Book Description

"Your customers are only satisfied because their expectations are so low and because no one else is doing better. Just having satisfied customers isn't good enough anymore. If you really want a booming business, you have to create Raving Fans."

This, in a nutshell, is the advice given to a new Area Manager on his first day--in an extraordinary business book that will help everyone, in every kind of organization or business, deliver stunning customer service and achieve miraculous bottom-line results.

Written in the parable style of The One Minute Manager, Raving Fans uses a brilliantly simple and charming story to teach how to define a vision, learn what a customer really wants, institute effective systems, and make Raving Fan Service a constant feature--not just another program of the month.

America is in the midst of a service crisis that has left a wake of disillusioned customers from coast to coast. Raving Fans includes startling new tips and innovative techniques that can help anyone create a revolution in any workplace--and turn their customers into raving, spending fans.

Reviews (65)

I'm a Raving Fan!
Kenneth Blanchard continues his trend of writing easy-to-read books with BIG ideas for making your business better. Raving Fans is a book of stories relating how fictional companies have created an environment of delivering awesome customer service. A guy that has just been put in a managment position requiring a turnaround goes on a fictional trip with his "angel" to visit businesses that have figured out their vision and their system to deliver customer service extraordinary. Based on three simple principles (Decide, Discover, Deliver), each company has created a group of Raving Fans (not just customers, but fans) who wouldn't consider shopping anywhere else for what one of these companies offers. Within each story is other nuggets of common sense and good ideas that can be implemented in any company that has customers and wants to create fans. We required our store managers to read the book and each created a list ranging from 20-40 points that they can put into effect at their stores to improve customer service. This is a simple, must-read for every business owner and manager.

Great Model for Approaching Perfection through Innovation
A major problem with most books on management processes is that that do too little to focus on how to make large amounts of progress beyond what is now done. Raving Fans is a big success in providing you with simple instructions for making large strides toward achievable perfection.

Imagining perfection is a critical first step to improvement, yet most people have never thought about what that could mean. Then testing that perfection with customers (and potential customers) must be done to be sure that there is a valid opportunity, and to be able to understand customers' ideas about achievable perfection. Then attaching the idea of continuous improvement toward that vision is also valuable, and useful. There are plenty of practical tips about how to do each part, which is key to making this book so valuable.

One of the reasons that I enjoy writing reviews about books on-line is that I can find a Raving Fans that agrees so much with my own perspective and research. This book will quickly get you past your Psychology of Disbelief, Bureaucracy, Procrastination, Communiation, and Ugly Duckling stalls.

Good for Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles . . . and good for you, too!

Fluffy
Way too fluffy. It should have been presented as a bulleted list, not a book. If you must get this book, I recommend the print version; Charlie's voice is quite annoying.

good concepts, juvenile delivery
The intellectual content of this little book could fit nicely and succinctly in a 500-1000 word magazine or journal venue. Instead, Blanchard sticks to the successful story telling formula that served him well in The One Minute Manager. The concepts are good, and I think their true value lies in their simplicity. They are easily understood and therefore should be easy to apply. Successful implementation may be another matter. If you agree with the concepts, and it's hard to see how you wouldn't, the actual book is a great tool to get them out to your people. The long narrative has the effect of beating the points into your head and the examples leave little to the imagination as to how the concepts can be fleshed out. I have found that people who last raved about Who Moved My Cheese also rave about this book. Those who don't care for this type of cutesy, least common denominator writing style will try to get through it as fast as possible and glean the concepts for further consideration afterwards. It can be read cover to cover in about an hour and a half at a pretty leisurely pace. Regardless of whether or not you like the style of the book I think you will find the concepts and down to earth examples good food for thought in your own enterprise.

Raving Fans
I really enjoyed reading this book. It is an easy read and contains some great fundamentals on providing excellent customer service. Readers who enjoy this book may also enjoy reading Time Management is an Oxymoron. ... Read more

Book Description

Electronic Commerce 2004 describes the essentials of electronic commerce—how it is being conducted and managed as well as assessing its major opportunities, limitations, issues, and risks. It is a clear, simple, well-organized book, and provides all the basic definitions as well as logical support. Using extensive, vivid examples from large corporations, small businesses, government and not-for-profit agencies from all over the world, it makes the concepts presented come alive for readers.Beginning with a comprehensive introduction to E-commerce, the book explores internet marketing, B2B and C-commerce, E-marketplaces and internet consumerism, E-government, mobile commerce, auctions, security, electronic payment systems, and strategy and implementation to launch a successful E-commerce business.Written by experienced authors who are well-versed in real-world practices, this book will prove invaluable for managers and professional people in any functional area of business; as well as those in government, education, health services, and other areas that can benefit from a knowledge of e-commerce. ... Read more

Book Description

Richard Daft's best-selling text, Organization Theory and Design, integrates the most recent thinking about organizations, classic ideas and theories, and real world practice, in a way that is interesting and enjoyable for learners. This edition includes many updates including a new chapter on international issues and revisions of other chapters to include the most recent ideas and events.While organization studies and real world examples are insightful for understanding organizations and solve real-world problems, Daft also integrates numerous features that give learners the opportunity to apply concepts and develop skills and insights. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A Strong Guide in Organization Theory
This is a well-designed and comprehensive book in the area of organization theory. From introduction to the end, this book aims to teach the foundations of organization theory to readers.

There is a great awareness of new developments in the area of organization theory. The new developments such as team-based management models are integrated into the conventional wisdom wonderfully in the book. We are living in a world in which globalization and stiff competition dominates. We name this age as Information Age and corporations need new mentality and practices to adapt to challenging conditions this era brings about. This book presents some new approaches in global competition perspective to readers.

A Look Inside, Bookmark, In Practice, The New Paradigm and Case for Analysis are excellent peculiarities of the book.

Diagrams and other visual characterizations involved in the book give readers a big opportunity to digest topics recounted. Since this book is a detailed investigation of organization theory, you may miss some parts and feel confused. I can recommend another book, that is, Designing Organizations (Robey, D. and Sales, Carol A.), which is a summarized organization theory book with excellent cases.

