BOOKWORM.PH

The author's prescription for being more interesting is to think in creative, divergent ways; to draw associations that most people don't think about; and to dazzle your associates with your mental flexibility. The 74 verbal exercises are time-consuming but will certainly wake up creative neurons. Written by an expert on thinking and problem-solving, the program is read at breakneck speed and will seem relentless if you're not invested in its objectives. Though it's a useful way to loosen up your thinking, look elsewhere for broader advice on how to attract or connect with people. T.W. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
Croce comes across loud and clear in his memoir-slash-motivational program. The owner of the Philadelphia 76ers is a go-getter par excellence, and in telling the story of his life, he works in a lot of the get-ahead philosophy that has served him well both personally and professionally and, he hopes, will help his readers in maintaining their drive to achieve their goals. Croce's story is not really a rags-to-riches saga, but he did come from relatively nowhere to found the successful Sports Physical Therapists enterprise and then moved on to the presidency of the 76ers. The core of his book--or at least the part that transles best into other people's home and work lives--is the discussion of his "Ten Commandments of Customer Service." These commandments include the necessity of listening well, the basic need for communicating clearly, and the hows and whys of giving compliments. At the end of relating the details of his career climb and the self-knowledge he gained from his experiences, Croce winds it all up by emphasizing that the journey through life, not the destination per se, is what is truly important. "It's the getting there that you will carry with you always," he concludes. The most effective aspect of this book, which is being heavily promoted by the publisher and will certainly be in demand at the circulation desk, is that although Croce does not come up with many new ideas about self-improvement and self-promotion, he does have a very personal and persuasive way of expressing them. Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review
Lance Armstrong author of It's Not About the Bike You'll find that Pat's enthusiasm and positive outlook will inspire your everyday life....Watch out...these pages are packed with energy! -- Review

From Publishers Weekly
"Look into your own private personality mirror and see a grin instead of a grimace." "Eat a completely different lunch at a brand-new restaurant. Just because." "Discover the name(s) of your own personal theme song(s)." Trite suggestions like these abound in this book written by partners of a sketch comedy/improvisation company that offers workshops to help business people loosen up. True to form, the authors don't call the sessions in their book "workshops"; rather, they prefer to call them "playshops." Their approach results in a volume that is lively, yet fails to make a real connection between improvisation and work. The authors contend that "businesses are sending their top managers and frontline staff alike to improv classes in droves," yet they fail to offer any concrete business cases that explain why. Other than mentioning that Southwest Airlines flight attendants use humor to get passengers to listen to flight instructions (an example now tragically outdated in the post-September 11 environment), there are few examples of how improvisation has led to product development, employee retention or increased profitability. What the authors do contend, however, is that loosening up in the workplace could have an indirect affect on these components, in that fun equals happy employees equals more success. A better choice for those interested in "out of the box" thinking in the workplace is Guy Kawasaki's Rules for Revolutionaries or The Art of Innovation: Lessons in Creativity from Ideo, America's Leading Design Firm by Tom Kelley et al. Agent, Laurie Liss.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
Businesses are sending their top managers to improvisational classes to learn how to give presentations, how to talk to clients, and how to finesse difficult situations. But those same skills can be mastered with the help of the simple and fun exercises found in this book. The authors explain how improvisation comes into play in our daily lives, and the rewards of taking risks in those situations. Improvise This! is filled with true-to-life business scenarios and offers methods for not only surviving but triumphing in those situations, making this a valuable and entertaining resource.

