Economic-Life Books

This is about the Cancer Game, which might be seen as a part of the Cancer Industry, a kind of bizarre and ghoulish phenomenon of modern times that exists precisely because there is no cure for cancer. Indeed, Alex Prud'homme, who is a gifted researcher and prose stylist, whose work has appeared in such prestigious journals as The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, The New York Times, etc., might very well have called his book "The Cancer Game." I wonder why he didn't. Would such a title have offended those who play the game?

It is specifically about the rise and fall of one Sam Waksal, oldest son of Jewish emigrants and Holocaust survivors, a man of irresistible charm, fabulous energy, and great intelligence, a man driven to success and the high life, a man who had bounced around academia without much success until in the 1980s he saw an opportunity to become a player in the cancer game, and, along with his younger brother Harlan, founded ImClone Systems, Inc.

It is also about an anticancer drug called Erbitux, originally known as C225 because it was the 225th drug tested by its discoverers, John Mendelsohn and Gordon Sato in 1980. It showed promise because in tests it stopped the growth of tumors in mice.

And finally it is a story about how drugs get discovered, how they are developed, and especially how they get approved (or not) by the Food and Drug Administration. And of course it is about the Byzantine and incestuous relationship that exists between that August government agency and the massive pharmaceutical industry.

The curious thing about all this is that Imclone never turned a profit, Erbitux never came to market, and most of the people associated with Waksal and ImClone either made out like bandits or got stuck holding the bag. The drug itself, which works against cancer tumors, particularly colon cancer, by cutting off the blood supply to the tumors (an "antiangiogenesis" drug), was touted as a miracle that would save the lives of innumerable patients and make possibly billions of dollars for ImClone.

At least this was the hype delivered by Sam Waksal, and bought hook, line and sinker by pharma giant Bristol-Myers Squibb, and by desperate cancer patients as well as salivating Wall Street investors who jumped on the bandwagon as ImClone's stock rocketed skyward. Because of the promise of the drug, Waksal himself was able to live his dream life as a New York socialite, throwing lavish parties for celebs (including Martha Stewart while he dated her daughter), collecting fine art, popping open $600 bottles of Chateau Lafite-Rothschild while secretly selling stock on the side, sending the proceeds overseas, buying expensive apartments and houses for himself, etc., etc.

But the cold hard facts of Erbitux, like those of almost any cancer drug one can name, are very far from the hype. As Prud'homme notes on pages 332-333, "these agents...[Erbitux and others like Avastin and Iressa] are remarkable scientific advances, [but] they still only benefit some 10 to 20 percent of patients, and they only extend patients' lives by a matter of months."

That's it. That's the bottom line. And yet these drugs are so valuable that the companies that end up selling them can make hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars.

Waksal apparently came to this understanding sometime during the early eighties. He realized first the simple fact that the way the cancer industry works is doctors have to prescribe something rather than nothing. Then he realized that living a few months longer can mean a lot to people. Therefore any FDA-approved cancer drug will automatically fill a need. What this means is that the PROMISE of a cancer drug, if cleverly promoted, will spark a rally in the shares of the company that owns the patent. If, like Sam Waksal, you own millions of those shares, you can get rich on mere promise alone.

Furthermore, should the drug have any real value at all, and be approved (or even look like it's going to be approved) by the FDA, you might be able to get some pharmaceutical giant like Bristol-Myers Squibb to front a whole lot of money on that promise since they are desperate to find a cancer drug to replace those that have gone generic.

This works because even drugs with very limited effectiveness are better than no drug at all. This is true for many patients, for many doctors, and is especially true for the big pharmaceutical companies.

Note that these drugs are valuable because the people who need them are typically people of relative means who can afford to pay large sums of money for them, either through their HMOs, their government, or their own funds. In contrast a drug that would prolong the life of poor people in third world countries would be of only marginal value to the big pharmaceutical companies.

I should also mention that Prud'homme spends some serious ink in this book on Waksal's long-time friend Martha Stewart and her troubles. Her personality, her empire, and the way she handles herself are vividly detailed. In fact, some readers might find her story the most interesting part of the book.

