Editorial Review

More than 100 pages of new, cutting-edge content.

Forget the old concept of retirement and the rest of the deferred-life plan–there is no need to wait and every reason not to, especially in unpredictable economic times. Whether your dream is escaping the rat race, experiencing high-end world travel, earning a monthly five-figure income with zero management, or just living more and working less, The 4-Hour Workweek is the blueprint.

This step-by-step guide to luxury lifestyle design teaches:
•How Tim went from $40,000 per year and 80 hours per week to $40,000 per month and 4 hours per week
•How to outsource your life to overseas virtual assistants for $5 per hour and do whatever you want
•How blue-chip escape artists travel the world without quitting their jobs
•How to eliminate 50% of your work in 48 hours using the principles of a forgotten Italian economist
•How to trade a long-haul career for short work bursts and frequent “mini-retirements”

The new expanded edition of Tim Ferriss’ The 4-Hour Workweek includes:
•More than 50 practical tips and case studies from readers (including families) who have doubled income, overcome common sticking points, and reinvented themselves using the original book as a starting point
•Real-world templates you can copy for eliminating e-mail, negotiating with bosses and clients, or getting a private chef for less than $8 a meal
•How Lifestyle Design principles can be suited to unpredictable economic times
•The latest tools and tricks, as well as high-tech shortcuts, for living like a diplomat or millionaire without being either ... Read more

Reviews

Better Than The First Version By A Very Long Shot . . . Definitely Worth The Investment
I reviewed the first edition of The Four Hour Workweek and was surprised by the content, it was a fresh look at a new idea (Lifestyle Design) and it offered some really practical, useful advice that virtually anyone could implement. I recommended the book to many people, most liked it some didn't.

I eagerly pre-ordered this version of the book when I first heard about it mostly because I was curious if it would really be better . . . and boy was it!

I sat down with this book and read until the wee hours of the morning. Sure a lot of the material is the same, but there are around 100 new pages of material and that material is what the first edition desperately needed. The new material is solid examples, case studies, new resources and it addresses how to navigate lifestyle design in a rapidly changing economy.

Tim includes a list of things learned in 2008 along with lessons learned, this section of the book was priceless. Here are a few of the things he talks about:

1. Don't accept large or costly favors from strangers - Exceptions, uber-successful mentors who are making introductions and not laboring on your behalf.

2. You don't have to recoup losses the same way you lose them - An interesting discussion of mortgages.

3. One of the most universal causes of self-doubt and depression: Trying to impress people you don't like (This one really hit home with me . . . hard)

4. Slow meals = life

5. Money doesn't change you; it reveals who you are when you no longer have to be nice.

6. It doesn't matter how many people don't get it. What matters is how many people do.

7. I should not invest in public stocks where I cannot influence outcome (Another hearty agreement from me).

The list goes on as does the new information in the book. This one is a must read for anyone who wants to break the slave-save-retire cycle and live on purpose now.

Reading Comprehension is Key
I'd like to preface this review with something interesting about the Amazon reviews for this book. Many 1-star reviewers accused the 5-star reviewers of being "plants." Especially the ones who hadn't reviewed a book before on Amazon. How do they know that the person wasn't just so moved by the book they made their first Amazon review? We all had that first book we reviewed at one point or another. And extreme feelings about a book, either extreme love or extreme hate, tend to motivate one to share that view with the world.

What I found amazing was, most of the 1-star reviews were reviews of positive reviews, not the book, even though they claimed to be reviews of the book. With all that was taken out of context and twisted, it was clear that most of the 1-star reviewers either didn't read the book or don't have sufficient reading comprehension to be a critic of anything. I find this unfortunate since many negative-minded people read these reviews and respond with things like: "This was what I suspected, glad I didn't waste my money." I'm not sure what exactly the threat is in exploring new ideas whether you agree with them or not, at least allow your mind the opportunity to choose.

This book is not about being lazy. It's not a get-rich quick scheme. It's not about being dishonest or unethical. It became very clear that some people really truly believe that working few hours on work you hate to free up time for more productive and meaningful life activities is somehow "immoral." I guess the Puritanical mentality this country started out with (earliest settlers here) has seeped deeper into our overall culture than we once imagined.

I used to be very held back by the notion of "the other people in the world who are suffering." i.e. why should I seek to make my life situation better when it seems selfish compared to all the starving Ethiopian children, for example. But the crux of the issue is this... I am either helping, being helped, or breaking even. Breaking even would be when a person barely scrapes by enough to support and take care of their own family unit (people living in the house with them.) They are often in debt, middle-class generally, but living paycheck to paycheck or not far above it. They live from scarcity rather than abundance and so any little bit they have over they have to save rather than use to help someone else.

Others are constantly "being helped" by the government, by charities, by whoever. Now I'm not making a moral judgment against either of these groups of people. Living in a money-based instead of a community-based society is hard. However... people often rush to judge those who either HAVE money or WANT to have money as automatically immoral or bad people. And that's not true. Who do you think the helpers are? It's certainly not the people who need help, and it's not the people in that middle class prison that can't seem to get ahead. It's the people who have extra money TO help. And those are also the people who volunteer the most because surprise surprise they have more TIME to donate than any of the other groups.

So I think people would benefit themselves quite a bit if they changed their attitude about acquiring money. Yes, there will always be greedy people who acquire at the expense of others. There will always be people who are materialistic and just want more and more useless "stuff." But then there are others who acquire money and more personal freedom who use a good portion of both of those assets to help others. And contrary to what many readers seemed to get out of the book (or out of their reading of the reviews only), the author's message isn't about being greedy, but about acquiring freedom and then using that freedom for something that benefits both you and others at the same time.

Pointless drudgery and suffering for the sake of it is... pointless. It's not character building necessarily and it doesn't make you a better person necessarily. And especially if a lot of the suffering is self-imposed based on a refusal to think outside of a very limiting box.

The author's definition of the "new rich" is a sliding barometer. For example his view (and I agree) is that someone who makes $40,000 a year and is totally 100% mobile and can live ANYWHERE in the world, and go anywhere in the world, is far more rich than someone making $500,000 a year who hates their job, works 80 hour weeks and is trapped in one location (usually a very expensive American city like NY or LA.) This is very true. You'd be amazed by the variable in quality of life for your dollar depending on where you live, even just in the United States there is huge variability.

This book explores a lot of ways for you to simplify your life and get work done with as soon as possible so you can get on to other things. Timothy Ferriss is NOT saying that you can work 4 hours a week starting tomorrow. The goal of this particular book for this particular outcome is one of two things: either to work remotely for your employer and increase productivity to the point that you can work fewer hours (though probably more than 4 a week) from home or anywhere else you are, or starting a business with the goal of automation at the end. i.e. internet business, product-based businesses (online), information products. You do a lot of work on the front end to create a product and set up an infrastructure so you don't have to continue to micromanage the business forever. You can go on to doing other things, either another income stream or micro-business on another topic/idea/product, or some other activity that interests you.

This is the kind of track I'm on and have been on for a little while now. This book wasn't overly novel to me because I'd already been initiated into this type of "Freedom-based" thinking through books like: "Unjobbing: The Adult Liberation Handbook," "Making a Living Without a Job," and "How I found Freedom in an Unfree World," all amazing books and paradigm shifters that make you take stock of what YOU want and not what you're "supposed" to want and that also make you look at money and acquiring it in whole new ways. Every single one of them is valuable in their own right and reading those books probably made this book far less "out there" to me. Since apparently it seems pretty "out there" to a lot of people.

I've owned a service business before (wedding coordinating) and a craft business (candlemaking) and on both fronts I realized quickly that even if I was spectacularly successful, that there was a definite ceiling on the amount of money I could earn with either without adding significant complication into the mix (i.e. working long hours indefinitely and employees which I would then have to manage.) In the case of candles I could have gone an entirely different route into outsourcing manufacturing, but then it would cease being a "crafts" business and turn into just retail.

There is a common saying among entrepreneurs that they would rather work 16 hours a day for themselves than 8 hours a day for someone else. Well I don't even want to work 8 hours a day. It's not that I'm lazy, I just have other things to do, and if you enhance your productivity there really is no genuine reason to work that many hours a day. Most people in 9-5 jobs are getting about 3-4 hours of genuine WORK done a day. Well that's about what I do, but I just do it in a concentrated effort and don't get sidetracked by other things. Some days I work 6 hours especially when I'm in the new phase of a project, but that's about my max. Granted, we are talking about income producing activities here. This doesn't include cooking and cleaning which is also technically work, or exercise, which is a form of work. I enjoy exercise, but I enjoy most of what I do to one degree or another so liking or not liking the activity can't be the barometer for what is and isn't work.

Anyway this is an incredibly long-winded way of saying that I really enjoyed this book, and didn't find it that "out there." It's somewhat amusing to see the people who "do" find it that "out there" because I don't really think I'm an impractical person. But I will admit that it has probably helped that I'm so stubborn, I just pretty much refused to buy into many of the ideas I was "supposed" to buy into regarding work. So even with the first paradigm-shifting book I read in this category, I was open to the ideas. I'm not a lazy person but I also don't mistake "busyness" for productivity or accomplishment.

I was already familiar with a lot of the mentalities and ideas in the book from my exposure to the above mentioned books as well as learning experiences I've already had in business and things I'd figured out on my own, but I did learn a few new techniques and he also helped to boil down some things for me that will be useful in launching my next income stream which will hopefully eventually replace the freelance work I'm doing now. Because the goal eventually is automation so I can free up time to just write what I want (with or without big profit at the end of it), and focus on other pursuits.

One of the top 3 influential books I have read!
Brief Background: I owned and operated 4 bookstores in Austin, Tx for 13 years. I have read a lot of books and have sold many books on being successful in business and life. This is my first review.
I was given this book by a business partner and I was reluctant to read one more book on the secrets of a great life. I was fascinated and hooked after the first few pages. I am going to keep this simple. If you are clear that greatness is inside of you, then this book is for you. If you are clear that you have nothing to offer, then this book is for you. This book is a paradox as is Tim Ferriss. This is not a get rich quick book. It is a book that gives you all you need to have an amazing life. And along the way you may get rich. If you just do part of what he says your life will be great. If you attempt all of his recommendations...who knows. He gives you assignments at the end of every chapter to explore your limitations. Thanks Tim for pushing yourself beyond what experts said you couldn't do.

P.S.
Because of Tim's book I started 6 internet websites...3 made me zip and didn't cost me much except some time and a little money(under $100 each). The other 3 are making me a total of $2000 a month profit for the last 6 months. I also drastically reduced the amount of time I work at my other business'. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Author royalties from this book go to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation

“The way Jon conducts his business and lives his life will not only inspire you to be a better person, citizen, and entrepreneur, it also will give you hope that the good guys don't finish last.”

Glenn Beck

"Jon Huntsman is a different breed. He believes business is a creative endeavor, similar to a theater production, wherein integrity must be the central character."

Larry King, CNN

"Jon Huntsman's own life and personal values lend credence to his words. He walks his ethical talk."

Neil Cavuto, Fox News

"This book could put me out of business. Nobody would be happier about it than me."

Wayne Reaud, Trial Attorney.

The nationwide bestseller--fully updated for today’s tough times and worldwide financial crises

“Everyone does it.” Everyone cheats. Cuts corners. Tells lies. Maybe it was different once. Not today. If you want to succeed in this economic climate, you simply have to make compromises. Right?

Wrong. You can succeed at the highest levels, without sacrificing the principles that make life worth living. The proof? You’re holding it.

Jon M. Huntsman built a $12 billion company from scratch, the old-fashioned way: with integrity. There were short-term costs and difficult decisions. There were tough times. Times just like today. But ultimately, leading with integrity wasn’t just personally right for Huntsman, it also proved to be the best business strategy.

In Winners Never Cheat, Huntsman tells you how he did it, and how you can, too. This book is about remembering why you work, and why you were chosen to lead. It’s about finding the bravery to act on what you know is right, no matter what you’re up against.

It’s about winning. The right way.

Think about the kind of person you want to do business with. Then, be that person--and use this book to get you there.

Reviews

Honesty & Integrity is the Winning Formula
Jon M Huntsman is a humble & self effacing man who quietly goes about his business; and business is good. He's a self-made billionaire who knows that success is attainable through hard work, determination, and of course; through honesty, integrity and generosity.

This book captures Huntsman's vision of setting good examples for the rest of society, by consistently doing the right things. This is a man who builds trust through his actions, and helps those less fortunate with his contributions of time and money. In his mind, whatever success he's attained is irrelevent to the big picture; and that's making our planet a better place to inhabit.

I'm sure all of us, from time to time, have witnessed actions of people we once trusted that made us think otherwise; whether it be shaving a stroke off their golf game to avoid losing a few bucks, double crossing us on a business deal, or worse, sabotaging a career. Once the trust has been destroyed, everything else collapses with it.

Huntsman, on the other hand, with his remarkable philosophy on life, is a shining example that successful people are measured more by their basic core values as human beings, than their net worth. Some, if they're really good; possess the ability to do it all.

Huntsman clearly fits that bill; and we're all just a little bit better off because of it. This is a great book, written by a truly great man.

Being morally right makes might - in more ways than you might think!
Many ethics courses taught at business and law schools across the country for the past decade or so have focused on the idea of "situational ethics" - a Machiavellian concept that supports no objective "right or wrong" only contextual circumstances that define "right and wrong" for a specific moment in time. While that may be interesting for theoretical discussions, it has little place in the real world and business leader Jon M. Huntsman would agree. In his breakthrough book titled - "Winners Never Cheat" - Huntsman point blank states that there are overriding moral principles that need to guide our work and lives. Huntsman is chairman and founder of the largest privately held chemical company in the world. He writes that he built his career and fortune on ethical principles including accountability; integrity; addressing the needs of others; honor; sacrifice; personal responsibility and teamwork. Soundview highly recommends this book because Huntsman provides many examples where he personally made difficult, moral decisions that (he argues) always turn out to be the right decision in the long run. Every organization would be well served by reading this book and putting it into practice.

Ethics at its finest!
What a refreshing view of ethical business practices by one of the most down-to-earth men to ever be successful. Jon Huntsman is an inspirational figure who practices the basic human skill and desribes how we are born with these "sandbox" skills and ethical behaviors. Corporate America, WAKE UP!

This is one of those "difficult times" Jon Huntsman writes about
Jon Huntsman says a whole lot in 206 small pages. He reminds us that there is no victory when there is no integrity. The behavior in corporate America the past few years should make this book a mandatory read for every executive and every board member of every company. We've been confusing valuable with value for too long and Jon Huntsman's message is a reminder that not only is integrity the right path to follow, it is also the most profitable path to follow!

Easy read, excellent.
This well written book will leave you feeling good and wanting to be a better person. It makes a great gift too.

Great book
I think this book is terrific. It is perfect for the times that we are in where greed and self indulgence is so rampant. If we all did business the way that John Huntsman conducts his business we would not be in the financial shape that we are in!

Written by a man of integrity!
A must read for every graduate or person going into business. Integrity, simplicity, honorable man. My favorite book!

Values Are Not Negotiable
Are your values unwavering especially in the wake of those necessary daily critical business and even life decisions? In this book, Winners Never Cheat, Jon Huntsman Sr. shared through his personal stories the importance of not sacrificing your values and that you can still be successful.

This book goes beyond the usual writings on ethics, morality, business conduct and is really a small treatise on how to treat people. Jon Huntsman believes in adversity and how that builds character. One far reaching statement about character is "the adherence to an ethical code is best defined as how one honors a bad situation or a bad deal."

Huntsman believed that an ethical code of conduct is by its very nature a non-denominational religion because situations may be altered, basic values must not. In other words just because everyone else does it does not give you permission to walk away from your values. This type of belief creates a slippery ethical behavioral slope where one can never return to the top.

One of my new found favorite quotes is "Values provide us with ethical water wings." This is a great mental visual for understanding how to stay above the less than ethical behaviors of others.

With the passing of each chapter, Huntsman's simple words take on a life of their own. The reader can see and begin to understand the message behind the message that Winners Never Cheat. For me, this is now in my top 10 most favorite non-fictional books. This book shows you how to be The Red Jacket in a sea of gray suits.

P.S. Maybe this could have been titled that Ethical Leaders Never Cheat or Winners Never Cut in Line. ... Read more

Editorial Review

From the author of the New York Times bestsellers

How Full Is Your Bucket? (Gallup Press, 2004, Strengths Based Leadership (Gallup Press, 2009), and Wellbeing (Gallup Press, 2010) a book that features the new Wellbeing Finder assessment.

STRENGTHSFINDER 2.0

Do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?

Chances are, you don't. All too often, our natural talents go untapped. From the cradle to the cubicle, we devote more time to fixing our shortcomings than to developing our strengths.

To help people uncover their talents, Gallup introduced the first version of its online assessment, StrengthsFinder, in 2001 which ignited a global conversation and helped millions to discover their top five talents.

In its latest national bestseller, StrengthsFinder 2.0, Gallup unveils the new and improved version of its popular assessment, language of 34 themes, and much more (see below for details). While you can read this book in one sitting, you'll use it as a reference for decades.

Loaded with hundreds of strategies for applying your strengths, this new book and accompanying website will change the way you look at yourself -- and the world around you -- forever.

AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY IN STRENGTHSFINDER 2.0
(using the unique access code included with each book)

* A new and upgraded edition of the StrengthsFinder assessment

* A personalized Strengths Discovery and Action-Planning Guide for applying your strengths in the next week, month, and year

* A more customized version of your top five theme report

* 50 Ideas for Action (10 strategies for building on each of your top five themes)
... Read more

Reviews

What are the strengths YOU can rely on?, July 14, 2009
Strengths Finder 2.0 is the follow up to Gallup's Now, Discover Your Strengths. The book includes a revamped version of the StrengthsFinder test that shows you not just what your top five strengths are, but also how you rank in the rest of the 34 strengths from Clifton's model. The new book is light on content (very light) but the test is a substantial improvement.

Here's how the book is set up:

StrengthsFinder: The Next Generation
(A short introduction explaining the need for the enhanced edition of the test based upon new thinking and research in strengths psychology)

I: Finding Your Strengths
(A 30-page overview of strengths psychology and how the Gallup system works)

II: Applying Your Strengths
(150 pages outlining each of the 34 themes including what people with that strength look like, how to manage them, and ideas for action if you have that strength).

The StrengthsFinder
(If you haven't taken it before, the code to take the test is provided in a packet inside the book. You actually have to buy the book to take the test)

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 is another book I really enjoyed that follows the SF 2.0 format. Obviously, that test measures emotional intelligence (EQ), but Emotional Intelligence 2.0 has a unique format where the test tells you which of the book's 66 strategies will increase your EQ the most.

Beware: You Only Get Your Top 5 Themes And Not All 34 In Order, March 24, 2008
The book is a quick read and very helpful in getting one to think about one's strengths and the potential complementary strengths to look for in others to offset one's weaker areas, if you work in a team environment. However, once I completed the online test and obtained the resultant reports, I was shocked to learn that I would only get the Top 5 Themes, and the other 29 remain a mystery. Upon contacting the company, I learned that for an additional $550.00 I could then obtain the other 29 themes, as well as their order of ranking. It is obvious to me that this book is being used as a sales "hook" to try to get you to spend more money with the company and may also be being used as a "beachhead" sales device to penetrate into potential corporate accounts. I was not surprised or enlightened at all by the results, as I have been through a number of these types of profiling and behavioral characteristics tests over the years. However, they were "somewhat" useful to reconfirm some of my prior findings as still being current as of today. I would recommend the book and online test if you have never been through something like this before. They are quick and very easy to use. Just be aware that the top 5 themes are only a glimpse of your total "being" and the other 29 are just as important to your knowledge about yourself. However, unless you are willing to cough up another $550.00, you may end up disappointed and still a bit "in-the-dark" about your overall strengths. Good luck.

Liked the info in the book...nice assessment...but..., January 4, 2009
...there should be a way to purchase additional assessments online without buying another copy of the book. My wife and I don't need two copies. Better yet...all of the information from the book could be better organized online for a fee. In an age where most people are trying to become more "green", I am surprised that the exclusive online format did not get more consideration from Gallup or the author...

It is also worth pointing out that the book is worthless on the secondary market and there is no use checking this type of book out of the library.

Should be called "Strengths Reminder", May 26, 2008
Strengths Finder 2.0 and the accompanying test on the website of the same name doesn't tell you anything about yourself that you probably don't already know. This is especially true if you've been out in the work world for more than 10 years and are looking for a new career; or are in any way introspective about your own feelings, i.e. whether you like or dislike certain tasks, people or processes at work. Save your money and take one of the free Myers-Briggs tests at humanmetrics or any other free MB website, then read everything you can about your MB type in the book "Do What You Are" by Tieger and Baron-Tieger. "Discover" also lists what other careers people with your type have. Way more helpful than Strengths Finder 2.0.

Took the test twice and only one talent remained the same!, October 23, 2009
The main concepts of the book can be summarized in 4 pages or gleaned from the reviews here, but what you are really paying for is a one time chance to take the online test to assess your strengths.

Unfortunately Gallup provides only your top 5 strengths without providing your actual score or an indication of how they measure relative to general population. Their claim is that telling you the score will distract you from the value of the strength and that only the top 5 strengths matter. I suspect the real reason is that they don't want to let anyone reverse engineer the test and find out how the scoring is done.

All this would still be fine by me if test scores were not important. But that is not the case. I took the test twice just to verify the publisher's premises that the results don't vary much based on your mood or from one test to another. As it turns out only one of the top 5 traits in the test existed in both results. The other 4 out of 5 were not shared. This makes the test of limited value.

To be fair, there was a common thread between the two sets of tests. For example in one test I was the "Futurist" who is concerned with "What if..." and "Wouldn't it be interesting if..." type of scenarios. In another test my strength was "Ideation" that is the ability to bring fresh ideas to the table. But this raises another key question, how reliable are the categories as whole if 4 out of the 5 strengths can be replaced with each other? This makes the strength categories defined here more like zodiac descriptions than real statistical clusters. At the very least then, Gallup should publish all your "strengths" that fall within some margin.

Given all of the above, you are probably more aware of your own strengths that Gallup can tell you. The test would be of more value if it provided your score for each of your strengths and how they measure relative to the full database.

DO NOT BUY USED!, July 18, 2008
I bought this book used and it is a waste of money. The book hinges on using the online evaluation test and then reading the book to analyze results. Buying the book second hand means you do not have access to the online account. In fact, inside the book it specifically says not to buy the book used.
The book descriptions do not make this clear. The seller posted anote saying the access code was used, but it is not clear that the book is useless without. I contacted the publisher about buying the online access code separately, their reply was "buy a new book." what a waste!

