Help protect your family and your assets, and save on legal fees! Quicken WillMaker Plus Estate Planning Essential 2007 Edition provides the legal forms you need. So comprehensive, the CD-ROM assembles your forms from among 40,000 document possibilities -- but so easy to use, you'll have them finished in minutes.
Important documents for executors
The CD-ROM also provides forms you can use every day, such as authorizations and agreements, child and elder care forms, promissory notes and documents to help you repair your credit.
For each document, Quicken WillMaker Plus Estate Planning Essentials 2007 Edition takes you through a step-by-step interview. Your documents will automatically reflect the laws of your state. If you have any questions, simply check out the comprehensive onscreen legal manual. Expert tech support is also available.
Need to know more? Here are in-depth details about what you can do with Quicken WillMaker Plus Estate Planning Essentials 2007 Edition:
Your Will
Provide for family, friends and charities. Name a personal guardian to care for young children. Specify the executor (or "personal representative") of your estate. Select a trusted person to manage property left to young people. Revise and update your will whenever you like.
Your Living Trust
Make a basic trust, whether you're married or single. If married, you can create a AB trust (or bypass trust) and spare your heirs from potentially heavy estate taxes. Create subtrusts for minor children and young adults. Name custodians for property left to children. Change or revoke your trust at any time.
Your Health Care Directive lets people who care for you make important decisions about your life and health when you can't. Create a:
NEW! Health Care Power of Attorney Permit a loved one to make important medical decisions for you if you are unable to do so yourself.
Living Will
Specify whether you want your life prolonged through artificial means. Appoint someone to make sure your wishes are carried out.
Your Financial Power of Attorney
Name someone to make your financial decisions, in case you are medically incapacitated. Don't worry, you can grant as much authority as you wish.
Your Final Arrangements
Plan a funeral or other ceremony. Clarify whether you want a cremation or burial. Select someone to oversee your final arrangements -- and more!
Documents for Your Executor
Make sure your executor ("personal representative" in some states) has all the forms and instructions he or she needs to do the job: Checklists, letters, notices, claim forms -- and more.
Personal Finance Documents
Over a dozen forms that let you handle financial situations you might face on any given day, such as disputing a credit card charge, lending or borrowing money to friends or family, creating bills of sale -- and more!
Home & Family Documents
Whether you need to authorize someone to travel with your child to another country, want to lend your car to a friend, or create an agreement with a trusted person to take care of your elderly parent, Quicken WillMaker Plus can handle all these family situations -- and many more!
Estate planning documents not valid in Louisiana.
Customer Reviews:
very thorough.......2007-09-25
Probably the best product available. I bought the book plus CD. The book is very detailed and covers most topics you would want to know about in case you pass on. I feel I have a good understanding of the process. Estate planning is somewhat complex and takes time. You must read the book before plugging in the software so you will understand the major decisions you must make.
This package will crank out straight forward, no nonsense wills and related paperwork that is valid and binding. You do not need a lawyer. However if you have anything complicated or involves many conditions, you better pay the lawyers fees.
It's OK but won't work on Mac.......2007-09-12
I have not used all the pieces of this and it has some limitations but it is a cheap way to get a will I guess. I am mostly annoyed that they don't make it for Mac which makes it a bigger hassle for me since I am a Mac user.
Very good if your needs are basic.......2007-08-24
My wife and I bought this product before we went on an out of the country vacation and left our toddler with relatives. We wanted to have the peace of mind that our intentions were documented and known. Our situation is not complex so we found the program and documentation to be very accommodating.
I would guess that someone who had a great deal of acquired wealth and assests, or a complex family system may want to invest in an attorney's assistance.
Easy to use product........2007-08-23
WillMaker was simple to use, and didn't take much time at all. It is a great way to get your affairs in order. It's not easy to think about death, but I think it is important, so those who survive you don't have as many difficult issues around one's death.
This program also has some other useful legal programs such as childcare contracts.
Lots of Reading but Well Worth It.......2007-08-08
I didn't want to go to a lawyer and spend lots of $ on the very little money I have. The software comes with a very detailed book and explains everything very well. I did actually write my will that day and living will as well.I just have to get it signed by witnesses and notarized. I didn't give it a perfect 5 b/c there is no such thing as perfect. That's just my own opinion. Well worth the money and the software goes through the will process step by step.
Book Description
What makes an effective executive?
The measure of the executive, Peter F. Drucker reminds us, is the ability to "get the right things done." This usually involves doing what other people have overlooked as well as avoiding what is unproductive. Intelligence, imagination, and knowledge may all be wasted in an executive job without the acquired habits of mind that mold them into results.
Drucker identifies five practices essential to business effectiveness that can, and must, be learned:
- Managing time
- Choosing what to contribute to the organization
- Knowing where and how to mobilize strength for best effect
- Setting the right priorities
- Knitting all of them together with effective decision-making
Ranging widely through the annals of business and government, Peter F. Drucker demonstrates the distinctive skill of the executive and offers fresh insights into old and seemingly obvious business situations.