If you want to understand organization theory with its basic foundations and details, this book is a must. You must exploit the rich knowledge of Professor Daft.

Strongly recommended.

Readable and great information
Daft out did himself in this edition of his text. He includes book reviews and company profiles throughout each chapter to illustrate the theories he's describing. I read this for an MA course and found it easy to learn from. I'm even putting the information into practice at work! Not all textbooks are that helpful. *grin*

team-based structure
Application of organization design about Team-Based Structures and The boundaryless Organization.

Gripping, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, watch out...
I'm using this text for my HRM course and it is, without a doubt, the most straightforward text I have ever read. Coming from a senior, whose read my share of textbooks, if you are teaching HRM, this book makes it conducive to learning the elementary ideas of HRM. This is one text I'll be keeping instead of selling back to the bookstore.

The most meaningful book I have ever read
As a student, I think this book is the most meaningful book I have read. it is easy to read, easy to grasp. If you are someone who wants to grap the most important ideas out of whatever you read, then this book is good one for you. If you like to dive in, and read in details, you also can do that. The way this book was written gave it this unique previlage. ... Read more

Book Description

This comprehensive text will introduce students to the many operations topics and issues faced by leading service and manufacturing organizations.An emphasis is placed on new developments in the field of operations management and new information resources available, such as the Internet, while retaining a strong focus on the fundamental concepts of operations management.The goal of this text is to help students gain an understanding of what operations management involves, how it relates to other functional areas in an organization, the types of problems that are faced by operations managers, and common decision-making approaches. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Rip off
All textbooks over $50 are a rip off, WRITE A LETTER TO YOUR STATE SENATOR TELLING THEM YOU WON'T STAND FOR THESE OUTRAGEOUS PRICES ON TEXTBOOKS FOR SCHOOL. MOST STUDENTS CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY THESE RIDICULOUS PRICES!!! WE CAN BEAT THE ENDLESS NEW EDITION CYCLES THAT PUBLISHERS RIP US OFF WITH IF WE MAKE IT KNOWN!! WE CAN'T AND WON'T STAND FOR THIS!

PERSONAL COMMENT
This book is a guide for all people involved in manufacturing processes. ... Read more

Book Description

What does it take to turn ideas into action? What are the elements of a perfect pitch? Howdo you win the war for talent? How do you establish a brand without bucks? These aresome of the issues everyone faces when starting or revitalizing any undertaking, and GuyKawasaki, former marketing maven of Apple Computer, provides the answers.

The Art of the Start will give you the essential steps to launch great products,services, and companies—whether you are dreaming of starting the next Microsoft or anot-for-profit that’s going to change the world. It also shows managers how to unleashentrepreneurial thinking at established companies, helping them foster the pluck andcreativity that their businesses need to stay ahead of the pack. Kawasaki provides readerswith GIST—Great Ideas for Starting Things—including his field-tested insider’stechniques for bootstrapping, branding, networking, recruiting, pitching, rainmaking, and,most important in this fickle consumer climate, building buzz.

At Apple, Kawasaki helped turn ordinary customers into fanatics. As founder and CEOof Garage Technology Ventures, he has tested his iconoclastic ideas on real- world start-ups. And as an irrepressible columnist for Forbes, he has honed his best thinkingabout The Art of the Start. ... Read more

Book Description

This book provides a clear, concise, current, and comprehensive approach to the basic skills of business management. It presents traditional concepts, important contemporary issues, and timeless insights into applying management know-how—all toward the goal of achieving organizational success.Management: Adding Digital Focus. Managing: History and Current Thinking. Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Ethics. Management and Diversity. Meeting the Global Challenge. Principles of Planning. Making Decisions. Strategic Planning. Plans and Planning Tools. Fundamentals of Organizing. Responsibility, Authority, and Delegation. Managing Human Resources. Organizational Change and Stress. Fundamentals of Influencing and Communication. Leadership. Motivation. Groups, Teams, and Corporate Culture. Understanding People: Attitudes, Perception, and Learning. Principles of Controlling. Production Management and Control. Information and the Internet. Competitiveness: Quality and Innovation Management's Digital Dimension. For managers at all levels. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The "Foundation" of Knowledge For Successful Management
This book is one of the best foundation establishers I've read. I am the Chief of Strategy for a major headquarters and currently teach for three universities in such subjects as Strategic Management, Business Policy and Strategy, Business Communications, Supply Chain Management, and Production Operations Management. The point of that statement is that this book that I use on the job, as well as, to some degree in each course I teach. It is well written, organized, and provides outstanding tables and figures to clearly articulate the concepts. This is a desk-reference that will get lot's of handling. A must read!

good starter book for new mangers and students in business
author has good grasp of management in 21 century. What tools and skills will be needed

Great book for any human resources program.
I learned a lot from each chapter.

Great summaries about corporations in the public eye.

Good case history and citing of heuristics

for running any good learning organization.

You learn the basics for Management 2000.

My professor, Jack Trabin used this book

for the University of Phoenix.

I really enjoyed learning about the various theories and paradigms for Modern Managers.

Being a Manager of a Real Estate Company myself,

I found the case histories useful for analysis

and my papers. Being a human resource Trainer,

this book will teach students the basics.

