5 comments about Rich Dad's Retire Young, Retire Rich : How to Get Rich Quickly and Stay Rich Forever!.

1. Like other author's book, this one is also easy to follow, a good bedtime read. Unfortunately like other books it lacks more specific detail on the subject although it is present more here then in the other books.
   
   The whole series is a good eye opener but author would do all of us a favor if he would make all of it into one book.



2. Saw this guy hawking his hype on TV and decided to do a little background checking. While his general priciples are expoused by any financial "guru" the fact remains he's been bankrupt at least once following his own information. Real estate is risky business and not the bed of roses he makes it out to be. Just wait until your first stinker of a renter and when the state comes a calling because the person you rented a 1 bedroom apartment to has two kids and the law doesn't allow this (after the person told you they had no kids).
   
   Wouldn't surprise me that most of his money comes from selling these books more than real estate.



3. I read this book and Rich Dad, Poor Dad and really felt this book was an all around better book. It went into not only more detail explaining things, but I like the depths of stories better as well in this book. I recommend that you buy this book.



4. Wish I read it when I was 15! A very good and clear book on creating value in terms of assets and cashflow. Though much is said about properties, it can be applicable to many businesses or ventures of a passive income nature to work towards financial freedom.



5. I recommend this book if you like Rich Dad, Poor Dad. I think it is a great book, definitly worth reading. I like the way Kiyosaki stresses the power to achieve your dreams is in your mind. Get a positive outlook, and look for things previously unseen to you.

5 comments about The Leader in You (Cassette).

1. This little book is recommended reading in the company I currently work for and unlike some of the other recommendations, Fish and Moving My Cheese for instance, this has some value.
   
   It is, in essence, an updated version of How to Win Friends and Influence People, adapted for the present day and readers who have read the former work will gain little from this except some familiarity with more contemporary case studies.
   
   What struck me as I was going over it was how central the basic messages are to most of the useful management books on the market today. Certainly among the more academic books you will findmore material which is inherently useful to higher level managers and professionals but in the context of middle and line management, the central tenents hold true. To name just two, good listening skills, and trying to see things from the perspectives of others are golden rules from which none of use should deviate.
   
   Indeed, one is almost tempted to say that these are the sort of things that should be taught in schools as components of civics classes except that I am sure many others would agree, schools should concentrate on getting basic skills right before they release students into the world of work.
   
   The leader in you is a useful book to read. It is an easy read and one that shoul not take too long to work through and the simple down to earth homily approach works well with most people.
   
   While not the be all and end all of all management books, this slim little volume contains some simple lessons that all managers would do well to digest and apply in all their dealings with other people and I can think of a few who need to rediscover this book right now.



2. I found this book (I listened to the audio version) to be a major disappointment. The tips offered by Carnegie may have appeared insightful and provocative to assembly line supervisors back in the 1930s, but in the more enlightened 21st century a lot of his "good advice" comes across as irritatingly simplistic and sometimes even downright condescending and offensive. It's so easy and straightforward: Be nice to people, remember their first names, always be positive and you will instantly be liked by everyone. Overly obvious and trite - hardly the kind of stuff that would find its way into today's Harvard Business Review. Adding to the sense of irritation is the voice of the reader who tries to sound upbeat and optimistic, giving the whole performance the hollow feel of amateurish propaganda better suited to "Pleasantville" than to "Wall Street".
   
   For more insightful, relevant and up-to-date advice, I recommend "How to become CEO" by Jeffrey J. Fox.



3. Stuart Levine and Michael Crom of Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc. discuss their perspectives on the principles that Dale outlined earlier.
   
   1. Be yourself, identify your strengths.
   
   2. Be open, create an environment conducive to trust, see things from other person's point of view, listen well, and communicate tirelessly
   
   3. Express genuine interest in others, recognize a job well done.
   
   4. Teams: create a shared purpose, invite participation, share the glory and accept the blame, build team's confidence, be and stay involved.
   
