Editorial Review

Americans as a whole view themselves as reasonably prudent and sober people when it comes to matters of money, reflecting the puritan roots of the earliest European settlers. Yet as a community, we also seem to believe that we are entitled to a lifestyle that is well-beyond our current income, a tendency that goes back to the earliest days of the United States and particularly to get rich quick experiences ranging from the Gold Rush of the 1840s to the real estate bubble of the early 21st Century.
Inflated examines this apparent conflict and makes the argument that such a world view  is so ingrained in us that to expect the United States to live in a “deflated” world is simply unrealistic. It skillfully seeks to tell the story of, money inflation and public debt as enduring (and perhaps endearing) features of American life, rather than something we can one day overcome as our policy makers constantly promise.
•    Features interviews with today’s top financial industry leaders and insiders.
•    Offer a glimpse into the future of the Federal Reserve and the role it will play in the coming years
•    Examines what the future may hold for the value of the U.S. dollar and the real incomes of future generations of Americans
The gradual result of the situation we find ourselves in will inevitably lead to inflation, loss of economic opportunity, and a decline in the value of the dollar. This book will show you why, and reveal how we might be able to deal with it.
... Read more

Reviews

A Brilliant One Stop Shop Read Through Financial History, November 22, 2010
I first noticed the brains and talent in R. Christopher Whalen in 2007. I was a trader at Lehman and every time I saw Chris on CNBC I was blown away by his straight forward common sense approach to the inner workings of the world of modern finance. Chris called many ills of the financial crisis over a year before they happened. He's made me a lot of money on more than one occasion. His book is much like his personality and intellect. He traces the deep roots of our financial system soiled years ago and brings them right into the 21st century. The book is a MUST read for anyone in finance or someone who wants to learn how we got here. I really like the way the book ties together a behind the scenes look in Washington and Wall St. The book should be required reading for every Federal Reserve board governor as well, lets learn from history instead of repeating it.

Buy "Inflated" it's a great read.

Lawrence G. McDonald


New York Times Best Selling Author of "A Colossal Failure of Common Sense - The Inside Story of the Collapse of Lehman Brothers"

A Must Read!, December 8, 2010
I've read an insane number of books on the current economic crisis (I was Michael Lewis' research assistant for The Big Short) and this is one of the few that I would put in the "must read" category.

Very few of the recent published books on the US economic crisis have an adequate historical perspective. In Inflated, Chris gives us a very full history -- he starts at the founding of the Republic! The book is nonetheless extremely entertaining. I found myself captivated by it, and finished it fairly quickly.

Chris is an endearing narrator who is obviously more detail-oriented than many of his fellow commentators -- he clearly brings a high level of understanding to this work.

The book is very much of the Austrian School. I don't fully agree with some of Chris' views -- I think I'm generally more tolerant of inflation and inflation risk than he is.

Chris is quite pessimistic about the long future of the American economy, but I think I'm more pessimistic. He believes that austerity measures are required in the US and that the US will be able to weather these austerity measures fairly well socially and politically. I believe that the US cannot deal with austerity measures socially or politically -- therefore, they will not occur. The consequences of a lack of austerity are anyone's guess. Chris believes that high rates of inflation are inevitable without austerity -- I think high inflation and declining living standards are likely but not inevitable.

I find Chris overall views on debt and inflation quite similar to those of Peter Warburton, author of the truly incredible book, Debt and Delusion. The views of both of these authors are wholly different than the New Keynesian thinking of Ben Bernanke. I tend to slightly favor the Warburton/Whalen side of the debate.

Brandon

Largely Disappointing, December 19, 2010
I have followed Whalen in the media and at conferences over the past two years. I found him to be insightful but more importantly highly objective and independently minded. This did not come through in his book. The second half read slightly better than the first but the first came off as an inconsistent recitation of facts. The booked lacked first-hand thought which can be seen in the sheer number of footnotes, but what's worse, the few opinions he provided often didn't relate to his area of expertise (Lincoln's sole motivation was unity). I believe a number of statements were not properly researched as well, as was the case with his contention that FDR could not bring himself to raise taxes, while in fact the top income tax bracket was raised three times from 1932 to 1940 (going from 25% to 81%). I still believe Whalen is an outstanding analyst, just not a good author.

waste of time and money, December 26, 2010
I saw some of the recent Whalen's interviews on the corporate balance sheets, which I found logical and insightful, so I was enthusiastic to read his book. Unfortunately, there is nothing of that in it.
The book is painful to read. There is no data in it. I haven't counted, but I think there are less then 10 graphs in the whole book. The few numbers in the text are pretty random in terms of relevance to the point he is making and usually out of context. It is full of names and dates (person x became the y of z in year ... and he was bad for the US because he...). According to the author no one in power made anything right; not that he provides an alternative choice that is correct or even better. There is no science in the book; no theory, no logic, no analysis, no arguments. Only his personal conclusion, backed up by nothing or at best, obscure quotes from largely irrelevant people.
His whole position is that big government is bad, as well as debt, inflation, the FED, taxes, etc.
The good stuff? Hard money, Gold Standard, Milton Friedman / Anna Schwartz and even hints at deflation.
All in all a huge disappointment and a waste of time.
... Read more

Editorial Review

From an award-winning historian, a stirring (and timely) narrative history of American labor from the dawn of the industrial age to the present day.

From the textile mills of Lowell, Massachusetts, the first real factories in America, to the triumph of unions in the twentieth century and their waning influence today, the con­test between labor and capital for their share of American bounty has shaped our national experience. Philip Dray’s ambition is to show us the vital accomplishments of organized labor in that time and illuminate its central role in our social, political, economic, and cultural evolution. There Is Power in a Union is an epic, character-driven narrative that locates this struggle for security and dignity in all its various settings: on picket lines and in union halls, jails, assembly lines, corporate boardrooms, the courts, the halls of Congress, and the White House. The author demonstrates, viscerally and dramatically, the urgency of the fight for fairness and economic democracy—a struggle that remains especially urgent today, when ordinary Americans are so anxious and beset by eco­nomic woes. ... Read more

Reviews

The rise and fall of the American labour union
In this new book by Dray, there are an endless number of episodes relating to the struggles between the big business and the American workers from the nineteenth century onwards. Murder, greed,corruption,sacrifice,farcical trials,personal courage and many interesting narratives are at the core of this story. Many mythical figures populate the pages here,among them Eugene Debs,Mother Jones,Walther Reuther,Jimmy Hoffa and others.
It is worth quoting a passage which can easily represent the general message of this important opus.The following words were uttered by another well-known figure,Big Bill Haywood during his trial after being charged with conspiracy:
"We are conspiring to prevent the making of profits on labor power in any industry. We are conspiring against the dividend makers. We are conspiring against rent and interest. We want to establish a new society,where people can live without profit,without dividends,without rent and without interest if it is possible;and it is possible,if people will live normally,live like human beings should live.I would say that if that is a conspiracy,we are conspiring"(p.366)
The workers were also concerned about their safety and in the period between 1880-1910 fifteen thousand American workers a year perished in on-site accidents,with thousands more injured or sickened, mostly in connection with mine and railroad work.Many anarchists joined the workers in their struggle and one of them ,Alexander Berkman, even added that "the removal of a tyrant is not merely justifiable;it is the highest duty of every true revolutionist".
At the urging of Congress, Attorney General A.Mitchell Palmer targeted suspected Bolshevik sympathizers and labour radicals across the country especially during WW1. What we take today for granted after getting hired in various jobs-social benefits, health care- was achieved only with many effors and struggles,as this superb book makes it clear.

Brilliant Labor History - A Must Read
Philip Dray's powerful book lives up fully to its subtitle -
The Epic Story of Labor In America. Few books move with the power and ease of "There is Power In A Union."
Filled with unforgettable characters who claim monumental places in American history, Dray captures the personalities that carved the labor movement into the annals of American history. Bill Haywood, Mother Jones, Elizabeth Flynn, Albert Parsons, Joe Hill, Frank Little: some of them died, all of them made huge contributions to give American workers the benefits they have today. The unions may not be the powerful forces they once were in American history, but this book stirs up the ghosts and brings the historic battle between labor and capital back to life. I have read lots of history - few books stand up to the splendid work of this one. It is impossible to appreciate the anatomy of the labor fight in America without reading this book.

United we stand, with the union we rise
From cover to cover I can only use the word moving to describe the greatness in this work. I myself a unionist, was so moved by the words in this book. The struggles of the working men and women of America in the history of this great nation paint an amazing masterpiece of patriotism and dedication to labor and it's rights to exist. Our rights to representation and collective bargaining are engrained in the constitution as this book documents. But while these rights are wonderful, the history of how they came about has made me ever more aware of the reasons why they exist.

Today sadly the union has a shameful reputation, the antics of power hungry labor leaders, the politicizing of the labor movement, and the childish attitudes of various unions whining like children because things don't go their way are an insult to the legacy of these brave men and women who were willing to sacrifice their freedom for the cause of fair labor and it's evolution. America was built on the backs of men and women who stood for principles. While individual opinions and views were different they still were but little threads that became the tapestry of America and it's incredible history. This is a book about America and one of the elements that made it great, and that element is the drive of the individual to have fulfillment in the work of his hands.

While this is not a ploy to sell this book, it is however; my written testament to this amazing book. May you enjoy it as I have and may it open your eyes as it did mine.

unions forever
This book was just recently published and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the History of Unions in this country and the good they did for all the working people in this Country. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Very eye opening, July 5, 2010
I would recommend this book to anyone in the midst of finding their true purpose or someone who is tired of working their job just for the paycheck. It is down to earth suggestions, and it has really opened my eyes to see the opportunities in front of me.

A way of life, August 31, 2010
Very well written book. This book is a lifestyle change. I would recommend this book to anyone. This makes you take steps in the direction you need to go. It's not just a feel good book it will challenge you, so be ready.

the best book I have read on the subject., July 6, 2010
The book has many great and distinctive ideas on how to turn a hobby into profit.

Motivational & Informing!, October 11, 2010
This book was an amazing confidence, motivational and learning experience for me. I read it prior to starting a new job search and ended up meeting my goal of making a lot more money and finding a job I really enjoy (and have been enjoying for 3 years now). I recommend EVERYONE reads this even if you're not looking for another job right now. It opens up the creative mind to knew ideas and the information on how to transfer your skills to ANY industry despite your past industry experience is priceless. Can't say enough good things about it and credit the book for giving me the knowledge and confidence to go out and "live the dream" (even while others were telling me I was crazy to shoot so high!). It HAS changed my life for the better in many ways! JUST DO IT! READ IT! ... Read more

Editorial Review

How an Economy Grows and Why it Crashes uses illustration, humor, and accessible storytelling to explain complex topics of economic growth and monetary systems. In it, economic expert and bestselling author of Crash Proof, Peter Schiff teams up with his brother Andrew to apply their signature "take no prisoners" logic to expose the glaring fallacies that have become so ingrained in our country?s economic conversation.

Inspired by How an Economy Grows and Why It Doesn?t?a previously published book by the Schiffs? father Irwin, a widely published economist and activist?How an Economy Grows and Why It Crashes?incorporates the spirit of the original while tackling the latest economic issues.With wit and humor, the Schiffs explain the roots of economic growth, the uses of capital, the destructive nature of consumer credit, the source of inflation, the importance of trade, savings, and risk, and many other topical principles of economics.

The tales told here may appear simple of the surface, but they will leave you with a powerful understanding of How an Economy Grows and Why it Crashes. ... Read more

Reviews

Why You MUST Read this book...and Order extras for friends & family...even if you don't like Schiff
Peter Schiff did not start out as one of my regular "reading list" authors...in fact, he originally irritated me quite a bit. However, after listening to several interviews on Financial Sense as well as numerous traditional media channels/outlets, reading several of his books...and watching with my own eyes/ears his rather pessimistic prognostications come about...I changed my tune. As a college instructor and business writer, it's not easy to do a turn-about...on the other hand, watching what is taking place across this nation (and indeed the world) isn't "easy" either.


However, after he announced his decision to pursue politics I expected this new book to be an extended "positioning statement". Whether you like or dislike Schiff, here is why you should read this book...and buy an extra to share with someone you care about.

