Book Description

the PATH In a world in which we are daily forced to make decisions that lead us either closer to or further from our goals, no tool is as valuable in providing direction as a mission statement -- a brief, succinct, and focused statement of purpose that can be used to initiate, evaluate, and refine all of life's activities.

Individuals and companies have recently been learning what history has demonstrated all along -- that people or groups with carefully defined missions have always led and surpassed those who have none. Yet the process of outlining that mission statement has been, up to now, an arduous one that all too few have committed the time, energy, and resources to undertake.

In The Path, Laurie Beth Jones, author of the national bestseller Jesus CEO, provides inspiring and practical advice to lead listeners through every step of both defining and fulfilling a mission. With more than ten years' experience in assisting groups and individuals, Jones offers clear, step-by-step guidance that help you create a mission statement in a matter of hours rather than a month or years.

Rich with humor, exercises, and case histories, The Path is essential listening for anyone seeking a lighter, clearer way in the world. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Phenomenal
This book is life altering. A completely different twist on finding your purpose and place in life. In my case, my final life purpose statement shocked me at first. I thought I must have done the exercises wrong. However, after thinking about it for a moment, I realized the mission statement revealed my inner most truth, the absolute and quintessential me. I love how Laurie Beth Jones helps you develop a personal mission statement. She teaches the importance of aligning yourself with a company that has a similar or complementary mission statement. Powerful stuff!

Insightful!
Laurie Beth Jones' survey of the basic principles of creating mission statements and vision statements is accompanied by her personal observations. She includes stories about clients, business associates and friends, and stories from the Bible. The book focuses on ways each individual can develop a personal path to guide him or her through professional and personal life. The book is written in short, easy-to-read sections. The basic message about missions and goals is familiar. Many readers will find that this book offers a quick and useful guide to creating an overall plan, within an inspirational and spiritual context. However, some may admire her strong Christian orientation and others may find themselves uncomfortable with it. As she notes, her personal mission is to "recognize, promote and inspire the divine connection in myself and others." She fulfills that mission with the book's underlying Christian message. We [...] recommend this book to those who wish to develop a personal plan and who are interested in including a Christian-oriented spiritual dimension in that process.

Religious Themes and yet Very Practical
In the book the path, Ms. Jones demonstrates how "People with clearly defined missions have always led those who haven't any. You are either living your mission or you are living someone else's."

Although Ms. Jones reaches into the historical past of Judeo-Christian tradition for many of her examples, she also gives many personal and contemporary accounts. The religious references may put off some non-religious readers, yet the book still has many powerful exercises that do help you create a powerful mission statement.

Ms. Jones is humorous at times which helps to drive home her points. One of my favorites is when she is making the case for the power behind having a clear mission statement. "I often visualize heaven as being like a catalog fulfillment center, full of angels reading requests. 'This one reads, 'I want to be happy in the future', says Gabriel. 'What exactly does that mean?' asks Michael. 'I do not know. What should I do with it?' asks Gabriel. 'Put it in the hold file, with all the rest. Someday maybe these humans will learn to be specific," sighs Michael, as he marks yet another request incomplete".

The heart of the book is the chapter entitled "Creating the Vision Statement." Here she created two very practical sets of exercises. One for individuals and the other for groups/organizations. Each question is designed to help you create a clearer vision of what you want thus helping you to attract, manifest and get clear about "the path" you want to follow.

Rick's Purpose Ratings
Relevance of exercises 10
"Woo Woo" scale* 5
It makes a good case for purpose 8
Good for individuals 10
Good for groups 8
Overall 8.2
*Indicates how mainstream the book is. 1 = Very far out, strap on your astral helmets, 10 = Practical and contemporary, a great book for a skeptic like Archie Bunker.

I highly recommend her book.

Excellent
This is a great product that helped me to focus my own life a great deal more. It is not just for professional use, it can be for spiritual growth as well. I loved it!

One of my top 3 recommendations of all time
If you do it right, this book will change your life. Next to SIMPLE ABUNDANCE and THE BIBLE, there are few books with that power and influence. I've read this book 20+ times, always with the idea that I can improve on what I learned the times before. If you are looking for a way to set goals in your life in a structured, yet personal, way....this is the place to start. It is geared toward everyone, but women seem to find it more applicable. ... Read more

Book Description

Release the Power and Potential of Every Employee.

Have you ever wanted a book you could share with everyone who works for you -- a book that gives employees the tools they need to make their work more rewarding and help the organization become more successful? Here, at last, is such a book -- from Bob Nelson, the million-copy bestselling author of 1001 Ways to Reward Employees. What's more, this book is essential for anyone who wants to get ahead and applies equally to managers and employees.

Bob Nelson maps out a specific and easy-to-follow strategy for fulfilling what he calls "The Ultimate Expectation" at every workplace: that people will use their best judgment to figure out what needs to be done and then do it without having to be told. His advice is surprising and novel. For example, some of the ways he suggests to excel at work include.

--Make Your Job More Difficult
--Develop a Reputation as the Office Cheapskate
--Shoot Holes in Your Own Plans
--Ask Silly Questions

Brief, to the point, and inspiring, Nelson's advice can be applied to any situation, from the mailroom to the boardroom, and is illustrated with examples and anecdotes from real life. This book is a perfect "first day on the job" read; an inspiring motivational tool for long-time employees; a useful resource for any HR department; and an invaluable investment for anyone who wants to go further than he or she ever dreamed possible in a job, a career, and in life. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Take Initiative
Mr. Nelson offers advice and ideas in the book that I never thought about before. Before reading this book I was afraid to step out of line on anything, taking the initiative on a few issues has helped me in my job, hopefully to get a promotion.
Rat Race Relaxer: Your Potential & The Maze of Life by JoAnna Carey is another great book for companies to share with employees because it offers entertaining stories and goal oriented advice about improving your workplace and your life.

Taking the initiative
Mr. Nelson offers advice and ideas in the book that I never thought about before. Before reading this book I was afraid to step out of line on anything, taking the initiative on a few issues has helped me in my job, hopefully to get a promotion. Rat Race Relaxer: Your Potential & The Maze of Life by JoAnna Carey is another great book for companies to share with employees because it offers entertaining stories and goal oriented advice about improving your workplace and your life.

Initiative + Timing = Promotion
This is a very easy to read book full of examples of how people were able to make headway on the corporate ladder by showing initiative, waiting until the timing was right, and even disobeying superiors.

