Reviews (1)

I don't understand why not a review for this book here...
Now I am working for a financing related field where I am handling "capital budgeting", "corporate or project valuation" and "project finance". When I went to college, the Brigham
was the famous and reputable textbook but I didn't know why.
But while working in the real world, I have recognized that the book is very very helpful for reconfirming my finance knowledge as well as understanding any areas I didn't grasp in the past.
For beginners, I would like to strongly recommend "abridged edition" which is very brief but covering almost all significant financial topics, NEVERTHELESS, it is very understandable. I think it's the first MUST-READ for finance-major students. ... Read more

Amazon.com

As stated in the preface to this concise primer, any weekday edition of The New York Times contains more information than the average person living in 17th-century England was exposed to in a lifetime. In acknowledgement of the modern world's information glut, leadership expert John C. Maxwell has produced Attitude 101, a 99-page companion volume to one of his previous bestsellers, Leadership 101. In this new book, Maxwell examines the importance of attitude in determining a leader's success or failure, the forces that shape a person's attitude, and the seven choices necessary if one is to change his or her attitude. Fans of Maxwell's earlier books will enjoy his pithy advice, and will no doubt look forward to the third and fourth volumes in this series (Relationships 101, Equipping 101), both available in 2004. --David Bombeck ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Attitude 101 is more than a basic beginner's course
I actually picked up this book at a college orientation meeting, free of charge, through a random selection of people. I picked it out in only a split-second of time, thinking it might help me in my pursuit of being a childhood psychologist. Boy, I received more than I expected.

This little book is gold! I was surprised by Maxwell's Christian world-view, uncompromised, yet I feel he was able to reflect successfully to a secular audience (I, too, am a Christian). He makes the occassional references to scripture, uses a lot of quotes and stories, and provides his own insights on attitude. His basic premise is that attitude is everything and infiltrates into every area of our lives. Having been diagnosed with "clinical depression", I found his words encouraging and feel elated when I know that a matter of my success in life has a lot to do with attitude and how I handle adversity. In fact, Maxwell gives a very interesting maxim which I would like to make a part of my arsenal: "To go up, you have to give up." These may be hard words for someone who's not ready, but I guarantee you, after reading his book, you will agree just as I do. This book makes it clear that success is knowing your purpose and growing to your potential. This book is easily five stars. I look forward to more of his work, both in this series and any other forthcoming and previous works.

Attitude !!!
Attitude 101 is a great book. It comes in a compact format and is a quick read. The content on the other hand is full size. Attitude 101 really covers all angles regarding attitude. The book is broken down into three sections:

I. The impact of Attitude
- How does attitude impact leadership?
- How does attitude impact the individual?
II. The formation of attitude
- What shapes a person's attitude?
- Can attitude be changed?
- Can obstacles actually enhance an attitude?
III. The future with the right attitude
- What is failure?
- What is success?
- How can a leader keep climbing?

Attitude 101 really covers all the bases from the impact of attitude to the formation of attitude to how the right attitude can change your future. John Maxwell uses his signature style of stories and powerful quotes to make it an engaging read. I have read it cover to cover twice.

Attitude determines Altitude
This is a great book. I am a big Maxwell fan, and I loved reading this book. It is a compilation of chapters from some of Maxwell's other bestsellers. This book serves as a great reminder of how important our attitude is in every area of life.

90% attitude and 10% situation!
There is NOTHING more important than attitude when it comes to success in leadership! No, I mean it. In general this is just an all around true point: success is 90% attitude and 10% situation. How you deal with things as a leader has a profound impact on those around you and once again, John has produced a wonderful work that conveys all kinds of fantastic points that will help you develop and grow as a leader. I highly recommend it.

Reviewed by: James L. Clark, MBA, MSc., PhD Candidate (Leadership) is a serial entrepreneur, lecturer, and consultant in the areas of success, achievement, personal development, influence and leadership. He is the author of the book Wading Through the Crap: How to Start Living the Successful Life You Have Always Wanted (ISBN 0972697551), which has received rave reviews.

I give it 5 because it serves a good purpose.
It's a good book to read, I love it. Attitude is very important in life and I think its important that people around us understand it. I have friends who need to read this, because of their negative attitude; it's hard to be around them.

Great price, and I'm thinking to buy one for some of my friends so they can understand the importance of an attitude. There can be written something more deeper on a subject. But I think this book serves a purpose. Getting people to notice their attitude. Its nice and short, easy to read. Buy it for your house, have your family read it. But it for your friends with a wrong attitude. Hes very to the point, uses stories to further illustrate his points. Easily understood and he doesn't make you read through some endless junk writers sometimes use to fill in the pages. ... Read more

Book Description

Coaching as a profession is experiencing dramatic growth. From senior executives at Fortune 100 companies to the self-employed, people at the point of change are looking more and more to coaches for guidance and support.

