Economic-Life Books

If it didn't say "Harvey Mackay" on the cover, we wouldn't even mention this book, but ol' Swim with the Sharks Harvey is a brand unto himself. Pushing the Envelope is pure Mackay: breezy style, predictable advice, management insights as deep as a puddle. Still, expect it to sell. Mackay, like Zig Ziglar, can move books on name recognition alone.

This latest tome offers 90 chapters of advice on how to improve yourself, outdo the competition, raise expectations, manage effectively, and do it all with flair. When you pack that much living into one slim volume, you can expect each chapter to have maybe a shade more meaning than a fortune cookie. That's not to say that some of the advice isn't sound. It's just that so much of it is insight into the obvious. Take this pearl, for example: "Always let the other side talk first" in a negotiation. OK, fair enough, but what if both of you have read the book?

If nothing else, Mackay is a master of self-promotion. He tells you that to save time you should listen to books on tape and then gives you the phone number for Nightingale Conant, which he calls "the biggest and best" source of them. Well, he doesn't mention it, but Mackay's taped books are a Nightingale Conant staple. Then again, learning to self-promote, network, and connect at every turn is central to his whole rap. He's merely practicing what he preaches about pursuing every opportunity--indeed, running it into the ground.

Mackay does point readers to some really good titles with the oomph his book doesn't have, suggesting The Real Heroes of Business...and Not a CEO Among Them, by Bill Fromm and Len Schlesinger (Currency/Doubleday, 1994), which chronicles 14 employees across the country who provide exemplary service; and Leadership Without Easy Answers, by Ronald A. Heifetz (Belknap Press, 1994), which is indeed one of the best books on leadership written in many years.

To be fair, Mackay can be a hoot, and sometimes that's all you want one of his books for. He can even laugh at his own breed, as he does in a wonderful send-up in chapter 9. Laid out as a screenplay idea that was rejected by his real-life moviedirector son, the chapter describes a befuddled, aging CEO who spouts management wisdom--when he can remember it--to young whippersnappers seeking advice. "Dig your well before you stub your toe...wait a minute, that's not it...," he fumbles. Hilariously accurate.

One of my favorite things to do besides learn about the stock market is read books on starting/running businesses and self help/motivational/inspirational books I find these books to be a relaxing brain stimulant that helps me better myself. I am sure others receive the similar feelings and thoughts from reading material like this.

Pushing the envelope is another great book by Harvey Mackay (he owns an envelope company incase you were wondering.) Like his other books "Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive" and "Beware the naked man who offers you his shirt" Pushing the envelope is choke full of real life tips on how to be better at work, at home and with friends. Hands off to Harvey for he has created another wonderful book.

If you would like to invest in your future I recommend purchasing this book: Pushing the envelope all the way to the top

Reed Floren

I have been a fan of Harvey Mackay since reading Swim with the Sharks. Pushing the Envelope is even better.If you are in business or want to be, read this book and learn from a master..

From Author of "Script Magic: Subconscious Techniques to Conquer Writer's Block: Want to get motivated? Want to do the impossible! You can, with Harvey MacKay as your guide! There are many poignant messages in this book, but the two that touched me the most was the fact that MacKay aimed for and achieved his desires, despite the "odds." And secondly, the subtle message I get from him and his book is that generosity is really the best policy. Tuck it under your pillow at night and read it for inspiration!

Did I read the same book as the rest of these reviews? I like Harvey Mackay and enjoyed Swim With the Sharks, but I thought this book was a fairly simplistic brain dump of cliches and unoriginal thoughts. I do believe Mackay's geniunely decent nature come through and most of the concepts were fairly well presented, but I found very little here I hadn't already heard. I kept thinking to myself that this was Harvey's publisher squeezing out another book under contract. Sorry.

This is a must read book for anyone who is serious about how to bring their spirituality to the workplace.

The hard part about starting or running a business is not the long hours, the tight deadlines, or the stresses of being overworked in the face of an insecure future. The real challenges that make or break us surround dealing with our own integrity, our priorities, and conflicts with others.

This book covers those challenges and offers many tools and examples of how we can manage them and come out ahead having built a stronger foundation and a stronger company.