Customer Reviews:
Getting the Right Things Done vs. Doing Things Right.......2007-09-06
The breadth of Drucker's knowledge and insights never cease to amaze me, and goes to reinforce my perception - as well as that of many others - that he is, in fact, "the founding father of the science of management." That's the reason I quoted him seven times - on seven different management topics - in by book, The Three Pillars of Sustainable Profit & Growth The Three Pillars of Sustainable Profit and Growth.
The essence of The Effective Executive is this: not too long ago, the business community was essentially engaged in manufacturing where the need was for efficiency - the ability to do things right.
As our business world evolved into service and science-oriented enterprises, employees became "knowledge workers" as opposed to "manual workers." Thus, a whole new set of executive qualifications were required - the key one being effectiveness - the ability to get the right things done.
He goes on to point out that intelligence, knowledge and imagination are common in most executives, and they were the primary qualities needed when our business world was engaged in manufacturing and manual workers. However, with the emergence of the service/science-oriented business world and the knowledge worker, these same qualities appear to have little correlation with an executive's effectiveness. Today's business world needs executives who can get the right things done.
True Drucker.......2007-07-21
Trust Drucker to give you the best info on management.
Kishore Dharmarajan
Author of Eightstorm: 8-Step Brainstorming for Innovative Managers
Finally, an actual executive handbook!.......2007-06-10
Fantastic overview of the skills on which an executive should focus and how to acquire those skills. I've been looking for something like this for quite a while. Ranks with Good to Great and Tipping Point as one of my favorite books in the lst 5 years.
Drucker.......2007-04-24
IF you only read one management book in your life.
This is it.
Vital tool.......2007-02-07
This is a fantastic book. It is written in an old-school style that is somewhat hard to get through.....but the messages are very clear. This book totally changes the way you think about your role in an organization - regardless of your rank or profession. It's definitely a book you should read at least twice.
Amazon.com
What do the Honda Supercub, Intel's 8088 processor, and hydraulic excavators have in common? They are all examples of disruptive technologies that helped to redefine the competitive landscape of their respective markets. These products did not come about as the result of successful companies carrying out sound business practices in established markets. In The Innovator's Dilemma, author Clayton M. Christensen shows how these and other products cut into the low end of the marketplace and eventually evolved to displace high-end competitors and their reigning technologies.
At the heart of The Innovator's Dilemma is how a successful company with established products keeps from being pushed aside by newer, cheaper products that will, over time, get better and become a serious threat. Christensen writes that even the best-managed companies, in spite of their attention to customers and continual investment in new technology, are susceptible to failure no matter what the industry, be it hard drives or consumer retailing. Succinct and clearly written, The Innovator's Dilemma is an important book that belongs on every manager's bookshelf. Highly recommended. --Harry C. Edwards
Book Description
In this revolutionary bestseller, Harvard professor Clayton M. Christensen says outstanding companies can do everything right and still lose their market leadership -- or worse, disappear completely. And he not only proves what he says, he tells others how to avoid a similar fate.
Focusing on "disruptive technology" -- the Honda Super Cub, Intel's 8088 processor, or the hydraulic excavator, for example -- Christensen shows why most companies miss "the next great wave." Whether in electronics or retailing, a successful company with established products will get pushed aside unless managers know when to abandon traditional business practices. Using the lessons of successes and failures from leading companies, The Innovator's Dilemma presents a set of rules for capitalizing on the phenomenon of disruptive innovation.
Find out:
- When it is right not to listen to customers.
- When to invest in developing lower-performance products that promise lower margins.
- When to pursue small markets at the expense of seemingly
- larger and more lucrative ones.
Sharp, cogent, and provocative, The Innovator's Dilemma is one of the most talked-about books of our time -- and one no savvy manager or entrepreneur should be without.
Download Description
Revised, updated, and with a new chapter, this book continues to take the radical position that great companies can fail precisely because they do everything right. It demonstrates why outstanding companies lose their market leadership when confronted with disruptive technology--and it explains how to avoid a similar fate. Drawing on insights from a number of industries--such as the computer and disk drive industries, discount retailing, minimills, pharmaceuticals, and the automobile industry--Christensen shows why good management often turns out to be all wrong--and what to do about it.
Customer Reviews:
No Dilemma Here.......2007-08-18
It is the typical manager's nightmare. A startup with a powerful idea wipes out all the dominance your large ogranisation had. It can happen overnite and without warning.
How do you stop this nightmare from happening? Well, the answer could lie in The Innovator's Dilemma.
Kishore Dharmarajan
Author of Eightstorm: 8-Step Brainstorming for Innovative Managers
A disruptive view on innovation.......2007-08-09
Professor Clayton Christensen introduced the term "disruptive innovation" as a management buzzword, the whole book spins around this concept and offers very perturbing views on why being a star performer is a major threat to pass the next opportunity.
