Friday, 13 June 2008

The Best Italian Pasta Books


A good English language pasta book is hard to find. Sounds silly doesn't it, after all there are so many of them on the market.
Ten years of living in Italy and being married to a wonderful Italian chef (also a great lady) has helped me to realize that most of the pasta cook books on the market are not at all "authentic."
The pasta dishes in Italy are just so wonderful and so varied but so few cook books reflect this. Something is always missing or the recipes have been changed greatly from the real Italian original. To illustrate my point, did you know the Pasta Alfredo does not even exist in Italy and neither does deep pan pizza.
Well getting back on track, my wife and I have kind of developed a pet project. We have vetted a whole bunch of books to find those that truly capture the real Italian cuisine. Many of these books reflect Italian cooking in general (see the link at the bottom of the page for details) and not just pasta. But when it comes to great English language books exclusively about pasta there is one that all pasta lovers should have handy in the kitchen. No doubt you already have it if you love cooking pasta, it is a real classic. The book is: Everyday Pasta.
Very well written and presented, our edition of this book is so well used that it is now very dog-eared. The recipes are ideal for that quick dinner or light lunch. They are easy to follow, very simple and yet they are really delicious. Some are very slightly changed from the original Italian recipes but most are 100% authentic. I love the Capellini Piemontese and the Fried Zucchini but there are many many more great dishes.
Everyday Pasta will sort you out with a good deal of pasta recipes but there is so much more to Italian cooking and my next article will be about a really special book with hundreds of quite magnificent recipes.
If you would rather not wait you can visit:
http://www.my-italy-piedmont-marche-and-more.com/italian-food-books.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_J_Smith

Which Are The Best Books on Italy?


I have read literally thousands of books about Italy. I moved to Italy ten years ago, both before and since moving here I have been a voracious reader of all things Italian.
Since I moved to Italy many of my friends and family, not living in Italy, have asked me for tips on which books I would recommend they read. I have noticed people normally tend to ask me for advice on three types of book in particular. These are as follows:
1) Good travel guides for an upcoming vacation to Italy.
2) Eating like an Italian - which books really share the authentic recipes and cuisine of Italy.
3) The best travelogues, books in which you feel that you are right there in Italy.
One important caveat is that many books I read before moving to Italy do not reflect the reality of Italy. Many of the cook books don't reflect authentic Italian cooking, many of the travel books don't reflect the real Italian lifestyle.
The books I have selected are the real thing. Page after page you will find yourself transported into another world. A celebration of the extraordinary quality of life in Italy. I can assure you that the Italy you will experience in these books is little known but it is 100% genuine.
This is my first article on the subject and my first pick is the book:
The Lead Goat Veered Off
Definitely my best book about Sardinia, travel or otherwise. If you read just one book about Sardinia read this one. The book tells a very humorous tale of a three month bicycle trip around the island. Very successful at conveying a real taste of life on Sardinia - I really laughed myself silly.
If you would like to see my other picks visit:
http://www.my-italy-piedmont-marche-and-more.com/sardinia-travel.html
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What You Need To Know About The Weight Watcher Complete Cook Book!


If you are a considering both your weight and nutritional health then the Weight Watcher Complete Cook Book (s) can be a very valuable tool. Weight Watcher Complete Cook Books have had numerous version released over the years, with changes in recipes and the changes to match their Weight Watcher Diet Programs. This article will offer an objective review of the Weight Watcher Complete Cook Books, detailing its advantages and disadvantages and whether or not it will be useful to you.
As mentioned in the introduction there are several version of Weight Watcher Complete Cook Books available, some even date back far enough to be currently out of print. They generally come in the form of a significant number of recipes (500, give or take), which are often based in handy loose-leaf binder. The recipes you will find in the Weight Watcher Complete Cook Book, no matter what version you are using, are extremely varied and cover a whole gamut of sauces, breads, soups, meats, chicken, fish, and vegetarian entrees, pasta, vegetable, grain, and potato side dishes, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, deserts. The meals and recipes in the book are based around healthy and nutritional principles, however they are not so different from many of the favourite foods you may already enjoy as part of your diet. The inclusion of familiar foods in the Weight Watcher Complete Cook Book includes; Pizza, Oven “Fried” Chicken, Beef Stew, Tuna Noodle Casserole, Chocolate Cake and much more. There is also a great number of incredible International inspired recipes that have been adored by customers worldwide. Thus the Weight Watcher Complete Cook Book’s certainly have quality and quantity in terms of recipes, however it is the nutritional focus that differentiates it from your everyday cookbook.
The best feature of the Weight Watcher Complete Cook Book’s, and all Weight Watcher Cook Books, is the nutritional breakdown that is provided with each recipe. Used generally as the basis for the Weight Watcher Program (particularly the Weight Watcher Points Plan), the Weight Watcher Complete Cook Book focuses on recipes that a tasty and nutritional by giving the dieter a review of the nutritional elements in each recipe (inc. the total Weight Watcher Point Value of the meal). The breakdown in the Weight Watchers Complete Cook Books includes details of the calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, fibre, protein, and calcium, as well as the Weight Watcher Points. The Weight Watchers Cook Book’s are extremely balanced providing recipes for all types of dieters, whether you are a busy single professional who only has time for a quick after-work meal, or a house-wife (husband) who wants to prepare a nutritional dinner for the a family of four, this book has it all.
In addition to the bulk quality of the Weight Watcher Complete Cook Book’s there are also several little features that are very beneficial:
- handy tips for use of leftovers
- the inside scoop on how Weight Watchers tamed calories and fat, while maintaining tasty meals
- helpful hints for getting meals on the table faster
- basics of related Weight Watcher Plans
Now some of the negatives for the Weight Watcher Complete Cook Book. While the nutritional breakdown is extremely useful for dieters, the Weight Watcher Point Values will only be relevant if you have an understanding of the points, and generally if you are taking part of a Weight Watcher Point System plan. Furthermore many of the older versions of the Weight Watcher Complete Cook Books are now outdated due to changes that have occurred in the points system employed by Weight Watchers as the plans have changed. If you are planning on purchasing a Weight Watcher Complete Cook Book as a supplement to your Weight Watcher Plan it is recommended you ensure that it relates to the current plan you are on.
Therefore if you are after a Weight Watchers Complete Cook Book it is certainly a choice that will provide your cooking with a variety and taste equal of any cook book on the market, while also looking after your weight and health. However if you are using the Weight Watcher Complete Cook Book to supplement your Weight Watcher Plan then it is very important to ensure the version you purchase matches the plan you are currently under.
Tobius Whitman is an expert in the feild of Health & Nutrition with a special focus on Weight Loss. He has an extensive knowledge and experience with the Weight Watcher Program, particularly the Weight Watcher Point Calculator and as a result has produced several detailed reviews regarding the products Weight Watchers offer.
For more details refer to his site at http://www.weightwatcherspointcalculator.com
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New News From Old Cook Books


