It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy

Average customer rating:

Yet another management book

It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy

3 words rating

Engaging, Insightful, Inspiring

Good lessons for government managers

It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy
Michael Abrashoff
Manufacturer: Business Plus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Leadership | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0446529117

Amazon.com

Other than the sobering fact that real lives are regularly at stake, running a navy ship is a lot like running a business: leaders of both must get the most out of their crews to operate at peak efficiency and complete the tasks at hand. As commander of the highly acclaimed USS Benfold, Captain D. Michael Abrashoff irrefutably demonstrated how progressive management can succeed at sea; in It's Your Ship, he translates his methods into an approach that can also be applied by land-bound captains of commerce and industry. Describing "the ideas and techniques that I used to win my sailors' trust and, eventually, their enthusiastic commitment to our joint goal of making our ship the best in the fleet," Abrashoff cites embarrassing failures along with subsequent triumphs to illuminate the keys to his accomplished 20-month tenure aboard the guided missile destroyer. His suggestions: lead by example; listen aggressively; communicate purpose and meaning; create a climate of trust; look for results, not salutes; take calculated risks; go beyond standard procedure; build up your people; generate unity; and improve your people's quality of life. While hardly original on the surface, Abrashoff's course should provide practical direction and inspiration for any leader hoping for similarly positive results in similarly rigid organizations. --Howard Rothman

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

Yet another management book.......2007-09-14

Yet another book on management-this time a naval perspective! Despite the criticism of such books in the research article by Dr Peter Teiman,"The many varieties of management",I have to admit that this book has a lot of practical value.
Dr Peter Teiman
Switzerland

It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy.......2007-09-04

I thought this was a very well written book, considering that it was highlighting management techniques. Those types of books are ususally very boring, prop your eyelids open type of books. Michael Abrashoff explained his style of management in a manner which would make it interesting to a broad range of readers and it is told as a well written story should be.

3 words rating.......2007-08-31

" I DONT KNOW", how to rate this book because i have not received it. I was told that i would receive this product between 16 AUG and 29 AUG. it is now SEPT 1ST and still no product.

Engaging, Insightful, Inspiring.......2007-08-31

I really enjoyed this book---Abrashoff does an excellent job of weaving his Navy story with practical business insights, without going overboard on the analogies, if you'll excuse the nautical pun.

What I appreciate about the author is that he turned the Navy culture upside down by seeking input from everyone on his ship (slightly over 300), insisting on being told when people disagreed with him, and `mixing with the masses' at lunch and in other contexts.

Note: below I touch on excerpts from the book, so if you don't want a "spoiler" review, then you may wish to stop reading.

"Look For Results, Not Salutes" was the name of one of his chapters, and encapsulates much of his guiding philosophy.

Abrashoff understands the importance of getting in other people's shoes. He motivated his crew to attain cross-training expertise (which would greatly improve the ship's battle readiness and abilities) by noting that for those under 21, getting the expertise would enable them to have later curfews time to more thoroughly enjoy ports of call when they were abroad.

One of my favorite stories came when a four-star Marine General, Anthony Zinni, toured the ship and Abrashoff picked Fireman Joseph Cotton, 20, not only to receive a special pin marking his expertise, but also to give Zinni a tour of the ship.

"Zinni was stunned that I would give up my face-time and let an enlisted man escort a four-star. That this poised 20-year-old neither choked nor forgot his lines, and that his knowledge of the ship was quite sophisticated, shocked the general, but pleased him enormously. It was a grand slam."

That night, Zinni tore up his prepared speech at the Navy's birthday ball and talked about leadership on the Benfold, "specifically how we empowered our young sailors to assume major responsibilities."

Abrashoff talks about the impact of praising sailors--describing the encounters as highlights of his day that built up trust and morale--and "they didn't cost me or the navy a dime."

Abrashoff mixes good examples with bad examples, and isn't above noting where he slipped up or let his ego get in the way on his career journey.

He stresses the importance of doling out praise in person. E-mail and other forms of communication fall short of the mark. Abrashoff told the story of his sister's boss at a major bank. He sent an e-mail congratulating and thanking one of her assistants for a job well done. "That very afternoon, he rode the elevator with her and didn't even acknowledge her existence. It completely wiped out any good his e-mail could have done," Abrashoff wrote.

Another tale also spoke volumes about the importance of being authentic, and not simply going through the motions of authenticity:

Abrashoff found out the names and birthdays of sailors' spouses, and sent a card to each one. It sparked goodwill, with many sailors letting him know how much the gesture touched their families.

Another ship tried to mimic the approach but bungled it because they sent all the cards on the same day (bureaucrats who had not been empowered to think outside the confines of directives).

I zipped through this book in less than a week---it's easy reading, engaging reading, and enlightening reading.

Good lessons for government managers.......2007-08-23

Working for a government agency with many former military managers, I found Abrashoff's professional tearing down of the command and control model from within the Navy quite refreshing. Nothing is more tiresome than leadership by intimidation. The effectiveness of true inspiration and earned respect in an adapted leadership model is readily apparent from Abrashoff's experience.

Average customer rating:

Holy Cow, Harlan...
A waste of time to read this
Stay out of the Woods...
Another Fast Paced Coben Book
The Woods by Harlan Coben

The Woods
Harlan Coben
Manufacturer: Dutton Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0525950125
Release Date: 2007-04-17

Book Description

Twenty years ago, four teenagers at summer camp walked into the woods at night. Two were found murdered, and the others were never seen again. Four families had their lives changed forever. Now, two decades later, they are about to change again.

For Paul Copeland, the county prosecutor of Essex, New Jersey, mourning the loss of his sister has only recently begun to subside. Cope, as he is known, is now dealing with raising his six- year-old daughter as a single father after his wife has died of cancer. Balancing family life and a rapidly ascending career as a prosecutor distracts him from his past traumas, but only for so long. When a homicide victim is found with evidence linking him to Cope, the well-buried secrets of the prosecutor's family are threatened.

Is this homicide victim one of the campers who disappeared with his sister? Could his sister be alive? Cope has to confront so much he left behind that summer twenty years ago: his first love, Lucy; his mother, who abandoned the family; and the secrets that his Russian parents might have been hiding even from their own children. Cope must decide what is better left hidden in the dark and what truths can be brought to the light.

Customer Reviews:

Holy Cow, Harlan..........2007-10-07

I have no idea what process Harlan Coben may have been working through on a personal level when he wrote this book - for his sake, I hope it was cathartic. Unfortunately for me, it also used up many bedtime hours of normally pleasurable reading. In fact, it is such a disappointing departure that I'm secretly convinced that someone else (an intern, perhaps?) wrote this book while Coben was vacationing: in the real woods of northern Montana.
The very things that make Coben's Myron Bolatar series such fun reading - the quirky characters, wise-guy dialog, flawed heroes and wacky plots - were sadly missing from The Woods.
Add to that a plot line that can only be described as ludicrous. When I'm reading a mystery, trying to follow along and deduce the killer's identity, it's never a nice feeling to discover that the reason the killer was so elusive is that no one in their right mind could have thought up the explanation.

