Book Description
First published to media acclaim in October 2003, Trading Up revealed how today's middle-class consumers are seeking higher levels of quality, taste, and aspiration than had ever been possible before—in their choices of cars and clothing, vodka and beer, golf clubs and dolls, and much more. The book identified a major opportunity for entrepreneurs and innovators, managers and marketers, in every category of consumer goods and services. Now Michael Silverstein and Neil Fiske have thoroughly revised this BusinessWeek bestseller with new research and new insights into the still- growing phenomenon of trading up.
Customer Reviews:
Great Insight, but Could Be Shorter.......2007-08-15
This book is a great reference to trends in our society and the new buying habits. There are great "buzzwords" and alot of statistics quoted. However, as you read on, there is a great deal of repetition and I believe that this entire book could be summarized in 25 pages.
Wish I had more time............2007-03-30
I have only just started to read the book, but my time is limited so I haven't really gotten to enjoy it. But what I have read so far is great!!! I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in what makes Americans tick!
Consumer goods startups must read.......2007-01-07
I've been working for years to develop what Silverstein and Fiske describe as New Luxury products. I wish I had this book in 1999 when I started! While I have come to the same conclusions and I find that this book validates my concept and strategy like no other, the real value for me has been the better organization of the concept and suggested processes than I've been able to develop on my own. When you read the acknowledgments you'll see a huge list of people and resources that few of us entrepreneurs have available. This gives the book incredible depth and value.
Unfortunately the authors never mention ethnographic research although they are doing that science in an ad hoc way. They may not be aware of the applicability of ethnology to market and product research. Sure, ethnology was developed for studying remote tribes but mix this with neuroscience and environmental behavior research and business gets interesting.
A major feature of this book that we rarely see in biz books is the chapter at the end that explains their sources in a more useful way than the typical end notes. It would be nice if more authors would explain their sources and reasonings rather than just list sources.
- jim
Retail Marketing 101.......2006-10-03
This well written book basically outlines the consumer market as it is today: that most consumers, while buying basic necessities at discount retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target, don't mind paying a little extra for luxury goods they feel are worth it in some way. It's a fascinating read for anybody interested in the retail business or in marketing. As somebody who is currently in marketing and who worked at Bath & Body Works for a number of years (of which one of the book's authors, Neil Fiske, is the CEO), it was interesting to learn why the store went from a country, home-spun theme in the 1990's to the upscale, urban "apothecary" it is today. Though Bath & Body Works was never used as a case study in the book, the concept of trading up is certainly applied to the store (thanks to Fiske's leadership).
Besides its commentary on the current retail market, the book presents an insightful view of our modern American society. We live in such an affluent society and presented with so many choices that we have the luxury to "trade up". Even those with relatively low incomes can trade up on a few items. It's all about the person's priorities and how they choose to distribute their money.
All this affluence and trading up has led to a higher quality of life for all. While those with low incomes are able to buy decent products at low prices at Wal-Mart and Target, middle and upper income individuals can shop at those same stores and use the extra money they've saved to buy higher-end goods.
My one caveat about the book is its overabundance of marketing jargon. Somebody outside of the marketing and business field may not understand some of the terminology. But the book doesn't seem to be written for the average lay person in any case. Just thought I'd bring that up for what it's worth.
Trading Up.......2006-09-30
Did you ever wonder why it is becoming so much more difficult to find products that either aren't luxury or low-end? The authors explain how consumers are selectively trading up for products that they value and trading down in other areas, leaving the middle. The authors use case studies to make their case. For example, some consumers are willing to shell out $2000 for a washer and dryer. Not any washer and dryer but the latest side load offering from Whirlpool. Considering that you can get a washer and dryer for $400 to $600 this is quite a premium. The authors explain how companies if they can provide a ladder of value for a product can entice consumers to trade-up, even for something as humdrum as a washer and dryer. The authors back up their concepts with marketplace facts as well as socioeconomic factors such as the increased number of women in the workforce and the state of the family.
Amazon.com
The average life span of a Fortune 500 company is less than half a century, yet there also are corporations around the world that have been in business for 200, 500, even 700 years. Arie de Geus, a retired Royal Dutch/Shell Group executive, maintains after studying both extremes that the most enduring treat their companies as "living work communities" rather than pure economic machines. The Living Company: Habits for Survival in a Turbulent Business Environment persuasively outlines his resultant prescription for organizational longevity.
Book Description
Most companies do not survive the upheavals of change and competition over the long haul. But there are a few remarkable firms that have withstood the test of several centuries. What hidden lessons do they hold for the rest of us? Arie de Geus, the man who introduced the revolutionary concept of the learning organization, reveals the key to managing for a long and prosperous organizational life.
The Living Company speaks not just to aspiring leaders, but to anyone trying to adapt to a turbulent business environment. Only those steeped in the habits of a living company will survive.
"This profound and uplifting book is for the leaders in all of us. Arie de Geus challenges most of the conventional wisdom in management thinking today."
-Dr. James F. Moore, author of The Death of Competition
"Arie de Geus gives leaders of the future an indispensable guidebook in which commitment to values, people, learning, and innovation defines the living company. It's in my book bag."
