Book Description
The best organizations have the best talent. . . Financial incentives drive company performance. . . Firms must change or die.
Popular axioms like these drive business decisions every day. Yet too much common management “wisdom” isn’t wise at all—but, instead, flawed knowledge based on “best practices” that are actually poor, incomplete, or outright obsolete. Worse, legions of managers use this dubious knowledge to make decisions that are hazardous to organizational health.
This practical and candid book challenges leaders to commit to evidence-based management as a way of organizational life – and shows how to finally turn this common sense into common practice.
Customer Reviews:
No 'one size fits all' solutions here.......2007-08-21
In this well written book, Stanford Professors Pfeffer and Sutton demonstrate the dangers of copying others, blindly applying conventional wisdom, or accepting ideologically based fables without understanding how the underlying human behavioral principles and fundamentals apply to the situation at hand. It asks us to look at the underlying assumptions about how people think and operate - are people really motivated only by the stick or the carrot? Is the relational model for the `rest of life' really different than the relational model for our `work life'? If neither assumption is a fundamental truth, should we be using policies and practices that make these assumptions?
It encourages leaders and organizations to constantly `be in learning' rather than looking for `the answer' in a best practice book or seminar. Simply put, `copy & paste' of someone else's answer is seldom, if ever, your answer on a performance improvement test. If you are thinking that evidence-based management means, "show me who is using this practice", or "show me where this policy is working"; read the entire book. What at first sounds like a declaration that only statistically proven, historical practices should be accepted as the basis for future practices is in itself a dangerous half-truth that will limit the future to a repeat of the past. Hard Facts is recommended for leaders who will read the book in its entirety. Dennis DeWilde, author of "The Performance Connection"
A balanced, practical look at management "beliefs"..........2007-07-12
Pfeffer and Sutton take a hard look at a few management beliefs that have seemed universally accepted in one form or another. Of the ones presented, I have heard and read the most about 1) best organizations have the best people, 2) strategy is destiny, and 3) change or die. The authors have done a very good job at showing that some beliefs are not always true under all circumstances and, in fact, quite often false or at least "half-truths". I also found the financial incentives chapter particularly compelling as it seems that a more balanced reward system is better for most companies in the long run.
I found most of the advice for handling these beliefs to be very sound although a recurring theme is just take a step back, look at hard evidence, and not necessarily follow "the crowd". This book would be best appreciated and most easily "implemented" by executive management but is also a very interesting read for anyone who wants to build out their general management knowledge. Overall, a pretty insightful and practical read.
Finally ... A Management Book Worth Reading.......2007-07-09
The problem with the puffed up, presumptuous world of management literature and reasearch is that it is neither. Most books are an appalling mixture of presumed truths, mishmashed ideas set up, many times as a "science." In fact it Management is much more a dismal art than Economics ever was a dismal science.
But now enter the duo who wrote this book... the true essence of the book could be:
1) lesson of wisdom... wisdom in the Platonic sense -- knowing what you do not know and being smart enought to admit when you do not know and brave enought to continue on using;
2) evidence-based management. This means empirical management, hard facts, not preconcieved notions of how the world is or should work.
Evidence-based management is based upon a scientific approach and this book take evidence-based medicine as its template for how to arrange business. In evidence-based management there is no immutable truth -- science and the socratic method of inquiry mean that the playing field is level. Poeple are able to challenge preconceived ideas, but they must also be willing to submit their ideas to the scrutiny of analyse. Pfeffer et al, give good examples of preconcieved ideas that are either not true or half-baked. Incentive pay is one -- it works in simple, non-dependent environments where individuals control results. It does NOT work in highly structured environments where results depend upon complex interactions with others... ie. Cold-callers should be incentivised by pay-for-performance, but doctors and teachers clearly should not -- and all the imperical evidence supports the above assertion.
So why do people have such a knee-jerk reaction and assume that everyone only needs to be incentivised to spur them ever onwards to better results...? Pfeffer et al, suggest that it is popular culture and sort of presumed ideological supposition that is never challenged.
Other ideas challenged in this book by Evidence-based Management tecniques are:
STRATEGY: Its nowhere near as important as knowing what to do. In fact concentrating only on strategy is most often wrong. What is much more necessary is having a process to implement changes little by little.
LEADERS: Not as important as billed. Change at the top has almost no correlation with corporate performance. Leadership does matter to a degree, but not as much as good systems of work. Here again is the banal overwhelmed by the sexy presumption that someone who is in power of a company must "actually control results" -- as Pfeffer et al show... they clearly do not. Good process, good middle line managers who implement well and who know and listen to process management determine which companies will succeed more than good leaders.
This book was one of the few management tomes that I actually looked forward to reading when I picked it up. I have already ordered "The Knowing-Doing Gap." A very refreshing change and real wisdom for a wretched genre.
Find your company in this book and squirm.......2007-06-19
This excellent book lays out why and how companies fail to drive their business based on evidence, and instead "miracle cure" advice and personal reactions - largely to the detriment of everyone involved. The book quickly lays out why you should take an evidence-based approach and some guidelines on how. The meat of the book comes in chapters on various half-truths that are dangerous in terms of managing people and organizations:
- Is work fundamentally different from the rest of life and should it be
- Do the best organizations have the best people
- Do financial incentives drive company performance
- Is strategy destiny?
