change Books

I thought this book was an academic waste of time. Like sure when we use computers things are going to be disrutive, like in other industries. This book provides little in the way of what is being done well now, and the sub disruction. They use abstract examples from other industries where they sould be focused on education.

Rocket Builders most influential author, Christensen, with his co authors has taken his theory of disruptive innovation and focused on the education sector. The authors do not lay blame but with Christensen's laser sharp analysis, peel back all the root causes of public perception and changing goal posts for education and what it has done to the institution over time. He then goes on to explain how classic disruption theory - which starts with non consumers and then slowly moves up the competency level as the incumbents are forced to retreat to higher value activities is already progressing in education. He predicts that by 2020, disruptive innovation will hit that 50% mark to turn the tables on other methods (monolithic education in this case) . They show how trying to bring the disruption inside present institutions can not succeed due to the constraints that are already in place. His statements ring true as we have seen the impact of disruption on public and private sector already.

Since his team always does their homework, you are exposed to fascinating research on the impact of verbalization on new borns up to 3 years old. They explain how that is an academic headstart any parent can give their child now. He posits that early kindergarten (after 3 yrs old) and other high priced interventions are doomed to a limited success rate. As well he quickly exposes the paucity (weak techniques and theory) of real research in education since it all to often stops short of causality ( I can certainly testify to that) . Then he explains how computer based education methods are already changing and adapting to the needs of a student centric model. He illustrates how Howard Gardners multiple modes of learning could be accomodated in the disruptive model.

Once again there is a second book within the book with copious research notes in every chapter. I am one of those professional educators who packed it in based on what I experienced as the overall futility of real change in education. Now this book has reawakened my interest in change in the education market - moving to a student centric model. If you have children or grandchildren - you need to buy and read this book. If you are in the e-learning market - it is required reading. Thank you McGraw Hill! I really liked it and it is as always an easy read with loads of detail if you want it.

"Disrupting Class" is a very interesting read for people interested in improving education here in the U.S. Dr. Christensen argues that the main problem with traditional schools is that they cannot provide individualized instruction that best meets each student's needs. As a home educator, I couldn't agree with him more. He sees computer-based learning as a "disruptive innovation" that will solve the problem of how to provide this type of "student-centric" learning to the masses (since not everyone can homeschool or hire a tutor for their offspring).

Dr. Christensen revisits the argument from his earlier book "The Innovator's Dilemma" that "disruptive innovations" don't initially compete directly against the current market leader's product but rather against nonconsumption. For example, in the '70's Digital had a very successful market for $200k minicomputers. Apple couldn't directly compete with DEC's minicomputers because their personal computers weren't good enough at the time to solve the problems that DEC's customers had. So Apple marketed its IIe PC as a relatively affordable toy for kids. Kids were nonconsumers so it didn't matter to them that the Apple wasn't as powerful as the existing DEC minicomputers. A few years down the road, however, improvements in PC technology rendered DEC's minicomputers obsolete.

Dr. Christensen argues that the traditional government-run education system will in the near future be "disrupted" by the innovation of computer-based learning. At first, online learning will compete against nonconsumption by offering classes in subjects where there isn't enough demand in any given school to justify offering a traditional course (such as a very advanced math one or an unusual foreign language). But eventually, He believes that the technology will improve such that computer-based learning will render the traditional model of education obsolete.

In "Disrupting Class", he postulates that demand for computer-based high school classes will follow an S-curve that will start to "flip" (significantly accelerate) in the year 2012. In the years between 2012 and 2018, Dr. Christensen projects that the share of online courses will grow from 5% to 50% of all high school courses. That timetable seems a bit ambitious to me personally, but I believe he's got the basic right idea about the growth in the demand for online classes.

The main problem I had with "Disrupting Class" is with the way it is written. It reads like a management consultant's report filled with buzzwords and jargon (not surprisingly Dr. Christensen used to work for BCG). It would've been much better had someone else gone through the authors' draft and re-written it in plain English. I found it very tiresome to have to stop constantly to figure out what exactly the authors actually meant by all their convoluted gobbledygook. Throwing buzzwords and jargon into nearly every sentence doesn't make the authors look smarter, just much less coherent!