-Frances Hesselbein, President and CEO, The Drucker Foundation
AUTHORBIO: Arie de Geus worked for Royal Dutch/Shell for thirty-eight years and is widely credited with originating the concept of the learning organization. Since his retirement, he has advised many government and private institutions and has lectured throughout the world.
Customer Reviews:
This is a well researched book on sustainability in business.......2006-10-24
Arie provides a very good picture of companies that have sustained centuries of change. His research reveals what makes them click and what they aare doing that others are not doing. Some of his insights are packaged within the context of a company that truly has life time employment which some of us can not even imagine. His experiences in management and leadership will not necessarily ring true to many of us. Many of us simply will never have the opportunites that he has had. On the other hand, the work that he captures is excellent on sustainability and I highly recommend that if sustainability in business is an interest to you, that you read this book.
Why Companies Fail and What We Can Do About It.......2006-01-30
Companies die all the time. The current business climate favors short term profit over long term survival, and most companies don't adapt fast enough. De Geus explains why this is, and what we can do about it, but what makes this book an essential read is that he gives us a new way of looking at organizations and the meaning of work.
The problem is that, in management, you get what you reward. This is a well-known truth and explains the dysfunction we see in most companies. As de Geus puts it, "The difficulty lies in our definition of corporate success...the dominant school of thought in business administration measures success purely in terms of quantity: the maximization of revenues, market share, share value, or proceeds."
The solution de Geus comes up with is novel and revolutionary. It is to look at companies differently -- not as machines, but as living beings. In fact, he goes even further than this, saying that companies actually are living beings. It is only because they are living that they can learn and adapt and hence sustain themselves over long periods of time.
This view seems extreme, but it is soundly based in philosophical argument and it is preferable to the alternate view that companies operate like clockwork and their employees are simply assets. The complexity of organizations can indeed be understood better by analogy with human psychology and biological ecosystems. And a company is able to survive and learn only because it has an identity that outlives any of the people working within it.
de Geus draws on the work of leaders in the fields of psychology, philosophy, evolutionary biology and immunology. He agrees with other management writers like Drucker, Collins and Buckingham on basic management truths, like the need to focus on strengths and develop people continually so as to maximize their effectiveness. However, he provides fresh and original insights on management and helps us look at our organizations in a new way.
For example, the natural consequence of thinking of organizations as living beings is that a company's primary goal becomes survival. This in turn leads to a different way of looking at the company's people. The company will survive only if there is synergy and an underlying contract between the company and its members whereby the members are helped to reach their potential in return for support of the company's goals.
Many years ago, I read Peter Senge's book, "The Fifth Discipline," and its depiction of the learning organization became an ideal for me. I didn't expect to be as profoundly affected by "The Living Company," but the ideas are, if anything, even more basic to finding meaning in work, and will likely stay with me. This book is essential reading for any leader wanting to build a sustainable company, but it's also thought-provoking for anyone who wants to make change happen in any organization.
Graham Lawes
deep and encouraging.......2005-12-09
I am re-reading the book, and was compelled to share my love and appreciation of the deep understanding and unique approach to organizations and to the ways of dealing with change offered by Arie de Geus.
I'm undergoing through deep change in my life; my business is growing and changing. The book gives courage, foresight, support, tools and a map both to pass through the process holistically, and take responsibility for the future. I see how my whole company is taking responsibility for its future. I give credit for this movement to the ideas and concepts laid out the the book.
Excellent Management Book.......2004-05-08
This is a must read for all those people who are interested in the subject of organizational learning. The book illustrates clearly the challenges companies face in encouraging its employees to learn. Also, it provides a lot of examples and strategies from Shell. Overall, it is an excellent for a any person, even if they are not in a managerial position in a company. If the reader is such a position, then this is a must read.
Insightful yet sarcastically entertaining........2001-10-15
I found this book to be a relief and escape to the way the corporate world has evolved. By taking a look at long living companies, the author has extracted some timeless advice for corporations to pay attention to. The thing that "lowered the score," so to speak is that there were hardly any statistics or hard numbers involved to back up his claims, regardless of the intuitive excellence of their teachings. If this book is to make a difference and it has the ingredients to do so, I thought some hard results outside of the longevity would have to be produced and they weren't. What I particularly liked was how the distinction was made between living companies and economic companies. More importantly, how people need to realize that you can't run a company with some of one philosophy and some of the other. You'll have to pick this up and read it to understand this, but I think if you do, you'll see that most companies are attempting to mix oil and water today and unfortuneately, I agree that they will be "dead before their time." Overall, this was a very insightful book and upon reflection to my own life, sarcastically entertaining.
Book Description
The story of one young man's remarkable journey from corporate America to the Society of Jesus. James Martin leads you from his Catholic childhood through his success and ultimate dissatisfaction with the business world, to his novitiate and profession of vows as a Jesuit.
Customer Reviews:
read this book.......2006-11-17
If you are thinking of a religious vocation, this is the book for you. James Martin (Society of Jesus) was fresh out of college, making big bucks at GE, and living a party life in NYC when he realized how empty it all was. He needed something more in his life and, to the shock of his family and co-workers, entered the Society of Jesus.
The memoir covers Martin's college years, his job at GE, his enterance into the Jesuit order, as well as his novitiate in Boston and Jamaica. During these two years, Martin is challenged to live the life Christ is calling him to live. The memior ends with First Vows at a church in Boston, after which Martin flies to Chicago where he'll begin philosophy studies (the second stage of Jesuit formation).
