Young Henry Ford A Picture History of The First Forty Years

Average customer rating:

Slow read

Excellent

Publisher Should Re-issue This Gem

The LAST YANKEE: THE TURBULENT LIFE OF BILLY MARTIN
David Falkner
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0671726625

Customer Reviews:

Slow read.......2006-01-05

This book, all be it very informative, is very slow. Most of the information comes from people who "knew" Billy and not from the man himself. Several parts are very conflicting in their stories and the author is not exactly sure who to believe. If toy want to know abput the factual life of Billy in baseball this is for you. If want to here stories about Billy as a Yankee and a hot tempered manager try something else.

Excellent.......2004-05-25

I also am sorry this book is out of print, because it was an excellent read. Let me say at once, I don't consider it as complete as Peter Golenbock's "Wild, High and Tight", but then I am very biased and consider Golenbock the best sport's writer alive. In any event, I was very surprised at how well this book was put together, an outstanding awareness by Mr. Falkner of Billy's psychodynamics and his acute alcoholism. There is no judgement from the author, just the facts and some very profound insights. If you are a Billy Martin fan, as I have been since boyhood, this is a must have for your library. Billy could have been the greatest manager ever, and maybe he was, even with his flaws, and perhaps those very flaws are what drove him. Buy the book while you still can.

Publisher Should Re-issue This Gem.......2000-05-28

It's a shame this book is out-of-print. It took Amazon.com a few weeks to find it and ship it to me, but it was well worth the wait. Billy Martin is the type of subject who causes a potential biographer to salivate. He was one of the most remarkable characters the game has ever produced and it's amazing that there aren't more books about his turbulent life. Given his limited talents as a ballplayer, Martin overachieved on the diamond and made a name for himself in the 50s as the scrappy second baseman of Casey Stengel's New York Yankees. In the sixties, he managed in the minor leagues before making it back to the majors. In his very first year as a big league skipper, he lead the Minnesota Twins to the American League West title and was fired despite the strong showing. Almost everywhere he went he won at least one division championship, usually with the type of ballplayers who would have sent most managers to an early retirement. As a stategist, Martin was the most brilliant manager of his time, considered the greatest captain ever by no less an expert than the Elias Sports Bureau. Unfortunately, Martin's attachment to booze and his violent temper marked him everywhere he went. He was too prone to outbursts and alcoholic rage to suit the tastes of his employers, most of whom eventually grew tired of his constant shenanigans both on and off the field. Despite his amazing abilities as a manager, he was fired from every major league job he ever received. Most noteworthy among his stops was the New York Yankees. He could never get along with owner George Steinbrenner, who hired and fired Martin a ridiculous five times. Martin was too obsessed with being a Yankee to ever let rational thought keep him from taking over the reins of the team. His much-publicized bar fights were the stuff of legend and he never admitted to starting a brawl; it was always someone else's fault. He died tragically in a drunk driving accident in which he may or may not have been at the wheel (depending on whose story you believe). One of the reasons this book is such a fascinating read is that Falkner doesn't outdo himself in telling the story. He doesn't try -- as many authors surely would have -- to add his own personal touch to Martin's legend, but instead allows his readers to form their own opinion on the subject. Only in the epilogue does the author give his own opinions on Martin's career as a baseball genius. All of the controversies -- from the on-going feuds he had with Reggie Jackson, to ordering pitchers to plunk batters, to punching travelling marshmallow salesmen, etc. -- are reported in sufficient detail. It's a shame people don't have better access to such a fine book.

Average customer rating:

Fabulous Fashion At It's BEST

What a joke

Fashionable Gossip

unleash your inner fashionista

For Fashionistas ONLY

The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-Inch Heels and Faux Pas
Karen Robinovitz , and Melissa De La Cruz
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Fashionistas

ASIN: 0345463285
Release Date: 2004-08-31

Book Description

A fashionista is a girl who always looks current and cutting edge, even when her clothes are vintage 1975. A fashionista can tell her Pucci from her Gucci and her Blahniks from her Choos, but she’s as comfortable in Kmart as she is in Chanel. She wears what she likes and always looks fantastic. She’s a clothing chameleon: a sharp tweed suit and ladylike driving gloves one moment, a punk rock T-shirt and studded belt the next. She’s a gypsy, a princess, and a diva. She’s fashion-forward, shopping-addicted, and full of fun. And you can be her, no matter your size, style, or budget.
Authors Melissa de la Cruz and Karen Robinovitz are fashionistas who share a love for impractical shoes, small dogs that fit in designer handbags, and wearing white after Labor Day. They eat, sleep, and breathe fashion. And they’ll teach you how to