1. It's funny. Okay, perhaps "funny" isn't a major reason to purchase this book but there is a decidedly quirky humor underlying the writing that makes this very accessible to people that wouldn't normally enjoy reading a book about economics. Schiff does a great job keeping this accessible to every type of audience without insulting the intelligence of the reader...in fact, he takes great pains to "de-mystify" the veil of complexity that surrounds issues that should be taught to every informed citizen.

2. Irwin Schiff. The father of Peter Schiff...I've read a couple of his books out of pure curiosity. While I do not personally agree with the position taken by the senior Schiff, I was utterly shocked to learn that at age 82 he remains incarcerated. Considering the recent fiasco of financial misconduct, it speaks volumes as to the priorities of the government. This book builds upon a story...and philosophy...initiated many years ago. Agree or disagree, it takes a man of courage and strong conviction to live his beliefs. I suspect men such as this are quickly becoming an endangered species in their own right.

3. Food for thought - while fishing. This is a wonderful way to introduce kids to the basic tenants of economics, personal responsibility (gasp - for the few of you out there that still believe in such a thing) and other foundational ideas. It's one of those books that will grow with their own understanding. Adults will absolutely appreciate this allegorical tale. Those that are searching for ways to understand a tough topic will enjoy the easy to read comparisons. Those that already adhere to Schiff's point of view/philosophy will REALLY enjoy the humor. Critics will not only enjoy the ability to take pop shots and blow things out of proportion but are likely to find plenty of ammunition for future debate. No matter how you cut it...everyone wins!

In this world there have always been a select few "Cassandra's" who were destined to remain a lone voice crying in the wilderness while others remained unable or unwilling to listen. However, they play an important role in history by serving as a witness that there were choices...choices that were not taken but choices just the same. They serve as evidence that some people were aware of the problem and there were other options. Whether you agree or disagree...an earnest debate is always preferred to an ignorant mind.

Destroying the Keynesian Myth Once and For All
Other than Thomas Woods, I can think of no one else that can explain the often intimidating field of economics as clearly and simply as Peter Schiff can. Even if you are a complete idiot when it comes to understanding economics, this book will make you understand that economics is actually a very simple concept to grasp. If you are literate, you should have a great understanding of the Austrian school upon finishing this book. Complete with humorous anecdotes and illustrations, Peter and Andrew Schiff retell their father's masterpiece (How an Economy Grows, and Why It Doesn't) in a new, modernized version. Whether you are new to, or are well versed in the Austrian School of Economics, I recommend that you read this book and pass it on to a friend when you are finished!

Great book!
This cute book explains economics in a simple way that is easy to understand. It uses humor and 'old school' story telling to break down how economies grow AND crash.
It also shows us how government intervention can also distort the economy.
I found it a unique way to teach children AND adults that the 'laws of physics' apply to everyone- including countries! It you spend more than you save, eventually you will pay a price. It is that simple. Our country is starting to see that. Many in our government keep promising us everything we want (free health care, low interest rates, practically endless unemployment benefits, tax credits and more) all WITHOUT raising taxes or actually growing the economy. At what point do we (or China) realize this cannot continue?????

I would give this 6 stars if I could
This is the best Economics book I have ever read- and I have read many. Opening the book I was immediately put off by the "comic book" format, thinking the material would be too simplistic. I was wrong. I have a much better grasp of economics, and the Austrian ("hard money") and Keynesian ("free lunch") schools of thought. At first I was amazed at the authors ability to transform an arcane,boring and complex subject into a highly entertaining, informative and very easy to understand book.

After a while I realized however, the true insight of the book is that economics is not complex at all. It is the economists explanations that are complex. It takes some serious mental gymnastics to convince people that governments can spend more money than they take in, that an economy does not need a strong manufacturing base, budget and trade deficits don't matter and consuming ever more quantities of stuff (without the means to pay for it) is the path to prosperity.

Read this book and you'll have a better grasp of where we are today and where we are headed than the majority of "experts" out there.

Best introduction period
The Schiffs have written a monumental introduction to economics as common sense. I'll be buying copies of this book for everyone I know who has children.

The pictures are incredible. The book reads as a childrens parable but can teach adults a great deal as well.

The book does tend to get weaker as it becomes centered more on current events. The explanation of the bailouts and the Chinese-US trade situation are very good, but I am afraid that it may lessen the impact of the book in the future. The book deserves to go beyond the current affairs section and find a place among the economic classics.

Enjoyable and informative. A great book.

This will likely replace "Economics in One Lesson" as a great inro book
What a great book for explaining how the economy works using the most basic of examples. It starts out with 3 guys on an island trying to catch fish and everything builds from there. If you want to really understand what the economy is, get this book. It's a great book for the novice. I will be giving it out to typical Republican and Democrat friends who have very little understanding on how the economy grows (and crashes).

A MUST READ !!!! Great, funny, insightful, and just plain awesome!
I've been a fan of Peter for a few years now, I follow his blogs, commentaries, and news appearances. I must say, this book lays it all out for you. Even if you have a good understanding of economics, this books simplifies to a point even a kid can understand it. Too bad our congressmen dont. Everyone should read this book, I finished it in a few hours its so easy to read. He covers the growth of economy from it's primitive stages to becoming a global economic power and how government distorts and actually causes depressions, recessions, and economic crashes. I also how it;s all related to current and historical events. I will buy a few more copies of this book and give them to some of my friends who are clueless as to what's really happening with our economy and government. They get so caught up in the Republican vs Democrat farce that they are blinded to see what is really going on. I dont care where you are on the political spectrum, you should give this book a shot.

Total Satisfaction
I was a bit of skeptic and reluctant to buy this book. I saw Peter Schiff on many television station and I am a subscriber to his financial newsletter. I felt that by buying the book I would be helping Mr. Schiff. After reading the introduction and chapter one I knew that the money was well spent. I got my money's worth and more. The easy to read and easy to follow writing made reading this book a shear pleasure. I couldn't put this book down. It had enriched my knowledge and I feel better for it. You just cannot put price on that.

Enlightening book
Read it over a 4 hour plane ride (yes it's that easy to read), I thoroughly enjoy this book. As promised, the authors broke down the complicated subject of economics into simple concepts illustrated by a fun story that everyone can understand; it certainly shows in no uncertain terms where the Schiffs are coming from. To me the major take-aways are:

- Economy grows by people becoming more efficient and increasing production through entrepreneurship and savings that funds it. There are activities that don't really grow an economy according to this very definition, if they don't increase production, e.g., a lot of the service sector work, no matter how the "official" calculation calculates the size of an economy (e.g., GDP). The buying and selling of houses and their accompanying industries like home furnishing, construction, etc during the housing boom certainly don't increase the production in an economy, while the invention of a net to catch more fish or a water delivery system or carts that transport more fish or the invention of banking (like told in the story) certainly do increase production and thus do grow the economy.

- The story's telling of US around the time of FDR and their lasting changes to the country really is shocking: the ascendancy of the Federal Reserve Notes (the dollar) and the requirement of its use, the confiscation of gold, the debasement of the dollar to its eventual transformation to a fiat currency, the massive public works projects, and the popular but unsustainable benefit programs like social security and the medicare. It really makes one re-think what he's taught in school about the merits of these programs and about the legacies of presidents like FDR and Lyndon Johnson.

- The relationship between the US and China is also illustrated in no uncertain terms and is equally shocking: China has in effect become the production part of the the relationship, while the US enjoys what China produces by giving worthless fiat currency in return. China in effect is providing a lifeline to the US to allow it to over-consume beyond its production, and is really the sucker in this relationship..., something that a lot of protectionists and China bashers seem to have forgotten, and maybe is the reason why the US hasn't been able to really get tough on China... the US is really a prime beneficiary of the relationship. As the story illustrates, however, a change of relationship (i.e., China stopping to buy US bonds) will harm both countries for sure, with China left with devaluing dollars and the US not able to consume and afford cheap goods, but in the long term the US will be the one that suffers more, with deteriorating living standards until it rebuilds its production (i.e., manufacturing sector) to live within the means of its production.

Overall it's one of the most enlightening, and fun book I've ever read.

Another great book by Peter Schiff and Andrew Schiff
This is my 3rd Peter Schiff book. I have read a few other books about economics and this one stands out from all of them. It is humorous and enlightening. Peter and Andrew do a great job of taking a complex concept and putting it into relatable terms. Instead of speaking in economic terms, they use straight forward analogies. I think anyone that has a 401k or for that matter any form of income, should read this book. It will change the way you think about the world around you. It will make you a smarter investor and saver. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This is the eBook version of the printed book.

Actionable lessons from a century of extraordinary businesses--from Ford to NetFlix, Wal-Mart to Zappos

What you can learn from the world’s greatest businesses: from legendary startups to extraordinary turnarounds! Crucial takeaways from the experiences of McDonald’s, Home Depot, Zappos, Wal-Mart, Oprah (Harpo), Ford, NetFlix, UPS, Lego, Intuit, and many others.

From world-renowned business profilers New Word City and Nancy F. Koehn

Included in this collection:

•  How McDonald’s Got Its Groove Back (New Word City)

•  Undoing Home Depot’s Demolition (New Word City)

•  How Zappos Shoes In Success (New Word City)

•  Sam Walton’s Way (New Word City)

•  Oprah (Brand) Renew (Nancy F. Koehn)

•  Henry Ford’s Way (New Word City)

•  How UPS Delivers Again and Again (New Word City)

•  How Netflix Produces Happy Endings (New Word City)

•  How JetBlue Got Its Wings Back (New Word City)

•  Bill Walsh’s Winning Ways (New Word City)

•  How Kraft Crafted a Comeback (New Word City)

•  Ray Kroc’s Way (New Word City)

•  How Lego Built a Comeback (New Word City)

•  How Intuit Turned Feedback into a Comeback (New Word City)

Editorial Review

Great things don’t happen in a vacuum. But creating an environment for creative thinking and innovation can be a daunting challenge. How can you make it happen at your company? The answer may surprise you: gamestorming.

This book includes more than 80 games to help you break down barriers, communicate better, and generate new ideas, insights, and strategies. The authors have identified tools and techniques from some of the world’s most innovative professionals, whose teams collaborate and make great things happen. This book is the result: a unique collection of games that encourage engagement and creativity while bringing more structure and clarity to the workplace. Find out why -- and how -- with Gamestorming.

• Overcome conflict and increase engagement with team-oriented games
• Improve collaboration and communication in cross-disciplinary teams with visual-thinking techniques
• Improve understanding by role-playing customer and user experiences
• Generate better ideas and more of them, faster than ever before
• Shorten meetings and make them more productive
• Simulate and explore complex systems, interactions, and dynamics
• Identify a problem’s root cause, and find the paths that point toward a solution

Play a Game from Gamestorming

We're hardwired to play games. We play them for fun. We play them in our social interactions. We play them at work. That last one is tricky. "Games" and "work" don't seem like a natural pairing. Their coupling in the workplace either implies goofing off (the fun variant) or office politics (the not-so-fun type).

The authors of Gamestorming, have a different perspective. They contend that an embrace and understanding of game mechanics can yield benefits in many work environments, particularly those where old hierarchical models are no longer applicable, like the creatively driven knowledge work of today’s cutting edge industries.

Here is one of the 83 games featured in Gamestorming:

The ELEVATOR PITCH Game

OBJECTIVE OF PLAY: What has been a time-proven exercise in product development applies equally well in developing any new idea: writing the elevator pitch. When developing and communicating a vision for something, whether it’s a new service, a company-wide initiative, or just a good idea that merits spreading, a group will benefit from going through the exercise of writing their elevator pitch.

Often this is the hardest thing to do in developing a new idea. An elevator pitch must be short enough to deliver in a fictional elevator ride but also contain a compelling description of the problem you’re solving, who you’ll solve it for, and one key benefit that distinguishes it from other ideas.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: Can be done individually, or with a small working group

DURATION OF PLAY: Save at least 90 minutes for the entire exercise, and consider a short break after the initial idea generation is complete before prioritizing and shaping the pitch itself. Small working groups will have an easier time coming to a final pitch; in some cases it may be necessary to assign one person with follow-up accountability for the final wording after the large decisions have been made in the exercise.

HOW TO PLAY: Going through the exercise involves both a generating and a formative phase. To set up the generating phase, write these headers in sequence on flip charts:

• Who is the target customer?
• What is the customer need?
• What is the product name?
• What is its market category?
• What is its key benefit?
• Who or what is the competition?
• What is the product’s unique differentiator?