First, a definition: disruptive innovations are those that offer "less" in the critical performance parameters of current customers. As a consequence disruptive innovators have to look for different customers than the ones that established companies already have.
To make the point a deep analysis of the hard disk drive industry is made. More than 100 innovations are analysed and only 5 are claimed as being disruptive: the progressive reduction of size from 14", to 8", to 5 1/4", etc. All follow the same pattern: the innovation had lower performance on capacity which was the critical parameter for existing customers and innovators had to find new customers, eg for the 8" drive the mini-computer manufacturers instead of mainframe manufacturers. In fact innovations were so disruptive that almost none of the established companies was able to be successful in the new market. Although current players where by and large able to bring forward the other 100 sustaining inovations without major troubles.
The second part of the book recommends how to make disruptive innovations work, with supporting evidence from examples. This are:
-Create a new organization to deal with the innovation
-Match organization and opportunity size
-Allow the organization to fail rapidly and inexpensively and move on
-Leverage some of the existing resources but not the values and processes of the main organization
-Spend time looking for the right customers rather than the right technology.
The surprising learning is that what impedes that good companies cannot profit from disruptive innovations are that they are good at what they do in their main business not that htey are bad. The hot topic is still when a disruptive innovation is comming how can we spot and capitalise on it, and put ourselves in the dilemma of chosing the best option.
A well laid out, thought provoking and seminal work on innovation.
Repetitive.......2007-06-23
It was a hassle getting through this book, but overall it was worth it. A lot of good lessons learned, but he says the same things over and over again. Read the first and last chapters and you'll be fine.
Business calssic.......2007-06-17
The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen is a must read book for any person interested in keeping their business moving forward or for any person starting a business. Christensen clearly exposes the traps that cause successful companies to stop innovating and succumb to innovative new firms. The material is presented as a series of fascinating case studies with commentary.
just great book.......2007-05-12
Just great book for those considering start their own business.
Would be helpful for bean counters in large corporations too.
Book Description
From cyberspace to crawl spaces, new innovations in information gathering have left the private life of the average person open to scrutiny, and worse, exploitation. In this thoroughly revised update of his immensely popular guide How to Be Invisible, J.J. Luna shows you how to protect yourself from these information predators by securing your vehicle and real estate ownership, your bank accounts, your business dealings, your computer files, your home address, and more.J.J. Luna, a highly trained and experienced security consultant, shows you how to achieve the privacy you crave and deserve, whether you just want to shield yourself from casual scrutiny or take your life savings with you and disappearing without a trace. Whatever your needs, Luna reveals the shocking secrets that private detectives and other seekers of personal information use to uncover information and then shows how to make a serious commitment to safeguarding yourself.There is a prevailing sense in our society that true privacy is a thing of the past. Filled with vivid real life stories drawn from the headlines and from Luna's own consulting experience, How to Be Invisible, Revised Edition is a critical antidote to the privacy concerns that continue only to grow in magnitude as new and more efficient ways of undermining our personal security are made available. Privacy is a commonly-lamented casualty of the Information Age and of the world's changing climate-but that doesn't mean you have to stand for it.
Customer Reviews:
Good ideas but difficult to implement.......2007-09-01
Before you even read this book, you need to bear in mind that the author lived in the Canary Islands under Franco's fascist rule, and developed his lifestyle as a response to that.
This book is fairly good but a little paranoia-inducing, and covers the idea of creating a high level of personal security and protecting your privacy. It's a good idea, whether you're running from crazy killers or trying to avoid bill collectors or just don't want everyone in the world to know where you live. However, for many readers who are immediately spurred to take action, the suggestions are a bit unfeasible. If you have been using your home address for years and suddenly switch to a ghost address (private box or other non-residential address), how are you going to expunge your residential from all your old records? Luna recommends renting over buying, in that it is easier to suddenly vacate the premises if necessary, and so he would probably recommend moving somewhere else and never using that address on any official records, but clearly, that is not feasible for most people.
Much of what he recommends is common sense, like using a cross-cut shredder to dispose of all documents, which would seem intuitively obvious but not enough people do it. Readers of the book should use it as a guideline and follow his suggestions until they feel more comfortable about their level of personal security.
some useful information.......2007-06-14
At least this author doesn't rant against the government and tell the reader not to pay taxes. It is a more reasonable book than the last one I read. Some of the information is obvious, like not receiving mail at your home. Some of it is interesting - he recommends LLCs repeatedly, and just coincidentally happens to have someone in New Mexico who can hook you up. I don't know how useful his information is for the ordinary person who needs to hide from an abusive spouse, for instance. I still think that The Gift of Fear is the best book on that subject.
