Best Business Writing Skills
Whether you want to write about people or places, science and technology, business, sports, the arts or about yourself in the increasingly popular memoir genre, On Writing Well offers you fundamental priciples as well as the insights of a distinguished writer and teacher. His 17 books include Writing to Learn; Mitchell & Ruff; Spring Training; American Places; Easy to Remember: The Great American Songwriters and Their Songs ; and most recently Writing About Your Life .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"For instance, if you skip the travel writing chapter, or if you read it thinking that it only applies to travel writing, then you will miss two golden and persuasive arguments that ought to apply to *any* writer: 1) The things that come to the writer easiest -- cliché, excessive detail, syrupy and vague language -- are the things that keep the reader bored/detached/passive. It's excruciatingly hard to do, but once you realize that that's the goal, and once you realize that the parts that come easiest are what's getting in the way of that goal, then you can start writing well."
"This book is one of the finest books ever written on the subject of nonfiction writing. And more than anything else, I learned to trust myself and the concept that, in the end, people don't love a book because they are in love with the subject, they love a book (and stick with it regardless of topic) because they like the author."
"I am a non-fiction writer and this is the best book I have read regarding what I hope to accomplish."
"This book is NOT a how-to write recipe book, rather one on fundamentals and principles. The third section discusses the different forms of writing (Nonfiction as Literature, The Interview, The Travel Article, The Memoir, Science and Technology, Business Writing, Sports, Writing About the Arts, and Humor). Finally the fourth and last section is on attitudes (The Sound of Your Voice, Enjoyment, Fear and Confidence, The Tyranny of the Final Product, A Writer's Decision, Write as Well as You Can). Overall, a very insightful book on the topic of writing non-fiction. On the critical side, given the breadth inherent in such a topic (writing), the book did not have a lot of depth in the areas presented. Below are some excerpts from the book that I found particularly insightful: 1-On email: "Just because they are writing with ease and enjoyment doesn't mean they are writing well.""
"There's something so intimate in reading a book when you know its author pored over ever single verb, article and comma dozens of times to make the gestalt as cohesive as possible."
This revolutionary method for connecting with customers provides readers with the ultimate competitive advantage, revealing the secret for helping their customers understand the compelling benefits of using their products, ideas, or services. Donald Miller is a speaker, founder of The Mentoring Project, and author of A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, Blue Like Jazz, Searching for God Knows What, Through Painted Deserts, and Father Fiction.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Well, for what seems like centuries, the question, “What makes your company different?” has turned even the most concise business owners into babbling, incoherent wrecks."
"This was a great book for someone who is completely new to branding."
"Found the story brand processes for external and internal customer empowerment, band on and useful at every level of relationships."
"THE best book I have read in a while!"
"BOOK."
"Miller provides an easy-to-follow format for developing a story for your brand."
"Excellent book - very inspiring, and truly outlines the steps to take to tell your marketing story in a manner people can truly relate to."
"Great ideas for businesses small and large."
The inside story of the epic turnaround of Ford Motor Company under the leadership of CEO Alan Mulally. In the bestselling tradition of Too Big to Fail and The Big Short , American Icon is narrative nonfiction at its vivid and colorful best. “A standout…brimming with smart observations and fresh insights into Ford’s success.” –Alex Taylor, Fortune “Fly-on-the-wall accounts of Mulally negotiating deals and Ford overcoming challenges from the inside and outside…A paean to the ingenuity, grit and optimism that once defined American industry and to capitalism played with government on the sidelines.” – Reuters “A compelling narrative that reads more like a thriller than a business book.” – New York Times “A must-read.” – Huffington Post “A fascinating read for anyone who follows the car industry.” –Financial Times “A Detroit News journalist’s in-the-room account of the resurrection of America’s most storied car company…With colorful anecdotes, sharp character sketches, telling details and a firm understanding of the industry, Hoffman fleshes out every aspect of this tale, reminding us of the hard work, tension, and high-stakes drama that preceded the successful result.” — Kirkus. “Bryce G. Hoffman’s American Icon brilliantly recounts the Lazarus-like resurgence of the Ford Motor Company under the bold and inspiring leadership of CEO Alan Mulally. Highly recommend!” —Douglas Brinkley, professor of history, Rice University, and author of Wheels for the World: Henry Ford, His Company, and a Century of Progress “Bryce Hoffman has written a riveting tome based on deep insider information about the resurrection of the Ford Motor Company from a near death experience and the establishment of a business model that promises to be a prototype for large organizations of all types.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I purchased it hoping to get a decent idea of what Ford went through during the economic crisis of 2006-2009, but this book proved to be a detailed, engrossing story that I could barely put down."