I personally can't stand the idealistic tones of the book but I will admit, unlike most of these books that I have read, this one is much more grounded inthe harsh challenges of reality such as the fact that, while in business and in dealing with others failure is not an option but success is not always achieved.

If you read this book you will find yourself referencing it as you deal with life on any level because the authors clear mind and direct language gives you the language to describe and communicate the situation and how best to manage it.

Fred Kofman does a good job explaining his concepts, however his accent can be a little disconcerting at first. If you are a Landmark Education graduate, the material on these CD's is very nearly a rip-off of the same concepts (i.e., having Integrity, Honoring your Word, etc...). For non-Landmark graduates, these CD's cover many soft-skills concepts that can be effective in your personal life, but he applies them (a little obscurely) to a work environment. If you are trying to get your own business off the ground, "Conscious Business" does not offer strategies for doing so, but rather best practices to remain successful. In other words, you won't find tips regarding how to file your returns, collect data effectively, or document discipline. You will instead find tips about the importance of keeping your word, how to stop stressing about work, and things of that nature. The program was not bad--in retrospect, I would have found it no more than $15 worth of value. Take that for what you will.

Written by Fred Kofman (co-founder and president of Axialent consulting company), Conscious Business: How to Build Value Through Values is a straightforward guide to applying conscious awareness to its fullest extent, recognizing the needs of others, and effectively expressing one's own needs order to build responsibility, integrity, leadership, and reputation - all of which are invaluable tools to a business' continued success. Drawing from real-world examples by such famous companies as Microsoft, Yahoo!, and much more, Conscious Business reveals how being mindful of fundamental human virtues and even "spiritual" questions such as "Who am I?" and "What is my real purpose here?" are positive, empowering assets. A clarion call for balancing fiscal obligations with ethical and moral responsibilities for increased success in all dimensions of business life.

Business is an essential part of our lives. Doing business consciously, Fred Kofman, a co-founder of the consulting firm Axialent, is an essential part of living consciously. The author presents a business model where managers are more conscious of the inner and outer lives of employees.

Anyone who works intuitively understands there are two types of managers. As a professor of accounting, Kofman begin his classes by having students listen to one of Beethoven's pieces over and over. Gradually the students would realize that the music was not in the CD; but in the listening. In music as in business, Information's only value is in how it is interpreted.

Most recognize the need for smart employees with the latest in technical competency. Kofman argues it is more important, and less recognized, that organizations recruit and retain employees with high-level consciousness.

He draws a contrast between unconscious attitudes and their conscious counterparts. They are:

Unconscious Attitudes.....................Conscious Attitudes
Unconditional Blame.......................Unconditional Responsibility
Essential Selfishness........................Essential Integrity
Ontological Arrogance.....................Ontological Humility
Unconscious Behaviors....................Conscious Behaviors
Manipulative Communication..........Authentic Communication
Narcissistic Negotiation....................Constructive Negotiation
Negligent Coordination.....................Impeccable Coordination
Unconscious Reactions.....................Conscious Reactions
Emotional Incompetence...................Emotional Mastery.

These qualities are simple to understand; yet, they are difficult to implement. They represent common sense; yet, they are not found widely in common practice. They seem natural, yet they challenge deep-seated assumptions individuals hold about themselves, others and their world.

Kofman opens the reader's conscious to a unique resource for maximizing profit and potential in the workplace and beyond. Written concisely and coherently he communicates an uncommon wisdom about the truth of our emotions and healthy interpersonal practices in business and life.

Remember the old Broadway song, "You gotta have a dream, or how you gonna have a dream come true?" This is the executive version. Author Leslie L. Kossoff maintains that executives must have - and must clearly and enthusiastically articulate - a dream of what a company can be in order to get everyone else in the company excited, aligned and active. As an executive (or as a climber of that ladder), you may find this a pretty reasonable introduction to leadership, though it could also sound fairly simplistic. Kossoff offers a few non-specific examples, either citing news stories or alluding to individual executives, but primarily she tells us how she thinks successful executives should behave. Like the content, the book's tone also is a little reminiscent of a show tune -not too challenging and enjoyable to hum - but its attitude is sincere. We at getAbstract recommend this refresher as a philosophical pep talk that reminds executives how their approach to their jobs affects the realization of their dreams.

