Book Description
In just the last few years, traditional collaboration—in a meeting room, a conference call, even a convention center—has been superseded by collaborations on an astronomical scale.
Today, encyclopedias, jetliners, operating systems, mutual funds, and many other items are being created by teams numbering in the thousands or even millions. While some leaders fear the heaving growth of these massive online communities, Wikinomics proves this fear is folly. Smart firms can harness collective capability and genius to spur innovation, growth, and success.
A brilliant guide to one of the most profound changes of our time, Wikinomics challenges our most deeply-rooted assumptions about business and will prove indispensable to anyone who wants to understand competitiveness in the twenty-first century.
Based on a $9 million research project led by bestselling author Don Tapscott, Wikinomics shows how masses of people can participate in the economy like never before. They are creating TV news stories, sequencing the human genome, remixing their favorite music, designing software, finding a cure for disease, editing school texts, inventing new cosmetics, or even building motorcycles. You'll read about:
• Rob McEwen, the Goldcorp, Inc. CEO who used open source tactics and an online competition to save his company and breathe new life into an old-fashioned industry.
• Flickr, Second Life, YouTube, and other thriving online communities that transcend social networking to pioneer a new form of collaborative production.
• Mature companies like Procter & Gamble that cultivate nimble, trust-based relationships with external collaborators to form vibrant business ecosystems.
An important look into the future, Wikinomics will be your road map for doing business in the twenty-first century.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book to Read.......2007-10-02
Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything
As I refresh my professional career for the second decade of the 21st Century, I decided ro read this book, and I was not wrong. This is a most read book for everyone that's looking to stay relevant in the digital economy and the disrupting collaboration paradign. I highly recommeded.
Good, but not critical enough and scores high on the buzzword-meter.......2007-09-12
The book gives a quick tour of the new collaborative ways in which people aggregate and process information. It points out that collaboration can also be applied to produce new 'stuff', outside of software and even applying to manufacturing. It makes for interesting reading for people who a) know something about open source and want to know about its business implications and b) managers who don't know about open source/collaboration but would like to.
It is, imho, less interesting for those who want in-depth answers to the real thorny _business_ problems around open-source. I.e. How to make money at it, if you want to. It hints at important questions such as rewarding the community at large, not losing the family jewels as you open up, etc. Unfortunately, it never quite gets down to specific recommendations beyond "you have to find the right mix of proprietary vs. open source IP".
Not to criticize it overmuch. Wikinomics often jars your thinking with insightful nuggets. For example, it cites Goldcorp as the example of a mining company which opened up its secret prospection data to outsiders. Wikinomics, probably rightly, uses that as a counter-intuitive example of enlisting external help for a type of company that never shares that kind of data. Hmmm, why not share? If the prospection data applies to land on which only your company can operate, isn't that a pretty safe gamble? I don't know, really, but the point is that the anecdote makes you think of things differently. Same with IBM's success at getting a new OS (Linux)almost for free, while gathering goodwill from the community and genuinely collaborating. How far Big Blue's embarrassing anti-trust proceedings seem now...
Less helpful is Wikinomics' recurring use of cherry-picked anecdotes by sector, rather than a broad analysis of various businesses. First of all, it rarely compares its chosen 'smart companies' to their competitors. Yes, BMW is opening up. Does that make their cars any better? How is their stock doing? vs. Toyota? How is their reliability? How innovative are their cars?
Red Hat is a huge success story in Linux, but its dominance also highlights the relative failure of other Linux vendors. No explanation is given for that - network effects? first mover?
I would have welcomed some case studies of failures for big corporations in opening up. What caused those failures? What can be learned from them?
Google is also cited as a big example of openness. That is only partially true and could have served to highlight the necessary(?) split between proprietary information and public openness. Google opens up its APIs and the search is certainly free. I am a big fan myself. However, they have not chosen to release much code back to the community (cf. MapReduce) , mostly by sidestepping the GPL because they don't distribute their software. Their choice, and probably motivated by good business logic. Apple also walks a fine line between leveraging open source and keeping its business very much a secret.
This is just the kind of case studies Wikinomics could sink its teeth into, but it spends way too much time gushing over all the boundless possibilities of collaboration.
Conclusion: a good eye-opener but take it with a grain of salt. Note that my perspective is that of a developer interested in open source _and_ business profits.
An interesting read........2007-09-04
I liked this book, and it opened my eyes to many other "community-driven" technologies/companies. While I thought a lot of the ideas were very "common sense", it was well written, and had some great anecdotes. I recommend this book for anyone interested in social networking, building communities, etc.
The community is the company.......2007-09-02
Wikinomics is about opening your company to the world where communities come together, individuals share ideas, intelligence, peer produce, innovate; the communities are driven primarily by self-motivation or respect from peers. The idea is awesome; the authors are right that this is a new era; some of the most successful companies in the world use wikinomics; the most successful Internet companies are based upon it. The companies cost is dramatically cut, they become trustworthy, and individuals create what they want.
But the book is almost irritating to read. They paint a world where wikinomics is practically perfect, where the communities created by the company are utopian, and the companies who refuse the wikinomic ideology as evil. According to the authors, the companies that don't jump on the bandwagon will ultimately fail because they can't compete with speed and innovation that wikinomic companies can produce (compare wikipedia with any encyclopedia).
The reality is the communities created are often not egalitarian. Digg is a good example -- the community is driven by a faction of a top 100 users who control the front page content, any article or comment outside the digg mindset is quickly buried, and websites have been created where you can pay to get dugg.
