Book Description
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)—2000 Edition is now available in eight additional languages to help project managers around the world.
Each of PMI's official translations includes a bilingual glossary of newly translated and standardized project management terminology. This allows candidates to study the guide in the same language in which they plan to take the Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification exam.
PMI undertook a rigorous, year-long process to ensure the maximum effectiveness of each official translation. Each translation team included qualified bilingual PMPs as well as professional translators and editors.
Official translations: Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Korean, German and Italian.
Customer Reviews:
Most boring book you can read, Good for reference.......2007-10-06
You cannot really read this book. You can use it as a reference, very comprehensive. Must read other book for learning the basics, then use this as a reference for comprehensive guide.
Unfortunately badly written, but absolutely necessary.......2007-10-01
This book is absolutely mandatory to get a PMP certification, which is nearly a mandatory requirement for being a project manager. These days, it is difficult to get a PM job without this certification. And the only way to get it is by knowing this book from cover to cover no matter how dry and 'dictionary-like' it is.
That being said, it is not *that* bad. It is better than, for example, the CMMI 1.2 book. What is missing is why these practices are the "best practices" and why you would implement them - what the benefits would be. Also missing is any kind of comprehensible memorable writing style.
You're not going to pass the certification test by reading this book, but you can't pass without it either.
Good Book.......2007-09-28
A very good book for PMs, since it is from PMI, they have covered most aspects of PM, however, no that much in detail, so not that good for early career PMs.
Very good Book - - Un libro muy bueno, se los recomiendo........2007-09-24
This is a very good book, you should read it if you want to know more about project management.
Es un libro muy bueno, se los recomiendo si estan interesados en la administracion de proyectos.
Do NOT buy this book!!!.......2007-09-24
I really, really wish I would have read through the amazon reviews before buying this book. It looks like a good idea and that it will an informative read. It's a piece of summary junk that provides no real value whatsoever.
Instead of actually trying to teach concepts in detail, the objective of this book appears to be the mere identification of concepts. If you're content learning about the concepts that exist, maybe this book is for you. If you want to actually know how things work and be able to do them yourself, go elsewhere.
Book Description
This updated best-selling, comprehensive resource book provides everything you need to create high performing teams. In addition, book purchasers will be able to download electronic versions of forms and templates found in the book for use within their organization! The third edition provides information on the context teams need to be successful. Organizations using teams to improve efficiency and better serve customers will find information on how to start quality initiatives such as Six Sigma or Lean. New information on different types of teams, and new tools and strategies for leading change are covered as well. Several new tools have been added to help teams work well together: affinity diagrams, prioritization matrixes, effort/impact grids, new planning tools, and additional information on effective presentations. The Team Handbook Third Edition contains a brief description of the Six Sigma improvement method DMAIC, and highlights the methods and strategies that are useful in Lean. Also included is a new strategy for using designed experiments to identify and control sources of process variation. The book includes tools and techniques that go beyond the basics such as creativity tools, force-field analysis, and information to help leaders manage project pipelines.
Customer Reviews:
Moderately useful book used in my MBA course!.......2007-01-16
Moderately useful book used in my MBA course!
Of Limited Use to Defense Industry.......2006-09-12
While this book contains a great deal of useful information on team dynamics and tools, it does not cover the Integrated Process and Product Development (IPPD) framwork which is the basis of co-located Integrated Product Teams (IPTs). Due to this omission, its applicability to the defense industry is very limited.
Dog-earred, highlighted, and still going strong!.......2006-08-27
Like all good improvement tools, this guide for teams has evolved over the years. I began with the original, moved to Edition Two and now have Edition Three. Along with THE LEADER'S HANDBOOK, the TEAM HANDBOOK is probably the most useful and used book I own. Whether you are leading a project team, facilitating your own workgroup, or just want to be a better team member yourself, THIS is the tool you need. Every chapter is jammed pack with helpful tips, traps to avoid, notes and templates to help you be successful. Invest in this book, invest in YOURSELF!
