Daniel Esty & P. J. Simmons: The Green To Gold Playbook - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Chairman of Esty Environmental Partners, Daniel C. Esty; and Chairman of the Corporate Eco Forum, P. J. Simmons; co-authors of the very practical and comprehensive book The Green to Gold Business Playbook: How to Implement Sustainability Practices for Bottom-Line Results in Every Business Function, describe how companies can gain business value through going green. The authors provide practical and money saving ideas for developing and implementing a sustainability strategy. The authors offer green ideas that can be applied to any department of any organization, at any time. Discover how to save money, and how to increase revenue, through green initiatives that provide real solutions for companies seeking to be more environmentally responsible in a world of increasing resource shortage problems.

Daniel C. Esty and P. J. Simmons are my internet radio show guests on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, December 1, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Chairman of Esty Environmental Partners, Daniel C. Esty; and Chairman of the Corporate Eco Forum, P. J. Simmons; co-authors of the very practical and comprehensive book The Green to Gold Business Playbook: How to Implement Sustainability Practices for Bottom-Line Results in Every Business Function, describe how companies can gain business value through going green. You will learn:

* How to develop a comprehensive green strategy for any size or type of company

* How ti implement the sustainability strategy effectively

* How to find ares for environmental improvement in every company department

* How to measure and improve the environmental strategy over time



Daniel C. Esty (photo left)is co-author of the bestseller Green to Gold and The Green to Gold Business Playbook: How to Implement Sustainability Practices for Bottom-Line Results in Every Business Function, and Hillhouse Professor at the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy and Director of Yale's Center for Business and the Environment. He served as a senior official at the U.S. EPA and more recently as an energy and environmental advisor to the Obama presidential campaign. He comments frequently on environment issues on TV, radio, and in publications like The New York Times, The Economist, and The Financial Times. As Chairman of Esty Environmental Partners, he's advised CEOs across the world and designed strategies for 100+ companies in dozens of industries.



P. J. Simmons (photo left) is the Chairman of the Corporate Eco Forum, a network of senior Global 500 executives focused on sharing best practices and forging "next" practice in corporate sustainability. P.J. has worked as a trusted sustainability analyst, strategist, and bridge-builder for 16 years, including as a White House research associate, founder of the Wilson Center's Environmental Change and Security Program, Director of the Greener Business Education Project in Washington DC, and Deputy Chair for Climate and Energy at the Clinton Global Initiative. Simmons is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

My book review of The Green to Gold Business Playbook: How to Implement Sustainability Practices for Bottom-Line Results in Every Business Function by Daniel C. Esty and P. J. Simmons.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with Chairman of Esty Environmental Partners, Daniel C. Esty; and Chairman of the Corporate Eco Forum, P. J. Simmons; co-authors of the very practical and comprehensive book The Green to Gold Business Playbook: How to Implement Sustainability Practices for Bottom-Line Results in Every Business Function, as they describe how companies can gain business value through going green. The authors provide practical and money saving ideas for developing and implementing a sustainability strategy. The authors offer green ideas that can be applied to any department of any organization, at any time. Discover how to save money, and how to increase revenue, through green initiatives that provide real solutions for companies seeking to be more environmentally responsible in a world of increasing resource shortage problems on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: The Green to Gold Business Playbook: How to Implement Sustainability Practices for Bottom-Line Results in Every Business Function, P. J. Simmons, Daniel C. Esty, company sustainability strategies, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Nigel Cheshire: Teamstudio Unplugged mobile applications - Interview

Founder and CEO Of Teamstudio and Teamstudio Unplugged, Nigel Cheshire was kind enough to take the time to answer a few questions about the companies and their products and services.

Nigel Cheshire describes the concepts of mobile data sync, moving Lotus Notes® and Domino® applications over to mobile devices, and some business initiatives taken by the company.

Thanks to Nigel Cheshire his time, and for his informative responses to the questions. They are greatly appreciated.

We’ve heard people talk about Teamstudio Unplugged but many people don’t really understand what it does. What is so unique about Teamstudio Unplugged?

Nigel Cheshire: Unplugged is a mobile XPages engine that lets you build XPages applications that you can easily deploy to mobile devices such as the Blackberry® and the iPhone®. It has a replicating data store so your apps will work offline.

What’s motivating companies to want to move their Lotus Notes® and Domino® applications over to run on mobile devices?

Nigel Cheshire: The first step our customers usually want to take is to provide access to Notes® mail and calendar to their mobile users. Once they’ve done this, they then start thinking about simple productivity boosters, such as an Approvals application that links into the mobile email.

What is mobile data sync and why is it important? Why not just go for online mobile web apps?

Nigel Cheshire: Online mobile Web apps work well when you have good mobile signal strength, but not so well under poor or variable signal conditions. With Unplugged’s support for mobile data sync, the application is always responsive to the user, and data is saved locally and synced back to the server when the signal gets better. Another way of saying this is that Unplugged is designed to support the occasionally-connected model, where the online mobile Web app is designed for the always connected model.

Which platforms do you support; and why not all mobile platforms?

Nigel Cheshire: The first version of Unplugged we brought out last year was for the BlackBerry. We’ve since added versions for Android and for Apple iOS devices. We prefer to support a small number of platforms very well rather than try to cover every single platform and do it inadequately. Especially as these other platforms have very little or declining market share in the enterprise space.



Nigel Cheshire (photo left)

What should my first priorities be when mobilizing my Notes & Domino applications?

Nigel Cheshire: Choose business processes where the addition of the mobile capability gives an immediate and clear improvement in the efficiency of that process. The mobile user interface needs to be sleek and simple. If you take a big bulky Notes application and try to move that to mobile, that’s usually not going to be accepted very well by users.

We’ve heard some debate about whether Lotus Traveler® provides sufficient mobile device management capabilities. What do you think?

Nigel Cheshire: Lotus Traveler is a great first step for companies that want to link in their iPhone®, iPad® and other non-Blackberry mobile users. But I think even IBM® would acknowledge that they never set out to build a fully-fledged mobile device management system. If you are planning to connect a couple of hundred or more mobiles, I’d recommend installing a dedicated Mobile Device Management solution.

