Book Description
"Most of what you've heard, read or been told about the End Times is wrong," says popular radio host and bestselling apologist, Hank Hanegraaff. "We have come to accept a wide range of beliefs and teachings about the future, about the ultimate battle between good and evil, about the last days, and about how our world will end. And most of these beliefs and teachings are based on fundamental misinterpretations of what the scriptures really say about the end times."
The Apocalypse Code helps readers understand what the Bible
really says about End Times, and why what we believe matters so much in today's world.
Customer Reviews:
good, but could have been much better.......2007-09-08
I had high hopes for this book. After studying the Partial Preterist view for a few years with a very skeptical mind, I became convinced. Given Hanegraaff's reputation, the length of the book, and the table of contents I thought sure this would be the definitive book to explain the position, but alas. Here are a few points
1. I think the average reader won't know anything about this view. Hank should have explained the underlying suppositions more. Still, the basics are there for anyone to investigate further.
2. It is important to learn this veiw methodically since it is so radically different from any futurist view, and remarkably different from the Amillenialist view. Hank doesn't present it methodically, rather it is presented somewhat piecemeal. Still, it does present the most important points so it is very valuable.
3. Even for someone like me who has read extensively, this book is not written particularly well. He is a bit vague and doesn't present the material very clearly. This is a style issue, not content. Still, for the person who wants to know and reads the references, it is a good beginning.
All in all, I was dissatisfied but I am glad it is out there. If this view is correct (and I think it is) it will revolutionize the thinking of believers, from what's coming in the future to our understanding of the nature of God Himself.
Hank's magnum opus.......2007-09-06
Masterful review of bible principles. sound theology and delightful use of logic and vocabulary. slightly rough on his critiques but very accurate. Not to be read slightly, moderately deep. Perfect companion for his last book on resurrection.
Adds Nothing New to the Debate.......2007-08-31
Overall, I don't think this book will have the same impact on the "end-times" movement that Christianity in Crisis, and Counterfeit Revival had on the Word-Faith and Extreme Pentecostal movements. I do think that the appearance of books like Apocalypse Code and others which challenge the prevailing eschatological view are beneficial. While their effect is like touching an exposed nerve, the end result is they are exposing some major chinks in the armor of a view that has traditionally been left unchallenged. Even with its flaws, Apocalypse Code's can have a therapeutic effect by helping those who want an pop-genre introduction to the movement's eschatological theology, its extra-biblical nature and the motives behind the personalities who are driving it.
Ultimately, I find the publication of the book to be of greater impact than it content. I see it as an indicator that pre-millennial Dispensational eschatology is no longer untouchable. As such, it's an important step in opening the debate to a wider audience. However, as for it content, it really brings no new facts to the table that have not already been published in other books critical of Dispensationalism.
[..]
Finally someone makes since about end times.......2007-08-20
Having read the bible several times and after years of hearing nothing but the "Left Behind" theory for end times, I kept wondering where they were getting this theory. I would read the supposed text to back it up and not see anything remotely close to what they were saying. I kept wondering if there were something wrong with me. It is so refreshing to have someone making sound arguements on the topic. This book is an absolute must read for anyone wanting to understand the bible. It does not answer all your questions but it points in a reasonable direction instead of a blind alley.
Find Out, but not from this book!.......2007-08-11
Crushing disappointment. "The" Apocalypse Code promises much, but fails to deliver. The title itself is disingenuous, and bears a troubling similarity to Hal Lindsey's Apocalypse Code (no "The" in the title). Hal Lindsey is another current writer in the Bible Prophecy field who the author of this book heavily criticizes (though, it can be assumed, he liked the title of his book well enough). Incidentally, I wouldn't recommend Hal Lindsey any more than I'd recommend Hank Hanegraaff. In all honesty, THE Apocalypse Code is actually little more than a vitriolic polemic against Tim LaHaye, one of the co-authors of the Left Behind Series, and a man who Hank Hannegraaf seems to despise.
For those familiar with the field of Biblical eschatology, The Apocalypse Code seeks to dismantle the view of dispensationalism. It attempts to do this using a blend of Preteristic and Covenantal/Replacement arguments. To be fair (which is more than I can say for the author) Covenantalism has much to recommend it, but this book does it no credit. If one is searching for a well-written scholarly treatise on either Covenantal or Preteristic thought, look elsewhere! Without going into any detail on the vast number of issues I have with Mr. Hanegraaff's book, I will just highlight what I consider to be 3 of the most problematic.
1) The author presents what must be an almost willful misunderstanding or misrepresentation of actual dispensationl thought. If anyone not familiar with dispensational eschatology read only this book, they would have a severely warped view of it.
2) The complete lack of any systematic way of presenting biblical eschatology. The author informs us that simply using "his" method of "exegetical eschatology (e2)," all Biblical prophecy suddenly becomes so clear only a fool could miss it. Apparently, in roughly 2 millennia of church history, no one has ever thought to use the exegetical eschatology model to figure out prophetic revelation. This would make one laugh out loud if one weren't so disturbed at the thought that the author is actually serious. Mr. Hanegraaff then goes on to give a couple acronyms to help the reader decipher Biblical prophecy. Of course, he himself fails to use them or "his" method throughout much of the text, but I digress. His way of dealing with the huge volume of biblical end-times prophecy seems to be simply to pick out specific areas where he disagrees with Tim LaHaye and then attack him again and again, often without clearly expressing what he himself believes.
3) The poor scholarship. The author rarely uses original source material, preferring to use secondary quotes and statistics from authors with whom he agrees without following them up. In many cases, I felt as if I should be reading their books instead of Hank's. In addition, the author gives no indication that he has a good grasp of Middle Eastern history, 20th century history pertaining to Israel, Christian Zionism, current events, etc. etc. etc. The worst example of this is probably when he equates the Nazi holocaust with a "Holy Land holocaust" initiated by the Jews in 1948 in the introduction! The length of the book itself is not nearly enough to have a chance of adequately covering the subject. Finally, the respectful way in which I am accustomed to academics presenting their own views over and against their peers was unfortunately completely missing from this book.
As other reviews have pointed out, perhaps the most disturbing feature of this book is very unchristian, uncharitable way which the author treats anyone with whom he disagrees, most especially Tim LaHaye. I don't consider Tim LaHaye to be the best representative of dispensationalism, but he certainly doesn't deserve the treatment he is given in this book.
Lest anyone think I had something against Mr. Hanegraaff prior to reading this book, I actually read Hank's previous book Counterfeit Revival and found it to be a generally good, if shallow, introduction to its topic. After The Apocalypse Code, however, I cannot imagine reading anything else from this author.
