5 comments about The MOTLEY FOOL'S RULE MAKERS, RULE BREAKERS, THE: The Foolish Guide to Picking Stocks.

1. It seems as though the success of the Motley Fool is very much a product of the information age and the internet's foray into the stock market. It's index of funds "^MFF" has taken a nosedive over the last year or so, only coming up slightly within the last couple of months. But let us take a look at what can be learned from the printings of the two Fools: David and Tom Gardner.

   For one some of the advice that they dish out can be a product of the time at which the book was written. A small portion of the book extols buying stocks when they are at their IPOs, a practice that brought investors considerable success before the advent of the dot-com debacle. Today such a practice would come under suspect just because of the lack of information most IPOs are able to offer given their nascent entrance into the business world. To be fair, the Gardners did spend a few sentences to preface their recommendations with the obvious heads up that one must do their due diligence before jumping into a stock head first.

   The element of humor within the informative book serves to entertain and amuse, satisfying a promise they make from the get go. If you're a fan of Shakespeare or at least can read prose from that day in era (personally I found it difficult) then we may not get some of the quips that were intended for us. Overall it's a good read that echoes the teachings of the Sage of Omaha: buy and hold.




2. Selecting the right stocks (or rather the right companies) is the foremost important step in Investing. And this books is all about the process of picking the best stocks from the whole universe of Stock market.
   
   As Tom and David believe, anyone with 5th grade math should be able to invest intelligently. And accordingly, they have written in simple and straight forward manner. There are no references to fancy formulas or any reference to 200 day moving averages etc etc.
   
   Most of the rules described are empirical, intuitive and easy to comprehend.
   
   For example ...
   
   -> Seek companies with repeat business model (Starbucks, McDonalds, Gillete etc)
   -> Seek companies that are the initial proponents and the market leaders (Coke, Gillete etc)
   -> Seek companies with high profit margin products (Starbucks etc)
   -> Seek companies which have good brand recognition (McDonalds, Coke etc)
   
   There are ample more rules that are described in detail in the book.
   
   This is definitely a must read for folks that are just getting started on Investing. I would suggest that you first read and understand the complete set of rules. For better understanding, apply those rules to few set of stocks that are interesting to you. Intuitively try to find out which rules really make sense to you. Probably come out of with just 7 rules that you find are absolutely interesting and relevant. Adopt those selected rules in your investing strategy.
   
   Happy Investing! Hopefully you will recover the cost of the book by applying the rules in this book :-)
   
   -Sachin



3. The Motely Fool has never shied away from congratulating itself, in an entertaining sort of way. The trouble comes in when the reality fails to live up to the authors' claims. Their style of rah-rah anyone-can-make-a-million investing appeals to some novice investors for obvious reasons. But as Malkiel points out in the classic A Random Walk Down Wall Street, there will always be a few people who have a fortunate run for a few years. Today, sadly, after the crash of 2000, the Gardners' conclusions in Rule Breakers Rule Makers seem to be more misleading than helpful, especially for someone just starting out.
   
   If investing were only as easy as the Gardners make out then their own "Rule Breaking" portfolio might have continued to work. They have tried to selectively cite certain of their more recent portfolios to make it appear that they're continuing to "beat the market like a drum", while sweeping under the rug their losing portfolios. But as the reality of their results stands, they ought to be ashamed of themselves for hyping up stocks and making themselves sound like the next Warren Buffett.
   
   There will always be people on Wall Street like the Gardners, inflating expectations and temporarily taking in some newcomers. In contrast, real investors like Buffett and Graham are modest about their results. They stick to a realistic expectation of returns, and realize that today's hot stock is often tomorrow's set of crashed dreams. A beginning investor would be much better served reading Graham's The Intelligent Investor, or another classic of the Street, rather than being drawn into a charming but unrealistic look at the high hopes of what are ultimately mere self-promoters.



4. This book provides a nice method for picking two kinds of promising stocks: rule-breakers, the next cisco, microsoft, or amazon; innovative, up and coming companies with enormous potential for growth: and rule-makers, solid, established companies, leaders in their fields, that promise steady profit and earnings. The authors give a list of the attributes to look for that identify each kind of company. It's valuable advice, but the book is full of that "irrational exuberance" that characterized the late 90s.