Dream, Vision, Mission: Achieved - Begin to think like an executive with dreams. Organizations exist based on and because of dreams. Dreams of success. Dreams of product or service differentiation. Dreams of creating an enterprise the likes of which have never been known before. In Executive Thinking, the Executive Thinker, rising through the ranks, leads an executive team with ambassadors, working ambassadors and associates, ultimately leaving an executive legacy. A good read.

Kossoff delivers in this book. She not only shows you how to dream, she shows you how to reach and realize the new vision of your organization and your place in it. In clear, graceful and logical writing, she gives you step-by-step guidelines for creative, "out-of-the-box" thinking and the means to harness the ideas that emerge. Using compelling case studies, she reveals how this technique energizes management structure to move ahead, empowering individuals throughout the corporation. The book will have a significant impact in maximizing operations. A MUST READ FOR EXECUTIVES ON EVERY LEVEL.

Leslie Kossoff shares with us in clear, easy to follow words, the secret of successful executives. It is like being invited inside the heads of our corporate leaders both today and from yesteryear. The principles in this book are tried and true, yet nobody discusses the thinking process of success. There are no management fads or latest buzz words in here - This is the guide of how to turn dreams into reality. Today's business world is changing at light speed. To succeed in these topsy turvy times, now more than ever we have to understand the thinking proces. Ms. Kossoff has done this for us. No other management book comes close. This is THE book for today's and tomorrow's leaders.

If you've a business that seems to have grown like topsy very likely this little book is for you. Have you been told that communication within your firm is a problem? What does it mean and more important what do you do about it? Call a general meeting only to find that with 200 or more employees things it's different than when there were only 15 or 20. Employees no longer know you, worse they may no longer trust you. Or maybe you decide that a better e-mail system can help. I'd laugh but I've been there. If any of this seems familiar Leslie Kosoff's little book should help. I've just ordered a copy for each of our supervisors. I tired of hidden agendas and office politics, maybe we can finally begin to pull this firm in the same direction.

Feiner's text on leadership should definitely be on the bookshelf of anyone that's serious about the leadership aspect of their career, either because they lead people themselves or work with leaders and may want to lead sometime in the future. There's something for everyone here, whether you're a peon at the bottom trying to learn how to manage (lead) your boss, or whether you're a people leader trying to hone your skills.

There's been so much said about this book already and I don't wish to repeat it, but I will say that this was a quick read and definitely eye opening. There's a lot to be learned here and Feiner fleshes it out in a well structure, consistent manner that makes it a joy to read. This book is definitely worth it, even at twice the price, and like I said earlier, it should be required reading in most professional environments. I can only imagine how different things would be if leaders in our company had the insights that Feiner has laid down in this book.

Take a chance and pick this one up, you won't be disappointed. Five stars, hands down.

I bought this book on the recommendation of students who had taken the class with Feiner. It has surpassed all my expectations. Its the most clearly-written and practical book on leadership that I have ever come across. Most books and articles only say "what" to do - and that horse been beaten plenty. Feiner gets into "why" and "how" these ideas should be implemented, e.g., why resenting, stonewalling or badmouthing an incompetent boss is a recipe for disaster. And his genius is in describing simple ways to put lofty ideas into play. This book is SO GOOD that I plan to read it AGAIN after a few months on the job to reflect on issues that have come up.

On the first page, Michael Feiner disputes the traditional "heroic individual" picture of a leader. This thinking, referred to as "Myth of the Great Man", holds that leadership is an inherently individual phenomenon consisting of solitary heroics, epitomized by Patton, Napoleon, etc... But Feiner states that 90% of leadership is invisible - "the aggregation of hundreds upon hundreds of small interactions - most of which take place out our sight - projected across layer upon layer of relationships, day in and day out". He spends the remaining 250+ pages explaining this, through a series of eponymous Feiner laws of leadership.

Feiner pulls liberally from his experiences at Pepsi. He peppers his high opinion of his own accomplishments with self-deprecating humor, and he shares his mistakes and regrets. His text is very readable and delivered in a conversational style. I found a good many quotable sound bytes I liked, some original and some from other authors.

At times, there seemed to be a repetitive effort to fill pages - laws identified by smug little titles supported by anecdotes from the author's career, then summarized at the end of each chapter and summarized again at the book's end. And occasionally I questioned the logic of the organization of the chapters. However, by the time I finished the book, it all seemed to work.

