The New Culture of Desire: The Pleasure Imperative Transforming Your Business and Your Life

Book Description

Described variously as "a secret weapon of the Fortune 100" and a "hired-gun visionary," Davis divulges the startling conclusions and once confidential details of The Human Desire Project, a six-year, multidisciplinary study to investigate what makes human beings want what they want and do what they do. Originally initiated as a landmark study for big business (Davis's client ranks include distinguished companies such as AT&T, Merck, Diageo, Procter & Gamble, L'Oréal, Unilever, and Lucent Technologies), The Human Desire Project evolved into an even larger phenomenon with far-reaching implications for all of our lives. In The New Culture of Desire, you learn to leverage for your own good fortune, today -- and into tomorrow -- the same insights and strategies that inform the future plans of some of the most powerful corporate movers and shakers around. Here are just some of the revelations of The New Culture of Desire:

• The unconscious formula that we all use to make choices now
• Why bliss beats sex, money, and power
• The new peak experience: the State of O
• The single greatest unmet consumer need
• The battle for our interior lives
• The five strategies we enlist to satisfy the new primal desire -- and what they mean for your life and your business

Harvard-educated and street-smart, Davis examines the telltale signs of our rapidly morphing world with the nose of an MIT/MTV anthropologist and an arsenal of case histories. Quizzes and checklists appear throughout the book to help you diagnose your own desires. New marketing models provide new ways to speak more powerfully to the heart of your customers' true desires. This insider's analysis of the most powerful desire-driven trends of our time provides a strategic guide to the inside of the new millennial mind, to help you understand your own motivations and those of your colleagues, customers, and friends. Here are some of those cultural trends that you need to know about:

• Magical Thinking: Looking for the simple, supernatural solution
• The Third Sex: Having it all
• Yoda-ism: New candidates for a god
• Tribe Crashing: The ultimate insiderism
• Hot-Blooded Spiritualism: Drumming up the saving graces
• Raging Amazonianism: The rise of the butt-kicking babe
• Pleasure Healing: Self-indulgence that does you good
• P. Q.: The Performance Quotient: Upgrading the human processor

A pioneering work that looks into what people want and why, The New Culture of Desire blows traditional future-planning theory and practice sky-high, and replaces it with groundbreaking strategies that really work.

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A wholly new force is driving human behavior today, and it's turning the world as we know it upside down and inside out. Human behavior is now being driven by a new survival instinct - a new primal desire - that is invisibly but unstoppably reshaping the world, from the most intimate details of our private lives to the dynamics of the global marketplace. The New Culture of Desire reveals and chronicles this present and future brave new world - the beginning of Human History Part II. According to futurist Melinda Davis, it is evolving right under our noses, and we need to adapt now to survive -- and to thrive. Described variously as "a secret weapon of the Fortune 100" and a "hired-gun visionary," Davis divulges the startling conclusions and once confidential details of The Human Desire Project, a six-year, multidisciplinary study to investigate what makes human beings want what they want and do what they do. Originally initiated as a landmark study for big business (Davis's client ranks include distinguished companies such as AT&T, Merck, Diageo, Procter & Gamble, L'Oréal, Unilever, and Lucent Technologies), The Human Desire Project evolved into an even larger phenomenon with far-reaching implications for all of our lives. In The New Culture of Desire, you learn to leverage for your own good fortune, today -- and into tomorrow -- the same insights and strategies that inform the future plans of some of the most powerful corporate movers and shakers around. Here are just some of the revelations of The New Culture of Desire: . The unconscious formula that we all use to make choices now . Why bliss beats sex, money, and power . The new peak experience: the State of O . The single greatest unmet consumer need . The battle for our interior lives . The five strategies we enlist to satisfy the new primal desire -- and what they mean for your life and your business

Customer Reviews:

Good read............2003-09-10

The author is a very good writer. She wrtites about emeging consumer trends. Although I am not sure how radical the ideas are and not sure it will change my life. Davis contends that Americans' desires have shifted in recent years, from the physical to the metaphysical. One other book I like that relate these ideas to what brand does is 60-Minute Brand Strategist by Idris Mootee. It covers quite of those metaphysical stuff.

