The Economics of Innocent Fraud: Truth For Our Time

The Economics of Innocent Fraud: Truth For Our Time
Average customer rating:

A Brief, Important Work by a Remarkable Man

A tough worthwhile read

One of Galbraith's shorter and more polemical works

Short Poke at Conventional Wisdom

Old wine in a thin new bottle by a master vintner

The Economics of Innocent Fraud: Truth For Our Time
John Kenneth Galbraith
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Economic Conditions | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Economic Conditions | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Business Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
All Deals | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
Business & Investing | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Essential Galbraith

The Affluent Society

The Good Society: The Humane Agenda

A Short History of Financial Euphoria (Whittle)

John Kenneth Galbraith : His Life, His Politics, His Economics

ASIN: 0618013245

Amazon.com

John Kenneth Galbraith has been immersed in economics for most of his long and remarkable life. The purpose of this extended essay is to illuminate examples of "innocent fraud" or the gulf between perception and reality in the modern American economic system--a system he had a hand in creating during his tenure in FDR's administration. Though tackling serious subjects, the book sparkles with wit and sly understatement. "A marked enjoyment can be found in identifying self-serving belief and contrived nonsense," he writes, clearly enjoying himself.

The dominant role of the corporation in modern society is one such form of innocent fraud, and he explains how managers hold the real power in our system, not consumers or shareholders as the image would suggest. Despite the "appearance of relevance for owners," capitalism has given way to corporate bureaucracy--"a bureaucracy in control of its task and its compensation. Rewards that verge on larceny."

He also explains how the public realm is effectively controlled by the private sector. The arms industry is but one example of this: "While the Pentagon is still billed as being of the public sector, few doubt the influence of corporate power in its decisions." He also looks at the financial world which "sustains a large, active, well-rewarded community based on compelled but seemingly sophisticated ignorance," and in particular the Federal Reserve System, "our most prestigious form of fraud, our most elegant escape from reality." In essence, Galbraith says that the Fed, for all of its power and prestige, effectively does nothing. And he has little problem with this: "Let their ineffective role be accepted and forgiven."

Both a guide to the present and an aid to shaping the future, this slim, satisfying book is a font of wisdom, conventional and otherwise, from a respected elder statesman in the twilight of his life. --Shawn Carkonen

Book Description

John Kenneth Galbraith has long been at the center of American economics, in key positions of responsibility during the New Deal, World War II, and since, guiding policy and debate. His trenchant new book distills this lifetime of experience in the public and private sectors; it is a scathing critique of matters as they stand today. Sounding the alarm about the increasing gap between reality and "conventional wisdom" -- a phrase he coined -- Galbraith tells, along with much else, how we have reached a point where the private sector has unprecedented control over the public sector. We have given ourselves over to self-serving belief and "contrived nonsense" or, more simply, fraud. This has come at the expense of the economy, effective government, and the business world. Particularly noted is the central power of the corporation and the shift in authority from shareholders and board members to management. In an intense exercise of fraud, the pretense of shareholder power is still maintained, even with the immediate participants. In fact, because of the scale and complexity of the modern corporation, decisive power must go to management. From management and its own inevitable self-interest, power extends deeply into government -- the so-called public sector. This is particularly and dangerously the case in such matters as military policy, the environment, and, needless to say, taxation. Nevertheless, there remains the firm reference to the public sector. How can fraud be innocent? In his inimitable style, Galbraith offers the answer. His taut, wry, and severe comment is essential reading for everyone who cares about America's future. This book is especially relevant in an election year, but it deeply concerns the much longer future.

Customer Reviews:

A Brief, Important Work by a Remarkable Man.......2007-01-11

The book is an easy, important read by a man who dedicated his entire life to quietly improving the quality and dignity of life in America and around the world. Professor Galbraith addresses vital areas regarding corporate corruption and profit, the influence of business on government and other issues that are important to all of us. His writing style makes his important message accessible to everyone. He passed away in 2005 and I will miss him and will continue to draw upon his published work for inspiration for the [...] mission.

