Book summaries

Help yourself to the 30 book summaries below.

You probably don't have time to read all you would like, so download these summaries and become better informed on a lot of key areas.

These have taken me and others many days to read and prepare. Save the time it has taken us, and have a good read.

More summaries added regularly, so do keep dropping by.

Free downloads - help yourself

The eight practices of exceptional companies
Jac Fitz End
Some organisations are doing it right - get some practical ideas here.
The 8 practices of.doc
Microsoft Word document [36.5 KB]

The Power of Influence
Paul McKenna and Michael Breen
Something a lot of us need to know more about.
Pwr of Inf.doc
Microsoft Word document [736.0 KB]

'Talent is over-rated'...read and dowload
Geoff Colvin
A challenging title, and a lot here on and a little understood aspect of organisational life.
Talent.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [101.2 KB]

Co-petition - an interesting and challenging summary
Adam Brandenburger and Barry Nalebuff
The authors suggest that a lot of competition is wasteful, and that there is a middle path short of total co-oparation and collaboration.
Co-petition.doc
Microsoft Word document [40.5 KB]

The 48 laws of power
Robert Greene and Joost Elffers
One of my very favourite books for its content and design. Here are the 48 laws listed - do view download and use. I use this on leadership and negotiation programmes.
48laws2.doc
Microsoft Word document [31.5 KB]

Practical benchmarking
Sarah Cook
A good introduction to a key topic that has a lot of potential as an organisational development tool.
Practical benchmarking.doc
Microsoft Word document [45.5 KB]

The 11th commandment
Sandra Vanderwerve
A decent overview of customer service issues.
The 11th.doc
Microsoft Word document [42.0 KB]

The loyalty effect
Frederick Reichheld
The best book on a critical topic. Few marketers and strategic leaders understand how to create value and thence loyalty, preferring short term profit and high customer churn.
Loyalty.doc
Microsoft Word document [71.5 KB]

A complaint is a gift
Janelle Barlow and Claus Moller
The title says it all, yet how few organisations seem to agree? Lots of practical ideas and positive case studies and practice...mind you what will change I wonder?
Gift.doc
Microsoft Word document [64.5 KB]

Driving brand value
Tom Duncan and Sandra Moriarty
A strong summary of fundamentals of interest not only to marketing people.
D b v.doc
Microsoft Word document [37.0 KB]

Inspired customer service
Graham Clark and Colin Armistead
This is a very readable book, with realistic thoughts and practicable ideas on improving customer service...I wish I saw more of this in many organisations I have to d
inspired.doc
Microsoft Word document [63.5 KB]

The five qualities that make salespeople great
Herb Greenberg, Harold Weinstein and Patrick Sweeney
Only five? That will disappoint a lot of salespeople that reckon its at least three figures.
The Five Qs T.doc
Microsoft Word document [67.5 KB]

Strategic benchmarking
Gregory Watson
The best book for me on this topic. The author explains from the inside, how Xerox virtually invented business benchmarking, and many of the key lessons learned on the way.
Strat bench.doc
Microsoft Word document [61.0 KB]

The power of wisdom
Aman Motwane
Have a look - it's well worth the time.
The Power of Wisdom.doc
Microsoft Word document [48.5 KB]

Getting to yes
William Ury and Roger Fisher
A wonderful and very accessible book. Full of cases and anectdotes and very useable ideas to help all of us in whatever negotiation context.
Yes.doc
Microsoft Word document [45.0 KB]

Getting past 'no'
William Ury
The pragmatically titled sequel to the above. For me, the very best book on interpersonal skills and negotiation.
No.doc
Microsoft Word document [47.5 KB]

How to win friends and influence people
Dale Carnegie
This doesn't need an introduction from me - in two pages a summary of a book we really all must read.
How to.doc
Microsoft Word document [38.0 KB]

The power of empowerment
David Clutterbuck and Susan Kernaghan
Another summary worth viewing and downloading, and that explains a topic often talked about but rarely truly understood.
The pwr of emp.doc
Microsoft Word document [64.0 KB]

Working knowledge
Thomas Davenport and Laurence Prusak
Knowledge management is another of those organisational elements that is talked of yet very seldom meaningfully worked upon. Some key insights here.
Wkng know.doc
Microsoft Word document [79.0 KB]

The way of the leader
Donald Krause
An unusual and very historical book on leadership, providing plenty of ideas from a lot of extremely well known and learning rich leaders.
The way.doc
Microsoft Word document [48.5 KB]

Moments of truth
Jan Carlzon
A classic little book summarised. Yes a chief Executive with real vision and powers of communication can really make a dramatic difference to the service customers get!
Moments.doc
Microsoft Word document [36.0 KB]

Control your destiny or someone else will
Noel Tichy and Stratford Sherman
Very direct message and a lot worth reflecting upon...and the title is probably true, so a decent start there.
Dest.doc
Microsoft Word document [114.5 KB]

The fifth discipline
Peter Senge
Rightly thought of as a classic on organisation development. Not the easiest read, so this summary could be a good start. A wealth of original thinking - as relevant today as when written.
The fifth.doc
Microsoft Word document [94.0 KB]

Buliding leaders
Jay Conger and Beth Benjamin
Some well argued ideas on how best to develop in house leaders.
Building Leaders.doc
Microsoft Word document [66.0 KB]

Leaders
Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus
Few know leaders and leadership better, and despite all they have written before, there is a lot of great new thinking here.
Ldrs.doc
Microsoft Word document [44.5 KB]

The 17 laws of teamwork
John Maxwell
A good list - means the book is worth a look.
17 laws.doc
Microsoft Word document [34.5 KB]

On becoming a leader
Warren Bennis
One of my favourites - packed with great observations and stories from a true master of leadership, and whose thoughts are always worth a read.
On.doc
Microsoft Word document [49.0 KB]

The 18 laws of corporate reputation
Ronald J Alsop
Challenging, yet seemingly simple enough - too few have lived up to this recently.
18 laws.doc
Microsoft Word document [39.0 KB]

Leadership
Rudi Guiliani
Powerful thoughts from a leader whose skills were tested in times no-one could have foreseen.
RG.doc
Microsoft Word document [42.5 KB]

The seven habits of highly successful people
Steven Covey
Another of those multi million selling books everyong has heard of...but often read and remembered? Read the summary at least!
7 habits.doc
Microsoft Word document [68.0 KB]

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Book summaries

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