Through a string of specific examples from which generalized ideas are formed, this book explains how you can be an empowered employee with a driving force that will not only bring you job satisfaction, but can help you turn even a doldrum job into an opportunity for success.

The ideas, such as "be a person that makes things happen" can apply to any job, you just have to think about how it can apply to you.

Pro-active thinking!
Bob Nelson has assembled a quick reading book on popular business concepts and situations facing a regular employee. He offers suggestions on becoming more pro-active than re-active to situations that arise through out many different careers. Nelson also gives examples of true story scenarios in which a person took a chance or challenged an idea and was later promoted for it. He talks about successes and also failures in careers in which people either sat on the sidelines or got in the game. This book most can probably read in a day as it is under 100 pages and reads very fast. It has quick chapters and a lot of useful insight.

Not so thrilled
I was a bit disappointed after reading the book because I thought the author was giving 'general advice' rather than 'specific tips'. I would rather recommend 'The Administrative Assistant' (Crisp Publications) ... Read more

Book Description

Surprising Advice from Top Business Minds on What It Really Means to Lead

Leadership requires many attributes besides intelligence and business savvy-courage, character, compassion, and respect are just a few. New managers learn concrete skills in the classroom or on the job, but where do they hone the equally important human values that will guide them through a career that is both successful and meaningful?

In this inspirational book, Daisy Wademan gathers lessons on balancing the personal and professional responsibilities of leadership from faculty members of Harvard Business School. Offering a rare glimpse inside the classrooms in which many of the world's prominent leaders are trained, Remember Who You Are imparts lessons learned not in business, but in life. From the revelations on luck and obligation brought by a terrifying mountain accident to a widowed mother's lesson of respect for people rather than job titles-these unforgettable stories and reflections, shared by renowned contributors from Rosabeth Moss Kanter to HBS Dean Kim Clark, remind us that great leadership is not only about the mind, but the heart.

Addressing the moral, ethical, and personal dilemmas professionals face as they climb the ladder to success, Remember Who You Are will help aspiring leaders everywhere use their time and talents in ways that truly matter. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Reflect, Learn and be Inspired
Is this book destined for the best seller's list? Probably not...but anyone who reads it will read it again.

This is a solid piece of work, an amazing collection of stories wherein the reader can reflect on their own life and career and be inspired.

Beyond inspiration, the stories are also a very telling of the professors who have spent decades training the world's current and next generation of leaders at Harvard Business School. You can just imagine Wademan talking with these professors, soaking in their every word as they talk about what is important to them, what they make sure every student hears of them. And a relief: when exposed to these professors, the money-greedy stereotype of the the MBA goes out the window.

A perfect book for anyone thinking about their career, in school or in transition, or those looking to be better leaders in whatever they do.

Defining Moments of Harvard Business School Professors
This book was inspired by the Harvard Business School tradition of sharing life lessons with students in the final class. Ms. Daisy Wademan, a recent graduate in 2002, collected a number of these stories as shared in final classes and in many cases rewrote them to fit into this wise volume. In other cases, the professors wrote and polished the stories themselves.

At its best, the essays in this book are among the most compelling that I have ever read. At its weakest, Remember Who You Are's essays remind me of the most boring moments I have spent in a classroom. With stronger editing, this could have been a knock-out of a book. As it is, the book is very valuable . . . and will be a five-star offering for any Harvard Business School graduate who wants a quick course in key life lessons. I graded the book down one star as being less relevant for those who did not attend Harvard Business School. To have met that standard, the book's stories would have had to have been geared for those involved in less exalted roles than Harvard Business School professors and alumni. As a side note, I took two courses there in marketing while studying law at Harvard Law School so I have a foot inside the camp as well as one outside of it.

Each essay describes a defining moment in a professor's life, and the epiphany that resulted from that defining moment. Unfortunately, the defining moments sometimes had a little too much to do with being a good student . . . and becoming a good professor rather than focusing on how to become an effective person in a business career.

The most universal business story in the book is "A Bad Meal, and the Truth" by Stephen P. Kaufman a professor since 2001 who is the former long-time CEO of Arrow Electronics. He describes the way that organizations form around their leaders to shelter the leaders from difficulties and bad news (or even the truth). He provides excellent advice on how to overcome those tendencies. This idea and its development are worth being the subject of a whole book.

There are two stories that are so compelling that I defy anyone to forget them. The first, "A Fall before Rising," opens the book and recounts a life-threatening fall during a climb in the Himalayas by the late professor Ramchandran "Jai" Jaikumar. He has a beautiful reaction in terms of the karmic debt involved in all of our lives which should echo forward into future generations. Ms. Wademan has given us a great gift by capturing this story.

The second remarkably compelling story is "The Mount Rushmore Question" by Thomas J. DeLong. On a motorcycle journey to Mount Rushmore with his young daughter, she asks him if he makes a difference in people's lives. The essay goes on to encourage you to ask two questions for becoming more effective in these dimensions. One, "how do people experience you?" Two, "how do people experience themselves with they are with you?" I thought that those three questions are among the most perceptive ones that I have ever run into. I wish I had heard them many years ago. Please pass them along.

One of the most intriguing sections is "The Oath" by Nitin Nohria in which he expresses the moral and ethical responsibilities of the manager. This essay should receive much wider dissemination as well. I am always struck by how many people see business leadership as solely a personal opportunity rather than as a social responsibility to create positive results for all stakeholders. The management oath in the essay is a good step in the right direction of redressing this fault. Peter Drucker has often said to me that management has few problems that becoming like a profession wouldn't solve. He points out the many differences between how physicians advance medicine and medical practices versus how business managers perform. I hope that this thought process will receive more attention in the future.

Many of the other essays reminded me of those dreams we all have about impossible tests that we cannot complete. Some of the more memorable ones include "The Stuffed Bird" by Jeffrey F. Rayport, "Katharine Hepburn and Me" by Rosabeth Moss Kanter and "The Race" by Henry B. Reiling.

With due nostalgia for my two courses at Harvard Business School, I remembered that two of my biggest career lessons came from brief moments in class that were not the final class. In one, Professor Marty Marshall told us about friends of his who ran a small video company in New Hampshire that had a great life style . . . while providing New York quality work at New York prices. In another, I heard a McKinsey partner describe a consulting assignment in which he solved the problem by moving beyond the charter the client had given him. I have drawn on both stories successfully many times in my career to become the head of my own strategy and financial consulting firm in suburban Boston.