- Is it change or die
- Are great leaders in control of their companies (and should the be)?
They wrap up with a call for evidence-based management. The book is well-written, funny in many places and slightly depressing (if you don't see yourself or your company in any of the "how not to" stories I will be astonished) but very worthwhile. Some of my favorite quotes include:
"If doctor's practiced medicine the way many companies practice management, there would be far more sick and dead patients, and many more doctor's would be in jail"
"If you think you have a new idea, you are wrong. Someone problably already had it. This idea isn't original either; I stole it from someone else
Sutton's Law"
"Treat your business as an unfinished prototype"
"No brag, just facts"
In particular they recommend making sure you have identifed cause and effect when considering past successes, taking account of changing circumstances and establishing why something was effective before adopting it. They emphasize the importance of attacking assumptions and establishing which are pre-conditions for success. The book lays out plenty of evidence on the importance of narrow testing of new ideas before rolling them out, especially in ways analogous to the double-blind study used in medicine. They discuss the importance not of individual leaders being great but of them building a structure within which people can be successful (think Toyota) and they conclude by reminding us that wisdom is knowing what you know and what you don't know while still acting on the best available data and being willing to change as new data becomes available.
I would also recommend three other books I have reviewed recently:
Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning
Tom Davenport's book shows one aspect of evidence-based management - driving company behavior with analytics - and uses some of the same examples (Harrah's, for one)
Making Robust Decisions: Decision Management For Technical, Business, & Service Teams
David Ullman's book is a great discussion of decision-making in the face of uncertainty, a key skill in evidence-based management
The Halo Effect: ... and the Eight Other Business Delusions That Deceive Managers
Phil Rosenzweig's book disses many of the same business trend half-truths with even more wit than this one. If you are cynical about fix-everything-with-technique-X books, and you probably should be, this is a great book
Lastly if you are more technically minded and enjoy this book, you might enjoy the one I have just finished:Smart Enough Systems: How to Deliver Competitive Advantage by Automating Hidden Decisions
Hard to Believe.......2007-06-04
Pfeffer & Sutton's book is all about how bias and incorrect "common sense" can lead us astray in making management decisions. They show how a great deal of what passes as business management advice is just not all that good. In fact, some of it is, as the title says, total nonsense.
That said, it was far less of a book than I wanted it to be. The title, you see, has this really bold lettering for HARD FACTS. In smaller type underneath is the rest of the title. In fact, on my copy the Total Nonsense is in bigger type than the Half-Truths part (the latter even being gray on a black background). Yet, as I read the book, I kept looking for the HARD FACTS and found a lot of references to Half-Truths. The basic premise seems to be that while most advice is correct in some settings, it is only when it is taken as truth for all time that it becomes dangerous.
I wanted graph after graph of facts from all the studies people mention but never put into digestible form. I wanted to get the translation of management studies into facts that I can use. However, what I did get was basic management book stylistic convention: assertion of some truth followed by an example from one of seven (plus or minus two) case studies. Not that this is all bad, far from it. But it seemed sad given the large HARD FACTS on the top. In fact, I find the convention easy reading. But it doesn't really give me the HARD FACTS. I guess I would have to go into the footnotes (ugh), read all the studies mentioned (ugh, ugh), and then draw the graphs, charts, and summaries (ugh, ugh, ugh). That is what I thought this book would do and doesn't.
So I think it becomes another interesting book that will be put aside for another interesting book in about five months. Are there good insights? Sure. Do I trust all their sources? I don't know why I should since they never explain why they do (the "lots of studies" logic). So maybe they are right, but it is hard to believe.
Average customer rating:
- How many lives does Anna have for crying out loud?
- Always Good Value
- EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING!!!
- The Best of Barr, Below the Bar
- Page-Turner, Scary, Strong women, and hard truths...
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Hard Truth (Anna Pigeon Mysteries)
Nevada Barr
Manufacturer: Berkley
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ASIN: 0425208419 |
Amazon.com
Ranger Anna Pigeon, Nevada Barr's series heroine (High Country, Flashback), meets her match in this engrossing new thriller set in Rocky Mountain National Park. Heath Jarrod is a climber now confined to a wheelchair after an accident that left her crippled, angry and depressed: "For a few months after the fall, she'd played Christopher Reeve, pretending to be as optimistic, as cheerful, but she was a lousy actor and ... she'd rung down the curtain. The first of many curtains." But there's a second act in her future that begins when two terrified, half-naked little girls stumble out of the woods and into Heath's "handicamp"--they've been missing for weeks, but are too traumatized to tell Heath and then Anna where they've been, or what happened to the third girl who disappeared with them. Beth, the younger, wins Heath's heart; with Anna, she pursues an investigation that leads to a bizarre, quasi-religious cult that's set up its headquarters just outside the park's boundaries, and the youth group leader who'd taken the girls into the wilderness and returned without them. Is Robert Proffit the gentle, spiritual man Anna's seasonal law enforcement agent Rita Perry thinks he is, or a twisted rapist and probable killer whose prayers for the innocent girls in his charge mask his evil nature?