Book Description
In this groundbreaking book, the renowned theoretical physicist Lee Smolin argues that physics—the basis for all other science—has lost its way. The problem is string theory, an ambitious attempt to formulate "a theory of everything" that explains all the forces and particles of nature and how the universe came to be. With its exotic new particles and parallel universes, string theory has captured the public"s imagination and seduced many physicists. But as Smolin reveals, there"s a deep flaw in the theory: no part of it has been proven, and no one knows how to prove it. As a scientific theory, it has been a colossal failure. And because it has soaked up the lion's share of funding, attracted some of the best minds, and penalized young physicists for pursuing other avenues, it is dragging the rest of physics down with it. With clarity, passion, and authority, Smolin charts the rise and fall of string theory and takes a fascinating look at what will replace it. A group of young theorists has begun to develop exciting new ideas that are, unlike string theory, testable. Smolin tells us who and what to watch for in the coming years and how we can find the next Einstein. This is a wake-up call, and Lee Smolin—a former string theorist himself— is the perfect person to deliver it.
Customer Reviews:
A mixed bag.......2007-10-04
At the moment, string theory appears to have many (possibly an infinite number) of "metastable vacua", each of which would allow for a universe with its own laws of physics. (For a brief, comic, yet essentially correct summary of the history of this idea, see Peter Shor's review here. For those who don't know, Shor is a celebrated quantum-information theorist.) According to the (far from established) inflationary model of cosmology, there is a vast collection of universes (the "multiverse") with diverse laws of physics. Which universe we find ourselves in is a matter of random selection, but of course we must be in a "biofriendly" universe, one whose laws of physics allow for the appearance of intelligent life.
The core argument of this book is presented on page 164-165 (US hardcover edition), where Smolin writes, "when it comes to the biofriendliness of our universe, we have at least three possibilities:
"1. Ours is one of a vast collection of universes with random laws.
"2. There was an intelligent designer.
"3. There is a so-far-unknown mechanism that will both explain the biofriendliness of our universe and make testable predictions by which it can be confirmed or falsified.
"Given that the first two possibilities are untestable in principle, it is most rational to hold out for the third possibility. Indeed, that is the only possibility we should consider as scientists, because accepting either of the first two would mean the end of our field."
I find this to be an astonishing argument. First of all, I don't know what "most rational" is supposed to mean. More importantly, to reject a scientific hypothesis for purely personal reasons (it "would mean the end of our field") is at best novel, and at worst absurd.
Very few string theorists are happy that #1 seems, at this point, to be the most likely outcome of string theory, and many hope that #3 will somehow eventually emerge. But to throw out the whole framework, simply because we don't like the result, cannot be said to be a scientific attitude.
One thing you won't learn in this book (unless you read it very carefully, and between the lines) is that the other approaches to quantum gravity advocated by Smolin have not come any closer to predicting specific experimental results than string theory has. Smolin talks about possible violations of special relativity, but these are not (as he admits on page 237) a definite prediction of loop quantum gravity. He has said (again, on Woit's blog) that any quantum field theory in any number of dimensions is compatible with loop quantum gravity. If true, this would make loop quantum gravity even less capable than string theory of picking out our particular laws of physics.
Smolin also discusses issues of sociology in physics. On page 335-336, he asserts that the all the truly negative characterizations of job candidates that he has ever heard have had a component of racism and/or sexism. I am on the faculty of the physics department of a research university, and I can only say that my experience has been entirely different. I have simply never heard a racist or sexist denigration of one scientist by another, nor have I ever felt that anyone was being evaluated by criteria other than merit. I think that there are definitely issues of culture and how we can construct scientific communities that have broader appeal, and that there are physicists who are not as sensitive to these issues as they might be, but I cannot accept Smolin's claim that the relatively small percentage of women and blacks in physics is due to "blatant prejudice".
Finally, Smolin discusses the issues of "seers" vs "craftspeople" in science, and argues that we should be supporting more "seers". Among the existing seers, he lists some (such as Roger Penrose and Gerard 't Hooft) who made their reputations primarily as craftspeople ('t Hooft received the Nobel Prize for his work on the renormalization of gauge theories, and Penrose did celebrated work on the singularity theorems of general relativity). Their record as seers has been less successful; none of their recent ideas on modifications of quantum mechanics have panned out as yet. Smolin laments the fact that more attention is not paid to these forays into alternatives to quantum mechanics. But 't Hooft and Penrose do not agree on what modifications are needed. Other seers identified by Smolin propose violations of special relativity, rather than (or in addition to) violations of quantum mechanics. Perhaps this is all deep thought, but there is little to decide, at this point, which if any of these avenues should be pursued. Most physicists have therefore sensibly adopted a "wait and see" attitude.
Even if we accept Smolin's argument that we need new seers, how are we to find them? Smolin writes (page 353) that in order to discover "the visionaries who ignore the mainstream and follow their own ambitious programs", we should "find at least one accomplished person in the candidate's field who is deeply excited about what the candidate is trying to do". So, the candidate's program had better not be *too* far off the mainstream; there has to be at least one "accomplished person" who is "deeply excited" about it. But if one deeply excited professional is good, wouldn't more be better? Wouldn't that up the odds that the program was, indeed, worthwhile? Oh wait, that would be just what we have now ... a system where there is constant debate, emergent consensus on the most promising approaches, and distribution of research funds primarily (but by no means exclusively!) to those approaches that appear, in the consensus view, to be most promising. To paraphrase Winston Churchill on democracy, this system for distributing funds for science may be the worst ever devised, except for all the others.
So, should you buy the book? I feel that it gives a distorted picture, by emphasizing the weak points of string theory while ignoring the (many more, in my view) weak points of the alternatives. It seems to me that the essence of the book's argument against string theory is captured by the excerpts above, and by Shor's review. Then there is a lot of discussion of groupthink in scientific culture. For me, it doesn't add up to an appealing package, but your mileage may vary.
The Endless Quest Continues .......2007-10-04
I like Lee Smolin and this is a good exposition of the current quandary in Physics. When the mathematicians "hijacked" physics in the 1920's, they created ever-so elegant formulas and abstraction upon abstraction upon abstraction. "Just give me a formula!" was their mantra, and what it all really "means" was not their concern. This is the essence of Bohr's position (no pun intended), and Einstein was not able to answer, even though he knew something was missing.
String theory has many intriguing ideas, and it's supporters should not be easily dismissed. Again and again, we come back to the basic question...particle or wave? Wavicle? Partiwave? String?
