Business, Finance & Law Books

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisImprove your personal and professional relationships instantly with this timeless guide to communication, listening skills, body language, and conflict resolution.Maybe a wall of silent resentment has shut you off from someone you love. Maybe you listen to an argument in which neither party seems to hear the other. Or maybe your mind drifts to other matters when people talk to you. People Skills is a communication skills handbook that can help you eliminate these and other communication problems. Author Robert Bolton describes the twelve most common communication barriers, showing how these ?roadblocks? damage relationships by increasing defensiveness, aggressiveness, or dependency. He explains how to acquire the ability to listen, assert yourself, resolve conflicts, and work out problems with others. These are skills that will help you communicate calmly, even in stressful emotionally charged situations. People Skills will show you: -How to get your needs met using simple assertion techniques -How body language often speaks louder than words -How to use silence as a valuable communication tool -How to de-escalate family disputes, lovers'' quarrels, and other heated arguments Both thought-provoking and practical, People Skills is filled with workable ideas that you can use to improve your communication in meaningful ways, every day.Table of ContentsContentsPrefacePART ONEIntroductionCHAPTER ONESkills for Bridging the Interpersonal GapCommunication: Humanity's Supreme AchievementThe Ineffectiveness of Most CommunicationThe Ache of LonelinessSo Much Lost LoveA Key to Success at WorkA Life-or-Death MatterYou Can ChangeYou Will Change!Managing Your Resistance to LearningFive Sets of SkillsSummaryCHAPTER TWOBarriers to CommunicationCommon Communication SpoilersWhy Roadblocks Are High-Risk ResponsesJudging: the Major RoadblockRoadblockSending Solutions Can Be a Problem!Avoiding the Other's ConcernsRoadblock Number ThirteenSummaryPART TWOListening SkillsCHAPTER THREEListening Is More Than Merely HearingThe Importance of ListeningListening DefinedListening Skill ClustersAttending SkillsFollowing SkillsSummaryCHAPTER FOURFour Skills of Reflective ListeningReflective Responses Provide a Mirror to the SpeakerParaphrasingReflecting FeelingsReflecting MeaningsSummaryCHAPTER FIVEWhy Reflective Responses WorkStyle and Structure in ListeningSix Peculiarities of Human CommunicationSkepticism Is Best Dissolved by ActionSummaryCHAPTER SIXReading Body languageThe Importance of Body LanguageNonverbals: The Language of FeelingsThe "Leakage" of Masked FeelingsGuidelines for Reading Body LanguageReflect the Feelings Back to the SenderA Clear But Confusing LanguageSummaryCHAPTER SEVENImproving Your Reflecting SkillsGuidelines for Improved ListeningBeyond Reflective ListeningWhen to Listen ReflectivelyWhen Not to Listen ReflectivelyThe Good News and the Bad NewsSummaryPART THREEAssertion SkillsCHAPTER EIGHTThree Approaches to RelationshipsListening and Assertion: The Yin and Yang of CommunicationMethods for Developing AssertivenessThe Need to Protect One's Personal SpaceImpactingThe Submission-Assertion-Aggression ContinuumPayoffs and Penalties of Three Ways of RelatingChoose for YourselfSummaryCHAPTER NINEDeveloping Three-Part Assertion MessagesVerbal Assertion: The Third OptionThree-Part Assertion MessagesEffective and Ineffective Ways of ConfrontationWriting Three-Part Assertion MessagesA Voyage of Self-Discovery and GrowthSummaryCHAPTER TENHandling the Push-Push Back PhenomenonSurprise AttackThe Human Tendency to Be DefensiveThe Upward Spiral of Increasing DefensivenessA Six-Step Assertion ProcessSummaryCHAPTER ELEVENIncreasing Your Assertive OptionsMany Varieties of Assertive Behavior"Natural" AssertionsSelf-DisclosureDescriptive RecognitionRelationship AssertionsSelective InattentionWithdrawalThe Spectrum ResponseOptionsNatural and Logical ConsequencesStop the Action; Accept the FeelingsSay "No!,"Modify the EnvironmentThe Danger of Going OverboardThe Aura of AssertivenessSummaryPART FOURConflict Management SkillsCHAPTER TWELVEConflict Prevention and ControlConflict Is UnavoidableConflict Is Disruptive and/or DestructiveThe Benefits of ConflictRealistic and Nonrealistic ConflictPersonal Conflict Prevention and Control MethodsGroup/Organizational Prevention and Control MethodsThe Dangers of Conflict Prevention and ControlSummaryCHAPTER THIRTEENHandling the Emotional Components of ConflictFocus on the Emotions FirstThe Conflict Resolution MethodThe Conflict Resolution Method in ActionFour Ways to Use the Conflict Resolution MethodPreparation for the EncounterEvaluating the ConflictExpected Outcomes of the Conflict Resolution MethodSummaryCHAPTER FOURTEENCollaborative Problem Solving: Seeking an Elegant SolutionThree Kinds of ConflictAlternatives to Collaborative Problem SolvingSeeking an Elegant Solution Through Collaborative Problem SolvingSix Steps of the Collaborative Problem-Solving MethodWhat This Problem-Solving Method CommunicatesCollaborative Problem-Solving in ActionHandling the Crucial PreliminariesWhat Do I Do When Collaborative Problem Solving Doesn't Work?Applications of Collaborative Problem SolvingSummaryCHAPTER FIFTEENThree Essentials for Effective CommunicationIn Communication, Skills Alone Are InsufficientGenuinenessNon-possessive LoveEmpathyImplementation of the Core AttitudesAFTERWORDFour Steps to Improved CommunicationA Quantified Commitment to Use the SkillsSelect Appropriate SituationsUndaunted by Occasional FailurePrepare Others for the ChangeSkill TrainingNotesIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisImagine your life as a straight line. Now imagine that you could break that line and leave behind all your regular habits and nagging doubts for just seven days. Hell Week shows how you can change your life''s path in a single week, replacing your old self with your best self, by going through a specially tailored (and totally safe) version of the elite military exercise where participants are pushed to the limit to find out just how much they can take. Hell Week is about defeating limiting beliefs and demonstrating that you are capable of far more than you ever thought - and maintaining that level of performance for the rest of your life.Norway native Erik Bertrand Larssen is many things: a veteran paratrooper who served in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan, a successful entrepreneur, and a mental coach. He has helped catapult the success of countless high-achievers, including Microsoft and Stat Oil executives and Olympic medalists Martin Sundby an

