Samstag, 5. Dezember 2009

Driven to Distraction or Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood

Author: Edward M Hallowell

THE NATIONAL AUDIO BESTSELLER

Procrastination. Disorganization. Distractibility. Millions of adults have long considered these the hallmarks of a lack of self-discipline. But for many, these and other problems in school, at work and in social relationships are actually symptoms of an inborn neurological problem: ADD, or Attention Deficit Disorder.

Through vivid stories of the experiences of their patients -- both adults and children -- Dr. Edward R. Hallowell and Dr. John J. Ratey show the varied forms ADD takes -- from the hyperactive search for high stimulation to the floating inattention of daydreaming -- and the transforming impact of precise diagnosis and treatment.

Driven to Distraction is a must listen for everyone intrigued by the workings of the human mind.

Library Journal

Hallowell and Ratey offer a fine addition to literature on ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). The authors employ a broad, general definition of ADD (``high-energy, action-oriented, bottom-line, gotta-run-type people'') and continually emphasize the special, positive qualities of people with ADD. They describe how ADD affects adults--many Americans mistakenly think of it as a childhood curse--and explain how the American temperament helps create ADD-like symptoms. Best of all are the stories and case studies of myriad folks who have dealt successfully with their diagnosis. A state-by-state list of support groups are included in this excellent approach to an intriguing subject.-- Linda Beck, Indian Valley P.L., Telford, Pa.



Table of Contents:
Preface: A Personal Perspective
1What Is Attention Deficit Disorder?3
2"I Sang in My Chains Like the Sea": The Child with ADD41
3"Sequence Ravelled Out of Sound": Adult ADD70
4Living and Loving with ADD: ADD in Couples107
5The Big Struggle: ADD and the Family126
6Parts of the Elephant: Subtypes of ADD151
7How Do I Know if I Have It? The Steps Toward Diagnosis195
8What Can You Do About It? The Treatment of ADD215
9A Local Habitation and a Name: The Biology of ADD269
Acknowledgments287
Appendix: Where to Find Help289
Index305

Book about: Turbulence in World Politics or Surpassing Realism

Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

Author: Max Weber

This brilliant study opposes the Marxist concept of dialectical materialism and its view that change takes place through the conflict of opposites. Instead, Weber relates the rise of a capitalist economy to the Puritan determination to work out anxiety over salvation or damnation by performing good deeds — an effort that ultimately encouraged capitalism.

Times Higher Education Supplement

Max Weber is the one undisputed canonical figure in contemporary sociology.

Booknews

Arguing that classic works should be translated every generation, and that the essay here was last translated into English some 70 years ago, Kalberg (sociology, Boston U.) strives to make the text accessible to undergraduates and general readers and to retain the integrity of the work with a close-to-the-text translation. In addition to the essay itself, which was published in a two parts in a social science journal in 1904-05, he has included two related documents by Weber (1864-1920). Cited in . Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)



Freitag, 4. Dezember 2009

How to Start a Conversation and Make Friends or Business Writing

How to Start a Conversation and Make Friends: Revised and Updated

Author: Don Gabor

For nearly twenty years, small-talk expert Don Gabor has helped thousands of people communicate with wit, confidence, and enthusiasm with his bestseller How to Start a Conversation and Make Friends. This new edition brings the art of having a conversation up to date.

By following the simple and dynamic guidelines in this easy-to-read book, you'll be ready to strike up a great conversation with anyone anywhere! And you'll learn how to keep the conversation going by asking the right questions, using body language effectively, and avoiding conversation pitfalls. Packed with charts, hundreds of opening lines, real-life examples, FAQs, helpful hints, and solid professional advice, How to Start a Conversation and Make Friends shows you how to:

  • Identify your personal conversational style
  • Talk to people from other countries and cultures
  • Avoid mistakes while on a mobile phone or on-line in chatrooms
  • Boost your personal and professional speaking skills to the next level



See also: Brandy Trade under the Ancien Regime or Dinners in a Dash

Business Writing (Quamut)

Author: Quamut

Quamut is the fastest, most convenient way to learn how to do almost anything. From tasting wine to managing your retirement accounts, Quamut gives you reliable information in a concise chart format that you can take anywhere. Quamut charts are:

  • Authoritative: Written by experts in their field so you have the most reliable information available.
  • Clear: Our explanations take you step-by-step through everything from performing CPR to threading a needle.
  • Concise: You’ll learn just what you need to know—no more, no less.
  • Precise: Quamut charts include detailed text, photos, and illustrations to show you exactly how to do just about anything.
  • Portable: Your know-how goes with you wherever your projects lead.


