Economic-Life Books

A great book for anyone in any business. I find myself reflecting back to it often to stimulate thinking. It is an after action review of success and failure in past and current businesses. An excellant source for insight into intelligent business thinking.

A must read book if you "know" your company is in great shape.

I give this book 10 stars.

Like one of their cartoons, this book made me think outside the box. As I read, I began to see some of the things I've done in the past in a different light. I've recommended it to others I work with because I think we can all learn a lot together if we discuss some of the subjects and take some of the self tests. The cartoons are a nice break and provide an unusal opportunity for business people to laugh at themselves. Overall, I enjoyed it thoroughly but it will mean more if I can discuss it with others

I found Dr. Iorg's approach to be refreshing. He addresses key components of successful leadership by examining the need to develop our internal core values, without ignoring the need of external training. I found his use of subtle shifts in focus extremely practical, soundly biblical, and sometimes humbling. A personal favorite was Dr. Iorg's discussion of facing unpleasant circumstances; being able to shift the focus from ourselves, that despairing and unfruitful "Why me?" approach, to the more teachable "Why this?' approach. One subtle little shift that will broaden our perspective from 'our' world to see our Father's Kingdom and His desire to grow us to be like Christ. A simple and practical way to not just persevere in tough times, but even anticipate relational and character development as we allow our Father's purpose in those unpleasant circumstances to take root in our lives. This teaching is a very good read and is a valuable addition to any leader's library.

I must have said to myself a dozen times in reading The Character of Leadership this is so simple yet profound. About the second chapter I quit thinking about how this applied to others and how it applied to me as a Christian leader. There were many places I was convicted and challenged in my own personal Christian walk, BUT NEVER felt defeated. Dr. Iorg motivated me to strive to be a better Christian leader as I continuously examined my life and continue to examine my life. I read the book two times and will pick it up often as I strive to implement the nine qualities Dr. Iorg refers to in the book. A must read.

Jay McSwain

So many "leadership" books basically say the same thing, just with a little "twist" for flavor. This is not one of them. Iorg speaks about the character that forms our values that shapes our leadership style. It doesn't matter how many leadership books you read, or how many leadership principles you attempt to practice, if your character is bent on selfish, self-centered intents, your leadership is destined to fail. If you want to see your leadership traits "reshaped" based on the true essentials of godly character, this is a book you must read!

Every Christian leader needs this book! Wow!
I read it in one sitting--just couldn't put it down. Although Dr. Iorg is definitely an academian, this is much more than just an intellectual thesis. It's power-packed with ministry-enhancing challenges for anyone in Christian leadership. I particularly enjoyed Dr. Iorg's personal illustrations and very practical suggestions for character-building. Buy this one for every Christian leader you love.

Roger Wyer is a genius! His hip style of writing makes this an easy read. Roger not only discusses the problems associated with the drudgery people find in their work, but he offers simple solutions to discovering joy. His doown-to-earth approach makes the reader feel as if he has lived in their shoes. His humorous outlook on life makes this a wonderful book. This book is for the factory line worker as well as the CEO's of Industry. Choose Joy, you won't be disappointed.

I'm looking forward to more books from Mr. Wyer.

Happy people produce more, thats the bottom line. Whether your a sales associate on the brink of collapse due to lack of production as the result of being unhappy, or your a company CEO who needs to breathe some new life into his or her organiztion, this book is for you! This book takes a bottom floor up approach to joy on the job, giving you building blocks, and steps to get back on track. Life is all about choices, why not choose joy?

Choosing Joy At Work: Learn The Process Of Being Happy And Living More Fully by Roger Wyer (consultant, coach, and change agent to small business and nonprofit organizations) is an innovative and practical approach to a happier, more satisfactory working life. Acting as a well-detailed strategy guide for the creation of a more confluent, joyous workplace, Choosing Joy At Work nicely maps Wyer's more then twenty years of experience improving how people labor together in the workplace. Choosing Joy At Work is very strongly recommended for all readers acting as administrators or managers for businesses, but more particularly to anyone facing life with an unsatisfactory perspective of their own working life and workplace environment, searching for an intelligible and pragmatic approach to a better, less compromising and happier working life.

