Book Description
Your business can take a lesson from the American military's fighter pilots. At Mach 2, the instrument panel of an F-15 is screaming out information, the horizon is a blur, the wingman is occupied, the jet is hanging on the edge -- and yet fighter pilots routinely handle the stress. It's not much different in today's unforgiving business world. One slipup and your company is bankrupt before your employees know what hit them.
What works on the squadron level for F-15 pilots will also work for your marketing team, sales force, or research and development group. By analyzing the work environment and attacking its centers of gravity in parallel, you'll begin to utilize the Plan-Brief-Execute-Debrief-Win cycle that will rapidly impact your business's future success. U.S. fighter squadrons have been using this program for nearly fifty years to reduce their mistake rate, cut casualties and equipment losses, and rack up an envious victory record. Now, with Flawless Execution, your business can too.
Customer Reviews:
Worth the read to learn about execution cultures.......2006-01-03
Not a great book but a good one for sure. Former pilots now consulting in business and trying to take their culture and help businesses do the same. Some hype but not bad and the author gives you some solid lessons that can be applied. Gives you an outline of what it takes in their world and how it might apply in the outside world. Certainly not 100% transference but worth the read if you want to know how to get things done
Inappropriate Generalizations.......2005-12-24
This is the latest in a never-ending series of books trying to generalize non-business world (eg. sports, armed forces, girl scouts, religion, NASA, etc.) management techniques to the business world.
Most, possibly all, are of little value because of major differences.
1)Members constituting the varying organizations are motivated differently, and face greatly significantly different situations. What does eg. a fighter pilot or football coach have in common with a pharmicist, nurse, professor, financial analyst, etc.? I have no idea.
2)Key success factors vary from one business to another. For Merck, it may be speed of developing new drugs, getting through FDA approval, and motivating physicians to use them. For Nucor Steel, it undoubtedly rests much more on low-cost production. Again, what does either have to do with fighter pilots - little, if anything.
One is better off reading books from similar situations - eg. about Wal-Mart (if you are in retailing), about Allied-Signal or G.E. (if you are managing a conglomerate), and about New York Community School District #4, as managed by Sy Fliegel, if you are in public schools
This is the official Afterburner handbook........2005-06-06
If you haven't had the opportunity to experience an Afterburner seminar yet, this book links you into their entire process top-down, from strategy to the flawless execution model to the people who carry out the mission. As head of Training for my organization, I was particularly interested in the section Murph dedicated to training. In the business world we don't place enough emphasis on the importance of training our people - in the military they never place someone in an environment they are not prepared to be in. Training seems to always get sacrificed because we're too busy carrying out tasks to get pulled away. Murph speaks on training to achieve a (specific) Desired Learning Objective, seeing how its done and then doing it - learning from experience. In the corporate world there is much we can learn from military processes. Flawless Execution is a process that can be applied to every business objective - its asks the questions: Did we plan right? Communicate to our people clearly? Give our people the tools they need to execute their job? And, did we capture lessons learned so we can sharpen the saw next time? It's a powerful tool we're applying in my organization with much success. I just hope our competitors don't read this book!
Pray this guy is never your competitor.......2005-05-13
Frank, practical advice with a no nonsense approach...just like you'd expect from guys that operate in a space where coming in second isn't an option.
This is a no BS look at how to improve any organization's ability to kick the competition's butt. You won't find "theoretical" discussions from a group of "academics." No charts and graphs. No fancy formulas. Just dozens of ideas that anyone with a desire to improve can implement. The "debrief" section and advice Murph provides has literally changed the way we operate in our company.
Read it...and you'll understand why the USAF is the best in the world. More importantly, you'll see how their training methods can make you better. I couldn't recommend it more highly.
Best Business Book I've Read!!!!.......2005-05-12
Just finished Business School and I think Flawless Execution should have been required reading! It gave me a clear path to connect my big picture strategy (both professional and personal) to things I can work on everyday. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone and will make sure it is a part of every organization I work with in the future.
Amazon.com
The second edition of Peter Block's Flawless Consulting gracefully updates what many consider the best resource of its kind. New chapters on implementation, "whole-system" strategies, and ethics are included, but in general it simply fine-tunes Block's proven advice to match the transformations that business and society have undergone since initial publication two decades ago. "The days of long studies and expert-driven answers are passing," the author proclaims in his new preface. "The task of the consultant is increasingly to build the capacity of clients to make their own assessments and answer their own questions." He then subtly modifies his established recommendations accordingly for every step, from the initial client meeting and problem diagnosis through data collection and the execution of solutions. In the section on "Conducting a Group Feedback Meeting," for example, he advises: "Treat the group as a collection of individuals.... Ask each person what he or she wants from the meeting. This will surface differences and force the group to take responsibility for some of the difficulties that may arise." --Howard Rothman
Book Description
SAVE on our FLAWLESS SET!
