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"The best way to understand the dramatic transformation of unknown books into bestsellers, or the rise of teenage smoking, or the phenomena of word of mouth or any number of the other mysterious changes that mark everyday life," writes Malcolm Gladwell, "is to think of them as epidemics. Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do." Although anyone familiar with the theory of memetics will recognize this concept, Gladwell's The Tipping Point has quite a few interesting twists on the subject.
For example, Paul Revere was able to galvanize the forces of resistance so effectively in part because he was what Gladwell calls a "Connector": he knew just about everybody, particularly the revolutionary leaders in each of the towns that he rode through. But Revere "wasn't just the man with the biggest Rolodex in colonial Boston," he was also a "Maven" who gathered extensive information about the British. He knew what was going on and he knew exactly whom to tell. The phenomenon continues to this day--think of how often you've received information in an e-mail message that had been forwarded at least half a dozen times before reaching you.
Gladwell develops these and other concepts (such as the "stickiness" of ideas or the effect of population size on information dispersal) through simple, clear explanations and entertainingly illustrative anecdotes, such as comparing the pedagogical methods of Sesame Street and Blue's Clues, or explaining why it would be even easier to play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon with the actor Rod Steiger. Although some readers may find the transitional passages between chapters hold their hands a little too tightly, and Gladwell's closing invocation of the possibilities of social engineering sketchy, even chilling, The Tipping Point is one of the most effective books on science for a general audience in ages. It seems inevitable that "tipping point," like "future shock" or "chaos theory," will soon become one of those ideas that everybody knows--or at least knows by name. --Ron Hogan
Book Description
"The best way to understand the dramatic transformation of unknown books into bestsellers, or the rise of teenage smoking, or the phenomena of word of mouth or any number of the other mysterious changes that mark everyday life," writes Malcolm Gladwell, "is to think of them as epidemics. Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do." Although anyone familiar with the theory of memetics will recognize this concept, Gladwell's The Tipping Point has quite a few interesting twists on the subject.For example, Paul Revere was able to galvanize the forces of resistance so effectively in part because he was what Gladwell calls a "Connector": he knew just about everybody, particularly the revolutionary leaders in each of the towns that he rode through. But Revere "wasn't just the man with the biggest Rolodex in colonial Boston," he was also a "Maven" who gathered extensive information about the British. He knew what was going on and he knew exactly whom to tell. The phenomenon continues to this day--think of how often you've received information in an e-mail message that had been forwarded at least half a dozen times before reaching you.Gladwell develops these and other concepts (such as the "stickiness" of ideas or the effect of population size on information dispersal) through simple, clear explanations and entertainingly illustrative anecdotes, such as comparing the pedagogical methods of Sesame Street and Blue's Clues, or explaining why it would be even easier to play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon with the actor Rod Steiger. Although some readers may find the transitional passages between chapters hold their hands a little too tightly, and Gladwell's closing invocation of the possibilities of social engineering sketchy, even chilling, The Tipping Point is one of the most effective books on science for a general audience in ages. It seems inevitable that "tipping point," like "future shock" or "chaos theory," will soon become one of those ideas that everybody knows--or at least knows by name. --Ron Hogan
Customer Reviews:
Not a good book.......2007-10-18
This is not a good book. The author tries to make the book longer by talking about the same simple idea again and again. Just search on Google and you will get all the ideas in the book. I am not recommending anyone to buy this book.
Take care of the little things and the big things will all come together.......2007-10-17
For those that like to learn about how people act, react and think, this book is a fascinating read. I'm not much on non-novels; I usually get through them and think "what a waste of time, I could of read a good book". But with this book and the book Understanding: Train of Thought, I couldn't put them down. They are such easy reading; it is easy to retain the material and they keep you thinking long after. I liked them so much I bought more copies for my friends!
An Unabashed Fan for Good Reason.......2007-10-16
I'm a huge fan of Gladwell's work. Both Blink and Tipping Point are fantastically entertaining yet highly informative - a combination that I, as a writer, aspire to and one that Gladwell has clearly mastered.
Great read.......2007-10-15
Not the most innovative concept in marketing, but Galdwell did a very good job in explaining a complex phenomena by giving easy to follow examples. I particularly like the Boston Tea Party example.
Irrelevent Drivel.......2007-10-15
Yet another author who has found something interesting to write about, realizes there isn't enough to fill a book and then embarks on a meandering journey of sleep inducing, page filling drivel. In this case the subject is social epidemics. If you wipe out three quaters of this book you'd have a good read.
Book Description
Meet Fred.
In his powerful new book THE FRED FACTOR, motivational speaker Mark Sanborn recounts the true story of Fred, the mail carrier who passionately loves his job and who genuinely cares about the people he serves. Because of that, he is constantly going the extra mile handling the mail – and sometimes watching over the houses – of the people on his route, treating everyone he meets as a friend. Where others might see delivering mail as monotonous drudgery, Fred sees an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those he serves.
We’ve all encountered people like Fred in our lives. In THE FRED FACTOR, Mark Sanborn illuminates the simple steps each of us can take to transform our own lives from the ordinary – into the extraordinary. Sanborn, through stories about Fred and others like him, reveals the four basic principles that will help us bring fresh energy and creativity to our life and work: how to make a real difference everyday, how to become more successful by building strong relationships, how to create real value for others without spending a penny, and how to constantly reinvent yourself.
By following these principles, and by learning from and teaching other “Freds,” you, too, can excel in your career and make your life extraodinary. As Mark Sanborn makes clear, each of us has the potential be a Fred.THE FRED FACTOR shows you how.
Customer Reviews:
Let's be more like Fred.......2007-09-14
The Fred Factor
The Fred Factor is a rather small book that gives the details on how someone can, by its own motivation, get the extraordinary out of something rather common. The book gives an explanation of how the behaviour of someone can change when and if they commit to it. Some of the topics in the book are rather obious, but re-reading them every once and a while makes one reflect again on how we sometimes can go the extra mile and make a huge different.
We all have values. This book is about making sure that we don't forget about these values when we are doing our job. Let's all care and have a little Fred in us..
This book is worth the reading.
Koen
(review first posted on my blog on http://koen.blanquart.be/blog/item/99/ )
Fred Factor.......2007-09-10
Buying new from Amazon is almost always the best way to go. As a school secretary having them delivered to our door is always a plus. You are quick and accurate. As a college student I like to buy used and you take your chances doing this. BUT if you review who you are buying from FIRST you should have no problems. I have greatly appreciated the deals that I have gotten thru Amazon.
