Amazon.com
IDEO, the world's leading design firm, is the brain trust that's behind some of the more brilliant innovations of the past 20 years--from the Apple mouse, the Polaroid i-Zone instant camera, and the Palm V to the "fat" toothbrush for kids and a self-sealing water bottle for dirt bikers. Not surprisingly, companies all over the world have long wondered what they could learn from IDEO, to come up with better ideas for their own products, services, and operations. In this terrific book from IDEO general manager Tom Kelley (brother of founder David Kelley), IDEO finally delivers--but thankfully not in the step-by-step, flow-chart-filled "process speak" of most how-you-can-do-what-we-do business books. Sure, there are some good bulleted lists to be found here--such as the secrets of successful brainstorming, the qualities of "hot teams," and, toward the end, 10 key ingredients for "How to Create Great Products and Services," including "One Click Is Better Than Two" (the simpler, the better) and "Goof Proof" (no bugs).
But The Art of Innovation really teaches indirectly (not to mention enlightens and entertains) by telling great stories--mainly, of how the best ideas for creating or improving products or processes come not from laboriously organized focus groups, but from keen observations of how regular people work and play on a daily basis. On nearly every page, we learn the backstories of some now-well-established consumer goods, from recent inventions like the Palm Pilot and the in-car beverage holder to things we nearly take for granted--like Ivory soap (created when a P&G worker went to lunch without turning off his soap mixer, and returned to discover his batch overwhipped into 99.44 percent buoyancy) and Kleenex, which transcended its original purpose as a cosmetics remover when people started using the soft paper to wipe and blow their noses. Best of all, Kelley opens wide the doors to IDEO's vibrant, sometimes wacky office environment, and takes us on a vivid tour of how staffers tackle a design challenge: they start not with their ideas of what a new product should offer, but with the existing gaps of need, convenience, and pleasure with which people live on a daily basis, and that IDEO should fill. (Hence, a one-piece children's fishing rod that spares fathers the embarrassment of not knowing how to teach their kids to fish, or Crest toothpaste tubes that don't "gunk up" at the mouth.)
Granted, some of their ideas--like the crucial process of "prototyping," or incorporating dummy drafts of the actual product into the planning, to work out bugs as you go--lend themselves more easily to the making of actual things than to the more common organizational challenge of streamlining services or operations. But, if this big book of bright ideas doesn't get you thinking of how to build a better mousetrap for everything from your whole business process to your personal filing system, you probably deserve to be stuck with the mousetrap you already have. --Timothy Murphy
Book Description
IDEO, the widely admired, award-winning design and development firm that brought the world the Apple mouse, Polaroid's I-Zone instant camera, the Palm V, and hundreds of other cutting-edge products and services, reveals its secrets for fostering a culture and process of continuous innovation.
There isn't a business in America that doesn't want to be more creative in its thinking, products, and processes. At many companies, being first with a concept and first to market are critical just to survive. In
The Art of Innovation, Tom Kelley, general manager of the Silicon Valley based design firm IDEO, takes readers behind the scenes of this wildly imaginative and energized company to reveal the strategies and secrets it uses to turn out hit after hit.
IDEO doesn't buy into the myth of the lone genius working away in isolation, waiting for great ideas to strike. Kelley believes everyone can be creative, and the goal at his firm is to tap into that wellspring of creativity in order to make innovation a way of life. How does it do that? IDEO fosters an atmosphere conducive to freely expressing ideas, breaking the rules, and freeing people to design their own work environments. IDEO's focus on teamwork generates countless breakthroughs, fueled by the constant give-and-take among people ready to share ideas and reap the benefits of the group process. IDEO has created an intense, quick-turnaround, brainstorm-and-build process dubbed "the Deep Dive."
In entertaining anecdotes, Kelley illustrates some of his firm's own successes (and joyful failures), as well as pioneering efforts at other leading companies. The book reveals how teams research and immerse themselves in every possible aspect of a new product or service, examining it from the perspective of clients, consumers, and other critical audiences.
Kelley takes the reader through the IDEO problem-solving method:
>Carefully observing the behavior or "anthropology" of the people who will be using a product or service
>Brainstorming with high-energy sessions focused on tangible results
>Quickly prototyping ideas and designs at every step of the way
>Cross-pollinating to find solutions from other fields
>Taking risks, and failing your way to success
>Building a "Greenhouse" for innovation
IDEO has won more awards in the last ten years than any other firm of its kind, and a full half-hour Nightline presentation of its creative process received one of the show's highest ratings.
The Art of Innovation will provide business leaders with the insights and tools they need to make their companies the leading-edge, top-rated stars of their industries.
Customer Reviews:
Kudos to Ideos.......2007-08-28
Excellent book with good insights. If you are in the business of innovation, this is one book that you shouldn't miss. I also recommend EIGHTSTORM: 8-Step Brainstorming for Innovative Managers.
Innovation for All.......2007-06-29
Through anecdotes, Kelley demonstrates how stumbling blocks to innovation can be overcome. He shows an appreciation for experimentation, momentum, and embraces failure as a true path to knowing. Failed prototypes are wonderful learning tools. Kelley's perspective keeps spirits high. He leaves much of the innovative process open ended - nearly encouraging innovation on innovating.
Interestingly, Kelley notes how medicine is becoming personalized and that the future can not be perfectly predicted. Still, he says we must aim at it. This was an important nugget of wisdom for me, a research coordinator at a think-tank-like public health research group, the Healthcare Innovation and Technology lab at Columbia University. On a daily basis we deal with innovation to improve healthcare and need to effectively innovate. Given that we tread a very specific territory - health and technology - and that Kelley's book could be so useful to us, it is obvious that he really has something to offer to everyone.
Innovation and creativity "how-to" guide.......2007-06-07
The Art of Innovation explains many of IDEO's creative techniques and in so doing paints a picture of the physical context in which all that creativity occurs, namely IDEO's office, your average geek's idea of paradise brimming with high-tech prototypes, foam cubes, "tech box" caddies with giant Post-Its and coloring pens ... and yes, it does look more like a playschool than Dilbertesque gray cubicle-land. Teamwork, friendship and a shared passion for helping clients innovate is clearly what binds people together and stimulates their creativity, while a supportive and forgiving management structure doesn't just tolerate weirdness, it actively encourages it. IDEO seems to have taken Tom Peters' advice "If you want to do weird, hire weird people" to the next level. In IDEO-land, "normal" people would probably stand out a mile.
Two creative techniques - brainstorming and prototyping - are particularly well described, in a way that encourages the reader to try something different. I've learnt some new tricks and even started applying them since reading the book.
El arte de innovar estilo IDEO.......2007-06-01
IDEO ha hecho de la innovación un arte, el cual es un proceso sistematizado, con pasos muy definidos, congruentes y faciles de llevar por las personas que conforman dentro sus empresas los equipos de innovacion y diseño.
Skip it and go right to 10 Faces.......2007-03-19
I recently read both this book and the Ten Faces of Innovation. My recomendation is to skip this book. It is written more like an advertisement for IDEO and was left feeling like Tom has crossed the line into arrogance. If you read it as a stand alone book there is a lot of useful information. However most of the concepts are covered in Ten Faces. If you have time read both books but if time is of the essence then jump right into the Ten Faces, you won't be disappointed.
