Enterprise Books

Some highlights:

1) Compassion is the ultimate goal of capitalism.

2) Capitalism is the economic reality which drives us as individuals to excel and maximize our talents and potential. However, money is not everything. It is just a tool.

3) Albert Schweitzer said, "The purpose of life is to serve and show compassion and the will to help others."

3) Question: So, why do we work? Why do we need money?
Answer: Unless we have, we cannot give.

5) The reality is that most people live their lives very defensively. They are always afraid that someone will take some of what is theirs. They are too busy protecting ~ to give to anyone.

6) Question: So, how do you succeed?
Answer: Be an entrepreneur. Start small, and inexpensive. Be creative, believe in yourself, find a good mentor, have a dream, make a goal, do the basics everyday, learn from mistakes, work hard, care about others, put people before products,don't make excuses, never give up.

"Never give up, never give up, never give up"
-Winston Churchill

"Success is going from one failure to another failure with great enthusiasm."
- Winston Churchill

"One man with courage is a majority."
- Thomas Jefferson

"The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love."
- Wordsworth

This book was written by one of the most prominent businessmen in the world. He and his partner started with just an idea, as with many other large corporations we are familiar with, and turned it into one of the only debt free companies in the U.S.. Producing billions of anual revenue. Rich Devos has a huge heart and he is more generous than most, for he is willing to share with the world what beliefs and habits put him into the positions that he is at now. Rich Devos has been able to help milliions of people find hope and rekindle their dreams by using a direct selling method that many other companies alike can only wish they had. This book has great stories about success and failure alike, for one does not come without the other. If you are looking for a book with strong priciples and beliefs then this is the book for you. I would recommend it to anyone building an amway business or not, simply because of what it will teach. This book will make you feel proud to be in a FREE country and make you think "why am I not doing my part to help out?"

There are lots of wealthy people out there but most aren't truly happy. This is largely because they aren't fulfilling a higher purpose with their businesses, they're simply out there trying to survive in the often cutthroat business world. DeVos explains what it takes to make your business a positive force in the world; "positive" by virtually any standard.

Contrary to a lot of advice you may have heard out there on how to successfully build a prosperous business, DeVos claims that integrating compassion for your fellow man with lucrative opportunities is the real secret to security and happiness. It's the knowledge that what you're doing is making a difference that makes you feel worthy of the privilege and comfort of wealth. And even before the wealth comes, having a compassionate attitude along with sound business acumen (which can be learned) goes a long way towards increasing your chances of attaining wealth and influence.

A great book written in a language anyone can understand. I don't have any complaints, but I refrain from giving it five stars because it didn't "knock my socks off!" Highly recommended reading for anyone looking to understand the attitudes and principles necessary for *true* success.

I am not involved in Amway (Rich de Vos sure is!), nor am I an ardent Christian (I believe Rich de Vos is), yet I have no hesitation in recommending this book. I suppose I'm always on the lookout for new ways of doing things and new ways of thinking. "Compassionate Capitalism" provides some real meat for a hungry world in need of just that - new ideas. Economics is a complicated field (so I've been told - I'm no expert), yet Rich de Vos has managed to demystify it, at least as far as this reader is concerned. His ideas seem to be free of any real political ties or religious taints (religion doesn't enter into the book at all) - he seems just to be genuinely interested in people (I wish I couldn't hear the sneers, but unfortunately I do). I also admire him as an American. Goodness knows America has the driving force and energy to influence the whole of this world one way or another, but it doesn't really seem to have the will (nor, perhaps, the imagination) to do anything really creative (sure they have introduced fuel efficient motors - a relative concept at the best of times - but have you seen the size of the 1999 and 2000 models? ). So learning that there are ideas out there which do not just mean more of the same, and bigger and meaner (whether from the auto industry or the rest of the military-industrial complex) is somewhat reassuring.

One thing I'm sure of: every American (those who can read) should digest this book. It doesn't try to convert. It simply tries (very well) to make sense out of the current madness.

In the mid 1970's I was an Amway Distributor and one thing that always stuck with me were the tapes by Mr. Rich Devos. To this day, even though I am no longer associated with Amway, I enjoy listening to "Four Winds", "Selling America" and other audio tapes recorded by Mr. Devos. This man has a voice and something to say! He is great. An outstanding businessman and an outstanding American.

In Compassionate Capitalism, Devos explains that the "dog eat dog", law of the jungle and every person to himself rat race mentality is not only not necessary to achieve success but in fact, impedes success.

Devos offers a completely different vision of capitalism. A vision of capitalism as the finest tool yet known to help people become all they can be for others as well as themselves.

In Compassionate Capitalism, Devos offers more than just a vision, it is a plan--a practical plan--a proven plan. And it is not just about Amway and it's incredible success stories. It's about you and me and everyone. How we can all become more by helping others help themselves in a nation of free enterprise.

Compassionate Capitalism spells out clearly and eloquently the guiding principles and concrete steps to take to make your life and your world better. Devos shows how your energy, your ambition, and your spirit of enterprise can travel together down a path in which the spirit of capitalism and moral values inextricably merge.

Devos illustrates both how success is achieved and what it really means. He demonstrates how compassionate capitalism is the only solution to the most crucial issues of our time---poverty, homelessness, hunger, the enviroment, and the many other challenges that face us in the new millenium.

Whether you are the owner of a huge corporation or a worker on a assembly line, a student about to graduate or a homemaker ready to enter the job market, this important guide to success the compassionate way can be the most inspiring and enlightening book you ever read.

Highly recommended. AND to repeat, I am not an Amway Distributor. Just someone who appreciates Mr. Devos and what he is doing to create a stronger nation, the compassionate way.