Cal Poly student review, Brian Leininger.......2006-06-03
This book was well written and easy to understand. It gave a lot of information that would be useful for anyone attempting to use teams for projects.
Cal Poly student review Ben Wallace.......2006-06-01
This book was very informative, it covered a wide range of useful information for anyone attempting to improve upon a process. It is well written and easy to understand
Book Description
Cutting-edge concepts, a beautifully illustrated text, and a dazzling array of award-winning design make the third edition of this standout best-seller one of the most highly acclaimed design texts in the world. Graphic Design Solutions continues to provide a clear and comprehensive introduction to graphic design and advertising design, with step-by-step visual solutions that readers can apply with confidence to their own design and advertising projects. A highly illustrative, straightforward assessment of developing winning graphic design solutions for a variety of media-including print, Web, television, and unconventional formats-helps designers think critically and creatively about their work while understanding the demands of the graphic design profession in today's world.
Customer Reviews:
Favorite Graphic Design Book.......2007-09-21
I just finished reading all but one or two chapters of this book for a class where this was the primary text. I have to say that this book goes everywhere with me and has become a favorite. Compared to the other text books I had this semester (and many others as well), this was a breath of fresh air. The writing was never dry and it never dragged. What I read really stuck with me and I looked forward to my weekly reading. Also having the exercises at the end of most of the chapters is wonderful for a student for further learning that truly is self-paced. I plan on doing most, if not all of these exercises for further practice. I am definitely going to have to look into Landa's other titles as well.
Best G.D. Book out there!.......2007-04-04
Was advised to buy from instrucor as additional class materials and found I love this book! Covers from core information to breaking down new media and cutting edge styles. Would not go without this book if you are interested in learning about graphic design as an art and a science. Great organization and use of information -good for any level designer.
Don't pay retail... GET IT ON AMAZON!
Graphics Student.......2007-02-23
I am taking a night course that required this book. Amazon.com had the best price. The book itself has many beautiful graphic illustrations and the text is fairly easy to read. It is not the total snoozer I thought it would be and has many fun projects to illustrate the points made in the text. All-in-all not a bad course book although this is not something I would have ever picked up for personal reading.
Great for Intermediate Designers.......2007-02-20
This book is a big help if you have been thrust into a job where you must come up with a great design for a poster or flyer. Gives you as many or as little steps as you think are necessary. Good reference.
Great Text For Art students.......2007-01-04
Combining great illustrations along with good information, this text truly delivers what many are lacking in. From print to web design, this book explores many facets of Design.
Book Description
This book explores political, economic, and social issues common to diverse Third World countries. It stresses the themes of democratization, modernization, and dependency theory, examining the nature of underdevelopment. The text analyzes the major political and socio economic rifts that divide many of these nations and the efforts being made to understand and address these challenges.
Customer Reviews:
Poor writing and lacks originality.......2007-06-28
This is an extremely dry book. There are no maps (which is hard to believe for a political science book/text) and the charts Handelman uses are irrelevant. The writing style is frustrating to follow. Every section is out of chronological order.
My biggest peeve of this book is that Handelman doesn't provide his own research. He basically paraphrases other works and combined them all into a book. Its a cop out way of writing a political science book. None of his ideas are his and he lacks critical analysis necessary for a good political science text.
For example, Handelmann associates modernization with westernization however this isn't necessarily accurate. Many countries modernize without westernizing. To be fair, many of these same countries do absorb few western qualities but after the initial modernization process, they shed any western values. In fact, this produces a sharper anti-western sentiment as these modernized countries believe that westernization is not a necessary component of modernization. Handelmann does not distinguish between modernization and westernization- it is too favorable an argument that lacks critical analysis. Basically, Handelmann is one lazy dude trying to make a quick buck! Don't buy this book. I had it for a political science course and I wanted to throw it in the trask after reading every chapter. If you have to read it for a course then critically analyze Handelmann's arguments because they are all flawed- bonus participation points~
Enlightening........2006-08-20
This was my text for an undergraduate sociology course. Handelman did an exceptional job in presenting the multiple inter-related facets that complicate the development of Third World nations. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the plight of these countries. My only disappointment was his underlyng premise that democracy is the answer. I suspect that is the belief in most of Western society. However, I am not convinced.