Vintage cook books are catching the eyes - and dollars - of customers. For some, vintage cook books are a trip down memory lane, a chance to recreate childhood recipes. Other customers are interested in food history. Avid cook book collectors may buy a cook book for one recipe only.
Old cook books, the ones our mothers and grandmothers used, have things to tell us. "The Victory Cook Book," published in 1943, is a good example. The title page tells you instantly what the book is about. "Wartime Edition," the page declares, "With Victory Substitutes and Economical Recipes for Delicious Wartime Meals."
The key words for Americans in the thoes of a war were "substitutes" and "economical." This cook book told them how prepare store food and home grown food. Cooks were told how to render the fat from meat, which was put in cans and turned in to local butcher shops. Hard as it is to believe, this fat was made into explosives.
A large section of the book is devoted to menu planning. Doughnuts, cookies, and pancakes were to be eaten only after you had eaten "wholesome foods." Meat was eaten in small amounts. Sweets were to be eaten in moderation and "The Victory Cook Book" recommends eating salad for dessert.
Meat was scarce during World War II the chapter on meatless meals must have been very helpful. Just reading a dinner menu can make you feel full. A sample dinner menu includes chilled fruit, stuffed tomatoes, parsley potatoes, creamed asparagus, pumpkin pie, and milk. If that didn't fill you up nothing would.
School cafeteria menus continued the fruit and vegetable theme. A sample lunch menu menu includes brown bread sandwiches filled with cottage cheese, a thermos of cocoa, applesauce, and graham crackers. Today's kids would probably strike if their school cafeteria served this food.
The point is, there's no mention of a double cheeseburger, giant order of fries, or supersized soda pop. What is the "new" news in this old cook book? It's eating fruit and vegetables, things that can help us to feel fit and live longer lives. This news could help to reverse the obesity trend.
According to government statistics 65% of Americans are overweight. Many Americans are eating double or triple servings of food and it shows. Go to a mall and you'll see people who are waddling, not walking, people who are at risk for heart disease and diabetes. Some Americans are literally eating themelves to death.
Maybe it's time to return to the foods recommended in "The Victory Cook Book." We can plan meals around fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, small servings of meat, and few sweets. The best news of all is that fresh vegetables and fruit taste really good.
The next time you go to a used book store or are on the Internet, look for vintage cook books. Find books that feature fresh fruits, vegetables, and vegetarian meals. Look for brand name cook books and booklets, too. You may be surprised at their "new" and healthy news.
Copyright 2006 by Harriet Hodgson
http://www.harriethodgson.com
Harriet Hodgson has been a nonfiction writer for 27 years and is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists. Before she became a health writer she was a food writer for the former "Rochester Magazine" in her hometown of Rochester, MN. Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD is available from http://www.amazon.com A five-star review of the book is also posted on Amazon. You'll find another review on The Ameican Hospice Foundation website under the "School Corner" heading.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Harriet_Hodgson

Wednesday, 11 June 2008

Let Your Imagination Run Wild - Try to Read Science Fiction Books


I never really thought of my dad as a science fiction buff, but if you go into his house you will notice that almost all of the books he has are science-fiction books. He has a few on the history of Egypt, and some on geology and world history, but most of them are science-fiction. Though most people did not get into the Lord of the Rings series until just recently with the release of the movies, these books have been favorites of my fathers since I was young. In fact, I remember him trying to get me to read these books when I was 12 years old.
I have personally never had a huge interest in science fiction books. This is not because I do not like science fiction, it is because most of the time I just prefer to read something else. I am more of a romance reader. Though many say that romance is not exactly intelligent reading material, I really don't care. I get enjoyment out of them and that is all that matters. Romance is not the only thing I read, and I will admit that there are a few science fiction books in my house. However, they tend to be something that I read once and put away. I may have enjoyed the story very much, but they are not something that I choose to read over and over again like many of my romance books.
The great thing about science fiction books is that they are possibly the most open type of reading you can do. Other genres rely on facts and reality. Though you can run your imagination in many different directions when you are writing fiction, you have to keep things based in some sort of reality. When you write science fiction books the sky is the limit. Anything that you can imagine can be done within that type of book. Perhaps this is part of the appeal of this type of story.
When you are teaching your children to read and to enjoy books, I would suggest that you urge them to read a few science fiction books along the way. I would also urge you to introduce them to almost every type of book out there. The wider their selection of reading when they are younger, the better off they are going to be later on. Most people cannot appreciate something until they have tried it. If your children have to read science fiction books for book reports, they are going to enjoy the experience all the more because you have encouraged them to keep an open mind while reading.
Rowena J is a contributing writer at The SEO Factor with many articles published at http://www.writingismypassion.com/ You'll find articles on many topics including Search Engines for which she has contributed articles.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rowena_Jauod

Understanding Nazi Germany - Why it Happened


If you would like to have more than a cursory understanding of Nazi Germany and why it happened I recommend the following course of action.
For starters read a history of Germany starting from medieval times to WWI. Learn about such people as Frederick the Great, Bismarck, and the German philosophers. Try and get an understanding of the German mindset. Don't forget to read about German 19th and early 20th century royalty. Learn how they are related to the British royal family.
Read books on WWI. Gain an understanding on why Germany was defeated.
You are now ready to read a biography on Adolf Hitler, try John Tolland's two volume book. You may want to read about some of the other Nazi leaders. You might want to read Mein Kampf although so many find this book boring you can learn about what Hitler was planning.
Read The Rise and fall of the Third Reich or some later books on the same subject. Learn how the Nazis came to power. Try and find out what was happening in Germany to allow the National Socialists to come to power and launch the world into WWII.
There is no shortage of books written about the Nazi era. Try and find some books written by Germans as to what happened. Get their viewpoint. Why did many Germans think that Hitler was the solution for Germany's problems?The events leading up to WWII are a sad but interesting time of the 20th Century. History does not repeat itself but there are many parallels.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Cooper

How To Look For Baby Books


Look for Books! The books that you pick to read with your child is very important. If you aren't sure of what books are right for your child, ask a librarian to help you choose titles.
Introduce your child to books when she or he is a baby. Let her/him hold and play with books made just for babies: board books with study cardboard covers and thick pages; cloth books that are soft and washable, touch-and-feel books, or lift-the-flap books that contain surprises for your baby to discover. Choose books with covers that have big, simple pictures of things that she/he sees every day. Don't be upset if at first your child chews or throws a book. Be patient. Cuddling with the child as you point to and talk with great excitement about the book's pictures will soon capture her interest. When your baby becomes a toddler, she will enjoy helping to choose books for you to read to her.
As your child grows into a preschooler and kindergartner, the two of you can look for books that have longer stories and more words on the pages. Also look for books that have repeating words and phrases that she can begin to read or recognize when she sees them. By early first grade, add to this mix some books designed for beginning readers, including some books that have chapters and some books that show photographs and provide true information rather than make-believe stories.
Keep in mind that young children most often enjoy books about people, places, and things that are like those they know. The books can be about where you live or about parts of your culture, such as your religion, your holidays, or the way that you dress. If your child has special interests, such as dinosaurs or ballerinas, look for books about those interests.
From your child's toddler years through early first grade, you also should look for books of poems and rhymes. Remember when your baby heard your talking sounds and tried to imitate them? Rhymes are an extension of that language skill. By hearing and saying rhymes, along with repeated words and phrases, your child learns about spoken sounds and about words. Rhymes also spark a child's excitement about what comes next, which adds fun and adventure to reading.
Anil Vij is the creator of the ultimate parenting toolbox,which has helped parents all over the world raise smarter,healthier and happier children ==> http://www.expertsonparenting.com
Sign up for Anil's Experts On Parenting Newsletter - just send ablank email ===> mailto: parentingnews@aweber.com
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Do You Read at Home with Your Children? 10 Ways to Make It Better


When you read at home with your children you are building a foundation that will help them throughout their lives. Here are 10 suggestions to get you started on the right foot:
1. As soon as you bring that little one through your door you can start to read at home. Pick books that have simple pictures and bright or high contrast colors. Make sure that they can handle being eaten as well.
2. When you read at home with your baby or child, cuddle up. Sit them in your lap or by your side so that they will feel close to you and comfortable. This makes reading even more enjoyable.
3. Once your child is old enough to choose, let them pick which books you read at home-even if it is the same book every night-a familiar book makes them feel secure.
4. Put your child’s books where they can reach them easily. This is one reason the books should be sturdy. If your child feels free to handle the books they will be more likely to want to read at home-and other places as well.
5. You should read at home in front of your child. Read books, magazines, newspapers and any other material. This will set the example that reading is enjoyable and important to you.
6. Read out loud during everyday activities. When you are reading a recipe, when you are reading instructions for a game, or when you are reading a funny comic strip in the paper-this gives your child another example of reading and its usefulness.
7. Continue to read at home no matter how old your children are. It not only gives you time to share with your child; it models correct reading style and how to use your voice when you read. Let them read to you as well.
8. Include the whole family when you read. Have family discussions about books and other reading material. You can also have one on one reading time.
9. Make it fun. Use funny voices and gestures to bring the characters in a book to life.
10. Make a plan. You should schedule time for family reading every day. Children love routine and they will quickly make this an important part of their daily routine. It doesn’t matter when you do it, it only matters that you do it.
Give your children the gift of reading.
Eriani Doyel writes articles about Home and Family and Parenting. If you would like more information about reading visit readingrhino.com
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Would You Prefer Heavy Or Light?


