Book Description

Instant Recommendation Letter Kit is a unique and highly focused information source that concentrates on the writing of all types of letters of recommendation for both employment and college admission. In addition to downloadable real-life letter templates, the Kit also contains a bonus chapter on how to write college admission essays, including a number of samples. It also includes a money-saving "Buyers Guide" that reviews the top sites on the Net that offer online writing services for recommendation letters and college admission essays. This Kit is a unique "must-have" writing resource if you need help writing any kind of recommendation letter. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Your Letters Will Write Themselves

If you're familiar with any of Shaun Fawcett's "Instant Writing Kit" eBooks, (like his wonderful "Instant Business Letter Writing Kit"), you already know that they get right to the point and include zero filler.

This one is no exception: open the "book" and you are immediately reading clear, concise guidelines on writing professional quality recommendation letters, backed up by a wealth of Fawcett's famous "Real Life Templates" that practically make the letters write themselves.

Fawcett includes a wonderful section on both the structure of a letter that "gets the job done," and the ethical guides to follow when both requesting a recommendation letter, or responding to a request yourself. (He even tells you how to ethically and cordially turn down a request).

As usual, Fawcett's "Real Life Templates" include a collection of solid, impressively composed letters written by an obvious master of professional writing. You will find what you need here!

Among the templates included are: recommendations for employment, college admission, general reference letters, character references, corporate and educational letters, civic commendations, job performance and more. Writing letters almost weekly for my small business consulting firm, ..., I can tell you that Fawcett's templates really work.

These templates, combined with the superb foundational guidelines Mr. Fawcett provides, will have you producing your own letters within the first hour that you open the book, saving you hours of struggling over notes, rewrites and revisions.

The eBook closes with a highly detailed chapter on writing college admission essays, including 5 example essays and over 60 URLs (weblinks) where you can find further info. An absolute must for anyone who is either preparing to attend university, or helping a loved one to pack their bags.

If you value your TIME, and need to write or request a recommendation letter, you absolutely owe it to yourself to purchase this eBook. It will pay for itself twice over with your first use. Rather than struggling for hours with revisions, your letters will literally write themselves.

Get this book -- it's the very best!
This book is the best! I received actual electronic recommendation letters from the book, selected the paragraphs that I needed, and I gave them to my manager -- because she was writing a recommendation letter. She said the paragraphs were "really, really helpful," and that's high praise. The letters in the book are truly outstanding -- you won't read anything nearly as good anywhere else. Also, they cover a lot
of different topics, including how well the employee presents, how diligent the employee is, and so forth. This book will pay for itself many times over -- because it'll help you or someone you know get a great new job. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Book Description

201 Killer Cover Letters provides job seekers with an unbeatable competitive edge by arming them with surefire sample letters for every job-hunting situation. This edition of the bestselling guide includes the latest job-search techniques, tips for transferring job skills across industries, and ways to use the cover letter to anticipate and overcome "objectionable items or gaps in employment." Building on the success of the computer disk edition, the CD-ROM edition contains ready-to-download templates of all 201 letters, for CD-ROM-compatible computers, making it easier than ever for readers to tailor cover letters to specific situations.

Reviews (5)

Old, dated, and of little use to me
The alleged "201 Killer Cover Letters" were written in 1995 according to the enclosed disk and are not very professional in my opinion. They are of little use in today's job market, again in my opinion.

The front cover claims one is able to "downplay your weaknesses" by adhering to the principles in this book. One of my weaknesses was purchasing this book in the first place.

Pretty good book
Most useful are the "do's & don'ts" for job hunting correspondence. These along with other common sense suggestions which escape many of us can be found in this book. Having the samples in both book and diskette form is useful as it saves time. However, the samples themselves are pretty much what one can find by logging on to almost any website career site. Nothing special except the convenience of having them in one spot.

