Review of The Eye for Innovation: Recognizing Possibilities and Managing the Creative Enterprise (Hardcover)

Excellent book if you lived in the 70’s and 80’s. Slow and boring. A blast from the past. The coverjacket design describes the book to a T: A plain white bread book…

Product Description
Innovation is synonymous with problem solving, and the basic elements of innovation apply to any business, says Robert M. Price in this essential guide for managers of organizations large or small. Distilling a set of practical principles from his forty years of experience as a pioneer in the computer industry, the author shows that innovation can be learned and practiced by everyone, that it can offer solutions to everyday problems as well as high-profile ones, and that it provides opportunities to solve business problems while meeting a variety of human needs.

Former CEO of Control Data, Price weaves the history of this uniquely innovative company with fresh thinking about innovation itself-what it means to the people in an organization, the products, and the processes. He avoids simplistic prescriptions and clearly explains seven fundamental principles of innovation beginning with “innovators are made, not born.” He illustrates these principles with fascinating real-life examples. His book offers both the practical tools and the inspiration to everyone with an interest in effective management practice and in building organizations that creatively and continuously respond to ever-changing social and market needs.

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Review of Sales Proposals Kit for Dummies (Paperback)

Sales Proposals Kit for Dummies is not only effective, it is an excellent read.So many books on sales techniques are so dry and virtually unreadable, but Mr. Kantin’s witty style and real world examples of proposal design have had an impact on the quality of my proposals and my philosophy of sales in general.I found the proposal RATER particularly useful, as it pinpointed the areas that I needed too focus on in my proposals.My only regret is that Mr. Kantin did not write this book three

years ago. It would have saved me a lot of pain and rejection.Since I’ve read the book, only a few weeks ago, I’m three for three.This book is a must read for anybody who writes more than the occasional proposal.

Product Description
Sales Proposals Kit For Dummies is a unique and valuable reference that helps sales professionals create winning sales proposals that close the deal — in simple, step-by-step terms and with real-life examples.

This friendly kit explains in clear language and simple steps how to integrate the sales and proposal processes. It provides a proven structure and guidelines for writing winning proposals. And it includes a tool for evaluating proposal quality from the buyer’s viewpoint. Plus, you’ll find examples of proposals in several different sectors.

From the Back Cover
“Will increase your chances of winning the ‘big one.'” Bob Heckman, CEO, Navigate Consulting “Full of tips, tricks, and tools every sales pro must have!” Bill Byron Concevitch, Sr. VP, Mentergy, Inc.

Includes step-by-step instructions to help you write winning sales proposals!

Salespeople – listen up! Want a surefire way to write winning sales proposals that’ll wake ’em up, seal the deal, and keep ’em comin’ back for more? Let expert Bob Kantin share his savvy advice on everything from getting into your buyer’s head to actually presenting a fabulous proposal. You’ll come out a winner every time! all this on the CD-ROM Valuable forms and materials, including: A great tool to rate your proposal A proposal model Sample product proposals Sample service proposals A customer questionnaire System requirements: PC running Windows 95 or later, Windows NT 4 or later; Power Macintosh running System 7.6 or later. See the About the CD Appendix for details and complete system requirements.

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Review of Betting It All: The Entrepreneurs of Technology (Paperback)

After reading Founders at Work by Jessica Livingston, I dived into an older book by Michael Malone. It has the same concept, i.e. interviews of 16 famous technology entrepreneurs. And it is worth reading.

I loved it so much I put a post on my blog, http://www.startup-book.com and here are again some quotes form the book that I hope will convince otehr people to become readers:

Larry Ellison about uncertainty:

“When everyone said a relational database would never be commercially viable, the reckless guy said “maybe everyone’s wrong – maybe I will take a chance with my career and with my cash.” It’s not a rational process.”

Larry Ellison again about entrepreneurs: “I saw outside managers brought into a lot of companies who then made things dramatically worse. I think I was the best person for the job, I knew the company better than anyone else. I knew the technology, the products and the markets. My heroes are people who do not follow convention. It’s difficult to innovate when you are like anybody else.”

T. J. Rodgers about Silicon Valley: “One of the things that Silicon Valley successful is companies think just about wanting to succeed. It is also a meritocracy. What makes us so special and different is no Java code or biotechnology, it is that we’re truly capitalists. About Europe and Japan: We’re moving at light speed relative to the Japanese, who probably still have a committee working on the problem and the Europeans, who are trying to work it out politically. “

Tom Siebel about luck: “If you look at the core of many success stories, it’s not great visionaries, not great technology, not great entrepreneurs, it’s pretty bright people who found themselves in the right place at the right time and managed not to foul up the opportunity.”

