The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography (Oprah's Book Club)

Book Description

"I have no wish to play the pontificating fool, pretending that I've suddenly come up with the answers to all life's questions. Quite that contrary, I began this book as an exploration, an exercise in self-questing. In other words, I wanted to find out, as I looked back at a long and complicated life, with many twists and turns, how well I've done at measuring up to the values I myself have set."
—Sidney Poitier

In this luminous memoir, a true American icon looks back on his celebrated life and career. His body of work is arguably the most morally significant in cinematic history, and the power and influence of that work are indicative of the character of the man behind the many storied roles. Sidney Poitier here explores these elements of character and personal values to take his own measure—as a man, as a husband and a father, and as an actor.

Poitier credits his parents and his childhood on tiny Cat Island in the Bahamas for equipping him with the unflinching sense of right and wrong and of self-worth that he has never surrendered and that have dramatically shaped his world. "In the kind of place where I grew up," recalls Poitier, "what's coming at you is the sound of the sea and the smell of the wind and momma's voice and the voice of your dad and the craziness of your brothers and sisters...and that's it." Without television, radio, and material distractions to obscure what matters most, he could enjoy the simple things, endure the long commitments, and find true meaning in his life.

Poitier was uncompromising as he pursued a personal and public life that would honor his upbringing and the invaluable legacy of his parents. Just a few years after his introduction to indoor plumbing and the automobile, Poitier broke racial barrier after racial barrier to launch a pioneering acting career. Committed to the notion that what one does for a living articulates to who one is, Poitier played only forceful and affecting characters who said something positive, useful, and lasting about the human condition.

Here is Poitier's own introspective look at what has informed his performances and his life. Poitier explores the nature of sacrifice and commitment, price and humility, rage and forgiveness, and paying the price for artistic integrity. What emerges is a picture of a man in the face of limits—his own and the world's. A triumph of the spirit, The Measure of a Man captures the essential Poitier.

Customer Reviews:

Nice man, wandering story..........2007-10-04

I had to force myself to finish this book, simply because I didn't want to waste my money by leaving it when I was tempted to. It was interesting to realize that an actor whose work I had appreciated came from such a spare beginning, but by halfway through the book, the continuous wandering asides and disclaimers of the author so overwhelmed the narrative that I could barely tolerate it. It seems to me that the story could have been told to greater effect with half the words!

****LOVED IT****.......2007-09-24

Kept me interested...I really enjoyed this book...I couldn't put the book down until I finished reading it!!!!

MEASURE OF A MAN does not measure up.......2007-09-21

Wow, a book about Sidney Poitier. An outstanding actor with a book that just does not give him true justice. The reading tends to be dry and lacks substance. His life struggles could have been the story of any man or woman, black or white. The writing and editing are weak in some sections.

You should rent or buy one of Poitier's movies instead. His movie roles show his true skills.

SPIRITUAL "Of, Relating to, Consisting of, or Affecting the Spirit" MERRIAM-WEBSTER.......2007-08-30

I've always been smitten with Poitier's voice--his diction and control on film, the flow of his words as they travel in and around ideas during interviews--so I read THE MEASURE OF A MAN with an ear for his voice. I wondered, Is it translatable to print? It is, but that means allowing Poitier's thoughts to meander until they find their point, and that his thoughts are less formulated (or formal) and more "in his own words," than they might be if they were written by a biographer. (I read just enough "You know?"s "You hear me when I tell you?"s and "You follow?"s to feel like he was talking to me, but not too many to be annoyed.) I read to imagine what it might be like to have a conversation with Poitier. The book reinforced what I already knew--I'd be as intimidated as heck--but it also gave me the courage to think I'd be able to speak my mind.

As an editor, I read Poitier's book because I wanted to know how he defines a "spiritual" autobiography. Is it a I-Was-A-Sinner-But-I-Found-Jesus-And-Now-I'm-Saved chronology? Is it about how Christianity or another faith influenced his life? Neither. Poitier examines the people, events, circumstances, beliefs, and so on, which have related to, consisted of, or affected his "spirit," and, in doing so, he writes about childhood experiences in the Bahamas, his changing perceptions of his parents, how he adapts to living in the United States, his approach to acting and filmmaking, and his attitude toward fatherhood. He also shares a debate a friend and he had about the Basic Truth of Nature, a debate worth every second of reading it takes to get to.

Is THE MEASURE OF A MAN going to satisfy readers interested only in Poitier's film career? No, but I urge them to read it anyway, if for no other reason than to find out how his "spirit" influenced the films he starred in.

Books.......2007-08-21

I purchased this book for my daughter and she loved it!
She is a teacher and plans to teach this story in her English class fall 2007.
A great story with a great moral.

Average customer rating:

Disappointed Long Time Fan ...
I Heard that song Before
Comes with a quality guarantee!
I am a fan!!!!
Suspenseful

I Heard That Song Before: A Novel
Mary Higgins Clark
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0743264916
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Book Description

In a riveting psychological thriller, Mary Higgins Clark takes the reader deep into the mysteries of the human mind, where memories may be the most dangerous things of all.

At the center of her novel is Kay Lansing, who has grown up in Englewood, New Jersey, daughter of the landscaper to the wealthy and powerful Carrington family. Their mansion -- a historic seventeenth-century manor house transported stone by stone from Wales in 1848 -- has a hidden chapel. One day, accompanying her father to work, six-year-old Kay succumbs to curiosity and sneaks into the chapel. There, she overhears a quarrel between a man and a woman who is demanding money from him. When she says that this will be the last time, his caustic response is: "I heard that song before."

That same evening, the Carringtons hold a formal dinner dance after which Peter Carrington, a student at Princeton, drives home Susan Althorp, the eighteen-year-old daughter of neighbors. While her parents hear her come in, she is not in her room the next morning and is never seen or heard from again.

Throughout the years, a cloud of suspicion hangs over Peter Carrington. At age forty-two, head of the family business empire, he is still "a person of interest" in the eyes of the police, not only for Susan Althorp's disappearance but also for the subsequent drowning death of his own pregnant wife in their swimming pool.