Ah that balancing act between freedom and law-abiding citizenship!.......2007-06-13
Luna (as does anyone who writes a book on how to maintain your privacy in an age of vanishing private spaces), has to walk a tightrope between being a responsible citizen, who abides by our laws, vs. establishing one's personal space, inviolable and free from intrusion. Although Luna's expositions of the various strategies to establish "invisibility" in the key areas of privacy ( residence, finances, activities, conversations, travel, and personal liaisons) requires significant effort and time investment, his thoughtful and straight discussion about each area, and how his strategies have evolved, makes it clear that he knows his territory, and that his recommendations are products of a smart, pragmatic, methodical, yet prudent man, one who is neither cowed by the myriad "authorities" who endlessly demand and document, and sell, our private information to others, nor (on the other hand) influenced by any "anti-government" axe to grind, or fanaticism. Thus, I felt I could trust his advice. In fact, Luna truly presents an inspiring model to follow: he is clearly living a life both private and peaceful, while maintaining a stance of quiet tough "standing up for" himself, and sharing with his readers his "spunk" and "attitude" as to how to still find "liberty and the pursuit of happiness", free from prying eyes and big brother, in our America. Highly recommended book! Thank you Mr.Luna, you mysterious shade-sporting guy
Keep your money and your privacy........2007-06-06
This book is awesome. I have only tried a few of his methods from his book. It is well written and easy to understand. His website gives you additional information and resource tools.
how to be invisible.......2007-06-05
This book is only for someone who is running from the law, or from the government for some reason. I did not find it helpful for me. The ideas in this book are unreasonable unless for some reason you are wanted and people are really looking for you. I should have been titled how to run from the law.
Book Description
Negotiation-whether hammering out a great job offer, settling a dispute with a client, drafting a contract, or making trade-offs between business units-is both a necessary and challenging aspect of business life. In the business world, confident negotiators are always in high demand. Bringing a difficult negotiation to a successful conclusion can be one of the most exhilarating-and valuable-aspects of business today. Packed with practical advice and handy tools, Negotiation will help any manager sharpen skills and yield a sizable payoff. Contents include:
Plus, readers can access free interactive tools on the Harvard Business Essentials companion web site.
Series Adviser: Michael Watkins
Associate Professor Michael Watkins does research on negotiation and leadership. He is the coauthor of Right From the Start: Taking Charge in a New Leadership Role (HBS Press, 1999) and the author of Taking Charge in Your New Leadership Role: A Workbook (HBS Publishing, 2001), both of which examine how new leaders coming into senior management positions should spend their first six months on the job.
Harvard Business Essentials
The Reliable Source for Busy Managers
The Harvard Business Essentials series is designed to provide comprehensive advice, personal coaching, background information, and guidance on the most relevant topics in business. Drawing on rich content from Harvard Business School Publishing and other sources, these concise guides are carefully crafted to provide a highly practical resource for readers with all levels of experience. To assure quality and accuracy, each volume is closely reviewed by a specialized content adviser from a world class business school. Whether you are a new manager interested in expanding your skills or an experienced executive looking for a personal resource, these solution-oriented books offer reliable answers at your fingertips.
Customer Reviews:
good not great.......2007-05-09
fairly decent ideas on negotiation, nothing new here, but would be helpful for people new to negotiation.
Solid coverage of the basics of negotiation.......2007-01-18
As part of the 17-title Harvard Business Essentials series, launched in 2002, this book solidly covers the basics of negotiation. The clarity of the explanations, range of examples and methodical exposition make it a very useful reference for the beginner or mid-level negotiator. Don't let the very rationality of the book's approach make you think that negotiation is easy. It's just that these instructions make it understandable and accessible. Harvard's expert doesn't dwell on the pressures negotiators face and the resultant anxieties, or give a lot of space to the emotional complexity of dealing with money issues with family or friends. Instead, this is a solid, no-detours, nuts-and-bolts manual. We recommend this book as a primer for up-and-coming or partially experienced negotiators. Start here; when you master this solid base, you can polish your skills with something more advanced.
Negotiating Fundamentals.......2006-12-21
The "Harvard Business Essentials Guide to Negotiation" is an excellent introductory book for laying out the essential basic elements of successful negotiations. Step-by-step, the book explains the necessary skills that one requires to carry out effective negotiations.
The book explains the distinction between distributive and integrative negotiation. Distributive bargaining seeks to divide up a fixed amount of resources resulting in a win-lose situation whereas integrative bargaining seeks one or more settlements that can result in win-win outcomes. Integrative bargaining is preferable to distributive bargaining because integrative process builds long-term relationships and facilitates being future partners. It bonds negotiators and enables them to leave the negotiating process feeling that they have all won. The reason why distributive bargaining is prevalent in organizations is that parties are often not open with information and neither are they candid about their concerns. There is often lack of trust and empathy.
The book also describes the concept of BATNA, that is, the best alternative to a negotiated agreement or the lowest acceptable value to an individual for a negotiated agreement. Any offer that you receive that is higher than your BATNA is good and by the same token, you cannot expect the other party to accept an offer that is lower than their BATNA.