The lesson that I learned from this book is that it would be a good idea to ask people who have more experience than you what the defining moments in their lives have been . . . and what they learned from those experiences. I hope that Ms. Wademan will consider writing other books using this format that focus on thoughtful, ethical business leaders.

Nice job!

Genius!
This book is a must read for those interested in the power of thought and introspection. It is an important tome that inspires us to think about what we want in life and how we are all going to get "there." Kudos to Ms. Wademan, she is clearly a star in the making, a most impressive debut.

Food For The Soul
This superb collection of inspiring stories is a must-have addition to any collection. You will find yourself going back and rereading many of these tales time and again.

This book has quickly become one of my favourite gifts to give to friends. The stories are not only inspirational, but make you want to take a closer look at your own path in life.

I keep a copy of this book in my spare bedroom (it's the perfect size, if you only have time to read a few short tales at a time), and find that guests who pick this book, end up chatting about the stories throughout the day.

Well Done!

A compilation of simple inspirational messages
Great short and simple book. Read the messages which every HBS professor transmits to their students during the last day of class. From real life stories, to amazing metaphors, to inspirational messages, I am happy see a fellow grad had the initiative to put in writing some of those messages with which our professors leave us year in and year out. Inspirational messages don't get any simpler than this - you will truly spend a couple of hours of magnificent inspirational reading from some of the top thinkers in the business world. ... Read more

Book Description

Business people around the world raved about The Disney Way and Fortune proclaimed it, "so useful you may whistle while you work." Now, authors Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson are back to deliver a comprehensive, step-by-step implementation plan based on Walt Disney's principles outlined in the best-selling The Disney Way.

The Disney Way Fieldbook provides action plans for instilling Disney's vision into any company, complete with diagnostic exercises, practice sessions, proven advice, and insightful questionnaires. Packed with universally applicable tools and techniques, the book also features inspiring quotes from Walt Disney himself and little known facts about his extraordinary empire.

Reviews (3)

Practical magic
This engaging and enlightening book is as much fun to read as it is profitable to use. Structured like a theater script and written with a dramatic verve, it casts teamwork as human drama, and taps and energizes team members' innate will to succeed not just as individuals but as members of a group. This book, and its companion volume "The Disney Way," really stand out from the business book pack in their passion, good humor, and advice on creating the practical magic that makes a team even greater than the sum of its parts. Authors Capodagli and Jackson are really onto something with their "Dream, Believe, Dare, Do" guiding principles, and their business-wise and human-wise insights make their work essential reading for leaders of all types.

Finally a book that's specific!
As a consultant myself that works with cross-functional teams, it is great to finally come across a book with proven activities that really work! This is a great tool to add to your repertoire. Individual activities are spelled out in terms of the benefits they provide, the materials required and specific guidelines on how to conduct them. This is a great contrast to the plethora of books on the market that promise great activities but provide nothing of value.

Extremely useful
An extremely useful collection of tools. I'll use this book in my teaching and training and recommend it to others. ... Read more

Book Description

Bill Rancic, winner of the hit TV show The Apprentice, tells how anyone can become their own personal success in both business and life, using his own experiences as a self-made entrepreneur.

Getting back to basics, Rancic shares insights about his own path to The Apprentice -- his work ethic, top business strategies, and lessons learned competing on the show, working for Donald Trump -- and offers a practical, step-by-step guide to climbing the success ladder from first job to Boardroom. From valuable lessons learned as a budding ten year old entrepreneur pitching pancake sales; to starting his own small business to pay for college; to launching an on-line cigar company now worth millions -- Rancic proves you don’t need to be a Harvard MBA to be a success in business.

Includes a foreword by Donald Trump! ... Read more

Reviews (26)

If you can concieve it and believe it, you can achieve it
"Whatever the mind of man can concieve and believe, it can achieve." True, oh so true words as stated by Napolean Hill in Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude a great sequel to Think and Grow Rich. Many people feel that Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude is even better than Think and Grow Rich.I believe you need both.Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude has positvely influenced the lives of many high powered people.Dr. Denis Waitly credits this book as helping him move from an also ran to a front runner and arguably, oneof the best trainers in the business.Rev. Robert Schuller rates Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude as one of the top 10 book he has ever read.Co-written by Napolean Hill and Clement Stone, Success Through A Positve Mental Attitude is actually 5 parts, 22 chapters and over 300 pages of powerful information.Referring to Stone and Hill, Norman Vicent Peale states; "These two men have the rare gift of inspiring and helping people...In fact, I owe them both a personal debt of gratitude for the helpful guidance I have recieved from their writings."Success Through A Positive Mental Attitde made a profound difference in my life and will in yours as well. Get this book and use it.

Powerful
I never realized how negative my thought process was and how it directly (or indirectly) effected my business and personal life. "Success Through PMA" is an adventure into the mind. It makes us aware of why we think the way we do, and how we acquire our thought habits. One note though, this book is useless if you you just read it and put it away. You must read it and apply the techniques that the author suggests. Then read it again 6 months later, and you will feel the difference.

Great book in addition to Think & Grow Rich
I have a library of many of Napolean Hill's books. Think & Grow Rich is my favorite. Law of Success is my second favorite and this one is next.

What I liked about this book is the addition of comments by Clement Stone along with Hill's prowess. Interesting, Stone credits Napolean Hill's philosophy for helping him amass his huge fortune.

At first glance, Success Through a PMA may appear to be just another version of Think & Grow Rich. There are some similiarities, but plenty of differences to make this book a worthwhile read.

When I first got into network marketing in the 70's, I met a guy who made over $2 million in 18 months (in 1970 $$$!!!) and credits this book along with the right opportunity as being his secret to success.

Since following Hill's advice in this and Think and Grow Rich, I have achieved success far greater than I could have otherwise.

Great book in addition to Think & Grow Rich.

Even better than Think and Grow Rich
I loved Think and Grow Rich, without a doubt one of the best personal development and most influential books of all time. But there is something special in Success Through A PMA that at least to me makes it even better than Think and Grow Rich.

The contributions by Clement Stone certaintly help. Sucess Through a PMA is a power full book and worth your consideration.

An amazing novel
Perhaps the greatest novel I have ever read. Who is the most important person in the world to you? You are. I determine how I react to every situation. I determine if I view problems as oppurtunities. It is up to each individual to make every occasion a great occasion. This book is awesome, and is probably the best motivational book I have read. The best self motivator I know, "God is always a good God." My next favorite self motivator is "Whatever the human mind can conceive and believe, the human mind can achieve with a positive mental attitude."