Who can not be FOR joy? Mr. Wyer helps us reconnect back to our birthright. I enjoyed his conversational manner of conveying his thoughts, experiences, principles, etc. - it truly felt like he was sitting with me and chatting. This is a most uplifting and fun read that has repercussions for everyone- not just at work,- and the world. We need to perceive and remember our joy and spread it around; joy is contagious, as the author says. I see this book profoundly affecting all who read it, inspiring them to live more positive, creative, love-filled, and, of course, joyful lives. I look forward to a better world for us all. Thank you, Mr. Wyer!

I found this to be an absorbing, detailed, and provocative political and social history of New Haven, with lessons and delightful insights for those interested in the future of our cities, suburbs, and communities. Only a well-respected Yale political scientist like Doug Rae, with the sophistication of someone who has experienced firsthand how policy and implementation collide, could have written as entertaining and perceptive a history. The book is an immense public service, and required reading for those interested in urban planning, redevelopment, and public policy. I enjoyed it thoroughly!

This book chronicles the rich urban life of New Haven, CT, and the forces that brought about its decline in the postwar period. It dissects the misplaced theories underpinning the urban renewal movement and details the disastrous effects that these policies had on New Haven. While the book focuses on New Haven, the discussion is pertinent to urban renewal projects in dozens of US cities, and is of interest to anyone interested in the decline, and possible rebirth of urban life. One unique characteristic of this book is the quality of the writing: witty, insightful. Despite being a scholarly book, it reads like a novel. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in cities.

Rae spins a story like a novelist, but this book is really a tour de force, assembling an impressive amount of data to explain how well-intentioned urban planning policies failed, and how America lost its sense of what creates livable cities. It's a terrific read for anyone interested in the tale of American urban evolution in the twentieth century, and a must-read for those involved in urban planning, public policy and politics.

Many books have been written about the decline of American cities- but I have found none quite like this one.

Rae's book is not an abstract set of generalizations, but a case study of one city: New Haven, Connecticut.

The first half of the book begins by talking about the rise of New Haven. At the start of the 19th century, New Haven was just one of many small towns in south central Connecticut. But by 1910 it was an industrial powerhouse with 80% of the region's population. What went right?

Once railroads were invented in the early 19th century, intercity (between cities) transportation became much easier - but at the same time, intracity transportation was still cumbersome. So industry was centralized in a few downtowns, and most people lived within a mile of their work. And cheap energy (through coal and steam) benefited port cities which, like New Haven, lacked the power of falling water and thus did not have a large mill industry. Moreover, coal (unlike modern electricity) was also easier to transport between downtowns than within cities. So labor and capital were centralized in New Haven, which by 1910 was a crime-free, bustling, very urban place.

New Haven stopped growing as early as the 1920s, and started to shrink in the 1950s. What went wrong?

Rae lists a variety of factors- some that were beyond the control of any politician, and some that could have been controlled through more enlightened public policy.

In the first category, Rae mentions the rise of the automobile (which decentralized regions by making transportation within a region easier) and the rise of the electric power grid (which allowed cheap energy to go beyond regional cores). Television decimated the city's volunteer civic organizations, and national centralization of industry meant that local groceries were supplanted by regional supermarkets and New Haven's industries were bought by corporations headquartered in other cities and often moved around the country or around the globe.

In the second category, Rae criticizes highways that encouraged movement to suburbia, public housing projects that anchored low-skill people in urban cores that were losing low-skill manufacturing jobs, zoning that discouraged retail outside of a few commercial streets, New Deal housing agencies that discouraged investment in urban working-class neighborhoods, and urban renewal projects that bulldozed those neighborhoods in the 1950s and 1960s to build more highways and housing projects.

Was sprawl inevitable? Given the wide range of factors cited by Rae, some sprawl was inevitable- but the disastrous decline of New Haven probably wasn't.

An excellent book on how to coach others in the work place. The book explains what coaching is (not just a buzz word) and gives you the 8 Skill Coaching Model - a process for coaching discussions. Chapter 5 talks about versatile coaching and dealing with the differences that exists between people. Win-Win Partnerships: Be on the Leading Edge with Synergistic Coachin is a newer publication by the authors. It provides much of the same information and more.

