Economic-Life Books

Lessons From Leadership Failures: The Greenfields Approach by management consultant and business start-up expert Denis Orme is an amazing, superbly presented, informative and practical book offering case histories, anecdotal evidence, and cogent advice for making the most of one's business regardless of the produce or service being offered to the marketplace. From the crucial importance of watching one's budget to encouraging teamwork and most importantly, learning from the mistakes of others rather than making the same mistakes all over again, Lessons From Leadership Failures is an encouraging book and excellent guide for the novice entrepreneur or corporate executive wanting to lead their enterprise to an enduring commercial success.

The book is very relevant, practical and one you should reflect on when faced with real business or career issues.

Lessons From Leadership Failures-The Greenfields Approach is a strategy based on a productive agricultural setting. Imagine for a brief moment that you are a farmer, and when you look outside all you see for many miles are Green Fields. Imagine further that the land is fertile, and that there is an abundance of water. There are no rocks to clear, no trees to fell, just rich fertile land ready for planting of any crop you choose! By applying the Greenfields Approach to business, Denis Orme believes you can envision your potential business and personal opportunities in the same way, without constraint. By doing this, many new opportunities will arise and existing ones will appear different.

The Greenfields Approach is unique and based on a straightforward principle. Too much of the planning and thinking we do is incremental and becomes self-limiting. Too much energy is spent in piece meal planning, benchmarking and strategies. This leads to false assumptions and self-imposed constraints. Denis Orme defines the Greensfields Approach by asking two questions. "If you were starting the business or business unit tomorrow, would you do business the same way?" Secondly, "If you were embarking on a career as a recent graduate, would you launch or grow your career the same way?" He then replies, "If you would not do things the same way, then why are you doing it that way now?"

Lessons From Leadership Failures-The Greenfields Approach has seven chapters and 63 modules. It is a virtual handbook outlining actual leadership failures, the lessons to be learned from these failures and how the reader can do it differently. As Denis Orme candidly writes in the introduction, "This book is about leadership mistakes in each key area of business and the lessons learned from mistakes made by other senior executives and myself." For example, Chapter 5 is entitled Flavor of the Month. In this chapter, Orme cautions against consultants or technologies that attract the latest fad or buzzword to solve problems rather than cost-effective solutions.

Lessons From Leadership Failures-The Greenfields Approach is truly different in approach and purpose. It is not simply another text on leadership, but a serious analysis of past business failures, lessons to be learned and how to do it differently.

[[ASIN:1601451253 LIFE AFTER WORK: Redefining Retirement - A step-by-step guide to balancing your life and achieving bliss in the Wisdom Years] is a "must read" for people thinking about retirement or even those who have been retired for a few years. I have been giving this book to family, friends and former colleagues, encouraging them (and their spouses) to read it. The feedback has been very rewarding. I have been retired for several years myself and thought I had it all figured out. Than I ran onto "Life After Work" and it opened my eyes to issues that I hadn't "figured out" after all. Even if retirement for you is off in the future sometime, this book can also alter your thinking about life "during" work.

When I made the decision to retire after 34 years with my employer, I focused primarily on the financial side; "Can I afford to retire without working?"
Once that question was resolved with a resounding "Yes"; I asked myself "What am I going to do everyday in retirement". I didn't have a plan other than knowing that I wouldn't have to make the 3-4 hour round trip commute to Los Angeles everyday. Yes, I made a things-to-do-list, but life is more than task assignments. And, I knew that - that alone would not be fulfilling.
Then, I had the opportunity to read "Life after Work" (about 30 days before my actual retirement date), and it helped to put everything into perspective. I no longer had (in retirement): Purpose, a Structure / routine, Power, Authority or a title, People surrounding me all day long.
Reading this book helped me to gain insight and to develop a focus on "Me, my family and my friends" as my priority. Step by step, every emotion that I was feeling was discussed in such a way - that I thought this book was written specifically for me or anyone else that just thought - that everyday is about work. It's been about two months since I retired. I am now focused, enjoying retirement and am happy. I did set a goal to "Relax" for the first several months to develop my purpose for the next third of my life. Not sure I would have achieved a confident approach to a happy retirement as quickly, if I had not read & implemented the approach in "Life after Work".
I strongly recommend that you invest a little time, a few dollars and educate yourself on how to deal with all the unknowns as you transition to retirement.