Melinda Davis is the "Pied Piper" of our new age!!.......2003-01-03

A large part of the joy I derived from my recent "home for the holidays" visit involved setting up hotmail accounts and MSN messenger service for my parents while also explaining how google, CNN Breaking News alerts and fast web navigation would provide a quick fix to the gray area that surrounds their current needs, pleasures and wants. Fact is fact... our world is changing at warp speed and we either shuffle to simply keep up or shudder at the thought of getting in or online. The New Culture of Desire, written by Melinda Davis is a triumph for all those who seek the light of our new day and the truth of this dramatically powerful shift in our time and reality. Melinda, the "Pied Piper" of our new age, takes our hands and forges forward, both "tenderly" and "fearlessly" into the complexities of the world we once knew, in order to assure us that "there are no monsters under our beds at night", but we better damn well check just the same!! In a point-by-point tell tale, she examines our shifts from the physical to now imaginational world, reflects on our transition from "Prada" to "Prana" sensibilities and simultaneously unravels the mysteries of how we ought to survive in the midst of all this chaos, confusion and potential short circuitry. Melinda uses wit, rhyme and a poetic verse that is uniquely her own to admit that, yes... these are in fact "scary" and often confusing times, but Melinda also assures us that they are exciting, and we ought to be "in the know" both personally and professionally.

visionary, but overpowering.......2002-11-01

The deftness in which Melinda writes is encouraging. Her vision of our future seems to be on target and on the fore front. I thought she spent too much time making this a "self-help" book rather than a business tool. It wasn't until the tenth chapter that she actually explained how to apply her philosophies in the marketing of products. In addition, her fervent writing style began to weigh me down. She either has a great deal of enthusiasm or she's trying too hard to prove her point. The net net: I really enjoyed the book although it wasn't exactly what I expected.

Poetic Appeciation of Societal Dilemmas.......2002-10-10

A book like this comes along perhaps once every 50 or 100 years. Melinda Davis points out that the mind & soul of humanity (not just "Americans") are undergoing a shift from a materialistic to a spiritualistic environment. The impact of this on our life values and behaviors is already evident in many subtle ways --- but promises to evolve into a full blown revision of the way life is carried on for the foreseeable future.

Her vantage in the end is that of a poetess, providing signposts for people to use as they grope their way into new modes of thought and experience. It is difficult to overestimate the significance of her theses. In particular, literary persons, those involved in the healing and psychological professions, and, sad to say, the marketing mavens, will find this a must read book. They will, no doubt, have their world all shook up by this true masterpiece of perception and insight.

Book Description

Oran?s Dictionary of the Law is the clearest and easiest to use dictionary on the market. The only major law dictionary created for paralegals and law-related professionals, this comprehensive version has nearly 6,000 main headings and 12,000 definitions. It can be used as a reference tool or as an informal method of learning more about the law. Oran's also identifies the "legalese" that gets in the way of clear thinking and writing, has an additional built-in study aid included on "How to Use" sections, and the "Basic 50 Words" list gives a quick entry to the terms every person needs to know to understand the law. Available December 1999

Book Description

In 1989-90 the collapse of state socialism and the end of the Cold War brought dramatic changes for the defence industries of East-Central Europe. Initially it seemed that the resources devoted to the Cold War confrontation might become available for investment in non-military economic and social progress. However, by 1994 this optimism had given way to recognition that the transformation would involve significant costs and could not be accomplished quickly. The Defence Industry in East-Central Europe charts the development of the industries of the Visegrad countries - Czechoslovakia and its successor states, the Czech Republic and Slovakia; Poland; and Hungary. In the first part, national case studies underline the different approaches to reform adopted in the individual countries. The second part uses unique information derived from extensive interviews at enterprises in each of the four countries to examine the transformation of industry from a producer perspective.

The Defence Industry in East-Central Europe : Restructuring and Conversion (A SIPRI Publication)

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The Defence Industry in East-Central Europe : Restructuring and Conversion (A SIPRI Publication)
Yudit Kiss
Manufacturer: A SIPRI Publication
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKVY0G

Book Description

Many books simply list prescribed techniques and leave the reader to interpret them. What makes this book different is that it provides clear, practical advice on every aspect of making a sale, but you'll also find much more: templates, tables, exercises and stimulating ideas to develop your sales techniques and monitor your progress in a particular sale. Each chapter ends with a summary, key points and coaching advice on developing a particular part of the sales cycle.

If you've ever found yourself thinking "How can I be sure to maximize my chances of success?"--this books is for you.

Book Description

This instructional tool provides step-by-step credit repair guidance for the potential home purchaser. The homeowner-to-be is advised not only how and where to locate his/her credit report, but also how to remove any blemishes from the report, whether they are the result of poor credit performance or due to credit reporting inaccuracies. The reader will also learn how mortgage lenders formulate their credit scoring systems to determine whether a prospect is creditworthy, and what his/her legal rights are under such scoring systems. A copy of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is included for the reader to review and use as a reference. The FCRA was designed to protect consumers against inaccurate and unfair descriptions of their credit history. Sample letters to credit bureaus and creditors are included also on a 3.5 floppy diskette for the reader to use as he/she follows the steps.

Customer Reviews:

WARNING: Here's Another Credit Repair Rip-Off.......2000-05-11

"The Complete Guide to Credit Repair" would more accurately be titled: "A Complete Waste of Money."

Of its 128 pages, only the first 14 pages of the book attempt to offer any advice (and very basic advice, at that). The remainder of the book is comprised of the bare text of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (68 pages), a glossary of common real estate terms (14 pages), and three sets of sample dispute letters that are also contained on the enclosed diskette.