Choosing to Make a Difference is Leadership.......2007-08-28
Every day, in every individual interaction, we have a choice; a choice to make the interaction transactional or relational. That choice will make all the difference in the world to the quality of our lives.
In "The Fred Factor", motivational speaker Mark Sanborn tells the very real story of his postal delivery person, Fred - and how he gave definition to his job as a `service provider' by making mail delivery a relational interaction. Sanborn says that Fred exemplified 4 principles: Everyone Makes a Difference; Success is Built on Relationships; You Must Continually Create Value for Others and It Doesn't Have to Cost a Penny; You Can Reinvent Yourself Regularly. All very real and very useful principles, but perhaps the most valuable principle in this story and the other examples in the book is the principle of choice: Everyone has the choice to be a Leader, by making a difference in the lives of others. This book is highly recommended as a gift for those who say, "Why bother?"
Learn to be a Fred.......2007-08-23
This is a pass it forward book. I am a Fred and I have helped others find the Fred in them. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it for everyone who is tired of seeing grumps in the office or in their home and wants to make a change. One person can make a difference if that peoson is a Fred.
Inspirational.......2007-07-27
I own a small business with 20 employees and this book was recommended for "homeplay" for our new staff. I loved this book not only for the inspiration it gave me in the workplace, but the inspiration it also gave me when I am not at work. It is amazing, the small things we can do that have such an impact on others (and also ourselves). I look forward to the presentations our new staff will give me and the management team on this book. Great read!
Average customer rating:
- Brand new - just like she said!
- Great Book!
- Real Positives for a Negative World...
- How Full is Your Bucket?
- Excellent
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How Full Is Your Bucket? Positive Strategies for Work and Life
Tom Rath , and
Donald O. Clifton
Manufacturer: Gallup Press
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Book Description
How did you feel after your last interaction with another person? Did that person — your spouse, best friend, coworker, or even a stranger — "fill your bucket" by making you feel more positive? Or did that person "dip from your bucket," leaving you more negative than before? The number one New York Times and number one Business Week bestseller, How Full Is Your Bucket? reveals how even the briefest interactions affect your relationships, productivity, health, and longevity. Organized around a simple metaphor of a dipper and a bucket, and grounded in 50 years of research, this book will show you how to greatly increase the positive moments in your work and your life — while reducing the negative. Filled with discoveries, powerful strategies, and engaging stories, How Full Is Your Bucket? is sure to inspire lasting changes and has all the makings of a timeless classic.
Customer Reviews:
Brand new - just like she said!.......2007-09-05
I ordered 25 books that were supposed to be in good condition. They were even better. They were just like new. They were missing one of the supplementary items as was clearly stated up front. I am completely satisfied.
Great Book!.......2007-08-27
Another new bestseller which I recommend - The Exclusive Layguide: When Dating and Having Sex with Incredibly Hot Women is No Longer Mirage Even If You Don't Look Like a Model or Don't Make a Fortune
Real Positives for a Negative World..........2007-08-03
I have probably referenced this book more in my training seminars and speaking engagements than any other book I have ever read. I just love it! (I gave everyone in my family a copy for Christmas) The author states that 99 out of 100 people report that they would like to be surrounded by more positive people. "And the church said; AMEN!" This short, interesting, and succinct read teaches the reader how to become one of those "more positive people." A must read about positive psychology for anyone who has to be around negative people in our negative world. I think that pretty much includes all of us, doesn't it?
SUCCESS: It Just Ain't That Hard Y'all! Three Things to STOP Doing and Three Things to START and KEEP Doing to Reach Your Greatest Potential
How Full is Your Bucket?.......2007-07-29
The book assigns theoretic valuations to philosophic concepts.
For instance, a full bucket has a net positive outlook + Energy
from every drop of strength expended. Relentless negativity leads to
death. The North Koreans broke down peer cohesiveness by insisting
that captors confess their transgressions publicly.
The author believes that regular praise= increased productivity,
tenure, loyalty and satisfaction. People leave when they aren't
appreciated sufficiently. Bad bosses increase stroke risk.
Activiely disengaged employees cost employers upward of $50B a
year or more. A strength of the book is that the authors attempt
to quantify universal concepts within practical contexts of
everyday life. To a considerable extent, the authors succeed.
Excellent.......2007-07-27
This was a great book that I handed out to my staff. Everyone found it valuable for life not just work.
Book Description
You've probably seen it before: a human brain dramatically lit from the side, the camera circling it like a helicopter shot of Stonehenge, and a modulated baritone voice exalting the brain's elegant design in reverent tones.
To which this book says: Pure nonsense. In a work at once deeply learned and wonderfully accessible, the neuroscientist David Linden counters the widespread assumption that the brain is a paragon of design--and in its place gives us a compelling explanation of how the brain's serendipitous evolution has resulted in nothing short of our humanity. A guide to the strange and often illogical world of neural function, The Accidental Mind shows how the brain is not an optimized, general-purpose problem-solving machine, but rather a weird agglomeration of ad-hoc solutions that have been piled on through millions of years of evolutionary history. Moreover, Linden tells us how the constraints of evolved brain design have ultimately led to almost every transcendent human foible: our long childhoods, our extensive memory capacity, our search for love and long-term relationships, our need to create compelling narrative, and, ultimately, the universal cultural impulse to create both religious and scientific explanations. With forays into evolutionary biology, this analysis of mental function answers some of our most common questions about how we've come to be who we are.
Customer Reviews:
Nicely done, accessible account of the human brain.......2007-08-08
David Linden's "The Accidental Mind" is a neat little book. He has two main purposes: (a) to write a readable introduction on brain science, accessible to nonspecialists; (b) to make the case that (page 6) `. . .the brain is an inelegant and inefficient agglomeration of stuff, which nonetheless works surprisingly well." As to the first point, this volume is a far cry from the magnificent work, Michael Gazzaniga's The Cognitive Neurosciences III: Third Edition. However, if one is not well steeped in knowledge and understanding of the neurosciences, Gazzaniga's edited work is close to impenetrable. This book is well and crisply written, explaining simply how neurons work the structure of the brain, how the brain develops, and so on.
As to the second point? He asserts that, quoting Francois Jacob (Page 6), "'Evolution is a tinkerer, not an engineer." That is, evolution operates on organisms as they are and then the process of change takes advantage of the material already existent to adapt to new conditions and challenges. Thus, the human brain is mounted on older, more primitive structures, in an ill fitting complex. As he says (page 21): "The brain is built like an ice cream cone (and you are the top scoop): Through evolutionary time, as higher functions were added, a new scoop was placed on top, but the lower scoops were left largely unchanged."
