3 comments about Marketing by the Dashboard Light.

1. The literature on Dashboards is expanding. The use and development of Dashboards is not a typical academic topic, so many of the authors have a consulting practice that is related to developing Dashboards. This is the case of this book.
   
   I found it to be a well written book, but it is not an academic book, so there are references to products and services provided by several organizations(not limited to the author's). Despite this fact, it is very useful, it will help in the development of Dashboards for the marketing function. You will find concepts and methods in a summarized form, organized in a very rational sequence. The book is a mix of concepts to be used in developing a Dashboard for the marketing function, following a methodology that is probably practiced by the author himself and his company.
   
   The layout of the book is well done, in my opinion is better designed than the front cover.
   
   In some topics the reader may get the impression that they are covered in sufficient depth to serve as a teaser for the type of professional knowledge that is required to do it, so naturally the reader might just pick up the phone and call MarketingNPV.



2. In this new era when marketing is more than just throwing dollars after programs, this book shows you how to measure the effectiveness of your marketing dollars.



3. Marketing metrics are here to stay and marketing leaders who want to remain relevant need to be thinking along these lines as a critical part of the marketing function. This book does a good job at helping you get started figuring out what to measure, how to measure it, and who to get involved in the process. It starts from the premise of ensuring you have the business strategy nailed down and the role of marketing in the organzation clearly defined - which is key. Also the graphics throughout are extremely helpful and clear. The graphics alone gave me lots of new ideas on how to present information for easy digestion by harried execs.
   
   Marketers from both large and small organizations will benefit from the book, which is well written and clearly laid out. There were some sections that offered seemingly little value to me, but others I go back to again and again. Overall a valuable asset for any marketing leader that wants to keep senior leaders on his or her side.

5 comments about The Wedge: How to Stop Selling and Start Winning.

1. After reading The Wedge, and applying its principles to my sales presentations, I landed a rather large account that I know a competitor was also avidly pursuing. That alone makes the investment in this book worthwhile.
   The Wedge focuses on taking business from your competition, by positioning yourself in a manner that distinguishes your business from your competitior. It is one of the first sales books that I ever read that focuses almost exclusively on the concept of taking business away from your competitors, as opposed to developing sales from independent leads. Given that almost every marketplace is static, with only so many entities available to buy your (or your competition's) product, thinking about and successfully executing methods that get your product before buyers who work with, or may be tempted by a competing product, not only makes sense, but is very wise sales strategy. And I can say - IT WORKS!



2. The Wedge process works. It's a proven way to compete and win clients based on proactive services. If you're looking to move your sales force away from the death spiral of price-based competition, read this book.



3. The background context is clearly the insurance industry, with the ever present incumbent, but regardless of the product or service the competition is always close by, and the lessons in this book are applicable to all sales. Organized into eleven chapters in three sections, along with an appendix, the author explains the limitations and drawbacks of traditional approaches, how the Wedge approach is much more positive and successful, and the why. It reinforces the requirement that the sales professionals have to do their homework, know and understand the prospect's viewpoint, and ties in very well with consultative selling. With examples and method maps as training aids, easy to read, the lessons in this book are well worth studying and practicing.



4. When I bought this book, I was not aware that the basis for the book was really just from the insurance perspective. I was hoping that his "Wedge" technique would have been more universal, but I do not think it is. So, if you are in the financial or service sectors, this book should work for you; but if not, I would skip it and try some others.



5. If you're reading reviews of this book, it's probably safe to say that you've read most everything by the...."usuals"......Brian Tracy, Zig Ziglar, Stephen Covey, Tom Hopkins, etc. This book takes you well beyond the basic concepts of selling and "obvious" things that "breakthrough" books have brought us in the salesforce in the past. Premise of book: expose the incumbent agent's weaknesses from every angle, but get the client to do it for you by asking pointed questions at the right time in the sales interview. I truly use the system laid out in this book as my "framework" for my presentations (scripts, rehearsals, trial closes and takeaways are all concepts we are familiar with, but not in the strategic vision presented by Mr. Schwantz). The cost is on the steep side and yes, this book is targeted to the insurance industry. Keep that in mind when purchasing. My company provided me with a copy, but I would not have been disappointed for spending my own money on it.

5 comments about Cashing in on the Real Estate Bubble.

1. This book shows the reality of the real estate bubble better than any I have read. It will not only convince you that the real estate shakeout will last many years, but it will also show you many ways to profit from - whether you are considering buying, selling, buying investment properties, or making money from the stock market.
   
   I got the book right when the sub-primes tanked so I wasn't able to follow his advice in shorting these stocks. But he shows the specific stocks that will collapse (Accredited Lenders, IMPAC, Freddie, Fannie, the homebuilders, etc). He even mentions that Countrywide has a lot of risk and they might represent a short! No one anywhere predicted problems for them. It's almost like he has a crystal ball.
   
   According to the author, there will be many other chances to make money from this bubble. I also plan to buy rental units as he recommends and knw I have a better idea how to analyse the real estate market myself. I just ordered his other book that predicts a depression and I'm looking forward to reading it as well. Highly recommended.



