Monkey Business : Swinging Through the Wall Street Jungle
by John Rolfe, Peter Troob
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 April, 2001)
list price: $13.95 -- our price: $11.16
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (252)

Excellent Book
Wonderful use of humor and storytelling to explore the world of I banking

Fantastic book..4 stars only because Liar's Poker is better
Much of what I wrote about Liar's Poker applies to Monkey business as well. This book is, in a word, great. Breakneck pace, hilarious caricatures of high powered moneymen, and at the same time very human. Highly recommended for anyone interested in knowing about life on the Street. And it is very accurate; a good companion to Liar's Poker. They detail two different periods in time, and though they have aspects in common, the books are certainly different, and worth reading separately. Yes, Liar's Poker is better..being longer, it has more space to tell its tales. That does not stop Monkey Business from being a true page-turner in its own right.

slam dunk
Having worked in that socially Darwinist and cutthroat institution we call Wall Street, I can attest that this book has it right. Besides being accurate and hilarious, the book is replete with investment banking lingo--hell, there's even a chapter dedicated to valuation! ... Read more

Isbn: 0446676950
Sales Rank: 3871
Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. General    5. Investments & Securities - General    6. Business & Economics / General   

The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey
by Kenneth Blanchard, William, Jr. Oncken, Hal Burrows
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 January, 1991)
list price: $12.00 -- our price: $9.60
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (18)

How to delegate but not abdicate
Just as when parents allow a child to get a pet, then end up changing the hamster papers, walking the dog at midnight in a thunderstorm, and taking out the kitty litter; so do some managers spend all their time taking care of their employee's "monkeys". This book uses humor to teach managers the art of delegation, handing the monkeys back to their owners and giving them the responsibility of caring and feeding. But that is not all. Most managers will profit greatly by reading the techniques of monkey hand-off. This is especially true if you've ever been accused of micro-management. However some managers are great at the handing off the monkeys and then forget to followup on their condition. This book also talks about follow-up check-ups and insurance policies to make sure that monkeys are healthy. As employees become better and better monkey tenders, then less follow-up and insurance is needed. However a manager does need to continue periodic check-ups because he is ultimately responsible for the project.

Great Advise!
Great advise to new managers. I really could relate to the story. Both helpful and validating.

How to make money by stating the bleedin' obvious
Take a "humourous" title, take one sentence (in this case : Don't take too much responsibility for things) and write an entire book about it - don't forget to include quotable phrases that mean nothing.This is the perfect recipe for getting money out of the easiest (and most populous) demographic in America : the incompetent middle manager. ... Read more

Isbn: 0688103804
Sales Rank: 7549
Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Business/Economics    3. Delegation of authority    4. Executives    5. Management - General    6. Time Management   

Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street
by MichaelLewis
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 October, 1990)
list price: $15.00 -- our price: $11.20
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (156)

This Might Just Be Worth Your Time

I you're really into investment banking, or just bond mechanics, don't let the three star rating get you down.I study finance.I liked the book.

I wouldn't say that it is a good book so much as it is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in a) working on Wall Street (for historical perspective) or b) interested in bonds and, again, their history.

Three stars for the general population.For broker/banker/trader hopefulls, five stars.

Absolutely brilliant. A meaty, entertaining look at Wall St.
This is one of the finest books I've read in a while. The book kept me up many nights, knowing I'd regret it the next day, but unable to put it down. For a detailed, first-hand, insightful look at the madness and excitement at Wall Street's top bond trading firm in the 80s, this is the book to read. Even if you have only a tangential interest in the financial world, Liar's Poker will be worth your time. I read Monkey Business before this, and thought that highly entertaining. It pales in comparison to Liar's Poker, however. Highly recommended..it fully deserves its status as a classic.

A symbol of corporate gluttony
Michael Lewis launched his successful career as an author with his book Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street, which is both a youthful memoir and a journalistic look at the inner workings of Salomon Brothers, a Wall Street firm that grew fat trading bonds and then crashed and burned. The book takes place, roughly, between the years 1984 and 1987, and so I wasn't surprised that the book reminded me of the movie Wall Street - just replace Gordon Gecko with Salomon's head John Gutfreund. At the beginning of the book, Lewis has just been hired, quite unexpectedly, by Salomon, and he takes us through his trajectory at the company, from the cut-throat training process to his days as a bond trader in London. From this vantage point, Lewis was able to watch the company, emboldened by spectacular success in the 1980s, become a symbol of corporate gluttony. Along the way, Lewis profiles many of the company's outsized personalities. He also delves into the intricacies of the bond market in such a way that the arcane becomes pretty readable. The book is also filled with anecdotes about the conspicuous consumption of those times and the raucous, inelegant trading floor, filled with foul-mouthed traders who threw phones and insults and reveled in their gluttony. Lewis' revelation was that the company (and its competitors) made profits at the expense of its customers, and, while the period that Lewis chronicles is interesting in its own right, its impact is somewhat diminished by the many corporate scandals and Wall Street improprieties that have occurred since the book was first published. Against this backdrop, Liar's Poker is no longer an exceptional story that defined an era, it is merely another moment in the cycle of Wall Street corruption and ensuing retribution that continues today. ... Read more

Isbn: 0140143459
Sales Rank: 1214
Subjects:  1. (Michael M.)    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Bonds    5. Brokers    6. Business    7. Business / Economics / Finance    8. Business/Economics    9. Corporate & Business History - General    10. Investments & Securities - General    11. Investments & Securities - Stocks    12. Lewis, Michael    13. Salomon Brothers    14. United States    15. Business & Economics / General   

A Random Walk Down Wall Street, Completely Revised and Updated Edition
by Burton G. Malkiel
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 April, 2003)
list price: $29.95 -- our price: $19.77
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (30)

Sound analysis for most of us
I've just finished reading all the other reviews of this book; taken together, they present a fair assessment. I'll only add two points:

1) The following has been mentioned, but probably not enough. Malkiel, at most, presents a semi-strong case for efficiency. The core of his argument is that while inefficiencies exist, they are short-lived and of a nature such that only professionals can reliably exploit them. Therefore, for all practical purposes, the average non-professional should act as if the market is efficient. This, in essence, is his case for indexing.

2) The most vituperative reviews are written by technical analysts - confirm for yourself below. I'll say only this: it may not be coincidence that these particular reviewers are uniquely incapable of spelling correctly and occasionally edge toward incoherence. Draw your own conclusions - I'll say no more.

All-around sound advice
Mr. Malkiel provides an outstanding all-in-one stock book for the educated but non-technical investor.He includes overviews of the financial, economic and psychological foundations for stock markets, as well as entertaining summaries of the history of stock markets in the world and in the U.S.Mr. Malkiel takes a sensible, long-term approach to investing with stocks and bonds, at the same time pouring cold water on various market theories.He approvingly quotes the phrase "the stock market is like a casino in which the odds are rigged in favor of the player" which is probably the best summing-up I've ever encountered when thinking about stocks.Some of his more salient and direct advice includes these gems:

*"A simple 'buy-and-hold' strategy typically makes as much or more money than technical strategies" (p 151).

*"No technical scheme whatever could work for any length of time and ...even if they did work, the schemes would be bound to destroy themselves" (p 167).

*Regularities in stock market movements are arbitraged away over time; whoever spots such a regularity would not tell everyone else, but instead would keep it to him- or herself to get rich (p 168).

*Many analysts are incompetent or are compromised by institutional conflicts of interest (pp 181, 183).