A book for the future CIO's, CEO's and HR Directors within us all. ... Read more

Book Description

The most comprehensive survey of major theories and research on leadership and managerial effectiveness in organizations with practical suggestions for improving skills.Balancing theory and research with applications, the book addresses controversies and differing viewpoints about leadership effectiveness with a focus on the question of what makes a person an effective leader. Covering charismatic and transformational leadership as well as influence processes, it asks readers to identify effective and ineffective behavior by managers and to suggest ways to handle the situation. The fourth edition of Leadership in Organizations has been revised to reflect the progress that has been made in understanding leadership since the first edition. It provides more guidelines and recommendations for improving effectiveness without prescribing how a manager must behave. And, it covers "hot" topics, such as charismatic and transformational leadership, influence processes, leading teams, and leading change.An essential reference on management and leadership for every professional manager. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Good Amazoner!
Didn't respond to email but did send the book and I'm very happy with the book! I would definitely recommend! Thank you!

weLEAD Book Review ...
Yukl uses his expertise and credibility to write an outstanding book focusing on managerial leadership rather than social or parliamentary leadership. He attempts to include information on both the theory and practice of leadership in modern organizations. This valuable text also includes many recommendations and guidelines for improving the effectiveness of managers and leaders. The book includes a number of cases in an attempt to help the reader understand real world organizational problems and applications. This is a book that is primarily written and mostly reads like a college text book and is indeed used by a number of universities in their managerial or leadership programs. However, it is easy to read and does an excellent job of including the most informative and relative literature, studies and theories available today. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the study of organizational leadership, leading teams, leading change or studying follower-based approaches toward leadership.

Marc! Au Contrare!
Not worth curling up to a fire with? ...

For me, after a year or more I still read some portion or another of this book nearly every week for the rich survey of ideas and theories it provides, often finding something that fits what I'm concerned about, and then springboarding into buying another book or digging out original research articles and papers to dig deeper.

If you want to be widely informed about the full continuum of theory and research in leadership and organizations, this book will become a familiar resource, and a top choice for curling up to a fire one evening when alone and just paging through and finding something new or old you just have to read and think about some more.

Okay, perhaps Marc is more of a fun guy than me, but everything about leadership, and this book is full and pressed down overflowing with the material, interests me deeply.

The text book behind the popular works!
Yukl's text on leadership brings together the vast amount of research that's been done on the subject. His volume is and readable--although not the type of book you'd want to curl up by the fire with.

I really appreciate that Yukl always finds something good about to say about any theory he's critiquing!

Leadership Defined
Gary Yukl hits dead center of the leadership target. His work begins with the issue of defining leadership and tackling the difference between management and leadership. Laced throughout with extensive reference and research material the book clearly moves from definition of leadership through different levels of leadership to top strategic leadership practices. His lessons and practices are both valuable and usable.

Readers will be treated to detailed, relevant discussions of the each leadership issue discussed within the book. Within each issue, Mr. Yukl, glides through the basis of the theories and then details realities of how to achieve the results suggested by those theories. Within several topics, he provides cases studies and questions about those case studies for the reader's consideration. The result is a practical, working manual about leadership.

Between the discussions of the leadership issues and the practices there is something here for all readers. More importantly, there is plenty or information within the covers of this book that truly matters. Anyone with a leadership role of any type should read this book. ... Read more

Book Description

An instant classic, this revised and updated edition of the phenomenal bestseller dispels the myths about starting your own business. Small business consultant and author Michael E. Gerber, with sharp insight gained from years of experience, points out how common assumptions, expectations, and even technical expertise can get in the way of running a successful business.

Gerber walks you through the steps in the life of a business -- from entrepreneurial infancy through adolescent growing pains to the mature entrepreneurial perspective: the guiding light of all businesses that succeed -- and shows how to apply the lessons of franchising to any business, whether or not it is a franchise. Most importantly, Gerber draws the vital, often overlooked distinction between working on your business and working in your business.

The E-Myth Revisited will help you grow your business in a productive, assured way.

Reviews (115)

Guide to creating a business that lets you 'breathe easy."
If you own a small business or are considering starting one, put this book at the top of your "must read list." As a personal coach, I recommend the E-Myth Revisited to our entrepreneurial clients, especially if the business has "taken over the client's life."

Gerber's E-Myth Revisited offers salient points with the most important being, "Work ON your business not IN it." We are introduced to three working personalities: 1) the entrepreneur who always has ideas, 2) the manager who keeps everything organized, and 3) the technician who knows that "If it's going to get done right, I'd better do it myself." Through the eyes of a business owner/client, Gerber unfolds the story that allows us to see the importance of each personality preference and the necessity for balance between them. We also see the different stages of business growth and come to appreciate the benefits of implementing systems at the beginning of developing a business.

Humor throughout the book makes this an enjoyable read, and as I tell my clients, savor your chuckles when you find Gerber describing you almost perfectly.

Will shape the future of your business and your life.
I have read The E-Myth many times over and have found the Franchise Prototype system absolutely amazing. I am now 26 years old and in the last 4 years have built 2 very successful companies. Being in business for yourself is not about making money. It is about fulfilling a part of yourself. Understanding the principals in this book will change the way your run your business and give you balance to your life. That is what it is all about you know. Balance. Understanding why God placed you on this Earth and making sure you spend time to stop and smell the roses. If you take what Michael says in this book to heart and apply it's principals to your life your business will never be the same. Trust me from the experience in what this book has done to my past business and the power that is pushing my Statewide Business Brokerage. I would easily pay 1 million dollars for the knowledge and understanding I have learned from this book. Thank you Michael for leaving a legacy with me that will reshape my family tree.

An eye opener for sure...
It's one of those books that gives you a wake up call, although some of the sections in the book does tend to wander off into the story of other peoples lives as examples, but overall the book does wake you up, I did gain alot of perspective from the book, funnly enough I did email the e-myth website to find out if they provided any e-learning services, but no reply till today for the past 2 weeks, makes you wonder??

A must buy book for anyone getting into the business especialy for some of us that have dealt with situations where you seem to be unable to cope with all the sudden increase of business and how to deal with them, do keep in mind that this book is very down to earth, and do keep in mind that you would require some sort of business background if you ever going to be starting a business, a recommendation as a subject of choice would be accountanting so maybe an accounting abc manual would be a good reference manual in the future in addition to this book. This book is not going to save you but will for sure open your mind.

A must-read for all wannabe entrepreneurs
For over a decade now I've been recommending this book (and its earlier edition) to wannabe entrepreneurs that post to the four business newsgroups I co-moderate. Those being misc.entrepreneurs.moderated, misc.business.moderated, misc.business.marketing.moderated, and misc.business.consulting.