I purchased Dee's cookbook after hearing several of Dee's podcasts through her website. I have gleaned so much information about nuitriants in food and how harmful sugar and processed food is to our bodies. I started Dee's food plan a month ago not only because I am overweight but because my right hip and back hurt so much I had trouble sleeping. In order to climb stairs, I need to take them one at a time. Today my pain level is down probably 80% and I have lost 12 pounds. Following the food plan isn't hard, it just takes preplanning and a desire. The recipes are very tasty. Dee writes well and shares her life experience having lost 100 lbs. 14 years ago. I like the fact that Dee is a chemist and nuitritionist. She really knows her stuff.

I went to a free seminar that Dee and her husband offered at a healthfood store in my town. She speaks from real life education and experience. I found myself unable to put the cookbook down because it has so many interesting facts and details that should be so simple but sometimes the rest of the world makes too much out of something and simple things get buried. This book is VERY EASY to add to my everyday life, the recipes are easy to follow and ingredience that don't require a foreign language to understand. I can't wait to be another success story by following Dee's plan.
[...]

I have tried MANY of the recipes and they are all delicious, easy and make you feel good because of all the wonderful ingredients. I just love this book!

This recipe book is now a mainstay in my kitchen and I use it daily. I've been on a number of sugar/flour free diets but didn't stick to the blah way of eating via the recipes from those plans. Dee's recipes are anything but blah in my opinion and the information about nutrition are invaluable for me as well. Even my two year old eats the meals I make from Dee's book and we both love dee's mighty muffins! I feel good knowing that I'm feeding my toddler wholesome healthy food along with eating it myself. I highly recommend this book.

If you have seen this book in a health food store, you may have dismissed it as something that would have you buying wierd and expensive foods and would involve cooking things only health food nuts would want. However, this book dispels all my misconceptions about healthy eating:

Misconception #1-If I cook healthy, my family won't like it. When I cooked for my meat and potatoes family from this book, they loved it and there were no leftovers. I will say that my teenaged boy did eat a lot, so I would probably double the recipes for my family.

Misconception #2-Healthy eating is low-fat or no-fat. This way of eating includes using more "fat" in cooking, but the fat comes from healthy oils most of which I had not used before. I am enjoying using these healthier fats, some of which add a delicious taste and great satisfaction and satiety to my eating experience.

Misconception #3-If I cook from a book like this, I'm going to have to start shopping in health food stores and doubling my grocery bill. I started cooking from this book after one trip to my grocery store. So far, I have only gone to a health-food store for one item from my regular grocery store. The cost is more than off-set by purchasing fewer unhealthy processed foods. I will probably have to get a few more special items overtime and restock them periodically, but many grocery stores have most items mentioned here. I am finding some items are much more economically available online.

Misconception #4-If I eat this kind of food, though the food will be good for me, I will feel deprived and unsatisfied when others around me are eating "real" food. Guess what--this is the "real" food. I feel more than satisfied after eating these foods and don't feel tempted by office snacks--even fresh, still warm donuts, chips or home-baked sweets.

When you start feeding your body healthy foods, you will feel satisfied, energetic, and you will want to learn and apply more of the helpful information from this book. As far as weight loss, after 6 weeks, I have lost about 4 pounds; this is a lifestyle change, not a crash diet. Let me tell you about a typical day. Breakfast 1 piece of Ezekial French Toast and a half recipe of Dee's Mighty Breakfast (both recipe in book). For lunch, either leftovers, or perhaps some soup from one of the recipes in the book and a piece of fruit. For a snack I sometimes have a muffin using the recipe in the book minus the honey. For dinner I have a balanced meal, something healthy like one of the dishes in the book. Many days I often have a chocolate treat from the recipe in the book. Based on my level of well-being and satisfaction with the food, I highly recommend this way of cooking and living. You are in for a treat if you order and use this book!

Great book! Sparks uses each chapter to capture different aspects of poker today. The book is very fast moving and hard to put down. I would definately recc it to anyone interested in either big time or online poker today.

Richard Sparks' "Diary of a Mad Poker Player" is a wonderful read. It reaches out to the reader on so many levels.

It's the quest of a dedicated amateur poker player to win his way in to the World Series of Poker through a combination of online satellite tournaments and satellites held in brick and mortar casinos. Richard Sparks is an extremely witty man and a great teller of tales, and along the way he interviews everyone from legends of the game such as Doyle Brunson, Chris Moneymaker, and Sammy Farha, to unknown players who are hoping for glory after winning their way into the World Series of Poker through an online satellite.

I'm not sure there's another writer out there who could combine his quest for winning a seat in poker's richest event with the make and model number banjo played by Earl Scruggs, classic Monte Python sketches, and a few quotes that William Shakespeare might have authored, had the bard been born a few centuries later, instead of in his own, unfortunate time, before poker was invented. Not only does he combine all this irreverence, but somehow it works in masterstrokes of wit and wordsmithing.

Sparks also tells the story of how online poker came to prominence and how it led to the incredible growth in tournament poker in general and the World Series of Poker in particular. After all, at the turn of the century, the World Series of Poker was happy to have slightly more than 300 entrants pony up $10,000 each to play in its main event. In 2006, nearly 8,000 played, a number no one would have dared to imagine just a few short years ago.

He delves deeply into the legal status of online poker, as well as its safety. So just while you're having fun with Sparks' madcap romp through poker's highly textured landscape, you find yourself on a knowledgeable ride through the underpinnings of contemporary poker.

There's even some good poker advice tucked into its pages. Though it's not an instructional book by any means, the advice that bubbles up to the surface is sound and solid.

There's actually nothing about "Diary of a Mad Poker Player" not to like. It's authoritative, informative, insightful, wildly funny, incredibly witty, and a book you can go back to time and again. If Richard Sparks represents everyman in his quest to play at the WSOP, this is everyman at his best, and funniest. I highly recommend it.