In addition, the book ignores wikinomic companies who have failed completely or to a large extent (amapedia, a million penguins, la times wiki editorial, the thousands of 2.0 clones) and they give the reader no idea how to start a successful web 2.0 company. The book is also too long and each chapter adds little to the last. The entire book is read in the first chapter.
While I feel companies opening up to the world is an awesome concept and many of the ideas in the book are right, I would have preferred a more balanced book which makes this book unsatisfying. In the end, I still question whether wikinomics is just a bubble going to burst.
Required reading for Strategic Thinkers.......2007-08-29
In this interesting and example filled book, Authors Tapscott & Williams explore how convergence of the New Web (technology) and the Net Generation (demographics) have reduced transaction costs within the knowledge economy (or the knowledge element of the industrial economy) to create or allow for mass collaboration. Citing four (4) principles underlying this mass collaboration - openness, peering, sharing, and acting globally - they identify seven (7) trends that are transforming existing business models and challenging leaders to create entirely new business models.
1. Peer Production - building intellectual property bit by bit thru open source
2. Ideagoras - buying and selling solutions to problems / research
3. Prosumers - new product design by consumers/users (think hackers)
4. New Alexandrians - sharing science / thinking on a massive scale
5. Platforms for participation - global stage for partnering to create value and build new businesses
6. Global plant floors - transport technology across borders/organizations for local fab labs
7. Wiki workplaces - really workspaces, where playgrounds replace more traditional business processes
While one may argue with the distinctions between these seven, somewhat overlapping trends, the authors provide ample examples to stimulate thinking and help the reader see how this new world might be integrated into current business models or force us to create new ones. This book is recommended as required reading for anyone responsible for strategic thinking - for themselves or for their business.
Average customer rating:
- Instant Classic - Top Shelf
- All hype, no protein
- Trust is Fundamental in Relational Management
- The Ultimate Trust Model
- Author Lost My Trust Immediately, So Why Would I Listen To Anything He Has To Say?
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The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything
Stephen M.R. Covey , and
Rebecca R. Merrill
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Book Description
From Stephen R. Covey's eldest son comes a revolutionary new path towards productivity and satisfaction. Trust, says Stephen M.R. Covey, is the very basis of the new global economy, and he shows how trust—and the speed at which it is established with clients, employees and constituents—is the essential ingredient for any high-performance, successful organization.
For business leaders and public figures in any arena, The Speed of Trust offers an unprecedented and eminently practical look at exactly how trust functions in our every transaction and relationship—from the most personal to the broadest, most indirect interaction—and how to establish trust immediately so that you and your organization can forego the time-killing, bureaucratic check-and-balance processes so often deployed in lieu of actual trust.
Customer Reviews:
Instant Classic - Top Shelf.......2007-10-08
Within minutes of reading this book I knew it was going to be great. The book explains how trust is the driving force behind all efficient, successful businesses. Covey gets into different types of trust and some self assessments to determine what areas the reader is strong or weak in. The book can be applied to business, community and family. Without a doubt it goes on the short list of powerful, life-changing books!
All hype, no protein.......2007-09-19
Lots of anecdotes about the author's years in the business world. The author testifies that trust is great and makes things work. Little of substance in this book.
Trust is Fundamental in Relational Management.......2007-08-24
Trust may be the missing ingredient for the relational management model to succeed, but Trust (confidence + credibility) is an outcome, not an input. To get a Trust outcome requires the right inputs and in this book, the next generation's spokesperson for the Covey dynasty, Stephen M. R. Covey, tells us what trust means as well as provides plenty of examples of how important trust is when it comes to delivering business performance.
M.R. uses the "ripple effect" metaphor with Self at the center and waves rippling from the inside out to describe the "5 Waves of Trust." Using this metaphor, the first trust wave is Self-Trust (credibility driven), then comes the Relationship-Trust (consistent behavior driven) wave, an Organizational-Trust (alignment driven) wave, a Market-Trust (reputation driven) wave, and finally a Societal-Trust (giving back or contribution driven) wave.
Staying with the emphasis on managing `Self' first, Covey then provides the substance of the Self-Trust wave; the 4 cores of Credibility - integrity, intent, capability, and results. For the Relationship-Trust wave he identifies 13 critical behaviors. With the remaining trust waves, the dialogue continues the book's main theme - understanding the cost of mistrust and the value of trust - as it discusses organizational alignment, market reputation, and societal contribution. As M.R. says, "the dividends of trust can significantly enhance the quality of every relationship on every level of your life". If you doubt that, read this book.
The Ultimate Trust Model.......2007-08-23
I speak around the world on building Trust in Selling. "The Speed of Trust" gives you a roadmap on how to master trust and the real economic value of trust.
Stephen gives you insights that anyone can use in their quest to excel at building trust in business relationships.
The Speed of Trust gets to the core roots of integrity and how 'trusted' leaders and organizations thrive.
Everyone should make the time to read this book."
Joe Heller, Trust Cycle Selling
Author Lost My Trust Immediately, So Why Would I Listen To Anything He Has To Say?.......2007-08-01
I checked out this book from the library, read the 1st chapter - then immediately put it by the door so I could return it the next day. Why? Mr. Covey has no credibility himself. At least not with me. Here's why.
The 1st Chapter is basically his How I Learned About The Importance Of Trust saga. The problem is that it's an unintentional unmasking of a narcissist. His only admitted mistake in establishing trust with the Franklin side of the Franklin-Covey merger is his assumption that all the Franklin people were as well-informed on how great he is as the Covey people.