• Make a whole new wardrobe out of the awful duds that lurk in the back of your closet
• Use the words “postmodern” and “ironic” to fake your way through pseudo-intellectual cocktail conversation (really–it’s easy, and so postmodern and ironic!)
• Score big with chic and cheap finds at thrift stores, consignment shops, and discount designer outlets
• Live like a socialite on a shoestring budget

In two weeks or less, you’ll be living the lush life, from the brim of your Eugenia Kim fedora to the tip of your pointy Christian Louboutin pumps!

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous Fashion At It's BEST.......2007-03-11

These two witty young ladies make fashion fabulously fun for all of us fashionistas out there. A fabulous read!!! It's ironic AND postmodern!

What a joke.......2006-01-04

I agree that these women are not fashionistas. They are just women who watched too many Sex and the City and thinks they are authorities on fashion. I agree with another reviewer, I was shocked when I saw the photos of these women who you may picture at the local mall eating Taco Bells and shopping at JC Penny's. One of the authors need to lose some serious weight and let's be honest, being fashionable and looking great is hard when you are wearing a size 16.

Buy it for the photos- you will get a good laugh!

Fashionable Gossip.......2005-09-03

Unless you intend to take this book seriously, you'll have fun from the first page to the last. It's sinfully gossipy, very chick bonding kind of vibe, if you're the type of gal who loves shopping... It's unapologetically shallow....Just the very thing to read if you want to escape from life for a while...Do not expect much and you will not be disappointed.

unleash your inner fashionista.......2005-06-14

awsome book, very entertaining with some amusing insights to the way the fashionista thinks. a light and quick read with interestin wardrobe suggestions. for those who suspect they might just be a fashionista, or for those who know they are, this is an amusing read.

For Fashionistas ONLY.......2005-01-01

As the title suggests, this book is for fashionistas. It is not going to teach you how to better coordinate your wardrobe or develop your own personal style. If you're a fashionista, that is already second nature to you. If you want to have good, campy fun with designer clothing and better walk the walk and talk the talk of the fashion-obsessed, then you have hit on a goldmine. It's light-hearted and fun, full of good girlfriend-type tips about buying jeans and getting a bikini wax - stuff that Vogue doesn't tell you - that will enhance your fashionista-ness.

You can love fashion and you can LIVE fashion. Fashionistas are the latter ilk. If you can't tell the difference between a Choo and a Lou at 100 paces, then this book isn't for you.

Customer Reviews:

A Very Engaging Read.......2002-04-23

I thoroughly enjoyed this blow-by-blow account of the 1993 World Chess Championships between Kasparov and Short. Although biased (pro-Short - and the author admits to that biase up-front), the book provides the uninitiated with an insight into the world of the chess Grandmaster.

An Entertaining Tour of World Championship Chess.......2002-03-27

This book allows anyone who has been bitten by the chess bug to enjoy the natural drama created by this match. The author gives enough, but not too much, interesting detail regarding the squabbles and politics involved in setting up a championship match. The author's greatest accomplishment was the way he used his narrative to create suspense and excitement in each game. Some might argue that the book was more exciting than the match itself that involved a rather one-sided victory for Kasparov. Finally, the author does not require the readers to possess advanced chess knowledge. A good read for any chess maven.

Average customer rating:

Good principles, but they don't deep on them

It is far overrated

This book is a must for every serious programmer

Provides non-programmers with fascinating insights into professional tricks of the trade

A must for junior programmers, good reference for senior developers

The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master
Andrew Hunt , and David Thomas
Manufacturer: Addison-Wesley Professional
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 020161622X

Book Description

If I'm putting together a project, it's the authors of this book that I want. . . . And failing that I'd settle for people who've read their book." -- Ward Cunningham

Straight from the programming trenches, The Pragmatic Programmer cuts through the increasing specialization and technicalities of modern software development to examine the core process--taking a requirement and producing working, maintainable code that delights its users. It covers topics ranging from personal responsibility and career development to architectural techniques for keeping your code flexible and easy to adapt and reuse. Read this book, and you'll learn how to

Fight software rot;
Avoid the trap of duplicating knowledge;
Write flexible, dynamic, and adaptable code;
Avoid programming by coincidence;
Bullet-proof your code with contracts, assertions, and exceptions;
Capture real requirements;
Test ruthlessly and effectively;
Delight your users;
Build teams of pragmatic programmers; and
Make your developments more precise with automation.

