No comments about How Good People Make Tough Choices: L Resolving the Dilemmas of Ethical Living/Cassette.

5 comments about Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking.

1. This book was, by far, the most redundant thing I have ever read. It would have made for an interesting article in a newspaper or magazine; however, the book itself is way too long and repetitious for its topic. I am very disappointed that I spent money on this item. Too bad my "thin slicing" is apparently terrible and could not help me on this purchase.



2. There's not much substance to this book. Rather than being a resource of information, it is merely a book of examples. There is no broad takeaway you can gather from it after reading except to say perhaps that many of our decisions are based on split-second thoughts. But did you really need to read this book to find that out?



3. The basic idea is interesting and held my attention for a while, but eventually lost my interest.



4. Blink! what seemed like a fascinating subject pulled me in and then after 100 pages I put it down. Just like that, in a flash of a moment or a blink, I decided I can't finish this book. Might have made a fascinating magazine article in New Yorker magazine but like that magazine this book just started boring me. Blink.



5. I found this a tremendously interesting read: during two days or so it took me to read it, I really couldn't put it down. (A teacher, I put my students to work doing a bunch of soul-crushing busy work so I could finish reading it during classtime.)
   
   It's full of great anecdotes, and Gladwell has a lucid and engaging style.
   
   The problem is this: as far as what Gladwell's actually saying, his observations don't sum to much.
   
   The basic thesis -- as I'm sure you know -- is that people in certain walks of life are frequently found to exhibit eerily reliable snap judgments, whereby they can arrive at the core of (what seem to us) monstrously complex problems in only a second or two.
   
   Fair enough. The phenomenon certainly exists. Gladwell documents it well and you find yourself convinced that he's not making this up.
   
   Alas. The book attempts to go further than that, and that's where it falls flat.
   
   Gladwell never successfully articulates exactly how it is that his various "thin-slicers" actually work their magic. Further, he fails to give proper weight to the counter-evidence: loads of cases where snap judgments fail. Offhand, I would imagine that judging situations based on one's initial impression is, on average, a dumb way to go most of the time (even perilous in some contexts).
   
   But so enthusiastic is Gladwell about the laundry-list of exceptions he has collected that it's almost to the point where he's implying that preternatural snap judgments are USUALLY reliable, rather than OCCASIONALLY reliable. Which is quite the daring claim.
   
   Finally, Gladwell fails to provide any guidance on the question of how one could systematically learn to hone such a skill, assuming that it can even exist in one's discipline (I remain to be convinced that snap judgments have a role to play in all walks of life).
   
   The end result of these shortcomings is that the only thing "Blink" does effectively is point out that the phenomenon exists. By itself this is not terribly useful.

5 comments about Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't.

1. Great practical ideas. How refreshing it is to see a passionate individual pursue an idea to completion and take the time to fully investigate all possibilities.
   It's been a great addition to my book club at work.



2. This book is easy and interesting reading. Not only is it required text for my class, but the Vice President of the company that I work for actually told me to read it. Imagine her surprise when I informed her that it was required reading for my masters in social work class.



3. Stock findings aside, this book has good talent management strategies, including getting the right people on the bus and making sure everyone is going towards the same goal. Nothing revolutionary, but still helpful. I also found the monograph Good to Great and the Social Sectors: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great helpful in the non profit arena.



4. "Good to Great" is an exceptional analytical review, focused on leadership, documenting the attributes of leaders of enduring great companies. The text effectively differentiates the leadership attributes of great companies from enduring great companies.



5. Jim Collins and his team of researchers have surveyed over 1,400 companies, systematically analysed 6,000 publicly available articles, and carried out numerous face to face interviews with senior managers. The finding, the single most important factor to the health of a company - Leadership. The author asserted that they purposely steer away from such attribute as there are no shortage of business books paying the same platitude.
   
   Every company vision statement reads like the next one. When did anyone last read a company which doesn't claim its employee is its greatest asset ? Yet, most see it fit to outsource its most critical function - finding the "right people". If every great company gets it right, there wouldn't be much of a recruitment industry. Recruitment agents will becomes redundant. It is the responsibility of every employee to find the right co-workers. Wait, isn't Google doing exactly that ? Jack Welch, John Chambers, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett have all said their main job was to find the right people. Hire the right people first, then create a position to suit the person. Find passionate people, find people with integrity, find someone who would run the company like he/she owns it, hire this person straight away. This is how the author puts it,
   
   "Widen your definition of "right people" to focus more on the character attributes of the person and less on specialised knowledge. People can learn skills and acquire knowledge, but they can not learn the essential characters traits that make them right for your organisation."
   
