Enterprise Books

I loved the characters and they sure were characters. Each one was beautifully drawn. They were as crazy a bunch of misfits as I've ever come across and yet they managed to pull off a great scam. I loved the conclusion. It was perfect.

A friend turned me on to this story and author. I loved this book and the characters. I cheered for the protagonists and jeered the antangonists, just like you're supposed to with a well-written novel. The author's colorful descriptions are great. My friend and I are still talking and laughing about Wizards of Awes, and it's been over two weeks. This is a funny and suspenseful tale. I loved it!

A great story line about what lengths corporate America will do to win in the end. It was a rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. The book is very discriptive and colorful. It leaves you with the feeling that Paul and Chicago are the guys next door. I have never laughed so hard in my life.

Normally, I don't buy books written by unknown authors, but after reading the review from California, I decided to try and I,m glad I did. This is a great story full of twists and turns. The author has an ear for real dialogue and his characters are well developed. I always wondered if every survivor of the '60's is now wearing a three-piece suit. Glad to have met some who aren't. By the time I was halfway through the book I couldn't put it down. I agree with the reviewer from Perris, Ca. and add--READ THIS BOOK!-You'll be happy you did. The terrific last chapter will remiain permenantly etched in your memory. This book should be made into a molvie.

This book is like a war cry, calling women into place for God to use them in His divine purpose. Pastor Dawn Wilson is a woman who has pastored a church for years and continues to counsel women in performing God's work. This book is filled with wise counsel for women and Scripture exhorting us to heed the call of God.

While this book definitely upraises women as pastors, this is by far not its only purpose. Pastor Wilson's intent is to call all women into any position God has for us, whether it is pastor or not. Many people in the Christian faith, especially women, are holding back their true gifts and shying away from their calling because they fear they are either unable to do what they are called to do or because they fear repression from others. Wilson's encouraging and empowering words to women suffering from all sorts of spiritual blocks is one of the things that makes this book so awesome: no matter what your current position, you can fulfill the tasks God sets to you and Wilson tells us exactly how we can do this, with various Scripture along the way.

The book is formatted much like a military guidebook, in that it offers different kinds of spiritual training and the stages children of God go through. Wilson speaks of people missing in action, people who have not yet begun to fight, and people who have begun, but are currently not for various reasons. She uses Scripture throughout the book to help relate to the reader how different kinds of women in various different stages of life were used in the Bible by God and continue to be so. Mothers, singles, and wives are all called to God's army, and Wilson uses wonderful Biblical examples of how women, even in the midst of raising families, serve a unique purpose.

One of the most powerful points of the book is how it counsels women in doubt or facing oppression. It explains that, if a woman is called to pastor or fill another high position in church, some may well dispute this and try to keep her from doing so. Wilson gives fresh advice to women facing such complications, explaining that God equips all whom He calls into battle and women should take this to heart when facing fear and doubt. She even advises that women not focus on defending or debating their calling to people who disagree; she consults Scripture directly in this matter and reminds us that Christ spread His message by perseverance and acts, not debate. The best way for His children to spread His message is in the same method: by focusing our acts on God and letting His truth be shown through the fruits of the spirit.

A more difficult situation might be if a woman's own church or spouse disagrees with her calling. In this case, Wilson reminds us that our church elders are to be respected and we are not to cause disruption in the church by raising a debate. Rather, she encourages us to serve however we can in the church at the present time, and wait for the time in which God will enable us to fulfill our task. Likewise, Wilson advises women not to separate or war with a husband who disagrees. She explains that a husband's position is still upheld in God's law and we should not divorce or refute a husband who disagrees with our calling. If we are wives, being called to pastor doesn't change this and it doesn't release us from our responsibilities to our families. God called us knowing what tasks He already set us to and He will enable us to fulfill those tasks without jeopardizing the people closest to us.