(Following are similes - not spoilers) - How well would To Kill A Mockingbird have turned out, I wonder, had we learned that the actual murderer was a local neighborhood boy who was in reality a trained CIA operative no longer working with the Khmer Rouge, but now living a secret identity in Hohokus, New Jersey and an active member of the remnants of the Bahder-Meinhof gang?
Like an idiot, I blindly followed this trail all the way to its miserable ending. My reluctance to wake the family is the only reason I didn't shout out "You have GOT to be kidding me!" and fling open a window and chuck this book out into where it should never have been milled from in the first place: The Woods.
Harlan, let us know when you're back on track, or when you've fired whoever wrote this book and paid you to use your name on it. It's not that we want to pigeon-hole you into only Myron Bolitar novels. But next time you venture afield of that formula, I'm going to need to say a BEVY of killer reviews before I'll pick it up. I didn't donate this book to our local library - I recycled it.

A waste of time to read this.......2007-10-05

Where to start on what annoyed me about this book?? The characters are highly unrealistic...he writes them like he's in junior high. All the women are stop traffic beautiful with bodies that no man can resist. All husbands are cheaters and men are so full of lust they can't complete a sentence when a beautiful woman is in the room. It was so juvenile you just had to laugh. And he wrote such obvious clues about where the plot was going next. I love a good suprise and a few twists and turns, but this was just loaded with them. And the trial, how good of a fiction author can you claim to be when you steal all of the details out of a real trial (Duke). Flat out of creativity there? And finally, the ending. Completely lame. If it had been included earlier with more development behind it, that's one thing, but to drop it on the last page...lame.
If you insist on reading this book, make sure you get it cheap at a used book store or better yet at the library, don't waste your money on it.

Stay out of the Woods... .......2007-10-03

This was on my summer reading list. It was a quick and easy read. Very predictable and sophmoric in writing style. Coben is heavily into dialogue that adds nothing to the story except extra words. He tries to be hip and cool, and can't pull it off. A total waste of my time.

Another Fast Paced Coben Book.......2007-10-03

You pick this book up and you won't put it down---from the very first page. That's what I love about Harlan Coben. Does it make sense or is it realistic? Who cares? It is pure enjoyment, a fun read by an excellent writer.

The Woods by Harlan Coben.......2007-10-02

Don't get me wrong, this was a good book. I just find that since I have read so many of his books already, I knew how it was going to end. It wasn't his best work, in my opinion.

LL Cool J's Platinum Workout: Sculpt Your Best Body Ever with Hollywood's Fittest Star

Average customer rating:

Emphasizes Weight Lifting
Intersting
PROMISING AT FIRST...THEN LEAVES YOU TIRED AND OVERTRAINED
Good book for the beginning and advanced!
Enjoyed the workout... saw results

LL Cool J's Platinum Workout: Sculpt Your Best Body Ever with Hollywood's Fittest Star
LL Cool J , Dave Honig , and Jeff O'Connell
Manufacturer: Rodale Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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The Metabolism Advantage: An 8-Week Program to Rev Up Your Body's Fat-Burning Machine---At Any Age
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Do You!: 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success

ASIN: 1594866082
Release Date: 2006-12-12

Book Description

LL didn't always have a diesel body--he chiseled it the old-fashioned way, with hard work and discipline. Here he shares the secrets of his transformation in a uniquely creative, yet no-nonsense regimen--enlivened with humor and sheer force of personality--that will inspire readers to enjoy working out as never before, while building a body they never thought possible. The book offers four levels of fitness, from Bronze to Platinum, including: - a 4-week beginner's program that takes inches off the waist and boosts energy - a 5-week program for intermediates that increases strength while maintaining muscular and cardiovascular endurance - an advanced 9-week program that turns the body into a muscle-building and fat-burning machinge - complete with 6-pack abs and as much energy as LL Cool J - the hardcore 3-week fat-torching program LL used for the "Control Myself" video - a new level in ripped-to-the-bone fitness and sex appeal - a special 4-week "Diamond" program for women seeking to shape up fast for the summer or upcoming event meal plans and recipes that fuel workouts while burning fat with food

Customer Reviews:

Emphasizes Weight Lifting.......2007-08-10

This is a book to help you get into better shape. While the book covers stretching and cardio exercise to varying degrees, it clearly spends most of its exercise routines having the reader lift weights. The book intends to accomplish its goal of getting you into better shape by doing it in phases, with each one having different goals (too lengthy to go into here).

Phase one is the Bronze phase (5 weeks), then the Silver phase (5 weeks), followed by a Gold phase (9 weeks) and finally ends with the Platinum phase (3 weeks), where the goal is to get a body like LL's. An additional phase, the Diamond phase, is included just for the ladies. There's a ton of info in here on just about every fitness topic and I really liked that throughout the book, there are these "rap session" sections where LL interviews experts in the fitness field and current information is shared- this is a big plus. LL fans will also like the LL trivia that is scattered throughout the book.

One of the more interesting and informative fitness books on the market, I liked it. Also recommend Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff if you have a bad shoulder that keeps you from lifting weights.

Intersting.......2007-08-09

I wasn't sure what to expect when I purchased this book but I was not disappointed, L.L tells a story about a rapper who needs to keep in shape for a tour and that is where the diet and the work out come in.
He takes you step by step into the work out but he starts with your eating habits, he goes into your frig and cabinets "which made me laugh because some of the nasty things he describes have been in my frig a time or two" but that is what I like about his book he lets you know what you eat plays the most important part he doesn't take you straight to the gym.
He breaks down the work out into weeks and before he even takes you to the gym he deals with your eating habits the first week of the workout.
this is a must read and then put into practice book.
Can't wait for the realty show.

PROMISING AT FIRST...THEN LEAVES YOU TIRED AND OVERTRAINED.......2007-07-15

Dear reader,

For the past five years I have been a workout addict. For me it's workout or die. At the age of 14 I was tired of my brother calling me fat, so I took off into the Arizonan desert and ran every day. Since then my success rate of building a fitter body has quadrupled, as I read every fitness article I could get my hands on and was introduced to resistance training. I learned the rules of eating, how to workout and how to maximize recovery. I'm no expert, however, which is why I began buying fitness books from amazon to hear what the experts had to say. I have gained vast knowledge and experience from the high rated books I've purchased but trouble came when I ran into this book. In regards to the rules of working out, LL Cool J's book breaks them all.

At first, like anything else, the results were coming as I followed the program. (NOTE: Any kind of exercise regimen, depending on your level of fitness, in the beginning will give you results due to the body trying to adapt to something new.) The book starts off with good tips on what to eat and drink and basic principles such as: you need to get strong before you can build muscle and so forth. It is a very attractive book with vivid pictures and colorful backgrounds and good picture/descriptions of the exercises and stretches. The workout routines are very affective but then become prolonging. LL states that he doesn't like to workout for more than an hour (NOTE: The body begins burning protein [your muscle] as its energy source after 1 hour of vigorous weight training.)and he likes to get out of the gym in 45 minutes, but the workouts thrown at you, plus the cardio, get you out of there in 1:15 to 1:20 minutes.

