About this product: This grandfather of all people-skills books was first published in 1937. It was an overnight hit, eventually selling 15 million copies. How to Win Friends and Influence People is just as useful today as it was when it was first published, because Dale Carnegie had an understanding of human nature that will never be outdated. Financial success, Carnegie believed, is due 15 percent to professional knowledge and 85 percent to "the ability to express ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm among people." He teaches these skills through underlying principles of dealing with people so that they feel important and appreciated. He also emphasizes fundamental techniques for handling people without making them feel manipulated. Carnegie says you can make someone want to do what you want them to by seeing the situation from the other person's point of view and "arousing in the other person an eager want." You learn how to make people like you, win people over to your way of thinking, and change people without causing offense or arousing resentment. For instance, "let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers," and "talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person." Carnegie illustrates his points with anecdotes of historical figures, leaders of the business world, and everyday folks. --Joan Price
About this product: Chip Heath and Dan Heath on Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
"Change is hard." "People hate change." Those were two of the most common quotes we heard when we began to study change.
But it occurred to us that if people hate change, they have a funny way of showing it. Every iPhone sold serves as counter-evidence. So does every text message sent, every corporate merger finalized, every aluminum can recycled. And we haven’t even mentioned the biggest changes: Getting married. Having kids. (If people hate change, then having a kid is an awfully dumb decision.)
It puzzled us--why do some huge changes, like marriage, come joyously, while some trivial changes, like submitting an expense report on time, meet fierce resistance?
We found the answer in the research of some brilliant psychologists who’d discovered that people have two separate “systems” in their brains—a rational system and an emotional system. The rational system is a thoughtful, logical planner. The emotional system is, well, emotional—and impulsive and instinctual.
When these two systems are in alignment, change can come quickly and easily (as when a dreamy-eyed couple gets married). When they’re not, change can be grueling (as anyone who has struggled with a diet can attest).
In those situations where change is hard, is it possible to align the two systems? Is it possible to overcome our internal "schizophrenia" about change? We believe it is.
In our research, we studied people trying to make difficult changes: People fighting to lose weight and keep it off. Managers trying to overhaul an entrenched bureaucracy. Activists combatting seemingly intractable problems such as child malnutrition. They succeeded--and, to our surprise, we found striking similarities in the strategies they used. They seemed to share a similar game plan. We wanted, in Switch, to make that game plan available to everyone, in hopes that we could show people how to make the hard changes in life a little bit easier. --Chip and Dan Heath
About this product: How Not to Look Old the 15-week New York Times bestseller is now in paperback updated with over 150 new Brilliant Buys!
Charla Krupp knows that aging sucks! So she's here to help. It's every woman's dream: looking hip, sexy, fresh, and pretty--whether you're in your 30's, 40's, 50's, or 60's. Now it's every woman's necessity: looking younger will help you hold onto your job and your partner--particularly when everyone around you seems half your age. It's about making the ultimate "to-do" list of LITTLE beauty and fashion changes that pay off BIG TIME.
Charla Krupp, beauty editor and expert, known for her real woman's approach to looking fabulous, offers brutally frank and foolproof advice on how not to look old.
About this product: Product Description The first book to use the unexpected discoveries of neuroscience to help us make the best decisions.
Since Plato, philosophers have described the decision-making process as either rational or emotional: we carefully deliberate, or we blink and go with our gut. But as scientists break open the mind's black box with the latest tools of neuroscience, they re discovering that this is not how the mind works. Our best decisions are a finely tuned blend of both feeling and reason and the precise mix depends on the situation. When buying a house, for example, it's best to let our unconscious mull over the many variables. But when we're picking a stock, intuition often leads us astray. The trick is to determine when to use the different parts of the brain, and to do this, we need to think harder (and smarter) about how we think.
Jonah Lehrer arms us with the tools we need, drawing on cutting-edge research as well as the real-world experiences of a wide range of deciders from airplane pilots and hedge fund investors to serial killers and poker players. Lehrer shows how people are taking advantage of the new science to make better television shows, win more football games, and improve military intelligence. His goal is to answer two questions that are of interest to just about anyone, from CEOs to firefighters: How does the human mind make decisions? And how can we make those decisions better?