The set includes Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used, Second Edition and The Flawless Consulting Fieldbook and Companion: A Guide Understanding Your Expertise.
About Flawless Consulting:
For over fifteen years, consultants--both internal and external--have relied on Peter Block's landmark bestseller, Flawless Consulting, to learn how to deal effectively with clients, peers, and others. Using illustrative examples, case studies, and exercises, the author, one of the most important and well known in his field, offers his legendary warmth and insight throughout this much-awaited second edition. Anyone who must communicate in a professional context--and who doesn't?--will use the lessons taught in this book for years to come!
About The Flawless Consulting Fieldbook and Companion:
Following on the heels of the best-selling Flawless Consulting, Second Edition comes The Flawless Consulting Fieldbook and Companion. Whether you work as a consultant or you work with consultants, this relentlessly practical guide will be your best friend as you discover how consulting influences your business--and real life-decisions and those of others. Included are sample scenarios, case studies, client-consultant dialogues, hands-on tools, action plans, and implementation checklists.
These products are also available separately. See More By This Author for details.
Customer Reviews:
You Get Out What You Put In.......2007-09-08
This is the essence of this book.
Full of practical and common sense ideas for consulting professionals. Can't say that it will teach you how to be flawless in your consulting services but it will give you some pretty solid ideas.
NOT FOR ENTRY-LEVEL CONSULANTS AT ALL !.......2007-08-10
If you are a seasoned consultant who has been applying Block's theory of consulting for a decade or two, as we have at One Big Idea Consulting Limited NZ, and if you are also, as we are,committed to 'flawless' consulting, which by definition is beyond human measurement, this audio is a solid investment of your time and concentration.
Be warned it is not for the superficial US American habit of commuter listening. Block is serious about his intention to release 'flawless' consulting skills, which are extremely rare globally. He deserves focus and concentration all the way through more than once.
Listen with head-phones and no distractions and no multi-tasking, for say, half-dozen times through his whole story... and go back into your client-centred world with renewed dedication and refreshed facilitation skills at a consulting core-level.
The only international consultant who is worthy of comparison is Rapid Results!: How 100-Day Projects Build the Capacity for Large-Scale Change Schaffer is also a very, very competent consultant with his own One Big Idea tough-tested in a wide range of 100-Day Action Projects around the world, unfortunately so far not on audio.
AudioBook version induces Beginner's Mind.......2007-07-03
Whether you've read Flawless Consulting in book form or not, I hope you will try the audio edition. It is wonderful!
Having been a fan of this book and recommended it to everyone I meet in the consulting world (largely IT/Agile), I have read this book many times over the 20 years I have owned one or the other edition. But listening to it being read to me on CD was like discovering Block's brilliance for the first time! It was truly stunning. In fact, I didn't believe it was the same book, so fresh were the insights that pored from the words. I guess I was blind before hearing it, in a manner of speaking. Hope you enjoy it too.
Michael
Must Read for entry level consultant.......2007-05-29
Great information for all entry level and junior consultants wanting to succeed in the Consulting world. Very clear and defined revealing chapters on all the "Must read" topics. I have over 23 years of experience, and everything a Consultant needs to know is there, spelled out in details, the only missing thing is the suit, shirt and tie.
Additionally, please consider reading the Filedbook & Companion", that is a great complement to the information provided.
Dimitri Gauquier
[...]
Excellent.......2007-05-09
The book arrived well in time. It was exactly in the two-day time frame as mentioned on Amazon Prime.
Book Description
In the exclusive town of Rosewood, Pennsylvania, where the sweetest smiles hide the darkest secrets, four pretty little liars—Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna—have been very bad girls. . . .
Spencer stole her sister's boyfriend. Aria is brokenhearted over her English teacher. Emily likes her new friend Maya . . . as much more than a friend. And Hanna's obsession with looking flawless is literally making her sick. But the most horrible secret of all is something so scandalous it could destroy their perfect little lives.
And someone named "A" is threatening to do just that.
At first they thought A was Alison, their friend who vanished three years ago . . . but then Alison turned up dead. So could A be Melissa, Spencer's ultracompetitive sister? Or Maya, who wants Emily all to herself? What about Toby, the mysterious guy who left town right after Alison went missing?