For professional coaches who want to increase their proficiency as well as for those interested in integrating coaching skills into their consulting practice, CO-ACTIVE COACHING presents a revolutionary new collaborative approach. Developed by three pioneers and leading authorities in the coaching field, this approach allows the client and coach to work together to identify both work-related and personal areas of development. Whitworth, Kimsey-House, and Sandahl, cofounders of the Coaches Training Institute, the largest nonprofit educational instiution devoted exclusively to the training of coaches, espouse a unique new model of coaching--co-active coaching. This model encompasses five specific skill sets and three key principles of coaching: fulfillment, balance, and process.

CO-ACTIVE COACHING offers a comprehensive view of the practice of coaching and features instructive coaching examples, skill-building exerciss for practitioners to use with clients, and coaching tips and traps. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

A great "how-to" for aspiring professional coaches
Personal and Professional Coaching is THE service job of the 90s. Now the authors have created a terrific text that will help people who want to become personal and business coaches (life coaches)have the proven techniques and strategies that work. Well written with usable tools, this book will give aspiring coaches a jump start into the field of coaching and inspire them to hire their own coach and get further training as part of their own advanced personal and professional development. Highly recommended

Whole-person coaching...a powerful approach.
Co-coaching is distinctive in that it involves both the coach and the client; it is also referred to as personal/professional coaching because it addresses the whole person (the whole of their life).

Many books we have reviewed on this subject, while of value within the workplace, do not strive to address the multidimensional nature of the individual. In contrast, the approach presented here is distinctly holistic.

The authors' offer a model plus a set of skills and techniques. The book is filled with specifics and excellent insights, and gives extensive guidance about how to be highly effective in coaching. About 75 pages are devoted to "The Coach's Toolkit," consisting of forms, checklists, exercises, resources and a glossary. This book offers a potentially powerful approach to coaching. It is, in our view, requisite reading for anyone involved in, or considering, coaching. Highly recommended.

Great Strategies
Mentoring is so important in the world today. Having a mentor, as this book details, helps people reach the next level in their careers. Mentoring is truly invaluable. A tough thing though is finding a mentor. Where does one look? Well now there is a place to both find a mentor and also be a mentor to share your knowledge. The site is Advance Mentoring, www.Advancementoring.com

You can search to find a mentor in any industry, or to be a mentor, or even both. Now the job of finding a mentor has gotten much easier. The site offers over a tremendous number of members from over 40 countries, so you are sure to find a mentor or a mentee. Good luck. http://www.advancementoring.com

Noah Cirincione, CEO
Advance Mentoring
http://www.advancementoring.com

A supplement, not a substitute for live coaching training.
This book is a good summary of the "Co-Active Coaching Training" program conducted by the Coaching Training Institute. Unfortunately, it doesn't (or can't possibly) act as a substitute for the program. The training itself is based heavily on experiential learning that can't be delivered in a book. The book is useful as a reference, especially for those fortunate enough to have gone through the CTI program, and also for those thinking about signing up for the program. It might be difficult to use the model or some of the tools without the patience to figure out the jargon, but none the less, there is valuable information. One example is the "powerful questions" reference section that will benefit anyone trying to coach effectively.

Good start or refresher course
This book is an excellently written basics course on coaching. It focus' each of us on the tasks we know are important but sometimes neglect the subtle nature of doing it effectively. For example, listening, intuition, or what level of candor is appropriate. Read it and then keep it as a refresher when ever you feel you are off your coaching game. ... Read more

Book Description

Most managers know that revitalization in their companies must occur from the ground up. But how to get that message to employees without applying the kind of pressure that makes them even less productive? The answer is empowerment. In this motivating book, you will find specific strategies designed to help you encourage responsibility, acknowledgment, and creativity so that employees feel they "own" their jobs. It's all here, in an accessible guide for the successful managers of tomorrow. ... Read more

Reviews (33)

Communicate Better!
Many people fail to focus on whether or not their message is received. More effective people focus on whether the message is received as they attempt to improve communications so their company can be more successful. ZAPP! also focuses on WHAT message is received. As the book shows, a perceived message can be dispiriting or empowering.

I liked the fact that the book spent as much time on explaining about bad communications as it did on good ones. That is a great way to help people improve.

The only thing I did not like about the book was that the end led into a sales pitch for consulting rather than tips for how to pursue this on your own. It seemed out of keeping in a book about empowerment. Skip the last 2 pages, and you will be left with a better taste in your mouth.

Buy, read, think about, apply, and share this book and the lessons above with your colleagues. That will help you get heart-warming results to go with the heart-warming feeling that reading this book provides. Enjoy!

Avoid "Stallled Thinking" with Zapp!
Zapp! is fun and easy to read. It is a good basic reminder of the things that good managers and leaders should know but do not always practice. The cute story discribes the benefits of listening and sharing. Too many organizations are hindered by what I call the "Communications Stall". An additonal and very uccessful approach to this problem is to use many ways of communicating (print, videos, speeches, discussions,..) and to do so often. Part 4 accurately shows that in the larger company setting, the ways that people have always done things continuously get in the way of progress. We have found that these "Traditions Stalls" and "Bureaucratic Stalls" must be questioned if they are to be avoided, and new ways found to accomplish more. For example, take the seats out of the meeting rooms to make the meeting shorter. Zapp! begins to do this by saying "There must be another way". The key to finding 2,000 percent solutions and to making much faster progress, is to ask the right questions. I look forward to Byham's next book to learn how he recommends a manager or leader get started.