Outstanding piece of writing, A must-read for any science enthusiast........2007-09-22
I found this book to be superbly written and full of fascinating insights. I really loved reading it. Many of the longer reviews here do a great job of reviewing the content of the book, so I'll stick to offering my opinion.
I will no doubt read this book again in the future as much of the content was way over my head. However, as with any great book on any subject, this did not prevent me from thoroughly enjoying it and learning a lot. What makes it so great is that each time I read it I will learn more.
I want to thank Lee Smolin for putting the current state of his field in some perspective. I highly, highly recommend this book!
There is hope.......2007-08-30
What can I say? Like Lee Smolin, I too am a recovering mathematician, and this book helped me out the trap. I love mathematics and majored in it at university, but soon fell prey to the seductive sense of omnipotence comes with thinking that one can manipulate reality with equations. I give this book my highest recommendation, especially for those who have become demotivated by the crisis in science. One condition though - don't read it in isolation. Essential companions are Peter Woit's "Not Even Wrong", and my own book "The Virtue of Heresy - Confessions of a Dissident Astronomer". The Virtue of Heresy: Confessions of a Dissident Astronomer
Hilton Ratcliffe
Astrophysicist
The Ptolemaic Theory of the late 20th century.......2007-08-29
String theory at the end of the 20th century has its equivalence in Ptolemaic "epicycle" theory at the end of the 16th century.
Addicted to the beauty and perfection of circles (which was the only shape heavenly Nature allowed), they constructed more and more elaborate epicycles (explanations) for the actual, observable universe.
Only by Kepler's "marketing" (music of the spheres, etc.) was he able to convince the establishment of the superior beauty of ellipses.
One is also reminded of the current collapsing of the neo-Darwinian paradigm as "epicycles" are continually being added to abiogenesis in an effort to "explain" the difficulties that arise from real-universe discoveries in molecular biology, Nature's nanotechnology, and information theory.
Only when science is willing to give up its cherished "beauty" in favor of the real world can progress be made. And as Kepler discovered, the beauty of the 'correct' answers often surpass the perceived beauty of the ignorant presuppositions found in the history of failed attempts to describe the ordered universe around us.
There IS a unified field theory out there - and it's beauty will certainly surpass the excitement and enticement of string theory.
Book Description
Invaluable." --SUCCESS. "In simple, straightforward language, Fournies offers practical solutions to the problems of employee performance ... [This book] should be on the desk of anyone who manages others."--ENTREPENEUR. THE TOP 10 REASONS EMPLOYEES DON'T DO WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO:
10. They don't know why they should do it;
9. They don't know how to do it
8. They don't know what they are supposed to do
7. They think your way will not work
6. They think their way is better
5. They think something else is more important
5. They think they are doing it
4. They are punished for doing it
3. They are rewarded for not doing it
2. It's beyond their personal limits
1. No one could do it
This book tells you how to avoid or handle each situationÑand the 6 other reasons that comprise the total list of reasons employees don't do their jobs. Universally praised and a perennial best seller, this book made The New York Times business bestseller list in early 1998--10 years after it came out! Why? Competition to attract and keep good employees is fiercer than ever. Today's employers need the no-nonsense people-management skills this book teaches. Based on real experiences of 25,000 managers surveyed by a Columbia Graduate School of Business professor, this results-oriented guide--newly updated for todayÕs changing workplace--provides proven, straightforward methods that work on real jobs, in real businesses, in the real world. This updated edition also gives you new input from 5000 additional managers, plus more help with temp workers, service industries, flex time, computers, telecommuting, stress, and safety!
Customer Reviews:
Why Employees Don't Do What They're Supposed to Do and What To Do About It.......2006-08-30
Lot's of effective hands on things you can use immediately. Great use of your time & enjoyable to read as well.
A common workplace question definitively answered........2006-05-02
The truth is that in this book, as in others expressing simple truth, the value may be in the reminder. Others who have reviewed this book seem to think that its content may be somewhat simplistic, or maybe just basic stuff. My observation is that yes, for me, much of the information in the book is basic, the ideas are not new to me, nor are the recommended responses. The fact remains that in too many work places productivity is less than optimum and is not what it might be because of the specific reasons offered in this little book.
Whether you have ever been expected to manage employees or not, you will relate to the content of this small volume. Those who manage others will gather hints on how to better understand their reports and will receive suggestions that if used will allow them to become better managers. All employees will gain a perspective from which they will be better able to communicate the frustrations they may be experiencing in their work situation.
This short book should be read by all who work.
Good Basics and Several Great Tips.......2006-05-01
Talk about a super long title that clearly states what a book is about! When you pick up "Why Employees Don't Do What They're Supposed To Do and What To Do About It" by Ferdinand F. Fournies, there's no doubt what you think you are getting. The question is of course if you DO get that and how valuable the information is.
There are apparently 16 different reasons why an employee might not do what they should. These are: They don't know why, they don't know how, they don't know what, they think your way won't work, they think their way is better, they think something else is more important, there are no positive consequences, they think they ARE doing it, they are rewarded for NOT doing it, they are punished for doing it, they anticipate negative consequences, there are no negative consequences for NOT doing it, there are obstacles they can't fix, they have personal limits, they have personal problems, and the task is simply impossible. That's quite a lot of reasons for one "problem"! Just having that list can really be helpful. A manager who thinks "My employee is simply an idiot! I told him what to do!" might take a step back and realize there really IS a problem that can be fixed, once it is identified.
I realize that a lot of these items are common sense - but it's amazing how many times in the workplace that I've seen bad managers completely ignore the real problem and just yell at an employee. That rarely helps!
Now, while the basic list is good, I do have some issues with this book. The first is that the book opens telling you "Now a manager could be assaulted or killed by the employee [for not handling problems effectively]." Good God Almighty. Talk about a nasty way to sell a book - "read me or you could DIE!!!"
The book does a good job of laying out each type of problem in detail, and then giving specific solutions. You might say "they're common sense" but obviously if so many managers out there are NOT handling these situations well, they need a little kick in the behind. Maybe they're just too stressed and aren't actually thinking about the problem. Maybe this book will help give them that extra insight they need into using a good solution.