Average customer rating:
- It was a good deal too
- Theoretical background for Operations Management - setting a new standard
- written with the heart of a teacher
- Exceptional enlightened and insightful!
- Excellent and valuable book
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Lean Thinking : Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation, Revised and Updated
ASIN: 0256247951 |
Book Description
Comprehensive Introduction to Manufacturing Management text covering the behavior laws at work in factories. Examines operating policies and strategic objectives. Hopp presents the concepts of manufacturing processes and controls within a "physics" or "laws of nature" analogy--a novel approach. There is enough quantitative material for an engineer's course, as well as narrative that a management major can understand and apply.
Customer Reviews:
It was a good deal too.......2007-08-16
The Book was in Excellent shape. It was a good deal too
thank you
Theoretical background for Operations Management - setting a new standard.......2006-10-03
This book provides you with the fundamental insights of manufacturing and assembly. Even though I do not like statistics to much, the book is written in a understandable manner and provides the fundamental knowledge to understand what is going on in manufacturing. Based on this knowledge, the flaw of MRP-systems are even explained as well as the basics of JIT/Lean. The book provides mainly the hardfacts of this science and for practical people, reading first Quick-Response-Manufacturing (from Rajan Suri) might be the easier way for many of us and gives you the motivation to take a deeper look later on - as provided by Factory Physics.
Factory Physics describes not only how to describe a single workstation and the interactions between many of them, than as well the great importance of variability reduction in a production line and how to analyse it. CONWIP-lines, as a mix of push-pull, are a central key in this book and a simple way to analyse the performance of any system is provided by the book. This book, together with Quick-Response-Manufacturing (this book includes important softfactores as well) have changed drastically my way of operational thinking and given me a sense, which system to apply (QRM or JIT/Lean) and why. The insight can even be used for services as well. One central point is the utilisation of a workstation and the knowledge, that the more you reduce variability in arrivals and processing, the higher the utilisation can be - still achieving low lead times. You will find as well important and simple laws helping you out in the daily business (Little's law and queueing theory).
As for JIT/Lean, lead time reduction can use the same japanese tools:
- SMED: setup-time reduction (lot sizes for reduction in lead time and WIP)
- TPM: productive maintenance (higher machine availability and decrease of variability)
- ZQC: fool-proof quality inspection for Zero defects (against capacity lost and to decrease variability)
All the books mentionned above, have a big advantage over traditional SCM-books: they provide you with a framework how to trim a single chain-element of the supply-chain and therefore how to built the whole supply chain. The operational strategy should be derived from the overall company strategy and with this new insights you can tailor a unique production system that fits your company's goals - or even give you an advantage over your competition. Anyway, it will not make obsolet the importance of having a sound and consistant overall business strategy (for your markets) first!
Enjoy reading, Best Regards
written with the heart of a teacher.......2006-03-13
Though the two authors are consultants, they are foremost - teachers. What is useful, and kind to a degree, is they put an effort to explain the numbers as pragmatic as possible. That idea made this book very accessible. To the industrial engineers or those who are involved (and passionate) in operations or in understanding systems - next to the Industrial Engineering Handboook, this should be in our library.
Exceptional enlightened and insightful!.......2006-02-18
I found this book to be very insightful. It helps to explain many of my own observations in my factory. The authors did an excellent job of explaining the key concepts using only average use of mathematics and in simple layman's terms. The readers will only need basic mathematics/beginner calculus, and basic statistics. Reading it was like discovering new ideas to implement in the factory to quickly realize efficiencies and cost savings. It was one of the best books I have laid eyes on in a very long time.
I highly recommend this book for every mfg and production engineers working in assembly or automation-driven factory. This book is not applicable to chemical processing, thus may not bring significant values to chemical or petroleum engineers.
Excellent and valuable book.......2005-12-23
This is the best course textbook I have had so far over about ten industrial engineering courses (and I have had some very good textbooks and courses). The book basically describes how to analyze and improve manufacturing operations through examining key areas that include: variability and its sources, push and pull systems, and supply chain management.
The authors approach is to present ideas in a very clear and relevant way. What I particularly like is that they do a great job putting things into perspective in a style that is highly readable. While there is some math involved if one wants to delve into the details that are in side notes, a basic understanding of calculus is more than sufficient. The authors are clearly very bright and, more importantly, are able to communicate very effectively and with a sense of humor.
This book can definitely be read on a stand-alone basis outside of a school environment. Many of the central ideas are very valuable.
Book Description
Invariably, armies are accused of preparing to fight the previous war. In Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife, Lieutenant Colonel John A. Nagl—a veteran of both Operation Desert Storm and the current conflict in Iraq—considers the now-crucial question of how armies adapt to changing circumstances during the course of conflicts for which they are initially unprepared. Through the use of archival sources and interviews with participants in both engagements, Nagl compares the development of counterinsurgency doctrine and practice in the Malayan Emergency from 1948 to 1960 with what developed in the Vietnam War from 1950 to 1975.
In examining these two events, Nagl—the subject of a recent New York Times Magazine cover story by Peter Maass—argues that organizational culture is key to the ability to learn from unanticipated conditions, a variable which explains why the British army successfully conducted counterinsurgency in Malaya but why the American army failed to do so in Vietnam, treating the war instead as a conventional conflict. Nagl concludes that the British army, because of its role as a colonial police force and the organizational characteristics created by its history and national culture, was better able to quickly learn and apply the lessons of counterinsurgency during the course of the Malayan Emergency.
With a new preface reflecting on the author's combat experience in Iraq, Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife is a timely examination of the lessons of previous counterinsurgency campaigns that will be hailed by both military leaders and interested civilians.
Customer Reviews:
COIN.......2007-09-27
Haven't read the book quite yet. I plan to get it done by the time I am to attend CCC though.
Terrific Research and Analysis!.......2007-09-05
For this reader, Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife's value centers on two main premises: 1) those who fail to learn the lessons of history are condemned to repeat them; and, 2) a large, monolithic organization such as the U.S. Army will struggle to adapt unless it adopts a learning culture. Both relate to the U.S. Army's experience in Viet Nam. It is clear that the U.S. Army has only recently begun to learn from its earlier failures fighting a stubborn insurgency in 2004-06 and to implement strategy and tactics appropriate to the situation.
Eminently readable for an Oxford PhD thesis, what sets Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife apart from many other books attempting to explain the failures in Viet Nam is the degree to which the author supports his arguments. He combines exceedingly thorough research befitting a PhD thesis with fully developed and clearly articulated arguments. By examining the British Army of the Malay Campaign and the U.S. Army fighting in Viet Nam in terms of their organizational cultures - that is, the degree to which they promoted learning, flexibility, and adaptability - the author does a superb job of explaining why the British were successful in defeating the communist insurgency on the Malay Peninsula and why the Americans failed in South Viet Nam.
Of course, Nagl has his detractors. There are those who would suggest that the conflict in Malaya in the 1950s differed markedly from the conflict in Viet Nam in the 1960s and early 1970s. For instance, the Viet Cong were able to leverage a well-funded, well-organized, and well-trained North Vietnamese army against the U.S. Army in South Viet Nam. By contrast, the British really only had to confront a communist insurgency in Malaya. However, those readers who point to the dissimilarities in the two conflicts are really missing Nagl's point.