I love reading the stories of other people who made a positive mental attitude work for them. I have also found that action does over rule emotion. The Do It Now section was also good. Instead of putting things off, I Do It Now. I plan on reading this book again, but until I do I always remember that I control whether a situation is good or bad. This is the most influential book I have read, and I recommend it to everyone. ... Read more

Book Description

Unlock the Fountain of Prosperity Inside You!
“I truly believe Jim Rohn is an extraordinary human being whose philosophy can enhance the quality of life for anyone.” ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Great book with lots of useful points!
This book is easy to read. And it contains many wise and very practical and useful points you need to know and APPLY in your life to succeed. One important I learned from Jim Rohn is the power of discipline and goals. You will learn whats the most important part in goal-making that many people miss. The one crucial point. Tony Robbins mentor teaches you the steps to success! A great read!

EXCEPTIONAL !!!
THIS BOOK IS ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE BUSINESS SELF-HELP BOOKS ON THE MARKET. READING OR LISTENING TO JIM ROHN IS ONE OF THE BEST INVESTMENT A PERSON CAN MAKE TO GET AHEAD IN BUSINESS OR IN LIFE. A MUST HAVE!!

Simple strategies...that's its strength!
Jim Rohn is a master teacher and speaker. In this book, he gives seven strategies for success and happiness. These seven strategies are not original or new. For example, acquiring wisdom, setting and using goals, and personal development are not new concepts. However, Jim Rohn gives you SIMPLE and USEABLE ways to apply these concepts right away. Many people look for the "magic" solution on how to get rich or become happy or successful and what this books shows you is that the magic is in your discipline towards applying these concepts and improving your life.

Like all good teachers, he stresses that you have to apply your knowledge, not just absorb it passively. He also uses examples from his life and from people he has met. This is both motivational and instructive. A lot of it is common sense (another reviewer mentioned that this is nothing new). That's true! But that's why it's so powerful. Besides the quality of the content, it's pretty easy to read and not too long. I finished it in a weekend because I couldn't put it down!

I highly recommend this book as a fairly comprehensive instruction manual on how to improve your life and succeed in whatever endeavors you wish to take on

Changing your life for the better is easier than you think.
You can read all the books you want on motivation, goal setting, wealth building, etc., but unless the words sink in, unless you fully understand their meaning and are motivated to act on them, they will be valueless. That's one reason why it is important to read many different authors. Though they may say the same things, the words of one will resonate within you, while the other's are soon forgotten.

That is how it is with Jim Rohn for me. My first encounter with his material was through his tape "The Art of Exceptional Living." A powerful tape, it literally opened my eyes to some startlingly simple concepts that have the power to transform your life. And they have. I use his words when talking about sharing with my children. Not only do they instantly have a better understanding of what it means to share, but they act on it immediately! His words have now changed their lives too.

His tape affected me so much that I had to find more of his work, which led me to this book. I was not disappointed. Though there is some overlap between this book and his tape, it is well worth going over the material again. His ideas and suggestions, so powerful yet so simple, are helping to propel me to achieve all that I want.

This is an excellent book, well worth the money. Clearly written, easy to read, with examples and exercises to help drive home his points. Sure, Jim Rohn may not have the same affect on you that he did on me. But you won't go wrong reading this book.

A must read for those wishing to enhance the quality of life
I have read many business and personal self-help books by authors such as Anthony Robbins, Brian Tracy, Vanzant and Rohn. I must say that if you had to pick ONE book to read to increase the quality of life- it should be this one. Rohn was Robbins mentor a long time ago - he teaches you seven simple strategies as well as ways to actually implement them. He doesn't use fluff and tells it like it is. I highly recommend this book- it's the best present you could ever give a person. ... Read more

Book Description

Women make up almost half of today's labor force, but in corporate America they don't share half of the power. Only four of the Fortune 500 company CEOs are women, and it's only been in the last few years that even half of the Fortune 500 companies have more than one female officer.

A major reason for this? Most women were never taught how to play the game of business.

Throughout her career in the supercompetitive, male-dominated media industry, Gail Evans, one of the country's most powerful executives, has met innumerable women who tell her that they feel lost in the workplace, almost as if they were playing a game without knowing the directions.

She tells them that's exactly the case: Business is indeed a game, and like any game, there are rules to playing well. For the most part, Gail has discovered, women don't know them.

Men know these rules because they wrote them, but women often feel shut out of the process because they don't know when to speak up, when to ask for responsibility, what to say at an interview, and a lot of other key moves that can make or break a career.

Now, in her book Play Like a Man, Win Like a Woman, Gail Evans reveals the secrets to the playbook of success and teaches women at all levels of the organization--from assistant to vice president--how to play the game of business to their advantage.

Sharing with humor and candor her years of lessons from corporate life, Gail Evans gives readers practical tools for making the right decisions at work.Among the rules you will learn are:

• How to Keep Score at Work
• When to Take a Risk
• How to Deal with the Imposter Syndrome
• Ten Vocabulary Words That Mean Different Things to Men and Women
• Why Men Can be Ugly, and You Can't
• When to Quit Your Job

Evans is not saying that every woman has to play exactly by men's rules--not at all. Women bring many inherent traits to the workplace that can provide them with a potential advantage over men, such as a woman's ability to form relationships, or her intuition. But women do need to know the basic rules so that they can understand the full consequences of their every action and how it makes an impact on their career.

An honest and practical handbook that reveals important insights into relationships between men and women and work, Play Like a Man, Win Like a Woman, is a must-read for every woman who wants to leverage her power in the workplace.

... Read more

Reviews (64)

Play Like a Man, Win Like a Woman
Could be subtitled; How Not To Shoot Yourself in the Foot. I'd like to join in with the positive reviews of this book. I'm a business school student and I read this book on the recommendation of a visiting female executive. I've since lent it out to my classmates and have watched it be passes around from woman to woman. We love it! Evans offers simple, easy to relate to examples of behavior women adopt in the workplace that can be "career limiting." She openly challenges the reader to see which of her observations fit and which don't to each woman's unique situation. A well balanced, honest set of suggestions and observations that will benefit any woman seeking to advance in her career.

