round up, and then deport hundreds of thousands of Jews from Poland to Holland into the Nazi regime's nightmarish network of labor and death camps.

Black's book is also a fascinating look into corporate politics. One wonders how much IBM's New York office knew of its German affiliate's activities. Without gaining access to IBM's archives, Black shows that IBM was aware and choose not to know, concerning itself only with the profits earned by Dehomag, its German affiliate, throughout Nazi-occupied Europe.

Gripping, Chilling Documentation IBM Complicity
I am astonished that Holocaust research has advanced so far and no one has yet detailed or even mentioned the involvement of IBM in organizing the Holocaust--from identification to extermination, 1933 to 1945. Not until IBM and the Holocaust. Author Edwin Black has produced a powerful, gripping, chilling and magnificently documented volume. The correspondance of IBM officials juxtaposed against NYT headlines offers a horrid insight into their mindsets as they were designing applications to further oppress the Jews and help Hitler conquer Europe. The author's website is filled with worldwide praise for this work, and yet it stands alone. I can find no other follow-up volumes to this excellent book. ... I cannot recommend enough this important achievement. ... Read more

Book Description

Suze Orman, America's most trusted personal finance expert, gives you the guidance that will point you in the right direction every time you need to make a decision about your money.

Like a compass, the laws of money directs you to safety, security, and prosperity. They give you the ability to define your financial destiny and guide it with your own hands, so you can hold on to what you have and create what you deserve.

These laws are as timeless as they are timely. The Laws of Money, The Lessons of Life provides you with the solid financial foundation upon which you can stand, regroup, and build.

• Law Number 1. Truth Creates Money, Lies Destroy It.
• Law Number 2. Look at What You Have, Not at What You Had.
• Law Number 3. Do What Is Right for You, Before You Do What Is Right for Your Money.
• Law Number 4. Invest in the Known Before the Unknown.
• Law Number 5. Always Remember: Money Has No Power of Its Own.

Reviews (47)

I'm good enough, smart enough, and doggonit people like me!
This book is great for people who are inexperienced in handling finances. Suze lays forth ideology that should be followed if you are interested in having a good retirement and being able to provide for your family in the future. Many of the ideas presented in this book she states over and over again on her CNBC program The Suze Orman Show.

Some of the thinking put forth is plain common sense - such as realizing the damage that could result from building a high credit card debt. Some parts cause you to think about the financial implications beyond the obvious - such as the additional costs of owning a home.

Suze's books are geared towards individuals unfamiliar with the world of finance; people who shy away from words like "investing" and "interest rates". If you are starting off your life and intend to plan a financially prosperous future, definitely read this book. It could save much hardship in the future by giving you something to follow when making a major purchase such as a home, car, or college. It will help you plan your retirement. I would not recommend this book if you are financially competent and want to take your investments to the next level, such as diving into the stock market.

The additional pages in the back for writing notes and completing "exercises" did not intrigue me. But overall, the book was well written and Suze was able to bring her own personal parables into the book, making it an interesting read.

Extremely Helpful and Readable
Suze's book is full of hard hitting honesty, not only in her personal tidbits, but in providing the advice you need to follow in order to your financial life in order. Her laws are simple, but deeply thought out and when you read the book and really realize what the laws mean, you can easily relate them and apply them to your life. I understand that Suze may appear to be a marketing machine, but as someone who has met her, I can attest that she is genuine and truly cares about helping people gain control of their finances and get out of debt. After all, the cover price of this book is much cheaper in the long run than paying for advice from a random financial advisor. Suze has proven herself, time and time again, to be a savvy, smart, helpful resource for people who are willing to take the time to read her books and apply the lessons within to their own lives. This book is by far her best one yet and I believe it will quickly become a classic resource for anyone needing a solid finance guide.

"Truth creates money. Lies destroy it."
This book challenges the reader to seek honesty and reality in their investing; the book challenges the reader to find out where they are (realistically), what they want to achieve, and then make an honest and realistic financial plan to accomplish the changes. This is really the essence of the present book.

You need to construct an honest and realistic plan with good investment vehicles. So this book has a lot of the normal sound advise that people give but it has a series of questions and work sheets to you to construct a plan and to do some self examination - the closest thing to having the author actually there as a personal consultant.

I think this is one of her better books and cuts right to the core of the whole savings and planning approach.

Jack in Toronto

Packed With Knowledge!
Amid the slew of personal finance books on the market, Suze Orman's unique approach stands out. Although she has more than 20 years of financial experience and expertise, her books don't merely dispense advice from on high. Her monetary rules may be universal and timeless, but she describes them with the sympathetic voice of a best friend. Written in the aftermath of the collapse of the Internet bubble, her latest advice book aims to comfort shell-shocked investors who are facing huge losses. Orman's primary tactic is to remind readers that money is a means to an end, not an end in itself, and that decisions about money take place in a larger personal and spiritual context. To that end, a helpful workbook is included. We recommend this book to anyone who is wary of making financial decisions in today's unsettling market environment, as well as to those looking to sort out their financial priorities.