One thing that bothers me is that the book makes it seem that every problem CAN be solved by following these few easy steps. There's a small FAQ in the back that says in essence "Oh yeah, sometimes this fails and you'll have to demote or fire the person." It would have been more helpful if in each section there were the regular tips, but also "drastic steps" and then "when to give up". I suppose they want to be positive - but if they give you only a few things to try, and they aren't working, it would be good to have a progression of what to do next. To keep trying those same things becomes an exercise in futility and frustration. In fact, it's sort of funny, he says at one point that, if these tips don't work, go buy my next book to learn what to do then :)
Still, it's a good basic primer for the new manager of how to handle a variety of situations. I definitely have worked in many situations where managers did NOT know these things and the environment suffered because of it. If you feel like you already know these things, borrow the book at the library and skim through - you might pick up a tip or two. If you're a new manager, then I would suggest buying this. It's the sort of book that you read in the bathroom, going just over a single chapter, and focussing on how to handle that one specific issue. You're probably going to run into all of these issues over time, if you stay on a managerial path.
Why Employees Don't Do What They're Supposed To Do and What To Do About It.......2005-09-03
This is a well written, easy to read, common sense guide for managers and supervisors of all levels of experience. You don't have to be an MBA to understand and use the information provided.
Good Stuff.......2005-08-30
This is a basic book for all new managers. It tell you about all the things they don't teach you in school and gives you concrete action plans to take away the negative impact of the problem. The key areas are ranked as to their occurrence in the management environment. It is a quick read and an even faster process of applying the essentials. Great Book! I am recommending it to my students.
Book Description
Starting from the premise that successful students are not necessarily any more brilliant than their less successful peers, but have simply mastered the art of efficient learning, Adam Robinson introduces high school and college students to an innovative approach that can help them achieve top grades while discovering the joy of true learning.
Line drawings.
Customer Reviews:
You are your own best teacher!.......2007-09-11
The main point of this amazing book is that you will teach yourself best, not an instructor in high school or college, a tutor, your mom, your boss, your spouse, your best friend, but the person who knows when you get tired, when you are hungry, when you are cranky--yourself! That can be a very important lesson. You are in control of what you learn. Granted you are going to need other people to show you and talk you through learning, but teaching yourself is empowering.
The other smart student principles and key lists are also very thought provoking and essentially highlight how school at all levels is a game. But it is a game worth playing.
I think a lot of the reviewers are forgetting that Mr. Robinson has mentioned that What Smart Students Know is to use what works best for them. He demonstrates a note-taking method that works for him, but if it doesn't work for you throw it out and teach yourself one that works. My advice would be that each situation (class, job etc.) might cause you to modify your note-taking. For example, for some of my classes I would take notes in a paper notebook and then type them before each test and have about 6 pages to review. For other classes there would be no need to type my notes because I would be typing a review sheet. For other classes such as my Italian language class I NEVER took notes.
One of the many great morals of this book is find out what works for you and use it. Don't worry about what everyone else is doing or about what the "experts" say. Be your own expert. There is a very popular note-taking method "Cambridge" by name which involves making two columns and filling in matching information from class notes and text books. This method never worked for me no matter how many times I tried it. So what--throw it out. Use what works.
I found what works for me and stopped worrying about what all the experts said because Adam Robinson's book game me the courage to play the Smart Student game. I was always angry that school seemed to focus on everything but learning, which is what I wanted to do most. But I learned how to play so that I could maximize my learning and my grades! I graduated magna cum laude, a member of 4 honor societies (including Phi Beta Kappa), and won the award for most outstanding undergraduate in the History Department at my University.
Free your mind; read What Smart Students Know. Keep in mind you decide what is hogwash and what is inspired. Then use it and be happy.
Look at other books.......2007-07-01
This book has only a few basic ideas. The author says the same things over and over again in different ways. He uses many tricks to fill up space and waste your time. Take my word for it, look into the other books.
Parents, help out your high schoolers with this book.......2007-05-23
In most schools, textbooks are a given. History is taught from a textbook, science is taught from a textbook, as are most other subjects. The problem with most textbooks is that they are usually dull, often poorly written, and difficult to read. Presenting only one point of view, they don't give the big picture.
Adam Robinson, who has been empowering students with his standardized test-taking strategies for 25 years, brings us the book What Smart Students Know. He is quick to say that a 100% textbook approach to learning a subject is not ideal; in fact, despite the fact that most of us would consider him a genius, he himself had no interest in school. But he was very good at playing the game, earning top scores, and in the end, gaining satisfaction from learning how to learn.
In this book, Robinson speaks right to students, explaining how to maximize learning. He tells how to how to get interested in the text you are assigned, how to take charge of your own learning, and how to learn more from a textbook in a shorter period of time. He tells us where to start if you really don't understand a topic, and how to decide what information is important. His premise is that anyone can learn to be a smart student.
This book is an insightful look into how top students approach learning. I was one of the top students in my graduating class in college, and unconsciously used many of the techniques that Robinson recommends. When I was a tutor to other college students, I would show them how to ask themselves questions before reading the test, how to outline the material, and how to memorize through mnemonics, but this book goes way beyond that.
In "What Smart Students Know," Robinson gives us twelve questions to ask ourselves when studying any subject. Questions include "What's the big picture here?" "How can I organize this information?" There is a chapter dedicated to each of the twelve questions.
Even if your student is already a hard-working, high-scoring student, he or she will benefit from Robinson's work. They will be able to study in less time and with less stress.
If your teen has a difficult time reading and understanding the assigned textbooks at school, step in and help him. Read one chapter at a time and show your student how to apply the techniques. Help your student replace ineffective habits with these super-charged learning habits, and I'll bet you pick up some learning techniques along the way, too.
Every student needs this book..........2007-02-19
...whether they get A's or not.
I've never been a "good student", but I've always liked school and been intelligent. I would get very frustrated seeing less intelligent people get straight A's while I was struggling to pass classes. Last semester I got this book, and already I'm doing better in school that ever before. I don't do everything the book suggests, but I keep the organization techniques in mind, and I make sure that I have multiple sources for every class (one of the tips that has helped alot). I have recommended this to all my friends who say they want to do better in school.
Now graduate school doesn't look so frightening.
-Breann Burton, Physics major
I learned from this book and I am Graduate School .......2007-01-27
If you want to excel in school- you want to read this book. This book is written with amazing techniques. If you read it from cover to cover than you will excel in school. Someone like myself that has a learning disability I was able to improve my learning techniques that helped me achieve a 3.5 GPA from a 2.1 GPA. I learned stuff in this book that I nevered learned in high school or my undergraduate school. I am preparing to homeschool my daughter and this book will be utilized throughout her coursework. Easy to read, which means easy to understand and easy to apply the techniques. I wish I had this book back in grade school than I think I would't have struggled as much in high school or college. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to excel in school and succeed in life.