Thereafter, he speaks of the structure of the brain, how the fully mature human brain develops (with both nature and nurture having roles to play), how the brain is associated with all manner of emotions, learning, religion, and so on.
The Ninth chapter has a title that speaks directly to Linden's first theme--"The Unintelligent Design of the Brain." Here, he slyly critiques advocates of the "Intelligent Design" perspective by noting that the brain is hardly an exemplar of some great design. As noted already, he sees the brain as inefficient and "jury-rigged."
This is a book that provides plenty of insight into how neuroscientists study the structure and function of the brain--and presents some of the exciting possibilities for future research.
In sum, this is a work that ought to be attended to by those interested in the brain sciences, but who cannot readily read the technical literature.
Entertaining?.......2007-07-30
This is a great book for readers who are interested in an overview of the anatomical and physiological functions of the brain. If you have had any previous A+P, this book may give you flashbacks (and does a good job of explaining how those feelings were "created.") You may even recognise many of the examples and case studies right from classic lectures.
If you are approaching "The Accidental Mind" as pure entertainment, enjoy. If you are looking for juicier or more in depth case studies, keep browsing.
A Very Refreshing Book On Brain Science.......2007-07-18
The addition of this review is to fill in one gap in particular. Dr. Linden is the first scientific author I have read in quite a while that wasn't flip with schools of thought. He has distilled research with varied hypothesis and has enough respect for his field and the reader to frankly state when "We just don't know." My only regret is that Dr. Linden didn't make this book the "larger tomb" he mentions when wrapping up the research that didn't make it into the book. Highly recommended to anyone who is mystified by belief and dreams.
A Perspective-Changing Read about the Brain.......2007-07-04
Why do we sleep? What is love? What is happening when we dream? These questions seem so basic to our human experience, and yet the average person in at a complete loss to explain even the most common of our daily experiences. This is where the Accidental Mind comes in. Linden's book offers a refreshingly different perspective on the brain. After reading this book, you will have a much better understanding of how your brain shapes your experience, it's limitations, and what is going on "behind the curtain." Intelligence, gender identity, sexuality, are all covered with an eye to how these factors play out in the architecture of the brain.
This book also provides a great deal of information on the biological basis for issues that are being debated in our culture, which many people will find enlightening and necessary for making informed comments.
If you are considering picking up this book, read Chapter 7 on sleep, available for free from Linden's website:
[...]
While the book may sometimes goes into great detail on the biology, most readers will find plenty of compelling information in these pages. People who enjoy this book and are interested in some of the practical insights that new research is providing about humans, how we work, and practical advice for improving our lives should check out The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt.
Happy reading!
For your thinking and reading friends...........2007-05-31
I found The Accidental Mind a well written, humorous and thought-provoking introduction to neuroscience and to some profound ideas about evolution and other topics. It's the kind of book that makes you interrupt your partner's reading every five minutes with "Hey, listen to this...." If Dr. Linden lectures as entertainingly and interestingly as he writes, his classes at Johns Hopkins University must be in great demand.
Book Description
For decades the accepted wisdom has been that America's mainline Protestant churches are in decline, eclipsed by evangelical mega-churches. Church and religion expert Diana Butler Bass wondered if this was true, and this book is the result of her extensive, three-year study of centrist and progressive churches across the country. Her surprising findings reveal just the opposite—that many of the churches are flourishing, and they are doing so without resorting to mimicking the mega-church, evangelical style.
Christianity for the Rest of Us describes this phenomenon and offers a how-to approach for Protestants eager to remain faithful to their tradition while becoming a vital spiritual community. As Butler Bass delved into the rich spiritual life of various Episcopal, United Methodist, Disciples of Christ, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, and Lutheran churches, certain consistent practices—such as hospitality, contemplation, diversity, justice, discernment, and worship—emerged as core expressions of congregations seeking to rediscover authentic Christian faith and witness today.
This hopeful book, which includes a study guide for groups and individuals, reveals the practical steps that leaders and laypeople alike are taking to proclaim an alternative message about an emerging Christianity that strives for greater spiritual depth and proactively engages the needs of the world.
Customer Reviews:
Christianity For The Rest of Us.......2007-09-18
This book had some intersting, informative points. However at times, it requires a supreme effort to continue reading in order to dig out the few nuggets the book offers; unless you also see the world through VERY liberal lenses.
A must read.......2007-08-06
Author did an excellant job on her research of mainline christianity and has a clear understanding of what individuals are looking for in the neighborhood church. The Author gives an insightful look at the ten signposts of healthy chruches. A good book for the membership of churches to read and study together.
Critique of Christianity for the Rest of Us.......2007-08-04
If there are made for TV movies this is a made for NPR book. (And I listen to NPR regularly. I recognize the genre.) Her anecdotes come from people who always laugh with a wry twist of self-deprecation or weep softly in joy over a newfound insight. I get the feeling she goes about her work with contrived naïve innocence. All of her characters are happy, well adjusted, mainline Christians in congregations that may have disagreements but never conflicts. And their spirituality is so above average. Apparently they never have to worry about declining budgets, loss of membership, and minister's health insurance and where to recruit Sunday School teachers. I genuinely wish we could have seen the congregational warts as well so that my real life pastors could draw some real life encouragement for transforming their real life congregations. My friends do not live in Pleasantville.
I wish I could say this book is worthwhile. Unfortunately it fails on very many levels. I wish I could use it in our pastor's development course. I cannot even put it on the suggested reading list, much less use it as a main source book.
The first problem is rather trivial. The subtitle for the book is How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith. That would be a wonderful study if indeed it is happening. But this is not a study of neighborhood churches. And many of these congregations are simply not transforming the faith. Many of them continue in their gradual decline toward closing the doors. If you are looking for book that will show you how to grow a neighborhood church, this book is not for you. Now on to the important issues.
The research behind this book is not a designed study by any academic or scientific standard. It is a collection of anecdotes from participants of carefully selected, perhaps cherry picked, congregations, assembled to support a particular predetermined premise. All the congregations shared an ethos and catalogue of best practices. Well and good. BB declares them therefore to be vital churches. However there is no investigation of other churches with similar ethos and best practices and whether or not they too are vital. That is to say, after reading the book, I have no idea whether or not implementing these ten sign post practices will turn around a declining congregation to spiritual and numeric growth. A similar subject was undertaken by Thom Rainer in Breakout Churches. Rainer sets criteria for health, identifies congregations that meet the criteria, and then studied their histories, ethos, and best practices. BB finds churches with a certain profile of ethos and best practices and declares them vital. The problem with this approach is that it becomes a celebration of her particular prejudices. And she has many prejudices.
During the course of the book she insults Roman Catholics, Pentecostals, and southern Christians in general.