This book is beautifully written and the story is powerfully, artfully told. Alex Prud'homme's eye for telling details and anecdotes brings to life all of the egos, greed, outsized appetites, and fat wallets that intersected in Sam Waksal and Martha Stewart's world. I couldn't put it down.

This fascinating story has appeared just as the Martha Stewart trial is getting underway. The book is crammed full of details not only concerning the principal characters, but also cancer treatments and the burgeoning world of biotechnology. Sam Waksal comes across as a mercurial salesman with no true sense of right or wrong, a classic striver seeking recognition and aspiring to great wealth, but also dissing the hopes of many with cancer. It's a good read -- fast-paced, up-to-date and accurate. If you really want to know why Waksal is in jail for seven years and how Martha Stewart became involved with his world, read this amazing and well-researched tale.

I could hardly put this book down. Never mind the Martha Stewart trial, this is where the excitement and drama in the ImClone story lies.

Sam Waksal, a scientist and business developer with a checkered past, lives a celebrity lifestyle, hanging out with the rich and famous, owning several fancy houses, driving fast cars, and heading a firm that is working on a cancer drug so promising that people with no other hope of treatment are flinging themselves at ImClone, begging for a merciful dose of "Erbitux."

The drug apparently does reverse inoperable tumors in a few test patients who had no other hope of living. Now the race is on to fast-track the drug through the FDA approval process based on the glowing clinical trials. But the FDA reviewer is unaccountably unencouraging when meeting with one of ImClone's top scientists. What is wrong? Is Erbitux, instead of being approved , instead going have its application refused? Why! And what will this mean for the high-flying ImClone stock?

The book reads like the best thriller, and author Alex Prud'homme is adept at making you feel like the proverbial fly-on-the-wall during the action. If you are at all interested in what happened behind the Martha Stewart debacle, you must read this. It's fantastic.

This book is a fine character study of an amazingly talented man whose endless need to gratify his own appetites and emotional needs led him to careless and even cruel behavior. There is no denying the great talent of Sam Waksal, but to this day he doesn't seem to understand that his talent and accomplishments do not provide a license to indulge himself at other's expense.

It is amazingly sad that all of this misery was so pointless because Erbitux has at last been approved. It almost certainly could have been approved earlier if the talented team at ImClone would have had a culture of discipline and getting things done and documented in ways that everyone knew the FDA required. If they had, all this pain and loss would never have occurred and Dr. Waksal would be a real hero instead of the one he only pretended to be.

Mr. Prud'homme writes with style and vitality. The book moves along well and has a great feel for keeping the story personal and emotionally accessible for the reader. We don't get overwhelmed with the scientific side of things, although it is always interesting to read about this emerging science and the wizards who are making it happen.

Two authors survey the 'road rules' of the CEO using an unusual approach: by providing a contemporary parable story which winds through past, present and future relationships with family, colleagues, and the business community to illustrate how the protagonist 'Joe' rediscovers values and meaning within his business pursuits. Profiles of some fifty top private company CEOS concurrently illustrate numerous techniques, tools and tips for effecting such transformation. Use CEO Road Rules as a road manual for implementing values-based business planning.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Being an entrepreneurial CEO and leading an organization through growth transitions can be lonely, exhilarating, troubling and exciting. Using the tools described by Key and Stearns, leaders of such organizations have useful, practial guides to make the transitions successful. Building resilience, achieving balance and passing from success into significance requires the right focus and the right people working together with great execution. The CEOs described here, hope you will benefit from their journey as Nido Qubein says "with less trial and a lot less error in your work and personal lives."

From my own background in psychology, this CEO allegory makes perfect sense! Not only is it a sound guide for leadership in the business world, but also serves as a valuable roadmap for life. Dr. Key has drawn from a story familiar to all of us, and applied these lessons to company management. The principles of the book are written in a clever form which is easy to understand, incorporate and apply. I would recommend "CEO Road Rules" for all those interested in a business or psychological field. In fact, it would be an invaluable guidebook in graduate level programs as preparation for future careers: for professors, the points made lend themselves to clear, concise presentations; for students, the book is ideal for small discussion groups. It is my hope that "CEO Road Rules" will find a wide audience in those readers who are searching for the "right focus, right people and right execution" in the career of their choice.