A TRUE PROFESSIONALLY WRITTEN COVER LETTER BOOK
A MUST READ COVER LETTER BOOK WHICH TRUELY EXEMPLIFIES WELL WRITTEN COVER LETTERS. PLEASE CHECK THIS ONE OUT LAST, SO THAT ONE CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE, FEEL THE DIFFERENCE AND TRUELY CONVINCED TO BUY THE DIFFERENCE. ONE WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED

Ten Rules for Writing 201 Killer Cover Letters
What do you talk about in your resume? ME ME ME ME. What do you talk about in your interview? ME ME ME ME. So Rule 5 of Podesta and Paxton's book (Podesta is an advertising copywriter and Paxton is a recruiter), "ELIM-ME-NATE" tells you to focus on the needs of your prospective employer in your cover letter. The 9 other top rules for writing "killer" cover letters are just as enlightening as well as humorous. I do tend to disagree with Rule 3: In Response To Your Ad...NOT! - Don't use standard openings. I've actually had HR professionals request such standard openings so that they can keep track of who is applying for which ad in which newspaper. But that is the real value of this book: it shows you how to write killer openings and closings for any situation. There is an index of letters listed by issue, with a corresponding chapter and letter number to refer to. What's more, you can get through this book in a hurry, and all of the sample letters are on diskette that is included. So if your cover letters "...Ain't Working," then "...Fix It" with one of 201 different approaches (Rule 10)

Sample letters for job searches.
Good letters for getting, keeping, refusing, and quitting jobs. It has its own PC diskette, so that it is not necessary to retype letters for personal use. I suspect that it's the only cover letter book on the market to come with a PC diskette. ... Read more

Book Description

This is a ``must-have'' for anyone who desires to effectively and successfully sell their products, projects, ideas or services. The new edition has been revised and expanded to include detailed coverage of the current methods and procedures required by the government and used by commercial companies for bid preparation; the latest applications for identifying and tracking fund sources; new desktop publishing techniques for rapid proposal preparation along with available software; and storyboarding methods. The concept of ``straight-line'' control is presented for the first time and a complete case study provided to illustrate how to evolve a proposal from development through strategic marketing planning. ... Read more

Book Description

A direct mail piece can have extraordinary positive results for a business, or be a waste of money. Time spent learning to write letters that [Italics] sell might be one of the best business investments that it is possible to make. Drayton Bird, an acknowledged expert on writing sales letters, takes the reader through the necessary stages from planning, through gathering information about the product and the target reader, incorporating the right ingredients and structure, to the way to end, the tone to adopt and how to close, as well as how to deal with the "guts" of the letter itself.

Examples of good and bad sales letters are included throughout to illustrate the points made in the text, and there are sections dealing with how the letter should look, length, tips on how to make the letter more effective, when to use headings, color, texture and more. ... Read more

Book Description

E-mail and computer keyboards may have replaced dictation and typewriters in the business world, but the importance of clear and effective written communication has never been greater. In her all-new book, business-writing expert Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts offers practical advice on writing messages guaranteed to get results.
Drawing on her experience leading writing workshops for Fortune 500 companies, Lindsell-Roberts walks the reader through a variety of letter-writing exercises and shows how a well-crafted message can make any writer stand out in the crowd. Getting from a blank page or screen to a results-oriented message is easy with Lindsell-Roberts"s proven Six Step Process. And numerous tips and reminders help make the central point that a successful message should always focus on what the primary reader needs to know.
Best of all, Strategic Business Letters and E-mail is designed to save the user time and effort. Specific chapters on such areas as sales and marketing, customer relations, and personal business offer hundreds of sample letters, memos, and e-mail messages that can be used verbatim or with minimal alteration to fit a particular circumstance. Opening this invaluable book is the first step to jump-starting effective business communication. ... Read more

Book Description

Essential reading for diploma, degree and postgraduate taught-course students, this is an accessible and comprehensive guide to the process of completing projects, extended reports, dissertations and theses on business and management topics. Combining an extensive review of basic research methods and techniques with guidelines on the management of the dissertation writing process, the authors cover issues from the selection of topics to the research, preparation, structuring and presentation of a dissertation. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Focused, Detailed and Helpful
As a doctoral committee member and professor for students writing dissertations in both business and education, I found Riley et al.'s text a good secondary source for students' review of both the writing and research process. The sections on research methods was especially focused. Usually when students get to the the actual dissertation process at the end of their program, they have forgotten HOW to do the requisite research (from prior courses). The only disappointment encountered was the book was out of stock this semester and the publisher wasn't clear when the book would be reprinted. Pity. It not only was the most comprehensive out there, it was the ONLY book that was most appropriate for DBA students. ... Read more