Kay Lansing, now living in New York and working as a librarian in Englewood, goes to see Peter Carrington to ask for permission to hold a cocktail party on his estate to benefit a literacy program, which he later grants. Kay comes to see Peter as maligned and misunderstood, and when he begins to court her after the cocktail party, she falls in love with him. Over the objections of her beloved grandmother Margaret O'Neil, who raised her after her parents' early deaths, she marries him. To her dismay, she soon finds that he is a sleepwalker whose nocturnal wanderings draw him to the spot at the pool where his wife met her end.

Susan Althorp's mother, Gladys, has always been convinced that Peter Carrington is responsible for her daughter's disappearance, a belief shared by many in the community. Disregarding her husband's protests about reopening the case, Gladys, now terminally ill, has hired a retired New York City detective to try to find out what happened to her daughter. Gladys wants to know before she dies.

Kay, too, has developed gnawing doubts about her husband. She believes that the key to the truth about his guilt or innocence lies in the scene she witnessed as a child in the chapel and knows she must learn the identity of the man and woman who quarreled there that day. Yet, she plunges into this pursuit realizing that "that knowledge may not be enough to save my husband's life, if indeed it deserves to be saved." What Kay does not even remotely suspect is that uncovering what lies behind these memories may cost her her own life.

I Heard That Song Before once again dramatically reconfirms Mary Higgins Clark's worldwide reputation as a master storyteller.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointed Long Time Fan ..........2007-10-06

I've been a huge Mary Higgins Clark fan since day one. Her books are always dependable - page turners with likeable characters and good twists and turns. Her past few books have shown growth as an author, as well. This book, though, almost felt as though it were written to fulfill a contract ... the characters didn't really come to life, it was hard to feel any kind of caring for Peter or Kay, and it was fairly ridden with cliches. Despite occasional modern touches (one character refers to their mapquest directions), there are many dated instances in this book, such as when one character refers to another character's marriages not "lasting long enough to wash the tea towels." Say what? I adore this lady - her memoir, Kitchen Privileges, is a treat! - but this one didn't fit the bill.

I Heard that song Before.......2007-09-28

It's time for MHC to pack up her computer. She has lost the knack of writing good novels. The killer is obvious from the beginning; the motive is so obvious I wonder why I bothered to read it. Read instead, Karin Slaughter, Brian Freeman, Harlan Coben, Joy Fielding.

Comes with a quality guarantee!.......2007-09-14

Librarian Kay Lansing marries Peter Carrington, head of the wealthy Carrington family.

Peter Carrington has long been under suspicion for murdering his childhood sweetheart, and as after 22 years her body is discovered on the Carrington estate in Englewood, New Jersey, Peter is charged with her murder.

The fact tht Peter Carrington is a sleepwalker, adds an interesting twist to the story, and I got urged to read more about sleepwalking by reading this book.

I'll not reveal more details about the murder investigation - in fact, the investigation of several connected murders - but leave it to the readers.

"The queen of suspense" has a unique talent for intricate plots as well as phsycological insight into the human mind.

As all her books, "I Heard That Song Before" is a real page-turner. I brought it with me on holiday. Thought it would last me a few days but finished it overnight!

Mary Higgins Clark's books come with a quality guarantee. Her fans can always trust her to deliver the best.

Enjoy!

I am a fan!!!!.......2007-09-12

I am a big fan of Mary Higgins Clark. The first section that I visit in the library is where her books are shelved. I am always looking for a new one. I think I have read them all. The nice thing about MHC is that her books are never smutty or improper and she doesn't use strong language, but the stories are still gripping and wonderful. I appreciate that!!! This was a page turner. I was hoping for a happy ending and it didn't disappoint! I am not a big fan of 'first person' dialog though. I prefer to read the novel from a third person point of view, but the story was still good. Different angles of the story really kept you guessing.....yeah, he's guilty...no he's not, yeah, he's guilty, no he's not!!! Kept me on the edge and up reading until I fell asleep with the book in my lap!

Suspenseful.......2007-09-11

I always enjoy reading her books. She always has more than one story going on keeping you guessing. I highly recommend her. There is nothing offensive or vulgar in her books.

The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil

Average customer rating:

it depends what you expect...
The Stanford Prison Experiment and Onward to Others
A fascinating plunge into the dark side of man
Not Exactly Honest
A Plea for Ordinary Heroes

The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil
Philip Zimbardo
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1400064112
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Book Description

What makes good people do bad things? How can moral people be seduced to act immorally? Where is the line separating good from evil, and who is in danger of crossing it?

Renowned social psychologist Philip Zimbardo has the answers, and in The Lucifer Effect he explains how–and the myriad reasons why–we are all susceptible to the lure of “the dark side.” Drawing on examples from history as well as his own trailblazing research, Zimbardo details how situational forces and group dynamics can work in concert to make monsters out of decent men and women.

Zimbardo is perhaps best known as the creator of the Stanford Prison Experiment. Here, for the first time and in detail, he tells the full story of this landmark study, in which a group of college-student volunteers was randomly divided into “guards” and “inmates” and then placed in a mock prison environment. Within a week the study was abandoned, as ordinary college students were transformed into either brutal, sadistic guards or emotionally broken prisoners.

By illuminating the psychological causes behind such disturbing metamorphoses, Zimbardo enables us to better understand a variety of harrowing phenomena, from corporate malfeasance to organized genocide to how once upstanding American soldiers came to abuse and torture Iraqi detainees in Abu Ghraib. He replaces the long-held notion of the “bad apple” with that of the “bad barrel”–the idea that the social setting and the system contaminate the individual, rather than the other way around.

This is a book that dares to hold a mirror up to mankind, showing us that we might not be who we think we are. While forcing us to reexamine what we are capable of doing when caught up in the crucible of behavioral dynamics, though, Zimbardo also offers hope. We are capable of resisting evil, he argues, and can even teach ourselves to act heroically. Like Hannah Arendt’s Eichmann in Jerusalem and Steven Pinker’s The Blank Slate, The Lucifer Effect is a shocking, engrossing study that will change the way we view human behavior.