   5. Be quick to admit mistakes, slow to criticize. Be constructive.
   
   6. Set goals that are clear, challeging and obtainable.
   
   7. Focus, discipline, tenacity.
   
   8. Balance work and leisure.
   
   9. Positive mental attitude.
   
   10. Reduce worry - focus on present, work out the odds of the event happening, accept the inevitable, keep problems in perspective, action.
   
   11. Develop enthusiasm.
   
   Reading the book will help you identify and act on several improvements.



4. I am a big fan of dale Carnegie's books, but its disappointing that the publishers would like to cream the public their money by re-printing mostly the same stuff with different titles.
   
   "How to win friends and influence people" and "how to stop worrying and start living" covers most of the content described in this book. i felt cheated when i bought and read this book. Looks like the publishers haven't read any of these 2 great books and gained some wisdom from them.



5. I am always leery when an organization uses the namesake of a best selling author in an attempt to recreate his/her prior success. The Leader in You did little to quell this feeling as it adds no new content and is without any of the masterful skill of articulation that Carnegie was so well known for.
   
   The Leader in You is not without its value as many of the innovative principles Carnegie produced in his original works are evident within this book. However, why would one choose a secondary attempt by less qualified authors when the opportunity to read from the originals is available? I highly recommend picking up Carnegie's "How to Win Friends & Influence People" and passing on this particular book.

5 comments about Certain Trumpets: The Call of Leaders (Cassette).

1. Good concept to discuss different types of leadership with good and bad examples. However, most of the work seems to be on the positive examples with the anti-types being included as an afterthought. Nearly all chapters are weak developments of leadership style with the notable exception being the one on Harriet Tubman. Additionally, both the types of leadership styles discussed and the people chosen to represent them appear to fit the author's preferences rather than true representations of leadership styles and leaders. This book was an easy read and parts were even enjoyable but the content was not as substantive as I had hoped.

   The best recommendation that I can make is to check this one out of a library instead of purchasing it.

   (review written by a life-long student of leadership with a library full of leadership texts.)




2. This book is a mess. The thesis presented in the introduction is a rambling essay on the importance of followers and historical forces in leadership, which might leave the reader less informed about leadership than before he/she read it. What's worse is that the intro has nothing at all to do with the rest of the book (which is marginal in it's own right). The case studies are way too short and are made even less informative by Wills habit of not even mentioning the leader until five or six pages of nonsense. My overall feeling of this book is that it was poorly researched and badly written. I wonder (in all seriousness) whether Wills knows anything at all about some of the people he writes about. Skip this one. I suggest Lincoln on Leadership instead: it provides the rudiments of leadership with clear, well researched examples.



3. Wills has a keen sense of the importance of followers to leadership. In the introduction to the book he states plainly "The leader most needs followers". He goes on to explain that in reality followers "have a say" in what they are led toward! The theme of Certain Trumpets is that a successful leader doesn't just trumpet or sound their own certain message, but instead they sound a specific call to others capable of following. He believes that leaders need to understand their followers more than followers need to understand them! What is Garry Wills basic definition of a leader? "One who mobilizes others toward a goal shared by the leader and followers". In other words, coercion of others is not leadership, it is just power.

   With this introduction in mind the rest of the book consists of Wills discussion of individuals who have possessed leadership in various ways. The author believes that different leaders should be considered notable because of their own goals rather than their personalities, which is the most common perspective. As a result of this perspective, Wills does not treat leadership as a single thing, but mentions sixteen various kinds of leadership within the book. He also goes on to discuss various subdivisions within the sixteen kind's. Certain Trumpets attempts to define these distinctive types of leadership by using examples that range from Franklin Roosevelt (Electoral Leadership) to Dorothy Day (Saintly Leadership). To make this exploration interesting, and to provoke thought, he also provides an antitype character in contrast to each distinctive type of leader presented. It is Wills hope to exemplify the individual's characteristics by providing this contrast. Wills doesn't think we lack leaders today, but sufficient followers. He refers to this as the "real problem with leadership". Certain Trumpets is easy to read, stimulating and creative enough to look at leadership from a different lens.