The other thing I would've liked to have seen discussed in "Disrupting Class" is the question of whether or not it is good for children's brains for schooling to be mostly computer-based. Dr. Jane Healey wrote a very interesting book about a decade ago called "Failure to Connect" about some worrisome research findings on the negative impact of computer use on children. Has more recent research allayed or deepened those concerns? Before our society makes the shift predicted in "Disruptive Class", shouldn't we be examining this very important question?

Any prospective reader of this book should first read Hubbard's How to Measure Anything: Finding the Value of "Intangibles" in Business (for that matter, Christensen would have written a better book if he read Hubbard, too). Christensen rightly disputes some academic measurements, but too quickly dismisses better methods.

Apart from what he could have done better on the measurement issue, he makes a passionate case for getting out of the rut education finds itself in. Some of the recommendations might strike a business person or educator as a little impractical, but I think there is an interesting opportunity in every solution he proposes. True, there is a large genre of books about the need for change in education, but few take this angle. No educator's library should be without it.

Disrupting Class is a must read for educators, politicians, or anyone else who is interested in the field of education. The book provides a summary of Clayton Christensen's work on disruptive technology described in the earlier book the Innovators Dilemma. Horn, Johnson, and Christensen do an outstanding job of applying the theory of disruptive technology to the world of education. The book identifies a are large numbers of students being under served by the current model of education. This point is supported by the large numbers of students dropping out of school. The authors also state that many students are being underserved because a large number of schools do not offer a curriculum that is relevant and rigorous. This point is illustrated by the large number of virtual schools and charter school immerging in America. If you are interested in education you should read the book to see what education may look like in 20 years. If you are a politician trying to figure of how to fund an education system you need to read the book because it offers a more economical way to educate students. Or if you are a school administrator, like I am, trying to find a way to make your AYP goal you need to read the book because it will cause you to view the world in which we work a little differently. In closing, I have read numerous books on leadership, change, and specifically change in the field of education. I would place Disrupting Class in the top five of books I have read.

The current verson of this reference is highly recommended. It seems like they have kept doing what they do best - helping you think through your career direction, organize your approach to improving that situation, and pointing you in the direction of resources. Get a new copy. It is a great investment.

I think I have an idea of what the writer is trying to accomplish but his book could have been simpler and more concise. I found the book difficult to apprehend for people frustrated in life and unsure of what to do next. I'd like to give this warning...if you aren't inclined towards religion you will have problems with this book because the author uses God as an affirmative defense for the outcome of every decision the reader has to make. I believe in God but I also believe in free will and that God does not micro-manage our life styles. That God is concerned in long term consequences resulting from poor planning or the lack of it but not necessarily in every decision we have to make. That being said if you are already aware of the passion that drives you but aren't quite sure how to bring it to fruition there are perhaps, a number of other books better suited to the task of helping you realize your full potential.

This book is truly a lifesaver, and it's updated every year. I have not had to look for a job in 20 years, and didn't truly know how to write a professional resume. Not only did I learn alot about writing resumes but I also learned alot about myself! This is a book I will keep close at hand always. I love it!

For those unsure of what lies ahead, this book is the perfect must-read. It will guide you through the voyage of self-discovery to assist you in choosing the career/work environment that best fits your personality. What could be better than finding a career you love?

I don't understand why this book is considered such a classic reference. I found it badly written, not that useful, and WAY too religious. The chapter about how to determine your true mission in life is ALL about God and religion. You may agree or disagree with the author's religious views, but regardless I do not think that belongs in a job-hunting book. As a disillusioned corporate worker trying to change careers, I really needed practical, real-world advice.

The book seems to written for ADD people because it keeps repeating the same things only a couple of pages later. Also, some of his advice I disagree with - he keeps saying that the Internet is not a good way to get a job. What century is he living in?? I have gotten almost all my jobs over the last 12 years through applying over the Internet (Monster, CareerBuilder, etc.)

