-Titulo Original : Language Of God A Scientist Presents Evidence For Belief-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: An instant bestseller from Templeton Prize-winning author Francis S. Collins, The Language of God provides the best argument for the integration of faith and logic since C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity. It has long been believed that science and faith cannot mingle. Faith rejects the rational, while science restricts us to a life with no meaning beyond the physical. It is an irreconcilable war between two polar-opposite ways of thinking and living. Written for believers, agnostics, and atheists alike, The Language of God provides a testament to the power of faith in the midst of suffering without faltering from its logical stride. Readers will be inspired by Collin’s personal story of struggling with doubt, as well as the many revelations of the wonder of God’s creation that will forever shape the way they view the world around them. Review Collinss argument that science and faith are compatible deserves a wide hearing. It lets non-churchgoers consider spiritual questions without feeling awkward. -- The New York Times Book Review The Language of God is a powerful confession of belief from one of the worlds leading scientists. Refuting the tired stereotypes of hostility between science and religion, Francis Collins challenges his readers to find a unity of knowledge that encompasses both faith and reason. -- Kenneth Miller, Brown University, author of Finding Darwins God What an elegantly written book. In it Francis Collins, the eminent scientist, tells why he is also a devout believer....A real godsend for those with questioning minds but who are also attracted to things spiritual. -- Archbishop Desmond Tutu About the Author Francis S. Collins is one of the countrys leading geneticists and the longtime head of the Human Genome Project. Prior to coming to Washington, he helped to discover the genetic misspellings that cause cystic fibrosis, neurofibromatosis, and Huntingtons disease. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland, and in his spare time he enjoys riding a motorcycle and playing guitar...

-Titulo Original : She Got Up Off The Couch And Other Heroic Acts From Mooreland, Indiana-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: The # 1 New York Times bestseller A Girl Named Zippy was a rare and welcome treat: a memoir of a happy childhood. Spunky, strong-willed, and too smart for her own good, Zippy Jarvis brought readers delight and joy. In She Got Up Off the Couch, Haven Kimmel invites us to rejoin the quirky and hilarious Jarvis family saga, shining the spotlight now on her remarkable mother, Delonda.Zippy is growing up and struggling with both her hair and her distaste for shoes. But this memoir strikes a deeper and more emotional chord, as now Kimmel shines the spotlight on her remarkable mother, Delonda. Courageous and steadfast, Delonda finally realized that she could change her life, and she got up off the funky couch in the den, bought a beat-up flower power VW bug (and then learned to drive it), and went back to school, which gave her the chance to gain both financial independence and, at long last, self-respect. A true pleasure for old fans and new ones alike, She Got Up Off the Couch is a gorgeous encapsulation of an innocent time when a child didnt understand that her mother was depressed or felt stifled, but just noted on her way out the door that Delonda was a fixture in the living room. Kimmel captures the seminal moments of her mothers burgeoning empowerment with the full strength of her distinctive, deft storytelling, and with the overflowing sense of humor that made A Girl Named Zippy a favorite of readers everywhere. Review She Got Up Off the Couch returns to the small-town life that made Kimmels childhood memoir, A Girl Named Zippy, a bestseller. But this less-sunny sequel looks more tellingly at things that were glossed over in the first book. Zippys father, for example, is hardly the hero she worshiped as a young girl. And the dirt and disorder the tomboy gloried in has a darker reason: After decades married to a gambler, Delonda had given up. Kimmel never indulges in bitterness, but by the end a reader will be in no doubt about the Kilimanjaro of obstacles her mother scaled on her way off that couch. -- The Christian Science MonitorIt is Kimmels mothers journey from beaten-down housewife to university student and schoolteacher, told through Zippys irresistible voice, that forms the backbone of She Got Up Off the Couch. Kimmel deftly chronicles a childs awakening to a world outside tiny Mooreland... -- The Miami Herald About the Author Haven Kimmel is the author of The Used World, She Got Up Off the Couch, Something Rising (Light and Swift), The Solace of Leaving Early, and A Girl Named Zippy. She studied English and creative writing at Ball State University and North Carolina State University and attended seminary at the Earlham School of Religion. She lives in Durham, N.C. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Mr. Antrobus: Well, hows the whole crooked family? -- Thornton Wilder, The Skin of Our Teeth, Act I The Test The couch in the den was the color the crayon people called Flesh even though it resembled no human or animal flesh on Planet Earth, and the couch fabric was nubbled in a pattern of diamonds. It was best to prevent the nubbles from coming into direct contact with ones real Flesh, so there was usually a blanket or a towel or clothing spread out as a buffer. Also no one wanted to pick up the blanket, the towel, and the clothing and fold them. Or even pick them up. So it was a fine arrangement. She had a lamp, a small end table so covered with things -- layer upon layer -- that the stuff at the bottom was from a different decade than the stuff in the middle. She had a cardboard box in which she kept books from the bookmobile; her favorite afghan for emergency napping; a notebook and pen. There had been years with no telephone but mostly the telephone worked and was often near Mothers head -- often enough, in fact, that Dad referred to it as her Siamese twin. The television was only a few feet away, and there were always anim...

-Titulo Original : Samuel Adams A Life-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: The gripping story of the man who was the American Revolution’s moral compass-Ira Stoll tells readers who Samuel Adams was, why he has been forgotten, and why he must be remembered.Thomas Jefferson called Samuel Adams “truly the man of the Revolution.” Adams, filled with religious fervor, inspired others to fight on and overcome the challenges of the Revolutionary War. He was the editor of the influential Boston Gazette, planner of the Boston Tea Party, and signer of the Declaration of Independence, and yet, he is largely ignored and unknown today. Understanding the leading part Adams played in building and sustaining support for the revolutionary cause gives readers new insight into the way religion motivated the founding of America. Review In order to understand the moral and religious roots of Americas zeal for liberty, you need to know and appreciate Samuel Adams. Ira Stoll does a glorious job bringing to life this agitated and revolutionary apostle of liberty, whose passions still reverberate in our nations soul. This book will help you understand our founding, and our future. -- Walter Isaacson, author of Benjamin Franklin: An American Life and Einstein: His Life and UniverseSamuel Adams was a life-long journalist who left a meager paper trail; a pious believer who was a flaming radical; the jumpstarter of our independence whom we have unaccountably lost track of. Ira Stoll lets the Founding Firebrand shine once more. -- Richard Brookhiser, author of George Washington on LeadershipIra Stoll here manages the daunting task of anchoring Sam Adams in his own time yet making him relevant to ours. A triumph of learning and understanding. -- James Grant, author of John Adams: A Party of One About the Author Ira Stoll was vice president and managing editor of The New York Sun, which he helped to found. He has been a consultant to the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal, an editor of the Jerusalem Post, managing editor and Washington correspondent of the Forward, editor of Smartertimes , and a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. He is a native of Massachusetts and a graduate of Harvard College. He lives in New York City. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Samuel AdamsA LifeBy Ira StollFree PressCopyright © 2009 Ira StollAll right reserved.ISBN: 9780743299121PreludePillar of Fire by Night1777Let us awaken then, and evince a different spirit, -- a spirit that shall inspire the people with confidence in themselves and in us, -- a spirit that will encourage them to persevere in this glorious struggle, until their rights and liberties shall be established on a rock.-- Samuel Adams, 1777Of all the difficult moments in the American Revolution, one of the most desperate for the revolutionaries was late September 1777. British troops controlled New York City. The Americans had lost the strategic stronghold of Fort Ticonderoga, in upstate New York, to the British in July. In Delaware, on September 11, troops led by General George Washington had lost the Battle of Brandywine, in which two hundred Americans were killed, five hundred wounded, and four hundred captured. In Pennsylvania, early in the morning of September 21, another three hundred American soldiers were killed or wounded and one hundred captured in a British surprise attack that became known as the Paoli Massacre.Washingtons troops were suffering from what one delegate to Congress called fatigue occasioned by the bad rainy weather & long night marches. The rain had soaked the American armys ammunition, making it useless. The American troops would spend the coming winter at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, subsisting on firecakes made of flour and water, and leaving bloody footprints in the snow for lack of shoes; already one thousand of Washingtons roughly nine thousand troops were barefoot. The delegates to Congress doubted their own generals. Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Maryla...