*"The evidence from several studies is remarkably uniform.Investors have done no better with the average mutual fund than they could have done by purchasing and holding an unmanaged broad stock index" (p 187).

*Don't ignore small cap companies: "smaller firms tend to have higher rates of return" (p 239).

*Investors should look for stocks with relatively low P/E ratios and low values relative to their book values (pp 239, 261).

*The only market-timing strategy that makes any empirical sense is to purchase stocks that have had relatively poor recent performance (p 257).

*The stock market goes through manias but is fundamentally logical (p 258).

*Your tolerance for risk should be judged by how well you can sleep at night with your portfolio (p 280).

*Zero coupon bonds can be a good investment if the tax aspects are adequately addressed (p 299).

*"I recommend low-expense bond index funds" (p 300).

*"I now believe that if an investor is to buy one U.S. index fund, the best general U.S. index to emulate is the broader Wilshire 5,000-Stock Index, not the S&P 500" (p 360).

Excellent Primer for Young Investors
The message the author makes here is IMPORTANT to young investors.Most investors are putting their money in mutual funds.Why pay high fees for marginal performance when you can pay small fees to match the market with an index fund?The point makes excellent sense for young investors.
The author makes a wonderful case and some very good points.The end of the book includes recommendations that you can use to build your portfolio.I truly enjoyed and used the information in this book. ... Read more

Isbn: 0393057828
Sales Rank: 143638
Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. General    5. Investment Finance    6. Investments    7. Investments & Securities - General    8. Personal Finance - Investing    9. Random walks (Mathematics)    10. Stocks    11. Investment & securities    12. Personal finance   

The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement
by Eliyahu M. Goldratt, Jeff Cox
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 May, 1992)
list price: $19.95
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (196)

Too much of a good thing...
This book is already extensively reviewed here on Amazon so I'm going to boil my opinions down to some pros and cons.
Pros:
1. Provides an intro to theory of constraints TOC management.This is an area I where I needed an intro and the book helped.
2. Business text in a novel format is very clever and works well...for a while...(mine was unabridged on tape).
3. Clever analogies spur you to think about TOC in everyday life. The main character learns lessons about queuing theory and pipeline throughput on a Boy Scout hike. as well as on his plants floor and other places.
4. Later in the book, the extrapolation to constraints in management policies is an interesting and logical conclusion to the book.
5. Pretty good characters - some of them are more brilliant than the above average folk you meet in the business world- the main character Alex is very sharp.
6. The principles given sound obvious but many times this what the best theorists do - systematize common sense.
7. I like the idea of the scientific method discovering intrinsic order in things that appear too complex to predict.Pretty good informal definition of science - which is notoriously difficult to define formally (read Thomas Kuhn).

Cons
1. Too long...a lot of novel to wade through for nuggets of TOC theory. TOC web sites better source for concise treatment. Got so involved and lengthy it was hard for me to absorb the lessons later in the book.
2. Main character's wife is like a whiney little girl, not a woman, through much of the book - mostly because her husband wouldn't communicate and be honest with her....still a whiney spoiled child.I got very tired of her so it didn't matter when she got better.She detracts from the value of the book.
3. A few inconsistencies in the story - not a big deal - but since it is a novel this is fair game. Example, early in the book Alex says he studied advanced math formulas in college, later he doesn't know enough math to approach a physics book.... It's at least confusing if I am mistaken on this point.
4. Tape editing could be better. Very long pauses between chapters make it hard to know if you're at the end of a tape.Otherwise, the audio quality and reading are very good.

The final tape is an essay by the book's author on his own experience as a management theorist/businessman.
1. Brilliant mind, obviously the genius behind the novel and TOC...time will tell if it as important as calculus as he claims - that's a tall order.
2. Gives considerable detail about his roller coaster story of software companies, books, movies, games - all sorts of channels to get his theories out there.Many times the theories have been proven in the real world - more of this case study info would have been helpful.
3. Please forgive me if I am being too unkind, but I think this needs to be said: Mr. Goldratt seems to have some sort of martyr complex in never missing an opportunity to point out individuals, often by name, who disagreed with him and were later proven wrong.I didn't buy the book to hear these sort of self-aggrandizing charges made against other people I don't know.I bet there is another side to his story and frankly I don't care to hear that one either.Just give me the info (TOC) I bought the book for.This can be accomplished without the constant refrain of how non-understanding specific individuals can be (like the books' co-author among many others) in resisting change while simultaneously showing how brilliant Mr. Goldratt is.

I give the book a good rating because of how innovative it is and how important the ideas in it seem to be.If you just want the TOC info, look on the web for it.If you want some entertainment while being introduced to the theories it's a pretty good book.

He is the best seller that I have even seen!!!
as the title, he is the best seller that I have even seen! very new book with excellent packaging. Thanks a lot.

Concepts from The Goal
The author of this business novel thinks he's the Messiah. The gist of the 384-page book could have been expressed in a page, and some of it is obvious. But it may be useful anyway, and it's an entertaining read.

His schtick is that one can achieve great gains by identifying the bottlenecks ('constraints') that are blocking improved performance toward your goal, and then doing anything necessary to unblock those constraints - even if this means inefficiently using other non-bottleneck resources.

He says that one should think of the cost of each resource as including its effect on the whole system. So if a machine costs $1K/month to operate, but its rate of production is preventing the business from accepting or fulfilling extra orders that would represent $10K/month in profits, then the true cost of the machine is $11K.

It follows that anything one can do to remove that bottleneck would be worthwhile, provided it adds less than the amount saved to the cost and doesn't introduce a new bottleneck. It's fine if you have to overpay for other resources or use them inefficiently as long as you accomplish this.

It then becomes a matter of analyzing and brainstorming all the ways that bottleneck can be reduced. For instance:
- Can extra capacity be added, even if it is less efficient or uses antiquated equipment or is outsourced to a vendor?
- Can you prioritize the use of the bottlenecked resource so that high-profit and time-sensitive work comes first?
- Can you divert work that doesn't need to go through the bottleneck, even if it would then go through another more cumbersome process?
- Can you prevent work from reaching the bottleneck if Quality Control will eventually reject it?
- Can you increase the rate of output of the bottleneck resource by doubling up batches?

This logic applies regardless of the nature of the bottleneck - whether it relates to a machine (production capacity), marketing effort (how much business is coming in), or any other element of one's environment.

To help identify the bottlenecks and judge tradeoffs, one should identify one's goal as a measure (in a business context this is generally profits or ROI), then identify the factors that influence that measurement and create an equation. For instance,
Profits = Sales - Cost of Inputs - Cost of Transforming Inputs
or,
Return On Investment = (Sales - Cost of Inputs - Cost of Transforming Inputs) / Money Trapped In Unfinished Goods And Inventory

Essentially, his thesis is that by focusing on these bottlenecks, and analyzing and brainstorming their solutions, one takes advantage of the 80/20 rule by prioritizing those few factors that most greatly impact one's performance.

The most rewarding part of the book are the examples in the Testimonials section at the end. The testimonials describe creative solutions to tough bottleneck situations. The book doesn't help the reader come up with this type of creative solution - it only mentions where to look for the problem. Here are the memorable examples he cites:

1. A large office supply company (similar to Staples) was losing business to companies that were charging very low prices. Investigating this marketing bottleneck, they determined that from the customers' perspective, the larger problem was the overall cost of stocking and procuring and purchasing and tracking the office supplies.