Book Description

For many business owners and investors, putting an accurate value on a business seems an awesome task. But the importance ofunderstanding how value is determined cannot be overstated, and the job needn't be left solely to professionals. The core principles of business valuationare straightforward -- easily within the grasp of most business people.

This book demystifies the valuation process so that even people with no prior experience can realistically estimate the fair market value of almost anycompany. Following the ARM (Adjusted cash flow, Rules of thumb, Market comparables) approach, the reader will be well-informed in matters of:

* Establishing asking prices, purchase offers, and selling terms * Planning and settling tax issues * Obtaining bank financing to purchase or grow a business * Estimating proper risk management levels * Implementing an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)

...and many more situations calling for fundamental and accurate business valuation. ... Read more

Book Description

"We're wordsmiths. Words are our weapons. A difference of a fraction of I percent in our ability to generate or intensify reader involvement is worthwhile. Knowing how and when to plumb for power verbs and imperatives is just one more indication of our professionalism. Enough said."Packed with valuable tips and informative examples and illustrations, Catalog Copy That Sizzles is the ultimate compendium of catalog copywriting know-how. Herschell Gordon Lewis, known worldwide for his copywriting expertise, reveals all the hints, tips, and tricks of the trade you'll ever need to know in order to write effective catalog copy for any kind of productfrom gardening tools to surveillance devices.In his personable and engaging style, Herschell clearly defines and presents examples of the fourteen types of catalog copy, including "Minimalist" copy, "All the Facts" copy, and "I Am the Greatest" copy. Plus, more than one hundred illustrations are interspersed throughout the text along with valuable critiques of copy that works and copy that fails to make the grade in print and on-line catalogs. Interactive exercises like "First, You Try It!" will alert you to areas that require improvement and will keep you entertained and engaged through each and every chapter.Whether you're a copywriter, a freelance writer, an advertising and marketing professional, or someone who simply wants to craft copy that sells for a print or on-line catalog, Catalog Copy That Sizzles will arm you with the tools you need to craft copy that will sell any product, to any demographic, and in any format. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Helped me write MUCH BETTER descriptions
I had to read this book for work. The author suggests reading one chapter a day, which is pretty much how I did it, with one exception.

I found the material to be much easier to digest when I read it only one chapter a day. I wasn't bombarded with all of this new stuff that I had to remember and implement into my descriptions.

Having all of the pictures really helped because it illustrates the points that the author is trying to get across.

I suggest keeping the book close by when your brain just goes to mush and you can't think of the benefit of this gadget. Reread Appendix A and try to answer the 20 questions in there. It will help you come up with something.

If your description just doesn't make much sense or parts are out of order and you can't figure out why, reread Appendix B, it have all of the "rules" the author presented in the book with a brief explanation of each.

A copywriter's resource that really sizzles!
Very helpful! Typical of many books written by veteran admen, the text is broken up into bite-sized chunks with snappy headlines, but in this case the format serves the message well. Lewis' tone is chatty and informative, there are lots of good ad examples, and best of all, each chapter begins with a brief writing assignment. I found it a valuable resource. ... Read more

Book Description

Writing is an invaluable communication skill in almost every aspect of business.Yet so many of us -- though we do it day in and day out -- aren't satisfied with our writing abilities and continue to find it difficult to put words to paper.Business Writing For Dummies comes to the rescue!Equipped with Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts' sage and friendly guidelines and her Six Steps of effective business writing, prepare yourself to be a great business writer! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Not the answers you need
Alas, if only it were this simple really. This text purports to offer expert advice on letters, proposals, presentations, and more. It does deliver average tried and true tricks but whether this advice is "expert" is debatable. The information on writing memos and letters provides generally useful advice about white space, headings, and using simpler words.