Has Zapped me since 96 (when I first read it I think)
Read this book sometime around 1996. I know it changed my way of dealing with people not just at the workplace but also with my wife at home on the sports field and it continues to influence the way I even deal with my 8 month old baby.

I have since quit my job and moved to the US to pursue a PhD in INdustrial Relations & Human Resources (after working for 15 years). And this continues to influence my choice of research.

A must read for all managers
Having worked for too many bosses who are micro-managers, I wish this book was required reading for all such managers. This book, although lacking in realistic settings, is nonetheless a good read. Managers can't expect employees to be excited about their work if they don't have Ownership of their task. How many times have I been given a project to do only to find out that I've been left out of the analysis phase of the project. All information is on a Need to Know basis, and I obviously don't. What do I do for a living? I'm a programmer/analyst.

An allegory for leaders
This book got a big build up by my prof, so it's not surprising it didn't quite measure up, thus no 5 star. You have to like allegorical illustrations, you have to have a bit of an imagination, and you should have some work experience. Don't go into this book looking for data or illustrations from life or statistics. It's a morals tale for the new business world--you may learn something from it as you would reading Aesop or Brothers Grimm, but don't look for an epic or a treatise. Good readers can finish it in under 2 hours. The hard-headed should probably not waste their time (enpowerment, bah, humbug!) The rest of you, relax and enjoy. ... Read more

Book Description

The Wall Street Journal bestseller, now with new material.

The master teacher of positive change through powerful communication,Susan Scott wants her readers to succeed. To do that, she explains, one must transform everyday conversations employing effective ways to get the message across. In this guide, which includes exercises and tools to take you step by step through the Seven Principles of Fierce Conversations, Scott teaches readers how to:

€ Overcome barriers to meaningful communication
€ Expand and enrich conversations with colleagues, friends, and family
€ Increase clarity and improve understanding
€ Handle strong emotions-on both sides of the table ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Fierce as in True
If we have ever needed a book like this, now is the time. Just think what could have happened at Enron, WorldCom, etc. if people had been willing to talk to each other about what was really going on? This is both a "think about this" and a "here's how to use it" book that can give people the courage and tools to tell others what they are seeing and believing. Don't be put off by the title, Fierce does not mean you get to beat everyone up - it really is an invitation to, as the author says - interrogate reality. Susan Scott does an effective job in weaving her three big ideas about conversations through the book. The ideas are simple yet powerful and can change the way we talk both to ourselves and to others. She captured me right away with the first concept; that our lives (and work) succeed or fail one conversation at a time, including those conversations we don't have. The book is an easy read. The concepts are clearly presented both in theory and with amusing stories and, best of all, there are practical tips on how to use the information. I enjoyed reading it and putting the principles into action. I'll be giving copies to friends and colleagues. This is one of those books that belongs both at home and the office.

A Fierce (robust) Book
Fierce Conversation starts with the premise that "the conversation is the relationship" and we must have Fierce (robust) Conversation's in all of our relationships -- business and personal. It is far more encompassing then other recent conversation books on how to have "crucial" or "critical" conversations only.

It's a guidebook on how to make relationships meaningful and successful. It's simplicity of focusing on "one conversation at a time" avoids the pitfall of a relationship deteriorating in Scott's words "slowly then suddenly".

It's a book whose processes I am able to put into action immediately. I can readily see how starting with one conversation at a time will lead to mastery and enrich relationships. The examples are vivid and easy to visualize and remember.

I actually look forward to having Fierce Conversations with my colleagues, customers, employees, and family.

I highly recommend Fierce Conversations.

Philip E. Fine
Chief Executive Officer
Premier Distribution Services, Inc.
Somerset, NJ

What are you pretending not to know?
Most breakdowns in life have some connection to conversations -- conversations not had, conversations that go poorly, or conversations not yet even imagined. There are a number of good books on conversations and this is one of them.

I tend to refer my coaching clients to "Fierce Conversations" when they are having trouble getting motivated and avoid a lot of uncomfortable conversations (compared to recommending other books for those who botch difficult conversations).

Susan's section on "stump speeches" is good for gaining clarity on personal vision (i.e., where are you going, why, who is going with you, and how will you get there?).

Once clear on "where you are going," it's time to start noticing and speaking about what "you're pretending not to know" (otherwise known as breakdowns -- yours or others).

Although "Fierce Conversations" doesn't cover the underlying emotions like "Difficult Conversations" or "Nonviolent Communications" do, or the styles under stress (silence or violence) as "Crucial Conversations" does, it does have some good discussion on "interrogating reality" (with an emphasis on questions and remaining curious) and identifying your own role in conversational breakdowns.

Fierce, difficult, crucial, nonviolent -- whatever you call these conversations, they're at the core of all meaningful relationships. I can definitely recommend "Fierce Conversations" to the mix of books on skillful conversations.