This was an exciting book to read. I found myself in Martin's shoes, as I have at times thought of becoming a priest. But even if you're a career person, and aren't interested in religious life, read this book anyway--it's a great place to see G-d at work. Highly recommended.
Also recommended: The Gospel of Arnie
A Modern Vocation Story.......2006-07-01
When considering a vocation, this book might provide a little relief to those who hear that discouraging little voice whispering, "You're not holy enough." For that reason, I think this book could serve as a thoughtful gift to someone in the process of discernment.
The story of Fr. Martin hits on some pretty interesting topics. For example: his first career as a corporate man who makes good money, but is probably too overworked to enjoy it. Also, it's interesting to see those around him (e.g. friends, co-workers, etc) react to his discernment process and entrance into the Society of Jesus as a seminarian.
The real story, though, is Fr. Martin's own reflections on the meaning of his journey to the priesthood, and the comparisons to his life "in the world."
Personally, I identified (sadly) with his story of someone who "grew up" as a Catholic, and yet reached adulthood without a deep understanding of the Catholic Faith, its teachings or its traditions. Fr. Martin confronted his religious illiteracy, even if he felt silly asking what might have been seen as simple questions.
Possible Negatives
Fr. Martin is a "down-to-earth" person who lives in the real world. He is someone that is easy to identify with. He's a sinner--just like the rest of us. On the other hand, seeing his "warts," I sometimes felt that there was an ambiguous message about how to deal with our own imperfections. For example, should we see these imperfections and say, "that's just who I am"? Or, should we follow the Gospel message of Our Lord, to "Be Perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect"? (Matt 5:48)
Also, Fr. Martin clearly lived the Gospel message to serve those who are in need. I don't mean to belittle these good works which are worthy of imitation; but, sometimes I fear that people make temporal good works the primary goal of religion, instead of the salvation of souls.
Overall, I recommend Fr. Martin's enjoyable, well-written vocation story.
Another great book by Martin!!.......2006-05-07
I have not been disappointed yet by the work of James Martin, SJ. I appreciate the honesty of his experience. I believe that the issues he presents in this book that surround religious formation are well written. I do share the opinion of one customer reviewer on Amazon.com who presents a concern about Martin's lack of transparency on the issue of sexuality and the vow of celibacy. HOWEVER, having perhaps a unique insight into religious life from my own experiences in formation, I can attest to the fact that the vows of poverty and obedience are much more divisive in community life than celibacy - and that celibacy is more often the heated issue of those outside religious communities looking inward with curiosity.
I have shared this book with a number of other religious and lay people alike with the recommendation that this is another well-written James Martin book that is candid, humorous and honest.
You will not be disappointed.
Great story........2003-07-28
Martin's personal journey of faith, which eventually led him into the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), is quite a story. He was a young successful business man rising quickly through the corporate ranks at General Electric. But the "unseen hook" brought him to change dramatically - literally from riches to poverty. The reader gets a sense of Martin's sincerity as they journey with him through his younger years in business, and eventually, his experience as a Jesuit novice.
Though the story itself is powerful, I rated this book with only three stars because I found Martin's prose to be lacking at some points in the story. Perhaps I'm being harsh; forgive me.
I recommend this book to any reader who wishes to understand the Catholic preisthood better, especially those young men considering joining the Jesuits.
A Great Read.......2002-02-06
James Martin's book is just the right thing for anyone with an interest in the contemporary Catholic Church. It's especially helpful for those thinking of joining a religious order or becoming a priest--or those who are interested in why a person would make such a commitment in this day and age. Martin's writing style makes this a personal and provocative read. One of the reviewers on the back cover says Martin is a Thomas Merton for this time--perhaps, but in his own style. I'd highly recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in religion.
Product Description
Two fundamentally different business models of capitalism are operating in the business world today. One is self-destructive and increasingly corrupt. The other is emergent, flourishing, and inspirational. The author explains the differences between the two and reveals the extraordinary results of the more successful model. Profit for Life draws on nearly forty years of research on the empirical connections between stewardship and profitability.
Customer Reviews:
Review of Profit for Life: How Capitalism Excels by Joseph H. Bragdon.......2007-04-08
Profit for Life shatters the old paradigm that success in business means sucking the life from people and natural resources by viewing both as dispensable commodities. By showing us how success in business--including big business--goes hand-in-hand with respect for human and natural communities, Bragdon frees us from the wrenching misconception that profit and citizenship represent a kind of zero-sum game.
Bragdon unites head and heart in one of the most uplifting books I have ever read. Profit for Life offers hope with a firm footing. I recommend Profit for Life to anyone with an interest in business management, strategic investment, or corporate citizenship.
Daniel D. Dutcher, J.D., Ph.D.
Project Director
The Clean Energy Group
Montpelier, Vermont
Book Review for Profit for Life: How Capitalism Excels.......2007-01-31
Book Review for Profit for Life: How Capitalism Excels
by Ann McGee-Cooper
How do you measure the value of servant leadership in business? How can we know it works? These have been two of the most frequently asked questions in our consulting practice over the past 30 years.
