Unfinished by Suzanne Gravelle - Book review

Unfinished

By: Suzanne Gravelle

Published: October 7,2011
Format: Paperback, 291 pages
ISBN-10: 192700506X
ISBN-13: 978-1927005064
Publisher: TRUMEDIA









"I am living in self-imposed exile. I have intentionally removed myself from everyone and everything that is familiar. Whether it is because we need to rest and rejuvenate our minds and bodies or we need to explore and work through an issue that is troubling us without distraction, interruption or influence, taking time alone, in my opinion, is important", writes traveler and seeker of the self, Suzanne Gravelle, in her inspirational and deeply moving book Unfinished. The author describes her journey of self discovery that began with her resignation from her career as a real estate agent in Nova Scotia, and continued over a long tour of Canada, where she discovered the hidden places of the nation, and those buried deep within herself.

Suzanne Gravelle understands deeply that life is not always as it appears on the surface. Beneath her life of sameness, the author believed that her true essence was being lost forever. To free her inner spirit, Suzanne Gravelle took the extraordinary step of not only seeking her true inner self, but found the need to make that personal voyage of self discovery in what she calls her self imposed exile. She began her personal voyage and adventure by leaving her Nova Scotia life, and began driving across Canada, seeking her lost soul and Canada's lost places. She could find herself and her life's meaning in those expected locations. Her inner being dwelt in lost places as well, giving the journey symbolic meaning on two different levels.



Suzanne Gravelle (photo left) finds her journey manifesting itself in her chosen archetypes of the warrior and the gypsy. Like the gypsy, the author chooses a life of travel and living on the fringes of society, observing and learning of others and of herself. As the warrior has honor, integrity, and respect for the opponent, Suzanne feels respect for her journey and the dream that lives within her. As with a voyage into oneself, the necessity of disengaging from the allegedly real world, and entering into the realm of dream forms the vision of the dreamer. The author discovers her inner gypsy and warrior honor through her entering the dream realm through travel. Throughout the voyage, the author builds on those archetypes, and forms an outline of her true self.

For me, the power of the book is how Suzanne Gravelle shares both the interior and exterior aspects of her journey. Her inner voyage is a discovery of her true self, and the development of her preferred warrior and gypsy self. It was also a journey she had to take alone, in what she calls her self-imposed exile. Her exterior venture is the literal trip across Canada, but even within the context of that long expedition, she finds the less explored places in the country. As with the still undiscovered areas of her own soul, Suzanne identifies with the lost locations of Canada. Those spots parallel her own missing feelings, and form an enriching source of understanding for her and for the reader. With the voyage ending literally at the West Coast, Suzanne's journey of self exploration completes one crucial phase, preparing her for the next act in her life's play.

I highly recommend the profound and soul enriching book Unfinished by Suzanne Gravelle, to anyone seeking a guide and traveling companion, on the road to one's own inner voyage. Whether the reader is moved by Suzanne's inner travel, or by the literal transcontinental road trip, or by both at once, this book is a deeply personal adventure not to be missed.

**********************
For more information about Unfinished by Suzanne Gravelle, visit Unfinished on Amazon.com. You can follow her journey on her blog

About Unfinished

This is a true story of a woman who experienced such a profound awakening that she could no longer live the same way, the same life she was just one week before. She could no longer ignore the woman who was screaming to be set free from the ties that bind her to a life she no longer desired or recognized. The transformation to become the woman she really wanted to be has propelled her upon the most remarkable self-discovery journey of her life. She sold her home, gave up her career, kissed her children, grandchildren and friend’s good bye, got into her vehicle and just drove away…ALONE. Where was she going? 30,000km later she finds herself in the most unlikely place to try to piece her life together, trying to make sense of the constant feeling of being Unfinished.

About Suzanne Gravelle

Suzanne Gravelle is 49 Years old and has 3 children, 2 grandchildren who live in Nova Scotia. At the time this book goes to print she is single and homeless by choice, still travelling, seeking that place of comfort she will eventually call home. She spent most of her life living in Nova Scotia but her formidable years aged 10-25, were spent living on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. She resigned as a Real Estate Agent in Nova Scotia, to embark upon this most incredible journey, driving, exploring Canada and writing this book. Read Suzanne's extended biography.