A Q&A with Jonah Lehrer, Author of How We Decide
Q: Why did you want to write a book about decision-making? A: It all began with Cheerios. I'm an incredibly indecisive person. There I was, aimlessly wandering the cereal aisle of the supermarket, trying to choose between the apple-cinnamon and honey-nut varieties. It was an embarrassing waste of time and yet it happened to me all the time. Eventually, I decided that enough was enough: I needed to understand what was happening inside my brain as I contemplated my breakfast options. I soon realized, of course, that this new science of decision making had implications far grander than Cheerios. Q: What are some of those implications? A: Life is ultimately just a series of decisions, from the mundane (what should I eat for breakfast?) to the profound (what should I do with my life?). Until recently, though, we had no idea how our brain actually made these decisions. As a result, we relied on untested assumptions, such as the assumption that people were rational creatures. (This assumption goes all the way back to Plato and the ancient Greeks.) But now, for the first time in human history, we can look inside our mind and see how we actually think. It turns out that we weren't designed to be rational or logical or even particularly deliberate. Instead, our mind holds a messy network of different areas, many of which are involved with the production of emotion. Whenever we make a decision, the brain is awash in feeling, driven by its inexplicable passions. Even when we try to be reasonable and restrained, these emotional impulses secretly influence our judgment. Of course, by understanding how the human mind makes decisions--and by learning about the decision-making mistakes that we're all vulnerable to--we can learn to make better decisions. Q: Can neuroscience really teach us how to make better decisions? A: My answer is a qualified yes. Despite the claims of many self-help books, there is no secret recipe for decision-making, no single strategy that can work in every situation. The real world is just too complex. The thought process that excels in the supermarket won't pass muster in the Oval Office. Therefore natural selection endowed us with a brain that is enthusiastically pluralist. Sometimes we need to reason through our options and carefully analyze the possibilities. And sometimes we need to listen to our emotions and gut instinct. The secret, of course, is knowing when to use different styles of thought--when to trust feelings and when to exercise reason. In my book, I devoted a chapter to looking at the world through the prism of the game of poker and found that, in poker as in life, two broad categories of decisions exist: math problems and mysteries. The first step to making the right decision, then, is accurately diagnosing the problem and figuring out which brain system to rely on. Should we trust our intuition or calculate the probabilities? We always need to be thinking about how we think. Q: Are you a good poker player? A: When I was in Vegas, hanging out with some of best poker players in the world, I convinced myself that I'd absorbed the tricks of the trade, that I could use their advice to win some money. So I went to a low-stakes table at the Rio, put $300 on the line, and waited for the chips to accumulate. Instead, I lost all my money in less than an hour. It was an expensive but valuable lesson: there's a big difference between understanding how experts think and being able to think like an expert. Q: Why write this book now? A: Neuroscience can seem abstract, a science preoccupied with questions about the cellular details of perception and the memory of fruit flies. In recent years, however, the field has been invaded by some practical thinkers. These scientists want to use the nifty experimental tools of modern neuroscience to explore some of the mysteries of everyday life. How should we choose a cereal? What areas of the brain are triggered in the shopping mall? Why do smart people accumulate credit card debt and take out subprime mortgages? How can you use the brain to explain financial bubbles? For the first time, these incredibly relevant questions have rigorously scientific answers. It all goes back to that classical Greek aphorism: Know thyself. I'd argue that the discoveries of modern neuroscience allow us to know ourselves (and our decisions!) in an entirely new way. Q:How We Decide draws from the latest research in neuroscience yet also analyzes some crucial moments in the lives of a variety of "deciders," from the football star Tom Brady to a soap opera director. Why did you take this approach? A: Herbert Simon, the Nobel Prize-winning psychologist, famously compared our mind to a pair of scissors. One blade, he said, represented the brain. The other blade was the specific environment in which our brain was operating. If you want to understand the function of scissors, Simon said, then you have to look at both blades simultaneously. What I wanted to do in How We Decide was venture out of the lab and into the real world so that I could see the scissors at work. I discuss some ingenious experiments in this book, but let's face it: the science lab is a startlingly artificial place. And so, wherever possible, I tried to explore these scientific theories in the context of everyday life. Instead of just writing about hyperbolic discounting and the feebleness of the prefrontal cortex, I spent time with a debt counselor in the Bronx. When I became interested in the anatomy of insight (where do our good ideas come from?) I interviewed a pilot whose epiphany in the cockpit saved hundreds of lives. That's when you really begin to appreciate the power of this new science--when you can use its ideas to explain all sorts of important phenomena, such as the risky behavior of teenagers, the amorality of psychopaths, and the tendency of some athletes to choke under pressure. Q: What do you do in the cereal aisle now? A: I was about halfway through writing the book when I got some great advice from a scientist. I was telling him about my Cheerios dilemma when he abruptly interrupted me: "The secret to happiness," he said,"is not wasting time on irrelevant decisions." Of course, this sage advice didn't help me figure out what kind of cereal I actually wanted to eat for breakfast. So I did the only logical thing: I bought my three favorite Cheerios varieties and combined them all in my cereal bowl. Problem solved.
