Economic-Life Books
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Page TurnerReview Date: 2001-11-09
Working on Purpose!Review Date: 2001-11-03
Marilyn Mason has done it again!Review Date: 2001-10-31
Bridging the Gap between Intention and EffortReview Date: 2001-11-15
Strongly recommended for students of personal spiritualityReview Date: 2001-12-13

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How life is getting better, and whyReview Date: 2007-12-05
The title is "The Improving State of the World" and Goklany shows the state of the world
is improving. By nearly every measure of human wellbeing, we are better off than we used
to be. Life expectancy is increasing. Starvation and malnourishment is decreasing. The air
is cleaner. The water is cleaner. Child labor is less prevalent. Literacy is increasing.
Personal income is increasing. There are many more. The good news applies to the world
as a whole, the developed world, and the developing world. But this is not just cheering
for the status quo. He identifies the exceptions to the general trends, and does it for
each of the measures of wellbeing. Most of the exceptions are in Africa south of the Sahara,
and in the former soviet empire.
The subtitle is "Why we're living longer, healthier, more comfortable lives on a cleaner planet".
The reason is technology, economic growth, human capital, education, the rule of law, and
private property, all linked together in many interconnected "virtuous cycles." For example,
economic growth means more money to buy technology such as fertilizer and tractors which means
more food and less hunger, and time for education so more children can make even better
technology and sell it for less to more well fed, less sick, longer lived people who can use
their energy for economic growth. With better infrastructure, less food rots before it is eaten,
so less land is needed for farms so there is more room for biodiversity. With economic security,
families tend to be smaller. Each improvement makes improvements in other areas more likely.
The book was published by Cato Institute, the well known conservative think tank. Liberals
should consider the message, rather than the messenger. You don't get up before dawn and look
west just because Hitler said the sun rises in the east.
It is easy to evaluate the arguments and check the claims in the 420 pages of text. There are
85 pages of notes. Most of the links in the virtuous cycles are fully explained by statistics.
There are a few places were Goklany resorts to qualitative explanations, but these are clearly
stated to be not quantitative. The statistical data is used more fairly than in any other work
I can recall. Almost all the time series analysis uses all the data available; the few exceptions
are explained and justified. He uses data from advocates of positions opposite what he will
conclude. For example, he accepts the data from IPCC and uses it in his analysis that shows
adaptation to changing climate is better than intervention to try to prevent the change. He uses
consistent rules for fitting trend lines. Sometimes, there are different statistics that seem to
be about the same reality. He sometimes explains why one source might be undercounting or
overcounting. He often will do the analysis with both sets of data.
Some of Goklany's arguments clearly follow Maslow's hierarchy of needs. People do not care about
the environment when they are hungry. People do not care about quality of life next year when
they are concerned about surviving this year. Economic growth allows people to care about the
environment. Technical advances allow them to do something about it.
The tone is level and matter of fact. This is not a hate book, but some will hate some of the
conclusions. He presents the arguments for other conclusions fairly. Those that reach other
conclusions are not portrayed as evil or stupid, or even as paid shills of some vast conspiracy.
The book is optimistic about our future, with the emphasis on what is good for people. He does not
praise or deplore large families, but notes the strong trend towards smaller families as wealth
increases. Wealth brings health and less infant mortality, so an increase in population, but
increased family size happens only for a while.
The conclusions Goklany reaches will seem correct to more conservatives than liberals. The book will
not appeal to the extremes of either political wing, but it could be a big help to most of us
in the middle that wonder what we can do to help humanity.
This is not an entertaining read. There is a lot of information to absorb. There are many steps in
some of the virtuous cycles. Some of the vicious cycles Goklany debunks have to be examined in
detail to show they are wrong. You do not have to read it straight through to benefit from this
book. The next time you are invited on a crusade or bandwagon, pause and check it out. Use the
detailed index and find out all sides of the issue. You might find enough information to satisfy
yourself in just a few pages. But most things influence most other things and you might want to dig
deeper. You might find you have read half the book by the time you cover all the issues that are
related to the topic that was your starting point.
This is an important and excellent book. I highly recommend it.
Especially recommended for college-level classroom debateReview Date: 2007-04-19
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Good Book, Good Information, Good PerspectiveReview Date: 2007-12-01
Right, but... Review Date: 2007-06-21
In an outstanding review of this book in 'Foreign Affairs'James Suroweicki suggests it is the Industrial Revolution that is at the heart of the economic and social transformation which is the subject of this book.
"In the West, above all, the effects of this transformation have been so massive as to be practically unfathomable. Real income, life expectancy, literacy and education rates, and food consumption have soared, while infant mortality, hours worked, and food prices have plummeted. And although the West has been the biggest beneficiary of these changes, the diffusion of technology, medicine, and agricultural techniques has meant that developing countries have enjoyed dramatic improvements in what the United Nations calls "human development indicators," even if most of their citizens remain poor. One consequence of this is that people at a given income level today are likely to be healthier and to live longer than people at the same income level did 40 or 50 years ago.
But Suroweicki takes objection to the idea that it is unregulated free market which alone can deal with environmental problems and points out that it is only through various government initiatives that the quality of air and water has improved in most Western cities.
This book does a good job of debunking the work of the doomsayer demographers of the Ehrlich, Club of Rome school which were at the heart of public awareness in the nineteen seventies.
To do this it amasses a tremendous amount of evidence as to the generally improved quality of life in most geographical regions. It does note the exceptions in sub- Saharan Africa and Russia.
Yet it does not give sufficient attention to such possibly catastrophic processes as nuclear proliferation. Nor does he consider the full effect of radical fundamentalist Islam both on the standards, level of economic development in Islamic societies- but on their general capacity for bringing through war disruption and even disaster to the world.
Nor does he consider the damage wrought by new technology on the family, and the overall mental health - profile of mankind. The great growth in mental illness, primarily Depression certainly is related to disruptive effects of new technology.
Thus while presenting a very convincing case that technological progress has given us longer, more prosperous lives Goklany does not reckon fully the negative consequences which have also come with this.
Antidote to DisasterReview Date: 2007-05-13
It is a brilliant answer to the eco-doom "best-sellers" that have proliferated recently. Highly recommended for those who want to KNOW, not just pontificate and pursue a political agenda.

