Economic-Life Books

Thoroughly enjoyable! The daily grind and politics of work-life are portrayed here in a very well-written and fun fashion.

Management By Vice is full of razor-sharp, satiric humor. You'll find no boring, longwinded analyses of the characters and the fictitious Company's history, though there is enough exposure of human nature to fill a work psychology manual! I like the way the book stays focused on a series of sprightly, humorous episodes, which show various aspects of interactions between managers and technical staff. I have seen and experienced them in the workplace for many years, so I fully agree that Management By Vice is in every way a true-to-life rendition of what takes place in many companies. The writing style is appealing too with witty, short verses that relect the content of each episode. Management By Vice is head and shoulders above the 1st grade reading primer level of many unrealistic, silly humor books about management and the workplace. The repartee between the characters, such as the managers and technical staff, is also very real and entertaining. What can be done about the less-than-satisfactory management described in The Company? Any bright reader will see this type of management must be replaced for the sake of The Company's survival. In fact, the

Most of the satiritical episodes in CB Don's book entitled " Management by Vice" are quite familiar scenes in both commercial and government settings. "Gettting ahead" at the expense of one's integrity as well as colleagues' future is the only means for some people. Greed often blinds ambitious management. A quick promotion and fat bonouses are the driving forces for these managers. Hence, short-term goals, say 3 to 5 years, are all thay care about at present, regardless of the future of the organization. Cooperation mergers are too common a way to survive and getting ahead than collisons on the highway, and lay-off is only a part of the evolutionary process, in the commercial world, where survival of those who are most vocal, but are deficient in both technical skills and vision, seems to be the rule. I thoroughly enjoyed reading CB Don's book. It is humorous, yet candid. I highly recommend it to the current managers and those who are old enough to drink....

Mr. R. K. MSc., Supervisory Civil Engineer, from Michigan, USA.
I find this to be a most delightful book. If you have ever worked in an office, design or R&D outfit, you can really relate to the adventures portrayed therein. I spent 35 years in the egg-laying part of the duck and found the barbed lampoons a titillating reflection of my own adventures. There's also a pleasant sprinkling of cartoons and verse the summarize each fo the 11 episodes. The heroine survives a cliffhanger for those of you that relish a bit of adventure. It's one of those "once you pick it up, you can't put it down" pieces that are a fast read and leave you satisfied like a good pastrami sandwich. For you managers, the Scots have an appropriate saying, "would some power the great giver give us to see ourselves as others see us". Give it a go!!

Its a sarcastic view of management from the point of R&D scientists. From the point of view of the R&D scientists you get to see some of the underhanded and self serving behavior of incompetent management at the fictional company and how it is tolerated by senior members of management. Unfortunately the book does not explore how "The Company" which was once an R&D powerhouse, got to be in this dysfunctional state. Also the book offers very little hope for dealing with a company in this type of state, short of the company being acquired or getting lucky and having unintended benefits during a passive/aggressive power struggle amongst management. If you were attracted to reading this book by the title "Management by Vice" I would recommend skipping this one and instead read The Below-the-Belt Manager by Eric Broder which I found to be more Humorous than this book.

Claude C. Hopkins (1866-1932) was a pioneer in the advertising industry. This volume consists of his two books: Scientific Advertising written in 1923, and My Life in Advertising written in 1927. NBC and CBS were founded around the time of Hopkins' retirement, so his work predated the broadcasting era. The media of his time were newspapers, magazines, and direct mail.

"Salesmanship-in-print is exactly the same as salesmanship-in-person." If the purpose of advertising is to sell, then its effectiveness can be measured by resulting sales volume. Hopkins tested ads on a small scale before risking money on a large-scale campaign. He also compared results using different headlines in order to discover the best performing approach.

"Never seek to amuse. That is not the purpose of advertising." Hopkins would likely be disturbed by a great deal of modern advertising where creativity overshadows salesmanship.

Hopkins used free trials to successfully penetrate markets, but he felt the word "free" cheapens a product. Instead he would say, "We will buy your first package." He did not find it effective to give away samples to people who did not request them.

