Reviews (5)

Just What I Needed...
This book is helping me tremendously at work and in my personal life. I had no idea how weak my language was.I was afraid to say what I thought and ask for what I want. I was always concerned that I would disapoint people out inconvenience them. This book helped me to learn how to communicate effectively while continuing to be a really nice person that gives and gets respect.

Powerful!
I love it!It's immediately practical and useful.I learned how to respond to my critical boss, assertively address a backstabber, and most importantly, convey my anger and disappointment without blamin the other person.That lesson alone was worth way more than the price of the book.What a value!I'm using what I learned in this book every day.

The basics of good communication skills
Although the title might lead you to think this is a book on creating the correct powerful phrases to improve your writing that is not what the book is about.This is a book about oral communication and how to express yourself in a manner that is non-confrontational and yet lets the other person know what you think.Meryl Runion discusses phrases that kill and cause the recipient to lose respect for you and your message as well as positive phrases to express yourself.She devotes a chapter each to various situations where power phrases could be used.Examples of some of those situations include using them to perfect a connection, to say what you think, to say what you feel, to make powerful requests, to refuse what you don't want, to get people to open up, to apologize without groveling, to respond to unkind criticism, to handle angry persons, to express anger, to handle disagreements, and to address issues."How to Use Power Phrases" is a book on verbal communication and responding appropriately to various situations and is a recommended read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Business Communication - General    3. Business/Economics    4. Communication    5. Communication (Specific Aspects)    6. Interpersonal communication    7. Language Arts & Disciplines    8. Oral Communication In Business    9. Oral communication    10. Personal Growth - Success    11. Business & Economics / Management    12. Business communication & presentation    13. Self-Help & Practical Interests   

Reviews (5)

NOT the best bang for your buck.
I bought this book as a novice in the rental business hoping to find information that would get me started out on the right foot.I WAS QUITE DISAPPOINTED. I will not go as far as to say that this book is worthless; there are some useful tidbits of information that i found helpful, but there are other books out there that are so much better.I strongly suggest LANDLORDING, by Leigh Robinson (Ninth Edition or newer).It's available on amazon, of course.

Good Information For The USA
On reading this book no matter how much I tried to focus I found myself wondering whether the content actually related to my own situation in the Uk. I use this book in my Rental Property Management Class
As a landlord for over 30 years and teaching classes on the subject in two different schools, this is one book that I have found invaluable as a resource for wannabe and experienced landlords. Don't think you know it all no matter what you read, learn, experience... I'm still picking up tips and hints! Much of my curriculum was already covered in this book but still there was more to use and learning from each other is the way to go!Very happy to see this book on the market and in laymen's terms and with the prominent hints and smiles to make it easy reading. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Education    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Landlord and tenant    7. Personal Finance    8. Personal Finance - General    9. Real Estate - Investments    10. Real estate investment    11. Real estate management    12. Small Business - General    13. United States    14. Business & Economics / Entrepreneurship   

Reviews (4)

Even company money could be spent more effectively
For any medium to advanced trainer, group leader, or presenter, this book does not raise any new methods of improving audience participation.In fact, the "cheese" factor is enough to choke even the most discriminating mouse. Decent
I was expecting more.But it certainly lived up to its title.Maybe my expectations were a little to hight. It's not that great.
This book wasn't that great. There were VERY few ideas that I would use. I wouldn't recommend buying this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business Communication - Meetings & Presentations    5. Business presentations    6. Business/Economics    7. Games    8. Group games    9. Industries - General    10. Leadership    11. Oral Communication In Business    12. Training    13. Business & Economics / Training    14. Business communication & presentation   

Reviews (15)

I absolutely love it.
This is one of the most amazing books I ever read. It really puts it all in perspective. It shows me all the mistakes I ever made that now they make sense. I highly recommend it, but not to my competitors.