-Titulo Original : Prisoner Of Tehran One Womans Story Of Survival Inside An Iranian Prison-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: In her heartbreaking, triumphant, and elegantly written memoir, Prisoner of Tehran, Marina Nemat tells the heart-pounding story of her life as a young girl in Iran during the early days of Ayatollah Khomeinis brutal Islamic Revolution.What would you give up to protect your loved ones? Your life? In her heartbreaking, triumphant, and elegantly written memoir, Prisoner of Tehran, Marina Nemat tells the heart-pounding story of her life as a young girl in Iran during the early days of Ayatollah Khomeinis brutal Islamic Revolution. In January 1982, Marina Nemat, then just sixteen years old, was arrested, tortured, and sentenced to death for political crimes. Until then, her life in Tehran had centered around school, summer parties at the lake, and her crush on Andre, the young man she had met at church. But when math and history were subordinated to the study of the Koran and political propaganda, Marina protested. Her teacher replied, If you dont like it, leave. She did, and, to her surprise, other students followed. Soon she was arrested with hundreds of other youths who had dared to speak out, and they were taken to the notorious Evin prison in Tehran. Two guards interrogated her. One beat her into unconsciousness; the other, Ali, fell in love with her. Sentenced to death for refusing to give up the names of her friends, she was minutes from being executed when Ali, using his family connections to Ayatollah Khomeini, plucked her from the firing squad and had her sentence reduced to life in prison. But he exacted a shocking price for saving her life -- with a dizzying combination of terror and tenderness, he asked her to marry him and abandon her Christian faith for Islam. If she didnt, he would see to it that her family was harmed. She spent the next two years as a prisoner of the state, and of the man who held her life, and her familys lives, in his hands. Lyrical, passionate, and suffused throughout with grace and sensitivity, Marina Nemats memoir is like no other. Her search for emotional redemption envelops her jailers, her husband and his family, and the country of her birth -- each of whom she grants the greatest gift of all: forgiveness. Review Like a harrowing Thousand and One Arabian Nights, Prisoner of Tehran is the story of Marina Nemat -- her unvarnished courage, her intrepid wisdom, her fight to save her integrity and her family in a world in which to be female is to be chattel. Written with the deft hands of a novelist, it is the portrait of a world only too real, where womens lives are cheap -- but not this one. -- Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean and Cage of StarsAn Important Eyewitness Account... -- Kirkus ReviewNemats engaging memoir is rich with complex characters...[she] offers her arresting, heartbreaking story of forgiveness, hope and enduring love -- a voice for the untold scores silenced by Irans revolution. -- Starred Pw About the Author Marina Nemat grew up in Tehran, Iran. In 1991, she emigrated to Toronto, Ontario, where she now lives with her husband, Andre, and their two sons. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Two I was arrested on January 15, 1982, at about nine oclock at night. I was sixteen. Earlier that day, I woke before dawn and couldnt go back to sleep. My bedroom felt darker and colder than usual, so I stayed under my camel-wool duvet and waited for the sun, but it seemed like darkness was there to stay. On cold days like this, I wished our apartment had better heating; two kerosene heaters werent enough, but my parents always told me I was the only one who found the house too chilly in winter. My parents bedroom was next to mine, and the kitchen was across the narrow hallway that connected the two ends of our three-bedroom apartment. I listened as my father got ready for work. Although he moved lightly and quietly, the faint sounds he made helped me trace hi...

-Titulo Original : State Of War The Secret History Of The Cia And The Bush Administration-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: James Risen has broken story after story on the abuses of power of the Bush administration. From warrantless wiretapping to secret financial data mining to the CIAs rogue operations, he has shown again and again that the executive branch has dangerously overreached, repudiated checks and balances on its power, and maintained secrecy even with its allies in Congress. In no small part thanks to Risen and State of War, the secret history of the Bush years has now come partially into view. In a new epilogue for the paperback edition, Risen describes the two-front war that President Bush is now fighting: at home against Congress and the Supreme Court, as his administration is increasingly reined in from its abuses; and in the Middle East, where George W. Bushs great gamble to bring a democratic revolution is failing radically. We must learn the lessons of Risens history now, before it is too late. Review Domestic spying, demands for political loyalty in the name of national security, investigating a newspapers sources: With State of War, the Nixonian deja vu can give a reader whiplash. -- The Dallas Morning NewsRisens book is really about the secret of many things that have gone wrong in the administration of George W. Bush. The quantity, and apparent quality, of the secrets revealed in State of War distinguishes Risens book from its competitors. What it represents is a profound hemorrhaging of information from within the corridors of secret power in Washington.... Risen becomes the mouthpiece for a U.S. intelligence community anxious to unburden itself of the mistakes and misdeeds of the recent past. He has not one, but many Deep Throats. -- Toronto Globe and MailIlluminating and disturbing...a monumental job of reporting. -- The New York TimesExplosive.... James Risen may have become the new Woodward and Bernstein.... Fast paced, quite mesmerizing, colorful, and fascinating. -- The New York Times Book ReviewDamning and dismaying...As a national security reporter for the New York Times, Risen has produced some of this eras best journalism on the Central Intelligence Agency and the dysfunctional relationship between the White House and the U.S. spy community.... As one of the Washington press corps best reporters on national security issues, Risen has a record of being right.... State of War is a welcome reminder that American journalism has a higher purpose than shallow pandering to the lowest pop-cultural denominator. Somewhere, beyond celebrity, there are issues and ideas that matter. James Risens book is an urgent contribution to the countrys common good by a skillful and courageous reporter. -- Los Angeles Times About the Author James Risen covers national security for The New York Times. He was a member of the team that won the Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting in 2002 for coverage of September 11 and terrorism, and he is the coauthor of Wrath of Angels and The Main Enemy: The Inside Story of the CIAs Final Showdown with the KGB. He lives outside Washington, D.C., with his wife and three sons...

-Titulo Original : In The Line Of Fire A Memoir-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: According to Time magazine, Pakistans President Pervez Musharraf holds the worlds most dangerous job. He has twice come within inches of assassination. His forces have caught more than 670 members of al Qaeda in the mountains and cities, yet many others remain at large and active, including Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al Zawahiri. Long locked in a deadly embrace with its nuclear neighbor India, Pakistan has come close to full-scale war on two occasions since it first exploded a nuclear bomb in 1998. As President Musharraf struggles for the security and political future of his nation, the stakes could not be higher for the world at large. It is unprecedented for a sitting head of state to write a memoir as revelatory, detailed, and gripping as In the Line of Fire. Here, for the first time, readers can get a firsthand view of the war on terror in its central theater. President Musharraf details the manhunts for Osama and Zawahiri and their top lieutenants, complete with harrowing cat-and-mouse games, informants, interceptions, and bloody firefights. He tells the stories of the near-miss assassination attempts, not only against himself but against Shaukut Aziz (later elected prime minister) and one of his top army officers (later the vice chief of army staff), and of the abduction and beheading of Daniel Pearl -- as well as the forensic and shoe-leather investigations that uncovered the perpetrators. He details the armys mountain operations that have swept several valleys clean, and he talks about the areas of North Waziristan where al Qaeda is still operating. Yet the war on terror is just one of the many headline-making subjects in In the Line of Fire. The full story of the events that brought President Musharraf to power in 1999 is told for the first time. He reveals new details of the 1999 confrontation with India in Kashmir (the Kargil conflict) and offers a proposal for resolving the Kashmir dispute. He offers a portrait of Mullah Omar, with stories of Pakistans attempts to negotiate with him. Concerning A. Q. Khan and his proliferation network, he explains what the government knew and when it knew it, and he reveals fascinating details of Khans operations and the investigations into them. In addition, President Musharraf takes many stances that will make news. He calls for the Muslim world to recognize Israel once a viable Palestinian state is created. He urges the repeal of Pakistans 1979 Hudood law. He calls for the emancipation of women and for their full political equality with men. He tells the sad story of Pakistans experience with democracy and what he has done to make it workable. About the Author Pervez Musharrafs life has mirrored the life of his country, ever since Pakistans creation when he was a four-year-old boy. His and Pakistans stories are dramatic, fateful, and crucial to the entire world...