Next, to begin with, the muscle groups selected in the workout were placed in an odd order. This is nothing I became upset about until this happened- Monday: Chest and Biceps; Tuesday: Back and Triceps-? Any person with common sense about weight lifting knows that the triceps are complimentary to the chest and the biceps to the back. This mishap caused my biceps and triceps to weaken on Monday and get completely thrashed and over trained on Tuesday. Another thing, I love pushups and bodyweight exercises, and LL incorporates them, except inevitable over training occurs with this book when you lifts weights one day, and then the next day you are doing a cardio circuit that includes pushups (and pushups sets of 30 seconds, for that matter). Bodyweight exercises are not p***y like some people think and still work your muscles.

At this point in the book, I am beat down, my muscles are torn (not literally) and you must understand that I am a person who needs to be in amazing shape. I love to climb buildings do gymnastics and free run. I do martial arts so my fitness has to be superb at all times. Let's just say I can run 8-10 miles at 75% MHR and I don't lose my breath. Anyway, I looked further into the book to see if there were any more workouts I could salvage that wouldn't over train me. I found this- Monday: Chest, Triceps, Back (Note: Back exercises work Biceps too.)and Hamstrings (Note: Can directly or indirectly work Quads.); Tuesday: Quads (Note: May have been worked by Hamstrings exercise on Monday.), Shoulders (Note: Weren't Triceps exercises on Monday? hmmm), Calves, and Abs.- You think that's bad? By the time you get to the featured PLATINUM WORKOUT you are doing this- Sunday: A weight workout is performed in the MORNING of upper body exercises with a 20 min cardio workout attached. EVENING: Consists of another 20 minute cardio workout.- So long to LL's getting out of the gym in 45 minutes.

The book is not a total loss, for you get to learn about LL's past and who his idols are and there is solid nutrition advice. Not to mention, the Abs circuits were very effective and well put. Although, I give this book a rating of 2 for trying so hard to impress consumers with the mega rapper's flashy colors, and pictures, and for failing to provide a workout regimen that follows the rules of recovery.

Thank you.

Good book for the beginning and advanced!.......2007-06-15

**Note**
Unlike some of the reviews here, this has nothing to do with an appreciation, or lack thereof, of his music or acting. It also doesn't have anything to do with his speaking or writing style (everyone has a style, whether it seems more educated, basic, or street... if you don't like his style, move on to another one, but don't deduct points for your own dislikes). It's also not about whether the information is regurgitated from someone else (if it's been repeated and was so important that everyone knows it, there wouldn't be a point to this book and you wouldn't be reading it, now would you?). This book is about the information provided about nutrition and working out.

That said, this book has a great deal of info. Cool J does an excellent job of breaking down the grocery store so that anyone can get the message (example - at the store, remember veggies on the left, meat in the back, milk on the right, don't eat what's in the middle). He includes a very detailed workout plan and includes illustrations for nearly every exercise recommended. He backs up all of his information with approvals and interviews with trained professionals. There is even a detailed section about the necessity of stretching, which isn't included in a lot of fitness guides.

Most complaints about this book have to do with the inclusion of information people already know and about this book starting too slowly. However, the people complaining need to realize that no fitness guide is the end-all complete fitness guide. Most fitness books and guides are made so that you can still adapt their guidelines to your lifestyle. That's part of the reason why they contain so many exercises and routines. If you work out all the time and have already applied his food tips, skip to the silver or gold workout. If you have never worked out before and eat six bags of doritos a day, start your new routine at page one. The information for everyone is in the book.

All that said, I do have a few complaints about the book - 1) the amount included in the platinum workout, 2) the charts, 3) the endpoint, and 4) the gym membership requirement.

1)If a person is to stick with the recommendations straight through the platinum workout, you will have to dedicate a significantly greater amount of time to it, which could possibly lead to a burnout, both physically and mentally. I'm not interested in being as buff as Cool J, and really don't have as much time to "complete" the workout. However, as stated earlier, I can continue with the silver and gold as long as I'd like and still be happy.
2) As far as the charts go... it would be nice to be able to copy or tear out the food charts or workout charts. The way they are written and organized are fairly confusing and make it more difficult to do that.
3) In addition, the workout has an endpoint. So, to me, that tells me that this book is less about a lifestyle change and more about getting results for a certain event. If you want to continue working out, the book is low on a continuation plan.
4) Finally, LL admitted that his best fitness came on the road with a personal trainer (i.e. not in a gym). However, he recommends that a person gets a membership to a gym. There is a lot to be said about the need for motivation from your surroundings. However, a gym membership is not practical for everyone. It would've been nice to have more information about getting pumped up at home, whether it's with a set of barbells and dumbbells in the basement or some other means.

Overall, this book is worth 3.5 stars, but Amazon won't let you give partial stars, and rounding down won't do this book justice... so it gets four stars instead. I'd definitely recommend that this book be on everyone's bookshelf who is interested in fitness - professionals, athletes, and people who are interested in getting fit for the first time. I'm still a bigger fan of the Abs Diet series (as a matter of fact, one of the writers of Platinum Workout is a writer for Men's Health, which is produced by the author of Abs Diet), but this book still contains a lot of great workout routines, recipes, and exercises that I can't wait to try.

Enjoyed the workout... saw results.......2007-06-12

I really enjoyed using this book. The cardio workouts are intense and the supersets get your body going... most of the workouts have you out in of the gym in less than an hour and have built in sufficient rest through out the week. This is not the perfect workout for someone who is skinny and looking to bulk up like LL. This is perfect for someone who is looking to lose some inches off thier waist and looking to build some lean muscle.

All in all, I thought this was a good purchase. The only thing I could have done without is all of the self promotion. My workout didnt really benifit from reading a timeline about all of his career accomplishments.

Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats

Average customer rating:

Dr Pitcairns natural health
great resource
A great resource
Excellent overall but diet not suited for all
It's a shame...

Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats
Richard H. Pitcairn , and Susan Hubble Pitcairn
Manufacturer: Rodale Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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The Nature of Animal Healing : The Definitive Holistic Medicine Guide to Caring for Your Dog and Cat
Veterinarians Guide to Natural Remedies for Dogs : Safe and Effective Alternative Treatments and Healing Techniques from the Nations Top Holistic Veterinarians
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Whole Pet Diet: Eight Weeks to Great Health for Dogs And Cats
Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats : Your A-Z Guide to Over 200 Conditions, Herbs, Vitamins, and Supplements

ASIN: 157954973X
Release Date: 2005-08-11

Book Description

Pitcairn Over 400,000 copies of this treasured classic have been sold since its original publication more than 20 years ago The book that is the definitive guide to a natural lifestyle for dogs and cats is now completely updated and revisedfor the first time in 9 years. Writing with the warmth and compassion that have won them a national following, veterinarian Richard H. Pitcairn and his wife Susan Hubble Pitcairn, noted specialists in chemical-free nutrition and natural healing for pets, show dog and cat owners how to provide the very best in companionship and lifelong care. They now cover environmental matters, including pollutants both inside the home and out, as well as recent hot-button topics, such as Mad Cow disease, Lyme disease, and the West Nile virus. Theyve updated dozens of recipes for delicious and healthful pet food and treats. With a guide to handling emergencies and an in-depth Quick Reference section, they give specific instructions for preventing, diagnosing, and treating a wide range of animal diseases and disorderswith special attention to homeopathic, herbal, and nutritional remedies.