Gordon Moore about Silicon Valley. “I really measure the thing that’s become Silicon Valley from Shockley in 1956. There were earlier technology companies – Hewlett Packard and Varian – but they were more like established companies on the East Coast. Shockley introduced some instability in the system. “

If you want to learn more, read it…

Product Description
“I realized I was willing to die for Java.”
— KIM POLESE, MARIMBA

“I was the opposite of a party animal.I had this thing where if I was signed up for a [college] class, I wouldn’t go to the class, ever.”
— BILL GATES, MICROSOFT

“I don’t know what made me decide that my life should always be about making love standing up in a hammock, but this is the way that my life has worked out.”
— JERRY SANDERS, ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES

Beyond the media hype and mystique, the high-tech entrepreneurs of our time are just as human as the rest of us-even though they carefully guard their words and maintain their corporate images, making it almost impossible to get a real glimpse of the people behind the legends. Now, Betting It All takes you inside the minds of sixteen of the most famous industry titans-Scott McNealy, Bob Metcalfe, Carol Bartz, Philippe Kahn, and more-through a series of intimate and remarkably candid interviews.You’ll be the fly on the wall as these business leaders explore memories from childhood, their dreams, their inspirations, and their unwavering ambition to achieve their goals-no matter the risks involved.

From the Inside Flap
From garages and kitchen tables across America, courageous men and women have built the great technology companies that define modern life.Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, Steve Wozniak-the names are as familiar as movie stars; their every move captures headlines and their decisions affect the lives of millions.

But behind the well-crafted personae these men and women present to the world, what are they really like?What makes them tick?What enabled them to make, often in a few short years, the leap from everyday person to industry titan?What drives them to stay at the top?What keeps them from walking away with their riches to a long and easy life?

Betting It All has the revealing answers.Based on the popular PBS series, and containing added material never shown, this book takes a unique, behind-the-scenes look at the lives of sixteen legendary American entrepreneurs. It offers new insights into the hearts and minds of Gates, Ellison, Wozniak, Gordon Moore of Intel, Carol Bartz of Autodesk, Tom Siebel of Siebel Systems, T. J. Rodgers of Cypress Semiconductor, and others.In intimate interviews, Michael S. Malone, Editor at Large of Forbes ASAP magazine and long-time Silicon Valley chronicler, strips away the myth and exposes the human side of business, digging deep to find the individual beneath the entrepreneur.

You’ll hear, in their own words, how these brave people weathered their personal tragedies and savored their triumphs . . . why they take such daring risks . . . and how their deep levels of commitment drove them to reach such lofty goals.You’ll be there as:

• Candice Carpenter, cofounder and Chairman of iVillage.com, talks about being a survivor, how living in the mountains prepared her for the Internet, and how sisterhood is now the focus of her life
• Steve Wozniak, cofounder of Apple Computer Inc., tells how a particular book in sixth grade set him on his life’s path and led him into the world of computers
• Larry Ellison, founder, Chairman, and CEO of Oracle Corporation, revisits old wounds from childhood, which sparked his relentless ambition and his need to live out the dreams of his youth

Provocative, personal, and, above all, inspirational, Betting It All reveals surprising and compelling details about each industry giant with every turn of the page.

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Review of The Art of Great Training Delivery: Strategies, Tools, and Tactics (The Skilled Trainer) (Paperback)

First is the collection of information. In order to proceed with any kind of training some information needs to be determined before you can even decide that training is needed. And if it is, what kind of training. Perhaps this is product training for the sales people. Perhaps it is time management. Perhaps the problem being addressed doesn’t call for more training but some kind of change in the work flow, the people, or the computer system.

Second is the analysis of the collected information. This may be summaries, complete with charts and tables; this may find something so obvious that you will wonder how it was missed. The end of this phase is to present to the management requesting the study to determine what, if any training is needed.

Finally is the development of a training plan. The author presents a ten part plan that begins with Issue Definition, andends with an evaluation of the results of the training. These steps have been defined over many years and are a proven approach.

A CD is supplied with the book that includes forms, checklists and other tools that are referenced in the book itself.

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Review of E-Tailing [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

“E-Tailing” is a great book for any business owner who wants to have a better understanding of electronic commerce. I have had a web site for three years, but now have a new understanding of the elements thatcreate a stronger online presence. Bernadette Tiernan has successfullymanaged to address e-tailing in an easy-to-understand and comprehensivemanner. I have specialized in business planning for many years and wouldadvise every business teacher and student, and business owner tofamiliarize themselves with and utilize the concepts presented in”E-Tailing”. Kudos for doing a great job of addressing adifficult subject.

Product Description
Provides instruction on how to incorporate e-commerce into your business plan with a detailed approach, offer customers optimal service and minimal risk, implement techniques unique to Internet business, and learn from the failures and successes of many well known companies.