"Great Demo" is not just a book
"Great Demo" is not just a book. It is an essential strategy.
Give Great Demo !
If you're looking for a way to shake up your salesforce , shake loose their love of doing things the traditional way and eventually shake down your competition - look no further.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Communication - Meetings & Presentations    4. Business/Economics    5. Marketing - General    6. Presentation Software    7. Business & Economics / Business Communication / Meetings & Presentations    8. Business communication & presentation    9. Sales & marketing   

Editorial Review

Modern conversation is a lot like nuclear physics, argues William Isaacs. Lots of atoms zoom around, many of which just rush past each other. But others collide, creating friction. Even if our atomic conversations don't turn contentious, they often just serve to establish each participant's place in the cosmos. One guy shares a statistic he's privy to, another shares another fact, and on and on. Each person fires off a tidbit, pauses to reload while someone else talks, then fires off another. In Read more

Reviews (13)

Dialogue - Communications alternative
Isaacs offers alternatives to edicts, confrontations, arguments, debates. He uses anecdotes and metaphors to make his points memorable, often vivid or amusing. He makes how-to-do-it understandable. His most important points are simply stated:
Going to the root of our problems
William Isaacs insightfully introduces the concept of systematic group thinking in this book. He beautifully portrays how our lives at personal or business level can be impacted by breakdown in communication and shows us a practical solution that every reasonable and objective person can follow to improve her life. There are plenty of examples to absorb the complex topics clearly. The book begins with defining dialogue and expands on how to build capacity for new behaviors. Then it leads us into more advanced topics such as predictive intuition and architecture of invisibles. Isaacs describes the idea of container and fields - subtly borrowed from Quantum physics - to define the patterns of collaboration and ways to better position us for each dialogue situation. I found it easy to apply the listening, respecting, suspending, and voicing framework in my day-to-day life. Isaacs has drawn on many sources and great thinkers e.g. Bohm and Kantor throughout the book. The reader will gain an "applied understanding" about some of the major emerging theories and ideas in context of one of the most fundamental dimensions of our life: creativity by resolving our conflicts at home, work, teams and focusing our collective energy on improving our lives lucidly. Great read! I strongly recommend this book and believe in the positive message and energy it sends.

A Dialogical Dissection
Isaacs� book is at once highly readable, pleasant, challenging, thorough, and dense. The author brings together theoretical works from physics, linguistics and psychology to assess modern communication problems and how, through dialogue, those problems can be overcome. He also uses many of his own experiences and case studies to show how dialogic approaches have helped resolve serious differences between groups in the private and public sectors.This book not only offers us the opportunity to reflect on our own mindsets and practices, it also provides useful frameworks and strategies for those compelled to help groups resolve differences. As someone seeking leadership positions in education, this book will always be kept close at hand.Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Communication - General    4. Business Life - General    5. Business/Economics    6. Communication    7. Communication In Business    8. Communication in management    9. Leadership    10. Management    11. Management - General    12. Business & Economics / General    13. Business communication & presentation   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Communication - General    4. Business Life - General    5. Business/Economics    6. Commercial correspondence    7. Communication In Business    8. Handbooks, manuals, etc    9. Business & Economics / Business Communication    10. Business communication & presentation   

Reviews (2)

Good book, some dated examples, frequent missing CD
I have enjoyed this book. In most cases I can skim the sections I know, skipping examples, and do well on the tests so it is very well structured. There are lots of excellent examples flushing out contents for the total newbie. A lot of thought went into the projects and case studies. If you are looking for a good overview of markting concepts and have a solid instructor to lead discussions about them, this is a great textbook.
Robert the Advertising Planner
A good textbook for university students. For pro's, the book lacks a touch of ingeniuity. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Advertising    2. Advertising & Promotion    3. Business & Economics    4. Business / Economics / Finance    5. Business/Economics    6. Communication in marketing    7. Marketing - General    8. Marketing Management    9. Business communication & presentation    10. Computer Communications & Networking   

Reviews (4)

Persuasive advice for lawyers
In Legally Speaking, Mr. Dempsey has created an invaluable guide for lawyers, and I suspect non-lawyers, who need to make presentations to small or large groups. His observations about the art of persuasion are both amusing and insightful.As Dempsey makes clear, talking is not the same as presenting.His focus on "making your case" gets right to the heart of what lawyers do for their clients.Dempsey really wants you to win your audience over and tells you quite clearly how to achieve that goal.Dempsey's comprehensive approach (40 principles!), covers every aspect of lawyers' presentation skills, but still leaves you with one unanswered question: "Can you do a book for non-lawyers?"