The author's contention that the British Army eventually succeeded in defeating a thinking, adaptive enemy is instructive. In Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife, we are told that for any institution to be successful when faced with new and decidedly different operational challenges, it must be capable of learning and adapting. This includes everything from changing strategy and tactics to completely reorganizing. In fact, it may even need to develop a whole new set of core competencies. In the context of armed warfare, this may mean viewing victory through a different lens. As members of the Bush Administration have readily pointed out, the war in Iraq will not end with a formal surrender aboard a U.S. battleship. More to the point perhaps, Nagl's work compels us to think differently about how we define success in a counterinsurgency.
For the U.S. Army currently operating in Iraq, adapting really means moving away from war fighting strategy and tactics appropriate to a linear battlefield and more toward an approach that better recognizes the nature of the threat. The current threat in Iraq is more socio-political than military. In fact, it is now an article of faith that for our counterinsurgency efforts to be successful, U.S. war fighters must win the hearts and minds of the local populace. If the local Iraqi citizens believe they are more secure and hence can live productive lives, they will be more willing to cooperate with the "occupying" Army. That cooperation will take the form of alerting nearby ground troops to the presence of Al Qaeda fighters and Sunni insurgents.
For any large military organization, adapting to an entirely different threat characterized by a highly complex and dynamic situation involving ethnosectarian conflict, religious persecution, and violent criminal activity such as we see in Iraq today requires tremendous innovation and agility. As Nagl points out, the British were able to eventually embrace change and pursue an effective counterinsurgency strategy while facing a similar set of conditions. He argues persuasively that British and Malay counterinsurgency forces eventually were structured to respond quickly to the communist insurgent threat precisely because they were quite flexible. In large part, the Brits' success can be traced to their approach to counterinsurgency warfare in that era - centralized command with decentralized control. This approach recognizes that the fight is really very different in each province and therefore strategy and tactics will need to be different to attain success.
As Nagl points out, to enjoy the kind of success the Brits had in Malaya, the U.S. Army "will have to make the ability to learn to deal with messy, uncomfortable situations an integral part" of its organizational culture. It must, per T.E. Lawrence, be comfortable "eating soup with a knife." Additionally, as a previous reviewer states quite clearly, "it must be ready to work with outside resources as well, such as the United Nations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and various religious institutions."
Overall, Nagl offers terrific analysis. This work should be required reading for all officers of all branches of the U.S. military.
Counterinsurgency Mandatory Reading.......2007-07-21
Since the Iraq War effort collapsed into something other than a simple liberation of oppressed people, I have tried to gain insight into our problems there by studying books on Iraq's current situation, on US foreign relationships, ancient and recent Mesopotamian history, Israeli and Palestinian Middle East history, and historic counterinsurgency successes and failures in various parts of the World.
Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife is the most illuminating that I have encountered. Col. John A. Nagl very meticulously converts knowledge obtained in writing his Masters and Doctorate theses into a readable analysis of military success in Malaya and non-success in Vietnam.
You must read his preface to the paperback edition both before and after reading the book; this in fairness to our gallant folks serving in the Middle East. You must also abandon any hopes you may have for a blood-and-guts exposé of battleground behavior.
This is science, not sensationalism.
I wish that our military AND our civilian leaders had been able to study this book and to do serious, long-term advanced planning for Iraq based upon it. I am convinced that such luxury would have placed us in a vastly different position than our current one.
Counterinsurgency.......2007-07-03
This book is an excellent review of the successful British counterinsurgency war in Malaysia and the unsuccessful US counterinsurgency in Vietnam. The author draws the correct conclusion that it is necessary to win the support of the people. The author misses the important lesson that the British war cost Britain probably 100 dead vs. the Vietnam cost to the US of 50,000. The second lesson that the author should have learned is that it is critical to keep our casualties low. It is better to take a long time (like the British did - 12 years) that to suffer higher casualties.
Insightful Book for military buff.......2007-06-18
I bought a copy of this book for my boyfriend, serving in the US Army. He enjoys it, recommended it to his fellow officers.
Book Description
An inside snapshot view of the innovative Seattle church called Mars Hill and its Acts 29 network, providing--with a touch of sarcasm and humor--both principles and practices shared from the people actually doing missional church ministry with people often untouched by today’s traditional and contemporary churches.
Customer Reviews:
High growth church.......2007-06-27
Interesting review of a Seattle church that went from storefront to megachurch status in nine years. Author is as much entrepreneur as minister - much like high growth business owners, he constantly started and killed ministries, hired/fired staff accordingly, and shifted locations on a regular basis and took risks in doing so. He also identifies the types of people he wants and doesn't want as church members and shows how technology can be used to attract and communicate with parishioners.
Humbling, Helpful, Honest and sometimes Painful.......2007-06-21
This book had the interesting effect of making me laugh, wince, and take notes, sometimes all on the same page! At the end of the day, I could not put the book down. I was captivated by a transparent pastor's heart who struggled day after day to put Jesus before his city in effort to see many converted.
The book chronicles the life of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington where Mark Driscoll has been the Senior Pastor since its inception. Driscoll takes readers through the various stages of growth from a small broken down Bible study with "Indie Rockers" and "artsy" folks to a thriving megachurch of over 4,000 impacting one of the most unchurched regions in the US.
In his narrative Driscoll explains, from first hand experience, some of the gestational development of the now prominent Emergent Church. Driscoll himself was involved, and in fact a leader in, a movement in the mid-90's to mobilize missionaries to their culture, impacting them with the gospel of Christ. As this movement expanded and gained traction Driscoll had to separate himself from it:
"I had to distance myself, however, from one of the many streams in the emerging church because of the theological differences. Since the late 1990's this stream has become known as Emergent. The Emergent Church is part of the Emerging Church Movement but does not embrace the dominant ideology of the movement. Rather the emergent church is the latest version of liberalism. The only difference is that the old liberalism accommodated modernity and the new liberalism accommodates postmodernity." (p. 21)
So here Driscoll is distinquishing between Emerging and Emergent...himself clinging to the prevailing positives of the Emerging movement (missional, theological, active) while distancing himself from the atheolgoical wing of the movement (Emergent).
In many ways this book appears to be a living apologetic of the Emerging movement while distinguishing Driscoll as one of its most outspoken and able leaders. Perhaps this is why we see Driscoll speaking at a conference along with Brian McLaren, the outspoken leader of the Emergent wing.
In fact Driscoll references McLaren in Confessions:
"Although I sincerely love Brian and appreciate the kindness he has shown me, I generally disagree with many of his theological conclusions. Because he comes from a pacifistic Brethren background, such things as power and violence greatly trouble him. His pacifism seems to underlie many of our theological disagreements since he has a hard time accepting such things as the violence of penal substitutionary atonement, parts of the Old Testament where God killed people, and the concept of conscious eternal torment in hell. Curiously, it is also Brian's pacifism that makes him such a warmly engaging person who is able to speak and write about theologically controversial issues while being gracious. Ironically, my love for and disagreement with Brian are both borne out of his pacifism. But I find it curious that, from my perspective, he is using his power as a writer and speaker to do violence to Scripture in the name of pacifism." (p.99)
His point here about pacifism and violence to God's word is worth the price of the book. That is the type of silent violence that characterizes the neo-liberalism named Emergent.