4. I picked up this book intending to read only a couple of chapters. I ended up reading the entire book with fascination. This is the kind of book that makes one think, reflect, and re-evaluate simplistic cultural paradigms. Those who confuse leaders with super heroes or think leadership has to do with wielding power to combat evil would benefit from reading this book. Wills does an excellent job of recognizing that people with a lot of influence or power are not necessarily leaders. I found this relavant to today's shortage of positive leaders.
   
   Although each chapter cannot delve into the representative leader in great depth, each chapter does an excellent job of distinguishing between different types of leadership. The introduction, the conclusion, the notes, and the many citings of other books on leadership added to my learning. This very readable book provides an excellent sense of history and places leadership within the context of history. This is a pleasant change from the endless books on leadership and business.
   
   My only complaint would be the lack of attention to the influence of media on today's leaders and followers.



5. Certain Trumpets is a great resource for individuals who want to take a fresh look at leadership types. As an introvert I've been puzzled for many years, wondering what kind of magic I exude that makes people want to follow me. Garry Wills affirms that there are many types of leaders, and likens them to historical figures.

2 comments about Speak from The Heart: Be Yourself and Get Results.

1. As a professional speaker, I long ago learned the secret of "speaking from the heart." And, most of the better books on public speaking do in fact make this among their most important points. But, by using this critical point as his book title, Steve Adubato has brought this important concept front and center. Loud and clear!
   
   One of the things I liked most about this book was its excellent organization. The author connects with his great title by devoting the first part of the book to "Communicating with Passion." Then, the author drills down on the specific skills that support ones ability to speak with passion.
   
   In an age where so many books are not well organized and therefore tax the reader with developing ones own analytical framework for the subject, this book lays out a sound framework for being a great communicator. The framework is then well supported by both theory, and anecdotes that serve to effectively drive home the learning point.
   
   At the risk of being picky, my sole disappointment is that the author acknowledges some leading self improvement greats (e.g., Dyer, Robbins, et al) as among the very best speakers, but regretfully never shares what he thinks makes each of them such a standout. Is the only learning point from these greats that they speak from the heart? Personally, I believe each of those listed draws on many of the other points made by Adubato. Given the authors clear expertise, I would have benefited even more had he shared his insights into what makes those he learned from so great.
   
   MMMMmmmm...so Steve, is that the sequel? "Speakers from the Heart"?? I am ready to preorder that gem.



2. Heard SPEAK FROM THE HEART, written and read
   by Steve Adubato . . . he's a broadcaster and motivational
   speaker who shares his secrets to being a great communicator.
   
   Listening to what Abudato grabbed my attention so
   much that I then went back to get the print version--so as
   to make sure I did not miss anything.
   
   Furthermore, some of his ideas made so much sense that
   I wanted to make sure I had them down exactly; for example,
   his two-step approach on preparing speeches:
   
   * Step One: Determine How You Feel About Your Primary
   Message
   
   Step Two: Ask Yourself Three Key Questions
   
   1. What is my message? (This is the one thing you want people to
   remember when you finish.)
   
   2. Who is my audience? (What will move them? Touch them? Reach
   them? What do they need or want from me?)
   
   3. What do I want these people to do or feel when I'm finished?
   
   I also liked the "Do It Now" activities at the end of each chapter . . . this
   one, in particular, caught my attention:
   
   * How well do you use eye contact? Starting today, notice if you look directly
   into the eyeballs of the people you communicate with. If you find you have a
   problem doing this consider these pointers:
   
   1. Start small and slowly. Practice making eye contact for a few seconds at
   a time. Just make contact for a few seconds and then discreetly move to
   another part of the face-lower forehead or bridge of nose. You can also
   look down, but only for a second or two. Then look back up and engage the
   eyes again.
   
   2. Relax. Consistent, steady eye contact doesn't mean you stare at a
   person throughout the entire conversation. You need to make easy,
   relaxed contact for a short while and then allow your glance to comfortably
   look away and then come back.
   
   3. Smile. Just the simple act of smiling while speaking can make eye contact
   more relaxed and easier for you. Let your face show how you feel.
   