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Review of The Accelerating Organization: Embracing the Human Face of Change (Hardcover)

I have always been interested in culture and human aspects of the firm. This book was highly recommended by my teacher on strategic management as his favorite on change management. It’s an easy read on the human aspectsof change and is helped by a novel structure in the book (each subsectionof the chapter reads like an individual chapter, which assists the droppingand picking up). It’s no nonsense. Anyone who liked ‘The Fifth Discipline’,will much appreciate this as well. I hope to read more of this typematerial.

Product Description
Peter Scott-Morgan, author of the best-selling, The Unwritten Rules of the Game, and his colleagues at Arthur D. Little have discovered that Fortune 500 companies are currently spending twice their profits on change initiatives; yet they are only satisfied with half the results.The obvious question is How can we stop this?

The paradigm-shifting answer, based on a six year study of Fortune 500 companies, is: concentrate on maximizing stability within a changing environment–don’t fixate on change.This book explains how by developing the six competencies needed to achieve dynamic stability–the management stabilizers of strategy, tactics, operations, and the enabling stabilizers of teamwork, quality, and communication–companies can avoid being swamped by the disruption of unending turbulence.

From the Back Cover
An entirely fresh approach to managing in a changing world It’s a fast=moving, cyber-linked, overcommunicated world out there these days. Change seems to happen much more rapidly and with far less predictability. It’s no wonder the store shelves are crammed with books for beleaguered managers who are desperately trying to navigate through this torrent of change. This one is different from the rest. Here is a book that shows you how to turn your organization into one that continually meets the challenges of change, in a business world strewn with the survivors of yesterday’s fads. The Accelerating Organization features the cutting-edge, experience-tested principles being taught by Arthur D. Little and Innovation Associates. It’s not another take on reengineering nor a rewarmed learning organization tome. It’s the best of both methods–and a whole lot more. Learn how you can: refocus strategic goals and galvanize for never-ending change; Get to know your organization’s unwritten rules and use them to gain leverage; Change policies and structures simultaneously, while avoiding performance disruption; Make your people the agents of change, not its victims; Instill a continuous learning mindset aimed at sustaining high performance. Accessible and practical, this whole new approach to managing in an ever-changing world provides you with the knowledge and tools to ensure that your organization is flexible, nimble, and ready to handle whatever might come next.–.–.be it a minor tremor or a seismic shift.

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Review of Nonprofit Kit for Dummies (With CD-ROM) (Paperback)

OK this book makes you feel like incorporating is as easy as bying the book …

But it is way too vague, and omits to tell you what you get yourself into !

After reading this book, I incorporated and for additional info I bought Nolo’s How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation in California by Anthony Mancuso (or How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation if you don’t live in california) and I got really scared.
This nonprofit kit is really for dummies, it doesn’t even talk about applying for state tax exemption which is as important as federal tax exemption, or your responsibilities and duties as a director or officer.

I would really advise you to buy Nolo’s book (nolo.com). The author is much more responsible, he clearly tells you that you should prepare your bylaws, your federal and state tax exemption application BEFORE submitting you articles of incorporation …

Plus, this nonprofit kit for dummies is making some huge mistakes! It tells you that the Board of Directors is composed of the president, vice president, secretary and CFO … which is totally untrue, they are officers
The board of directors is composed of guess what … directors.

Product Description
The Nonprofit Kit For Dummies is the only comprehensive guide of its kind at a reasonable. This is a nuts-and-bolts guide for real people — nonprofessional managers and volunteers who hope to start a nonprofit but don’t know where to begin or who already run one but are struggling with a multitude of decisions and tasks — real-life issues like staffing, budgeting, fundraising, tax reports, and facilities.

From the Back Cover
“A nonprofit almanac, dictionary, atlas, and field guide all rolled into one!” Jan Masaoka, CompassPoint Nonprofit Services “This book will help you ask – and answer – all the right questions.” Putnam Barber, The Internet Nonprofit Center

Your nuts-and-bolts guide to running a successful nonprofit

Nonprofit novices, loosen up! Let two seasoned pros help you fulfill your dreams of starting and running a successful nonprofit. From savvy advice on incorporating and managing your nonprofit to nifty tips on raising money and getting great P.R., this essential guide will soon become your best friend. Grab it and have fun! all this on the CD-ROM Valuable forms and materials, including: Legal forms Presentation templates Annual IRS reporting forms GrantWriter Pro demo and evaluation version of eBase PC running Windows 95 or later, Windows NT 4 or later; Power Macintosh running System 7.6 or later. See the About the CD Appendix for details and complete system requirements.

