If you learn only one thing about me as a person, I ask that it be the indisputable fact that I am an Insatiable and Voracious reader. After being raised by a librarian, I feel like a piece of me is starving if I don't have my nose in a book at least once a day. Alan swears that I keep my local branch of Half Price Books in business with my quenchless vice. And I think I'm okay with that. I can stimulate my brain AND the economy in one fail swoop.
This is a list of the books I have read from 2007 to now, and eventually, I hope it will include a short review of each as well. It is a project that is ongoing so please check back to see what new books I've added from time to time and their reviews. And, as always, you can find my monthly recommendations in the sidebar of this blog. Enjoy!
*Delivering Dynamic Presentations by Ralph Hillman
*It's Not What You Say, It's How You Say It by Joan Detz
*Customers For Life: How to turn that one time buyer in to a lifetime customer by Carl Sewell
*Coaching: Evoking Excellence in Others by James Flaherty
*The Ten-Minute Trainer by Sharon L. Bowman
*Speak Up: A Woman's Guide to Presenting Like a Pro by Cyndi Maxey and Kevin E. O'Connor
1001 Ways To Energize Employees by Bob Nelson
The Exceptional Presenter by Timothy J. Koegel
*Animals Inc.: A Business Parable for the 21st Century by Kenneth A. Tucker and Vandana Allman
*All Marketers Are Liars by Seth Godin
*Fun Is Good: How to Create joy and Passion in Your Workplace and Career by Mike Veeck and Pete Williams
*The Truth About Hiring The Best by Cathy Fyock
*The Elements of Persuasion by Richard Maxwell and Robert Dickman
*Whoever Makes The Most Mistakes Wins by Richard Farson and Ralph Keyes
*The Peon Book: How to Manage Us by Dave Haynes
*Precision Marketing by Jeff Zavin and Gresh Brebach
*Customer Service Training 101 by Renee Evenson
*Branded Customer Service: The New Competitive Edge by Janelle Barlow and Paul Stewart
*The Employee Recruitment and Retention Handbook by Diane Arthur
The 1001 Rewards and Recognition Field book by Bob Nelson
Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan
How Many Lightbulbs Does It Take To Change A Planet by Tony Juniper
Small Giants: Companies That Chose to Be Great Instead of Big by Bo Burlingham
Satisfaction: How Every Great Company Listens to the Voice of the Customer by Chris Denove and James D Power IV
*The Toastmasters International Guide to Successful Speaking by Jeff Slutsky and Michael Aun
Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be by Paul Arden
Green Greener Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-Smart Choices a Part of Your Life by Lori Bongiorno
What Color is Your Parachute by Richard N. Bolles
Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping by Paco Underhill
Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi
This is a must read for anyone in a social, business, or managerialsetting. Keith is witty, relevant and encouraging. His writing style flows well, topics are covered and segues are so smooth you don't even notice. He gives hope to those of us who don't believe in "looking out for number one" and embosses the simple fact that to be successful, you have to be willing to make others successful first. BUY AND READ THIS BOOK!!!
The Levity Effect: Why it Pays to Lighten Up by Adrian Gostick and Scott Christopher
The Age of Conversation: 100 voices. 1 conversation. edited by Gavin Heaton and Drew McLellan
Caffeine for the Creative Mind: 250 Exercises to Wake Up Your Brain by Stefan Mamaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield
The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas Kostigen
You'd better get yourself a copy of The Green Book! It's an easy read, only 224 pages, and those pages are packed with ideas and implementations from celebrities. It probably costs less than you spent on that latte and your lunch. Actually, buy a copy of it used on line or from Half Price Books. It's even more eco-friendly that way. Reused AND printed on recycled paper! Probably with soybean based inks! I love it!!!
The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need by Daniel H. Pink
If this book isn't on your bookshelf already, I would highly suggest skating over to Amazon and procuring a copy! Charmingly presented via the Japanese comic format known as Manga, you can follow Johnny's story as he is taken on a road of professional, and often personal, discovery. You'll also get some pretty nifty career advice. It's a great book for anyone who is unsure in a career path, who might be unhappy with where they are or who just wants a good business read without the usual business boredom.