Your company has recently formed a partnership with AirWatch®. How does this partnership help Teamstudio® customers?

Nigel Cheshire: We see AirWatch as the market leader in mobile device management delivered as Software-as-a-Service. For large customers, implementing a proper mobile device management system helps ensure that they maintain a high level of data security as they roll out mobile email access and the Unplugged applications. With AirWatch you can roll out quite a lot faster than an on-premise MDM system, and at lower cost.

What are the key trends you see driving tablet penetration in the enterprise?

Nigel Cheshire: In our enterprise customers, the iPad has been the big driver of mobile integration over the last 6–12 months. Looking forward, I’m fascinated to see what’s going to happen when Microsoft® launch their Windows 8 tablets, especially the ARM-based systems that should come close to the iPad on battery life. It’s going to be a massive marketplace battle that will drive all tablet penetration much higher.

What is next for Teamstudio Unplugged?

Nigel Cheshire: We’ve just opened the beta program for for Unplugged for the iPhone and iPad, and we expect to get to the final shipping release within a couple of months. After that, it’ll be a case of listening to our customers and delivering any extra features that they see as crucial to their applications.

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Nigel Cheshire Bio

Nigel founded Teamstudio in 1996, and since that time has led Teamstudio as CEO, building an international business with customers representing some of the world's largest and most successful companies. He comes from a background of software development and networking, starting in the pioneering days of email, by helping build one of the first cross-platform email systems. Teamstudio has traditionally served the enterprise software development community, and in 2010 launched Teamstudio Unplugged, a unique replicating datastore and software development environment for enterprise mobile applications.

Prior to Teamstudio, Nigel was a principal of Ives & Company, a UK-based CRM solutions consultancy that was acquired by Aspective in 1999. Before that, he worked in the R&D group at Data General Corp. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from the University of Teesside, England.

The Green To Gold Business Playbook by Daniel C. Esty & P. J. Simmons - Book review

The Green to Gold Business Playbook

How to Implement Sustainability Practices for Bottom-Line Results in Every Business Function

By: Daniel C. Esty, P. J. Simmons

Published: April 19, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 440 pages
ISBN-10: 0470590750
ISBN-13: 978-0470590751
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.








"Interest in green business has expanded considerably. Top executives in almost every large corporation now recognize that the environment and sustainability issues must be part of business strategies", write Chairman of Esty Environmental Partners, Daniel C. Esty; and Chairman of the Corporate Eco Forum, P. J. Simmons, in their very practical and results oriented book The Green to Gold Business Playbook: How to Implement Sustainability Practices for Bottom-Line Results in Every Business Function. The authors describe how companies can develop a strategy to uncover and implement sustainable and green programs and initiatives, in every area of their organization, that not only benefit the environment but boost overall profitability as well.



Daniel Esty (photo left) and P. J. Simmons recognize that environment issues are critical for companies of any size. The authors also understand that for many business leaders, the challenges of sustainability and the environment are often difficult to grasp and change is not always easy to implement. At the same time, many companies are discovering that becoming more environmentally friendly offers benefits to their corporate image, engages their employees and customers, and creates a positive effect on their company bottom line. The authors demonstrate that becoming more green conscious with products, processes and practices, while not always easy, provides real and tangible benefits for the company, its employees, customers, and society as a whole.



P. J. Simmons (photo left) and Daniel C. Esty demonstrate that business value resides in every aspect of a company's operations, and also within some departments where sustainability and green possibilities may not be obvious at first glance. The authors provide an outcomes focused blueprint for transforming any company into a sustainability leader, with opportunities for reduced costs and enhanced revenue. For employees, the enhanced engagement created through fulfilling a larger environmental purpose, builds a high morale and motivated company culture.

The authors provide a clear step by step process for finding green opportunities in all areas of the organization, through a strategic approach:

* First step: Getting the company leadership on board
* Analyze: Identifying eco-risks and green opportunities
* Strategize: Showing how every area can benefit and contribute
* Mobilize: Executing the plan and engaging all stakeholders
* Optimize: Evaluate, report, and reassess results and potential improvement

For me, the power of the book is how Daniel Esty and P. J. Simmons integrate the concept of a green strategy into an overall process that benefits employees, customers, and the community, along with boosting the company's overall image, eco-risk reduction, productivity, and profitability. The book goes far beyond the standard discussions of both the need for an environmental strategy and the basic improvement recommendations, and provides the techniques for developing a holistic environmental and green strategy. The book also contains advice for transforming that overall strategy into a working and ongoing culture and business change for the company. Every chapter is filled with actionable ideas that can implemented in any sized company, regardless of industry.

I highly recommend the essential and must read book The Green to Gold Business Playbook: How to Implement Sustainability Practices for Bottom-Line Results in Every Business Function by P. J. Simmons and Daniel C. Esty, to any business leader who seeks a clear and comprehensive guide to developing, executing, and assessing a successful sustainability and green strategy. This book will not only change your company culture, business operations and processes, but provide a measurable boost your overall profitability as well.

Tags: The Green to Gold Business Playbook: How to Implement Sustainability Practices for Bottom-Line Results in Every Business Function, P. J. Simmons, Daniel C. Esty, company sustainability strategies, business book reviews

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David P. Jones: Million Dollar Hire - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



President of Growth Ventures Inc., and author of the eye opening and results focused book Million-Dollar Hire: Build Your Bottom Line, One Employee at a Time, David P. Jones describes how in today's competitive environment, companies can no longer afford to hire the wrong people. David Jones provides advice for how any company of any size can reinvent its hiring process while adding millions to the bottom line. David offers tools that translate hiring and recruiting selections into profitable financial returns. David points out why it's important for companies to treat acquiring employees in the same dollar value manner as when they acquire other high value assets. David Jones demonstrates how to choose and hire the right people, and how to measure their added value for the company in real dollar terms. Discover how hiring the right people for the job combines additional revenue, with actual money savings, resulting in added profit for the business.

