Book Description
You may not be aware of it, but a very powerful force is at work in your life.
It's called the Law of Attraction and right now it is attracting people, jobs, situations and relationships in your life - not all of them good!
If your life feels as if it has turned south and taken on the characteristics of a bad soap opera, it's time to pick up this book.
Customer Reviews:
the book was as described by the seller.......2007-10-03
I am very satisfied with this transaction. The book was as described and expected. Thanks
LoA - A Basic Understanding for Beginners.......2007-10-02
I enjoyed this book very much. If you are new to the Law of Attraction it is a great place to start. Especially if you want to teach it to children, the final chapter has some great ideas for sharing the LoA with children in an easy to understand manner. If you are already familiar with "The Secret" you probably won't learn anything new in this book. It is very basic.
Dragged down..........2007-09-28
I still can't believe that you dragged me all the way down there to give me that XXXXXXX! Of all the things that you could have done that was indeed the STUPIDEST thing! STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID...
Law of Attraction.......2007-09-27
For people new to the concept of the Law Of Attraction (they are probably getting fewer and fewer in these days of "The Secret"): The basic idea behind this concept is that human beings (unconsciously) attract more of the same that they think and talk about, whether good or bad. The Law ignores if you think of it in the negated form (e.g. even if you think "I don't want more debt", the Law filters out "debt", and you will get more debt).
Now, if you believe in this concept, this book will be a great assistant in helping you focussing on the positive things you want to attract, and offerering suggestions how to rephrase negative thoughts into positive. Michael first introduces a simple 3 step plan to get you going. For each of the steps he offers several different tools to put the ideas into practice. Different tools are good, since they may appeal differently to varying reader types. He includes many "work sheets" (not much more than simple tables) to help with the preparation and the process itself.
As a conclusion, Michael ends with a few special tips on attracting abundance, good relationships, and how to teach the concept to children.
This is a pretty short book about one concrete topic. I feel Michael did a good job in filtering out all the mumbo-jumbo behind a simple concept and present it in an easy to understand form with clear guidelines how to apply it effectively.
I am rating Michael's book, not the Law Of Attraction. Whether you want to believe in that you have to decide for yourself :-)
So helpful in teaching HOW to live the Law of Attraction.......2007-09-21
Wow, what a great book. Besides being a very easy read, it includes simple written exercises. Great concepts on tweaking just a few words to make it easier to attract what you want in your life by relieving the "doubt" factor! Highly recommend.
Book Description
In this first new and totally revised edition of the 150,000–copy underground bestseller, The E–Myth, Michael Gerber dispels the myths surrounding starting your own business and shows how commonplace assumptions can get in the way of running a business. He walks you through the steps in the life of a business from entrepreneurial infancy, through adolescent growing pains, to the mature entrepreneurial perspective, the guiding light of all businesses that succeed. He then shows how to apply the lessons of franchising to any business 執hether or not it is a franchise. Finally, Gerber draws the vital, often overlooked distinction between working on your business and working in. your business. After you have read The E–Myth Revisited, you will truly be able to grow your business in a predictable and productive way.
Customer Reviews:
Grade School Lessons & E-Myth Acadamy Advertisement .......2007-10-04
This is, at best the beginning part of a working business solution. Yes, Gerber makes a valid point about the E-myth concept (read other reviews if you don't know the concept) but it's really for beginners (newbs). All his books are really just advertisements,for his E-Myth Academy consulting business in the back of all his books. There is nearly no practical information. He makes his point about the E-Myth, then masterbates it endlesly, re-making that point six ways to Sunday, add nausium and leaves you wondering, well, but what should I do? Well, little lost lamb (newb), go to E-Myth web site or call the 800 number where they have a fast talking sales crew and sign up for 2 years of 700 plus a month (I haven't checked lately) consultation/classes.
After you get the point that to make your technical skill pay/function as a business you need to have business skills/know how. You can sign up for the 700 plus per month for 2 years advertised in the back of his books. Start looking elsewhere for actual practical information. Because there are no E-myth books or tapes that have that information. You can do a lot for your business with that kind of money. I'm always shocked at how newbs starting businesses throw money around. Something to buy and a place to buy it, no matter how pretty it all is, doesn't make a successful business, In my observations, it's the major reason new businesses fail. I'm sure some of you with deep pockets or You corperate types who have never had to find the guts or earn the money to build a small business without Sugar Daddy Warbucks help will think I'm wrong. This E-Myth stuff is valid but it it's grade school lessons made to look like some kind of super-profound truth/solution. Well, it is, grade school true, now what Mr. Gerber, where's the solutions, spend, what, nearly 17,000 Sign up for what I thought I was getting when I bought the Books and tapes? What a greedy little tight wad! When are you going to write a book with substance? Hey Newbs! Trust me, yes you need real business skills, there are plenty of great business books out there, take some of that 17,000 and buy some and be careful with the rest you're going to need it.
One of the top business books.......2007-09-29
This book gives both inspiration and practicals to make any small business a successful venture. It certainly changed the course of my business and got me to work at making my business something that can be reproduced through the processes that I create.
A two-piece orange suite in a blue jacket.......2007-09-28
"And a silver belt buckle with his initials in green jade acrosss in face. ... Can you see it? Do you get the picture?" And no, he is not out of business.
For me it is a number of good ideas and a hard sales pitch. Next time less pitch more workout please.
E-Myth.......2007-09-21
The book is good and tells you most of the pitfalls you will encounter as a small business owner who works in the business. I felt he explained the pitfalls very well, was a bit short in providing the "how to" fix the problems. At the end of the book, you are given an opportunity to hire the author (or his representative) as your business coach ... that is probably where you learn the "how to " stuff.
The book is a quick read, easy to understand and digest.
I would recommend this as a mandatory read for anyone wishing to start their own business or anyone that has started a small business within the past 10 years.
Excellent.......2007-09-19
This book was very informative and easy to read. It not only gives you information but it also has a story line that helps define the information presented. I would recommend it to anyone with a small business or anyone starting one.
Book Description
A compelling vision. Bold leadership. Decisive action. Unfortunately, these prerequisites of success are almost always the ingredients of failure, too. In fact, most managers seeking to maximize their chances for glory are often unwittingly setting themselves up for ruin. The sad truth is that most companies have left their futures almost entirely to chance, and don’t even realize it. The reason? Managers feel they must make choices with far-reaching consequences today, but must base those choices on assumptions about a future they cannot predict. It is this collision between commitment and uncertainty that creates THE STRATEGY PARADOX.
This paradox sets up a ubiquitous but little-understood tradeoff. Because managers feel they must base their strategies on assumptions about an unknown future, the more ambitious of them hope their guesses will be right – or that they can somehow adapt to the turbulence that will arise. In fact, only a small number of lucky daredevils prosper, while many more unfortunate, but no less capable managers find themselves at the helms of sinking ships. Realizing this, even if only intuitively, most managers shy away from the bold commitments that success seems to demand, choosing instead timid, unremarkable strategies, sacrificing any chance at greatness for a better chance at mere survival.
Michael E. Raynor, coauthor of the bestselling The Innovator's Solution, explains how leaders can break this tradeoff and achieve results historically reserved for the fortunate few even as they reduce the risks they must accept in the pursuit of success. In the cutthroat world of competitive strategy, this is as close as you can come to getting something for nothing.