About this product: The definitive guide on how to prepare for any crisis--from global financial collapse to a pandemic
It would only take one unthinkable event to disrupt our way of life. If there is a terrorist attack, a global pandemic, or sharp currency devaluation--you may be forced to fend for yourself in ways you've never imagined. Where would you get water? How would you communicate with relatives who live in other states? What would you use for fuel?
Survivalist expert James Wesley, Rawles, author of Patriots and editor of SurvivalBlog.com, shares the essential tools and skills you will need for you family to survive, including:
Water: Filtration, transport, storage, and treatment options. Food Storage: How much to store, pack-it-yourself methods, storage space and rotation, countering vermin. Fuel and Home Power: Home heating fuels, fuel storage safety, backup generators. Garden, Orchard Trees, and Small Livestock: Gardening basics, non-hybrid seeds, greenhouses; choosing the right livestock. Medical Supplies and Training: Building a first aid kit, minor surgery, chronic health issues. Communications: Following international news, staying in touch with loved ones. Home Security: Your panic room, self-defense training and tools. When to Get Outta Dodge: Vehicle selection, kit packing lists, routes and planning. Investing and Barter: Tangibles investing, building your barter stockpile. And much more.
How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It is a must-have for every well-prepared family.
About this product: The new groundbreaking style-guide from bestseller author Charla Krupp on how to look 10 pounds lighter, 10 years younger and 10 times sexier every day, all year--in summer, winter, at the gym, even in a swimsuit!
You'll never get dressed the same way again once you discover:
*smart, easy ways to hide arm flap, a big bust, a muffin top, back fat, Buddha belly, a big booty, wide hips, thunder thighs, and heavy calves-and that's only half the book.
*which fabrics, colors, and styles make women look fat
*absolutely the best shades, shapes, and brilliant buys to make the pounds invisible
*clever solutions for special fashion situations--workout gear, evening wear, and even swimsuits!
*which products, fashions, and services you shouldn't waste your money on
*the top ten tips that will make you look thinner by tonight!
So, if you've ever put on a piece of clothing and asked "Does this make me look fat?" Finally, here is the book that will answer your question. (2008)
About this product: How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk is an excellent communication tool kit based on a series of workshops developed by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish. Faber and Mazlish (coauthors of Siblings Without Rivalry) provide a step-by-step approach to improving relationships in your house. The "Reminder" pages, helpful cartoon illustrations, and excellent exercises will improve your ability as a parent to talk and problem-solve with your children. The book can be used alone or in parenting groups, and the solid tools provided are appropriate for kids of all ages.
About this product: This book is worthy of being called a classic not only for the wonderful writing, but for the presentation: How to Tell a Story and Other Essays is a facsimile edition of the original first edition published in 1897 under the direction of Mark Twain himself. It is but one volume in the wondrous 29-volume Oxford Mark Twain. The essays, which, besides the title essay, include the devilishly brilliant "Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offences," "Traveling With a Reformer," and others, were written a century ago, but they bristle with energy and wit. At times we take the great Twain for granted, but this volume of essays serves as a wonderful reminder of what a fine and funny writer he was.