The mysteries keep piling on, as one gruesome discovery leads to another, and Heath begins to realize that even though she's lost the use of her legs, the same tenacity that made her one of the world's leading mountaineers has even more rewarding summits to achieve. Barr builds the suspense skillfully and drives the narrative to a bloody, violent, and unexpected conclusion in one of her best mysteries to date. --Jane Adams
Book Description
Just days after marrying Sheriff Paul Davidson, Anna Pigeon moves to Colorado to assume her new post as district ranger at Rocky Mountain National Park. When two of three children who'd gone missing from a religious retreat reappear, Anna's investigation brings her face-to-face with a paranoid sect--and with a villain so evil, he'll make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end
Download Description
Just days after marrying Sheriff Paul Davidson, Anna Pigeon moves to Colorado to assume her new post as district ranger at Rocky Mountain National Park. When two of three children who'd gone missing from a religious retreat reappear, Anna's investigation brings her face-to-face with a paranoid sect--and with a villain so evil, he'll make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end
Customer Reviews:
How many lives does Anna have for crying out loud?.......2007-09-22
OK, this isn't a spoiler because anyone who reads Anna Pigeon mysteries (mystery? I wouldn't call this a mystery) knows she has to survive. But she's getting close to 50. How much can one woman take in one book?!! I had to abandon my suspension of disbelief after a few of these incidents. Anna would have to be the bionic woman to have survived all she survived in this book. And I agree with the last reviewer. I'll stay away from more Nevada Barr books labelled as thrillers. I liked them better when they were mysteries.
Always Good Value.......2007-07-31
An Anna Pigeon mystery is always a great read, and engages me from the start to the finish. I can count on a cleverly hidden villain, some narrow escapes, and well placed red herrings. There is less of Anna's personal story in this book than in most, but she remains a terrific character. As always, there are several lines in the book that made me laugh out loud---one reason I never miss a new Nevada Barr.
EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING!!!.......2007-07-16
I have read and purchased and enjoyed all the Nevada Barr books...until now. I loved all of her other mysteries and will probably try at least one more, but if the next one is anything like this one that'll be all for me. I have kept her previous books in order to enjoy them again. I gave "Hard Truth" away to someone who likes horror stories and stories with child abuse. Please Ms. Barr, come back to the light.
The Best of Barr, Below the Bar.......2007-06-28
Wow. This novel showed incredible insight into the life of a recent paraplegic named Heath. The whole beginning with the HandiCamp, the realization that redemption can come by discovering one's vital purpose after months of frightening and at the same time boring aimlessness, the anger, the "I share your pain, or a least I used to, " is pure Barr brilliance, empathy, wit.
Then.....60+ pages of Skinner-esque Behavior Modification for Evil, Torture, Child abuse, training children to behave and bark like dogs. Why? Why descend to the Hannibal the Cannibal style entertainment? Who wrote this part of the book and why did they need this catharsis? It must have been an overzealous editor, while Barr was locked in a closet, being tortured until she agreed to "author" this part of the book.
But wait, there's more....the David Koresh compound with polygamy, child molestation, etc...... Nothing new here, just a re-tread of a titillating, disgusting egomaniac.
Barr has done gripping work in Anna's journey as an Atheist/Seeker/Doubter, her recognition of life as a racial minority, or a gay or lesbian minority is compassionate and articulate. No one is writing fiction that addresses these thorny issues and her work is ground breaking and believable. This journey has led hercharacter into marrying a minister, for goodness' sake. Why is she suddenly, emotionally, reverting 10 years back? There is no remembered conversations or discussions with her new husband. That just doesn't seem natural. Paul seems to have literally dissolved in these last two books.
I know people, especially children, get raped everyday. But creating a goofy serial killer without an apparent motive, and yet another Mormon faction, would be silly, if it weren't so scary. Ugh. I had to skim most of this part. Having a family member who was raped left me no desire to read about it for amusement.
I DID THINK that Barr's "SEEKING ENLIGHTENMENT, HAT BY HAT" IS A DEFINITE RE-READ (NON FICTION). But I'll stay away from the pulp fiction for awhile, without a serious read of the online reviews first.
When Barr starts writing ALL of her mysteries again, I'll start reading them again!
Page-Turner, Scary, Strong women, and hard truths..........2007-05-17
This was my second Nevada Barr novel. I don't usually read mysteries, however, I read Nevada Barr's Deep South book as the Natches Trace Parkway setting interested me. In both Deep South and Hard Truth, I like the portrayal of the main character, Anna Pidgeon. I like the settings. I agree with the character's opinions and viewpoints. Hard Truth was harsh, but riveting. I put off chores etc to find out what happened next. I had to review it to bump the star rating. In it's genre, this is a great read!
Average customer rating:
- truth novels
- Gripping Thriller Without Gore
- Not Hard Enough
- Better than the first one
- Not Impressed
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Hard Truth: A Novel
Mariah Stewart
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
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ASIN: 0345476670
Release Date: 2005-09-27 |
Book Description
TELL THE TRUTH AND SHAME THE DEVIL
Two children who mysteriously disappeared twenty-one years ago are the last thing on Lorna Temple’s mind when she returns to her Pennsylvania hometown to sell the old family property in the wake of her parents’ passing. But instead of memories, the fields where Lorna grew up yield something utterly chilling.