Rather than competing on price, its owner fixed the Sales bottleneck with an innovative concept, where they arranged to place fully stocked cabinets filled with office supplies throughout their client companies, just like a hotel minibar. They'd visit each week, restock any items that were used, and charge the company for the items that were removed, thereby saving the company the aggravation and cost of even having to purchase or account for office supplies. They also supplied each customer with detailed information regarding what was used, when. In exchange for this unique convenience, they charged higher prices and achieved large profit margins.

2. A printing company, constrained by the number of presses available to print jobs, made more efficient use of its presses by routing jobs to different types of presses in a way that would maximize the total output of the presses.

3. A manufacturing company's output was limited by a saw that cut pipes. They dug up an old, inefficient saw, put it to work to remove that bottleneck, and increased output and profits significantly.

4. In the book itself, the protagonist's factory increased its Return On Investment (profit/money tied up) by shortening the time it took for a product to be manufactured (as doing that reduced the money tied up, hence increased ROI). This was accomplished by removing delays that were keeping costly unfinished products sitting around the plant. For instance, by reducing the 'batch size', a product would wait less time for its batch to be complete, allowing it to move to the next step of production sooner.
... Read more

Isbn: 0884270610
Sales Rank: 4873
Subjects:  1. Business    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Fiction    6. Management - General    7. Manufacturing industries    8. Organizational Behavior    9. Production & Operations Management    10. Progress    11. Structural Adjustment    12. United States    13. Operations Management    14. Industrial Psychology   

The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing : Exposed and Explained by the World's Two
by Al Ries
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (27 April, 1994)
list price: $15.95 -- our price: $10.85
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (86)

Good, short and to the point
"The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing" is a short, consice book about the "laws of marketing".Ries and Trout explain the 22 laws that a company needs to obey in it's marketing strategy, along with multiple examples illistrating the laws.

Some of the laws seem to go against common current wisdom, for exmaple the "Law of Line Extension".If most companies have a great brand, they tend to but their brand on as many products as possible.However this book explains why it isn't a great strategy.

I liked the short and to-the-point nature of the book.It is well written and easy to read.My only beef with the book was that it's a little outdated and I found myself wanting more explaination of more current companies.Plus with the examples, you always have to keep in mind that this was back in 1991 and not now, which makes it a little annoying.

However the advice in the book is solid.A good book for anyone in marketing.4 out of 5 stars.

Insightful, but often incorrect
I enjoyed reading this book and understanding the ideas presented in it. However, it is full of predictions and assumptions that have been proven wrong. Does this mean the "laws" are invalid? Perhaps. Does it mean the authors are to blame for making predictions based on these "laws," that for example, Microsoft will fail to unseat the then-dominant Lotus 1-2-3? Likely.

Then again, some events - like the one above - could merely be the exception. Looking at the laws from a broader point of view, they do make sense. That is, applying them to most companies rather than holding the exceptions as proof at the book is invalid and wrong.

Anyway, I'm sure you will like this book, whether or not you're in marketing. Don't be too critical of the laws and you'll walk away with knowledge you did not have before.

Good read, but dated
I would heartily recommend the 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing to any marketing professional who is looking to get a little insight into how to more effectively market your company.It's got some great points to make and performs that task admirably.

If I had any complaint, it is that the book is really showing its age by 2005.Reading through some of the laws, in which they hold up certain companies as model practitioners, I can't help but be struck by the fact that these companies DON'T EXIST anymore - or if they do, they certainly don't have the same stature that Trout and Ries afford them in the book.I mean, seriously, holding up Commodore as a successful computer company is almost laughable in this day and age.In the same manner, a company like DHL Worldwide is presented as having a firm lock on international overnight shipping that FedEx's own marketing campaign can't break.In 2005, I think I'd rate DHL as a distant third behind both FedEx and UPS.

It's not that the Laws are bad - in fact, I think they are, for the most part, excellent.Just be ready for a few chuckles (unintentional on the author's part, I'm sure) as you read through their examples of companies that utilize their "Immutable Laws" and yet no longer hold any position of dominance in the market... ... Read more

Isbn: 0887306667
Sales Rank: 1035
Subjects:  1. Advertising & Promotion    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Marketing    5. Marketing - General    6. Business & Economics / Marketing / General   

A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present
by Howard Zinn
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 September, 2001)
list price: $18.00
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Consistently lauded for its lively, readable prose, this revised andupdated edition of A People's History of the United States turnstraditional textbook history on its head. Howard Zinn infuses the often-submerged voices of blacks, women, American Indians, war resisters, andpoor laborers of all nationalities into this thorough narrative that spansAmerican history from Christopher Columbus's arrival to an afterword onthe Clinton presidency.

Addressing his trademark reversals of perspective, Zinn--a teacher, historian,and social activist for more than 20 years--explains, "My point is not that wemust, in telling history, accuse, judge, condemn Columbus in absentia. It istoo late for that; it would be a useless scholarly exercise in morality. But theeasy acceptance of atrocities as a deplorable but necessary price to pay forprogress (Hiroshima and Vietnam, to save Western civilization; Kronstadtand Hungary, to save socialism; nuclear proliferation, to save us all)--that isstill with us. One reason these atrocities are still with us is that we havelearned to bury them in a mass of other facts, as radioactive wastes areburied in containers in the earth."

If your last experience of American history was brought to you by juniorhigh school textbooks--or even if you're a specialist--get ready for the otherside of stories you may not even have heard. With its vivid descriptions ofrarely noted events, A People's History of the United States isrequired reading for anyone who wants to take a fresh look at the rich, rockyhistory of America. ... Read more

Reviews (446)

A turn for the losers and underdogs...
I think there gets to be a time in many hardcore history readers' lives when they realize that they know a heck of a lot about American history.We come to a moment at which we feel as if we know who all of the most important figures are by heart, along with the most significant events, the most relevant milestones and the most earth-shattering developments since 1492.

However, after reading a slew of more specific books on the topics that interest you most (be it the Revolutionary period, the Civil War, business history, or what have you), a day comes along when you feel like it is time to read another "overview" that will give a global vision of American history in its entirety.That is what happened to me a few weeks ago when I walked into my local bookstore and came across "A People's History of the United States," completely by chance, when I was overtaken by this need for generality.

It was the PERFECT choice.As I said before, I have always been the history buff, so reading the same once again would have been fun but somewhat pointless in the big picture.By reading THIS particular survey of American history, I was reminded of all the main eras and events, but this time I got to see the viewpoint of the major losers and underdogs, who probably wouldn't be waving the star-spangled banner if they had lived until today.

This is the history of the downtrodden, all those people who we intuitively know must have existed, but that nobody ever seems to mention at school or elsewhere.In the back of our minds, as intelligent human beings, we know that the American Revolution couldn't have been a boon to everyone.And same goes for the Civil War, the uprise of Big Business, the takeover of the whole North American continent, the building of the railroads, the winning of all our wars.

You can take the negative view that this book is left-wing Anti-American rhetoric, or you can look at it positively and just say, "hey, I guess it is only fair that someone took the time to tell the story from the other perspective."If you read this history book, you will then know who was left behind or stepped on in order for the rest of us to reach the wealth and power we are so fortunate to have today.

Brings needed balance.
This history book is an excellent primer for those who want to learn about the complete history of the United States. All of the atrocities that regular history books gloss over are brought to light and this shows how fragile a democracy can be when it falls into the wrong hands.

Unfortunately, there have been a lot of attacks from far right conservatives which have diluted the reviews section. Not one I will point out has been able to list a single instance where Zinn has been wrong or misleading about anything. Instead, the reviews are simply vicious personal attacks that, of all things, accuse the left of being vicious and personal in nature. But then, they tend to attack that which scares them, and if Zinn is scaring them it is because of the information that he brings attention to.