Read more less

Book SynopsisPhilip Kotler is S. C. Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University. Gary Armstrong is a Crist W. Blackwell Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Undergraduate Education in the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Lloyd C. Harris is Head of the Marketing Department and Professor of Marketing at Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham. His research has been widely disseminated via a range of marketing, strategy, retailing and general management journals. Hongwei He is a Professor of Marketing at Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, and an Associate Editor for the Journal of Business Research.Table of ContentsPreface About the authors Acknowledgements Part 1: Defining Marketing and the Marketing Process Marketing: creating customer value and engagement Company and marketing strategy: partnering to build customer engagement, value and relationships Part 2: Understanding the marketplace and consumers Analysing the marketing environment Managing marketing information to gain customer insights Consumer markets and buyer behaviour Business markets and business buyer behaviour Part 3: Designing a customer value-driven strategy and mix Customer-driven marketing strategy: creating value for target customers Products, services and brands: building customer value Developing new products and managing the product life cycle Pricing: understanding and capturing customer value Pricing strategies: additional considerations Marketing channels: delivering customer value Retailing and wholesaling Engaging consumers and communicating customer value: integrated marketing communications strategy Advertising and public relations Personal selling and sales promotion Direct, online, social media and mobile marketing Part 4: Extending Marketing Creating competitive advantage The global marketplace Social responsibility and ethics Appendix 1: Marketing plan Appendix 2: Marketing by numbers Glossary Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis'A brilliant advertising copywriter and a great team leader. His ideas are equally applicable to writing a novel, making a film, launching a product, managing a football team, instituting life changes and any activity you can imagine. Genius' - Sunday TimesLife is a zero-sum game.Drawing on Eastern and Western philosophy, and colourful characters from Picasso and Socrates to Warren Beatty, this book represents a lifetime of wisdom learned at the creative cutting edge.Predatory Thinking is a masterclass in how to outwit the competition, in ordinary life as well as in business. It is the philosophy that has underpinned Dave Trott's distinguished career as a copywriter, creative director, and founder of some of London's most high-profile advertising agencies.Trade ReviewOffers much to think about . . . engaging * Creative Review *Challenges the way we think creatively by flipping the logical, 2D way of thinking on its head * Psychologies *Cool, clear, very readable * Overseas Property Professional *

Read more less

Book SynopsisMexico making a bid for global supremacy? Poland becoming America's closest ally? World War III taking place in space? It might sound fantastic but all these things can happen. This title offers a readable forecast of the changes we can expect around the world during the 21st century. It predicts where and why future wars will erupt.Trade Review'A unique combination of cold-eyed realism and boldly confident fortune-telling' Publishers Weekly

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn updated edition of the international bestseller with inspirational stories and new resources to transform your life. Imagine a workplace where everyone chooses to bring energy, passion and a positive attitude to the job every day. In this engrossing parable, a fictional manager has the responsibility of turning a chronically unenthusiastic and unhelpful department into an effective team.Seattle''s Pike Place Fish is a world famous market that is wildly successful thanks to its fun, bustling, joyful atmosphere and great customer service. By applying ingeniously simple lessons learned from the Pike Place, our manager discovers how to energise and transform her workplace.Addressing today''s most pressing work issues with an engaging metaphor and an appealing message, FISH! offers wisdom that is easy to grasp, instantly applicable, and profound.Trade ReviewThis is one fish story that doesn't exaggerate. It shows you how changing your attitude lets you enjoy your work and your life. Hook into it, it's quite a catch! - Spencer Johnson, author of Who Moved My Cheese?I recommend their book to anyone, on any level, who wants to make a difference at work. - Hyrum Smith, co-chairman Franklin Covey Co.The story of the world famous Pike Place Fish market is fantastic. But this book is not just about selling fish; it's a love story that can happen in your organisation too. - Ken Blanchard, from the Foreword

Read more less

Book Synopsis New tools for managing complexityDoes your organization manage complexity by making things more complicated? If so, you are not alone.According to The Boston Consulting Group’s fascinating Complexity Index, business complexity has increased sixfold during the past sixty years. And, all the while, organizational complicatedness—that is, the number of structures, processes, committees, decision-making forums, and systems—has increased by a whopping factor of thirty-five. In their attempt to respond to the increasingly complex performance requirements they face, company leaders have created an organizational labyrinth that makes it more and more difficult to improve productivity and to pursue innovation. It also disengages and demotivates the workforce.Clearly it’s time for leaders to stop trying to manage complexity with their traditional tools and instead better leverage employees'' intelligence. This book shows you how anTrade Review"Six Simple Rules should be mandatory reading for anyone and everyone charged with a corporate management responsibility..."Articulate, practical, insightful, informed and informative... exceptionally well written, organized, presented, and thoroughly 'user friendly'" -- Midwest Book Review "Innovative and instructive, Six Simple Rules merits a place on the bookshelves of all those who aspire to give a new meaning to their management." -- Business Digest (France) "... an interesting book that prescribes some practical solutions to the problems often seen in organisations." -- Irish Times "Six Simple Rules is a management book, but it also a social science book, an important asset because it will assist you in both understanding the people in your organization and what motivates and inspires them." -- 800 CEO READ "an exceedingly interesting book on a very hot topic!" -- Taking Care of Biz Blog (takingcareofbiz.org) ADVANCE PRAISE for Six Simple Rules: Lamberto Andreotti, CEO, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company-- "Applying the rules of this book will help those looking to increase cooperation while also removing complicatedness in their organizations." Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries Limited-- "We do not want best practices; they are not good enough for us. We want the next practices, and that is what the six simple rules are about." Erhard Friedberg, Professor DDr, h.c. emeritus, Sciences Po, Paris; Professor and Senior Advisor, School of Government and Public Policy (SGPP-Indonesia)-- "This book will prove seminal. It shows the essential contribution that good empirical social sciences can bring to management, how social sciences can be used to seriously analyze and change what people do at work, and the amazing results you can then produce." Jorgen Vig Knudstorp, CEO, LEGO Group-- "What the authors call 'complicatedness' is the plague of modern corporations. To simplify is easy, but the cure may be even worse than the disease. What matters is to simplify without ignoring the new complexity of business. You can do it, thanks to the simple rules."

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe go-to guide for PR professionals looking for new and exciting ways to exercise their creative communication muscles. Drawing upon years of professional insights, in this inspiring yet practical book, the author will address the many facets of the PR industry, from advertising and marketing to consulting and strategizing.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDaniel Tudor covers all the important issues, yet does not simply tell the more familiar stories, but looks deeper and wider to give the full story of Korea today. Martin Uden, Former British Ambassador to South Korea.Trade Review"Tudor, Seoul correspondent for The Economist, provides a fairly perfunctory account of the 'miracle on the Han River,' which saw South Korea transformed from postwar ruin to prosperous democracy within four decades. The book's real value comes in its exploration of the cultural forces behind the country's zeal for self-improvement." --Financial Times"Sixty years ago, South Korea was an economic wasteland. Today, it is not only the world's 11th largest economy but also a vibrant democracy and an emerging cultural force. This transformation is the subject of a new book, Korea: The Impossible Country, by Daniel Tudor, Korea correspondent for The Economist.'" --Time Magazine"Mr. Tudor pushes into new social and economic territory with his book, including the rising role of immigrants, multicultural families and even gay people in South Korea. He lays out some of the contradictory behavior one finds in South Korea, such as the unending desire for new and trendy gadgets and fashion and yet the tunnel-like view of what constitutes a successful life." --Wall Street Journal

Read more less

Book SynopsisWritten for fashion graduates, newbie entrepreneurs and those in entry-level positions in the industry, Blue is the New Black demystifies the process of how to make a fashion collection accessible for all levels. It’s a reference guide, a buddy, and an overview of who, what and where. Fashion is a multi-billion-dollar industry. It’s not just about sketching an outfit, it’s about selecting fabric, developing buttons, sourcing a factory, negotiating prices, making patterns, seeing the final launch and selling garments. This multi-faceted industry is exciting, enigmatic and endless. With many fashion schools now recognising the importance of including technical modules to their degrees, this guide is the perfect accompaniment to the relevant modules with its vocational a to z approach of what happens in the workplace, including how to build and maintain key business relationships. In that respect, it fills a gap in the market of books that give guidance for professionals embarking on or preparing for a career in the fashion industry. People who buy Blue is the New Black want to know how to create a collection. They want to roll up their sleeves and do it, but they need practical instruction on the different phases. They don’t want to read about data management systems or the latest developments in polyester thread; they want to understand what a range plan is and how to look at a prototype in a factory. Understanding the three profiles of her readers "first jobber, creative entrepreneur and creative graduate" as the author does, she realized that the publications currently available would alienate them and ignore their needs. Seeing this gap in the market, she wrote it herself, to the benefit of a million young professionals and students aspiring to enter and get ahead in the fashion industry.