It has a few listings of sites that may be useful, but the book overall was a waste. Unless you want to bring it to your Bible study group.

I saw the movie which I enjoyed, and now am in the process of reading the book which I purchased on Amazon.....all good so far

An excellent read. It really opens your eyes to the world around us. Lots of laughs many tears and would love for a teacher like that around here for my children (England) that is! FAB!!!!! If fact have just ordered the other two related books x

this is a very good book, because it can educate everyone about the importance of the respect of other poeple with a different culture.It's also very easy to be read and contemporary.

I agree that this book was written retrospectively because I was confused by Ms. Gruwell's introduction myself. I read it more than once because I was sure I had missed something. She clearly wrote it beyond the original point she claims to have written it.

After reading only two of the first "Diary" entries I had to stop and check through the book to see who was responsible for adapting because to me the editing felt like over kill and took away from the natural flow of what were most likely compelling narrations at some point. To me it felt unnatural and contrived -- yes the stories were heart breaking, but I felt like I was getting the stories through the eyes of say a Diane Sawyer or a Lisa Ling report instead of through the eyes of the 14 old CHILDREN that had been through it.

Being a writer means finding your own voice. A big red flag went up for me when all of the entries were written in the same exact voice. The beginning entries were supposed to be private thoughts of FRESHMEN remedial students, but in no way was that reflected in the entries. You would be hard pressed to find a COLLEGE freshman these days with the vocabulary required for the entries.

Even if the student hadn't been remedial students the writing was so unbelievable! There is no way to convince me that any freshman in any academic level would chose the words and expressions to describe thier personal lives that were used in the entries. The editing did a huge disservice to the kids.

Through out the entire book, I found myself mumbling, "Yeah, right" and "What kid talks like this?" under my breath.

Of course we all picked up the book out of curiosity and admiration, but lets face it-- we also wondered about the authenticity. That is what hooks the reader from the start, draws you in and keeps you engaged. That is what shines more light on the cause.

To those of you who will figure this in bias to "inner city kids" save your breath because I was one. Also, I wanted to identify with the kids, but oddly enough, even though the subject matter is real and gritty, it feels forced and I dare say flowery. It seems they left in the four letter words for shock value, but took out the rawness, which as a reader I am much more interested in.

Although I was a little disappointed by writing style; I applaud and support the students and Ms. Gruwell and will continue to follow news about the Freedom Writer's Organization, but I must admit I was very much looking forward to settling in for an captivating read and I feel let down.

I also have a very difficult time believing that the projects the students discussed in their entries took place all in one school year let alone in one semester. You figure each class is less than an hour long there simply isn't enough time in a curriculum for it to hold true.

(Also, the movie is supposed to be an honest depiction of the book and there were entries that somewhat resembled some of the journal entries that were read aloud to narrate the movie, but the outcomes of the entries in the movie were completely different than ones in the book. So which is true the harsher stories read in the movie or the moralistic entries from the book?)

After seeing to movie and feeling moved to learn more about this group of writers, I purchased this book. As with the movie, there are some harsh realities brought to light, but it's a good read. Having grown up in a relatively easy-going community in very white America, I felt it was a good experience to see that things are not so easy for MANY kids. Now that I'm raising my own kids I feel it's important for them, also to gain a bit of perspective. This is really an important piece of literature...thanks to those who brought it to the public.

I wanted to see what inspired Oprah to say this was one of the most outstanding books she ever read. It was the biggest bunch of fluff I have ever read. It says we need to work together to accomplish goals and to end partisan bickering. Then it says unlike Republicans who cut student loans or spent millions to defeat Democarts. It is the life of a man who had not even been in the U.S. Senate yet. How does someone with no background win an election and the next month get a three book deal for 1.9 million and it go unnoticed? This was a novice who got paid to write whatever popped into his head for the sake of money.

If you want to know THE REAL Senator Obama, this book will tell you. Don't listen to the media talking heads. Read this book. You will be impressed by a man of integrity and strength. His views are mixed, both liberal, in the middle, and conservative.