All those years ago, when nine-year-old Melinda Eagan vanished on her birthday, her foulmouthed older brother, Jason, quickly became the lone suspect. Yet when he went missing, too, the case turned cold. But Jason, it seems, never got far: His bones have been moldering on the Temples’ land for two decades. As far as the local police are concerned, the book is closed on Melinda’s murder–and Jason’s death is justice served. But Lorna refuses to let the dead rest uneasily. She turns to private eye T. J. Dawson to dig up the dirt of the past and see what lies beneath. Only there’s someone out there who hasn’t forgotten–and who won’t be the least bit forgiving about being exposed as a killer.
In matters of crime, there are many versions of the truth.
Customer Reviews:
truth novels.......2007-02-06
Love this series! Has a little bit of romance while solving the mystery.
Gripping Thriller Without Gore .......2006-11-26
The second of four books in Stewart's Truth series, this book also stands alone. I started in the wrong order and began with Dark Truth first, so reading parts of this book felt like I could forsee where a sub-plot is going, but it doesn't take away from the greatness of the book at all.
I hope people don't pigeonhole this book as romantic-suspense, in case anyone is prejudiced that way. Stewart started out as a romance writer and has now broken out of the genre, which is good for us and for her -- her romances didn't seem that memorable.
The protagonist is a 30-something CPA coming back home to take care of the family farm house after her mom's passing. What she thought was gonna be a short but sentimental trip turned out to be an adventure, after real estate developers uncovered a dead body in the field. It only gets better from there, I don't want to spoil it for anyone who's reading, you'll see that the plot gets pretty prurient very fast. The characters are fun, the dialogue believable (down to the accent), the plotting is impeccable. A total keeper book for me.
Not Hard Enough.......2006-03-17
The story starts promisingly enough, with Lorna returning to her home after her mother dies to sell the family home which she and her siblings agree they can't keep. Instead, a dead body is discovered, which dredges up her memories of a friend who disappeared, because it's the brother's body which has been found. More bodies are unearthed, which promises an intriguing mystery, especially after she hires hunky PI T.J. to investigate.
Sadly, the story fizzles out after that. Especially after Lorna is joined by her friend Regan and her romantic interest Mitch. It becomes more Nancy Drew-ish rather than a hard-hitting thriller. Romance is hinted at but is so restrained it becomes boring. The story becomes simplistic and the conclusion is unconvincing. Disappointing considering that I really enjoyed Mariah Stewart's previous trilogy -- Dead Certain, Dead Wrong, Dead Even, which was more hard hitting and less amateurish.
Better than the first one.......2006-01-12
As the second book in the Truth Series, I did not find it important to have read the first. It started off a bit slow with little mystery in the beginning, but got better as you read.
Be cautious when reading the description of this book taken from the back cover. Some of the information is incorrect or misleading.
Lorna Stiles is the main character in Hard Truth. When she was nine years old, her best friend mysteriously disappeared. The girl's brother was the police's main suspect who also vanished weeks after the disappearance. Now, twenty five years later, the brother's remains are uncovered on Lorna's old land along with a number of unknown bodies. As Lorna seeks answers to what really happened all those years ago, she hires a private eye and former FBI profiler from John Mancini's crew in the Dead Series.
Also returning to the story line is Lorna's old friend Regan Landry and her FBI friend Mitch Peyton from the first book. Their story continues. The four friends must now unravel the mystery and find the killer. However, a confliction in the witnesses stories and the police reports may just be the key to solving the murders.
I actually enjoyed this story a little more than the first novel. After I finally got into the story it held my attention until the very end.
Is it worth buying? Yes, I think so. Although it is good as a stand alone story, readers who do not read the whole series may be disappointed with the comments leading into the next book. I recommend buying the set only to get the full effect of the characters involvement, but note that this particular series of novels are purely fiction and actually have very little in depth emotion to the characters. That is probably the biggest downfall to this line of books.
Not Impressed.......2005-12-08
I am an avid reader and I am not sure what to make of the other individuals' assessments of this novel. I gave it 2 stars because the writing wasn't horible, but I did not see any development in the characters or any compelling reason to become engaged in the story.
Written almost entirely from Lorna's perspective (with the exception of about 5 pages), readers are unable to see any internal dimensions to the other characters. Even when written from Lorna's perspective, there are no clear dimensions to her character either. There were attempts to provide depth to personalities, but, in my opinion, ultimately failed. Instead, I found myself unable to really care what happened to the members of the story. Most people want characters who maintain a level of complexity, whose stories evoke some sort of emotional response. These characters provided none of these things.
If you want to read a romantic suspense with no romance or suspense in it, then this is a perfect choice. Even knowing this, I wouldn't get my hopes up. Try a Nora Roberts, Suzanne Brockmann or a Tami Hoag for characters with depth and a story that compells you to not put the book down. This book just wasn't it.
