No comments about The System: The 3 Steps to Building a Large, Successful Network Marketing Organization.

5 comments about Design Your Own Effective Employee Handbook: How to Make the Most of Your Staff.

1. Devon's book provides a detailed guide for creating a company handbook that will both serve your employees as well as protect the company. She provides example handbooks as well as a pre-written template where most of the work is already completed for you. The book explains which policies to include in your handbook (such as employment "at-will", work hours and break policies, reward and recognition policies, how to handle nepotism, etc). It also explains what you should and should not state in your handbook to help you avoid legal conflicts. There are many sections which are useful, but I think the most important aspect of this book is that it gets you thinking about how to create your handbook and how to avoid potential employee relation problems in the future. It also helps inspire you to really figure out what your policies are and what you want them to be and then helps you put them in place. If you want to create an employee handbook, this book contains all the information you would need to complete the task.



2. If you've ever tried to organize all the employee information from within a company then you have some idea of what type of job this snowballs into. There is so much material that needs to researched, compiled and organized and properly written that most people don't even want to think about the review process and getting final approval. And just when you think you have it all, you realize there are sections you've completely forgotten about.
   This book leads you step-by-step through the process. It starts of with an excellent section on how to use the guide effectively. It then leads you through each of the major steps in the process. Comprehensive chapters cover every aspect of employee information, employee classifications and even a twenty page chapter on working hours.
   The author was meticulous with details and generous with samples. She's included many sample forms, covering everything from Welcome to the company forms, Sample Time Sheets to Employee Handbook Acknowledgment Forms.
   If you're in a position where you're wondering if your company needs an employee handbook and you're trying to figure out what to include and how to handle certain aspects, then look no more. This book has it all.



3. As a small business owner, I appreciated the direct, instructional approach of this guide. Every business should have an effective employee handbook, but after receiving quotes for hundreds and even thousands of dollars to have one written for my staff, I decided to go it alone. I was still afraid that it would take me weeks to accomplish, but after reading Design Your Own Effective Employee Handbook I actually had mine finished within a week.
   
   This guide contains every last helpful tip and important consideration you need to know before writing your own employee handbook. My staff now refer to it often, which has saved me a lot of time in training and answering questions - I now just send them to "The Book"! Devon's guide is well organized and easy to read, which is a good thing, since I didn't have a lot of time on my hands to sift through things I didn't need to know. Her guide walked me through the planning, writing and polishing stages from start to finish; what I ended up with was a comprehensive guide including everything from legalities and a code of conduct, to a new "no tolerance" policy - things I could not have written on my own. I saved a good deal of time and money in using Devon's book to guide me through the writing of my own employee handbook, which is why I believe it's a must-have for any business owner.



4. Michelle Devon's DESIGN YOUR OWN EFFECTIVE EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK: HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR STAFF comes with a companion cd-rom and provides a basic instruction manual to producing an employee handbook. While the cd-rom makes it easy to just fill in the blanks with company-specific information and policies, the book does a fine job of considering the ramifications of an employee handbook, from legal considerations to difficult subjects such as safety and harassment, drug testing, reduction in wages, and more.



5. This is a thorough and well-written book that would work well for the small to midsize business with a small or no HR department. It's loaded with sample forms and tips on creating a personnel handbook and step-by-step instructions on formatting, printing and updating it. There is a virtual plethora of pre-worded phrases, paragraphs, policies, letters, etc., as well as, possible reasons for including or eliminating certain portions.
   
   The author even included a few sample personnel handbooks in their entirety. One merely needs to substitute one's own business info, as well as state and local specifics to make it your own customized handbook. The author also recommended you consult with an attorney regarding legal specifics and ramifications. Overall, it's like having a mini HR department you can "file away" in your bookcase at the end of the day.

4 comments about Contented Cows Moove Faster.

1. What a great read! Bill & Richard's follow up to "Contented Cows" gives great insight on how to get your people going. At the end of each chapter "Monday Morning 8AM" is a great way to put their words and ideas into action. Thanks guys for your insight!
   