to better the understand the third world.......2002-11-20
Handelman provides what the third world has to deal with to become industrialized democracies. He foucses on underdevelopment, democratic changes. religion and politics, ethnic conflict, women in development, agrarian reform, and rapid uranization among other topics. THe book was published recently so it even has some information about 9-11 and its impact.
Good source for third world development.
Great Textbook and Resource Tool.......2002-04-14
I had to read this book for an undergraduate course on the politics of the developing world. It can be difficult to read at times if the reader does not have some understanding of the developing world or the theories that surround their slow development into modernity. Overall it is an wonderful text for building a knowledge base and an excelllent reference tool.
Book Description
A new edition of the book that took the art of coaching to new heights, this is the definitive guide to mastering the skills needed to help people unlock their potential and maximize their performance.
Customer Reviews:
Foundations of Business Coaching.......2007-02-12
This book is an excellent expose of one of the primary sources, and the development of principles and techniques of business coaching from that starting point. He refers frequently to the work of Tim Gallwey and his inner game books. I was familiar with Gallwey's work, and appreciated the excellent organization, content and style of the book.
I found the book also to be of significant value to anyone who wishes to contribute to other people's success, be it in family, social, or other relationships. Parents should find the content valuable in moving from the control stage of parenting to the empowering stage of parenting.
Valuable coaching classic.......2007-01-10
Whitmore has provided a very good secular overview and guide to coaching in Coaching for Performance (I am a Christian coach). It is easy to read and gives lots of examples of using coaching technique in everyday life and work. It appeals to me as a classic as Whitmore came in at the early days of coaching and writes with clarity and enthusiasm. In this edition outlines its development. I purchased this book as it was often quoted in the Life Caoching couse I studied as part of a theology degree.
As someone with a sporting background I find his many references to sports coaching quite natural, however I can see this as an irritation to anyone who has never experienced coaching in the sporting arena. These references however do add to the readers' understanding of coaching technique and practice. I would recommend this book to anyone new to coaching, but would suggest further study and supervised practice if you want to do more than simply use a few coaching techniques in your worlplace and everyday life.
Good all round resource.......2007-01-10
I found this book very good as it gives a good general background to coaching as well as an introduction to coaching in the corporate environment. There were some parts that I did not agree with as I felt they contradicted the basic coaching principle of always working in clients agenda, but, that said, it is a good overall resource.
Really Excellent Book for Coaching Introduction.......2006-11-07
If you are new to the coaching topic, this book helps give you a general understanding to coaching using the GROW model. Very helpful!
great original book on coaching - still work a read!.......2006-03-18
This book was outstanding when it first came out - and it has truly stood the test of time. Sir John provides a welcome breath of reach air from the often all too frequent US-based and over-hyped coaching genre. Along with Thomas Lenard, Sir John Whitmore is one of the real pioneers of life coaching and workplace coaching. A great book.
Book Description
The menu is an essential part of any foodservice operation. Using the menu as a management tool in every area of operation--from planning the facility and purchasing food to promoting items to customers and providing exceptional service--can help ensure success. This book serves as a guide both to developing a menu and to using it as a control document.