Customer Reviews:

it depends what you expect..........2007-09-26

There is no question that Zimbardo is a great scholar and that he had spent years, decades, studying this subject. Yet, good scholarship doesn't always translate to good writing. This is a thick (literary and otherwise) book. The overall argument presented by Zimbardo is clear, but it feels that it is bogged down by so many details. There are pages after pages of transcripts from the original study. And here is the point. It all depends what you expect. If you want very detailed account of the 1971 study, that's what you get. Clear, detailed, well-supported and well-explained. If you look mainly for straightfoward answers to the question how good people turn evil, this book could be a difficult read.

The Stanford Prison Experiment and Onward to Others.......2007-09-23

Well worth the read just to recapture the fascination of the students involved in the Staford Experiment. In 1971 I was new to college and later heard of the experiment in class lectures. The reactions of the student prisoners and guards, even down to the despondency and controlling behaviors that emerged, was intriguing. The Stanford Prison Experiment has now taken its place as a psychological and sociological cornerstone.

Disaster after disaster is addressed, all having the thread of decent people succumbing to psychological situations. Results are dire in each. Excellent discussion on tendencies of social scientists' to explain poor behaviors on personality traits, while underestimating the situational forces at play.

A fascinating plunge into the dark side of man.......2007-09-17

Zimbardos book is exceptional in both scientific and entertaining terms. He is surprisingly eloquent writer for a scholar and has a great sense of humour which makes the description of the Stanford Prison Experiment he conducted, a delightful plunge into the dark side of man.

Not Exactly Honest.......2007-09-12

I purchased this book with the intention on learning about how situation can influence a person's actions. Do that extent, this book does an excellent job. What I did not like is this overwhelming sense that this book was written as a way to use Abu Ghraib as a way to attack the Bush Administration, of which the author is obviously opposed. Don't get me wrong, I am not opposed to criticizing the president and I do believe he has accountability for his actions. My issue is that the author threw his bias into a book that appeared to offer an unbiased view of social behavior as it relates to situational forces.

As long as he brought it up, I disagree with the author's views on responsibilty in Iraq. The author attempted to make Mr. Bush's office ultimately responsible for this awful situation; but wasn't it really the cumulative voice of the American people. I am not saying majority, but I am saying the loudest. I, for one, have always felt that we should take the war to the enemy and keep it from my front door. I was more interested in result than I was with how they were gotten (ie. if you torture them, don't tell me). I really did not have a problem (okay, a slight concern) with the Patriot Act or with the wiretapping of our phones. I supported the idea of not treating terrorists as POW's, though I believe it did get out of hand. My point is the president is not ultimately to blame, though he does have some culpability. The ultimate responsibility lies in the hands of each and every citizen. But in what I feel was a biased view, the author stopped at Bush.

Again, this book would have been fine had I known what I was buying. Unfortunately, it used wonderful research to present a distorted and partial view of the Iraq situation. I would have thought that Mr. Zimbardo would have learned from his SPE experiment that not only can you not be researcher and warden and get good results; you also can't be researcher and political analyst either. What you end up with is invalidated ideas.

Mr. Zimbardo, you are thought highly of in the world of social psychology. Why would you attempt such a poorly veiled attack?

A Plea for Ordinary Heroes.......2007-08-30

Having always been fascinated by psychology, I was excited to read that Prof. Zimbardo had finally written a book about the 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE). The first 200 pages go into great detail about the six days the experiment lasted (though it had been planned to last two weeks) before being cut short due to the drastic changes in both "prisoners" and "guards." The next 100 pages present his detailed examination of the different variables in the experiment, their implications then and now, the nature of good and evil, and what makes people change. The last 200 pages cover the Abu Ghraib abuses, their frightening similarity to the SPE on many levels, the call for bringing the military and governmental brass to some accountability for creating the "bad barrel" that led normal soldiers to become abusers. He ends with a description of heroism and how we can avoid being coerced by the situations and systems that surround us to act for a better world. A terrific book! Much needed.

The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't

Average customer rating:

Great time reading and laughing
Great book
Stating The Unspoken
I love this book!
Accurate Potrayal of Many Work Environments

The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't
Robert I. Sutton
Manufacturer: Business Plus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0446526568

Book Description

The No Asshole Rule is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Business Week bestseller. It won a Quill Award for the top business book of 2007, and was recently chosen as one of audible.com's top picks as well.

Customer Reviews:

Great time reading and laughing.......2007-10-02

Lot of truths mentioned in the book... Wish there were more, especially when it comes to government entities... Just have to be diligent about "practicing" the tips and tricks provided.

Great book.......2007-09-28

This is a great book that has a good level of scholarly support but written in an easy-to-read style that should appeal to most audiences.

Stating The Unspoken.......2007-09-23

Everybody knows the abuse-of-power types that this book outlines. Too often companies/cultures put the onus on victims to adapt, and get-along. What that approach does is allow managers to NOT do their jobs - and that is to confront dysfunctional behaviors clearly and directly.

Dr. Sutton takes a no holds barred approach to defining culture up front. Letting the community know what is and is not acceptable behavior. I wish that he would create a study of companies that are this direct in dealing with behavioral problems, bring the concept along further with specifics of what works and what doesn't.

The "avoidance approach" clearly is not a true solution, but as he states in the book if management will not address the organization's asses, and you want to keep your job, it is the best option sometimes.

A few times in my life I've worked in environments where the assholes have kissed upward so much that they are well connected. And poorly skilled career bureaucrats looking to keep their position, single these emotionally inept people out as stars to be heralded - because heralding a well connected asshole makes you an ally. In each of those situations, I've watched the best people move on, managerial incompetence thrive, motivation deteriorate, and a fairyland scenario of pretending flourish. What a sad state of affairs that leads to.