These will become the elements of the elevator pitch. They are in a sequence that adheres to the following formula.

To finish the setup, explain the elements and their connection to each other:

• The target customer and customer need are deceptively simple: any relatively good idea or product will likely have many potential customers and address a greater number of needs. In the generative phase, all of these are welcome ideas.
• It is helpful to fix the product name in advance--this will help contain the scope of the conversation and focus the participants on “what” the pitch is about. It is not outside the realm of possibility, however, that useful ideas will be generated in the course of the exercise that relate to the product name, so it may be left open to interpretation.
• The market category should be an easily understood description of the type of idea or product. It may sound like “employee portal” or “training program” or “peer-to-peer community.” The category gives an important frame of reference for the target customer, from which they will base comparisons and perceive value.
• The key benefit will be one of the hardest areas for the group to shape in the final pitch. This is the single most compelling reason a target customer would buy into the idea. In an elevator pitch, there is no time to confuse the matter with multiple benefits--there can be only one memorable reason “why to buy.” However, in the generative phase, all ideas are welcome.
• The competition and unique differentiator put the final punctuation on the pitch. Who or what will the target customer compare this idea to, and what’s unique about this idea? In some cases, the competition may literally be another firm or product. In other cases, it may be “the existing training program” or “the last time we tried a big change initiative.” The unique differentiator should be just that: unique to this idea or approach, in a way that distinguishes it in comparison to the competition.

The Generating Phase
Once the elements are understood, participants brainstorm ideas on sticky notes that fit under each header. At first, they should generate freely, without discussion or analysis, any ideas that fit into any of the categories. Using the Post-Up technique, participants put their notes onto the flip charts and share their ideas.

Next, the group may discuss areas where they have the most trouble on their current pitch. Do we know enough about the competition to claim a unique differentiator? Do we agree on a target customer? Is our market category defined, or are we trying to define something new? Where do we need to focus?

Before stepping into the formative phase, the group may use dot voting, affinity mapping, or another method to prioritize and cull their ideas in each category.

The Formative Phase
Following a discussion and reflection on the possible elements of a pitch, the group then has the task of “trying out” some possibilities. This may be done by breaking into small groups, as pairs, or as individuals, depending on the size of the larger group. Each group is given the task of writing an elevator pitch, based on the ideas on the flip charts.

After a set amount of time (15 minutes may be sufficient), the groups reconvene and present their draft versions of the pitch. The group may choose to role-play as a target customer while listening to the pitch, and comment or ask questions of the presenters.

The exercise is complete when there is a strong direction among the group on what the pitch should and should not contain. One potential outcome is the crafting of distinct pitches for different target customers; you may direct the group to focus on this during the formative stage.

STRATEGY
Don’t aim for final wording with a large group. It’s an achievement if you can get to that level of completion, but it’s not critical and can be shaped after the exercise. What is important is that the group decides what is and is not a part of the pitch.

Role play is the fastest way to test a pitch. Assuming the role of a customer (or getting some real customers to participate in the exercise) will help filter out the jargon and empty terms that may interfere with a clear pitch. If the pitch is truly believable and compelling, participants should have no problem making it real with customers.

The elevator pitch, or elevator speech, is a traditional staple of the venture capital community, based on the idea that if you are pitching a business idea it should be simple enough to convey on a short elevator ride.

Reviews

A play book for work and life
For several weeks, I've been combing my bookshelves for activities to incorporate into my LIM College class on social media marketing. I wanted games to drive home the information in unconventional, interactive ways. I went to my theatre books, my business books, and my books filled with writing exercises. Nothing seemed quite right. And then I found Gamestorming. It felt like a gift out of the sky. My anxiety about the class diminished a bit more with every page.

Gamestorming details games that engage groups, both large and small, in learning and discovery. They work in corporations and in schools, and I'd like to add that they are a valuable tool for navigating just about any decision and complication in life. I found myself noting in nearly every margin how to use each game. The clear, concise description, depictions, and plan for each took a great deal of thought and care from the authors.

The metaphor of life as a game is well worked over. The trouble with the game of life is that there are no rules. You don't make them and neither does anyone else. They change from moment to moment, and the rule that seemed to work today may never be useful again. We are forced in every situation to think on our feet. Gamestorming gives us more confidence and empowers us to take our futures in our own hands.

A Gamechanger
With Gamestorming Dave, Sunni, and James created one of the most valuable and applicable collection of tools and techniques for organizational design that I have ever come across. The "games" outlined in the book help you make ideas more tangible and meetings more productive, notably through visual techniques. Gamestorming is a window into the future of how groups will work.

There is no way around this book if you are serious about making innovation and change happen in your organization.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!
Are you a gamer or a game designer? If you are, then this book is for you. Authors Dave Gray, Sunni Brown and James Macanufo, have done an outstanding job of writing a book that shows you how to embrace and understand gaming mechanics that can be applied to the workplace environment.

Gray, Brown and Macanufo, begin by showing you how to break down gaming barriers and how they can be applied in the work place. Next, the authors help you identify gaming tools and techniques from a unique collection of games that help encourage engagement and creativity in the work place. Then, they show you how to overcome conflict and increase engagement with team-oriented games. Next, the authors help you make innovation and change happen in your organization. They continue by detailing games that engage organizations, both large and small, in learning and discovery. Then, the authors show you how to introduce gaming in software development. Next, they cover the core principals and benefits of games, how to design games, games for opening and games for exploring. The authors continue by encouraging the use of games for the purpose of generating ideas. Finally, they show you how to create one of the most valuable and applicable collection of tools and techniques for organizational design.

This most excellent book provides the tools and real-world examples that you need to effectively analyze your information in order to facilitate decision making. The games outlined in this book, allows you to suspend the usual behavioral standards for a limited time, thus allowing creativity to surface!!

Celebrating the Sophistication of Play
Dave Gray is a real leader in this exploding field of business visualization. As the founder and creator of XPlane, he has lived the value of playful engagement as a part of serious design. Framing these activities as "games" points right at the central power of interactive work with groups, which is to create environments where everyone can contribute, create prototypes, and evolve their ideas. It brings the kinds of ideas Michael Schrage considers in "Serious Play", and Steven Johnson in "Where Do Innovative Ideas Come From" and makes them accessible for any group. Sunni Brown got her start at The Grove and knows this business as a very talented practitioner, and consummately playful person herself. James Macanufo is also a seasoned practitioner. The exercises suggested here have been well tested!!! Buy this book and keep your innovation toolkit brimming with great ideas.

Why games matter
In Gamestorming, Dave Gray and his colleagues Sunni Brown & James Macanufo do something extraordinarily important and they do it with such simplicity and clarity that it is easy to miss what is most valuable about this book: in short, it explains why the idea of the game matters.

It has become a media commonplace, at least in the "smart" media of Wired, Fast Company, The New Yorker and the New York Times, that games and gaming are reshaping our world. Few, however, explain with such lucidity not only why we should pay attention to this phenomenon, but also give us such a practical roadmap to the application of what we have to learn.

Games are structured accelerators for learning. They are extraordinarily effective technologies for learning in groups and for accomplishing things while we learn and not simply after the fact. What Gray, Brown & Macanufo help us to see (the drawings & diagrams are fabulous) is that the game matters because it puts in our hands the technology to create and to explore other worlds, other realities; some possible, some parallel, some fantastical, but all of which are places that allow us to get beyond the constraints and the limitations of the present and the ordinary or mundane.

Gamestorming gives us both a roadmap for understanding why games matter so much and, as the authors properly say, an accessible "playbook" for how to use these powerful technologies.

My most grave complaint is that Gamestorming is still a book. Not withstanding the effort to challenge the limitations of the book (see the website at [...]), Gamestorming strains to show us things that belong on another platform altogether, perhaps something like the gamelayer that is starting to be built on top of the world we now "know": isn't that the "place" we should all go gamestorming?

This book is outstanding!
This book is outstanding! Simple yet powerful. "Gamestorming" offers a provocative framework in which groups can use games to achieve results. More practically, it provides over 80 games that can be played in groups to stimulate new thinking, innovations, creative solutions and game-changing insights. In today's hyper-competitive environment where change is constant and the need for creative solutions is ever-accelerating, this book is essential. In short, it is a great book!

Amazing & Innovative book
This is just the kind of book I was looking for. Management games to be used in presentations and team -building exercises. It had the right content and at a level i wanted for senior managers.
Highly recommended ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Perfect timing for an outstanding book, November 17, 2010
"Essential Advantage" follows the book "Cut Costs - Grow Stronger" but really expands the scope to demonstrate how identifying, honing and applying your business capabilities not only is the right way to cut costs, but also the best way to approach growth strategies and M&A. This book has been revelatory to my business, because it identifies that the steps I am now taking to reduce costs and restructuring the key business streams can later be expanded while contemplating growth opportunities. Theoretically, the book does have some parallels to "Competition Demystified" by Greenwald, but given the author's deep business experience, it is a more actionable and broader study of business strategy. I read the Kindle edition of the book and am excited to put these thoughts to work.

How to have a coherent capabilities-driven strategy, December 9, 2010
A "coherent company" is one that is resolutely focused about its "way to play", its most distinctive capabilities, and its product and service portfolio, according to this book by Paul Leinwand and Cesare Mainardi. When all three of these elements are in sync with each other and with the right external markets, the company can claim the "right to win" in the contests that matter over time.

Most companies are not fully coherent because they do not have a clearly defined capabilities-driven strategy. In response to market demands and opportunities, they start offering products and services which are not a good fit with their core capabilities, and this leads to incoherence and ultimately to reduced profitability.

The authors propose a process for an organization to make strategic choices. First, discover the available choices through market investigations; next, assess each "way to play" or market positioning option, and what capabilities are required for each to succeed; then, choose a direction, a single way to play and a capabilities system as the basis of the ongoing strategy; then, set out to transform the organization by building and deploying the necessary capabilities and divesting the unnecessary ones; and finally, evolve into an organization that can stay coherent over time.

The Boston Consulting Group Matrix divides a company's businesses into stars, cows, dogs and question marks, depending on market share and market growth. However, many companies have not found the BCG recommendations (milk the cows to fund the stars while divesting the dogs) to be entirely realistic. This book proposes that alignment with organizational capabilities is more important than relative market share or even market growth, so that it may sometimes be more profitable to keep dogs and divest stars. Many companies flourish in static markets while many others flounder in growing markets.

The book is well written and easy to read and understand. I found the authors' ideas quite compelling. I expect that most companies will ignore their advice, but those that do follow the advice may well gain a substantial strategic advantage. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Our most commonly held formula for success is broken.
 
Conventional wisdom holds that if we work hard we will be more successful, and if we are more successful, then we’ll be happy. If we can just find that great job, win that next promotion, lose those five pounds, happiness will follow. But recent discoveries in the field of positive psychology have shown that this formula is actually backward: Happiness fuels success, not the other way around. When we are positive, our brains become more engaged, creative, motivated, energetic, resilient, and productive at work. This isn’t just an empty mantra. This discovery has been repeatedly borne out by rigorous research in psychology and neuroscience, management studies, and the bottom lines of organizations around the globe.
           
In The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor, who spent over a decade living, researching, and lecturing at Harvard University, draws on his own research—including one of the largest studies of happiness and potential at Harvard and others at companies like UBS and KPMG—to fix this broken formula. Using stories and case studies from his work with thousands of Fortune 500 executives in 42 countries, Achor explains how we can reprogram our brains to become more positive in order to gain a competitive edge at work.
           
Isolating seven practical, actionable principles that have been tried and tested everywhere from classrooms to boardrooms, stretching from Argentina to Zimbabwe, he shows us how we can capitalize on the Happiness Advantage to improve our performance and maximize our potential. Among the principles he outlines:
 

   • The Tetris Effect: how to retrain our brains to spot patterns of possibility, so we can see—and seize—opportunities wherever we look.
   • The Zorro Circle: how to channel our efforts on small, manageable goals, to gain the leverage to gradually conquer bigger and bigger ones.
   • Social Investment: how to reap the dividends of investing in one of the greatest predictors of success and happiness—our social support network

 
A must-read for everyone trying to excel in a world of increasing workloads, stress, and negativity, The Happiness Advantage isn’t only about how to become happier at work. It’s about how to reap the benefits of a happier and more positive mind-set to achieve the extraordinary in our work and in our lives. ... Read more

Reviews

Great information - and fun to read!
I read a lot of business books. Most of them are filled with helpful information. Frankly, most of them are also a little on the dry. "The Happiness Advantage" is different. It is filled with fascinating research and great ideas, and it is also a hoot to read. I found myself laughing out loud as I read the book.