One of the truly remarkable things about this book is that, while it is undoubtedly aimed at women, there are vital Christian principles that anyone can take from it: facing oppression, fulfilling our roles, and looking to serve God in any way that we can are important tasks for all Christians to remember. Dawn Wilson has written an amazingly thorough and Biblical book; she leaves no stone unturned and exhorts all women of all positions to put our faith in God's abilities and to trust that He will equip and cover us. It's impossible to read this book and not feel energized and alive; I recommend this to everyone!

"Rarely does one have the privilege of witnessing such impeccable character as can be seen in the life and message of Dawn Wilson. Dawn inspires by living out of a heart motivated by love. Her book, "Women, Get in the Army of God," is so much more than spiritual warfare. Dawn unravels the foundational meaning of Christian character, and leads us to the stepping stones of personal victory in our walk with God.
Though years of experience line the pages of this manual, Dawn reinforces each revealed truth with an in-depth analysis drawn from the original Greek and Hebrew translations of the Bible. Discover the truth of God's Word concerning women in the ministry. Settle once and for all every doubt of God's call to women. Learn how men and women's hearts alike are rekindled in resolve and purpose. I was strengthened from the sheer simplicity of truth recited from scripture.
Notice how time after time, God uses "the power of one," to overcome insurmountable odds through trust in Him, transforming even the course of history. You will walk away with a sense that NOTHING is impossible with God. You will experience peace in the confident expectation that love truly does conquer all! We never walk alone in the battle, for we have been empowered to do ALL things through Christ which strengthens us.
Whether your core values dictate the concepts of God having an army of believers or the paradigm of God creating us for the sole purpose of being His family, you will be touched, moved, and inspired by the concepts laid forth in this book."

"Women, Get in the Army of God" is one of the BEST books that I have ever read, especially with regard to the position and role of women in ministry within the Body of Christ! EVERY man and woman should have this book in their personal library!

This book is an essential part of your library. Dawn leads us through scripture, showing us God's plan for us as Women in the body of Christ. Do not fear any longer, for God has a plan for you! Learn how the enemy falters when the mighty army of God arises!
Read this book until you fully grasp the awesome task God has laid before you.

These are two volumes of teaching puzzles put together by Yang Yilun, a well-known Chinese 7 dan player. Yang has shown a dedicated interest in the game, both as a player as well as a coach and teacher. After a very strong career in the Shanghai area Yang is now teaching in the United States, with many fortunate students.

The puzzles in the books are arranged into 4 categories - Elementary and Junior in the first volume, and Senior and Advanced in the second. Do not be mislead by the title 'Elementary.' These are all a cut above the typical tesuji style problem, which often asks only for the best move or trick to use next. These puzzles all expect the reader to have an instinct for tesuji already developed, and expect some ability to 'read' the problem and think ahead. Most require that one can lay out a series of moves to exploit a weakness. Each ensuing section demands stronger skills. Volume 1, which is sold here, is aimed at amateurs from 10kyu to 5kyu or better. But even a shodan will find the Advanced puzzles a challenge.

This is as it should be. I have been embarrassed by some of the simple problems and lucky with a few of the more difficult, but, overall, these books give a player a very good way to both assess where he or she is as a player and work on the very skills that will carry them to the next level. The important thing is that one shouldn't treat these as if these as if they were mere brainteasers. Don't worry if you 'get it' on the first try or not. Work the puzzle through either mentally or by play, and aim at grasping the principles involved. Expect to come back time and time again until you feel comfortable that you can recognize a parallel situation and evaluation the options involved.

I like the simple, easy to read format of the books quite a bit. With my eyesight it is a delight to find a book on Go that I do not have to squint at. Many players will find this book and it's sequel just the thing to help them make sure that they play 1000 different games on the way to shodan, instead of the same one, over and over. This should be on any player's must have list.

This is the first of two volumes of teaching puzzles put together by Yang Yilun, a well-known Chinese 7 dan player. Yang has shown a dedicated interest in the game, both as a player as well as a coach and teacher. After a very strong career in the Shanghai area Yang is now teaching in the United States, with many fortunate students.