2. A quickie rushed out to exploit the current market, words fail me to describe how poor this excuse for a book is. The Author is unnamed, they must be embarrassed. Pages 1 - 101 are off topic political and economic insight of the lowest level and accuracy, such as "Of course, Vice President Cheney has ensured that Halliburton has been the main beneficiary of taxpayer dollars."
   When you finally get to the content, the author states on page 101 "Some of you may be wondering why it took me 100 pages to get to the "meat" of the book"
   Um, yes, we are wondering when we'll get what we're paying for. The answer, sadly, is we won't. The scanty "meat" of the book, until we go back to off topic filler and Government statistical data starting with the appendix on page 175, is no better.
   The book is riddled with errors, such as the reference to ROEs on page 138 or this gem of advice on page 124 to find an appraiser that "doesn't work with mortgage companies". That would be, an appraiser who doesn't work, might be tough.
   More keen insight on page 108, the very first suggestion under the topic of Strategies for Investors, is "Buy land and build" Excuse me, but aren't the people that do that all losing their shirts right now? And this is the best strategy?
   Page 130 suggests "try to control an area". You are supposed to buy an entire run down area so that you can influence the demographics. This is not a viable strategy for any but the very largest investor, even the Trumps of the world find this very difficult, Atlantic City is an excellent example.
   The things that you might hope to learn from this book, such as Buying Pre-Foreclosure properties, span less than four pages and provide little help. For example, one paragraph warns you watch out for liens, but no real data on how to do this, title searches or tax lien searches, no info or suggestions on how to locate or protect yourself from these risks.
   I see two good reviews of this book. I can only wonder if the book was read or there is an undisclosed link to the reviewer for such a glowing review for such a inferior product.
   Try one of the many, many better books available.



3. This book is distinct from other real estate books I have read because it does not focus on lists of real estate resources. As well, it does not paint an "easy money" picture for would be real estate investors. Instead, it gives an overview of all the ways to potentially profit from the real estate meltdown, from sound advice for homeowners, buyers, and investors, to those wishing to profit using the stock market using rental REITs. It even shows one how to short the mortgage and homebuilder stocks.
   
   Perhaps the best thing the author does is that he spends the first half of the book explaining how the bubble formed and how severe it really is. This information is critical because it will help you assess risk and opportunity throughout the real estate meltdown. If you do not understand the full picture, you will get burned. I have found no other book that even addresses this aspect. All others are set up to help you rush in with both feet, as if there is no further downside risk.
   
   The material on profiting from real estate in the stock market was particularly informative. The author does a very nice job of showing how and when to short the mortgage stocks. In fact, the examples he shows have crashed since the book was written. If I had read this book sooner and followed his advice I would have made some huge profits.
   
   I am an experienced investor, especially in the stock market. And I have never read a book that showed one how to properly value REITs until this one. Another excellent benefit of the book.
   
   In summary, if you're looking for a book dedicated to foreclosures, look elsewhere. But if you are looking for a book that discusses the risk in the real estate meltdown, what to expect over thenext several years, how to manage it, and a focus on profiting from the stock market, this is the book to get.



4. First, I want to thank the author for sharing his brilliant insights in this book. Unlike most of the real estate books out there, this one was obviously written by a real financial expert, because it actually shows you how bad the US economy is in addition to the real estate bubble. Therefore, you won't be surprised when you continue to hear more bad news. And you will be ready to make a move at the first sight of problems, like the recent Citibank collapse (like I did!!). Suckers will rush in and buy foreclosures because they don't understand what's goin on. If you want to prepare yourself to get through this mess you absolutely have to read this book!
   
   Another great thing I liked about the book was that it shows you many ways to make money from this meltdown - buying, selling, shorting real estate related stocks and banks, buying REITs. He also says that the rental market is going to heat up and be a great investment. I also followed his recommendation to buy gold and im up 50% in just a few months!!
   
   Real estate books are usually focused on charging you up and making you feel like its so easy to get good deals. This book shows you the realities. The book specifically tells you to be on the look out to short the bank stocks due to the real estate meltdown and it even provides a tutorial on shorting. Another unique thing was that it showed you how to do something that most don't know how to do - value REITs. I have already made a boatload of money shorting the bank stocks!!!
   
   Now, all that said, if you are looking for some step-by-step guide how to buy foreclosures and preforclousures, this book is essential alongside one specifically written for that method because you need to know what is going on in the economy and this book really delivers that message. As well it also gives some great bottom-line advice on foreclosures and pre-foreclosures. I was interested in buying real estate until I scored big in the stock market due to the material in the book. Already I made many times more than I could have in one month than I could in a year if I had gone the foreclosure/pre-foreclosure route.
   
   This book's real value is that it shows you how bad the situation is, how bad it is going to get and how long it could last. And if you don't know that, those foreclosures you buy could be a huge loss. I have read so many of the books on real estate and not one of them actually shows you how to assess the real estate environment like this one.
   
   The RE Investor reviewer is obviously some moron who watches foreclosure infomercials. Guys like him are looking for easy payoffs and don't realize timing is key. And if you don't understand the full extent of the real estate problem, you are going to lose alot of money.
   