Mr. Covey then proceeds to take things further by showing how stricken he is with Rich Offspring Disease. He expresses shock that anyone assumed he was in top position at Covey just because of his name. Apparently Mr. Covey wants us to believe that he was interviewed for his job at Covey by people who had No Idea he was related to THE Covey family. Please.
Mr. Covey is one more person who has been handed the keys to the corner office without having to earn it first. His family is free to do that if they like. However, swallowing his insistence that he would've had the job even if he hadn't been related is too much to swallow.
A man who can't admit he's gotten breaks in life is not a man who can be trusted. Nor is he a man who knows much about trust. At least that's my opinion.
I guess we're also intended to believe that Mr. Covey got his book deal the hard way - soliciting agents and publishing houses with an unsolicited manuscript, with no help from or trading on the connections of his famous author father. Just like J.K. Rowling.
Does someone who trades in these delusions sound like he understands real, lasting trust and credibility?
Average customer rating:
- A Sign of Hope!
- The Secret Message of Jesus: Not As Much Secret as Lost
- Secret Message? Where has Mclaren been?
- A book to be treasured.
- The Secret Message of Jesus
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The Secret Message of Jesus: Uncovering the Truth that Could Change Everything
Brian McLaren
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
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Book Description
When Brian McLaren began offering an alternative vision of Christian faith and life in books such as A New Kind of Christian and A Generous Orthodoxy, he ignited a firestorm of praise and condemnation that continues to spread across the religious landscape. To some religious conservatives, McLaren is a dangerous rebel without a doctrinally-correct cause. Some fundamentalist websites have even claimed he's in league with the devil and have consigned him to flames.
To others though, Brian is a fresh voice, a welcome antidote to the staleness, superficiality, and negativity of the religious status quo. A wide array of people from Evangelical, Catholic, and Mainline Protestant backgrounds claim that through his books they have begun to rediscover the faith they'd lost or rejected. And around the world, many readers say that he has helped them find-for the first time in their lives-a faith that makes sense and rings true. For many, he articulates the promise of what is being called "emerging Christianity."
In The Secret Message of Jesus you'll find what's at the center of Brian's critique of conventional Christianity, and what's at the heart of his expanding vision. In the process, you'll meet a Jesus who may be altogether new to you, a Jesus who is…
- Not the crusading conqueror of religious broadcasting;
- Not the religious mascot of partisan religion;
- Not heaven's ticket-checker, whose words have been commandeered by the church to include and exclude, judge and stigmatize, pacify and domesticate.
McLaren invites you to discover afresh the transforming message of Jesus-an open invitation to radical change, an enlightening revelation that exposes sham and ignites hope, an epic story that is good news for everyone, whatever their gender, race, class, politics, or religion.
"Pastor and best-selling author McLaren revisits the gospel material from a fresh-and at times radical-perspective . . . He does an excellent job of capturing Jesus' quiet, revolutionary style."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Here McLaren shares his own ferocious journey in pondering the teachings and actions of Jesus. It is McLaren's lack of salesmanship or agenda that creates a refreshing picture of the man from Galilee who changed history."
--Donald Miller, Author of Blue Like Jazz
"In this critical book, Brian challenges us to ask what it would mean to truly live the message of Jesus today, and thus to risk turning everything upside down."
--Jim Wallis, Author of God's Politics and editor of Sojourners
"Compelling, crucial and liberating: a book for those who seek to experience the blessed heat of Christianity at its source."
--Anne Rice, Author of Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt
Customer Reviews:
A Sign of Hope!.......2007-10-04
I've read the gospels of Jesus for over 40 years. It's clear that Jesus was very popular with most people and caused a stir wherever he went. His followers seemed to pick up where he left off and in a few generations spread the message of Jesus throughout the Roman Empire and finally, outlasting their persecutors, overcame the empire with the love of God in the message of Jesus. But when I ponder the church of Jesus that I know today I wonder what is missing. No only are we not moving our culture towards God's love in Jesus, we struggle to convince our own children to follow Jesus. For 40 years I've wondered where we are going wrong. And now in "The Secret Message of Jesus" I finally see some hope that maybe we can find our way back to what those first followers of Jesus experienced when they were transformed by the message of Jesus.
I recommend this book to anyone who has given up on the church, find it irrelevant, or are frustrated with it and long for more. To anyone who has dismissed Christianity because of Christians, I recommend this book. To anyone who wants to test the refreshing waters of the emerging church "The Secret Message of Jesus" will be a good taste.
The Secret Message of Jesus: Not As Much Secret as Lost.......2007-09-13
This book is both revealing and challenging. It insists that we accept Jesus' teachings and life not as we read it through our world view and cultural biases, but as the culture that surrounded him would have accepted him. This book is full of historical insights and sociological investigations. If you are looking for a academic read that is written in plain English, with an open heart that covers the very basic truths within the Christian faith, this book is for you. I loved it! I am now reading back through it with my inter-faith small group of guys. They to endorse it.