The puzzles in the books are arranged into 4 categories - Elementary and Junior in the first volume, and Senior and Advanced in the second. Do not be mislead by the title 'Elementary.' These are all a cut above the typical tesuji style problem, which often asks only for the best move or trick to use next. These puzzles all expect the reader to have an instinct for tesuji already developed, and expect some ability to 'read' the problem and think ahead. Most require that one can lay out a series of moves to exploit a weakness. Each ensuing section demands stronger skills. Volume 1, which is sold here, is aimed at amateurs from 10kyu to 5kyu or better. But even a shodan will find the Advanced puzzles a challenge.

This is as it should be. I have been embarrassed by some of the simple problems and lucky with a few of the more difficult, but, overall, these books give a player a very good way to both assess where he or she is as a player and work on the very skills that will carry them to the next level. The important thing is that one shouldn't treat these as if these as if they were mere brainteasers. Don't worry if you 'get it' on the first try or not. Work the puzzle through either mentally or by play, and aim at grasping the principles involved. Expect to come back time and time again until you feel comfortable that you can recognize a parallel situation and evaluation the options involved.

I like the simple, easy to read format of the books quite a bit. With my eyesight it is a delight to find a book on Go that I do not have to squint about. Many players will find this book and it's sequel just the thing to help them make sure that they play 1000 different games on the way to shodan, instead of the same one, over and over. This should be on any players must have list.

Volume 2 begins with puzzle number 111 and ends at 200. As a continuation of volume 1 (see my review of volume 1), volume 2 is subdivided into two additional sections, Senior and Advanced. The clues are much more detailed for section 3 and 4 then in the previous volume, and the puzzles are significantly more difficult. The first 46 puzzles, making up the senior section, are for this 3-kyu ranked player, exceedingly difficult, requiring you to be able to read 10 to 15 moves. And for solutions, instead of getting the answer and two or three possibilities, the reader is now provided with 5 or 6 variations with detailed explanatory notes as to why the variation fails, or is weak as compared to the recommended solution. Regarding the ADVANCED section, these puzzles are, for my skill level, brutally tough. Some detail as many as 10 variations - and none of the solutions are obvious (at least to me). I don't know what your ranking must be to readily solve the last set of puzzles, but I suspect that it must be low dan level, at a minimum. The ingenious aspect of the all the puzzles, as I noted in my review of volume 1, is that they are board situations that you are likely to encounter in an actual game. Highly recommended for experienced players only.

I've been playing go intermittently for 15 years and am a 3 kyu player. Study and near constant play are the only way to improve at this game. (Indeed, it is said that you need to play a thousand games to breakthrough to Shodan.) Every once in the while I am possessed by the urge to improve and get stronger - and so embark on a go book buying splurge. Personally, putting the effort into solving these puzzles will make you an overall more effective player. Solving life and death problems is important practise to develop board reading and fighting skills. Volume 1 of this book includes 110 puzzles divided into two sections (Elementary and Junior). Each puzzle is given a brief title and a cryptic clue to direct your thinking. The puzzles are printed on an even page and the solutions revealed on the following page. These puzzles are ingenious because they detail situations that you are likely to encounter when playing against a competitor. (Most puzzles are not as natural, usually depicting unusual situations that you simply never encounter.) Technically, I found most of the puzzles in this set to be very tough and time consuming in arriving at a solution. The elementary puzzles seem to be targetted for 5 to 8 kyu players, while the Junior section appears to be aimed at 3 kyu to Shodan ranked players (you will need to be able to read 5 to 10 moves to solve most of these puzzles). The solution page usually includes two or three possibilities - the correct approach and one or two failures, with a short paragraph of commentary on each possible play. I think solving these puzzles is a good investment of time and effort - and I recommend the puzzles for experienced go players only.

I am a Christian father of two girls ages 5 and 3. I had never considered the ramifications of my explanation of Santa. My biggest fear was the avoidance of ultraconsumerism, not a real word, causing them to miss the point of Jesus being born. This book really opened my eyes and provided a sound approach for turning a potentially damaging situation into a positive learning experience.

This is a wonderful, well researched book. It provides historical and anecdotal information about the nature of St. Nicholas and Santa Claus and offers suggestions on how to have Santa as part of a Christian Christmas. Very interesting and insightful.