Barack Obama is an inspiration to everyone, regardless of your political affiliation. This should be required reading in schools across America.

It so happens that I'm finally getting around to writing this review just after the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention and just before Hurricane Gustav is about to make landfall at New Orleans. Both events underscore the importance of Barack Obama's book, The Audacity of Hope, in the public discourse of the early 21st Century. I think it's irresponsible for any American--and especially anyone who plans to vote in November--not to read it.

The next election for President of the United States is a contest between reason and emotion. At last week's convention, some of the greatest minds in the world today appeared in support of the most highly educated group of office-seekers in history (including both members of the Democratic ticket and their wives). From the euphoria evident in television broadcasts, a casual observer could get the impression that the entire event was about feelings. But it wasn't. It was about justice and poverty, nuclear proliferation and terrorism, the state of the planet and the state of humanity. Thoughtful speeches were made by brilliant people who have devoted decades of their lives to understanding these complex issues and struggling to make the world a safer, happier place.

Then Senator McCain made the astonishing choice of Sarah Palin--a woman who apparently believes in creationism but not global warming--to be his vice-presidential running mate. I believe that history will show that this was not a shrewd political move; it was an impulsive act by a famously impulsive man.

I first read a book about global warming in the 1970s. Even then, scientists knew that unchecked human expansion and the increasing burden of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere would bring about dramatic changes in weather patterns, resulting in much greater variations of temperature and more violent storms than the earth has experienced in the brief period of human habitation. Hundred-year events would become annual events, and five-hundred-year storms would begin to be seen with some regularity. So why are some people still surprised that it's happening?

We are decades behind making the changes we should have been making to preserve the planet in a habitable condition for our children and grandchildren (much less generations beyond those of this century). In my opinion, we can no longer afford the luxury of political correctness or the laissez-faire attitude that one opinion is as good as another. We need someone leading the most powerful country on earth who is extremely well-informed, clear-headed, skilled in communication and consensus making, and concerned about the things we all should be concerned about. As this book makes abundantly clear, that person is Barack Obama.

Just pure, from the heart, quality work from a true patriot of the United States. Don't judge this man until you read what he believes. I was a diehard Republican until giving him a chance. I'm so glad I made the decision to read this fine work. Go Obama!

I have gained so much information about menopause from this book. Christiane is wonderful at telling it like it is and I am so grateful for that. We can do so much to take charge of our own lives and this book gives all the angles, from homeopathy to medicine/drugs and learning to trust our instincts. Women need to begin by taking real care of themselves and everything else falls into place. If you have questions about menopause READ THIS BOOK! And live it's message.

The Wisdom of Menopause: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing during the Change (2nd ed.)
By Christine Northrup, M.D.

Written as only a woman could write about the complexities of going through menopause, Christine brings her vast conventional knowledge into a perfect relationship with complementary medicine. She sees menopause as an opportunity for creating emotional and physical health by addressing the symptoms along with their emotional counterparts. Christine guides you step by step in easy-to-understand language by helping you find your own body wisdom. Christine Northrup is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist with more than 25 years of experience and past president of the American Holistic Medical Association. She has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, The View, and Good Morning America.

Dhara Lemos, Lotus Guide Magazine (www.lotusguide.com)

I thank God for this book. I have been reading books for 10 years trying to find the answers to what is happening to me. This book is for women who not only want to know but want to know how to respond and help get through it with sanity intact. This is THE best resource. Men just don't get it. I'm sorry, but no male doctor book has the depth and understanding this female doctor has. It is worth so much more than the price....it's priceless.

This book isn't what I was expected. I expected to learn more about the stages before menopause, and I did, but I didn't expect to read something that, in some ways, was depressing. The author explains her life and how menopause affected her when she didn't realize it, causing her marriage to fail. But with me, this is the happiest time of my life with a new marriage. It's hard to read the depressing divorce stories while my marriage is happy and a new beginning on life.