Amazon.com
In the 1980s and again in the '90s, James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner published The Leadership Challenge to address issues they uncovered in research on ordinary people achieving "individual leadership standards of excellence." The keys they identified--model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, encourage the heart--have now been reexamined in the context of the post-millennium world and updated in a third edition. "What we have discovered, and rediscovered, is that leadership is not the private reserve of a few charismatic men and women," write Kouzes, chairman emeritus of the Tom Peters Company, and Posner, dean of the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University. "People make extraordinary things happen by liberating the leader within everyone." After explaining their concept and methodology, the authors detail the five essentials noted above in a pair of chapters apiece that bring clarity to their theories with case studies and recommended actions. The specificity of each (motivating through "the meaningfulness of the challenge, not the material rewards of success," for example, and being able to "accept the mistakes that result from experimentation") is enhanced by advice on sustaining the commitment and making leadership skills accessible to all. The results remain as relevant as when they were first published. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
When it was initially written in 1987, few could have predicted that The Leadership Challenge would become one of the best-selling leadership books of all time. Now, faced with the new challenges of our unpredictable global business environment, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner--two of the country's premier leadership experts--have completely revised and updated their classic book. Building on the knowledge base of their previous books, the third edition of The Leadership Challenge is grounded in extensive research and based on interviews with all kinds of leaders at all levels in public and private organizations from around the world. In this edition, the authors emphasize that the fundamentals of leadership are the same today as they were in the 1980s, and as they've probably been for centuries. In that sense, nothing's new. Leadership is not a fad. While the content of leadership has not changed, the context has-and in some cases, changed dramatically.
Download Description
When it was initially written in 1987, few could have predicted that The Leadership Challenge would become one of the best-selling leadership books of all time. Now, faced with the new challenges of our unpredictable global business environment, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner--two of the country's premier leadership experts--have completely revised and updated their classic book. Building on the knowledge base of their previous books, the third edition of The Leadership Challenge is grounded in extensive research and based on interviews with all kinds of leaders at all levels in public and private organizations from around the world. In this edition, the authors emphasize that the fundamentals of leadership are the same today as they were in the 1980s, and as they've probably been for centuries. In that sense, nothing's new. Leadership is not a fad. While the content of leadership has not changed, the context has-and in some cases, changed dramatically.
Customer Reviews:
Good update--this is a classic! .......2007-10-03
Very good update to a classic. They changed the order of the Practices, and I like the new order. Every leader should have this book on their bookshelf.
Great book for potential leaders!.......2007-09-23
This book is easy to read and easy to understand. It provides the characteristics that are needed by leaders. I trully believe this book would be a very good one for those who wants to be great leaders.
Enjoy!
Kouze & Posner.......2007-09-15
The Leadership Challenge was assigned reading for my online MBA course. It is by far one of the most informative and enjoyable leadership books I have ever read. I highly recommend it to anyone that wants to become a more effective leader.
Typical.......2007-08-11
I bought this book for a management class and must admit it reads a lot like a textbook. I read 300 out of 400 pages and skimmed the rest. The authors appeared to want to write 400 pages of text. Some of the concepts are a little abstract. The book has some good points but stretches in some areas.
Excellent Book.......2007-04-12
Do not let the number of pages keep you from starting the book. Excellent information provided.
Amazon.com
Interest in and usage of herbal preparations as alternatives to pharmaceuticals has exploded in recent years. Having a complete herbal reference on hand is now absolutely necessary for doctors and other healers when a patient wants to add herbs--let's say St. John's wort--to his drug regimen. Should the patient stop taking the Paxil he's been on for depression, and if so, how long must he wait before he can start taking the St. Johns wort, and what's the recommended dosage?
The PDR for Herbal Medicines will go a long way towards answering such questions. The physician in this case would learn, after consulting the PDR, that "St. John's wort taken concomitantly with an SSRI ... may lead to an increased effect and possible toxicity 'serotonin syndrome', e.g., sweating, tremor, flushing, confusion and agitation." The same physician will also learn that the German Federal Health Authority's Commission E, which has studied the effects of hundreds of herbs, approved St. John's wort for depressive moods, among other conditions.
For more information, the physician can read about the trade names, descriptions of all the medicinal parts of the plant, actions and pharmacology (including the compounds and their effects, with citations), the results of clinical trials, contraindications, precautions and adverse reactions (photosensitization is a biggie for St. John's wort), dosage information, and a complete list of literature citations.