"This is an excellent book on Mullaly and more importantly, on Ford."
"But the book provides so much background detail about meetings and personal interactions that it becomes very clear early in the book that Mulally really is as genuine and down-to-earth as he has been portrayed in other media. Again, Hoffman demystifies Ford's roll, corrects many of my own assumptions about who he is personally and also provides some insight into the types of individuals in the Ford family. The topic of the Ford family comes up a number of times in the book and Hoffman lays out very squarely that some of the family are nothing more than decedents of the fortune who have no daily connection to the company, and others as mid-level managers, learning and guiding the business, who live and breathe by the companies success and failure and desperately want it to succeed."
"He truly understands how to inspire great work by his colleagues and bring them out of a massively dysfunctional culture. Every organizational leader will do well to read and emulate his leadership style and substance. One of my favorite parts was where the direct reports to Alan were trying to put him in his place by saying that autos were very complex, required long lead times to create, and thousands of parts had to come together just right so the vehicle would run well. A second one was about two months into his effort when one person, who is now the current CEO, dared to say something wasn't going well in one of the Canadian operations under his organization. The weekly Thursday meeting was another brilliant innovation to keep things moving rapidly and solving problems as they went forward with plans many of his subordinates had developed."
Best Business Communication Skills
-Six ways to make people like you. -Twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking. -Nine ways to change people without arousing resentment. Financial success, Carnegie believed, is due 15 percent to professional knowledge and 85 percent to "the ability to express ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm among people." You learn how to make people like you, win people over to your way of thinking, and change people without causing offense or arousing resentment.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The realization that my marriage was being effected by my nearly empty toolbox of social skills promoted me to take personal responsibility and shoulder the blame myself for once instead of blaming everyone around me for everything. I grew up with a hypercritical Mother so I think I had promised myself that I would never be criticized again, even if that meant writing people off the instant I felt like I had made myself vulnerable enough to be hurt by them. The strategies are applicable to and helpful in all aspects of my life so far, from my marriage to my job, and even to the way I interact with clerks in gas stations."
"I did think several of the principles explained in the book are common sense, but I found that it could be easy for a person to react quickly to conflicts. The first principle emphasizes the importance of avoiding criticism and he describes working with people as: working with people of logic. With this principle, he describes the importance of self-expression and connects it to the importance of thinking in terms of the other person, so that they come up with your ideas on their own, which they will like more. Dale then describes the importance to recall a person's name in the third principle. He further explains this point in principle five: Talk in terms of the other person's interests. Dale describes in the third part of the book the steps to have a person think in terms of your own thoughts. He then explains the importance of agreement and having the person say "yes," at least twice. If all else fails, he explains the importance of competition and how it drives people to feel important and empowered to work efficiently and effectively. He then explains the importance of asking questions that direct the person you’re speaking to, to obtain your idea on their own. He emphasizes the importance of having the person be saved from embarrassment, and then explains the importance of praise again, even if it is small."
"Yes, there is nothing new here but I would say that much like the basket ball star who practices relentlessly the same foul shot over & over again so that when its crunch time, the ball hits the hoop to win the game no matter how much pressure is on."
"I'm happy to have read this--it flows well and many truths to it albeit they're of scientifically argued for."
"Enjoyed the stories."