Written as a series of self-contained sections and filled with entertaining anecdotes, thoughtful examples, and interesting analogies, The Pragmatic Programmer illustrates the best practices and major pitfalls of many different aspects of software development. Whether you're a new coder, an experienced programmer, or a manager responsible for software projects, use these lessons daily, and you'll quickly see improvements in personal productivity, accuracy, and job satisfaction. You'll learn skills and develop habits and attitudes that form the foundation for long-term success in your career. You'll become a Pragmatic Programmer.

Amazon.com

Programmers are craftspeople trained to use a certain set of tools (editors, object managers, version trackers) to generate a certain kind of product (programs) that will operate in some environment (operating systems on hardware assemblies). Like any other craft, computer programming has spawned a body of wisdom, most of which isn't taught at universities or in certification classes. Most programmers arrive at the so-called tricks of the trade over time, through independent experimentation. In The Pragmatic Programmer, Andrew Hunt and David Thomas codify many of the truths they've discovered during their respective careers as designers of software and writers of code.

Some of the authors' nuggets of pragmatism are concrete, and the path to their implementation is clear. They advise readers to learn one text editor, for example, and use it for everything. They also recommend the use of version-tracking software for even the smallest projects, and promote the merits of learning regular expression syntax and a text-manipulation language. Other (perhaps more valuable) advice is more light-hearted. In the debugging section, it is noted that, "if you see hoof prints think horses, not zebras." That is, suspect everything, but start looking for problems in the most obvious places. There are recommendations for making estimates of time and expense, and for integrating testing into the development process. You'll want a copy of The Pragmatic Programmer for two reasons: it displays your own accumulated wisdom more cleanly than you ever bothered to state it, and it introduces you to methods of work that you may not yet have considered. Working programmers will enjoy this book. --David Wall

Topics covered: A useful approach to software design and construction that allows for efficient, profitable development of high-quality products. Elements of the approach include specification development, customer relations, team management, design practices, development tools, and testing procedures. This approach is presented with the help of anecdotes and technical problems.

Customer Reviews:

Good principles, but they don't deep on them.......2007-08-14

It's undeniable that this book is full of good values, principles, and techniques that programmers should strive to follow in order to delivery good software. In spite of it, almost none of the topics covered by the authors go deep into the subject, what opens space, in my opinion, for future improvements.

It is far overrated.......2007-07-27

I have read the book mainly based on its high rate in the software development topics.

I agree with almost all the reviews ranging from 1 star to 5 stars.

Why I gave 1 star only is to bring down the overall rating. I have no personal contact with the authors and I don't think it is a bad book either, it is just shallow, as pointed out by many reviewers already.

If you are new to software development, it is fine for you to read it, you will learn something from the book, but I would say, Code Complete and Code Craft are far more interesting and systematic books than this one.

If you are a senior developer like me, please don't waste your time and money on this book, it is not for you. You probably could write some book like this if you are determined enough.

Sorry, authors, please forgive me. I am not attaching you at all, I just wanted to be fair.

Actually, I was kind of stupid since I didn't understand the book title very well, it already said there, in black and white, "From Journeyman to Master", what it means? It means if you are a junior developer, this book can shorten your learning curve to become a master.

Hope this review helps you make your decision.

Thanks

This book is a must for every serious programmer.......2007-04-04

This book is the best book that covers programming and how to work as a programmer that I have ever read. It is down-to-earth, funny and with lots of insights. The way it is structured, with very direct recommendations, make it an ideal book to use as a base for team consensus when it concerns the really important parts of software development. This book really shines.

Provides non-programmers with fascinating insights into professional tricks of the trade.......2007-04-01

I come to this book from a slightly odd perspective. Although I have some programming experience, it is very minor, and my current job is focused on strategy and project management rather than the nuts and bolts of coding. I bought the book hoping that it would give me a glimpse into the minds of the senior engineers I work with every day. This it did, quite successfully.