The second edition of this mammoth guide includes over 100 entries more than the first, bringing the total to more than 700. Additions include a selection of Asian herbs, such as Buplerum Chinese (also known as Chinese thoroughwax), which is used in Chinese medicine as an anti-inflammatory, and homeopathic preparations; a directory of manufacturers (with Internet addresses when available), a safety guide (don't use kava kava while nursing), and more. There's even a section that lists unproven uses for each herb. But make no mistake: this is a mainstream reference that relies on scientific proof above all. Therefore, this is not a guide for everyone, but for scientific and medical reference, it's a helpful and comprehensive resource, and even those who push the herbal envelope will find much valuable information here. --Stefanie Durbin
Book Description
New, Expanded, Improved, Comprehensive
Building on its best-selling predecessors, the new PDR for Herbal Medicines, Third Edition has left no resource unturned to bring together the latest scientific data in the most comprehensive herbal reference compiled.
The third edition goes far beyond the original source, adding a new section on Nutritional Supplements and new information aimed at greatly enhancing patient management by medical practitioners. All monographs have been updated to include recent scientific findings on efficacy, safety and potential interactions; clinical trials (including abstracts); case reports; and meta-analysis results. This new information has resulted in greatly expanded Effects, Contraindications, Precautions and Adverse Reactions, and Dosage sections of each monograph.
>Indexed by common name
>Asian, Indian and Homeopathic Herbs Index
>Safety Guide
>Daily dosage information for unprocessed herbs and commercially available brand name products >Manufacturers' Index, including name, address, contact information and product list
>Trade names of available products added to each monograph
>Expanded Drug/Herb Interaction Guide
>Therapeutic Category Index
>Clinical Management of Interactions
Customer Reviews:
The "Other" drugs.......2007-09-06
Here it is in a form that can be used for scientific papers! No longer can all the "other" drugs (you know: The ones that have been used for centuries before Pfizer.)claim legitimacy via the PDR. Now there is room for what has worked in the rest of the world.
Great reference and takes the voodoo out of some of the "Natural cure" claims.
Pdr for Herbal Medicines (Physician's Desk Reference (Pdr) for Herbal Medicines).......2007-05-15
Great book for your library
Excellent reference for herbal medicines.......2006-01-08
Being a licensed practitioner of Chinese medicine here in the US, I purchased the PDR for Herbal Medicines, 3rd ed. because I wanted to have access to western scientific resource material about the many (about 700) herbal medicinals covered in the volume. If you're looking for a good clinical or diagnostic manual for learning how to prescribe herbal medicinals, this book, by no means, articulates how to actually effectively prescribe herbal medicines properly. In order to prescribe herbal medicines safely and effectively, they must be applied according to a diagnostic pattern discrimination methodology that is suitable for each patient's constitution, clinical presentation and pathological disease situation. All that said, however, the book is an excellent resource for information about known scientific research, references to other source materials as well as pharmacological, chemical, toxicological cautions and contraindications for each herb covered in the volume. In fact, for this kind of information, the text is hard to beat. No one should use or prescribe a medicinal that they do not know the possible side effects and toxicity potential for that particular plant material. Although some naive individuals believe that all medicinal plants are safe to use, in fact, some herbal substances are toxic, contraindicated during pregnancy, should only be used for a short period of time, etc. This book has explicit information that is consistent with many of the best herbal medicine text books that I own. The book even has ratings by the well known German 'Commission E' board that approves herbal medicines in Europe for professional use. And if that isn't enough, many Chinese and Ayurvedic medicinals are also covered. There is also a section that covers many nutritional supplements on the market as well. All in all, I highly recommend the book to those who want detailed identification, dosage, usage, pharmacological and toxicological reference material for a large number of useful plant medicinal substances. This is a great book to fill in the blanks that many other reference texts simply do not cover.