5. The best investment advice I received from buying and reading this books was do not waste anymore money on the Motley Fools books. The trust fund boys do not need your money and they show that by giving the reader nothing for their time and money. This book was a complete waste of time. I read hundreds of books a year and this is the first one that I felt cheated. I am so disappointed with this book that I had to tell all how bad it really was. There was nothing new in this book and the concepts are just a ploy to get you to sign up to their online service. Remember when you get this product home that I told you it was a waste of your time and money so do not come crying to me when you find out the same as I did. Find something else to ready.

5 comments about The Wisdom of Teams : Creating the High-Performance Organization.

1. What's nice about Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith's book is their willingness to name the truth. They know that everyone pays lip service to teams, but few people act like they truly value teams - and fewer still actually know how teams really work. The authors point out where the hype lies and what it is hiding. Then they go a step farther. They provide a manual for creating what executives say they want: high-performance teams. They illustrate their suggestions, insights and guidelines with a lot of stories of real-world teams, focusing on what makes them work. Their rules are so clear that they leave little room for protecting any cherished illusions. As a result, we find that those readers who are willing to act upon the book's counsel will get the most from it. If you're seriously interested in diagnosing nonperforming teams and creating ones that perform, you'll enjoy this book. And, if you think you're already doing everything right, but your team mysteriously just isn't working...this may solve the puzzle.



2. This book is an excellent read for anyone with responsibilities for leading groups of people to attain desired and sometimes even extraordinary outcomes within their organization. The insights revealed here are a critically important option for organizations that wish or need to attain productivity beyond what can be realized from the sum of individual contributions. Understanding the discipline of real teams can turn someone with average leadership abilities and potential into an extraordinary leader.



3. 
   Jon Katzenbach and Dough Smith is probably the most classical work on teams at the moment. It's a pretty good description on what teams are and what you can do to create working teams. It also covers quite well the why of teams: why would you want to have teams in your organization.
   
   The book is divided into three parts:
   - Understanding teams
   - Becoming a team
   - Exploiting the potential
   
   The first part is the most important part of the book. In the first chapter the authors describe why you would want to have teams in your organization. The second chapter goes on to describe one team in action. The authors use lots of stories of teams throughout the book to make their points clear. The third chapter describes six points which they call the basics of teams:
   1) Small
   2) Complementary skills
   3) Shared purpose
   4) Clear specific goals
   5) Clear working approach
   6) Sense of mutual accountability
   In the fourth chapter, the authors give more examples.
   
   The second part of the book introduces the team performance curve. The authors make the distinction between working groups and real teams. They consider that real teams perform higher, but its more difficult to achieve that. Between real teams and working groups they identifies the pseudo-teams, which have a performance below average, and the potential teams, which have a performance about equal to the working groups. Next to these, the author still recognize the high-performance teams, which are exceptional, but have a level of performance above all the others. Part two mainly continues explaining and clarifying this model.
   
   The third part is called "exploiting the potential" and talks about higher management teams and about how to build your organization to support teams.
   
   The book is easy readable and well structured. Some of the examples and stories are nice, though some of them do not go in too much detail. In general, I felt that the book could be thinner and some of the stories could be skipped. The authors used a little too much words, hence I'll rate the book 4 stars and not 5.
   
   Still, when interested in teams, this book is certainly recommended.



4. This is a great book for anyone in business - mainly as it is based on fact and research - not an opinion. I have sent copies to most of my friends in business as it is a worthwhile tool and makes human behaviour more obvious - a great read.



5. As a professional consultant, time is well spent with the author is states clearly what he means, and justifies his stand. Good relevant information, and easy reading.
   
   Dr. Evelyn J. Johnson

5 comments about Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service.

1. This is one of the most informative and fun-to-read books I've ever read. There is so much to be learned and to think about. Really gets your energy and mind going.