Customer Reviews:

Dr Pitcairns natural health.......2007-10-05

This is absolutely a must book. Giving dogs prescribed medications often involves side affects which shorten their lives. Being able to find out about natural products that can help them is great. It can not only lenghten their lives, but also cost less in the long run. I highly reccomend this book to all dog owners.

great resource.......2007-10-01

this is a great resource book. It has lots of background info on dog foods and so much info on great supplements. It could be made easier with breakdowns or charts to guide you for quicker reference, because I find myself having to flip back and forth a lot. There is definitely lots of info and it has to be read more than once. I think the recipes are sound and easy to make. Although I can't cook for my dogs all the time, at least I can do it whenever they are ill or recovering from some ailment or surgery to ensure that their bodies are strong when they need to heal. This book makes it manageable to do that.

A great resource.......2007-09-23

This book is a great resource for pet owners. I find the health-care section of the book very useful. I have modified the recipes to accomodate the inherited allery issues my dog has. Modifying the recipes is a very involved process as the substituion of products recommended and appropriate amounts required for balanced nutrition can be a hassle to figure out, especially, if one's pet was allergic to multiple products.

This is a great book for pet owners who want to try homemade cooking and alternative medicine for their pets.

Excellent overall but diet not suited for all .......2007-09-01

There is more than one way to feed a healthy, non-commercial diet. I recommend buying both Dr. Pitcairn's book and Andi Brown's book, The Whole Piet Diet, to see which diet your animal(s) prefer. I have three pets, two 13-yr. old cats and one 1 1/2-yr old terrier. The cats had been eating holistic Blue Buffalo dry food along with some canned Friskies. The terrier was eating holistic Blue Buffalo dry food along with some raw meat, veggies, yogurt, etc. I recently learned that dry food is difficult for pets to digest and is terribly drying and causes digestive problems like vomiting, dandruff, etc. The Friskies is just plain junk food so I decided that I was going to feed healthier fare and bought both books (Dr. Pitcairn wrote the foreword in Andi's book). While Dr. Pitcairn promotes primarily raw meats with cooked whole grains, Andi Brown promotes cooked stews (grains included for dogs only, not cats). After experimentation, I found that my dog and one cat prefer Dr. Pitcairn's recipes and my second cat prefers Spot's Stew (from Andi's book). When I made the switch, I only started feeding the recipes without supplements to the cats. It took 15 days for them to eat consistently, then I started adding the supplements in small amounts and gradually built up to the daily recommended amounts. Tip: my cats preferred Andi's supplements over Dr. Pitcairn's (especially the essential fatty acids in the form of oils). All of my pets are doing very well on the diets but only because I was persistent in finding what worked best for each pet. I will never feed dry food again!

It's a shame..........2007-08-29

...that an obviously experienced and well researched vetrinarian would recommend a diet that includes grain as one of the staples of the diet. Anyone who does even a minor amount of research about the special diet needs of a dog would easily find that dogs do not possess the proper enzymes to break down grain properly and can lead to either minor or serious allergic reactions. Dogs should not eat any type of grain at any time. Anyone who reads this book, do not take it as gospel. Please do more in-depth research before you make any solid decisions on your dogs diet.

Besides that fault, there are only a few recipies included in this rather long book. I heard very good things about this book before I bought it and was thoroughly disappointed after I read it. Its hard to give this book anything else but a negative review.

Average customer rating:

awesome
Great info in this book
Finding the motivation to exercise is the hard part.
Best Life, Best Yet
Real advice that makes sense.

The Best Life Diet
Bob Greene
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Nutrition | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1416540660

Book Description

From the bestselling author of Get With the Program! and Bob Greene's Total Body Makeover comes The Best Life Diet, a lifetime plan for losing weight and keeping it off. Bob Greene helped Oprah achieve her dramatic weight loss, and he can help you too. You'll eat the same delicious food that Oprah enjoys, and, just like Oprah, you'll have Bob to encourage you at every step. Unlike a celebrity, however, you don't need to hire a staff of experts to aid and advise you, because Bob's plan, easily tailored to an array of tastes, lifestyles, and activity levels, acts as your personal trainer and private nutritionist. Just open the book and let Bob help you get started down the path toward your best possible life.

What sets Bob apart from all the other experts who claim to have plans that work is that he admits that weight loss is difficult: seventeen years of watching people struggle to lose weight on a seemingly endless string of trendy crash diets, only to backslide and regain the pounds they've shed, have taught him that dropping pounds is not simply a numbers game. By acknowledging that it is not simple laziness but a complicated web of social rituals, cultural expectations, and habits that drives people to gain weight, Greene is able to attack the problem of weight loss realistically and offer not a short-lived, quick-fix formula, but a long-term program that accounts for the challenges and constraints of the real world.

Divided into three phases, The Best Life Diet gives you the tools you need to change your life. In each phase, you'll be asked to reexamine the decisions you make on a daily basis and gradually alter your habits to achieve lasting results. The book also includes easy-to-follow meal plans that make it simple to meet your daily energy and nutrient requirements, whether you are on the run and breakfast means a quick smoothie or you have time to shop for fresh produce and make something special.

You'll watch the weight disappear as you learn to prepare festive and flavorful dishes like Fire-Roasted Tomato-Shrimp Veracruz, Chicken Sausage Jambalaya, or Flank Steak with Chimichurri Topping and indulge in desserts like Roasted Peaches with Ricotta and Almonds or Apple Rhubarb Walnut Crisp. And for each delicious recipe, there is a detailed nutritional analysis, so you know exactly what you are eating and how it fits into your personal eating plan.

Most important, Bob's plan doesn't end once you've lost the weight. Instead, it gives you the tools you need to make living your best life second nature, because for Greene, a diet is not something you go "on" or "off" but a set of guidelines that will help you claim the life you deserve.

Customer Reviews:

awesome.......2007-10-05

this book is so helpful i really liked it specially the word of oprah in the opening and the recipes in it are so easy and delicious and you can say that its a guide 4 everything healthy.

Great info in this book.......2007-09-21

The info in this book was extremely helpful thus far. I recommend it to anyone looking for assistance in dieting even if it is not for you, it offers a fresh prospective you will learn about.

Finding the motivation to exercise is the hard part........2007-09-18

The Best Life Diet offers a lot of good common sense about healthy food choices to effectively manage the waist line. I like the fact that Bob stresses how important exercise is to long-term weight loss success. However, we're not all lucky enough to have a "Bob Green" as our personal coach to motivate us to exercise.