"I heard quite a few stories from smart, well-educated - and clearly not Pentecostal - churchgoers about supernatural healings." P. 113.
" Memphis, Tennessee, conjures visions of southern religion. These two words, southern religion, evoke images of folks hootin' and hollerin' about God. Eternal damnation and hell. Sweating preachers thundering on about sex, drinking, and Democrats. Southern religion is all heart and fire, the blinding light of Jesus converting sinners to saints in a flash. This is what more reasonable Christians used to ridicule as "enthusiasm."
In Memphis, the Church of the Holy Communion, an Episcopal parish, stands in stark contrast to the fulminations of southern evangelical religion." P. 115.
Far and away the most frequent target of the vinegar is evangelicals generally and evangelical megachurches in particular.
"I immediately think of evangelical megachurches, with their huge congregations complete with doctrinal statements and Republican voting guides. Big yields, yes. But where is wisdom?" P. 147.
"Unlike in evangelical churches - where doctrinal uniformity is considered nonnegotiable - theological diversity shapes the daily life of most mainline churches." P. 146.
"Unlike conservative evangelicals who read the Bible literally, seeking out proof-texts for narrow moral or ethical readings of scripture, the Episcopalians at Redeemer approach the Bible "seriously, but not Literally." P. 188.
"However, there is still a rift in the ways that Christians view art. Some, usually those in evangelical churches, understand art instrumentally. Art is important because it proclaims a message, usually intended to convert people to the faith. ... Other Christian, however, engage art for the sake of mystery instead of a message." P. 213.
Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, and its viewers receive special attention. "Unlike the evangelical Christians who flocked to the film, mainline Protestants more thoughtfully engaged The Passion in its theology and as a spiritual product." P. 230. Anyone who dared to view "The Passion of the Christ" incurs her judgment. She comes close to saying that anyone who went to see "The Passion of the Christ" is an anti-Semite and a consumerist, a willing participant in economic sin.
"That is, of course, what happened with The Passion of the Christ: the primary symbol of Christianity, the cross, was turned into a marketing event." P. 233.
She was unnecessarily insulting to several individuals and their readers. For example she belittled Forty Days of Purpose (twice) and Purpose Driven Church, although several of her congregations described implementing Purpose Driven action items. If these two resources are so counterproductive why have they had such an impact on the lives of so many individuals and congregations. BB spent a whole chapter on the practice of discernment. So what is wrong with asking the purpose of a life or of a congregation? She came close to insulting Billy Graham. One wonders why an author of her talent feels a need do insult people. It may be true that Purpose Driven, etc., are the basics. But she comes off as a university mathematics professor belittling an elementary school teacher for teaching arithmetic to first graders. What purpose does this serve?
People who have a perspective different from hers and dare to speak it with conviction are thundering partisans. See page 238 and the southern religion quote above for examples.
I am very concerned as well over the makeup of the study group. Of the ten primary congregations eight were all white, one was Latino, and one was multiethnic. The multiethnic congregation had three African American staff members, two of whom are sextons. Do the math. Is this a prejudice or a coincidence? I honestly do not know. But either way I cannot recommend this book to any of our African American pastors.
Butler Bass also seems to misunderstand the place of evangelicals in mainline churches. Generally speaking she does not acknowledge that there are very many evangelical mainline congregations and even more evangelicals in congregations that are not totally evangelical.
"The most troubling division comes from the tensions within the Presbyterian denomination between the church's traditionally more liberal theological constituency and its vocal evangelical minority." P. 146.
One need look only at the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and the upcoming exodus of evangelical congregations in the Presbyterian Church USA to see Butler Bass' misconception of mainline evangelicals. In one PCUSA presbytery 60% of the Sunday morning attendance was in Confessing Churches. Currently the PCUSA has entire presbyteries who wish to leave the denomination as a whole presbytery. The EPC is setting up a provisional presbytery to receive the congregations leaving the PC USA. Some projections estimate that the provisional presbytery will be as large or larger than the original EPC. Similar phenomena are occuring in the Episcopal Church, the Lutheran tradition, and the Methodist tradition. Indeed within a few years the PC USA will cease to be the majority Presbyterian voice in the United States given the current rate of change. That is to say there will be more Presbyterians who are not members of the PCUSA than those who are.
On page 2 BB writes, "Rather, I journeyed with a surprising group of contemporary pilgrims - those folks who gather in mainline Protestant congregations, communities that describe themselves as theologically centrist to liberal-progressive and are part of denominations that trace their lineage back to colonial America. I hung out with brand-name Christians - Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Congregationalists, and Episcopalians, ..." Does BB mean that only centrist to liberal-progressive Christians are mainline? What about centrist to evangelical, those just right of center but still in the center? What about those who are just plain centrist, for whom the evangelical/progressive divide is irrelevant. In the Presbyterian Church, USA I know many a minister who is just plain Presbyterian. Are they not mainline because they do not at least lean towards the progressive side?
On the other hand if mainline is defined as tracing their lineage back to colonial America, and centrist to progressive is a subset of mainline, why exclude the other subsets? One cannot read Presbyterian history in North America without seeing that there has always been tension in our antecedent denominations over this very issue. We have had Old School/New School, Old Light/New Light, Modernist/Fundamentalist, Liberal/Conservative, and now finally evangelical/progressive controversies. What is important to note about these controversies is that despite the formation of some splinter groups the majority of both sides remained in the denomination. Both sides remained mainline. In our current context there will be some splintering, with many congregations leaving the PCUSA and moving to the EPC. There remain many evangelicals who wish to remain in the PCUSA and to work through the difficulties. The Constitutional Presbyterians is such a group. And while many New Wineskins congregations will go to the EPC, many other NWAC congregations will remain in the denomination. Why then exclude such a large and healthy, and historically significant cohort, from the study? If this is progressive inclusiveness we need a different inclusiveness.