I've have used this book with my entire management team and recommend other books from Dr. Steven Stowell on communication, coaching, and performance improvement. Most notably the book Win-Win Partnerships: Be on the Leading Edge with Synergistic Coachin covers much of the same content, but in a newer format. This however, is a classic that should be in your library if you're interested in Coaching in the workplace. Most of the Coaching books I've purchase are soft and weak in their content. Many of these don't really offer a process on "how to coach" or even explain what coaching is. Other books seem to be a "make you feel good" style of book, but don't offer hard skills to coach others for performance. I guess this is why the term "coaching" seems to be misused and abused which I find frustrating. This book offers tangible content and more. This is why it is so respected in the corporate environment and is often required reading in many educational institutions. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I have used this book and a previous book of the authors to assist me in teaching their 3day course in a large company. The book is practical and presents the coaching process as a story the reader gets involved in as he/she is getting involved in the 8 Step Process in the classroom. A number 1 learning tool. It also serves as excellent independent reading as a how-to book which captures the reader's interest.

Short - easy to read and filled with concrete "how-to" information on a collaborative process for facilitating change in someone's performance. The author's 8-step model is based on 20 years research into the "best practices" of successful business performance managers. Very common sense and practical.

Almost everyday I meet an adult who is having problems controlling their money. (They make mistakes like using credit cards to purchase items they can't afford or they don't really need.) This book gives teens practical information about how to control their money before their spending gets out of control. This information is crucial for teens to learn while they are young because sadly one of the major causes of divorce is one or both spouses not being able to control money. This is the required book for the Personal Finances course of Teen U.

I recommend this book to all you teens out there who are interested in money. A few topics the book discusses are

*How one can go about earning money
*Budgeting
*Investment
*Discusses the difference between banks accounts

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Money for Teens by Susan Shelly is really easy to understand especially for teens. Lots of useful tips on how to earn, save and spend money. Thumbs up to this great book that will continue to help teens out there to get a head start and be financially healthy!

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Money for Teens by Susan Shelly is a book for people who want to take control of their money. It presents information on topics such as why money is so important in our society, how one can go about earning money, and other topics such as budgeting, debt and investing. The author provides concrete information that is beneficial for any teen who wants to become familiar with the basics of financial management. Shelly writes on the level of a teen-ager, short and to the point. She leaves out the extra, useless information that would cause narcolepsy in most of today's teenaged population. Shelly goes into detail about how to "make your money work for you." She talks about the benefits and disadvantages of different types of savings accounts, checking accounts, and money market accounts. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Money for Teens is a great book for anybody who wants to be more financially savvy. The essential information it provides will send any teen on his or her way to a financially successful future.

If you're working in the big company/corporation, you have to read this book. This is just masterpiece!

This is a "must read" for anyone in corporate America and, for sure, those considering entering the corporate world. Honest and a real eye opener -- some things we all knew, but never believed! RA McMillan gives you the facts in a style which makes you chuckle! The illustrations are great! Hope there is a sequel - will be sure to read!

This is a "must read" for anyone in corporate America and, for sure, those considering entering the corporate world. Honest and a real eye opener -- some things we all knew, but never believed! RA McMillan gives you the facts in a style whick makes you chuckle! The illustrations are great! Hope there is a sequel - will be sure to read!

This book is a gem. It is full of sarcasm and real-life-annoyance. You can tell that the author was writing this book as a healing process for all of the years he was "stuck" fighting the corporate monster. The illustrations were wonderful and really brought the book into a visual light. I think that anyone who has ever had a job, whether it's office, factory, restaurant, etc., will be able to relate to this book. As much as we'd like to deny it, this book is the real thing. It might be a little embellished for entertainment value, but the observations are true and they are pure Corporate Lunacy.

Globalization is, obviously, a complicated, misunderstood, and nuanced process. And while THE CORPORATE PLANET is not the last word on that process, or on the dynamics by which corporations are emerging as key shapers of that process, it is also true that it tells stories far too often ignored by Quisslings, diplomats, and book reviewers. I write this because I stumbled across the Kirkus review printed on THE CORPORATE PLANET's page here, and it pissed me off. Particularly irritating is the use of the word "shrill," an adjective that seems reserved for books which contest the common optimism that tells us that radicalism is impractical and unnecessary, and that we need not attend too much to the really dangerous corners of the Big Picture. More statistics? Karliner already has LOTS of statistics here. And if his book is "unhelpful" when it comes to suggesting political alternatives, this may be in part because such alternatives are still unclear, and thus necessarily difficult to spell out in specific form. The corporation is the dominant political form of the modern age, and a principle engine of ecological destruction. In such circumstances, just what kind of an "alternative" does one appeal to? In fact, there are some good ideas here, and some good stories too, important stories well chosen. The emergence of the true transnational corporation is one of the most important development in recent human history. If you wish to know what all the shouting is about, you could do worse than start here.