Feiner offers some really powerful practical insights on treating people right, sticking to your values, and being politically correct where at all possible. No faddish management theory here, just timeless advice and applicable tools that apply to all levels of organizational leadership and interaction. My copy of "The Feiner Points" is full of highlights and notes and I suspect I will be referring to it frequently.

I bought this book few months ago and it was interesting to go through it step by step. As a leader the first thing one must learn is how to deal with subordinates. After going through the 8 laws mentioned in Chapter 3: Leading Subordinates, one can imagine how less we focus on the people who are our main assets. A leader's success depends upon the success of his subordinates and these 8 laws are the basis for that success. One need to read each law multiple times so that it gets engrossed in one's heart. The "Performance contract" is a must for everyone to set clear expectations.

The examples provided in the books are mostly based on author's experience and I found Feiner very sincere in putting them straight. Overall a must for anyone who wants to build lasting relationship with their people.

With clarity, courage and conviction, this book delivers a message conveying the "whats" and, more importantly, the "hows" to successful leadership that enable individual, team, and company performance to grow and succeed. In short, Feiner guides leaders to put the heart and humanity back into business and in doing so, awakens the soul of business - yielding an environment that is embraced mutually and faithfully by peers, subordinates, bosses, and the total organization.

"The Feiner Points of Leadership" is the story of a man's extraordinary career, where past failures have in turn drawn enlightenment, as he builds a leadership model that all leaders and managers "must" understand, follow and instill throughout their organization to obtain competitive advantage.

Feiner guides the reader into becoming a "High Performance Leader," which will drive unprecedented and unlimited success in business - and in life! A must read.

A good reminder of how we should act at work. Nothing ground breaking, but great advice on some of the points that can be easily forgotten when working for and with others. Buy a copy and pass it around the office.

This book has laid out examples in detail and when needed given both sides (positive and negative) examples to emphasize balance required on some soft skills.

I would highly recommend this book to any.

This book is a must have for anyone in the working world, especially for those just about to enter it. The ideas and concepts the author presents are very true, and are things you will not learn in any college education. I've been working in consulting for the past 5 years. This is a field where your softskills can make or break you, just like in many others. The tips, guidance, and suggestions that Ms. Klaus points out are ones that can propel your career to the next level. I can't tell you how many times I heard that so and so was a good consultant technically but they lacked the people skills necessary to put them infront of a client. This seemingly small assesment can actually hinder your career as being able to manage the client is what will take you to the next level.

I liked the way topics were broken down into bullet statements and examples. It took longer to read than I expected because there's no filler material. Now my co-workers are all reading it in an effort to relate better to other departments.

This book explained in detail, how to survive in the workplace. It has many examples on how to follow the unwritten rules (usually gained from many years in the work environment). I plan to purchase books for my employees and other young adults entering the workforce

Napoleon Hill was commissioned by the richest man in the world at the time, Andrew Carnegie, to create an economic philosophy. Carnegie said philosophers had concentrated on morals, and there were plenty of moral philosophies, but not one economic philosophy, and it was a shame. Every person who had risen from poverty to wealth had to do it on his own, learning from the brutal (and slow) trial-and-error method. Carnegie thought that was wrong, and he challenged Napoleon Hill to correct it.

Carnegie then gave Hill letters of introduction to the most successful men of the time: Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, F. W. Woolworth, William Wrigley Jr., etc. Hill interviewed (and in some cases LIVED WITH) over five hundred extremely successful people, many of whom you have heard about, to discover what philosophy they used in succeeding. After twenty years of this kind of research, he created an adult education program. The writings for that program were eventually bound into eight volumes, and now they are all bound into one giant book. It's great. I'm the author of the book, Self-Help Stuff That Works, and I know from personal experience that the principles Hill writes about WORK! And he is fun to read.

Although written in the first quarter of the century, this book is still applicable. I constantly read and listen to motivation/success books and tapes, and this is the best I've read yet. I am striving to become a motivational speaker and writer, but, after reading this book I have to question my own abilitity. Sometimes it seems to me that everything pertaining to success has already been written, but I know there is always room for top-notch success teachers and movers. As Napoleon Hill states in Law of Success "I know your weaknesses because I know my own. It has required the better part of 25 years of ups and downs-mostly downs--to impress these basic truths upon my own mind so that they influenced me. I have tried both them and their opposites; therefore, I can speak, not as one who merely believes in their soundness, but as one who knows."