One thing's for certain: A's got the dirt to bury them all alive, and with every crumpled note, wicked IM, and vindictive text message A sends, the girls get a little closer to losing it all.
Customer Reviews:
Flawless: A Pretty Little Liars Novel.......2007-09-14
This book is even more suspenseful than the first one. In Pretty Little Liars, A shows up and she's nothing but a threat. Now, in Flawless, she's carrying out her threats. Nothing is going right for the Rosewood girls. Although, they are starting to have some clue as to who A is.
But are they right?
Namebrands Everywhere.......2007-07-19
I thought the book was fantastic. Starting where "Pretty Little Liars" left off, it picks up the story of four girls, Emily, Spencer, Aria and Hanna, who share a terrible secret. The fifth girl who knew the secret, Ali, who was missing for years, has been found dead.
The girls are receiving text messages and IMs from "A.", who knows all their secrets, past and present. Does this mean Ali's actually alive? Or does someone else know what happened that fateful night?
You won't find out who A is in this book. What you will find is namebrand after namebrand, describing everything from the girls' cars to their clothes to their cigarettes. I found that to be a bit annoying, but I can get over it for a great story.
Pretty Little Liars #2 Does NOT disappoint the reader!.......2007-07-15
Pretty Little Liars #2: Flawless does NOT disappoint the reader! It is packed with more twists and turns keeping the reader guessing the identity of "A" all along the way. There are surprises that I did not anticipate.
The book is a good sequel to Pretty Little Liars #1! I can't wait for #3! This book is appropriate for high school aged girls. I do NOT recommend it for girls younger than high school due to some language and multiple references to sex.
Suspenseful New Installment In A Great Series.......2007-06-22
FLAWLESS is a great guilty-pleasure novel, full of suspense and intrigue hidden behind the perfect masks worn by the inhabitants of the perfect town of Rosewood, Pennsylvania. It is also surprisingly deep.
In this continuation of the story begun in PRETTY LITTLE LIARS (DO read PLL first), Spencer, Aria, Hanna, and Emily are still trying to keep their secrets hidden, even from each other, and discover the identity of "A." The page-turning suspense continues, and the mystery only deepens in this book.
The four girls are realistic enough characters, though they don't exactly jump off the page. The writing itself is not breathtaking, but not bad enough to distract from the heart-pounding suspense. In short, the actual writing of this book is mediocre, but the suspense is enough to keep readers hooked.
Book Two is at least as much fun as Book One.
Reviewed by Jocelyn Pearce
06/22/2007
OMG!!!.......2007-05-24
The sequel to this book was amazing! I couldn't stop reading it. It was way more intense than the 1st book. Can't wait for the 3rd book to come out.
Book Description
Painting Your House Inside and Out explores today's range of paint and special effects products and offers instructions for choosing, mixing, and using them for a variety of home-decorating purposes. Here is practical advice on everything from preparing surfaces, choosing colors and equipment, and understanding paint properties to mastering techniques. It includes tips on avoiding common and costly pitfalls as well as a step-by-step plan for getting the desired results. Over 250 photographs and illustrations are featured.
Customer Reviews:
This book has the answers.......2004-03-11
I like this book very much. Not only does it answer color questions for inside my house, but it gives me color guidance and inspiration for the outside of my house (which is in dire need of a paint job). The photography in the book is lovely . The detailed instruction for choosing colors makes it easier than I thought it would be. This beautiful book is a useful tool.
Very good resource.......2003-09-20
My wife and I found this book very helpful in determining colors for the outside of our house. I learned what was needed to prep and paint the house as well. My wife enjoyed the information on color for our rooms and is planning a color scheme. This book is worth the investment.
Quick and Easy Paint Color Solutions.......2003-07-11
I gave this book to several friends as house warming and wedding gifts. Both friends said they loved the book, but more than that, they were able to get use out of it. One friend found a beautiful putty paint color for the outside of her house. Her house looks amazing with charcoal colored shutters. She is so happy with the result. My other friend chose a color scheme for her living room, dining room and family room. She said the book made it easy. I have since purchased a copy for myself. I'm reading it now and am getting very inspired to make changes in my own home.
It's Got It All!.......2003-06-25
This is a very comprehensive guide for choosing colors for both the interior and exterior of your home. It includes everything you would ever need to know about color, painting techniques, and everything in between. This is the only guide that I will need to accomplish my goals. There is simply nothing about the color selection and painting process that isn't thoughtfully addressed in this book. Plus, the photographs and are beautiful! It's got it all.