A Must Have Book!
Where was this book when I was in law school? This is an exceptional overview of not only the tools but also the techniques attorneys so desperately need to communicate clearly. Dempsey not only tells you what you need to know to communicate concisely and with clarity (something far too few attorneys do) but he gives you practical advice you can immediately implement to enhance your speaking skills, regardless of the amount of speaking you do, or where you do it. The writing is engaging, entertaining and highly informative. There are hundreds of ideas and examples for every attorney. This should be required reading in for every law student and lawyer regardless of how often they speak-we need to do a better job and this book shows us how. This is the essential guide, written by an attorney for attorneys. Buy it now!

This book actually deserves 10 stars!
Legally Speaking is a book that is almost too good to be true. Its information for masterful presentations provides breadth, depth, and enormous practical application. What's more, it is easy to read. The book is an excellent resource for anyone who needs to be a more effective communicator. David Dempsey has done an excellent job of laying out his outline in the contents. It is very easy to quickly turn to the information that is most needed in a given moment. Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business & Economics / Business Communication / Meetings & Presentations    3. Business Communication - Meetings & Presentations    4. Communication in law    5. Communications    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Language Arts & Disciplines / Public Speaking    8. Law    9. Law / Communications    10. Practical Guides    11. Public Speaking   

Reviews (28)

The Basics: Presented Well
Better know today as a conservative columnist for the Wall Street Journal, Peggy Noonan also has a very strong pedigree as a political speech-writer for George H. Bush and Ronald Reagan.
Good Grief!
I love reading Peggy Noonan's WSJ column; so let's get that out of the way right now. Peggy generally writes in a stream-of-consciousness form that I like. It captures my attention from the first sentence and holds me to the end. But not this book. After a page or two I noticed I was skipping ahead, looking for the bait and the hook. It's not there. That's Writing 101. She knows that! What I suspect is this: Her publisher contracted with her for a give-back linked to something else, and she wasnt interested in the project. It shows!

On Speaking Well by Peggy Noonan
The book was cheaper than in the store, was shipped the same day as ordered, and arrived in new condition (it was new!) so I am well pleased. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business Communication    2. General    3. Language Arts & Disciplines    4. Public Speaking    5. Reference    6. Business communication & presentation    7. Public speaking / elocution    8. Business & Economics   

Reviews (3)

Very helpful business book
I have found this to be a very helpful book in how to deal with people in a business.Though there are a few things which I feel are not the right approach and are just the opinion of the author, I think many would do well to study this book and put it into practice.

Excellent overview
This is an excellent overview of the subject of business etiquette in the new millennium.Chock full of advice and tips.Look forward to more from these authors.

Why not ?
Useful skills help to stand in the business world.Follows the legible formats in Dummies series.An interesting reading material to dig in on weekends, with serious rules to practise in the real world.No longer a dummy if follows what the book says. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Etiquette    4. Business/Economics    5. Careers - General    6. Etiquette    7. Business & Economics / Small Business    8. Business communication & presentation    9. Etiquette & entertaining   

Reviews (4)

The Art of Talking to Anyone
The author provides savvy, helpful ideas on improving communication in all situations. Very good.

Not at all what I was hoping for
I put this audiobook in my Wish List several weeks before it came out.What I was hoping for was some good info on the psychology and execution of the lost art of conversation. What I got was an endless list of do's and do nots.I ONLY recommend this for EXTREME introverts.If you are looking to polish your social skills or socialize with anyone other than friends then keep looking.

