DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!

there are 20 chapters<br />each chapter has about 5 topics<br />each topic has 10 bullet point<br />but each bullet point only has 2 lines<br />which means there is basically no explanation to whatever point it is trying to make, it's just pointing out the facts<br />you won't learn a damn thing from this book<br />

A good fast read for people too busy building a business

I got this book for free through one of Guy's investment companies (www.istock.com).
However I would have gladly paid double the amazon price!
If you are starting a new business or are in the throws of setting something up, take the time to read this. It's one of the most practical guides there is and is the ONLY one that I've immediately started re-reading after finishing it.

It will certainly put things into context when times get tough in your new business.

applied game theory

This book is on strategic thinking. This is what you normally understand as game theory today. Game theory have become a mayor scientific discipline. After two Nobel prices it is a normal standard in economics. Dixit and Nalebuff describe the basics in game theory on a low level. They do not need to use mathematical equations to explain the context. The examples in this book are taken from politics, business and sports. There common model is the prison dilemma case. From this starting point they explain the various forms of co-operative behaviour to solve the games in life. The final result is to find a co-operative outcome with strategic moves. There are a lot of case studies in this book. It makes it easier to follow there ideas.
They show how deterrence was a good instrument in the cold war. They explain how a thread in business is taken on and when the thread is credible it is a good strategy to deter a potential competitor.
It is a book for everyone who is interested in strategic thinking. For the manager it is a good book for bargaining situations.
I read the book with pleasure because it makes business very simple and it is a joy to read.

A very infromative book

This is a great book that helps you through the minefields of setting up and running a limited company. It is easy to read and understand but does not compromise on the depth of information. It includes example case studies to illustrate the theory. The book includes the formalities of running a business, raising funds for the business, troubleshooting and closing a company down among many other areas of interest. A useful glossary is included at the end of the book. This book is aimed at those new to business startup and development and the information in the book should be expanded upon in time. However it is an excellent and informative book for the new business.

American Book

I haven't read this book, only flicked through it then sent it back for a refund. It was a present for a friend, it looked very useful though as long as you're american. I didn't realise that it was american and so was no use for me to give my friend who wants to set up a wedding consultancy business in Scotland! Just warning people out there who are thinking of buying this book to set up a business in the uk.

My Time Management Bible

This book has now become my Time Management Bible, and I have recommended it to all my friends. I am also purchasing several as presents for my team members. As an in-house attorney with multiple demands on my time, I have always felt pulled in many different directions, subject to constant interruption, and moving from one meeting to another, collecting more work to do in the process, but without finding the time to actually do the work except for nights and weekends.This book has put an end to that, and has put me back in control of my schedule. I now, literally, have more time to do what is truly important.I can't recommend this book strongly enough. It is concise, well-written, and attacks the heart of the time management problem. Even in describing this book to friends, I am immediately bombarded with questions about"what does he say on this or that," and I have answers from the book that speak directly to their concerns. A remarkable achievement. Do yourself a favor and get this book.

A worthwhile addition to your business ideas bookshelf

What do you do when the founder of a $1.25m turnover business tells you that 'being in business is truly an experiential adventure in holistic self-education'? You listen. Carefully. This isn't your average"how-to" business book. (Maine states it's a 'how-can' book). What we have here, couched in the gentle, flowery phrases of New Age terminology, is a Woman with A Mission, bound and determined to transform consumer culture - and making a very convincing case for so doing. Beginning with the concept of 'business as a garden' and using examples from her own business and those of successful others in the herbal bodycare industry, Maine evidences a strong belief in the Unverse as Provider, in the style of 'Field of Dreams'. Despite its poetical atmosphere, the book contains much good, solid reference material in the 'Important Lessons' of business owners. Take the Biz Quiz, to find out if you are fortune 500 material or a wealthy philanthropist in the making. From formulating a business plan through developing products that sell - and marketing them successfully - to maintaining and sustaining your growing business, along with some upbeat hopes for the future, Maine talks of delegating, risk-taking and planning for success alongside generosity, tithing and turning competitiors into comrades. Amazingly, it fits into a very neat little package. The average MBA might have conniptions at the phraseology, but the basic structural information is all there to help you get started profitably in your business.

Excellent business book

I like reading different types of books including horror, detective, science fiction, finance, self-help and business. Over the years, I have read"business biography" type books on many companies, including, Dell, Intel, Virgin, Cisco, GE, Coke, Mars, Microsoft, some manufacturing companies, several airlines, supermarkets, retail companies and a few trading banks.

Having read so many business books, I find that most of them repeat much of the advice offered in other books. The result is that each new book provides me with only a small incremental amount of useful information."Business as Unusual" is a welcome exception. It is so original that it is shocking at times (in a good way). The author's way of running her businesses is radically different to how most businesses are run, and her way has worked successfully for her. I suspect that her way would work for many other companies, if only people would keep their minds open enough to try some of the techniques discussed in this book.

This book is not just a business biography. It is also the biography of an activist. It is difficult to separate these two characteristics of the book since Anita Roddick combines her social activism with her businesses. Indeed, I picked up this book thinking it might be a good read about social activism. I was pleasantly amazed in reading the book to discover how her social activism was compatible with (and sometimes, necessary for) excellent, although unusual, ideas for running a business.