Read more less

Book SynopsisLearn to be a better negotiator--and achieve the outcomes you want.If you read nothing else on how to negotiate successfully, read these 10 articles. We've combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles and selected the most important ones to help you avoid common mistakes, find hidden opportunities, and win the best deals possible.This book will inspire you to: Control the negotiation before you enter the room Persuade others to do what you want--for their own reasons Manage emotions on both sides of the table Understand the rules of negotiating across cultures Set the stage for a healthy relationship long after the ink has dried Identify what you can live with and when to walk away This collection of articles includes: "Six Habits of Merely Effective Negotiators" by James K. Sebenius; "Control the Negotiation Before It Begins" by Deepak Malhotra; "Emotion and the Art of Negotiation" by Alison Wood Brooks; "Breakthrough Bargaining" by Deborah M. Kolb and Judith Williams; "15 Rules for Negotiating a Job Offer" by Deepak Malhotra; "Getting to Si, Ja, Oui, Hai, and Da" by Erin Meyer; "Negotiating Without a Net: A Conversation with the NYPD's Dominick J. Misino" by Diane L. Coutu; "Deal Making 2.0: A Guide to Complex Negotiations" by David A. Lax and James K. Sebenius; "How to Make the Other Side Play Fair" by Max H. Bazerman and Daniel Kahneman; "Getting Past Yes: Negotiating as if Implementation Mattered" by Danny Ertel; "When to Walk Away from a Deal" by Geoffrey Cullinan, Jean-Marc Le Roux, and Rolf-Magnus Weddigen.

Read more less

Book SynopsisGeoffrey West's research centres on a quest to find unifying principles and patterns connecting everything, from cells and ecosystems to cities, social networks and businesses.Why do organisms and ecosystems scale with size in a remarkably universal and systematic fashion?Is there a maximum size of cities? Of animals and plants? What about companies?Can scale show us how to create a more sustainable future?By applying the rigour of physics to questions of biology, visionary physicist Geoffrey West found that despite the riotous diversity in the sizes of mammals, they are all, to a large degree, scaled versions of each other. This speaks to everything from how long we can expect to live to how many hours of sleep we need. He then made the even bolder move of exploring his work's applicability to cities and to the business world. These investigations have led to powerful insights about the elemental natural laws that bind us together in profound ways, and how all complex systems are dancing to the same simple tune, however diverse and unrelated they may seem.Trade Review'The sort of big-ideas book that comes along only every few years . . . This is a book full of thrilling ideas' * Sunday Times *'Magisterial . . . you reach the end of this profound, revealing book rewarded. West shows how scientific method helps to peel back the hidden reality of our world. The concepts of physics dominated the last century. It is the concepts of biology - of networks, evolution and feedback dynamics - that are going to dominate the next' -- Matthew Syed * The Times *'Quite dazzling . . . The book proceeds by introducing one mathematical concept in each chapter (power laws, fractals and so on), and explaining it vividly through numerous examples drawn from biology, history, urban planning, and many other fields . . . written with great joy and a disarming humility' -- Steven Poole * The Spectator *'An absolutely riveting read. Like the best detective story, West lays out the amazing challenge of understanding why animals, cities and companies all scale so uniformly and then skilfully lets us into the secrets that his detective work has uncovered. This book captures the spirit of science in the twenty-first century, revealing the deep connections not just across physics and biology but society and life. The book is a perfect balance between the big scientific story and West's own personal narrative. We accompany the author on his quest to face up to his own mortality while at the same time being exposed to the theoretical discoveries that West has pioneered in his groundbreaking work' -- Marcus du Sautoy, Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University and author of The Great Unknown 'This is an important and original book, of immense scope. Geoffrey West is a polymath, whose insights range over physics, biology and the social sciences. He shows that the sizes, shapes and lifetimes of living things - despite their amazing diversity - display surprising correlations and patterns, and that these follow from basic physical principles. He then discovers, more surprisingly, the emergence of similar 'scaling laws' in human societies - in our cities, companies and social networks. This fascinating book deserves a very wide readership' -- Lord Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal'Scaling is the most important yet most hidden and rarely discussed attribute -- without understanding it one cannot possibly understand the world. This book will expand your thinking from three dimensions to four. Get two copies, just in case you lose one' -- Nassim Nicholas Taleb'I can think of no more exciting thinker in the world today than Geoffrey West. By bringing a physicist's razor-sharp mind to wonderfully surprising questions - "Why Aren't There Mammals the Size of Tiny Ants?" or "Are Cities and Companies Just Very Large Organisms?" - West forces us to see everything anew, from our own bodies to the mega-cities our species increasingly chooses to inhabit. Scale is a firework display of popular science' -- Niall Ferguson'Trees, brains, hallucinogenics and even imaginary monsters are considered in this joyous, mind-boggling study of scientific methods' * Telegraph, Top 50 Best Books of 2017 *'An enchanting intellectual odyssey . . . also a satisfying personal and professional memoir of a distinguished scientist whose life's work came to be preoccupied with finding ways to break down traditional boundaries between disciplines to solve the long-term global challenges of sustainability . . . Mr West manages to deliver a lot of theory and history accessibly and entertainingly . . . Provocative and fascinating' * New York Times *'It's rare in the history of science that someone has a big, bold, beautiful, stunningly simple new idea that also turns out to be right. Geoffrey West had one. And Scale is its story' -- Steven Strogatz, Professor of Mathematics, Cornell University and author of The Joy of X 'Geoffrey West's Scale is a revelation. Based on his path-breaking theory and research on super-linear scaling, it provides powerful new insights into the basic scientific laws that power our modern society and economy, its start-up companies, large corporations and cities. The book is a must-read for CEOs, technologists, mayors, urban leaders and anyone who wants to understand the simple laws that shape the complex, self-organizing world in which we live' -- Richard Florida, author of THE RISE OF THE CREATIVE CLASS and a senior editor at THE ATLANTIC'Scale is filled with brilliant insights. West illuminates the laws of nature underlying everything from tiny organisms and humans to cities and companies, and provides a quantitative framework for decoding the deep complexity of our interconnected world. If you want to know why companies fail, how cities persist and what is needed to sustain our civilization in this era of rapid innovation, read this amazing book' -- Marc Benioff, founder and CEO of Salesforce'If there were a Nobel Prize for transdisciplinary science Geoffrey West would have won it for the work covered in Scale. This is a book of great originality and deep importance, containing startling insights about topics as seemingly unrelated as aging and death, sleep, metabolism, cities, energy use, creativity, corporations, and even the sustainability of our existence. If you are curious about how the world really works, you must read this book' -- Bill Miller, LMM Investments'This spectacular book on how logarithmic scaling governs everything is packed with news - from the self-similar dynamics of cells and ecosystems to exactly why companies always die and cities don't. I dog-eared and marked up damn near every page' -- Stewart Brand, creator of the WHOLE EARTH CATOLOG'When Geoffrey West, a brilliant theoretical physicist, turned his lens to the study of life spans, biological systems or cities he stumbled onto a game-changing universal insight about growth and sustainability. Scale is dazzling and provocative and West proves himself to be a compelling and entertaining writer - this is a book we will be talking about for a long time' -- Abraham Verghese, author of CUTTING FOR STONEThis book is breathtaking in its scope and vision! It represents the culmination of exciting theoretical work addressing critical questions in life. Written by a clever physicist and one of the most influential thinkers of the time, Geoffrey West, this volume elaborates on the author's intriguing discovery that the growth, organisation and dynamics of humans, animals and plants scale with their size. .....It is really an enjoyable readthat takes readers on a journey of fresh insights and illuminating perspectives. -- Walid El-Sharoud * SCIENCE PROGRESS *In this "grand unified theory of sustainability", physicist Geoffrey West explores underlying laws that link society and nature, called scaling theory. Insights (into city size and walking speed, for instance) abound -- Mary Craig * NATURE *