"Some say, be very brief... That would be an unthinkable handicap... Every ad. in my opinion, should tell a complete story. It should include every facet and argument found to be valuable. Most people I figure, read a story once, as they do a news item. I know of no reason why they should read it again."

Scientific Advertising consists of 21 short chapters:

Ch1: How advertising laws are established
Ch2: Just salesmanship
Ch3: Offer service
Ch4: Mail order advertising - what it teaches
Ch5: Headlines
Ch6: Psychology
Ch7: Being specific
Ch8: Tell your full story
Ch9: Art in advertising
Ch10: Things too costly
Ch11: Information
Ch12: Strategy
Ch13: Use of samples
Ch14: Getting distribution
Ch15: Test campaigns
Ch16: Leaning on dealers
Ch17: Individuality
Ch18: Negative advertising
Ch19: Letter Writing
Ch20: A name that helps
Ch21: Good business

The vocabulary sounds surprisingly modern, with a few exceptions here and there, such as dilatory, folly, palaver, rudiments, and trifle. The prices (one cent postage stamp) and car brands (Chalmers, Hudson, Mitchell, Overland, Reo, Studebaker) add a bit of early twentieth century flavor.

Scientific Advertising (100 pages) may be purchased as a standalone volume. The autobiography (200 pages) adds additional context through stories about various campaigns.

With today's trend towards data-driven decisions and increased scrutiny of marketing budgets, this 85-year-old book is surprisingly relevant. While some of the techniques from Hopkins' time may no longer be effective, the fundamental message of Scientific Advertising is timeless.

This book is a must read for anyone in advertising.

There are real life case studies and little bits of advertising wisdom throughout this book.

There are two very valuable books here.

These books were first published over 80 years ago. But that does not in any way mean they are less important today than they were when first written. The fact that they have withstood the test of time and are still considered highly valuable works today validates the importance of the message.

The third paragraph of Scientific Advertising gives a preview of the lessons to be learned. "Therefore this book deals, not with theories and opinions, but with well-proved principles and facts. It is written as a text book for students and a safe guide for advertisers." They are both based on well proven facts.

Both books contain very valuable lessons learned by Claude Hopkins during his amazing career in advertising. He gives a very solid philosophy of advertising and then backs it with many actual examples of advertising in action.

If your business conducts any form of advertising, you would do well to read these two books. As Hopkins points out, "The only purpose of advertising is to make sales. Treat it as a salesman. Force it to justify itself."

A recurring theme of both books is all advertising must have a means to measure the results. "In no other way can real service reveal its advantage. Doing anything blindly is folly."

Most businessmen today believe they know their market. Hopkins has some strong words for those who rely on their opinion rather than testing the market. He says, "Sometimes those who judge the world by themselves, succeeded. Four times in five they failed. I know of nothing more ridiculous than gray-haired boards of directors deciding on what housewives want." "Only the obstinate bone-headed, will venture far on personal opinion."

Claude gives some great lessons in selling. "And every effort to sell creates corresponding resistance." Don't engage in selling. Interest those people who want what you have. Clearly show them the benefits of your product. But don't try to sell them. It will backfire. "Changing people's habits is very expensive." "People will do much to cure a trouble, but in general do little to prevent it." So don't try to sell prevention. Sell the cure.

There is some overlap between the two books. Some examples are cited in both books. But it is very interesting reading, learning how Puffed Wheat and Puffed Rice were marketed. There are countless other examples of how appropriate marketing created demand and distribution.

It is easy to say that times have changes and what worked in the early 1900's will not work today. There is no doubt that a lot has changed. But not basic human behavior. So the principles are still the same. Your job is to learn the principles and figure out how to apply them to your product or service.

The two greatest lessons from these books are to measure your return and to get rid of your own opinion about what the customer wants. Learn to ask them. Find out what they want. Trying to sell what you think the market wants can be very costly.

Delightful and easy to read. Full of knowledge you can put to use in your business right away.

This is the seed book on advertising and copywriting.