Covering more than 500 years of history means that the book can not go into as much detail as I would have liked concerning some subjects. At the same time, there are very few important historical events that are not presented. Having read this book, I was motivated to do more research and found that all of the information is corroborated elsewhere and even more interesting when coming from a dedicated source.

Well worth reading. It's a shame though that so many reviews that are simply ideological attacks are allowed taint what is otherwise a great system for reviewing books.

The Bible
Title says it all. This book has helped me in countless college courses. ... Read more

Isbn: 0060937319
Subjects:  1. Democracy    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: American    5. Political Ideologies - Democracy    6. United States - General   

Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation
by JOSEPH J. ELLIS
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (05 February, 2002)
list price: $14.00 -- our price: $11.20
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

In retrospect, it seems as if the American Revolution was inevitable. But was it? In Founding Brothers, Joseph J. Ellis reveals that many of those truths we hold to be self-evident were actually fiercely contested in the early days of the republic.

Ellis focuses on six crucial moments in the life of the new nation, including a secret dinner at which the seat of the nation's capital was determined--in exchange for support of Hamilton's financial plan; Washington's precedent-setting Farewell Address; and the Hamilton and Burr duel. Most interesting, perhaps, is the debate (still dividing scholars today) over the meaning of the Revolution. In a fascinating chapter on the renewed friendship between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson at the end of their lives, Ellis points out the fundamental differences between the Republicans, who saw the Revolution as a liberating act and hold the Declaration of Independence most sacred, and the Federalists, who saw the revolution as a step in the building of American nationhood and hold the Constitution most dear. Throughout the text, Ellis explains the personal, face-to-face nature of early American politics--and notes that the members of the revolutionary generation were conscious of the fact that they were establishing precedents on which future generations would rely.

In Founding Brothers, Ellis (whose American Sphinx won the National Book Award for nonfiction in 1997) has written an elegant and engaging narrative, sure to become a classic. Highly recommended. --Sunny Delaney ... Read more

Reviews (301)

How history should be taught!
Joseph Ellis takes us on a welcomed step back from the abbreviated history many of us twenty-somethings likely endured in our school's texts as children, where key moments and figures in our nations infancy are reduced to names, dates, and locations.By providing a glimpse into the minds of our nations founders through their own words and in the context of a richly developed historical backdrop, Ellis allows us to see through the eyes of giants of American History.

And it is only through the inclusion of the human element that we are truly able to understand, appreciate, and savour the names and dates memorization renders lifeless.A common theme throughout is what seems obvious to us in hindsight, was far from a foregone conclusion at the time.Ellis skillfully demonstrates through five stories how the unique personalities and talents of each of the "Founding Brothers" working in harmony and discord steered our nation to a safer port; notably leaving the fight over slavery, intentionally and with consternation as Ellis details, to the following generations.

This, simply put, is how US history should be taught.Not just that Aaron Burr shot Alexander Hamilton, but who were Hamilton and Burr as men beyond their historical contributions?Perhaps most significantly, how did our founders relate to one another and promote their competing visions for the direction our Great Republican Experiment would take?The latter is a question everyCitizen and future citizen should consider.Certainly it is what we should be teaching our children.

I cannot recommend this book in strong enough terms to any person interested in not just learning about early US history but building a contextual understanding of those that lived it.

Founding Fathers: The TV Series!
Reading this book reminded me of a television show.It's a series of 6 distinct episodes that each wrap up quite nicely at the end of each hour.Through the zany antics of the recurring characters you get to really know each one of them personally.Unfortunately, American history is presented in such an embraceable manner all too rarely.This was an entertaining read and a great intro for those who are new to the subject.It has enough insight and quirky factoids to satisfy the buffs as well.Superb book!

A brotherhood of the spirit
I first thought Founding Brothers was an odd choice of titles for Joseph Ellis's recent look at the leaders of the Revolutionary era. One could hardly put James Madison in the same generation as Ben Franklin. But I think it may be a deep brotherhood than that. Ellis's focus is on the relationships among the founders. We know, of course, that they were a group that all generally knew each other personally and had shared in the Spirit of 76 at the time.What, exactly, does this then mean?

What it means is that how they related to each other is as important as what specifically they thought and did. Ellis presents the reader with six episodes in early national history, in each emphasizing some topic and one or more pairs or groups of personalities. Beginning with the Hamilton Burr duel as the exception that proves the rule, Ellis explains how the enormous dislike and distrust that certain founders had for one another could become vicious and personal beyond what we know in politics today. Compared to revolutions like the contemporary French, to say nothing of the later Russian or Chinese, which tore themselves apart from inside, the American revolutionaries managed to remain, if not always even civil, then at least within the bounds of the law. The Hamilton Burr duel, besides being the single noteworthy exception, seems so placid in comparison to the Reigns of Terror that took over elsewhere that even in deadly conflict, our Revolution remained civilized. Moreover, the resulting single death essentially moved dueling from an illegal but overlooked activity to something truly distasteful.

Other chapters take less extreme cases, showing how sectional and even personal differences could result in great acrimony, but also great compromise, even if sometimes the compromise was to agree not to mention something (slavery, for example). Besides the conflicts, Ellis shows how partnerships grew and blossomed (Jefferson and Madison), or grew, shrank, vanished, and re-emerged (Jefferson and Adams). The emphasis remains generally on the relationships rather than any single individuals or particular issues, though Ellis does of course tell us what the issues are.

Ultimately, the reader will judge this work on whether or not these connections seem meaningful or important. One should not underestimate Ellis's skill as a writer, and I note that he managed to win a Pulitzer for Founding Brothers. It is well deserved. To recite the frequently overused phrase, Ellis has made history come alive for us between these two covers.
... Read more

Isbn: 0375705244
Subjects:  1. Anecdotes    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Historical - General    6. History & Theory - General    7. History: American    8. Presidents    9. Statesmen    10. United States    11. United States - Revolutionary War    12. Biography & Autobiography / Historical    13. Reading Group Guide   

Leading at the Edge : Leadership Lessons from the Extraordinary Saga of Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition
by Dennis N. T. Perkins, Margaret P. Holtman, Paul R. Kessler, Catherine McCarthy
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 May, 2000)
list price: $24.95 -- our price: $16.47
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (23)

Simply Amazing
This book is a "must read" for everyone aspiring to become a leader.The different life and death situations that Shackleton and his men faced, and how they overcame the obstacles in their way, is an example for all to follow.

The book is written masterfully, allowing the reader to reflect on how different leadership techniques were applied and how to apply the techniques to the situations particular to the reader.

Outstanding Work!

Invaluable lessons for business or life!
A fantastic text based on an epic journey.The history of Shackleton's ill-fated expedition is a sharp contrast to the modern view which epitomizes personal liberty as the highest virtue.

This book features vignettes from an expedition faced with nearly insurmountable odds that highlight the difficult choices faced by Shackleton and his men.In the face of adversity, they managed to endure, though not without cost.Perhaps the most moving part of the narrative is knowing that, after he and a few of his men made it (barely) to the safety of a remote whaling, he insisted on mounting numerous rescue attempts for his other stranded crew-mates until they were successfully extracted.

I highly recommend this book to anyone, whether or not you are involved in business management.As a father, I found many of the examples and stories inspirational, and I have shared them with my children to teach them the virtues of perseverence and the responsibilities of leadership.

