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How much of Arthur resides in all of us we may not know, but if the main character of Michael Dahlie's new book, "A Gentleman's Guide to Graceful Living" is any indication, it might be more than we think. Or at least it was with me. Dahlie presents a tour de force in his portrayal of Arthur, the sixty-something recently-divorced loner who, unsteadily but unsparingly, goes about picking up the pieces of his midlife crisis. To be sure, there are those who help him along the way, but there are those whose roadblocks to empowerment are sometimes so strong that Arthur seems bewildered about how to respond or make a move.

The author's narrative is riveting in its simplicity and his feel for Arthur never wavers. It doesn't take long for the reader to know that we're all in this life with Arthur, cheering him on, picking him up, urging him forward and hoping for the best. Through it all, Arthur maintains a special individual integrity accompanied by gin and tonics, scotches, wine, lobster, the Catskills, France and Manhattan and more than one woman. While it might be nice to have money or have had it, Arthur is always on the edge, and so is the reader.

One wonders how Arthur would have fared if he had been truly alone...no family, fewer friends, widowed or perhaps even gay. That's a sequel for the author to consider. But in "A Gentleman's Guide to Graceful Living", Michael Dahlie has set a high standard of entertainment and desire with just enough of a trampoline cushion to keep Arthur afloat and all of us happy...and wanting more.

In A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO GRACEFUL LIVING, Michael Dahlie presents us with a rather unique central character by the name of Arthur Camden. Arthur sounds perfect on paper. He is from old money. He has had many things handed to him, and lives what looks like an enviable lifestyle. Inherited wealth which allows him to be a member of New York society, nice homes, expensive clothes, the ability to dine in the best restaurants and to travel wherever he pleases. On the surface, Arthur seems very, very lucky.

However, Arthur's life is in crisis. His wife wants to divorce him for reasons he does not quite understand. He's ruined the family business and a vicious relative treats him with contempt in front of his son. His inherited membership in the very exclusive fly-fishing club called Maidenhead Grange is terminated because he broke an important rule of the club and ended up causing a fire. There are more than a couple of situations that turn out to be completely hilarious! Truth is, Arthur does not understand how any of these things happened. He always meant well and tried to do the correct thing and play by the rules. He searches his mind and memory to try to discern how all of the events came about, but again, he's not always sure how he could have done anything differently, but he wants to change.

In spite of the fact that Arthur does blunder along through life, it's true that he's a nice guy and means well. The real indication of a good story is when the reader personally cares what happens to the characters. With each page, I was cheering for Arthur and hoping against hope that he would not do what I could sense might be coming along in the next paragraph. The author takes the reader into the unforgettable life of a man who does his best to always be a gentleman. I believe that I have met an Arthur or two before in my life, but thanks to Michael Dahlie, now I may understand them a little better!

A very pleasurable read!

Once I started reading this book, I couldn't stop. As I approached the end, I slowed my reading as much as possible in order to squeeze as much time as possible with the hapless, and totally likeable, Arthur Camden. I lost track of the number of times that I laughed out loud. A highly entertaining debut from a talented writer. Looking forward to reading more from Mr. Dahlie.

This book has the wonderful quality of being sad, funny, and intriguing at the same time. As I got further in, I dreading finishing it and then having no more pages to turn. I am looking forward to Dahlie's next book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It's a page turner as the story unfolds of the misadventures of the protagonist Arthur. He's sort of a blue-blooded 'everyman' who faces one personal disaster after the next in his pursuit of peaceful, retirement years. I cringed at some of his pitfalls (the same way I cringed at the actions of the David Brent character in the BBC version of "The Office"). You can't help but cheer this guy on as he embattles his own damaged psyche and various foes. I especially enjoyed Arthur's ill-fated trip to see a childhood friend in France (things go wrong to say the least - well pretty much everything goes wrong for Arthur).Thanks to the author for a very enjoyable read with good laughs along the way.

I love the emphasis on scripture Gary Smalley has in this book. If you hide the word of God in your heart, it really will change your life. Thank you, Dr. Smalley for being so transparent with your personal struggles. Great book!

This book has great truth, though it was hard to read and discover all the areas of my life that sin still had a hold on, it was a true blessing to grow closer to God.