   4. Increase the amount of time you make eye contact. Little by little it will
   become less of an issue, less of an obstacle, less of a barrier. The key is
   for eye contact to become second nature to you. That takes practice.
   
   5. Concentrate. You have to give the person you're talking to your full
   attention. If another person walks by who may be more "interesting" you
   must make yourself focus on the person you're talking to and maintain eye
   contact. Nothing is worse than talking to someone while your eyes are playing
   the field. Finish your conversation with one person before you move on to the
   next.
   
   And one other thing that made this book a winner for me was Abudato's
   use of real examples . . . he not only used himself, but also the
   experiences of such speakers as Barry Farber, Richard Carlson, Bill
   Clinton (before he became a great speaker), Kathie Lee Gifford, and
   Joe Torre, to name just a few.
   
   The book's subtitle says it all . . . Abudato urges you to BE YOURSELF
   AND GET RESULTS . . . read what he has to say, and you should be able
   to do just that.

4 comments about On Communicating.

1. According to research recently conducted by the American Management Association, poor communications is the main stall that delays progress in organizations of all sizes. A key reason for this problem is that each of us does not take the time to let others know the best way to communicate with us. Mr. McCormack does so in this book in an effective way. If you were one of his clients, colleagues or employees, this book would be invaluable. If everyone you worked with described how they would like to get ideas and information from you, you would have the same benefit. My subjective reaction to Mr. McCormack's personal style is that unless you are a CEO of a large organization with a lot of demands on your time, his suggestions may not always work. This would be a good book to have people read in order to stimulate their thinking about how communications in your organization could be improved. I greatly preferred his earliest book, WHAT THEY DON'T TEACH YOU AT HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL, to this one.



2. In an easy to read format, and in his absolutely honest way, Mark has written a fantastic guide for communication with anyone in business. While some people are different and have odd preferences, the ideas in this book show how deal with just about anyone in a professional manner. A must read.



3. The famed sports marketer shares his street-smarts on effective business communication. It's on the short list of recommended resources in my book The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course in Business Writing and Communication.



4. What a painful book to listen to. I kept the book playing through the first three (out of four) tapes because the author has such a good reputation...I thought there would be enough nuggets of useful information and advice to make it worthwhile. I was wrong.
   
   After listening to him mispronounce "thesaurus" during his section explaining how another salesman lost his respect by mispronouncing some word, I was embarrassed for the author. When he offered painful redundancies just as he was getting into a passage about how terrible it is to be redundant, I found that *I* had lost respect for *him*.
   
   The difficulties with this text litter the book right from the start: His introduction is boring, and part of it is about not being boring. He tells the listener that something is a useful method of communicating, and then two chapters later tells the listener that the same thing has no place in good communication.
   
   The author comes across as a bad example of the problems he is trying to provide a cure for. Full of himself, contradicting of his own advice, advises authenticity but makes regular suggestions for hiding or distorting the truth...
   
   It occurs to me that I could create a laundry list of frustrations with this audio book, but it would get boring. Therefore, using advice from the author's work, I will get to the point: don't buy this book...don't even check it out from the library.

No comments about Womanspeak: The Essential Guide to More Effective Communication for Women (And Men!) in the 21st Century.

5 comments about The Heart of the Soul.

1. there is nothing in the book that you do not know deep down, but often it takes someone elses words to click in. This is a great book if you want to explore what is not working in your life and takes steps to making changes and adjustments to creating a happier, more fulfilling life. It requires courage, time and non-self judgement. Step by step, one day at atime



2. I read this book in 2002 and enjoyed it so much. It is very interesting and helped me acquire more information about myself and my emotions. I am more conscious of my behavior and emotions. I highly recommend this book and any books by the authors. I am a massage therapist and now I am able to share the life-changing information with my clients. The two authors, Gary Zukav and Linda Francis did an excellent job by delivering a simple, yet useful book for everyone to enjoy. The information may seem unrealistic initially, although when applied to everyday living, it works.