There are seventy numbered tips divided into rough categories. The challenge for me was to distinguish those that nearly all programmers would agree with ("always use source control") from those that may represent a preference of the author ("design with contracts"). An obvious way of doing this would be to review every tip with a programmer you respected. But if you plan to do this, try to buy the poor guy a beer afterwards. That's a lot of tips.

I also found very quickly that the subtitle of the book was no joke. These tips will help propel a programmer from "journeyman to master", but they are a stretch if, like me, you are a relative beginner. Nothing written here is conceptually outside the grasp of anyone who has done coding outside the classroom, but many of the implications and details escaped me until I talked them over with experienced professionals. It doesn't pretend to be a book for beginners, and by gum, it's not.

There is also a very heavy emphasis on testing and automation throughout the text. While much of the time this is obviously a good idea, it is focused on a certain type of programming whose core challenges are on the back end, and not user facing. Perhaps there is a method of testing that would catch the UI errors and usability problems that crop up so often when developing for the web, but if they were described I didn't catch them.

I would recommend this book to anyone working with programmers on a professional basis. It helps to understand some of their tools and processes, although not every engineer agrees with every tip presented. If you're learning how to program yourself though, I recommend you wait on this one till you're through a few more introductory texts.

A must for junior programmers, good reference for senior developers.......2007-03-21

This book is well written and contains valuable information about software development and practices.

It is highly recommended if you are starting in this field as this will set you up and get you going in the right direction.

If you are, however, an experienced software developer you can quickly skim through it. There was very little new for me. My colleagues and I already follow many of the practices mentioned in the book. It is good to have it on a bookshelf as a reference anyway.

Average customer rating:

Cold War Lies

A comprehensive introduction to Stalin and Stalinism

The monster deserves better

Quick, probably better for commoners, popular history

Good, solid biography, but not a classic

Stalin: Breaker of Nations
Robert Conquest
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Presidents & Heads of State | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0140169539

Customer Reviews:

Cold War Lies.......2006-01-20

This is one of the most historically inaccurate books published on the Cold War, and in specific Stalin. Robert Conquest is the head of the "cold warriors" who simply re-wrote history to fit their propaganda purposes. Conquest actually worked for a division of British Intelligence in the 50's and 60's which created anti-communist propaganda, based on sheer fabrication and lies. This work is no different. It stinks of right wing anti-communist propaganda and fabrication. The original anti-Stalin propaganda first came into the US in the 30's via Hearst, who relied on sources from his good friend Adolf Hitler. For a more objective and less politically motivated look at Stalin I would reccomend "The Soviet Communist Party Reconsidered" by J. Arch Getty, "Life & Terror In Stalin's Russia" Thurston, "Stalin: Man Of History" by Ian Grey, among many others. Please do not take this book seriously!

A comprehensive introduction to Stalin and Stalinism.......2005-01-25

There have been many biographies written about Josef Stalin. Many recent biographies of Stalin such as "Stalin: The Court of the Red Czar" by Montefiore and "Stalin and his Hangmen: The Tyrant and those who killed for him" by Rayfield focus only on the sexual depravity and crimes of Stalin's followers respectively. A person should only read those biographies only after they have read an introductory biography of Stalin and have therefore come away with an understanding of Stalin as whole. Robert Conquest's "Stalin: Breaker of Nations" provides such a biography with the vital information for one to build a basic stable foundation of the life of this twentieth century tyrant. In the introduction Conquest modestly says, "This book is not a dissection of Stalin's character, but a sketch". It is important to keep this quote in mind as one reads Conquest's book. Many reviewers unfortunately are hasty in criticizing "Stalin: Breaker of Nations" for its lack of length (a mere 330 pages or so). Nonetheless, Conquest's "sketch" proves to be more thorough than many of the "dissections" of Stalin available. Indeed Robert Conquest's work on Stalin has been so extensive that he was chosen to be the main history consultant for the 1992 movie "Stalin", starring Robert Duvall.