"Diary" is terrific for learning the inside game of poker and laughing. There are very entertaining characters behind those reflector glasses and grain feed caps. I discovered important plays and strategies while enjoying the author's Monty Python-esque humor. Finally, my knowledge of "tells" has exceeded waiting for a gasp, heave or howl. I don't think amateurs or experts will be disappointed.

This is a sad poker book. (I have not read the Stu Ungar bio which must be even more poignant.) He gives a lot of the gritty details of his poker play. Don't get me wrong: the tone isn't sad, but the game play is.

In fact, he admits he never does very well at the tables, and I can't tell if that's due to bad beats or his own bad play.

Instead, try the Moneymaker book which at least has an upbeat poker ending or Aces and Kings, about several well-known players.

Or read Positively Fifth Street by James McManus about his adventures in the WSOP Main Event. It's not just upbeat; you can tell he understands the game.

P.S. Sparks has a new book out, Getting Lucky: the Education of a Mad Poker Player. In it, the author admits his game needed help when wrote this book. (As he was coached by Tom McEvoy before he wrote his new book, I'm sure his game has become much better!) For those who think I was too harsh with Mr. Sparks, I did buy his new book.

This is an extremely novel book as it is a first hand account of a journalist's obsession with poker and of his online attempts to procure a seat for the 2004 World Series. The narrator, Richard Sparks, spends the first half of the diary talking about the game in general and providing us with accounts of his own efforts to gain a seat. Sparks is a good writer and possesses a creative mind. One would never describe him as boring. Overall, it's an average+ book, although it could have been a better. Sparks pastes in too many conversations from online poker chat boxes, and does not devote enough pages to the 2004 WSOP event itself. There is, however, one section in which Diary transcends, and that is where we are made privy to the transcript of the interview he had with Sammy Farha. It's absolutely excellent. We learn more about the man in those few short pages than we do over the course of all his ESPN human interest moments. There are other titles to buy ahead of this one, but it's still enjoyable.

One of the best books on taking an outside look into how we do business, live and experience the world as people, not just consumers.Get Back in the Box: Innovation from the Inside Out

I have read tons of books on business practice and ethos. Rushkoff brought a great mix of theory and practical examples that are working in the real world of business. This book is the business version of "positive psychology", which advises that we develop our strengths and most problems will self correct. In this case it is, pursue your deepest values and you won't have to spend all your resources on marketing. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is involved in an organization at any level. I am a pastor of a church and it has provided many thought provoking concepts to explore in our context.

I'll admit, it took me awhile to really get into this book. Once I got through the first couple of chapters of "Get Back in the Box" though, I couldn't wait to read more of it.

The author, Douglas Rushkoff, feels that we're in the midst of a renaissance in creativity and collaboration. As he puts it, "genuine creativity is a result not of out-of-the-box thinking, but of true expertise." Here's a great example he used partway through the book: The person that decided (years ago) to put a VCR and TV into one device wasn't really innovating. The person who came up with TiVo, on the other hand, was a genius and someone who truly had a handle on people's viewing habits.

He's got an entire chapter on what he refers to as "social currency." The retailers featured as noteworthy examples in this chapter include B&N ("the store is a social hub"), Guitar Center ("it's a place to try out pretty much any piece of musical instrument there is--and to play on it for hours") and the Apple Store (described as "a little cathedral"). I tend to think Starbucks fits the mold as well. In fact, this chapter got me wondering about what would happen if Starbucks and Apple ever decided to create some co-branded shops...

Here are a few of the other interesting tidbits I highlighted throughout this book:

** ...customers don't want to communicate with brands anymore...they want to communicate through them...

** Although we claim we want more leisure time, we are much more likely to find an opportunity for genuinely fulfilling engagement and learning at work.

** It's about learning to tinker, to tweak, and to test the most basic, underlying assumptions of one's core business or technology.

** (Regarding focus groups...) In the vast majority of the dozens of groups I've observed or led, the purpose was less to glean new insights than to confirm the insights already held.

This turned out to be a very enjoyable book with all sorts of great observations.

A great book. Reading this was like a breath of fresh air and really changed my thinking about technology, innovation, design and the hope for creating a livable world.

Where to start...

I rated this 4 stars; 5 stars for being thought provoking and reinforcing my notions of what businesses should be concerned with, and 3 stars for the authors glaring examples of old-renaissance ideas/execution that didn't/don't work, yet providing nothing more than hindsight.

I agree with the previous post that the first half of the book was better than the second half. There are so many examples that are counter to the authors examples, but I'll give a few here.

First, in the absense of fullfilment opportunity exists. While Wal-Mart may be an evil company for some of its practices it also provides people in developing countries with a job, where none may have existed before. If you have no food and someone gives you a scrap then you at least survive to move onto a larger portion. If those who are employed at Wal-Mart cannot find another job that pays more than minimum wage then I would suggest going to a library and start learning...it has free internet access...

Second, many of the arguments made throughout the book are based on a circular reference that is incapable of breaking down, when in fact it would break down. If a=b=c=d...y=z and z=a then for values of a-z that fluctuate so does the continuum. Every example given in the book relating to whatever currency units are give follows the same principle: that at some point, hidden beneath the guise of logic and play, energy will need to be expended that is not optimally or even close to optimally what any person would normally do in search of or in realizing the new renaissance. This breaks the whole model and I suppose it also degrades innovation at the same time.