A tough worthwhile read.......2007-01-05

The writing is definitely unconventional and difficult. I found myself rereading many sentences and paragraphs to find the Galbraith's true intent. However, in the end it was worth the effort. This is not a communist or socialist manifesto, as one reviewer stated. It is an exposure of systemic irregularities, often illegal, perpetrated by large US corporations, which undermine both our economy and nation. Many of these corporations are on an endless fishing expedition (a.k.a. lobbying with perks). Only their catch has not the chicken of the sea, but of the congress and executive branches, who they can bend to their endless desires. Because of this Galbraith is calling for better oversight, legislation and enforcement of corporate law.

After this last election it appears that we have started paying attention. Hopefully, this includes those we elected as well.

One of Galbraith's shorter and more polemical works.......2005-12-31

Canadian-born John Kenneth Galbraith is probably one of the most influential economists in the West over the last 60 years. As a flag-bearer of progressive politics and liberals, he has a steady history of writing economics treatise that argue his beliefs. His latest offering is a short polemic against corporate bureaucracy. Titled "The Economics of Innocent Fraud", this book shows how the modern capitalistic economy found in the US is really an economy driven by a small class of corporate managers. They, not consumers and not share-holders, are in the driver's seat. They determine what gets made, who gets paid, and what people can buy in the marketplace of goods, services, and most importantly, ideas. As such, this class is beholden to noone but themselves. The books ideas are not new, though for such a major economic figure to take it up and argue it with such obvious partisanship is quite new. The problem with this book is its writing style. It seems to follow a stream-of-consciousness style, which makes it difficult to understand what the author is trying to say. The book contains many sentences that are not grammatically correct in any sense of the word. Overall, the book's editors needed to have done a better job.

Short Poke at Conventional Wisdom.......2005-07-22

There is certainly fraud in economics however I question the innocence. Mr. Galbraith points out a handful of accepted truths about economics that are, quite frankly, false. Perhaps the biggest fraud is the idea the shareholders are part owners of the companies they invest in. This idea has been pushed most recently by internet trading companies who like to give small investors the impression that they literally own a piece of the company. You might as well claim to own part of the moon. Despite being an investor and `part owner' of the company I worked for they still laid me off without my permission or consultation. Even the board of directors is created by and for management. Mr. Galbraith describes the annual shareholder meetings as resembling a "Covenanted Baptist Church service". What further proof do you need of the impotence of the shareholder than the continuing and inexorable rise in management salaries through the early part of the decade as the market tanked. Imagine sports athletes being in charge of setting their own salaries and it becomes clear how CEO's can now earn 470 times the salary of the lowest paid worker in the company they manage.

Another fraud discussed by the author is the idea of public and private policy. These two spheres have become increasingly irrelevant as government officials jump back and forth between corporate management and policy making. How many public appointees have suddenly found themselves with lucrative lobbying careers the moment they leave an administration? Mr. Galbraith points to the military industrial complex as a particularly egregious merging of the two and even argues that the Pentagon is as much in the private sector as the public. As the final chapter closes he expresses sadness that of all the areas of technology that man has pursued developing weapons of war has consistently held priority.

`The Economics of Innocent Fraud' is a very small book (62 tiny pages) and can be read in a single sitting. The book is just a few simple ideas set down with little in the way of argument or persuasion. Although I agree with Mr. Galbraith in his ideas I wish there could have been a lot more substance. One chapter argues that the Federal Reserve is basically a placebo to satisfy investors and voters that the government is doing something. That's a pretty bold assertion (although I have heard this argument before). I just wish the book would have backed it up with more facts. Still, it's nice to see such a legendary figure still producing sharp, topical writings.