Here are some excerpts from other reviews of The Corporate Planet

Thoughtful analysis of globalization's ecological and social impacts and of efforts by "corporate environmentalists" to control how problems and solutions are defined....With ecological sustainability, social justice, and democratic participation as his guiding principles, Karliner celebrates "grassroots globalization"--citizens demanding responsible environmental behavior from global corporations--becoming stronger and more articulate around the world.

-- Booklist

A fine effort....The book reads easily, without being breezy, moving from concrete illustrations of how giant global corporations are affecting the lives of ordinary people to more abstract discussion of underlying issues.

--The Ecologist

In The Corporate Planet, [Joshua Karliner] explains how transnational corporations like Dow clean up their image rather than their act.

--The Nation

A Magellan-like journey around the globe, giving readers a guided tour that identifies the protectors and poisoners of planet Earth.

--Monthly Review

A thoughtful examination of the new international balance of power in the global economy.

--San Francisco Bay Guardian

Joshua Karliner's "The Corporate Planet" was published prior to the Seattle WTO protests. The book's expert analysis of the relationship between private corporations and the plundering of the earth's resources successfully contextualized the protests as few other books written at that time were able.

Since then of course, many have written about globalization and its effects. But I think Karliner's work continues to stand out from the pack and has in fact gained strength as events continue to unfold. The ascendancy of the pro-oil industry Bush administration and its strident anti-environmentalist agenda seems to confirm his thesis: namely, that corporations and their elected cronies (or unelected cronies, in Bush's case) often proclaim themselves to be environmentally friendly on the one hand while simultaneously rolling back environmental protections on the other.

When push comes to shove, the quest to accumulate profits wins over the environment. Karliner does an excellent job of showing how corporate PR or "greenwash" and corporate sustainable development initiatives provide smokescreens for doing business as usual. But when given the opportunity, Karliner documents how companies such as Chevron lobby hard to roll back protections when given a favorable political situation like the one that existed when Republicans gained control of Congress in the mid-1990s.

The author supports his theory by effectively using case studies to illustrate how these dynamics play out in the real world. Large corporations such as Mitsubishi use their economic power to bend governments and citizens to their will, in the process impoverishing communities and environments as local resources are stripped away for the benefit of distant investors.

Karliner proposes a number of remedies that can help turn the situation around. He reasons that greater democratic input and corporate acocuntability is badly needed if we want people and the environment to be given primacy over the rights of the privileged few to reap the rewards of globalization for themselves. While Karliner may not have detailed a specified course of action -- no single person could be expected to do that -- it seems obvious that he has successfully defined the parameters of the struggle.

Intelligently written and supplemented with numerous footnotes and statistics, I believe it is not too much to say that "The Corporate Planet" is a classic work. I strongly recommended it for those who want to learn more about globalization and the central role corporations are playing in the destruction of the environment.

Karliner has a rare eye for absurdity that makes this more than a mere indictment of corporations. His description of how Chevron pacified an indigenous tribe in Papua New Guinea--by creating a Disneyland recreation of their own culture to impress them--is something so terrifying that no novelist could conceive it. He describes how, years later, the tribe had changed their traditional war paint to mimic the Chevron logo. This isn't just a dry treatise on the perils of globalization. It's a book filled with color, stories, and fascinating details about this bizarre time in the world. From the smell of gasoline seeping up through the richest homes in Playa Del Rey, California, to the history of Standard Oil, to the fight over the forests in the Northwest, to the structure of Japanese corporations--Karliner's book is an overlooked masterpiece that details so many unexpected facets of the global economy.

As founder of "Traderscoach.com" I thought this book provided the reader with a realistic view of taking risks in life and how you should view failure as nothing more than a stepping stone to eventual success.

I saw Art Mortell speak live when I was at Prudential Securities, Inc. seminar in La Jolla, California. He was outstanding and very motivating.

Basically you are not a failure until you give up and that sums it up as far as I am concerned.

Whether you apply this approach to selling or trading the financial markets, you will learn alot about what is necessary to be a consistant winner.

Fell FREE to visit our Web-site "Traderscoach.com" which deals with Trading Psycology as well as other material realted to trading. We currently recommend his book.