Product Description
Meticulously researched and artfully crafted, "The Hard Truth About Soft-Selling" reveals a profession that has lost its wayþu and, maybe its mind. Are salespeople being reduced to little more than professional visitors? Authors Dudley and Tanner offer a thoughtful and challenging counterpoint to the soft selling craze, and convincingly remind salespeople everywhere what it means to sell with honor, pride and intention.
Customer Reviews:
So Much More Than a Sales Book!.......2006-09-27
This book is about so much more than selling. The authors use a funny, irreverent style, and story after story to illustrate their points about what makes selling so hard, but good salespeople so valuable. Dr. Tanner is an academic but, other than the lapidary research statistics included in the book as fodder for the authors' claims, the writing style and examples are anything but academic. As a CRM consultant, I'm often vexed by the time spent de-constructing why companies can't compete. This book emphasizes the people issues, and takes on the well-worn sales shibboleths that have ultimately impeded so many corporate strategies. Kudos to Tanner and Dudley for getting it right, and being so original in the process.
A must for any salesperson striving to stay on the cutting edge of their career path........2006-08-12
Internationally noted behavioral scientist George Dudley and Associate Dean of Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business present The Hard Truth About Soft-Selling: Restoring Pride & Purpose to the Sales Profession, a discussion of the latest trend in "soft-selling", and how modern salespeople are often told they must present themselves as "advisors" or "consultants" while remaining accountable for closed sales same as always. Chapters discuss the lexicon of soft-selling; the many types of selling styles; sales training across cultures; how to sell with "radical honesty"; and much more. Written in terms easily accessible to novice and veteran salespeople alike, The Hard Truth About Soft-Selling is a must for any salesperson striving to stay on the cutting edge of their career path.
Read and Apply This Book and Be Wary of the Hard Sell about Soft Selling.......2006-07-06
The most popular kind of packaged training program bought in corporate America is for sales people. There's a dirty secret though: Those sales training programs are more likely to hurt sales performance than improve it. If you buy such training programs, sit through them or have to deal with their aftermath as sales droop, you owe it to yourself to read The Hard Truth about Soft-Selling.
What is soft selling? The authors lump together a broad variety of styles that have in common " . . . a client-centered approach to sales in which the primary role of the seller is to create an atmosphere of trust and cooperation which enables the consumer to reach an informed buying decision free from pressure or manipulation." Anyone who has ever been made acutely uncomfortable by an aggressive, hard-sell sales person probably wishes that such people could be banned. Since we've all had that experience, that's probably one of the sources of the search for a kinder, gentler side to selling.
But that search hasn't yet paid off, as this book documents. That's the bottom line for this book.
If you are pressed for time, I suggest you begin reading on page 154 and continue through page 161. Everything you need to know is there. If you want more detail on any point, you can use the excellent index and thorough list of references to answer your questions.
I've met hundreds of trainers and people who design training course. Within those groups, rarely have I found anyone who is interested in using experimental techniques to identify best practices, improve on those practices and help people learn how to master better methods. Instead, these are people who feel good with the material they are presenting and evangelize based on faith in the "logic" or "ethics" of their approach. The people who buy training courses usually buy on the same basis. They don't bother to check out the track record of a course . . . but rather look to the feel good qualities and techniques for keeping people awake.
Few new methods can be learned and employed successfully with less than 30 days of continual reinforcement. The typical sales training course is less than a week. That's the good news. People don't learn too many bad habits through adopting soft selling. But apparently, they do learn to be less aggressive . . . and that's what hurts sales after sales training.
The authors also point out that many sales people are demoralized. They know their profession has low public esteem. They are also afraid of offending people. So when asked to change, they assume that they should . . . in the absence of any compelling evidence that this will improve matters.
Beginning on page 156 the authors propose practical ways that sales people can improve their performance. It's good advice. I recommend you follow their suggestions whether you are a sales person or a sales manager. Beginning on page 159 there's good advice on how to find a potentially beneficial sales training program and books that will teach helpful skills. I was particularly pleased to see that this book comes down hard on unethical selling . . . regardless of the style in which the bad behavior is couched.
To me, the most amusing part of the book comes where the authors point out that most soft-sell authors, writers of sales training programs and sales people for soft-selling training use hard-sell techniques.
These days almost every job has some elements of sales in it. I was intrigued by the research reported about bad selling habits that soft-selling approaches can encourage: becoming reluctant to canvass for leads; investing time in "upgrading" presentations rather than going to meet with prospects; over preparation for meetings; and becoming rigid in how sales calls and contacts are handled. In over thirty years of supervising people who have performed in various sales roles for me, I've seen all those bad habits in action. The only thing those with these bad habits have had in common is that anyone with these habits never amounted to a hill of beans as a sales person. I've also found that I could never persuade a sales person with one of those bad habits to change to better habits. My best sales people have always been the most uninhibited, friendly people who enjoyed meeting others and firmly believed that we wouldn't sell anybody anything unless it would do the person a lot of good.
Read The Hard Truth and get your sales life back.......2006-07-06
Reading The Hard Truth is like taking a cool shower. Its' two most powerful messages are that salespeople don't have to sell the way the gurus say to sell and that how you chose to sell doesn't have anything to say about how ethical you are. The authors say that is question about honor, not selling style.
