5 comments about Titan : The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. (Cassette/Abridged).

1. 
   This book is the best biography I've read thus far.
   Ron Chernow has a deep understanding of
   economics and history. He uses this understanding to
   paint an accurate, balanced and complete picture of
   the Rockerfeller dynasty with J.D. Rockerfeller as the
   center of their powerful universe.
   
   
   To emphasise just how well this book was written,
   consider the fact that I spent my whole
   Christmas weekend reading it! I couldn't move from my
   library or sleep until it was done. Though the book
   weighs in at approximately seven hundred pages, it is
   reads like a novel, a trait which makes it both
   palatable and pithy.
   
   

   Synopsis

   
   Rockerfeller has all the traits of a classic self made hero. His
   antecedents are not amazing. He grew up in a poor
   family featuring a bigamist foot-lose father who was
   hardly ever around. His father taught John painful
   lessons in business and human behaviour. John's father
   would regularly tell John to jump from his high chair
   into his father's arms. Once, in order to teach John
   never to trust anyone, he told John to jump. He then
   walked away, leaving John to slam painfully into the ground.
   John's mother was the backbone of the family; quiet,
   anassuming and hardworking. He assumed the role of
   surrogate father and dedicated his life to ensuring his
   mother and the rest of his family were safe, secure
   and happy.
   
   
   When Rockerfeller got into the business world, he
   began as a book keeper. It was from these early
   beginnings that he showed the traits that would be the
   core of his success. He was meticulous and diligent
   when keeping financial records and accounts. He would
   manage his own funds as well as the company's money down to the
   decimal point! Like Warren Buffet after him,
   J.D. Rockerfeller would emphasis that "numbers are
   everything."
   
   
   J.D also proved that discipline is more important than
   intelligence. In school, he wasn't the sharpest blade
   in the set but his slow, diligent, determined and
   disciplined approach to study ensured his success. He
   emphasised this in his business dealings as well. With
   this method, he created the jaggernaut monopoly of
   Standard Oil. He began by consolidating the mass of oil
   refineries and wells in Cleveland under his umbrella.
   Later, after recruiting his alter ego, Henry Flagler,
   they would proceed to dominate the oil industry
   thoughout the world.
   
   
   Rockerfeller also exemplified a reticence that would
   inspire respect and fear in his enemies while planting
   admiration and loyalty in his friends. At board
   meetings, he was often known to lie back in a settee
   with his eyes closed as he let his leiutenants debate.
   Later, he would discuss these issues in great detail,
   as though he had absorbed and understood everything
   without skipping a beat. Within his company, he was a
   ghost. Employees would never see him arrive or watch
   him leave. However, they were made acutely aware of
   his presence when he popped up at some underlings desk
   and discussed their jobs and records in great detail. He
   knew everything and everyone.
   
   
   Later on, Standard Oil would become the focus of the
   anti-trust movement. The Spellman Act was passed in
   order to curb its power. In later years,
   Rockerfeller's juggernaut would be split up with
   unforseen results. Instead of destroying his wealth,
   as his detractors and politicians had hoped, his
   wealth and that of his shareholders trippled!
   Rockerfeller's success was enduring and could not be
   stopped or limited.
   
   
   Rockerfeller dedicated the first half his life to becoming the
   richest man on the planet. He then dedicated the
   remaining half to becoming the greatest philanthropist
   in the planet. His medical foundations brought
   back the disciplined approach he applied to business to
   the medical field that had erstwhile been dominated by
   quacks and homeopaths. Were it not for Rockerfeller's
   contributions to medicine, modern health might not be
   as advanced as it is now.
   
   
   After living to the ripe old age of ninety eight,
   Rockerfeller had achieved more than most people achive in a
   hundred lifetimes. He was one of those individuals so
   powerful that he forever changed the destiny of
   humanity forever.
   
   
   
   Something in the nature of J.D. Rockerfeller had to
   occur in America, and it is all to the good of the
   world that he was tight-lipped, consistent and
   amazingly free from vulgar vanity, sensuality and
   quarrelsomeness. His cold prsistence and ruthlessness
   may arouse something like horror, but for all that he
   was a forward-moving force, a constructive power.
   