Bringing the difficult concept of an actual asshole present in the mix, naming what is unspoken, is an essential element in this work. Further development of the idea, refinement of behavioral understanding could only continue to develop greater awareness of truly sly assholes that are skilled to be non-confrontational to those above them and non-approachable to those below.

A meeting with such people present vs. absent is like day and night. Personally experiencing this, I saw groups transformed from demotivated-lackluster-lifeless chair slugs to excited-active-contributors. Such culturally (negatively) controlling individuals cost an organization far more than can ever be measured.

The book is worth the read if only for the stories. But, the principles, the validation, are the real meat and potatoes. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, and if you can't gift it directly, then throw a few copies into envelopes and drop them in your managements' mailboxes. It's about time the pretending to be nice facade gives way to true comprehension of what civility is, and the complete disregard for it will not be tolerated.

I love this book!.......2007-09-22

I urge everyone to read this book, whether they're in an office environment, or just dealing with day-to-day situations. I've bought three copies so far to give to co-workers and family, and I may need more!
The minute you open the book, you will SO recognize what is described!

Accurate Potrayal of Many Work Environments.......2007-07-22

I commend Bob Sutton for publishing this book. It is apparent many jobs expect you to tolerate a coworker or superior whose behavior is off the chart yet protected and sometimes endorsed by management. The cost to a business is high and Bob did a great job of quantifying it. I highly recommend this book if you work in a toxic environment. Bob outlines some great strategies for succeeding in such an environment and discusses how to create policies to prevent one person's inflated ego from sinking the ship.

Average customer rating:

Inspirational book
More self-help tripe
A self-development 101 book
One of the best
The Secret and Seven Habits of Highly Successful People

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Stephen R. Covey
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Accessories:

ASIN: 0743269519
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Amazon.com

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change was a groundbreaker when it was first published in 1990, and it continues to be a business bestseller with more than 10 million copies sold. Stephen Covey, an internationally respected leadership authority, realizes that true success encompasses a balance of personal and professional effectiveness, so this book is a manual for performing better in both arenas. His anecdotes are as frequently from family situations as from business challenges.

Before you can adopt the seven habits, you'll need to accomplish what Covey calls a "paradigm shift"--a change in perception and interpretation of how the world works. Covey takes you through this change, which affects how you perceive and act regarding productivity, time management, positive thinking, developing your "proactive muscles" (acting with initiative rather than reacting), and much more.

This isn't a quick-tips-start-tomorrow kind of book. The concepts are sometimes intricate, and you'll want to study this book, not skim it. When you finish, you'll probably have Post-it notes or hand-written annotations in every chapter, and you'll feel like you've taken a powerful seminar by Covey. --Joan Price

Amazon.com Audiobook Review

Anyone who thinks the audiocassette adaptation of Stephen Covey's bestseller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, is a shortcut to reading the book has another thing coming. As a preview, the cassette is worth every one of its 90 minutes; as a substitute for the original, it will only leave you wishing for the rest. There's a reason 7 Habits has sold more than 5 million copies and been translated into 32 languages. Serious work has obviously gone into it, and serious change can likely come out of it--but only with constant discipline and steadfast commitment. As the densely packed tape makes immediately clear, this is no quick fix for what's ailing us in our personal and professional lives.

The tape opens to the silky-smooth, overtrained voice of the female narrator, who's responsible for tying together audio clips from actual Covey seminars. Leaving aside the occasional attempts at promoting Covey and his institute, her script does a first-rate job of making sense of Covey's own intense, analogy-rich style of explaining his habits. There's nothing simple about his approach to becoming an effective person. The first three habits alone--which have to do with personal responsibility, leadership, and self-management--could take years to master. Yet the last four are unattainable, the narrator insists, if you can't acquire the personal security--the "inner core," says Covey--that presumably comes from a mastery of the foundation.

Throughout our lessons, Covey's presence is both learned and thoroughly appealing. He drops references to the likes of Socrates, T.S. Eliot, and Robert Frost with the aplomb of an English professor. And his knack for mixing everyday stories with abstract concepts manages to clarify difficult issues while respecting our intelligence. You could argue that the cassette is nothing more than a clever marketing tool for selling another few million copies of the book. But, even at that, it's worth the investment in time and concentration: in the end, we're moved to learn more about integrating all seven habits in our struggle to become better and, yes, more effective people. (Running time: 1.5 hours, one cassette) --Ann Senechal

Book Description

In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen R. Covey presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centered approach for solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, service, and human dignity -- principles that give us the security to adapt to change and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates.

Customer Reviews:

Inspirational book.......2007-10-18

Although some people may think that this book is a bit of the style of the Reader's Digest, I found this book very inspirational. As the author says, it is not a book to read it once and then leave it on the shelf. I think that it is this kind of books you can always have as a refence.

More self-help tripe.......2007-10-18

I used to belong to an organization where it was mandatory for all senior managers to take the 7 habits two day course. This was two years ago when I was less skeptical than I am now, but I still remember thinking that the course was full of fluff and nonsense.

Covey isn't as bad as Tony Robbins, but he is in the same ball park. The few nuggets of wisdom that can be found buried among all the garbage in 7 Habits are common sense that any one who has been paying attention in life should already know at a young age. Allow me to elaborate:

1. Be Proactive. You get to decide how you react to things. Your mom taught you this as "two wrongs don't make a right." When your kid brother hit you, it didn't make things better to hit him back.
2. Begin with the end in mind. This is called planning ahead. Humans have been doing this for millennia.
3. Put first things first. Uh, yeah. "Junior, eat your vegetables if you want to have dessert. Clean your room before you go out and play." Etc. This one strikes me as the "Well, duh!" habit.
4. Think Win-Win. Two kids want to watch different TV shows. Mom says they don't get to watch anything until they work out a solution. Yet another example of something that any good parent would have taught us.
5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. In the sales and marketing game this is called knowing your customer needs. As a child, mom and dad should have taught you about thinking about other people's feelings. It's all the same.
6. Synergize. Ever play team sports as a kid? Again, "Duh!"
7. Sharpen the saw. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

There is only one habit of highly successful people, and that is that they DON'T waste their time reading self-help nonsense. YOU shouldn't either. If you want to read something to better yourself, read educational information that will make you better at your job, being a parent, being a spouse, a citizen, more active politically. Learn about the world and how it works. Learn about people. Learn how to change the oil in your car or build a tree fort.