Why the book?, August 8, 2007
Really, the reason for this book is to get the access code to take the online StrengthsFinder assessment. The book doesn't give you much more information than what you get online, so it's clearly just a ploy to make more money. If they really wanted to give people more value with the book, they should include more occupational information, and more information about using your strengths throughout the lifespan. Or, how about a section for counselors to help them utilize the StrenghsFinder in the career counseling process?

Not recommended, June 23, 2008
Unless this is a corporate requirement, you shouldn't buy. The book is only valuable in obtaining code necessary to take on-line questionnaire. The on-line information is much more complete than anything in the book. A better solution would be for Gallup to offer on-line registration (they may already, but it is not apparent on the WEB site)

This Woo was not wowed!, March 8, 2007
Since Now Discover Your Strengths was very interesting and helpful, I've been very excited to read 2.0.

I was expecting 2.0 to be a new layer of the strength finder "onion" (aka more insight, more inforamtion, deeper understanding), but instead it is just the same onion is a slightly different format.

The ability to create a "customized version of your top five theme report" is really a print out of the same check lists found in the book. You can "customize" the check list by only including the predetermined action items that you want in the report.

The action items are similar, to the ones found in Now Discover Your Strenghts, so if you photo copied your Now Discover action items and crossed off the ones you don't like - Presto! Instant "customized version of your top five theme report."

My advice, if you've read Now Discover, you are covered. If you haven't, 2.0 is full of the same great information. ... Read more

Editorial Review

In today's world, yesterday's methods just don't work. In Getting Things Done, veteran coach and management consultant David Allen shares the breakthrough methods for stress-free performance that he has introduced to tens of thousands of people across the country. Allen's premise is simple: our productivity is directly proportional to our ability to relax. Only when our minds are clear and our thoughts are organized can we achieve effective productivity and unleash our creative potential. In Getting Things Done Allen shows how to:

€ Apply the "do it, delegate it, defer it, drop it" rule to get your in-box to empty
€ Reassess goals and stay focused in changing situations
€ Plan projects as well as get them unstuck
€ Overcome feelings of confusion, anxiety, and being overwhelmed
€ Feel fine about what you're not doing

From core principles to proven tricks, Getting Things Done can transform the way you work, showing you how to pick up the pace without wearing yourself down. ... Read more

Reviews

Best I've found.
OK, first I have to admit I picked up the book at a local Border's where I had a copy on reserve. Having said that... I think I've tried every 'system' for organizing yourself out there. In the 80's it was Day-Timer and Day-Runner. Good calenders and address books, but not much else. 90's was Covey, and Franklin planning. Now we have 'roles and goals' which helps with long term planning but both systems were very inflexible when it came to planning your day to day stuff. I can remember Covey wanting me to plan out my entire week in advance. Nice in theory, but nowhere near reality for those of us whose jobs tend to be more 'crisis-oriented'. I've also tried Agenda, Ecco, Outlook, etc. but its hard to lug around your PC or laptop all the time. About two years ago I came across David Allen's tape seminar and I have to say its the best system I've ever found for organizing 'all' of your life. I can't say it's changed my life (I still have the same job, wife and kids and I still procrastinate too much The book covers just about the same material that I learned in the tape series. The tapes have more anecdotes and 'real-life' examples in them, but the book has a few new pearls and tricks that tells me David's been refining and polishing this system since the tape series.

Two last quick points: first, it requires no special binders or refills. You could use a cheap spiral notebook if you want. Personally, I use a palmpilot, which works well. Second, (IMHO) the Weekly Review is the cornerstone of making this system work, and its worked for me for two years. Remember that; it'll make sense once you read the book :) Now if I could only get David to come up with a system for procrastination....

Flow from Angst to Action . . . and Relax!
This book is for all those who are overwhelmed with too many things to do, too little time to do them, and a general sense of unease that something important is being missed.

Everyone has experienced times when everything seemed effortless, and progress limitless. David Allen has captured ways for you to achieve that wonderful state of mind and consciousness more often.

His key concept is that every task, promise, or assignment has a place and a time. With everything in its proper place and time, you feel in control and replace the time spent on vague worrying with effective, timely action. As a result, the accomplishments grow while the pressure to accomplish decreases. As a result, the book contains many insights into "how to have more energy, be more relaxed, and get a lot more accomplished with much less effort."

The key psychological insight of this book is that rapid progress occurs when you take large, unformed tasks, and break them down and organize them into smaller, sequential steps for exactly what to do and when. The book provides lots of guidance and examples for how to do this.

The book is organized into three sections. The first gives you an overview of the whole process for how to get more done in a relaxed way. The second spells out the details of how to implement that process, in a way that a personal coach might use. The third provides subtle insights that help you appreciate the benefits that follow from using the process. Like all good coaches, Mr. Allen understands that appreciating a subject from several perspectives and getting lots of practice with it are critical steps in learning.

The process advocated by this book is described with lots of systems flow charts that will appeal to all of the engineers and left-brained people. The right-brained people will find lots of discussions about emotions, feelings, and stress. So both types of thinkers should do well with this material.

The essence of the process is that you write down a note about everything when you take on a new responsibility, make a new commitment, or have a useful thought. All of this ends up in some kind of "in" box. You then go through your "in" box and decide what needs to be done next for each item. For simple issues, this includes identifying the action you should take first and when to take it. For tougher issues, you schedule an appropriate time to work the problem in more detail. You organize the results of this thinking, and review your options for what you should be doing weekly. Then you take what you choose to do, and act. Think of this process as the following five steps: (1) collect (2) process (3) organize (4) decide (5) act.

For the tougher problems, you start with identifying your purpose and principles so you know why you care how it all turns out. Then you imagine the potential good outcomes that you would like. Following that, you brainstorm with others the best way to get those outcomes. Then you organize the best pathway. Finally, you identify the first actions you need to take. Then you act, as in step 5 above.

From this outline, I hope that you can see that this is not rocket science. It is simple common sense, but with discipline. The critical part is the discipline because that is what focuses your attention where it will do the most good. For example, rather than sitting on something you have no idea how to get started, you can decide right away to get ideas from others on what the purpose and principles are that should be used in selecting a solution. So, you are in motion, and you have saved much time and anxiety.

What I learned from this book is that many people allow a lot of time to pass without taking any useful steps because they cannot imagine what to do next. This process should usually overcome that problem by showing you what to work on, providing methods to accomplish that step in the process, and guiding you to places where you can get appropriate help. As a result, this book should help overcome the bureaucracy and communications stalls that bedevil most organizations.

This fits from my own experience in helping people solve problems. If you simplify the questions and make them into familiar ones, everyone soon finds powerful alternatives drawn from a lifetime of experiences and memories. Keep things broad, abstract, and vague, and peoples' eyes glaze over while they struggle for a place to begin.

After you have finished reading and applying this book, I suggest that you share your new learning with those you see around you who are the most stressed out. By helping them gain relaxed control of their activities, you will also be able to enjoy the benefits of their increased effectiveness in supporting your own efforts.

May you always get the tools you need, understand what to do next, and move swiftly through timely actions!

Time Tested Principals
I attended one of David's seminars in 1986. As a result, I was able to successfully manage 101 concurrent projects, finishing on time and under budget. Fast forward to 2001. I keep this book by my side at all times (David publish it in Ebook form so it's easier to carry!). The company I'm with now wonders how I get the "impossible" projects done. Using David's techniques in the book, it seems like I can complete a full work day in fewer hours because I know what all my "next actions" are, and do them promptly. Gives me a lot of worry free time.

This is a book you "DO" not just read. Be prepared to work when you start out, but when the initial work is done, that's when the fun begins.

I cleaned my inbox and email box of 300 items in less than 15 minutes, filtering out the junk, the things that needed immediate attention, and the "someday maybe" things (like buying my first Harley).

This works for my personal life too. No more missed anniversaries, birthdays, phone calls, errands, etc.

Do you ever think about work projects at home? Do you ever think about home projects when you're at the office? Ever worry about that phone call you need to make or that errand you need to run? Forget it! Get the book. It's awesome. Get the book - period. If you don't, you deserve your stress.

Make it Up and Get it Done
Is the methodology from Getting Things Done the silver bullet? Does David Allen's system really differ from other "time management" systems? I would say an unqualified yes based on my experience with the GTD process so far. In the one week since the book's been out I have made more progress with regard to collecting my stuff than previous attempts I have made in the past 6 years. I have actually started a filing system. More importantly, I am starting to deal with the "stuff" in my life faster and more efficiently. Just learning how to deal with "stuff" is a pretty big deal to me. My problem is that I have obsessive compulsive disorder, and it shows up in my life as compulsive hoarding. Couple the hoarding with attention deficit disorder and you have the ingredients for potentially disastrous living. In short, I have a damn difficult time staying on top of things and tend to struggle at times. David's method offers a practical yet elegant solution to staying on top of things. It starts with collecting the stuff, or as David calls it the "incomplete" and getting them out of your head into an external system that can be trusted. Then you process what's collected and then you organize it. Trust me, collecting and processing stuff is tough, really really tough for someone like. me. I am not used to making decisions on things that I collect. Now I am collecting the clutter and making decisions on it. More importantly, I am learning to let go of stuff I don't need and taking action on things I need to deal with. I have a long road to travel, but thanks to the common sense wisdom David Allen shares, I am on the road to a more sane way of living. ... Read more

Editorial Review

A revealing look at Wall Street, the financial media, and financial regulators by David Einhorn, the President of Greenlight Capital

Could 2008's credit crisis have been minimized or even avoided? In 2002, David Einhorn-one of the country's top investors-was asked at a charity investment conference to share his best investment advice. Short sell Allied Capital. At the time, Allied was a leader in the private financing industry. Einhorn claimed Allied was using questionable accounting practices to prop itself up. Sound familiar? At the time of the original version of Fooling Some of the People All of the Time: A Long Short Story the outcome of his advice was unknown. Now, the story is complete and we know Einhorn was right. In 2008, Einhorn advised the same conference to short sell Lehman Brothers. And had the market been more open to his warnings, yes, the market meltdown might have been avoided, or at least minimized.

• Details the gripping battle between Allied Capital and Einhorn's Greenlight Capital
• Illuminates how questionable company practices are maintained and, at times, even protected by Wall Street
• Describes the failings of investment banks, analysts, journalists, and government regulators
• Describes how many parts of the Allied Capital story were replayed in the debate over Lehman Brothers

Fooling Some of the People All of the Time is an important call for effective government regulation, free speech, and fair play. ... Read more

Reviews

An important work
It would suffice that this book is well-written, engaging and informative, but it is more than that. It is an important book, for two reasons. First, it shows how much of an investment edge it can be to employ deep research and critical thought. The fact that many other investors continued to be fooled by the company even after Einhorn published his analysis may seem frustrating to the reader, but as an investor I view that reaction as confirmatory that there will always be lots of ways for independent, meticulous thinkers to make money. Second, the book demonstrates how difficult and lonely it can be to engage in activist investing, especially from the short side. Consistent with the story in this book, I have almost invariably found that the more correct the activist's views are, the more likely s/he will be subjected to ad hominem attacks; and that, when presented with cogent evidence of a serious problem, government officials either do nothing or protect the malefactor. Indeed, the business news of the last nine months is replete with examples of this. I am unaware of another book on investing that captures this second element. It is all the more commendable that Einhorn can tell this incredibly frustrating tale calmly, resisting the temptation to engage in histrionics or self-righteousness.

Inside the Mind of an Exceptional Investor
Many well-respected money managers -- some of them with track records that spanned decades -- saw their reputations utterly destroyed in 2008. One manager who came through the carnage with reputation intact, and even enhanced, was David Einhorn (the author of this book). In addition to anticipating the fall of Lehman Brothers, Einhorn's fund, Greenlight Capital, significantly outperformed the S&P (though still ended up down on the year).

I am not an investor in Greenlight (Einhorn's fund), but I always enjoy reading their quarterly letters. They are consistently detailed, forthright and insightful, the way all investor communication should be.

I also give Einhorn respect (and admiration) for his 18th place finish in the 2006 World Series of Poker -- the $659,730 winings of which he donated to charity. The guy can clearly handle himself at a poker table.

The book itself was an interesting read on multiple levels. A friend of mine, who crunches spreadsheets in his sleep, made a friendly wager I wouldn't be able to get through the whole thing, as there is a great degree of detail (some would say mind-numbing detail) covering Allied Capital's various accounting irregularities.

I won the wager by devouring the book -- moreso out of hunger to absorb a highly trained investor's deeply analytical thought processes, than from a need to understand the particulars of Allied Capital or BDCs (business development companies).

The book sheds light on a number of excellent concepts above and beyond the Allied saga. The opening chapters, which describe the origins and philosophies and thought processes behind Greenlight Capital, are extremely informative.

The book as a whole, including all the Allied Capital detail, further offers a picture of what an exceptional investing mind looks like. If one were to try and reverse engineer the source of Einhorn's success (leaving out the irreducible good fortune component), four qualities would stand out:

- Exceptional analytical capability

- Exceptional creative ability

- Deep concentration ability

- Deep intestinal fortitude

To surpass "good" and make it to "great" as a trader or an investor, I would argue one needs all four traits. The presence of some but not all of these traits, I believe, accounts for the overwhelming tide of mediocre performance we see from Wall Street.

The typical investment banking path, for example, focuses heavily on the analytical side... while stomping the creative side into the dirt. The first few years of being an i-banker (if not one's entire career) are hallmarked by soul-crushingly repetitious activities that by and large replace spreadsheet gruntwork with any semblance of creative unconventional thought.

Worse still, the general institutional investment mindset runs directly counter to the "deep intestinal fortitude" idea -- in fact the whole of institutional investment culture seems expressly designed to browbeat the average manager into the mold of a gutless, benchmark-hugging coward, desperately afraid to deviate too far from the safety-approved track of his peers.

As if this were not enough, the mediocre types that hold the keys to most of the locks in the institutional investment world reinforce their plodding natures (and thus bolster their plodding dominance) with a "tried and true, proof in triplicate" way of thinking that drives the mavericks and creative thinkers mad (and out the door). At the end of the day, finding all four traits within a single individual becomes a rare thing indeed.

"Fooling" does have a touch of personal vendetta feel to it at times. The deep accounting detail can also be a bog in places, especially if one does not view keeping up with the myriad intricacies as an amusing challenge.

But the opening chapters alone are worth the price of admission... and if you want a gritty, true-to-life, wide-ranging gestalt feel for the combination of smarts and guts and tenacity it takes to successfully run a multi-billion-dollar hedge fund, "Fooling Some of the People All of the Time" delivers.

A great book and a must read for anyone interested in investing
I was lucky enough to get a hold of an advance copy of the book from Amazon. Couldn't put it down. Finished it and went out and bought one for everyone at our company. Then went and bought more over the weekend to hand out to folks. It is an absolutely terrific book, and thank you, David Einhorn, for writing it. I loved the first few chapters on Greenlight and was absolutely mesmerized by the rest. One of my colleagues has gotten about half way through and said he did not realize that folks could "not get it" when faced with compelling evidence. I told him to read on, and that his disbelief will get much worse. I think that it is a stunning example of the concept of cognitive dissonance (at best, and probably being very kind with that). Writing this book took a great deal of courage and I know I am a better investor for having read it.

A Scary Read. A Warning to America. An Excellent Book.
Ever wonder how the Internet bubble REALLY formed? How Enron got away with fraud for so long? Do you think that the truth always comes out eventually? And that the good guys win in the end?

Read this book and see how even the free American economy can't handle bad news about its companies. How companies are able to hide the truth from investors and how some on Wall Street and even the government end up helping them out.

This true story is Kafkaesque. The writing is easy to understand. And the ending is a wakeup call.

Riveting and Important
I received this book around lunchtime and read it cover to cover by the end of the afternoon. It was a riveting read - I found myself shocked at the lengths a company management would go to discredit detailed research that pointed to both corporate deception and a tolerance of a culture of fraud, but more than anything disgusted by the laziness of the investigators who could have put a stop to this behavior. I am hopeful this important book makes a difference in both corporate governance and government oversight.

One of the best investment books I've ever read, if not the best
Perhaps the only honest modern book on investments I have read. Also gives a limited insight into Einhorn's mind and way of thinking as an investor.

Einhorn masterfully tells the true tale of his battle against stock manipulation, corrupt and lax government, unscrupulous management, fee-hungry and conflict-laden investment banks, and careless and lazy long investors.

In the foreword, Greenblatt says something to the effect that he doesn't want his kids to read this book, because that will cause them to lose their innocence too soon. People should read this book for precisely that reason: to gain an appreciation for the sort of underhanded tactics that big business and the financial industry uses all of the time to part the little guys with their hard-earned money. And how the government often turns a blind eye (case in point Madoff, Stanford, Allied Capital, etc.)

Among the best investment books I've ever read
David Einhorn's new book about his long-running battle with Allied Capital is an amazing book. More than just an investing book, it's an investing novel, with good guys and bad guys and clueless, gullible and conflicted investors, regulators, Wall St. "analysts" and media. I stayed up all night to read it.

The review by George Anders in the Wall St. Journal recently missed the point. Anders focused on Einhorn, highlighting his tremendous track record and saying he's gutty, tenacious, patient and disciplined, but that's not the story! The real story is what Allied Capital has done and the utter failure of regulators, investors and the media to do anything about it. I don't see how it's possible to read this book and not come to the conclusion that this company has done -- and continues to do -- all sorts of terrible things, but rather than expressing an opinion on this, Anders makes it seem like a he-said-she-said tempest in a teapot and, reading between the lines, seems to be saying that because the stock hasn't plunged, that Einhorn's investment thesis has been proven wrong. It hasn't -- but it can sometimes take many years.

(Full disclosure: Funds I manage are short the stock of Allied Capital and I'm mentioned briefly in the book.) ... Read more

Editorial Review

From one of the world's most recognized experts on management comes a charming parable filled with insights designed to help readers manage change quickly and prevail in changing times. ... Read more

Reviews

Very Inappropriate and Pointless, August 27, 2003
I found this book to be yet another one of those books churned out by the machines of middle management, and handed down to the employee. Most of these books BECOME best sellers because they are sold in bulk to corporations for pennies on the dollar. Notice how this book has "companion" pieces of merchandise, like games, a web site, and training seminars? They are selling a complete product line to ineffective management, and look at the book as more of a large business card/advertisement.

This becomes evident when you read the stories and parables that surprise me that it took two authors to write only 96 pages. The writing is haphazard, poorly edited, unhelpful, sends mixed signals, and boils down to a rather insensitive "Things change, get used to it, change or you will die. Now keep moving." I would never give this to an employee, because that would be like giving an employee a stick of deodorant and wondering why they've stopped talking to you. This book does not care about the reader, and if I got it, I'd think, "Is my boss telling me to move on?" Comparing people to mice, and life's goals to cheese is patronizing to anyone with a sense of self-awareness. The motivational parables are generic, and seem out of place to the rest of the scare tactic this book is.

There are better motivational books out there that are written by experienced people who have good ideas that are helpful, not doom-obsessed. This book is more of a poke in the back with a sharp stick than a carrot on the end of s string, or a light at the end of the tunnel. In fact, this book might as well say, "You better not go to the light at the end of the tunnel, it could go away at any moment, and then where will you be?" Like another reviewer here said, "[the book] offers no answer other than you've got to go out and find more 'cheese" for yourself.'" Anyone who has reached the age of adulthood, and doesn't realize that change is inevitable will certainly never get the message from this book. And those that do know will only think this book is redundant and almost encouraging bitterness. I don't know what the point of this book really is, except as some sort of gloomy pap.

This book is already mostly used up, and will never be remembered like Zig Ziglar or Thomas Harris. Scout around, and find some older books, by successful people (like people who have actually succeeded in life that you have heard of), that have been around for a while. People still buy them for a reason.

Of Mice and Men, June 1, 2005
This book is an analogy of mice vs. men (simple and complicated) in a maze, about how many things such as over-analyzing, stubbornness, and fear can over-complicate simple things, making anything, even life, unnecessarily unbearable.

It is intended to help readers get the most out of anything situation, stay content, and increase their confidence levels. Contrary to the title, the book is neither clich� nor "cheesy." Few if any things stay the same forever, and the book emphasizes the importance of accepting change, and even capitalizing on it. In context, it includes many inspirational quotes such as, "What would I do, if I wasn't afraid?"

`The Story' itself is very short and to the point, and includes a section where the storyteller and his classmates reflect on how `The Story' can be applied to their lives. This provides many examples on how the overall wisdom can easily be applied to many situations in everyday life, from personal relationships, to running businesses. Read this story with an open mind and it just may improve the quality of your daily life, whatever it entails.

Worthless, June 29, 2004
The unbelievably large number of people who think this is a good book is very scary. I hope these people are not important decision makers. Everything bad that can be said about this book has been said before, so I'll just compile a "Best of" list for you. (By the way, in case you're wondering, "Dr." Johnson's degree is in education.)

Regarding management and corporate American in general
* This book is the cop-out for managers who believe in change for change's sake.
* It's corporate brainwashing of the kind that science fiction writers have been warning us about for decades.
* Never have I come closer to the mind crushing monotony and impersonality of corporate America than when I read this book.
* No, change is not a good thing when it happens on a regular basis. That means upper management can't make up their minds.
* If you are thinking about buying this book, I assume you are a manager of some type

Regarding the intellectual level of the book:
* I have never felt my intelligence more insulted than when reading this.
* It's patronizing, shallow, insipid, and still manages to be patently insulting to those employees who might actually be capable of analytical thought. That's quite a feat.
* Should appeal to intellectually challenged only.
* It is a sad comment on our culture, society, and educational system that so many people have found this inane drivel to be "life-changing".
* (...)BR>* (...).
* Distilling these important matters into the inane parable of mice in a maze is a literary device meant for grade school students.
* The book presents an excellent reading for absolute imbeciles or people high on drugs.

Regarding the message of the book:
* It teaches that you must not struggle, succumb to the will of the greater power of management, and accept change without regard to whether it is appropriate or not.
* Don't think, just go with the changes as we prescribe them. If you don't, you're inflexible or afraid of change.
* The ideas in this book could have been expressed in a paragraph and even then they would not have been worth the time to read them

The people who more productively decided to just make jokes about the stupidity that is this book said:
* As I was already familiar with the concept of reality and how to deal with it, the book was not particularly helpful.
* Your time would be better spent just taking a nap.
* Buy real cheese. Don't buy this sorry excuse for a book.
* I think people like it cause it can be read and finished while sitting on the toilet.
* Resistance is futile!
* Any manager who would try to force these ideas on their employees would be better off just spiking the coffee with anti-depressants.
* The South Park gang would find it too puerile.

If you were even mildly amused by anything in this review, then you are already infinitely better off than if you read the book. Now please vote "Yes" on my review (after all, I just saved you $14+). Thanks!