This book's most important contribution is talking about what it takes to start and run a successful business AND who should do so. I keep telling newsgroup posters to be real honest with themselves on whether they're a "Technician", "Manager", or "Entrepreneur" so they can save themselves a lot of grief. The rest of the book helps develop the right mindset for starting up and running a business. Have a goal. Aim for that goal. Systematize your business. Delegate. Have an exit plan.

The only thing that could have made this book better was if it had recommended wannabe entrepreneurs to go and talk to business people that are currently running a business they'd like to run. Naturally, not talking to one's future competition, but going out beyond your sales territory and where it overlaps your competition and talking to the business people there. Anyway...

This is a great book and I highly recommend it.

Eye Opener!!!
Pros: Easy read, exposes pitfalls, many helpful ideas and many paradigm shifts, excellent!
Cons: Challenging concept for my business of one. No Index.

This is an easy read that took me two days to get through. It's simple, repetitive and just the way I like it. But by no means simplistic. To me, it is well written, when the author gets their ideas across quickly and makes them seem easy. The book gets personal about the author as it tries to relate itself to the reader, yet shows a sense of writing maturity in it's simple delivery of so broad a topic. It also gets personal about you as you discover that your business is a reflection of you.

A mixture of experience and facts, blue prints and rules told in a conversational story with a semi-fictional character. This style of using a third party character to clarify and reinforce the ideas worked well with me. It helped balance and pace the lessons with a fine sense of timing and added perspective. The book is informational, motivational and even funny at times.

Gerber sets the stage by prefacing the four ideas that are the basis of the book's lessons. He identifies and compares three personalities being The Entrepreneur, The Manager and The Technician in us and shows us how and why most businesses fail. He identifies phases of the entrepreneurial business as infancy, adolescence and maturity and the pitfalls of each. He covers six rules on how to shift from working 'in' your business to working 'on' it. And goes over the three activities to help it evolve being, Innovation, Quantification and Orchestration, systems to blueprint your business. He covers the Business Development Process and to think of how to turn it into a franchise that is a saleable Turn-Key business. He then explains the seven steps to developing your business, which he covers in detail but some didn't inspire my confidence, as they are large subjects in themselves. Like, 'Your Marketing Strategy' or Your People Strategy'. But they do develop a framework from where to start and the questions to ask yourself. He constantly helps focus us by asking excellent thought and direction provoking questions.

The book packed with many useful ideas and principles if you decide to buy into them, however is also a way for him to sell his services. By occasionally positioning his company or website as a source of answers to some of the questions the book poses is a great form of self-promotion, however they may be disguised in a story. Some thoughts that came to mind while reading were, why not just find and utilize a mentor? Success leaves clues. I struggled with the though that all businesses are started with one thing in mind and that is to sell it for a profit. The book has many paradigm shifts like this one that challenge us to look at our companies in a different light. Only when I realized that I didn't have to sell my business (If I happened to build an IBM) did I understand the idea. I'm still struggling with finding a compelling vision of how to turn my particular service business of one into a salable entity. Maybe I need to visit his website and enlist in the services he offers. Maybe I just need to find a few successful role models within my business. I will read it again in a few weeks.

I would have liked to see an index in the back to help find needed references quickly. Maybe a future publishing might get one?

A healthy experienced perspective and a plan to help build a successful business life. ... Read more

Book Description

The book is primarily intended for use as a college textbook for teaching project management at the advanced undergraduate or master's level. The text is appropriate for classes on the management of service, product, engineering projects, as well as information systems (IS). Thus, we have included some coverage of material concerning information systems and how IS projects differ from and are similar to regular business projects. The authors draw upon their personal experiences working with project managers and on the experience of friends and colleagues who have spent much of their working lives serving as project managers in the "real world." Thus, in contrast to the books that are about project management, this book teaches students how to do project management.
Project Management: A Managerial Approach 5E addresses project management from a management perspective rather than a cookbook, special area treatise, or collection of loosely associated articles. It addresses the basic nature of managing all types of projects - public, business, engineering, information systems, and so on - as well as specific techniques and insights required to carry out this unique way of getting things done. It deals with the problems of selecting projects, initiating them, and operating and controlling them. It discusses the demands made on the project manager and the nature of the manager's interaction with the rest of the parent organization. It covers the difficult problems associated with conducting a project using people and organizations that represent different cultures and may be separated by considerable distances. It even covers the issues arising when the decision is made to terminate a project. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Cure for Insomnia
I don't know what is worse, my Instructor or this text.

The authors re-define "babble" in this book. It's quite a compendium of sleep inducing theory that never ends. They repeat and define concepts over and over. The chapters are a long and wordy. I can't wait till this semester is over so I can unload this hundred dollar tome of esoteric Project Management lexicon and "theory"..

A must have to any IT manager
I initially purchased this book because I am enrolled in a Master of Science degree program in Management Information Systems. I had to have it for class. As I began to read this book, it is truly a great guide to project management in the information technology industry. I would strongly recommend that all VP's, PM's, and even analyst read this book. It will really help you to understand project managment and how everyone parts is very crucial to running a dynamic project. The author gives great examples and case study that really help you apply the theory to practice.

This is one book that I will definitely not sale back to the bookstore.

Awful Book
There are many better books on the market for project management; forget this one.

Weak for construction managment
This book handles all PM wk, covers basis,not for the contractor,or const. worker trying to be PM...in construction

Better than the previous Editions
I bought this book because it was required for a class I am taking. I had the 3rd Edition already and wasn't too impressed. But this 5th Edition is much more appealing. I just became PMP certified and reviewing this book before taking the exam was a great primer to get my head out of pure PMBOK and into real world Project Management. The case studies and Directed Readings are great for seeing real world PM activities. I would suggest the book for guidance and classroom type learning. If you're an experienced PM then this book is too academic and won't feed your intellect. Buy something else. ... Read more

Book Description

Wake Up and Take Control of Your Life!