But the advice provided on more in-depth issues, such as cutting the length of sentences, is limited. For instance, to cut the length of sentences, one is to look for compound sentences (find the conjunctions), and break the sentences into components. More useful advice about collapsing ideas into dependent clauses or eliminating redundancy is not discussed in detail or illustrated.

The advice about using a variety of fonts and boxes could cause inexperienced writers to go astray and litter documents with visual clutter that will distract from the message. Worse is the lack of any real solid advice on using graphs and charts. The examples are cluttered and offer some of the worst elements of visual design such as hard-to-follow legends, pie charts that consume paper and ink but yield little information, and a hopelessly confusing figure. A suggestion to use "a strategically placed red bar" runs counter to business etiquette of remembering that quite a few people suffer from some degree of color blindness.

One of the better parts of the book, Enlightening Letters, does provide easy to adapt examples of simple business letters intended to help solve simple problems. Likewise the chapters on proposals and reports will help the neophyte up to a point.

Still, there is enough OK advice scattered through the book to make it a useful low-level introduction to business writing. Keep in mind that all corporate cultures vary, too, and assessing what is acceptable in your workplace will still be essential. My advice is to keep this book in your desk drawer when needed or read it at home. You'll learn more by examining the work of the seasoned pros down the hall and picking their brains over lunch (and consider picking up the tab).

Of immense practical help to people in business today
In writing this dummy's guide to business writing, the author has given us readers the verbal tools with which to build our careers with confidence and competence. It provides expert advice and loads of practical tips on writing effective letters, memos, reports, proposals, presentations and more.

Of special interest are the three whole chapters devoted to writing eloquent e-mails and on using proper Netiquette, subjects not covered in most other books on business writing available in the market today.

This book is actually serves two purposes for it not only provides help on business communications that is applicable to any language, it also is a guide to the correct usage of the English language, of course, with particular reference to business usage. Of immense practical help are the four Appendices on punctuation, grammar, abbreviations and spelling. While English spelling can be quite a headache, the simple rules provided do help you make sense of the numerous variations in English spelling.

This book is highly recommended for people in business today who intend to be the leaders in business tomorrow as it is useful to a spectrum of readers from large company managers to fresh graduates just entering the business world. It has an excellent blend of practical basics, advanced concepts, and skilled insight that will make them better communicators.

Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts, MA is a marketing communications specialist, training consultant and author of more than a dozen books.

Among other things, Azlan Adnan, MA is a tutor at Excel Tuition Centre where he teaches English to secondary school students and Business English to adults. He previously taught Business Communications at the School of Management, Royal Holloway College, University of London. He holds a Master's degree in International Business and Management from the Westminster Business School in London. He may be contacted at Tel: +6088-383 526 E-mail: azlan@azlan.org

Very practical, very helpful & easy to use...
True to its title & carrying name, the book is really made easy - user friendly - for those people who find instructional materials too tedious & boring. The book's layout easily catches the readers' attention by using those brief catch-up tips. It does not only cover the standard letter writing but also electronic etiquettes rather e-tiquette, which most of us often overlook in this modern stage of technology.

I am not saying you quit reading the 'real' instructional brochures/books/materials but this book supports them all -- made easy --- very complementary.

Very Helpful
This book has a little bit of everything...business letters, envelopes, thank you letters, press releases, ads, newsletters and more. It doesn't go really deep into any of them, but it gives you the fast food idea of all of them. Very very helpful. I keep it on my desk...you never know what you will have to write.

Follows in the For Dummies Style
Business Writing For Dummies is a great source of information, layed out in an easy to use way. It covers everything from business letters to email in a light easy to read manner. My only complaint is that there should be more sample letters to go with each chapter, aside from that, it is useful and never talks down to the reader. ... Read more

Book Description

Writing proposals to win grant funding can be daunting, difficult, and time-consuming. This clearly written, reassuring book offers specific examples, models, and step-by-step instructions to guide readers through the maze of grantseeking for all kinds of grants, from local and federal government programs, to grants from private foundations and corporations. Particular attention is paid to using the computer and the Internet to help in applying for grants. ... Read more

Book Description

Tired of reinventing everyday business documents? Now there's an easier way. From hiring the right people, to selling your products or services, 199 up-to-date business forms help you administer activities accurately and consistently. Such written agreements prevent misunderstandings and reduce potential liabilities, while saving you time and money. These highly effective forms are all available on CD-ROM, ready to adapt specifically to your business.