   If they can get the Cows moooving, I can't wait until they write another book and show us how to herd those pesky cats.



2. Richard and Bill have done it again! "Contented Cows Moove Faster" is a great read with a fabulous combination of leadership insights drawn from personal and indirect experiences, and exercises that can help us all become stronger leaders. Their recommendations are thought provoking yet simple to implement. This is one book that's worth its weight in gold. While I wasn't sure how they could surpass the first book "Contented Cows Give Better Milk" I think they've pulled it off with this one.



3. A straight forward, well illustrated, how-to guide, to unleash the discretionary effort in others. A must read for leaders who want to create an organization that will go the "extra mile". Particulary thought provoking is their research that being consistent does not equal fairness, and connecting every employee with the businesses customer. Unlike most leadership books this one also has a fair amount of humor to drive home their points.



4. Once again, these authors have brouht keen insight and humor to key management issues of the workplace. The effective use of discretionary time or in their words adding "more oomph" addresses the ways that successful organizations become and stay successful. They use specific examples, provide chapter summaries, and introduce "Monday morning" activities that stimulate the "oomph" factors. It is an easy and enjoyable book to read replete with practical examples from real corporations.

4 comments about The Market Masters: Wall Street's Top Investment Pros Reveal How to Make Money in Both Bull and Bear Markets.

1. The book certainly has a great title. Unfortunately, that's all it has. The book is written in the form of a question-answer script of interviews of various famous money managers/fund managers. No specific strategy is ever discussed by any of the managers interviewed, though themes like diversification, having a defined strategy, etc. is reinforced. The book also contains a fairly superficial summary of the the conversations - all alluding to points which any average investor would be more than aware of. The book is certainly novel in its decision to be essentially a transcript. Unfortunately, nothing in the book actually answers the grandious title of the book. Avoidable.



2. I found this book to be an excellent overview of how top managers make money across a variety of investment strategies. The author does a great job of getting some of the world's leading managers to reveal exactly how they pick stocks and bonds and outperform the market over time. I discovered many useful tips that I will be able to put to work right away. Highly recommended for all serious investors.



3. This book used question and answer format to record interview with top fund managers. It helped me enormously with selecting the mutual fund managers and provided me confidence on the funds that I selected, because I can tell from their answers whether their super performance can be sustainable or just due to pure luck. The interview questions are well designed and such question and answer format is very precise and hit the points, efficiently conveying essential information to the reader. I can negative easily to the questions and answers that I most interested in. As an average mutual fund investor, who would want to read another textbook-like stock picking book full of charts and numbers?
   
   The top fund managers are very busy person and they probably won't write books about their stock picking methods and philosophy until they retire (like Peter Lynch), so I appreciate they can accept interview with the authors. Therefore, the information covered in this book are very valuable and not otherwise available.
   
   This book filled the blank in selecting mutual funds and managers. However, as one drawback, many questions and answers are very time-sensitive. I can tell that the book was compiled and written in a very short time. I doubt the book would still be popular in a couple of years. In addition, the book didn't cover income fund managers.



4. As with his other books, the ridiculous positive reviews of this book are all fake, poorly written by the poor writer himself. I love the fake Chinese guy and the fake Chinglish. The reviews cheat the customer just like Kazanjian's books cheat the customer.

No comments about Execute... or Be Executed.

5 comments about The Real Estate Millionaire: How to Invest in Rental Markets and Make a Fortune.

1. Boaz and Suzanne Gilad have complied one of the most concise, well written, thoroughly informed books on the subject of real estate. It is written in a manner that allows the reader to feel completely comfortable. Never once did I feel like I was in over my head - which has been the case with some other real estate books. Every thing is explained to the utmost detail. The Gilad's teach you how to work the market with out ever giving up what it means to be human and compassionate in today's society. I really have enjoyed this book and will continue to reccommend it to others.