Amazon.com
A Beauty Junkie at Heart: Laura Mercier's Personal "Must Have" Cosmetic Items
I am one of the biggest beauty junkies I know. I have hundreds of products in my makeup case—anything I could possibly need for a shoot, including bags of false eyelashes and glitter. I'll pick up things that seem interesting or unusual, products that have been recommended by someone, or an item that features new technology. Japan is a fabulous place to find the latest products. They even have colors you can't find in the U.S. I used to be neurotic about having the latest things and the best products. Since I have my own line and I've been able to work with my labs on getting the best textures, the finest powders, etc., I'm much less neurotic. If I can't find the exact thing I want, I can create it.
When it comes to products I personally use at home--not just photo shoot stuff--I'm equally obsessed. I love visiting new boutiques when I travel, whether it's Paris or London, and discovering items I never had heard of before. I also read a lot of European magazines and check out the items recommended by the beauty editors, since they see every product that hits the market.
I've browsed through my bathroom and my linen closet to put together a list of my current favorites, which includes products in my Laura Mercier line and other brands. I think you'll enjoy them as much as I do.--Laura Mercier
Spa Cinq Mondes Huile Somptueuse. This body oil is from small company that does organic products. It's especially good for your skin after a sauna or a steam.
Carita Fluide de Beauté 14. I use this oil for everything—body, face and hair. You can do whatever you want with it. After-sun, bath, spa, anything. It smells like verbena and is just incredible.
Decleor face oils. These come in small glass bottles. My favorite one is neroli because I love the scent of it. You can apply the oil when you go to a sauna or steam room. It stops the face from being too dehydrated from the heat and all the warmth opens your pores and helps it penetrate better. I also massage it on the face before I do a scrub. Don't use this before you put on makeup because it's not a good base for cosmetics.
Laura Mercier Mega Moisturizer. This is richer than my regular moisturizer, but it's not heavy thanks to the emu oil in the formula. It's extremely calming and very compatible with makeup. I wear it in the winter when my skin is dry. During the rest of the year when my skin is normal, I do the regular moisturizer.
Laura Mercier Perfecting Water and Purifying Oil. These are new favorites of mine. I remove my makeup with the cleansing oil, following with a foaming cleanser and then apply the hydrating water with a cotton pad. In the middle of the summer, when we had the heat wave, I only used the hydrating water at night, no moisturizer, so I wouldn't feel any greasiness on my face.
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream. I use this on my lips in the winter when I need a heavy duty blanket of moisture at night. I've also used when my lips have burned in the sun.
Christophe Robin Lemon Cream Cleanser. Christophe is a great French hair colorist. He gave this shampoo to me and I love it because it smells so fantastic.
Nylon scrub gloves. I love scrubbing with these from my shoulders to my feet because it gives you a friction that helps your blood really circulate. It's very active and deeper than a scrub product. Usually I use these in the shower in the morning. These gloves are great if you're prone to ingrown hairs.
Laura Mercier Face Polish. I'm absolutely hooked on my gommage. It's a violet-scented exfoliant and I use it every other day in the shower. It's amazing for my pores.
Laura Mercier Lip Colour Sheer in Just Lips and Sexy Lips. I made these two for myself because I've always been in love with that perfect, sheer lip.
Laura Mercier Thickening & Building Black Mascara. This holds my lashes in place, thickening them without clumping. It doesn't make them heavy or weigh them down.
Laura Mercier Bleu Marine Eyeliner. This cake liner is navy blue, almost black, and it makes the whites of the eyes really clean because of the color. If you apply between your lashes and close to your lash line, it thickens the appearance of your lash line.
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage. This would be my desert island product. Even though I have fairly good skin these days, the camouflage brightens the shadows on my face and makes me look less sad. It immediately makes me look a little younger.
Book Description
Laura Mercier's philosophy is simple. A perfect face -- radiant, flawless, and soft -- is the first and most important step in achieving your best possible look. For years Laura has been transforming celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Julia Roberts, and Mariah Carey with her hallmark Flawless Face method. Her signature product line, Laura Mercier Cosmetics, is an international success, and her editorial work frequents the covers of the most chic fashion magazines. Her products are loved by everyone from makeup artists to real women, people who appreciate straightforward products that deliver what they promise. Now, for the tenth anniversary of Laura Mercier Cosmetics, Laura's handing her time-tested tricks over to you. The New Beauty Secrets presents the techniques that she's mastered and honed through an extraordinary life in beauty in a simple, professional manner.
