Too much of a good thing

'50 secrets from the science of persuasion'... Well, I'd never heard of `the science of persuasion' before and this is actually a series of short case studies based on social psychology academic papers published over the last decade or so. Each case study is presented as a problem, the experiment and results are described and then a `scientifically proven' solution is suggested. It's an appealing way of covering a broad subject and most of the results are thought-provoking and maybe genuinely useful. The only problem is that these snippets are not structured or ordered in any way so unfortunately fact fatigue sets in after about 30, and by the time you struggle to 50 the science of persuasion began to seem a rather disorganised discipline. An admirable book, but you might have thought `persuasion scientists' would have known a bit better how to determine exactly how much is a `good thing'.

LIKE A THRILLER

I know nothing about - and indeed have very little interest in - the world of billionaires and global takeovers, but I found COLD STEEL a mesmerising read. The authors have somehow contrived to make an extremely complicated financial story comprehensible to people like me. The book is full of larger-than-life characters and reads like the best kind of thriller. And the most amazing thing about it is that it's all true.

A great guide for anyone in the training industry

Clear and with a straight forward layout, this book makes some relatively complex ideas very simple. I train drivers and instructors, and have made this one of my recommended texts due to the success I have had following Whitmore's approach. I use many of the techniques in the book as part of my training course. Enjoyable and inspiring to read, if you are stuck wondering which of the bewildering array of coaching books will give you a comprehensive yet understandable introduction to the subject - this is the one.

Great study Guide

I also felt compelled to write after reading the first review. I think this book is extremely helpful! And I felt better using this book than others because it is made using real GMAT questions from past tests. So you know the material is the real thing. Apparently because it is written by the people who write the GMAT exam, it is the only study guide that can use real questions.

The diagnostic test at the front helped me to determine where I needed to spend my study time, which cut down on what I thought I needed to study.

Also, the practise questions are in order from easiest to hardest for every section, so I knew that when I started having trouble I was in a harder section. It gave me a lot of help!

My weakness is in quantitative skills, so I also purchased The Official Guide for GMAT Quantitative Review for extra practise. The basic information in the book is the same, but the questions were again, very helpful.

Oh and there are extra score sheets in the back if you mess up or want to practise more.

If you want more practise without the answer explanations.

Practical advice you can use straight away

I recently bought the book on recommendation, I have used techniques from it both in work and outside to great effect. I have shared Andys simple approach with others and found real personal benefit.

This is a fantastic book...

This is a fantastic book. Let me say I'm a sceptic when it comes to the web: okay, I buy from amazon but I think second life is really dull and I only signed up 3 friends on facebook before I got bored. So when I was given this I thought it would just wind me up. It did the opposite. It explains what `open source' actually means, why it goes way beyond the geeks who support linux or play tedious computer games and could affect us all. It suggest answers to those obvious questions like `if everyone is sharing all their knowledge how is anyone going to make a living?' Charles is also really encouraging about the impact of the new technology on the developing world - I always thought the divide between the `information rich' and `information poor' was just going to widen. And the book is optimistic!!! Read it. It inspires.<br /><br /><br /><br />

Sophisticated, useful and entirely unpatronising. Must own.

It is very easy to think that because one knows the difference between"they're","their" and"there" that one knows everything there is to know about writing and to think any book such as Elements of Style would be a patronising and didactic tome of condescension. Not at all! Elements of Style is a sophisticated and complete style guide for writing correct English which not only corrects common mistakes but clearly explains the reasons behind certain choices in a way that helps you better understand language. More than anything, it's just a very handy book to have by your side when writing anything of importance, to refer to for grammar and word use queries and edit writing into a more fluid and readable form. It's worth reading the whole way through at least twice, but more than anything it's a valuable reference book. <br /><br />The core of the book (the main four chapters, by Strunk) are all you really need. I found E.B. White's appended fifth chapter to be a bit too subjective and strayed from the completely rigorous and surgically precise tone set by Strunk in the first four chapters. That would be my only criticism of the book, that small as it is, it could have been shorter, were certain bits of woffle (multiple introductions, White's supplementary chapter) cut from it.<br /><br />I cannot recommend this book highly enough though. Not only will you feel like a smarter writer having read it but you will actually be one. It's very funny too, in a dead-pan, almost sarcastic, sardonic fashion - of course, without ever talking down to the reader or insulting her intelligence.