A thorough and useful reference.......2005-02-19
The PDR for Herbal Medicines is an excellent, thorough and scientific resource that will prove invaluable to physicians, nurse practitioners, naturopaths and others who use botanicals in the clinical setting. Also important for physicians who want to make sure that patients self-medicating with herbs are doing so safely. The various indexes make it easy to access vital facts rapidly.
Most likely, this text will not be as useful for lay herbalists, medical conspiracy theorists or New Age flakes who want information on the the "spiritual properties" of herbs.
Buyers beware on this one........2004-02-04
This was published by Medical Economics and no author is listed. If you're a true herbalist, expect this book to be slanted to the drug cartel's viewpoint.
Andrew Bentley (Alfalfa and Buckwheat) aptly pointed out that info is left out and it says some data is not available, but it is.
Jerry Cott in his review points out their report on St. John's Wort. Do you really think this was not done on purpose? Imagine the dollars lost if people stopped taking the drugs that this herb will sometimes help.
Be sure to read what the pharmacist said. I applaud you as your lively hood depends on this type of manipulation of the truth.
Buyers beware on this one if you want the truth.
Book Description
The definitivve guide to turning casual contacts into solid sales opportunities
In this fully revised edition, Bob Burg builds on his proven relationship-building principles to bring even more clients to your door and helps you attract only those who are interested in what you sell. He shows how to maximize your daily contacts, utilize your tools both online and off, leverage your relationships, and generate ongoing sales opportunities.
"If you're serious about your sales career, whether you are selling a product, service, or yourself, master the contents of this book and you will practically guarantee your future success."
--Tom Hopkins, author of How to Master the Art of Selling
"Bob Burg has long been the authority on connecting with clients and building win-win relationships. Endless Referrals should be required reading for sales professionals and entrepreneurs everywhere."
-- Gary Keller, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Keller Williams Realty Intl. and author of The Millionaire Real Estate Investor
"I've found that acquiring business is the toughest challenge for professional services providers. Thankfully, Bob Burg provides pragmatic and effective techniques to smash that challenge to bits, whether using mail, phone, email, or a polite tap on the shoulder."
--Alan Weiss, Ph.D., author Million Dollar Consulting
"Bob Burg opens the floodgates to Fort Knox with this book. I like the simple, easy to understand, practical way he outlines the exact way to find endless referrals. A treasure."
--Dottie Walters, author of Speak & Grow Rich
"A no-nonsense approach to building your business through relationships."
--Jane Applegate, syndicated Los Angeles Times columnist
Customer Reviews:
Endless ideas.......2007-09-05
I have not finished this book yet but this book has given me lots of ideas and I recommend this to anyone who has any sort of product or service that they offer.
Endless Referrals.......2007-07-04
It is invaluable tool to increase your circle of friend, family and business competitors as well as partners.
It had helped to dramatically explode my business in the community as well as
in many other states of the union outside my home state.
I highly recommend this and other materials produced and published by Bob Burg.
Encouraging guide to generating referrals.......2007-06-29
People think they're networking when they hand out a business card and slap a new acquaintance on the back. However, true networking is all about getting people to "know, like and trust" you. After all, says Bob Burg, this is why people will buy from you. How do you become one of these esteemed people? By encouraging people to talk about themselves. By being the first one to do the referring in a relationship. And, by using Burg's easy-to-apply strategies for attracting and qualifying prospects, getting first appointments and following through. Burg constantly reminds us that if you help others selflessly, you will reap the benefits. In fact, he argues many of his points long after you are nodding your head in agreement, but the points are usually well worth making. If you want to become a high-powered networker rather than an occasional networker, we recommend this book to you.
agents old and new.......2007-05-15
This book is great for new agents wanting to start on a fast track. it is also good for developed agents that want to re-establish themselves. Ideas are only good though if applied. One can lead a camel to water, but can't make them drink.
The real reason to network!.......2007-04-27
This is a well written, excellent book. Mr. Burg provides the reader with some very good examples and ways to build a long lasting profitable referrals business. He bases his book on the long standing of giving before receiving which is even more appealing! This book is a MUST read for any person in ANY business! It's all about networking and building your network into a group of people that you refer business to, and that refers business to you!