David P. Jones is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Tuesday, November 29, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

President of Growth Ventures Inc., and author of the eye opening and results focused book Million-Dollar Hire: Build Your Bottom Line, One Employee at a Time, David P. Jones describes how in today's competitive environment, companies can no longer afford to hire the wrong people. You will learn:

* How much it costs a company to hire the wrong people

* How to recruit and hire the right people into your organization

* How to find and recruit the top fifteen percent of people in your industry

* How to create a repeatable and measurable hiring process that gets positive results



David P. Jones, Ph.D. (photo left) has worked as an organizational psychologist for over 30 years. One of the few in his profession to found and grow a major business enterprise, he launched HRStrategies, a human resources consulting and outsourcing firm with offices throughout the U.S. and Europe, recognized as one of the fastest growing consulting companies in the U.S prior to its acquisition by Aon Corporation. He was the global head of human resources consulting with Aon Consulting Worldwide, and today is President of Growth Ventures Inc., a human capital advisory firm. He works with both start-up and established companies, and units of government, to create innovative, technology-based recruiting and hiring solutions, often assuming the role of expert witness in employment litigation matters.

My book review of Million-Dollar Hire: Build Your Bottom Line, One Employee at a Time by David P. Jones.

Listen live on Tuesday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with President of Growth Ventures Inc., and author of the eye opening and results focused book Million-Dollar Hire: Build Your Bottom Line, One Employee at a Time, David P. Jones as he describes how in today's competitive environment, companies can no longer afford to hire the wrong people. David Jones provides advice for how any company of any size can reinvent its hiring process while adding millions to the bottom line. David offers tools that translate hiring and recruiting selections into profitable financial returns. David points out why it's important for companies to treat acquiring employees in the same dollar value manner as when they acquire other high value assets. David Jones demonstrates how to choose and hire the right people, and how to measure their added value for the company in real dollar terms. Discover how hiring the right people for the job combines additional revenue, with actual money savings, resulting in added profit for the business on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Million-Dollar Hire: Build Your Bottom Line, One Employee at a Time, David P. Jones, personnel hiring strategies, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Million-Dollar Hire by David P. Jones - Book review

Million-Dollar Hire

Build Your Bottom Line, One Employee at a Time

By: David P. Jones, Ph.D.

Published: April 5, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 320 pages
ISBN-10: 0470928425
ISBN-13: 978-0470928424
Publisher: Jossey-Bass













"And two things about hiring should grab the attention of any businessperson: a relatively high-volume event (hiring) that produces a relatively high rate of errors - people who fail. These error have a financial consequence", writes organizational psychologist and President of Growth Ventures Inc., David P. Jones, in his eye opening and results focused book Million-Dollar Hire: Build Your Bottom Line, One Employee at a Time. The author describes the critical importance of hiring the right people to the overall success of the company, and how mistakes in hiring have a direct and measurable negative effect on the organization's fortunes.

David Jones recognizes that the people who comprise the company are a critical asset for the business. As a result, the author provides evidence that as much care should be taken in the recruiting and hiring process, as with the acquisition of any other company assets. David Jones shares the real world effects that result from both good hiring, and from adding the wrong people to the payroll. Regardless of the size of the company, or even of the employee salary level, hiring errors are not only a problem with employee relationships, but they also represent a loss of revenue and profit for the company. David Jones offers financial proof to back up his statements, and provides a repeatable and effective system for making the right hiring choices for the company.



David P. Jones (photo left) understands that recruiting and hiring new employees is a process. As a result, that process can be streamlined, made more effective, and more efficient in weeding out weaker applicants, and in creating a pool of best possible hires at any time. In place of guesswork about the value of a good candidate to the organization, the author provides a step by step system, that is both measurable and repeatable, for ensuring that the best job seekers get hired; while the less valuable employees are removed in the pre-screening and screening process. David Jones goes beyond simply screening the available applicants but also offers advice for sourcing and recruiting from an ever larger pool of possible employees, through embracing technology, the internet, and social media.

For me, the power of the book is how David P. Jones demonstrates clearly why hiring the right people is a critical asset for the company, and provides the strategies and tools for ensuring that the best people become part of the organization. The author backs up his concepts with hard data and dollar values that show clearly the real benefit of hiring the top fifteen percent of candidates.

The author also points to the potential problems, both financial and legal, of hiring and being forced to dismiss the wrong people. David Jones shows companies a process to hire the best people, from the largest possible pool of great employees, and then how to ensure that those employees are able to become the top performers in the company. The ideas in the book are easy to understand, and to implement, in any size or type of company.

I highly recommend the very practical and strategy filled book Million-Dollar Hire: Build Your Bottom Line, One Employee at a Time by David P. Jones, to any executives, managers, and business owners who are seeking an effective and quantifiable system for improving their hiring process, while also boosting the company's revenue and profits. This book will remove the often chaotic and haphazard hiring practices that hold back so many companies, and replace it with a repeatable and effective system that will provide great employees and create proven results.

Tags: Million-Dollar Hire: Build Your Bottom Line, One Employee at a Time, David P. Jones, personnel hiring strategies, business book reviews

Principles and Case Studies of Simultaneous Design by William L. Luyben - Book review

Principles and Case Studies of Simultaneous Design

By: William L. Luyben

Published: October 11, 2011
Format: Hardcover: 344 pages
ISBN-10: 0470927089
ISBN-13: 978-0470927083
Publisher: Wiley-AIChE















"Process design involves the development of an effective flowsheet to transform reactants into products in a profitable, safe, environmentally friendly, and controllable plant", writes Professor of Chemical Engineering at Lehigh University, William L. Luyben, in his comprehensive and detailed book Principles and Case Studies of Simultaneous Design. The author describes the general design principles, and provides the necessary mathematical formulas, for understanding the process for creating an effective flowsheet and control structure for the development of a chemical process.