   Since the publication of Good to Great it has attracted some criticism, primarily for its selection of what's on the Great company list. Much of the companies have since fallen on hard time, a few short years after its publication. Those views are some what misplaced. Good to Great doesn't give investment advice. It study the companies and the people that runs them, and dismissed a few myths along the way. Great leaders are often media shy, less worry about management "buy in" and much prefer hearing the truth, and definitely less charismatic than the media like to portray. A CEO should be working for the good of the company, and less about building his/her own personal profile. The big personality, the management superstar, the hyper arrogant (often misunderstood as self confidence) work against an environment in which employee are encouraged to take calculated risks, and find innovative solutions.

5 comments about Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence.

1. I have read many of Goleman's books on EQ. Each holds some gems inside lots of fluff. Goleman's premise is emotional competencies (listening, empathy, etc.) form a separate category of intelligence. I can agree with that. Unfortunately, this has become a business franchise for him, so I think he takes it too far. He asserts it is THE defining intelligence of star performers. The thesis is easy to swallow at first, as his books are written in the standard business best-seller sensational journalist format.
   
   I would counter with the work of Marcus Buckingham which maintains that each of us has our individual strengths and weakness. When we work to our strengths, we excel. Goleman is trying to fit all the characteristics of star performers into an emotional intelligence frame work. I know plenty of respected star performers whom lack high EQ. The business bookshelfs are full of other counter examples as well.
   
   Primal Leadership sets itself apart from Goleman's other books by providing useful examples of the leadership problems I have encountered at work over, and over again. In some cases, I have committed them myself! With Primal Leadership you get some EQ self-help to help you break the chain of abuse.



2. I've read a number of leadership books, and Primal Leadership is among the best I've picked up. Goleman and crew outline a well balanced understanding of the different facets of leadership and the important skill of reading and capitalizing on the emotional state of the organization which one leads. This book is filled with numerous stories and cases where the principles advocated for are illustrated quite nicely.
   
   This book is worth your time if you are seeking to develop your own leadership capabilities.



3. I ran across this book on a Listamania list that highly recommended this book. While the subject matter is of great interest to me, I felt somewhat disappointed that it didn't deliver in the way I was anticipating. I personally believe that 6 styles of leadership is about 4 more than we need. I also disagree with the styles being interchangeable. Situations may change but great leaders maintain their leadership style. That's one of the reasons why they are great versus mediocre.
   
   While some parts of the book are thought provoking, it does not provide any specifics on constructing an action plan for getting from point A to B. While the authors are well-meaning and did research a lot of data, I believe their academic background got in the way while writing this book.
   
   I hope you find this review helpful. Michael L. Gooch, SPHR - Author of Wingtips with Spurs



4. This is the first time I have purchased a CD (audio book). I am doing an MBA and the reading is overwhelming. I felt this would be a break from reading to listening to the book.
   Well, what a great choice. This book is an excellent book and the medium for delivery even greater.
   I play it over and over again, I have shared it with friends (all are buying theirs)
   Very impressive structure and research in this CD book. Goldman proves again that clear sight into people and management of people (including yourself).



5. Great book! Can be used to take an assessment of yourself inside and outside of the business world. A must read.

5 comments about The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams (Chopra, Deepak).

1. Chopra as a coach shows you seven steps which puts you on a spiritual path that leads you to success and prosperity. Having studied with Deepak Chopra, as I read his books, I can hear his resonant voice revealing the treasures found simply employing spiritual wisdom.
   
   Healing the Rift
   
   There should be no rift between a spiritual path and success and, indeed, Chopra reveals the surest laws of success. But it is a challege to first understand the laws but to practice them will eventually get you to your prize.Healing the Rift: Merging Science and Spirituality



2. As a child we are free of everything. But develop many beliefs and prejudices as we age. This book again gave me what I needed at the right moment. I would recommend it to anyone. Easy read.



3. This book had good information overall. I just wish it had more new informaiton rather than... I recommend it.



4. Spiritual Laws - not necessarily based on religion. Things we should all follow through on every day of our lives. What a nice world it would be.



5. Great compact summary of Deepak Chopra's work. A little book that you can read again and again for inspiration. Good bedtime reading.

3 comments about Organize Your Life & Get Rid of Clutter: How to Clear Your Home and Office of the Messy Buildups That Cramp Your Mind -- And Crimp Your Productivity.

1. Ab Jackson is humerous and upbeat in all his seminars/tapes. He makes a bothersome task enjoyable to tackle with many simple and logical tips. "Organize Your Life and Get Rid of Clutter" is perfect for anyone that would like to get rid of clutter and become more organized. He addresses many areas and introduces many 'systems' to help people become more organized. This tape is not only a delight and funny to listen to, but in just one day, I have already began to reduce the clutter in my life. I even found out the "why" behind what caused me to become a "clutterholic"! I give it a five star rating and would recommend it to anyone that would like to improve their organizational skills!