Drawing on leading-edge scholarship and extensive original research, Raynor’s revolutionary principle of Requisite Uncertainty yields a clutch of critical, counter-intuitive findings. Among them:
-- The Board should not evaluate the CEO based on the company’s performance, but instead on the firm’s strategic risk profile
-- The CEO should not drive results, but manage uncertainty
-- Business unit leaders should not focus on execution, but on making strategic choices
-- Line managers should not worry about strategic risk, but devote themselves to delivering on commitments
With detailed case studies of success and failure at Sony, Microsoft, Vivendi Universal, Johnson & Johnson, AT&T and other major companies in industries from financial services to energy, Raynor presents a concrete framework for strategic action that allows companies to seize today’s opportunities while simultaneously preparing for tomorrow’s promise.
Customer Reviews:
Requisite uncertainty and human capabilities.......2007-08-22
Zachary Stein ((Harvard Graduate School of Education) & Theo L. Dawson (Developmental Testing Service)
We agree with many of the other reviewers of this book. It combines high quality scholarship and accessibility, making it stand out from most of the popular leadership literature. But we think most of the other reviews have missed a key dimension of Raynor's model, a facet of his vision that sets it apart from the more traditional literature on strategies and organizations. With a nod to the research of Elliot Jaques, Raynor makes it clear that the proposed model of "requisite uncertainty" would have us build organizations that are sensitive both to the demands of the marketplace and the realities of human capabilities. We all know that organizations need to be responsive to socio-economic trends and uncertainties, but only a select few are privy to the notion that organizational hierarchies need to be designed in light of facts about human cognition and cognitive development. In our minds, this latter point is what sets the "Strategy Paradox" apart.
Individuals occupying different roles are faced with different demands. This we all know. But Raynor helps to clarify just who should be doing what, and moreover, what those at the top need to do to handle the unprecedented uncertainties of post-modern socio-economic conditions. As Raynor explains, these high-level demands cash out in terms of dialogically rich inquiry-based procedures for "crystallizing and preserving a diversity of opinions" regarding strategic options. Needless to say, that's a tall order that not just anybody can fill. What's preferable is not always possible. Our only criticism is that Raynor has too little to say about the cognitive capabilities that would make his vision possible. There is a rich literature about adult cognitive development and its measurement that Raynor does an inadequate job of referencing. Jaques and Kegan are the tip of a very complex iceberg. And frankly it's an iceberg that might sink this ship.
From where we sit, the model is incomplete without further consideration of the cognitive demands of "Strategic Flexibility." Any life-span cognitive developmental psychologist will tell you that less than 3% of the adult population in the developed world has the cognitive skills to meet these demands. We don't mean to rain on the parade, but for this model to work we need to ensure that those who engage in the highest levels of strategic planning are equipped with the requisite cognitive and discourse skills. Without them, real-world implementations will be less than stellar.
To sum up, our reading of the "Strategy Paradox" reveals a devil in the details. We think that Raynor's radical suggestions regarding human capabilities and organizational strata are the trend-setting elements of his model. Zeroing in on these suggestions exposes a formidable challenge.
Raynor has put time back into strategy.......2007-08-14
I won't repeat the powerful insights stated by many of the other positive reviewers. Read them yourself. They are special in their own right!
Raynor's latest book is beautifully written. It should all be savoured (slowly if necessary)...
The chapters which I believe Raynor will be truly remembered for are nestled in the middle (chapters 6-8). In these wonderful pages he rightfully restores "time" into strategy-making ("who stole time?", should indeed give rise to several more business books).
Leveraging Elliott Jaques' seminal work on time-spans of discretion, Raynor introduces "strategic flexibility" with compelling clarity and irrefutable logic. As an added bonus, he also illuminates the real role of corporate boards with such lucidity, that reading SOX prescriptions in future will seem sadly impoverished.
I have seen and heard Raynor speak in public. He is a virtuosic whirlwind on stage. Read this book. It is even better than the live performance.
Key Concepts Make it Worth Buying.......2007-08-08
I enjoyed The Strategy Paradox, and have added it to the Pearls of Wisdom page on my site. Powerful concepts in the hands of enlightened leaders, particularly those leading large organizations:
1. Extreme strategies do not come without risk
2. You don't have to predict the future to be successful
3. Divide responsibility for strategy formulation by time horizons
4. Give your organization a chance to adapt and succeed in the most likely future scenarios through options not commitment
In my mind if you get come away from a business book with one or more useful insights, then it was more than worth the time invested. This book is definitely worth the time if you are already (or aspire to be) a corporate leader or strategist.
Five star content!
Read this book before your competitors do.......2007-07-31
I have very high hopes for Raynor's book - it might force business practitioners to think more deeply about formulating real strategy and structuring the organization for competitive advantage. Most treatments of strategy address competitive dynamics (in the line of Porter), likewise positioning, or competency leverage (Collins). Raynor brings forward insights from his research and publishing in innovation (The Innovator's Solution), Harvard doctoral research, and the practical understanding that comes from actually consulting. While his book could anchor a top-notch MBA course, it might lead a good company's board to make much better strategic decisions.
I would not compare The Strategy Paradox with popular business books, such as The Long Tail or even Good to Great, but instead deeply-researched work like Alfred Chandler's. Raynor reveals the perils and promises of strategy formulation, the management of strategy and commitment, and the design and execution of strategic options. Keep in mind that most of what's published in journals and books is very loose, or even just junk research. Strategic management remains largely influenced, in the actual practice of corporate decision making, by Porter's 1980's work, resource allocation, and what I call Powerpoint SWOT. So who should care? Just about every executive and business unit-level manager. And, of course, educators and consultants focusing on business strategy and organizational dynamics.
It is one of the few works on competitive strategy that guides organizational structure as well as business positioning - not directly through guidance on design, but in terms of organizational function necessitated by requisite uncertainty. Raynor never mentions "strategic alignment," a troublesome notion from consulting with no good research support. Rather, he demonstrates how organizational focus on strategic action (as implied by "alignment") results from appropriate structural management, where uncertainty and commitment are appropriately weighted in the hierarchy. In time for Alfred Chandler's handoff to history with his passing in May, Raynor retrieves the original effectiveness of hierarchical management, and maps it functionally to uncertainty. This cleanly obviates the necessity for fuzzy nostrums such as "strategic alignment." (Or perhaps it saves it, for fans of alignment approaches).
Raynor explains complex business scenarios with a brisk storyline. The footnotes are a fascinating secondary read - the points are backed up by his research, Harvard studies, and dozens of well-cited papers. While optional to the main points, the research is actually useful and interesting. Some key concepts are novel in strategy research, such as the application of Elliott Jacques' work on requisite organization to support the principle of Requisite Uncertainty.
I highly recommend this book, and if you are an executive or board advisor, I urge you to read it before your competitors do.