Gary Smalley has written one of the most amazing books I have ever read. Reading his story about how we walked away from the rewarder and worried about the rewards shows how we can all get caught up into worrying about worldy stuff. Gary takes us back to the basics, back to the bible and the word of truth. This book has changed my life, and I know it will change yours.

This is the most amazing book, but you have to do what he says to see results. If you aren't serious about changing your life, don't bother ordering. If you REALLY want a life of true freedom...order now.

I have always found good things in Dr Smalley's books...this one had some real practical suggestions that fit many different problems. His candor about his own life struggles and experience's make you feel like he's in this struggle with you and isn't talking down to you. He "has and is" struggling with some of the same problems we all have. I have wondered why I struggle to gain a closer relationship with God. Opening up my heart to other's is the key to opening my heart up to God.

David Maister did it again. For any CEO of a small business make sure you read Chapter 18.

Although Maister is writing for and about professional services companies, I think his ideas about strategy apply to almost any type of business. The "Fat Smoker" analogy is memorable, and it means that we don't always do what we know is good for us, even when it comes to running a business. In order to achieve great results, we have to break the old habits that have kept us in the same old ruts. Most of the book concentrates on ways we can develop the right attitude toward our own work, interact more effectively with co-workers, and build inspired, cohesive organizations. For some people, this book will be like preaching to the converted. But for business leaders and professionals who think the individual is more important that the organization, or who lead by intimidation, it will be a challenging read. Although Maister has an easy to read style, there is nothing easy about his ideas. He shares great wisdom obviously the result of long years grappling with organizational problems at a high level.

David Maister's newest book, Strategy and the Fat Smoker; Doing What's Obvious But Not Easy, is a good one if not a cohesive one. Written in a very engaging style, packed with stories that illustrate the point, it is both an easy read and a thought-provoking collection. While it is not a seamless, chapter-building-on-chapter "how-to-do-it," it is full of individual sections that independently are brilliant. The first section alone (on strategy in general) has several great takeaways. Particularly if you are building a personal services company, this is a very handy resource.

It's a new year and you want to lose weight. You know what to do. Odds are, however, that you will not do it.

So it goes with professional service firms strategies. Every firm knows what to do but they just don't do it. Why? Because they aren't sick. Once they have that first heart attack things will change.

That is the central point David makes in this great book. He makes the point simply and effectively and this is a must read for every person who lives by the billable hour.

Heads of firms should skip straight to the chapter titled "The Chief Executive's Speech." Take it, put it on some note cards and give it the next beginning of the fiscal year all-hands meeting. This is what you should be saying instead of the things you've been saying before.

I hope to hear that some firm has ditched their current strategy and replaced it with David's. That firm will make more money than their competition.

Maister gets a lot right: appeal to an employee's own needs, not the greater corporate good(more work, less support makes for a bad rallying cry); embrace a relationship mentality in business deverlopment not a transaction on(as he bluntly puts it, go for romance and not a one night stand although many talk the first but do the second); understand that all can be rainmakers if you speak to their needs and intererests first with the money a nice side benefit, a consequence and not a motivator. His chapter on law firms is disheartening.He says that they are so different from other PSFs that they need their own chapter. His analysis:"(law firms are made up of)bands of warlords,each with his or her followers,ruling over a group of cowed citizens and acting in temporary alliance---until a better opportunity comes along." Beacuse of billing pressures, he says many partners hoard the work that needs to be pressed down. A final point, and one I disagree with---he seems to suggest that PSFs must only cater to the elite clients and there is no room for commodity work. Yet it is the commodity work which trains newer employees and, at times, fills in the dry periods between the more margin filled engagements.

As other people have stated that changing your handwriting and emphasizing certain cognitive change could lead to self-improvement, the "Vimala" alphabet I believe is not a practical in today's business environment. There are plenty of much better self-help books if that is what you need.

Hey. Nice to see a book on handwriting analysis with the idea that people can change. How hopeful. The idea of practicing (to write) a specific alphabet sort of gives me the creeps. Is'nt it enough to change a few "flaws" in the writing to get it within a field of the norm? Just reading this book creates an awareness of ones behavior and handwriting, enough to start making small changes here and there. It's a short, quick read, packed with great info.

