BOOKWORM.PH

Review
"this is a breakthrough book, with new important ideas. After reading it you will be a believer...that success and fulfillment are achievable only if you're an effective communicator. And it shows the way." --W. Pendleton Tudor, Chairman, AdWeek

"Bert Decker makes communicating come alive...A must read!" --Coauthor, The One Minute Manager

"The sentences are alive and vital. Bert Decker says something and says it powerfully." --Dr. Normal Vincent Peale

"The Decker Method is a must for anyone who truly wants to succeed." --Charles Schwab, Chaiman Charles Schwab & Co.

"If you want to get ahead read Decker's masterpiece. It's a great book." --Al Ries, Coauthor, Positioning

"Bert Decker is to communicating what Tom Peters is to management." --Judith Briles, Author, The Confidence Factor

"Enjoyable, easy-to-read, informative...This book is going to help a lot of people." --Ben Sotille, Chairman and CEO, Gibson Greetings, Inc.
-- Review --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review

Praise For You’ve Got to Be Believed to Be Heard

“The Decker program is a real winner. [Bert Decker has] developed a truly unique method for brainstorming and quickly ordering ideas. I find that I can put a series of thoughts together into a coherent whole—and then easily deliver them to any size audience. I only wish I had learned this system as a young person in school!”—Charles Schwab, chairman of Charles Schwab & Co.

“Bert Decker’s patience and professionalism enabled me to create a message that was from the heart with a confident vision of the journey for the organization. Because he helped me rid my mind of following the script and helped me speak my mind, I actually enjoyed giving the talk.”—Phil Harriman, president of Million Dollar Round Table

“Any professional manager needs to communicate well. The principles and insights of Decker Communications are outstanding—I use them every day.”—Bob Geren, field manager for the Oakland Athletics

“I think what the [process] did at Siemens was to help us quickly frame our thinking into listener-relevant messages. Now we have a consistent template for communicating that starts with a point of view, tells everyone what needs to be done, and gives them reason for doing it. As we have incorporated this incredible tool into our normal process for communicating any message, our people have reacted very positively. It answers the human questions: What? Why? What’s in it for me?”—Susan Schramm, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Siemens

“At a time when public figures can often be creations of their handlers, Bert Decker gives a refreshing view. You’ve Got to Be Believed to Be Heard demonstrates how you can be real and still succeed.”—Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives

“At a time when American companies desperately need to communicate well and energize their people while producing leaders at all levels, Bert Decker provides an empowering guidebook for communicating well to succeed in business.…A perfect blend of wisdom and practical experience.”—Charles Garfield, author of Peak Performers and Second to None

“Bert Decker is to communicating what Tom Peters is to management. Whether you’re connecting with an audience of one or one of thousands, You’ve Got to Be Believed to Be Heard must be your partner. Bert’s book is the definitive work on mastering communications. Buy it, own it, write in it…and don’t loan it out!”—Judith Briles, author of The Confidence Factor and Woman to Woman 2000

“Great book! Lots of practical, easy-to-use, and invaluable information—tips and techniques that will enable anyone to maximize their communication skills. Everyone should have a copy on their desk.”—Robert J. Kriegel, author of If It Ain’t Broke…Break It!

A successful businessman, community activist, and Oprah Winfrey's boyfriend, Graham has written a plan for all who want to improve their lives. His nine-step plan involves increasing self-awareness, creating a vision, developing a plan, understanding and following personal values, taking risks, managing responses to those risks, building a support team, making wise decisions, and forming a total commitment. Although his plan may be most applicable to people focusing on business and career goals, Graham notes that this plan can also be applied to other aspects of life. In fact, he emphasizes that all aspects of one's life must be healthy and looked after for any to flourish. As in most self-help books, much of the text is repetitive. However, Graham's holistic approach is unique, and his examples?his own and those of many other African Americans?are inspiring. Recommended.
-?Elizabeth Caulfield Felt, Washington State Univ. Lib., Pullman
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Amazon.com Review
How, exactly, does a dog work? The authors use the example of a dog who accompanies its human companion on a jog, chases a couple of squirrels, dives into a pond to cool off, then catches up with its master. Later it might roll in something like sewage or a cow pie, but despite the attendant stink, still maintains its charm and enthusiasm. And by the end of the job, the dog is right there with its favorite human. In other words, the dog has managed to get its "work" finished, while still indulging its curiosities, getting its adrenaline flowing, and even stirring up some trouble. Never mind that someone who actually worked that way would be diagnosed with ADD--the authors' point is that work works best when it's regularly infused with fun. That makes people look forward to work--the way the aforementioned dog looks forward to jogging with its human pal--rather than dreading it.