The book also highlights other essential elements to a successful negotiation including the need to prepare and plan, being clear about the ground rules, justifying issues on the negotiating table, bargaining and resolving conflicts as well as closure and implementation
The book is well written and is easy to understand and follow. Recommended reading for beginners to negotiation.
Negotiation.......2006-11-10
I think these types of books work better when they diagram and use modeling as a method to teach. Like many books I read, there was a sense of repetitiveness. I think overall it is a good introductory book for negotiation skills, but not what I was looking for.
Alternatives drive Fairness.......2006-11-05
An excellent primer on negotiation. This text defines negotiation and then becomes an 'essential' 'how to' text with a wealth of information. From preparation to 'table tactics' through 'tips and traps', this book helps unfold the fundamental truth of negotiation - alternatives drive fairness.
Book Description
This text is a briefer paperback version of the widely-adopted Miller/Jentz BUSINESS LAW TODAY: THE STANDARD EDITION. THE ESSENTIALS offers the very same traits that have made that book so successful edition after edition - fundamentally that it provides the legal credibility and authoritativeness of a traditional business law book, while also offering the visual appeal and student friendly features students are used to seeing in books for many of their other courses. Though the text is “fun” for students to read, it does not accomplish this at the expense of important information - it goes into the necessary detail to completely explain law topics. The book truly offers an instructor the best of both worlds - a credible business law source, which students will be motivated to read. Its magic and the cornerstone of its widespread success is in this ability to appeal to both instructors and students without being mutually exclusive. It also offers the most comprehensive teaching and learning support package on the market, with something to fit many different instructional or learning styles - a reflection of West Legal Studies in Business's ongoing commitment to partnership, leadership, and innovation in providing the highest quality materials available for Business Law instructors and students. This text explicitly meets the AACSB curriculum requirements.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book No serial number for online part.......2005-09-24
I bought this book from Amazon recently, they have been great about getting it resolved but from what we can tell after having replaced twice the serial number that they mention on the book is not included in any of the books Amazon has in stock.
A digest of rules too broad for serious instructional use........2000-01-02
The 5th Edition of "Business Law Today, The Essentials" is a slightly pared down, paper-bound version of the authors' hard back college text "Business Law Today, - Text and Summarized Cases, Legal, Ethical, Regulatory and International Environment."
SUMMARY. The book fills the bill as a "Readers Digest" reference work on general legal principles. But, it is too broad in its treatment to be a reliable resource for comprehensive instructional purposes.
BASIS. This reviewer is an attorney with over 25 years experience teaching business law. The writer uses the 5th edition of this work, and used the 2d, 3d and 4th editions of the text, as a required instructional resource in accordance with directions from academic administrators.
POSITIVE ASPECTS.
- The 5th edition of "Business Law Today, The Essentials" is well written and very readable. The presentation is visually attractive.
- It includes new material on the up-to-date issues created by e-commerce and cyber law.
- There are excellent chapter summaries highlighting, in outline form, the major topics covered in the chapter.
- There are numerous marginal references to Web sites and sources for additional help and information.
CONCERNS.
- Content appears to have been sacrificed for aesthetic white space & wide margins. This has been a continuing trend. With each "new edition" there has been less and less textual material. Major legal concepts are given a short treatment of only a sentence or two. However, the interesting and provocative discussion questions at the end of the chapters raise issues which, if they have been addressed by the courts, cannot be correctly resolved based on the information in the text. The result is students have a misconception as to how a principle works or how the majority of courts might rule. When missing information is added by the instructor, student reaction is frustration and distrust of the text.
-Whole concepts have been deleted from text between editions.(Although, thankfully, the topic of usury, a major concept in business law which was totally deleted from the 4th edition, is again mentioned in the 5th edition.)
- Case examples too often tend to focus on the more colorful, unusual exception to a controlling legal principle, rather than explaining the rationale for the majority rule or demonstrating how a principle works in daily business situations. The result is often student confusion, since one does not learn a general principle where the only example of the its application is an exceptional situation where the general rule is not apply.
- Support materials and test bank answers to questions are unreliable. While the answers given in the test bank are legally correct, about 10-15% of the time it is reported the correct answer to a test bank question cannot be extracted from the textual explanation on the cited page in "The Essentials" edition of the text.
Amazon.com
An April 2007 Significant 7 Editors' Pick: Funny, engaging, and oh-so-practical, Send is the ultimate etiquette handbook for email, making David Shipley and Will Schwalbe the "Miss Manners" resource for the digital age. Full of practical insights, Send is an invaluable resource for anyone who uses email, and is guaranteed to help you "think before you click." We are not the only fans of this important book. We asked psychologist, science journalist, and bestselling author Daniel Goleman to read Send and give us his take. Check out his exclusive guest review below. --Daphne Durham
Guest Reviewer: Daniel Goleman
Daniel Goleman is an internationally known psychologist who lectures frequently to professional groups, business audiences, and on college campuses, and is the author of many bestselling books, including Emotional Intelligence and most recently, Social Intelligence.