I stopped handwriting in junior high and developed very neat printing instead. For years I felt vulnerable about my handwriting. I also felt a longing to shed myself of my handwriting discomfort and thought changing my writing patterns could have a profound positive influence on me. Then I attended a 3-day workshop which taught the principles found in this book. I was ready to confront my uneasiness with handwriting once and for all but also wondered if I would really be able to do it in a natural, flowing way. I actually wondered if my hand would cooperate! Well, not only did I discover some very plausible reasons for why I stopped handwriting in the first place but I also found out that, yes, much to my astonishment and delight, my hand was capable of beautiful handwriting.

For me, simply handwriting--without implementing the daily letter and writing practice she recommends--
brought a wonderful shift in me. I felt a deeper calm, more at ease. Perhaps not coincidentally, four months after switching to handwriting I became pregnant after five years of struggling with fertility issues. A couple of months ago I began the daily writing practice Vimala recommends and have already experienced many inner and outer miracles. For anyone who feels inspired to harness their positive qualities, dig for buried treasure, fulfill their dearest dreams I highly recommend Your Handwriting Can Change Your Life! Vimala's book is filled with wisdom and hope for us all.

I have been one of those people who hated the sight of their own handwriting. I always chose to type my assignments through college, even some math homework, when I was going to be turning it in for a grade. I finally realized that I wanted to change my writing and Vimala gave me a great book to assist with my desired change. The book is very informative and directs you in how letters should be written. At the sametime she allows you to choose exactly what changes you make. The book's name says it all, I no longer look at my handwriting like I want it to go away, now I want it to stay!

Interesting book. I can't say I gave it the time recommended, which was 40 minutes or more a day patiently practising the letters and the aspects of your writing you wish to improve. Its thesis seems hyperbolic and the actual writing style I didn't like. Instead, I now practice cursive italic, a style designed for fast, legible handwriting. It seems both more functional and aesthetically attractive to me than the Vimala style. Whats more, cursive italic was the chosen hand of the Italian middle ages; if Leonardo Da Vinci managed to struggle along without the benefits of the Vimala method of handwriting self-development then so can you and I.

My final impression? - I think there is something to the notion that diligent practice of a well thought out hand will have cognitive and character benefits. Vimala Rodgers is to be admired for her work and insights. What I'd really like to see is a similar method developed using cursive italic as a basis, and dare I say, with a bit more of a 'male' feel, to both its appearance and the associated character traits. I suspect that the Vimala method could be further developed/adapted according to one's own preferences once a good feel for it had been gained. For now, however, it's overall style fails to appeal.

Chandler is overly fond of quoting everyone possible to back up his ideas. He can quote four people in a single page. Problem is, the quotes, and many of his anecdotes, just don't have anything to do with what he was talking about. He has a few good ideas buried in blather (ten ways to motivate yourself would have been better), and re-packages the same ideas into different chapters, using different quotes and anecdotes in order to reach the 100 in his title.

This is amazing. I listen to this cd all the time. I started listening to the audio cd of 100 ways to motivate yourself about a year ago. He really helps you along your journey of self motivation...and it will change your life forever.

Create a vision, tell a true lie about yourself...a fantasy of what your ideal self is..work yourself into that ideal...

This book is insightful and loaded with practical ideas on how to get and stay motivated. It's easy to read and even easier to apply.

Jim Meisenheimer
www.meisenheimer.com

This man is a great person for making this into audio , my friend gave me this cd and as soon as I started to listen all my goals and thoughts became alive. I found my goals were not big enough and when I did make my goal as big as Mr.Chandler said My goals came into focus . My goal ? 5 Computer certs to make over $75,000 by the age of 27 im 26 and 90 % there with my recent raise.

The simple circle planets will have you go why Could I not have started this at age 18

Steve Chandler is an insistent, unabashed optimist, in the same vein as Norman Vincent Peale. He covers 100 motivational tips that stretch the imagination, factor in the impact of technology, and challenge you to evaluate your situation from different points of view. The choices you make can either motivate you or hinder you, so he provides a wide array of tips you can embrace, reject, or simply read and digest. You can implement the games and exercises to make working toward your dream goal more fun. Though much of the content is basic and available in other self-help books, we recommend this breezy paperback; you can carry it in your briefcase and open it up randomly if you're feeling low and want to get rejuvenated and motivated.