BB never addresses the fundamental question regarding mainline churches. Until the 70's American culture required church attendance. To be a good American one also had to be a churchgoer, if not a genuine Christian. Protestant was preferred over Catholic and Orthodox was a genuine peculiarity. Mainline denomination (meaning successor to a northwestern European tradition) was culturally more desirable than Southern Baptist or Pentecostal. Little League was never scheduled on Sunday morning. Mainline churches did not have to go out into the highways and byways and compel them to come in. We relied on our culture to do that for us. That has changed. Now our culture is not only not supportive of Christianity it is at best suspicious of and at times hostile to Christianity. Which means that for the churches to thrive they have to go to the world and interrupt people's lives with the Gospel. Her list of best practices is quite good. But it is not the main issue. If the congregations do not create their own new participants they will all die. Of all the personal anecdotes I read I was struck by how many quotes were from people who had been churched as children. I counted only two people who were adult converts, and one of those came to Christ through an evangelical Bible study, then moved on to one of the cohort congregations. BB rails against evangelicals. But were it not for an evangelical Bible study this young woman would not have become Christian. The study church certainly was not doing any evangelism. And this is the biggest problem with BB's book. It is all about baby boomers who were churched as children, left the church, and now are back. The issue we face now is how to reach people who were never churched. Yes, by all means, the depth discipleship described in the ten signposts is great. But it is almost, though not completely, inner focused. Even the testimony section is not about bearing witness to Christ to non-Christians. She has changed it to bearing testimony within the congregation for the benefit of the congregation.
The result of this Boomer propensity for navel gazing is a steep decline in worship attendance across the board. I had hoped that this book would help us see ways in which mainline congregations can address this very issue. Unfortunately this is not the case. Of the four Presbyterian congregations in her cohort three were stagnant or in decline. I say this not to pick on Presbyterians. Rather they are the easiest to get data from. So the long term question remains. If I am not replacing my losses in participation how will this congregation's ministry continue? If our ministry is good, but dies, who will take over the needed ministry? Who will host the tent cities?
Butler Bass' real issue is how can a liberal/progressive church survive, and maybe possibly grow numerically as an unanticipated but welcome side effect. If you think that the answer lies along the axis of "it is possible to have our old, traditional worship with a hymnbook and an organ prelude, with a cerebral Enlightenment/Modernist confessional approach to faith," you will be sorely disappointed. The congregations she studied have abandoned those things for the most part. Her ten signposts are all things that were not practiced in mainline Protestant congregations in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries in North America, as she very ably demonstrates. Her answer instead is that to survive as a mainline Protestant congregation you have to start doing the very things that her mainline village church never did. That is to say, to survive as a mainline congregation one must stop being traditionally mainline, or change one's definition of mainline, both of which violate her premise.
On p. 174 BB describes a "mainline" church that is not at all traditional mainline. "Combining elements of jazz, performance art, film clips and video, multimedia reflection, live-camera feed, testimony, readings, silence, contemplative prayer, and journaling, they christened this service The Studio." How is this traditional mainline? Simply because they still put Congregationalist on the marquis? BB never addresses this question. The congregations she describes are no longer "mainline" in practice, only in name and judicatory membership. That is exactly the issue.
Her study congregations are post-modern experientialists who are PC USA or UMC or UCC or Episcopal or Lutheran in name only. This is not necessarily a bad thing. But let's be honest about it. The Presbyterian, Methodist, and Lutheran ministers of the study congregations may be able to describe Reformed, Wesleyan, and Lutheran theology respectively. But she gives no evidence that the members understand or even care about it. And of course, denominational identity was a hallmark of mainline Protestantism. The congregations she worked with are not traditional mainline churches any more. The answer she arrives at is exactly the same answer the "evangelicals" arrived at. Traditional mainline Protestantism, based on northwestern European culture beginning in the early Sixteenth Century and founded on Enlightenment rationalism, no longer is a viable model for Church in post-modern North America.
Butler Bass spent many years as an evangelical, and an eloquent one. She has left that behind and moved into the progressive fold. Well and good. But in leaving the evangelical fold she feels the need to castigate her former colleagues. Martin Luther ultimately affirmed, "I am not!" Perhaps this book is her "I am not" to her evangelical sisters and brothers. I hope that as her service to the church continues the evangelical stage will be her thesis, the progressive phase will be her antithesis, and that she will find somewhere and somehow the peace of a synthesis.
I still have hope. Tonight I start reading Dr. Butler Bass' The Practicing Church.
Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith.......2007-08-04
Ms Bass is a wonderful writer that makes this topic easy to read and understand and she gives such insight that it triggers great discussions.
A book to give us confidence.......2007-07-09
Diana Butler Bass writes with a style that pulls the reader in. She is clearly a religious realist. Her categorization approach is useful to others, even those who do not have the technical tools to examine their churches formally. If one is honest, one can look at the hospitality (for example) in one's own church and see if it is an effective area of ministry. Looking through these categories allows a problem-oriented approach to be adopted. It may be a little more difficult to build on strengths, but that is because of our enculturation, and not because of this book! I thoroughly enjoyed this book, have recommended it to our pastor, and will read it again to pick up things I may have missed the first time. I came away from this book saying, "We can do these things, and we can grow!"
Average customer rating:
- Worth Reading and Doing
- MIND OVER MOOD
- Mind over mood
- Great Book!
- This Book Can Change Your Life
|
Mind Over Mood: Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think
Dennis Greenberger , and
Christine Padesky
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Clinician's Guide to Mind Over Mood
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The Feeling Good Handbook (Plume)
ASIN: 0898621283 |
Book Description
Developed by two master clinicians with extensive experience in cognitive therapy treatment and training, this popular workbook shows readers how to improve their lives using cognitive therapy--one of the most effective and widely practiced forms of psychotherapy. The book is designed to be used alone or in conjunction with professional treatment. Step-by-step worksheets teach specific skills that have helped thousands of people conquer depression, panic attacks, anxiety, anger, guilt, shame, low self-esteem, eating disorders, substance abuse and relationship problems. Readers learn to use mood questionnaires to identify, rate, and track changes in feelings; change the thoughts that contribute to problems; follow step-by-step strategies to improve moods; and take action to improve daily living and relationships. The book's large-size format and lay-flat binding facilitate reading and writing ease.
Customer Reviews:
Worth Reading and Doing.......2007-08-04
The principles it expounds are sound and the practices it prescribes are effective and beneficial. In a nutshell: it works.
That said, we are fortunate to have a better alternative for an individual who wishes to self-treat, without the assistance of a therapist. The magisterial book, _The Feeling Good Handbook_, by David D. Burns is one of those once-in-a-lifetime works which has no peer.
Both books share the same perspective on changing how you feel. As other reviewers have mentioned, _Mind Over Mood_'s basic tool is called a "thought record." You are instructed to change the way you think by writing down your thoughts and feelings in the thought record. You then identify the evidence for and against your thoughts. You conclude by writing a more balanced view of things.
The primary method of the thought record is looking at the evidence which supports or conflicts with your thoughts.