Among the 50 lessons are specific ideas about scheduling games at work, giving employees unexpected rewards, and treating employees better than customers. Even more useful, though, might be the general tips for stress reduction. For example, in chapter 35, "Learn the Wisdom of Water," you learn to react to problems as water reacts: it flows. If it gets blocked, it flows around the problem, but also gradually wears it down. If it is dammed, it eventually finds a way over, under, or through the problem. So when all else fails, the authors say, watch water flow. If you can't do that in the middle of your workday, open the company fridge and stare at a bottle of Evian. Because in absurdity often comes stress relief. --Lou Schuler --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
If people bring a playful attitude to their jobs and think of work as a game, the authors believe, they'll achieve more and find the same work more enjoyable. In 50 brief chapters, Weinstein (Managing to Have Fun), the founder of the Playfair management consulting firm, and Barber, a professor of philosophy at Richland College in Dallas, outline ways to make work fun and offer an offbeat guide to career development. Recommendations for lightening up the workday include wearing Tweety Bird slippers into the office ("Don't Be Afraid to Be a Fool") or cracking an egg on one's head ("Turning Fights Into Frolics"). In the title chapter, the authorsAwho employ the first-person singular throughoutAextol the way dogs approach their canine vocations, exhibiting the renowned virtues of dedication, loyalty, discipline and sensitivity. The more thoughtful strategies on display here highlight interpersonal skills such as looking for the good in others, turning problems into opportunities and avoiding stressAand are exemplified by high-profile corporate Playfair clients. This book is certainly more fun to read than conventional business manuals, but readers will have to avoid the temptation to jump up onto unsuspecting officemates. Author tour.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Amazon.com Review
In 1964, NBC clerk Michael Eisner made $65 a week. Though he only took one business course in his life--accounting--he did have a head for business: as CEO of Disney, he earned over half a billion bucks in 1997. Though he had no foundation in finance, he averted the bloody dismemberment of Disney by takeover sharks when he took over in 1984, and by May 1998 he earned over $80 billion for Disney stockholders. Not bad for a guy who, on his first day in Walt's old office, met a manager of the film division BVD (Buena Vista Distribution) and innocently asked whether "Disney made underwear."

In his memoir, Eisner doesn't air quite as much dirty laundry as we could hope he'd be dopey enough to do. Still, it is revealing, and since it's unheard-of for Hollywood potentates to spill any beans at all, this book is required reading for anyone interested in America's major export, popular culture.

We learn a fair bit of personal stuff: the crucial impact of Eisner's sternly withholding father, who drove Michael to succeed and made him less than effusive himself in praising underlings; his favorite book in youth (The Catcher in the Rye); his encounters with more madcap Hollywood types; his brush with death from heart disease; the day he got the idea for Beverly Hills Cop by getting physically roughed up by a Beverly Hills cop; his plan to add the naughtier cartoon character Mortimer Mouse to Mickey's family.