In Profit for Life, Jay Bragdon provides us with some compelling answers. He does this by setting aside much of the linear cause-and-effect thinking that drives business these days, and adopts a more rounded, holistic approach that gives us deeper insight into the firm.
The book is based on the experiences of 60 companies - Bragdon's "learning lab" - that broadly represent the industry/sector diversity of the world economy. Throughout the text he describes 16 of these pioneering companies, called the Focus Group. The distinguishing feature of all these firms is their effort to mimic living systems - in the ways they organize, manage and add value. This mental model is radically different from the traditional one that views the firm as a money making machine.
Although it may seem counter intuitive, the living system approach yields vastly superior results than the traditional one. For example, the average equity return of learning lab companies was nearly double the S&P 500 over the past decade; and their excess performance continues as this review is written. Bragdon expects such premium returns will diminish over time as the more effective methods of the living system model become copied and enter the mainstream. Nevertheless, these results are a strong affirmation of the milieu in which servant leadership normally operates.
Servant leadership, to Bragdon, is all about relationships. He says "relational equity" is the foundation on which companies build financial equity. When companies care about people and the things people care about, Employees become inspired and their inspiration cascades into everything they do, including their relationships with customers, suppliers and other key stakeholders.
The raison d'etre of these servant-led firms is value creation - value that permeates all relationships. Companies that excel at such value creation pursue a strategy Bragdon calls "living asset stewardship" (LAS). The fundamental premise of LAS is: Profit arises from life, and must therefore serve life if it is to be sustainable.
To understand the strategic value of living asset stewardship, Bragdon makes a critical distinction between living assets (people and Nature) and non-living capital assets (buildings, equipment and financial reserves). We see this in three contexts. First, people are closely bonded to Nature - genetically, physically and spiritually - in ways that capital assets are not. Second, living assets are the source of non-living capital assets. And third, because living assets are inherently creative and emergent, their value grows over time rather than depreciating as capital assets do.
The operating leverage in the learning lab and the 16 Focus Group companies resides in the human heart rather than in mechanistic financial gearing. This is supported by the fact that they generate consistently higher returns on equity while carrying substantially lower debt ratios.
Although traditionally managed companies have been adopting some stewardship practices in the past decade, Bragdon finds their approach differs fundamentally from those in his study. In the mechanistic view of these firms, stewardship is an add-on that is subservient to their drive for profit. By contrast, in companies that have adopted the living system model, LAS is deeply woven into the value creation process - reflecting the fact that they see themselves as "living" and therefore integral to, rather than separate from, Nature and society.
Profit for Life builds on the brilliant work of Arie deGeus, former coordinator of Group Planning at Royal Dutch/Shell, and Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson. DeGeus' classic, The Living Company, noted that long-lived companies had a collective consciousness, were sensitive to their environments, tried to work in harmony with the world around them, and strove to leave a legacy to future generations. Wilson tells us this collective consciousness is an expression of humanity's deep affinity for life, which he calls "biophilia," and that our biophilic instincts have evolved over thousands of generations of natural selection.
In my work as a teacher of servant leadership, I would highlight the paradigm shift Bragdon describes. The mission of leaders in LAS organizations is to serve and grow their people because that is the source of the firm's liveliness and capacity for growth. As Robert K. Greenleaf said: "The first order of business is to build a group of people who, under the influence of the institution, grow taller and become healthier, stronger and more autonomous." That seminal quote is used twice in the book to describe the power and generative capacity of LAS.
I highly recommend this book and will be using it regularly in our practice.
Ann McGee-Cooper, Ed.D., Business Consultant & Executive coach
in the field of Servant Leadership & growing Learning Organization.
Ann McGee-Cooper & Associates, Inc.
An Extraordinary Book: A Must Read.......2006-11-26
I intend to recommend Profit for Life to all my current MBA students. Next fall I am team teaching an MBA core course that combines Operations Management and Managerial Accounting. I intend to make the case that your book should be required reading and part of the course.
I became familiar with the work of W. Edwards Deming in 1990 and attended one of his four day seminars a year later. I also began to follow Peter Senge's work and later read Margaret Wheatley's book, Leadership and the New Science. Tom Johnson's book, Profit Beyond Measure, has been required reading in my Advanced Managerial Accounting elective at the MBA level.
Bragdon's book has brought the ideas, theories, and concepts discussed by these individuals together for me in a way that I could not have imagined. More importantly, he has not only taken their ideas to the next level, but done it in a way that provides a tangible blue print for how to change our current style of command and control management with its focus on profit maximization to a LAS Theory of Management.
The use of the sixteen focus companies from the LAMP INDEX and the author's ability ability to clearly show the distinctions in their style of management from the traditional management models that continue to be taught in almost all business schools, and the success these companies have achieved not just financially, gives those of us hoping to change management education and core business curriculums a new hope.
Thank you for such an outstanding book.
Joseph F. Castellano
Professor, Department of Accounting
University of Dayton Business School
Excellent, highly readable information.......2006-11-18
This is not one of those lightweight business books that repeats its Chapter 1 message over and over. It's chock full of research-based information that anyone involved in the sustainability movement should have. The publisher is Peter Senge's non-profit, so if you're familiar with his excellent work over the years, this would make a great addition to your library. The author's passion for his subject is obvious from page one.