Suzanne’s Links

Find out where Suzanne is and listen to a current interview on 1290 CJBK London, Ontario on Suzanne's blog

Suzanne’s own BlogTalkRadio radio program Wednesday mornings 10am EST

Facebook: Suzanne Gravelle on Facebook

Twitter: @tourwithsuzanne

Tags: Unfinished, Suzanne Gravelle, personal self discovery, personal development book reviews

Subsurface Sensing edited by Ahmet S. Turk, A. Koskal Hocaoglu & Alexey A. Vertiy - Book review

Subsurface Sensing

Edited by: Ahmet S. Turk, Ph.D., Koksal A. Hocaoglu, Ph.D., Alexey A. Vertiy, Ph.D.

Published: August 16, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 920 pages
ISBN-10: 0470133880
ISBN-13: 978-0470133880
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.












"The major goal of this book is to provide a deep understanding of both the capabilities and limitations of the various sensor technologies used for detecting buried objects", write leading authorities in subsurface imaging and sensing, Ahmet S. Turk, Ph.D., Koksal A. Hocaoglu, Ph.D., and Alexey A. Vertiy, Ph.D., in their very comprehensive and authoritative book Subsurface Sensing. The authors describe the very wide and multidisciplinary field of subsurface sensing,and provide both the theoretical and practical applications and technologies that comprise the subject material.

Ahmet S. Turk, Ph.D., Koksal A. Hocaoglu, Ph.D., and Alexey A. Vertiy, Ph.D. understand both the strengths and limitations of subsurface sensing technology. As a result, the authors provide students, geophysicists, researchers, and engineers with a complete examination of the most important applications and technologies utilized in the field. The authors divide the book into three sections to provide the best overview of the subject: The three sections are as follows:

* The first part covers ground penetrating radar (GPR), electromagnetic induction (EMI), and microwave tomography
* The second part covers acoustic and seismic sensors, biochemical sensors, nuclear sensors, and optical sensors
* The third part includes the areas of application including geophysical, secuirty, landmine detection, and transport and civil engineering applications

Ahmet S. Turk, Ph.D., Koksal A. Hocaoglu, Ph.D., and Alexey A. Vertiy, Ph.D. recognize that their wide ranging overview of the subject will lack depth in each specific area. At the same time, that overall coverage offers practitioners with an examination of the theory, key applications, and important technologies in the field. The overview methodology of the book provides a firm foundation in the subject matter, leading to further in depth study for each application or technology as needed. Within the three principle sections of the book are individual chapters offering an examination of the wide and varied applications of subsurface sensing.

For me, the power of the book is the impressive array of multidisciplinary experts who provide their authoritative articles to the book. The expertise on offer covers a wide range of fields and subjects, but focuses on the principle areas of theory, sensor technology, and sensing applications. The sections of the various types of sensors, the mathematical and physics formulas, and the vast number of applications of the technology are especially useful. The authors are to be commended as well for including chapters that point to the potential weaknesses and limitations of subsurface sensing in all fields of study. Overall, this book is an excellent guide to the wide ranging and ever expanding field of subsurface sensing.

I highly recommend the essential and definitive book Subsurface Sensing edited by Subsurface Sensing, to any students, engineers, practitioners, business leaders, and policy makers seeking a complete overview of the theory, technology, and applications of the critical field of subsurface sensing. This book is a must for anyone with an interest or need for subsurface detection in any area of engineering, resources, business, or scientific research.

Tags: Subsurface Sensing, Ahmet S. Turk, Ph.D., Koksal A. Hocaoglu, Ph.D., Alexey A. Vertiy, Ph.D., subsurface detection technology and applications, science book reviews.

Gold Under Ice by Carol Buchanan - Fiction book review

Gold Under Ice

By: Carol Buchanan

Published: July 20, 2010
Format: Paperback, 408 pages
ISBN-10: 0982782217
ISBN-13: 978-0982782217
Publisher: Missouri Breaks Press












During the American Civil War, Daniel Stark saves a drowning man from the icy water of Alder Creek, Montana Territory, and sets of a series of events that traverse America from the Old West to the gold trading pits of Wall Street, in the spellbinding and fast paced novel Gold Under Ice by award winning, Montana based novelist Carol Buchanan.