Shawn Achor explains the latest research he and his colleagues in the field of positive psychology have conducted. The results are fascinating:

1) Our brains work better when they are "happy."

2) There are concrete things we can do to make our brains "happier."

3) We can also overcome our inclination to procrastinate and put off these exercises. (I found this section to be particularly interesting since I am a procrastinator).

4) When our brains are at "happy" that positivity will ripple out to others and can raise the productivity.

Give this book a look. The research shows that we (and our colleagues at work) can be more productive. And, if we are "happier" our boss will also perceive us as more positive, trustworthy, sincere and successful. Wow! And who wouldn't want to be happier at work - and at home?

Excellent and Unique
I've read a lot of "happiness" books and frankly when I chose this book I was a little pessimistic about learning anything new. I couldn't have been more wrong. This book, while building on a lot of prior research, is full of new insights and presentation that is refreshingly insightful and helpful. I learned a lot and it was a compelling and convincing read. There is a wealth of useful and practical takeaways from the material. The author works in the real world and doesn't just write from a position in academia and thus has a lot more practical real-world experience than you often find in these types of books mostly written by psychology professors. I consider this one of the best I've read and I highly recommend it.

Surprisingly good insights
When I was invited to review this book, I must admit I was afraid it would be the standard "happiness" pitch. To my surprise and relief, this book turned out to be truly exceptional, beginning with the author's own story.

To be sure, much of the info in this book will be standard fare for anyone who's familiar with the life coaching industry. However, it's packaged in a way that appeals even to left-brained skeptics like me. The author cites research studies to back up each point. Some of the suggestions were totally new to me, and I thought I was deeply familiar with the field.

Just a few highlights that I enjoyed:

p.55 - Work with a signature strength. This recommendation makes lots of sense to me. The book includes a link to a long online survey; I took the survey and found it surprisingly accurate. I'm a little baffled by the authors suggestion to "use it in a new way each day for a week."

p. 67: I loved the discussion of Ellen Langer's research with "senior" men. Langer asked them to imagine themselves as they'd been 20 years earlier. They improved on physical as well as mental measures.

pp 72-73 - Great discussion of leisure. I really resonated to the notion that we tend to think any non-work activity is worthless. This belief becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

p. 121 - A startling experiment asks people to estimate how "fortunate" they would be if they were wounded in a bank robbery. Great comment about interpretations of Wall Streeters!

p. 139 - Solving small problems can lead to big wins.

p. 163: Add 20 seconds to your day and gain several hours.

Highly recommended. I'm glad I got this book to keep instead of borrowing from the library. I want to read it a few more times.

Fresh insight, great tips
I picked up this book in hopes of gleaning a few tips to use in my workplace, but quickly became absorbed in the stories and research. I was fascinated with how Harvard students struggled to find happiness amid their successes, and riveted by what the research said about how happiness is actually the precursor to success. The principles listed in the book are incredible, and I find myself slowing down to read and absorb each page. I think about the ideas throughout my day and am really finding the concepts to be transformative both personally and professionally. I highly recommend this book and know you will enjoy it tremendously.

"Happiness is a work ethic"
We all like being happy, but most of us don't realize how much we actually need to be happy. It's easy to continue to move ourselves down to the bottom of the priority list in order to take care of all the other things that matter in our lives. And yet as we continue to push our own health and happiness to the side, our performance, not to mention our sanity, often becomes an afterthought. The Happiness Advantage builds a very solid case that how we take care of ourselves significantly impacts our business. It is clearly the responsibility of anyone who wants to perform at high levels to pay attention to the benefits that come to them when they not only chose to be happy, but they make "happiness a work ethic". Thank you Shawn for bringing this information to us in a way that is easy to understand and apply to our daily routine. This is truly a fun, informative and life inspiring message.

Happier++
Shawn Achor considers Tal Ben Shahar as a mentor and refers to his groundbreaking book, Happier Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment several times in the book. Both are from Harvard and Tal Ben Shahar teaches the famous course on positive psychology there. If you haven't read Happier, it definitely is a great starting point.

While my first impressions of this book were that it is just the same principles packaged differently, I ended up liking this book a lot more than I expected. Happier is very conceptual, while Happiness Advantage is more practical (even if a little formulaic/ prescriptive at times).

Shawn Achor's main contention in the book is that happiness is not an outcome of success but a precursor to success. Happiness causes success, if we focus on being happy, we will achieve more as well.

Another important point brought forward by the book is this: Contrary to popular perception, our natural tendency is not to pursue happiness - our default response is inertia - We continue doing what we are doing even if that won't make us happy (remember the last time you wasted a whole day in front of the television even though you had plans that would have given you more happiness and meaning). This principle is well addressed in Marshall Goldsmith's Mojo Mojo: How to Get It, How to Keep It, How to Get It Back if You Lose It, a book that I wholeheartedly recommend.

Happiness is not always a function of the situation, our way of looking at the situation is extremely important. Drucker writes (see The Daily Drucker: 366 Days of Insight and Motivation for Getting the Right Things Done) about Stonecutters - when three of them were asked what they think they were doing one replied, "I am making a living", the second replied, "I am doing the best job of stonecutting in the entire country" and the third said, "I am building a cathedral". How you perceive what you do makes a big difference in your happiness levels - a point Shawn brings out very well.

I found the book quite engaging, well researched, well written and extremely useful. I would recommend this to every friend, colleague or a family member.

A fine pick for any business library!
The Happiness Advantage: Seven Principles of Positive Psychology that Fuel Success and Performance at Work is based on a decade of research in the field of positive psychology and neuroscience applied to business, and offers a formula equating happiness to success. When you raise happiness, you raise success rates: this book's concept follows a Harvard University 'happiness course' that links happiness to every level of industry and business. A fine pick for any business library!

A must read
Absolutely brilliant. I know that I'm going to remember the things that I've read in this book for years to come. This is a must read for anyone interested in improving their life and success at home and at work.

new possibilities open for the reader
While I expected to learn a few cool tips and tricks about weaving positive thinking into one's professional life, I was surprised to find that Shawn Achor's book managed to crack my mind open to new ways of examining and understanding how I engage with my own career. It was a quick and compelling read full of exciting insights from understanding Nueroplasticity to seeing the sculpture trapped in the marble like Pgymalion to mining the virtues of Tetris. A decade from now, we'll all look back and call this book a seminal work at the start of a cultural evolution. I highlighted tons of passages and took copious notes (most of which were new ideas about my own work and life that were set free while reading). New possibilities have opened up for me as a result of reading "The Happiness Advantage". ... Read more

Editorial Review

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Editorial Review

In this fresh, interactive guide, respected financial expert Dave Ramsey offers a proven, comprehensive plan for getting in shape financially.� The Total Money Makeover Workbook takes you one step closer to getting out of debt and achieving financial health. Against a playful backdrop of fitness terminology, Dave gives solid, hard-hitting advice and the hope and the how-to needed to turn goals into reality. The Total Money Makeover Workbook includes:

• Useful worksheets and forms
• Readable and informative charts and graphs
• The four factors that keep people from getting in shape financially

The Total Money Makeover Workbook is an essential resource for anyone desiring total financial fitness. Dave's no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach translates into results for those who diligently follow this complete action plan. Tens of thousands of people have already transformed their financial situation with Dave's advice, rooted in God's and Grandma's common sense. With The Total Money Makeover Workbook, countless others will be on their way to financial fitness.

Reviews

Not worth the purchase if you buy the book
I bought the Total Money Makeover Workbook along w/ the hardcover book, thinking it would be more 'hands-on'. It wasn't worth the extra cost. A lot of the exercises seemed written for children - fill in the blanks w/ words you read in the passages... really silly. Plus, all the necessary worksheets are in the hardcover book already, so the workbook didn't seem to give me anything new. Don't waste your money on the workbook.

Debt Free for life Thanks to Dave's Guidance!!!!
I started to listen to Dave about 3 years ago and eventually purchased "The Total Money Makeover". I was $15,000 in CC debt, with a $349 car payment, making about $35,000. I had about $15,000 in stocks, savings, etc and thought I was doing great. But realized being in debt was no way to live. Now at age 30, I am debt free except for the house, no car payment, and now I'm using my most powerful money making tool (my income) to build my saving back up and the future looks bright!!!

Thanks for the guidance, Dave!!!!!

I recommend this book to anyone especially those who think they in too deep a whole to get out. Dave will show you step by step on how to do it. It's not easy but it's well worth it...

Financial Peace is an awesome feeling!

Worthwhile as a stand alone
If you purchase the workbook, you really do not need the main book as well. It would be fine on its own. This is a great, very basic system and is working extremely well for my family. Instead of living paycheck to paycheck, we are now within months of being debt free, except for our mortgage. Great system!! I highly recommend it.

An Absolutely Awesome Lifechanging Book
Like most Americans our finances were spinning out of control with our living paycheck to paycheck. After hearing Dave Ramsey on the radio I immediately purchased The Total Money Makeover book and accompanying Workbook.

Utilizing the principles outlined in these texts we have completely turned our out-of-control finances into a structured system whereby we know exactly where every penny is to be spent before the month begins. In the six weeks that we have started using these principles, we have taken Dave's advice and created an emergency fund of $1,000 for those rainy day blues that are sure to come along. In utilzing the debt snowball method of reducing personal debt we have already paid off three credit cards totaling over $2,500. We should triple that number long before Christmas.

I highly recommend these books to anyone wishing to change their lives for the better. If you cannot imagine what it would be like to put your paycheck in the bank every payday and not worry about any of the money being spent on bills then I challenge you to go immediately to pick up these books. Once you've read The Total Money Makeover you will realize that debt is not a good thing and that you truly can be debt free. Do this for yourself. Do it for your family. Buy it NOW !

Tony W. Brown
Whitehouse, TX

Shorter version of Book but well worth it
I have read both the book and own this workbook version. I would actually recommend the workbook over the book as it allows you to start the concepts quicker and put into practice into your own life much faster. The anecdotes are similiar but just condensed in this version. This version cuts to the chase with tables, suggestions, budgets, and "how to". I like the shortened version but still went back to read the full book version later. The one positive aspect of the full book versus this version is that it provided many more examples of real people using the techniques, what their outcome was, and how long it took them to get debt free. In this sense, there was more motivation there. I didn't/don't personally need that but some may need that or want that. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

those who ignore history are condemned to repeat it
This is a frightening account of the German, Austrian and Hungarian hyperinflations of the early 1920's. It includes blow-by-blow accounts by diplomats, bankers, and ordinary folk who survived the total annihilation of their currencies. Fergusson has done an outstanding job of documentation and must have spent thousands of hours in archives. It is indeed a shame that this book is out-of-print.