Old wine in a thin new bottle by a master vintner .......2005-07-11

John Kenneth Galbraith is one of the most popular writers on Economics the world has ever known. It is close to half a century ago that he first warned us about 'the affluent society' and the dangers of being too addicted to ' the conventional wisdom' Now at the heroic age of ninety - five he has written this present little work which also aims to wake us up, to stir us to new awareness. And to make us understand that our ordinary present , common- sense understanding of the Economic world is not realistic and true. Instead we live in a world in which we are taken up by a whole list of ' innocent frauds'. The gadfly Galbraith, the truthteller who sees what no one else does is now going to rip the mask off once again. And he is going to lay bare the naked truth of our economic life and reality.
However much of the new naked truth corresponds with old truths. As Galbraith himself says the fact that the stockholders and Board of Directors do not really run companies has been known for a long time through the researches of Alfred Berle Jr. in the thirties. The tremendous power of Management is an old story which takes on new aspects in the Global Age.
Another old complaint of Galbraith recycled here is the mistake of looking at GNP alone as economic indicator in regard to the quality of life of our society . One of Galbraith's central themes has been the misallocation of public monies for purposes of private consumption instead of for the overall social and cultural good.
This work has then as I understand it much old wine in a new bottle. But Galbraith is still a master vintner, though I sense a bit less irony, humor and happy hatcheting than in the older work.
One more point is that the book ends with a bit of an anti- war diatribe. It is hard to argue with the truth that War is Cruel and Evil and is something Mankind would do better to be entirely free of.
But it is another to argue that the wars of this century and even the war on Terror that the West is now in simply come out of commercial greed, and the needs of large- scale weapons manufacturers. There are after all geopolitical dimensions to reality which have meaning of their own. Ideological elements ( whether Nazism,Stalinist Marxism or Islamic Fundamentalism) do compel societies which do not wish to live under their rule, to resist them.
Even the wise and experienced have no right to foist on us simplistic formulas for the reading, or misreading of complex realities.

The Economics of Innocent Fraud: Truth for Our Time.(Book Review): An article from: Journal of Economic Issues

Average customer rating:

The Economics of Innocent Fraud: Truth for Our Time.(Book Review): An article from: Journal of Economic Issues
Warren Mosler
Manufacturer: Association for Evolutionary Economics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000976ULM
Release Date: 2006-07-14

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Economic Issues, published by Association for Evolutionary Economics on March 1, 2005. The length of the article is 1096 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Economics of Innocent Fraud: Truth for Our Time.(Book Review)
Author: Warren Mosler
Publication: Journal of Economic Issues (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 2005
Publisher: Association for Evolutionary Economics
Volume: 39 Issue: 1 Page: 265(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

In Fisher's view, corporate sin occurs when leaders have no moral compass to follow, leading to breakdowns in companies, governments and religious organizations. Here he proposes new guidelines to follow.

Customer Reviews:

Corporate Sin -- Like a "Left Cross" to the Psyche.......2001-03-10

Franz Kafka said that if the book you are reading doesn't affect you with the same force as a blow to the side of the head, then reading might be a waste of time. In that light, reading "Corporate Sin," by James R. Fisher, Jr., is an experience similar to receiving steady left jabs, frequent left hooks, and an occasional overhand right that you don't always see coming and that continues to send shock waves long after it connects. "Corporate Sin" is a the kind of book that will get you out of the middle of the road, and into your own lane. It is a rare find in the management genre, as few in the field write with such passion and honesty. Not many people have the guts to tell the truth as they see it, which is why we're so startled when someone articulates it. If you are going to read only one book on management this year, make it "Corporate Sin." -- Charles D. Hayes, author of Beyond the American Dream (1998), autpress@alaska.net (Autodidactic Press).

Guide to Community Fishes (Fishkeeper's Guides)
Average customer rating:

A list of community fish, bulked out.

Guide to Community Fishes (Fishkeeper's Guides)
Dick Mills
Manufacturer: Interpet Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Fish & Aquariums | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1902389522

Customer Reviews:

A list of community fish, bulked out........2001-12-12

More than half this book says absolutely nothing about community fishes.

