First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently
by Marcus Buckingham
from Simon & Schuster
Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman expose the fallacies of standard management thinking in First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently. In seven chapters, the two consultants for the Gallup Organization debunk some dearly held notions about management, such as "treat people as you like to be treated"; "people are capable of almost anything"; and "a manager's role is diminishing in today's economy." "Great managers are revolutionaries," the authors write. "This book will take you inside the minds of these managers to explain why they have toppled conventional wisdom and reveal the new truths they have forged in its place."
The authors have culled their observations from more than 80,000 interviews conducted by Gallup during the past 25 years. Quoting leaders such as basketball coach Phil Jackson, Buckingham and Coffman outline "four keys" to becoming an excellent manager: Finding the right fit for employees, focusing on strengths of employees, defining the right results, and selecting staff for talent--not just knowledge and skills. First, Break All the Rules offers specific techniques for helping people perform better on the job. For instance, the authors show ways to structure a trial period for a new worker and how to create a pay plan that rewards people for their expertise instead of how fast they climb the company ladder. "The point is to focus people toward performance," they write. "The manager is, and should be, totally responsible for this." Written in plain English and well organized, this book tells you exactly how to improve as a supervisor. --Dan Ring
The greatest managers in the world seem to have little in common. They differ in sex, age, and race. They employ vastly different styles and focus on different goals. Yet despite their differences, great managers share one common trait: They do not hesitate to break virtually every rule held sacred by conventional wisdom. They do not believe that, with enough training, a person can achieve anything he sets his mind to. They do not try to help people overcome their weaknesses. They consistently disregard the golden rule. And, yes, they even play favorites. This amazing book explains why.
Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman of the Gallup Organization present the remarkable findings of their massive in-depth study of great managers across a wide variety of situations. Some were in leadership positions. Others were front-line supervisors. Some were in Fortune 500 companies; others were key players in small, entrepreneurial companies. Whatever their situations, the managers who ultimately became the focus of Gallup's research were invariably those who excelled at turning each employee's talent into performance.
In today's tight labor markets, companies compete to find and keep the best employees, using pay, benefits, promotions, and training. But these well-intentioned efforts often miss the mark. The front-line manager is the key to attracting and retaining talented employees. No matter how generous its pay or how renowned its training, the company that lacks great front-line managers will suffer. Buckingham and Coffman explain how the best managers select an employee for talent rather than for skills or experience; how they set expectations for him or her -- they define the right outcomes rather than the right steps; how they motivate people -- they build on each person's unique strengths rather than trying to fix his weaknesses; and, finally, how great managers develop people -- they find the right fit for each person, not the next rung on the ladder. And perhaps most important, this research -- which initially generated thousands of different survey questions on the subject of employee opinion -- finally produced the twelve simple questions that work to distinguish the strongest departments of a company from all the rest. This book is the first to present this essential measuring stick and to prove the link between employee opinions and productivity, profit, customer satisfaction, and the rate of turnover.
There are vital performance and career lessons here for managers at every level, and, best of all, the book shows you how to apply them to your own situation.
Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science
by Charles Wheelan
from W. W. Norton & Company
Finally! A book about economics that won't put you to sleep. In fact, you won't be able to put this one down.
Naked Economics makes up for all of those Econ 101 lectures you slept through (or avoided) in college, demystifying key concepts, laying bare the truths behind the numbers, and answering those questions you have always been too embarrassed to ask. For all the discussion of Alan Greenspan in the media, does anyone know what the Fed actually does? And what about those blackouts in California? Were they a conspiracy on the part of the power companies? Economics is life. There's no way to understand the important issues without it. Now, with Charles Wheelan's breezy tour, there's no reason to fear this highly relevant subject. With the commonsensical examples and brilliantly acerbic commentary we've come to associate with The Economist, Wheelan brings economics to life. Amazingly, he does so with nary a chart, graph, or mathematical equation in sight—certainly a feat to be witnessed firsthand.
Economics is a crucial subject. There's no way to understand the important issues without it. Now, with Charles Wheelan's breezy tour, there's also no reason to fear it.
