What's Write Today...Book Reviews

A few great phone apps

2012-02-22T07:41:00.000-08:00

Many smart phone users may be getting tired of all the apps that others tell them they must download. Nonetheless, I'm recommended a few travel apps that are useful to any type of traveler.

First, the Kayak app is helpful to use when searching for the best deals for flights, hotels and car rentals. You can also check flight status and book hotel rooms with the app.

Tripit is a useful for managing travel plans such as itineraries, flights and hotels. You can forward all trip information to the app and it will build an itinerary for you. There is a professional version that costs $49 per year.

Google Translate is fluent in 63 languages. The app listens to someone talk and then will speak the translation.

For travelers, these apps won't just sit there on the phone. They will be used again and again.

Mobile Apps Get Rated

2011-12-20T11:12:00.000-08:00

A recent article in USAToday (Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2011, Mike Snider) explained the new ratings that are going to apply to mobile applications and games on smartphones and tablets. According to the article, the ratings used by AT&t Wireless, Microsoft, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon Wireless are the same ratings given to video games.

The ratings include the following:

E for everyone - 6 years old and older
E 10+ - 10 years old and older
T 13+ - Teens
M 17+ - Mature audiences
A 18+ - Adults only

Smartphone and tablet apps first appeared around 2005. The companies that have created the apps have also assigned the rating. In the future, apps creators submit the app to the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) and the Board will assign a rating. There is an appeal process for ratings that app creators don't agree with the ESRB.

Missing Borders Books

2011-11-16T06:16:00.000-08:00

The Borders Books store in my area has been closed for many weeks now. I have only been in a book store one time since it closed. The closest book store is 25 to 30 miles away. When I walked through the door of the book store, I picked up 5 books all right in front of the door. I never even made it halfway through the store.

I miss our Borders Books. About a week ago a new book store opened in its place. Late last month, I drove by the then closed Borders store and some of the local people who sat in Borders' coffee shop almost everyday were standing outside looking in through the windows. It would appear, there are many people miss Borders.

Borders was more than just a store. It was a place to go to feel at home. The people were helpful and friendly, the books were from the bestsellers lists, the coffee was good and the shopping experience always the best. The Borders store in my area was 'the hot spot' in town for Friday evenings after eating out, Saturday nights after doing the required shopping and errands of the day or Sunday mornings to help wind down the weekend.

Our store was part of the community and this avid reader and book buyer truly misses it.

Book Reviewing Revived

2011-09-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

Poets & Writers recently published an article, Back From the Dead: The State of Book Reviewing by Jane Ciabattari, that says book reviews remain a mainstay reference for many of today's readers. Ciabattari reports the following:

We remain a nation of passionate readers (even with the ability to stream movies on demand).
Book-related discussions take up millions of characters on the Internet.
The majority of the nation's readers are still able to recognize good writing and "yearn for fresh voices from authors and critics."
The report is a "counter-argument to the naysayers" for the group of people who are dedicated to reading books and writing reviews to share with others.

The report goes on to list a host of publications, both online and print, that provide book reviews on a variety of platforms.

This is great news for people like me who have been doing book reviews for many, many years. It is a great art form that has taken its lumps over the years. Nonetheless, it is truly an addiction for this writer. Combining a love of reading with the undying love for writing and it all comes out as all over this blog and through my book reviews at www.suite101.com and www.constant-content.com.

The Latest Top 10 Green Books List

2011-08-08T09:56:00.000-07:00

My latest top 10 list of green-related books includes a few of the latest titles I've reviewed and few of the books that have left a long lasting impression. Take a look and let me know of any titles that you think are must reads.

1. Sustainable Value by Chris Laszlo
2. Green to Gold by Daniel C. Etsy and Andrew S. Winston
3. Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas Friedman
4. The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman
5. Natural Capitalism by Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins and L. Hunter Lovins
6. Building the Green Economy by Kevin Danaher, Shannon Biggs and Jason Mark
7. Conversations with Green Gurus by Laura Mazur and Lowella Miles
8. Strategies for the Green Economy by Joel Makower
9. Ecological Intelligences by Daniel Goleman
10. The New Rules of Green Marketing by Jacquelyn A. Ottman

You can read full reviews of the books in the list at http://www.suite101.com/. Search for my name or the book title to find the review. Good reading to you today.

The AMA Forms for Due Diligence

2011-06-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

The latest edition of the AMA Handbook of Due Diligence (AMACOM, 2010, ISBN: 9780814413821) includes a CD 400 templates or forms for a do-it-yourself due diligence process. Companies that are anticipating selling the business or merging with another business generally complete a due diligence for potential new owners.

The Forms

The forms are fully customizable using Microsoft Word. The Handbook does have sections that offer definitions and sample uses for the forms.

Read a complete review of the AMA Handbook of Due Diligence on the business book review section at http://www.suite101.com/content/the-ama-handbook-for-due-diligence-book-review-a378528.

Recent Business Book Reviews

2011-06-10T12:04:00.000-07:00

I have just read several really good business books and written book reviews on each. The links below will lead you to each review I've recenlty posted at http://www.suite101.com/.

Rush by Todd Buchholz http://www.suite101.com/content/competition-and-some-stress-are-good-things-according-to-new-book-a372966

Full Engagement by Brian Tracy http://www.suite101.com/content/new-book-is-a-revolutionizing-management-guide-a369761

"Managers can you hear me now?" by Denny E. Strigl http://www.suite101.com/content/managers-can-you-hear-me-now--book-review-a365566

Let me know if you have read any of these and if so, what did you think of any of them.

Two New Books Provide Differing Business Views

2011-04-03T07:36:00.000-07:00

I have just finished a book, Blood, Bones & Butter (Random House, 2011) by Gabrielle Hamilton. The author is a the chef and owner of a restaurant called Prune in New York City's East Village. The book is a memoir that has a few surprising twists and turns.

Hamilton and her siblings were left and abandoned when their parents divorced. She details stories of shoplifting, drug use, world travels, her live-in girlfriends, her ultimate marriage and her children. All of this takes place while she learns to cook and then learns to run her own successful restaurant. Hamilton did attend the University of Michigan and received a MFA in fiction writing. She has written for many well known magazines including The New Yorker and Bon Appetit.

The second book I have just started is Onward How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul (Rodale Books, 2011) by Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz. I have read a couple of Schultz's other bestsellers and the story and message in each have been pretty much the same. And, why not? It is what has made his company the success that it is today.

I look forward to reading this book which details how the company suffered a mid-life crisis just a short three years ago and how it came back from that to be profitable once again.

Nice Girls Just Don't Get It Book Review

2011-02-26T17:23:00.000-08:00

Louis P. Frankel, PH. D. will be releasing a new book this summer. She wrote the wonderful book about nice girls not getting the corner office which contained 101 ways women sabotage their careers . She provided great insights and suggestions to improve personal practices such as communicating verbally and through body language.

She is the co-author of the upcoming book, Nice Girls Just Don't Get It 99 Ways to Win the Respect You Deserve, The Success You've Earned, and the Life You Want (Crown Archetype). Frankel and her co-author Carol Frohlinger, J.D. write, "If you are the quintessential nice girl, one who acts in ways she was socialized to behave, others in your life don't have much interest or investment in helping you change."

The book is meant to help female readers become "a winning woman" by using the strategies and tactics recommended by the authors. Once again, Frankel provides a book that has great insights into the ways of too many women, myself included. Trying to please others first, the disease to please, and failing to believe that you deserve success and respect are symptoms of the nice girl who doesn't get what she wants.

There are several ideas presented that make so much sense including:

Charting your network of friends, family, and associates
Being SMART (Specific, Measurable, Appropriate, Resistance, Time frame) about what you want
Learning how to say no
Avoiding perfectionism
Being tough on a problem and not on people

The book gets it right beginning with the front cover and the subtitle, win the respect you deserve, the success you've earned, and the life you want. Frankel has a distinct voice in both of the nice girls books and this book has real legs. It is a great read with applicable tips and techniques.

My Reading Life by Pat Conroy

2011-02-16T08:49:00.000-08:00

Pat Conroy is one of my favorite authors with bestselling titles like The Prince of Tides, Beach Music, The Great Santini, and South of Broad among several others. His latest is called My Reading Life (Doubleday, 2010). It is one of those books that makes me ashamed of my own reading life.

Conroy's mother taught him to be a considerable reader and he has continued to read through his adult life. He mentions many of his favorite classics and favorite poets and life changing poetry that has propelled his writing life to the level it is today. As with all of his writings, he truly has perfected the skills of making words sing. Conroy has learned to write like he does because of the reading he has done.

Surprises include how much the book Gone with the Wind meant to his mother. And, Conroy admits he is not good at keeping journals but writes that he has kept journals of words that have caught his attention. He talks about his relationship with his mother and his father whom he has professed to hate most of his young life.

It is a great read except for the guilt factor that comes with the book. I would love to be the kind of reader he describes himself to be. I have read a number of classics but I have to admit that the contemporary writers of today appeal to me more than those of decades ago. Conroy has learned to perfect his craft through his reading which is something any writer should aspire to do.

Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office Book Review

2011-01-20T10:39:00.000-08:00

Got a great book for any woman in business to read, Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office 101 Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers (Hachette Book Group, 2004) by Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D.

The book looks at some of the mistakes women make when conducting themselves in the business world. I've been reading through all of the coaching tips presented in this book for the last two weeks and I can't seem to put the book on the shelf and deem it as a book I've finished reading.

Frankel tells readers that business is a game that they can win it if they play it right. She is a business coach that helps women recognize and work through some of their faux pas.

"The areas in which women often aren't quite as skilled as men are knowing where the imaginary boundaries are and understanding the unspoken rules. Many of the suggestions are counter to everything we learned growing up," writes Frankel.

Some of the chapter names include:

How You Play the Game
How You Act
How You Think
How You Sound
How You Look
How You Respond

Frankel goes over common mistakes women make such as decorating their office like their home, asking permission versus informing coworkers of intentions, using minimizing words, smiling inappropriately, taking up too little space at meetings, failing to define their brand, among many, many others.

After detailing what many women do for each category, Frankel then provides coaching tips to correct the actions. It is just a really no nonsense book with great information and meaningful coaching tips. I have found myself in so many of the mistakes and found great comfort in learning how to correct my own actions.

It is well written and makes for a great professional reference guide for professional women.

So I got an iPad for Christmas

2011-01-05T18:42:00.000-08:00

I got it. I got what I had been asking for over the past year. I got an Apple iPad. It is a great little digital tool. I have been using it to track project notes, do my calendar, and read email. It has a much bigger screen to read email than my iPhone.

It makes a great net surfing machine. I am typing this post using the iPad right now. Of course typing is made a bit easier with the full size Apple keyboard I got as an accessory.

I've watched movies, listened to music, put an album full of my favorite photos, and yes, I've purchased a couple of e-books. Reading books is really a breeze and provides many moments of nice features for an avid reader.

Is reading in bed made more difficult because of low light? Do you spend a lot of time waiting in lobbies and wish you had a book with you to help pass the time? None of those problems occur when reading a book using the iPad.

The iPad is backlit which takes care of the low light situations. The iPad is small and compact and can easily be carried in a briefcase so that you have it with you at all times for all types of situations. I've read a book over the iPad while waiting to board a plane, while riding a plane, while waiting for my car to get its oil changed, and while waiting for my dinner to come at my favorite restaurant.

It is truly a miracle machine. All the great parts of a smartphone combined with some of the most used features of a laptop computer put into one lightweight, small power machine. Wow!

Apolo Ohno's New Book

2010-11-30T10:35:00.000-08:00

Just finished Apolo's new book, Zero Regrets (Atria Books, 2010), and was surprised by how easy the book read because it did start out a bit slow and cumbersome. As Apolo continued to share some of his personal life, his closeness to his father, and how he feels about his absent mother, the book just got better and better.

Apolo gives his readers insights into his own thought processes for staying fit, getting ready for competition, healing and sometimes rebuilding after competitions, and what his thoughts were during some of his best Olympic moments. He also discusses how inexperienced he was with his skating equipment when he first began and how that spurred him to learn more and do more on the ice.

He includes a motivation page before each chapter where he provides motivational messages and more insights into his own psyche. One example is the page for Chapter 12. He writes about maturity, "When you're younger, you just hammer. You're naive, in a sense. You don't know. You don't know what it's like to fail. You have no Olympic medals. You have nothing to lose."

His Dancing With the Stars fans will be glad to know he includes an entire chapter on his experiences on the dance stage. Apolo ends the book with, "It's the yin and the yang. It's infinity. The possibilities are endless. In pursuit of zero regrets."

It's a good read and a good look at one of the most well known Olympic champions of the past few years.

Zero Regrets by Apolo Anton Ohno

2010-11-16T10:47:00.000-08:00

I'm in the middle of reading Zero Regrets (Simon and Schuster, 2010) by Apolo Anton Ohno. The writing style is a bit different than many books but it does read like Apolo Ohno talks when he is doing media interviews. Ohno goes into his background including a few passages about his absent mother and how influential his father has been in his life.

He also writes about his troubling start in speed skating and how much he was afraid to fail plus he details some of his teenage years hanging out with some not so savory and counterproductive street kids. So far, there are some really nice phrases about always doing things in one's life that will always produce zero regrets. Ohno talks about doing whatever one selects to do with their live by giving it 100 percent.

So far the book is really good and Ohno really is motivating. Hopefully the remainder of the book will be just as good.

Get-It-Done Guy's ebook Review

2010-10-11T13:27:00.000-07:00

I've only read the first two chapters of the 9 Steps to Work Less and Do More written by Stever Robbins (downloadable at http://www.getitdoneguysnews.com/) and if the remaining chapters are close to the quality of the first two chapters, this will be a must have business book.

Chapter or Step 1 is on living and working on purpose. Finding a purpose for one's personal and professional life by developing a Life Map is a great, workable idea to get people to sit down and map out a mission, vision, goals, and steps to get where they want to be in life. I've read other books that suggest that you sit down and write our missions and visions and for some people that is too much like work and too confining. There are just some people who donot want to and cannot write.

Creating a visual life map is a great way to get it all out in the open and start working towards the main goal. Robbins also provides some good tips on identifying one's top goals both personal and professional.

Chapter 2 is about overcoming procrastination. As someone who has spent 32 years married to someone who procrastinates procrastinating, this chapter gave new and good tips on overcoming this much maligned condition. Turn tasks into habits. Break down tasks into chunks and using a life map to keep moving, are just really great ideas that can easily be followed without adding a bunch more work and time to one's life.

The other 7 steps include:

Step 3 Conquer your technology
Step 4 Cultivate focus
Step 5 Stay organized both physically and mentally
Step 6 Don't waste time
Step 7 Optimize
Step 8 Build stronger relationships
Step 9 Leverage

Check out the first two chapters of the book and take a look at the web site, both are written to read quickly and all provide some help for those that are drowning in work and can't remember why they are working so long and so hard.

An Article by Rebecca Costa - Author of Watchman's Rattle: Thinking Our Way Out of Extinction

2010-10-01T14:48:00.000-07:00

Superman Versus Supermemes

By Rebecca Costa,

Author of The Watchman's Rattle: Thinking Our Way Out of Extinction

In the new film Waiting for Superman -- which chronicles the collapse of the American educational system -- a forlorn mother waits in a gymnasium with thousands of other parents for her lottery number to be called. The drawing will determine which students will attend a good school, and which will be relegated to a failing institution. The mother explains the gravity of the situation: "It's the difference between whether my son goes to college, or goes to prison. . ."

