Book Description

With over 100,000 copies sold, this is one of the most popular business- and sales-boosting guides ever written. This new edition offers successful entrepreneur and speaker Bob Burg's proven relationship-building system that thousands of professionals and entrepreneurs have used to turn casual contacts into solid sales opportunities. In Endless Referrals, he shows you how to:Turn every contact into a sales opportunity o Dramatically increase your business without spending more time or money o Identify the most profitable contacts o Use six keys to remember names and faces o NEW SECTION! Network the Internet o NEW SECTION!Set up a successful home-based business o Take the intimidation out of telephoning o Overcome fear of rejection o NEW SECTIONS!Succeed in multi-level, network, and mail order marketing o Position yourself as an expert o Mark yourself for success! ... Read more

Reviews (22)

A Good Start
I chose to read two books, one right after the other - Endless Referrals by Bob Burg and Business by Referral by Misner and Davis (also reviewed). Endless Referrals takes a very "real world" approach to the business referral process. It's direct, hard-hitting information. Bob Burg gets to the point immediately. I became very enthusiastic about Bob Burg's system and immediately began integrating it into my referral process. His ideas about making the initial contact and following up with that individual are a must for anyone in the business of generating referral-based sales. The book is full of examples of good and bad business actions, which Bob tightly weaves into the specific element of the process being discussed. The chapters on home-based businesses were very good, and even though I am not in home-based sales, I gleaned a few good ideas which I can apply. I found only one shortcoming. Bob Burg didn't really take the process far enough. I think he fell short in the systematic follow-up process of utilizing the information you have gained from a contact to build your business and your contact base.

I give a solid recommendation for this book; it is a must read for anyone wanting to generate referral-based sales or anyone who is in the selling business for the long haul. Utilizing Bob's techniques, you'll begin immediately to build a solid foundation for referral-based sales.

Common Sense in an Applicable Style
In "Endless Referrals", which I refer to constantly (I am a 15-year veteran in the financial services industry, and do not cold-call, so all my business is based on the generation of referrals), Bob Burg states what some would call the obvious: concern yourself with the welfare of others first, and it will come back to you in a big way. I believe this to be true, and Burg provides several strategies - mostly through the use of questions - designed to break down barriers and build rapport in a short period of time.

In garnering referrals, I often go point-blank with many of my clients, asking them the traditional "Who do you know....?" question. However, this is obviously not useful when meeting someone for the very first time. That's where Burg's strategies come in handy. That's not to say that this book doesn't contain ideas geared toward those you know already; it does.

I bought two copies of this book and gave one to one of the rookies in my office. My copy is highlighted from start to finish. I refer to it constantly. The book is an easy read, an enjoyable read, and an excellent source of extremely useful information.

The only requirement: You must ACT, and apply the ideas found within. If you do, nothing should stand in the way of your gathering many new sources of business.

I recommend this book highly - and I've read many on this subject.

Excellent, priceless advice!
Bob Burg's style is positive, upbeat and entertaining. I refer to "Endless Referrals" frequently. The ten questions in the second chapter, along with chapters eight and nine have contributed tremendously to my success in various endeavors. These parts alone are worth more than the price of the book. With that said, however, ALL the material is outstanding; the ideas for achieving success in all areas of life are pragmatic and energizing. Bob Burg's work stands out in that way certainly, but also couples the road to success with making the world a nicer place by promoting respectful interaction. This book is not to be missed!

Must have to build your business in this economy
I have moved from a technical support position to owning my own business. I needed to learn how to network effectively. Endless Referrals has provided me with the skills and confidence I needed to build rapport and trust with others. I much prefer working from referrals than cold calls.

A Game Plan for Growing Your Business Dramatically
Because I spent more than two decades in fundraising, I thought I had mastered the art of networking. Like many other development professionals, I was fairly aggressive in meeting people, remembering their names, and establishing rapport. Annually, I filled my desk with business cards.

Now networking is even more important for me as an entrepreneur. And in the last month, Bob Burg has given me valuable guidelines about networking. He taught me that I was a dedicated networking novice, and showed me how to become a skilled professional.

First, I attended one of Bob's dynamic seminars in Atlanta, Georgia. His novel-and highly creative-approach to networking prompted the audience members to think: "So. . .that's what I should have been doing all along."

Then I read Endless Referrals, which reflected Bob's comments in the seminar, and added many other tips. As is the case with his speaking, Bob Burg writes quite clearly, often entertainingly. Vivid case histories and anecdotes make his points memorable.

The book would be well worth the price if it contained only Chapter Eight: "Begin Your Own Profitable Networking Group."

Readers will welcome Burg's game plan for establishing and maintaining a systematic network. I know I did. ... Read more

Book Description

A one-stop reference for in-depth explanations of mortgage topics

With the creation of so many new, complex mortgage programs, it's difficult for consumers --not to mention real estate agents, attorneys, closing agents, and mortgage brokers--to keep track of them all. Written by nationally syndicated real estate columnist Jack Guttentag, The Mortgage Encyclopedia helps readers understand the various mortgage terms, features, and options by offering clear, precise explanations. The alphabetical organization of terms makes it easy to quickly find information on any topic, from FHA, Investor, and No-PMI Loans to Origination Fee and Rate Float. Each entry includes not just a description of the term, but also relevant advice for consumers, such as answers to the questions "Is this loan right for me?" and "Can I negotiate this fee?"

• Guides readers through the bewildering array of new mortgage programs
• Features definitions and explanations of common mortgage, escrow, and closing fees and arcane mortgage terminology

Book Description

Follow the "Proven Path" to successful implementation of enterprise resource planning

Effective forecasting, planning, and scheduling is fundamental to productivity–and ERP is a fundamental way to achieve it. Properly implementing ERP will give you a competitive advantage and help you run your business more effectively, efficiently, and responsively. This guide is structured to support all the people involved in ERP implementation–from the CEO and others in the executive suite to the people doing the detailed implementation work in sales, marketing, manufacturing, purchasing, logistics, finance, and elsewhere.