   This book is worth many times its price. It's truly brilliant!



5. An interesting historical analysis. I cannot find any major area of disagreement. I just wonder if the information is as timely now as when it was originally written. Regardless, I think that you'll get something of value out of reading this book.
   
   You may also want to check out:
   
   The WealthLoop Series Beginner's Guide to Building Wealth Buying Houses: The Foolproof Roadmap to Real Estate Riches Without the Risks and Hassles of Landlording.

3 comments about Personal Finance: Turning Money into Wealth (4th Edition).

1. Personally, I think that we would all be better off if we spent more time in our education process teaching people about the realities of their economic lives. This is especially true of their choice of careers, managing those resources, and preparing for their "golden years". I could nominate a few topics I think we could cease teaching in order to have room for the necessary classes to provide people with real life financial management skills that can have a direct impact on the improvement of all aspects of their lives.
   
   This book, "Personal Finance - Turning Money into Wealth" is a fantastic tool for students and ANY interested reader. I wish everyone would work through this book (or one very much like it). While it is never too late to develop these skills, the younger a person gets a plan for their economic life in place, the more power it has and the better off they will be long term.
   
   I like the way Prof. Keown emphasizes basic principles (he has 15 of them) and planning. He begins the book by providing the foundation of financial planning, teaching the student how to measure their financial health and using that to inform their plan, understanding the Time Value of Money (a topic so vital that no one should graduate high school without knowing, in my opinion), and the basics of tax planning.
   
   The author then provides some great information on managing money by understanding the realities of cash and liquid assets, credit cards (open credit) and the traps it represents, using consumer loans in PLANNED BORROWING (another important topic that is almost unknown to most consumers because of the misuse of open credit), and buying homes and automobiles.
   
   I really enjoyed his next discussion on insurance. He talks about the various kinds of insurance, the kinds of protection they provide at what costs, and especially the situations in which buying insurance makes sense and when it does not.
   
   The section on managing investments is good, solid, but BASIC information. Anyone doing anything beyond a few basic retirement plans will need to study other materials. This section is the one where I have a tiny quibble with the author. He differentiates investing and speculation by saying that investing involves putting money in assets that provide returns - stocks, bonds, etc - but that speculating is putting money in things like baseball cards that only have a price based on what others are willing to pay. I sort of understand what I think he is trying to say.
   
   However, all investing is in some sense speculating. The buyer and seller have different views of the future (speculating about the future) and so they make opposite choices at a certain price. Either of them would change their view, presumably, at some other price. Stocks do not have a built in return and many do not pay dividends and too often nowadays their residual value is zero. Too often people buy stocks simply because they are going up (the greater fool theory) and get badly burned as we saw in the Internet Bubble collapse in early 2000. In any case, the caution the author advocates is sufficient and sound. I am just concerned that others use the terms "investment" and "speculation" differently than the author and might confuse those trying to enter the fray for the first time.
   
   This fine text ends with a discussion of life cycle issues such as retirement planning, estate planning, and how all the pieces studied fit together into the grand plan.
   
   The author also provides online helps such as problems, quizzes, and especially many useful spreadsheets that the student can not only use, but study to help them build their own that will be tailored to the student's specific situation. There is also a workbook with the basics of using a financial calculator and the worksheets called for in the text.
   
   This is a superb text on a vital topic. Strongly Recommended for general readers as well as students in a class on this subject (which EVERY college student should be REQUIRED to take - or pass out of by test).



2. This book was sent in a timely manner and was in excellent condition as stated.



3. I don't generally keep textbooks but this is one that I will hold onto for quite some time. This book has been completely worth it and I keep referring back to it as I have been out of college.

No comments about Pilgrimage to Warren Buffett's Omaha: A Hedge Fund Manager's Dispatches from Insi the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting.

2 comments about The Automatic Millionaire Homeowner: A Lifetime Plan to Finish Rich in Real Estate.

1. this is the book for you. It offers basic knowledge for a young person who is looking to buy their first home. This book, however, is not for someone who is looking to start over, reestablish themselves, has or had credit issues. It offers no suggestions to help people who are trying to get out of debt or who have made mistakes in real estate.
   
   I do agree that this should be required reading for graduating high school seniors. Because if you're not diligent from the very beginning, David can't help you!



2. This book is a 5 star book if you are looking for a book to inspire you to be a first time home owner. 80% of this book explains the entire process of how to become a homeowner, it would have been very helpful to me before I bought my first home 16 years ago. He explains mortgages and how they work, what kind of real estate agent to use and what to look for in making your choices. 20% of this book explains why it is important financially to own your own home. For example: Homes rise in value on average 6% a year. So if your home is valued at $100,000 it will grow in value by $6,000 a year. This can add up quickly in equity and will turn out to be one of the greatest investments you have ever made. David Bach believes that home ownership is essential to becoming an automatic millionaire. This book briefly discusses how wealthy you can become by keeping your homes as rental properties as you trade up to larger homes. This book is not about "flipping" properties it is about owning them for the long term. I would highly recommend a beginner in real estate or personal finance to read this book it will be very useful, however this is not for current home owners or real estate investors. I will be giving this book as a gift to my children when they turn 18. Owning a home is essential to financial success, even though I am uncomfortable with Mr. Bach's advice to leverage debt for multiple houses. My first starter home made me $40,000 in 10 years when I sold it, which was a huge contributor to my net worth. If you want to build wealth buying your home is essential along with your 401K contributions, and living as debt free as possible. With the current horrible housing market this is the best opportunity to buy in decades. Pick a starter home in a growing area and watch its value grow while you lock in payments that do not increase with inflation. Live the American dream, buy your own home.