How did we allow our educational systems to fall so far, so fast? When did the welfare of our children go the same way as healthcare, the safety of our food and the callous obliteration of our environment? How did we allow ourselves to become obese, dependent on antidepressants, and willing to wage inhumane wars over oil, land and beliefs?

Something is happening. Everyone knows we are leaving a worse world behind for our children.

But up to this point, we have been looking at these problems as separate issues. But would it surprise you to know that there is a dangerous commonality emerging -- an intricate interconnectedness between our seemingly intractable problems?

In The Watchman's Rattle: Thinking Our Way Out of Extinction, I describe a context, a framework, an explanation, for our inability to address our greatest threats by going straight to the source of the problem. The book points to the fact that our most challenging problems have one frightening characteristic in common: they are so complex, so difficult to get our arms around, they may be beyond the capabilities the human brain has evolved to this point. After all, there is a limit to what our brains have physically evolved to fix.

In the book, I explain that complexity is a condition where there are many more wrong choices than right ones. So over time, we become "incompetent pickers" who can't determine which solutions will work.

When complexity makes it impossible to obtain facts and proceed on a rational basis, humans have a history of conveniently substituting facts with unproven beliefs. This substitution preceded the collapse of every great civilization before our time: it happened to the Mayans, the Romans, the Khmer, and the Egyptians. The powerful, pervasive beliefs and behaviors we adopt in lieu of facts are called supermemes (named after Richard Dawkin's 1976 discovery of memes.)

Which supermemes currently prevent progress in education? The Watchman's Rattle describes five universal behaviors that inhibit solving the problem once and for all:

1) Irrational Opposition: This occurs when people are more comfortable rejecting remedies rather than advocating solutions. If every solution which is proposed can be found to be flawed then none will be adopted. Simply put, across-the-board opposition results in gridlock.

2) Counterfeit Correlation: When we hastily determine the relationship between a cause and effect(s), this leads to an incorrect diagnosis our problems. We are left to pursue one ineffective remedy after another, all the while wasting precious time and resources as the problem continues to grow in magnitude. In the case of education, we have sited everything from outdated textbooks, the eradication of physical education, poor school lunch programs and low teacher salaries as the culprit -- but how many of these quick-fixes are based on valid scientific studies?

3) Personalization of Blame: As soon as we hold each individual accountable for debt, obesity, and depression, and other such issues, society is off the hook. Blame the parents for the fact that they aren't more involved in their children's education and the systemic problem doesn't have to be addressed.

4) Silo Thinking: In tackling complex, multi-dimensional problems, it is crucial that nations, organizations, and individuals work in tandem. Adopting a territorial mindset greatly impedes progress. In the case of education, why aren't neuroscientists who understand how the human brain learns part of the discussion? Does it make sense to fix education without first understanding how the brain loads content, solves problems and retains information?

5) Extreme Economics: The financial bottom line becomes the unilateral litmus test in determining which solutions are valid. Economic considerations drive decisions for everything, from hospital care, immigration policy, to whether each child needs a locker, computer or physical education. We begin to speak in economic terms such as "investing in our children's education." Really? Since when was education an investment? It was supposed to be a "right."

It must be obvious by now that reforming the education system is a complex problem that cannot be solved by simply raising teacher salaries, increasing parental participation, or providing schools with the latest technology. Quick fixes don't make a dent when it comes to highly complex problems. The solution to complexity is to launch a wide variety of rational, progressive and innovative solutions in tandem. Some will succeed, some will fail, but we avoid the problem of trying to pick the winners from the losers when we no longer have the capability to. If we launch solutions aimed at overcoming all five of the supermemes that stand in the way of progress, there will no longer be any need for worried parents to sit in a gymnasium and hope they get lucky.

When it comes to education, here's the bottom line: In the battle between Superman and the Supermemes, who comes out on top?

We decide.

And the time to decide is now.

© 2010 Rebecca Costa, author of The Watchman's Rattle: Thinking Our Way Out of Extinction.

Author Bio

Rebecca Costa is a sociobiologist whose unique expertise is to spot and explain emerging trends in relationship to human evolution, global markets, and new technologies. Costa joins distinguished business leaders, Nobel Laureates, scientists, innovators and Pulitzer Prize -- winning authors from around the world to address growing concerns over dangerous threats such as global warming, pandemic viruses, terrorism, nuclear proliferation and failing public education. A popular speaker at thought-leader and technology conferences as well as major universities, Costa is the former CEO of Silicon Valley start-up Dazai Advertising, Inc. Costa's clients included technology giants such as Apple Computer, Hewlett- Packard, Oracle Corporation, 3M, Amdahl, Seibel Systems and General Electric. She graduated from the University of California with a BA in Social Sciences. Rebecca Costa lives on the central coast of California.

For more information please visit http://www.rebeccacosta.com/ and follow the author on Twitter and Facebook.

Twenty Years of Discovering New Writers

2010-09-19T13:20:00.000-07:00

I stopped in Barnes&Noble to do one of my favorite activities, browsing books this weekend. Before leaving the store, I have to also look through the hundreds of different magazines lining the racks. In all of the years that I have been shopping at B&W, I have never had a chance to review their Discover Great New Writers program.

There was a nice booklet in the store explaining how B&W seeks out the best new writing talents by asking a select group of booksellers to handpick exciting titles by even more exciting new writers. This particular booklet said the program is in its 20th year. The centerfold listed just a few of the writes selected over they years, and oh what a list.

Alice Sebold, Patricia Cornwell, Cormac McCarthy, Ian McEwan, and Anita Shreve are just a few of the names included on the list. For this year's list of new writers, B&W had the following among others reviewed in the booklet:

The Blind Contessa's New Machine: A Novel by Carey Wallace
Stiltsville by Susanna Danil
Hamlet's BlackBerry by William Powers
Every Man in this Village is a Liar by Megan K. Stack
Mentor: A Memoir by Tom Grimes

Although none of the books were business related, it helps to read new writers for a new perspective and it is great just to read for fun sometimes. Check the program booklet out the next time you are in Barnes and Noble.

Latest Best Selling Business Book List from Amazon

2010-08-10T09:51:00.000-07:00

The latest list of bestselling business books from amazon.com has many familiar titles on it as well as many new books. It pays to visit the bestsellers list online as well as in the many printed business publications such as The Wall Street Journal or Business Week.

Take a look at the list and let us know your favorites and why. Enjoy your reading. Here is the link.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/books/3/ref=pd_ts_b_nav

The Value of Reading Business Books

2010-07-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

I am currently reviewing a book called Wrong Why Experts Keep Failing Us-and How to Know When Not to Trust Them (Little, Brown and Company, June 2010) by David H. Freeman. You can see a full review later today at suite101.com.

Freeman's premise is that we consumers cannot trust any scientific finding or believe anyone that calls him or herself an expert in any type of profession. He also mentions that he believes that all of the business books with all of the many theories on improvements for business, procedural, and personal, are overburdening us and may be slowing down production versus helping.

He also mentions that some of the business book authors may not be the experts that readers are led to believe. His thoughts have some basis when considering the quantity of business theories represented and if the managers reading those books try to implement every theory within the company.

Professionals reading business books for personal and professional can benefit the most from the readings by keeping an open mind to all theories and then selecting only those theories that can most contribute to their individual needs. I have been reviewing business books off and on for over 20 years and I agree that with so many different takes on communication, leadership, management, Lean, and the list goes on, that trying to implement all or parts of all them can over complicate versus supply solutions.

Reading business books of any type from any author is an activity that I recommend to any professional. One does not have to feel deficient if they decide a particular theory doesn't have the right fit and they decide to pass on it. Or, readers can benefit by taking bits and parts of multiple theories to make a plan that feels right.

Freedman also mentions the overuse of case studies. I do agree with him on this point. So many business books are filled with case study after case study that it gets difficult to keep track of what worked when, how and for who. Case studies do have their value when used in moderation.

Regardless, of whether author's are or are not the experts they claim, or whether their theories are taken from other theories and then modified, it is vital that professions keep reading as part of their professional development. Take the experts' thoughts and writings for what they are worth and use the advice that seems to fit the situation.

Freedman's book is going to create a few waves in the worlds of science, business, and journalism. He himself uses case studies to bring home his point to dispute expert findings. After readers take the time to read his book, he asks at the end if the readers believes is an expert enough to believe his theories of if they think the book is wrong.

It is a thought provoking read. Just keep an open mind as you make your way through it.

Posting to FaceBook Account

2010-07-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

I have just linked my whatswritetoday business book review blog to my FaceBook account. Hopefully my new blog posts will start posting to all of my friends and associates on FaceBook. Looking forwarding to sharing the many wonderful and helpful books about business, marketing, leadership, and life in general with all of you.

Learn Competitive Business Tactics from Business Books

2010-06-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

With the economic recovery still struggling to take hold, many businesses continue to cut costs where they can, especially in the training budgets. Many companies cut the professional development for their employees while trying to save money during slow times. One way to help employees stay current with new trends is to suggest or provide an arsenal or at least a small library of business books.

Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, an online shoe retailer, is releasing his new book later this month, tells readers that Zappos was shaped by good, relevant books. He encourages his employees to read for both professional and personal growth.

There are many new business books that can help companies get back into the competitive business game including Hsieh's new book Delivering Happiness A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose. Other new books on topics such as change, why one's work should matter, motivation, management, open leadership, and Sustainable Excellence by Colin Dickerman due out in October, 2010.

So if you are looking for an effective, low cost method of enhancing employee's development, take a drive to the local bookstore or the local library and start looking the business sections.

Author of New Book for Women Entrepreneurs Shares Six Tips Below

2010-05-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

Six Tips for Women Entrepreneurs

By Peri H. Pakroo J.D.,

Author of The Women's Small Business Start-Up Kit: A Step-by-Step Legal Guide

More women than ever before are grabbing the reins and starting their own businesses. The number of women-owned small businesses is growing approximately twice as quickly as the national average for all start-ups.

For entrepreneurs of all stripes -- women and men included -- the pre-start-up phase is typically characterized by a flood of questions about what exactly it takes to make it in business. Are there different answers to these questions for men versus women? Not really. Every business needs to be based on a solid idea, aimed at a profitable market or niche, have solid systems in place, and market itself effectively. And of course, the legal and bureaucratic rules facing women entrepreneurs are exactly the same as those facing men.
But as many women business owners will tell you, the road to success for women often involves its own unique set of curves. Surveys of women business owners show that women's business concerns tend to skew towards issues such as finding work-life balance, start-up (or expansion) financing, and marketing. The following tips address some of the issues and concerns that are most commonly faced by women entrepreneurs.

1. Start a business that works for you and fits with your personal life. There are no rules as to what a "real" business looks like. For some businesspeople, success might mean an international operation with hundreds of employees and annual revenues in the tens of millions. For others, a small consulting firm or artisan business that pays a healthy salary and allows generous personal freedom might be considered the pinnacle of success. The key is to take the time early in the planning process to consider this question and decide for yourself what your ideal vision is for your business and your personal life.
2. Don't sweat the bureaucracy. A lot of would-be entrepreneurs, women and men alike, find themselves stuck on the verge of taking the leap into starting a business, but confused about how to tackle the legal rules of getting started. This hang-up is always grounded more in fear than reality; the truth is that clearing the bureaucratic hurdles isn't usually big deal.

You can usually start a sole proprietorship (the legal term for a one-owner business) or a partnership (a business with more than one owner) by registering with just one government office. And for business owners who want protection from personal liability for business debts -- often referred to by the legal jargon "limited liability" -- the simplest corporations or limited liability companies (LLCs) require only a couple more registration tasks to complete.

Of course, there's a lot more to launching a successful small business than dealing with bureaucratic requirements. For starters, you'll need to have a sound business idea, and you'll need to be able to develop good management skills to guide it to success. This is where you should put your mental energy and good ideas; don't waste precious brain cells worrying about the legal hurdles.

3. For businesses with moderate to significant overhead, it is crucial to start the business with adequate funds. Starting a business without enough money to ride out the early lean days (described as "undercapitalization") is the most common reason that businesses fail. Undercapitalization is less of an issue with small service-based businesses that don't have many fixed expenses. But businesses with overhead such as rent, salaries for employees, utility bills, inventory, equipment, insurance, or other fixed costs absolutely need to plan carefully and pull together enough funding to support the fledgling business as it works up to speed.

Also, though it's important to start your business with enough capital, that doesn't mean that every business needs piles and piles of money to get off the ground. Plenty of mega-successful businesses were started on a shoestring: Apple Computer started in a garage; Hewlett-Packard started in the dining room of the Packard home; the list goes on and on. Generally speaking, a business that can find creative, thrifty ways to provide its product or service -- especially in its early days -- will typically find more success than a business that adopts a "spend more money" approach.

4. If you need start-up or expansion financing, consider sources other than traditional banks. One of the concerns most commonly cited by women entrepreneurs is difficulty finding start-up financing. And it's little wonder: traditional banks typically don't lend money to new ventures that don't have a track record of success or creditworthiness. Instead of focusing on conventional big-chain banks, start-ups should instead look for local community banks, credit unions, and other local financial institutions that have a vested interest in the health of the local economy. Often, their application processes and criteria are softer than the big banks.

Two resources that women should definitely look into are Women's Business Centers and community development financial institutions. Women's Business Centers (WBCs) exist nationwide and focus on supporting women entrepreneurs through business training and counseling, and access to credit and capital, among other services. Community development financial institutions (CDFIs), which are certified by the U.S. Treasury, are a fast-growing segment of the business financing market specializing in loans to underserved communities and populations. CDFIs usually -- but not always -- have a specific focus such as improving economic opportunities in blighted communities or supporting women- or minority-owned entrepreneurs. Both WBCs and CDFIs can be especially helpful for start-ups, businesses with poor credit, and businesses seeking relatively small loans, generally up to $100,000. Even better, they often offer guidance and expertise to your business in addition to financing, which will help your chances of success.

As an example, the fabulous nonprofit where I teach entrepreneurship classes -- WESST in Albuquerque -- is both a WBC and a CDFI. It offers a wide range of high-quality classes on business planning, financial management, and marketing, plus offers loans and one-on-one counseling. With an organization like WESST on its side, a business gets a major boost in its chances of success.

5. Network like a social butterfly -- it is one of the best ways to market your business and create profitable opportunities. Networking involves actively cultivating relationships with people, businesses, community leaders, and others who present possible opportunities for your business -- not just as potential customers, but also as vendors, partners, investors, or other roles. Remember, networking is not the same thing as sales! Rather than the simple goal of making a sale, a huge goal of networking is to inform other businesspeople and influential people about what you do in hopes that they will recommend your business to their circle of contacts.

I look at networking more as a self-employed lifestyle than a specific activity. You are "networking" every time you attend an event held by a local trade association, get to know other business owners and community leaders, send an email introducing two of your contacts to each other, write a letter to the editor, participate in an online discussion group, or have lunch with another local business owner.

6. Forge relationships with contacts before you need help from them. For example, if you need the support of a local politician on an upcoming city zoning decision, you'll have a better chance of getting the politician's vote if he or she already knows you and thinks favorably of your business than if you place a call to his or her office out of the blue.

