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The
Best Five Book Reviews: 2008-2010 by
Daniel R. Murphy
Title and
Author: Seven Strategies for
Health and Happiness by Jim
Rohn
Synopsis of
Content:
Jim
Rohn has not written very many books. He is famous for his public speaking and
his tape and CD series. His few books are well written, short and concise. He
packs a lot of value in each one.
In
Seven Strategies Rohn teaches about
the fundamental strategies he has learned, beginning with his mentor as a young
man, and continuing to this day. Over time he has learned that success is about
the systematic and disciplined application of certain principles and strategies
to life. This little book summarizes those principles and strategies.
The
Seven Strategies include:
Unleashing the Power of Goals
Seeking Knowledge
Learning how to Change
Controlling your Finances
How
to Master Time
Surrounding yourself with Winners, and
Learning the Art of Living Well.
On
each of these strategies Rohn gives real life examples from his own experience
and that of others who have taught him or worked with him.
Readability/Writing
Quality:
Rohn's writing style is as easy to read as his speaking style is to
listen to. You could sit down and read this book in a single day or savor it
over a week. Either way it is very easy and entertaining to read as well as
informative on every one of its 156 pages.
Notes on
Author:
(Note: when this review was written in 2009 Mr. Rohn was still with us.
Last Fall he passed away. He would have been 80 this month. He is a missed voice
in the success and self improvement field, having been a leader for over four
decades.)
Jim Rohn is one of the most well known and well thought of public
speakers and teachers of success philosophy. He is known as America's Business
Philosopher. He has spoken to millions of people and published dozens of tape
and CD programs. He has taught his simple principles of success all around the
world and has been doing this now for over 40 years.
Related
Website:
While Rohn is involved in a number of businesses with websites his
primary website is at http://www.jimrohn.com/
Three Great Ideas You Can
Use:
In a book with seven important strategies it is hard to narrow them down
to three - in fact it is impossible. You owe it to yourself to see all seven.
However for this brief review we will look at three of the most
important:
1. Use the power of goals - how to motivate yourself and others through
setting goals. People who set goals are more successful at achieving what they
want. The more you describe your goals the harder you work at them and the
harder you work at them the stronger they pull you to success - this is an
essential part of Rohn's belief about the power of
goals.
2. Seek knowledge - Rohn is probably famous for nothing more than his
teaching of the importance of the continual seeking of knowledge to improve
yourself and make yourself more valuable in the market place. Rohn did not
invent this idea. Many before him taught the same thing, but no one has done so
more eloquently. Mr. Rohn started his road to success from the teaching of his
mentor, Mr. Shoaf. Mr. Shoaf began by teaching Rohn that if you wish to succeed
you must study success, if you wish to be happy, study happiness, if you wish to
make money, study the acquisition of wealth. Otherwise, he taught him that you
must study and learn about whatever it is in life you wish to master or
acquire.
3. Control your finances - starting with the simple yet proven lessons
of George Clason's The Richest Man in
Babylon, Shoaf taught Rohn, and Rohn teaches us the critical importance of
knowing your finances, studying them, controlling them and mastering them. He
teaches us to master money so that money or the lack of it does not master us.
Publication
Information:
© 1985, 1996 by Jim Rohn.
Published by Prima Publishing, Rocklin, Ca.
General Rating: Fair, Good, Very
Good, Excellent
Title and
Author: 21
Success Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires by Brian
Tracy
Synopsis of
Content:
Brian Tracy is a very successful business man and consultant who also
has some higher education. He has developed a reputation for his knowledge of
what works in business. He has worked with and studied self made millionaires
and other successful people and here provides the simple formula for
success.
In this simple and very brief little book Tracy covers his list of 21
essentials to be a self made millionaire. Nothing here will surprise you however
the style and manner of his presentation is enjoyable and easy to follow.
Tracy touches on the true essentials for personal success. Each chapter
is no more than 4 pages long. The entire book including index is only 80 pages
long. You can sit down and read this little gem in an hour.
