Careers Books

This book was used for a skit at a convention. It had the audience in stitches, while being presented some "boring, but important training." After reading the book, I thought of many friends and relatives who would enjoy and benefit from reading FISH.

I've seen the video and LOVE it!!! Just had to get the book since I tend to read more than I watch DVD's. A must have for anyone working or not working of any and all ages. Great concepts and principles.

Keep your experience of the Fish Philosophy fresh! This is a great companion to the original book. When you talk to folks about Playing and some of the other important parts of bringing a workplace alive, they often counter with, "What about the kind of job where you can't play. Like a hospital?" This little volume recounts tales of just such venues. Some stories are bite sized morsels, some are more substantial. They all provide nourishment!

The CD set is 3 hour
it has the feel of a bad Human Resource video on office rules.
It is read from scipts and sounds as such ....10 minutes into the First CD I ejected it from my Car's CD player.....
Even in a captive environment ......it got the "boot"

Things are going swimmingly in Fish! land. In the latest volume, Fish! Tales, authors Stephen C. Lundin, John Christensen, Harry Paul and Philip Strand build on the successful training program that evolved from their first Fish book. Tales shows how four companies - a long-distance call center; a hospital neural-renal unit, a car dealership and a roofing company - have applied Fish! theories effectively. They also provide short examples from other companies to show how well the Fish! function. The four main principles are familiar by now - keep the work fun, seek to serve others, stay focused on your customers and have an enthusiastic attitude - but the examples in the book bring them alive. Along the way, the authors heavily sell their Fish! courses and merchandise - that's just good salesmanship - but the real catch of the day is the final how-to section, showing ways to apply these principles in any organization. The lively writing style helps keep you hooked. We suggest that if you haven't yet caught any Fish!, start with this one. Its cheery, accessible methods should lure you in, hook, line and sinker.

One of the best work, I have heard on the subject. It's the primary source of inspiration as I drive every time I hear it I learn something new. Vincent

As a fan of Wayne Dyer's for many years, I stand in awe of the degree to which his personal spiritual growth has accelerated his role as teacher and lecturer. This union with Byron Katie, (an amazing being who epitomizes love in action), is truly a marriage made in heaven. A must for anyone on a serious spiritual journey.

Huge fan of Dr. Dyer. I was disappointed in this cd with Byron Katie, however. Scattered delivery and I hate to say it but it was pretty boring. I'll continue to buy Dr. Dyer's work.

I got taken in by Byron Katie's "work", used to think it was great. It seemed to "work" in the beginning. Over time I started finding holes in it. Bigger and bigger holes. Then I did some internet research and learned that people have been reporting big problems with Byron Katie and her method. I've come to agree that she's full of it.

Under NO circumstances do I recommend taking a seminar with this woman. I urge you to do a search for "Byron Katie" and "cult" and evaluate the info that's been coming out about her.

As an alternative source of self-help, I recommend "Authentic Happiness" by Martin Seligman. I've found it incredibly helpful and completely without harmful side-effects, unlike what I ended up experiencing with Byron Katie and her bogus "work".

These cd's are NOT worth the expense or time listening. I managed to get through Dr.Dyer's joking and gloating, but when Byron Katie started to speak, it took a lot of self control to not run and turn off the cd. She has the worst case of dry mouth I have ever heard and no amount of volume control can stop it from sounding like she's got a mouthful of macaroni. I could only manage listening for about 30 seconds at a time. These are super nice people who I am sure meant to put out a product that would help and inspire people. BUT, honestly, it's pretty bad. The content is just not there either. Just sayin. If you are looking for something on a cd that is relaxing, inspiring, or positive, try music.

The basic premise of this book is that the secret to your success is determined by your daily agenda.