2. This book has a rather flimsy message. Simply stated it is that you can smash your competition and achieve exceptional success in sales by adhering to a deceptively simple formula: Know what you want; know what the customer wants, deliver beyond the client's expectation, and never stop enhancing your service. The message is delivered in a writing style known as "mystical realism" in the fiction world, and which doesn't work quite as well in the non-fiction world. There is some real magic here, though, and it's on the cover of the book, "More than One Million copies sold." This probably relates to the fact that the target audience is, in fact, probably not all that literate, that it reduces an MBA in Marketing to a 75 minute read, that the print is large, and of course the whimsical and all too frequent references to the game of golf. The fact is that salesfolk periodically need to have their batteries recharged, and this book is a quick-charge. It gives the reader the feeling that he has learned something new, and that the business world is really much less complex than appearances would suggest. I read it as mandatory preparation for a Xinnix seminar, and if they thought this book had exceptional value, I'm worried about how simplistic their seminar might be.



3. I bought this in lieu of buying th book and am glad I did. We slipped it in and played it while on a day trip on the road. We are Amazon booksellers and found the information very helpful in our applying it to our bookselling business. The narration is story form which helps keep it interesting as well.



4. By definition, a "raving fan" is a customer that is so happy with your company that they praise your actions to anyone who might possibly listen. They are the best form of advertisement and the hardest to acquire. Changing your customer service strategy so that you have raving fans rather than customers is the point of this book and the story is told in parable form.
   The two main characters are Area Manager and Charlie, his male fairy "godmother." Using the magic that all fairy godmothers possess, Charlie takes Area Manager to several companies that generate their own raving fans. The strategy is common and ubiquitous across industries; treat your customer as a coveted and valued asset rather than a source of revenue to be squeezed.
   Another very important point is that to be successful in the area of customer service, you must first decide what you want to do. A fundamental component of this is to realize that not all potential customers are desirable ones. The fact is that some people are simply unsuitable as customers. Decide up front that they are not what you want to do and don't do it. Focus on what you can and want to do well.
   Ken Blanchard has once again been an author of a book that points the way to success in business. The path to success is by providing quality service that appears costly, but that is a mirage. Good customer service is one of the best ways possible to make money and save time by spending money and using time to provide it. This is one of the best management books ever written, made even better by the simplicity of the presentation.



5. Good quality, really almost new. Highly satisfied, only wish it had arrived a little quicker. Ordered another used book at the same time from another Amazon source and it arrived 3-4 days sooner.

5 comments about Walk Like a Giant, Sell Like a Madman.

1. No new information here. Presented in a manner that is very dull and uninteresting. Save your money! There are many options that are much better.



2. I think one of the keys to liking or disliking a book on sales is whether or not it fits your personality. I don't think you can stray too far from your core.
   That said, Ralph R. Roberts and I appear to be kindred spirits and I laughed, loved and learned while reading his book. If you want to be bold, innovative and fun, and have that help you in your sales career, this book is great. If you're looking for something regimented (especially for real estate) read Danielle Kennedy, who also has some great books that I've learned from. But she doesn't fit my style.
   Bottom line, after reading Ralph's book and implementing some of the lessons my RE career has started quickly and I've become known as the "go to" man in my farm.
   Thanks Ralph!



3. First, I rarely post comments about a book. Second, I'm not in "sales" (the type where I'm only paid by commission based on what I can sell) and the one and only sales job I've ever had was when I was 15 years old... not quite a million years ago, but close! Third, the goofy cover caught my attention - I was searching for a design book.

   Ralph's book is fun, entertaining, and insightful -- not a perfect book filled with glitz and glamour, but a human story about his life in sales, his trials, and earned success. As a designer, I'm always looking for new inspiration and angles that drive me to seek the best for my creative process, but I have little time to READ books all the way through, word for word. In fact, I tend to look at picture and process only and skim read the rest in most books, except design related books... Anyhow, each chapter of Ralph's book compelled me to read more and to learn about his sales techniques, systems, and his mini life-story. By the time I finished from front to back cover, I was truly inspired to consider sales as part of a key change in my career path.

   No, I'm not going into "sales" -- the commissions only type, but using my ability to negotiate with process that helps me and the people I work with so there's a win-win situation for everyone. If only I'd known to do that when I was 14 and unable to make one commission sale in 3 weeks... ha! Ralph's ideas are working like magic... in my work environment, with the public I'm required to meet, and even my family has responded in ways I'd never imagined AND I'm having fun. Thanks for this great book, Ralph!