Alongside Laura's easy-to-follow, step-by-step advice you'll find the straight beauty talk that has made her the trusted confidant of so many. Whether she's exploring the pros and cons of plastic surgery, divulging the secrets of perfect lip liner, or sharing her recipe for the most relaxing bath, Laura's warm, expert voice welcomes you into her world -- a world brought to life with personal snapshots, elegant sketches, and glamorous photographs of renowned beauties wearing makeup by Laura. Read along as Sharon Stone, Julianne Moore, and others reveal what makes Laura such a genius. The New Beauty Secrets is the ultimate handbook for every woman who loves makeup and wants to look her best.
In The New Beauty Secrets you will learn how to:
• Streamline your skincare routine to get the best complexion
• Replicate the Flawless Face Method that Laura uses on her celebrity clients
• Find the eyeshadow hues that best complement your eye color
• Prevent your lipstick from feathering, bleeding, or fading
• Design an eyebrow shape that's perfect for your face
• Indulge in at-home beauty treatments that will help you glow, de-stress, and detox
Customer Reviews:
Not for beauty "rookies".......2007-09-30
This book is FABULOUS and an absolute must for any Laura Mercier product user or fan. You will get comprehensive instruction on how to properly use Lauras products, along with her beauty philosophy. There is a lot of beauty inspiration in this book, and a variety of looks. Laura is all for playing up what is beautiful about you or what you love, and not worrying about the rest. This book is NOT for someone looking for basic, fundamental beauty tips. How many books are there out there like that? Thousands. Are they repetitive? YES! Laura Mercier got it right by not telling us ad nauseum the things many of us have heard time and time again. Highly recommend, and if you haven't yet used her products, now is the time to give them a try!
Give it to me straight, sister.......2007-07-21
I'm paraphrasing because I don't have it in front of me.
"Do you spend a lot of time in sweatpants and t-shirts? Sure you might be comfortable, but couldn't you look a bit more pulled together?"
"Before we talk about $1500 moisturizers, let's talk about a $5 pint of blueberries and a $3 bag of spinach."
Buy the Laura Mercier video instead.......2007-04-26
I have enjoyed Laura Mercier's products over the years. Her makeup is top notch. This book, though, is just fluff. I would suggest you buy the Laura Mercier "Flawless Face" videotape instead. The tape costs less than the book and is a lot more useful. The tape demonstrates Mercier's application techniques. The book is just a lof of pretty pictures of celebrities.
C'est super!.......2007-04-19
I have been a loyal fan of Laura Mercier for many years; I got goose bumps when I heard she was launching a book! From the moment the book crackled open and I turned the first page I could not stop reading about her philosophy and becoming enthralled with her stories. The New Beauty Secrets makes you feel like you are sitting across from Laura Mercier herself talking about a woman's individual beauty. I love this book and will continue to share it with friends and family. Great job Laura!
Helpful.......2007-02-18
I probably wouldn't suggest this book to someone who is new to makeup and needs to look at step by step instructions. There are lots of online tutorials that are good for that.
This book offers techniques for corrective makeup applications, color suggestions, and yes, lots of photos of celebs wearing Laura's makeup. I think these photos can be used for insiration, or to identify with the celeb's features (provided said features are not bolted on-ha ha).
If you are pretty comfortable with makeup application but want to fine tune your routine, this is a decent book. Even better if you can find it at a discounted price...more money for makeup!
Book Description
Professional organizer Peter Walsh presents this witty and enormously practical guide to getting it -- and keeping it -- all together. With more than 500 easy-to-follow how-to instructions, How to Organize (Just About) Everything is packed with shrewd advice and insider tips to make your home, your workplace -- indeed, every imaginable aspect of your life -- run more smoothly. Step-by-step solutions help even the most organizationally challenged take on:
Kids
Schedules
Storage
Photos
Lists
Politics
Education
Remodels
Meals
Weddings
Finances
Holidays
Parties
Vacations
Emergencies
Customer Reviews:
Too much.......2007-09-15
Seems like he tries to organize the whole world in this book. Because of that, each little tidbit is not thorough enough. I guess if you need some hints to get started on something, he's got it in here, but for a more thorough and step-by-step process, try another resource.
Literally EVERYTHING Is Organized.......2007-09-05
Holy canoly! I never realized how many things in life can be organized. I don't believe there is a subject Peter didn't touch upon! This is definitely a book to keep in my now small library as a handy reference guide.
Absolutely Terrific!.......2007-06-21
I (used to) have seventeen boxes of self-help books in my garage. They were neatly boxed and labeled, but they were there. Now that I own "How To Organize (Just About) Everything" they're gone. I don't need them.
All the soul-searching I did in the 1960s, and the newer digging deep inside myself for answers I fell for during the 1980s have been compressed into one-page solutions to life's challenges in this terrific book.