I was very disappointed with this book. I was looking for a book that discussed the body changes with menopause. Instead I got a book that was very pro divorce. It was interspearsed everywhere throughout the book. Very sad that alot of people might read this book because the author is well known and they will be encouraged to drop everything and think only of themselves at the expense of their families, especially their children. I ended up throwing the book in the garbage can.

DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK IF YOU'RE SELF TEACHING!

This is book is required for my general chemistry for science majors class. What a terrible book, I hope that there is a better chemistry text out there.

My first complaint is the large number of mistakes I've found in the book, usually a missing division sign or unit. Without searching I've found at least five in the two months I've been using this book. This is a fourth edition, for the price of the book and this many reprintings I expect a better editing job.

Secondly it is written from the stance that the reader has a science background and often I find myself puzzling over a single problem for up to an hour trying to figure out how the author arrived at the conclusion (And I have a science background). The writers make too many assumptions when writing out an example problem and don't adequately explain their reasoning. Each concept has two example problems, the first has the solution written out. IF you want to know the solution for the other "example" you're going to have to buy the solutions manual for an additional $65.

Third, the solutions manual has mistakes as well, even comparing the answer from the back of the text to the solutions manual the authors are not consistent.

There are not very many simple problems to drill a student with a concept, the authors approach is the exact opposite. Assume the reader "gets it" after a single example problem and then at the end of the chapter increase the difficulty level of the problem ten fold. The problems are good if you want a challenge and want to develop problem solving abilities, but are useless for developing the fundamental concepts that the book is supposed to teach.

I would recommend the Silberberg text to someone who wants a refresher, but if you're new to chemistry, avoid at all costs!

along with chemistry the central science by brown, this is a great book. i think using both books in tandem is well worth it.

It is a very good text book and it was cheaper than the bookstores at the university.

Although this book essentially starts from scratch, I'd recommend it to people who have already had high school chemistry. If you haven't had that, you should still do okay, but you may have to spend some extra time and effort since some of the most basic concepts are only skimmed over. They spend much more time on the material that you probably didn't cover in depth in high school chemistry.

First off, I would say that the book's content is excellent. It is an introductory (sort of) textbook, but it covers most of its topics in plenty of depth (at least as much as you would expect from an introductory general chemistry textbook). Also, the book does a great job at explaining the material in a clear fashion and it provides tons of illustrations. It is a very visual text and the author is obviously aware of the fact that visualizing chemical structures is extremely useful in understanding many of the concepts. This is especially useful in the section on covalent bonding.

The book also provides tons of useful exercises at the end of each chapter. The exercises range from very easy to fairly challenging, but they never seem too frustrating. Generally, I'd say that the exercises leaned more towards "easy" and are mostly just straight-forward applications of the material. Note: If you're having trouble, check out the ChemSkill Builder site. The exercises help a lot and it gives you useful feedback.

Whether it's for a class or for self-study, I would pick this book over any other.

This book is in very good shape. It is a paper back version but the contents are exactly the same as a hardback version. The pages and chapters are the same. The cover of the book has slightly curled edges due to it being used. Other than that, the book is in good condition.

Another time of uncertainty. Another copy of Parachute. It changes; it's eternal. Is it really the 39th edition? What's he going to do for #40? Have I been a part of this phenomenon THAT long?

My question was, "do I need a new edition?" When I looked at my 2000 copy and saw Bolles recommending metacrawler, I knew the answer was Yes. He recommends buying a new copy if yours is older than 2005.

More, do the work. It's not a book to read and shelve. I don't think my answers will change very much, in their heart, but the world has changed since the first time I filled in the petals on that flower and therefore the opportunities for using my skills / gifts / etc. have changed, too.

10M copies sold. I've had three or four myself, so maybe that only represents a market of 2.5M job hunters. Hard to say. Perhaps the tide shifts. Bolles' work and guidance complements the Strengthsfinder philososphy of finding what you want to do and are good at, rather than repairing imagined weaknesses and attempting to compete with people who are naturally good at tasks you hate. (Perhaps it's the other way around.)