Review of the 1st Edition "Making the Same Old Mistakes, but not Makin' Mo' Money" or "Zeros in -- Zeros out. Naught is Naught."
Review of the First Edition (rare hardcover) of When Money Dies, written by me on May 25, 2006, & not reedited:

I first read this book some 25 years ago. I was so impressed I immediately bought a dozen copies & gave them to pals. (In 1980 they were 3-4 pounds sterling each--it's ironic & interesting that the price of this out-of-print book now fetches multiple zeros).
Here are some parallels with our time:
The Germany of the '20s finds it cannot meet the costs of war reparations. The US of the 2000s starts a war intending to pay reparations before it begins, and then finds itself unable to meet the mounting costs of war reparations it originally thought would leap out of the ground and just pay themselves. (Meanwhile, the US's wounded soldiers [& the families of its dead soldiers] are going to require entire lifetimes of domestic reparations).
The Germany of the '20s attempted to buy/finance prosperity with ballooning deficits. The US of the 2000s wants to buy/finance prosperity with ballooning deficits. Neither nation-State can be told it is wrong--and neither admits (or even recognizes) inflation is a hidden and pernicious tax.
Germany before the '20s had every confidence in the mark. The US in the 2000s believes the only currency in the world is the dollar, & the only thing money can be made of is paper and ink (never gold or silver). But as one mixes ink with paper, hoping the mixture will have exchange value, one finds that one has given value to neither material.
As Germany becomes more unhinged in the '20s, it moves towards a strong man as a moth to a flame. As the US grows more unhinged, it loses faith in its 'strong man' (even if he does not lose faith in himself). If the US should subsequently shun whoever wants to be the next 'strong man', there may yet be be hope. Since it is possible for the next wannabe 'strong man' to be laughed off the stage, it is yet possible the US will not succumb. The jury is still out.
At times the mark strenghthens (goes against the ultimate trend, for short periods): the Germans of the '20s (and other investors) think the crisis is over and it is time to buy. At times the dollar strengthens (goes against the ultmate trend [?], for short periods): the world of the 2000s thinks the crisis may end--isn't it now time to buy cheap US assets?
The Germans of the '20s can add more zeros to their paper--but paper production does not keep up with the 'demand' for money. The US of the 2000s has but to generate a computer entry and like magic, the 'demand' for money is met. The paper of Germany leaves a trail [Fergusson proves this]--computer entries can be a hidden and dirty little State Secret [until prices rise as the money actually depreciates, the state can suppress much of the evidence].
At many levels, this book about a frightening past speaks to a menacing present. Because of its price, many will not get to read that message. Between the Germany of the '20s and the US of the 2000s, there are differences too, but not differences that necessarily help. The potential for money supply to soar (the Fed's ability to create credit by computer without even having to buy ink, paper, and printers) has never been so boundless. We of the 2000s prefer to believe we are more intellegent than the Germans of the 20s. We live with the hope that our enlightened leaders [!] comprehend inflation & understand that deficit spending shall ruin us. Enlighted people that they are, from government top to government bottom, we know and rely upon our leaders' fiscal responsibility. Just look at how enlightenment runs through the Nation--budgetary constraints are placed upon our brilliant leader, by those guardians of the Public Purse & Trust, a US legislature that checks and balances all his raw power. In truthiness [that is, if one buys their spin], they all do their utmost to preserve & protect the currency, while shouldering their duties to preserve and protect our Constitution. Tonight, can I sleep contentedly, knowing both these National Treasures are safe and sound?
Read this book: it is still found in libraries. You will be witness to ink on paper that actually has and holds its value.
May 25, 2006

Everybody talks about inflation, but nobody knows anything about it
This book tells the story of the hyperinflation in Weimar Germany and its aftermath (1919-1926) and, to some extent, the ensuing rise of Hitler's Nazi Germany. It is a story which is so complex and convoluted that it takes a historian to even begin to do it justice. Fortunately, this book's author is not only an accomplished historian, well versed in his subject, but also a gifted writer. The result is a remarkable book about an almost indescribable and incomprehensible period in the world's history.

So, if you've ever wondered about the hyperinflation in Germany following the Great War (WWI), and by extension what the REAL consequences of inflation, hyperinflation, deflation and depression might be, this is the book you've been looking for. In fact, I've only read one other book which even comes close; that being `The Fiat Money Inflation in France: How It Came, What it Brought, and How It Ended' by Andrew Dickson White. But this book is much more timely, much broader in scope, much more comprehensive, and much easier to relate to our more modern times.

In it, you'll learn a lot and find the answers to many puzzling questions. Among them: what caused the inflation, what were its impacts, and why it was allowed to continue; which groups and social classes fared the best, which the worst, and why; how the inflation resulted in the redistribution of wealth; what happened to landlords, shop owners, government employees, members of unions, free workers, and pensioners, as well as the middle-class; what the man or woman on the street had to do simply to survive; who prospered, who lost everything, and why; what the government did and didn't do and what the impacts were on people at all social levels, and on industry; how the hyperinflation was finally ended, why the resulting deflation and depression was worse in many ways, and why; and what those living through the deflation/depression period had then to do in order to survive and, in some cases, prosper.

There is also much anecdotal evidence as to just how much misery both inflation and deflation can cause. For example: the well dressed elderly man who couldn't afford two cents (American money) for a bag of apples; the little old lady who supported herself by selling her crucifix chain one tiny gold link at a tme; the foreign students who bought rows of houses out of their allowance; the substitution of paste-board coffins for wooden ones; the life insurance policies that eventually were worth less than their annual premiums; the banks that did away with smaller savings accounts because the paper required to book them was worth more that the money in the accounts; the man who said it was better to have a prostitute in the house than the corpse of a dead baby; the beggars who, in October 1923, purportedly wouldn't accept anything smaller than a one million mark note; and finally, that even with the first "billiard" [a thousand million million] and five billiard notes being printed in November 1923, people still clamored for more.

Apart from the Weimar Republic: This book is essentially a case study in inflation and its aftermath which should be of interest to anyone contemplating or concerned about the current state of America's, and the world's economic future, and the direction America is headed. In reading it, it is well to keep in mind what Gunter Schmolders articulates (pg. 248), "With inflation alone can a government extinguish debt without repayment, or wage war and engage in other non-productive activities on a large scale: it is still not recognized as a tax by the tax-payer."

In any event, if you do read this book, and if you are anything like me: You'll likely conclude, as I did, that everyone talks about inflation, but no one, especially the politicians who cause it, really knows what they are dealing with or what the consequences may be.

Can history repeat?
"When Money Dies" is very well written, and historically accurate. What a terrible situation that the German government put their people in! ... Read more

Editorial Review

A concise and user-friendly guide to the essentials for conducting a meeting by the official Robert's Rules of Order authorship committee.

In a club, a condo association, or a board of overseers, how is business carried over from one meeting to the next? How is a meeting best kept on track? Who keeps the order and who decides what the agenda will be in the first place?

The answers to these concerns of assembly can be found in the rulebook of orderly meetings: Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised 10th Edition. But weighing in at over 700 pages, at least 80 percent of its content will be needed less than 20 percent of the time. Those not well versed in parliamentary procedure can find themselves lost while trying to get guidance on the everyday basics.

The solution? Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised Concise. Written by the officially sanctioned Robert's Rules of Order authorship team, this short and user-friendly "cheat-sheet" of a guide briefs readers on the rules most often needed at meetings--from debates and amendments to votes and nominations. With sample dialogues, helpful references to the "big" book throughout, and handy tips for elected or appointed officials, Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised in Brief is the essential abbreviated meeting rulebook. ... Read more

Reviews

User-friendly meeting guide
This has to be the most user-friendly book I've seen, starting with the inside of the front cover. It says, "If you only have 30 minutes" then read certain chapters.

Somehow these experts figured out what the rest of us would need to know and how we would be looking for it. Maybe they had a panel of non-experts to critique.

There are chapters detailing what the words are that you use to make something happen and how to use those words. Best of all, everywhere you look there are copious examples.

In the back are succinct tables of those same words and there is also a chapter on how to find the completely complete information on the topic in the big "Robert's" book

Most of the book is concerned with what you need to know as a member of the group. There are separate chapters for an officer of the group, which contain the things that most of us don't need to know.

This is not a book you'd save for a winter evening curled up in front of the fireplace. It's to tell you all sorts of things you'd really rather not have to know, but that you really need to know. I've already decided that mine is mine alone. Nobody is going to borrow it because it would never come back to me.

Buy this one first
Even though I have both the "in Brief" and the unabridged editions, it is only the "in Brief" edition that I take with me to my meetings. I recommend that you buy and read the "in Brief" edition first.

Everyone should read the unabridged version ....
... but let's be realistic about it; most people won't. For the 95% of us who just want our PTA, Condo Association, or other group to run an efficient meeting, this is the book to read. It tells you the most important parts about Robert's Rules -- the stuff that comes up regularly at meetings. I'm on several non-profit boards, and this is the most useful book on running meetings I have found.

Perfect tool for the job!
I was really impressed by the simple and concise manner in which Roberts' Rules of Order was explained. Perfect tool for the person newly responsible for running a meeting.

Concise, well written
A nice, concise, well-written summary which should be useful for all members of organizations which hold meetings.

Robert's Rules Rule!
If you wish to be consistent in your meetings, "Rules" is essential -- this edition allows quick checks with the option of going to the complete rules when necessary.
I recommend this brief edition highly

Great Resource!
I bought five copies of this book to give to the elder board at our church. It is helping us to conduct our meetings in a more organized fashion. I highly recommend this book for anyone wishing to brush up on their parliamentary procedure. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

No matter what industry you're in or what economic conditions you are facing, you can still build a phenomenally successful business. Bestselling business authority Mark Thompson and international success expert Brian Tracy have joined forces on a revolutionary book whose ideas are as inspiring and thought-provoking as they are accessible, practical and proven to deliver results. Now, Build a Great Business! reveals a series of seven powerful principles that will change your business for the better.This fast-moving and engaging book explains how to: Become a great leader - get superior results from everyone around you Attract and keep great people - build peak-performing teams Develop a great business plan - structure your business to maximize every resource Offer a great product or service - identify exactly whatyour market needs Deliver superior customer service - make service your key competitive advantage Create a great marketing plan - position your business as the preeminent provider Perfect your sales process - motivate customers to buy again and again Complete with examples of businesses of all kinds that are applying these methods to achieve remarkable profits in today's economy, Now, Build a Great Business! shows that when you do what the most successful companies do, you too can get extraordinary results. ... Read more

Reviews

Now Buy This Book, November 8, 2010
Thompson and Tracy have written one of the best books on not just how to build a great business, but how to be successful at anything.

A couple of my takeaways that I am using today are their Six Key Questions in Strategic Planning (plus their explanations and guidance to answer all of these questions):

1. Where are you now? What is your current situation?
2.How did you get to where you are today?
3. Where do you want to go from here?
4. How do you get from where you are today to where you want to be in the future?
5. What obstacles will you have to overcome? What problems will you have to solve?
6. What additional knowledge, skills, or resources will you require to achieve your strategic objectives?

As well as the evergreen advice from Peter Drucker's Five Questions:

1. What is your mission?
2. Who is your customer?
3. What does your customer value?
4. What results are you trying to accomplish?
5. What is your plan?

If you only bought and read one book this year on how to become successful, this should be it.

Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Absolutely Anyone
Get Out of Your Own Way at Work..., &Help Others Do the Same Conquer Self-Defeating Behavior on the Job - 2005 publication

Actionable advice for all generations of leaders, November 15, 2010
Now Build a Great Business is the perfect combination of inspiration and expert advice. The tools and thought provoking questions provided by Mark Thompson and Brian Tracy make it easy to create a plan for success in any business... and at every level of leadership.

The 7 steps are helpful at any stage in your career as you define your business strategy and areas of focus. I would highly recommend this book to my peer group with 10-15 years of work experience as a good foundation for a new manager looking to influence and contribute to their organization's vision. The inspirational stories will encourage you to take action and serve as case studies to drive home the book's approach to success.

If you are an entrepreneur on cusp of launching your business or someone who finds ways to innovate in an organization, this is your playbook!

Joan K. Snyder
Senior Manager, Forest Laboratories

Focusing on the Customer, November 8, 2010
I appreciate this book because it includes practical action steps to attract customers and keep them interested and engaged. The focus is really on what the customer values.

I work for a nonprofit organization and the content was 100% applicable: how to best concentrate time, money and resources on the most successful services and programs; and how to create a culture of "continuous improvement."

Very rarely do we talk about "how to be" - the focus is usually on "what to do." This book blurs that line, giving equal importance to being a leader of character and a proactive doer.

Top Grade Business Manual, November 1, 2010
Mark LaMoure, Boise, ID

Do you want to electrify your business and reignite growth for faster progress? You'll find powerful business ideas in: "Now... Build A Great Business" by Brian Tracy and Mark Thompson, two great business leaders. Their ideas are very useful and the book gives you the right answers for success.

GOLDEN INSIGHT
The book overflows with brilliant business suggestions for working smarter and more effectively. For example, did you know that 90% of your company's lasting success will be how well you serve customer's with excellence? I liked that the book gives you the "SWAN Formula" in Chapter 3, for clear answers on hiring the best employees for excellent customer service.

SUCCESS IDEAS
With top notch ideas going straight to the heart for guiding you to success, the book is information rich. Its the right book, at the right time. I like that the book was written for our current, tough economic climate right now.