2. It makes sense to use your personal knowledge, skills, hobbies and profession and apply it to real estate buying. Most people try to tell you how to find these homes when you have a personal niche already built into you and your experiences.
   
   Great book! Easy read, simplified methods, packed full of GREAT information. Highly recommended.



3. Evidently my first try at a review was too negative for Amazon. I'll try to be nicer this time.
   
   Gilad has no clue what he is talking about throughout much of the book. When he does say useful things he is vague and the advice is fairly obvious. It is not rocket science to try to find neighborhoods on the up and up. Investigating neighborhoods is not hard--it just takes a lot of effort.
   
   In many areas, Gilad is just plain wrong. He claims that depreciation is something invented by the government to make owning property more attractive. Any competent accountant or financial analyst can tell you that is a lie. While the time period of depreciation (27.5 years) for residential property is rather arbitrary, depreciation is the real (albeit non-cash) cost of wear-and-tear on the property.
   
   Also, Gilad's whole track record occured in a rising property market. If he had done what he did to make his first million starting today or in a previous down market he likely would have ended up bankrupt due to the risky nature of his financing.



4. Any real estate author that endorses/references the likes of Robert Allen, Robert Kiyosaki, Mark V. Hansen, and other "get rich easy" infomercial guru is suspect of his/her own real estate achievement and perspective. The above mentioned names has yet to show their net worth (primarily in real estate, if any). Infomercial gurus are mostly out to sell books and seminars, instead of enhancing financial worth and improving lives of people they affect. This book presents common get rich quick concepts and not worth the money I paid.
   
   Go to John T. Reed.com for a more serious real estate resource and advice. Do not spend your hard earned dollar on this book; much more, follow your real estate pursuits based from these authors' advice.
   
   Also, the title for this 2006 publication is misleading as a million $ in now a days real estate is easily achievable in any multi unit property, even duplex, in a well suited market driven location. Do not be fooled nor fool yourselves, real estate is not about motivation of any party but a complex numbers and economic game. Its a multi factor driven commodity, not covered here by both authors.
   
   Again, do not waste your penny, make the same mistake I made in buying this title, and consider my recommendation above.



5. I have read many real estate books similar to this one and each book has one or two areas where the author really hits a home run, this book is no different. For me, the most powerful and helpful section was about identifying and working a market niche.
   
   There are a thousand ways to make money investing in real estate but the most efficient way is to work a market niche. The authors suggest first really understanding your own role in the community and using your knowledge of the local people and culture to find one small segment you will be able to service exceptionally. Once you work your niche and find success then it becomes more safe to venture into all different avenues of real estate.
   
   Lastly, his chapter on commitment will really help you reevaluate your action plan and help you decide if your actions are in line with your goals. The authors give good advice on the importance of commitment and sacrifice.
   
   Overall this book was easy to read and had several highlights. It focuses less on the numbers side of the business and more on the conceptual side. It is a great addition to anyone's real estate education program.

1 comments about The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Annuities.

1. I was a little disappointed in this book. It is quite well written but most of the information in it is available free through internet searches.
   I was looking for detailed information on the tax impact of inherited annuities, and it is not here. This book is a very basic consumer guide, not really a thorough guide for investors.

No comments about How to Develop the Mind of a Strategist and Become a Trusted Advisor.

5 comments about The Obsolete Employee: How Businesses Succeed Without Employees - And Love It!.

1. As a business manager, I have tried numerous times to hire productive assistants and employees. Only to find out that they slack at their jobs, waste my time and money. Not anymore! With the advice from Michael Russer you can learn how to succesfully manage vitual employees and only pay for the time you need. If you have lost hope in the hiring process, this is the book for you. I strongly urge you to read this book. Like me, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.



2. I've been a virtual assistant for the last two years and had no help or info available to me to get started. This book will save others from the daily struggle I faced then. People will no longer look at you as if you don't want a "real" job with the popularity that this book will bring to the VA field. It's jam-packed with helpful advice for both sides, employer and VA. It contains real life stories of successful VA's and employers who are now more willing to give us a chance!