William Luyben understands that the role of a chemical process is to take chemical discoveries and transform them efficiently and safely into a marketable product. The process involves scaling up small scale experiments and scaling them up into manufacturing sized quantities. William Luyben points out that how a chemist conducts small scale projects may be very different from the application of the concept in product development. The chemistry and physics of scaling up a small batch to a large scale often poses a problem for engineers. As a result, William Luyben provides the tools, formulas, and mathematics necessary for scaling a small experiment into a full manufacturing scale operation.



William L. Luyben (photo left) recognizes that scaling up a process from the laboratory to the large sale product building process is really a synthesis problem. The designer faces many challenges within the process, and some of those challenges are very often in direct conflict with one another. For the author, the chemical design process is a crucial area of chemical engineering. With concerns of energy and environmental issues and how they interact, reviving interest in energy efficient processes and plants, the author focuses on achieving the goals of developing process designs in a safe and environmentally sound manner.

William Buyden provides the principles of general design in a concise way to develop an effective and efficient flowsheet and control structure. The development of a chemical process requires consideration of both the steady state economic and controllability parts of the process. That is the simultaneous design concept that is addressed so effectively in this book.

For me, the power of the book is how William L. Luyben combines the theory of simultaneous design with the mathematical formulas and chemical engineering reactions to guide students, chemists, and engineers in developing a process. The author reinforces the principles outlined in each chapter with real world case studies of those same principles in action. William Luyben provides a service to industry as well, through the recognition of the need for developing new products, refining their processes, and for ensuring a safe and environmental quality control.

The author shares the crucial technical information that is understandable for the engineering student, practicing engineer, and for chemists and designers in the scaling up of small scale tests into large scale processes. Non-engineers and students are reminded that this book is very technical in nature and requires some understanding of mathematics and chemistry.

I highly recommend the important and all encompassing book Principles and Case Studies of Simultaneous Design by William L. Luyben, to any chemistry or engineering students, practicing chemical engineers, product designers in industry, and business leaders looking for a fresh approach to simultaneous design issues. This book will transform your company's industrial processes and product design into one of a leader in process design.

Tags: Principles and Case Studies of Simultaneous Design, William L. Luyben, general design principles, science book reviews

The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy - Book review

The Compound Effect

Jumpstart Your Income, your Life, Your Success

By: Darren Hardy

Published: November 1, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 172 pages
ISBN-10: 1593157134
ISBN-13: 978-1593157135
Publisher: Vanguard Press










"This book is about success and what it really takes to earn it. It's time someone told you straight. You've been bamboozled for too long. There is no magic bullet, secret formula, or quick fix", writes entrepreneur, personal development thought leader, and publisher and editorial director of SUCCESS Magazine, Darren Hardy in his idea packed and achievement oriented book The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, your Life, Your Success. The author describes the fundamental principles that underpin success and achievement in business, relationships, and any other aspect of a person's life.

Darren Hardy understands that people have received some very dubious advice for reaching their goals and achieving success in business and in life. Because of the many supposed quick fixes offered to the public, the author realizes that many people have been sidetracked from the basic principles that create real and lasting success. Darren Hardy suggests that what he calls the operating system that people use to run their lives and make their crucial decisions needs replacement. For many people, the replacement is more in the way of doing things differently in their lives and choices. In the place of those previous ineffective operating systems, the author provides what he calls the Compound Effect.



Darren Hardy (photo left) bases the Compound Effect on his experience in applying the principles successfully in his own entrepreneurial ventures. He also reads and edits countless articles for his magazine, and has seen too many gimmicks that run counter to the Compound Effect. Those gimmicks were invariably failures. Darren Hardy warns his readers that earning success is hard work, and for many people that slow, arduous process is not what they intend to do or even consider as a course of action.

Intriguingly, the author makes the startling statement that people know already what they need to know to succeed in any area of their lives and businesses. The good news, writes Darren Hardy, is that the Compound Effect is both predictable and repeatable. It is based on sound decision making and practices that anyone can follow without difficulty.

For me, the power of the book is how Darren Hardy provides a no nonsense approach to achieving success. The principles he shares is called the Compound Effect. In reality, the concepts that comprise the Effect are universal and long held wisdom. The very timelessness of these ideas gives them long experience at achieving positive results. The author offers a step by step process for putting the Compound Effect into action.

More importantly, Darren Hardy reminds his readers that the principles are basic and easy to learn, but they take a lifetime of practice and patience to master. The good news is that like compounding interest, the effects are cumulative and accelerate over longer time periods. Instead of the failed get rich quick gimmicks offered by countless hucksters, Darren Hardy taps into long term thinking and ageless wisdom as the proven means to real and sustainable success.

I highly recommend the timeless and wisdom filled book The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, your Life, Your Success by Darren Hardy, to anyone seeking a reality based and practical approach to achieving personal and business goals and successes. Instead of the standard unhelpful advice offered by many, this book shares principles and techniques that are proven to stand the test of time. They have worked for others, and they will work for you, provided you work hard at them and give them time to repay your efforts.

Tags: The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, your Life, Your Success, Darren Hardy, personal development, business book reviews

Your MBA Game Plan, Third Edition by Omari Bouknight & Scott Shrum - Book review

Your MBA Game Plan, Third Edition

Proven Strategies for Getting Into the Top Business Schools

By: Omari Bouknight, Scott Shrum

Published: October 15, 2011
Format: Paperback, 320 pages
ISBN-10: 1601631820
ISBN-13: 978-1601631824
Publisher: Career Press





"Since writing the first edition of this book,we've been in direct contact with hundreds more business school applicants. Many of them still fall short on at least one or two of the goals that an applicant has: to show fit with an MBA program and to stand out versus the competition", write Business Unit Director at Thoratec, Omari Bouknight; and Vice President of Marketing at Veritas Prep, Scott Shrum, their very hands on and results oriented book Your MBA Game Plan, Third Edition: Proven Strategies for Getting Into the Top Business Schools. The authors describe the importance of being the right fit for an MBA program along with standing out from the crowd of hundreds of other applicants, and also provide the tools and strategies for achieving those two intertwined goals as the key to application acceptance.