Brilliant little Prince2 primer

Go for this first - see my review of the official manual. This pocket book is easy to read and covers all the ground at a decent but superficial level - will never get you through the examinations but will give you a great understanding of the basics - highly recommended for busy Project Executives to get their heads aronud their position and responsibilities within the Prince2 framework. Highly recommended.

A Great Way to Overcome Communications Stalls

In virtually all circumstances where people are working together, they come to agreement in ways that short-change the interests of everyone involved. This landmark book shows practical ways to find out what other people want, and to devise better alternatives that create a"win" for everyone.

The authors do a great job of overcoming the preconception that many hold that working on problems means that you have to be unpleasant. The advice to be hard on the problems and easy on the people (building a relationship) is a key concept that everyone can use.

I have found this book to be one of the most helpful that I have every read, and I cite its lessons in my first book.

I had a chance to use these principles in a negotiating workshop with veteran negotiators, and I was struck by how few people apply the lessons of GETTING TO YES.

You will vastly improve your life if you read and practice the ideas in GETTING TO YES.

A helpful related book is GETTING PAST NO.

The organizational paradigm shift from hierarchical to massive egalitarian collaboration

A paean to the cataclysmic changes effected by massive, self-organized collaboration and cocreation via the internet venue in an open globalized era. <br /><br />The authors have a penchant for unusual or coined words for chapter titles:'Wikinomics' used as both the book and a chapter title is derived from the word 'wiki' meaning a website or database developed collaboratively by a community of users, allowing any user to add or edit content and is explained in a subtitle in the former as 'how mass collaboration changes everything'and in the latter as 'the art and science of peer production'; 'Ideagoras', a coined and composite word from 'idea'and 'agora', in classical Greece a public open space used for assemblies and markets suitably subtitled 'marketplaces for ideas, innovations, and uniquely qualified minds'; 'Prosumers' also a coined word which derives from the fusion of the words 'producer and 'consumer', the authors arguing that the boundaries between the two are becoming blurred in the sense that consumers by cocreating goods and services rather than simply consuming the end product become 'prosumers'; 'The New Alexandrians', subtitled 'Sharing for Science and the Sience of Sharing', I cite because I found it elegant and appealing for certainly it is neither coined nor contrived. The authors draw a beautiful parallel between the library of Alexandria and the current effort to digitize the present human knowledge which is infinitely wealthier than that in Alexandrian times in order to create a new virtual library of Alexandria which will provide a shared foundation for collaboration, learning and innovation; under the indifferent title 'Platforms for participation', we are introduced among other with the recent and very productive development of mashup or mixing. Web services mashups are created according to the following principle: a programmer mixes together at least two services or applications to create something new, and often better than the sum of the parts; and in the chapter 'The global plant floor', we are intimated that the global open community is also engaged in the creation of physical in addition to virtual entities. <br /><br />In conclusion the authors in this important, well documented, pioneering and visionary book argue convincingly - though prudently cautioning the reader on the attendant difficulties and complexities - that profound changes in the nature of technology, demographics, and the global economy, are giving powerful new models of production based on community, collaboration, and self-organization rather than hierarchy and control and that we are making the transition from an economy, research, developmet and production which is confined and local to one that is open and global. <br /><br />The writing of the authors is sanguine and engaging with possibly a touch of missionary, albeit legitimate zeal.

Jewels of wisdom from Richard, I just craved more!

I'm glad I read this book, the chronology of it flows exceptionally and it's like finding a real gem of understanding reading his anecdotes and reactions to situations that come his way. The most interesting parts for me was understanding his business start-up and development (the first half I would say), this could sell the book on its own. <br /><br />Problems: Ok, I'm not sure about everyone else's reasons, but the reasons why I chose to read this book in the first place was to understand how and why Mr Branson approaches business in the way he does and what EXACTLY his methodology and thought processes are/were. Perhaps it's curiosity, tips, self-evaluation, whatever. Anyway, all the other peripheral stuff like his ballooning trips (multiple and repetitive) and the social conscience he develops and promotes toward the end just really slow down the momentum of the book. <br /><br />I guess I wanted consistent and unadulterated nitty gritty insight into the grey matter of a stupendously successful businessman but there were only snippets and cryptic clues throughout that verged on frustrating. But whatever, it's Richard: he and his philosophies are awesome and you should buy this book just to contribute to the Virgin Empire.

Great book for you or your friends

This book is a really good one and useful as well. One of my friends recently had 3 step interview battles for one financial position. His interviewers asked him most of the questions from this book. So if you want to have at least an idea how to answer tough questions or the simple ones. Go for this book!!! It also is a great present for everyone. At some point in life we all are trying to change our jobs or to explore the current the market opportunities ;)

Persuaded, I certainly was !