Write your way to the top.

Good writing is the foundation of good business: the ability to communicate concisely and effectively with employees, customers, and the public will help you get ahead. Differentiate yourself from the competition by learning:

  • The dos and don’ts of effective business writing
  • Tips on organization, tone, grammar, style, revision, and proofreading
  • Guidelines for writing memos, press releases, sales letters, emails, and more



Donnerstag, 3. Dezember 2009

Stocks for the Long Run or In Search of Excellence

Stocks for the Long Run: The Definitive Guide to Financial Market Returns & Long-Term Investment Strategy

Author: Jeremy J Siegel

THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO HIGH-RETURN, LOW-RISK EQUITIES-NOW UPDATED TO COVER GLOBAL STOCKS AND ETFS

Stocks for the Long Run set a precedent as the most complete and irrefutable case for stock market investment ever written. Now, this bible for long-term investing continues its tradition with a Fourth Edition featuring updated, revised, and new material that will keep you competitive in the global market and up-to-date on the latest index instruments.

Wharton School professor Jeremy Siegel provides a potent mix of new evidence, research, and analysis supporting his key strategies for amassing a solid portfolio with enhanced returns and reduced risk. In a seamless narrative that incorporates the historical record of the markets with the realities of today's investing environment, the Fourth Edition features:

  • A new chapter on globalization that documents the how the emerging world will soon overtake the developed world and how it impacts the international economy
  • An extended chapter on indexing that includes fundamentally-weighted indexes, which have historically offered better returns and lower volatility than their capitalization-weighted counterparts
  • Insightful analysis on what moves the market and how little we know about the sources of big market changes
  • A sobering look at behavioral finance and the psychological factors that can lead investors to make irrational investment decisions

A major highlight of this new edition of Stocks for the Long Run is the chapter on global investing. With the U.S. stock market currently holding less than half of the world's equity capitalization, it's risky for investors not todiversify abroad. This updated edition shows you how to create an “efficient portfolio” that best balances asset allocation in domestic and foreign markets and provides thorough coverage on sector allocation across the globe.

Stocks for the Long Run is essential reading for every investor and advisor who wants to fully understand the market - including its behavior, past trends, and future influences - in order to develop a prosperous long-term portfolio that is both safe and secure.



Interesting book: Every Landlords Tax Deduction Guide or Leadership Presence

In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America's Best-Run Companies

Author: Thomas J Peters

The now classic volume that became an immediate bestseller as well as a landmark business book. "One of those rare books on management that are both consistently thought-provoking and fun to read."--Wall Street Journal

Wall Street Journal

Exuberant and absorbing . . . one of those rare books on management that are both consistently thought-provoking and fun to read.

New York Times Books of the Century, reviewed March 6, 1983 - Fran R. Schumer

. . .[H]ighly readable and sensible. . .finds the secret of business success not in the head but in the heart. . .[through] respect for the individual, devotion to service and attention to the customer.

The Wall Street Journal

Exuberant and absorbing . . . one of those rare books on management that are both consistently thought-provoking and fun to read.