The author has a list of 12 areas to focus on daily that he believes are critical to success. He calles them the "Daily Dozen." They are:

1. Attitude
2. Priorities
3. Health
4. Family
5. Thinking
6. Commitment
7. Finances
8. Faith
9. Relationships
10. Generosity
11. Values
12. Growth

He spends a chapter on each of the Daily Dozen. For each, he notes what decision he has made in each area. As an example, for "attitude," his decision is "I am going to keep a positive attitude and use it to influence others." Then he provides suggestions on how to incorporate the items critical to success into your daily life.

He makes the great point that what you become is the result of what you do today. The only way to change your life is to change what you do daily.

This is a great little book that packs a powerful punch!

This book is very much of its time, and has to be regarded as such. I was forced to read this for work by an over zealous client. I gritted my teeth to the end. Yes, on one level it is fascinating as a piece of history. Even I quite enjoyed the history of the U2 and Blackbird, which I vaguely remember from newspapers in my youth. But as a chronicle of social mores, it made my toes curl. Unfortunately, as a female of mid years clinging to the corporate ladder, I still remember when the kind of casual misogeny portrayed here was the norm not the exception. Can't say I miss 'the good 'ol days' one bit. The interchangeable wives and sophomoric giggling over the pin ups?

It isn't even very well written.

I have to read 'Patton on Leadership' next. Time to look for a new job maybe?

This book is based as an (auto)biography of Ben Rich the boss of the legendary Lockheed "Skunkworks". It is a lot more than that however with an overview of secret 'black-ops' of the cold war period. The development of the U2 and SR-71 as well as an in depth introduction to the F117 Stealth fighter make this a must have book for the technophile. But it is more than that, there are great snippets from 'other voices' such as engineers, pilots and even the military have their say about the Skunk works and in particular its enigmatic founder Clarence "Kelly" Johnson.

This book does not have a lot of personal details about Ben Rich but concentrates on the three main aircraft that the Skunk works are famous for and allows an insight to military-private sector relationships that is hard to find in other books.

My only criticism is the end chapter on how to make things better for the industry which seems a little 'tacked on' to try and give the book a point and this could have been done throughout the previous chapters in a better constructed manner.

Apart from that it is a good book and due to the co-authorship of Leo Janos (who co-wrote the Chuck Yaeger autobiography) it is very readable and an interesting addition to military history of the cold war.

If you like information on this subject (jets, stealth, SR71)then this book is for you. I couldn't put this book down because I was facinated by the content, engrossed by the narrative, and just totally sucked in. Formerly Top Secret projects and happenings are revealed in such a entertaining and non technical way, that anyone can understand and enjoy this entire book. Also, this book has great insights into innovation and business management. I really think this is the best book I've ever read, and I'm buying a copy for my boss.

Why can't Hollywood make a movie out of this? Wait, I take it back. They'd probably turn the Rich and Kelly relationship into an affair, and throw in some cliche ridiculousness about how white, rich guys are evil.

That being said, WHAT A GREAT BOOK! This is wonderful tale of how a group of men with wonderful leadership did what it took to be the best while ignoring all the bureaucratic roadblocks. They really show what it takes to be on the cutting edge. On time, below budget, and meeting specifications. Some do their best to imitate the Skunk Works model, but few understand the philosophy of this men: rational egoism.

You can't put this book down ... one of those ones that you end up reading until 3am.
You can see by the way this book was written i.e. logical, pragmatic, practical, humourous ... what the inhabitants of the skunkworks are really like, and why the organisation was/is so effective.
Thoroughly recommend this book to anyone.

This is a very informative, easily read book. I would recommend it those people interested or involved in mediumship

I loved this book! I love John Holland! He explains step by step how to be in touch with your soul and so much more!