The first section of this book repeats much of the same information one might find in any aquarium book -- heating, lighting and filtration, plants and layout, maintenance of equipment, feeding, etc. -- at a fairly general level. The main section of the book lists and describes sixty freshwater tropical fish that can be kept together in tropical tanks. There's nothing about compatibility between specific species, or how to include fish that are marginally community-oriented. There's nothing about water conditions for different fish, so a reader depending on this book might not even realize that some fish will do poorly in the same water that other fish thrive in. The last section of the book is about breeding -- again, nothing about "community."

For those who are interested in the "community" aspect of a community aquarium, this book is simply a list of sixty fish to choose from. For those who are setting up an aquarium for the first time, who want a random mix of fish, and who want to buy only one book, this could be the book.

A Fishkeeper's Guide to Community Fishes
Average customer rating:
A Fishkeeper's Guide to Community Fishes
Dick Mills
Manufacturer: New York: A Salamander Book / Arco, 1985
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O3MV0K

Ry Sagittarii Light Curves, 1991-1995: Aavso Monograph 5, Supplement 1
Average customer rating:
Ry Sagittarii Light Curves, 1991-1995: Aavso Monograph 5, Supplement 1
Janet A. Mattei , Elizabeth O. Waagen , and E. Grant Foster
Manufacturer: American Association of Variable Star Observe
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books
Astronomy | Astronomy | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1878174185

Discover Nature in the Weather: Things to Know and Things to Do (Discover Nature)
Average customer rating:
Discover Nature in the Weather: Things to Know and Things to Do (Discover Nature)
Tim Herd
Manufacturer: Stackpole Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Rivers | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Meteorology | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Climatology | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Weather | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Discover Nature in the Rocks: Things to Know and Things to Do (Discover Nature Series)

Discover Nature Close to Home: Things to Know and Things to Do (Discover Nature Series)

Discover Nature in Winter: Things to Know and Things to Do (Discover Nature , No 6)

Discover Nature in the Garden: Things to Know and Things to Do (Discover Nature)

Discover Nature at Sundown: Things to Know and Things to Do (Discover Nature Series)

ASIN: 0811727165

Book Description

Meteorology explores the earth's weather and attempts to explain the various phenomena associated with it, from the continuous movement of water in the hydrologic cycle to dangerous funnel clouds that appear during a storm. Careful observation can reveal clues to the workings of weather: Why does the rain fall? What causes the wind to blow? How does a cloud form? Discover Nature in the Weather answers these questions, providing a practical and entertaining guide to understanding the behavior of the sky. It also offers hands-on experiments using common household items.

Book Description

*8-page color section
* Map
* 6 x 9
* The most complete guide available
* Fishing, camping, and hiking tips
* Extensive list of waters and how to reach them

Great fishing in breathtaking surroundings can be had in the Rocky Mountains, but you'll need this book, because unlike many remote destinations with fly-in access, these waters can only be reached on horseback or on foot. Part One covers gear and techniques for traveling, camping, and fly fishing, including practical advice on how to plan a trip, which hiking, camping, and fishing tackle and flies to bring (and which to leave at home). Part Two is a detailed guide to select destinations in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Idaho and Oregon, all based on the firsthand experience of the author.

Rich Osthoff is a professional fly tier and angling writer who has fished and hiked in the backcountry for 20-some years and written articles for the major fly-fishing magazines. This is his first book. He lives in Mauston, Wisconsin.

Customer Reviews:

Great read, interesting info, but..........2007-01-12

keep in mind that the book was PUBLISHED in 1999. A lot changes in mountain lakes in that time alone, much less the time since he was actually at most of the lakes he discusses. Again, the read is great-- the info solid and often very informative-- just dont expect to find the fish sizes he mentions as many of the lakes. In my personal experience at several of the lakes he mentions the fish were at times of different types than he found (i.e. cutthroat trout rather than goldcutt hybrids) and almost always of diffent sizes (typically, though not always, smaller than he mentions). That said, BY FAR the best lake to fish for Golden Trout is Lightning Lake in Montana.
If anything the size of the Goldens in that lake is increasing year to year from my personal experience. Amazing Fishing.