Fran R. Schumer

. . .[H]ighly readable and sensible. . .finds the secret of business success not in the head but in the heart. . .[through] respect for the individual, devotion to service and attention to the customer. -- New York Times Books of the Century, reviewed March 6, 1983



Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments
Special Acknowledgment.- David G. Anderson
Preface
Introduction
PART 1: THE SAVING REMNANT

1 Successful American Companies

PART II: TOWARD NEW THEORY
2 The Rational Model
3 Man Waiting for Motivation

PART III: BACK TO BASICS
4 Managing Ambiguity and Paradox
11 Simple Form, Lean Staff
12 Simultaneous Loose-Tight Properties
Notes
Index

Mittwoch, 2. Dezember 2009

Everything I Know about Business I Learned at McDonalds or Tuned in

Everything I Know About Business I Learned at McDonald's: The 7 Leadership Principles that Drive Break-Out Success

Author: Paul Facella

An unparalleled insider’s look at the management practices that have made McDonald’s a household name on six continents--that everyone can use

What is it about McDonald’s that has made it not only the number-one fast-food franchise in the world, but a branding icon second only to Coca-Cola for world wide name recognition? Few people are as well qualified to answer that question as Paul Facella. Beginning behind the counter at age sixteen, Facella literally grew up in the company’s culture. From counter, to grill, to Executive Vice President, Facella, over the course of his distinguished thirty- four year career at McDonald’s, developed an intimate knowledge of the fast-food behemoth’s management practices as well as personal ties to its legendary leaders, including founder Ray Kroc, and former president Ed Rensi and former CEO Fred Turner.


In Everything I Know About Business I Learned at McDonald’s Paul Facella takes you inside to offer for a uniquely intimate and authoritative look at the McDonald’s organization, system, and culture. He extracts powerful lessons for managers, executives, and entrepreneurs in all industries on leadership, people development, and teamwork.



Book review: Beating the Street or The White Mans Burden

Tuned In: Uncover the Extraordinary Opportunities That Lead to Business Breakthroughs

Author: Craig Stull

Do you resonate in your market?


When it comes to creating and bringing new offerings to market, "tuned out" organizations get it wrong. They ignore the signals that reveal which problems buyers want solved and which solutions they will happily pay for. "Tuned in" organizations, on the other hand, take a radically different approach. They tap into the wider mind of the market and connect deeply to what their buyers value most, creating breakthrough offerings—called "resonators." These resonators offer value so immediately apparent that they seem to sell themselves.

Tuned In shows you six simple, yet powerful, steps to creating products, services, or ideas that resonate right out of the gate.

Uncover Opportunities Others Don't See

"When companies think they know what customers need, it invariably ends badly. Tuned In shows step by step how to create unique products and services in areas that established organizations fail to recognize."

—Rob McGovern, founder of CareerBuilder.com, and Chairman and CEO of Jobfox.com

Gain a Sustainable Competitive Edge

"This is a unique and fresh approach to how today's fortunes are made."

—Rick Page, author of the #1 sales bestseller Hope Is Not a Strategy

The Real Difference Maker

"The most important thing a CEO has to do is make sure his or her company is, and stays, tuned in. There are ongoing challenges with people, culture, strategy, and execution, but the real difference maker is consistently producing products and services the market loves."

—Steve Bennett, former CEO of Intuit Inc.

Build Deep Connections with YourMarket

"Tuned In'is a straightforward, commonsense approach to making connections with the marketplace. Authors Stull, Myers, and Scott have given us a great reminder of what so many established stars, and those on their way, already know: find out what your fans want, and find a way to give it to them."

—Jody Nachtigal, Personal Manager at Arcadia Group Management, and Co-President of Kissing Booth Music

Publishers Weekly

This well-reasoned and useful guide argues that successful innovators can develop products that "resonate" by connecting deeply with consumers. This simple idea is delivered in a conversational tone and illustrated in well-structured chapters laying out a six-step "Tuned in Process" and examples that span borders and industries. From anecdotes about countryside hotels that sprouted up to provide respite for Japanese salarymen to Nalgene plastic bottles, which escaped the laboratory to achieve cult status and ultimately mass market consumer appeal, fascinating case studies abound. However, as appealing as the concept and the many examples are, the enthusiastic presentation begins to grate; the repeated invocation of the "Tuned in Process" may tire readers looking for more subtlety and fewer sound bites. Still, there is sufficient fodder for anyone who wants to shake the sleep out of an organization and renew a focus on creating the kind of value that customers are willing to pay for. (June)

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