5 comments about BIG BIM little bim - The practical approach to Building Information Modeling - Integrated practice done the right way!.

1. To most people, BIM just means "Building Information Modeling." For Finith E. Jernigan, AIA, BIM is "Beyond Information Modeling."
   
   "bim (lower case) is used to represent applications-focused topics; i.e. ArchiCad, Bentley, and Revit are bim tools." Finith E. Jernigan, AIA wrote, "BIM (upper case) is the management of information and the complex relationships between the social and technical resources that represent the complexity, collaboration, and interrelations of today's organizations and environment. The focus is on managing projects to get the right information to the right place at the right time."
   
   "BIG BIM little bim" is one of the best books on the subject of integrated practice. It covers framework for success (four phases to integration: initiate, design, construct and manage phases, seven steps guide your way), the process day to day (certainty is your mantra, validation, design and construction prototypes, procurement, construction, operation & maintenance, firm, people, time, benefits and cautions), and proof that integration works including a number of case studies like Fire Headquarters and Station 16, Capital Improvement Program, Children's Theater of Delmarva, and Armory Community Center.
   
   Finith E. Jernigan, AIA discussed many useful and creative ideas and tools, like design and implementation can work in parallel, forewarned is forearmed, Facility Development and Operation (FDO), Facility Specialty Alliance (FSA), Onuma Planning System (OPS), Web Feature Service (WFS), Theory of Constraint (TOC), Toyota Production System (TPS), 4SiteSystems, etc. There are also some useful appendixes at the end of the book, including "Recommended links" and "Toolkit."
   
   "BIG BIM little bim" has 295 pages and many diagrams and screen-shots. It is a must-have for students, architects, landscape architects, urban planners, engineers, owners, facility managers, and contractors.
   
   Gang Chen, Author of "LEED AP Exam Guide" & "Planting Design Illustrated," LEED AP, AIA



2. Professionals in the Design Field will love this book! The organization/heirarchy of discussion points add to the features in this book. In addition, there are many diagrams and much theory to support all that he has written for design and along with the "Toyota Theory" he has created a well-rounded book for us all to follow and to keep as a reference in our libraries.



3. Can't say what I expected when I bought this book. It's all over the map and I'm expecting PBS to pick this guy up as an architectural self-help guru.
   
   I have never seen so many numbers thrown around as the "4Site" system that is best used with the 80/20 principle that then moves on to the Power of Sixteen Concept that can then be better handled with the 400% Rule (page 136). I am seriously paraphrasing here, but it can be daunting trying to keep with the threads.
   
   Having cleared my system of that I will say that there are a number of things that can be taken away from this book (failing fast is my favorite). It is on the extreme end of the "architecture-is-a-business" end of things, but as is so often pointed out in this book, it is what is so often left out of an architects' equation. And an omission that, if not tended to, will push architects further to the fringe of the construction industry.
   
   Mr. Jernigan, I have no doubt, knows what he is talking about--it's just such a difficult read.



4. BIG BIM little bim - The practical approach to Building Information Modeling - Integrated practice done the right way!
   
   This book hits a home run for all practitioners of BIM. It is relevant to both the neophyte just making the BIM decision as well as the mature BIM organization looking for what is next. The buildingSMART Alliance in North America is working the BIG BIM issue and I believe that it is a very rich environment for significant transformation in the way we do business. There is significant return on investment at every step of the way for all stakeholders. Finith has done our industry a great service in pointing out this very concept. We all will be implementing BIM for many years to come and this is a great starting point. The book is replete with excellent first hand experience based guidance and real life case studies, the kind you are more likely to come across in your own practice. I heartily recommend this book be part of your mandatory reading as well as a reference on your bookshelf to re-visit as you prepare to bite off more and more BIM opportunities to ensure you are keeping to the principles. It is also good to see some very good BIM books coming out and so far, we seem to all be supporting the same principles which will help reduce the confusion factor generated by the vendors supporting only their current capabilities.



5. I found this book informitive and useful in understanding this technology and how to integrate it into your practice. Whether you have a large architectural firm or a small one, this book will provide a practical guide for using Building Information Modeling in your workflow and how to approach your projects as a totally integrated practice.

2 comments about Adult Web Site Money V2: How to Build, Start, and Market an Adult Web Site Business for Little to No Cost in 30 Days! By Rayscorner.com Founder Ray West.

1. Ray is a master in his own right. I read this book 3 times, and love it.



2. This man knows what he is doing. Too well in fact. I was very impressed after reading this book. J. Cox

5 comments about Kiss Theory Good Bye: Five Proven Ways to Get Extraordinary Results in Any Company.

