5 comments about The Encore Effect: How to Achieve Remarkable Performance in Anything You Do.

1. A revisit, repackage of concepts all fine and familiar, found elsewhere. Standard principles that most will find agreeable. Concepts are presented in an interesting way but lack the meat that makes them readily applicable. Since the title promises "How To" and the book presents "key concepts" it doesn't deliver. Good enough reminder if you need one. A meatier read is Nick Morgan, "Make Your Speech, Change the World." And there are many others.



2. Just like Mark Sanborn's other books, The Fred Factor and You Don't Need a Title to be a Leader, The Encore Effect is a must have. Get it for yourself, for ALL your employees and friends. Mark has a unique ability to entertain while educating and motivating. IF you want to see a truly positive difference a book can make, this is the one. Employers, schools, organizations and individuals are using Mark Sanborn's books to make a difference.



3. I've previously enjoyed both THE FRED FACTOR and YOU DON'T
   NEED A TITLE TO BE A LEADER by Mark Sanborn . . . his
   latest, THE ENCORE EFFECT, has
   enhanced my opinion of this author . . . he is rapidly becoming one
   of our country's top business/motivational writers--and he's
   a personal favorite.
   
   What I like about Sanborn is that each effort is different than
   the previous one . . . in this one, he talks about how to make
   each performance outstanding; in fact, so outstanding that
   people will be applauding for an encore.
   
   Wouldn't that be a great thing to accomplish?
   
   It really doesn't seem all that hard, particularly if you take
   his advice on getting feedback:
   
   * When was the last time you asked your audience, "How would
   you define an encore performance?" What could you do to be a
   more supportive parent, spouse, or friend? How much more effective
   would you be if you knew what your family and friends need from you?
   You can go beyond satisfying your audience only when you know
   what they want.
   
   A little later, he then goes on to say:
   
   * To create the Encore Effect, you shouldn't be focused on your own
   happiness or success, but on the happiness or success of others.
   We all tend to repeat the experiences in life that have a positive impact
   on us. And when you have a positive impact on others, they'll want
   to repeat the experience in the same way.
   
   One of the things I like best about this author is how he constantly
   incorporates real examples and situations into his writing . . . for
   example, this was his use of the following story:
   
   * At the bagel shop near my home, there is a new manager who always
   delivers great performance. Recently, he was working the cash register.
   When an older gentleman in line ahead of me asked for the senior
   citizen discount, the manager smiled and said, "What? You're trying
   to fool me, aren't you? You can't be a day over thirty!"--all the while ringing
   up the man's purchase less the discount. As I approached the register,
   he said, "Now here's a brother who's hungry!" He's eating his bagel before
   he's even paid for it!" Guilty as charged. I couldn't help smiling as I paid.
   As I walked away, I heard the manager's banter continue with the
   next person in line.
   
   You and I have been in situations where such a performance would have
   fallen flat. It would have been irritating, it would not have been funny, and
   it would have slowed down the transaction-it would have been a turn-off
   instead of a turn-on. But that day, in that bagel shop, the manager gave a
   remarkable performance. He wasn't promoting himself-he was promoting
   the customers. He wasn't "showing-off"-he was warm, engaging and just
   humorous enough to add value to what probably would have been a bland
   transaction in another establishment.
   
   Read THE ENCORE EFFECT if you want to be personally
   inspired . . . you'll also learn how to encourage others to do their best
   on a more regular basis.



4. What is The Encore Effect? It is delivering a performance of any kind that is so good that people call you back for more. And how do you do that? According to Mark Sanborn, author of the best-selling Fred Factor, it takes six things: Passion, Preparation, Practice, Performance, Polish, and Pitfalls.
   
   The book is all about what author Matthew Kelly would call being your highest and best self. It is about achieving what Ken Blanchard would call results and relationships. For each of the six Ps Mark provides us with a concise chapter on how to develop what we need in order to achieve The Encore Effect.
   
   The most interesting thing about Mark's presentation of the encore effect is that the focus is not on the performer, but rather the people that the performance is for. In other words, we achieve the encore effect when we:
   
   move people to act make people feel good make people laugh make people think.
   
   In other words a remarkable performance is about people achieving results in their lives. When that happens you can be sure that people will want an encore. At the end of each chapter Mark also creates what he calls an intersection. This is an opportunity for the reader to consider what Scripture has to say about the key points that Mark has made in the chapter. It's another powerful way to engage the reader in looking at life, achievement, results, significance, and service from God's perspective rather than man's.
   
   Don't let the small size of this book fool you. It's packed with simple truths that were enacted upon to help ensure that we truly do add value and make a difference to those whose lives we touch.
   
   Armchair Interviews says: Very inspirational ideas for work, home, church and community.



5. Reviewed by Dr. Michael Philliber for Reader Views (11/08)
   
   How can you stand out in a crowd? What will it take to make your performance so memorable that your employer or customers will call you back for more? If you're looking for a guide to coach you in moving from good to impressive to distinction, Mark Sanborn has written just the thing for you in his new book, "The Encore Effect." This little 150-page manual is packed with easy-to-read, easy-to-grasp, easy-to-use ideas on growing out of the routine and launching into the remarkable.
   
   The central premise of "The Encore Effect" is just what the name means, creating a presentation or a performance that will have your customers, employers, family, or peers calling you back for more. Sanborn describes the various ways this will look in the first part of the book where he sketches out the motivation and mind-set of an encore performance. All the pieces are laid out, from professionalism to character, in a simple, memorable format. The second part of "The Encore Effect" rehearses and expounds the six essential practices one will need for moving out of the ordinary into the outstanding. But throughout the book Sanborn is driving the reader to reassess their performance, chose the extraordinary, and then take the necessary steps to accomplish the remarkable.
   
   "The Encore Effect" by Mark Sanborn was an enjoyably uncomplicated read, interspersed with loads of anecdotal examples. Except for the occasionally shallow, proof-texting of Bible stories, I found the book personally helpful in thinking through the process needed for achieving a remarkable performance.

5 comments about How to Say It For Women: Communicating with Confidence and Power Using the Language of Success.

1. I bought this book at a womens' leadership conference a couple of years ago. I read it cover-to-cover and decided to try the skills covered when communicating in my office. My supervisors' opinions of me changed drastically - they began to view me as surly and defiant. I didn't think any of the verbage alternatives were rude, but in the organization where I was working, the higher-ups expected you to consider them omnipotent and not have an opinion of your own. Ultimately one should consider their audience and adjust their language accordingly.



2. The lights go down. The speaker strides confidently towards the podium, pauses and makes eye contact with the audience. And from the very first moment you know, instinctively, that it's going to be an excellent presentation. An experience like this reinforces your desire to create your own unique aura of self-confidence. What can you do to make this happen?
   