Carol Buchanan moves well beyond the usual historical fiction realm, and enters into a story of Wall Street gold trading and the value of President Abraham Lincoln's greenback currency. The story of Daniel Stark, and his quest to repay his family's indebtedness, is mirrored by the larger historical drama of the Wall Street battle of the greenback dollar against the gold Double Eagle coin. The fate of America, embroiled in the horrific carnage of the Civil War, hangs in the balance. The threads of Daniel Stark's life become intricately woven in the arcane financial drama played out by the gold traders in New York. In the days before electronic trades, the gold market was a rough and ready business, that could easily determine the outcome of the war, and the future of America, in just a few failed or successful trades.



Carol Buchanan (photo left) creates living breathing characters, with realistic dialogue, who are caught up in events that sweep them to their destiny. The desires and motivations of the characters, are timeless, and provide an immediacy to the sweeping tale. For business readers, the intricacies of the gold pits, and of the battle for supremacy between gold and paper currency, are fascinating in their modernity.

The price of gold, and the value of the dollar were as as much the daily headlines in 1864 as they are today. The trades made on Wall Street could make or break a currency and a nation then, and they can still do so in the modern world. The author creates a realistic portrayal of the financial markets of yesterday, that still has relevance in the our own time. The battle between gold and paper money, the lure of riches, and the often cold calculation of profit regardless of the outcome, remain as true as ever.

Carol Buchanan tackles a potentially tricky area with the discussion and description of the Civil War era gold and financial markets. The author deftly combines the microcosm of the Daniel Stark story with the larger narrative of the national economy. Even more important, Carol Buchanan transforms the actions on Wall Street from a potentially dry and arcane topic, into a riveting part of the novel. The novel is a fascinating account of fictional characters inhabiting a historically accurate world. The novel is a page turning epic, a lesson in the often ignored financial history of America, and a series of well drawn character studies.

I highly recommend the wonderful historical novel Gold Under Ice by Carol Buchanan, to anyone seeking aen enjoyable and idea filled historical novel. The characters are memorable, and stay with the reader, long after the last page is completed. This book is well worth a read, as the events of the story feel as if they are taken from today's financial headlines, all wrapped up in a gripping adventure tale of family honor.

Tags: Gold Under Ice, Carol Buchanan, Civil War era gold trading, fiction book reviews

Business At The Speed Of Now by John M. Bernard - Book review

Business at the Speed of Now

Fire Up Your People, Thrill Your Customers, and Crush Your Competitors

By: John M. Bernard

Published: December 6, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 256 pages
ISBN-10: 1118054016
ISBN-13: 978-1118054017
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.











"Customers increasingly demand a yes answer to each and every question they ask. They want what they want, and they want it now", writes founder and chairman of Mass Ingenuity, John M. Bernard in his insightful and practical book Business at the Speed of Now: Fire Up Your People, Thrill Your Customers, and Crush Your Competitors. The author describes how in an age of mass customization, it's essential for organizations to empower all of their employees to act quickly and decisively to take full advantage of opportunities as they arise in real time.

John Bernard recognizes that standard management practices are unsuited to cope with the marketplace sea change from the age of mass production to the age of mass individualization. Managers in many companies fail to understand that the demands on employees, by their more empowered customers, are stifled by outdated management practices. Because of this enormous shift in customer expectations, employees are being asked to deliver more than than they have the authority or tools to provide, causing a rift with customers. John Bernard offers an innovative and transformational alternative approach that empowers and engages employees at all levels, provides managers with better data for decision making, and removes obstacles for leadership and innovation.



John M. Bernard (photo left) understands that the marketplace has changed in radical ways, and that the management tools and techniques of even a few years ago, are insufficient for today's reality. The author proposes an end to micro-managing, which is not even possible in contemporary organizations. Instead, John Bernard proposes that managers engage employees to propose and develop fresh ideas for meeting the challenge of today's more demanding customers. The author emphasizes that managers must leverage the power of social media, cloud computing, and the millennial mindset, to achieve success.

Instead of counterproductive policies, including the banning of on the job social media usage and fears of cloud information storage, the author proposes the removal of fear in the workplace. John Bernard recommends that business leaders think in terms of NOW management and its revolutionary goals:

* Removing fear in the workplace
* Reducing variation in all areas of the business
* Overcoming the barriers that prevent change toward empowerment

For me, the power of the book is how John M. Bernard combines the theory of transforming a company to NOW Management, with the tools and strategies for achieving the NOW goals. The author understands completely that traditional management practices are standing in the way of employee engagement. The desire for control is also an outmoded concept that no longer works in a social media, cloud computing, and empowered employee organization. Control is simply no longer possible as today's customer will simply turn to another company for their products and services. To bolster his case, John Bernard shares data, case studies, and anecdotes of companies succeeding through the NOW formula, and their engaged employees becoming more productive, providing more value and profit for the company.