Book Description
In Sweet Company takes readers on a spiritual odyssey into the hearts and minds of some of the most influential women of our time —Olympia Dukakis, Sister Helen Prejean, Riane Eisler, Zainab Salbi, Margaret Wheatley, Katherine Dunham, Reverend Lauren Artress, Grandmother Twylah Hurd Nitsch, Sri Daya Mata, Rabbi Laura Geller, Le Ly Hayslip, Miriam Polster, Alma Flor Ada, and Gail Williamson. For all these women, their spiritual life nourishes them and serves as a dependable compass for decision making. Written with warmth and wisdom, In Sweet Company tells their stories, their personal journeys, and relates their thoughts on living a spiritual life.
Customer Reviews:
Extraordinary on many levels!.......2006-04-03
There are many extraordinary aspects to this book. The first is that I felt like I was right in the company of these remarkable women as they talked about their lives. Much more than interviews, they are true conversations, and I felt I had been invited to sit in on them, able to see and hear on many levels the depth of what was being shared. Wolff is a master at what she does! Each one of the fourteen women came alive as she generously shared her spirituality with a groundedness that has no room for pretense. Their stories are not about dogma and doctrine; it is about their innermost lives--real and touching.
I was also captivated by the story behind the story: The author determined to write the book following a serious car accident which left her with profound, permanent brain damage, unable even to construct a sentence. By refusing to accept that fate, and working relentlessly to regain brain function, she ended up not only with an insightful book about others' lives, she recreated her own brain from the rubble, re-grooving and rewiring it to superb capacity.
Incidentally, it was a man who first told me about the book. I knew he did not have time for fluff, so I bought the book, and after reading it, bought four more copies to give to both men and women friends. It is an extraordinary treasure on many levels!
Catherine Light, Encinitas, CA
Inspring Journeys.......2006-04-02
Margaret Wolf's interviews with these accomplished and insightful women about spiritual life demonstrate the many ways women have found both connections and comfort through their spritual journeys. Through mainstream religions, personal issues, cultural traditions and thoughtul meditations, these women share with Margaret their own pathways to spiritual places and to finding greater meaning in their lives. Inspirational, comforting, compelling, interesting, delightful and connecting, this is a book for anyone who is on his or her own journey. Margaret's gentle and respectful tone of writing and interviewing made me feel I was right there, listening to them talk to me. I highly recommend it!
A Life-Changing Read.......2006-03-18
I read In Sweet Company as part of a summer reading group two years ago sponsored by a friend's church. There were usually 10-15 women plus the leader,a young female minister. We met in a coffee shop. As we progressed, reading two chapters a week, I realized that I was reading a life-changing book. The spiritual journeys of each woman were so different and so much the same. Age, religion, and ethnic backgrounds were really not the most important factors in their spiritual experiences.As we discussed the chapters each week we each found something important to use in our lives.In my case, it was the discussion of meditation labyrinths. Not all of the authors were well-known names to me, such as Olympa Dukakis and Sister Helen Prejean; however, each of the women has made a tremendous impact on those around them.I will reread this book at least once a year. The result of our reading group two summers ago was to invite author Margaret Wolff to our city for a women's retreat called "Embrace" that allowed women from all backgrounds,religions and races to learn more about spirituality. The retreat was a great success. We have talked about repeating it.I believe that Margaret has compiled interviews with women whose life experiences strike a chord with other women of all ages. She is an amazing woman herself.
Quote from Jackie Nelson, Columnist and photo-journalist with Knight-Ridder, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C........2006-03-18
"In Sweet Company" introduces readers to several beautiful and well known women of varying faith traditions who share spiritual journeys and life happenings with author Margaret Wolff. The book is a thrill to read and discover that, although faith traditions may vary, spiritual journeys can be quite similiar.
In Sweet Company.......2006-03-13
A beautiful and inspiring book. As these extraordinary women share their stories of courage and wisdom and their spiritual life they make this a spiritually uplifting experience for the reader. I loved it!
Average customer rating:
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Living Culture: A Values-driven Approach to Revitalising Your Company Culture
Jan Thornbury
Manufacturer: Random House Business Books
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Book Description
One of the greatest challenges business faces in the new century is attracting and keeping good people. Employees want interesting challenges, a sense of belonging and a vision they can believe in. In other words, a culture which inspires loyalty and passion. Living Culture provides a clear model of how culture works in an organization, and what must be done to change it.
Average customer rating:
- This book is a gem!!
- NBC Lite
- Elegant book
- A New History of American Culture
- A fantastic retrospective for media fans!
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Brought to You in Living Color: 75 Years of Great Moments in Television and Radio from NBC
NBC ,
Marc Robinson ,
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Bob Wright
Manufacturer: Wiley
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Tube of Plenty: The Evolution of American Television
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ASIN: 0471090166 |
Book Description
Great Moments in Television & Radio
"Broadcasting is a great resource in a nation of so much diversity, giving everyone equal access to information, education,and entertainment. That's a powerful equation for people in a free society."
-Tom Brokaw
Customer Reviews:
This book is a gem!!.......2004-12-01
This book is much better than I expected. After seeing all the nice stories and great pictures, it's clear that NBC has been in front of my life more than I realized. I highly recommend this book.
