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Management |
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• One of the most interesting books on management I think I've ever read. The reason. Claude George takes you on a complete journey into the history of management breaking down many preconceived notions about what is new, what is old, and what is original. To my surprise I would say "the old" made me think. For example in Venice around the year 1436 there existed the "Arsenal of Venice," a ship building and military arsenal facility employing over 2000 workers, that used an assembly line not that much unlike Ford did almost 500 years later. Ford received the credit but if not for the foundation laid by Venice there may never have been the industrial revolution as we know it today. This book is full of example after example of how management evolved in a way that kept me engaged until the end. Mind you, I had an interest in the topic. A fantastic book that will make you question your own achievements. It sure made me think.
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• Collins work is unmistakably powerfully. Powerful because in hindsight his team was capable of categorizing leadership and management actions into quasi transferable skills and actions. (Beware that the book does not give you the tools to be great, just the concepts.) Collins on main theme is that a CEO that brings together the right team and manages them correctly will unmistakably create a powerful company. The trouble with this and many other theories is that this dynamic is difficult to duplicate and the author fails to supply any guide as to when you might know if you've done it right. By Collins own estimation a hedgehog concept, a core feature in the book, takes on average 4 years to develop and there is no way to know if what you have developed is the winner. It would be as if you hired me to work for you for 2 years or 14 years without ever knowing if we actually found this magic bullet. Besides, there are those that have created great companies, by different definitions, and have never realized they even had a hedgehog. Lastly, Collins defines success by shareholder value/market price and a few other Wall Street terms. There are so many companies and organziations that could argue these are not the only metrics. Either way, you can't miss reading the past decades most sought after business book as there are some great messages inside the text.
Added Note: 7 of the 11 companies
have fallen out of grace since the book being published. Companies that have been around for decades crumbled. I've commented for years that the book just supplies information and no formula on how to duplicate the same success. Open the book yourself and try to find the 6 steps to be great and then find one company that used these exect steps to get there. You can't. It's missing.
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• At times a difficult book to read, however there is a tremendous amount of information in the book. The Rules for the New Economy gives 10 strategies for developing a comprehension of the Networked Economy. Kelly outlines how we we should be focusing on the future and how there are critical points that make companies explode. Yahoo, Netscape, AOL are all examples of companies on the curve.
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• Great book on the challenges facing management everyday and into the future. Easy to read and enlightening. Covers everything from personal time management to management's role. Never had read one of his books until this date and found the material to be well thought out. (07/01)
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• A must read book about human survival, spirit and tragedy. Why read this for business management? Good question. The book outlines the 1996 Everest expedition to the top of the world from the perspective of the author who was also a participant. In this single season 12 people lost their lives in the pursuit of a goal. While reading make sure to view the book in either an entrepreneurial or managerial light however make sure to read keeping in mind others perspectives.
• If your interested in a basic understanding of the industry and are not well read, this book is a starting point but should not be your finish. Fairly quick reading but missing the power that someone like Bill Gates could have furnished.
• Others have trouble reading this book, I LOVED IT. Made me think, made me rethink. Challenges the status quo in terms of writing style in a very short and choppy manner. Before you purchase, pick it up and thumb through the pages.
• Great book on the dynamics of management as controlled by systems and structure. The book clearly outlines the needs of management to set the direction and build the firm setting expectations along the way. Gerber's book is designed for the small business yet it can be applied to any management thought. A great book and one highly recommended.
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Manufacturing Technology & Strategy |
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• Incredible book on the story of lean manufacturing and the benefits driven from the process. The author covers everything from the history of lean including craftsman through mass production and then lean. While learning the development the reader will see how the process can change how business can be done faster and with a higher degree of quality for any environment. An unbelievable book that should be on everyone's bookshelf.
• Written prior to 1990 the book tends to look very much at the perspective of introduction of technology we now consider ancient. However don't be fooled by its dating. The book outlines the introduction of manufacturing techniques from a strategic point of view. The analysis, implementation, staffing and review of the firm leave the reader with concrete tools on how to view such introductions. If the reader can look past the "numeric controls" and focus on their objectives one will find that the twenty first century production worker is the computer engineer, web designer, etc. and they too need an approach to the integration of new technology. Used also as a textbook there are very few well written manufacturing books. This is one of them.
• A very current book on the ability to develop and analyze both current and future manufacturing positions. America's loss of much of our lead in the manufacturing environment has been lost due our lack of know how in design and implementing manufacturing strategies as well as how to link them to customer demand and needs. Learn how to look at order winners vs. qualifiers, supply chain and a plethora of other critical components of operation including accounting. Same as the above, there are very few good manufacturing strategic books on the market. This book helps to start the process at the correct point of putting together the system....at the beginning |
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Marketing/Advertising/Public Relations |
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• Brands that Rock was a disspointment in that the authors seemed to look for ways to show that bands and corporations have specific strategies to achieve thier greatness. My impression was that they created scenarios that fit thier objectives and not the other way around. KISS and Westin Hotels and Wal-Mart....Rolling Stones and General Motors...Madonna and Calvin Klein. I guess my final thought would be, after knowing so much about marketing why didn't they use these strategies to launch themselves to the number one book where it's reads became groupies.