As a busy working mom, the best way I've found to prioritize exercise and to stay motivated is with a game called The Fitness Challenge Board Game. Although I usually hate to exercise, I've personally lost 60 pounds and kept it off for 4 years now and a huge factor of my success having The Fitness Challenge to keep me consistent.

Best Life, Best Yet.......2007-08-31

Of all the Bob Greene books, I think this one is the best. Not because it has some revolutionary diet or exercise plan, but simply because it focuses more on other factors that keep people from losing weight. As the book points out, dropping weight is not just a numbers game, its a complicated web of social rituals, cultural expectations and habits that drive people to gain weight.

The book's plan is a three phase one. The focus of phase one is to move more and change your meal patterns. Phase two is learning how to control your hunger and make dietary changes. Finally, phase three concentrates on improving the quality of one's diet.

The book ends with meal plans and recipes, which roughly make up about a third of the book. Also sandwiched in there is a short section on keeping a positive attitude, which I feel is as crucial as anything else when it comes to losing weight. After all, what good is a plan if you can't stick with it long enough to see results? (Also recommend The Sixty-Second Motivator for more on this topic).

All in all its probably Bob's best to date and I'm sure it will help many who struggle with their weight loss demons.

Real advice that makes sense........2007-08-29

I've read them all and now I know why this one was rated number one in Consumer Reports. It is a totally realistic approach to a lifetime of healthy good eating. Great recipes and a great section on discovering your emotional "triggers"for eating.

Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, Book 4)

Average customer rating:

I liked the others better
Sisterhood
So Long Sisterhood
Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants)
One too many

Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, Book 4)
Ann Brashares
Manufacturer: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Sisterhood | Series | Teens | Subjects | Books

Being a Teen | Social Issues | Teens | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

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Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, Book 3)
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It's Not Easy Being Mean (Clique Series)
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, Book 1)

ASIN: 0385729367
Release Date: 2007-01-09

Amazon.com

Ann Brashares has created a wonderful, heartfelt series for teens (and adults) around a pair of pants. In her breakout bestseller, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Brashares introduced readers to four girls, Lena, Bridget, Carmen, and Tibby, and to the magical pair of jeans that fit them all perfectly, and inspired them to live their young lives to the fullest. Forever in Blue, the fourth and final novel in the series, promises a dazzling finale--one "last glorious summer" for the four girls, and their fans. See a note from author Ann Brashares, below.--Daphne Durham

A Note from Ann Brashares

December 1, 2006

Dear Amazon Reader,

Well, here we are together again. If you are getting ready to read the fourth book, Forever in Blue, that means we've probably spent some time together. I hope you've enjoyed it. I know I have.

We don't know each other and we may never get to meet, but I feel like we are connected nonetheless. We've spent time with four fictional girls together. We've puzzled over their lives and their choices. We've rooted for them and sometimes felt annoyed by them. We've shared some hopes for them, I think, and in the process for ourselves.

So thank you for being part of the sisterhood with me. I have really appreciated your company along the way.

Happy reading,

Ann

Spend Time with the Sisterhood

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Boxed Set

Girls in Pants

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Book Description

With unraveled embroidery and fraying hems, the Traveling Pants are back for one last, glorious summer.

Lena: Immerses herself in her painting and an intoxicating summer fling, fearing that the moment she forgets about Kostos will be the moment she sees him again.

Carmen: Falls under the spell of a sophisticated college friend for whom a theatrical role means everything and the heritage of the Pants means nothing.

Bridget: Joins a dig for an ancient city on the coast of Turkey and discovers that her archaeology professor is available in every way except one.

Tibby: Leaves behind someone she loves, wrongly believing he will stay where she has left him.

Join Ann Brashares's beloved sisterhood once again in a dazzling, fearless novel. It's a summer that will forever change the lives of Lena, Carmen, Bee, and Tibby, here and now, past and future, together and apart.

Book Description

As their lives take them in different directions, Lena, Tibby, Carmen, and Bridget discover many more things about themselves and the importance of their relationship with each other.

Customer Reviews:

I liked the others better.......2007-08-10

This was the book made to tie up loose ends. Everyone came to a conclusion about their life and the pants. The whole thing was sort of boring. Yes I liked the book, but in a way everyone was the same as they started. I suppose the point of it was to show how they had grown up and still stayed the same. Maybe it was that there wasn't enough excitement or maybe it's that I'm tired now but i thought it wasn't as good as the other books.
-cdm

Sisterhood.......2007-08-04

I have enjoyed this entire series...takes me back to my Judy Blume days. The girl in all of us can identify with these characters as they grow, change, and try to not lose themselves or each other in the process. The earlier on you learn that nothing means more than your girl friends...the better off you are! I think the quotes between the chapters are insightful, and I enjoy finding their relation to the story as I read on. That brings a literary aspect not often found in young adult novels. I appreciate that this book and its prequels can be light and real at the same time. A book about pants sounds like fluff, but you feel with these girls as they deal with real issues both internal and external. Real doesn't have to be dark...bittersweet seems more fitting. These books capture the laughter through tears that is what sisterhood is about. I highly recommend reading them all.

So Long Sisterhood.......2007-07-26

Although this wasn't my fave Sisterhood book, it deserves kudos for not only reflecting the maturity of the characters at this point in their lives, but also the realities of growing up and growing apart. This is the fourth and supposedly final chapter of the Sisterhood tomes, and is likely to provide a conclusive feeling for the readers of the series.

To recap, the Travelling Pants series details the summers four best friends spend, sometimes apart, sometimes together. They are of course, as per the legend, bonded together by a pair of 'magical' pants that give them the strength of the love they feel as friends even when they aren't together.

In all fairness I read the third book quite some time ago so reading the new fourth one was a bit of a cognitive leap - I could barely remember a lot of what happened in the past! Anyway in this one the girls are bridging the gap between their first and second year of university. They've actually shared the pants year-round this time because they have spent the year at different colleges etc. That should be your first clue something is up - the girls are very very much so a lot more individual characters this time around, which was both refreshing and problematic. Of the latter, it was good because I was sick and tired of how cheesy and overemphasized their relationship was - although some sappy moments still exist towards the end, they are certainly toned down. But in the absence of their friendship it almost defeated the purpose of the book, and the pants of course.

This time around the girls spend most of their summer apart. Tibby is still in New York working and taking a summer class and wondering whether she has made the right choices when it comes to her relationship with Brian. Bee (my fave as always) is in Turkey getting back to basics on an archeological dig site and wondering whether the best alternative to missing her boyfriend is not missing a single thing her hot professor does. Flamboyent Carmen has surprisingly shrunk into her shell over the last year, and fallen under the wing of a supposedly protective, glorious friend, who turns out to be anything but as their summer continues. Lena is at art school and enraptured with a guy, shockingly this time, not the love of her life, Kostos.