BREAKTHROUGH INFORMATION
With flying colors Tracy and Thompson make a confident delivery of the 7 keys to business greatness. They give you an exciting road map for guidance, showing you how to improve and grow your business now. I discovered what to do, how to do it and what to watch, to confirm my business progress is going as planned.

HIGH QUALITY
The book: "Now... Build A Great Business" is Class-A. You'll value its vibrant power as it reveals golden answers for business growth. I rate the book 5 Gold Stars for its top grade, core-business information. The book is superb, giving you far better answers than you expect. Buy it, because you'll get the help you need now. To your success: Good Luck! -Mark LaMoure

Great advice from great leaders, November 11, 2010
In Now Build a Great Business, Mark Thompson and Brian Tracey have created a roadmap to success in business ... and in life. They provide vivid examples of why now is the right time to figure out how to differentiate your products and/or services from the customer's viewpoint; why now is the right time to take bold action that could have long-term payoff and why success is a matter of choice, not chance. This is a great read for anyone who leads, follows or is in transition.

Doug Schallau, Vice President
The Leader to Leader Institute

Sound Instruction for all., November 17, 2010
Mark Thompson and Brian Tracy have provided a road map for destination success. The content in their book is woven with ideas and facts that could cause anyone to aspire to starting or running a business. But, not just any type of business--a great business!

However, this book is not just for the business savvy. It brings in aspects of leadership and decision making that can help in all fields where success is the pursuit. I apply these principles as a full-time student,a lowly-employee, and in my different leadership roles. With their advice, I can be a great asset to any company and any group.

Great book!


Tyler Tolson
Utah State University
Student Body President ... Read more

Editorial Review

If talent is the leading indicator of whether a business is up or down, a success or a failure (and it is) . . . do you know how to accurately judge raw human talent? Understand a person's unique combination of traits? Develop that talent? Convert what supposedly are "soft" subjective judgments about people into objective criteria that are as specific, verifiable, and concrete as the contents of a financial statement?
     The talent masters do. They put people before numbers for the simple reason that it is talent that delivers the numbers. Success comes from those who are able to extract meaning from events and the forces affecting a business, and are able to look at the world and assess the risks to take and the risks to avoid.
     The Talent Masters itself stems from a unique combination of talent: During a forty-year career at General Electric, Bill Conaty worked closely with CEOs Jack Welch and Jeff Immelt to build that company's worldrenowned talent machine. Ram Charan is the legendary advisor to companies around the world. Together they use their unparalleled experience and insight to write the definitive book on talent—a breakthrough in how to take a business to the next level:

• Secrets of the masters. The specifics on how companies regarded as world-class—GE, P&G, Hindustan Unilever (and others)—base their stellar performance decade after decade on their systems for finding and nurturing leadership talent.
• Intimate and systemic. Why deep knowledge and intimacy with your talent and a systemic rhythm of reviews are the foundation for creating a steady, selfrenewing stream of leaders for all levels of an organization—from first-line supervisors to the CEO.
• The competency that lasts. Financial results, market share, brand, and legacy products all have a half-life that seems to grow shorter by the year. Talent is the only competency that endures.
• What to do Monday morning. The Talent Masters tool kit provides the specific guidelines for assessing and improving your company’s talent mastery capabilities. ... Read more

Reviews

Observing Talent, Making Judgments About It...And Figuring Out How to Unleash It!, November 14, 2010
Business has gotten a whole lot tougher in the past decade with globalization, regulation, geopolitics, and, most recently, the failure of the global financial system. Sustainability and survival of an organization depend more than ever on the recruitment, development, and retention of its human capital.

In my work, medical device start-ups, it has been well understood for years that there are three keys to success - management, management, and management. Leadership talent has been and will continue to be the differentiator in maximizing the commercial success of an unproven technology and the creation of value.

In "Talent Masters: Why Smart Leaders Put People Before Numbers," authors Ram Charan and Bill Connaty show how a few large and mostly mature companies - some with experience over many years and some newcomers - have "embedded in their culture the habits of observing talent, making judgments about it, and figuring out how to UNLEASH IT." Companies highlighted include General Electric, Proctor & Gamble, Hindustin, Goodyear, UniCredit, the Texas Pacific Group. They fully appreciate that talent is required for value creation and good numbers.

These companies "analyze talent, understand it, shape it, and build in through a combination of disciplined routines and processes, and something even rarer and harder to observe from outside: a collective expertise, honed with continuous improvement in recognizing and developing talent. These companies have disproved the myth that the judgment of human potential is a "soft" art."

Charan and Conaty have organized the book into three sections:

* First, an insider's look into GE's much admired talent management system and why it works. The authors each have 40+ years of experience with GE - Charan as an outside consultant, and Conaty as an executive insider.
* Second, a look into a wide range of approaches by Talent Masters from a number of other companies.
* The third and last section show the application of talent master by companies who have entered the "talent growth" game recently.

A weakness I have observed here in Silicon Valley with many medtech executives is a reluctance to "stretch" talent. This goes against my training at American Hospital Supply Corporation (now Baxter) where "talent" was stretched over and over again. (I served as a Director of International with 11 operations at the age of 28, and as a Division President at age 32). AHSC, a pioneering talent master, left a legacy by producing many of the health care executives that led the industry over the past thirty years.

Charan and Conaty note that Talent Masters place "stretch" bets for three good reasons.
1. People facing stretch situations are not likely to be overconfident and are eager to learn more from others.
2. Stretching people helps to retain talented people who are itching to advance and may look to greener pastures if they do not get a chance.
3. Successful stretches attract better candidates in the future because ambitious and capable people will know that they won't have to wait for slots to open.

"Talent Masters" turns managerial succession upside down - "Rather than finding people to fill positions, this approach puts the emphasis on opening paths for leaders to grow their talents and become ever more capable."

"Talent Masters" is a good "how to" book for those company executives who are seriously focused on increasing the bandwidth of their "talent pool," want to retain the high potentials they have, and want to recruit top talent in an ever competitive environment.

Talent: At the Heart of Future Success, November 11, 2010
Having read Noel Tichy's take on this subject based on his unique experience at GE, I was eager to read this book. And, I confess to being a big fan of Ram Charan as I am of Tichy. I wasn't disappointed as the authors share not only ways some successful companies identify talent but also the processes they use for growing that talent.

I have always believed that the first responsibility of presidents or CEOs of for-profit and non-profit organizations is to develop future leaders from within yet too few companies know how to do it well in my judgment. This book will help younger and older managers and executives improve how they do it. I only wish the authors had shared the secrets from additional organizations that are also committed to leadership development.

I have the privilege of working with some of the country's top business leaders--presidents, CEOs, CFOs and other senior executives. Some of them head or have headed large firms yet others have led smaller firms. In every case, though, they are constantly looking for ways to reach out to their managers and staffs to enable them to prosper in their careers. I think of Amgen, Steelcase, Chelsea Milling (Jiffy Mix!), San Francisco Giants Baseball Club, Southwest Airlines, the University of Michigan, Abbott Laboratories, Limoneira, Sage Publications and others.

Hats off to Bill Conaty and Ram Charan for their enormous contribution to this vital arena where much more learning is required if America is to regain its leadership position in the business world. This is a superb book, one to read and then use again and again.

Ritch K. Eich, Ph.D.
President
Eich Associated

Insightful and Practical, November 19, 2010
The Talent Masters provides an excellent insiders view into how the best companies manage talent. What's illuminating is just how ingrained and deliberate the principles and practices of managing talent are in the featured companies (GE, P&G, Novartis ) Nothing is left to chance. Everyone talks about how GE manages talent so it's interesting to hear just how straightforward some of the processes are, albeit underpinned by disciplined execution and absolute leadership commitment. It seems that so many companies today are getting caught up and perhaps distracted by technology. They put their talent management processes online to increase efficiency but often fall short on effectiveness. This book focuses squarely on effectiveness. It's a must read for any HR/Talent Management professionals and is equally valuable to line leaders and executives seeking to think more strategically about the age old challenge of ensuring that they have the right people in the right roles at the right time to execute business strategy and deliver results. The Talent Mastery tool kit at the end of the book provides practical tools that can be adopted and put to use in any company.

Garrett Sheridan,
Managing Partner
Axiom Consulting Partners

How to develop "robust talent pipelines and same-day succession plans", November 19, 2010

I agree with Bill Conaty and Ram Charan that Steve Jobs is the archetypical "talent master." Few others possess his combination of intelligence, temperament, energy, and determination (indeed tenacity) when the objective is to sustain generation of what Jobs characterizes as "insanely great ideas," then dominate markets with the products those ideas suggest.

However, all of us can be "more like Steve" if we are willing to become more astute in terms of (a) identifying a person's talent more precisely than can most other people by observing and listening; (b) strengthen our abilities through constant and intense practice; (c) make better judgments by mastering what Roger Martin characterizes as "integrative thinking" (i.e. "the predisposition and the capacity to hold two [or more] diametrically opposed ideas" in his head and then "without panicking or simply settling for one alternative or the other" to "produce a synthesis that is superior to either opposing idea"; and master, also, their people skills when involved in various social processes and interactions.

Whereas Steve Jobs is the archetypical "talent master," General Electric is the archetypical "talent master" organization. "When a valued leader does leave the fold - even one who may seem indispensable at the moment - the people in charge know what to do. They understand the business, know the candidates' strengths and development needs [not weaknesses], and are well prepared to fill the slot with the right match quickly - even in a matter of hours. The goal is clear: no pause, no time for people to commiserate, no laxity in decision making, and no opportunity for the competition to poach talent."

Conaty and Charan offer a case in point. "When Larry Johnston resigned [to become CEO of Albertson's], GE set itself a new record for speed, naming his successor and three others down the line in half a day and announcing the changes before the day was over. That performance has been the model to shoot for ever since. GE does not allow a top leadership vacuum to exist, even for a day." The institutional response to Johnston's unexpected resignation was possible only because GE had (and continues to have) "robust talent pipelines and same-day succession plans" in place and operational. The rapid response also demonstrates "the strength and power of the GE system of talent mastery, one centered on the Session C system.

Robust talent pipelines, C Sessions, and same-day succession plans are worthless without people who know how to make the most effective use of them. The development of talent therefore requires the mastery of skills needed to sustain that development. The ever-practical Conaty and Charan identify five specific organizational "How-Tos":

1. Get all senior leaders centrally engaged in talent recognition and selection
2. Hire for demonstrated leadership, not just for credentials
3. Learn as much as possible about values and behavior before hiring
4. Be humble enough to hire "outsiders" but ensure cultural assimilation
5. Be totally honest about who has greatest leadership potential

They also identify five specific "How-Tos" for the individual:

1. Make talent development an obsession
2. Drill down deep to the specifics of each person's talents and potentiality
3. Give frequent, honest, and specific feedback
4. Make talent development a core competency with accountability
5. Provide intellectual challenges and opportunities fir additional growth

I presume to suggest that an extended metaphor, "gardening," is instructive in this context: establish a culture of rich "soil" that has sufficient sunlight and moisture; plant the best "seeds" and then nourish them; prune, relocate, or remove one or more, if necessary; and meanwhile protect the garden as "plant" growth continues.

Talent is a resource, an asset, not a title or position. Most knowledge transfers in any workplace occur informally during interactions between and among those involved. To varying degree, each person should be both a "teacher" and a "student." That is why this book can be immensely valuable to those who have supervisory responsibilities as well as to those entrusted to their care. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This is the book for anyone who hunts, farms, or buys large quantities of meat. The author takes the mystery out of slaughtering and butchering everything from beef and veal, to venison, pork, and lamb. The text is clear and easy-to-follow. Combined with 130 detailed illustrations by Elayne Sears, the reader is provided with complete, step-by-step instructions.
Here is everything you need to know:

• At what age to butcher an animal
• How to kill, skin, slaughter, and butcher
• How to dress out game in a field
• Salting, smoking, and preserving
• Tools, equipment, the setup
• More than thirty recipes using all kinds of meat

Reviews

It's all here, September 3, 2002
Put bluntly; killing and butchering animals is not a pleasant business. Anyone who has hunted or helped slaughter on a farm can attest to this. You just have to jump in and do it.
Ironically, or perhaps most fittingly, this book was written by a veterinarian. I had a couple of chuckles about that fact.
This is a very "how to" book, so is really not meant to be casually read. The information provided is practical and well presented to make the process easier.
The author handles what some may consider a sensitive subject with honesty and straight-forward thinking. He also provides numerous tips and how-tos when it comes to handling and butchering several different kinds of animals.
While every hunter may not need this book, it sure provides a lot of help and suggestions. If you are going to be butchering a wide variety of animals (pigs, cows, deer, etc.), this is definitely the book for you.