Average customer rating:
- Detailed engineering description of TPS
- Excellant book to understand how the TPS evolved.
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A Study of the Toyota Production System from an Industrial Engineering Viewpoint (Produce What Is Needed, When It's Needed)
Shigeo Shingo
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ASIN: 0915299178 |
Book Description
Here is Dr. Shingo's classic industrial engineering rationale for the priority of process-based over operational improvements for manufacturing. He explains the basic mechanisms of the Toyota production system in a practical and simple way so that you can apply them in your own plant. This book clarifies the fundamental principles of JIT including leveling, standard work procedures, multi-machine handling, and more.
Customer Reviews:
Detailed engineering description of TPS.......2003-10-12
There are a lot of books about the Toyota Production System, but this is one of the most useful for those actually attempting to implement elements of this system. Most of the books on TPS by western authers are just superficial glosses written by MBA's who don't seem to have a clue how to make anything. This book is detailed, specific, clearly written, and very well translated. Some of the material is repetative, nevertheless this is the book to get on TPS.
Excellant book to understand how the TPS evolved........1999-04-23
I enjoyed it since it gave me insight on how TPS evolved and allowed me to better understand not how TPS works but more why.
Book Description
The art of persuasion as taught by one of the world's most sought-after speakers and pitchmen
In this daring book, Joel Bauer teaches you how to persuade by making your messages entertaining. Learn the secrets behind "The Fright Challenge," "The Transformation Mechanism," and other persuasion tactics used by pitchmen, carneys, and conjurors to convince people to their way of thinking. Along with coauthor Mark Levy, Bauer has taken these ethical, entertainment-based techniques, and has made them practical for everyday use-capable of influencing one person or a thousand, in business and in life.
Joel Bauer (Los Angeles, CA) is an expert in performance-based live marketing who The Wall Street Journal online referred to as "undoubtedly the chairman of the board" of corporate tradeshow rain-making. Mark Levy (Chester, NJ) has written for the New York Times, has authored or coauthored three books, and is the founder of Levy Innovation, a consulting firm that makes individuals and companies memorable.
Download Description
The art of persuasion as taught by one of the world's most sought-after speakers and pitchmen
In this daring book, Joel Bauer teaches you how to persuade by making your messages entertaining. Learn the secrets behind "The Fright Challenge," "The Transformation Mechanism," and other persuasion tactics used by pitchmen, carneys, and conjurors to convince people to their way of thinking. Along with coauthor Mark Levy, Bauer has taken these ethical, entertainment-based techniques, and has made them practical for everyday use-capable of influencing one person or a thousand, in business and in life.
Joel Bauer (Los Angeles, CA) is an expert in performance-based live marketing who The Wall Street Journal online referred to as "undoubtedly the chairman of the board" of corporate tradeshow rain-making. Mark Levy (Chester, NJ) has written for the New York Times, has authored or coauthored three books, and is the founder of Levy Innovation, a consulting firm that makes individuals and companies memorable.
Customer Reviews:
Fun and Effective.......2007-09-26
The focus of this book is in using, what I like to call "tangible metaphors" to persuade. The author provides examples where he used magic tricks. However, you may use other skills you posses to bring your point across by "showing" instead of "telling". And sometimes, the only skill required is a little bit of creative imagination, rather than any special dexterity.
Years ago, a friend frequently took me to different parties with him. As soon as we'd get to a party, he'd get out of sight and embark upon seducing other women. I wondered why he took me with him if his intent was to go skirt-chasing, but I didn't want to say anything. Instead, I cut one skirt short and decided to wear it to the next party. It worked like a charm - my friend stayed glued to me the entire time to protect me from other men.
Words have magic in them, but since people intepret words in different ways, and you may not always know what words would have the greatest emotional impact upon another, guiding your listener through an actual experience may prove to be much more effective, and you may have way more fun in the process.
Excellent read.......2007-05-12
A wel presented well written book. Lots of Mmmmmm moments. Some really clever stuff in this book.
You NEED To Read This Book.......2007-04-17
I have had the opportunity of meeting Joel Bauer in person. Let me just say that he is a great person who genuinely cares about people.
He spoke at an event I attended and I am sure that the majority of the people in attendance followed him to the back of the room to buy his kit.
But did he stop there? Oh no, he came back that evening, on his own time, and talked to whoever was interested, until the room had to be closed and believe it or not everyone moved to the hallway of the hotel where Joel continued to speak until almost 2:00 AM. I had never seen anything like this before or since!
This book gives you tips, hints and techniques to become a more persuasive and influential communicator. If you are willing to put some of these "transformational mechanisms" to work, you will see results.
Joel Bauer is the real deal!!
David Mason, Performance Development Coach
Author of Marketing Your Small Business for Big Profits
A Must-Have Persuasion Blueprint for Speakers, Coaches, and Consultants... .......2007-03-07
If you are looking for scientific explanations of emotional and psychological triggers that have been driving all human kind to action since the cave man, skip this book and pick up a copy of Robert Cialdini's "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion."
But if you are looking for real-life tips you can start using immediately to grab and hold attention of your audiences or clients, you will find this book a treasure chest!
Joel Bauer and Mark Levy give practical tips and tools for commanding attention and persuading people who are numbed by millions of marketing messages, bored by their busy lives, and jaded by being over-promised and under-delivered to in the past.
After reading this book I started using several of the entertainment and fun-focused strategies and tactics to command attention of my audiences and drive home hard to explain, complex concepts. It works like a charm!
Adam Urbanski, "The Marketing Mentor"
If Magic Is Your Thing..........2007-02-21
This book was short on useable content and is geared more for the person wanting gimicks and tricks to attract people passing by on a busy trade show floor. I think that some of the tricks he shares do have value in driving your point home but pursuading people who don't want to be persuaded... so, so. I'm glad he made tons of money as a magician/entertainer and just made more on a less than stellar writing venture. I believe this could be used as a platform to begin being creative in you own enviroment.
Book Description
The world's leading expert on the global software industry and coauthor of the bestseller Microsoft Secrets reveals the inner workings of software giants like IBM, Microsoft, and Netscape and shows what it takes to create, develop, and manage a successful company -- in good times and bad -- in the most fiercely competitive business in the world.
In the $600 billion software industry it is the business, not the technology, that determines success or failure. This fact -- one that thousands of once glamorous start-ups have unhappily discovered for themselves -- is the well-documented conclusion of this enormously readable and revealing new book by Michael Cusumano, based on nearly twenty years of research and consulting with software producers around the world.