2. I thought I was beyond repair... but Ab is so humerous and the live tape lets you laugh along with others who are obviously in the same boat. The systems he discusses to de-clutter your life are terrific for someone like myself who just can't seem to get past the clutter of paper both at home and in the office. I am tackeling closets, attics, garages and showing no mercy. I highly recommend this tape for anyone who needs motivation for getting the job done.... which you know in your heart has needed to be done for months/years.



3. Can I have my money back? There was little on this tape that was either new or motivating. Also included were things such as time management, how to organize your DayTimer, etc. I was hoping for something that would help me deep clean my home, not my office. It was not helpful for my purposes. Unless you're looking for help at the office, save your money.

5 comments about Spin Selling.

1. ...this may help. It is one of a few books to use as a resource.



2. When I first read "Spin Selling", shortly after its introduction, I found it enlightening. At the time I had been in office automation sales for 10 years and management for 5 years, and the book solidified many of my thoughts and theories on selling. Since then, I have read a lot of other selling books but none really deal with the underlying theory of selling as well as Neil Rackham's book does. Even now as I am self employed, I still re-read the book occationally to brush up. For those who feel that the author hasn't the field expereince to be credible, obviously they have never coached or mentored someone in complex sales. And for those reviewers who blame Kodak's current lack of succsess to SPIN, they might find it shocking that Microsoft uses SPIN too.



3. Being involved in complex sales processes for years, I found the SPIN concept elegant and very effective at the same time. It is one of the best books written in the area of major sales. Absolutely a classic!



4. I've read over 200 books on sales and marketing in my career and SPIN Selling is without question one of the best out there. No tactics, techniques or processes (those never work) like other sales books. Excellent for relationship selling. I am seeing the author Neil Rackham in one of his very rare live appearances in December of 08 (www.MoveAhead1.com) and highly recommend that everyone reading this gets tickets to see a true sales giant.



5. As a sales and marketing trainer and coach for professionals, I discovered Neil Rackham's book while looking for a simple way of explaining the techniques that distinguish larger, more complicated sales from small quick sales.
   
   This book provided exactly what I was looking for. SPIN is an easy way to remember to ask more questions--and more meaningful questions--and the discussion of how to raise the level of need from "implicit" to "explicit" and then sell to the "explicit" need was a brilliant way of explaining what the best professionals I've worked with have learned to do.
   
   In my own book,The High Diving Board: How to Overcome Your Fears and Live Your Dreams, I used a simple 10-step template like this to help people overcome the fears that keep them from doing what they need to do to be successful.
   
   Rackham supports his template with hard research, but anyone who watches top professionals sell their services can instantly recognize the accuracy of what he presents.

5 comments about Simply Speaking.

1. I couldn't beleive how bad this book is. Not really a presentation on how to speak well, but full of recollections of her career-long speaking days. There was nothing useful in this book, except if you want to hear her reflections on talking her grades up with the professors in college back in the '60's. A complete waste of time and money.



2. Written by former presidential speechwriter, Peggy Noonan, On Speaking Well will teach you how to write and deliver effective speeches. Although much can be learned from this book, I hesitate to recommend it to political neophytes, because Noonan's fallback theory on politics is that you should just "be yourself." Obviously I agree -- who wants to vote for a phony? But inexperienced readers might misconstrue this to mean they don't have to study how to win -- and that would be a shame for them. As Mrs. Noonan points out, even President Reagan made it a point to spend time learning how to be a "Great Communicator."



3. The book was cheaper than in the store, was shipped the same day as ordered, and arrived in new condition (it was new!) so I am well pleased.



4. I love reading Peggy Noonan's WSJ column; so let's get that out of the way right now. Peggy generally writes in a stream-of-consciousness form that I like. It captures my attention from the first sentence and holds me to the end. But not this book. After a page or two I noticed I was skipping ahead, looking for the bait and the hook. It's not there. That's Writing 101. She knows that! What I suspect is this: Her publisher contracted with her for a give-back linked to something else, and she wasnt interested in the project. It shows!



5. Better know today as a conservative columnist for the Wall Street Journal, Peggy Noonan also has a very strong pedigree as a political speech-writer for George H. Bush and Ronald Reagan.
   
   In Simply Speaking she outlines very simply and coherently the basic rules of good speech writing and communication. As with most of the good books written on speech writing you are not likely to find major new insights. You will however find the key elements she addresses well illustrated with relevant speeches - many of which, by the way, she helped draft e.g. George H. Bush's acceptance speech at the Republican convention 1988 and Ronald Reagan's fortieth anniversary D-Day speech at Pointe du Hoc. Noonan goes through the speeches in detail, helping the reader to better appreciate the context and genesis for the respective speeches.
   