How to be a boring individual
The first 1 or 2 chapters of this book do indeed give you some good pointers on how to build rapport and to look for common threads, all very important parts of a conversation.However the latter chapters really get dull and tend to advice the reader to shy away from responding openly to real life situations such as when a friend approaches you with a problem, the author advices that you shy away from really putting yourself in their shoes and offering help, rather it gives you advice on how to decline offering help to someone in need.It also advices the reader not to tell jokes in any situation or to shy away from tellign detailed stories. Whilst for a social lepper this maybe sound advice most of us want to live in a world full of excitement and have conversations that are fullfilling for everyone, not just being a bore and trying to "fit in".Perhaps as an Brit this book is very American centric, but I'm sure even Americans are not even so boring! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Business Communication - General    3. Business Life - General    4. Conversation And Discourse    5. Interpersonal communication    6. Language    7. Language Arts & Disciplines    8. Oral Communication In Business    9. Personal Growth - General    10. Public Speaking    11. Business & Economics / Business Communication    12. Business communication & presentation    13. Self-Help & Practical Interests    14. Speaking / pronunciation skills   

Reviews (2)

Your best business's weapon
This book covers everything you need in order to be effective in your communication (the last 3 issues are covered in general but effective terms)
A HIGH-QUALITY TEXT ON A PIVOTAL FACET OF CAREER SUCCESS!
The five major sections are: foundations for management communication; correspondence; reporting and proposing; career communication; managing oral communication; and global issues in management communication. Thereare twenty-five cases keyed to the chapter topics; a concise, bound-inhandbook providing answers to questions about grammar, punctuation, usage,and documentation; exercises; many full-length examples; helpful shortcutsand acronyms; and guidelines for using the latest forms ofinformation/communication technology. An instructor's manual is available.Powerpoint slides can be viewed and downloaded from the book's website.Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Communication - General    4. Business/Economics    5. Communication In Business    6. Communication in management    7. Executive Management    8. Leadership    9. Management - General    10. Business & Economics / Small Business    11. Business communication & presentation    12. Management & management techniques   

Reviews (2)

Helpful with problem-solving
Contrary to the other review, I find this book very helpful.I haven't gone yet to look at the reliability of the studies cited in the book, however there is a point to the "nude" chart on page 79.It is to point out that people respond consciously and unconsciously to differently to certain body types and whether people want to admit to it or not, it is true.I found the information they gave on how to problem-solve very helpful and ways in which to talk with others for effective group discussions or meetings.Although I am in the field of education, it is helpful for teachers in that we meet with parents, other educators, and other professionals all the time, making effective communication very important, especially with difficult parents.

Communicating in Business and Professional Settings
This is a horrible book, and I encourage professors looking for serious organizational communication texts to look elsewhere.The book is dominated by unintentionally hilarious "studies", superfluousinstruction on how to be politically correct, redundant space-wastingcharts, and confusing self-contradiction.The authors, two Professors ofCommunications from the University of South Alabama, see fit to includesuch valuable learning tools as a drawing entitled, "several bodyshapes" (pg 79) which depicts 4 nude women from the back, each with adifferent degree of body fat, and Exhibit 4.7 (pg 86) which cites a"study" to show us that Native, Asian, African, and HispanicAmericans favor "Harmony with the nature and environment" whileWhites favor "Mastery over nature and the environment"Ignoringthe deep dubiousness of this point, I think that most of this book is awaste of time, unfit for any higher learning.In fact, I find this bookintellectually offensive. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Communication - General    4. Business Communication - Meetings & Presentations    5. Business/Economics    6. Communication In Business    7. Communication in management    8. Communication in organizations    9. Leadership    10. Speech    11. Business & Economics / Business Communication    12. Business communication & presentation   

Subjects:  1. Accounting - General    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business Writing    5. Business report writing    6. Business/Economics    7. Communication in accounting    8. Accounting    9. Business & Economics / Accounting / General    10. Business communication & presentation   

Reviews (7)

A Comprehensive Book on Meetings!
Although at first glance I was skeptical, this book provided great insight into running a meeting that participants will actually enjoy and get something out of.It was not just a repeat of the things I already knew.After reading this book and implementing some of the ideas, people noticed the improvements from clear agendas which stated the purpose, to the approach used during the meeting to make sure we were all aligned and in agreement on what we were to achieve.I highly recommend this book.

why don't they teach this in business school?
of all the things that we learn in school, how to more effectively manage a meeting is not one of them, but should be. i wish i had read this many years ago. everyone who joins our team receives a copy in their first week.