-Titulo Original : The Prize The Epic Quest For Oil, Money & Power-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and hailed as “the best history of oil ever written” by Business Week, Daniel Yergin’s “spellbinding…irresistible” (The New York Times) account of the global pursuit of oil, money, and power addresses the ongoing energy crisis. Now with an epilogue that speaks directly to the current energy crisis, The Prize recounts the panoramic history of the world’s most important resource-oil. Daniel Yergin’s timeless book chronicles the struggle for wealth and power that has surrounded oil for decades and that continues to fuel global rivalries, shake the world economy, and transform the destiny of men and nations. This updated edition categorically proves the unwavering significance of oil throughout the twentieth century and into the twenty-first by tracing economic and political clashes over precious “black gold.” With his far-reaching insight and in-depth research, Yergin is uniquely positioned to address the present battle over energy which undoubtedly ranks as one of the most vital issues of our time. The canvas of his narrative history is enormous-from the drilling of the first well in Pennsylvania through two great world wars to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, Operation Desert Storm, and both the Iraq War and current climate change. The definitive work on the subject of oil, The Prize is a book of extraordinary breadth, riveting excitement, and great value-crucial to our understanding of world politics and the economy today-and tomorrow. Review Spellbinding...irresistible...monumental...must be read to understand the first thing about the role of oil in modern history. -- The New York TimesA masterly narrative...The Prize portrays the interweaving of national and corporate interests, the conflicts and stratagems, the miscalculations, the follies, and the ironies. -- James Schlesinger, former U.S. Secretary of Defense and U.S. Secretary of EnergySplendid and epic history of oil.... The story is brilliantly told...with its remarkable cast of characters. -- The Wall Street JournalImpassioned and riveting...only in the great epics of Homer will readers regularly run into a comparable string of larger-than-life swashbucklers and statesmen, heroes and villains. -- San Francisco Examiner About the Author Daniel Yergin, chairman of Cambridge Energy Research Associates and the Global Energy Expert for the CNBC business news network, is a highly respected authority on energy, international politics, and economics. Dr. Yergin received the Pulitzer Prize for the number one bestseller The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power, which was also made into an eight-hour PBS/BBC series seen by 20 million people in the United States. The book has been translated into 12 languages. It also received the Eccles Prize for best book on an economic subject for a general audience.Of Dr. Yergin’s subsequent book, Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy, the Wall Street Journal said: “No one could ask for a better account of the world’s political and economic destiny since World War II.” This book has been translated into 13 languages and Dr. Yergin led the team that turned it into a six-hour PBS/BBC documentary - the major PBS television series on globalization. The series received three Emmy nominations, a CINE Golden Eagle Award and the New York Festival’s Gold World Medal for best documentary. Dr. Yergin’s other books include Shattered Peace, an award-winning history of the origins of the Cold War, Russia 2010 and What It Means for the World(with Thane Gustafson), and Energy Future: The Report of the Energy Project at the Harvard Business School, which he edited with Robert Stobaugh...

-Titulo Original : The Trusted Advisor 20th Anniversary Edition-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: The 20th anniversary edition of the “brilliant and practical” (Tom Peters, author of The Professional Service 50) business classic-now updated to reflect the digital world-provides essential tools and wisdom for all consultants, negotiators, and advisors.In today’s fast-paced networked economy, professionals must work harder than ever to maintain and improve their business skills and knowledge. But technical mastery of one’s discipline is not enough, assert professional advisors David H. Maister, Charles H. Green, and Robert M. Galford. The key to professional success, they argue, is the ability to earn the trust and confidence of clients. In this 20th anniversary edition, Maister, Green, and Galford enrich our understanding of today’s society and illustrate how to be effective communicators in a digital world. Using their model of “the trust equation” they dissect the rational and emotional components of trustworthiness. With precision and clarity, they detail five distinct steps you must take to create a trust-based relationship. Each step-engage, listen, frame, envision, and commit-is richly described in distinct chapters. This immensely accessible book offers “an invaluable road map to all those who seek to develop truly special relationships with their clients” (Carl Stern, CEO, Boston Consulting Group). The authors weave together anecdotes, experience, and examples of both their own and others’ successes and mistakes to great effect. The Trusted Advisor is essential reading for anyone who must advise, negotiate, or manage complex relationships with others. Review “The Trusted Advisor is a foundational text for any consulting professional looking to build, sustain, and grow their client relationships. I have leveraged its guiding principles and its exceedingly practical advice to reimagine what it means to demonstrate trust-and have urged the many colleagues to whom I have gifted the book to do the same. Twenty years since it was first published, The Trusted Advisor is more relevant and valuable than ever, helping professionals navigate constant disruption-so we can do the same for our clients.” -Janet Foutty, U.S. executive chair, Deloitte “A rich source of examples and experiences that guide the development of truly special relationships with one’s clients.” -Rich Lesser, CEO, Boston Consulting Group “Full of both sage wisdom and applicable advice, The Trusted Advisor has helped elevate the work of an entire generation of advisors, and I know it will continue to be an invaluable resource for generations to come.” -Kelly Grier, managing partner U.S. and Americas, EY “For many years The Trusted Advisor has been Forrester’s handbook for delivering outstanding customer service-whenever we lost our way, this book’s wisdom and straight talk would snap us right back on track. This is my favorite book to give to clients-I’m so glad that I can now pass on an updated new edition.” -George Colony, chairman and CEO, Forrester Research “Maister, Green, and Galford share intuitive frameworks, evidence-based insights, and practical actions to grow from an expert to a trusted advisor. This book stands the test of time and is required reading for anyone who wants stronger professional (and personal) relationships.” -John J. Kalamarides, president, Prudential Group Insurance “The Trusted Advisor will be invaluable to all professionals, young and old. Anyone who earns his or her living by giving advice should read this book.” - John Quelch, Leonard M. Miller University Chair Professor, University of Miami About the Author David H. Maister is widely acknowledged as the world’s leading authority on the management of professional service firms. Beginning four decades ago, David has advised firms in a broad spectrum of professions, covering all strategic and managerial issues, spanning the globe. A native of Great Britain, David holds degrees from the University of Birmingham, the London School ...

-Titulo Original : The Real Estate Game: The Intelligent Guide To Decisionmaking And Investment-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: The Real Estate Game is a comprehensive guide to successful real estate investment from one of the masters in the field. Drawing upon four decades of experience developing, owning, and managing properties and on almost thirty years of teaching at the Harvard Business School, William J. Poorvu offers an insiders perspective on how to make smart decisions about real estate.The real estate “game” is played by people, and it’s the stories of real people that make Poorvu’s introduction to the industry colorful and interesting. You will meet players ranging from real estate moguls to small-scale developers to individual investors in exotic investment instruments. Their stories evolve throughout the book and illustrate how these people-with all their complicated needs, talents, and motives-fit into the larger process and context. In clear and nontechnical language, Poorvu explains how variables-players, properties, capital markets, and the external environment-come together to influence the shape and outcome of a real estate deal. He explains the time frame for different kinds of real estate investments and walks the reader through the key “periods of play” in the real estate game: concept, commitment, development, operation, reward, and reinvestment. The Real Estate Game introduces a simple but powerful “back-of-the-envelope” technique for analyzing the financial implications of a potential deal. Using this tool and others, Poorvu shows readers how to use direct investments, syndicates, and REITs to get into the real estate game across a broad range of property types: residential, office, hotel, industrial, and retail. Offering unique insight into the ways that developers and investors can create value, The Real Estate Game is both a perfect introduction for the novice and an invaluable overview for the experienced professional. Review Real estate is as much about people as it is about property, and, after location, success in real estate depends upon understanding the motives of those who play the game, because many critical decisions revolve around what real estate people think, how they act and why. The Real Estate Game, by William J. Poorvu and Jeffrey L. Cruikshank, is a clear, comprehensive overview illustrated with real-life experiences about individual investors, small developers, and moguls. Poorvu has developed and managed real estate and taught real estate investing at the Harvard Business School for over 35 years. This book is drawn from his course, and is designed to help investors make the right decisions derived from the right assumptions and to provide an insiders perspective on how to spot risks and develop strategies that provide protection and adequate investment returns. The book uses the analogy of a game to illustrate some of the intricate and unpredictable interactions in real estate deals, and it lays out the rules of the game, including identification of the key players and periods of play: concept, commitment, development, operation, reward, and reinvestment. Readers are taught to be value investors, ready to buy at the right price at the right time, because the best opportunities come from buying at a discount-to-replacement cost. The value investor must be prepared to sell at the right juncture, and must not be compelled to be in the game when conditions make the game not worth playing. The case studies that run through the book show how to evaluate, develop, and operate all kinds of real estate investments from the points of view of all involved in the process. Theres an extensive appendix covering the different property types, and the authors back-of-the-envelope method for analyzing the financial implications of a potential deal is probably worth the books weight in gold. --Scott Harrison From Booklist Poorvu is a Boston real-estate developer who teaches an elective course in real estate at the Harvard Business School. Like his earlie...

