How to get to the Top / How to become a Great Boss Jeffrey J Fox

ISBNs: 978-0-09-193542-9

978-0-09-193543-6

Published by Vermillion

American as apple pie

Jeffrey J Fox is a Harvard graduate and founder of a very successful marketing consultancy. He is part of one of the world’s top business school case studies and a best-selling author. And he is an American. Not that you would doubt it when you read these books.

I know, I’m sounding negative and that may be unfair. But then again …

There is much to commend these books. Plenty of down-to-earth, sensible advice; stories that cut to the root; rules; pithy anecdotes and more. And yet I find him difficult to warm to.

Perhaps some of his chapter titles will show what bothers me:

From ‘get to the Top’:

Juggle like Mom / Don’t put General Patton in Charge of the Mess Hall / Buzzsaw the Buzzwords / Muddy Boots are Money Boots

From ‘Great Boss’:

Groom ‘Em or Broom ‘Em / Turn Termination into Determination / “Quit” is for Scrabble / Take a bullet for the team


See what I mean; it’s all just a bit too … American. Sincerity with added schmaltz.

And the pity is the content is generally genuinely useful. So, if you can stand the style, you will get plenty for your money – 55 tips from ‘get to the Top’ and 50 from ‘Great Boss’. At £7.99 (less on Amazon?) that has to be a bargain.

Boat to Boardroom, Alex Alley & Paula Reid

ISBN 978-1-84426-612-8

Published by Fastprint Publishing

Global Challenge to Business Challenge

Alex Alley and Paula Reid took part in the 2004/5 Global Challenge round the world yacht race. This book tells the story of that adventure and is worth the cover price for that alone.

But the race story takes up only 1/3rd of the book (don’t worry you may be short-changed, that accounts for 135 of the 362 pages). The balance concerns relating the experience and lessons learnt from crewing a yacht on one of life’s extreme adventures to running a business. Remarkably, it is almost completely successful. Admittedly there are stretches required here and there to shape the two contrasting realities, but the main thrust of the dialogue crosses the divide believably.

The ‘business end’ of the book encompasses ideas to apply to leadership, teamwork, communication, motivation and more. Unsurprisingly, Messrs Alley and Reid now provide workshops and sailing experiences to business through their company, Velocity Made Good Ltd.

So, would you like to read an exciting, exhilarating, frightening even, tale of eighteen months before the mast? Then this is as good an account of the Global Challenge experience as you will find.

Or would you like to see how these experiences translate to the world of business and discover some valuable ideas that will, if applied diligently, almost certainly improve your, and your firm’s, performance? Then this is as good a set of metaphors as you will find.

Get off your Arse, Brad Burton

ISBN 978-1-907451-00-3

Published by 4Publishing

Straight talking

In December 2004 Brad Burton told his employers to ‘shove it’ and set out to build his own business. Fast forward to November 2005, Brad is thousands of pounds in debt, delivering pizzas to put bread on the table and a friend invites him to a breakfast meeting of a networking group.

He hated it. But his business was going down the pan and networking seemed a likely lifesaver. So, as advocated in this book’s title, Brad decided to ‘get off his arse’ and do something. That something was to create a new business networking organisation that had none of the characteristics he hated. As we near the end of 2009, 4Networking has over 200 groups meeting regularly all over the country. A meteoric rise from near total failure to massive success.

In this book we are treated to Brad Burton’s story, his philosophy and some of his dreams. An engaging writer, he exhorts us to ‘Do something! Anything!’, to surround ourselves with smart people and to understand that the road to success is a hard one In short, he pulls no punches; he is overflowing with enthusiasm and his book is an easy read. He has some unusual viewpoints that refresh the familiar themes (such as ‘people buy from people …) and his treatise on the ten-minute appointment certainly gives food for thought.

All told, entertaining, largely original and well worth the time it takes to read.

Success. The best of Napoleon Hill, Patricia G Horan

Published by Vermillion

Buy it now from Blackwell Books

Updated guide from the master

Napoleon Hill was the granddaddy of the personal success movement. An international best-selling author, his books have never been out of print and many, if not most, of today’s personal development gurus owe their incomes to his ideas.

Patricia Horan has combined several of Napoleon’s winning formulae to produce seventeen ‘key laws of success’. Oh well, it makes a change from the more usual seven laws/habits/strategies of this and that.