I think this is an excellent treatise on the dilemma that parents often
face on how to approach the existence of Santa Claus. Not only does
Glenn Norfleet give a very good history of the origin of Santa Claus, but
he gives a good argument for the inclusion of the Santa as part of Christmas. He does this in a manner that does not minimize honesty with the child, but rather helps the child understand the role of Santa in Christmas. As a bonus, there is a very good table which offers alternatives approaches to the dilemma depending on the child's level of maturity.

I was given this book by a thoughtful friend who remembered a conversation we had regarding teaching children about Christmas and Santa Claus. My three year old was attending preschool, and her teachers were supplying Santa Claus crafts and reading books about reindeer and elves. Meanwhile, she was learning about Baby Jesus through her Sunday school classes and at home as we read to her about the story of Jesus' birth and pretended with a nativity set. It felt like a conflict of interests. I thought, "What does Santa Claus have to do with the birth of Christ?" I found myself becoming anti-Santa Claus. I was rebelling against the tradition with which I was raised in order to support what I felt was the true meaning of Christmas. I was close to ruining a wonderful experience for my child and her younger brother.

Mr. Glenn Norfleet, in his book, Your Child and Santa, has changed my view on our present day Christmas as he clarifies how Santa Claus came into being. He details the existence of Saint Nicholas, a young priest (and later bishop) and heir to a large fortune in Greece(present day Turkey) during the second and third centuries AD, and how he became a saint because of his extraordinary and anonymous generosity to the needy, sick, and suffering, especially children. His tradition of loving and caring for others is the basis for our present day Santa Claus. Mr. Norfleet explains how this process evolved and how we can teach our children to carry on this spirit of love without compromising our Christian principles. He recommends many detailed activites for different ages to help teach your child about this tradition of generosity and love.

This book is easy to follow; yet, it has a depth of understanding that is incredibly well-researched and beautifully written. If you struggle with how to incorporate Santa Claus into the season of the holy birth, then I highly recommend this book for you.

If you can't find something usefull in this book, you haven't read it yet

We're newbies and found more moneysaving ides in the book to pay for it 20 times over! Loaned it to our ole timer neighbor and thought we were going to have to call the police to get it back! A lot of common sense and practicality mixed in with some innovative thinking!

To rephrase Ratty's famous comment to Mole in "The Wind in the Willows": There is nothing- absolutely nothing- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in an RV.

By even the most charitable of definitions, I am not what anyone would call "handy" when it comes to fixing things about our sticks-and-bricks house. I am not good at it and I hate taking the time for even the most basic of repairs.

Having said that, I also note that I love puttering around our 5th wheel and could happily spend hours at a time on RV related projects! I guess that's why I think the 10 Minute Tech books are so terrific. More than 600 practical and money-saving ideas in each of the three volumes . . . clever, practical solutions to both everyday challenges and to obscure situations the average RVer will never come across. Each idea presents a practical, real-life solution. Each has been developed by an RVer. The projects are presented in language which is brief, understandable and to the point . . . and the illustrations do a great job of clearing up any questions left unanswered by the text.

The books are conveniently divided into sections on Livability, Safety, Appliances, Maintenance, Automotive, In Camp, Systems, Storage, Towing, Accessories, Sanitation, Doors-Hatches-Handles, Cleaning-Protecting, and Tools. Only a brief perusal is needed to start the creative juices flowing - to send the reader, tool box in hand, off on another project. A fun read when you are nowhere near an RV. An indispensable reference when you are on the road.

101 Ways to Beat the Blues captures the best elements of childhood - joy, simplicity and playfulness. It reminds me it is 'never too late to have a happy childhood'. I especially like remedy #79, building a fort out of couch cushions, blankets and pillows and dragging wonderful things into your fort. I also like #2, pull out a copy of your favorite children's story and read it cover to cover. I work a stressful job and I bring the book with me when I travel, it keeps me sane and is a fantastic stress release. I highly recommend it!