It's a short book. The ideas in it are so tersely stated
it's easy to miss their profundity.

Very concise. Very well illustrated by examples from
Hopkins' advertising career. The incidents described
occurred in a different time though - so they might
at first inapplicable to today's marketing environment.

Housewives no longer become excited by canned Baked Beans
and mail-order corsetry. When this book was written
products were described with words and a drawing at
best. The demands of the marketplace today are different
and customers have been split-up into almost infinite
niche markets today.

Still, timeless wisdom about what gets people to buy.

I have read marketing books by several of the most famous marketers who are still alive and this book is much better than all of them. This book lets you really understand marketing in a practical way, whereas other books make marketing seem more difficult, confusing, theoretical, and vague. Other books are much less helpful than this one. I think Claude had many times more experience and major successes than any living marketer. I think he knew what he was talking about much more than any others. That's why he explains things much better. I think he was also much smarter and talented as well. He was truly a marketing genius. It doesn't matter that this book is old, because people haven't changed and the scientific principles underlying marketing have not changed at all. If it is true that few people read this book, then I am glad! I would be afraid if all my competition read this book!

A mentor told me about this book about a year ago. As a business owner, I regularly have a list of books to be read. When I got to this book, it was about controlling the supply or controlling the demand. Without either one, you don't control the deal and your chances of remaining in the deal are minimal.

Peebles talks about his personal experiences of having the right people in your corner or "politiking". From Congress and Senate members, to local government, to environmentalist, you never know who you will need when it comes to landing commercial real estate deals. No matter what road blocks or obstacles get in your way, persist... Your persistence speaks volumes about your character.

Ensure you are going into deals with the right people. Some people can cause you more harm than good. Above all else, do not be afraid to be an entrepreneur. Your vision for a project may bring the "nay-sayers" on board with you. Use everything to your advantage: the media, your political connections, your constituents to win great deals...

Great book!!

Having recently taken a job where I need to understand the complexities of commercial real estate deals, I purchased this book after seeing Mr. Peebles on CNBC's Squawk Box and am glad I did. More than just discussing the technical aspects of the deals, the stories of the downsides were particularly riveting -- a side of the journey that you'll rarely hear from most successsful business people. It's a great story of perseverence and growth, and an important read for aspiring entrepreneurs. I'd also recommend it to business students and anyone facing a career crisis.

The book had good case studies for and advice for both entrepreneurs and business people in general. His Principles and Ground Rules are good advice from the real world. I found a couple of typos here and there, but it was a good quick read.

The book has a lot of motivation on how to utilize people that come in play with your life in a positive way. It shows you how to be creative in making real estate deals to your advantage.

Great book for those who want to become real estate investors.

The book is awesome. I first skimmed it at the bookstore but after getting home without it I decided to go back and purchase it because there were so many lessons in there that needed to be mulled over and studied again.

So many other books of a similar ilk don't go into the details that Mr Peebles does and his lessons could apply to many businesses, not just real estate.

I have read this book a number of times and share it with friends and associates. I have found the delivery interesting, and it moves along with stories and examples. The message is Universal. We are here to learn and grow. So "Carpe Diam."

This is a very solid book. I took a class provided by the company the authors either work for or own (I read the book as well). This was a tremendous gift for me to read this. Much of what prevents both businesses and individuals from reaching their potential is fear. This book deals with the very issues that commonly hold us back, and gives logical solutions to those issues. I learned things from this book that I was able to implement in my life that changed my personal and professional life for the better. I don't agree with every concept in here. However, I do have to admit that I was able to look at my life from a different perspective after I read this. I used concepts in this book (as well as the bible and other books) to challenge myself to get my nursing degree (which really helped the company that originally sent me to this), buy a home, and become a better husband. I might add that my company's production went way WAY up after a group from our clinic took this class (which is just the book in lecture format). No, I'm not saying this book will take all your problems away. I am saying that some of the concepts in here can only benefit an individual/company's life if implemented with a real desire to improve.

One of the best business books ever written. Awesome insights which should be read over & over by anyone desirous of running a successful business.