1. From the moment I read Prosen's book, I knew it had to be required reading for the MBA class I'm teaching. Because my day job puts me in the trenches with organizations of all sizes, I knew that this book hit the nail on the head. While other books make the case for getting from "good to great" this book creates the roadmap for HOW to achieve it. With relevant examples, usable tools, and a down-to-earth common sense approach, Prosen provides a timeless tool of common sense for senior leaders of organizations. He also provides applicable reasons for addressing the "nay sayers" in the organization. If you're tired of books that provide a lot of fluff with little take-back-to-your-desk-application, then get this book. My MBA students have assured me that they are keeping this book in their library.



2. Bob Prosen wrote a great book called Kiss Theory Good Bye - Five Proven Ways to Get Extraordinary Results in Any Company.
   
   The goal of the book is to provide a definitive how-to-book on business execution. It is a first person account of how Bob Prosen has helped lead major companies.
   
   I like the simplicity of the book and the rules. I particularly like the chapter summaries that make it an easy read.
   
   Chapter one talks about one of my favourite topics, habits. Although the focus of the chapter has a lot of bad habits and I prefer to focus on good habits. Clearly habits are the first step in any good company. This chapter also talks about doing walk-abouts.
   
   Chapter two talks about leadership. It talks about having no politics. I would modify this to say any company is going to have politics so can they be positive politics. This ties into culture which is one of the main topics that any leader should involve themselves in.
   
   Chapter three talks about sales effectiveness and how to manage a sales force as well as what the difference is between a good and bad sale.
   
   Chapter four talks about operational excellence. Clearly operational excellence is where it all begins and has to do with such things as cost structure, accounting, and just good old fashion execution. It also talks about processes.
   
   Chapter five talks about financial management where information is power. One of SYNNEX's top values is visibility and this chapter talks all about visibilities so you know your costs and where the profit is and where you are making money and where you are not.
   
   Chapter six jumps back to the customer and talks about customer loyalty the one that keeps on giving. This is tied closely to sales but potentially talks more about branding and execution.
   
   Chapter seven starts with a great quote, At the beginning of the day it is all about possibilities; at the end of the end of day it is all about results. This chapter talks about getting results and are you really doing it.
   
   Chapter eight is titled Be Your Competitors' Worse Fear. It starts with, Your competitors' biggest fear is not so much your bright ideas but your ability to turn those ideas into bottom line results. That requires an accountability based culture relentlessly focused on achieving clear goals.
   
   Daily Checklist
   
   End indecision, increase your productivity, kiss theory good bye and get the results you need.
   
   THESE SEVEN STEPS EVERY DAY TAKE:
   
   Give clear directives. Be short, be definitive, and get to the point.
   
   Require accountability. Focus on results, not activity.
   
   Never rationalize poor performance.
   
   Avoid overplanning. When a plan is in place, execute.
   
   Embrace change. Search out opportunities to improve your organization and your results.
   
   Help every member on the team win.
   
   At the end of every day, ask yourself, Did my actions today help move the organization closer to meeting its objectives?
   
   THE LEADER'S ROLE - MAKE EVERYONE WHO REPORTS TO YOU WIN!
   
   Clearly define everyone's objectives, establish quantifiable metrics, and measure performance.
   
   
   Have each person identify the top three barriers to achieving his or her objectives.
   
   
   Agree on specific actions, responsibilities, and time frames to remove or minimize the barriers.
   
   Hold everyone accountable for results and disproportionately reward those who achieve their objectives.
   
   Remember, you win when everyone on the team wins!
   
   Chapter nine, The Critical Path: this talks a lot about communication. Clearly nothing happens without proper communication.
   
   Chapter ten, Measure What Matters Most: This not only goes to the accounting and financial measurements which were discussed earlier, but gets into counting what is right. I have always been a big believer of every business having a dashboard and believe each business is dashboard and what should be measuring and looking at differs.
   
   Chapter eleven talks about how you continue with the execution and keep it going.
   
   The Epilogue Beyond Profitability: Doing Good and Doing Well
   
   
   
   The old adage is true: You can do good and do well. With the attributes I've outlined, you don't have to cheat to become highly profitable. There's no need to color your reporting or cook the books to achieve great success.



3. I've just finished reading Bob Prosen's book, "Kiss Theory Good Bye: Five Proven Ways to Get Extraordinary Results in Any Company." I've also read Mr. Kent M. Blumberg's review of Prosen's book, and I fear that some Amazon customers might get the wrong impression of "Kiss Theory Good Bye" from Mr. Blumberg's thumbs-down judgment. I'd like to reply to Mr. Blumberg's review.
   When I read Mr. Blumberg's take on Prosen's book, I said to myself, "Blumberg is either (a) a pretentious consultant, or (b) an adjunct professor of management at a third-rate community college."
   I wasn't wrong. On his Web blog site, Mr. Blumberg calls himself "a professional and executive life coach," whatever that may be. That's one difference between Prosen and Blumberg: It would never occur to Mr. Prosen, a successful management consultant himself, to describe what he does in language so high-falutin', so vague and voguish.
   Blumberg is the type of consultant who is impressed by business books that carry conventionally edgy, smart-ass, offbeat titles. It's a device borrowed from academic publishing. I call them "Cute two-part titles." A cutesy metaphor separated from its explanation by a colon. You know the kind I mean: "Talk to the Elephant in the Room: Dealing with Corporate Failure," or "The Hieroglyphics of Crisis and Change: How to Defeat Fear in Your Company." (No, the title of Prosen's book does NOT fit this pattern. "Kiss Theory Good Bye" is not used metaphorically.)
   Here are three actual titles taken from the book review part of Blumberg's Web log:
   
   (1) "The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable."
   (2) "The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)"
   (3) "CIRQUE DU SOLEIL THE SPARK: Igniting the Creative Fire That Lives Within Us All."
   