   One thing you can do, right away, is to get a copy of Dr. Phyllis Mindell's book, How to Say It for Executives: The Complete Guide to Communication for Leaders. It's an excellent guide for acquiring and practicing the communication skills you'll need to get ahead and stay there, complete with exercises, charts, lists, examples, and a simple format that makes it all easy to digest.
   
   Primary among those skills is something obvious but often overlooked: listening. When you pay close attention when others are talking, instead of interrupting or jumping to conclusions without hearing the entire story, it will be noticed and appreciated. Of course, a favorite chapter for us here at the library is "Reading Like a Leader," in which the author doesn't tell what to read, but rather how to read - both speedily and deeply - in ways that will build skills in analysis, synthesis, and argument. A chapter on nonverbal leadership breaks down the powerful code spoken by gesture, dress, and body placement.
   
   Preparing a presentation is the centerpiece of How To Say It For Executives, and Dr. Mindell meticulously lays out each step of the process. Before you begin, gather some information about the audience. The speech should be written out, using an absolute minimum of sentences that begin with "I", and rehearsed. The most objective way to find out how you really look and sound in front of an audience is to videotape the speech. After viewing it, turn off the sound and watch it again. Now that you know where improvement is needed, complete the assignments in each chapter that target problems commonly faced by public speakers.
   
   You never know when hostile or difficult people will be in the audience. One individual can spoil an entire presentation by monopolizing the floor or asking inappropriate questions. The author offers several techniques for tactfully handling a variety of problems and disruptions that can occur in an open forum.
   
   Perhaps the most valuable lesson in How to Say It for Executives is this: Make a concerted effort to stop using weak words like "I feel", "sort of", "I guess" and "I think" in everyday conversations as well as presentations. Instead of coming across as tentative and unsure, practice substituting phrases that will make your sentences strong and persuasive. Although the advice in this book is directed primarily to those in leadership positions, anyone but a hermit will find life is made much easier by becoming a better communicator



3. I read about this book - actually, I consider it a textbook - when searching for tools on expanding my career. I usually wouldn't buy something like this, and instead look for similar information from free 'Net sources. But on a whim, I bought it, and am so glad I did. I'm not even halfway through and what I've learned already has helped me to speak and express myself in a way that gets people's attention, and has improved my professional image. One of the best tips, which comes early in the book, is catching myself using the "I think/like/don't like" phrase when I want to discuss facts. I do it, so I don't look like a know-it-all. Dr. Mindell, however, shows several ways to express facts without appearing as though I have all the answers.
   
   The author also cites common grammar and language mistakes that keep women in the background, and prevent us from asserting our strengths and skills. The concept of Weak Language is especially intriguing; in reviewing the examples, I saw myself in almost every one. Her solutions are very attainable, but she strongly recommends practicing this new language with another woman. I have, and my women friends were amazed at how powerful this "new" language sounds.
   
   These are hard habits to break, but with the tips and examples in this book, I'm getting better at it. And I can see the difference in how others treat me; more importantly, I feel different about myself. The book is really a life-changing experience, for someone who has never really put much thought into my "image" but is continually frustrated at not getting the positive attention for my work success as I believe I deserve. Thank you Dr. Mindell!



4. In the course of a year, I met the two most articulate, elegantly spoken people I have ever encountered. One was a (male) CEO of a large company. The other was a (female) public relations person working in the entertainment industry. I did business with the former and became close friends with the latter. Both made me feel just a little inadequate about my use of language. I knew I was far more intelligent than my speech presented. One day, after listening to my friend say one of her gorgeously precise sentences, I asked her where she had learned to speak so powerfully, always able to find the most effective word, always able to form them into the most on-the-mark sentences. Her answer was this book.
   
   I would never have picked it up on my own. The "for women" part would have put me off. I wasn't thinking of my "weak" language as a gender issue. But, even if you don't look at things that way, this book will help you.
   
   Read it. Do the exercises. You'll think about language in a whole new way and find yourself being listened to -and believed- more than ever.



5. I purchased this book because of the praise of other Amazon reviewers and I was not disappointed!
   
   As a professional in a very male dominated field, this book truly hit home for me - so much so that a few of the points the author made were echoes of comments made previously by my boss about my own performance. Women fall into many traps that undermine their credibility and this book calls them out, one by one.
   
   I can't tell you how often I'm on a conference call and use the words "I think..." or "In my opinion...". Men don't use these words. Besides, they know that's what you think - you're the one saying it! However, justifiers such as these portray you as insecure, whether true or not. This is just one example of the ways women inadvertently tarnish their credibility.
   
   The author covers a vast array of topics and ways to become a stronger leader (and this doesn't necessarily mean you have to be just like a man!):
   
   Weak words and grammar
   Presentations and speaking in front of a group
   Body language
   Style and dress
   Reading for Power (what you read and how)
   Listening
   Leadership and Management
   
   The author includes many examples to illustrate her points and provides information that women can put to work to accelerate their careers. It is such a useful text that it was the recommended reading selection for a continuing education course a friend of mine recently attended. (She has already asked to borrow my copy.) The author has been conducting workshops on this topic for years and (sometimes humorously) includes her observances from those classes and participants in her book. Take advantage of her knowledge and invest in this book - you will not be disappointed!

5 comments about The One Minute Manager.

1. For years I have considered this the best, quick read management book available. The "catch them doing something right" sums up the book nicely and it is a policy that I truly believe in.



2. I know for a fact that when this book idea first came into its eventual publisher's hands, all the editors laughed at it! "Who would read a silly book like this with almost no words in it?" they scoffed. Yet for whatever reason they decided to publish it and the rest became amazing publishing history! In my own book, "The Expert's Edge," I discuss how to develop leading-edge ideas as well as the importance of viewing failure as "desirable." Without practicing both, you will never produce an unexpected success. Ken Blanchard was obviously doing both back when he conceived this groundbreaking book and the world (and his publisher) has never been the same.



3. This book is perfect for the new leader that needs the basics, as well as the seasoned manager just looking to freshen up their skills. It is a must have in any learning library!



4. The One Minute Manager is an oldie and a goodie. It's been a fun book to watch over the years as new generations of managers entering the workforce are exposed to it. I recently bought a copy for a new manager that reports to me, and bought the Amazon recommended title Squawk!: How to Stop Making Noise and Start Getting Results along with it.
   
   It turns out Squawk! is a new book that's also for managers, and let's just say I read it while my subordinate was reading The One Minute Manager. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks. Both are great books and they're short enough that I suggest following Amazon's recommendation and getting them together at a discount.