   --H. G. Wells. The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind.
   
   
   

   Conclusion

   
   This book is mandatory reading for all students of
   success. It teaches the nature of the monopolist, the
   spirit of the leader, the hunger of the rich, the
   ambition of the visionary, the structure of a dynasty
   and the soul of the innovator.
   
   
   I've idolized Rockerfeller my whole life. Reading this
   biography gave me an understanding of both his faults
   and his virtues. It humanised him. The fact that
   Rockerfeller is so much like a next door neighbour
   leads the reader to a very important conclusion:
   success is not about nature, it's about nurture. It
   is not about intelligence but of intent. It is not
   about destiny but of decision. It is not about magic,
   it is about method.
   
   Each of us can make the decision to be successful. All
   we have to do is practice the method by mimicking that
   of the giants who have come before us. That is the
   Billionaire Way.



2. Rockefeller is reported to have searched endlessly for golf balls lost in an attempt to recover them, yet could nearly buy the world - why?
   
   Objective biographies are important to show that it is rarely money or greed that inspires the mind of man; it is the pursuit of the solution to the particular problem that he has defined worthy of solution. Both great inventions and great works of art have been formed as a result of the tiny seeds of construction or of destruction that engage the human spirit.
   
   Without it, are we not all merely reduced to automated machine status, the robots of today for the future of tomorrow?
   
   Is the mind of man made for the pursuit of money, or for the pursuit of satisfaction of what he perceives is worthy of addressing, focusing his attention upon the manner and the object of his passion?
   
   What makes people tick is a source of inspiration often overlooked in the attempt to idolize or endow humanity, and far too often, misconstrued by mistaken others who aim to profit from that misinterpretation.
   
   Molded soles, like molded fingerprints, rarely sit anyone else. Why then do we not concentrate upon the perspective of what men aim for, and why, rather than what they accomplish, and its yield?



3. Hopefully it is good, Kinda Long but I am looking foward to having time to read the whole novel.



4. This is a really excellent book on Rockefeller. It made me laugh; it helped me to understand who he was as a person; it showed how he became who he was; and it gave me a true and complete understanding of Mr. John D. Rockefeller, Sr. in an unbiased way.
   
   I read the negative reviews on here, and I want to refute them. Some say the author clearly favored Rockefeller; I felt quite the opposite at some points and think a really objective depiction was achieved. Others say the editing was poor; I didn't find a single spelling or grammatical error during the read. In terms of its editing, it was fine.
   
   If you want to know who Mr. Rockefeller, Sr. was, this is the book for you.



5. John D. Rockefeller Sr. was probably the biggest, baddest robber baron in 19th century America, and also its leading philanthropist. Many writers scorned his ruthlessness, notably Ida Tarbell, who wrote two books on Rockefeller and his company, Standard Oil. Author Ron Chernow digs deeper, through masses of Rockefeller family documents, to present the founder of the Rockefeller dynasty as a "man of flesh and bone and soul." He covers Rockefeller's ugly, dramatic and even shameful aspects, while concurrently demonstrating his business acumen and his philanthropic leadership amid a remarkable generation of business barons, including William Randolph Hearst, Jay Gould, William Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie and J.P. Morgan. An amazing portrait emerges of an almost invisible, rather megalomaniac ascetic who wanted to fulfill God's will. He became extremely wealthy, gave millions away, and believed that he brought the benefit of inexpensive oil products to all mankind. getAbstract highly recommends this multifaceted biography.

5 comments about Self-Esteem and Peak Performance.

1. Going through the tape of Jack Canfield, I found many good tips on how to become more positive and the good thing is his voice reflects the kindness that some other positive thinkers lack. It raises above the average in that respect, even though in the field of the ideas, it is similar to the others. It definitely has its value listening though. I would recommend it.