I highly recommend the inspirational and empowering book Business at the Speed of Now: Fire Up Your People, Thrill Your Customers, and Crush Your Competitors by John M. Bernard, to any business leaders and managers who are seeking a fresh and effective strategy to compete effectively in today's highly competitive marketplace. The transformation from an organization of fear to one of engagement will improve employee performance, boost the bottom line, and distance your company from the lagging competition.

Tags: Business at the Speed of Now: Fire Up Your People, Thrill Your Customers, and Crush Your Competitors, John M. Bernard, business development strategies, business book reviews

Mary Davis Holt: Break Your Own Rules - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Keynote speaker, executive coach, managing partner at Flynn Heath Holt Leadership, and co-author of straight talking and empowering book Break Your Own Rules: How to Change the Patterns of Thinking that Block Women's Paths to Power, Mary Davis Holt describes why there are so few women in C-level positions. Despite great strides made in diversity, women are underrepresented in the executive suite, Mary Davis Holt points out that women run companies are more profitable meaning that businesses are missing out on great leadership. Mary shares the six faulty assumptions, often mistakenly considered rules, followed by women that stand in their way. Mary provides advice and strategies for changing those assumptions to new ways of acting that will help more women achieve C-level positions. Mary Davis Holt is firm in her conviction that by changing the old rules to new ones will place women in 30 percent of leadership roles within a decade.

Mary Davis Holt is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, December 15, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Keynote speaker, executive coach, managing partner at Flynn Heath Holt Leadership, and co-author of straight talking and empowering book Break Your Own Rules: How to Change the Patterns of Thinking that Block Women's Paths to Power, Mary Davis Holt describes why there are so few women in C-level positions. You will learn:

* Why there are so few women in top leadership positions in the corporate world

* The myths and behaviors that hold women back from achieving career success

* How women can change their behavior to reach the top in any company

* What are the new rules of business and behavior for women



Mary Davis Holt (photo left) s a partner at Flynn Heath Holt Leadership (FHHL) whose goal is to move women and organizations forward, faster. She is an executive coach and keynote speaker on business, women, and leadership. As an in-demand voice, Mary shares her hard-won insights and promotes FHHL's new rules for success to a wide range of audiences.

Prior to joining FHH, Mary held executive positions at Time Warner with oversight that ranged from finance to information technology, marketing, human resources, manufacturing, and distribution. She held a number of leadership roles in the publishing group including Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Time Life, Inc. Among her many career highlights, Mary led the management of worldwide manufacturing distribution for all of Time Inc.'s magazines (e.g., Time, Fortune, People, Sports Illustrated). She also served as president of Time Life Books and Time Life Kids.

My book review of Break Your Own Rules: How to Change the Patterns of Thinking that Block Women's Paths to Power by Jill Flynn, Kathryn Heath, and Mary Davis Holt.

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 keynote speaker, executive coach, managing partner at Flynn Heath Holt Leadership, and co-author of straight talking and empowering book Break Your Own Rules: How to Change the Patterns of Thinking that Block Women's Paths to Power, Mary Davis Holt, as she describes why there are so few women in C-level positions. Despite great strides made in diversity, women are underrepresented in the executive suite, Mary Davis Holt points out that women run companies are more profitable meaning that businesses are missing out on great leadership. Mary shares the six faulty assumptions, often mistakenly considered rules, followed by women that stand in their way. Mary provides advice and strategies for changing those assumptions to new ways of acting that will help more women achieve C-level positions. Mary Davis Holt is firm in her conviction that by changing the old rules to new ones will place women in 30 percent of leadership roles within a decade on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Break Your Own Rules: How to Change the Patterns of Thinking that Block Women's Paths to Power, Jill Flynn, Kathryn Heath, Mary Davis Holt, career strategies for women, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Break Your Own Rules by Jill Flynn, Kathryn Heath & Mary Davis Holt - Book review