inspiring.......2007-01-05

osthoff hails from my neck of the woods, where intricate spring creeks tiptoe through shrouded forests and spooky brown trout snub their noses at many of the most perfectly-presented offerings..... while fishing around home is a unique experience in itself, something always seems to draw me west..... be it the mountains or the vast wilderness or the multitude of wild fish montana and wyoming forever call......

this was my and could be your kick-in-the-pants to get you off the beaten path on your next trip to the rockies..... he provides overviews for more national parks, wilderness areas, and secluded rivers than any man should have been able to or should expect explore in a lifetime..... he appears to specialize in high-mountain lake fishing and much of the focus of this book is directed at the wind rivers and absoraka-beartooth areas of montana and wyoming, but covers waters from colorado up to idaho and glacier nat'l park......

even if you aren't necessarily planning a backcountry journey, read this book-- the pictures and stories he tells make an entertaining, insightful, and at times exciting read.......

This book is the authority on backcountry flyfishing........2004-01-25

Rich Osthoff knows what he is talking about. I have read many books that attempt to cover backcountry flyfishing, and none have done so as well as Osthoff's. As an experienced backcountry flyfisherman, I found Osthoff is right on the money with all he had to say. There was still a lot of material to challenge even the experinced though. If you have any interest in catching gorgeous fish in an equally gorgeous setting, this is your book. Absolutely right on the money.

A generous helping of backcountry experience..........2003-12-19

This book is a must for flyfishers in search of quality backcountry fishing. Osthoff skillfully avoices overt hotspotting, while giving the reader the skills necessary to find quality fishing destinations. This is not a guide book, with maps detailing hotspots, but rather a book that will allow the backpacker/ flyfisher to home their own skills and sense of discovery.

Studying this book put me on to large golden trout my first time out!

An Essential for Backpacking Fishermen.......2003-05-19

Fly Fishing the Rocky Mountain Backcountry is a very comprehensive guide to backcountry fishing. Rich Osthoff gives the reader a generous portion of his extremely comprehensive understanding of backcountry fishing. He delves into different backpacking styles, reveals his theories of alpine lake fishing, recounts numerous fishing experiences, and motivates the reader to get on the trail, ready to trek for Trophy Goldens, Rainbows, Cutts, and Brookies. His information on the Goldens of the Wind Rivers alone is reason enough to buy the book. Osthoff should be commended for sharing what he has learned during his 25+ years of backcountry fishing. If anyone wishes to seriously fish for big backcountry fish, this book must be purchased, read and re-read.

The New York Mapguide: Fourth Edition
Average customer rating:
The New York Mapguide: Fourth Edition
Michael Middleditch
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJ65KQ

Reagan's Path to Victory: The Shaping of Ronald Reagan's Vision: Selected Writings
Average customer rating:

Preparation for a Presidential Run

Reagan's Path to Victory: The Shaping of Ronald Reagan's Vision: Selected Writings
Kiron K. Skinner , Annelise Anderson , and Martin Anderson
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Presidents & Heads of State | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | United States | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Reagan, Ronald | ( R ) | People, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Letters & Correspondence | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Reagan, In His Own Hand: The Writings of Ronald Reagan that Reveal His Revolutionary Vision for America

With Reagan: The Inside Story

Fighting for Peace: Seven Critical Years in the Pentagon

Ronald Reagan: A Life in Politics

The Age of Reagan, 1964-1980: The Fall of the Old Liberal Order

ASIN: 0743227069

Book Description

In the last years of Ronald Reagan's life, his voluminous writings on politics, policy, and people finally emerged and offered a Rosetta stone by which to understand him. From 1975 to 1979, in particular, he delivered more than 1,000 radio addresses, of which he wrote at least 680 himself. When drafts of his addresses were first discovered, and a selection was published in 2001 as Reagan, In His Own Hand by the editors of this book, they caused a sensation by revealing Reagan as a prolific and thoughtful writer, who covered a wide variety of topics and worked out the agenda that would drive his presidency. What was missed in that thematic collection, however, was the development of his ideas over time. Now, in Reagan's Path to Victory, a chronological selection of more than 300 addresses with historical context supplied by the editors, readers can see how Reagan reacted to the events that defined the Carter years and how he honed his message in the crucial years before his campaign officially began.