I don't remember being (able to be) as clear about my values--where (in what arena) I want to apply my gifts. Maybe that's age; maybe the book changed. Kinda wish I'd kept all my copies along the way, now.

If only there were a way that an Amazon review could actually nudge a reader into not only buying the book, which is easy, but also DOING the book, which is harder, and then even more, ACTING on the knowledge that can be revealed. This IS the easier, softer way.

"What Color Is Your Parachute" is the first book you need if finding a job is your goal. If you've not bought this yet, you haven't started looking. It is that good.

Richard Bolles is the expert. His books sell because they are fresh each year with insight, purpose and ideas for determining what job you should do, and how to get it.

I used "Parachute" to get my first job. It continues to influence me today, as I keep my eyes open for a possible career change. As I have trandsitioned from nonprofits to corporate work, to freelance/consulting to looking again at nonprofits, I take what Bolles' teaches into each situation. He helps balance out reality. No smoke and mirrors, but encouraging and candid exhortation.

Thoroughly practical, Bolles asks you questions about your mission in life. His belief is that just getting a job (any job) -- even ones you are good at -- won't be a wise decision in the long haul. He helps you see your passions mixed with skills and experience, and guides you to getting there. Though it is hardly a self-help book, it is far more useful than the ones clogging up the Top 10 list.

He keeps you accountable. Finding a job is your job if that's what you say you want. And if you aren't working, he won't let you make excuses -- you've got the time. Either you are looking or you aren't. Dr. Phil could take a note from Bolles' direct yet congenial style.

Bolles has kept current, with a significant look at the internet, starting your own business, dealing with the tempestuous employment marketplace, working in an unpleasant situation, and more.

Don't bother with the hardcover. You need the paperback. This is not a sit-on-the-shelf book, but a get-down-to-business book, and you'll appreciate the flexibility while at work or on the train.

I fully recommend, "What Color Is Your Parachute" by Richard Nelson Bolles.

Anthony Trendl
http://anthonytrendl.com

Excellent book. I promise you'll learn a lot! Great info to take back to your organization. It provides a different mindset on how to do things and that in itself is worth the read. You'll also be amazed at what companies are doing to stay abreast and be shocked how those who aren't doing are staying in business...but may not be for long.

This book provides a good overview of how collaboration is starting to change industries and social networking. Even for someone who is part of the Internet generation, this book examinees many different angles, and presented cases that even I, a veteran Internet junkie, knew very little about. The book does an excellent job of explaining why supporting open platforms has the potential to be extremely profitable. The sections about Linux and Goldcorp seemed particularly solid, providing clear evidence of accomplishments that would not have been possible if the companies involved had chosen to pursue their goals as a closed entity.

That said, the book make some stumbles towards the end, when it tries to argue that open collaboration is just as beneficial for manufacturing physical items as it is for creating and exchanging information. Three of its primary studies are Boeing, Chinese motorcycle manufacturers, and BMW. The Boeing case study was done before the actual end product was ever complete. Perhaps things were going well at the time, but Boeing has hit significant delays since then, and has also bought out one of the companies it was collaborating with. The example of Chinese motorcycle manufacturers seemed sketchy, because it is quite arguable that the Chinese manufacturers in question engaged in some actions that were not intellectually honest. And the example of BMW also seems poor, because while this book seems to praise BMW's model as a way of making innovative products, auto industry buffs agree that BMW's "user interface" is one of the worst in the industry.

Even so, this book is well worth four stars, because it presents original ideas that I don't think you can find articulated anywhere else. If you're interested in where business will be heading in the future, buy this book.

The theme of this book is simple enough to understand and clearly stated at the beginning of the book: More minds and new technologies are allowing more people to share information and ideas, collaborate and innovate in ways the world has never seen, all of which will lead to more rapid and innovate change in the way we live our lives and interact with each other. The remainder of the book is merely examples of how this has happened and how the authors believe that the open sourcing of everything will continue to grow. The book was published in 2006 and while Facebook, flickr, Wikipedia and Linux, among other sites, were up and running and using mass collaboration and user-created content to gain popularity across the web, many more sites have become more popular in the past two years (YouTube or Twitter, for example). The trend will continue to grow. Companies large or small expecting to do well in the next decade will be left behind in the business world if they fight mass collaboration and the opening and transparency of their proprietary information to both their employees and their competitors. In short, resistance is futile. Mass collaboration is the future and the world can benefit immensely because of it. Let's hope we all do.