Break Your Own Rules

How to Change the Patterns of Thinking that Block Women's Paths to Power

By: Jill Flynn, Kathryn Heath, Mary Davis Holt

Published: September 13, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 208 pages
ISBN-10: 111806254X
ISBN-13: 978-1118062548
Publisher: Jossey-Bass










"We have a dream. It is a big vision...it is a leap...and it is audacious: we want to see women make up at least 30 percent of the top leadership positions in corporate America within the next ten years", write managing partners at Flynn Heath Holt Leadership (FHHL), Jill Flynn, Kathryn Heath, and Mary Davis Holt, in their straight talking and revolutionary book Break Your Own Rules: How to Change the Patterns of Thinking that Block Women's Paths to Power. The authors describe the myths and misconceptions that hold women back from achieving their fullest potential as leaders in the corporate world, and share strategies for changing these false rules, and replacing them with fresh ideas for success.



Jill Flynn (photo left), Kathryn Heath, and Mary Davis Holt recognize that women have moved forward in business over the past few decades, but despite these advances, women are very underrepresented in corporate boardrooms. The authors point out that fewer than one in six top leadership positions in the Fortune 500 are held by women. At the same time, the authors demonstrate that companies with female leadership at the C-level are more profitable and have a better business model for the future. The authors identified six faulty rules that hold women back from achieving their full potential as corporate leaders. These behaviors are rooted in societal norms and cultural mores, and the authors provide alternative rules to replace these deadly misconceptions, that work for the advancement of women, and achieve greater performance for their companies.



Kathryn Heath (photo left), Mary Davis Holt, and Jill Flynn understand that women have faced and continue to encounter societal pressure to follow an archaic set of supposed rules of behavior. Instead of following society's programming of letting others move ahead, and accepting a lesser role, the authors recommend that women step forward and seize opportunities for moving their careers ever upward. The authors content correctly, that these alleged rules were not and are not carved in stone. Indeed, they are not carved in anything except some antiquated societal mores.

For the authors, it's time for women to break free of these unhealthy myths, and achieve their roles as effective corporate leaders. The authors present their new rules as follows:

* Take center stage
* Proceed until apprehended
* Project personal power
* Be politically savvy
* Play to win
* It's both and...
* Stand together and close ranks



Mary Davis Holt (photo left), Jill Flynn, and Kathryn Heath provide an empowering manifesto for women in the corporate world, that for me, represents the power of the book. The authors not only dispel the myths that have derailed women's careers, but they provide a positive set of new behaviors for women to achieve success in the corporate world. The authors bolster their call to action with real world success stories of women who made it to the top of Fortune 500 companies by doing things their way. The lessons provided by these top female executives add inspirational background to the practical advice shared by the authors.

I highly recommend the empowering and myth destroying book Break Your Own Rules: How to Change the Patterns of Thinking that Block Women's Paths to Power by
Jill Flynn, Kathryn Heath, and Mary Davis Holt, to any women seeking to advance their careers, and moving past the barriers presented by outdated behaviors and mores. This book will transform any woman's career path into one that leads to the very top leadership roles and to the C-level in any size or type of company.

Tags: Break Your Own Rules: How to Change the Patterns of Thinking that Block Women's Paths to Power, Jill Flynn, Kathryn Heath, Mary Davis Holt, career strategies for women, business book reviews

Jim Lehrer interviews Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

PBS NEWSHOUR Executive Editor Jim Lehrer will interview United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton live onstage Wednesday, December 14, at The Newseum in Washington D.C. for Innovation and the Global Marketplace: A Discussion on American Innovation, Trade, and the next 10 million jobs.

Jim Lehrer and Secretary Hillary Clinton will discuss how America will create jobs going forward, and the future of the global economy.



US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (photo left)

The event will also include three panel discussions between leaders in the private and public sectors on the subjects of innovation and economic growth, moderated by NEWSHOUR correspondents Jeffrey Brown, Hari Sreenivasan, and Paul Solman.

Created through a partnership between the NEWSHOUR, The Aspen Institute and Intel, Innovation and the Global Marketplace will be streamed live on the NEWSHOUR’s website starting at 8:45 a.m. ET on December 14.

Viewers can join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #IEglobalmkt and by following @InnovationEcon and @Newshour.