Packed With Knowledge!
This book offers numerous useful principles that will help anyone become a better conversationalist and a more responsive listener. Read carefully because gems of very valuable content are scattered through the entire book, a sentence here, a quotation there, buried in long, interesting digressions about the author's life, people she's known and clients she's worked with over time. A judicious editor could have made a very sharp and effective pocket book out of this material, which is about managing intense, strong discussions with skill. As it is, you'll have to do some digging, but you'll have a perfectly good time doing it, particularly if you are a fan of New Age mantras and can handle a little touchy-feely vocabulary. We assure you that the lessons you'll learn about conversations - including fierce ones - will stand you in good stead.

Not as Helpful as "Difficult Conversations."
I listened to both this and "Difficult Conversations." I found that "Diffiicult Conversations" offered much more helpful, concrete advice, and the material was much better organized. I was disappointed that the emphasis of "Firece Conversatons" was almost entirely on business related conversations. Example after example focused on her executive clients. After listening to this program, I felt no more prepared for conversations with friends and family than before. There were a few helpful ideas, but they were presented much more clearly in "Difficult Conversations." "Difficult Conversations" gave me real, practical strategies that have made a big difference in my ease in bringing up tricky conversations and working through them with positive results. ... Read more

Book Description

This book provides readers with basic information about human beings and their behavior within the context of a business environment. It includes such issues as how to motivate people, how to give them feedback on their performance, how to influence them, and how to help them cope with stress. By examining the factors that contribute to an ever-changing business world, it will teach readers to develop, train, and motivate high-performance employees in a world of constant change.The Field of Organizational Behavior. Perception and Learning. Individual Work Differences. Motivation in Organizations. Managing Your Own Behavior. Group Dynamics and Teamwork. Decision Making in Organizations. Social and Deviant Behaviors in Organizations. Leading and Coaching Others. Culture, Creativity, and Innovation. Organizational Structure and Design. Technology in Organizations.For managers, or anyone else, who are interested in organizational behavior. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Alright
I used this book at Cornell's school of Industrial and Labor Relations in an OB course. It was ok, but I have seen better. The examples are mostly revelant, but sometimes it strays from the covered material. A good book to use to review for the final exam, but if your teacher draws tests from their own lectures, make sure you utilize the index in the back!

Poor theory, good applications
This text was used at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for an honors OB course. It served the class well by providing relevant and often humorous applications of theory. However, the descriptions of the actual theories themselves were weak and vague often referring to other concepts not yet learned. ... Read more

Book Description

This text is unique in its first-person, discovery learning approach using a 4-step decision-making model throughout. It truly conveys a management perspective, by including coverage of topics such as ABM, the value chain and balanced scorecard evaluation techniques. It is also the first managerial text to incorporate coverage on knowledge management (Ch. 13) highlighting the latest developments for improved managerial decision making. ... Read more

Book Description

The emphasis of the text is on data analysis, modeling, and spreadsheet use in statistics and management science. This text contains professional Excel software add-ins. The authors maintain the elements that have made this text a market leader in its first edition: clarity of writing, a teach-by-example approach, and complete Excel integration. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Better Title: Intro to Statistics using Excel Add-ins
On the positive side, this book has many excellent case studies and examples. It is well written and interesting. However, I was disappointed, as I was expecting use of Excel to rigorously solve decision making and data analysis problems. The focus of the book is mostly traditional statistics solved using a group of commercial add-ins for Excel. If this is what you want, then the book would get five stars. However, for data analysis and decision making, I think a more thorough treatment using Excel without relying so much on the add-ins would have been appropriate.

Serious Excel 2000 Problem
The text book is great. I have many of Winston's other books and they are all great. The Palisade stuff works just fine. However, the StatPro Addin that accompanies this text does not work with MS Excel 2000. I contacted the IT guy that the authors directed me to--he was stumped. He just gave up and suggested I return my book for a refund because he could not figure out it out. Again, the book is great but the StatPro Addin sucks!

No trouble with Excel
I find the text and software a useful set of tools. It assumes familiarity with basic statistics and Excel, and builds on them to develop a powerfull ability to analize data and make decisions from it. I experienced no trouble with the software install or operation.

MS Office 2000 compatability problems!!
Just purchased the book as a tool for MBA classes. However, after installing the accompanying CD ROM add-ons I had problems accessing MS Office programs. A critical .DLL file was modified by the program during my installation. I think the program was made to run with MS Excel 97. Another suggestion for the author is to include an answers CD ROM for the problems contained in the text so that students and professionals can check their work.

Excellent MBA - level textbook and software.
Finally MBA probability/statistics course and MS Excel have been unified in one textbook. The accompanying software is great, especially Decision Tree (probably the only Excel-based software for decision making). Students like business-oriented excersises in the book. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

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

Reviews (13)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Description

This masterfully crafted introduction provides balanced coverage of all the key elements comprising the discipline of OB, in a style that readers will find both informative and interesting.This includes not only traditional topics such as personality, motivation, and leadership; but also cutting-edge issues such as emotions, trust, work-life balance, workplace spirituality, and knowledge management.People participating in any group or organizational activity. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Well written and solid intro to the field of Org Behavior
"Essentials in Organizational Behavior" is a solid text for a course surveying the field of Organizational Behavior. Its sixteen chapters are grouped into four parts. Part I introduces the field of organizational behavior, its goals and functions within an organization along with some challenges and opportunities.