Read more less

Book SynopsisERIN BROCKOVICH meets SILENT SPRING in this astounding true story of a lawyer who spent two decades building a case against one of the world’s largest chemical companies, uncovering a shocking history of environmental pollution and heartless cover-up. The story that inspired the motion picture from Participant Media/Focus Features, starring Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, Bill Pullman and Tim Robbins, directed by Todd Haynes. In 1998, Robert Bilott was a 33-year-old Cincinnati lawyer on the verge of making partner when his career and life took an unforeseen turn. He was taken by surprise when he received a call from a man named Earl Tennant, a farmer from West Virginia with a slight connection to Robert’s family. Earl was convinced the creek on his property, where his cattle grazed, was being poisoned by run-off from a neighbouring factory landfill. His cattle were dying in hideous ways, and he hadn&r

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this fascinating and provocative book, David Willetts shows how the baby boomer generation has amassed unprecedented wealth and power at the expense of its children. Today's young people will pay heavier taxes, work longer hours for less money and live in a vastly degraded environment in order to pay for their parents' quality of life.Worried about the world they are passing on to their children, baby boomers are taking note. But are they willing to make the sacrifices necessary for a more equal distribution of wealth and assets? The Pinch is an insightful look at one of the most pressing issues facing Britain today; this fully revised and updated edition is essential reading for parents and policymakers alike.Trade ReviewThis is a wonderful, thought-provoking book, and is something of a tour de force...The implications of his argument are profound. * Financial Times *Mr Willetts's book lucidly explains how this unsuitable situation came about through the interaction of demographics, economics and electoral politics. * The Times *The Pinch is both a treasure trove of elegantly harvested statistics and a tremendous syhthesis of social analyses, culled from half a lifetime's study of economic and philosophical thought. -- Dominic Lawson * Sunday Times *Table of Contents0: Introduction to the First Edition 1: Who We Are 2: Breaking Up 3: The Baby Boom 4: Spending the Kids' Inheritance 5: The Social Contract 6: Ages and Stages 7: Why Bother About the Future? 8: What Governments Do 9: Time for Childhood 10: Education and Social Mobility 11: Houses and Jobs: Generation Crunch 12: 3G

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisAfter a fairly low threshold, income and material wealth have no measurable effect on happiness. But how we spend our money does. In this groundbreaking book, Dr Elizabeth Dunn and Dr Michael Norton explain the secret to “happiness-efficient” spending. Using their own cutting-edge research, they reveal: • Why it’s better to buy concert tickets instead of a new iPhone • Adverts actually make television more enjoyable • Why you should book your next holiday many months in advance • How “time affluence” is more important than a fat pay cheque • Why charitable giving is the best investment you can make A rare combination of informed science writing, wit, and practical pointers for a flourishing life, Happy Money will help you to be more fulfilled for less.Trade Review'A small investment in this invaluable book could be worth its weight in gold… combine[s] a witty, conversational style with a dazzling depth of research… Whether you have lots of money or are on a tight budget, this may change how you look at your life – for the better.' * Daily Mail *'Dunn and Norton are enthusiastic and engaging writers… and they are careful to back up their recommendations with citations to the relevant academic literature.' * Times Higher Education *'An interesting and breezily written book, full of fun anecdotes and behavioural research… Money may not be able to buy you happiness but purchasing this book might just help steer you in the right direction.' * Financial Times *'Show your money worries the door with this practical and fascinating read.' * Healthy magazine *'Packed with tips to help wage slaves as well as lottery winners… people will come away from this book believing it was money well spent.' * The Economist *'How to spend smarter? Read this book!—a rare combination of informed science writing, rollicking good fun, and practical pointers for a more flourishing and compassionate life.' -- David G. Myers, author of The Pursuit of Happiness'Cutting edge. Like stand-up comedians of science, Dunn and Norton take ordinary observations that everybody experiences and craftily distil them with a clarity that makes us laugh, and then makes us think.' -- Dan Ariely, author of Predictably Irrational'Lively and engaging. Happy Money isn’t a purchase; it’s an investment—and a shrewd one at that.' * Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness *'Many books have been written to tell you how to make money, save money, and invest money. Now there's a book that can tell you how to spend it. Wisely.' * Chip Heath, co-author of Decisive: How to Make Better Decisions in Life and Work *'Wise and entertaining… Dunn and Norton provide practical and well-evidenced insights for all of us, from individuals, to communities, to governments.' * David Halpern, Behavioural Insight Team, No 10, and author of The Hidden Wealth of Nations *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWelcome to the all-new, revised and revamped edition! Embark on an exciting journey into the future, using trend research as your compass. Take a deep dive into the future with this book as your trusty companion. "How to Research Trends" shows you how to navigate and explore using the powerful tool of trend research. Learn how to scan the environment for signs of change, analyze trend spots, and apply insights to kickstart innovation. This revised edition is designed for professionals who want to incorporate trend research into their own work. It features new interviews with professionals and agencies, as well as new theories, including Shalom Schwartz's human values model and Sharpe's Three Horizons Framework. Learn how to use trend research to explore the future, and you'll be prepared for change and the uncertainties it brings. Interviews with professionals that provide insights on how to implement trends. Various activities and tools to be used individually or in a team. A dedicated chapter on how to set up your own trend practice within your organisation.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDo you ever doubt your coaching style is achieving the best results for your clients? Have you ever felt there's room for growth, but you're not sure how to achieve it? To create a more sustainable transformation in the people you coach, you need to start with your own mindset. As a coach, you know you can't change what you do, unless you alter what you believe first. By shedding the ineffective scripts, trappings and beliefs that a lifetime of personal interactions, professional training and even your parents have taught you, you can reset your thinking to a beginner's mentality and so begin a fulfilling and exciting journey to coaching mastery. In this fresh and highly effective field guide, Master Mentor Coach, Clare Norman gets into your head to help you pinpoint the attitudes that you need to unlearn and reframe. Through Clare's rich experience, illuminating real-life stories, and practical guidance you can shift towards more useful thinking and powerful skillsets by: Spotting and changing your own restrictive coaching mindsets Understanding how marginal gains can lead to maximal outcomes Embracing replacement paradigms and new thought patterns Rediscovering what you love about coaching and its power to resource people It's time to ditch the old beliefs that are holding you back, free your thinking and make the move from getting transactional results to being a transformational coach.Trade ReviewKeep this book at your side at all times! Its everything a great coach should be. - Kim Morgan, MCC and Director of Barefoot CoachingEssential reading for all coaches. Skilfully lays out the important mindset shifts required to become masterful in your work. - Marie Quigley, MCC, EMCC ESIA Director & Co Founder Empower WorldThought-provoking! This is a must-read for anyone who wants to get out of their own way and move further toward becoming a great coach. - Roger Fielding Coach, Mentor Coach, Course Tutor of University of CambridgeAn invaluable companion to take your coaching to the next level, strengthen your skills and support your ongoing development. - Jane Adshead-Grant, MCC, Author of The Listening Coach