If you find yourself struggling with success (or failure) and you do not
know where to start to change your life to move on to success this is a great
primer. Read it more than once and absorb the wisdom here. It is the genuine
thing.
His chapters address the importance of having a big dream; developing a
clear sense of direction and maintaining it; seeing yourself in control of your
own destiny by seeing yourself self employed; do what you love to do; commit to
excellence; work longer and harder; dedicate yourself to lifelong learning; pay
yourself first; master the details of your business; dedicate yourself to
serving others; maintain absolute integrity; concentrate on your highest
priorities; develop a reputation for speed and dependability; climb from peak to
peak; practice self discipline in all things; unlock your creativity; associate
with the right people; take good care of your health; be decisive and action
oriented; never allow failure to be an option and be forever persistent.
These are all tried and true. They are all the gold standard of success
advice. Tracy gives some brief illustrations and develops each item only long
enough to explain it.
Readability/Writing
Quality:
This book is very easy to read. Each chapter is short. The entire book
can be read an hour or less.
Notes on
Author:
Brian Tracy is a professional speaker, trainer and consultant. He is
also a self-made millionaire.
He has a Masters Degree from Columbia Pacific University.
He has worked with over 22
different companies over the years. He began lecturing and teaching in 1981
and has done so ever since, translated in 20 languages around the world.
Related
Website:
http://www.briantracy.com
Three Great Ideas You Can
Use:
1. You must develop your
sense of direction and then commit yourself to seeing through your dreams
through action.
2. Master your business and your own potential through continued
education in your area of business and through constant learning to improve your
own abilities.
3. Practice self discipline and persistence, the two most important
qualities to reach success.
Publication
Information:
21
Success Secrets of Self Made Millionaires by Brian Tracy
©2001 by Brian Tracy
Published by Executive Books
General Rating: Fair, Good, Very Good,
Excellent
Title and
Author:
Outstanding! By John G.
Miller
Synopsis of
Content:
Using great illustrations John G. Miller presents 47 ways to make your
organization great in his latest book. You are not likely to discover a lot of
truly innovative ideas here. But that is OK. Miller concisely presents tried and
true ideas that separate the great from the mediocre organizations. He does so
in a way that can be used for most anyone in any organization, no matter where
you are in the hierarchy.
Miller eschews the trendy and buzz word ideas and concentrates on the
fundamentals. It is, after all, getting the fundamental right that make the
difference between great and not so great.
Some of the 47 ways focus on how you should or should not conduct
yourself, such as Being Fast, Being Humble, Speaking Up and Do What You Promise.
On further reflection these same traits are as important for an organization as
they are for an individual.
He teaches you how to treat all your “customers” in “360 degree”
accountability – treating suppliers, employees, bosses and those below you in
the organization all as customers. He also explains why this is good for
business.
If every employee, manager and CEO would work seriously to implement
these 47 ideas their organization would become great. This is a great yet simple
blueprint for the attributes of a great organization. It is directed however at
what we can influence – ourselves – and how we function in that
organization.
Miller urges the reader to resist the temptation to put this book on a
shelf and forget it. Rather, to get the most out of it, in fact to get anything
of value out of it he urges the reader to go back to it repeatedly, selecting
the chapter or idea that seems to be most useful today and implement it. He is
right. A quick read through will be informative – study and application of the
47 ways to make your organization exceptional will be transformational and will
make this book far more valuable.
Readability/Writing
Quality:
This book is very readable. The chapters are very short, most not
exceeding 5 pages, and concisely illustrating the point to be made. The entire
book is a gold mine and each chapter stands alone in its value.
Notes on
Author:
John G. Miller,
founder of QBQ, Inc., and author of QBQ, the Question Behind the Question, has
worked with hundreds of organizations in business and the nonprofit sectors
training, speaking and consulting.