5. The OMM presents a set of tools that a manager needs to use to do his or her job well. The book is short and sweet. It gets to the point without wasting time.

5 comments about Prisoners of Our Thoughts: Viktor Frankl's Principles for Discovering Meaning in Life and Work.

1. This book is an inspiration and must read for everyone looking for meaning in their lives. It's empowering and brings such freedom and space to learn how to identify our thoughts and make a change which Alex Pattakos teaches based on Viktor Frankl's principles.



2. From: www.BasilAndSpice.com
   Author & Book Views On A Healthy Life!
   
   Book Review: Prisoners of Our Thoughts: Viktor Frankl's Principles for Discovering Meaning in Life and Work (Berrett-Koehler, 2004,2008) by Alex Pattakos, Ph.D.
   
   A BestSeller Classic Review
   
   Alex Pattakos is a principal of The Innovation Group and the founder of the Center for Meaning, based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a former therapist and mental health administrator, political campaign organizer, and full-time university professor of public and business administration. Alex Pattakos has worked with several Presidential administrations on public policy matters and has served as an advisor to the Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
   
   Prisoners of Our Thoughts is based on the wisdom and personal encouragement of world-renowned psychiatrist Viktor Frankl (Man's Search for Meaning), and his seven principles for finding meaning in life. The book has received the praise of Alan Webber (Founding Editor, Fast Company), Dr. Patti Havenga Coetzer (Founder, Viktor Frankl Foundation of South Africa), and Steven R. Covey, who wrote the forward.
   
   In a dedication to Viktor Frankl, and preface regarding Pattakos's relationship with the Frankl family, the author tells of a meeting in Austria in 1996 when he proposed the book idea to Frankl. "Frankl was more than encouraging when, in his typically direct and passionate style, he leaned across his desk, grabbed my arm, and said: `Alex, yours is the book that needs to be written!' As you can imagine, I felt that Frankl's words had been branded into the core of my being, and I was determined, from that moment forward, to make this book idea a reality." Viktor Frankl's thoughts have influenced Pattakos's work for over 40 years, moving him to the pinnacle of the world of meaning, thus extending Frankl's wisdom to others throughout the world.
   
   Frankl lived what he thought, as does Pattakos--who is now affectionately known as Dr. Meaning. Core Principles underscored in Prisoners of Our Thoughts help the reader learn to think and live life in the same meaningful manner:
   
   Exercise the freedom to choose your attitude--even in the face of adversity, we are able to decide and be responsible for our own attitude. Famous examples utilized here are Nelson Mandela who became President of South Africa and Christopher Reeve the actor who portrayed Superman, only to become a quadriplegic after beging thrown from his horse. Reeve wrote in his memoir Still Me, "I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles."
   
   Realize your will to meaning. Comparing the outside forces which affect us (Freud's pleasure principle and Adler's will to power) with Frankl's will to meaning, Pattakos shows the reader that only the will to meaning comes from within. It is up to us to find, control, and fulfill it. He reminds us that in America we are surrounded by wealth, but we have increasing suicide rates among our young people. More than anywhere else, this element of will to meaning is necessary in the workplace, where people must be placed above money, giving credence to meaningful work.
   
   Detect the meaning of life's moments. The key word here is awareness. If we are aware, we know the meaning of a situation, culminating in intelligence. We need to slow down, turn of the cell phone, and "smell the roses." Two points of human motivation highlighted in this chapter are love and conscience. Example: "We work nights so we can be with our kids in the morning and see them off to school....We put a dollar in an outstretched hand...And when we see how our world is connected in this way, we can name `why' and know meaning." Without voicing himself, it is on this page, that the reader can fully comprehend the meaning behind Dr. Pattakos's writing of Prisoners of Our Thoughts, as he seeks to help others.
   
   Don't work against yourself. When we work too hard at creating meaning, this plan can be fallible. Trying to impress others can undermine our thoughts and our work relationships. At the end of each chapter Pattakos gives the reader an opportunity for self-reflection. Here he asks the reader several questions, including, "How did you first come to recognize that you were not making progress? How did you rationalize or justify your dilemma? In hindsight, what would you have done differently in this situation?"
   
   Look at yourself from a distance. We need to be able to self-detach, like an emergency medic with a patient, allowing him to keep a distance emotionally. This can be achieved with humor and laughter, or by immersing one's self in a role. Doing these things allows us to keep our thoughts outside a prison of thoughts.
   
   Shift your focus of attention. When in a precarious situation, think of something else. This eases tension and is innate, but gets lost or shelved as we move into adulthood. Here Pattakos uses his own boyhood example of being pinned under his horse, under water, after a missed jump. He remembers wondering whether or not his horse was ok, would he get his homework completed on time for school, and even asked himself to recall his own name. The younger Pattakos was reassuring himself that he was still alive!
   
   Extend beyond yourself. Think of others and you will increase your own happiness. This is selflessness; it feels good, satisfies us, and allows us to transcend ourselves. This is true of great leaders who turned suffering into service: Desmond Tutu, Mahatma Gandhi, Viktor Frankl. Each forgave and let go of his suffering.
   
   Using everyday examples, Pattakos explains that we are creatures of habit, who unwittingly lock ourselves into our own mental cages, becoming Prisoners of Our Thoughts. "We lose sight of our own natural potential." Through a search for meaning, we can discover how to break our self-inflicted chains and break down our mental barriers, giving us a new look at reality. In essence, if Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor of Nazi death camps could do this, so can we.
   
   5 Stars



3. The book makes you stop and smell the roses and realize that the human spirit is an amazing thing. A good book that will make you stop complaining about your minor complaints in life. It makes us look into our own soul. I would recommend it to all, especially your spoiled teenagers.



4. The author paints a very deceptive portrait of his "beloved" uncle Mr. Stylianos Pattakos and even dares to compare him to Nelson Mandela (see beginning of chapter 4). Addressing an unsuspecting (at most) American audience he largely manages to get away with it.
   
   Unfortunately for him, some of us still remember the greek military junta, the thousands of people that got killed and tortured, the thousands that were sent to exile, and the great tragedy of Cyprus for which the junta was largely responsible. Mr. Pattakos as Nelson Mandela? Better try Hitler. How ironic indeed that Mr. Alex Pattakos writes and capitalizes on a book inspired by Viktor Frankl a Nazi camp survivor...
   
   Judge for yourself if you can trust the writings of a person who idolizes one of the cruelest dictators of recent history. You should be ashamed sir for what your uncle did to Greece and to the Greek people. Yet you are proud. I am disgusted. Also for the record, your uncle did not get out of prison in 1995 because "his role in history was reconsidered and because there was enough support for him as a person" but because of his grave health condition. You see, a democracy can have mercy even for the ultimate traitors.
   