Read more less

Book SynopsisJohn Sloman was Director of the Economics Network from its foundation in 1999 until 2012, and is now Visiting Fellow at the University of Bristol where the Network is based. John is also Visiting Professor at the University of the West of England, Bristol. Dean Garratt is a Senior Teaching Fellow at Aston Business School and Associate of the Economics Network. Dean was also an Academic Assessor for Government Economics Service and a tutor on HM Treasury's Graduate Development Programme. Discover more on our Sloman Economics news site.Table of ContentsPreface Student and lecturer resources Acknowledgements Publisher's acknowledgements Part A INTRODUCTION Economic issues Part B MICROECONOMICS Markets, demand and supply Markets in action The demand decision The supply decision Market structures Wages and the distribution of income Market failures and government policy Part C MACROECONOMICS Aggregate demand and the business cycle Aggregate supply and economic growth The financial system, money and interest rates Output, unemployment and inflation Macroeconomic policy Part D INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS Globalisation and international trade Balance of payments and exchange rates Websites appendix Key ideas and glossary Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisAbout Our Authors As a team, Philip Kotler, Gary Armstrong and Sridhar Balasubramanian provide a blend of skills uniquely suited to writing an introductory marketing text. Professor Kotler is one of the world's leading authors in marketing. Professors Armstrong and Balasubramanian are award-winning teachers and researchers. Together, they make the complex world of marketing practical, approachable, and enjoyable. Philip Kotler is a Professor Emeritus of Marketing at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. He received his master's degree at the University of Chicago and his Ph.D at M.I.T., both in Economics. He has authored more than 60 books and published more than 150 articles in leading journals. He has also been a consultant to major US and foreign companies, including IBM, General Electric, and Michelin, and has served as a member of many advisory boards. He has travelled and lectured extensively throughout Europe, Asia,Table of ContentsPART 1: Defining Marketing and the Marketing Process Marketing: Creating Customer Value and Engagement Company and Marketing Strategy: Partnering to Build Customer Engagement, Value, and Relationships PART 2: Understanding the Marketplace and Consumer Value Analyzing the Marketing Environment Managing Marketing Information to Gain Customer Insights Consumer Markets and Buyer Behavior Business Markets and Business Buyer Behavior PART 3: Designing a Customer Value-Driven Strategy and Mix Customer Value-Driven Marketing Strategy: Creating Value for Target Customers Products, Services, and Brands: Building Customer Value Developing New Products and Managing the Product Life Cycle Pricing: Understanding and Capturing Customer Value Pricing Strategies: Additional Considerations Marketing Channels: Delivering Customer Value Retailing and Wholesaling Engaging Consumers and Communicating Customer Value: Integrated Marketing Communications Strategy Advertising and Public Relations Personal Selling and Sales Promotion Digital Marketing PART 4: Extending Marketing Creating Competitive Advantage The Global Marketplace Sustainable Marketing: Social Responsibility and Ethics Appendices Marketing Plan Marketing by the Numbers Careers In Marketing

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe long-awaited revised edition of the stock trading classic gets you fully up to date on value investing, ESG investing, and other important developmentsThe definitive guide to stock trading, Stocks for the Long Run has been providing the knowledge, insights, and tools that traders need to understand the market for nearly 30 years.  Itâs been updated with new chapters and content on: The role of value investing The impact of ESGâEnvironmental/Social/Governanceâissues on the future of investing The current interest rate environment Future returns investors should expect in the bond and stock markets The role of international investing The long-run risks on equity markets The importance of black swan events, such as a pandemic and the financial crisis Youâll also get in-depth discussions on the big questions investors face: Is international Investing dead? What do global changes like

Read more less

Book SynopsisReflecting the most update-to-date coverage of institutional changes within the European Monetary Union, the fourteenth edition of De Grauwe''s established textbook continues to encourage students to think critically about the sustainability of the Eurozone. The author uses an authoritative, concise and exciting approach to analyse theories and policies relating to monetary union, allowing students to develop a balanced understanding of different arguments and perspectives. Part One examines the implications of adopting a common currency while Part Two considers the problems associated with running a monetary union. Both parts analyse Europe''s experience and the issues faced by the European Central Bank.Case studies throughout the text provide rich, real life and qualitative examples to help students connect with the concepts and policies presented. Additionally, each chapter ends with a conclusion recapping the core issues, and a set of questions, which encourages students to test thTrade ReviewThis is the best book in economics of the Monetary Union. It's well written and easy to follow by students * Soleiman Mohammadi Limaei, Senior Lecturer, Mid Sweden University *An outstanding example of how an applied economics text should be written. Comprehensive, clear, well-structured, and reflecting the latest theoretical and policy debates * Robert Ackrill, Professor of European Economics and Policy, Nottingham Trent University *The most updated and clear textbook that covers the challenges and prospects of the European Monetary Union * Giancarlo Ianulardo, Lecturer in Economics, University of Exeter *Table of ContentsPart 1: Costs and Benefits of Monetary Union 1: The costs of a common currency 2: The theory of optimum currency areas: a critique 3: The benefits of a common currency 4: Costs and benefits compared Part 2: Monetary Union 5: The fragility of incomplete monetary unions 6: The transition to a monetary union 7: How to complete a monetary union 8: Political economy of deconstructing the Eurozone 9: The European Central Bank 10: Monetary policy in the Eurozone 11: Fiscal policies in monetary unions 12: The euro and financial markets