Very beneficial for the self suficiency minded person!, August 10, 1999
It helped me expand my knowlege of butchering wild game, namely venison! I could recommend this to the somewhat seasoned butcher as well as the novice! He also included some great idea's I can't wait to try for preserving different meats! My only complaint would be that the author did not explain the different quality of the cuts of meat(ie. tenderness) as well on the wild game as he did with the domestic animals. However, overall this book is well worth the cost and should be in any self-suficiency minded person's library!

Where is the button for 10 stars?, April 17, 2005
Every now and then you come across a book which is right on the spot. It's written by someone who is willing and capable to share his/her wealth of knowledge in a CLEAR way. This is one of those few books. From beef to rabbit, from pork to deer it teaches how to butcher. I read it a few times, I bought a whole lamb (with hide and guts) and I butchered it. I wouldn't say I made a work of art but all the cuts are there: back legs roasts. racks, riblets, roasts, trimmings. Don't expect instruction on fancy cuts: it's not the purpose of this book. The need of a power saw is slightly understated, though. If you butcher a large animal and you are not Hulk-sized, you may want to get one ... Absolutely recommended.

This Grizzly Adams thinks It is one of the best., June 17, 1999
I used this book to teach myself the basics of butchering many years ago and find it is a ready resource today. I butcher on a regular basis and would recommend this book to any man who has never put the knife to his own livestock before.

One thing to remember about butchering is this, no book will ever give you the skills, you have to kill and cut to learn them.

A Must Have For Hunters, December 15, 2003
This is an excellent book. This should be a required purchase for everyone who takes to the woods in pursuit of wild game for the table.

No more wasting meat or spending big money by taking your wild game to a professional meat processor, all you need to know is right here.

I highly recommend this book, especially to hunters and outdoorsmen.

Best by far......., November 30, 2001
This is the most concise book I have ever seen on the subject of slaughtering livestock. My hat is off to this author who as I can tell has spent many a day around the slaughterhouse. I would recommend this book to anyone who has even a slight interest in slaughtering his or her own livestock.

Excellent information - not outdated at all., August 3, 1999
For any person living off the grid or desiring to do so, this book will provide invaluable information on how to slaughter when you can't just drive to the market or drag it to a processing house. I would have liked to have seen more information on "Walton" preserving, as I like to be able to live without all of the conveniences of city life. I like the idea of being able to fend for myself, and I would not hesitate to use this as a guide for my first steer. His rabbit method is quite similar to mine (I use two pegs).

Nice, November 6, 2005
Here's the thing - trying to learn how to butcher animals entirely from a book is kind of like trying to learn how to fly an airplane entirely from a book: the book's alright, but most of your understanding will come from being taught or mentored personally.

Anyway, this is about as good as you could hope for in a book. I bought it a couple of years ago when I kept sheep, and it did come in handy sometimes. But if you are serious about learning how to slaughter/butcher, my advice is to seek out a local guy who can show you personally how to do it. You'll learn way more that way, and far more quickly.

Best of luck.

Excellent book, March 29, 2008
Coming from a family of hunters, fisherman, as well as a family that has always grown much of their own food, be it a vegetable garden, or hens for eggs, angus for beef, the occasional pig, sheep, I firmly believe that women (I am one) should know as much about self sufficiency living as possible. This includes knowing how to raise healthy meat animals and how to slaughter them in the most humane and sanitary way possible. I like this book because its easy to read and follow and cover just about every domestic animal I have ever raised for meat, as well as most of the wild game I have had.

Basic and Easy, July 29, 2010
This book is a classic. Very easy to understand. I am a complete novice with meats but I don't feel that way now. Step by step directions on everything. I bought it just for beef and chicken (what I primarily eat) but I have learned a ton about many other animals. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Why does one man succeed and another fail? There is an answer. And it will be found in this book. For there are formulas, prescriptions, recipes-rules, principles, systems-even treasure maps, if you please-which, when followed in proper sequence, bring the good things in life to those who seek them. Often the rules for success are so simple and so obvious they aren't even seen. But when you search for them, you, too, can find them. And during the search something wonderful happens: you acquire knowledge...you gain experience...you become inspired. And then you begin to realize the necessary ingredients for success.

This ebook is complete with linked Table of Content making navigation quicker and easier. ... Read more

Reviews

1 Good Reason to Read Is It NEVER Fails

If W. Clement Stone lived for over 100 years I am willing to accept that the principles of this book have worked far longer than I have had time to experience. But one year from now I will be able to testify that I have successfully seen all the successes of practicing these principles and all the failures of not practicing them as well for over twenty years.

W. Clement Stone & I attended the same High School but during different times and I'm sure that in my days of living on the North side of Chicago that I actually walked across some of the same sidewalks and pathways that he traveled. I experienced seeing the insurance empire he created in Combined Insurance. Many days I walked passed this building as a Senn High School student but it was not until I read his book "The Success System That Never Fails" ten years after I graduated from High School that I realized how much W. Clement Stone had an amazing mind.

So when I recommend this book to you it is not just out of having read it but also out of having seen with my own eyes some of the communities and some of the lives W. Clement Stone touched.

This is a great book written with valuable easy to read illustrations that move the heart and inspire the emotions. If you want to learn how to experience future abundance and the fact that it takes less work to succeed than to fail you've just considered the right book for you.

Learning how to use the power of the will while developing the true understanding of know-how has brought me huge benefits and it all came from this book. Some other real powerful things you will learn from this book are:

How to Get a Person to Listen to You.
Using Positive Statements.
Taking Inventory of Yourself.
Developing a Time Recorder.
Doing The Right Thing.
Learning From The Experience of Others.
It's Never to Late to Learn.
Enthusiasim Attracts.
A Blueprint For Success
If You Want Something, Go For It.

Well this is only a few of the things that you will learn from a man who set a goal to live for 100 years and achieved it. Now it's your time to succeed, it's your time to experience greatness and truly consider the real truth that you too like W.Clement Stone were born for great things. Don't take my word for it read the book today.

I worked for W. Clement Stone
Back in the 1960's after college I was lucky enough to land a job working for Mr. Stone out of his office at 5050 N. Broadway in Chicago. His PMA was an inspiration to me. I read his book over and over and applied his principles of Positive Mental Attitude. I believed and achieved my short and long range goals. Currently I am semi retired living the good life in Miami, Fl. and enjoying my days in the sun. I was sad to learn of his passing at the age of 100 recently. I owe a lot to Mr. Stone, Mr. Nightengale and Mr. Napolean Hill. His success system never fails if followed properly.

It'll get you PUMPED!
If you are a salesman or trying to accomplish a difficult goal, this book is worth reading. W. Clement Stone, who later teamed up with Napoleon Hill to write Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude, is quite a success story. Starting from nothing, he was ultimately worth over 500 million dollars. His is a story of persistence and enthusiasm, and much of this book is autobiographical -- the story of how Stone did it -- and he goes into specific detail. It is an enjoyable read. I am the author of the book Self-Help Stuff That Works, and I am an expert on what works and what doesn't. This book will effectively motivate you and increase your determination to succeed. And that, my friend, makes a big difference!

You will learn a lot about yourself
I've not read too many self help books, but this is my favorite so far. Clement Stone is a master storyteller and a master motivator. He has obviously done serious research and meditation on the subject of success. His three step system is brilliant and I continue to use it everyday, even after having first read this book over three years ago. His first hand stories about himself and other success stories are all true and extremely motivating. The only part of the book I found less than useful is the time recorder at the end. That part would be useful to anyone in field sales though. The book appears to be out of print which is a shame because everyone could benefit from this book and learn a lot about themselves. Pick up a used copy if you can. You won't regret it!

Go to the core to get the truth!
When I was about 14 years old my dad a self made successful real estate broker in Inkster Michigan insisted I read this book. This book has been etched in my mind ever since. 43 years later, I've found an original copy of this book to give to my dad as a gift. That's how important this book is. If you do a you tube video search you can hear Stone in his own words give you the first 8 segments of the book. After hearing him, I know you'll want to buy this book. I like this book because 1) he gives you practical, useful stories of how he developed a success system which never failed for him in business. He gives concrete ideas on what to say and do to develop a success system. The most important thing you will take from this book is a perspective and behaviorally specific tips on how to become successful. What this book shows you is the key to your own wealth: you will learn that you need to track all of your activities, behaviors and goals and do a critical analysis, and apply that which works in every step of your processes. What you will discover combined with the principles he's sharing, is your own success system which never fails. Sometimes we forget when involved in our daily activities is the necessity to look at what works and discard what doesn't. We need to fine tune our approach to tasks and develop systems which can be duplicated over and over again. If you're one of those type of people who yearn to understand how "self help" works and how it can be applied in "your" life then this book is for you. There is no fluff; at the time Stone wrote this book I think people were less enamored with manipulation and more focused on helping people.

The Success System that Never Fails
Everyone should own a copy of this book and apply its principles. Because if they did, this world would be a better place to live in and everyone would be happy with their lives.

the success system that never fails
The best book ever written. There should be 7 billion copies printed and handed to every person in the world to read . . . the world would infinitely better if everyone did.

A Self help book worth reading
I seen W. Clement Stone referenced in other motivational books by Zig Ziglar, Earl Nightingale etc, but had never read any of his writings. I have found The Success System That Never Fails to be inspirational and very enjoyable reading. Mr. Stone wrote in a very conversational manner and consistently urges readers to put the ideas gleaned from his writings into action and do it now. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in trying to get the most out of life.

... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Practical, no-nonsense guide to social media
I've been reading social media marketing books for about a year, and most of them over-promise and under-deliver. This one is different. For the first time, I feel like I "get" it.

It's filled with no-nonsense, practical tips that actually work instead of pie-in-the-sky talk about what social media "can" do.

I started reading the ebook on an airplane, and wasn't quite done when the plane landed -- so I made my husband drive, so I could finish it. If you'd ever ridden with my husband, you'd know that meant I just didn't want to stop reading.

If you want a step-by-step guide to what to do -- and what to avoid -- this is the book for you. I've been a marketer for a long time, so I have some habits to unlearn according to this author. She explained why in a way I can understand, so I might actually follow her advice.

Excellent, Practical Guide to Using Social Media Effectively
I also read my book on the plane ride home and read it from cover to cover. This is a very practical guide to the 3 pillars for Social Media (Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn), as well as very, very useful information and strategies for video and a great Q and A section.

In addition there is a workbook and I love that Shama has created a way to for the reader to access the most up to date information in an online format. An easy to read, easy to follow guide for those looking to really amp up one's presence and build your own online community.

Who Could Dethrone Claude Hopkins?
When I sat down to enjoy Shama Kabani's new book, the Zen of Social Media Marketing, I was expecting to absorb a couple chapters a night during my quest to take my online marketing prowess to the next level.

I read the entire thing in one evening.

Not since Claude Hopkins' 1923 classic Scientific Advertising has a marketing book held my attention so intently. Shama, a lively and personable genius in her own right, didn't see any need to fluff her book up with generalities and useless anecdotes. Rather, every word, every case study, every personal story is crafted to bring the reader into a deeper understanding of how to lay an effective social media marketing foundation.

I like authors who respect my time and give me exactly what I need. Shama does both.

It's no surprise that digital marketing guru Chris Brogan chose to write the book's foreword. Brogan's philosophy of putting people over platforms aligns perfectly with Shama's style of nurturing very real, human relationships through online mediums. She sees the internet as an extension of (not a replacement for!) community and draws on common real world interactions like coffee houses and office-networking events to illustrate her point.

Chapter one is all about the philosophy of online marketing. "If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time" is what my mother always says. Shama writes: "online marketing is the art and science of...leveraging the internet to get your message across so that you can move people to action." The message is clear: you don't do social media marketing because your competitors do; you do it because it has the ability to "convert strangers into consumers and consumers into customers."

"Strategy should always come before tactics."

Shama evidently prefers her readers to know where they are going and why they are on the journey before she expends any energy on telling them how to operate the car.