Cusumano builds on dozens of personal experiences and case studies to show how issues of strategy and organization are irrevocably linked with those of managing the technology and demonstrates that a thorough understanding of these issues is vital to success. At the heart of the book Cusumano poses seven questions that underpin a three-pronged management framework. He argues that companies must adopt one of three basic business models: become a products company at one end of the strategic spectrum, a services company at the other end, or a hybrid solutions company in between. The author describes the characteristics of the different models, evaluates their strengths and weaknesses, and shows how each is more or less appropriate for different stages in the evolution of a business as well as in good versus bad economic times. Readers will also find invaluable Cusumano's treatment of software development issues ranging from architecture and teams to project management and testing, as well as two chapters devoted to what it takes to create a successful software start-up. Highlights include eight fundamental guidelines for evaluating potential software winners and Cusumano's probing analysis, based on firsthand knowledge, of ten start-ups that have met with varying degrees of success.
The Business of Software is timely essential reading for managers, programmers, entrepreneurs, and others who follow the global software industry.
Download Description
"The world's leading expert on the global software industry and coauthor of the bestseller Microsoft Secrets reveals the inner workings of software giants like IBM, Microsoft, and Netscape and shows what it takes to create, develop, and manage a successful company, in good times and bad, in the most fiercely competitive business in the world. In the $600 billion software industry it is the business, not the technology, that determines success or failure. This fact, one that thousands of once glamorous start-ups have unhappily discovered for themselves, is the well-documented conclusion of this enormously readable and revealing new book by Michael Cusumano, based on nearly twenty years of research and consulting with software producers around the world. Cusumano builds on dozens of personal experiences and case studies to show how issues of strategy and organization are irrevocably linked with those of managing the technology and demonstrates that a thorough understanding of these issues is vital to success. At the heart of the book Cusumano poses seven questions that underpin a three-pronged management framework. He argues that companies must adopt one of three basic business models: become a products company at one end of the strategic spectrum, a services company at the other end, or a hybrid solutions company in between. The author describes the characteristics of the different models, evaluates their strengths and weaknesses, and shows how each is more or less appropriate for different stages in the evolution of a business as well as in good versus bad economic times. Readers will also find invaluable Cusumano's treatment of software development issues ranging from architecture and teams to project management and testing, as well as two chapters devoted to what it takes to create a successful software start-up.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome !.......2007-07-20
Cusumano shows us what we, IT professionals, should know about business of software. He also shows us, in a very simple manner, what we must really know about software and its value chain.
Excellent book.......2007-05-01
This book is like a text book. Excellent source of information. Too much emphasis on Microsoft but when this book was written, Microsoft was at the top of their field.
Great insight into the world of enterprise software business.......2007-01-08
Well written, detailed, and insightful, best describe this book. Very helpful for any ISV or software product development manager. Cusamano, having served many of the companies he chronicles in this book, provides a uniquely human "insiders look" into the heart of these monolithic software titans. His insight and clear understanding of trends and business models in the often obscured and esoteric space of enterprise software is incredibly helpful to any "little guy" eager to learn how the "big guys" do it.
Excellent Read.......2006-03-31
The Business of Software is an excellent read and growth tool for seasoned practitioners. Organized in three major sections it explores:
(1) Product vs. services vs. hybrid software organizations' strengths and weaknesses, and how they can change over time (think about your company...!).
(2) Software development strategies and outcomes. At first glance, this section seems less relevant - until you find yourself defending why your latest release is waaaaay late... There are some excellent ideas here that can apply to the creation and roll-out of "core" demos.
(3) Entrepreneurship - successes, failures, and ongoing question marks - the author explores what key factors contribute to the end result. The case studies at the end of this section can serve as virtual mirrors onto one's own organization.
This is good and useful reading, particularly for those who seek to move upwards in their organizations or are contemplating joining a new or emerging company.
Book's value is in provactive questions.......2006-03-13
The most useful sections for technology marketers are in Chapter 2 about strategy, where Cusumano asks provocative questions that will give you a new way of looking at your products, services and company direction.
Also useful is Chapter 4 on best practices, which will give you some benchmarks for comparing your operations and development activities to industry leaders.
Much of the book focuses on presenting detailed analysis of the rise and fall of companies during the technology boom and bust in recent years. The stories can be interesting, but it seems to me that information is getting dated given the challenges that face technology companies today.
Product Description
Anxious times call for steady leadership. When tensions emerge in a congregation, its leaders cannot be as anxious as the people they serve. To remain effective, congregational leaders must control their own uneasiness. This takes self-awareness and confidence to manage relationships and influence behaviors. Knowing how to deal with anxiety and how to work throug complex challenges can lead a congregation to new insights, growth, and vitality. Anxious times hold not only the potential for loss but also for creation, important lernings, and changes that will strengthen the congregation. With this new book, internationally respected consultant Peter Steinke goes deeper into the requirements of effective congregational leadership. Born from the wisdom of Steinke's distinguished career, this new volume will both enlighten and embolden leaders. Steinke inspires courage in leaders to maintain the course, unearth secrets, resist sabotage, withstand fury, and overcome timidity or doubts. His insights, illustrations, and provocations will carry leaders through rough times, porvide clarity during confusing times, and uplift them in joyous times.
Customer Reviews:
What every minister needs.......2007-07-25
s most people know, I love to read. Maybe for others, but also to record my thoughts at the time. This past book was insightful and helpful. Most books on leadership today deal with only a charisma paradigm, this is a beneficial idea, but does not transcend into true leadership. The premise of the book is maintaining self in a anxious organization. It also points out behavior of unhealthy people, and proper functioning of healthy individuals in a chaotic environment. Anyone dealing with congregational life in a leadership role would benefit from this book.
Just what I needed to make sense of it all...........2007-05-06
Sometimes we "know" intuitively which path to take but we just need a gentle reminder to have faith in ourselves. This is a very commonsense guide to help re-discover essential truths about leadership in congregational life. It helps to re-gain perspective during difficult times and gives a framework for recovering equilibrium and good will.
Book Description
The Go Point—the moment of truth when you have to say “yes” or “no” when it’s time to get off the fence.
Michael Useem—through dramatic storytelling—shows how to master the art and science of being decisive. He places you smack in the middle of people facing their go point, where actions—or lack of them—determined the fates of individuals, companies, and countries.
• Why on earth did Robert E. Lee send General George Pickett on an almost suicidal charge against the Union lines at Gettysburg?
• How does the leader of a firefighting crew make life-or-death decisions, directing his people—with little information about weather patterns to guide him—to go up or down the mountain? One direction means safety, the other danger.