   I wouldn't be surprised if Mr. Alex Pattakos abandoned Greece for the USA circa 1973-74 when democracy was restored, probably because he was feeling that the too much "love" that the repressed people of Greece felt for his "patriot" uncle could kill him...



5. All those who have been enlightened by Viktor Frankl's great book, Man's Search for Meaning, will be profoundly grateful to Alex Pattakos for bringing Frankl's principles alive again in our own search for meaning in our everyday personal and working lives.
   
   Pattakos calls meaning the megatrend of the 21st century and I hope he's right. Most people are disgusted with corporate greed, golden parachutes and assorted scandals on Wall Street and other financial markets around the world. Most people are tired of our own everyday race through work and looking for something to enrich our daily jobs.
   
   In Prisoner's of Our Thoughts, Pattakos gives us both reminders and important new ideas, as well as exercises with which to discover and apply meaning to our work. Ideas don't merely float by on the page. He encourages us as readers to work interactively with his basic principles to cement them in truly practical ways in our lives.
   
   Pattakos also give us rich examples of people who work with meaning in all kinds of jobs. There's Vita, the mail carrier, who whistles as she delivers the mail, even in bad weather, because she sees her job as connecting people and building a community. There's Tom, the CEO who invites his employees to share in a meaning-based bottom line, encouraging volunteerism and giving 10% of his profits to local and global concerns. And there is Nelson Mandela. For many of us Mandela epitomizes a life's work filled with meaning. Pattakos brings us a step further in Mandela's experience to the moment he is released. For the briefest moment he feels anger over having lost twenty-seven years of his life to prison, then realizing that this was not the time to become imprisoned again in his mind.
   
   "It almost seems as though meaning holds forgiveness at its core," Pattakos tells us, "when we forgive ourselves and others, we are no longer prisoners of our thoughts."
   
   In my own work as a documentary filmmaker, I have tried to bring a breath and depth of meaning to the content and the making of my films. In The Cola Conquest, I interviewed a man who was part of a group of shareholders concerned with the social responsibility of their companies - an uncommon concept back in the late 90's. They pressured Coca Cola to intervene in the murder of worker who wanted to unionize the Coca Cola bottling plant in Guatemala. After 12 deaths, the shareholders spoke up, Coke spoke up in turn, the murders finally stopped.
   
   More recently, in Black Coffee, I explored the search for meaning through the historical and contemporary story of coffee. The three-hour series ends with the search for the "perfect cup" - the cup we enjoy best as consumers because it tastes great, it's great for the farmer who grows it, and for the environment in which it grows.
   
   But my most meaningful film I will ever make is Dark Lullabies, about the reverberations of the Holocaust on the children of survivors and the next generations of Germans. It was this film that brought me to Viktor Frankl, a survivor of the concentration camps like my parents, who also lived and worked with meaning and humanity throughout their imprisonment and throughout their lives.
   
   I am grateful to Pattakos for giving new meaning and application to Frankl's work, and have already begun the fulfilling task of enriching my own work with Pattakos' suggestions and ideas.

2 comments about Think and Grow Rich.

1. This book helped me to change my life and my thinking when I was an impoverished high school dropout. I can't recommend it highly enough. I have shared it with my audult children and often give copies to my friends.
   
   Diana Estill, author of Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road



2. This version of Napoleon Hill's classic is the outdated one containing numerous errors. There is at least one other edition that has a tremendous amount of new research material. It and others are far better for anyone who truly wants to understand the Think and Grow Rich philosophy and techniques.

5 comments about Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool's Guide to Surviving with Grace.

1. For those who were born living outside the box and coloring outside the lines..........this book was written for us. Humorous, accurate and great advice on how to survive and even thrive within a large company/corporation.
   
   I clearly understand the dynamics he writes about. I survived and even thrived for the last 10 of my 28 years in a large company. I wish I would have had this book back then. It would have helped me figure out how to fly below the radar even quicker than I did.



2. A fantastic read about maintaining & continuing to develop your personal creativity, while not allowing yourself to be stifled by corporate culture. This book has amazing & entertaining color illustrations depicting MacKenzie's personal experiences while working for 30 years at Hallmark Cards, not to mention being filled with extremely funny anecdotes. I found myself wondering several times while reading this book whether the author would have been able to continue to develop his creativity so well if he had not been so fortunate as to find himself with a plum job at Hallmark in the first place. Nonetheless, this book is well worth reading. I think that anyone, at any rung of the corporate ladder, could learn valuable survival & leadership tips from & relate well with Orbiting the Giant Hairball.



3. Judging by the evidence of this book, Gordon MacKenzie is a twinkling, Merry Prankster-esque holy fool, a cubicle-farm Patch Adams, out to shake up the grey-carpeted halls of corporate America with his own blend of studiedly random wackiness. As other reviewers have said, there is little in the way of practical, take-away advice in this book, and that might well be how MacKenzie wants it -- telling people how they should be is such an authority trip, man. But it leaves you with very little in the end, other than MacKenzie's self-satisfaction and a lot of fake-amateurish scribbling and marginalia. A few nuggets float to the surface here and there; I noted with interest how he told a group of timid executives to "make marks" on paper instead of draw on it, as "drawing" prompts anxiety in people not used to acting creatively. If MacKenzie could've deigned to offer a little more in that vein, this would have been a valuable book.



4. I've been buying this book for a decade; I've bought dozens of copies. It has been a welcome gift for all new clients in my agency. The art direction is just wonderful and it echoes Gordon's innovative way of seeing everything. Reading it just made me want to go to the office just to shake things up for the better.
   
   It's brilliant, fun and funny. You can sit down and read it through, or nibble at it in small bites.



5. It took me a while and even though a good friend from Brussels had talked about the "Giant Hairball" some months ago it didn't come close to me to put it on my reading list.
   
   As Gordon MacKenzie is writing in this amazingly insightful and joyfully written book, it needed a real new approach:
   
   While being over at my friend's place a couple weeks for a job interview, heading for my train to a tournament in Amsterdam he said, "Here take this book. I always have several ones on stock on my shelf to borrow to friends. Please send it back to me when you have finished reading it!".
   
   That was an unusual starting of a fruitful connection:-)
   
   Gordon MacKenzie has the ability to tell daily work problems in a way that you feel directly connected as you see through his stories into your own life at work. You realize that staying in the comfort zone where you comply to the company's procedures is really not fulfilling.
   
   Always try to get into the orbit outside the regular procedures create something new and reconnect with the inner company "hairball".
   
   Every story in the remarkably illustrated book makes you laugh and rethink the future (life and work:-)).
   