Worse Than Bad, It's Evil, August 15, 2000
Luckily enough, I didn't have to pay money for this book - I was forced to read it by my employer. The fact most people read this book after their co-workers are handed pink slips as part of a kinder, gentler corporate reduction in force should be indicative enough of the intent of this book. Don't be fooled by the wanna-be New Age slant - the majority of examples in this book are work-related. The "& in Your Life" in the title is there to attempt to hide the ridiculously pro-upper management viewpoint of the book.

Even if you can get over the 2nd grade reading level writing style, there's still the truly bad content to contend with. The author categorizes us all as either mice or "little people" in a maze who get bent out of shape if our "cheese" is moved. The moral of the story is that we should not get angry when our life bread is constantly moved and hidden from us by some invisible higher power (hmm, equating a higher power to large companies isn't too disconcerting now, is it?). Instead, we should not only embrace the fact we are being messed with, but also have FUN with it.

I am a reader of self-help books. Additionally, I deal with change for a living (it's in my title and everything). I can, without a doubt, tell you that the goal of this book is not to teach the reader change management techniques for work or personal life, but rather it teaches that we should all be good little soldiers. It is antithetical to what most self-help books and books that address coping with change try to teach their readers. If you are looking for one of those types of books, save your $10-20 and look elsewhere. However, if you are looking for a way to control your large, disgruntled workforce, then by all means purchase 100 copies and distribute immediately as required reading to your employees. Those who read between the extra-large lines will most likely begin to seek employment elsewhere (who needs such rabble-rousers, anyway) and the rest will be pressured into submission (you hope).

It's all about power, June 4, 2003
When you write a book on why those WITHOUT power should be accepting of any treatment by those WITH power, you're guaranteed to sell millions of copies of said book to those WITH power. It's little wonder that managers, CEOs, teachers, and pretty much anyone with authority over others praises this book. It gives them a moral blank cheque, and condemns anyone NOT in a position of power for even questioning, to say nothing of failing to conform.

If you want a crash course in what's wrong with humanity, read this book. The fact that there are people in this world who read and agree with it is horrific.

Very Disappointing, December 13, 2000
I'm not a regular reader of "self-help" books, but I bought this one because I had heard it described as "amazing", and, frankly, because it sounded sort of fun, all of these little people and mice running around having life experiences inside of a maze. Also, it was very short, so I figured that even if I didn't like it, I wouldn't be making too much of a commitment. Now that I've read it, I wish I had my money back and I wish I had my time back. It's not insightful, it's obvious. It's not clever, it's patronizing. And the "optional" section at the end, where everybody sits around discussing how to apply to their own lives the lessons learned is downright painful.

"And To Think, All Those Poor Trees Died In Vain", June 7, 2001
In the game show of life, "Who Moved My Cheese?" is Corporate America's final answer to the lovely parting gift. Spencer Johnson's book is the literary equivalent of giving an amputee victim a band-aid for his boo-boo.

Although a short book, a resourceful reader has 96 chances to slit his or her wrists by way of the vicious paper cut.

And now, for my top ten list of more appropriate book titles:

#10 "Don't Take It Personally, Thousands Of People Get Fired Everyday"

#9 "It's Never Easy Letting Valuable Employees Such As Yourself Go, Bill, I mean, Bob"

#8 "Cheer Up! Nobody Here Liked You Anyway"

#7 "Let Me Say Once Again, The Shareholders Really Appreciate This"

#6 "Hey, You Can Sleep In Now"

#5 "Think Of It This Way: You're Now In A Lower Tax Bracket"

#4 "It's Not Like You Lost Your Job...Okay, So You Lost Your Job"

#3 "Look On The Bright Side- You're Helping Someone Less Fortunate In A Third World Country"

#2 "At Least You've Still Got Your Health (Minus The Ulcer, Of Course)"

And my #1 title: "It Could Be Worse, It Could Be Me!"

One last thing, if for some reason you are the recipient of this book, don't line the bird cage with its pages (that would be redundant) and don't slit your wrists with them (you're better than that). Instead. use them for kindling or put them in a shredder and make confetti!

Show me the cheese., December 23, 1999
First of all, let me suggest that I read this book more than 20 years ago when it was called "Jonathan Livingston Seagull," by Richard Bach. Then I read it again five years later when it was called "Illusions," also by Richard Bach. The central theme here, as well as in Mr. Bach's books, is learning to let go of your fears and anxieties so you can do and accomplish the things in life that will truly make you happy. This is not a novel notion. Nor is the concept of change as an intimidating proposition, as anyone who has moved as a child or even entered a new school can attest to from an early age. To be fair, while "Who Moved My Cheese" is overly simplistic, it does impart a modicum of encouragement and inspiration. However, I believe the message has been expressed through far more interesting story lines, such as in Mr. Bach's parable-like novellas, which by the way, I recommend to anyone who found Mr. Johnson's effort compelling and rewarding. On a substantive level, I feel Mr. Johnson could have taken the story development quite a ways further and to a deeper, more intricate level, particularly for someone who fancies himself an authority in the field of professional development. Some might argue that its appeal is in its simplicity. That's fine if you take it at bare-bones face value. Others might contest that sugar-coated, child-like allegories are great material for second-grade book reports, but when senior-management types start passing such efforts off as holy gospel, I become circumspect. Furthermore, I fear countless workplaces overflowing with trite "cheeseisms." In fact, I'm sure it's just a matter of time before conventional-wisdom-spouting clones from all walks of business start retorting to reasonable issues raised at business meetings with the glib reply "move with the cheese," at which point these people should be gently slapped back to reality. I personally would have liked to have seen more obstacles and characters introduced to the story. Even Alice had more interesting encounters in Wonderland, and she negotiated all of them with poise and dignity in her effort to reach her goal. Perhaps instead of worrying about the business associate he left behind, our protagonist could have met new business associates in the maze, with the common cause of finding the new cheese. Better yet, maybe the littleperson who was in charge of Cheese Station C should have been axed for mismanagement. And then the new littleperson in charge could have assembled a task force to go out and hunt for new cheese. We littlepeople don't always have to go it alone. Obviously, I am complicating the story line. But I think a fable that resembles a business farce or a comedy of errors with a positive ending would be far more engaging. Just saying "change happens, be proactive rather than reactive" is old news. The least Johnson could have done was come up with more interesting "writings on the wall," most of which were insipid at best. Then you could walk away with actual tools in the form of little adages you can repeat to yourself when the need arises. However, there was one writing on the wall that I thought had an elegant poignancy about it which I believe was the most useful tidbit to be gleaned from the entire book. And that is "What would you do if you weren't afraid?" This is a thought one does not normally think to put to oneself in just that manner, unlike the vast majority of platitudes which infest this marginal read.

Lemmings, hurtling over the cliff's edge, August 30, 2000
This is the WORST business book I have ever read. The intent behind it is valid, but the content can be summed up in a few statements:

Change will happen

If you don't change, you will die (figuratively or literally)

Watch for signs of change, so you can be prepared to change, too

Change is good, and can lead to something better

There. Do you feel like paying me [good money] for that priceless knowledge?

This is a parable, which means they dressed up the real content by writing a goofy story about mice and little people, taking up more pages so they could justify the cost. Unfortunately, they could only drag the story out so far (how many times can you read, "and he kept walking and looking for more cheese"). The book was still only about 20 pages long, too short for a hardcover, so they added a second story to frame the parable itself. The second story is about a group at a reunion that talks about the book. Even THAT doesn't add enough pages to justify printing it in hardcover, so they increased the print size to roughly what you see in books for 3 year olds.

The author, publisher and whoever else was involved in this moneymaking scheme obviously recognized that many people would see through their efforts. Their solution? Put in a statement saying, in effect, "If you think this book isn't worthwhile, then you aren't a talented, cutting edge business person like all the other who read the book are."

Believe me, someone in your office (probably your boss) is waving this book around, exclaiming how wonderful it is and telling you to read it. ASK IF YOU CAN BORROW HIS COPY. Do not spend money on it yourself. You're going to have to read it, unfortunately, because the herd has spoken and you can't stray from the herd. I'll bet the person who started the rumor that this was a good book is getting royalties. It's the only explanation.

The one saving grace about this book is it's a quick read. I finished it in 23 minutes. At least you can soon move on to something more worthwhile.

Where are my sunglasses?, September 23, 2000
I cannot believe this book is number 1. After reading it, I needed to go find my sunglasses because I had just been struck by a blinding flash of the obvious. If you need an allegory about mice in a maze to lead you to clarity in life and work, this is the book for you. However, if you want to save yourself a few bucks, here is my summary: People have a comfort zone. Sometimes you have to leave that comfrot zone. Change is hard but change is good. Be adaptable.

We need Spencer Johnson to tell us this? With mice? The extended metaphor that we are all rats in a maze (which, people seem to identify with though by these reviews) gets old fast. If you need this book - go buy aesop's fables for some more deep revelations like the one in this book.

This is number 1? OMG. ... Read more

Editorial Review

America’s most sought-after executive coach shows how to climb the last few rungs of the ladder

The corporate world is filled with executives, men and women who have worked hard for years to reach the upper levels of management. They’re intelligent, skilled, and even charismatic. But only a handful of them will ever reach the pinnacle -- and as executive coach Marshall Goldsmith shows in this book, subtle nuances make all the difference. These are small "transactional flaws" performed by one person against another (as simple as not saying thank you enough), which lead to negative perceptions that can hold any executive back. Using Goldsmith’s straightforward, jargonfree advice, it’s amazingly easy behavior to change.

Executives who hire Goldsmith for one-on-one coaching pay $250,000 for the privilege. With this book, his help is available for 1/10,000th of the price. ... Read more

Reviews

Too Late for Me
I love Goldsmith's style of incorporating what seems to be a refreshing Buddhist philosophy into the high-stress business world. I am not at the level of most of his CEO clients, but I still found very important tips and pointers on how to deal my boss from my "lower rung" perspective. I recommend this book to all .. especially the audio book version. So nice to have the author tell you himself about his 20 step approach to moving up in the business world ... He is so straightforward and unpretentious ... and obviously is an extremely successful businessman himself ... He's big on emphasizing the "human" element into the business world. Great intergrity at work here. I think he is a wise man ... worth the investment! ... Read more

Editorial Review

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Reviews

Clairvoyance and occult powers
This book gives a great indepth overview of the occult. It starts by enlighting you to senses beyond the first five and presents two new ones Telepathy and Clairvoyance. These are split into subcatagories: Telepathic mind reading, psychometry, crystal-gazing. Clairvoyant aura-waves-vibrations, space and time, second-sight, astral-body traveling. Also explains psychic laws & principles, influence over others & at a distance, attraction, magnetic healing. Its about 300 pages, but is so compressed it seems like thousands. I highly recommend it.

One of the best of its kind!
I read and studied this book many years ago. I am glad to see it back in print! I used to give it out as a present to people interested in the occult. ... Read more

Editorial Review

"The only way to get what you're worth is to stand out, to exert emotional labor, to be seen as indispensable, and to produce interactions that organizations and people care deeply about."

In bestsellers such as Purple Cow and Tribes, Seth Godin taught readers how to make remarkable products and spread powerful ideas. But this book is different. It's about you - your choices, your future, and your potential to make a huge difference in whatever field you choose.

There used to be two teams in every workplace: management and labor. Now there's a third team, the linchpins. These people invent, lead (regardless of title), connect others, make things happen, and create order out of chaos. They figure out what to do when there's no rule book. They delight and challenge their customers and peers. They love their work, pour their best selves into it, and turn each day into a kind of art.

Linchpins are the essential building blocks of great organizations. Like the small piece of hardware that keeps a wheel from falling off its axle, they may not be famous but they're indispensable. And in today's world, they get the best jobs and the most freedom.

Have you ever found a shortcut that others missed? Seen a new way to resolve a conflict? Made a connection with someone others couldn't reach? Even once? Then you have what it takes to become indispensable, by overcoming the resistance that holds people back. Linchpin will show you how to join the likes of...

*Keith Johnson, who scours flea markets across the country to fill Anthropologie stores with unique pieces.
*Marissa Mayer, who keeps Google focused on the things that really matter.
*Jason Zimdars, a graphic designer who got his dream job at 37signals without a r�sum�.
*David, who works at Dean and Deluca coffeeshop in New York. He sees every customer interaction as a chance to give a gift and is cherished in return.

As Godin writes, "Every day I meet people who have so much to give but have been bullied enough or frightened enough to hold it back. It's time to stop complying with the system and draw your own map. You have brilliance in you, your contribution is essential, and the art you create is precious. Only you can do it, and you must." ... Read more

Reviews

Seth Godin's Linchpin WILL Stay With You
While reading Linchpin I looked around a few times to see if author Seth Godin was perhaps peering through my living room window to see my reaction. It really felt like he was talking to me, singling me out. How could he know how I rationalize things?

"There are no longer any great jobs where someone else tells you precisely what to do."

Linchpin is a most unusual, well-organized, concise book about what it takes to become indispensable in the workplace - whether you work for someone else (at any level) or are self-employed. It's about how business has rapidly changed and how treating employees like factory workers (or doing your job like one) doesn't work any longer. We must make choices and take action to "chart our own paths" and add value that others do not. We cannot wait for a boss or a job description to tell us what to do, rather we must just take the initiative ourselves. Only then can we become indispensable "linchpins," rather than replaceable "cogs." There are so many fantastic quotes in the book too.

"You don't become indispensable merely because you are different. But the only way to become indispensable is to be different. That's because if you're the same, so are plenty of other people."

The 14 chapters in this book are each broken down into short segments with great headlines that summarize them. Godin uses special vocabulary words to describe the many factors that go into becoming a linchpin. These words have unique meanings in the context in which they are used. You'll learn interpretations for terms such as art, thrashing, gifts, resistance, pranja, ship, lizard brain, shenpa, emotional labor and others.

"Art is unique, new and challenging to the status quo. It's not decoration. It's something that causes change. Art cannot be merely commerce. It must also be a gift."

You'll never be bewildered or bored while reading Linchpin. It will awaken a part of your brain that you may have never used before. It will make you take a deep look inside your thoughts, patterns and habits and oblige you to realize there are things you can change right now to become more of a success, a true "artist." In fact, you may find yourself sliding down in your chair a bit while reading, like I did. But that's okay; it's part of the learning process.

"If all you can do is the task and you're not in a league of your own at doing the task, you're not indispensable."

This is particularly true in the chapter on page 101 entitled The Resistance. Just this chapter alone is worth the price of the book. You've got to read it twice to really capture all it offers. Here you'll be faced with all the reasons why you're currently not as indispensable as you could be - as you should be. Have you ever delayed a project and not delivered (Seth calls this shipping) on deadline just because you were trying to achieve perfection? That's resistance. It is the "lizard brain" way-of-thinking that causes us to resist. Do you find yourself doing a lot of busy work (obsessive email checking, Tweeting, etc.) rather than taking action that really adds value? That's resistance too.

"The lizard brain is the reason you're afraid, the reason you don't ship when you can. The lizard brain is the source of the resistance."

Godin will educate you on what it truly means to be a valuable gift giver. He'll tell you that there's no map in existence to help you become an indispensable artist. He'll tell you that you have a choice to either "Fit in or stand out. Not both." He'll even tell you that there are times when your art will not work, and for whatever reason, you may not be able to get paid for your particular talent.

"Maybe you can't make money doing what you love (at least what you love right now) But I bet you can figure out what you can do to make money (if you choose wisely)."

"There is no map. No map to be a leader, no map to be an artist. I've read hundreds of books about art (in all its forms) and how to do it, and not one has a clue about the map, because there isn't one."

The only thing Seth Godin left out of his well-researched Linchpin book is that his principles can be applied not only to business but also to other aspects of a person's life. Linchpins can be better spouses, friends and community members at large. They can be truly indispensable in many ways.

"Nothing about becoming indispensable is easy. If it's easy, it's already been done and it's no longer valuable."

Ever read a business or marketing book that is interesting while you're reading it, but two days after you have finished it, you cannot really remember the gist of what you read? Linchpin is not one of those books. This one will stay with you. There is nothing else like it; it can change your future. That is, if you set your lizard brain aside and replace it with the true linchpin artist in you.

Godin's most important book...thus far

Others have their own reasons for praising this book. Here are five of mine. First, this is by far Godin's most personal book in which he reveals more of his emotions and "soul" (for lack of a better term) than he has in any of his previous books. Also, from the beginning, he establishes a direct and personal rapport with his reader. I felt that he had written this book specifically for me. Although he and I have never met, I felt as if he were speaking to me and discussing ideas with me as if we were engaged in a face-to-face conversation.

Moreover, unlike in most of his previous books, Godin does not climb up into a pulpit and launch a tirade, engaging his audience with a confrontational tone and Old Testament vehemence. He obviously cares deeply about the thoughts and feelings he shares but is at all times respectful of his reader. He repeatedly explains that everyone has several choices and urges his reader to make those only choices that are in her or his long-term best interest.

In addition, meanwhile, Godin creates a multi-dimensional context, a frame-of-reference, in which to anchor his insights and recommendations throughout the narrative. He skillfully uses what I describe as a bi-polar strategy: passively but alertly observing what is happening (and not happening) in order to recognize and understand the ever-changing realities of the world that we share and then actively challenging whatever demeans and diminishes anyone's dignity. Finally, Godin utilizes the manifesto genre as a means by which to celebrate humanity at its best, not as an ideal beyond human fulfillment but as an attainable destination if (HUGE "if") vision, faith, courage, integrity, and commitment are sufficient to the formidable challenges that await each pilgrim.

Near the downtown area here in Dallas, we have a Farmers Market at which some merchants offer complimentary slices of fresh fruit as samples. In that spirit, I now provide three brief excerpts from Godin's book.

On becoming indispensable to customers: "Here's the win (actually, there are two).

"If you want customers to flock to you, it's tempting to race to the bottom of the price chart. There's not a lot of room for profit there, though...In a world that relentlessly races to the bottom, you lose if you also race to the bottom. The only way to win is to race to the top. When your organization becomes more human, more remarkable, faster on its feet, and more likely to connect directly with customers, it becomes indispensable....

"Second, the people that work for you, the ones you freed to be artists [i.e. creators of unique, compelling, and substantial value], will rise to a level you can't even imagine. When people realize that they are not a cog in a machine, an easily replaceable commodity, they take the challenge and grow. They produce more than you pay them to, because you are paying them with something worth more than money....

"As a result of these priceless gifts, expect that the linchpins on your staff won't abuse their power. In fact, they'll work harder, stay longer, and produce more than you pay them to. Because everyone is a person, and people crave connection and respect." (Pages 35-36)

On r�sum�s: "If you don't have a r�sum�, what do you have? How about three extraordinary letters of recommendation from people the employer knows or respects? Or a sophisticated project an employer can see or touch? Or a reputation that precedes you? Or a blog that is so compelling and insightful that they have no choice but to follow up? Some say, `Well, that's fine, but I don't have those.' Yeah, that's my point. If you don't have these things, what leads you to believe that you are remarkable, amazing, or just plain spectacular? It sounds to me like if you don't have more than a r�sum�, you've been brainwashed into compliance. Great jobs, world-class jobs, jobs people kill for - those jobs don't get filled by people e-mailing in r�sum�s." (Page 73)

On the power of being genuine and transparent: "Virtually all of us make our living engaging directly with other people. When the interactions are genuine and transparent, they usually work. When they are artificial or manipulative, they fail.

"The linchin is coming from a posture of generosity; she's there to give a gift [no-strings support of your efforts to succeed]. If that's your intent, the words almost don't matter. What we'll perceive are your wishes, not the script.

"This is why telemarketing has such a ridiculously low conversion rate. Why corporate blogs are so lame. Why frontline workers in the service business have such stress. We can sense it when you read the script because we're so good at finding the honest signals." (Page 214)

For various reasons previously indicated, I hold this book in very high regard and conclude my review of it with one more observation: The person whom Godin characterizes as "indispensable" is defined by what is indispensable to that person. It could well be, for example, a sincere desire to be of service to others. Or it could well be a sincere desire to offer unconditional "gifts" of trust, faith, respect, and candor. Those whom Godin characterizes as "artists" possess the vision, faith, courage, integrity, and commitment needed to create -- in collaboration with others -- a "post-commercial world that feeds us, enriches us, and gives us the stability we've been seeking for so long." That said, it would be a serious mistake to underestimate or ignore the importance of self-interests. Those who create the world to which Godin refers also feed and enrich themselves as well as those whom they serve and with whom they share a community of faith. Only then can they obtain for themselves as well as others the stability they have been seeking for so long. That should be our vision and Godin challenges us to fulfill it.

Seth Godin, I Hate* You
I read Purple Cow but I got that for for free so I gave it the weight of, well, something that I got for free. I missed The Dip and it's too late to turn back. With Tribes I started to understand and his perspective was clearer to me and attractive but I soon enough was overwhelmed by the voices more pressing than mine in The Tribe.
In Linchpin, I found a character study of stunning accuracy and thoroughness. This book breaks down every barrier we've built between ourselves and our greatness. It's done in a very kind and gentle way but it's firm in point and purpose.
From my own experience reading this book (twice now) it has left my resistance no quarter (and that's why I hate* Seth Godin).
I have decided (finally) to accept that Seth knows what he's talking about. The book's premise is well supported and explained in an easy to understand way and really leaves no room for dispute as he systematically goes through every excuse we throw at ourselves for keeping us mired in mediocrity.
I'm sure that once I break through and act on what I've learned in Linchpin, and use the clear process of playing nice with my resistance, I will no longer hate Seth Godin. After all, a year from now when I have started to see the benefits of shipping (read the book, you'll see) I will owe no small part of that success to Seth and Linchpin.
This is my first review of any book (and I read a lot). I cannot express how really, very cool it would be if a whole bunch of people bought this book, read it and then demonstrated their genius. Do yourself, your loved ones and the rest of us a favor and buy this book and read it (at least twice).

*Okay, I mean "hate" in the "hostility deriving from fear" sort of way. I probably could have gone easier on him but I really wanted you to read this review and I'm guessing that if I titled the review "You should read this book" or "Seth Godin I'm Mad at You" you wouldn't be reading this right now (which you're may be thinking "that's not a bad thing") but really, get the book and prepare for the hate. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Mojo is the moment when we do something that's purposeful, powerful, and positive and the rest of the world recognizes it. This book is about that moment--and how we can create it in our lives, maintain it, and recapture it when we need it.

In his follow-up to the New York Times bestseller What Got You Here Won't Get You There, #1 executive coach Marshall Goldsmith shares the ways in which to get--and keep--our Mojo. Our professional and personal Mojo is impacted by four key factors: identity (who do you think you are?), achievement (what have you done lately?), reputation (who do other people think you are--and what have you've done lately?), and acceptance (what can you change--and when do you need to just "let it go"?). Goldsmith outlines the positive actions leaders must take, with their teams or themselves, to initiate winning streaks and keep them coming.