Like everyone else, my world seemed to be crashing down upon me. I was turned onto "The Secret" by a friend and into the Hicks/Abraham books. I was amazed to find that I already practiced/believed some things they teach. My mother read Jane Roberts/Seth, but I couldn't get into those books. When I was at a low point, I went into Amazon.com and somehow, I found this book. Thank you Amazon.com! This book has helped me face my demons, change my thought process and become happy. No, it didn't happen overnight, but it has happened. My daily stress headaches have become less often. I'm actually practicing the exercises and moving along slowly. My first impression in some of the sections was "yeah, right, uh-huh". Then I re-read and I'm actually understanding. He writes so you can understand and practice. Some sections I would actually cry during the exercises, but kept going. I plan to purchase the paperback copy just so I will have a copy with me if I start to crash and he indicates this happens. At least he tells us how we can achieve inner peace/harmony and you have to work for it. Sappy, but, I can't explain how important this book has been for me and my life.

this will open your eyes to who we really are it will help you connect to the spirit within it is well written and a must to read if you want to learn about spirit world and were our own power comes from another great read is the calling of your true self elizabeth anne bell mixed together they are speaking a lot of truths both will help you with answers to the spirit and soul within

John Holland is a psychic medium who has authored several books, CDs, lectured, taught, and appeared on several TV shows, including The History Channel, A & E, and Unsolved Mysteries. Put simply, John is able to talk to those who have passed on and to receive and relay messages from them. I absolutely love the books and CDs by John. Although John does tend to repeat material, it's all good stuff and each book or CD expands on the material that has been used in another book or CD. His material is thorough, easy to understand, and right on target. It is also chocked full of useful tips. I have found it all tremendously useful in my own spiritual development. And, if you are listening to a CD of John's, especially one with meditations, you will likely find his voice very soft and very conducive to achieving a relaxed state of consciousness. Put simply, I find it really easy to get into a meditative state with John's CDs and to do it quickly.

"Power of the Soul" is a book about discovering the power deep within you, within your soul and learning how to direct that power in a positive manner. Yes, the book is full of information, meditations, tips, and tools. This is powerful self-discovery, spiritual path stuff. It is NOT a magic book. If you are interested in achieving a more balanced and spiritual life, consider this book. A spiritual pat takes work and it is a continual journey forward.

The 8 chapters of this book are:
1) Understanding the Soul--about the soul, as consciousness, the true essence of a person. This chapter speaks of going inward to discover your true self, dredging up what you have hidden inside, and facing it. It discusses a Buddhist technique "The Mindfulness of Breathing" and the importance of breathing correctly to achieve a state of stillness. John then teaches you exercises to achieve proper breathing. He also talks about achieving your soul's purpose, also discovering the gifts of your soul and using them in your everyday life.
2) Acknowledging the Source--the Source is defined as God, the Universe, or a Higher Consciousness, whatever your preference. He explains the concepts of synchronicities (aka. co-incidences), dream messages, gratitude, believing in the impossible, thoughts manifesting into reality, visualizations, and affirmations.
3) The Unfoldment of Your Soul Senses--learning the language of the soul--how to achieve mindful stillness, meditation, the clairs (what they are and why they are important and possible indicators of each). (Clairsentience, Clairaudience, Clairvoyance) and the Chakras (internal energy vortexes).
4) The Power of Love--the importance of love and kindness from a soul perspective.
5) The Healer Within--healing within yourself, forgiveness, including forgiving yourself.
6) Breaking Free: Turning the Past into a Bridge for the Future--negative thoughts, fear, worry--what they do to us--realizing these syndromes and breaking free of them
7) Journey of the Soul--reincarnation, wounds of the soul, wake-up calls, respecting another individual's path
8) Soul Living--stepping into your personal soul power

John has also included examples and discoveries of people he has met, known, and taught as well as his own experiences. He includes training exercises and meditations. If you want to develop your psychic abilities, John's book can help you and he also has some CD products to teach you more on psychic awareness (check my other reviews). But if you just want to learn more about the beauty within you and develop your spirituality, John can help you with that too. There is good info here. How far you take it, how much you put into developing yourself spiritually, and how far you progress, well, that's up to you. What I have found is simply like anything else--the more effort you put into developing yourself, the more you get back. (Step one--my opinion--if you have any negative junk in you, get rid of it. It makes it so much easier to progress.)