© 2010 Peri H. Pakroo J.D., author of The Women's Small Business Start-Up Kit: A Step-by-Step Legal Guide

Author Bio

Peri Pakroo is a business and communications consultant, specializing in legal and start-up issues for businesses and nonprofits. She has started, participated in, and consulted with start-up businesses for 20 years. She is the author of The Women's Small Business Start-Up Kit (Nolo) and top-selling business books. Her blog is at www.peripakroo.com.

For more information, please visit www.nolo.com and follow the author on Twitter and Facebook.

Go to http://bit.ly/Nolo_WomensSmallBusinessStartUpKit to access an e-galley of The Women's Small Business Start-Up Kit on NetGalley. It can be read on the Nook, Kindle, Sony e-reader, or on your computer.

Books Showcasing Gary Smith's Writings

2010-05-13T08:06:00.000-07:00

Gary Smith has been a writer for Sports Illustrated for more than 25 years. He has written stories about all types of sports including professional, college, and high school. Smith has been pegged as one of the greatest article writers of our time.

His features are not just stories about sports, they are much more about life itself. Smith has won numerous awards including four National Magazine Awards, the most won by any writer to-date. There are two books, Going Deep 20 Classic Sports Stories (Sports Illustrated, 2008) and Beyond the Game (Grove Press, 2000) that together showcase 35 of his award winning, unforgettable, hauntingly told stories.

His writings really are novellas which readers can get heavily involved with the plot that just happens to be based on fact and true life. On the surface, Smith's writings don't appear to have too many business lessons to teach, but underneath there is always a lesson to be had on how to be a better person both professionally and personally.

Smith's stories tell us about perseverance, hope, truth, how to listen, how to talk, and above all else, integrity. All of which are great principles to apply to any business situation. Take a look at these two books, they are worth the read, maybe several reads.

Anywhere Book - Global Connectivity

2010-04-13T18:59:00.000-07:00

A very interesting book by Emily Nagle Green called Anywhere How Global Connectivity Is Revolutionizing the Way We Do Business (McGraw Hill, 2010) introduces a new business model that I believe as the author does that we have only seen a small bit of the power that all of the connectivity we have now will create in the future. Get the book. It is a great read and it will change the way you think about the future of the Internet, your cell phone, and the global network.

Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green Book Review

2010-03-07T18:31:00.000-08:00

The greenest thing about a new book called Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green by Jay Conrad Levinson and Shel Horowitz (John Wiley & Sons, 2010) is the color of the cover.

There is one chapter mid-way through the book that is less than 20 pages long that explores green marketing. The remainder of the book is really just a repeat of some of Levinson's and Horowitz's other marketing books. There is nothing new in this book except a few added chapters on marketing with a social cause and using social media.

The authors do explain the fact this book is "based heavily on Shel's earlier book Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First." Unfortunately people who buy the book based on the title will be greenwashed by the promising title.

Both authors write good books. This book just does not live up to its title. The only green marketing tips that are useful are from a section called Turn Green into Gold and include the following tips on making green an organization-wide effort by:

• Green your operations.

• Green your marketing.

• Green your stakeholders.

The book was disappointing to say the least in its delivering of green marketing theories, ideals, practices and promises.

Recent Book Reviews

2010-01-24T16:14:00.000-08:00

The latest list of business book reviews I've posted on suite101.com include the following:

Who Turned Out the Lights? Your Guided Tour to the Energy Crisis, Harper, 2009 by Scott Bittle and Jean Johnson. The link is http://referencebooks.suite101.com/article.cfm/good_consumers_guide_to_energy_crisis.
Complicit How Greed and Collusion Made the Credit Crisis Unstoppable, Bloomberg Press, 2010, by Mark Gilbert. The link to it ishttp://businessbooks.suite101.com/article.cfm/complicit_book_review.
Open by Andre Aggassi, Alfred A. Knopf, 2009. This may not be a business book but it is a very well written autobiography that gives a pretty good idea about the business of tennis. The link is http://athletebiographies.suite101.com/article.cfm/open_book_review.

I'm also working on a new book review, Master Your Debt: Slash Your Monthly Payments and Become Debt Free by Jordan Goodman, and I will post the link to it or put up a summary review here.

Hope you all reading something helpful and really good. If so, let me know what it is...til next time. I got some reading to do.

Paul Hawken's Green Commerce Books

2010-01-02T12:28:00.000-08:00

Paul Hawken is a best selling author of several green commerce books. The Ecology of Commerce (Collins Business, 1993), Natural Capitalism (Little, Brown and Company, 1999), and Blessed Unrest (Penguin Books, 2007).

These three books plus a few others he has written or co-authored have been hailed as some of the most insightful, provocative, and visionary ideas on eco business. Hawken's is a world-renowned environmentalist, small business owner, and highly respected author.

In the book Natural Capitalism, Hawken's presents a fourth type of capital that businesses need to aware of in order to be successful and to be environmentally acurate. The three commonly known capital includes human capital (employees, intelligence), financial capital (cash, investments), manufactured capital (infrastructure, machines, tools, and factories), and the fourth is natural capital (resources, living systems, and ecosystem services).

I've read parts of all three of the books mentioned above. Hawken's is insightful and provides theories and solutions that can easily be recognized as having been thought through to the last detail.

If any business owner, manager, supervisor, or anyone having an interest in learning true environmental theory that can be put into practice, these three books make for a great place to start.

Pour Your Heart Into It Book Review

2009-11-25T08:09:00.000-08:00

Just finished a book by Howard Schultz, Chairman and CEO from Starbucks. The book is co-authored by Dori Jones Yang (Hyperion, 1997).

Although the book is was written over ten years ago, the message that Schultz delivered is still relevant today. Working for more than the bottom line, loving the work, developing a mission, living the mission, always thinking of delivering a top of the line product and exceptional service to the customer, and believing in your self and your vision.

These are all messages that all levels of professionals need to hear over and again. It is easy to see why Starbucks has become the phenomena that it has - which is exactly the vision that Schultz had for the company from the very beginning. He wanted to share the espresso drinks that he enjoyed while traveling abroad with people living in America.

He started with one dream and developed it into a national vision. It is a good book with a good message and is worth being dusted off and brought down off the back of the book shelf.

The Art of Racing in the Rain Book Review

2009-11-06T09:05:00.000-08:00

I usually only review business topic related books, but I recently read a book called The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (HarperCollins Publisher, 2008) that has so many life lessons scattered amongst the pages that I had to include a review of the book here.

Many of the lessons apply to personal as well as professional living. The book is story of a family that experiences several tragedies all of which are related to the reader through the perspective of the family dog. The owner of the dog is a race car driver and explains to the dog, "But a racer should never be afraid of the rain; a racer should embrace the rain."

And, that by changing one's mood, one's energy will also change. The narrating dog tells the readers up front that he believes he was meant to be born a man and even though at the time of the story, he is a dog, he believes when he dies, he will return as a man.

The dog's name is Enzo and he takes the readers through his experiences when he is accidentally left at home alone for several days without food or without the ability to go outside. Enzo also tells of the anguish he felt when his favorite old stuffed toy got put into the washing machine and all of the good smells were washed away. He admits later that he liked the new feel and smell of the toy even better.

He also relates the pain the family experiences from the illness and ultimate death of the wife and mother of the family.

At the end of the book, the dog relates his feelings up to his death and then tells readers what happens to him after death.

A number of cliches' that hit the mark because of the context they are written in include,
"Yes: the race is long - to finish first, first you must finish."

"My intent, here, is to tell our story in a dramatically truthful way. While the facts may be less than accurate, please understand that the emotion is true. the intent is true. And, dramatically speaking, intention is everything."

"No race has ever been won in the first corner. But plenty of races have been lost there."

Every now and again, we all need to have a new perspective on life and work. This book gives readers that and more. Take a read and let me know what you think.

Girl on Top Book Review

2009-10-18T10:54:00.000-07:00

Those women looking for a great read and great advice on getting their career in shape and coming out on top of their game, Nicole Williams' new book, Girl on Top Your Guide to Turning Dating Rules into Career Success (Center Street, 2009) is the perfect book for you.

It is only 194 pages and it is packed from page one to the end with usable advice for both dating and for growing one's career.

The author carries the innuendo-ish title throughout the entire theme of the book. Williams uses everyday language including one F bomb to tell young and not so young professional women how to get what they want out of their job.

The author is a professional career coach and from one who has worked in several different environments with varying levels of women only need to know how to type attitudes, this book and Williams' advice is a breath of fresh air.

A Profession of Love for Books

2009-09-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, I purchased several new books. A few are newly published and are now sitting on one of my to read stacks and a few were used and will be added to one of my many contemporary author collections.

As I was looking through my reading stacks today I just felt the need to share my love of books with others. I have always had this strong connection to reading. I have books stacked all over my house. I carry books in my cars just in case I get stuck in traffic or have to wait in the car for someone I might be able to read for a few minutes.

I generally take a book or two to dinner with me, on airplanes, on the beach, on hikes, and even on walks, I might have to take a short break to catch my breath and it makes for a good time to read. Much to my husband's despair, I have to pack one bag with my books when we travel.

I don't how I would react if I suddenly found that I could no longer read. My father-in-law made a comment one time when he was staying with us that I have books in every room of the house including the kitchen and the basement.

I had a stack of cookbooks in the kitchen. At the time, my washer and dryer were in the basement so of course I had to have a bookshelf there so that I could grab a book to read while waiting on a load of laundry to finish.

My father-in-law also asked if I had read most of the books. What a silly question. I have read all or part of every book I own. The only exceptions are the sci-fi books that my husband reads and collects. I read some of the genre but not a lot of it.

I love the feel, the smell, holding them, turning the pages, and all of the physical aspects of books. But, the thing I love the most are the words, the story, the problem, the solution, the questions and the answers, the fantasy and the reality that books bring to one's mind.

It's the beginning, the middle, and the end that makes every book a worthy read. I love books, I love to read, and I'm not afraid to profess those facts to the world.

National Bookstore Day

2009-09-20T06:39:00.001-07:00

Publishers Weekly magazine announced the National Bookstore Day is scheduled for November 7 this year.

Start making plans now to visit your local new and used bookstores. I couldn't live without going to the bookstore at least once a week. I spread my business around too. I visit the big chain stores regularly but I also visit the used bookstores that are still left.

We have a very large flea market in our geographic area and my husband and I walk through and buy used books for our various collections from those vendors.

My secret dream is to own my own bookstore and coffee shop and sell new and used books, CDs, magazines, and newspapers.

So take some time on November 7 and go into your favorite bookstores and buy a book....

Becoming a Category of One Book Review

2009-09-10T07:02:00.000-07:00

Book Name: Becoming a Category of One
How Extraordinary Companies Transcend Commodity and Defy Comparison
By: Joe Calloway
Publsiher: John Wiley & Sons, 2003, 2009
243 pages

While Calloway's book is a revised and updated edition of his 2003 release, the information he provides is not any different than any other marketing or set your company apart from the others book.

The social marketing phenom om that has hit over the last two years is missing entirely. The most unique part of the book is that Calloway suggests that a company should develop their own category and by default that company would be number one in that category versus competing with other companies in the current categories.

The problem is that Calloway gives examples and case studies of what he feels are category of one companies, but he does not really give steps on how to create the category. He only details what a category of one company would do to become number one in a category of one.

The book is an easy read and includes a good chapter on branding. He reiterates that a company's brand is not created through advertising, public relations, or even product design. Brands are created by the customer's perception of a company. The customer creates the brand.

It is a good book for someone just starting a new company. The book does provide foundational theories for how to compete, what good customer service is, and how to be an exceptional company.

Good Reading Skills Vital to Success

2009-09-07T06:31:00.000-07:00

International Literacy Day is September 8, 2009. Take a moment to think about how many times you read something each and every day. How many times do you read the newspaper, look up a phone number or address, look up directions, read instructions on how to take medications, read through all of the legal stuff sent through your credit card companies, or just reading the ingredients in a particular food or cleaning product?

What would it be like to look at a book and see just a bunch of letters and not be able to form the letters into meaningful words?

It would devastate me. My mother had low reading skills and even lower math skills. She was born in the hills of Kentucky and only got a minimal education.

I've worked in adult education with a GED and reading program and I can tell persons who cannot read or read very well are in great emotional pain. They hide the fact they cannot read more than any other factor in their lives.

So on this International Literacy Day, donate a new book or books to a local literacy program, they desperately need books. Or, offer to become a literacy volunteer, they desperately need volunteers.

Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged Final Review

2009-09-02T06:34:00.000-07:00

I've posted several Atlas Shrugged (Plume, 1957) reviews at http://www.suite101.com/ so my final review here is just to talk about the message and example delivered by the fictional story.

The story is a solid example of what could happen if the free enterprise system that the United States is built on where to be governed out of existence. Too much regulation, too many restrictions, limits on production, laws that destroy rather than protect are all practices that would stifle competition and obliterate the rights of all entrepreneurs.

In the back of the book, the author Ayn Rand writes about herself and said, "My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute."

The book is a big read with an even bigger story.

Read my other reviews at:

http://classic-american-fiction.suite101.com/article.cfm/atlas_shrugged_delivers_timeless_message

http://marketingpr.suite101.com/article.cfm/atlas_shrugged_book_review

http://americanfiction.suite101.com/article.cfm/ayn_rands_timeless_writing_style

Reader's Digest Filing for Chapter 11

2009-08-21T09:17:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week the publisher of Reader's Digest announced that it will file for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 protection.

It is one more disappointment in the magazine world with magazines falling off the rack faster than any one reader can keep track of. I've had numerous subscriptions just this year alone disappear because the magazines have closed their editorial doors.

The Wall Street Journal on August 18, 2009 reported (Chapter 11 Is Next Page for Reader's Digest, by Shira Ovide and Mike Spector), "The move also is a low point int he storied history of Reader's Digest, a onetime staple of coffee tables and doctor's offices that at it speak three decades ago sold 18 million copies a month. Circulation now is less than half that."

The magazine got its start over 87 years ago (1922) and provided its readers with condensed versions of articles from other publications.

The magazine had versions published overseas and eventually expanded into condensed books and a slew of other publications.

According to The Wall Street report, the company was sold in 2006 and tried to expand its web operations. The company owns nearly 100 titles including Every Day with Rachel Ray.

The World According to Twitter - Book Review

2009-08-15T12:38:00.001-07:00

Book Name: The World According to Twitter
Author: David Pogue and his 50,000 followers
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, Inc., 2009

David Pogue is a technology columnist that writes for the New York Times, has authored or co-authored over 50 computer books, and is a correspondent for CBS News Sunday Morning. His newest book provides readers with the results of his non-scientific recent Twitter test.

Every night at around 11 p.m. he posed a new question on Twitter and then waited for the responding tweets. His Twitter book consists entirely of the tweets he received to his questions - 95 questions in total and 2,524 tweet answers are in the book.

A sample of the questions include:

"What's your brilliant idea to improve the modern automobile?"
"You know it's time to look for a new job when..."
"Tell us the story of your tattoo."

Pogue tells readers that it takes about a week of using Twitter to actually "get it." He demonstrated how powerful it was by tweeting during a talk he was giving and asking his followers for a cure for hiccups which he got many answers within seconds of posting the question.

While most of the questions included in the book are of the pastime or Twitter -tainment nature, it does demonstrate how Twitter can be used for serious business applications.