3. As a Virtual Real Estate Assistant, this book really speaks to those who are trapped in the old fashioned business world of onsite employees. The Obsolete Employee has great advice on how to run a successful business by outsourcing all of your work. It also gave me a wonderful insight how to help potential clients understand why they need my services and how it can help them financially in the future. The Obsolete Employee is a must for anyone who has never used virtual outsourcing.



4. My speaking, coaching, and writing business was booming -- and I knew I needed to get more support -- fast -- or I'd have to start turning business away. This fantastic book was given to me at just the right time, and I read it in 48 hours. I couldn't put it down!
   
   I had just tentatively dipped my toe into the virtual outsourcing ocean and had a great experience. I sent an audio to India to be transcribed, and they did it while I slept at 1/4 the cost of a local outfit. Inexpensive. Professional. Fast. What's not to like?
   
   Still, I had a lot of questions and concerns. Michael Russer answered all my questions and gave me a step-by-step process for how to proceed confidently down this new frontier. Implementing what I learned in "The Obsolete Employee" will likely save me $100,000+ over the next few years. More important, Michael Russer has given me the keys to expanding my business 2x as fast for 1/4 the cost.
   
   This is book is a must-read for any speaker, coach, author, or small business owner.



5. It took me 3 months to read this book. Oh, it wasn't because it was difficult to read or understand. It was because I was too busy dealing with the very issues this book addresses. As I made more money and became more productive my employees seemed to be entitled to a piece of MY pie even though I was already giving them their own piece. They knew they were holding me hostage and so did I. This wasn't fair. But I had no choice until...The Obsolete Employee.
   
   Even as I sat at my desk and read the book, the atmosphere in my office changed. It was as if my employees already knew what was in the book. Suddenly they became more proactive, more willing to work and generally nicer to deal with. But, they still knew that without them I couldn't get the job done.
   
   Well, I can't believe how wrong they were, and that I took 3 months to read this critical book. Since I have started reading the book, I have gone from 3 employees to one part time onsite employee and depending on the day 5 or 6 Virtual Consultants. My production has almost doubled, my costs have been cut in half and I stopped growing gray hair. I've taken 2 vacations and am going on a third in a week. Incredible.
   Oh, and let me say that this book is not about eliminating the good and necessary onsite empolyees. For me it clarified simply how to better make use of that resource.
   
   I'm just a one-man show but by the end of this year, my clients will never know it because of the resources that are now at my disposal.
   
   I have a shelf where I put all my important books. On that shelf sits, Think and Grow Rich - Napolean Hill, The E-myth Revisited - Michael Gerber, Chicken Soup For The Soul - Mark Victor Hansen, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing - Al Ries/Jack Trout, The Obsolete Employee - Michael Russer and sitting next to it...The Holy Bible - God

5 comments about Why Dogs Wag Their Tails: Lessons Leaders Can Learn about Work, Joy, and Life.

1. Amazon is working on straightening out the information on the book, including the title.
   
   Here's some background:This book tells stories of real people solving leadership issues at work and in life. It provides insight on changing life for the better by offering practical business examples, complementary stories of dogs, and specific tools for addressing important issues.
   
   Why Dogs Wag Their Tails: Lessons Leaders Can Learn About Work, Joy, and Life is written by leadership experts and dog owners Sherri McArdle and Jim Ramerman. They seem to appreciate the insights they've gained from observing people as well as the instinctive, canine approach to life.
   
   The result is a quick and fun read that's unique and enlightening for leaders at all levels. IN fact, it probably works for anyone who loves dogs, has to work and is looking for ways to become more effective, period.
   
   I think that finding happiness is a natural talent for dogs but it's not so easy for the rest of us. For people, joyful things rarely happen effortlessly. The book has stories that you can relate to and that can help you find more joy and fulfillment in each day.
   