Secret Message? Where has Mclaren been?.......2007-07-24
In this book Mclaren outlines the social implications of Jesus message. While this is not bad, it is bad that he claims that this is a "secret message" which he has discovered himself. He claims that the church through the ages has missed the point of Jesus message, which is incredibly arrogant and lacking the slightest bit of historical evidence. The sheer audacity and arrogance of his assumption that the church has been missing the social implications of Jesus message for nearly two thousand years only to be rediscovered by Brian Mclaren is beyond the scope of words. If he could look back just thirty to fifty years he could discover the work of people like Carl H. Henry or Francis Schaeffer, who teach the very things he claims were not taught by those within the church.He also goes a bit into a postmodernistic rant in chapter two, and discusses the interpretive grid we see things through, making it clear that he does not want people telling other people that they are wrong, since they have their own interpretive grid. This makes it incredibly ironic that a good portion of his book is spent bashing the kind of Christianity he grew up in, declaring them to be utterly wrong. I find the lack of emphasis on the death and resurrection of Jesus to be appalling. He essentially relegates the death and resurrection of Jesus to a secondary place, behind the social message he preached. I sincerely hope that this was not his intent, but the very heavy emphasis on the social message and almost complete lack of discussion of the atonement makes it appear that he does not really think the atonement is very important. In short, this book seems to me to be little more than the ridiculous ramblings of a mystically-oriented postmodernistic Christian who is embittered against modernism and any forms of Christianity that he feels are associated with modernism. His ramblings come off as very arrogant because of his ridiculous claims to originality which reveal that he has not studied the history of Christianity. The message of this book is not all bad. It is simply neither new nor as good as the message of others like Carl Henry or Francis Schaeffer who preach the same message without the questionable postmodernistic tilt or neglectance of the essence of the message of Jesus, which is not only social change, but also and most importantly the redemption of creation.Overall grade: D-
A book to be treasured........2007-07-11
There are books that inform and books that inspire. There are books that entertain and books that enthrall. McLaren's THE SECRET MESSAGE OF JESUS does those things and more--it transforms. I know that sounds like jacket hype, but I can attest to the fact that the book lives up to its subtitle: Uncovering the Truth That Could Change Everything.
Over the years I've read various systematic theologies, commentaries, expository studies, and sermons. I even earned an advanced degree from a major American seminary. I've been saturated with all things ecclesiastical. It's probably heretical to say it, but after over two decades of ministry, it all seemed to be turning boring and purposeless. Worse, the intellectually challenging books and essays that were supposed to inspire and enrich my professional ministry were becoming so much blah-de-blah-blah. Then I read this book.
Now I understand that my slide down the slippery slope of ministerial burn-out was due, in large part, to my ignorance of the message of Jesus. (Several reviewers have taken issue with McLaren's use of the word "secret." ) Whatever you choose to call it--secret, hidden, concealed, neglected, enigmatic, conspiratorial--I had never put together all the elements of the message in a way that translated viscerally--from brain to heart. I knew the Sermon on the Mount verse-by-verse (described by McLaren as Jesus' "Kingdom Manifesto"), but had never grasped the obvious reality that I struggled with money, sex, and power just like the folks who heard Jesus speaking on that Mediterranean hillside. (Just like you probably struggle, too.)
According to McLaren's critics, he's not the first to discover and discuss the mercurial, language-limited message of Jesus. I'm sure that's probably true. (Frankly, I seriously doubt that he's even making that claim.) Of course there have been many disciples throughout Christian history who have managed to "decipher the message" and make the pursuit of the Kingdom of God their highest priority in life. They obviously weren't as obtuse and inherently pagan as I.
I don't know what my remaining years of pilgrimage hold for me, but I certainly hope that the message of Jesus will become clearer and brighter each day. As McLaren reminds the reader when quoting Emily Dickinson in his final chapter, "The truth must dazzle gradually, or every man be blind."
Thank you, Brian, for all the deep thinking/feeling/dreaming you put into this book. Hopefully, those of us with ears will hear.
The Secret Message of Jesus.......2007-05-25
This is a wonderful book. While reading the scriptures time and again several years ago, I discovered that in 84 places that I could find and mark, Jesus calls the message of the kingdom his "gospel"....his "good news". Therefore, I have preached only the kingdom of God on earth ever since. I refuse to teach or preach "salvation theology" because I believe it was a later development, certainly nothing Jesus emphasized.
This is the first book I have read that agrees with my findings. I welcome it in a needy world.
Book Description
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, that perception is reality, and that a single strength can overcome a world of obstacles. These three powerful ideas converge in the breakthrough work, Change the Way You See Everything
This brilliantly simple book on the philosophy known as Asset-Based Thinking, instills success-oriented habits in even the most die-hard cynic. Its transformational lessons--conveyed through unique photographic metaphors and inspiring stories from real people--reveal how the slightest shift in perception can lead to monumental results in both business and in life. ABT is not just positive thinking, but rather a systematic observation of "what works." Kathryn Cramer, an acclaimed corporate consultant, and Hank Wasiak, a creative icon of the advertising industry, have produced a work that looks and works like no other business or self-help book-because it IS like no other book. Change the Way You See Everything is a revolutionary approach to every aspect of life that bears not just reading, but re-reading, and sharing with people in your circle. You'll never look at the world the same way again.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent service.... no need to say more!.......2007-08-07
They said brand new and I got brand new! they said fast shipping.... I got FAST shipping! I will order from them again and again!
Buy for everyone you know.......2007-03-13
This book is a quick and fun read. I made it a point to read one title a day, which turns out to be a two page spread. The concepts are driven home with incredible supporting photos and powerful text treatments.
highly motivating book for sure!.......2007-03-05
Dr. Cramer is rock star in the area of "the glass is half full" thinking! This book is a great read and re-read to cement good, positive, motivated, lean-forward behaviors. And I for one appreciate the reminder and the helpful tips. It's also a book that's well laid out so that I can refer back to key sections easily! Kudos to Kathy and Hank for summing up life's lessons so well!