Update: May, 2008. Just saw John in person at a conference in Hershey, PA. He was absolutely wonderful. He provided a lot of useful information. He also did several readings and he had several people in tears with the information he "read" from their deceased friends/relatives/etc. (Tears are good, folks.) I think he really helped some people address some guilt they had stuffed inside themselves for who knows how many years. John was knowledgeable, funny, and very natural. He was very comfortable to talk to. In other words, he was not uppity. And I believe without a doubt that he is a 100% genuine psychic medium.

Like most others, I do feel this and other self-help books can be useful. However, the effectiveness really does depend on the state of your relationship, your partner's receptiveness and your own mindset at the time. I read this book and practiced much of what she instructed but it requires alot of work to simply change yourself, change your thoughts and your own behavior. Although I'm sure it can be rewarding when her advice works, it can be extremely frustrating when it doesn't, especially when you feel like you've been the one trying, working and giving in the relationship in the past. I ended up feeling as though I was repressing my own feelings, becoming relatively submissive and subservient and there was a blow-up when things didn't go as planned. It can be frustrating when over a period of time one person feels they are doing all the work. Not for the faint of heart - be warned it can backfire unless you have a receptive partner.

What a relief it is to consider that you alone, without the cooperation or consent of your spouse, can work to improve the quality of your relationship...Wow! I found this book to be very empowering and uplifting...forcing me to focus on the good rather than the negative aspects of my relationship.

This book has fabulous insight into the male versus female habits, needs, tendencies and desires. I consider myself to be an optimist and a spiritual person, and most relationship books just don't "fit", and usually bring me down. I definitely plan to read more by this author, and I hope my spouse will as well.

When you read this book, make sure that you don't skip the "In Conclusion" section at the end...it brought me to tears, and truly put into words how I feel about my husband, and about life! We need to stop focusing on our problems and how to solve them, and just focus on the moment and the journey. Enjoy life...Begin now!

If you are frustrated with not getting enough effort out of your partner when it comes to getting a derailed relationship back on track this book will help. I can't say it is the best written book ever, but the ways it tells you to cope and take charge are enough to make it a worthwile read.

I wish I'd had this book when my first marriage ran into trouble. My counselor at that time told me the marriage could be saved only if both persons were willing to work on it and that one person could not save it alone.
The focus of this book is on developing fresh perspectives about the relationship, overcoming resentment, recapturing lost intimacy and solving major problems, one at a time. Don't give up without first trying these techniques.

I really didn't believe that I could change my relationship, by only working myself. Boy, did Susan Page show me I was wrong. Take note, this book is not for the lazy or the faint of heart. She has "exercises" that you must actually DO, many of which involve writing about yourself and your partner. She requires that you do some hard and sometimes painful analysis of your situation. It's not always easy, it's not always fun. But if you are willing to do the work, you will find that you CAN bring you and your spouse together.

Unlike some "self-help" authors whose main qualification for helping is that they sit in an office all day long giving advice to other people for a living (which is fine, but it's one thing to give advice and another entirely to take it!) or even just that they somehow got a book contract, the Blanchards set themselves apart by practicing what they preach. These are people who are, even as I type this, out in the world living what they love. They work for themselves. They split the year between two beautiful locations that they love(Vermont and Anguilla in the Caribbean). From reading the book and their blog (www.livewhatyoulove.com) I can tell that they really are happy people - and I do believe that's why only they could have written this book: b.c they've rolled with the punches, and made and continue to make changes to their course to facilitate a happy life!So who better to help me make the changes I need to make to be happy? For my money, I'd rather take advice from someone who has done it, not someone who thinks they know how I should do it, you know?

I found Changing Your Course to be a very motivating book - it's a rare combination of practical and inspirational. Using a simple 5 step program (D.R.E.A.M.) they walk you through all the real world details of how to make the changes you've been wanting to make in your life (whether big or small) so that every day you're doing something that you love.