   Mr. Blumberg has a large appetite for books of this sort. Mr. Prosen offends him by relentlessly sticking to the point, forswearing the current business-book chic, cloudy, smarmy pseudo-inspiration that so impresses Mr. Blumberg, and insisting that doing business successfully is hard unglamorous work. I agree with Mr. Prosen.
   According to Blumberg, you need to read $300 worth of specialized 400-page books to get the full story of what Mr. Prosen teaches. Baloney! This is simply the whining of an envious consultant who wishes he had the powers of summary and synthesis and imagination that Mr. Prosen displays throughout "Kiss Theory Good Bye."
   Mr. Blumberg says there's nothing new in Prosen's book. In a certain limited sense, this holds water. But in the larger sense, Blumberg couldn't be more wrong.
   In Blumberg's words (he's speaking of Prosen's five attributes of successful organizations): "Unless you just crawled out of a cave, you already know what it takes to succeed." This is just more Blumberg-consultant blather. Many business leaders DON'T know what it takes to succeed. Prosen proves this again and again in "Kiss Theory Good Bye" with examples from his distinguished career.
   Mr. Prosen's book is full of new formulations of tried-and-true maxims, unconventional restatements of old ideas that work. Even when his formulations sum up ancient wisdom, he still finds fresh things to say.
   For example, this gem:
   
   "Today's most prevalent business challenge is. . .planning in lieu of action. . .it's the issue of execution that remains in question. . . What separates the winners from those who struggle. . .is the ability to execute a plan. It really is that simple."
   
   So true. Planning as an excuse for doing nothing is the curse of large organizations. Planning in place of action occupies far too many intelligent people, wastes far too much time, in 90 percent of corporate America. How many elaborate, expensive plans lie dormant, forgotten, useless, laid to rest in bulky ring binders on the CEO's shelf! But who has reminded business executives as powerfully as Prosen that the acid test remains action, action, action?
   Or these insights from Prosen on sales:
   
   "Recruit great salespeople; don't teach great people how to sell."
   
   "The president gave me the go-ahead, yet I still had one question: Would he remain supportive if the plan I designed allowed someone [a top-flight salesperson] several levels below him to make more money than he did? He was very willing. Many members of top management have trouble with this concept."
   
   Yeah, I'd say that 999 out of 1000 of the business-school graduates from Stanford, the University of Chicago, Wharton, and Harvard would have a great deal of trouble with that concept.
   And that brings me to another of Prosen's basic but brilliant observations: He stresses again and again that he's surprised by the number of executives who ignore or don't know the fundamental ideas he lays out in his book. How can this be?
   Good question. It's one you won't find an answer to by reading Mr. Blumberg or the business thinkers Mr. Blumberg admires. And reading Prosen's book, and being shocked by the business ignorance of the American executive, brings up another question: What are we teaching our business school graduates? Why do so many of them know nothing about the basic realities of what they do?
   Why are so many of them so touchingly ignorant about how to communicate with other senior execs, other managers, and front-line employees about things these groups absolutely must know to be effective? Why? What are we getting for the $200,000 we spend on educating these M.B.A.- and Ph.D.-degreed ignoramuses in how to run a corporation?
   Prosen's book is packed full of suggestive ideas, old and new. Here are a few more of these ideas just on the subject of "costs" (I can't possibly give you all of them):
   
   "All too often leaders become slaves to their financial accounting systems and wait too long before taking action. If you don't completely understand your cost structure. . .Take whatever steps are necessary to get the information you need. There is no excuse for not knowing."
   
   "It's amazing how many companies struggle to accurately determine their true cost of doing business."
   
   "I can't tell you how often I've worked with companies that don't know their cost of doing business in sufficient detail to support their business decisions." [Prosen then gives an amazing example of this inexcusable ignorance from his experience as a consultant. Read the book.]
   
   "Another great way to reduce costs is to periodically challenge why every report in your company is required. . . I applied this seemingly simple strategy inside a Fortune 1000 company and the savings was extraordinary."
   
   "Poor quality and rework can quickly render [a company] non-competitive. With all the investments made in quality processes over the years, you would think this issue would be very well managed. Yet when I ask company leaders how many of them have defined processes in place to reduce inefficiencies and rework, very few do."
   
   "Another great way to focus on problem elimination is to hold recurring operations reviews. The process I like best makes the leader who is responsible for each operating area stand up and present his or her results in front of colleagues and senior management."
   