Part II contains chapters two through six and focuses on how individuals function within an organization and the considerations managers need to have with values, personality, motivation, emotions, and how individuals make decisions.

Part III contains chapters seven through twelve and discusses groups in the organization. It begins discussion foundations of group behavior, some basics on work teams, communication, leadership & creating trust, power & politics, conflict & negotiation.

Part IV discusses the Organization System in chapters thirteen through sixteen. It begins with the foundations of organizational structure, culture, and then gets into the role of human resource policies and practices. The book concludes with Organizational Change and Development.

There is an epilogue to wrap things up, endnotes, and index and a glossary.

The book is clearly written. I like the way the author presents a variety of views and theories and never becomes dogmatic about a certain approach. Because it is concise it actually has a chance of being read (the usual 750 page textbook is largely left unread in most courses). However, to really become proficient in any of the many topics presented here the student will have to do much more study and practical work. I am confident that any teacher adopting the text for coursework would make the necessity for further study clear to the student. The endnotes do provide many fine sources for such study, but I would like to have seen some sources organized into a list of readings for study organized by topic. It would have added a few pages, but would not have overburdened this text.

In any case, this is a good introductory read for anyone who wants to a quick tour of the universe of Organizational Behavior.

Great broad overview of concepts and research
If you're interested in organizational behavior either professionally or as a student, this is a great book to pick up. It gives a great, concise survey of the topic as it relates to each of the major components of individual, team, and organizational factors. Not laden with research details and theoretical jargon, this book is a must read for managers and students alike because of its fast pace and great coverage.

One of the best intro to OB
I find Robbins's OB one of the best introductionary books for OB. Though it does not contain lots of case studies, to get started with concepts, the easy to read layout and the interesting activities that he presents makes it a very good book to get started. I personally started my OB with a much more detailed book, but after I found this one, I used this as the starting point, to get the ideas, and then used more high level books to explore further.
Why not 5 stars, well, coz as I said, I did need to look at other books to explore in detail!

For the budding manager
This is a great book to understand the fundamentals of organizational behaviour. It is simple to understand, and the excellent layout and graphics make it enjoyable and ignite your curiosity. I read it from cover to cover in a matter of days. However, I do agree that more relevant case studies and applications should have been included.

Decent overall review of OB theories.
Robbins discusses current OB theory in a brief, concise manner. He does not provide many examples of real-teime applications, however. This is a hinderance to the book's usefulness as it is sometimes difficult to conceptualize how many of the theories might be practically implemented. Overall, a decent reference book. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Excellent Derivatives Book
The cover and page quality make this book a joy to read compared to other derivatives texts on the market.

Even more important, Dr. McDonald's writing is clear and logical. His theory is current and well laid-out. Compared to Hull it has more PDE's and sound theory. Compared to still other derivatives texts, Dr. McDonald gives more applications to supplement the theory.

If I could only recommend one derivatives texts to students and practitioners needing a thorough overview of the market, this would be the one.

A brilliant book by a master teacher
Far too many books on derivatives are written by academics who claim to be writing for intelligent professionals but are in fact really trying to impress their colleagues. This book is a wonderful exception to that general rule. It is written by a master teacher who understands the importance of knowing several different ways to solve problems, and who provides numerous examples so that the reader can check his/her own answer. The book also provides software in VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) so that the reader can experiment with the results explained in the text and apply them to his/her own problems.

McDonald is very concerned to explain the intuition behind the numerous formulas presented in the text, and presents the various chapters in an expertly-designed sequence so that new results nearly always become understandable as more general ways of seeing results presented in earlier chapters. The material progresses gradually from basic to complex, so that the dedicated reader becomes thoroughly acquainted with results that have only recently been discovered. As a consequence, this textbook becomes a handy reference work to be kept at one's desk for daily use.

I came across this book more or less by accident, and as I was browsing through it I noted with particular interest several substantial discussions of how derivative pricing can be done with real probabilities so as to arrive at the same results as pricing done with the pseudo-probabilities (or risk-neutral probabilities) discussed in most texts. These sections provided an extremely important clarification of an issue that undoubtedly occurs to nearly all students of derivative pricing but is nonetheless ignored in nearly all of the relevant textbooks and literature. I knew right then that the author understood what questions were occurring in the minds of his students and how to deal with them.

This book is a bit more expensive than some rival texts, but it is entirely worth it because of its tremendous clarity and because of the software that accompanies it. In reality, this book is a bargain.