I love the resolve of Driscoll throughout the book. There were resistance and trials at every bend and still God graciously moved the church and its leadership through each. In fact, Driscoll regularly attaches the growth to the respective trials. On one occasion Mars Hill tried to do concerts and preaching outside by the river and were mooned and flashed by boaters going by. This, according to Driscoll, increased interest in the community and ultimately attendance.
There are so many pages that are outright hilarious. The following is a quote concerning a worship pastor:
"I really liked Tim because he is one of the few manly men whom I have ever seen leading worship. I am not supposed to say this, but most of the worship dudes I have heard are not very dudely. They seem to be very in touch with their feelings and exceedingly chickified from playing too much acoustic guitar and singing prom songs to Jesus while channeling Michael Bolton and flipping their hair. Tim was a guy who brewed his own beer, smoked a pipe, rock climbed, mountain biked, river rafted, carried a knife in his belt, and talked about what he thought more than what he felt.
We clicked because I drive a 1978 Chevy truck that gets single digits to the gallon and has a bacon air freshener and no functioning speedometer and because I fashion myself as the self-appointed leader of a heterosexual male backlash in our overly chickified city filled with guys drinking herbal tea and rocking out to Mariah Carey in their lemon yellow Volkswagen Cabriolets while wearing fuchsia sweater vests that perfectly match their open-toed shoes." (pp. 146-7)
Mark Driscoll is definitely a guy that I would want to have at a barbecue but may be reluctant to have speak at my church...but ironically both for the same reasons.
Overall I really enjoyed the book. From a pastor's perspective it was awesome; refreshing and encouraging. The positives for this book are found in Driscoll's willingness to share the ecclesiastical lab that he has worked in for the last 15 years. Driscoll understands church, leadership and has a passion to reach and change culture for the glory of Christ.
At the same time I am reluctant to openly recommend it. Driscoll does use crass language throughout the book (which is alarming and curious in light of 1 Tim. 4.12 & Eph. 4.29), and so therefore I am not comfortable putting it on a top 10 list. At the same time, from what I have read in the blogosphere and its relative outrage of Driscoll's language, I think they have, in large part, overreacted and missed the many of the great points and lessons of the book.
Driscoll also sympathizes with Rick Warren, even crediting him with significant pastorly influence on him. This is not surprising considering Driscoll's continued affiliation with Robert Schuller and company at the Crystal Cathedral. This is curios and I do not understand why he is holding hands with these guys who are not straightforward about the truth of the gospel (Warren) and who deny the truth of the gospel (Schuller).
Driscoll also makes it clear that he is charismatic, even asserting regularly that he receives additional revelation from God, prays and speaks against demons (however, Driscoll does say that he does not speak in tongues).
As an aside, I look forward to the upcoming Desiring God Conference where Driscoll will be on the panel with conservatives such as John Piper, DA Carson & David Wells. I would love to be a fly on the wall when DA Carson and him chat about life and ministry and Driscoll mixes in a reference to Jesus as a dude....oh the diversity of the body... "Christ is all and in all" (Col. 3.11).
no 3-point breakdown, or filled with theological buzz words..........2007-06-17
I really liked the book. I like the honesty from Mark, his willingness to be vulnerable, the insights to tough situations and early challenges of building a Christ-centered Mars Hill, the humor, and its "rough draft" form. On a side note...this air filter kicks some serious butt---->Duracraft DY-012 Oscillating 3-Speed Tower Fan :>
I LOVE THIS BOOK!.......2007-06-13
No punches pulled. This not ecclesiology for those who like organs, robes, cut flowers, tapestry upholstery, "preacher voices", and Psalty.
The church is in turmoil. What should it look like in the 21st century? what is a missional church? How, exactly, are we to be salt in a no-sodium age? The story of Driscoll's planting experience with Mars Hill Church in Seattle is one that EVERY Christian should read and heed. (And no, mainstream keyboard/skit/sermonette formulas are not the answer either.) We gotta open the BIBLE, preach tough sermons that proclaim the truth in a culturally relevant way, and get over ourselves. Read this book and let's get busy...
Compelling Truths.......2007-06-10
Just so we all know, i fit comfortably within Mark's theological framework, which i understand some people struggle with. I guess i simply see it as truth and i don;t see it as being arrogant, in fact one of the things i loved about the book was Mark's refreshing honesty and humility that shines through every page.
Mark is a brilliant writer, easy to read with hilarious yet insightful stories which add to his commentary on the growth of Mars Hill. it is wonderful to hear a guy stating his full reliance upon God and belief in the power of the gospel for salvation, and then to see him living it out, mistakes and all.
For anyone younger, in particular i believe, who is considering planting churches or who is involved in frontline ministry i wholeheartedly recommend this book to you.
Book Description
Copy This!, Paul Orfalea's inspiring, personal story of turning lemons into lemonade, may be the most unusual business memoir ever published.
Paul Orfalea struggles mightily to read, to write, and to sit still through a business meeting. So what's the problem? By working with the obstacles life dealt him—he calls his dyslexia and ADHD "learning opportunities"—he grew a 100-square-foot copy shop named Kinko's into a $1.5 billion-a-year company that
Fortune named one of the best places in America to work.
This is the story of a boy who flunked out of second grade—a boy who was fired by a gas station for writing illegible receipts. But it's also the story of a boy who learned from the world directly, who was brave enough to fail, who knew he had to rely on other people. A boy who developed empathy, a particular gift of his dyslexia that gave Orfalea the crucial insight into what makes Kinko's work. When Paul Orfalea first looked out on the worried, hopeful faces of his customers, he knew that he was in the problem-solving business—at four cents a page. Kinko's doesn't so much handle paper as it handles dreams.
Paul Orfalea really did do it his way. With humor, wisdom, and compassion, he shares his invaluable experiences and unorthodox business lessons with the millions of those who are just a little bit "different," and who wonder if there's a place for them in the world. There is: at the top.
Customer Reviews:
"Our primary objective is to take care of our customer...".......2007-08-18
BUT...
"...you can't take care of your customers unless you take care of your people." (- Paul Orfalea)
"Copy This!" is a book that illustrates the enduring idealism and sincerity of Paul Orfalea. Orfalea's enthusiasm is infectious. His optimism and energy vibrate through the narrative as he explains how his values were challenged over the years by various partnerships, a corporate reorganization and the eventual decision to leave the company he built and guided for over 30 years.
Those of us who lived the "Kinko's experience" can vouch for the effectiveness of Paul's leadership and his approach to team management.
Long ago, I took a job at my local Kinko's working the overnight shift as a machine operator. On my first day of work, my branch manager handed me a wallet-sized, white plastic card with something called "The Kinko's Philosophy" printed on one side. Up to that point in my life, working for a company was all about punching a clock and biding your time until you could punch it again and get on with your real life. I assumed this card, talking about things like "The coworkers are the foundation of our success" and "we trust and care for one another" were just marketing lip service by some faceless corporate human resource office.