EVERY DAUGHTER SHOULD GIVE THIS BOOK TO HER MOTHER
If you are a woman and have ever needed a reason to stop taking everything everybody says or does personally, this book says it. This is the guidebook to business that baby-boomer-females-in-the-businessplace never had. Gail Evans has lived what she preaches and speaks in a language women can understand. I was shaking my head "yes" throughout the book, as I recognized my own situation and frustrations in workplace. I knew it had something to do with my gender, but other than pointing the finger of blame at all men, I could not pinpoint what was happening in this male-created domain. I guess I thought I was the only person (read woman) who couldn't figure out the rules for success in the workplace. I also needed to hear the words from a very successful woman who learned by doing. I learned that I can still be a woman, but succeed in the male-created, male-dominated business world, and not feel like an imposter...which is exactly what one of her chapters deals with. You don't have to be a sell-out, but quit taking everything so damn personal....this is business. This is not a book written by a man who thinks he knows what women are thinking. And, it is not a book written by a woman who is so well-connected, or glamorous and beautiful, that you would wonder how she could not be a success in the businessplace. This is a book written by "one of us", and concentrates on exactly why many women struggle so hard to succeed in her job, no matter what that job is. If you are a manager, or a clerk, or anything in between, this book will help you as a female. I am giving a copy of this book to every working woman that I know...with a few exceptions; those who have already figured out the rules. Now I know why they are so successful, and it has nothing to do with their luck and my unluckiness. I feel so much better and unburdened after reading this book. I am going to keep it at my bedside and use it as my affirmation support..."I will not personalize workplace issues...I will not.....".

Excellent!
As a computer professional without a college degree, I found that I had learned some of the rules already by watching other men and then evaluating their responses to my behavior. I moved up the ladder by expecting more of myself and acting more like the men around me. The one thing I learned is if you want to be treated as an equal, you must ACT like an equal. Too many women whine and grouse about how they don't get what they think they deserve, when that is exactly what they are getting because while they're moving their lips, they're not DOING anything. My mother always told me that a closed mouth gathers no foot. Read the book, learn the basic rules, and then PRACTICE them whether you like it or not -- that is, if you really want to get ahead.

Awesome and inspirational book
It seems only logically that girls and boys are brought up differently throughout their lives but most women seem to forget this too easily. This books brings the reader step-by-step through the "whys" behind female actions in the professional or personal arenas. It is not wrong for a woman to act a certain way but knowing what drives this action and how it is looked upon by the public is a window into the professional soul of a majority of women. It may not give women step-by-step instructions on how to get into the CEO chair but it will help women evaluate on a more sincere level why they do certain things or act certain ways and how they can change these actions to work for them instead of against them.

Raters with "how this relates to MY life" as the criteria:
In contrary to what a lot of negative response I've read on here, that had denoted the book's values due to the fact that it carries sexist qualities, shows no sympathy to a woman's choice of lifestyle, and that the book is not written for a generalized community in a last-generation point of view: This book is not meant to be a pat on your back to make you feel better about your womanhood. If you want that, there are soap opera magazines out there teaching you how to raise your children. There are also other great books out there that are targetted towards the younger generation.

Gail Evan did not once say "this book is targetted for everyone". She's talking to the women who wants to succeed in the business sense, in a man's style. It represents her insights from her long travel, and it is her belief from experience that these are the issues that held women back from achieving the status they want. This book is for the women out there who is willing to make a change in life so to reach to a higher level in the game. It's not for sulking women who wants to juggle the 12098723 priorities of family and friends before business. (In that case, the book for you is "the 7 habits of highly effective people) Women who decides to rate this book should first put themselves in a mindset that this is not Oprah. As the title reinforces Gail Evan's standpoint: PLAY LIKE A MAN. Most men who play in the field don't COMPLAIN that they want to stay home 8 hours a day for their children, and they don't relate themselves to their bar buddies' private life in every conversation.

The book simply gives you the unspoken jargons men made up and Gail's interpretation of the terms. It doesn't tell you "THIS, is the lifestyle that'll be your ULTIMATE LIFE-LOVING experience." ... Read more

Book Description

Why do we work so hard at our jobs, day after day? Why is a job well done important to us? We know there is more to a career than money and prestige, but what exactly do we mean by "fulfillment"? These are old but important questions. They belong with some newly discovered ones: Why are people in business more religious than the population as a whole? What do people of business know, and what do they do, that anchors their faith? In this ground-breaking and inspiring book, Michael Novak ties together these crucial questions by explaining the meaning of work as a vocation. Work should be more than just a job -- it should be a calling.

This book explains an important part of our lives in a new way, and readers will instantly recognize themselves in its pages. A larger proportion than ever before of the world's Christians, Jews, and other peoples of faith are spending their working lives in business. Business is a profession worthy of a person's highest ideals and aspirations, fraught with moral possibilities both of great good and of great evil. Novak takes on agonizing problems, such as downsizing, the tradeoffs that must sometimes be faced between profits and human rights, and the pitfalls of philanthropy. He also examines the daily questions of how an honest day's work contributes to the good of many people, both close at hand and far away. Our work connects us with one another. It also makes possible the universal advance out of poverty, and it is an essential prerequisite of democracy and the institutions of civil society.

This book is a spiritual feast, for everyone who wants to examine how to make a life through making a living. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Student of Life
The view going in is very different than the view coming out. Novak's idealism helped to encourage me in my own. I read this book as an undergraduate business student struggling to find the balance that I saw in between greed and good. I so enjoyed his language, examples, and message that I recommended it to my Business Ethics professor. Last I heard, he was planning on using it as one of the textbooks. I gave it a 4 star rating because although it was a good read, it could always be better. Let's leave some room for improvement.

stimulating book yet many issues to be discussed further
After finishing this book, i got the impression that the author has touched something about the philosophical grounding on capitalism, however, the book is not deep enough in analysing these grounds. 1 the moral basw which the author inspected is of the christian ( or rather ) catholic culture, the reasons of the christian culture is the most suitable one to suit with the capitalism are not yet fully explained 2 its hidden presumption on pratising ideal capitalism is having a good government, good smaall societies to support the neighbours or citizens, good law system etc, but if i live in a place full of corruption, business law system not well developed, what should i do? he does not suggest any means 3 the model which he inspected is the usa, he also studied catholic, i would rather say, it is like, when someone got a hammer, all things can be solved by using it 4 i cannot agree more than that, doing business must have moral and courage if you have interest in discussing with me in this book or others, pls email me

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
This book was reccomended by a friend and I was fascinated by the title. The book is a quick read with many references to socio-economic theory and the Catholic way. The book was written by Mr. Novak, a distinguished author who grasps both the economic and theological apsects of modern day business activities. He does a good job of portraying work as a means to help the common good of all society.The idea that being productive as a person in business can benefit others in unseen ways is worthy. Even business can work in its' self interest while helping advance society. Business as a calling tied together many aspects of faith, work and finding meaning in a career. This book should be on the must read list of every young MBA or CEO.