No matter your business - corporation, sole propietor, financial, education - or your role within that business - owner, manager, new hire - this book can help you grow within that role. Not only can it help you professionally, but also personally. As a corporate trainer, I recommend it in all my management classes as well as to those who come to me for career coaching. It's a great, quick and powerful read.

This great book by Larry Wilson is all about choosing growth over fear. It's about the miracle of personal development and no one knows more about personal development than Larry Wilson.Playing to Win is a soup to nuts approach to personal development as only Larry Wilson can do.Are you playing it a little bit too safe? What is that costing you? Read Playing to Win. It may revolutionize your whole life as it has mine. Outstanding book.

Globalization is quickening and will continue to have an increasing impact on your professional career. With globalization there will never be a shortage of Talent. Having the best talents and proven capabilities is not enough anymore. As the author puts it, we need to become "Talent-plus" person. If you do, you will add value to yourself, add value to others and accomplish more than you dreamed was possible.

This is an excellent book that can be applied in the real world. As an IT Project Manager, I was able to apply the learnings from the section on Teamwork to inspire my project team.

Other books on the same subject seemed very philosophical "common sense" with no practical actionable take aways. This book, however, explains things in very analytical format with examples that I could relate to, both personally & professionally. Recommended!

This book forces you to examine your character more than your talent. It offers concrete information with great examples.

This book is truly highly motivational in moving ourselves beyond what we believe are our talents and gifts. I really feel much can be gained from reading this phenomenal book.

John C. Maxwell truly has a gift with words and speaks from the heart. This is definitely highly recommended.

God bless you all.

I hate to sound harsh but I found this to be just another book with stories and examples to make the reader feel good. The author tells the reader if you aren't motivated then others can't motivate you and yet that is the underlying premise of this whole book. Would not recommend to anyone serious about wanting insight to leadership, coaching or anything near the two.

I have read and then reviewed most of John Maxwell's previously published books and on occasion I became concerned that he was merely recycling some of the same core concepts he first examined years ago. In this volume, he asserts that "talent is never enough." If it were, "then the most effective and influential people would always be the most talented ones but that is often not the case...Clearly talent isn't everything." That said, he hastens to add, talent is worthy off our admiration and must be perceived in the proper perspective. For Maxwell, it is "a God-given gift." For others who do not share his faith, it is nonetheless usually referred to as a "natural" as opposed to an acquired capability. All human beings possess talent but differ in terms of number, nature, and extent of what Maxwell calls "giftedness." The challenge is to maximize one's talents. In this context, I am reminded of Darrell Royal's suggestion that "potential" means "you ain't done it yet."

Maxwell has identified thirteen key choices that can be made to maximize one's talent. None is a head-snapping revelation, nor does he make any such claim. "Make these choices, and you can become a talent-plus person. If you have talent, you stand alone. If you have talent plus, you stand out." He devotes a separate chapter to each of the thirteen. Once again, as in most of his earlier works, he includes a number of especially apt quotations from what must be a substantial collection of what he has accumulated from various sources thus far. He also includes at the conclusion of each chapter a set of "Application Exercises." Maxwell fully understands that sustaining self-improvement initiatives involves a process, an extended journey, one that requires a compass, a map, and sufficient resources once begun. He is convinced (and I agree) that specificity is imperative: Goals must be written down, frequently reviewed, and when appropriate revised. Self-improvement must be results-driven. And, more often than not, improvement will be incremental. Maxwell insists that "belief lifts talent." Henry Ford once spoke to the same point when pointing out that "whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right." Without faith in what is possible, why bother?

Passion energizes talent, initiative activates it, focus gives it direction, preparation positions talent properly, practices sharpens it, perseverance sustains it....and so the list of choices continues. Maxwell's key point is that all of us have a choice, actually several choices, and can determine to what extent (if any) we take full advantage of the talents we have, such as they are. He concluded with "The Last Word on Talent" (Pages 273-275), once again urging his reader to become a talent-plus person. "If you do, you will add value to yourself, add value to others, and accomplish much more than you dreamed was possible." Earlier, I expressed my concern that Maxwell would sometimes recycle some of his core concepts about leadership and human development, notably in works such as The 360 Degree Leader: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization. That does not happen in this book. To me, this is his most personal book thus far...even more so than is Leadership Gold: Lessons I've Learned from a Lifetime of Leading which I consider to be his most valuable work thus far.