Entertaining & creative book.......2006-08-23
This is an entertaining book with a creative approach to concepts in Positive Psychology. Its style and content is a reflection of the combined efforts of a psychologist (K Cramer)& a creative advertising executive (H Wasiak).
The presentation of concepts is clear, simple and straightforward. It breaks down into categories of: How you see yourself; How you see others; and How you see Situations. The main concept promoted is to use Asset Based thinking as oppossed to Deficit Based thinking (which parallels many concepts of positive psychology)
The chapters and concepts are enhanced with thought provoking visual pictures,interesting charts, some personal stories, and great graphics. This presentation makes it easy to read, and even useful if you want to use material for lectures or classes.
For a rigorous clinician or coach, the exercises they recommend throughout the book are not especially powerful or unique. In addition, they make very few references to psychological studies to support claims about the effectiveness of Asset Based Thinking.
Forget Perfection.......2006-07-18
This book truly brought positive and new insight into my life. As a person who often veers towards a path of perfection the wisdom of this book reminded me that trying to do everything flawlessly is not the key to success. Instead, taking the "magnify what's best and focus on what's next" approach has opened up a whole new world of possibilities and happiness for me. The simple but powerful messages, accompanied by the inviting photographs found inside the book will engage all readers and help them to make the most of their assets.
Book Description
The Baby Boom generation has always been known asa demographic anomaly and these 77 million Americanshave dominated our society for the past 60 years, settingtrends and revolutionizing entire industries. They didn'tjust date, they transformed sex roles and practices. Theydidn't just go to the doctor, they reinvented healthcare.And now retirement and aging will never be the sameas the oldest boomers move into their 60s with nothoughts of traditional retirement or old-age homes!Featuring insightful interviews and essays from BabyBoomers like Dr. Andrew Weill, Erica Jong, Eve Ensler,Rob Reiner, Oliver Stone, Lester Thurow, and TonySnow, THE BOOMER CENTURY is an entertaining,historical and cultural look at a truly amazing generation.
Customer Reviews:
How can a book be so silly and so scary at the same time?.......2007-07-10
I was looking for a book that approached the boomers' effect on the future, what sort of housing, leisure pursuits, educational opportunities, etc.
What I got in this work was seventy-five percent super fluff nostalgia for how great we boomers are/were and twenty-five percent on, "now what are you going to do for us clever and adorable creatures".
The style of writing follows the script for the show they did on the same subject (full disclosure: I wouldn't watch such drivel so I'm going by the writer's statements) but the loose conversational manner of a documentary interview does not translate well to a book format. Many of the views of their so-called panel of experts were so clumsily written that it was necessary to read them three or four times to understand any of it.
And the "experts" all seemed to have the same delusional view that we can all be spoiled narciccists, live like theirs no tomorrow, and enjoy intergenerational piece and harmony in our old age while the struggling Gen X and Y slave like animals to pay for it.
Willful ignorance is the most dangerous drug of all.
Highly recommended.......2007-05-27
This book offers a great overview of the boomer generation, past, present and future. It is the companion to a PBS documentary, but where the tv show gives us only a sentence, the book offers an entire paragraph (the entire thought) of a group of experts so diverse as to include Oliver Stone and Tony Snow. Now THAT'S diverse. It is informative, entertaining and often amusing. A great read not only for boomers, but for Gens X and Y as well.
Another Boomer Retrospective.......2007-05-10
For those of us born after the post-WWII baby boom, the media's constant regurgitation of the images and events that "defined" that generation, including the Beatles, JFK, Woodstock, the moon landing, the Vietnam War and Watergate, among others, always seemed narcissistically nostalgic, as if taunting later generations to call up their own seminal events with similar, society-shaking consequences. PBS's "The Boomer Century 1946-2046: How America's Most Influential Generation Changed Everything" and its accompanying book take that self-congratulatory attitude to the extreme.
No one doubts that America and the world underwent turbulent times in the latter half of the last century and that many individuals responded in memorable ways, but the idea that some mass consciousness succumbed to Beatlemania; expanded its awareness with drugs; lost its innocence with the assassinations of both Kennedys and Martin Luther King, Jr.; and then became rich during the "Me Decade" and "Decade of Greed", washes out the richness of voices during those years and marginalizes the real struggles of minorities, women and laborers.
Other than serving as a marketing demographic and a lazy shorthand for post-WWII events, the idea of "boomers" adds little to the national discussion and even detracts from it, as most of the topics covered in "The Boomer Century" would be better served by a sharper focus, e.g. looking specifically at consumerism, the Cold War, the history of rock-n-roll, civil rights, etc. By throwing everything under the blanket of "boomer", they become nothing more than another step in the boomer development, like graduating high school.
So why give "The Boomer Century 1946-2046" five stars despite trite, repetitive essays by famous boomers that fail to form a compelling narrative or offer any real insight? Because the book and the PBS documentary do exactly what they set out to do, celebrate a group of people who happened to be born within the same 18-year period and offer them a nostalgia-filled trip down memory and commercial lane without seriously questioning the societal trends that resulted in slower economic growth in the past twenty-five years compared to the previous twenty-five and saw the greater increase in the mean over the median income. For all their expanded consciousness and world awareness, the boomers have done a wonderful job of increasing economic disparities at home and aggressive U.S. policies abroad.