Read more less

Book SynopsisChris Lukassen has been active in product management for 20+ years, and co-created Scrum.org's Professional Scrum Product Owner - Advanced course. He currently trains product managers in Scrum, leadership, user experience, and metrics. Robbin Schuurman is a product leader, consultant, Professional Scrum Trainer, and leader of Xebia's Product Management Academy. He supports organizations in digital, agile, and product transformations; and helps product owners grow customer impact, improve agility, and shorten time-to-learn. Lukassen and Schuurman co-founded The Value Maximizers.Table of ContentsForeword by Dave West xvii Introduction xxi Part I. The Stances of the Product Owner 1 Chapter 1. Agile Product Management 3 Is It Product Owner or Product Manager? 3 What Is Product Management? 4 Working in a Product-Led, Sales-Led, or Marketing-Led Organization 6 What Is a Product Owner? 7 Different Types of Product Owners 9 Chapter 2. Introducing the Product Owner Stances 3 The Misunderstood Stances of a Product Owner 17 The Preferred Stances of a Product Owner 27 Part I Summary 35 Part II. The Customer Representative 37 Chapter 3. How to Identify and Define Product 39 Introducing the Customer Representative 39 What Is a Product? 43 Chapter 4. Building Customer Empathy 49 Talking to Customers 49 Observing Customers 49 Effectively Dealing with Biases When Collaborating with Customers 51 Chapter 5. Capture Your Customer Insights Via Personas 55 User Personas 55 Creating Personas 56 Chapter 6. Identifying and Expressing Customer Value 61 The Functional Elements of Value 63 Emotional Elements of Value 64 Life-Changing Elements of Value 64 Social-Impact Element of Value 65 Chapter 7. Connecting Product Features to Outcomes and Impacts 67 Connecting Goals, Impacts, Outcomes, and Features 68 Part II Summary 73 Part III. The Visionary 77 Chapter 8. Creating and Communicating Product Vision 79 Introducing: The Visionary 79 Connecting the Product Vision to the Company Mission, Vision, and Values 83 A Product Vision Aligned with the Company Mission and Vision 87 Elements of an Inspiring Product Vision 90 Chapter 9. Communicating the Product Vision Effectively 93 The 3x3 Storytelling Framework 95 The Power of Reasoning 99 Make It SEXI 100 Chapter 10. Crafting Product Goals That Align Stakeholders and Teams 103 What Is a Product Goal? 104 Characteristics of Great Product Goals 106 How to Create Product Goals 108 Inspect and Adapt Product Goals 109 Having Multiple Product Goals: Is That an Option? 110 Chapter 11. Creating the Right Product Roadmap for Your Audience 113 Introduction to Product Roadmaps 113 Types of Product Roadmaps 117 Roadmap 1: The Goal-Oriented Roadmap 118 Roadmap 2: The Now-Next-Later Roadmap 120 Roadmap 3: The User Story Map 122 Roadmap 4: The Visual Roadmap 124 Roadmap 5: The Gantt Chart Roadmap 126 Eleven Tips for Roadmap Creation 128 Chapter 12. Identification of Company Value and Impact 131 Understanding Company Value and Impact 131 Expressing Company Impact 137 Key Value Area 1: Current Value 139 Key Value Area 2: Unrealized Value 141 Key Value Area 3: Time to Market 145 Key Value Area 4: Ability to Innovate 147 Chapter 13. Maximizing Value through Effective Pricing Strategies and Tactics 151 Introduction to Product Pricing 151 The Product Pricing Process 153 Part III Summary 165 Part IV. The Experimenter 169 Chapter 14. Driving Inside-Out Product Innovation 171 Introducing: The Experimenter 171 Inside-Out Innovation Sources 175 Chapter 15. Driving Outside-In Product Innovation 183 Outside-In Innovation Sources 183 Market Segmentation 184 Chapter 16. Thinking Differently: Driving Business Model Innovation 189 Market Analysis and Trends 189 Getting Inspiration from Other Companies 191 The Impact on Your Business 196 The Return of the Business Model Canvas 197 Chapter 17. Selecting Product Experiments to Run 199 The Truth Curve: Select the Right Experiments and Tests 199 Experimentation Techniques Explained 203 Chapter 18. How to Design and Evaluate Experiments and Tests 215 Defining Hypothesis 216 Capture Learnings 218 Chapter 19. Approaches for Scaling Successful Products and Teams 221 Scaling Approaches for People and Teams 221 Typical Antipattern for Scaling People and Teams 224 A Better Approach for Scaling People and Teams 227 Approaches to Scaling the Product or Service 229 Focus on the Product First, Then on People and Teams 230 Eight Effective Strategies for Scaling a Product 232 How Product Owners Contribute to Product Scaling 235 Part IV Summary 237 Part V. The Decision Maker 241 Chapter 20. Improving Accountability, Maturity, and Authority 243 Introducing: The Decision Maker 243 Chapter 21. Evaluating Your Product Decisions 255 Product Management: A Game of Poker or Chess? 255 Evaluating Decisions in an Honest and Transparent Way 258 Chapter 22. Make Better Decisions: Thinking in Bets 259 The Buddy System or Decision Pod 260 Accepting Uncertainty in Decision Making 261 Chapter 23. Navigating Product, Process, and Team Dilemmas and Decisions 263 Making Choices 263 Navigating Dilemmas 265 Chapter 24. Improving the Speed and Quality of Decisions 269 The Cost of Delaying Decisions 269 Fast Decisions Are More Successful than Slow Decisions 270 Special Snowflake Syndrome 273 Why You Should Probably Make Decisions Fast(er) 274 How to Speed Up Your Decision Making 274 Empowered Product Owners 275 Part V Summary 277 Part VI. The Collaborator 281 Chapter 25. How Agile Governance Affects Product Owners 283 Introduction to the Collaborator 283 Introducing Agile Governance 287 Organizational Governance Entails Many Elements 291 Effectively Dealing with Governance 295 Chapter 26. Product Budgeting Done in an Agile Way 297 Three Horizons 298 Budgeting Is Like Product Backlog Management 300 A Strategy and Market Perspective on Budgeting 304 Chapter 27. Creating Contracts That Enable Great Product Ownership and Teamwork 309 What Is a Contract? 310 Who Takes the Risk? 313 Two-Stage Contracts 314 Joe's Bucket 316 Money for Nothing 317 Change for Free 318 Elements of an Agile Contract 319 Part VI Summary 323 Part VII. The Influencer 327 Chapter 28. Stakeholder Management in Complex Environments 329 Introducing: The Influencer 329 Definition of Stakeholder 333 Stakeholder Classification/Categorization 335 Information and Insights to Gather on Stakeholders 338 The Influence of the Stakeholder 340 Chapter 29. Tools for Stakeholder Classification and Grouping 343 The Stakeholder Map 344 The Stakeholder Radar 351 Alternative Stakeholder Identification and Grouping Techniques 357 Chapter 30. Applying Stakeholder Management Strategies and Tactics in Practice 359 Creating a Communication Strategy 359 Tips for Improving Your Stakeholder Management in Practice 362 Chapter 31. How to Influence Stakeholders on All Levels 369 Being a Lyrebird 369 The Process of Communication 371 Four Layers of Communication 374 Building Relationships with Stakeholders 375 Adapting Your Tune to Your Audience 382 Chapter 32. Mastering the Art of No to Optimize Value Creation for the Product 387 What Makes Saying No So Hard? 388 Five Steps toward Saying No Effectively 389 The Jedi Mind Trick 392 Chapter 33. Negotiating With Stakeholders, Customers, and Users 393 Be a Mirror 394 Label Emotions 395 Getting to Yes! 396 How to Tell If a Yes Is Real 398 Bend Their Reality 398 Create the Illusion of Control 400 Guarantee Execution 400 Bargain Hard 401 Find the Black Swan 402 Part VII Summary 405 Closing Summary 409 Index 413