Asking the Twitter world for input on problems, products, techniques, processes, or other business related issues can generate instant feedback from around the world - granted some good and some not so good.

For example, if you are designing casual wear jewelry and want to get a quick idea of what consumers are wearing as everyday pieces, asking the Twitter world what their favorite everyday piece of jewelry is or made of can generate a whole list of products to produce.

Pogue did include some interesting Twitter stats - 80 percent are over the age of 25, two-thirds have college degrees, and are high wage earners. Tweet that to your marketing group.

Atlas Shrugged Book Review - Part 1

2009-08-14T19:36:00.000-07:00

I've been reading a phenomenal book by Ayn Rand called Atlas Shrugged. It was first published in 1957 by PLUME. It has gotten renewed attention of late because of the message it carries. The book is a work of fiction, has been a bestseller for over 40 years and according to the book's back cover is an "epochal novel" and "intellectual landmark."

The paperback copy of the book I have is mammoth in size coming out at 1,168 pages. I am about 600 pages into the book. Rand has taken a fictional story built around what she calls, "progressive social policy" and relates how men who govern in her fictional United States tell themselves they do so for the good of everyone all the while destroying the free enterprise system.

There are laws passed with names such as "The Equalization of Opportunity Bill", "The Preservation of Livelihood Law", "The Fair Share Law", and "Public Stability Law". There are federal organizations controlling science and engineering. One organization is called the Bureau of Economic Planning and National Resources and another called the State Science Institute.

The book is filled with drama, demise, destruction, romance, backstabbing, manipulation, all of which builds a good story. Add to those factors that the reader could almost believe the fictional events are taking place in today's society with government controlling auto manufacturing and wanting to control the country's health care system.

There are moments of lightheartedness. Rand continues to ask the question, "Who is John Galt?" which in her fictional world, is a meaningless question that people ask to indicate there is not a plausible answer to the condition the world is at any given point in the book.

The vivid and well defined characters of the book make the plot move quickly while at the same time making the long read seem shorter.

Rand certainly had a way with words. She also had an uncanny sense of the human factor and psyche. So far it has been a great read. I'll keep you posted as I continue my way through the rest of the story.

Green Movement Continues

2009-07-16T08:38:00.000-07:00

I am, like many others, an avid fan of the green movement. As such I've been reading about green in magazines, newspapers, enews, and of course the green books published over the past two years.

John F. Wasik, his bio is below, has written a new green book titled Cul-de-Sac Syndrome: Turning Around the Unsustainable American Dream, for which I am getting ready to read for review.

With the author's permission, I've posted a recent article he has written about green building saving the housing industry. The article is below and I hope you take a minute to read it.

How Green Building Can Save the Housing Industry By John F.Wasik,
author of The Cul-de-Sac Syndrome: Turning Around the Unsustainable American Dream

Green is gold. Why didn't home builders get this idea? They could be building new homes again, employing millions, making inner cities and suburbs habitable and bring down the cost of housing for everyone.

Home building needs to join the 21st century and apply the best, efficient technologies to lower costs and reduce energy and resource consumption. But the vast majority of homes have been built using the very best 19th-century, stick-built/balloon frame methods. That's got to change if we want to revive the bedrock of the American Dream.

As it stands now, while you may have the most up-to-date flat-panel TVs, computers, cellphones and audio equipment inside your home, the basic way that most homes are built hasn't changed much in more than 170 years.

That's right. As microprocessors double in speed every 18 months, cellphones are becoming just as powerful as laptop computers and you can connect to nearly anyone on the planet through the internet, the box you live in is antiquated beyond belief and costs you more every year to heat, cool and maintain.

To change this deplorable situation -- and revive real estate, building and banking -- it will require a change in attitude. Think of your personal living space as ecodynamic. It could adjust to the exterior environment cybernetically, tell you when the cheapest electricity is available and program the entire house to use less energy.

Is this something out of the new Star Trek movie? Hardly. Ecodynamic homes are not only being built, they are being assembled. That's an important distinction.

Rather than building everything on site with framing and two-by-fours, modular units are pre-made to exacting specifications in factories, then loaded on flat-bed trucks and assembled on site. This not only cuts the construction time and cost from one-third to one-half, it eliminates tons of waste that end up in landfills. The end-result is energy-efficient, low-maintenance and will produce energy and conserve water.

An ecodynamic home is always working for you to reduce costs. It saves water in cisterns, prevents heat from leaking out in the winter and keeps a breeze flowing in summer. You use less energy because the house's computer is constantly monitoring conditions and directing resources to where they are needed. Don't need to heat or cool a spare bedroom? The system will know and cut your bills.

Sounds good so far, but aren't these homes really ugly trailers? Throw that image out of your mind. They are loaded and secured onto permanent foundations and can be stunning.

Take a look at architect Michelle Kaufmann's "Smart + Wired Home," a house so innovative it's now on display at Chicago's Museum and Science and Industry. It's an elegant example of a modular, green home that was factory built and constantly monitoring itself with its own eco-computer system. A flat-panel display in the living room can display a graphic that shows the cost of energy that moment, how much of it the house is consuming and the amount of electrons being produced on rooftop solar panels. If it makes more energy than you consume, you sell it back to the power company.

The Smart + Wired Home costs nine times less to heat and three times less to cool than a standard home of the same size. The gorgeous, spacious interior is full of low-voltage lighting, fixtures made of recycled materials and lets in generous amounts of light.

But this is not just a home for museums as Kaufmann hopes to mass produce these homes. If she succeeds (I'm rooting for her), she could become the Henry Ford of home builders. Make houses on assembly lines and their costs will come down as economies of scale will be realized. And because they are modular designs, you can easily change the layout or add on extra modules if you need to expand at a cost much lower than stick-built contracting.

What will it take to make green modular home building a major industry? Policymakers will need to implement tax incentives over the next two decades, reward new home-energy technologies with grants and shift tax dollars away from wasteful road building projects into places like the inner city where decent, affordable housing is in short supply.

Some of this is already being seeded through the Obama stimulus plan and budget, although a comprehensive, long-range plan is needed. The upcoming energy/climate change bill would be an ideal place for these ideas. If we get really good at ecodynamic design and manufacturing, we'll be able to export these products to places where durable, inexpensive and green housing is desperately needed: China, India, Africa.

Back in the U.S., homes needn't be so capital intensive and push people into foreclosure and bankruptcy. They can be clean, green and affordable. They can pay us back when they produce energy. To accomplish that, we will need to re-envision the American Dream. Home is where the heart is. Now the political will needs to follow if we're to make home ownership widespread and sustainable.

©2009 John F. Wasik, author of Cul-de-Sac Syndrome: Turning Around the Unsustainable American Dream

Author BioJohn F. Wasik, author of Cul-de-Sac Syndrome: Turning Around the Unsustainable American Dream, is a personal finance columnist for Bloomberg News and the author of several books. His most recent book, The Merchant of Power, was praised by Studs Terkel and well reviewed by the New York Times. Wasik has won more than fifteen awards for consumer journalism including the 2008 Lisagor and several from the National Press Club. He has appeared on such national media as NBC, NPR, and PBS. He lives in Chicago.
For more information please visit http://www.johnwasik.com/

Books by Ayn Rand

2009-07-13T18:34:00.000-07:00

I just started reading Ayn Rand's books, The Anthem, Fountainhead, and Atlas Shrugged. The last two are very in depth with thousands of pages so it may be a while before a review appears.

I have read The Anthem and I've visited the Ayn Rand Institutes's web site plus any background information that I've been able to find over the past week or so.

She appears to be a great and prolific writer. Her concept of Objectivism was way ahead of her time. Some of her writings appear to be more relevant today than when she wrote them.

I'll keep you posted (that's kind of a pun) on my progress....

Women on The Most Wanted List at Many Companies

2009-05-28T09:04:00.000-07:00

A great new book called Womenomics (Harper Collins, 2009) by co-authors Claire Shipman and Katty Kay details new research that proves that women are “the hot commodity” in the workplace.

Women executives have proven to be better leaders, create higher profits, maintain a higher level of organization, and most important, they can use both sides of their brains.

A few new terms introduced include "pink profits", "asset-to-estrogen", "a new all" and the title itself, "womenomics."

Women are in big demand and the authors propose that it is a good time for women to ask themselves what they want at work and then ask their bosses for it. Flex time, or less time at the office, guilt free time off, or working from home some of the time are benefits that companies are starting to realize make good motivators and are received by women as benefits.

It is a great book with some really great statistics about women in the workplace.

Books About Books

2009-05-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

Being an avid reader for most of my life, my recent discovery of all of the books about books and the books of lists of books have proven a pleasant surprise. The lists of books I'm working on now are off of a few of the lists of 100 best books provided by author Rachelle Rogers Knight.

Her book called Read, Remember, Recommend, a Reading Journal for Book Lovers, Bibliopages, 2007, is kind of a journal for readers. You can build your list of favorite books along with notes about the books and about your favorite authors.

The lists of 100 best books provides readers with author names, titles, year the book was published, and columns for readers to mark if they own the book, would recommend the book if they want to read it or want to own it.

The different 100 best lists are from sources like New York Magazine, Oprah's Book Club, National Book Critics Circle, Feminista Journal, Time Magazine, and The Modern Library.

I've decided one of my top goals before I age to the point that I have difficulty reading and difficulty hearing books on CD is to read at least half of the Time Magazine and the Oprah's club lists.

Earth Day Participation

2009-04-15T07:59:00.000-07:00

Earth Day is April 22 this year. I have been seeing signs all over town promoting events and school participation. It is refreshing to see that even in a tough economy and with everyone feeling so uncertain about the immediate future that teachers and school administrators and our county's park system is still taking part is such a vital event of unity.

New Technology Offers Great Fun

2009-04-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

I just purchased a Flip video camera and will soon be posting video blogs. It is so easy to use and so easy to transfer the video to the computer. It has a fold out USB plug that pops the camera right onto the computer.

Technology that is easy, meaningful and full of fun. It is small, works on batteries, and inexpensive. Check it out online or at your local electronics store...

Check back here soon for new vid-blogs....

A Great New Book That Makes Me Feel That I Can Belong

2009-03-22T10:06:00.000-07:00

A great book that has really touched a part of me is The Fearless Fish Out of Water How to Succeed When You're The Only One Like You by Robin Fisher Roffer.

The author talks about how she has always felt like a fish out of water and never really belonged to any one group. She is a successful best selling author and CEO of Big Fish Marketing and works with high profile clients such as A&E, Bravo, and CNN.

I have also always felt like a fish out of water. I was raised in a family that put more emphasis on marriage and raising a family than believing that a person can be and do anything they want in life.

I on the other hand have always thought out side of my traditional upbringing and wanted to move to New York City to become a famous writer. Small town America residents were not supposed to think and dream so big. So that always put me on the outside looking in.

One of the author's paragraphs struck an especially nice chord for me, "accepting yourself for your differences, showing your strengths, celebrating your style with grace and confidence, and learning to let others shine a light on you-you'll become the inspiration you were meant to be."

Or how about, "Standing out can be lonely. It has its challenges. But it's also an exceptional opportunity."

"Apologize for who you are and others will see you as someone to pity."

"Accept yourself and others will follow."

This book is filled with inspirations that really took me by surprise because they spoke directly to who I have been most of my life.

Pick it up and read it and let me know what you think....

Check Out My New Book

2009-03-02T16:06:00.000-08:00

My first book has been released and is available for sale on amazon.com and authorhouse.com. The book is called Making the Media Connection Topic, Timing and Type of Media.

The book addresses tips, techniques and ideas for making a media connection. It is a quick read and contains lots of tried and true techniques for pitching the news from a company or organization to news media.

The tips in the book can be applied to traditional media including newspapers, magazines and radio as well as the new online media such as social networks and online newspapers.

If you decide to purchase it, let me know what you think....

Definitive Resource for Green Business Stategies

2009-02-16T13:37:00.000-08:00

Just finished a great book about green business. Green to Gold by Daniel C. Esty and Andrew S. Winston is an easy to read resource guide for learning what the actual issues are and how companies can implement a green initiative.

I've read several books on green. Some have been worth the read and some have not. Some have just been more of the same while others have sparked ideas and motivated me to do more at my small office and convince others in my family to do more at their homes and companies.

This book really got me excited because of the way the authors explained the issues facing now and in the future and then provided a workable solution to building a strategy.

It's a great read. Check it out at amazon.com.

More Books With Dogs

2009-02-01T09:42:00.000-08:00

Since reading Marley and Me last month, I have read two more books that have dogs as part of the main story line. I just finished a book by Dean Kontz (the Darkest Evening of the Year, 2007 Bantam Books) that had golden retrievers as part of the central theme. It was a really good book and he wrapped the story around the dogs expertly.

And, I just started a book by Nicholas Sparks (The Lucky One, 2008 Hachett Book Group) that has the main character walking across the United States with his faithful companion, a German shepherd. I am only about 50 pages in on this book but the Dean Kontz book was a very good read. Kontz has included a golden retriever in at least one other book that I have read called The Watchers in 1987.

He and his wife, according to the book jacket, own a golden and it makes sense that it would become intertwined in his writings.

What is interesting at this time is that I have read three books from very different genres (Marley and Me was based on actual events, one book was a thriller and one is a love story) within the past month and all three have dogs as part of the story line.

I love dogs and have owned a dog my entire life including several mixed breeds when I was a kid, two black labs, a beagle, two fox terriers, one schitzu, and at present two mini schnauzers.

It just seems surprising to find so many different kinds of books with dogs in them in such a short time frame. It is a good thing but a surprise nonetheless.

Oh, by the way, all three books are worth a read and in the dead of winter with so much snow, ice and cold, grab your dog, snuggle up on the couch and read, read, read....

Marley and Me - Could Have Been Me

2009-01-06T17:18:00.000-08:00

I have been reading the book Marley and Me by John Grogan. It is a great book and a very fast read. But, after completing every page, I stop and say "I could have easily written this book about my black lab and all of the adventures we had with him in his 16 years with us."

My family's black lab named Black Bart was arrested, loved to run off and stay the night at houses with female dogs like rottweilers or golden retrievers (and somehow convinced the owners of the female dogs he could be trusted with them when he was not neutered), ran into two different cars, rode several miles in the back seat of our SUV wearing sun glasses when driving through Florida and opened every Christmas gift under the tree one very unforgettable Christmas.

We loved that dog more than any other dog we ever owned. He really gave us a run for our money and always kept us on our toes. When he opened all of the gifts under the tree, he was actually trying to find the box that I had wrapped a candy cane full of M & Ms in. He found the box which was buried under all of the other gifts. And, he ate all of the candy.

He was only about 3 years old at the time so he lived through eating all of the chocolate as well as accidentally swallowing pieces of wrapping paper, tape and decorative bows.

He was so smart he could open doors by sticking his nose between the door frame and the knob and turning it. He could do all kinds of tricks. Since his name was Black Bart after the cowboy, we taught him to turn in a circle 3 times and then lay down and roll over on his back when we pointed a finger shaped gun and said "Bang".

And, we could tell him to pick the red ball out of the green, blue or yellow balls from a set of balls that were the same size and materials. We could also ask him to get the blue ball and he would retrieve it every time.