This book needs to be read by everyone in sales trying to resist being forced into a mold. It might make you mad. Parts of the Hard Truth will sting sales big shots telling everybody else what to do. Salespeople will laugh out loud because every salesperson who has ever been made to sit through training classes taught by the likes of big headed frauds like Rev. Dr. Reginald David Barfkon will instantly connect with the Hard Truth About Soft Selling. The chapter called the final irony at the end whacked me with something I never realized. Their revelation about soft selling and the big guns that sell it packed a jolt that opened my eyes forever. I will never listen in the same gullible way again to so called sales experts telling me what I have to do to succeed in sales. If you are in sales you need to read this book and get your sales life back.
WOW - What a ride!.......2006-06-17
The Hard Truth About Soft-Selling is phenomenal. The research is so thorough; the message is clear; and (if you'll forgive my wording) it creates a paradigm shift in thinking. Also, I got such a kick out of reading it - it was dripping with unique humor, metaphors and writing style, which made me read it more slowly to savor the experience. I loved how the authors backed up statements with so many quotations from soft-sell gurus. What's more, "the hard truth" about soft-selling will surprise you.
Every salesperson and sales manager should read this book regardless of their sales processes - it will change thinking and provide clear vision for better decisions. It could, in fact, change our industry in very positive and flexible ways.
Product Description
Give someone a lift! Following a series of misadventures trying to get to Nauvoo on an airplane with several nieces and nephews, Sheri Dew writes that she was ready to scrap the trip and just go home. A simple statement by her niece restored her perspective: "Aunt Sheri, if life were easy, it wouldn't be hard." The fact is, life is hard-but that's okay. If we learn to turn to the Lord, he can make our burdens light. Distinguishing between burdens (the stuff mortality throws at us) and baggage (the junk we elect to pick up on our own) can help ease our way. So can a correct understanding of basic principles like charity and chastity. This road map to some basic truths about life will make you feel better-even on hard days!
Customer Reviews:
A short, easy read that will brighen your day!.......2007-07-18
This is the only book I have read from this author, but I was pleasantly surprised. My wife loves this book and I passed it off as a girly book. I found Sheri to be not only thought-provoking, but very genuine.
This is one of my top five favorite books. It changed my thinking about alot of things in my life. I particularly enjoyed the following excerpts within the book:
"Our mortal experience is designed to test what we really care about, what we really believe, what we really want to become, and how we really feel about our Father and His Son." Quoting Thomas Paine, "...the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly." "When we cast our burden upon the Lord, He sustains us either by helping us carry the burden or by ridding us of it entirely." There are many, many, more. This is a must read for anyone wanting to improve their life.
Great uplifting book.......2007-04-24
I bought the audiobook and found it to be a great uplifting listen. Sheri Dew, CEO of Deseret Book and also a previous member of the leadership in a world-wide religious womens organization, does a great job at sharing experiences on how to reduce trials in our lives and how to find joy in those trials that are out of our control.
Customer Reviews:
Peace Is Not the Absence of Trouble.......2005-05-16
Inspired by the Gospel of John (16:33) Scanlan opens with an examination of the relationship between peace and trouble. The passage looks at the two conditions not as cause and effect or sequentially ordered, he writes. Instead, Jesus said we have both peace and trouble together. "Peace is not the absence of trouble; peace is the relationship we have with Jesus Christ, which deepens while we are going through trouble." That single statement from the first chapter is rich enough to support lengthy reflection, with application to situations from the personal to the global. But Scanlan is just getting started.
The chapter on the connection between trouble and deeper intimacy with Jesus reminds us that following Christ will lead to inner or spiritual trouble and outer trouble in the form of conflict with the forces around us. The illustration he uses to bring that point home deals with his experience in the army. Additional personal examples bring to life such reflections as "We don't fear Satan and sin enough; we fear men and what they can do too much," and "The basic lie from the evil one is the same lie that the serpent whispered into the ear of Eve: God's warning doesn't really apply to you."
Product Description
Mariah StewartÂ’s best selling "Truth Series" culminates with Final Truth, a simultaneous hardcover.
Average customer rating:
- Great thriller
- Half as long would have been plenty
- He doesn't know what he is writing
- A Masterpiece
- It Should Have Been Titled "I Hate Guatemala"
|
Body of Truth
David Lindsey
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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In the Lake of the Moon
ASIN: 0553289640
Release Date: 1993-03-01 |
Book Description
Houston homicide detective Stuart Haydon deals in lost souls, and Lena Muller, daughter of a prominent local family, is about as lost as you can get. Three months have passed since Lena went out to meet an old friend, and she has yet to retum. Haydon is determined to bring her home. But word has come that she has surfaced in a place far beyond her jurisdiction and way out of his league. To find her he must head for Guatemala, a land where people never die . . . they simply disappear. From the moment he arrives in Guatemala City Haydon finds nothing but traces of the vanished: Lena, her journalist lover, and the private detective who tracked them down. As he searches for the young woman in a ravaged country, he encounters a trail of her lovers and a string of brutal murders. Lena, it appears, has unearthed a dirty secret, one that reeks of death. Drawn into a world of casual violence and corruption, Haydon soon find that, like Lena, he is seeking the body of truth at the heart of a labyrinth of lies.