Don't Shoot the Dog!: The New Art of Teaching and Training
by Karen Pryor
from Bantam
The Laws of Learning in the real world. "Whatever the task, whether keeping a four-year-old quiet in public, housebreaking a puppy, coaching a team, or memorizing a poem, it will go fast, and better, and be more fun, if you know how to use reinforcement." -- Karen Pryor. Physically larger than the previous edition, this revised edition is easier to read with its larger type and pages. It also adds a chapter on Clicker Training: A New Technology. Pryor clearly explains the underlying principles of behavioral training and through numerous fascinating examples reveals how this art can be applied to virtually any common situation. And best of all, she tells how to do it without yelling, threats, force, punishment, guilt trips---or shooting the dog. (Paperback, 202 Pages)
Dictionary of Finance and Investment Terms
by John Downes
from Barron's Educational Series
A small but surprisingly comprehensive dictionary defining over 5,000 terms. The sturdy binding will hold up to a great deal of travel. A very practical and inexpensive gift for any business person or anyone interested in finance and investment.
More than 5,000 terms related to stocks, bonds, mutual funds, banking, tax laws, and transactions in the various financial markets are presented alphabetically with descriptions. Readers will also find a helpful list of financial abbreviations and acronyms, as well as illustrative diagrams and charts. HereÂ’s a valuable short-entry dictionary for business students, as well as for office reference and the home bookshelves of private investors.
The Official LSAT PrepTest 52 (Official LSAT PrepTest)
from Law School Admission Council
The Fundamental Index: A Better Way to Invest
by Robert D. Arnott
from Wiley
Praise for the fundamental index
"The Fundamental Index® method is a controversial financial innovation in the field of passive investing, but this book confronts the whole range of controversy head on. The case for use of the Fundamental Index method and against cap-weighted indexes is uncommonly lucid, well illustrated, and attention-grabbing. You cannot reach a judgment on the Fundamental Index strategy, pro or con, without reading The Fundamental Index."
—Peter L. Bernstein, author of Capital Ideas Evolving
"The Fundamental Index method is a financial innovation so logical that it is compelling to any and all who believe that common sense is a required ingredient for portfolio construction."
—Bill Gross, Chief Investment Officer and founder of PIMCO
"Rob Arnott's idea is both elegant and profound, yet some very smart people have trouble grasping his idea because of their unexamined assumptions about how the market works. This book will help the reader get past those assumptions."
—Jack Treynor, President of Treynor Capital Management, Inc.
"Rob Arnott is a financial pioneer and this volume is a welcome addition to the rapidly evolving debate surrounding the true nature of indexation and passive investing."
—Andrew W. Lo, Harris & Harris Group Professor, Director, MIT Laboratory for Financial Engineering, MIT Sloan School of Management
"Rob's research on the Fundamental Index approach was a major epiphany for me. He has turned conventional investing wisdom on its head. This idea is a BIG deal—it will be the fastest new investment idea to reach $100 billion in assets in history. Every investor needs to read this book."
—John Mauldin, Millennium Wave Investments, author of Bull's Eye Investing and Just One Thing
The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management (Portable Mba Series)
by Eric Verzuh
from Wiley
Until the early '90s, project management was definitely located somewhere near the unsexy end of the business spectrum. But now, with the rise of downsizing and outsourcing, it has become one of the hot disciplines. Professional membership of the U.S.-based Project Management Institute has quadrupled in the last decade, and Microsoft claimed recently to have over 2 million users worldwide of its project-management software. The reasons for this growth are simple. Project management is about managing "projects," that is, unique pieces of work (as opposed to ongoing operations). Downsizing, outsourcing, and the accelerating pace of change have meant that, increasingly, work is carried out on an ad-hoc, one-off project basis. The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management is designed as an advanced textbook for businesspeople with a grasp of the basics and insufficient time (or inclination) to go back to school to learn more. Written by Eric Verzuh, president of the Versatile Company, a leading project-management consultancy, this is not a heavy academic text.
Like the rest of the Fast Forward series, this book is designed to let the reader extract maximum information in minimum time. There is a strong use of graphics with tables, charts cross-heads, and bullet points. Important passages are flagged in bold and/or emblazoned with the words key concept. When you read it, you realize that there is nothing magical about project management, just the application of careful common sense. The book covers all the basic stuff like planning, time-tabling, quantity and price estimation, resource allocation, and scheduling. But it also acknowledges that there is inevitably a political dimension to every project, no matter how small. So it has important sections on how to ensure that all the stakeholders in the project are kept "on board" and the importance of communication.
As Verzuh states in his introduction, "Every project participant from part-time team member to executive sponsor, becomes more effective once he or she understands the basics of project management." Really, this is a book about management that every manager should read, whether he or she has a project or not. --Alex Benady
A timely update of the bestselling guide to effective project management , with free downloadable forms.