But my manager took time with me, said that he wanted me to keep the card with me explaining, "We really believe in these things here. I can't force anyone to be anything more than a clock-puncher, but we can do everything we can to support how you want to work out your days with this company. Your only real job here is to take care of the customer."
Over the next several years I moved up in the company and dealt with dozens of coworkers. I worked with and for the kind of employees you've encountered of heard about who contribute to a miserable experience as well as those who stopped everything to solve your emergency and save the day for you. Paul's philosophy (his "commitment to communication") made it easier to manage the daily operation of a store of 15-20 people on three non-stop, busy shifts
As Paul pointed out on more than one occasion, each coworker -- regardless of their aspirations, ambition or approach to the job -- deserved to be treated with respect and gratitude ...because their performance was the only true measure of my own success. Discipline was to be bundled with coaching and retraining. Even in an "at-will" employment environment, Paul was dedicated to making sure we did all we could to help every coworker succeed.
Understanding and providing for your customer requires understanding your employees and their own needs. While they carry out the necessary tasks to get the job done, your job as a manager is to make that job fun, safe and efficient. The challenge of the organization is to create an environment where managers can do their job. In the case of Kinko's, that meant great opportunities for advancement, solid training programs, profit sharing and excellent wages. Many of those values (and benefits) changed with Paul's departure, but there are still hundreds if not thousands of team members who maintain that positive, supportive attitude toward their most valuable resource on the sales floor.
Most businesses treat their employees (human assets, labor force, whatever form they take) like a herd of sheep to be managed as though they have neither the skill nor experience to contribute to the business process. This book explains how each member of your working team is not just a salary on a P&L chart, but the REASON your operation is successful. It explains that you can have your heart firmly invested in taking care of your customers, but if you don't have the drive to take care of your own PEOPLE, you will be hard-pressed to achieve that goal consistently or at all.
Small business owners, department heads, and CEOs could learn much from Paul's dedication to his team members and perhaps begin to understand that their own success isn't tied to a few lines on a spreadsheet and the demands of a board of MBAs, it begins and ends with the people who run the cash registers, take care of the daily operation and make it possible for executives to spend time pondering "bigger picture" issues for their organization.
Copy THIS? Caveat that! .......2007-07-29
Paul Orfalea is the type of boss we call a "Crazy-Maker." Type triple-A. In your face. A new idea every minute. Little or no boundaries between personal time and work time. I suspect he was an exhausting (if occasionally) exhilarating boss to have.
This business autobiography offers a revealing portrait of an unlikely business tycoon. Orfalea overcame dyslexia to found Kinko's, which he grew into a multi-billion dollar business before selling it off. It is now an American icon.
The section on how games - especially poker, Monopoly and Risk - are better predictors of business success than grades is interesting.
Otherwise, Orfalea at times seems to make it all about Me. Me. Me. See me the generous philanthropist! See me creatively teaching business classes to students at UC Santa Barbara! See me lament what the new corporate suits have done to Kinko's. Of course, he has multi-millions to assuage his pain. Dude - when you sell it off, you relinquish that right to call all the shots!
Orfalea took a quirky, albeit courageous, path to his fortune. Whether many others can "copy this" as a template for success is debatable. Like him or love him, the Kinko's founder has written an engaging autobiography.
Interesting Read.......2007-04-24
I found this book to hold my interest. It provides an intriguing and inspirational view inside the start-up of a business, as well as honest, personal revelations.
He's an excellent reader (of people, that is).......2007-03-25
Orfalea opened his first copy shop while still a student in college. Over the next 30 years, he built the world's premier copyshop business, then cashed out for $1.5 billion. Not a bad run, especially for a kid who was so dyslexic that he was virtually illiterate.
He says he got the idea for the business while working on a term paper with a team of fellow college students. He was unable to contribute any research or writing skills to the team, so he offered to do the photocopying. The lines at the school's photocopier were so long that he realized that there was money to be made in copying. In short order he scouted a location, borrowed $5K from his father, and launched his business.
He makes the point that, as a functionally illiterate person, he was extremely dependent on other people. He argues that this forced him from a very early age to assess people accurately and find ways to make use of them. As a youngster, this meant choosing someone to sit next to whose work he could copy. As an adult, it meant choosing people who could help him run his business.
He says that straight-A students tend not to develop the ability to read people the way a dyslexic can. He says further that straight-A students tend to do what's safe and what's asked of them, whereas a dyslexic tends to be highly creative in getting things done or at least convincing authorities that things have been done.
In short, he feels that his dyslexia was a critical ingredient in his success.
This gives him an interesting perspective on school. He feels that no assignment is so valuable as to be worth extinguishing a student's spark of self-confidence and excitement about learning. He points out that, in school, most students are made to feel like failures in something. By contrast, in adulthood we are allowed to specialize. If math explodes in our heads, we can seek work that requires little or no math. Students aren't so lucky, and some of them are so handicapped that their spirits are entirely crushed by the experience of going through school.
The Orfalea family had a long tradition of entrepreneurship, and Paul grew up believing that one should earn one's way through life by the sweat of one's brow only long enough to accumulate some savings and then, by investing wisely, gradually transition to a point where one's way is financed entirely by rent and dividends.
Today Orfalea teaches at the University of California and one of the questions he asks his students is, "What's more important: good grades or saving money?" The correct answer is saving money.
He's an excellent reader (of people, that is).......2007-01-26
This is a spectacular book.
Orfalea opened his first copy shop while still a student in college. Over the next 30 years, he built the world's premier copyshop business, then cashed out for $1.5 billion. Not a bad run, especially for a kid who was so dyslexic that he was virtually illiterate.
He says he got the idea for the business while working on a term paper with a team of fellow college students. He was unable to contribute any research or writing skills to the team, so he offered to do the photocopying. The lines at the school's photocopier were so long that he realized that there was money to be made in copying. In short order he scouted a location, borrowed $5K from his father, and launched his business.
He makes the point that, as a functionally illiterate person, he was extremely dependent on other people. He argues that this forced him from a very early age to assess people accurately and find ways to make use of them. As a youngster, this meant choosing someone to sit next to whose work he could copy. As an adult, it meant choosing people who could help him run his business.
He says that straight-A students tend not to develop the ability to read people the way a dyslexic can. He says further that straight-A students tend to do what's safe and what's asked of them, whereas a dyslexic tends to be highly creative in getting things done or at least convincing authorities that things have been done.
In short, he feels that his dyslexia was a critical ingredient in his success.
This gives him an interesting perspective on school. He feels that no assignment is so valuable as to be worth extinguishing a student's spark of self-confidence and excitement about learing. He points out that, in school, most students are made to feel like failures in something. By contrast, in adulthood we are allowed to specialize. If math explodes in our heads, we can seek work that requires little or no math. Students aren't so lucky, and some of them are so handicapped that their spirits are entirely crushed by the experience of going through school.
The Orfalea family had a long tradition of entrepreneurship, and Paul grew up believing that one should earn one's way through life by the sweat of one's brow only long enough to accumulate some savings and then, by investing wisely, gradually transition to a point where one's way is financed entirely by rent and dividends.