Mark Bergren, Molly Cox

Product Description
Zig Ziglar calls this "the ultimate presenter's handbook"--and it's easy to see why! "Inspire Any Audience" is every speaker's find-it-fast toolkit of immediately usable tips and techniques. From presentation planning to conquering jitters to getting an action response, personal trainer Tony Jeary covers absolutely everything speakers need to make a splash at the podium . --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
For Cloud, an author, clinical psychologist and corporate consultant, integrity is more than just a person's ethics and morals. The French and Latin meanings of the word hint at its origins, "that the whole thing is working well, undivided, integrated, intact and uncorrupted." Achieving this "wholeness" requires the development of six character traits (creates trust, unafraid of reality, results-oriented, solves "negative realities," causes growth and finds meaning in life) which Cloud examines in great detail, using business stories like Proctor and Gamble's success in China and the experiences of his CEO friends and clients. What each of his stories has in common is how success, often wild success across multiple fields, is fueled by openness, honesty to one's self and to others and "true trust," which is borne out of someone's goodness not being "dependent on anything." Cloud's conversational writing style makes for an easy read, and much of his advice is sound if not groundbreaking, but some aphorisms come off as hokey. ("Things never work. When they don't, that is the time to make them work. Then, if you do, they work," or "Character = the ability to meet the demands of reality," which is not to be confused with integrity, the courage to meet those same demands.) This book is not for the person seeking a quick-fix; Cloud's breed of integrity is a lifestyle choice.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
"Dr. Cloud will show you how to produce the results you are looking for in your work and personal life." -- Dr. Phil McGraw, #1 New York Times Bestselling author and host of the Dr. Phil show

"Dr. Henry Cloud is an expert in helping leaders see hos their character development is essential to their effectiveness." -- Denis Beausejour, Consultant and former Global Vice President of Marketing, The Procter & Gamble Company

"Let Henry Cloud teach you how to live an authentic life. This is a must-read!" -- Ken Blanchard, Co-Author, The One-Minute Manager

"[Integrity] lays out a transparent way to be a terrific leader by drawing on and improving your best traits." -- The New York Times

Product Description
Proven leadership lessons from the author of the international bestseller The Welch Way

Techniques Jack Welch used to create great leaders and drive unprecedented financial performance

Jack Welch and GE used the celebrated 4e model to measure leadership potential and enhance profitability at every level of the organization. Jack Welch and the 4 E's of Leadership delivers a thought-provoking and in-depth analysis of this signature model. Pragmatic and handson, it explains how the model helped Welch to consistently spot 4e leaders--individuals with energy, the ability to inspire others, and the talent to consistently make the difficult decisions and meet financial goals.

Jack Welch and the 4 E's of Leadership reveals how the 4e model helped GE's best and brightest eliminate bureaucracy, hire and promote energetic people, find new ways to increase the organization's customer-centricity, and more. Beyond the nuts and bolts of the 4e model, however, it outlines a step-by-step blueprint anyone can follow to stock an organization with performance-ready leaders and leaders-in-training.

Examples include:

How to recognize and encourage each of the 4e's--Energy, Energizers, Edge, and Execute
Leadership theories of Drucker, Senge, and others, and how they support and validate Welch's 4e model
Seven rules for successfully driving change, and leveraging it to gain long-term competitive advantage
Leadership lessons of the 4e all-star executive team
Valuable implementation insights on virtually every page, along with a "4e leader to-do" list
Jack Welch is universally recognized as the greatest CEO of his era. In Jack Welch and the 4 E's of Leadership, bestselling author Jeffrey A. Krames examines Welch's seminal 4e leadership model and provides a penetrating and uncompromising look at how to recognize and develop authentic leaders.

About the Author
Jeffrey A. Krames is the author of The Jack Welch Lexicon of Leadership,What th Best CEOs Know, and The Welch Way. All of his business books have been named "Best Leadership Books of the Year" by Library Journal. Krames is a frequent guest on CNN, CNBC, and Fox News Channel. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Los Angeles Times.