3. The book was delivered in a timely manner and in GREAT condition.
   Thank you



4. Gary Zukav has a very special message about life and a unique perspective in how to live it. I haven't read what he has to say in any other book. I also wish that all school systems would require this reading by their senior year. Our family uses the information from this book in our everyday life and it has helped all of us. We recommend it to everyone.



5. This book is not much different than Seat of the Soul but it does explain Zukavs principles well. I bought this book several years ago and at the time I tried to incorporate some of his teaching (like looking at different aspects of my as a school) but it became to tedious. I have since read many other books that take a different (and to me more truthful/accurate) approach to the human condition and our purpose here on this earth. I would recommend reading the Conversations with God series by Neale Donald Walsch for a much different view of human existence.

No comments about Success and Your Shadow.

5 comments about True Success.

1. I picked it up thinking it was a spin on the voluntary simplicty view of success, but I GOT SO MUCH MORE out of it! It is fantastic! I have had no previous exposure to Philosophy, but this book really has me inspired to look up some of the works written by the people he quotes in it. Tom's idea of "true success" and how to achieve it can be applied to EVERY PART of a person's life--whether it's work, home, family life, community, etc., and still be congruent with a persons values and long-term goals. A REAL WINNER!



2. Tom Morris has accomplished something remarkable in this book. He has made the thinking of the history's greatest minds much more accessable for the everday person (like me). Instead of surrounding philisophy with elitist airs, he focuses on how important it is to apply the great thinking of the past to our everyday lives.

   Morris begins by debunking the popular myth of success. By weaving the thoughts of Socrates and others cleanly into the text he shows quite convincingly that becoming our best selves is the surest path to lasting success. He view is also quite practical - he recognizes that the measure of your life is in what you do, not just what you think. Also, he understands that money is very necessary part of life; it's just not a satisfying goal in and of itself.

   Morris' 7Cs framework is a useful guide to pursuing success. As he points out the path to success isn't always easy. The 7Cs framework is a useful map, especially when you have to navigate the rough spots.




3. This is one of the best books I've read so far this year. Mr. Morris successfully turns reading what is usually quite a dull subject into an enjoyable experience. I'm very encouraged to read his other books.

   At the end of the day one might agree or disagree with some of the ideas presented in the book. However, Mr. should be given all the credit for his abnormal analytical skills and strong ability in combining philosophy, humor and life experience in one book.




4. i try to read 50 - 100 books a year and when i read something exceptional, i want to make note of it.

   I thought True Success was a brilliant book - well organized, well written, fun and substantive.

   It is a road map for personal happiness and fulfillment.

   Frankly, I was surprised that I had not heard of this book before. I just grabbed it one day off a book shelf. In my view, had this book been well promoted by the publisher, it could have been a big best seller - it has all the right elements.

   Buy and read this book as quickly as you can.




5. I am not going into an extensive review other than to say that I have reread this book each year for the past three years. I am giving copies to my adult children and have recommended it my employees. If you are interested in improving your perspective of life and want reach a higher level of self satisfaction and appreciate, then get a copy of this book, unline key phrases as you read, and then reread it on occasion. The only reason I am giving this book a five star rating is they do offer the chance to rate it higher.

5 comments about If Aristotle Ran General Motors.

1. I purchased the audio version of this book to listen to during my commute, and a year after the original purchase I realized that I've played this tape more than any other.

   Why?

   Aristotle's ideas can be like knives cutting through cluttered thinking, but his presentation can be a bit long and dry. Morris does a nice job of presenting Aristotle's virtues of Truth, Goodness, Unity, and Beauty as they can be applied to business while putting a fun and popular face on them.

   You can find good arguments in many books for being honest in business as well as doing good and creating a sense of unity. Beauty was a surprise, but Morris argues well for it. I felt that the combination of ancient wisdom with modern examples made Morris' message meaningful and more inspirational than many other business books.

   I've gotten a lot of mileage out of these ideas, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking to find Aristotle's virtues in the workplace.




2. I had never been a philosophy
   buff, but reading this book has changed my mind . . . I now
   see that the subject can be fun (if you can believe that), as
   well as interesting to study . . . Morris takes ancient truths
   and effectively relates them to the business world, as well
   as to life overall . . . i'm now looking forward to getting his
   first effort, TRUE SUCCESS: A NEW PHILOSOPHY
   OF EXCELLENCE, which somebody else has
   recommended to me.