This book is not primarily about computers and software. Rather, its focus is on people–and how to provide them with superior decision-making processes for customer order fulfillment, supply chain management, financial planning, e-commerce, asset management, and more. This comprehensive guide can be used as a selective reference for those, like top management, who need only specific pieces of information, or as a virtual checklist for those who can use detailed guidance every step of the way. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Complete focus on what's important: processes and management
If you're exploring an enterprise-wide solution, even if it isn't an ERP package, or are planning an implementation after the software has already been selected this book will prove invaluable. Unlike other books about ERP (and e-business and enterprise application integration for that matter), this one is focused on the business processes and what it takes to prepare for and manage the implementation.

Of course, while much of this book applies at a high level to any enterprise application, it is all about ERP. The authors take great pains to avoid talking about software, which in itself is refreshing. They also skillfully guide you through a panorama of key issues, including what ERP is and how it fits into the overall scheme of business value and competitiveness. However, the best part of this book is their implementation strategy, which explores how an ERP package is going to require changes at the business process level, how to break down the implementation into manageable stages. In this respect the book is a combination of a management overview of ERP, organizational change strategies, and project management approach to implementation.

The key areas addressed by this book reflect reality. For example, all of the major challenges that you're likely to face are addressed. The critical success factors, such as training, preparing the organization for the system (from a people perspective), and the way the implementation phases are sequenced can either be learned from this book, or learned the hard way (which is sure to include schedule and cost overruns at best and a disaster at worst). In particular, the process-oriented approach that is reiterated throughout the book needs to be heeded. This is the essence of any ERP package, and it will change your organization. This book gives good advice on how to effect the shift from discrete jobs and procedures to a workflow.

In addition to this excellent book I highly recommend two other resources: (1) "Scorecard System For World Class Enterprise Resource Management" by Travis Anderegg, which is a unique book/online survey combination you can use to evaluate the alignment of your ERP system to business processes, and (2) "Enterprise Resource Planning Systems: Systems, Life Cycle, Electronic Commerce, and Risk" by Daniel Edmund O'Leary. O'Leary's book completely complements this one and fills in a few gaps. ... Read more

Book Description

The Lean Pocket Guide is designed for use as a convenient, quick reference as you learn and implement lean manufacturing tools and techniques. It provides valuable insight into the nuances of lean from a team of lean sensi's throughout the world.

You can put your finger on any entry or lean concept, term, tool, or technique within a matter of seconds! With the simply, clear illustrations, this is definitely meant for use on the shop floor.

Also, included is this Pocket Guide is a ready-to-submit Suggestion Form to get those ideas into action, NOW! ... Read more

Book Description

Recipient of the 1988 Outstanding Research Publication Award from the Organizational Communication Division of the Speech Communication Association Organizations cannot function without one vital component--communication. With the rapid expansion of corporations and technology, the quickly evolving field of organizational communication has undergone enormous, unprecedented growth . . . and change. Handbook of Organizational Communication is the first volume to pull together many loose threads in various strands of thinking and research about organizational communication. Its renowned contributors are leading scholarly pioneers in the field--drawn equally from organizational behavior and management studies and from communication. From this multidisciplinary perspective, they analyze research, theory, and applications--considering wherever possible communication phenomena at the appropriate multiple levels of analysis (dyadic, group, organizational, and extra-organizational). Authors also provide valuable, original insights into directions for future research and theory in their respective areas. Handbook of Organizational Communication is a milestone in the creation and shaping of this new area of academic scholarship with practical applications. It will both establish and point the way toward new theories and empirical work that will advance a young and exciting field. This volume will be an essential tool for all professionals and students in organizational communication, management, organizational behavior, and organization studies. "The editors have done a superb job of conceptualizing the work. In addition, their section previews are quite extensive and serve to integrate beautifully the material that follows. This book may well become a classic graduate text much in the genre of the Redding and Sanborn book of twenty-five years ago. It is comprehensive, well organized, well researched, and quite well written. The authors and editors are to be congratulated on their fine product." --Administrative Science Quarterly "An invaluable resource. . . . Authors do a fine job of surveying even the most recent research in their areas; some offer exciting suggestions for further research." --Quarterly Journal of Speech "Finally, someone has pulled together the fragmented pieces of organizational communication research.This book integrates and synthesizes these sundry organizational communication perspectives.Without a doubt, the Handbook is the preeminent reference book for organizational communication. "Unquestionably, this book should be on the shelf of everyone interested in organizational communication.Whether one is just beginning the study of organizational communication or one is an established scholar, The Handbook of Organizational Communication is a necessary resource." --Management Communication Quarterly "An extremely thorough, carefully selected set of papers which as a whole form a first-rate indication of the state of the art.I would recommend this book to anyone who is seriously interested in organizational communication, be they a social scientist, a practicing manager, an information manager, or just an interested member of an organization.It is a unique and outstanding work and should have a place on the bookshelves of many offices in a wide array of different organizations.Researchers in the area will find this work extremely pertinent to their activities." --Journal of Applied Systems Analysis ... Read more

Book Description

For seventeen years and through two editions, this Handbook has been the indispensable "bible" for every serious student of leadership. This third edition reflects the growth and changes in the study of leadership since the 1981 edition. There have been shifts in both content and method. Senior managers, for example, have become an increasing subject of inquiry. Distinctly separate fields of inquiry, such as political science and psychology, have been joined in this edition to build a broader appreciation of the phenomenon of leadership. Throughout the Handbook, the contributions from cognitive social psychology and the social, political, communications, and administrative sciences have been expanded.

As in the second edition, Bernard Bass begins with a consideration of the definitions and concepts used, and a brief review of some of the better-known theories. Professor Bass then focuses on the personal traits, tendencies, attributes, and values of leaders and the knowledge, intellectual competence, and technical skills required for leadership. Next, he looks at leaders' socioemotional talents, interpersonal competencies, and the differences in these characteristics in leaders who are imbued with ideologies, especially authoritarianism, Machiavellianism, and self-aggrandizement. A fuller examination of the values, needs, and satisfactions of leaders follows, and singled out for special attention are competitiveness and the preferences for taking risks. In his chapters on personal characteristics, Bass examines the esteem that others generally accord to leaders as a consequence of the leaders' personalities. The more general examination of the personal factors associated with leadership has been extensively reorganized and expanded, and increased attention has been paid to knowledge, information, and intellectual ability, as well as to power and political tactics.