"This got to be the book that provided me with the most principles on how to win friends and influence people."
Best Office Automation Skills
You will discover everything you need to know about social media marketing This expanded 3rd edition has Outstanding New Content to make building your online presence even more powerful than before! Doubling Your Instagram Followers Understanding Facebook Ad marketing Top Strategies For Growth Monetizing Your Social Media.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As someone who has used social media to support multilple activities this book is just so helpful. There are so many social media formats out there now and this book helps break them down and what their application for different use would be."
"If you really are completely new to social media or struggling to keep up it’s a quick read that will tell you the strategies of each of the major social media sites and a step by step how to set up each."
"It provided a bit of an education to me about the platforms that I am not currently using, which allowed me to take a step back and envision ways that I could use each site to promote my business interests."
"Many social media platforms are explained and each section has a few suggestions on utilizing it efficiently."
"I have a facebook page and even a website but short of paying all the time to boost my posts, I was wondering what I could do to advertise and get more people interested in my brand."
"He tells how to recognize your brand, your key audience- customers, and even points out a few social media sites I hadn't heard of before and was interested in checking out."
Best Running Meetings & Presentations
-Six ways to make people like you. -Twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking. -Nine ways to change people without arousing resentment. Financial success, Carnegie believed, is due 15 percent to professional knowledge and 85 percent to "the ability to express ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm among people." You learn how to make people like you, win people over to your way of thinking, and change people without causing offense or arousing resentment.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The realization that my marriage was being effected by my nearly empty toolbox of social skills promoted me to take personal responsibility and shoulder the blame myself for once instead of blaming everyone around me for everything. I grew up with a hypercritical Mother so I think I had promised myself that I would never be criticized again, even if that meant writing people off the instant I felt like I had made myself vulnerable enough to be hurt by them. The strategies are applicable to and helpful in all aspects of my life so far, from my marriage to my job, and even to the way I interact with clerks in gas stations."
"I did think several of the principles explained in the book are common sense, but I found that it could be easy for a person to react quickly to conflicts. The first principle emphasizes the importance of avoiding criticism and he describes working with people as: working with people of logic. With this principle, he describes the importance of self-expression and connects it to the importance of thinking in terms of the other person, so that they come up with your ideas on their own, which they will like more. Dale then describes the importance to recall a person's name in the third principle. He further explains this point in principle five: Talk in terms of the other person's interests. Dale describes in the third part of the book the steps to have a person think in terms of your own thoughts. He then explains the importance of agreement and having the person say "yes," at least twice. If all else fails, he explains the importance of competition and how it drives people to feel important and empowered to work efficiently and effectively. He then explains the importance of asking questions that direct the person you’re speaking to, to obtain your idea on their own. He emphasizes the importance of having the person be saved from embarrassment, and then explains the importance of praise again, even if it is small."
"I don't get why people think this is so amazing, this is basically a guide book to being a psychopath, at one point just tells you to force yourself to smile to others."
Best Secretarial Aids & Training
Ebook Edition release date March, 2012. Foreword by Olympia Dukakis. Real life tools and advice for every professional assistant and their high-powered employers. Enlightening and entertaining, this book is filled with true stories and lessons from author Bonnie Low-Kramen's 25+ years working with Academy Award-winning actress Olympia Dukakis. The first is that this work is frequently misunderstood and has been subject to warped misconceptions by the media. I decided that I was in a unique position to set the record straight and tell it the way it really is to those who actually want to know the truth of it! --Hope Rippere, former CEO Communications Manager, Hewlett-Packard Company --Hope Rippere. Be the Ultimate Assistant is a must-read for assistants and employers alike! An employer myself, this invaluable guide provided me with the perfect blueprint to follow in my search for a personal assistant. As a former NY personal assistant and current certified Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor supporting assistants, my specific interest in reading the book was to learn more about the technology challenges professional assistants face. Ms. Low-Kramen is a passionate spokesperson on issues concerning professional assistants and enjoys setting the record straight. Ms. Low-Kramen's work with Olympia Dukakis has included close involvement with the Academy Award win for Moonstruck, the 1988 presidential campaign of Michael Dukakis, travel around the world to places such as Sydney, London, Alaska and Prague and numerous awards shows and benefits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"After having read it, it is clearly not for me as you essentially don't have a life of your own."