I call this Book 'Blue Gold'. I have always looked through the Pictures in a book first (if it has them) - this is probably part of the reason that I became a 'Tarot Card' Reader. Pictures can Reflect a whole story. This book is inspiration!- with just the pictures alone and the unique things going on in the background; messages on signs,little animals, symbols of Musical Notes, Trees, and especially the Smile on the Sun! That's why remedy #54 of 'Toasting the Sun" is my Favorite! Pure Joy. That is why the book is also a starter kit for "Getting to Know Yourself!" I also appreciate remedy #46 the Master Strategy Session (with one year plans, five year plans, and ten year plans) even though my master strategy is one day at a time and one year at a time; and #62 - the 'People Collection' - writing your name in a center of paper and then surrounding your name with a 'swarm' of names of all the people that are meaningful in your life - your People Collection! A great tool for learning, JOY, and Inspiration.

I love, love, love this book!! It is the perfect everyday companion! I bought this book back in 1984 when it was first published. I went back to the store and bought every copy they had, so I could give it to all of my friends. What a charming little gem and I'm soooooo glad it is back in print! If you take these practices literally, they will really lighten you up and shift your mood! How can you be in a bad mood after utilizing this remedy....ex. #16 Take your shoes off and walk barefoot around the block...boy was my 4 year old happy when we did this remedy together! This book is a great teaching tool for kids and grown ups alike! Buy it now!!!

My introduction to formalized leadership came during the Korean War, as I served as an instructor in the U.S. Army Infantry Leadership Course at Ft. Dix, NJ. There it was a pretty cut and dried formula with no opportunity for innovation. In the ensuing years leadership innovations have leaped into the spotlight with ever increasing frequency. Hardly a year goes by without some professor or management guru promulgating the latest leadership theory and its applications.

In my reading of this literature, I find that many, if not most, of them offer little of substance and seem to focus on providing panaceas that seldom seem to be applicable to my or my clients' situations. They enjoy waves of popularity and then like the old soldier just fade away to be replaced by the next new popular leadership theory.

Well, Tom Peters et al can step aside. The dynamic duo of Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner clearly demonstrate what effective managers need to learn to lead their organizations into the digital age. Rather than offering universal applications, these authors examine the nature of effective leadership in some depth. In specific situations they review the dilemmas of management and provide hardcore examples of how to reconcile fundamental issues of leadership.

Utilizing their base data from thousands of surveys of leaders and followers around the world and with their seven dimensions of cultural competence they have interviewed global leaders as they cope with the dilemmas of leadership. Rather than presenting seven or more essential habits, they focus on how these leaders reconcile differences to attain more effective management.

The authors suggest that business cultures are different, and that because business is run differently around the globe, we need different managerial and leadership competencies. What they call transcultural competence is their way of bridging those differences. It is a logic that tends to unify differences and that delineates the manager from the leader and the successful leader from the unsuccessful one. They call for a new way of thinking. Through-Through thinking is beyond either-or and even and- and thinking in that it synthesizes seemingly opposed values into coherence. Thus the main theme throughout this book is that effective leaders reconcile value dilemmas better than those who don't.

In in-depth interviews with 21 business leaders that run the range from Richard Branson of Virgin through the former Russian Prime Minister Sergei Kiriyenko, to corporate leaders throughout the West, we see the applications of transcultural competence through the use of the authors' seven dimensions: rule-making vs exception finding, that is universalism vs particularism; self-interest and personal fulfillment vs group interest and social concern, that is individualism vs communitarianism; preference for precise, singular, "hard" standards vs preference for pervasive, patterned. "soft: processes, that is specificity vs diffusion; emotions inhibited vs emotions expressed, that is neutral vs affective; status achieved through success and track record vs status ascribed to person's potential such as age, family, education, that is achievement vs ascription; control and effective direction comes from within vs control and effective direction comes from inside, that is inner-directed vs outer-directed; and time is conceived of as a "race" with passing increments vs time is conceived of as a "dance" with circular iterations, that is sequential vs synchronic. While not all of the 21 leaders address all of the above factors in their corporations, we do see that a number of these dimensions occur in varying issues of each organization. They include Kiriyenko working to reconcile dilemmas at the Nizhmy Novorod Oil Company (NORSI) such as that of inner direction (young Russians) vs outer directed (older Russians) or that of cronyism vs new rules or universalism vs particularism. Philippe Bourguignon of Club Med working to reconcile the dilemma of the unique, seamless, personalized vacation vs the reliable, affordable, segmented, standardized holiday with the specific ingredients going into the making of diffuse experiences.