Amazon.com Review
It's hard to think of a CEO that commands as much respect as Jack Welch. Under his leadership, General Electric reinvented itself several times over by integrating new and innovative practices into its many lines of business. In Jack: Straight from the Gut, Welch, with the help of Business Week journalist John Byrne, recounts his career and the style of management that helped to make GE one of the most successful companies of the last century. Beginning with Welch's childhood in Salem, Massachusetts, the book quickly progresses from his first job in GE's plastics division to his ambitious rise up the GE corporate ladder, which culminated in 1981. What comes across most in this autobiography is Welch's passion for business as well as his remarkable directness and intolerance of what he calls "superficial congeniality"--a dislike that would help earn him the nickname "Neutron Jack." In spite of its 496 pages, Jack: Straight from the Gut is a quick read that any student or manager would do well to consider. Highly recommended. --Harry C. Edwards --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
It doesn't matter whether you love or hate Jack Welch. Who can resist hearing the man tell his story? This abridged version of his recently published autobiography, featuring Welch himself, is quite entertaining. With his slightly raspy Boston accent, Welch discusses his childhood and his career. When he proclaims something, he gives examples to illustrate his point. For instance, he says his mother was the strongest influence on his life. He then recalls the time he threw a hockey stick across the ice in disgust after losing a game, and his mother stormed into the locker room as some teammates were changing to exclaim loudly, "If you don't know how to lose, you'll never know how to win." When discussing his long career at GE, Welch is equally detailed. While some listeners unfamiliar with the corporation may find some of the discussions tedious, most will be captivated by what appears to be Welch's brutal honesty. He talks about having to lobby for promotions because he didn't "fit the GE mold," and he's open about making some poor business decisions. He's not as forthright as it appears, though. He talks about his beloved wife, Carolyn, who provided a stable home while Welch was rising in GE's ranks, but barely mentions their divorce. Still, this audiobook will be interesting listening for anyone who has followed Neutron Jack's career. Simultaneous release with Warner Books hardcover.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Description
There was a time when only athletes had coaches. Now, everyone from CEOs to at-risk youth are being "coached." The International Coaching Federation-which began with only a handful of people-now boasts membership of over 5,000, and currently more than 150,000 people call themselves "Life Coaches." The benefits of coaching have been well documented, but having the right coach is critical.

Jesus had only three years to train the twelve disciples, yet in that time he managed to turn this ragamuffin group into "lean, clean marketing machines." Divided into four critical sections-Focus, Balance, Productivity, and Fulfillment-Jesus, Life Coach, now in trade paper, presents a faith-based coaching program with Jesus as the model. Delving into the principles Jesus used to transform those around him, the book offers proven strategies and countless applications for modern-day coaches.

About the Author
Laurie Beth Jones has written several best-selling books, including Jesus, CEO; Jesus, Life Coach; The Path; Jesus in Blue Jeans; and Teach Your Team to Fish. Her books have been Business Week and Wall Street Jounal bestsellers and have been translated into twelve foreign languages, with worldwide sales of one million copies. Using practical wisdom, bursts of humor, and reality-based thinking, Ms. Jones has become one of the world's leading consultants for businesses that want to take their work - and their workers - to unparalleled levels of performance, satisfaction, and success. She lives out her mission daily, which is to "recognize, promote, and inspire the divine connection in myself and others." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
Jesus was able to motivate his staff of 12, ergo, there is much to be learned from his teachings, stresses California management consultant Jones, whose sentiments as expressed here ring with sincerity. Her thoughtful use of Jesus's biblical sayings on belief, boldness, discipline and the like add to her credibility. However, one wonders about the practical value of certain of her anecdotes, like the one about a "phenomenally successful" executive recruiter who imagines that God is on the line every time her office phone rings, which inspires her to do her utmost to serve the caller. And one questions Jones's notions regarding the Alpha, i.e., masculine, style of management and Beta, or feminine, use of power, as well as her Omega hypothesis, which incorporates both the Alpha and Beta approaches. Readers might do well to refer to the Bible on their own to glean the messages Jones presents.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
The founder of a business development group calls Jesus an example of a CEO who built a booming industry.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Description

There was a time when only athletes had coaches. Now, everyone from CEOs to at-risk youth are being "coached." The International Coaching Federation-which began with only a handful of people-now boasts membership of over 5,000, and currently more than 150,000 people call themselves "Life Coaches." The benefits of coaching have been well documented, but having the right coach is critical.

Jesus had only three years to train the twelve disciples, yet in that time he managed to turn this ragamuffin group into "lean, clean marketing machines." Divided into four critical sections-Focus, Balance, Productivity, and Fulfillment-Jesus, Life Coach, now in trade paper, presents a faith-based coaching program with Jesus as the model. Delving into the principles Jesus used to transform those around him, the book offers proven strategies and countless applications for modern-day coaches.