Excellent Book on Derivatives Markets
I had the privilege of using the manuscript of this book for two advanced finance courses I did at Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University---the Author's home) and just got a chance to read the final published book. This is an excellent book on derivatives markets which should appeal to three types of readers: 1) MBA students doing their first finance course on derivatives; 2) Non-finance professionals who can easily grasp quantitative aspects of derivatives pricing schemes but lack an an intuitive understanding of why, where and how derivatives are used (I was in this category until I attended Kellogg); and, 3) Corporate finance professionals trying to understand different risk management tools. Bob McDonald did a great job in maintaining a good balance between mathematics of derivatives pricing schemes and logical explanations of several economic concepts one would encounter in derivatives. This book is going to be a popular MBA text book very soon.

In the first four chapters of the book, the author assumes that the prices of different derivative securities are known and discusses how these securities can be used for insurance and speculation (Chapter 4 has a nice introduction to risk management). Chapters 5-8 explain pricing methods for futures, forwards and swaps using simple discounting models. Chapter 6 has a lucid discussion on how would "futures contract price vs. time" curves for different commodities differ based on the seasonality, transportation costs and storability aspects specific to each commodity.

Starting in Chapter 9, the author discusses different option pricing models. The material presented in Chapters 10-13, where in the author discusses binomial option pricing models, Black-Scholes formula and delta hedging, is clearly the highlight of this book. I did not find such a crystal clear discussion of binomial pricing models and the rationale behind delta hedging in any other text book. In Chapters 15-17, the author discusses financial engineering (how to create a required payoff from basic building blocks) and corporate applications of derivatives (including real options). In the remaining chapters (Chapters 18-24), I would recommend Chapters 18, 19 and 24 to all the readers. The other chapters are not really necessary unless you plan to work on developing derivatives pricing schemes.

In summary, I strongly recommend this book to every serious student of finance. ... Read more

Book Description

Wake Up and Take Control of Your Life!

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

Reviews (206)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And Thank God for Tony Robbins!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Description

Firms with superior IT governance have more than 25% higher profits than firms with poor governance given the same strategic objectives. These top performers have custom-designed IT governance for their strategies. Just as corporate governance aims to ensure quality decisions about all corporate assets, IT governance links IT decisions with company objectives and monitors performance and accountability.

Based on a study of 250 enterprises worldwide, IT Governance shows how to design and implement a system of decision rights that will transform IT from an expense to a profitable investment.

... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fills in blanks left by CObIT
This book is not consistently aligned to CObIT (Control Objectives for IT), which is an IT governance standard set forth by the IT Governance Institute (paste the ASIN, B0001F8V14, into the search all products box on this page). However, it does provide a realistic approach to governance that reflects successful practices developed and employed by 250 companies surveyed by the authors. The key differences between CObIT and the approach in this book is the stakeholder model presented versus the control model CObIT incorporates. More importantly, the authors approach more effectively aligns IT to business goals and objectives, with IT in a supporting role more than as the primary decision maker.

Among the points the authors make is that IT is a strategic asset, and effective governance links IT to strategy and performance. I fully agree with this approach, and especially like the recommendations the authors make for implementing and managing IT governance, as well as the resources in the appendix which show which companies were surveyed.

If you are following CObIT you may have issues with this book; however, if you read through it with an objective mind you will find that the approach will work effectively, and does come closer to IT-business alignment than the CObIT approach. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Extremely Useful and Practical Guide to Effective Management
This book has been widely adopted and is now in its sixth edition because it has proven to be a valuable and effective text for people who want to think about what skills go into being an effective manager, how to develop them, and what are the practical means of application. The book is divided into four parts:

Part 1 - Personal Skills
Part 2 - Interpersonal Skills
Part 3 - Group Skills
Part 4 - Specific Communication Skills

Part 1 starts with developing self-awareness, then discusses managing personal stress, and concludes with approaches to solving problems analytically and creatively.

Part 2 starts with coaching, counseling, and supportive communication, then discusses gaining power and influence, motivating others, and concludes with managing conflict.

Part 3 starts with empowering and delegating, then building effective teams and teamwork, and concludes with leading positive change.

Part 4 is a series of helpful supplements and appendices on making oral and written presentations, conducting interviews, and an extremely useful section on conducting meetings based upon material by John Tropman from the University of Michigan. I had Prof. Tropman for my required class on Organizational Behavior and it was a highlight in my program. He covered some of this material in that class and it makes wonderful sense. He often says that you can use this material to cover as little as you do now, but in half the time.

What I particularly like is that each chapter opens with one or more assessments to help the student / reader think in a personal way about his or her thoughts, beliefs, and skills focusing on the key issues that will be discussed in the chapter. The approach of the book is always practical and the language uplifting and positive. I think this book shows the way to being a positive manager who can be successful in any situation without having to resort to negative human interactions to get things done. It really is a healthy approach to management.

Also, with this new edition, Prentice-Hall and the authors are offering an ONLINE version of the 30 plus assessments so that students (and general readers) can instantly receive automated feedback without having to use pencil and paper and then figure out how to score each assessment. It is all done for you. And for professors, they will be able to drill down on their class data by student or the overall class. It really is a step forward.

There are also name, subject, and combined indexes.

Most Comprehensive Book On Management Skills Available
While some may find this book simplistic it is quite interesting to note that many of the skills discussed by Cameron and Whetten go unused in failing organizations (I say failing because successful organizations use the techniques found in this book). Having spent 5 years as a blue collar worker and 15 years as a white collar worker I cannot emphasize enough the applicable teachings in this book.

