Economic-Life Books

Since buying the book in the States, last year, and enjoying it tremendously, I have passed the book around friends and colleagues - who have all bought their own!! to enable them to read and re-read at their leisure. One question however, for anybody who's reading this - WHAT IS THE CONNECTION between Dale Carnegie (the author) and Andrew Carnegie (the businessman) who was born in Dunfermline in Scotland ??

Dale Carnegies timeless relaxed truths, stories fables and true life accounts make the book easy to read as well as comfortable to absorb in to every day living. I recieved this book "How to Win Friends and Influence People was given to me as a gift over 20 years ago when I was a young man starting out in the business world. This book had such a tremendous effect upon me that I in turn have purchased and given it as gifts to others that I care about many times. Next to the Bible, this book has had the greatest impact and effect on my life. In addition the 100's of people that I have been able to pass on it's basic, common sense values. I recommended this as a book to provide for anyone who seems to have the desire to be the best they can be. This book is outstanding in it's approach, teaching all who read it how in this every day world, it behooves them to follow the Golden Rule as set out by Jesus Christ 2000 years ago "Do unto others, as you would like them to do to you". Sincerely, Daniel Maisel GTE Corporation

This is a book we have been waiting for. It is not action packed and sensationalized like the `Perfect Storm', but that is not what Eric Wickham's book is about. It is very well written and thought out, and makes for an easy read in it's story book style. Only it's not just a story... this book shows the true picture of what really has happened to the once prolific commercial fisheries along the North West Coast of the United States and Canada. Eric Wickham is not afraid to call it like it is, and lay blame where blame is due. He recounts events about bureaucratic decisions and practices that led to the demise of these fisheries and aptly calls it "drastically dysfunctional" management. With 50 years of commercial fishing experience his knowledge is factual and enlightening. The only fault that I could find in this book is the author's narrow-mindedness towards the small dragger boats. He needs to research this fishery more before he makes the statements he made about their effects on the fishery. These small boats are capable of fishing with minimal environmental impact while keeping the fishery viable and sustainable, just the same as the fisheries that Mr. Wickham participated in. Many of these smaller boats work in the same manner as Mr. Wickham... near shore, supporting the local communities, and providing fresh caught seafood for stores and restaurants. I hope that Mr. Wickham enjoys his well earned retirement in Australia and considers writing more books about his life experiences as a commercial fisherman along the North Eastern Pacific Ocean. With 25 years of experience in the commercial fishing industry myself, I am grateful for Eric Wickham's book and I would like to personally thank him for writing it and getting the truth out there for everyone to read. It has been a sad and frustrating ordeal for us to watch our livelihoods taken away by bureaucracy that is based on politics and has nothing to do with factual data. Before Eric Wickham's book only those of us in the industry have experienced the havoc that this mismanagement has produced, now maybe many others will read and understand. It is truly the end of an era and a lifestyle. I highly recommend this book to everyone... it is engaging reading, enlightening, and thought provoking.

Lee Ann Hightower
F/V Sea Otter

Well, I have never picked up a fishing rod before in my life and was quite dubious when someone gave me a copy of this book for my birthday.

However, I am interested in how we go about managing our natural resources. Dead Fish and Fat Cats is an amazing journey that examines how Canada has mis managed its fisheries, surely one of its most precious natural resources.

It is interesting, thou not suprising to take a journey through the bureaucracy that seems to plague the Department of Fisheries in Canada.

It seems that Eric Wickham, while clearly a professional fisherman, not a professional writer has a passion for the preservation of this resource. His passion while evident is not over stated and it is this that makes the book very readable. It left this reader shaking his head and saying "how could they do that".

Additionally, Wickham unlike so many of us who complain about the state of things actually proposes a solution and gives us a great example of how the fisheries should be managed. The success of the Black Cod fishery is evidence that brain wins over braun.

Read it, I am sure that you will enjoy it.

Cheers

Steve

Gorke's book brings methodological and ethical issues of practicing and using ecological research into a clear focus. He asks a series of difficult questions about the state of the science and addresses the complex sets of social and ecology interactions that must be considered in any realistic discussion of extinction, sustainability, or "ecosystem health." A must read, but perhaps troubling to the epistemologically faint-of-heart.

Knowledgeably written by Martin Gorke (Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Ethics at the University of Greifswald, Germany), The Death Of Our Planet's Species: A Challenge To Ecology And Ethics is a profound philosophical and ecological wake-up call concerning the mass extinctions caused by the explosion of human population with all that this phenomena comprises. Expressing the terrible losses caused by the destructions of entire species, and denouncing the moral bankruptcy of valuing species only with regard to how useful they appear to humans, The Death Of Our Planet's Species is a profound, forceful, extensively researched warning of the need to respect life on Earth itself -- and should be part of every environmental activist, academic, and community library Environmental Studies collection and reading list.

Entrepreneur and management consultant Anthony Zolezzi presents The Detachment Paradox, a straightforward self-help guide for business and personal life. Written in direct response to a modern work culture in which employers frequently behave as though one's job should be one's primary purpose in life, The Detachment Paradox shows the reader how to balance career and personal life by taking an objective approach to one's work. Chapters address how to alleviate the fear of being fired by forming connections with people; learning to incorporate humor into one's life; learning how to let go of the need to control things; and much more. Highly recommended in the especially for the pressure-filled working world of the twenty-first century.