Plus, he could play hide and seek with my son. My favorite memory is I used to tell my son during his teenage years that I had gotten Black Bart training on drug sniffing and then tell Bart to go in my son's room and look for drugs.

Bart would actually go in the room and start searching through the closet and through the clothes on the floor and try to get into my son's backpack.

He was a great dog and we remember him almost everyday and all of the adventures he brought to our lives. Dogs may not be human but they have the capacity to evoke every human emotion imaginable.

Give Marley and Me a read and take the time to remember a very special pet in your life.

New Blog Stats

2008-12-14T15:19:00.000-08:00

The State of the Blogosphere Report 2008 offers some really great stats that are important to any business or professional using the Internet for business.

Here are some of the highest rated topics covered on blogs:

Personal/lifestyle 54%

Technology 46%

News 42%

Politics 35%

Computers 34%

Music 31%

Some interesting demographics on U. S. bloggers:

Male 57%

Age 35 to 49 37%

Employed full-time 56%

College Graduate 74%

So if you are a marketing or public relations person or someone who writes web content, these numbers are very important to you.

You can find the report at technorati.com/blogging/state-of-the-blogosphere.

Go Green this Holiday Season

2008-11-15T10:05:00.001-08:00

Check out the two web sites I've recently listed for buying handmade, eco-friendly gifts and personal items.

Great companies are opening everywhere that are offering handmade soaps, toys, gifts, clothing, and just about anything you could ask for.

Giving green says you care not just about the person receiving the gift but also about the environment.

I've researched and written may articles on going green. It is a great initiative that is slowly having its importance downgraded by what is happening in the economic environment. I realize keeping one's home and putting food on the table every day has to take priority over trying to recycle, reuse or reduce.

Nonetheless, the green initiative has to stay alive even in the smallest of ways. Buying green, giving green, receiving green or just keep talking green will all help.

Do what you can do.....

Blogging Fever Rises

2008-11-14T18:27:00.000-08:00

Blogging has become a past time for many business professionals, students, computer hobbyists, news junkies and the list goes on. I obviously enjoy it because I'm maintaining two blogs myself.

Another activity that I would have to rate as one of my top five is to walk through bookstores (old or new, modern or flea market, any and all bookstores) and spend hours at a time looking through the book shelves of every genre. And, of course spending way too much time in the magazine and periodicals section.

This past week I came across a magazine called Artful Blogging - a magazine dedicated to "Visually Inspiring Online Journals".

The cover was artfully set and colorfully eye catching. The entire magazine had pictures and descriptions of blog sites maintained by those who are artful and creative.

For example, www.kellyinkstudio.blogspot.com is written by a nature photographer. A jewelry designer maintains a site at www.speckled-egg.blogspot.com.

The magazine reviews blogs that are just fun to explore and to learn how creative minds work and play. Check out the magazine or google artful blogs then visit the blogs listed. Leave comments on what you think of their journals and support fellow bloggers as well as keeping art alive.

Blogging from Beautiful Hawaii

2008-10-08T20:54:00.000-07:00

Vacationing is the best activity in the world - especially when it is taking place in Hawaii. What a paradise! It is the first time here for me. It is actually the first time I've seen the Pacific Ocean.

Tropical is what I'd like to write about today. The warmth, the humidity, the sun, the flowers, the palm trees, the warm never-ending ocean waves, the lifestyle. Why is it we don't all live in the tropics?

While I enjoy all of the comforts of the tropics when visiting, I image it takes a stamina for slow, for laid back, maybe today...or tomorrow living. I was born to multi-task and to put 30 hours of activity into every 24 hours I get in my life. I would love to retire in the tropics...maybe.

Visiting the tropics is what I like best. Living in the tropics probably would not be good for my personality. Of course, maybe in time I would be able to adjust that multi-tasking, hurry up and get it done so I can move onto the next project and let all of my go, go, go - go out with the tide.

I think for now, I am thinking too much. For the rest of the trip, I am going to leave the computer packed away and enjoy the surf, the sand, the sounds and of course all of the food of Hawaii.

Aloha and Mahalo for reading.

Learn How To Do Anything

2008-08-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

A great new site to visit is ehow.com. Of course, I am a little biased. As of two weeks ago, I am now a contributing writer to the ehow.com site.

It is a fun and easy to navigate and to read site that provides how-to tips on anything and everything. It is a lot of fun to write for and a lot of fun to read.

Take a look at it and let me know what you think of it....

Check out the New Items on the Bottom Right Column

2008-08-12T17:31:00.000-07:00

Blogspot.com recently added several new features including the ability to add new gadgets to blogs. You can add gadgets to show photographs, quotes, myspace and thousands of other little gadgets.

I've added cheeky quotes of the day and digg.com. I'm an undeniable news addict and love to read the newspapers both in print and online. So digg.com is a great addition to this blog.

I'm sure I'll be changing and adding gadgets regularly....

Got a New Internet 'Toy" to Write About

2008-07-27T14:51:00.000-07:00

This posting really does not have much to do with writing or being a writer. Nor is it about reading. Unless you count the writing job listings or the fact that you have to actually read the site. It is really just about finding a good, useful web site that millions of people are using.

You know how some people get when they buy a new thing - a car, boat, computer, etc. - it's like they have a new toy to play with.

I just recently - the site has been around over ten years and everyone seems to be using it so I'm not sure how I missed it until now - found www.craigslist.org. It is like I got a new toy and just have to spend all of my little bit of spare time looking at the listings.

If you have not visited craigslist, immediately leave this blog and and go to craigslist.org.

I have two sisters who both held garage sales over the summer and both listed on craigslist and lo and behold, they had a number of people mention that they found the garage sales listed on craigslist.

Aaaaamaaazing. The power of the net. Craigslist kind of looks like the old online bulletin boards of the late 1980s and early 90s. Nothing fancy. No cool graphics or sounds or talking people. Just the listings, after listings after listings.

Try it. You'll go back again and again.

The Marketing Gurus Book Review

2008-07-16T08:47:00.001-07:00

A recently released book called The Marketing Gurus - Lessons from the Best Marketing Books of All Time - is a great reference book for those new to management. It is also a great book for those who have been in management at various levels.

Some of the summaries are of books that are over 15 years old. The Popcorn Report - for example - was published in 1991. Faith Popcorn was hailed as the Nostradamus of Marketing by Fortune Magazine. Popcorn was a creative director and is now a bestselling author, lecture and consultant.

Many of the Ten Trends to Shape the 1990s provided in her book were right on the money. She predicted cocooning where people would be working and staying at home to do such things as online shopping etc. Staying alive is a trend she predicated that consumers would be highly interested in self-diagnostic tests and preventive health-care products. And, she foresaw the green initiative. Popcorn called the S.O.S. - save our society.

The Marketing Gurus provides summaries of such great management books as The Purple Cow, Differentiate or Die, Relationship Management and Renovate Before you Innovate. All of the theories, practices and procedures detailed by all of these books are still very much applicable in today's management environment.

The art and act of managing may not be thought of as ever-changing but it really does because people are ever-changing.

This book which was compiled and summarized by Chris Murray and the editors of Soundview Executive Book Summaries, and published by the Penguin Group, 2006 is a good review for those persons who have read the original books. It is also a good reference book to get a quick look at what the experts believe.

Write-on - I bought an Apple Mac Laptop

2008-07-06T18:12:00.000-07:00

I am probably one of the most conservative persons you could meet or ever want to meet. Wearing my conservative cloak at all times, I have always thought about what my family - more specifically - my son would think before doing anything including selecting certain clothing styles.

My motto has been - not to do anything that would make my husband or my son embarrassed or not want to know me anymore. And, I feel that I have kept to that motto and have behaved exemplary throughout my adult life.

That is until one day about two weeks ago when - in a true moment of wild abandonment - I let my husband buy me an Apple Mac laptop. My son - the truest Windows and Linux guy you would ever want to meet - is pretending that the Mac laptop does not exist. He has told me he is disappointed that I gave into the hype that is Apple and he is certain that I am no longer technology literate but have some how become technology illiterate.

Having owned the Mac for a full two weeks - I admit that I do like the little thing. The Apple embossed on the lid is so cool. I have been doing most of my writing on it and have not experienced any learning curve or incompatibility issues or any real burps or annoying blips .

Admittedly, I like it. Regrettably, my son is not getting past it. I am still conservative - I am still computer literate - I can support two platforms - and - I am proud to call the Mac one of my own.....

Green is on - Green is Good

2008-06-12T08:26:00.000-07:00

The green movement is really taking on momentum and I love it. My family is trying to make a difference - both in our personal lives and in our businesses. We are buying all of our new cleaning products in the many eco-brands hitting the grocery store shelves.

We are also recycling paper and cardboard - it is very distressing to realize how over packaged products are these days. Just in one box that we got a new ceiling light in had cardboard inside and out, Styrofoam, plastic, tape and paper. It is also very distressing to realize how much paper we waste when it comes to printing in the office.

Regardless of past practices, we have printers that can print on both sides of the paper and we are using that feature to the fullest - we have recycle boxes at every printer - we are recycling junk mail, newspapers, magazines and packaging paper. We are also recycling the cardboard that soda is packaged. In the near future, we will be recycling soda cans.

On the post-consumer side, we have been trying to buy recycled paper products - they are still just a bit more expensive than the non-recycled products.

We are trying to use less electricity, less gasoline by making fewer trips to wherever whenever we feel like it - instead we group all of of our errands together and try to take the shortest routes to get everything done.

It is not that hard to take notice and take action to get yourself and your family green. Every little bit helps and we need every one's every little bit. Try on green -it looks good on you.

Selling to Big Companies What's Write Today Book Review

2008-05-02T19:08:00.000-07:00

A book published in 2006 by author Jill Konrath titled Selling to Big Companies is the latest business and marketing book I've read. It was really like reading a book of affirmations because the author's entire sales process is exactly the way I've been selling and marketing for over 25 years.

The author is hailed as an expert in complex sales strategies and has become a sales trainer and expert to selling to the big corporate accounts. As with many of the sales advice books I've read over the years, her tips and tricks are more like common sense. I find it so hard to believe that some people don't do some of the items she mentions.

Take for example - she recommends to concentrate on the customer and the customer needs and looking for a good fit in being able to offer solutions. The author states many times that a sales person should NOT make sales meetings all about them or their company or product - make it and keep it customer centered.

Show your value - show your worth - demonstrate your ability to make a difference - but keep it all customer centered. Don't waste the client's time - don't spend too much time trying to build a friend-to-friend relationship by asking about vacations or family, etc - don't wing it.

Konrath provides insightful ways to script cold calls and then suggests memorizing and practicing the script but don't use it when actually making the calls. She also gives advice on creating effective sales letters, sales e-mails and other types of correspondence.

This is one of the first books suggesting that some of the organizations floating around out there may not be the best place to network when prospecting for the big companies. If you want to network, go to the community events, functions and organizations where the big company decision-makers go.

The book is well written - a fast read - and will make a good desk reference book when writing those e-mail blast messages. Which by the way the author suggests that you take the time to individualize each e-mail in a campaign instead of sending a generic e-mail.

Konrath suggests that many big client decision-makers may answer an e-mail faster than returning a cold phone call. I agree and I've seen this happen first hand. I've sent e-mails to big company decision-makers and have gotten positive responses as well as sales resulting from a cold e-mail.

Again, this book really enforces some common sense sales techniques with a splash or two new ideas on relationship building, networking and e-mailing. It is worth writing about today and is worth reading.

What's write today is all about going green

2008-04-20T09:04:00.000-07:00

There is a new book out called Go Green, Live Rich by David Bach. When the first push to start recycling paper at home and in the work place occurred in the early 1990s, my family in lived in a community that immediately jumped on the band wagon and it took little time for it to seem like everyone was recycling - virtually overnight.

As it turns out - recycling has continued to be practiced at almost all levels from the one person apartment renter to business, government, schools and universities. We now have an entire generation that has grown up seeing those recycle bins in their homes, schools and workplaces. And, it continues to make a difference in the environment.

Bach details 50 ways you can take going green up a notch from paper recycling. He starts by telling you how to determine your impact on the environment or your carbon footprint. From there he provides easy and doable ways to go green in one area or all areas of your life.

For many people, changing vehicles to smaller and hybrid is not as feasible as changing health and beauty products to organic or buying green based household cleaning products. Turns out that we can now get green mortgages and green credit cards.

There are many simple and unobtrusive ways to go green. My own personal business is doing a few things such as recycling paper, buying as many post-consumer paper products as we can afford and as they are needed, we have changed out almost all of the light bulbs to energy-efficient models, we give away used business and reference books (actually we have done this for years and years - we very seldom throw out a book) and we give away our old computer equipment to those who may not be able to afford new computer equipment.

We also recycle magazines, paper bags, newspapers and of course printer paper. Also, we try to print on both sides of the paper as often as possibly. I am also trying to write and publish pieces about going green as much as I can as well as reading as much as I can about going green. We also turn our computers off at the end of the day - all but the server which has recently been replaced with an energy-efficient version.

On a personal level, we buy organic products for our dogs and we do buy organic fruits and vegetables when available where we shop. We read most of our newspapers online but those we do buy such as the local Sunday paper or our subscription to the Wall Street Journal, we recycle.

The point of all this is that all of us can pick at least one area of our lives to go green and it will make an positive impact. Bach reports that Americans spend $45 billion a year on electricity for things they are not using. He also reports that by replacing one light bulb - CO2 emissions can be reduced by 67 pounds over the life of the light bulb. Or, how about this, you can save up to $798 in gasoline each year by keeping your car tires properly inflated, your car properly tuned up and not carrying around extra weight in your car.

Save the air - save on fuel needs - save money. This going green is looking better all the time.

All the Information That's Fit to Know

2008-03-31T11:18:00.000-07:00

On a recent book buying spree - one of my regular rituals - I bought The New Times Guide to Essential Knowledge. The book is as thick as the title is long. The tag line on the cover reads, "A Desk Reference for the Curious Mind."

This is not one of those cover-to-cover reads - it has over 1,300 pages and thousands of bits of information. The inside book cover flap reads, "This one volume is designed to offer more information than any other book on the most important subjects as well as provide easy-to-access data critical to everyday life."

It has facts and figures on science and technology, business and finance, geography, literature, dance, music and the environment. I love being able to read about the history of mathematics or why the currency exchange matters.

Granted, I could type any of those questions into google and find information. Nonetheless, flipping the pages of this bible-size book, I find answers to questions that I didn't know I had in the back of my mind.

I'm not a stage in my life that I can memorize much of the facts contained within those 1,300 pages but, I can always flip back through and re-read what I forgot. Many professional writers have a copy of one of the World Almanacs desk side - as do I - but this essential guide to knowledge is or should be essential to all professional writers.

Online Newspaper Advertising Marks Big Gain, Again

2008-03-31T06:36:00.000-07:00

According to DIRECTnewsline's online newsletter, online advertising on newspaper webs sites increased to 18.8% or $3.2 billion in 2007. It was the thirteenth consecutive quarter for an increase in online newspaper advertising.

The flip side is that print advertising dropped over 2 billion dollars for the same periods. So what does that mean to the consumer or to those working in or with advertising? It could indicate that Internet usage is up by all age groups. It must mean that those advertising in the online newspapers must be seeing a return on their investment. On the green side of life, it could mean that there is less paper and ink waste in the world (although energy usage would be increased).