As I mentioned earlier, the book definitely took on a more mature tone than the others - most of it dealt with sex and relationships and very little of it focused on friendship and personal self-growth - although most of the storylines evolve to give the girls those girl power moments of epiphany. Although I enjoyed the storylines a lot more this time it almost felt like the characters were under-used and less developed because there was far less crossover opportunities given their summer was spent so far apart emotionally and physically.

Brashares does a good job wrapping up the series in a realistic way though - Upon finishing it, I realized why she decided to do a fourth (I completely assumed the third would be the last) as each book is kind of meant to represent each of the four girls.

All in all a fitting conclusion to the series that represented, quite honestly, the realities of growing up and moving away when it comes to those true blue friends you thought you'd never forget, and those true blue jeans you thought you'd never lose.

Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants).......2007-07-19

OMG!!! I loved every single one of the books preceding this book and this one hit the mark! It is so wonderful, and though it is so sad that it ends the series the finish is remarkable. Brashare's masterpiece is complete!!!

One too many.......2007-07-15

I thought the prime qualities of the first three books of this series were charm and innocence. For the fourth installment, one of our heroines poses nude for a male art student and another falls for a married man with children. Whatever other qualities the book may have, charming and innocent it is not.

The Millionaire Real Estate Agent: It's Not About the Money...It's About Being the Best You Can Be!

Average customer rating:

How to be the best in Real Estate
A Primer on doing business
A must read! Changed my career!
You've Got To Be Open To A Unique Perspective
Useless

The Millionaire Real Estate Agent: It's Not About the Money...It's About Being the Best You Can Be!
Gary Keller , Gary Keller , Dave Jenks , and Jay Papasan
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Business & Investing | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Millionaire Real Estate Investor
21 Things I Wish My Broker Had Told Me: Practical Advice for New Real Estate Professionals.
How To Become a Power Agent in Real Estate : A Top Industry Trainer Explains How to Double Your Income in 12 Months
Your First Year in Real Estate: Making the Transition from Total Novice to Successful Professional
FLIP: How to Find, Fix, and Sell Houses for Profit

ASIN: 0071444041

Book Description

Take your real estate career to the highest level!

"Whether you are just getting started or a veteran in the business, The Millionaire Real Estate Agent is the step-by-step handbook for seeking excellence in your profession and in your life."
--Mark Victor Hansen, cocreator, #1 New York Times bestselling series Chicken Soup for the Soul

"This book presents a new paradigm for real estate and should be required reading for real estate professionals everywhere."
--Robert T. Kiyosaki, New York Times bestselling author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad

The Millionaire Real Estate Agent explains:

Three concepts that drive production
Economic, organizational, and lead generation models that are the foundations of any high-achiever's business
How to "Earn a Million," "Net a Million," and "Receive a Million" in annual income

Customer Reviews:

How to be the best in Real Estate.......2007-07-26

Gary Keller tells it like it should be. If you have a true servant's heart and want to help people with the skill and knowledge you have as a Realtor, this is the book to read. He gives a number of techniques but ultimately, he makes it clear that you need to want to do what is best for your client - not your pocket. Excellent book, I recommend this to every new agent I work with. Need a plan to get started right, Gary is the man with the plan!

A Primer on doing business.......2007-07-14

There are many books available that address sales and marketing for the real estate agent but very few provide solid advice on how to run a real estate business. This easy to follow book provides information that, if applied will set any agent apart from his peers.

A must read! Changed my career!.......2007-06-27

After the first 6 months in business (I've just finished my 3rd year), I decided to buy a number of Real Estate instructional books on how to sell Real Estate. I had a feeling this would be the best. I saved it for last. I read 4 other books over the holidays (about a 4 week period). The other books were good, but redundant and nothing that changed me. I started to read this book and immedietely knew that this book was different. It gave specific direction on what has worked for successful people. Not just successful people here and there, but the book took a scientific approach to identify common practices among groups of successful Realtors.

The result? I can't say that I do everything that the book says to do. I should! But, I have taken parts of the books and implemented those practices. The year after reading this book I made the top 20% in the market. The following year I made the top 15%. And this year is off the charts. I'm not sure where I will end up, but top 10 or better.

There is no substitute for hard work, but I would rather work hard the right way. Best of luck!

You've Got To Be Open To A Unique Perspective.......2007-06-23

This is the best book on the market on how to organize and run a real estate agent business. Its principles are applicable whether you are a brand new agent, or have years of experience. That said, if you are looking for a book to explain listings per se, or working with buyers per se, then this might not be the right book for you -- this book looks at being an agent from a much broader (and more important in my opinion) perspective than that. If you are smart (if you "get it") then you will realize that the things taught in this book are far more important to your ultimate success than any book you might read on how to take a listing. Buy this book, read it ten times, and when you think you understand it read it ten more times! Its message is that important! Few understand this.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I should say that I am an attorney, real estate broker, investor, trainer, and am affiliated with a Keller Williams office in Chicago. That said, rest assured that my affiliation with Keller Williams does not affect my integrity with respect to my review of this book -- honestly, it is a good book that you should read. For what it's worth, I am the author of another real estate related book that can also be found here on Amazon -- The WealthLoop Series Beginner's Guide to Building Wealth Buying Houses: The Foolproof Roadmap to Real Estate Riches Without the Risks and Hassles of Landlording. It's part of the "WealthLoop Series" and unlike many real estate books, it is an actual "how to" book as opposed to a "rah-rah" book and comes complete with forms, checklists, leases -- everything the beginning investor needs to get started. Agents from across the country have been telling me that my book finally taught them the right way to work with residential investors.

I would suggest that you buy both mine and Gary Keller's books.

Useless.......2007-06-19

I am a rookie agent and found the material worthless, a complete waste of money and time. There is no real technique here. The book so repetitive its agonizing. The worst part is it really has nothing to do with real estate, I learned NOTHING about the real estate business reading this book. You could re title the book an infinite number of times and have the same content "The Millionaire Day Care Worker" for example. There is as much information about running a day care as there is real estate. Steer clear.

The Best Make-Ahead Recipe (The Best Recipe)

Average customer rating:

Fabulous Cookbook From A Cookbook Collecter
easy to understand directions
Do You Own "Cover & Bake?"
An exceptional purchase any public library or busy cook must have.
Wonderful cookbook!!!

The Best Make-Ahead Recipe (The Best Recipe)

Manufacturer: America's Test Kitchen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Quantity | Professional Cooking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Quick & Easy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Special Occasions | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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The Best 30-minute Recipe: A Best Recipe Classic (Best Recipe Series)
Cover & Bake (A Best Recipe Classics)
The Best Light Recipe (The Best Recipe)
Dont Panic - Dinners in the Freezer: Great-Tasting Meals You Can Make Ahead
The New Best Recipe: All-New Edition with 1,000 Recipes

ASIN: 1933615141

Amazon.com

In its many publications and on TV, Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen offers exhaustively tested "best" recipes, tips, and product evaluations. Among its cookbooks, The Best Make-Ahead Recipe offers over 300 formulas that can be prepared in advance, held, and finished later. The recipes range widely from pre-prepared oven-ready dishes like Baked Fish Provençal; "double-duty" recipes, such as Mexican-Style Pork and Chorizo Stew, that use leftovers imaginatively; slow-cooker items like Tuscan white bean soup; and desserts, such as a chocolate soufflé that can go from freezer to oven successfully. In addition, the fully illustrated book offers helpful charts like How to Reheat, which provides advice according to portion size and heating method; special-occasion menus that can be started up to a month ahead; and discerning product and equipment advice.