Third, open-source software, though trendy, has limitations. Imagine a world where function a is performed via single open-source project composing of a single developer, then fast-foward t years where function a is now performed by 1000 different projects each with 1000 developers (who share the same egos), in the meantime you have some number of function a demand satisfied by 1000 projects so a/1000. All of the sudden you have function b that people just though of at t+1 days, but only a small portion like 1% of function a projects are compatible...but the developers of function a projects not wanting their egos to be crushed realize this and perhaps migrate over to the small % of function a projects that are compatible...leaving the other 99% of function a projects to be picked up by some developer(s), whos egos aren't as big, to try and work something out with function b compatibility. Now you have function a compatible projects with a huge number of developers wanting to make their mark with function b, but the 99% of the people who utilize function a and now function b must switch to projects that are fully compatible and relearn, etc. The point is that people want recognition, however good or bad that may be, but it's the truth...even authors put their name, photo, etc.

Fourth, I agree that understanding your "core competencies" are very important and understanding the "source code" and "patterns" is nice, but what really got me was how high people must be in order to realize that this is the path to eternal bliss or "play." I mean who in their right mind would choose to clean out a septic tank as a way of "playing" or even perform surgery on someone's brain...just for fun, when you know that someone's life depended on whether you were qualified or not. If you aren't qualified then doesn't that introduce a classe system of sorts? Who would regulate this...would this person think that telling someone they are incompetent was "playing?" It's clear that any system which qualifies someone as being able to perform a specific action, no matter how much fun they might have, is clearly old renaissance and the illusion of new renaissance is just that (not in entirety, but practicality).

Fifth, while some people prefer to solve challenging problems, others would rather just sit around surfing, etc. What do we do with those people? Where would they get their surfboards, wax, wetsuits, food? I'll tell you who...the people that have enough resources at their disposal to just sit back and ponder how the old renaissance is coming to an end in favor of the new renaissance.

Sixth, peoples faith often becomes a paramount influence in the actions they undertake. Some are at extreme ends and radicalize what is otherwise a very moral and just view of how things should be. These radicals often carry out actions against others because their convictions are so strong and so outside of the middle that even if the middle moves it will not be enough so enough will be "encouraged." This artificial skewing leads to others ultimately forgoing "play" in order to build a counter-trend necessary to prevent skewing that is non-organic. In the end you have a reduction in pure innovation (good) and an increase in pure existence. I'm guessing that the author was too busy contemplating whether or not we could he didn't think whether or not we should...

Seven, the book discusses how currency became the demise of society as it pertains to interest, greed, etc. However, in the Paypal example he exalts that business for being upstanding and trying this new thing, but it ultimately fails because of the banks...yada, yada, yada. Anyways, Paypal was earning interest on the float vs. charging money for its service. How is that new renaissance? If we take the banks out of the equation so that interest is no longer accrued then who pays for the hosting, data, maybe it's those people who like to play in data centers. But then, who builds the steel racks, elevated floors, servers, ethernet cables, routers, switches, supplies power, constructs the building, stays up all night trying to figure out why no interest is being accrued :)

Well, that was more of a rant than anything else. I'm glad this book cemented my ideas about open-source software and about how so many company executives are in such disrepair. Innovation...hmmm...whenever I have a bug in software I usually just open a debugging program that I purchased and print-out the portion of code via a printer, utilizing a driver, written by some person of gets off on that sorta thing...but would they do it for free if there other needs weren't being met...I don't think so.

There's a reason why doctors get paid so much money, there's are reason why people do jobs they wouldn't otherwise do, there's a reason why the new renaissance only exists in the imagination of Gene Roddenberry. The have's and the have not's exist today, and perhaps in the 21st century we can combat much of this gap; however, until everyone is content with their existence and opportunity for existence then we will not reach the new renaissance. Indeed, it will only exist where truly innovative ideas take place...our isolated dreams...

If you follow Shel's advice in this well written, easy to use book, you will be successful. My copy is full of post it notes marking pages and highlighted areas, my advice is to buy this book if you want to be successful.

"Grassroots Marketing" is a great book for small business owners who want to improve their company's marketing and do so inexpensively. The book surveys nearly every marketing method known to man.

Horowitz says that the average U.S. adult is exposed to about 2,000 messages each day. So, entrepreneurs really need to make their message stand out from the crowd. Further, Horowitz argues that the average small business, individual, or organization needs to market very inexpensively.

Horowitz summarizes marketing as 1) Identifying your target market; 2) getting the right information and message to your market; and 3) Convincing the target customer to do business with your company.

Horowitz discusses:

- Choosing a company name and how it impacts marketing
- Designing logos
- Writing press releases
- Writing professional articles to market your business
- Using Yellow Page ads effectively
- Direct mail and when its effective and when its not
- Bumper stickers and billboards
- Radio and TV advertising via free publicity
- Internet marketing and getting listed on search engines
- Affiliate marketing
- Telemarketing
- Personal sales and mulitlevel marketing
- Word-of-mouth referrals and networking to get them
- Branding and creating 'buzz'

The chapter about effective copyrighting is especially strong. Horowitz expands the basic AIDA formula (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) into ten points of effective copywriting.

The strength of the chapter on writing effective copy isn't surprising, given that Horowitz is a professional copywriter who helps companies develop advertising. Horowitz also helps entrepreneurs plan marketing and publicity campaigns.

"Grassroots Marketing" gives many resources throughout. Not every marketing method discussed in "Grassroots Marketing" will be appropriate for your company. For example, while a plumber will benefit greatly from a Yellow Page Ad (Horowitz says that people tend to consult the Yellow Pages during emergencies among other occasions), other entrepreneurs will benefit more from direct mail. And, while Horowitz says that balloons with logos are best used to draw people to events, financial advisors will probably not want to place their business logo on balloons.

Peter Hupalo, Author of "How To Start And Run A Small Book Publishing Company."

I am not usually one to get all gushy and promotional about a book (unless it's mine!) but I've just finished Grassroots Marketing and I think anyone who is trying to market or promote themselves or their work, in any way, MUST have this book!