NBC Lite.......2003-03-08
If you're looking for a big, happy coffee table book about what a terrific network NBC is, "Brought to You in Living Color" will meet your needs. If, however, you're expecting actual information (ratings? dates? a comprehensive list of shows? interviews?), as I was, this content-starved book will only make you shake your fist and curse the all-powerful National Broadcasting Network. It's as if the NBC publicity department is offering you a big bowl of jellybeans ... colorful and tempting, to be sure, but ultimately unsatisfying.
Elegant book.......2002-04-13
Leafing through this gorgeous volume brought back so many memories, I had to buy it. Chico and the Man, Jane Pauley on The Today Show, The Gong Show, Willard Scott with his toupee, Johnny Carson, John Belushi, the Olympics (with Ali bravely holding the torch). Your don't realize how much influence NBC has had in our lives -- making us better at our jobs, making us laugh, exposing us to new places and idea. There's great stuff on new shows as well -- West Wing, Law & Order,etc. Definitely worthwhile for the nostalgia and pictures -- it's quite beautiful book.
A New History of American Culture.......2002-04-11
Brought to You in Living Color: 75 Years of Great Moments in Television and Radio from NBC
BROUGHT TO YOU IN LIVING COLOR is a wealth of knowledge on and about the history of NBC, which is also at once a history of network programming on television and modern entertainment itself. More importantly, Brought to You in Living Color, is everybody's book as it reads like a biography, a tightly researched work of non-fiction, and a memoir as it relays many facts and anectdotes (both funny and touching) about many of the milestones in television.
The book spans from the early days of radio to the current shows on NBC. While telling the story of the network, the book narrates what will likely be the most relevant social history of 20th century America. I strongly recommend this for your personal library,coffee table, or as a gift.
A fantastic retrospective for media fans!.......2002-04-11
This is the definitive look at what NBC has done, and it's all here, from Today to Tonight, and literally everything in between. Whether you're a couch potato or a student of the medium, this is "must" reading!
Download Description
Billions of humans and machines are linking as tightly as neurons in a brain, generating and exchanging ideas at unprecedented speed. Living Networks shows leaders how to build organizations that leverage living networks to deepen relationships, promote i
Customer Reviews:
From Conceptualization to Plan of Action.......2003-06-02
Ross Dawson's book, "Living Networks," provides an exceptionally lucid and visionary framework in which to chart a succesful company or individual course in the Knowledge Economy. Through concise bullet lists at key points throughout the book, the author provides a series of critical considerations and steps to develop a solid plan of action for the reader to embark on a voyage into the future of high-value commerce that, in a globalized world of business, will be characterized in significant measure by networks and relationships. The writing is quick and lively and the advice and insight imparted are invaluable.
A well written, clear exposition.......2003-03-06
Networks, networking and relationship building through networks have become a very popular theme for business writing, the thesis being that strategic networking is one of the critical keys to business success.
Ross Dawson's first book Developing Knowledge-Based Client Relationships, focused on relationships between knowledge working professionals and their clients. His new book has a much broader reach, being concerned with the development of network technologies and the implications for business strategy across the whole range of stakeholder and competitor relationships.
The author has demonstrated that the success of his first book was no mere flash in the pan. He writes excellent colloquial English, develops his argument clearly and logically and uses examples and illustrations well to clarify the main points in his argument (unlike the many authors who seem to use examples to overwhelm rather than enlighten). The subject itself is an important one and, although Dawson is not alone in tackling it, his book is the one I would choose as a guide to understanding and action for the practical business person. (For example, I find it more approachable than Verna Allee's The Future of Knowledge, which is written at a more conceptual level and is rather more difficult to read.) It is one of the few books I have read which is clearly informed by an implicitly (as well as explicitly) systemic view of the world.
Living Networks elucidates these systemic relationships and then proposes strategies to achieve successful competitive placement within the systems that the entity chooses to try to influence. Its prescriptions are also based on values that are made explicit in various parts of the book - for example the value on retaining and fostering diversity despite globalization and the importance of operating in ways that build trust.
The book is arranged in four parts: Evolving Networks; Evolving Organizations; Evolving Strategy; and Future Networks (the evolution of business). Each of the ten chapters in Parts 1 to 3 ends with a summary section connecting it to the argument in the rest of the book.
Part 1, Evolving Networks, is a short introductory section that starts by identifying five key issues that the author seeks to explore. These are the impact of networking technologies on:
* the nature of relationships between companies and those they deal with;
* ways of working and relating within organizations;
* innovation and intellectual property, with a particular emphasis given to the importance of open source models of innovation;
* strategy in an economy in which strategic positioning in relation to the flow of information and ideas is becoming critically important; and
* the need for styles of leadership that move beyond the box of traditional command and control and position their organizations effectively within networks, while developing their capacity to recognize, bring together and exploit intellectual property.
Part 1 provides the base for the main focus of the book in Parts 2 and 3. Part 2 describes the evolution of organizations in a systemic world governed by the rules of complexity, but from the particular perspective of networking, relationship building and innovation. The description is complementary to that in books like Moore: The Death of Competition, Hock: Birth of the Chaordic Age, or Youngblood: Life at the Edge of Chaos, all of which provide different insights on the same general phenomenon.