Eisner gives us his negotiating secret (be willing to walk), his view of prerelease audience testing of shows ("it's almost worthless"), his management strategy (incite raucous debate within strict institutional checks and balances, then make gut decisions), the key to success in movies and TV (strong two-man partnerships: Lew Wasserman and Sid Sheinberg at Universal, Bob Daly and Terry Semel at Warner Bros., and preeminently Eisner and Frank Wells at Disney). Eisner gives a provocative analysis of why Jeffrey Katzenberg and Michael Ovitz proved disastrous partners for him at Disney, and even confesses to a few screwups of his own (losing his temper and helping to blow the Disney America historical park development). --Tim Appelo

From Publishers Weekly
With a strong overtone of moral teaching, college football coaching legend Holtz offers a prosaic but endearing memoir. It's clear from the beginning that Holtz sees coaching as nurturing more than mere athletic achievement; it's an opportunity to mold promising student-athletes into superlative young men: "Coaching gives one a chance to be successful as well as significant." Holtz grew up in a hardscrabble West Virginia mining town in the 1940s and '50s, keeping a determinedly working-class and strictly religious attitude no matter how high he climbed as a coach. His stories of assistant and then head coaching at institutions from Ohio State to North Carolina State—as well as run-ins with big names like Bill Cowherand Bill Clinton—are full of funny anecdotes and neat little lessons, but they tend to blur in the mind. A standout is Holtz's long-term position at Notre Dame, of special importance not just because of his devout Catholicism but also his refreshing devotion to strict academic standards for the players. In fact, what stands out is his modesty and adamant belief that football is ultimately less important than education. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
Holtz was one of the most successful major college football coaches in the last quarter of the twentieth century and beyond. He was head coach at Notre Dame, Minnesota, and South Carolina, among others schools. In this typical coachography, Holtz recounts his difficult post-WWII youth, thanks all who helped him along the way, and then settles into recounting the itinerant life of a gypsy football coach. He moved many times as an assistant, sometimes seeking a better spot as a career move, sometimes because he was part of a staff let go in a head-coaching change. He's funny, has a nice sense of timing when he relates a humorous anecdote, and doesn't seem to take himself too seriously. In fact, he emphasizes that the wins and losses don't really matter, but he hopes he'll be remembered as having played a significant role in the lives of those around him. Holtz comes across as a nice man; his story makes a pleasant reading experience for football fans; and his reputation will generate interest. Wes Lukowsky
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly
With more than seven million copies of 30-odd titles in print, preacher turned leadership guru Maxwell is a one-man publishing empire. His latest follows the proven format—a series of short, friendly sermons filled with plainspoken common sense. This time, Maxwell takes on interpersonal skills, saying, "All of life's successes come from initiating relationships with the right people and then strengthening those relationships by using good people skills." The book offers 25 chapter-based "People Principles" that explore how to prepare oneself for relationships, focus on others, build trust, invest in others and create win-win relationships. The quality of the content varies. Some chapters, like "The Confrontation Principle" with its six-step "road map for healthy confrontation," are concise, thoughtful and original. Others (particularly in the later sections, where the book starts to run out of steam), such as "The Partnership Principle," are more like motivational talks and offer few practical takeaways. Each principle is introduced with two to three pages featuring a familiar figure—Abraham Lincoln, Barbara Walters, Ben Franklin, Angelina Jolie, etc.—or a personal story from the author's life. Maxwell concludes each principle with a page of discussion questions, which should prove useful since the book doesn't lend itself to a cover-to-cover read and is probably best swallowed one principle at a time, with some reflection in between.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description
Relationships are at the heart of every positive human experience. Maxwell, a master communicator and relational expert, makes learning about relationships accessible to everyone. The most sophisticated leaders and salespeople will pick up on skills that will make them even better, and relational novices will learn skills that can transform them into relational dynamos.

Product Description

In Winning, their 2005 international bestseller, Jack and Suzy Welch created a rare document, both a philosophical treatise on fundamental business practices and a gritty how-to manual, all of it delivered with Jack's trademark candor and can-do optimism. It seemed as if "no other management book," in the words of legendary investor Warren E. Buffett, would "ever be needed."

Instead, Winning uncovered an insatiable thirst to talk about work. Since the book's publication, the Welches have received literally thousands of questions from college students and seasoned professionals alike, on subjects ranging from leadership and global competition to tough bosses and building teamwork. Indeed, questions about virtually every business and career challenge have poured in—some familiar, others surprising, many urgent and probing, and all of them powerfully real.