Laws Of Success

This book is a must read if you want to do anything worthwhile; while you here on this planet!

It sucks that most personal motivators today, such as Anthony Robbins, Brian Tracy, and men of the like, are taking all the credit for this book. Yea! They mention the man (Napoleon Hill) for his finds but they take the credit for being responsible for such a book available. I learned more from this book about this life and chemistry of every person and thing alive on this planet, from plant life, to animal life, than all my years in school classrooms.

High school students, College students, trade school students, people out there searching for their identities if you are, or have been raised in this world in a poor, or low middle class environment, the only real chance you have in this life is to get your hands on this book. While many people out there are trying to screw you of your belongings, such as money, reputation, self control and other personal possessions, this book will guide you through a hard core situation such as; depression, self control overeating, drug abuse, and all of the bad habits we acquire here on this planet, from TV commercials and Radio commercials and some bad influential so called friends.

Big companies spend millions of dollars on paid advertisement because they have read this book from cover, to cover and over and over and now they are using it against you.

I can almost guarantee you that a lot of big companies such as Mc Donald's, Starbucks and companies alike, have mastered this mans philosophy and now they are using against you to get you to spend all of your money on their over priced service. I would put my life on the fact that McDonald's took this mans writings and used it against parents by building a small playground in their restaurant so the parents can eat while the kids are safe playing. This is an idea that has been written by this man because I read it in the page of this book and McDonald's has been using it to fatten people up for two or three decades now.

This book will tell you how someone's last five hundred dollars paid for a simple chemistry ingredients that produced Coca Cola. And now it has become a great support of jobs for so many. I learned more about this Country's freedom from this book than every History book I passed by when going to school. Learned about Autosuggestion, the number one agency to getting anything you want by applying this formula to your daily prayers. Learn about how some Doctors are keeping the fear of Ill health in the hearts and minds of millions of people for their pocket book.

Find out how to use a mastermind alliance for your only true success if things seem helpless today. Know that all big companies today have mastered the law of this idea called mastermind alliance and that's how they are becoming Giants through a mastermind merge. This was the first man to describe the philosophy of a mastermind alliance. First time heard through the words spoken by Andrew Carnegie. Know that a positive and mental attitude is only one of seventeen principles of true success. "Yea! You hear about having a positive and mental attitude by other Authors. But those Authors don't tell you the rest of the principles and how to apply them successfully. Learn about why is it that every application you fill out, has the question of how much is in your savings account???

Napoleon Hill describes how a simple habit of saving five or ten dollars a week can add to substantial amounts and not in money alone, but! In other areas of your life. Through good or bad habits you build definite life style. How are your habits?

This is where the term The Golden Rule became produced through building facts, upon facts, and other people's trial and error. Know how important it is to have a definite chief aim in life and how to build a burning desire to acquire it's final destination. How to apply the habit of going the extra mile, when people today don't even want to go the first mile.

Self-confidence? One must have this formula to succeed in anything, But here Napoleon Hill doesn't only tell you one must have this ingredient, he tells how to apply this by an autosuggestion formula that you must write down and than read it everyday again and again, until this formula becomes the burning desire that will work for you day and night through a metaphor that a lot of people want you to believe does not exist but it does and that my friend is ETHER! What is ether? (Look it up in your dictionary) This book will explain it to you how it works on humans, but only after your mind has been opened to accept such a formula.

It is a formula you cannot see, it is a formula you cannot touch, taste, feel, or smell, it is a formula that if you learn to believe in it, will protect you through an agency indescribable. And know that everything that you do bad or good will come back to you many times over. Sometimes the get back waits until it has time to build and all of as sudden there it is, smacking you right in the face of reality. "So you better be good for goodness sake!"

Reading this book alone will not manifest a thing until it is applied and used accordingly. I have proofed this man's writings to be true because I am applying the formulas to my life now and so have a lot of other people. Who am I, to disagree with them? "IT AINT NO FREE RIDE BUT IT'S WORKING!" FIND THIS BOOK AND GO GET IT!