If you were paying attention in life, you already know the Seven Habits. I repeat: Covey is like the rest of these motivational gurus: a scam artist who wants your money. I'm glad I don't work for the company that pushed this tripe on me any longer.

A self-development 101 book.......2007-10-14

Do you contrive to improve yourself? Are you fanatic about bringing in changes into your life? Have you been ambling without any goals in life? This book is a 101 for those who are interested in self-development.

The author touches upon a lot of areas like beginning with the end in the mind (personal vision statement), time management, continuous learning and skill development, planning etc., It is easy to assimilate the information. This book brings in a insidious change into your life. The techniques are very practical and can be followed to improve both your personal and profession life.

These 7 habits are highly contagious. Just bring in one of them into your life and you would notice that the rest will follow.

One of the best.......2007-10-13

This is a great book. It is about principles that make sense to most intelligent people; it gives easy to understand examples to apply those principles to real life. It refers to ideas that everybody already knows but keeps forgetting. This book and Understanding: Train of Thought are well worth buying.

The Secret and Seven Habits of Highly Successful People.......2007-10-09

STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED THIS PART OF My ORDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOULD LOVE TO RECEIVE IT.

Average customer rating:

A great resource
Still works after 70 Years
Wanna build your network - listen to Carnegie !
Great for improving people skills
Life's a Stage...

How to Win Friends & Influence People
Dale Carnegie
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0671027034

Amazon.com

This grandfather of all people-skills books was first published in 1937. It was an overnight hit, eventually selling 15 million copies. How to Win Friends and Influence People is just as useful today as it was when it was first published, because Dale Carnegie had an understanding of human nature that will never be outdated. Financial success, Carnegie believed, is due 15 percent to professional knowledge and 85 percent to "the ability to express ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm among people." He teaches these skills through underlying principles of dealing with people so that they feel important and appreciated. He also emphasizes fundamental techniques for handling people without making them feel manipulated. Carnegie says you can make someone want to do what you want them to by seeing the situation from the other person's point of view and "arousing in the other person an eager want." You learn how to make people like you, win people over to your way of thinking, and change people without causing offense or arousing resentment. For instance, "let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers," and "talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person." Carnegie illustrates his points with anecdotes of historical figures, leaders of the business world, and everyday folks. --Joan Price

Book Description

YOU CAN GO AFTER THE JOB YOU WANT...AND GET IT! YOU CAN TAKE THE JOB YOU HAVE...AND IMPROVE IT! YOU CAN TAKE ANY SITUATION YOU'RE IN...AND MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU!

For more than sixty years the rock-solid, time-tested advice in this book has carried thousands of now famous people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives.

Now this previously revised and updated bestseller is available in trade paperback for the first time to help you achieve your maximum potential throughout the next century! Learn:

* THREE FUNDAMENTAL TECHNIQUES IN HANDLING PEOPLE

* THE SIX WAYS TO MAKE PEOPLE LIKE YOU

* THE TWELVE WAYS TO WIN PEOPLE TO YOUR WAY OF THINKING

* THE NINE WAYS TO CHANGE PEOPLE WITHOUT AROUSING RESENTMENT

Customer Reviews:

A great resource.......2007-10-18

this is a must for anyone interested in social behavior. Or have just ever wander what makes certain people tick.

Still works after 70 Years.......2007-10-17

This has been a standard for 70 years for good reason. It teaches basic interpersonal skills and good manners. It works especially well with introverts that need help with one-on-one relationships.

Its age would seem to be a negative, but it actually works as a positive. It reminds us that good people skills are not a fad; they are timeless and often neglected in today's educational system.

If you interact with people at all, this book is an essential part of your success in your interactions.

Wanna build your network - listen to Carnegie !.......2007-10-14

Winning friends and influencing people is not an easy thing. Are you gregarious? Do you want to be a networking juggernaut? You should listen to what Dale Carnegie says.

"Do you want to get the attention of others? Watch out what actors do in advertisements and movies". This is such a simple technique that we all fail to recognize in our day-to-day life. "Do more listening than talking" - hmm, another simple technique. Carnegie explains how you can win friends and influence people, with a lot of stories.

This book is a must-read for those who want to build their network.

Great for improving people skills.......2007-10-13

As many will agree, I find this book and the book Understanding: Train of Thought to be quintessential in anyone's library. The information and advice given in these books transcends all boundaries and all areas of human activity. Some of my lessons from these books were that the principles of success in any endeavor are the same, regardless of who you are. Being programmed by the mediocrity around us, we feel that just because we have stopped growing physically when we reach adulthood, we do not need any more teaching. But these books remove that blindfold and demonstrate why we must always be in the learning mode, like students. Being humans and social creatures by nature, it is our sacred duty to learn, practice, teach and then teach others to do the same in improving our people skills and understanding of others.

Life's a Stage..........2007-09-30

Wow..."A Reader" seems extraordinarily bitter...

Every day you go to work, you are on a "stage"...as in "It's show time, folks!" The working world is highly competitive, and a necessary tool to all but guarantee your success is deception. This book/author teaches the art of deception. Whether or not the reader chooses to use this information to his/her advantage is a matter of personal choice.

This book has a purpose, and successfully presents that purpose, hence the four-stars...