Through an engaging and insightful exploration into the minds and hearts of prominent CEOs, CEO Road Rules provides a detailed road map for the challenging journey to leadership success.

Key and Stearns offer specifics on how to find the right people, gain the right focus and accomplish the right execution, as well as for how to leave the right legacy - an essential aspect of the process. This book contains a wealth of practical information that is clearly presented and can be readily applied.

CEO Road Rules is both a compelling story and a valuable guide book for achieving success in business and - perhaps most importantly - in life.

I loved the way this book began - by using a fictionalized format reminiscent of "A Christmas Carol," we are introduced to essential business values and principles, as well as to the man who unwisely ignored them. Keep reading, and the evolution begins - we not only learn key values, strategies, and interactions, we also are given the tools with which to execute successfully in business and in life.

This book is a must for CEOs, entrepreneurs, upper management, or anyone interested in building a lasting legacy. You will come away invigorated and with new appreciation for those who work alongside you.

Full disclosure: I'm a big Drucker fan

This book will need to sit on your bookshelf. It's a nice compilation of work Drucker has written over his many years. I've got this on my re-read list so basically every once in a while when I need business inspiration I walk over to the shelf and go through his sage advice.

To me, one of Peter Drucker's greatest strengths as a business thinker is his ability to cut to the proverbial "bone" when sharing an insight about an especially complicated subject. This unique talent illustrates what Oliver Wendell Holmes meant when observing that he didn't "care a fig about simplicity on this side of complexity" but greatly admired simplicity "on the other side of complexity." Given Holmes' observation, consider these three prime examples of "classic Drucker":

In 1963: "There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency what should not be done at all." (Managing for Business Effectiveness, page 83)

In 1995: "EVA [economic value added] is based on something we have known for a long time: what we generally call profits, the money left to service equity, is usually not profit at all. Until a business returns a profit that is greater than its cost of capital, it operates at a loss...By measuring the value added among all costs, including the cost of capital, EVA measures, in effect, the productivity of all factors of production." (The Information Executives Truly Need, page 107)

In 1988: "Information-based organizations, in other words, require clear, simple, common objectives that translate into particular actions. At the same time, however, as these examples dicate, information-based organizations also need concentration on one objective or, at most, on a few. Because the `players' in an information-based organization are specialists, they cannot be told how to do their work...So [such an organization] must be structured around goals that clearly state management's performance expectations for the enterprise and for each part and specialist and around organized feedback that compares [and contrasts] results with these performance expectations so that every member can exercise self-control. The other requirement of an information-based organization is that everyone takes information responsibility...The key to such a system is that everyone asks: Who in this organization depends on me for what organization? And on whom, in turn, do I depend?" (The Coming of the New Organization, page 133)

There several other excellent sources of Drucker quotations (e.g. The Daily Drucker) which I frequently consult. However, in the 15 Harvard Business Review articles which are assembled in Classic Drucker, there is a context within which the value of each insight is more clearly indicated. In the Introduction, Thomas A. Stewart (editor of the Harvard Business Review) cites three of Drucker's great gifts to his life work: "First was the talent for asking the right questions...His second gift was to see organizations whole...[Drucker's] third gift was the ability to reason equally well both inductively and deductively." All three gifts are clearly evident in each of the 15 articles.

Near the conclusion of an interview by T. George Harris in 1993, Drucker makes several points which seem even more relevant now: "'Democratic' bespeaks a narrow and legal organization. Nor do I use the buzzword `participative.' Worse yet is the `empowerment' concept. It is not a great step forward to take power out at the top and put it in at the bottom. It's still power. To build achieving organizations, you must replace power with responsibility."

During the months and years to come, decision-makers in all organizations (regardless of nature or size) would be well-advised to keep such basic business precepts in mind, not as simplistic solutions to immensely complicated problems but, rather, as fundamentally sound principles to keep in mind when attempting to solve such problems.

