Business Money Books

* When I first read this book, I was totally amazed on how much mistakes that I have done concerning my job.
* You will look on more different ways to stay ahead and be control for your financial income.
* I have more fun in life now as I manage to change my thinking of making money, thanks to the tips given in this book.

I don't own a business but the tips in here are "life tips" not necessarily "money" tips. A great book with some wonderful "life" advise.

I bought my copy in an used bookshop in Surfers Paradise, Australia.. decided to take back home because of the honest, down to earth advice that some pages exhibit.

I have forund it to be valuable as frequent reading, one chapter at a time and in a random order.. its my opinion the book will be much more valuable if you have already started your process of committment to making money. By that, I mean your inner process, its the part of thinking that creates the path to action (that you must take).

Do it frequently, there is seldom time to talk to a friend who can advice you like this book.

I don't think I finished reading this book. It seemed like the same ol' same ol' chicken soup stuff. I found nothing new in the half of it that I read.

Let's not kid ourselves: there are perhaps thousands of books dedicated to motivating people, getting them closer to success, and so on. I have read a dozen or so of those books, but this one clearly stands out in my mind.

This book is separated into 100 easy-to-read chapters, which makes it much easier to manage the messages therein. Simply read at your own pace, digest, and implement. The honest and humorous writing makes it actually fun to read and look forward to future chapters.

Basically, this book tells you how to create abundance, whether through savings, change of perception, acquisition of friends, or other methods. The message is overwhelmingly positive and downright inspirational, as it should be. After reading the book, you will be inspired to take action and reach your goals as a happier, more fulfilled person.

I highly recommend this book!

A thoughtful, well researched look at our healthcare system. Often surprising, sometimes enraging, this book is a must read for anyone looking to understand the complex and sometimes courterintuitive "market" that is American healthcare. As a recently retired physician, I can vouch for the author's accuracy and insight.

I recently (April 2008) saw a reference to this book in the Wall Street Journal's HealthBlog, so decided to read it based on the reviews here. I add my own praise for the book. The blurb on the author, Maggie Mahar, states that she was once a professor of literature at Yale University. Her prose is excellent, so I find that little fact interesting and relevant. The prose of many otherwise excellent books is not always up to that standard.

What is particularly noteworthy of this book is the depth and accuracy of its research - something fairly rare among books by journalists. Journalists' role in disseminating information is by and large not scholarly, but rather popularizing of scholarly work. In this case the book comes closer to scholarly work than most even though it is based almost entirely on secondary sources. However the sources Ms. Mahar uses are the best. She cites several times two of the seminal works on healthcare: the always-cited work in scholarly circles by the eminent Nobel-prize-winning Kenneth Arrow and the comprehensive social history of American medicine by Paul Starr, itself a masterful, easily-readable book. She also cites another excellent compendium by health economists that looks at different aspects of the issues raised in Professor Arrow's article.

The book's focus ultimately addresses in detail the reasons what the American healthcare system is so inflated in terms of cost and so dysfunctional at the same time. In essence this is due to the many participants in healthcare who are profit-motivated. In the case of healthcare services profit-motivation does more harm than good as a rule. The participant groups reviewed cover all suppliers, ranging from physicians groups to hospital chains to nursing homes to pharmaceutical manufacturers/distributors to device manufacturers, in sum most of the suppliers into the system.

I highly recommend this book, along with several others that I have reviewed. Each is outstanding in its way and written by individuals with different experiences and perspectives, but all highly accurate in their analysis and assessments.

Well researched and expertly written, this book revealed to me just who the major players in the healthcare industry are and what their interests are. I learned how the Congressmen have sold us out to special interests, leaving the poor forgotten consumer at the bottom of the heap. Change is possible, but it must take place against overwhelming odds. This is an amazing book!

One can usually tell if a book is good by the passion it generates among its readers. Both good and bad. And this one is no exception!
This book challenges many of the myths about our healthcare system and presents a startling view of how broken the system really is.
Starting right at the beginning, the figures are 'mind numbing'- 2.2 trillion dollars spent each year and the breakdown of where the money comes from and how it is spent is sure to be a revelation to many.
Author Maggie Mahar has clearly done the research and presented a well written and clear, account of the healthcare system. Full of data yet nicely balanced with personal perspectives and stories.
For any serious student of the healthcare system, regardless of role within the system, even political persuasion, this book will help spread some light on where the money goes. With so much money 'slushing' around its easy to see how so many organisations make huge sums of money without delivering much value in return.
As a user of the healthcare system I'm disappointed by the failure of the system to deliver better health outcomes to consumers. This book certainly alerted me to my role in demanding better care and the need for me to take more responsiblity for my own health.
This is a very different book than Porter and Teisberg's 'Redefining Health Care'. Infintely more readable and compelling.
My one regret is the author did not confront the solution!

pragmatist - there is no single test that diagnoses the insult that kills you. An autopsy is an educated guess with the pathologist only having anatomical and histological information and limited physiological data. They have false positives, false negatives just like all the other clinicians. In the end, we all die regardless of what the pathologist labels us. When somebody has 20 medical problems and they die, it is shortsighted to think one problem killed them.