If you were to read just one book by Hill, this one should be that book. It is powerful and loaded with information. Using this information accelerated my professional and personal life. Nobody does it better than Napolean Hill.

And by the way, I don't recommend that you read only one book by Hill. I have a nice library of Napolean Hill books, still don't have them all, but am working on it. Each one seems to add to the previous. They are similiar, yet different.

This one should be read perhaps even ahead o f Hill's classic Think and Grow Rich.

i have read this book many years ago and have told a lot of people about this book law of success. and even after about 6years after reading it i still apply the thing he says and it helps me 110%. so if you want to succeed and change the way you think about your life this book will do it! it done it for me and done it for other people so why not you.The book is so good im going to teach and show my daugher this and tell her everything in the book when she gets older to understand it! buy it and become a success forever! all the best keith jones

Having spent 10 years of my life as a career adviser, I can more than appreciate the smart tips and comprehensive information contained in Monster Careers. Well written, laid out in a way that makes it a breeze to explore and digest, filled with effective career strategies and techniques, this book will lead you to your next dream job and help you stay there. Jeff Taylor and Doug Hardy have put together a new classic in the job-hunt genre. Get one for your soon-to-enter-the-workforce son and/or daughter... and pick up a copy for yourself as well.

I've used this book extensively in the last 3 months. It helped me construct a great resume, coached me on interview techniques and etiquette, advised me about salary negotiations, and just centered me in general when I was feeling adrift after a recent, unexpected layoff. I gave this book to a friend in the same situation and she has also found it incredibly helpful. I got my first offer yesterday and I know that I will keep this book as a resource long after I land my next job!

I found "How to Land the Job of Your Life" to be the most valuable resource I used in my job search. I also felt that it would be invaluable for my college aged children to keep as they begin their future job searches. The book kept me motivated during the difficult times and helped to keep me focused. I think everyone should read this book and make it part of their permanent library!

Few people know more about finding the right job than Jeff Taylor, founder of Monster, the world's leading career Web site. Taylor leaves no contact unused in this comprehensive guide, discussing every step of finding a new job, from writing a winning resume to avoiding mistakes during salary negotiations to building a productive network. In addition to his experience, he presents advice from recruiters, human resource professionals and Monster employees. So if he directs you to Monster's Web site a little too insistently, you can forgive him, because his book is so well written, easy to read and full of good advice. It includes a good resource list of books, Web sites and services, as well as useful exercises. We recommend this 400-page monster especially to first-time job seekers, although experienced employees seeking more money, prestige or career satisfaction may also find its tips helpful.

I highly recommend this book for anyone in a job search. The exercises in part 2 "Preparing Your Search" have given me so much more confidence by helping me understand my own accommplishments and value to employers.

It's a little annoying that the book refers to worksheets online that don't appear to actually be available.

I highly recommend this book. Before I read this book I was really struggling with the direction I wanted to go in life. Even though I have a master's degree in my profession, I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue in my profession. I've read a few books on career planning and I've taken a few assessment tests. While I found a few gold nuggets here and there, I just didn't have the clarity and assurance I was looking for. I read passion and purpose and it really helped me. Also, I contacted Marlys Hanson and she walked me through each step and helped me understand why I was struggling with my current position and she helped me see what I need to look for in my next position. The money and time I spent reading this book and being counseled by Marlys was one of the best investments I've ever made.

Before I completed the SIMA analysis presented in this book, I was ready to change employers, and even careers. However, I did not know what I wanted. The SIMA model is an excellent tool because it helps you identify how you are motivated to work, what you are motivated to work with, and what kind of results you are motivated to achieve. All of this is based on a careful analysis of your lifetime accomplishments - thus, your motivations are based on evidence from what you've actually done, not what you *think* you're interested in (e.g., if given multiple choice answers in the standard personality test).

I went through the book myself first and then contacted Marlys to help me "fill-in-the blanks". Marlys was very prompt in responding and turned around a full assessment within one week. The result is that I now understand why I didn't enjoy my previous jobs, and most importantly, I know what I need in my current job to derive satisfaction and enjoyment from my work. Now, I can clearly articulate my career and life goals because I know what my strengths are, and I will build upon them to achieve the greatest success. I look forward to being much happier and excited about my work as well!