This is a great book! Highly recommended.

I read about 5 - 8 business, marketing, technology and auction related books a month to stay on the cutting edge in my auction business. The internet is playing an increasingly important role in my industry and I have been studying about different ways to harness the power of the net to benefit our auction clients. A lot of what is out there is marginal at best....but not Wikinomics, I read this book with highlighter in hand and it is marked up all over the place.

My son and I spent 18 months and over $100K building the latest and greatest live online auction system, which is just about complete and ready to launch. We had lots of new features in mind that we thought would have to be added later...now we are going to use these ideas and bring them to market even quicker. Plus, I always knew there had to be more things possible that I haven't even thought of yet, by harnessing the power and the wisdom of everyone interested, I know we can bring a world class live online auction solution to market quickly and efficiently.

Thanks Don and everyone at Wikinomics, your work is very important and appreciated.

Alan Armstrong, President of ArmstrongAuctions.com, FlyBoysToys.com and Big Gavel Inc.

This has to be the most straight forward explanation about social media to date. It is clear, and makes causal links throughout! Great

One of my long term favourite expressions is "set a pace you can maintain forever but sense of urgency wins". Sense of urgency is very much tied to Time Management. People and companies with a sense of urgency win. Its that simple.

Sense of urgency has been one of my secret tricks over the years. Now, John Kotter has written a very simple, fast, easy to read book on the topic called "A Sense of Urgency" that not only explains why we need a sense of urgency but explains strategy and tactics on how to develop it and make it real.

Kotter especially speaks of the need for urgency in times of change.

He also speaks of the dangers of false urgency - how to identify it and deal with it. All appearances of high activity and action are not neccessarily true or positive urgency.

Some text from the book (greatly summarized):

Crucial first step in his framework: creating a sense of urgency by getting people to actually see and feel the need for change.

1. If a sense of urgency is not high enough, everything else becomes so much more difficult.

2. Success easily produces complacency.

3. The opposite of urgency is not only complacency. Itâ(tm)s also a false or misguided sense of urgency that is as prevalent today as complacency itself and even more insidious.

4. Mistaking what you might call false urgency from real urgency is a huge problem today. People constantly see the frenzied action, assume that it represents true urgency.

5. It most certainly is possible to recognize false urgency and complacency and transform each into a true sense of urgency. There is a strategy.

6. Urgency is becoming increasingly important because change is shifting from episodic to continuous.

Put simply a strong sense of urgency is moving from an essential element in big change programs to an essential asset in general.

The number one problem they have is all about creating a sense of urgency - and that's the first step in a series of actions needed to succeed in a changing world.

False urgency is a condition that is very different from complacency. While complacency embraces the status quo, false urgency can be filled with new activities. While complacency often has a sort of sleepy quality, false urgency is filled with energy. False urgency is built on a platform of anxiety and anger.

Anxiety and anger drive behavior that can be highly energetic - which is why people mistake false for true urgency. But the energy from anger and anxiety can easily create activity, not productivity.

The Strategy

Create action that is exceptionally alert, externally oriented, relentlessly aimed at winning, making some progress each and every day, and constantly purging low value-added activities - all by always focusing on the heart and not just the mind.

The Tactics (you really have to read to book to understand these)

1. Bring the Outside in
2. Behave with Urgency Every Day
3. Find Opportunity in Crises
4. Deal with the NoNos

Speed will only increase. A sense of urgency will only become more essential.

John Kotter, professor emeritus of the Harvard Business School, has just written his newest book, A Sense of Urgency. It's an excellent explication of the first tenet of Kotter's now well known 8-step change theory (From his book Leading Change):

1. Establish a sense of urgency.
2. Create a guiding coalition.
3. Develop a vision and a strategy.
4. Communicate the change vision.
5. Empower employees for broad-based action.
6. Generate short-term wins.
7. Consolidate gains and produce more change.
8. Anchor new approaches in the culture.