This is not going to be a popular review
Let me start off by saying that I respect Suze Orman and she has actually been of great help to me in understanding money. (See my "So you'd like to ... Save with Suze?" guide to the left of the page.) The main theme that runs through all of her works is that you define your money; your money does not define you. And I particularly appreciated THE LAWS OF MONEY, THE LESSONS OF LIFE for opening my eyes to the fact that financial power does not equal personal power. To the contrary, many wealthy people do not feel they have personal power. They feel trapped by their wealth (aw, what a burden that would be!) and are afraid to make their own decisions. So, Suze has been of great help to me in many regards, and I actually think of her every time I spend a dime of my own money.

On the other hand, I think that Suze Orman occasionally indulges in an incredibly simplistic view of money. Let's start with the first Law of Money she presents: "Truth creates money. Lies destroy it." Uh ... erm ... well ... this isn't exactly true if you look at the world from a historical perspective. Many wars have been founded on lies, with the result being great wealth to the lying victor and poverty to the conquered. There are too many examples in history for me to even choose just one. In other words, Suze loses me when she starts to try to fuse spirituality and economics. The underlying assumption of her work in this regard seems to suggest that if you are spiritually enlightened then you will always be financially sound; if you are plagued by financial problems then you are not as spiritually awakened as you could be. Take this logic a little further, and the assumption will be made that the rich are more spiritually aware than the poor. I don't think there's anything inherently unspiritual about being wealthy, nor do I believe that poor people are closer to God. I believe that economics plays no role in one's spiritual life. Suze presents a different view, often suggesting that we turn to God for financial advice.

Further, as an avid reader of the works of Noam Chomsky, I know that there is no such thing as free market capitalism. In UNDERSTANDING POWER, Noam Chomsky explains that on an economic level our system - and the system of just about all successful nations - is somewhere near fascism. He doesn't mean that all successful countries have gas chambers and concentration camps, but massive state intervention into the economy, and an economy kept stable by taxes. Chomsky elaborates to explain that what made the United States wealthy was the extermination of the indigenous population and the importation and use of Africans as slaves - which has nothing to do with free market capitalism. Chomsky says that textiles were the oil of that era. And in today's age, where oil is the main resource, oil prices are kept at an affordable level only by extreme international violence perpetrated by the United States government - which, again, has nothing to do with free market capitalism. Another interesting tidbit is that early in the 20th Century there was a movement throughout the United States to destroy public transportation and build highways, thus ensuring a huge market for oil in the US. Of course, the US consumes more oil than any other nation on earth. I realize now that Suze Orman's work is all based on the assumption that free market capitalism is very real, and that one need merely to open their eyes to the opportunities that are available. This is an incredibly naïve perspective. But it's inevitable that she would have this perspective because if she were to question or help the average person understand that our economic system is rigged, then she'd be out of a job. She'd never find a publisher, and no major network would allow her airtime.

So, to sum this up: Suze is of great help inasmuch as her advice to not gauge your self-worth on how much money you have, to not equate personal fortune with personal power. And she certainly knows her way around the economy as it is set up. But her approach is shallow and naïve when she attempts to teach about the nature of economics and to fuse spirituality and money.

And now you may commence with the neggies. ;)

Andrew Michael Parodi ... Read more

Book Description

Do you spend an abnormal amount of time hiding out in the bathroom or hanging out at the buffet table at social gatherings? Does the thought of striking up a conversation with a stranger make your stomach do flip-flops? Do you sit nervously through job interviews waiting for the other person to speak? Are you a "Nervous Ned" (or "Nervous Nellie") when it comes to networking? Then it's time you mastered The FINE Art of Small Talk.

With practical advice and conversation "cheat sheets," The FINE Art of Small Talk will help you learn to feel more comfortable in any type of social situation, from lunch with the boss to an association event to a cocktail party where you don't know a soul.

The Fine Art of Small Talk teaches you to:

*Start a conversation even when you think you have nothing to say
*Avoid foot-in-mouth disease
*Stable your shaky knees and dry your sweaty palms
*Prevent pregnant pauses and awkward silences
*Adopt listening skills that will make you a better conversationalist
*Approach social functions with confidence
*Feel more at ease at parties, meetings, job interviews, and trade shows
*Turn every conversation into an opportunity for success ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Easy and quickly adaptable for social party , dinner
At the same time, I have ordered Debra's tape, I have bought also 7 others books and video, audio tapes from others authors, on the same subject of conversation. Debra's tape , definitely appears to me, easy, confortable, to apply for any occasions to talk to people Her voice is very friendly and warm. I am so glad to have found Debra' audio tape. She gives , not only advice and techniques, but immediate examples of small talk for introducing yourself , with warmness and giving people the chance and the desire to develop conversation with you. Usually, when invited to dinner, or cocktails , or meeting , I go with the apprehension to meet new people , and to be in the situation of nothing to say , and to appear not interesting to be with.The days after listening to Debra's tape, I have the opportunity to apply in a dinner . I was the guest on a table of 12 persons that I did not know. The evening was lovely, because at last I could engage conversation with new people, as if we were friends. I feel much more confortable ,in such short time and I know that with more training with this tape, I will allow myself, for near future, to love meeting new people, as well as to talk friendly with my clients, my hairdresser, old friends... I really recommend this tape to who wishes to leave a positive impression.

Fianlly...help for the conversationally-challenged
The Fine Art of Small Talk is fantastic! Author Debra Fine gives wonderful ideas and tips for starting, maintaining and ending a conversati