The basic tool of Burns's book is called a "daily mood log." This tool bears some resemblance to the thought record but there are subtle differences. Whereas Greenberger and Padesky have you critique your thoughts solely in terms of the evidence for and against them, Burns provides you with a more varied toolbox. He has identified a list of ways that we systematically distort our thinking. For example, we might get down on ourselves or others by using the words "should," or "must," or "ought." I might feel bad when I tell myself that "I should have turned left instead of right when I got off the highway." A more balanced thought would be, "I would have preferred that I had turned left and I can accept myself for having turned right." When I develop the habit of examining my thoughts and replacing them with more balanced thoughts, my mood brightens.
I currently am following Greenberger and Padesky's method in that I have done at least one of their thought records daily for 60 days. I haven't done one of Burns's daily mood logs for a few years. But I found Burns's mood logs to be a better method for improving my mood and I plan on rereading Burns's book soon.
_Mind Over Mood_ is an excellent book. I recommend you read it and practice it. If you could only buy one book, I would recommend you buy Burns's book. But most of us have the ability to buy more than one book and _Mind Over Mood_ is certainly worth studying.
MIND OVER MOOD.......2007-06-27
I love this book! It is a great resource and very easy to follow. It has helped me tremendously. Teresa
Mind over mood.......2007-05-13
I am currently working with the book in conjunction with CBT (Cognitive behaviour Therapy) I was reccommended the book by my therapist. I am finding the book extremely helpful . I think everyone should have a copy whether they are working on themselves with a professional or not. I am learning new life skills. Excellent stuff
Great Book!.......2007-05-13
My Psychologist recommended this book to me. I ordered it the next day and received it within the week. It has helped me tremendously. I would recommend it to anyone who suffers from depression or any other mood disorder. I would also suggest that a loved one of someone described above read this book also.
This Book Can Change Your Life.......2007-04-10
After years of therapy that helped a little, this book finally transformed my life. Instead of just learning to deal with my crazy anxieties, I was finally able to eliminate them. I am now a firm believer in cognitive behavioral therapy. This book provides easy exercises that work - to teach you how to change your life by changing your thoughts, one at a time.
I recommend this book to anyone and everyone and will continue to do so.
Book Description
Praise for The Cancer Treatment Revolution
"A wonderful journey through modern medical science, told with warmth and insight, brought to life through the stories of people confronting cancer. This book will inspire and educate both laymen and caregivers."
—Jerome Groopman, M.D., author of The Measure of Our Days and The Anatomy of Hope and Recanati, Professor, Harvard Medical School
"This is probably the best book on cancer that exists--beautifully written and unfailingly interesting, conveying a clear sense of hope for cancer patients and survivors. Cancer treatment has come a long way but not without intense struggles and passions, which David Nathan narrates from the inside as one of the leading players. He explains cancer more clearly than anyone else, and his portraits of great cancer doctors are sharp and unforgettable, a contribution to history."
—Richard Preston, author of The Hot Zone and The Demon in the Freezer
"No one is better positioned to tell the tale of the cancer treatment revolution of the last half century than David Nathan. A brilliant physician-scientist, he has been present at the cusps of history in this life-and-death field. The story he tells here is fascinating, and his book is captivating."
—Atul Gawande, M.D., author of Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science and Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance and Assistant Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
"David Nathan is a true storyteller. In The Cancer Treatment Revolution, he tells stories that bridge cancer patients and cancer research as few others could. These gripping tales will be appreciated by those who live with cancer and those who strive to create new therapies."
—Thomas Cech, Ph.D., recipient of the 1989 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and President of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
"David Nathan, one of the nation's preeminent clinician-scientists, tells the stories of three cancer patients, revealing compelling human facets--the dedication of the remarkable teams that care for these patients and, even more, the bravery and fortitude of the patients and their families."
—Harold Varmus, M.D., recipient of the 1989 Nobel Prize in Medicine, President of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and former director of the National Institutes of Health
"Engaged by the compelling triumphs and tragedies of patients whose normal lives are inevitably altered by a life-threatening cancer, the reader of The Cancer Treatment Revolution will easily appreciate the impact of the new cancer diagnostics and therapies compared to even relatively recent cancer treatments."
—Karen Antman, M.D., Dean, Boston University School of Medicine
"This personal, highly readable account by one of the leaders of the cancer treatment revolution explains how the revolution has come about and how it will change the future."
—Sir Paul Nurse, Ph.D., President of Rockefeller University and recipient of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Medicine
Customer Reviews:
The author is former head of Dana Farber & a prof. Harvard Medical School. .......2007-10-17
The author is the (now retired) head of the Dana Farber Cancer Instutute and he's currently a Professor at Harvard Medical School. This certainly sets the book apart from the vast sea of popular Health and Medicine books written by people who only know how to write popular books and never published anything subject to peer review. This is a great read!
I read the book not having cancer myself, so I was mostly interested in getting a feel for the flavor of the science behind future and current cancer treatment. This book was great for that. The fight against cancers is extremely interesting scientifically.
If you actually have cancer, then I would recommend reading this for reliable information because the author is at the top of his field.
A promise of Hope.......2007-05-13
The reader is left with the feeling that just around the corner specific cancer killing drugs will be available (as opposed to the current drugs which kill all cells in sight...(which is why patients become gravely ill from "chemo" treatments). The problem is, of course, how far is the corner..10 years, 20, more?
Still,it is worth reading and gives hope where there may only have been despair...
Cancer Treatment Revolution --- review.......2007-05-12
Very clearly written, warm hearted. To me the title suggested a more comprehensive coverage than there is. There is a very good introductory chapter and then 3 individual cases as examples of the medical progress. An excellent start on the subject.
Book Description
Maximize your chance of recovery from cancer - and learn how to prevent it - with this down-to-earth, practical guide that has saved and improved lives since its first publishing in 1992. This accessible book presents scientific guidelines and documented facts for the successful treatment and prevention of cancer and other health problems, and is a must-read for everyone, from those looking for a cure for cancer to those looking for a roadmap to surefire prevention.
Customer Reviews:
A comprehensive list of all alternative and orthodox treatments for cancer.......2007-10-10
Having been recently diagnosed with colon cancer (removed by operation) and liver cancer (secondary) I needed to know some answers regarding future treatments. Having heard and seen the results of the 'orthodox' route I wanted none of that! This book informed me of all of the alternatives on offer and covered each protocol very thoroughly. I highly recommend this book to every cancer sufferer. You will not be disappointed. Incidentally I chose the Budwig route.
Insightful read.......2007-09-21
I found this book to be very insightful and I took alot of the information and worked it into my life. It shows a lot of ways to improve our health on a daily basis that could make an impact on our future health. Great book for anyone who has a loved one with cancer.
Fantastico!.......2007-09-15
I am an 18-year LIVER, not "survivor," of a diagnosis of low-grade, Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. I have lived 8-10 years LONGER than the "average" person lives with such a diagnosis. I have done that by doing as much alternative treatment---diet, psychology, exercise, supplementation, etc---as possible, and by using mainstream medicine as little as possible.