For some reason (presumably to waste paper), the authors felt compelled to produce a different set of dispute letters for each of the three major credit bureaus, even though the ONLY difference among these sets is the name and address of the recipient. And, although the authors advise the reader to send those letters via registered mail, return receipt requested, two sets of letters are addressed to post office boxes, where nobody can sign for the letters! (Incredibly, the third set of letters doesn't show ANY address; instead, the address lines are "X"ed out!)

Mortgage Originator Magazine, which publishes the book, ought to know something about the impact of negative credit on a borrower's eligiblity for mortgage financing. While the book offers some insight into the mechanics of conventional loans, however, the authors say NOTHING about the less stringent credit requirements available with federally-insured mortgage loans, an appalling omission!

Moreover, the authors are completely silent about other credit repair options available outside of the provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Nothing is said about any of the other federal consumer protection laws (e.g., the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Truth-in-Lending Act, or the Fair Credit Billing Act). Nor do the authors offer any advice for negotiating with creditors or debt collectors.

While shamelessly purporting to be a "complete guide" offering "comprehensive solutions to credit problems," this book is just a brief introduction to credit repair supplemented by information that is readily available elsewhere. The reader would be better off saving $18.00 and buying "The Fix Your Credit Workbook" by Todd Bierman and David Masten, which provides far more comprehensive information and much sounder advice.

Book Description

One of the most pioneering development economists, Hans Singer stimulated many of the ideas that have engaged the attention of the world community for several decades. This collection brings together for the first time key essays on the issues underlying food aid and the development of the UN. These are grouped into five areas : post-war development experience; reform of the UN; debt and debt servicing; structural adjustment and stabilization; and food aid.

Book Description

Throughout the 1980's and the 1990's Asia's economic growth astonished the world. The region's stock markets soared to new heights unprecedented economic growth rates were recorded and an acquisitive new middle class emerged. Then overnight, it all fell apart. The question now being asked is: Who brought the party to an end?

In this penetrating and thoughtful account, Philippe Delhaise points the finger squarely at Asia's antiquated banking and financial systems. Everything else - the currency panics, the social and political shocks - is simply a stream of consequences flowing from the main source. What is exceptional about the crisis is not that it happened, but the manner in which it came about, inflicting indiscriminate devastation to all.

The story of the Asian Crisis is a tale of greed and sorrow, of intelligent people making unforgivable mistakes and of a collective misunderstanding about the management of economic expanison. Asia will undoubtedly recover, but the speed and strength of its re-emergence will depend on how well it has learned it's lessons. The concluding chapter of the book outlines the many issues that need to be addressed and provides a template for the future development of the region's finance industry.

Customer Reviews:

Poor understanding of Asian institutions.......1999-09-21

Interesting book, but written like an outsider and unduly pessimistic. For an insider's understanding of Asian management styles and institutions I prefered George T. Haley et al.'s "New Asian Emperors: the Overseas Chinese, their Strategies and Competitive Advantages."

A truly penetrating insight into Asian banking's weaknesses........1999-08-16

Philippe Delhaise brings this subject to life with a truly penetrating insight into Asian banking's weaknesses that only he can see, understand, and write about so descriptively. As a bank analyst his knowledge of the subject is superlative. A "must read" for those studying banking in Asia, involved in it, or for general banking interest.

Interesting, but style detracts.......1999-02-16

Very interesting book. The author's anecdotes are entertaining. However, a quick read will reveal that the author has an enormous ego! His style is irksome; often he will praise himself or his own company's analysts, with the tone that "if the world community had listened to us, there wouldn't be an Asian financial crisis."

Well worth reading, written with knowledge, style and humour.......1999-01-19

A dry subject and obviously written with immense experience and access to data in this field, but nevertheless written with style and humour that makes this book well worth reading. A must read for bankers and those on the fringes of banking, especially in the Asia region.

comprehensive, to the point summary.......1998-12-08

a useful, well organised insight into asias latest financial crisis. nicely layed out country by country with suitable joining chapters where appropriate. a useful guide to a recent and confusing chain of events

Asia in Crisis: The Implosion of the Banking and Finance Systems

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Asia in Crisis: The Implosion of the Banking and Finance Systems
Philippe F. Delhaise
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KX5K52

Book Description

This report contains business intelligence information for succesful export-import, business and investment operations, strategic contacts and more... The report also contains selected information on investment and business opportunities, international economic projects, tenders, government projects, as well as, marketing and export-import opportunities information.

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Grenada Business Law Handbook
USA International Business Publications
Manufacturer: Intl Business Pubns USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Exports & Imports | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Business Law | Reference | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | International Law | Law | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0739745689

Book Description

This law handbook contains information on basic business legislation, laws and regulatoins affecting export-import, business, foreign investments, property rights, taxation and banking. (Updated annually)

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