Those who share my high regard for Talent Is Never Enough are urged to check out Geoff Colvin's Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else. Colvin set out to answer this question: "What does great performance require?" In this volume, he shares several insights generated by hundreds of research studies whose major conclusions offer what seem to be several counterintuitive perspectives on what is frequently referred to as "talent." In this context, I am reminded of Thomas Edison's observation that "vision without execution is hallucination." If Colvin were asked to paraphrase that to indicate his own purposes in this book, my guess (only a guess) is that his response would be, "Talent without deliberate practice is latent." In other words, there would be no great performances in any field (e.g. business, theatre, dance, symphonic music, athletics, science, mathematics, entertainment, exploration) without those who have, through deliberate practice developed the requisite abilities.

Colvin leaves no doubt that by understanding how a few become great, anyone can become better...and that includes his reader. This reader is now convinced that talent is a process that "grows," not a pre-determined set of skills. Also, that deliberate practice "hurts but it works." It would be "tragically constraining," Colvin asserts, for anyone to lack sufficient self-confidence because "what the evidence shouts most loudly is striking, liberating news: That great performance is not reserved for a preordained few. It is available to you and to everyone." I urge those who read this brief commentary to read both Colvin's book and Maxwell's. Each is a singular, brilliant achievement.

There is lot of wisdom in this book. This book does a great job of breaking down the factors that everyone who wants to be more "successful" in anything has to adhere to.

I am a long time student of excellence and am always looking for a business or self-help type of book that focuses on values and character traits like Self-discipline, self-control and resilience. This is that type of book. Too many trendy books promise you the big lie...that you can be wealthy and successful without effort by thinking the right way.

Those books are criminal.

Find and hone your strengths, mitigate your weaknesses and practice on developing your character. This bring success.

Get this book!

While I'm not generally drawn to business books, I am such a big fan of Mollie Marti's work that The 12 Factors of Business Success was an automatic must-read for me. While well-versed in business experience and applications, the principles of Mollie's work are so universal that it is easy to see their relevance to all areas of life. While I may not consider myself a business person per se, I nonetheless am able to apply these same principles to my life as a writer and Pilates/yoga teacher, as well as to my personal life. I can honestly tell you that my life is better and I am a better person for having known Mollie Marti. I hope you enjoy getting to know her through her book.

I have now just finished reading The 12 Factors of Business Success for the second time and my copy is now colorfully adorned with bright yellow post-it notes and plenty of "notes to self" in the margins. In each of the twelve chapters I found insightful discussions of the challenges that stand between many people and their dreams - and many of these are challenges I face almost daily as a writer! These discussions were followed by clear and thorough presentations of concepts and skills designed to help the reader navigate those same challenges. And the motivating, inspiring tone of the writing makes you feel as if the three authors, all highly accomplished and successful individuals, are speaking to you personally and directly. This makes the information enjoyable to read and easy to understand.

I've already begun to incorporate the principles learned from this book into my strategy for completing my own book. I've also begun to weave these same lessons into the mind/body teaching that I do in order that my clients are better able to realize their dreams of improved fitness and healthier lifestyles. Finally, as a soon-to-be-first-time-mother, I paid particularly close attention to how these principles will help me to be a better parent. There was a wealth of information that has helped me to think about how I will teach my child the values necessary for living an authentic and fulfilling life (special kudos and thanks to the authors for the moving personal accounts of parenting shared in the final chapter).

I strongly recommend this book and hope it is as helpful to you as it as been for me in the ongoing "business" of living my best life.