The many developments in theory and research about charisma since 1974 have now made possible an entire chapter devoted to charismatic and inspirational leadership. Bass argues that a new paradigm of leadership -- transformational leadership -- has arisen that makes possible the inclusion of a much wider range of phenomena than when theory and modeling are limited to reinforcement strategies.

Studies of women increased dramatically during the 1980s. Accordingly, Chapter 32 on women and leadership has been considerably expanded over the chapter in the second edition. Completely new to this edition are studies by European and Japanese investigators on the accelerating internationalization of management.

Finally, a glossary has been included in this edition to assist specialists in a particular academic discipline who may be unfamiliar with terms used in other fields. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A must read for all serious scholars of leadership
I have found the "Handbook" to be most useful. I disagree with my Swedish friend above about the book. In fact below is a snippet from THE journal of leadership about the book. According Schriesheim, Scandura, Gardiner and Lankau (1993) the Handbook is "the outstanding foundation source for information on leadership theory and research" (p. 104). Schriesheim et al. state further that the handbook is "the source which scholars should consult first in attempting to understand any of the subsidiary topics...subsumed under the general rubric of 'leadership theory and research'" (p. 108).

Reference: Schriesheim, C. A., Scandura, T. A., Gardiner, C. C., & Lankau, M. J. (1993). Book Review: Bass & Stogdill's handbook of leadership: Theory, research & managerial applications by Bernard Bass. Leadership Quarterly 4(1), 103-113.

A classic, comprehensive work
Bass presents a thorough, but brief synopsis of the findings in leadership research. His chapter on stress and leadership ignores the positive effects stress has on leader behavior and its relationship to subordinates.

Social science back 60 years?
This text displays a plethora of simplistic, presumptuous and shallow typologies purporting to explain what is a leader and why it has to be so. Without any concern for contemporary social studies the author tells us about what inborn qualities signifies a female leader, why there are fewer black leaders than white ones ("scientifically proven" low cognitive ability according to the author, pp. 740-741), and the litany goes on. It is baffling that this stuff is still available in the book market as anything else than obscure reminiscences of American social science in a time we rather forget about.

A most in Leadership learning and training
Its multiple models presentation, allows a better approach and understanding. Teaching at our university system, and helping organizations, this book is a fundamental reference for help. ... Read more

Book Description

This imporant book provides the model for ethics-based, client-first servicein the real estate industry.It shows you how to stay in step with technology and incorporate the Internet with the personal touch clients expect.You'll also learn a variety of strategies in deal-making, home staging, reverse farming, referral streams, and future income streams that will make you a more productive and more successful agent. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

great book
This is a great book especially for the new agent. It tells all about every single step you are going to take during a real estate transaction and gives great tips on prospecting and other helpful information a new agent might want to know. I have read several others books and this one is by far the best. Most of the other books have been about "scripts" and salesmen approaches to closing the deal. I totally disagree with the old approach. There is nothing wrong with being honest in a real estate transaction, after all it's your own business.

Positive and Informative
This book has loads of useful information and advice both for people considering a career as a real estate agent and for those already in the business. The author is extremely positive in her style throughout the book, and makes the reader believe he/she can't help but succeed with the right approach, hard work, and perserverence. I recommend this book to anyone thinking of becoming or already a real estate agent.

Buy this book if you're considering a career in real estate!
This book is fun, helpful and informative to anyone interested in starting a real estate career. It contains a ton of helpful information and is written in an intelligent manner, with tips and hints along the way. I'm studying for my real estate license and although I'm learning a lot from an accredited company, it's nice to have a book that discusses the aspects of real estate in a lighter, easy-to-read tone.

Not Realistic
The author has a utopian view of the world of real estate that is far from reality. She acts as if one does everything in her book clients will come flocking to one's door. If it were this easy, everyone would be a real estate agent. As proof, I visited the author's website, and she has only one house listed for sale.

This book gives the new agent tools to move with confidence
I bought this book immediately after passing the real estate exam. While I was reading it I became engrossed in it. Marilyn Sullivan inspires the spirit of professionalism, integrity and Ethics for the Real Estate Agent. This book is loaded with excellent principals, suggestions, advice and must do's. This book really should be a must read for every Real Estate Agent Candidate in every state. Speaking as the new kid on the block, this book has given me the tools to move ahead in my new career with confidence and a sense of pride of being a Real Estate Agent. I feel that armed with this new knowledge from Marilyn Sullivan, I will be a success in my new career. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

This Style Guide Has Everything!
This book tells you how to do everything! It can be used by both students and professionals. This book has everything from how to properly use a comma to writing bibliographies; from how to use photographs in presentations and documents to writing resumes. This guide gives you hints on how to manage meetings effectively. I use this book at both work and home. People come to me to borrow this fantasic book constantly. I have the CD installed on my computer and love using the program - it is very user-friendly. I don't think any student or office should be without this wonderful tool.

Covey's CD doesn't work, neither does customer service!
I recently purchased the Covey Style Guide with CD Rom. The CD rom, after installation, wouldn't come up. I phoned Covey's 800 number and got bounced around to several people who said I had to go online for help, or else give my credit card up front for a minimum of $20 service charge. Their online system supposedly has a technician online, but I kept getting the message "Sorry, sometimes the system cuts of the reply. Please resend."

This is was too weird for me. This is not my idea of customer service!

Stephen Johnson
editor@healingpath.com

Great book to improve technical writing skills!
This book was great for improving my technical writing skills. I used this book as a required textbook for a masters degree program and felt it was great for my first class.

The most helpful style guide ever!
There are a number of useful style guides for technical and business writers on the market; this is my most favorite!

It is easy to understand, has great examples, covers all imaginable aspects of written communication, and - the best - it comes with exhaustive coverage on a CD.

Finally, it is definitely the best bank for your buck!

Great desktop reference for Technical Writers
This is a great reference tool for anyone starting out in the technical communications field! This book is very user friendly. It's apparent once you start flipping through the pages. All the topics, such as, "Editing and Proofreading," "Page Layout," and "Word Problems," are organized in alphabetical order and printed on the outside edge of the page's header in large easy-to-read font. I also appreciate the way each topic has the keypoints summarized at the beginning with numbers that corresponds to an in-depth discussion of the keypoints. The enclosed CD-ROM was also a great addition to this book. This book is a worthwhile investment! ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Six Sigma and Project Management Tips
This Six Sigma book is for those who have little direct experience as a project manager. In addition to an introduction to Six Sigma (albeit not as efficient introduction as "What Is Six Sigma?"), the authors go into depth on team dynamics and other project management information.