• You’ve just assumed responsibility for a scandal-wracked corporation, a company teetering on the brink of disaster. What you decide over the course of the next several days will have consequences for thousands of employees and investors. How do you fulfill your responsibilities?
Michael Useem makes you feel as if “you are there,” right in the center of the action. He was there: tramping up and down the mountain where firefighters made their momentous decisions; walking the battlefield at Gettysburg to see for himself just what General Pickett faced before making his ill-fated charge; going into a trading pit where million-dollar buy-and-sell decisions are made that affect fortunes of both the firm and the person making the call.
You’ll discover why some decisions were flawless, perfectly on target, and others utterly disastrous. Most of all, you’ll learn how to make the right calls yourself, whether you’re changing your career, hiring an assistant, launching a product, or deciding on a potential acquisition or merger.
Smartly written and offering unusual insights into the minds of decision makers such as General Lee, The Go Point will provide the guidance for you to move with confidence when it’s your turn to get off the fence.
Also available as an eBook
Customer Reviews:
A Toolbox for Contingencies.......2007-04-20
"Go points" come in all shapes and sizes (as do "no go points") and some have serious implications, as in a crisis. Michael Useem's primary objective in this book is to help his readers to prepare for such situations so that they will know what to do and how to do it. In this context, I am reminded of Sun Tzu's assertion in The Art of War that every battle is won or lost before it is fought. Useem cites all manner of examples to illustrate his key points and I was especially interested in his discussion of decision principles and tools involved in three immensely complicated and perilous situations: the death of forest fighters in Colorado, the Battle of Gettysburg, and the crash of a plane in the Andes in the early 1970s. Several valuable lessons can be learned from each. During the Andean ordeal, for example, Roberto Canessa was guided by five principles "that continue to inform his decision making more than three decades later": stay focused, set the bar high, get back to basics, no second-guessing, and stay cold and calculating to maximize your chances of success.
It is noteworthy that these are among the same principles that guided Ernest Shackleton's efforts to save all of his men as well as himself after their ship, Endurance, was crushed by expansive ice during the course of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914-1916). The 28 crew members managed to reach Elephant Island, hauling three small boats with them. All eventually survived after Shackleton and five others made their way to the southern coast of South Georgia in one of the small boats. Shackleton then organized efforts to rescue the men who remained behind.
The template is one of many reader-friendly devices that Useem skillfully employs throughout this book. As he explains, "To be truly useful, a decision template should be generic enough to apply to many situations, yet specific enough to provide real guidance with real-life choices." Useem provides seven templates that enable each reader to "dig out the principles, good and bad, that emerge from tangible experience" to "begin to build [her or his] own decision templates." The five are for making decisions (Pages 180-181), preventing unforced errors (228-230), seeing ahead (142-143), touch choices (90-92), transcending personal profit (205-206), and using the net (1151-116). Useem suggests that each of these templates be viewed "as an open-source initiative, a collectively generated product."
I also appreciate Useem's excellent suggestions with regard to further reading on decision making and responsibility. He is a strong advocate of lifelong learning as a never-ending process of preparation for the "go points ahead." Of course, the nature and timing of future go points have yet to be revealed so "a passing familiarity with all of the principles and tools gathered [in this book] should help make for stronger decision making across a range of venues in the future."
When preparing to write this book, Michael Useem accumulated a wealth of information from interviews and observations that indicated both recurrent themes and unique experiences across a range of organizations and even national boundaries. His purpose was "to extract what is most enduringly important for decision makers when they carry responsibilities for others, regardless the context. I have also drawn upon a broad range of research studies and historical accounts, some but not all cited in the pages of this text."
As you begin to read this book, pretend that you have just entered Useem's Hardware Store and its owner is taking you on a personal tour, explaining what each implement is and what it can do as well as when and how to use it most effectively. Once the tour is completed, select those tools that are most appropriate for your current and imminent circumstances. Over time, those circumstances will probably change. Fortunately, you will know what must be done to respond effectively. And if you need expert advice, you can always return to Useem's Hardware Store. Its proprietor is always eager to be of assistance.
A Leaders Manual to Making Better Decisions.......2007-02-03
I finally had the chance to sit down with Michael Useem's newest book, The Go Point. I am really interested in his work and enjoyed several of his earlier books including Upward Bound: Nine Original Accounts of How Business Leaders Reached Their Summits (with Paul Asel), Leading Up: How to Lead Your Boss So You Both Win and The Leadership Moment: Nine True Stories of Triumph and Disaster and Their Lessons for All of Us.
Michael Useem is the Wiliam and Jacalyn Egan Professor of Management at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, as well as the director of its Center for Leadership and Change Management.
In October 2005, I had the good fortune to participate in Wharton's Executive Education Program The Leadership Journey which is lead by Professors Useem and Greg Shea. As its name implies, its is a weeklong intensive experience uniquely exploring leadership from academic and personal perspectives. This was clearly one of the most significant adult learning experiences that I have ever had and I was looking forward to reading The Go Point.
Well, I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed this book and, not surprisingly, part of the reason is that it followed much of the same format and covered similar material as The Leadership Journey.
The full title is The Go Point - When It's Time to Decide, Knowing What to Do and When to Do It and Useem effectively uses storytelling techniques to explore how decisions are made and to present his case. In the preface, he describes "go points" as "times to decide, moments for saying yes or no, instants for jumping in one direction or another when the fate of others depends on it." He lays out the book's objective of "building a decision-making template, the principles and tools for being decisive at times when it really counts: using small steps to make hard decisions, building a network of counselors for testing ideas, keeping options open until they must be closed." And in the Introduction he defines a go point as - "that decisive moment when the essential information has been gathered, the pros and cons weighed and the time has come to get off the fence.'
The author uses a number of interesting and impactful case studies including the July 1994 wildfire on Colorado's Storm King Mountain which had fatal consequences for 14 wildland firefighters, the Gettysburg Battle of the American Civil War that took more than 50,000 Confederate and Union soldiers lives over 3 days, and the 1972 plane crash in the Andes where 16 passengers survived in the incredibly harsh environment with virtually no resources for 72 days. There are lots of lessons to learn from analyzing the decision chains that lead to the final outcome in each story. Useem uses each to demonstrate the importance of having a decision template "generic enough to apply to many situations, yet specific enough to provide real guidance with real-life choices."
What has always interested my in Professor Useem's work is how experience informs leadership and decisionmaking. He states
"(decision) template principles should be rooted in tangible experiences, for that often serves as the most enduring and powerful trigger....My own experience with hands-on-learning as well as volumes of research confirm that principles such as these are best retained and recalled when discovered during moments of intense emotion and acute stress. Embedded in experience, they remain unforgettable."