Omari Bouknight (photo left) and Scott Shrum recognize that applicants to top MBA programs face the dual challenges of fitting the program, and of establishing their uniqueness as people and as students. The authors also acknowledge that since the publication of the earlier editions of their book that the MBA application landscape has changed making the process even more difficult for aspiring students. Not only are there more advice books on the market, but there are more forms of the MBA program as well. These changes magnify the need to both fit the program format and to separate oneself from the pack of applicants. For the authors, failure to receive admission into an MBA program is now deeper than an easy to spot item as in a low GMAT score. Instead, the authors demonstrate that the rejection problem usually is the result of a failure to understand the targets and goals of the MBA programs themselves.



Scott Shrum (photo left) and Omari Bouknight understand that for each MBA school, there is a theoretical perfect applicant, and that each ideal student differs with each type of program. The authors offer advice for strengthening the weak areas in each application to ensure that the strengths are emphasized and the weaknesses are not treated as automatic grounds for rejection. The authors provide the background and importance of each of the components that enter into a student's application.

By understanding these components, and how they are interpreted by the admissions staff, is critical for students. A failure to recognize the significance of each component, as well as the nuances of different answers, can derail an otherwise strong application. The authors describe the process for developing a strategy to put the components together into an attractive whole, and how to ensure uniqueness of the individual as well as being the ideal fit for the goals of the MBA program.

For me, the power of the book is how Omari Bouknight and Scott Shrum provide both a strong theoretical and research based background for their recommendation, and combine those results with the practical tools necessary to achieve successful admission. The authors share some valuable examples of how to write strong admission essays and for creating the ideal resume. At the same time, the authors offer advice for performing well on an admission interview, and for avoiding the most common mistakes that remove a student from consideration for admission. Overall, the book is a powerful guide for achieving successful admission into the MBA program that is right for both the student and for the school itself.

I highly recommend the comprehensive and must have book Your MBA Game Plan, Third Edition: Proven Strategies for Getting Into the Top Business Schools by Omari Bouknight and Scott Shrum, to any student who is considering applying for admittance into any MBA program. This book not only answers the most popular admission questions, but also addresses issues that most aspirants never even knew were crucial in the application process. This book is essential for anyone seeking admission to any MBA program.

Tags: Your MBA Game Plan, Third Edition: Proven Strategies for Getting Into the Top Business Schools, Omari Bouknight, Scott Shrum, MBA admission strategies, business book reviews

Getting Published in the Life Sciences by Richard Gladon, William Graves & Michael Kelly - Book review

Getting Published in the Life Sciences

By: Richard J. Gladon, William R. Graves, J. Michael Kelly

Published: August 30, 2011
Format: Paperback, 368 pages
ISBN-10: 1118017161
ISBN-13: 978-1118017166
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell













"This book focuses on the steps in the process of preparing a manuscript for subsequent submission to a refereed journal in the life sciences", write Richard J. Gladon of Iowa State Univerisy, William R. Graves of Iowa State University, and J. Michael Kelly of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, in their comprehensive and revolutionary book Getting Published in the Life Sciences . The authors describe a fresh approach for preparing, writing and submitting scientific papers to peer reviewed journal to increase dramatically the opportunity for achieving publication status.



Richard J. Gladon (photo left), William R. Graves, and J. Michael Kelly recognize the critical importance of disseminating new and groundbreaking ideas and discoveries for the advancement of scientific knowledge. This sharing of information requires the new discoveries to be published in the appropriate journals and other related publications.

The authors point out that the publishing process is one where many scientists fail to achieve success. Many practicing scientists lack the proper skills to write a convincing and technically sound paper; or they dislike the process of writing entirely. The authors provide the appropriate skills for preparing, writing, and publishing a scientific paper that will increase the chances of acceptance in peer reviewed publications.



William R. Graves (photo left), J. Michael Kelly, and Richard J. Gladon provide an alternative approach to writing scientific manuscripts. The authors recommend a backwards technique to ensure that the final manuscript contains valuable take away points and information. Through this focus on the back end of the paper, the scientist begins with the conclusion first, and ends the writing with the paper's abstract. For the authors, this back to front writing technique ensures a more focused and concise paper that will enjoy a greater chance of acceptance for publication.

The authors divide the book into three distinct sections that break up the process into three discrete steps.:

* Addressing the issues the scientist must consider before thinking about and organizaing the the paper
* The new method for developing and actually writing the paper
* Actual submission, peer review, paper revision and other aspects of the process



For me, the power of the book is how J. Michael Kelly (photo left), Richard J. Gladon, and William R. Graves combine the overall process of writing a paper, from planning to submission, with clear advice for achieving publication of the manuscript. The authors present a unique reversal writing method, focusing on the end result and overall impact of the paper, to ensure clarity on the part of the writer.

The book is filled with tips and advice for writing manuscripts for biological, natural, and life sciences that can be modified for different audiences and disciplines. The writing techniques ensure that the scientist writes well and with clarity, provides a strong conclusion, and understands completely what peer reviewers seek in a publishable manuscript. To help guide the scientist in their writing practice, the authors include sample and practice outlines for the writer to hone individual skills that lead to a stronger manuscript.

I highly recommend the very practical and results oriented book Getting Published in the Life Sciences by Richard J. Gladon, William R. Graves, and J. Michael Kelly to anyone in any life, natural, or biological science who seeks to write a clear and concise manuscript for publication in any peer reviewed journal. This book takes the guesswork out of the planning, writing, and publishing process and is certain to boost the publication success rate of any practicing scientist.

Tags: Getting Published in the Life Sciences , Richard J. Gladon, William R. Graves, J. Michael Kelly, scientific manuscript publishing strategies, science book reviews

The Enemy of Engagement by Mark Royal & Tom Agnew - Book review

The Enemy of Engagement

Put an End to Workplace Frustration--and Get the Most from Your Employees

By: Mark Royal, Tom Agnew

Published: October 28, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 240 pages
ISBN-10: 0814417957
ISBN-13: 978-0814417959
Publisher: AMACOM











"Managers are bombarded with messages about how important it is to motivate and inspire their people. Very little attention, however, has been given to how managers can most effectively translate employee motivation into optimal levels of performance", write leaders in the employee research division at Hay Group, Mark Royal and Tom Agnew, in their research based and very practical book The Enemy of Engagement: Put an End to Workplace Frustration--and Get the Most from Your Employees. The authors describe how managers and employees are frustrated by overwhelming demands for more productivity and higher performance, but not provided with the necessary support to enable their employees to do their jobs properly and to achieve their goals.