Robert Conquest writes his book for the common reader who only has a minimal knowledge of Stalin and Stalinism. The book is nonetheless engaging enough for the serious Russian history buff. Anyone who reads "Stalin: Breaker of Nations" will at least come away with the conclusion that Stalin was the most prolific mass murderer in history (yes even more than Hitler). The purpose of the book is ultimately to stimulate enough interest for the reader to do some further research and reading. If one wants further information on Stalin's crimes, one can pick up Robert Conquest's book entitled "The Great Terror: A Reassessment".

I strongly recommend "Stalin: Breaker of Nations" to anyone who wishes to have a firm grasp on the essentials of the early Soviet era. I especially wish to highlight Chapter 12 (entitled " War") of the book, which points how the Allies (Roosevelt in particular) were incompetent when it came to standing up to Stalin.

If you want some further readings on Russian History, just remember that the best Russian historians start with the letter "R" (Robert Conquest, Richard Pipes, Robert Service, Richard Overy, Robert Leckie, and Robert Payne).

The monster deserves better.......2003-12-20

Stalin was a perfect dictator: he was above it all. He was above dogma, as seen in his rebellious activity in the theological seminary and his "creative socialism". Ever since his bank robbing escapades he did not mind being above the law. In the Tsaritsyn affair, he showed the penchant for being above authority. He was above any respect for science and arts, having arrested most of the members of the Writers' Union and interfered in a spectrum of scientific fields. He was above any Party allegiance: a half of the party members were arrested and a million of them died in his camps. He did not have any use for familial ties, having imprisoned and shot his own and others' relatives. Of course, he was above any morality.

As much as I.V. Dzhugashvili was a notable character, Stalin also was made by the people around him. Lenin, a militant opportunist himself, found in Stalin a kindred spirit of his own extremism. Kamenev and Zinoviev saved Stalin from the fall (after the disclosure of Lenin's Testament) because they needed him in their struggle against Trotsky. Roosevelt and Churchill needed him to fight Hitler and turned a blind eye on what they did not want to see, such as Katyn massacre.

Stalin was the most evil ruler in the history of mankind, he killed over 40 million of his own people (to put it in perspective, Hitler killed 20 million and Saddam less than half a million), and yet Stalin's specter is very much alive today. During the Ribbentrop-Molotov negotiations, Stalin raised a toast to Hitler. In 2000, Putin was drinking to Stalin. After meeting Stalin in Teheran, Roosevelt commented on the "sympathetic quality in his nature". And G.W.Bush, having looked Putin in the eye, liked what he saw. It is interesting how history repeats itself: Russian leaders keep toasting the humankind's worst tyrants and the leaders of the free world keep seeing good souls.

As Conquest himself states, this book is not a "dissection" of Stalin's character, but a sketch. Written just after many Soviet materials on Stalin became newly available, the book feels like a period piece. Not having any source references and the frequent mention of "recent Soviet publications" only strengthen the impression. Unfortunately, Conquest's Stalin still remains fairly impenetrable. What was driving him: megalomania, paranoia, inferiority complex, dogma, self-righteousness, all of the above? Until the late 1920's (and the ripe age of 50) Stalin's persona in the book remains fairly obscure. The narrative does not really elucidate what led him, a good and pious student of theological seminary, become a professional revolutionary. Or how exactly he ingratiated himself with Lenin to the point of becoming one of the top Party functionaries. Or how in the crucial years after Lenin's death he was able to come unscathed from the many factional fights. The linguistic constructions are a bit heavy-handed which, along with the macabre subject of the book, makes for a somewhat strained reading. Rather than painting a portrait, the book reads like the author's struggle to piece it all together and understand its subject. On the other hand, it takes one to know one. So if we do not understand Stalin all that well - maybe, so much for the better.

Quick, probably better for commoners, popular history.......2003-05-16

Conquest has written eminent studies(the only in thier class) on the Great Famine(harvest of Sorrow) and the Great Terror. THese scholarly works have now been followed by a much lesser work. Clearly Conquest was responding from calls by his supporters to publish a book on the life of the monster, Stalin. But unfortunatly, instead of publishing a scholarly, in-depth 700 page study he has publish a rather paltry tale. Full of information it nevertheless lacks in several areas. It lacks mostly in the details of the post Great Terror. It lacks when describing the war. It lacks in describing the 'doctors plot'. it also lacks in the fact that it does not do justice to its title. Stalin: 'Breaker of Nations'. Conquest does not detail these nations. He tells nothing of the Jews, Tatars, Udmirts, Greeks, Germans, Armenians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Poles, Fins, and Estonians who were victimized by Stalin. Stalin was a breaker of nations but we dont hear about these nations.
Read this book, but then go and read Volkogonovs 'Stalin: Triumph and Tradgedy'.