The rest of the book is packed with tactics on how to relate to your audience using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and web video. I pride myself on being a decent online marketer, and even I found myself taking notes on when to engage people through Facebook Groups and when to encourage the following of a Facebook Page. Should I care how many Twitter followers I have? Shama says I should, but not in the ego-stroking way I may be inclined to.

The only disappointment I faced was that my tech-savvy, Star Trek watching side wasn't fed. Not because the material wasn't solid, but because...

Shama speaks the language of small business.

You may not be a marketer; you may sew quilts or manufacture plantation shutters. Shama understands, and she writes with you in mind. Easy to remember acronyms and formulas, like Visability + Credibility = Success, and succinct, numbered checklists will help you implement her recommendations immediately.

I should quit talking before I begin to ramble. The bottom line is: social media marketing is something you, a small business owner, can participate in quite successfully. Shama Kabani's book, The Zen of Social Media Marketing, will show you how.

A True Authority on the Subject of Social Media!
As an business advisor, I have had my clients tell me about every so-called social media expert that has come across their desk in the past 18 months. Many of these experts have created white papers, e-books, razzle-dazzle powerpoints and webinars. At the end of the day, when I look at the stuff they have created, it's all regurgitated nonsense from the last expert.

Shama, on the other hand, is a THOUGHT LEADER in the industry. She has something new, fresh and innovative to say about social media. She teaches you the WHY and the HOW. She has a real and verifiable track record. Our clients who have worked with her are experiencing record breaking results. That makes Shama AUTHENTIC. So if you're interested in my $0.02, then here it is...

Finally! A true authority on the subject of social media has broken through the utter noise of get-rich-quick-with-social-media hysteria. Shama takes the mystery and hype out of social media and gives readers a practical step-by-step action plan to start, grow, measure, expand and optimize their online presence. It is a must-read for any marketing professional, C-level executive or entrepreneur. Her conversational writing style, numerous case studies and "how-to" guides with screen shots makes learning and implementing almost elementary. It will be required reading for all our clients.

This Just In: Social Zen is a Game Changer
I have read many books on social media, and this one far outshines all the others. Great, practical and easy to follow advice on how to leverage Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, video, and blogging to further your brand and your business. Social media works, but you have to have a strategy, and this book definitely makes an easy-to-follow plan of action to get you noticed online.

In addition, the fact that the book is live and is online with monthly updates to the fast-paced and ever changing world of social media is invaluable.

Shama is a rockstar in the digital marketing world, and this book is further proof. I give it "two thumbs up"! ... Read more

Editorial Review

This book can save you over $100,000

These days, most people assume you need to pay a boatload of money for a quality college education. As a result, students and their parents are willing to go into years of debt and potentially sabotage their entire financial futures just to get a fancy name on their diploma.

But Zac Bissonnette is walking proof that this assumption is not only false, but dangerous-a class con game designed to rip you off and doom your student to a post-graduation life of near poverty . From his unique double perspective-he's a personal finance expert (at Daily Finance) AND a current senior at the University of Massachusetts-Zac figured out how to get an outstanding education at a public college, without bankrupting his parents or taking on massive loans.

Armed with his personal knowledge, the latest data, and smart analysis, Zac takes on the sacred cows of the higher education establishment. He reveals why a lot of the conventional wisdom about choosing and financing college is not only wrong but hazardous to you and your child's financial future.You'll discover, for instance, that:

* Student loans are NOT a necessary evil.Ordinary middle class families can- and must-find ways to avoid them, even without scholarships.

* College "rankings" are useless-designed to sell magazines and generate hype. If you trust one of the major guides when picking a college, you face a potential financial disaster.

* The elite graduate programs accept lots of people with non-elite bachelors degrees.So do America's most selective employers. The name on a diploma ultimately won't help your child have a more successful career or earn more money.

Zac can prove every one of those bold assertions - and more.No matter what your current financial situation, he has a simple message for parents: "RELAX! Your kid will be able to get a champagne education on a beer budget!" ... Read more

Reviews

Changing your worldview about financing college education
This is an excellent book. I cannot recommend enough that all parents with pre-college children read this book and use the valuable information provided to take ownership of the college decision process together as a family by considering what this book has to say.

I am a CPA and a financial planner in the Boston, MA area. I see exactly what Zac describes with many families whose financial plans are dominated by education financing at the expense of other goals. I'm blown away by a 22-year old college student being able to accurately identify all of these issues, cut through all the BS spewed by the higher education and college financing industries, and support his assertions and analysis with compelling facts, data and research. I would urge anyone reading this book to not hold Zac's age against his analysis. His analysis is spot-on accurate. In fact, his age is useful for lending credibility to the anecdotes he does mention in the book about campus life and his experiences. He knows what he's talking about because he's living it.

For years, I've struggled with the question of whether you need to attend an expensive college to get a quality college education. It didn't seem right to me, but I didn't have the information to assess this one way or the other. As Zac clearly shows, there are huge industries with tons of money at stake to make people believe that an expensive college is a must for your child's education. As Louis Brandeis said, "sunshine is the best disinfectant". This is one book that is the sunshine that exposes these industries for what they are.

Being in Massachusetts, I would feel very comfortable guiding my children to a Massachusetts public college armed with the information that Zac provides. I would know that I am giving my child every opportunity to have a terrific college experience and a wonderful opportunity for a successful and fulfilling life. UMass should be extremely proud of having Zac as a recent graduate.

Debt-Free U: How I paid for an outstanding college education without Loans scholarships, or mooching off my parents
Wow, I couldn't put the book down, with every page I could see all the ways to save money. This book is worth its weight in gold. Words cannot describe what this book has down for me, I really feel I have an insider in college and it has greatly reduced my stress of having my first child go off to college next year. This book contains more than finacial tips, it covers every aspect of college, from course tips to professor information, I can't say enough, you definately won't be dissapointed.
It was a fun read and will share with other college bound students. I have five teens and if I can do this anybody can. take care enjoy the journey. Debbie
PS I wrote this at 6a getting five kids off to school please excuse the typos.

Excellent
Debt-Free U: How I Paid for an Outstanding College Education Without Loans, Scholarships, orMooching off My Parents

The author reveals many ways to get a top flight education without getting yourself and your parents needlessly in debt. He backs up his assertions with hard facts, data, and research. For over-priced universities, it is an "Emperor has no clothes" moment. Highly recommended.

a new way of looking at college
Zac Bissonette has a revolutionary idea here -- It's nothing short of a new way of looking at college education as a value-driven purchase. He forces parents to examine whether they are really doing right by their kids to laden themselves with debt. He's totally on the money when he says college financial aid officers aren't there to help you -- they exist to sell you loans so you can pay for their salaries. Bissonette is changing the way America sees college. We are emerging from this recession as a nation schooled in living within our means. College educations are part of that equation. Great book for everyone with a child -- even ones in pre-school.Debt-Free U: How I Paid for an Outstanding College Education Without Loans, Scholarships, orMooching off My Parents

must read
Loved, loved, loved this book! This book is an easy read and may just change your life. As one who left 8 years of higher ed at private Universities with 6 figure student loans (thankfully now paid off) I may have done things differently if I had the benefit of this book 20 years ago. I'm thankful to be armed with this information before navigating the college selection process with my own kids. So much great research and information - this book has turned my assumptions and perceptions upside down about the benefits of shelling out tens of thousands of dollars for a prestigious school's name on your diploma. I am recommending this book to all my friends with teenagers!

AVOID COLLEGE DEBT!!! Thanks for explaining it all Zac.
I just heard on CNN that college debt passed credit card debt. That statistic alone should make anyone who will be paying for a college education read this compelling book. Zac tells it like it is and challenges a lot of conventional wisdom along the way. He is wise beyond his years and I expect we'll be hearing a great deal more from him in the future.

Debt-Free U- The Best Book You'll Ever Actually Want To Finish
The book was amazing. I could go on and on for days but this by far was a book I wanted to read word for word.

Zac Bissonnette author of "Debt-Free U" is a college senior with a jumpstart on life.
He's created a book which will clearly explain to you the in's-and-out of the financial aid and college tuition systems.

Colleges try to get you to come to their school.
Financial Aid can't pay for your tuition.
Loans are extremely risky.

What do you do when scholarships can't pay for college, and you're basically poor.

Zac outlines it in black and white.

A+++++++

Living Debt Filled U
I am here to say that Zac's book is a very true and college debt should be avoided. I know personally after financing my college education through student loans. I was 22 years old, without a job and 80,000 in debt. I personally except responsibility for debt accumulated and will pay them off and not look for a handout. I just wish I read a book in 2004 and had the information. I could have made better choices then the cliques most hear about going to college. This books shows the other side and it will allow people the best choices for each situation. Obliviously this book is not gold but should be used and I believe followed.

Now a little more on my story...

I am a firm believer that its not where you go its who you know. I took my great private diploma and got told it would open doors. The only jobs that I got call backs from were where I knew people and had an in. Networking anyone? I graduated and instead of being happy and looking forward to my life and career I was TERRIFIED and SCARED that I could not make my minimum payments. I will say that my debt did make me more determined to get a job to pay for the debt. I was extremely lucky and had an in and got a teaching job at a great place because of my networking and personal characteristics not much because of my "school." I have been working extremely hard to get out of my debt I teach, coach 3 teams, and bar tend. I am currently 25 and have paid over half of my loan off. The same student loan company that never alerted me of interest being accumulated but now that I am paying off in advance they tell me I do not have to make a payment until March 15, 2014. (If they ever call me I feel bad for the person who talks to me) I have put off my personal life goals (i.e. home ownership, family, investing) to pay off the debt. I CANNOT WAIT TO BE DEBT FREE!!! GO ON DAVE RAMSEY AND YELL I'M DEBT FREE!!!

It really comes down to this everyone and I really wish Zac hit on it in his book a little more. Maybe without being on the debt side of the college life he may have not felt this. Would you rather enjoy a four, five, six... years of college paying for with debt then having to work the rest of your life to get out of the debt hole you dug OR worked hard while you have the energy to and pay for school as you go, live within your means and then graduate college debt free and able to start your life at age 22? I wish I would have had the information in this book so that I could have chose the latter. I will use your book to help my classroom seniors to make the best choices for them!

Bought it for my son - read it myself...
The rules have changed since I attended college. The #1 change is that college debt has gone from close to ZERO to a $600 billion industry. Admissions officers may be more debt salesmen than academic advisors - be warned! Get informed. A well educated consumer [even of education] is best prepared. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Do you have a hobby you wish you could do all day? An obsession that keeps you up at night? Now is the perfect time to take those passions and make a living doing what you love. In CRUSH IT! Why NOW Is The Time To Cash In On Your Passion, Gary Vaynerchuk shows you how to use the power of the Internet to turn your real interests into real businesses. Gary spent years building his family business from a local wine shop into a national industry leader. Then one day he turned on a video camera, and by using the secrets revealed in this book, transformed his entire life and earning potential by building his personal brand. By the end of this book, any reader will have learned how to harness the power of the Internet to make their entrepreneurial dreams come true. Step by step, CRUSH IT! is the ultimate driver′s manual for modern business.

Gary Vaynerchuk has captured attention with his pioneering, multi-faceted approach to personal branding and business. After primarily utilizing traditional advertising techniques to build his family′s local retail wine business into a national industry leader, Gary rapidly leveraged social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook to promote Wine Library TV, http://tv.winelibrary.com, his video blog about wine. Gary has always had an early-to-market approach, launching Wine Library′s retail website in 1997 and Wine Library TV in February of 2006. His lessons on social media, passion, transparency, and reactionary business are not to be missed!

Reviews

Just because it's not rocket science doesn't mean it's not important
The most important takeaway I found in the first read through is that honesty always wins in an established market that's playing by an old set of rules. Gary clearly lays out a plan to use the best tools available to succeed in your own space. There are no shortcuts, but Gary provides the map.

Start living your passion
Gary Vaynerhuk is one of the most inspiring people anyone will ever cross. Definitely attend a signing if you can, and make sure you read this entire book. This book helps anyone who might find themselves even 1% unhappy with their work life. They are sure to be inspired to jump into, and be a part of the Web 2.0 movement. Learn how to harness the power of the internet with this book, and realize how to work based off of your passion from Gary Vaynerchuk, one of the most successful entrepreneurs ever. ... Read more