Marketing: Real People, Real Choices (4th Edition)

Average customer rating:

bad condition
An excellent Intro to Marketing Text

Marketing: Real People, Real Choices (4th Edition)
Michael R. Solomon , Greg W. Marshall , and Elnora Stuart
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

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ASIN: 0131449680

Book Description

This reader-friendly marketing book conveys timely and relevant material in a dynamic presentation of how marketing concepts are implemented, and what they mean in the marketplace. It introduces marketing from the perspective of real people making real marketing decisions at leading companies every day. Learners will come to understand that marketing is about creating value–for customers, for companies, and for society as a whole-and they will see how that is accomplished in the real world. A five-part organization covers making marketing value decisions , identifying markets and understanding customers' needs for value, creating the value proposition, communicating the value proposition, and delivering the value proposition. For individuals interested in a career in marketing.

Customer Reviews:

bad condition.......2007-01-09

I bought a book from Textcellar and it said on the listing that the book was in a great condition. I paid $50 for the book and it looked like a $5 book. Very bad condition. Looks very badly handled and pages torn off on the corners. If you say it looks like new, it should look like new. I don't think I am gonna buy from you next time.

An excellent Intro to Marketing Text.......2002-12-25

This text gives a great overview of the many aspects of marketing. The text explains all aspects in great theoretical detail with an abundance of real world examples to clearify each point. The text is up to date and the real people, real decisions stories are quite interesting and fitting to the subject of their respective chapters.

The book was easy to read and all important points are highlighted and defined in the page margins.

The study guide which comes with the text helps students remember the key points of each chapters by providing a brief summary of the chapter followed by a number questions of all different types.

This is the second administration text book that I have bought from Pearson Education and I would recommend this book for anyone who is taking or planning on taking an introduction to marketing course at the University or College level or even for those who just wish to know more about the topic of marketing.

Average customer rating:

Instant Classic - Top Shelf

All hype, no protein

Trust is Fundamental in Relational Management

The Ultimate Trust Model

Author Lost My Trust Immediately, So Why Would I Listen To Anything He Has To Say?

The Speed of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything
Stephen Covey
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful

Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions

Know-How: The 8 Skills That Separate People Who Perform from Those Who Don't

Go Put Your Strengths to Work: Six Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance

12: The Elements of Great Managing

ASIN: 074329730X

Book Description

From Stephen R. Covey's eldest son comes a revolutionary new path towards productivity and satisfaction. Trust, says Stephen M.R. Covey, is the very basis of the new global economy, and he shows how trust—and the speed at which it is established with clients, employees and constituents—is the essential ingredient for any high-performance, successful organization.

For business leaders and public figures in any arena, The Speed of Trust offers an unprecedented and eminently practical look at exactly how trust functions in our every transaction and relationship—from the most personal to the broadest, most indirect interaction—and how to establish trust immediately so that you and your organization can forego the time-killing, bureaucratic check-and-balance processes so often deployed in lieu of actual trust.

Customer Reviews:

Instant Classic - Top Shelf.......2007-10-08

Within minutes of reading this book I knew it was going to be great. The book explains how trust is the driving force behind all efficient, successful businesses. Covey gets into different types of trust and some self assessments to determine what areas the reader is strong or weak in. The book can be applied to business, community and family. Without a doubt it goes on the short list of powerful, life-changing books!

All hype, no protein.......2007-09-19

Lots of anecdotes about the author's years in the business world. The author testifies that trust is great and makes things work. Little of substance in this book.

Trust is Fundamental in Relational Management.......2007-08-24

Trust may be the missing ingredient for the relational management model to succeed, but Trust (confidence + credibility) is an outcome, not an input. To get a Trust outcome requires the right inputs and in this book, the next generation's spokesperson for the Covey dynasty, Stephen M. R. Covey, tells us what trust means as well as provides plenty of examples of how important trust is when it comes to delivering business performance.

M.R. uses the "ripple effect" metaphor with Self at the center and waves rippling from the inside out to describe the "5 Waves of Trust." Using this metaphor, the first trust wave is Self-Trust (credibility driven), then comes the Relationship-Trust (consistent behavior driven) wave, an Organizational-Trust (alignment driven) wave, a Market-Trust (reputation driven) wave, and finally a Societal-Trust (giving back or contribution driven) wave.

Staying with the emphasis on managing `Self' first, Covey then provides the substance of the Self-Trust wave; the 4 cores of Credibility - integrity, intent, capability, and results. For the Relationship-Trust wave he identifies 13 critical behaviors. With the remaining trust waves, the dialogue continues the book's main theme - understanding the cost of mistrust and the value of trust - as it discusses organizational alignment, market reputation, and societal contribution. As M.R. says, "the dividends of trust can significantly enhance the quality of every relationship on every level of your life". If you doubt that, read this book.

The Ultimate Trust Model.......2007-08-23

I speak around the world on building Trust in Selling. "The Speed of Trust" gives you a roadmap on how to master trust and the real economic value of trust.

Stephen gives you insights that anyone can use in their quest to excel at building trust in business relationships.

The Speed of Trust gets to the core roots of integrity and how 'trusted' leaders and organizations thrive.

Everyone should make the time to read this book."

Joe Heller, Trust Cycle Selling

Author Lost My Trust Immediately, So Why Would I Listen To Anything He Has To Say?.......2007-08-01

I checked out this book from the library, read the 1st chapter - then immediately put it by the door so I could return it the next day. Why? Mr. Covey has no credibility himself. At least not with me. Here's why.

The 1st Chapter is basically his How I Learned About The Importance Of Trust saga. The problem is that it's an unintentional unmasking of a narcissist. His only admitted mistake in establishing trust with the Franklin side of the Franklin-Covey merger is his assumption that all the Franklin people were as well-informed on how great he is as the Covey people.

Mr. Covey then proceeds to take things further by showing how stricken he is with Rich Offspring Disease. He expresses shock that anyone assumed he was in top position at Covey just because of his name. Apparently Mr. Covey wants us to believe that he was interviewed for his job at Covey by people who had No Idea he was related to THE Covey family. Please.

Mr. Covey is one more person who has been handed the keys to the corner office without having to earn it first. His family is free to do that if they like. However, swallowing his insistence that he would've had the job even if he hadn't been related is too much to swallow.

A man who can't admit he's gotten breaks in life is not a man who can be trusted. Nor is he a man who knows much about trust. At least that's my opinion.