the handbook of successful meetings
Doyle/Strauss have written the classic in meeting design, facilitation and management.It is easy to read and use; the standard guidbook that everyone uses. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Communication - Meetings & Presentations    4. Business/Economics    5. Decision Making & Problem Solving    6. Management - General    7. Skills    8. Fiction / Literary   

Reviews (31)

Drones beware
The first sentence of chapter 1 is probably my favorite quote from this book, and sums up the premise quite nicely:"Unless a businessperson gets cornered into speaking directly to live people - say, English teachers bearing assault rifles - we know what to expect: an indigestible main course of catchphrases and endless prose, with not a lot of substance for dessert."
Boring, crude and just plain wrong
One of the least original thoughts I've heard in a long time is is that some business people writebadly. They state premises without the matching conclusions, they overuse jargon, they can be dull and they hide behind buzzwords. Big whoop.
Tedious coverage of an important topic
Certainly a topic that needs to be addressed.It's a shame they didn't follow more of their own advice.In particular "keep it short."The content of this book would have made a good article, but there just wasn't a book's worth of material here.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Communication - General    4. Business Etiquette    5. Business communication    6. Business/Economics    7. Communication in management    8. General    9. Management - General    10. Business & Economics / General    11. Business communication & presentation   

Reviews (10)

Practical handbook about a crucial skil
The managers of most corporations and nonprofits do not understand or appreciate the process of writing proposals and grants, yet developing this skill can be the gateway to winning large contracts and substantial funding. In his practical handbook, author Tom Sant demystifies this important task, providing details about almost every aspect of the process, both pre- and post-award. He elaborates upon the materials you should include and lists mistakes to avoid. This book seems to have a good handle on increasing your success rate if you bid on contracts or apply for philanthropic funding. Therefore, we recommend it to public- or private-sector managers who respond to Requests for Proposals (RFPs), write bids for contracts or prepare grant proposals.

Beyond proposals: Successful business writing on a whole
I bought this book to help the small custom software firm that I work for improve the way we do business. I felt like we were losing way too many jobs and the more I thought about it, I felt our proposals may be the culprit. After reading this book, I realized that I was right. The great news is that this book is laid out very well and easy to apply immediately to the way you do business. I can't count the number of "a-ha" moments I had while reading this.
Good basic reinforcement
New to the contract management division of a major corporation, I needed a good, consise overview of negotiation technique.Found this book very helpful.Have loaned it out to 2 other people who have seen it on my desk.Good purchase. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Communication - General    4. Business/Economics    5. Persuasion (Rhetoric)    6. Proposal writing in business    7. Small Business - Capital Generation    8. Business communication & presentation   

Reviews (4)

Excellent For The Novice Special Event Manager
I was actually looking for a book about the organising of events with small groups of clients, up to 10 and at most 20 people. This was not what I was looking for....However it instilled a lot of new ideas in my crainium that I was able to carry over into my daily line of work when organising presentations to clients and events with clients. Good Refrence
Contains short passages about each facet of event managment. Book is targeted at readers planning large-scale (50,000+ people) events, but much of it is applicable to all types of events. Not a great read, and definitely not the only book to own on event mgmt and marketing, but nontheless it serves as an excellent refrence for specific topics and questions, especially for beginners.

This book is a simple introductory text on event management.
This book is a simple introductory text on event management and will be of little use to those withany amount of experience in the field.At best, it will help the experienced manager refine their checklists.I expected much more from consultants of Ernst & Young. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Communication - General    4. Business Communication - Meetings & Presentations    5. Business/Economics    6. Handbooks, manuals, etc    7. Marketing    8. Project Management    9. Publicity    10. Special events    11. Special events industry    12. Business & Economics / Business Communication   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics / Business Communication    2. Business & Economics / Consulting    3. Business & Economics    4. Business Communication - General    5. Business Communication - Meetings & Presentations    6. Business Writing    7. Consulting    8. Critical thinking    9. Decision-Making & Problem Solving    10. Logic   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Communication - Meetings & Presentations    4. Business/Economics    5. Handbooks, manuals, etc    6. Management retreats    7. Training    8. Business & Economics / Training    9. Business strategy