While the project management information is good and an excellent refresher for those who are only peripherally involved with project management, it helps to feed the Achilles heal of Six Sigma: the perception that it's the same old stuff repackaged and given inflated value.

A quick read of the reviews on Amazon will give you a feel for why people are skeptical of 6 Sigma: the feel-good tone of most writing on 6 Sigma and the insistence that it "is not a flavor-of-the-month management trend" make many of us suspect that 6 Sigma is not much more than hollow jargon and acronyms.

Lets accept that these criticisms are valid and further that many "practitioners" are just self-aggrandizing or worse. But that still leaves us with the essential difficulties of positive change in any organization: you need to overcome assumptions that your organization's subculture may not even realize it has. What a corporation does by accepting Six Sigma is that it empowers people to gather data to challenge what "everybody knows". Most importantly, it sets a very high quality standard, which further sanctions data-driven change.

I was not surprised to see that this book was used successfully in a college-level course on Six Sigma. That audience is less cynical that many in the corporate world and certainly could use exposure to project management.

I feel that the greatest flaw in Six Sigma is that many practitioners and even the books permit the basics to be lost in the shuffle. If one listens to people talk about Six Sigma, its easy to forget that a critical part of Six Sigma is that the data comes first, not the solution. I often hear co-workers say "we need to finish this project to improve our six sigmas" or "if we could get rid of this server we'll all get our green belts".

The term Six Sigma is derived from statistics. This book covers all the necessary statistics and other "tools".

If you just want an introduction to Six Sigma, I would recommend "What Is Six Sigma?" (by some of the same authors). If you'd also like to read about project management, this book will serve you well. But be warned, you'll see feel-good digressions such as an explanation of why Sherlock Holmes would have made a great Six Sigma Black Belt. Some will find these digressions annoying.

I would also recommend Michael Lewis' Moneyball as a companion book. Lewis (author of "Liar's Poker") uses Wall Street trading as an analogy to explain why the Oakland As baseball team is one of the successful teams with much less money than most. But I also see an analogy relevant to the topic of Six Sigma. "Moneyball" also shows how one can achieve superior results by testing what everyone thinks they know with fact gathering and rigorous analyses. "Moneyball" may prove to be an inspiring book for those about to measure processes and look for opportunities for dramatic improvement: precisely what Six Sigma practitioners SHOULD be doing.

Just right for Green Belt training
The Six Sigma Way Team Fieldbook is an excellent companion to the original Six Sigma Way. I'm using it as a primary textbook in the Green Belt course at the college where I teach. The Fieldbook does a good job of laying out the "nuts and bolts" process of attacking a problem and making improvements. The book is a little light in some of the more techinical areas, specifically in the Analysis Stage of the DMAIC model. That's where I come in as the course instuctor. I supplement the Fieldbook with the QCI CSSBB Primer and use MiniTab software for statistical analysis. It all blends together, and is held together, by the very well written descriptions of DMAIC methodologies in the Team Fieldbook. This book is exactly what it is intended to be -- A Team Fieldbook for Six Sigma practitioners. Used with the guidance from an experienced Six Sigma practitioner (Black Belt), it is an excellent tool for both training and basic reference.

Black belt, here I show you the book of idols
Lets analyze this book deeply. Actually this book is totally useless. Here the authors dig deeper into the magic, the sophistry, of Six Sigma. Please tell us more practitioners of this blind faith.

This book details how to create the teams needed for Six Sigma. First it explains the role of the 'black belt' and 'master black belt'. We're not given insights into why a business model for grown ups has to treat us all like children, having teams and coaches and lots of 'feel good' language invovled. How bout a chapter on firing lazy employees? How bout a chapter on what to do when 10% of the items coming off the line are defective? No, that would be too realistic. No wholesome language, Just wizardry. When every single item coming off the line is defective we must sic the teams on it and analyze the issues, the diversity, the feel goodies of it. How bout just firing every single person on the line? This book is pure sophistry detailing a fad, a flavor of the week approach developed at GE and now appearing in every book in the world on business.
Business existed before Six Sigma and it will exist when this flawed system is gone.

Every Bit As Good As The Original Book...
A few people have written that they were disappointed in this book in comparison to the original "The Six Sigma Way." However, I couldn't disagree more. This is a terrific book. Where "The Six Sigma Way" served as a comprehensive foundation into the fundamentals of Six Sigma and offered a number of case studies, "The Fieldbook" is a no-nonsense roll-up-your-sleeves guide to implementation. The Bottom Line? If you want an overview of Six Sigma, buy a copy of "The Six Sigma Way." However, if you are a member of the management team (or a black belt) overseeing a Six Sigma program, "The Fieldbook" is definately the book for you.

Great source of information for the practictioner
This book is the one book for someone who is joining their first six sigma team. It will give you a feel for the tools and methodology that you will be exposed to and provides handy references of forms, metrics and best practices if you are requested to complete a task in a six sigma project. The material is very well organized and summarized for usage as an ongoing team resource. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

A great resource!
I picked up a copy of Thinkertoys over a year ago; since then, I've recommended it to many people. The exercises contained within the book are easy to follow, and often make believers out of those who consider themselves 'not the creative type.' I used the 'circle of opportunity' exercise when brainstorming with coworkers in my office...interestingly enough, the coworker who was most resistant to doing the exercise (she considers herself a very analytical, logical sort of thinker) came up with the best idea.

As a marketing/public relations consultant, Thinkertoys sits on my bookshelf right next to my thesaurus. It is an invaluable, easy to understand and enlightening tool.

A one-of-a-kind brainstorming workshop. Fantastic.
It's rare to find a truly practical book, full of exercises to stimulate creative thinking and problem solving. Having used this book to lead small groups in problem-solving, and brainstorm techniques, I can say with confidence the exercises are intriguing, fun and effective. A great book.