Have you often set aside a book to read on a plane or on Holidays? And when you finally finish it, you enjoyed it so much you want to keep it. So then you have to lug-it all the way home again. This has just happened to me recently over the Christmas holidays, so I really know how it feels.
Every Christmas it is a tradition in our family to give books as “Santa Clause” presents along with a box of Chocolates. So we all have something to read while still enjoying everyone’s company. This has certain drawbacks though if you are the one travelling.
The alternative of not having a book at all to read when travelling strikes me with fear of total boredom. This is a worse scenario than having to haul a heavy book around.
So now I have found a ‘light’ book. In fact, the books are so light they are carried in my MP3 player. What a relief!
My MP3 player is usually with me anyway since the day I bought it. It weighs very little and can ‘carry’ a wide assortment of music and books of different genres that interest me. I download teleseminars and audio books so I’m never without something to ‘read’ by listening.
This is such a time-saver and weight saver that I can’t thank Samsung and books-that-talk enough. My shoulders thank them, my brain thanks them and the security personnel at airports thank them.
Now I never have to take a long time separating my goods and chattels to be cleared through security checkpoints at Airports. I breeze through while others are still re-packing bags and books.
And there are no “beeeeeps”!
http://www.books-that-talk.spokennetwork.comFrom Huckleberry Finn to Hanoi ~Audiobooks are here for you to Enjoy!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jan_Smith

Audio Books - 10 Frequently Asked Questions - Part 1


My friends and colleagues consider me as the audio books expert. They tell their friends that they know an audio books expert and the outcome is that I keep getting dozens of audio books questions and inquiries each day. I have decided to gather the most frequently asked questions for everyone’s benefit.
Here are the top five frequently asked questions about audio books (and the answers of course):
1. Are there free audio books? How do I get them?
In one word: NO. In two words: Not exactly. Depends of the type of audio book you are looking for (downloadable audio book are cheaper than the other types), and the audio book title (new audio books cost more), you could find low cost audio books.
I believe that one should pay for each product or service he gets. Yet, you could find free audio books mostly by signing up for the free trials most of the online audio book services give you.
2. What is better – Audio books rental or audio books buying?
I personally prefer audio books rental. Mostly because of the price – I read a lot of audio books and it will simply cost too much to buy them all. However, audio books that I really like, Ones that I want to listen to time after time, I buy and keep them on my audio books library.
Yet, I have friends who are more possessive – they are not willing to rent audio books and they must hold a remarkable huge audio book library.
3. What do you suggest – downloadable audio books, audio books on CD or books on tape?
Well, that’s a tough question. Basically, I believe that the most worthy audio books format nowadays is downloadable audio books. You must own a media player (e.g. Ipod) to listen to it. Yet, it costs less than the others and has a better quality.
However, the widest collection of audio books could be found on the audio books on CD format. If you want to listen to old books you will find them only on CDs. I do not recommend getting books on tape (also known as audio books on cassettes). They are expensive, low quality and not user friendly.
4. When can I read audio books?
The answer is - Anytime and anywhere. Here are a few examples: While cooking, cleaning the house, exercising, running, walking, driving, flying, before going to sleep, commuting, working etc.
5. Are audio books expensive?
Audio books are not expensive at all. In fact, Downloadable audio books are very cheap – they cost much less than real books and renting them is the most worthy deal. Audio books on CD cost about the same as real books and books on tape are the most expensive ones.
Paton Jackson is the audio books’ expert of 911 corp. Find the best audio books sources and more about audio books on http://www.911makemoretime.com/Free%20audio%20books.htm Audio book rental and more - The audio book bible.
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Let's Read! The Benefits of Reading to Your Children


Parents, when you help your children learn to read, you help them open the door to a big, exciting world. As a parent, you can begin an endless learning chain like this: You read to your children, they develop a love of stories and poems, they want to read on their own, they practice reading, and finally, they read for their own information or pleasure. When children become readers, their world is forever wider and richer.
Studies have shown that children that are read to on a consistent basis begin to develop both communication and thinking skills at a much younger age than children that aren’t read to on a consistent basis. In addition, those skills continue to progress and develop much more rapidly in children that are read to consistently. This progression of skills will continue as long as you spend quality time reading with them.
Children appreciate the quality time you spend with them reading books and enjoy good stories as well!
Here are some things you can do to make sure you get your daily readings with your children:
Read aloud to your children: books, newspaper and magazine articles, the back of the cereal box, labels on cans, or directions – anything with appropriate printed material on it is
Read poems aloud together to learn about rhythm and repeated sounds in language.
Point to the words on the page when you read. Move your finger from left to right.
Listen to your children read homework or favorite stories to you every day.
Go to the library together and check out books. Be sure to ask the librarian for good books or to help you find what you need.
Have books, magazines, and papers around the house, and let your child see that you like to read, too.
Encourage older children to read to younger children.
Help experienced readers talk and write about what they read.
Develop a quality nighttime ritual of reading a few books with your children.
Remember, giving your children a head start in life requires spending time with them – and part of that time should be spent with a good book!
(some information for this article provided by FDA Consumer Magazine)
About The Author
Nicole Niemiec is founder of http://www.hatful-of-seuss.com - one of the largest collections of Dr. Seuss merchandise for sale on the internet.
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Hurricanes a Good Time to Read a Book


Do you have a stack of books to read but between the job and all the other factors in life you just cannot seem to find time to read? Well consider if you will reading by candle light when the power is out for 4-6 weeks with nothing to do? Consider the aftermath of a large Category Hurricane comes thru your town?
Consider a massive Hurricane Season like the 2005 Atlantic Tropical Hurricane Season where the authorities call for mandatory evacuation every other week? Well with the water off and power and some dried food, no not Pop Tarts only. I mean real food, you might be able to stick it out with one-gallon of water a day and figure a maximum of 4-6 weeks. How many books could you read in that amount of time?
Well your entire stack and then some I bet? How is that for a fast way to catch up on all your writing? Hurricanes are a Good Time to Read a Book or a Library for that matter? Consider possibly having a stack of books to keep you from going stir crazy during the next Atlantic Tropical Hurricane Season.
You may want to pick just one author and read their whole series back to back that is one way to do it? Or perhaps you have several favorite authors and you can simply read them in a certain order? Either way having a stack of books to read to prevent being bored or going insane might just be what you need. Think on this in 2006.
"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington
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Should You Read "The Long Tail" by Chris Anderson?


Does it make sense to read books by the top Internet Entrepreneurs of the World? Well if you are an Internet Entrepreneur or you make money online then sure it does. I too am a fan of the fluidity of information flow that the Internet provides. The Internet is one of the greatest communication tools ever created for the Human Race.
I believe this is a very apropos book for any Founder of an Internet Company or small online businessperson to read. I will pick up a copy myself, because this is a very good recommendation of a book to read and it provides a glimpse of the direction of information flow.
It makes sense to see into the minds of the Google folks to anticipate the Road Ahead, which is another great book to read. I think if someone is serious about the Internet and running a successful business then they need to read all the books of all the Leading Companies that survived the .Com bust and just kept going.
There are some great books out their from the founders and Presidents of Ebay, Amazon, Cisco Systems, Oracle, IBM, Intel, AMD, Microsoft, HP, Apple, Dell, etc. and I have learned a lot and found pearls of wisdom in all of them. I therefore recommend that you do read Chris Anderson's book; The Long Tail at your earliest convenience. Consider all this in 2006.
"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington
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Thursday, 5 June 2008

Winning


Product Description
Jack Welch knows how to win. During his forty-year career at General Electric, he led the company to year-after-year success around the globe, in multiple markets, against brutal competition. His honest, be-the-best style of management became the gold standard in business, with his relentless focus on people, teamwork, and profits.
Since Welch retired in 2001 as chairman and chief executive officer of GE, he has traveled the world, speaking to more than 250,000 people and answering their questions on dozens of wide-ranging topics.
Inspired by his audiences and their hunger for straightforward guidance, Welch has written both a philosophical and pragmatic book, which is destined to become the bible of business for generations to come. It clearly lays out the answers to the most difficult questions people face both on and off the job.
Welch's objective is to speak to people at every level of an organization, in companies large and small. His audience is everyone from line workers to MBAs, from project managers to senior executives. His goal is to help everyone who has a passion for success.
Welch begins Winning with an introductory section called "Underneath It All," which describes his business philosophy. He explores the importance of values, candor, differentiation, and voice and dignity for all.
The core of Winning is devoted to the real "stuff" of work. This main part of the book is split into three sections. The first looks inside the company, from leadership to picking winners to making change happen. The second section looks outside, at the competition, with chapters on strategy, mergers, and Six Sigma, to name just three. The next section of the book is about managing your career—from finding the right job to achieving work-life balance.
Welch's optimistic, no excuses, get-it-done mind-set is riveting. Packed with personal anecdotes and written in Jack's distinctive no b.s. voice, Winning offers deep insights, original thinking, and solutions to nuts-and-bolts problems that will change the way people think about work.