2. This was the first cassette purchase I made, and I was so impressed, I have begun to keep my eyes open for more books on tape. Jack Canfield, well known for his uplifting "Chicken Soup" series, is just as uplifting in voice. The series is very practical, with Jack outlining simple exercises you can do with minimal time, that will improve your outlook. It is true that repetitive listening makes a difference, though I've only gotten through it 4 times completely. He spices his tips up with stories of success, and the fact that it's a taped live seminar, makes it sound like you are really there listening to him in person. The only thing I could do without were the questions at the end, and the section of affirmations did not strike my imagination too strongly, though both of these would be welcomed by other listeners I'm sures.



3. I first bought this set of tapes several years ago at an education seminar and it was a valuable investment. Jack Canfield is caring, understanding, knowledgeable and has a great sense of humor. He comes across as a 'real' person who uses teaching examples from his own life and degrees of self-disclosure that help create a 'trust' atmosphere for the listener. He has a speaking manner that puts you at ease and makes you want to listen to everything he has to say. Self-esteem, self-confidence and relating to other people is who we are every day and he helps improve this with techniques for developing and strengthening our 'inner selves'. I've listened to these tapes every 6 months for the last 7 yrs. and I listen to them whenever I am going through a really stressful time. They are uplifting and healing.



4. Jack Canfield is my motivational role model and for good reason. Jack is a warm and lovable fellow who believes in people--to do better and be better. I love to listen to these tapes over and over again. They are really motivating. And by the way he's funny too! Zev Saftlas, Author of Motivation That Works



5. This is a great collection of tips and stories to help alter the way we think of ourselves. These tapes give my self-esteem a boost and make the world a better place. The formula of Experience + Response = Outcome is just one of the great ways this tape influences posative thinking. The only down side is that this product isn't sold as a CD.

No comments about A Lifetime of Riches: The Biography of Napoleon Hill.

5 comments about The Sound of Your Voice.

1. The narrator has an unbelievably irratating voice! She has a LISP!!!! I swear!!
   The absolute worst choice was made in selecting a speaker! Hilarious!!! Buy it for the laughs!!!!!



2. This book/Cd is worth its weight in gold IF you practice what it tells you and do the exercises as it suggests. I think it should be a required course for all high school graduates at least!



3. If you want to improve your voice now and easy this is for you, this is like a very nice intro to improve your voice by your own and with a great price and value.



4. I have used this before. It is full of concrete ideas, but some times takes a long time to get to the point.



5. I am giving this product 5 stars because I think that on balance, it provides a LOT of essential information about voice, in a remarkably efficient form, for very little money. I learned a LOT by playing these four cds in my car, and the exercises are quite useful indeed.
   
   I need to caution you about something: the style of the presentation is rather cloying. It's a bit like those old educational films made for high school students in the 1950's, that we used to laugh at decades later, with strange music out of the 1970's. I cannot tell if this was done intentionally for humor, or if it was simply done with earnest but some time ago.
   
   I needed to let go of this in order to appreciate the content of the cds. I did do that, and I'm happy that I did.
   
   The cd information includes details on different aspects of speech, how it sounds when it's wrong, and how it sounds when it's right, and exercises to determine whether this particular problem applies to you and if so, how to gently correct it over time.
   
   What more could you ask for? There is no magic pill to fix your speech. It takes observation, and exercise. One-on-one consultation with an expert would probably be better of course, but even so, these cds provide excellent background, where you can learn on your own time and let the personal consultation operate more efficiently.
   
   Ok, one more thing: the speaker has a great voice except for a slight lisp. How weird is that! A voice teacher to have a slight speech impediment? BUT, I'd be willing to bet that it used to be much worse and this experience, having someone help her minimize this problem, was part of what motivated her to take up this career.
   
   So, if you want to improve your speech, or simply suspect that your speech could be improved, this product is an awesome place to start, both in terms of quality of content and the price. There are a few little annoyances along the way (IMHO) that are well worth overlooking.

5 comments about Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys, and Their Monkey Business.