Worst plagiarization of creative techniques I've seen
This author has managed to put together a pretty well written book of other people's ideas and make the reader think they are his own. There is nothing original here - it's the worst case of plagiarization I've ever seen!

Remarkable Book
Since reading Thinkertoys my life has changed. Creative thinking has become a challenge to be welcomed rather than a tedious task to be avoided.

At any time, I am able to access principles which produce successful cognative strategies. Making one's way through Mr. Michalko's varied topics and exercises affords a fascinating journey. Part of the fun lies in the author's judicious choice of illustrative examples. Expanding one's ability to think creatively is a talent anyone can acquire. Read this remarkable book.

Note that the first letter of each of the above sentences combine to spell SCAMPER. This has become my favorite blueprint. It could be yours also.

This book is a gift of life
This book is a treasure. I was depressed and defeated at work until I read this book. It seems that most people spend their time trying to figure out why things don't work and why things can't be done. Michalko turns that around with his creative-thinking techniques. Now, for the first time in a long time, I find it a joy to go to work and look for creative ways to get things done and make things work. ... Read more

Book Description

From abandonment to zoning, and over 2,800 terms in between, The Language of Real Estate has every term that real estate professionals need.this industry best seller is a must have for all students, practitioners, and educators.Highlights include:
* Appendix boasts over 350 commonly used abbreviations.
* Subject classification index lists terms by topic.
* Spanish key terms help both ESL students and those who will be working with ESL customers. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Excellent book- but I did not like the "bi-lingual" edition
I have this book - as well as the previous edition (4th edition).
This one came with my real estate class.

It is an excellent and very informative book.

However- many terms in the book have the Spanish word next to it.

Examples:
appraiser (valuador, tasador)
counteroffer (contraoferta)
deed (escritura)
fee simple (pleno dominio)
joint venture (asociacion, en participacion, contrato de asociacion, en participacion)
mortgagor (deudor hipotecario)
.......Etc.........

In the back of the book in Appendix D is a Spanish-English dictionary.

I did not want a bilingual real estate book.

The previous version of this book (4th edition- 1993) did not include this.

I don't know why the author- John W. Reilly- or Dearborn Real Estate- felt it necessary to include Spanish words next to many of the real estate terms.

I want to learn real estate- in English- not in Spanish.
And I felt that to be a huge distraction.

I want to learn real estate terms in ENGLISH- not in Spanish.
I was very disappointed when I saw that.

Maybe the author should publish an English version- and a Spanish version.

I took Spanish in college- and I want to learn REAL ESTATE- not a foreign language.

It is an excellent book - and in my opinion that is it's only flaw.

Excellent Reference Book
Whether teaching or working in the real estate field, this a a wonderful reference book for all. This could be helpful for beginners in the field and also for someone that has spent a lifetime in the field.

The #1 necessary book for agent or consumer
As a real estate instructor, this is the book I bring to every classroom, regardless of the topic. It is the ideal suppliment to any real estate instruction. It's clear, concise and to the point. My students are accustomed to hearing, "Let's see what THE BOOK says." As a writer and course developer, it's always there as my reference book of choice. As a consultant, I recommend it to buyers and sellers as their first step in learning the language. This is the all around perfect book for anyone dealing with real estate in any way --- which is just about everybody!

It is reallya must for any home buyer to read rather study
This gives a complete in sight of Realtor's work & psychology and thus helps a home buyer to make a gainful decision of his life to have a roof , without being taken for a ride. ... Read more

Book Description

Click 'Additional Materials' for downloadable samples

"Not just for reference, this is an essential learning resource for libraries and the personal collections of modern leaders. Narratives, examples, photographs, and illustrations illuminate the ideas and concepts being examined, making the set readable, attention-grabbing, and unordinary. Readers can explore leadership theories and practices, and examine the effects of leadership. More volumes are promised in this source that brings interest and excitement to a subject overlooked by the consultants, CEOs, and coaches whose earlier works captured a small view of leadership subject matter. Summing Up: Highly recommended for all collections."
--CHOICE

"Because there really is nothing available like this encyclopedia, it is a must buy for academic libraries. Extremely well done, with good quality print and illustrations, this work should become an important resource for active citizens as well as for managers and scholars.”
--BOOKLIST (star review)

"Because of its breadth, ease of navigation, high level of scholarship, clear writing, and practical format, this model encyclopedia should help establish leadership as a normative field of study. Highly recommended.”
--LIBRARY JOURNAL (star review)

"SAGE has, again, been the first to hit the market with a major reference in a rapidly growing field of the social sciences. Virtually every academic and large public library will need the Encyclopedia of Leadership.”
--BOOK NEWS

“The enormous demands on leadership in today’s world-the rise of militant followings; the struggle of long-suppressed people to rise to leadership positions; the heightened demand for moral, principled leadership--all these dynamic forces contribute to making this encyclopedia timely--and timeless.”
--From the Foreword by James MacGregor Burns, Williams College, author of Leadership and winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award

"As the field of leadership studies expands, and the list of important authors and concepts grows, the time is at hand for a comprehensive encyclopedia of leadership. This collection will be welcomed by all who want to understand this important and complex field."
--Howard Gardner, John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and author of Good Work: When Excellence and Ethics Meet (2001) and Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership (1995)

"In 1975 a wag declared that the concept of leadership should be abandoned. It was not, of course. The 300 contributors to the Encyclopedia of Leadership are leaders among the many thousands of scholars responsible for the health and vast breadth of leadership studies. They show us that leadership plays an important, increasingly integral role today in fields ranging from world politics to community development."
--Bernard M. Bass, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Center for Leadership Studies, School of Management, Binghamton University and author of Transformational Leadership: Industrial, Military and Educational Impact (1998) and Leadership and Performance beyond Expectations (1985)

"This new Encyclopedia provides leaders with the historical perspective and a vision of the tenuous future so essential if leaders of the future are to redefine leadership on their own terms, with their own people."
--Frances Hesselbein, Chairman of the Board of Governors, Leader to Leader Institute (formerly the Drucker Foundation) and coeditor of On Creativity, Innovation, and Renewal: A Leader to Leader Guide (2002) and Leading Beyond the Walls (1999)

From the earliest times people have been entranced by stories about leaders-about Greek city state rulers, Roman consuls, Chinese emperors, religious potentates, military conquerors, and politicians. Perhaps more importantly, leadership is a challenge and an opportunity facing millions of people in their professional and personal lives.