I guess we're also intended to believe that Mr. Covey got his book deal the hard way - soliciting agents and publishing houses with an unsolicited manuscript, with no help from or trading on the connections of his famous author father. Just like J.K. Rowling.

Does someone who trades in these delusions sound like he understands real, lasting trust and credibility?

What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful

Average customer rating:

Grow the leader inside
Insightful thoughts based on proven approaches
What Got You Here Won't Get You There
Leadership Development 101
Good, but not the whole story

What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful
Marshall Goldsmith , and Mark Reiter
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Motivation & Self-Improvement | Business Life | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1401301304
Release Date: 2007-01-09

Book Description

America's most sought-after executive coach shows how to climb the last few rungs of the ladderThe corporate world is filled with executives, men and women who have worked hard for years to reach the upper levels of management. They're intelligent, skilled, and even charismatic. But only a handful of them will ever reach the pinnacle -- and as executive coach Marshall Goldsmith shows in this book, subtle nuances make all the difference. These are small "transactional flaws" performed by one person against another (as simple as not saying thank you enough), which lead to negative perceptions that can hold any executive back. Using Goldsmith's straightforward, jargonfree advice, it's amazingly easy behavior to change.Executives who hire Goldsmith for one-on-one coaching pay $250,000 for the privilege. With this book, his help is available for 1/10,000th of the price.

Customer Reviews:

Grow the leader inside.......2007-10-14

At the top everyone is smart and accomplished - ok, feel free to argue this one - but all else being equal, Goldsmith argues that it is our behavioral issues and people skills that will ultimate determine how high we can go. Our ability to listen, solicit feedback, identify our behavioral flaws and shift the focus from ourselves to others are integral components of our career path. The author provides a great overview of the most common personality pitfalls and behavioral issues and offers many suggestions to help us improve. An interesting read and well worth everyone's time.

Insightful thoughts based on proven approaches.......2007-10-12

Goldsmith has managed to sustain his edge as a thought leader without unnecessary academic exaggeration. This book is an excellent read for leaders at all levels, and even those who are not. It provides thoughtful lessons on professional and personal development that will resonate with all. I will share it and the book Understanding: Train of Thought with all of my students.

What Got You Here Won't Get You There.......2007-10-09

This is an excellent tool for personal development. If you have a highly successful team, this book is a "must read" for all of them! It will take your staff to new levels of personal development.

Leadership Development 101.......2007-10-03

I have coached over 500 individuals over the last 10 years. I do referral only business. After reading Marshall's book, I felt as if someone punched me hard in the stomach! I at first wanted to dismiss his premise that leaders want to win, be right, and generally look good. Was that me? After careful reflection and becoming introspective, I found Marshall's insights profound, and so simple, not only as a coach, but also as a manager in business. I now use the book as a reference book, and have purchased two copies. For me it's a must read for anyone interested in their personal development, or the development of others.

Good, but not the whole story.......2007-09-16

Bo Burlingham's book offers an interesting look at the ultimate objectives of privately held businesses. Each case is unique and engaging. However, I think Bo could have spent more time discussing exit strategies. Some of the owners stuck with their companies when they could have cashed out and do an even bigger, better company with the proceeds. Risk has to be considered and the failure to more heavily weight this aspect is the only issues I have with Mr. Burlingham's book. I will pass it along to others.

Know-How: The 8 Skills That Separate People Who Perform from Those Who Don't

Average customer rating:

Excellent Book
Some Good Insights
Eight priorities for success as a CEO
Common sense leadership advice
Use this to clarify thinking

Know-How: The 8 Skills That Separate People Who Perform from Those Who Don't
Ram Charan
Manufacturer: Crown Business
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Leadership | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0307341518
Release Date: 2007-01-02

Amazon.com

In Know-How, Ram Charan, coauthor of the bestseller Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done, gives readers a bold new approach to understanding leadership. Charan suggests that when it comes to choosing our business leaders, we don't recognize the crucial difference between the appearance of leadership and the actual ability to run a business. We focus too much on superficial things, like raw intelligence or a commanding presence, and don't pay near enough attention to the skills leaders need. In his new book, Charan identifies the eight skills leaders must develop and refine, and explains how personal traits factor in. Curious readers can learn more about Know-How: The 8 Skills That Separate People Who Perform from Those Who Don't in our brief Q & A with author Ram Charan, and sneak a peek at the first chapter, below. --Daphne Durham

Q&A with Ram Charan

Q: You identify 8 know-hows. Can you take us through one of them?
A: In this time of continual change, money making or business models are becoming obsolete more frequently than ever before. It wasn't that long ago when AOL was king of the hill. That leadership was taken over by Yahoo. Now Yahoo is at a crossroads and the leadership has been taken over by Google. So far Google is ahead. It has the central recipe to increase its revenues via advertising because it knows how to measure advertising effectiveness better than anybody else. Leaders at both AOL and Yahoo must be scratching their heads trying to figure out how to reposition the company to make money in the new context. Repositioning is a know-how. It's hard work, and it requires imagination. We will have an opportunity to see about the decision made by Time Warner top brass to summarily replace Jim Miller with Randy Falco of NBC Universal. Randy has a distinguished record. He will have to demonstrate one of the most crucial know-hows in this book: Can he reposition AOL for the new game, and in time? Cost cutting is not the answer.

Q: How can you build your know-how, or help others develop theirs?
A: No talented athlete ever became a champion without consistent regular practice in the right way, along with feedback and hard work. There are no short cuts.That's why you should start practicing early in your career by taking assignments that will help you cultivate the know-hows and seeking out bosses you can learn from.

Q: Many people think of leaders as having innate traits that set them apart from the rest of us. Are you saying we should be looking at skills instead of personality?
A: At the time somebody enters the work force, a great deal of his or her personality has been formed. Most people who talk about leadership today talk about personality, personality, personality. Personality traits, presence, charisma--they will experience attrition if you don't practice them in the context of know-hows. Personality traits and know-hows reinforce each other. In the 21st century, the transparency of results is immediate. Failure is detected very early. Dependence on personality traits without the mastery of the know-hows is a recipe for disaster.