This is one of the best management books I've ever read. Despite the articles being written 10 - 20 years ago, they are still relevant. Drucker uses good examples to illustrate his points, and avoids the word "synergy."

If the name of Peter Drucker sounds familiar, it should: he's inspired managers with his works for nearly half a century, with his articles in Harvard Business Review - gathered here for the first time under one cover and offering his best works to audiences of business learners. From how to remain productive throughout your work life and choose careers which are lasting to learning how and when to make changes, Classic Drucker is a compendium of business wisdom which should be in every business library collection.

I found the chapter on self-management alone to be worth the price of the book.

I now own three of Edwin Tunis' books. The drawings are wonderful -- detailed. The writing clear, concise. I can pick up this book and go to ANY page and start reading. You can read it from cover to cover too. I'm sorry this author is no longer with us ... I'm hoping to have all of his books in my personal library.

During the past years, I have extensively studied the Colonial period in Amrerican history. I devoured all the material I could find on the subject but, as of yet, have found no other book that can compare to this one. It brims with information, much of which could be practically applied, if one so chose. Colonial Craftsmen takes a deep look at each trade of this era, and developes a strong history behind each, as well. We come face to face with Paul Revere as he is casting bells, and watch with suspense as Samuel Casey disapears from history after committing a serious crime. During all of this, we also learn these men's trades. We cast a silver tankard, shape a Windsor chair, and pump our bellows under the chestnut tree with "smithy". If anyone is interested in "common man" kind of history, then this book is for him. I find it especially delightful that as I read, I can relate to what I would be doing in that time. A must read for all history enthusiasts from eight to eighty.

Most of us have no idea of how the objects we use on a daily basis were made. In Colonial times, people were much closer to the processes and people that produced their consumer goods. In "Colonial Craftsmen", the noted illustrator Edwin Tunis has produced a beautiful book that explores the techniques used by early American craftsmen. If you were ever curious about how candles were made or shoes sewn in the Eighteenth Century, this is the book for you.

Edwin Tunis was one of the great author/illustrators of young adult non-fiction. "Colonial Craftsmen" is brimming over with beautifully intricate pencil drawings. This is the type of fascinating book, in which a young person can lose themselves. Along the same lines, the other great author/illustrator of American material culture is Eric Sloane. Any book by these two prodigies will be loved by all those with an interest in American history and its material manefestations.

An insightful peek at pre-indistrial America for the age of industry when everything was still made by hand. Insightful, well illustrated, very informative.

A must have for anyone interested in the period.

A wonderful history/reference book for those interested in colonial era crafts as well as the artist/craftsman looking for vintage design styles and techniques. If possible, get the early hardbound edition that includes elements deleted in later softcover printings.

As a writer and compensation consultant myself, I highly recommend this newly revised edition for HR and compensation professionals seeking a solid overview reference guide to all aspects of compensation. The book provides coverage of a wide variety of relevant topics written by highly-regarded professionals.

Mind you, there are more comprehensive treatments available for specialty or "single-topic" compensation areas, such as executive or sales compensation, but none that provide the overall breadth of The Compensation Handbook as resource guide on many key areas of compensation management.

I found this book to be an invaluable reference for my research in the area of compensation. It covers all of the main topics in compensation management with articles from the best minds in the field. The trend summary and chapter introductions provide an overview that is interesting and insightful. That kind of analysis is hard to find. The information is surprisingly up to date, since change is slow in this field.

The book is essential for compensation professionals.

Received with thanks the Compensation Handbook in a very good condition. It is exactly the product I was looking for. I believe that it would be a very important reference to my business.