I don't have to analyze why I want a piece of chocolate; I just have to eat it right. My husband doesn't have to mourn not becoming an astronaut; he can simply read what to do if he decides to become world's oldest man in space.
Many of the people who don't like this book seem to want something "more." Well, I've been to More and back again, and this book suits me just fine. If you're not looking for deep psychological or philosophical answers, this book is wonderful!
Different Opinion.......2007-06-07
I found the sillier lists, like Becoming an Astronaut, Winning an Academy Award and Becoming President, to be interesting and gave a good perspective. Also, the Pirates one was talking about literal modern day pirates- people who come on your boat and steal your stuff, not rum-drinking one-legged pirates of yore.
Everyone's situation is going to be different- it'd be impossible to write a book that addresses every minutiae for varying situation. But it's easy to get the basic ideas- for instance, to organize anything, you need to take everything out of the space, and then put the stuff you still want back in the space. That's an astoundingly simple but good solution. It gave me good ideas on food trees, car rallies, and block parties, too.
arrived in great shape very quickly, well packaged.......2007-06-06
arrived in great shape, well packaged, timely arrival
Book Description
Don't venture into the consulting field without this essential Fieldbook & Companion!
Following on the heels of the best-selling Flawless Consulting, Second Edition comes The Flawless Consulting Fieldbook and Companion. Whether you work as a consultant or you work with consultants, this relentlessly practical guide will be your best friend as you discover how consulting influences your business- and real life-decisions and those of others.
The Flawless Consulting Fieldbook and Companion is packed with:
- Sample scenarios
- Case studies
- Client-consultant dialogues
- Hands-on tools
- Action plans
- Implementation checklists
"Wow! A companion a business owner can't be without! The insights of 30 consultants the caliber of Peter Block is priceless."
--Sue Mosby, principal, CDFM2 Architecture Inc.
"This book is a companion piece for both the desktop and bedside of those who do consulting full time or in their role as leader. I plan to keep this book close to me to both guide and inspire my work."
--Phil Harkins, president, Linkage, Inc.
Customer Reviews:
DON'T LEAVE CONSULTING HOME WITHOUT IT..........2007-10-02
Block keeps learning from his own sparkling consulting insights as time goes by. At One Big Idea Consulting Limited NZ we would read with respect an old envelope that he used to catch a fleeting insight after a dinner with a consulting client. This book may be an after-thought, but it is not to be lightly dismissed by any serious consultant or client.
Drucker The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done (Harperbusiness Essentials) at his best, and Henderson Henderson on Corporate Strategy and Schaffer High-Impact Consulting: How Clients and Consultants Can Work Together to Achieve Extraordinary Results (Completely Revised and Updated) also have the same influence at One Big Idea Consulting Limited NZ. After decades of using their seminal teachings inour practical 100-Day Action Projects around the globe, if they speak from the here or from the hear-after we perk up and listen with both ears.
A must have.......2007-01-11
For any consultant, in any field. Block speaks about the heart of consulting work, not only the mind of it.
making sense of consulting.......2002-01-08
Peter Block's classic book's fieldbook and companion has an unusual structure and there lies it's USP. It looks at dilemmas and challenges that consultants face and also the tools that can be used.
If you want to know the innards of consulting, without getting caught up in brands, to delve into both the art and science, then read this book....it's a must for facilitators, trainers, process consultants of all hues and colors.
Bedtime stories Consultants read their Children.......2001-10-18
I have the 2nd edition of Block's "Flawless" and find it an essential reference, true to its reputation. Disappointingly in this Companion many of the authors seem to treat the readers as a captive audience - at the level of first year college students. For example - a diatribe on Romeo and Juliet as an illustration of human diversity, or three pages of "my worse experiences" one of which transpired to be freezing on stage and losing the point. These type of chapters annoyed me and distracted me from some of the worthy contributions. So much so that I returned the book to the bookshop and asked for my money back - the first time I have done so in 30 years of buying management books. In my opinion this book is a dud riding on the coat tails of the previous 'flawless' success.
Roadmap to consulting in the 21st century.......2001-06-12
This book deserves to be among the TOP 10 of business books of 2001. If you work as a consultant and want to learn your customers how to fish (in stead of giving them fish), BUY this book! If you have consultants walking around in your organisation, make sure they apply these principles!
After reading this, you'll understand why re-engineering processes fail, why the balanced scorecard isn't "the" solution", why teaching people skills sometimes has no impact, why implementing SAP is so hard and why people in companies are very sceptic if you suggest any of these "popular" solutions. In fact, all these solutions share the same underlying principle: some knowledge and procedures need to be added to the company to "fix" problems. This notion is wrong! Overcoming resistance to change has to do with giving people a chance to participate.