   I know i'm really "into" a book if I find myself taking all
   sorts of notes on it, not only for my own use--but to share
   others . . . the biggest problem I now
   face is to edit these down to just a few passages, but let
   me try:
   If Aristotle ran General Motors, everyone employed there would
   think of it as one large partnership, encompassing myriads
   of smaller partnerships for the purpose of living well. If he
   ran the corner grocery store, he would instill in everyone there
   the same mindset. And if he offered you advice, I think that this
   would be at its core: Always think of yourself as entering with
   other people into partnerships for living well. This highly general
   truth about the deep beauty of business can provide us with an
   important perspective on many specific decisions we face. We
   should always be asking ourselves whether what we contemplate
   doing will enhance or diminish this crucial function of the
   business within our own domain of influence. Are we building
   partnerships for living well?

   I saw the professor later that day and asked him about it. He
   answered with a big smile, "At Hampden-Sydnery, we have a rule
   that every student must greet everyone they pass on campus."
   I said, Why do you have a rule like that?" And he explained, "At
   Hampden-Syndey, we believe that etiquette is where ethics
   meet everyday life. . . . If we don't help our students get
   it right in the little things, they'll never be in a position to get
   it right in the big things. We teach them to be courteous,
   hoping that this will help them to be moral."

   In an office building full of hundreds of Ph.D.s, whenever anyone
   faces a personal challenge, has trouble at home, is bothered by
   any sort of worry or fear, or just needs a spark or renewed energy,
   they easily discovered that the wisest course of action is to seek
   out the one man in the building who didn't graduate from high
   school, Brother Jeff. He whistles while he works, he sings,
   he greets everyone with a big smile and a kind word: "How
   are you today, my friend?" An otherwise dour face may
   brighten and respond, "Fine, Jeff and how are you?" The
   inevitable answer: "Everything's pretty!" A conversation
   then may or may not ensure, on almost any topic imaginable.
   But if it does, it always ends with a hearty send-off: "You
   have yourself a great day, my friend!"




3. Despite a provocative and promising title, Tom Morris delivers neither a new nor a true approach to the art of business leadership. While the book is occasionally clever and sometimes humorous, the vast majority of this book is mostly just a hodgepodge of relativism only somewhat related to the art of management and leadership. In short, the content of the book leads the reader miles away from what might result from the title scenario.

   Morris falls short perhaps because he is simply a mediocre scholar of Aristotle, perhaps because he was a professor of philosophy at a Catholic university, or perhaps because he is simply just a below-average writer. Regardless, the author comes up lacking in both the style and substance of a book premise that could be truly great in more capable hands.

   As to style, the book is replete with anecdotes that sometimes illustrate points quite well and sometimes are clearly inserted only because the author had them at his disposal. Likewise, the book is peppered with quotations that interrupt the flow of the narrative and only rarely have anything more than a tangential relevance to the text surrounding it. One such quote, from the author himself, neatly summarizes my view of this production: "Obscurity is not a mark of profundity, however many confused writers have hoped to bully us into believing otherwise." How true, how true indeed: I wonder how many of his students felt the same way after one of his philosophy lectures.

   As to substance, the book is almost a complete loss. I say almost because, to be fair, Morris does come close to painting an Aristotelian view of life when he delves into the meaning of life. The author frames up his answer beautifully but then promptly undermines it in his attempts at clarification. To be more specific, Morris claims that the meaning of life is to be found in "creative love" (or, more accurately, in the love of creativity). While this sounds at first blush to be both logical and promising, not unlike the true motive power behind human innovation, Morris explains his surmise so ineptly that it becomes readily apparent to the reader that any proximity to the truth was merely an accident. Far from leading the reader closer to any meaningful answers, Morris abandons the audience as if in mid-thought, convincing them that his conclusions were as much the product of coincidence as of rational thought.