As a compensation consultant, I sought a comprehensive guide for all aspects of the field. The 4th edition of The Compensation Handbook provides simple and direct answers for every compensation problem. It is a virtual "who's who" of compensation professionals providing well-constructed, concise information on their area of expertise. No matter what information I seek -- from base compensation, variable compensation, executive compensation, performance and compensation, compensation and corporate culture, or international compensation -- I can find pertinent, practical guidance in this one book. Compensation issues that are currently challenging every company - regardless of size, age, or industry -- are especially well developed in The Compensation Handbook. The section on Corporate Culture containing chapters on "Culture and Compensation" and "Connecting Compensation, Behaviors, Culture, and Strategy to Win" by William M. Mercer consultants, "Rewarding Scarce Talent" by Patricia Zingheim, "Gaining a Competitive Edge by Improving the Return on Human Capital" by Peter LeBlanc, and "The Role of Work-Life Benefits in the Total Pay Strategy" covers issues that every compensation practitioner or human resources professional will grapple with in the forseeable future. Even the effect of technology and computers on compensation administration are handled in The Compensation Handbook. Information on global compensation strategies is relevant not only to practitioners but to anyone seeking employment on foreign soil or working for a foreign company. The Compensation Handbook is a winner.

As a compensation consultant, I sought a comprehensive guide for all aspects of the field. The 4th edition of The Compensation Handbook provides simple and direct answers for every compensation problem. It is a virtual "who's who" of compensation professionals providing well-constructed, concise information on area of expertise. No matter what information I seek -- from base compensation, variable compensation, executive compensation, performance and compensation, compensation and corporate culture, or international compensation -- I can find pertinent, practical guidance in this one book. Compensation issues that are currently challenging every company - regardless of size, age, industry -- are especially well developed in The Compensation Handbook. The section on Corporate Culture containing chapters on "Culture and Compensation" and "Connecting Compensation, Behaviors, Culture, and Strategy to Win" by William M. Mercer consultants, "Rewarding Scarce Talent" by Patricia Zingheim, "Gaining a Competitive Edge by Improving the Return on Human Capital" by Peter LeBlanc, and "The Role of Work-Life Benefit in the Total Pay Strategy" covers issues that every compensation practitioner or human resources professional will grapple with in the forseeable future. Even the effect of technology and computers on compensation administration are handled in The Compensation Handbook. Information on global compensation strategies is relevant not only to practitioners by to anyone seeking employment on foreign soil or working for a foreign company. The Compensation Handbook is a winner.

Even though this book is a tad outdated, it is still pertinent to today's lifestyles. Schwartz points out how we've commercialized everything from medical care to education to sports, and due to that, we've lost touch with ourselves and each other. The need to "have" and "have more" are discussed as well as the cost of this notion and its impact on society. We are continually in competition with each other in a variety of ways we aren't even aware of - until you read this book - and that creates fear and anxiety in everyone. Schwartz says we need to stop and take an account of our behaviors - but doesn't really tell us how to do so. Still a good book to make you ponder your own lifestyle.

The Costs of Living isn't what you'd call light reading. Published in 1994, its subject could be broadly classified as the meaning of life. But the subtitle, "How Market Freedom Erodes the Best Things in Life," offers the constraint on the topic that prevents this book from being endless.

It's an enchanting but difficult read. Barry Schwartz, whose more recent Paradox of Choice garnered a New Yorker review and positive press for dealing with the same topics on the level of the individual, here demonstrates instead the powerlessness of the individual to stop the relentless advance of market forces into every domain of life. Moving from business to medicine to law to sports to love to education to democracy, Schawrtz shows how the things we purport to value most in life are now subject to market influence--and argues, persuasively, that they are far worse for it.

This is enchanting because Schwartz is a fantastic writer, good at using examples to make his points and capable of humor and serious concern in equal measure. The reading is made difficult by the fact that the book was written in 1994. Rather than the doomsday prophet that Schwartz surely seemed upon publication, he now appears oddly prescient about the continuing advances the market would make into all spheres of life if people did not band together to stop it. While he could not have anticipated the ways in which people's yearning for community in the face of these forces would be exploited by politicians willing to wield those communities' principles as marketable commodities--and how those politicians would use their resulting power to help the market forces advance ever faster--the ingredients of that recipe for disaster are all quite plain to the reader with benefit of knowledge of the ensuing decade.

Can we still turn things around? The task is undoubtedly even more difficult now than Schwartz suggested it would be ten years ago. But we ought to try, and Costs of Living still offers a good way to start constructing the framework by which we might begin to do so. Highly recommended.