Poor Michael Brown. During the darkest days of the Hurricane Katrina debacle, Brown, then director of FEMA, the agency that so badly bungled the rescue efforts, sent this email: "Are you proud of me? Can I quit now? Can I go home?"
Emails can come back to haunt us--any of us. Few among us have mastered this medium, and only slowly are we realizing its dangers.
From the earliest days of email people "flamed", sending off irritating or otherwise annoying messages. One explanation for the failure to inhibit our more unruly impulses online is a mismatch between the screen we stare at as we email, and the cues the social circuits of the brain use to navigate us through an interaction effectively: on email there is no tone of voice, no facial expression. When we talk to someone on the phone or face-to-face these circuits would ordinarily squelch impulses that will seem "off." Lacking these crucial cues, flaming occurs.
It's not just flaming--I've sent my fair share of emails that were, in retrospect, embarrassing, too familiar or formal, or otherwise wrong in tone. Email invites these lapses in social intelligence in part because the social brain flies blind. In the absence of the other person's real-time emotional signals we need to take a moment to shift from focusing on our own feelings and thoughts, and intentionally focus on the other person, even in absentia, and consider, How might this message come across?
The peril of being off-key is amplified by the temptation to hit SEND prematurely: before we've thought it over and had a chance to ease up on that too-stiff tone, drop that bit of sarcasm, and remember to ask about the kids.
In the old days of letter writing--a dying art--we had plenty of time to rewrite before sealing the envelope, and so flaming letters were far more rare than red-hot emails. And so the brave new world of email could benefit from a civilizing force, a voice that articulates the ground rules online.
Enter Send: The Essential Guide to Email for Office and Home, a new book by David Shipley (an old friend of mine) and Will Schwalbe. Send not only articulates the way to win--or keep--friends online, but offers practical tips on both email etiquette and on the writing style most suitable.
In this witty and wise book Shipley and Schwalbe give essential guidance on vital matters like the politics of using Cc (nobody likes to be left out); when to just reply and when to "Reply All"; the danger of the URGENT subject (too many and you cry wolf); fine-tuning your greetings to fit the relationship (if you use the wrong one, you can lose them at hello); how best to apologize online (put the word 'sorry' in the subject or else the email may never be read).
But Send is far more than Miss Manners for the Web; it's brimming with fascinating insights. For example, now that email has become the way we talk, showing up in person has added impact as the ultimate compliment, signifying that the person, meeting or project has special importance for you.
Years ago a slim volume by Strunk and White, The Elements of Style, laid out the ground rules for good writing; the book became a bible for authors, widely known just as "Strunk and White." Send should make Shipley and Schwalbe the "Strunk and White" for the Web. --Daniel Goleman (www.danielgoleman.info)
Book Description
When should you email, and when should you call, fax, or just show up?
What is the crucial—and most often overlooked—line in an email?
What is the best strategy when you send (in anger or error) a potentially career-ending electronic bombshell?
Enter Send. Whether you email just a little or never stop, use a desktop or a handheld, here, at last, is an authoritative and delightful book that shows how to write the perfect email—at work, at school, or anywhere. Send also points out the numerous (but not always obvious) times when email can be the worst option and might land you in hot water (or even jail!).
The secret is, of course, to think before you click. Send is nothing short of a survival guide for the digital age—wise, brimming with good humor, and filled with helpful lessons from the authors’ own email experiences (and mistakes). In short: absolutely e-ssential.
Customer Reviews:
Help for today's communicator.......2007-09-30
Hello reader
I have found the help I need at last.
In my workplace people write an email rather than picking up the phone or turning around and talking to the person at the next desk.
Is this the same for you?
And do you find it leads to confusion and endless chains of communication on simple matters?
Here is your solution.
Read it and keep it for reference.
No need to reply.
Regards
David
Send: The Essential Guide to Email for Home and Office.......2007-09-29
Easy to understand even if you are not too computer literate. Would have been helpful to be able to read a paragraph or two before purchase.
Learned what I didn't know I didn't know.......2007-09-26
This is an easy read with lots of great info packed into a small volume. The authors' credentials are hard to beat, and the info is laid out in categories making it easy to go back and reread. I learned many things I didn't know about email etiquette (not just no caps!) and the reasoning behind it. They talk about overuse of attachments (I'm guilty!) and other problems I never thought of as a problem. Enjoy!
EVERYONE, and I mean EVERYONE should read this book.......2007-09-25
Some of the reviews below are correct, this book is simplistic. But unfortunately, most people have lost all sense of etiquette when it comes to email as the book suggests.
Email has become a disgraced form of communication that few people know how navigate properly, and those that do, could certainly stand to become better.