Mark Royal (photo left) and Tom Agnew recognize that the true barrier to achieving peak performance is the workplace itself, and not some proposed shortcomings on the part of the employees. With this key insight in place, and understood by managers and executives, the authors are then able to move toward overcoming the obstacles presented by the workplace environment itself.

When managers become clear that the problem doesn't lie solely with the worker, they can move toward transforming motivation into real results. The previous paradigm, of attempting to somehow fix the employees, led only to frustration on the part of both the workers and managers. The authors recommend addressing the problem at its root by initiating real improvements within the workplace.



Tom Agnew (photo left) and Mark Royal understand the importance of removing the often obscured but still frustrating roadblocks that inhibit or work against employee productivity. These organizational barriers must be removed, and support for workers put into place, to ensure that employees are able to achieve peak performance. Failure to remove the barricades results in lost productivity, weaker overall results, and frustrated employees who will leave the organization.

To counter the structural obstacles to high level productivity, the authors recommend some best practices and strategies:

* Create specific measurable goals and provide clear instructions for achieving them
* Provide employees with regular constructive feedback
* Empower employees to make the necessary decisions when required
* Rank investments in staff and resources to give employees job support
* Ensure that roles and assignments match the teams skills and reward results

For me, the power of the book is how Mark Royal and Tom Agnew present their crucial insight that the frustration felt by managers and employees is not the result of personal failings, but one that is endemic to the organization itself. By recognizing that the failure to translate motivation into peak performance is the result of obstacles existing within the organization itself, the authors are then able to offer real world proven techniques to break down those barriers to achievement.

The authors bolster their ideas and best practices with leading edge research into how the same obstacles exist in many organizations, and how leading companies have broken through those barricades successfully. Overall, the book is a powerful guide for transforming under performing companies, filled with frustrated managers and workers, into organizations where peak performance is achieved through a removal of the obstacles to productivity.

I highly recommend the very results oriented and insightful book The Enemy of Engagement: Put an End to Workplace Frustration--and Get the Most from Your Employees by Mark Royal and Tom Agnew, to any organizational leaders, executives, and managers seeking to remove the barriers within their company structure that work against managers and employees achieving their goals. This book guides executives toward transforming a barrier filled organization, where blame and frustration end in loss of performance and top employees, into one where goals are met and employee engagement is at a very high level.

Tags: The Enemy of Engagement: Put an End to Workplace Frustration--and Get the Most from Your Employees, Mark Royal, Tom Agnew, management strategies, business book reviews

Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant by Lynn Taylor - Book review

Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant

How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job

By: Lynn Taylor

Published: July 20, 2009
Format: Hardcover, 288 pages
ISBN-10: 0470457643
ISBN-13: 978-0470457641
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.











"If your boss acts like a bratty bully or a confused little lamb - or just sees impossible to deal with, you can now breathe a sigh of relief. You are working for a Terrible Office Tyrant (TOT) and help is on the way", writes leading expert and speaker on career, hiring, and workplace issues, founder of Lynn Taylor Consulting, and author of the practical and engaging book Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job. The author describes to not only cope with but to put an end to workplace problems resulting from having a terrible, and often childish boss, manager, or supervisor.

Lynn Taylor recognizes that terrible bosses very often behave in the manner of spoiled and demanding children. The author points out that the acting out behavior displayed by bratty children is the same behavior displayed by that petty tyrant of a boss. As a result of working with her own children, Lynn Taylor applied the same child management principles to working with an unruly manager. Instead of letting that problematic boss ruin an employee's day, or even their career, the author shares useful and results achieving methods for working with problem employers. Without sacrificing principles or creating even more office drama and strife, Lynn Taylor demonstrates that it's not only possible to tame that problem boss, to help everyone achieve their goals at the same time.



Lynn Taylor (photo left) understands that toddle bad behavior arrives in and is acted out in many different forms. Bosses too, exhibit a variety of terrible behavior. Those actions can be loud and screaming, passive aggressive, or like a meek lamb, and many more as well. Lynn Taylor documents the bad boss traits, with razor like wit and abundant good humor, and provides proven strategies for working with all types of bad behaving, and bratty bosses.

Lynn Taylor describes this manager as being a Terrible Office Tyrant (or TOT™), and their actions or non-actions can destroy a workplace and reduce overall performance. To remedy this serious problem, the author divides the bad behaving managers into two overall groupings. One type of TOT™ specializes in bratty behavior, while the other TOT™ style is that of lost little lamb. Whether the employer is loud and boisterous, or clueless and needy, Lynn Taylor has the prescription to end their bad behavior and restore sanity to the workplace.

For me, the power of the book is how Lynn Taylor identifies each type of problem boss, and shares hands on results oriented strategies for working with any bad manager. The author bolsters her own experience with case studies that demonstrate her techniques being applied effectively in many organizations. The issue of bad bosses is not simply one where employees have their days ruined either. The author points out that bad behaving bosses cost their companies dearly in lost production and less than optimum employee performance.

At the same time, Lynn Taylor provides advice for managers to overcome their own tendency to become a TOT™, and for organizations to change that bad behavior in their own managerial ranks. Lynn Taylor offers advice that helps everyone succeed, achieve better overall results, and avoids the dangerous and self defeating possibility of compromising one's values and principles.

I highly recommend the insightful and results oriented book Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job by Lynn Taylor, to anyone seeking a guide to working with and changing the behavior of a bad boss, manager, or supervisor. This book is also very useful for organizations looking for hands on methods for improving the behavior, performance, and people management skills of its executives. This book will rid your organization of the TOT™, and your company will be a more engaged and more productive workplace as well.