Ever worry that your doctor has the HMO profit margins in mind more than your care? Ever get disgusted by big time college sports? Ever worry about the erosion of values and cohesion in your community? Then this book is for you.

This is a marvelous book that explores how people should think about their places in our society. Schwartz, a Professor at Swarthmore College, has a well-deserved reputation for debunking commonly held myths promulgated by economists and others who seek to explain all human behavior by supply and demand curves, and irresistible biological imperatives.

Yes, we do have a choice about how we want our communities to function, and Schwartz tells us how we can ``reintroduce the language of responsibility and morality into our public life.''

Schwartz also has a rare gift for making complex topics seem easy to understand. This is a surprisingly readable book, full of anecdotes and examples that will help you relate the ideas to your own life. Its conclusion, about a dilemma Schwartz faced in his own community, is notable for its drama as well as for the fact that Schwartz declines to offer easy answers.

Read this book, and you will think differently (and more perceptively) about the world around you. It is *that* good.

A good attempt at explaining the costs of living in capitalism. A bit dated considering the World Trade Organization, computerization and downsizing, but he makes points most people need to hear and consider. Well worth reading and thinking about. Order a copy and begin to think!

Read this book if you have ever been concerned about how some of our societies great institutions are being weakened by the market pressures of today. Ever worry that your doctor has the HMO profit margins in mind more than your care? Ever get disgusted by big time college sports? Ever worry about the erosion of values and cohesion in your community? Then this book is for you.

OK, I'd rather read about de-cluttering than actually do the work. But this is one book that inspired me to stop thinking and start DOING. Helen starts with her own story, guides us gently (but firmly) to confront the whys and wherefores, and get us moving - in an enjoyable, non-threatening, effective way. I thought that throwing things out made me wasteful - but hoarding when others are needy is far worse. Now, five words I never thought I'd say: you should see my kitchen!

I like to use this book with some of my clients, because of the integral worksheets, and the step-by-step problem solving. Its nice having the questions & the answers all in one place, so they're less likely to be lost.

Helen's breezy, upbeat style makes for an uplifting read, which can be helpful to clients who are feeling overwhelmed by their stuff.

Helen's book is succinct, offers clear guidelines describing how to get started with the decluttering process, and explores reasons that keep people stuck. The exercises keep you focussed on the project at hand, and decluttering is broken down into small steps so that it's less overwhelming.

There are a number of books that focus on how to de-clutter and become more organized. Some books address the psychological aspects of de-cluttering but they offer little in the way of helpful strategies.

Helen Volk's book offers the reader more than just helpful advice. Her book serves as a partner and coaches you through the de-cluttering process. She uses humor, support and practical
guidance in order to help you to make progress in your de-cluttering efforts. If you're unable to attend her wonderful groups and workshops you can certainly benefit from this book and gain some valuable tools that are culled from her expertise and personal experience. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn how to let go of "stuff" that no longer serves you and experience greater peace of mind and a more organized physical environment.

Debra Gugig-Bauer, CRC, CASAC
President,

CATALYSTS FOR CHANGE
COUNSELING AND TRAINING ASSOCIATES

As a busy mother of two, I find there is no time to relax and enjoy life. This book is about simplicity and the freedom you can gain from it. It's about paring down "things" and stop worrying about "things". It's step by step is easy to follow and you soon realize how much time you were wasting on the clutter in your house. Nothing makes me happier than walking into rooms once filled with old junk, drawers that wouldn't close because of old paperwork, or closets that I couldn't sqeeze another shirt into and seeing an organized, easy to live-in space. It definitely helps lower stress levels.

This is a much needed study. The author looks at two groups -- African-Americans and Korean immigrants -- in the same business and offers important insights into why they have different outcomes in business development. One of the best treatments of the topic I have seen. Silverman goes beyond the typical stereotypes about minority business people, and explains how institutional arrangements impact groups differently. One of the best contemporary discussions of internal colonialism out there.

This book breaks new ground. It develops theory in this area while remaining readable and accessable to all readers. It is a must read for policy makers and others interested in designing urban economic development strategies that work. Recommendations for asset based approaches are natural extensions from this work, and the additional consideration of racism as a barrier to full participation in the economy expands the study's impact. As the author masterfully tells us in the introduction, "the invisible hand of the market cannot conceal color."