The system encourages mediocrity........2007-07-23
Raynor's book is not the easiest read, but then again, that says more about the reader than it does about the book. The concept is rather revolutionary--and thus, difficult to digest immediately--in that it suggests almost everything we know about strategy and success is wrong. All the books, studies and anecdotes are comparing successful companies and mediocre companies instead of what they claim to do: compare success and failure. If they actually did compare the two, Raynor claims, you'd find a lot of similarities. That all too often, the keys to success are the recipes for failure. And that the people who we hold up as fearless leaders are really just one change in fate away from being the people we mock as losers. He's saying that this is inevitable, after all, how can a study include the business that started and failed and no one ever heard of? Thus, we only see wild success or middle of the road, bet hedgers.
Von Clauswitz talked of this too, saying that as we examine history, before we judge military defeats we must consider what our opinion would be had they succeeded. In other words, if the insurgent resistance in Iraq hadn't been so strong or if the WMD had materialized, would Bush's unilateral, undertrooped strategy be as derided as it is right now? Or if weather hadn't beaten back the Persians at Thermopylae, would we still think them arrogant and brash?
Accordingly, Rayor's book is a very unique look at some of the most illustrious examples of business failure. We see that some of Sony's biggest gaffs, had the market gone the way they'd hoped, would have been their biggest successes. This is true because of the theories two assumptions:
1) A successful strategy requires full commitment
2) Full commitment, in light of unpredictable futures, can mean catastrophic failure
And thus, the more you strategize, the more likely you are to be both massively successful and massively unsuccessful. The only middle ground--and often the most commonly taken--is mediocrity, where the company is neither successful or driven out of business.
Raynor poses a conclusion we often find ourselves also coming to:
"The only way [Company X] could have managed the situation any better is to have predicted the future...and that of course, is impossible. The future never gets here."
He sees strategies as equity or stock. You're purchasing the stock, and if you guessed right, you make money and if you guess wrong, you lose. The real way to succeed then, is to buy options on stocks. Essentially, to set up multiple, concurrent strategy options, from which you can then "agree to buy" the winners. These options then make your chosen strategy mobile in the face on an unpredictable future. This gives you strategic flexibility.
Overall, this was a very interesting book. The review deriding it above are to be expected--if we could all understand this, it wouldn't exactly be a paradox or problem would it? Pick it up and even if you don't understand every word, merely being cognizant of the dilemma would help you.
Download Description
"Enthusiastic employees outproduce and outperform. They step up to do the impossible. They rally each other in tough times. Most people are enthusiastic when they're hired: hopeful, ready to work hard, eager to contribute. What happens to dampen their enthusiasm? Management, that's what.
The Enthusiastic Employee draws on 30 years of research and experience to show you exactly what managers do wrong¿and what they should do instead.
Drawing on detailed case studies and employee attitude surveys in hundreds of companies, the authors offer research-proven solutions¿not fads, nostrums, or phony shortcuts. Along the way, you'll identify the dollars-and-cents business case for high employee morale, learn exactly what employee morale means, and discover the specific management practices that offer the greatest positive performance impact.
The definitive guide to encouraging, sustaining, and profiting from employee enthusiasm!
- Techniques shown to increase employee performance 30-40%¿and increase stock performance, too!
- Proven solutions, real data, not fads! Based on research with 2,500,000+ employees in 237 companies
- Fairness, achievement, camaraderie: delivering the three core elements of a healthy workplace
- Stop your organization's managers from demotivating your employees
- Build a real partnership culture for the long term
"
Customer Reviews:
Follow It.......2007-07-15
"The Enthusiastic Employee" by Louis Mischkind, Michael Irwin Metzer, and David Sirota is a quality book for employers and employees. From entry-level workers, to lower, mid, and upper-level managers. All parties can benefit by just being aware of the points in this book even if they don't even implement some of or all of the concepts. (Awareness.)
The "Enthusiastic Employee" contains numerous important points. There is quality. But, will these ideas and concepts be followed and implemented? I don't think this question is cynical; in today's world many workers are realistic. The contemporary studies and polling reflect this phenomena.
And herein lies the rub: One of the positive points advocated in this book is that the concepts in it can help increase a company's stock performance, too. Investors will be happy. As for the research, the authors studied 4 million workers in over 89 countries around the world. Domestically, American labor laws are the worst in the industrialized world.
Three styles of management noted are: Autocratic, Laissez-Faire, and Participative. The latter involving communication that is sent and received up and down organizational and communication channels. A two way flow. This is theoretical. Idealistic but not followed for many, and implemented by some. The organizations that implement this according to the book, are listed.
The Window Dressing:
There are 4 parts. The chapters:
Chapter 1: What Workers Want - The Big Picture
Chapter 2: Employee Enthusiasm and Business Success
Chapter 3: Job Security
chapter 4: Compensation
Chapter 5: Respect
Chapter 6: Organization Purpose and Principles
Chapter 7: Job Enablement
Chapter 8: Job Challenge
Chapter 9: Feedback, Recognition, and Reward
Chapter 10 Teamwork
Chapter 11 The Partnership Organization
Chapter 12 Translating Partnership Theory in Partnership Practice
Part IV: Appendices
The quotes in the "Enthusiastic Employee" seem well chosen.
Books such as this can be helpful - if followed. However, the statistical surveys on U.S. management practices and about how employees feel about their jobs shows a distinct dichotomy.
This is a refreshingly optimistic book with positive ideas.
A Real Understanding of People.......2007-01-12
A scholarly but very practical book on how to help the people of a company maximize their performance and contribution. The three writers obviously understand the key motivating elements necessary for superior company results. Following the suggestions will inevitably improve operations.
Many similar concepts to those in the book "In the Best Companies - People Are Everything.
The Enthusiastic Employee: How Companies Profit by Giving Workers What They Want.......2006-11-10
Great book! As a long time manager and executive, I kept saying, yes, yes! Looking at the quantitative research findings validated much of my thinking about people, organizations and leadership.
It helps sort out what is important for leadership of an organization. A great read for anyone in leadership.
I couldn't put it down once I got started.
What Does it Take to Motivate Employees?.......2006-07-04
"The Enthusiastic Employee" was written to extend the knowledge of what works and what doesn't to managers at all levels. What sets this book apart from most management books is the fact that it is based on official research. The authors do not merely present their own ideas on what sound management is all about. They actually back up everything they recommend using years of official research. Case studies and official employee attitude surveys spanning a period of about thirty years form the basis of the advice given in this book. This adds to the book's overall usefulness because it illustrates, in black and white, exactly what employees want in their jobs and what management needs to do in order to facilitate change and improve working conditions and performance.
I manage a few employees and my own experience at management was one of the key reasons why I wanted to read this book. I never considered myself a superior manager. I always assumed I had plenty to learn and this book, with its optimistic title and statistical nature, seemed like a good place to start. I opened the pages and started to read. Much of what I read was common sense but there are a few facts about employee/management relations that surprised me. For example, everyone knows that employees are more motivated to perform when they feel they are being properly compensated for their work but what many managers do not realize is that there is a limit to the added morale and added productivity that a pay raise will bring. If pay is lower than the industry norm, employees will rightfully feel disrespected and this will be reflected in their work performance. But if pay is raised too high, it can lead to a feeling of suspiciousness among employees and it often will not result in enough increase in productivity to justify the extra expense that comes with higher pay. Most of us don't think about this at all. We assume that higher pay will always lead to a more satisfied and more productive workforce.