Today Orfalea teaches at the University of California and one of the questions he asks his students is, "What's more important: good grades or saving money?" The answer is saving money.
He's quite a guy. You'll enjoy reading about his success.
Book Description
The complete and accurate story of the Beslan School Siege that occurred in Russia on September 1, 2004. This book tells the untold story about the victims, the soldiers who were there and the history of the events leading up to the tragic incident. But more than just the story, this book highlights the lessons America's school system can learn from the tragedy to protect itself from terrorism.
Customer Reviews:
A must read.......2007-05-30
Quite simply this book is a must read for all Americans. It's time to take the blinders off and face the facts presented.
A very good read .......2007-01-15
I got this book from a friend who takes an interest in how our public school system shapes the future of this country. After reading Terror at Beslan I see a few things that have been left out of the list of recommendations on how to cope with the potential for terrorist acts against our children and against our schools. I wonder why Mr. Giduck did not suggest the one thing that would make it extremely hard for terrorists to take large numbers of our children captive. That thing is to REMOVE THE TARGET. Mr. Giduck makes it clear in his book that one of the reasons that terrorist attack schools is because to them they are high value targets. One of the best ways to avoid an attack on a targe however - is to not make yourself a target in the first place.
The great service that Mr. Giduck has done for parents of school age children - and for people who truly care about the way our children are educated in this country is to point out that - along with the myriad of other problems that our public schools have - is that they are aggregating our children in one place, making them easy targets for terrorists motivated enough to carry out the attack. And again - as Mr. Giduck has pointed out - the terrorists are not stupid. They are smart and highly motivated. I have recently read books and writings by John Taylor Gatto and Vin Suprynowicz, both of whom are highly critical of our public schools ability to properly educate our children to make them good citizens of our republic. Both Mr. Gatto and Mr. Suprynowicz have pointed out that the public school system in this country was not designed to make our children into free-thinking individuals, it was designed to mold our childrens minds so that they all have a common - government influenced - way of looking at the world. Putting children all together in the same place removes them from the influence of their parents to a large degree and makes it easier to control the educational materials they are exposed to - thereby controlling the mindset they acquire as they are educated. The growing home schooling movement in this country is a backlash against this influence.
Now it appears that the aggregation of our children in large groups has one more detrimental affect on them - it makes them easy to acquire targets for terrorists who have no regard whatsoever for their lives.
In order to find a truly sustainable solution to the terrorism problem in regards to our educational system that also respects the freedom that we wish to keep for ourselves in this country - as well as producing an educated citizenry we would do well to think outside the box and consider all of the alternatives - rather than just turning our schools into armed camps with on demand gas delivery systems, comprehensive monitoring systems, and on campus SWAT teams, as Mr. Giduck suggests. For a parent who is trying to decide what to do to protect their own child - think long and hard about sending your child into harm's way in a public school. Given that the choice of schooling you make for your child may some day be a life or death decision, the alternatives of home schooling, small private schools, or group schooling - like we used to have in this country before compulsory public education took over - may literally be the difference between life and death for your child. And your child may get a better education in the bargain.
I would highly recommend this book by Mr. Giduck, he has done all concerned American citizens a great service. I would however also recommend "Send in the Waco Killers" by Vin Suprynowicz, and "Underground History of American Education" by John Taylor Gatto. Read all three and you will come away with an entirely different perspective on this problem than you may have had before.
Book Review.......2007-01-01
I had attended a half day seminar by the author and bought a copy of the book there. After reading it I have purchased several more copies (for teacher friends and my Chief). If you're interested in this particular incident you'll probably not find any more definative material. Good read. If you get the opportunity to attend the author's seminars, do so! Well worth it.
Sgt. J. Chavalia
Lima, Ohio Police Department
No sensationalism - just the real dramatic truth about our enemies.......2006-10-31
John Giduck does an excellent job of setting the stage for, presenting the facts of, and discussing the implications of one of the most horrendous Islamist terrorists attacks of all time.
In addition, this is one of the few books on Islamists terrorism that doesn't try to sugar-coat the current world wide conflict. The tens of millions of terrorist Muslims that are determined (even to death) to kill, destroy, or violently oppress any non-muslim in the world is a cold hard fact.
We in America have tried to live in a dream and have ignored not only the distant past going all the way back to Mohammed but even the recent past where 99.9% of all the violent terrorists acts in the world have been committed by the Islamist Terrorists. This isn't a few dozen but it is hundreds and hundreds of violent deadly acts with no purpose other than to kill, maim, and oppress the non-,muslim world.
Thanks John for sharing the inside information and insight into how every American can not only wake up but also take action to prepare for the violent acts that are sure to come.
Parents & law enforcement must read this book.......2006-09-06
Terror at Beslan by John Giduck is an absolute must read by anyone who has a child in school and by anyone who is in law enforcement that may need to respond to such an incident. This book is heart wrenching and difficult to read but this must not prevent you from gaining the needed knowledge that this book provides.
I recently attended a training by John Giduck on the Beslan school seige. After attending this training it is apparent that tough questions must be asked and the answers are not easy. For example:
- As a parent do you know what your child's school safety plan is?
- As a law enforcement officer are you willing to shoot a child that is being held as a human shield while the hostage taking terrorist is pointing a gun at you?
We live in a world where terrorists target the weak: children, women, elderly, etc. Law enforcement must be able to respond appropriately. America is a society where if one child is killed in such a seize the public views the police response as a failure. The media will have a feeding frenzy. The reality is that the terrorists will hold children as human shields. This is a difficult and terrible situation to be in as a first responder. We are no longer afforded the opportunity of hoping for the best as we stick our head in the sand. Law enforcement must address this issue now and have clear direction by the highest levels of administration on what an acceptable response will be when this incident happens in the U.S.
Terrorism is about fear. A Beslan type seize is very possible, maybe even probable, in America. Law enforcement must be able to do their jobs, an extremely difficult job, without the fear of civil litigation. It is time to face reality for what it is and pull our heads out of the sand.
As the saying goes: Proper planning prevents poor performance.
Book Description
Written for both the novice and experienced investor, this fascinating blend of biography and keen investment analysis has garnered acclaim in the world of high finance.
Nikki Ross has struck the mother lode about how to invest wisely in an increasingly uncertain world. The easy to follow investment insights she's gathered impart the various strategies of these ""superinvestors"" and explain how to integrate and implement them in today's markets. Five lifetimes of legendary Wall Street wisdom are distilled into three brilliantly simple steps. Readers will learn how best to gather the information and find investment leads; evaluate the data; and when to buy, hold and sell.
Customer Reviews:
A Must Read for Investors.......2004-05-14
This book has a refreshingly commonsense approach to investing. It contains a great deal of worthwhile advice and wisdom from some of the world's best investors. I am not an experienced investor, however I found it to be understandable and learned useful information from it. I would highly recommend it.
A Classic "Must Read" Investment Book.......2004-04-15
Nikki Ross has documented principal strategies and investing advice from the great Wall Street legends of our time. I have found the underlying principals of Buffet and his mentors as well as Price and Templeton to be very helpful. It is an easy to read enjoyable book. It may not be for day traders in general, but they could benefit from the list of questions asked by the masters before investing. I believe that had many investors read and applied this book prior to and during the recent crash, they might have saved a lot of money.