I have to come clean, I only read 1 paragraph on page 6, but that was already full of misinformation. Physicians _tried_ to lobby against the pharmaceutical company to prohibit their advertising. They did their best, but look at the result: Cialis and Viagra commercial every 2 minutes. This book is so wrong, they are not controlling the pharmaceutical industry.

I find it disgusting whenever people take data for proving their point. This author is obviously trying to cash in on the reader's sentiment of "American healthcare is bad," and possibly got your money. This book is not reviewed by a panel but just edited to make sure it is sensational enough to get your hard earned money.

I practice medicine, I am honest, and the day that I have to be dishonest to practice medicine I will do something else. I promise.

And Epi Stick med student sounds right.

The stories about these entrepreneurs give you quite a bit of motivation and encouragement. But the book falls short in terms of knowedge about how to run a business. The author focuses on the people's expiriences throughout the book -- but does show specifics on how they became successful. But since I got it really cheap using a coupon from UnderTag.com, I can't really complain.

This title of the book is a little decieving. The content of the book is only about the experience of several entreprenuers. It doesn't really explain you anything about how to run a business. But it's still worth the money to get yourself motivated. But since I got it really cheap using a coupon from UnderTag.com, I can't really complain.

Anyone starting his own business should read this book. The writing is clear and concise. The author is definitely a real writer. And each chapter is loaded with facts that are essential for anyone starting up. To really hit home, the author provides each chapter with examples from real start-ups such as Motley Fool and Kate Spade. The only downside is since this is such a quick read, more resources will be necessary. The chapters on business plan writing and marketing are more like primers which you need to read up on for these mandatory skills. But no worries, the author provides tons of resources in the appendix for additional reading. If you read this and then read "Think and Grow Rich"...it just might be your ticket out of that ka-rappy job.

A good read if you are thinking about starting a start up but if you are already have an operating start up, then this book will confirm the obstacles you are facing but no major enlightening answers to overcome these obstacles... only a list of resources in the back of the book.

Awesome. Well, its hard for a BOOK to be AWESOME, but this one is close. Let's just call it "an exceptionally superb read."

This book closed the book for me (pun intended) on whether or not to begin my little business. And the answer is a resounding YES! This is not a book that will teach you how to file with the IRS, or how to write a business plan. What it will teach you is whether or not you are ready to run your own business.

The lessons I got from this book that have stuck with me are A: Don't wait until you're too old to start a business! By then you'll know better. B: It doesn't matter if you don't really know what you're doing; nobody does. These lessons, and many more, are reinforced by interviews and stories of many different entrepreneurs, who range from tiny companies you've never heard of, to the guy who started CDNOW. You will have a notebook full of ideas by the time you're through.

WARNING: If you're over 30, be prepared to feel crappy about how you're spent your years since graduation from college or high school. Although anyone who wants to start a business will benefit immensely from this book, it is written to appeal to young, hip, headstrong gen-whatevers like me. And there are lots of swear words, which makes it seem even more hip and not stuck-up.

One other thing: the resource section in the back is frab-dabulous and zip-zoop-zabulous.

Buy it now!

Overall this is an OK book, with pretty good information. It poses financial questions that Suze then answers. The problem is that in 99% of the situations i.e. divorce, prenuptual agreements, or any other situation where the relationship does not work out, IT'S THE MAN'S FAULT. I am about 3/4's of the way through the book and I feel like I'm being insulted on almost every page.

A prenuptual, a will in trust, or any other legal document is always to protect the woman. If you are a male you will definetly be offended by this book. AVOID IT.

Again, while the book has good information, I would look for an author who has experienced fewer issues with the men in his/her life.

I bought this book as I watch Suze whenever I can find her on TV and while I have invested for sometime, I wanted to review some basic ideals on insurance and then let a friend of mine borrow it as she is just starting out in the investment arena. This book is a great overall read and good for research when you find yourself ready to buy insurance, invest in 401 or 403's or any other area you may have questions in. It is a hefty book coming in just a little short of 600 pages. Arm yourself with knowledge-I cannot think of a better book to keep around for research and knowledge.