4. I think someone else wrote the title. It doesn't fit the book, to begin with. Then there are these reviews. Half seem to be written by someone on the payroll. What positive sales information I managed to extract from this book (as minimal as it is) could have been written in a 5 page summary. For anyone that is new to sales and involved solely in real estate sales, then I could see them getting something to add to their arsenal of tricks. I am in automotive sales, however, and though the title suggests that I could find nuggets and be able to sell "anything" I am disappointeed in what I read. A better book (for automotive sales) is "Cars and People; How to Put the Two Together" or (for a good sales foundation) any EARLY Zig Ziglar book will do.



5. Excellent response time getting this book. Quick, professional and a great read.

2 comments about Speaking Without Fear or Nervousness.

1. It's worth paying! I recommend evryone who want to become a good public speaker, this is the must listen audio book.

   Good luck, San Kim




2. It's disappointing because this product has not been updated and is not available on DVD because it's excellent. I bought this in 2005. I would play the tapes a little bit now and again. I get very nervous when I have to speak publicly, but I noticed that people in my company who put on presentations seem to move up. I also enjoy teaching. As I have progressed with my career in government I get more and more opportunities to present. I never turn down a chance to speak. I recently had to do a presentation before thirty coworkers (mostly supervisors, including mine). Several weeks before my presentation, I played both tapes through while doing housework and working out. A few of the things registered with me this time for some reason. In the tapes Helen has a conversation with a coworker and they run though everything that could possibly go wrong with your presentation. Helen goes through the self talk that you might have before your presentation and turns it in to positive self talk. I was waiting for the speaker before me to finish and I would be up next. I remembered a couple of things from the tapes. One was "lighten up" and the other was "breath" along with the positive self talk, "I can do this". I wasn't as nervous as usual and my presentation went pretty well. Not my best and not my worse. I even tried a couple of new things. It was a learning experience. After my presentation a couple of people approached me to discuss some of the things I went over in my presentation. One thing I read somewhere was "better to have tried something and fail than to be too scared to try it at all". The tapes are well worth the price even if you can just remember a couple of things. I have a one hour presentation coming up and I plan on giving the tapes another listen to. Good luck with your public speaking, you only get better.

5 comments about Multiple Streams of Income.

1. Robert Allen hits the nail on the head here. I have 14 different streams of income in my business and it's the single reason for my continued success over 13 multi-million dollar years. Highly recommended!



2. This book is EXCELLENT! Very easy read with good clear explanations of ways to make money and make money work for you. It will change your perspective on finacial security.



3. This book sky rocketed my career and my investment
   IQ. It is well written,entertaining, as well as informative. It is one of the best books I've read on business.
   
   J. Wilson
   LI, New York



4. This books talks about multiple ways to earn income, ultimately leading to the goal of financial freedom. Having multiple streams of income is smart because it's risky to rely on one source when it could be taken away from you at any time, leaving you in the dust. Not only does the author talk about multiple streams, but if you are an employee, he talks about bringing value to your position. Keeping track of your finances and making every dollar count is also discussed. The idea is to create lifelong streams of income. The author also suggests to add at least one new income stream a year. What fantastic advice, which will ultimately lead to financial freedom. Wonderful book!!



5. This book has no shortage of practical ideas for creating other streams of cashflow.
   
   I found the beginning of the book to be very reasonable. One pieice of advice I thought was honest and realistic is that you will rarely beat the stock market, so pick a mutual fund that tracks the S&P 500, sink some cash into it, and don't look at it again for 30 years, counting on the natural growth of the market to give you a return. You can take smaller amounts of money and apply them more aggressively elsewhere.
   
   After that sound advice, however, Allen gets into more aggressive stock and investment strategies such as options. It is interesting to read about the approach and worth considering if you have set a small percentage of your portfolio aside for aggressive investments.
   
   One thing about the book that made me cringe - and I see this in other places like "Money" magazine - is the fact that the author seems to regard the entire value of your house as part of your net worth regardless of how much you owe on it. A more honest approach to real estate investment is given by Kiyosaki's "Rich Dad" books, which point out, quite astutely, that any money you owe is a liability and therefore only the equity in your house is part of your assets. What you owe counts against you.
   