The late 1970s were tumultuous times. In the aftermath of Vietnam and Watergate, America's foreign and domestic policies were up for grabs. Reagan argued against the Panama Canal treaties, in vain; against the prevailing view that the Vietnam War was an ignoble enterprise from the start; against détente with the Soviet Union; against the growth of regulation; and against the tax burden. Yet he was fundamentally an optimist, who presented positive, values-based prescriptions for the economy and for Soviet relations. He told many inspiring stories; he applauded charities and small businesses that worked to overcome challenges.

As Reagan's Path to Victory unfolds, Reagan's essays reveal a presidential candidate who knew himself and knew his positions, who presented a stark alternative to an incumbent administration, and who knew how to reach out and touch voters directly. Reagan's Path to Victory is nothing less than a president's campaign playbook, in his own words.

Customer Reviews:

Preparation for a Presidential Run .......2005-03-29

Never the lightweight portrayed by the media, this collection of 300 addresses shows how Ronald Reagan honed his message in the crucial years leading up to his presidential run.

The late 1970s were times of tumult. Following Vietnam and Watergate, the country was adrift, unsure of its foreign and domestic mandate. Between 1975 and 1979 Reagan delivered more than 1,000 radio addresses, of which he himself wrote 680.

Reagan argued in vain against the Panama Canal treaties. He was against the prevailing view that the Vietnam War was wrong. He counseled against détente with the Soviet Union; against the growth of regulation; and against the tax burden.

Yet he was fundamentally an optimist. His positive positive, values-based prescriptions for the economy and for Soviet relations were welcome prescriptions during this period of what President Jimmy Carter termed "malaise." Reagan told inspiring stories; he applauded charities and small businesses that worked to overcome challenges.

In short, he touched voters. This history of Reason's pre-presidential thoughts provides unique insights not just into Reagan's policy thinking, but also into his status as a master communicator.

Winning Behavior: What the Smartest, Most Successful Companies Do Differently
Average customer rating:

Clients Needed? Then you need this book!

Hard-Won Wisdom

Behavioral Differentiation - What The Best Do Differently

STERN'S MANAGEMENT REVIEW FINDS THIS AN EXCELLENT BOOK!

Do you want to Win More than Your Fair Share?

Winning Behavior: What the Smartest, Most Successful Companies Do Differently
Terry R. Bacon , and David G. Pugh
Manufacturer: AMACOM/American Management Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Strategy & Competition | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Leadership | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Customer Service | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Behavioral Advantage, The: What the Smartest, Most Successful Companies Do Differently to Win in the B2B Arena

Powerful Proposals: How to Give Your Business the Winning Edge

Selling to Major Accounts: Tools, Techniques, and Practical Solutions for the Sales Manager

Adaptive Coaching: The Art and Practice of a Client-Centered Approach to Performance Improvement

Persuasive Business Proposals: Writing to Win More Customers, Clients, and Contracts

ASIN: 0814471633

Amazon.com

Marketing experts Terry Bacon and David Pugh offer insightful and practical benchmarks for "outbehaving the competition" in Winning Behaviors. Their book avoids gaseous generalities about customer service and underlines four specific routes to "behavioral differentiation" (BD).

Using examples as diverse as Elvis-dressing Southwest Airlines CEO Herb Kelleher, the Ritz Carlton concierge who replaced a lost teddy bear, and Bogart as Captain Queeg in The Caine Mutiny, the authors illustrate four types of "BD" including "operational," (using procedures like return policies to demonstrate high standards,) "interpersonal," (focused listening to convey genuine concern) "exceptional," (rule breaking beyond the call of duty) and "symbolic," (sending a consistent message through words and deeds).