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• Even though my first personal experience with Seth, was unbelievably negative, I decided to give this book a try based on the reading a few pages in a airport bookstore. My first comment would be that the book is written in a format that is very easy to read and as in Seth's fashion he's keenly focused on marketing. My second comment would be that I understood the concept in the first few chapters and the balance of the book did little to help the reader create his/her own stories. (He did however give great examples.) His message in one giant stroke is that those that tell the best, and consistent stories can position themselves to sell much easier than those that lie about their products or services. Those that veer from a great story or are dishonest in their story may end up losing in the new internet age. So, the point is a good basis for a book. Unfortunately, his story should have been shorter and with more meat.
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• An all time marketing favorite for several reasons. The first being that the book explored where a company needs to be to create an image in the mind of a prospect or a market. For example, the authors explore how to create a name that is remembered and has impact along with when to switch to using an an acronym for you companies name. Quick tips and a quick read. I would recommend picking up the book considering so often writers refer to the text.
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• I'm mixed on this book for a few reasons. Steve does a good job of taking branding to a higher concept than just marketing while giving great hooks for developing ideas for your own brand. On the flip side, the title of the book sounds weak and the exercises within the book start slowly and then rapidly become something few will do. I give it a 4 star rating because it's got potential for the right reader. I've used some of the concepts with clients.
• If you're looking for an incredible book on how to create headlines and copy that sells. This is it. The book contains chapters on how to write a killer title, how to write supporting text, how to attract customers with style and design, how to place the ads and how to test. A real how to book that is a must for any manager through CEO. The lessons you will learn will be used every day of your business life. Buy it!
• One of those down to earth books that makes you wonder how many people have had the same thoughts you've developed. Written in the early 1900's, Hopkins give great insight into how to create an advertising campaign before advertising was a scientific approach. Much of what he write about is still in use today. A must for any avid reader. Worth it's weight in gold.
• Fantastic book! (If you are in the mood for marketing.)Easy to read and full of great advice that's not the same old 4P's. He gives straight forward ideas that will make you think about what you do everyday while using examples from his time in the sporting industry. If while reading you're not jotting down ideas the whole way through, your not reading hard enough.
• Definitely and idea book. The format of the text is to move one through all sorts of ways to build business from direct mail to telemarketing and done so in a simple to understand style. If your looking for practical and easy to implement marketing concepts this is a keeper.
• No one can argue about the quality of writing Malcolm offers and the value of the stories told throughout the book. He's done a wonderful job. As for the book, The Tipping Point is very much pieces of information covering a vast array of interesting "points" that are loosely tied together. The flaw to this strategy is there is no real helps to the reader to achieve a "tipping". It's like creating a best seller or a brand. There is no formula one just keeps on trying. Even with this short fall it was an interesting book and one that's worth reading.
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Guerrilla Publicity: Hundreds of Sure-Fire Tactics to Get Maximum Sales for Minimum Dollars
Erich Joachimsthaler, Regina Fazio Maruca, Jonathan Mark
Click here to read more, or purchase.
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• Surprisingly, this was a very good compilation of white papers written on the topic of branding. While many of them dealt with the retail industry the authors gave great examples of companies that have either failed or succeeded at creating a brand. What's missing in most is the how and yet, the how of branding verses who did it. If your desire is to get several points of view (specifically retail) this book is worth the time.
• Surprisingly, this was a very good compilation of white papers written on the topic of branding. While many of them dealt with the retail industry the authors gave great examples of companies that have either failed or succeeded at creating a brand. What's missing in most is the how and yet, the how of branding verses who did it. If your desire is to get several points of view (specifically retail) this book is worth the time.
• This book can be best summarized as "Where's the beef?" As the CEO of John Hancock, the authors takes the reader through 10 rules for branding that in many of the outlined examples fit very few firms. One such example is sponsoring the Olympics for $65 million. Even his bio on the jacket points out he is a sports expert. The book touched on many good topics to discover however without substance of how to accomplish these tasks the book is lacking in content. At a recent book club session, one individual said, "I kept turning the pages looking for the answers and by page seventy seven he still had found nothing. There are many other books on the market that are not ads for John Hancock.
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How to E-Brand Your Dot.Com Business
Kevin M. Clark
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• Kevin Clark has written an easy to follow outline on how a small or large business can start or redefine it's e-marketing efforts. With pen in hand he gives several key elements for marketers to review or implement into their brand awareness. Make sure the book is updated to current technology before you purchase. (He also uses MetaMatrix as an example of proper marketing efforts) |
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Morale and Motivation |
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• An easy going, easy reading book about Mark's exemplorary experiences with his local postman. Come to find out that the postman is the postman everyone would want. Mark then expands the concept of excellence and passion for work to everyone's job no matter what they do. Light on the how's the book is motivational in that his story says that you can do it too. |
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• Kevin Clark has written an easy to follow outline on how a small or large business can start or redefine it's e-marketing efforts. With pen in hand he gives several key elements for marketers to review or implement into their brand awareness. Make sure the book is updated to current technology before you purchase. (He also uses MetaMatrix as an example of proper marketing efforts) |
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