Amazon.com
The Copywriter's Handbook is somewhat out of date. There are no references to Web sites or the Internet, and author Robert W. Bly advises that a freelance copywriter have a good typewriter. No matter. Bly has compiled an incredibly useful resource for budding, and even experienced, copywriters. Bly calls his book "a step-by-step guide to writing copy that sells." And that it is: Bly covers the writing of print ads, direct mail, brochures, catalogues, public-relations material, trade-journal articles, speeches, newsletters, commercials, and more. But equally informative is the substantial amount of space that he devotes to the copywriting business, in which he offers guidance in setting up a freelance copywriting business, getting hired by an ad agency, and hiring and working with copywriters (this section also includes a chapter on graphic design for copywriters). This is a terrific book. If you don't take my word for it, take David Ogilvy's: "I don't know a single copywriter whose work would not be improved by reading this book," he says. "And that includes me." --Jane Steinberg
Book Description
This is a book for everyone who writes or approves copy: copywriters, account executives, creative directors, freelance writers, advertising managers . . . even entrepreneurs and brand managers. It reveals dozens of copywriting techniques that can help you write ads, commercials, and direct mail that are clear, persuasive, and get more attentionand sell more products. Among the tips revealed are eight headlines that workand how to use them eleven ways to make your copy more readable fifteen ways to open a sales letter the nine characteristics of successful print ads how to build a successful freelance copywriting practice fifteen techniques to ensure your e-mail marketing message is opened This thoroughly revised third edition includes all new essential information for mastering copywriting in the Internet era, including advice on Web- and e-mail-based copywriting, multimedia presentations, and Internet research and source documentation, as well as updated resources. Now more indispensable than ever, The Copywriters Handbook remains the ultimate guide for people who write or work with copy.
Customer Reviews:
Every copywriter's best friend - a must-read keeper.......2007-10-03
Bob Bly is the master of showing beginning copywriters how to write compelling copy. He also knows all there is to know about the copywriting business.
If you're just starting out in this business, you must buy this book and any time Bob updates it, buy the new one.
He helps you know what to charge. He guides you in the rules of the road in a way you'll understand. Reading this book could be the ticket to a great career for you. So pick up your ticket and enter the world of copywriting.
Highly recommended --- especially for beginning copywriters or those who need a handy everyday reference to refer to when they have a question.
The Copywriter's Handbook.......2007-08-29
Excellent service.
Arrived really quick and in excellent packaging.
Love the book, Thank you!
Breaks down the basics of writing killer copy.......2007-07-28
Before I started my own copywriting business years ago, this one was my first books on the subject. And I still refer back to it periodically. Bob Bly is a copywriting legend who is well-known for making the fundamentals of writing great copy easy to understand. Whether you're thinking about a writing career, or just need to make your marketing materials more effective, this is the perfect primer for anyone who wants to learn how to write to sell!
Good for direct response copywriting, but not so great for ad agency writing.......2007-05-18
Since this review is largely negative, I should admit that "The Copywriter's Handbook" can be found near my desk and I reference it often.
With that confession, I'll take my first punch: the author of this book has never won an advertising award. Not one that matters, anyway. But in Bob Bly's world, awards really don't matter.
Since 1985, "The Copywriter's Handbook," has been a guide to the ugly but lucrative subculture of advertising called direct response. In this world, Bob Bly is a self-anointed diety. Since the book was first published, mobs of enterprising disciples have drunk his Cool-Aid, hoping not for a promised land, but a six-figure salary.
It's true that copywriters can earn $10,000 for writing one letter. Of course, it's a direct response letter. The kind beleaguered with double underlined sentences. Features explained through benefits. Promises punctuated with exclamation points. And, of course, the grand finale is highlighted in yellow: an offer that must be acted upon immediately.
For industrious writers who want to come up with this stuff, "The Copywriter's Handbook," is considered a bible. But for anyone who aspires to create concept-driven advertising, there's not much in this book.