James Borg has provided us with one of the best books ever written on the art of persuasion. Prepare to dog ear and highlight this book to death as James gives you simple yet powerful techniques to better your influencing skills. For anyone who deals with people and wants to be more effective in their communication then this book fits the bill, I guess that's everyone then!?

Another Rules of Management

The rules of management has been highly acclaimed as brilliant and a bible for all people in management. The book itself lays down guidlines from the writers and others experience about how you should act in management positions. The rules are for the most part very obvious and things that most people who are natural leaders will know anyway, still it is good as an occasional reminder to make you think through these things properly.<br /><br />Many managers will neglect certain aspects of their job or perform them callously which can create difficulty and tension among staff. Particularly important in my opinion are the rules regarding respecting and trusting your staff, the amount of managers I have known who have not trusted staff to do the jobs they are given and thus run themselves into the ground with worry at their staff's perceived incompetence is enormous. <br /><br />This book is certainly nothing groundbreaking and nothing that hasnt been done 100 times before however for a general reference and a reminder to yourself how to keep in control you cant go far wrong.

Something to continuously reflect on

The Company That Invented Lean The 14 Management Principles<br /><br />Being totally uninterested in cars I did not realise that Toyota is one of the worlds greatest manufacturers.<br /><br />I was listening to In Business on Radio4. It was all about how Toyota has revolutionised management to create what they call lean production.<br /><br />It is a fascinating read by Jeffrey K Liker. MC Graw-Hill (2004) pp 330 The Japanese have learnt in the last forty years how to make top quality cars. The 14 principles can be applied to any business and are not exclusive to manufacturing.<br /><br />It is a whole way of life and a way of thinking.<br /><br />Principles 1: Base your management decision on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term financial goals<br /><br />Principle 2 Create continuous process flow to bring problems to the surface<br /><br />Principle 3 Use" pull" systems to avoid overproduction<br /><br />Principle 4 Level out the workload( heijunka)<br /><br />Principle 5 Build a culture of stopping to fix problems, to get quality right the first time.<br /><br />Principle 6 Standards task are the foundation for continuous improvement and employee empowerment<br /><br />Principle 7 Use visual control so problems are hidden<br /><br />Principle 8Use only reliable, thoroughly tested technology that serves your people and processes<br /><br />Principle 9 Grow leaders who thoroughly understand the work,live the philosophy and teach it to others.<br /><br />Principle 10 Develop exceptional people and teams who follow your company's philosophy<br /><br />Principle 11 Respect your extended network of partners and suppliers y challenging them and helping them improve.<br /><br />Principle 12 Go and see for yourself to thoroughly understand the situations(genchi genbutsu)<br /><br />Principle 13 Make decision slowly by consensus, thoroughly considering all the options implement decisions rapidly ( nemawashi)<br /><br />Principle 14 Become a learning organization through relentless reflection (hansei) and continuous improvement ( kaizen)<br /><br /><br />Recently it was announced that Toyota had overtaken General Motors. How Toyota had done it was common knowledge and they have been happy to tell pople the theory but obviously General Motors had not done the practical.<br /><br />I particularly like continuous reflection which works whether you are succeeding or not. If you are a succes which General Motors has been for years they obviously have not learnt to reflect on their success and maintain it.<br />Maybe they thought their way was the only way. Many once mighty companies have fallen from a great height,<br /><br />A good read

MUST HAVE

I found this book amazing seriously, at the beginning it took me time to grasp the meanings it had, the i realized its one of those books that you are not suppose to be reading it all at once, what i did was i read two or three things a day and grasp it very well and try to motivate my self on doing it and make sure imagining myself doing it so i could remember if i was in such situiation my reaction would fit. really you will understand once you get this book hope you will think of it the same way i did.

Genius!

Never before have I seen anyone explain management topics in such a simple and understandable way.
I must say that my way of thinking has changed much since I started reading this series. I am a business consultant and I have started using Blanchard's and his colleagues' ways in advising my clients. I have seen many succeed because of the application of some of these ideas.
Thank You!

Brilliance

I really enjoyed this book and found it difficult to put down. I learned a lot from this book and even now - can rhyme off 10 impactful lessons I have taken on board. The best one worked for me so well, I am really happy with the output. I recommend this book to anyone who needs to mould their mind into a more professional shape.<br /><br />Amanda Cook<br />