Mojo is: that positive spirit--towards what we are doing--now--that starts from the inside--and radiates to the outside.Mojo is at its peak when we are experiencing both happiness and meaning in what we are doing and communicating this experience to the world around us.The Mojo Toolkit provides fourteen practical tools to help you achieve both happiness and meaning--not only in business, but in life.

Praise for MOJO

"Mojo moves us to define who we are in a new and illuminating way!Mojo is a guidebook for the leaders of the future.Thank you, Marshall!"
-- Frances Hesselbein, Distinguished Chair of Leadership, U.S. Military Academy, West Point; winner, U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom; former CEO, Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.

"Marshall's Mojo provides wonderful perspectives and tools for each of us--to integrate and focus our lives--to contribute--and to serve.Thank you!"
-- Alan Mulally, CEO, Ford; winner, Leader of the Future Award, Leader-to-Leader Institute

"A mantra for self-realization and self-actualization.I regard the concept of Mojo as a milestone in our quest for meaning and evolution--and a beacon in our journey to our inner world."
-- GM Rao, CEO, GMR; and Entrepreneur of the Year (India)

"Another thought-provoking, practical, and insightful book by Marshall.I love the simplicity and wisdom in dealing with human behavior in business and, more importantly, in our personal lives."
-- Eduardo Castro-Wright, Vice Chairman, Walmart Stores, Inc., the world's largest retailer

"Those of us who have been lucky enough to spend time in a classroomwith Marshall Goldsmith know what a positive influence his teaching canhave. In Mojo, Marshall shares his scholarship more broadly and teachesus all how to turn inertia in our professional or personal lives into meaningand happiness. There is no more important lesson in business or inlife!"
-- Tom Glocer, CEO, Thomson Reuters

"As soon as I started reading this book, I felt my Mojo rising. The next best thing to being coached by Marshall is reading his books. His writing always gets me revved up and focused on getting the most meaning and happiness out of my day. This book can elevate any reader's game."
-- Mark Tercek, CEO, Nature Conservancy; former Managing Partner, Goldman Sachs

"Marshall Goldsmith is one of a kind: a unique and brilliant combination of getting inside our minds about those problems which keep us awake at night-- and not only clarifying, but actually solving them! Lively and engaging. A damn good read, which every leader will not only enjoy, but profit from."
-- Warren Bennis, bestselling author, Distinguished Professor atUSC, and world authority on leadership

"Marshall's books are very much like Marshall-- insightful, direct, focused, wise, clear, somewhat provocative, positive, lively, and energetic. For those who have not worked with Marshall and experienced these qualities, his latest book, Mojo, is a great substitute. Mojo is like him-- a little crazy, yet very helpful!"
-- Jonathan Klein, CEO, Getty Images; American Photo's"Most Important Person in Photography"

"Marshall has a gift for identifying the essential ingredients of success-- for individuals and organizations. The insights in Mojo are certain to help people at all stages of their career tap their full potential and live more fulfilling lives. Another great book, Marshall!"
-- John Hammergren, CEO, McKesson Corporation;winner, Warren Bennis Award for Leadership

"Mojo is elusive, hard to define, at least as old as homo sapiens . . . and worth its weight in gold. This thoughtful and thought-provoking book should be read by anyone who has tasted Mojo and wants more."
-- Kevin Kelly, CEO, Heidrick and Struggles,global search and advisory firm

"Marshall helps leaders, aspiring leaders, and anyone who wants to enrich their personal and professional lives focus on actions that provide both meaning and happiness. Mojo is a great reminder that we're most likely to enjoy success in our careers and lives when we regularly take the time to be honest with ourselves."
-- Chris Kubasik, President, Lockheed Martin;Chairman, Sandia Corporation

"Marshall provides an array of case studies where he combines business challenges around navigating in the `new normal' with real tools-- tools for yourself and tools for you to help others that you care about. Thanks to Marshall for providing another wonderful read, with both short term and longer term ideas for personal growth."
-- Teresa Ressel, CEO, UBS Securities LLC;former Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Treasury

"Marshall clearly articulates the payoff -- for your company, your family, your community, and yourself-- of having more meaning and happiness in your life. And he provides a compelling and clear road map for getting you there."

--Greg Brown, President and CEO, Motorola

"One more great book by Marshall! With his typical depth, simplicity, and clarity, he helps me understand, accept, and improve my Mojo with lasting positive impact!"
-- Fabrizio Parini, CEO, Lindt (Italy); former CEO,Ghirardelli Chocolate

"Marshall Goldsmith is tops at the hardest part of the alphabet-- ABC, adult behavior change. We give him high marks!"
-- Charles Butt, CEO, H-E- B,one of America's 20 largest private companies

"Marshall is a master at helping people gain self awareness. Mojo provides great food for the soul. Reading this book makes me feel like I am listening to Marshall!"
-- Liz Smith, CEO, OSI Restaurant Partners,a world leader in casual dining

"Again, Marshall has his finger on the pulse of the worker and the workplace. This clear, insightful, and wise book helps employees find their Mojo. It helps them move beyond commitment and find ways to truly contribute in their professional and personal lives. The greatest power in the workplace is the workforce and Marshall has figured out how to unlock that potential."
-- David Ulrich, professor, University of Michigan;co-author of The Why of Work

"Emerson once wrote, `What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us." Mojo focuses on that which lies within us, what we do with it, and how others perceive it resonating from us. A wonderful read!"
-- Alan Hassenfeld, former Chairman,Executive Committee, Hasbro

"Looking for that special sauce that produces extraordinary success? Mojo is it. Once again, Marshall's wisdom and generosity light up the pages."
-- Keith Ferrazzi, bestselling author of Never Eat Aloneand Who's Got Your Back

"Marshall provides sound, practical advice and illustrates it through real world examples. He provides a road map to increasing your personal happiness and outlines steps to get back into the groove. A great plane read!"
-- George Borst, President and CEO, Toyota Financial Services

"A great strategy book for life! Innovative ideas to help you find happiness and meaning."
-- Vijay Govindarajan, professor, Tuck School of Business;Chief Innovation Consultant, GE; world authority on strategy

"Mojo is a rich collection of insights into the human experience and practical techniques for improving the quality of our lives. Marshall's a master teacher and communicator, and his self- disclosing stories and style make this a delightful as well as powerful read. It's a superb primer for getting along in uncertain times, with much more fun and meaning along the way."
-- David Allen, bestselling author ofGetting Things Done and Making It All Work

"Put your Mojo in gear! Marshall again inspires us to knock down the obstacles, overcome the barriers, and take charge of ourselves."
-- Joe Scarlett, CEO (retired), Tractor Supply Company;founder, Scarlett Leadership Institute

"Marshall Goldsmith does it again! A must- read book! Strikes a deep chord in each of us-- about what really matters in our lives and work. At no time in history have more people and organizations needed to get their Mojo back. This book tells you how!"
-- Mark Thompson, bestselling author of Success Built to Last;Forbes magazine's Venture Investor with the Midas Touch

"We all want to get our Mojo working. Marshall Goldsmith helps us to understand what our mojo is and how to get it working . . . to our advantage and for our self- worth."
--Jim Lawrence, CFO, Unilever

"Marshall Goldsmith is a master at making us think more deeply about ourselves and the world we work in. Mojo is a grabber-- uniquely provocative-- and moves the reader to act. Quite a gift!"
-- Jon Katzenbach, bestselling author of The Wisdom of Teams;Senior Partner, Booz & Company

Reviews

The secrets of increasing your potential and effectiveness..., February 2, 2010
Years ago a consultant I respect said "one of the most important things I have learned in dealing with clients is not finding the right answer but finding a way to communicate the right answer so they accept it"

I have not met Marshall Goldsmith personally but I presume he excels at this type of verbal communication because he has the rare quality to do this with the written word. This is why there is little doubt this book will be a best seller like his earlier book "What Got You Here Won't Get You There."

Here are just 10 excerpts from Mojo that resonated with me.

1. "The good news is that nearly all of the challenges we'll deal with here have simple--although not easy--solutions (there is a difference between simple and easy)." Goldsmith provides these tools in the latter sections of the book.

2. "...but sometimes no matter how positive we feel about what we are doing, we fail at showing it on the outside. We are so focused on completing our task that we assume people can read our hearts and minds. We think our good intentions should be obvious. They can't possibly be misconstrued."

3. "...the Mojo Paradox...Our default response in life is to not experience happiness. Our default response in life is to not experience meaning. Our default response in life is to experience inertia...our most common everyday process-the thing we do more than anything else-is to continue doing what we are already doing."

4. "Very few people achieve positive lasting change without ongoing follow-up."

5. "As you go through your day...evaluate every activity on a 1 to 10 scale...on two simple questions. 1. How much long-term benefit or meaning did I experience from this activity? 2. How much short-term satisfaction or happiness did I experience from this activity?"

6. "One of the greatest obstacles to changing our Mojo is here-in the paralysis we create with the self limiting definitions of who we are."

7. "...we confuse our need to consider ourselves to be smart with our need to be considered effective by the world...One of the most pernicious impulses of successful people is our overwhelming need to prove how smart we are...I say its pernicious because the need to be "the smartest person in the room" often leads to some incredibly stupid behavior."

8. "A company named DDI did some fascinating research that showed the average American spends 15 hours a month criticizing or complaining about their boss."

9. "These four "losing" arguments all have the same results...only lower our Mojo... 1. Let me keep talking... 2. I had it rougher than you... 3. Why did you do that... 4. It's not fair."

10. "If I could write a headline that sums up the last ten years of the American (and other rich country's) workplace-and the next thirty years as well-it would be this: "That Job is Gone!" That's the cold water I'd throw in the face of every man or woman who thinks his or her future can be understood by looking nostalgically to the past."

Goldsmith is a master at integrating and emphasizing his points with stories. He unequivocally states in Chapter 16 "This is a self help book."

I have learned the cost of a self help book is not the price you pay...that cost is simply out of pocket costs. The time you invest in reading and applying what is inside is the real price and this book is well worth your time and effort.

Dr. James T. Brown, PMP PE CSP
Author - The Handbook of Program Management

Succeeding in a NOJO World, February 6, 2010
I was blessed to see Marshall Goldsmith speak in person this week in New York City. After hearing his remarks I couldn't help but dive into his latest book. He has struck gold again. Marshall has pulled together new research (done with his daughter) and all his 30 years of experience in coaching others to give us practical tips on how to succeed (defined as finding meaning and happiness both at work and at home). He blows away some of the age old myths (like the number of hours you work impacts your satisfaction) and replaces them with new inspiring beliefs ('Doing what matters has more impact on your happiness than pursuing stimulating activities'). He also provides specific insights into how you can effect sustained change in your life (which few people are able to do over time)- and thereby thrive (keep your MOJO) in a NOJO ('no joy') world. It is a must read for anyone striving to become better (and happier) in their life.

Founder/CEO: Career Systems International, February 15, 2010
I have always known when my own mojo was up and when it was down. I never stopped, however, to define it, understand it or know how to modify it in a proactive way Marshall takes that very hard-to-define word and gives it a very specific meaning. He provides his readers with numerous ways to assess themselves. Each of these methods unpeels another mojo layer and provides action steps for the user. His questionnaires are well thought through and practical. They cause the reader to do some very important soul searching.

Marshall gives us all a gift. I can't imagine anyone coming away from this book without leaving markers on many "return to" pages and making some (even small) commitment to change.

Beverly Kaye

Mojo Is Masterful!, February 2, 2010
This book is amazing. With all the crises, problems, and catastrophic events going on in the world today--who in the business and leadership world takes even a minute to breathe? No one. It's a sad state of affairs when we're all running so fast that we can't even take the time to consider where we might find meaning and happiness. You only live once, and Marshall Goldsmith shows us how to make this life count. This is a wonderful book not just for business people and leaders, but for human beings who are trying to make their lives mean something and who want to be happy. If you don't want to find meaning and happiness, don't buy this book. Thank you Marshall Goldsmith for this wonderful book!

Mojo is on Time and on Target, February 17, 2010
In my executive coaching and consulting work, I sometimes meet people who have their "mojo" compromised or significantly diminished. Lack of or no "mojo" is becoming a huge problem in our difficult economy. Marshall Goldsmith has his finger on the pulse of what really matters in business and in life in his latest book Mojo. This is a must read for anyone who feels their positive spirit is leaving them. Because Mojo is about happiness and fulfillment in life, it's also a must read for anyone who dreams about what their life could be. I highly recommend it!

Mary Key, Ph.D.
Author of CEO Road Rules: Right Focus, Right People, Right Execution

Get Your MOJO, March 2, 2010
At times I felt like Marshall was writing me, specifically. His wording, scenarios, and possibilities continued to lure me to read more. I would challenge any parent to sift through the sage advice Marshall offers for your teenagers. This is not just business, this is life. EXCELLENT WORK MARSHALL!

In his latest book, MOJO: How To Get It, How To Keep It, How To Get It Back If You Lose It, Marshall Goldsmith, along with co-a, February 10, 2010
In his latest book, MOJO: How To Get It, How To Keep It, How To Get It Back If You Lose It, Marshall Goldsmith, along with co-author Mark Reiter, has hit another home run. Following on the heels of his blockbuster book What Got You Here, Won't Get You There, he gives us MOJO that dishes up another heaping serving of vintage Goldsmith: Smart, straightforward, and significant stuff for success. Simply put, Marshall, ably filling the shoes of the late Peter Drucker, describes ultimate life goals--Happiness and Meaning--and shows us how MOJO can get us there. Marshall describes this MOJO as "that positive spirit toward what we are doing now that starts from the inside and radiates to the outside." And if you've ever had the opportunity to see Marshall teach, you'll see MOJO in action. This book contains loads of easy-to-read examples, heartfelt stories, original research, and plain old hard-won experience and wisdom. It's the kind of book you want to give to your friends, coworkers and especially to your family members and say: "Here, don't take my word for it (the importance of happiness and meaning in life), read Marshall Goldsmith's newest book!

The Most Important One So Far, February 9, 2010
This is the best, most fully-realized book Marshall Goldsmith has written so far.

I have always appreciated his work and writing as offering excellent tips and insights for the individuals I work with in my coaching practice. He's been the quirky, bemused, brilliant outsider who is able to shift the focus an perspective of those under his "care," - his own clients, we readers, and those around him.

This book is broader, and, frankly, deeper. He focuses on the essential inner drivers that create the outward behaviors. He asks, "Why are successful people successful?" as he always does, but this time, it's in-side out vs. outside-in - that is, how do our values lead our behaviors, our charisma, our power, success, our "juice," our "Mojo." He doesn't judge those values; he notes our need for them as a fact, then offers significant guidance and structure about how to stay connected with them.

And he adds to his normal role of objective observer. It reads like his own journey, as an extremely successful coach, teacher, speaker, author and guide. Marshall is more "in" this book than in other books, and so somehow it felt more real than simply another book of tips. You want to get, or get back Mojo, win the game, fly high and be successful, read this book, and follow its advice. You want to live an awesome life, be happy, purposeful, charismatic and committed....same advice.

Keep, Maintain, Regain your MOJO, February 12, 2010
Another great book by Marshall Goldsmith. The timing of this book could not be much better. Finding meaning and happiness is more difficult during the challenging times. Marshall provides practical tools to help the reader achieve both. MOJO is a book you will really enjoy to read and, more importantly, will refer back to over and over again to get, keep - and at times - regain your MOJO.

Create More Happiness, July 29, 2010
Some call it a hot streak, others, momentum, flow or good karma. Marshall Goldsmith, one of America's top executive coaches calls it mojo, and he has written this book to define it, explore the components of it and help us see why we want it, and how to get it.

In an early chapter in the book Goldsmith shares what he calls the Mojo Paradox. It is:

Our default response in life is not to experience happiness. Our default response in life is not to experience meaning. Our default experience in life is to experience inertia.

From this paradox, he moves forward to help us get past that inertia in thoughtful, conscious ways so we can create more happiness, more meaning and more mojo.

The book then explains the four building blocks of Mojo and how to use them in your life. Those blocks are:

Identity
Achievement
Reputation
Acceptance

Often in this space I will recommend books that have a focus more applicable to some people, based on their professional interests. This is not one of those books. If you are interested in having more happiness and a more meaningful life, this book will help you think about that and give you specific ideas about how to make that happen. And it all comes from one of the best executive coaches on the planet. That makes the few dollars spent a darn good investment!

I've read this on my Kindle (Amazon link to Kindle with my with affiliate code) and wish I hadn't - not because I didn't want to read it, but because this is one of those books I would have taken a few notes in the margins and highlighted some sections. This book challenged me to think and reflect and will help me both professionally and personally to get - and keep - my mojo.

It is hard to beat that!
... Read more

Editorial Review

Unfortunately, most of us have little sense of our talents and strengths, much less the ability to build our lives around them. Instead, guided by our parents, by our teachers, by our managers, and by psychology's fascination with pathology, we become experts in our weaknesses and spend our lives trying to repair these flaws, while our strengths lie dormant and neglected.

Marcus Buckingham, coauthor of the national bestseller First, Break All the Rules, and Donald O. Clifton, Chair of the Gallup International Research & Education Center, have created a revolutionary program to help readers identify their talents, build them into strengths, and enjoy consistent, near-perfect performance. At the heart of the book is the Internet-based StrengthsFinder� Profile, the product of a 25-year, multimillion-dollar effort to identify the most prevalent human strengths. The program introduces 34 dominant "themes" with thousands of possible combinations, and reveals how they can best be translated into personal and career success. In developing this program, Gallup has conducted psychological profiles with more than two million individuals to help readers learn how to focus and perfect these themes.

So how does it work? This book contains a unique identification number that allows you access to the StrengthsFinder Profile on the Internet. This Web-based interview analyzes your instinctive reactions and immediately presents you with your five most powerful signature themes. Once you know which of the 34 themes -- such as Achiever, Activator, Empathy, Futuristic, or Strategic -- you lead with, the book will show you how to leverage them for powerful results at three levels: for your own development, for your success as a manager, and for the success of your organization.

With accessible and profound insights on how to turn talents into strengths, and with the immediate on-line feedback of StrengthsFinder at its core, Now, Discover Your Strengths is one of the most groundbreaking and useful business books ever written.

Please note that the code for the Online Strengths Finder Test is found on the inside of the dust jacket. ... Read more

Reviews

See Yourself and Others in a New Way
REVIEW: While I am generally disappointed with sequels, this book didn't disappoint and stands on its own (see "First Break All the Rules"). "Now" focuses on the individual (except the last two chapters) and their inate strengths. It goes into detail on the 34 different types of talents/strengths that the authors found in their research. "Now" is based on two simple themes: (1) each person's talents are enduring and unique, and (2) each person's greatest room for growth lies in their greatest strengths (not in improving their weaknesses as so much of our society is focused on). "Now" will help you recognize strengths (yours and other) which is the first step to capitalizing on them. I now find myself regularly thinking in terms of the strengths concept when making working decisions. By the way, you don't have to read "First, Break All the Rules" before reading this book. In fact, I recommend this one first! Also, "First" focused on the manager and how he/she should think and act differently in terms of the authors discoveries on talents and strengths whereas "Now" focusses on the individual.

This book was also the first book that I've read that included an on-line component. The on-line test took me about 30 min to complete and gave me my top 5 strengths. After reading the detailed descriptions in the book, I believe the test correctly hit 4 out of 5 with the 5th one a close runner-up.

STRENGTHS: The book is easy to read and full of examples. I found the concepts and content very well thought out and very effective at changing my thinking.

WEAKNESSES: I note some weaknesses, but they were at most annoying and not significant enough to prevent me from enjoying or highly recommending the book. First, as in the "First" book, no index. Second, while the book has lots of examples, a number seemed to be thrown in to touch popular or emotional topics rather than being solid support for the specific topic being discussed.

WHO SHOULD READ THIS BOOK: The book is probably best suited to professionals and knowledge workers with an interest in better understanding themselves and those around them. If you're interested in increasing your own effectiveness and the effectiveness of your relationships with others this book is for you.

ALSO CONSIDER: Of course, "First Break All the Rules" by Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman [either before or after this book]. "The Effective Executive" by Peter F. Drucker.

Let Well-Established, Good Habits Take You Forward!
This book represents three very ambitious efforts. One, it argues for a new management paradigm that builds from the psychological make-up of each person in the workplace to create the most effective combination of people and tasks. Two, the book presents a new psychological mapping scheme to capture those areas where a person will display "consistent near perfect performance in an activity." Three, the book connects you to a self-diagnosis tool that you can use on-line to see yourself in the perspective of the new mapping scheme. Most books would settle for pursing just one these goals. My hat is off to the authors for their ambition!

The concept of building companies around "desirable" pyschological profiles has been in application for some time. The Walt Disney organization uses this approach to locate people who will enjoy working in their company, and to match the person to the task they will be most focused on. More and more companies are experimenting with this approach. The evidence is that it works.

So the first argument simply takes that experience one step further by formalizing it a bit. The book has many persuasive examples of how people usually do not have jobs that use their best talents. This provides another perspective on the Peter Principle. So far so good.

Next, 34 patterns of mental habits are described based on millions of interviews over 25 years. These include achiever, activator, adaptability, analytical, arranger, belief, command, communication, competition, connectedness, context, deliberative, developer, discipline, empathy, fairness, focus, futuristic, harmony, ideation, inclusiveness, individualization, input, intellection, learner, maximizer, positivity, relator, responsibility, restorative, self-assurance, significance, strategic, and woo. You need to see the descriptions to understand what these patterns reflect.

The argument is that these labels capture patterns of thinking habits that condition behavior in any situation. I find it difficult to relate to all of the patterns because there are so many. Also, without knowing what patterns work well in a particular job, I wasn't sure how relevant they are. Connection of patterns to success needs to be shown as cause and effect in a given company before this will be totally useful.

Small companies may not be able to use this tool very well because they will never have enough people doing the same task to figure out which profile is best. Everyone working in that role may have a very inappropriate profile. You will just be picking the best of a poorly-fitting lot if you select around one of them.

Then, I took the personality test on-line. There were no surprises there for me in my top 5 patterns. I also suspect that there would be no surprises for you in putting me into these categories. You would probably have pegged me as an achiever, learner, relator, focus, input person from the fact that I read so many nonfiction books, write so many book reviews, and keep books and notes everywhere (just in case I might need them again). On the relator front, if you had noticed who I like to work with and how I work with them, you would have spotted me in a few days.