Useem and some of his colleagues and students actually took a "staff ride" and visited Storm King Mountain to try to get a better understanding of what the wild firefighters encountered that fateful day and he writes:
"Personal engagements of this kind can cut through the fog of abstraction and connect theory with practice more powerfully than virtually any other learning event....Classrooms are an excellent vehicle for acquiring decision theory; tangible venues are the indelible vehicles for remembering how to apply it."
My personal experience reinforces this view. One day during The Leadership Journey we boarded a bus at Wharton and drove out to the Gettysburg National Military Park for a full day tour of the battlefield with a certified guide. To stand on Little Round Top or Cemetery Hill is an incredibly emotional, intellectual and spiritual experience. We often feel that our current world is so complex; however, to think about what it would have been like as a battlefield commander with scant information and limited time to act or react is mindboggling.
Chapter 5 - Making Decisions is devoted to the reader actually getting engaged in some decisionmaking exercises. We also performed these at Wharton with my favorite being Necklace Trading. While the author does a great job of explaining these exercises, nothing can compare to the actual process of participation. The book's website [...] actually provides for some reader interaction but I did not try it out.
While Professor Useem is one of the top professors at one of the top business schools in the world, he writes in a very easy to read fashion. Readers don't encounter any jargon or buzzwords. Instead, he uses stories to effectively and powerfully convey his points.
Anyone interested in how leaders make decisions, good and bad, must read this book. It will certainly give the you a lot to think about in how you approach important decisions and how you can improve the process by establishing your own decisionmaking template.
Stories plus Structure = Excellent Book.......2007-01-31
The GO Point by Michael Useem is a book you should read.
Thousands of business books are published every year. A few hundred offer important insights. Another few hundred are easy and fun to read. This is the first business book I've read in a long time that meets all my criteria for a great business book
*It is about an important business topic: decision making.
*It is based on solid research.
*It covers a broad range of applications.
*It uses stories and examples to make it easy to read and learn.
*It uses structured writing to group key points and makes them usable.
At the outset, Useem tells us that he'll do two things in the book.
First, he'll take us inside the heads of decision makers. Some of those are living people that Useem has interviewed. Others are historical figures like Robert E. Lee.
Useem takes us inside those head by means of stories, the way that humans have always shared experience with each other. This book is filled with great and useful stories because Useem has developed a vast fund of stories and because he is one of the best storytellers among current management writers.
In addition to the stories, Useem has created "templates" for handling different decision challenges. He groups the key learning points together, using a technique called structured writing to make the points easy to select and use.
Each template is devoted to a specific kind of decision challenge. The bulk of the book lays out the challenges, beginning with urgent decisions.
Urgent decisions are decisions that must be made right away. Useem covers those in the chapter called "In the Heat of the Moment."
The chapter called "Getting into the Decision Game" addresses a common problem: how do you know when it's time to act? You'll pick up tips on when to quit gathering information and plunge ahead with a decision and when to hold off making a decision until you understand the situation better.
"Using the Net" doesn't have anything to do with computers. Instead it's about using advisors to gather both information and perspective. There's some especially insightful material on using an "outer network" of advisors to avoid groupthink.
The chapter on "Seeing Ahead" addresses issues of prediction. Useem uses decisions made at the battle of Gettysburg to show how each decision affects the possible range and importance of future decisions.
The chapter called "Making Decisions" offers an opportunity for you to try your hand at applying the lessons presented in earlier chapters. Useem stresses the importance of making a decision and moving ahead when the time is right. This chapter is one of the things that make this book both valuable and useful.
The final chapters in the book cover special situations. There's a chapter on ethics called "Transcending Personal Profit" and an excellent chapter on the dumb things that smart decision makers often do. That one's called "Avoiding Unforced Errors."
Michael Useem has created a book that you should read if making decisions is part of what your do and you'd like to make better decisions. But he's also created a book that will give you insight into how people think about decisions and then act on that thought.
Decision-Making Excellence.......2006-11-29
Michael Useem is a fine storyteller. And he is an instructor who can clearly delineate the principles and processes of the subject he is teaching. He combines his abilities to create a high-impact learning experience in one book.
Experiential learning is the best learning, but you don't have enough time in your life to learn all you need to know from your own immediate experience. However you can learn most of what you need to know from the experience of others. This book contains excellent experience relevant to good decision-making. And it tells of experiences that are in and of themselves exciting and interesting. They are real-life examples of the principles and skills the author is teaching.
He seamlessly weaves into his stories his instruction of the principles and skills of making good decisions. Then, at the end of each chapter, he offers a chart of those principles and skills for your review, relating them back to the stories. So you get "this is why 1,2,3...this is how 1,2,3..and this is what success and or failure looks like in real life." All of this is wrapped up in a presentation that reads like a novel.
This book is a must-have for leaders and decision-makers of all kinds. it is enjoyable to read, and everyone will learn something new and useful from it.
Get to Go.......2006-11-21
The art of being decisive is one of the most daunting skills an individual can acquire.
Some decisions require split-second reactions; others are made with the "luxury" of consideration. Both types often carry awesome implications for careers, organizations or families.
Michael Useem, a management professor at the Wharton School, dissects this moment of truth, the moment when you have to say "yes" or "no" in his book The Go Point. Using vivid narratives he places the reader in the middle of people facing critical decisions. People, whose action or lack thereof, will have profound implications.
Readers find themselves enveloped:
* With Robert E. Lee as he orders his General George picket to make an almost suicidal charge against the Union lines in Gettysburg.
* On the face of a mountain with the leader of a firefighting crew making life-or-death decisions without critical information about weather patterns.
* In the office of a newly appointed head of a scandal-wracked corporation tottering on the brink of disaster.
Using decision templates rooted in tangible experiences accompanied by decision tools Useem analyzes these difficult moments. Out of his discussion emerges sound advice for spanning the "knowing-doing gap."
Well-written and deceptive in its simplicity, this is one of the finest and most practical books I have read on decision making.
Don't hesitate; go read it.
Book Description
Former CEO and Founder of Successories, Mac Anderson reminds us that our time is our most precious gift. In his newest book, Mac Anderson reveals the one thing children need the most is often in the shortest supply-their parents' time.
Customer Reviews:
Inspiring.......2006-08-08
This book is just long enough. Not overwhelming. It really inspired me to think more about my children and what they need even when I am "too busy". Very encouraging and nice, I made copies of a lot of the quotes to put up around my house for reminders.
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