The book's strength is in the details. For example, how to do homework about a new client, customize a service, and avoid a charge for every minute mentality. The authors leverage clear lessons from gold standard companies such as Harley Davidson, Nordstrom, and Volvo who use BD to out perform competitors. This smart book invites readers to exceptional performance by offering fresh ideas for being on your best behavior. --Barbara Mackoff

Book Description

In an age where even the best products are quickly imitated, businesses must constantly find new ways to outpace competitors. Successful companies differentiate themselves not just with superior products, but also by how they behave toward their customers at every touchpoint: service, product development, marketing, branding, bids and proposals, presentations, negotiations, and more.

Behavioral Differentiation is emerging as the "final frontier" in competitive strategy, and Winning Behavior shows how leading companies use it to exceed expectations and outperform competitors. This eye-opening book offers case histories and examples from companies like GE, Volvo, EMC, Ritz-Carlton, Wal-Mart, and Harley-Davidson, plus interviews with executives like George Zimmer (Men's Wearhouse), Colleen Barrett (Southwest Airlines), and Gerry Roche (Heidrick & Struggles).

In today's ultracompetitive business landscape, product quality and competitive pricing are prerequisites for staying afloat. Winning Behavior reveals the secrets the best companies use -- and any business can use -- to stay at the pinnacle of success in their industry.

Customer Reviews:

Clients Needed? Then you need this book!.......2003-11-14

The name says it all..."Winning Behavior". Pugh and Bacon provide real life examples of why behavior towards our clients cannot be turned on and off like a lightswitch. Their book expands on those studies to show why and how today's best companies have sucessfully developed an understanding of their clients needs amd made them "their own." WINNING BEHAVIOR shows why that understanding is crucial in today's highly commoditized world.

Pugh and Bacon walk through the finer points of what today's most successful companies do to exemplify Winning Behaviors. Evidence the large change in the contracting landscape today. Great names from the past that were once giants in industry are no longer. Why? Terry and David provide the answer. They lead you through why the companies that have endured are the ones that have subscribed to the principles David and Terry write about.

Winning Behavior truly is a "Must Read" for anyone wanting the insight into today's way of developing long-term relationship based clients. In order to develop that relationship, one must take the steps necessary to acheive the type of behavioral change required - Terry and David's book provide the roadmap!

Hard-Won Wisdom.......2003-08-16

In a marketplace where everyone claims to be the best, anyone can sell for less, and no-one can maintain the lead on new technologies, Pugh and Bacon demonstrate that the only way to beat the competition is to out-behave them. Your mission statement means nothing if you don't make it your way of life. The authors place a wealth of hard-won wisdom at your fingertips in the eloquently-written Winning Behavior. Exercises at the end of each chapter lend an interactive feel to the book, making the information more pertinent to the reader's experience. A pleasure to read and packed with profound insights, this book is a must-have for anyone wishing to succeed in any market.

Behavioral Differentiation - What The Best Do Differently.......2003-08-07

How long has it been since you've picked up a business book and read it in just three sessions. Terry Bacon's and David Pugh's recently published book on "Winning Behavior - What the Smartest, Most Successful Companies Do Differently" is one of those books you won't be able to set down until you've finished reading it from cover-to-cover.

"Winning Behavior" is a multi-case analysis of "Behavioral Differentiation" and its role in the success of the best companies in the industry. This book contains a wealth of great examples of BD in The Most Successful Companies in business and a section titled "Challenges For Readers" at the end of each chapter, with a number of soul-searching questions relative to one's appreciation of how to achieve behavioral differentiation.

Why was Edward Jones Brokerage rated No. 1 on the 2002 Fortune List of Best Companies to Work For ?; Why was the Men's Warehouse named one of America's Best 100 Companies To Work For in 2002 ?; Why was Harley-Davidson named company of the year in 2001 ?; and Why have Southwest Airlines and the other successful companies highlighted in this book been so successful in their business and with their employees ? How are company procedures and hiring processes important to companies that excel in behavioral differentiation ? This book, which is a "must read", answers these and many more questions relative to what is described as the final frontier in competitive strategy and what separates the best from the rest.