However, my actual job competence is a lot different from this. Most clients tell me that they find me most helpful to them when exposing them to new perspectives on their work that allow them to make faster progress. So, I was left wondering if the tool is strong enough to do the task of making people most effective in their work without more help. Someone might develop or be born with a great talent that has little to do with the psychological profile of how she or he likes to spend their time.

To state the opposite proposition to the ones in the book, complexity science would suggest that it is a mistake to overly organize the workplace in any way. You should have as much diversity as possible. When we leave lots of room for open space and time, people will self-organize outstanding solutions. Having people focused on tasks they love might make them less aware of what else needs to be done. Behavioral scientists would argue that learning continues throughout life, and that major new habits can be formed at any time. Old dogs can learn new tricks. Why cannot new psychological mindsets be learned as well. I suspect that they can. These kinds of counter-observations were not addressed in the book, and it would have been helpful to me if they had been.

So while I was impressed by the concept that the "great organization must not only accommodate the fact each is different; it must capitalize on these differences," I wasn't sure that the authors have the best method to get there yet.

I do recommend that you read the book and consider its messages. I suspect that its application will work best in focusing people on tasks that require great persistence and consistency in order to be effective. I am less clear on how well it will work to help people accomplish more in creative tasks. Time will tell.

I suggest that you take the test and discuss your results with someone else who has also taken the test. Ask each other what insights you got from your own results and from hearing the other person's results. That discussion should start to help you imagine ways to use these insights more effectively.

May you always "derive intrinsic satisfaction" from the activities you do! ... Read more

Editorial Review

An actionable guide for quickly improving one's wealth, personal development, and happiness

Successful people don't sit around waiting for everything to be "100%" right or to be "absolutely sure" they will succeed. They don't need absolute assurance, because they realize life doesn't provide any. To get what they want out of life, they set specific goals and put together a formal plan to achieve those goals, one step at a time. Successful people know that the cost of failure is modest compared to that of inaction. Failure means they are smarter the next time. Inaction means there is no next time-there's only a lifetime of regret. In The Pledge: Your Master Plan for an Abundant Life, author Michael Masterson reveals how to become successful-and not just financially, but in every area of life. The book

• Offers simple tips to making immediate changes and to establishing long-term goals
• Details strategies on becoming more productive at the office and defeating depression
• Explains why simplifying goals into four major ones makes them much easier to achieve

The Pledge teaches readers how to start and finish projects they have been dreaming about for years, boost confidence, strengthen skills, build wealth, and enjoy life. ... Read more

Reviews

Abundant life is now yours for the taking...
Michael Masterson has been a long-time favorite. I've enjoyed his newsletter and other books and would recommend them too, but this book is a bit different. It is more of his life and life ideals. An abundant life if more than wealth...and more than just enjoying life more. He helps the reader to figure out what they were meant to do so they can be congruent and therefore have a deeper inner sense of satisfaction.

In "The Pledge," Masterson takes the strategies that he has used and put them forth as a system to follow...almost like a recipe. He also provides tools that can be used to "discover" yourself. It is a way of engaging your mind and heart as you create a better and more fulfilling plan for your life.

I felt "The Pledge" was inspirational as well as motivational. It reminded me that you do have to work and add value to the world around you, but that when you work hard in the right way, the level of success is higher and it comes to you naturally. Your quality of life is much more to your satisfaction all the time, because people were meant to help other people.

I would highly recommend getting this book along with another that I read early this year and has meant a lot to me. It seems that there are a lot of similarities between what Masterson writes here and the concept of Serendipity as described by Madeleine Kay. The book I'm referring to is Serendipitously Rich: How to Get Delightfully, Delectably, Deliciously Rich (or Anything Else You Want) in 7 Ridiculously Easy Steps. It too moves you positively on a path of change in your life and it also gives you practical steps that teach you how to make decisions based on serendipity.

Masterson's Strategies for a Successful and Abundant Life
I have enjoyed Michael Masterson's writing in the "Early to Rise" e-newsletter for a few years now, and I've also enjoyed a couple of his earlier books, including "Seven Years to Seven Figures." So, when I learned a new book he'd written was coming out that focused on his strategies and systems for creating a master plan to live an abundant life, I immediately ordered it from my local bookstore and moved it into my immediate reading list. I was that interested in what Masterson had to say on the topic, and having just finished reading the book this morning, I was not disappointed in the least.

"The Pledge: Your Master Plan For An Abundant Life" by Michael Masterson is and enjoyable, motivating, and informative book that is meant to be used, not just read. Masterson makes a point in one of his chapters, and near the end in the conclusion that information in not the key to success and happiness, but the acting on information is what counts. He essentially shares the strategies he's used to become very successful in most people's definition of success. Not just financially, but in the quality of life lived. (Something he stresses often.) However, he is also one to point out that it does not come easy by just thinking positive or by working only four hours a week. To become financially successful, one must work. And Masterson shares that one must often work hard. But when the hard work pays off, it can often open up areas of quality recreation that success brings.

In the Introduction, there is a short test to help you look at your life and determine how good it really is. If nothing else, this gets you thinking about what your life is like, and if you want to make positive changes, it is good to look at where you are beginning. He also discusses some obstacles to achievement that many face. Next come the eight chapters, which are called "Parts One - Eight."

Part One focuses on your Master Plan and what it takes to change your life. Essentially this part tells you why you need to plan and motivates you to get started doing it. Part Two is about goal setting, and Masterson shares how he does it and why he recommends you do it too. Part Three focuses on living day by day abundantly. Masterson's key? Become an early riser. He explains why and provides some suggestions on how to get up early if you aren't already. I also enjoyed the look into his typical day. It was sort of like Donald Trump did in a couple of his books. This chapter also had suggestions on how to be on top of everything. Definitely some good advice.

Part Four was titled "Creating A Richer, More Enjoyable Life." I liked this chapter and the examples of Golden, Vaporous and Acidic Choices. Reading this chapter should get people looking at the choices they make and what they get from those choices. He also provides some strategies for living a simpler and fuller life that may resonate with many people in this complex world we now live in. Additionally, there are other suggestions for living that if implemented would help you enjoy life better.

Part Five deals with the push you need to succeed, or as Masterson puts it, giving yourself a kick in the pants. The Junkies Secret is not a way I've looked at this topic before, but it made good sense and I think the message here can help people become more motivated to go for their dreams. This chapter also looks at positive thinking, dealing with fear, and taking the big leap. Part Six discusses the skills of the most successful and how you can learn and implement them into your own life. I read a ton, but I still picked up a tip or two that I plan on using to read even more and get more from what I read.

In Part Seven, Masterson shares his ways to defeat obstacles that get in the way of success. Like the other chapters, there are some good strategies here. Topics include e-mail problems, being in a rut, and nine steps to defeating depression. Part Eight focuses on building wealth, and Masterson shares different ways people can accumulate wealth and the ways he's done it. This is not a how to, but rather a look at directions you can look at, and then it will be up to you to pick one and learn how to implement that course to make money.

Masterson then sums up the book with a conclusion that lets you know what you've just learned, but also encourages you to become a better person, and above all, take action now. His final words, "The time to act is now. Seize it!"

I enjoy books in the business and self-help categories. They motivate me to continue to drive forward and if I implement one or two strategies from a book that help me advance in an area of my life, it was well worth the time to read and study. This book is one of the most enjoyable and useful books in this area that I've read in a long time. I have already marked the sections I want to look at again as I try some of Masterson's suggestions in my own planing. I think anyone who reads this book and actually acts on the information provided will undoubtedly advance on their journey toward living an enriched and abundant life.

Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks and the upcoming Tough Guy Wisdom series and the dvds: Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series and articles including a regular column on negotiation for The Montana Lawyer.

Inspiring
I started reading it and have been using some of the suggestions to move my life forward. I find that they are easy to follow. The only thing that we have to do is consistency with what we are determined to do. It is easy to be side-tracked. I know it... It's habit that we need to change.... I will continue reading it once, twice, etc... Start slowly and firmly....

Mr Masterson is "Da Boss"
I am a Doctor in the UK and I am trying to change my career! I have chosen information marketing as my subject, and as a doctor I feel that this is a reasonable choice. Having studied Medicine, I know that there are two types of "Experts" - the armchair variety who are virtual vicarious Experts who document what others do; The REAL Expert, who has DONE it and has the Chops and the Bank Balance to prove that he has done it. Mr Masterson is in the second group.

There is also a second issue to consider. Is this Expert talking about what his Expertise is? Or is he Blowing off on an entirely different topic? Mr Masterson has written two great books on his Expertise (IMHO). One was "Ready, Fire, Aim" that tells you about the Outer Game - the mechanics of building a Great Business. This present book "The Pledge" concentrates on the Inner Game - What you need to do to your mind to get it going. I think that these two books are two sides of a single coin, and if you want to mint a Big Fat Profitable Coin, the price you pay for these two books is Truly and merely a pittance.

So, if you want to know the "Secrets" of a person that I consider one of the Greatest Information Marketers EVER, Get these books. They are worth their weight in Gold!

Truly the best book I've ever read.
I've personally met Michael Masterson and he truly understands what it takes to build a life that you can be proud of. I read it over first and then now going back and answering the questions that he asked you to really think of where you are at right at that moment and what you need to do step by step so that you can make your own Master Plan. This book needs to be bought NOW..

... Read more

Editorial Review

From Stephen R. Covey's eldest son comes a revolutionary new path towards productivity and satisfaction. Trust, says Stephen M.R. Covey, is the very basis of the new global economy, and he shows how trust—and the speed at which it is established with clients, employees and constituents—is the essential ingredient for any high–performance, successful organization.

For business leaders and public figures in any arena, The Speed of Trust offers an unprecedented and eminently practical look at exactly how trust functions in our every transaction and relationship—from the most personal to the broadest, most indirect interaction—and how to establish trust immediately so that you and your organization can forego the time–killing, bureaucratic check–and–balance processes so often deployed in lieu of actual trust. ... Read more

Reviews

Practical advice to improve effectiveness - Trust me!
We all read books through our own lens. As a coach and consultant to boards of directors, I see The Speed of Trust as essential reading for any leader on any board. Whatever the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and all the other rules and checklists may hope to impose, the fundamental input for effective boards is TRUST. I call it the "currency of the boardroom".

Stephen has taken what is often passed off as "airy-fairy" and made it both tangible and accessible. His superb examples and illustrations from real life help the reader quickly see the empirical evidence that trust truly speeds up everything. Trust saves time -- Trust saves money. Even more, he has identified, explained, and elaborated on 13 behaviors that enable anyone to establish and enhance trust in any relationship.

Building on the legacy that his father has built, the younger Covey gives us all solid advice and important tools to live lives of character. And while many of us may buy this book with the hopes of helping our professional lives, it will immediately impact our personal lives.

You'll want everyone close to you to read it, too. I've already given out several copies!

The Apple Did Not Fall Far From the Tree
Stephen M.R. Covey is the son of the famous Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Not surprisingly, many of his father's themes are interwoven throughout this book.

Covey maintains that "Nothing is as fast as the speed of trust," meaning nothing can accelerate a transaction, a task, or project of any kind like trust. For instance, when there is a high level of trust between parties in a business transaction, deals can be made in minutes with a handshake.

Not only does trust make things faster, it simply makes every aspect of our lives better. To use another business example, a high level of trust between an organization's members promotes innovation, generates productivity, and results in cost savings. Trust "changes everything." It's not just a touchy-feely concept. Covey gives statistics to back it up.

Covey explains that trust is a function of character and competence. He further breaks these components down into "4 Cores of Credibility" - integrity, intent, capabilities, and results. He also outlines 13 Behaviors that generate trust. The Cores and Behaviors "are the tools that establish or maintain trust in every context." Similar to the 7 Habits, it all starts with the individual - i.e. self trust. Trust then can extend or ripple an additional 4 waves - to relationship trust, organizational trust, market trust, and societal trust. Covey gives tips for how to develop trust at each wave, resulting in increasingly remarkable outcomes.

After reading the book, you will believe that, "prioritizing trust - actively seek to establish it, grow it, restore it, and wisely extend it - will bring personal and organizational dividends that far exceed any other path." Although it has value for everyone, this book is especially helpful and important reading for those in leadership positions.

Nick McCormick - Author, Lead Well and Prosper

Roadmap for Changing Your LIfe and Your Company
There is no one more qualified to write this book that Stephen M.R. Covey. Stephen presided over a company during one of the most tumultuous times it faced, and faced everything he was presented with in precisely the way he advocates in this book.
In this book he lays out the theoretical foundation for a thriving organization and a properous community. He argues persuasively and offers strong evidence--for how trust dramatically affects results of every kind. But he thankfully goes further--from his own experience and his careful study he offers a roadmap for how to create abundant trust in ourselves, our relationships and our workplaces.
I predict that this book will be THE seminal reference on trust for the next century. Read this book and you'll know precisely what you need to do to solve most any chronic problem you face. Follow Stephen's counsel, and you'll find prosperity and happiness unavailable in any other way.

Paradigm-Shifter
Every once in a while a book is published that shifts paradigms and instigates a pervasive buzz around the workplace. As a consultant, I know which books these are because they are on the shelf of every client I visit. I predict this book on trust will become a paradigm shifter. Covey makes the issue of trust a hard science that impacts everything, including the bottom-line. And the book is fun to read....lots of stories, business examples, personal stories, and statistics. This is a five-star book that I highly recommend.

So true
I have certainly observed the effects of the trust issue in corporate life. I have worked in large professional service corporations where the loss of trust in the administration was a significant cost of doing business. It will remain an issue until the management reads this book and pays attention to it.

It's good to know that doing the right thing is also profitable
In professional circles, sometimes its not been acceptable or hard to do what we know in our hearts as doing the right thing. Covey helps us understand that by doing the right thing we will be more profitable and effective. In essence, Covey's book gives us all "permission" to do what is right. Our organization held a seminar based on this book and received numerous accolades for sharing it with our community. The local school district, city management, and several other local governing entities have implemented study sessions within their organizations about the book's 4 cores and 13 behaviors. Its a quick enjoyable read. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The No Asshole Rule was awarded a Quill Award as the Best Business Book of 2007.

When Robert Sutton's "No Asshole Rule" appeared in the Harvard Business Review, readers of this staid publication were amazed at the outpouring of support for this landmark essay. The idea was based on the notion, as adapted in hugely successful companies like Google and SAS, that employees with malicious intents or negative attitudes destroyed any sort of productive and pleasant working environment, and would hinder the entire operation's success.

Now using case studies from these and many more corporations that have had unquestioned success using variations of "The No Asshole Rule," Sutton's book aims to show managers that by hiring mean-spirited employees - regardless of talent - saps energy from everyone who must deal with said new hires. Such insights will come from:

- Seattle law firm Perkins Coie, which instituted a "no jerks allowed" policy, helping them earn a spot on Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list.

- United States Supreme Court Fellow Robert Clayman, who noticed that "assholes" in the highest branch of government turned a blind eye to initiatives that would curb abusive and violent behavior.

- Testimony from a former American Airlines manager about how former CEO Bob Crandall's abusive "tough love" behavior actually caused psychological harm to those he was attempting to motivate.


FEATURING A NEW CHAPTER ON THE RULE AND ITS SURPRISING IMPACT! In this new version of The No Asshole Rule, Bob Sutton provides an uproarious account of the world-wide reaction to his best-selling book. As he writes: "I didn't plan it. I never wanted it. I didn't believe it at first. And it still make me squirm." Sutton's talking about having been branded as "the asshole guy." But beyond the initial shock value of the provocative title, Sutton's epilogue goes on to detail the kind of impact this important book has had on corporate organizations and employees everywhere. His book has provided a major wake-up call to those individuals in the business world and beyond who somehow have lost sight that a little civility goes a long, long way when it comes to dealing with our fellow human beings - and leading an effective organization. This is one epilogue that is definitely worth reading.


... Read more

Reviews

An Excellent Must-Read for Anyone in the Workforce
I am not one who typically reviews books. I do have to say that the No A**hole Rule was an excellent book both in researched content and personality. I was able to read this book in one sitting. It is very topical for anyone who shares a workplace with A**holes or demeaning people. I am sure that most of us do not have the luxury of avoiding these people on a day to day basis. If so, let me know where you work .

For the most part, it is inevitable that we have to deal with these people face to face. This is the first book that doesn't skirt around the facts of diagnosing these people as a**holes (by there actions) and giving effective advice on how to deal with them or not be one of them.

Bob Sutton's List of The Dirty Dozen Common Everyday Actions That A**holes Use
1. Personal insults
2. Invading one's personal territory
3. Uninvited personal contact
4. Threats and intimidation, both verbal and non-verbal
5. Sarcastic jokes and teasing used as insult delivery systems
6. Withering email flames
7. Status slaps intended to humiliate their victims
8. Public shaming or status degradation rituals
9. Rude interruptions
10. Two-faced attacks
11. Dirty looks
12. Treating people as if they are invisible

The Author sites companies that have effectively instilled a "No A**hole Rule" because they have realized that the true cost of the A**hole runs deeper than the A**hole's salary (TCA or Total Cost of A**holes). It truly can diminish productivity in the office, increase employee turnover, stifle communication, and lower employee self esteem and health. The book explains how to implement a No A**hole Rule at any organization.

According to the book, negative interactions have a five time stronger effect on mood than positive interactions. So you can see that keeping around that "very productive A**hole" may have deeper implications that do not show up on the books, but take a toll on the ones around him/her.
There is a whole section in the book detailing how to avoid being an A**hole which I won't get into here. I think that it is a truly insightful section on how to face ones own demons, and to be a more effective co-worker/partner/boss in a work environment.

The section that really jumped out for me (due to its immediate applicability) was the ways to deal with A**holes. Many books talk about enthusiasm and working harder with passion allows you to get around people who are demeaning and rude at work. This book explains that this is not necessarily the head on solution to avoid rudeness in the workplace. In some instances, developing indifference and emotional detachment may be the best way to survive in the long run while achieving small victories. In the end, small victories can lead to winning the war. You can also limit your exposure, hope for the best and expect the worse, de-escalate and re-educate, or stand up to A**holes.

In conclusion, this was a great read. I think it is extremely topical for anyone who is involved in HR or hiring new employees and management. I also believe that it is an especially good read if you are a victim of A**holes on a day to day basis.

Oh, it also makes a GREAT GIFT for the token A**hole in your office. Enjoy!

A New Best Book on Empowerment in the Workplace
I have never written a review on Amazon, but feel strongly about writing a review for Sutton's No A**hole book because I feel many people whose might be concerned about the "taboo" title might not look beyond it and do themselves a great disservice.

As a female professional, I felt highly empowered reading this book. Dr. Sutton acknowledges the bullying and crass behavior that frequently occurs in the workplace and offers concrete ways to combat these trying individuals. I have already practiced his technique of publicly discounting bullying behavior with great success.

I found his suggestions for handling office place bullies - as both a superior and subordinate actions extremely smart and well-grounded. This book is based on sound social psychology and organizational research and does a great service to workers throughout the world.

I have dog earred many pages of the book and expect it to be a handy reference for many years to come.

A Simple, but Extremely Valuable Premise!
I'll make my review brief, since this is a little book with a very concise point. Basically, life is far too short to tolerate jerks in the workplace. It's easy to spot these people based upon the havoc they wreak and the fact that they always choose targets with less power than themselves. This book provides terrific strategies for dealing with jerks, whether you are in management and want to weed them out, or are unfortunate enough to be working under them.
One of my favorite lines in the book is: " Passion is an overrated virtue in organizational life, and indifference is an underrated virtue." While self-professed management gurus who have never had a real job like to trumpet passion in the workplace (and implicitly accept jerk-like behavior), Dr. Sutton points out that sometimes a bit of detachment goes a long way in making life bearable. This is a book about picking your battles and doing what you can to make your workplace enjoyable. It is a quick, interesting and easy read.

Fix your workplace
This book has clearly struck a cord, for good reason: it's an important book about an important topic. People are tired of having their workplaces poisoned by the behavior of a few a-holes.

I know Bob through Stanford so I admit that I may be biased, but I know lots of people who have written management books and haven't endorsed them. Bob has thought deeply about this topic as a researcher, teacher, and expert on organizations. The book is not only wise, it's a pleasure to read. Bob is great at taking solid research and making it relevant and fun.

Here are three reasons to buy this book:

1) Understand your workplace. This book weaves together front-line academic research on why powerful people behave badly, how workplaces can become toxic, and why bad behavior spreads like a virus (but optimism can as well).

2) Fix your workplace. For anyone who has put up with nasty bosses and demeaning coworkers, this book shows you how organizations ranging from law firms to retail stores, from JetBlue to Google, have protected their employees from bad behavior.

3) Change your interactions. This book shows you how to avoid being a victim of a-holes in your workplace and community. It also helps you recognize when you might be the a-hole, and gives you hints on how to achieve your goals without lapsing into bad behavior.

Bob has the reputation among students and faculty of being one of the nicest people at our university and he works in a group of researchers that has the reputation of being an extremely supportive place for graduate students. Universities often breed arrogant behavior, so Bob's reputation (and that of his group) testifies to his ability to put ideas into practice. This book will help you and your organization.

Insightful and Entertaining
This book is both insightful and entertaining. Professor Sutton doesn't just point out to us that we are often surrounded by people who are self-absorbed and mean-spirited. He gives us case studies that illuminate the spectrum of this behavior, how it evolves, and how best to deal with it. I found the book extremely empowering, especially the story of Andrea who is able to identify people who are going to make her life miserable and extracts herself before she is drawn into the downward spiral of dealing with colleagues who are going to make her life unbearable.

One of the important features of the book is that it doesn't assume that everyone should be sickly sweet all the time. Professor Sutton acknowledges that at times being a jerk is a strategy. Some managers and customers call upon this "tool" at times in order to get things done. We should all be aware that this is an option that we always have at our disposal. But, it should be used with great caution.

I highly recommend this book. I read it on the plane and everyone around me asked about it... The conversation that followed was fascinating as everyone had their own story to tell that supported Professor Sutton's ideas.

very good
Although I have only read the first three chapters, I am a believer!! It really is golden for all of us because at one time or another we'll have to survive one of these workplaces. I wish I had this book to read when I was in that type of workplace. I wouldn't have suffered as much as I did, and would have had concrete methods of how to handle situations.

Also, don't let the somewhat abrasive A** title deter you from reading this book. It kept me away from picking up this book to read it at first.

This book also has the potential of being cathartic for those who have had to survive a horrible workplace environment. I too worked in a toxic environment with an insensitive, demeaning and oppressive boss. Every criticism was passive-agressive so it took me some time to realize my slowly deteriorating capacity to serve. She would talk down to my administrative associate and myself to keep us in the "place" she thought we should be. When we did things to better our project and make it the best it could be or provide helpful suggestions, she would accuse me of wanting all the "control"...(yeah, it was a nightmare!!!) This books speaks to that kind of paranioa in the workplace and that sometimes not matter how much you love a job, some can make it unbearable.