Anthony Robbins, the nation's leader in the science of peak performance, shows you his most effective strategies and techniques for mastering your emotions, your body, your relationships, your finances, and your life. The acknowledged expert in the psychology of change, Anthony Robbins provides a step-by-step program teaching the fundamental lessons of self-mastery that will enable you to discover your true purpose, take control of your life and harness the forces that shape your destiny. ... Read more

Reviews (206)

There except for the grace of God, go. Thank you Tony!!!
Tony Robbins is not alone in coming under attack by unscrupulous people. Interesting the others are also best selling authors, highly visible and positively impacting the lives of people. So I guess that Tony is in good company. Only successful people who want to share their knowledge come under attack. That is a nice group to belong to.

Obviously the "reviewer from New York" at least browsed over Awaken The Giant even though they obviously didn't buy it or read the whole book. I say they because this individual did not identify whether they were a male or female. Sure posts a lot though.

Robbins has taken the science of NLP and condensed it into a simple, easy to understand and more effective method of programming. I attended one of Tony's seminars in New York. They are life changing. It is not about hype and Tony never represented or attempted to represent himself as God, but only as a trainer.

I'm not sure that the reviewer from New York even knows what metaprograms are and probably wouldn't be able to spell it if they hadn't seen the book or even heard of it.

There except for the grace of God go I is definitely applicable to this "person" from New York. Thank God some of us appreciate the great work that Tony Robbins is doing for all of us. And no, Tony Robbins is not God nor do I think he wants to be compared with God.

Awaken The Giant is a great book with powerful strategies for those who are perceptive enough to use them. Will it work for everybody? Only if you want to change and back it up with effort.

1 star reviewer, you can keep posting all you want. And everytime you do post your nonsense a phrase will come to mind to those who know better:

"There except for the grace of God, go I"

And Thank God for Tony Robbins!

A lot of FLUFF!
I enjoyed this and Tony Robbins firt book UNLIMITED POWER! The problem, is that NAC (actually NLP, ROBBINS, changed the name) offers a limited time change. You feel good, but the changes don't last and this to me is misleading, as Robbins makes it sound like the changes will be permanent. You can't just "anchor yourself" or "swish" into a new per- sonality. A large portion of the book is just advertising for his "Date with Destiny" and other seminars. It's easier reading than the other NLP books out there by ... BANDLER & GRINDER, ANDREAS, ETC. and can be somewhat useful which is why I gave it a 5. For anyone who wants even more rapid change that will last, I recommend BRIAN TRACY's BOOK ---MAXIMUM ACHIEVEMENT and any of TRACY'S audio tape programs. I also highly suggest "THE SILVA METHOD" by Jose Silva or any good boo on alpha programming. Also, "SUPERSELF' by Charles Givens is outstanding and probably the most under rated self development book out there.

Very powerful book by Mr. Robbins
I have quite a library of books and tapes from people like Napolean Hill to Anthony Robbins. Many years ago, somebody gave me a book on NLP, I have yet to finish it. It was not easy reading.

Conversely, Robbins is as enjoyable to read as he is to listen to. He offers basic NLP techniques (he calls it NAC) and I agree with Tony that the key for long lasting results is to practice these techniques, to condition your mind with neuro associative techniques.

Perhaps the best key is to model other successful people. This can speed your success rate. The goal setting workshop is powerful.

Awaken The Giant is an outstanding book that can help you reach your dreams.

Anthony gives you power to make yourself happy...
...however you define happiness... He does not promote power over others, as the uninformed person below wrote, but rather power over your own situation and mental attitude. Listening and reading his material has actually made me a BETTER person (and yes, I am a Christian) because it empowers me to go out in the world and make a difference with my actions. Before getting them, I had some major problems with stress, and not feeling competent. After listening to them, I was able to take control of my negativity and make much more of a difference in others' lives. He also gives me the motivation to clean my house-- now that's a miracle!

Pompous Power Hungry Greedy Ideology
I can think of no more obnoxious concept than one which teaches us to do POWER TRIPS on others so as to make ourselves feel better, often at the other person's expense. It flies in the face of all that is Christian, polite, moral, and kind. That Americans are on such a mental trip says alot about our culture, food, mass media, Television - and the way in which GREED is the Number One driving force for most people. Tony Robbins, in my opinion, has done a lot of damage to interpersonal relations. ... Read more

Book Description

Timmons & Spinelli's, New Venture Creation: Entrepreneurship For The 21st Century, 6/e is a perforated paperback text that covers the process of getting a new venture started, growing the venture, successfully harvesting it and starting again.Through text, case studies, and hands-on exercises, the book guides students in discovering the concepts of entrepreneurship and the competencies, skills, know-how and experience that are sufficient to pursue different entrepreneurial opportunities. The authors recognize that there is no substitute for actually starting a company, but believe that it is possible to expose students to many of the vital issues and immerse them in key learning experiences. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Earlier versions are better
This book includes numerous tear-out exercises and cases. It might be appropriate for a classroom but it is not ideal for prospective entrepreneurs.

Earlier versions of this book had good material on writing a business plan and determining appropriate sources of capital and less extraneous fillers. Save yourself a lot of money and buy a more practical book on the subject or the 1995 version if you want the business plan and financing materials.

Book condition
Very quick delivery. Book had some marks, but excellent condition. Would recommend strongly if you want the book right away.

Comprehensive "Owners' Manual" for Entrepreneurs
Like the previous reviewer, I too purchased the 4th Edition of this text (paperback), and was extremely pleased. Before starting my current business, I consulted extensively with this text, and was pleased with its comprehensive, practical nature - covering everything from a personality assessment of one's readiness for self-employment, to exhaustive preparation information for a business plan. The book also extensively covers financing an entrepreneurial venture, comparing both debt and equity (including Venture Capital) methodologies.

On a practical note, I also like the fact that all the pages are perforated...there have been several that I have taken out and used hands-on!

I cannot comment on the relative worth of this version vs. the newer version, as I only have the 4th edition.