Is there a downside to less print advertising? Well, there could be because print newspapers can only be printed when there are advertising dollars to do so. Newspapers are still making money with the online advertising so they could just be printing fewer newspapers in order to be able to show a net gain.

Media markets are shrinking everywhere. There are fewer printed news sources these days - which equates to fewer editors and fewer reporters. Everyone who uses public relations and sends press releases has to move their news online and for some reason or reasons it seems that the online news markets are not as prolific as the past news print resources.

We have more news tossed about than ever in more places than ever before, but it is more difficult to get press out for companies and community organizations. Why?

In some ways the increase in online advertising could be having an effect on online news in a different way than we thought it could. I know many people who shop online - who click on the advertising - who click on this and click on that - but never stop to read the actual news.

I am just as guilty as anyone. I keep the New York Times as my home page but lately I've gotten into the habit of scrolling down to the section of podcasts and video casts. If the news isn't contained in one of those slots, I just don't seem to read it.

On the other hand - I still get the printed Wall Street Journal delivered to my home every morning and I look at every page - including some of the advertising. I never read the Wall Street Journal online.

So back to the original question - what does the online advertising increase mean to me or to you? It certainly means any company who wants to succeed with their advertising has to be doing online advertising in addition to their printed advertising.

It also means that Internet users are going to continue to be bombarded with advertising popping up everywhere. It means a new paradigm for reaching the consumer. I say new because in the more recent past, businesses had to think about adding online advertising to their print -but now they will have to consider adding print to their online.

Companies have to add to their advertising by sending online coupons. I get Borders Books coupons in my email and never see them in print advertising. I guess what is really important in today's economic worries is that you pay attention to the advertising - be it online or in print - and go out and shop.

Steinbeck's Sweet Thursday is Sweet

2008-03-22T17:50:00.000-07:00

John Steinbeck is one of my all time favorite writers. Many years ago, there was at least one Steinbeck always in my "current" stack of reading books. I had to stop reading him about ten ears ago because I actually started writing like him.

That would be a great thing but that he writes everything - in my opinion - as if writing poetry. His writing is filled with in-depth descriptions - to the point that you feel as if you are in the book and a part of his story.

When going through my bookshelves recently and revisiting some old favorites, I stopped at my section of Steinbeck's and picked up Sweet Thursday. So, I decided to give it a re-read. It feels comfortable and much like visiting an old friend - Steinbeck that is.

Here is passage out of Sweet Thursday as an example of how Steinbeck's writing takes you away with it - "Change may be announced by a small ache, so that you think you're catching a cold. Or you may feel a faint disgust for something you loved yesterday. It may even take the form of a hunger that peanuts will not satisfy. Isn't overeating said to be one of the strongest symptoms of discontent? And isn't discontent the lever of change?"

In the prologue to the book, Steinbeck's character Mack is written to have said to another character, "Sometimes I want a book to break loose with a bunch of hooptedoodle. The guy's writing it, give him a chance to do a little hooptedoodle. Spin up some pretty words maybe, or sing a little song with the words."

Steinbeck put two Hooptedoodle chapters in his book - Hooptedoodle 1 and Hooptedoodle 2. Sweet Thursday is a quick little read that really does sound like Steinbeck broke loose and wrote a novel that reads like a song.

I have tried to read my share of the classics. Of course, I like Hemingway and I like Steinbeck - who got the worst side of the critics in his time. I really do prefer today's writers but as a writer, it is a must have to have an appreciation of why some of the classics have survived so long and what made some of those writers so great - so long living.

Sweet Thursday is great place to start with Steinbeck. It is actually a continuation of his book Cannery Row but the story is self-contained enough that you don't have to read Cannery Row to read and enjoy Sweet Thursday.

Columnist and Author Anna Quindlen is What to Write-on Today

2008-03-08T13:45:00.000-08:00

I have several favorite columnists - some local - some regional and some syndicated. My top of the list includes Anna Quindlen. Her professional bio is impressive. She was the third woman to write for the op-ed page in The New York Times. She is a Pulitzer Price winning columnist. She is a best selling author of numerous books and she currently writes the last page column of Newsweek magazine.

She is my absolute favorite columnist and if I'm ever asked who I would like to most write like - it would be Anna Quindlen. I don't always agree with her position but I do always agree her writing is top-notch and never off pitch.

She is sharp - she is smart - she can be humorous - she writes about what's important today and she is the total writers package. To get to know her and get a good sense of her writing, read her two books, Thinking Out Loud and Loud and Clear.

In my own writing career, I would like to be a syndicated columnist even more so than being a top selling author. I cannot write fiction of any genre. I can only write non-fiction so all of my future books will be business, technology, marketing or public relations related. These are the topics that interest me and this is the type of writing I feel passionate about.

When I think about creating non-fictional characters or story lines - I freeze. As such, becoming a columnist would be a great level to aspire. There is no better teacher than Anna Quindlen. She writes on everything from social change to raising kids to political and global events.

Her book titles are so on spot because that is exactly what she does in her Newsweek columns, she speaks out loud and does so loud and clear.

Take her March 2001 column about Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Kids: "Here is the parallel universe that has flourished while the more fortunate were rewarding themselves for the stock split with SUVs and home additions. There is a boom market in homelessness. But these are not the men on the streets of San Francisco holding out cardboard signs to tourists. They are children."

Anna talks about all of the important issues of our time at the time. She is sublime. Read her for yourself by getting the next Newsweek with her column in it or try one of the two books I've mentioned.

Scott Adams is What's Write Today

2008-03-08T13:12:00.001-08:00

I'm sure you know who Scott Adams is by now. He is probably as well known as Charles m. Schulz. If you're not quite sure who Mr. Adams is, check your local newspaper in the comics section - he is the creator of the Dilbert cartoon.

I have been surrounded by engineers most of my life - my brother was an electrical and mechanical engineer - my husband is an electrical engineer - my son is a mechanical engineer and my father inlaw was a civil engineer. So reading Dilbert has been a part of my regular repertoire of things to do for many, many years. And, will no doubt continue long into the future.

Scott Adams has also written several books including The Dilbert Principle, Dogbert's Top Secret Management Handbook and his most recent Stick to Drawing Comics Monkey Brain. The Dilbert Principle was Scott's attempt (he confesses to it on the inside cover flap) to "cash in on the lucrative business book market".

The book was published in 1996 and I do remember it as being a top seller and having many discussions in meetings and luncheons about what the tidbits and points of ridiculousness (and many laughs) included in the book. The book offers secrets to management success such as: Swearing you way to success, Great Lies of Management, How to Tell if Your Company is Doomed and The Importance of Hair for Male Leaders.

His latest book is not so much a business book but more of a commentary on life book. He takes a not so serious look at his Fear of Birds, Dangerous Donuts and The Problem with Being Clever. He also includes some of his Dilbert comics that did not make it into the newspaper exactly as written because they were not politically correct or were to saucy for the general reading public.

Scott's workplace humor is visible everyday in his cartoon and with his Dilbert Principle . His everyday, real-life humor is exemplified in the Monkey Brain book. For example, he has a favorite conspiracy theory, "My favorite conspiracy theory is the one that says the world is being run by a handful of ultra-rich captialists and that our our elected governments are mere puppets."

He also discusses why he wrote this book by saying in the introduction that he has failed at 90 percent of the things he has attempted. But then he goes into details that read as though he has won 90 percent of the things he's attempted. So he has a bit of contradiction in the opening pages.

The book is a good and laugh-along read. Scott does have some unique views of many mundane occurrences. The Dilbert comics included are alone worth the price of the book and the time to read it.

What's Write Today is all about effective sales training

2008-03-01T09:32:00.000-08:00

I just read a really great article in Selling Power magazine (Nov/Dec 2007) about training a sales team to give effective sales presentations. A large part of my diverse professional background has centered on selling. Be it selling (pitching) an article or an idea to an editor, providing training solutions to the adult workforce or selling my own contract writing services - selling has been a driving force to my success.

Having written all of that - I also have to say I've read so many books on selling such as:

The Nordstrom Way
The Greatest Salesman in the World
Words that Sell
Zig Ziglar's Secrets of Closing the Sale
Cold Calling Techniques
The 10-minute Salesman
Marketing Minds
Guerrilla Marketing Attack
Several Peter Drucker books
Several Tom Peters books
McDonald's Behind the Arches
Value Added Selling Techniques
Why People Buy Things They Don't Need
Why This Horse Won't Drink
Writing Advertising That Sells
and on and on and on.

All of the theories and all of those great minds have one basic underlying premise: Take care of your customers/clients/readers and they will buy and read.

The article in Selling Power - How to Deliver Persuasive Presentations is aimed at training sales managers to deliver an effective sales presentation. The piece describes the basic structure of any presentation which includes:

The introduction
The body
The conclusion
The close

This basic structure can be applied to any profession or almost any situation. As a writer, I follow that structure for every piece I create be it a feature article, an editorial, an promotional piece or a press release. Just think how many places this structure can serve you - can you name 3 areas without thinking overly hard?

Back to the article - the author also suggests that every sales presentation has to answer 3 basic questions:

Why you?
Why your company?
Why now?

Answering those questions will lead to making the presentation informative and persuasive. And, don't forget - you have to make it all entertaining so as not to lose the interest of those you are trying to inform and persuade. The article is short and to the point and brings home the theory that is written about so much - and for which I am writing about now.

To be successful in sales or selling or really in life itself - you have to first listen to what is needed - second find relevant solutions - and third present the solutions and yourself as a viable option to help the customer/client/reader. That's all anybody really wants - is to be helped.

If more sales persons would boil all the advice, all the training and all the special effects of selling down to that one point - really helping the client - the act of selling becomes invisible. Think about it - nobody likes to be sold - they like to buy what they believe is the answer to their current problem. So stop selling - start helping. Instead of asking "Can we sign you up today?" ask, "What do you think? Do you think this will work?"

The article also gives a list of most frequently asked questions about sales presentations. One asks the nine most common mistakes made by sales pros. Number one on the list of mistakes is winging it and number two is being too informative and not enough persuasive. Both of which can be eliminated by thinking of the problem and looking for the solution. When you present the solution - you will be talking the same language as the customer/client/reader and you will not have to worry about having to wing it or to being too informative.

I've had so many people tell me that they don't understand how I can close so often (at one time in my career I was closing around 90% of the time) because it doesn't appear as though I sell at all. By all outward appearances - everyone perceives my selling technique as pure and simple conversation. Ok, I'll agree with that. And, more importantly, so can my customers/clients/readers.

I am just as guilty as other sales professionals of reading all of the new and improved (or really restated) sales theories. I read the Selling Power magazine after all. This particular article is very good because it does take us back to the basics. You can watch the 5-minute video of the article at www.sellingpower.com/video and then search for Sjodin. The information presented is worth the 5 minutes.

What's write today is being the pack leader

2008-02-26T17:24:00.000-08:00

I just got the book "Be the Pack Leader" by Cesar Millan - the dog whisperer. I've only read the first 30 pages but the lessons have been surprising - pleasantly.

My first impression is that this book has a three-fold purpose in this world. First, it is meant to help dog owners be the leader of their pack of dogs. Second, it gives an excellent perspective on getting to know who you are inside. Third, it is a really good lesson in human pack leaders of human packs.

Cesar's mantra is to help you understand and read your dog's energy and then use that understanding to better connect to your dog. Good advice. You could easily substitute the word human for the word dog and a second powerful piece of advice is garnared from the statement.

He also suggests that you use the calm - assertive energy that you use to be the pack leader with your dog or dogs in your relationships with friends, co-workers and family. Calm - assertive - energy - once again this is very good advice.

To be an effective pack leader, Cesar's writes that we need balance in 4 very distinct areas of our lives: 1. Intellectual 2. Emotional 3. Spiritual 4. Instinctual. Humans - according to Cesar - will follow a leader if they are intelligent, emotional or spiritual regardless if the leader is stable or instinctual. Dogs on the other hand will only follow a leader that is stable.

The book tells us that nature takes care of the unstable or threats in 4 ways: 1. Fight 2. Flight 3. Avoidance 4. Submission. And, that a dog's natural goal is to be connected - to live harmoniously - and be grounded and balanced with mother nature.

Mother Nature uses dominance and aggression to keep things in balance. And, she is ruthless on the weak.

Does any of this ring true in the world that you live in? It really resonates with me and all of the turmoil and troubles of my life.

Cesar suggests that your dog knows who you really are inside - no matter how hard you try o hide - they know if you are unbalanced or stable and sure of yourself. You can maybe hide yourself from yourself, but your dog knows everything. WOW! I Believe! I Believe!

I have been a dog owner (most of my life I've owned two dogs at a time) and all of my dogs seemed to be better intune with what I was really feeling than I ever seemed to be. Because of my history with dogs, the message about dogs in this book is really signing to the choir - what has really caught my attention is how much of the research can be applied to human relationships.

I've also read so many self-help and feel good theories and books (I am a writer after all and need all the feel good I can get) and this information just seems to cut to the basic instinct and cuts out the complexity of life.

I still have over 260 pages to go. I'll be writing about this book again, and possibly a third or fourth again....

As an aside, Cesar's wife's name is Illusion. This means nothing to the book or the message of the book - it just provides an huh? moment.

What's Write Today is The Secret

2008-01-20T16:13:00.000-08:00

There is a great book called The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. Actually there is a DVD, a book and a Web site at www.thesecret.tv about the secret.

The secret, according to the Web site is, "The secret teaches us that we create our lives, with every thought every minute of every day."

Big secret! I think I've known that since birth. The true secret is how to change your thinking when your thinking is destroying your life. The book does try to provide ways to change one's thoughts to be more positive and more grateful. I've tried these tips and techniques to no avail.

It's hard to turn over 40 years of thinking one way to thinking in another. I've tried. I've failed. Nonetheless, I believe in the secret and thinking the book is the ideal self-help book. The secrets of a successful happy life are simple and the book does not try to complicate matters.

It tells it like it is. If you think it, feel it, see it in your mind's eye, believe it --- it will happen in real life. Be it good or bad -- it will happen in reality as it happens in your mind. One of the strongest parts of the book is the secret of the law of attraction.

This secret says you can have the life you want if you:
1. Have positive self-language (I am good, I am worthy, I know I can do)
2. Are grateful for what you have and where you are now
3. Visualize in detail
4. Bring on the details by seeing yourself driving that new car or taking that dream vacation
5. See the dream as already happening
6. Move in the directions of your dreams and the hows will take care of themselves
7. And, if you don't feel it, it won't happen.

All of these items are such common sense. Somehow we all seem to lose perspective in our lives and we lose control of all of these actions. Passion, feeling, visualizing, being happy with who and where you are today, believing it will happen are all feelings that have existed for hundreds of years.

Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Edison, Christopher Columbus, Beethoven are all secret practitioners.

My life has had so much tragedy touch it that is difficult for me to turn my thoughts back to the positive side. I've been on the dark side so long -- I feel too often that all hope may be lost. I do continue to think of all the positives but so much of the good things in my life were integrated into the lives of those I've lost over the years (12 deaths of close friends and family in the past 15 years) that all thoughts seem to lead me back to the dark side.

If there is one self-help that I feel can help, it is The Secret.

What's Write Today is Print Lives!

2008-01-20T15:50:00.000-08:00

One of the great debates of late is whether print media is dead - killed off by digital media. I've read several articles of late that prove otherwise.