That said, I will say, about this book, that in my 18 years of researching cancer treatments, this is one of the best, if not THE BEST, books on cancer I have ever had the pleasure to read. It is concise and easy to understand. It is encouraging---it gives the reader real hope. And it is for BOTH those diagnosed with cancer, and for those who have not yet been diagnosed with cancer. I say "not yet diagnosed with cancer" because the statistics, in the United States, at least, say that ONE out of every TWO men will be diagnosed with cancer, and TWO out of every THREE women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in his or her life. So if you do not yet have cancer, get busy and read this book! If you do have a diagnosis of cancer, get busy and read this book! It is literally a LIFE-SAVER! Even if you were to spend $40 dollars on this book, that is less than you would spend on one visit to an oncologist, and this book will give you 4,000 times MORE GOOD INFORMATION on how to prevent or how to heal from cancer than an oncologist EVER will!
How to Fight Cancer & Win -- Saving Lives.......2007-08-23
The book was purchased for a friend undergoing radiation for lymphnoma cancer in chest (following lung cancer surgery and chemo). She was not very excited that I brought home a book. Eventually, she opened the book and begin to read.
The book has facts about cancer that she had never been told by her doctors. The natural resources, like wheatgrass, for healthy nutrition has made an enormous change in her body and how she has been able to handle the radiation. The doctor keeps asking her, "Are you sure you don't hurt?" Her answer is "No, I feel fine".
Read it........2007-07-23
This book really opened my eyes. I do not know why the American Cancer Association has not looked into trying this remedies. It sure is a pity.
Average customer rating:
- Common sense will get you just as far...
- For 88% of the population, a must read
- Fun, quick read
- Helped get me out of my shell.
- would make a good magazine article, but not a very good book.
|
How to Work a Room: The Ultimate Guide to Savvy Socializing in Person and Online
Susan RoAne
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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What Do I Say Next?: Talking Your Way to Business and Social Success
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How to Create Your Own Luck: The You Never Know Approach to Networking, Taking Chances, and Opening Yourself to Opportunity
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RoAne's Rules: How to Make the Right Impression: Working the Room, or One-on-One,What to Say and How to Say It
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The Art of Mingling: Easy, Proven Techniques for Mastering Any Room
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How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less
ASIN: 0060957859 |
Book Description
Have you ever walked into a room full of strangers -- be it a business function, a meeting, or a cocktail party -- and felt uncomfortable? In the NEW How to Work a Room, " The Mingling Maven" Susan RoAne provides the tools and techniques for savy socializing in all situations so that you are comfortable in any room. She identifies the roadblocks that prevent us from meeting new people, developing new contacts, and establishing connections that build personal and professional relationships. Susan offers a practical remedy to overcome each roadblock. You will learn how to mix chutzpah with charm to start and end conversations smoothly, know when and how to use humor , and follow the simple rules of etiquette in an emerging manner. Incorporating a decade of feedback from hundreds of presentations, as well as the new chapters " How to Work A Virtual Room" and "How to Work the Techno Toy Room," How to Work a Room is a book that will change your life.
Customer Reviews:
Common sense will get you just as far..........2007-08-01
Most of the book contains common sense ideas for working a room, ideas in which the average person already inherently knows and will act on without reading this book. Half of the time I was busy looking up the Yiddish terms in the Glossary and the other half of the time the author is trying to sell herself (I don't have to hear that you sell out arenas five times!) and her other books. Good thing I wasn't depending on this book to get me through working a room any time soon.
For 88% of the population, a must read.......2007-04-07
If you are like me, one of the 88% of the people who say they are shy, Susan Roane's "How to Work a Room" is a good start to learning socializing skills. Without a doubt, going to a social event and working a room effectively, is a challenge for most people. But with Roane's guide, the reader learns interesting and effective techniques to turn one's shyness into someone comfortable in a social setting.
While some of this book deals with matters that are not necessarilly important, there are some valuable techniques. From being a "host" rather than a "guest" at a party, to creating appropriate introductions, there are a host of tips. One of the best sections, at least for myself, is the section on manners.... from cell phone usage, to how and what kind of jokes to tell. For the amount of times I have been at a function and thought someone was rude or acting inappropriately, it is certainly valuable... and gives hope for those of us who were expected to use proper manners.
As a how to guide, covering all topics, Susan Roane's book is excellent. There were sections that I wish she has discussed in greater detail, but I think detail was sacrificed to cover all topics. As a starting point however, for someone like myself looking to become more effective in a social setting, it is a good starting point.
One of the effective parts of the book are the summaries at the end of each chapter, highlighting the do's and donts of socializing. They are handy and useful for brushing up on the key points of the chapter. Also, at the end of the book, the The Gospel According to Roane: The Ten Commandments of Connecting (Though Shalt Prepare, Thous Shalt Attend) is probably worth copying and revisiting every so often
Be aware however, as with anything, all of her tips and ideas ultimately rely on you. No magic bullets. As she says in at the end of her book, what you are required to have in order to make you socializing work is to be courteous, be chanrming, and have some Chutzpah. Of course, this is easier said than done.
Fun, quick read.......2006-12-20
This is a great book for a confidence booster, but the truth is that it deals more or less with etiquette as opposed to strategy for improving your interpersonal communication skills. For the 5 hours that it takes to read it, the book is worth the purchase, but it offers little insight as to how to overcome shyness, garner fortitude, and make the contacts you want at receptions and events you attend.
This book is likely most valuable for people hosting receptions and mixers. RoAne offers a refresher course on how to properly introduce guests to one another, what not to say/ask/do to individuals you meet at a given event, etc. Essentially this book is a lesson in good manners which should precede any book on networking.
Helped get me out of my shell........2006-08-06
This is a good book for someone who can act on things. I was shy most of my life and worked hard to earn a degree from a good school only to fear talking to people so
I sent back to work in a factory. I did not know how to switch gears and mix in a business setting or others where I did not know people. It really hurt and I was determined to get over this. I found this book over 12 years ago and really took it to heart and figured that I would try to do some of the things the author was talking about and just kept building for there. If you can learn from book and try to act on them within reason when you do not have the answers yourself then this book might help you. I give it to my up and coming staff as part of their development if I think it will help them in social/business setting. While I still have a big shy side no one reallyknows it unless I tell them and I speak on a pretty regualr basis to various business and other groups.
would make a good magazine article, but not a very good book. .......2006-01-12
There are many pages that are just completely wasted.