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Review of Complaint Management: The Heart of CRM (Hardcover)

In the past few decades the Services Industry has advanced long way – in a direction from product services to a customer centric business environments.
Although the quantitative and qualitative importance of services – as well as its spectrum of offerings – has grown quite considerably,the thrust of activity still seems solely to center around itsoperational tasks and processes. Bernd Stauss’ and Wolfgang Seidel’s revolutionary Complaint Managent model represents an impressive progress in our understanding of what services organisations must do to become outstanding and exemplary leaders in the roles ofservices providers and services innovators.
I have read the book entirely page by page, each chapter creatingmore desire and curiosty to read the next one.
Today the aspects of complaint managementare used probably in hundreds ofbusiness facilities around the world, yet there is to my knowledge no other book or public documentation providing such a holistic introduction and a guidance to everyone in services management, to enable the creation of a powerful blue print for services organisations.

Walter Duschek, Speaker of the Supervisory Board Spirit/21 AG, VP AFSMI

Product Description
Every company strives for increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty. But without effective complaint management, it’s only a matter of time before the seemingly sweet company-client relationship may turn sour. Drawing from their extensive experience in customer service (both from academic research and practical business perspectives), Stauss and Seidel deliver thorough coverage of complaint management, from helping readers understand why customers complain to illustrating how to handle customer complaints to effectively measuring and analyzing complaints. Complaint Management is an excellent resource for marketing professionals in customer support, technical support, and marketing management, as well as executives, department managers, and any employee who has direct contact with complaining customers.

About the Author
Professor Bern Stauss holds the first German chair for services management at the Business School of Ingolstadt of the Catholic University Eichstaett-Ingolstadt.Currently, his research deals with aspects of services marketing, service quality, quality management in the service industry, management of internal services, customer retention, complaint management, regain management, and electronic services.Stauss has written and edited several books, and he has also written more than 140 articles, which were published in books and journals like Managing Service Quality, International Journal of Service Industry Management, Journal of Services Marketing, Journal of Service Research and European Journal of Marketing.

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Review of Treasurer’s & Controller’s Desk Book (Hardcover)

As a new controller that is basically needing to create the job as I go along, I am finding this book to be very helpful. It contains practical information that applies specificallly to the controller’s position that is is difficult to find in other sources. One example of this is theinformation on a records retention policy. I wasn’t able to find anyinformation elsewhere. This book not only provided me with information, butalso told me where to look for more information. Reading this book is likehaving a mentor available to me.

Product Description
Now back in a completely revised edition (including thelatest tax law changes), Treasurer’s and Controller’s Desk Bookis the only guide to the activities of the financial officer orcontroller’s job that’s based on the Financial Executive’s Institute’saccepted industry standards.

This massive reference supplies more than 100 tools–checklists,forms, and procedures–that streamline the treasurer’s or controller’sjob. It outlines all the responsibilities–from banking and financialarrangements to records retention and audits. New to this edition:

* The role of the financial officer in today’s “information” economy
* Financial analysis that includes benchmarking, market penetration, and even customer perception
* Taking advantage of Internet technology
* Effective techniques for e-purchasing
* Financing using IPOs
* Online treasury workstations, and more.

About the Author
Daniel L. Gotthilf (Ridgefield, CT) is a former treasurer,controller, and a director of Savin Corporation. He is presently acertified public accountant with his own practice.

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Review of Getting Started in Computer Consulting (Paperback)

I didn’t buy this book through Amazon, but I loved it so much that I hadto review it.

A very practical book that was written with lots ofexamples by a very experienced person.I found it extreemly useful insetting up my own database consulting business.it contains things suchas:

How to price your time, how to choose your client, how to ensure thatyour client has confidence in you, pitfalls to avoid when building yourbusiness etc.

Excelent!

Product Description
Written by an expert who has helped thousands of people nationwide find success as computer consultants, this is your complete guide to starting and managing a thriving computer and network consulting practice. From start-up costs to contract negotiation, from taxes to pricing and marketing, you get concise, straightforward advice and guidance on all the critical issues involved. And throughout the text you’ll find candid accounts from seasoned computer consultants who share invaluable insights into all aspects of the business. You’ll learn how to:

• Assess your strengths and zero in on your market niche
• Use proven, affordable marketing and sales techniques
• Decide when you need a broker and find one you can work with
• Set fees and negotiate contracts to your best advantage
• Bid on government contracts–and win
• Manage your time and workload for optimum satisfaction
• Choose and win the clients you want to work with
• Use the Internet to build your success

From the Back Cover
“

Written by an expert who has helped thousands of people nationwide find success as computer consultants, this is your complete guide to starting and managing a thriving computer and network consulting practice. From start-up costs to contract negotiation, from taxes to pricing and marketing, you get concise, straightforward advice and guidance on all the critical issues involved. And throughout the text you’ll find candid accounts from seasoned computer consultants who share invaluable insights into all aspects of the business. You’ll learn how to: Assess your strengths and zero in on your market niche Use proven, affordable marketing and sales techniquesDecide when you need a broker and find one you can work withSet fees and negotiate contracts to your best advantageBid on government contracts–and winManage your time and workload for optimum satisfactionChoose and win the clients you want to work withUse the Internet to build your success

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