-Leah
http://leahrenascence.blogspot.com/

The combination of Hogan, Lakhani & Marti cuts right through all the noise and fluff. If you want to move on with your career, your business or your life these clearly laid out 12 factors will do it. Knowing and having worked with Hogan & Lakhani, the content has been tested, evaluated and it works. They also make it very clear that these factors work as long as you do. Willing to make a difference? Get this book and get to work! The plan is laid out very clearly and concisely, all you have to do is act!

Harlan Goerger, Author "The Selling Gap"

A Checklist for SUCCESS!

What a gem. Thank you to these 3 powerful success trainers who took the time to share their research - and personal experience - on what it truly takes to make it the business world. They are not afraid to say that ACTION is key. If you want to get things done, live the life you want, accomplish your goals, and create success (however you define it), you need to take smart, consistent action.

This book puts together the backdrop for the action - the dreaming, the game plan, the passion and all other important concepts - and then it continually brings you right back to taking the first action step, and then the next one. Each answer to their clients' questions includes "Action Steps That Work". It's a checklist for success that is staying front and center in my business and life success library.

You get a sense that these authors have not only "been there, done it" but have seen it all in their years of researching, consulting and helping others on the path to success. So it's probably not surprising that this book goes beyond business life in an acknowledgment that if your "life" isn't working, your business won't be running as well as it should either. They even include a client's question on how to raise success minded kids. This broad approach appealed to me especially since those successful minded kids will soon be running our country!
This is a MUST READ in taking your business and life to the next level!

Just finished reading this book- and it only took me three days. That's because the book is good. It's easy to read, but the concepts make you think. I enjoyed the questions and answers in the book; they made me realize that most of us are struggling with the same issues in business. I thought the 12 principles were well thought out and seemed to touch the core of what it takes to be successful. I guess this is what happens when you get three powerhouses together in one book. I'd say get it, read it, and apply it.

... then try this book! There are no cheesy gimmicks here, just simple and sound advice on how to bring people you meet into your fold by asking, "What can I do for this person?" rather than "What can they do for me?".

Even experienced networkers could learn something valuable from this book.

Thank you Darcy, Judy and Gayle for this wonderful book. With the tips & best practices you laid out so clearly, I have gained substancial confidence this past year with my "Tribal Introduction". Your abundance message rings true with the dramatic increase in my personal network within my community and business organization. As a recruiter and President of my district's Netwroking Association, your book has inspired me to 'work my pond' with ever increasing success.

This book was a disappointement for me, yes, I does give some useful insights into networking and what it is all about. However, most of the chapters are based on common sense that you would do anyway (I hope!!) such as being polite and striking up conservations with people and being nice to everybody regardless of class.

It doesn't give much insight either how to approach contacts at later dates once you have established informal relationships.

If i had to say the one thing i learned the most from this book was to carry business cards where ever i go, they are the golden key to networking.

I loved this book - I see so many people either not giving themselves permission to network and/or not allowing others permission to network at events everyday. Coming to events without business cards and not being ready to introduce yourself is such a loss for all involved - Top it off with showing up but only wanting to speak with the party you came with is so limiting - I love this book and the concept of "Permission to Network" as a focal point was fantastic to see. Everyone needs to read this and then apply the practice at every networking function they attend as well as apply this in general life skills. Good things can only come to those open to recieve them! ;)

I considered giving this book only 4 stars, because it occurred to me that the authors don't live in my world, instead they live in a world where people don't do anything else but jet around the world and network with each other - whereas the furthest I've travelled in my job is Chatswood, a few stops further along the railway line.

But then I thought, that possibly a reflection of differences between Australian culture and the field of work that I'm in (I.T., where people are notoriously insular). I also thought that if they can manage to create relationships like that and have so much fun, then best of luck to them... who am I to hold it against them? Plus, they would obviously know what they're talking about in regard to networking.

So I gave it 5 stars on the basis that the authors have put together a witty and fun book that somehow did wonders for my networking *confidence* - and lets face it, the only person whose attitude you can change is yourselves. And somehow this book managed to do this.