   This is just one example of the sort of philosophical inconsistency that exists throughout this book. In nearly every chapter, Morris makes sweeping, unsubstantiated statements and then proceeds as if these statements were self-evident truths. This might be passable if the author were able to consistently proceed from these sweeping statements in a logical progression. However, the reader frequently gets no more than one or two steps away from an assertion masquerading as immutable law when the author creates transparent straw man arguments to bolster his tenuous premises. Even if the reader can forgive (and accept as true) the first premise of the author's progression, the subsequent steps are so disorienting and fallacious that it is hard to move past them.

   Perhaps the most obvious example of this is how Morris routinely equates rational self-interest with intellectual myopia. For instance, in painting the entire philosophical landscape, he cites only three schools of thought: Nihilism, Relativism, and Absolutism. While he aptly defines the concepts of Nihilism and he readily betrays himself as a Relativist, he casts Absolutism as the province solely of religious zealots.

   Morris's emphatic use of the relativist's scale on which to measure thought is perhaps the fundamental flaw of his book. It is a small wonder that he finds no thematic consistency when he shows us a different yardstick for the measurement of each new topic. This changing standard sometimes becomes outright silly. For instance, on nearly a half dozen occasions, Morris attempts to weave coherent messages by juxtaposing concepts from the writings of Aristotle next to those of prominent theologians. The result of this sort of conceptual looseness is that better than half of the supposed insights delivered by the book turn out to be little more than fortune cookie proclamations-statements devoid of both context and independently verifiable meaning.

   All of this should be hardly surprising from someone who openly claims that any "unifying principle of philosophy is a dream." The question that remains for the reader, however, is: Why choose Aristotle if you believe philosophical unification is unachievable? Why co-opt the one Philosopher who may have come closest to philosophical unity than any other? Why not be honest with your readers? Why not entitle the book: If Dale Carnegie Ran General Motors? Even Plato or Immanuel Kant or William James would have been better choices, but that discussion is for another time.

   Like so many academic philosophers and modern business writers, Morris selects philosophical concepts based on their emotional appeal rather than with regard to any underlying consistency. This book, like virtually every business book on the market (with a few highly worthwhile exceptions) simply promotes the art we witness in greeting cards and long-distance phone commercials on television. From it, we get nothing more than the regurgitation of unthinking, it-takes-a-village drivel that characterizes so much of todays supposed non-fiction writing. Morris' entire effort seems to be very much like a Hollywood production-aiming to tug at heartstrings with nothing more substantive as a goal. In the end, that is all this book is equipped to do: provide us with a feeling...sadly, that feeling is simple, straightforward disappointment.




4. When you ask business people what they think about ethics and morality, they usually answer that these are important things in today's business environment. When you ask them what they REALLY think about ethics and morality, most of them don't want to answer you in any detail. A few will reply that morality is "idealistic" and that one must be "pragmatic" in everyday business practice. The belief that "morality is a topic to be debated after the bills are paid" seems to be the dominant belief in business (and other) circles.

   This book, brilliant in every way, attempts, and succeeds, in arguing that wisdom and its concrete manifestation in ethics, should be the cornerstone of business life. The author is a philosopher, and not a business owner, but with his insight into the dynamics of the marketplace and its optimization, his ideas are clearly thinking "out of the box". One can only hope that business leaders (and others) will discover the ideas in this book or some other like it. With today's headlines in corporate fraud and other scandals (some justified and some not), business people need to start believing in the efficacy of ethics in optimizing their business ventures.

   The preface to the book concerns "reinventing corporate spirit", the author drawing on the thoughts of the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle to set up the foundation for his arguments in the book. He recognizes correctly that it is ideas that fundamentally move the world.

   Throughout the book are many interesting insights into the psychology of business practices. When speaking of happiness for example, in relation to Aristotle's notion of eudaemonia, one of these is the recognition that money is frequently not the end goal for business people, the real goal being to achieve admiration in the eyes of others. The resulting ostentatious lifestyle is primarily done to impress, this being a transient and ultimately unsatisfying motivation in the eyes of the author.

