Archive for the "Book Reviews" Category
Jan30

ABUNDANCE the book – soon to be released

Posted at 11:15 PM • No Comments

Imagine a world of nine billion people with clean water, nutritious food, affordable housing, personalized education, top-tier medical care, and nonpolluting, ubiquitous energy. Building this better world is humanity’s grandest challenge. What follows is the story of how we can rise to meet it.
- excerpt from the book, ABUNDANCE

The about-to-be-released book, ABUNDANCE by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler is a thrilling alternative discussion of hope in a world full of negative and a media that reminds us daily of what’s WRONG with us. I share this exciting video review by Jason Silva.

Visit the site, download your FREE first chapter… and consider purchasing the book. It’ll also be available on Kindle later in February. Then leave a few comments.

Jul15

WORK – and getting to YES!

Posted at 7:13 AM • 2 Comments

We all work. Some are lucky and talented enough to do what they love. Others have learned to love what they do. Some folks – both! But no matter your position, there are marvelous things to learn from the following 3 books. Enjoy!

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us… And it isn’t all about money. Like all things, once our basic shelter, food and safety is taken care of, there are other things that are often equal to or more important than money. They are Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose. I believe that budding entrepreneurs can learn a great deal about themselves by reading this book. Management definitely needs to read this if they want to keep great employees.

Author Daniel H. Pink is not just talking about the creative, highly skilled employees either. He gives perfect examples of the same drives in basic service jobs. A lesson to us all to see with new eyes the people who work all around us.

Right along with this book is Rework which is written by the founders of 37Signals, Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson. On the cover it reads: Ignore this book at your own peril!

Let me quote just one small part:

We’ve all seen job ads that say “Five years of experience required.” That may give you a number, but it tells you nothing.

….it requiring some baseline… It makes sense to go after candidates with six months to a year of experience. It takes that long to internalize the idoms, learn how things work, understand the relevant tools, etc.

But after that, the curve flattens out. There’s surprisingly little difference between a candidate with six months of experience and one with six years. The real difference comes from the individual’s dedication, personality and intelligence.

The bold is mine! WOW! There’s a thought provoker. This is an awesome book and speaks to anyone looking for the best employees today and in the future. The beautiful part is in the end when they talk about Inspiration.

Inspiration is perishable… a magical thing, a productivity multiplier, a motivator. But it won’t wait for you. Inspiration is a now thing. If it grabs you, grab it right back and put it to work.

The third book I just completed is by Robert B. Cialdini:Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive. This is a most interesting book. But more importantly, their continual reminder that ethical persuasion IS possible and is valuable to all involved in the transaction. The book is not anecdotal, but instead gives many examples from small business to corporations, to international situations.

This easy to read little book has something for every business/entrepreneur. Take time to read it. You won’t be disappointed. You may be very surprised at the small things that can make a BIG difference! But here is an intriguing example:

… trimeth labs are more commonly known as coffee shops…. we doubt Howard Schultz (Starbucks Corp.) ever dreamed that the beverages he’d made available on every street corner and in every shopping mall could be a potential tool of influence and persuasion.

…Shortly after drinking the juice (spiked with caffeine) all the participants read a series of messages containing very good arguments advocating a certain position on a controversial issue. Those who had consumed the caffeinated beverages before reading these arguments were 35 percent more favorably disposed toward that position that were those who drank the unadulterated drink.

…the results showed that caffeine has little persuasive power reading messages containing weak arguments!

…Given a choice, then, you should make your presentations when people are most alert – shortly after they’ve had their morning coffee fix, and never right after lunch.

There you are- although it’s been nearly 2 months since I’ve posted, in that time I’ve enjoyed these books. Let me know if any of them inspire you!
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May21

Are you aware that people ARE listening?

Posted at 10:08 AM • One Comment

In our busy world where it seems everyone is talking (and causes me to often wonder if ANYone is listening), the book titled:  Listen proves to be quite thought-provoking.

All of us who peruse the internet can learn from this book. The things we say on FB and Twitter and many other social sites should possibly be considered a tad more carefully. I leave that decision to each of you.

But the compelling novel, Listen by Renee Gutteridge talks of the value of words in all aspects of our lives, not just what we may read on the internet social networks. It reminds me that “Sticks and stones may break your bones, but names will never hurt you,” is far from true. Yes, we can survive. But words do hurt.

Each of us know situations that ring true to the novel. Whether our own experience or someone we love, we know that words can damage and hurt. Words are not without power. Quite often, the burden is carried silently while eroding one’s self-confidence.

Remember “the pen IS mightier than the sword.” There is a reason that reading has often been kept from various classes of peoples throughout history. Words – words are powerful. Within words are knowledge. But also within words are the ability to cripple.

Don’t get me wrong. I firmly believe in speaking up regarding our values, etc. But here we’re talking about the little things – the whispers, the side comments, the politician who thinks his microphone is turned off. These small uses of words quite often can create ever growing ripples of hurt, like throwing a stone into a calm pond and watching the ripple effect.

Why should it matter? Because it speaks to our integrity. Damaging, off the cuff comments can totally ruin our business as well as our personal image. We all know that the ugly and bad will whisk around the globe at cyberspeed compared to the good.