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This is a life changing book!Review Date: 2008-05-07
Get the book.
"A Will Finds A Way!"Review Date: 2005-10-24
Positive thought that must be practised to be appreciated.Review Date: 1999-06-17
The secret to all successReview Date: 2006-07-08
Positive thought that must be practised to be appreciated.Review Date: 1999-06-17


Corporate CultureReview Date: 2006-11-24
An insightful novel with lessons that apply to everyoneReview Date: 2005-05-13
An inspirational guide to building creative organizationsReview Date: 2005-05-11
A Must Read for the Exec Who Won't Settle for only GoodReview Date: 2005-01-16
A great business book that reads like a novelReview Date: 2005-01-01


Sticky FloorReview Date: 2008-12-01
Great Book! Good information, easy to read, and makes sense!Review Date: 2008-02-24
Not just for women..............Review Date: 2007-12-11
Stick To ItReview Date: 2007-11-26
A Must Read for Any LeaderReview Date: 2007-10-17
Awesome toolbox, particularly for women who find themselves trying to figure out how to break into the "C-suite" and truly be corporate leaders. Easy to read and very accessible for many future references. Successful leaders will find a dog-eared version of "Sticky Floor" in their continuous reading pile!

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A Great BookReview Date: 2006-08-08
Oy! What A TreasureReview Date: 2006-01-21
Time Management and Ethics in the MarketplaceReview Date: 2000-05-26
In this book, Rabbi Bonder brings together his knowledge of the working of the "marketplace" with Jewish ethical teachings, Talmudic Interpretations, teachings of the Hasidic Masters, Jewish Mysticism, and logical analysis. Here, marketplace is variously described as: a market of exchanges and interactions which represents "the infinite quantity of small and great businesses that take place in the universe at any given minute" and as a place where "each individual's fitness to survive is in accordance with his or her own perception of what survival is."
In keeping with the time theme, one of the problems to be faced has to do with devoting one's time to amassing wealth. In other words, how much is too much? Time that is spent with the objective of accumulating wealth (beyond that which meets our own needs and is beneficial to others) represents a two pronged loss. First of all, the creation of this type of wealth creates an offsetting scarcity. Secondly it involves wasting time that could, and should, be better spent in study. In contemporary terms, the accumulation of excess wealth is not ecologically sound.
Another area of discussion is the relationship of God to the marketplace. Rabbi Bonder states that "when a person prays only for material gains his pleas and efforts are wasted. This is because a curtain is brought down between himself and God as a result of material things having been brought into the domain of the spirit.
This book has had an impact on the way I conduct my life. Before reading it, my standard reaction to anyone asking for a handout was a knee-jerk reaction that he'll probably just use it to get drunk. After reading Bonder's section on dealing with beggars and how these dealings affect the marketplace, I came to 2 realizations:
1. So what if he does use it for drink. He probably needs the drink more than I need the dollar.
and
2. Who am I to judge anyway.
I highly recommend this book. In spite of its brevity it's not an easy read. I have barely touched the surface of a few of the concepts of what the dust jacket refers to as "a broad and ethical view of economic behavior including all forms of exchange and human interaction, from how we spend our money to how we fulfill our role as responsible human beings in a global ecological framework."
Really liked it..Review Date: 2005-05-14
The Kabbalah of Money-- A Critical ReviewReview Date: 2005-03-30
I've read and re-read this book multiple times since I bought in back in August, 2004. To say it is a business book "...Money" would indeed be a disservice to the reader and Rabbi Bonder. This book is about, first and foremost, understanding how one's behavior-- by thought, speech and action-- influences the environment for good or otherwise.
Let me also point out that it does address business issues, but it does so with ample does of Talmudic wisdom. And, to my pleasure, it is not overly heavyhanded in its scope.
The book does not teach the how to's of getting into business, but the ethical and spiritual aspects. So, for instance, if one is a fan of Mr. Donald "The Art of the Deal" Trump, it would behoove you to have a copy of this while you're watching The Apprentice. It's akin to The Power of Positive Thinking and/or Enthusiasm Makes the Difference by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, but with the obvious Jewish foundation.
I highly recommend this book, it is a gem and its rewards are hidden in its pages.