-Titulo Original : Pioneering Portfolio Management An Unconventional Approach To Institutional Investment, Fully Revised And Updated-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: An indispensable roadmap for creating a successful investment program from Yale’s chief investment officer, David F. Swensen.In the years since the now-classic Pioneering Portfolio Management was first published, the global investment landscape has changed dramatically -- but the results of David Swensens investment strategy for the Yale University endowment have remained as impressive as ever. Year after year, Yales portfolio has trumped the marketplace by a wide margin, and, with over $20 billion added to the endowment under his twenty-three-year tenure, Swensen has contributed more to Yales finances than anyone ever has to any university in the country. What may have seemed like one among many success stories in the era before the Internet bubble burst emerges now as a completely unprecedented institutional investment achievement. In this fully revised and updated edition, Swensen, author of the bestselling personal finance guide Unconventional Success, describes the investment process that underpins Yales endowment. He provides lucid and penetrating insight into the world of institutional funds management, illuminating topics ranging from asset-allocation structures to active fund management. Swensen employs an array of vivid real-world examples, many drawn from his own formidable experience, to address critical concepts such as handling risk, selecting advisors, and weathering market pitfalls. Swensen offers clear and incisive advice, especially when describing a counterintuitive path. Conventional investing too often leads to buying high and selling low. Trust is more important than flash-in-the-pan success. Expertise, fortitude, and the long view produce positive results where gimmicks and trend following do not. The original Pioneering Portfolio Management outlined a commonsense template for structuring a well-diversified equity-oriented portfolio. This new edition provides fund managers and students of the market an up-to-date guide for actively managed investment portfolios. Review Barton M. Biggs, Chairman, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Investment Management David Swensen is one of the best and most original fiduciaries of modern times. His thinking has survived the battlefields and it has worked for big money.Burton G. Malkiel, Chemical Bank Chairmans Professor of Economics, Princeton University One of the worlds most successful institutional fund managers presents powerful insights to help us become better investors. A must-read for both institutional and serious individual investors.Jack R. Meyer, President and CEO, Harvard Management Company, Inc. A masterful work by the master himself. We at Harvard wish that David Swensen would find a new job.Richard C. Levin F.W. Beinecke Professor of Economics and President, Yale University David Swensens creative and disciplined approach to investment has given Yale the resources it needs to augment its capacity for excellence in scholarship and teaching. Those who absorb the wisdom in this book will likewise strengthen the institutions they serve.Barton M. Biggs, Chairman, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Investment ManagementDavid Swensen is one of the best and most original fiduciaries of modern times. His thinking has survived the battlefields and it has worked for big money.Burton G. Malkiel, Chemical BankChairmans Professor of Economics, Princeton UniversityOne of the worlds most successful institutional fund managers presents powerful insights to help us become better investors. A must-read for both institutional and serious individual investors.Jack R. Meyer, President and CEO, Harvard Management Company, Inc.A masterful work by the master himself. We at Harvard wish that David Swensen would find a new job.Peter L. Bernstein, PresidentPeter L. Bernstein, Inc.This book will be a classic: it is essential reading for all investors, great and small. David Swensen is a leader and pioneer whose words reveal a rare combination of cour...

-Titulo Original : Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways To Be Persuasive-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: Learn how small changes can make a big difference in your powers of persuasion with this New York Times bestselling introduction to fifty scientifically proven techniques for increasing your persuasive powers in business and life.Every day we face the challenge of persuading others to do what we want. But what makes people say yes to our requests? Persuasion is not only an art, it is also a science, and researchers who study it have uncovered a series of hidden rules for moving people in your direction. Based on more than sixty years of research into the psychology of persuasion, Yes! reveals fifty simple but remarkably effective strategies that will make you much more persuasive at work and in your personal life, too. Cowritten by the world’s most quoted expert on influence, Professor Robert Cialdini, Yes! presents dozens of surprising discoveries from the science of persuasion in short, enjoyable, and insightful chapters that you can apply immediately to become a more effective persuader. Often counterintuitive, the findings presented in Yes! will steer you away from common pitfalls while empowering you with little known but proven wisdom. Whether you are in advertising, marketing, management, on sales, or just curious about how to be more influential in everyday life, Yes! shows how making small, scientifically proven changes to your approach can have a dramatic effect on your persuasive powers. Review Yes! is the Freakonomics of social psychology. This book changed my way of looking at the world. This thinking is the real deal. Dont miss out! -- Daniel Finkelstein, Comment Editor, The Times (London)Yes! is the single best introduction to and distillation of research and wisdom on how to change peoples minds, including your own. -- Warren Bennis, Distinguished Professor of Business, University of Southern California, author of On Becoming a Leader and coauthor of Judgment: How Winning Leaders Make Great CallsIf you had a team of bright guys looking for research that you can actually use to improve your effectiveness, and they wrote it up for you with wit and style, putting it in nifty little reports of three to five pages, would that be useful? YES! This book is the trifecta: first-rate research, lively writing, and practical advice. Read it, enjoy it, use it. -- Dale Dauten, nationally syndicated King Features columnist and author of The Gifted BossThis easy-to-read summary of the social-psychological research on persuasion really does tell people how to get to yes. Since we are all selling something, including ourselves, all the time, everyone can, and will be, reading this amazing book. -- Jeffrey Pfeffer, professor, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and author of What Were They Thinking? Unconventional Wisdom About Management About the Author Noah Goldstein is a protege of Cialdinis. He is an assistant professor at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. He earned a Ph.D. in psychology under Robert Cialdini at Arizona State University in 2007, and he has published research with Cialdini in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.Steve Martin is the UK-based co-director of Influence at Work. Prior to joining with Robert Cialdinis consulting group, he held a number of positions in sales, marketing, and management at several blue-chip companies.Robert Cialdini is recognized worldwide for his inspired field research on the psychology of influence. He is a New York Times bestselling author. His books, including Influence, have sold more than three million copies in thirty-three languages. Dr. Cialdini is Regents’ Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University and the president and CEO of Influence at Work, an international company that provides keynotes and influence training on how to use the lessons in Dr. Cialdini’s books ethically and effectively. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. ...

-Titulo Original : Reading Reflex The Foolproof Phono-graphix Method For Teaching Your Child To Read-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: Reading is the single most important skill for any child to develop. And the key to learning how to read effectively is recognizing the sounds that letters and words represent. With the help of the revolutionary system known as Phono-Graphix™, you and your child can discover the sound-picture code that is the foundation of the written English language.Help your child unlock the sound-picture code. An effective and easy-to-understand approach, Phono-Graphix enables you to teach your child to read in one-tenth the time of phonics with a 100 percent success rate. In just eleven weeks, you can bring your kindergartner to first-grade-level reading-even learning-disabled children can reach grade level or higher in just twelve weeks. Reading Reflex provides you with: -Simple diagnostic tests to determine your childs reading level, and a Literacy Growth Chart so youll know what goals to establish -Detailed instructions and illustrations to help your child develop strong, consistent reading skills and to correct ineffective reading strategies such as part-word reading and memorizing -Fun and easy-to-follow exercises, hands-on materials, worksheets, stories, and games that you and your child can do together -Enjoyable lessons that are carefully constructed to meet the interests and capabilities of children of all ages Review If you believe Carmen and Geoffrey McGuinness, our children are in grave danger of becoming illiterates--and the McGuinnesses are the only ones who can save them. Reading Reflex is an exhaustive how-to guide for the reading instruction method theyve developed called Phono-Graphix. Phonics and whole language take a beating here, with the authors accusing both methods of failing generations of would-be readers. Their approach, unabashedly touted as far superior, stresses the 43 sounds of the English language, treating letters as symbols of these sounds. Phono-Graphix teaches children to separate each phoneme in a word so that the phonemes can later be blended back in the right order. If this sounds familiar its because the same method was heralded in 1997 in the well-publicized book Why Our Children Cant Read, by psychologist Diane McGuinness (Geoffreys mother). Parents may find the first long chapter on the history and process of learning how to read a bit tedious and technical. But since each chapter--and the method--builds on these thoughts, its a must to read the book from cover to cover. Harder still is accepting the McGuinnesses claim that Phono-Graphix has a 100 percent success rate. Much of the research cited in their book seems to have been conducted by the authors themselves, with no indication of comparison groups or follow-up studies. Still, numerous schools throughout the country and in England have adopted the method. And the McGuinnesses tone of alarm may ring true for some parents frustrated with their childrens struggles to read. Phono-Graphix represents a new alternative where none existed before. Future analysis by outside evaluators will show whether it deserves the confidence its creators possess. --Jodi Mailander Farrell Review Nancy Loyd managing editor, Florida Primary Educator Reading Reflex gives parents everything they need to teach the young child who is ready to learn or the older child who is struggling.Daily Telegraph (London) A sparklingly clear guide to teaching reading...Reading Reflex is the essential handbook for anyone who wants to teach reading at home or in the classroom.Steve Truch director of The Reading Foundation The authors have done parents everywhere a great service. This book contains a well-researched and logical system of teaching children to read. It will go a long way in helping to meet the literacy challenge of the 21st century. From the Back Cover HELP YOUR CHILD UNLOCK THE SOUND-PICTURE CODEReading is the single most important skill for any child to develop. And the key to learning how to ...