Regardless of your budget (the books starts at a $10 marketing budget and works up) this books has ideas, links, how-to, and tip that had me highlighting almost every page. I've read a dozen books on marketing in the last year and this was, by far, the best.

In fact, I wish I'd read it first as it would have saved me buying and reading all the others.

I don't think that there are two consecutive pages that I haven't highlighted, lol!

Perry P. Perkins
Author
"Just Past Oysterville"

"Grassroots Marketing" is an excellent textbook on small business marketing and advertising. It is an enjoyable and useful book. After reading the book, one will really understand that marketing is all about understanding the customer needs and finding solutions that delight the customer. The reader will come to appreciate that marketing is a philosophy of doing business for those organisations that are going to thrive in the current highly competitive markets.

This work is densely packed with valuable insights, guidance, and marketing techniques. It offers enormous potential to receptive and motivated readers who are able to move from thought to action. The book carries pertinent information, but it is organized and written in such a way that is easily digestible.

I would recommend it to newcomers to marketing or business entrepreneurs or small business consultants or trainers or those who just wants some insight into how to effectively market goods or services.

I bought this book after hearing Shel speak. He came off as extremely knowledgeable, very down to earth, and hype-free. So is the book - I was not disappointed.

In my opinion, this is a "friendly" textbook on marketing ALL small businesses, consultants, etc. should read, and certainly applicable to big biz as well. It answered questions I never knew I had. There was information I could use IMMEDIATELY! For example, I went back and made minor yet significant edits to my (very few) Press Releases right away.

Let's step back for a few minutes, I knew very little about marketing despite having run my own business for 15+ years. I never paid attention to marketing, sales, or much of anything but my core competencies - what I was getting paid for as a consultant. Yeah, I'd been "lucky," but don't want to count on luck anymore. There were some basic marketing principles I lacked, and this book taught those well.

I understood some advanced marketing issues and techniques very well, as I've been studying marketing the last few months out of interest and curiosity, but I lacked most basics. It's like understanding advanced calculus and topology, but not being able to add and subtract reliably. This book taught those basics. I should have read it 15 years ago, had it been published then! I still lack experience in some marketing areas, but now at least I have a "clue."

In my first pass I read the topics that interested me with extreme interest. For example, I have, or thought I had, zero use for "Yellow Pages" ads as just one example. I was wrong. I've read this book cover to cover a few times and keep getting more value - and actionable information. It's been on my nightstand now for months and I often read a random section before retiring at night.

If there is a downside, it's that the Internet section is somewhat out of date. That is no surprise as the Internet is evolving rapidly and the book is copyright 2000, but I still think it would be the perfect primer for the uninitiated. Hey, I'm a 25 year Internet veteran and I learned things!

I enjoyed reading this book and I am keeping it among my collection of design and staging books.

From the author of How to Sell Your Home in Any Market: 6 Reasons Why Your Home Isn't Selling... and What You Can Do to Fix Them:

This book is great and it's also timely. Easy to read and follow, loaded with great information. While the market slows down, this is the time to truly help clients to redecorate and stage homes to sell. Many small and medium sized builders are also in desperate need of a good home redecorator or home stager.

I highly recommend it!

Mary Larsen has done a thorough job explaining the actual steps it takes to launch a successful (financially successful!) business in Interior Redesign and Staging. As a Nationally Certified Trainer in this area , I look forward to adding this book to my recommended reads for students, new & experienced. Worth the time to read it!

Larsen's book starts right off by defining the differences between redesign (for living) and staging (for selling) so there's no misunderstanding of what these potentially lucrative businesses are all about.

The popularity of HGTV-DYI-type shows have spawned an interest in people wanting to redecorate their own homes Fortunately for anyone wishing to operate this type of business there will be more than enough work for you to do. Many home decorators get all excited about redecorating their homes but then find that once they get started (or are in the planning phase) they don't have the skills or the time to follow through.

The book offers a lot of solid advice. For instance, Larsen reminds readers that it is vitally important to continuously educate themselves as trends change constantly- what's hip today will be out tomorrow.
Mary's Trade Tips are sprinkled throughout the book making you feel like you're getting insider information. Larsen offers advice on ways to market your business including getting testimonials from current customers, giving presentations including a list of possible topics and an outline detailing how to present the topic. Details important things you need to know to stage a home for a real estate sale, offers before and after pictures showing great design work that you can easily do and gives basic design tips that offer suggestions on room elements such as color, shape, and spacing. You'll also find a list of tools you will most likely need and an appendix with more than enough resources to get you started including easily modifiable forms, sample contracts, a list of tools you will need and sample sales letters.

For some reason I found myself getting kind of bored toward the end of the book but overall a good resource for anyone wishing to start this type of business. Could also be a good basic guide for anyone wanting to simply redesign or stage their own home.

This book gives detailed information on how to go about starting a business doing interior design and decorating. The authors discuss the types of decorators as well as what it takes to be an entrepreneur. They dispel commonly held myths about entrepreneurship and give practical advice for the reader to determine if they have what it takes to start their own business.

The authors give step by step instructions on what it takes to start your own design business such as deciding what skills you have and how to charge for services. The next sections of the book deal with the legal and financial concepts of structuring a business. The authors do a good job of explaining the intimidating ideas of business planning, finance, and operation in terms that non business savvy people can understand. Anyone considering a career in design or decoration would benefit greatly from reading this book

Debra Russell shares her life story, tips, and motivations on how to live a better life in her self-help book, I ALMOST MISSED MY LIFE, DON'T MISS YOURS: 52 SECRETS TO MORE SUCCESS, FUN & FULFILLMENT. Russell shares how she went from being a three timed divorced single mom and welfare recipient to a happy, successful entrepreneur and motivational speaker.