   In Robert Allen's book, there are memorable quotes scattered on each page that are worth remembering. One of them says something to the effect of "if you think nobody cares about you, just miss a couple of mortgage payments." That is exactly the point. Your debt on your house is a ball and chain until you are free of that debt, it counts against your net worth. Most home owners are net negative, at least for a few years, before their equity and investments bring them past break even. As long as you owe that debt, the house isn't yours. It seems to me that Allen is glazing over that fact; I am certain he knows better.
   
   Nonetheless, Allen describes how buying a home in a good neighborhood can give you a good return on your down payment, but it seems to me that he neglects the amount of interest you paid out of pocket during the time you carried the mortgage. Do the amoritzation schedule... if you buy an undervalued house with a reasonable appreciation rate, you could conceivably turn your down payment into a reasonable return within the first few years of ownership. However, over time the curve gradually dips below zero and stays negative until you reach a critical point where more of your monthly payment counts towards the principle and the appreciation of your home is starting to beat the interest. For most homes and interest rates, you only profit at the sale within a short inital period, or considerably farther down the road. And for anyone that has bought a home that isn't brand new, they know that the invisible costs of home ownership are significant - every paint bucket, lawn mower belt, nail, hammer, and vacuum cleaner quickly adds up. Your home is a forced savings account, but it has fees. Allen happily tells you that your house is your greatest investment, but conveniently forgets the small stuff.
   
   Another thing that this book (and many others) fails to address is the following:
   
   1. Rental properties require renters
   2. Owning property for less than 2 years may stick you with capital gains taxes
   3. Not every transaction is a winner. Nobody writes about the losers 'cause it won't sell books
   
   Listing these items seems unnecessary but in the tens of books I've read on this subject, it seems to me that nobody wants to admit the dirty work. I haven't quite found the honest book on this subject that admits the dirty work and addresses the best way to handle it.
   
   Finally, regarding a more detailed approach to the specific *tax* consequences (and advantages) to investing, check out Kiyosaki's "Real Estate Tax Advantages" book. It goes into more detail than Allen. Allen, however, offers more detail on tax leins.

5 comments about More Than Enough : Proven Keys to Building Your Family and Financial Peace.

1. I submitted a review of this book last week. I loved the book. I would gladly write an additional review. I wholely believe in Dave's Methods and have shared them with many friends and family. They will change your live.



2. This book should help just about everybody. Dave's open and honest text helps the reader look deep inside himself to look not only for finanial peace but peace in knowing that the reader can sleep at night with all the other parts of his life no matter who he or she is or how finacially secure he or she might beRamsey has worked hard at his own success and makes no bones about sharing a life that is more about integrity and doing the right thing than the typical finacial strategy books on the market.His tips are solid as a rock and should not be ignored. Especially in todays enviroment where words like integrity, honesty and courage seem to be set aside for excuses and lies. The book takes Dave's first book and drives home the behavioral changes that need to take place to be successful in all aspects of life. Great Job Dave and thank you.



3. In this book Dave really drives it home - it's all about values, integrity, honesty and money is just an indicator of those. It taught me a lot on how it really works and it does, you can have more than enough! Go get it!



4. Dave's teaching is practical and common sense. If you follow his plan you will have peace and prosparity. His simple teaching may be scoffed at because it seems common sense, however most people don't follow this and they suffer. I hope you'll read it for your benefit. If you want to have more than enough in your financies and in your life, then read this book.



5. Dave is preaching some good lessons about life in this book. Values, vision, intensity, patience, wisdomonics (his word).... but the key to me is contentment. Learn to be happy that you are loved by God, and stop looking at spending money on stuff to make you happy. See yourself as a participant in God's world doing His will, and stop focusing on yourself. I know this is easier said than done, and especially if you have a family to support (you always want to give them the best stuff). This isn't your typical financial planning book, or even your typical how to get out of debt book, but it is filled with good thoughts about life in general, and if you live them, Dave promises other problems (e.g., money) will fade away, or at least get under control. I give this a big thumbs up.

5 comments about Becoming A Person Of Influence.

1. This book addresses impact, how to measure your potential contribution and how to plan your efforts to achieve those things that you are uniquely created to do. Here are few of my favorite quotes:
   --In most cases, those who want power probably shouldn't have it, those who enjoy it probably do so for the wrong reasons, and those who want most to hold on to it don't understand that it's only temporary.
   