As with other Cook's Illustrated projects, Make-Ahead includes recipes that have appeared previously in its other works, though a majority of these have been amended with make-ahead or scaling-up data. Almost all the recipes are prefaced with their trademark testing "diaries," exhaustively detailed accounts of the recipe-making process ("With the onion shells figured out, we focused next on the filling...," gives the flavor), which some readers will find enlightening, but others will think excessive. Of course, certain recipes, or recipe classes, like that for desserts, are necessarily made wholly or partially in advance--but the book's point is to provide formulas designed to yield superior results even when the uncompleted dishes are held, as most can be, in the refrigerator or freezer. Mission accomplished. Readers will find the book a consistently reliable resource for superior make-ahead dishes for everyday and special-occasion cooking. --Arthur Boehm

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous Cookbook From A Cookbook Collecter.......2007-09-14

I have well over 200 cookbooks. I purchased this cookbook because I love cookbooks of course and I love the publication Cook's. If you have to have color photographs this book is not for you. But it is so well illustrated in black and white that you cannot miss a trick with it.
Very well illustrated and a great reference book. I would suggest all in the series for a beginner cook too. I LOVE it. I can honestly say that I do not have a cookbook in this catagory. It is truly worth the money and should be in every cooks library.

easy to understand directions.......2007-09-08

they actually tell you how to make things not try to make them more complecated than they need to be. easy to understand.great product.The America's Test Kitchen Cookbook

Do You Own "Cover & Bake?".......2007-08-26

If you don't own "Cover & Bake," this a five-star book; skip down to "Here's What I Like ..."

I think this may be the lowest rating I've ever given to a CI book (I own seven in the Best series and a handful of others.) If you own "Cover & Bake," you have many of the recipes in this book, hence the low rating.

Some of the shared recipes include:
Slow Cooker Favorites (5 of the 17 are shared with C&B)
-Pot Roast
-Beef Stew
-Brisket
-Chili
-Beef & Barley Soup

Sides (There are two shared recipes)

Casseroles (There are more variations of the recipes in this book) both books share:
-Baked Ziti
-Lasagna
-Manicotti
-Mac & Cheese
-Chicken Enchiladas
-Chicken Pot Pie
-Beef Pot Pie
-Tamale Pie
-Shepherd's Pie
Lamb & Eggplant Moussaka
-Chicken & Rice Casserole

Breakfast & Breads (only the bread recipes are unique to this book. What irks me is that the same photo is used for the start of the breakfast chapters in each book.) Shared recipes are:
-24-Hour Omelet
-French Toast Casserole
-Breakfast Strata

Here is what I like about the book
-TOC in each chapter
-The Double-Duty Cooking Chapter is great -- cook a little extra now for tomorrow's dish that doesn't taste like leftovers
-All of the stews and the majority of the casseroles can be made ahead and frozen. Outside of those categories, you'll find maybe 10 additional recipes that can be frozen.
-Desserts
-Make-Ahead Holiday Menus

If you don't have "Cover & Bake" get this book. When reviewed in isolation, it is a five-star book. If you're deciding which to choose, this book has a range of recipes across appetizers, sides, main courses and desserts. If you're looking for a complete make-ahead meal, this book is the way to go.

An exceptional purchase any public library or busy cook must have........2007-07-27

Busy cooks who want to prepare meals ahead have plenty of cookbooks to choose from, but the advantage to The Best Make-Ahead Recipe is that all these dishes are fail-safe and have been tested by the professionals. Another advantage: chapters are divided by cooking method, from 'Open-Ready Entrees' to 'Slow-Cooker Favorites' and 'Baked Goods That Go From Freezer to Oven'. Some 300 recipes suitable for entertaining or daily meals are presented with accompanying color photos: all have been streamlined with the busy cook in mind. An exceptional purchase any public library or busy cook must have.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Wonderful cookbook!!!.......2007-07-22

I have purchased other make-ahead cookbooks, such as Once a Meal Cooking and Frozen Assets. This cookbook is the best I've found. This cookbook teaches you how to prepare dishes so that they test fresh when reheated.

I have tried several recipes in this cookbook and they have been great. I was skeptical that it was possible to freeze pasta dishes and reheat them without the pasta tasting mushy. But to my pleasant surprise, the pasta dishes were very good.

Some of the recipes in this book are not recommended for freezing. They are considered "make ahead" since they can be stored in your refrigerator for a few days before cooking or baking.

The Carrot Principle: How the Best Managers Use Recognition to Engage Their Employees, Retain Talent, and Drive Performance

Average customer rating:

More than the traditional Carrot!
Enjoyable read *and* applicable
Important Stuff in Depth, but Nothing New
Good Idea - Doesn't Need an Entire Book
Great Book to Improve a Managers Team

The Carrot Principle: How the Best Managers Use Recognition to Engage Their Employees, Retain Talent, and Drive Performance
Adrian Gostick , and Chester Elton
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Communications | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Leadership | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0743290097

Amazon.com

Book Description
Got carrotphobia? Do you think that recognizing your employees will distract you and your team from more serious business, create jealousy, or make you look soft? Think again.The Carrot Principle reveals the groundbreaking results of one of the most in-depth management studies ever undertaken, showing definitively that the central characteristic of the most successful managers is that they provide their employees with frequent and effective recognition. With independent research from The Jackson Organization and analysis by bestselling leadership experts Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton, this breakthrough study of 200,000 people over ten years found dramatically greater business results when managers offered constructive praise and meaningful rewards in ways that powerfully motivated employees to excel.

Drawing on case studies from leading companies including Disney, DHL, KPMG, and Pepsi Bottling Group, bestselling authors Gostick and Elton show how the transformative power of purpose-based recognition produces astonishing increases in operating results--whether measured by return on equity, return on assets, or operating margin. And they show how great managers lead with carrots, not sticks, and in doing so achieve higher

* Productivity
* Engagement
* Retention
* Customer satisfaction

The Carrot Principle illustrates that the relationship between recognition and improved business results is highly predictable--it's proven to work. But it's not the employee recognition some of us have been using for years. It is recognition done right, recognition combined with four other core traits of effective leadership.

Gostick and Elton explain the remarkably simple but powerful methods great managers use to provide their employees with effective recognition, which all managers can easily learn and begin practicing for immediate results. Great recognition doesn't take time--it can be done in a matter of moments--and it doesn't take budget-busting amounts of money. This exceptional book presents the simple steps to becoming a Carrot Principle manager and to building a recognition culture in your organization; it offers a wealth of specific examples, culled from real-life cases, of the ways to do recognition right. Following these simple steps will make you a high-performance leader and take your team to a new level of achievement.