Winning: The Answers takes on the most relevant of these questions, and in doing so, its candid, hard-hitting responses expand and extend the conversation Jack and Suzy Welch began with Winning. It is a dialogue that is sure to be both compelling and immensely useful to anyone and everyone engaged in the vital work of helping an organization grow and thrive.

Sir William Wallace of Ellerslie is one of history's greatest heroes, but also one of its greatest enigmas—a shadowy figure whose edges have been blurred by myth and legend. James MacKay uses all his skills as a historical detective to produce this definitive biography, telling the incredible story of a man who, without wealth or noble birth, rose to become Guardian of Scotland. William Wallace, with superb generalship and tactical genius, led a country with no previous warlike tradition to triumph gloriously over the much larger, better-armed, and better-trained English forces. 700 years later, the heroism and betrayal, the valiant deeds and the dark atrocities, and the struggle of a small nation against a brutal and powerful empire, still create a compelling tale.

Product Description
From Booklist Iacocca is outraged. Now 82, he has seen the U.S. overcome some of its worst crises, including the Great Depression and World War II, through great leadership. As the CEO of Chrysler Corporation, he brought the company back from the brink of bankruptcy and worked with the government to overcome the fallout from the 1970s oil crisis. Now, he says, our government has fallen under the grip of arrogant ideologues and spineless detractors. Our business leaders are more obsessed with stock options and trumping each other's multimillion-dollar salaries than with finding creative solutions to pressing problems, such as the health-care crisis, our loss of competitive edge in the global marketplace, the massive trade deficit, and the slow death of the middle class. He describes his frustration as his successor at Chrysler sold out to Daimler-Benz, and the once proud, independent company lost its soul. Although Iacocca presents a brutal analysis of cronyism in Washington, D.C., the abysmal situation in Iraq, and failed policies at home, he is not a pessimist. With a reputation as a straight shooter, he hopes to inspire more young people to vote. This is a surprisingly outspoken take on the pressing need for real leadership in this country

Berland and Schoen, founding partners of a strategic research firm, take on a familiar subject—examining the common traits of highly successful people—with a fresh twist, arguing that success is achieved not by remaking your personality but by enhancing the skills you already have. They offer ways to use your own skills, attributes and personality as a path to charting an individualized course to achievement. Studies of 50 leaders in a variety of fields (e.g., Mark Burnett, Steve Forbes, Mario Andretti, Bob Woodward) make up the meat of the book and offer models as a learning tool as well as shedding insight into how the successful think. The authors identify four major categories of successful individuals—Natural-Born Leaders, Independence Seekers, Visionaries and Do-Gooders—and determine the inner personality, motivational and external traits that comprise each group. By identifying and embracing the unique potential of these archetypes, readers will be well positioned to put their best self forward. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
"[Berland and Schoen] take on a familiar subject-examining the common traits of highly successful people-with a fresh twist, arguing that success is achieved not by remaking your personality but by enhancing the skills you already have....readers will be well positioned to put their best self forward." (Publishers Weekly )

From Publishers Weekly
Recent research suggests that 75% of all American workers are disengaged from what they do every day and are seeking new work: they've lost sight (and their employers have lost sight), says Jensen, of what really matters most to them. After advising people on bringing simplicity to their lives, Jensen now uses letters written by people from all walks of life and career stages to show how one can recover that sense of purpose. He presents a wide variety of viewpoints and wisdom illustrating the five discoveries that can come from writing a letter expressing the important life lessons one has learned and taking stock of one's values, from "finding yourself" to "finding joy, serenity and fulfillment." Jensen does a wonderful job of pulling together meaningful, often moving letters gathered in the course of his consulting work, many of them missives to children or grandchildren that reflect hard-earned knowledge: a former police officer and prison guard "bequeaths [her] spirit of unrest"; a one-time Microsoft executive writes to her mentees that "I was so completely seduced by the excitement [of work], the adventure... I often forgot I had a body, that that body had limits...." While not every letter in this book will resonate with every reader, there is an abundance of meaningful philosophy, insight and advice. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review
"The candor and human decency expressed in this book should be benchmarks for every decision made on every job." -- Karen Katen, President, Pfizer Global Pharmaceuticals