This book helped me realize that I do/did not have unrealistic expectations of what a quality supervisor should be. It's "hammer meet nail" kind of material.

Hitting the Nail Right on the Head
Once in a while, a business book comes along that really hits a very important nail right on the head. Stanford Professor Bob Sutton's new book is one of them.

What the book does is argue that it is both anti-humane and counter-productive to give jerks free reign in the workplace, and that organizations riddled with destructive individuals - no matter how "valuable", powerful, and successful they are - should make conscious and deliberate steps towards changing their bad behaviors. Or get rid of them.

I hope that those who might be put-off by the title, or the use throughout the book of "the word" can get over it. Sutton may be provocative here, but he's not being cute. There really is no substitute for that particular word, and anyone who's experienced one at work - as victim, innocent by-stander, or even occasional perpetrator - knows it.
Sutton has the statistics to back up his claims that allowing bad behavior in the workplace is costly, citing studies that show the high proportion of people who have been negatively impacted by those insult, demean, and humiliate those under them in the organization. He even comes up with a mechanism for calculating how to itemize the overall cost of having jerks around by factoring in items like the cost of recruiting replacements for people who quit, HR expenditures on interventions and counseling, etc.

Sutton notes that many companies do, in fact, have some sort of "no jerk rule", but he is clear in pointing out that just having a rule in place is not enough. The rule needs to be enforced. You can't start making exceptions, and you have to develop a culture in which if someone's acting like a jerk - and we're all pretty much capable of acting like one on occasion, even if we're not chronic offenders - anyone can call them on it, even if the jerk's the boss.

For those who get stuck in bad situations, and where walking out is not an option, Sutton offers good advice. Forget those calls for passion and commitment. If you're in a bad company, you should "develop indifference and emotional attachment," he advises. "There are times when the best thing for your mental health is to not give a damn about your job, company, and especially all those nasty people." He goes on to offer further coping strategies: find and hang out with "the good guys," look for small victories, offer emotional support to other victims (while avoiding the rat-hole of non-productive gripe sessions), take control of what you can... All sound advice.

My quibbles with the book are minor: I think that Sutton may err on the side of providing a little too much "survey said" - they all started to sound the same. And a couple of his jerk examples were so extreme that I'm afraid that some people will come away from their reading convinced that the pedestrian abuse that they suffer or witness in their workplace is so minor that it's not worth thinking about. Or that even chronic offenders will be able to let themselves off the hook - "Hey, I'm not as bad as that jerk."

I'm sure, based on its title alone, Bob Sutton's new book will fare pretty well. But I'd hate to see it end up as a gag gift or stocking stuffer. Quibbles aside, this is an important book for anyone concerned about creating a healthier workplace. In an increasingly fractious and on-edge world, it would be comforting to know that, at least while you were at work, you weren't going to have to deal with obnoxious jerks determined to make your life miserable.

Finally a book with a plan that doesn't focus on lawsuits or exit strategies!
I highly recommend this book for employees or work teams who find themselves struggling to maintain energy and focus on the job because of the destructive behavior of one or more individuals. This book is a quick read - I finished it in one weekend. It should also become required reading for HR departments and leadership teams who have struggled to preserve a positive and efficient corporate culture.

Dr. Sutton provides an analytical approach, guidance for calculating costs, and a pro-active approach that can improve the workplace for the sake of the company, work groups and individual contributors.

This book goes beyond the usual coverage for bullies and hostile environments that describe the fairly obvious results, the legal limitations, and recommended rapid exit strategies for individuals who are in the midst of it all.

Dr. Sutton bravely asserts that this problem does not have to continue and spread throughout the organization. He provides practical and rational insight for making changes that focus on positive results for the company and the employees.

I especially like the simple diagnostic question about the impact the individual has on the energy levels of those around them.

After 15 years of success with fabulous bosses and a minimal/manageable amount of exposure to @#$holes, I found out why other people I knew did not love their jobs the way I had in the past when I started working for a bully.

Being proactive and determined to succeed, I searched for answers to questions like - How can I manage this situation better? How can I find ways to be more effective and less reactive under these circumstances? How can I shield my team and try to be a catalyst for change in this department? What are the most important results that I need to focus on and manage?

I was discouraged to find other material that I read on bullies and hostile environments, concluded the bullies always "win" - that the jerk would persevere and often expand their influence. The targets and others impacted generally had 3 choices, accept and adopt the practices, become apathetic and do the minimum to get by spending a large percentage of time doing CYA or leave the department or the company. The books also spent a lot of time focusing on different legal positions.

This book provides hope that you can survive and impact change without a lawsuit. I wish everyone who is dealing with an #$%hole the courage, stamina, and good fortune to improve the situation.

It's About Time Somebody Called Workplace Boors What They Really Are
Recently, I came across a book called The No A**hole Rule, by Robert Sutton, a Stanford professor. Pretty racy title for a Stanford professor, but Dr. Sutton says he chose it to be provocative in order to "spur corporate America to stamp out boorish behavior that reduces productivity, drives away talented workers and ruins morale". Besides that, in my opinion, a**holes are the exact opposite of interpersonally competent people. And, interpersonal competence is a key to success in life and your career.

Dr. Sutton defines an a**hole as someone who "oppresses, humiliates, de-energizes or belittles a subordinate or colleague". He lists a dirty dozen actions common to them.

1. Personal insults
2. Invading another's personal space
3. Uninvited personal contact
4. Threats and intimidation, both verbal and non verbal
5. Sarcastic jokes and teasing used to deliver insults
6. Withering email flames
7. Status slaps intended to humiliate another person
8. Public shaming or status degradation rituals
9. Rude interruptions
10. Two-faced attacks
11. Dirty looks
12. Treating people as if they are invisible

Clearly, these are all things to avoid. However, my friend Paulette Ensign always reminds me that it's always more helpful to tell someone what to do, that what not to do. In keeping with Paulette's excellent advice, here is my take on Dr. Sutton's dirty dozen.

1. Keep conversation focused on the problem or topic under discussion, not the people involved.
2. Be aware of other people's personal space. Maintain an appropriate distance.
3. Keep work relationships, work relationships. Don't assume that your work colleagues want to be your friend outside of work.
4. Explain the consequences that come with a certain behavior in a non threatening manner.
5. Use humor for humor's sake, or to relieve tension - not to hurt or insult another person.
6. If you're upset, call or speak to the other person, don't send an email. Avoid copying others on an e mail where you are providing negative feedback. Don't use the bcc function as a means of sending a message about someone to another person. Never respond to an e mail when you're angry.
7. Treat all people with the respect and dignity they deserve as human beings.
8. Ban all hazing rituals in your workplace. If you are not in a position to ban such activities, choose to not participate in them.
9. Listen to people in an attempt to understand what they are saying. Don't interrupt, or speak until you are sure they are finished speaking.
10. Be forthright. If you don't like something that someone has done, tell him or her - not other people.
11. Keep a neutral or pleasant look on your face. Avoid trying to intimidate others by your expression.
12. Acknowledge others. Say hello, look them in the eye. Treat everyone you encounter with dignity and respect.

Dr. Sutton is writing for leaders. He suggests some ideas for implementing a no a**hole rule in your organization. He also presents some ideas on how to survive in a toxic work atmosphere. And, as Dr. Sutton points out, all of us are probably a little bit guilty of being an a**hole on occasion. However, by becoming aware of our actions we can all stamp out inappropriate behavior and become interpersonally competent people. And, as I always remind myself and those who I coach, interpersonal competence is a key to career and life success.
... Read more

Editorial Review

THE MULTI-MILLION COPY BESTSELLING CLASSIC

Read by millions, this timeless book holds the key to success-in the secrets of the ancients. Based on the famous "Babylonian principles," it's been hailed as the greatest of all inspirational works on the subject of thrift and financial planning.

ACHIEVE PERSONAL WEALTH...

This celebrated bestseller offers an understanding of-and a solution to-personal money problems.This is the original classic that reveals the secrets to acquiring money, keeping money, and making money earn even more money. Simply put: the original money-management favorite is back! ... Read more

Reviews

Even better the fifth time around!
I first heard about this book 17 years ago. At that time, I was in a direct sales company and had the good fortune to attend a seminar conducted by a businessman named Jim Rohn.

Mr. Rohn talked about his early mentor, a man named Earl Schoff and went on to tell us how Mr. Schoff turned him on to personal development and pointed him to the right books to read. One of the most important books, said Rohn was The Richest Man in Bablyon.

Rohn had made and lost a fortune but came back and made another fortune and gave credit to the principles in The Richest Man in Bablyon for helping him accomplish that feat.

I read The Richest Man in Bablyon and have to admit, I hated it! I thought it was stupid, like feel good stuff that has no substance. When ever friends came over, I hid the book. I felt so ridiculous.

But Mr. Rohns words of wisdom kept echeoing in my mind. So I read it over and over untill the principles were imbedded into my conscious and subconsious mind.

Soon, after the fifth reading, the the principles became habits for me. My wealth esculated at a very rapid rate. I was no longer wasting money. I was now investing the first 10% of my income, tithing 10% and investing another 10% in capital like no load mutuals, real estate, discounted mortgages, tax liens and my own business.

The Richest Man in Bablyon has 7 basic principles:

1) Start thy purse to fattening - save/invest
2) Control thy expenditures - watch out for self serving brokers
3) Make thy gold mutiply - use powerful investments
4) Guard thy treasures from loss - watch out for brokers with
their hot tips.
5) Make of thy dwelling a profitable investment - rental properties, your own home---but stay within your means.
6) Insure a future income - do work that you love to do. Become excellent at it.
7) Increase thy ability to earn - education never stops. Keep reading good books like this one, The Millionaire Next Door, Rich Dad Poor Dad and so on.

The Richest Man in Bablyon is an excellent book. Although only 145 pages, it is packed with powerful information that can be life changing. It has helped some people like Jim Rohn and others become millionaires.

George Samuel Clason was born in Louisiana, Missouri, on November 7, 1874. He attended the University of Nebraska and served in the United States Army during the Spanish-American War. Beginning a long career in publishing, he founded the Clason Map Company of Denver, Colorado and published the first road atlas of the United States and Canada. In 1926, he issued the first in a series of pamphlets on thrift and financial success, using parables set in ancient Bablyon to make each of his points.

These were distributed in large quantities by banks and insurance companies and became familiar to millions, the most famous being "The Richest Man in Bablyon," the parable which has impacted the lives of millions of people. These "Babylonian Parables" have become a modern inspiritional classic.

The Richest Man in Babylon is must reading for anyone who wants to achieve maximum financial success. Highly recommended.

A ONE OF A KIND CLASSIC
I first read "Richest Man in Bablyon bac in 1975. At first I was taken back by it's compact size and story book style. This book should be read by everyone from grade school to the college level students, employees, executives and the self employed. In todays's society, where people spend most if not all of what they make, this book is mre valuable than ever. Other books I would recommend are; "The Millionaire next Door" by Dr. Stanley et all, "More Wealth without Risk" and "Financial Self-Defense" by Charles Givens. Great book. A must read for anyone seeking financial independence,

POWERFUL, VERY POWERFUL BOOK!
I am continually amazed at how a book so small can contain so much content and be so powerful. This book should be mandatory reading beginning at the grade school level through college and should be given as a gift right along with a diploma.

I took the advice of acde1034@yahoo.com who recommended 'The Millionaire next Door" and "More Weath without Risk" and bought and have read both. Both of these books are in the same status as "The Richest Man in Bablyon" and should also be required reading by anyone who is serious about their financial future. I am now giving "Richest Man in Bablyon" as a accessory gift to a cash gift at weddings and graduations.

Powerful and timeless
I am still amazed that such a tiny book can deliver so much powerful and timeless information. The Richest Man in Bablyon contains the secrets of the ages and is a must read book for anyone who wants financial success.

It should be read and reread, over and over.

An Old Book with a Fair Amount of Wisdom
I often give this book out as a gift whenever a person younger than me asks for my advice on money. I always present this book to them saying "if you read it and do as it says, it will work magic." It really contains excellent, time tested advice, and would make a good gift for someone in their early 20s who is on their own for the first time, and struggling.

The book is a series of parables about money written in the 1920s by George Clason. They were written as individual essays of a few thousand words, but the theme throughout them is consistent -- save 10% of your money, give 10% away, use 10% to reduce your debt load, and live on the remaining 70%.

The stories in the book are entertaining; they are reminiscent of some of the parables in the Bible, such as the Prodigal Son or the story of the Workers in the Vineyard. I think this is intentional on the part of the author; certainly readers in the 1920s had an appreciation for "old fashioned stories with a moral" that people today seem to have lost. I enjoy the book greatly, though, and any thoughtful person who reads the book should find it interesting, especially if they are trying to get their finances in order.

Still a must read for all who want to be wealthy
When I first started in sales 19 years ago, a good friend of mine advised me of the benefit of personal development books and suggested that I start to build a good library.

One of the first books he recommended to me was The Richest Man in Bablyon. His advise was that you can live off your income but you can't get wealthy off of income. You only get wealthy by investing, starting with that first 10% and with the proper management of money.

The Richest Man in Bablton may be a turnoff to the analytical types. Question: how are you analytical types doing financially?
Read and use the principles in this book. It will make all the difference in the world.

I also recommend The Millionaire Next Door, The Automatic Millionaire and More Wealth without Risk.

Les I forget, always remember that a lesson in wealth building is to give to recieve and the best time to start giving is when you feel you cannot afford to. It will come back to multiplied many times over.

Definitely a must read for everyone.
When I started in sales 15 years ago, a very good friend of mine turned me on on the mind books. This was one of three he recommended and he was very successful.The other books were Think and Grow Rich and Success through a Positive Mental Attitude. The principles in Richest Man in Bablyon are timeless. Remember, you can live off your income, but you can't get wealthy off your income. You only get wealthy by investing and Richest Man in Bablyon teaches that all important step of investing.Two other books to read in the area of personal finance are Wealth without Risk and Financial Self Defense by Charles Givens. These books will show you how to save more on what you make.

Common sense is not necessarily common knowledge
I have to chucle when people say that outstanding books like this one by George Clayson are just "good old fashioned common sense" and are complaining because of the books brevity. You missed the whole point!Common sense is not necessarily common knowledge.I used to work for a millionaire who credited the principles in this book for helpin create his fortune which was in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Save a dime out of every dollar. That is all it takes to start your fortune. But how many actually will do it?

A classic and powerful book
Don't underestimate this small book. It contains powerful information. Written in parables, Richest Man in Bablyon will teach you the philosophy of the wealthy. And how you can achieve great wealth in any economic condition.

Richest Man in Bablyon should be mandatory reading in schools. I submit that if it was, we would have a financially stronger America.

Great book. Must reading.

Not for the sophisticated...But,
How are the sophisticated doing financially? By sophisticated, I mean the affluent, high income earners who spend most of what they make...Richest Man in Bablyon is timeless like Think and Grow Rich but written in a style like the very popular Rich Dad, Poor Dad series.An easy read. Informative and entertaining.I suspect that this book hit a nerve with the 1 star reviewers. Living a little bit too high? Then read this book. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The provocative follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Predictably Irrational

• Why can large bonuses make CEOs less productive?
• How can confusing directions actually help us?
• Why is revenge so important to us?
• Why is there such a big difference between what we think will make us happy and what really makes us happy?

In his groundbreaking book Predictably Irrational, social scientist Dan Ariely revealed the multiple biases that lead us into making unwise decisions. Now, in The Upside of Irrationality, he exposes the surprising negative and positive effects irrationality can have on our lives. Focusing on our behaviors at work and in relationships, he offers new insights and eye-opening truths about what really motivates us on the job, how one unwise action can become a long-term habit, how we learn to love the ones we're with, and more.

Drawing on the same experimental methods that made Predictably Irrational one of the most talked-about bestsellers of the past few years, Ariely uses data from his own original and entertaining experiments to draw arresting conclusions about how—and why—we behave the way we do. From our office attitudes, to our romantic relationships, to our search for purpose in life, Ariely explains how to break through our negative patterns of thought and behavior to make better decisions. The Upside of Irrationality will change the way we see ourselves at work and at home—and cast our irrational behaviors in a more nuanced light.

Reviews

Fascinating look at human behavior

Well worth the wait.

OK, so I'm a fan already

Due credit is given to the power of irrationality

Wow! This is good stuff!

Editorial Review

Great things don’t happen in a vacuum. But creating an environment for creative thinking and innovation can be a daunting challenge. How can you make it happen at your company? The answer may surprise you: gamestorming.

This book includes more than 80 games to help you break down barriers, communicate better, and generate new ideas, insights, and strategies. The authors have identified tools and techniques from some of the world’s most innovative professionals, whose teams collaborate and make great things happen. This book is the result: a unique collection of games that encourage engagement and creativity while bringing more structure and clarity to the workplace. Find out why -- and how -- with Gamestorming.

• Overcome conflict and increase engagement with team-oriented games
• Improve collaboration and communication in cross-disciplinary teams with visual-thinking techniques
• Improve understanding by role-playing customer and user experiences
• Generate better ideas and more of them, faster than ever before
• Shorten meetings and make them more productive
• Simulate and explore complex systems, interactions, and dynamics
• Identify a problem’s root cause, and find the paths that point toward a solution

Play a Game from Gamestorming

We're hardwired to play games. We play them for fun. We play them in our social interactions. We play them at work. That last one is tricky. "Games" and "work" don't seem like a natural pairing. Their coupling in the workplace either implies goofing off (the fun variant) or office politics (the not-so-fun type).

The authors of Gamestorming, have a different perspective. They contend that an embrace and understanding of game mechanics can yield benefits in many work environments, particularly those where old hierarchical models are no longer applicable, like the creatively driven knowledge work of today’s cutting edge industries.

Here is one of the 83 games featured in Gamestorming:

The ELEVATOR PITCH Game

OBJECTIVE OF PLAY: What has been a time-proven exercise in product development applies equally well in developing any new idea: writing the elevator pitch. When developing and communicating a vision for something, whether it’s a new service, a company-wide initiative, or just a good idea that merits spreading, a group will benefit from going through the exercise of writing their elevator pitch.

Often this is the hardest thing to do in developing a new idea. An elevator pitch must be short enough to deliver in a fictional elevator ride but also contain a compelling description of the problem you’re solving, who you’ll solve it for, and one key benefit that distinguishes it from other ideas.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: Can be done individually, or with a small working group

DURATION OF PLAY: Save at least 90 minutes for the entire exercise, and consider a short break after the initial idea generation is complete before prioritizing and shaping the pitch itself. Small working groups will have an easier time coming to a final pitch; in some cases it may be necessary to assign one person with follow-up accountability for the final wording after the large decisions have been made in the exercise.

HOW TO PLAY: Going through the exercise involves both a generating and a formative phase. To set up the generating phase, write these headers in sequence on flip charts:

• Who is the target customer?
• What is the customer need?
• What is the product name?
• What is its market category?
• What is its key benefit?
• Who or what is the competition?
• What is the product’s unique differentiator?

These will become the elements of the elevator pitch. They are in a sequence that adheres to the following formula.

To finish the setup, explain the elements and their connection to each other:

• The target customer and customer need are deceptively simple: any relatively good idea or product will likely have many potential customers and address a greater number of needs. In the generative phase, all of these are welcome ideas.
• It is helpful to fix the product name in advance--this will help contain the scope of the conversation and focus the participants on “what” the pitch is about. It is not outside the realm of possibility, however, that useful ideas will be generated in the course of the exercise that relate to the product name, so it may be left open to interpretation.
• The market category should be an easily understood description of the type of idea or product. It may sound like “employee portal” or “training program” or “peer-to-peer community.” The category gives an important frame of reference for the target customer, from which they will base comparisons and perceive value.
• The key benefit will be one of the hardest areas for the group to shape in the final pitch. This is the single most compelling reason a target customer would buy into the idea. In an elevator pitch, there is no time to confuse the matter with multiple benefits--there can be only one memorable reason “why to buy.” However, in the generative phase, all ideas are welcome.
• The competition and unique differentiator put the final punctuation on the pitch. Who or what will the target customer compare this idea to, and what’s unique about this idea? In some cases, the competition may literally be another firm or product. In other cases, it may be “the existing training program” or “the last time we tried a big change initiative.” The unique differentiator should be just that: unique to this idea or approach, in a way that distinguishes it in comparison to the competition.

The Generating Phase
Once the elements are understood, participants brainstorm ideas on sticky notes that fit under each header. At first, they should generate freely, without discussion or analysis, any ideas that fit into any of the categories. Using the Post-Up technique, participants put their notes onto the flip charts and share their ideas.

Next, the group may discuss areas where they have the most trouble on their current pitch. Do we know enough about the competition to claim a unique differentiator? Do we agree on a target customer? Is our market category defined, or are we trying to define something new? Where do we need to focus?

Before stepping into the formative phase, the group may use dot voting, affinity mapping, or another method to prioritize and cull their ideas in each category.

The Formative Phase
Following a discussion and reflection on the possible elements of a pitch, the group then has the task of “trying out” some possibilities. This may be done by breaking into small groups, as pairs, or as individuals, depending on the size of the larger group. Each group is given the task of writing an elevator pitch, based on the ideas on the flip charts.

After a set amount of time (15 minutes may be sufficient), the groups reconvene and present their draft versions of the pitch. The group may choose to role-play as a target customer while listening to the pitch, and comment or ask questions of the presenters.

The exercise is complete when there is a strong direction among the group on what the pitch should and should not contain. One potential outcome is the crafting of distinct pitches for different target customers; you may direct the group to focus on this during the formative stage.

STRATEGY
Don’t aim for final wording with a large group. It’s an achievement if you can get to that level of completion, but it’s not critical and can be shaped after the exercise. What is important is that the group decides what is and is not a part of the pitch.

Role play is the fastest way to test a pitch. Assuming the role of a customer (or getting some real customers to participate in the exercise) will help filter out the jargon and empty terms that may interfere with a clear pitch. If the pitch is truly believable and compelling, participants should have no problem making it real with customers.

The elevator pitch, or elevator speech, is a traditional staple of the venture capital community, based on the idea that if you are pitching a business idea it should be simple enough to convey on a short elevator ride.

Reviews

A play book for work and life
For several weeks, I've been combing my bookshelves for activities to incorporate into my LIM College class on social media marketing. I wanted games to drive home the information in unconventional, interactive ways. I went to my theatre books, my business books, and my books filled with writing exercises. Nothing seemed quite right. And then I found Gamestorming. It felt like a gift out of the sky. My anxiety about the class diminished a bit more with every page.