There is nothing new in this book, but the old ideas are somewhat refreshed by the attentions of a 21st century eye. A useful addition for a collector of such ‘wisdom’ and a very good introduction for someone new to the field, it contains such hardy perennials as
• The Master Mind – group effort outpulls solo slogging
• Having a goal – if you don’t know where you are going …
• Imagination – the starting point for everything
• Overdelivering – surprise and delight your customers
• Learning from your mistakes – failure is the best teacher
• And a lot more.

I must say I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I think it makes a worthy companion to the Master’s ‘Think and Grow Rich’.

Cold Calling for Chickens. Bob Etherington

Published by Cyan Books (Marshall Cavendish)

Buy it now from Blackwell Books

Something for the coward in all of us!

Have you ever had to make a business call absolutely cold? It sends shivers down the spines of otherwise fearless salespeople and causes fainting fits among sales trainees.

Well, Bob Etherington has been doing it for years and he knows all about the fear and how to handle it. Notice ‘handle’ not ‘eliminate’. The great strength of this book is that it allows you to remain a chicken and still succeed.

According to Bob, 85% of business goes to the 5% of people who know the secret of successful cold calling. Which makes this a very important book indeed.

Having established that we are to remain ‘chicken’ the author begins the process of showing us how to use our fears to make us ‘one of the best’ in the cold calling field. He does this by first ‘marking out the chicken run’; showing how to figure out what works best for your product or service and how to be convincing on the telephone.

The next section of the book is called ‘The big secret of successful chickens’ and here he reveals how we can get everything we desire in life. Mr E is deadly serious about the ‘everything’ bit and I have to say he makes a very convincing argument for his system.

The final two sections are concerned with persuasion and how to hang on to your customers – and keep them buying.

Part sales training, part personal development, all fascinating and could change your life (in a positive way!). I think you should probably buy it – especially if you are in sales or run your own business.

Drop Dead Brilliant, Lesley Everett

Published by McGraw-Hill

Buy it now from Blackwell Books

So, how’s your brand looking?

“I never really found what I truly wanted to do and what I’m good at until I was 30!” Well, thank goodness that Ms Everett did not stick with the law or software development, two of her earlier careers, because then we would have been deprived of her significant input into the topic of personal branding.

Keynote speaker, media personality and branding coach, Lesley is an international businesswoman who distils the essence of her considerable knowledge into her latest book.

As Lesley says, “You have a brand whether you are aware of it or not.” The job of this book is to help you make the most of that brand.

Nothing is overlooked; from style tips to nasal hair to casual ‘power’ by way of body talk, real talk and self-selling, Lesley leaves no pin ungilded, no shirt unpressed, no shoe unpolished, no stone unturned.

With plenty to think about for both sexes (despite the cover picture this book is for women too), you will learn what to wear and how to wear it for every occasion and how to create, or recreate, your personal ‘package’. You’ll learn about interviews and presentations, including those dreaded TV and videoconference sessions and you’ll pick up some tips on vocal quality as well. There is even advice for dealing with other cultures.

By the end of these 200 pages you will be ready to create a new image, perhaps a new you – you will certainly have all the tools necessary. (Me, forget the business world - I’m really looking forward to not hearing my wife say, “You’re not thinking of going out looking like that, are you?” ever again!)

How Full is your Bucket? Tom Rath & Donald O Clifton PhD

Buy it now from Blackwell Books

Published by Gallup Press


Positive reinforcement for a better life

Although this book is over four years old, I’ve only just come across it. And it is such an important work I simply had to publicise it.

This book shows just how the briefest of interactions can affect your work, relationships, health and even how long you will live.

Basing their arguments on solid research and using real-life examples, the authors set out to show how negativity can actually kill and how positive interaction can benefit everyone.

They use the metaphor of a bucket and ‘dipper’ (in the UK, read ‘ladle’) where everyone has an invisible bucket that others can fill by ladling in positivity – or empty by ladling out (being negative). We, of course, do the same to other people.

In a business context, filling someone’s bucket equates to recognising them for their achievements, their efforts or sometimes just for being around. The research has shown that those who receive regular recognition or praise demonstrate increased productivity, score higher with customers, stay with the firm longer – and more.

When it comes to personal relationships, focusing on the positive perhaps unsurprisingly leads to better relationships and, in the case of children, better school records. I said ‘unsurprisingly’ because you no doubt were thinking I was stating the obvious. Yet, sadly, the research shows we all tend to focus on negatives!

There is much more that is worthwhile in this book – including the ‘Five Strategies for Increasing Positive Emotions’ and even templates for your own ‘bucket-filling’ notes.