Customer Reviews
High on the "Stories from Utopia" bookshelf This is a pleasant to read book that unfortunately has (almost) nothing to do with corporate reality. A better title for it would have been "Winning in Utopia". Admittedly, I don't have 40 years experience but I changed tack a couple of times yet never found a corporation where Jack's word come even close to describing how it works. Reasoning in "game theory" terms makes me think the vast majority of companies are very, very unlike what Jack describes. Jack himself inadvertently gives this away when recounting the story of the Q&A session with about 5000 HR professionals. In Utopia, the Chief HR sits right next the CEO, but when asked about their companies, only a few out of 5000 Real World Chief HR officers rise their hands acknowledging to having such a privileged position. I am most willing to admit that GE is an exception (that's probably part of why it's one of the most valuable companies in the world). In the Real World, "candor" gets you stabbed and killed. Because most aspiring leaders know that, nobody takes the risk. Perfoming solidly might earn you "chits" but you can easily squander a year of solid performance by candidly speaking out one truth that proves inconvenient to your boss. On the other hand, sucking up to your boss consistently earns you large amounts of chits with less risk. Bosses are human too, they can't help but be pleased when flattered. In big organizations from the real world, middle managers feel like small cogs, the interests of their immediate boss are much closer to them than those of the distant and fuzzy concept of "Acme, Corp.", the company they are working for and which pays their salaries. Moreover, bosses have bosses too, so promoting "energetic, energizing, edge, execute, passionate" people would involve needless risks. Much better to promote their chums, guys that "get it", made in their image, loyal as they themselves are loyal to their own bosses. When you think of it, this is a proven system, it was called "feudalism" and thrived for several centuries. In our modern world it's the system that makes the various mobs (Cosa Nostra, Camorra, N'drangheta, etc.) compete so successfully. Admittedly, it doesn't work so well when there's fierce competition, but then you can still call on the politicians to protect your industry, which is what happens most of the time ... So, read this book but for your own sake, make sure you are working for an Utopian company before trying to apply any of Jack's recommendations, or else you're a dead man and you won't be able to sue Jack for it ...
Clarifying Business This book can be largely digested by most people out there. You don't need an MBA to pick up on the points that Jack makes. His abrupt, simple-but-thoughtful and clear advice is refreshing and relevant. Very thought provoking and motivating.
Exceptional Business Advice This is exceptional business advice from a legendary executive. The content is straight forward and sensible, yet profound. Welch takes what can be hard-to-grasp concepts and translates them to layman's terms. It's sound advice for business professionals on all levels, from the manager running a department to the small business owner to the executive running a Fortune 500 company. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to all managers, whether they're looking to improve themselves, their team or their company, or looking to take the next step in their career. -James Moreno San Fernando (Los Angeles), CA

Financial Accounting: Tools for Business Decision Making


Product Description
Now in its Fourth Edition, Kimmel, Weygandt, and Kieso's Financial Accounting: Tools for Business Decision Making has been tested and approved in the classroom. Whether you measure classroom success by improved grades, students who are better prepared for the Intermediate course and their future careers, or by student evaluations at the end of the semester, Financial Accounting delivers real results."If you are teaching a debit/credit centered financial accounting principles class there is not a better written or organized text. Believe me I have looked. The supporting materials for instructors [are] also terrific."--Nancy Snow, University of Toledo"The textbook is well written with good examples and homework problems. This book is easy to understand, but is rigorous in its coverage of accounting issues."--Paul Brazina, La Salle University, Philadelphia"Best presentation of material in the industry. In addition, Financial, Managerial and Intermediate all flow together for greater coverage and comprehension."--Vince Enslein, Clinton Community CollegeKey Features* WileyPLUS gives instructors the technology they need to create an environment where students can reach their full potential and experience academic success. www.wiley.com/college/wileyplus* New Accounting Across the Organization features place accounting issues within the context of students' majors.* Updated with expanded content on Sarbanes-Oxley and Corporate Governance.* New Comprehensive Problems combine concepts across chapters.* A new Continuing Cookie Chronicle problem traces the growth of an entrepreneurial venture and enables students to apply their newly acquired accounting skills.* Identifies the tools students will need to make real business decisions.* Provides balanced coverage of the accounting cycle at a level that is appropriate to what students need in the business world.* Emphasizes the accounting experiences of real high-profile companies, such as Tootsie Roll, Microsoft, Nike, and Intel.


Customer Reviews
Excellent Book This is an excellent book. Each chapter starts with a real life example of the learning objectives that will be covered in the chapter. The concepts are explained in terms that are easy to understand and grasp. There are a variety of problems at the end of each chapter to reinforce the learning objectives. I would recommend this book to anybody who has little knowledge of accounting or someone who needs a refresher in the accounting principles.
No Code Included With Purchse Of "New" Text From Amazon Potential Buyers, If you are a student who is taking an accounting course and your instructor requires you to use the accompanying Wiley Plus website, do not expect to get a Wiley Plus, registration code with this product. I purchased the text "new" directly from Amazon for an accounting class I am taking and I assumed that I would recieve the registration code I needed; I assumed wrong as there was no registration code included with my book. If you do need the code for class and you do choose to buy this book from Amazon, you'll be best off buying the cheapest, used edition and going to the Wiley Plus site directly to get a standard registration code for around $60 dollars. Of Course keep in mind shipping costs may eat up any savings you'd get buying from Amazon in the first place! The 1 star review actually reflects my dissatisfaction with the description of this product on Amazon's site, and not the quality of the text. Happy Shopping!
accounting the book arrived a little later than i expected; but, it's a very helpful book if you want to go for accounting. the book's website is extremely useful.


The Key: The Missing Secret for Attracting Anything You Want



Product Description
The secret key to unlocking our full potential-from Joe Vitale, high-profile contributor to The SecretThe Key reveals the ultimate secret of attracting wealth, health, success, happiness, or anything else that we want from life. From author and self-help guru Joe Vitale, The Key builds on his bestselling book The Attractor Factor, and goes beyond the mega-hit book and movie The Secret, which features Vitale.The Key shows how a person must first rid themselves of unconscious self-limiting beliefs if they want to reach their full potential and attain the things they say they want from life. Inside every person are "counter-intentions" that actually attract the things they don't want and prevent them from getting those things they do. The Key reveals ten proven ways to remedy the situation and end self-sabotage forever. For anyone who knows they can achieve more but doesn't know why it isn't working for them, The Key reveals the psychological and unconscious limitations that are holding them back. Like all of Joe Vitale's other bestselling books, The Key offers real, practical wisdom for anyone who wants to get more out of life.Joe Vitale (Wimberley, TX) is President of Hypnotic Marketing, Inc., a marketing consulting firm. He has been called the "The Buddha of the Internet" for his combination of spirituality and marketing acumen. His professional clients include the Red Cross, PBS, Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, and many other small and large businesses. His other books include The Attractor Factor (0-470-00980-2), There's a Customer Born Every Minute (0-471-78462-1) and Life's Missing Instruction Manual (0-471-76849-9), all from Wiley.


Customer Reviews
inspirational Very inspirational book, I want this to work for me! Easy reading, definately explains more about the secret. Opens up self awareness.
Continuation of The Secret I agree with so many of the other reviewers that this is the next step up from The Secret. It delves more into the ideas and gives you numerous exercises to work on. Another book which gives you numerous exercises(recipes) and a great background on the Law of Attraction (The Secret) is [ASIN:1419674609 Living The Secret Everyday: My Secret Workbook]]. I especially enjoyed this for its easy reading written by a school teacher of 30 years. The way she writes is inspiring and I really feel I am being taught and I thoroughly understand the principles.
Some great clarifications and concepts If you are a fan of The Secret but have ever found yourself frustrated because you don't feel like you quite get the results you hope for -- this is a great follow-up book. Providing some further insights and answers to questions Joe Vitale is asked regularly, I had some definite "ah ha" moments while reading his answers. Other concepts are covered as well in an easy to read writing style -- I'd recommend it! Tara Reed, [...]