Don't buy this version
If you are an entrepreneur, don't buy this 1998 edition, buy the 1995 version. This new edition is basically just a text book with cases and questions. It would be great for an MBA class but not someone who wanted to start their own business. The 1995 version of this book, also sold on Amazon, is fantastic for entrepreneurs. It has over 700 pages of information, worksheets and examples. Do yourself a favor, buy the older version. ... Read more

Book Description

Imagine everything you'd ever need to start up and run your own small business packed into one convenient, easy-to-read book. Throw in a CD-ROM with more than 250 documents and forms, along with trial versions of great small business software programs, and you've got the new Small Business Kit For Dummies, your perfect resource for the daunting process of starting a small business venture.

Small Business Kit For Dummies is chock-full of information, resources, and helpful hints on making the transition from a great idea to a great business. This book has plenty of straightforward advice on things that an MBA degree won't get you, from the basics of mastering legal, financial, employment, and management hurdles to advanced topics on business plans and strategies, accounting, contracts, taxes, attracting investors, and putting your business onto the Web. Whether you expect your business to become the next Microsoft or you've set your sights on a more modest goal, you'll find comprehensive and authoritative counsel -- without all the confusing jargon and legalese -- in this fun and friendly guide to the world of small business success. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Good, but slowly being replaced by online resources
This a good book, don't get me wrong. However, having been edited back in 1998, and being -as it is- largely focused on the documents that you, as a Small Business Owner, are likely to be in need of, it now seems a bit outdated and old-fashioned when you compare if with the ease with which you can get (for free) similar formats (business plans, marketing plans, invoices, etc.) online (in office.microsoft.com > Templates, for instance). It is a good reference of what to look for, though, which is why I give it 4 stars.

Great for those starting their business
It's great to see a book written by an attorney who also understands business.

Too many other books out there are written by amateur business people who's real business is in promoting and selling lousy books.

The CD-Rom will save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars and time.

Also recommend "The Small Business Kit" and "How to Incorporate in any State" by J.W. Dicks, another attorney and businessman with real world knowledge.

Good luck with your business!

SmallBizBargains.com gives it a thumbs up!
A few of the staff at [online business] have used this book to help the start previous businesses. We feature it on our site because we have found it so helpful. It is both simple and comprehensive - a great book for those starting or running a business.

The basics of business
This book is helpful for those wishing to start their own business but are unsure where to start. The concise writing answers most of the questions one can think of. This book, along with Guerilla PR Wired by Michael Levine, should be all that a young entrepeneur needs.

The business basics, but it takes more to succeed.
The forms and basics are essential for getting your small business off to the right start. But entrepreneurs must also be aware that even the best business plan will not be effective unless it also includes a carefully crafted marketing plan that includes publicity. There are wonderful, easy-to-do and inexpensive ways for small business owners to promote their services and to distinguish themselves from the competition. This book and a solid publicity plan are a great way to start ! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sometime during the last 30 years, the service economy emerged as the dominant engine of economic activity. At first, critics who were uncomfortable with the intangible nature of services bemoaned the decline of the goods-based economy, which, thanks to many factors, had increasingly become commoditized. Successful companies, such as Nordstrom, Starbucks, Saturn, and IBM, discovered that the best way to differentiate one product from another--clothes, food, cars, computers--was to add service.

But, according to Joseph Pine and James Gilmore, the bar of economic offerings is being raised again. In The Experience Economy, the authors argue that the service economy is about to be superseded with something that critics will find even more ephemeral (and controversial) than services ever were: experiences. In part because of technology and the increasing expectations of consumers, services today are starting to look like commodities. The authors write that "Those businesses that relegate themselves to the diminishing world of goods and services will be rendered irrelevant. To avoid this fate, you must learn to stage a rich, compelling experience."

Many will find the idea of staging experiences as a requirement for business survival far-fetched. However, the authors make a compelling case, and consider successful companies that are already packaging their offerings as experiences, from Disney to AOL. Far-reaching and thought-provoking, The Experience Economy is for marketing professionals and anyone looking to gain a fresh perspective on what business landscape might look like in the years to come. Recommended. --Harry C. Edwards ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Nardelli-led bounce gives book its just due
As I write this review on July 29, 2003, I see 'The Experience Economy' is ranked at #624 in amazon.com's constantly updated sales rankings. Pretty heady for a fairly esoteric business book published in April 1999.

The reason has to do with the latest (August 2003) edition of 'Fast Company' magazine. The editors asked a series of business leaders to pick one "book that matters," noting that "one book can change the direction of a company -- or a career." Bob Nardelli, ex-of GE and now CEO of the Home Depot, chose 'The Experience Economy.'

That's a great thing, because this excellent piece of work really got the short shrift - with its April 1999 publication date, its message of capturing the full potential of face-to-face retail got buried in the tsunami of e-commerce hysteria.

Now that we all recognize the Internet as just another viable sales channel, this fine effort by Pine and Gilmore has a second life. The fact that Nardelli picked it as his one book that matters tells you all you need to know about his vision for the future of Home Depot.

The Divergence of Theory and Reality
The book takes a very logical, reasoned approach towards the theoretical next steps of economic expansion. It reasons that margins drive profits and that by constantly searching for higher margin offerings, a company will naturally improve and increase its profitability.

The logic is understandable... Commodity goods have small margins, as they are undifferentiated from each other and relativly easy to reproduce. Manufactured goods take things one step further, providing higher margins due to some level of product differentiation and brand specificity. Above that are Services, where the products don't last long enough to be copied and are customized enough to prevent easy manipulation. The higher margins should lead to higher profitability and better staying power. Fair enough.

Where the book's logic becomes strained, however, is where it strethes out towards the next generation of higher margin offerings, "Experiences." While it is true that experience companies my be able to provide higher margins than can older economy companies, experience companies tend to suffer from a fatal flaw that has infected many of the companies praised in the book. That flaw is the utter lack of repeat business generated by most experience economy companies.