It is a must read for business managers on how to improve communication within your teams and with co-workers. Very insightful for anyone who is looking for more out of life or their job. It is very cleverly written and Joel uses humor to bring key points home to the reader. Warning to people who will read this book in a public place, I laughed out loud.

this is not only a very helpful buisness book , but a very ,very entertaining book as well..I have actually read it twice!!!
get this book...for buisness or pleasure...

Reading Joel's book and taking his message to heart is exactly the right choice - for me, for you, and for everyone you care about. An awesome "ta-da" to Joel and a big thank you for your insight.

Zeff's conversational writing sytle is a powerful combination of a straight forward insights mixed with humor. Painting vivid pictures, Zeff engages the reader and draws them into the book. He provides a new perspective on corporate America along with concrete examples, suggestions, and methodologies that the reader can immediately use to leverage this insight and effect change. The writing is clear, crisp, and concise.

Joel Zeff wrote a great book. It was humorous, insightful, & an amazingly quick read. I'd almost take off one star for the book being too short but I found that each chapter was the perfect length as a Daily Insight or for a brief mental healthy snack in between meetings. I also found myself writing little notes in the margins as I was reading. I recommend that you do the same and apply the exercises inside to your own particular situation. It works nicely.

The main character in Dale Dauten's magnificent story, The Max Strategy, is Max Elmore, an old man with infectious enthusiasm, insatiable curiosity, and wisdom gained from a lifetime of management consulting to leaders across a spectrum of organizations. Max meets the book's fictional author during an extended delay at O'Hare Airport, and during their ensuing conversation, one of the topics Max discusses is 'becoming a flukologist':

"Burton Malkiel (A Random Walk Down Wall Street) dreamed up an imaginary coin-tossing contest. A thousand contestants in a line; heads was a winner, tails a loser. So the thousand people toss their coins and about five hundred get tails and lose. The five hundred with heads toss again. After seven tosses there are just eight coin tossers left. By this time crowds start to gather to witness the surprising ability of these expert coin tossers. The winners are overwhelmed with adulation. They are celebrated as geniuses in the art of coin tossing - their biographies are written and people urgently seek their advice. After all, there were a thousand contestants and only eight could consistently flip heads."

"Naturally, if you aren't smart and hardworking and all that, you're going to fail ten times out of ten. But if you do all the right things, guess what? You fail nine times out of ten. Think how many great novels you've read that never became best-sellers. Think how many actors you see in local or regional theaters who are as good as those on Broadway. Their problem isn't talent or work ethic; it's that they aren't expert coin tossers."

"Remember this: The coin tosser who gets the most 'heads' is the one who gets the most tosses. Given enough chances, chance is your friend."

"Yes, a fluke is a fluke. But you could use a fluke in your career, no? So maybe we should learn their secrets and become 'flukologists.'"

"If you innovate instead of imitate, and work every day to be different from yesterday, you'll improve your odds: You no longer will fail nine times out of ten. You'll fail eight times out of ten."

"Real achievement is a kind of lottery. You enter by being competent and hardworking. Most people get one shot in the lottery, playing at one-in-ten odds. I'm trying to show you how you can enter again and again, at two-in-ten odds. Here's the logic. Most people try to be like the successful people in their field. The result is that everyone does what everyone else is doing. If a great new idea comes along, sure, they adopt it. So does everyone else. You see what is happening to each of them? Each is trying to be exceptional, but ends up going about it by being just like everyone else. The upshot? They have, at best, a one-in-ten chance of producing results in the top ten percent of their profession."

"If you want to be extraordinary, the first and hardest step is to stop being ordinary."

"People try to conform to success, but to be successful is to be a non-conformist. Let's put it this way: You don't become a Picasso by taking a Picasso print and running it through a Xerox machine."

"You can't get to better without first getting to different. Every blessed day. Believe me, it'll wear you out. No, I'm not suggesting the easy way out: this is the exhausting way out. But it's also the exciting way out, the alive way out."

This week, I'm teaching at the Wow Institute in Henniker, New Hampshire. 75 fundraisers from across North America have come seeking ideas to make them better. If we're successful, participants will learn to become innovative flukologists and expert coin-flippers who reject 'ordinary' and are committed to pursuing 'different' every day. It's the risky path, but it's also the only path to 'better,' the only path to 'extraordinary.'