1. This makes the top ten list out of all the great picture books we read to our kids when they were young. I never tired of reading it. So simple, symmetric, even musical. The story? How does the peddler get the monkeys to give back all the caps they've stolen from him and carried up into the tree? Okay, I'm the publisher of One Monkey Books, so call me biased. But try this one on your three or five or year old, and really get into singing, "Caps for sale! Caps for sale! Fifty cents a cap!" It's been around for ages already, and this book will still be there when your kids are having kids. Nutty to Meet You! Dr. Peanut Book #1



2. This is one of the few books I remember my elementary school librarian reading to us during my childhood. I loved the story of the multi colored caps balancing on the peddler's head as he walked through town yelling "caps for sale!" Then to find that as he napped, his caps disappeared. Looking around for them post-nap, he discovers a band of monkeys in the tree wearing them. He tries to get the caps back but each time he yells at the monkeys, they just ape his actions. Finally they throw the caps down and he continues on his way selling his multi-colored caps. I highly recommend this book for all children. My daughter is 2, almost 3, and she also LOVES this story. She finds the monkeys funny - especially how I imitate their actions.



3. Years ago, a unique peddler stood out from other salespeople because he carried all his goods on top of his head. He neatly stacked a bunch of gray, brown, blue, and red caps in a single pile and carefully balanced them on his head as he walked through town, calling "Caps! Caps for Sale! Fifty cents a cap!" But alas, on this particular day, no one purchases a cap. With no money to buy lunch, the peddler opts for a walk and a nap in the countryside instead. His troubles multiply when he wakes up to the sight of a group of playful monkeys in the treetop, each wearing one of his caps for sale. How will he get the caps back?
   
   This classic story, reissued in a new hardcover edition, does not grow old with its humor, ingenuity, and charm. Underlying the story is an important set of economics concepts related to buyers and sellers in the goods market. If the demand for caps had been a little stronger, the peddler may have been able to avoid this whole predicament, but therein lies the book's merriment. Caps for Sale gets top marks for delivering a story with substantive content that children will enjoy and remember.



4. I loved this book as a child and I love sharing it with my children.



5. This is a great book for kids, even young ones around 2.5 years old. It's an engaging story and my son loves the part where the man wakes up to find his hats gone, and looks up and sees all the monkeys wearing the hats! He asks me to read it everynight, and remembers the phrase "caps for sale."

5 comments about Magic Kingdom For Sale - Sold (Landover).

1. I am a huge Terry Brooks fan. This book does not disappoint. I have introduced my grandson to Terry Brooks, and he enjoyed this book as much as I did.



2. Audio narrator Dick Hill has had vast experience narrating gripping stories, which is one of the selling points to the audio version of Book One in the 'magic Kingdom of Landover' series, MAGIC KINGDOM FOR SALE - SOLD!. Landover is a real magic kingdom purchased by Ben, who finds only after his acquisition that the kingdom is in ruin. There's even an evil witch and a dragon wrecking havoc on his new purchase. Add in the contested rights to his assuming the position of King and you have a hilarious, fun blend of mystery and fantasy.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



3. 
   This was one of the first fantasy novels that I had read after I had given up on the bulk of them in my early teens. I had ingested so much fantasy in my early years that I may not have been the best person to ask exactly what reality was. Being into Dungeons & Dragons also didn't help and so went my cold ingrained perspective on the world, which wouldn't rear its head again until my early thirties.
   
   Brook's Magic Kingdom For Sale, Sold is the type of novel that has probably inspired a lot of other writers for the simple fact that this book is easy to read, has a very strong story from beginning to end, is engaging and is undoubtedly a cult classic, whether some of us like it or not. When I read Terry Brooks these days, I get a strange and uncanny feeling regarding J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter series. While this book is in no way a mirror of her books, it just has the same type of childish charm and allure that is so present in the first three Harry Potter adventures. The characters are equally engrossing and irascible.
   
   I read this when it was released. I was an everyday sucker at the grocery store caught under the `spontaneous purchase' at the cash register and I was getting ready to bed down during my Senior Year to suffer through a bad case of chicken pox. I played a lot of Nintendo during those weeks, read a lot of Science Fiction and made my reading return back to fantasy after about a six or seven year absence. I wouldn't call Carlos Castaneda `Fantasy' per se, but some would, and that was when I moved on to read the classics, and rightly so.
   
   I was glad I came back and read this, because I read the Shannara books right after and re-read the Tolkien books to see if Brooks really was ripping off Lord of The Rings or not, as many have accused.