Russell shares 52 of her secrets, one for every week in a year, with the reader. Many of the suggestions are common sense knowledge, but it is reiterated in a way that makes it seem fresh and new. Some of the suggestions that I found most helpful were, keeping a journal, being optimistic, and surrounding yourself with positive people.

I ALMOST MISSED MY LIFE, DON'T MISS YOURS: 52 SECRETS TO MORE SUCCESS, FUN & FULFILLMENT is an inspirational story of one woman's determination to find happiness and to share her findings with others. The "secrets" offered are generic enough to work for everyone, but the author adds a special "Give It A Go" section at the end of each tip to help the reader make it their own. In addition to Russell's suggestions, the book is enhanced with several motivational quotes and statements. This book is a wonderful self-help for people who know that they need a change in their lives, but just need a little extra guidance.

Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

When life give you lemons - make lemonade. Now how many times have you heard that cliche when your way looks rough? But, even when you add plenty of sugar, it can still zing your taste buds, and make your lips pucker. Well, have you ever seen a purple sweet potato? They are from the same family as the orange shaded variety, except the flesh is a lavender hue. Sounds kinda exotic, doesn't it? And, the purple tuber is sweeter than the regular one. So now when your way looks rough, say to yourself - When life gives you an ordinary sweet potato, add a little food coloring and make purple sweet potato pie.

"I Almost Missed...My Life" begins with what I'm going to call an ordinary beginning. You see, the author experienced some trials in her life, which are really no different from what a lot of women in the 21st century have had to face. At the age of thirty-one, she had two children, who had different fathers, and she wanted to divorce her third husband. What did she do in this familiar scenario? She took the knowledge that she had (an orange sweet potato), and combined it with the teachings of Anthony Robbins, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, the Dalai Lama and more (the food coloring), to result in a life filled with fun, excitement, passion, love and success (the exotic purple sweet potato pie).

Debra Russell jots down her recipe with 52 ingredients, which can be added to your dish of life. After stirring, there's a "Give It A Go" assignment, to help bring out the flavor. She also encourages the reader to start journaling for increased success, and to start your own recipe. I recommend "I Almost Missed...My Life: How to Breakthrough To the Life You Really Want" to those who want to color the ordinariness of their lives into something new - well maybe not exotic, but definitely in a different pigment.

"I Almost Missed My Life" contains 52 short (2 page) chapters that can best be described as instructional, self-help guidance on things you can do to change your life into the E Ticket life you would like to have. The E Ticket reference is used in the book and accurately represents the author's purpose with the book. Several years ago if you went to Disney World you would purchase a packet of tickets that contained A, B, C, D, and E tickets. The most popular, most exciting rides were E Ticket rides. My memories as a child include a trip to Disney World where we purchased one of these books of tickets. One thing I recall is that the A and B ticket rides were ones that I was not interested in and only rode them because I had a ticket that was no good for anything else. Many people seem to live their lives that way - life has dealt them a book of A and B tickets and so that is the limit of what they can ride. The purpose of the book is to change your life from an A or B Ticket ride to an E Ticket journey.

Each week you can take one of the chapters and focus on it for that week. Chapters include encouragement and direction on such things as "Practice Outcome Thinking", "Trust and Follow your Knowing", "Treasure and Nurture Your Friends", "Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously", "Listen", "Let Go of Regrets", "Be the Change You Want To See", and "Be Grateful". This is an excellent and recommended book for people seeking an organized plan for changing their life.

Problems in reaching success in your professional or personal life? Would you like to see what was wrong in your life and see all clearly in perspective? So, read this book and find your answers. To reach our objectives, we need first to identify, and then break our self-imposed internal barriers. The author makes the reader to explore common attitudes and wrong assumptions that continuously prevent people in reaching their goals. Russell opens doors, and in a simple way, empowers the reader. This book is a beautiful trip breaking barriers, that goes from procrastination and struggle to a successful life in all aspects. Highly recommended, and a good gift for a friend.
Jorge O. Corti MD, MPH

This woman is a living example of going from zero to a hundred on the success scale.

I liked how she is succinct and humorous - Russell specifically lays out what anyone can do to accomplish more and get more satisfaction out of life.

If some habitual thinking holds you back, you will be well-served to enjoy I Almost Missed My Life.

Volume II of Breyfogle's series of books for Lean Six Sigma deployment is an excellent text book for MBA students. I use it for my students in courses and training because it covers all the necessary topics with the appropriate context for current and future decision-makers. Additionally, I highly recommend this book for all organizational managers and leaders that are interested in improving the performance of their organization and for the enterprise.

If you are not happy with your current measurement system and the projects that are created from them, this is a book you must read! In the first part of the book Forrest reviews historic measurement systems and the issues that they can create for your business. In the second part he explains the enterprise DMAIC (e-DAMIC) system and how it is an improvement over classic systems. One outcome of his system is the generation of projects that are pulled through the business and is aligned to the strategic plans of the company.
To see if you can benefit from this new system you may want to read "Integrated Enterprise Excellence. Volume 1 The Basics". This is a book that is written by Forrest in a story format and shows the frustrations of 4 friends who experience in various ways the issue that arise from historic business systems.

This is an excellent detailed book that provides the reader with a guide to CI deployment. Forrest's observations on how performance metrics can drive the wrong behavior is 'on the money'. Practically all organizations today have performance metrics in place and yet we see high profile companies collapse before our eyes. Forrest strongly campaigns for an integrated approach to CI and will help you identify enterprise scorecards that will drive the right behavior.

A must have for continuous improvement practitioners! Well done Forrest, keep up the good work.

Regards

Trevor Coughlan www.lean-sigmaconsulting.com

This book contains very powerful and innovative tools for a complete business measurement system. It includes practical tools that go beyond the ones commonly used in Six Sigma and Lean. The explanation is very clear and the many examples that are included in each chapter make the usually complex concepts a lot easier to relate to real life everyday business operations.
There is a lot to learn from this book and a lot of readily applicable practical insight to gain from it.