Tags: Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job, Lynn Taylor, handling bad bosses, business book reviews

The Wealth of Nature: Economics as if Survival Mattered by John Michael Greer - Book review

The Wealth of Nature

Economics as if Survival Mattered

By: John Michael Greer

Published: May 31, 2011
Format: Paperback, 288 pages
ISBN-10: 0865716730
ISBN-13: 978-0865716735
Publisher: New Society Publishers












"Economics is badly in need of a Copernican revolution of its own, one that will recognize that the center of economic activity is not where where today's economists think that it is", writes scholar of ecological history and internationally renowned peak oil theorist John Michael Greer, in his provocative and visionary book The Wealth of Nature: Economics as if Survival Mattered. The author describes the current state of economic theory, and its many shortcomings, and provides an alternative approach to economic thought grounded in the ideas of E. F. Schumacher.

John Michael Greer guides the reader on a tour of the history of economics, including the theories of Adam Smith, David Ricardo, and John Maynard Keynes. The author offers evidence that contemporary economic thought is deeply flawed, and has failed to meet its purpose of providing guidance and ideas for creating a strong and vibrant economy. For John Michael Greer, the economics profession actually benefits more from being wrong as they were in their failure to understand the housing bubble, and that over dependence on mathematical modelling fails to recognize potential economic disasters as they develop and grow more dangerous to the economy. The author points out that simply tinkering with the most popular and mainstream economic theories won't address or correct those shortcomings.



John Michael Greer (photo left) proposes a fresh look at economic based on reality and an understanding of what constitutes real wealth. For this reappraisal of economics, the author turns to the economic thought of E. F. Schumacher, author of the seminal book Small Is Beautiful: Economics As If People Mattered whose ideas were based on the evidence of what he observed in action around him John Michael Greer points out that the ideas presented by E. F. Schumacher are complex and require extensive study beyond the scope of this book. For purposes of understanding the overall concepts behind Shumacher's thought, John Michael Greer breaks them into four main areas:

* Schumacher drew a hard line between primary goods and secondary goods. Secondary goods are what are studied by mainstream economists, while primary goods are those provided by Nature. Renewable resources of nature are constantly replenished capital while non-renewable resources draw down the overall wealth of Nature and the economy.

* Schumacher emphasized the central role of energy within the sphere of primary goods. For Schumacher, energy can not be treated as a commodity, as energy is the gateway resource to other resources. With enough energy, shortages of other goods can be removed. With an energy shortage, an upper limit is placed on the production of those secondary goods

* Schumacher stressed the importance of the cost per worker of establishing and maintaining a workplace. For societies with abundant capital, ample energy supplies, and established infrastructure, replacing workers with technology is a viable alternative. Such is not the case in developing economies where using human hands and fulfilling local needs is the more viable alternative.

* Schumacher considered the central question of the failure of contemporary economics could not be solved with mathematical or statistical models, as their assumptions are so intertwined with current theories. Economics can't predict the behavior of the economy because that requires criticism of the basic assumptions of contemporary economic theory. Those assumptions must be addressed and related to actual observation.

For me, the power of the book is how John Michael Greer meets and addresses the challenges of rebuilding a workable and reality based economic model. The author combines the current peak oil and energy crisis with solutions based on the ideas of E. F. Schumacher. John Michael Greer provides some solutions that will be controversial and likely to face resistance and opposition. That is to be expected, and the author fully understands that not everyone will embrace his recommendations. The author does point out that both peak oil, and the ongoing economic crisis faced by societies today, demands solutions and hard choices. In the end, the book is offered to the general public, as the final decision makers of how society should move forward into what the author calls the twilight of the Age of Abundance.

I highly recommend the important and landmark book The Wealth of Nature: Economics as if Survival Mattered by John Michael Greer, to anyone who seeks real solutions to the challenges of both peak oil and the economic crisis. This book should be read, discussed, and its empowering ideas considered by everyone. While not all readers will agree with the author's ideas, or the solutions offered, but it's essential to understand these proposals, as the time where the twin problems of peak oil and the financial crisis will force solutions be discovered and put into place.

Tags: The Wealth of Nature: Economics as if Survival Mattered, John Michael Greer, state of economic theory, economics book reviews

Practical Field Ecology: A Project Guide by C. Philip Wheater, James R. Bell & Penny A. Cook - Book review

Practical Field Ecology

A Project Guide

By: C. Philip Wheater, James R. Bell, Penny A. Cook

Published: June 28, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 388 pages
ISBN-10: 0470694289
ISBN-13: 978-0470694282
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell











"This handbook is designed as a guide to planning and executing an ecological research project and is intended as a companion to preparing a dissertation, report, thesis or research paper", write C. Philip Wheater of Manchester Metropolitan University, James R. Bell of Rothamsted Research, and Penny A. Cook of Liverpool John Moores University, in their comprehensive and very hands on book Practical Field Ecology: A Project Guide. The authors describe how to plan, prepare, monitor and sample, analyze, and present the results of a field study project in a range of ecological subject areas.



C. Philip Wheater (photo left), James R. Bell, and Penny A. Cook introduce the concepts of experimental design, and data analysis, and data interpretation for creating successful and meaningful research projects. The authors also provide the techniques required for field monitoring plants and animals.

The main focus of the book is to instruct researchers in the appropriate methods required to design a field based ecological survey and how to put into action an appropriate sampling system. The authors provide the research skills for any number of field studies in a wide range of organisms, various habitats, and both specialized and general ecological projects.



James R. Bell (photo left), Penny A. Cook, and C. Philip Wheater guide students and researchers through all stages of a complete field research project. The six chapters of the book provide a complete overview of planning, executing, analyzing, and reporting on the chosen topic of study.