The Encyclopedia of Leadership brings together for the first time everything that is known and truly matters about leadership as part of the human experience.

Developed by the award-winning editorial team at Berkshire Publishing Group, the Encyclopedia includes hundreds of articles, written by 400 leading scholars and experts from 17 countries, exploring leadership theories and leadership practice. Over a third of the work-some 500,000 words-is devoted to biographical essays and to case studies focused on leaders (and their followers). Articles and sidebars show leadership in action-in corporations and state houses, schools, churches, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations.

Questions the Encyclopedia of Leadership will answer:

- What is a leader?
- What is a great leader?
- How does someone become a leader?
- What are the types of leadership?
- How can leadership theories help us understand contemporary situations?
- How can I be a good (and maybe great) leader?

The Encyclopedia of Leadership is an unprecedented learning resource. Scholars, students, professionals, and active citizens will turn to the Encyclopedia for guidance on the theory and practice of leadership, for the stories of great leaders, and for the tools and knowledge they need to lead in the 21st century.

Key Features

- Four volumes
- 400 substantive articles, ranging in length from 1000-6000 words
- 200 photographs and other illustrations
- 250 sidebars drawn from public records, newspaper accounts, memoirs, and ethnography

Article categories

- Biographies
- Case studies
- Followers and followership
- Gender issues
- Leadership in different disciplines
- Leadership in different domains
- Leadership styles
- Personality characteristics
- Situational factors
- Theories and concepts

The Encyclopedia of Leadership will be a vital tool for librarians with collections in business, management, history, politics, communication, psychology, and a host of other disciplines. Students and teachers in courses ranging from history to psychology, anthropology, and law will also find this an invaluable reference. In addition, there are nearly 900 leadership programs in American post-secondary institutions and a growing number of efforts to develop leadership in high schools. There are leadership studies majors and minors, as well as certificate and Ph.D. programs, in the United States, Belgium, U.K., Japan, and elsewhere.

Editorial Board

Laurien Alexandre, Antioch University
Bruce Avolio, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Martin Chemers, University of California, Santa Cruz
Kisuk Cho, Ewha Womans University
Joanne Ciulla, University of Richmond
David Collinson, Lancaster University, UK
Yiannis Gabriel, Imperial College, London
Zachary Green, Alexander Institute and University of Maryland
Keith Grint, Oxford University
Michael Hogg, University of Queensland
Jerry Hunt, Texas Tech University
Barbara Kellerman, Harvard University
Jean Lipman-Blumen, Claremont Graduate University
Larraine Matusak, LarCon Associates
Ronald Riggio, Claremont McKenna College
Jürgen Weibler, Fernuniversitat Hagen

Contributors Include

Warren Bennis (Management)
John Chandler (Higher Education)
Cynthia Cherrey (International Leadership Association)
Bob Edgerton (Mau Mau Rebellion)
Gene Gallagher (Religion)
Betty Glad (Camp David Accords and Tyrannical Leadership)
Louis Gould (Woodrow Wilson and Lyndon Johnson)
Allen Guttmann (Modern Olympics Movement and Women's Movement)
Ronald Heifetz (Adaptive Work)
Dale Irvin (Ann Lee)
David Malone (Billy Graham)
Martin Marty (Martin Luther)
Kenneth Ruscio (Trust)
Robert Solomon (Friedrich Nietzsche)
Robert Sternberg (Intelligence and Tacit Knowledge)
Fay Vincent (Sports Industry)
Gary Yukl (Influence Tactics and Group Performance)

Reviews (2)

Best of official ITIL guides
Among the official guides this one stands out as the most detailed and practical. Most of the official guides are, in my opinion, essential only if you are pursuing certification, but this one goes beyond the essential minimums by providing practical information about the five key process areas in more depth. The areas covered are:

(1) Service Level Management
(2) Financial Management for IT Services
(3) Capacity Management
(4) IT Service Continuity Management
(5) Availability Management

As in all books in this series this one covers the theory, practical and implementation perspectives, as well as the relationships between and among key process areas.

Another resource I highly recommend is ITIL Community Forum, which you can reach by pasting the ASIN number B0002FP9PO into the search box on this page, selecting all products and clicking GO. This site has a link to an open source version of the ITIL documentation that is evolving, but contains good descriptions of many of the key process areas.

Fundamental IT
The information Technology Infraestructure Library is a set of guidance developed by United Kingdom's Office of Goverment Commerce (OGC). The guidance, documented in a set of books, describe an integrated, process based, best practice framework for managing, delevop in this case, IT services. To date, this book is the only comprehensive, non-propriestary, publicly available guidance fot IT Management in Service Delivery.
So, is primarily targeted at people responsible for managing IT services or IT consultants from enterprise that offers IT review services. ... Read more

Book Description

The collected wisdom of Silicon Valley's leading IT experts that concisely addresses the most pressing issues facing IT professionals today.

Focuses on the business drivers that impact the IT function!
Explains the top ten measurements that are critical to IT success!
Shows how to set priorities when infrastructure costs are rising and resources are limited!

This is the practical survival guide for every CIO and IT manager who is fighting the battle to do more with less. Covers everything from budgeting and measuring, to planning, sourcing, and architecture. Each chapter is introduced with a real-life story that shows how the common themes that have emerged from each author's unique experiences are related. The critical skills that every IT manager needs to master are covered in detail with real-life insights and practical examples. Whether your IT organization is wrestling with outsourcing maintenance issues, or critical infrastructure problems, the solutions you need can be found in this book. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

The best compilation of what it takes to be a great CIO
The book is a wealth of advice not only valuable to the CIO position but to the executive team and the Board of Directors as well. Fox's chapter on communications is the most enlightened tour of what it takes to build a great IT organization that is in alignment with the internal and external parts of the enterprise.
The advice parallels Harvard Professor Kanter's admonition that "communication is the key". Businesses must make the free flow of information and knowledge a priority. If lines of communication are poor, employees at the lower levels feel cut off from the decision-makers at the top.
Excellent read!

Keep learning, Keep improving and Keep adapting
The book provides valuable insights for the current and incoming Asia Pacific CIO.