Related
Website:
www.OutstandingOrganization.com
Three Great Ideas You Can
Use:
1. Dedicate your efforts to continuous improvement, not just in slogans,
but in daily practice. Do it, follow up and continue the practice.
2. See everyone as a customer – including your colleagues, bosses, and
vendors – it takes all these people to make an organization run well and all
should be treated well.
3. Focus on what matters, whether that be proper management, being
coachable, speaking clearly, and many more important practices that make a
difference. Do this instead of wasting time on vision statements that everyone
ignores and platitudes that mean nothing to the people who
matter.
Publication
Information:
Outstanding! 47 Ways to Make Your Organization Exceptional by John G.
Miller
Copyright 2010 by John G. Miller
Hardcover published by Penguin Group. 206 pages. No
index.
Rating for this
Book:
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Over All
Rating:
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Very
Good
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Writing
Style:
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Easy to read;
concise
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Usefulness:
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Very useful if
used, not just read.
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Difficulty:
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Easy
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Poor / Fair /
Good / Very Good/ Excellent
Once in awhile I ran across a truly great book. This is one. Read the
review and I highly recommend you get the book. It will be one of the greatest
leadership books of this decade.
Title and
Author:
Serve to Lead by James M.
Strock
Synopsis of
Content:
In what will prove to be one of the very best books on leadership of
this decade James Strock has written an in depth examination of how leadership
and organizational dynamics in the 21st century will and do depend on
service to others. He identifies all the persons you must learn to serve and how
you improve yourself and your leadership by viewing all your relationships in
business and your personal life in terms of service to others.
The 21st century and the latter part of the 20th
century saw a transformation from top down management in organizations to a
flatter model with greater opportunities for and the need for people in all
levels of an organization to lead. Leadership, Strock argues, is about service
first and foremost.
Strock claims this approach is transformational and it appears to be so.
He warns the reader that this book does little good to simply read through
casually. This book is a blueprint for how to transform your leadership style to
become much more effective in the modern world. It is a book to be studied and
returned to often.
The book is replete with a rich storehouse of quotations from dozens of
thought leaders. He uses illustrations and detailed explanations to paint a
clear picture of where you need to go in the new leader through service
model.
No matter what kind of organization you are in, from military to
business to non profit institution, this book will be invaluable.
I very rarely label a book as Excellent – it is the highest tribute I
can give. This book falls in that exclusive category of a book that can truly
transform your approach to leadership. Strock gets it – and you will as well if
you read this book and use it.
Readability/Writing
Quality:
This is a very readable book. It is broken into easily grasped sections
and well organized.
Notes on
Author:
James M. Strock
is a recognized authority and speaker on leadership. He serves clients worldwide
including Fortune 100 companies. He has also written Theodore Roosevelt on
Leadership and Reagan on Leadership.
Related
Website:
http://www.jamesstrock.com/
Three Great Ideas
You Can Use:
1. Leadership can be learned. It comprises competencies which can be
developed through continuous improvement.
2. Everyone can lead because everyone can serve. Framing leadership in
terms of service not only opens leadership to everyone it also expands
leadership to its most effective form.
3. Communication must be an integral element of leadership – it can no
longer be seen as a support function. Leaders must master effective
communication to lead effectively.
Publication
Information:
Serve to Lead by James M. Strock
© 2010 James M. Strock
Published by Servetoleadpress.com
Rating for this Book
Over all Rating for Book:
EXCELLENT
Writing Style:
Easy to read
Usefulness:
Very useful to almost anyone in any position.
Difficulty:
Moderately difficult.
Title
and Author: The Smartest
Investment Book You’ll Ever Read by Daniel R.
Solin
Synopsis
of Content:
Daniel R. Solin is a leading securities arbitration lawyer and a
registered Investment Advisor. He has testified before Congress and appeared on
major television business news magazines. He wrote a small book (154 pages not
including appendices) to demystify the world of investment for the ordinary
person. He called this little book The
Smartest Investment Book You’ll Ever Read (The Simple, Stress-free Way to Reach
Your Investment Goals.)