"The most powerful book about life at work that I have ever read." -- Stephen C. Lundin, aka The Big Tuna, Ph.D., author of the best-selling FISH! book series

"Unique, heartfelt, and practical approach to finding the courage to do more of what’s important and less of what isn’t." -- Julie Jansen, author of I Don't Know What I Want, But I Know It's Not This

"What Is Your Life’s Work? reminds us how short and precious our lives are, helping us recover our own wisdom..." -- Oriah Mountain Dreamer, author of The Invitation and What We Ache For --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Perhaps a more accurate title for this upbeat volume would be: "We Got Hired and You Can Too!" Every one of Mackay’s interviews with the now famously successful (Michael Bloomberg, Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King, Jessie Ventura, Bernie Marcus, etc.) ends with the subject richer for the experience of having been fired—both literally and figuratively. Mackay—a syndicated business advice columnist and author of the 1988 bestseller Swim with the Sharks without Being Eaten Alive—seems to anticipate an audience of downsized managers for this book, but his advice is useful to anyone in the throes of work-related rejection, regardless of their corporate ranking. The combination of interviews and short essays could also serve to introduce workforce newbies to the realities of business life: one essay points out that "If You are Under Thirty, the Likelihood that You Will Be Fired in the Next Twenty Years is 90 Percent." Mackay concludes each chapter with collections of quotable life slogans, such as "Your company may give you the boot, but don’t boot the networks that company has opened for you." He also dishes out helpful suggestions for making the most of an exit, along with tips from Donald Trump on how not to get fired in the first place. And though Mackay’s glowing descriptions of his interviewees can border on pandering and his repeated references to his friendship with Larry King can grow trying, these tales of rejection and redemption form a neat package of inspiration for those in need of an encouraging word and the gentle reminder that terminations simply lead to new beginnings.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description
Authority is defined as “the power of influence,” and how authority is used in your life can help you succeed or fail. In this book, Buddy Harrison reveals the remarkable connection between the elements of faith and the principles of authority

Product Description
Many books teach the "who / what / where / why / how" of professional networking. Truth or Delusion separates the reality from the fantasy by presenting Truths and Delusions about networking and then shows why they are either real or fakes. For example: Delusion: The best way to ensure referral success is to treat your referral sources by the "Golden Rule." Treat them the way you would want to be treated. Truth: The best way is to treat your referral sources the way THEY want to be treated. The referral process is more about emotion than facts. Find out how your referral sources want to be treated and how they would like you to treat their referrals.

As a generation of baby boomers nears retirement, our country is facing a dilemma. By 2010, there may be a shortage of 4 to 6 million workers, causing a dearth of effective leaders. Nearly every recent crisis--corporate bankruptcies, political scandals, moral failures in the church--can be traced to a leadership deficit. The common denominator? Broken trust.

Author Les T. Csorba sees trust as the most indispensable force between leaders and followers. Here he offers observations gleaned from two decades of experience in government, business, church, and family. Part meditation, part how-to manual, Trust examines characteristics of trusted leadership, including The 7 Principles of the Trust. Finally, the book features interactive elements such as The Leader Check: a guide to evaluating whether you are developing the trust necessary to motivate and richly lead followers.

""Ron brought a very thoughtful, honest and direct approach to helping our leadership team understand one another and work together more effectively. the concepts and tools he has developed help leaders shape their organization's culture and reflexes. We are a different and better company today as a result of Ron's influence on our leaders and corporate culture."