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe climate crisis is not primarily a problem of 'believing science' or individual 'carbon footprints' - it is a class problem rooted in who owns, controls and profits from material production. As such, it will take a class struggle to solve. In this ground breaking class analysis, Matthew T. Huber argues that the carbon-intensive capitalist class must be confronted for producing climate change. Yet, the narrow and unpopular roots of climate politics in the professional class is not capable of building a movement up to this challenge. For an alternative strategy, he proposes climate politics that appeals to the vast majority of society: the working class. Huber evaluates the Green New Deal as a first attempt to channel working class material and ecological interests and advocates building union power in the very energy system we so need to dramatically transform. In the end, as in classical socialist movements of the early 20th Century, winning the climate struggle will need to be internationalist based on a form of planetary working class solidarity.Trade ReviewHuber has written a 'What Is To Be Done?' for all of us who are vexed by the failure of progressive climate activism to produce a blueprint for a national action with clear strategic goals. In a blazing critique, he skewers 'radical' as well as liberal environmentalists who advocate market solutions to a crisis whose very cause is the cost-and-profit logic of energy markets. Equally he shows that the electoral road to a Green New Deal is a dead-end without a massive public struggle, integrally involving labor, for public ownership of the power industry. The shelves groan with books on the coming apocalypse , but here, at long last, is a concrete strategy for socialists. -- Mike DavisMore and more people recognize capitalism as a primary driver of climate change. Matt Huber takes the crucial next step. He powerfully demonstrates not just why working class power is indispensable to a just transition but how we build it. -- Jodi DeanThe most powerful missile yet hurled against bourgeois climate politics. With a laser-sharp focus, it strikes at the central fortress: the sphere of production, where one class dominates another and wrecks the planet in the process. A book for every union organiser and every climate activist and everyone who wishes for the two to join forces - to be read, studied, debated, aimed and fired. -- Andreas MalmThis book represents an important and timely contribution to the climate fight. -- Jonathan Rosenblum * Jacobin *We know we need to challenge the power of fossil capital to preserve a habitable planet - but how? Climate Change as Class War injects a necessary dose of strategic thinking into debates about the way forward, arguing for a mass climate politics rooted in the decommodification of basic needs and an organizing strategy focused on workers who can exert power at the point of electricity production. Huber's sharp analysis and challenging arguments open up debates that climate, labor, and socialist movements badly need to have. -- Alyssa BattistoniClimate Change as Class War is an audacious argument, particularly in its unabashed revitalization of Marxism. -- Ryne Clos * Spectrum Culture *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFind the winners, avoid the losers, and build a solid Tech portfolio for the long runâwith proven methods from legendary analyst Mark MahaneyThe Tech industry is the stock marketâs hottest, most profitable sector, but it can be a roller coaster ride. Companies with great ideas can end up going nowhere, and some that dominate today will be sold at fire-sale prices in five years. âœSure thingsâ can become âœsore thingsâ very rapidly. Nothing But Net provides the knowledge and insights you need to understand whatâs really hot, to know whatâs not, and to outperform other investors consistently and decisively.Famous for his smart, savvy and unique approach to Tech stock investing, Mark Mahaney provides his 10 proven rules for succeeding as a long-term Tech stock investorâexplaining everything heâs learned during almost 25 years of analyzing internet stocks, including:Why revenue growth and customer metricsânot earningsâare what matter most to Tech Table of ContentsPreface: The Oldest and Longest-LastingInternet Analyst on the Street Introduction: The Big Long 10 LESSONSLESSON 1 There Will Be Blood . . . When YouPick Bad Stocks LESSON 2 There Will Be Blood . . . Even WhenYou Pick the Best Stocks LESSON 3 Don’t Play Quarters LESSON 4 Revenue Matters More Than Anything LESSON 5 It Don’t Mean a Thing, If It Ain’tGot That Product Swing LESSON 6 TAMs—The Bigger the Better LESSON 7 Follow the Value Prop, Not the Money LESSON 8 M Is for Management LESSON 9 Valuation Is in the Eye of the Tech Stockholder LESSON 10 Hunt for DHQs—DislocatedHigh-Quality Stocks The 10-Lesson Lineup Extra Credit Acknowledgments Index

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Why are measures of stress and anxiety on the rise, when economists and politicians tell us we have never had it so good? While statistics tell us that the vast majority of people are getting steadily richer the world most of us experience day-in and day-out feels increasingly uncertain, unfair, and ever more expensive. In Angrynomics, Eric Lonergan and Mark Blyth explore the rising tide of anger, sometimes righteous and useful, sometimes destructive and ill-targeted, and propose radical new solutions for an increasingly polarized and confusing world. Angrynomics is for anyone wondering, where the hell do we go from here?

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this expanded edition of the 2017 mega-bestseller, updated with brand new sections like DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY, SUGAR COATED LIES and DON''T NEGOTIATE WITH WEAKNESS, readers will discover new ways to become stronger, smarter, and healthier.Jocko Willink''s methods for success were born in the SEAL Teams, where he spent most of his adult life, enlisting after high school and rising through the ranks to become the commander of the most highly decorated special operations unit of the war in Iraq. In Discipline Equals Freedom, the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of Extreme Ownership describes how he lives that mantra: the mental and physical disciplines he imposes on himself in order to achieve freedom in all aspects of life. Many books offer advice on how to overcome obstacles and reach your goals--but that advice often misses the most critical ingredient: discipline. Without discipline, there will be no real progress. Disciplin

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis beautifully written and thoroughly modern core textbook provides a strong bridge between entrepreneurship theory and practice and looks at the entire life cycle of a business, including the often neglected area of business closure. Underpinned by strong academic rigour, the text takes a critical approach, yet is also highly accessible and readable, explaining complex concepts clearly and succinctly. Research-led yet practice oriented, it examines the latest evidence-based thinking in the field and applies this to the practice of entrepreneurship through a plethora of practical examples, global cases, useful tools, and engaging, multi-faceted pedagogy.Written by a recognised expert on entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice is the ideal textbook for undergraduate, postgraduate, and MBA students taking modules on entrepreneurship that blend theory and practice. It requires no prior knowledge of entrepreneurship.Accompanying online resources for this title can bTable of Contents1. Entrepreneurship in Focus 2. What Makes an Entrepreneur? Traits and Biases 3. Entrepreneurial Characteristics and Contexts 4. From Idea to Start-Up Proposition 5. Start-Up Planning Pathways 6. Start-Up Feasibility Planing I: Using the Business Model Canvas 7. Start-Up Feasibility Planning II: Identity, Ideas, Teams, and the Competition 8. Start-Up Financial Information 9. Entrepreneurial Finance 10. Entrepreneurial Growth 11. Entrepreneurship Exit 12. Entrepreneurship Policy Workbook 1: Start-Up Desirability and Feasibility Workbook 2: Building Your Business Model for Start-Up Pitching and Planning.

Read more less

Book SynopsisCal Newport''s clearly-written manifesto flies in the face of conventional wisdom by suggesting that it should be a person''s talent and skill - and not necessarily their passion - that determines their career path. Newport, who graduated from Dartmouth College (Phi Beta Kappa) and earned a PhD. from MIT, contends that trying to find what drives us, instead of focusing on areas in which we naturally excel, is ultimately harmful and frustrating to job seekers.The title is a direct quote from comedian Steve Martin who, when once asked why he was successful in his career, immediately replied: Be so good they can''t ignore you and that''s the main basis for Newport''s book. Skill and ability trump passion. Inspired by former Apple CEO Steve Jobs'' famous Stanford University commencement speech in which Jobs urges idealistic grads to chase their dreams, Newport takes issue with that advice, claiming that not only is thsi advice Pollyannish, but thatTrade ReviewStop worrying about what you feel like doing and instead, start creating something meaningful and then give it to the world. Cal really delivers with this one -- Seth Godin, author of Linchpin