-Titulo Original : Primalbranding Create Belief Systems That Attract Communities-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: “Whether youre leading an advertising agency, a Fortune 500 company, a middle school, or a political movement, you need to read this book.” -Daniel H. Pink, author of When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing In one of the most original books of its kind ever written, Patrick Hanlon explains how the most powerful brands create a community of believers, revealing the seven components that will help every company and marketer capture the public imagination-and seize a bigger slice of the pie.What is the magic glue that adheres consumers to Google, Mini Cooper, and Oprah, but not to others? Why do many brands with great product innovation, perfect locations, terrific customer experiences, and breakthrough advertising fail to get the same visceral traction in the marketplace that brands like Apple, Starbucks, or Nike have? After years of working with famous brands like Absolut, Ford Motor Company, LEGO, Disney, Montblanc, Sara Lee, and others, Patrick Hanlon, senior advertising executive and founder of Thinktopia, decided to find the answers. His search revealed seven definable assets that together construct the belief system that lies behind every successful brand, whether its a product, service, city, personality, social cause, or movement. In Primalbranding, Hanlon explores those seven components, known as the primal code, and shows how to use and combine them to create a community of believers in which the consumer develops a powerful emotional attachment to the brand. These techniques work for everyone involved in creating and selling an image, from marketing managers to social advocates to business leaders seeking to increase customer preference for new or existing products. Primalbranding presents a world of new possibilities for everyone trying to spark public appeal-and the opportunity to move from being just another product on the shelf to becoming a desired and necessary part of the culture. Review A crash course in branding. Its so easy to understand, I felt myself saying of course. Its exactly what many companies should be doing, but are not. -Christian Korbes, Senior Director, LEGO Central EuropeWhat do Starbucks, Apple, the Marine Corps, and Cesar Chavez have in common? They create what Hanlon calls a culture of belief. Primal branding cracks the code of these cultures -- and offers a fascinating look at why people respond so ferociously to them. Whether youre leading an advertising agency, a Fortune 500 company, a middle school, or a political movement, you need to read this book. -Dan Pink, author of When: The Scientific Secrets to Perfect TimingPrimalbranding is untraditional, its emotional, and its depth rather than breadth. -Dave Williams, VP Consumer Centricity, Best BuyThe seven factors of Primalbranding provide a structure by which all types of entities from companies to countries to religions can create a unique identity. Everyone involved with creating and managing an image should understand these factors. -Michael J. Houston, Interim Dean, Carlson School of Management, University of MinnesotaAs in most good books, one idea alone is worth the price and the time. In Primalbranding, its the creation story. That story is often at the heart of being different and successful. -Jack Trout, marketing expert, author of PositioningWhat Jim Collinss Built to Last did for companies, Primalbranding does for brands...a must-have for any brand that wants to spot-weld itself to the hearts of customers. -Luke Sullivan, author of Hey Whipple, Squeeze This: A Guide to Creating Great AdsPrimalbranding takes you deep into branding territory, to a place that other so-called branding experts havent even imagined. This innovative presentation is credible, incredible, and curiously compelling. Its a deep dive into a new design culture, one that is sure to resonate with todays consumers. -Robyn Waters, founder, author of Trendmasters Guide, and former VP Tre...

-Titulo Original : The Armchair Economist Economics And Everyday Life-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: The extensively revised and updated edition of Steven Landsburg’s hugely popular book, The Armchair Economist-“a delightful compendium of quotidian examples illustrating important economic and financial theories” (The Journal of Finance).In this revised and updated edition of Steven Landsburg’s hugely popular book, he applies economic theory to today’s most pressing concerns, answering a diverse range of daring questions, such as: Why are seat belts deadly? Why do celebrity endorsements sell products? Why are failed executives paid so much? Who should bear the cost of oil spills? Do government deficits matter? How is workplace safety bad for workers? What’s wrong with the local foods movement? Which rich people can’t be taxed? Why is rising unemployment sometimes good? Why do women pay more at the dry cleaner? Why is life full of disappointments? Whether these are nagging questions you’ve always had, or ones you never even thought to ask, this new edition of The Armchair Economist turns the eternal ideas of economic theory into concrete answers that you can use to navigate the challenges of contemporary life. Review “This new edition of The Armchair Economist is a wide-ranging, easily digested, unbelievably contrarian survey of everything from why popcorn at movie houses costs so much to why recycling may actually reduce the number of trees on the planet. Landsburg valiantly turns the discussion of vexing economic questions into an activity that ordinary people might enjoy.” - Joe Queenan About the Author Steven E. Landsburg is a professor of economics at the University of Rochester. He is the author of More Sex Is Safer Sex and The Big Questions. He has written for Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and Slate. He lives in Rochester, New York. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. CHAPTER 1THE POWER OF INCENTIVESHow Seat Belts KillMost of economics can be summarized in four words: People respond to incentives. The rest is commentary.People respond to incentives sounds innocuous enough, and almost everyone will admit its validity as a general principle. What distinguishes the economist is his insistence on taking the principle seriously at all times.I remember the late 1970s and waiting half an hour to buy a tank of gasoline at a federally controlled price. Virtually all economists agreed that if the price were allowed to rise freely, people would buy less gasoline. Many noneconomists believed otherwise. The economists were fight: When price controls were lifted, the lines disappeared.The economists faith in the power of incentives serves him well, and he trusts it as a guide in unfamiliar territory. In 1965, Ralph Nader published Unsafe at Any Speed, a book calling attention to various design elements that made cars more dangerous than necessary. The federal government soon responded with a wide range of automobile safety legislation, mandating the use of seat belts, padded dashboards, collapsible steering columns, dual braking systems, and penetration-resistant windshields.Even before the regulations went into effect, any economist could have predicted one of their consequences: The number of auto accidents increased. The reason is that the threat of being killed in an accident is a powerful incentive to drive carefully. But a driver with a seat belt and a padded dashboard faces less of a threat. Because people respond to incentives, drivers are less careful. The result is more accidents.The principle I am applying is precisely the same one that predicted the disappearance of gasoline lines. When the price of gasoline is low, people choose to buy more gasoline. When the price of accidents (e.g., the probability of being killed or the expected medical bill) is low, people choose to have more accidents.You might object that accidents, unlike gasoline, are not in any sense a good that people would ever choose to purchase. But speed and recklessness a...