   The book is divided up into four parts: Truth, Beauty, Goodness, and Unity. Each of these stand for respectively, the intellectual, aesthetic, moral, and spirtual necessities for achieving true happiness.
   In "Truth" the discussion is interesting in that it emphasizes the importance of telling the truth not just from the standpoint of what it will do in relation to others, but what it will do for the individual involved. Telling a lie damages one's self confidence. Individuals who practice the telling of falsehoods are intimidated by truth and do not have any confidence in the efficacy of their own minds. In addition, the author discusses the importance of "open-book management": that the sharing of knowledge results in greater productivity among the employees. This is to be contrasted with the nervous attitude among some managers who feel threatened by information, again lacking self-confidence and are in a perpetual state of worry that the dissemination of knowledge among employees or co-workers will result in their comptetitive demise. These views on truth are most refreshing. "Lying is the most dangerously corrosive and subtly destabilizing activities to be found in human life" he says. He's right.

   Quoting the Hindu proverb "The true nobility is in being superior to your precious self", the author encourages the view of competition as being one in which individuals surpass their former abilities, instead of worrying about their status in relation to others. He's right.

   Even more important is that the author addresses the influence of philosophy in the development of ethical attitudes in business. Ethical relativism and nihilism have wreaked havoc in society as a whole, not just in business, and the author emphasizes the need for coming to grips with these beliefs, and replacing them with sound philosophical systems that are both rational and meshed with common sense. "Ideas rock the world" he states. He's right.

   Most refreshingly, the author does not shy away from addressing the issue of self-interest. Confronting the "What's in it for me?" question that is asked by some, he clearly believes that self-interest is not something to be swept under the rug in discussions on ethics and morality in business. "The view that ethics requires total personal disinterestedness is a dangerous distortion of the truly moral point of view", he states. He's right.

   Peer pressure and "going with the flow" are always issues that everyone has to deal with in the business environment. Not being labeled as a "team player" can be detrimental to one's growth in a particular organization. The author asks the reader to count the costs of conformity and not to "associate with evil men, lest you increase their number", quoting George Herbert. He's right.

   But ethics is not merely a collection of arbitrary rules to follow, the author argues. The right course of action is built into the nature of reality and meshes with human nature and human needs. Since this is the case, the practice of true ethical norms is not only productive, but pleasureful to the individual, and instead of causing boredom as some might believe, alleviates it, argues the author. He's right.

   Some might label, and the author does unashamedly, the framework outlined in the book as "spiritual". Goal-oriented, truth-valuing, truth-loving conduct results in a productive, life-loving spiritual individual, in complete antithesis to that of a sterile, non-creative, cynical one who views life as a burden with crosses to bear.

   Some of course might view this book, and one on ethics in general, as being "idealistic" or "naive". Such individuals may not wish to even pick it up, let alone read it. But individuals who practice these ideas, or ones very similar, haved moved the world, and will continue to do so.




5. 
   This book is neither about Aristotle nor General Motors. Do not be fooled into believing it is in any way an application of Aristotelian ethics in modern business; it is not. Morris consistently contradicts Aristotle throughout the book.
   
   An example is Morris' proselytizing conclusion that leadership requires humility. To make his point Morris quotes ancient Hasidic verse and the Tao Te Ching to establish that we are all worms. Nobility, Morris suggests, is lowness.
   
   Did Aristotle ever say this? No. Could Aristotelian writing lead us to these conclusions? No again. Is Taoism consistent with Aristotelian reason and logic? No, no, no. Is Hasidic verse? Definitely not. So what is going on? Did Morris forget to read Aristotle?
   
   Aristotle understood Man as a rational being with happiness as the moral purpose of his life. Morris does not. This book does not.
   
   Morris peppers his book with quotes at the furious rate of no less than one or two per page. He quotes every thing from fortune cookies to Einstein. Ironically with all this mad quoting he never once, ever, (I checked) quotes Aristotle - never.
   
   This book could better be titled, "If an irrational populist ran a non-profit organization."
   
   The prefaces of basic economic texts usually contain better discussions of the practical intersection of business and philosophy.