About this product: Mojo is the moment when we do something that's purposeful, powerful, and positive and the rest of the world recognizes it. This book is about that moment--and how we can create it in our lives, maintain it, and recapture it when we need it.
In his follow-up to the New York Times bestseller What Got You Here Won't Get You There, #1 executive coach Marshall Goldsmith shares the ways in which to get--and keep--our Mojo. Our professional and personal Mojo is impacted by four key factors: identity (who do you think you are?), achievement (what have you done lately?), reputation (who do other people think you are--and what have you've done lately?), and acceptance (what can you change--and when do you need to just "let it go"?). Goldsmith outlines the positive actions leaders must take, with their teams or themselves, to initiate winning streaks and keep them coming.
Mojo is: that positive spirit--towards what we are doing--now--that starts from the inside--and radiates to the outside. Mojo is at its peak when we are experiencing both happiness and meaning in what we are doing and communicating this experience to the world around us. The Mojo Toolkit provides fourteen practical tools to help you achieve both happiness and meaning--not only in business, but in life.
Praise for MOJO
"Mojo moves us to define who we are in a new and illuminating way! Mojo is a guidebook for the leaders of the future. Thank you, Marshall!" -- Frances Hesselbein, Distinguished Chair of Leadership, U.S. Military Academy, West Point; winner, U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom; former CEO, Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.
"Marshall's Mojo provides wonderful perspectives and tools for each of us--to integrate and focus our lives--to contribute--and to serve. Thank you!" -- Alan Mulally, CEO, Ford; winner, Leader of the Future Award, Leader-to-Leader Institute
"A mantra for self-realization and self-actualization. I regard the concept of Mojo as a milestone in our quest for meaning and evolution--and a beacon in our journey to our inner world." -- GM Rao, CEO, GMR; and Entrepreneur of the Year (India)
"Another thought-provoking, practical, and insightful book by Marshall. I love the simplicity and wisdom in dealing with human behavior in business and, more importantly, in our personal lives." -- Eduardo Castro-Wright, Vice Chairman, Walmart Stores, Inc., the world's largest retailer
"Those of us who have been lucky enough to spend time in a classroom with Marshall Goldsmith know what a positive influence his teaching can have. In Mojo, Marshall shares his scholarship more broadly and teaches us all how to turn inertia in our professional or personal lives into meaning and happiness. There is no more important lesson in business or in life!" -- Tom Glocer, CEO, Thomson Reuters
"As soon as I started reading this book, I felt my Mojo rising. The next best thing to being coached by Marshall is reading his books. His writing always gets me revved up and focused on getting the most meaning and happiness out of my day. This book can elevate any reader's game." -- Mark Tercek, CEO, Nature Conservancy; former Managing Partner, Goldman Sachs
"Marshall Goldsmith is one of a kind: a unique and brilliant combination of getting inside our minds about those problems which keep us awake at night-- and not only clarifying, but actually solving them! Lively and engaging. A damn good read, which every leader will not only enjoy, but profit from." -- Warren Bennis, bestselling author, Distinguished Professor at USC, and world authority on leadership
"Marshall's books are very much like Marshall-- insightful, direct, focused, wise, clear, somewhat provocative, positive, lively, and energetic. For those who have not worked with Marshall and experienced these qualities, his latest book, Mojo, is a great substitute. Mojo is like him-- a little crazy, yet very helpful!" -- Jonathan Klein, CEO, Getty Images; American Photo's "Most Important Person in Photography"
"Marshall has a gift for identifying the essential ingredients of success-- for individuals and organizations. The insights in Mojo are certain to help people at all stages of their career tap their full potential and live more fulfilling lives. Another great book, Marshall!" -- John Hammergren, CEO, McKesson Corporation; winner, Warren Bennis Award for Leadership
"Mojo is elusive, hard to define, at least as old as homo sapiens . . . and worth its weight in gold. This thoughtful and thought-provoking book should be read by anyone who has tasted Mojo and wants more." -- Kevin Kelly, CEO, Heidrick and Struggles, global search and advisory firm
"Marshall helps leaders, aspiring leaders, and anyone who wants to enrich their personal and professional lives focus on actions that provide both meaning and happiness. Mojo is a great reminder that we're most likely to enjoy success in our careers and lives when we regularly take the time to be honest with ourselves." -- Chris Kubasik, President, Lockheed Martin; Chairman, Sandia Corporation
"Marshall provides an array of case studies where he combines business challenges around navigating in the `new normal' with real tools-- tools for yourself and tools for you to help others that you care about. Thanks to Marshall for providing another wonderful read, with both short term and longer term ideas for personal growth." -- Teresa Ressel, CEO, UBS Securities LLC; former Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Treasury
"Marshall clearly articulates the payoff -- for your company, your family, your community, and yourself-- of having more meaning and happiness in your life. And he provides a compelling and clear road map for getting you there."