Applicable across many industries and easily customizable to the particular needs of your business, these are tools and forms to:

• Select the best employees
• Achieve 100% safe inventory
• Get paid for your products and services
• Control business operations to generate a profit
• Streamline and control purchasing
• Maintain consistent personnel policies and records
• Minimize liability when terminating employees
• Standardize business operations
• Generate financial records
• Increase sales and better serve customers

This comprehensive handbook covers specific business issues as well. If you have a website, the website terms of service form is your legal disclaimer. If you need to add employees, the complete company employee handbook outlines policies and procedures. Trademark violations are addressed by the cease and desist letter.

When you need to "Get it in writing," don't reinvent business process. Use these proven tools to get the jobs done right - first time, every time!

Amazon.com

As the author of more than 60 books, as well as hundreds of proposals for government and business projects, Herman Holtz knows how to both create such critical documents and show others how to successfully craft them on their own. Proven Proposal Strategies to Win More Business, a complete handbook designed for anyone competing for a contract, outlines his proven step-by-step approach to tackling the development process from start to finish. Real-life examples illustrate how proposals can be transformed into "power-packed sales presentations," while a complete index allows readers to find specific information whenever necessary. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent Book About Obtaining Govt. Business Opportunities
As a small business development consultant, I have first-hand knowledge about the complexities faced by entrepreneurs wishing to do business with the federal government. I found that this book provides, first of all, organized steps for a business entity to become a federal or state government client. Of special interest is the information about the need for entrepreneurs to seek information about forecasts of federal agencies procurement needs prior to their final publication in the CBD (plan ahead strategy vs. last minute up-the-hill proposal preparation strategy). Another interesting area is the awareness provided about the required e-commerce techniques necessary for businesses to successfully obtain federal contracts. I found that the recommendations and easy-to-follow (at least compared to other similar books) procedures to respond to a RFP the most hands-on sections of the book. Again, the area of federal procurement is very arduous, but with the help of this useful book, the implemetation of the recommended strategies, specially those mentioned above, entrepreneurs (specially small business entrepreneurs) will increase their opportunities to be new Uncle Sam clients. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"If you write for a living," says Jefferson D. Bates in Writing with Precision, "this book is probably not for you." But if what you do for a living involves writing, then this book can help you do so "clearly, concisely, and PRECISELY." Bates is fond of italics, boldface, CAPS, exclamations!, quirky footnotes, and the word crotchet. He's over 80. He's been editorial director of the U.S. Air Force's Effective Writing Program and a chief speechwriter for NASA. The cornerstone of his campaign is the elimination of bureaucratese and jargon. Writing with Precision, originally published in 1978, is divided into four parts: writing (mainly letters, memos, instructions, regulations, and reports), editing (mostly copyediting), usage, and exercises. There is a definite personality behind this readable, conversational book. It's mostly updated, though a little checking by Bates could have prevented the reference to some books as being "probably out of print now." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Thank you Mr. Jefferson Bates
I picked up this book because I was tired of never knowing for sure what the rules are when it comes to writing and grammer. I was surprised at how easy a read this book was. Mr. Bates has a true knack (or skill) of making a somewhat boring subject quite interesting indeed. The more I read, the more I wished I could just sit down and talk to this man in person. A very interesting read by a very interesting author. If you are a new writer looking for some guidence, or an old hack who has forgotten some of the basics, then this is a great place to start. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Methodically presenting a variety of effective techniques
Written by successful grant proposal writer Ken Henson, Grant Writing In Higher Education: A Step-By-Step Guide is a practical, informative, authoritative, and thoroughly "user friendly" instructional guide clearly and methodically presenting a variety of effective techniques for "action research", developing a serviceable writing style, using the best resources technology has to offer, and a great deal more. Grant Writing In Higher Education is emphatically recommended for classroom instructors, support staff members, administrators, alumni support organizations, and anyone involved in or charged with the responsibility of seeking grants to support educational programs, personnel development, academic research, and classroom instruction. ... Read more

Book Description

The insider's guide to getting published -- by an educator who practices what he preaches!