Had I read "Life After Work" when I retired 7 years ago, the road to a happy retirement would have been with fewer bumps and bruises along the way. A successful retirement doesn't just happen. It requires thoughtful self examination and adjustment of priorities. Doug Fletcher provides a concise and practical guide in that regard. This book is an excellent resource for the struggling retiree or anyone considering retirement in the near future.

A great story by a man who made the most of every opportunity and challenge he faced. Inspirational.

An inspiration to those seeking the "American Dream". Funny and entertaining, it takes you through the life of a not so ordinary man. Hi life, almost hard to beleive is filled with some of the most fascinating stories I have ever read. I truly enjoyed it!

I thought the book was an enjoyable light read. I also found it inspiting to read the story of how an immigrant achieves success in this complicated world we live in. Some very funny stories.

Rafa de la Sierra III

This glimpse into the life of a gentleman is riveting. Mr. Botsford relinquishes a life to the reader of a time gone by, when a gentleman was something people aspired to be. From true gentility to personal heroism and adventure during the war, each page brings you deeper into the life of a fascinating man. This is the kind of tale that people used to sit around a cozy fire to share, when television was science fiction and storytelling was not a lost art. Mr. Botsford makes you nostalgic for that kind of entertainment, and glad that you can still find it if you know where to look. So turn off the TV and pick up "A Life of Privilege, Mostly", you'll be glad you did!

As the split screen cover photos suggest, Gardner Botsford (`is this a real name?' asks my wife) chronicles two sides of his extraordinary life. First, "the feel of fear" as an infantryman entering World War II at Omaha Beach on D-Day and his surviving countless adventures as the Allies drive to Berlin. Liberation of Paris, the surrender of an entire town to him personally, meeting Patton...one begins to think he is an erudite Forrest Gump - he is simply everywhere at the important moment. Second, his colorful career in journalism, from covering death-row executions in Florida as a young beat reporter through his long career at the center of the literary world as editor of The New Yorker.

"`Before I blow out your brains' - what a way to talk! What melodrama! What had happened to me?" As a GI, Botsford wrestles in Europe with the demons of war...perhaps solid preparation for future traumas he would witness at home in New York. Booze, mental depression and suicide were to elite wordsmiths what heroin became to jazz musicians, and Botsford's life is touched repeatedly by the loss of his colleagues.

One expects chapters upon chapter of WASPy high society lifestyles, but Botsford indulges the reader only with a taste of his pre-war jaunts through Hotchkiss, Yale and the Ubangi Club. Neysa McMein, famous socialite and illustrator, (but not Botsford's mother as indicated in the PW review posted here) is featured: a fellow native of Quincy, Illinois, Neysa introduces the author's parents to New York. Alexander Wolcott, Genet (Janet Flanner), Wolcott Gibbs, AJ Leibling, and scores of famous New Yorker writers and editors are recounted. Naturally, Ross and Shawn, the great legends of the magazine serve as bookends to the Botsford career. But you don't have to be a great student of The New Yorker to appreciate this memoir.

Maeve Brennan's insouciant letter detailing a Christmas in the Hamptons ("It will be a long day before I have `house guests' again.") is a scream, and worth the price of the book alone. You'll also enjoy Wolcott Gibbs' 10 general rules for editing New Yorker writers. Equally amusing is Gibbs' editorial answer to a book publisher in Chicago with six accompanying notes ("#4. `For it was apple-blossom time in Normandy' is, I'm afraid, arch at best, and the ragtime beat is not appealing to the ear.")

Mr. Botsford's keen sense of humor echoes throughout the memoir. He constantly watches for those taking themselves too seriously, and finds a treasure trove of these unfortunates in the US Army, in American politics, and in the editorial corridors of New York City. Even his best friend before the war, Bill Verity, (aka, Monsieur Calvini) does not escape his wit...alas "he took up the corporate ladder, became more stone-minded, was appointed as Ronald Reagan's Secretary of Commerce - he was lost forever." Those who are too officious find little room in the privileged life of Gardner Botsford. Thank you, Robert, this was a treat.