Read more less

Book SynopsisLearn the art of persuasion from a master salesman and discover how to change a "no thanks" to "yes, please!"Includes up-to-date business models and success stories.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA trio of experts on high-tech business strategy and innovation reveal the principles that have made platform businesses the most valuable firms in the world and the first trillion-dollar companies.Trade Review“The authors authoritatively document the rules and pitfalls of platforms, combining years of research with practical guidelines and real-life examples. A must-read for all operators or participants of existing or future platform businesses.” — Stephane Kasriel, CEO of Upwork “Whether you are a customer wanting to understand the economic logic behind platforms, a business manager wanting to learn platform strategies, or a regulator wanting to become informed about platform governance, this book offers indepth, cogent, and up-to-date answers by three experts who began analyzing platforms when the word wasn’t even known. A true treatise and treasure.” — Bengt Holmstrom, Paul A. Samuelson Professor of Economics and Management at MIT and winner of the 2016 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences “Essential reading for any business trying to compete as a platform or against a platform. Even traditional businesses must understand how to evolve into a platform and partner with other platforms. Sound complicated? This book will help you sort it out.” — Arne Sorenson, CEO of Marriott International “Should every business jump on, surrender to, or be a platform? Should government condemn, regulate, or imitate platform businesses? This book not only answers these questions; it also provides critical understanding of the underpinning and superstructure of platforms. For every business and social leader, this is the go-to book for learning the essential lessons about the business phenomenon of our times.” — Reed Hundt, former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and author of A Crisis Wasted: Barack Obama’s Defining Decisions “The Business of Platforms should be read by all managers, entrepreneurs, investors, and academics interested in platform businesses. It is rigorous and valuable, yet very readable.” — Richard Schmalensee, former dean of the MIT Sloan School of Management and coauthor of Matchmakers: The New Economics of Multisided Platforms

Read more less

Book SynopsisINSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'An urgent call to arms for each and all of us.' Matthew McConaughey 'Ryan Holiday is a genius.' Chris Evans 'A clear and inspiring guide for how to develop this highest of human virtues.' - Robert Greene An inspiring anthem to the power, promise, and challenges of courage, the first in a series examining the timeless Stoic virtues from #1 New York Times bestselling author Ryan Holiday Fortune favours the bold. All great leaders of history have known this, and were successful because of the risks they dared to take. But today so many of us are paralysed by fear. Drawing on ancient Stoic wisdom and examples across history and around the world, Ryan Holiday shows why courage is so important, and how to cultivate it in our own lives. Courage is not simply physical bravery but also doing the right thing and standing up for what you believe; it's creativity, generosity and perseverance. And it is the only way to live an extraordinary, fulfilled and effective life. Everything in life begins with courage. This book will equip you with the bravery to begin.Trade ReviewWorthy for anyone trying to develop their own code, this is a superb handbook for crafting a purposeful life. Masterfully composed and highly readable, using stories from antiquity to the modern-day realities confronting all leaders, the 'march' of the chapters brings forward valuable gems on each page of the journey. Holiday's themes will remain with you and strengthen you long after you finish reading it. -- General Jim Mattis, General, U.S. Marines (ret.) and 26th Secretary of DefenseRyan Holiday's Courage is Calling traces the history of courage and its many faces through the ages and arrives at the present day with an urgent call to arms for each and all of us. As we battle our enemies within and without, will we choose to rise-up to the call of our courage or blush and bow down to the whispers of our cowardice? Our answer to this question is about more than our sense of duty, it's about our freedom. It's about more than wins and losses, it's about our survival. It's on me, it's on you, it's on us. Take the dare we may. -- Matthew McConaughey, Academy Award Winning Actor and New York Times #1 best-selling author[Courage Is Calling] dresses us with the proper garments of courage, something we need more than ever. -- George RavelingRyan Holiday shows his own courage in this book to not toe the line, to speak truth to power, and show us all why we must not defer to fear if we are to go forward together with grace and humanity. Drawing on examples across history--from the ancient Greek and Roman world to Florence Nightingale to his own critique of 'hollow courage' in our own times, Holiday shows why virtue matters now more than ever. -- Nancy Sherman, Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown UniversityIn a world full of people riddled with fears and deeply afraid of sticking their necks out, our salvation lies in cultivating courage in all arenas of life. In this book Ryan Holiday has provided a clear and inspiring guide for how to develop this highest of human virtues. -- Robert Greene, #1 New York Times bestselling author * The 48 Laws of Power *In this clarion call to act on your convictions, Holiday draws on a remarkable range of figures from Socrates to Solzhenitsyn. A heartfelt and passionate book. -- Shadi Bartsch, author and translator * The Aeneid *A superb handbook for crafting a purposeful life. -- General Jim Mattis, General, U.S. Marines (ret.) and 26th Secretary of DefenseIt is fantastic ... All of his books are amazing - you have got to get into Ryan Holiday, it's as simple as that. If you don't, you're doing yourself a disfavour. -- Chris EvansRyan Holiday is among the most psychologically wise writers I know. -- Angela Duckworth, bestselling author of GritRyan Holiday is one of his generation's finest thinkers -- Steven Pressfield, author of The War of Art[Ryan Holiday is a] self-help sage, who is now a sought-after guru to NFL coaches, Olympians, hip-hop stars, and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs . . . [he] translates Stoicism, which had counted emperors and states­men among its adherents during antiquity, into pithy catchphrases and digestible anecdotes for ambitious, twenty-first-century life hackers. * New York Times *I don't have many rules in life, but one I never break is: If Ryan Holiday writes a book, I read it as soon as I can get my hands on it. -- Brian Koppelman, screenwriter and director, Rounders, Ocean’s Thirteen and Billions

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Drunk Tank Pink' is a particular shade of pink. In 1979 psychologists discovered that it has an extraordinary effect: if you stare at it for two minutes, you dramatically weaken in strength. In this brilliant study of the strange recesses of our minds, Adam Alter reveals the world is full of such hidden forces that shape our every thought, feeling and behaviour – without us ever realizing. Some letters in product names make us more likely to buy them (nearly all successful brands contain a 'k' sound) We're more likely to be critical if we write in red rather than green biro Your first report at school can determine your future career Understanding these cues is key to smarter decision-making, more effective marketing, and better outcomes for our selves and our societies. Prepare for the most astounding and fast-paced psychology book since Blink and Predictably Irrational.Trade Review'Reading Adam Alter's book will change the way you look at our world.' -- Dan Ariely, author of Predictably Irrational'I've read lots of books about how the brain can be tricked and how the things we think we see are not necessarily the things we are looking at. This is one of the best.' -- William Leith, Evening Standard'The best science book I've read all year...really provocative.' -- Malcolm Gladwell * New York Times *" A fantastic introduction to the wealth of weird and wonderful psychology research that is out there." * Focus magazine *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Haute couture is like an orchestra, whose conductor is Balenciaga. We other couturiers are the musicians and we follow the direction he gives' - Christian DiorThe godfather of conceptual design, a master of shape, a true fashion game changer – all are accolades bestowed upon one of the most interesting, venerated and iconic couturiers of the twentieth century: Cristóbal Balenciaga. His pureness of line, the comfort of his garments and innovative work with textiles, colour and volume made a huge impact on twentieth-century fashion, with creations such as the babydoll, balloon and sack dresses still influencing fashion today.Through stunning images and captivating text, Little Book of Balenciaga depicts the work and life of Balenciaga the couturier. Fashion historian Emmanuelle Dirix examines his legacy both through tracing the Maison's artistic direction after his death, and the generations of designers influenced by the master himself.Table of ContentsIntroduction • The Early Years • Spain via Paris • The War Years • Craftsmanship • Master of Modernity • The Abstract Body • Design Influences • Clients • Fashion Legacies • A Label Reborn.

Read more less