Leadership & Action
The author, Dennis N. T. Perkins, shows extraordinary insight in leadership with 10 clearly stated principles.Based in strong part on Shackelton's expedition, these 10 principles are not only clearly stated, but truly make a difference.It is obvious that Perkins understands leadership.The book is easy to read, but takes plenty of mental energy.This book should be read by any manager, and should be considered a classic. ... Read more

Isbn: 0814405436
Sales Rank: 27122
Subjects:  1. 1874-1922    2. Antarctica    3. Business & Economics    4. Business / Economics / Finance    5. Business/Economics    6. Entrepreneurship    7. Leadership    8. Leadership In Business    9. Shackleton, Ernest Henry,    10. Sir,    11. Strategic planning    12. Survival skills   

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
by Stephen R. Covey
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (15 September, 1990)
list price: $15.00
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change was a groundbreaker when it was first published in 1990, and it continues to be a business bestseller with more than 10 million copies sold. Stephen Covey, an internationally respected leadership authority, realizes that true success encompasses a balance of personal and professional effectiveness, so this book is a manual for performing better in both arenas. His anecdotes are as frequently from family situations as from business challenges.

Before you can adopt the seven habits, you'll need to accomplish what Covey calls a "paradigm shift"--a change in perception and interpretation of how the world works. Covey takes you through this change, which affects how you perceive and act regarding productivity, time management, positive thinking, developing your "proactive muscles" (acting with initiative rather than reacting), and much more.

This isn't a quick-tips-start-tomorrow kind of book. The concepts are sometimes intricate, and you'll want to study this book, not skim it. When you finish, you'll probably have Post-it notes or hand-written annotations in every chapter, and you'll feel like you've taken a powerful seminar by Covey. --Joan Price ... Read more

Reviews (582)

Good Principles to Live By!
These are good principles to live by.Covey reveals the principles people use who are at the very highest levels of success.My boyhood hero Bart Starr is a big fan of Covey's seven principles, how can I go wrong?? If you think seriously about these ideas, your life is bound to improve in the long run.It will make you realize it is YOU and only YOU who can change the course of your life.With patience and perseverence, a person cannot lose.Thanks Stephen for your advice.

Jeffrey McAndrew
author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"

Difficult - Beyond the Point

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is full of interesting points and the habits are laid out in an intelligent and easy to follow manner.Even if you go into this book knowing, on some level, all of the habits and their respective value, the mere presentation of them will spark motivation, or at least insight.

The really difficult part of this book is not the content or even the application (though difficult it is sure to be) but the suspension of cynicism.For me the hardest part of getting into, through, and out of this book was ignoring my overly critical instincts and taking the book for what it is--gleaning such insight as is available.

If the reader is willing to suspend cynicism and just blindly (more of a premeditated willingness) apply the tenets to their life, this can, and probably will be a life changing work in a positive way.

Addresses the Core of Our Character
The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People has been a bestseller in the field of personal development since its publication in 1989. A new fifteenth anniversary edition was recently published. I bought my copy in 1994 and it's been one of my most referenced books ever since, second only to my dictionary, I think.

Unlike other self-help books, The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People has a timeless quality to it, as if it is addressing the core of what makes us human beings. It is not a quick-pick-me-up kind of book, and because of that, some may find it dryer and more difficult than the latest pop psychology best-seller. Covey does not speak down to the reader; he expects the reader to pay a reasonable price in time and energy for the knowledge he imparts. But his personality comes through in the sincerity and earnestness of his message, not to mention the numerous examples he uses from his own life (he and his wife have nine children, a sufficiently large enough data sample from which to draw plenty of examples that are both on-point and quite funny).

The individual habits are invaluable. They are explained clearly and compellingly, and by the end of each chapter, the value of each habit seems as fundamental as the value of oxygen. Exercises accompany each chapter so the reader can begin applying the lessons and building the habits.

But my favorite lesson comes from the overall structure of the seven habits. The first three habits are the habits of Private Victory, the habits of independence: Be Proactive; Begin with the End in Mind; Put First Things First. The second three habits are the habits of Public Victory, the habits of interdependence: Think Win/Win; Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood; Synergize. Covey shows us that there is a natural evolution from dependence to independence to interdependence. Independence will serve you up to a point. Then it is necessary to collaborate if you want to continue to grow. An interdependent relationship creates a synergy that is greater than the sum of its parts.

And the final habit is the habit of renewal, which Covey calls Sharpening the Saw, a metaphor so vivid it needs no further explanation.

©2005 Curtis G. Schmitt

(The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is featured in the Turn On to Life! home-study course. The Turn On to Life! Free Newsletter features a new self-help book review each month.) ... Read more

Isbn: 0671708635
Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Business Life - General    3. Character    4. Management - General    5. Motivational    6. Personal Growth - Success    7. Psychological aspects    8. Self-Help    9. Success    10. Business & Economics / General   

Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results
by Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul, John Christensen
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (08 March, 2000)
list price: $19.95 -- our price: $13.57
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Here's another management parable that draws its lesson from an unlikely source--this time it's the fun-loving fishmongers at Seattle's Pike Place Market. In Fish! the heroine, Mary Jane Ramirez, recently widowed and mother of two, is asked to engineer a turnaround of her company's troubled operations department, a group that authors Stephen Lundin, Harry Paul, and John Christensen describe as a "toxic energy dump." Most reasonable heads would cut their losses and move on. Why bother with this bunch of losers? But the authors don't make it so easy for Mary Jane. Instead, she's left to sort out this mess with the help of head fishmonger Lonnie. Based on a bestselling corporate education video, Fish! aims to help employees find their way to a fun and happy workplace. While some may find the story line and prescriptions--such as "Choose Your Attitude," "Make Their Day," and "Be Present"--downright corny, others will find a good dose of worthwhile motivational management techniques. If you loved Who Moved My Cheese? then you'll find much to like here. And don't worry about Mary Jane and kids. Fish! has a happy ending for everyone. --Harry C. Edwards ... Read more

Reviews (174)

Working 8, 9, 10 + hours a day? Why shouldn't it be fun???
Fish! Is a fun book, sort of like "Who moved my cheese" (1)

My experience in several Fortune 500 companies, both as an employee and as a consultant testifies to the fact that Fish! is more fact than fiction.

One fundamental difference is the book's realism. The book draws lessons from an unlikely source of inspiration, the fun-loving fishmongers at Seattle's Pike Place Market.

In Fish! the heroine, Mary Jane Ramirez, having left sunny California to move to Seattle, and then suddenly widowed, is asked to engineer a turnaround of her company's troubled operations department, a group that the authors describe as a "toxic energy dump." Most reasonable heads would call it a day and move on. Why bother with this bunch of losers? Of course the authors don't make it so easy for Mary Jane. Instead, she's left to sort out this mess with the help of head fishmonger Lonnie. Fish! aims to help employees find their way to a fun and happy workplace.

While some may find the story line and prescriptions -- such as "Choose Your Attitude," "Make Their Day," and "Be Present" -- downright corny, others will find a good dose of worthwhile motivational management techniques. If you loved Who Moved My Cheese? then you'll find much to like here.

Shouldn't work be more than grudgingly toiling for 8, 9, 10 + hours a day? And, why shouldn't it be fun. It reminds me of a statement I once read (2) about money myths - "it's not right to enjoy yourself and get paid for it." Who made up this garbage? While reading Fish! is not a magic solution to productivity, it is a step in the right direction. My personal recommendation is for senior managers to read this book first, then ask associates to read with the understanding that senior managers will be open to discuss how to build a better, more productive, and fun workplace.


1) "Who Moved My Cheese", Spencer Johnson. Reviewed in August issue of Byvation.