The two photographs on the cover of Gardner Botsford's extraordinary memoir explain the "Mostly" in the title: While the book gives a funny, detailed description of life in the top tier of New York society, it also takes the reader into the not-so-funny life of a young soldier who fought in the bloodiest battles of World War II. The war parts are without self-pity. The privilege parts are similarly cheerful and accepting. The author, a former top editor at the New Yorker Magazine, also gives a backstage view of some of the power struggles he witnessed there. And some of his delicious anecdotes about famous New Yorker writers leave the reader weak with laughter. This is a book to relish and buy many copies of for all your friends and relatives.

"This book gives practical solutions for finding purpose. You can overcome your fears."

Life Skills is presented in such a way that one can do a section each day, week, or month. It really provides some tools to help one understand the changes that may be taking place subcounciously. Truly a recommended tool for people of all ages. Too bad they didn't provide this as a senior class in high schools.

I have read lots of different books for establishing direction and purpose for my life. LifeSkills has been the best thus far at providing a thoughtful, insightful approach to addressing the most crucial areas to being a complete person (spiritual, physical, career, etc.). If you like books like Steven Covey's series or the "Parachute" books, then you will profit immensley from this. Be prepared to be honest and reflective with yourself. You can spend hours or days on it by going one chapter at a time. I read it every year just to remember what I'm made of and what I want to become.

Written by popular speaker and former chaplain Mike Blaylock, Life Changing Leadership: Making a Difference in the Lives of Others is a straightforward guide to helping others succeed. Chapters teach the reader how to learn to listen effectively, put others first, motivate with encouragement, express appreciation, and much more. "The small pieces of the puzzle are those things that are a part of putting the picture together, but they are not the big picture itself. It is easy to lose perspective when those small pieces are all so different. Perhaps the most overemphasized small pieces in life are winning and losing... Successful coaches know that life is bigger than the outcome of the game." A solid introduction to embodying positive leadership traits and applying successful strategies.

Life-Changing Leadership is a motivating and inspiring read! This is an author who is passionate about helping people become the very best they can be. The author's enthusiasm inspired me to become a better leader and to put into practice his excellent suggestions for helping others grow to their fullest potential. I plan to purchase this book for every person on our management team.

This book takes the traditional idea of leadership and gives it a twist that will leave you thinking about leadership in a new light. It's practical and inspiring, with real-life examples. It's a quick read that sticks with you. I'd recommend this for anyone who is in a leadership position or who is starting their career. It will put you on the right road to being a successful leader who really makes a difference.

I liked this likeable book, so slyly instructive, words sparse, photos apt, and I recommend it to all my friends and enemies, especially the people who cherish "the soul of wit...brevity." I pick up this sikly opus anywhere, any time, for its astonishing relevance on any given page. For me it is an intellectual/aesthetic health snack. I love the symbiosis of the exquisite photography and text.

Bob Scher crackles the page with lightning flashes of discovery about how the world works and how best to live within it and then allows his observations to grow naturally like a path in the forest. The result is a tantalizing series of poetic insights on creating opportunities within this pattern of relationships and movements.

Respectful of his debt to higher forces and with a healthy sense of self-inquiry, Scher places leadership-or the pursuit of one's aims-within a natural world of dynamic forces and relationships. The sensitive photographs paired with each insight support this vision. The pictures and words work marvelously together, each in turn revealing aspects of the other.

This is a special book to give or to ponder.

This book converges between poetry, business and visual arts. It is the perfect combination. The pictures set the mood for the words and the words come alive in the pictures.

Bob Scher has an incredible ability to put the most complex and abstract leadership issues in soft and gentle poems.

A must keep item for executives. I leave the book in my desk drawer and look at it at least 2-3 times a day. Reading it gives me a lift of inspiration and helps me to conceptualize some of my daily leadership struggles.