(from www.crawdaddycove.com)

This is a good book, but I'd say it's a bit thin on detail and information. It is basically composed of many feel good success stories.
There's no knowledge here that I found to be of of the ordinary or particularly helpful, but's a good easy read.

A very very good book. The great thing about this book is that once you start reading is, you will not let go... The book tries to reinvent our thinking from the normal rut. Definately a good read. You might not agree with the author at certain junctures, but then he comes up with very good examples.

This book was my introduction to Dale Dauten and remains one of my favorite business books because of the novel way the author finds to make practical advice memorable.

The book is organized as a conversation between a successful entreprenuer and a stranded burned-out businessman at snowed-in O'Hare airport. Max Elmore,our hero, helps his new friend see the nature of innovation and the connection between innovation and business success.

For the person who wants the reputation as an innovator (and ain't that what makes life fun?) this is a little book that can be read and understood in a few short hours.

If you have the courage to devote the additional time to completing the exercises outlined in the book you can expect to uncover some interesting experiments that might lead you to some new methods and new thinking.

If you are interested in innovatation and experimentation as an employee or a business owner, the few hours reading this book will be richly rewarded.

Couldn't put it down. I would recommend this book to anyone that has DARES to dream... It puts success in "simple" terms and not anything like the corporate books I have read in the past- that advises mostly on the "rules" on how you "should" do things....I LOVED IT! I'll probably re-read in about 6 months...

I wanted to write and thank Mr. Walker for writing this book. I worked in Healthcare IT and have a master's degree so I've taken lots of tests in my life .... the series 6 is the most difficult I've taken. However with Mr. Walker's material I passed the first time studying only 3 weeks and taking weekends off. He makes very boring material interesting and you will catch yourself laughing out loud sometimes as his humor. If you want to pass the first or next time you take the series 6 this is a must read.

I consider myself kind of a smart guy, but the Kaplan materials made my brain hurt. I was really suffering through my studying. Then along comes this book with tidbits such as this:
"a variable annuity is really just a mutual fund investment that grows tax deferred."

Oh yeah. Now that makes sense. Why couldn't the competitor products state this so clearly? I read page after page of competitor materials and didn't REALLY understand what an annuity was until I read that one simple sentence I quoted above.

This book is full of this sort of thing. Everything explained so you can actually understand it.

Bottom line: I got a 92 on my Series 6. I'm happy I got this guide.

I'm very happy with the book I received. The information is written in clear, understandable terms. The author discusses what is on the series 6 test and uses examples and humor to help with understanding the concepts, as well as, practice tests. I know I will be able to pass the test after reading this book.

I recently decided it was time to pursue a new career in financial services and in order to do so I needed to pass the Series Six. This is not very easy, in fact, I didn't think I could pass. I failed on the first try and figured I needed something that would help someone like me who has never done this stuff and doesn't speak this languge. In the past, I usually tuned out financial talk.
I got a copy of Pass the 6 because it looked like it was in the language I speak..."human." It was, and it was even funny at times too. Guess what? I passed with flying colors today!!!
The book also covers things that will really be on the test. The other book I used on my first try helped me with about 60 percent of the questions that are actually on the test.
The author acutally answered a few of my questions through e-mail. That's a first!!! I've never been able to chat with the author while I'm reading his book. I really got the sense he genuinely wanted me to pass.
Bottom line, this is the one that will get you the 70 or above you need to pass. The others may, but this one will. I knew none of this before and now I feel like Warren Buffett Jr.!!!

I just took the Series 6 yesterday for the first time, and walked out with a piece of paper that said "pass." This would not have been possible without Mr. Walker's book. I got caught in a situation where I had to take the test much earlier than anticipated, and only had about a week of study time. Using nothing else but this book, I studied for and passed the test. I am absolutely convinced my success is due to this book, which not only gives you practice tests, but presents the information in a non-jargon format so you can actually understand and absorb the knowledge.