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Kirk Snyder is a bright light in the GLBT business and career community...Review Date: 2006-07-18
Gay or straight with gay loved ones, you will gain much from reading this book! I would also encourage college career counselors and company leaders and managers to read this book to better understand what it's like for their GLBT colleagues, employees, managers, etc.
May be the best 15 dollars you'll ever spendReview Date: 2005-05-10
Kirk Snyder's done a lot of research. Is there anyone he hasn't talked to? The anecdotes and life experiences of others are sometimes tedious, like being forced to watch hours of other people's home movies of their vacations, but Snyder brings these stories to life, and we feel that we are not alone in our struggles for validation and also, of course, for more money and success in the marketplace. Do you remember the old movie "Gypsy," with Rosalind Russell playing Mama Rose, and how she kept herself and her girls going by moving from town to town always seeking our former lodge brothers of her late husband? She'd give the "secret handshake" and she'd be in like Flynn. Snyder's program involves this kind of "secret brotherhood" but in addition he presages a sort of gay meritocracy where each rises on his (or her) own merits and on what we have that's unique to us which we can bring to the table. Even if you have your own successful career you might still be interested in this book (you could always develop noblesse oblige and give it as a Christmas gift to your less-succesful exes over whom you're triumphing at the moment). As Snyder reminds us, we meet the same people going up as we did going down.
Amazing and PowerfulReview Date: 2004-01-02
Finally, a quality career book for us!Review Date: 2003-09-13
A lot of career books just talk around issues, but this one cuts to the chase, in part due to the stories Snyder tells about other gay people all over the country. I didn't go to USC, but I felt like I knew all of these people so well and learned so much from them. I have never seen a compilation this complete and so well told. It's actually a page-turner which surprised me.
The exercises in the book seemed like they were written just for me, which after reading this book, I know that others have experienced so much of what I have went through in my own life. Reading the book gave me a plan of my own to move ahead and I also feel like I'm part of a greater whole.
Lavender Road To Success: The Career Guide for the Gay CommuReview Date: 2003-09-20

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And after entrance into heaven?Review Date: 2008-07-07
ExcellentReview Date: 2007-09-13
How often do we talk about rewards in heaven? NOt often, because we don't understand how some might be rewarded more than others. How do you improve on heaven? This book is eye-opening and stimulating. Rewards are God's idea Alcorn points out. I strongly recommend the book...every year in fact.
Exceptional!Review Date: 2003-10-15
Think beyond the graveReview Date: 2006-11-05
No book has ever had such an impact on my life! Its Changed Me.Review Date: 2006-04-24
Ps. The proceeds from Randy Alcorn's books are all donated.

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Leap...wow...what a discovery!!Review Date: 2004-04-29
A fictional tripReview Date: 2002-12-18
WOW!Review Date: 2002-11-20
It should be read by those who are ready to leave their comfort zones and take a LEAP! toward living their best life.
Wow!Review Date: 2002-11-20
LEAP! To your Best lifeReview Date: 2002-11-20
The wisdom and insight shared within LEAP! has changed my life.
I recommend this book for anyone who is ready to step outside their comfort zone... and make the LEAP! they know it is time to take.

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Review from Library JournalReview Date: 1999-10-08
Required reading for female professionalsReview Date: 1999-09-07
A terrific book; lots of useful referencesReview Date: 2000-04-16
Women working together to create successful careersReview Date: 1999-08-24
A new view of women at work: working together for successReview Date: 1999-07-30
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I like the easy format -- a thought per page -- since it suits my tendency at the moment to pause, however briefly, and to center my attention on something outside the headlines and the immediate demands of the day. I find myself perusing this book in different ways, sometimes by day, sometimes by randomly selecting a few pages and sometimes by stopping at the subjects at the top of each page that catch my eye.
Good book.