Book Description
The first in a series of three recovery guides for the first three years of sobriety, First-Year Sobriety uses the voices of many women and men who are struggling in the often baffling territory of their first year of sobriety to show that despite their differing experiences, all are united in the process of giving life without alcohol or other drugs a chance. These are people who are alternately amazed, appalled, delighted, depressed, illuminated, disturbed, or simply thrown by their first days, weeks, and months of sobriety. Kettelhack explores the challenges all seem to face: learning to break through loneliness, isolation, and fear; finding ways to deal with anger, depression, and resentment; and learning how to deal with a new and sometimes overwhelming happiness. Guy Kettelhack has written seven books on recovery. He is completing a Master's degree in psychoanalysis, and is an analyst-in-training at the Boston and New York Centers for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies. A graduate of Middlebury College, Kettelhack has also done graduate work in English literature at Bread Loaf School of English at Oxford University. He lives in New York City.
Customer Reviews:
Here is my opinion of this book:.......2007-07-22
This book was surely a good edition to my recovery library. During my early recovery, I am reading as much as I can. I need to learn all that I can about this challenging time of early recovery. No one ever told me in rehab that I was going to have all these....FEELINGS! Alcohol really and truly made me numb for quite some time. I did not realize this until I got sober and began to feel again. As the feelings flooded in, I began to think that I was crazy-sober or not. This book helped me to realize that everything I was/am going through is normal. It is all OKAY. Many, many other people who have gone before me have felt the same exact feelings. This book speaks to the reader as casually as a speaker at a meeting will speak. It is easy to "get"...easy to understand and I breathed a sigh of relief everytime I could identify myself in the pages. Thank God for all of the written materials dealing with the subject of recovery. I devour these books. I recommend that you do too. Good buy.
Why not.......2007-05-07
This is a great book. In early recovery the more you read and learn about your disease the better. This book uses peoples own experiences to point out things you never hear about. It doesn't use complex ideas or concepts just simple ideas and language, plus I read the whole book in two days. Keep it Simple and this book does.
Extremely Helpful.......2006-07-21
Within my firts three years of sobriety I read this along with the second and third year edition. They were extremely accurate and helped me to deal with the trials and tribulations of sobriety at the time. I would recommend these titles to anyone who desires to be knowledgable and gain understanding about the process of recovery they are engaged in.
What to Expect from Sobriety.......2004-05-27
I found this to be a very useful addition to AA literature for people who are making their first serious attempt at getting sober and staying sober. The author understands the challenges that alcoholics/addicts face and presents interesting case studies of people who have faced the struggles and the victories of a newly sober person in this crazy world.
The book is written in a language that alcoholics will understand and resonate with. It's filled with examples of how an alcoholic/addict thinks, feels, and acts like during those first fragile years. Read it and share it with other
alcoholic/addicts.
First-Year Sobriety.......2001-01-17
Excellent book for people with either short or long term sobriety. The content is very realistic and I believe that anyone will find a story or two in here that will relate to them. Has helped me much. Also a good book to hold onto for future reference.
Book Description
The editors of The Friend Who Got Away are back with a new anthology that will do for money what they did for women’s friendships.
Ours is a culture of confession, yet money remains a distinctly taboo subject for most Americans. In this riveting anthology, a host of celebrated writers explore the complicated role money has played in their lives, whether they’re hiding from creditors or hiding a trust fund. This collection will touch a nerve with anyone who’s ever been afraid to reveal their bank balance.
In these wide-ranging personal essays, Daniel Handler, Walter Kirn, Jill McCorkle, Meera Nair, Henry Alford, Susan Choi, and other acclaimed authors write with startling candor about how money has strengthened or undermined their closest relationships. Isabel Rose talks about the trials and tribulations of dating as an heiress. Tony Serra explains what led him to take a forty-year vow of poverty. September 11 widow Marian Fontana illuminates the heartbreak and moral complexities of victim compensation. Jonathan Dee reveals the debt that nearly did him in. And in paired essays, Fred Leebron and his wife Katherine Rhett discuss the way fights over money have shaken their marriage to the core again and again.
We talk openly about our romantic disasters and family dramas, our problems at work and our battles with addiction. But when it comes to what is or is not in our wallets, we remain determinedly mum. Until now, that is. Money Changes Everything is the first anthology of its kind—an unflinching and on-the-record collection of essays filled with entertaining and enlightening insights into why we spend, save, and steal.
The pieces in Money Changes Everything range from the comic to the harrowing, yet they all reveal the complex, emotionally charged role money plays in our lives by shattering the wall of silence that has long surrounded this topic.
Customer Reviews:
Insightful perspectives.......2007-03-18
I really liked this book. It's amazing how everyone views money differently! The essays kept my interest and I am recommending the book to others.
This book was okay.......2007-03-15
It wasn't bad for the most part. it was nice reading the different ways people's lives turned out. Some parts of this book were a little boring to me though. I felt like it was too many people whining about getting too much money or being in too much debt.
This one will have you thinking about how money has affected YOUR life and is a FUN read! .......2007-03-04
FIrst off, this is NOT a how-to book on personal finance. If you want that, go find one of the tons of books on the subject. But this book could help you change your outlook on money and think about how your own life has been affected by it. Each essay in this book is a personal confession or revelation about how money or money problems (or obtaining a sudden windfall) greatly changed someone's life.
Let's face it- Discusing one's personal finances with friends, even family, can be as taboo as discussing sex - and so it is relief to find a book where that taboo is broken. I'm sure plenty of readers will relate to the dilemnas of twenty two writers who explore the various ways money has altered their lives, whether it was going into a deep depression during a debt crisis, living with guilt after inheriting money as a 9/11 widow, being open about money fights with one's spouse, why someone would take on a vow of poverty or the unique challenges of dating a heiress.