Don't know whether to invest in a 401k at work? Or how to best start saving for that new baby's college? Do I need a living will? These kind of questions invariably crop up as you start living life away from the nest, and Suze Orman does a very adept job at tackling the answers in a way that is readable and understandable by people who don't have expertise coming in.

I like the way the book is organized. She presents her personal opinions on subjects at the start of each chapter, but the rest is dedicated to rapid fire Q&A. Find the question you have (pretty easy to do) and she gives you a digestable answer to get you started on the right path. I love that it's not a "cover-to-cover" sort of book...because that can get a bit dry.

I get the sense that any real expert in the field would find some of her answers overly simplistic, but that's a minority of the population, and for those people, there's reams of other books to consider. For the rest of us, this book is a perfect and easy way to get started in the world of personal finance.

As Suze Orman indicates at the beginning of this book, "The Road to Wealth" provides practical information for people who look to Suze Orman for clear, honest financial perspectives. Overall, the book is in a question and answer format with explanations of all new terms and examples which confirm the reader's understanding of the material. The chapters may be read independently if a single subject is of concern, or in order. I started at the beginning of the book and have read straight through. I've found the presentation of value personally and have insight, as well, into issues which may be ahead for me or are impacting people whom I know. This is both a reference book and an introduction to financial planning.

I am a fan of most of Suze Orman's financial guides and also a fan of her television show. What I like about her is that she dispenses financial advice in a very uncondescending, easy-to-understand manner. Also, as a woman, I appreciate that she is able to understand the financial concerns of many women out there.

In the latest 2008 revised and updated edition of "The Road to Wealth", Suze Orman covers a myriad of finance-related topics in the format of Q & A's. The book is divided into chapters - Managing Debt, Financial Intimacy, Home Ownership, Insurance, Paying for College, Retirement Planning, Stocks, Mutual Funds, Bonds & Bond Funds, Annuities, and Wills and Trusts. All financial jargon is explained in an easy-to-understand manner and there is an index at the end of the book that helps one navigate to topics of interest. This is like a financial encyclopedia and I don't think it's meant to be read from cover to cover though one could do that if desired. I was particularly interested in insurance and paying for college [being the mother of a young child] and so those were the topics I read first. The Q & A format works well here as you get succint answers to most financial concerns [versus some finance books that get dragged down by obscure language and wordiness].

For example, under the chapter "Paying for College", there is a question "In what kind of plan or account should I be keeping my investments for a child's education?" - Suze Orman goes on define and elaborate on the different plans/accounts such as UGMAs/UTMAs, Education IRA, prepaid tution plans, 529 savings plan, Roth IRAs etc.

This is a simple-to-understand financial guide, not to be confused with simplistic. It addresses important financial concerns and does so without condescension. Highly recommended!

Ties in a great deal of knowledge about call avoidance and how to get past it.

No silver bullet though. Still have to make the dials.

Written by veteran salesman and salesperson-trainer Jerry Hocutt, Cold Calling for Cowards: How to Turn the Fear of Rejection into Opportunities, Sales, and Money is a solid guide for sellers of all skill and experience levels to the art of the cold call. Chapters address the myriad types of handshakes and what kind of body language they convey, how to overcome one's reluctance to cold call, the "Fonz technique" to deal with rejection, how to escape the trap of voice mail, the "Skeletons in the Closet" technique to get one's calls returned, how to determine the personality of the one you're selling to, and much more. "If you're doing a cold call, especially to a large company, don't try and get through to the CEO. They don't take calls like this. That's why they hire gatekeepers. My friend said that when you call, ask to speak with the executive assistant to the CEO or president. They're required to take calls." Highly recommended for anyone serious about sales.

I read a lot of non-fiction books about the film industry in general. This one was full of useful info but it didn't explore any new territory. It was written factually without much regard for easy reading. Useful to learn about some of the business practices in Hollywood if you haven't learned much already. A decent primer.

Epstein gives a fascinating account of the rise of Hollywood in the early part of the 20th century, focusing on the role intellectual property law played in the that development (the fact that patents in technology related to the making and showing of movies were controlled by the Edison Trust, located on the East coast, forced would-be movie moguls to relocate to the West coast away from courts sympathetic to the Edison Trust). He also explains how historical and legal developments (studio ownership of the means of production and the resulting anti-trust lawsuit brought by the federal government) led to the rise and fall of the studio system by the 1950s, and how federal legislation made it impossible for television networks to produce their own shows in the 1970s, a void the movie studios rushed to fill. Epstein details of the creative accounting methods and other legalisms that the six major movie studios use to maximize profit in the modern world of movie finance, where licensing revenue and home video sales far outweigh box office receipts.

jeffbrownlegal@gmail.com

Edward Jay Epstein's book provides an excellent overview of how business has changed in Hollywood since the 1970s. The book will give the reader a chance to think about how the industry moderates its relentless pursuit of money occasionally in order to pursue loftier goals. The book is particular strong in identifying key industry leaders, such as Lew Wasserman, who were able to respond quickly to changing circumstances and to rebuild the studio system in a new form after the rise of television. For a more complete history of the studio system, see Douglas Gomery's recently published book. But this one is a good read and it does a good job of recounting the recent history of the industry.