   "Run leaner than you would prefer--even in good times. It's always a better alternative to budget cuts and layoffs."
   
   Dear readers, Prosen's whole book is packed with insights and sayings and warnings and summaries as valuable as these. Yes, Prosen is relentless. Yes, he pounds home his lessons again and again. Yes, much of what he preaches is superficially obvious. But you know what? All great practical teachers do exactly that. These reflections make me wonder whether Mr. Blumberg actually read "Kiss Theory Good Bye." He certainly didn't read it carefully, or with the least imagination.
   I urge you to read "Kiss Theory Good Bye." Don't pay any attention to Kent Blumberg. There isn't a wasted word in "Kiss Theory Good Bye." It's all business. Maybe that's why it offends Mr. Blumberg. It's too practical, too down-to-earth. It insists too much on the necessity of changing what you're doing now by working hard and continuously at what must seem to Mr. Blumberg to be grubby, dull, mean little particulars. Prosen offers no neat but chicly paradoxical inspirational formulas for achieving business utopia instantly.
   Here's what I think: If Mr. Prosen had been aware of Kent Blumberg's existence and cared about pleasing him when he wrote his book, he would have chosen a different sort of title. Something like, "Who Melted My Cheese: The 12 Things You Must Do Differently to Keep Your Company on Top." Yeah, that probably would have done it.



4. Kiss Theory Goodbye by Bob Prosen is divided into three parts. Part I is titled: The Big Win: Maximum Profitability and Results. It begins with the Introduction which opens with the following
   
   "What are your top three objectives and how do you know you're achieving them? This may seem like a simple question, but I usually get vague generalities when leaders respond to it."
   
   That short excerpt tells you what this book is about and why it's going to be good. Only someone with real hands-on experience improving business results would know the importance of that question. And a book devoted to sharpening answers to questions like that is sure to be valuable.
   
   The publicity material for this book says it's the next step in the chain of Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't and Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done. For once, you can believe the hype. Bob Prosen has written a book about how to execute and aimed it squarely at the small to mid-sized companies that need it most.
   
   In the first chapter called Stuck in the Status Quo: Five Crippling Habits that Attack from Within, Prosen lists five things that companies do over and over and then make excuses for. Here's the list.
   
   Absence of clear directives
   Lack of accountability
   Rationalizing inferior performance
   Planning in lieu of action
   Aversion to risk and change.
   
   Sound familiar? If you're like many CEOs I know, the list will provide several shocks of recognition.
   
   Having driven his stake about the situation at many companies firmly into the ground, Prosen moves on to Part II to tell you how to do better. This part is called the Five Attributes of Highly Profitable Companies. There's a chapter devoted to each one. I've noted the chapter number in parenthesis
   
   Superior Leadership (2) is about what you need to do to prepare yourself and your people to improve. Prosen zeros in on the gap between the leaders' perceptions of how things are and their employees perceptions, noting that:
   
   "70 percent of business leaders say their company's top objectives have been clearly defined and articulated. Yet only 48 percent of employees say they understand the organization's strategy and goals."
   
   All of the chapters in this part have the same, helpful structure. Prosen begins by outlining "Strengths and Weaknesses" in the subject area, based on research. He follows that with solid and practical advice.
   
   At the end of each chapter in this part there are three short, helpful sections. One gives you questions to determine whether you "Measure Up" on the issues covered in the chapter. A second lists "Very Important Lessons" from the chapter. And a third suggests "Actions to Take Now." These three sections make it easier for you to move from reading to doing.
   
   Sales Effectiveness (3) is filled with advice for building the top line. Operational Excellence (4) gives you tools and suggestions to maintain margins.
   
   The chapter on Financial Management (5) says that financial management is "traffic control" for your business. Prosen notes that this is often an untapped resource. In my experience, he's absolutely right.
   
   Many C-suite executives in smaller companies lack financial sophistication that would help them do a better job. Many operating executives see finance as a kind of arcane trivia that distracts them from the "real" job of managing. That's reason enough that this chapter should be must reading, even if you skip other parts of the book.
   
   The chapter on Customer Loyalty (6) was the weakest of the five core chapters. Prosen calls loyalty, "the gift that keeps on giving." He's right about that and he has lots of good things to say and suggest.
   
   However he does not discuss Net Promoter Score (NPS) in any way. NPS is based on the The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth, Fred Reichheld's excellent book. Since companies that have used NPS in some form have gotten great value from it and since it is a hot topic in customer service these days, its absence here is one of the few weaknesses in the book.
   
   Part IV is Execute for Results, which starts with the chapter on Bridging the Gap (7). That chapter, in turn, begins with a wonderful quote.
   
   "At the beginning of the day, it's all about possibilities.
   At the end of the day, it's all about results.'
   
   Substitute "the end of the book" for "the beginning of the day" and you've got this section in a nutshell. This part of the book is about going from ideas, goals and good intentions to results. These chapters all end with "Actions to Take Now" and they're definitely worth a review.
   