Amazing insight contrary to most popular opinion. The exercise is an investment in time that pays off hundreds of fold. Better yet, the author is more than willing to take the exercise to the next level to really bring it all to life. One of the best investments I've made in years - in time and dollars!

I have spent many years as a psychologist counseling clients who lack a sense of fulfillment and meaning in their lives. I therefore read this book, and underwent the SIMA process, with great interest. I found that it was the most accurate, powerful, and comprehensive instrument that I have encountered to understand one's motivated abilities. I highly recommed this book to anyone serious about reaching their potential doing work that they enjoy.

Are you having a hard time deciding what you want to be when you grow up? Are you 43 and still wondering? Or maybe you're 53 and considering your second career. For those of us who have ever had such thoughts, Marlys Hanson's "Passion and Purpose" is the solution.

In this excellent work you will learn about Motivated Abilities, and why you should work to your strengths more than always trying to improve your weaknesses. You will understand why you are particularly good at some activities, and perhaps a bit less so at others.

After you have read the book, help with understanding your Motivated Abilities is available from Marlys' company, Marlys Hanson and Associates. While the book teaches the method of doing this analysis oneself, the experience of Marlys and her team will help you learn even more about yourself for a modest additional cost.

I wish I had found Marlys sooner, but am thrilled that I found her at all.

This book is great. Its been extremely helpful and useful. The book is filled with simple steps and actions to help you get your things in order.

I loved this book! Ms. Morgenstern has a completely unique perspective on 'clutter,' that takes the reader from looking at our physical space to living in the moment.

While she does recommend doing a certain number of specific exercises and tasks, mostly this gem of a book is about looking at your life NON-JUDGEMENTALLY, and simply sorting it out from an objective perspective.
One thing I love is that she does not recommend the somewhat judgemental 'chuck everything' approach. She instead wants you to look at your things, your schedule, and your habits - and notice what is relevant and what is outdated or detrimental to your present moment, now. I highly recommend this book. It is a fun read and a fun way to explore looking at how you set your life up, without making it wrong.

In conjunction with this book, I also highly recommend two amazing books, also about how to live in the moment and look at your life in a non-judgemental way: Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: The 3 Simple Ideas That Will Instantaneously Transform Your Life and How to Create a Magical Relationship: The 3 Simple Ideas that Will Instantaneously Transform Your Love Life by authors Ariel and Shya Kane. These books are astonishingly excellent guides that address the mechanical habits we frequently learn as children and drag into our present, regardless of how relevant or un-supportive they may be to our adult lives.
These books dovetail wonderfully with Morgenstern's chapters on Habit 'clutter' and her lovely chapter on living in the moment. Enjoy!

Almost everyone wants to become better organized. Thorough reorganization involves getting rid of the assorted rubbish that weighs you down and prevents you from moving ahead efficiently. Some of this junk is physical, but not all of it. Your junk can include an overbooked schedule, a mountain of action items that never get done and bad habits that steal your time. Organization expert Julie Morgenstern developed the "SHED" system to help people eliminate the messes that accumulate in their lives. Do you want to get rid of the bulky load of bricks you're carrying? Morgenstern can teach you how. Her approach to organizing is pragmatic and highly useful. She doesn't dwell on working smarter, improving your schedule or completing action items. Instead, she focuses on ridding yourself of your heavy load of junk, whatever it is, so you can start over fresh and light. getAbstract believes her book is perfect for anyone who wants a new, uncluttered start.

I love Julie Morgenstern's new book "When Organizing isn't Enough". Being a big fan of "Organizing from the Inside Out" and "Time Management from the Inside Out", I still felt like I could use some direction. This book was useful in getting me thinking about important things from a different angle. My life is a work in progress, and no one book is going to magically "cure" all the challenges, but this book is another tool to assist me in crafting a more purposeful life.

I almost did not write this because I do not like to be critical. However, I decided to write my honest response to this book because other people's candid reviews have saved me from spending money on books that do not interest me. The author is thorough and probably very accurate, but the book was tedious and over-detailed to me, especially in her frequent referrals to case histories that she descibed repetitively. There were few engaging illustrations and little humor.