This is a truly life-enhancing book and I urge you to buy it, read it and put its ideas into practice.

The Science of Getting Rich, Wallace D Wattles

Buy it now for $1!

Long before Rhonda Byrne (The Secret) was even a twinkle in anyone's eye, Wallace Wattles (you couldn't make up a name like that, could you?) was busy scribbling away at what would become his most popular work.

Born in Illinois shortly before the outbreak of the American Civil War, Wattles lived much of his life in poverty, yet mysteriously he died a wealthy man. He attributed his riches to his discovery of the principles outlined in this book.

So is this simply another self-delusional piece of new age fluff aimed at the lazy and the greedy? Maybe not! Certainly, when you boil down Wattles' recipe it seems to be simple enough; decide exactly what you want, keep it in the forefront of your mind at all times, believe you will achieve it. Plus one other vital ingredient - do something about it! The twist from Wattles is that he claims his methods guarantee success, and he himself is the proof.

Published a year before his death in 1911, Wattles' book long predates other self-help gurus such as Napoleon Hill, W Clement Stone, Norman Vincent Peale and, of course, Rhonda Byrne.

The outstanding merit of Wattles' work is its brevity. He says much that the other say (have copied from him?) but has his own endearing style.

Worth a look - even if only from curiosity to see what an original has to say.

50 Prosperity Classics, Tom Butler-Bowdon

Published by Nicholas Brealey

Buy it now from Blackwell Books

How to attract, create, manage and share prosperity

Well, he’s done it again! How he manages to read so many books is a mystery. This is the fifth of his ‘Classics’ books which means 250 leading examples of self-help, success, spirituality, psychology and now prosperity manuals neatly summarised for us.

How many books must Tom have read to distil these collections? Thousands is the answer; and we should be truly glad that he has because this series represents an invaluable short–cut for the seeker of enlightenment.

With regard to the latest entrant, it is a cornucopia of wisdom expertly appraised and delivered in a digestible format. From world famous classics of the genre to obscure ‘worst sellers'; from Carnegie and Hill to Branson and Trump, Tom Butler-Bowdon has scoured them all to bring us this invaluable reference work.

Treat it with respect. It will point you to those authors who speak your language; those writings that could spark off your own innate ability to create for yourself a prosperous life in all senses.

I really can’t put it better than John Randolph Price (one of whose books features so maybe he has an axe to grind), “A treasure chest of golden nuggets to use in realising a life more abundant.”

How to Get Rich, Felix Dennis

Published by Ebury Press

Buy it now from Blackwell Books

Someone's having a laugh!

I’m not sure that hippy-turned-tycoon-turned-poet Felix Dennis’s book will help you get rich; in fact it may well put you off the whole idea!

But this roistering, rambunctious tour de force will certainly entertain and enlighten you. And I suspect that, taken to heart, his ideas could well pay off for the determined wealth seeker.

However, Mr Dennis does not come from the rose-tinted dream worlds of positive thinking or do-as-I-did formulae. He is brutally honest about the downside of riches; in fact he begins his book offering solid reasons not to seek wealth. That takes just 17 pages – the next 300 cover getting started, getting rich and what to do when you have made it big.

Liberally laced with anecdotes and asides, warnings and wit, poetry and polemic, this is a compulsive read; more fun and containing more wisdom than the last ten ‘get rich’ books I have read combined.

I can find little fault with this vastly entertaining volume; perhaps on occasion the author overdoes the rambling and musing but he is never less than fascinating as he bitches and blusters his way to his final piece of advice – “Remember to duck!”

Highly recommended for fun or profit, whichever is your fancy. My final piece of advice – don’t lend it to anyone; you will never see it again.

Being Positive and Staying Positive, Pauline Rowson

Published by Rowmark

Buy it now from Blackwell Books

Self-confidence primer

The prolific Ms Rowson adds another volume to the ‘Easy Step by Step’ series with this practical guide to being positive even when the going gets tough.

The book promises you ways to increase self-confidence, to stop being frustrated with life and to finding inner contentment.

Realising that we all feel ‘down’ on occasion; whether because of health problems, family or professional setbacks or simply the baffling pace of modern life, the author tackles the subject with directness and vigour.

As usual with these guides, there are plenty of bullet points to help you take in the messages quickly and easily and the end-of-chapter summaries provide handy reminders.

Covering negativity, stress and self-esteem, the author shows how you can improve your self-confidence by appearing confident, by your body language and how you communicate; and even by the way you think.