When studying projects of famous consultants and big 5 consulting comapnies, I have often wondered: "Why did the implementation of this project fail?" My first personal lesson was that PEOPLE matter more than methodology and tools. (I have been writing about this for years...).
Next to this first learning, I knew that it's not the consultants that have to bring the solution, it's the persons IN the organisation. And I have been looking for years for solutions to this paradox (being a consultant, that is). SO: methodology IS important: if you use a methodology which will mine the knowledge of the company as a WHOLE, you are the enabler of the change. As a consultant, you do not have to bring the CONTENT, the knowledge of WHAT needs to be changed, but you have to GUIDE the change process, and bring knowledge to the organisation so that they can change themselves. This book is one of the few that will really help you understand which processes are needed for this (many of the 30+ people that helped to write this book have a proven track record in this area).
If you don't know how to put systemic thinking into practice (or you think it's just about designing a solution with the system in mind), and/or if you haven't heard about whole-scale change, apreciative inquiry or the engagement paradigm, this is a good place to start: you will literally discover a new way of consulting, one that lives up to the title of this book and might even really enable "flawless" implementation processes.
And if putting this book into practice isn't flawless: go to the last chapter: Peter Block added a "trouble-shooting guide" that helps you get trough 12 common roadblocks.
Make consulting flawless, learn how to make people share THEIR solution.
Patrick E.C. Merlevede, co-author of "7 Steps to Emotional Intelligence"
Book Description
Learn all the ins and outs of superb hand quilting the easy way. More than 270 clear color photos in this reference will guide you through all the basics and then beyond into a world of beautiful hand-quilting techniques.Master the art of hand quilting with:* Guides on the very best needles, thimbles, markers, and battings* Back-saving tricks that make basting fast and painless* The inside scoop on using hoops and floor frames* Creative tying techniques that look terrific and take half the time* Hints and tips that make trapunto and stippling easyEnjoy the pleasures of hand quilting with all the best, most up-to-date information!Learn the secrets for glitch-free stitching!
Customer Reviews:
Great Book!.......2005-10-10
I highly recommend this book for all levels of hand quilters. Lots of great tips along with graphic examples. I have other books but this is the one that I turn to most often for information.
I really liked this book.......2005-09-26
This book has some really great pictures and explainations to help with all aspects of getting a quilt top quilted and choosing the supplies to do it with. If you haven't actually seen someone do a quilt stitch, a book is not going to be able to show you how, but it's better than nothing. I have seen someone quilt, but not much. At least now I have a good quide and have been able to experiment with what I have read and seen in this book. I am glad I bought this book.
great book.......2005-09-10
this book explains alot. if u are a quilter i would definetly get it. answered some of my unanswered questions....
A MUST FOR QUILTERS.......
Great book!.......2003-10-24
This is an excellent book, with photos and tips on every page. There are sections on thimbles, markers, batting, frames, and hoops. Skill sections provide detailed instructions along with the photos for basting, starting, stopping, and sliding your stitch. Additional sections discuss trapunto, stippling, country style quilting, and tying. Exercises and practice ideas are provided to learn the techniques presented.
The best chapter explains that anxiety producing phrase, "quilt as desired"! I also really appreciated the photos of beginner, intermediate and prize-winning quilting. It made me feel better about what I can do now and gave me a goal to work toward.
I found this book to be an excellent resource! The instructions are easy to follow, yet detailed and the many photos are very helpful. It's like having a quilting teacher at home with you all the time.
Thorough and Informative.......2003-03-25
This book is all about handquilting, and gives great information on the entire process from choosing batting, threads, thimbles, and basting methods, and includes color photos for each step explained. Handquilting is time consuming, but is by no means hard to learn. This book will provide beginners with all the information they need, and is an excellent volume to own for reference.
Average customer rating:
- Boring Book !!!!
- Worst book Ever....DON'T BUY IT.
- Everything you've already read and heard
- A must read for women of color
- Disappointing! Entirely too general to be helpful.