   The change you would like to see in the world is done by you taking the first step. You will see the system will change:-))
   
   Cheers,
   
   Ralf Lippold, Leipzig

3 comments about Money Well Spent: A Strategic Guide to Smart Philanthropy.

1. I received my review copy of Money Well Spent, the new book on strategic philanthropy by Paul Brest and Hal Harvey, back in August. I sat right down and read the book, but waited to post this review to align with the timing of the book's public availability. Given that there's been a "slight" change in our financial structures since August, I'm glad I held back. Harvey and Brest can't rewrite the book before it hits the shelves to account for the changing economic fortunes across the U.S. or the new landscape of investment banking, Wall Street, and mortgage lenders (to say nothing of taxpayers and mortgage owners). Nor can (this edition of) the book ponder the implications of these crisis-driven shifts in the financial industry or regulatory systems on the philanthropic industry.
   
   But I can. So let me use the occasion of this book review to remind us of how interconnected the business of giving is with the fortunes of finance and the vagaries of regulation. I have always contended that philanthropy is a regulated industry. Three forces define the outlines of philanthropy as we know it - markets are the first and regulatory structures around personal taxes and institutional tax exemptions make up the second. The third, a concern for others, is the only one of these forces that flows from within humanity and stands outside of human institutions and systems.
   
   Lets get on with it. The book marks a significant moment in the marketization of philanthropy. It is, in its own words:
   
   
   "...intended to do for philanthropists what the best books on business strategy do for business entrepreneurs and executives: provide readers with the concepts necessary to design a strategy to achieve their goals - in this case their charitable goals." (preface, page xi, review copy)
   
   
   
   Why does this matter? Because such a 'manual' couldn't have been published 10, maybe even 5 years ago. Why? For at least three reasons: First, there was not enough material, hadn't been enough discussion, not enough real development of strategic technique and thinking. Even though foundation philanthropy - which the two authors know best of philanthropy's many forms - has been around for almost 100 years, there was not, until recently, the commitment to an industry, a demand for strategy, lasting challenges to the status quo, or a significant quantity of players, thinkers, institutions, vehicles and experiments about philanthropic practice to actually inform a book such as this.
   
   Second, and perhaps more important, there was no visible demand. The market of individuals who might become philanthropic, and of philanthropists who might become strategic, and of advisers who'd like to sell to this market, and of financial companies who wish to manage assets for these individuals - these were all too fragmented, too under-the-radar, and too quiet. Only in the boom of the last six or seven years have critical numbers of each of these developed to the point where there was an identifiable, reachable target market.
   
   Finally, the book is published by Bloomberg, which is an example of the changes that have occurred in the philanthropy marketplace and of those to come. That a financial press is bringing out this first guide for the mass market is telling - their readers care about this stuff, they see philanthropy as a core business skill, and the business press intends to serve them.
   
   That said, what about the book's contents? The authors divide the work into three sections - Framework, Tools, and Organizing Your Resources. The first two are relevant to all their intended audiences - the last one is best for individual donors and their financial or legal advisers. Professional foundation staff (a small group, about 18,000 or so nationally, including both of the authors) may be less interested in the third section.
   
   The logic of the sections is important - Brest and Harvey go to great lengths to present strategy absent ideology or issue. Their frame for thinking, their recommendations on strategy development, programmatic approach, asset allocation, evaluation, structure, and so on are determinedly issue-agnostic. It doesn't matter, assert the authors, if you are interested in the arts or health care, whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, whether you want your philanthropy to support micro-finance in Zimbabwe or Zen studies in Michigan - the guidance they offer is relevant.
   
   And much of it is. Of particular use is the frame that the author's provide to help a donor locate their goals. They present a frame for thinking about the scale of philanthropic goals that I believe is truly important. This scale offer three dimensions to consider:
   
   * Does the problem diminish the quality of life or does it threaten life itself?
   * How long will the harm persist?
   * What is the scope of the problem? (pp. 22-28, review copy)
   
   These are three, judgement-free, axes that will help a donor articulate his/her goals and escape "zero-sum"comparisons of "infants or immigrants, arts or AIDS." This is valuable, it effectively "de-escalates" judgement value on values that often paralyze people.
   
   Working from this three-dimensional analysis, Brest and Harvey take readers through carefully chosen, well-documented stories that illustrate real-life choices to define a problem, establish a funding strategy, and evaluate the support that is provided. They provide accessible, and relevant, discussions of technicalities such as expenditure responsibility grants, prizes and awards, and payout rates that will help donors make better decisions about their philanthropy. Simply put, the advice in this book will help people give smarter.
   
   As useful as the advice is, I still found myself pondering two ironies as I finished my read. The first irony is that the same place the book succeeds is where I also think it falls short. No doubt about it, Brest and Harvey have synthesized and presented key elements of rational, strategic giving. Their chapters on goal articulation, strategy and evaluation logically lead them to their final section on organizing resources - the book takes to heart the idea that form should follow function. What it leaves out is the heart. Philanthropy is an industry, enterprises within it do compete as businesses, and it is becoming ever more rational, measurable and visible because of this. These are good things.
   
   Philanthropy is also a labor of love. It is perhaps the only business where passion and volunteerism play major roles. No matter how strategic a donor or foundation becomes, they may still be pursue what some will consider to be foolish, frivolous, or redundant goals. No matter how strategic or effective (or neither) a foundation may be, at any point in time for any number of reasons (some rational, others perhaps not) the donor may pull the plug, redirect the resources, or simply decide to no longer participate. There is little to put an endowed foundation out of business, nothing to tell a donor "don't do that, it is actually harmful," or little that can keep someone from packing up her philanthropic playthings and going home. The most strategic foundation, the most carefully evaluated program strategy, and the most well-weighted goals will still be pre-defined by the donor's interests - be they environmental, health related, artistic, justice oriented, equality-seeking, or none of the above. So while the focus on strategy and measurement are in sync with two of the defining forces of philanthropy (markets and regulation), they are out of sync with the third, the heart and human nature.
   
   The second irony of the book has to do with the timing of its release. Just as this book could not have been published 10 or 5 years ago, it is somewhat fitting that it is being released in the midst of a crisis-induced restructuring of American financial markets and the public systems that oversee them. The book was written during a boom that seemed to have no end, it is informed by a mindset that philanthropy as an industry will continue to grow in size and sophistication and it is intended to inform that growth strategically. Only hindsight will tell us if this transformative moment for markets and regulations is also a transformative moment for the business of giving.
   
   One can easily see a need to be more strategic with declining philanthropic resources, just as Harvey and Brest lay out the need to be more strategic during boom times. Whether or not that will happen, however, is anyone's guess. If it does, it will more than likely depend on that amorphous, irrational, non-strategic third defining force, the heart of philanthropy, as the roles and shapes of markets and regulation are reconstituted.
   