Other examples of the reconciliation of dilemmas appear in such case studies as: creating a hyperculture with Martin Gillo of Advanced Micro Devices; recapturing the true mission with Christian Majgaard of Lego; the balance between market and product with Anders Knutsen of Bang and Olufsen; keeping closer to the customer with David Komansky of Merrill Lynch; and much more. Each of the case studies in the book offers rare insights into how the dilemmas of leadership can be met and how transcultural competence can be applied to leadership in the digital age. To quote the book itself: "The central premise that evolved is that the propensity to reconcile seemingly different contradictory values is the key competence behavior required for a leader to be effective in today's digital world." This is a fascinating spellbinding text blending the intercultural dilemmas of management with the reconciling forces of leadership to create innovative leaders. The examples from 21 business leaders prove again and again that Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner have hit enough nails on the head to build a solid model for the future.

David C. Wigglesworth an interculturalist is a management and organization development consultant and is president of D.C.W. Research Associates International in Kingwood, Texas. He can be reached at 281-359-4234 and dcwigg@earthlink.net
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This book should be read by everyone from young adults to senior executives. As a lay person, not only did I understand how to be successful in the business world, but how to improve my own life. The pages provided me with a fresh insight into leadership; one is not born as a leader, rather one must use leadership skills. Although this book provides examples with well known figures, it also points towards lesser known, but amply talented, leaders. However, albeit how successful some of these people are, some stories serve to remind us that even leaders cannot escape their own humanity. I loudly applaud Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner for giving me the tools to make my way through the 21st century!

Charles Hampden-Turner and Fons Trompenaars have been collaborating for many years to develop an understanding of how different cultures approach and resolve problems and the cross-cultural issues that arise from it. In the course of this collaboration they have developed a formidable database of responses from managers around the world, and a 'dilemma methodology' which they use to demonstrate how superior results flow from the way in which dilemmas are managed and resolved.

This book is a direct successor to a series of books by one or both authors, which develop the methodology and its application. This one applies it to the question of effective leadership, and makes a valuable contribution to a generally overcrowded field. In particular, it adds to understanding of the particular skill of an effective leader and also helps to build an operational understanding of what is meant by 'managing a culture'. The book can be read and used without reference to the earlier works, but Building Cross-Cultural Competence is particularly useful in providing an extended statement of the principles and dimensions summarized in the first 2 chapters of 21 Leaders.

The nine opening pages of the Introduction provide a succinct overview of the main thesis, described as a 'metatheory of leadership'. They argue that leaders 'manage culture' by fine-tuning and reconciling dilemmas and that that culture then runs the organization. Outstanding leaders are particularly adept at reconciling dilemmas - they make the necessary distinctions yet integrate them into a viable whole. The authors conceptualise apparently opposed values (eg individualism versus communitarianism) as being the opposite ends of a continuum and the test of successful reconciliation being that both values should emerge stronger from the interaction.

The book and most of the examples are based on issues of cross-cultural in the sense of cross-national values, but the principles apply equally wherever there is a potential clash of values - for example in a merger or a major program of change.

Through expanding their methodology and showing how it applies in a wide range of complex situations the authors seek to help leaders :

"Elicit and become aware of major business dilemmas in cross-cultural environments
See dilemma resolution as a crucial ingredient of strategy
Utilize dilemmas as strategic contexts for action
Learn the art of achieving one value through another in a virtuous circle (a process known as through-through thinking)
Learn how transnational entrepreneurs take their stands (preneur) between (entre) contrasting values."