There are hardly any books that make me cry. However, when reading this book, I often found tears in my eyes. Sometimes this occurred when reading the details of particular social injustices that the author had met (and fought). But just as often tears of joy and recognition came when reading of business practices that made me think"Thank goodness I am not the only person who feels this way about how a business should treat employees and customers".

If you are interested in social activism then I think you will find this to be an interesting book but be forewarned that it is not a step-by-step manual on how to be an activist. If you are interested only in good business practices and are apathetic to social activism then I think that you will find this book to be invaluable. This is because the business ideas in this book are excellent but so unusual that you will be hard pressed to find them documented anywhere else. This is why the book's title ("Business as Unusual" instead of"Business as Usual") is so apt.

If you like this book and find the author's unusual way of doing business to be fascinating then you will probably also like"Banker to the Poor" by Mohammad Yunus.

Pragmatic, sensible and easy to read

A great book that reworks Denny's thoughts on selling for all those people who find themselves saying"I never became a solicitor/banker/accountant/vet/dentist/other (delete as appropriate) to sell." The contention that selling is a skill (rather than a black art) that can be developed with practise is sound as is the framework approach to ensure sales success.<br /><br />A sound, pragmatic and sensible book that anybody with sales targets but little other support should devour!

Excellent, essential reading for anyone getting into this!

I bought this book hoping it would give me some inside information about running a kennels in the UK: I was not disappointed. This book spells out in explicit detail everything you need to know, be it legal or moral standings! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to start up a kennel in the UK: be sure to read it before you rush into anything, you won't regret the investment!

A must for any front-line manager!

This book is great! A must for any manager wanting to tap into the resource that is the inner potential of the staff reporting into them. This shows you how to deal with the anxiety of performance reviews and shows how to coach with questions rather than answers - 2 of the"unteached" management traits that an employer is always looking for, but rarely recruits the right people to do! If you are a new manager, with an open mind, or a old-pro looking for renewed energy to deliver on key performance indicators, buy this now!

Invaluable"Essentials"

This is one of several paperbacks in the"Essentials" series, each of which offers"cutting edge" thinking on a major business subject. Mike Beer served as the adviser to Richard Luecke while he wrote this volume. Brief information about both is provided. There are seven chapters following an Introduction in which Luecke observes that"Accepting the necessity and inevitability of change enables [all companies and their decision-makers] to see times of transition not as threats but as opportunities -- opportunities for reinventing the company and its culture." Indicators include a merger, acquisition, or divestiture; the launch of a new product or service; a new leader; or a new technology."In this book you will learn how to manage change constructively, and how to help your company, division, and people deal with the upheavals of change. You'll also learn practical things you can do to make change initiatives more successful and less painful for the people you manage."

Each of the seven chapters (which are arranged in a logical sequence) focuses on a separate but related component of effective management of change and transition. For example, in Chapter 2, Luecke explains why leaders must be respected and effective for change to happen, the role of motivation in change-readiness, the importance of a nonhierarchical culture in implementing change, and then offers several"tips" on how to become"change ready." To me, one of the most valuable chapters is the sixth (in which Luecke examines the four stages of reaction to change (i.e. shock, defensive retreat, acknowledgment, and acceptance and adaptation), how individuals can help themselves navigate change, how managers can help employees cope with change, and alternative ways for managers to think about change registers.

At the conclusion of each of the seven chapters, Luecke offers an especially useful"Summing Up" section which facilitates a periodic review of key points. I also appreciate the provision of Appendix A ("Useful Implementation Tools") and Appendix B ("How to Choose and Work with Consultants"), both of which provide basic but sound information to supplement material covered in the previous chapters.

Those who share my high regard for this volume are urged to check out Jim O'Toole's Leading Change, William Bridges' Transitions and Managing Transitions and Jon Katzenbach's Real Change Leaders, all of which are available in paperback editions.

This is a brilliantly written book!

It manages to fully accomplish two distinct things : a) give the reader a great, working understanding of design patterns and b) introduce and showcase the Ruby programming language. Unlike the GoF design pattern book this one is written in a concise and pragmatic fashion, offering relevant, real-world examples of how and when to apply design patterns and also provides a unique perspective on how certain patterns are but a product of the constraints of current frameworks and languages . On this merit alone I would recommend this book to programmers and designers as a thesis on design patterns, regardless of their choice of programming language.<br /><br />At the same time, this book is an excellent introduction to Ruby, especially for people like me who have strong OO background but no experience in dynamic languages like Ruby. The author manages to seamlessly tie-in familiar design patterns with their Ruby implementation, explaining the traditional OO way of implementing them, as well as the 'Ruby way'. This is done in a progressive way, introducing new features of the language with each pattern. By the time I finished reading this book I felt very comfortable with coding real-life applications in Ruby.<br /><br />Overall, one of the best technical books to have ever adorned my bookshelf.

Not fully compatible with 2006 versions

If you are upgrading from 2006 it does not tranfer any templates or memorised reports. You will have to create them all again from scratch!

Fantastic Book

Having aproximately 60 books of self improvement, this is on of the best, I compound my creativity with this one. This is one of the starts in my collection, simple, practical , with theory and exercises what else can we ask? Well presented, organized and simple to understand. This book help me to understand creativity. Without doubt has being the cornerstone for me to understand and start by myself, I have few great ideas now, some of them funny others of great potential, others already changed my life. This book Will change your life as well?