Q: What do you think about the future?
A: The future is very bright. The global economy will continue to expand. There will be more demand for leaders than ever before. Master the know-hows. Hone your personality traits while you're mastering the know-hows. Don't forget that your success must come in the context of global competition. Take the opportunity to win.

Read the First Chapter of Know-How

The Substance of Successful Leaders

Know-how is what separates leaders who perform--who deliver results--from those who don't. It is the hallmark of people who know what they are doing, those who build longterm intrinsic value and hit short-term targets. What gets in the way of finding people who can perform is the appearance of leadership. All too often I see people being chosen for leadership jobs on the basis of superficial personal traits and characteristics, such as:

• The seduction of raw intelligence: "He's extremely bright, incisive, and very analytical. I just feel in my gut he can do the job."

• A commanding presence and great communication skills: "That presentation was awesome. How she ever boiled down all that data onto the PowerPoints is beyond me. Shecertainly had the committee in the palm of her hand. Mark my words, she's going to the top."

• The power of a bold vision: "What a picture he painted of where we are going, moving forward."

• The notion of a born leader: "The people in the unit love her. Such a morale builder and motivator!"

Certainly intelligence, self-confidence, presence, the ability to communicate, and having a vision are important. But being highly intelligent doesn't mean that a person has the knack for making good business judgments. How many times have you seen people confidently making decisions that turn out to be disastrous? How often have you heard a vision that turned out to be nothing more than rhetoric and hot air? Read more from Chapter 1...

Book Description

The new grand theory of leadership by Ram Charan . . . The breakthrough book that links know-how—the skills of people who know what they are doing— with the personal and psychological traits of the successful leader.

How often have you heard someone with a commanding presence deliver a bold vision that turned out to be nothing more than rhetoric and hot air? All too often we mistake the appearance of leadership for the real deal. Without a doubt, intelligence, vision, and the ability to communicate are important. But something big is missing: the know-how of running a business—the capacity to take it in the right direction, do the right things, make the right decisions, deliver results, and leave the people and the business better off than they were before.

For well over four decades, Ram Charan has been learning in the most visceral way the underlying reasons why leaders succeed and fail. As one of the most influential advisers to top management teams of leading companies around the world, he has had a front-row seat to observe the cause and effect of leadership practices and behaviors.

Ram Charan’s insight into the real content of leadership provides you with the eight fundamental skills needed for success in the twenty-first century:

• Positioning (and, when necessary, repositioning) your business by zeroing in on the central idea that meets customer needs and makes money
• Connecting the dots by pinpointing patterns of external change ahead of others
• Shaping the way people work together by leading the social system of your business
• Judging people by getting to the truth of a person
• Molding high-energy, high-powered, high-ego people into a working team of leaders in which they equal more than the sum of their parts
• Knowing the destination where you want to take your business by developing goals that balance what the business can become with what it can realistically achieve
• Setting laser-sharp priorities that become the road map for meeting your goals
• Dealing creatively and positively with societal pressures that go beyond the economic value creation activities of your business

Know-How is the missing link of leadership. By showing how the eight know-hows link to, interact with, and reinforce personal and psychological traits, Ram Charan provides a holistic and innovative portrait of successful leaders of the twenty-first century.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Book.......2007-10-17

I read a lot of business leadership books and this is one of the best in recent months. Ram Charan uses simple, well selected words to get his point across. I found myself wishing I could hire him to help me develop these eight skills. I have purchased several copies to give away. You won't be disappointed in the content of this book.

Some Good Insights.......2007-09-05

This book has some strong insights into identifying the skill set of performers and non-performers. It is also in some ways though too concise in terms of what Charan identifies.

For instance where he defines Tenacity - the drive to search, persist and follow through, but not too long.

I think Tenacity in leadership is terribly important and not something that has a point of stoppage.

I recently read Bob Prosen's "Kiss Theory Good Bye" and found its identification in terms of Crippling Habits that leaders/companies must overcome to be another inspiring book on how leaders and managers can truly empower long-term change in accountability and in terms of a company's bottom line.

Kiss Theory Good Bye: Five Proven Ways to Get Extraordinary Results in Any Company

Eight priorities for success as a CEO.......2007-08-30

Forty-five years of observing businesses and business leaders as a trusted business-advisor lead Ram Charan to conclude that eight areas of know-how are essential to success: Positioning the Business; Pinpointing External Change; Leading the Social System of your Business; Judging People; Molding a Team; Developing goals; Setting Laser-sharp Priorities; Dealing with Societal Pressures. Using relatable examples Charan explains what he means by these areas of know-how and then ends each chapter's discussion with some guidance on how to gather this know-how.

An easy read that may leave you thinking, "He speaks common sense."
This book is recommended for business leaders who want to consider if they are giving the right priorities to their time and energies. Dennis DeWilde, Author of The Performance Connection

Common sense leadership advice.......2007-08-28

This book covers eight leadership principles in a generic way. The author uses the trick of using success cases that sustains his ideas, but neglects the countless other cases that do not fit his theory. Anyhow, it's an easy and worth read.

Use this to clarify thinking.......2007-08-26

The essence of the book is in the way the thoughts are organized and clarified - and the confirmation that many of our thoughts about running a company and who should be in the company are not just intuition.

It is good value for money and provides a good checklist. I think the first chapter sums it sum nicely; the financial essence of running a profitable company are the same, whether a shoe-shop, a pizza place or a consulting company. What makes the difference is the deep know how needed to succeed in the marketplace - and his value is in giving a framework around which a reader can do substantial self-assessment and put in place a good plan for self improvement.

I also think this is really a good read before making critical hires in particular - it allows one to step back a bit from the hurried pace of today's hiring and take a deep look at what is really needed.

If this book can also help prevent entrepreneurs going off into areas where they lack know-how, this alone would be a great outcome.

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