Blake Conant
Just read the "Evaluation" part.......2004-03-07
This book discusses on the techniques Warren Buffet (value/growth), Benjamin Graham (value), Phil Fisher (growth), T. Rowe Price (growth), and John Templeton (growth use or have used to make their fortunes.
The book is divided into 6 parts on one each of these legends and another on how to combine the knowledge of these experts. The sections are organized in an interesting way first off you learn what some of the stocks the well known investor has bought and why they met their purchasing criteria. There is also a nice 3 steps to how you can use their methods in your investments, this in turn is organized by:
1. Gathering information (this part it almost worthless in my opinion since it is very similar for each of the investors)
2. Evaluate (this is the best part of each of the areas in the book, you learn the questions these masters would ask a company and themselves. It's very good.)
3. Making decisions discusses how the masters decide when to buy and sell the stock.
This book and "The Money Masters" by John Train are interesting reads if you enjoy learning about the careers and wisdom these masters are willing to share.
I believe this book wouldn't be very useful for strict CAN SLIM investors or day traders but good for the buy and hold or long term growth and value investors it definitely shows you some of the possibilities.
Reed Floren
Worthless.......2004-02-26
This book is worthless. The true 'lessons' make up only a few pages of the book and these lessons are not detailed enough to make financially sound decisions. For example, a lesson such as "What is the PE Ratio?" is similar to what you would find in the book. OK, the PE ratio is 3. Is that good? Is that bad? How about 40? What is high? What is low? Do current interest rates effect PE ratio levels? What is an acceptable PE ratio for a growth stock? What is an acceptable PE ratio for a cyclical stock? You'll get no answers from this book.
The best "lessons" section (though still unacceptable) came from John Templeton. But these were a direct quote from an interview Templeton gave the Christian Science Monitor. The author must have spent a few weeks writing this book.
Most of the book is babble, reproduction of articles/reports, duplication of previous sections, and educational definitions for the newbie.
My lesson to you is to take the money you were going spend on this book and go buy a U.S. Savings bond. You will be richer and wiser in the end.
Not all its cracked up to be..........2004-02-23
...- I bought the book BUT Nikki Ross gives a basic three-step approach to investing, that is repeated throughout the book. 1. Collect info, 2. Analyse info, 3. Make a decision. And that's about as complex as the book gets.
Don't waste your money, unless you're after a very simplistic overview of investing. ALL OF THE FIVE STAR REVIEWS OVERRATE THIS BOOK - 1 Star (at best).
...
If you're after real value on practical management implementation tools that link strategy & financial numbers then YOU HAVE TO INVEST IN "Performance Measurement & Control Systems for Implementing Strategy" by Robert Simons.
Customer Reviews:
Analysis is great.......2007-10-03
I like that he has a full page to show the drawing and on the facing page he has a smaller version with commentary. He places capital letters on the drawing so you can see exactly which line or shape he is discussing.
Definative.......2007-07-13
Robert Beverly Hale was one of the masters in teaching figure drawing. A must for serious students of figure painting.
Not written by an artist..........2007-05-08
Although this is one of the best compilation books of old master drawings
available on the common market, I would not put too much stock in what
the author says. The author is correct in saying that many of these
great artists had to learn and understand anatomy in order to "make it up"
(e.g., a figure of a rearing horse drawn by Titian, impossible to be
taken from life), but he goes overboard in trying to get the student to
learn about anatomy. For example, he says "Please buy some bones". That's right--the way to paint like Rubens is to...buy some bones. I don't think so. Even if you learned how to draw the figure well, after perhaps 10 years, you'd still have to tackle drapery and then learn how to compose your figures in a painting and, well, be an artist. I have learned after much figure drawing study that after a while, "studies are
useless" (Rubens said that also). It is better for the true artist to simply plan painting after painting, and ignore all this wasteful "study effort" as if art is a science. This is not to say any knowledge of anatomy is bad. But you need to know only as much as it takes to know that
a head looks too big, or a shoulder "doesn't look right", esp. if you are already working from life. I have studied anatomy and tried to draw from my memory, and although my drawings have all the attendant parts, you cannot "guess" at how the aspect of a vastus medialis changes when it is in 10 different positions. It's much easier and quicker simply to draw a model from life--it will look more correct, even WITHOUT a knowledge of anatomy. And if you are a figurative artist, you may even want to "clothe" your figures at some point (Watteau made a name for himself for knowing how to do just that) so knowledge of anatomy, although not to be entirely discounted, should run second to drawing from life, having artistic vision, and working on a plan to make a nice painting instead of engaging in hours of fruitless "studies." After you die, do you want to have a bunch of academic drawings with correct anatomy laying around?
Only the art matters. This book, although much better than those awful books which use hack artists as models of excellence, still falls short
of what you really need to do to become a strong figurative painter. And that is, "draw from life". Pose your friends and family and draw them.
That's what the masters did.
This is one of the best books ever!.......2007-01-25
This is a must have book. No matter what your subject matter you can benefit from reading and doing the exercises in this book. I read it with a highlighter and a pen. I don't usually write in my drawing books, but this one was too good to simply read I had to study it. I will be using this in my current class to help me draw people better. Lots of excellent examples. It doesn't matter what you are trying to learn to draw this book helps you think in terms of mass and shape, not legs, arms, faces, etc.
Must have book for all fine art students!.......2007-01-05
Robert Beverly Hale is the undisputed master of not only artistic anatomy, methods of drawing and the masters' techniques; but he is also a master at conveying ideas in clear concise language. He was the best lecturer on artistic anatomy. I attended his 10 session lectures twice before he died. The book reflects much of what he taught in his lectures, so it's the next best thing to having him in the room.
Book Description
An inside look at one of the world's most successful real estate companies
RE/MAX was founded over 30 years ago in Denver, Colorado, based upon a revolutionary idea for a new system of selling real estate. Since then, RE/MAX has experienced over 380 straight months of explosive growth. In Everybody Wins, authors Phil Harkins and Keith Hollihan reveal how RE/MAX has achieved such phenomenal success by examining the company's strategy, culture, and leadership. Harkins -- with the full cooperation of RE/MAX -- led a research team that closely studied RE/MAX as well as comparable fast-growing companies. The team observed critical meetings, attended conventions, dug through historical archives, and conducted extensive interviews with more than 50 key RE/MAX leaders. The outcome is an insightful and engaging account of one of the world's most successful companies. Order your copy today.
Download Description
An inside look at one of the world's most successful real estate companies
RE/MAX was founded over 30 years ago in Denver, Colorado, based upon a revolutionary idea for a new system of selling real estate. Since then, RE/MAX has experienced over 380 straight months of explosive growth. In Everybody Wins, authors Phil Harkins and Keith Hollihan reveal how RE/MAX has achieved such phenomenal success by examining the company's strategy, culture, and leadership. Harkins-with the full cooperation of RE/MAX-led a research team that closely studied RE/MAX as well as comparable fast-growing companies. They observed critical meetings, attended conventions, dug through historical archives, and conducted extensive interviews with more than 50 key RE/MAX leaders. The outcome is an insightful and engaging account of one of the world's most successful companies. Readers will gain an insider's view of how a company grew from a renegade bunch of mavericks to a tight network of over 100,000 agents in more than 50 countries. They'll also learn about RE/MAX's commitment to community, through the Breast Cancer Survivor Recognition Program, the Children's Miracle Network, and The Wildlife Experience. Everybody Wins paints a comprehensive picture of an amazing company and offers valuable lessons for those who want to start or grow their own business.