   --Each day do what you should do before what you want to do.
   
   --And like animals, people need to be cared for, not just physically, but emotionally. If you look around, you'll discover that there are people in your life who want to be fed--with encouragement, recognition, security, and hope. That process is called nurturing, and it's a need of every human being. If you desire to become an influencer in others' lives.
   Start by nurturing them.
   
   Reinforce what you already know to be true: seek to serve and stay focused on what you do best.



2. This book holds a wealth of practical knowledge for those who want to move up the corporate food chain. But even if you don't have professional ambitions and simply want to be a better human being, you've come to the right place. John C. Maxwell and Jim Dornan start with the basics, teaching that honesty, integrity, unselfishness, kindness and understanding are crucial components of any relationship, business or personal. They believe that as you strengthen your character, you will enjoy a more fulfilling and productive life, at home and at work. Since they reframed some concepts to fit chapter themes, the material is repetitive at times, but it is spiced with entertaining anecdotes and glimpses of business celebrities (such as Sam Walton). We think up-and-coming leaders will want this on their reading lists, along with Maxwell's other boosters.



3. Excellent book. I think it's Maxwell's finest work. The book has depth and appears to be a combination of notes from his speeches as well as notes from seminars and lectures he's delivered.



4. As an admirer and student of John Maxwell, I was a bit disappointed with this one. I might offer this book as a primer on leadership for those with absolutely no knowledge, as its ideas are very general and paint a vague picture of how to deal with people. The advice in the book often resorts to truisms and cliches (the equivalent of "treat people like they're important and you'll be important to them.") I usually highlight my books to death, but I honestly found very little new information aside from the occasional thought provoking rephrase or summary. A majority of the book is comprised of Jim Dornan's personal stories and miscellaneous oft cited quotes. For newcomers to the self-improvement/leadership topic I would offer "The Magic Of Thinking Big" or "How To Have Power And Confidence In Dealing With People." Seasoned leaders will most likely find nothing new here. Sure, you could find a lot worse things to read, but there are more helpful books out there as well.



5. Integrity is the center theme of this book, and although most of the suggestions are very basic, they are well worth reviewing. Good leadership book.

5 comments about You've Got to Be Believed to Be Heard: How To Persuade People To Really Listen To What You Have To Say.

1. This is one of the best communication texts written ... I use it as a text for forensic accounting [adult professionals]



2. If you read one book on speaking and presenting, this is still the one. I've read it five or six times and I'm still incorporating Bert's ideas into what I do. The basic science he describes also applies beyond speaking to one-on-one interaction, so it's on my recommended list of the nine best sales books of all time.



3. Great book! It has it all - skills you need to develop if you're looking to improve your communications as well as tools to incorporate with the developing skills. I love the Decker Grid. It is the definitive tool for preparing and presenting an effective speech. This book is full of valuable insight from an expert communicator (I have seen this author speak, and he is truly a gifted communicator.) I like how this book covers more than just public speaking, but also focuses on communicating in every setting where you have to influence people. I learned a lot that can help me every day in making an impact. And it was an enjoyable read - great guidance blended with great stories. I'll be keeping this one and making references to it continuously.



4. This book is fantastic -- it covers all areas of communicating! You can find out if you're communicating the "old" way, or the "new" way...and then transform your skills accordingly. As a professional communicator, I fell in love with The Decker Method/Decker Grid a decade ago...and have been using it ever since. The process produces a focused, listener based message every time. Since every person is communicating to influence (in business, life, relationships, etc.) we should get this book, read it and apply its principles.



5. "Communicating is a contact sport," says Bert Decker. "Your ability to communicate is the single most important skill determining your success in every aspect of your life. You dare not make the mistake of thinking that communication is nothing but dumping information on another person."
   
   So what is communication? It's selling. "People buy on emotion and justify with facts," says Bert Decker. If he's right--you may need to tune-up your public communication style and skills. An emotional decision isn't necessarily the wrong decision, says the author, and then he reminds us what counts in public speaking: the 3 V's. Verbal is seven percent, vocal is 38 percent and visual (what the listener sees) is a whopping 55 percent. Yikes--the sub-conscious impression wins every time. So does likeability.
   