I'm a happier person for having read this book!

I had been looking for a book that explained the technical aspects and the sales techniques of commercial real estate. This book combines them both. There is a lot of meat in this book instead of fluff. I highly recommend it!

Whether you're a real estate agent selling commercial and investment property or an investor purchasing and selling commercial real estate, the field of Commercial Real Estate Sales and Investment Property Sales is very complex, with a language all its own.

Challenges in commercial real estate sales include mathematical projections, return calculations, zoning issues, legal issues, contract issues, environmental inspections, tax consequences and the entire minefield lately of commercial mortgages and loans.

In the "Fundamentals of Listing and Selling Commercial Real Estate", Loren Keim, the author, has made the complex understandable with an easy-to-read book. An excellent job, I give it 5 stars!

Commercial real estate is an extremely complex arena loaded with a minefield of legal, financial and emotional pitfalls investors, buyers, and sellers of commercial property must avoid.

Loren Keim cuts through the fluff in his new book "The Fundamentals of Listing and Selling Commercial Real Estate" to highlight and explain the basics of commercial real estate transactions from how a commercial property should be analyzed and compared with other commercial real estate, how the income of the property should be analyzed and what financing methods are available and how to talk like a pro with all the commercial broker and investor lingo that's thrown around in the real estate industry.

This particular book should be mandatory to read for any real estate agent planning to represent a commercial property or an investor. The explanation of marketing commercial real estate in the Internet age, and the samples and dialogues alone are worth the price of admission.

Excellent book for a career in commercial real estate or investment real estate. Well written, lots of great examples, including explanations of 1031 exchanges, income analysis, site and property analysis, and more. Everything you need to be a success in the field of commercial real estate.

In the past, I had been disappointed when reading other books about Commercial Real Estate. I've seen real basic introduction books, books that define investment and commercial terms, but don't really explain them, and books that just paste together checklists about selling investment property or commercial property.

This book was totally different. "The Fundamentals of Listing and Selling Commercial Real Estate" was entertaining. It was understandable. And it helps lay out exactly what to do in order to succeed in commercial and investment real estate.

The Fundamental's part of the book is the best resource for commercial brokers I've ever seen. There are explanations of each subcategory of commercial property, not just the basics, and the terminology associated with each subcategory is in easy to understand language. There are wonderful explanations of all the various ways to calculate return on investment, why each one is preferred by some investors or commercial real estate buyers, and how to look outside the box for commercial financing sources. There's even a section on negotiating leases, the benefits of various types of commercial leases, and what clauses are practical to add.

The Practical part of the book lays out a complete game plan for success in your career, including step by step instructions for some prospecting and marketing methods, sample letters, and dialogues. It even lays out how to write a letter of intent and full contract.

I can't tell you how impressed I was with this book. If you're selling commercial real estate, this SHOULD be part of your library of information.

I skimmed through this book and it pointed me in the direction of other valuable resources. For that alone it was worth the price. That said, I agree with the earlier reviewer who said it doesn't provide much in the way of 'tactics'. I supposed you could call it 'grand strategy' wherein you get ideas on what to work on and then leads to other books.

For myself, I think most women I meet have a fair idea of what not to do (barring the wildly overemotional), but it's what to do that many of us could use the mentoring on. For example, working in an environment dominated by former military men, precise instruction on how to communicate effectively and/or come across as firm/tough but fair is helpful. The authors suggested "Nice girls don't get the corner office" which has much more in the way of concrete 'tactics' -- i.e. what words, postures, activities to avoid and which to cultivate.
So if you only have to by one book, it would be "Nice girls don't get the corner office". If you feel that you could use more broad advice and have the money to spare, buy both. Certainly this is more easy to read than some of the other career books I have encountered.