Phil Harkins (Concorde, MA) is CEO of Linkage, Inc., a research and consulting company that focuses on senior leaders and leadership teams at the top. Keith Hollihan (Brooklyn, NY) has coauthored a number of nonfiction business/leadership books, including the Wall Street Journal-highly recommended selection Beating the Business Cycle by Lakshman Achuthan and Anirvan Banerji. He has also written dozens of articles for a wide range of leadership experts.
Customer Reviews:
Compelling........2007-05-11
I read this book about two years ago. This book has an ample amount of ingredients for success. This is definitely one of those types of books you can read over and over again for insight and inspiration. This book is not just tailored to RE/MAX and its concept but also structured to give one an adequate start or ongoing reference for ideas. I will save the gutts of the company's ascent for your on curiosity and review. This book is full of lessons on perseverance. Especially when at the brink of ruination.
RE/MAX represents a model of bold innovation, constant change and improvement, high levels of persistence, energy and passion. At RE/MAX, everyone's truly in business for themselves and not for the company they work in. That's the difference!
Everybody Wins that reads this book!.......2007-04-08
As a RE/MAX agent, I found the history behind the company to be most interesting. From a real estate perspective, it offers great insight into how the industry has changed over the last 35 years. From a business perspective (and that's probably this book's most valuable beneficial view) it illustrates the importance of holding onto a dream until it becomes reality.
Entertaining, motivating and enjoyable - a great book all the way around!
AHH..Yes..How exciting.........2006-03-18
A review areA that's chock full of intersting speculation about the real estate market.So FasCinating.
Common Sense to Common Practice.......2006-02-22
The Remax story is about applying everyday common sense to serving customers - the nice thing about it is that you could apply the principals espoused in this wonderful story of opportunity, growth and success for a host of regular folks to a range of retail business models and create your own success story. This book reminds us that we can all participate in serving customers and make a good living from doing it - nice easy read - well done.
Up, Up, and Away!.......2005-10-20
Phenomenal book on the rise of the RE/MAX philosophy. It details the efforts needed to establish a new real estate business model that flew in the face of an immobile, bedrocked industry. I especially enjoyed the emphasis placed on the early years and what the founders went through to ultimately succeed--a struggle in which success, failure, and near death all played their hands. This is an emotional roller coaster for the tight-knit community of brokers who first embraced the RE/MAX brand and strove to build it into one of the largest and most recognizable real estate brokerages in the world. Great story about the determination to build a business. 4 Stars.
Book Description
A first-hand account of the remarkable transformation of China over the past forty years as seen through the life of an award-winning journalist and his four Chinese classmates
As a twenty-year-old exchange student from Stanford University, John Pomfret spent a year at Nanjing University in China. His fellow classmates were among those who survived the twin tragedies of Mao’s rule—the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution—and whose success in government and private industry today are shaping China’s future. Pomfret went on to a career in journalism, spending the bulk of his time in China. After attending the twentieth reunion of his class, he decided to reacquaint himself with some of his classmates. Chinese Lessons is their story and his own.
Beginning with Pomfret’s first days in China, Chinese Lessons takes us back to the often torturous paths that brought together the Nanjing University History Class of 1982. One classmate’s father was killed during the Cultural Revolution for the crime of being an intellectual; another classmate labored in the fields for years rather than agree to a Party-arranged marriage; a third was forced to publicly denounce and humiliate her father. As we watch Pomfret and his classmates begin to make their lives as adults, we see as never before the human cost and triumph of China’s transition from near-feudal communism to first-world capitalism.
Customer Reviews:
Reads like a novel, Worth reading before heading to watch Beijing Olympics 2008.......2007-10-07
If you like Dai Sijei's "Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress" or Ha Jins writings, you will enjoy reading this one. John Pomfret's narrative with its keen journalistic candor reads like a gripping novel, though written as a memoir or a travelogue. Just like Dai Sijei's fictional characters Four eyes et al., Pomfret's friends and classmates at Nanda, Little Guan and Old Zhu, real life characters in flesh and blood, stay with us like a Ken Burn's documentary, long after we finish reading about them. You ponder how often life is stranger than fiction ! This is a good book to read before going to China for collaborative work or a fun trip like the 2008 Olympics.
PS: I wonder if amazon.com like their corporate buddies, google and microsoft, censor these reviews about books about China for the Chinese web audience to placate the Chinese Communist Party's Thought Police !
Chinese Lessons.......2007-09-16
This is a fascinating read about life in China during the periods and events of several famous and significant leaders of the country. However, most revealing was the indepth discussion of the authors five Chinese friends and classmates; their lives, their loves and their experiences. His addition to the book of his first hand experiences as a journalist lends credibility to this effort. Well written and a pleasant reading experience; an essential "heads up" to one planning a trip to that country.
Chinese Lessons: five stars on the story.......2007-08-28
A Fascinating look at China from the cultural revolution to the present, as seen through the eyes of five classmates of the Western author. The pain, perseverance, and power of these stories comes through in ways seldom revealed by personal contacts or histories. A thought provoking read.
Wonderful!.......2007-08-18
My goodness, this is SUCH a wonderful book-a must read for anyone with any interest in contemporary China. Just read it!
Chinese Lessons.......2007-08-13
John Pomfret has written an insightful, thoughtful and interesting memoir of life as he knew it in China. This is a 'must read' for anyone interested in exploring the Chinese culture and the demands of everyday life in the People's Republic.
Books:
- The Closing of the Western Mind: The Rise of Faith and the Fall of Reason
- The Coast of Utopia (Box Set)
- The Complete Taj Mahal
- The Encyclopedia of Yacht Designers
- The Evolution of Future Consciousness: The Nature and Historical Development of the Human Capacity to Think about the Future
- The Historical Atlas of New York City: A Visual Celebration of 400 Years of New York City's History
- The Jamestown Project
- The Little Ice Age: How Climate Made History, 1300-1850
- The New Oxford Book of Literary Anecdotes (Oxford Books of Prose & Verse)
- The Origins of the British: A Genetic Detective Story
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Life With an Indian Prince: By Archives of American Falconry
- Angeles y Demonios / Angels and Demons
- Radical Landscapes: Reinventing Outdoor Space
- The Law and Business of International Project Finance
- The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
- Asset Pricing:
- Whisper of Evil
- Small Spaces, Beautiful Kitchens
- Sustainable Construction: Green Building Design and Delivery
- Field Guide to Eucalypts, Volume 2: South-Western & Southern Australia
The Ten Faces of Innovation: IDEO's Strategies for Defeating the Devil's Advocate and Driving Creativity Throughout Your Organization
Thoughtless Acts?: Observations on Intuitive Design
Harvard Business Review on Innovation
Designing Interactions
Making Innovation Work: How to Manage It, Measure It, and Profit from It