Art Mortell spoke before my training class a couple of years ago...I found his motivational system, contained in his book "Courage to Fail", to be not only highly interesting and unique in his field, but also his system is extremely well described and highly useful to anyone who wishes to succeed in business. While there are many similar books offered on this subject, Art Mortell's system should be regarded the definative source for business motivation...

The kind of stories that "Art" tells about in his book, makes me remember that whenever in trouble, specially in business, there's always someone, somewhere, sometime, that has overcome much worst difficulties. There is always a solution for every / anything in life, except for death. We all choose our attitude when facing different situations.

Othón León, México City, México.

This is a book to be read by all those who want to achieve more in life but fear stands in the way, Arts easy to read style makes the book hard to put down, After years of reading self help books I found one in 'The courage to fail' that has helped me unlock the doors to my fears, so I now know that the road to success is paved with failure, which is good, cause its the way we learn and grow. AWESOME book

The author breaks new ground in his exploration of creativity as a transformative agent. In this book creativity becomes a transformative agent in the workplace, the office, and the studio and the author skillfully demonstrates how this transformative agent is the result of "creating with others." In contrast to the notion that imagination and creativity occur in isolation, McNiff brings to light the concept that through creating together, we naturally gain energies and inspiration from those with whom we collaborate and commune.

This book's appeal comes from the numerous examples that the author provides and weaves throughout the text. While those with an artistic bent may want to keep this book in their studios, those who work in business, the laboratory, or an educational institution will want to keep it on their desk, benches, or in their briefcases. The ideas in this book recharged my imagination and reinspired the creative source within, particularly in running my own business as well as daily life.

I found this book a delightful read. It's filled with practical ideas and reflections about creativity, collaboration, and leadership. It's also an eminently browsable book - one can focus on a given chapter and come away with insights that speak directly to a current project. I think one of the book's strengths is McNiff's way of allowing many of the people in it, including himself, to speak directly to the reader. Another distinctive aspect is McNiff's creative sensibility - he sees creativity as the substance of everyday living rather than an "add-on" or enhancement to our lives. Hence the importance of collaboration, which enables us to generate creative energy in a number of personal contexts. Eventually, these contexts feed one another and produce a gestalt effect in which the individual becomes a powerful creative engine in his or her own right rather than simply a creative practitioner in a specific field. This is an eminently practical book for business people, artists, therapists, and just about anyone who recognizes the universal benefits of committing themselves to creative work and who might be looking for practical advice on working creatively with others.

Shaun McNiff has given his readers another pearl in what is becoming a long strand of outstanding contributions to the world. This new book is an intriguing and thoughful and application of his ideas that have evolved in over 30 years of work with groups struggling to ignite their creativity. This book explores new territory as he applies his experience and unique perspectives to creative life in the workplace. His passion for unleashing the power of creative thinking and authentic being in the workplace, and in all of life, is potentially a significant contribution to organizations in need of revitalization and individuals in search of meaning in their lives. In many ways I find McNiff's creative practices, as presented in this book, to be alligned with David Whyte's poetic call for rediscovery of soul in the work place in The Heart Aroused.
Creating With Others may challenge some managers and organizational leaders who seek more traditional and shallow leadership initiatives. A key concept that McNiff proposes is that "to imagine is to let go." He intertwines the phenomena of focus and release of control as a method of tapping into one's innate creativity.
This book is unique in its approach to communal life, and yet is solidly anchored in literary sources from psychology to art. He evidences a deep understanding of human collaboration and creative exercise and applies these in practical exercises for being in creative community with others. I hope many individuals, communities and organizations will be enriched by exploring McNiff's approach to creation in the workplace.

McNiff has written a thoughful and practical work that not only shows direction for implementing creative thinking and being in life and the workplace, but also goes to the source of why art is so powerful a tool for change and healing. When learning occurs at its' quintessential best; when healing occurs at its' deepest level, one thing is certain - there is a connection being made between self, other and environment/community. McNiff has understood this connection and written in depth on this matter in many of his other writings. In this new volume, he takes this rich and novel understanding about connection and applies it into practical approaches for being in 'connection with others'! When one adds 'active imagination' to our daily encounters, it is here that the author boldly steps into an arena which brings a knowledge base of past and present experiences into focus and charts out new vision for 'life, art and the workplace.' This book dares to go where not many artists and scholors have dared to go before!