   Decker trains politicians, Fortune 500 company CEOs and thousands of other people in effective public speaking. I dog-eared the pages in his book at least 30 times. Truth Number 1: "The spoken word is almost the polar opposite of the written word." He's right. "If you want the boss to give you a raise, don't send him a memo. Go to his office, look him in the eye, and persuade him that you're worth it."
   
   The subtitle reads "The Complete Book of Speaking...in Business and in Life" and it is an amazingly complete book. Not only will you devour the take-`em-to-the-bank principles and ideas, you'll improve your own speaking ability immediately. Example: place paper faces on chairs in an empty room--and practice your talk.
   
   "Old Communicators" get bogged down with too many boring facts. Apple's Steve Jobs (a "New Communicator") is "effective as a speaker because he's focused on the audience experience, not on dispensing data." He adds, "Use the action channel, not the information channel." (Last week, I listened to six speakers at a one-day conference. Five of them MUST read this book ASAP!)
   
   The book is a page-turning joy to read--it grabbed my emotions and my brain. You'll appreciate Decker's insights on what makes a politician an effective communicator (Bush at Ground Zero versus Bush today). You'll never listen to your pastor or public speakers the same way again and you'll recognize bad habits instantly like the fig leaf flasher, the finger-pointer, and the sin of hiding behind lecterns (and pulpits). Another no-no: reading your speech. You'll also understand why communicators must first build trust--and why university students encountered a bubble gum machine outside their president's "open door policy" office.
   
   Decker nails it: "The most important dimension of communication takes place not at the conscious level, but the unconscious level. We're talking about trust, believability and likeability--the emotional connection."
   
   How important is this book? Earlier this year, I wrote Mastering the Management Buckets: 20 Critical Competencies for Leading Your Business or Nonprofit. Had I read Decker's book before I wrote mine, I would have added Bucket #21: The Public Speaker Bucket.

5 comments about Birth of the Chaordic Age.

1. This is a book that is fascinating and frustrating by turns. It's about one of the most fascinating and effective and least written-about business executives in the world, Dee Hock.
   
   Hock is the founder and CEO Emeritus of Visa. Visa is an organizational form unlike anything anyone had ever seen or, for that matter since. It combined the efforts of organizations that were normally at each other's competitive throats. But that's not all.
   
   In the process of getting Visa to work, Hock and the other folks that he worked with, also managed to create the payment system that is Visa. To realize how big an achievement this is, consider the fact that the check-clearing system in the Federal Reserve still does not work with a fraction of the efficiency of the Visa-approval and payment-clearing process.
   
   I'd known about Dee Hock for years, and I was fascinated by him and by the process that must have gone into establishing, actually inventing, Visa. I snatched up this book when it came out hoping that it would contain the story of Hock and the Visa adventure. It did. That story is compelling and well written.
   
   But there's more to this book than that story, and the "more" includes lots of bits of value and many bits of frustration.
   
   Take the title. Birth of the what Age? "Chaordic." Try looking that up in the dictionary. It's not there. Do we need a brand-new word to describe what Hock is describing? Maybe, but I'm not sure.
   
   I'm quite sure I don't need some of the other strange things that he does with language in the book. There is, for example, "Thee Ancient One." That turns out to be a tractor. Then there's "old monkey mind."
   
   Old monkey mind is the term that Hock uses in several different ways throughout the book. Sometimes it's used to refer to logical, linear, left side of the brain. Sometimes it's used to refer to old thinking patterns. Sometimes it seems to be a kind of alter ego for Hock with whom he has conversations.
   
   That kind of language is cute but it's more appropriate to a book of whimsy. Here it gets in the way of understanding. And there's a lot here to understand.
   
   Whatever else Dee Hock is, he is certainly one of the most fascinating intellects that I've come across. He's clearly a man of principle. He's had an amazing life, starting from poverty, rising to heights of business where he created one of the great financial institutions in the history of the planet. Then he walked away from that achievement with less ongoing compensation than Jack Welch's apartment rentals. Hock's mind is supple and rich and dips into sources that span time and geography and cultures.
   
   Hock's life and the story of Visa are fascinating, and it pulls us along, but there's real meat in his observations about organizations and how they work and how they ought to work. There are penetrating insights into the ways that organizations have an impact on the Planet, on the economy, and on individual lives. There are insights and observations about what it means to be human.
   