Take two of the companies mentioned in the book as companies to emulate -- Planet Hollywood, the restaurant chain, and Peapod, the online grocery store. Planet Hollywood is under bankruptcy protection, because people are simply unwilling to pay through the nose repeatedly for the same experience over and over again. Peapod ran out of cash and is limping along only after being bought out by a Dutch firm. Hardly two stellar companies to emulate when searching for ever expanding profits.

Throughout the book, by expounding the virtues of ever expanding margins, rather than focusing on goods, services, and 'experiences' that people would be willing to repeatedly pay to have, the authors make the mistake of ignoring the overall forest for the sake of a single tree.

In the real world, experience companies know their limitations and create their pricing scheme to represent that fact. Amusement parks sell season passes for less than the cost of two visits -- acknowledging the fact that people may pay more for experiences, but only once, and repeat business depends heavily on making the repeat worth the cost.

Had the book focused more on successful ways for experience economy companies to thrive, rather than spending its time drolling on about the virtues of failing companies with the right plan, it would have been far more believable and enjoyable.

Insightful Look at Business Today
This book definitely makes you stop and think about what today's consumer wants and expects. (In fact, it's easy, just ask yourself what you would want - what you're offering or what Walt Disney is offering). Businesses that don't make a lasting impression, offer an experience for the consumer will eventually go the way of the dinosaur.

a fresh and novel view of the current business trends
this book is definitely out of the ordinary: it proposes a novel (to me at least) view of the current economy trends and well illustrate an equivalence between the work environment and the stage of a theatrical play.
Worth reading it.

The ultimate product differentiator
This book really opened my eyes, and made me see my service offerings from a customer perspective. I've become incredibly passionate about the experience economy concept, and am constantly looking for real life examples or potential applications.
When I stand in a queue I'm thinking about how I would go about offering the service or product I'm queueing for.
When I speak to the beauracracy that provides me banking or insurance services, I'm forever demanding that they change the impersonal and inflexible way that they engage with me.
If you're looking for a new paradigm in selling what you have to offer, then this is the book for you.
I love it. ... Read more

Book Description

This book deals with the management of information technology (IT) as it is being practiced in organizations today. Its emphasis is on the current material that information systems executives find important, and organizes it around a framework that provides guidance.In this sixth edition, the key themes are the Internet economy, the global marketplace, e-enablement, knowledge management and knowledge sharing. It continues to merge theory with practice through case examples of real companies' use of IT.For information technology managers and executives. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Ideal for learning about IS management
I bought this book for my MSc in Analysis, Design and Management of Information Systems and I consider that it was extremely helpful. The chapter about the perspectives of IS and the role of the CIO are very interesting. In the chapter about Information Systems Planning, they included lots of concepts related to strategy, linking IS Planning with six different approaches/techniques: Stages of Growth, Critical Success Factors, Competitive Forces Model, Value Chain Analysis, Internet Value Matrix and Linkage Analysis Planning. The chapters about managing systems development are really instructive also. I strongly recommend the book for those IT practitioners whom are seeking a managerial position. It is very useful to managers and strategists as well.

From a network administrator's perspective
I read this book as part of my first course in a Ph.D.-MIS program. I thought it was a great overview and history of MIS, and provided insight into alternative IS management styles and strategies. The case studies were relevent, current, well written and interesting. I recommend this book for all network and systems administrators. It gives insight into what thought processes should be occurring at the CIO and IS manager levels.

Great paperweight, good consolidation of other people's work
This book provides various sources of information but no analysis by the book's authors. It is a patch work of case studies, excerpts, and paraphrasing of other texts to which I hope the original authors are getting paid royalties for.

Some of the diagrams are simplistic, others are useless. More than half of them are from other sources.

The book seems to formulate points of interest (e.g. traditional, evolving, and present-day IT roles) without providing analysis of why and how this affects future trends in IS management.

I had to write a review after reading nebulous fluff like, "Being a manufacturer, LifeScan has instituted quality processes." (which successful company doesn't) or "Way back in 1964,..." (not just back, but WAY back). When you do read something of slight interest it is almost always followed by something like, "so says Mr. so-and-so, in this-paper-that-he-wrote." (e.g. pp. 126-127 whenever "Rayport and Sviokla" is mentioned - 4 times in about 1 page of text and in every paragraph - the authors are paraphrasing a point Rayport and Sviokla made)

I'm truly amazed this book is this bad after five revisions. The authors seem to have the right information, but they really need to provide their own insights and analysis. And also have my high school english teacher review it to cut the fluff out.

College book
I had to buy the book for one of my class (information resource management) but as an MIS major I though we would get a little more into the 'management' part, and I was disappointed with the book as it doesn't go much indepth of the matter.

It's a good theory book, let's say!!

a great book, but way over-priced
I used this book for a graduate course during the summer semester. Overall, I enjoyed the broad-based approach adopted by the authors. The numerous case studies were extremely useful also, as they adequately illustrated what the authors were trying to say.
My only beef with the book is its price. I don't think it's fair to charge so much for the book. But for the cut-throat price, this book deserves five stars. ... Read more

Book Description

Small Business Management has been the best-selling small business management text for more than three decades, helping to guide generations of readers into the ranks of business owners and entrepreneurs.The authors' diverse academic backgrounds in management, marketing and finance bring a balanced approach to covering all aspects of starting and running a small business.Adopters praise the text edition after edition for its timely coverage, enjoyable and practical presentation, interesting examples, and its wealth of additional resources. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

It's... OK.
The presentation of this book is excellent; It holds the reader's interest quite well. However, despite a recent "update", it shows it's age when the author regularly goes off on dot-com tangents, bringing the internet up in contexts that I believe the last few years have proven are not viable. Good grief, ppl. This isn't freaking 1997! We need a business text, not the wet dreams of a bunch of computer geeks turned businessmen! Anyways, if you are looking for a text with a lot of depth, look elsewhere. This book is to business textbooks what Quickbooks(c)(R)(TM) is to accounting software. In short, don't waste your money, unless you need it for a class. If so, be happy. If your prof teaches out of this, your tests will be very easy.