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Brown Skin: Dr. Susan Taylor's Prescription for Flawless Skin, Hair, and Nails
Susan C. Taylor
Manufacturer: Amistad
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Cosmetics | Beauty & Fashion | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Beauty & Fashion | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Skin Care | Beauty & Fashion | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Women's Health | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
African-American Studies | Special Groups | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:
-
Ultra Black Hair Growth II 2000 Edition
-
The African American Woman's Guide to Successful Makeup and Skincare, Revised Edition
-
Healthy Black Hair: Step-by-Step Instructions for Growing Longer, Stronger Hair
-
Essence Beauty Basics and Beyond
-
The Black Woman¿s Guide To Beautiful, Healthier Hair In 6 Weeks! The 2003 Edition
Accessories:
-
philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer
ASIN: 0060088729
Release Date: 2004-05-04 |
Book Description
At last, a book devoted to the concerns of people of color that will help you enhance and protect the health and beauty of your skin, hair, and nails. Dr. Susan Taylor, a Harvard-trained dermatologist and a beautiful woman of color, bases her advice on more than fifteen years' experience treating patients in private practice and at the first-of-its-kind Skin of Color Center in New York City, which she directs. She explains how to:
- Attain and maintain satin-smooth skin
- Prevent and camouflage scars
- Choose and use makeup for a perfect match year-round
- Style hair safely to avoid damage, hair loss, and skin irritation
- Detect and protect against skin cancer
... and much more!
Brown Skin will help you look and feel your best, inform you on how to prevent problems, and guide you to get the right treatment when needed.
Customer Reviews:
Boring Book !!!!.......2007-05-14
This book made me feel like I was studying and I did not like it one bit. I knew alot of the helpful tips in the book already. I did not finish it I feel foolish for buying it.
Worst book Ever....DON'T BUY IT........2007-05-02
Brown Skin: Dr. Susan Taylor's Prescription for Flawless Skin, Hair, and Nails
This was a total waste of time and money...I returned it. It was way too generic with information that I already know. I was hoping for more in depth information.
Everything you've already read and heard.......2007-04-13
Kudos to Dr. Taylor for her personal achievements, but that does not compensate for the mediocrity that is "Brown Skin". At times it reads like a bland encyclopedia of skin issues and other times like contradictory medical tripe. Reading this book only left me more frustrated at the dearth of good in-depth skin/hair care advice for people of color. Even more frustrating, I emailed her people asking for the ingredient list for her product line. They wouldn't give me a straight answer. Instead they just repeated verbatim the advertisement from the website.
Bottomline: If you know absolutely nothing about hair/skin then this book will be great for you, otherwise pass.
A must read for women of color.......2006-01-30
This book answered so many questions I have had about my skin. Things I never remember to ask a doctor and other things I have asked that they had no answers for me. Maybe it's because often times I represent a minority of their clientele so they don't care to or haven't taken the time to know. This book should serve you as a reference book, one you will turn to from time to time and one you will want to give to the women in your life. Your daughters, your mom and others. Thank you Dr. Taylor for being so thorough.
Disappointing! Entirely too general to be helpful........2006-01-01
The book would probably be informative to some people. Overall, I didn't learn a single thing. THE BOTTOM LINE: If you don't know anything about hair and skin care, if you are starting from scratch, then this book might be helpful. If you are like me, and you already read Essence or already have some knowledge of how and when to wash your hair and face, then the book will seem like a waste of money.
Another drawback --most of the advice is incredibly general. A woman of color with skin or hair problems would be better advised to make an appointment with Dr. Taylor or another black dermatologist to get specific advice to help your specific problems. If you have health insurance, one appointment with a dermatologist should not cost to much more than the book.
Average customer rating:
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Flawless Porcelains
Rosemary E. Scott , and
Stacey Pierson
Manufacturer: School of Oriental & African Studies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Renaissance | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Ceramics | Other Media | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Bibliographies & Indexes | Publishing & Books | Reference | Subjects | Books
History | Bibliographies & Indexes | Publishing & Books | Reference | Subjects | Books
Art & Photography | Bibliographies & Indexes | Publishing & Books | Reference | Subjects | Books
General | China | Asia | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0728602512 |
Books:
- Free Fall (Revenge of the Sisterhood (Hardcover))
- Good Night, Sleep Tight: The Sleep Lady's Gentle Guide to Helping Your Child Go to Sleep , Stay Asleep, And Wake Up Happy
- Hannibal Rising
- Happy Accidents: Serendipity in Modern Medical Breakthroughs
- His Princess: Love Letters from Your King (His Princess)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- Hot Chocolate: 50 Heavenly Cups of Comfort
Books Index
Books Home
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Business Is Combat: A Fighter Pilot's Guide to Winning in Modern Business Warfare
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An Autumn of War: What America Learned from September 11 and the War on Terrorism
Please Don't Just Do What I Tell You, Do What Needs to Be Done: Every Employee's Guide to Making Work More Rewarding
Implementing Diversity