Bly starts this work by taking sides against concept-driven advertising. He explains, "A copywriter is a salesperson behind a typewriter." He warns against becoming "an artist or entertainer." For if you go down this dangerous path, Bly warns, "Your copy will be wasting your client's time and money."
Although I don't do direct response, as a freelancer, I write a lot of stuff that's not artistic, entertaining, concept-driven advertising. I often write stuff that works hard at doing more than building a brand. For those jobs, this book contains a lot of practical advice.
Of its nearly 400 pages, I found Bly's lists most helpful. "Copy motivators" offer 22 reasons why someone might buy a product, a good thing to ask your client before writing. Bly offers interview questions too, many of which I have incorporated into my own. He also outlines different types of ads, which can be useful in finding direction for an ad. Will we do a question ad? A testimonial? An offer of free information?
But for all of his juicy nuggets, so many of Bly's examples read like spam. They sound too good to be true, killing the credibility of his work. So much so that I think his audiences must be incredibly stupid to read - let alone respond - to what he writes.
"Would you pay $1,000 to save $5,500?"
"One of a kind. Is that phrase a little trite? I used to think so until I tried to find you. ..."
"Three years ago this month, a man I know - he was then a vice president of a big corporation in Illinois - walked into his boss's office and handed in his resignation. Two weeks later, he started his own company. ..."
Aren't we past this kind of stuff? Judging by the number of people who make serious cash writing Bly-style advertising, apparently not. I know that I don't allow any of it into my life, not even from nonprofits and politicians I believe in.
Despite the money to be made, you won't find me crossing to the schlock-y side of hard-sell direct response advertising. Even knowing about the profit potential of this work, I still want to create cool, concept-driven creative work. Because unlike Mr. Bly, I know that my kind of advertising can work for clients.
I recommend: How to Write Great Copy: Learn the Unwritten Rules of Copywriting
Nice but dated.......2007-04-12
I read this book a long time ago, long before I started the now famous AUDIN Web Design. I remember it too be a valuable companion piece to my creative writing during my copy writing days in advertising. His explanation of #2 pencil is invaluable and priceless. The use of plurals in copy writing is important. Bly talks about copy that tells a story. He's right. You have to tell a story.
Although I read this book a while back and thought it was excellent in its day, I would hesitate to recommend it to new copy writers of today. So much as change since those days of print. Now with online stuff, there would be a better book. It's still a good book, but you might want to save the big bucks for something else.
Books:
- A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing, Ninth Edition
- Applied Ethics for Program Evaluation
- Basic Business Statistics: Concepts and Applications and CD package (10th Edition)
- Blackwell Encyclopedia of Management
- Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual
- Contemporary Engineering Economics (3rd Edition)
- Death by Meeting: A Leadership Fable...About Solving the Most Painful Problem in Business
- Economics of Money, Banking, and Financial Markets, Update (7th Edition) (Addison-Wesley Series in Economics)
- Economics of Women, Men, and Work (5th Edition)
- Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (7th Edition)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Passionate Nation: The Epic History of Texas
- Jemima J: A Novel About Ugly Ducklings and Swans
- Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture
- Construction Specifications Writing: Principles and Procedures
- Gravitation and Cosmology: Principles and Applications of the General Theory of Relativity
- Goodnight Moon
- In the Company of Cheerful Ladies
- Managing Innovation: Integrating Technological, Market and Organizational Change, 3rd Edition
- Draw 50 Buildings and Other Structures: The Step-by-Step Way to Draw Castles and Cathedrals, Skyscra
- Determinants of Neuronal Identity
General
| Popular Economics
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
PMP Exam Prep, Fifth Edition: Rita's Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam
Q & As for the PMBOK Guide
PMP In Depth: Project Management Professional Study Guide for PMP and CAPM Exams (In Depth)
The PMP Exam: How to Pass On Your First Try (Test Prep series)
Project Management: A Managerial Approach