Good, solid biography, but not a classic.......2002-12-21

... Conquest is a great Sovietologist; his works on collectivization and the terror are classics. This is a little different from his other works, however. This biography is not exhaustive; it's not long, it's not tedious, it's almost as much anecdotal as anything else. Conquest's not-too-subtle attempts at psychological history don't help; but it is quite obvious that he is repulsed by his subject, which anybody should, and would, be when studying the life of one of the worst human monsters that ever walked the face of the earth (as Alex De Jonge said, Stalin made Hitler look like an "inept bungler"). And his revulsion shows through at times. And historians do need to start pointing out, with greater regularity, the fool that Stalin made of Roosevelt, just for the sake of the hundreds of millions of people that had to live under tyrannical Soviet rule because FDR was convinced that Stalin was a great "democrat." Contrary to what one reviewer said, Conquest's "Stalin" is not a difficult book to read at all. If one is looking for a succinct, and imminently fair, biography of Stalin, it would be harder to find a better one than Conquest's. A bit a knowledge of 20th century Soviet history WOULD help the reader; and don't tackle "Harvest of Sorrow" or "The Great Terror" without some knowledge of the times. But with "Stalin", Conquest appears to be aiming more at the general reader and in this he succeeds admirably.

Average customer rating:

Stalin Breaker of Nations
Robert Conquest
Manufacturer: TRAFALGAR SQUARE +
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000SI6OJU

Average customer rating:

Stalin : Breaker of Nations
Robert Conquest
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: B000MTM0NO

Product Description

Unabridged

Average customer rating:

Stalin : Breaker of Nations
Roberrt Conquest
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: 1556908024

Average customer rating:

Stalin, Breaker of Nations
Robert Conquest
Manufacturer: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ORQPPI

Average customer rating:

Stalin: Breaker of Nations
Robert Conquest
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJ48U0

Book Description

What are the relative merits of the American and European socioeconomic systems? Longstanding debates have heated up in recent years with the expansion of the European Union and increasingly sharp political and cultural differences between the United States and Europe. In Inequality and Prosperity, Jonas Pontusson provides a comparative overview of the two major models of labor markets and welfare systems in the advanced industrial world: the "liberal capitalist" system of the United States and Britain, and the "social market" capitalism of northern Europe. These two models balance concerns of efficiency and equity in fundamentally different ways. In the 1990s the much-heralded forces of globalization (together with demographic changes and attendant political pressures) seemed to threaten the very existence of the social-market economies of Europe. Were the social compacts of Sweden and Germany outmoded? Would varieties of capitalism remain possible, or were labor-market and social-welfare arrangements converging on the U.S. norm?

Pontusson opposes the notion of inevitable convergence: he believes that social-market economies can survive and indeed flourish in the contemporary world economy. He bases his argument on an enormous amount of highly specialized research on eighteen countries, using national-level data for the last thirty years. Among the areas he explores are labor-market dynamics, income distribution, employment performance, wage bargaining, firm-level performance, and the changing possibilities for the welfare state.

Book Description

There’s a sucker born every minute–don’t let it be you!

Learn how to ward off even the best predators with the secrets revealed in The Power of Persuasion

When it comes to persuasion, there are three universal truths:

You’re more susceptible to it than you think;
The most effective persuaders are the least obvious; and
Whether they’re selling cars or religion, professional persuaders all follow the same principles of psychology.

Stop falling prey to their ploys. The Power of Persuasion looks behind the curtain of shilling and pitch to reveal the many methods of seduction used to pull your strings and push your buttons every day.

Drawing heavily on empirical psychological evidence as well as real-world investigations and anecdotes, The Power of Persuasion arms you with the knowledge to fend off such common manipulation tactics as:

Limited time offers: "Act fast because this fabulous opportunity won’t come around again!"
The "Four Walls" technique: A series of carefully worded questions makes you realize that you have no good reason for not purchasing the product
"Bait-and-switch": A salesman quotes a price on a car missing an important feature, then finds a more suitable car at a higher price

Customer Reviews:

the more I read this, the stupider I feel myself getting..........2007-04-17

Does he break down some interesting aspects of the concept of persuasion? Yes. Is this an entertaining book? Yes. Will it make you more stupid? Yes!