Economics


Product Description
McConnell and Brue’s Economics: Principles, Problems, and Policies is the leading Principles of Economics textbook because it is innovative and teaches students in a clear, unbiased way. The 17th Edition builds upon the tradition of leadership with three main goals: help the beginning student master the principles essential for understanding the economizing problem, specific economic issues, and the policy alternatives; help the student understand and apply the economic perspective and reason accurately and objectively about economic matters; and promote a lasting student interest in economics and the economy.



Customer Reviews
Great! Recieved the book as promised in the appropriate condition and was also shipped quickly too so I had it in time for my first class. VERY important! Thanks!
misssing book never received book; and never received feedback on several attempts. I will not conduct transactions with dagamemania44 in the future
Economics 17th edition I used this text in an Econ class last semester (my first in a few years) and this book was great. The summaries were helpful, there are several in each chapter instead of one at the end, that's very handy when you're looking for specific information. There are lots of charts to help with the formulas. My favorite areas included the chapters on Antitrust Policy and Regulation, Agriculture, Income Inequality, and the Costs of Production. Economics can be pretty dry subject matter, luckily I also had a lively instructor. Obviously as a student you don't get much say in which text you use, but this is a good one.

Zero Limits: The Secret Hawaiian System for Wealth, Health, Peace, and More


Product Description
Praise For Zero Limits
"This riveting book can awaken humanity. It reveals the simple power of four phrases to transform your life. It's all based in love by an author spreading love. You should get ten copies of it——one for you and nine to give away. It's that good."—— Debbie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of The Dark Side of the Light Chasers
"I love this book! I feel it will be the definitive personal-change/self-help book for at least a generation and viewed as a watershed event by historians. There is real potential for this book to start a movement that will end war, poverty, and the environmental devastation of our beloved planet."—— Marc Gitterle, MD, www.CardioSecret.com
"This book is like a stick of dynamite, and the moment you start reading, the fuse is lit.
It blows away all the complex and confusing success paradigms of the past and reveals a refreshing and clear path to transform your life with just one simple step. As you explore Zero Limits with Vitale, be prepared for a journey that is both challenging and inspiring beyond anything you've imagined."—— Craig Perrine, www.MaverickMarketer.com
"There are more than 6 billion different manifestations of human existence on the planet?and only one of us here. In Zero Limits, Vitale has captured the truth that all great spiritual, scientific, and psychological principles teach at the most fundamental level. Boil it all down to the basics and the keys are quite simple—— the answer to all life's challenges is profound love and gratitude. Read this book; it's a reminder of the truth and ability you already possess."—— James Arthur Ray, philosopher and bestselling author of Practical Spirituality and The Science of Success
"Wow! This is the best and most important book Vitale has ever written!"—— Cindy Cashman, www.FirstSpaceWedding.com
"I couldn't put it down. This book elegantly sketches what I've learned and learned about in twenty-one years of personal study, and then it takes it to the next level. If you're looking for true peace along with 'the good stuff,' then this book is for you."—— David Garfinkel, author of Advertising Headlines That Make You Rich
"Zero Limits is Vitale's adventure into the most mind-altering reading experience of your life."—— Joseph Sugarman, President, BluBlocker Sunglasses, Inc.

Guerrilla Marketing, 4th edition: Easy and Inexpensive Strategies for Making Big Profits from Your SmallBusiness


Product Description
When Guerrilla Marketing was first published in 1983, Jay Levinson revolutionized marketing strategies for the small-business owner with his take-no-prisoners approach to finding clients. Based on hundreds of solid ideas that really work, Levinson's philosophy has given birth to a new way of learning about market share and how to gain it. In this completely updated and expanded fourth edition, Levinson offers a new arsenal of weaponry for small-business success including* strategies for marketing on the Internet (explaining when and precisely how to use it)* tips for using new technology, such as podcasting and automated marketing * programs for targeting prospects and cultivating repeat and referral business* management lessons in the age of telecommuting and freelance employeesGuerrilla Marketing is the entrepreneur's marketing bible -- and the book every small-business owner should have on his or her shelf.