This book will make you think - and perhaps rethink- your attitude towards finances. After all, it's only money - or is it?
Money Does Change Everything.......2007-02-27
We get into more trouble when we don't communicate well with others. Money has always been such a taboo. It would probably solve so many problems if people could talk more openly about this subject. Money has too much power over us. Wouldn't be nice if we could value people more than money?
Book Description
Stormie Omartian, the bestselling author who has helped millions of people develop a powerful prayer life, now inspires readers to open their lives to the prayer that changes everything—the prayer of praise to God.
Intimate conversations with God often focus on immediate needs, concern for others, and direction regarding His will, but praise requires believers to look beyond themselves and their circumstances and place their attention solely on God. Stormie shares personal stories, biblical truths, and practical guiding principles to reveal the wonders that take place when Christians offer praise in the middle of difficulties, sorrow, fear, and, yes, abundance and joy.
Study questions are included in each chapter, making The Prayer That Changes Everything™ perfect for personal application or group discussions.
Customer Reviews:
Great Read.......2007-06-24
I highly recommend this book to all who are searching for a peaceful and praying life and forthe holy spirit's gudance.
Okay, but not great.......2007-04-20
This book is okay, but not great. She spends so much time quoting Jack Hayford he should get a cowriting credit.
I was looking for more meat. This one is pretty light weight.
A GREAT AND INFORMATIVE BOOK.....THANK YOU!!!.......2007-01-29
"Worship is a choice we make. Whether we worship God or not, is always an act of our own will. Our will determines whether we make it our first reaction to things that happen to us - or don't happen to us - or a last resort. If we do not make it our first reaction, then we cannot possibly make it a way of life. And if we do not make praise a way of life, we will never experience all God has for us."
This book was a Christmas gift which I thoroughly enjoyed as I have never read any of the author's works. Stormie Omartian writting is incredible and she is bent on showing us how practical praising God and worshiping Him can affect all our lives. Because God dwells and inhabits the praises of His people we are sure that He is near, and as we send our praises up He sends His blessings down to us. There is no Praise that God the Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit are unaware of. He empowers us and draws us closer to Him. When we are closer to Him we yearn to be just like Him and we get the very sense of the Kingdom. Stormie Omartian walks us through the many reasons why we should praise God, and she allows us to know when praise is crucial.
Another thing I loved about this book was after each chapter there was a nice long prayer of Praise, then a study to make sure we understood what we had just read, and bible verses to dwell on. This book was well laid out and well written, and can be used as a devotional if you care to. Very well done. I look forward to reading more of Stormie Omartian's work. May God continue to bless her and use her towards the honour and glory of His Kingdom. For surely we can be made better and brighter christians by following her teaching.
Reviewed by Heather Marshall Negahdar (SUGAR-CANE 29/01/07)
Very good and uplifting.......2006-05-31
This book has a different approach to prayers. It mainly concentrates in praising GOD under all circumstances. It is a very good book.
A must have.......2006-02-28
This book is a "must have" for every Christian. This book teaches you how to worship and praise God no matter what is happening around you.
Amazon.com
"It isn't how much you know about maintaining a positive attitude that's important," writes Keith Harrell, formerly one of IBM's top training instructors and now a popular speaker, trainer, and consultant. "It's how well, and how consistently, you put that knowledge to use." In Attitude Is Everything, Harrell teaches 10 steps for "an attitude tune-up" that "turns attitude into action." Some of these steps are identifying the attitudes that hold you back or propel you forward, reframing bad attitudes, building supportive relationships, and seeing change as opportunity. Harrell weaves his personal stories into the book, such as turning the disappointment of not being drafted by the NBA after college (which he had fully expected) into skillfully landing a job with IBM, even though he didn't have the qualifications and they weren't hiring at that time. In each section, he discusses an attitude concept, illustrates it with anecdotes, and teaches specific strategies for integrating it into your life--all in an easygoing, friendly, and motivating style. For example, the "Your Attitude Tool Kit" chapter opens with Harrell being notified in junior high school that he had to go to speech therapy for his stuttering, as he had for six years, and using affirmations to cure his stuttering on the spot. Then he teaches nine "Attitude Tools," explaining each one and showing you how to put it into action. --Joan Price
Book Description
In the world of professional speakers, Keith Harrell is making a difference. The
Wall Street Journal recognized it, dubbing him "A Star with Attitude." Such clients as IBM, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Motorola, GM, Marriott International, and Boeing know it—that's why Keith is one of the most in-demand speakers on the circuit. And, as you read this book, you will know it, too. Keith's star power is indisputable. Now, in this fully revised and updated edition of Attitude Is Everything, he shares the secrets that got him where he is today—and provides you with a program for developing a healthier, happier, more productive attitude.
In Attitude Is Everything, Keith offers an enlightening, inspiring, and practical guide for gaining control of your career and your life by ridding yourself of negative attitudinal baggage, building positive attitudes, and then turning them into actions to help you achieve your dreams. Keith's 10 steps for turning attitude into action:
- Understand the power of "attitude"
- Take control of your life
- Practice self-awareness
- Reframe your bad attitude
- Find your purpose and passion
- Be pre-active
- Discover how to motivate yourself
- Build supportive relationships
- See changes as an opportunity
- Leave a lasting legacy
Keith developed his methods for putting attitudes into action in the real world of corporate America, and later, as a self-employed professional. He knows what works, and he knows how to help others create positive, empowering attitudes that will help you enjoy a more fulfilling and rewarding life!