Short on pages but long on repetition, this newest book by Godin (Purple Cow) argues that lasting and substantive change can be best effected by a tribe: a group of people connected to each other, to a leader and to an idea. Smart innovators find or assemble a movement of similarly minded individuals and get the tribe excited by a new product, service or message, often via the Internet (consider, for example, the popularity of the Obama campaign, Facebook or Twitter). Tribes, Godin says, can be within or outside a corporation, and almost everyone can be a leader; most are kept from realizing their potential by fear of criticism and fear of being wrong. The book's helpful nuggets are buried beneath esoteric case studies and multiple reiterations: we can be leaders if we want, tribes are the way of the future and change is good. On that last note, the advice found in this book should be used with caution. Change isn't made by asking permission, Godin says. Change is made by asking forgiveness, later. That may be true, but in this economy and in certain corporations, it may also be a good way to lose a job. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
“Tribes is a must read for all of us. It’s up to each one of us to lead in today’s new kind of world.”
—Former U.S. senator Bill Bradley

From Publishers Weekly
Bookstore shelves may be stuffed with time management tomes, but Tracy’s stands out for its insistence that the desire to become more efficient doesn’t always result in the necessary will to do so. Thus before bogging readers down with the necessary evils of time management—lists, lists and more lists—Tracy (Victory!; Focal Point; The 100 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws of Business Success), who has spent more than 20 years as a motivational consultant, builds enthusiasm for the task by showing how it extends beyond the office cubicle to create a successful and satisfying life. "You cannot even imagine a happy, fulfilled person whose life is in a state of disorganization and disarray," he writes. Assuming that readers don’t have the time to camp in an armchair and mull over his advice, Tracy "chunks up" the book by using headings to subdivide chapters and peppering his prose with numbered lists, such as the "12 Proven Principles for Peak Performance" and the "16 Ways to Overcome Procrastination." On occasion, his motivational bent can be too bubbly, especially in the "action exercises" found at the end of each chapter: "Resolve today that you are going to work and practice until you become one of the most efficient, effective, and productive people in your field," or "Resolve today to dedicate yourself to lifelong learning; decide to pay any price, invest any amount of time required, to be the best at what you do." This book offers a smorgasbord of tools and tips for time management, but readers should pick judiciously from this buffet—lest they burn more hours planning how they’ll manage their time than they actually save managing it.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
Tracy, a consultant on personal and professional development, presents a comprehensive system designed to help us increase our productivity and income by taking control of our time. We learn that time management is really managing our lives, and it requires self-control, self-mastery, and self-discipline. Time is a scarce resource, and successful people value it, continually working to become more efficient and better organized. The author covers such topics as setting goals and objectives, establishing priorities, managing multitask jobs, overcoming procrastination, and saving time when dealing with others. His philosophy of time management includes a warning that the wrong job is a major waste of time; he also believes that one should admit mistakes and get on with one's life, adopt a long-term perspective, which will sharpen short-term decisions, and plan to retire at 75, which will be the norm for knowledge workers in the twenty-first century. Tracy has many thoughtful things to say, and while all of his ideas are not new, they are worth considering. We cannot be too successful at managing our lives. Mary Whaley

From Publishers Weekly
Basing his latest book on the theory that "successful people think differently than unsuccessful people," Maxwell (author of bestselling The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and Running with the Giants) guides readers on the journey of mastering "good thinking" to achieve their personal and professional potential. Maintaining an encouraging tone and a down-to-earth writing style honed from his more than 30 previous titles, Maxwell details the impact and practical value of 11 kinds of thinking, including reflective, shared, creative, unselfish and big-picture. Useful tips, like how to discover your gifts through focused thinking, ways to break down complex issues with strategic thinking, and how to understand the value of examining the worst-case scenario through realistic thinking, characterize the author's surprisingly concrete lessons. The step-by-step format is bolstered by inspirational quotes, personal insights and high-profile anecdotal evidence about the likes of Priscilla Presley, George Lucas and George Washington Carver. Ending each chapter, emphasizing the discipline needed to think your way to the top, are exercises designed to evaluate and increase your personal progress in each area.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review
"In this important book, John Maxwell will teach you how to think in a way that will keep you ahead in these turbulent times and create exciting new opportunities and possibilities."