13 action steps are offered for building network presence. In order to keep the scope of the book within reasonable bounds, the important issues of privacy and of intellectual property are mentioned, but not discussed in any detail.
Part 3 turns to strategy. The thesis is that:
Devices, communications, and industries are all converging into one vast space for doing business. This is the flow economy, in which almost all value is based on the flow of information and ideas. Companies must continually reposition themselves in this flow economy, both to meet new competitive challenges ... and to take advantage of ... emerging opportunities.
The single chapter in Part 4 develops 10 propositions or forecasts:
* We will soon be immersed in connectivity [access will spread and bandwidth will become greater]
* Transparency will drive business and society [suggesting that privacy will vanish]
* Collaborative filtering will be the heart of the networks
* Information filtering will be an evolutionary battlefield [marketers trying to insert messages and technology and other means becoming available to exclude them]
* Open, accepted standards will predominate
* almost all value creation will stem from collaborative relationships
* Collaborative intellectual property models will flourish
* Highly virtualised organizations will be a dominant force
* The rapidly increasing pool of free agents will be polarized [the rich will get richer and the poor poorer]
* People and networks will merge [technologies for integrating the human and the machine are developing].
These are of course forecasts or bets on the future. The development of their implications makes interesting reading and provides a possible direction. Whether we want to, or do go that way is another question. As with the debate on globalization, what we can do, what we should do and what we will do are not necessarily the same and depend in large part on the underlying 'rules of the game', including the measures by which we judge success. What those are and should be is a debate that is taking place at the level of societal governance ? a debate of immense importance to us all.
A fun and practical primer to today's economy.......2002-11-04
There's a lot of confusion out there about what technology means to business in the wake of the dotcom bust. Living Networks finally brings clarity to this field. It explains clearly where we are, and covers what managers have to do in organizations, strategy, innovation, and more. It really is exceptional to find a business book that is both very practical, and also such an entertaining read.
No point doing a synopsis. The book has a Website ... which has an overview and chapters to download. And a "blog", so you get the author's realtime commentary too. Bring on the day when all book's have this value-add!
Two (small) reservations. First, Dawson implies that everything he covers is happening now. Much of it is, but some stuff in the book (especially web services) will pan out over the next few years. Second (if you can call it a problem), the book is so broad in scope that it doesn't have the theory and richness of more specialist books. Want to know the latest on network theory and the social implications? Read Nexus by Buchanan or Barabasi's Linked. Want in-depth network strategy? Information Rules by Shapiro and Varian. Mathematical business analysis of networks? Buy Shy's Economics of Network Industries. The key issues in intellectual property? Lessig's The Future of Ideas. What the new dynamics are for individuals? Pink's Free Agent Nation is still a winner. Want the whole kit and kaboodle: what's happening in the economy today, and what to do about it? No question, Living Networks is the standout book. Hopefully it will get some good competition soon.
Eminently practical AND visionary.......2002-11-04
This is one of the most exciting books I've read in several years. Ross Dawson deftly examines the evolution of networks, organizations and strategy. He has more than succeeded in his intent, which is to produce a practical business book that shows business people how to leverage networks.
I greatly appreciated the numerous concrete, practical examples from what seems like every continent except Antarctica, based on exceptionally thorough research. Those examples show how what Ross Dawson proposes is not only do-able, but has indeed been done by various companies.
I intend to use a number of the many checklists for action in my work.
If you haven't read his first book, developing Knowledge-Based Client Relationships I suggest you read it next.
Readers Digest for dot comedy survivors.......2002-10-31
The new way to write books
1) Search Google using the latest business phrase
2) Copy and paste a paragraph from each item you find
3) When you have enough paragraphs call it a chapter
4) End of book?
.....No, go to 1) and repeat with new phrase
.....Yes, write another one tomorrow
Customer Reviews:
Which Companies Have the Most to Offer Workers?.......2006-01-13
Rating companies as "great" is, of course, a subjective undertaking and no two people will agree on which ones are the best. What sets these companies apart from others is their flexibility and concern for their employees' health and overall happiness, rather than only being concerned with bottom- line profits. The management philosophy that these corporations utilize emphasizes the idea that happy employees are more productive and more likely to remain loyal to their employer. Any loss incurred, by offering more flexibility, will be more than made up for by the extra productivity and loyal years of service.
Some of these companies, as described by the authors, do seem like fun places to work. Southwest Airlines, in particular, offers an exceptionally enjoyable work environment. According to the authors, Southwest Airlines employees routinely joke around, play games and pranks, dress casually every day, etc. Employees of Southwest Airlines have often stated that they actually look forward to going to work! That's something that few other employees can say.
This is a pretty good book to read, full of interesting facts and figures relating to some of America's best corporations. There is one bad thing about this type of book: It becomes outdated too quickly. The authors release new versions, but they often go from several years to as many as ten years between each. That's a little bit too long, in my opinion, for this type of book. With the fast- changing pace of business, I wouldn't be surprised if many of these 100 Best Companies have fallen off the list. As a matter of fact, from the first edition to the second, only about 55 companies were still good enough to be included in the revised edition. This is the type of book that needs to be updated much more frequently, like maybe every 2 or 3 years, to ensure accuracy. For example, J.C. Penney is included in the 1994 edition. I would bet that, if a new book were published today, J.C. Penney would no longer be included.