Kotter believes that urgency is critical to this whole process; simply put, no urgency--no change.

Kotter drills down into the weeds on establishing a sense of urgency and gives the reader some clear reasons for improving companies:

Successful companies tend to be complacent and do little; companies that raise a false sense of urgency run around like chickens with their heads cut off--frazzled; only those companies working off a true sense of urgency tend to produce change that matters. Kotter further explains that complacent and under-fire companies are too focused on the internal (strengths and weaknesses) and very little on the external threats and opportunities. If you'll recall the well-known strategic planning mantra S.W.O.T (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunity and Threats), Kotter's urgency theory makes a lot of sense. Again, the progressive and productive companies look not just inward but especially outward--at how opportunity and threats must be faced squarely.

To increase this sense of urgency, the author provides a simple but effective strategy: "Create action that is exceptionally alert, externally oriented, relentlessly aimed at winning, making some progress each and every day and constantly purging low value-added activities--all by always focusing on the heart and not just the mind."

You'll need to read the book for the valuable detail that Kotter provides. The following is a cursory overview:

1. Bring the outside in (connect to the customer and the world outside the corporate walls).
2. Behave urgently every day (make urgency--not anxiety or anger--part of the culture focused on external opportunities and threats).
3. Find opportunity in crisis (be careful but look for opportunity in the midst of any crisis).
4. Deal with the NoNos who block change (neutralize and remove those urgency-killers, who will keep the group in a deadly complacent static state in an ever-changing world. Healthy skeptics are not a threat, but the NoNos are).

Kotter has hit the nail squarely in this easy-to-read book. Having seen all sorts of companies up close, I think Kotter has described a practical method for getting people to be productive--by creating a real sense of urgency.

Easy to read and very insightful. I would recommend to read one verse a day and reflect on the message of the day.
You will benefit more if you keep an open mind.

There are not many books written today that actually give you a blueprint and a spiritual menu of verses that can change your thinking and your life. Author and lecturer, Dr. Wayne Dryer, continues to give readers illuminating and entertaining literary works. His newest book "Change Your Thoughts change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao" is all one might need to build a true foundation of spiritual and emotional health.

He tackles life by showing us the real wisdom of the Tao in today's social environment. He makes a wonderful case that shows how this wisdom is still just as valid in our lives today as it was hundreds of years ago. This book is about old ideas that never grow out of date - that is real wisdom!

I believe the best way to read this book is to savor it like a rich food - digesting just a chapter a day. The ideas seem so simple at first but they carry so much energy. If one truly took all that this book presented as their personal spiritual quest they would surely be better and more compassionate people, if not enlightened.

I think the power of what is in the Tao that he quotes and interrupts is in how each person will resonate with different verses and thoughts. This book cuts across all of life and is not just a book but could become a way of living.

The book is well written and made even more interesting by the interjection of Dr. Dyer's personality. It is a good combination that may transform the reader. What more could you ask of any self-improvement book.

Dr. Dyer clearly and simply explains each small step suggested. Very "easy" to listen to his voice on the CD's. CD's make it easy to stop at chapter endings and take in each suggestion and its ramifications before going on to the next one. That your thoughts strongly affect your life and health is a well accepted fact by now - and the suggestions from Dr. Dyer for living the simplicity and wisdom of the Tao enhanced my own faith - did not conflict with it. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Inspiring, thoughtful and creative sum it up. Wayne continues to deliver a great read! Those curious about the Tao will savor each page.
Finding Your Costa Rica : 5 Powerful Steps to Personal, Professional and Financial Success

Reading this book really did help me change my thoughts, and thereby my life. When my wife tells me "You are different" I guess it means that it really does work. Oh, and the changes have been in a positive direction. I look at life in a completely different way, and I am truly enjoying life today. I have also purchased many more Wayne Dyer books since reading this, and they are all wonderful!