About the Author Jay Conrad Levinson is the author of more than a dozen books in the Guerrilla Marketing series. A former vice president and creative director at J. Walter Thompson Advertising and Leo Burnett Advertising, he is the chairman of Guerrilla Marketing International, a consulting firm serving large and small businesses worldwide.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. What Is Guerrilla Marketing Today?Marketing is every bit of contact your company has with anyone in the outside world. Every bit of contact. That means a lot of marketing opportunities. It does not mean investing a lot of money.The meaning is clear: Marketing includes the name of your business; the determination of whether you will be selling a product or a service; the method of manufacture or servicing; the color, size, and shape of your product; the packaging; the location of your business; the advertising, public relations, Web site, branding, e-mail signature, voicemail message on your machine, and sales presentation; the telephone inquiries; the sales training; the problem solving; the growth plan and the referral plan; and the people who represent you, you, and your follow-up. Marketing includes your idea for your brand, your service, your attitude, and the passion you bring to your business. If you gather from this that marketing is a complex process, you're right.Marketing is the art of getting people to change their minds — or to maintain their mindsets if they're already inclined to do business with you. People must either switch brands or purchase a type of product or service that has never existed before. That's asking a lot of them. Every little thing you do and show and say — not only your advertising or your Web site — is going to affect people's perceptions of you.That's probably not going to happen in a flash. Or a month. Or even a year. And that's why it's crucial for you to know that marketing is a process, not an event. Marketing may be a series of events, but if you're a guerrilla marketer, marketing has a beginning and a middle but not an ending.By the way, when I write the word marketing, I'm thinking of your prospects and your current customers. Nothing personal, but when you read the word marketing, you're probably thinking of prospects only. Don't make that mistake. More than half your marketing time should be devoted to your existing customers. A cornerstone of guerrilla marketing is customer follow-up. Without it, all that you've invested into getting those customers is like dust in the wind.Marketing is also the truth made fascinating.When you view marketing from the vantage point of the guerrilla, you realize that it's your opportunity to help your prospects and customers succeed. They want to succeed at earning more money, building their company, losing weight, attracting a mate, becoming more fit, or quitting smoking. You can help them. You can show them how to achieve their goal. Marketing is not about you. It's about them. I hope you never forget that.Marketing, if you go about things in the right way, is also a circle. The circle begins with your idea for bringing revenue into your life. Marketing becomes a circle when you have the blessed patronage of repeat and referral customers. The better able you are to view marketing as a circle, the more you'll concentrate on those repeat and referral people. A pleasant side effect of that perspective is that you'll invest less money in marketing, but your profits will consistently climb.Marketing is more of a science every day as we learn new ways to measure and predict behavior, influence people, and test and quantify marketing It's more of a science as psychologists tell us more and more about human behavior.Marketing is also unquestionably an art form because writing is an art, drawing is an art, photography is an art, dancing is an art, music is an art, editing is an art, and acting is an art. Put them all together, and they spell marketing — probably the most eclectic art form the world has ever known.But for now, brush aside those notions that marketing is a science and an art form. Drill into your mind the idea that at its core, marketing is a business. And the purpose of a business is to earn profits. If science and art help a business earn those profits, they're probably being masterminded by a guerrilla marketer — the kind of business owner who seeks conventional goals, such as profits and joy, but achieves them using unconventional means.A bookstore owner had the misfortune of being located between two enormous bookselling competitors. One day, this bookstore owner came to work to see that the competitor on his right had unfurled a huge banner: "Monster Anniversary Sale! Prices slashed 50%!" The banner was larger than his entire storefront. Worse yet, the competitor to the left of his store had unveiled an even larger banner: "Gigantic Clearance Sale! Prices reduced by 60%!" Again, the banner dwarfed his storefront. What was the owner of the little bookstore in the middle to do? Being a guerrilla marketer, he created his own banner and hung it out front, simply saying "Main Entrance."Guerrilla marketers do not rely on the brute force of an outsized marketing budget. Instead, they rely on the brute force of a vivid imagination. Today, they are different from traditional marketers in twenty ways. I used to compare guerrilla marketing with textbook marketing, but now that this book is a textbook in so many universities, I must compare it with traditional marketing.If you were to analyze the ways that marketing has changed in the twenty-first century, you'd discover that it has changed in the same twenty ways that guerrilla marketing differs from the old-fashioned brand of marketing.1. Traditional marketing has always maintained that to market properly, you must invest money. Guerrilla marketing maintains that if you want to invest money, you can — but you don't have to if you are willing to invest time, energy, imagination, and information.2. Traditional marketing is so enshrouded by mystique that it intimidates many business owners, who aren't sure whether marketing includes sales or a Web site or PR. Because they are so intimidated and worried about making mistakes, they simply don't do it. Guerrilla marketing completely removes the mystique and exposes marketing for exactly what it really is — a process that you control — rather than the other way around.3. Traditional marketing is geared toward big business. Before I wrote the original Guerrilla Marketing in 1984, I couldn't find any books on marketing for companies that invested less than $300,000 monthly. Although it is now true that many Fortune 500 companies buy Guerrilla Marketing by the caseload to distribute to their sales and marketing people, the essence of guerrilla marketing — the soul and the spirit of guerrilla marketing — is small business: companies with big dreams but tiny budgets.4. Traditional marketing measures its performance by sales or responses to an offer, hits on a Web site, or store traffic. Those are the wrong numbers to focus on. Guerrilla marketing reminds you that the main number that merits your attention is the size of your profits. I've seen many companies break their sales records while losing money in the process. Profits are the only numbers that tell you the truth you should be seeking and striving for. If it doesn't earn a profit for you, it's probably not guerrilla marketing.5. Traditional marketing is based on experience and judgment, which is a fancy way of saying "guesswork." But guerrilla marketers cannot afford wrong guesses, so it is based as much as possible on psychology — laws of human behavior. For example, 90 percent of all purchase decisions are made in the unconscious mind, that inner deeper part of your brain. We now know a slam-dunk manner of accessing that unconscious mind: repetition. Think it over a moment, and you'll begin to have an inkling of how the process of guerrilla marketing works. Repetition is paramount.6. Traditional marketing suggests that you grow your business and then diversify. That kind of thinking gets many companies into hot water because it leads them away from their core competency. Guerrilla marketing suggests that you grow your business, if growth is what you want, but be sure to maintain your focus — for it's that focus that got you to where you are in the first place.7. Traditional marketing says that you should grow your business linearly by adding new customers one at a time. But that's a slow and expensive way to grow. So guerrilla marketing says that the way to grow a business is geometrically — by enlarging the size of each transaction, engaging in more transactions per sales cycle with each customer, tapping the enormous referral power of each customer, and growing the old-fashioned way at the same time. If you're growing your business in four different directions at once, it's tough not to show a tidy profit.8. Traditional marketing puts all its effort on making the sale, under the false notion that marketing ends once that sale is made. Guerrilla marketing reminds you that 68 percent of all business lost is lost owing to apathy after the sale — ignoring customers after they've made the purchase. For this reason, guerrilla marketing preaches fervent follow- up — continually staying in touch with customers — and listening to them. Guerrillas never lose customers because of inattention to them.9. Traditional marketing advises you to scan the horizon to determine which competitors you ought to obliterate. Guerrilla marketing advises you to scan that same horizon to determine which businesses have the same kind of prospects and standards as you do — so that you can cooperate with them
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. What Is Guerrilla Marketing Today?Marketing is every bit of contact your company has with anyone in the outside world. Every bit of contact. That means a lot of marketing opportunities. It does not mean investing a lot of money.The meaning is clear: Marketing includes the name of your business; the determination of whether you will be selling a product or a service; the method of manufacture or servicing; the color, size, and shape of your product; the packaging; the location of your business; the advertising, public relations, Web site, branding, e-mail signature, voicemail message on your machine, and sales presentation; the telephone inquiries; the sales training; the problem solving; the growth plan and the referral plan; and the people who represent you, you, and your follow-up. Marketing includes your idea for your brand, your service, your attitude, and the passion you bring to your business. If you gather from this that marketing is a complex process, you're right.Marketing is the art of getting people to change their minds — or to maintain their mindsets if they're already inclined to do business with you. People must either switch brands or purchase a type of product or service that has never existed before. That's asking a lot of them. Every little thing you do and show and say — not only your advertising or your Web site — is going to affect people's perceptions of you.That's probably not going to happen in a flash. Or a month. Or even a year. And that's why it's crucial for you to know that marketing is a process, not an event. Marketing may be a series of events, but if you're a guerrilla marketer, marketing has a beginning and a middle but not an ending.By the way, when I write the word marketing, I'm thinking of your prospects and your current customers. Nothing personal, but when you read the word marketing, you're probably thinking of prospects only. Don't make that mistake. More than half your marketing time should be devoted to your existing customers. A cornerstone of guerrilla marketing is customer follow-up. Without it, all that you've invested into getting those customers is like dust in the wind.Marketing is also the truth made fascinating.When you view marketing from the vantage point of the guerrilla, you realize that it's your opportunity to help your prospects and customers succeed. They want to succeed at earning more money, building their company, losing weight, attracting a mate, becoming more fit, or quitting smoking. You can help them. You can show them how to achieve their goal. Marketing is not about you. It's about them. I hope you never forget that.Marketing, if you go about things in the right way, is also a circle. The circle begins with your idea for bringing revenue into your life. Marketing becomes a circle when you have the blessed patronage of repeat and referral customers. The better able you are to view marketing as a circle, the more you'll concentrate on those repeat and referral people. A pleasant side effect of that perspective is that you'll invest less money in marketing, but your profits will consistently climb.Marketing is more of a science every day as we learn new ways to measure and predict behavior, influence people, and test and quantify marketing It's more of a science as psychologists tell us more and more about human behavior.Marketing is also unquestionably an art form because writing is an art, drawing is an art, photography is an art, dancing is an art, music is an art, editing is an art, and acting is an art. Put them all together, and they spell marketing — probably the most eclectic art form the world has ever known.But for now, brush aside those notions that marketing is a science and an art form. Drill into your mind the idea that at its core, marketing is a business. And the purpose of a business is to earn profits. If science and art help a business earn those profits, they're probably being masterminded by a guerrilla marketer — the kind of business owner who seeks conventional goals, such as profits and joy, but achieves them using unconventional means.A bookstore owner had the misfortune of being located between two enormous bookselling competitors. One day, this bookstore owner came to work to see that the competitor on his right had unfurled a huge banner: "Monster Anniversary Sale! Prices slashed 50%!" The banner was larger than his entire storefront. Worse yet, the competitor to the left of his store had unveiled an even larger banner: "Gigantic Clearance Sale! Prices reduced by 60%!" Again, the banner dwarfed his storefront. What was the owner of the little bookstore in the middle to do? Being a guerrilla marketer, he created his own banner and hung it out front, simply saying "Main Entrance."Guerrilla marketers do not rely on the brute force of an outsized marketing budget. Instead, they rely on the brute force of a vivid imagination. Today, they are different from traditional marketers in twenty ways. I used to compare guerrilla marketing with textbook marketing, but now that this book is a textbook in so many universities, I must compare it with traditional marketing.If you were to analyze the ways that marketing has changed in the twenty-first century, you'd discover that it has changed in the same twenty ways that guerrilla marketing differs from the old-fashioned brand of marketing.1. Traditional marketing has always maintained that to market properly, you must invest money. Guerrilla marketing maintains that if you want to invest money, you can — but you don't have to if you are willing to invest time, energy, imagination, and information.2. Traditional marketing is so enshrouded by mystique that it intimidates many business owners, who aren't sure whether marketing includes sales or a Web site or PR. Because they are so intimidated and worried about making mistakes, they simply don't do it. Guerrilla marketing completely removes the mystique and exposes marketing for exactly what it really is — a process that you control — rather than the other way around.3. Traditional marketing is geared toward big business. Before I wrote the original Guerrilla Marketing in 1984, I couldn't find any books on marketing for companies that invested less than $300,000 monthly. Although it is now true that many Fortune 500 companies buy Guerrilla Marketing by the caseload to distribute to their sales and marketing people, the essence of guerrilla marketing — the soul and the spirit of guerrilla marketing — is small business: companies with big dreams but tiny budgets.4. Traditional marketing measures its performance by sales or responses to an offer, hits on a Web site, or store traffic. Those are the wrong numbers to focus on. Guerrilla marketing reminds you that the main number that merits your attention is the size of your profits. I've seen many companies break their sales records while losing money in the process. Profits are the only numbers that tell you the truth you should be seeking and striving for. If it doesn't earn a profit for you, it's probably not guerrilla marketing.5. Traditional marketing is based on experience and judgment, which is a fancy way of saying "guesswork." But guerrilla marketers cannot afford wrong guesses, so it is based as much as possible on psychology — laws of human behavior. For example, 90 percent of all purchase decisions are made in the unconscious mind, that inner deeper part of your brain. We now know a slam-dunk manner of accessing that unconscious mind: repetition. Think it over a moment, and you'll begin to have an inkling of how the process of guerrilla marketing works. Repetition is paramount.6. Traditional marketing suggests that you grow your business and then diversify. That kind of thinking gets many companies into hot water because it leads them away from their core competency. Guerrilla marketing suggests that you grow your business, if growth is what you want, but be sure to maintain your focus — for it's that focus that got you to where you are in the first place.7. Traditional marketing says that you should grow your business linearly by adding new customers one at a time. But that's a slow and expensive way to grow. So guerrilla marketing says that the way to grow a business is geometrically — by enlarging the size of each transaction, engaging in more transactions per sales cycle with each customer, tapping the enormous referral power of each customer, and growing the old-fashioned way at the same time. If you're growing your business in four different directions at once, it's tough not to show a tidy profit.8. Traditional marketing puts all its effort on making the sale, under the false notion that marketing ends once that sale is made. Guerrilla marketing reminds you that 68 percent of all business lost is lost owing to apathy after the sale — ignoring customers after they've made the purchase. For this reason, guerrilla marketing preaches fervent follow- up — continually staying in touch with customers — and listening to them. Guerrillas never lose customers because of inattention to them.9. Traditional marketing advises you to scan the horizon to determine which competitors you ought to obliterate. Guerrilla marketing advises you to scan that same horizon to determine which businesses have the same kind of prospects and standards as you do — so that you can cooperate with them