The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management is one of the bestselling books ever published on this topic. This revised Third Edition presents managers and team members with proven techniques for managing projects, from establishing project objectives to building realistic schedule and cost projections. While it teaches the basic methods for defining, planning, and tracking a project, it also shows how to use these techniques to build stronger project teams. This third edition includes new chapters on hot topics such as Agile Project Management, PMI exam preparation, best practices for using Microsoft Project, and project selection and portfolio oversight.
An updated and revised edition of a bestselling guide to project management The first edition of The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management sold over 100,000 copies and has been widely adopted in university courses and corporate training programs around the world. The book teaches the basic methods for defining, planning, and tracking a project, as well as techniques for leading and building strong project teams. This new edition includes: - Downloadable, customizable project management forms - Study aids for passing the popular Project Management Professional certification exam - Guidelines for building high-performance project teams - New examples of project management at work in the 21st century Eric Verzuh (Seattle, WA) is certified by the Project Management Institute and is President of The Versatile Company, which delivers project management training and consulting services to such companies as Adobe Systems, Inc., GE, Lockheed Martin, Nordstrom, and the United States Postal Service. He is also the author of The Portable MBA in Project Management (0-471-26899-2), from Wiley.
The Ultimate Sales Letter: Attract New Customers. Boost Your Sales (Ultimate Sales Letter)
by Dan S. Kennedy
from Adams Media
A powerful sales letter is the ultimate marketing tool for all types of business owners, sales reps, and advertising professionals. However, most sales letters end up getting tossed in the junk mail pile. The Ultimate Sales Letter, 3rd Edition shows you how to write letters that get read, generate leads, and make money. Coverage includes:
This guide teaches you a step-by-step system for writing sales letters any business can use--designed by the most successful and highly paid professional direct-response copywriter in the country.
The Ten-Day MBA 3rd Ed.: A Step-By-Step Guide To Mastering The Skills Taught In America's Top Business Schools
by Steven A. Silbiger
from Collins
Now totally revised -- the 3rd edition of The Ten-Day MBA includes the latest topics taught at America's top business schools, including leadership, corporate ethics and compliance, financial planning, and real estate. This internationally acclaimed guide (more than 200,000 copies sold in the United States and around the world) distills the material of the most popular business-school courses taught at Harvard, Stanford, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Chicago, Northwestern, and the University of Virginia. Silbiger's research comes straight from the notes of real MBA students attending these top programs today. You will learn how to:
- Read and understand financial statements
- Develop effective and comprehensive marketing plans
- Understand accounting rules and methods
- Manage your relationship with your boss
- Develop corporate strategies
- Understand the present value concept
- Use quantitative techniques to evaluate projects
- Value stock, bond, and option investments
- Understand the language of business law
- Master the most-used MBA jargon
At the rate of one easy-to-understand chapter a day, this classic business book enables readers to absorb the material, speak the language, and acquire the confidence and experience needed to succeed in the competitive global business world of the twenty-first century.
Words that Sell, Revised and Expanded Edition
by Richard Bayan
from McGraw-Hill
More than 6,000 words and phrases that make the difference between "yadda-yadda-yadda" and copy that sells
Looking for a better way to say "authentic?" Words That Sell gives you 57 alternatives. How about "appealing?" Take your pick from 76 synonyms. You'll even find more than 100 variations on "exciting." Fully updated and expanded, this edition of the copywriting classic is packed with inspiration-on-demand for busy professionals who need to win customers--by mail, online, or in person.
- More than 75 lists of powerful and persuasive words and phrases, including 21 new lists for this edition
- Cross-referencing of categories to jump-start creative thinking
- A crash course in basic copywriting techniques
- Helpful lists of commonly misspelled words, confusing words, pretentious phrases to avoid, and more
Roget's is fine for writing term papers and letters to the editor, but when it comes to the business of writing copy that translates into sales, there is no substitute for Words That Sell.
Find the perfect words and phrases to win over customers
Grabbers that get attention:
No-risk offer * One day only! * No strings attached! * What have you got to lose? * All the right ingredients * Inside information * Do you enjoy...? * Leap into...
Descriptions and benefits that create appeal:
Irresistible * winning * zesty * huggable * satisfying * You'll fall in love with...* Your ticket to... * king-size * Gives you the power * baby-soft *
Clinchers to win over your customer:
Reap the benefits today * Don't miss out! * No risk now, no risk later! * You can do it!* You be the judge * Send for our free catalog * 100% satisfaction guarantee
Special strategies that seal the deal:
Five-star quality * You're worth it * Don't fall for... * We make life easier * You're one of a select few... * discriminating * Your thoughtful gift
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