Tags: PBS NewsHour, The Aspen Institute, Intel, Jim Lehrer, Jeffrey Brown, Hari Sreenivasan, Paul Solman, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, innovation in the global economy.

Sandy Carter: Get Bold! Use Social Media For Social Business - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



IBM Vice President, Social Business Evangelism, and author of Get Bold: Using Social Media to Create a New Type of Social Business, Sandy Carter, describes how to use social media tools and techniques to build a company that is more dynamic, collaborative, efficient, customer driven, and successful. Sandy Carter shares ideas for transforming any business into a top performing social business. Sandy Carter offers her six step AGENDA that covers all aspects of a business, inside and outside of the organization. Learn how to use social media to boost innovation, cost reduction, customer relationships, and talent management to create maximum business value through social media.

Sandy Carter is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Tuesday, December 13, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

IBM Vice President, Social Business Evangelism, and author of Get Bold: Using Social Media to Create a New Type of Social Business, Sandy Carter, describes how to use social media tools and techniques to build a company that is more dynamic, collaborative, efficient, customer driven, and successful. You will learn:

* What it means to be a social business

* Why social businesses are more profitable than non-social companies

* How to implement the AGENDA strategy to transform your company

* How to measure success in a social business



Sandy Carter (photo left) is a recognized leader in Social business, a best selling author, and one of the most influential women in Web 2.0 technology. As IBM Vice President, Social Business Sales and Evangelism she is responsible for setting the direction for IBM’s Social Business initiative, a $200B market opportunity. Due to her extensive knowledge of social businesses, she is a sought after speaker.

She is an avid social business evangelist, blogger, and twitterer. She was recognized in 2009 as Brand Leader of the Year by World Brand Congress and as one of the top 10 women in social media by Altimeter Group. She is the author of two best-selling books: one of which won the Silver Marketing Sherpa award in 2009.

My book review of Get Bold: Using Social Media to Create a New Type of Social Business by Sandy Carter.

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 IBM Vice President, Social Business Evangelism, and author of Get Bold: Using Social Media to Create a New Type of Social Business, Sandy Carter, as she describes how to use social media tools and techniques to build a company that is more dynamic, collaborative, efficient, customer driven, and successful. Sandy Carter shares ideas for transforming any business into a top performing social business. Sandy Carter offers her six step AGENDA that covers all aspects of a business, inside and outside of the organization. Learn how to use social media to boost innovation, cost reduction, customer relationships, and talent management to create maximum business value through social media on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Get Bold: Using Social Media to Create a New Type of Social Business, Sandy Carter, social business development strategies, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Get Bold by Sandy Carter - Book review

Get Bold

Using Social Media to Create a New Type of Social Business

By: Sandy Carter

Published: September 21, 2011
Format: Paperback, 288 pages
ISBN-10: 0132618311
ISBN-13: 978-0132618311
Publisher: IBM Press












"It is imperative that you have a bold agenda to engage your clients, your partners, and your employees. The Social Business AGENDA is the connection to outperforming in the marketplace", writes IBM Vice President, Social Business Evangelism, Sandy Carter in her business results oriented and strategy based book Get Bold: Using Social Media to Create a New Type of Social Business. The author describes the benefits of making the transition to a social business, and provides the blueprint for completing that transformation.

Sandy Carter presents a best practices adoption model for applying the principles and benefits of social media to any organization. The author recognizes the value of social media for creating and developing trust, authenticity, and transparency for the company's customers and for employees. For Sandy Carter, the social business integrates the concepts of social into every internal and external aspect of the organization. The benefits of the two way contact, enveloped in social media, achieve the company's goals more effectively for every department. The author points out that people have a deep desire to be social, and the concept of the social business leverages that very human trait for the benefit of the entire organization, including its more engaged employees, and its new form of social customers.



Sandy Carter (photo left) understands that social business has changed companies and their relationships with their employees and their customers in very fundamental ways. The role of the employee is altered in a social business and is more engaged with customers, and with each other, than ever before. The company's processes are more transparent and easily understood by all stakeholders, and the actions taken by social businesses regarding their customers are much faster and more responsive than in non-social businesses. At the same time, social businesses are more profitable as a result of their more fully engaged employees and relationship based customers.