The authors provide "how to's" for many managerial situations that one might find themselves in and outline specific processes to use that are time tested. There is obviously a lot of thought given to both the subordinate and the supervisor as all examples are thought through with mutual respect.

I own over 200 management books and if there were a fire (God forbid) where I could take only one book with me, this one would be it.

unhappy
this book i felt was more practical in what i can do rather than why management skills and styles are needed which i felt was going t give me that answer

A classic, with much to apply for anyone who wants to grow
This is a spectacular book. I was first introduced to it in a managerial skills class in graduate school. It is a very well-written text, and is full of practical knowledge that anyone can apply. You don't have to be a manager to appreciate what this book can help you do. Anyone can benefit from the book's teachings.

Each chapter (most of them, at least) begins with one or more self-quizzes to determine your abilities or knowledge of each subject. The chapter then helps you to improve your deficiencies. If you repeat the quizzes after you've studied and applied the material, you'll see improvements, as well as additional areas in which to work.

To use this book to the greatest benefit, you should develop solid plans to:

1. Assess your needs (through quizzes)
2. Learn the material (reading the chapters, or the sections in which are lacking)
3. Apply the material (in your life, at work, etc.)
4. Reflect on what happened, what worked, what didn't, etc.
5. Re-assess your abilities (with the quizzes)

As for the topics this covers, it includes nearly every situation you could run into at work. However, a lot of the material is applicable to life in general.

This book is a must read if you want to grow. Before you rush out and buy cheaper, less complete books, add this one to your library. That way you'll have a much better framework from which to purchase other books (if you even need them!).

Useful book, with a lot of practical exercices
Here's one of the best management book available. Not only it will give you practical management techniques, but this book is also full of good exercices. I will definitely but the next edition as soon as it will become available. If you are a manager or want to become one, do not hesitate to invest your money in this book. It might look expensive, but when you consider all the techniques shown in this book, it is cheaper than a ...no-more-than-average management book. ... Read more

Book Description

In today's fast-paced networked economy, professionals must work harder than ever to maintain and improve their business skills and knowledge. But technical mastery of one's discipline is not enough, assert world-renowned professional advisors David H. Maister, Charles H. Green, and Robert M. Galford. The key to professional success, they argue, is the ability to earn the trust and confidence of clients. To demonstrate the paramount importance of trust, the authors use anecdotes, experiences, and examples -- successes and mistakes, their own and others' -- to great effect. The result is an immensely readable book that will be welcomed by the inexperienced advisor and the most seasoned expert alike. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Don't waiste your money
I found this book too broad, although it gives some examples, and tries to use some formulas to figure out how much your client trust you, nothing scientificly proven. As a matter of fact this book is useless if you studied or read a lot about organizational behavior and HR management. This book talks about the relationship between consultant and his customer, how important it is to listen, talk and respect your customer, but a lot of it is common sense. Also talks about team work. However if someone is not familiar with Org Behavior and HR, it is a good book for a start.

More than an Advisor
An experienced colleague recommended this book to me at a conference. The title simply does not do this book justice but I bought it anyway. If you ever wondered how some consultants and professionals do such a good job obtaining and keeping clients, then READ THIS BOOK.

I have recommended this book to all my clients and they agree. More importantly, very few so-called "advisors" do what this book explains clearly. Tremendous resource for any professional but many very powerful techniques to help you close contracts without sounding like a used car salesman. The case studies and examples hit home and force you to stop and think about your own style.

For Your Arsenal
Whether you are in sales, are an attorney, or providing any kind service or intangible, this is a great book. If you think you've read all the client oriented, consulting oriented "sales and success" books - but haven't read this ... then you are never going to be at the top of your field. This book is about bringing real authenticity to the relationships with your clients. Client executives can smell a sneak or a fraud a mile away. Today, business is more competitive than ever, making losing a client relationship a crime. Knowing how to keep a client, build a relationship and continue nuturing it, is an art. Maister points to great examples and gets you to thinking ... "if only I'd done that ..." or "next time I'll ...". This is a thinking persons book, one to be reviewed over again through the course of your career, but only if you want to be among the "trusted few" with seasoned, senior executives. Other great books along this line I recommend are: any of Maisters books, Patrick McKenna's material (see their web pages too), and Clients for Life by Andrew Sobel.

Maister is the Master
My introduction to David Maister came from the former managing director of Burson-Marteller's Tokyo office, who recommended True Professionalism. That book became one of the "required readings" for my training company's staff. Since True Professionalism, I've read Managing the Professional Service Firm and found it heavy, over-detail-oriented and difficult to apply. Now comes The Trusted Advisor (with other authors) and I can say without a doubt this best book on trust development I've read--putting real meat in those abstract concepts like "credibility." His chapter where he introduces the equation where Trust = Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy, all divided by Self-orientation, would be worth the price of the book. No, there probably is nothing new under the sun, but Maister in this book (and in Practice What You Preach, another gem) provides the keys to create better results for clients, and shows us how to turn those keys to start the engine. If there were 10 stars to give, I'd rate this a 10.