This is a engrossing book about what happens when a person who has made a career out of understanding "transitions" (and helping other people and organizations through times of transition) comes face to face with a gigantic transition. As Bridges dealt with the death of his wife and the concomitant end of a lengthy marriage, he found himself wondering if he really understood transitions at all. This book is the story of how he navigated that period in his life, how he achieved a new understanding of everything that had gone before, and what it has meant to him since.

There is a lot going on in this book. On one level, it is the story of a marriage. On another level, it is the story of how truly immersing oneself in the transitions one encounters can deepen a person's relationship both to the self and to the personal history that has created that self. And then there is the general philosophical musing about how a person can open himself to the possibilities that come with major life changes. It's not a book of ideas about what to do (for that, the same author has a couple of other books on transition), but instead it's a deeply personal reflection on the meaning of life and life's transitions.

Highly recommended for anyone who is of a contemplative turn of mind.

William Bridges revisits the topic of transitions after the death of his first wife. This is an emotionally powerful book and Bridges is brutally honest and open about his own personality and relationships. I give it 4 stars, though, because I'm not sure that he adds a whole lot to his orginal work on transitions.

The author is very professional in his knowledge of tranistion vs. change and the merging of the process so that one understands the need to understand transition and that understanding to facilitate change. It is a very personal account of his understanding of the value of "letting go". His wife of 48 years is about to pass and the culmination of their realtionship and acceptance of the change to come and the phases of tranistion. To me personally, the acceptance of "letting go" allowed me to move further into my life and relish the anticipation of what could be. But not until I "let go". To me that was an exceptional development. And it all had to do with understanding transition. I am deeply grateful as is my wife who is reading it now.

I often list the pros and cons of the books I review. This book, like most others, has a few drawbacks, but they are not important enough to list. What is important is to know that this book is one of the best guides possible for those who are going through losses and do not know where to turn. If you or someone you know is reeling from a major life set back this is the book you need to turn to. This book will help you process the loss, understand the empty feeling that follows, and will offer hope for a new beginning. This book is a first aid kit for the emotions.

William Bridges surprised me with this extremely well-written and personal book. I am an executive coach who had read many of his other books and have often recommended Bridge's Managing Transitions to clients and friends in the business world. I opened the book expecting to find a how-to manual on getting through midlife in business,or through the loss of a job or some other similarly difficult but containable business transition. What I found was a deeply personal (and to me intensely meaningful description of) William's own life transitions through his job changes, marriage difficulties, and most significantly the death of his first wife and the transition that ensued. This beautifully written book reads more like a novel than a self help book, but the fact that it describes real transitions at a very deep level is exactly what makes it helpful. I congratulate the author for having the guts to write it.

There are a lot of good books, too many for anyone to read any but the best. This is one of the best, with new insights on almost every page. Whether you love science already, or are doubtful about evolution and want to know the truth, this is the one book to read.

Darwin himself would be proud of David Sloan Wilson and his understanding of the biological principles of evolution and their ever expanding application to all things human.

Darwin was, and Wilson is, able to fully appreciate with awe the miracles of what we see around us everyday that have arisen from natural selection and chance and not creationism or intelligent design.

By his tone, I surmised that Wilson admired Darwin's quiet demeanor, fully understanding the world around him, and using the principles of evolution to integrate a great diversity of academic subjects. He wants to pattern his goals after those of Darwin, to gently share his inspiration with the rest of the world, being cautious not to upset too much any one political or religious group.

Wilson studied religions for three years and sampled 24 of them to create viable hypotheses regarding their purpose and nature from an evolutionary perspective. In the process, he became of a scientist and a religious scholar at the same time.

Now, in "Evolution for Everyone" he is suggesting with confidence that what he discovered about the evolutionary workings of religion can be applied to economics and politics as well, in addition to any thing else that has to do with life.

Wilson shows how Calvinism in Geneva was instrumental in solving the problem of factionalism, and helping the city survive as a social entity, and had evolved a sophisticated internalized system of government that prevented corruption and adapted to current needs.