I like this book. I mean it. It's motivational and thought provoking. Then why do I just rate it a four star? It's because I think this book can be better, with less stories of losers/clients anonymous, and more management/marketing/critical thinking tools and techniques for the target readers/buyers' consideration, or simply more tools and techniques. Anyway, the book is a good beginning, but far from an end for business owners who seek for help or improvement. Certainly, there's no holy grail for running a business, big or small, but relentless effort for improvement day by day.

p.s. Below please find some of my favorite messages for your reference.

"I'll open this place and see what happens." That's an intention, of sorts, but it is not enough. You have to want to succeed. If you want to badly enough, you'll always find the how to. And once you've got your want to tuned up and ready to operate, outside forces (such as the economy) wont be an issue. pg 20

Throwing more money into the business does not save it. In fact, it makes things worse. Money may postpone the collapse, but it will also deepen the collapse. Think of giving a heroin addict a large dose of heroin as he or she passes through the final stages ofa painful detox. pg 41

The purpose of advertising is not to build awareness or increase your name ID. The purpose of your advertising is to create a sale!.....Advertising is salesmanship in print! pg 55-6

All purchases are emotional, anyway, although your customer may put up a good show of talking price with you......And please dont have this be your slogan: "The best quality, the best service, the best prices!" pg 98

Your greatest asset is your mental energy.....If you put your mental energy into worry and doubt and fighting fires all day, then you will get more and more fires. If....into understanding your customer, then you will get more and more customers. pg 124

"The Customer's Always Right." That's a huge lie...downright dangerous to you.... the boost in morale if you have employees or partners or coworkers, and they witness that you have declined the business of a customer because that customer just does not treat people correctly, and you will not subject your employees to it. pg138

Rather than focusing on yourself and whether you've got what it takes to succeed, you want to focus on what it takes to succeed, you want to focus on the result you want. It's a matter of priorities. You have to put the success of your business ahead of false pride. You have to put the success of your business ahead of whether you might lose face or look weak. pg 143

Absolutely a must read for a small business owner. It will make you rethink things.

I know, I know; you are downtrodden and are frustrated with your business. You try everything, lowering your prices, advertising and nothing seems to work. I tell you, I'm in that same spot, but I am climbing out of that hole and I'm going to make a difference thanks to this book.

I was wandering aimlessly through a bookstore, a bit down about my failing business. I randomly came across this book, "9 Lies...". Since I like to know the truth, I figured knowing what the lies are would be helpful to me.

Boy, was I right.

I sat down in the store and read the first chapter. I was completely humiliated and deeply offended by the first chapter: "I just need to know how to do this." I thought, honestly, that it was right on, that it wasn't a lie. Steve and Sam basically tell you, point blank, that it isn't that simple. It's not about the "how". It is about the "want". We as small business owners have to be OWNERS. We have to WANT to make it succeed. That means putting aside any ego or pride and putting our greatest talents forward.

I left the book at the store, to punish it of course, for offending me. As I mulled it over, I knew it was right. I also knew these crazy authors might be able to help me. It was worth a try; what I had been doing up to that point wasn't working.

This book is worth every penny. You will be embarrassed reading it, but do not worry, so were all of us brave enough to read it. I truly believe if we apply these techniques to our businesses, there is no stopping us. But, you have to do everything DIFFERENTLY. Probably everything you've learned? Unlearn it. NOW. I'm already seeing a difference in my business and I just did a few changes. I need to give this 150% and see what happens. You do too. We all deserve to have successful, thriving businesses.

Thanks Steve and Sam.

Annie Bathgate

If you don't read any other book this year, READ THIS BOOK!

Imagine going home at the end of the day with a feeling of contentment that your business is actually working "for" you instead of you working for your business. That dream can come true if you apply the concepts in this easy to read book.

Lee Manns, MA, MBA
Executive Coach

I heard this author on a financial radio talk show (Bob Brinker) and the few things he had to say were interesting, to the point and powerful enough to make me buy the book. Should have quit with the talk show. If this guy is still building a new and successful business with flyers and Magic Marker posters he should read a little Ries & Trout or Seth Goodin (Purple Cow). We ARE in the 21st Century. We have the internet along with carefully focused radio and myriad other ways to reach people and mold thinking. There was nothing in the book that was not merely a stone cold rehash of old, old thinking. I was very disapointed. B. McDonald