Gamestorming details games that engage groups, both large and small, in learning and discovery. They work in corporations and in schools, and I'd like to add that they are a valuable tool for navigating just about any decision and complication in life. I found myself noting in nearly every margin how to use each game. The clear, concise description, depictions, and plan for each took a great deal of thought and care from the authors.

The metaphor of life as a game is well worked over. The trouble with the game of life is that there are no rules. You don't make them and neither does anyone else. They change from moment to moment, and the rule that seemed to work today may never be useful again. We are forced in every situation to think on our feet. Gamestorming gives us more confidence and empowers us to take our futures in our own hands.

A Gamechanger
With Gamestorming Dave, Sunni, and James created one of the most valuable and applicable collection of tools and techniques for organizational design that I have ever come across. The "games" outlined in the book help you make ideas more tangible and meetings more productive, notably through visual techniques. Gamestorming is a window into the future of how groups will work.

There is no way around this book if you are serious about making innovation and change happen in your organization.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!
Are you a gamer or a game designer? If you are, then this book is for you. Authors Dave Gray, Sunni Brown and James Macanufo, have done an outstanding job of writing a book that shows you how to embrace and understand gaming mechanics that can be applied to the workplace environment.

Gray, Brown and Macanufo, begin by showing you how to break down gaming barriers and how they can be applied in the work place. Next, the authors help you identify gaming tools and techniques from a unique collection of games that help encourage engagement and creativity in the work place. Then, they show you how to overcome conflict and increase engagement with team-oriented games. Next, the authors help you make innovation and change happen in your organization. They continue by detailing games that engage organizations, both large and small, in learning and discovery. Then, the authors show you how to introduce gaming in software development. Next, they cover the core principals and benefits of games, how to design games, games for opening and games for exploring. The authors continue by encouraging the use of games for the purpose of generating ideas. Finally, they show you how to create one of the most valuable and applicable collection of tools and techniques for organizational design.

This most excellent book provides the tools and real-world examples that you need to effectively analyze your information in order to facilitate decision making. The games outlined in this book, allows you to suspend the usual behavioral standards for a limited time, thus allowing creativity to surface!!

Celebrating the Sophistication of Play
Dave Gray is a real leader in this exploding field of business visualization. As the founder and creator of XPlane, he has lived the value of playful engagement as a part of serious design. Framing these activities as "games" points right at the central power of interactive work with groups, which is to create environments where everyone can contribute, create prototypes, and evolve their ideas. It brings the kinds of ideas Michael Schrage considers in "Serious Play", and Steven Johnson in "Where Do Innovative Ideas Come From" and makes them accessible for any group. Sunni Brown got her start at The Grove and knows this business as a very talented practitioner, and consummately playful person herself. James Macanufo is also a seasoned practitioner. The exercises suggested here have been well tested!!! Buy this book and keep your innovation toolkit brimming with great ideas.

Why games matter
In Gamestorming, Dave Gray and his colleagues Sunni Brown & James Macanufo do something extraordinarily important and they do it with such simplicity and clarity that it is easy to miss what is most valuable about this book: in short, it explains why the idea of the game matters.

It has become a media commonplace, at least in the "smart" media of Wired, Fast Company, The New Yorker and the New York Times, that games and gaming are reshaping our world. Few, however, explain with such lucidity not only why we should pay attention to this phenomenon, but also give us such a practical roadmap to the application of what we have to learn.

Games are structured accelerators for learning. They are extraordinarily effective technologies for learning in groups and for accomplishing things while we learn and not simply after the fact. What Gray, Brown & Macanufo help us to see (the drawings & diagrams are fabulous) is that the game matters because it puts in our hands the technology to create and to explore other worlds, other realities; some possible, some parallel, some fantastical, but all of which are places that allow us to get beyond the constraints and the limitations of the present and the ordinary or mundane.

Gamestorming gives us both a roadmap for understanding why games matter so much and, as the authors properly say, an accessible "playbook" for how to use these powerful technologies.

My most grave complaint is that Gamestorming is still a book. Not withstanding the effort to challenge the limitations of the book (see the website at [...]), Gamestorming strains to show us things that belong on another platform altogether, perhaps something like the gamelayer that is starting to be built on top of the world we now "know": isn't that the "place" we should all go gamestorming?

This book is outstanding!
This book is outstanding! Simple yet powerful. "Gamestorming" offers a provocative framework in which groups can use games to achieve results. More practically, it provides over 80 games that can be played in groups to stimulate new thinking, innovations, creative solutions and game-changing insights. In today's hyper-competitive environment where change is constant and the need for creative solutions is ever-accelerating, this book is essential. In short, it is a great book!

Amazing & Innovative book
This is just the kind of book I was looking for. Management games to be used in presentations and team -building exercises. It had the right content and at a level i wanted for senior managers.
Highly recommended ... Read more

Editorial Review

"A provocative title for a fascinating book."-Charlie Rose

Asked to explain why a few people truly excel, most of us offer one of two answers. The first is hard work. Yet we all know plenty of hard workers who have been doing the same job for years or decades without becoming great. The other possibility is that the elite possess an innate talent for excelling in their field. We assume that Mozart was born with an astounding gift for music, and Warren Buffett carries a gene for brilliant investing. The trouble is, scientific evidence doesn't support the notion that specific natural talents make great performers.

According to distinguished journalist Geoff Colvin, both the hard work and natural talent camps are wrong. What really makes all the difference is a highly specific kind of effort-"deliberate practice"- that few of us pursue when we're practicing golf or piano or stockpicking.

Based on a wide array of scientific research, Talent Is Overrated shares the secrets of extraordinary performance and shows how to apply these principles. It features the stories of extraordinary people who never stopped challenging themselves and who achieved world- class greatness through deliberate practice- including Benjamin Franklin, comedian Chris Rock, football star Jerry Rice, and top CEOs Jeffrey Immelt and Steven Ballmer. ... Read more

Reviews

Exhilarating, Infuriating or Terrifying -- it all depends on you
I inhaled this book. The informal plan was to read it over a few short weeks. Instead I plowed through it in maybe three days.

For those teetering on the edge of greatness -- or thinking about really going for the gusto, in whatever field or endeavor that has captured their spirit -- this book is an invitation to walk among the gods.

For those who have soured on their dreams and bitterly written them off, however, this book will be painful. It might even read like a damning indictment, and thus incite a hostile emotional response.

And finally, this book also has the potential to be terrifying. For those who feel the pull of greatness but also wrestle with a deep-seated fear of failure, the starkness of the choice will be revealed to them in these pages.

Why? Because Colvin's deeper message, beyond the powerful insights into "Deliberate Practice" and what it can do, is that there is no excuse. Whatever it is you like (or love) to do, the fact that you don't hate it means you probably have the basic tools -- and so there's no reason you can't get better, maybe a lot better. And so, at the end of the day, there is simply no real excuse for not being great. Only the classic Bartleby the Scrivener response: "I prefer not to."

Greatness requires dedication and sacrifice, period. Being good at something requires a fair amount... being great requires a huge amount. If you truly desire greatness -- or simply to be great at what you do -- then much sacrifice is required.

But I fudge slightly. The book does leave room for one excuse of sorts, but not a very satisfying one. In some cases of highly competitive endeavor, wunderkinds (like Mozart and Tiger Woods) have built up a nearly insurmountable "time in the saddle" advantage via taking up the hard work of Deliberate Practice (which I shall from here on out refer to as DP) at an astonishingly young age.

Olympian swimmer Michael Phelps has analogized his hard training to putting credits in the bank. DP is like a disciplined investing program -- the longer you do it, the more compounding you see, and it takes many years up front to get to a point of real momentum. This makes it all but impossible in certain prodigy-dominated arenas to come to the game late and try to catch someone who has been continuously working their butt off from, say, age twelve. (Or in Tiger and Mozart's case, age three.)

My personal experience with DP -- which I practice in the world of trading and investing -- is that it's a lot like running. The brain is like a muscle, or rather a group of muscles, that has to be built up, like legs and heart and lungs for the runner, if a rigorous DP program is to be sustained.

This is another reason why getting into DP is so hard for the average individual. People don't intuitively grasp the concept that the brain is like a muscle... that you have to strengthen your cognitive control and tighten up your executive functions before you can become a powerhouse.

Nobody starts out on a running program from a dead stop and assumes they'll be able to run three marathons every week. They build up to it, and work on ways to overcome the initial physical pain and resistance that act as a barrier before "runner's high" kicks in and positive addiction carries them through.

It's a similar dynamic with DP. Many people fail in their early quest for excellence, I suspect, because the mind flags and the will tires, and instead of taking this as a normal part of the training process -- like being winded in the early stages of a running program -- they decide they can't hack it and quietly slip back into mediocrity.

Another thing I liked about this book is how it puts talent in the proper context. Is it true that talent is overrated? Well, yes. Based on these findings, absolutely. But that doesn't mean talent plays no role in success. It simply means that having some modicum of talent (whether imparted by genes or favorable early developments) is often a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for success. That lack of sufficiency, i.e. talent alone not being "enough," or even anywhere close to enough, is an absolutely critical point.

It's a further interesting quirk that too much talent can even be an impediment, in certain cases, if the obvious presence of said talent convinces the individual that it's okay to shirk on DP. It's no statistical accident, for example, that the less flashy "work horses" of the baseball and basketball worlds tend to have longer careers than their flashier co-players, thanks to a tighter regime of working hard on the fundamentals to make up for lesser natural gifts. And it seems like we all know someone who had a great knack for playing guitar or piano by ear in high school, but couldn't be bothered to put in the sweat equity of trying to develop it into something more.

Now, go forth and get on the path to greatness.

Deliberate practice "hurts but it works."

Colvin set out to answer this question: "What does great performance require?" In this volume, he shares several insights generated by hundreds of research studies whose major conclusions offer what seem to be several counterintuitive perspectives on what is frequently referred to as "talent." (See Pages 6-7.) In this context, I am reminded of Thomas Edison's observation that "vision without execution is hallucination." If Colvin were asked to paraphrase that to indicate his own purposes in this book, my guess (only a guess) is that his response would be, "Talent without deliberate practice is latent" and agrees with Darrell Royal that "potential" means "you ain't done it yet." In other words, there would be no great performances in any field (e.g. business, theatre, dance, symphonic music, athletics, science, mathematics, entertainment, exploration) without those who have, through deliberate practice developed the requisite abilities.

It occurs to me that, however different they may be in almost all other respects, athletes such as Cynthia Cooper, Roger Federer, Michael Jordan, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Lorena Ochoa, Candace Parker, Michael Phelps, Vijay Singh, and Tiger Woods "make it look so easy" in competition because their preparation is so focused, rigorous, and thorough. Obviously, they do not win every game, match, tournament, etc. Colvin's point (and I agree) is that all great performers "make it look so easy" because of their commitment to deliberate practice, often for several years before their first victory. In fact, Colvin cites a "ten-year rule" widely endorsed in chess circles (attributed to Herbert Simon and William Chase) that "no one seemed to reach the top ranks of chess players without a decade or so of intensive study, and some required much more time." The same could also be said of "overnight sensations" who struggled for years to prepare for their "big break" on Broadway or in Hollywood.

Colvin duly acknowledges that deliberate practice "is a large concept, and to say that it explains everything would be simplistic and reductive." Colvin goes on to say, "Critical questions immediately present themselves: What exactly needs to be practiced? Precisely how? Which specific skills or other assets must be acquired? The research has revealed answers that generalize quite well across a wide range of fields." Even after committing all of my time and attention to several years of deliberate practice, under the direct supervision of the best instructor (e.g. Hank Haney, Butch Harman, or David Leadbetter) I probably could not reduce my handicap to zero but I could lower it under those conditions. Colvin's insights offer a reassurance that almost anyone's performance can be improved, sometimes substantially, even if it isn't world-class. Talent is overrated if it is perceived to be the most important factor. It isn't. In fact, talent does not exist unless and until it is developed...and the only way to develop it is (you guessed it) with deliberate practice. When Ben Hogan was asked the "secret" to playing great golf, he replied, "It's in the dirt."

Others have their reasons for thinking so highly of this book. Here are three of mine. First, Colvin's observations and suggestions are research-driven rather than based almost entirely on theories developed in isolation from real-world phenomena. He commits sufficient attention to identifying the core components of great performance but focuses most of his narrative to explaining how almost anyone can improve her or his own performance. He reveals himself to be both an empiricist as he shares what he has observed and experienced and a pragmatist who is curious to know what works, what doesn't, and why. I also appreciate Colvin's repudiation of the most common misconceptions about the various dimensions of talent. For example, that "is innate; you're born with it, and if you're not born with it, you can't acquire it." Many people still believe that Mozart was born with so much talent that he required very little (if any) development. In fact, according to Alex Ross, "Mozart became Mozart by working furiously hard" as did all others discussed, including Jack Welch, David Ogilvy, Warren Buffett, Robert Rubin, Jerry Rice, Chris Rock, and Benjamin Franklin. Some were prodigies but most were late-bloomers and each followed a significantly different process of development. About all they shared in common is their commitment to continuous self-improvement through deliberate practice.

Here's another reason I hold this book in such high regard. Throughout his narrative, Colvin inserts clusters of insights and recommendations that literally anyone can consider and then act upon to improve her or his individual performance as well as helping to improve the performance of a team of which she or he is a member. For example:

1. Attributes of deliberate practice (Pages 66-72)
2. What top performers perceive that others do not notice (Pages 89-94)
3. Benefits of having a "rich mental model"(Pages 123-124)
4. Rules for peak performance that "elite" organizations follow (Pages 128-136)
5. Misconceptions about innovation and creativity (Pages 149-151)
6. How innovators become great (Pages 159-161)
7. How to make organizations innovative (Pages 162-166)
8. What homes can teach organizations (Pages 172-175)
9. The "drivers" of great performance (Pages 187-193)
10. How some organizations "blow it" (Pages 194-198)

Colvin provides a wealth of research-driven information that he has rigorously examined and he also draws upon his own extensive and direct experience with all manner of organizations and their C-level executives. Throughout his narrative, with great skill, he sustains a personal rapport with his reader. It is therefore appropriate that, in the final chapter, he invokes direct address and poses a series of questions. "What would cause you to do the enormous work necessary to be a top-performing CEO, Wall Street trader, jazz, pianist, courtroom lawyer, or anything else? Would anything? The answer depends on your answers to two basic questions: What do you really want? And what do you really believe? What you want - really want - is fundamental because deliberate practice is a heavy investment." Corbin has provided all the evidence anyone needs to answer those two questions that, in fact, serve as a challenge.

Colvin leaves no doubt that by understanding how a few become great, anyone can become better...and that includes his reader. This reader is now convinced that talent is a process that "grows," not a pre-determined set of skills. Also, that deliberate practice "hurts but it works." Long ago, Henry Ford said, "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right." It would be "tragically constraining," Colvin asserts, for anyone to lack sufficient self-confidence because "what the evidence shouts most loudly is striking, liberating news: That great performance is not reserved for a preordained few. It is available to you and to everyone."

The Importance of Deliberate Practice
Last fall my friend Ron gave me a copy of Geoff Colvin's Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else, which is far and away my favorite business book of the past year. (And, yes, I read more than one.)

Why do some hardworking people remain in a job for many years without increasing the quality of their work? Why do they fail to make the transition from average to outstanding performers? Too quickly we assume that the difference lies in innate abilities, those natural talents and gifts bestowed upon us at birth. Not so, argues the author. What distinguishes top producers from others is hard work, and not just any kind of work, but work that has at its foundation the specific concept of "deliberate practice."

What is deliberate practice? Deliberate practice is characterized by five basic elements: (1) it is designed specifically to improve performance, (2) if can be repeated a lot, (3) feedback is continuously available, (4) it is highly demanding mentally, and (5) it isn't much fun. (66-78)

You've heard the saying, "Practice makes perfect." No, it doesn't. Only perfect practice makes perfect. If I go to a batting cage daily and flail away at hundreds of pitched balls, month after month, I will probably show modest improvement in my hitting. But my untutored approach won't be disciplined or consistent, and the progress of my improvement will soon level off. In fact, the more I hit the more I will reinforce bad habits. Without an instructor's help and feedback, I'll waste a whole lot of time. Hours of hard work with little benefit. What's more frustrating than to work hard but produce little?

What I need is deliberate practice, which requires a teacher who gives me not only instruction but also immediate feedback. Marked improvement will follow as he instructs me in the mechanics of hitting, and then watches me practice, reinforcing what's right about my batting stroke, correcting what's wrong, and working with me over many months, even years. Hitting will never become automatic, because as I reach each new level of proficiency in striking the ball, additional areas of improvement will become clear to my instructor, first, and, and then to me.

Obviously, deliberate practice takes time. After evaluating top performers in a variety of fields, Colvin concludes, "not one, not even the most `talented' performers, became great without at least ten years of very hard preparation." (61-62) Others have called this the "Ten Thousand Hour Rule" - approximately 10,000 hours of deliberate practice is required to become first-rate in any profession. Deliberate practice requires such sustained concentration that four or five hours a day is about the upper limit. (71) To put this in perspective, to reach 10,000 hours of deliberate practice requires a commitment of four hours a day, five days a week, for ten years. It's easy to see why so few make the transition from average to great. Also clear is the threat of constant distractions - from cell phones, computers, and PDA's - all of which, if we are not careful, deplete our powers of concentration, as well as hobbies that routinely consume enormous amounts of time. We must be able to distinguish between hobbies that refresh us from those that control us. Time is precious, and must be closely guarded.

People often attribute the early successes of people like Warren Buffet, Tiger Woods, and Mozart to their natural talent, and label them child prodigies. Certainly, each possessed raw natural and intellectual abilities. Nevertheless, what sets them apart from equally gifted people is deliberate practice, and each of these men put in their 10,000 hours earlier than most because of parental example and a rigorously enforced and supervised practice schedule. Tiger Woods would not be the golfer he is today if he first picked up a club at age 18 and started hitting golf balls. Demands of higher education, jobs, and family life would probably have made it impossible, that late in life, for him to achieve 10,000 hours of deliberate practice devoted to a game.

The book has a helpful chapter on cultivating the habits of deliberate practice among the members of organizations. Parents will want to consider Colvin's thoughts on how a supportive home environment helps a child to start developing early.

I've heard people say that success is more about "I will" than "IQ," an assertion the author's studies support. He writes, "IQ is a decent predictor of performance on an unfamiliar task, but once a person has been at a job for a few years, IQ predicts little or nothing about performance." (45) But even hard work is not enough. Without deliberate practice at its foundation, much human potential is wasted.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in improving performance. Whether it's preaching or teaching, honing sales skills, becoming a top actor or musician, or mastering the intricacies of a complicated technology field or organizational system, each of us should be building our work on the concept of deliberate practice.

Great performers work harder and in a more focused way than everybody else
I have always held that talent is a multiplier of work rather than the decisive factor in accomplishment and success. By this I mean that someone whose has a high level of talent, say a 10, and an average level of work, a 5, is going to accomplish at a level of 50. While a person of a level 7 talent who works very hard, a level 10, will outperform them at a level of 70. I have seen this borne out again and again in my life.

Geoff Colvin says that it isn't talent or hard work that are the deciding factors in achieving great performance, but a specific kind of focus when developing and practicing your skills. He calls it deliberate practice. Highly successful people not only practice a lot and work very hard at it, but they also have the ability to focus on what it is that must be practiced and how to work at it. And they can do this even though it is not particularly enjoyable and can, in fact, be painful.

Colvin argues that what we often point to as talent, say, for playing a musical instrument or any specific skill really doesn't exist. When high performers are examined there is little consistent evidence that being a prodigy is a strong predictor of later success. Even Mozart and Tiger Woods, were less about a Divine Spark and more about who their father's were, the focused training they received, and the immense amount of deliberate practice they put in. The author shows us how Jerry Rice worked six days per week during the off season to develop his abilities. Rice identified areas that mattered to his success and developed them systematically. He worked on developing his cardiovascular strength in the mornings, weight training in the afternoons, and those who joined him to see what is was like ended up feeling sick. These people tried to jump into a practice regimen that Rice had built up over years. No wonder they couldn't keep up! Deliberate practice requires building up abilities through repetition after repetition after repetition regardless of how you feel about doing it at any given time.

This repetition provides you with a level of familiarity and insight that others will not possess. While it may appear to be talent or luck, it is really based on becoming so familiar with the tasks involved and knowing at every moment what is going on. The book also takes you through how to apply it to your own life and in your business.

The multiplier idea I have long held is discussed on page 198 in very similar terms to my own. I also agree with him when he says, "What you really believe about the source of great performance thus becomes the foundation for all you will ever achieve." Colvin is honest that great achievement has a high price, a price most people are not willing to pay. However, even if you aren't aiming at greatness, you can still use these ideas to improve and accomplish more.

I think this is right. However, can I note that I think that insight to know what the right practice is and the capacity for that level of work is also a talent, is it not?

May 2009 revision. After thinking about this book a bit more, I want to push back a bit on the notion of someone like a Mozart being just a more focused worker. Or that there are more gifted prodigies today. Bunk. Point me to the body of work created by the hard working musicians who did their "deliberate" practice and created a body of work like Mozart? I think Haydn would be a much better example of the kind of thing the book is aiming at, but the general public doesn't know Haydn so well anymore. The musicologist the author cites trying to bring Mozart down to earth is only a musicologist, and not the final word on Mozart. While it is true that Mozart was not not as popular in his day as he is today, the people of real musical sophistication, Haydn above all, knew his worth. The public is always a poor barometer of artistic worth. Haydn's work is just as wonderful as it was a century ago, or two centuries ago, but the public doesn't esteem it as it should. Is Haydn less than he once was? No. We don't judge the art, our reaction to it judges us. The reputations of Mozart and Haydn were just about opposite a century ago than they are today. In reality, they are both musicians of inestimable worth and deserve our constant attention and careful study. Remember, this book is really about averages and statistics. You are an individual, not a statistic. The capacity for focused work is indeed a talent and one you can develop like any other. If you want something, go after it with your heart and soul.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI
... Read more

Editorial Review

Do you want to get ahead in life?

Climb the ladder to personal success?

The secret, master networker Keith Ferrazzi claims, is in reaching out to other people. As Ferrazzi discovered early in life, what distinguishes highly successful people from everyone else is the way they use the power of relationships—so that everyone wins.

In Never Eat Alone, Ferrazzi lays out the specific steps—and inner mindset—he uses to reach out to connect with the thousands of colleagues, friends, and associates on his Rolodex, people he has helped and who have helped him.

The son of a small-town steelworker and a cleaning lady, Ferrazzi first used his remarkable ability to connect with others to pave the way to a scholarship at Yale, a Harvard MBA, and several top executive posts. Not yet out of his thirties, he developed a network of relationships that stretched from Washington’s corridors of power to Hollywood’s A-list, leading to him being named one of Crain’s 40 Under 40 and selected as a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the Davos World Economic Forum.