-Titulo Original : What Management Is How It Works And Why Its Everyones Business-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: A beginners guide and a bible for one of the greatest social innovations of modern times: the discipline of management.Whether you’re new to the field or a seasoned executive, this book will give you a firm grasp on what it takes to make an organization perform. It presents the basic principles of management simply, but not simplistically. Why did an eBay succeed where a Webvan did not? Why do you need both a business model and a strategy? Why is it impossible to manage without the right performance measures, and do yours pass the test? What Management Is is both a beginner’s guide and a bible for one of the greatest social innovations of modern times: the discipline of management. Joan Magretta, a former top editor at the Harvard Business Review, distills the wisdom of a bewildering sea of books and articles into one simple, clear volume, explaining both the logic of successful organizations and how that logic is embodied in practice. Magretta makes rich use of examples- contemporary and historical-to bring to life management’s High Concepts: value creation, business models, competitive strategy, and organizational design. She devotes equal attention to the often unwritten rules of execution that characterize the best-performing organizations. Throughout she shows how the principles of management that work in for-profit businesses can-and must-be applied to nonprofits as well. Most management books preach a single formula or a single fad. This one roams knowledgeably over the best that has been thought and written with a practical eye for what matters in real organizations. Not since Peter Drucker’s great work of the 1950s and 1960s has there been a comparable effort to present the work of management as a coherent whole, to take stock of the current state of play, and to write about it thoughtfully for readers of all backgrounds. Newcomers will find the basics demystified. More experienced readers will recognize a store of useful wisdom and a framework for improving their own performance. This is the big-picture management book for our times. It defines a common standard of managerial literacy that will help all of us lead more productive lives, whether we aspire to be managers or not. Review This book will help managers in any type of organization, including nonprofits and the public sector, do their jobs better. -Michael E. Porter, Harvard Business School . “Finally, theres a management book written not for top executives but for everyone else who has to deal with them and clean up after their mistakes.” -Washington Post “Rarely has anyone presented the core principles of managing in a single book.” -Business Week “Most management books are about tools. This highly readable book is about managements task. First rate as an introduction for the nonmanager and especially for the beginner, but equally excellent as a rounded, complete, and comprehensive refresher course for the most experienced executive in businesses and nonprofits alike.” -Peter F. Drucker “Joan Magretta and Nan Stone have done a wonderful service with this book. They have brought back to the fore the fundamental importance of good management. And they have done so in a way that effectively distills key concepts that every executive should know into a useful toolkit.” -Jim Collins, coauthor of Built to Last and author of Good to Great “This is a book well want every executive-in-training at Dell to read. It articulates the reasoning behind many of the core business principles that have made us successful. Well done!” -Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO, Dell Computer Corporation About the Author Joan Magretta, M.B.A., Ph.D., is an award-winning contributor to the Harvard Business Review, where she was the strategy editor during the 1990s. Before that she was a partner at Bain & Company, a leading management consulting firm. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. What Management Is P...

-Titulo Original : Nothing Down For The 2000s Dynamic New Wealth Strategies In Real Estate-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: With more than a million copies in print, Robert Allens Nothing Down for the 90s has probably helped more people achieve success in real estate than any book in history. Countless numbers of his readers are now financially independent and many actual millionaires attribute their wealth to his techniques. Why has this blockbuster bestseller been so successful? The answer is simple: it works! Now, in one of the most practical books youll ever read, Robert Allen has created effective new wealth strategies for investing in real estate.Real estate remains the one reliable investment in which profits can be made consistently, no matter where you live. Whether employment figures and stock prices are high or low, the real estate market never dries up -- it is one of the most dynamic income-producing vehicles ever created. The demand for housing will continue to be strong in most areas of the country for the foreseeable future. There will, of course, always be plenty of foreclosures, which are great opportunities to purchase properties cheaply. And, finally, mortgage qualification today is simpler than ever, with new mortgage packages that did not even exist twenty years ago.Nothing Down for the 2000s shows you how to locate the best buys, deal with real estate agents, and manage properties, all with little -- or no -- money down. Discover step-by-step techniques and dynamic strategies to:* Use real estate to build monthly income* Finance bargain properties for equity or cash flow* Guarantee and secure your retirement* Find and profit from foreclosures before they are publicly listed* Sell and trade for maximum gain* Increase property value* Use owner financing to create opportunities* Obtain direct, legal tax cuts* Profit from conversions* Develop effective negotiation techniques, and much moreExcellent for beginners or experienced investors, Nothing Down for the 2000s is the key to generating low-risk, high-profit wealth and to a potential future of security and financial independence. About the Author Robert Allen is one of the most influential investment advisors of all time and has authored several bestselling personal finance books including Multiple Streams of Income, Nothing Down, Cracking the Millionaire Code, The One-Minute Millionaire: The Enlightened Way to Wealth (coauthored with Mark Victor Hansen), and Cash in a Flash: Fast Money in Slow Times (also coauthored with Mark Victor Hansen). Robert conducts a series of investment and personal development seminars through his company, Enlightened Wealth Institute. A popular talk-show guest, Robert Allen has appeared on hundreds of programs, including Good Morning America, Your World with Neil Cavuto, and Larry King Live. He has also been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Barron’s Money Magazine, and Reader’s Digest. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. INTRODUCTIONSecond ChanceThank you for reading the latest edition of Nothing Down. I was thirty-one years old when Simon & Schuster published the first edition of Nothing Down. Little did I know at the time that it would go on to become the all-time bestselling real estate investment book. It has sold well over a million copies and helped untold thousands buy their first home or investment property...and for hundreds, perhaps even thousands, earn their first million. (If youre one of those, please go to millionairehalloffame and log in your success story.) Although Ive updated the book to reflect current laws and tactics, the principles in this book are timeless. The following phrase is still as true:Dont wait to buy real estate. Buy real estate and wait.Real estate is the simplest, easiest, safest, shortest route to financial freedom. This is also as true today as it will be twenty-five years from now. If you want financial freedom, real estate will be a large part of your portfolio.Although these principles are timeless, you and I are n...

-Titulo Original : The Way Were Working Isnt Working The Four Forgotten Needs That Energize Great Performance-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: This book was previously titled, Be Excellent at Anything.The Way Were Working Isnt Working is one of those rare books with the power to profoundly transform the way we work and live. Demand is exceeding our capacity. The ethic of more, bigger, faster exacts a series of silent but pernicious costs at work, undermining our energy, focus, creativity, and passion. Nearly 75 percent of employees around the world feel disengaged at work every day. The Way Were Working Isnt Working offers a groundbreaking approach to reenergizing our lives so we’re both more satisfied and more productive-on the job and off. By integrating multidisciplinary findings from the science of high performance, Tony Schwartz, coauthor of the #1 bestselling The Power of Full Engagement, makes a persuasive case that we’re neglecting the four core needs that energize great performance: sustainability (physical); security (emotional); self-expression (mental); and significance (spiritual). Rather than running like computers at high speeds for long periods, we’re at our best when we pulse rhythmically between expending and regularly renewing energy across each of our four needs. Organizations undermine sustainable high performance by forever seeking to get more out of their people. Instead they should seek systematically to meet their four core needs so they’re freed, fueled, and inspired to bring the best of themselves to work every day. Drawing on extensive work with an extra-ordinary range of organizations, among them Google, Ford, Sony, Ernst & Young, Shell, IBM, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Cleveland Clinic, Schwartz creates a road map for a new way of working. At the individual level, he explains how we can build specific rituals into our daily schedules to balance intense effort with regular renewal; offset emotionally draining experiences with practices that fuel resilience; move between a narrow focus on urgent demands and more strategic, creative thinking; and balance a short-term focus on immediate results with a values-driven commitment to serving the greater good. At the organizational level, he outlines new policies, practices, and cultural messages that Schwartz’s client companies have adopted. The Way Were Working Isnt Working offers individuals, leaders, and organizations a highly practical, proven set of strategies to better manage the relentlessly rising demands we all face in an increasingly complex world. Review “Now, more than ever, we need a unified science of energy--what makes us work (and what doesnt.) [Schwartz]begins to unlock essential insights were going to need to get more done and feel better whilewere doing it.” -- Seth Godin, blogger and bestselling author of Linchpin“I’ve read dozens of books about leadership and management. What makes this book unique and essential is the integrated and comprehensive way it addresses the challenge of getting the best from people. At Zappos we deeply believe that truly meeting our employees’ needs is what inspires their great performance. [Be Excellent At Anything] lays out a compelling new workplace paradigm and a detailed roadmap for organizations, leaders and individuals seeking to gain true competitive advantage, even as the rules change every day.” -- Tony Hsieh, CEO Zappos “[Tony Schwartz]is essential reading for anyone who wants a more productive and meaningful life. It’s less a self-help book than a peer-reviewed survival manual for the modern age ...[He] provides a road map for how to take back control of our lives from our faster-better-more-techno-merry-go-round culture.” -- Arianna Huffington, The Huffington Post[Schwartz] takes a look at self-destructive behaviors that are common in the workplace, then gives a prescription for correcting each...entirely refreshing. The Wall Street JournalAn engaging, thorough, and authoritative manual for optimal performance and for a rewarding life. Tony Schwartz has done it aga...