I am buying this for all of my coworkers, family, and friends for Christmas...if only for selfish reasons that it will make my work and home life more productive.
It Doesn't End with E-mail.......2007-08-13
A very thorough and comprehensive book, as far as it goes. Of course, liability and abuse doesn't end with e-mail (or even with IMs, blogs, or social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, etc.) and what your employees do in terms of effective use, or misuse. The area of content (information) management is an evolving and ever-more encompassing discipline. "I.T. Wars: Managing the Business-Technology Weave in the New Millennium" is perhaps the best and most comprehensive treatment - the essential alignment of business and technology for best outcomes and ongoing returns, covering ALL areas.
Book Description
Here is the absolutely essential and totally comprehensive guide to wills, trusts, estate planning, and crafting a personal legacy.
Scrutinized for accuracy by AARP’s legal specialists, this indispensable volume covers every aspect of planning an estate and creating a will. A crash course in one handy volume, the book walks readers through the entire process, from understanding the distinction between probate and nonprobate property to delegating a durable power of attorney, and from resolving possible tax issues ahead of time to safeguarding your assets.
In these pages you will find:
• comparisons of wills and simple living trusts;
• advice on guardianship and advance medical directives;
• explanations of the role and powers of a trustee—and what steps to take in the case of suspected misconduct;
• a primer on marshaling and protecting retirement assets;
• help in planning for children with disabilities;
• ideas for making sure your money stays in the family in case a spouse remarries; and much, much more.
Customer Reviews:
The Good Estate.......2007-08-28
This is a well written, very readable treatment of the subject of estate planning. If one submits to the discipline of reading it thoroughly one will secure the necessary knowledge to ask and answer the pertinent questions of an estate planning lawyer.
Cuting planning costs.......2007-01-19
This book is a must for senions who need to understand the ramifacations of nursing home costs and related retirement issues. Attorney costs as high as $200.00 per hour and or flat fees of thousands of dollars, cause seniors to procasinate from getting their financial house in order. This book does a good job of explaining the need for proper planning and the ease in which it can be done withour having an attorney do ever phase, and prepare every document. Yet it does point out the need for an attorney in properly preparing the more difficult documents. I highly recoment this book for seniors and others also.
Don't Visit Your Attorney without Being Informed.......2006-09-28
As an estate planner and attorney, I know that presenting this kind of information in an easy-to-grasp way isn't, well . . . easy. But Michael Palermo has done it. In Crash Course in Estate Planning, he explains everything from wills to planning for children to protecting your investment interests. The fact that the AARP endorses The Essential Guide is a great indication of the value of the information. The "Hints" and "Warnings" that Michael gives throughout the book could only have come from a real life practicing estate attorney who has faced these problems with clients many times. In addition to having an estate planning practice, Michael is also a Certified Financial Planner and the combination of wisdom garnered from his financial background and legal background serves his readers well. Michael knows which issues take a little more effort to understand, and he provides more detail accordingly. This is a great book for anyone who is preparing to tackle the estate planning process. Palermo provides clear and direct answers to very difficult questions. I highly recommend his book. Be advised though, if you read the book you may, at least in some areas, find you know more than your attorney!
James Lange, CPA/Attorney and author of Retire Secure! Pay Taxes Later: The Key to Making Your Money Last as Long as You Do
This book is outdated........2006-06-21
It is difficult to understand how this book got the endorsement of AARP. It has only had three reviews and the last one was in October of 2005. Being published in 2004 puts the information behind the times, especially if you live in California. As the author of the book "Everything A Baby Boomer Should Know," published only weeks ago, I think AARP should reevaluate what it recommends to us Baby Boomers as a reliable resource to educate our need to know how the system works.
The best advice.......2005-10-28
This is not a "how to" book. It is an exhaustive discussion of all of the options people have in planning their estates. This includes what can go wrong and how to avoid these problems.
It covers all of the possible ways to minimize taxes for your estate and your heirs.
The writing style is concise.
Book Description
This thoroughly revised edition of the best-selling resource A Practical Guide to Needs Assessment offers a practical and comprehensive guide for practitioners who are responsible for
- Introducing a training program
- Creating adult education programs
- Assessing the development needs of a workforce
- Improving individual, group, organization or interorganizational performance in the workplace
- Implementing community, national, or international development interventions
Designed as a resource for practitioners, this book is filled with how-to information, tips, and case studies. It shows how to use data-based needs assessments to frame people-related problems and performance, improvement opportunities to obtain support from those who are affected by the changes, make effective decision, and increase efficiency.
Customer Reviews:
Great work! So simple..........2007-04-04
Having attended a book review with Dr.'s Sleezer and Russ-Eft in Indianapolis recently, I was intrigued with the book and thought I would give it a go.