Business is a morally serious calling and Novak proves it.
Novak uses antidotial evidence to show how business can be and often is a virtous enterprise. However his feelings about free market capitalism and the business community are somewhat navie and idealistic. Antidotes are used to support the fact (often forgetten by social critics) that business leaders contribute a great deal to society. I believe this is a good book to read if you are taking a college course in Economic philosophy or business administration. ... Read more

Book Description

Anthony Robbins calls it the new science of personal achievement. You'll call it the best thing that ever happened to you.

If you have ever dreamed of a better life, Unlimited Power will show you how to achieve the extraordinary quality of life you desire and deserve, and how to master your personal and professional life. Anthony Robbins has proven to millions through his books, tapes, and seminars that by harnessing the power of the mind you can do, have, achieve, and create anything you want for your life. He has shown heads of state, royalty, Olympic and professional athletes, movie stars, and children how to achieve. With Unlimited Power, he passionately and eloquently reveals the science of personal achievement and teaches you:

* How to find out what you really want
* The Seven Lies of Success
* How to reprogram your mind in minutes to eliminate fears and phobias
* The secret of creating instant rapport with anyone you meet
* How to duplicate the success of others
* The Five Keys to Wealth and Happiness

Unlimited Power is a revolutionary fitness book for the mind. It will show you, step by step, how to perform at your peak while gaining emotional and financial freedom, attaining leadership and self-confidence, and winning the cooperation of others. It will give you the knowledge and the courage to remake yourself and your world. Unlimited Power is a guidebook to superior performance in an age of success. ... Read more

Reviews (96)

Robbins will change your life!
This book is priceless to me. I have read almost every self-help book I can find, yet I wasn't changing. I knew a lot about self esteem etc, but it's as if I was waiting for ONE FINAL PIECE, the missing part of how to succeed - in a big scale. And this book gave that to me. It's called Personal Power. If you're like me, having read a lot, know a lot as well, then you need that final piece. This book also gave me lots of effective STRATEGIES to control my mind, and it's scientific. From this book, I used the NLP 'swish technique' to get rid of my nail biting habit in just 2 minutes! That was just 2 months ago and I never bit it since( it actually feels unnatural to do it now). Learn how to increse your energy level and see your vitality 'explode'! There are many strategies in this book, many of them from Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) a science that can change your life, habits, fears, attitude, beliefs etc so quickly (in minutes!) that you'll be surprised. How do you motivate yourself to do the things that are good for you (eg study for that exam earlier) and feel happy doing it, and how to de-motivate yourself (eg to eat that pizza). Once you learn the skills in this book, your mind will be at your command literally (instead of letting it run you). How do you create rapport with people and even strangers so easily that they fell like they know you for a lifetime? Another essential formula I learned from this book got rid of my fear of failure that used to stop me from taking action. Since then, my life, my confidence changed so much that I can hardly believe it.

Best book on success and NLP!
This is definitely one of the best books on personal achievement and the science of Neuro-Linguistic Programming in the market today. Anthony Robbins has probably been the most well known peak performance consultant and life success coach for the past two decades for good reason. Neuro-Linguistic Programming(NLP)is the study of excellence and the systemic study of human communication and is widely recognized worldwide as the most effective technology for achieving almost anything you want and has helped millions around the world. This book is not only an excellent introduction to NLP but also gives extremely useful advice on Success, Health and Personal Power. This is definitely a book everyone should own. Anyone can be a skeptic but less than 20 dollars to change your entire life for the better forever is a fantastic deal.

Buy this book and read Chapter 10
Feeling down, stuck in a dead end job or just think you have more to give? Well you have found the right book.

Chapter 10 covers changing your diet to improve performance. I tell you it works. I started on it 18 months ago and I am a different person. I am brighter, sharper, more alive, better at my work....I could go on all day but I think you get the idea.

I have learnt over these last months that in order to succeed over a long period of time, you require superb energy levels and good mental health. The fuel for this comes from a good diet. Don't believe me, try it for yourself, what have you got to lose? I suspect that within 10 days you will notice a change in well being and performance levels.

You may be surprised at what he says is good and bad for you. It certainly goes against conventional attitudes you hear from most doctors, health professionals and food companies. Before I was blind and now I can see.

Another book worth buying is Fit for Life by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond, which goes into more detail on the subject.

A real winner by Tony
When Unlimited Power came out in the 1980's, it was so revolutionary. Few had heard about NLP and those who did had no idea how to use it. Tony Robbins did not invent NLP but he does deserve the credit for being the man who popularized it.

Unlimited Power is a combination of conventional positive mind power techniques in concert with NLP. When used properly, the combination is powerful.

This one book can significantly enhance your life and what I like most about it, is that it is very complete. A real winner by Tony and must reading for anyone serious about success and better personal relationships.

I am now dumber from having read this
I can't stop reading a book once I start, because if I do I feel that I've wasted my time. Well I decided to cut my losses and give up about a hundred pages shy on this one. It is completely outdated, in contrast to modern medicine, and otherwise fluff with a bit of commons sense thrown in. Imagine sitting through the worst class in school you've ever had and that is what reading this book is like. He admits right at the start that he threw this book together in a very short amount of time due to publishing deadlines and it shows in the content. Some of his "new science" is downright ridiculous to the point of being funny. It appears he wrote this book because someone offered him a book deal based on his reputation and his work is lazy and misleading. If I could rate this book a "no stars" I would. Save your money. Dr. Seuss is more helpful than Mr. Anthony Robbins. However, if you are stupid and gullible, you may enjoy this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Barry Oshry explains why so many of our efforts to create more satisfying and productive human systems end in disappointment, lost opportunities, broken relationships, and failed partnerships. Oshry shows how these breakdowns are the predictable outcomes of an uninspected system life. This book provides us with a new set of lenses with which to view these systemic relationships and patterns, enabling us to recognize and stop destructive patterns of behavior. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Human Systems are Keys to Partnership and collaboration
I first struggled with the concepts because I am a student of organizational systems via Deming and the like. But this is a completely different viewpoint that provides a fantastic complement to the work of Deming, Weisbord and others looking at Open-systems theory.

If you want to see the impact of Human Systems and the dynamics that influence an organizations ability to partner, collaborate, and move beyond the powerful vaccuum of the human behaviors that stall organizational growth, this will provide a whole new way to view the relationships of people, power, and personal leadership within open-systems.