4. What a fun story ! I read it years ago, and then read the series. Now I am ordering it for my grandson. Order it and ESCAPE into another time/space.



5. Hey, I thought it was a funny concept! The usual magic kingdom of spells and fantasy galore winds up being sold in an eccentric's catalog. Sweet, cute, and pretty darn creative. Then of course we get the great fun of having the disbelieving new owner/"king" getting to discover what he has just bought.
   
   It's certainly a fun book, and the characters are just a riot. Most of what the book has going for it is the humor and the imagination, and those are not bad reasons to read the book. And yet the emotion is still there, the loss that drives Ben to do something crazy.
   
   It's not exceptionally original, but Brooks pulls it off very well.

5 comments about PowerTalk!: Professional Series (Powertalk!).

1. The content and pace of this interview is strong. I'm an accountant by profession and trade as a hobby; and the information contained in this interview blew me away.

   If you think you know what your doing in the financial markets you MUST expose yourself to this message. Failure to do is unquantifiable.




2. Alright, i gave it a one star.
   However, the quality itself is 5 star.
   WHY?
   Simply because this cassette tape set can be
   borrowed in the library!! Why the hell would
   you like to BUY it!? it is only around 3 hours
   listening and you want to buy it!?
   Borrow it from library and simply copy the tape
   using the hi-fi!



3. Nice job from Tony, but Prechter lacks deeper knowledge of the basics of finance and macro-economy to be able to make such affirmations. Not to mention that he over-simplifies all matters to make and re-make his point. Of course, his pessimistic view may still prove to be right and then he will be called a guru again. But how long has been since he declared these points and nothing happened? Some months, right? As he also agrees, TIMING is key to make or not to lose money on financial markets, so to me this book is 3 stars: not bad, but no good either.



4. Hey Henry from Hong Kong...News flash...copying this tape set is illegal!! That is why you should buy it. Besides it is a great set of interviews.



5. Using the mentality of "henry1983" all the great classics ever written by the greatest authors that ever lived deserve to be rated "one star" because "you can find them in the library" as if the rating system has anything to do with where someone obtained the content! Books here are reviewed by people who *read the book* regardless of whether they got it from the library, a local bookstore, as a gift, or at Amazon. It's almost embarrassing that this needs to be explained to what I assume is an adult--so this person may have some kind of ulterior agenda. The very fact that he rated it one star for that reason and then stated in his writing that it actually deserves 5 stars, means he invalidated his own rating and should therefore be removed (and take this paragraph along with it).
   
   So anyway, this is 5 star content and is definately worth picking up. The same goes for most of the Robbins Powertalk series.

5 comments about How to Win Customers and Keep Them for Life: An Action-Ready Blueprint for Achieving the Winner's Edge!.

1. This is an absolute must read for all small busines owners. I've had my own small manufacturing business for 19 years and I can assure you - THERE IS SO MUCH TRUTH IN THESE PAGES THAT YOU IGNORE IT AT YOUR OWN PERIL. Plus, Michael Leboeuf is a excellent writer. Buy it!



2. This is simply the greatest book ever on how to treat customers the way they should be treated, how to handle potential problems, and how to capitalize on it all. In the future, I will be sure to use the practical, no-nonsense advice given by Michael LeBoeuf. His business management and customer service related masterpieces should make up any part of a manager or sales analyst/manager's business bookshelf. His books are not only helpful to those with their own business or those involved with sales or managing a business, but are important for use in everyday life and how to treat people. The popular mantra associated with this book is simple, yet profound: "What gets rewarded, gets done".



3. I was recommended this book with my recent promotion. I was not sure I would enjoy it but okay. I purchased one and before I got half way through with the book I was purchasing 15 more. For some co-workers and maybe some future co-workers.
   
   Just when I thought I knew all I could possibly know about customer service; This book puts it all on a whole new level.
   If you are in the restaurant business, purchase one now. After-all, all you have to gain is more happy customers.



4. I am surprised there are not more reviews of this book. It is a classic. Anyone who sells or owns a business or has a customer should read it.
   