Other surprises abound in this book and they help to keep it interesting. One thing I did not realize is that the majority of employees like their jobs. Based on official survey data, the majority of employees responded that they either love their job or they at least have good feelings about it. Dissatisfied workers are in the minority and this is probably due to the fact that an unhappy employee usually doesn't last in a particular organization for very long. Those who answered that they don't like their jobs are also the most likely to leave voluntarily or be forced out of an organization, helping to keep the numbers who don't like their occupation at a low level. I was surprised by these findings because I always assumed that the majority of workers do not like what they do for a living. The negative reports you read in newspapers and listen to on television about low employee morale are the primary reason I felt the way I did. The official research presented in this book, however, proves that this is false- the majority of workers have at least an average or better level of job satisfaction.
This book is intended for it to be used as an official blueprint for change and it even includes a management questionnaire at the end of the book that asks some of the key questions regarding employee relations. The answers to these questions are then evaluated so that a management team will then know whether or not the time is right to proceed to the next step and revamp its existing approach to management. Including employees in important decisions, making them feel like they are part of the team, and other changes need to be made in order to bring an organization into the twenty- first century. This book provides the guidance necessary to make these crucial changes. The old, authoritarian approach to management is a thing of the past and managers need to realize that it is time to change and move toward a more employee- centered work environment where everyone is treated like a partner in the success of the company.
The statistical emphasis of this book might make it seem more mechanical in nature and less personal but I think it adds an important component of credibility. So many management books are written each year and most of them are based solely on one person's theories or opinions. The Enthusiastic Employee relies on concrete facts to back its claims, allowing management to see the actual concerns stated directly by employees along with the remedies to the problems employees experience each day. Many pages in this book drive home important points by including the actual complaints or praise that employees stated when asked different questions on official surveys. These examples serve to prove the importance of the key components to sound management and what needs to be done at the management level to make employees more responsive, more enthused, and more satisfied.
To sum up this book, employee enthusiasm and the greater productivity that comes with it can be accomplished by doing one thing: giving employees what they want. Employees are very specific in what they feel are important components in their workplace and while it is unrealistic to think that every desire of every individual employee can be implemented, the bulk of employee needs and wants can be satisfied. The results of moving an organization in an `employee satisfaction' direction are almost always positive, with employees showing up to work motivated and ready to achieve. The necessary steps to reach this goal aren't always easy but it is important to get started quickly and The Enthusiastic Employee is a very helpful guide for achieving these goals. It offers a fresh perspective on management that doesn't rely solely on opinions to back its claims but instead provides official research that shows what employees want in their place of employment and what needs to be done to get there. It is a very useful book for management at all levels.
Why is this great book at ranked at 21,463 in today's Amazon Sales Rank?.......2006-05-28
When I scan through the impressive comments here, I am amazed that this book isn't purchased by everyone who wants to motivate employee performance to the highest levels. The authors refer to it as The Three Factor Theory, but it hasn't been a theory for me since I first learned how to give employees what they want over thirty years ago in the J.C. Penney Company.
In addition to the equity, achievement, and camaraderie factors, I also enjoyed their explanation of why participatory management is far superior to autocratic or laisez faire management styles when it comes to motivating top performance.
With the current focus on the many benefits of employee engagement, I would think this book would a primary source of information for learning how to involve employees in the success of a business or a business team. Does anyone doubt that equity, achievement, and camaraderie should be primary goals for organizational excellence?
It may be a little more academic for some readers, but that's what research is all about. A little dry, but they nailed what will motivate people to perform with energy, excitement, and enthusiasm.
Average customer rating:
- A culinary student must have
- Don't Bother Me...I'm choosing a wine.....!
- From http://www.AWineStory.com Publisher Marisa D'Vari
- Great content, sloppy editing
- Perfect Timing
|
What to Drink with What You Eat: The Definitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, Beer, Spirits, Coffee, Tea - Even Water - Based on Expert Advice from America's Best Sommeliers
Andrew Dornenburg ,
Karen Page , and
Michael Sofronski
Manufacturer: Bulfinch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Spirits
| Drinks & Beverages
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Wine & Winemaking
| Wine
| Drinks & Beverages
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Food & Wine
| Wine
| Drinks & Beverages
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Cooking, Food & Wine
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Perfect Pairings: A Master Sommelier's Practical Advice for Partnering Wine with Food
-
Culinary Artistry
-
Happy in the Kitchen: The Craft of Cooking, the Art of Eating
-
Working the Plate: The Art of Food Presentation
-
Windows on the World Complete Wine Course: 2007 Edition (Windows on the World Complete Wine Course)
ASIN: 0821257188 |
Book Description
The most comprehensive guide to matching food and drink ever compiled, by the James Beard Award winning author team of Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, with practical advice from more than seventy of America's leading pairing experts In a great meal, what you drink is just as important as what you eat.This groundbreaking food and beverage pairing reference allows food lovers to learn to think like a sommelier, and to transform every meal- breakfast, lunch, and dinner - from ordinary to extraordinary. Exceptional in its depth and scope - with over fifteen hundred entries - What to Drink with What You Eat is based on the collective wisdom of experts at dozens of America's best restaurants, including Alinea, Babbo, Bern's, Blue Hill, Chanterelle, Daniel, Emeril's, French Laundry, Frontera Grill, Inn at Little Washington, Jean Georges, Masa's, The Modern, Per Se, Rubicon, Tru, and Valentino. You'll find authoritative recommendations for stocking your cellar and kitchen with must-have beverages, from wines to waters.You'll also learn what to drink with everything from French toast to Chinese food, and what to eat with everything from Pinot Noir to green tea, to create mouthwatering matches.Follow the authors three simple Rules to Remember when making a match - or just dive into the wide-ranging listings in chapters 5 and 6. This incisive, hip writing team (Publisher's Weekly) distills history, geography, science, expert technique, and original insight to create a remarkably user-friendly and engaging reference.Lavishly illustrated with gorgeous four-color photographs, What to Drink with What You Eat is an instant classic essential to every connoisseur's bookshelf.
Customer Reviews:
A culinary student must have.......2007-05-12
I recently had to do a food and wine pairing for class. Considering i'm still in school, I had no idea what to do.After talking to a chef instructor, I decided that this book would benefit me in both school and out in the industry. I mean, it even pairs water. Yeah, this book is definately worth every cent.
Don't Bother Me...I'm choosing a wine.....!.......2007-04-18
The dust on my furniture is thickening, the phone is ringing, my dog wants a walk...Sorry, I am selecting which beverage to serve tomorrow nite with peel-and-eat shrimp...oh, what fun!! Watch out because once you open this book, it will be awhile before you rejoin the world: It's pure facination and empowerment (!) for an avid foodie who has never been quite certain of what wine to serve without groveling at the local wine shop! And it's not just about wine; there are fabulous suggestions for beer, citrus drinks, tea....
There are already excellent reviews (in my opinion) so I don't want to reinvent the wheel by raving on the photos, the organization, the pure depth of information, the perfection of this book. But if you have stopped on this page, you probably also own a dog-eared, raggedy, finger-smudged copy of "Culinary Artistry" (somewhat like mine is?) and suffice to say that while this is a much more beautiful book and may not necessarily be sitting next to your stove (although there are wonderful recipes...)you will probably refer to it as often.