I came across this book almost by accident and I was surprised by how easy to read and useful it is.
The prices and costs may not be up to date but these can be determined by surfing the net. Well worth the price and the effort.
Like I said, a must - read for anyone headed to Australia for over 3 weeks.

Bear in mind however that this version has not been updated for a few years.

I truly enjoyed reading this book as I was able to learn the most essential aspects of living and working in Australia. This book features great advice on how to prepare yourself for the big move "Down Under", and what to expect from this new country. It also gives you a reality check on life in Australia as a new immigrant with all the challenges one must face. I really enjoyed the detailed list of "Aussie Real Estate Jargon" as I will need to refer to it when I will be looking for an apartment in Sydney. There are so many useful and practical information and advice in this book such as tips on how to find a job. This book has given me the confidence to move to Sydney as I feel prepareed and armed with the right information needed to make a good start Down Under. I have also read others books on "Living and Working in Australia", and this book is the best so far as it has the highest quality of content compared to the other ones.

I truly enjoyed reading this book as I was able to learn the most essential aspects of living and working in Australia. This book features great advice on how to prepare yourself for the big move "Down Under", and what to expect from this new country. It also gives you a reality check on life in Australia as a new immigrant with all the challenges one must face. I really enjoyed the detailed list of "Aussie Real Estate Jargon" as I will need to refer to it when I will be looking for an apartment in Sydney. There are so many useful and practical information and advice in this book such as tips on how to find a job. This book has given me the confidence to move to Sydney as I feel prepareed and armed with the right information needed to make a good start Down Under. I have also read others books on "Living and Working in Australia", and this book is the best so far as it has the highest quality of content compared to the other ones.

The book was well thought out.It was extremely organized,a quick read with useful information.The author put's in writing what we have heard before but never act upon.I have already put to use some of her idea's and have saved money.

First time author, Doris Spears, shares her insight on living the better life without sacrificing quality. For either the savvy investor or cost conscience consumer, Ms. Spears, provides tips from buying clothes to cars, from dining out to traveling the world and from investment strategies to real estate purchases. Don't let the small price fool you, this book has something for eveyone. Buying this book is your first step towards Living Better for Less!

This book brings us back to simple but very basic ideas. If you handle things once at the right time, it saves you time money and energy. I like the fact that it's written simply- it's an easy read but very effective. I even gave one to two of my daughters who are 18 and 20. It's never too early to start out right. My thanks to the author for bringing us back to basics!

Living Large shows you how to choose your standard of living, the basics of money management, giving strategies, saving and investment planning, simple budgeting, and last but not least, how to live joyfully on the rest!

J. Raymond Albrektson shows you how to truly injoy your money with biblical common sense on how to give, spend and save. A good read for those with large or small incomes with principles directly derived from scripture.

As a father of three sons - no they are not heading off to college either - this is a wonderful book. As a son this is a great book for my parents to read as they approach retirement years. In a very user-friendly approachable style Ray has written a great book for all those who break out into a cold sweat when you hear the words "finance," "management" or "budget". A must read for anybody, teens on up!

The books I've read on finance seem to fall into one of two categories: either the "how to satisfy your greed and get rich quick" or the "deny yourself and live on a strict budget" types. (Not to mention the occasional, "the world is about to end so put it all in precious metals" hyperbole.)

"Living Large" is a refreshing change from the norm. It is easy to read, filled with enjoyable personal examples, and contains practical advice for both young couples starting out and more advanced investors. I had the feeling that I was listening to the "sweet voice of reason" on every page.

And this book contains a dimension I've not seen anywhere else. Dr. Albrektson gives wise counsel on how to be genuinely contented with the income you have. Frankly, I don't know many Americans who can honestly say they are content with what they make. Perhaps with the help of "Living Large" we can start a new trend!

Last year my wife and I paid a certified financial planner $500 to do some retirement planning for us. After I read "Living Large" I was surprised how much of our planner's expert advice was exactly the same as Albrektson's in this book. If I'd bought "Living Large" a year ago, I could have saved myself $490.00!