Adding self-knowledge and assertiveness plus tips on dealing with less than positive contributions from others makes this a pretty comprehensive survey of the subject.

If you have ever felt that you are not realising your full potential, this book can help you start living a fuller life.

You Don’t Need a Title to be a Leader, Mark Sanborn

Published by Random House Business Books

Buy it now from Blackwell Books

The six principles of leadership

Well, at least it isn’t the magic seven so beloved of self-help authors the world over.

Mark Sanborn is a world renowned motivational speaker. In this slim volume he explains how each of us can learn to become a leader. He sprinkles stories and anecdotes to illustrate his points throughout the book. Some of them are perhaps a little earnest for British readers but they do a good job of reinforcing the book’s messages; messages about self-mastery, focus, people, communication, execution and giving.

An accomplished speaker, Mr Sanborn is also an accomplished author. His book is easy to read and, while none of what he says is particularly new, he says it well and doubtless someone will benefit from each of his stories. My own favourite is about the man who gave up giving in favour of ‘returning’. He reasoned that everything he had from life had been given to him and it was his time to give back. That’s principle six, by the way – giving.

Be your own guru, Olivia Stefanino

Published by Capstone

Buy it now from Blackwell Books

Three days to transform your life

A difficult book for me to review. So let me get my reservations out of the way at the start.

Ms Stefanino is a Master of Reiki and has qualifications in Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Both are widely regarded as pseudo-sciences. Further, at quite a late stage in the book, she trots out the old chestnut about less than 10% of what we communicate being through the words we use. This is quite simply untrue and someone of Ms Stefanino’s background should be aware of it.

All this is a pity because it leads one to doubt the value of areas of the book where one has no knowledge. And there is considerable value to be had here.

Through the medium of stories gathered from her experience we learn much about dealing with negativity, understanding our emotions and, importantly, dealing with our own emotional baggage.

The final part of the book will be the most interesting to many. Here the author provides the tools with which to become your own guru. Through what she calls the Self Journey, the Relationship Journey and the Soul Journey, she leads us to a potentially deeper understanding of our ‘self’.

Recommended – with reservations.

re-think, Nigel May Barlow

Published by Capstone

Buy it now from Blackwell Books


Thinking as unusual

The author notes inside the back cover of this book describe Nigel May Barlow as a rethinker and agent provocateur. This latest book will certainly provoke thought.

From early on in the book, where he encourages taking the viewpoint of an enthusiast to mid-way where he advocate’s a bat’s eye view, he sells his ‘rethink’ philosophy in a way that compels one to at least consider the possibilities. On a personal level, I found the concepts of ‘your life as a fairy tale’ and the ‘before and after story’ particularly relevant.

Underlying the practical ideas of the book are Nigel’s philosophical meanderings. He covers quantum physics and string theory alongside fairy tales and intuition, remaining strangely rational throughout. And, as a long time exponent of transcendental meditation, he devotes a whole chapter to encouraging the reader to take it up. But don’t let this put you off!

Don’t let anyone give you this book as a present; invest £12.99 yourself so you have at least a little at stake to encourage you to pay attention to Mr Barlow’s ideas rather than simply approaching it as an entertaining read (which it also is!)

The Three Most Important Lessons You’ve Never been Taught

Vermillion - £4.99

Buy it now from Blackwell Books

"If anyone can help, it’s this man."

So says Justin Rowatt of Panorama about probably the Book of the Year 2008. (Yes, I know there are eleven months of books yet to come, just bear with me.)

Why is this book so important, at least if you live in the UK? Simply because the nation is drowning in unsustainable debt and doesn’t know what to do about it. Martin Lewis does know what to do and here he passes on his knowledge – for £4.99 a copy with all his royalties going to charity.

If you’ve never heard of Martin Lewis, power up your computer and go to http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/, subscribe to his newsletter and start getting even with the people who are taking your money.

But back to the book. It will take you half-an-hour to read and a good few hours to do the money makeover and budget exercises. Believe me, it will be worth it.

Mr Lewis was challenged to turn a bunch of schoolchildren into money saving experts for a TV show in the middle of last year. 12 pupils went on to save their families £5050. And out of that little experiment comes this book.

The three lessons are explained in a forthright manner in just under 100 pages. The entertaining story of the junior money saving experts is covered with similar economy and the details of how to win at the personal finances game takes up the rest of the book.

If you spend money – mortgage, credit card, cash – or try to save, you need this book.