About the Author
Laurie Beth Jones has written several best-selling books, including Jesus, CEO; Jesus, Life Coach; The Path; Jesus in Blue Jeans; and Teach Your Team to Fish. Her books have been Business Week and Wall Street Jounal bestsellers and have been translated into twelve foreign languages, with worldwide sales of one million copies. Using practical wisdom, bursts of humor, and reality-based thinking, Ms. Jones has become one of the world's leading consultants for businesses that want to take their work - and their workers - to unparalleled levels of performance, satisfaction, and success. She lives out her mission daily, which is to "recognize, promote, and inspire the divine connection in myself and others." --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly
The techniques for jump-starting your brain are wacky as presented here by freelancer Wecker and Hall, founder of the Richard Saunders International Eureka! Mansion in Cincinnati, Ohio, home of the Eureka! Stimulus Response learning system, which taps into your B.O.S., or Brain Operating System. (If you're wondering why a guy named Hall would call his school Richard Saunders?it was Benjamin Franklin's pen name). Frequently quoting Franklin and Hall's five-year-old daughter Kristyn, the authors set about turning readers into Trained Brains. They suggest you become adventurous ("Have dinner at the fourteenth restaurant listed in the yellow pages"), believe in magic, analyze yourself (do you see yourself as sophisticated? boring?) and relax your dressing style ("Wearing a tie to a Eureka! Stimulus Response effort is a hanging offense"). Readers are likely to find the toys in this playpen too distracting to move on to problem solving. Fortune Book Club, Executive Program, BOMC and QPB alternates.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
Sandwiched in between a ton of exclamation marks, big type, and silly clip art is Hall's rather elemental idea: to be creative, you need to stimulate your brain with external "things," ranging from dime-store toys to Sears & Roebuck-like catalogues. Included are a psychological rationale for his approach to creativity and 36 brain programs, the actual techniques used to undrain the brain. By using disguised case histories and national publicity as evidence, he and his coauthor sell us on the right way to train brains. Corporate types might prefer a tamer version, but his substance and his premise (that U.S. businesses are decidedly noninnovative) are on target. Barbara Jacobs --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Pastor and popular church culture blogger Tony Morgan once worked as a city manager, a CEO-type job with the suit and tie, corner office, the works. Despite his top-rank status, Tony’s list of responsibilities still included killing cockroaches whenever a freaked out co-worker spotted one in the building. That’s where this unconventional, unforgettable book on church leadership begins.

Morgan’s point is that great leaders don’t have to do everything. The key is to play from your strengths while building a team that manages around your weaknesses.

Written in a relaxed style similar to marketing guru Seth Godin, Killing Cockroaches’ 142 offbeat, on-target entries will delight and energize church leaders. Chapter titles include “10 Easy Ways to Make Your Church Services More Boring” (creative services), “Action Speaks Louder than Advertising” (meeting people’s physical needs), and “The Power of Simple” (eliminating noise).

About the Author
Tony Morgan is a pastor and the chief strategic officer at NewSpring Church in Anderson, South Carolina. Also a popular church culture blogger, he has written about staffing, technology, strategic planning, and leadership for Outreach and Rev magazines and Pastors.com and PurposeDriven.com. Tony and his wife, Emily, have four children.

Product Description
"The more I read the Bible, the more evident it becomes that everything I have ever taught or written about effective leadership over the past 25 years, Jesus did to perfection. He is simply the greatest leadership role model of all time." -Ken Blanchard

With simple yet profound principles from the life of Jesus and dozens of stories and leadership examples from his life experiences, veteran author, speaker and leadership expert Ken Blanchard guides readers through the process of discovering how to lead like Jesus. He describes it as the process of aligning two internal domains-the heart and the head-and two external domains-the hands and the habits. These four dimensions of leadership form the outline for this very practical and transformational book.