   Noonan suggestions include:
   A speech should never be more than twenty minutes.
   Write the text out.
   Humor is essential.
   Sentences should be short and simple.
   
   The book is a bit limited in that the author constantly returns to Reagan and his oratorical style but other speeches that Noonan quotes in a worthwhile book include Christopher Reeve's speech at the 1996 Democratic convention, John F Kennedy's Inaugural, Bill Clinton's Inaugural - which she pans and Mother Teresa's speech at the National Prayer Breakfast which reads well, but it was this amazing nun's presence and credibility which truly impacted the room.
   
   I return to this book reasonably often because it is interesting and hits the key points for a speaker. But, the book could benefit from a good checklist and summary of key points. Noonan also shows her political colors too much in a book about speech writing. The reader doesn't need to know about her palpable disdain for the Clintons, a disdain which colors her judgment on the former President's communication ability which is often exceptional.
   
   However, Simply Speaking is a good book for the budding speechwriter and speechmaker: a worthwhile and interesting refresher for the experienced speaker.

5 comments about Who Moved My Cheese: An Amazing Way to Deal With Change in Your Work and In Your Life.

1. I received the book very quickly, I needed it for school and got it in time. It was like new if not new.



2. The book opens up awareness of possible change(s) that are needed in ANY organization. GREAT eye openner



3. This is a great book. The seller was very quick to mail my order and the service was excellent. A+++++++



4. I am surprised that more people are not raving about this simple book that uses simple concepts that can be so amazingly powerful. Recognizing how we deal with change, and really understanding what that means in our lives, can be one of the most powerfully moving experiences, and life altering events.
   
   I was so impressed with it at work, I made my whole extended family (even those in Iran) read it. They all enjoyed it, and some even made significant changes in how they look at their lives as a result.
   
   How do you handle change, and what can that mean for you? Read the book and find out - and share it with friends and family!



5. I share most of the sentiments other negative reviewers have expressed about the book. It's insulting to every employee's intelligence (if they have any), although it was a nice way to waste several hours (it took me about 15 minutes to read the book, but we spent hours having meetings and group talks about it led by management). Just thinking about it now makes me glad to be out of the corporate realm and in a small private office.
   
   Everything in this book should come as common sense to any employee worth their paycheck. And it's not necessarily the right way of going about things, although having a positive attitude always helps you out regardless of what situation you're in. But blindly following change does not always make you a good employee, and that's where this book steers its readers wrong. Having respect for your supervisors is important, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't question their ideas & motivations, or provide feedback on the changes they've chosen to implement. Believe it or not, this can be done respectfully and intelligently - this book makes it seem as if any protests you make or concerns you express just translate to 'heming and hawing', so quit your whining and get back to work. This kind of black and white outlook damages professional credibility and relationships and really just makes the environment an unpleasant one to work in.
   
   That said, I would love to see what the writers from The Office could do with this material.

5 comments about Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High.

1. I have given this book to a number of people. It truly is a good read. Very helpful. For those of us that can be a bit timid....buy this book.



2. I like this book a lot. Developed for business communication it has applications for many areas of life. I found it clear, instructive, insightful and relatively free of new-age doublespeak. I work in an ER and I communicate with angry people (sometimes including myself) in emotionally-charged situations on a daily basis. I find the techniques presented in this book quite practical.
   
   For comparison I read a few of the negative reviews. Several of them dismiss this book as "common sense." I think they miss the point that common sense is not really all that common.



3. As an Executive Coach, I highly recommend Crucial Conversations. Many of my clients face the challenge of talking with their peers and/or direct reports on a daily basis. Most people don't handle those difficult conversations very well. This book gives great steps and info on how to go about treading through the difficult waters. I have purchased several copies of this book as gifts for clients. I am currently re-reading it in order to grasp and absorb the rich content.



4. Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High
   
   An excellent book that provides realistic examples of many of the discussions we would like to have with our loved ones, colleagues and friends and somehow cannot find the right words to do so. A good resource for anyone who wants their conversations to have a positive impact on their lives and on the lives of those with whom they want a stronger connection.



5. I read this book as an assignment for a communication class. I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it was not only easy to read but, it provided valuable insight to what goes wrong during the communication process and how one can begin to steer the process back in a productive direction. After reading this book, I was able to use the practical applications to many different conversations i.e. personal and professional relationships. It is a truly valuable tool if you have ever left a conversation feeling that you could have done more. I will be purchasing the authors' other books.