STERN'S MANAGEMENT REVIEW FINDS THIS AN EXCELLENT BOOK!.......2003-08-05

Based on a study of highly successful companies, the authors have identified nine domains of differentiation, all of which can be copied. What is unique are new ways to create a positive chemistry with customers through four major areas of behavioral differentiation. These are: 1) Operational: institutionalizing behavior through practices, policies, procedures, and employee education and training. 2) interpersonal: interpersonal skills and attitude. 3) Exceptional: when employees go out of their way to help customers; 4) symbolic: behavior that reflects the company's key product, service, or messages and values (aligning the company's behaviors with it's intended image and promises). The book gives examples that show ways winning organizations create these behavior differentiations. While most of the book is devoted to B2C companies, a chapter also addresses B2B firms. The authors provide a treasure trove of illustrations. An excellent work, rich in real-life details.

Do you want to Win More than Your Fair Share?.......2003-07-19

In a world where new offerings are commoditized as soon as they are recognized - differentiation quickly vanishes. This is true for widgets and professional services alike. So how do you overcome the reality of excess capacity of most everything? Bacon and Pugh bring us an antidote for overcoming the excesses of a market that is characterized by Darwinian behavior. Here the authors provide a portal into Winning More Than Your Fair Share via a very special intangible - WINNING BEHAVIOR. While behavior isn't centric to the ether filled business theory books that are being cranked out by the score, here Bacon and Pugh present clear and concise recommendations that are backed up with something that rings true in every board room, in every country - the evidence of PROVEN RESULTS.

As one who has been in the successful driver seat of deals reaching from a few million to more than a billion dollars the wisdom and guidance of the authors has made a difference for my sales force not to mention my career. Seeing the resulting delta between those that have established the quality relationships at each touch point in the customer's organization along with their solid offering compared to those that merely reverse engineer their "copy and paste" proposals quickly clarifies which is the smart path to follow.

Seeing is believing! There's nothing quite like putting up that PowerPoint slide that shows the addition of a third comma in the backlog of profitable contracts at your quarterly or annual performance review. Trust that the Gods of the Board Room are far friendlier when the numbers are heading north rather than south.

Buy it. Read it. Implement it. Deliver it. The process is simple. The discipline is the tough part. Perhaps that is why we all heard mom say more than once - BEHAVE!

Book Description

This absorbing book, now available in paperback, examines the period of massive structural adjustment taking place in the wine industry. For many centuries wine was very much a European product. While that is still the case today - three-quarters of world wine production, consumption and trade involve Europe and most of the rest involves just a handful of New World countries settled by Europeans - the importance of exports from non-European countries has risen dramatically over the past decade. The World's Wine Markets includes an in-depth look at the growth and impact of New World wine production on the Old World producers, revealing that between 1990 and 2001, the New World's combined share of world wine exports grew from 4 to 18 per cent, or from 10 to 35 per cent when intra-European Union trade is excluded. Original essays, by economists from each of the major wine producing and consuming regions in the world, analyze recent developments and future trends, and conclude that globalization of the industry is set to continue for the foreseeable future. Furthermore they argue that with increasing globalization, there is a greater need than ever for systematic analysis of the world's wine markets. This fascinating work will appeal greatly to students enrolled in wine marketing and business courses, those studying industrial organization, and economists and other social scientists interested in case studies of globalization at work. As well, wine industry participants interested in understanding the reasons behind the recent dramatic developments in the industry will find this rigorously analytical yet accessible book of great value.

regionalism, multilateralism, and deeper integration
Average customer rating:
regionalism, multilateralism, and deeper integration
LAWRENCE
Manufacturer: the brookings institution
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000V92Y86

Average customer rating:
Regionalism, Multilateralism, and Deeper Integration (Integrating National Economies : Promise and Pitfalls Series)
Robert Z. Lawrence
Manufacturer: Brookings Institution Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
International | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Relations | International | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0815751818

Book Description

Strategic economic and business intelligence information for conducting business

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books