"As Estate Managers working with high net worth and celebrities, we are frequently placed in "assistant” roles and in actuality, we have to be a "jack-of-all-trades"."
"I have recently transitioned into the role of personal assistant and was excited to come across this book in my search for professional development materials."
"As a former executive assistant and newer recipient of administrative assistance, I found this book immensely helpful."
"Thank you Bonnie for sharing your life experiences and your willingness to share how to be successful in this busy world of being "The Ultimate Assistant"."
"As an Office Manager and Personal Assistant to the Principals of my company, I don't have to do some of the things Ms Low-Kramen has to."
Best Office Management
More than 50 practical tips and case studies from readers (including families) who have doubled their income, overcome common sticking points, and reinvented themselves using the original book as a starting point. * Real-world templates you can copy for eliminating email, negotiating with bosses and clients, or getting a private chef for less than £5 a meal. * How lifestyle design principles can be suited to unpredictable economic times. * The latest tools and tricks, as well as high-tech shortcuts, for living like a diplomat or millionaire without being either. -- Dr. Stewart D. Friedman, Adviser to Jack Welch and Former Vice President Al Gore on Work/Family Issues, Director of the Work/Life Integration Project, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania "Stunning and amazing. -- Phil Town, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of "Rule #1 "The 4-Hour Workweek is a new way of solving a very old problem: just how can we work to live and prevent our lives from being all about work?
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Don't get me wrong, Ferriss makes some excellent points and he's got some really great tips and tricks in here, I'm just not sure how universal they really are. I thought he was just talking about ways to spend less time working, but that "The 4-Hour" just sounded good (since he now has a whole line of books with titles that start that way). I never did understand the point of retirement, so Ferriss's plan sounds much more appealing to me. Granted, that would make my job a whole lot more portable, but I could never get away with only working four hours per week (at least not until after I sell that bestselling novel, which is such a realistic plan!). I, too, thought I could get another job within a few months, but that did not turn out to be the case. So, if I go spend all my money on a mini-retirement now, and then come back only to find that I can't get a job for another year, I'll be screwed. I love them, but they have enough to deal with right now, and the last thing I want to do is burden the people around me because I decided to go globe-trotting for a few months."
"A term coined by Ferriss to describe this emerging subgroup of individuals who would rather create automated business models that would allow them to travel the world and seek adventure, while making a significant income, then sit in an office from 9-5."
"A great read."
"Seriously, he begins by admitting he first made his fortune selling (allegedly) nutritional supplements that cost almost nothing to make and weren't based on science, but were then hyped to the point the uninformed public was paying through the nose to get it. This gave him ideas on how to further hype his message to an even larger audience, without bothering to sell anything tangible. He then gives advice about "paraphrasing and combining points from several books," borrowing from the public domain, and/or compensating some other "expert." Apparently, not knowing a damn thing is a virtue he calls "Cultivating Selective Ignorance." If having an educated and well-informed populace is fundamental to having a flourishing democracy, this is how we'll end up with a plutocracy where the stupidest few prey on the desperate and stupid masses, while outsourcing all the jobs they might create. Outsource everything -- including your brain -- to a 3rd World Country: He hires virtual assistants in various 3rd World Countries, especially India, who are then given fabulous access to all of his personal information to the point they can pretend to be him and make all of his personal and business decisions. Hey, what could possibly go wrong by hiring complete strangers and giving them all information about you in order to think for you, do your work and run your errands? Just tell him you're too busy and further kill morale by then asking those other suckers - aka, co-workers - for a quick breakdown of what happened."
"Truly a waste of time and just another "fluff how to" book that really says nothing with substance."