This book provides the reader with a systematic approach in how to improve their business.

You are shown what to report and how to properly report it so management gets the correct information they need to direct their resources. The DMAIC phases are gone through in a detailed manner providing the reader with the tools they need in order to correctly understand the elements involved. Within each phase examples and exercises are provided to give the reader a better understanding of the tools being used.

This is a well thought out book that is built upon the other books in the series. A great reference source for any Quality professional or individual who desires to make their business operate in a more efficient manner.

Two businesses are what I'm remembering = delivery and records management. Norm may see them differently.

My debate on this book was four or five stars; five star books change my life and I'm not completely sure this will BUT: I read a library copy and his chapter on cash flow and the need to protect cash has changed my thinking. So, I'll suggest you protect your own cash-on-hand and read a library copy and give him the (free-to-me) fifth star. He's already saved me $45 on a purchase I actually don't need today. YMMV.

Norm's view of business opportunity is almost as far from mine as I can imagine. I have a boatload of schooling and want to own my own job. He aims at $100M revenues and employs a significantly under-educated work force. In as much as he writes specifically and in detail about exactly what he knows, I can map his experience to my situation. People who write in more general, superficially "universal" terms rarely provide as much take-away value.

After the cash-flow chapter, the next-most useful paragraph, to me, was his wife's explanation of how they can work in the business together, and how it took them 20 years to be married enough to be able to do it.

While Norm does not say much about how TO write a business plan, he has a lot to say about how NOT to. The lesson about reality-testing expectations of the future is useful.

I'll go back over my copy and take more notes before I return it. May also read some of the other books other reviewers have recommended. However, I came to this one first, after a host of essentially useless "you can make money" entreprenuerial how-tos. Infinitely readable and well worth the time you give it.

This is a great book that reads like a very practical, informative, and sometimes entertaining business reference guide. The book contains the accumulation of knowledge, experiences, and advice given in the authors' column in Inc. magazine. It is a great book for: (1) new or aspiring entrepreneurs, (2) executives in establshed small/medium sized companies, (3) 2nd tier executives in small/medium companies, (4) 2nd generation family business leaders, (5) bankers who lend to small and medium sized businesses, and (6) government officials who deal with small and medium businesses as part of their job. All will benefit from understanding the mindset, the thinking, and the energy that goes into succesfully managing a small or medium sized business.

Great examples of people who came from many different backgrounds that made their dreams come true. Should be required reading. Check out their FREE seminars coming up. I am going to the one in Los Angeles in November. These guys know their stuff.

Almost everyone dreams of having their own business. Unfortunately, most of those who dream about having their own business dream about "not having a boss", which is exactly wrong. Every customer is your boss, and the best owners even work to serve their employees rather than trying to bully them into the right behaviors. If you want to understand how you have to think and what you have to learn to do as an entrepreneur you really should read this book. Norm Brodsky and Bo Burlingham have written a terrific guide to help you understand what it means to have "the knack" of being a successful entrepreneur. Whether you already have these skills or are willing to work hard to learn them, you simply must have them in order to meet the challenges every startup business faces.

They show you what it means to have a viable business idea, not a dream you are merely passionate about, but also doing the hard work of fitting that dream into the hard reality of business, competition, and financials. Not only do you not want to give away your money to customers and vendors without reward for yourself, you simply cannot do so indefinitely. You must make a profit to justify the operations and paying yourself for your hard work and the risks you take.

The book has seventeen short chapters that average fifteen to twenty pages each. The authors make everything real by telling stories from their own consulting, from businesses they know, and from people they have rubbed elbows with. After the showing you how to evaluate a business plan for viability, they take you through the importance of perseverance, being able to look at yourself and your business clearly and without excuse, discipline, and how to see solutions. You then get to see that businesses fail because they build businesses for which there is no demand (competitors can be a good thing because they demonstrate market viability), why starting a business is better than buying one, why a simple business is good, and why your time is precious. And you get to see what it takes to get money to back your business and the pitfalls that many startups face in the money markets.

Most entrepreneurs are not trained in financials or accounting, but the authors show that they key numbers you have to know are your gross sales, gross margins, how to spot your own key indicators so you can watch your business in real time, the vital nature of your cash flow numbers, and what EBITDA is (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) and why you should look at that as well as knowing your net income number. Entrepreneurs also need to be great negotiators and the authors show you how to do it with listening, and open mind, assuming that your negotiating partner is smarter and knows more than you, looking behind the apparent, and realizing that the best deals can leave both sides feeling a little unfulfilled. Along with this, they show you why you must be able to sell and how you can learn to offer what it is your customers want. This will become your niche for a time, but you also have to learn to follow how the market wants you to change. Of course, your reputation is key to your success and they show you why.

Most new business people are anxious to land any deal, but soon learn that some customers are not worth having, some deals end up costing you money, and other deals can absorb so much of your time and resources that you can't make profitable and quick sales. You should also learn that price cutting is the last resort of the desperate and is often the prelude to your exit from the marketplace. Brodsky and Burlingham also teach you the importance of repeat customers and how to create them along with the nightmare of driving good customers away (some before they ever make their first purchase).

I especially enjoyed their discussion on the decision to grow. Too many entrepreneurs pursue growth as if it were a given and without much consideration to the fact that growth is a means not an end in itself. You have to know why you want to grow, how you should do it, and where you want to be at every step along the way. You should choose to grow rather than following the path of rapid growth and sudden death that too many businesspeople follow. Growth will also require you to hire employees. The transition from the guy or gal who does everything to becoming the boss who works through other people is difficult for many entrepreneurs. They like doing the work of the business and find the abstractness of managing others to do that work strange and unappealing. OK. But if you don't learn how to do that your business will experience pains that will cause it to shrink down to your capacity to do those tasks (and it may even fail). The one thing you can't delegate is the spirit, culture, and the team spirit of the company. You have to get the employees (and customers) working with you and not against you.