The WSJ thought this book was interesting, so I picked it up. This book uses real world examples to illustrate it's points, along with personal anectdotes to describe marketing techniques and the forces behind them. However, I found many of his statements not only wrong, but STUPID. Take for example, page 28, "It's like an evolving war between viruses and antibiotics-" ok, that's just wrong, antibiotics not fight viruses, they fight bacteria. I can pull up at least 5 other examples of major stupidity before half the book is even done. I decided to close it's pages at that point, imagining people sharing his "factoids" at cocktail parties. Good golly that would be just terrible because everyone else will think you are an idiot but really it wouldn't be your fault, it would be Mr. Levine's fault. I sure hope no classes use this as part of the curriculum because it's riddled with factual and logistical errors.

Take away from it what you will, it can still be an amusing bathroom read.

Academic and real-world insights.......2006-04-02

If you like books on influence that have a strong academic foundation and plenty of real world examples, you'll like this one. And I loved reading it.

Just before starting to write this review, I saw something that illustrates how each of us often sees certain things differently. Another reviewer believed the book's example of a car dealer's sales process lacks the details a reader needs to design a sales process. That example is precisely the one I'd decided to mention to you.

Levine uses ten pages to detail this nine-step process. It's a terrific, practical example of getting the customer to make a series of small commitments that greatly increase the likelihood of a sale. You'll get enough info about each step and the overall process to adapt to your sales system to the extent you want. Most of us will choose to borrow parts of this and other processes you read about. One reason is that this particular process included unsavory steps.

Sure, it will take some work and thinking on your part to improve your sales process. That's part of customizing sales systems so they work best for you.

Interestingly, the book gives the real name (Mike Gasio of Fresno, CA) of the super-slick salesman...and notes that he left the auto sales business and became a teacher and counselor for at-risk young people. Mike now uses the same process of gradually increasing commitments to help these troubled youngsters make healthy changes in their lives. What a great story. And illustration of how we can effectively adapt persuasion tools to create either sleazy or healthy results. Once we have the information...the choice is ours.

One of my favorite books on persuasion.

Good intro to psychology of persuation, NOT a guide book on how to persuade........2006-01-12

A very intersting introduction to the psychology of persuation, how everything from car salesman, education, religion, through to cults manipulate their victims. The book has certainly made me curious to find out more about the subject and I intend to read guidebooks on how to apply these principles in everyday life.

In other words this is an intro to the psychology, but not a guide on how to apply it. For example the book talks in general terms about the process that car dealerships design for persuading a customer to commit to a sale, but gives not enough detail to how to design such a sales process.

Great book.......2004-07-27

Easy to read. Lots of new material. Doesn't have a sales focus but is still a must for every salesperson.

An academic who doesn't try and impress you with who he is. This is a fine book. Along with Hogan's The Psychology of Persuasion, this is one of the best.

DT

Don't be a sucker again!.......2004-07-24

This should be a book that every consumer should read. What I find very interesting was that many of the techniques employed by sales people or con artist that was used on me was discribed step by step in this book. Though I didn't fall for them back then, it was eye opening to see 'their' textbook on persuading you.

Most of the information and studies in this book are quite old. But nonetheless it is still revelant today. This most fascinating part for me was how retail stores and supermarkets showcases their merchandise. Or how simply by putting a more expensive item next to the cheaper item will generate more sales on the cheaper item. Sounds simple, but it isn't, that is why companies spend so much money on marketing and research.

More rational people will generally not fall for tricks illustrated in this book. But unfortunately, these tricks do work because there are enough irrational people out there that are susceptible to them.

Book Description

This is the first book to examine the relationship between economic competitiveness and environmental protection in European Union policy. It contains a wide range of international case studies.

Global Competition and E. U. Environmental Policy

Average customer rating:

Global Competition and E. U. Environmental Policy
Jonathan Golub
Manufacturer: Taylor & Francis, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MUUI5A

Average customer rating:

Global Competition and E.U. Environmental Policy
Jonathan Golub
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N6D53A

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