"The Carrot Principle: How Great Managers Use Employee Recognition"
An Essay by Adam Gostick and Chester Elton

For organizations that do it right, it's a bit like discovering gold in your backyard. Employee recognition, long considered a benefit that costs money, can actually be a management tool that makes money. At first blush, the idea is counter-intuitive. As leaders, we've become accustomed to viewing recognition programs as a cost of doing business. But employee recognition is evolving. A groundbreaking research study of 200,000 employees, unveiled in our new book The Carrot Principle, presents a new paradigm: Applying employee recognition techniques within a context of goal-setting, open communication, trust and accountability, (what we have come to call the Basic Four) accelerates the impact of all of these critical management skills.

Continue reading "The Carrot Principle: How Great Managers Use Employee Recognition"

More to Explore

The 24-Carrot Manager

Managing with Carrots

Book Description

Got carrotphobia? Do you think that recognizing your employees will distract you and your team from more serious business, create jealousy, or make you look soft?

Think again.

The Carrot Principle reveals the groundbreaking results of one of the most in-depth management studies ever undertaken, showing definitively that the central characteristic of the most successful managers is that they provide their employees with frequent and effective recognition. With independent research from The Jackson Organization and analysis by bestselling leadership experts Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton, this breakthrough study of 200,000 people over ten years found dramatically greater business results when managers offered constructive praise and meaningful rewards in ways that powerfully motivated employees to excel.

Drawing on case studies from leading companies including Disney, DHL, KPMG, and Pepsi Bottling Group, bestselling authors Gostick and Elton show how the transformative power of purpose-based recognition produces astonishing increases in operating results -- whether measured by return on equity, return on assets, or operating margin. And they show how great managers lead with carrots, not sticks, and in doing so achieve higher

Productivity

Engagement

Retention

Customer satisfaction

The Carrot Principle illustrates that the relationship between recognition and improved business results is highly predictable -- it's proven to work. But it's not the employee recognition some of us have been using for years. It is recognition done right, recognition combined with four other core traits of effective leadership.

This exceptional book presents the simple steps to becoming a Carrot Principle manager and to building a recognition culture in your organization; it offers a wealth of specific examples, culled from real-life cases, of the ways to do recognition right. Following these simple steps will make you a high-performance leader and take your team to a new level of achievement.

Customer Reviews:

More than the traditional Carrot!.......2007-08-21

While the title may sound like authors Gostick and Elton are espousing the positive half of the carrot and stick motivational model, the book actually demonstrates the performance improvement correlation when recognition of individual contribution and identity (purpose-based recognition) is applied to the four basics of leadership - goal setting, communications, trust, and accountability. Recognizing that the knowledge economy requires the harnessing of people's commitment, the authors advocate moving beyond a transactional management model into emotional-based management, using purpose-based recognition to build a Carrot Culture. Without using the "R" word, they espouse a relational management model, supported by recognition.

The authors do a good job of demonstrating the business performance benefits when employees are engaged with the goals of the organization. They then provide ample guidance for how to use recognition to enhance engagement, including an extensive list of ideas for use with each of their four basics of leadership. All in all, an easy read, recommended for managers who know they might do better at acknowledging the contribution of their people and are looking for something to help them get into action.

Enjoyable read *and* applicable.......2007-08-09

With all of the sales and managerial books out there, how to really discern which makes for a fun airplane read or which really offers applicable value? This book offers both. Both my husband and I read our library copy, and experienced it as so useful we bought our own copy.

Important Stuff in Depth, but Nothing New.......2007-08-02

Here are the big ideas from this book.

Positive consequences, such as praise and recognition, are great tools for encouraging people to try new things and to continue desired behaviors. They send a message about what managers value.

In work teams where people say they have been praised recently, productivity, morale, and measures of engagement are more likely to be high and people are more likely to stay with the organization.

In teams where people say they have not been praised recently, productivity, morale, and measures of engagement are more likely to be lower and people are more likely to want to leave.

Companies with high productivity, morale and engagement and low turnover are more profitable.

Managers rate themselves higher on giving praise and recognition than their subordinates rate them.

There are no breakthrough, thought-leader ideas here. There is nothing really new.

The jacket blurb implies that this is based on exciting new research. It's not. It's based on research by the authors' firm that reinforces other research, including Gallup, Blanchard, a boatload of academic researchers and my own study of top performing supervisors. So if you're looking for new or breakthrough stuff, you don't have to buy the book and you don't need to read any further.

That doesn't mean that you won't get value from the book. The points the authors make are worth making again and again. Praise in all its forms is the most powerful and most underused tool for growing great, engaged teams.

Because the book is devoted, essentially, to a single idea, you get lots of depth on that idea. Some of those are just small insights.

On page 84, the authors make the point that in service industries, the perceived value of the product is tied to the behavior of the person that the customer comes in contact with. I knew this at some level, but seeing it in print got me to reflect on it and what it means.

Other things are more substantive. The authors provide details on different types of recognition: Day-to-Day; Above and Beyond; Career; and Event. They offer forms and lists and charts.

If you haven't read much about the power of praise and recognition this is a good place to start. The book covers most of the basic research, puts it in context, and gives you tools for putting it to use.

Remember that the authors wrote this book to sell their services and products. Sometimes they try way too hard to stretch their single bed blanket of product over the double bed of the subject. Sometimes they struggle to name things "carrot" or paint them orange, when simple description would do just fine.

If you're looking for a tool to use with managers at our company or in your peer group to increase the amount and effectiveness of legitimate praise, this is a good book to buy and use. You may also want to investigate the authors' other products.

Good Idea - Doesn't Need an Entire Book.......2007-07-29

I found the overall message of this book good and for that I might give it 5 stars. However the book takes too long to try to prove itself, and is overly detailed. I found it boring and dry. I respect the authors for writing a book since that is hard to do, but it seems like too much writing for a simple message. I would rephrase the book here, except I'm not that good of a writer. My best attempt would be to say, money motivates senior management, but does not tend to motivate most employees. Focus on recognizing employees clearly for distinct behavior, and give personal rewards (not plaques, trophies, or candy), immediately, and publicly. Also have an altruistic attitude towards your employees. Most of the book is fairly obvious for progressive managers, and those who are not just won't get it. In the end I don't think it will have a earth shattering effect on your business. Instead I would recommend something, anything, by Seth Godin.

Great Book to Improve a Managers Team.......2007-07-25

This is an exceptional book on how managers and executives can use recognition to retain top talent, improve teamwork, and improve performance. Recognition of employee performance, accomplishments, and contributions to the team and company has a tremendous impact on the positive influence and profit outcome for a company.
A must read for every manager in every company.

Gary Perman
Professional Headhunter
Perman Technical Group

The Mystery Method: How to Get Beautiful Women Into Bed

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well worth the money!
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Hilarious and informative
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The Mystery Method: How to Get Beautiful Women Into Bed
Mystery , and Lovedrop
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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