Much of the book is devoted to case studies of the 21 selected leaders. These are not all the 'usual suspects' of the management literature, but include a former Russian Prime Minister and the heads of companies in a variety of industries and from a range of nations. Each is well-written and argues its particular points in a way that gives depth to the main thesis of the book.

I didn't want to waste a lot of time--who has that? This book didn't waste my time but instead it told me what to do, how to do it, and why it mattered in simple, straightforward language. It was actually fun to see how much I could accomplish in Access in such a short time. Now everyone in the office thinks I'm an Access wizard.

Since I don't use Access often enough to be great at it, this is the perfect reference book to quickly guide me through unfamiliar areas. I found the "queries" discussions particularly helpful. Also, this book is loaded with tips, notes and reminders that really make sense and offer great ideas to manipulate the data and produce the perfect report. Thank you for making that task easier and less stressful.

I've got a LOT of Mr. Underdahl's books in my library, and have come to expect excellent coverage of whatever topics he writes on. I know how to use Access, but I'm not quite that up-to-speed on creating forms and reports and using the Query tool properly - this book fills in the blanks and shows you how maximize your time and financial investments in Access. The author also does a great job of showing you how to use the Access tools with other Office applications (like Word and Excel). The book is a great one-stop-source for Access 2007 forms/reports/query tool - if you use Access often, this book is one of those resources you'll always find yourself reaching out for... a great reference.

I really like this book and as an entrepreneur cannot stress enough how helpful this book would have been to me when I started my business many years ago
This book is for those of us who woke up one morning and found ourselves owning our own business. Funny as it sounds isn't that what happens? I know that many of you in the rep business for example were sales people with real jobs for many years and then for a number of reasons: company cut backs, a principal who offered to set us up in business if we would agree to represent him or we went to work for a large rep firm and ended up either running it or splitting off to start our own firm. Others of us got an idea that we were passionate enough about to go out on that limb and risk everything to "follow the dream" Whatever the reason we became entrepreneurs...accidentally. So here we are, what do we do now?
We pick up and read Susan Urquhart- Brown's book The Accidental Entrepreneur that's what we do if were smart. This book is filled with as she says 50 things I wish someone had told me about starting a business. Fifty very valuable things I might add. Here are some examples:
* Eight questions to ask before you start a business. This is an excellent chapter on defining yourself, your business and your goals.
* Avoid seven common pitfalls in business. Basically this is:
o Know what you sell before you sell it
o Know what it will take to succeed
o How to use connections and so on.
As well as a number of other chapters presenting a real meat and potatoes approach to starting and running your own business.
What I enjoy are the examples the author uses to make her point and demonstrate how others have succeeded using her experience and direction. These include the story of Mary Foley and Cheryl Thompson who started [...] (great name!) an online club for business women who want to be "outrageously in charge" of their lives.
And
David Riklan the owner of Self-Improvement online Inc. talks about his " Crossroads in business" which is the books term for the time when he knew he was ready to leave the safety of his corporate job and strike out on his own. By the way this was after five years of working evenings and weekends to start his business.
This book is just filled with stories about people just like you and me who struck out on their own and started their own business.
Reading The Accidental Entrepreneur provides us with not only great examples and guidelines of how to be a successful entrepreneur but it also provides something even more valuable. It provides through us with passion and inspiration to strike out and succeed in our own businesses. I like that. I like that a lot.
This is the best $[...] you'll ever spend on your business. Hit the business section and pick it up right now.

I had a big smile on my face as I read through this book. I am a very *purposeful* entrepreneur, with ten years and counting of supporting my household as a writer and seminar leader, and this book for "accidental" entrepreneurs is a solid guide for anyone who wants to go into business for themselves.

When you go to networking events with other self-employed people, you notice something fundamentally different about the people who truly make a go of it - the ones who are comfortable in their own skin about their skills, their value to customers, and their own long-term prospects. Susan Urquhart-Brown has broken down the specifics of these successful people into actionable advice, ranging from defining your value proposition to growing your business.