Asia Pacific is a complex marketplace; however, the challenges faced by many CIO's in this region are the same as in other geographical regions.

CIO Wisdom is a valuable tool that will complement an organisations effort to achieve best practice in their people, process and technology pillars.

Superb compilation of knowledge & experience
The seventeen articles in this compendium represents contemporary and topical subjects, each written by a seasoned CIO. I was as impressed with the selection of articles as I was with the content because each topic is foremost on the minds of CIOs and senior IT managers today.

Among the articles I especially like are:

- The First 90 Days, by Mark Egan, which contains actionable plans that will get the new CIO (or other senior IT executive) quickly moving in the right direction.

- IT Organization, by Guy de Meester, in particular the challenges of centralization vs. decentraliztion, and organizational models in general. If this area is your focus I highly recommend additional reading: "Decentralization: Fantasies, Failings, and Fundamentals" (ISBN 0964163535) and "RoadMap: How to understand, diagnose, and fix your organization" (ISBN 0964163527), both of which go into great detail and provide an exceptionally effective approach.

- Governance, by Danny Maco, which is conspicuously missing in organizations large and small - or is often done incorrectly if done at all.

- Budgeting, by Bob Denis, Maureen Vavra, John Dick ... you'd think IT has this basic function under control, but sadly not. Read this article for excellent advice.

- The Metrics of IT: Management by Measurement, by Shel Waggener and Steve Zoppi. One of my favorite topics, and this team provides outstanding advice and keen insights.

Other articles are as well written, and span topics from architecture to strategic planning. Taken as a whole, this is a sourcebook that is filled with both knowledge and experience, and should be on the desk of every CIO, seasoned and new. I also recommend visiting the site that supports this book (paste the ASIN number, B0001EHNFK, into the search box for all products on this page). The site contains additional articles, news and other books in this series that CIOs, IT managers at all levels, and subject matter experts will find useful.

I'm a new CIO
As an IT professional recently hired as a first time CIO, I was in need of a book like this one. As I began reading, it was actually eerie to see how similar my issues are to the ones addressed in this book.

The book does a great job of addressing issues; first by explaining them, then by giving real world examples of how the authors worked them, then by offering trouble-shooting advice and even offering templates where applicable.

I have shared several chapters with my direct reports and have already put some of the ideas into practice. Doing so has increased my effectiveness and therefore my chances of success in my new role. I would recommend this book to anyone else in a similar position.

CIO Wisdom, Indeed !!
Truly, this is 'CIO Wisdom' - set down by CIOs and IT managers who deal day-to-day with information technology in perhaps the most challenging environment - Silicon Valley itself. As a 42-year veteran of the IT industry, I think this is the first time I've seen so much down-to-earth, practical and useful IT guidance in one place. The chapters are clearly and well-written. The authors get right down to the meat of the subject and provide practical suggestions for improving IT delivery.

If the book has a weakness, it is that there is so much specific information here that it will likely take multiple readings to glean all of it.

I think this book should be required reading for all CIOs ... and if you really want to start something, get a copy for everyone on your IT staff! ... Read more

Book Description

Being a professional administrative assistant requires an astonishing and varied range of skills involving interpersonal communication,written presentations, and organizational ability. Between coordinating meetings, making travel arrangements, and running the phone lines, administrative professionals are involved in nearly every aspect of the office.

Written in a down-to-earth style, Administrative Assistant's and Secretary's Handbook provides readers with information on subjects includingrecord keeping, telephone usage, office machines, mail, business letters, and computer software skills. Now in its second edition, the book has beencompletely revised with over 10 new chapters covering topics such as Internet security, netiquette, office ergonomics, and mobile and wireless devices, aswell as an enhanced grammar and language section.

Comprehensive and completely up-to-date, this is the book every administrative professional should own. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Not to be missed by any serious professional
This second edition of Administrative Assistant's And Secretary's Handbook has been completely revised with 10 new chapters to cover netiquette, Internet security ,office ergonomics and other modern-day concerns of secretaries and office personnel. From Internet travel planning and PDAs to computer applications common to office procedures, Administrative Assistant's And Secretary's Handbook provides an important reference not to be missed by any serious professional.

Okay
This is a book written in 1995 and yet there is a whole chapter on DOS and other outdated technology. No office still uses DOS! With the ever changing technology in today's world, the author would have been so much better off skipping that whole chapter. Letter formats and telephone etiquette will still apply ten years from now, but when talking of computers; today's newest is tomorrow's obsolete. So get this book for general office information but not to become computer savvy or to learn of the software businesses are now using.

This has been such a help
I just started a job as a secretary and my boss was no help in ttraining. I was lost. A friend recommended this book and it has been a lifesaver!! It has all the details and hints. After a couple of weeks, I looked like a pro.

If you are a boss, buy this book and make it part of your training. If you are a secretary like me, buy it and hide it in the drawer and next time you're stumped, I bet you find the answer here.

Good for Small Business
We run a small business and this book turned out to be a great resource for making us look like a big business. The best sections include standard letter addressing, punctuation, and title addressing.

Recommended for small and medium size offices
This book is a good reference for any office assistant who wants a guide on such things as mail, telephone, addressing letters, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and computer usage. It's a useful guide for improving your skills and making yourself and your business look professional. ... Read more

Book Description

An unparalleled compendium of incisive essays, lively biographies, and authoritative and up-to-date source materials, Business is an operating system for your whole business, and includes:

--Original best-practice essays from over 150 of today's thought leaders
--Profiles of the 100 most influential business pioneers and management thinkers
--Summaries of the 70 most important business books of all time
--Over 300 practical checklists, covering all areas of management and career development
--A first-class world business almanac covering more than 150 countries, all 50 US states, and 24 industries
--A jargon-free dictionary of 6,000 business terms
--An extensive list of 3,000 information sources (books, journals, Web sites and organizations), covering 115 topics

"Could there be a business intelligence -- a set of abilities that dismantle those truly outstanding in the world of commerce? Could business intelligence be the mark of outstanding individual performers, as well as the building block of the best-performing companies?"
--From the Introduction by Daniel Goleman

Business: The Ultimate Resource offers unique access to the expertise and ideas that will drive global commerce and the art of management in the twenty-first century. Unmatched in scope and depth, and guided by a team of eminent advisors and editors, Business will become the "operating system" for any organization or anyone in business -- the infrastructure that drives ideas and action. Business illuminates the state of the art in business thinking and practice today, and will serve as the essential guide for seasoned executives, up-and-coming managers, entrepreneurs, consultants, administrators, educators, and students alike.