2) "Money is My Friend", Phil Laut. pp. 4-5
-----

Michael Davis - Editor, Byvation

Not Bad!
I did not want to like this book - it is popular and faddish.In spite of myself, I read it and really enjoyed the story.It is cheap, and with another book, shipping was free, so can't complain about that.The story is fun, but it is up to you to apply the lessons to your own life. That is as it should be.Don't look for a miracle, but stay open minded and you will learn something.Even if it is just one helpful thing, it's worth this quick read.

Worth the read
I read this book after viewing the DVD on the same subject.I think this is a very practical book for organizations or business who have a young team that is still trying to figure its self out.Granted this is rocket science methodology, but it's a truth.

I think if you are going to use this system it is worth viewing the DVD.It gives a good back ground for all those of us that have not made it up to the great northwest (the book is based off the famous pike fish market in Seattle)

The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 was because it really does not get very deep in its theories.But like I said if you are dealing with a young team or a team in disarray is probably a good thing.
... Read more

Isbn: 0786866020
Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Customer relations    5. Customer services    6. Employee motivation    7. Human Resources & Personnel Management    8. Leadership    9. Motivation    10. Motivational    11. Business & Economics / Motivational    12. Reading Group Guide   

The Art of War
by SUN TZU
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (10 March, 1983)
list price: $17.95 -- our price: $12.21
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

The Art of War is the Swiss army knife of military theory--pop out a different tool for any situation.Folded into this small package are compact views on resourcefulness, momentum, cunning, the profit motive, flexibility, integrity, secrecy, speed, positioning, surprise, deception, manipulation, responsibility, and practicality.Thomas Cleary's translation keeps the package tight, with crisp language and short sections. Commentaries from the Chinese tradition trail Sun-tzu's words, elaborating and picking up on puzzling lines. Take the solitary passage: "Do not eat food for their soldiers."Elsewhere, Sun-tzu has told us to plunder the enemy's stores, but now we're not supposed to eat the food?The Tang dynasty commentator Du Mu solves the puzzle nicely, "If the enemy suddenly abandons their food supplies, they should be tested first before eating, lest they be poisoned." Most passages, however, are the pinnacle of succinct clarity: "Lure them in with the prospect of gain, take them by confusion" or "Invincibility is in oneself, vulnerability is in the opponent." Sun-tzu's maxims are widely applicable beyond the military because they speak directly to the exigencies of survival. Your new tools will serve you well, but don't flaunt them. Remember Sun-tzu's advice: "Though effective, appear to be ineffective." --Brian Bruya ... Read more

Reviews (239)

A Good Read
I'm not really a student of military tactics, so I can't judge this work on those merits.From what I understand from the other reviews, and from the ravings of enthusiasts that I have heard, this book is one of the more important books covering the topic.This particular edition was interesting to me because there were a few examples of various applications of Sun Tzu's writings in actual battles from Stonewall Jackson to Hannibal given in the form of notes (I assume by Giles).Since I am more interested in historical events, than in strategy, this helped me understand the fine prose of the writer, even if I am not quite able to apply any of his "art" to my everyday life.I'm certain that a student of strategy would appreciate this work, as would people who are interested in Chinese history.I fail to see how it could be applicable to a corporate environment, but once again, that's not really my forte.I did love the concise method of the author, the easy to follow philosophies intertwined with the codified systems, and the colorful grace in which the subject was handled.The Introduction to this edition was also most insightful, and gives the reader an idea of what kind of man the author was.

Not an instruction book for ass-whoopin'
It is interesting to note that all of the readers see this as a text on war, and how to beat your enemies.The first part of the book should be a leson to all of the war-mongers out there, that is If You Go To War You Have Already Lost.The consequences to your own people and soldiers and even the land must be counted for years after the battle is done.Sun-Tzu explains this well, and proceeds to explain how to wage a war causing the minimum amount of damage and suffering.

A good price, but not the complete Giles translation
This edition of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" (by Sunzi, et al) is the classic translation by Lionel Giles.For the price, it is a great buy, but it is not the complete Giles translation.In the full work, throughout the text, Giles included commentary by various ancient writers as well as his own explanations and clarifications of Sun Tzu's statements.

Lionel Giles was a curator of the British Museum, in charge of Oriental printed Books and Manuscripts.In that position, he was the world's leading authority on ancient Chinese writing, having read and analyzed more material than perhaps anyone who ever lived. Not including Giles's commentary makes this a rather bare-bones book, or actually a booklet.This volume does, however, overcome the major objection to Giles' annotated work which was that the commentary tended to muddle the flow of Sun Tzu's expression.By stripping away the commentary, it leaves a text so clean that it is almost poetry.

Unfortunately this almost poetic monologue can be interpreted to mean almost anything the reader wishes it to mean.To more nearly understand what Sun Tzu was attempting with his essay requires the kind of in-depth scholarship that Giles included in the original imbedded commentary.Without the accompanying detailed explanations, the bare translation is very limited.

To overcome both objections to the various editions of "The Art of War" you should consider also buying a second copy of the Giles translation that contains the complete commentary.Another alternative would be to get the 2005 edition that contains both versions in one volume: "The Art of War by Sun Tzu - Special Edition." ... Read more

Isbn: 0385292163
Subjects:  1. Chinese Prose    2. Early works to 1800    3. Eastern - General    4. Leadership    5. Military    6. Military - General    7. Military Science    8. Military art and science    9. Philosophy    10. Technology    11. War And Peace    12. Philosophy / General   

The Prince
by Niccolo Machiavelli, Daniel Donno
Average Customer Review:
Mass Market Paperback (01 August, 1984)
list price: $4.50 -- our price: $4.05
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

When Lorenzo de' Medici seized control of the Florentine Republic in 1512, he summarily fired the Secretary to the Second Chancery of the Signoria and set in motion a fundamental change in the way we think about politics. The person who held the aforementioned office with the tongue-twisting title was none other than Niccolò Machiavelli, who, suddenly finding himself out of a job after 14 years of patriotic service, followed the career trajectory of many modern politicians into punditry. Unable to become an on-air political analyst for a television network, he only wrote a book. But what a book The Prince is. Its essential contribution to modern political thought lies in Machiavelli's assertion of the then revolutionary idea that theological and moral imperatives have no place in the political arena. "It must be understood," Machiavelli avers, "that a prince ... cannot observe all of those virtues for which men are reputed good, because it is often necessary to act against mercy, against faith, against humanity, against frankness, against religion, in order to preserve the state." With just a little imagination, readers can discern parallels between a 16th-century principality and a 20th-century presidency.--Tim Hogan ... Read more

Reviews (211)

Compelling ... Especially for Despots
Perhaps it is fair to call Nicollo Machiavelli a teacher of the tyrants. After all, this early sixteenth century book has long served as a reference guide to the likes of Hitler and Mussolini, despots who ruled with an iron fist and unmitigated cruelty. Yet, certain aspects of Machiavelli's text might also serve in some capacity to aid a free society as well.

Written by Niccolo Machiavelli (a Florentine nobleman of the early sixteenth century) to a local ruler, "The Prince" is a short text of just over 100 pages which reads very much like a personal letter. The text was sent as a gift by Machiavelli with an explanation that he could not afford to purchase a gift and had written this instead. It is, at the very least, likely that the gift was meant to find the author a place in the royals hearts and obtain Machiavelli some recognition.