Suggestion: Read the more in-depth reviews, click to order....and purchase those little anti-static dust cloths. I haven't figured out what to do about the dog yet...
From http://www.AWineStory.com Publisher Marisa D'Vari.......2007-04-09
Are you curious about what wine to order with your cheesecake? Intimidated by five-hundred page wine list at a top restaurant? Downright scared when the sommelier comes charging toward your table?
Relax. Authors Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page have created a resource that helps even the `average Joe or Jane' understand the principles of wine and food pairing. They take the conventional, canned, old-school advice of "red wine with meat, white wine with fish" to an entirely new level, based on insights learned from their previous books on cuisine, as well as interviews with America's top, cutting-edge sommeliers.
In many ways, the format of What to Drink with What You Eat resembles a substantial wine/food pairing encyclopedia specifically designed to be quickly skimmed before heading off to a restaurant or purchasing wine for a dinner party. For example, let's say you are entertaining clients at a steakhouse, and want to sound intelligent about wine. You know red wine typically goes with red meat, but which red? Old world or new? And what are the virtues of each? By spending just five minutes with this book (and perhaps jotting down some notes) you will be able to help your guests order a Shiraz, Barbaresco, Barolo, or good old Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon based on the elements of the sauce and cut of meat they choose.
In a similar fashion, let's say you want to dazzle your friends and show off your new kitchen with a fabulous dinner party. Spend a few moments with this book and you will be able to pair every element of your menu with an exciting, unusual wine. No need to consult a professional wine expert, as you have this knowledge at your fingertips.
Sommeliers interviewed for this book are mostly young and more free-thinking than sommeliers of years past. They are enthusiastic about wine, regardless of it's an exciting, new world find of exceptional value, or a fine-aged Bordeaux worth hundreds of dollars. As a group, they see their mission as helping you find a good wine to accessorize your meal within your price range. And the individual quotes from sommeliers are what makes this book so fresh and appealing.
For example, Steve Beckta of Beckta Dining & Wine in Ottawa believes that as a sommelier, it is almost more important to match a wine to a person than to match the wine to the food. Curious thought! "The most important part of being a sommelier is not your ability to taste, but your ability to empathize with the person who is in front of you," he explains in the book.
How very true. In one instance, Beckta recalls three `big businessmen' sitting at a table. One wants lamb, one wants halibut, and the other guy wants scallops. They tell him they want the "perfect" wine that matches all three, dissimilar dishes. By carefully listening to the subtext of what they are telling him, Beckta realizes they are after a wine that fits into their comfort zone, not necessarily the best match. To him, that means a "big red" from Australia and as it turns out, the businessmen love it.
Sommelier Alpana Singh, formerly of Everest in Chicago (now with the Lettuce Entertainment Group) agrees that comfort is important. She likes to serve California wines on big holidays like New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day, because people who dine out only a few `special nights' a year want something they can recognize and appreciate.
If you entertain or dine out frequently, What To Drink with What You Eat is a dynamic desktop resource and wine and food pairing primer that will stimulate you to learn more about wine by further reading or classes. If you like oaky Chardonnay, for example, this book will also motivate you to try unoaked Chardonnay wines and realize the difference, especially when paired with food. Yet what works best about this book is the way you can take advantage of the authors' extensive research and with just a few minutes of skimming, come across as a credible wine expert in front of clients, colleagues, family and friends.
Great content, sloppy editing.......2007-04-06
First off, it's very wide ranging and is incredibly easy to use. All of the recommendations in this book have come from top notch chefs and sommeliers, so you know they can be trusted. You'll often find a wealth of options to choose from for different foods due to the democratic group effort behind this. You'll also get more than just wine, which is incredibly refreshing. Some snobs refuse to admit it, but there are some dishes that simply work better with other drinks. They go above simply listing "beer" and will put "lager", "wheat beer", etc., which is nice.
The book uses a system of bold print, capital letters, and asterisks to point out which drinks work particularly well, as well as other options for people who are looking to try something different. It's also nice to see a section afterwards that does the reverse and is listed by drink and then has food suggestions. Sometimes you want to build the meal around a special bottle of wine instead of vice versa. After that comes specific recommendations from some of the well known contributors to the book. It's an almost flawless book. Except....
....the book is very poorly edited and, in at least two cases, factually inaccurate. Jean-Luc Le Du is either misquoted, misinformed, or simply misspoke. The quote: "Where to find great Cabernet Sauvignon: This would be a toss-up between hillside vineyards in California and Pomerol in France." I had to do a double take...Pomerol? For Cab Sauv? Huh?
Not only that, I noticed this statement in two different parts of the book. I'm assuming M. Le Du meant to say Pauillac, as Pomerol is, of course, known for Merlot, which makes up most or all (80-100%, usually) of the wine blend there. Even if there is Cab Sauv in the blend, it's a minimal amount of the wine. I can understand misspeaking and saying Pomerol when you mean Pauillac; it happens. But how this obvious factual error ended up in the final print of the book is beyond me. Anyone that buys a Pomerol expecting a shining example of Cab Sauv will be disappointed (although they may end up with some of the world's best Merlot.)
I've also noticed another factual error concerning the retail price of a certain wine; they mention Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon as a great value wine at $10 a bottle. It actually retails for around $30-$35 a bottle, not $10.
While I have yet to find any other major errors in the text (not that I'm actively searching for them, but maybe I should), I have noticed a couple grammatical blunders; missing punctuation, spelling errors and such. It's disappointing to see easily correctable errors like this mar an otherwise fantastic book. That being said, don't let these gripes deter you from buying this excellent reference source for food and drink pairings. Clean up the grammar and factual errors and this becomes a 5 star book.
Perfect Timing.......2007-03-19
I am soon to open my First restaurant. Being a chef not only did this book help me brush up it even expanded my paring knowledge. I have also used it as a training tool with my employees and recommended it to them. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys food.
Book Description
In this compact disc edition of the totally revised underground bestseller -- The E-Myth, Michael Gerber dispels the myths surrounding starting your own business and shows how commonplace assumptions can get in the way of running a business. He walks you through the steps in the life of a business -- from entrepreneurial infancy, through adolescent growing pains, to the mature entrepreneurial perspective, the guiding light of all businesses that succeed -- and shows how to apply the lessons of franchising to any business, whether or not it is a franchise. Finally, Gerber draws the vital, often overlooked distinction between working on your business and working in your business. After you have listened to The E-Myth Revisited, you will truly be able to grow your business in a predictable and productive way.
Customer Reviews:
Required reading.......2007-08-10
This is required reading for anyone considering going into business or currently in business for themselves, especially if their business is taking more of their precious time than they wished. You must know your numbers. It has been a real eye opener.
Jorick
E Myth.......2007-07-11
My husband and I have learned a lot from this book. We knew these things before the book, but never really thought they would influence our business. Very informative and interesting.
Will Turn Your Head Around (like the girl in The Exorcist) .......2007-07-09
The E-Myth is essential business knowledge, and I wish I had had this wisdom 20 years ago. Gerber basically busts the old paradigm that being "good" at what you "do" - i.e., being a good "technician" - is the most important critical factor in having a successful small business. As Gerber correctly points out, you will crash and burn if you spend too much time working *in* your business and not enough time working *on* your business and seeing it as something separate from yourself.