Customer Reviews:
Great thriller.......2002-12-21
I can't quite understand the negative reviews this book seems to be getting here. I think it may well be the best thriller I've read. I've spent a fair amount of time in Guatemala, and I'd say Lindsey may overstate the menacing atmosphere a bit, it is hard to look at Guatemala's recent history and fault him for this. A great book.
Half as long would have been plenty.......2001-03-05
I struggled through the interminable descriptions of stench, of fountains bubbling in the background, of statues, wrought iron gates, you name it, Lindsey can write two paragraphs on it.
After 80 pages, I started skipping the paragraphs that were desciptive filler. I gave up by chapter 17.
If ever there were a book that would make me believe the author was being paid by the word, it would be this one. Had some of those words actually created a spark of interest in the characters, I might have pressed on.
Perhaps Lindsey has written better books. Too bad this was my first encounter with his writing. It will be my last.
He doesn't know what he is writing.......2001-02-06
How could a book like this be published? Yes, He has been to Guatemala. Yes, He knows the structure of the city precisely. Yes, He invested his time and money preparing for the novel. DOES THAT MEAN I HAVE TO THREAD THROUGH ALL THE DESCRIPTION ABOUT THE CITY FOR MORE THAN 300 PAGES? He wrote pretty well at the beginning. But as the story went on he lost balance and wasted too much effort on city and landscape description. DON'T TRY TO READ THIS ONE. NEVER!
A Masterpiece.......2000-03-12
David Lindsay's "Body of Truth" truly conveys the atmosphere prevailing in Guatemala during the last 40 years and especially the time of the just concluded civil war. It is highly realistic, true to time and place in that it enmeshes the characters in the nightmare of crime, politics, and war. I enjoyed this book tremendously, even as it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up!
It Should Have Been Titled "I Hate Guatemala".......1999-02-02
I've read and enjoyed most of Lindsey's books, as they are chiefly set in Houston, Texas, my hometown. In this work, Lindsey has become more descriptive in his writing. This works well when he is characterizing the players, and moving the storyline, however, his descriptions of Guatemala are downright nasty. I understand that it is a country that is fraught with corruption and violence, but the way Lindsey illustrates it, I'm surprised that people still live there. Also, Lindsey is very condescending in his negative portrait, displaying a decided 'U.S.A. Superiority Complex'. For example, in one scene, the main character, Haydon, pays for his meal with U.S. Dollars. Lindsey then describes the Guatemalan waiter's "delight" in receiving payment in a currency that "actually had value". Other passages like this permeate the book to the point where it becomes almost laughable. (With commentary like this, no wonder the rest of the world hates us!). But, despite the digs on Guatemala, the story is fast moving, compelling, and keeps you guessing. Overall, I recommend it - just check your opinion of Guatemala at the door.
Average customer rating:
- Even A Democrat Can Appreciate It
- The Idea is Bigger Than the Man
- A fraud and a hypocrite!
- Haters Hate It, So If You're Open-Minded...
- Loved it!
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Armey's Axioms: 40 Hard-Earned Truths from Politics, Faith, and Life
Dick Armey
Manufacturer: Wiley
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The Freedom Revolution: The New Republican House Majority Leader Tells Why Big Goverment Failed, Why Freedom Works, and How We Will REbuild America
ASIN: 0471469130 |
Book Description
Acclaim for Armey's Axioms
"As I read Armey's Axioms, my mind immediately went to the man from Springfield, Abraham Lincoln, who cloaked brilliant wisdom with grace and good humor that had its roots in the heartland of America. Without question, Dick Armey is one of the most brilliant and principled men ever to serve in the leadership of the United States House of Representatives. His axioms are a delightful read for anyone seeking to understand the faith, the patriotism, and the integrity that has made America great."
-Dr. M. G. "Pat" Robertson
"In Armey's Axioms, Dick Armey gives us more than his great sense of humor and Texas-size common sense. With a creative and personal touch, it is the best advice I've seen for those who want to make it in Washington, and even better for those who want to make it in life."
-Bob Dole
"We Americans like to cut to the chase when it comes to difficult issues. In Armey's Axioms, Dick Armey does just that. By skillfully breaking down complex social and moral issues, he presents us with such simple and direct answers that it's hard not to agree with his logic. Wrapped in wry wit and humor, the book is wise, insightful, and above all, compelling."
-Marlin Maddoux
President, National Center for Freedom & Renewal
host, Point of View radio talk show
"In just ten years, Dick Armey moved from C-SPAN viewer to Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives. In Armey's Axioms he presents some of the lessons he has learned from his years in the House and from country music. . . . It's a good read, packed with good advice."
-Michael Barone
U.S. News & World Report
coauthor, The Almanac of American Politics
Customer Reviews:
Even A Democrat Can Appreciate It.......2004-01-30
As a yellow dog Democrat it pains me to say it, but I have a new admiration for Dick Armey after reading this book. It is rare to get a glimpse of a politician that reveals his or her humanity, but I actually got that sense in reading Armey's Axioms. Even for those us of who may believe that government plays a necessary and vital role in assuring the common good and care for the most marginalized in our society there is sage advice about honor and integrity to be learned from Armey's book. I highly recommend it much to the chagrin of my fellow Democrats. It's too bad we didn't always see this side of Dick Armey while he was in office but it's good to know there was a good man in Washington even if I didn't always agree with him on policy. I wish I could say that about the current Majority Leader, Tom DeLay, but I doubt he's ever had an original thought and probably lacks the ability to even write a book.