This work is very well-organized! My favorite part is that the authors make it easy to use the book as a reference to the Needs Assessment process by providing an index of what you're looking for and where to find it. Additionally, a CD is provided with a host of needs assessment tools that, so far, appear very useful!
Needs Assessments.......2007-02-11
I rely on this resource a lot to get started on organizational needs assessment. No information about cost/benefit analysis, etc. but lots of other great information!
This book will be well worth your time.......2005-09-20
I am a technical trainer of 10 years, and manage a group of four.
This is a great book for anyone looking for best practice approaches to a variety of needs assessment situations. Gupta's chapters are organized by the common type(s) of needs assessments, and each chapter breaks down the component steps that need to be taken to complete the assessment.
I think one of the real gems of the book is that she provides lots of examples of needs assessment interview questions, surveys, training plans, etc. on a floppy disk attached to the back of the book, which you can save to computer and work from to build your own stuff. It saved me some design time, and gave my assessment a "kick start" in the right direction.
Not only practical, but useful, too!.......2004-05-04
Kavita Gupta wrote a book that is a must-have for anyone desiring an overview of the multiple ways needs assessment can occur. Gupta begins by setting the context of needs assessment, attending first to what needs assessment is and where it fits into the training or performance improvement scheme. By overviewing the works of Gilbert, Kaufman, Rossett, and others, the author creates a very usable comparison. Persons trying to decide what type of needs assessments are best for their situation can quickly narrow their focuses. (Not all needs analyses are built alike, after all, and they start from somewhat different places.) A review of data gathering fundamentals is concise (just over 20 pages) but helpful.
In "Part II, Getting Down to Brass Tacks" Gupta examines and provides very helpful models for conducting four types of needs analyses: Strategic Needs Assessment, Competency-Based Assessment, Job and Task Analysis, and Training Needs Assessment.
The Toolkit in Part III is invaluable--samples of 21 different forms. By itself, this section makes the book worth every penny. The diskette provided, though, provides each of these forms in MSWord--ready to be opened, customized, and used in real applications.
There is great value in this book--enough description of the models that one can begin using them, references to dig deeper into the models if desired, and charts, tables, and job aids that allow anyone to get started quickly on effective needs analysis.
Book Description
The most successful business book of the last decade, Reengineering the Corporation is the pioneering work on the most important topic in business today: achieving dramatic performance improvements. This book leads readers through the radical redesign of a company's processes, organization, and culture to achieve a quantum leap in performance.
Michael Hammer and James Champy have updated and revised their milestone work for the New Economy they helped to create -- promising to help corporations save hundreds of millions of dollars more, raise their customer satisfaction still higher, and grow ever more nimble in the years to come.
Customer Reviews:
Reengineering the Corporation.......2007-01-12
Very satified with book, shipping, packaging, and timely fachion sent and received.
Burn this Book.......2006-11-21
There is NO EXCUSE for this book to still be in print. "Reengineering" was a trite meaningless buzzword of the early nineties, that when adopted by hack middle managers incapable of thinking anything through, or imagining unexpected results, cost tens of thousands of people their jobs. The authors of this book have already issued their mea culpa for getting so much, so wrong, in the Wall Street Journal. Management fads come and go. Your job is to figure out if the hot new book sweeping through management circles has any merit, or if it's garbage.
I am horrified that this book is even available. If ever there was a book that deserved zero stars, this is it. Stop paying these two moron authors for their incompetent advice.
Collins Busines ESSSENTIALS? Give me a break.
Text on Reengineering.......2006-11-14
Hammer and Champy do a great job of detailing through the reengineering concept and process. They use understandable examples, and communicate benefits, challenges, and necessities well. A bit dry to read and get into, once I got past the beginning, this book moved along nicely.
Reengineering the Corporation .......2006-06-02
The book is written by management consultants who suggest re-engineering the organizations as the most effective way for companies to remain competitive. This entails starting afresh to devise innovative ways to carry out business processes and serve customers more effectively. Managers, employees, business processes, among other things in the entire organization have to radically change so as to save costs, increase revenue, improve quality and serve customers better.
Business process reengineering requires visionary and competent leaders who exploit the vast opportunities availed by the latest information communication technologies, reorganizing employees into cohesive and productive working teams.
This is a well written book with clear explanations reinforced by case studies making it easily understandable to a diverse readership that may wish to understand the concept of business process reengineering and how they can implement it in the organization. They also make a good attempt to rescue business process reengineering from being just another fad of the 1990s and from the appalling image it had acquired for itself as a pretext to indiscriminately retrench people.
One major flaw I see is the perception that business process reengineering is the answers to all problems that an organization may be experiencing and that it is relatively simple and straightforward to implement. That is not always the case and one needs to analyze to see if reengineering is the optimal solution to the challenges of inertia and lack of customer focus and other ills that an organization may be experiencing.
A great book........2005-09-10
I thought this book was very informative and interesting. The writing style used was also good. It was especially nice to read specific stories of successful reengineering.
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