Very Good book for small businesses
It is good and it has a lot of tips to be succesfull in your business. It is easy to read and understand and it has many web sites addreses.

Good cases, nice layout but slanted towards SBM positively.
The cases are very good & a nice change of pace from the usual dry textbook reading. The color layout helps direct the reader towards points of interest and it is broken up into sections that are extremely readable. There is a definite slant toward the positive side of Small Business entrepreneuralship-not much is mentioned on the negative aspects. ... Read more

Book Description

In this revolutionary bestseller, Harvard professor Clayton M. Christensen says outstanding companies can do everything right and still lose their market leadership, or worse, disappear completely. And he not only proves what he says, he tells others how to avoid a similar fate.

Focusing on "disruptive technology" of the Honda Supercub, Intel's 8088 processor, and the hydraulic excavator, Christensen shows why most companies miss "the next great wave." Whether in electronics or retailing, a successful company with established products will get pushed aside unless managers know when to abandon traditional business practices. Using the lessons of successes and failures from leading companies, The Innovator's Dilemma presents a set of rules for capitalizing on the phenomenon of disruptive innovation.

Reviews (125)

Great Book About Business Strategies, Must Read for Managers
Comment: This review is done as a class project for the San Jose State University MBA e-commerce course by Ji Luo.

Dr. Christensen's book offered me a fresh perspective into looking at how large established business failed. As the author explained it, the standard process that governs sound management could be the same one that destroys the company. I found his use of graphics and quantities data sufficient as well as very useful in understand concepts such as the S-curve and the value networks. The detailed analysis shows that the author has done quite a bit of research into the topic and that makes the data more credible to me. His writing style is very easy to understand and organized. First few chapters go into how disruptive technology can destroy a company if not harnessed. His later chapters list guidelines on how to avoid the pitfalls. These guidelines are followed thoroughly by many case studies and quotes from industry leaders. While company's policies shouldn't be based on a few guidelines and the situations in a person's particular industry may find the guidelines hard to follow, the author's particular views are irrefutable and should at least be considered by the managers. It's really exciting to see him link the same principles to so many varying industries from high tech to low tech. The overarching principle of sustaining technology and disruptive technology and how a company should embrace it could be applied to any large established industry.

People who are interested in the business world should read this book and should especially be read by top managers in large corporation because many of them are ultimately responsible for success or failure of implementing disruptive technology. However, this is not a perfect book. I am a bit skeptical as to whether these rules apply to medium sized companies or companies with low margins. Therefore, my opinion is that the guidelines listed here really only applies to large organization with a lot of resources to divide. Also, The author sometimes repeat his points more than he should. He tends to concentrate so much on the hard disk drive industry that he left less room to get into deeper analysis into other industries.

Overall, I think this is a great read for anyone interested in business and wondered about how large companies such as Montgomery Wards could go belly-up or why Digital Corporation disappeared from our vocabulary.

A "must own" for managers and business executives
This is the best book on strategy I have ever read (and I've read a few in my time). In his book, "The Innovator's Dilemma", Clayton M. Christensen, business professor at Harvard, explains why established firms fail, more often than none, when confronted with disruptive technologies.

Disruptive technology is different from radical innovation. Such technology initially proposes attributes that are not valued by current, mainstream customers. The technology is initially attractive to a small market segment -- making it unattractive for larger firms. Therefore lies the innovator's dillema: how to allocate resources to developing a technology that will target a smaller market and at lower margins.

Thoughout his book, Mr. Christensen develops a framework for managers and executives (also valid and valuable for consultants and analysts) to be able to resolve this dillema.

If you are to read only one book on business this year, the Innovator's Dillema should be it.

The reviewer is a certified management consultant and earned his MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University and completed the Wharton School Multinational Marketing and Management Program. He is also a Professional Engineer and holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering from the University of Toronto.

Good introduction to a nice Theory
Not quite as easy to read as I would have liked. Christensen describes some very interesting & plausible theories, but is somewhat confined into employing the computer disk industry as the rapidly changing example which both demonstrates & proves his theories, and its not necessarily the most exciting case material. Other products only get a minor look-in.

What I did like is how he covers the footnotes at the end of each Chapter - so if they don't interest you, you can skip over them, but if they do interest you, then you don't have to struggle to the back of the book. I wish more authors & publishers would use that technique.

One quibble - given his Economics background - of course there are plenty of graphs, and 99% of them are straight lines - there are no time dependent variances in his world.

Read this before you read the Innovators Solution.

Driven by disks
Clay Christensen combines the science of empirical research with the art of organizational behavior in his best-selling "The Innovator's Dilemma." The book provides tangible advice on how to foster innovation within a corporate environment. His case studies draw from the successes and failures of American companies within numerous industries (disk drives, excavators, motorcycles, software). Christensen's strong points include a creative presentation of data, lucid writing and frank admission that the advice in his book is not a one-size-fits-all panacea for management challenges. But a heads-up to readers: perhaps 50% of the book centers on the disk-drive manufacturing industry. Although the lessons learned in hard drives are interesting, a more balanced approach would have been welcome. "The Innovators Dilemma" is a well written management how-to, in the same league as classics by Peters or Hammer. The book seems to be written for managers in large organizations, but entrepreneurs will probably find the material just as beneficial.

Fantastic book for anyone . . . especially business students
This was a fantastic book. I began reading it less than half way through the MBA program I am in and I was amazed at how many of the arguments others were making in class fell apart. This book helped me better analyze several aspects of many of my classes and I only wish I would have read it sooner.

I continued on and read the Innovator's Solution, and while I thought it was also a good book, I got much more out of the Innovator's Dilemma, though I still recommend both of them. ... Read more

Book Description

This book centers on business decision-making and managerial problem-solving, consistent with today's best practices' Human Resource Management Practice and Research. Real-life cases and a global focus will hold readers' interest as this book imparts valuable information about the dynamic field of human resources.Expanded coverage of international human resource issues governs this edition of the popular book; it also covers the management of work flows, job analysis, equal opport