45 Things You Do That Drive Your Boss CRAZY* *And How To Avoid Them by Anita Bruzzese
Anita is one of my new book-writing heroes! Her no nonsense approach to the problem child one in every workspace is brilliant. I found myself reading from situation to situation and once or twice stopping to think, "Oh good lord, that's me." It's a great book for the entry level or middle level worker who can't seem to progress in their job, no matter what they try, AND it's a great read for the manager who's trying to understand why his or her staff is completely unaware of how INSANE they are acting. Common sense isn't all that common in today's workers.
The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures by Dan Roam
Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking by Andy Sernovitz
This book is awesome. Andy's writing style is smooth and personable, so the book is an easy read. His message is simple, elegant and powerful. People talk. No matter what, they're going to talk and word of mouth is one of the most powerful marketing tools available to any professional or company. If you want to get the most out of word of mouth it's up to YOU to get involved in the conversation in a genuine and honest way. I highly recommend reading this book! It's definitely one that you'll want on your bookshelf!
Guerrilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson
365 Ways to Motivate and Reward Your Employees Every Day- With Little or No Money by Dianna Podmoroff
Even Monkeys Fall from Trees by Doug Lipp
Free, Perfect, and Now by Robert Rodin
Free Prize Inside by Seth Godin
Unleashing the Killer App by Larry Downes and Chunka Mui
Beyond Bullet Points by Atkinson
Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior by Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman
Power Sales Words by Oliver
Killing the Sale by Duncan
Your Marketing Sucks. by Mark Stevens
Beating the Deal Killers by GiGlia
Make Your Contacts Count by Baber and Waymon
151 Quick Ideas to Increase Sales by Sparks
The Art of Speed Reading People by Tieger and Barron-Tieger
Light bulbs for Leaders by Glacel and Robert
Words that Sell by Bayan
Dealing With People You Can't Stand by Brinkman and Kirschaer
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service by Performance Research Associates
Can't Buy My Love by Jean Kilbourne
Breakthrough Marketing Plans by Tim Calkins
Love in the Present Tense by Shechtman
Don't Throw It Out: Recycle, Renew & Reuse To Make Things Last by Lori Baird
The Carrot Principle by Gostick and Elton
The Invisible Employee by Gostick and Elton
Managing with Carrots by Gostick and Elton
The 24-Carrot Manager by Gostick and Elton
A Carrot A Day by Gostick and Elton
Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach
Stiff by Mary Roach
Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach
Talk to the Hand: The Utter Blood Rudeness of the World Today, or Six Good Reasons to Stay Home &Bolt the Door by Lynne Truss
How Would You Move Mount Fiji? Microsoft's Cult of the Puzzle by William Poundstone
One Great Insight is Worth a Thousand Good Ideas by Phil Dusenberry
The World is Flat: A Brief History of the 20th Century by Thomas L. Friedman
Managing Knock Your Socks off Service by Chip Bell and Ron Zemke
1001 ways to Reward Employees by Bob Nelson
Give'em The Pickle and They'll Be Back! by Robert Farrell
Customer Mania! by Ken Blanchard
First Break All The Rules by Buckingham and Coffman
When The Buck Stops With You: Harry S. Truman on Leadership by Alan Axelrod
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell
Joy at Work: A Revolutionary Approach to Fun on the Job by Dennis W. Bakke
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
First Things First by Stephen Covey
Stressed is Desserts Spelled Backward by Brian Seaward
Don't Eat This Book by Morgan Spurlock
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks
Silent Bob Speaks by Kevin Smith
Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert
The 10 Women You'll Be Before You're 35 by James
High Tech Trash by Grossman
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
The First Time I Got Paid For It edited by Peter Lefcourt and Laura J. Shapiro
How to Write Funny edited by John B. Kachuba
The Daring Book For Girls by Mariam Peskowitz
Giving by Bill Clinton
The Know-It-All by A.J. Jacobs
The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
The Nanny Diaries by Mclaghlin an Kraus
A People's History Of The United States by Howard Zinn
Catcher In The Rye by J. D. Salinger
The Kennedy Curse by Edward Klein
Doc Maynard: The Man Who Invented Seattle By Bill Speidel
Sons of the Profits by Bill Speidel
Visual Journaling by Ganim and Fox