The book's six chapters include:

* Preparation for the project including all internal and external factors
* Monitoring the site characteristics
* Sampling static organisms including the various measurement techniques
* Sampling mobile organisms including vertebrates and invertebrates
* Analyzing and interpreting data including mathematical techniques
* Presenting the information including report structure and writing style



Penny A. Cook (photo left), C. Philip Wheater, and James R. Bell offer a solid foundation for students and researchers to develop a sound research project. For me, the power of the book is how the authors combine the theoretical background to ecological research concepts with a complete series of practical steps for every aspect of the study. The book is divided logically in the order of the process, and each chapter is well defined. The authors offer many illustrative black and white photographs of the techniques in action, along with data graphs and charts that demonstrate how the information should be recorded and presented most effectively.

I highly recommend the very thorough and approachable book Practical Field Ecology: A Project Guide by C. Philip Wheater, James R. Bell, and Penny A. Cook, to any students, researchers, ecologists, business people, and policy makers who are seeking a very well grounded guide to planning, executing, measuring, and reporting on any ecological project. This book provides the tools necessary to provide scientifically sound information for informed decision making in any ecology related field.

Tags: Practical Field Ecology: A Project Guide, C. Philip Wheater, James R. Bell, Penny A. Cook, ecological research techniques, science book reviews.

Higher Ambition: How Great Leaders Create Economic & Social Value by M. Beer, F. Norrgren, N. Foote, R. Eisenstat, T. Fredberg - Book review

Higher Ambition

How Great Leaders Create Economic and Social Value

By: Michael Beer, Russell A. Eisenstat, Nathaniel Foote, Tobias Fredberg, Flemming Norrgren

Published: September 13, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 272 pages
ISBN-10: 1422159744
ISBN-13: 978-1422159743
Publisher: Harvard Business Press











"These leaders are working to fully realize the potential of their firms to create superior and lasting economic value. At the same time, they are putting their shoulder to the wheel to create superior social value. And they seek to accomplish both goals simultaneously. That is their higher ambition", write business thought leaders Michael Beer, Russell A. Eisenstat, Nathaniel Foote, Tobias Fredberg, and Flemming Norrgren, in their visionary and transformational book Higher Ambition: How Great Leaders Create Economic and Social Value. The authors describe how looking beyond the very narrow focus on shareholder value actually creates even more value for everyone including the company, the employees, the customers, society as a whole, as well as the shareholders.



Michael Beer (photo left), Russell A. Eisenstat, Nathaniel Foote, Tobias Fredberg, and Flemming Norrgren understand that there exists a tremendous crisis in corporate leadership today. The excessive and narrow focus, on the short term bottom line and share value, has failed to produce the intended goals of leadership, and has more often than not, been counterproductive in the end. The authors provide evidence that a new type of leader is delivering more than simply short term profits. The new CEO is not only generating higher numbers and happy shareholders, but is also creating value for employees, customers, and the wider community. Most importantly, the author offer proof that the two goals of economic and social benefits work together to enhance and strengthen each other.



Flemming Norrgren (photo left), Michael Beer, Russell A. Eisenstat, Nathaniel Foote, and Tobias Fredberg share compelling stories from leading CEOs, who shared a strong commitment to building the company as both profitable and of social benefit that included employees, customers, and of society as a whole. These forward thinking business leaders moved well past the selfish greed scenario that has proven a failure so many formerly leading corporations. While personally ambitious, these CEOs channeled that ambition into a larger purpose, described by the authors as being one of a higher ambition. Creating superior economic value, combined with superior social value, resulted in both a stronger corporation, but also provided additional benefits to everyone involved within and outside of the company itself.



Russell A. Eisenstat (photo left), Nathaniel Foote, Tobias Fredberg, Flemming Norrgren, and Michael Beer support increasing shareholder value and corporate profitability, but move beyond those narrow goals. The CEOs profiled in the book demonstrated clearly that moving beyond the fundamentalist shareholder focus resulted in ever greater success. The key additional ingredient was the addition of seeking a higher social purpose. Along the way, these innovative CEOs discovered that their higher ambition developed a fresh corporate vision that exceeded anything that had been accepted orthodoxy in the past. The CEOs recognized as well that selfish personal goals in their part, would fail to achieve their mission toward a higher ambition. At the same time, the leaders understood that focusing only on social value would fail to reach their goals. The two pronged approach was the winning formula.



Tobias Fredberg (photo left), Flemming Norrgren, Michael Beer, Russell A. Eisenstat, and Nathaniel Foote provide the concepts and practices followed by the interviewed CEOs. The visionary CEOs achieved their higher ambition based company success thorough a series of steps:

* Forge a new strategic identity

* Build a shared commitment to excellence

* Create community out of diversity

* Develop and personify "Sisu" persevering leadership

* Commit to collective leadership



Nathaniel Foote (photo left), Tobias Fredberg, Flemming Norrgren, Michael Beer, and Russell A. Eisenstat offer an insightful, research based book that presents a fresh vision for CEOs, and for companies willing to step into a new way of approaching business. For me, the power of the book is how the authors provide real world evidence that establishing a commitment to the dual and very intertwined goals of superior economic performance combined with superior social value. The recognition, on the part of the CEOs interviewed, that simply pursuing one goal or the other is not enough for overall company and societal success.

The higher ambition must combine economic leadership, with strong social values, that consider employees, customers, society, as well as shareholders to achieve success. The older paradigm of shareholder only consideration has proven much less effective, and in many cases, damaging to the company itself. The profiled CEOs also placed their personal ambition into the service of the higher ambition, and this visionary approach created even more success for the organization and all of the stakeholders. This new visionary paradigm is both sustainable and offers real value and benefits for everyone.

I highly recommend the important and landmark book Higher Ambition: How Great Leaders Create Economic and Social Value by Michael Beer, Russell A. Eisenstat, Nathaniel Foote, Tobias Fredberg, and Flemming Norrgren, to any business leaders who are seeking a vision of business and society that is profitable, sustainable, and benefits everyone within and outside of the company. This book demonstrates clearly why the old ways of doing business will no longer work in today's marketplace.

Tags: Higher Ambition: How Great Leaders Create Economic and Social Value, Michael Beer, Russell A. Eisenstat, Nathaniel Foote, Tobias Fredberg, Flemming Norrgren, visionary leadership strategies, business book reviews