This book breaks new ground. It develops theory in this area while remaining readable and accessable to all readers. It is a must read for policy makers and others interested in designing urban economic development strategies that work. Recommendations for asset based approaches are natural extensions from this work, and the additional consideration of racism as a barrier to full participation in the economy expands the study's impact. As the author masterfully tells us in the introduction, "the invisible hand of the market cannot conceal color."

This is the most balanced treatment of this topic I have seen in a long time. The author escapes many of the pitfalls of earlier studies. He avoids the easy outs of social pathology explanations for racial and ethnic strife, and he offers a compelling view of the plight of minority (Black and Korean) entrepreneurs that takes broader structures into consideration. Superb.

This book sheds new light on the study of black-Korean relations. By examining the issue from the perspective of business owners in the same industry, the author avoids many of the limitations of earlier studies. Well worth investigating further.

Jewitt's work is groundbreaking! There is nothing else like this and it is sure to be highly controversial. His work is challenging, thought-provoking, and insightful concerning human behavior and relationships - leadership relationships in particular. This is a must read as it pertains to everyone both personally and professionally. A person could study this work for years.

By far and away "Proclivity" is the most practical book out there on leadership, relationships, and success written by a man who is undoubtedly a Marine Corps veteran and uncompromisingly Christian. "Proclivity" is a challenging piece of work on many different levels - academically, politically, religiously, and pragmatically. When the reader considers how finely woven, intricately layered, and consistent this work is on each of these levels, its true and lasting value is a revelation. Such moments of enlightenment come far and few in between.

Finally, a common sense, down-to-earth, reality-based approach to life, leadership, and relationships which can be practically applied in our personal and professional lives. Jewitt's logic is impeccable and compelling. Covey, Maxwell and other prominent inspirational, self-help, and business genre authors can't be happy after this! Clear out your bookshelves because Proclivity changes everything!

Jewitt draws upon his own experiences in the Marine Corp and labor relations to identify common problems in organizational execution. What's better, he proposes realistic solutions and a philosophy for achieving goals. Jewitt makes no bones about his own beliefs and ideals, which is not only refreshingly honest but critical to understaning the basis for his precepts. E=LT2 is a quick read that will end up on the oft-used end of your shelf as a terrific reference tool and source of inspiration. I can only guess that a speaking tour must follow.

Jewitt draws upon his own experiences in the Marine Corp and labor relations to identify common problems in organizational execution. What's better, he proposes realistic solutions and a philosophy for achieving goals. Jewitt makes no bones about his own beliefs and ideals, which is not only refreshingly honest but critical to understaning the basis for his precepts. E=LT2 is a quick read that will end up on the oft-used end of your shelf as a terrific reference tool and source of inspiration. I can only guess that a speaking tour must follow.

If you'd like to enlighten yourself with adventures and discoveries about how to live successfully; read this book. It offers more than just motivation, its discreet knowledge from a very successful man.

Earl nightingale has an astounding mind and with it he has created some of the best literature and audio books I have ever obtained.

This particular book gives insight and understanding to the idea of success for anyone. Living succesfully is not some unicorn idea that only a few can have, its rather the state of mind that makes successful individuals.

The arguments Earl Nightingale proves wrong are some of todays most common held beliefs about wealth, determination, and spirit. They are unarguable the truth from a man whos known poverty as though it were his best friend.

Earl Nightingale has been one of the biggest and best of all motivational speakers.This book is full of the inspiration and wisdom that has made him the classy, brilliant man that he was.

Earl Nightingale is the man. a must read. he tells it like it is. I wish I could have met him.

I am considering purchasing this book. I read all the "book reviews" but no body has said anything about it. How about some reviews on the book itself instead of promotional plugs for the author?

This book is a must read!! It will expand your thinking and will teach you that there is a solution for everything. If you have trouble believing in yourself and your skills, this book will help you to be more confident if you put into practice what the "Greatest Discovery" is.