The Idea is Bigger Than the Man.......2004-01-05
Overall I found this book by Dick Armey to be interesting, well thought out, and introspective, despite a couple of faults. I will deal with the strengths first, and the faults second.
The book is easy to read, and contains a lot of good analysis. Particularly pleasing is the extensive analysis, comparison, and contrast between liberals and conservatives. This is particularly well developed in Axioms 21 and 23, 'Liberals love feelings too much', and 'Conservatives believe it when they see it, Liberals believe it when they believe it'. His arguments are cogent and fact based, and he does not resort to name calling at any point. To a fault, he is respectful of his opposition, to the point of praising noted liberal reporter David Broder of the 'Washington Post' for honest journalism and high standards.
I respect that that Armey is up front and comfortable in his religion. He gives the credit for his success to God from the outset, which I respect. I believe that given his personal convictions, that he presents his religious views well, and is a credit to himself and his church (I believe that he is a Presbyterian, by the way).
The book generally stays away from bashing opponents by name (except for Charlie Rangel, who Armey must really dislike) which I believe is generally good policy, but he takes it to the point of annoyance. He frequently refers to 'a member of the opposing party', or something similar, which I presume is out of courtesy, but often makes the book more difficult to follow in specific matters. I appreciate candor, and if a story needs background, I would appreciate naming names so as to better judge the wisdom being imparted. My second irritant is the claimed enormous 'success' of his cherished military base closing legislation (BRAC) that he pushed in his first term in congress. I do not endorse the necessity of military service for congressional or other political service (in fact, I am annoyed with the hypocrisy of those that slam Dick Armey for not having been in the military, but say that is was unimportant that Bill Clinton had not served) but I do think that to write legislation as significant as BRAC, it would have been appropriate to have either served in the military, or extensively called on others that had in developing the bill. The closing of "redundant and wasteful military bases" is presented in terms of a great money saving idea designed to make government smaller. In reality BRAC has proved not quite as apolitical as Armey claims, and may, in the long run, harm our defense posture in part. In fact, the horse trading done in Washington over which bases to close has never gone away, and genuinely horrible decisions (like closing Williams AFB in AZ, the biggest, most productive pilot training base with the highest number of good weather flying days annually, while keeping open Columbus AFB, MS and Vance AFB, OK which have vastly less productivity) have frequently been the hallmarks of BRAC. Do not misunderstand my point: there was excess military base capacity. It is simply not clear (or in fact true) that the most suitable bases were the ones always abandoned.
All in all this is a well conceived book with a lot of important lessons between its covers. He is not, nor does he try to be politically correct, which is refreshing for a politician today. He is proud of his conservatism and takes the blows aimed at him as badges of honor, as perhaps best summed up in this quote: "The first rule of conservatism is that if you are true to yourself, Susan Sarandon will never hug you in public." No doubt in his case, that is quite true. I started the book with mixed feelings about Dick Armey, and despite the flaws mentioned above, I finished it with much greater respect for him and his ideas.
A fraud and a hypocrite!.......2003-11-22
Mr. Armey is my age and like me he says he loves freedom - ("true freedom carries with it responsibility and accountability") Yet unlike me and others of my generation who were in the military either voluntarily or through conscription, Armey never served his country. Which makes his claim that he is a patriot ring so hollow. Mr. Armey, if you claim to be a patriot and love freedom, why did you not serve your country? What happened to your "responsibility and accountability? You, sir, are nothing but a hypocrite asking others to stand up for freedom while you were `exempt' from the draft. Shame on your sir! Grow up and be a man!
Haters Hate It, So If You're Open-Minded..........2003-10-18
you'll love it! And if so, please write a positive review. The fact that the rating for this book is dragged down by reviews from those that dislike Armey is unfair. It's also a sign that the book has struck a nerve. This is a great common sense book that everyone with common sense will enjoy. So if you're close-minded or don't like common sense, you won't like it. Otherwise, this book is for you.
Loved it!.......2003-09-30
This is a great book! Real lessons learned and sage wisdom from a true leader. Apart from making me smile (and even laugh out loud at times!) this book really gave me hope that the cause of Freedom as originally conceived by our Founding Fathers can be acheived. As Armey's "Ultimate Axiom" reads: "Freedom Works!"
Books:
- Haunted Castle on Hallow's Eve (Magic Tree House, 30)
- High Fidelity
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- Hope Rising: Stories from the Ranch of Rescued Dreams
- How To Be A Happy Lesbian: A Coming Out Guide
- How to Write a Children's Picture Book: Learning from The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Corduroy, Where the Wild Things Are, The Carrot Seed, Good Night, Gorilla, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, and Other Favorite Stories
- I Love You Like Crazy Cakes
- In the Prince's Bed (Royal Brotherhood)
Books Index
Books Home
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The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't
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