Multi-Family Millions: How Anyone Can Reposition Apartments for Big Profits



Product Description
Discover why apartment houses are the best investment in today's real estate market
The key to making big profits in real estate is to go against the traditional wisdom. When the masses are buying, it's often time to sell. When everyone is selling, there are huge bargains to be found. In Multi-Family Millions, contrarian real estate investor Dave Lindahl shows you how to read the market cycle, and explains why now is a great time to get started investing in apartment houses—even if it's your first time investing in real estate and you have no money for a down payment.
With a simple two- to five-unit multi-family property, or a thirty-unit apartment building, you can implement the same strategies Lindahl used in over 500 deals to build his own real estate fortune:
How to reposition a multi-family property for maximum profit
Where to get the money for your first deal
How to own an apartment house and never deal with tenants
Ten bad mistakes rehabbers make
Three proven principles for attracting great deals on multi-family properties
When and how to resell for huge profits
Conventional wisdom says real estate investors should start with single-family houses. Discover why it's easier and much more profitable to invest in multi-families!


Dave Lindahl was a broke landscaper when he used a cash advance on his credit card to buy his first three-unit apartment house—and immediately reaped a $972 per month positive cash flow. Twelve months later he owned eleven multi-family buildings and had $10,000 per month in extra income. Today, he controls over $140 million in real estate. In Multi-Family Millions, Lindahl shows you how anyone can get started investing in small apartment houses and make great money doing it. You can do it on a part-time basis, and best of all, you never need to deal with tenants.
Compared with single-family homes, multi-family properties hold much greater profit potential and allow you to earn more money on each deal you complete. There is also far less competition in the multi-family market. In addition, having more units under a single roof reduces your investment risk and offers higher long-term profits. The rewards of multi-family investing are obvious, but how can you benefit when you have very little time or money?
Multi-Family Millions is the step-by-step guide that shows you how to get into the multi-family game—and get out with big profits. It provides expert coverage of the most effective investing strategies and gives you guidance on every stage of the process—from finding properties with great profit potential to buying, renovating, and reselling them for big money.
With Lindahl's expert help, you'll discover how to:
Identify troubled multi-family properties that are ripe for repositioning
Negotiate great purchase prices for target properties
Flip properties for fast cash or improve them with affordable, value-adding repairs
Resell properties at maximum value with minimum hassle
No matter your level of investing expertise or experience, Multi-Family Millions gives you the perfect strategy for success—especially for investors with little time and little cash on hand. Whether you're an expert investor or just starting out, Multi-Family Millions reveals the proven strategies, tactics, and infor-mation you need to make big profits—faster and easier than you ever thought possible.
About the Author
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The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference




Product Description
"The best way to understand the dramatic transformation of unknown books into bestsellers, or the rise of teenage smoking, or the phenomena of word of mouth or any number of the other mysterious changes that mark everyday life," writes Malcolm Gladwell, "is to think of them as epidemics. Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do." Although anyone familiar with the theory of memetics will recognize this concept, Gladwell's The Tipping Point has quite a few interesting twists on the subject.For example, Paul Revere was able to galvanize the forces of resistance so effectively in part because he was what Gladwell calls a "Connector": he knew just about everybody, particularly the revolutionary leaders in each of the towns that he rode through. But Revere "wasn't just the man with the biggest Rolodex in colonial Boston," he was also a "Maven" who gathered extensive information about the British. He knew what was going on and he knew exactly whom to tell. The phenomenon continues to this day--think of how often you've received information in an e-mail message that had been forwarded at least half a dozen times before reaching you.Gladwell develops these and other concepts (such as the "stickiness" of ideas or the effect of population size on information dispersal) through simple, clear explanations and entertainingly illustrative anecdotes, such as comparing the pedagogical methods of Sesame Street and Blue's Clues, or explaining why it would be even easier to play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon with the actor Rod Steiger. Although some readers may find the transitional passages between chapters hold their hands a little too tightly, and Gladwell's closing invocation of the possibilities of social engineering sketchy, even chilling, The Tipping Point is one of the most effective books on science for a general audience in ages. It seems inevitable that "tipping point," like "future shock" or "chaos theory," will soon become one of those ideas that everybody knows--or at least knows by name. --Ron Hogan


Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com "The best way to understand the dramatic transformation of unknown books into bestsellers, or the rise of teenage smoking, or the phenomena of word of mouth or any number of the other mysterious changes that mark everyday life," writes Malcolm Gladwell, "is to think of them as epidemics. Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do." Although anyone familiar with the theory of memetics will recognize this concept, Gladwell's The Tipping Point has quite a few interesting twists on the subject.
For example, Paul Revere was able to galvanize the forces of resistance so effectively in part because he was what Gladwell calls a "Connector": he knew just about everybody, particularly the revolutionary leaders in each of the towns that he rode through. But Revere "wasn't just the man with the biggest Rolodex in colonial Boston," he was also a "Maven" who gathered extensive information about the British. He knew what was going on and he knew exactly whom to tell. The phenomenon continues to this day--think of how often you've received information in an e-mail message that had been forwarded at least half a dozen times before reaching you.
Gladwell develops these and other concepts (such as the "stickiness" of ideas or the effect of population size on information dispersal) through simple, clear explanations and entertainingly illustrative anecdotes, such as comparing the pedagogical methods of Sesame Street and Blue's Clues, or explaining why it would be even easier to play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon with the actor Rod Steiger. Although some readers may find the transitional passages between chapters hold their hands a little too tightly, and Gladwell's closing invocation of the possibilities of social engineering sketchy, even chilling, The Tipping Point is one of the most effective books on science for a general audience in ages. It seems inevitable that "tipping point," like "future shock" or "chaos theory," will soon become one of those ideas that everybody knows--or at least knows by name. --Ron Hogan
From Publishers Weekly The premise of this facile piece of pop sociology has built-in appeal: little changes can have big effects; when small numbers of people start behaving differently, that behavior can ripple outward until a critical mass or "tipping point" is reached, changing the world. Gladwell's thesis that ideas, products, messages and behaviors "spread just like viruses do" remains a metaphor as he follows the growth of "word-of-mouth epidemics" triggered with the help of three pivotal types. These are Connectors, sociable personalities who bring people together; Mavens, who like to pass along knowledge; and Salesmen, adept at persuading the unenlightened. (Paul Revere, for example, was a Maven and a Connector). Gladwell's applications of his "tipping point" concept to current phenomena--such as the drop in violent crime in New York, the rebirth of Hush Puppies suede shoes as a suburban mall favorite, teenage suicide patterns and the efficiency of small work units--may arouse controversy. For example, many parents may be alarmed at his advice on drugs: since teenagers' experimentation with drugs, including cocaine, seldom leads to hardcore use, he contends, "We have to stop fighting this kind of experimentation. We have to accept it and even embrace it." While it offers a smorgasbord of intriguing snippets summarizing research on topics such as conversational patterns, infants' crib talk, judging other people's character, cheating habits in schoolchildren, memory sharing among families or couples, and the dehumanizing effects of prisons, this volume betrays its roots as a series of articles for the New Yorker, where Gladwell is a staff writer: his trendy material feels bloated and insubstantial in book form. Agent, Tina Bennett of Janklow & Nesbit. Major ad/promo. (Mar.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal This genial book by New Yorker contributor Gladwell considers the elements needed to make a particular idea take hold. The "tipping point" (not a new phrase) occurs when something that began small (e.g., a few funky kids in New York's East Village wearing Hush Puppies) turns into something very large indeed (millions of Hush Puppies are sold). It depends on three rules: the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context. Episodes subjected to this paradigm here include Paul Revere's ride, the creation of the children's TV program Sesame Street, and the influence of subway shooter Bernie Goetz. The book has something of a pieced-together feel (reflecting, perhaps, the author's experience writing shorter pieces) and is definitely not the stuff of deep sociological thought. It is, however, an entertaining read that promises to be well publicized. Recommended for public libraries.-Ellen Gilbert, Rutgers Univ. Lib., New Brunswick, NJ Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Wednesday, 4 June 2008

The Instruction: Living the Life Your Soul Intended (Hardcover)


merliannews.com, Sept. 11, 2007"You find yourself finding more of yourself with the turn of every page." Book DescriptionHave you ever sensed that your life has a deeper, more meaningful purpose--but don't know what it is? If so, you're not alone. To help you and the millions like you, psychic Ainslie MacLeod's spirit guides have given him a systematic approach to uncovering who you really are--and the life your soul has planned for you. They call it The Instruction. Now, for the first time, this unique teaching is off ered as a step-by-step program for realizing personal fulfillment The Instruction will take you through ten "doorways" to unveil the life plan your soul created before you were even born, including:
· Your Soul Age: Determining how it shapes your beliefs and behaviors
· Your Soul Type: Are you a Hunter? Thinker? Creator? What your Soul Type reveals about your true self
· Your Powers: Connecting fully and permanently with your spirit guides to create your destiny
· Your Talents: Using your past lives to enhance the present

The Abs Diet for Women: The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Belly and Firm Up Your Body for Life (Paperback)


Product Description
In survey after survey, men and women say that a flat abdomen is the ultimate symbol of sex appeal. And in study after study, researchers found that getting a firm belly is the single most significant step anyone can take to stay healthy for life. Now available in paperback, The Abs Diet for Women shows the most effective way to a flat belly, a firm body, and a much better life. Packed with information developed exclusively for women, the book includes: -information on how the Abs Diet can prevent joint pain, improve female sexual response, and give a woman the flat belly she craves in just six weeks -Abs Diet adaptations to tailor the diet to each woman’s individual needs -psychological strategies for dealing with obstacles and changing moods -3 weeks’ worth of all-new meal plans -tips on managing menopausal symptoms without hormone replacement therapy -new and super-effective moves that incorporate yoga and Pilates to strenghten the core, stretch the body, and relieve stress—plus a postpartum workout to help moms lose the baby weight Easy to follow and more satisfying than a great-fitting pair of jeans, The Abs Diet for Women is the most effective way for a woman to change her health, her size, and her body for good. About the Author
DAVID ZINCZENKO, editor-in-chief of Men’s Health magazine, is one of America’s leading experts on health and fitness. He lives in New York City and Allentown, Pennsylvania. TED SPIKER, assistant professor of journalism at the University of Florida and a contributing editor to Men’s Health, resides in Gainesville, Florida.


Atmospheric Disturbances: A Novel (Hardcover)


From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. In this enthralling debut, psychiatrist Dr. Leo Liebenstein sets off to find his wife, Rema, who he believes has been replaced by a simulacrum. Also missing is one of Leo's patients, Harvey, who is convinced he receives coded messages (via Page Six in the New York Post) from the Royal Academy of Meteorology to control the weather. At Rema's urging, Leo pretends during his sessions with Harvey to be a Royal Academy agent (she thinks the fib could help break through to Harvey), and once Re- ma and Leo disappear, Leo turns to actual Royal Academy member Tzvi Gal-Chen's meteorological work to guide him in his search for his wife. Leo's quest takes him through Buenos Aires and Patagonia, and as he becomes increasingly delusional and erratic, Galchen adeptly reveals the actual situation to readers, including Rema's anguish and anger at her husband. Leo's devotion to the real Rema is heartbreaking and maddening; he cannot see that the woman he seeks has been with him all along. Don't be surprised if this gives you a Crying of Lot 49 nostalgia hit. (June) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"Everything is other than it appears to be in Galchen's assured debut--an intricate puzzle powered by urgently beating heart . . . A superb first novel."


On Chesil Beach (Paperback)


Amazon.comSuch is Ian McEwan's genius that, despite rambling nature walks and the naming of birds, his subject matter remains hermetically sealed in the hearts of two people.
It is 1962 when Edward and Florence, 23 and 22 respectively, marry and repair to a hotel on the Dorset coast for their honeymoon. They are both virgins, both apprehensive about what's next and in Florence's case, utterly and blindly terrified and repelled by the little she knows. Through a tense dinner in their room, because Florence has decided that the weather is not fine enough to dine on the terrace, they are attended by two local boys acting as waiters. The cameo appearances of the boys and Edward and Florence's parents and siblings serve only to underline the emotional isolation of the two principals. Florence says of herself: "...she lacked some simple mental trick that everyone else had, a mechanism so ordinary that no one ever mentioned it, an immediate sensual connection to people and events, and to her own needs and desires...."
They are on the cusp of a rather ordinary marital undertaking in differing states of readiness, willingness and ardor. McEwan says: "Where he merely suffered conventional first-night nerves, she experienced a visceral dread, a helpless disgust as palpable as seasickness." Edward, having denied himself even the release of self-pleasuring for a week, in order to be tip-top for Florence, is mentally pawing the ground. His sensitivity keeps him from being obvious, but he is getting anxious. Florence, on the other hand, knows that she is not capable of the kind of arousal that will make any of this easy. She has held Edward off for a year, and now the reckoning is upon her.
McEwan is the master of the defining moment, that place and time when, once it has taken place, nothing will ever be the same after it. It does not go well and Florence flees the room. "As she understood it, there were no words to name what had happened, there existed no shared language in which two sane adults could describe such events to each other." Edward eventually follows her and they have a poignant and painful conversation where accusations are made, ugly things are said and roads are taken from which, in the case of these two, the way back cannot be found. Late in Edward's life he realizes: "Love and patience--if only he had them both at once--would surely have seen them both through." This beautifully told sad story could have been conceived and written only by Ian McEwan. --Valerie Ryan --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. It should not come as a surprise that Florence and Edward, newlyweds who cannot discuss their previous sexual experiences (or lack thereof), do not communicate out loud with one another until all their emotions boil over at the conclusion of the first night of their honeymoon. That their lives are constructed as narratives and memories makes this novella a particularly good choice for McEwan to perform his own work. McEwan provides a deft sense of cadence, timing and emphasis. McEwan reads this poignant, sad and occasionally amusing gem with entrancing skill, precision and perfect pace. In short, McEwan's performance is mesmerizing. An excellent addition to the recording is a thoughtful interview with the author. The conversation provides insight into McEwan's choice of setting, time period (1962) and characters. McEwan reveals that he tries out his works in progress on audiences, a technique that pays off beautifully. This author-read work is outstanding. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.