-Titulo Original : Quality Of Earnings-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: From Simon & Schuster, Quality of Earnings is an investors guide to how much money a company is really making.From Thornton L. Oglove, Quality of Earnings is an indispensable guide to determining how much money a company is really making and for buying and selling stocks without making costly blunders. About the Author Thornton L. Oglove is the author of Quality of Earnings, a Simon & Schuster book...

-Titulo Original : Strategy Safari A Guided Tour Through The Wilds Of Strategic Management-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: Strategy Safari, the international bestseller on business strategy by leading management thinker Henry Mintzberg and his colleagues Bruce Ahlstrand and Joseph Lampel, is widely considered a classic work in the field.No other book synthesizes the entire history and evolution of strategic management in so lively and entertaining a fashion. Since the initial publication of Strategy Safari, managers, consultants, and academics all over the world have found this book an indispensable and delightful tool-it has been translated into more than ten languages, including Chinese, Russian, and French, and has been used in top MBA programs worldwide. Strategy Safari makes sense of a field that often seems to make no sense. Mintzberg, Ahlstrand, and Lampel pair their sweeping vision of strategy making with an authoritative catalog in which they identify ten schools of strategy that have emerged over the past four decades. Why struggle through the vast, confusing terrain of strategy formation? With clarity and depth, Strategy Safari maps the strategic landscape and facilitates intelligent, informed strategy formation. Review Read the book. Let Henry Mintzberg, Bruce Ahlstrand, and Joseph Lampel guide you on an enlightening and entertaining excursion through the field of strategy making. -- Lawrence Bennigson, Senior Fellow of the Executive Development Center of the Harvard Business SchoolStrategy Safari makes a convincing case for juggling several approaches at once. This book furnishes the complete tool set for every manager involved in strategy formation. -- Report on Business About the Author Henry Mintzberg is the author of several seminal books, including The Nature of Managerial Work, The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning, and Managers Not MBAs. He is Cleghorn Professor of Management Studies at McGill University.Joseph Lampel is Professor of Strategy at Cass Business School, at City University London. He is the co-editor of the fourth edition of The Strategy Process and of The Business of Culture: Strategic Perspectives in Media and Entertainment.Bruce Ahlstrand is a Professor at Trent University in Ontario. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Chapter One: AND OVER HERE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: THE STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT BEASTTHE BLIND MEN AND THE ELEPHANTby John Godfrey Saxe (1816-1887)It was six men of IndostanTo learning much inclined,Who went to see the Elephant(Though all of them were blind)That each by observationMight satisfy his mind.The First approached the Elephant,And happening to fallAgainst his broad and sturdy side,At once began to brawl:God bless me but the ElephantIs very like a wall.The Second, feeling of the tusk,Cried, Ho! What have we hereSo very round and smooth and sharp?To me tis mighty clearThis wonder of an ElephantIs very like a spear!The Third approached the animal,And happening to takeThe squirming trunk within his hands,Thus boldly up and spake:I see, quoth he, The ElephantIs very like a snake!The Fourth reached out an eager hand,And felt around the knee,What most this wondrous beast is likeIs mighty plain, quoth he;Tis clear enough the ElephantIs very like a tree!The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,Said: Een the blindest manCan tell what this resembles most;Deny the fact who can,This marvel of an ElephantIs very like a fan!The Sixth no sooner had begunAbout the beast to grope,Than, seizing on the swinging tail That fell within his scope,I see, quoth he, the Elephantis very like a rope!And so these men of IndostanDisputed loud and long,Each of his own opinionExceeding stiff and strong,Though each was partly in the right,And all were in the wrong!MoralSo oft in theologic wars,The disputants, I ween,Rail on in utter ignoranceOf what each other mean,And prate about an ElephantNot one of them has seen!We are the blind people and strategy formation is our elephant. Since no one has had the vision to see th...

-Titulo Original : Thinking In Time The Uses Of History For Decision-makers-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: “A convincing case that careful analysis of the history, issues, individuals, and institutions can lead to better decisions-in business as well as in government” (BusinessWeek).Two noted professors offer easily remembered rules for using history effectively in day-to-day management of governmental and corporate affairs to avoid costly blunders. “An illuminating guide to the use and abuse of history in affairs of state” (Arthur Schlesinger). About the Author Richard E. Neustadt is Douglas Dillon Professor of Government in the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. For three decades an advisor to presidents, their aides, and to members of the cabinet, he is the author of Alliance Politics and the influential study, Presidential Power...

-Titulo Original : Velocity Combining Lean, Six Sigma And The Theory Of Constraints To Achieve Breakthrough Performance - A Business Novel-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: Millions of readers remember The Goal, the landmark business novel that sets forth by way of story the essential principles of Eliyahu Goldratts innovative methods of production. Now, from the AGI-Goldratt Institute and Jeff Cox, the same creative writer who co-authored The Goal, comes VELOCITY, the book that reveals how to achieve outstanding bottom-line results by integrating the worlds three most powerful continuous improvement disciplines: Lean, Six Sigma, and Goldratts Theory of Constraints. Used by the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps to dramatically improve some of the most complex, logistically vast supply chains in the world, the VELOCITY APPROACH draws on the strengths of all three disciplines to deliver breakthrough performance gains. In physics, speed with direction is velocity; in business, the application of VELOCITY means your organization can achieve operational speed with strategic direction to outmaneuver competitors, gain loyalty with customers, and rapidly build sustainable earnings growth -- in as little as one or two business quarters. Dee Jacob and Suzan Bergland, two princi-pals of AGI, have been teaching the concepts, techniques, and tools of VELOCITY to major corporations, including Procter & Gamble, ITT, and Northrop Grumman, for years. Now they unlock the door for you to see how to apply their insights and methods to your organization -- be it business, not-for-profit, manufacturing, or service based -- in order to shorten lead times, slash inventories, reduce production variability, and increase sales. Writer Jeff Cox returns with the vivid, realistic style that made The Goal so readable yet so edifying. Thrust into the presidency of the subsidiary company where she has managed sales and marketing, Amy Cieolara is mandated by her corporate superiors to implement Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in order to appease a key customer. Assigned to help her is LSS Master Black Belt Wayne Reese, installed as her operations manager. But as time goes on and corporate pressure mounts, Amy finds she has to start thinking for herself -- and learning from everyone around her -- and she arrives at the series of steps that form the core of the VELOCITY APPROACH. VELOCITY offers keen insight into the human and organizational factors that so often derail growth while teaching you proven, practical techniques for restarting and revving up the internal engines of your company to reach new levels of success. Colorful characters, believable situations, and everything from dice games to AGIs reality tree techniques make this business novel a vital resource for everyone seeking to deliver business improvement in these challenging economic times -- and far into the future. About the Author Dee Jacob is the president of AGI-Goldratt Institute, which is based in New Haven, CT. She is a key innovator in the development of the Theory of Constraints and of the velocity approach. Jacob teaches at the AGI Jonah Program and Thinking Process courses. Before joining AGI, Jacob was a manager with Procter & Gamble where she integrated TOC and LSS techniques.Suzan Bergland is a partner of AGI and president of its North American Group. She is an expert in the velocity approach integrating TOC and LSS. She is a founder and member of The Theory of Constraints International Certification Organization (TOCICO), and also holds membership to the Association for Operations Management and the American Society for Quality.Jeff Cox is the co-author or author of seven works of business fiction, which include The Goal, Zapp, The Quadrant Solution, Heroz, The Venture, Selling the Wheel and The Cure. Both Zapp and The Goal ranked first and second, respectively, on a list of bestselling business books from the 1990s. Jeff and his family live near Pittsburgh, PA. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. VELOCITY 1 The news spread by way of hushed murmurs in hallways, muf...