"The Prince" is simply a guide. It instructs the reader on becoming a ruler and in the maintenance of power. From launching attacks on fellow kingdoms to conducting oneself in public, this book covers it all. Machiavelli dictates that a ruler must be affable, yet must stand above others at all times. He must know how to please both his guards and his peasants. He must form alliances and know when to break them. He must never let down his guard.

More controversial are the many cruel "necessities" dictated by Machiavelli. Machiavelli unabashedly declares that when taking over (deposing) or otherwise unseating a leader you must kill all of his/her bloodline. There must be no one left to vie for the throne. And that is one of many of the mandates that has fixed him forever with a terrible reputation. One nickname for Satan himself is Ol' Nick, probably taken from the Niccolo in Machiavelli's name. When it comes to grabbing and maintaining power, Machiavelli pulls no punches. His suggestion of eradicating a leader's bloodline harkens one back to the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 Russia, When Czar Nicholas and his family were slain. It is easy to imagine "The Prince" having been used as a reference by many of the world's cruel dictators.

Machiavelli also cites many examples from governments of his time, such as the emperors of the Roman Empire. In each case he explains why the leadership did or did not work and what we can learn from it.

I found this book very entertaining. "The Prince" is as harsh as anything being published today and enthralling, but it will appeal more to history or political fans than others. It is also short enough not to be too daunting a read. "War and Peace" it is not.

While Machiavelli's arguments are valid (albeit cruel) there is one bothersome detail in his work that serves as a blaring irony. Upon exacting on us some barbaric charge that bloodlines must be slain or that untrustworthy officers must be killed, the author will turn around and give reference to God and declare that a good leader should always keep aware of him. Ol' Nick vows to slay and then to do God's good work all in the same breath. Hmmm...

Fascinating. Edifying. "The Prince" makes me more aware of the world around me and even more certain that I never want to go into politics. One final thought is the much-used quote by Machiavelli, taken from "The Prince:"

"Fortune is a woman and must be taken by force."

That's a standard Machiavellian idea for you. Pick up a copy of The Prince, and judge the book for yourself. For those of you who HATE the idea of power and tyranny, let me make a contrasting recommendation -- a recent Amazon purchase I truly enjoyed -- 180 degrees opposite from the philosophy of Machiavelli - it's a book called THE LOSERS CLUB: Complete Restored Edition by Richard Perez, a very engaging, comic novel told from the point of view of an admitted "weakling." Thank goodness.

Great introduction to politics.
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli is a great introduction to politics. Machiavelli encourages rulers to do what is expedient rather than what is moral.

A short guidebook on how to retain political power
In The Prince, Machiavelli advises 16th century Italian rulers to let ideals take a back seat when dealing with the sober realities of governing a state.The author suggests that it is often necessary for the ruler to be ruthless and unjust during both war and peacetime in order to retain power.In fact, Machiavelli asserts that it's better to gain respect by cowing the citizens into submission rather than being generous and gaining their love.

I found The Prince to be very interesting and enjoyable.Aside from the stuff dealing with what kinds of soldiers to use in war,the advice in it is still relevant today though perhaps more applicable to corporate management than to running a country.Human rights in the modern world are generally well protected and any unwarranted cruelties and injustices would be widely publicized and the ruler chastised.But in the competitive corporate world, putting nice and innocent employees out on the street in order to meet the bottom line is a daily occurrence.Or when someone makes it to an executive position, he/she frequently demotes rivals.Of course, when it comes to dealing with competitors, it's take no prisoners.I'm not saying it's right to do these things, but that's unfortunately how the business world works.

After reading this book, I wondered whether I would be capable of being Machiavelli's ideal prince.If I had to make certain unpleasant decisions in order to safeguard the state, could I follow through on them in good conscience?For example, if I uncover a rival's plot to assassinate me and then put him to death, Machiavelli wants me to murder the rival's entire family so that no revengeful action will be forthcoming.I suppose that I have a difficult time relating to the way people thought about human rights four hundred years ago.

More to the point, since I work in the corporate world I may one day have to make unpleasant decisions.I think that I just might consult The Prince to help me make those decisions.It's certainly not *the* authority on these kinds of things, but offers a sound, logical viewpoint that's worth listening to. ... Read more

Isbn: 0553212788
Subjects:  1. Classics    2. Early works to 1800    3. European - Italian    4. History & Theory - General    5. Literary Criticism    6. Literature - Classics / Criticism    7. Literature: Classics    8. Political ethics    9. Political science    10. Fiction / Classics   

The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition
by William Strunk Jr., E.B. White, Roger Angell
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (15 January, 2000)
list price: $7.95 -- our price: $7.15
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Composition teachers throughout the English-speaking world have been pushing this book on their students since it was first published in 1957.Co-author White later revised it, and it remains the most compact and lucid handbook we have for matters of basic principles of composition, grammar, word usage and misusage, and writing style. ... Read more

Reviews (219)

The best.
Simply put, this book is the best book on grammar that was ever written and ever will be written.

Those guys on the cover know what they're talking about.Nowhere will you find such a humorous, accurate, and unique book on grammar in so few pages.If everybody wrote as they do, then the world would be a better place.

This book is great.I will just open it up to a random page and read from there to the end of the book.If I had my choice, I'd memorize this book.

This book is effortlessly superior to any textbook, workbook, or any grammar book every published.It deserves a place with any student, from middle school to grad school.

Indispensable tool for writer - Less is more
Some write short sentence, others long. This book is not mean to alter your style, it helps to remove redundancies, ambiguities and shows writer to get to the point in a concise manner.It is around for many decades, and still the de facto of the subject. The book shows writer the building block of writing -- a sentence, and it does a great job. Many professional writers need to read this book to make their book thinner and more readable. It is a classics.

If you need one book to clarify or organize thoughts into words, this is the one.

This book has been with me for years
This is THE Essential Writer's Guide. I learned about this book way back in high school and I have used it extensively ever since.

It works for those of us who are writing papers for school, work, or even just for fun.This book offers insight into many aspects of writing and shows the CORRECT way for everything.No wonder it's the reference for just about every professional writer on the planet.

Check out "The Digital Umbrella"... another book written by an author who used Elements of Style. ... Read more

Isbn: 020530902X
Subjects:  1. Composition & Creative Writing - General    2. English Composition    3. English language    4. Grammar    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Literary style    8. Reference    9. Report writing    10. Rhetoric    11. Style    12. Technical Writing    13. Writing Skills    14. Technology / Technical Writing   

Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
by RogerFisher, William L. Ury, BrucePatton, Bruce Patton
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 December, 1991)
list price: $15.00 -- our price: $10.20
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

We're constantly negotiating in our lives, whether it's convincing the kids to do their homework or settling million-dollar lawsuits. For those who need help winning these battles, Roger Fisher has developed a simple and straightforward five-step system for how to behave in negotiations. Narrated soothingly by NPR announcer Bob Edwards, Fisher adds the meaty portions of the material with a sense of playfulness. The blend of voices makes this tape easy to listen to, especially the real-life negotiating scenarios, in which negotiating examples are given. This is a must-have tape for every businessperson's car. (Running time: one hour, one cassette) --Sharon Griggins ... Read more

Reviews (80)

Good approach, but still has holes
I like this negotiation book because it emphasizes the win-win situation yet its system is flexible enough to deal with those who do not want to play that way.On the other hand, I am still intrigued by the use of standards.The authors propose that, in order to achieve some level of, shall we say "fairness," one should resort to the use of established standards that help both parties to gain a perspective.One example was about oil drilling rights in international waters.There was a disagreement that polarized relatively rich nations against relatively poor nations, and only after the discovery and use of an oil drilling economics model developed at MIT did the impasse begin to melt.However, what happens if the standard/model itself is developed with a biased opinion?One example might be the customs used in apartheid South Africa that were clearly biased towards whites.In summary, this book has important points (e.g. look at the interests behind the positions), but more work could be done to clarify the use of some principles.