--Greg Brown, President and CEO, Motorola
"One more great book by Marshall! With his typical depth, simplicity, and clarity, he helps me understand, accept, and improve my Mojo with lasting positive impact!" -- Fabrizio Parini, CEO, Lindt (Italy); former CEO, Ghirardelli Chocolate
"Marshall Goldsmith is tops at the hardest part of the alphabet-- ABC, adult behavior change. We give him high marks!" -- Charles Butt, CEO, H-E- B, one of America's 20 largest private companies
"Marshall is a master at helping people gain self awareness. Mojo provides great food for the soul. Reading this book makes me feel like I am listening to Marshall!" -- Liz Smith, CEO, OSI Restaurant Partners, a world leader in casual dining
"Again, Marshall has his finger on the pulse of the worker and the workplace. This clear, insightful, and wise book helps employees find their Mojo. It helps them move beyond commitment and find ways to truly contribute in their professional and personal lives. The greatest power in the workplace is the workforce and Marshall has figured out how to unlock that potential." -- David Ulrich, professor, University of Michigan; co-author of The Why of Work
"Emerson once wrote, `What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us." Mojo focuses on that which lies within us, what we do with it, and how others perceive it resonating from us. A wonderful read!" -- Alan Hassenfeld, former Chairman, Executive Committee, Hasbro
"Looking for that special sauce that produces extraordinary success? Mojo is it. Once again, Marshall's wisdom and generosity light up the pages." -- Keith Ferrazzi, bestselling author of Never Eat Alone and Who's Got Your Back
"Marshall provides sound, practical advice and illustrates it through real world examples. He provides a road map to increasing your personal happiness and outlines steps to get back into the groove. A great plane read!" -- George Borst, President and CEO, Toyota Financial Services
"A great strategy book for life! Innovative ideas to help you find happiness and meaning." -- Vijay Govindarajan, professor, Tuck School of Business; Chief Innovation Consultant, GE; world authority on strategy
"Mojo is a rich collection of insights into the human experience and practical techniques for improving the quality of our lives. Marshall's a master teacher and communicator, and his self- disclosing stories and style make this a delightful as well as powerful read. It's a superb primer for getting along in uncertain times, with much more fun and meaning along the way." -- David Allen, bestselling author of Getting Things Done and Making It All Work
"Put your Mojo in gear! Marshall again inspires us to knock down the obstacles, overcome the barriers, and take charge of ourselves." -- Joe Scarlett, CEO (retired), Tractor Supply Company; founder, Scarlett Leadership Institute
"Marshall Goldsmith does it again! A must- read book! Strikes a deep chord in each of us-- about what really matters in our lives and work. At no time in history have more people and organizations needed to get their Mojo back. This book tells you how!" -- Mark Thompson, bestselling author of Success Built to Last; Forbes magazine's Venture Investor with the Midas Touch
"We all want to get our Mojo working. Marshall Goldsmith helps us to understand what our mojo is and how to get it working . . . to our advantage and for our self- worth." --Jim Lawrence, CFO, Unilever
"Marshall Goldsmith is a master at making us think more deeply about ourselves and the world we work in. Mojo is a grabber-- uniquely provocative-- and moves the reader to act. Quite a gift!" -- Jon Katzenbach, bestselling author of The Wisdom of Teams; Senior Partner, Booz & Company