-Titulo Original : The Leaders Companion Insights On Leadership Through The Ages-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: This book serves as a guided introduction to the richly diverse perspectives on leadership throughout the ages and throughout the world.Each of the selections, introduced by the editor, presents enlightening thoughts on a different aspect of leadership. Writings by Plato, Aristotle, Lao-tzu and others demonstrate that the challenges of leadership are as old as civilization. Machiavelli, Tolstoy, Ghandi, and W.E.B. Du Bois provide a wide range of insights into the eternal practice and problems of leadership. Modern masters of leadership such as James MacGregor Burns, John Kotter, and Warren Bennis join such leading practitioners as Max De Pree and Roger B. Smith in discussing contemporary issues in leadership theory and practice. About the Author J. Thomas Wren teaches at the University of Richmond’s Jepson School of Leadership Studies. He lives in Richmond, Virginia. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Chapter 1The Cry for LeadershipJohn W. GardnerJohn Gardner has served six presidents of the United States in various leadership capacities. He was Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, founding chairman of Common Cause, co-founder of the Independent Sector, chairman of the National Coalition, and president of the Carnegie Corporation and Foundation. He is currently the Miriam and Peter Haas Centennial Professor at Stanford Business School.Why do we not have better leadership? The question is asked over and over. We complain, express our disappointment, often our outrage; but no answer emerges.When we ask a question countless times and arrive at no answer, it is possible that we are asking the wrong question -- or that we have misconceived the terms of the query. Another possibility is that it is not a question at all but simply convenient shorthand to express deep and complex anxieties. It would strike most of our contemporaries as old-fashioned to cry out, What shall we do to be saved? And it would be time-consuming to express fully our concerns about the social disintegration, the moral disorientation, and the spinning compass needle of our time. So we cry out for leadership.To some extent the conventional views of leadership are shallow, and set us up for endless disappointment. There is an element of wanting to be rescued, of wanting a parental figure who will set all things right. Such fantasies for grown-up children should not lead us to dismiss the need for leaders nor the insistent popular expression of that need. A great many people who are not given to juvenile fantasies want leaders -- leaders who are exemplary, who inspire, who stand for something, who help us set and achieve goals.Unfortunately, in popular thinking on the subject, the mature need and the childlike fantasies interweave. One of [my] tasks...is to untangle them, and to sketch what is realistically possible.Leadership is such a gripping subject that once it is given center stage it draws attention away from everything else. But attention to leadership alone is sterile -- and inappropriate. The larger topic of which leadership is a subtopic is the accomplishment of group purpose, which is furthered not only by effective leaders but also by innovators, entrepreneurs and thinkers; by the availability of resources; by questions of morale and social cohesion; and by much else that I discuss....It is not my purpose to deal with either leadership or its related subjects comprehensively. I hope to illuminate aspects of the subject that may be of use in facing our present dilemmas -- as a society and as a species.The Issues Behind the IssuesWe are faced with immensely threatening problems -- terrorism, AIDS, drugs, depletion of the ozone layer, the threat of nuclear conflict, toxic waste, the real possibility of economic disaster. Even moderately informed citizens could extend the list. Yet on none of the items listed does our response acknowledge the manifest urgency of the problem. We g...

-Titulo Original : The Nature Of Technology What It Is And How It Evolves-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: “More than anything else technology creates our world. It creates our wealth, our economy, our very way of being,” says W. Brian Arthur. Yet despite technology’s irrefutable importance in our daily lives, until now its major questions have gone unanswered. Where do new technologies come from? What constitutes innovation, and how is it achieved? Does technology, like biological life, evolve? In this groundbreaking work, pioneering technology thinker and economist W. Brian Arthur answers these questions and more, setting forth a boldly original way of thinking about technology. The Nature of Technology is an elegant and powerful theory of technology’s origins and evolution. Achieving for the development of technology what Thomas Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions did for scientific progress, Arthur explains how transformative new technologies arise and how innovation really works. Drawing on a wealth of examples, from historical inventions to the high-tech wonders of today, Arthur takes us on a mind-opening journey that will change the way we think about technology and how it structures our lives. The Nature of Technology is a classic for our times. Review “…enlightening and stimulating, enhanced by a remarkable diversity of historical examples…The book invites comparison to work by Thomas Kuhn…Economists, social scientists, engineers and scientists all may come to regard it as a landmark.” -Science “Provocative and engaging...Arthur’s theory captures many well-known features of technological change [and] also answers interesting questions.”-Nature“…reframes the relationship between science and technology as part of an effort to come up with a comprehensive theory of innovation… Dr. Arthur is bold in his reassessment of the role of technology in science.” -The New York Times About the Author W. Brian Arthur is an External Professor at the Santa Fe Institute and a Visiting Researcher at PARC (Palo Alto Research Center). Formerly he was Morrison Professor of Economics and Population Studies at Stanford University. One of the pioneers of complexity theory, he also formulated the influential “theory of increasing returns,” which offered a paradigm-changing explanation of why some high-tech companies achieve breakaway success. Former director of PARC John Seeley Brown has said of him, “Hundreds of millions of dollars slosh around Silicon Valley every day based on Arthur’s ideas.” Arthur is the recipient of the International Schumpeter Prize in Economics, and the inaugural Lagrange Prize in Complexity Science. He lives in Palo Alto, California...

-Titulo Original : True Professionalism The Courage To Care About Your People, Your Clients, And Your Career-Fabricante : Free Press-Descripcion Original: David Maister, the worlds premier consultant to professional service firms, vigorously challenges professionals to examine this essential, yet under-addressed question: What is true professionalism?Professional firms are forever trying to get their people to act like professionals-to do the right things. Though their various incentives may create employee compliance, these dont often encourage excellence. His answer is clear: It is believing passionately in what you do, never compromising your standards and values, and caring about your clients, your people and your own career. In clear and compelling terms, Maister shows that this approach is not only ethical but also conducive to commercial success. Review Thomas J. Tierney Worldwide Managing Director, Bain & Company Insightful, entertaining and useful! Maisters work bridges the gap between theory and practice; grounded in conceptual bedrock, it offers practical Monday morning advice for anyone involved in managing a professional service firm.John Harvey Chairman, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Australia David Maister is the guru of professional services. A routine reading of Maister?s lessons is good religion for all practice managers.James M. Kouzes Coauthor of The Leadership Challenge and Credibility True Professionalism is pure gold. You?ll be able to mine this rich vein for your entire career and always discover another nugget.Adrian Martin Managing Partner, BDO Stoy Hayward UK Maister is not for the fainthearted. If you are not prepared to ask the tough questions about your business, don?t open this book! ?Tom Watson Vice Chairman, Omnicom Group, Inc. Maister?s ideas are applicable in a wide range of professional businesses and are equally valid for small firms or large. This book speaks to the professional in all of us.Martin Sorrell Chairman, WPP Group plc Provocative, controversial and stimulating, Maister challenges traditional thinking and provides new insights on a wide range of important issues.A. W. (Pete) Smith, Jr. President & CEO, Watson Wyatt Worldwide David Maister has a keen awareness of what creates success in professional service firms and a clear way of communicating ideas that truly make a difference.John M. Westcott, Jr. Assistant Managing Partner, Hale & Dorr, Boston Maister in print, like Maister in person, is animated, entertaining and insightful. He always leaves the reader with food for further thought.Robert M. Heller Kramer, Levin, Naftalis & Frankel David Maister is a walking oxymoron, a practical visionary whose thoughtful analysis of the professional service firm is must-reading for anyone trying to lead, manage or survive in one. If you need help getting your prima donnas to sing like a chorus, read this book -- better yet, ask them to.Fergus Ryan Managing Partner, Arthur Andersen, Australia David Maister?s knowledge of professional services is second to none. About the Author David H. Maister, one of the worlds leading authorities on the management of professional service firms, is the author of several successful books, including Managing the Professional Service Firm, True Professionalism, and Practice What You Preach, and coauthor of The Trusted Advisor. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Chapter 1REAL PROFESSIONALISMI frequently ask professionals what they consider to be the difference between a good secretary and a great secretary. The answers flow freely. Great secretaries, I am told:* Take pride in their work, and show a personal commitment to quality* Reach out for responsibility* Anticipate, and dont wait to be told what to do -- they show initiative* Do whatever it takes to get the job done* Get involved and dont just stick to their assigned role* Are always looking for ways to make things easier for those they serve* Are eager to learn as much as they can about the business of those they serve* Really listen to the needs of those they serve* Learn to...