   The following is an excerpt from my blog on it. Just for background, I started my business from scratch years ago so had just me and my car and built it to hundreds of staff and now over $1 Billion in sales.
   
   Awesome book. I need to figure out how to apply the lessons to a larger company. The lessons apply perfectly to a small company that sells to the public. Makes me think I should start a small business. The same principals apply to a larger company like SYNNEX. People often ask me what the secret to computer distribution is. The answer is summed up by a quote from the book :"everyone is trying to accomplish something big not realizing life is made up of the little things" (Quote by Frank Clark). Distribution is all about the little things.



5. Our management team is reading this book together and discussing it weekly and it has been invaluable. The book has a lot of very practical techniques and advice on how to dramatically improve and increase your business. I would recommend it to anyone in an organization regardless of wether or not they come into direct contact with customers. It is especially useful for salesman because it teaches them not just how to win a sale but to win repeat customers. What more could you want as a salesman?

5 comments about First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently.

1. Very interesting perspective on how top managers operate. Plants seeds of change and presents how why what has been done in the past and currently practiced may have not been effective and ultimately successful as we have all been told it would be. Highly recommended reading for those wanting tho think out of the box.



2. Of all the books I've read about leadership, this is the one that gave me the most. I've been able to use the information in this book every single day and guess what? It really works. If you're interested in management and leadership, start here!



3. Outstanding managers know intuitively that one can obtain more from practicing and enhancing our stengths than by trying to overcome our weaknesses. This is the principle of this excellent book and the result of a survey done to a pool of outstanding managers. I bought the book just because it was the result of a Gallup study and it did not dissapoint me. The book contains an interesting but brief explanation of how the study was conceived and performed.
   
   The introduction of this book led my interest to neurosciences, since the author made an analogy between brain circuitry and roads. He mentioned that each brain has differently developed neuronal links, which are developed in early childhood. Those links that are stronger (superhighways compared to small roads) represent our strengths. Access and communication using the superhighways will always be easier for us than struggling through unlevelled sidepaths (our weaknesses) or even to try to broaden these narrow roads, which requires tremendous effort and might be even imposible, since they were set in early childhood. Reading about neurosciences I found out about the plasticity of the brain's circuitry (which years ago was thought to be rigid and set), so with a lot of effort and practise we might overcome some weaknesses, but we would need to really evaluate the effort vs. the result. (See A User's Guide to the Brain: Perception, Attention, and the Four Theaters of the Brain.
   
   I recently found out that had I read the classics, and specifically Aristotle, this idea would not have appeared new to me (so apparently Aristotle broke the rules long time ago), but since I haven't read him, it was good to read this book. Although one always prefers to do things at which one is good at, we sometimes force ourselves to do things at which we are not so good at, to improve our weak spots.
   
   The content of the book is so good, that it makes you forget about the management book writing style and its being repetitive.
   
   The sequel, Now, Discover Your Strengths is also quite good, it makes a summary of the main strengths that people have and to what type of work they can best be applied. It even contains a test (both inside the book or online) to help you discover your strengths.



4. Definitely on my recommended book list. A must read for women in business.
   
   Susan Bock
   The Success Coach for Women in Business
   www.SusanBockSolutions.com



5. Geeks have said for a long, long time that there is easily a 10-to-1 ratio of productivity between the best developers and an average developer. There is tons of evidence to this fact... however it is still a difficult reality to swallow for some folks. In many cases, you're better off with a team of 3 good developers, than a team of 20 average developers. This book not only validates this claim, but also provides proof that this productivity ratio exists in every job role!
   
   This was based on data from a 25-year survey by Gallup... they interviewed over 100,000 people, trying to find out who were great managers, and what they knew. Almost uniformly, they knew that the standard rules about managing people were completely bogus. They break down what attributes your employees have into 3 buckets:
   
   * Knowledge: Basic information; "book learning." People with knowledge interview well, and test well, but that doesn't always translate into productivity. Training people "knowledge" is fast and easy.
   * Skills: This is applied knowledge. A great deal of accounting and data entry is applied high-school math, but that doesn't mean any high schooler can do it. They need the skills to know when to apply what knowledge and when. Training people a "skill" takes time, and not all people are cut out for every skill.
   * Talent: The most important of the bunch... somebody not only with skills and knowledge, but their brain is wired to be exceptional at this task! You can have a talent for sales, accounting, data entry, development, bartending, housekeeping, management, anything! Training people a "talent" is extraordinarily difficult, but you can find it during an interview.
   