Print media is still king. One of our local newspapers had an editorial last month by the city editor that claims the newspaper's sales for the printed version are stronger today than ever. And, the full paper is online for everyone to read for free but they continue to sell the printed copy. And, they have even increased readership and sales because of the online version.

Selling Power magazine's publisher wrote in his editorial (November/December 2007 issue), "Last month I asked Selling Power readers to share your thoughts about print vs. online. I was floored by your overwhelming response in support of print."

Readers sent in commentary about their experiences with print vs. online. One reader commented about a business in northern Ohio going paperless then going out of business. Another reader commented, "We're still far away from replacing print. We have PDA's and text messaging but we still write on the back of cocktail napkins, on newspapers or the backs of envelopes."

One reader questioned the life span of blogs and stated that, "It's a blog eat blog world."

Being a longtime Internet user (I first used online resources in the days of online bulletin boards and I can remember logging onto AOL in its start up days), I find myself using online resources less and less these days. There was a time where I went to the Internet for everything including leisure reading, gaming, chatting, etc.

Not so much so now. I am still what I consider an Internet Power User. I am proficient at searching, I still enjoy the thrill of finding new and interesting sites, I prefer e-mail to any other form of communication and I do a tremendous amount of shopping online.

But I have reaffirmed my love of holding and reading a shiny magazine. I never lost my love of holding a book. And, I still find a phenomenal amount of data and research in the bookshelves at my local library or my favorite Borders Books.

The thing is - and I know many people just like this - I print almost everything I find on the net anyway so I probably generate more paper and produce more printed materials than I did before the Internet (there really were days before the Internet).

So print lives on. It is a blob eat blog world with blogs in a battle for their very existence. Digital is still a strong contender. And sadly, I am too old to share my life on myspace - but with all things digital - some day myspace will be too old for new technology.

Whats Write Today is All About Writing Out The Garbage

2007-12-22T19:53:00.000-08:00

I recently read an article from a writer about writing. I have read many, many, ok, too many books about writing. There are books on writing techniques, how-to write any topic you can think of, books to encourage and motivate writers, books about writers and the list goes on.

This particular piece made a difference because of one piece of advice. The writer suggested that you start each day out by taking a few minutes or more than a few minutes if you need to, and write out all of the junk that you are feeling. Writing out the junk or the garbage first thing, allows you to get down to business and open your mind to writing better both in form, content and it even helps improve the mechanics.

I have been following this procedure for the past month or so and I have to say it is the best procedure I've used in a long time. OK, so you are thinking that writing out the garbage sounds pretty much like writing in a journal, which any writer worth his or her words, does on a regular and long-term (life-time, actually) basis.

But this is journal writing with a defined purpose and pre-determined outcome. You can write about anything, not necessarily your life, and just write for the sake of writing. You don't have to worry about grammar, punctuation or whether it sounds better with this word or that word. You just write. You let the words work their way to the page without restriction.

It really works. Try it. Write the garbage out.

The Write-on topic today is tipping

2007-11-17T11:41:00.000-08:00

I just read a column from a very popular and well-read columnist in one of our local newspapers about tipping those people who assist us in everything from getting a good meal to hanging up our coats.

My philosophy on tipping has always been, if I get good service -- I give a good tip. My son bases his tips on whether or not the waiter or waitress keeps his ice-tea glass full. My husband only really wants to tip when my son or myself guilt him into tipping.

My almost-daughter-in-law used to do hair for a living and relied on her tips to help make her car payment. She felt that all of us should tip 20% no matter the service, no matter the empty glass or the cold meal or the forgotten eating utensils. She used to tell us, "These people depend on tips to live on" and we should all appreciate that fact.

The local columnist believes that we should always show our appreciation for service -- be it good or bad -- because all people have bad days now and again. My own thoughts are that I always treat my servers or hostesses or coat check persons with the utmost respect and manners. I always say please and thank you and always ask and never demand.

I have sat at many a table with many a professional where the servers are treated as invisible entities that are only important when you need something. I have also been guilty of not knowing for sure what our waitress or waiter looked like. But, in my defense that only happens when my mind is still thinking about a problem or is replaying a conversation or when I am really writing in mind. In other words, when I am other-wise preoccupied, I have forgotten to look at my server but I have always said please and thank you.

Does that mean I tip 20% every time? No. I tip according to my service. Granted, we all have bad days but when I hold back on my tip it is because I have observed the server being very nice and attentive to other tables and she or he has chosen my table as the one to bear the brunt of having too many tables to serve.

When I perform poorly with a client (this rarely happens but again we all have bad days) I may not loose pay, but I hear about it from the client and/or from my boss. When a server chooses me or my people to take out their bad day on, I don't tell their boss nor do I tell the server about it -- at least not verbally. I let them know what I thought of their performance with the amount of tip left.

A recent article about Hilary Clinton's campaign team not leaving a tip at small diner they visited on the campaign trail (including Hilary herself who by her own description graciously spent time talking with the waitress) is probably the most horrific example of how servers are taken for granted. The wait staff said that no tip was left but the campaign team said there was a $100 tip left. Who do you believe and why?

At some point we have to admit that we really, really need the waiters, waitresses, parking attendants, hotel staff, coat checks and all of the other titles assigned to persons who serve the public in the most seemingly invisible ways. I love my Starbuck servers. I know manyby name. I know many of their personal details. And, they always know what I want before get to the counter to order. I love how that makes me feel.

I love the servers at my favorite Chinese restaurant when they see me come in the door and they say, "Good to see you back. You want your usual?" It makes me feel wanted. It makes me feel important. It makes me feel appreciated. It also makes me want to show my servers how much I appreciate them by saying thank you, please and by tipping them enough to help them make their car payments.

Blogcasting and Podcasting; They really are all that and more!

2007-11-11T15:36:00.000-08:00

We have all been living and playing in the ultimate virtual technology world for well over 20 years now. In that time, the one thing we know for sure about our technology world is that it has always been fast moving. You gotta keep the latest and greatest on the drawing board or you'll get left behind in the technology world.

At the ripe and overly experienced age of 49, I have become somewhat complacent about technology. I have bragging rights in this virtual world because I enthusiastically started using computers with the very first Commodore 64 and the Radio Shack's in the early 1980s and have continually progressed to using the close-to super-computers of today.

I didn't think it could get more exciting than when computers came with internal hard drives, or you could put more than 256K of memory in the computer (and the operating system would actually access that memory) or when I logged onto the Internet for the first time using AOL.

As of today, the most exciting product of our technology-wise world has to be blogging and podcasting. I have been writing articles on www.helium.com for the past several months and I have to admit it is the greatest ego boost I've ever experienced.

I have been published for years in trade and consumer magazines, on the net, in local and regional newspapers and I've written a few computer and software how-to guides, but writing for an online blog such as www.helium.com is the best.

I can watch while my articles or opinion pieces are instantly read by millions of people across the world. I know this because the more my piece gets read, my rating number goes up. To watch this reading phenom, I have logged on to the site many times throughout my day and sometimes even at an hourly pace.

This blogging experience is added to writing for this blog with the biggest difference of having one blog site highly promoted and the other (this blog) left intentionally un-promoted.

Add to my blogging experiences of late, the immensely fun and exciting podcasting experience I've just had the opportunity to enjoy, and technology has a new face and a new depth. Podcasting, if you have not tried it, at first appears to be the most complicated technology to date and really is one of the most highly misunderstood technologies.

Podcasting is easy, fun, creative, applicable and far-reaching. It is satisfying to the writer in many of us because, like radio, podcasts have to be scripted to be effective. It is satisfying to the actor side of many of us because you have to read the script as if you feel the script.

For those of us that have less and less time to read, it is a great way to keep current with news and views. I could go on and on, and the are plenty of articles available online and in the local bookstores that tout the benefits of blogging and podcasting so I will leave now with my last expressed thought being that blogging and podcasting, they really are all that and more.

Make up your mind already

2007-03-31T21:14:00.000-07:00

Too many options in this life lead to too many unmade decisions. I have always had trouble making up my mind. Even now in my mid-life I still struggle with what I want to do professionally (write, teach or manage), what I want to drive (a suv or sports car), what I want to do as a hobby (golf, bike, photography, baseball), which sports I like best (tennis, football or basketball) or the hardest decision of all, whether I like myself.

It has taken me over a year to decide which bushes I want in front of our newly built home. I ended up buying the same plants and bushes in the landscape plan we started with a year ago. I have taken courses on 'effective decision making' but couldn't decide if the tips and the training really helped or contained much merit.

I have a rough time with sitting on fence. I know I do it, I know it is not a good thing, but once again, I just can't decide which side to land. There are some things I do know. Voting is always a quick and confident decision. Deciding what to order in the Starbucks drive-up window poses no problem.

Defending my family, walking or hugging my dogs, realizing the advantages of using technology or enjoying a sun rise or sun set pose relatively no difficulty.

While I try to decide where to look next for help with making decisions, if anyone can help me decide where to vacation this year, I would certainly appreciate the input.

The World is Flat?

2006-11-11T15:43:00.000-08:00

Old school has truly become just that, old school. As a grade schooler I was taught that Columbus sailed the great seas to prove the world is round. And, until now, I really believed that the world was round.

In his book, "The World is Flat", Thomas L. Friedman starts by giving Christopher Columbus credit for discovering a round world. The author very quickly turns the table and provides his reasoning on why today's world has actually gone flat.

I am only about 50 pages into the book but I believe the author's reference to the world being flat relates to how much business and action taking place through the use of computer screens, cell phones, teleconferencing and the like. The book starts by describing the outsourcing of services from American companies. No, not to other American companies but to other companies in other countries.

Outsourcing is a growing phenomenon that's been taking place since the year 2000. Did you know that some fast food restaurants are taking your drive-thru order through a computer then sending the order to another computer in a country thousands of miles away and then that computer processes the order and sends it back to the restaurant so the preparers can prepare, pack, collect your money and send you on your happy, hurried way?

The percentage of error reductions that this type of outsourcing has saved the fast food chain (which is nameless in his book) is phenomenal in itself but it also gets the people through the drive-thru line faster. Now take a minute and think about this. A computer takes your order at the drive-thru, it (the computer) sends the order to another country and the order gets returned to the food preparers faster than a person can take your oder, type it into the computer and get it to the food preparer. And, there are fewer mistakes in the orders. Amazing.

The outsourcing from the U.S., according to Friedman, has created entire economies in countries that most of us will never visit or even imagine exists. There are accounts of how some of the outsourcing companies teach their employees how to speak several languages and to speak without their native accent.

Friedman also has a recurring theme of the U.S. falling behind all of the other countries in our flat world in technology. It is a big book but it seems to read fast. I am looking forward to reading more of his research.

But, I really want to root for Columbus's round world. It took such great courage and unyeilding belief to jump in a big old wood boat and sail into the unknown, the world has to be round, it just has to be....

The Demise of the Written Word is Highly Overstated

2006-09-04T09:12:00.000-07:00

I read a lot. I do a lot of research. I read news, fashion, entertainment, scientific, business, technology, pets, home, gardening, photography, political, historical, art and antique magazines. You name it and I've probably read a sample of it at some time.

In all that reading, I can't even begin to relate how many times I've read about the demise of the written word. Yet, the written word or words still hold so much power and meaning. True, the spoken word or words can often do the most damage, but in general , living in such a visual, fast-paced world as we live in today, words still hold meaning. Which is a good thing.

Think about words used in advertising. Toyota's new print ads have the words "All Science. No Fiction." Pretty strong and convincing stuff. Or, HP's new print ad slogan, "It's not expensive to look expensive."

Promotional words you read and hear everyday such as 'the best', 'the newest', 'the safest', and 'the surest' are words that effect your buying decisions whether you realize it or not.

Think of the difference in the words used in negotiations. 'We want, we'll take, we'll give' all have strong meanings and have unimagable results.

How about words of departure. Does 'F... off ' mean something different than 'take care'?

I heard a good phrase in the workplace recently. What is the difference between the statement "I make a lot of mistakes and people will just have to get over it" versus "I make a lot of mistakes but I'm trying to do better. Hopefully, people will be patient with me."?
Stop yourself the next time you are buying electronics or technology based items such as cell phones or flat-screen televisions. Ask yourself if the words standard, excellerated, enhanced, fastest, newest or latest make a difference in the product you actually buy.

We continually have to take notice of the words we speak and write and the words spoken to us and written about us. Words do matter. The right words are just that, the right words. Wrong words, on the other hand, can do damage beyond our control, they can end relationships, get you fired, end a career and even get you sued.

Do you think Toyota means it when they advertise their cars as being based on science and not fiction or fabrication? Sure they do. Can those words hurt them if they are wrong? Sure they can. What about HP's claim that you can print expensive looking materials at inexpensive prices?

Do you think HP charges too much for printer ink? If so, those words may turn you to another printer company.

I would much rather work in an environment where employees know they make mistakes, take responsibilty for those mistakes and then try to better themselves which in turn betters the work environment. Getting over someone else's mistakes is not conducive to the way I want it to be in my work place.

So words still do count. That's good news to me because I like to think of myself as a writer. If words no longer hold any value, my writing no longer holds any value to others.

P.S. All the editors in the world take notice, word counts should be dictated by the fact that words count.

P.S.S. Sometime in the near future, I'll demonstrate how not only words count, but the emphasize you put on word or words count.

Yet Another Write On Phrase About Women

2006-07-04T13:02:00.000-07:00

This time I'm writing about the over-used and undefined phrase "What Women Want". The particular article that sparked my commentary is an article from Laptop magazine. The author got paid to do four full-color pages to detail what women want from their technology.

Technology such as laptops, BlackBerrys and mobile phones. The inset for the title entices us to read on by saying "Three movers and shakers sound off on what turns them on when it comes to mobile tech. Hint: it's not pink."

The piece goes on to describe faceplates for earpieces that come in leopard print. It details pink Milano handbags used to carry mobile tech and one interviewee has the nerve to say that tech companies have made electronics sexier and that women don't feel as masculine when using mobile technology.

Wow. I have used technology since before it became sexy or popular. I pick my technology according to features and speed first then how the computer or phone or whatever it may be electronic fits my lifestyle.

I have never considered technology to be sexy. I do pick my phone by the way it looks and I have purchased more than one laptop case by the way its design and style made me happy. I know many men who pick their cases because of the way they look too.

But, once again, we have taken a move for women in the workplace and in all the professions that require the use of technology and boiled it down to appearances or feelings or of all things emotions. I am not and will never be emotionally attached to any non-human item.

My laptop serves a purpose. My cell phone serves a purpose. My electronic calendar serves a purpose. All those purposes add up to helping me get my job done better or faster or easier.

Why, why oh why make it about sexy or leopard skin of all things. Women, have fun buying leopard skin and sexy for the bedroom or for your shoes, purses, underwear or bathing suit.

Leave sexy out of your technology purchases.

Things That Women Should Know

2006-06-25T16:58:00.000-07:00

What a topic to write on. How many magazines have you seen with that headline? "What women should know about..."

Men, sex, sports, cars, money, investing, cooking and my personal favorite, what women should know about having orgasms.

I recently read a piece about why women should know why men prefer long, shiny hair. According to the researcher, long, shiny hair provides a greater surface area for releasing human pheromones into the air which then attracts potential mates.