This book may well not be the final word on investing. You may well read
others. You may well decide to place your money in the hands of a professional
investment advisor or at least seek their advice. However, you can learn a great
deal from Solin’s little book and you will learn how much you can actually do
without an investment advisor or broker.
Solin tells us that investing need not be complicated or stressful. In
fact he emphasizes that it should not be stressful. He points out some of the
fallacies about brokers, advisors and others who are supposed to “help” you with
your investments. He teaches you what is wrong with hyperactive investing, that
no one can actually time the market and that no one, and he means no one, can
consistently beat the market.
Solin teaches the risk and reward formula you should use. He warns you
about B and C shares, house funds, margin, and hedge funds.
Then he tells you what a smart investor should know. He first
establishes his own credibility – he tells you why you should follow his advice.
He then lists the institutional investors who follow his theory on smart
investing.
After all of this preparation he gets to the good part. In about 50
pages he teaches you a four step process to beat 95% of the “pros” and become a
smart investor. He teaches you how to determine the asset allocation that is
right for you. He tells you which Fund Family to open an account with and how to
select your investments. He teaches how and when to rebalance your portfolio.
After a few more tricks and tips he tells you to do it.
Solin does not just make all this up. His book is carefully footnoted
and he gives sources for his information.
I
am not an investment specialist. I am not an investment advisor. And it is
because of this that I liked this book so much. Solin tells you what you need to
know to go forward with some confidence even while you continue to educate
yourself further about investing.
Everyone has to start somewhere. I have looked at a good number of
introductory guides and books on investing and none are as good as this one. It
is easy to understand and it seems to be sound as a dollar – perhaps more so
these days.
Solin tells us that no one will consider the investment of your money as
seriously and as important as you will. He teaches you the basic principles you
need to know to launch your investment boat and get your feet wet with minimal
risk.
For
the average investor who does not have expertise in this area this book is a
great place to start.
Perhaps the best that can be said about his book is on the cover from
various experts in the field and others who should know a good thing when they
see it, including Larry Swedroe of Buckingham Asset Management, Inc., William
Bernstein, author of The Four Pillars of
Investing, Mark T. Hebner, financial author and expert, and others. They all
endorse this book which Bernstein calls “a little gem”.
This book retails in hard cover for $19.95 – it may well be the best
investment you ever make.
Readability/Writing
Quality:
Solin’s writing style is easy to follow. This little book is written in
plain English – a delight for anyone who has been overwhelmed by financial
lingo.
Notes
on Author:
Daniel R. Solin is a leading securities arbitration lawyer and a
registered Investment Advisor. He has testified before Congress and appeared on
major television business news magazines.
Related
Website:
The
author has a blog on Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/A1M4WTCFNTDNRG
He
works with Index Fund Advisors at:
http://ifa.com/aboutus/?gclid=CI-j5o2Gnp8CFSIjagodARezig#dan
Three
Great Ideas You Can Use:
1.
Determine your asset allocation – Solin gives you tips on how to do
it.
2.
Open and account with one of the solid Fund Families that Solin tells you
about.
3.
Select your investments – again Solin gives the tips.
4.
OK, there are four, not three – Rebalance your portfolio. None of this is new or
revolutionary – it should not be – it is solid education for most of us out
there who do not know what we are doing in the investment world.
Perhaps most important Solin talks to us in this book about what to and
what not to expect in fund managers and investment advisors. He commits the
heresy of telling you that you can do it yourself and how to do
it!
Publication
Information:
The Smartest
Investment Book You’ll Every Read by Daniel R.
Solin
©
2006 by Daniel R. Solin
Rating for this
Book:
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Writing Style:
Very Easy to Read
Application:
Highly relevant and applicable for anyone with two nickels to rub
together
Technical Difficulty:
Easy-Moderate
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