To guide companies in the process of establishing an effective social business, Sandy Carter shares her AGENDA principle. The AGENDA concept is an acronym consisting of the following factors:

* Aligning organizational goals and culture
* Gaining loyal trust
* Engaging through experiences
* Networking the business processes
* Designing for reputation and risk management
* Analyzing the data

For me, the power of the book is how Sandy Carter combines the reasons for establishing a social business with the road map needed to achieve that goal. The author provides many real world examples of successful social businesses, and shares the techniques used to develop those effective social businesses. Filled with screen captures, helpful graphics, and well set apart case studies, the book offers practical detail that enriches the theoretical concepts, and further illustrates the overall AGENDA strategy. Overall, this book is an excellent guide book for companies seeking the business and cultural transformation opportunity presented by becoming a social business.

I highly recommend the very hands on and stakeholder engagement building book Get Bold: Using Social Media to Create a New Type of Social Business by Sandy Carter, to any business leaders, executives, managers, or owners seeking to take the next step in their company's evolution and become a complete social business. This book provides the proven strategies that will turn any company from the ordinary to the extraordinary and very profitable realm of social business.

Tags: Get Bold: Using Social Media to Create a New Type of Social Business, Sandy Carter, social business development strategies, business book reviews

Renewable Energy Facts and Fantasies by Craig Shields - Book review

Renewable Energy Facts and Fantasies

The Tough Realities as Revealed in Interviews with 25 Subject Matter Experts

By: Craig Shields

Published: July 30, 2010
Format: Paperback, 322 pages
ISBN-10: 0615388353
ISBN-13: 978-0615388359
Publisher: Clean Energy Press









"Don't expect a surprise ending; there is none. We actually do live in a world of tough realities. No one can snap his fingers and turn on a safe, readily available, and cost-effective stream of renewable energy", writes marketing consultant and editor of 2GreenEnergy,com, Craig Shields, in his realistic and thought provoking book Renewable Energy Facts and Fantasies: The Tough Realities as Revealed in Interviews with 25 Subject Matter Experts. The author shares his twenty-five interviews with a very wide spectrum of experts and thought leaders on every aspect of the potential and challenges of sustainable energy sources.

Craig Shields recognizes that there are no quick fixes or easy answers to the very difficult realities and choices facing everyone regarding renewable energy. The author provides conversations with specialists, in an impressive variety of fields, who approach the concept of sustainable energy from very different directions and starting points. Craig Shields places the interviews within the context of the three most important, and often very contradictory areas of technology, economics, and politics. As a result, the experts don't always agree with one another, or even agree with the book's author. The result is a lively and often controversial book filled with often difficult ideas, challenges, and possibilities for the future.



Craig Shields (photo left) understands that the development of clean and renewable energy souls is a complex, and multi-layered issue. For the author, the best method of approaching the many sides and nuances of sustainable energy is to consider the realities of the controversial ideas and forces involved in the search. Understanding the technology alone is not sufficient to address the energy challenge. The societal challenges of politics and the often often harsh world of economics must also receive consideration. Without taking all three overarching areas into account, neither the obstacles or the benefits of renewable energy will achieve the best results for the planet. Craig Shields points out that when all three considerations are not in harmony, the result will be solutions that fail in both the near and longer terms.

For me, the power of the book is how Craig Shields addresses the reality of renewable energy with the goal of finding real solutions, through a multi-disciplinary approach. The author believes that hearing as many different voices as possible, including ideas that disagree with his own, will create a more open discussion. Craig Shields provides a collection of interviews that offer real world considerations of sustainable energy, and avoids the pitfall of suggesting a quick and easy solution.

For the author and his contributors, there are no quick fixes or magic bullets. Instead, they provide a realistic and thoughtful discussion of the most daunting challenges facing renewable energy, and how they affect and are affected by the the ever present and critical areas of technology, economics, and politics. The result of Craig Sheilds' wide ranging and very balanced interviews is a deeper and richer understanding of a complex but crucial subject.

I highly recommend the important and often unsettling book Renewable Energy Facts and Fantasies: The Tough Realities as Revealed in Interviews with 25 Subject Matter Experts by Craig Shields, to anyone seeking a comprehensive and real world based anthology of discussions on sustainable energy sources, and their technological, economic, and political ramifications. This book will introduce the reader to new ideas, including concepts that may disconcert some readers. The book's open and honest expert interviews make this book a must read for anyone in business, politics, technology, or the general public with an interest in the critical issues surrounding renewable energy.

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