   The publication timing for Money Well Spent will either prove to be deeply ironic or deeply prescient. In either case, since any valid philanthropic strategy must account for the context of relationships between independent actions, public systems, and private markets, Brest and Harvey's message remains important, we just can't predict how well it will be heard.
   
   Full disclosure: I had several opportunities to discuss the developing book with the authors and provided feedback on a penultimate version of the manuscript. I have to say, for all my love of blogs and RSS feeds, and reading the news on my iPhone it is still exciting to see a book become a book (as in the real artifact, bound paper with a nice cover, table of contents, index, the whole shebang). Even as it is, of course, also a website. ([...])



2. The book gives a clear and public picture of how the authors conduct their grantmaking, something I believe is relatively rare in the sector; I'd like to see more people in this area laying out their approach and their positions on key debates (summarized below), as Brest and Harvey have.
   
   I recommend this book to grantmakers interested in an overview of good general practices in grantmaking. Note that the focus is general (grantmaking strategy in the abstract) rather than on specific issues (i.e., what the most promising programs are).
   
   Concise and example-backed arguments are given for principles including:
   
   -The importance of forming a clear theory of change (i.e., laying out where a given program fits in the causal chain necessary to achieve desired outcomes, and what evidence there is that each link in the chain works as hypothesized).
   -The case for providing general operating support (Brest and Harvey concede that there are times for restricted funding, but on balance feel that more gifts ought to be unrestricted).
   -The importance (and meaning) of rigorous evaluation.
   -Why "charity" can be as good a use of funds as "philanthropy."
   -The case for quantifying "cost-effectiveness" of different approaches (although I disagree with the authors' emphasis on "social return on investment" as measured specifically in dollars).
   -Most importantly, a plea to "consider how failure can contribute to the knowledge base," and publicly publish impact studies even of failed projects. (Good examples of such studies are scattered throughout the book.)
   
   The authors also discuss many topics of more interest to larger funders, which are less salient to me due to my professional focus. I am the co-founder of GiveWell (www.givewell.net), an independent charity evaluator that aims to help individual donors with their giving decisions.
   
   Holden Karnofsky
   www.givewell.net



3. I ran a big foundation for 18 years. I ran a nonprofit for 8 years. I wish I had this book by Brest and Harvey when I got started...or anytime. It is the best guide to DOING philanthropy I've ever read.
   
   The primary reason for its usefulness is that it's subject-neutral. You can run a big foundation focusing on brain research or a small nonprofit delivering meals-on-wheels -- or a for-profit business for that matter. Why? Because the authors are looking at an encompassing approach where the focus is on knowing what you are assuming, what you are doing, and how you are doing it. You can keep your passion. You can keep your theories of the universe. What you can't do -- and this book tells you why -- is be ignorant of strategies that will drive you toward clarity, intelligent choices and a greater likelihood that those choices will pan out. And the strategy includes building-in feedback loops, so you can change course in mid-stream. (Full disclosure: I read and commented on an early draft of this book.)
   
   The book is divided into three parts; the first is a framework for doing strategic philanthropy, the second contains tools of the trade, the third talks about how to structure the organization and employ your dollars (or euros or any other currency for that matter). For my money, the first part is the best. For example, early in the book they introduce three central questions that are the basis of the philanthropic choices you make. First, "Does the problem diminish quality of life, or does it threaten life itself? Second, "How long will the harm persist?" Finally, "What is the scale of the problem?" Then they arrange the three questions in the form of a three dimensional cube that illustrates the implications of your philanthropy depending on where on the axis you choose to put your money down.
   
   But keep on reading. You'll see the value and pitfalls in defining your goals, mission and, perhaps most important, "theory of change." This latter term is in vogue now, but all it is is a theory of causality -- if you do (a) then (b) will happen. If you believe that giving everyone in your city $1,000.00 will cure poverty you've probably got a flawed theory of change. If you think one great novel will lead to more great novels, that's probably flawed, too. Tie your theory of change into a strategic plan (or, in common parlance, your "logic model"), determine the risks involved in choosing one strategy or another and you're on your way. And, at the end, you'll have a framework to know (via "metrics" which you develop) whether you're efforts are successful and to what degree.
   
   Toward the end of the book the ride gets a little wonky and the lift goes out a bit as it becomes more detailed and focused on strategic philanthropy. No matter. What you -- a rich individual, a program officer of a foundation, a CEO of an organization looking for a grant, a philanthropy advisor, a board member -- get is a road map which directs you how to use your money wisely and well. Finally, you don't have to be a genius to "get" it. Just smart enough to put down a small amount of money (low risk) for a big, practical approach to doing philanthropy well (high return).
   -- Edward Skloot (Duke University, Durham, NC)

5 comments about Organizing from the Inside Out, second edition: The Foolproof System For Organizing Your Home, Your Office and Your Life.

1. Julie Morgenstern's "Organizing from the Inside Out" is such a fantastic and valuable book. Her approach to organizing, as the title suggests, is whatever you are organizing -- your work/family schedule, your office, your kitchen, or your basement -- needs to reflect you: what's important to you, who you are and your value and logic system. I found it so refreshing and exciting how the focus in the book is about getting interested in who you are and how you operate and then creating a system of organization based on that. This is a more organic, natural, effective and lasting approach than the one most of us have where we impose an outside system that will "fix" our disorder. Often, those outside systems do the opposite. Reading this book demystified and made accessible the topic of organizing, one that I often found daunting and overwhelming. Julie applies conventional wisdom to organizing in a way that makes it easy, logical and even fun. Her mottos are: "If it ain't broken, don't fix it"....and "You can't fix it till you know what's broken". Applying these ideas and without even thinking, I organized in 10 minutes, a whole section of my closet that had bothered me for about 10 months!
   
   This approach of investigating and discovering who you are and how you operate is in line with two other authors who have made a huge impact in my life: Ariel and Shya Kane. Their books, Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: A Book About Instantaneous Transformation, How to Create a Magical Relationship and Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment, are all based on a similar idea that you don't need to do anything to change or fix yourself in order for your life to be satisfying, less stressful, fun and enjoyable. If you are interested in getting the most out of all aspects of your life, I highly recommend all of these books!



2. This book addressed issues that I have alway had with organizing. I thought organized meant neat clean and out of sight and putting things in a "logical" spot according to world standards. I was pleased to find that organized is being able to find what you want or need when you want or need it. And that it's not done in a day.