The Detachment Paradox is a must read for anyone stuck in the day-to-day drudgery of work. Even though Zolezzi's book is focused on the burned out corporate employee, his 'keys' can be applied to just about any job where there is a boss or an owner and employees.
The book helped me be more objective about my job and really helped me look at what was important in my life. It is currently leading me down a new career path - something I didn't think I'd be doing for awhile. The book also helped me to create a personal mission statement and really define who I am and what I am about. It taught me how to deal with a job that I needed but didn't necessarily want anymore. It showed me how to focus on what was important at work while I was there, but to leave it behind and focus on what was really important to me when I left work. Need a change? This book will help. I've also been able to apply his keys to other aspects of my life, not just work!

I enjoyed and appreciated the book on several levels:
-It was a trip through technical nostalgia for me from my first encounter with a Bendix digital computer in 1956, to the hand calculating machines, early computers with limited memories and speed, the KayPro Computer, the SOSUS system, use of statistics, and on.
-It was also a trip through management and management systems including the increasing recognition of the equality of women. I also recall the various methods we tried to manage people and projects.
-She certainly made excellent use of her intelligence and capabilities. The author also demonstrated that "variety is the spice of life" with her many positions and her energetic drive. Her foray into the horse racing business was surprising and amusing.
-The fact that she was involved in so many important events and knew important people also makes her sort of a "Forest Gump". Of course this analogy doesn't hold for long since she never wore braces or mentioned that she could run fast.

The lively author keeps us guessing what she'll be up to next! She has had a wonderful variety of experiences with computers over her 50 year career. I'm so used to the PC that it was good to read about what it was like in the early days. I liked her sense of humor.

An extremely helpful book. The title of this book reflects the frustration entrepreneurs face while seeking capital in the financial arena. I found the book not only helpful in outlining the preparation of a comprehensive business plan, but also what to expect when presenting it to a financier. It provides a synopsis on the various types of lenders; how and why they will view your project. It gives a step by step outline on how to write a plan capable of raising capital. It also provides you with a track to run on that will help you grow your business.

A Great Read --- A Must for every Entrepreneur, you read tons of book that tell you how to do the deal, but this book tells you what not to do and why....and at the same time what to do and why it works. It is a humorous journey of the life of someone that is always chasing the deal. Bonus: There is even a Business Plan at the back of the book that anyone can follow.

This book easily earns the right to be among the foremost textbooks on the Viking Age. A comprehensive study that covers the various levels of Norse society from thralls to jarls, karls and kings. Northern laws are particulary covered well and the varied crafts at which the Northmen excelled: smithcraft, trade, battle, ship building and sailing. There are also very good sections on Viking art and verse. A stand-by book for any serious Norse scholar.

"The Viking Achievement" is an outstanding introduction to the culture and history of Viking Age Scandinavia. It includes information on laws, society, families, warfare, armor and weapons, archaeology, ships and trade, art, literature and poetry, religion and mythology. The information is carefully based on the scholarship provided by scientific archaeological research and modern literary analysis.

This book was originally published in hard cover in 1993 and is quite expensive. This is a paperback reprint and the price is much cheaper. The essays collected in the book were written over a period of more than forty years. They show other concerns of Drucker other than his achievement in management.

The writing is as great as ever by Drucker, I don't understand why this book is less popular than others.
For example, the essay on Japanese culture and why Japan will fail economically was written almost ten years ago, and it is the deepest and best analysis I have seen. The time was 1993, everybody in Japan including the monks that Peter talked to was talking about economics, yet Peter rightly sensed that the problem of Japan was cultural and social rather than economic.

I have read the book and heard Jora speak -- they are both incredibly inspiring. Sustainability is one of those terms that is often used in ecological circles -- Ted and Jora give concrete examples of its application in our society, and from those examples flow hope. I bought this book thinking that I would read two scientists' view of ecology. When I finished I realized that I had not only learned some science, I had also been persuaded by the authors appreciation of the spiritual basis of ecology. Wanted: Reformers not of others, but of self.

This wonderful book gives us hope -- if we are willing to pitch in and work with others. It gives examples of how people in very different communities have come together to overcome difficulties and make significant improvements to their environments. Menominee Indians are maintaining a sustainable timber forest in the midst of land that have been devastated by loggers, and suburban Chicagoans are restoring nearby prairie lands to their original condition. Based on the authors' experiences gained while visiting these groups, the last chapter provides very helpful practical suggestions of how people can effectively be organized to bring about positive change. This book, if taken seriously by enough people, can turn us in the right direction

great item the book was brandnew stright out of the rap. Awsome book. The book came super, super fast great seller

This is a terrific little book! [By the way, the author's name is not currently listed correctly by Amazon. There is only one author of this book and his name is Bruce Madariaga. He is an econ professor and Harvard grad with a fascinating educational story (see the book's preface).]

Using everyday language, Professor Madariaga uses a large collection of examples to illustrate how basic economic concepts can be used by all of us to make better everyday decisions and to understand the world around us. I particularly liked the chapter of the book that debunks common myths about the world. Most lessons from the book are interesting, thought provoking, and practical. I highly recommend this book!