This book provides practical advice to support your efforts to be a great manager. Even if you do not have direct reports, the book can be a tool for you to evaluate the working relationship you have with your manager. The author's use of humor makes this an easy and enjoyable read. If it makes any difference, I am not just recommending this book to you reading this Amazon posting. I have recommended the book to three of my friends and even walked one of them right into the bookstore to make her purchase when we were out shopping. Enjoy!

As soon as I received the promotion I went to the bookstore to search for management books. This one was the best of the bunch! The writing is great and it is an easy read and very helpful! I have sticky notes and dogeared many of the pages! I refer to it often.

This book would be good for someone new to the job world but for any one else this book is basic common sense. I really expected more from the the description of the book was written.

The full name of this book is The Girl's Guide to Being a Boss (Without Being a Bitch). The title bothers me - it seems a marketing ploy to catch people's attention while perpetuating a stereotype which is more suitable to the 1980s than the current decade. There are thousands of great female bosses out there. Over half of all graduate students are female. I've worked for many companies and never have had a problem because I'm female - or had a problem with females in management.

That being said, I know many women have trouble in a position of power - and I know that some people still have an issue with women being *in* power. Heck, there are still people around who look down on people for having dark skin. So if this book helps people in that situation, it's doing a good thing.

One indicator of the mindset of the authors is that the book is about 200 pages long - but they explain that they originally had a chapter on "why being a boss sucks" and that one chapter ALONE was over 200 pages and had to be drastically trimmed. What an awful attitude to have!! That's like having a book for moms with a gigantic chapter on "why being a mom sucks". As we all know, the things you focus on end up being the things that take over your life. If you focus on all the awful things about being a boss, that is not a healthy way of living. Heck, why not choose a different career path then, one that does not involve management, if you truly hate being a boss so much? Some people simply are more happy not having control over others. That is fine.

I'm not saying that you should ignore the challenges of being a boss. Certainly, there are challenges! But they are simply skills you need to learn to master, not "being a boss sucks" situations.

What are some of the challenges? The book tells you that as a woman you are likely to "freak out" and must not do that. You must take responsibility for your team, on caring well for them. You have to give credit to them, not steal it from them. You have to stay "consistent, loyal and unbiased". You have to be firm but fair. Learn to delegate.

The book tells you these things via little stories, and by proving lists. For example, as a boss you should post this above your desk: make a to-do list, set goals, stick to deadlines, keep your word, get it in writing, be proactive, think of the entire company, contribute to your team, focus on the big picture, be your own cheerleader, sell yourself stick up for yourself, don't be personal, network, and find a mentor. The book gives you little mantras. Give constructive feedback, not personal criticism. Leave everyone's self esteem intact.

However, the book is not as great at providing actual solutions. It sends you a lot of messages, but does not provide a lot of concrete help. It says many times to be calm, cool and collected at all times - but doesn't give any advice for women who are emotional. It tells you not to be friends with your subordinates, not to drink with co-workers, and (I kid you not) to have all of your minions snap to attention when you enter a meeting room. It apparently is a bad sign if they keep talking when you enter, rather than all looking immediately to you and waiting with hushed breath for your next precious word.

I definitely agree that many of the suggestions here are good ones, if common sense. Praise in public, criticize in private. Don't focus on blame, focus on improving and fixing things. If you apologize, apologize specifically "I am very sorry for xxxxxx" rather than generically.

And I suppose if for some women the "chatty girl" approach of the book gets across a message that they did not understand or absorb otherwise, that is a good thing. We all learn in different ways, and we all have different styles.

Still, it bothers me that women would focus on the mindset of "I have to be careful not to be a bitch" - or that women would focus on the "being a boss sucks" idea. Again, if you have something stuck in your mind, it affects how you act and how others act towards you. It is far more productive to focus on "being a mentor to others is a fantastic opportunity" - and then find ways to make that happen and to handle any challenges that stand in your way. I would much rather see more books come out with that focus.