Mr. Cummings is right about the simplicity of the book in his review, it IS cartoon like at places. But let's be reminded how icons have changed the computer world and have worked to connect with people who need to remember things clearly, simply, and practically. People are visual learners and this book takes advantage of that reality. It's not written to be an IQ test - but to be clear and concise in boiling down the intricate and delicate issues, and choices, of human interaction in organizations.

It focuses on helping the reader learn and apply. If that works for you - make it so.

WOW! What insight.
As an organization change and transformation practitioner, I am often confronted with the initial overwhelming complexity of a new client organization. Seeing Systems provided me with a set of tools that make my life easier and interventions more effective.

Simplistic? One might think so. But, you'd be wrong. I believe it to be a distillation of truths of organization theory. It's pure genius. The author understands organizations so well he is able to convey it to others in an understandable context. Oshry brings to life the consequences of being in different positions of power in the organization.

I have taken his model and use it to look at each of my clients. It gives significant insight to understand why the organization works; why it doesn't and what to do.

Read Seeing Systems atleast twice. After the first reading, go to work. What are the behaviors? How effective are the relationships? What are the outcomes? Now read Seeing Systems again. Go back into your organization. Observe the relationships. Apply the model. Predict the outcomes. You'll probably be right. Can't ask much more from a book.

By the way, after reading Seeing Systems, I participated in a one-day workshop Oshry presented to the Dallas-Fort Worth Organization Development Network. I wasn't disappointed. He is, that good.

Useful frame for understanding our behavior in organizations
This book provides an elegant framework for understanding our behavior in human systems. It is accessible and powerful.

Wow! I feel as if I was blind and now I SEE.
I read this book about 6 years a go as a part of my graduate program on organizational learning. My reaction at that time was, "Wow! I feel as if I was blind and Now I See!." It was like I gained a secret lens through which the organizational behaviors were making more sense to me. I felt so enthralled with the book, I called the number on the back of the book to inquire how I could explore, experience and learn the Seeing Systems concepts further. I have not done that before or since. 6 years later, I still feel Barry Oshry's teachings are one of real gems in understanding organizations and their behavior mysteries. I have integrated these concepts into my own ways of thinking and being and use them to generate partnerships for impact. I most highly recommend this book to anyone who works with organizations including executives, organizational developers and change agents.

An exciting way of seing systems
A first rate professional book. It deals with complex issues in a clear, intelligent and original way. The book offers a lot of added value to both consultants and managers. I find myself leafing through it many times, never failing to find new insights. The book contains both a thorough theoretical analysis and practical tools and concrete tips for dealing with tough issues that impact organizations, such as power, accountability and the "positional trap" . The book is full of inpiring insights on the possibilities of making organizations more robust through empowering people. After reading the book, we cannot help it but seing systems in a new and refreshing way. ... Read more

Book Description

In How to Get Ideas, Jack Foster draws on three decades of experience as an advertising writer and creative director to take the mystery and anxiety out of getting ideas. Describing eight ways to condition your mind to produce ideas and five subsequent steps for creating and implementing ideas on command, he makes it easy, fun, and understandable. ... Read more

Reviews (37)

An unexpected motivational tool...
I bought this book, along with others, as an easy read for my trip to Australia/New Zealand and read it cover to cover twice on the plane to Sydney. I then found myself so motivated by the book, I couldn't wait to get back home to put my ideas into action. It's nice to see that Jack and Larry still have their remarkable spirit! Thank you for your words and pics.

How to Get Ideas
It is my favorite book on creativity. Easy to read. Jack Foster make me laugh with his examples. I have applied sucessly its recommendations to my daily life.

If You Need to Come Up with Ideas and Solutions, Read This
I won't write a long review about this small but powerful book. But if you are looking at this review and this book, you need ideas.

I'm a professional copywriter with years of experience and ideas are sometimes hard to come by. Yet it is a must in my business. I bought this book to see if it would give me some ideas or some ways to get them.

Well, about half way through, I had an entire campaign written for a client --- a really brilliant campaign that was no doubt better than one I might have come up with had I not read the book.

So get it. Just get it.

Susanna K. Hutcheson
Creative Director
Powerwriting.com LLC

Highly recommended
A fantastic book that I know will help me create ideas and put them into action.

A valve to open up your flow of creative juice.
Ideas. Ideas are the foundation of any successful project. It doesn't matter whether you're working on project at work or on a project at home -- if you can't come up with good ideas to help it along, it won't turn out very well. As a professional personal coach, I always assume that my clients are naturally creative. Yet, sometimes they need a boost to get the creative juices flowing. This easy to read book from an advertising wizard will inspire you to do just that. Read it, and you'll become more idea-prone everyday. ... Read more

Book Description

It’s an all too common scenario: A great company breaks from the pack; theanalysts are in love, the smiling CEO appears on the cover ofBusinessWeek and Fortune, the stock soars. Two years later, thecompany is in flames, the CEO is under attack, and the stock has tanked.

Why does this sort of thing keep happening at respectable companies likeMotorola, Quaker, and Sony, all of which have very smart, hard-working seniorexecutives? And how can you tell if it’s about to happen at your own company?

Why Smart Executives Fail answers these and many more crucialquestions. Sydney Finkelstein, a distinguished professor at Dartmouth’s TuckSchool of Business, carried out a six-year study of leadership failure, thelargest of its kind. After hundreds of interviews with insiders at top companiesthat got into major trouble—such as GM, Mattel, and RiteAid—Finkelstein figuredout the common causes behind failures in wildly different types of companies. Heexplains "the seven habits of spectacularly unsuccessful people" that drivesmart managers to make catastrophic mistakes.

As much about psychology as it is about business, Why Smart ExecutivesFail tells the stories of more than fifty great business disasters andincludes exclusive interviews with many of their leaders, in which they explainwhat really led to their disastrous decisions. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Inside perspective
Why Smart Executives Fail is a must-read for any person who wants to be successful not only in business but also in life. As I read this book, I found many similarities in the people who had managed to turn successful businesses into failures and people who have nothing to do with business: just life in general.

As a research associate working with the author of Why Smart Executives Fail, I located and interviewed numerous individuals with very different personalities. It was interesting to me that some of the most influential people were more accessible and pleasant to interact with than some of the less successful. Does that say something about why they are more successful? Some of the extremely well-known individuals spoke about their personal lives without fear of exposure or "bad press". Other interviewees were extremely guarded and impatient with my questions. Some of the interviewees were contacted for an interview once and others were contacted over a period of months.
The way Professor Finkelstein made sense of the vast amount of information is amazing!