   The book features more than 20 narratives that revolve around central themes such as finding clarity, achieving goals, earning credibility, and more--all of which poignantly bridge dogs' lives to situations leaders face. Each chapter is followed by "High-Gain insights," which are recommendations for applying learnings to everyday life and work.
   
   For instance, in one chapter, Stu and his boss, Bruce, have a friendly relationship but are clashing over job expectations and performance. They decide to put together a plan to improve their communication, performance, and move Stu in the direction of a promotion. In the same chapter, we meet Daisy, a mischievous dog who is acting out until her owners engage a trainer and develop a plan to curb her behavior and identify ways to positively reinforce her.
   
   The book also explores the importance of cultivating leadership qualities such as openness, celebration, and responsiveness.
   
   According to the book jacket, business partners McArdle and Ramerman have been teaching leaders to work more effectively for more than a decade. The book complements their efforts at McArdle Ramerman Inc., an executive leadership development firm they founded 12 years ago to help leaders find joy, inspiration, and profitability in their jobs.



2. As someone who coaches leaders of consulting and professional services firms on how to win and woo more clients, I am always on the lookout for great books. Here is a great one for all leaders, especially those who are fond of canine companionship. Dealing with people is the toughest part of business and we can all learn a new trick or two from a dog. If you want to create a great workplace, then this witty book is for you. I have recommended it to all my clients at the New Client Marketing Institute. Henry DeVries, author of CLIENT SEDUCTION: A Step-by-Step Lead Generation System for Professional and Technology Service Firms



3. Before you scratch your ear and start barking that Why Dogs Wag Their Tails is just another puppy love story, keep reading. Yes, the book is tinged with metaphorical pet therapy, but the canine-human comparisons are worth examining in this dog-eat-dog world.
   
   Why Dogs Wag Their Tails is a light read for leaders at all all levels who are searching for ways to become more effective--and joyous--in all aspects of life. Twenty dog stories help illustrate how readers can make behavioral changes to enhance clarity, achieve goals, manage emotions, earn credibility and become an encouraging presence that leads to openness, celebration and responsiveness. Some of the techniques are simple and achievable now; others may take time to incorporate into your life--much like training a new pet.
   
   The authors stay true to their coaching methods by offering "high-gain insights" at the end of each chapter to sum up the learning and opportunities for high-gain results.
   
   Sit, stay, down. No matter how you choose to use this book, It will help you experience more time for joy in your work and life--and a whole lot of tail wagging.



4. I am a partner in a large regional CPA Firm in New York State. I have read this book and would recommend it to everyone in a leadership capacity as well as those who are continuing to develop their leadership skills. The book combines leadership stories with practical examples. Regardless of one's leadership level the book offers insights for all. I was so pleased with the book; I invited the authors, Jim Ramerman and Sherri McArdle to speak to a group of our Firm's future leaders about their book and leadership development.



5. I love dogs. I consult for businesses on improving their leadership performance. What a delightful idea to combine the two!
   
   This book is FUN! It is also full of sound business and relationship advice. I often tell my clients that customers are not nearly so loyal as dogs. They are not as forgiving as dogs. And yet, people respond to the way they are treated in ways that are parallel to how dogs respond. This book illustrates that point through a couple of dozen stories: you can learn about human relationships at work and leadership through the observations of how dogs respond to you.
   
   I love dogs. It is easy to "read" a dog's expression: is he wagging his tail? If so, he is happy and excited. If you learn to look for telltale signs from your employees (or spouse), you can recognize the same types of signs in those relationships as well.
   
   No one drives in to work in the morning thinking: how will I have a bad day today? Workers and bosses want to have a good day, just like the dog who awakens and cannot wait for his morning walk. Through this book, you can learn how to build on that anticipation of a good day and make it real.
   
   As the co-author of Pain Killer Marketing (with Henry DeVries, available for pre-sale on Amazon.com), I heartily recommend this book for anyone who wants to have their employees enjoy a good day and for anyone who loves dog stories. You will be wagging your tail as you read this book.