Customer Reviews:
I am convinced that Attitude is Everything!.......2007-06-21
This book along with my faith is one of the key reasons why I am succeeding in my professional career. Learning to build my A team with people that connect with my vision and values as well as understanding the root causes of a bad attitude. I recognize that attitude is a choice and I'm choosing to have a Super-Fantastic attitude every single day. Thanks Dr. Attitude for the attitude tune-up!
Your attitude determines your altitude.......2007-05-05
This is a very readable and engaging bullock aimed to give you a jumpstart on your attitude. Keith Harrell is a former IBM salesman and trainer who parlayed his skills into motivational speaking. As is the case for any motivational book, the question lies in the book's lasting effect. Many of motivational books are the intellectual equivalent of Chinese food; 30 minutes after reading it, you are hungry for more and not sure what exactly you consumed. The key is implementing Harrell's suggestions.
Incidentally, if you ever get a chance to watch a live performance or tape performance of Keith Harrell, do so. I saw him on a recent PBS special and he was engaging and funny as hell.
Give your motivation a boost, even if only for a limited time, by reading and heeding "Attitude is Everything"!
Attitude is Everything.......2007-03-12
This is a great book, I first heard Keith speak when I was at a previous company. Keith was speaking in the office in the U.S. and I listened from a speaker phone in the UK. I'm not easily impressed by motivational speakers but I was with Keith, so impressed that I bought his book on cassette so I could listen in the car. After following Keiths advice and tips I had a new outlook on life and also understood why sometimes things did not go my way, what Keith gives you are tools to help understand your current situation, what you want to achieve and how to go about achieving the correct mindset to reach your goals. Years later, I have lost the cassettes so I have purchased the book again. I've been walking 25% faster ever since :o)
Powerful attitude changing steps.......2006-07-24
Really enjoyed reading this book. Beleive it will help change my life. Becuase attitude is everything. I truely beleive that statement. Must have for the person who wants to be a winner in life. Great for a person who thinks negatively all the time.
Uplifting, and..........2006-03-15
I bought the audio-CD version of this book and I am glad I did; I don't think I would have finished it by reading.
The utility of Keith Harrell's book is not as a "self-help" book from the standpoint of helping the reader to identify changes to make in her or his life, then giving you helpful steps to make those desired changes. The value of Keith's story is in his personal stories, which individually and collectively are uplifting and provide vivid examples of "he turned it around, so can I". I identified with some of Keith's stories, which was helpful since they reminded me of my own limiting attitudes and how they effect my "circumstances".
His message reminds me of what I already know, that I have attitudes that are affecting my results, and I need to change certain ones to get the results I really want. Keith doesn't tell me 'how' nearly as well as others might, but he shares a compelling message of 'what' and 'why' attitude is everything. If you recognize the powerful force of your attitudes, both those that propel you forward and those that hold you back, then buy the audio-CD version of this book and listen to it more than once.
Book Description
This is a "success manual" that gives readers a step by step plan for taking control of their lives and unleashing their incredible potential. The book consists of 12 Lessons: Your Attitude is Your Window to the World; You're A Human Magnet; Picture Your Way to Success; Make a Commitment and You'll Move Mountains; Turn Your Problems into Opportunities; Your Words Blaze A Trail; How Are You?; Stop Complaining; Associate with Positive People; Confront Your Fears and Grow; Get Out There and Fail; Networking That Gets Results.
The book shows how author Jeff Keller used these principles to make a career transition from lawyer to motivational speaker -- and shows readers how they, too, can make positive changes in every area of their lives.
Customer Reviews:
Good short read........2007-08-10
Your attitude is basically a window to the world. You attract into your life your deepest thoughts and desires. Thoughts become things. Make commitments to take action, persevere and you will reach new heights. In every adversity there's opportunity, make sure you watch for the opportunity and grab the momentum. Watch your language, you are what you speak of most of the time, negative or positive. How are your attitude to the world? Change your attitude and you change your life. Stop complaining and start counting your blessings. Associate with positive people, pay any price to be in their circle. Fear is a greenlight to opportunity, confront it and you will grow mentally and financially. Get out there and fail, it's good for you. Just make sure you persevere and learn through your failures. Get out there and help as much people as you can, that's the only key to successful networking. Your attitude is everything. Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it, positive or negative.
Overall a good read with all the basic principles. If you can shift your paradigms to the rules covered in the book, I would say that your path to success is half way done.
Used Attitude Book.......2007-07-26
Book was received in a timely fashion ans was shipped in a secure fashion so as not to damage it. I had a DISCARD stamp with the date July 19, 2001 on the inside cover. The pages had yellowed. Otherwise it was in good and usable shape. Attitude Is Everything: Change Your Attitude...and You Change Your Life!
Upbeat advice.......2007-03-20
This book was certainly worthwhile and enjoyable. There was not a lot of new information, but I thought the author did a good job of summarizing and presenting the information. The contents was certainly very upbeat and good for anyone in a slump.
Love this book!.......2007-03-19
I am not a self help book reader but this one is great and very easy and quick to read!
choosing how we want to live........2007-01-10
It is a book that tell us we can always choose in life, like choosing to be happy by making the decision to be.
Books:
- Wild and Wicked in Scotland
- A Charmed Death (Bewitching Mystery, Book 2)
- A Dangerous Man: A Novel
- A Far Country
- A Guide to Co-Teaching: Practical Tips for Facilitating Student Learning
- A Scandalous Marriage
- Absolutely, Positively Alexander
- Access 2007: The Missing Manual
- Adele & Simon
- Against The Rules
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