• Features up-to-date advice on using the computer for research and/or writing.
• Chapter on grant proposal writing reveals 10 guidelines and Òinside tipsÓ that helped authorÕs proposals bring in over $2 million in funded grants.
• Q&A chapter answers common questions about writing success, rejections, multiple submissions, collaborating with other writers, revisions, etc.
• Profiles of award-winning articles on writing show the life of an article, from the originalidea to the article in print.

This essential reference -- written by a prolific author who has over 20 educational books to his credit, and whose work has appeared in more than 200 nationally-referred journals Ñ- doesnÕt just talk about writing and publishing. It tells exactlywhat writers can do to dramatically improve their chances for getting published. Originally prepared to support the authorÕs Writing for Publication workshops (delivered on 200+ college campuses), the book emphasizes writing articles for professional journals and/or having manuscripts accepted by university presses. The authorÕs proven principles, strategies and tactics can be applied to virtually any form of publishingÑfrom specialized or general magazines to nonfiction books of all types. Each chapter is a do-it-yourself module guiding both novice and advanced writers in developing the critical skills and habits needed for writing success. Packed with anecdotes and examples of writing, this book covers it allÑfrom finding topics, getting started, and doing research to contacting editors, writing and self-editing manuscripts, and keeping track of submissions and acceptances. This all-inclusive guide makes writing projects easier, more enjoyable...and more successful!

Kenneth T. Henson is the Dean of the College of Education at Eastern Kentucky University.A National Science Foundation Scholar, a Fulbright Scholar, and one of the Association of Teacher Educators' 70 leaders in Teacher Education, he is the author of over 2 million dollars of funded grants and over 200 national publications including over 20 books. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

0205283136
There is some good books and not so good books. This book is neighter. The intention of author a great innovative but the cases, application and examples are very limited. Additionally, the author always uses the application for explanation. The limited reference is only in educational areas, while I prefer to read a general idea or more in scientific research (see "A Ph.D. Is Not Enough : A Guide to Survival in Science" by Feibelman or "Tomorrow's Professor : Preparing for Academic Careers in Science and Engineering" by Reis). Therefore, this book is categorized as "not-so-good-book" for me. In contrast, my girlfriend in education school quite like this book. This book shows many reference to the referee journals including the statistics, e.g., acceptance rate, turn-over time, # article per year., etc. Therefore, this book is a "good-book" for education student, at least my friend. Well, since it's neighter one, I will give this book 3 stars then. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

An excellent introduction to cryptograhpy
This is an excellent beginners' book. It has clear demonstrations of early cryptograhpic methods and how they are solved. Each method is accompanied with a set of problems which are well designed to give beginners some decryption skills. ... Read more

Book Description

The Only - 250 - Letters and Memos Managers Will Ever Need Most business people can communicate quite well when speaking to a group or an individual. But when it comes to writing a simple memo or letter—look out. They’ll swamp you with needless adverbs and adjectives, create non sequiturs, mix their metaphors, and commit every other sin against the English language. If you’re one of those who’re guilty of this pervasive trend in business, then here’s the book for you. The Only 250 Letters and Memos Managers Will Ever Need shows you how to adopt the right tone, style, and language for virtually any business letter you’ll ever need to write. Follow the expert advice in this book and you’ll soon see the positive correlation between good writing and increased sales and productivity. It covers everything you need to know to master the art of business letter and memo writing, including:

• Ron Tepper’s four-step formula to writing a well-constructed letter or memo
• How to write exactly what you want to say
• How to convey your personality
• How to write conversationally
• When and when not to write handwritten notes
• Plus — hundreds of do’s and don’ts on how to write well and sell!
• 3.5" disk which replicates all of the letters and memos