If you want to understand how Hollywood became what it is today then this book ticks all the boxes: it tracks Hollywood from its beginnings in the early-20th century and the early part of the book focusses on the development of the big six media corporations in the world and who runs them and why TV and DVD are now far more important to the bottom line than straight theatrical release.

Some of the real examples of Hollywood's incredible loss-making ability are startling: one studio's 'greatest success' actually lost over US$60m, and you learn that the drivers of money and power are not the strong but actually it all boils down to children: what they want and don't want fuels the whole industry.

Fascinating stuff and very easy to read...five stars, no questions asked.

Hollywood quality controlled by the bottom line? Gee, what an original concept. The question is, does Tinseltown point its checkbook any which way new media outlet winds blow or does it take a moral philosophical stance in a chaotic evil-is-hip era defined by a fantasy video game role playing culture of death?

Do most films today suck because they're only made for kids? And should it not matter because they're an easy target audience? That's a cop out. In the days of old Hollywood, moguls created demand across a wide demographic spectrum. Only advances in home media in the past 30 years have disaffected the issue of quality.

Epstein's new age filmic disorder tome basically applies cold harsh statistical reality to a cultural traffic accident and doesn't make a reasonable value judgment on what's happening. He's too busy dotting his is and crossing his ts with stat data to care. His beef is to say that's the way it is. Tough cookies.

As such, stating the facts and stressing the obvious is not rocket science when the largest demographic of Americans in 40 somethings are left out in the cold in ageist exclusion. Mature adults would rather stay at home because suits have decided only kids are worth making movies for. So they fear good filmmaking.

Any entertainment consumer with a clue is staying away in droves because the current generation of talent have no brains, style, taste or creativity for anything except that which will appeal to the lowest common denominator. And when the dream machine's quality control chicken is its egg, apathy becomes its own vice.

So don't blame the the demise of Americana on the rise of home video. Instead, blame the missing vision and low IQ of modern media decision makers and end users. Generations X and Y rule the roost. At the end of the alphabet, only Z is left. Does this signal our end days? Take in the latest 50 Cent flick to decide.

If we live in a world where movies and music contain no more important civil messages and merely serve as escapist pastime and we experience societal downfall as a result, soon there will be no bottom line to speak of. A show business peddling dreck to kids while good will falls to ruin doesn't deserve to survive.

The only useful thing this book has to say is that corporate entities make most of their profits in direct home DVD sales. So if you're making a movie, bypass bohemian green lighters who set the substandards and go straight to digital video. Not only is quality old hat these days. Film itself is an endangered species.

Morrie Warshawki's second edition of "The Fundraising Houseparty" is as informative and eye-opening as its predecessor. At a slim 58 pages, Warshawki's conciseness is a welcome alternative to wordier books that say much less. The cost may seem a bit steep but not when weighed against the cost of hiring a fundraising house party consultant. Because that's what this book is: your own houseparty guide.

Warshawski is quick to admit that not all houseparties are financially successful. Care must be taken. But it's hard to imagine losing money if following his detailed advice. Someone brand new to personal asks will find this work helpful.

Warshawski's work is eminently practical. He tells you:
* how much time to allow for the people to mingle (30-45 minutes),
* how to position the food table (pulled away from the wall), and
* which type of video presentation works best (one that makes people cry).

The Fundraising House Party is packed with checklists, annotated outlines, attractive and informative samples of invitations, and even a script for the peer solicitor. Most of the invitations can be done on something as easy as Microsoft Word.

"The Fundraising House Party" is easy to read in 30 minutes but you'll be refering to it for months to come!


Chapters include:
*Introduction
*Key Elements
*Pre-Party Checklist
*The Party
*Some Last Notes
*Appendix

I just finished The Fundraising Houseparty and I was extremely impressed with the professionalism and quality of content that Morrie presents.

No goofy gimmics or weird tactics to make money off of houseparties.

Morrie presents a lot of quality ideas, tips, and principles to make your fundraising houseparty a success.

Highly recommended for the nonprofit professional.