So, grab the book. Take a day to read Listen. I’d love to hear your comments, not only in direct reference to the book, but in reference to how connected your personal words are with your business image when it meets in cyberspace. What do you think?

Does your business image support your personal integrity? Should it? Can you have integrity while having two different codes of ethics – business and personal? As the world grows more connected, the line will grow thinner. Where do you stand?

Would love to hear from you.

Warmly,

Ellie's signature

May12

Entrepreneurial Dreaming

Posted at 9:50 AM • No Comments

Just finished reading (for the third time) The Big Idea: How to Make Your Entrepreneurial Dreams Come True, From the Aha Moment to Your First Million by Donny Deutsch. Yes, the same guy who hosted a CNBC show by the same name a few years back.

When I’m watching the news and feeling as though the economy is totally out of control (or at the very least I feel I have no control), I like to read books like The BIG IDEA. The entreprenuerial spirit needs to be re-fueled every now and then. This book definitely adds to that fire.

I find this book encouraging, thought-provoking, and full of resources. Of course, there is no get-rich-quick scheme here. There are no guarantees – merely the freedom to pursue our dream. But like a number of the other books I’ve reviewed on this blog, The BIG IDEA encourages you to run with your idea.

Are you one of those folks who has said, “Golly, I had that idea years ago but didn’t do anything with it.” Or maybe you commented that you didn’t have the money to follow it through, so you did nothing.

Well, that’s a major difference between the successful and the wannabe successful. You can’t be successful, if you don’t act on your ideas. I know, I know. That’s a pretty obvious statement to make.

But so often we forget the old saying, “Luck (success) is when hard work meets opportunity.” Without taking action on an idea, the rest just never happens.

Throughout the book there are stories of moms, dads, teens, grandmas and grandpas who ran with their ideas. In the majority of cases, they were either prodded by their economic situation, a need to care for family, or a desire to not be lost to a sense of boredom.

That’s the reason there are so many rags to riches stories. But what if it was an idea that merely added $1,000 to your monthly budget. No, that won’t get you to the Fortune 100 list. But would it add to your quality of life? Without a doubt!

In reading The Big Idea: How to Make Your Entrepreneurial Dreams Come True, From the Aha Moment to Your First Million I find myself thinking of my ideas and how I might use them to add to my quality of life. Surely I would love to be a millionaire. I admit there are days when I dream about what I would do with a million dollars. How I’d help my family. My friends. Start a foundation.

But I wonder how many great ideas actually made it to the ‘million dollar category’ by first being done to add to an individual’s quality of life?

Grab this book and give it a read. Then rather than “not starting anything,” consider one of your ideas and how it might be developed to add to your quality of life. Then just let it grow!

Keep your eye on the dream – the big idea. But by focusing on adding to your immediate quality of life, you’ll get started. Isn’t that often our biggest fear! Continue working the idea. Who knows… luck (success) may be just around the corner.

If you are successful in any way-  quality of life or millionaire status, please send me an email and share your story.

Here’s to your …. next step!

Warmly,

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May5

Are YOU indispensable?

Posted at 10:19 AM • No Comments

WOW… all of my life I’ve been saying to folks who are trying to be perfectionists or working way too many hours thinking “no one else will/can do it like THEY do”, to remember that no one is indispensable, even presidents die and the country continues. hmmmm

Seth Godin’s book Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
 has me reconsidering this response. But more importantly, he’s given me a new look at the character of “indispensable.” This oft repeated quote from Seth Godin’s book says it all:

Every day I meet people who have so much to give but have been bullied enough or frightened enough to hold it back. It’s time to stop complying with the system, and draw your own map. You have brilliance in you, your contribution is essential, and the art you must create is precious. Only you can do it, and you must.

At first reading you might be thinking, “Well, I’m no Einstein, Mother Teresa, Ghandi, Mandela or even a Steve Jobs or a Bill Gates.” If you just did that, then you absolutely must read this book.

Seth Godin is not talking about the reported brilliance we read about  or see in movies or television. He’s not saying we should go for the Pulitzer Prize or Olympic Gold. Nor is he  saying you should do all the ‘busywork’ that prevents us from being our best selves.

He’s talking about the gift each of us has. Yours may be a better system for the production plant where you work. Possibly it’s a vision you have for reworking the displays in your employer’s store. Or maybe you’re sitting on a business idea that you’re just too afraid to move forward on. So you don’t invest time in creating a plan.

What he’s not talking about is ego, making millions, or even being noticed. Instead, if I can even come close to digesting this wonderful book, he is asking each of us to discover our ‘art.’ That’s right: our art! Yours – and – mine!

Art isn’t only a painting; it’s anything that changes someone for the better, any nonanonymous interaction that leads to a human (not simply a commercial) conclusion.

He goes on to discuss the ‘gift’ in art. Then takes that concept and moves through various paths to our economy, our work, our community, our sense of satisfaction.

The result of this art, these risks, the gifts, and the humanity coming together is both wonderful and ironic.

Now read the book. Tilt your head slightly and consider a different perspective. Discover your art and choose to make a difference. Hold fast to your vision and no longer wait for something to change. As Capt. Picard says in Star Trek: The Next Generation,

“Engage.”

There is no map because it is your vision. No one knows the gift you can give better than you know. So step into the universe and “Make it so.” (Picard on Start Trek: The Next Generation.)