3. I bought this hoping to help find out why my organizing fizzles. So far it has provided the much needed insight into why, now I just need to get to the how to overcome & move forward. This is helping me find out why I am always frustrated with trying to organize and turning around to an even bigger mess! I still have to finish the book and I think it may help me figure out how to move beyond the initial steps of organizing.



4. Organizing From the Inside Out not only teaches the reader how to get organized but helps the reader identify the reasons for his/her lack of organization. Morgenstern also demonstrates how organizing can help increase productivity, reduce stress, and help one feel better about one's self. Organizing From the Inside Out says the key to staying organized is to recognize the behavior patterns that lead to disorganization and the psychological reasons for staying unorganized. Recognizing these patterns and the psychology behind them is worth the read even if it makes the reader squirm a bit. Organizing From the Inside Out is a valuable resource for anyone wishing to get or stay organized.



5. I've been trying to get organized for a while and this book has helped me more than others. It really focuses on the planning before diving in to attack. That was the part I have been skipping. Now I know what I've been doing wrong and how to correct it in the future.

5 comments about The Art of Speed Reading People: How to Size People Up and Speak Their Language.

1. Wow, what an eye-opener this book is! I really enjoyed reading this book about human personality and strongly recommend it to everyone. The book compares different personality traits and guides the reader to effectively and efficaciously interact with people regardless of their trait. Wish I'd read this book in high school!



2. wow this book gives us the best of solution to understand and identify the personality of others. I recommend it!



3. My impression of personality tests where like Horoscope readings. However, after reading this book, I was mightly impressed.
   
   It really does identify your personality type and explore your personal traits. The thing that I found most interesting was the way they explained the four temperaments. It talked about how the 4 temperaments are nothing new and how it has been around since history. I found this quite fascinating especially since I believe that people are unique and different. Although this may be true, I was quite convinced by the book that there are very similiar traits within the same group of personality type or temperament.
   
   I think this is very interesting to think throughout history, even though we may evolve in different ways, we are basically the same people. Wow! To think there are many others out there that are like me is astounding. This book definitely opens up your eyes and gives you a great understanding of people and why people act that way.
   
   I think it's also very important how the book notes that while this provides a great perspective, to use caution because there are many factors that could influence how a person acts (social expectations, culture, etc.) However, the book goes on to further say that a person's most comfortable way of acting is living to their personality. This may not make sense, but after reading the book, I'm sure you will.
   
   The information as described in the book is about 80% accurate, plus or minus. There is a portion in there that seems highly contradictive for my personality type. Especailly when it talks about the I/E Feeling. However, most of it is pretty accurate.
   
   I haven't finished the book, but obviously the book says it's suppose to teach you how to speed read people. I have been able to do this partly, but I think it does take intensive study for you to learn the material and have it readily available when you actually interact with people.
   
   Overall, a definitely good read!



4. I generally like Meyers-Briggs personality books. The test is pretty acurate as far as standardized personality tests go. It's pretty flexible and encompassing and if you haven't taken it you should. You'll learn something about yourself.
   
   That said, I don't think this book was the best example of what one can achieve using knowledge of Meyers-Briggs. The speed reading is not very revealing. The tips they give are things anyone with familiarity with the system could figure out on their own. In the beginning of the book one of the authors talks about the time she had to give a presentation to someone and she observed that he was a meticulous fellow and then used her amazing people reading skills to determine that he might be very detail oriented, so she crafted her presentation with that in mind. Really? A meticulous person might be detail oriented? Well madame how DO you DO it? It's not bad information but it's stuff you don't need if you have any of the other Meyers-Briggs books and a bit of intellectual horsepower. If you've never been introduced to these personality tests I guess this is an ok introduction, but eventually you'll want to move on to something a bit more meaty, like "Please Understand Me", or "Gifts Differing". There is a little new material here but it's sort of a re-heated version of the previous two books I just mentioned. Sure some of it is useful stuff, I just think there are better books out there. But that's just my opinion. It is worth a look, maybe check it out from the library first and see what you think.



5. These authors really know their stuff. This book provides amazingly accurate insights to the human mind~ why people act the way they do. Of course, it's not 100% accurate because no two people are exactly alike. So while they generalize a lot, it's nearly always correct. Sound like psychology? It is! This book will give you a good foundation of understanding human psychology, and if you're like me, and are entirely UNINTERESTED in psychology, this will cure you and help convert you to the real validity behind it.
   
   I don't agree that it has helped me "speed read" people~ perhaps I am just so new to the concept of understanding people that I need more time. However, it has given me PRICELESS insights to the people I'm around everyday, and whom I have time to 'read' a little slower.
   
   BUY this book. I daresay this is as fundamental to life as basic mathematics.

5 comments about A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age.

1. Pink starts with the inarguable premise that we live in a changing economy. The smokestack industries moved overseas long since, and white-collar jobs are fast following. Countries with low labor costs, compared to the West, have growing pools of highly skilled technical workers. As a result, things like programming, accounting, and circuit design have changed from specialty skills to commodity tasks, just as happened with material goods like toasters, toys, and sneakers. Pink declares that the new differentiators include aesthetics, design, and the human experience. His examples include car manufacture considered as an art form, holistic legal services, and the medical value of doctors' empathy.
   
   Although I agree with many of Pink's points, the logical, left-brained underpinnings of his argument just aren't strong enough to support the weight of warm feelings piled onto them. For example, he notes that good product design has value to the product owner. Then, as a counter example, this book's front cover includes a die-cut that leaves little tongues of paper pointed out into the cut's opening. Those tongues catch on things, fray, and even tear into the cover around them. Mr. Pink: good design does not unintentionally self-destruct.
   
   Elsewhere, Pink notes the established fact that mothers commonly carry infants in their left arms. Because of a crossover in neural wiring, Pink asserts that this puts the child in contact with the woman's right brain. Well, maybe. It also frees the mother's right hand to stir the pot or do other work at the same time as kid care. Even left-handed mothers often carry their children on the left side, possibly because the heart is on the left and its rhythm tends to soothe the child. But no, Pink has taken the right-brain bit between his teeth and runs with it. As a result, he gently sweeps aside little things like the basic fact that right/left brain duality has always been stronger in men than in women, and that Asian researcher sometimes have trouble reproducing the results at all. It might, in fact, just be an artifact of Western males.
   
   I have an engineering degree, but art school training as well. At least one of the algorithms I developed was hard to describe, but physically obvious once my listener experienced it in her own hands - leaving her with the problem of explaining it to others. I understand the importance of the human terms in engineering equations. Unlike Pink, I also know that science and engineering are intuitive practices, and expressions of deep human feeling in themselves. I actually agree with Pink on many points. I just don't agree with his one-sided approach to two-sided problems, with his selectivity about facts friendly to his case, or with his weak logic in making the case that we need more than just logic.
   