He also points out that religious belief systems are more user friendly.

"They reduce the complexity of the real world to motivate a suite of behaviors that are adaptive in the real world. Ironically, the reason that trade-offs are absent from religious beliefs systems is because of a trade-off between maximizing factual and practical realism at the same time."

"Religions that build strong communities survive while other versions fall apart. The elements of a religion required for survival depend upon the surrounding social environment, so religions necessarily diversify as they evolve."

"Religions are good at providing practical benefits so that their members become wealthy, whereupon they lose the incentive to cooperate and try to loosen the very structure that lifted them out of poverty."

Wilson make a strong case to show that "religions not only adapt to their social environments but also change their social environments, leading to an endless cycle of corruption and renewal that has been documented by scholars for all religious traditions, around the world, and throughout history."

"Finally, there is the question of whether a belief system can combine the best of religion and science, enabling people to flourish in sustainable communities while remaining fully committed to factual realism. It is important to realize that this would be a new cultural adaptation, never before seen on the face of the earth."

E.O. Wilson's book hit me over the head back in the 1970's with the power of biology to explain behavior, and I have been hooked ever since.

David Sloan Wilson excellent book is yet another fix, another burst of realization of the powers of evolutionary theory.

Scott Richard Campbell
Author of RUSH: Fighting the Poker Al-Qaeda

I have to give this book low marks. As a casual observer for many years now on this planet I have found a few things that lend themselves to its existence being the result of a Creator.

1. Fruits and Vegetables growing on trees. I have noticed that the size of Fruits and Vegetables growing on trees and out of the ground etc. are basically the perfect size for human consumption. Like we are made for one another. Outside of some clever hybrid manipulation by humans, you won't find an apple the size of a car or a pineapple the size of a house. They are perfectly sized for us to eat.

2. There's water all over the place. It falls out of the sky, it can be found in vast resevoirs under the ground. We all need water to survive, it was kindly placed here for us to find for our consumption.

3. Electricity. I don't have a clue where that comes from (I think it comes out of the sky during storms and also when my pant legs rub together on a dry day etc.) but I know we can thank God for it. Otherwise none of my electrical gadgets would work, thanks God! (I say that while pointing my index fingers toward the sky!).

4. Space Food Sticks, I thank God for Space Food Sticks (see my review on Space Food Sticks if you don't know what they are).

5. Trees! Yes, without trees we wouldn't be able to have a whole bunch of paper to print the Word of God on. Build houses, boats etc. We can thank God for trees.

6. Eyesight and Hindsight. We can thank God for Hindsight and we can REALLY thank God for Eyesight. I thank God for it.

7. Language. Think about it for a moment. It is truly fascinating. We are made with a voice, a way to make sounds come out of our mouths. By moving our jaws, tongue and lips a certain way we can form words which mean something. Entire civilizations have been built because of this ability. I thank God for language. (My nephew is gifted in a way that enables him to make some very unusual sounds come out of his mouth, we can thank God for that as well).

The author is very pleasant in person. His manner, like his writings, is warm and gentle. In this book he assures us that we too can apply the same principles that have helped him become the sensitive understanding person he obviously is. But my prejudice makes me see his writings as velvet gloves for the same iron fists of physical determinism that more-hard-nosed professional atheists openly brandish. Richard Dawkins for example plays bad-guy, openly rallying atheists and fellow-travellers for battle against the church, David Sloan-Wilson instead portrays the church as the logical, almost welcome, outcome of evolutionary group selection, actually a much more insidious attack on the validity of faith than frontal assault.

I agree further enlightenment lies not in the church but in greater understanding of the processes of evolution. But I don't think it lies in the directions being pursued by David Sloan Wilson, even though his heart's in the right place. I hope his students in Evos are being introduced to a wider range of opinion and the possibility that human selves are not the outcome of physical determinism and natural selection alone. The procedures of science itself presume that hypotheses can be considered true or false, something impossible in a determined universe. What's true of reason cannot logically be ruled out for our other mental faculties. What kind of processes might be involved in the evolution of such faculties? As an early devotee to Positivism, Darwin couldn't ask himself this question. We can.