Ferrazzi's form of connecting to the world around him is based on generosity, helping friends connect with other friends. Ferrazzi distinguishes genuine relationship-building from the crude, desperate glad-handling usually associated with “networking.” He then distills his system of reaching out to people into practical, proven principles. Among them:

Don’t keep score: It’s never simply about getting what you want. It’s about getting what you want and making sure that the people who are important to you get what they want, too.

“Ping” constantly: The Ins and Outs of reaching out to those in your circle of contacts all the time—not just when you need something.

Never eat alone: The dynamics of status are the same whether you’re working at a corporation or attending a society event— “invisibility” is a fate worse than failure.

In the course of the book, Ferrazzi outlines the timeless strategies shared by the world’s most connected individuals, from Katherine Graham to Bill Clinton, Vernon Jordan to the Dalai Lama.

Chock full of specific advice on handling rejection, getting past gatekeepers, becoming a “conference commando,” and more, Never Eat Alone is destined to take its place alongside How to Win Friends and Influence People as an inspirational classic. ... Read more

Reviews

Caveat Networker, March 12, 2005
It seems like much of the efficacy of Ferrazzi's tactics lies in blurring the distinction between the personal and the professional connections. Not even church-going remains sacred.

At what point does a close-knit network become more invaluable than acquaintanceships struck during in-flight snackbreaks? Are 500 people willing to answer your calls (after the umpteenth time you've attempted to ambush them on the phone during their off hours) really an asset? Readers should keep in mind that one will not be able to fool all of the people all of the time with false pretenses of friendship. Ferrazzi's work would be more effective if he differentiated between intensities of friendship and the tactics most appropriate for each.

Further difficulties include:
-Networking Plan of Action (unfortunately acronymed NAP) includes scarcely a page of information about how to construct one.
-The arguments are often internally inconsistent: receiving an invitation to a 15 min coffee break is an affront, while sending one tops the personal arsenal list. Katharine Graham is eulogized as a champion of both "somebodies" and "nobodies." Yet Ferrazzi's lists of "people he'd like to meet" and his incessant extolling of the virtues of name-dropping seems to indicate "nobodies" are nobodies in his book. Finally, the distinction between a "networking jerk" and commendable behavior is, at best, subtle.
-For an individual so concerned with connectedness, it is curious that a bibliography or appendix of suggested reading is entirely absent.

May I suggest:
*How to Win Friends and Influence People: soft skills development
*Big Fish (a novel of "mythic proportions" by Daniel Wallace): a more sympathetic view on spin, for contemplating your own self-marketing plan or why Ferrazzi really left Deloitte.
*The Tipping Point: Chapter 2 is a more rigorous exploration of the roles the uber-connected play in social networks.

Hardly "revolutionary", December 29, 2005
The book isn't that bad, but it isnt worth buying with so many other masters out there writing about how to get it done. Here's what's wrong....

First, it's billed as "revolutionary" concepts which I found to hardly be true. Almost evey idea was something that I've read in a Covey, Mackay, Peters, etc book. Recycled.

Further, he's so proud of his accomplishments it becomes exhausting to keep up with all the great things KF did in his life.

Finally, he writes often about how he was from poor, underprivileged family and he had nothing but his "revolutionary" concepts to break him into The Club. I believe it at first, until he started (and then repeated) to tell the reader about how he went to a private elementary and HS, then to Yale and Harvard BS. He was IN the club from first grade - hardly a life course that demonstrated how unique and terrific his practices were.

Not Your Typical Networking Book, March 5, 2005
I'm a naturally shy person and I've always hated the concept of "networking." Everyone I know that practices it in the commonly accepted sense is a complete jerk. This book, however, addresses the true power behind networking; building actual relationships. I would probably give the book 4.5 stars, since too much of it is devoted to name dropping, but this small flaw does not detract from the value of the book. Mr. Ferrazzi takes the approach of building meaningful relationships with others, even when time is short. He doesn't advocate carpet bombing a room with your business cards or hanging out with people you despise as a means of getting ahead. I appreciate the fact that the author came from humble beginnings and was able to reach such heights in the world of business. There are several practical approaches that are discussed in this book that can be of help to both extroverts and the relatively introverted.

Don't let the title and attractive bright orange cover fool you, December 18, 2005
While I was reading the book, I actually convinced myself to go the extra mile and keep open lines of communication with random people (albeit, financially/socially powerful) in my naive enjoyment. However, after I finally made it through (its 250+ pgs), I realized that a lot of the content is bogus and not realistic in a "regular" lifestyle (unless your dad fed you into Yale and you cruised your way to a Harvard MBA, and then could afford to finally ask yourself what you actually want to do). I do love how some authors pride themselves on their humble upbringing, but yet somehow acsend to Ivy League undergrad & grad school through a favor. Anyways getting back to my point, do not buy the book - I recommend sitting at Barnes, Borders, etc. and reading the first 60-80 pgs (max). If you're looking for some motivation/tactics of networking, you might find it within that portion. The rest 150+ pgs just beats a dead horse. I'm a slow reader and the small amount of time it takes to hit the first 60 pages isn't worth paying for.

He has some good points., January 18, 2006
He really has something to say, but he stresses too much on his personal accomplishments. The book seems to me very egocentric. He is also very subjective and ambiguous in some of his maxims. Sometimes I had the feeling that this book is part of his networking tools, using it to promote himself and friends. But there is good information in this book; you just have to bear with the style to extract it.

A Valuable Message; Details May Vary, February 25, 2005
For all the five-star reviews that are going to pop up here in the next few days, be cognizant that the author of this book is a master networker, and is adept at calling in favors. What follows is an unbiased look at the book.

The author's message is simple yet powerful: Everything you do in life is enabled by others. The more people you know, the more you are capable of, and the more you are capable of helping others. The power of your network goes up exponentially with the number of relationships and with the strength of those relationships. Anyone who thinks that success is based solely on merit is sadly delusional.

The advice and techniques he gives are broken out by chapter. Some are insightful and useful, such as discovering what's important to people and finding ways to help them, how to work conferences, and how to connect with other well-connected people. Others are questionable from a style standpoint, and seem to serve as a boastful review of the author's own methods, such as his extravagant dinner parties, or interrupting a conversation midstream in order to call someone who is relevant to the current topic. He also emphasizes constant emailing and calling just so you don't fall off someone's radar, even if you have nothing to say to that person except "I exist". How annoying.

The book gets 3 stars for being important and relevant. It gets another for getting down and dirty in the details of connecting with people. It doesn't get the fifth star for being verbose, sometimes repetitive, and for taking such an extreme stance when most of us are mere networking mortals. At its core, the ideas in this book are incredibly valuable, once you adapt them to your own personality.

Ashamed of myself for reading this, August 6, 2005
In my own life, it occurred to me that I have difficulty staying in contact with people I know and reaching out to people I don't know. I want to do these things without being a smarmy, conniving, smily sycophant. Then I see the author on the Today show saying he could show me how to do these things and maintain my integrity too! Looks like he was just using his book's tactics to get $20 out of my pocket. It's a most elegant irony that there is actually a chapter on the "networking jerk." The rest of the book will make you exactly that. If he cut out all the self-promoting passages about his own accomplishments, the book would have 1/3 fewer pages. The only words of real wisdom in the book are but common sense that happen to be difficult to put into practice (e.g. Be generous and don't keep score). His real formula is this: Have your Dad get you into a fancy prep school, go to Yale, go to Harvard, latch onto someone with a great idea and become their protege, voila - you're a CEO.

A useful read, March 21, 2005
I am not a natural networker, so I found nuggets worth having in this book. I would recommend it to people who regard themselves as unproductively reticent. Many of the other reviews recount the book's strengths so I will focus just on my reservations.

1. Perspectiveless
Mr. Ferrazzi is wildly enthusiastic about the chance to meet people and sign deals. To most businessmen this is just a start, however. Good business starts with moments like this, but then goes on to substantial accomplishments. These accomplishments are invariably complex, as it requires addressing the needs of customers, employees, shareholders, fellow executives, creditors, suppliers and others. None of this comes into play in "Never Eat Alone". I can recall one sentence that acknowledged that a well-connected life can include complications like a spouse or child.

2. Inconsistent
An earlier review mentioned this point. Let me just confirm that I too found some of the authors positions in conflict. Mr. Ferrazzi comes very close to admitting getting burned out (who hasn't?) and finding relief in getting away (evidently to a meditation retreat, although that wasn't clear). It seems hard to reconcile that to the chapter entitled "Balance is B.S.".

3. Sometimes vague
This criticism is completely untrue of the first two-thirds of the book. However, having repeated himself rather often in that fraction, the author seems to have run out of concrete details in the last third. For example, in a late chapter he enthusiastically endorses mentor/mentee relationships. That seems very plausible, but it is unclear what is meant by the term. Does mentoring involve meeting with a young person once, twice, or regularly over a period of years? Much of the first part of the chapter revolves around Mr. Ferrazzi's relationship with his father, which is something more than a mentoring relationship. Then focus shifts to how he met his first boss/mentor, but that has only one paragraph that extends past the process by which he was recruited to his first post-MBA job.

4. Sometimes unfair.
The last chapter considers the question, "What is my legacy?" Fair enough. In response to a challenge in the last chapter, most people over the age of 40 will find it easier to recall the names of any three civil rights leaders than the last three CEOs of a large corporation (IBM, Wal-Mart, GM). But it is illiberal ask for any three people from one group versus three specific people from another, to ignore the obvious media bias, and to then wrap it all into the now-sacrosanct aura of the civil rights movement. Books designed to motivate should stay away from debating tricks.

If you, like Mr. Ferrazzi, are going to be the chief marketeer for a marketing company, then this may be just the book you need. If you need perspective on how connecting with others fits in with your myriad other skills, look elsewhere. But if you simply want advice on how to improve your ability to network, then this fits the bill.

Great action ideas. But K.F. does not relate to non-MBA entrepeneurs w/ families., September 23, 2005
So Keith went to a prestigious school. He repeats this over and over again from beginning to end. His book is 65% personal stories of meeting other VIPs, MBAs and PhDs, which could be motivational but leaves the reader in want to be inspired.
Keith apparently has no family ties or obligations, no spouse, no children, no parents to take care of. (Ironic when you reach the Health, Wealth and Children chapter.) He writes as if every other business man or woman is in the same care-free state of living as he. His life is "pinging" with colleagues and VIPs and making appointments 24/7 with as many prestigious and pedigreed people as possible and if he can't reach them, try the gateway lady (aka Admin. Assistant) because her only importance is her connection to the CEO. BTW, he never mentions taking the Admin. out to lunch.
He defends his way of living by saying that being balanced is B.S. I guess if you don't have a life either, by all means, have your lavish dinners and ping away.

Never sit next to Ferrazzi on a plane ride, December 16, 2005
I found this book difficult to take seriously. It's advice is great if you are neurotically insecure and need everyone to like you, but I seriously doubt if you'll make many friends by pinging people you meet on planes. Ferrazzi comes across as an annoyingly insecure nuisance, name-dropping like it might impress people, spewing out blindingly obvious bullet points on how to be a human being.

His approach to networking is exactly how gay men chat each other up at nightclubs. It works if you have no family, no responsibilities beyond work and can affort to flirt from one casual acquaintance to another without worrying about depth of relationship. It's the business equivalent of casual sex. Enjoy. ... Read more

Editorial Review

How anyone can be more effective with less effort by learning how to identify and leverage the 80/20 principle--the well-known, unpublicized secret that 80 percent of all our results in business and in life stem from a mere 20 percent of our efforts.

The 80/20 principle is one of the great secrets of highly effective people and organizations.

Did you know, for example, that 20 percent of customers account for 80 percent of revenues? That 20 percent of our time accounts for 80 percent of the work we accomplish? The 80/20 Principle shows how we can achieve much more with much less effort, time, and resources, simply by identifying and focusing our efforts on the 20 percent that really counts. Although the 80/20 principle has long influenced today's business world, author Richard Koch reveals how the principle works and shows how we can use it in a systematic and practical way to vastly increase our effectiveness, and improve our careers and our companies.

The unspoken corollary to the 80/20 principle is that little of what we spend our time on actually counts. But by concentrating on those things that do, we can unlock the enormous potential of the magic 20 percent, and transform our effectiveness in our jobs, our careers, our businesses, and our lives. ... Read more

Reviews

If you only read five books, this should be one: 80/20, January 22, 2003
The principle is simple, but counter-intuitive: Nature creates imbalances. This is true for money (20% of people have 80% of the wealth), crime (20% of criminals commit 80% of crimes), energy usage (15% of population uses 85% of energy), competition (20% of suppliers have 80% of market share)and even carpet (20% gets 80% wear and tear). . .

In a non-linear world:

1) Celebrate exceptional productivity . . .look for the short cut. . .be selective. . . only do what you do best. (pg 38)

2) Keep it simple. Size often creates complexity - which in turn creates inefficiency. Pour your effort into the 20% that makes a difference. Sometimes it is better to lose unprofitable customers to competitors (pg 93)

3) Hold on to your good customers and employees forever!

4) The key to 80/20 is not time-mangement. Don't try to do more. Just do more of the right things.

5) Do what you enjoy because enthusiasm and success is a complementary cycle.

6) Three great lists:
The top 10 low-value uses of time (pg 161)
The top 10 highest value uses of time (pg 161)
The ten golden rules for career success (pg 194)

Good Explination of Concept; Don't Read Cover-to-Cover, December 1, 2002
In The 80/20 Principle, Koch proffers that 20 percent of what companies and individuals do generates over 80 percent of their positive results (a theory that he attributes to Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist around the turn of the 20th century). Koch proposes that by identifying the 20 percent of the activities that generate 80 percent of the results and increasing the effort put into those 20-percent activities you can dramatically improve results. To this end he provides an astute evaluation of the economic and social realities of business.

Koch goes further, though, and tries to extrapolate the 80/20 theory to success, happiness and life in general. While some of what he suggests makes sense, his examples seem to get progressively weaker as he moves away from the world of business.

The book's other main flaw results from its severe organizational problems. Koch seems to have a very limited number of examples - and because of their repeated re-use (and in many cases their limited pertinence to the topic at hand) the book seems to weave in and out of topics, making it somewhat difficult to follow for anything else than a linear read.

The principal, itself, is almost a truism, which as Koch points out, is not thought about nearly enough. The books main strength is that he explains the concept quite well. Unfortunately, the extrapolation to life in general and the organizational difficulties make 80 percent of the book just not worth reading. Read the first two chapters - they explain the principal - and the last chapter (which basically explains all of the extrapolation theories) then put the book down - you will have read the 20% of the book that contains over 80% of the value!

This Has Real Application for You Today., December 6, 2000
I read this book about a year ago, and still regularly think of it and apply it's concepts in my life and business.

I have worked in sales for years, so I am very familiar with the 80/20 concept as relates to business. Simply stated in my field of real estate it's a proven fact that in different markets of the country and over time 20% of the agents make 80% of the income. This is true in other types of sales as well. Of course the flipside of this is that the large 80% of the agents only make 20% of the income. Basically a small number of people make most of the money. Why this is has been debated, but it seems to be a consistent rule that holds.

Koch points out how 80/20 is seen in other areas. For example 20% of taxpayers account for 80% of IRS revenue. What Koch does then is expand this rule to all aspects of life. He says that the 80/20 rule holds for all kinds of activities. He says that 20% of your work activity is responsible for 80% of your productivity on the job. And that 20% of your leisure time is responsible for 80% of your happiness. When I read this I just knew intuitively that it is true. So the next step is to figure out what the 20% activities are that are paying off the 80% returns in your work, or personal life, or anything. And then devote your energy into those activities and receive huge returns. He says that we're better off focusing on our strong suits where we're most effective rather than focusing our attention on the areas where we think "we need to improve". This idea alone is priceless.

This is practical, useful material that you can put to use today in your business and personal life. Koch has some seemingly offbeat ideas about playing with time unconventionally, boosting happiness, productivity through being "intelligent and lazy", and more that I loved. It really opened my mind to a range of possibilities.

Koch is a successful businessman who says he researched and could find no other books written on this subject.

NO WONDER ITS THE ONLY BOOK ON 80/20 EVER WRITTEN, November 10, 1999
INTERESTING CONCEPT, TEDIOUSLY REPEATED.

I suggest readers borrow this book from a public library and take Richard Koch's Oxford tutor's advice (found on Page 25): "Read the conclusion, then the introduction, then the conclusion again, then dip lightly into any interesting bits.'

More than 80 per cent of the value of this book can be found in 20 per cent or fewer of its pages, and absorbed in less than 20 per cent of the time most people would take to read it through.

Thus re-confirming the 80/20 Principle.

QED

Learn how to double your results with 2/5 effort, April 21, 1998
The 80/20 principle is one of those books where the idea keeps turning over in your head for days after you read it.

The 80/20 rule is one that I use quite often in assessing business situations. The book consists of three parts, an introduction to the rule, its application to business and its application to one's life. Koch does a good job in showing how to apply the 80/20 rule in business.

The real kick from the book is how Koch applies the 80/20 rule to living one's life. If 20% of our efforts yield 80% of the results we can increase our productivity 100% by doubling our 20% activities and eliminating the 80% activities. This would leave you with 60% of your time to do other things, more time with family and friends, hobbies, talking a walk.

An excellent idea, but 20% of the 5 stars is taken out coz.., August 4, 2000
because it's also packed with other BS, like lecturing you on how to use your life and other areas where the author has no authority in. He pointed out some of the voice of opposition, and beat them one after one, However, there is some very important one that he left out. I'm a Hong Kong Chinese, in our 5000years' culture, Yin and Yang has came to play from the very beginning, the author seem to ignore this. For example, he tells you to analyse your life and see which 20% of your life give 80% of your happiness and concentrate on that 20% only. I did just that years ago, but I only got worse, Life is a balance between work and play, you enjoyed that 20% of (yang) activity because you are released from that 80% of (yin) activity. 80% of the tastefulness of hamburger is from 20% of the meat inside, but if you drop the bread on the top and bottom, its taste will become too strong, it'll lose its favor. Similarly, perhaps your honeymoon or a graduation trip to Europe was the most wonderful experience, yet, if you redo that over and over, by principle of marginal return, it'll be boring. If you follow his advice, pretty soon, you'll get bored of everything. 20/80 can be applied perfectly to work, but to play, not so. I also wonder if the author will think 80% of sex pleasure derive from 20% of the time between (yang)climax, so, probably we should drop the (yin) foreplay all together? Well... women suffers if guys do this. ;>

A PROFOUND PRINCIPLE WITH BROAD IMPLICATIONS & APPLICATIONS, May 19, 2000
The "80/20 Principle" was a discovery made by Vilfredo Pareto, a 19th century economist. His discovery was profound and has broad implications today. In a limited sense, the author has done a tremendous service by re-introducing the subject to the general public. The problem with Koch's book is that it can be summed up in a paragraph at most and really does a disservice to the essence of Pareto's findings.

Paretos's findings have touched a great many students of business and economics. In fact, every MBA graduate at one time or another has heard of the "80/20 Principle". The "80/20 Principle", also know as Pareto's law, simply states that approximately 80% of the output is a result of just 20% of the input. In Pareto's case, he found that 80% of the world's resources/wealth was under the control of just 20% of the population. Please note that the use of the term 80/20 is used loosely and is not to be taken literally. The disproportionate relationship could easily be 90/10, 65/25, 70/10, etc. The basic idea behind Pareto's law is that the relationship between input and output is rarely if ever balanced. The key then is to isolate what input is causing the most output. This law can apply to an infinite number of disciplines and can be used to increase productivity on the micro and macro level. The list of relationships goes on and on, but here are just a few examples: 1) Business: Customers-to-Sales, Product Lines-to-Sales, Items-to-Sales, Raw Material-to-Finished Product. 2) Sociological: Automobile Type-to-Number of Accidents. 3) Personal: Hours Worked-to-Productivity, Types of Investments-to-Investment Returns, Scheduled Tasks-to-Personal Happiness.

In a nutshell, do not waste money on the purchase of this book. The explanation cited here is the 20% needed to apply the "80/20 Principle" to all areas of life.

If you only read one book this year, read this one., December 14, 2004
This is the only review I ever wrote for a book, but this is such an important book, that I had to do it. On the face of it the book is self evident in many ways, as the entire book is summarized in its title, the 80/20 Rule: 80% of the results comes from doing the 20% of the work that truly mattered. Yet this book helped me become successful far more than my 2 years MBA. I read about 30 books a year, and in the past 5 years I feel this has been the book that helped me the most in my work and in my life, as it opened my eyes: Do only the 20% that matters the most, and you will have achieved 80% of the results. He also gives other good advice, do what comes easy to you, and become a top expert in it, outsource everthing else. etc..I feel everybody should read this book, it will help them achieve so much more and at the same time, save so much time and effort. It is Priceless advice.

Stop "trying" to be good at everything, May 5, 2005
In today's knowledge-based economy, people are everything. The 80/20 Individual holds within it the potential to unleash the power within yourself and others within your organization.

For me, this book literally changed my life in that it finally sold me on the concept of intensely focusing on my core strengths, rather than vainly attempt to be good at everything. Being good at everything is simply an impossibility and Koch says that energy should be redirected into 20-percent activities.

According to Koch, To become an 80/20 individual, you will need to
take the following nine steps:

1. Use the most creative 20 percent of your imagination and intellect.
2. Spawn and mutate great ideas in creative ways.
3. Find the vital few profit sources in your current or prospective business.
4. "Enlist Einstein" by recognizing the centrality of time in every activity.
5. Hire great individuals - that is, other 80/20 wealth creators.
6. Use your current company's profit potential to your advantage.
7. Exploit creative practices and ideas from other firms.
8. Secure enough capital to succeed.
9. Make zigzag progress - by recognizing that various stages of growth require different approaches.

I'll leave you with this question (which is the question that most changed my life):

---> "What thing are you better at than nearly anyone else?" <---

-----------------
Michael Davis - Editor, Byvation

ADDED IMPLICATIONS FOR YOU FROM THE 80/20 PRINCIPLE, August 8, 1999
I have always found the 80/20 principle to be a valuable starting point in finding ways to improve performance. What I liked about this book was that it drew out more of the implications of that principle than I had previously thought about. If you are not familiar with the principle, this will be a good introduction. If you are familiar, you should probably stick to the implications. The review of what you know may feel a trifle repetitive. Another suggestion, if you keep repeating your focus on the top 20% in each situation, you will make your results geometrically better (more like 1 percent providing 95 percent). If you know people who are not familiar with the principle who are a bit, perhaps, disorganized, this book would be a good gift. Teach this to your children, and you will increase the likelihood that they will move out when they are grown, because they will be able to afford to. ... Read more