Overall, this is an interesting book to read and it does keep your attention. It makes you critical of your own place of employment. You'll start to wonder why your employer doesn't offer any special benefits, like free lunch and the use of a company vacation resort. Who cares about dental and vision insurance coverage when you can have a discounted resort to take a vacation?
If you feel intrigued by what you read in this book, don't just jump up and move across the country to work for one of these companies. Do your homework first! Corporate benefits change constantly. The great companies of yesterday can quickly fall into difficult financial straits, and be forced to eliminate many of these extra employee benefits and perks. Make sure you check before you make your move.
Out-of-Date Information about a Moving Target.......2000-12-29
The only way this book can help you is if you first read the latest list of best places to work published in a business magazine. Compare the that list with this one, and then read about the companies in this volume that appear on both lists. That will give you a sense of where the company's environment was back in the early 1990s. That consistency of being a superior place to work increases the likelihood that you will have located a place that will continue to be a good place to work in the future.
As the authors point out, between 1984 (when they published the original research on this subject) and 1994 (when this paperback edition was published) only 55 of the original 100 companies persisted on the list. I suspect that the fallout since 1994 has been even greater. The list contains many companies that went through dire times in the 1990s like Armstrong, Compaq, Cray, Cummins Engine, Donnelly, DuPont, Hewlett-Packard, Inland Steel, Kellogg, 3M, Motorola, J.C. Penney, Tandem, and Xerox. In fact, companies that are riding for a fall in their business peformance are often the ones that have been great places to work. Before its performance plummeted in the early 1990s, IBM used to be on the list . . . just before it laid off an enormous percentage of the total workforce.
So a weakness of this backward-looking research is that it is not very good at predicting what will be the best companies to work for. The list is obviously dominated by very big companies, and they are the ones that offer the least job stability these days, even though the authors try to make the opposite point. "Job security is not a relic of the past for them."
The more obvious point is that for tens of millions of Americans the best employer is themselves. That point is not considered in this book.
The majority of the organizations and companies that will provide the best pay/benefits, opportunities, job security, pride in work/company, openness/fairness, and camaraderie/friendliness (the criteria for selection by the authors) in the next 10 years either were tiny or did not exist in 1994. So you need more contemporary sources for your search.
A good example of the need for newer information is that many companies now encourage you to work at home, due to the Internet. If you want to do that, this book won't help you find those companies. If you want to avoid doing that, this book won't help you avoid those companies.
My main concern about studies like this is that they focus your attention on what your employer can do for you. I suspect that thinking about your personal life goals would be a better starting point. Then, within those goals, what kind of career works best for the future in light of important future trends? Then, what jobs should you consider to develop that career? Next, should you work for someone else or be on your own? Finally, how should you screen potential employers to meet your personal criteria? After you have finished doing all that thinking, I doubt if this book will be very helpful to you.
Don't let the old paradigm of the employer as the source of paternalism and stability distort your judgment of what's right for you!
Make your life a joy by following the road to health, happiness, peace, and prosperity!
100 best companies and over1000 ways to manage people well.......2000-04-02
found the research very informative. The book has very elegant style of writingand tons of data. As HR consultant i used the book extensively to educate a number of my colleagues in innovating with hrm policies
Carrier.......1999-12-25
I am computer professional and i search a job of compute
Out of date.......1998-11-29
This guide is out of date. In my opinion, a much more current, and insightful, insider's view of work life at top companies can be found in the Vault Reports career guides (and individual reports on major employers.)
Book Description
All women long for the enjoyment, counsel and emotional support found in close relationships. However, although they might wish that strong friendships would just "happen," they generally find that they require skill and effort. In the Company of Women gives insight into the art of friendship, offering wisdom and practical advice into how a woman can make-and nurture-lifelong relationships with other women. Whether a woman is single or married, employed or parenting full-time, In the Company of Women will give her tips for building stronger, closer relationships with her mother, sisters, daughters, friends, mentors and peers throughout every phase of her life.
Customer Reviews:
The ultimate manual for relationships!.......1997-05-02
This book is the how-to manual for coping with a lousy relationship with your mother and how to have a good relationship with your daughter. It covers friendships with women, why women need friendships with other women, the care and feeding of your female friendships and what to do when a friendship ends. It also explores the important role of mentoring. This book is a gold mine! Well worth reading
Books:
- Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future
- Unconventional Success: A Fundamental Approach to Personal Investment
- Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies, Fourth Edition
- Web-Based Training: Designing e-Learning Experiences (With CD-ROM)
- Weekend Knitting: 50 Unique Projects and Ideas
- Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, Third Edition (PMBOK Guides)
- A Practical Guide to Information Systems Process Improvement
- Ageless Marketing: Strategies for Reaching the Hearts and Minds of the New Customer Majority
- Analysis of Financial Time Series, 2nd Edition (Wiley Series in Probability and Statistics)
Books Index
Books Home
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Treasure Hunt: Inside the Mind of the New Consumer
Let Them Eat Cake: Marketing Luxury to the Masses - As well as the Classes
Mass Affluence: Seven New Rules of Marketing to Today's Consumer
Living It Up : America's Love Affair with Luxury
Why We Buy: The Science Of Shopping