Much more than a reference, Business provides fascinating perspectives on the culture of business, which is arguably becoming the most potent force in society around the globe. The centerpiece of Business is a collection of over 150 original essays and thought pieces, commissioned especially for this volume from among the world's most dynamic business authors. From Warren Bennis on the four critical aspects of leadership to Charles Handy on the future of business to Peter Bernstein on the case against the long run, readers will learn what's on the minds of today's thought leaders. Business also includes colorful, and often surprising, biographies of the pioneers who have left their indelible marks on the business landscape: from the larger-than-life "robber barons," such as financier J.P. Morgan and oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, to today's high-tech and media titans, Bill Gates and Martha Stewart; from the groundbreaking research of W. Edwards Deming on quality and Abraham Maslow on psychological needs to today's high-profile strategy gurus, Gary Hamel and Rosabeth Moss Kanter.

Every page of Business is filled with information, inspiration, and application. For example, the management library section illuminates the most influential business books of all time, including Sun Tzu's timeless The Art of War, Alfred P. Sloan's My Years with General Motors, and James Champy and Michael Hammer's controversial bestseller, Reengineering the Corporation. Over 300 checklists, covering every aspect of management, offer a wealth of practical guidance for anyone who works: essential strategies for tackling virtually every challenge, from managing stress on the job to reading a balance sheet to making the most out of performance appraisals. With detailed industry overviews, an extensive dictionary of business terms, and a world-class almanac of facts and figures, Business has something for everyone.

Let the collective wisdom of generations of trailblazers be your guide to achieving business literacy -- a working knowledge of the key thinking, writing, people, and trends that define business today -- and ultimately the business intelligence to thrive in a world of complexity and possibility. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Magnus Opus Worth Its Weight
In today's go-go, "give it to me in two words or less" world, the idea of buying a big, heavy business reference book with more than 2,000 pages in it seems absurd. Ludicrous. Nuts!

But getting this book is actually very smart. Intelligent. Brilliant!

Why? Well it's definitely not plane reading. And it's not likely bed-time reading. But as a useful reference tool and practical guide to just about everything (from calculating net rate of return to "finding your calling and living your passion"), BUSINESS is a superb tool to keep close at hand.

By contrast, I also own the equally hefty "AMA [American Management Association] Management Handbook," which is, in a word, worthless as a practical tool. In the AMA tome, many topics are either missing, written with an academic, "about the subject," treatment, or so light on practical application as to measure zero (or less if you count the time wasted in your search) on the utility scale.

So is "BUSINESS: The Ultimate Resource," in fact, the ultimate resource? Well, that's publisher hyperbole. The index is not nearly complete. But it will point you to a few places where your subject is treated, and those articles are often cross-referenced with others...

So if you follow the chain, you'll find a heck of a lot of useful information. And the huge tome comes with some other interesting stuff such as summaries of "the most influential business books of all time," and profiles of "management giants," a business dictionary, and yet more reference material.

But the real draw for me: There's lots of actionable advice about very practical things--from setting organizational strategy to more fully engaging passive, compliant staff members.

Moreover, most articles on any given topic fill only about two pages at a crack. So you can get in, get what you need, and get on with your real work.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, this reviewer wrote a brief Best Practices article on leadership development for the book. It's two-pages among the reference's more than two-thousand. (And candidly, when I first heard about the project, I thought an overwhelming, omnibus treatment of all matters business was flat-out goofy. That was until I actually saw the book. And started reading critically. It proved its usefulness very quickly.)

You'll recognize many prominent experts among the contributors. Even better, you'll find that they've been held to a tight, focused, practical style and format---with no philosophical diatribes and no time-wasting sidetracks.

That editorial discipline won't mean much as the volume rests heavily on your credenza. But it will really serve you when some new, unexpected and unfamiliar responsibility lands in your in-box. When your mind sounds the alarm --- "What the heck am I supposed to do about this?!" --- just take a deep breath, heave open the covers, and dig in!

Having this big black book nearby will be akin to career insurance.

You'd be hard-pressed to find either more ample or more useful advice for so little an investment.

Very thorough
Quite an impressive collection of reference material in one book. Very well organized. It is basically a whole library in one. The only downside is it's size. The book weighs something like 10 lbs, not something you can take to the coffee shop for a read. I didnt find the checklist section very useful. It contains many scenarios that will not come up in the normal course of business. This book is better suited for libraries and academic institution use. Perhaps if they broke this book down into several volumes it would be more useful. Having said all of this, the book does appear to be very well written and researched. For all of the information that it contains, it is a real bargain.

Incomplete Geography
This book contains a "World Business Almanac" with significant information on all countries of the world - all countries, that is, except Madagascar! Imagine my surprise having bought this book as a general resource and being able to find out economic and other information on all countries, including North Korea and Cuba, but to find Madagascar missing!

Great Detail...A bit Dry...
I enjoyed this book, and I think it will have great value for anyone who wants to learn more about Business. On the other hand, for those of us who are entrepreneurs, or have the spirit of creating, the book is a little dry. But still recomended.

Jabu Studio
www.jabustudio.com

Size Does Matter.........
This book is massive and holds a wealth of information unsurpassed by any management/business book I've encountered. The layout is exceptional and is unassuming as it's driven by icons and clearly organized. The book has a top-notch advisory board. The little extras listed under "For More Information" such as websites and books are invaluable. They've done all the legwork for you. Also, each section highlights possible application of the concept discussed in a section called "Making It Happen" and the numerous management checklist make this book very applied. If there is a lacuna in your knowledge base it will surly be filled with Business the Ultimate Resource. Additionally, the bios and details of business gurus are helpful in understanding what it takes to be successful in a global market. Yes, this book does have a global perspective from illustrating the Japanese methodology of Kaizen to business opportunities in Mozambique. So, if you are looking for an exceptional reference book that overshadows Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace by 670 pages this is it! ... Read more

Reviews (7)