There are some books written by college professors that seem to have absolutely no regard for the time of the reader. I couldn't finish the book, but I forced myself to read 120 pages before giving up. The first 120 pages would have made a nice 4-5 page article. He just prattles on about his wife, and how many different species were running about somewhere they visited. However, there was almost nothing about evolution and how Darwin's theory could actually be used in our lives.

I do use Evolution in my life as a way to understand everyday things. This was what I thought the book would be about, rather than studies having little to do with regular life intermingled with ramblings about his personal life and prejudices.

I have enjoyed a number of economics books which look at everyday life. I see a close conceptual relationship between Economics and evolution (see Rothschilds' bionomics) and between Behaviorism and evolution (See Skinner's Phylogeny and Ontology of behavior). Wilson seemed unaware of these or evolutionary epistemology.

He seemed like an old professor making a timid step to beginning to think of something outside the classroom, but from the viewpoint of someone outside academia he just seemed to be sticking his little toe in the water and then deciding it was too cold.

It seems that everyone these days is reading a book like the Dan Millman books. I think there are better books out there. There was nothing in there that got to me in any way. I think reading a book about Buddhism is a better idea if you truly want to find peace in your life. These sort of books are really trendy and Oprah and friends make everyone want to rush out and buy these "life changing" books, but it takes more than reading. You have to apply the stuff too. Read Principals of Buddhism by Kulananda instead.

If you are new to Dan Millman, or an established reader of his, this book offers a background to many of his concepts originally introduced in PEACEFUL WARRIOR. I regard this book as Millman's best, as it outlines his wisdom in simple terms, without the fictional aspect. It is a superb follow-up to reading Peaceful Warrior. Millman has come a long way since his college days, and this is reflected in this book, a sometimes sombre and very mature assessment of his original work. I'm a huge fan of Dan Millman's, and if you appreciate his previous books, then this is a worthwhile addition to your collection.

If you enjoyed the original "Way of The Peacuful Warrior" this rejuevenates everything, and then some. I loved it.

READ ALL DAN MILLMAN'S BOOKS. THEY WILL ALL CONTINUE YOUR PERSONAL JOURNEY TO PEACE. STAY ON THE PATH! DAN MILLMAN HAS THE ABILITY TO REACH INTO THE DARK CORNERS OF THE MIND LIKE NO OTHER AUTHOR I HAVE READ. HIS BOOKS HAVE LITERALLY CHANGED MY LIFE.

This new Dan Millman book is just basically a repetition of what he says in No ordinary moments, Living on Purpose and the post-Peaceful warrior series. It seems as if Dan wants to squeeze the most out of Peaceful Warrior, and it seems that there is really no more to say about it.
I think Dan should try writing something new and original, we love Peaceful Warrior, but another book about it seems too much. You will find no new wisdom or new information, only the same stories, quotes, proverbs and phrases that appear all throughout his books -and I own them all-.

While the uses that are found in this book are plausible, most are minor and not really what is advertised. Most are everyday things, but you have to have a lot of non-everyday things to complete the project.

Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things: How to Turn a Penny into a Radio, Make a Flood Alarm with an Aspirin, Change Milk into Plastic, Extract Water and Electricity ... a TV with Your Ring, and Other Amazing Feats

an intesting book on home made things. I like most dissign exept the one that trips a camra. If i was a burgler i would take the camra. survival sution rives the boy scout book it sulf. i was and still is a very happy with book and plan to buy the whole sires.

I thought it was going to have some extraordinary ways on how to make the gadgets using the household items, but the devices are not very practical or convenient. might be a good space filler in a science class, or ideas for scientific experiments, but nothing i see that could be used in actual situations

Just be aware - nothing in this book would amaze anyone over the age of 10.

My favorite "project" - lash a piece of glass to a stick to make a "survival tool".

If you're old enough to have your own credit card to purchase this, you're too old for this book.

I bought this and couldn't manage more interest than casually flipping through to read the "My Story" sections. The advice itself seemed too vague and general to really be helpful.

Possibly helpful for someone who just needs some inspiration. Not so helpful for anyone looking for specific advice.

Poppy King, a self-taught entrepreneur who started a multi-million dollar company at age 18, shares her insight and wisdom in this beautiful book. Her specific lessons - ranging from how to make a fantasy an idea and an idea a decision, how to benefit from SWOT analysis, and how to shrewdly navigate the market - lead the reader through the journey of creating and maintaining a successful product (something she has done more than once!)