   -- wiredweird



2. Met de subtitel Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age en een aanbeveling van Wired 'Why right-brainers will rule the future' en aanbevelingen op de achterflap van Tom Peters, Po Bronson en Seth Godin die de auteur onder meer positioneren als wonderdoener en 'Copernicus for the brave new age' worden enorme verwachtingen gewekt en kritische antennes geactiveerd. Een boek dat inmiddels in de VS in de 8e hedruk zit en gewoon erg populair is, moet toch wat te bieden hebben?
   
   En ja, dat klopt. In de lijn van simplificaties en hapklare brokken als The World is Flat en de boeken van Covey past A Whole New Mind perfect in de tijdgeest, waar we opnieuw zoeken naar houvast in een turbulente wereld. En dus zijn de platmakers van Friedman gereduceerd tot een drietal verschijnselen Abundance, Asia en Automation bij Pink. Als je geen toegevoegde waarde hebt ten opzichte van al die andere aanbieders, veel goedkopere vakbroeders in China en India en je werk minstens net zo goed door een computer gedaan kan worden, dan zit je binnenkort werkloos toe te kijken. Tenzij, tenzij je 6 nieuwe zintuigen ontwikkeld die je eigen, bevredigende plek in de wereld geven:
   1. Design (weg met alleen een functionele blik op middelen, schoonheid van ontwerp geeft meerwaarde)
   2. Story (een goed verhaal bij een persoon of product verkoopt gewoon beter)
   3. Symphony (alles heeft een context, overzie het geheel, focus niet op een detail)
   4. Empathy (voelen wat de ander voelt)
   5. Play (leve de gamers!)
   6. Meaning (logisch slotakkoord, wat is het doel van wat je doet? Geef je leven betekenis en richting)
   
   Naast veel betekenisvolle woorden, punten om over na te denken, bevat Pinks boek ook veel zwakke plekken. Waar hij zelf een verdeling zoekt in 'meer linker hersenhelft gericht' en 'meer rechter hersenhelft gericht', oog heeft voor het complementaire van onze hersenhelften en in het begin van het boek nog pleit voor een 'volledig gebruik van de hersenen', gaan diverse voorbeelden, te beginnen met de Wired aanbeveling op de voorkant met te stringent links/rechts en daarmee bij herhaling aardig/veel beter implicerend, de mist in. Wanneer ouders hun kinderen liever artiest laten worden dan wiskundige, ziet Pink dat als bevestiging van zijn argumenten, terwijl het juist wel 'links' georiënteerd zijn van de tienduizenden jaarlijks in India en China in exacte vakken, Informatie e.d. afstuderende jongeren een bedreiging vormen die je niet alleen met de 6 zintuigen kunt opvangen. Sterker: wat moet je als meester in de genoemde 6 zintuigen, als er geen voedsel wordt bereid, geen wegen worden aangelegd, geen veilige auto's worden geproduceerd, geen huizen worden gebouwd, etc.? Anders gesteld: dit boek gaat volledig voorbij aan de samenleving, het milieu, de grote uitdagingen die de wereld zich gesteld ziet, zoals bijvoorbeeld Planeet India wel durft aan te snijden.
   
   Pink husselt slim wat herkenbare thema's als Flow, Emotional Intelligence, storytelling, hersenonderzoek, spiritualiteit (waarbij alle uitingen, behalve christelijk geloof hip zijn), zelfhulpboeken en testjes tot een eigen mix, waarbij de rode draad immaterieel lijkt te zijn. Op de laatste pagina ontkracht Pink dit echter rigoreus: "China and India are becoming economic behemoths. Material abundance in the advanced world continues to grow. That mean that the greatest rewards will go to those who move fast. The first group of people who develop a whole new mind, who master high-concept and high-touch abilities, will do extremely well. The rest - those who move slowly or not at all - may miss out or, worse, suffer." Dus toch welvaart als maatstaf voor succes en een afstandelijk 'jammer dan' voor degenen die niet zo snel mee kunnen komen: kort Amerikaans!



3. A senior colleague of mine recommended this book, and it really is a great read - easy and fun, but substantive at the same time. Pink's argument's flow logically and the porfolios at the end of each chapter are a great resource, I found myself looking up all the websites and jotting down notes for activities to try.



4. The author begins by describing how the spheres of the brain
   operate. The left hemisphere controls the right side,
   recognizes serial events (sequentially), manages text,
   siphons details and performs logistics. The right hemisphere
   controls the left side, manages simultaneity and context,
   looks at the big picture and knows the world from the experiential
   dimension. The back of the book has a large bibliography of
   scientific and journalistic references. The reader would be
   helped by cross-referencing some of the brain inferences to
   the scientific literature which supports the various statements
   made by the author.
   
   There are some fallacies in the inferences made by the author.
   For instance, people need a firm grounding in both spheres.
   Some examples will highlight the disparities. For example,
   too many children graduate grammar school and they cannot
   do simple arithmetic compilation. No amount of arts programs
   will make up for deficiencies in early childhood education
   in mathematics.
   
   Computer software engineers are not merely analytically
   inclined. Many practitioners design graphics software
   which is quite creative. Others design artificial intelligence
   algorithms which emulate brain function quite ingeniously.
   
   Lawyers are advocates and they must learn to negotiate and
   empathize instead of engaging in sum-zero tactics.
   Accountants must operate within the confines of considerable
   global principles of the profession. These are
   conservatism ( not being overly optimistic), materiality,
   the ongoing concern concept of operation and judgmental
   sampling to detect and confirm inadequacies in the
   accounting control or design thereof. Scientific
   sampling is more analytically determinable.
   
   Engineers must master principles of non-linearity; such
   as, sweeping motions of rotation, the Mohr's Circle of
   forces, multi-direction, shear and balancing chemical
   redox equations using both inference and analytics
   in combination with knowledge of the Periodic Table
   of Elements. Engineering is by no means a linearly
   based profession.
   
   The author does mention some important sensual skills
   which could be developed during the education process.
   These skills are creative design, synthesis, role
   playing, aesthetics in addition to functionality
   and the dynamics of story-telling. This section of
   the book could be invaluable to educators if
   developed in early education, middle school , high
   school and collegiate curricula.
   
   The book has some excellent ideas but there should be
   fewer generalizations. Overall, the volume would make
   for good reading. Superlearning by Ostrander and Schroeder
   would complement this book nicely.



5. An overwhelming wake up call for the "go to school, get good grades, get a good paying job" thinkers. I want to give this book to my kids especially my youngest who is interested in getting her MBA.
   
   The new staple for a changing educational and economical future.
   
   If you don't read this book, you are limiting yourself.