Plus, long, shiny hair also indicates good health, good genes and fertility. Don't get me wrong, I like long, shiny hair on women and actually on some men but I'm not sure why women need to know why they should love themselves with long, shiny hair.

The fact has an underlying tone that if you have anything other than long, shiny hair, you are doomed to bad health, come from bad genes and generally will never be mated with your species.

I know hundreds of women with short, shiny hair that are married or have partners and are in good health and actually enjoy their sex lives and love the freedom of short, shiny hair.

Here is an important fact that every women needs to know. Men have a preference for processing everyday information by physical contact or movement. And, that is why men can not stand or sit still while talking on the phone.

Women also need to know why ants turn up at picnics. It's because ant colonies have foragers that travel around finding food sources. When found, they call all the other ants to the area to eat.

Granted, these are interesting facts and many women do need to know this stuff. But, don't women also need to know how to manage money, raise children, program VCRs or DVDs or ocmputers for that matter?

How about reporting that women need to know how to invest using the stock market or understand life insurance or how to avoid bankruptcy when your mate makes serious mistakes. Or, how about the fact that women need to know how to recognize when their spouse has made serious mistakes?

I may be taking the high ground on a seemlessly harmless and meant to be humorous article, but after all the strides made by women in the past few decades, we still don't make the money, we still don't win the politics, we still are not the sex that people turn to for someone to fix a crisis.

Could it be that women should know why we are still coming up short? Could it be because we think too much about why men prefer long, shiny hair?

None, too much or just the right amount

2006-06-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

If you believe in fairy tales, Goldilocks found her perfect fit in a bear cave. If she can find just the right temperature and just the right chair, we, those of us living other than in a fairy tale, can find just the right amount of empathy.

Remember empathy? It's when you or I feel what others are feeling without the others explaining to us what they are feeling. Those without the proper level of empathy are the messed up ones.

If you don't feel any empathy, you could be a sociopath. If you feel too much empathy, you may not be able to fire people or let them know what is best for them because you feel too sorry for them.

Just the right amount of empathy can make one a better person, a productive and happy manager, a good listener, a best friend and a world leader.

Excerising just the right amount of empathy can make you a great leader, a great influencer, a great communicator and one who can easily and effectively resolve many a conflict.

Let's think about famous leaders in our world and compare their levels of empathy. Donald Rumsfeld, does he have the rigt amount or too little or none at all? How about Mother Theresa, what level of empathy did she display? What about our current Pope or the the last Pope?

Dr. Phil or Oprah, do they really exercise empathy or does someone script it for them?

Let's look at happenings in our daily lives for signs of empathy or lack of empathy. Would empathy make a difference in road rage incidents? A Florida woman recently pulled a sword on a motorist at Wal-Mart for taking her parking spot. Just a few weeks ago, a local teen fired four shots into the air at a man and his wife when he, the teen, pulled out if front of the couple, but the man blew his car horn at the teen, who then fired four gun shots into the air as a threat.

What's up with that? Does the kid not realize how he jeopordized the couple's lives by pulling out in front of them just so he could get somewhere two seconds faster? The teen obvisouly could not empathaize with the couple's fears of losing their lives to a non-feeling teenager. Maybe we need to also empathize with the teenager. He obviously does not feel any empathy, so let's ask him why. Then let's teach him that it is better to feel for others than it is to shoot guns at others.

Let's show him we care about the couple but we also care about what he is feeling and we want to help him not shoot bullets into the air but to stop, listen and care.

If we can change one teenager, we can change a million teenagers. It's not too late. We can change the problems with the lack of empathy. We can all take the time to stop, listen and care. Wake up every morning, actually look at people as you go through your day and ask how you can practice empathy.

Not too much, but just the right amount of empathy...

I Empathize With Ya

2006-06-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

I hope that you are still capable of feeling empathy towards those inside of your cirlce of the world. Empathy as it turns out has many sides to it and is a deeper topic than has been appreciated of late.

After some minor research into empathy, I've found that there is a condition called empathy distress. I've also read about empathy avoidance (boy do I know alot about avoidance). Plus, there are politics attached to practicing empathy in the workplace.

And, but of course, there is tough empathy. Now if none of these apply to you, rest assured, you can take many a workshops to try to learn empathy.

My question to you would be, do you really believe that empathy can be taught? Doesn't one just feel empathy, or not?

Let's look closer at the many facets of empathy. Empathy distress is experienced by persons who can't detach themselves from those they feel empathy for. Nurses, social workers, child services counselors are examples of persons who can become empathy distressed. Feeling too much empathy for someone can inhibit that person's ability to provide adequate and objective care.

Empathy avoidance, is just that. Someone is avoiding feeling any empathy, again to help them aid another person in a proper manner. Police officers would be a good example of a profession that might practice empathy avoidance on a daily basis. It's not that a person cannot feel empathy, they just want to avoid any semblane of empathy.

Tough empathy on the other hand, becomes a situation where you can feel empathy but still take the appropriate action which can be reprimanding or firing a person. Donald Trump for example shows tough empathy on his show "The Apprentice". For television camera purposes, he cares about those that he fires for millions of viewers enjoyment.

Next we need to know about the politicts of empathy. Those in positions of power want persons for which they hold the power over, to show them empathy, instead of the person of power showing empathy to those lower on the power pole.

Empathy can be used as a manipulation tool. If empathy is shown but is an untrue empathy or a faked empathy, a person is more than likely trying to manipulate others into doing what they want done all in the name of really caring about the person doing the doing.

Can empathy be taught? I don't think so. Regulating empathy is a skill that can be effectively taught, especially to leaders, supervisors, managers or even politicans. But in its rawest form, people either care about other people enough to really listen and to really care or they just don't give a damn.

Why should I care or for that matter why should you or anyone care about empathy? Because I believe the lack of empathy to be the one true thing missing in today's I don't care, you don't care world.

While searching for answers to why kids are graduating high school or not, without a clue as to what it takes to be a caring and productive person in the grown up society or why kids are killing kids at alarming rates, or why adult men continue to setup dates on the Internet with children of all ages but legal age, or how one half of a marriage can literally kill the other half for money or revenge, we seem to overlook what the lack of empathy has created.

If you can't teach one to feel empathy, then how can we fix the lack of empathy? It is so simple and so obvious that we have all missed the answer.

We can all take a vow to stop doing just for ourselves, listen to those around us and start caring about what happens to them.

Hey, what can it hurt?

Empathy; This week's 'write on' word

2006-05-21T10:34:00.000-07:00

Empathy, the ability to realize how someone else is feeling.

Webster's defines empathy as "the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts and experience fully commincated in an objectively explicit manner".

Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, reports, "Empathy builds on self-awareness; the more open we are to our own emotions, the more skilled we will be in reading feelings."

To be without empathy or the utter lack of empathy, says Goleman, can be found in the minds of molesters and the in the morals of sociopaths.

This word empathy is powerful. The reason I'm writing about it is because either through aging or life shattering experiences or my total loss of innocence, my ability to empathize has diminshed. I have no intention of becoming a sociopath or any other type of unmentionable degenerate that exists in this world today.

So I am bucking up to the fact that I have to reenergize my ability to know how others are feeling.

Look at all that the power of empathy has done for this world. There are organizations all over the United States that help people deal with abuse, hunger, homelessness, illness, death, preventative health, continuing education, building or rebuilding lives, addictions, predictions, lack of, too much of, contructing new homes, giving away free makeovers for homes and faces, research and the list goes on forever.

All of which would not exist if a group of people lacked the power of empathy. A person really needs to be able to feel how bad another person feels about losing a home to fire or flood or how a person feels while trying so desperately to fight an addiction. Such empathy is what generates and grows organizations such as Red Cross or the American Heart Association.

My background, ok, I am about to blame my childhood or child rearing for my adult actions, has been that of survival by my own means. Which all boils down to spending most of my adult life doing things that will propel ME, just me, forward both in monetary and nonmonetary ways.

I volunteer my time to organizations that will make me feel better about myself. I choose jobs that will make me look good to others. I have, in a real sense, cheated those I have helped because I didn't really feel what they were feeling.

Well, maybe in my younger years, somehow I related my feelings of helplessness and needs to those I was trying to help. But, lately, my helping has been purely to help me feel better about me. I have never intentionally hurt another person for pleasure, gain or for revenge. But, I'm not sure I have truly helped someone feel better because I don't believe I have taken the time to really let empathy play a part.

Knowing another's feelings without that person communicating directly about those feelings. Wow. That is powerful.

Empathy is part of everyone's emotional intelligence. As such, according to many years of research, empathy can be learned or relearned. So as I write about empathy this week and maybe part of next week's writings, I will be teaching myself to stop, listen and feel what those around me are experiencing and hopefully will find a way or ways to sincerely help someone in need.

Hopefully, you'll empathize right along with me.

Avoidance of Fear

2006-05-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

Avoidance has been my theme for the past week and it would appear it is going to remain my theme for this week. I had to give that one minute speech last night and I did ok, not great, but not embarrassing either.

Nonetheless, the entire day before the little speech, I could not eat, talk, think or relax. I got a fortune cookie at dinner the night before that said that "Fear is really just excitement that needs an attitude adjustment."

Not bad. I tried to think of my fear of the one minute speech as excitement. Then I remembered that I try to avoid getting too excited, so I had to continue to avoid facing up to my fear. Remember this was fear of a one (1) minute speech.

Really I think it boils down to all of my avoidances. Avoiding the truth that I avoid success, I avoid taking care of my future, I avoid facing up to my past and all of that brings me to avoidance of action, avoidance of feelings and of course I have to be avoiding writing.

I can't not be avoiding writing at any time of my life.

Avoiding the one minute speech

2006-05-10T19:00:00.000-07:00

I have to get up in front of 60 people next Tuesday and give a one minute thank you speech. It is only Thursday and I'm already fretting about the whole ordeal.

I've been a computer teacher since 1985 and have no problem standing in a room full of people as long as they can look at the computer screen or the overhead screen and not directly at me.

This speech, one minute otherwise known as an eternity, is one that I would rather just avoid. Two of my bosses and one of my co-workers will be there to show their support, or to hear me make a fool of myself for one minute.

I'm thinking of avoiding the whole thing by calling in sick. I never call in sick, I usually avoid using any of my sick days, but maybe it is time to throw off the avoidance robe and get on with life.

Really, avoiding the one minute, feels like an eternity, thank you very much speech is the best solution. I think. I'll let you know. I just can't keep avoiding the decision. We'll see....

Another take on avoidance

2006-05-07T15:11:00.000-07:00

My 'write' on word of the day came back to me in another way this afternoon. What's it mean when you see someone in a store, oh let's say the bookstore, and you or they quickly duck around the corner to avoid seeing you or you seeing them?

I have been the avoider and the avoidee at times. Today, I was the avoidee. When I do the avoiding, it makes perfect sense. I don't want to be seen in battered clothes that I've been wearing to wash the car or paint the stairs. I really don't want to talk to someone because I'm not in a very good mood and don't really want to make small talk or big talk for that matter. Sometimes, I'm just in a hurry and don't want to spend time catching up with someone.

But, when I am the one being avoided, now that makes me angry, sad and I daresay, depressed. Why would someone want to avoid speaking to me, even just a quick hello? The person looked dressed perfectly and did not appear to be in any hurry, until she saw me, which made this person quickly exit the store. By all appearances it was a complete and utter avoidance (snub).

The bigger lesson here, even though I'm looking for the answer to why someone would purposely avoid speaking to me in public, is avoid and avoidance hold much more meaning in life than the act of avoiding to write or the act of allowing oneself to actually be oneself, if that oneself really knew who they were or are.

Yes, indeed, avoidance.

2006-05-07T08:35:00.000-07:00

My 'write' word for today's posting is avoid and all forms there of such as avoidance. I am a great practioner of avoidness. I avoid many things in life such confrontation, action, success (oh yes I have much practice at avoiding success), fear and most of all I have avoided writing.

I have had this tumultuous relationship with writing since the ripe age of 13. Being much older now, ok being 47 now, it has been a relationship lasting 34 years. It has been on again, off again, love, hate, hard work, no work and committment, renewed committment and failed committment. But, I digress and I avoid.

The world is filled with people practing avoidness. People avoid paying taxes, going to work, falling in love, getting married or getting divorced. Our entire country is avoiding the truth about 9/11 and the fact we could be attacked and killed again on our own soil.

So what are my feelings about the word avoid? And, why would I want to write about it, especially so that the entire Internet world could easily read about my feelings about the word avoid?

Let's take a path away from the word avoid for a moment so that we can come back to it with a little more background and substantiation. There are several books that have been around since at least 1995 by author Danial Goleman that describe emotional intelligence and how it affects our personal and professional lifes. The research and the presentation of the research are very good and have opened the door for me personally to determine who I am and why I have made the choices that I have made.

Because of my almost lifelong struggle with the need to write, I have moved through several different careers including teaching and educational administrator. Although the careers I continue to fall back on have been in the educational arena, I have worked in public relations, sales and marketing, freelance writing (the lowest paying job ever there was), computer programming, software trainer, technical writer and a brief stint at photography.

So because of all this avoidance of the truth, I have also spent much of my time being self-centered and perfoming endless soul searching and trying to find the methodolgies, if you will, to allow me to admit that I am not really a writer but a dedicated educator who can write fairly well. I've tried meditation, hours of prayer, reading all of the self-help books, talking and rationalizing for hours and hours to family and friends.

I love being in education, especially higher education. When applied properly, education can be a terriffic life changer and many times a life saver. So I do recognize the true benefits of a good education and truly appreciate the opportunities I've had to participate in those life changing and life saving activities.

But, I continue to avoid the truth of my inner soul which is that of a writer, I think. My problem is and has always been is that I'm not sure I have the deep down talent that propels the most successful writers to keep trying, giving up all the outside forces of life such as food, travel, expensive cars and so on to give themselves to the art.

The emotional intelligence theory explores the power of emotions over IQ and looks at how empathy, hope, optimism and knowing theyself make up the master aptitude for success in any job. The first book also looks at flow, the state of self-forgetfulness. I am currently reading all three books on emotional intelligence concurrently so I will continue to post ideas and opinions about the topic as I finish each book.

For now, these particular theories have finally reached me and seem to be providing a way for me to look at all of my avoidance activities. Maybe I don't have a true writer inside, maybe I do. But for now, if I can stop avoiding letting the real me emerge, I am convinced I can stop avoiding some semblance of happiness.

This is my first time -- where have I heard that before

2006-05-06T18:08:00.000-07:00

This is my first posting. Does anybody really care. I do. It took a lot of thinking and actual soul searching to decide to blog. I am a want to be writer that has actually made a modest (very, ok extremely modest) living for a number of years as a freelance writer.

Making your way in this world as a freelance writer is not for the meak or the weak or for those that like to pay the electric or buy your children shoes on a regular basis. So I quit and went back to working in education.

I like working in education. The only thing I like doing more for a career is, you guessed it, writing. But, believe it or not, education pays more than freelance writing.

I have written two books. Business related topics they are and deep in storage they probably will remain.

Anyway, all of that has led me to this blog. My big plans for my blog include writing all kinds of brilliant, funny, thought provoking and just plain marvelous thoughts and opinions. They will be my opinions. All of the words will be my words. And, most important, I will be writing.

So, stop by anytime if you are interested in an opinion or two on a topic or two. If not, I'm still going to stay here and write away.