Amazon.com
Ram Charan learned about business from his family's shoe shop in India before attending Harvard Business School and going on to advise senior executives in companies large and small. His experiences taught him that universal laws apply "whether you sell fruit from a stand or are running a Fortune 500 company," and that the business acumen that comes from understanding these basics can be applied throughout any operation. What the CEO Wants You to Know is Charan's primer on this point, which he illustrates with explanations filtered through the eyes of street venders and other small shopkeepers. One, for example, involves a woman in Managua, Nicaragua, who sells clothing from a small cart and beats the oppressive interest rates on her loans and the puny profit margins on her goods with a skillfully selected inventory that is quickly and repeatedly turned over. Whether it's a corner merchant or a giant manufacturing concern, Charan notes, "the faster the velocity, the higher the return." Relating such thinking to cash generation, customer satisfaction, and other essentials, he describes the universal principles that help all companies make money. "What your CEO wants you to know is how these fundamentals of business work in your company," he writes before embarking on a very lucid explanation that can be quickly absorbed and put into practice. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
The universal laws of business success . . . no matter whether you are selling fruit from a stand or running a Fortune 500 company.
Have you ever noticed that the business savvy of the world's best CEOs seems like a kind of street smarts? They sense where the opportunities are and how to take advantage of them. And their companies make money consistently, year after year.
How different is it to run a big company than to sell fruit from a cart or run a small shop in a village? In essence, not very, according to Ram Charan. From his childhood in India, where he worked in his family's shoe shop, to his education at Harvard Business School and his daily work advising many of the world's best CEOs, Ram understands business as few can.
The best CEOs have a knack for bringing the most complex business down to the fundamentals -- the same fundamentals of the family shoe shop. They have business acumen -- the ability to focus on the basics and make money for the company.
What the CEO Wants You to Know captures these insights and explains in clear, simple language how to do what great CEOs do instinctively and persistently:
* Understand the basic building blocks of a business and use them to figure out how your company makes money and operates as a total business.
* Decide what to do, despite the clutter of day-to-day business and the complexity of the real world.
Many people spend more than a hundred thousand dollars on an MBA without learning to pull these pieces of the puzzle together. Many others lack a formal business education and feel shut out from the executive suite.
What the CEO Wants You to Know takes the mystery out of business and shows the secrets of success used by business legends like Jack Welch of GE.
Customer Reviews:
charan knows the worker.......2007-04-02
mr charan understnads and explains how profit works for companies and he understands why certain workers work really well in an environment and then fail in another.
Business Simplified.......2006-12-29
Ram Charan cuts right to the chase in this book. It's a short one, but it's packed with goodies. Charan explains the keys to making money and increasing wealth: 1) Business Acumen (the main components being cash generation, margin, velocity, return on assets, growth, and focus on the customer) and 2) Getting things done (which includes selecting the right people, increasing their capacity, and linking their efforts to a core set of business goals - developed using business acumen). Sounds simple, right? Frankly, it is. It's a no-nonsense explanation of what all managers, and all employees ought to know about business to enable them to gauge the performance of their company/organization/group, and put practical achievable plans in place to improve it.
Nick McCormick - Author, Lead Well and Prosper
simple, straightforward, short, repetitive.......2006-07-04
This book can be read in several hours and is definitely worth of the invested time. I am a total beginner in business, In fact, I study informatics. After reading this book I have a clear view of basic aspects of business. Also, it gave me a more clear understanging of what is a CEO's role.
let's summarize my thoughts:
+simple
+short (less then 130 little pages)
+gives a great overview of core business aspects
+good for beginners (contains even links to popular business web sites)
-focused on employees in a leader position
-focused on international (stock) companies. (I work at software companies, can't see, how could I apply the velocity principle here. We have no shareholders, no transparent assests, nor stock, nor transparent margins)
-quite repetitive. The word 'business acumen' is listed at least one hundred times. Some may find the repetition usefull...especially me not
p.s.: I've found this book on the recommended list of PersonalMBA (personalmba.com)
Ok book but a little too wordy.......2006-02-09
Yes, it's a small book already but I thought the author could have got to the points sooner with a little less prose and more advise. I can see that he did a lot of work and is obviously an intelligent person it just as another reviewer put it "the book does not deliver on what the title suggests".
It's worth a read on a long airplane ride but not worth setting your career by.
Dangerously Oversimplified and Misleading.......2005-10-11
This is the first book I've picked from the ChangeThis "Personal MBA" list (http://www.changethis.com/17.PersonalMBA) and boy am I disappointed.
I thought this primer-level introduction to business would give me the tools I needed to understand the nuts & bolts of Collins and Lazier's *Running the Small to Mid-Sized Business* but no such luck.
He gives us a taste of the math that is required to understand business, but I guess he's afraid of scaring people off with too much math, because it's glossed over in such a way as to be unusable. It's like sex without penetration.
And right now I'm reading a section where he says, "Obviously, the higher the P-E multiple, the more wealth is created."
By that logic, all those overvalued internet stocks during the dot com bubble created a lot of wealth. And so did Enron.
I hope the other books on the "Personal MBA" list are better than this.
Books:
- The Ultimate Gift (The Ultimate Series #1)
- This Moment on Earth: Today's New Environmentalists and Their Vision for the Future
- Toxic In-Laws: Loving Strategies for Protecting Your Marriage
- Travels in a Stone Canoe: The Return to the Wisdomkeepers
- Two's Enough Three's A Crowd
- USMLE Step 1 Secrets: Questions You Will Be Asked on USMLE Step 1
- Wee Sing Bible Songs (Wee Sing) CD and Book Edition (Wee Sing)
- What I Know Now: Letters to My Younger Self
- When God Writes Your Love Story: The Ultimate Approach to Guy/Girl Relationships
- Windows on the World Complete Wine Course: 2007 Edition (Windows on the World Complete Wine Course)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don't Need
- Jesus and Nonviolence: A Third Way
- Beautiful Botanicals: Painting and Drawing Flowers and Plants
- East Bay Bike Trails: Road and Mountain Bicycle Rides Through Contra Costa and Alameda Counties
- Forever Cool: How To Achieve Ageless, Youthful, and Modern Personal Style
- Making the Most of College: Students Speak Their Minds
- John Peel: Margrave of the Marshes
- August Strindberg: Painter, Photographer, Writer
- Complementary Cancer Therapies: Combining Traditional and Alternative Approaches for the Best Possib
- St. Thomas More at the Millennium
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
![Freakonomics [Revised and Expanded]: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/0061234001.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
Freakonomics [Revised and Expanded]: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
![The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/0374292795.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't
The Wisdom of Crowds