What I found most helpful was his explanation of how having precise and thoughtfully crafted job descriptions and operational methodologies can make all the difference between making true progress and floundering on a day-to-day basis. Likewise that a mission tied to deeply held personal values, understood by *all* persons in the business - top to bottom-, is absolutely necessary. And likewise that clients (in my case) or customers want a consistent, positive experience that meets or exceeds their expectations every time they do business with you, especially if you're in a profession or a service business. Let me tell you, truer words have not been spoken. It's news you can use immediately.
Gerber reads the E-Myth (unabridged) on this CD set. His delivery is avuncular and warm, and apart from the "pie" theme (see below) didn't grate the way many author-read works do. What drove me crazy (and why this is a 4-star instead of a 5 star review) was the conceit of a running dialog between Gerber and a "client" named "Sarah" and her floundering small business called "All About Pies." The take-away from this is valuable, but cheeze lou-eeze! I kept imagining Jimmy Cagney in Public Enemy, washing the face of his whiny girlfriend with a grapefruit over breakfast, only here, I was rooting for "Sarah."
I have the book also. Trust me - go with the CDs.
The E-Myth Revisited CD : Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to do about it.......2007-06-06
The E-Myth Revisited CD set by Michael E. Gerber was long and kind of boring. But... it has some great ideas and if you can hang in there and take the time to listen, it has many great ideas for any business.
I asked a friend of mine that is very successful in business what single book he would recommend, he said E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber. He reads a lot of book and is very successful, so I thought I would purchase the CD set to listen while I was driving.
It has very good ideas; companies need to put in place systems and processes to be the most successful. Probably the best idea that I got out of the book was, "Go to work ON you business not IN your business". This single idea is very powerful and a key to any successful business owner or sales professional's success.
Scott Marker
MSA founder
www.mixedsellingarts.com
Excellent product.......2007-05-21
I have totally changed the way I view my small business after listening to this CD set.
Amazon.com's Best of 2001
"Suddenly," writes Michael Hammer in the opening to his confidently but aptly named new book The Agenda, "business is not so easy anymore." He then sets out an ambitious plan for righting what many businesses are doing wrong, much as he did a decade ago in his bestselling Reengineering the Corporation. This time, however, he retreats from the overarching "big idea" promulgated in his earlier book to present a system that incorporates nine ideas geared for an environment where customers really do rule. Hammer unveils these aligned-but-individual ideas, which relate to process and customer orientation, along with measurement, management, connecting via the Net, and eventual positioning as "components of virtually extended enterprises" rather than "self-contained wholes." He goes on to explain why they represent improvements over past procedures and cites examples of them in practice. (While discussing measurement, for instance, he shows why most companies use their carefully compiled statistics for little more than affirming what has already happened; he then tells how one firm matched fixed goals in customer retention, employee retention, and product distribution with actual performance requirements that could be tracked and changed.) The final two chapters offer specific implementation suggestions, all filtered through the eyes of an engineer who never went to business school and peppers his writing with references to the Grateful Dead and the Jack Palance character in City Slickers. In all, another provocative and practical tract that will surely attract old fans as well as new believers. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
New rules for the new game:
the ideas that every business needs to win in the customer economy
In
The Agenda, Michael Hammer shows companies how to prosper in today’s world of slow growth, fierce competition, and enormously powerful customers. The winners in this extraordinarily difficult environment—companies like IBM, Duke Power, Progressive Insurance, and GE—succeed through superior operations. Their costs are lower and their quality higher than their competitors’; they get new products to market faster and they provide better customer service. How do they do it? Through near-fanatical attention to the basics of business, and by managing these basics in new and creative ways.
The Agenda teaches the ideas and techniques that any company—large or small, service firm or manufacturer—can use to out-execute and out-innovate its competitors. Businesses that follow these principles will grow by taking market share away from those that do not. While others decline, your company can thrive.
The Agenda will show you how.
Customer Reviews:
The Agenda.......2007-01-12
The same with this book. The shipping, packaging, and timely delivery could not have been better.
A hard dry read but good content!.......2006-06-10
This book has been of a great influence in at least one company in moving towards process management. I have tried to read it, and even though the ideas and content is excellent, and gives a very good perspective on process management, it is unfortunately a very dry read, and may be best read in sections or specific parts for emphasis. I am giving it 3 stars for content and usefulness towards ideas in process management.
The customer economy requires more than reenginering.......2004-10-21
Michael Hammer became a guru by coining the term reengineering and writing bestsellers on business processes. Reengineering was a revolutionary "big idea" that took businesses with storm in the early 1990s. A decade after his first publications, Hammer's book, "The Agenda", acknowledge that reengineering is no "silver bullet" ... it cannot stand alone. Modern management needs to use several business concepts simultaneously to thrive in the new customer economy, i.e. where supply exceeds demand (overcapacity), customers are sophisticated and informed buyers, and many products are becoming commoditised. With long-term trends like globalization and technology, there's no foreseeable end to the customer power that flows from it. So we better be prepared.
The nine building blocks of Hammer's "Agenda" address the ways in which firms are managed, organized, and operated:
1. MAKE YOURSELF EASY TO DO BUSINESS WITH (ETDBW). Take a long hard look at yourself ... from your customers' point of view...!, and then redesign how to work to save them time, money, and frustration.
2. ADD MORE VALUE FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS (MVA). To avoid the trap of commoditization, in which you fight for a minuscule margin against a horde of look-alike, you need to do more for your customers.
3. OBSESS ABOUT YOUR PROCESSES. Customers care only about results, and results come only from end-to-end processes. Manage them, improve them, appoint owners for them, and make everyone aware of them.
4. TURN CREATIVE WORK INTO PROCESS WORK. Innovation doesn't have to be chaotic. Bring the power of discipline and structure to sales, product development, and other creative work. Make success in these areas the result of design and management, not luck...
5. USE MEASUREMENT FOR IMPROVING, NOT ACCOUNTING. Most of your measurements are worthless; they tell you what has happened (sort of) but give you no clue as to what to do for the future. Create a model of your business that ties overall goals to things you control; measure the items that really make a difference; and embed measurement in a serious program of managed improvement.
6. LOOSEN UP YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE. The days of the proudly independent manager running a sharply defined unit are over. Collaboration and teamwork are now as necessary in the executive suite as on the front lines. Teach your managers how to work together for the good of the enterprise rather than the stab each other in the back for narrow gain.
7. SELL THROUGH, NOT TO, YOUR DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS. Don't let your distribution channels blind you to your final customer, the one who pays everyone's salaries. Change distribution from a series of resellers into a community that works together to serve that final customer. Be ready to redefine the roles of everyone involved in order to achieve that end.
8. PUSH PAST YOUR BOUNDARIES IN PURSUIT OF EFFICIENCY. The last vestiges of overhead lurk, not deep in your company, but at its edges. Exploit the real power of the Internet to streamline the processes that connect you with customers and suppliers. Collaborate with everyone you can to drive out cost and overhead.
9. LOSE YOUR IDENTITY IN AN EXTENDED ENTERPRISE. Get past the idea of being a self-contained company that delivers a complete product. Get used to the notion that you can achieve something only when you virtually integrate with others. Focus on what you do best, get rid of the rest, and encourage others to do the same.