Product Description
Demonstrates how these leadership practices can be employed successfully by anyone who has to run anything. Until the 9/11 attacks pushed him into an unwanted role in history, Giuliani was only months away from leaving office as mayor of N.Y. City. In detailing his principles of leadership, he tells captivating stories that are personal as well as prescriptive. Shows how leadership works both ways: it is a privilege, but it carries responsibilities -- from imposing a structure suitable to an org's. purpose, to forming a team of people who bring out the best in each other, to taking unexpected risks. A leader must develop strong beliefs, articulate & act on those beliefs, & be held accountable for the results -- principles Giuliani illustrates throughout this book.

From Publishers Weekly
This diminutive tome is a particularly sketchy treatise on the already vague subject of leadership, stitched together with excerpts from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and other Maxwell books and featuring an ad at the back directing readers to a Web site where they can buy one of the author's longer works. Maxwell's themes-don't just pull rank, don't sweat the small stuff, establish rapport with co-workers, "empower" underlings-are commonplaces of leadership lore, couched in aphorisms ("The boss says 'I'; the leader, 'we'"), pseudo-statistics ("Twenty percent of your priorities will give you 80 percent of your production") and bromides ("If you lack vision, look inside yourself"). But in distilling this wisdom, the nitty-gritty that might make it useful has been boiled off, leaving readers to grapple unaided with bullet-pointed truisms like "Deal wisely with difficult people." Perfunctory leadership profiles of usual suspect Theodore Roosevelt, Princess Di, executives and football notables scarcely flesh out the meager intellectual content of this book, which seems, more than anything, like a $10 congrats card for the recently promoted.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
Drawing from John Maxwell's bestsellers Developing the Leader Within You, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, and Becoming a Person of Influence, Leadership 101 explores the timeless principles that have become Dr. Maxwell's trademark style. In a concise, straightforward style, Maxwell focuses on essential and time-tested qualities necessary for true leadership --influence, integrity, attitude, vision, problem-solving, and self-discipline --and guides readers through practical steps to develop true leadership in their lives and the lives of others.

Review
"Simple, smart, and useful--this book demonstrates that leadership competence is attainable by all who truly desire it." -- --Warren Bennis

"Leadership and the One Minute Manager® will provide you with the knowledge you need to build a winning team." -- --Tom Managhan, founder, Domino's Pizza, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Product Description
Adapting one minute manager techniques to enable successful leadership to happen. Using different ways to motivate different kinds of people. Leadership and The One Minute Manager goes straight to the heart of management as it describes the effective, adaptive styles of Situational Leadership. In clear and simple terms it teaches how to become a flexible and successful leader, fitting your style to the needs of the individual and to the situation at hand, and using the One Minute Manager techniques to enhance the motivation of others.

Product Description
Herman Cain believes there is a better leader in everyone and that leadership is about recognizing the potential in yourself and others. In Leadership Is Common Sense, the reader is provided with the necessary tools to realize that potential. Cain, former Chairman of the Board of Godfather's Pizza, Inc., also shares an in-depth account of Godfather's Pizza turnaround to profitability.

With infectious enthusiasm, Herman Cain demonstrates the value of having a dream with the motivation, determination and passion needed to achieve it.

About the Author
Herman Cain is the CEO/President of T.H.E. New Voice, Inc., a business and leadership consulting company, specializing in keynote speaking. Herman hosts a weekly radio talk show, The Bottom Line". Herman is the former Chairman of Godfather's Pizza, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and Board of the National Restaurant Association.

Product Description
Learn the Plays

Make Your Move

Establish responsibility at every level like Jamie Houghton at Corning
Learn from T.K. Kurien to emulate top players the Wipro way
Put the fash back in your organization like Canon's Fujio Mitarai
Use Steve Ballmer's tactics at Microsoft to command a company in transition
And get in the game with the Monday Morning strategies and inside plays of the world's top business champions.

BusinessWeek Power Plays

Marketing Power Plays

Strategy Power Plays

Game On.

Visit businessweek.com/powerplays

About the Author
BusinessWeek is the world's number-one business magazine, famous for its award-winning coverage, inside information, and annual rankings of businesses. Established in 1929, the magazine set a new industry standard and ultimately expanded its enormous popularity through the website, BusinessWeek.com.