   In the end, I think this is really two books. One book is a story that goes from start to finish. It's the story of Dee Hock. It's the story of Visa. It's a fascinating story, filled with lessons and examples. It's worth buying the book that's between the cover for.
   
   Then there's the other book that is a collection of bits of observation and thought. They're not presented in a coherent way, just plopped down into the story in separate chapters throughout the book. This is a book with less organization and more random insights. It, too, is interesting and worth the price of the book.
   
   In the end, you can get two books - both wonderful, for the price of one.



2. I have two regrets after reading it. One that I can't give it more than 5 stars, and that I did not read it a long time ago. I read this book to learn more about Hock's views on complexity and organization, what he describes as a "chaordic system." While I met that purpose, I also discovered much more.
   
   The personal narrative about failure and disappointment before Hock's leadership in the creation of VISA is something I needed to read years ago before I went through frustrating set-backs in my own career for related reasons.
   
   What's more, Hock's understanding and recommendations for harnessing the power of complex systems is brilliant. If you could read only one book on leadership and complexity, I would strongly encourage this book to be it.
   
   Part of what I find so amazing is that Hock is able to express a great deal of cutting edge philosophy and social science thinking as he tells a business story.
   
   Read this book and share the ideas within with others!



3. Dee Hock is a man with a rich history. He relates a large part of that personal history in Birth of the Chaordic Age even though, he claims, this is not a story about him, nor about VISA International, although both figure prominently in the tale. The book is not so much a story at all, but a passionate manifesto for the future of business and society as a whole. If almost anyone else had written a book of such grand - perhaps grandiose - pretensions, we would quickly dismiss them. But Hock is known as the founder and former CEO of VISA International. He explains that he founded the organization on "chaordic principles". This business now connects over 20,000 financial institutions, 14 million merchants, and 600 million consumers in 220 countries. That's a compelling argument for allowing the man to speak.
   
   Hock's book is a masterfully written broadside against the dominance of today's command-and-control institutions. He is far from alone in the outlines of his historical perspective. According to this, over the last three centuries we have increasingly sought to structure society according to reductionism, specialization, more technology, more efficiency, more linear education and processes, and more hierarchical command and control. The goal has been to create an organization in which leaders can pull a lever and reliably produce a desired result.
   
   Hock goes further than most who share this perspective when he talks of the "dominator organizations" that have ordered resources and people so as to produce large quantities of uniform goods. Instead of the expected results, claims Hock, what we have produced is "obscene maldistribution of wealth and power, a crumbling ecosphere, and collapsing societies." This apocalyptically gloomy view may be trendy, but has only a passing resemblance to reality. (For a brief alternative view, see "The Truth About the Environment", related to this review.) Readers need not share Hock's assessment of today in order to learn from, agree with, and help to implement his alternative vision of chaordic organizations - those that are simultaneously chaotic and orderly.
   
   The positive vision expounded on in Birth of the Chaordic Age sees organizations of the future as being the embodiment of community, based on shared purpose calling to the higher aspirations of people. Hock puts this general description into more specific form by explaining how a chaordic organization is formed by attending to six elements in the proper order: Purpose, Principles, People, Concept, Structure and Practice.
   
   Hock claims that VISA was formed according to this description - the unusual organization is owned by its member banks, which combine competition for customers with cooperation by honoring each other's transactions across borders and monetary systems. If this is true, then you may persist in reading the book for its vision, despite some annoying peccadilloes, such as Hock's talk of "Old Monkey Mind" (his rational thoughts).



4. not much to say other than the service was prompt and the book arrived in excellent condition.



5. Dee Hock spend much time contemplating while being in nature, to which he felt strongly connected. Therefor it came as no surprise that he decided to organise his company, VISA International, following the structures of nature. The resulting enterprise showed flexibility and ingenuity, being able to rapidly respond to changing circumstances. The people it attracted grew a strong sense of responsibility and pride in their contributions. The interconnectedness and mutual trust laid a solid base for creativity and daring. Given the circumstances all were leaders at times and followers at others. A shared passion or spirit of relevance drove them further, growing VISA to a multi trillion business in the process. A beautiful example what can happen if we align ourselves with the forces of nature.