The first two agenda elements are concerned with customer management (ETDBW and MVA)- i.e. how to distinguish firms from look-alike rivals and how to create loyal customers. The third and fourth are about business processes - Hammer's old theme of reengineering. The fifth is about measurement systems and the sixth about the teamplayer role of the manager. The last three are about using modern technology such as the Internet to create value by linking firms with one another - instead of trying to optimize only within own your company's legal boundaries.
Hammer is concentrating on HOW not what. If you're focused on executing, then I think you'll like Hammer's agenda.
Peter Leerskov,
MSc in International Business (Marketing & Management) and Graduate Diploma in E-business
Business management at its best (or, the Anti-Dilbert).......2004-07-18
For those of us who are new to management, missed out on the reenginering and total quality management revolutions of the 90s, and are wondering how new trends like business process management fit into the picture, there could hardly be a better book than this one. Centered on the premise that we have come to a point where the customer really is king, the author derives a set of principles, which start with simple ones that no one could argue with like "be easy to do business with" or "add more value", but then gradually lead to more provocative, less intuitive ones that end up putting over a century of management practice on its head, going so far as showing that the days of the enterprise as a self-contained, independent entity are numbered.
On a personal note, having spent the formative years of my professional career on small, software consulting companies during the boom decade of the 90s, I have been as skeptical as people come on new management trends and buzzwords. There was no one better than Dilbert to give voice to my (and many colleagues) cynicism, and this put many of us in a "management can do no right" attitude towards our superiors. But after living through a long economic slump, gaining experience in larger projects in bigger and more established companies participating in mature markets, being anti-management is no longer an appealing or even a responsible position. Most of us have experienced bad management first hand, but have also seen what good management can accomplish and realized that ultimately it's what makes companies great. Afer that experience, this book has made clear to me what those principles of good management are in today's economy, but more than that, it has restored my confidence in it and given sense to what previously seemed to be empty buzzwords.
While very well-written, I think this book could be much easier to read and understand if the chapters were broken down into sections instead of having 20 to 30 pages without break or pause, and illustrations and graphs would be very helpful, especially when talking about organizational structures and other abstract concepts. Other than that, this is as good as business books come.
Prayers for Preserving the Past.......2002-11-17
Unfortunately, I found nothing new in the book. His work with Champy was far better and gave enough treatment on process orientation to make this book superfluous. With this book, he merely provides notions based on his previous works then extended to religious levels. At times, the reading was encumbered by the excessive use of the word "process". I felt like I was reading prayers - prayers to the process gods. After a few chapters of lecturing that bordered on fire and brimstone speeches, I felt like the whole work was tainted with a shrillness.
There are a few gems in here. The ones that struck me most seemed to discount the (now aged) process view of organizational theory. This book would have been a five star classic if he would have been more balanced and talked about the great process failures and the limitations inherent to process oriented organizations.
I'll sum it up: every manager needs to know Hammer & Champy. To know Hammer and Champy, read Re-engineering the Corporation and Re-engineering Management - read them both. If you find that Process Orientation is the defining strategic management implement for your organization, don't read this book, because it will not challenge your belief. This book tends to justify, justify, justify. If you don't think your organization should become process oriented, read this book: it will give you some food for thought.
It was not worth what I paid, but it was worth the time it took to read. I'd wait 'til it reaches your local library. In the mean time, check out "Execution" and "It's the Fast that Eat the Slow".
Book Description
A quick introduction on how to use Lean Six Sigma to improve your workplace, meet your goals, and better serve your customers.
Lean Six Sigma combines the two most important improvement trends of our time: making work better (using Six Sigma) and making work faster (using Lean principles). In this plain-English guide, you’ll discover how this remarkable quality improvement method can give you the tools to identify and eliminate waste and quality problems in your own work area.
Packed with diagrams, cartoons, and real-life examples, What is Lean Six Sigma? reveals the “four keys” of Lean Six Sigma and how they apply to your own job:
- Delight your customers with speed and quality
- Improve your processes
- Work together for maximum gain
- Base decisions on data and facts
You’ll see the big picture of what your company hopes to gain with Lean Six Sigma, how it may affect your work area, and what it can mean to you personally.
Customer Reviews:
What is Lean Six Sigma Book Review.......2007-09-21
This book is an excellent primer for people considering instituting the Lean Six Sigma process within their company. It is an easy and quick read. We have used multiple copies to introduce the process to our empolyees.
What is LEAN SIX SIGMA?.......2007-06-11
Excellent Lean Six Sigma overview book - suitable to hand out during Yellow Belt or Green Belt Training as a support to the participants. As a Certified Black Belt, I can confirm the material is correct (for the experts) & can be understood (for the folk new to LSS).
An accelerated explanation of how to produce more and better results, in less time, and at a lower cost .......2007-05-16
It seems eminently appropriate that a book which explains what Lean Six Sigma is (and isn't) should exemplify the same principles it addresses: It delights its reader with the speed by which its material is covered and with the quality of that material, it offers immediate help with mastering whatever the given process (or processes) may be, its authors work effectively with their reader to achieve the desired objectives within that reader's organization, and they prepare their reader to make better decisions, based on verifiable data.
Many people who consider purchasing it may be deterred by terms such Six Sigma and Lean which tend to be associated only with immensely large and complicated organizations such as GE and Motorola. In fact, authors Mike George, Dave Rowlands, and Bill Kastle include a number of mini-case studies throughout their narrative that suggest how decision-makers in almost any organization (regardless of size or nature) can apply Lean Six Sigma to produce more and better results, in less time, and at a lower cost if (huge "if") there are leadership at the top of the given organization, buy-in and sustained commitment at all levels and in all areas, sufficient resources, and accurate and consistent performance measurement.
For me, some of the most valuable material is provided in Chapter 8, "Making Improvements That Last." After explaining the Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC) process, the authors make skillful use of various "Figures" that serve two separate but related purposes: they highlight key points, and, they facilitate, indeed expedite frequent review of those points later. For example, Figure 8.1: Sample Project Charter that demonstrates how to capture the essence of a Lean Six Sigma project. It describes what the team should accomplish, who will work on the project (and in what roles), timelines and other key information. Then with Figure 8.3: Value Stream Map, the authors indicate with the example provided how the value stream map, based on an actual process, captures the main sequence of activities in the boxes across the top line. If executed with rigor and discipline, the DMAIC process offers a framework for effective collaboration that will reveal real solutions to root problems.
Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones's Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation and their more recent book, Lean Solutions: How Companies and Customers Can Create Value and Wealth Together. Also, Michael George's Lean Six Sigma for Service: How to Use Lean Speed and Six Sigma Quality to Improve Services and Transactions, The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook: A Quick Reference Guide to 100 Tools for Improving Quality and Speed (with John Maxey and David T. Rowlands) and Fast Innovation: Achieving Superior Differentiation, Speed to Market, and Increased Profitability (with James Works, and Kimberly Watson-Hemphill).
Lean Six Sigma.......2007-01-12
Our organizations is implementing the Lean Six Sigma concept, so I wanted to read about it. What I have read so far, the books is intersting and covers the material very well.
great intro book to lean 6.......2007-01-03
Go AIRSpeed! I suggest this book to all servicemen and women who are part of AIRSpeed. Great inrto into the world of lean thinking.
