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Monday, July 23, 2007

The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki

The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything by Guy Kawasaki (Hardcover - Sep 9, 2004)



  • Hardcover: 226 pages
  • Publisher: Portfolio Hardcover; 1st edition (September 9, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1591840562
  • ISBN-13: 978-159184056

From Publishers Weekly

Kawasaki (Rules for Revolutionaries) draws upon his dual background as an evangelist for Apple's Macintosh computer and as a Silicon Valley venture capitalist in this how-to for launching any type of business project. Each chapter begins with "GIST" ("great ideas for starting things"), covering a variety of facets to consider, from identifying your customer base and writing a business plan to establishing partnerships and building brand identity. Minichapters zero in on particular jobs that will need doing, while FAQ sections address the questions readers are most likely to have: Kawasaki covers the basics in an effectively casual tone. Much of the advice, however, consists of generic banalities—start your company's name with a letter that comes early in the alphabet, use big type in presentation slides for older businessmen with declining eyesight, and avoid writing e-mails in all capital letters—that can be found in any mediocre guide. Fortunately, Kawasaki does rise to the occasion here and there. He goes into great detail when it comes to raising capital and offers effective methods for sorting through the nonsense associated with interviewing prospective employees.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description

What does it take to turn ideas into action? What are the elements of a perfect pitch? How do you win the war for talent? How do you establish a brand without bucks? These are some of the issues everyone faces when starting or revitalizing any undertaking, and Guy Kawasaki, former marketing maven of Apple Computer, provides the answers.The Art of the Start will give you the essential steps to launch great products, services, and companies—whether you are dreaming of starting the next Microsoft or a not-for-profit that’s going to change the world. It also shows managers how to unleash entrepreneurial thinking at established companies, helping them foster the pluck and creativity that their businesses need to stay ahead of the pack. Kawasaki provides readers with GIST—Great Ideas for Starting Things—including his field-tested insider’s techniques for bootstrapping, branding, networking, recruiting, pitching, rainmaking, and, most important in this fickle consumer climate, building buzz.
At Apple, Kawasaki helped turn ordinary customers into fanatics. As founder and CEO of Garage Technology Ventures, he has tested his iconoclastic ideas on real- world start- ups. And as an irrepressible columnist for Forbes, he has honed his best thinking about The Art of the Start.


About the Author

Guy Kawasaki, who helped make Macintosh a household name, now runs Garage Technology Ventures, a venture-capital firm. He has held his workshop, "Boot Camp for Start-ups," around the world. Kawasaki is the author of seven previous books, including Rules for Revolutionaries.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Reinventing Yourself: How to Become the Person You've Always Wanted to Be by Steve Chandler

Reinventing Yourself: How to Become the Person You've Always Wanted to Be by Steve Chandler






From getAbstract.com

  • How to escape the cocoon in which you and your personality are trapped
  • Why it is beneficial to become a giver rather than a taker
  • Why you should never allow yourself to get offended
Reinventing Yourself is a difficult book to review. Taken as a whole, it fails to deliver, falling into many of the comfortable platitudes ("Own the human sprit") and meaningless generalities ("You can tap into your spirit at any time") that plague the self-help universe. But author Steve Chandler manages to surprise you again and again with insightful passages that make you think twice about self-improvement concepts that you’ve probably glossed over hundreds of times in the past. He does this in part by weaving in contemporary and compelling examples ranging from Janis Joplin concerts (OK, maybe not contemporary) to a Matt Lauer interview with Tiger Woods’ father. Quotes from figures as diverse as Thomas Jefferson and Carlos Castaneda also add some heft to what would otherwise seem flimsy assertions. In short, getAbstract recommends Reinventing Yourself as a book that manages to rise above its genre, and even, somehow, itself.

About the author

Steve Chandler  is the author of 100 Ways to Motivate Yourself.



Firnando Chau Review

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield

The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be -- 2007 publication by Jack Canfield (Paperback - 2007)





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Clip of Jack Canfield: Don't be afraid to ASK for WHAT YOU WANT!



  • Paperback: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Harper Element (2007)
  • ISBN-10: 0007245750
  • ISBN-13: 978-0007245758

Jack Canfield is somewhat of a legend in success and achievement circles. He is the author of 60 best-selling books with over 100 million copies in print in 46 languages around the world - including a Guinness Book world record for having 7 books on the May 1998 New York Times best seller list. Talk about an over achiever!

'How To Get From Where You Are To Where You Want To Be', while nothing new, re-presents the time-tested principles for success that have worked throughout the ages and can continue to be applied for success today.

The best audience for this book would be anybody who has achieved some limited success in business and life, but has seemed to wander off track at times and may be feeling a little lost and in need of reflection, to get things in order then formulate a plan for moving forward.

This is not just all about positive thinking. Jack lays down essential strategies that you can implement straight away to set yourself back on course for success. There are a number of different strategies and approaches that if used in unison will be most effective. But time permitting, you can slowly introduce each concept and build up your momentum for success.

I really enjoyed this book, and refer back to it as I need reminding of the principles I must apply for my own success. The book is over 300 pages, and presents excellent value for money. Read it once, then keep it next to your desk as a handy reference moving forward.

Leigh Burke
Author of Niche Internet Marketing 

Cold Calling Techniques: That Really Work by Stephan Schiffman (Paperback - Jul 3, 2007)