This book is more timely than ever, in a world where jobs aren't always secure, but knowing how to sell what people buy is a timeless skill, and a roadmap to spending your life doing what you love. We need more accidental entrepreneurs, and this book helps lead the way. -Rich Gallagher, author Great Customer Connections and What to Say to a Porcupine.

I liked this book. It is full of content and it is well-written. It seems to be an updated version of a smiliarly titled book the author wrote back in 2004. See "The Accidental Entrepreneur" with ISBN: 0975977806. The 2008 version has a new chapter added - the 7th in the following list of chapter titles:

1. Introduction
2. What is an entrepreneur, anyway?
3. Ready, set, go!
4. Taking care of business
5. What do you bring to the party?
6. Market and sell your socks off
7. Get connected to the Web for profit
8. Making room for more business

The author is a self-employed business coach and mentor to wanta-be entrepreneurs. Basically she does for pay what I do for free as a SCORE volunteer. Most of what she discusses in her book is what I discuss with my SCORE clients. About the only thing we differ on is the extent to which a person should put effort into preparing a business plan. The author suggests that the entrepreneur should not go overboard on preparing a plan. Whereas I believe great time and effort should be put into dreaming, consolidating, researching, writing, proofing, and editing the 25-35 page written business plan for a startup. Maybe we differ because the author seems to separate a business plan from a marketing plan? And she seems to emphasize in her book how important a marketing plan is to a small business. In fact, she devotes all of Chapter 6 to it. And now that she has added Chapter 7, she has TWO chapters devoted to small business marketing. I, on the other hand, consider marketing plans to be a subset of a business plan.

The book gets its name from the fact that the author at one point in her life sought career counseling and almost overnight she became an "accidental entrepreneur" by starting her own business coach and mentor firm. In this book we are told what many wanta-be entrepreneurs need to hear about the realities of starting a small business. By reading this book the wanta-be entrepreneur will be able to avoid making mistakes in starting their venture, and do many things correctly.

I would have liked the book better if the "Target Your Market" section at page 58 had been a little more developed. I found the coverage to be kind of weak frankly. I particularly liked the coverage of "Which business structure is best for you" at page 40. And my favorite parts or chapters of the book were 6 and 7 regarding marketing and self-promotion. I also enjoyed reading the section on "Minding your Ps and Qs" which stressed the importance of planning. Poor planning is one of the most common causes of business failure. And without good planning it is difficult to be persistent in a meaningful way. So mind your Ps and Qs. 5 stars!

I loved this book and CD!

You can't help but smile and bounce along to these fun filled tales. The music is bright and lively and the characters so lovable!

As a past teacher, I also appreciate that this book does not limit its vocabulary for children. It's full of all sorts of rich and whimsical words - children and adults will love sharing it together!

A must hear to appreciate!

I have known the author all my life, she is my Mother! While this is her first published work I have had the good fortune of hearing and being enchanted by her stories all my life. They are all a magnificent journey to enjoy and are as good as any, in fact better then most published childrens books you'll find. Big Shot And Teeny Weeny is something that the adults enjoy as much as the children because the stories reveal so much simple wisdom and takes you to a giddy understanding of lifes joys. Adults are constantly saying to themselves "oh, isn't that clever". While the kids are enjoyng the fun rythm of the story and just getting it! The 2 CD's that are included in the Book are REAL easy on the ears and are asked for by my three year old all the time (then we all have a pleasant ride!). I think this book would be enjoyed by kids through 10 years old and then again when they are all grown up. So save it for the Grandchildren!

I was at a luncheon show casing authors. I heard some of the CD that is part of this book's entertainment package. The irrepessible quality of this author and the sound of her music and voice convinced me to get a copy for my granddaughters.

How sweet it is to have music an adult can love, too, when driving in the car with little ones. How sweet it is to have a story an adult can relate to when reading to them at night. Thank you, Mary Ann Mitchell.

(Carolyn Howard-Johnson's first two books have garnered eight awards in less than a year. The reviewer hopes that they will be read by her two granddaughters when they are old enough. In the meantime, literature like Mitchell's will be training them to love books.)

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of "This is the Place"