   Chapters on Be Your Competitor's Worst Fear (8) and The Critical Path to Getting Things Done (9) have lots of good advice. Measure what Matters Most (10) gives you ways to assess how you're doing on Prosen's Five Key Attributes. Maintain the Gain (11) shares a look at how companies often get off track.
   
   If you are part of a small to mid-sized company, Kiss Theory Good Bye will help you improve just about every area of your business. Here's summary of the my review.
   
   How this book is different:
   
   This is a solid practical handbook that is aimed at helping small to mid-sized businesses execute better and build long term competitive advantage and profitability. It picks up where books like Good to Great and Execution leave off.
   
   Strengths:
   
   Solid, practical advice from a consultant who's actually worked with the businesses he writes for.
   
   Great organization and clear writing. The chapters on the Five Attributes of Highly Profitable Companies have a structure that begins with Strengths and Weaknesses of most companies based on research. This anchors the advice that follows. The chapters all end with analysis questions, key learning points, and suggested action steps.
   
   Warnings:
   
   There are lots of places in this book where the author drops bits of bait to get you to check out his services or other products. On page 81, for example, he outlines a technique, and then tells you it's one of several that he teaches in his workshops.
   
   Sometimes his ideas of what to do are more exhortations than practical advice.
   
   Bottom Line:
   
   If you're involved in business this will be a good, insightful read.
   
   If you're in a small to mid-sized company this should be a must-read.



5. Bob Prosen has nailed it with this practical methodology for achieving results in businesses. His easy to read style with honest, truthful, practical points make this a handy tool for those days when we can find outselves stuck in the mire. Bulleted points and checklists make this volumn easy to go back to time and time again for refreshers. Whether you are a process oriented manager, or a "gut-check" leader you will find important ideas presented to keep you moving forward.

5 comments about Automatic Wealth for Grads... and Anyone Else Just Starting Out.

1. Masterson offers listeners concrete steps in how to turn their experiences and skill sets into real wealth in the shortest amount of time. It's an audio book well worth listening to as it's filled with unique tips, practical advice and a get rich strategy that works!



2. There are a number of wealth-building books out there for a variety of wealth-building individuals. This book is tailored for young men and women, who are entering the workforce or are still in college, and want to start building their fortune now. Masterson uses his direct experience to convey time-honored principles of managing and improving your personal finances, while introducing the concept of intra-preneuring as a way to learn the fine art of selling tied directly to the company's profits, so as you make more for the company, you receive more as well.
   
   If you are young and ready to start making money, this is a great book for those willing to take action.



3. This book would make an outstanding gift for any forward thinking teen, young adult graduating high school or college, or even an older person who is ready to take action toward financial independence.
   
   Masterson speaks from his experience in building his own wealth and helping thousands of others along the way. In order to super charge your income and accumulate wealth, you have to find a way to set yourself apart and become a major contributor to the bottom line. This means, if you work for another company, you will most quickly move ahead by directly impacting profits (sales, marketing, product creation, profit management). These profit-making types of positions come with increased risks and challenges, and Masterson provides practical advice for powering through these. Another great tool book for high productivity and adding value to whatever you do is Dave Lakhani's "The Power of an Hour".
   
   My husband and I both have walked the path Masterson sets forth to owning your own businesses. We openly share with our kids both the challenges and rewards of these choices and they already are expressing an interest in running their own companies along the lines of their individual interests. How exciting to be living in a time and place where this is more possible than ever.
   
   Use this book to help educate your children about investing, the power of compounding interest (start early!), choosing a rewarding career, maximizing your value and income, and keeping your wealth building in perspective while creating an enjoyable life. Creating a rich life is not all about money and it's nice to see Masterson included this point in his book.
   
   Schools rarely teach the important topics covered in this book so it's even more imperative that parents and caring adults do (think nieces, nephews, babysitters, lawn care helpers, student leaders and others). Buy a copy of this book and share it with the young adults in your life. It would not surprise me if, regardless of your own stage of life, you find yourself perusing it before giving and come back for a copy of your own.
   
   Mollie Marti
   Author, Selling: Powerful New Strategies for Sales Success



4. I wish I hadn't waited until ten years after graduating from college to read this book. He makes understanding how to navigate the stock market a lot easier than your economics professor did! I would definitely recommend this book to college graduates and people who have been out of school for several years. You don't need to have a college degree to get a benefit from this book either. His personal experiences make the book interesting and fun to read.
   
   Anne Brown
   Author of Grad to Great
   Grad to Great



5. This book offers some very good, practical advice.
   
   The first chapter alone about Compound Interest is worth the price of the book. This is very valuable advice every young person must know. Even if one chooses to be a 9-5 worker the rest of his/her life, investing in a 401(k) and letting compund interest do its thing can still make that person a multi-millionaire. And of course the other chapters are for those who wish to become millionaire's, or at least wealthy, before the typical retirement age.
   
   Included are tips on: How to work your way up the company ladder (hard work, humility, cooperation), how to pick the right profession for you, and the profession where you stand the best chance of making money, the advantages and practicality of starting your own business, investing in real estate, investing in the stock market, and finally how to enjoy your money. While some chapters may be more useful for some than others, everyone can find at least a few things that will greatly increase his/her chances of acquiring wealth.