   This book validates what I have said for a long time: manager is a role, not a rank! Only people with the "talent" for being managers should be managers. It should not be an expected career path for all.
   
   One talented employee is easily more valuable than 10 of her peers, across the board. This book provides sufficient examples that should make any decent manager rethink their methods of using their employees like cogs in a giant "process machine." A good manager should look for "talent," and not "skills" or "knowledge" during an interview... and then figure out a way to help their employees harness their latent talent. If so, then you will see 10 times more productivity out of a talented employee, compared to an average one.
   
   This has nothing to do with knowledge, skills, or process... the talented ones just "get it." They see the problem, they know inherently how to solve it, and it brings them tremendous joy to solve it. Don't promote these stars to management; that's not their talent. Instead, let the exceptional employees -- like exceptional baseball players -- make more than an average manager. They call this "broad band" pay scales, and in practice they work pretty well to make sure everybody is exceptional at their role.
   
   What about developers? They had a few things to say about them... somewhat oversimplified, but they said a common career path is from developer to systems analyst. In other words, go from designing one system, to designing integrated systems that work together.
   
   This is a HUGE mistake.
   
   Why? Because both roles require different talents! Developers are problem solvers, but in general they need ALL the pieces of the puzzle before they want to try to solve it. There is no feeling more frustrating to them than not being able to solve a problem because you weren't given sufficient data... or a complete specification.
   
   To illustrate... Imagine you work at a software company. If you ask a talented developer a technical question, but you don't give sufficient information, you might have just cost your company a full day's worth of developer productivity. Why? Because the developer will seethe, and stew, and gather his buddies for a hallway bitch-session about you... which will cause others to likewise seethe and stew, and grumble about how "nobody ever gives them enough information." It all adds up to a full day lost.
   
   It happens. I've seen it.
   
   In contrast, a systems analysts (or architect) thrives on incomplete information. They know they are designing a system with a lot of people, a lot of requirements, a lot of needs, and thus a ton of moving parts. People don't know what they want, because nobody really knows what is possible. An architect can't wait around forever to create a specification: he needs to experiment a little. This means iteration, agility, extreme programming, and all that garbage.
   
   It is certainly possible for one person to have both skills... but usually the best developers have a mild weakness at integrated systems, and vice versa.
   
   Getting your manager to read this book might be tricky... "you suck! read this so you suck less!" Nevertheless, its a good book that will help you make the case that there is talent in every role... you're not asking for special treatment when you ask to play to your strengths. You're asking that your manager let you do what all great managers do.
   
   Simple as that...

5 comments about How to Win Friends & Influence People.

1. This book's point is basically that if you treat people with respect and consideration, they'll be much more likely to like you and to see your viewpoint. It goes on to both outline and detail exactly how do do this, providing many examples. As Mr. Carnegie says, practicing the guidelines spelled out in the book won't mean everyone will like you and agree with you, but they will vastly improve the chances that people will like you and agree with you.
   
   I really liked this book because not only is it dead-on accurate when it comes to improving the rate of positive interaction with people, it's an interesting read. I expected to skim through it and glean off the main points, but I ended up reading it from cover to cover.



2. i just added this book b/c it sounded interesting and to bump cart price up to free shipping.
   its an easy to read book with relevant insight.



3. This book was life changing for me. As a dad, a husband, a school teacher and a stand-up comedian, I needed these teachings. This book showed me a better way to lead at home and in the class room. It also has helped me deal with club owners, which has already materialized in more money. I now know that a leader doesn't make you follow him, he makes you WANT to follow him. My home, work, and business relationships have improved drastically because of this book. If you follow these teachings from the heart, you will see drastic changes in both your business and personal lives.



4. If this guy's so good at winning friends and influencing people, how come he's dead?



5. this book is a great book to read!especially if you want tbe become a leader.