Great book on principle-centered negotiation
Getting to Yes is a book that focuses on negotiation techniques you can use to get a fair deal without sacrificing the relationship.

Fisher and Ury give some excellent advice for negotiation such as focusing on the problem and interests, not digging yourself into a position, how to handle overpowering and dirty negotiators, and work on problem solving by creating options.

I was mostly impressed by the author's description of how to maintain integrity without giving in.I was also impressed with the step-by-step scenario they had of the negotiation with the landlord that had charged over the rent control limit.

On the down side, I really wished there were more examples in this book.While there certainly were a few, I was left wanting more in order to understand the techniques given.Also I found some of the language to be dry, but this is not a huge issue.

Getting to Yes is definitely a book you want to read and we all have to negotiate at some point in our lives.4 out of 5 stars.

I wish I had read this book ten years ago!
This book was recommended reading as part of a class in negotiation at NYU.I was a bit skeptical at first, as the cover made it look like the kind of popculture books they sell in grocery store check-out lines. I was quickly proven wrong.I just hope I will be able to apply the lessons learned therein. Up to know I have engaged mostly in what the authors call "positional bargaining." I now know the difference between this and "prinicipled negotiation," which will hopefully help me get over my Scorpio tendency of stinging anyone who disagrees with me! ... Read more

Isbn: 0140157352
Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Business/Economics    3. Negotiating    4. Negotiation    5. Business & Economics / General    6. Economics, Finance, Business and Industry   

Built to Last : Successful Habits of Visionary Companies
by Jim Collins, Jerry I. Porras
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (26 October, 1994)
list price: $26.95 -- our price: $17.79
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

This analysis of what makes great companies great has been hailed everywhere as an instant classic and one of the best business titles since In Search of Excellence. The authors, James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras, spent six years in research, and they freely admit that their own preconceptions about business success were devastated by their actual findings--along with the preconceptions of virtually everyone else.

Built to Last identifies 18 "visionary" companies and sets out to determine what's special about them. To get on the list, a company had to be world famous, have a stellar brand image, and be at least 50 years old. We're talking about companies that even a layperson knows to be, well, different: the Disneys, the Wal-Marts, the Mercks.

Whatever the key to the success of these companies, the key to the success of this book is that the authors don't waste time comparing them to business failures. Instead, they use a control group of "successful-but-second-rank" companies to highlight what's special about their 18 "visionary" picks. Thus Disney is compared to Columbia Pictures, Ford to GM, Hewlett Packard to Texas Instruments, and so on.

The core myth, according to the authors, is that visionary companies must start with a great product and be pushed into the future by charismatic leaders. There are examples of that pattern, they admit: Johnson & Johnson, for one. But there are also just too many counterexamples--in fact, the majority of the "visionary" companies, including giants like 3M, Sony, and TI, don't fit the model. They were characterized by total lack of an initial business plan or key idea and by remarkably self-effacing leaders. Collins and Porras are much more impressed with something else they shared: an almost cult-like devotion to a "core ideology" or identity, and active indoctrination of employees into "ideologically commitment" to the company.

The comparison with the business "B"-team does tend to raise a significant methodological problem: which companies are to be counted as "visionary" in the first place? There's an air of circularity here, as if you achieve "visionary" status by ... achieving visionary status. So many roads lead to Rome that the book is less practical than it might appear. But that's exactly the point of an eloquent chapter on 3M. This wildly successful company had no master plan, little structure, and no prima donnas. Instead it had an atmosphere in which bright people were both keen to see the company succeed and unafraid to "try a lot of stuff and keep what works." --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (106)

Great Writing with Sketchy Conclusions
I don't think a lot of people realize that Built to Last was published in 1994. It is only with the skyrocket popularity of Good to Great (published in 2001, but a bestseller in 2005) that Built to Last has re-graced bookshelves at all. The technical aspects of the writing are wonderful, weaving convincing arguments the way a high school lyricist weaves urban tales for his friends. And with the same result: the study doesn't hold up, especially not with the 11 years of hindsight we have on it. For starters, much of the research is on consistent growth and performance of specific companies against the general stock market, from 1926 to 1990. While the author correctly points out that this era covers a fantastic amount of change, he wrongfully dismisses that point, continuing to build his thesis on the shaky foundation that "what worked through the 1950's and 1960's is bound to work today". "Built to Last" is an interesting business history, but a terrible roadmap for success.

A Must-Read for Business Executive
I read this book 2 years ago with great excitement. Now having significantly progressed in my career I found this book even more meaningful. It was a great handbook for business executives worldwide to build great companies.I recommend it to anybody who is serious about not making quick money, but building sustainable businesses that last and last.

A Great Book with a Flaw
This book reminds me of the hero in the classic Greek tragedy.The hero is always magnificent, but has a tragic flaw.This is a magnificent book with a tragic flaw.

Porras and Collins set out to write a book about visionary companies, and they did just that.They chose the companies they would study based on specific, detailed criteria.

They wanted to study companies that had been premier institutions in their industries and widely admired while they made an imprint on the world around them.They wanted their companies to have multiple generations of chief executives and to have gone through multiple product or service lifecycles. And they wanted the companies to have been around for a long time - founded before 1950.

They compared each of their visionary companies with another company that was not a premier visionary company.Many of the comparison companies were solid performers.They were good companies, but not great companies.That's one of the great things about the book.You can see the distinction between good performance and great performance.

Another thing that makes the book great is the extensive research.The project took six years, and the authors and their research team dug into critical issues and came up with fascinating insights and comparisons.

Read this book and you will learn about the characteristics of great companies that have an impact on the world around them.The discussions will enrich your understanding of what makes a great company.This will be especially valuable to you if you're in the process of building a company that you want to be great.

That's the great part, the hero part.What about the flaws?

The first flaw is that essentially performance for each of these companies is equated with market performance.There are lots of things the authors could have used, such as return on assets, for example.But share price is easy to track over time and is used as a surrogate for greatness.I'm not sure that that's the best criterion.

What you are actually reading about is a selection of excellent, visionary companies that were perceived as good investments by the market.This "perception" issue is not addressed in the book.

The second flaw is more important.While this book tells you marvelous things about companies that are admittedly great and about some of the things that make for greatness in companies, and while it mixes statistical data with telling anecdotes, it falls short in one critical area.The book doesn't tell you anything about how to achieve greatness.

In other words, it describes what greatness might be and it gives you some examples of companies who have achieved it, but the book ultimately left me with the nagging desire that the authors would have given me some "how to."As far as you can tell from reading the book, these companies were always great.

That may not be a problem for you if you're just starting a company.You've got a clean slate to start from.But if you're guiding an already-established company, or a part of it, I think you'll wish for a few examples of companies that became great after performing at some lesser level.

That's the bottom line in my recommendation.If you're looking for a book that describes greatness and where you'll pick up a wealth of ideas and good historical knowledge about great companies, buy this book.If, on the other hand, what you want is a book that describes in some detail how to achieve that greatness, this may not be the book for you.
... Read more

Isbn: 0887306713
Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Business/Economics    3. Corporate & Business History - Strategies    4. Entrepreneurship    5. Industrial management    6. Leadership    7. Management - General    8. Organization Development    9. Success    10. Success in business    11. United States    12. Business & Economics / Management