Whether you're reading about failures, causes, delusions or habits, you will take away very valuable lessons from this book.

Meaningful and Entertaining
Someone said, and I believe, that "Success is the result of a series of failures from which one has learned." This book is filled with important and interesting failures that you can learn from. Most business books focus on and celebrate successes in the business world, but here the author has focused on some of the largest blunders in recent history (e.g. Enron, Iridium), as well as lesser known mistakes. What makes it so valuable is that Finkelstein has taken a systematic approach to analyzing these missteps to find patterns that will be recognizable to anyone who has worked in a business. Beyond that, the book offers excellent insight on ways to get back on track and avoid a fate similar to the companies studied.

As for the enjoyable part, the book is told through a series of anecdotes and in-depth retellings of mostly familiar blunders. Reinforced with insider interviews and extensive research of the contemporary media coverage, these stories come alive making it very readable. This combination of message and method make "Why Smart Executives Fail" an extremely valuable and somewhat unique resource.

Disappointing, shallow book
I read this book based on a positive newspaper review and was very disappointed. Finkelstein puts together a long list of reasons for failure, things to look for in companies which will fail soon and ways to avoid failure.

One problem is that the study is flawed by a lack of anything like a control group. For example, he makes a big deal about Motorola's reluctance to venture into digital cell phones in the mid 90s -- surely a big recent corporate failure -- but then doesn't examine a situation where a company (correctly) refused to overhaul its product line (such instances do occur). The lesson he draws is excessively oversimplified and I'm not sure it applies anywhere beyond the cell phone market of the mid 90s.

Another example: Finkelstein points out to cases of CEO hubris, in which an invincible company head leads the company to ruin for various reasons (poor listening, a sense of invincibility, a reluctance to tolerate criticism, et al). The potential dangers of an excessively headstrong leader is no news to either business or general readers. But Finkelstein doesn't acknowledge that headstrong leaders can often be vital assets to a company. He doesn't go into enough detail and instead delivers an incomplete, unsatisfying answer to the problem such CEOs present.

In general, the book is marked by shallow analysis, repetitive and overarching review of the case studies, and underdeveloped understanding of marketing and finance (for example, Finkelstein makes a howling mistake in discussing Tyco's accounting), let alone technological trends.

The sheer amount of repetition is also unhelpful -- Finkelstein must refer to the Motorola analysis a dozen times in the second half of the book without ever expanding on it -- and the endless series of lists in the book's second half... well, how can one really "use" 12 bullet points from list #7? Bad organization, which reflects an inability to boil down his case into a shorter, more concise summary.

Sophisticated businesspeople will have no use for this sort of analysis. Less advanced readers will not profit from the book's weak organization, which betrays a lack of thought. Not recommended.

Yep, that's it
Read this after hearing the interview
on First Voice. Often funny, a great
read for those who wonder about
"management"

The interview is online at
http://www.7to7.net/fnk.html
They have transcripts too.

--J. R.

It raises questions which are hard to avoid
Sydney's book brings important question for those who practice and teach leadership - why could reasons for managerial success and failure often be the same? The answer is organizational context. There is no leadership in vacuum. So if you get rid of those qualities which author calls as habits of unsuccessful people there is still no quarantee for success. Proper understanding of your organization is the key to take real advantage of many suggestions this insightful book offers and not to be misled by some of them. ... Read more

Book Description

Second Edition, Expanded to Include Fresh Insights and Practical Tools For New and Experienced Managers

No book has captured the trials and traumas of the transition from star performer to competent manager better than Linda Hill's classic Becoming a Manager. In tracing and analyzing the experiences of nineteen new managers, Hill reveals the profound complexity and difficulty of the process of developing into a manager. In their own distinct voices, these managers describe how they reframed their understanding of their roles and responsibilities and how they coped with the stresses and emotions of the transformation-in essence, how they were able to take on new identities. Now, in a substantially expanded second edition, the author offers concrete advice on the crucial issues of dealing effectively with organizational politics and developing and leading diverse teams in times of change, as well as on how managers can prepare themselves to lead over the course of their careers. In a new epilogue, she explores what organizations can do to help managers in their journey to lead and learn.

... Read more

Reviews (9)

An absolute must read!
Anyone interested in management or professional development should read this book. I can't tell you how many times I wondered why steller sales people made such terrible managers. Other valuable topics such as working with your peers, managing your Manager and Leadership are also addressed.

Even if you are already a Manager, this book is definately and eye opener.

Very helpful indeed!
It's simply a must read for anyone considering to pursue a career in management. Learn from others experience!

Please
This book is very poorly written. The author (for some reason) writes this thing like it is some great body of work in academic thought. I found this book to be exhausting, long, repetitive and very boring.

Gaps in her research include:

- Many new managers experience many aspects of management before they are actually promoted. I am surprised that the transition is such a shock to those that participated in the research.

- Her sample is too small to be representative.

- The sample space includes only sales related people. It does not include anyone in professional services. Sales personnel tend to be motivated by quotas and commissions (me, me, me). Consultants, accountants, lawyers, doctors, operations and other managers, who tend to be thought leaders, do not share many of the concerns and experiences of the "me" mentality (well, maybe some). My point being, if you are in a field other than sales, you are wasting your time with this book.

A "Cliff Notes" would be nice. One hour reviewing the highlights of this book is all anyone needs.

A necessary tool for new managers or those considering it
I highly recommend this book as one that should be kept handy for all new managers transitioning from the role of "individual producer". I also recommend it for those top performers who feel it is likely they will be "approached" about a management position and/or are wondering if management is their "cup of tea". It's also of benefit for managers OF new managers (who sometimes forget what it's like), and HR professionals responsible for designing New Manager training programs.

It's very well written, even humorous at times, and details the actual statements and insights of these new managers. What an absolutely accurate sanity check!!! These folks really let their hair down and were completely honest about their experiences.

Not only did I dog-ear and underline my book all over the place, I wouldn't hesitate to buy this book for a friend or close colleague who is considering or transitioning to management. It's like being in a roomful of other new/fairly new managers and getting honest feedback on the ups-and-downs, the highlights, and the things you would love to have known before accepting the management position!!

Linda Hill's analysis in the final chapters is the icing on the cake. Based on this study, she offers extremely valuable insights into how corporations need to support and train new managers, and suggests things that potential and new managers need to be aware of and prepare for.

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