King's honesty and humor inspire but never overwhelm. Her advice is generous, logical, and level-headed. Keep it simple, keep it true, and be YOU, she tells us.

Having this book on my shelf makes me feel like I've got a big wonderful secret at home. It is truly hard to put down. Highly recommended for anyone who has ever dreamt of making a difference - in any field.

While many of us may sometimes have an original idea that we think will make us rich and famous, that same many will probably toss the idea aside thinking, Oh, I could never put that across" or "It probably wouldn't work anyway." And therein lies the difference between many and Poppy King.

When she graduated from high school in Australia (not too many years ago), Poppy didn't seem to have much of a future. Her grades had not been outstanding; she didn't really excel in any field. What she did have was a desire for something which eventually became an idea - an idea that grew into a multimillion dollar company. Within three years of her high school graduation Poppy headed the company that produced her own lipstick brand, Poppy Industries. She had sold her product to Barney's, and in 1995 was named one of the "Global Leaders of the New Millennium" by Time magazine.

Not bad for a young woman with a lackluster future! She accomplished all of this by dint of energy, enthusiasm, and a firm belief that she could do it. She shares her path to success, including setbacks and roadblocks, in "Lessons of A Lipstick Queen." As Poppy says, "I have taken everything that I have learned and plotted it out to show you how you, too, have what it takes. You can find, explore, and make any idea happen."

"Plotted it out" she has in 12 chapters, beginning with "You Already Have Ideas" in which she shows us to recognize the ideas that all of us have, and concluding with"Keep the Flame Alive," reminding us, among other things, that the customer is always right, and that our workers are treasure troves of ideas.

A motivational story at heart Lessons of A Lipstick Queen is geared to bringing out the entrepreneur in each of us.

- Gail Cooke

This book is about following your dreams and learning from your mistakes along the way. It is about never giving up even though the journey ahead appears hard and painful. It is a truly inspiring positive book filled with insight and wisdom.
Poppy King's honesty and humor makes this book a real joy to read.
Enjoyed thoroughly the "My Story" sections that were written with the specific lessons.
This is a truly beautiful book!!

I really liked this book a lot. It's a book written by a female entrepreneur who started her own company in Australia when she was 18. She winged it, and somehow it grew to be a real success despite her lack of a formal business plan. But eventually her lack of proper planning caught up with her and the company was forced into bankruptcy and as a result she lost control of it. This book is a compilation of 61 lessons she learned from her experience riding the wave of success as her company grew and then fell. The lessons are grouped in the following 12 chapters:

1. You already have ideas (1-6)
2. From ideas to decisions (7-13)
3. Research is simpler than it sounds (14-19)
4. Looking closer (20-23)
5. The road map (24-27)
6. On the money trail (28-33)
7. Marketing: Anyone can do it (34-38)
8. Putting yourself on the line (39-43)
9. The greatest show on earth (44-48)
10. Now you're moving (49-53)
11. The err is human (54-58)
12. Keep the flame alive (59-61)
Epilogue: The last word on the very beginning

This book is about following one's dream, taking risks, and going with an idea that could be built into a company. It is filled with words of wisdom regarding entrepreneurship. It is motivational, and includes tips and annectdotes that just about any wanta-be entrepreneur will find useful on their road to starting a small business of their own.

I wish I could list all 61 of the lesson titles in this review. But that wouldn't be fair or right. However, the 14 lesson titles that were my favorites were:

5. Fantasizing is essential
14. Avoid Complication
15. The destination determines the journey
16. Go back to school
24. Close the information gap
25. Start with the questions
26. Mapping it out
28. Ideas need money, and vice versa
34. Keep it real
35. Successful marketing: Something simple
36. Successful marketing: Something true
37. Successful marketing: Something consistent
38. Successful marketing: Something with a point of view
39. Strive for balance

The book follows a typical sequence. First the lesson learned is presented and then the author tells her story as it related to the lesson. If you are thinking about starting a business of your own, then seriously consider getting a copy of this book and giving it a read. You won't be sorry you did. 5 stars!