Book Description
We've all heard the reports—the great housing boom that has fueled premium prices and sellers' dreams is slowing down. The real estate market may experience ups and downs like any other, but it's not likely to implode spontaneously. With proper planning and a little knowledge, homeowners, investors, and other stakeholders can avoid disaster and in fact profit on their properties regardless of what the market does. Beyond the Bubble takes a balanced look at what drives changes in real estate markets and how these changes affect property owners and investors. Readers will learn:
* the history, nature, and dynamics of market `bubbles'
* how to anticipate a coming downturn and act accordingly
* the regional nature of real estate market conditions
* differences and similarities in residential and commercial markets
* other profit strategies when selling is difficult or impossible
* how to analyze the market using facts, not hype
Thorough and well-reasoned, Beyond the Bubble will help property owners maintain a strong and level foundation for their financial futures.
Customer Reviews:
Learn How to Handle Real Estate Bubbles.......2007-08-14
The authors examine the components of real estate bubbles and provide useful guidance in detecting changing conditions to determine when a bubble is present. The book provides readers with a roadmap to become aware of the key factors affecting real estate prices and learn how to predict real estate price increases and decreases.
According to the authors, there is neither a single real estate market in the United States, nor a single bubble due to regional differences. Certain markets will remain hot because of the location, climate, jobs, etc., while other cities may experience declines due to excess speculation and price increases (for example, Florida and California).
The five phases of a bubble and the history of bubbles are described so that readers can understand what to look for. The four signs to recognize that a real estate market is about to change are fleshed out. They include: activity of development and inventory available, speculation increasing near the top, market statistics turn negative, and lending statistics become ominous. The authors also describe bubbles by property type (residential, retail and commercial). Moreover, the ten key factors to consider when making an objective decision about a real estate purchase that you are interested in is covered in detail.
Other topics covered in the book are how to use real estate in your investment portfolio, using options on real estate, how to profit in rising or falling real estate markets, and limited partnerships, REITS, ETF and REITs
Anyone considering buying a house, especially in an inflated market should read this book before making a move. Knowledge is power, especially in real estate negotiations.
Great Book.......2007-06-27
Great Book. very informative. Puts things in plain language and easy to understand.
Only wish I had read it sooner.
If you're an investor, get it, read it and highlight parts of it.
Book Description
In Leading with Questions, internationally acclaimed management consultant Michael Marquardt shows how you can learn to ask the powerful questions that will generate short-term results and long-term learning and success. Throughout the book, he demonstrates how effective leaders use questions to encourage participation and teamwork, foster outside-the-box thinking, empower others, build relationships with customers, solve problems, and much more. Based on interviews with twenty-two successful leaders who “lead with questions,” this important book reveals how to determine which questions will lead to solutions in today’s complicated business world.
Download Description
In Leading with Questions, internationally acclaimed management consultant Michael Marquardt shows how you can learn to ask the powerful questions that will generate short-term results and long-term learning and success. Throughout the book, he demonstrates how effective leaders use questions to encourage participation and teamwork, foster outside-the-box thinking, empower others, build relationships with customers, solve problems, and much more. Based on interviews with twenty-two successful leaders who & lead with questions, this important book reveals how to determine which questions will lead to solutions in today's complicated business world.
Customer Reviews:
Leading with Questions . . . . . . ........2007-09-24
It was a birthday gift for a son and he was very pleased with the book
LEading with Questions.......2007-05-08
The concept is excellent. Necessary for anyone in management. The book itself moves slowly and can be repetetive though. Can skip chapters 1 & 2 if you are already sold on the effectiveness of the product and want to jump right into the meat of the concept.
Don't fear questions.......2007-02-14
The author contends that we must use questions as a way to learn, and we must not fear questions that come to us. If we really seek to make the best possible decisions given time constraints and lack of information, then we must use questions to discern the reality of a key issue. Furthermore, we must ask questions in a non-threatening manner. For those on the receiving end of a question, stop becoming defensive is another key message from the author. There is one aspect of the book that is not correct: don't ask "why" questions as the author promotes. Rather, one should ask for additional information: "help me understand what happened when..., please clarify what is meant by..., etc." When we ask "why" questions, we immediately prompt defensive behaviors. Questions are critical to understanding, and this author provides some valuable tips on asking questions, except for the use of "why" questions.
You can't obtain the right answers unless you ask the right questions........2006-11-25
In several of my most recent reviews, I have quoted an observation of Peter Drucker's from an article he wrote for the Harvard Business Review (in 1963) and it seems especially relevant to Michael Marquardt's most recently published book, Leading with Questions: "There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency what should not be done at all." This is a common mistake, one that can be avoided if the right questions are always asked. Marquardt himself offers an excellent case in point. Before interviewing twenty-two specific leaders around the world, he formulated these five questions:
"When did you start using questions and why?"
"What are some of the ways you have used questions?"
"What questions have been most effective?"
"What has been the impact of leading through questions on (a) your organization and (b) you as a leader?"
"How has the use of questions changed you as a leader?"
The responses that Marquardt accumulated provide the substance of this book. After completing a rigorous analysis of them, he shares a number of important lessons that will help each reader to master what Marquardt correctly characterizes as "an underused management tool." I presume to add that this "tool" should be used by everyone at all levels and in all areas of operation within any organization, whatever its size or nature may be.
Marquardt carefully organizes his material within three Parts. First, he explains why questions can be so powerful for individuals and organizations. In Part Two, he offers practical guidance on selecting the right questions and then asking them effectively. In the final part, he presents a number of guidelines which suggest how leaders can use questions to achieve specific results for individuals, teams, and organizations. Resource consists of "Training Programs for Questioning Leaders"; in Resource B, Marquardt provides brief biographies of the aforementioned twenty-two leaders interviewed.
Of special interest to me is the material in Chapter 6 in which Marquardt explains how to create a "questioning culture." As clearly indicated in two of his previous books, Action Learning in Action and Optimizing the Power of Action Learning, Marquardt is both a visionary and a pragmatist: He is ever alert for opportunities to increase learning while achieving results, and, he fully understands the nature and extent of various barriers to doing that. Therefore, the information and (more importantly) the counsel he provides with regard to creating a questioning culture immediately focuses on asking the right questions to obtain the information needed, on collaborative interrogation, on capturing and then sharing what is learned, on nurturing innovation through effective use of questions, and on ensuring - meanwhile - that everyone involved has a sense of urgency. With regard to the last point, he observes that effective leaders can demonstrate a sense of purpose "by taking prompt action as issues emerge and by pushing for closure and results. [They] gather and share information while ideas are evolving." They also make certain that others do so.
Near the end of this chapter, Marquardt makes an especially important point at a time when so many of those who deliver unpleasant "messages" are either discouraged or, worse yet, punished: "All companies can strengthen their cultures by making them question-friendly. Leaders must model the way, promote values that support inquiry, ensure a safe environment that permits challenging the status quo, find opportunities to ask questions, rewa
The Secret
The Secret (Extended Edition)
Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires
The Law of Attraction: The Basics of the Teachings of Abraham
The Attractor Factor: 5 Easy Steps for Creating Wealth (or Anything Else) from the Inside Out