An easy to understand look at difficult topic.
Here is a good book, that clearly and accurately describes how to master a difficult skill. As an IT consultant I found this book to be immediately helpful in furthering my consulting skills.

This book takes the reader through the entire process of moving from "Subject Matter Expert" to Trusted Advisor. It accurately describes the benefits of this role for any professional rendering services. This might help one to justify training in this area to one's superiors.

I was continually impressed with the how the book dealt with the topic of honesty. Clearly we all strive to be trustworthy, however when that alone is the goal one might be prone to dishonesty to create an illusion for the client to trust. I felt this book gave real guidance on how to proceed, without having to walk a fine line.

I find this book to be of most value to an experienced professional/consultant, looking to hone an skill. It is of less value (but certainly some value) to new-comer to these types of skills. A better book for a new-comer would be "Managing the Professional Services Firm" by David Maister. That said, this book is worth much more than ~[price], buy it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Dennis Bakke was co-founder and eventually CEO of AES, a large energy company which grew to over $8 billion in annual revenue and over 40,000 employees. Bakke's Joy at Work is in part, a CEO memoir, as it chronicles AES's growth, complete with anecdotes about boardroom confrontations, employee relations, and new openings of production facilities. Joy at Work goes beyond the standard business tale, though: Bakke believes in moral values as ends in themselves, as opposed to means towards the end of greater financial return, and he's not afraid to say it.

A number of authors in recent years have made the case that companies which embody humanistic values, and which nurture uplifting cultures, come to house happier, more productive employees. "Values" should be embraced, the argument goes, because they lead to better business results. Bakke shuns such thinking. He wants "values" for values' sake--because he believes they are an integral part of the human experience, and one that daily work should incorporate. He argues that financial return is only one good alongside others. As Bakke writes at one point in Joy at Work: "Why should enriching shareholders be more important than producing quality products and selling them to customers at fair prices?"

Readers who start off sympathetic to Bakke's worldview will likely enjoy Bakke's book. "Joy at Work" is situated perfectly within values-led business literature, alongside books like Howard Schultz’s Pour Your Heart Into It, the Body Shop's Anita Roddick (Take It Personally) and Ben & Jerry's Double Dip, by the ice-cream guys. Joy at Work provokes questions and warrants a read, if, for no reason other than its impressive string of blurbs from friends of the author: Everyone from President Bill Clinton to Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren vouches for Bakke and his gospel. --Peter Han ... Read more

Reviews (8)

More sparkle than substance
As a career coach and consultant, I naturally gravitated toward a book with the title Joy at Work. The subtitle promised an "approach" to "fun on the job."

However, the book gets only two stars because the title appears misleading. Joy at Work is not about how *you* the indvidual can have fun -- it's more of a memoir. You'll even find family photos in the middle of the book!

What makes Bakke'sAES unique are values, premised on a core concept: Workers feel happier when they have more control over their environment. When they have control, they take ownership, so you need fewer supervisors. Workers have fun *and* the company gets profitable.

Frankly, some of Bakke's ideas aren't unique. Why have sick leave? Just let workers stay home when they're sick. Well, at least one large software company has had this policy for years, according to an acquaintance who worked there.And the notion of empowering workers has a familiar ring, too.

Are workers really happy? Does a CEO really know? When Bakke argues for a leaner workplace (which I agree *is* more fun), he sounds remarkably like Jack Welch.

On page 156, Bakke questions why shareholder values should drive the firm. Why not focus on employees, he seems to be asking.But on page 210, Bakke wishes he'd sought more equity than debt, selling more shares more frequently.Maybe I'm missing something, but investors will be more likely to buy stock if the company focuses on making them, the shareholders, richer.

So bottomline, this book won't help an ordinary person who's perched on the corporate ladder. You have to be a CEO(with a supporting Board and staff) to implement these values that presumably bring "joy."A manager could create only temporary, smaller-scale changes.

My biggest criticism: Books today are judged by their cover.Nothing on the book's jacket gives a hint that Bakke operates from a system of strong religious values, which he mentions in the text from time to time.The Postscript (pages 246-277 -- 10% of the book) has been titled "The Master's Joy." It is certainly appropriate for an author to present his religious views and values -- but please tell the reader up front, before we buy a copy or even check one out of a library.

Actually we get some clues if we read the 9 endorsements on the back cover, an eclectic mix of individuals ranging from Bill Clinton to a football coach to a US Senator.Inside the book are 15 more endorsements, from a church pastor, Chuck Colson of prison ministries, and an NFL quarterback.Only one of the 24 endorsements seems to be from a woman: the androgynously named Lynn Sharp Paine.

Appendix A provides a "Case Study" which is really a timeline, presented honestly. Of special note: AES's initial offering price was $19.25 in 1991. The stock hit an all-time high of $70.62 in October 2000 and then plummeted to $5 a share in February 2002. In June 2002 Bakke retired from the company.It would be interesting to hear how these trends would be discussed in a top MBA classroom.