Now in an expanded edition with new examples, The Fundraising Houseparty: How to Party With a Purpose and Raise Money for Your Cause lives up to its title as a concise, no-nonsense guide to organizing a successful fundraising houseparty. Chapters cover how to compose a tasteful invitation, the all-important task of selecting an "Ask" (the person who will ask party guests for money), how to tastefully make follow-up calls, the role of refreshments, setting a target fundraising goal for the party, and much more. Black-and-white photographs and a wealth of sample documents, especially sample invitations, round out this easy-to-follow guide useful for corporations, charities, and even private individuals (such as struggling artists). "Follow-up calls to confirm that people are in fact coming are absolutely vital. You don't want to hound, but you also want people to realize that this is not a casual party... Two weeks before your house party, start calling everyone on your list... If someone says they cannot attend, then ask them to make a contribution." Highly recommended.

I am very pleased with my order. The book was in excellent condition and was swiftly delivered.

Thanks!

I had first written a review giving this book 5 stars, which I deleted. Let me correct it now down to 3 stars, still giving this book the hopeful benefit of the doubt.

After my first review I emailed the author who promptly answered. After the Wall Street debacle, I emailed her again, copy:

"Dear Ms. Aburdene: Please allow me to ask your opinion about the current financial crisis in relation to the main theme of your work "Megatrends 2010". Is Gordon Gekko still around and much alive under disguise? Apparently the tech bubble gave birth to a, probably worst, housing bubble, undoubtedly based on the same old greed, that awful hydra. This bubble is just another emanation of the same root. Greenspan does not seem to be very comfortable with it either. There seems to be many new Dennis Koslowskis and Tycos as well, all of a sudden. I will appreciate your comments..."

No answer this time. Could it be that the premise of "Megatrends 2010" is flawed? For what is happening today with the financial crisis is a typical example of greed run amok, and it is worst than before. What is the future of the so-called conscious capitalism? Food for thought.

Megatrends 2010 is one of the best books on the market today - especially if you are interested in new ways of approaching old problems. The case studies and best practices that Patricia reveals prove that values, integrity, spirituality in the workplace - all help build profits. It's an easy read - informative and full of facts!
Thank you Patricia Aburdene for pulling together such a great body of work!
Ann Ranson

Both MEGATRENDS and MEGATRENDS 2000 were top bestsellers predicting shifts key to economic and business worlds alike: now MEGATRENDS 2010 documents the rise of 'conscious capitalism' and what corporate responsibility means to business trends and activities. Any business library or businessman interested in corporate change will appreciate the data and insights documenting corporate scandals and ethics transition points being fostered by grassroots efforts and managers. A top pick any business and public lending library must have.

I'm going to start making my point saying that i bought this book because Megatrends 2000 just helped me so much understand the economics back then, and when this one came out i rushed in and bought it, and big disappointed. First there is one lady that helped write the first one as the only author, the cover is reddish pink, and for a "mega" is not a large book. She talks about spiritualism, moral, and ecology, which i agree and accepted them as future megatrends, but she could have written that in two or three chapters, but that's the whole book, and that's where the disappointment is.
I asked myself if i was reading a economics trend book, or a spiritual book. She never talked about the euro boom, or the global warming as a social mechanism to push the entire humanity to a future of new technology advances and possible breakthroughs, there are too many topics to talk about as megatrends, but she focused in spiritualism a little too much(just the hole book.)
She made the mistake of not seeing the big picture, and i bet she didn't spend a month writing this book. And that's what bothers me, because the first book was very useful, full of information in different sciences and very accurate.
I guess is the editorial's fault for being so brain less and putting a solo person doing a team work job. She didn't even try to do some research...
If there's a time machine invented i go back on time, i would read the book, write this opinion and i would remember to save the purchase ticket to return it(lol).
Shame on you Patricia Aburdene.

Excelente libro para aquellos que quieren alcanzar la independencia económica. Muy bien enfocado en ayudar a conseguir los resultados esperados. Uno de los mejores libros de economía para el hogar que he leído.

Excelente libro. Lleno de casos, que ayudan a profundizar las ideas expuestas. Los temas están muy bien tratados. Y es muy práctico. Me gusto mucho.

Lei la version en Ingles de este libro y me gusto tanto que compre una copia en espanol para mi familia en mi pais. Este libro no te da una formula magica para obtener exito financiero sino que te recuerda los conceptos que son basicos acerca de como manejar el dinero. Dave te da las herramientas para mejorar tu situacion economica y te explica como salir de tus problemas paso a paso. Si bien muchos de los ejemplos en el libro hacen referencia a la realidad en USA, las ideas se pueden aplicar a cualquier realidad.