The authors offer solid advice on building your salesteam. Heed what they have to say and don't try to take a shortcut by poaching salespeople from your competitors because you will weaken your own position with them and probably overpay for their "help". They also show you how to identify when you need outside help (such as legal and accounting help) and how to get the right fit for your business. You will also need to prepare now so you will be ready when your business enters a new stage. Finally, they teach you how to develop your employees, especially your salesteam, and your personal enthusiasm is crucial for business success.

This is a terrific book and I give it my strongest recommendation. Even if you are just thinking or dreaming of starting a business, you will find this both an entertaining and informative read. Enjoy and learn!

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

I liked this book. It's more of a rant on the subject of starting a business instead of a how-to or checklist or guide. It kind of reminded me of "The Art of the Start" (ISBN: 9781591840565). But I thought Kawasaki's book was better. The instant book being reviewed has 17 chapters as follows:

0. The knack ... and how to get it
1. How to succeed in business
2. The right stuff
3. Why startups fail
4. Where the money is
5. Magic numbers
6. The art of the deal
7. It begins with a sale
8. Good sales, bad sales, and the ones that get away
9. Customers for keeps
10. How to lose customers
11. The decision to grow
12. Becoming the boss
13. The one thing you can't delegate
14. Selling is a team sport
15. Help! I need somebody
16. When the student is ready, the teacher appears
17. Keeping up with the stones

I found the book to be well written and well outlined. I'd probably give it 5-stars if I hadn't felt I'd read it before in other books. The same old material on how to start a new company can only be re-written in just so many different ways. And then there is the fact that there is no chapter devoted to business plans. That's not good if an author wants 5 stars from me.

If the subject of this book interests you, then I recommend you consider reading two others along with it: "Startup Nation" (ISBN: 9780385512480), and "Growing Your Business" (ISBN: 9780671671648). I found the instant book being reviewed had wonderful insights that seemed to be based on a ton of real-world experience. And the suggestions and recommendations included were great. So I cannot poo-poo the book. But it just didn't measure up to the three other books I cite in this review. 4 stars!

Black or White, young or old, male or female, gay or straight can appreciate the glimpses of life portrayed in The Mee Street Chronicles. Ms. Lennon artfully transports the reader to times and places that come alive through superb storytelling. This author captures the ambience so well that the reader becomes an invisible spectator within every scene.



Demonstrating courage possessed by few authors, she has been willing to share some of the most intimate details of her own life struggle. If you have traveled similar roads, you will nod in recognition. Whether your life includes comparable experiences or not, put this book on your "must read" list!

Frankie and I went to Indiana University together. She showed her writing talent during the her college days. Life has perfected those talents. I can relate to her stories of her childhood because regardless of where you grew up, as a Black child at that time our parents all taught from the same book. Once I started reading, I almost could not put the book down. The stories were woven in such a way that you will feel as if you are standing in a corner watching the action. I am proud of the strong woman she has become.

Franke Lennon has written a moving, honest, difficult and, ultimately, a life affirming memoir. Her amazingly Norman Rockwell-Huck Finn childhood in Knoxville is tenderly rendered only to slyly transmorgrify into the struggles that a young black woman growing up in the Jim Crow Bible-belt South would face upon the recognition of a forbidden same sex attraction.

Ms. Lennon's clarity in realizing and struggling with her lesbianism is achingly rendered and all too familiar to anyone who has felt like an outcast, not always because of outside forces, but due to an internalized self-loathing.

Her first female love leaves an indellible mark on her; a scar, if you will, and this woman--Stacey--haunts throughout this powerful confessional.

Throughout her life, Ms. Lennon struggles through many things--her sexual nature, alcoholism, watching close friends being taken away by AIDS, sexism, racism--but forever the cock-eyed optimist, she tells a tale of falling down and getting back up in classic style.

At the chore of this collection of stories (although I found it to be one marvelous story of an incredible black woman and the many compelling chapters of her life) is a never-say-die mantra. Frankie Lennon, like Molly Brown, is not about to be blown over by the bigotry of others.

Oh yes, it took her a moment to get there, maybe even a good part of a lifetime, but get there she does! When she has her 'Hell No!' moment(s), you'll cheer. When she finally says 'Hell yes!' to life, tears will fall between the hands you so furiosly applaud her with.

This book is a brilliant affirmation and should be read by anyone who questions their place at God's unconditional table because of man's narrow stupid conditional rules.Looker: A Novel

Thankfully I got to see the process of this work being produced but even being in on that aspect of it didn't prepare me for the impact it would have in the world of literature and me personally. Frankie is adept in weaving stories that are at both times personal and communal. What I mean by that is when I read these stories I know I am reading about Frankie but the feeling that they give me lets me know I am reading about my sisters, mother, grandmother, aunts, friends, and on a certain level even myself. The stories transcend so many categories in an outstanding way. You owe it to yourself to get this book and be fulfilled...

The Mee Street Chronicles: Straight Up Stories of a Black Woman's Life by Frankie Lennon has been one of my favorite books that I have read as a college student. The author uses an authentic way of telling her stories by using anecdotes and descriptions of the events that happened in her life and the lives of the important characters she introduces to the audience. All the stories in this book have been very exciting to read, but one of my most favorite is "The Code", in this story I feel a deep personal connection to the author due to our cultural similarities. Overall it was a great book to read since I originally thought I would not find a connection to the stories due to our different cultural backgrounds, but it was a shocker to familiarize with some of the stories. I have already recommended the book to a couple friends and would recommend to a lot more people because it's such a great book to read.